Bella Rodriguez-Torres

Please keep a special little girl in your prayers, Bella Rodriguez-Torres. Bella's father is an Emmaus brother from St. John Neuman... We were blessed from her story by a close friend of my husband, Kris. Kris attended an Emmaus meeting wherein Bella's father was speaking with regards to his precious daughter and the miracles they have been blessed with... You may read more on their webpage: http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=bellart

'Your Spiritual Maturity'

"Reference: Zechariah 13:1-9

Why does God test our faith in order to increase our endurance? God's goal for your trials is your growth into spiritual adulthood. That won't happen without some pain, sweat, and effort. Imagine a young person announcing, I want to be a physician, but I don't want to spend all those years in medical school!

You and I may chuckle at a comment like that. But we do something similar in the spiritual realm when all we can think of is getting out from under our trials as quickly as possible and avoiding future trials. God wants to mature us, not just make us comfortable.

But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift... until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ Ephesians 4:7, 13

When a butterfly is ready to leave the cocoon, it has to fight its way out. IF you open the cocoon to help the butterfly get out, you have doomed that butterfly because it needs that struggle to strengthen its wings so it can fly.

God is too kind and too wise to allow us to remain in spiritual immaturity, whining whenever things don't go our way and demanding what we want when we want it. His goal is that we might "become conformed to the image of His Son"(Romans 8:29) and He will not be satisfied until we get there."

Dr. Tony Evans
Today's Alternative

Dedicated

The essence of being a Christian is, in my opinion, a thorough dedication to God.

As Jesus said in (John 8:29) “The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him."

In Mark 2:18-22 Jesus reminds us that if we pour new wine into old wineskins, the skins burst and we lose everything. Think of the new spiritual growth that we’ve experienced lately, Are we trying to pour our new life into our old ways of doing things? Are we trying to serve God, whether it is here in Emmaus, or any other ministry? Yet when we’re out there, we continue to do shady things. Whether it’s at home neglecting our wives and/or our kids; in our business, doing things that we know are not right or keep taking that hit we know will just be a quick fix, so we think… Do we honestly believe that this is the way to grow spiritually? We must not get distracted when we see ourselves doing good things, and others seeing it too, and then getting complacent, and stop listening to what God is trying to tell us.

I don’t think it’s pleasing to God when we intentionally sin. We must not feel that by doing a couple of good things that makes it okay for us to get off the right path. We sometimes get caught up in the world, and attempt to justify it by saying, well I just served at a retreat, let me take this hit, or let me sleep with this girl, or whatever your preferred sin is.

I feel that it’s not always a question of what God can do for me, but what more can I do for Him. How much of us don’t dedicate more of ourselves, because we don’t have the time? I know I sometimes say I don’t have the time or the energy to do this or that, but the time we have, we have because God gives it to us. We are to give God the first fruits, as it says in the bible. We must stay disciplined in all aspects of our lives:

· There’s daily mass

· daily devotions

· reading the bible

· staying connected with spiritual people

· Stewardship...

If you need help to stay focused, dedicated, do what it takes to stay in line and follow that path that a lot of us were put on thanks to Emmaus.

· If Drugs are your problem, and you can’t quit, GET HELP!

· Abuse (Verbal and/or Physical), GET HELP

· Marital/Family Issues GET HELP

· Pornography, GET HELP

You get the point. Whatever it is we must stand up and not let PRIDE get in the way.

We have no excuse when the Day of Judgment comes, we know right from wrong,

As it says in…Matthew 7:21-24 “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS. Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

I want to do what God wants for me, not the other way around, like me doing whatever I want and hope it’s in line with what God’s will is.

That’s why I’m dedicated to do God’s will.

Are we?

It seems that people are content with having one foot in the church and the other foot in soot. (Besides, you may hurt yourself in such a position). As if people were in a huge masquerade (Casting Crowns). Take a minute to reflect and ask yourself?

Are we living to be the utmost Christian that we are all called to be?

Are we speaking in tongues that speak the truth?

Are we leading by example of true Disciples of Christ?

Are we truly praying as often as we claim that we should be?

Are we truly letting it all go and offering it all up to God?

Are we placing more value of worldly concerns then we should be?

Are we falling short (again in some cases)?

Are we looking away when our peers fall?

Are we letting pride take control?

Are WE?

Or are we being complacent to worldly mannerisms. Do we have the courage to stand for Christ? Do we not place worth in what our Lord thinks? I discern that our Lord would not be content with us not being wholehearted disciples for Him. Even after He has advised us- time and time again. I suppose that our Lord would be pretty thwarted at some of our actions or lack there of.

1 John 3:17-18

Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled and to fall from your own stability.

But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory now and to the day of eternity. (Amen.)

Our principles are not thorny as the crown that was placed on Christ. They are simple, to love and live in obedience as true disciples of Christ. We must individually strive to find the ‘inspiration’ that motivates us to become a fully functional disciple of Christ. Venture into the realms of Christianity to spark up what it is that motivates you to continue on the path He has chosen for you. Love one another – no matter how difficult it may seem to you. Be obedient and disciplined in your faith:

· Read the BIBLE

· Go to Mass as often as possible

· Repent / Confess

· PRAY AT ALL TIMES (even when you don’t have the energy to)

· read the daily reflections (daily mass readings)

· read a daily devotional

· enroll yourself in RCIA if needed

· go to a bible study class

· phone a friend -support group

· serve / stewardship

In doing so, you will see that your focus will be more on Christ and less on the giants that exert their energy on bringing you down.

And he said to them, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15.