14 May John 15:9 (unconditional love)
Posted on Wednesday 14 May, 2008
* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com).
As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. John 15:9
Living Faith snippets: “A thousand voices, from within and without, shout that we are lovable as long as we make lots of money, are constantly productive, raise perfect children and never struggle with doubt. Yet I know that Jesus never made much money, failed to win the hearts of the powerful religious leaders and was misunderstood and betrayed by those closest to him. Though he knew rejection, he was able to remain faithful to the vision God had planted in his mind and heart.” by Terri Mifek
Pat nuggets:
* Science/Faith: Here are a few snippets from a headline article yesterday on msn.com. “Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as “pretty childish.” [Yet] In later life, he expressed a sense of wonder at the universe and its mysteries — what he called a “cosmic religious feeling” — and famously said: “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”” msnbc.msn.com/id/24598856/from/ET. Einstein maintained faith in God but struggled with allowing God to be God (doubt, golden calves), like most of us. Unfortunately, most scientists today have gone beyond doubting and have displaced God with a false sense of personal creation. For example, scientists may gain understanding of how a biological process works, yet act like they created the parts and designed the process. Scientists are more or less mechanics with their heads under the hood of God’s creation, trying to figure out His amazing parts and engineering. For example, the late atheist scientist who discovered the function of DNA, Francis Crick, apparently believed the parts and engineering of life created themselves based on this statement he made: “Your joys and your sorrow, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules.” How depressing (despair)! Unlike Crick, I see God’s fingerprints (God sightings) throughout the miraculous relationship of the Body of Christ (us). Let us not forget that as Easter people (Christians), we are hopeful because of our gift of faith to recognize that God wants to keep us filled up with His unconditional love! Please consider sending me your God sightings to share in the devotion.
* Science/Faith: Here are a few snippets from a headline article yesterday on msn.com. “Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as “pretty childish.” [Yet] In later life, he expressed a sense of wonder at the universe and its mysteries — what he called a “cosmic religious feeling” — and famously said: “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”” msnbc.msn.com/id/24598856/from/ET. Einstein maintained faith in God but struggled with allowing God to be God (doubt, golden calves), like most of us. Unfortunately, most scientists today have gone beyond doubting and have displaced God with a false sense of personal creation. For example, scientists may gain understanding of how a biological process works, yet act like they created the parts and designed the process. Scientists are more or less mechanics with their heads under the hood of God’s creation, trying to figure out His amazing parts and engineering. For example, the late atheist scientist who discovered the function of DNA, Francis Crick, apparently believed the parts and engineering of life created themselves based on this statement he made: “Your joys and your sorrow, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules.” How depressing (despair)! Unlike Crick, I see God’s fingerprints (God sightings) throughout the miraculous relationship of the Body of Christ (us). Let us not forget that as Easter people (Christians), we are hopeful because of our gift of faith to recognize that God wants to keep us filled up with His unconditional love! Please consider sending me your God sightings to share in the devotion.
ProLife: Yesterday, more than 76,407 signatures were turned in to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office “to place on this fall’s ballot a life-saving initiative to add these words to the state constitution: “The term ‘Person’ or ‘Persons’ shall include any human from the time of fertilization.” These 14 words would establish protection for the most helpless in our midst — innocent children in the womb.” Dave Bereit at http://www.40daysforlife.com/
Feast Day: St. Matthias “was the Apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas, following Judas’s betrayal of Jesus and his suicide (Acts 1:18-26).” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Matthias
Our Prayers:
* Thanksgiving: Liz Curry (nephew’s back surgery went well!)
* New: earthquake in China
* Pat Castle (abortion, our troops, our enemies), Kay Castle (crimes against children), Vicki Miller (cancer treatment), Pam McGushin (mom’s depression, Cindy’s cancer treatment), Tom Tenpenny (Anna’s cancer treatment), Dale Sundermann (strength for his Mom), Jenny Senour (ProLife job interview)
* Thanksgiving: Liz Curry (nephew’s back surgery went well!)
* New: earthquake in China
* Pat Castle (abortion, our troops, our enemies), Kay Castle (crimes against children), Vicki Miller (cancer treatment), Pam McGushin (mom’s depression, Cindy’s cancer treatment), Tom Tenpenny (Anna’s cancer treatment), Dale Sundermann (strength for his Mom), Jenny Senour (ProLife job interview)
Faith Quote: “To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for Truth, that is not living but existing.” by Pier Giorgio Frassati.
* If you come across an inspiring faith quote, please send it to me for sharing in the devotion.
* If you come across an inspiring faith quote, please send it to me for sharing in the devotion.
* Today’s Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.
* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson, “When God’s people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can’t explain await!” “If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him.”
* Defend the unborn: ProLife websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. ‘Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die’ (Prov 24:11). ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’ (Jer 1:5). ‘It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish’ Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Share the Good News: Let’s joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)! Let’s make room to share with non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead your friend to Christ)…and work on perpetual re-evangelization of ourselves and those close to us (Western culture), drawing closer to God’s will by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of selfless love, mercy, and service…
* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson, “When God’s people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can’t explain await!” “If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him.”
* Defend the unborn: ProLife websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. ‘Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die’ (Prov 24:11). ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’ (Jer 1:5). ‘It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish’ Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Share the Good News: Let’s joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)! Let’s make room to share with non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead your friend to Christ)…and work on perpetual re-evangelization of ourselves and those close to us (Western culture), drawing closer to God’s will by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of selfless love, mercy, and service…
* Let’s invite family, friends, and our “neighbors” to join the LIFE Devotions group, providing routine spiritual connection and strength for our faith communities.