"How Do You Read It?"

Luke 10:25-37:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This parable of the Good Samaritan has another way it can be read.

Although this involved a theft of personal property and being physically beaten, leaving the man on his way from Jerusalam to Jericho half dead, how often do we find people like this in everyday life in the spiritual sense?

You see, Jericho here represents some place we feel we need to reach in life (financial success, power, love, etc). Then on our way there, the fallen world spits us out, robs us and strips us of our dignity and emotionally wounds us---leaving us spiritually half dead.

And how many of us see this person in everyday life and decide like the two others, to walk on the other side of the road. We just don't want to get involved. Afterall, they are not physically crying out for help.

How many of us recognize this person needs help and offer them the bandage for their wounds called Jesus Christ?

Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light. ~Norman B. Rice

How many of us go the extra mile and bring them to the inn--in this case Church--and introduce them to the pastor (the innkeeper) and tell him to "Look after him."

The great message in all of this is that everybody is our neighbor and if you truly love thy neighbor as thyself, you want the best and greatest thing for that person: the final destination of heaven. The Holy Spirit is our GPS. This is what we should try to do as Christians, to lead others on a different pathway to the gift of life eternal.

As Jesus would say: "Go and do likewise."

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Understanding Catholicism

I was watching a movie the other night titled Molakai: The Story of Father Damien. Father Damien was a Belgian priest who did missionary work with Lepers in Hawaii in the mid to late 1800s. In the movie, a man (who was Protestant) asked Father Damien: "Do you honestly believe only Catholics go to heaven?" And Father Damien replied: "I am not absolutely certain. But I know that Catholics can go to heaven." Brilliant answer.

With this in mind, I feel that there are some issues that I need to discussed in this blog.

First, in my previous blog, Prayers of the Saints, I talked about why Catholics ask for intercession from saints and a little about the canonization process. Specifically, that two posthumuous miracles are required for anyone to be canonized a Saint. Well, Father Damien was canonized a saint last year in October. The second posthumuous miracle involved a woman given 6 months to live due to cancer and how she was miraculously healed. Click HERE to read this amazing story.

Secondly, for those becoming Catholic, you will not understand how misunderstood our faith is until some of your friends/acquaintances find out that you are becoming Catholic. In an age with so many different Christian denominations, I wrote a blog one year ago that sheds light on why I decided to become Catholic. It is titled: A Halloween To Be Remembered

Other blogs that I have written regarding sacraments that might be useful here are: The Benefits of Confession, The Real Presence of Christ, The Sacrament of Marriage.

But a few other things seem hard for many non-Catholics to understand, like Purgatory, mortal vs venial sins, why Catholic kneel so much during Mass, etc. So I will address a few more here.

Purgatory

Many claim that purgatory is unscriptural because it cannot be found anywhere in the bible. It is true the word purgatory cannot be found in the bible (neither does the word Trinity) but the concept of purgatory is scriptural:

But first, you have to know what purgatory is and what it is not.

Purgatory is the final purification of the elect. It is a state of being, not a physical place like heaven or hell, where after death, souls are purified before entering heaven. How is it scriptural?

In Revelations Chapter 21, it tells us that nothing impure will enter heaven.

• Revelation 21:27: Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

So when somebody dies, unless they are in an extreme state of grace at the exact moment of their death, their soul is stained with sin and would not be able to enter heaven without being purified.

Catholic teaching makes no claims to how long someone stays in purgatory. Nobody knows for sure, it could be seconds or years. But it is a Catholic belief that once someone makes it to purgatory, they will eventually make it into heaven.

For those who want discount the concept of purgatory as unscriptural because "the bible only mentions heaven and hell", I would invite them to research the difference between Sheol and Gehenna in the Old Testament. Research how these words were translated in the New Testament and how the New Testament seems to draw a distinction between the two. And to research The Bosom of Abraham that involved Lazarus and the rich man found in Luke 16:22-23 which was neither heaven or hell.

Mortal vs. Venial Sins

Another concept that many non-Catholics do not understand is mortal vs. venial sins. As scripture tells us in Romans 6:23 "the wages of sin is death." Many believe all sins are created equal but scripture tells us otherwise.

• 1 John 5:16-17: If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
  

The sins that lead to death are mortal sins. The sins do not lead to death are called venial sins.

An excellent guide for determining what is a mortal and venial sin, click HERE. And after reading that list, perhaps you will understand the next topic better.

Why do Catholics kneel during Mass?

Out of love and reverence to God and Christ. It is one of the many ways to pray. The following scriptures probably explain it best:

• Daniel 6:10: Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

• Ephesians 3:14-15: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name

• Philippians 2:9-10: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Prayers of the Saints

One thing many non-Catholics do not understand is praying to saints. As my Protestant father once told me about his belief in prayer: "We go directly to Jesus." So should Catholics but this doesn't mean that you cannot have others pray for you as well. I don't think I would get much argument with Protestants about their belief in intercessory prayer and the benefits associated with it. Scripture instructs us to pray for eachother:

• James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Who can be more righteous than a saint?

No Contact with the Dead?

Some Protestants will state that the Old Testament prohibits communication with the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10-11) but what this scripture is forbiding is conjuring up spirits for the purpose of gaining information. A great example of this would be séances.

We are all One Body in Christ

Jesus came and established a New Covenant and Catholics believe what Jesus said--that true believers never really die:

• John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Ironically, Jesus asked this question to Martha, mother of Lazarus, who was mourning her son Lazarus's death. If communicating to the physically dead is wrong, why did Jesus do it? Further into John Chapter 11, Jesus talked to a physically dead man (Lazarus) and then raised him from the dead:

• John 11:43-44: When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

And why did Jesus talk to Moses and Elijah on the Mount?

• Matthew 17:3: Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
  

Also, twice in Revelations it demonstrates that the prayers of the saints are offered to God in heaven:

• Revelation 5:8: And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

• Revelation 8:3: Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.

In conclusion, do what feels right in your heart. But many miracles have occurred when praying on the Rosary or when saints have been asked for their help in prayer. In fact, two posthumous miracles are required for any man or woman to be canonized a saint, no matter how holy of a life they lived or how many miracles they were associated with during their lifetime.

So as it says in First Timothy:

• 1 Timothy 2:1: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone

And always remember:

For God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive --Luke 20:38

Thanks be to God and for all the prayers of the saints,

© Michael J. Cox

Thanks Be To God

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. Why? The 3 Fs - Food, Family and Football - and since it is a non-commercialized holiday where you can sit back and reflect on what you should be thankful for in your life. A lot of people pray for things they want from God but I would bet that we are all guilty of not giving enough thanks to God for things He has blessed us with.

Having been to a number of Protestant churches in my life, there is nothing more beautiful than Catholic Mass or the Catholic faith in general. But just like with the sacraments, this depends on the disposition of the receiver and their understanding of it. Too often, many go through the motions. After the first and second scripture readings during Mass, the congregation says: "Thanks be to God!"

This should be more than an empty repetitious verbal response. So giving thanks to God is the theme for this blog. Here is a good scripture reading on this subject, that involves Christ:

Luke 17:11-19: Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Only 1 out of 10 of the lepers had faith and were mindful enough to truly thank God? Has anything really changed in 2000 years? Have you known people who were truly blessed by God but discounted it or didn't really demonstrate thankfulness to God in their life?

Being Thankful For Our Brothers & Sisters In Christ

We should be more thankful for what God has blessed us with. We should be more thankful for the Christian brothers and sisters that God has put in our life along the way. Below is a passage from a letter Apostle Paul that hits home on this subject. Paul wrote this while being imprisoned for his Christian beliefs.

Philippians 1:3-10: I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ

This is a beautiful example of Christian love and a great testament to Saint Paul's thankfulness to God.

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~ William Arthur Wood

Thanksgiving Day is several months away but Thanksgiving should be celebrated every day. Even if it is only for a few seconds. We have a lot more to be thankful for than we will probably ever come to realize.

Peace to you,

© Michael J. Cox

A Case For The Sign of the Cross

The making of The Sign of the Cross, or crossing oneself, is often mistakenly believed to be a purely Catholic ritual. Comedian Bill Cosby once joked about Catholics, calling us quiet people and that we "could communicate with God using hand gestures." Cosby also joked and said that us Catholics didn't have to shout the way Protestants did.

But crossing oneself is not just a Catholic ritual. It is used by Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodoxy and to various degrees in Protestant denominations like Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist and Anglican churches.

Understanding The Sign of The Cross

The making of The Sign of the Cross isn't (or shouldn't be) an empty hand gesture, it should be used to begin prayer, in blessings by priests and accompanied by the words "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit." The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say about the Sign of the Cross:

CCC 2157 The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior's grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.

How Do You Make The Sign of The Cross?

One takes their right hand touches their forehead (which symbolizes Heaven and the Father for wisdom), then their stomach (which symbolizes the earth and the Son who became incarnate) and then shoulder-to-shoulder (which symbolizes the power of the Holy Spirit). Catholics make the motion from their left shoulder to right but many Orthodox Christians go right-to-left.

There are various ways to use the right hand for crossing oneself. Some Christians use an open hand to represent the five wounds of Christ. Others use two fingers (index and middle finger together or crossed) to represent the human and divine nature of Christ. The more common way in Catholicism is to place the thumb, index and middle fingers together to represent the Holy Trinity.

Criticism Of Its Use

Some Christians have criticized usage of making the Sign of the Cross as not scriptural. However, making the Sign of the Cross on the forehead has been a part of the early Church since the 2nd Century. But it begs the question: Does everything have to be in the bible in order for it to be a good or Holy thing? We greet people with a handshake, we wave at friends when we see them in public places, so why can't we use our hands for prayer? Prayer helps us establish and keep a friendship with God.

There are many different religions in the world whose followers all pray to a God or Gods. The use of the Sign of the Cross easily identifies us a Trinitarian Christians (those who believe in the Holy Trinity). Making the Sign of the Cross also reminds us of our baptismal promise since we were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And having sat in a special Mass for the deaf and hearing impaired, where we had someone translating the Mass readings into Sign language, it was quite moving and unifying to see these people all make the Sign of the Cross in unison with the rest of the congregation.

Why We Shouldn't Take It For Granted

I remember watching a video of the 1981 Canada Cup with a Russian hockey player friend of mine named Mikhail Kravets. In the championship game, the Soviet Union faced Canada and playing in the nets for the Soviets was the great goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. Tretiak had come under fire from Soviet hockey coach Tikhonov.

In the 1972 Summit Series, Tretiak gave up a goal to Canadian Paul Henderson with 34 seconds left in Game 8 to give Team Canada the win in the series. In the 1980 Olympics, Tretiak was pulled and replaced in the first period of Soviet Union-USA game which saw the upstart Team USA comprised of college kids defeat the Soviets in what is now called "The Miracle on Ice."

Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Americans were led to believe that most Soviets were atheist because atheism was the official religion of the Soviet Union. In fact, the Soviet Union discouraged religion and oppressed it. My friend Kravets was Russian Orthodox and he smiled and pointed out to me in the video of the championship game (between the Soviet Union and Canada) how the Vladislav Tretiak inconspicuously made the Sign of the Cross in the nets just prior to the drop of the puck. Tretiak, hunched over, disguised crossing himself by fidgeting around with his goalie glove but it was an obvious Orthodox right-to-left Sign of the Cross.

Tretiak and the Soviets went on to win that game 8-1 and take the Canada Cup. Tretiak was named Tournament MVP. Ten years later, the Iron Curtain fell and today, 72% of Russia's population consider themselves Christian.

And if anything, making the Sign of The Cross before prayer serves as a visual reminder to others of what Jesus said in Luke 14:27:

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

The Cross, whenever and however we see it, also should remind us as Christians that it represents the greatest evil--the creature kills The Creator--but more importantly, the greatest love--that Christ willfully suffered a humiliating, brutal death out of love for us.

So in essence, it is a sign language of FAITH and LOVE

But to those who live or lived in countries where Christianity was oppressed, it was a sign language of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

In the name of The Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

The Will of God

A recent trip to Minnesota, where I visited the beautiful Cathedral of St. Paul, caused me to delve more into Paul's life and his letters. Apostle Paul authored the majority of the New Testament Non-Gospel books (His first encounter with Christ was the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus). Anyway, I noticed a number of times Paul identified himself as:

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God"

So, I got a little curious and decided to do a search of the exact phrase "Will of God" in the NIV version of the bible on www.biblegateway.com: (Click HERE)

Curiously enough this exact phrase seems to be associated with most of the books attributed to Paul.

Here is one of my favorites scriptures using "Will of God":

• Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

As Father Corapi brilliantly said in one of his talks, God is reality and a good working definition of insanity is to to be out of touch with reality. And the world we live in is out of touch with reality.

Will of God vs. Will of Man

But how many Christians--in their day-to-day lives--can discern the "Will of God" and do the right thing and take a stand for our Heavingly Father?

Jesus warns us about doing the will of the Father:

• Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
  

How do you discern the Will of God?

Well, you have to be connected to the Holy Spirit. How do you do this? Through prayer, reading The Word and Godly Counsel. Because if you aren't connected with the Holy Spirit, you will become influenced by other type of spirits not from God--those from Satan.

Whenever you are making a decision and unsure about God's Will, ask yourself if it will please self, man or God and remember who comes first:

• Colossians 3:23: And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men
  

But realise that being a Christian and being true to the Lord won't always endear you to those of the fallen world.

But as Saint Peter says:

• 1 Peter 3:17: It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

As Jesus says:

• Mark 3;35:"For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
  

And always remember:

• 1 John 2:17: The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

The Way

Many people go through life in search of love and happiness. At one time in our life we have all thought we knew how to get there and have felt that we control our own destiny. It is true that God gave us free will, so we do control a large percentage of our own destiny. We can chose to follow God and His plan and have true happiness in our life or we do it our own way and accept the consequences--which might provide short-lived happiness.

If you experience hardship in your life and are unhappy, get close to Christ. You will find peace and love:

Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord" -- St. Augustine

And remember that God is a loving god and He will do whatever it takes to get our attention:

• Hebrews 12:6: because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.
  
• Hebrews 12:10: Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

We are no different than God's Son who suffered. Christ suffered a humiliating, brutal death out of love for us:

• Luke 24:26: "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

What is the benefit of being a follower of Christ? He will do whatever you ask in His name as long as it is good for us or not a selfish, materialistic request:

• John 14:13: And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

As Christians, we sometimes get discourged or get comfortable and slip back to ways of our past when we didn't live as Christians to find happiness. As Satchel Paige once said:

"Don't look back. Something could be gaining on you."

That something is probably Satan and his false hopes and lies.

Christ said something important here to his followers about not looking back:

• Luke 9:62: Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

But still, many people try to do it their own way to find happiness and love. Why is this when we have Jesus Christ?

Quite a few times in scripture, Christ said "Follow me." However, Christ did not say that he knew "The Way."

Christ said He was THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE:

• John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Faith, Hope and Love

Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Why is love the greatest of them all? Paul tells us:

• 1 Corinthians 13:1: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
• 1 Corinthians 13:2: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
• 1 Corinthians 13:3: If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is the greatest of them all because it "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:7

If you want great love, you have got to be strong in faith and hope:

Faith is what gets you started. Hope is what keeps you going. Love is what brings you to the end.

~ Mother Angelica

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; that word is love.

~ Sophocles

What is love? God.

• 1 John 4:8: Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
• 1 John 4:16: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Where there is love, there is God also.

~ Leo Tolstoy

If you want great love, get close to God and strengthen your faith. And have hope:

• Romans 5:3-5: Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

~ Mother Teresa

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

How We Know Love

A friend has this quote posted on her Facebook:

"Love is everything it's cracked up to be...It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for." -- Eric Jong

I couldn't help but think of this on two levels--the romantic level and how this also applies to our faith.

First, on how this applies to our faith. Think of the example Christ set for us as well as the early Christians. Christ willingly suffered a humiliating, brutal death out of love for us for the forgiveness of sins and so that he could understand the pain and suffering we all go through in life. The early Christians were martyred, beheaded, throne to the lions out of love and reverence for their faith. Christ and the early Christians had perfect love:

• 1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

On the romantic level, love is difficult to find. You can't buy love because love is priceless. When you find love, you should cherish it and fight for it. But so many people in relationships let pride get in the way and pride always kills love. Pride is not something from above, it is from below.

• It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. -- Saint Augustine

Having humility is something that God desires and He will bless us when we are humble. We are all supposed to be faithful, humble servants. And this includes being faithful humble servants to ones we love because we do it for our Lord, not because our loved-ones always deserve it. True authenic love, agape love, is supposed to be unconditional because Christ's love is unconditional.

Want to find or have great romantic love? It is a two-way street. If you want great love, you have to give great love. You have to be the person you desire in your life. Christ gave us a great example of love and selflessness to follow.

If you are a single Christian and want to find great love, make sure the one you get into a relationship with goes to church regularly. Not that going to church makes someone a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes one a mechanic--but it is at least a good start.

If you have to drag them to church, don't be so eagar to drag them to the alter. My theory, if you can't love God by going to church and dedicating one hour of your time every week for Him, it brings up the question of how faithful and dedicated that person will be to you. If they don't show love and reverence for God, how well will they show you love over time?

Where there is love, there is God also.

~ Leo Tolstoy

When you invariably go through difficult stretches in your life as a couple, being strong in faith will help you get through these times. Nobody is perfect. We are all human. We are all sinners and we all will all slip up from time to time, say or do something we shouldn't have or say something in a tone we shouldn't have. We all will allow anger to overcome us on occasion and we all we will, no matter how hard we try not to, will at some point disappoint or hurt the ones we love. Being strong in faith and being united with someone strong in faith should enable us to find the humbleness to apologize and repent as well as the necessary heart to forgive.

• 1 John 4:12: No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
  

How do know what love is?

• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Christ gave us an example of perfect love:

• 1 John 3:16: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

If you want great romantic love that lasts forever, be united with someone strong in faith. Christ's love never ceases, neither does the love of someone made whole in Christ.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Our Daily Battle and Having a Heart of God

Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Yes, this is what we fight on a day-to-day basis. I used to discount this long ago a religious craziness, but I have seen this with my own eyes. This struggle is real: a struggle between good and evil, lightness vs. darkness-between God and Satan. I recommend Father Corapi's Immortal Combat series as he is someone who has seen greater depths of this in his own life.

Yes, we live in a fallen world. Who controls it?

• 1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

Even Jesus didn't refute Satan's control on earth:

• Matthew 4:8-11: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
  

But we know that Satan is fighting a losing battle, his time is short and that goodness wins out over evil:

• Revelations 12:12: Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.
  

Satan - the Master of Lies and Division

Unfortunately, until the end of time, Satan will try to inflict as much damage as he can. He is the Master of Lies and tries to blind you from the truth:

• 2 Corinthians 4:3-4: And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Satan takes great delight in dividing and destroying anything that is good or Holy. He accomplishes this when we don't stay close to Christ, when we are wounded, when we make things of the world (money, alcohol, drugs, material things, etc,) our god and when we lack forgiveness:

• 2 Corinthians 2:10-11: If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
  

This is why it is important to stay close to God, through prayer, reading the bible, hearing the word in church and fellowship with other Christians. We all need friends, acquaintance friends and close friends. But we must be careful who we chose to be close friends with.

• 1 Corinthians 15:33: Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
  

As Christians, we need to be out in the world but not "of the world." Christ ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus said in Mark 2:17: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

But unlike us, Christ was free from falling to temptation from Satan. He could not be influenced to do wrong, he influenced to do what is right. Jesus helped raise the spiritually dead through example and teaching.

Therefore, we need good Christian friends around us that can lift us up and be positives influences in our life and in our spiritual journey. We need to be a light in the world and be surrounded by the light can make our light burn brighter.

"Friends are the mirror reflecting the truth of who we are." ~ Unknown

This is why we need really good Christian friends if we truly are Christian. Steel sharpens steel. If we are called to be the light of the world, then think of ourselves as candles in a world filled with darkness. A candle that burns and gives off light needs oxygen. The Holy Spirit is our oxygen. The Holy Spirit is replenished by reading scripture, hearing the word in Church, praying, Holy Communion, listening to spiritual music and fellowship with other Christians.

If we don't do these things, then we chance having our light get blown out or dimmed.

How can we can tell a Christian? By the fruits of their spirit:

Galatians 5:22-24: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Having a Heart of God

One of the fruits of the spirit not identified above is forgiveness. Why? Because forgiveness is love. God is love. So forgiveness is key to having a heart of God:

“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” -- Bryant H. McGill

Jesus taught the importance of staying free from things that cause sin and the importance of forgiveness:

Luke 17:1-4: Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

When you do things that don't glorify God, watch out! God is a loving god and he will do whatever it takes to bring you closer to Him.

Here are some great quotes on forgiveness:

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.

~ Robert Quillen.

He who is devoid of the power to forgive, is devoid of the power to love.

~ Martlin Luther King Jr.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.

~ George MacDonald

Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again. ~ Saint Augustine

Having a Heart of God is greater than having a Heart of Gold. Because God is love and love is worth all the gold on earth.

I love you all,

That means I will always be ready and willing to forgive you,

© Michael J. Cox

A new video I recommend: Click HERE