There are so many interesting things in this world for us to explore, discover, pursue, and learn, and most of us are doing just that. This is fine, but all this knowledge is only useful to us in our time on earth. Our priority should be as Jesus has advised his disciples to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first. The Lord asked his disciples, "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" Here we may ask: "What profit is there for one to gain all the knowledge of the world and not know God at all?"
Monday, October 30, 2017
Sunday, October 29, 2017
***Thoughts on Salvation
If anyone should knowingly reject God, salvation for him would be difficult; but again, nothing is impossible with God. Most people who believe but not seriously might be unknowingly teetering on the brink of becoming lost forever. An any rate, we must pray for everyone. Keenly aware of the horror of being separated from God forever, I must cast aside all personal feelings and wish everyone to enter heaven. Of course, the Lord is infinitely more merciful than I, so it's logical to believe that he would want everyone saved even more! This is what all of us should realize, that God so wants us to return to him to be free and happy. If you still turn away from him, then you truly become a helpless soul.
***Worthy to Be Loved*
The almost infinite number of prayers we say are based upon this one prayer: Thy will be done. Therefore, perfect obedience to the Father makes you worthy to be loved by him.
***Simple Secret to Happiness
We are unhappy because we want things turn out the way we want. So if we let things turn out the way God wants, we are off the hook and become free. Then however things turn out, we are Ok with it. In other words, the secret to freedom and peace is to let God be God, nothing more. Yes, it does go against your human nature, but your human nature tends to sin, so let God change it!
*Astute Observation
Since God lives forever, we'll live forever too if we hold onto him tight or attain union with him.
***To Love God Properly
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus gave the greatest commandment: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." How can we possibly do so? Well, since his love is the greatest, we can ask him to let us use his love. But how are we to receive it? Answer: we be wide open to let him love us. Then his love will pour in and fill our hearts. Now we are ready to love him back.
**Our Personal God
In today's Gospel acclamation, John 14.23, Jesus said, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." This is the Lord making his promise with these endearing words to every single one of us, since he loves every single one of us. You must hear him speaking personally to you. He is our God, but specifically, he is personally your God.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
**Direct Way to God
The path that leads to Christ may be steep, but it's straight, for God does not throw curves at us (pun not intended). So the straight approach becomes the best way to get to know Jesus, which is you go straight to him, open up yourself and start talking to him heart to heart. Yes, follow him like the Apostles. Any other less direct approach is beating around the bush. Do it the right way and you are with him instantly.
God Became Man
Today is the feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. The Gospel reading from Luke 6 tells us that the day before Jesus chose Twelve from his disciples to be named Apostles, he spent the night in prayer to God on the mountain. To me, Jesus fully showed his human nature. We did have God becoming man.
Benefits of Knowing God
When you hear the Lord speaking to your heart, the direct benefit is that he is teaching you, shaping you. A side benefit is that you know you are he are getting along fine.
Friday, October 27, 2017
***God Most Precious*
Time marches on, awaiting no one. Besides, our time on earth is limited. God will be beyond our grasp after we die, so it's now or never. Now, you should see clearly how precious God is to us!
*Knowing God Is Sufficient*
Once you know God intimately, you feel as if you already know everything. No, you do not feel superior to others, you only know that you now have sufficient knowledge that nothing else can be more essential or so exciting. Knowing God alone is sufficient for any of us. If not, you do not know him well yet.
Soul-Touching Love
Communion experience. The Lord touched my soul; he had reached the real me as only he as my creator could.
***God Cannot Be Wrong!
Jesus asks us to trust in him – he is only asking for what we should do and would be good for us. Everything he tells us is for our benefit. He wants to save us so that we might live with him for all eternity in heaven, so it's unthinkable that he should ever intend to harm us. If you do not believe in him, it's because you never really understood him correctly, for your sins kept you away from him. It's time we correct our wrongs and look at the Lord with contrite hearts.
**Final Settling With God*
Everything we do affects God and he is just, but also most thorough. We forget things; he doesn't. Our relationship with him will be exposed, examined, and judged and we'll be put in the right place where we belong – the final settlement of our existence.
*Urgent Call to Union With God
Spiritually, we must not remain stagnant, for God and his sheep are being relentless assaulted by the evil one and his followers. Science is advancing. Technology is advancing. Materialism is advancing. Atheism, immorality, godlessness, all advancing. It behooves us to grow closer and be more faithful to the Lord every day. The call to seek union with him is more urgent than ever.
*Blessed Be the Childlike
God has made our way to salvation extremely simple, yet we "remake" it so complicated as to lose our way completely. This is a great tragedy we've created for ourselves. Jesus said in Matthew 18.3: Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. If you are childlike in nature, rejoice, for you are a great candidate for entering God's kingdom. Know that to not be childlike in trusting God is to not accept God as your Father.
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