Door To Salvation

Upon hearing these words, one of those at the table said to Jesus, "Happy are those who eat at the banquet in the kingdom of God!"

Jesus replied, "A man once gave a feast and invited many guests.  When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those he had invited to come, for everything was ready.  But all alike began to make excuses.  The first said, 'Please excuse me.  I must go and see the piece of land I have just bought.'  Another said:  'I am sorry, but I am on my way to try out the five yoke of oxen I have just bought.'  Still another said, 'How can I come, when I've just got married?'

The servant returned alone, and reported this to his master.  Upon hearing his account, the master of the house flew into a rage, and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

The servant reported after a while, 'Sir, your orders have been carried out, but there is still room.'  The master said, 'Go out to the highways and country lanes, and force people to come in, to make sure my house is full.  I tell you, none of those invited will have a morsel of my feast.'"

Luke 14:15-24

"Lord Jesus, I open my heart to You.  Welcome, Lord!"

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True Intentions

In the hands of Yahweh, the heart of the king is like running water;  he directs it wherever he wishes.

To the eyes of man all his ways are honest but it is Yahweh who weighs the heart.

To do what is upright and just pleases Yahweh more than sacrifice.

Haughty looks, proud heart, the light of the wicket is sin.

The plans of a hardworking man result in earnings;  poverty is for those who act too hastily.

To make a fortune by means of deceit is like running after the wind; the end is death.

The soul of the wicked desires nothing but evil; not even his friend is treated with compassion.

When the mocker is punished the ignorant man grows wiser; when the wise man is instructed he grows in knowledge.

The Just One watches the house of the evildoer and hurls the wicked into misfortune.

He who is deaf to the poor man's cry will not be heard when he himself calls out.

Proverbs 21:1-6,10-13

"Dear God, search my heart daily and reveal to me the intentions I try to hide from myself."

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The Grace Of Motherhood

"No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man.

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

"Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.  God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved."

John 3:13-17

"Grant me an open heart, Lord, to be used for the fulfillment of Your plans for mankind."

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How Deaf Is Your Love?

"Again Jesus set out:  from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and, skiting the sea of Galilee, he came to the territory of Decapolis.  There a deaf man, who also had difficulty in speaking, was brought to him.  They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him.

"Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears, and touched his tongue with spittle.  Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, 'Ephphata!' that is, 'Be opened!'

"And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.  Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about it, but the more he insisted, the more they proclaimed it.  The people were completely astonished and said, 'He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.'"

Mark 7:31-37

"Jesus, as You speak to me today, give me the silence to listen and the courage to respond."

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Not Found Wanting

"One day, as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around him listening to the word of God, he caught sight of two boats, left at the water's edge by fishermen, now washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore.  There he sat and continued to teach the crowd.

"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.'  Simon replied, 'Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing.  But if you say so, I will lower the nets.'  This they did, and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  They came, and they filled both boats almost to the point of sinking.

"Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!'  For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made, and so were Simon's partners, James and John, Zebedee's sons.

"Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid.  You will catch people from now on.'  So they brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything."

Luke 5:1-11

"Soften my heart, Lord.  Let me be fertile ground for Your Word."

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The Promise

"Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found the one that Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets as well:  he is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.'

"Nathanael replied, 'Can anything good come from Nazareth?'  Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'  When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said to him, 'Here come an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.'  Nathanael asked him, 'How do you know me?'  And Jesus said to him, 'Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree, and I saw you.'

"Nathanael answered, 'Master, you are the Son of God!  You are the king of Israel!'  But Jesus replied, 'You believe because I said, "I saw you under the fig tree." But you will see greater things than that.

"'Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.'"

John 1:45-51

"Lord, we rejoice because as we suffer, we persevere and as we persevere, we find hope."

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Open Invitation

"Jesus went on speaking to them in parables:

"'This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven:  A king celebrated the wedding of his son.  He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding feast, but the guests refused to come.

"'Again he sent otehr servants, ordering them to say to the invited guests, "I have prepared a banquet, slaughtered my fattened calves and pother animals, and now everything is ready.  Come to the wedding!"  But they paid no attention and went away, some to their fields, and some to their work.  Others seized the servants of the king, insulted them and killed them.

"'The king became angry.  He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.  Then he said to his servants, "The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy.  Go instead to the crossroads, and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast."

"'The servants went out at once into the streets and gathered everyone they found, good and bad alike, so that the hall was filled with guests.

"'The king came in to see those who were at table, and he noticed a man not wearing the festal garment.  So he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in without the wedding garment?"  But the man remained silent.  So the king said to his servants, "Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the dark, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth."

"'Know that many are called, but few are chosen.'".

Matthew 22:1-14

"Thank You, Lord, for welcoming us to Your eternal banquet!"

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For My Own Good

"The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, 'Why are you applying this proverb to the land of Israel:  "The parents have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge?"

"'As I live, word of Yahweh, this proverb will no longer be quoted in Israel.  All life is in my hands, the life of the parent and the life of the child are mine.  The lives of both are in my hands, so the one who sins will die.

"Imagine a man who is righteous and practices what is just and right.  He does not eat in the mountain shrines, or look towards the filthy idols of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, or have intercourse with a woman during her period;  he does not steal, gives food to the hungry and clothes to the naked;  demands no interest on a loan and doesn't lend for interest, refrains from injustice, practices true justice, man to man, follows my decrees and obeys my laws in acting loyally.  Because such a man is truly righteous, he will live, word of Yahweh.

"'But perhaps this man has a son who steals and sheds blood, committing crimes which his father never did.

"'demands interest on a loan, even practices usury.  Will such a man live?  No, he will not!  Because he has committed all these abominations he will die:  his guilt will fall upon him.

"'That is why I will judge you, Israel, each one according to his ways, word of Yahweh.  Come back, turn away from your offenses, that you may not deserve punishment.

"'Free yourselves from all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit.  Why should you die, Israel?  I do not want the death of anyone, word of Yahweh, but that you be converted and live!'"

Ezekiel 18:1-10,13,30-32

"Lord, guard me from temptation.  Reveal to me the ugliness of sin that I may despise it.  Amen."

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The Name Game

"After that, Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi.  He asked His disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?'  They said, 'For some of them You are John the Baptist, for others Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.'

"Jesus asked them, 'But you, who do you say I am?'  Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'  Jesus replied, 'It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.

"'And now I say to you:  You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church;  and never will the powers of death overcome it.

"'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven:  whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.'

"Then He ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.

"From that day Jesus began to make it clear to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem;  that He would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law;  and that He would be killed and be raised on the third day.

"Then Peter took Him aside and began to reproach Him, 'Never, Lord!  No, this must never happen to You!'  But Jesus turned to him and said, 'Get behind me, Satan!  You are an obstacle in my path.  You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.'"

Matthew 16:13-23

"Jesus, may You be real in my life today.  Thank You for being everything I need for You to be."

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The Little Deeds We Do

Canon EOS 350D

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

"Avoid giving offense, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved.

"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31-11:1

"You are the reason why I am here, Lord.
May everything I do be for Your glory."

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When People Leave

Canon S45

"My dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

"Those who do not love have not known God, for God is love.

"How did the love of God appear among us? God sent his only Son into this world that we might have life through him.

"This is love: not that we loved God but that he first loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

"Dear friends, if such has been the love of God, we, too, must love one another.

"No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love spreads freely among us.

"How may we know that we live in God and he in us? Because God has given us his Spirit.

"We ourselves have seen and declare that the Father sent his Son to save the world. Those who acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in them and they in God.

"We have known the love of God and have believed in it. God is love. The one who lives in love, lives in God and God in him."

1 JOHN 4:7-16

"Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like Yours
that I may love people unconditionally."

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Servanthood

Canon S45

"They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead. The Twelve were anxious and those who followed were afraid. Once more Jesus took the Twelve aside to tell them what was to happen to him, 'You see we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the foreigners who will make fun of him, spit on him, scourge him and finally kill him; but three days later he will rise.'

"James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, 'Master, we want you to grant us what we are going to ask you.' And he said, 'What do you want me to do for you?' They answered, 'Grant us to sit one at your right and one at your left when you come in your glory.'

"But Jesus said to them, 'You don't know what your are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized in the way I am baptized?' They answered, 'We can.' And Jesus told them, 'The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized in the way I am baptized. But to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to grant. It has been prepared for others.'

"On hearing this, the other ten were angry with James and John; Jesus then called them to him and said, 'As you know, the so-called rulers of the nations act as tyrants and their great ones oppress them. But it shall not be so among you; whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you shall make himself slave of all. Think of the Son of Man who has not come to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.'"

MARK 10:32-45

"Lord, grant me the grace to genuinely serve You
and Your people with humility."

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Real Treasure

Canon S45

"Jesus set out with his disciples for the villages around Cesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked them, 'Who do people say I am?' And they told him, 'Some say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah or one of the prophets.'

"Then Jesus asked them, 'But you, who do you say I am?' Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah.' And he ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

"Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and after three days rise again. Jesus said all this quite openly, so that Peter took him aside and began to protest strongly. But Jesus turning around, and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter saying, 'Get behind me Satan! You are thinking, not as God does, but as people do.'"

MARK 8:27-33

"Thank You for being Lord and Savior of my life.
I will speak of Your glory at all times."

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Way, Truth, Life!

Canon EOS 350D, f/11, 1/250 sec

"Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. If you know me, you will know the Father also; indeed you know him and you have seen him.'

"Philip asked him, 'Lord, show us the Father and that is enough.' Jesus said to him, 'What! I have been with you so long and you still do not know me, Phiiip? Whoever sees me sees the Father; how can you say: "Show us the Father?" Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

"'All that I say to you, I do not say of myself. The Father who dwells in me is doing his own work Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; at least believe it on the evidence of these works that I do.

"'Truly, I say to you the one who believes in me will do the same works that I do; and he will even be greater than these, for I am going to the Father. Everything you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And everything you ask in calling upon my Name, I will do.'"

JOHN 14:6-14

"Walk Jesus' Way;
believe Jesus' Truth;
and live Jesus' Life!"

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A Birthday Gift

"'Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. A woman in childbirth is in distress because her time is at hand. But after the child is born, she no longer remembers her suffering because of such great joy: a human being is born into the world.

"'You feel sorrowful now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice. And no one will take your joy from you. When that day comes you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my Name, he will give you.'"

JOHN 16:20-23

"You overwhelm me with Your generosity, Lord.
Thank You so much!"

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Unafraid

Canon S45

"From the Father, I will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, he will be my witness, and you, too, will be my witnesses for you have been with me from the beginning.

"I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They will put you out of the Jewish communities. Still more, the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God; they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. I tell you all these things now so that when the time comes you may remember that I told you?"

JOHN 15:26-16:4a

"Give me the grace, O Jesus,
and the boldness to glorify You. Amen."

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World Hate

Pentax S50

"If the world hates you, remember that the world hated me before you. This would not be so if you belonged to the world, because the world loves its own. But you are not of the world since I have chosen you from the world; because of this the world hates you.

"Remember what I told you: the servant is not greater than his master; if they persecuted me, they will persecute you, too. Have they kept my teaching? Will they then keep yours? All this they will do to you for the sake of my name because they do not know the One who sent me."

JOHN 15:18-21

"Jesus, You are my refuge.
Hide me in the tenderness of Your embrace
when the world retaliates in anger.
Strengthen me with Your grace and truth,
ready to face the world once again."

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"Dear Santa"

Canon S45

"I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower. If any of my branches doesn't bear fruit, he breaks it off; and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit.

"You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you; live in me as I live in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you if you don't remain in me.

"I am the vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not remain in me is thrown away as they do with branches and they wither. Then they are gathered and thrown into the fire and burned.

"If you remain in me and my words in you, you may ask whatever you want and it will be given to you. My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit: it is then that you become my disciples."

JOHN 15:1-8

"Father, I know that you are a God of mercy.
Hear my prayers, oh Lord.
You give hope to the hopeless, meaning to the meaningless.
Lord of life, heed my heart's desire (mention your petition).
In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen."

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The Smile Of Peace

Canon S45

"Peace be with you; I give you my peace. Not as the world gives peace to I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard me say: 'I am going away, but I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

"I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe. It is very little what I may still tell you for the ruler of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in me that he can claim. But see, the world must know that I love the Father and that I do what the Father has taught me to do."

JOHN 14:27-31a

"In the midst of problems, sickness and trials,
grant me the gift of your peace, Lord."

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The Work Of The Spirit

Canon EOS 350D, f/5.6, 1/100 sec

"'Whoever keeps my commandments is the one who loves me. If he loves me, he will also be loved by my Father; I too shall love him and show myself clearly to him.'

"Judas--not the Iscariot--asked Jesus, 'Lord, how can it be that you will show yourself clearly to us and not to the world?' Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him; and we will come to him and make a room in his home. But if anyone does not love me, he will not keep my words, and these words that you hear are not mine but the Father's who sent me.

"'I told you all this while I was still with you. From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of all that I have told you.'"

JOHN 14:21-28

"Come, Holy Spirit, and enkindle in us
the fire of Your wisdom and counsel. Amen."

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