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My thoughts and devotions

  • Thoughts on the Church

    devotion  ·  And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ~ Matthew 16:18-19Last Sunday I spoke about the church. Ever since then this idea of church has been resonating in my heart and soul. The church. There are a variety of ways to describe the church. You can describe it as: The House of God, The House of Prayer, The Father’s House, and many other descriptors. The one description I find most compelling is FAMILY. The family of God. God is our Father. And Jesus is my elder brother. I appreciate the family I grew up in. I am one of nine children that was raise Catholic in North East Ohio. I have five sisters and three brothers. My older brother is Danny. At times we would fight, wrestle in the house, get upset with one another. But outside the house we would look out for one another. Danny did at times look out for me. He stood up for me on a number of occasions. One occasion stands out as I type this devotion.I was a sophomore in high school. I had earned a varsity letter in wresting, and I had just gotten my letter man’s jacket. I wore it proudly everywhere I went. One Friday night Dan and I decided to go to a high school football game. I think it was Brecksville High School playing Strongsville High School. I wore my Walsh Jesuit High School letter jacket to the game. We just enjoyed watching the game and watching the fans as well.After the game was over, we were walking out. I was a little in front of my brother Dan. Four students from Strongsville HS approached me. They wanted to see if a student from Walsh HS wearing a letter men’s jacket could fly. They were discussing the flight arrangements with me when my older brother walked up. He basically told them that the flight arrangements needed to be canceled. Canceled because he was my older brother and any flight arrangements had to go through him. Additionally, these four students needed to know that as the older brother he thoroughly enjoyed a good fight. The four students looked at him and looked at me and very wisely decided to walk away. I thanked my brother, but I told him that I thought I could take the four of them. He laughed. He told me I have so much to learn.I would note that I have learned that I have an elder brother in the family of God – Jesus. He took on sin, death, hell, satan himself and was victorious. It seems to me that Jesus enjoys a good fight as well, especially it seems when he is defending and protecting a family member. It is good having an older brother like Jesus, interceding and watching out for me and all those who follow him.The other factor I appreciate about the church is its diversity. The church has this ability to draw people from all kinds of different backgrounds, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, races, and the list could go on. It is a very cool reality. What saddens me, as I listen to people, instead of appreciating our diversity we look for reasons to divide and separate from one another. We use artificial criteria for fellowship with one another.

  • Going the Extra Mile

    devotion  ·  Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. ~ 1 Timothy 3:1-4

  • Recovering the I-Thou Relationship

    devotion  ·  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.~ Philippians 2:13

  • Romans 12 Reflection

    devotion  ·  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”~ Romans 12:17-20