Feb 20, 2010 - Saturday Meditation (Desert Times)

Has God performed a heart test on you lately? There are times in our lives when God leads us into the desert in order to let us find out what is in our heart. These times can be very difficult and humbling. They can test our mettle like no other time. Desert times often mean we are living without those things we are normally accustomed to: water, food, limited supplies-and with few comforts. In modern terms, it may mean a different environment. God is performing a very important work during these times. He wants to know if we can be obedient to Him in these times; or will we be obedient only when times are good?



Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Isaiah 58:9b-14

Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Luke 5:27-32 After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." 28 And he left everything, and rose and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."



Meditation by Don Schwager

When your neighbor stumbles through sin or ignorance, do you point the finger to criticize or do you lend a helping hand to lift him up? The prophet Isaiah tells us that God repays in kind. When we bless others, especially those who need spiritual as well and physical help, God in turn blesses us. When Jesus called a despised tax collector to be his disciple he surprised everyone including Levi (also known as Matthew). The religious leaders were especially upset with Jesus’ behavior towards public sinners like Levi. People in Palestine were divided into roughly two groups: the orthodox Jews who rigidly kept the law and all its petty regulations, and the rest who didn't keep all the minute regulations. The orthodox treated the latter like second class citizens. They scrupulously avoided their company, refused to do business with them, refused to give or receive anything from them, refused to intermarry, and avoided any form of entertainment with them, including table fellowship. Jesus' association with the latter, especially  with tax collectors and sinners, shocked the sensibilities of these orthodox Jews.

When the Pharisees challenged Jesus unorthodox behavior in eating with public sinners, Jesus' defence was quite simple. A doctor doesn't need to treat healthy people; instead he goes to those who are sick. Jesus likewise sought out those in the greatest need. A true physician seeks healing of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. Jesus came as the divine physician and good shepherd to care for his people and to restore them to wholeness of life. The orthodox were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed the greatest care. Their religion was selfish because they didn't want to have anything to do with people not like themselves. Jesus stated his mission in unequivocal terms: I came  not to call the righteous, but to call sinners. Ironically the orthodox were as needy as those they despised. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Do you thank the Lord for the great mercy he has shown to you? And do you seek the good of all your neighbors and show them mercy and kindness?

What does it mean to “leave all and follow the Lord”? Bede the Venerable, a 7th century church father comments on Matthew’s conversion to discipleship: “By ‘follow’ he meant not so much the movement of feet as of the heart, the carrying out of a way of life. For one who says that he lives in Christ ought himself to walk just as he walked, not to aim at earthly things, not to pursue perishable gains, but to flee base praise, to embrace willingly the contempt of all that is worldly for the sake of heavenly glory, to do good to all, to inflict injuries upon no one in bitterness, to suffer patiently those injuries that come to oneself, to ask God’s forgiveness for those who oppress, never to seek one’s own glory but always God’s, and to uphold whatever helps one love heavenly things. This is what is meant by following Christ. In this way, disregarding earthly gains, Matthew attached himself to the band of followers of One who had no riches. For the Lord himself, who outwardly called Matthew by a word, inwardly bestowed upon him the gift of an invisible impulse so that he was able to follow.” Are you ready to forsake all for Christ?

"Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood.  Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence.  Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself."  (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430)





Supplementary Reading

Tests of the Heart



Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.

~ Deuteronomy 8:2



Has God performed a heart test on you lately? There are times in our lives when God leads us into the desert in order to let us find out what is in our heart. These times can be very difficult and humbling. They can test our mettle like no other time. Desert times often mean we are living without those things we are normally accustomed to: water, food, limited supplies-and with few comforts. In modern terms, it may mean a different environment. God is performing a very important work during these times. He wants to know if we can be obedient to Him in these times; or will we be obedient only when times are good?

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you (Deuteronomy 8:3-5).

These desert times may mean experiencing new ways of provision from the Lord. Like manna from Heaven, it may mean seeing miracles we've never seen before. Like clothing that never wears out, it may mean seeing your normal capabilities expanded. Like walking hundreds of miles without pain, desert experiences provide new lessons and new experiences that only these times can teach us.

What desert experience has He brought into your life lately? Perhaps it is a lean time in business. Perhaps it is a new environment. Whatever it is, when God decides to bring new disciplines into our lives by bringing us into the desert, do not fear the heat that is sure to come. He is walking beside you in order to test you and find out what is really in your heart. Ask for His grace to pass the test. He wants to bring all of His children into the Promised Land.




For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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Feb 22, 2010 - Monday Meditation (Welcome Jesus in your Brother!)

When Martin of Tours (who lived in the 4th century), a young Roman soldier and seeker of the Christian faith, met an unclothed man begging for alms in the freezing cold, he stopped and cut his coat in two and gave half to the stranger. That night he dreamt he saw the heavenly court with Jesus robed in a torn cloak. One of the angels present asked, "Master, why do you wear that battered cloak?" Jesus replied, "My servant Martin gave it to me." Martin’s disciple and biographer Sulpicius Severus states that as a consequence of this vision Martin “flew to be baptized.”



Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

1 Peter 5:1-4

Matthew 25:31-46 "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40 And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' 45 Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."



Meditation by Don Schwager

Do you know God's love and do you allow the love of God to rule in your heart – in all of your thoughts, intentions, and attitudes – and in the way you relate to others? How we treat our neighbor – both those who bring us joy and friendship and those who cause us grief and trouble – has consequences both for the present and the future. If we harbor ill thoughts towards others and allow the root of bitterness to grow in our hearts, it will keep us from seeking their good and relating to them with selfless concern for their welfare. True love seeks the good of others regardless of how they treat us in kind. God loved us first – even when we were his enemies – when we ignored him, rejected him, and refused to believe and obey his word. That is why the Father sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world but to save it through the sacrifice of his son 's atoning death on the cross for our sins (John 3:16-17). Only God's purifying love and grace can free our hearts of pride, envy, selfishness, bitterness, greed, and hatred. Paul the Apostle tells us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). God's love has power to change and heal us and makes us whole. Do you believe that God is at work in you to change and transform you into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18)?



God will judge us, not on how much we have acquired or accomplished in this life, but on how much we have loved and forgiven others and shared with them God's mercy, kindness, and goodness. The one and only test that really counts is the measure to which we loved God in his truth and goodness and how much we shared that love with our neighbor as well. If we tolerate sinful attitudes and behavior, our hearts will become cold and hardened and unable to love and forgive others. The ultimate consequence of sin is eternal separation from God and the community of redeemed sinners who have been washed clean in the blood of the spotless lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ who gave his life for us upon the cross for our salvation. Just as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats at night so they can rest in peace, so God will separate those who have accepted his love and grace from those who have rejected it through unbelief and disobedience. Separation is an inevitable consequence of sin and judgment. The Day of Judgment will reveal who showed true love, compassion, and mercy toward their neighbor.



This parable is similar to the parable about Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man, who let Lazarus die on his doorstep, was doomed to a life of eternal misery. Separated by the abyss of hell, he craved for drops of cold water he had not thought of giving to the poor man who had begged at his door. When Martin of Tours (who lived in the 4th century), a young Roman soldier and seeker of the Christian faith, met an unclothed man begging for alms in the freezing cold, he stopped and cut his coat in two and gave half to the stranger. That night he dreamt he saw the heavenly court with Jesus robed in a torn cloak. One of the angels present asked, "Master, why do you wear that battered cloak?" Jesus replied, "My servant Martin gave it to me." Martin’s disciple and biographer Sulpicius Severus states that as a consequence of this vision Martin “flew to be baptized.” God is gracious and merciful; his love compels us to treat others with mercy and kindness. When we do something for one of Christ's little ones, we do it for Christ himself. Do you treat your neighbor with mercy, kindness, and compassion as Christ has treated you?



"Lord Jesus, be the Ruler of my heart and the Master of my possessions. May your love burn away every selfish thought and bitter root that I may only think and act with charity





Supplementary Reading

Going Against the Flow



But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. ~ Numbers 14:10a



Have you ever had to stand up against the majority for a cause that wasn't popular? God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and promised He would lead them into a land of milk and honey. The process of moving out of Egypt was difficult. They could no longer do things the old way, for the old ways didn't work in the desert. God provided for them during this journey. But there came a point in which the people forgot what God had said. Their discomfort changed their belief about God.



Whenever God is slow to answer our prayers, what we believe about God is revealed. Do we change our plans and move in a different direction when pressure mounts? Or do we continue on the path God has directed for us? Four men believed what God said and were willing to stand; however, the crowd wanted to stone them.



Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites (Numbers 14:5-10).



Notice Joshua and Caleb's response to the situation. They had spied the land. They believed God. They challenged the crowd. They seemed to know that if the Lord was not pleased with them they would not enter into the Promised Land. Those who grumbled did not enter the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb and a new generation saw the fulfillment of God's promise.



Has God called you to stand for a cause bigger than yourself? You will have opposition to His call; sometimes it even comes from those in your own camp. But if God has called you, then you can be sure He will make a way. He has already opened the way before you. But you must walk in faith, joined with Him to take the land.



...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). (OS Hillman)






For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6



GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

Feb 24, 2010 - Wednesday Meditation (Dont Continue to Reject God's Warnings)

God searches our hearts, not to condemn us, but to show us where we need his saving grace and help.  He calls us to seek him with true repentance, humility, and the honesty to see our sins for what they really are – a rejection of his love and will for our lives. God will transform us if we listen to his word and allow his Holy Spirit to work in our lives.



Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

Jonah 3:1-10

Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

Luke 11:29-32 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it  except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to  hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.



Meditation by Don Schwager

Do you pay careful attention to warning signs? Many fatalities could be avoided if people paid attention to such signs. When the religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus, he gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It was characteristic of the Jews that they demanded "signs" from God's messengers to authenticate their claims. When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims he says in so many words that he is God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. The Ninevites recognized God's warning when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented. And the Queen of Sheba recognized God's wisdom in Solomon.  Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of a merciful God for the people of Nineveh .  Unfortunately the religious leaders were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One (Messiah) and they fail to heed his message. Simeon had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was "destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that inner thoughts of many will be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus confirmed his message with many miracles in preparation for the greatest sign of all – his resurrection on the third day.



The Lord Jesus came to set us free from slavery to sin and hurtful desires. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit he pours his love into our hearts that we may understand his will for our lives and walk in his way of holiness. God searches our hearts, not to condemn us, but to show us where we need his saving grace and help.  He calls us to seek him with true repentance, humility, and the honesty to see our sins for what they really are – a rejection of his love and will for our lives. God will transform us if we listen to his word and allow his Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Ask the Lord to renew your mind and to increase your thirst for his wisdom. James says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity (James 3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. The single of mind desire one thing alone – God's pleasure. God wants us to delight in him and to know the freedom of his truth and love. Do you thirst for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)?



"Lord Jesus, change my heart and fill me with your wisdom that I my love your ways. Give me grace and courage to resist temptation and stubborn wilfulness that I may truly desire to do what is pleasing to you."





Supplementary Reading

The Purpose of the Desert



Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. ~ Hosea 2:14





If you have an important message to convey to someone, what is the best means of getting the message through? Have you ever tried to talk with someone who was so busy you could not get him to hear you? Distractions prevent us from giving our undivided attention to the messenger. So too, God has His way of taking us aside to get our undivided attention. For Paul, it was Arabia for three years; for Moses, it was 40 years in the desert; for Joseph, it was 13 years in Egypt ; for David, it was many years of fleeing from King Saul.    

   

God knows the stubborn human heart. He knows that if He is to accomplish His deepest work, He must take us into the desert in order to give us the privilege to be used in His Kingdom. In the desert God changes us and removes things that hinder us. He forces us to draw deep upon His grace. The desert is only a season in our life. When He has accomplished what He wants in our lives in the desert, He will bring us out. He has given us a mission to fulfill that can only be fulfilled after we have spent adequate time in preparation in the desert. Fear not the desert, for it is here you will hear God's voice like never before. It is here you become His bride. It is here you will have the idols of your life removed. It is here you begin to experience the reality of a living God like never before. Someone once said, "God uses enlarged trials to produce enlarged saints so He can put them in enlarged places!"    

   

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me (2 Samuel 22:20).   (OS Hillman)




For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
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http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6


GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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Feb 26, 2010 - Friday Meditation (Check Your Value System)

The Kingdom of God is a realm utterly characterized by self-giving. We can’t possibly be self-giving and at the same time be unreconciled or hate our enemies. That’s why a major component of Jesus’ message – the one he charged His disciples with as He sent them about the countryside of Galilee was “Repent”. This meant not so much “Be contrite” as “Change your priorities. You have it all wrong. Your value system is upside down.”

 

Friday of the First Week of Lent

Ezekiel 18:21-28

Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8

Matthew 5:20-26 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of  fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; 26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

 

Meditation

Deeply embedded in the folklore and fairy tales of Western civilization is a plot line in which a young man performs noble or dangerous deeds to win the hand of a fair maiden – slaying a dragon, scaling a glass mountain, or something equally difficult. The deed was, actually, quite unrelated to the prize, but it revealed something about the suitor – was he clever or courageous or skillful enough to be worthy of the girl’s hand?

 

Sometimes, I think, we use this plot line to read and interpret the gospel stories – such as today’s admonition about reconciling with one’s brother before offering worship to God. Today’s reading is a continuation of the first great “sermon” of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel – the sermon on the Mount. Applying the plot line in this context, the prize is not a fair maiden, but something of infinitely greater value – entry into the Kingdom of God . The difficult deed is not slaying a dragon, but reconciling with those we dislike or who dislike us. (It’s of one piece with loving one’s enemies, which we will read in tomorrow’s Gospel.) We too easily see this reconciling or love of enemies as unconnected to the prize – just something difficult that is required of us, precisely to show that we are worthy or to pass the entrance exam.

 

But in this case, the cultural plot line is all wrong! To begin with, we are not worthy. God wants us – loves us – anyway. There is no way we can demonstrate our worthiness. God imputes worthiness to us – as a free gift, undeserved, impossible for us of ourselves. There is nothing we can do to change God’s mind about this. Second the deed is not only connected to the prize, it is, in a sense, the very prize itself. Recall: “God is love” (1 John 4:16), or better translated, “God is self-giving”. The Kingdom of God is a realm utterly characterized by self-giving. We can’t possibly be self-giving and at the same time be unreconciled or hate our enemies. That’s why a major component of Jesus’ message – the one he charged His disciples with as He sent them about the countryside of Galilee was “Repent” (e.g., Mk 1:14; Mk 6:12). This meant not so much “Be contrite” as “Change your priorities. You have it all wrong. Your value system is upside down.” This message was to be accompanied by the disciples’ proclaiming that “The Kingdom of God is near”. Truly, when we are self-giving, then indeed the Kingdom of God is present.

 

A word of caution: When, in our reflecting on these passages, we substitute “ Kingdom of Heaven ” for “ Kingdom of God ”, we can too easily pass the prize off as “pie in the sky when we die”. But Jesus told his disciples to ask God to inaugurate his Kingdom on earth (the Lord’s Prayer). It’s now that we have to reconcile. It’s now that we have to give ourselves. It’s now that the Kingdom can come.

 

 

Supplementary Reading

Obedience

 

Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all. ~ Exodus 5:23

 

 

Have you ever felt that the more obedient you are to following God, the more adversity there is? Moses had been instructed to go to Pharaoh and tell him to release the people of Israel . God had said He was going to deliver the people through Moses. The only problem is that God did not tell Moses at what point they actually would be released. When Moses complained to God, the Lord told Moses that He had to harden Pharaoh's heart in order to perform greater miracles. God was behind hardening Pharaoh's heart. We forget that the king's heart is in God's hand. God had a specific reason for each plague and each delay. God said to Moses, "I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord" (Exodus 10:1b-2).  

 

God has a reason for everything He does. These delays were designed to bring greater glory to God and were to be a lasting legacy of God's miracle-working power for generations to come.  

 

When the people were freed, God again hardened Pharaoh's heart to go after them. This action of God to harden Pharaoh's heart was to set the stage for an even greater miracle-the parting of the Red Sea . The people were angry with Moses for bringing them to the desert "to die." But God said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on" (Ex. 14:15b). There was only one place to go by this time-the Red Sea . God parted the Red Sea , and another greater miracle took place.  

 

Moses learned several lessons that each of us must learn. God's promises are true, but His timing is not the same as ours. God always wants greater glory than what we might be willing to give Him. God puts obstacles and adversity into our lives in order to build perseverance and faith. Why has God put the mountain in your life at this time? To demonstrate His power through your life. To show His glory. (OS Hillman)




For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6



GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

Feb 28, 2010 - Sunday Meditation (Walking with Jesus in Our Own Jerusalem)

I sense that many people are searching for a “Feel-Good” religion or church. Peter had the idea; build three tents there and let the rest of the world go by. I could get into that at times.

The Transfiguration as presented by Luke is not a “feel-good” experience. The call of God to listen to Jesus the beloved is a call to collapse the tents of dreams, let the cloud of glory lift, allow Jesus to become undazzling, and head back down the hill heading for Jerusalem . We would love taking the Jerusalem bypass and enjoy the silver-lined happy ending. There are good feelings in following Jesus. There are those moments of intimate communion perhaps. The deep good feeling is our walking with him through our own Jerusalem ’s and this is our fidelity, our act of being made “righteous”.

 

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14.

Phillippians 3:17—4:1 or 3:20—4:1

Luke 9:28-36 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Eli'jah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem . 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they wakened they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one  for Moses and one for Eli'jah" -- not knowing what he said. 34 As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen ; listen to him!" 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

 

Meditation by Larry Gillick, S.J.  -  Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality

 

PRE-PRAYERING

There are contacts being made in our readings for this Sunday of Lent. These are rather unusual events which take some time to unpack. There are strange yet powerful statements made which have implications for the hearers.

Abram and the three Apostles had to listen to mysterious words which brought them to the point of trusting or turning. They chose letting mystery be. We are praying these days of Lent to listen without demanding clarity and reasons. The implications of the promises to Abram and the implications for the apostles to what they heard are life changing. Lenten prayer is just that. There are promises made to us which take our lifetime to change us. Lenten prayer is waiting, watching, listening and letting mystery, just be. We call off thoughts a while and listen, lest we be transfixed with fears, doubts and turning away.

 

REFLECTION

Abram has been called and has lived awhile trusting the God who has invited him. He has left his homeland, but he has a bit of a complaint. Having land and having children are signs of God’s loving blessing. Abram has neither and this is how the drama of our First Reading opens.

The voice of God invites Abram to count the stars and then come to know that his descendents will be even more than all the visible array. Abram both makes a statement of faith and doubt at the same time. God has told him that he will possess a great land having many riches. Abram asks reverently about how he will know. This tension is resolved by the ritual of covenant-making.

The animals are halved and the two parties agreeing to the history of the relationship, the promises and conditions of the pact walk between the slain animals. By doing this gesture of partnership, they are saying to each other, that if the covenant is broken, the offending partner wishes that he be likewise split in half. While Abram is in a deep mystical slumber, God passes between the animals in the form of fire and pledges a great land-deal to Abram and his many offspring.

The Gospel is Luke’s account of a trance-figuration. Peter, James, and John, who will be witnesses to an inglorious struggle on the night of his betrayal and arrest, are present here. They are en-clouded and befuddled by some kind of trance themselves. While Jesus was praying, Moses and Elijah appeared speaking with Jesus about the “exodus” or passing through, which was to happen in Jerusalem . Peter, not knowing exactly what he was saying, proposed their all staying up on the hill. The “exodus” would take place on another hill near Jerusalem .

There is glory present as Jesus seems to be trans-formed and there is the presence of the inglorious “exodus”. There is a voice from heaven announcing a confirmation of Jesus’ identity as well as a direction to listen to him. The apostles, as it was with Abram, are asked to make their acts of faith by trusting the mystery of what they had seen, or think they had seen, and what they think they heard.

The power of this Gospel is that Jesus, as the divinely-initiated covenant, walks between the glorious and inglorious. He stands on this hill in contemplation of the next. He walks between Moses, Elijah, and these three men of the earth. Instead of animals being slain and halved, Jesus will receive his being slain as a covenantal sign. Instead of professing fidelity to a pact and declaring that any unfaithfulness of the covenant would result in being halved, Jesus will repair the original fracture by being halved himself.  

Lately I have heard a classification of movies, “feel-good”. I am attracted to these kinds of productions. I had a wonderful Jesuit English professor early in my religious formation who told me that I was a charter member of the Silver-lining and Happy-ending Society. I was a hopeless Romantic. At certain times, I still am. I sense that many people are searching for a “Feel-Good” religion or church. Peter had the idea; build three tents there and let the rest of the world go by. I could get into that at times.

The Transfiguration as presented by Luke is not a “feel-good” experience. The call of God to listen to Jesus the beloved is a call to collapse the tents of dreams, let the cloud of glory lift, allow Jesus to become undazzling, and head back down the hill heading for Jerusalem . We would love taking the Jerusalem bypass and enjoy the silver-lined happy ending. There are good feelings in following Jesus. There are those moments of intimate communion perhaps. The deep good feeling is our walking with him through our own Jerusalem ’s and this is our fidelity, our act of being made “righteous”.

God has made a covenant with us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This covenant comes to us with a history, promises and directions. The history is contained in our Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The promises are made in terms of the life to come. The direction is that we are to listen to God’s beloved Son who tells us all that we too, share his being beloved.

 

“Remember your mercies, Lord, your tenderness from ages past.” Ps. 25

 

 

Supplementary Reading

Recall His Deed

 

"But then I recall all You have done, O Lord; I remember Your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about Your mighty works" Psalm 77:11-12

 

Everyone has difficult days when things don't go according to plan. These days can be frustrating and sometimes overwhelming. It's during times like these that we have to be especially careful about what we think and say. The scripture tells us that our lives will go in the direction of our thoughts. Do you need to change your thoughts today?

 

I love what the Psalmist wrote here in Psalm 77. He was facing immense challenges when He cried out to God and said, "You know what? I'm going tofocus on what God has done for me. I'm going to dwell on His goodness. I will recall His deeds to mind."

 

Today, don't dwell on negative, self-defeating thoughts. Instead, recall His deeds to mind. Focus on what He's done for you. Thank Him for the gift of life and salvation. Make a list of all His wonderful blessings. Let your thoughts turn toward Him today. Stay focused on His goodness so you can move forward in the victory He has prepared for you!

 

Father in heaven, I bless Your holy name today! Thank You for the gift of life both now and in eternity. Thank You for loving me and setting me free. Help me to keep my mind on Your goodness today. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel Osteen)

 

For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


 

http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

 

Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6


 

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

 

[pre][/pre]

Mar 2, 2010 - Tuesday Meditation (Humility - Seeing Ourselves the Way God Sees Us!)

Humility is truth in self-understanding and truth in action. Viewing ourselves truthfully, with sober judgment, means seeing ourselves the way God sees us (Psalm 139:1-4). A truly humble person regards oneself neither smaller nor larger than one truly is. A humble person does not want to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others. Such a person is not swayed by accidentals, such as fame, reputation, success, or failure. Do you know the joy of Christ-like humility and simplicity of heart?

 

Tuesday of the Second Week in Lent

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20

Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

Matthew 23:1-12 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. 4 They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. 11 He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; 12 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

 

 

Meditation by Don Schwager

Who doesn’t want to be admired and honored by others? God, however, sees us truly as we are – beggars and sinners in need of his constant grace and mercy. Jesus chided the scribes and Pharisees for seeking the praise of others by drawing attention to their showy religious practices. In a way they wanted to be good models of observant Jews. "See how well we observe all the ritual rules and regulations of our religion!" In their misguided zeal for religion they sought respect and honor for themselves rather than for God. They made the practice of their faith a burden rather than a joy for the people they were supposed to serve.  True respect for God and his ways inclines us to Godly humility and to simplicity of heart – wanting to please God alone.

 

Was Jesus against calling anyone rabbi or father? Or was he just directing this sharp rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees? Jesus seemed to be warning both his disciples and the religious leaders about the temptation to seek titles and honors to increase one's reputation and admiration by others. The scriptures give ample warning about the danger of self-seeking pride: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbes 16:18). God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; Proverbs 3:24). Origen, writing in the 3rd century, reminds those who teach and lead to remember that "you have one teacher, and you are all brothers to each other...Whoever ministers with the divine word does not put himself forward to be called teacher, for he knows that when he performs well it is Christ who is within him. He should only call himself servant according to the command of Christ, saying, Whoever is greater among you, let him be the servant of all."

 

Respect for God and his ways inclines us to Godly humility and simplicity of heart. What is true humility and why should we embrace it? True humility is not feeling bad about yourself, or having a low opinion of yourself, or thinking of yourself as inferior to others. True humility frees us from preoccupation with ourselves, whereas a low self-opinion tends to focus our attention on ourselves. Humility is truth in self-understanding and truth in action. Viewing ourselves truthfully, with sober judgment, means seeing ourselves the way God sees us (Psalm 139:1-4). A humble person makes a realistic assessment of oneself without illusion or pretense to be something one is not. A truly humble person regards oneself neither smaller nor larger than one truly is. True humility frees us to be ourselves as God sees us and to avoid despair and pride. A humble person does not want to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others. Such a person is not swayed by accidentals, such as fame, reputation, success, or failure. Do you know the joy of Christ-like humility and simplicity of heart?

 

Humility is the queen or foundation of all the other virtues because it enables us to see and judge correctly, the way God sees. Humility helps us to be teachable so we can acquire true knowledge, wisdom, and an honest view of reality. It directs our energy, zeal, and ambition to give ourselves to something greater than ourselves. Humility frees us to love and serve others selflessly, for their sake, rather than our own. Paul the Apostle gives us the greatest example and model of humility in the person of Jesus Christ, who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and ...who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). Do you want to be a servant as Jesus served and loved others? The Lord gives grace to those who humbly seek him.

 

"Lord Jesus, you became a servant for my sake to set me free from the tyranny of selfish pride and self-concern. Teach me to be humble as you are humble and to love others generously with selfless service and kindness."

 

 

Supplementary Reading

True Repentance

 

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ~ 2 Corinthians 7:10

 

 

What does it mean to repent? When you or I wrong another person, or we sin against God, do we simply say we are sorry and move on?

 

A few years ago I was involved in a business situation that taught me a great lesson. A client severely wronged me and ultimately took our company for $160,000. In a court of law, I probably would have won the dispute. However, after I had already filed suit against the man, I realized that there was one aspect of the matter that I was wrong about, involving a third party that could no longer be held accountable. I could not effectively resolve the matter without taking the first step in owning the responsibility for my part in the matter.

 

I made a decision to drop the lawsuit. However, after calling my attorney, I discovered the client had already filed a counter suit. This made the situation even scarier. I was completely exposed if I dropped my suit.

 

I was unable to reach the business owner because he would not return my calls. I got his secretary on the line. "I want you to take this message down and give it to your boss, word for word. Please do not change the words at all. 'I have sinned against you. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I ask your forgiveness for filing the lawsuit against you. You are no longer obligated to pay the balance you owe me if you feel you do not owe it.' " The secretary knew me and the gravity of what I was saying. She began to weep. She could not believe what she was hearing.

 

A few hours later I received a call from this client. He said, "I received your message. I accept your request and I forgive you." He dropped his counter suit. A few days later, I went to see the man and had dinner with him. He did not offer to pay any of the balance. It took three years to pay the vendors related to this situation. It was difficult because I knew he was not taking any responsibility for his contribution to the problem. However, I knew I was to let go of it.  The Lord was glorified in this situation and He provided for my needs.

 

Is there anyone you need to seek forgiveness from? Acknowledging our sin is the first step. Humbling ourselves and taking actions to restore is the next step. (OS Hillman)

 

For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6



GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mar 4, 2010 - Thursday Meditation (Blessed? Cursed? Your Choice!)

The blessed meditates on God’s law day and night. The blessed prospers. The cursed, like chaff, is blown away by the wind. The Lord watches over the just. The wicked are on their own and eventually vanish. The psalmist concludes that the blessed are they who hope in the Lord.



Thursday of the Second Week in Lent

Jeremeiah 17:5-10

Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Luke 16:19-31 "There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz'arus, full of sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz'arus in his bosom. 24 And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz'arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Laz'arus in like manner evil things; but now he  is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  30 And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"





Meditation

Lent for me this year includes the following: no sweets, no snacking, no saying anything bad about others, and additional spiritual reading. My wife and I also plan to add some type of service to the poor of our community over and above what we already strive to do. Although I certainly need these disciplines this year, the readings for Thursday in the Second Week of Lent remind me of how trivial our disciplines can be if we fail to see the big picture.

The prophet Jeremiah describes two people, one cursed, the other blessed. The cursed trusts in human beings. The blessed trusts in God. The cursed has a heart turned away from God. The blessed hopes in God. The cursed enjoys no change of season. They experience one long 2009-2010 Omaha winter and the snow never melts. The blessed experience the seasons even in the midst of drought because they are radical (I didn’t say “fanatical”). Radical (think of a radish) means rooted. The blessed have roots in a stream that never runs dry. The Lord rewards everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds. Those who are radical produce the fruit of eternal life.



Psalm 1 continues the comparison between the cursed and the blessed. The cursed sit with the insolent, walk in the way of sinners, and follow the counsel of the wicked. The blessed not only refrain from those choices but delight in the Lord instead. The blessed meditates on God’s law day and night. The blessed prospers. The cursed, like chaff, is blown away by the wind. The Lord watches over the just. The wicked are on their own and eventually vanish. The psalmist concludes that the blessed are they who hope in the Lord.



The Gospel lesson continues with one of the main Lukan themes, namely, the great reversal. Those who are rich in this world’s goods are cursed and those who are poor are blessed. Although it is true that it is not the wealth or lack of it that makes a person blessed or cursed but the object of one’s trust, Luke never waters down Jesus’ teaching that the rich are cursed and the poor are blessed. From this Gospel you can never know anything about Lazarus except that he was poor. Did he trust in God? The text does not say. On the other hand, we know plenty about the rich man. He dresses in the very best, dines sumptuously each day, steps over a poor man who lies at his door, yet will not even give him scraps to eat. The dogs are more merciful than he. Yet, after both die the great reversal occurs. The rich man is cursed and the poor man is blessed. The man who would not even give a scrap of food to Lazarus is denied the tip of Lazarus’ finger dipped in cool water and placed upon his tongue. He is rewarded based on the merits of his deeds. In this torment he thinks of his brothers and believes that they will repent and turn to God if someone goes back to them from the dead. This request, too, is denied. God knows the human heart, Jeremiah says. It is “more tortuous than all else.” If his brothers will not believe Moses and the prophets, they won’t believe even someone who is risen from the dead.



Jesus is risen from the dead! But are we persuaded to trust in him? The cursed simply will not. But blessed are they who hope in the Lord.





Supplementary Reading

Our Plans and God's Plans



Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. ~ Proverbs 19:21





Have you ever heard of someone who spent years of preparation for one vocation only to end up doing something completely different? Perhaps this could be said of you. Quite often we have in our minds what we believe we want to do only to have a course correction. Often the course correction comes through a major crisis that forces us into an area that we would never have considered.



Such was the case for Samuel Morse. Born in 1791, Morse grew up desiring to be an artist, and he eventually became very talented and internationally known. However, it was difficult to make a living as an artist in America during that time. A series of crises further complicated his vocational desire when his wife died; then his mother and father also died soon after. He went to Europe to paint and reflect on his life. On his return trip aboard a ship, he was captivated by discussions at dinner about new experiments in electromagnetism. During that important occasion, Morse made the following comment, "If the presence of electricity can be made visible in any part of the circuit, I see no reason why intelligence may not be transmitted by electricity." In the face of many difficulties and disappointments, he determinedly perfected a new invention, and, in 1837, applied for a patent that became what we know today as the telegraph. He also created Morse code. It was only later, after many more setbacks and disappointments, that his projects received funding.



Samuel Morse later commented, "The only gleam of hope, and I cannot underrate it, is from confidence in God. When I look upward it calms any apprehension for the future, and I seem to hear a voice saying: 'If I clothe the lilies of the field, shall I not also clothe you?' Here is my strong confidence, and I will wait patiently for the direction of Providence ." Morse went on to create several other inventions and can be recognized today as the father of faxes, modems, e-mail, the internet and other electronic communication. ["Glimpses," Issue #99 (Worcester, Pennsylvania: Christian History Institute, 1998).]



God's plans may not always seem to follow our natural inclination. Perhaps God has you taking a path that may not lead to His ultimate destination for you. Trust in the Lord, lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all you do, and He shall direct your path (see Prov. 3:5-6). (OS Hillman)


For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6


GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

Mar 6, 2010 - Saturday Meditation (Waiting for You to Come Home)

Today's readings come as powerful reminders that Lent is not about what we are doing for God, but what God is doing for us! They describe a God who "delights in clemency" not judgment. A God who cares not about what we have done, only that we are home.

God does not merely forgive us and allow us to come home (that in itself is enough!)  God not only runs to meet us and has a feast to celebrate -- but God is actually watching for us, calling to us, actively looking for us, seeking for ways to draw us in and bring us home!  

 

Saturday of the Second Week in Lent

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

Psalm :1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So he told them this parable: 11 And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; 12 and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in  loose living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. 15 So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced  him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; 24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry.

25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. 27 And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I  might make merry with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' 31 And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'

 

Meditation by Diane Jorgensen

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

 

We are about two weeks into our Lenten journey. Today's readings come as powerful reminders that Lent is not about what we are doing for God, but what God is doing for us! They describe a God who "delights in clemency" not judgment. A God who cares not about what we have done, only that we are home. A God who says to us "everything I have is yours."

Today's Gospel is very familiar to us. The Pharisees and scribes are complaining that Jesus welcomes sinners, and actually sits down to eat with them, so Jesus tells them a story about God, about just how much God wants everyone to come home, no matter who they are or what they have done. Even someone who has done the most outrageous thing – one who demands his inheritance from his father before he has died, who then spends it all on momentary pleasures and self gratification, and then has the audacity to try to come home!!  

 

I had an experience the other day that helped me see something else in this reading. We are currently providing foster care for a Pyrenees dog. Chloe is very sweet tempered but extremely fearful from previous neglect. She will fly through open doors to get as much distance between her and just about anything or anyone new and unfamiliar. On day two, at 6 AM, I was not as vigilant as I should have been, and she bolted outside as I was letting our other dogs in. Without her 20 foot lead anchored to the deck, fueled by fear, she was easily able to hurdle the 4 foot fence from snow banks covered in freshly fallen snow, and was quickly gone from sight. Phone calls were made. A drive through the neighborhood gave no sign of her. With the open fields around us I feared she was halfway to Kansas .

 

An hour later, when there was some daylight, I decided to go out and see if I could pick up the trail from her 6 foot leash in the newly fallen snow. My neighbor, a county sheriff, was putting out trash and I told him what had happened, wondering if he had any experience with this sort of thing. He looked over my shoulder and said “You mean that dog?” pointing about 15 feet behind me. What!?!? There was Chloe, standing between two snow banks across the street from our house.  (Had she been hiding in the snow banks the whole time? Somehow knowing this was a safe place, but still too frightened to come closer? Had she heard my voice?) For the next half hour, Chloe circled the small group of neighbors and dogs that had gathered; coming close enough to nudge and sniff, clearly wanting to be part of the play, but taking off before anyone could step on her leash. She never went more than 20 feet away, even though open fields were available to her. And then I went between the houses with Tippy, my dog with whom Chloe had started to bond, and within seconds Chloe was by my side, sitting. Home at last.

 

I’m sure the younger son came near his father’s house and waited, both wanting and fearing to come closer… Shall I go on? No, he will never take me back. But where else can I go?

 

We, too, like Chloe, like the younger son, want so much to come home to God, but we are also scared. How close can I get? What will be asked of me? This is close enough. It’s not so bad out here, taking care of myself, I can survive. I can make it on my own. Or, What I did was so awful, I can’t face the punishment that is sure to come, I prefer the company of my shame. Both wanting and fearing the intimacy.

 

God does not merely forgive us and allow us to come home (that in itself is enough!)  God not only runs to meet us and has a feast to celebrate -- but God is actually watching for us, calling to us, actively looking for us, seeking for ways to draw us in and bring us home!  

 

How is God drawing you closer today? Will you let yourself be drawn close and brought home?

 

 

 

Supplementary Reading

Decision-making

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. ~ Proverbs 3:5

 

 

This is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible related to gaining wisdom and direction from God. Yet I have never heard one teaching on this passage that teaches what I believe the psalmist is really saying. The first part is pretty easy; we are to trust with all our heart. But the next part is not so clear. We are not to lean on our own understanding. If we are not to lean on our own understanding, on whose understanding are we to lean? God's!  

 

Throughout the Old Testament we find that God set up structures by which those in authority made decisions. God has always set a principle whereby we are to seek Him in all our decisions, that He might truly make our decisions. In the Old Testament, the priest made decisions based on which way the Urim and Thummim fell inside his breastplate. The casting of lots was another means of allowing a decision to be left with God. Proverbs says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord" (Prov. 16:33). Another means of making a decision was through the agreement of two or three. No one could be guilty of any crime without the witness of two or three. This was a biblical way of confirming a matter. Still another means of making a decision is through a multitude of counselors.  

 

Given all these scenarios, what are we to gain from these examples? We are told in Jeremiah 17:9a, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." So what really protects each of us from the deceit of our own heart? I believe it is the combination of all the above. When we get to a place with God that our decisions are accountable to others, whether that be a wife, a board, or a few close friends who are committed to the same godly ideals, this is when we are protected from the deceit of our own heart. This is one of the hardest things to yield to God-the right to make our own decisions. Yet, it is the most elementary principle God requires of us to receive His blessing in our lives.  

 

This principle took a long time for me to appropriate. However, today I can tell you I would never make a major decision without the counsel of others who are close to me. Relational accountability has become lost in our culture due to our hunger for independence.  I have experienced too often the hardship that results from making decisions that God isn't behind. Walking in obedience is the only real freedom in Christ.  (OS Hillman)

 

For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


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GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

Mar 8, 2010 - Monday Meditation (Discipline Leads to Holiness!)

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates reproof is stupid" (Proverbs 12:1).  Do you seek the Lord for instruction and help so you can grow in holiness?

 

Monday of the Third Week in Lent

2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Psalm 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4

Luke 4:24-30 And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli'jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Eli'jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar'ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away.

 

Meditation by Don Schwager

What can limit God's grace and power in our lives for change and transformation? Indifference and lack of faith for sure! The prophets confronted God's people with their indifference and unbelief. God's grace and mercy is offered fre ely to those who seek it with sincerity, repentance, and faith. When Naaman, a non-Jew went to Jerusalem to seek a cure, the prophet Elisha instructed him to bathe in the river. In faith he obeyed and was healed.

Jesus did not hesitate to confront his own people with their indifference and unbelief. When Jesus spoke in his hometown synagogue he startled his listeners with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. He then angered them when he complimented the gentiles who seemed to have shown more faith in God than the "chosen ones" of Israel . They regarded gentiles as "fuel for the fires of hell". Jesus' praise for "outsiders" caused them offence because they were blind-sighted to God's mercy and plan of redemption for all nations. The word of warning and judgment spoken by Jesus was met with hostility by his own people. They forcibly threw him out of the city and would have done him harm had he not stopped them.

The Lord offers us freedom and pardon and the grace to walk in his way of righteousness. His discipline is for our good that we may share his holiness (Hebrews 12:10). "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates reproof is stupid" (Proverbs 12:1).  Do you seek the Lord for instruction and help so you can grow in holiness?

"Lord Jesus, teach me to love your ways tht I may be quick to renounce sin and wilfulness in my life. May I delight to do your will."

 

 

Supplementary Reading

An Eternal View of Circumstances

 

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. ~ Philippians 1:12

 

Are your life circumstances advancing the gospel? Can you see the Lord's hand in your life in such a way that all of your life experiences, joys, sorrows, hardships, and training have resulted in advancing the gospel?  

 

Paul was a tentmaker by trade. But he had an overall ministry objective in his business life. That objective left him imprisoned and persecuted at times. But Paul saw these events not as roadblocks to his mission. Rather, they were catalysts to advancing the cause of Christ. Paul's revelation of this kept him from despairing about his circumstances.  

 

One day a little-known pastor who lived in the small African nation of Benin began to pray for his Marxist president. For two years he prayed. Then the Lord told the pastor to go to meet this president and share the gospel with him. The president rejected the gospel, but after another such occasion, the president accepted the gospel and became a Christian. He was removed from power but was discipled by this pastor.  

 

Sometime later this same president was elected again. Today that president is now a Christian leader of a nation committed to spreading the gospel throughout his nation. One man - yet millions have been affected by his obedience. This modern-day story is retold in countless lives of those willing to live for a cause greater than themselves.  

 

Are your work and life experiences serving to advance the gospel? What experiences has God allowed in your life that are part of His plan to advance the gospel? Ask Him to help you see your life the way He sees it. Seeing our life the way God sees it will help us avoid discouragement in those times when life appears to be a mystery to us.  (OS Hillman)

 


For meditation of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

EL SHADDAI Radio Program :  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1



GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

Mar 10, 2010 - Wednesday Meditation (Trained to Listen!)

We go to church every week. We have a head knowledge of God, but we do not recognize God's voice in our lives. There comes a time when we must recognize God's voice for ourselves. Do you know God's voice? Can you recognize it when He speaks?

 

 

Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent

Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9

Psalm: 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20

Matthew 5:17-19 "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does  them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

Meditation by Don Schwager

Do you view God's law negativ ely or positiv ely ? Jesus' attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psalm 119: "Oh, how I love your law!  It is my meditation all the day." For the people of Israel the "law" could refer to the ten commandments or to the five Books of Moses, called the Pentateuch, which explain the commandments and ordinances of God for his people. The "law" also referred to the whole teaching or way of life which God gave to his people. The Jews in Jesus' time also used it as a description of the oral or scribal law. Needless to say, the scribes added many more things to the law than God intended. That is why Jesus often condemned the scribal law. It placed burdens on people which God had not intended. Jesus, however, made it very clear that the essence of God's law – his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled.

Jesus taught reverence for God's law – reverence for God himself, for the Lord's Day, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another person's good name, respect for oneself and for one's neighbor lest wrong or hurtful desires master us. Reverence and respect for God's commandments teach us the way of love – love of God and love of neighbor. What is impossible to men and women is possible to God and those who put their faith and trust in God. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit the Lord transforms us and makes us like himself. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) because "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. The Lord loves justice and goodness and he hates every form of wickedness and sin. He wants to set us free from our unruly desires and sinful habits, so that we can choose to live each day in the peace, joy, and righteousness of his Holy Spirit (Romans 14: 17). To renounce sin is to turn away from what is harmful and destructive for our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As his followers we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin. Do you love and revere the commands of the Lord?

"Lord Jesus, grant this day, to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, so that all our thoughts, words and deeds may be according to your Father's law and thus may we be saved and protected through your mighty help."

 

 

Supplementary Reading

Hearing God's Voice

 

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.  ~ 1 Samuel 3:7

 

 

Samuel was born to Hannah, a woman who had a deep commitment to God. She was barren, but she cried out to God for a son. The Lord gave her Samuel, whom she complet ely gave to the Lord for His service. After weaning him, she took him to the house of the Lord to be reared by the priests. Eli was the priest of Israel , but he was not a godly leader. He had allowed much corruption, including the sins of his sons, in God's house. God was not pleased with Eli and later judged him and his household.

 

Samuel grew up in the temple serving God. He also grew up seeing the hypocrisy of Eli's household, yet this did not change the young man. God was with him. We learn that even though young Samuel had a belief in God, he had not yet experienced a personal relationship with Him. God called to Samuel three times, but Samuel thought it was Eli, the priest, calling him. Finally, Eli told him to say, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Sam. 3:9b). This is what Samuel did, and God began telling Samuel important things to come.

 

Many of us grow up in religious environments. We go to church every week. We have a head knowledge of God, but we do not recognize God's voice in our lives. There comes a time when we must recognize God's voice for ourselves. God does not want us to have a religion; He wants us to have a two-way relationship with Him. Samuel was never the same after this encounter. He would know God's voice and would respond to Him in obedience.

 

Do you know God's voice? Can you recognize it when He speaks? In order to hear God's voice, you must be clean before Him and listen. Listen to God's voice today and follow His plans for you. (OS Hillman)



For meditation of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

EL SHADDAI Radio Program :  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=50&tid=1



GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.