Let the Light of the Lord Shine Bright!

“If we would open their prison doors for the sick, we must first learn to bind up the broken-hearted. If we would heal by the Spirit, we must not hide the talent of spiritual healing under the napkin of its form…. This is what is meant by seeking Truth, Christ, not “for the loaves and fishes,” nor, like the Pharisee, with the arrogance of rank and display of scholarship, but like Mary Magdalene, from the summit of devout consecration, with the oil of gladness and the perfume of gratitude, with tears of repentance and with those hairs all numbered by the Father.” -Mary Baker Eddy

“Ye are the salt of the earth.” “ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” 
-the Word of the Lord

“Let us watch, work, and pray that this salt lose not its saltness, and that this light be not hid, but radiate and glow into noontide glory” –Mary Baker Eddy

This tells us that we really are all sinners as the Bible depicts Mary of Magdala to be. We must drop to our knees and serve the Lord with gladness, gratitude and repentance, knowing that God is our creator and He knows every cell that creates us, the number of hairs on our heads. We are His children and we should not hide our faith from the world. We must stand proud as a Christ loving being and introduce the world to Jesus Christ, our one and only Saviour!

Matter Vs God

“We must destroy the false belief that life and intelligence are in matter, and plant ourselves upon what is pure and perfect. Paul said, ‘Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.’ Sooner or later we shall learn that the fetters of man’s finite capacity are forged by the illusion that he lives in body instead of in Soul, in matter instead of in Spirit.

Matter does not express Spirit. God is infinite omnipresent Spirit. If Spirit is all and is everywhere, what and where is matter? Remember the truth is greater than error and we cannot put the greater into less. Soul is Spirit, and Spirit is greater than body. If Spirit were once within the body, Spirit would be finite, and therefore could not be Spirit.” –Mary Baker Eddy

Now, I realize that this is one of the more difficult things I have quoted lately as it was originally accepted by congress in 1875. I am not sure of the date in which it was written, but the English is definitely old and I apologize for that.

However, this reading is in my opinion rather important as it adds a different perspective on all things as we have become accustomed to “matter” being a god of sorts in our world today. The quote starts out saying very blatantly that we MUST destroy the FALSE belief that life and intelligence are in matter! Why does it say this? Because we as a being give so much power to that which has no soul, no power, and no spirit. We can even go so far as to allow an inanimate unfeeling object to control our emotions and even ruin our day! What power we give to these things that are really powerless until we allow Satan in and give him a foothold through our objects!! Do you NEED a computer to live? NO! Do you need 4 pots to make dinner for your family? NO! So why is it that when our computer doesn’t work right that we become so easily angered and even agitated by it? Why is it that when the dishes weren’t done that we allow it to cause strife between ourselves and our children and our partner? It is after all just a pot!

Matter does not express Spirit because it can’t! It is not a living being and in Spirit does not even exist. The truth is greater than error, because the Truth is God! God is Love! God is Spirit! Because of this God cannot be in matter as He is above it, He is better than matter. He is GOD!

I pray no one found this small teaching too confusing as I know it is old and a little off the wall. I did what I could to explain it, but for me it is already explained and I think if you are well versed in English it should be a simple reading. Explaining the power that is God is something that most can’t do and I found this reading to explain the difference between God and the physical world. I hope you enjoyed this reading as I may use this author again.

Accepting Without Fear

“Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.’” Matthew 28:10

“Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord…’” John 20:18

When we read the story of Jesus resurrection we probably wonder “why would they have been afraid?” or “What would they be scared of?” The truth is that this was new and unexpected. No one had ever risen from the dead before! This was completely new and different, even to Jesus’ disciples. This is why when Jesus first saw the disciples he said “do not be afraid”. Sometimes Gods wonderful gifts can come as a big surprise causing us to be fearful to accept them. That said we must remember Gods words and not be afraid.

Mary of Magdala was so excited to tell about Jesus being raised from the dead. Much like you feel about good news, a pregnancy or an engagement or even a miracle you have witnessed. You burst with delight and that is what Mary was doing only a million times bigger. Jesus was fulfilling the prophecies written years and years before and being a Jew everyone knew of these stories. Imagine something you had always expected (like the second coming) and being the FIRST to see it? You probably can’t even fathom what that would feel like yet that is exactly what Mary of Magdala was going through. Fortunately, this isn’t just history! Jesus is STILL alive! He is STILL giving us life and mercy. Are you ready to follow Mary of Magdala and share that good news?

‘May I not be afraid to let you in and change me, Jesus!’

‘Jesus, I’m happy to share the new life you give me.’

Miracles

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put Him” John 20:2

Mary of Magdala and Peter didn’t understand what was going on or where Jesus body had went. They were not prepared to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. It took baby steps, but little by little they began to understand. Most of the time, faith and understanding don’t come at the same time.

Some people say “to see is to believe” and my response to that is if you need to “see” a miracle and you don’t believe you have, you are not looking hard enough. Miracles are everywhere! Childbirth is a miracle, babies being born half way through a pregnancy and growing into adults and parents themselves is a miracle. Someone surviving the un-survivable is a miracle. There is no coincidence. God sets forth riddles that we may not always comprehend but at the end of the day your life is full of miracles- big and small! Now step back and look at the world through the innocence of a child, take inventory and you will see what you didn’t see before. Miracles in everything, everywhere, all the time! Stop doubting the way Thomas did because seeing is everywhere. Praise the Lord!

‘Lord, you are the Saviour of the world. Thank you for all your kindness to us’

Faith

“Thou has also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.” Psalm 18:35

A Poem

Faith July 8th, 2007 by myself, Marisa Slusarcyk

Tingling flows through me
Signs from Heaven or hell?
The swelling subsided
My eyes begin to well
I pray to the Lord up above
For signs of salvation
Like that of the dove
My children are safe
I thank Him for our release
Now I ask that my anguish may cease
The ghosts from my past
Will torture me less
My Lord who saved me
That awful mess
His chains bound me
The devil held the key
I sit now, in this cold cell
Absorbed in faith
That he will no longer dwell
In my heart is the Lord
Please hear our prayers
Allow us to grow
To make friends who truly care
Stop the pain we all feel
Show us the way
That we may enter your kingdom
Our final day

My Strength and Courage is the Lord

“My strength and my courage is the Lord, and He has been my saviour. He is my God, I praise Him.” Exodus 15:2

Biblically speaking, this passage is talking about the Israelites being led out of Egypt and being saved from pharaoh’s army. 

However, on a personal level, for me it is about being led out of abuse, anger, hate and nearly being killed. It is a personal deliverance that I was able to achieve because of the Lord and because while I was walking through my own personal dessert not necessarily being strong in the word, I was strong in my faith and God stayed right beside me shepherding me in the right direction towards where I am today. He ushered me away from Satan and his evil ways. When I was down, He covered any foothold Satan could get on me and because of that my journey through the dessert didn’t take the 40 years it took the Israelites. My faith never wavered even when my trust did. Because of that, I am safe, my family is safe and God is the ruler of my life. I look forward to what the future holds and that is something I didn’t always have. 

Praise God!! 

“Let us savor the sweetness of salvation and the joy of knowing where our strength, courage and happiness come from” –Living Faith Daily Catholic Devotional

His Only Begotten Son

“The Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?’” John 18:10-11

Jesus could have choose to fight back the way Peter did. Instead He did what the Father wanted Him to do. Many people have asked why the Father would want Jesus to die on the cross and there really is no good answer as to why He had to die in this way. I suppose it could have just been a product of the times. Today He would die by firing squad, electric chair, or lethal injection. Crucifixion was how they followed through with the death sentence in Jesus time and place. That said, the mind of God will always be a mystery to us. We can only thank Him for giving His only son so that we may have eternal life without pain and suffering. We are so blessed because of this sacrifice and instead of questioning it, we need to just say THANK YOU LORD and be happy that we have been given such a wonderful gift. Jesus showed us just how much He loves us by going through the pain and suffering He did so that WE could be saved!

 ‘Your love O Lord, is a mystery, Thank You!’

Do you serve yourself or God?

"Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me "teacher" and "master", and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet." John 13:12-14

Jesus showed He was a servant when He washed the feet of His disciples. He then told them that they should also wash one another’s feet as they should also be servants! In order to serve God we must become servants of God and be willing to give our whole lives to Him for the sake of other people. Yes, other people! We are so blessed to be able to serve others and be paid by the Lord God through the promises He has given us. We will go to Heaven. We have escaped sickness. We receive unconditional love even at our darkest moments. If you haven’t prayed and accepted Jesus as your saviour you need to do this now because we do not know when He will come again, only that He is coming! When He does come ALL those who prayed Him into their hearts and lived by faith will be saved! Praise the Lord!

Beautiful Artwork

The Ancient Days by William Blake 1794

The Last Supper, Leonardo DaVinci 1497

Prophesy Fulfilled through The Crucifixion!

The Old	The New
“O Bethlehem… a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past” Micah 5:2	“Jesus was born in the  town of Bethlehem” Matthew 2:1
“The Virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son…” Isaiah 7:14	“This is how Jesus… was born. His mother Mary… while she was still a virgin… became pregnant” Matthew 1:18
“He will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap… and those who cannot speak will shout” Isaiah 35:5-6	A vast crowd brought Him the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others… and laid them before Jesus. And He healed them all” Matthew 15:30
“He was despised and rejected… We turned our backs on Him… He was despised and we did not care” Isaiah 53:3	“Pilate asked them, ‘what should I do with Jesus…?’ And they all shouted ‘crucify him!’” Matthew 27:22
“He was… treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. He did not open His mouth” Isaiah 53:7	“But when the leading priests and other  leaders made their accusations against Him, Jesus remained silent” Matthew 27:12
“But He was wounded and he crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped and we were healed”: Isaiah 53:5	“They blindfolded [Jesus] and hit His face with their fists” Mark 14:65 “..Pilate… ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip” Mark 15:15
“They have pierced my hands and feet” Pslam 22:16	“…they crucified [Jesus]” John 19:18
“They divided My clothes among themselves and throw dice for My garments” Psalm 22:18	“After they had nailed [Jesus] to the cross, the soldiers gambled for His clothes by throwing dice” Matthew 27:35
“The Lord laid on Him the guilt and sins of us all” Isaiah 53:6	“…[Jesus] Christ died for our sins” 1 Corinthians 15:3
“He was buried… He was put in a rich man’s grave” Isaiah 53:9	“Joseph, a rich man… asked for Jesus’ body and… placed it in his own new tomb…” Matthew 27:57-60
“.. You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let your Holy One see decay” Psalm 16:10	“…[Jesus] Christ had died… He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day…” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

I have been meaning to update this with a Old versus New testament topic and I believe I have finally found one that I can write out and is fairly self-explanatory. I will be honest and tell you all that I have borrowed this most helpful table from a Bible study that I recently was working on and I thought that it was what I  needed in order to make this blog work out properly.  Table tells us the prophesies of the old testament regarding the crucifixion and it shows us how the birth of Christ Jesus fulfilled every one of them.

We are so completely blessed in so many miraculous ways that we have over the years stopped seeing God in all things and have instead replaced Him in the name of science. Coming back to the Lord is one of the easiest things you can do. All of your questions are answered through the Word and you are left feeling nothing but whole. Our God is so great and I pray that we can learn to see everything the way we should see it instead of by-passing the wonders of the world and taking them for granted. Prayer is the most powerful way to speak to God. Praise Him daily and you will receive the bounty He has promised in return!

Judgement

M't:7:1: Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Lu:6:37: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

1Co:4:5: Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Though almost all of us know this rule whether we are Christian or not most of us struggle with actually following through with not judging others. A big thing in the media lately has been the gay marriages and certain states allowing it to occur. I believe in the power of the Lord yet I also believe in human rights and human stupidity. I don’t understand how the very folks who sit in a church several times a week can be the first to cast judgement on people whose lifestyle’s aren’t up to their standards. The fact is, we are all sinners. The Bible says we are, the Bible tells us the only one without sin is the Lord himself. So why are we so willing to jump up and hold a sign and curse people to the depths of hell because of the way they live. Science now has found a genetic glitch which is actually thought to be responsible for homosexuality yet we ignore this science and we protest. The Lord does not punish those who have these problems, whether it be an illness or a genetic error. It is not a choice these people make and when it is a CHOICE then yes, I agree it is a sin, but I would never chose to judge that person because I don’t know whats in their heads. Only the Lord knows who is and who is not making a conscious choice. He wants all of His children to be healthy and safe. I may be a Christian, God-loving woman but if my child turns out to be gay I will not try to change him or her and I will not judge him or her. I will love them unconditionally as the Lord has taught and I will pray that He will see that they are deserving of His salvation. The Bible tells us that the only way to heaven is through the belief in Jesus life, death and resurrection. As long as you believe in that YOU WILL BE SAVED!! Now, leave the JUDGEMENT to the Lord!