Emmanuel: God is With Us

When interceding for others, we need to have faith, and believe GOD is with us. HE is trustworthy, he is our best friend. Surely he will hear us... But like a friend, he is not happy with evil. If we have sinned, we sin against God, we need to ask for forgiveness FIRST before we can ask for other favours isn't it? ;)

Anyway, our reading for the night comes from 1 John 4:7 - 1 John 5:5

God's Love and Ours 7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And 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. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There 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. 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.1 John 5 - Faith in the Son of God
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
 
AND this is a song we sang tonight and I don't think my guitar did it justice so am posting it here:


Anyway, here's my personal sharing from our intercessory night ---- I felt God telling me to "Be of Good Cheer, rejoice". I had an inkling that I heard it many times in the bible but didn't know where. Then a quick check online got me really interested. IT appears SO Many times in the bible. READ this PDF for an idea. God is so interesting! he's always ...been saying "the joy of the lord is your strength" but I seem to never listen, so he says something new for me this time - "Be of Good Cheer!"

Read the link here & REJOICE too in the midst of adversity:
http://adventuresingod.com/teachings/be_of_good_cheer.pdf

Luv
Sam

What is holiness?

Haha this is a blank post... because we want to just ask anyone passing by this blogpost - what is holiness? what is your take on holiness?

Cheers!

God is a Consuming Fire....

Ministry life is not easy. We have ups and downs, closeness & also sometimes a kind of sinful distance from God... And this phenomena also exists between people and people. Our families, friends, work/school mates, we have conflicts and struggles to really love people. The question boils down to the basic fact - Do you love God? If we love God, we will love our neighbour. Do we have passion for Ministry? for the mission of spreading the Good news to those around us? If we do, we would pray hard, for God to empower us because we are such weak people.

This song speaks it all. We need the Spirit of God to fall upon us, that we may walk along God's ways not man's ways. We need God to stir it up in our hearts, "a passion for His Name". Not my name, not your name. We need God even more than ever. We do not realise but in reality we are blind, lame and deaf. We need God's spirit to open our eyes, minds, ears, and to let us walk - to become HIS Instruments of Love, rather than instruments of destruction (death, sin, negative things opposed to LOVE).

Isn't that only right? feel free to disagree in the comments... ;) hehe.

God Bless,
Sam



Tim Hughes - Consuming Fire LYRICS:
There must be more than this,
O breath of God come breathe within,
There must be more than this,
Spirit of God we wait for You.

Fill us anew we pray,
Fill us anew we pray.

(Chorus)
Consuming fire fan into flame,
A passion for Your Name,
Spirit of God fall in this place,
Lord have Your way,
Lord have Your way with us,

Come like a rushing wind,
Clothe us with power from on high,
Now set the captives free,
Leave us abandoned to Your praise.

Lord let Your glory fall,
Lord let Your glory fall.

Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
A passion for Your Name.

You Are Who Your Friends Are

Donald Miller says who you hang out with matters more than you think.

Last month I visited a prison in Texas. I had the chance to guest-teach a class in a progressive rehabilitation program. I taught, but mostly I listened. As the guys told me their stories, their reasons for being in prison, I noticed a common thread. The real reason they were in prison was not because they had committed crimes, though they had, but rather it was because of the people they hung out with. Almost all problems and success in life boil down to relationships. These guys had gotten themselves into relationships that led to trouble. Either they had joined gangs or hung out with drug addicts or met girls who took them down a bad path.

READ full article HERE at Relevant.com

WELL, what to say..... if Jesus is YOUR Friend, and if you hang out with Him sufficiently each day, then you "should" become more like Him! Once again we would like to highlight this article: http://www.fathershands.com/jim/

A simple prayer for your friend, Jesus:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I
THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY."

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How to find a child-like joy—freedom—when talking with God?

“Today’s sunshine was pretty. Thanks, God. Bye!”

That was the ending of a prayer I once heard made by a 5-year-old girl. I’ve come to believe it to be the most selfless, beautiful, profound prayer I’ve ever heard.

Read this article for more: "A NEW WAY TO PRAY"
 
 
God bless,

"Once Saved, Always Saved?"

How can we be assured of our own salvation if St. Paul wasn't (1 Corinthians 9:27)? Catholics believe: Salvation is not a "one time" event, but an ongoing process until "the end" (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13).

READ MORE:
http://www.catscans.com/catholicsite/saved.htm

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What the Catechism of the Catholic Church says on "Once Saved, Always Saved:"

161. "Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation. [Cf. Mk 16:16 ; Jn 3:36 ; Jn 6:40 ; et al.] 'Since 'without faith it is impossible to please (God)' and to attain to the fellowship of his sons, therefore without faith no one has ever attained justification, nor will anyone obtain eternal life 'But he who endures to the end.'']"

162. "Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: 'Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith.' [1 Tim 1:18-19 .] To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; [Cf. Mk 9:24 ; Lk 17:5 ; Lk 22:32.] it must be 'working through charity,' abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church. [Gal 5:6 ; Rom 15:13 ; cf. Jam 2:14-26.]"

READ MORE here!: http://www.catscans.com/catholicsite/saved.htm

PENTECOST & Checking in with Jesus Daily!

For those who missed out last Sat, here's a summary (make sure to read, or at least scroll, to the end for this week's "Homework"):

Watch these 2 clips first:

1. Reading of Pentecost account
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOm1DMZJITs

2. Short teaching by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa abt Pentecost
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFZ1N9gbSHY

The first video evokes the feel of dramatic events which took place at Pentecost. This is how we usually view Pentecost... tongues of fire, people speaking in tongues, mega rally and the radical conversion of 3000.. all the big stuff, the drama stuff.

In the second video, Father brought everyone to the core event of Pentecost. Look deeper behind the 'wow' events, and we see that Pentecost is really about being 'filled with the love of God' in an intimate way.
The apostles were with Jesus every day for 3 years, seeing His miracles firsthand, having private sessions with Him away from the public, sharing meals with Him.

But only after Pentecost, after experiencing His love intimately (through the infilling of the Spirit), did they find the courage to live their mission.

They were transformed by the love of God, much like many of us when we experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, through YISS or other retreats.

Now, we've learned what is the Pentecost experience about, let's look back again... What happened before Pentecost? How did the disciples prepare for this great event?

1. They waited
- Acts 1:4 "... Wait for the gift my Father promised..."
- Most people don't like to wait, esp in today's world where we seem to be rushing from one thing to the next.
- We tend to want to do things our way, instead of consulting God, "waiting" upon God to show us the right way.
- Sunday's first reading is a great example, Acts 15:28 says "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us..." --> illustrates beautifully the partnership between man and God, which is still very much vital in today's context as well.

2. They prayed
- "They joined together constantly in prayer" - Read Acts 1:12-14
- Most of us experienced Pentecost in a dramatic way, through the praying over, resting in the Spirit, manifestations of joy, repentance, etc.
- The First Pentecost happened through prayer
- The "New Pentecost" in Duquesne University, 1967 (which is generally regarded as the birth of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal) also happened in prayer, while some young men & women were in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

We too can experience Pentecost, the infilling of God's love thru His Holy Spirit, in our times of prayer. Go before the Blessed Sacrament in humble adoration, for it is literally the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Why do I say it is the heart of Jesus?

Read here about the Eucharistic Miracle at Lanciano, Italy

http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/lanciano.html

http://www.miraclerosarymission.org/lanciano.html

http://www.zenit.org/article-12933?l=english

It's truly a wonder.. Jesus loves us so much that when He ascended into Heaven, He left His heart behind on earth. Every time we celebrate mass or go for adoration, we behold the very heart of our Saviour, our Lord and our God.

Just bring urself before Him and spend some time with Him..
You don't really have to do anything in there except to "Son-bathe", but here's a few tips to help u be still:
http://www.saintpetercatholic.com/QA_Holy_Hour_Activities.html

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Finally, DO Join us with some Homework!! ;)

1. "Check in" with Jesus everyday. Read here 2 see what we mean:
http://www.fathershands.com/jim/

2. Visit Jesus in the adoration room at least once this week. Spend at least 30 minutes with Him, but if u can, go for the full Holy Hour.

If you don't do this "homework", God will NOT strike you down with lightning. But if you do, wouldn't it be great knowing that you made Jesus happy by being in His company? Plus, you'll get a nice "Son tan" =)

Have a great week, everyone!

Smile, Jesus Loves You!

A LOVE STORY

A good poem recommended from Michael!
http://www.knowjesus.com/Encourage_love.shtml

A LOVE STORY

One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise.

Ah, the beauty of God's creation is beyond description.

As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work.

As I sat there, I felt the Lord's presence with me. He asked me, "Do you love me?"

I answered, "Of course, God! You are my Lord and Savior!"

Then He asked, "If you were physically handicapped, would you still love Me?"

I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs, and the rest of my body

and wondered how many things I wouldn't be able to do, the things that I took for granted.

And I answered, "It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You."

Then the Lord said, "If you were blind, would you still love my creation?"

How could I love something without being able to see it? Then I thought of all the

blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation.

So I answered, "It's hard to think of it, but I would still love You."

The Lord then asked me, "If you were deaf, would you still listen to My Word?"

How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening to

God's Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts.

I answered, "It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your Word."

The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?"

How could I praise without a voice? Then it occured to me: God wants us to

sing from our very heart and soul. It never matters what we sound like. And

praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give

God praise with our words of thanks.

So I answered, "Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name."

And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?"

With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, "Yes Lord! I love You

because You are the one and true God!" I thought I had answered well, but . . .

God asked, "Then why do you sin?"

I answered, "Because I am only human. I am not perfect."

"Then why in times of peace do you stray the furthest? Why only in times of

trouble do you pray the earnest?"

No answers. Only tears.

The Lord continued: "Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why seek Me

only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things so

unfaithfully?"

The tears continued to roll down my cheeks.

"Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the Good News?

Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry

on? Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?"

I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give.

"You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away. I have

blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away. I have

revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to

you, but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes

were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you sat idlely by as they were

pushed away. I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all."

"DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME?"

I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief. I had no

excuse. What could I say to this?

When my heart had cried out and the tears had flowed, I said, "Please forgive

me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child."

The Lord answered, "That is My Grace, My child."

I asked, "Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do you love me so?"

The Lord answered, "Because you are My creation. You are My child. I will

ever abandon you. When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you.

When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you. When you are down, I will

encourage you. When you fall, I will raise you up. When you are tired, I will carry

you. I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love you forever."

Never had I cried so hard before. How could I have been so cold? How could I

have hurt God as I had done?

I asked God, "How much do You love me?"

The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands. I bowed
down at the feet of Christ, my Savior. And for the first time, I truly prayed.

-- author unknown