- Glory to God in the Highest (published: Tabor Voice, Nov-Dec 2002; Divine Light, Dec 2003)
- Living in the Will of God (published: Tabor Voice, Jan-Feb 2003)
- What we should do this Lent (published: The Examiner, March 2003)
- Lost your reputation? Rejoice! (published: Divine Light, July 2004)
- The Potter & His Clay - A Spiritual Analogy
- Death on an Easter Sunday
- How Jesus saved us from the fire next door
- God isn't deaf
- Get on a Barnabus trip
- A Year Older and a lot less Wise (Part 1 of the Birthday Trilogy)
- He sang to me (Part 2 of the Birthday Trilogy)
- The Value of Intercession (Part 3 of the Birthday Trilogy)
- Do you want a FREE GIFT that can never be taken from you?! (Dec 2003 / Jan 2004)
- Love is in the air... (February 2004)
- Was it worth it all? (March 2004)
- I Confess... (April 2004)
- The Beautiful Blessing of Christian Fellowship! (May 2004)
- Power Evangelize! (June 2004)
- 'Best Friends' till the end (July 2004)
- Family Matters (August 2004)
- Do you know WHY you believe? (September 2004)
- You're going to be let down (October 2004)
- Praying with the Holy Pope (November 2004)
- Hang in there (December 2004) (published: Divine Light, Jan 2005)
- Just like that. And you're gone (January 2005)
- The Divine Lover of My Soul (February 2005)
- Is it ever "too late" to do right? (March 2005)
- To Emmaus, or back again? The choice is yours! (April 2005) (published:Divine Truth, April 2007)
- Bear Much Fruit (May 2005) (published: Divine Light, July 2005)
- Holiness and the Heart of Love (June 2005)
- Spiritual Boot Camp (July 2005)
- Abundant Life! (August 2005)
- Unanswered Prayers? (September 2005)
- Trust in the Lord! (October 2005)
- Persevere! (December 2005)
- New Resolutions this New Year (January 2006)
- 'Having it All' = Having Jesus (February 2006)
- He Understands (April 2006)
- My Invisible Tattoo (September 2006)
- Cardinal Justin Rigali ~ "Glorify God in Your Body" (October 2006)
- A Fattened Calf for me (December 2006)
- How to come out of a Spiritual Downward Spiral - Part 1 (January 2007)
- Jesus is Alive. Need Proof? ( October 2007)
- Biblical Catholics (November 2007)
- Religion or Spirituality? (September 2008)
- Lessons from the strange race between the Tortoise and the Hare (October 2008)
- How to react when Spiritual Leaders fall / backslide: (November 2008)
December 2005
Persevere!
A while ago a young boy, who had attended a retreat I preached, approached me and said, "I know what your favorite word is!"
"And what would that be?" I asked him, smiling in my head at this boy who seemed so confidant.
"Persevere"
He was right! 'Persevere' would definitely be on my list of favorite words, if indeed such a list existed.The reason is simple - I myself have had many troubles walking the Christian walk. Many times I have labeled myself a failure. But through God's mercy & grace, I have been able to persevere and try once again.
Who needs perseverance?
The strong? The ones who never fail? The ones who are never tempted?
I'm not even sure such people exist! After all as St. Paul tells us, "we have all fallen short of the grace of God". We are all sinners. We are all people who have at some time or the other failed in our Christian walk.
How many times I have heard my backsliding friends lament their fallen selves! How many times I too have been in the same sinking boat with them!
But then here I am... not yet wearing that "crown that will last forever" but still working towards it.
What right have I to preach God to you, when I myself am a miserable sinner?
It is this right - every time I repent & am cleansed of my sins, I am washed whiter than snow and am a holy child of God!
And it is really that simple! We have to truly repent of our sins, confess them & we are again given a fresh start.
How many fresh starts do we get? Not seven, but seventy times seven. For those not familiar with the phrase, it means an infinite amount of chances.
God permits us to come back to Him time and time and time and time and time again.
No matter what we could ever do, if we're truly sorry, repent & confess, He'll taken us back.
I stand on this little platform of mine today to tell you this fact - In your Christian walk, You Will Fall.
We all do.
But you can and you WILL succeed in the overall picture , by God's grace - if you pull yourself up and try again.
The Christian walk is a walk of Perseverance. Christ walked the walk of Perseverance when on the way to Calvary He fell three times. And three times He picked Himself up.
Twice Jesus got up through the strength of the Holy Spirit within Him.
Once He got help in the form of Simon of Cyrene who though unknown to even him, was annointed by God to help Jesus. And God sends many 'Simon of Cyrene's' into our lives too. In the form of our friends who try to get us back on the way, sometimes in the form of things we read or even strangers we meet.
Whether we get up by ourselves through the strength of the Spirit within us or by the help of external annointing, the key lies in the fact that we Have gotten up.
Jesus walked the whole walk. He fought the good fight. He accomplished His whole mission. Nothing was left undone. Then He breathed His last and said "It is finished".
Unfortunately, too many of us give up midway. We say "we are finished" before we can say our "it is finished".
Cling onto the unconditional love of Jesus at the times you condemn yourself to death & know that even more than you, He wants you to succeed.
Know that He will give you infinite chances to succeed even if you think you don't deserve another chance.
And the truth is that YOU DO DESERVE ANOTHER CHANCE.
You deserve it because Jesus loves you enough to have paid for infinite chances for you through His Precious Blood.
Don't let His prepaid chances for you go to waste!
Get up again!! And again. And again if necessary.
My favorite Bible verse is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13). And yes, possibly, one of my favorite words is 'Persevere'.
I pray that Jesus be reborn in your lives this Christmas & that your New Year 2006 be one that sees you further your Christian walk, no matter how many times you may fall on the way.
God's blessings on you and your family this holiday season,
December 2005
