Many Hearts Will Be Revealed

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
      you now dismiss your servant in peace.
 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
    which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
      and for glory to your people Israel.”

Then Simeon said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

January 4, 2008January 4, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Jesus, Life, People, Photography, Scritpure, Thoughts Leave a comment

Hearing God

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me on a level path—Psalm 143:10 

As Christians we stand in a millennia-long tradition of humans who have been addressed by God.  The ancient Israelites heard the voice of their God speaking to them out of the midst of fire.  A regular place of communion and conversational interchange between the high priest and God was established in the mercy seat over the ark of God.           

The individual with faith among the Israelites also cried out expectantly to be taught by God.  Isaiah, who had first hand experience of conversing with God, described it this way:  “then you shall call, and the Lord will answer you; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am…The Lord will guide you continually”—Dallas Willard

January 3, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Christianity, Encouragement, Life, People, Photography, prayer, Quotations, spiritual, Thoughts Leave a comment

God Becomes Human Out of Love For Humanity

“God overrules every reproach of untruth, doubt, and uncertainty raised against God’s love by entering as a human being into human life, by taking on and bearing bodily the nature, essence, guilt, and suffering of human beings.  God becomes human out of love for humanity.”  –Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

 

God’s care for humanity was so great that he sent his unique Son among us, so that those who count on him might not lead a futile and failing existence, but have the undying life of God Himself. –John 3:16

January 2, 2008October 13, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Christianity, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Encouragement, Inspiration, John 3:16, Life, love, People, Photography, Quotations Leave a comment

The Importance of a Life of Prayer

O Lord, who brings us to the Father,
The Life, the Truth, the Way
The path of prayer You did walk;
Lord, teach us now to pray.  

“Before a word of petition is offered, we should have the definite and vivid consciousness that we are talking to God and should believe that He is listening to our petition and is going to grant the thing that we ask of Him. We should look to the Holy Spirit to really lead us into the presence of God and should not be hasty in words until He has actually brought us there.” –-R. A. Torrey 

“We can never expect to grow in the likeness of our Lord unless we follow His example and give more time to communion with the Father. A revival of real praying would produce a spiritual revolution.” –- E.M. Bounds 

“The trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he says “Amen” and runs away before God has a chance to reply.  Listening to God is far more important than giving Him your ideas.”—Frank Laubach 

“The value in persistent prayer is not that he will hear us…but that we will finally hear him.”—William McGill 

“Prayer means yearning for the simple presence of God, for a personal understanding of his word, for knowledge of his will and for capacity to hear and obey him.”—Thomas Merton

January 1, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Church, Inspiration, Kingdom of God, Life, Photography, prayer, Quotations, spiritual Leave a comment

Like A Tree

Blessed is the man
       who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
       or stand in the way of sinners
       or sit in the seat of mockers.  

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
       and on his law he meditates day and night.  

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
       which yields its fruit in season
       and whose leaf does not wither.
       Whatever he does prospers. –Psalm 1:1-3      
      

They will be called oaks of righteousness,
       a planting of the LORD
       for the display of his splendor.      

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
       and restore the places long devastated;
       they will renew the ruined cities
       that have been devastated for generations. –Isaiah 61: 3,4

December 31, 2007December 31, 2007 by ryanmthurman Categories: Christianity, God's Beauty, Inspiration, Life, Photography 2 Comments

Simple Ministry Of Presence

More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them.  It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence.  Still, it is not as simple as it seems.  My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets.  It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress.  But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but you truly love them.”  -Henri Nouwen

December 29, 2007 by ryanmthurman Categories: Life, love, ministry, People, Photography, Quotations, spiritual Leave a comment

Christ Holds It All Together

 We look at Jesus and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at Jesus and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.  

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end.  Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. –Colossians 1:18-20 The MSG

Not only do we not know God save through Jesus Christ, but we do not know ourselves save through Jesus Christ.  Apart from Jesus Christ we know not what our life is, nor our death, nor God, nor ourselves. –Blaise Pascal

December 28, 2007December 28, 2007 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Christianity, Church, Encouragement, Jesus, Life, Photography, Quotations, spiritual 1 Comment

Righteousness And Peace Will Kiss

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky…
righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.  –Psalm 85:10-11,13

December 26, 2007December 26, 2007 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Encouragement, Life, love, People, Photography, Scritpure Leave a comment

Our Future Must Make Sense To Us

To live strongly and creatively in the kingdom of God, we need to have firmly fixed in our minds what our future is to be like.  We want to live fully in the Kingdom now, and for that purpose our future must make sense to us” –Dallas Willard  

When Christ, who is our life shall appear then you will be revealed with Him as glorious. –Colossians 3:4

 How great a love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be described as children of God!  But it has not yet been shown what we shall be.  We only know that when He appears we shall be as He is. –I John 3:1-2 

He will transform our lowly body to be like his glory body, using the power He has over everything. –Philippians 3:20

December 21, 2007October 13, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Cyprus, Dallas Willard, Encouragement, Inspiration, Life, Photography, Quotations Leave a comment

The Original Purpose Of Our Lives

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.  –Psalm 145:17  

It is I who made the earth
       and created mankind upon it.
       My own hands stretched out the heavens;
       I marshaled their starry hosts. –Isaiah 45:12  

The deepest desire of our heart is for union with God.  God created us for union with himself.  This is the original purpose of our lives.-Brennan Manning

December 20, 2007 by ryanmthurman Categories: Christianity, Life, People, Photography, Quotations, spiritual Leave a comment