What follows is a reprint of an entire article. I will add my commentary to it afterwards:

Pope at Mass: Culture of encounter is the foundation of peace

(Vatican Radio) “Doing good” is a principle that unites all humanity, beyond the diversity of ideologies and religions, and creates the “culture of encounter” that is the foundation of peace: this is what Pope said at Mass this morning at the Domus Santae Martae, in the presence of employees of the Governorate of Vatican City. Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, concelebrated at the Mass.

Wednesday’s Gospel speaks to us about the disciples who prevented a person from outside their group from doing good. “They complain,” the Pope said in his homily, because they say, “If he is not one of us, he cannot do good. If he is not of our party, he cannot do good.” And Jesus corrects them: “Do not hinder him, he says, let him do good.” The disciples, Pope Francis explains, “were a little intolerant,” closed off by the idea of ​​possessing the truth, convinced that “those who do not have the truth, cannot do good.” “This was wrong . . . Jesus broadens the horizon.” Pope Francis said, “The root of this possibility of doing good – that we all have – is in creation”:

“The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can. He must. Not can: must! Because he has this commandment within him. Instead, this ‘closing off’ that imagines that those outside, everyone, cannot do good is a wall that leads to war and also to what some people throughout history have conceived of: killing in the name of God. That we can kill in the name of God. And that, simply, is blasphemy. To say that you can kill in the name of God is blasphemy.”

“Instead,” the Pope continued, “the Lord has created us in His image and likeness, and has given us this commandment in the depths of our heart: do good and do not do evil”:

“The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all! And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”

“Doing good” the Pope explained, is not a matter of faith: “It is a duty, it is an identity card that our Father has given to all of us, because He has made us in His image and likeness. And He does good, always.”

This was the final prayer of Pope Francis:

“Today is [the feast of] Santa Rita, Patron Saint of impossible things – but this seems impossible: let us ask of her this grace, this grace that all, all, all people would do good and that we would encounter one another in this work, which is a work of creation, like the creation of the Father. A work of the family, because we are all children of God, all of us, all of us! And God loves us, all of us! May Santa Rita grant us this grace, which seems almost impossible. Amen.”

In case you missed it, this is worth repeating. Here is the money quote:

“The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all!

There are so many directions I want to go with this. So many… such as, has the pope lost his ever loving mind? or, the Pope is no longer Catholic! I thought about taking the high-ground and exploring the act of doing good as the calling card of our common humanity. But I’m not really in the mood for that kind of high-ground. There is too much dishonesty on ground that high. It is where two groups celebrate a point of commonality, while ignoring  the fundamental chasm between them that remains uncrossable. It is fertile ground for photo ops. Genuine solidarity among factions does not live there. No. I am not interested in taking the high-ground.

Telling a non-believer that he is redeemed by the blood of Christ is like telling a racial minority that it is okay that they are not white, and that God redeems them anyway. In what way is that supposed to be comforting to me? I have done no wrong. I am not in a state of sin, nor am I an outsider to the universal life-force. I am not a bit of wayward merchandise that needs redeeming, or a bit of drifting matter that needs to be returned to its proper state.

It is still a great insult to refer to me as an object of pity that needs to be forgiven and returned to a state of grace. To such a person, I am seen as hopeless if not for the fictional actions of an imaginary being. To be clear, even if I thought the sacrifice was literally, historically real, I would want no part of it. I find the shedding of innocent blood for covering the imaginary sins of innocent people to be abhorrent and immoral. I want no part  of this scarlet-stained justice.

To Pope Francis, and all of his ilk, I don’t want to be your brother in Christ. I want to be your brother in humanity regardless of your estimation of how much good I have done. That is a very different thing. And my worth as a human being cannot be based on your concept of my redemption. I require neither God’s forgiveness nor blood price for my soul. I am a fully realized human being without regards to any of that, fully worthy of your right-hand of fellowship; blood of Christ not required. If you can deal with that, then we are brothers. If not, then your speech changes nothing.

David Johnson

V. 7, In an OT setting masses of sheep for sacrifices at the temple were a symbol of prosperity and gratitude to God for that prosperity. For instance, the number of sacrifices made by Solomon at the dedication of the temple were specifically counted and noted because of the greatness of the gift to the Lord. In a NT this doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a reinstatement of the sacrifices, but it still serves as a literary device to illustrate the worship that will be directed to God.

V. 8, Those who have been loyal to the Lord will come together like a great flock of birds in number (Rev 7:9). Perhaps this is even a hint of being able to fly in the new earth?

V. 9, The islands (a symbol of God’s people) wait for their deliverance (LXX: have waited). The ships of Tarshish would likely represent the bearers of the wealth of the nations that has been promised to the redeemed. And the first to be brought will be the sons from afar (see v. 4). And thus God will glorify his redeemed people. We who have been humbled will finally be exalted, just as God promised.

I love this scene. They were gathered together reading God’s Word, and there were actually people there trying to make sure that the people understood what was being read to them. Some people cannot read. Some people cannot understand what they read. They may pronounce the words properly. They may be able to read everything on the page, but they might not understand what they just read. The comprehension is important.  The NLT says “clearly explained the meaning” and “helping the people understand each passage.” Each passage. I just love this.

It is important for us to understand what we read, whether it is a letter from our insurance provider, our bank statements, an article in the newspaper, a work memo… and it is crucial that we understand what the Bible says. We can read it every day, but we need to be able to understand it to actually apply it.

If you notice in Nehemiah 8, first they read the Law, then they interpret the Law, and then they apply the Law. This is what Bible reading is all about. This is exactly how we are to read our Bibles. First we read His word, then we see what God has to say to us in the context of the passage, and then we then apply it to our lives—we do what He says. Read – Understand – Apply! That’s why it is important that we understand. If you don’t understand, don’t hide and pretend; seek out some godly assistance, purchase a reputable Bible commentary, and pray about it. Read – Understand – Apply!

 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him,

and given Him a Name which is above every name: 

That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow,

of things in heaven, and things in earth,

and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the Glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9-11

Jesus Messiah!!

Became sin…

Who knew no sin…

 Our Righteousness!

Humbled…

Carried the Cross…

Amazing Love!

Name Above All Names!

Blessed Redeemer!

Emmanuel!

Rescue for sinners…

Ransom from Heaven…

Jesus Messiah, Lord Of All!

Your body is the bread…

Broken…

Your blood is the wine…

Poured out for love…

Earth trembled…

Veil was torn…

All Hope Is In You!

All Glory To You!

God!

Light Of The World!

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all!!

“Surely He took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows.”

Isaiah 53:4

“Why did Jesus live on earth as long as He did?

Why not step into our world just long enough

to die for our sins and then leave?

Why not a sinless year or week?

Why did He have to live a life?

To take on our sins is one thing,

but to take on our sunburns,

our sore throats?

To experience death,

yes —

but to put up with life?

To put up with long roads,

long days,

and short tempers?

Why did He do it?

Because He wants you to trust Him.” 

By Max Lucado

Trade your sorrow!

Trade your shame!

Lay them down for the Joy of the Lord!!

Trade your sickness!

Trade your pain!

Lay them down for the Joy of the Lord !!

Say,

“Yes, Lord!  Yes, Lord!  “Yes, Yes, Lord!

“Yes, Lord!  Yes, Lord!  “Yes, Yes, Lord!

“Yes, Lord!  Yes, Lord!  “Yes, Yes, Lord!

Amen!”

You’re pressed…

But not crushed…

Persecuted…

Not abandoned…

Struck down…

But not destroyed …

You’re blessed beyond the curse…

For His promise will endure…

And His Joy’s gonna be your strength!!

Sorrow may last for the night…

But, His Joy comes with the morning!!

Amen!

Go ahead!  Make the Trade!!

V. 2, Although spiritual darkness has been in force over the inhabitants of the earth for so long (Rev 16:10), it won’t be that way for ever because the Lord will come to save his people.

V. 3, Those who have been light-bearers during this time of darkness and who have been persecuted because of it, will suddenly become heros. The nations and their kings will flock to them. There are a couple of things going on here. In the earthly fulfillment that God had planned for the nation of Israel the nations would have been the other nations of the world, like when  kings and queens came to Solomon.

However, the nation of Israel refused to carry out its intended purpose so God’s plans will be fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The nations will be expanded not only to the nations of the world but the nations of the universe. When this planet becomes the capital of God’s kingdom all will flock to us here (Rev 11:15, 21:24).

V. 4, This verse also can be understood in at least a couple of different ways. As these nations come together to us they will also include our sons and daughters. Perhaps this includes the reclaiming of our children who strayed away from the faith in fulfillment of the promise in Prov 22:6. Perhaps is also refers to the resurrection, when families will be reunited with angels bringing them together.

V. 5, Of course all of this will be cause for great rejoicing. The abundance of the sea will come God’s people. The sea is a constant symbol in the Bible for the masses of people (Rev 17:15) and composed mostly if not entirely of the wicked. Everything of wealth, power, prosperity, etc. that the wicked had claimed for themselves will belong to the people of God (Rev 21:26).

Although I was told time and time again to not write on my hand, I continue to write things on my left hand so I do not forget what is important. As I was teaching a lesson this past weekend, a child asked what was written on my hand. It so happened to be a verse from Nehemiah. The night before I was reading from Nehemiah and found some verses I wanted to revisit. Most of the time you will find that my left hand has a fresh verse or remnants of past verses that have faded with the numerous hand washings, and I am okay with my dirty hands. They are reminders of what is important to me.

It reminds me of the verse in Isaiah that notes how God has us engraved on the palms of His hands. Imagine all of us, His sinful, flawed children, all written on His perfect hands. Can you see how important you are to Him? Can you grasp that you, YOU right there, matter to Him?

Too often we get caught up on being received well by those around us. We want to be loved. We want to be appreciated. We want to feel important. At times we find ourselves discouraged in these areas of our life. Today is a good day to remember just how important you are to the Most High God. Remember, He has your name written on His hand. You don’t have to do anything to get your name there—He put it there because He loves you. You are special. You are important.

First, this entire post is being written by the combined efforts of a lifelong protestant and a lifelong catholic. Together, we are very familiar with the teachings and traditions of both the Protestant church and the Roman Catholic church.

Second, we understand that the Roman Catholic church does not believe that pope’s words are infallible, though it does believe that his formal teachings on doctrine are. These recent comments by Pope Francis do not fall into the realm of teachings guaranteed to be protected by the Holy Spirit.

Third, we like Pope Francis. The things he has done and taught so far have been a breath of fresh air compared to past leadership. However, this doesn’t excuse him from critique.

Okay, so if you haven’t heard, earlier this week the pope made comments concerning the salvation of everyone who does good works. It has taken us several days to work out our response to his statements. We’re not going to automatically put this on blast- frankly, we really like that idea. There have been some amazing people our lives who didn’t proclaim Jesus as God, and it would be enthralling to see them in heaven. And frankly, it’d be pretty cool to have a chance to have lunch with Gandhi at some point in eternity (though he’d definitely have a few thousand years of lunches booked with other fans)!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/atheists-good-good-pope-francis-says-162106426.html#u0um0qe

The church does need to stay rooted in scripture, though. So we’re going to look at some passages from the bible (which both Protestants and Catholics agree is infallible).

For the rest of this article, a series of questions will be presented by Eddie (resident Protestant), and answered by Collin (resident Catholic).

Eddie: What is your interpretation of Mark 10:18?

Collin: I remember hearing someone, in some capacity, try to use this verse as an proof Jesus isn’t God. That is not the case. Jesus does not say, “I am not good,” but he corrects a common misinterpretation about what good is. The person who he was talking to in this verse did not necessarily view Jesus as God, but rather as a teacher. Jesus said this, then, to clarify that man cannot be good apart from Himself.  God is good, we are not. We can’t do good unless God is acting through us.

E: What is your interpretation of Romans 3:20-25?

C: It’s pretty clear that this verse is saying that redemption comes through faith alone. It also points out that before redemption, we are all on the same playing field in terms of our future.  I do not think that everyone will be redeemed, but at any point in one’s life a person can turn to Jesus for redemption.

E: What does James 2:14-26 have to do with all of this?

C: We know that if we do not have faith, none of our works have any spiritual significance. As John 15:5 says, we can do nothing apart from Christ. Therefore, if we do not have faith in Him to allow Him to work through us,  our works have no meaning. However, James is also clarifying in this passage that if we have Jesus living within us, we will do good works. We won’t do them to earn our salvation or to be good, but solely for the reason that faith in Christ drives us to action.

E: So how does the Bible say a person gets to heaven?
There are many scriptural examples, such as Matthew 5, that Jesus make the point that for us to enter eternity on our own merit we have to be better than the most righteous people. Simply put, we cannot be righteous enough to earn our way into heaven. Jesus is the gateway to eternal life, and the only way to enter it is through faith in Him. (John 14:6)

Collin’s concluding remarks:

To be honest, it is really a confusing quote. First, he talked about the morality of a person, then it seemed to shift into redemption. An atheist can turn to Jesus and be redeemed. I personally believe that Jesus died for all and extends His redemption to all, but not everyone will take it. Is that what he meant? That’s definitely not how many people are interpreting it, for sure. Also, an atheist can have a positive effect on the world. Atheists have the same physical capacity to fight to end oppression, for example. However, can we take what the Bible says and reconcile it to calling any person good or stating that anyone would get redemption on the solely on the basis that they are a human? I believe we answered that with the verses above.

Related articles

• Pope Francis: God redeemed everyone, ‘not just Catholics’ (religionnews.com)
• Pope Francis says atheists can be good (guardian.co.uk)
• Pope Francis Stands Up for Atheists. (greatriversofhope.wordpress.com)
• Good Deeds, Not Belief In Christ, Required For Salvation Says New Pope (addictinginfo.org)
• Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics (thevoiceofwarning.wordpress.com)
• Pope Francis calls on Christians to accept the good works atheists perform (rawstory.com)
• Atheists are good if they do good, Pope says (worldbulletin.net)
• Should We Care That Pope Francis Said That Atheists, Too, Can Be Redeemed? (patheos.com)

People were trying to intimidate Nehemiah so that the building project would cease. The Bible says that messengers came down a total of four times to basically harass Nehemiah, and his response was that he couldn’t come down because he was doing a great work. Then Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, sent his aide with a letter and again with the same message. The fifth time, the response didn’t change. Nehemiah was not leaving the project to meet with the group trying to halt the work. He sends a message, a very short message (why waste time writing a dissertation when there is no need) back telling Sanballat he was making things up. He prayed and continued to work.

Talk about standing firm. Nehemiah understood what he was supposed to do and he did not let anyone try to tell him otherwise. He kept pressing forward with the project God gave him to do and allowed God to handle the rest. He did not leave his work for a moment to go talk to these troublemakers to try and change their minds. He didn’t spend time pointing fingers at those trying to cause friction, but kept on pressing forward.

When we are doing a good work, we too have people around us trying to get us to stop. Whether it is on purpose or without thinking, people do try to thwart our good works at times. The question is, do we respond like Nehemiah, firmly planting our feet to get the work done? Do we allow the threats, the lies, and the words spoken to simply roll off our backs and continue onward? Or do we stop the project to spend time defending the project and ourselves? Remember, this isn’t about us—and God does not need us to defend His work.

He would throw out suggestions like praying for those who are unsaved in your circle of influence.  Pray for missionaries who are risking their lives to spread the Gospel around the world.  Pray for those running our country.

Then he made it personal.  He asked everyone to pray for forgiveness for being angry with people.  Pray for forgiveness for envy, for strife, for un-confessed sins that maybe have been forgotten or excused away by rationalizations.

While I don’t disagree with asking for forgiveness for those things, I began to think back to my Bible reading.  I remember reading how Jesus got angry at Peter.  (Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33)  I know that I’ve read, on several occasions about the wrath of God.  (Ezekiel 25:17)  God even referred to Himself as jealous. (Exodus 20:5, 34:14)  But how is this possible?  How can God declare Himself to be something that I am told to pray forgiveness for as it is unholy?

The answer lies in redemption.  “And through Him (Christ) God reconciled everything to Himself.”  (Colossians 1:20 NLT)  I emphasize the word ‘everything’ because it is an all-inclusive term.  When we receive Christ, there is no part of us left untouched by that redemptive work.

Rory Noland, in his book “The Heart of the Artist,” points out that we often categorize people by personality traits.  “That guy is a hot-head,” or “She’s so emotional,” or “I can’t believe how stubborn he is.”  In each of those three examples, the connotation is obviously negative.  But aren’t those traits also exhibited by Jesus when he walked the Earth?

Anger: “Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple.  He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.” (John 2:15 NLT)

Emotion: “He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” (Luke 22:44 NLT)  John also accounts, in chapter 11, verse 35, that Jesus wept over the death of His dear friend Lazarus.

Stubbornness: “During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you.  And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”  “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”  (Matthew 4:3-11)  Even through hunger and exhaustion, Jesus was able to stubbornly ward off the Devil’s attacks

So, how is this possible?  Because when Jesus redeemed us, He redeemed ALL of us, including our personality.  Is anger a sin?  Not if it is done within the holy context of Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 4:26 tells us that anger becomes a sin when we let it control us.  How could anger possibly be a sin if: a) Jesus Christ was angry at many people during His Earthly ministry, yet He never sinned; b) we inherently have within us the propensity towards anger in regards to things that offend us.  Isn’t that what angers God?  Isn’t sin that offends Him?  If we are like-minded with Christ, then the things that offend Him will offend us.

Although I feel it is important to keep emotions such as anger in check, I do not believe that we should write them off completely, throwing them into the sin drawer with the rest of the forbidden transgressions.  Instead, we should take stock of our feelings and measure them up against our ultimate examples: God the Father and His perfect Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I love the beginning of this verse. “After thinking it over, I spoke” is what Nehemiah says. It doesn’t say, “When I found out, I became frustrated and immediately took action.” Nehemiah thought about it, pondered, took counsel, consulted with himself… the HCSB says, “After seriously considering.”

Now Nehemiah had set to rebuild the wall. He waited three days before he even spoke up about what he wanted to do because he wanted to see for himself. He examined the area. He then delegated the workload so no one was burdened. It then comes to his attention that there are people who are very poor because of injustice. Nehemiah did not rush in to verbally attack those who were guilty. Instead, he thought about it. He took the time consider everything before he went forward to make accusations. In doing so, he calmly proclaimed the problems and there was then justice for these poor people.

Today consider your words and your emotions. We are to be slow to speak and we are to watch our anger (James 1:19-20). Again and again we are reminded. It’s hard to keep our mouths in check at times, but once something is said, it cannot be taken back.

“Jesus replied,

‘Very truly I tell you,

no one can see the kingdom of God

unless they are born again.’”

Searching all these years …

Not at all who I thought I’d be…

Lost…

You found me here!

Broken beyond repair…

You came along…

You sang Your song over me!

Feels like I’m born again…

Living for the very first time in my life!

The love I feel is so much more real than anything!!

The life I have now is only the beginning!!!

Feels like I’m born again!!!!!

Feels like I’m breathing…

Feels like I’m moving …

You came to me…

Gave to me Life…

  A Love I’ve never known…

Love I’ve never felt before…

Feels like I’m living…

For the very first time!!!

Look into the mirror…

Are you who you wanted to be??

Living the way you wanted??

Your eyes remind you you’re not free!

Are you tired of going solo??

Then, never go there again!!

This is what it is…

This is who I am!!!!

I finally take my stand!

I met the one with two scarred hands!!

Giving Him the best of…

Everything that’s left of…

The life inside of me…

I’ve been Born Again!!!

You’re living in fear…

Sick of people telling how you should be…

Where’d you get your info??

Let me tell you what I believe!

We are the ones He called by name…

We’re never gonna look back…

Let go of the guilt the shame…

This is who we are!!!

We’re Born Again!!

The Interwebs are ablaze with comments made by Pope Francis yesterday that “ALL” are redeemed through Christ, not just Catholics. It even made it to the number two trending item on Reddit! Now, for many, including myself, this is not breaking news, just good ole’ fashioned Catholic theology.

But, some time ago, someone got the idea to spread the nasty rumor that that Catholics are the most exclusive group of cats out there when it comes to the issue of redemption.

When, if we are honest, we have got to be one of the most inclusive of all the Christian denominations (It’s that whole all are welcome thing).

What it all boils down to, I think, is a real linguistic confusion on the terms “Church” and “Catholic”. We (Catholics) use them in the broad sense, but they are often interpreted by others in the narrowest of narrow sense.

In the end, we believe that Christ came to establish His Church. That means you, me, him, that guy over there, and everyone else you can find. Thus the Church is “catholic” in nature,  which makes sense when you understand that catholic means universal. It is everything. It is everyone. It is everywhere.

Now I’m not giving everyone a free pass through the pearly gates, we might be universal, but we are not advocating universalism.   That whole can of worms is another post for a different day.

My line is always, “Everyone is catholic, they just don’t know it yet.” And while that is a large generalization, it really does strike at the core what Francis is trying to say.

Here are some good snippets from Papa Frankies Message. Check ‘em out. Celebrate. You have been redeemed.

http://skreened.com/nonreligioschristian/redemption

Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.

During his homily at Wednesday Mass in Rome, Francis emphasized the importance of “doing good” as a principle that unites all humanity, and a “culture of encounter” to support peace.

Using scripture from the Gospel of Mark, Francis explained how READ MORE

http://skreened.com/nonreligioschristian/redemption

Something stood out to me while seeing the news coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombing and the devastating Oklahoma Tornado. I witnessed so many people praising God amidst the storm. It reminded me of Paul and Silas singing hymns and praying to God amidst their own storm, while locked away in prison. They praised God during the storm and then came an earthquake which freed them from their chains.

Perhaps we haven’t experienced what the people of Boston and Oklahoma experienced, but we all have storms of some magnitude in our lives. We have suffering. We have pain. We have situations. We have troubles. We have difficulties. We have struggles. We have diseases. We have injuries. We have problems. These storms, small and large, come. Do we praise God during the storms? Do we sing to the Lord during the good and bad?

Paul and Silas sang to God and there came an earthquake. The news coverage showed a Boston victim praising God and walking the next week despite a leg amputation. A lady prayed to God amidst the storm and gave Him glory during the interview, and her missing dog was found in the rubble on live television.

Whatever storm you are going through today or whatever storm may soon come your way—keep on praising our heavenly Father. He is always good. He is always worthy of praise.

Day one, two and three of this camp adventure have been a roller coaster. My faith has been tested and tried, stretched and almost stepped on for the first three days here.

From the moment I arrived the attacks started and have not ceased…but his tricks are not winning. The more the devil challenges me, the more my faith increases.

My third day here I would like to talk the most about.

Spoiled, entitled, above, underrated…these are just a few of the words that began to rut their ways in my mind.

My day consisted of scrapping and placing labels, price tagging item, answering the phone, and cleaning…definitely some things I did not have in mind doing after receiving a degree and making over $700 a month student loan payments. To say I felt overqualified would be an understatement.

Once I stopped and prayed for the Father to renew my mindset I was reminded that as Christians we are to humble ourselves and serve others as Jesus did.

he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:7

Why would I think I was too good to take the trash out when my own Christ washed the disciples feet.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life–a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people. Ephesians 6:7

I began to then praise God for where I was and for the reminder that in everything I do, I am doing it for His glory. It does not matter if we are cleaning toilets or running concession stand, we should serve, being His hands, with a heart full of joy and a renewed mind.

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 1 Corinthians 7:17

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23-24

It is much better to humble yourself than to be humbled by God.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights,

who does not change like shifting shadows.”

James 1:17

Sing it out!

Shout it loud!!

Let the sound of the saints…

Be heard everywhere!

Praise the God who has come…

To cure every broken heart!

He is Lord over all…

His reign will never end…

He’s the Light of the World…

Brighter than the brightest star.

The God of Brilliant Lights…

Is shining down over us…

Breaking through the darkness…

Covering all the earth…

His love is like an ocean…

Forever overflowing…

The God of Brilliant Lights…

Is shining over us

Sinners come to the Cross!

Lay your troubles down…

At the feet of the One…

Whose mercy will abound…

He will never turn away!!

The God of Brilliant Lights is shining over us…

He’s shining over us!!

I’m A Child Of The One True King!!

Hello…

My name’s no longer…

“Regret!”

“Defeat!”

I no longer believe the lies…

Hello, my name is…

Child Of The One True King

I’ve been saved…

I’ve been changed…

And I’ve been set free!

“Amazing Grace”

Is the song I sing!!

Hello, my name is now…

Child Of The One True King

I’m no longer defined…

By all the wreckage behind…

Jesus has made all things new…

It’s true…

Just take a look at my life!

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are!

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”

1 John 3:1

Amen!!

I’m called His child!!

A Child Of The One True King

Walk in that promise from your Father!!!

Amaziah, king of Judah, was preparing for battle. He gathered the people together to get them assigned to their commanders. He even went and hired a hundred thousand men from Israel to help with the battle.  Then he got a visit from a man of God telling him that the Lord was not with Israel and if the Israelites showed up for battle, it would ensure a loss. Then Amaziah wanted to know about all the money he had given the Israelites. He did not want to lose his investment. The man said that God can give more.

Today remember that God can give more. We don’t take enough time to consider how God has already blessed us or how he can bless us. Many times when we experience a loss, we do not think of the good that could come out of it. Amaziah was losing his investment, but wasn’t that better than losing the battle? It is important to look at what truly matters in life—to remember the purpose of life. God can give so much more. He already has.