Joy of Reconciliation

        Communion experience. It was complete reconciliation with the Lord > great joy!

*Living for Jesus

        When we truly live for Jesus, we do everything for him and through him, which is the same as letting him do everything for you, which is doing everything with him as one. It is letting him motivate you in all the things you do. Enter deep into the Lord and you'll know his motivations.

*Be Great Christians

        A pianist who dazzles his audience with his technique but does not bring out the intention of the composer cannot be a great pianist. Similarly, a speaker who impresses others with his eloquence but does not make the central message clear cannot be a greater speaker. Hopefully, when we live as Christians, people will see the Christ in us and not just us.

***Something We Must Do

        Confessing our sins to the Lord goes beyond getting ourselves forgiven. It shows that we trust in God's mercy, that we are humble enough to submit ourselves to him, that we want to to please him, our Father, and that we comply with his wish for us to enter heaven. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. On the other hand, not confessing your sins is heading straight toward eternal darkness.

**Perfect Match

        Communion experience. I focused on the Lord and saw that he is infinite, merciful, and filled with love for me. I focused on myself and saw a sinner, needing salvation and to be loved. So God and I are a perfect match to become one for all eternity. A breakthrough in seeing. 

**Being Truly cool

        People today think that they are cool by dressing, decorating, and carrying themselves differently from others. But this outward coolness only reflects one's inner insecurity. The truly cool person is one who leaves all things to God and remains unruffled (cool) interiorly always. 

***Vanquishing Sin the Smart Way

        The smart way to fight temptation is to run away from it. The smart way to kill your ego is to starve it. Similarly, the smart way to overcome any sin is to ignore it and head straight for the Lord. Seek union with him and you'll be shielded from all evil. How nice it is that you would rest in God while he removes even all your tendencies to sin! God to be loved is to be enjoyed too.

God All-Knowing?

        From today's first reading from Hebrews 4: No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. Because God knows everything going on with us, we need to render an account to him at the end. Of course, you are free to believe that God does not know everything that's going on with you, so there is no need to render a thorough account or even any account to him. In that case, you have a God you can easily fool or you are just making a big fool of yourself.

How to Enjoy More Peace

       If you think about or view someone and lose peace, you are judging that person. Therefore, do not judge and you'll enjoy more peace. 

*Why Messages Are Weak

        Christians are to bear witness to what God has done in their lives. Therefore, those messages we hear or read that are simply opinions and commentaries on the Lord or his teachings do not make much impact on us and are generally forgettable.

Source of Our Peace

        We do not have inner peace because we sin against the Lord. True peace can only be found in the God of Christ after we reconciled ourselves to him and know that we have been saved. This is how God has made us. I acutely sensed this at Mass this morning. (Footnote: There is only one God. I specified God as "the God of Christ" because many have falsely believed that Jesus is not God the Son.) 

*Amazing Life We Have

        Afterthought after the last post. It is amazing that God can and wants to fully restore our original status so that we may return to him to enjoy eternal happiness. This is not a dream – this is truth which has been revealed to us by God the Son! Get in tune with Christ and listen to and obey him, and you are in – a simple step you can make as easy as you want to.

**No Limit to Becoming Holy*

        As sinners on our own, we are most unworthy to be saved. But because God so loves us, he has provided the way to have our sins removed and our souls saved. Not only that, he can make us as pure and as holy as we'll let him. This is precisely what makes living in Christ exciting! If your spiritual life is on the dull side, you have not let the Lord into your life enough yet. 

*Equal Concerns for All

        If we live each day as if it's our last day on earth, then we should also treat others as if it's their last day on earth.

Keeping Motivation Pure

        I just posted about obedience to God, then I realize that sometimes we do little things we don't think much about and have no intention to hurt anyone either, but nevertheless our motivation may not be that pure. Therefore, what we have done is still a sin. Am I being nitpicking? Maybe, but it's necessary because it is part of obedience to God. Don't forget, as sinners we need God's help in all things.

Obeying the Lord first

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus cleansed a leper and said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. Here is a clear case of disobeying the Lord. We usually do what is natural for us to do, but we need to listen to the Lord carefully and do what he wants us to do even if doing it goes against our grain.

***Dwelling in God

        I see union with God in a new light today. It is true that in union, God and you become one. We know that God the Son and God the Father are in each other and they are one. But for us, it is more accurate to see us in God and not the other way around, as he is infinite and we are finite. I could say that the Lord is in me, but that's because I am in him. So from now on, I am going to see myself completely dwelling (hidden) in God. I now belong to him and to his house, learning from and being fed by him directly. 

Obedience to God Leads to . . .

calmness of the heart.