***Christ Our Only Lord

        As followers of Christ, we respond to him only. What I mean is that listen to him only, obey him alone and not to anyone else. In essence, we live just for him. And it's absolutely worth it! 

**Love and Attachment

         Love and attachment are two different things. To be attached to someone may not be loving that person at all. In fact, if you love someone with God's pure love, attachment can get in the way. This is not easy to explain, but God's love must prevail at the highest level. Perhaps looking at Jesus can help us understand somewhat. The Lord loved the people with the greatest love and pitied them, yet he never got himself attached to someone to impede him in carrying out God's will. 

*About Wanting to Live Longer

         Many people are interested in eating right so that they might live longer. You see articles that tell you if you follow their diet, you can live two or maybe five years longer. How would you know, as this is not something you can do experiments on to find out? And living longer may not even be a blessing if your health deteriorates. Now, believing in Christ and being assured that you'll live on forever—this to me is a lot more relevant and exciting. 

****Ready for God?*

         God is always ready for you. The question is whether you want to be ready for him. I think you know what I mean.

*Detaching Yourself from the World

        If you want to become detached from the world, start detaching yourself from yourself first. Once you achieve that, detaching yourself from everything else will be easy.

**Learning From the Lord

        When the Lord implants thoughts in my heart, I love that, for he lets me know that he is with me and nurturing me.

**Rejoicing Called For

         We have a most merciful God who loves us, understands us thoroughly, and wants to save us with all his heart. All we need to do is to believe in him and obey him. Instead of ignoring him, we should rejoice every moment with gratitude and anticipation!

***Pleading with Worldlings***

        The world is wasting a lot of its time. Many do not believe in God or love him as much as they should and many are embracing evil. It's most lamentable. God loves us and unquestionably will vanquish all evil in the end. Many will be saved, but many will be lost too. If you sin, you just have to pay a price. But the God of Christ can remove all our sins and save us if you believe in him. That's why it's called the good news. It's actually fantastic, much better than good. Ask for his mercy right now before time runs out on you. Do yourself this favor you need the most. Please!

**Disobedience, the Root of All Evil

        Since disobedience to God causes us to love money, it's even more correct to say "disobedience to God is the root of all evil" than "money is the root of all evil." To obey God alone requires that we trust in him alone and not in anyone else, ourselves included. 

***Most Beautiful Relationship with God

        If you keep the God of Christ out of your life, naturally you'll never get to know him. He already knows you, so to know him best, you only need to open up wide to him. Then he'll come and reveal himself and whatever you need to know to attain eternal joy to you. There is no relationship more rewarding and beautiful than you and the Lord freely exchanging thoughts with each other at any time. 

*Don't Miss Out on Getting into Heaven

        Today's Gospel reading from Mark 9 is on the transfiguration of Jesus. Peter, James, and John were with him on the high mountain. He was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white. Then Elijah appeared along with Moses, and they conversed with Jesus. A cloud came over them and from it came God's voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." The whole scene was just splendid and awesome! Don't you wish that you can be in heaven too? You surely can if you stick with Jesus.

***Disobedience Begets Confusion

        In my last post, I extolled perfect obedience to God. Today, we have disobedience to God everywhere, within and without the Church. Ralph Martin's new video brings an excellent message that may shock you, but we need to stay informed. This we already know: Confusion can only come from the Devil.

*****Obedience Is Being Humble*****

         If we obey the Lord, we'll automatically be humble and ask for the right things. What if I ask the Lord to make me a great saint? This doesn't sound like I am very humble. Yet this is what the Lord wants to hear from us, for he had said to his disciples, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). We make such a request only to obey the Lord, and it does take great humility to obey whatever he tells us to do and not question him. Perfect obedience overrides all consequences. Abraham is a great example. When God tested him by asking him to offer up his son Issac as a burnt offering, he readily compiled. Of course, our perfect model is Christ himself who died for our sins in perfect obedience to the Father. Yes, we are to do God's will single-mindedly with all our heart and with all our soul.

***Treating Jesus Right

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 8, we hear Jesus say to the people, "Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words . . . the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angles." It sounds fair enough. Thank you, Lord. Now I know exactly how to treat you and your words so that you may be proud of me and grant me eternal life. 

***World in Crisis

        The Holy Church is supposed to be the light in the world, making disciples of all nations and proclaiming the gospel to every creature, keeping the souls of the faithful safe and defending mankind against evil. The fact that today the Church seems to be more in line with the world than the teachings of Christ indicates that we are truly in end times, you might say, and the Lord will be compelled to do something to wake all of us up. I have no doubt that his Holy Church will be purified, restored, and become stronger than ever. Meanwhile, we need to double down on praying harder than ever.

**Obeying God Unconditionally

        We are to obey God unconditionally. This means that we don't just do his will, but also do it willingly and with joy. For inspiration, you only need to look at how Jesus dealt with the Passion he underwent. 

**Most Satisfying Involvement

        In the past, I have been involved in mathematics, product design, rental business, photography, CD collection, etc. They're all interesting. Now that I am primarily involved in saving souls, I can say that it is the most satisfying involvement yet. For you remain in communion with the Lord at all times and experience freedom, peace, and joy. Shall I say that the Lord God is the best boss there is and working for him the fringe benefits are fantastic?

**Same Lord with Us Today

        Even though we were not at the Last Supper, we still receive the same body and blood of the Lord Jesus at every Mass as the Apostles did at the Last Supper. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The Lord fulfills his promise he made in the last verse of the Gospel Matthew that he is with us always, until the end of the age.