*Alive in Jesus

        Communion experience. When you have Jesus dwelling in you, you are as alive as can be.

*Jesus Can Be Trusted

        If you read the Gospel about Jesus with an open mind, you should at least be able to see that he is someone who can be totally trusted, rain or shine.  

God Watches over Us

        Today is Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Both had been freed from prison by the Lord. Peter was arrested and put in prison, secured by double chains and placed under heavy guard, by King Herod. On the night before he was to be brought to trial, the angel of the Lord appeared by Peter and the chains fell from his wrists. Then the angel lead Peter through all the guards, came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. In Paul's case, he was beaten with rods and imprisoned by the people and magistrates at Philippi. He was placed in the innermost cell with his feet secured to a stake. About midnight, there was suddenly a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook, and all the doors flew open and the chains were pulled loose. Trembling with fear, the jailer surrendered.

        These two recorded happenings are solid proof that God does rescue us at the right time of his choice. It is good to know that he is always there, fully aware of our situation, and will rescue us as he sees fit. 

***Something Beautiful

        1. There is something beautiful about being honest.    

        2.     "     "         "               "           "     fulfilling your duties.

        3.     "     "         "               "           "     working to earn your own living.

        4.     "     "         "               "           "     keeping your marriage vows.

        5.     "     "         "               "           "     helping anyone who needs help.

        6.     "     "         "               "           "     never looking down on others.

        7.     "     "         "               "           "     respecting life as God's precious gift.

        8.     "     "         "               "           "     living unselfishly.

        9.     "     "         "               "           "     being faithful and obedient to God.

        There are still so many more things you can do to make life beautiful. You can even make yourself beautiful by letting the Lord do whatever he wishes with you!

***Communion Revelation*

        When an imperfect one meets the Perfect One upon receiving the Holy Eucharist and yields completely to him, he becomes perfect too.         

**Free Is the One Who . . .

looks forward only to meeting his Lord and God, never looking back on his past. When it's time to depart from this world, he has absolutely no attachment to any of the things he'll have to leave behind, nor any concern about whether he had made any mark on earth.       

*Happy Is the One Who . . .

knows where he or she is going. More specifically, happy is the one who knows that he or she is returning to the Father in heaven.      

*God Calling You

        When Jesus called Paul, Paul heard the Lord saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Now, if you haven't believed in Christ yet and turn your thoughts honestly inward to listen for his voice in your heart, you should hear his voice calling your gently by name and asking "Why are you running away from me?" or "Why are you hiding from me? or "Why are you rebelling against me?"

The Blessed One

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus said to his disciple, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." To me, it is a basic principle that we should take whatever the Lord says to us most seriously, for he speaks only the truth. So, blessed is the one who always obeys the Lord. 

Something Beautiful!

        Leaving everything behind and abandoning yourself completely in God to experience true freedom.       

Truth to Realize

        Think carefully and you may realize that life is meaningful only if you stop serving yourself and start living for God. Plenty of lessons are there for us to learn our whole life, but our self-serve hearts normally remain closed. Self-serving leads you to nowhere but yourself, a dead end. Serving God by letting yourself go is the way to freedom.

Breakthrough in Attitude

        If you fully realize that one day you'll have to leave all things behind on earth and return to God, you would no longer let anything in this life bother you much anymore! Of course, if you are not sure about returning to God, then you'd be mired in problems of your life all the days of your life.

Soul's Longing Fulfilled

        Communion experience. I find everlasting peace in Christ, exactly what my soul longs for.

**Light of Life!

        In John 8.12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." He spoke the truth, for he revealed his infinite love for us and illuminated the path to living with him in paradise for all eternity most clearly. How he lived his life on earth is living proof that he is trustworthy. Our life is precious because it is only in this lifetime are we able to choose to follow Jesus and settle our eternal destiny. 

***Intention Over Law-Abidingness

        Here is a true story. A landlord replaced the kitchen floor for her tenant who happened to be a lawyer, with nice new tiles. Unfortunately, the foundation of house shifted, resulting in a crack in the new floor. The tenant carelessly walked over the crack in bare feet and had his foot cut on some shards in the crack. The landlord's insurance company took care of his claim and had to pay out $50,000 to settle the case. Yes, the tenant should be compensated for his injury, but to receive that large an amount for a minor injury seemed way out of line. The point I want to make is that following the law is no guarantee that one's intention is pure. The fact that some criminals beat the court with good lawyers is a case in point. Just know that when God judges us, he looks at our intentions, not how well we follow the law.     

**Biggest Yes or No*

        This is your most consequential response to God when he asks you if you would let him love you.       

**Fear of God

        If you fear God because you know that you are a sinner and if you reject him, you'd be lost forever – this is good, justified fear. But if you are afraid of God because you fear he'd take over and lord it over you in all things, this would be bad, unhealthy fear. Give in to God and he'll remove your good fear completely. Reject him and your bad fear remains with you forever.       

*Joy of God's Greatest Gift

        Communion experience. Recalling John 6.54: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day, I have eternal life!