DEVIL IS REAL

Be ready with God's weaponry; devil is real, pope says

30th Oct 2014

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christian life is a constant battle against the devil, who is not the stuff of legend, but really exists, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

Battling the devil will not be easy because the evil one's traps and temptations are many, and "the devil is not tossing flowers at us," but "flaming arrows" aimed to kill, the pope said Oct. 30 during his morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae where he lives.

Pope Francis is pictured during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 29. (CNS/Paul Haring)

There are three "enemies of Christian life," Pope Francis said: "The devil, the world and the flesh," in other words, the carnal passions that are "the wounds of original sin."

"But this generation, and many others, made people think that the devil was a myth, a character, an idea, the concept of evil," the pope said, according to Vatican Radio.

"The devil exists and we have to fight against him. Paul says so -- I'm not the one saying it. The word of God says it," the pope said, referring to the day's reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (6:10-20), which calls on believers to "stand firm against the tactics of the devil."

Even believers "are not too convinced" the devil exists, he said, or else "we are a bit lazy in the fight and we let ourselves be led by our passions, by some temptations. It's because we are sinners -- all of us."

"However, do not be discouraged. (Have) courage and strength because the Lord is with us" and supplies all that is needed in battle, the pope said.

Because the devil is "the father of lies, the father of deception," Christians must arm themselves with the "armor of God -- the truth."

St. Paul says Christians must be "girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace," the pope noted.

People need to "hold faith as a shield" and take up "the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," he added, and they must pray all the time.

"You cannot be Christians without working continuously at being righteous. You can't," the pope said.

People need faith to go forward and they need to know "that it is God defending us, to resist the devil's temptations," he said.

"Is that clear? You cannot think of a spiritual life, a Christian life," he said, "without resisting temptation, without fighting against the devil, without putting on this amour of God, who gives us strength and defends us."

"Christian life is a battle, a very beautiful battle because when the Lord wins at every step of our life, he gives us a joy, a great happiness, that joy that the Lord has won in us" with his free gift of salvation, the pope said.

EPITAPHS

ACTUAL EPITAPHS FROM GRAVESTONES

Harry Edsel Smith of Albany, New York:
Born 1903-Died 1942
Looked up the elevator shaft to see if the
car was on the way down.
It was.
 ******************************
 In a Thurmont, Maryland, cemetery:
 Here lies an Atheist
 All dressed up
 And no place to go.
 ******************************
 In a Georgia cemetery:
 "I told you I was sick!"
 ******************************
 On the grave of Ezekial Aikle in East
 Dalhousie Cemetery, Nova Scotia:
 Here lies Ezekial Aikle, Age 102.
 The Good Die Young.
 ******************************
 In a London, England cemetery:
 Here lies Ann Mann,
 Who lived an old maid
 But died an old Mann.
 Dec. 8, 1767
 ******************************
 In a Ribbesford, England, cemetery:
 Anna Wallace:
 The children of Israel wanted bread,
 And the Lord sent them manna.
 Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife,
and the Devil sent him Anna.
 ******************************
 Playing with names in a Ruidoso, New Mexico, cemetery:
 Here lies Johnny Yeast.
 Pardon me
 For not rising.
 ******************************
 Memory of an accident in a Uniontown,
 Pennsylvania, cemetery:
 Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake.
 Stepped on the gas
 Instead of the brake.
 ******************************
 In a Silver City, Nevada, cemetery:
 Here lays Butch.
 We planted him raw.
 He was quick on the trigger
 But slow on the draw.
 ******************************
 A lawyer's epitaph in England:
 Sir John Strange.
 Here lies an honest lawyer,
 And that is Strange.
 ******************************
 Someone determined to be anonymous in Stowe, Vermont:
 I was somebody.
 Who, is no business
 Of yours.
 ******************************
 Lester Moore was a Wells, Fargo Co. station agent for Naco, Arizona,
 in the cowboy days of the 1880s. He's buried in the Boot Hill
 Cemetery in Tombstone, Arizona:
 Here lies Lester Moore.
 Four slugs from a .44.
 No Les; No More.
 ******************************
 John Penny's epitaph in the Wimborne, England, cemetery:
 Reader, if cash thou art
 In want of any,
 Dig 4 feet deep;
 And thou wilt find a Penny.
 ******************************
 On Margaret Daniel's grave at Hollywood Cemetery Richmond, Virginia:
 She always said her feet were killing her, but nobody believed her.
 ******************************
 In a cemetery in Hartscombe, England:
 On the 22nd of June,
 Jonathan Fiddle
 Went out of tune.
 ******************************
 Anna Hopewell's grave in Enosburg Falls, Vermont, has an epitaph
 that sounds like something from a Three Stooges movie:
 Here lies the body of our Anna -
 Done to death by a banana.
 It wasn't the fruit that laid her low,
 But the skin of the thing that made her go.
 ******************************
 More fun with names with Owen Moore in Battersea, London, England:
 Gone away
 Owin' more
 Than he could pay.
 ******************************
 On a grave from the 1880s in Nantucket, Massachusetts:
 Under the sod and under the trees,
 Lies the body of Jonathan Pease.
 He is not here, there's only the pod.
 Pease shelled out and went to God.
 ******************************
 The grave of Ellen Shannon in Girard, Pennsylvania, is almost a consumer
 tip:
 Who was fatally burned March 21, 1870, by the explosion of a
 lamp filled with "R.E. Danforth's Non-Explosive Burning Fluid"
 ******************************
 In a cemetery in England:
 Remember man, as you walk by,
 As you are now, so once was I.
 As I am now, so shall you be.
 Remember this and follow me.

 To which someone replied by writing on the tombstone:
 To follow you I'll not consent
 Until I know which way you went.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Laughter is the best medicine – 15 Fascinating facts about smiling

Everyone loves the quote “laughter is the best medicine,” and as a nurse, I have experienced the benefits of smiling and laughter with my patients.

In fact, smiling can boost your mood and even your immune system.
Keep reading for more fascinating facts about our smiles.

1.  Forcing yourself to smile can boost your mood:
Psychologists have found that even if you’re in bad mood, you can instantly lift your spirits by forcing yourself to smile.

2.  It boosts your immune system:
Smiling really can improve your physical health, too.
Your body is more relaxed when you smile, which contributes to good health and a stronger immune system.

3. Smiles are Contagious:
It’s not just a saying: smiling really is contagious, scientists say.
In a study conducted in Sweden , people had difficulty frowning when they looked at other subjects who were smiling, and their muscles twitched into smiles all on their own.

4. Smiles Relieve Stress:
Your body immediately releases endorphins when you smile, even when you force it. This sudden change in mood will help you feel better and release stress.

5.  It’s easier to smile than to frown:

Scientists have discovered that your body has to work harder and use more muscles to frown than it does to smile.

6.  It’s a Universal Sign of Happiness:
While handshakes, hugs, and bows all have varying meanings across cultures, smiling is known around the world and in all cultures as a sign of happiness and acceptance.

7. We still smile at work:
While we smile less at work than we do at home, 30% of subjects in a research study smiled five to 20 times a day, and 28% smiled over 20 times per day at the office.

8. Smiles use from 5 to 53 facial muscles:
Just smiling can require your body to use up to 53 muscles, but some smiles only use 5 muscle movements.

9.  Babies are born with the ability to smile:
Babies learn a lot of behaviours and sounds from watching the people around them, but scientists believe that all babies are born with the ability, since even blind babies smile.

10. Smiling helps you get promoted:
Smiles make a person seem more attractive, sociable and confident, and people who smile more are more likely to get a promotion.

11. Smiles are the most easily recognizable facial expression:
People can recognize smiles from up to 300 feet away, making it the most easily recognizable facial expression.

12.  Women smile More than Men:
Generally, women smile more than men, but when they participate in similar work or social roles, they smile the same amount. This finding leads scientists to believe that gender roles are quite flexible.
Boy babies, though, do smile less than girl babies, who also make more eye contact.

13. Smiles are more attractive than makeup:
A research study conducted by Orbit Complete discovered that 69% of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they are wearing makeup.

14.  There are 19 different types of smiles:
UC-San Francisco researcher identified 19 types of smiles and put them into two categories: polite “social” smiles which engage fewer muscles, and sincere “felt” smiles that use more muscles on both sides of the face.

15. Babies start smiling as newborns:
Most doctors believe that real smiles occur when babies are awake at the age of four-to-six weeks, but babies start smiling in their sleep as soon as they’re born.

Even If you think after the reading the whole article that there is no reason to smile and life is hopeless…
I wanna introduce you to the author of all smiles…

Yes… He is Christ Jesus Our Lord and Saviour.
He is Smiling at You… He is eagerly waiting to hug you.. and that love which you receive at that moment… no human can comprehend.. and the joy that proceeds out of it is indescribable..

Come Give Christ a Hug…
Be filled with Joy…

You will have eternal joy.. Yes.. eternal laughter and eternal fun…
Knowing the Author of all Smiles.. Will lead you into the valley of eternal Smile and laughter

Look at His Face.. He is smiling at you…My Child… He wants you to come to Him.. so that He can impart the laughter you are longing for…
He will carry you in His arms and He will never leave you nor forsake you…

Run into His outstretched arms.. He is waiting.. the only reason He is delaying His return is that.. You will repent of your sins and turn to Him…
It’s time dear friend… Don’t delay it…

The Joy of the Lord will become your strength and you will smile at all times.. Yes at all times..
I Pray that You shall be filled with the Joy of the Holy Spirit and thereby continue to impart the contagious joy to all around….

"DAD, ARE YOU REALLY GONE?" All Souls' Day

             "DAD, ARE YOU REALLY GONE?"
I am writing these words on a Monday. I've just come from delivering the
message at a funeral for an old friend, a member of the local church...Don's service today was a fitting tribute to a great man. In the foyer just outside, his four grown daughters had created a display that did him proud. But one item stole the show...It was a poem written shortly after he died, by one of his daughters, now a mother herself. As people...stopped to read that centerpiece...virtually every one of them struggled to hold back their tears. Many didn't succeed. I didn't. Here is what we read:
Dad, are you really gone?
I'm certain I was there when you took your last breath.
Yet it seems your life is still speaking so loud and clear.

Are you really gone?
I can see you in my childhood days.
Always taking care of us, letting our lives as children
Be as God intended: carefree, happy and adventurous, joyful.

Are you really gone?
I can see your smile and your fatherly wink
As I feel your familiar and vigorous hug.
I can see the joy in your face as your grandchildren
embrace you and you turn to me without hesitation
And say, "You're a good mother, I'm proud of you."

Are you really gone?
I can see you so clear, a man of God, a devoted father,
A loving husband, a church leader, a friend.
I can hear you say, "It's good to be alive,"
As you enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Are you really gone?
I can see your Christian influence woven into the decisions of
my life and it is only by your confident example that I can say,
You'll never really be gone from us.
And I can now hear our heavenly Father say to you,
"Welcome, good and faithful servant,
Enter into the joy I have prepared for you."

It doesn't get any better than that. No medal, ribbon, or citation
even remotely compares to the deep, abiding love and respect
of a daughter or son.
_______________________________________________________

Today is ALL SOULS DAY. It is a time for remembering our dearly
departed ones. For as long as our fond memories of them dwell in
us they cannot die -- they are not really gone. In our hearts they are
living still as passing years go by.

FAITH PURSUES THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE

Faith to pursue the seemingly impossible

Faith brings things within the range of possibility.

An impossible attitude may say, “no more beyond,” but faith says, “there is more beyond”.
Sometimes we may feel that we have come to the end of the rope,
but it is never the end of our hope.

Until 1954, running a mile under 4 minutes was considered impossible.
But that year, Mr. Roger Bannister broke the barrier.

A year later in 1955, 37 others succeeded, and over 300 in the proceeding year.
Now the figure has shot upto 20,000!

Roosevelt, the former President of USA was confined to a wheel chair;
Milton was blind; and Beethoven was deaf.

But they showed us how to triumph over limitations.

A victim of arthritis, Hulda Crooks decided to learn mountaineering
on her 70th birthday and after rigorous exercise,
was able to climb Mount Fuji at the age of 95!

Yes, all of us can definitely make some difference
with each day that the Lord gives us.

Of course, we should not assume that things will take care of themselves
or will be taken care of by others.
It takes time and practice to develop new habits.

Booker T. Washington said:
“success is to be measured not so much by the position
that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles
one has to overcome while trying to succeed.”

It is said that strong faith leads to good attitude,
while vibrant faith sustains a person in times of crisis.

This means, we don’t have to define life by limitations,
but fill our thoughts with things that we CAN do.

Suppose, we draw a line and write above it,
the things that we believe we can’t do,
and below it, the things we believe we can.

Such a line can be defined as the ‘line of limitation’.
If we desire to reach seemingly impossible goals, we have to raise the line.

Often our tendency is to bring down the line since we are reluctant to try.

When we try to do,
that which we once thought we cannot accomplish, the line is invariably raised.

We may also be tempted to bring down the line of limitation
when we face unexpected setbacks and failures.
However, we should persistently try to raise the line against all odds.

We must not allow frustration to rip us apart.
Failure is not a sign of weakness;
It brings opportunities to devise new ways of succeeding.

“Our focus must be on the goal, not on the failures “
We should put our mind around the limitless power of God.
Exaggerating difficulties affect the utilization of our talents.
We must focus on what we can do with what we have at hand.

The belief that we can’t do something is merely a rationalization for our unwillingness to take the risk.

Instead, we must live with positive expectation.
We will inevitably attract what we focus our mind on.

” Small steps of change in our attitude
can make a big impact in the long run “.

Thorough preparation for an upcoming event will enhance our capacity
to overcome fear and other obstacles.

We identify our strengths and maximize it.
We may have difficulties during the initial attempts.
But we will find that after awhile, they fade out.

” When God becomes ‘greater’,
the problems will appear to be smaller in comparison “.

Therefore, we need to learn to take a brief look at the problems and
a long look at the One Who is able to help us triumph over.

It is said that faith is to see the invisible.

If we are prepared to see the invisible (with the eyes of faith),
we will be able to make possible, the seemingly impossible.

- Dr George Samuel

MISSION SUNDAY MESSAGE 2014

MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS
FOR WORLD MISSION DAY 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today vast numbers of people still do not know Jesus Christ. For this reason, the mission ad gentes continues to be most urgent. All the members of the Church are called to participate in this mission, for the Church is missionary by her very nature: she was born “to go forth”. World Mission Day is a privileged moment when the faithful of various continents engage in prayer and concrete gestures of solidarity in support of the young Churches in mission lands. It is a celebration of grace and joy. A celebration of grace, because the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, offers wisdom and strength to those who are obedient to his action. A celebration of joy, because Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, sent to evangelize the world, supports and accompanies our missionary efforts. This joy of Jesus and missionary disciples leads me to propose a biblical icon, which we find in the Gospel of Luke (cf. 10:21-23) .

1. The Evangelist tells us that the Lord sent the seventy-two disciples two by two into cities and villages to proclaim that the Kingdom of God was near, and to prepare people to meet Jesus. After carrying out this mission of preaching, the disciples returned full of joy: joy is a dominant theme of this first and unforgettable missionary experience. Yet the divine Master told them: “Do not rejoice because the demons are subject to you; but rejoice because your names are written in heaven. At that very moment Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: ‘I give you praise, Father...’ And, turning to the disciples in private he said, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see’” (Lk 10:20-21, 23).

Luke presents three scenes. Jesus speaks first to his disciples, then to the Father, and then again to the disciples. Jesus wanted to let the disciples share his joy, different and greater than anything they had previously experienced.

2. The disciples were filled with joy, excited about their power to set people free from demons. But Jesus cautioned them to rejoice not so much for the power they had received, but for the love they had received, “because your names are written in heaven” (Lk10:20). The disciples were given an experience of God’s love, but also the possibility of sharing that love. And this experience is a cause for gratitude and joy in the heart of Jesus. Luke saw this jubilation in a perspective of the trinitarian communion: “Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit”, turning to the Father and praising him. This moment of deep joy springs from Jesus’ immense filial love for his Father, Lord of heaven and earth, who hid these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to the childlike (cf. Lk10:21). God has both hidden and revealed, and in this prayer of praise it is his revealing which stands out. What is it that God has revealed and hidden? The mysteries of his Kingdom, the manifestation of divine lordship in Jesus and the victory over Satan.

God has hidden this from those who are all too full of themselves and who claim to know everything already. They are blinded by their presumptuousness and they leave no room for God. One can easily think of some of Jesus’ contemporaries whom he repeatedly admonished, but the danger is one that always exists and concerns us too. The “little ones”, for their part, are the humble, the simple, the poor, the marginalized, those without voice, those weary and burdened, whom Jesus pronounced “blessed”. We readily think of Mary, Joseph, the fishermen of Galilee and the disciples whom Jesus called as he went preaching.

3. “Yes, Father, for such has been your gracious will” (Lk 10:21). These words of Jesus must be understood as referring to his inner exultation. The word “gracious” describes the Father’s saving and benevolent plan for humanity. It was this divine graciousness that made Jesus rejoice, for the Father willed to love people with the same love that he has for his Son. Luke also alludes to the similar exultation of Mary: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit exults in God my Savior” (Lk 1:47). This is the Good News that leads to salvation. Mary, bearing in her womb Jesus, the evangelizer par excellence, met Elizabeth and rejoiced in the Holy Spirit as she sang her Magnificat. Jesus, seeing the success of his disciples’ mission and their resulting joy, rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and addressed his Father in prayer. In both cases, it is joy for the working of salvation, for the love with which the Father loves his Son comes down to us, and through the Holy Spirit fills us and grants us a share in the trinitarian life.

The Father is the source of joy. The Son is its manifestation, and the Holy Spirit its giver. Immediately after praising the Father, so the evangelist Matthew tells us, Jesus says: “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt 11:28-30). “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew” (Evangelii Gaudium, 1).

The Virgin Mary had a unique experience of this encounter with Jesus, and thus became “causa nostrae laetitiae”. The disciples, for their part, received the call to follow Jesus and to be sent by him to preach the Gospel (cf. Mk 3:14), and so they were filled with joy. Why shouldn’t we too enter this flood of joy?4.

 “The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience” (Evangelii Gaudium, 2). Humanity greatly needs to lay hold of the salvation brought by Christ. His disciples are those who allow themselves to be seized ever more by the love of Jesus and marked by the fire of passion for the Kingdom of God and the proclamation of the joy of the Gospel. All the Lord’s disciples are called to nurture the joy of evangelization. The Bishops, as those primarily responsible for this proclamation, have the task of promoting the unity of the local Church in her missionary commitment. They are called to acknowledge that the joy of communicating Jesus Christ is expressed in a concern to proclaim him in the most distant places, as well as in a constant outreach to the peripheries of their own territory, where great numbers of the poor are waiting for this message.

Many parts of the world are experiencing a dearth of vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Often this is due to the absence of contagious apostolic fervour in communities which lack enthusiasm and thus fail to attract. The joy of the Gospel is born of the encounter with Christ and from sharing with the poor. For this reason I encourage parish communities, associations and groups to live an intense fraternal life, grounded in love for Jesus and concern for the needs of the most disadvantaged. Wherever there is joy, enthusiasm and a desire to bring Christ to others, genuine vocations arise. Among these vocations, we should not overlook lay vocations to mission. There has been a growing awareness of the identity and mission of the lay faithful in the Church, as well as a recognition that they are called to take an increasingly important role in the spread of the Gospel. Consequently they need to be given a suitable training for the sake of an effective apostolic activity.

5. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). World Mission Day is also an occasion to rekindle the desire and the moral obligation to take joyful part in the mission ad gentes. A monetary contribution on the part of individuals is the sign of a self-offering, first to the Lord and then to others; in this way a material offering can become a means for the evangelization of humanity built on love.

Dear brothers and sisters, on this World Mission Day my thoughts turn to all the local Churches. Let us not be robbed of the joy of evangelization! I invite you to immerse yourself in the joy of the Gospel and nurture a love that can light up your vocation and your mission. I urge each of you to recall, as if you were making an interior pilgrimage, that “first love” with which the Lord Jesus Christ warmed your heart, not for the sake of nostalgia but in order to persevere in joy. The Lord’s disciples persevere in joy when they sense his presence, do his will and share with others their faith, hope and evangelical charity.

Let us pray through the intercession of Mary, the model of humble and joyful evangelization, that the Church may become a welcoming home, a mother for all peoples and the source of rebirth for our world.

From the Vatican, 8 June 2014, the Solemnity of Pentecost

FRANCIS

Health, a Missionary Imperative

 Doctors, nurses, and medicines are gifts of God, and beautiful ones at that.       Our dialogue invites us to consider the ethics of the missionary as much as the personal values of the medical practitioner. Expert information presupposes virtue formation, which is not taught but caught, like honesty, loyalty, respect, caring, communication, patience, compassion. These are not subordinate to the vocabulary of micro-biology, scans, and laser surgery, but rather serve to prevent the split between role and person. The role develops but frequently enough the self remains anaemic and immature. This can happen in professions that are pressure-packed and highly competitive, and where ethics only enters as a factor in a dilemma.

          The discourse on health as missionary imperative must surely include the nurses and counsellors, among whom many religious sisters and priests are numbered. The nurses not only promote cheerfulness but in many instances they know the patient better, and even though they are not the locus of decisional responsibility, they are the effective channels of the discharge of that responsibility. Counsellors play a very significant role in the field of life-threatening diseases and terminal cases, helping those especially that have a very limited future. These people come with their fears, follies and families. Past memories are sharpened and future expectations are foreshortened. The ebb and flow of the meaning of life, suffering and death swirl around here. Without the counsellor who listens and reaches out there would be no healing even without hope of recovery. The understanding of pain is by way of understanding the person; and at least one-third of humanity has some pain. Pain is the instinctual cry for help. It is a mind-body event. It originates in the physical stimulus but is always refracted through the mind. At the centre of most pain is fear. The counsellor will help the patients to discern the meaning and place of pain in their life and with the doctor’s advice work out a pain control plan. This goes deeper than the popping of pills and the mechanics of injections; it is a call to personal values and theological ethics.          In his address to the Federation of Catholic Pharmacists on Aggression against Human Life and the Supremacy of the Moral Order, on 3 November 1990,  Pope St.  John Paul II said, “...the relation between the pharmacist and the one seeking medication goes far beyond its commercial aspects, because it requires an acute perception of the personal problems of the person involved as well as the basic ethical aspects of the service rendered to the life and dignity of the human person.”

          The thrust of the biblical narrative and precepts, especially the teaching of Jesus, furnished the Church down the ages with the leitmotiv to undertake the works of mercy in regard to human health and healing. Ever since the Renaissance, with secularisation in tow, medicine and theology have progressed on parallel lines. However, the basic virtues of justice and compassion have not entirely evaporated, and can yet draw upon the capital of the Jesus story, still deeply embedded in the collective consciousness, however secularist this may seem on the outside.

          The missionary’s task, buttressed by the bold teachings of a modern Church, is to recall the world of medicine, in which he/she is also actively engaged, to the precious values of human life and bodily integrity, illuminated by the mysteries of Christ. The Second Vatican Council and Pope St. John Paul II have made it abundantly clear that human health and humane treatment pertain to the fundamental rights of man, and as such is a specific sector for evangelisation. This has now assumed a very challenging dimension, that of the arena of hi-tech medicine, which, in its own context, cries out for the message of the gospel in terms of the age-old proclamation that is ever new:

 “And all flesh shall see the salvation of our God” (Luke 3,6).

COURAGE TO CHANGE

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Courage To Change When I think of courage, I think of… William Tyndale Who in the early 1500’s translated the Bible into English, which at the time was forbidden and punishable by execution. For his controversial views and belief that everyone should be able to read the Bible in their native tongue, he was later arrested and executed. Winston Churchill. When in 1940, Britain stood, alone against Nazi Germany. Some in Britain wanted to seek a deal with Hitler, but Churchill wanted to fight on, and he inspired his country and the rest of the world through their darkest hour. Rosa Parks who On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to obey bus driver James F. Blake's order that she give up her seat in the colored section to a white passenger. Her act of defiance became an important symbol of the modern Civil Rights Movement in America. She became an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. Helen Keller - Overcame her dual disability of being both deaf and blind and championed to improve societies treatment of deaf people. The Unknown Rebel at the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests who faced-off with the tanks of the People’s Liberation Army on June 5.  Stuart Franklin’s famous photo of the stand-off went on to become one of Life’s Magazine’s "100 Photos that Changed the World" and TIME listed the obscure and Unknown Rebel as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Malala Yousafzai (1997) - Pakistani schoolgirl who defied threats of the Taliban to campaign for the right to education. She survived being shot in the head by the Taliban and has become a global advocate for human rights, women’s rights and the right to education. Jesus Christ who in spite of the shame suffered the death of the cross for you and for me. The thing that limits so many people to a common, normal, ordinary life is fear. Fear of an undesired outcome Fear of other people’s opinion Fear of failure But understand something, these are all natural fears. We all have these fears. But the difference between someone being fearful and someone being courageous is the fact that in the face of their fears, they attempted and even accomplished what they were afraid of. Courage. It takes courage to stand up for what is right. It takes courage to make a difference. And it takes courage to live a life that is pleasing to God when the rest of the world would condemn you for it. Change does not come easy. Most people do not like change. Change exposes some things Change reveals some things Change means that what we had before was not enough. Change means something better has come. John 3:19 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. I found out the day I was baptized that not everybody was going to understand my decision. My friends laughed at me. My family made fun of me. My own father called me a fool. No one else in my entire family went to church or lived for God at that time. I stood alone in a dark place. Just me and my little light. But change was needed. My life couldn’t continue in the direction it was going any longer. I couldn’t allow my soul to be destroyed by what was going on in my life at that time. Change had to happen. Repentance had to happen Regardless of what other people thought Regardless of how it would affect their thinking Regardless of the family traditions Regardless of how they were brought up Regardless of who their God was or what their religion was I needed Change in my life. My world was a pretty dark place and I needed God to shine some light into my life. It takes courage to say yes to God when everyone around you is laughing and pointing their fingers. It takes courage to do what is right not only for yourself, but for the people you love even when they don’t understand your actions. These 12 people here today who have made a decision to be baptized are heroes in my book. Some of them are facing ridicule from their family and friends. Some of them are facing the generational curses of their life and saying, "It stops here." It takes courage to step out of the crowd and say "I want change!" It takes courage to admit that you need His help! It takes courage to face your demons and say I choose Jesus Christ. It takes Courage to Change.