Friday, August 31, 2012

let this roll over you

John 15
1 "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.

2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit,

     and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you.

      For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.


  5 "Yes, I am the vine;

            you are the branches.

Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.

     For apart from me you can do nothing.

6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.

       Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.

7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.

        This brings great glory to my Father.



  9 "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.

     Remain in my love.

10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love,

         just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love.

11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.

       Yes, your joy will overflow!

12 This is my commandment:

        Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

13 There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves.

Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.


16 You didn't choose me. I chose you.

I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit,

          so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.


17 This is my command: Love each other.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

showing love

This is Jesus speaking here, to his disciples the night before He died...


John 13: 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment:

     Love each other.

          Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.


It's sometimes hard to see these days the love He was talking about in the life & actions of American Christians.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

it's all about trust

John 12
25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it.

       Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.

26 Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.

            And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.


44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me.

45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.

46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

Monday, August 27, 2012

following

Psalm 13:5a I trust in Your unfailing love.

Isaiah 46:3b I created you & have cared for you since before you were born.

4 I will be you God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age.

I made you,

& I will care for you.

I will carry you along & save you



This song is by John W Peterson. I sang it in a cantata my home church's choir did the summer before my freshman year in high school, summer 1964.

Remember what those days were like - political unrest, violent protests against the government & the Viet Nam war, non-violent protests in favor of civil rights. It was not a pretty time at all.

I remember hoping I would find what was expressed in this hymn.

I have.



I sought a flag to follow - John W. Peterson

I sought a flag to follow,
A cause for which to stand,
I sought a valiant leader
Who could my love command;
I sought a stirring challenge,
Some noble work to try,
To give my life fulfillment,
My dreams to satisfy.
I sought a ringing answer
For all my doubts inside,
A torch of truth uplifted,
My searching steps to guide;
I sought a word of wisdom,
A true authority,
I sought to know life's purpose,
To solve its mystery.

I sought for satisfaction
For yearnings deep within,
I sought for full deliv'rance
From chains of guilt and sin;
I sought for peace and pardon,
For freedom from my fears,
I sought a hope to cling to
Beyond these passing years.


I found them all in Jesus,
The Life, the Truth, the Way;
Beneath his flag I'll take my stand
And follow Him today.
I'll follow Him today!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

today

Psalm 12
1 Help, O LORD, for the godly are fast disappearing!
  The faithful have vanished from the earth!
2 Neighbors lie to each other,
  speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
3 May the LORD cut off their flattering lips
  and silence their boastful tongues.
4 They say, "We will lie to our hearts' content.
  Our lips are our own—who can stop us?"

5 The LORD replies, "I have seen violence done to the helpless,
  and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them,
  as they have longed for me to do."
6 The LORD's promises are pure,
  like silver refined in a furnace,
  purified seven times over.
7 Therefore, LORD, we know you will protect the oppressed,
  preserving them forever from this lying generation,
8 even though the wicked strut about,
  and evil is praised throughout the land.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

a promise is a promise

On April 12, 2010,I had lunch with Dave. We were in downtown Macon sitting outside at the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant. We talked about him taking over the leadership of House of Grace & Christ Chapel Downtown. It was finally official.

Then began those intense, intentional, incessant days of God moving us out of  Macon & to Blairsville.

The very next morning, I got up as usual to read & listen out for anything God may say to me.

I was supposed to read Isaiah 41 that morning, as well as a psalm (me & Billy Graham) & a chapter in the New Testament.

When I got to these words in Isaiah 41, they seemed to hurtle up off the page at me.

It's a promise I've hung on to ever since. It's a promise I'll hang onto until God tells me to lay it down.


Isaiah 41:9b-10
For I have chosen you

     & will not throw you away.

Don't be afraid,

     for I am with you.

Do not be dismayed,

     for I am your God.

I will strengthen you.

I will help you.

I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Friday, August 24, 2012

someone to follow

John 8:12 Jesus said to the people,"I am the light of the world.

     If you follow Me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness,

      because you will have the light that leads to life."


How many of us will agree that life can be pretty dark - confusing, uncertain, precarious, difficult, or just plain hard?

Jesus says here that if we listen to Him, even though we'll still be living in that dark & crazy world, we won't be aimlessly wandering through life. He will be with us, pointing the way.

I tell ya, after watching the world for the last 62 years get to be a scarier & scarier place, I'm thankful we have His promise that we don't have to live pointless, chaotic lives. We may live in a world that is pointless & chaotic, but by listening to Him, following Him, & obeying Him, our lives don't have to be that way. He provides guidance, stability, & an eternal connection.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

never abandoned, never thirsty

Psalm 10:10 Those who know Your name trust in You,

     for You, O Lord, have never abandoned anyone who serves you.



John 7:37b Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me & drink.

38 For the scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow from the heart of those who believe in Me.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

who r we compared to Him?

Psalm 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
  Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
  to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
  and all who oppose you.

3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers;
  the moon and the stars you set in place;
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
  human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God
  and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
  putting all things under their authority—
7 the flocks and the herds
  and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
  and everything that swims the ocean currents.

9 O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

some verses I continue to hold on to


Colossians 2:7 Let your roots grow down into Him & draw up nourishment from Him, so you will grow in faith, strong & vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done.

Matthew 10:35 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for Me, you will find it.

Psalm 139:5 You both precede & follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Matthew 6:25 (NIV) ...don't worry about your life.


1 Thess 5:18 No matter what happens, always be thankful; for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (Got this Wed., Dec 23, 2009)


Pro 3:5 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

   don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do,

     everywhere you go;

   He's the One Who will keep you on track. (Got this Mon., Jan. 18)


Pro 4:25 Look straight ahead,

      and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;

      stay on the safe path.  

27 Don’t get sidetracked;

      keep your feet from following evil. (Got this Tues., Jan. 19, 2010)


Heb 10: 35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord,

     no matter what happens.

          Remember the great reward it brings you!

36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will.

Then you will receive all that He has promised. (Got this Tues., Jan. 19, 2010)


Is 41:9b For I have chosen you & will not throw you away.

   10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

   Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

   I will strengthen you.

   I will help you.

   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. (Got this April 13, 2010) 


Matthew 6:33 The Message Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

 34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,

         and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.


1 Peter 5:10b So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.


Psalm 1:3  They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
  bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
  and they prosper in all they do.

Monday, August 20, 2012

press on, the go

Hosea 6:3 O that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him! Then He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of the dawn or the coming of the rains the early spring.



I don't think we adequately absorb the fact that once we become Christ followers, our lives are no longer about us - they're about the people all around us who are going slam to hell. It's not about have a lovely American Dream kind of life - it's about spending our efforts helping those around us in our workplace,our neighborhoods, at the gym, the store, - everywhere - learn what we've learned: that real life only exists in a connection to God made possible through Jesus.


And before we all get resistant to this thinking, consider this: where would you & I be if the person(s) who influenced you & I to Jesus' provision & love had been as resistant as we are to reaching out to someone lost  in their life?

That's not a pretty thought.

John 4:34 Then Jesus explained: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.

35 You know the saying, 'Four months between planting and harvest.'

But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.

36 The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life.

     What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!

37 You know the saying, 'One plants and another harvests.' And it's true.

38 I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest."

Sunday, August 19, 2012

a bunch of stuff

Here's some stuff that came up off the page today...


Psalm 5:4b You cannot tolerate the slightest sin.

Psalm 5:8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me.

     Tell me clearly what to do, & show me which way to turn.


(we only know John 3 for verse 16. We seldom read the rest of the chapter - here's some stuff that stood out to me this morning)
John 3
6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.


16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son,

     so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.


18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.

But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.


27 (spoken by John the Baptist) God in heaven appoints each person's work.


30 (spoken by John the Baptist) He (Jesus) must become greater & greater, & I must become less & less.


(spoken by John the Baptist) 31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else.

We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things,

     but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.

32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!

33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true.

34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.

35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands.

36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life.

     Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

He knows us

Psalm 4:8 I will lie down in peace & sleep, for You alone, O Lord,will keep me safe.


John 2:24 Jesus didn't trust them, because He knew what people were really like. 25 No one needed to tell Him about human nature.

Interesting that Jesus knows us, knows what we're capable of, but yet wants to extend to us an intimate relationship with Him.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

go

Luke 24:47 With My authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: there is forgiveness for all who turn to Me.


Jesus is all about "go"

He doesn't want us to sit around and bask in the "sweet, sweet spirit in this place".

Once we become His followers, it quits being all about us, becomes all about "them" - those who don't know Him.

We erroneously think that now that we're "written in the Lamb's book of life" that our responsibility now ceases.

Nope.

It only increases.

Jesus was very specific - go.

And go to a world who is going to hell in a hand basket by starting to reach out to people right where you are,right now.

Yes,I think eventually we will be compelled to go elsewhere, within the bounds of our country, or even overseas.

But Jesus always indicated the first mission field we should encounter is the one right at hand.

But let's remember just perhaps the most important thing,which is becoming more antithetical as we middle class Christians accrue a more comfortable life - the operative word from Jesus for all of us is a 2 letter word - GO!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

fruit in season

Psalm 1:1-3
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

     or stand around with sinners,or join in with scoffers.

But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants;

     day & night they think about His law.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail.

Their leaves never wither, & in all they do they prosper.



The last time I read this psalm, which was about 6 months ago, the words "bearing fruit each season w/o fail" came up off the page.

It seemed that God whispered to me then that in every season of life we bear some fruit. Whether we see it is not the issue. It's happening.


I needed to hear that then. I need to hear that now.

Will you hear it too?

For, iow, no matter what we think or feel,or what we think we see going on in our lives,if we are living for Him & being & doing what we believe He wants us to be about, we WILL be having some impact, even if we do see it.


I'm gonna hold on to that today.


How about you?

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

a mandate

Proverbs 31:8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those who are perishing. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor & helpless, & see that they get justice.


In this highly charged, polarized political paradigm in which we live now, i think we have become far too long in rhetoric & short on compassion.

Monday, August 13, 2012

his words

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to Him for protection.


Some of you may wonder why sometimes I write a lot & some days I don't write much. Some days all I've got is a verse that came up off the page. Some days it seems I have a lot to say. It all depends on what I feel God has put inside me that day.

All I got today is is this: especially trust the first 6 words of this verse. If God says to you something,or makes a promise, through His word (the Bible), it will eventually show itself to be true. Maybe not today, or tomorrow,or next week, or next year, or 10 years from now, or maybe when we get to heaven, but eventually it will show itself to be true.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

safety

Proverbs 29:25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the Lord means safety.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

sins

Proverbs 28:13 People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess & forsake them, they will receive mercy.

How many of us make excuses for the sins we commit?

How many of us downplay the sins we repeat, rationalizing them away?

We justify them with a casual "Oh, it's not all that bad - it's not like I killed somebody or anything."

It's hard to imagine, but sin is sin is sin to God - there's no levels of sin - one is just as bad as the other.


Let that sink in for a minute...


Yeah, one sin is a s bad as another to Him.


We judge that certain sins are worse than others. But to God, they're all one in the same - disobedience to Him.

And things won't be quite right until we own up to our sins.

And this verse plainly says if we own up to them & quit doing them, God will be merciful.


Think about it - let's quit making excuses for our sinful behavior.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

keeping & letting go

Luke 17:33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.


And why is that?


If we let go of our life, then God is able to actuate in our lives the dream(s) He dreamed a gajillion years ago for each of us individually us & how they fit into the overarching plan for humankind.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

hangin'

Luke 15:1 Tax collectors & other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees & teachers of religious law complain that He was associating with despicable people - even eating with them!


Who do we hang with?

Do we surround ourselves with Christ followers?

Or do we hang with people we know are sinners, people who we know don't follow Jesus or live as He would have them live?

Why do we insulate ourselves from people who don't follow Christ.

Where would any of us be if the people who decided to hang with us & show us the way to connect with Jesus had decided it was too great a risk or too odious a task to hang with us, showing us God's love in them & for us,& hadn't shown us the way?

I know where I'd be - on the slippery slope to hell.

So what should we do?

Be who we are, reach out in non-judgemental love,& share with them & show them the life we found in Him.

Actually care about them, not as some potential trophy, but as a person like ourselves, who simply lacks the life connection with Him that God intended for us.

And simply show them the way to Him.


An oversimplification?

Maybe.

But it's the way you & I found Him.

Monday, August 6, 2012

disciple =

Luke 14:25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them,   26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So no one can become my disciple without giving up everything for me.


We live in a time when middle class values have invaded the psyche of being a Christ follower. Our expectations tend to be that following Him will bring us prosperity, opportunity, & that our lives will be lived in comfort & blessing because we name Him as Savior.

And we have a tendency to gloss over the realities of following Jesus.

I've heard my friend & sister, Beth White,put it this way - "Salvation is free, but everything else costs us everything."

Iow, establishing a relationship is made possible by the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus. Access to that life is free for the asking, & given by God as freely.

But to follow Him, to allow Him to take all the sinful parts of us out of us & become more like Him will come about only if we surrender ourselves completely to Him. We can only live the life He dreamed for us if we surrender ourselves & our dreams to Him.

But we seldom do this, completely. We keep back some of our pet hurts, hangups, &/or sins. We remain in control.

How do I know this?

I've been livin' it, especially the last 12+ yrs.

God has put His finger on the hurts I've carried around in my for decades. He's addressed the hangups I continue to keep from letting Him release me from,& He will not let me rest until I admit to & repent of those special sins I allow in my life. He's unrelenting. It's very uncomfortable - well, truthfully, it hurts in unimaginable ways.

Why do I do it?

Because the life He's been giving me is FAR preferable to the one I dreamed up.

Have I become all that He wants & dreamed me to be? Not yet.

Am I becoming that person? I believe I am, but VERY slowly.

It's all about 1 thing,& one thing only...

Do I trust Him enough to let go of my life & let Him control it.

That's what it's all about for any of us.

Do we trust Him?

If we do, everything else lines up, everything else will slowly fall into place, we will end up being & doing  who He dreamed us to be & do.

And to become that will cost us everything we hold dear.

But it is worth it.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

just a thought...

Proverbs 22:2 The rich & the poor have this in common: The Lord made them all.


vs 6 Teach your child to choose the right path,& when they are older, they will remain on it.

     Unfortunately, nowadays, so many, many parents don't teach their kids the "right path". For almost 10 yrs now I've been ministering to 20somethings. SO MANY of their parents don't model correct behavior,let alone teach their children how to live & function in our world.


vs 22 Do not rob the poor because they are poor or exploit the needy in court. 23 For the Lord is their defender. He will injure anyone who injures them.

     When did it become okay to think of the overwhelming majority of poor people as lazy, sorry, shiftless, & exploiters? When did that shift occur?
     As I've seen this shift happen, one of the main things I've wondered when we rant about the poor & how easy they have it is is whether these ranting people know anybody who's poor? I mean, really poor? Something tells me no, we don't. It is so easy for us to judge, & assume, that the poor that way because they are lazy, sorry, shiftless, & exploiters. But I've known, & know now, people who spend most of their time working 1,2,or sometimes 3 jobs, & just can't get ahead.
     Maybe it isn't so much a prejudice against the poor & more of a lack of compassion for people in general & a strong sense of self-centeredness.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

lotsa stuff this morning

Some days, things are kinda quiet when I read. And other days, there's just LOTS of stuff God wants to say to me. This morning, He had a LOT to say. Here's what came up off the page.Maybe some of it is for you too.


Proverbs 21:3 The Lord is more pleased when we do what is just & right than when we give Him sacrifices.


vs 13 Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own times of need.

vs 21 a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but nor have a rich relationship w/ God. (dan note: how many gajillion people do we each know that we'd LOVE to say that to?!)

vs 23 If you keep your mouth shut, you will stay out of trouble! (dan note: boy, howdy!)

vs 30 Human plans, no matter how wise or well advised, cannot stand against the Lord. (dan note: I'd love to be able to say that to so many of my friends in ministry.)

vs 31 The horses are prepared for battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.


Luke 12:22 ...don't worry about everyday life.

vs 34 Wherever your treasure is, there your heart & thoughts will also be.

vs 48b Much is required from those to whom much is given, & much more is required from those to whom much more is given.

Friday, August 3, 2012

random stuff

Proverbs 20:24 How can we understand the road we travel?

     It is the Lord who directs our steps.

27 The Lord's searchlight penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.

29 The glory of the young is their strength;

     the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old. (dan note: then I must be splendiferous!!!)


Luke 11:9 keep on asking, & you will be given what you ask for.

     Keep on looking, & you will find.

     Keep on knocking, & the door will open.

10 For everyone who asks,

       receives.

Everyone who seeks,

     finds.

And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.


Just some things to think about today. What do they mean to you? They speak to me on all kinds of levels.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Go now...

Don't know why these passages came up off the pages today. The Luke verses were strong. Don't know what it means for me or us, especially the words "Go now..."

I'm much more comfortable with being clueless than I was 2 yrs ago. So I'm clueless what this may mean for us. I also think it may be for someone else, too.

Growing up, the Luke verses were used to get people to go to the mission field. As I've grown older, I realize the "mission filed" is all around us, wherever we are.

I just wonder what the "go now..." part is all about?

What did it say to you?



Proverbs 19:21 You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail.


Luke 10:2 The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few.

Pray to the Lord Who is in charge of the harvest, & ask Him to send out more workers for His fields.

3 Go now

     & remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.

4a Don't take along any money, or traveler's bag, or even an extra pair of sandals.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

giving up

Proverbs 9:23 Then Jesus said to the crowd,

     "If any of you wants to be my follower,

          you must put aside your selfish ambitions,

          take up your cross daily,

          and follow me.

24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.

     But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it

.25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.


How many are seriously willing to do this in a day when we're more interested in living the American Dream, drinking the perfect latte as we drive our SUV through our perfect little neighborhood to our McMansion, living the life of the richest people in the history of the world, while the rest of the world goes to hell in a handbasket?