This was the gospel reading last Sunday. This was one that I thought about and at first didn't see the signifcance in the story. In this verse Jesus asks his disciple" Who do people say that the Son of Man is? They give various answers. Then he said to them "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jessus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it."
Our Pastor's sermon pointed out that Simon Peter's answer "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." made in public could have put him in danger yet he said it anyway. In those days emporers referred to themselves as Gods. To say that Jesus was a Son of God would have been interpreted as him saying Jesus was of the ruling class. This would have really threatened their ego and their power. Simon Peter could have been arrested for honest answer. Simon Peter showed great faith in proclaiming Jesus as the Son of the living God. And Jesus was saying he will build his church on this rock of great faith. I love that he goes on to say "the Gates of Hades will not prevail against it" To me it's a promise that if we have faith, Hades can not prevail against us. I'm still not totally sure about the last part of the scripture that refers to the the keys of heaven. From my research it seems to be Jesus giving authority to Peter to act in his behalf. Because of his faith he is a trusted servant of God. He is being given the responsibility and power to lead/teach according to the wisdom of Jesus and the Father. Jesus is showing he has great faith in Peter. This scripture came up in my meditation the other day. I thought about the significance of Simon Peter's answer not coming from flesh and blood but was revealed by the Father in heaven. His response was like intuition....knowing that this was the truth, the right answer, without being told. It seems to me that this thing we call intuition, our inner knowing, could just be the Father in heaven whispering in our ear. And when we follow our intution, even when we think it's crazy, it is a demonsration of our faith. I remember Joyce Meyers talking about the day she heard God talking to her. She was just doing everyday tasks when she was told she had a mission. Of course she thought this was crazy. She wasn't qualified to preach. But she had faith that this message, this inner voice, was speaking the truth. I am so glad she followed that voice; having faith in the message and faith that she could do it with God's help. I love her style and find her teachings inspirational and relvent to everyday life. She is helping so many people. Especially those that aren't comfortable in a standard, more formal. church setting. I think our dreams are also whispers from God. When we have a strong desire to create something, a goal we would love to acheive, this may be our opportunity to show our faith in God. Trust in his whisper and have faith he has blessed us with the skills, knowledge, ability and talents needed for the job. Take another look at the dream you keep shoving aside. How could it change your life? How could it change someone else's life? How amazing would it be to finally make it happen? God believes in you. Have faith in his guidance. Faith and belief make all things possible. If you would like to hear the sermon Rev Lauren Cain gave on this scripture you can view it on Grace Lutheran Church of Pottstown's Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/GLCPottstown
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The law of attraction is based on the premise that like energy attracts like energy. Just as Einsteins theory of physics states" Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality." Here is a more detailed explaination. Quantum physics suggests that at the fundamental level, everything is interconnected and exists as waves of energy. These energy waves can interact and influence each other. When we emit positive energy through our thoughts and emotions, we align ourselves with similar positive energy in the universe, which can then be reflected back to us. I do believe in the theory that like energy attracts like energy. I do not believe attracting what you want is a simple "wish for it and it will appear". Many people believe that is how the Law of Attaction works. All you have to do it be positive, think about what you want and it magically happens. It could and maybe it does sometimes. But I must say it doesn't work that way for me. I would bet there are a lot of people that have thought about something they wanted; were positive in their belief that it would happen; sat and waited.....and were very disappointed that the magic didn't work.
As I said I do believe in the Einsteins energy theory and the Law of Attraction, however, I think there is more involvment required; more action is involved in the process. Sitting and waiting simply does not work. This explanation how energy attracts like energy was taken for the MasterMind.com AI GiGi search. "Another perspective is that our thoughts and emotions shape our perception and behavior. When we have a positive mindset and focus on positive thoughts, we tend to notice and attract more positive experiences and opportunities. This can be attributed to the fact that our thoughts and emotions influence our actions and the way we interact with the world around us." This is the way I see the law of attraction. It's still like energy attracting like energy, however, without action, desired results are less likely to appear. I'm not saying impossible just less likely. I do believe in miracles. This is also taken from GiGi. "It's important to note that the concept of like energy attracting is not universally accepted or scientifically proven. However, many people find value in adopting a positive mindset and focusing on positive thoughts and emotions as a way to attract more positive experiences into their lives." In my coach training at iPEC, there was a lot of focus on energy and the importance of positive energy. iPEC students are even certified in ELI which is an assessement that is based on our energetic profile. It gives us, the coach and the client, insight into how a person perceives life, how they respond to life situations and how we might help them raise their energy level in order to improve their outlook, actions and reactions. We can help them to connect more with their higher energy levels so they are successful in achieving their goals. I believe in the law and effects of energy so strongly that I work hard keeping my energy level high to improve my health, overall outlook on life and keep me in a place where I can best serve others and also reach my personal goals. I would like to add a little side bar here. I believe the Chakras and Spinal Cord are a channel for life force energy. This energy flow effects our health, well being and actions. I use regular chiropractic adjustments, crystal energy, affirmations and meditation as tools in maintinaing my energetic profile. So back to Einsteins law of physics and how to use the law of attraction to make good things happen in our lives? Let's look at the steps in manifestation. Here's another definition from GiGi, "Manifesting is the process of bringing your desires into reality by aligning your thoughts, beliefs, and actions with what you want to attract. " Manifesting is a way to raise your energy and attract positive results. This is a suggested process. 1 Set clear intentions. Define what exactly you would like to see happen in your life. Set very specific goals, desires and outcomes. I was always told to be very careful to keep "don't, not, can't, impossible, try and hope"out of the intention, Any negative word can alter your true intention. I was told the universe does not see negative words. So if you say "I don't want to be poor." The universe sees "I want to be poor" 2 Fully believe that the what you want/your goal is possible. Hold the belief that is has already happened and visualize the results. Immerse yourself in what your life looks like now that the goal has been achieved. It is very important to feel the feelings. How you feel about this happening is a huge motivator in making it happen. Where attention goes, energy flows. Keep the positive energy focused on the goal. 3 Use positive affirmations to keep you on track with a positve mindset. I have a whole training/coaching program on positive mindset. It is the building block for making your dream a reality. A positve mindset keeps you motivated. It keep you going when doubt and fear creep in to de-rail you. So use your affirmations. 4 Gratitude for what you already have. Gratitude for all the achievements you have accomplished in life. Remember to acknowledge, show gratitude and celebrate each step you have made toward your goal. Gratitude opens your heart. It makes you feel good about life. It creates positive energy. It makes me feel pure Love. Gratitude always makes me think of the amazing life I have. Most of which I feel was some kind of miracle from God. Maybe God, or whatever you believe to be the higher power, is the whole reason the law of attraction works. Some things can only be explained as a miracle. In this whole process of attracting what you want, never become desperatly attached to your outcome. The universe has a way of bringing you what is best for your highest good. That may not be what you want or think is best for you. But it is most likely what you need. Keeping that in mind, the law of attraction may have worked for you....It was just an outcome that wasn't what you asked for. Be on the look out for outcomes that you didn't expect. Trust in the Universe or God to bring what you need. So I hope this brings some insight into the Law of Attraction and how it works. Everyone has their own belief system. But the fundamental law of energy can not be denied. It plays an importanat part in our lives, We are energy. I believe keeping our energy positive, keeps us in flow. Being in flow is a higher level of energy where we can make good things happen. I found this to be an interesting scripture. There's a lot happening here. Let's start with the way Jesus responed to this womana plea for help. She is shouting, "Have mercy on me Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." First he ignores her. But the woman persists. Then he says to the deciples, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel". The women was a Canaanite. The Canannite's were definately not of the House of Israel.
The woman heard what he said, but, she did not give up and go away. She came and knealt before him saying, "Lord, help me". Jesus did not offer to help her, nor did he respond with any compassion. He says, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." Now that's really harsh. However, in this time period many considered the Canaantites to be an inferior people. So Jesus's response would not have been surprising. But that is not an excuse. His response was pretty mean way to treat someone asking for help. Maybe he was just emphasizing the point that the people of Israel were his priority. As our pastor pointed out in her sermon, his response is not even close to what we would expect from Jesus. I can feel a little empathy for Jesus. He had just healed a bunch of people and defended his deciples and his traditions from the outraged Pharisees and scribes who had come to question and discredit him. The man must have been exhausted. We all have experienced a time when somebody ask us to do something, we are tired and cranky so the words that escape our mouths are harsh. But this is Jesus! We put him on a pedestal. He is the Son of God! We expect a lot more from him. Now wait a minute.....Let's ease up on the judgment.... Remember....Jesus was also human. Jesus was also being true to his mission. He stated the facts. His purpose was to save the people of the House of Israel. If he were to help an outsider, that would take his time and attention away from the many people he was sent to help. So....with that mission in mind he did not feel obligated to help this woman. After receiving such a cold repsonse many would just walk away disappointed; maybe even disgruntled. Not this Canaantie woman! She was determined to get help for her daughter. She had faith that Jesus was the answer! She was persistent! She didn't let Jesus off the hook. She says "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." She humbled herself. Her response, her persistance and her faith, caused Jesus to rethink his position ; Maybe even re-think his mission. He realized this woman was determined to find help for her daugher. She believed Jesus was the only one that could help her. She had faith in him, the Son of God. So he answered her! Jesus says to the Canaanite woman, "Women, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish". And her daughter was healed instantly, I love listening to sermons that add some history and real life context to the scriptures. As I listen I begin to see how the lesson from the scriptures can be applied to my life; To everyone's lives. This lesson made me think about the times I was harsh with someone because I was tired or busy. It made me want to do better. Words do hurt people and in more ways then we know at the time we say them. It made me think about all of the judgement in this world. The women was an outsider; considered inferior. Nobody is inferior. Everyone deserves to be seen. The most inspiring part of this story is the woman's faith and determination. She had her own mission. That mission was to get help for her daughter. She gave it everything she had and her persistance paid off. I admire this Canaanite woman with faith. I want to be more like her ..... commited, determined, persistent and having faith. Holding the belief that anything is possible. If you would like to hear the sermon Rev Lauren Cain gave on this scripture you can view it on Grace Lutheran Church of Pottstown's Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/GLCPottstown is John 6: 1-15 The story of the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish.
I helped out in Sunday School this morning. It was a fun time with the little ones. The message for our Sunday School class was about sharing. It was about the miricle of Jesus feeding so many people with just 5 loaves and 2 fish. This is a pre-school class and learning about Jesus and sharing are great lessons for our children to learn. I though about this bible story. It's a well know story. One I never really thought about. But I was curious. So when I got home I decided to google the story. I was looking for pther message or lessons from the story of the boy who shared his lunch. This young boy stepped up and did his part. He gave what he could. He probably thought it was not enough but he gave all he had. Jesus took this boys gift, blessed it and shared it with the crowd. Nobody went hungry and there was more than enough for the crowd to eat. The boy's small gift was more than enough. As I read the various articles about this story, it made me think about the lessons from the Own Your Future Challenge hat I particpated in this week. I thought about sharing our gifts. We may feel what we have is insignifican; it's not enough; it will have little or no impact. The boy may have felt that way about is gift of 5 small loaves and 2 fish. It probably seemed like not enough but he gave it anyway. This story shows that what we bring to the table is important. We need to share our gifts and talents even when we feel they are not enough. You never know how God will use your gift and what mpact it will have on the lives of others. You never know who needs what you have to share. You may be surprised by how many people you can help with the gift that you don't think is good enough. Share your gifts and have faith that your gift will make a difference to someone. |
AuthorKathy Kissinger is very focused on helping others get back to a more aligned life as their true self. Coaching through life's transitions is her specialty. Archives
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