Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
You Shall Be Holy: Peter Kreeft on the Four Marks of the Church Peter Kreeft You Shall Be Holy: Peter Kreeft on the Four Marks of the Church The Nicene Creed identifies the Church of Christ by four marks: she is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Only one...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
July 19, 2018 Faith and Abandonment to the Fullness of Love – Part 7 Mini-Course on Prayer Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction Mini-Course on Prayer Part 7 – Father “F” – Faith in Our Risen Lord Abandonment to the Fullness of Love Editor’s Note: In Part ...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
July 19, 2018 Faith and Abandonment to the Fullness of Love – Part 7 Mini-Course on Prayer Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction Mini-Course on Prayer Part 7 – Father “F” – Faith in Our Risen Lord Abandonment to the Fullness of Love Editor’s Note: In Part ...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
July 23, 2018 In Almighty God’s Own Good Time Fr. John R.P. Russell Our Lord is not bound by time. But our Lord chooses to act in time — in his own good time. The first deacon says quietly to the priest at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, “It is time for the Lord to act....
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Freedom and Dignity: Reflections on Evangelium Vitae Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian Expressions of Freedom “It is a problem which exists at the cultural, social, and political level, where it reveals its more sinister and disturbing aspect in the tendency, ever more widely shared, to inter...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
July 23, 2018 Jesus Shows Us How to Live Out the Our Father in His Passion Stephen Beale Prayer, like the liturgy, should be lived out. If there is one prayer we should especially endeavor to live out it should be the Our Father — the prayer that St. Augustine held up at the model...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & ReflectionA word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Proverbs 25:11 A Time to ThinkEvery happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message. –Malcolm Muggeridge, journalist A Time to ActPut you...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
The Secret Of The GreatestMonday, July 23, 2018 Yochanan the Immerser or John the Baptist was in a sense the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was also a priest, a Nazarite, and Messiah called him the greatest of those born of women. Yet he said “I immerse you with water for repentance, ...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Monday 16th in Ordinary Time Saints July 23th: Bridget, religious, patron saint of Europe View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mt 12,38-42): Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, «Teacher, we want to see a sign from you». Jesus answered them, &la...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 23, 2018 « July 22 | July 24 » Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 395 Reading 1 Mi 6:1-4, 6-8 Hear what the...
Posted by Bishop Thomas Biddinger, S.O.S.M.A.
Invite To Prayer: If anyone has any prayer requests which you desire to have offered up in daily prayer, please post them on my blog, or email them to me at the following email address: SMFCMinistry@mail.com I will be happy to offer up any special prayer requests you may have in prayer, ...
Posted by Tony Villari
There are those who would argue that animals are just animals, and animals do not reason through to a God figure, or a lack of one for that matter. I mean, you would logically have to consider God before you could deny God, right? But, scripture has many references to God's influ...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Sunday 16th (B) in Ordinary Time View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mc 6,30-34): The apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, «Go off by yourselves to a remote place and have some rest». For there were so many ...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 22, 2018 « July 21 | July 23 » Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 107 Reading 1 Jer 23:1-6 Woe to the shepherdswho misl...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16 NIV A Time to Think I don't think that we're meant to understand it all the time. I think that sometimes we just have to have faith. –Nicholas Sparks, auth...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Saturday 15th in Ordinary Time View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mt 12,14-21): The Pharisees went out and made plans to get rid of Jesus. As Jesus was aware of the plot, He went away from that place. Many people followed him and He cured all who were sick. Then He gave th...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 21, 2018 « July 20 | July 22 » Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 394 Reading 1 Mi 2:1-5 Woe to those who...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
July 20, 2018 Scripture Speaks: Working and Resting Gayle Somers Jesus took His apostles away for a quiet retreat after their exhausting preaching mission. It didn’t go exactly as planned. Why? Gospel (Read Mk 6:30-34) St. Mark tells us that when the apostles returned to J...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
July 20, 2018 Divine Election Br. Elijah Dubek, O.P. When the Gospels record the calling of the Twelve, none of them offers us the qualifications of the Apostles. Nowhere do we find a collection of resumes or CVs that explain to us why Jesus chose those Twelve men. Apart from hints here and t...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
July 20, 2018 Praying & Learning With the Angels Fr. John Horgan Learning from the Angels Studying the nature of the spiritual beings can help us to purify the aspect of our nature that corresponds to theirs: the soul. The soul is usually thought of as having three faculties: (1) memory, the...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Friday 15th in Ordinary Time View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mt 12,1-8): It happened that Jesus walked through the wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some heads of wheat and crush them to eat the grain. When the Pharisees noticed thi...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 20, 2018 « July 19 | July 21 » Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 393 Reading 1 Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8 When ...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
July 19, 2018 Living in the Authority of Christ Today Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV A Homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time My mother had just taught me how to drive a car and it was the first time I had control of the wheels as she sat in the front passenger seat. I was trying to keep my anx...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Put Your Faith in Christ, Not in Feelings Constance T. Hull Rather frequently, I hear people make arguments about aspects of the spiritual life, the Church, morality, or relationships that are predicated upon a particular individual’s feelings. Some will complain that the Mass doesn&rs...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (The Daily Life Bible) A Time to Think Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. –Corrie ten Boom, author A Time to Act Rejoice, the future is full of pro...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
The Genesis Of Love Thursday, July 19, 2018 The word Ahavah is Hebrew for love. In Genesis 22:2 God says to Abraham, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering...” It’s the first appearance...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Thursday 15th in Ordinary Time View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mt 11,28-30): Jesus spoke thus, «Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and y...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 19, 2018 « July 18 | July 20 » Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 392 Reading 1 Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19 The ...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
St. Frederick St. Frederick, grandson of King Radbon of the Frisians, was educated by the clergy of the church of Utrecht, and later became a priest known for his great piety and learning. He was placed in charge of instructing catechumens and was eventually elected Bishop of Utrecht around...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Fear: The Root of Many Faults Sam Guzman Many of our faults and failings are more complex than we at first realize. Our patterns of behavior are rarely random, and surface sins are often merely symptomatic of deeper, more subtle wounds in our souls. Fear is a prominent example of a deeper w...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Living in the Present for a Happier Life Alan Scott Growing old is inevitable. Sure we can dress young, act young, and even color our hair to make us think we’re young. But, at a certain point, you will be confronted with a jarring realization: you are closer to the grave than the cr...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection And whenever you stand up to pray, if you have something against anyone, forgive so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your wrongdoings. Mark 11:25 (The Daily Life Bible) A Time to Think Not only do we not know God except through Jesu...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
More Than Forgiveness Wednesday, July 18, 2018 Luke 6:37 says, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” The Greek word translated as forgive in that Scripture is apoloo’oh. In Acts, the same word is used to speak of the disciples ‘sending away’ the o...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Wednesday 15th in Ordinary Time View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mt 11,25-27): On one occasion Jesus said, «Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Fathe...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 18, 2018 « July 17 | July 19 » Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 391 Reading 1 Is 10:5-7, 13b-16 Thus s...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Mary and the Wedding Feast of Cana Fr. Ed Broom, OMV Try to imagine now that you are at a wedding Feast in Cana. You are present with Jesus, Mary, and some of the Apostles. The environment is festive, joyful, and peaceful as you can imagine in most weddings. The couple has true love for eac...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Contemplative prayer is a persistence in faith uniting us to God — not only with God the Creator, Who is upholding nature in existence, and so in some way is present in every thing, but with God, Who makes Himself available in a supernatural way. God transfigures the believer from within, enab...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Tuesday 15th in Ordinary Time View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mt 11,20-24): Jesus began to denounce the cities in which He had performed most of his miracles, because the people there did not change their ways, «Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 17, 2018 « July 16 | July 18 » Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 390 Reading 1 Is 7:1-9 In the days of Ah...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the patronal feast of the Carmelite order. Following is an excerpt from the Carmelite Constitutions of 1995: Mary, overshadowed by the Spirit of God, is the Virgin of the new heart, who gave a human face to the Word made f...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Monday 15th in Ordinary Time Saints July 16th: Our Lady of Mount Carmel View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mt 10,34--11,1): Jesus said to his disciples, «Do not think that I have come to establish peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I ha...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 16, 2018 « July 15 | July 17 » Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 389 Reading 1 Is 1:10-17 Hear the word of...
Posted by Tony Villari
I have reposted this due to a link problem. It should be fixed. Holy Scripture states that only a fine will be levied against those who kill a child in the womb. This is the reasoning for abortion which was presented to me for my last post on the abortion issue, A...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
The prayer starts: O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then one ‘Our Father’ and three ‘Hail Marys’ are to be prayed after each of the following nine salutations 1. By the interces...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
St. Bonaventure St. Bonaventure (1221–1274) was born with the name Giovanni in Tuscany, Italy. As a child he became seriously ill and was in danger of death until his mother brought him to St. Francis of Assisi, who was then living in the region as a mendicant friar. It is s...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Liturgical day: Sunday 15th (B) in Ordinary Time View 1st Reading and Psalm Gospel text (Mc 6,7-13): Jesus called the Twelve to him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits. And He ordered them to take nothing for the journey except a staff; no food, no ba...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings July 15, 2018 « July 14 | July 16 » Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 104 Reading 1 Am 7:12-15 Amaziah, priest of Bethel, s...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection Seek the Lord when he can still be found; call him while he is yet near. Isaiah 55:6 A Time to Think If you begin to live life looking for the God that is all around you, every moment becomes a prayer. –Frank Bianco, U.S. journalist, and photographer &n...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
Scripture Speaks: Sending Out the TwelveGayle Somers In our Gospel today, Jesus summons, sends, and shapes the Twelve for mission. How? Gospel (Read Mk 6:7-13)St. Mark describes the first preaching mission Jesus gave to the Twelve, and it is full of instruction helpful to us. First, He ...
Posted by Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.
The Unexpected Graces of Offering Daily Prayer for OthersSherry Antonetti Saint Paul urges us to “pray without ceasing,” though the translation from Greek means, not that we pray without stopping, but that we keep returning to prayer. We constantly rededicate ourselves to talking w...
Posted by Bishop Thomas Biddinger, S.O.S.M.A.
I Cardinal Abbot Thomas Biddinger pose something for everyone to think about, then afterward I look forward to your comments on my simple philosophy. I thank you in advance for your comments! "You are a unique and unrepeatable gift from God which can never be duplicated, there will never be another...
Posted by Tony Villari
"Thank you, God, for another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel in life!" This is the way I greet every morning when the new day begins, and the way I greet each group I talk to every week at the medical center's S.T.A.R. (Stress, Trauma, Addiction, Recovery) Wellness Program...
Posted by Sean Hillman
My impression of general human philosophy comes down to a simple exultation of God and rejection of humans as weak and cheap knock offs. Now humans are not gods, though I suspect we are more than the mere sum of our apparent parts. However, I think we badly underestimate our relationship with the di...
Posted by Sean Hillman
Hello and welcome to my blog. What I write here may make you angry or may offer you hope. Either way, all are welcome here. Who am I? Just a man with a calling of my heart. I have many such callings but all things in their time. In this time of darkness and chaos, I feel this is the place and the ti...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection Because, my Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of faithful love for all those who cry out to you. Psalm 86:5 (The Daily Life Bible) A Time to Think God expects to hear from you before you can expect to hear from Him. –William Gurnall, author, ...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Titanic And Lifeboats Wednesday, July 11, 2018 The Titanic was called the unsinkable ship. It was almost a world unto itself- luxurious, ornate, elegant, and majestic. The idea of it sinking was so unthinkable that they didn’t even provide enough lifeboats for the passengers. And the...
Posted by Norman R. Van Etten
Death,Why Worry? We often view death with great sadness. Its a time reserved for solace and self-pity. But why? We for far to long, allowed death to be the end of life. We mustn't accept that! Death is not the final part of life. It is true, we will sincerely miss the person who has moved on...
Posted by Tony Villari
That which is written is especially vulnerable to interpretation. Considering how a heretical sect of Islam can twist the words of Muhammad from a message of peace into a message of "kill them all and let Allah sort them out," is it any wonder clergy in our own religion can do the sa...
Posted by Tony Villari
We can only hope Lenny Bruce is still right when he stated, “Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God.” Even though, for myself, I find no use for the church other than fellowship, a meeting place to discuss, debate, and learn, I would still rath...
Posted by Monsignor Samuel Cummings, D.D.
In the contemporary, information-age-world we have today... it's a fair statement that religious service attendance is dropping, particularly among millennials. And maybe it should be that way.Hear me out, first. Historically, churches were about what everyone knows about: the town's moral center,...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (The Daily Life Bible) A Time to Think Worship is a way of gladly reflecting back to God the radiance of His worth. –John Piper, preacher, and a...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Duped By The Stuffed Bear Thursday, July 5, 2018 When I was growing up the carnival would come to town every year. They had games that were rigged to make it nearly impossible to win the prize. They had a basketball with a hoop so small that it was almost impossible to get th...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (The Daily Life Bible) A Time to Think Freedom comes by filling your mind with God's thoughts. –Erwin Lutzer, pastor, and author A Time to Act Pr...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
The City On The Hill And You Wednesday, July 4, 2018 A word on America’s true foundation: The foundational vision and symbol of American civilization came from the lips of Messiah who said: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Yet those...
Posted by Tony Villari
Annie saw the old man, as he was the day before, sitting on the garden bench, wearing the same tattered, green wool cardigan sweater and dark corduroy slacks. His well-worn, black, fedora was set rakishly on his head with tufts of silver hair sprouting from the sides. The twisted shillelagh cane he ...
Posted by Tony Villari
The more questions we answer, the more questions we discover. The downside of intelligence is discovering how much you really don't know, about anything. With this thought firmly planted in mind, consider the smartest people on the planet searching for an elusive theory to explai...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection Look at the birds of the air: they neither reap nor gather into bards, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26 A Time to Think God sa...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
The Sons Of DeityWednesday, June 27, 2018 Greek mythology tells of supernatural beings who were children of the gods. There was Hercules, son of Zeus, and Perseus, another son of Zeus. Of course, it’s all a myth. The amazing thing is that something even more supernatural than this actually do...
Posted by Tony Villari
I've only had one bad experience with a traffic stop. Usually my friendly, respectful, and easy going nature will win the day for me. I have found that starting off the conversation with an "it wasn't me" look on your face tends to help. Depending on the age of the officer involved...
Posted by REV. DR. Godwin Iyayi D.D
IYAYI FOUNDATIONS NEED YOUR HELP. The Iyayi Foundation is a Christian based group. Our goal is to help those in need. Iyayi Foundation inspires to encourage a "peaceful" environment with the joy of the Lord providing comfort and security and exposing youth, young adults and adults to a true and rea...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
The Mystery Of The Manger Monday, June 25, 2018 It’s written in Psalm 147 that God gives to every creature ‘food’. The Hebrew word for food is lechem. Lechem means food, but it also means bread. There’s a town in Israel called the House of Bread. The Hebrew word for house i...
Posted by Tony Villari
I've had to answer, many times, why I may not like a particular person; I've even been asked by the particular person I seemingly haven't liked. I have always answered, it isn't that I don't like them, it's because they seem to care very little that I have no respect for them. Hell, I ca...
Posted by REV. DR. Godwin Iyayi D.D
Genesis 25:21. And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Isaiah 54:1-3. 1"Sing, O barren,You who have not borne!Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,You who have not la...
Posted by REV. DR. Godwin Iyayi D.D
Restoration: Our God share restore to everyone who read this Blog. 25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,The crawling locust,The consuming locust,And the chewing locust,My great army which I sent among you.26 You shall eat in plenty an...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21 A Time to Think You are a creation of God unequaled anywhere in the universe... Thank Him for yourself and then for all the rest of His glorious handiwork. –Norman ...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Interrogating The Interrogator Wednesday, June 20, 2018 Richard Wurmbrand was imprisoned for his faith by the communist government of Romania. He was interrogated and tortured day in and day out. One day he said to his interrogator, “You interrogate me all the time. Now I want to int...
Posted by Tony Villari
Cecile Richards; have you heard about this piece of work? Well, look upon the face of evil! Ask yourself why a segment of civilized society looks favorably on the treacherous murder of the innocent; the wholesale slaughter of our future. There is money to be made in murdering the unborn ...
Posted by Tony Villari
"An Orangutan from a zoo was reintroduced to the wild in Borneo and began spear fishing after watching local fisherman..." This tale bodes the obvious question: If the fisherman was using the spear to murder another fisherman, would the Orangutan also mimic this act? Well, from...
Posted by Roger Overweg
This is my FATHER'S world..... Ronnie McBrayer: We are only the caretakers, God owns it all RONNIE MCBRAYER | KEEPING THE FAITH Near Rochester, New York, a prominent, cliff-like ridge erupts from the landscape and runs west for hundreds of miles: Through New York, across parts of Ontario, into th...
Posted by Tony Villari
There comes a point when one has to say, "Methinks thou protesteth too much!" In other words, what are you, yourself, hiding that you must balk so loudly or judge others so harshly? And the mere fact that your Christian hypocrisy would deign to judge others ...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 A Time to Think Trust in the Redeemer’s strength…exercise what faith you have, a...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
How To Develop A Poor Memory Wednesday, June 13, 2018 My great uncle Jack was losing his memory. During our conversation at a family gathering, he said to me, “Who are you?” I replied, “Your nephew. You don’t know me?” He said, “No.” I felt a bit d...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
The Room Of Nails Tuesday, June 12, 2018 An imprisoned Christian in communist Bulgaria was put into a tiny cell with nails inside that pressed into him at the slightest movement. When his captors closed the door, he prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what t...
Posted by Tony Villari
As a father, and a grandfather, I thought it only fitting on Father's Day to pay homage to the women, the mothers, who allow us to pass on our genetic material for the express purpose of procreation. More importantly, they have selflessly volunteered to take significant time out of their lives...
Posted by Tony Villari
I wrote Notes from the Cusp of Forever at the end of this past February. It garnered average viewer numbers, but I received above average messages and emails concerning, what I considered to be, an average post. For whatever reason, it touched a chord with a segment of my reade...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & ReflectionLet’s come before him with thanks! Let’s shout songs of joy to him! Psalm 95:2 (The Daily Life Bible) A Time to ThinkAll the world is an utterance of the Almighty. Its countless beauties, its exquisite adaptations, all speak to you of Him. –Phillips Bro...
Posted by Karen Martinez
I recently created a private group on Facebook for those who are needing or looking for positive, uplifting support or wanting to give positive support by sharing quotes and affirmations and prayer. I'm looking for advice on how to word the offer of prayer. I'd like to include specific days I'd po...
Posted by Tony Villari
When I first saw "tripartite" I thought it might be some ancient Greek word for a single country where three separate cultures practice racial segregation against each other, but I was wrong again; it was just Plato working overtime. According to the ancient Greek philosopher, the sou...
Posted by Tony Villari
It has been my absolute pleasure over the past couple years to post my writings from the “Congregation for Religious Tolerance” on Facebook while, at the same time, sending my “personal” contacts a link to these postings, individually, through Facebook Messenger. Facebook, pr...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. Psalm 66:17 A Time to Think Prayer is the rope that pulls God and man together. But, it doesn't pull God down to us. It pulls us up to Him. – Billy Graham, evangelist ...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
The Origins Of General Booth Monday, June 4, 2018 A young preacher in England who had a heart for the poor and unsaved was offered a preaching position in a local Methodist church. His health was very poor and his doctor advised against it, but he decided to glorify God in his weakness and...
Posted by Tony Villari
I made a promise to my daughter that I would try to lighten up, occasionally, and try to write something a tad less serious and dramatic than the timely issues we are faced with day to day. To this end, I published the previous post; I have always found that children and animals can teach us much ab...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection Seek the Lord when he can still be found; call him while he is yet near. Isaiah 55:6 A Time to Think God takes life's pieces and gives us unbroken peace. –W. D. Gough, poet A Time to Act Pray for God to help you ke...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & ReflectionI remember you in my prayers night and day. 2 Timothy 1:3 A Time to ThinkPrayer is the pulse of life. –Andrew Murray, writer and pastor A Time to ActAsk God to stay with you in difficult situations and affirm that He is helping you now. A Time to PrayLord, help m...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & ReflectionIt was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12 A Time to ThinkThe highest form of thinking is prayer. –Norman Vincent Peale, best-selling author and minister A Time to ActBelieve that Jesus Ch...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
THE SEAL OF ISAIAH Friday, June 1, 2018 One of my favorite streams of news is that of biblical archaeology. In the skepticism of modern times, it seems the Lord has ordained that the stones would cry out to bear witness to the truth of His Word. In a time when scholars w...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & Reflection John 14:6 Tree of Life Version (TLV) 6 Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me. A Time to Think Let God's promises shine on your problems. –Corrie ten Boom, aut...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Living By The Temple StandardThursday, May 31, 2018 In Israel, there’s a place called the House of Caiaphas. There, you can see ancient measures and standards of weights. In Bible times, Israel used weights and measures to determine price and value. They had to be geared to the Temple or Sanc...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Daily Scripture & ReflectionFixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith . . . Hebrews 12:2 A Time to ThinkWorship is a way of gladly reflecting back to God the radiance of His worth. –John Piper, preacher and author A Time to ActDo your best and leave the rest to God. A Time...
Posted by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM
Prisons And PrisonersWednesday, May 30, 2018 In Acts 12, an angel is sent to release Peter from prison. The first thing the angel had to do was see Peter as a man who happened to be in prison. If he had seen Peter as a bound and hopeless case instead of a person who happened to be in prison and who...