Devotionals by Reverend Joseph Vacca

Sweet wounds of Christ impinge upon my mind
Sweet wounds of Christ which flow through endless time
Sweet wounds that touch my heart so deep
Sweet wounds of Christ I shall keep
Within my heart sounds that cause my soul to sleep
In love divine and resplendent glory
Unveiled from Christ the hidden story
A life that loves and breathes within
The Lovers Soul that bears my sin
In Darkness moves with hidden love
That shine below and from above
Glory of God move upon my soul
Take me to the silent waters that comfort and hold
The heart of man in silence pure
With love divine so great and sure.
Sweet wounds of Christ take me away
from the sight and sounds of a world at play.
Move toward me with ever new delight
to show to me the glory of your Light.
Sweet wounds of Christ upon the Cross
you bear my sin that I may not be lost.
Sweet wounds of Christ consume my soul and heart,
and make it so we never shall part
from one another through time and space

"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah." Psalm 4:4

The word Selah is used in many of the psalms. It means to pause and reflect upon what one is reading. In the 4th Psalm in verse 4, we are given in the actual verse, the means by which one may truly enter into the spirit of Selah. Selah calls us to slow down our thought processes and allow the flow of God from what we are reading to infuse into our hearts. After the "infusion" there comes the "perfusion" or spreading of the energy of the words throughout one's heart. After the "infusion" or introduction of the word into the heart and the spreading of the word throughout our heart comes the release or "effusion" of the words of God from our midst to the creation. This process is most simply expressed as the reception of faith, the understanding of faith and the release of faith. The Psalmist invites us to stand in awe of the God of all creation, redemption and sanctification. This reality of standing in awe of God moves the heart and soul of a man to depart from all sin in his life. The sin issue of our life is taken care of by God through the Cross of our Lord. It is because of the grace of God through the Savior that we can then commune within our hearts with the spirit of the word of God in the psalm.The psalmist says that we are to do this upon our bed- the place of resting. Many souls can do many things but not many rest from within their hearts and souls. God shepherds His people beside the still waters, waters of rest. It is there, by these waters that much is done by God to one's soul, heart, mind, body and being. The world is saturated with grief and hectic activity, therefore the man of God needs to rest and pause with God as often as possible. It is in this process of SELAH that one will find the still small Voice to live by and mature by in Christ's Spirit.

Devotionals by Reverend Joseph V***a "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" 1 John 4:20

Many may say that they love God, but what they do will show most perfectly the truth of that assertion. Man is the mirror image of God Himself. Christ Jesus enters into the human heart to bring that image into focus as a man gives himself more and more completely to God. Jesus said that if we love Him we must obey Him. Obedience to God truly shows one's love for God. To love others it is essential to obey them also so long as their desire does not go against the Lordship of Christ. It is very humbling to behold how little we love God. The proud man is deeply grieved by that statement, for he thinks that he loves God more than others. The humble man says nothing but bows his heart before God in complete resignation to the fact that his love is frail indeed. If a man doesn't love his brother who he sees with the naked eye how can he affirm that he loves God who he says he beholds with the eye of his heart? Spiritual reality is truly reflected in the outward expressions of the inner dimension of the heart and soul. The true love of God is manifested in the expression of Christ from within a man. Our Lord warns us of the sin of hypocrisy whereby a man professes what he doesn't possess internally. To judge others because they differ from one shows a lack of love for them. God has made each one of us for His own glory and He has fashioned each heart according to His divine holiness and wisdom. Even the wicked are fashioned by God for the evil day not independent of their choice to hate God. We must take a very humble and pure stance when dealing with others. Wherein is the love for others if one goes about condemning them and mocking them for their variance from oneself? Let us learn to love in the spirit of God Who gave Himself up for all of humanity, not pointing a finger of condemnation to any, but rather embracing each and every one of us through Jesus His Son.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Matthew 6:12

The Lord is infinitely just and merciful in His dealings with mankind. God is to a man what a man is to God. In the sacrifices of Cain and Abel God had respect toward Abel and his sacrifice because he had respect toward God. God did not have respect toward the sacrifice of Cain because Cain had no respect toward God. God will not forgive the debts we incur toward Him and others if we are not forgiving toward others who sin against us. It is a fearful thing to not be forgiving to our neighbor. The human creature is laden with faults and all manner of sinfulness and in this reality we ought to mourn before God Who Alone is infinitely holy. Those who mourn will be comforted. It is a sign of great pride to not forgive another for their sin against one. The proud are abhorrent in the eyes of God. Let us know that the smaller we are in our own mind and heart the larger we are in the divine heart and mind. Many times God gives to us blessings when we are little in our own mind but takes them away when we become proud. So was the case with king Saul. To be an unforgiving heart shows forth to the human race that one does not know God. God's mercy endures forever and the precious blood of Christ covers the souls of all those who will repent to Him. It is the glory of a man to overlook a transgression against him. This power to forgive another who has sinned against one truly shows that the forgiving man knows God and his own soul. It is not good for a man to be without knowledge, even the knowledge of God and one's self. When God reveals to a man the truth regarding his heart and soul there is great glory as that man enters into ever deeper states of humility and mercy. To know God requires mercy and grace to be given to a man. God will bring a man by way of divine "stepping stones" of sin to the awareness of his own heart and soul. God shows to us our sin so that we may come into proximity to His holy Heart as we repent to Him. The shining Light of forgiveness from God to a man will flood his soul and bring him into oneness with the Lord of glory Who forgives all who will repent to Him in truth.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

The more poor one becomes in spirit the more perfectly he enters into the kingdom of heaven. How does one become poor in spirit? The progressive growth into poverty of heart and soul takes place throughout one's life in God. God denudes a man of all his connections to the creation and in this process aligns him and unites his soul and being to God. When a man begins his journey with the Savior he has much wealth. His material wealth is one thing, but his soulic, intellectual, volitional, and most sorrowfully his immense pride must be impoverished. A man may have little material wealth an yet be extremely rich in spirit and is therefore very far from Christ's Heart. A man may have significant material wealth and be very close to the Redeemer. God impoverishes a man by afflicting his soul, mind, heart and body. God uses all manner of agencies to do this but all is by, with, and through His Spirit. In the sight of God those who are poor in spirit are truly rich in Him. Those who are willful and proud have nothing with Him. God breaks a man's will by giving to him the "Valley of Achor" as a door of hope. This valley of trouble will work into a man all manner of blessedness if that man will humble himself under the mighty hand of God. Every life on earth has potentially, through the goodness of God, the ability to come to God and find the kingdom of heaven if they would respond rightly to God's holy hands. The hands of Christ are pierced and therefore they will pierce through the heart and soul of anyone who will submit and yield to Him. The truly generous in heart are very poor in spirit. Those who are greedy in heart are very rich in spirit. There is a kingdom to be had for every man on earth if he gives himself to the Lord of glory. The blessed walk with the Lord is one whereby we depart from all our own estimation of situations and people in our lives and become devoid of judgment bas

For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29

The true reason for life is to be found only in God, for He is a Fire the magnitude or which is not able to be comprehended by any creature. He is that Light that is unapproachable. Even though it is beyond all comprehension, God gives to any man who will pour out his heart and soul to Him the progressive gaze upon that beatific Light even in the present world. The thought of the Consuming Fire reveals to us the quality of the love that God has for mankind. in man's search for meaning in life he errs greatly looking for anything other than the God and Lord that created him and redeemed him. The powers of the world, the flesh and the devil distort man's of perception of life not allowing him to see the truth about the value of his own soul. Christ appears on the earth and we are given by God the truth about how valuable a soul is to God. The value of anything depends on how much one desires that which he beholds. If a child was offered a cookie or a diamond he would readily reject the priceless diamond for the cookie. Why? Because that is his estimation fo the value of it. Everything in the creation has a designated value determined by each man on the earth. The Life of God is also valued or devalued by a man depending on that man's perception and thirst for Him. The thirst for God within the human hart is God Himself. He has graciously given to mankind His Son Jesus, the living Flame of His Heart for man. This Flame will enter into any man if that man will respond to that eternal love being shown to him. The true glory of the Church of Jesus Christ is that those who truly profess Christ show to the creation the superabundant love and mercy of the Redeemer. The word of God goes out to all mankind with the hope in the Heart of God that men will respond to His Living Flame of divine love, Jesus Christ. The Flame of Christ starts as a Holy Spark of love. Then it grows into a Flame which increases ever more into a consumi

"For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29

The true reason for life is to be found only in God, for He is a Fire the magnitude of which is not able to be comprehended by any creature. He is that Light that is unapproachable. Even though it is beyond all comprehension, God gives to any man who will pour out his heart and soul to Him the progressive gaze upon that beatific Light even in the present world. The thought of the Consuming Fire reveals to us the quality of the love that God has for mankind. In man's search for meaning in life, he errs greatly looking for anything other than the God and Lord that created him and redeemed him. The powers of the world, the flesh and the devil, distort man's of perception of life so that he cannot see the truth about the value of his own soul. Christ appears on the earth and we are given by God the truth about how valuable a soul is to God. The value of anything depends on how much one desires that which he beholds. If a child was offered a cookie or a diamond, he would readily reject the priceless diamond for the cookie. Why? Because that is his estimation for the value of it. Everything in the creation has a designated value determined by each man on the earth. The Life of God is also valued or devalued by a man depending on that man's perception and thirst for Him. The thirst for God within the human hart is God Himself. He has graciously given to mankind His Son Jesus, the living Flame of His Heart for man. This Flame will enter into any man if that man will respond to that eternal love being shown to him. The true glory of the Church of Jesus Christ is that those who truly profess Christ show to the creation the superabundant love and mercy of the Redeemer. The word of God goes out to all mankind with the hope in the Heart of God that men will respond to His Living Flame of divine love, Jesus Christ. The Flame of Christ starts as a Holy Spark of love. Then it grows into a Flame which increases ever more into a consuming Fire in the human soul. If any man will open his heart to God's Son, He will enter into him and will grow into a consuming Fire that all mankind will behold!

" In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thess. 5 :18

The secret of living a life of peace and joy is to enter into the blessed Heart of Christ and learn to thank God in all things. This kind of spirit illustrates the real relationship of a soul to her God. When we fail to thank God in all things, we separate Him from our own heart. This is because reality is the expression of the Divine Mind. As one grows into a deeper awareness of God's Presence in all that happens in life, both the good and the sorrowful, a spark of divine love will ignite within the human heart and soul. This "Spark" will progressively consume the being of a man and take him into the courts of heaven. It is there in that heavenly place one will experience more and more of the love of God that brought him there because that soul and heart has learned to thank God in all that happens to it. Many people complain of the lack of goodness that God seems to show them because they never truly thank Him in the good events of their lives. Let us then learn to begin to thank God in the small things of life that His holy hands have given to us. Soon we will see Him in all the events of life that occur. The love of God is sacrificial and a man must take a sacrificial attitude if he will ever thank God in all things. We will progress from the known dimension we have of God to the unknown dimension as our thanksgiving evolves from a "spark" to a consuming fire within us. Not many great souls according to man's judgment will be in heaven, but all who are taken into the glory of God will have this in common- that they have loved Him and have learned to thank Him in all that is in their lives.

"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." Eccles. 11:1

Whatever a man casts upon the waters of life will return to him at a future time. The motions of spiritual flow dictate what will be unto a man. It is for this reason that one receives glory or shame in his life. There is no escaping the law of spiritual flow. There are two dimensions of casting that we need to examine. One is active and the other is passive. In the active motion one consciously puts forth his "bread" or soul. In the other, one does not actively put forth is bread but has it put forth through the activities of others. The first is voluntary, the second is involuntary. The first may be seen in the act of David committing sin with Bathsheba. The second is seen in Joseph being sold into slavery. Both of these realities were distinct spiritual motions. One brought forth sorrow later on in the life of David. The other brought forth the glory of being a powerful ruler in the land of Egypt for Joseph. It is because of these two spiritual flows that a man may be tormented by thoughts and inner grief years after an act has been done or he may be at great peace. When a man is sorrowed by the results of his actions in thought, word or deed all he can truly do in the sight of God is humble himself and declare the righteousness of God. In life we must be patient with others, ourselves and with God. Our Lord is not moving in a man's time frame. The scripture says that he who has faith shall not make haste. As a man matures in God he becomes very patient. Impatience is surely a sign of spiritual immaturity. The bread will come back to a man most assuredly so, but only God determines and moves it in the time of His divine Mind.

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." 1 John 4:8

The human heart is a spiritual organ that thrives on love, whether this be the love of God or the love of the world. Most of humanity thirsts for that "love"that the world offers constantly. It is a darkness that floods the very of organ in which the Lord has placed eternity. This misdirection of the affections of this organ results in a life and a world that is saturated with darkness. God calls to mankind daily from the heart that He is, a Heart of divine Light and resplendent glory. Every man is a preacher of the message that he has heard in his heart, whether that be the true Heart of God or that of the sinful world. We all love one or other of these two hearts. A man cannot serve two masters. He will love one or the other and his life will take form and reveal the "glory" of the God or god that he serves. We can know the light in which we live by merely beholding the love we have for the world of iniquity or the Light of heaven. The spiritual flow of our being is always coming out of us- good or evil. A man who says that he loves God but does not love the creature made in the image of God has deeply deceived himself. The heart flow will unveil to all of the human race the god that he serves. The Lord sent the Word of God, Christ Jesus to show to man what it is to love God and others. He lived for the glory of God and to embrace the human soul thereby showing to men the love of the Father. Many times men look to do some great work for the Lord but fail to show the simplicity of God's love to the creation. We should not look to do a "great work" for the Lord but rather look to live a life of love doing all the little things that make up our lives in the world. We are all preaching our personal doctrine of the love or lack of love that we have for God and each other daily.

Can anyone fully understand the depth of the meaning of the marks of the Crucified? So few of those who profess the Lord Jesus ever deeply meditate upon or contemplate the marks of our redemption. Men delight in the things of this world and the deceptive potential of being rich, powerful or wise according to this age than the divine immersion into the Heart of God. If a man will turn his spiritual eyes to the Lord of glory and turn away from all that the world has to offer he will find a wellspring of life and an inner satisfaction that only God can give to a human being. God calls to mankind daily and so few respond to the Voice from Calvary Which bespeaks of love eternal from the Heart of God to the heart of man. To look upon the Lord of heaven as He is suspended between heaven and earth and to progressively delve into the mystery of this great Lover of man will give to a man the greatest gift of divine love that there is in this world or of the one to come. The placing of the Lord Jesus within the mind and heart of a person brings that person into the life of the crucifixion, a life that never can and never will deceive a human heart and soul. Men err in their search for love if they go to anything else than that of the One suspended upon the cross. What marks are these? What marks do we see in the poor Nazarene? Are they not the evident signs of the eternal Son of God Who for love of God and man was, is , and forever will be pierced throughout eternal ages? If this is so then let us not look to the paltry proffering of a world saturated with lies, deceptions, vainglory and cold hate constantly being released to each one of us. If we look to the Son of Man we will find in Him all that we need that will take us into the eternal abode of the Blessed Trinity. There is peace and joy to be found in the Sacrifice of God for man's soul and life. Let us look unto Him for this Life, for only He can truly give it to us!

"When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." Psalm 94:19 ESV

There is a manifestation of heaven in the midst of sorrow to the man who will look unto God in the times of distress. Our God is pure comfort and delight. The man that looks to the world or people will not know the hidden comfort that lies within the Heart of the Savior. Truly, God uses at times people in our lives to bring us some measure of comfort in our sorrow, but they are the instruments that He uses to bring God to us. The man that looks unto God for help will find that God will indeed help him in the manner that His divine Heart chooses. To truly find peace within one must grow to the place where there is only God and that man in the creation. This state of blessedness develops progressively as a man bears his cross and gives himself to holy meditation, prayer and reading the sacred word. The Lord moves in our lives by breaking our hearts over and over again. The things that the world values are worthless in the eyes of the heavenly Father. Sorrow is a spiritual reality that one MUST learn to relate to correctly if one is to ever know the beatific peace of the Christ. Sorrow may come in any number of ways to a man's heart. It may come through the door of mental affliction with much anxiety, grief, pain or depression. It may come through the door of physical sickness and infirmity. It may come through the door of social poverty whereby one lacks human friendship. It may come through the door of economic sorrow wherein one lacks ample monetary funds in his life. In whatever way God chooses to break one's heart, it must be seen that it is God Who is doing the action on one's heart and soul. God will come to any man who seeks Him with all of his heart. Unfortunately, most people seek solace from a dark and troubled world and neglect the God Who made them for His own pleasure. The life of spirit is VERY SIMPLE. It does not require great intelligence, but a mind that will look to Christ. It does not require great talent, skill or ability, but a soul that will lean upon the Savior's Heart. No matter what one's state is today there is hope in Jesus Christ, and it will be found by anyone that looks to God with all of his heart.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" Ephesians 2:14

The world, the nation, the city, the town, the neighborhood, the home and the very heart of every person will only know true and lasting peace through the Prince of peace Jesus Christ. We lack peace in our hearts because of a defect within the heart whereby Christ is not on the throne of our lives. Christ promises peace to all who believe in Him and walk with Him in this present age. In Christ Jesus there is a peace that surpasses understanding for it does not depend upon anyone but Christ and His reigning in the heart of a man. Christ Jesus is our peace, and He is the Only One that will ever give peace to this present world. God will, before the end of the age, visit this world and will restore all things through the prophet Elijah. Jesus said it would be so. The world is in gross darkness and the hearts of many are crying out to God for there to be mercy and justice shown to the human race. The Lord will bring peace to the earth again by the appearance of the BRANCH of the Lord, the One Who will be "Jehovah our Righteousness". Through the giving of divine love to the human race God will break down the walls of hardness that exist between people. The problems of our age are full of perplexity. Man cannot solve his problems. It is truly vain to place one's trust in the arm of flesh to solve or do away with the gross difficulties that entrap the human race. Our God is a God of mercy and justice. He will manifest the mercy and the justice of His heart to mankind before the end of the age. In His Heart there is room for all who will repent of their sin. John the Baptist was Elijah's appearance in the days of Christ upon the earth. John was called the greatest prophet that ever arose upon the earth. He did no miracle but turned the hearts of men to God. The prophet who is to appear to the world will do the same thing. He will turn the hearts of men to God and to each other. The appearance of the prophet Elijah is the great hope that God gives to the human race. If he does not succeed in turning the hearts of people to God and each other, then God will smite the earth with a curse. Scripture reveals however, that in the latter days God will make many holy and righteous and that knowledge will increase. We are living in the latter days now. Iniquity is great on the earth, but God is greater than all our sin. In Him Alone may we hope and find our peace!

"And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
Mark 1:15

The inner call from the heart of God to man is a call to repentance. No matter what one's personal state of sanctity is the call to repent is what God desires. The time is fulfilled now for every man to repent to the Lord and be cleansed of his sins of heart, soul and body. The very thoughts of man must be confessed to the Lord of all creation. The evident sign of the kingdom of God being within one is that that man is repentant. Not only must a man repent by turning around from his present state of knowledge but he must believe in the revelation of God that the Lord is giving to him. New wine must be put into new wineskins. There must be a change in the consciousness state of a man's heart and soul. The man who fears to obey the Lord will not enter into the heavenly realm of the Savior's heart. To move rightly with the Lord and increase in His Spirit there needs to be within a man a certain sanctified dissatisfaction with the present reality that God has given. We MUST believe that there is always more to be had of God. God is an infinite Spirit and those who will be with Him forever will be moving ever deeper into that Spirit. The gospel is the blessed essence of the kingdom of God going forth to humanity. This essence is preached to the poor and it is only through the spirit of internal poverty that any man will enter into the kingdom of heaven. The very dimensions of a man that repentance finds itself in will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Poverty of mind, heart and soul will establish the environment of spiritual blessedness that repentance will give to a man. The more one believes that the time is at hand, the kingdom is at hand and believes the gospel, the more glorious will be his life now in the present age. The Lord showed to all humanity the way to His kingdom and the first words of His preaching announced to all men to repent. As repentance takes place within one there will be the arising of the Daystar within the heart and the soul. With this Daystar's arising there will be the dawning of clarity regarding the things of the spirit and the life in this world. The man of God will therefore be able to judge all things for he has entered into the heavenly realm of the Savior.

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Prov. 4:7

The three hierarchs of angelic powers are the seraphim, the cherubim, and the thrones. The seraphic reality speaks of love. The cherubs speak of wisdom; and the thrones speak of judgment and justice. Wisdom is the principle thing that the Lord desires us to gain and the principle part of wisdom is the fear of God. Godly fear is realized firstly in fear one has of punishment for doing that which is against God. Perfect fear of God, however, manifests in one turning away from evil because one hates to hurt the Heart of God. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, but the consummation of wisdom is divine love. One grows in wisdom as his soul is pierced by the hand of God and he works out his salvation with fear and trembling. The man of earth progressively comes to know the workings of God which are inherent in true cross bearing. There is the divine "digging" into the heart and the soul of every man who will enter into the wisdom of God. The scriptures reveal to us that the cherubim were covered with eyes. These eyes bespeak of the perceptive reality of divine truth and mercy as God evermore deeply takes hold of the disciple of Jesus Christ. Wisdom brings a man a clarity of eye and he sees life more and more as the light of God takes over his heart and soul. Firstly, the eye receives light. This light then enters into the heart of a man. There it does its purifying work. As this work proceeds the soul is filled with the heavenly resplendence. The light which enters into the man of God is so strong that it effects his very countenance. Moses was filled with wisdom and his face was radiant with light. Scripture reveals to us that wisdom alters the countenance of a man as it saturates his being. The principal thing is wisdom and the gaining of it is costly. Christ paid the cost so that all of His disciples may gain it as they pay the price of gaining God Himself. Salvation is the free gift of God, but to gain it one will have to invest his whole being into the outworking of salvation

"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:" Exodus 34:14

Every person on the earth is called to the worship of God. Indeed, every man worships the god of his heart whether it is the Lord Jesus or any created thing that exists. The inclination to worship is truly an inherent reality inside all men. Sadly, many of those who are the people of God in the world also worship things other than the God Who created them and upholds their very existence by the word of His power. The progressive entrance of the heart of a man in to the heart of God will give to that man a clearer and clearer perception of God within his heart. As the heart of a man becomes pure he will indeed see God. The sight of God within is the focal point of the worship of God in a man. The first commandment given to the Jews was regarding God and the worship that is due to Him Alone. How much does God desire the worship of man? So much so that He commands it. To love God with all of one's heart is the first and great commandment of God to His people. The inner eye must be given to God for there to be a purification of that eye. It is in the spiritual eye of a man that the flow from God proceeds into the man of earth. The Lord is very jealous about the love that ought to be given to Him Alone. He is so jealous that the scripture reveals His name to us as JEALOUS. God is that eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent One Who upholds all the creation by the power of His own will that commands man's love to Him. We love God by giving to Him the primacy in all of our lives. He is to be the beginning, middle and end of everything in a man's heart and soul. As God occupies all of the chambers of a man's heart and soul the kingdom of heaven flows freely from that man. Peace with God will take place only as one is brought to a unity within man with the God of all creation. The establishment of the worship of God in a man is not independent of the poverty of spirit that a man must enter into. Poverty of heart takes place as a man is progressively humbled by the mighty hand of God. All the "wealth" of that man is removed in spirit. He may still have possessions in the world, but they do not have his heart and soul. As the heart is purified of all its wealth the free flow of God takes place. This man is poor in SPIRIT and has God ruling his life. He knows of the jealousy of the Lord and rightly gives all that he is to the God Who created and redeemed him for Himself.