Felicitations à ma petite soeur!

tit-bout

Prayer of Gratitude

ENGLISH - FRANCAIS

Isaiah 55. Revelation 22; John 7.

Invitation to the Hungry and Thirsty 
The universal offer and call.

1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David”.Isaiah 55:1-3.

 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Isa 55:1; John 7:37

  37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. Lev 23:36; Isa 55:1; John 6:35; Rev 22:17; 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Isa 12:3; 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Isa 44:3; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17; 40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Matt 21:46; Luke 7:16; John 6:14; 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? John 4:42; John 1:46; 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? Ps 132:11; Mic 5:2; Matt 2:6; 43 So there was a division among the people because of him. 44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. John 7:37-44.

Heavenly Father God,holy, merciful and just.

Thank you that we do not have to wait for a special day, Sabbath or Sunday to rest because our souls can find rest in you alone any time, anywhere.

Thank you that through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus, we do not have to seek anywhere else or strive for rest in anything or anybody but you.

Thank you Lord Jesus that you have finished the work that the Father gave you so that we may experience the rest, peace and abundant life when we trust you and abide in you.
Thank you that we can have food and drink without money, that your sacrifice on the cross has given us access to the Father who gives us abundant spiritual riches that satisfy.

Thank you Holy Spirit that you gave us who believe the living water that overflows from our innermost part. Thank for guiding us into truth, for opening our understanding in to your Word, for filling our heart with love, peace, joy, for your comfort, for strengthening us with grace when we are weak, for protecting us from harm, for giving us discernment against the traps of the enemy, for revealing and glorifying our Lord Jesus, for renewing our minds with the Word and giving us hope and patient endurance while we wait for our Savior and Lord Jesus.

Lord Jesus, let us say like you: “My food is to do the will of my Father”.

Open our ears that we may listen carefully and hear clearly your voice, come to you and eat what is good and live by every word that comes out of your mouth.
In the precious name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.



FRANÇAIS

Prière de gratitude
Ésaïe 55; Apocalypse 22:17; Jean 3:17

L'offre et l'appel universels

1 «Vous tous qui avez soif,
venez, voici de l'eau!
Et même vous qui n'avez pas d'argent,
venez, achetez et mangez!
Venez acheter sans argent, oui, sans paiement,
du vin, du lait!

2 Pourquoi dépensez-vous votre argent pour payer
ce qui ne nourrit pas?
Pourquoi travaillez-vous
pour une nourriture qui ne rassasie pas?
Ecoutez, oui, écoutez-moi,
alors vous mangerez ce qui est bon,
vous vous délecterez d'aliments savoureux.

3 Tendez l'oreille, venez à moi,
écoutez-moi et vous vivrez.
Car je conclurai avec vous une alliance éternelle,
celle que dans ma bienveillance et ma fidélité j'ai promise à David.


 37 ​Le dernier jour, le grand jour de la fête, Jésus, se tenant debout, s'écria: Si quelqu'un a soif, qu'il vienne à moi, et qu'il boive. Lev 23:36; Isa 55:1; John 6:35; Rev 22:17; 38 Celui qui croit en moi, des fleuves d'eau vive couleront de son sein, comme dit l'Ecriture. Isa 12:3; 39 ​Il dit cela de l'Esprit que devaient recevoir ceux qui croiraient en lui; car l'Esprit n'était pas encore, parce que Jésus n'avait pas encore été glorifié. Isa 44:3; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17; 40 Des gens de la foule, ayant entendu ces paroles, disaient: Celui-ci est vraiment le prophète. Matt 21:46; Luke 7:16; John 6:14; 41 D'autres disaient: C'est le Christ. Et d'autres disaient: Est-ce bien de la Galilée que doit venir le Christ? John 4:42; John 1:46; 42 L'Ecriture ne dit-elle pas que c'est de la postérité de David, et du village de Bethléhem, où était David, que le Christ doit venir? Ps 132:11; Mic 5:2; Matt 2:6; 43 Il y eut donc, à cause de lui, division parmi la foule. 44 ​Quelques-uns d'entre eux voulaient le saisir, mais personne ne mit la main sur lui.

 Père Céleste  saint, miséricordieux et juste,

Je te suis reconnaissant que nous n’ayons pas à attendre de jour spécial pour trouver le repos, car nos âmes peuvent le trouver en toi seul n’importe où, n’importe quand.

Merci Seigneur Jésus d’avoir accompli l’oeuvre de notre rédemption que le Père t’a demandé pour que nous puissions connaître le repos, la paix et la vie abondante quand nous nous confions à toi et quand nous demeurons en toi.

Je te remercie pour le sang précieux de Jésus qui nous libère de la contrainte et de l’effort de chercher ailleurs le repos que toi seul nous procures.

Je te remercie pour la nourriture qui rassasie et l’eau vivifiante gratuits et pour le sacrifice de ta vie sur la croix qui nous a permis d’accéder au Père qui nous accorde d’abondantes richesses spirituelles qui satisfont.

Disons comme toi: “ Ma nourrriture est de faire la volonté de Mon Père.”

Débouche-nous les oreilles afin que nous puissions t’écouter plus attentivement, pour venir à toi, manger ce qui est bon et vivre de toute parole sortant de ta bouche.
Au nom précieux du Seigneur Jésus. Amen.

Reflection for 2009

Love and Shout - Clarice Lispector One day, a teacher asked his students: -- Why do people yell at each other when they are annoyed? Everybody thought for a while -- Because we loose our cool, said one, this is why. -- But, why yell when the other person is next to you? Isn’t possible to talk in a soft voice? Why do we shout when you are angry? Each of the students gave the teacher an unsatisfactory response. Finally, the teacher explained: -- When two people are mad at each other, their hearts become very distant. In order to cover the distance between them, they feel they have to shout to be heard. The angrier they become, the louder they have to shout to hear each other to get through the great distance. -- Now, what happens when people are in love with each other? They don’t shout, but rather speak softly. Why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance separating them is very small. -- When their love increases, what happens? They don’t speak anymore, they whisper and their love brings them even closer. Finally, they don’t even need to talk, they look at each other and that’s all. And so it is the way two people behave when they love each other. When you argue, don’t let your heart drift away, don’t let words keep you distant because one day will come when the distance between you will be so great that you will not be able to find your way back. O Amor e o Grito - Clarice Lispector . Um dia um mestre perguntou aos seus discípulos: - Por que as pessoas gritam quando estão aborrecidas? Os homens pensaram por alguns momentos. - Porque perdemos a calma - disse um deles. - Por isso gritamos. - Mas, por que gritar quando a outra pessoa está ao teu lado? Não é possível falar-lhe em voz baixa? Por que gritas a uma pessoa quando estás aborrecido? Os homens deram algumas respostas, mas nenhuma delas satisfez o mestre. Finalmente ele explicou: - Quando duas pessoas estão aborrecidas, seus corações se afastam muito. Para cobrir esta distância precisam gritar para poder escutar-se. Quanto mais aborrecidas estejam, mais forte terão que gritar para se escutar um ao outro através desta grande distância. Em seguida perguntou: - O que sucede quando duas pessoas se enamoram? Elas não gritam, mas se falam suavemente. Por quê? Porque seus corações estão muito perto. A distância entre elas é pequena. Quando se enamoram, acontece mais alguma coisa? Notem que quase não falam, somente sussurram, e ficam cada vez mais perto do seu amor. Finalmente, não necessitam sequer sussurrar, somente se olham e isto é tudo. Assim é quando duas pessoas que se amam estão próximas. Portanto, quando discutirem, não deixem que seus corações se afastem, não digam palavras que os distanciem mais. Chegará um dia em que a distância será tanta que não mais encontrarão o caminho de volta.

Spunky the Miracle Dog

This is the amazing story of a little dog named Spunky who belonged to a friend of ours.

 
At that time, my 2 children and I had moved to Hendersonville and had gotten acquainted with Spunky. Giselle, my daughter, was particularly fond of Spunky. One day the little dog disappeared and in spite of all that we did to find her whereabouts, our search was unsuccessful.

About 9 months after her disappearance, my 2 children and I were invited for dinner at our friend’s house. Around the dinner table, ready to start, I suggested that each one say a little prayer of thanks for God’s blessings. Then came my daughter Giselle’s turn. She was only 8 years old at the time. She just whispered this simple unexpected prayer from her heart: “Heavenly Father, I really miss Spunky; could you please bring her back? Thank you for your love, amen!”

For a few seconds, my adult mind was musing silently: “Oh what a cute little prayer while at the same time doubting that the Lord was going to do anything. In my mind, her request was apparently for no less than a resurrection since Spunky has been missing for 9 months. As far as I knew, the little dog was dead. After all, my adult and skeptical reaction was natural.

Next morning, at 7:30 AM, I put the children on the school bus and left for work. As I was turning from the gravel driveway onto the main road, guess who I see in the middle of the road about 200 yards away? Spunky, together with 2 or 3 other wild dogs that were crossing the road!

Ouch! The Holy Spirit smote my heart in a strong, inescapable, convicting manner. His still small voice whispered a few words of rebuke: “You have been walking with me for so many years and you know my word so well. But your daughter, an 8 year old child asked me a blessing in faith and love and here is the answer right in front of your eyes. Jean-Louis, you are lacking in faith, a childlike faith like that of your daughter.”

Woe is me… once more I was in the dog house… being spanked by the Lord!

 
Right then and there, I had to confess my lack of faith and ask forgiveness for my cynical attitude and asked Him to grant me the faith of a child.

This couldn’t have just happened by coincidence. After all our human efforts, we couldn’t find Spunky, but God is attentive to respond to the call of a small child, even to the arranging of what seemed an impossible circumstance. He knew exactly where Spunky was and guided her steps in my path precisely at the moment I was leaving for work. A few seconds before or after and I would have missed her because the pack of dogs were running across the road. Can you imagine?

Spunky looked skinny and mangy. Her fur was missing large clumps of hair and was full of fleas. She acted as if she didn’t recognize me. Still under the effect of the amazing surprise, I took her back to our friend’s house. After several weeks of treatment and care, she regained her good health, a normal weight and her happy, spunky disposition.

 
You can imagine the joy we felt and the gratitude towards our Good Shepherd who cares not only about His lost sheep but also about their lost dog!

Quero Conhecer a Jesus

O Plano Simples De Deus Para A Salvação



Meu amigo! Faço-te a mais importante pergunta desta vida. Tua alegria ou tristeza por toda a ETERNIDADE depende dela. Eis a pergunta: Estás SALVO? Quer dizer ... ESTÁS CERTO de que irás para o Céu quando morreres? Não te pergunto se és membro de alguma igreja, mas ESTÁS SALVO? Não te pergunto se és pessoa de bem mas ESTÁS SALVO? Ninguém pode gozar das bênçãos de Deus ou ir para o Céu, sem estar salvo. Jesus disse a Nicodemos, em João 3:7 - "Necessário vos é nascer de novo." Deus nos deu na Sua Palavra um ÚNICO plano de Salvação. Esse plano é simples. Podes ser salvo HOJE.
Primeiro, meu amigo, tens de reconhecer que és PECADOR.
Romanos 3:10 - "Não há um justo, nem um sequer."
Romanos 3:22, 23 - "Porque não há diferença: TODOS pecaram e destituidos estão da glória de Deus."


Não há OPORTUNIDADE de seres salvo, se não reconheceres que ÉS PECADOR.
Porque és pecador, estás CONDENADO À MORTE!
Romanos 6:23 - "Porque o salário do pecado é a morte."
Tiago 1:15 - "E o pecado, gera a morte."


Isto significa separação de Deus, no Inferno para sempre. Sim, é terrível, meu amigo, mas é verdade. Mas Deus te amou tanto que Deu seu unigênito filho, Jesus Cristo, como teu substituto, para levar teus pecados e morrer em teu lugar.


2 Coríntios 5:21 - "AQUELE que não conheceu pecado (Jesus) 0 fez pecado por NOS para que nELE fôssemos feitos justiça de Deus."
1 Pedro 2:24 - "Levando Ele mesmo em SEU corpo os NOSSOS pecados sobre o madeiro, para que, mortos para os pecados, pudéssemos viver para a justiça; e pelas Suas feridas FOSTES SARADOS."
Jesus teve que morrer. Ele teve que derramar o Seu sangue. "Porque a alma da carne está no sangue (Levíticos 17:1 1). "Sem derramamento de sangue não ha remissão" (Hebreus 9:22).


Não podemos, agora, compreender como os nossos pecados foram colocados sobre Cristo, mas Deus, em SUA PALAVRA, diz que foi assim. Assim os TEUS PECADOS, meu amigo, foram carregados POR JESUS, e ELE MORREU EM TEU LUGAR. Isto é verdade. Deus não pode mentir!
0 carcereiro de Filipos perguntou a Paulo e Silas: "Que é necessário que EU FAÇA para me SALVAR?"
Atos 16:31 - "E eles disseram: CRÊ no Senhor Jesus Cristo, e SERÁS SALVO, tu e a tua casa."


Basta crer nELE como 0 que carregou teu pecado, e morreu no teu lugar, foi sepultado e ressuscitou para tua justificação. Clama, agora, por Ele!
Romanos 10:13 - "Porque TODO AQUELE que invocar o nome do Senhor será salvo."


A primeira oração que um PECADOR deve fazer, é a seguinte: "Ó Deus, tem misericórdia DE MIM, pecador" (Lucas 18:13). Agora és um pecador e sentes tristeza por isso. Então, AONDE ESTIVERES, podes elevar o teu coração a Deus em oração. Não é necessário fazer uma longa oração em voz alta, porque Deus está ANSIOSO para te salvar. Basta dizeres: "Ó Deus, sou um pecador arrependido. Tem misericórdia de mim e salva-me pelo amor de Jesus." Aceita-0, então, de acôrdo com a Sua Palavra.
Romanos 10:13 - "Porque TODO AQUELE (isto te inclui) que invocar o nome do Senhor SERÁ SALVO (será salvo, e não talvez seja salvo). SERÁ SALVO!
Crê em Deus e na Sua PALAVRA. Quando tiveres feito o que Ele te pediu, aceita a SALVAÇÃO PELA FÉ, conforme a SUA PALAVRA. CRÊ E SERÁS SALVO. Nenhuma igreja, nenhuma sociedade nem as boas obras ninguém - mas Só e unicamente JESUS CRISTO PODE TE SALVAR.


0 plano simples da salvação é: ÉS PECADOR; porque és pecador, DEVARÁS MORRER ou crer em Cristo que foi TEU SUBSTITUTO e morreu em TEU LUGAR, foi sepultado e ressuscitou. Clama por Ele, reconhecendo que és um pecador e pede-LHE que tenha misericórdia de ti e te salve, pelo AMOR DE JESUS. Crê, então, na Sua Palavra e, PELA FÉ,ACEITA A SALVAÇÃO. Dirás talvez:" Certamente isto não basta para ser salvo."
Sim - nada mais e absolutamente nada. Graças a Deus, muitos têm sido ganhos para Cristo por esse simples plano. Está nas ESCRITURAS. É 0 PLANO DE DEUS. Crê nÊLE meu amigo, e SEGUE-0. Agora é o tempo. HOJE é o dia.
2 Coríntios 6:2 - "Eis aqui AGORA o tempo aceitável, eis aqui AGORA o dia da salvação."
Provérbios 27:1 - "Não presumas do dia de amanhã, porque não sabes o que produzirá o dia."


Se não achares perfeitamente claro, lê novamente até poderes compreender. Procura um Cristão verdadeiro em qual podes confiar e pede-lhe que te tires as dúvidas. Não abandones a leitura ou sua busca de Deus, até que possas entendê-lo totalmente. Tua alma tem mais valor do que tudo no mundo.
Marcos 8:36, 37 - "Pois que aproveitaria ao homem ganhar todo o mundo e perder a sua alma? Ou que daria o homem pelo resgate da sua alma?"
Assegura a tua salvação. Coloca a tua salvação acima de todas as coisas. Se perderes a tua alma, não entrarás no céu e perderás tudo. Deus te ajudará afim de que sejas salvo hoje.


Deus te salvará e, também, TE GUARDARÁ.
1 Coríntios 10: 13 - "Não veio sobre vós tentação, senão humana; mas fiel é Deus, que vos não deixará tentar acima do que podeis, antes com a tentação dará também o escape, para que a possais suportar."
Não contia nos teus sentimentos. Estes mudam. Firma-te nas promessas de Deus. Estas nunca mudam.


DEPOIS DE SALVO, há três coisas que deves realizar, para o teu crescimento espiritual:
ORA - e falarás com Deus. LÊ A BIBLIA - e Deus falará contigo. TESTIFICA - e falarás por Deus. Em seguida deves ser batizado e afiliado a uma congregação o grupo de crentes, adoradores que creia verdadeiramente na Bíblia.
Mateus 10:32 - "Portanto qualquer que me confessar diante dos homens, eu o confessarei diante de meu Pai, que está nos céus."

Blogs que me Inspiraram em 2008

Voce não pode ver mas dentro da concha existem pérolas que brilham intensamente! Só vemos bem com o coraçao! Meu blog presenteia blogs que brilharam em 2008: Café com Poesia Esterança Street Kids Caroline L'Atelier

Paris interactive flight - Sobrevoe Paris - Vol sur Paris

To treat yourself to an incredible view of Paris from the night sky, click on the link below.
Then, click on the photo to zoom and move the mouse around to travel...click on the hotel and the building windows to see what our French friends are up to. Click here

Para um inacreditavel passeio sobre Paris clique abaixo. Em seguida clique na foto para aumentar, deslize o mouse para viajar... clique nas janelas do hotel e dos predios, para ver cenas do quotidiano. Clique aqui!


Pour découvrir Paris d'en haut, cliquer en bas.... Une fois ouvert, cliquer sur la photo pour l'augmenter, et faire glisser la souris pour voyager...cliquer sur les fenêtres d'hôtel et des immeubles pour des scènes quotidiennes. Cliquer ici

PARA VER NEW YORK CLIQUE AQUI
TO SEE NEW YORK CLICK HERE
POUR VOIR NEW YORK CLIQUER ICI

Congratulations Jean-Louis!

Sois prompt à écouter

"Que tout homme soit prompt à écouter, lent à parler et lent à se mettre en colère" Jacques 1.19

On a dit un jour d'un célèbre linguiste qu'il "pouvait se taire en sept langues différentes". L'Ecclésiaste nous enseigne : "qu'il y a un temps pour se taire et un temps pour parler" (Ecclésiaste 3.7).

Malheureusement, nous mélangeons ces deux temps. Chacun d'entre nous doit apprendre à se taire afin d'écouter l'autre. J'ai remarqué ceci : bien souvent nous nous parlons sans nous écouter. Nous écoutons non pour comprendre ce que l'autre dit mais uniquement pour lui répondre.

En d'autres termes, lorsque l'autre parle, au lieu de l'écouter pour analyser son point de vue, nous l'écoutons tout en cherchant dans notre tête une contre argumentation ; ce qui débouche inexorablement sur une discussion sans fin. C'est pourquoi tant de personnes peuvent parler pendant des heures sans finalement jamais se comprendre, alors que d'autres parviennent à régler un conflit entre elles en seulement dix minutes. Pourquoi ces dernières arrivent-elles à résoudre leur problème ? Parce qu'elles ont su se taire pour écouter et comprendre l'autre.

Avez-vous déjà remarqué que deux personnes qui se disputent généralement le font en criant ? Pourtant elles ne sont qu'à quelques centimètres l'une de l'autre ! Est-il bien nécessaire de crier ? Bien sûr, si une personne est de l'autre côté de la route ou bien à une grande distance, il lui faut hausser la voix pour se faire entendre. Mais pourquoi deux personnes crient-elles lorsqu'elles sont à quelques pas l'une de l'autre ? La raison en est simple : malgré la proximité physique, les deux individus sont loin l'un de l'autre, ils ne s'entendent plus, et ils pensent qu'en criant ils seront mieux compris.

Il ne faut pas qu'il en soit ainsi. Comme la Bible l'enseigne, soyez prompt à écouter et vous verrez que dans la plupart des cas, les cris cesseront. Car celui qui n'est pas prompt à écouter, en règle générale parle vite et plus il parle vite, plus il parlera fort et plus il parlera fort, plus il se mettra en colère. Alors : "Que tout homme soit prompt à écouter, lent à parler et lent à se mettre en colère" (Jacques 1.19).

Une action pour aujourd'hui.

Dès à présent, décidez de développer un "programme de silence constructif" en écoutant pour essayer de comprendre ce que l'autre dit sans chercher à argumenter votre cause.
Patrice Martorano

Occasional Letter Number One

Some Lessons From The Underground History Of American Education

11/03/2006
By John Taylor Gatto Spinninglobe

Editor’s note: John Taylor Gatto was the New York State Teacher of the Year in 1991 and has been named New York City Teacher of the Year three times.

Between 1896 and 1920, a small group of industrialists and financiers, together with their private charitable foundations, subsidized university chairs, university researchers, and school administrators, spending more money on forced schooling than did the government itself. Carnegie and Rockefeller, as late as 1915, were themselves spending more. In this laissez-faire fashion a system of modern schooling was constructed without public participation. The motives for this are undoubtedly mixed, but it will be useful for you to hear an excerpt from the first mission statement of Rockefeller’s General Education Board as it occurred in a document called Occasional Letter Number One (1906):

"In our dreams, people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hands. The present educational conventions [intellectual and character education] fade from our minds, and unhampered by tradition we work our own good will upon a grateful and responsive folk. We shall not try to make these people or any of their children into philosophers or men of learning or men of science. We have not to raise up from among them authors, educators, poets or men of letters. We shall not search for embryo great artists, painters, musicians, nor lawyers, doctors, preachers, politicians, statesmen, of whom we have ample supply. The task we set before ourselves is very simple … we will organize children … and teach them to do in a perfect way the things their fathers and mothers are doing in an imperfect way".

For more interesting and enlightening reading on the subject, consult:

http://abundance.org.uk/some-lessons-from-the-underground-history-of-american-education

Love always hopes.

Written and  posted by Jean-Louis at http://thelightseed.blogspot.com
This is a post I wrote a few years ago 

        










Almonds trees in blooms
 
As people celebrate Christmas with all its symbols regardless of what they think the exact time and year of God's divine condescension among us  are, this is what this season represents to me as a spiritual reality.

As I was reflecting upon the incarnation of our Savior Christ Jesus as the supreme gift of our Heavenly Father to mankind, I could not help but think of the limited perspective that we sometimes have of the infinite measure of all of God’s attributes and works in the vast universe He created but also in each of our lives.

The first thing I consider when I ponder the miracle of the supernatural birth of Jesus-Christ is that God chose to manifest His presence in the flesh as a seed of the Holy Spirit in the chosen womb of Mary.

Imagine a little! The creator and sustainer of the endless universe becoming a frail human being Himself subject to the natural law of human birth and physical existence.
What is amazing is that as we follow the course of His birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension and His coming back to take His own faithful ones to reign with Him, the same characteristic stages apply to us who have experienced the second spiritual birth and have passed from death to life, from the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light.

 As the mature tree is essentially contained in the seed just waiting to develop through the different stages of growth, so was the life of the Lord Jesus and so is every one of our lives.
 

An illustration from the sharing of presents on Christmas day comes to my mind. Imagine one of the present being a huge box with someone’s name on it. The person feverishly tears off the paper hoping to discover a big present that will provide a level of satisfaction commensurate to his perceived size. But as the box reveals another smaller box hidden under the packing peanuts, he suspects someone is playing a joke on him as he realizes from the sheer weight of the box.

As he keeps on opening another box, then another one, he finally opens the last tiny box and no matter what the value of the present, it leaves him or her with a sense of unfulfilled expectation and diminished satisfaction. Here in brief is how the acquiring and enjoying of material things which are supposed to fulfill our lives from the cradle to the grave end up being a great disappointment and a snare in the end. Not so with the present from our God, the free gift of salvation available to anyone willing to accept it. 

Conversely, imagine that you received the gift of God, salvation by grace in a small box. After receiving and opening the gift, once your life is changed by that spiritual tiny seed, you realize that as you grow, the gift keeps on growing as you learn and mature into eternal everlasting life, the box of our life, so to speak, getting bigger and bigger.


Now considering another angle to giving and sharing presents.
Jesus talking about greed said that life doesn’t consist in the abundance of things. Luke 12:15.And He told the people to not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21.


Jesus is not only talking about treasures, but incorruptible treasures! What is He talking about? He is talking about treasures that have their beginning as an intangible seed beginning here on the earth and continuing in Heaven and/or enjoying all the stages of the growth of the seed in two dimensions simultaneously, in the physical body while at the same time in the invisible realm of the spirit.

He means treasures like the Christian virtues, generosity of spirit, goodness, mercy, humility, faith, wisdom, spiritual knowledge, love, patience, fruits of the Spirit, all intangible, but whose effects are felt when translated into good works and service to our brothers, sisters and fellow man. And of course, included are all the material gifts that he has blessed us with in superabundance to share with those less fortunate than us and to provide the means to advance the Kingdom of God, through preaching of the Gospel through gifts to missions throughout the world. Everything that will become the stones building the foundation of our sphere of influence in the coming Kingdom.


In I Timothy 6: 18, Paul tells Timothy to "Command those who are rich in this present world... to put their hope in God who richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up for themselves a firm foundation for the coming age so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life". It is obvious that one can build a house or a building only as tall and as large as the dimensions of the foundation supporting it, otherwise the building collapses.


In the Bible we can find several mentions of this manifestation of life as encapsulated in the title of Our Lord who is the Alpha, the beginning and Omega, the end and of course everything in between.

We can find the image of the seed in I Peter 1:23. “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is through the living and abiding Word of God.” Isaiah 9:6-7 promise of the coming Messiah follows this development: "for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest upon His shoulders … there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace."


Salvation, knowledge and wisdom are part of the incorruptible treasures that Christ talks about in Matthew. Talking about Christ, Isaiah 33:6 declares: “He will be a sure foundation for our times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge: The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”
 
This salvation which starts as a spiritual seed planted by the Holy Spirit Himself in the hearts of men who have received Him on His terms is ever expanding and revealing the loving heart of our Heavenly Father at this time of the year and all year long. "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us". Romans 5:5

Paul prays for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-17 that: "He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." This is also my prayer for all of us today and for the coming year.

Contrary to the philosophy of this passing and dying world, the present of eternal life in Christ Jesus started as a tiny seed, first the human seed inherited form our natural father and then the Holy Spirit seed  that contained all that is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which our Father and Creator put us on this earth. See I Corinthians 15. 

⁴⁵ So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. (NIV)



So this Christmas season until the beginning of 2014 and beyond, I invite you to remember with grateful and humble hearts, that the tiniest and most humble manifestation of life, a human seed, a tiny baby in his or her mother's womb is infinitely precious and worthy of protection and nurturing because it was made in God’s image. Psalm 139.


I invite you also to let your hearts and minds expand onto other amazing dimensions of life and consider all the stages of the life of the Savior in His birth, His death, His resurrection, His going back into the glory of Heaven and His coming back to give us glorified bodies, for we have already been resurrected if we have been born again, starting as a tiny seed wrapped up in a small and fragile package that we all are, as pilgrims on this earth. 

This season Jesus offers us hope, joy and peace in a world sadly lacking theses blessings.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13.

Lord God, our loving Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the gift of life present and eternal.


Jean-Louis.

Dr. Ben Carson

The 1 guy you need to listen to: Dr. Ben Carson
World Net Daily Commentary by Star Parker.
Posted: December 29, 20071:00 a.m. Eastern

In the midst of year-end craziness – taking care of my organization's year-closing business and doing Christmas shopping – I didn't anticipate that I'd find time to read a new book. But when I saw Dr. Ben Carson's, "Take the Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk," I couldn't resist.

I spotted the slim volume while gift shopping in a bookstore. But it wasn't the catchy title that caused me to pick it up. It was the author. I already knew Ben Carson's remarkable story. I read his first book "Gifted Hands" 10 years ago. After I read it, I gave it to my kids and insisted that they read it.

As a young kid, as Carson tells the story, he was a failing student and earned the name "Dummy" from his classmates.
His mother saw what was happening, and out of fear that her two sons would lead the way into yet another generation in poverty, she took action. She told her boys that she would pray for the wisdom for what to do.

Her prayers were answered, but the boys weren't particularly thrilled to hear their Mom's new-found guidance. They were told that the extent of their television watching each week would be three shows of their choice. And, that each would read two books a week and give her a written report on both.

This was the beginning of a change that set young Ben's life on a new course.
One thing Ben and his brother didn't know: When his Mom looked over and checked off their weekly book reports, she wasn't actually reading them. Ben's Mom's education stopped at the third grade, and she couldn't read.

Carson went on to become one of the world's most sought-after pediatric neurosurgeons, known for his boldness and creativity.

He has written a number of books in which he shares both his story and philosophy. He is a man of deep faith who believes in both individual responsibility and individual uniqueness. As he sees it, these elements are crucial for individual success, but also to maintain the greatness of our country.

I believe that Carson's message is particularly powerful and relevant to the challenges facing Americans today, poor and rich, white and black.
Here are a few snippets I've extracted from a lengthy interview done with Carson by the Academy of Achievement, in which he was inducted a number of years ago:

Growing up poor and "at risk": "Once I recognized that I had the ability to pretty much map out my own future based on the choices that I made and the degree of energy that I put into it, life was wonderful at that point. I used to hate my life up until that point because I hated being poor."

Priorities: "The most important thing to me is taking your God-given talents and developing them to the utmost, so that you can be useful to your fellow man."
God and America: "(God) has become an essential part of my life and my being. ... When we created this nation, we believed in God. ... I believe that's one of the reasons ... we got to be so great, so quickly."

In his new book, Carson discusses his approach to dealing with risk, a core issue for exercising personal responsibility. He has a simple but effective approach that amounts to examining the best and worst outcomes that can result from a given course of action.
Carson's story and message lays bare what makes Americans and America great and makes

clear what we need to focus on to stay this way. It's worth checking out.
Happy New Year.
 

Personal responsibility: "My mother was a person who would never accept an excuse from my brother or myself. It didn't matter what the situation was. If you came with an excuse, she would also say, 'Do you have a
brain?' After a while it became clear to us that no excuse was acceptable, so we became pretty creative."

Family: "The more solid the family foundation, the more likely you are to be able to resist peer pressure. Human beings are social creatures. We all want to belong, we all have that desire. If the family doesn't provide that, the peers will, or the gang will."

Carson is director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and a professor of neurosurgery, plastic surgery, oncology and pediatrics. He also sits on the boards of several major corporations and is a noted philanthropist. He is also one of a handful of black pediatric neurosurgeons in the world.

He grew up penniless in the slums of Detroit and Boston, raised by a single mother who worked as a domestic, often working three jobs at a time.

Christmas, the eternal spring of God's heart

Almond tree blossom

As people celebrate Christmas with all the symbols regardless of the exact time and year of God's divine condescension among us, this is what this season represents to me as a reality.

As I was reflecting upon the incarnation of our Savior Christ Jesus as the supreme gift of our Heavenly Father to mankind, I could not help but thinking of the limited perspective that we sometimes have of the infinite measure of all of God’s attributes and works in the vast universe He created but also in each of our lives.

The first thing I consider when I ponder the miracle of the supernatural birth of Christ is that God chose to manifest His presence in the flesh as a seed of the Holy Spirit in the chosen womb of Mary.

Imagine a little! The creator and sustainer of the endless universe becoming a frail human being Himself subject to the natural law of human birth.

What is amazing is that as we follow the course of His birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension and His coming back to take His own faithful ones to reign with Him, the same characteristic stages apply to us who have experienced the second spiritual birth and have passed from death to life, from the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. As the mature tree is essentially contained in the seed just waiting to develop through the different stages of growth, so was the life of the Lord Jesus and so is everyone of our lives.

An illustration from the sharing of presents on Christmas day comes to my mind. Imagine one of the present being a huge box with someone’s name on it. The person feverishly tears off the paper hoping to discover a big present that will provide a level of satisfaction commensurate to his perceived size. But as the box reveals another smaller box hidden under the packing peanuts, he suspects someone is playing a joke on him as he realizes from the sheer weight of the box. As he keeps on opening another box, then another one, he finally opens the last tiny box and no matter what the value of the present, it leaves him or her with a sense of unfulfilled expectation and diminished satisfaction. Here in brief is how the acquiring and enjoying of material things which are supposed to fulfill our lives from the cradle to the grave end up being a great disappointment and a snare in the end. Not so with the present from our God, the free gift of salvation available to any one willing to accept it. To the contrary,imagine that you received the gift of God in a small box. After receiving and opening the gift,once your life is changed by that spiritual tiny seed, you realize that as you grow, the gift keeps on growing as you learn and mature into eternal everlasting life, the box of our life, so to speak, getting bigger and bigger.

Now considering another angle to giving and sharing presents.
Jesus talking about greed said that life doesn’t consist in the abundance of things. Luke 12:15.And He told the people to not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21.

Jesus is not only talking about treasures, but incorruptible treasures! What is He talking about? He is talking about treasures that have their beginning as an intangible seed beginning here on the earth and continuing in Heaven and/or enjoying all the stages of the growth of the seed in two dimensions simultaneously, in the physical body while at the same time in the invisible realm of the spirit.

In the Bible we can find several mentions of this manifestation of life as encapsulated in the title of Our Lord who is the Alpha, the beginning and Omega, the end and of course everything in between.
We can find the image of the seed in I Peter 1:23. “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is through the living and abiding word of God.”Isaiah 9:6-7 promise of the coming Messiah follows this development: "for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest upon His shoulders…there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace."

To give another perspective to our modern misguided interpretation of authority, let’s look at the test of authority as it applies to governing a people. To resolve the problem of questioning of Aaron the high priest's leadership by the other leaders of Israel, God caused Aaron’s rod, sign of his authority to instantly sprout, put forth buds and bear ripe almonds, Numbers 17:8. And the best of it is that it started from a piece of dead wood. Here in a nut shell, we have a transformation (resurrection), new birth and growth, a flowering branch and a mature nut ready for nourishment. Now real and good authority consists in extracting the nut out the shell without crushing the nut. Why would God choose an almond branch out of all the possibilities? I have my own thoughts on the questions. As an aside, it is a good lesson in the discipline of children. If we want almond paste mixed with hard bits and pieces of shell mixed together, then we can crush the entire almond with brute force. If we want to raise emotionally and spiritually healthy children we need to apply discipline with the wise and loving, but firm instruction provided by God, breaking the strong will, but not crushing the spirit. Thus the seed will grow into maturity and produce a good fruit or a good nut in this case!

An example of this kind of authority in the New Testament is found in the person of Paul so many times misunderstood by many detractors in our time. In II Corinthians 13:10, Paul who loved and cared for his spiritual children writes to them: "For this reason I am writing these things while absent in order that when present I may not use severity in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me, for building up and not for tearing down."

This love and wisdom are part of the incorruptible treasures that Christ talks about in Matthew.
Talking about Christ, Isaiah 33:6 declares: “He will be a sure foundation for our times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge: The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” This love which starts as a spiritual seed planted by the Holy Spirit Himself in the hearts of men who have received Him on His terms is ever expanding and revealing the loving heart of our Heavenly Father at this time of the year and all year long.

Paul prays for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-17 that: "He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." This is also my prayer for all of us today and for the coming year.

Contrary to the philosophy of this passing and dying world, the present of eternal life in Christ Jesus starts as a tiny seed that contains all that is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which our Father and Creator put us on this earth.

I invite you to remember this season with grateful and humble hearts, that the tiniest and most humble manifestation of life, a human seed, a tiny baby in his or her mother's womb is infinitely precious and worthy of protection and nurturing because it was made in God’s image. Psalm 139.

So this Christmas season until the beginning of 2008 and beyond, I invite you also to reflect not only on the baby Jesus in the arms of Mary, but to let our hearts and minds expand our panorama onto other amazing dimensions of life and their meaning and consider all the stages of the life of the Savior in His birth, His death, His resurrection, His going back into the glory of Heaven and His coming back to give us glorified bodies, for we have already been resurrected if we have been born again, starting as a tiny seed wrapped up in a small and fragile package that we all are, as pilgrims on this earth.

Jean-Louis.

Cântico Novo no Deserto

JA QUE NOS SABEMOS
Original em espanhol dezembro 2004.

Dedicado a todos meus irmãos cristãos

Já que nós sabemos que Nosso Deus é um fogo consumidor
Que a palavra dEle é como um martelo e uma flama
Aceitemos o quebrantamento e o fogo da aflição da Sua mão,
Não resistamos a obra de purificação do Espírito Santo
Ele deseja que removemos os ídolos do nosso coração
Para nós exaltarmos Ele no trono do nosso ser interior.
Já que nós sabemos que Ele mandou Seu profeta Ezequías
O qual infundiu o soplo de vida dentro dos ossos mortos e secos
Duvidáremos que Ele possui o poder de juntar
Os que Ele tem dispersados?

Já que nós sabemos que Ele não fala conosco só individualmente
Mas primeiramente para edificar o Seu corpo inteiro
Duvidáremos que Ele tem nos reunidos neste tempo
Para adorar Ele em espírito e em verdade
E servir Ele com a alegria que nos concede?

Já que nós sabemos que Ele olha e ouve nosso sufrimento e aflição
E que Ele mora dentro dos louvores do seu povo
Enquanto nós estamos reunidos em Nome dEle
Permitindo que o Espírito Santo nos purifique
Quando nós entregarmos e nos rendermos
Por meio da adoracão devida à Sua majestade
Não nós enviará a Sua palavra para nos refrescar,
A Sua palavra poderosa para sarar nossas feridas
E restaurar dentro de nos o gozo da Sua salvação?
 
Já que nós sabemos que Ele vim para liberar os encadeados
E que onde está presente o Espírito dEle, há libertade
Ele não quebrará as cadeias que nos impede de experimentar
A plenitude da Sua bendita presença?

Já que nós sabemos que abundam a Sua graça e Sua misericordia
Não nos devolverá nosso primeiro amor por Ele
Pondo nossos pés sobre um caminho seguro?
Já que nós sabemos que Ele nos chama:
“Vem, agora é o tempo da minha salvação”
Não responderemos com fé, confiança e obediencia
Seguindo o Espírito e entrando na agua que flui do Seu trono
Não só até os tornozelos, nem até os joelhos
Mas sumergindo nos sem reticência
No rio do Seu Espírito
Pare Ele nos tornar saudáveis e inteiros?

Já que sabemos que só os que bebem da água da vida
Poderão partilhar Sua vida com outros ,
Recordemos da mulher samaritana na fonte de Sicar
Estamos com sede? Então, nos acerquemos e bebemos livremente
Da água que não custa nada
E Ele satisfará nossa sede até transbordar
Sempre abençoando todos os demais
Para Sua honra e gloria.

YA QUE SABEMOS

Ya que sabemos que nuestro Dios es un fuego consumidor,
Que Su Palabra es como un martillo y una llama,
Aceptamos el quebrantamiento y el fuego de la aflicción de su mano,
No resistamos a la obra de purificación del Espíritu Santo.
El desea que saquemos los ídolos de nuestro corazón,
Para exaltarle a Él en el trono interior de nuestro ser.

¿Ya que sabemos que Él mandó Su profeta Ezequiel,
Que infundió la vida dentro de los huesos secos,
Dudaremos que pueda reunir
Los que ha dispersado?

¿Ya que sabemos que Él no nos habla sólo individualmente,
Pero también como a Su cuerpo entero,
Dudaremos que Él nos ha reunido en este tiempo,
Para adorarlo en espíritu y en verdad,
Y servirle con alegría?

¿Ya que sabemos que Él ve y oye nuestra pena y aflicción,
Y que vive en la alabanza de su pueblo,
Mientras que nos reunimos en Su nombre,
Permitiendo que Su Espíritu nos purifique,
Cuando nos entregamos y nos rendimos,
Mediante la alabanza y adoración hacia su majestad,
No nos enviará su Palabra para refrescarnos,
Para vendar nuestras heridas,
Y restaurarnos con el gozo de Su salvación?

¿Ya que sabemos que Él vino para liberar los encadenados,
Y que donde está el Espíritu, hay libertad,
No romperá la esclavitud que nos impide experimentar
La plenitud de su bendita presencia?

¿Ya que sabemos que abundan Su gracia y misericordia,
No nos devolverá nuestro primer amor por El,
Poniendo nuestro pies en un sendero seguro?

Ya que sabemos que Él nos llama:
“Venid, ahora es el tiempo de la salvación”,
no responderemos con fe, confianza y obediencia,
siguiéndolo y entrando en el agua que fluye de Su trono,
no solamente hasta los tobillos, ni hasta las rodillas,
Pero sumergiéndonos sin reserva,
En el río de Su Espíritu,
Para que Él nos haga sanos y enteros?

Ya que sabemos que solamente los que toman del agua de la vida
Podrán compartir Su vida con otros,
Recordémonos de la mujer samaritana en el pozo de Sicar.
¿Tenemos sed? Entonces, acerquémonos y tomemos libremente
el agua que no cuesta nada
y Él satisfará nuestra sed hasta que rebosemos,
bendiciendo a todos los demás.
Para su honra y gloria.

Meu lápis na mão de Deus

Lessons from the Threshing Floor

Julho 2004

Dedicado a  minha fiel companheira de viagem 

Mirian Raquel.

Meu lápis tem duas pontas,
Uma para escrever, a outra para apagar.

Lá, em frente de mim, me olha uma página,

Em branco, ainda sem letras.

Tomando meu tempo, tenho que refletir

Qual dos caminhos vou seguir?

Ambas pontas do meu lápis são usadas.

A que escreve pode contar muitas histórias.

A que apaga não se lembra delas.

São opostas, mas boas amigas.

A que apaga o passado,

Depende da outra para seu destino.

Portanto, a de trás aconselha a da frente:

“Tenha cuidado, minha amiga daqui por diante,

Porque a minha vida é mais curta que a sua.

Que fará com seu passado, com a sua confusão,

Quando os meus dias vencerão?

Quando chegar minha hora, terá que viver com ela”.

Ah, meu Deus, a minha borracha é temporal,

Mas a tua é eterna, meu Pai Celestial,

Agradeço-te porque com tua piedade, me perdoa,

Com teu amor e tua verdade, tu manténs minha vida.

Ensina-me a bem contar os meus dias,

para alcançar um coração sábio,

Um coração suave como o teu.

Guia o que sobra do meu lápis com tua mão divina,

Escrevendo nesta página branca

O que ja tens escrito desde há muito tempo,

Segundo teu plano eterno e tua vontade perfeita,

Para que não tinha que servir-me mais

Da outra parte do meu lápis

Para apagar os momentos doloridos

Da minha memória tenaz.

De agora em diante,

Desejo usar o resto do meu lápis para escrever

O que vais à cumprir sobre esta página branca:

Maravilhas reais e esplêndidas.

Meus sonhos vazios nunca mais seguirei,

Nem me forjar castelos de areia tentarei,

Senão a realidade do presente vivirei,

Na esperança que traz um futuro

Passado em tua presença e em teu serviço.

Jean-Louis