[ampaterry]

Thank you, guys - you are very encouraging to me!

Jack, I believe it is a real thing indeed, and we are all in danger because of the wild and blind drive toward 'religious tolerance'. Only Christianity can be attacked with impunity, as the others are all treated special as minorities, and it matters not how many ambassadors are raped and murdered.

For today -

This is from William Barclay's Commentary on the Gospel of John;

It's interesting to me how Jesus looks at men. He does not only see what a man is; he also sees what a man can become. He sees not only the actualities in a man, he also sees the possibilities. Jesus looked at Peter and saw in him not only a Galilaean fisherman but one who had it in him to become the rock on which his church would be built. Jesus sees us not only as we are, but as we can be; and he says: "Give your life to me, and I will make you what you have it in you to be."

Regardless if you see Peter as the rock on which the Church of Jesus Christ is built, or if you see his faith as that rock, the point remains; Jesus saw what Peter could be, far beyond what he was.

Once someone came upon Michelangelo chipping away his chisel at a huge shapeless piece of rock. He asked the sculptor what he was doing. "I am releasing the angel imprisoned in this marble," he answered. Jesus is the one who sees and can release the hidden hero in every man.

What a great story! You know, it takes a great artist to see the figure in the shapeless block. Most people would look at it and see a big rock! And that is EXACTLY how it works with us and Jesus. Most people would look at us and see a big lump. Jesus looks at us and sees the person we can be, and he not only SEES us that way, but he TREATS us that way as well!

Matthew 4:18-19 (KJV);
“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

John 1:42 (KJV);
“And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV);
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”