1.  I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most comtemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement (vicus) of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive.  I was at that time about sixteen years of age.  I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation.  And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners.

2.  And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my ingisnificance and pitied my youth and ignorance.  And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.

3.  Therefore, indeed, I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favours and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity.  For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven.

4.  For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him.  He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe.  And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds.  And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.

5.  He himself said through the prophet:  ‘Call upon me in the day of’ trouble;  I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.’  And again:  ‘It is right to reveal and publish abroad the works of God.’

6.  I am imperfect in many things, nevertheless I want my brethren and kinsfolk to know my nature so that they may be able to perceive my soul’s desire.

7.  I am not ignorant of what is said of my Lord in the Psalm:  ‘You destroy those who speak a lie.’  And again;  ‘A lying mouth deals death to the soul.’  And likewise the Lord says in the Gospel:  ‘On the day of judgment men shall render account for every idle word they utter.’

8.  So it is that I should mightily fear, with terror and trembling, this judgment on the day when no one shall be able to steal away or hide, but each and all shall render account for even our smallest sins before the judgment seat of Christ the Lord.

9.  And therefore for some time I have thought of writing, but I have hesitated until now, for truly, I feared to expose myself to the criticism of men, because I have not studied like others, who have assimilated both Law and the Holy Scriptures equally and have never changed their idiom since their infancy, but instead were always learning it increasingly, to perfection, while my idiom and language have been translated into a foreign tongue.  so it is easy to prove from a sample of my writing, my ability in rhetoric and the extent of my preparation and knowledge, ofr as it is said,  ‘wisdom shall be recognized in speech, and in understanding, and in knowledge and in the learning of truth.’

10.  But why make excuses close to the truth, especially when now I am presuming to try to grasp in my old age what I did not gain in my youth because my sins prevented me from making what I had read my own?  But who will believe me, even though I should say it again?  A young man, almost a beardless boy, I was taken captive before I knew what I should desire and what I should shun.  So, consequently, today I feel ashamed and I mightily afraid to expose my ignorance, because, (not) eloquent, with a small vocabulary, I am unable to explain as the spirit is eager to do and as the soul and the mind indicate.

11.  But had it been given to me as to others, in gratitude I should not have kept silent, and if it should appear that I put myself before others, with my ignorance and my slower speech, in truth, it is written: ‘The tongue of the stammerers shall speak rapidly and distinctly.’  How much harder must we try to attain it, we of whom it is said: ‘You are in epistle of Christ in gretting to the ends of the earth . . .written on your hearts, not with ink but with the Spirit of the loving God.’  And again, the Spirit witnessed that the rustic life was created by the Most High.

12.  I am, then, first of all, countryfied, an exile, evidently unlearned, one who is not able to see into the future, but I know for certain, that before I was humbled I was like a stone lying in deep mire, and he that is mighty came and in his mercy raised me up and , indeed, lifted me high up and placed me on top of the wall. And from there I ought to shout out in gratitude to the Lord for his great favours in this world and for ever, that the mind of man cannot measure.

13.  Therefore be amazed, you great and small who fear God, and you men of God, eloquent speakers, listen and comtemplate.  Who was it summoned me, a fool, from the midst of those who appear wise and learned in the law and powerful in rhetoric and in all things?  Me, truly wretched in this world, he inspired before others that I could be–if I would–such a one who, with fear and reverence, and faithfully, without complaint, would come to the people to whom the love of Christ brought me and gave me in my lifetime, if I should be worthy, to serve them truly and with humility.

14.  According, therefore, to the measure of one’s faith in the Trinity, one should preceed without holding back from danger to make known the gift of God and everlasting consolation, to spread God’s name everywhere with confidence and without fear, in order to leave behind, after my death, foundations for my brethren and sons whom I baptized in the Lord in so many thousands.

15.  And I was not worthy, nor was I such that the Lord should grant his humble servant this, that after hardships and such great trials, after captivity, after many years, he should give me so much favour in these people, a thing which in the time of my youth I neither hoped for nor imagined.

16.  But after I reached Ireland I used to pasture the flock each day and I used to pray many times a day.  More and more did the love of God, and my fear of him and faith increase, and my spirit was moved so that in a day (I said) from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like number; besides I used to stay out in the forests and on the mountain and I would wake up before daylight to pray in the snow, in icy coldness, in rain, and I used to feel neither ill nor any slothfulness, because, as I now see, the Spirit was burning in me a t that time.

O Thou Most High,  Creator of the ends of the earth, Governor of the universe, Jodge of all men, Head of the church, Savior of sinners;

thy greatness is unsearchable, thy goodness infinite, thy compassions unfailing, thy providence boundless, thy mercies ever new.

We bless thee for the words of salvation.  How important, suitable, encouraging are the doctrines, promises, and invitations of the gosple of peace!

We are lost: but in it thou hast presented to us a fell, free and eternal salvation; weak: but here we learn that help is found in one that is mighty  poor: but in him we discover unsearchable riches  blind: but we find he has treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

We thank thee for thy unspeakable gift.

Thy Son is our only refuge, foundation, hope, confidence;

We depend upon his death, rest in his righteouosness, desire to bear his image;

May his glory fill our minds, his love reign in our affections, his cross inflame us with ardour.

Let us as Christians fill our various situations in life, escape the snares to which they expose us, discharge the duties that arise from our circumstances, enjoy with moderation their advantages, improve with diligence their usefulness,

And may every place and company we are in be benefited by us.

. . . thou shalt call his name JESUS . . . Matthew 1:21

Hard Candy:  Reminds us that Jesus is like a “rock”-dependable

Peppermint Flavor:  Is like the gift of spices from the Wise Men

White Candy:  Stands for Jesus as the holy, sinless Son of God

The Letter “J”:  Stands for Jesus, our Savior

Cane:  Is like a staff used by shepherds in caring for sheep.  Jesus is our “Good Shepherd”

The Color Red:  Is for God’s love that sent Jesus to give his life for us on the cross

The Stripes:  Remind us of Jesus’ suffering-his crown of thorns, the wonds in his hands and feet; and the cross on which he died

Genesis 12:3 (NIV)  “I will bless those who bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Matthew 1:1 (NIV) A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Acts 3:25 (NIV) And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers.  He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’

Galatians 3:16 (NIV) The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.  The Scripture does not say “And to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.

Also see Galatians 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  John 1:12

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  Ephesians 2:8,9

For God sent not his Son into the world to comdemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  John 3:17

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.  John 3:36

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  Revelation 3:20

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  I John 5:11-13

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  Matthew 10:32

But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shat be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  Romans 10:8-10

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:  Romans 5:12

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Romans 6:23

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

Moreover, Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures;  I Corinthians 15:1-4

Love

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.    Romans 5:8

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlsting life.    John 3:16

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God: and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his onlly begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.  No man hath seen God at any time.  If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.    I John 4:7-12

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  We love him, because he first loved us.    I John 4:16, 19

As the Fther hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commndments, and abide in his love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  This is my commandment.  That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  these things I command you, that ye love one another.    John 15:9-13, 17

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height:  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullenss of God.    Ephesians 3:17-19

I love them that love me; and those that see me early shall find me.    Proverbs 8:17

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.    Jeremiah 31:3

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies.    Hosea 2:19

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is tht loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and i will love him, and will manifest myself to him.    John 14:21

Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day-time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.    Psalm 42:8

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these if charity.    I Corinthians 13:13

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.    Romans 8:38,39

We are doing a study with our High Schoolers this year.  We are going through the book of Hebrews.  I am enjoying it so much I want to share it with you.  I will also be adding some info from other resourses.  I will name them as I go.  Hope you enjoy and the Lord opens your eyes and mine to new understanding of his word.  Please feel free to write and share what you have learned.  We should all comfort, encourage and support each other in our Christian walk.

By: John Alfred Hultman (1861-1942)

Thanks, O God, for boundless mercy, From Thy gracious throne above; Thanks for every need provided, From the fullness of thy love!  Thanks for daily toil and labor, and for the rest when shadows fall; Thanks for love of friend and neighbor, And thy goodness unto all!

Thanks for thorns as well as roses, Thanks for weakness and for health; Thanks for clouds as well as sunshine, Thanks for poverty and wealth!  Thanks for pain as well as pleasure–All Thou sendest day by day; And Thy Word, our dearest treasure, Shedding light upon our way.

Thanks, O God, for home and fireside, Where we share our daily bread; Thanks for hours of sweet communion, When by Thee our souls are fed! Thanks for grace in time of sorrow, And for joy and peace in Thee; Thanks for hope today, tomorrow, And for all eternity!

NOW STAY WITH ME . . .

I was helping out in the junior high school youth group and this was the message.  I had never looked at these verses in this way before.  Look at them with me and see what the Holy Spirit teaches you.  Lets go to 1 John 2:18-29

18  Children, it is the last hour! (John is talking about the last days, the time between Christ‘s first and second coming)  As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now MANY antichrist have come. (antichrist=is someone who is against or puts them selves in the place of Christ. Selfcenteredness)  From this we know that it is the last hour.  19  They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. (The antichrists were not total strangers to the church; they once belonged to it, but they did not comtinue.  Some people may call themselves Christians for less than the best reasons.  Perhaps going to church is a family tradition, or they like the social and business contacts or a long standing habit.  They never stopped to ask themeselves why they do it.  What is your main reason for being a Christian ??  Unless it is a Christ centered reason, you may not really belong.)  But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us.  20  But you have been anointed by the Holy One and all of you have knowledge. (Anointed is when you put your faith in Christ and then the Holy Spirit dwells within you.  Anoint means to rub or smite.)  21  I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth.  22  WHO IS THE LIAR BUT THE ONE WHO DENIES THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST??  THIS IS THE ANTICHRIST, THE ONE WHO DENIES THE FATHER AND THE SON. 

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also.

24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and Father.  25  And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

26 I write these things to you concerning those who would decieve you.

27 As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you.  But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.  (Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit to teach his followers and remind them of all that he had taught.  Christians have the Holy Spirit within them (anointing) to keep them from going astray.  They also have the God inspired Scriptures.  To stay true to Christ, we must follow his word and his Spirit.  Let the Holy spirit help you discern truth from error)

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming. 29  If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.

Those ten verses are amazing when you look at them.  So, anytime I am not Christ centered I am anti-christ.  That is quite a thought.  That bible study has really stuck with me and I have been meditating on it and really trying to stay in prayer and the presence of Christ.  I really wanted to share it and hope that you also could grow and turn again to your “first love,” Christ our Savior.  Our all in all.

Thanks for joining.

O Father of Jesus,

Help me to approach thee with deepest reverence, not with presumption, not with servile fear, but the holy boldness.

Thou art beyond the grasp of my understanding, but not beyond that of my love,

Thou knowest that I love thee supremely, for thou art supremely adorable, good, perfect.

My heart melts at the love of Jesus, my brother, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, married to me, dead for me, risen for me;

He is mine and I am his, given to me as well as for me;  I am never so much mine as when I am his, or so much lost to myself until lost in him; then I find my true manhood.

But my love is frost and cold, ice and snow’  Let his love warm me, lighten my burden, be my heaven;

May it be more revealed to me in all its influences that my love to him may be more fervent and glowing;

Let the mighty tide of his everlasting love cover the rocks of my sin and care;

Then let my spirit float above those things which had else wrecked my life.

Make my fruitful by living to that love, my character becoming more beautiful every day.

If traces of Christ’s love-artistry be upon me, may he work on with his divine brush until the complete image be obtained and I be made perfect copy of him, my master.

O Lord Jesus, come to me,

O Divine Spirit, rest upon me,

O Holy Father, look on me in mercy for the sake of the well-beloved.

Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  I John 4:7,8

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiationfor our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.  No man hath seen God at any time.  If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.  I John 4:10-12

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.  John 15:9,10

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  John 14:21

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  These things I command you, that ye love one another.  John 15:12-14, 17

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these.  And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.  Mark 12:30,31,33

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  And this commandment have we from him.  That he who loveth God lvoe his brother also.  I John 4:16, 21

The Lord hath, appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:  therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.  Jeremiah 31:3

For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have love me, and have believed that I come out from God.  John 16:27

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38,39

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  John 13:34,35

Later Christian writers started to broaden the usage of agape as a word that specifically denoted Christian Love or charity.

In the New Testament there are numerous examples of agape that generally expand on the meanings derived from acient texts, denoting brotherly love, love of a spouse or child, and the love of God for all people.

The Christian usage of the term agape come mostly from the canonical Gospels account of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

I pray that God‘s Holy Spirit will decend on our country and world this year.

That all seeking hearts will find Christ and live for Him.

I pray that all hardened hearts will soften to then seek their Precious Creator.

I pray the the Holy Spirit will spread far and wide and there will be rejoicing like never before for the Joy of the Lord.

For those who are suffering, I pray for peace in the presence in the Lord.

I know we all have prayers and mine can not cover even a fraction, but I wanted to extent some thoughts and prayers for the opening of a new year.  Be safe, walk with Jesus, share Jesus, keep the faith, stay in the word, and I hope your New Year is all that God wants it to be.

FROM THIS POINT ON–

CHOOSE TO LIVE FOR CHRIST !

Thomas a Kempis(1379-1471) was born Thomas Hammerken von Kempen in Germany.  He went to the Netherlands as a youth to become an Augustinian monk.  Throughout the rest of his life, he devoted himself to the copying of manuscripts and the training of other monks.  His devotional book Of the Imitation of Christ has had unequaled influence for a book of its kind through the centuries.  Using simple language and style, Thomas a Kempis advocates a spiritual rather than a materialistic life and seeks to clarify the rewards of the Christ-centered life.

He that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, says the Lord (John 8:12)

These are the words of Christ, by which we are urged to imitate His life and virtues, if we wish to be truly enlightened and freed from all blindness of heart.

Therefore, let it be our chief business to meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ.

The teaching of Christ excels all the teachings of the saints; and if a man have His spirit, he shall find therin a hidden manna.

But it so happens that many hear the Gospel frequently and are liffle affected, because they lack the spirit of Christ.

If you would understand Christ’s words fully and taste them truly, you must strive to form your whole life after His pattern.

What good do you get by disputing learnedly about the Trinity, if you be lacking in humility and are therefore displeasing to the Trinity?

Verily, sublime words do not make a man holy and just; it is a virtuous life that makes him dear to God.

I would rather feel compunction than know how to define it.

If you knew the whole Bible by heart, and the sayings of all the philosophers, what would all that profit you without the love of God and His grace?

Vanity of vanities and all is vanity (Ecclesiastes1:2), except loving God and serving Him only.

This is the highest wisdom: to despise the world and aim at the kingdom of Heaven.

It is vanity therefore toseek perishable riches and to rely on them.

It is vanity also to pursue honours and raise yourself to a high dignity.

It is vanity to follow the lusts of the flesh and to desire that which hereafter will bring grievous punishment.

It is vanity to wish for a long life and care little about a good life.

It is vanity to attend only to the present life, and not to look ahead to the future life.

It is vanity to love what quickly passes away, and not to be hastening thither where abides everylasting joy.

Often call to mind the proverb: The eye is not sated with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing (Ecclesiastes 1:8)

Study therefore to wean your heart from the love of visible things, and to attend rather to things invisible.  For the man who indulges his sensual nature, sullies his conscience and loses the grace of God.