Seeing Is Not Believing

"If today you hear His voice, do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on the day at Massah, when your fathers challenged me, and they put me to the test. For forty years they wearied me and I said, 'They are a people of inconstant heart; they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'Never shall they enter my rest.'" - Psalm 95:8-11

My mom and I were talking in the kitchen the other day about how good God is and she said, "I really can't judge Moses, but I don't understand how he saw the power of God and how He released the Jews, yet he doubted in God in the desert." After seeing a staff turn into a snake, rivers turn into blood, many other plagues and the red sea part, Moses doubted God and because of this he never saw the Promised Land. This got me thinking about faith and signs. So many people want to put God to the test and make Him prove His existence or His power as a condition for them to believe, but this really goes against all God is. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. No where in there does it say that faith is the result of what your eyes tell you. Jesus said that only an evil and unbelieving people want a sign. This tells me that those who are going to believe in God do not need any visual proof, all they need to do is let their hearts experience the truth when it comes across it. If even Moses, who witnessed so many wonders doubted, what are signs going to do for us if we don't accept God in our hearts and minds? So many people were healed when Jesus asked "do you believe?" Only after they said yes were they actually healed.

Instead of working on what our eyes tell us, let's work on what our hearts tell us. When Jesus resurrected and went to visit the apostles, He told Thomas that he believes in Him because he touched and saw His wounds, but fortunate are those who have not seen and yet believe - that could be me and you.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, forgive my weak nature. Overlook my doubts and failure to trust You when I put my reliance in my own senses over confidence in Your power. Build me stronger so that I can truly be fortunate before Your eyes. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Meaning, Not Tradition

"Jesus answered, 'You go no further than appearances. How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules. You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition.'" - Mark 7:6-8

We can be so fake at times. During the regular church year, masses aren't full at all, but during Christmas and Easter, the church is full from wall to wall. When actors and musicians win an award, the first person they thank is God, yet why don't we know more about their faith? It's time for all of us to respond to the call of God in a genuine way and begin to live a different life, walk with the dignity and integrity of Jesus. Saying we are Christians and that we believe in God is only the beginning. Attending church on Sunday does not make you a true follower, rearranging priorities does. Traditions are only the shells the represent meaning. They go over our heads unless we respond to the voice of God and delve into that meaning. That's why church might be boring, or prayer is boring, because people fail to make the time to discover the richness and fullness of a life in God. So many of us only follow tradition and think we are just and good people because of it. Just and good people are the ones the seek to take Jesus' message to heart and live it, not only keeping it on the outside as a custom.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to exercise my faith in You. Don't let me fall into the traps of conforming to society and not follow You with my entire life. Let my zeal for You guide me in all things so I show You my actions and not just tradition. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Faith That Moves Mountains

"Jesus replied, 'Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, if you say to this mountain: Get up and throw yourself into the sea, and have no doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will happen, it will be done for you.'" - Mark 11:22-23

God worked a miracle through my dad today. For those of you that don't know him, my dad is a deacon and a preacher in the Catholic Charismatic Renovation. He left for a business trip to Miami yesterday and was called in today to visit a woman in the hospital. The woman was pretty much a vegetable as she had been in a coma for a while. When my dad went in and called upon the Name of Jesus Christ to heal her, the woman awoke from her coma immediately.

Some of you may ask why you don't see these things or why God doesn't answer even the smallest petitions you ask of Him. The answer is that you do not have faith, or, as Jesus commands, you doubt instead of believe whole heartedly. But where do you get faith? How do you start believing and stop doubting? Saint Paul says in Romans 10:17 that faith comes from hearing the message of Jesus Christ. If you want faith that can move mountains, you NEED to listen to the message of Christ. Not once a week, but continually throughout the day. My dad has faith that can move mountains and awaken people from comas. Why? Because since my father started walking on the path of the Lord, there has not been one day that has passed that he is not up early in the morning to put himself in God's presence to pray and read the bible. He is not only in church once a week, but every day. He fills himself with the Word of God because he has learned that it gives life. Sometimes my boyfriend says that all my dad wants to do is pray and only God interests him - glory be to God because this is the reason God does what He does through my father.

But my father is only one man and God has so many more gifts to give and miracles to work through people like you and me. God gives abundantly to those who seek Him so why can't you be the one performing amazing deeds in the Lord's Name? Fill yourself with the Lord's presence. Dedicate your life to Him when you wake up each morning. Read the bible and listen to the Word that gives life. The glory of God is yours for the taking, but you have to do your part.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the amazing gift of faith and for the miracles You work through this faith. Please help me prioritize my time so that I can put You first and fill myself with Your message. I want faith that can move mountains Lord, and need Your strength to get me there. In Your Name we pray, amen.

You Believe In God, So What?

"Do you believe there is one God? Well enough, but do not forget that the demons also believe and tremble with fear!" - James 2:19

I was out to dinner the other night with a group of friends. I was having a conversation with the people sitting towards my left when I heard the people to my right talk about God. One girl said, "I don't believe in God. I don't care what happens because to me, there is nothing there," while the other person said, "I can't tell you if I believe a God exists or not, I don't know." I have come across a lot of people that have similar points of view, but more often than not, I come across people that do say they believe in God. For those that believe, including myself, how do we manifest this belief? A lot of times people think themselves righteous because they say they believe, or feel that by just believing, they are done and don't need to do anything else. But in this letter, Saint James gives us a hard reality check - even Satan and the demons believe in God and tremble with fear! Do we even tremble? If we who believe don't find a way of being better believers than the demons of Hell, we're in trouble! How are we any different?

The difference lies in our actions. Don't say you believe but never go to church, never pray, spread hate. Then you are just like the demons in Hell. Instead, show that you are not like the demons in Hell and let your belief in God show love, mercy, compassion, and a true friendship with God.

Today's Prayer:
My God, allow Your Word in me to always develop into fruit. Allow that through me, others may see how good You are. I don't want my faith to be dead and the same as the demons, but grant that in You, I may show Your light. In Your Name we pray, Amen.