Category Archives: Spiritual

Whispers, Faith and Truth

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002As I try to walk in faith from afar I hear whispers trying to convince me I can not do it. As I continue trying I hear more whispers saying not to give up and that all will be ok. Something inside of me keeps pushing and trying to keep me on track as the world keeps trying to bring me down and stop me from walking in faith. Faith can not be shaken nor can it be defeated, It can only be abandoned by the person whom has it. These words come to me when I feel like there is no hope and when I feel my faith has left me. They remind me that God is always with me and that if it feels like he isn’t here it because I chose to ignore or close him out. Even if that choice was made inadvertently or through doubt and fear I was the one to fail.

Even when we don’t see, feel or know he is with us he is still next to us waiting for us to reach out to him. He is always waiting and reaching out toward us wanting for us to come to him. He waits hoping we will come out of the darkness and the storm and into his loving embrace. Of course there are other forces out there trying to pull us away from God, some of it is our own flesh, our ego and our selfish desires. But there are those whom watch and those whom try to sway us away from God and his everlasting love. They try to mislead us, deceive us and some are even wolves in sheep’s clothing. This is why you must be very cautious of who you listen to or follow when it comes to your religious beliefs for it is your soul that is on the line. Read the scriptures for yourself, do not blindly trust in the interpretation of others and seek the truth from the source, God.

For those who are spiritual leaders be careful of the advice you give and keep for you are responsible for the outcome. If you mislead others you will have that sin on your soul, especially if you do not correct the misleading. Be very aware of what you teach and make sure it is not in contradiction to what is written.

May God guide us all, and may your hearts be full of peace and God’s love.

Ray Barbier

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It is the responsibility of every human being

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DSC_0323bWhy is it to some of the wealthy, money is more important than the welfare of other human beings? Why is it there are some who have far more than they ever will need or want and they still want more, even if it is at the cost of others? Why is greed and the lust of power so strong yet compassion and charity seem to be so weak in those they can do the most to help? Seems the ever shrinking middle class and the lower-income people have more compassion and charity in them than any other income groups. Maybe because they know how close to being homeless and hungry they are and they can relate to the suffering and needs of others better than someone who has it all.

Seems the way the world works is the working class builds the economy and pays for it while the wealthy rake in all the profits and benefits. I don’t know if I can really blame them, living in such luxury and blind to most of what goes on outside their own world. We all seem to have that bubble universe mentality in a way, just now the bubbles of the middle class, working-class and impoverished are merging together as the wealthy class bubble rolls further away. To take care of those in need is not our government’s job though we tend to want them to take care of it, it is the responsibility of every human being be they are wealthy, middle-class or even poor. We all are charged with the duty of loving our brothers and sisters and taking care of each other.

We can not change the hearts of others without having a change of heart ourselves and being an example for those whom we desire to lead towards change. In the end though no one can make change within anyone except themselves. Change is a personal choice and isn’t something that can be forced if it is to be true and lasting change.

Ray Barbier

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Faith plays such a important part

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Hagia Sophia ; Empress Zoë mosaic : Christ Pan...

Faith, Why is it so important? Does Faith really make a difference in getting prayers answered and does it help one through their daily lives? Well faith is defined as belief or trust in something, so having faith is to trust in God and also believing in him and his promises. How I understand it is that faith plays such an important part in enriching our lives and getting prayers answered is that by believing and putting our trust in God we open up the door for God to work in our lives. Of course God can help us with or without faith involved but I believe he wishes for us to come to him trustingly and in full belief so that we can have a personal relationship with him. The more we trust and believe in God the more we seem to be able to see his works around us and also the more our eyes are open to the gifts he has already laid around us that we have overlooked or could not see before.

I believe he answers all our prayers, just sometimes we are too blind or deaf to see or hear his answers. Then there are times his silence or inaction is the answer to the prayer.  The thing we must remember is God will give us all that we need if we ask, but he is rarely concerned with our unnecessary wants or desires. He desires the happiness of his children and the upkeep of the physical, mental and spiritual health of his children. He wants all of us to love one another unconditionally, to be as the children of God he designed us to be.  He put the challenges of different colors, languages, culture and even religious beliefs between us in order to teach us how to love one another in an unconditional manner. Without challenges for the human spirit there is no growth or change, he wishes for us to grow both mentally and spiritually. One of the biggest challenges I believe God set before his children is dealing with the Ego or the self, he teaches us that we should be submissive to his will and we have the natural desire to be selfish which makes that a great challenge for us to overcome.

Ray Barbier

 

A few Bible Verses about Faith

Matthew 17:20

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. "

Matthew 21:21

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.

1 Peter 1:5-9

who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Corinthians 13:2

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

 

Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–

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My own self

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p10104 There has been times in my life I allowed my low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence to stop me from getting a good job or just getting a job done. The only thing that stood in my way of getting the job or doing the job was my own self. Like others I allowed my fears, insecurities and self-doubt to limit me and keep me from the possibilities that were before me. It is so easy to excuse your way through life, never to face change and never to leave your comfort zone. The cost of living in such a way in the end is quite high, you miss so much of life and you never get to experience life as the person you were born to be.

I have learned you can blame others for the bad things in your life all you want, but the truth is that you alone make the choices that creates what your life is like, going to change into and ultimately will become. It is your choice if you allow others to influence and/or control aspects of your life. Others only have the power that you allow them to have over you and your life.

tpl0008So it all boils down to what choices you make and what external influences you allow to play a part in your life. The choice is always yours, even when you choose to allow others to make a choice for you.

Your life is the sum of the experiences you have had and the choices you have both made and avoided.

Ray Barbier

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be their helpers in every way possible

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MP900427738  Helping those who are in need and that are unable to help themselves is not only feeding, clothing, housing or caring for their physical needs it is also caring for their spiritual and emotional needs as well. We are supposed to be their helpers in every way possible. We are to be their best friend, mentor, brother / sister and so on. They are fellow human beings and fellow children of God so they are a part of our great extended family through God and Christ. It all boils down to having and giving the same kind of love God and Jesus has given us. We should take care of each other as if we were family, we shouldn’t see others as separate from our family in Christ. Christ taught compassion towards all people, regardless of race, sex and even religion. How are we to win the hearts of those who don’t know Christ if we shun them for believing differently. That just closes the doors to their hearts and minds to us and to Christ as well.

We are supposed to be good examples of both God and  Jesus’s  love and their mercy not Judgmental and hurtful.

Ray Barbier

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is a blessing

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016 Each morning we awaken to is a blessing, Every person who love us and we love are blessings as well. Each meal we eat is a blessing, every breath we take is a blessing as well. Every smile we see is a blessing in deed and every smile we give is a blessing to both ourselves and those we smile at. Having a job is a blessing, even if the job isn’t ideal or stressful it is still a blessing not to be unemployed.  Every friend we have, had and will have are blessings for they are like family and sometimes even more. Even enemies can be blessings for they teach us how not to be and sometimes help us see the faults within our own character.

Each day we have here on earth is a blessing if we see it, know it, admit it,  realize it or not. So many things we take for granted that are great blessings and so many things we forget to give thanks for as well.

Ray Barbier

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Cherish the blessing of having good friends

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dd43853 Friendship, Something most of us take for granted and few understand its power. God gave us the ability to love one another not only as family or spouses but also as neighbors and friends. The strength we gain in friendship is a gift from God. Friendship and Fellowship is close cousins if not siblings for to have true fellowship we must have friendships within it.  God knowing we alone are weak, gave us all the different types of relationships so we can help one another through life.

RBM001122 Friends are there for one another through thick and thin, they support one another and are not afraid to tell each other the truth, Nor are they angry at each other for doing so. True friends are inseparable and are compassionate, forgiving and understanding with each other. Friends are the support network outside of the family and the church. Some friends are considered as family and are also a part of the fellowship within the church as well.

Cherish the blessing of having good friends for it is hard to make it through life without them.

Ray Barbier

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we can not achieve perfection by any means

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2Perfection, something many strive for but none truly ever reach. The illusion that we can achieve some form of perfection is nothing but a vicious trap. The more we work to be perfect the more we seem to find fault in ourselves. There is no man or woman who can achieve perfection and to try is to waste precious time and energy. We can achieve great and miraculous things but we will have many mistakes involved in the process. Mistakes and faults are what makes us who and what we are for through them we learn and grow spiritually. I believe many are perfectionists out of their fear of failure or some kind of desire to be accepted. Many overachievers and perfectionist are driven by the dreams and expectations of their parents, partners and peers. They haven’t realized that the only dreams and expectations they need to worry about is their own. God has given each of us talents and gifts and a purpose for them. We should be concerned about What god wants and set goals by what we know we can achieve. To set too low or too high of goals for our abilities is only setting us up for either failure or wasting of the talents and gifts God has given us.

Through God and Jesus we can achieve anything that is within the will of God. God knows we are not perfect and that we can not achieve perfection by any means on our own. So why should we expect perfection of ourselves or others if God doesn’t expect it of any of his children? God only expects us to do our best and to do it for his glory. So give up on perfection and embrace the idea of doing the best you can and for the Glory of God. In the end God and Jesus are the ones that matter the most in life.

 The hardest part of following God’s Will is the part where we have to surrender our will and give up our own selfish desires. Putting God before everyone and everything else.

Ray Barbier.

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Thank you God for this morning

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jesus22God has blessed me yet again with another day of life, a job and a few good friends. Thank you God for this morning which I have been blessed with and all the gifts that it contains and for those blessing that remain from the days before. Thank you for another chance to serve you and yet another chance to improve myself and help others. Thank you for the excellent writers you have sent my way to write on the blogs. Thank you for the readers and other blog writers who take time to read, comment and like our posts. Thank you most of all God for the son you gave and sacrificed to save me from my wretched ways and Thank you Jesus for being that sacrifice and being our savior.

Each morning is a blessing and another chance to serve God, Every evening is a blessing and another day of life we had to live for God and his glory.

Ray Barbier

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