They Shall Dream Dreams

moondockOn the 31 October 2012 I woke up at 0300 hrs. and found myself preaching to a faceless gray mass of people in a sort of evangelical Southern Baptist preacher type way. It was like I was a third party hearing myself preach and wondering why I could speak words that even made sense at that time of the morning since I’m one of those guys that you shouldn’t ask any questions too until after my morning coffee as their isn’t a lot of wattage happening until then. It was a very strange experience and after the preaching I fell asleep again. When I woke up I decided to would write down what I think I said to this faceless audience.

The discourse was very evangelical and powerful with a call to repentance and reconciliation with God. Jesus was gently knocking at the door of our hearts asking if He could come in to commune with us in an intimate relationship.

I spoke of the torments of hell where the damned gnash their teeth and curse God in the eternity of the everlasting fire while they cry out, “What did I do to deserve this punishment?” They argued that they had been mostly good-hearted.

Jesus replied, “When I was cold and hungry did you shelter and feed me? When I cried to you for mercy did you show mercy? When I was in prison or in the hospital did you visit me? When I cried out in silent screams of agony in the womb did you hear me, and save me from my murderers? Did you teach my little ones to love me and take them to my bride, the Church, for instruction? Did you read my love letters, the bible, and did you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in your life? Did you ignore the promptings to live a pure and holy life?

They replied, “But Lord who can be pure and holy? It is impossible!”

Jesus looked with compassion and said, “With God all things are possible. I gave you the Church, my bride, to guide you in right living. I gave you the sacraments so you could be renewed daily in love of God, and your neighbor. I gave you the sacrament of Reconciliation so that you would know beyond a doubt that your sins are forgiven and you can be restored to right relationship to Us. I even gave you my body, blood, soul and divinity in the Blessed Eucharist so that I could dwell on your tongue, in your body, and infuse your soul with my love so that you could begin to imitate me and my love for my people. I gave you written instructions for the path to heaven, and a road map in my bible and then asked the Holy Spirit to guide and console you on the journey home. I even assigned a special spiritual friend, your guardian angel, to guide and protect you from the wiles and snares of the devil, but you ignored his promptings and good advice.

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and you defiled it by profaning what was sacred and driving Him from yourself because you allowed illicit and disordered desires and passions to rule. Who did you think convinced you that it was OK to live for the moment and cast all your teachings of the truth aside? Who did you think tempted you with sex outside sacramental marriage, greed for what you didn’t need, tempted you to pursue power, fame, and fortune when it would only lead to the dead ashes of remorse? Why did you not know that you were in a spiritual battle between good and evil and with every bad decision you joined the enemy of life in a closer embrace.

I kept calling you but you stopped up your ears with noise from your iPod’s and iPad’s, TV’s, computers, music, and fair weather friends. Finally you got to a place where you didn’t care about truth, goodness, and light. It was all about you, and what you could squeeze out of life, not realizing that your choice to ignore God would continue into eternity. You decided God wasn’t important and in the everlasting today of hell you will reap what you sow.

I tried to draw you back into my heart when you were faced with your own mortality when your parent died, and you almost returned, but hardened your heart. I’ve saved your life on the highway numerous times hoping you would recognize me as your savior, and you felt a tug, and then wrote it off as luck.  Every time I called you rationalized it away as unreasonable and fate. I have called, and you spit in my face. I have called, and you beat me with your contempt. I have called, and you dabbled in the occult and New Age practices in your search for peace and serenity. You could never see the reality that my grace and peace flow from a good conscience and out of love for Us and those that you were called to serve.

I came to earth to serve and not too be served and you were called to imitate me. Instead you have sought the easy way that has led to perdition. My narrow way has a cross that you had to carry to imitate me in my passion, and you refused.

Serenity and peace, that you found elusive, only flows from knowing you are loved both now and forever. The crosses and burdens of life would have been light if you had allowed me to carry them with you. In suffering for others we learn the greatest lesson of all; and that is to love with Our own heart and that of my mother, and your mother, Mary. If you had been willing to conform your will to mine you would have been freed to live out your calling, mission, and purpose like I did. If only you had cried out, “Father, forgive me my sins”  we would have rushed to embrace you, but you wouldn’t answer the call of love.

We desire that all our children come home to heaven, but we gave you free will and the right to say no.  Hell is your choice, not Ours.

The Soul Doctrine

soul

soulAs I sat on the beach chair in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic enjoying the balmy tropical weather and wondering if I had the energy to walk the 30 steps to the beach bar for a beer I felt called to write these words…

Our soul seeks to know who it is in relation to God. Our life rediscovers itself through life experiences and most clearly through difficult, dangerous and painful times. The soul is on a voyage and journey of discovery and begins to see glimpses of the divine plan as the rays of light penetrate the darkness.

Many times we forget these glimpses and rays as we live out our lives with the concerns of daily life. At times our souls take the time to contemplate the divine in the beauty and intricacies of nature. Sometimes we marvel at the perfection of a baby. We see the divine connections when we see perfect timing in meeting people; we marvel at déjà vu- we have been there before in our dreams.

We are granted the privilege to share peace, love and hope soul to soul with another. A meeting with someone we are concerned about happens a little too perfectly to be anything other than a divine appointment. Through the struggles, hopes, sorrows, challenges and loves in our lives we rediscover our divine heritage as sons and daughters through the sacrifice and love of our beloved brother and Savior Jesus Christ. In Him, through Him, with Him we have eternal life.

What an amazing discovery! We – you and I; are brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. True peace, because we are peacemakers like our brother. True love because he faced greed, pride, oppression and death and defeated it with a love so great he defeated death for ever. True perseverance because he showed us that when we know we are in the Father and Spirit we do not fear anything this world throw at us. True hope because even though we all know we will die in our earthly life we believe the words Jesus gave us, “I’m going to prepare a place for you in my father’s house. If this was not so I would have told you for there are many rooms in my father’s mansion”. True faith because in spite of the challenges of our life we are called to place our faith in what is true, holy and divine.
And of faith, hope and love the greatest is love for love conquers fear.

The next day was Sunday and we met up with a Haitian pastor, Matheo Jean Claude, who had a vision to build a combination church, medical centre and school for Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic. We met several Haitian families and pastors and spent the day exploring where the Haitian families live. That evening we participated in a Spirit led Church service where hope, joy and fervent desire for our Lord Jesus Christ was evident in the singing, dancing and smiling faces. These people had no material goods but had an abundance of the goods of the Spirit. I was able to share a message of hope and love to our Haitian brothers and sisters while Matheo translated it into Creole.

Coincidence meeting Matheo or Christ incidence as we in the God Squad like to call it. May each one of us be open to the Spirit’s leading. Peace be with you…Jim

Integrity: Where has it gone?

integrity

integrityIn the past several weeks we have been hit with the news of RCMP officers being caught shoplifting in Vancouver B.C. during the Olympics, dying while pulling off drunken stunts, breaking into a house while off duty and other actions that discredit the police. We have heard and read of a bishop from Nova Scotia being caught with child pornography. A colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces was charged with first degree murder and sexual assault. Tiger Woods, held up as an icon of clean living and a family man, comes clean with a hidden life of deceit and adultery after he is found out. People in positions of the public trust have caused untold embarrassment, anger, hurt and a loss of trust when they breached ethics and lost the vision of personal and professional integrity.

The RCMP motto, “TO DO THE RIGHT” in my opinion defines integrity. To do the right thing requires us to have an informed conscience that understands God’s law of love that is written in our hearts and conscience and then live out the law to love God and our neighbor.

We need to remember that our decisions “to do the right” thing will always promote peace, harmony, and goodwill within our families and society. Our actions are like the ripple in the pond after we throw a rock in it. Our challenge is to be in right relationship first of all to God so that our thoughts, words and action reflect and promote God’s love for us and our love for our neighbor. Being in right relationship with God means we need to communicate continuously through talking with Him (prayer), reading His love letters to us (bible) and loving, respecting and obeying His bride (the Church and His Sacraments).

We are in a battle for our souls and those entrusted to us. This is the battle between good and evil. Our weak nature rebels and is always looking for the easy yet deadly way out. “Be a man” God tells us. Fight the good fight! Do the right and you will hear those wonderful words, “Well done though good and faithful servant, enter into my rest”.

~ Jim Amsing