"I'm not ashamed to let you know
I want this light in me to show.
I'm not ashamed to speak the name
of Jesus Christ."
I believe the above lyrics from "I'm Not Ashamed" by the Newsboys says it all.
It speaks volumes about who I am as a Catholic, as a Christian, and as a Disciple of Jesus Christ.
It is my belief that anyone who has accepted Christ as their Lord, and has chosen to fully give themselves to Him should have this same attitude.
DO NOT be ashamed to let people know you are a disciple of Jesus. So what if they laugh? Is there anything funny about it? NO! There is nothing funny about being a disciple of Jesus! Their laughter, then, is nothing short of misunderstanding exactly what being a disciple of Jesus means.
Shout it out today, tomorrow, and forever...
"I'M NOT ASHAMED TO LET YOU KNOW
I WANT THIS LIGHT IN ME TO SHOW.
I'M NOT ASHAMED TO SPEAK THE NAME
OF JESUS CHRIST!"
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Friday, December 08, 2006
Cell Phone vs. Bible
Wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purse or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
This is something to make you go..."Hmmm....where is my Bible?"
Oh! and a few more things --
Unlike our cell phones:
One plan fits all.
Unlimited usage.
No roaming charges.
No weak signals and...
We don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!
Prayer is askin for rain. Faith is carryin an umbrella.....
What if we carried it around in our purse or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
This is something to make you go..."Hmmm....where is my Bible?"
Oh! and a few more things --
Unlike our cell phones:
One plan fits all.
Unlimited usage.
No roaming charges.
No weak signals and...
We don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!
Prayer is askin for rain. Faith is carryin an umbrella.....
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Hey God, what's shakin'?
(This story is not about me... Links to the author are at the bottom of the post.)
"His voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of what is shaken, as of what has been made, in order that what cannot be shaken may remain." - Hebrews 12:26-27
Situation Explained
When is the last time you felt the physical power of God?
Solution Offered
It was about ten after seven on a beautiful Sunday morning.
My wife had just gotten up. I was a little more "slow moving" (a nice way of saying that if I could have laid in bed for another three days, I would have).
The sun had just begun breaking through the windows of our hotel room. Out our window you could see the early morning light outlining the palm trees and mountains and illuminating the beautiful Pacific ocean. We were in the Hawaiian islands, invited there to do ministry. We took advantage of the invitation to get away for a second honeymoon.
As the light bid my eyes to open, I fought to keep them closed. It was at that point that I heard a strange sound, unlike any I was accustomed to hearing. Then the walls of the hotel began to shake. Pictures and furniture fell and moved. The power went out. My wife screamed. My lazy tail was bounced out of bed onto the floor.
I ran to my wife and covered her as we knelt in a doorway and began praying.
The earth and hotel weren't the only things shaking.we were shaking, too.
Our "getaway" to paradise was interrupted with a Sunday morning wake-up call that registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, including 18 aftershocks to insure we weren't "snoozing". Luckily, we were not hurt and there were no reported casualties.
Now, while I didn't do the math to see what the odds were that on our four-day getaway we would be lucky enough to experience the first earthquake to hit Hawaii in over two decades.I did stop to think that there was something about God to be learned from every experience, even this one.
Looking back, I have to say that the earthquake was a tremendous spiritual gift for me.
It reminded me, once again, just how big God is and how absolutely small I am.
It demonstrated how dependant we are on electricity and technology, overly dependant, actually.
It showed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, just how helpless we are when it's us against Mother Nature - nature is still more powerful.
It reaffirmed how much I love my wife more than myself. Honestly, I really didn't care if I died; it never even entered my mind.her safety and her life were all I could think about.
But the greatest gift it gave me was appreciation for God.
We have a God Who is powerful enough to make the earth shake yet gentle enough to create a newborn baby.
We have a God Who is loving enough to give us free will, yet merciful enough to forgive our selfishness.
We have a God Who is strong enough to level the world in an instant yet Who, instead, let Himself be tortured and destroyed to cover our debt of sins.
And we have a God who, in every instant - the scary and the calm, the loud and the quiet, the normal and the extraordinary - who loves us enough to shake us (sometimes, literally) out of our spiritual slumber, remind us of His ultimate power, and invite us to trust in Him more completely.
This verse today reminds me of how many things I put my faith in besides God, and how all of those worldly, created things are worthless and useless when all is said and done. God is the ultimate power. God is an awe-some, as in "we should be filled with AWE" but even more importantly, God is an awe-some lover, as in "The One Who loves us perfectly, and Who shows us how to love".
Look around your life right now. God might be shaking things up (probably not literally). Don't run from that social, emotional or spiritual earthquake. It's a gift from God to you. When He rocks your world, it's in an effort to shake away all those things that you cling to that are not grounded in God. When your life is free of any relationships or situations that is not focused on Him, then it will get quiet again.
What was I reminded of in that earthquake?
Sometimes He has to shake us to wake us.
Salvation Given
"His voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of what is shaken, as of what has been made, in order that what cannot be shaken may remain." - Hebrews 12:26-27
Until you put your trust completely in God. hold on tight.
The above is a product of the "Bible Geek" from www.lifeteen.com
"His voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of what is shaken, as of what has been made, in order that what cannot be shaken may remain." - Hebrews 12:26-27
Situation Explained
When is the last time you felt the physical power of God?
Solution Offered
It was about ten after seven on a beautiful Sunday morning.
My wife had just gotten up. I was a little more "slow moving" (a nice way of saying that if I could have laid in bed for another three days, I would have).
The sun had just begun breaking through the windows of our hotel room. Out our window you could see the early morning light outlining the palm trees and mountains and illuminating the beautiful Pacific ocean. We were in the Hawaiian islands, invited there to do ministry. We took advantage of the invitation to get away for a second honeymoon.
As the light bid my eyes to open, I fought to keep them closed. It was at that point that I heard a strange sound, unlike any I was accustomed to hearing. Then the walls of the hotel began to shake. Pictures and furniture fell and moved. The power went out. My wife screamed. My lazy tail was bounced out of bed onto the floor.
I ran to my wife and covered her as we knelt in a doorway and began praying.
The earth and hotel weren't the only things shaking.we were shaking, too.
Our "getaway" to paradise was interrupted with a Sunday morning wake-up call that registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, including 18 aftershocks to insure we weren't "snoozing". Luckily, we were not hurt and there were no reported casualties.
Now, while I didn't do the math to see what the odds were that on our four-day getaway we would be lucky enough to experience the first earthquake to hit Hawaii in over two decades.I did stop to think that there was something about God to be learned from every experience, even this one.
Looking back, I have to say that the earthquake was a tremendous spiritual gift for me.
It reminded me, once again, just how big God is and how absolutely small I am.
It demonstrated how dependant we are on electricity and technology, overly dependant, actually.
It showed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, just how helpless we are when it's us against Mother Nature - nature is still more powerful.
It reaffirmed how much I love my wife more than myself. Honestly, I really didn't care if I died; it never even entered my mind.her safety and her life were all I could think about.
But the greatest gift it gave me was appreciation for God.
We have a God Who is powerful enough to make the earth shake yet gentle enough to create a newborn baby.
We have a God Who is loving enough to give us free will, yet merciful enough to forgive our selfishness.
We have a God Who is strong enough to level the world in an instant yet Who, instead, let Himself be tortured and destroyed to cover our debt of sins.
And we have a God who, in every instant - the scary and the calm, the loud and the quiet, the normal and the extraordinary - who loves us enough to shake us (sometimes, literally) out of our spiritual slumber, remind us of His ultimate power, and invite us to trust in Him more completely.
This verse today reminds me of how many things I put my faith in besides God, and how all of those worldly, created things are worthless and useless when all is said and done. God is the ultimate power. God is an awe-some, as in "we should be filled with AWE" but even more importantly, God is an awe-some lover, as in "The One Who loves us perfectly, and Who shows us how to love".
Look around your life right now. God might be shaking things up (probably not literally). Don't run from that social, emotional or spiritual earthquake. It's a gift from God to you. When He rocks your world, it's in an effort to shake away all those things that you cling to that are not grounded in God. When your life is free of any relationships or situations that is not focused on Him, then it will get quiet again.
What was I reminded of in that earthquake?
Sometimes He has to shake us to wake us.
Salvation Given
"His voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of what is shaken, as of what has been made, in order that what cannot be shaken may remain." - Hebrews 12:26-27
Until you put your trust completely in God. hold on tight.
The above is a product of the "Bible Geek" from www.lifeteen.com
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Why Go to Mass?
Here it is everyone. My first blog post on the topic, "GO TO MASS!." The things I post are not options, they are facts and are meant to encourage you all grow daily and live fully in your Catholic/Christian life
America (americamagazine.org), Vol. 190 No. 16, May 10, 2004
Why Go to Mass?
Click on the above link and read the article. The information is not there to force anyone to do anything. It simply states the truth behind why a person should attend services on Sunday.
America (americamagazine.org), Vol. 190 No. 16, May 10, 2004
Why Go to Mass?
Click on the above link and read the article. The information is not there to force anyone to do anything. It simply states the truth behind why a person should attend services on Sunday.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Hardcore!
Hey everyone,
No, this isn't the beginning of my "why you should go to Mass" series, but the title for this blog post is a link to something very hardcore that my beautiful Lissa wrote a while back in her blog and I wanted to link you all to it so you can read it.
No doubt I will eventually write a series about many of the subjects contained within this post, but for now, enjoy some truth!
No, this isn't the beginning of my "why you should go to Mass" series, but the title for this blog post is a link to something very hardcore that my beautiful Lissa wrote a while back in her blog and I wanted to link you all to it so you can read it.
No doubt I will eventually write a series about many of the subjects contained within this post, but for now, enjoy some truth!
Don't Go to Church?!?
WARNING!
If you are a Christian, especially you Catholics out there, get ready.
I am in the process of planning out my first of many series that will be posted on this blog.
My first series will be based on "Why you need to go to Mass(church)"
This topic has been stirred in me by the rising number of people I encounter who truly feel that going to church isn't necessary. How wrong they are...
I'm not here to condemn, I'm here to educate. Prepare your hearts for the truth. It's coming to this blog very soon.
God bless you all
Monday, October 09, 2006
Matt Maher
Matt Maher has become one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed Catholic artists in the country. Since his 2002 debut release, The End and the Beginning, the rise of Matt and his music has been remarkable. At World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, Matt’s "Litany of the Saints" was sung at the official Papal Evening Prayer, with the Holy Father singing the lyrical prayer along with 700,000 young pilgrims from around the world. Matt’s songs “Just Like You” and “Love Has Come” were recorded by Christian artist Kathy Troccoli for her album, The Heart of Me, which received a 2002 Grammy nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year.
In October 2003, Maher received the Unity Award for Best New Artist of the Year from the United Catholic Music and Video Association. In 2004 he received the Unity Award for Praise & Worship Song of the Year for “I Love You, Lord.” Matt’s music has received glowing reviews form major Catholic and Christian music publications, and he has also become a popular performer at youth ministry conferences and rallies.
With the release of Welcome to Life in 2003 and his third album, Overflow, in February 2006, Matt continues to explore the wonder and challenges of this life that God calls us to.
In October 2003, Maher received the Unity Award for Best New Artist of the Year from the United Catholic Music and Video Association. In 2004 he received the Unity Award for Praise & Worship Song of the Year for “I Love You, Lord.” Matt’s music has received glowing reviews form major Catholic and Christian music publications, and he has also become a popular performer at youth ministry conferences and rallies.
With the release of Welcome to Life in 2003 and his third album, Overflow, in February 2006, Matt continues to explore the wonder and challenges of this life that God calls us to.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Newsboys Concert!?
Well, I may or may not be going to see the Newsboys in concert next Saturday in the Woodlands for KSBJ's 24th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT.
Why it is still a maybe is a long story that only involves me very very slightly. But hopefully, all truths will be revealed, understood and believed and I will be able to go.
However, there is a chance that the truth will never be listened to and thus I will not be there...
Anywho, I'm off... Got to do something besides type all night!
God bless you all!
Why it is still a maybe is a long story that only involves me very very slightly. But hopefully, all truths will be revealed, understood and believed and I will be able to go.
However, there is a chance that the truth will never be listened to and thus I will not be there...
Anywho, I'm off... Got to do something besides type all night!
God bless you all!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Catholics and Statues
LIFETEEN.com - "Leading Teens Closer to Christ"
I dunno... Seems to me that many people still think Catholics worship statues...
Here is just one source of information on the truth behind the myth...
enjoy! and God bless!
I dunno... Seems to me that many people still think Catholics worship statues...
Here is just one source of information on the truth behind the myth...
enjoy! and God bless!
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