Message of 1-23-17

Published: Mon, 01/23/17

A Daily Spiritual Seed
Monday: January 23, 2017
Message of the Day
God wants to speak to us more than we want to listen. He is a God of love, and love longs to communicate.
- Linda Schubert

(Take time to listen for God’s direction — in words, circumstances and silence.)
Readings of the Day
HEB 9:15, 24-28;   PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6

MK 3:22-30

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, 
"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and
"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, 
"How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself, 
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, 
he cannot stand; 
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property 
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house. 
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies 
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit 
will never have forgiveness, 
but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit." 
Reflection on the Scripture
"Now He has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sins once for all by His sacrifice." –Hebrews 9:26

Jesus' "death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions" (Heb 9:15). "Christ was offered up once to take away the sins of many" (Heb 9:28). "You can depend on this as worthy of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tm 1:15). The essence of Jesus' mission is to save sinners.

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Today, it has become unfashionable to talk about sin. We, who call ourselves believers, don't want to put people on a guilt trip, sound judgmental, or be negative, so we don't talk about sin. When we don't talk about sin, we warp God's plan of salvation and come to the false conclusion that we don't need Jesus, His death, and the shedding of His blood that much. Let's repent and call sin "sin," not a fault or shortcoming. Let's hate sin and love sinners. Let's realize that a brief guilt trip which leads to repentance is much better than a trip to hell forever. Let's speak of sin, repentance, Confession, and especially of Jesus' loving forgiveness.

PRAYER:     Father, "thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me" (Ps 51:4).


PROMISE:     "Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds." –Ps 98:1


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Spiritual Reading
Theological Gems from Emile Merch's Theology of the Mystical Body
- selected by Jim and Tyra Arraj

Book III: Christ
 
Chapter 13: Revelation and the Trinity

395. -- revelation - it is human and at the same time truly divine

396. -- Christ is the supernatural unity and life of mankind.

397. The harmony between ChristÕs two natures is so perfectÉ that the sacred humanity was completely enlightened from the first instant of its illumination by the Word.
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The sun rose in the heart of one man to enlighten all mankind.