Tag Archives: faith

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Saint Patrick: Why I now where green.

As a kid, I never wore green on St. Patrick’s day so I could go against the grain, but now as an adult, I try to wear green to honor this amazing man.

  • shipped from England to Ireland into slavery at age 16
  • escapes back to England only to RETURN to Ireland as a missionary
  • began his walk with Christ at age 40–yes it is NEVER too late
  • planted an estimated 800 churches in Ireland
  • one of the greatest evangelists of ALL time
In his own words: 
I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God’s Power to guide me,
God’s Might to uphold me,
God’s Wisdom to teach me,
God’s Eye to watch over me,
God’s Ear to hear me,
God’s Word to give me speech,
God’s Hand to guide me,
God’s Way to lie before me,
God’s Shield to shelter me,
God’s Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

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Men’s Group January 7, 2009: What is your giant in 2009?

What is your giant in 2009? How can you make your giant into a dwarf?

We discussed David’s response to his giant-Goliath:

1. He relied on his past.

  • Tool chest: God gives each of us a unique set of tools/gifts that we must use.  David’s tools was his ability to fight lions and bears.  With this unique skill, he was able to face his giant with confidence.
  • God’s faithfulness: I know of some friends who keep a diary/journal logging all of God’s faithfulness in the peaks and pits of life so that they can look back on know that God is faithful.

2. He trusted God for his future.  David fought his giant by trusting in God for the future.

3. Living in the present.  

  • my giant is FEAR.  I fear the future.
  • I can make my giant into a dwarf by living in His presence, trusting in God’s plan for the future, and praising God’s past faithfulness.

“But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine ” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.” Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them off. He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.”-1 Samuel 17:34-40

Insights from Dave:

Last Wednesday Bucky presented us with Psalm 20 and it’s “prequel,” the story of David and Goliath.  Before going further please take a few moments and read both in that order.  

What we learned was Psalm 20 was a prayer David prayed as an intercessory prayer over his army before battle.  In this prayer, David tells his army some “May God” items:
  
May the Lord answer…
May he send you help…
May he remember…
May he give you the desire…

Then, David tells his army that he knows the Lord saves his anointed and that they need to trust in the Lord, not in chariots and horses.  David knew God wasn’t in the background but on the frontlines with him and his men.

How did David know these things? That is where the story of David and Goliath comes in.  Couldn’t you say that David knew from experience that the Lord saves his anointed?  There is so much to write about this story; like how the Lord was preparing David for that day through his sheparding of sheep (David was a “professional” with that slingshot), and how all of the Israelites judged Goliath by his outward appearance (Goliath was a giant); they didn’t realize God looks at the heart.  David’s heart was in the right place because he had a relationship with God.  His psalms are proof that David kept a journal and talked with God daily; David knew God was with him.  When he decided to take on Goliath he wasn’t doing something careless.  I believe he talked with God about it first; he prayed, meditated and listened for God’s voice.
 

Our discussion focused on two things – victories and giants.  What victories has God given you in the past?  What giants are you facing in the New Year?  Take a few minutes and write down your thoughts on these two questions.  If you have a journal you may want to record them there.  Around our table, most folks talked about the economy as one of their giants.  But, we were fortunate to have Patrick at our table; I like how God speaks to Patrick (and am thankful Patrick is listening for God’s voice).  Patrick said God is probably smiling about our down economy because more people turn to God in tough times.  So, financially, it may not be good for our nation, but in terms of salvation, it could be a booming time for God.  This line has had me thinking the last few days.  I thought, if I am thinking and worrying about the economy, I am selfishly thinking of myself and not the things of God; my trust is in horses and chariots and not in God.  God takes care of His anointed – I need to put my focus on Him, not me; God has me covered.

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Brennan Manning #4: Abba’s Child

This is part 4 of 4 in the Brennan Manning speaking series from Mariners Church in 1996.  It is AMAZING!  I have been sharing these lectures with men from my men’s group for years, and they ALL have been AMAZED and changed by his beautiful insights, humor, and stories.  If you haven’t heard him speak or read any of his books please start NOW.

Some of my favorites:

Ruthless Trust

Signature of Jesus

Rabbi’s Heartbeat

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Brennan Manning #3: My Journey with Jesus

This is part 3 of 4 in the Brennan Manning speaking series from Mariners Church in 1996.  It is AMAZING!  I have been sharing these lectures with men from my men’s group for years, and they ALL have been AMAZED and changed by his beautiful insights, humor, and stories.  If you haven’t heard him speak or read any of his books please start NOW.

Some of my favorites:

Ruthless Trust

Signature of Jesus

Rabbi’s Heartbeat

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Men’s Topic #7: TRUST in Him

Here is a GREAT summary from Dave about Men on the Path:

Let me start by saying I really miss seeing some of you guys on Wednesday mornings.

Bucky always gives us a little information about the culture of the time so we can better understand the meaning of the scripture verses we talk about. One part of his explanation really got my attention. Bucky explained how, in Jesus’ time, a man proposed to a woman by offering her a cup. If she drank from the cup, it meant she accepted, the engagement began and the man would then go home to build a room onto his father’s house. It made me think, so how did we go from offering a cup to a mandatory three carats? Why does a woman need such a big, bright, shiny object, and, why do we feel the need to give it to her?

Last Wednesday we discussed the first six verses of John 14, which starts with, “Do not let your hearts be troubled; Trust in God; trust also in me,” and ends with, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes through the Father except through me.” How do Jesus’ words bring comfort to your heart as you read and reflect on them? Think about it for a few minutes. For some on Wednesday, going to heaven meant seeing loved ones again while others talked about true freedom from worries and fears, and about seeing God’s face.

These verses are great messages for us as we live in Orange County – an area where so many are hearts are troubled because of their trust in the things of this world (i.e. the real estate and the stock markets). This is southern California, right? Aren’t we supposed to be “the place” where everyone wants to live so housing values should never decline? And the stock market; when is the last time it went spiraling downward like this? If we cannot trust in our real estate and stock markets then what can we trust in? Well, we can trust in God’s promise He has a plan for us that is bigger than anything this world has to offer. He has prepared a place for us in heaven. All we need to do is be born again; become a new creation. In reading, “My Utmost for His Highest,” this morning it said we are not born again and our souls are not saved unless our hearts no longer desire the things of the past. Quite a different approach than, pray a prayer and go to heaven. Personally, I choose to believe Oswald Chambers. When you believe in your heart, change will come and fears will subside. When God looks down is He able to tell the difference between your lifestyle and the non-believer’s? Maybe we should go back to offering cups.

In His Service,
Dave

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Dave K interview Part #1

Please enjoy listening to Dave tell his AMAZING faith journey.  This first of three parts points out the OC lifestyle as seen by a Jersey boy (and the world).  A helpful reminder that we live in an incredibly materialistic place.  Dave has become an incredible man of faith through his journey.  Here are a few words from Dave:

“I was thinking about how much my present day situation fits with today’s lesson of “are you enough?”  If you think about it, if I paid attention to the world around me, the OC lifestyle would definitely tell me I wasn’t nearly enough.  I…have no assets other than a 2001 Nissan Sentra and live pretty much paycheck to paycheck (mainly due to restitution).  But, because I follow God and not the world, I have a genuine smile on face and countless blessings.  It is amazing how little you really need.  If we look back only about 50 years, how big were our parents’ and grandparents’ homes?  How many baths did they have?  Life was smaller and better but Satan is out there convincing many that bigger is better and what they have isn’t good enough.  People take their eyes off of God and look at what others have…”

Please share with us your thoughts.

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Men’s Topic #5: PRAYER

Here are the notes from Dave on Men’s Group Topic #5: Prayer  

On Wednesday we reviewed Luke 11:5-13 and Luke 18:1-7 (please read, or re-read them before continuing). 

Bucky makes so many great points each week it is a challenge to write about just one or two.  I selfishly get to pick the ones that touch my heart and pray they will touch yours, too.

We all know where Bucky’s heart is on the subject of prayer because he stated on Wednesday, “the best thing we could do is pray.”  I’ve been blessed to be able to attend a few events with Bucky and one thing he makes sure happens is that prayer is part of the event.  For example, after serving those in need at the City of Hope shelter a couple of months ago we stood in front of the door and Bucky led us in prayer.  Bucky often says how he walks around the Northwood neighborhood and prays before service.  So it did not surprise me when our discussion this week focused on prayer. When all is said and done if we do not become men of prayer we will never know God.  We can “study” His word all we want but we will never know Him.  Prayer is nothing more than talking to God; it is not ceremonial or ritualistic; it is a conversation with our Lord and Savior.  Bucky said we can go through the routine of prayer but if it is just rote that is disconnected from your heart it will not accomplish anything.  Prayer needs a willing and wanting heart.  Getting on your knees at the beginning and/or end of each day and praying is something to be done not out of “duty” but out of desire.  How else can you get to know God if you do not talk to Him? Another point Bucky made was that each morning when the disciples awoke they usually found Jesus out alone, praying.  He was talking to His Abba.  Jesus’ Abba is our Abba, too.  The point of Luke 11:5-13, is to show us God isn’t a grouchy Father, but a Good Neighbor; the One we can talk to anytime, anywhere.  If we knock, He will answer.  God is always there for us.  A little while back Bill Gaultiere had Cynthia and me demonstrate the “prayer hug” we do almost every morning.  It is amazing how Cynthia looks forward to starting her day knowing I’ve cared enough to embrace her and whisper my prayer to God in her ear.  As men, God wants us to be the spiritual heads of our households.  The best thing we can do for our families doesn’t involve anything in this world (no college funds, hedge funds, mutual funds, etc.); it is prayer.  Try it, and like the woman in Luke 18:1-7, do not give up; continue to pray.  Remember it is in His timing not ours.