Love and Trust Near

Women of Faith:

Be bold, be humble. Speak the truth about love.

Why is it that we are so ready to believe something created by humans, yet are so fearful of speaking and believing the truth created by God?

Were you disgusted or did you believe what you saw depicted as love, and as “normal,” in the multi-million dollar ads on TV during the Super Bowl? Will you be as ready to stand up and advertise real love and real truth?

“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” Lk 4: 24

(CNA/EWTN News) ‘Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday asked Christians to proclaim God’s love with “boldness, humility and coherence” like Jesus.

“Let us ask the Lord to give each of us a spirit of courage and wisdom, so that in our words and actions, we may proclaim the saving truth of God’s love with boldness, humility and coherence,” said Pope Benedict.
“Jesus did not come to seek the consent of men, but to give testimony to the truth. The true prophet does not obey anyone other than God and places himself at the service of truth, ready to pay in person.”
He noted that “it is true that Jesus is the prophet of love, but love has its own truth. Love and truth are “two names for the same reality” and “two names of God.”
“Love does not boast, it is not puffed up with pride, it is not disrespectful, it does not seek its own interests and does not get angry. It does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice over wrongdoings but rejoices with the truth,” he said. (1 Cor 13: 4-6)
The Pope said that to believe in God is to “give up prejudices and accept the concrete face in which he has revealed himself, the man Jesus of Nazareth. This way also leads to recognize him and serve him in others.”
He talked about the Sunday reading in which Jesus reads a passage of the Old Testament at a synagogue. Jesus said that “no prophet is accepted in his own country” and named two miracles performed by the prophets Elijah and Elisha.
Pope Benedict said Jesus’ words “showed that sometimes there is more faith outside of Israel.”
“At that point the reaction was unanimous as all rose to hunt him down and to try to throw him off a cliff, but he calmly passes through the angry people and leaves,” said Pope Benedict.
“Why did Jesus want to cause this failure?” he asked.
“But this is precisely the point: Jesus did not come to seek the consent of men, but to give testimony to the truth.”’ (CNA/EWTN News)

It is often easier to hear the “prophets of afar.” It is often easier to listen to the social and cultural media ads by giving them greater authority, by allowing them to distance me from living my Christian beliefs and values, and by enticing me to believe that I can judge and live by my own standards. Instead I should be listening to, responding to and speaking about the message that Jesus brought to us through his life of sacrifice and death on the cross.

Instead of “hearing” those God has placed nearest to me to help guide me: my spouse and faith filled friends, instead, sometimes, it can seem easier to choose to throw Him (them) off the cliff and believe in the media, the culture, so that I can remain “socially” acceptable.

In faith, however, I know the nearness of the truth within myself—the natural and born again truth, thru Christian baptism in water and the Spirit, which He created within my heart and soul for all eternity.

Jesus is “that native place,” the voice of truth and love.  He is present to offer me hope.  

By trusting in the real truth, by accepting His forgiveness, and by responding to those around me in charity and love, with patience and kindness, then my eternal reward will be far greater than anything temporary offered to me here on earth.

Heavenly Father, I will sing of YOUR salvation. You are so very near. Help me to speak YOUR truth. Help me to sacrifice me, for You! Guide me to avoid the temptations of following that which is far from Your path by being more aware of Your love which is so near. Give me the faith to speak up for the far richer gifts of heavenly reward while denying and avoiding the temptations of the temporary richness of this world.  Amen.

Jesus doesn’t need our consent. He is VERY near and only needs us to follow.

Will you accept the love and truth that is Christ near you?

Be blessed by seeing AND accepting Christ,

Charlotte

God's Super Bowl

Women of Faith:

What would happen to the world if we celebrated God in the same way as we celebrated the Super Bowl?

What if we had the same excitement, the same anticipation, the same parties that we had yesterday during the Super Bowl, when we came out of church on Sunday morning? Or even if we had as many people at church as we had watching the Super Bowl—all with one purpose and one goal?

Or what if our marriages had the same good natured arguments as two friends cheering, one for the Packers and one for the Steelers—and ending up with a pat on the back, and a “we’ll” be back for more tomorrow?

No, I am not saying it is wrong to enjoy the Super Bowl. But when I woke up this morning I really didn’t care whether my side won or lost last night.

But in God’s game, winning or losing, is heaven or hell. That matters, now I care.
And while I get a second chance every day when I wake up, when the game is over, God’s decision, God’s judgment of what I have done with my life; of which quarterback I have followed—Jesus or another, will be final.

My goal is to win God’s Super Bowl. I have faith and hope that I will be a winner if I follow Him.

God’s super bowl has a game plan. It is the bible and the interpretation of His church, given to us all to read and follow. These were some of His instructions this week:

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you. Thus we may say with confidence: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me? Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Heb13:1-8

“Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Mt 5:13-16

Do we want to be like the bowl games performers, the quarterbacks, and the actors in the commercials? Are they our role models? Are their “goals” becoming our goals? Are their lights “brighter” and set on “higher” lampstands than those of God’s followers, of those who see and seek the truth? Who do we imitate? Who do we follow?

Who are our role models? And who is our quarterback?

What would change in the world if everyone attended church the way they attended the Super Bowl (in person or on TV)? God’s commercials would ask us to serve the poor, the widowed, the orphaned and the children. The commercials would ask us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, shelter the homeless etc. They would ask us to be unselfish and to die to our own selfish ways and desires for our spouses and our marriages, just as Christ died for his spouse, the Church.

What if we knew, understood and studied Gods game and “players” of as well as the players of the NFL, all their stats, all of their history. How much do we know about the Hall of Famers “Saints” in God’s game?

Are we following a false quarterback, a societal god? Do we follow those who say we should have freedom of choice for life, marriages of equality, a need to be rich and famous, or the “it must be right, everyone is doing it attitude?”

Or are we following God’s quarterback, Jesus? Do we imitate His selfless service to believers and non believers alike, loving each other in good times and bad, for richer, for poorer? Do our choices in life recognize that God’s bowl game has the ultimate, the SUPER outcome?

Heavenly Father: Praise be the real game, that of life itself. Please bless us, the players of the game, so that we will know the truth and follow the one you sent, Jesus Christ, as our coach. Praise be Jesus who was sent here to make us winners of Your gift of eternity. I am sorry for the times when I have allowed myself to be influenced by the rich and famous, when it is your riches that I desire. Thank you for being my guiding light. Amen.

Put God into Your Super Bowl game. Make Jesus Christ your coach. May we be led by His play book.
Blessings,
Charlotte