Matthew 5:33-41 - Take a long walk!

The Lord said, "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

walk the extra mile
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The Lord wants me to trust Him.  He does not want me to take oaths or promise to do things when, in reality, I have no idea what a day may hold for me. Instead, it is all as the Lord wills.  I cannot swear by God that I will do anything because I do not have the power to even change the color of my hair. So, I simply say, "yes" or "no" and leave the rest to God.  I should live for the moment that God has given to me and react to what is before me, as coming from Him.

Therefore, if someone tries to take my stuff, it's no big deal. If someone compels me to walk a mile with him, I can volunteer another mile. For I trust in the Lord and seek to find Him in the world around me.  I should not be moved by events that trouble others but, instead, trust in the Lord!

O Lord, help me to have a humble heart and to walk with my neighbor when they ask. For in walking with Him, I shall find You. Amen.

Matthew 5:20-26 - Live in Harmony

 

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For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

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You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

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But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

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Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

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leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

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Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

26

Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

An example of Best Buddies!
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How important it is to live in harmony with my brother. If I know that I am "fighting" with someone and I try to pray or worship God in Church or do any kind of communal act with God, then it is hindered if I am not reconciled to my brother.  Surely, in my brother is the Image of God. To be out of harmony with my brother is to be out of harmony with God.  Did not the Apostle Peter say that we should be united with our wives, lest our prayers be hindered? Thus, I must strive at all times to live in harmony with those whom God has placed in my life. There, is the Kingdom of God.

Lord, Grant that I may always see Jesus in the face of my brother. Amen.

John 17:18-26 - The Father shows His Love!

At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "As you, Father, did send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

"I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which you have given me in your love for me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you; and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

The Father Loves the Son
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God is Love. He shows the world that even as He has loved His Son, so also He loves the world.  The Son makes known the Father to the world and it is in the Son, that we know the Father.  O Lord, I want to behold the Glory of Christ, given Him by His Father, given in Love before the foundation of the world.  May the Love of the Father be in me, this day, and may I reflect the Glory of the Son. Amen. 

John 17:1-13 - Know God!

At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.

"I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."

O Lord, I thank You that You have prayed for me. You gave glory to Your Father for giving You the disciples who have kept Your Word.  You ask that the Father would keep Your disciples in Him and thus preserve them till the end. I pray that I would be numbered with them, O Lord, confident in Your love and living in Your Hope. Surely, it is eternal life to know God the Father and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.

Keep me in Your Name, this day, I pray, Amen.

John 14:1-11 - The Way

The Lord said to his disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 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. And you know the way where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." 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?' 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. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me."

Jesus, the Way!photo by Dawn Ashley, used under the creative commons licesne
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 Do I really want to know God as Thomas did? He asked Jesus, "Show us the Father." Jesus replied that if he has seen Jesus, than he has seen the Father.  Yes, what I need to do, in order to know God, is to know Jesus. For Jesus is God and Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him.

Oh, the divine, unfathomable mystery! God is in Three Persons yet there is One God! The way to know this God is to know Jesus. Jesus declares Himself to be the Way. It's not that Jesus presents a spiritual techique or any 12 step program in order to Know God. Rather, Since He is the Way to God, we need to get to know Him. Jesus is the Way to the Father and happy is the man who discovers that!

O Lord, Help me to know Jesus.  May I be united in Him and, by being so, we I know God. Amen.

Luke 10:16-21 - Name Written in Heaven :Rejoice!

The Lord said to his disciples, "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name! " And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. " In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

Name written in Heaven?photo by flickr user spaceamoeba, used under the creative commons license.
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Yes, how truly importatnt it is to rejoice over the right things! Jesus wanted the 70 to make sure they rejoiced not because of the miracles they performed but rather because their names were written in heaven. That means, they are known and loved by the Father. Jesus rejoiced that His Father revealed Himself and His will to the humble and least of all.

O Lord, keep me humble so that I can be like these seventy who counted it pure joy to know the Father.
May my name be found to be written in heaven. Amen!

John 11:47-57 - Being Gathered

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Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.

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If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.

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And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,

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nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.

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Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

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and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

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Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

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Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

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And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

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Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think – that He will not come to the feast?”

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Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

Gathered by the Lord, as fruit is gathered by this child
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   I thank You, Lord, that the prophecy of the High Priest, though he worked against You, actually came to pass. You have gathered for Yourself a people from all the lands. Surely, it is not just Israel You call Your own but those who were scattered abroad. In fact, You have made Your Church, the new Israel and they are those Whom You call Your own.  Grant, I pray Thee, that I may be numbered with them in the Kingdom of God.  Have mercy upon me and all who call upon Your Name.  Amen.

Matthew 10:16-22 - Sheep on the look out for wolves!

The Lord said to his disciples, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved."

looking out for wolves!
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It's rough out there! Family members turning on each other. Government authorities arresting people for the sake of Christ. We are like sheep in the middle of a pack of wolves. Therefore, we should be wise in our dealings with them yet maintain our innocence. And, if our wisdom fails to keep us from being brought before the authorities with charges against us, we should not worry about our defense. Rather, trusting in the Holy Spirit, He will speak through us and our words will convict them, either in this life or the next.  The key is not to worry but, to instead, endure to the end.

O Lord, Help me to be wise as a serpent when dealing with those who defame You. I am a defenseless sheep among predators who hate You.  Help me always to take Your side on all issues, showing Your love yet keep Your commandments.  And, by Your Grace, keep me till the end. Amen.