Forum on Christianity and Spirituality
February 6, 2025, 7:30 p.m. CST Topic: The World Religions: Similarities and Differences See https://shalomplace.com/inetmin/forum.html for more information and registration.
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Message of the Day
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Contempt of material things as such is, in fact, no more orthodox than pantheism — it is the great dualist heresy which always lies in wait for an over-spiritualized Christianity.
… Dorothy L. Sayers (What value do you place on the material things in your life? How do they lead you to appreciation of God, or to
greed?)
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Readings of the Day
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Hebrews 6:10-20; Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9, 10c Mark 2:23-28 One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along. And the Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing something on the sabbath day that is forbidden?’ And he replied, ‘Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God when
Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?’
And he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the
sabbath. USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“Like a sure and firm anchor, that hope extends beyond the veil.” —Hebrews 6:19 In the Christian life, the old
saying is true: “All’s well that ends well.” Some people are like the good thief who probably lived a terribly sinful life but repented moments before his death (Lk 23:42-43). Others may be like Judas Iscariot, who spent every day with Jesus for three years, but in the end betrayed Christ and committed suicide (Mt 27:5). Will each of us persevere in our faith? “Our desire is that each of you show the same zeal to the end” (Heb 6:11). We
persevere because we hope. “In hope we were saved” (Rm 8:24). The Lord gives us hope by His promise and His oath (Heb 6:13, 16). “By two things that are unchangeable, in which He could not lie, we who have taken refuge in Him might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope which is placed before us” (Heb 6:18). Not only does faith come through hearing God’s Word (see Rm 10:17) but also hope comes by believing God’s Word. Believing God’s promise and oath, we hold on to hope and refuse to let go
until we are home in heaven with our Lord forever. We persevere because we “hope so.” “Seize the hope” (Heb 6:18). Prayer: Father, fulfill my hopes by pouring out Your love in my heart through the Holy Spirit (Rm 5:5). Promise: “I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just.” —Ps
111:1 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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The Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life, by Brother Lawrence (1611 - 1691). Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
https://ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice/practice Fourth Conversation
The manner of going to God. * Hearty renunciation. * Prayer and praise prevent discouragement. * Sanctification in common business. * Prayer and the presence of God. * The whole substance of religion. * Self-estimation *
Further personal experience. That GOD always gave us light in our doubts, when we had no other design but to please Him.
That our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for GOD’s sake, which we commonly do for our own. That it was lamentable to see how many people mistook the means for the end, addicting themselves to certain works, which
they performed very imperfectly, by reason of their human or selfish regards.
That the most excellent method he had found of going to GOD, was that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing men, [Gal. i. 10; Eph. vi. 5, 6.] and (as far as we are capable) purely for the love of GOD.
That it was a great delusion to think that the times of prayer ought to differ from other times. That we
are as strictly obliged to adhere to GOD by action in the time of action, as by prayer in its season.
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