Christians for Christ: Inspired by the Holy Spirit

By Jim Timmermans

CHRISTIANS FOR CHRIST is a collection of personal spiritual musings . Each small section is essentially Independent. The text may be absorbed from cover to cover or by simply dipping in and out of separate sections. Within the text various entries refer to -

JESUS CHRIST

MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS

ST. MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT

ST. MARY MACKILLOP

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION OF YOUTH

THE CHURCH INSTITUTION

CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO LIFE and CHRISTIAN UNITY .

These sections are not independently documented. The thinking behind this and the lack of punctuation is to me a reflection of the nature of personal spirituality which is very much a living organism constantly growing and always multi-faceted and integrated with the complexities of the Christian individual living life here on earth along with the very many other Christians. I hope this part of my own spiritual journey documented with the strong influence of the Holy Spirit is helpful to readers particularly with respect to our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is dedicated to my mother Elisabeth who passed away January 25 2012.

Jim Timmermans Cert. Ed. Dip. Tch. Grad. Dip. R.Ed. M.Ed. (JCU). Jan. 2012. Brisbane. QLD.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jan 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479757541

Jim Timmermans

Jim Timmermans has been a school teacher for over forty years. A major part of his work has been with Christian Education. He is continuing this work on a part-time basis. Spirituality for Jim has always been strong in his life and in recent years he has taken to writing as a form of prayer. His priority is to come to know and love Jesus better and very much to assist others to do so. His major interests which receive attention in this work include Jesus Christ, Our Lady, The Trinity, The Church, Christian living, Christian education, Christian unity, St. Mary MacKillop and St. Marcellin Champagnat. All of his life has been in the Catholic Church where he spent twenty years in the Marist Brothers teaching order. His overriding interest and mission is Christian unity. Jim has a Masters degree in Education and previously represented New South Wales in shot-put and Queensland in amateur boxing as a heavyweight. With his wife Maureen and daughter Brooke he lives in Brisbane in the state of Queensland in Australia. He is emphatic about crediting the Holy Spirit for working through him to produce Christians for Christ.

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Copyright © 2013 by Jim Timmermans.

ISBN:

Softcover   978-1-4797-5753-4

Ebook         978-1-4797-5754-1

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CONTENTS

Preface

For Me Now To Write Is To Pray It Hasn’t Always Been That Way

Jesus

What Are We Afraid Of

And Yes Some Family Members Think I’m A Little Odd

It’s A Common Task To Chase Success

Think About It What Makes Us Feel Good

The Real Values Are Not To Have Or To Achieve

Christ Has Told Us That He’s All We Need

Jesus

Jesus We Worry We Fret We Are Anxious

Jesus—

The Search For You Is What Life’s About

To Be Nice Is A Simple Aim

To Please You Lord Is Where I’m At

Jesus—

Life Is Not Always Fair Justice Doesn’t Always Happen

Jesus—We Worry Too Much What Others Think And Why Is That So

To Listen To The Holy Spirit Is To Understand Our Reason For Living

Jesus—

Jesus Stay With Me When I’m Up Against It

Jesus—

Jesus

Champagnat And Mackillop—

Mary Mother Of Us All Give Heed To Our Call

Mary Our Good Mother You Know Him Like No Other

Jesus On Earth—You Always Showed Us Love And Care

Jesus—I Need So Much To Keep In Touch

It’s I Who Turn My Back On You

My Life I Live ‘Tis Not For Me

You Always Had Jesus And Mary

Jesus—Based On The Psalm—If The Lord Does Not Build The House In Vain Do The Laborers Toil

To Live A Christ-Like Life Is That For Which We’re Born

I Surrender To You Jesus Christ My Life Is Not Mine It’s Yours

Crush Me And Rebuild Me To Be Christ-Like

To Live Is To Talk To You

Help Me To Remember Always That You Are In Others

Mary Mother Of God—

When You Stand Up To Be Counted And You Need To Make A Point

No Anxiety

Look At Things We Do That Are Just Not Nice

Jesus—Help Me To Develop My Relationship With You

Mary—You Are The Perfect Mother Loving Caring Forgiving Responsible

Champagnat

Build A Strong Trust In Christ He’ll Never Let Us Down

When We Really Start Believing In The Lord Who Gave Us Life

We Ought Get In The Habit Of Turning To You

Jesus—

We Hear What Many Say—We Need A Church For Women Too

So Where Are All The People Now They’re Certainly Not At Mass

Champagnat—

For Christianity To Abound How Should It Actually Hit The Ground

May The Strength Of My God Support Me

Teachers In Christian Schools Have Big Responsibility Here

Our Actions Based On Patience With Love From Me And You

To Be With You Is What I Ask To Be Close As A Friend

Entertain Jealousy

Raise Voices

What Does It Mean To Be Christ-Like And A Follower Of Champagnat And Mackillop

To Know You’re Here All The Time

Jesus—Relationships Can Develop Snags

In Our Daily Lives Let’s Just See How We Travel

When Others Look At Me And Don’t See You

You’re Always In You’re Never Out

To Live The Life Meant For Us To Do The Things We Should

Jesus—I Submit Myself To You Completely

Jesus—

Life Makes Much More Sense When You Are The Centre

You Help Me Write One Prayer Each Day

Most Times You’re Certainly Here But Some Times You’re Not

Thank You Lord For All Your Gifts To Me

Jesus—

Let Us See You In Every One And In Every Thing

There Is One Phase That’s Never Gone

Jesus—

Jesus—

Jesus Help Me To Always Fix My Eyes On You—Especially When

I Am Strong Happy And Healthy

Help Us To Be Compassionate Tolerant And Accepting

Ask Jesus To Grant Us Your Vision

That’s What We Try To Do Jesus—

To See Christ In Others’ Eyes His Lovely Face To Recognise

To Be Christian Means To Be Always Fair

Jesus—

Kids Will Upset You But Just Stay Calm

When Dealing With Kids It May Get Rough

To Really Hear Others Sisters And Brothers

Jesus—

A Spiritual Life Makes A Lot Of Sense The Rewards Are Truly Large

Try To Learn About Him Read The Scriptures Too

Alternate Method Of A Combined Prayer / Meditation—

Come Holy Spirit Creator Come Tell Us About Mackillop

Relax And Be Happy To Make More Mistakes

Being Still Being Quiet Used To Be A Bore

Jesus Of The Silver Cross

Come Holy Spirit Speak Through My Pen

Self Promotion Makes Me Sick

Come Holy Spirit Help Us All

Come Holy Spirit For Many To Believe Is Difficult To Do

Come Holy Spirit Talk To Me About God And Men

Come Holy Spirit Speak To Us Of Friends

Come Holy Spirit Talk To Me

Come Holy Spirit Talk To Me

Come Holy Spirit Guide Us Every Day

Come Holy Spirit Speak To Me Now That’s My Request At Your Behest

There Are Not Enough Priests At All

Greed And Corruption Man What A Threat

Christmas Day And Celebration

Jesus You Came To Me When I Was Young To Mass I Went A Lot

A Thing I’d Really Love To See All Christian Churches As One

So Much Of What We Chase Is Like A Silly Race

To Surrender To Jesus If That’s The Case

Come Holy Spirit Help Me To Spread The News The Word Of Jesus Christ

What Are We Doing And Where Are We Going

Come Holy Spirit Three Words To Know

The Good That We Do Is Recorded Against Our Name

Yes We See Jesus In Others And Yes In Nature Too

He Created Us And He Loves Us Let Him Guide Us What To Do

Jesus Waits For Us And Has Done So Forever

There Are Statements We Have Heard

Mary Our Good Mother

Champagnat Champion Of The Kids

Come Holy Spirit Creator Come

Come Holy Spirit Guide My Pen

Mary Mackillop Champion For The Cause

Come Holy Spirit—Remind Me Of Our Marist Saint

Come Holy Spirit I Presume You’ll Agree

Come Holy Spirit Guide My Pen

Come Holy Spirit Come Be Forever Our Powerful Chum

Come Holy Spirit What’s It Mean To Educate A Teen

Come Holy Spirit Talk To Me And Do So All The Time

Jesus—To Rely On You The Whole Day Through

When I Needlessly Seek Attention Or Praise—It’s In Your Hands

My Aspirations Are In Your Hands

Jesus—Help Me To Grow In Your Love

Mary You Gave Your Life For Christ

Mackillop A Character So Strong

Champagnat Nothing For You Was Too Much

Spirit Of God Be My Guide

Champagnat You Taught Us How To Teach

Faith Can Move Mountains Faith Can Dry Fountains

To Teach Christian Education Is To Teach Jesus Christ

Holy Spirit How Do We Relate To Jesus

People Question Me On How Do I Know

Should Christians Of The World Unite

Lord The World Is In A Mess

Holy Spirit Be My Guide As I Write Be By My Side

Spirit Of God Give Me The Nod On Issues Just For Us

Champagnat Help Us To Spread The Marist News

Mackillop Great Woman Of Strength And Honour

Masks Masks They’re Everywhere People Being Who They’re Not

To Speak Ill Of Others Is Not The Way To Go

Evolution Some Say Explains God Away

January And So Begins Another Year

What Others Think Of Me No Longer Really Matters

We’re Not Much Really Are We

Teach Us Holy Spirit Life Is Short Not Long At All

A Unified World Under Christ Now There’s The Way To Go

Holy Spirit The Aim Is To Relate To Jesus

To Follow The Heart Is To Follow The Lord

The Church Has Its Place And That Will Always Be The Case

It Lives In The Middle Ages

Holy Spirit Guide My Pen And Do So Again And Again

Holy Spirit Help Me To Write As I Invite You On This Night

PREFACE

CHRISTIANS FOR CHRIST is a collection of personal spiritual musings . Each small section is essentially independent. The text may be absorbed from cover to cover or by simply dipping in and out of separate sections. Within the text various entries refer to—

JESUS CHRIST

MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS

ST. MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT

ST. MARY MACKILLOP

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION OF YOUTH

THE CHURCH INSTITUTION

CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO LIFE and CHRISTIAN UNITY.

These sections are not independently documented. The thinking behind this and the lack of punctuation is to me a reflection of the nature of personal spirituality which is very much a living organism constantly growing and always multi-faceted and integrated with the complexities of the Christian individual living life here on earth along with the very many other Christians. I hope this part of my own spiritual journey documented with the strong influence of the Holy Spirit is helpful to readers particularly with respect to our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is dedicated to my mother Elisabeth who passed away January 25 2012.

Jim Timmermans Cert. Ed. Dip. Tch. Grad. Dip. R.Ed. M.Ed. (JCU). Jan. 2012. Brisbane. QLD.

FOR ME NOW TO WRITE IS TO PRAY IT HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY

FOR OTHERS TO WORK IS TO PRAY AND IT SUITS THEM SO HEY

FOR EACH HER OWN AND THAT’S GREAT

SO LONG AS JESUS IS OUR MATE

SO LONG AS JESUS IS OUR GUIDE AND HE’S ALWAYS BY OUR SIDE

SO LONG AS TO HIM WE TURN SO LONG AS FOR HIM WE YEARN

AS WE WORK THROUGH IT WE’LL FIND OUR WAY TO DO IT

WHEN HE SEES US HAVING A GO HE’LL BE THERE AND WE’LL KNOW

IT’S NOT AT ALL A DAUNTING TASK ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS ASK

THEN VERY QUICKLY WE WILL FIND JESUS CHRIST IS TOTALLY KIND

TOTALLY LOVING AND FORGIVING TOO AND DOES EVERYTHING FOR ME AND YOU

BUT THIS IS TO BE OUR TOTAL WILL IT OUGHT BE OUR CHOICE

TO OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE HIM AND OPEN OUR EARS TO HIS VOICE

THEN OPEN OUR HEARTS TO HIS LOVE AND BEGIN LIFE IN HEAVEN ABOVE

WE SURRENDER OURSELVES TO THE LORD THEN LIVE WITH HIM IN ACCORD

OVERWHELMING IS THE IMMEDIATE REWARD

School.jpg

JESUS

I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU ARE NEGLECTED I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU ARE REJECTED

THERE ARE THOSE DON’T WISH TO SEE THAT YOU ARE MEANT FOR ALL

THEY SEEM NOT TO WISH TO BE DEPENDENT ON YOU AT ALL

THEY DON’T SEEM TO AGREE DEPENDENCY IS TO BE FREE

THEY TURN THEIR BACKS ON YOU AND YES WE WONDER WHY

TO SPEND QUIET TIME WITH YOU THEY NEVER REALLY TRY

YES THERE ARE MANY WHO DON’T GIVE IT A GO

AND SO THEY MAY NEVER KNOW

THEY OUGHT MAKE THE FIRST STEP

ATTENTION TO JESUS SHOW

THERE ARE OTHERS WHO BREAK THE CONNECTION

AND GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION

MAYBE THEY’VE HAD A BIG LOSS

AND THEN JUST BLAME THE BOSS

NOT REALLY A FAIR THING TO DO

HE INTERFERES NOT WITH ME AND YOU

UNLESS WE REQUEST HIM TO

A LOT OF BAD THINGS IN THE WORLD

ARE SIMPLY BAD CHOICES AND LISTENING TO WRONG VOICES

YES THERE ARE NATURAL DISASTERS

RESULTING IN CASUALTIES TOO

THAT’S THE PLANET EVOLVING

WITH SOME OF OUR HELP TOO

TO BLAME ALL THAT ON JESUS IS JUST TOO EASY TO DO

FOR MANY IT’S A WAY OUT I THINK UNFORTUNATELY THAT’S TRUE

THEN IT ALL COMES BACK TO OUR WILL

TO WHAT WE CHOOSE TO DO

AND THEN WE MAKE THE CHOICE WHICH VOICE TO LISTEN TO

Jesus_new.jpg

WHAT ARE WE AFRAID OF

AFRAID OF BEING GOOD

AFRAID OF DOING AS WE SHOULD

MANY ARE YET TO SEE THE GREAT REWARD

OF BEING CLOSE TO YOU

OF LIVING IN ACCORD WITH WHAT YOU SAY AND DO

SOME THINK THAT’S JUST TOO HARD BUT REALLY THAT’S NOT SO

BUT THEY WILL NOT KNOW IF THEY DON’T GIVE IT A GO

OTHERS FIND IT HARD EVEN TO BELIEVE

ARE