Life after the resurrection of Jesus does not mean smooth sailing. It means entering the kingdom through many hardships; but it also means that the risen Lord does indeed open doors and enable healing, conversion and courage in the face of rejection.
Acts 14:5-18
Psalm 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16
John 14:21-26 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Meditation by Dennis Hamm, S.J.
That first reading, about Paul and Barnabas in Lystra, comes up rarely, and it is worth lingering over. And since the portion in our Lectionary ends in a kind of cliff-hanger, I will take us ten verses beyond the portion so that we get the point.
Half way through the first mission trip, Paul and Barnabas cause such an uproar in Iconium that a crowd of Jews and gentiles runs them out of town in an attempt to stone them. They move on to Lystra, where they preach the good news and at first experience amazing success.
Like the time in Acts 3, when Peter and John encountered the man born lame at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and heal him in the name of the risen Jesus, so Paul and Barnabas encounter another man lame from birth. Seeing that he has faith to be healed, Paul commands him to stand up. Like the guy at the Temple gate, this man not only stands. He jumps. When the locals witness this, they take Paul and Barnabas to be gods. Amazingly, they take Barnabas to be the top god, Zeus, and Paul, because he is doing the speaking, they take to be Hermes, the messenger of Zeus. The local Zeus priest springs into action with oxen and garlands to perform a worship service on the spot!
Also like Peter and John, after the healing of the lame Temple beggar, Paul and Barnabas try to refocus this enthusiasm and insist that the healing occurred not through any power of theirs but through the living God, the same God they have known through the rains and the fruitfulness of the earth. This only increases the crowd’s enthusiasm for offering sacrifice to them.
But the point of the narrative really isn’t clear if you stop right there, where today’s first reading stops in the Lectionary. For the next verses tell us that the would-be stoners from Iconium and Pisidian Antioch catch up with Paul and Barnabas and win that enthusiastic crowd over to their side. As Luke tells it, the very people who had been ready to worship Paul and Barnabas pitch in to stone Paul who is dragged out of the city and left for dead. Remarkably, when disciples gather around him, he is able to get up. After a night’s rest, they proceed to Derbe, where their evangelization makes “a considerable number of disciples.” Most amazingly of all, they then have the gumption to return to the very towns where rejection had trumped their successes, to strengthen the spirits of the disciples they had mode. They encourage them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” They then appoint leaders in these budding and vulnerable communities and pray with them. When they get back to their home base, Antioch of Syria, they report to the church “what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
The point of Luke’s narrative is to demonstrate that the power of the risen Lord Jesus works through ordinary human beings in a way that can be rejected, not stopped, and is much deeper than either the mindless enthusiasm or the violent rejection of the crowds in Lystra. What the Gospel of John speaks of as the work of the Holy Spirit, and the indwelling of Father and Son, Luke portrays in his narrative about the formation of stable communities in the midst of that chaos. The same dynamic occurs in the mission of the church in our world today. Life after the resurrection of Jesus does not mean smooth sailing. It means entering the kingdom through many hardships; but it also means that the risen Lord does indeed open doors and enable healing, conversion and courage in the face of rejection.
Supplementary Reading
Amazing Grace
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'" – Mark 2:1-5
Jesus said, "Which is easier? To forgive sins or to heal a paralytic?" He continued to say to the crowd, and then to the paralytic, "In order to show you that I have the authority to forgive sins, pick up your mat and go home." To everyone's amazement, the man stood up, picked up his mat, and walked out of the house!
How would you have answered the question—is it easier to forgive or to miraculously heal someone? In this miracle, Jesus makes it clear that even though he cares about our physical well-being and can perform miracles, it is even more important to him that our sins be forgiven. This was the first and foremost reason he came. This is still his number one priority for us—to forgive us.
Forgiveness—what a gift! Grace—how amazing!
* * *
Put yourself in the paralytic's place. What would your life look like if you fully embraced the forgiveness and grace of God?
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Thursday, May 07, 2009
May 10, 2009 - Sunday Meditation (Pruned to Prosper!)
There is a simple truth here: We are either fruit-bearing or non-fruit-bearing. There is no in-between. But the bearing of healthy fruit requires drastic pruning. The Lord promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him and allow him to purify us.
John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
Meditation by Don Schwager:
Why does Jesus speak of himself as the true vine? The image of the vine was a rich one for the Jews since the land of Israel was covered with numerous vineyards. It had religious connotations to it as well. Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel as “the vineyard of the Lord” (Isaiah 5:7). Jeremiah said that God had planted Israel “as his choice vine” (Jeremiah 2:21). While the vine became a symbol of Israel as a nation, it also was used in the scriptures as a sign of degeneration. Isaiah’s prophecy spoke of Israel as a vineyard which “yielded wild grapes” (see Isaiah 5:1-7). Jeremiah said that Israel had become a “degenerate and wild vine” (Jeremiah 2:21). When Jesus calls himself the true vine he makes clear that no one can claim their spiritual inheritance through association with a particular people or bloodline. Rather, it is only through Jesus Christ that one can become grafted into the true “vineyard of the Lord”.
Jesus offers true life – the abundant life which comes from God and which results in great fruitfulness. How does the vine become fruitful? The vinedresser must carefully prune the vine before it can bear good fruit. Vines characteristically have two kinds of branches – those which bear fruit and those which don’t. The non-bearing branches must be carefully pruned back in order for the vine to conserve its strength for bearing good fruit. Jesus used this image to describe the kind of life he produces in those who are united with him – the fruit of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Jesus says there can be no fruit in our lives apart from him. The fruit he speaks of here is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).
There is a simple truth here: We are either fruit-bearing or non-fruit-bearing. There is no in-between. But the bearing of healthy fruit requires drastic pruning. The Lord promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him and allow him to purify us. Do you trust in the Lord's abiding presence with you?
"Lord Jesus, may I be one with you in all that I say and do. Draw me close that I may glorify you and bear fruit for your kingdom. Inflame my heart with your love and remove from it anything that would make me ineffective or unfruitful in loving and serving you as My All."
Supplementary Reading
The Secret of His Strength
"He fell in love with a woman named Delilah…who lured him into showing her the secret of his great strength." – Judges 16:4-5
Samson thought he had no limitations. He was the epitome of strength. Yet even Samson had his weakness. In his case, it was a beautiful woman who enticed him and tricked him into turning from his source of strength—GOD. It was only when Samson turned back to God that God restored his strength.
Your weaknesses, your disabilities, are defined by the degree to which you accept their limitations. If you see your weaknesses as limitations—be it fear, a lack of confidence, a lack of ability—then it will limit what you can do and be for God. But if you see your weaknesses as an opportunity for God’s strength to be revealed, trusting him to help you overcome your fear, your lack of confidence, your inability—then his strength will be revealed through your weakness.
* * *
How have you seen God work through your weaknesses to reveal his strength? Encourage someone you see struggling with a weakness to trust God to help them overcome it.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
Meditation by Don Schwager:
Why does Jesus speak of himself as the true vine? The image of the vine was a rich one for the Jews since the land of Israel was covered with numerous vineyards. It had religious connotations to it as well. Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel as “the vineyard of the Lord” (Isaiah 5:7). Jeremiah said that God had planted Israel “as his choice vine” (Jeremiah 2:21). While the vine became a symbol of Israel as a nation, it also was used in the scriptures as a sign of degeneration. Isaiah’s prophecy spoke of Israel as a vineyard which “yielded wild grapes” (see Isaiah 5:1-7). Jeremiah said that Israel had become a “degenerate and wild vine” (Jeremiah 2:21). When Jesus calls himself the true vine he makes clear that no one can claim their spiritual inheritance through association with a particular people or bloodline. Rather, it is only through Jesus Christ that one can become grafted into the true “vineyard of the Lord”.
Jesus offers true life – the abundant life which comes from God and which results in great fruitfulness. How does the vine become fruitful? The vinedresser must carefully prune the vine before it can bear good fruit. Vines characteristically have two kinds of branches – those which bear fruit and those which don’t. The non-bearing branches must be carefully pruned back in order for the vine to conserve its strength for bearing good fruit. Jesus used this image to describe the kind of life he produces in those who are united with him – the fruit of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Jesus says there can be no fruit in our lives apart from him. The fruit he speaks of here is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).
There is a simple truth here: We are either fruit-bearing or non-fruit-bearing. There is no in-between. But the bearing of healthy fruit requires drastic pruning. The Lord promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him and allow him to purify us. Do you trust in the Lord's abiding presence with you?
"Lord Jesus, may I be one with you in all that I say and do. Draw me close that I may glorify you and bear fruit for your kingdom. Inflame my heart with your love and remove from it anything that would make me ineffective or unfruitful in loving and serving you as My All."
Supplementary Reading
The Secret of His Strength
"He fell in love with a woman named Delilah…who lured him into showing her the secret of his great strength." – Judges 16:4-5
Samson thought he had no limitations. He was the epitome of strength. Yet even Samson had his weakness. In his case, it was a beautiful woman who enticed him and tricked him into turning from his source of strength—GOD. It was only when Samson turned back to God that God restored his strength.
Your weaknesses, your disabilities, are defined by the degree to which you accept their limitations. If you see your weaknesses as limitations—be it fear, a lack of confidence, a lack of ability—then it will limit what you can do and be for God. But if you see your weaknesses as an opportunity for God’s strength to be revealed, trusting him to help you overcome your fear, your lack of confidence, your inability—then his strength will be revealed through your weakness.
* * *
How have you seen God work through your weaknesses to reveal his strength? Encourage someone you see struggling with a weakness to trust God to help them overcome it.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
May 09, 2009 - Saturday Meditation (Do You Really Know Him? Really?)
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally.
John 14:7-14 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
Meditation by Don Schwager:
What’s the greatest thing we can aim for in this life? – to know God. What is the best thing we can possess in this life, bringing more joy, contentment, life and happiness, than anything else? – knowledge of God. Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23-24). One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the personal knowledge of God as our Father.
Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God – a God who loves us unconditionally – without reservation, unselfishly – for our sake and not his, and perfectly – without neglecting or forgetting us even for a brief moment. Jesus promises that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in his name. That is why Jesus taught his followers to pray with confidence, Our Father who art in heaven ..give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:9,11; Luke 11:2-3). Do you pray to your Father in heaven with joy and confidence in his love and care for you?
"Lord Jesus, you fill us with the joy of your saving presence and you give us the hope of everlasting life with God our Father in Heaven. Show me the Father that I may know and glorify him always."
Supplementary Reading
The Price of Forgiveness
"If you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." – Mark 11:25
When I was a small boy, I remember getting my first and, perhaps, only spanking from my father for having hammered a nail into one of my parents' good chairs. After my father spanked me, I cried and said, "I'm sorry!"
Dad took me firmly by the arm and led me into the living room. He told me to pull the nail out of the chair and then said to me, "Look at the hole, Bob. You say you're sorry—and I believe you. I forgive you. But the hole is still there."
Forgiveness doesn't mean things can go back to the way they were. Forgiveness means you no longer have to carry with you the load of resentment and bitterness. You no longer wish the person who harmed you ill. Forgiveness is a choice. Today, choose to forgive!
* * *
Identify anyone you may be harboring resentment and bitterness toward and decide what you will do to extend the kind of forgiveness described in this devotional.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
John 14:7-14 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
Meditation by Don Schwager:
What’s the greatest thing we can aim for in this life? – to know God. What is the best thing we can possess in this life, bringing more joy, contentment, life and happiness, than anything else? – knowledge of God. Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23-24). One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the personal knowledge of God as our Father.
Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God – a God who loves us unconditionally – without reservation, unselfishly – for our sake and not his, and perfectly – without neglecting or forgetting us even for a brief moment. Jesus promises that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in his name. That is why Jesus taught his followers to pray with confidence, Our Father who art in heaven ..give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:9,11; Luke 11:2-3). Do you pray to your Father in heaven with joy and confidence in his love and care for you?
"Lord Jesus, you fill us with the joy of your saving presence and you give us the hope of everlasting life with God our Father in Heaven. Show me the Father that I may know and glorify him always."
Supplementary Reading
The Price of Forgiveness
"If you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." – Mark 11:25
When I was a small boy, I remember getting my first and, perhaps, only spanking from my father for having hammered a nail into one of my parents' good chairs. After my father spanked me, I cried and said, "I'm sorry!"
Dad took me firmly by the arm and led me into the living room. He told me to pull the nail out of the chair and then said to me, "Look at the hole, Bob. You say you're sorry—and I believe you. I forgive you. But the hole is still there."
Forgiveness doesn't mean things can go back to the way they were. Forgiveness means you no longer have to carry with you the load of resentment and bitterness. You no longer wish the person who harmed you ill. Forgiveness is a choice. Today, choose to forgive!
* * *
Identify anyone you may be harboring resentment and bitterness toward and decide what you will do to extend the kind of forgiveness described in this devotional.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
May 08, 2009 - Friday Meditation (One Way - J E S U S)
I Am The Way
(Today Jesus gave me a clear vision (intellectual vision) of myself in nowhere. My surrounding looked like I was in marshlands with no one around and my spirit seemed lost. Among the dry trees I saw Jesus looking for me.)
I am here; it is I, Jesus; I have found you; come, let Me show you the way back; hear Me: I Jesus am the Way; every time you feel lost, call Me; I will come to you and I will show you the way; I am the Way.
VR - September 28, 1986
John 14:1-6 "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me."
Meditation by Don Schwager:
Do you allow any troubles to rob you of God's peace? As much as we try to avoid it, we all inevitably encounter trouble and difficulties we find hard to endure. Jesus knew his disciples would have to face trials and persecution after he left them to return to his Father in heaven. Adversity can make us lose hope and become discouraged, or it can press us closer to God and to his promises. "It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8). Just as God went ahead of the Israelites in the wilderness to lead them safely to the promised land, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going ahead to prepare a place for them in God's house – a place of refuge, peace, and security, and everlasting happiness. God's house is never closed nor crowded – there is plenty of room for everyone who believes in God and in his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest fear in this present life – whether it be the separation and loss of life to a loved one or the threat to one's own life – is put to rest by Jesus' promise that we will live forever with him and the Father in their heavenly home with a great company of saints and angels who will be our friends forever as well.
Do you know the way to the Father's house? Jesus expected his disciples to know where he was going and what their ultimate destination would be as well. Thomas, who was both a doubter and a realist, spoke for all the disciples when he said, "we neither know where you are going nor how we shall get there on our own?" If you have never been to another land or traveled down an unfamiliar road, you naturally want to know what your destination is and how to get there safe and sound. During the middle of the 15 year civil war in Lebanon, at a time when many believers had been isolated and cut off from contact with outside Christians, I attempted to find a way to visit. Since I had never traveled there before, nor spoke the language, I was helpless without a guide. Fortunately a Christian friend from Lebanon met me half-way and personally guided me safely through unfamiliar territory, including some challenging road-blocks and check-points along the way.
Jesus knew that his followers could not find the way to the Father in heaven on their own without his help. In fact, that is why the Father sent his Son into the world on a rescue mission to restore those who were lost and without a guide. Jesus made a statement which only God could make and deliver. Jesus proclaimed: I am the Way. Through Moses and the prophets, God promised to guide his people in a "holy way" so they could walk and live in his peace and blessing. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not pass over it, and fools shall not err therein (Isaiah 35:8). You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you (Deuteronomy 5:32-33). Teach me your way, O Lord; and lead me on a level path (Psalm 27:11).
The Lord Jesus came to fulfill God's promise to bring his people, not simply to a land flowing with milk and honey, but to a restored paradise and new creation where we can dwell with God in perfect peace and unity. That is why Jesus proclaims,I am the way, and the truth, and the life.<> Jesus does not simply give advice and direction. He personally is the Way, and we cannot miss it. Through his life-giving word and Spirit, Jesus leads and guides us personally every day. The Lord Jesus also is the Truth. Many can say, "I have taught you the truth." Only Jesus can say, I am the Truth. Moral truth cannot be conveyed in words alone; it must be conveyed in example. Jesus embodies the truth in his person. Jesus also is the Life. He not only shows us the path of life (Psalm 16:11); he gives the kind of life which only God can give – abundant life which never fails nor ends. Is there any fear or trouble that keeps you from the perfect peace and happiness of a life surrendered to Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus, you fill us with the joy of your saving presence and you give us the hope of everlasting life with the Father in Heaven. Show me the Father that I may always know and glorify him."
Supplementary Reading
Say the Right Words at the Right Time
"Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues." – Proverbs 10:19
Most people recognize that words have incredible power. Editor and theologian Tyron Edwards observed, "Words are both better and worse than thoughts; they express them, and add to them; they give them power for good or evil; they start them on an endless flight, for instruction and comfort and blessing, or for injury, sorrow and ruin." But saying the right words is not enough. Timing is crucial.
Sometimes the best thing we can do for someone else is to hold our tongue. When tempted to give advice that's not wanted, to show off, to say "I told you so," or to point out another's error, the best policy is to say nothing. As nineteenth-century British journalist George Sala advised, we should strive "not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
* * *
Use discernment in choosing your words and their timing today.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "The Maxwell Daily Reader"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
(Today Jesus gave me a clear vision (intellectual vision) of myself in nowhere. My surrounding looked like I was in marshlands with no one around and my spirit seemed lost. Among the dry trees I saw Jesus looking for me.)
I am here; it is I, Jesus; I have found you; come, let Me show you the way back; hear Me: I Jesus am the Way; every time you feel lost, call Me; I will come to you and I will show you the way; I am the Way.
VR - September 28, 1986
John 14:1-6 "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me."
Meditation by Don Schwager:
Do you allow any troubles to rob you of God's peace? As much as we try to avoid it, we all inevitably encounter trouble and difficulties we find hard to endure. Jesus knew his disciples would have to face trials and persecution after he left them to return to his Father in heaven. Adversity can make us lose hope and become discouraged, or it can press us closer to God and to his promises. "It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8). Just as God went ahead of the Israelites in the wilderness to lead them safely to the promised land, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going ahead to prepare a place for them in God's house – a place of refuge, peace, and security, and everlasting happiness. God's house is never closed nor crowded – there is plenty of room for everyone who believes in God and in his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest fear in this present life – whether it be the separation and loss of life to a loved one or the threat to one's own life – is put to rest by Jesus' promise that we will live forever with him and the Father in their heavenly home with a great company of saints and angels who will be our friends forever as well.
Do you know the way to the Father's house? Jesus expected his disciples to know where he was going and what their ultimate destination would be as well. Thomas, who was both a doubter and a realist, spoke for all the disciples when he said, "we neither know where you are going nor how we shall get there on our own?" If you have never been to another land or traveled down an unfamiliar road, you naturally want to know what your destination is and how to get there safe and sound. During the middle of the 15 year civil war in Lebanon, at a time when many believers had been isolated and cut off from contact with outside Christians, I attempted to find a way to visit. Since I had never traveled there before, nor spoke the language, I was helpless without a guide. Fortunately a Christian friend from Lebanon met me half-way and personally guided me safely through unfamiliar territory, including some challenging road-blocks and check-points along the way.
Jesus knew that his followers could not find the way to the Father in heaven on their own without his help. In fact, that is why the Father sent his Son into the world on a rescue mission to restore those who were lost and without a guide. Jesus made a statement which only God could make and deliver. Jesus proclaimed: I am the Way. Through Moses and the prophets, God promised to guide his people in a "holy way" so they could walk and live in his peace and blessing. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not pass over it, and fools shall not err therein (Isaiah 35:8). You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you (Deuteronomy 5:32-33). Teach me your way, O Lord; and lead me on a level path (Psalm 27:11).
The Lord Jesus came to fulfill God's promise to bring his people, not simply to a land flowing with milk and honey, but to a restored paradise and new creation where we can dwell with God in perfect peace and unity. That is why Jesus proclaims,I am the way, and the truth, and the life.<> Jesus does not simply give advice and direction. He personally is the Way, and we cannot miss it. Through his life-giving word and Spirit, Jesus leads and guides us personally every day. The Lord Jesus also is the Truth. Many can say, "I have taught you the truth." Only Jesus can say, I am the Truth. Moral truth cannot be conveyed in words alone; it must be conveyed in example. Jesus embodies the truth in his person. Jesus also is the Life. He not only shows us the path of life (Psalm 16:11); he gives the kind of life which only God can give – abundant life which never fails nor ends. Is there any fear or trouble that keeps you from the perfect peace and happiness of a life surrendered to Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus, you fill us with the joy of your saving presence and you give us the hope of everlasting life with the Father in Heaven. Show me the Father that I may always know and glorify him."
Supplementary Reading
Say the Right Words at the Right Time
"Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues." – Proverbs 10:19
Most people recognize that words have incredible power. Editor and theologian Tyron Edwards observed, "Words are both better and worse than thoughts; they express them, and add to them; they give them power for good or evil; they start them on an endless flight, for instruction and comfort and blessing, or for injury, sorrow and ruin." But saying the right words is not enough. Timing is crucial.
Sometimes the best thing we can do for someone else is to hold our tongue. When tempted to give advice that's not wanted, to show off, to say "I told you so," or to point out another's error, the best policy is to say nothing. As nineteenth-century British journalist George Sala advised, we should strive "not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
* * *
Use discernment in choosing your words and their timing today.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "The Maxwell Daily Reader"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
May 07, 2009 - Thursday Meditation (Share... Until It Hurts!)
Have you ever read a book, heard a song, seen a movie or eaten at a restaurant where it was just so good that you could hardly wait to tell a friend about it? God’s love is a gift to be shared, not hoarded.
Acts 13:13-25
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27
John 13:16-20 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is that the scripture may be fulfilled, `He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' 19 I tell you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me."
Meditation by Daniel Patrick O'Reilly
The readings today seem to be about evangelism. In Acts, Paul speaks to the Jews and others who are God-fearing about John the Baptist and his heralding of the coming of Jesus. The psalmist proclaims, “For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” And in John, Jesus, after washing the disciples’ feet, tells them that “whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Well, we’re four weeks out from Easter. The intensity of the risen Christ is fading some. The desire to spread the Good News may not be quite as strong. I have to confess, I am not very good at evangelism. I fear rejection. And I fear being ridiculed for my beliefs. It would be so nice if there were some rules or instructions where all you had to do was say A and the person receiving the message would immediately recognize who Jesus is. You would say B and the person would recognize the gift and value of a relationship with Christ. You would say C and that relationship would be solid as a rock. Ah, if only, if only. Instead Jesus says, “go and spread the Good News.” No script. No A, B, C.
I belong to a group where the majority of the group is atheist. Some are believers who have fallen away and some simply see belief as nonsense. I’m open about my faith and they are fairly accepting of that. A month or so ago a young man in the group sent a note to the group stating that he had found Christ. I was honestly excited and couldn’t wait to encourage him.. It turned out to be an April fool’s joke. I’m sure the young man had no idea how sad this made me.
This incident made me ask myself, “why is this important to me?” If I have a good relationship with Christ, why should I care whether someone else knows who Jesus is or not? Well, to start with I am a follower of Christ and Christ commands us to share the Good News. Secondly, it’s our nature to want to share good things that we have discovered. Have you ever read a book, heard a song, seen a movie or eaten at a restaurant where it was just so good that you could hardly wait to tell a friend about it? Lastly, God’s love is a gift to be shared, not hoarded. We want God’s love to shine in us, in those around us and in those who will follow after us.
Jesus said he came so we could have life and have it to the fullest. I honestly do not understand how that is, but I know it is true. Christ brings a joy to life. A joy that we want to share. And when we share that joy, it doesn’t diminish our joy, it expands it. I guess that’s how the Good News works.
My prayer today is in thanks for those who were bold enough to share the Good News with me and for those of us who need courage to spread the Good News.
Supplementary Reading
Listen with Your Heart
"Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me." – Job 21:2
Herb Cohen, often called the world's best negotiator, says, "Effective listening requires more than hearing the words transmitted. It demands that you find understanding and meaning in what is being said. After all, meanings are not in words, but in people." Many people put their focus on the ideas being communicated, and they almost seem to forget about the person. You can't do that and listen with the heart.
There's a difference between listening passively and listening aggressively. To listen with your heart, your listening has to be active. In his book It's Your Ship, Captain Michael Abrashoff explains that people are more likely to speak aggressively than to listen aggressively. When he decided to become an intentional listener, it made a huge difference in him and his team.
* * *
Choose to be an aggressive listener today.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "The Maxwell Daily Reader"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Acts 13:13-25
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27
John 13:16-20 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is that the scripture may be fulfilled, `He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' 19 I tell you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me."
Meditation by Daniel Patrick O'Reilly
The readings today seem to be about evangelism. In Acts, Paul speaks to the Jews and others who are God-fearing about John the Baptist and his heralding of the coming of Jesus. The psalmist proclaims, “For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” And in John, Jesus, after washing the disciples’ feet, tells them that “whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Well, we’re four weeks out from Easter. The intensity of the risen Christ is fading some. The desire to spread the Good News may not be quite as strong. I have to confess, I am not very good at evangelism. I fear rejection. And I fear being ridiculed for my beliefs. It would be so nice if there were some rules or instructions where all you had to do was say A and the person receiving the message would immediately recognize who Jesus is. You would say B and the person would recognize the gift and value of a relationship with Christ. You would say C and that relationship would be solid as a rock. Ah, if only, if only. Instead Jesus says, “go and spread the Good News.” No script. No A, B, C.
I belong to a group where the majority of the group is atheist. Some are believers who have fallen away and some simply see belief as nonsense. I’m open about my faith and they are fairly accepting of that. A month or so ago a young man in the group sent a note to the group stating that he had found Christ. I was honestly excited and couldn’t wait to encourage him.. It turned out to be an April fool’s joke. I’m sure the young man had no idea how sad this made me.
This incident made me ask myself, “why is this important to me?” If I have a good relationship with Christ, why should I care whether someone else knows who Jesus is or not? Well, to start with I am a follower of Christ and Christ commands us to share the Good News. Secondly, it’s our nature to want to share good things that we have discovered. Have you ever read a book, heard a song, seen a movie or eaten at a restaurant where it was just so good that you could hardly wait to tell a friend about it? Lastly, God’s love is a gift to be shared, not hoarded. We want God’s love to shine in us, in those around us and in those who will follow after us.
Jesus said he came so we could have life and have it to the fullest. I honestly do not understand how that is, but I know it is true. Christ brings a joy to life. A joy that we want to share. And when we share that joy, it doesn’t diminish our joy, it expands it. I guess that’s how the Good News works.
My prayer today is in thanks for those who were bold enough to share the Good News with me and for those of us who need courage to spread the Good News.
Supplementary Reading
Listen with Your Heart
"Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me." – Job 21:2
Herb Cohen, often called the world's best negotiator, says, "Effective listening requires more than hearing the words transmitted. It demands that you find understanding and meaning in what is being said. After all, meanings are not in words, but in people." Many people put their focus on the ideas being communicated, and they almost seem to forget about the person. You can't do that and listen with the heart.
There's a difference between listening passively and listening aggressively. To listen with your heart, your listening has to be active. In his book It's Your Ship, Captain Michael Abrashoff explains that people are more likely to speak aggressively than to listen aggressively. When he decided to become an intentional listener, it made a huge difference in him and his team.
* * *
Choose to be an aggressive listener today.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "The Maxwell Daily Reader"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
May 06, 2009 - Wednesday Meditation (DO NOT QUIT!)
Connect with Christ and be a winner.
Acts 12:24-13:5a
Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6 and 8
John 12:44-50 And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And he who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me."
Meditation by Tim Dickel
Today’s readings are from Acts, Psalm 67 and John. The reading from Acts describes the selection and sending forth of Barnabas and Saul to Cyprus by the Holy Spirit to “proclaim the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.” The Responsorial Psalm appeals to all of us to give praise to God and appeals to God to bless us and for us to fear God. And, in John, Jesus tells us that He has come into the world “as light,” and He warns us not to reject Him, for He speaks for the Father. Jesus assures us that He knows God’s “commandment is eternal life,” for what He says is what the Father told Him.
As I reflect on these readings, I get stuck on the idea of “giving praise to God.” What is praise? What is enough praise? And, when should we be giving praise? These questions come to mind, because I believe that in our world of plenty, it is pretty easy to view what we have, and what happens to us, as mostly of our own doing. This works pretty well until we have things happen to us that are outside our control or want things that we cannot buy.
Nearly eleven years ago, my mother died in Oregon. I prayed for her survival, but she died. At the moment of her death, I had a choice. I could be angry at God for not letting her live, or I could be grateful for all the love that she showered on me when she was alive. I chose the latter and prayed with gratitude for her love and generosity. This gave me a profound sense of comfort, and I was glad that I could view her death in such a way. This started a string of prayers of gratitude. During the week following her death, the charity to which I was giving many of my mother’s possessions could not find the 25 story building in which she lived, so they could not pick up my donation. In sharing my frustration with the moving company that I was using, the clerk at the moving company asked if I would be willing to donate to her charity, and if I was willing, they would promptly pick up the donation. I prayed in gratitude for God’s intercession at that time. On the drive home to Omaha from Oregon, I forgot to replace the gas cap on the car at a remote gas station in Wyoming. At the next gas station, also in Wyoming, I discovered my mistake, and when I asked the attendant if they sold gas caps, he told me they did not, but they had a box of gas caps that people had left behind at his station. To my dismay, there was only one gas cap in the box, but praise be to God, it fit the car!!
I certainly could be better at “giving praise to God,” but I am working on being more faithful at saying “Thank you, Heavenly Father” when His blessings befall me. Whether it is when I cannot find something that I have lost, and suddenly it turns up, or when I narrowly escape another driver’s carelessness (or my own), I try to remember to say a simple “Thank you, Heavenly Father.” I am working on being more faithful and more faith-filled, and I am finding that “giving praise to God” is a helpful act to move me in the direction of greater awareness of God’s presence in my life.
'
Supplementary Reading
Connect with a Winner
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere." – 2 Corinthians 2:14
When my son Robert was a freshman in college he had a tough time with a course in Russian. "Dad," he told me, "I think I'm going to quit." He didn't. Perhaps I helped with that.
I was in New York and saw a huge poster of a football player sitting on the bench. He'd thrown down his helmet, mud was on his face, tears were rolling down his cheeks, and his elbows were on his knees. He looked dejected. The big words underneath the image read: I quit.
Then in a bottom corner of the poster, shown from far away, was a picture of a black hill, and on the hill was a cross. Underneath the cross were the words: I didn't.
I bought the poster and gave it to Robert.
Don't be a quitter. Connect with Christ and be a winner.
* * *
Is there anything going on in your life right now where you're tempted to give up and quit? Wrap your mind around the image described in today's devotional and ask God for the strength to keep going…one day at a time.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Acts 12:24-13:5a
Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6 and 8
John 12:44-50 And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And he who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me."
Meditation by Tim Dickel
Today’s readings are from Acts, Psalm 67 and John. The reading from Acts describes the selection and sending forth of Barnabas and Saul to Cyprus by the Holy Spirit to “proclaim the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.” The Responsorial Psalm appeals to all of us to give praise to God and appeals to God to bless us and for us to fear God. And, in John, Jesus tells us that He has come into the world “as light,” and He warns us not to reject Him, for He speaks for the Father. Jesus assures us that He knows God’s “commandment is eternal life,” for what He says is what the Father told Him.
As I reflect on these readings, I get stuck on the idea of “giving praise to God.” What is praise? What is enough praise? And, when should we be giving praise? These questions come to mind, because I believe that in our world of plenty, it is pretty easy to view what we have, and what happens to us, as mostly of our own doing. This works pretty well until we have things happen to us that are outside our control or want things that we cannot buy.
Nearly eleven years ago, my mother died in Oregon. I prayed for her survival, but she died. At the moment of her death, I had a choice. I could be angry at God for not letting her live, or I could be grateful for all the love that she showered on me when she was alive. I chose the latter and prayed with gratitude for her love and generosity. This gave me a profound sense of comfort, and I was glad that I could view her death in such a way. This started a string of prayers of gratitude. During the week following her death, the charity to which I was giving many of my mother’s possessions could not find the 25 story building in which she lived, so they could not pick up my donation. In sharing my frustration with the moving company that I was using, the clerk at the moving company asked if I would be willing to donate to her charity, and if I was willing, they would promptly pick up the donation. I prayed in gratitude for God’s intercession at that time. On the drive home to Omaha from Oregon, I forgot to replace the gas cap on the car at a remote gas station in Wyoming. At the next gas station, also in Wyoming, I discovered my mistake, and when I asked the attendant if they sold gas caps, he told me they did not, but they had a box of gas caps that people had left behind at his station. To my dismay, there was only one gas cap in the box, but praise be to God, it fit the car!!
I certainly could be better at “giving praise to God,” but I am working on being more faithful at saying “Thank you, Heavenly Father” when His blessings befall me. Whether it is when I cannot find something that I have lost, and suddenly it turns up, or when I narrowly escape another driver’s carelessness (or my own), I try to remember to say a simple “Thank you, Heavenly Father.” I am working on being more faithful and more faith-filled, and I am finding that “giving praise to God” is a helpful act to move me in the direction of greater awareness of God’s presence in my life.
'
Supplementary Reading
Connect with a Winner
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere." – 2 Corinthians 2:14
When my son Robert was a freshman in college he had a tough time with a course in Russian. "Dad," he told me, "I think I'm going to quit." He didn't. Perhaps I helped with that.
I was in New York and saw a huge poster of a football player sitting on the bench. He'd thrown down his helmet, mud was on his face, tears were rolling down his cheeks, and his elbows were on his knees. He looked dejected. The big words underneath the image read: I quit.
Then in a bottom corner of the poster, shown from far away, was a picture of a black hill, and on the hill was a cross. Underneath the cross were the words: I didn't.
I bought the poster and gave it to Robert.
Don't be a quitter. Connect with Christ and be a winner.
* * *
Is there anything going on in your life right now where you're tempted to give up and quit? Wrap your mind around the image described in today's devotional and ask God for the strength to keep going…one day at a time.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Monday, May 04, 2009
May 05, 2009 - Tuesday Meditation (Move your Feet!)
“Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet.”
Acts 11:19-26
Psalm 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7
John 10:22-30 It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
Meditation by Pat Callone
“So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’
Jesus answered them, ‘I told you and you do not believe me. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me….”
We can imagine this important conversation taking place on the Portico of Solomon. Jesus is speaking honestly to the Jews about his relationship with the Father (“The Father and I are one”) and his relationship with us. (“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”)
Reflection:
What a “mystery” it was then…and what a “mystery” it remains today. It’s clear and yet not so clear. So what is John telling us in this Gospel?
Message:
I hear this message:
-- Follow Jesus in the Gospels and you will be doing the will of the Father. Whatever he teaches, you live and teach. Whatever his values are, make them your own.
-- Daily do the will of the Father as you best understand it in your life.
Action:
-- Pray and live the prayer that Jesus taught us in relationship with the Father: “Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”
-- Ask for the Father’s blessing: “Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass us.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in the name of your beloved son, Jesus, guide our footsteps today. Help us do your will and keep us on the right path. Amen.
Another thought I found on the internet today: “Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet.” (Anonymous)
Supplementary Reading
Disconnected by Distractions?
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." – Psalm 37:7
Mother Teresa maintained that distractions are the single most interfering disconnection between God and you. Can you think of anything that distracts you from spending time with God? Of course! All of us can! There’s nothing more frustrating than sitting down with your Bible, beginning to read or pray only to be broadsided by a passel of distractions.
That's why some people write their prayers in a prayer journal. The act of writing your prayers helps you stay focused. If you are easily distracted, keep a pad of paper and a pencil handy so when things you need to do pop into your mind, you can write them down to tackle later and resume your time with God. Tackle the distractions so you can clear the path to connect with God. It's worth it!
* * *
What are the things that most often distract you from spending time with God? Come up with a list of ways to eliminate the distractions and begin implementing them today.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Acts 11:19-26
Psalm 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7
John 10:22-30 It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
Meditation by Pat Callone
“So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’
Jesus answered them, ‘I told you and you do not believe me. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me….”
We can imagine this important conversation taking place on the Portico of Solomon. Jesus is speaking honestly to the Jews about his relationship with the Father (“The Father and I are one”) and his relationship with us. (“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”)
Reflection:
What a “mystery” it was then…and what a “mystery” it remains today. It’s clear and yet not so clear. So what is John telling us in this Gospel?
Message:
I hear this message:
-- Follow Jesus in the Gospels and you will be doing the will of the Father. Whatever he teaches, you live and teach. Whatever his values are, make them your own.
-- Daily do the will of the Father as you best understand it in your life.
Action:
-- Pray and live the prayer that Jesus taught us in relationship with the Father: “Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”
-- Ask for the Father’s blessing: “Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass us.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in the name of your beloved son, Jesus, guide our footsteps today. Help us do your will and keep us on the right path. Amen.
Another thought I found on the internet today: “Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet.” (Anonymous)
Supplementary Reading
Disconnected by Distractions?
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." – Psalm 37:7
Mother Teresa maintained that distractions are the single most interfering disconnection between God and you. Can you think of anything that distracts you from spending time with God? Of course! All of us can! There’s nothing more frustrating than sitting down with your Bible, beginning to read or pray only to be broadsided by a passel of distractions.
That's why some people write their prayers in a prayer journal. The act of writing your prayers helps you stay focused. If you are easily distracted, keep a pad of paper and a pencil handy so when things you need to do pop into your mind, you can write them down to tackle later and resume your time with God. Tackle the distractions so you can clear the path to connect with God. It's worth it!
* * *
What are the things that most often distract you from spending time with God? Come up with a list of ways to eliminate the distractions and begin implementing them today.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Sunday, May 03, 2009
May 04, 2009 - Monday Meditation (His Hands Over our Own)
The hand of Almighty God is never far away, so you can trust the future.
Acts 11:1-18
Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3, 4
John 10:1-10 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; 2 but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. 9 I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill
Meditation by Robert P. Heaney (Creighton)
“God had granted also to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
By the time the Acts of the Apostles was written, the unification of Jews and Gentiles in the early Church was well on its way to being an accomplished fact. That this step was seen as important is indicated by the fact that Peter’s experience is described twice in Acts – first when it happens to Peter and second when he defends what he did to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The need for that defense is an indication that the unification was not accomplished without a struggle. The first Christians, who were, of course, Jews, said “Fine . . . you can come in, but you have to be Jewish first and obey all of our laws. (After all, they’re God’s laws.) Then you can be Christian . . .” But – despite their sincerity and piety – they were wrong, as we now understand. God didn’t require the Gentile Christians to obey all the Jewish rules.
We contemporary Christians might be tempted to think “Well, that’s interesting” or, even perhaps, to be grateful because, after all, we Gentiles are the beneficiaries of that unity. But we can’t stop there; inspired scripture is never just about history – never just about how things came to be the way they are. As St. Paul says in Romans “All things written in times past were written for our instruction.” We don’t need to be instructed in history to be saved, but we do need to know God’s will. And that will, manifested in this story from Acts, is that God and God’s church are inclusive. There is room for everyone. God wants everyone.
Inclusiveness is as much a challenge for us today as it was for the Jewish Christians two millennia ago. We face issues such as male-female, lay-cleric, black-white, gay-straight, Protestant-Catholic. We say “Well, yes, there’s room for everybody. But first you have to be this or that, and obey all the rules, and change this or that . . . After all, that’s what God wants . . .”
Are we sure?
We need perhaps a little humility here. In several places the Gospels tell us that Jesus went off by Himself to pray. Almost certainly that “prayer” to His Father was “What is Your will in this situation? What do you want me to do?” We should do no less before deciding we know God’s will. How many times – and in how many places – has God told us “My ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts”?
When we become alert to this theme of inclusiveness, we find it in many places throughout the New Testament (e.g., John 11:52; Acts 10:34–35; 11:17; Romans 10:12; 1 Cor 12:13; Col 3:11; Eph 3:2–6, etc.) and even the Old (Is 60:1–7), but most clearly in Paul’s soaring phrases from Galatians (3:28–29): “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
If that seems somehow wrong to us, well . . . it should. Paul calls it a “mystery” and says that this insight came not through human sources but by direct revelation from God. It is one manifestation of what is meant by the phrase “a new creation”. God has made something completely new – unprecedented. This understanding could not have had human origins. Humans reject the other, the stranger. For humans, it’s “them” and “us”.
But for God it’s just “us” – always “us”.
Supplementary Reading
Hands Above Your Own
"I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me." – Psalm 16:8
When my son Robert was nine years old he wanted to learn to drive my car. So one day I let him sit between my legs behind the steering wheel and drive the car around the ten-acre church grounds. His little white-knuckled hands strangled the steering wheel, but he managed to maneuver the turns and bring the car back to its parking spot. When we went home for lunch that day, you should have heard him boast to his mother and older sister, "I drove the car, Mommy, all by myself! Really I did!"
Happy but foolish child. My big hands were only a fraction of an inch over his all the time and my foot was on the gas pedal had I needed to take over. The hand of Almighty God is never far away, so you can trust the future.
* * *
Is there something you've always wanted to do but have been too afraid to try? Venture out and take a risk. God will make course corrections where they are needed.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
Acts 11:1-18
Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3, 4
John 10:1-10 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; 2 but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. 9 I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill
Meditation by Robert P. Heaney (Creighton)
“God had granted also to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
By the time the Acts of the Apostles was written, the unification of Jews and Gentiles in the early Church was well on its way to being an accomplished fact. That this step was seen as important is indicated by the fact that Peter’s experience is described twice in Acts – first when it happens to Peter and second when he defends what he did to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The need for that defense is an indication that the unification was not accomplished without a struggle. The first Christians, who were, of course, Jews, said “Fine . . . you can come in, but you have to be Jewish first and obey all of our laws. (After all, they’re God’s laws.) Then you can be Christian . . .” But – despite their sincerity and piety – they were wrong, as we now understand. God didn’t require the Gentile Christians to obey all the Jewish rules.
We contemporary Christians might be tempted to think “Well, that’s interesting” or, even perhaps, to be grateful because, after all, we Gentiles are the beneficiaries of that unity. But we can’t stop there; inspired scripture is never just about history – never just about how things came to be the way they are. As St. Paul says in Romans “All things written in times past were written for our instruction.” We don’t need to be instructed in history to be saved, but we do need to know God’s will. And that will, manifested in this story from Acts, is that God and God’s church are inclusive. There is room for everyone. God wants everyone.
Inclusiveness is as much a challenge for us today as it was for the Jewish Christians two millennia ago. We face issues such as male-female, lay-cleric, black-white, gay-straight, Protestant-Catholic. We say “Well, yes, there’s room for everybody. But first you have to be this or that, and obey all the rules, and change this or that . . . After all, that’s what God wants . . .”
Are we sure?
We need perhaps a little humility here. In several places the Gospels tell us that Jesus went off by Himself to pray. Almost certainly that “prayer” to His Father was “What is Your will in this situation? What do you want me to do?” We should do no less before deciding we know God’s will. How many times – and in how many places – has God told us “My ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts”?
When we become alert to this theme of inclusiveness, we find it in many places throughout the New Testament (e.g., John 11:52; Acts 10:34–35; 11:17; Romans 10:12; 1 Cor 12:13; Col 3:11; Eph 3:2–6, etc.) and even the Old (Is 60:1–7), but most clearly in Paul’s soaring phrases from Galatians (3:28–29): “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
If that seems somehow wrong to us, well . . . it should. Paul calls it a “mystery” and says that this insight came not through human sources but by direct revelation from God. It is one manifestation of what is meant by the phrase “a new creation”. God has made something completely new – unprecedented. This understanding could not have had human origins. Humans reject the other, the stranger. For humans, it’s “them” and “us”.
But for God it’s just “us” – always “us”.
Supplementary Reading
Hands Above Your Own
"I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me." – Psalm 16:8
When my son Robert was nine years old he wanted to learn to drive my car. So one day I let him sit between my legs behind the steering wheel and drive the car around the ten-acre church grounds. His little white-knuckled hands strangled the steering wheel, but he managed to maneuver the turns and bring the car back to its parking spot. When we went home for lunch that day, you should have heard him boast to his mother and older sister, "I drove the car, Mommy, all by myself! Really I did!"
Happy but foolish child. My big hands were only a fraction of an inch over his all the time and my foot was on the gas pedal had I needed to take over. The hand of Almighty God is never far away, so you can trust the future.
* * *
Is there something you've always wanted to do but have been too afraid to try? Venture out and take a risk. God will make course corrections where they are needed.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
facebook: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
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