Message of 10-9-09
Published: Fri, 09/25/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
- - -
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
The life of holiness is the life of faith in which the believer,
with a deepening knowledge of his own sin and helplessness apart
from Christ, increasingly casts himself upon the Lord, and seeks
the power of the Spirit and the wisdom and comfort of the Bible to
battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
- Edmund P. Clowney (1917-2005)
(How do you experience your need for Christ these days?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2; Ps 9:2-3, 6 and 16, 8-9; Lk 11:15-26
R. (9) The Lord will judge the world with justice.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Jesus invites those who follow him to do so completely and without
compromise. . . . This is the theme of Luke's gospel: that we
wholeheartedly follow him as his disciples.
For those who seek a sign from heaven, Luke's gospel just ten
verses earlier gives us Jesus' version of the Lord's prayer which
ends with "and do not put us [God] to the test!"
How does this exorcism healing story apply to my life? Certainly I
should not "test God", i.e., to presume that I have questionable
and valid issues about how God is working with me. God is God and
I am not! There is too often a sinful attitude of presumption when
I don't trust God and over value my own judgment in how God works
with me. I need to have that attitude that God is loving and
working for me but in ways at times too mysterious for me to
understand.
And for those who question from where Jesus gets his power and
authority to heal others and rid them of the devils that inhibit
them, we should trust in the Lord, have faith in him even if we
don't understand. We should not judge others rashly for what they
are doing as if they do it for selfish reasons. We should
acknowledge "the finger of God" which is in the good works of
others and not be so judgmental.
In this gospel story we see Jesus teaching us to see the difference
between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. We need
to take up our cross and follow him - completely.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "The Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence
GOD has many ways of drawing us to Himself. He sometimes hides
Himself from us: but faith alone, which will not fail us in time of
need, ought to be our support, and the foundation of our
confidence, which must be all in GOD.
- 12th Letter - to one who is in great pain.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE (Benedictine Approach)
1. Relax. Settle in. Be aware that God is here, now, loving you.
2. Read a short passage of Scripture as though God were speaking
directly to you in it.
3. Choose a phrase from the passage that strikes you and repeat it
slowly, prayerfully, non-analytically.
4. When your heart is full, express to God the needs and sentiments
awakened by your meditation. When you're done, read another passage
and repeat steps 3 and 4.
5. If, at any time, you feel moved to simply be present to God in
loving silence, put the Scripture aside and rest in God.
______________________________
* Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed
* RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed