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Devotion

The people had waited for a Messiah for millennia, not just years and now their prayers were answered. Jesus is telling his disciples how blessed they are, but I don't think that they understood quite what he was saying. Kings from the time of Saul and prophets in every age were waiting and hoping that the Messiah would come in their time, but they died without his coming. We, too, are blessed for we have been privileged to know the teachings of Jesus. We may not have been present when he walked the earth, but, in many ways, we are more aware of his works and his words than many of the people of his time. We forget how limited travel was during this time. Most people didn't travel much beyond their communities. People did come to know about Jesus, often from those merchants who did travel the countryside selling their wares, but that didn't mean that they actually had the opportunity to see Jesus. Even those who did see and hear Jesus in person didn't have the full story. If you lived in Galilee, you knew what happened there; if you lived in Capernaum, you knew what happened there; and if you lived in Jerusalem, you knew what happened there. But there were few who travelled with Jesus for his entire journey. Because we have the gospel accounts, we have a much better understanding of where he went and what he did. We also have the writings of Paul that give us even more information on how the early church interpreted the teachings of Jesus. This gives us insight that the people of his time didn't have. We truly are blessed, even more so than the disciples because of these insights.

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Inspiration

What did Paul mean that he was "all things to all men? " Not that he would compromise the Gospel message, changing it or "adapting it to different cultures, but that he would change and adapt himself in any way not sinful or deceitful, in order to remove a needless roadblock to men hearing the Gospel.

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Devotion

The Book of Proverbs makes for an interesting read. There is great advice in these words and quite a bit to think about. The first verse we have here is pretty familiar. "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." It is good to remember that God is God and we are not! So often we think that we are in control of our lives, the masters of our fate! We forget that God is in charge. When we think of ourselves as in charge, that's when things go wrong. We put ourselves first, we make poor decisions and suffer the consequences. When we put God first and follow his way, we are at peace. That doesn't mean that we don't run into problems, but God is there to direct us. We only need to ask for direction. It's amazing that a peaceful heart usually means a decrease in stress and anxiety. This leads to a healthier you and goes along with the statements that our days will be multiplied. And even if we don't live as long as we might like, it will be a happier, more joyous life. The problem is, we tend to like control. I do understand. I am a very bad passenger, I prefer to drive. I have been in too many situations where I felt unsafe. It takes time for me to trust. But I have found that when I gave up trying to control my life, things went a lot smoother. I pray daily for God's guidance. I can't control what my children or grandchildren do, no matter how much I might like to, but I can pray that God will help to guide them. It is my responsibility to give them good example and to help them realize that following Jesus will bring them joy and not sorrow. Handing everything over to God isn't always easy, but, as the proverb says, it is the beginning of wisdom, and it also is the beginning of freedom. If God's in charge, I don't have to be!

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Inspiration

Rejoice and praise; these are not strict duties or obligations for believers per se, but rather something that ought to spring naturally from ones spirit the deeper you enter into God's embrace. So for all ye faithful, sing!

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Inspiration

In the context of this passage, the leaders under consideration may also be our ministers, pastors, priests; all those men and women who serve God at the head of our churches, chapels and charities. God wishes us not only to be obedient to him, but also to those within his fellowship who have dedicated their lives to following his words and wisdom. For in order to be truly wise, we ought to also know that knowledge does not spring from oneself alone, but in knowing when to listen, especially to leaders who know the word of Christ inside out, who have spent their lives and careers devoted to understanding his salvation.

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Inspiration

God places each of us in a position of authority at one time or another. We are parents, CEOs, managers, pastors, or teachers, to name a few. The setting makes no difference; God directs us to treat each position the same. We must be righteous, merciful, and fair. Good leaders observe the strengths of those they oversee and encourage them to use their abilities for God's plan.

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Devotion

Paul is giving Timothy both encouragement and instruction. Timothy is obviously young, but he has been chosen to preach. He is told, however, to be a good example of Christianity. Paul knows that the people will be watching him. He is also told to study as well as to encourage and to teach. We have been called to be disciples because of our Baptism. We too must be good examples of the Christianity we proclaim. It doesn't matter if we are young or old, we are expected to imitate Christ in our way of life, in how we show love to one another and by our moral choices. We are also expected to grow in our knowledge of the faith by reading the Scriptures, and to encourage others to be faithful and to teach others by word and example. We should never stop learning! I'm constantly amazed by how much I have forgotten of what I have read. And I am also surprised that a passage I have read many times before now has a different meaning to me. That's because Scripture is a living word. I know I have said that before, but we sometimes need reminding. This is one of the reasons passages of Scripture appear in more than one book in the Bible and sometimes with expanded meaning. Jesus himself quotes Scripture and gives a new interpretation, a clearer understanding of its meaning. Just as Timothy had Paul as his teacher, we also might seek out others who can help us understand what it means to be a Christian and also who will support us as we witness our faith to others.

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Inspiration

Pride is one of the so called 'seven deadly sins', and with good reason. Arrogance in ones own importance over others is vain, and angers God. There is nothing that may rival Gods heights and power, and yet, he shows no arrogance. No nation, no group, no person is 'number one'. With true faith and love in ones heart, all are equal in the eyes of our Lord.

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Inspiration

Often, we speak before we have to opportunity to think about our words. In the heat of the moment, we immediately express negative feelings without analyzing the situation first. We jump to conclusions when directing meetings and speak in haste with our children before evaluating all sides. As leaders in any setting, we must be tactful and make decisions by weighing all details. Instead of expressing emotions with our authority, we must seek to mediate justly and reflect the mercy of God with our decision-making.

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Devotion

Although the last verse of this passage is considered to be a portion of a hymn prayed by the people in the communities around Ephesus, I think of it as a creed, a simple statement of beliefs. It lets us know that they believed that Jesus was God, coming in the flesh, who was justified, or vindicated as another translation has it, by the Holy Spirit, seen by the angels, which could mean actual angels in heaven, or that he was seen by the disciples and others considered to be holy, preached by those disciples to reach out to a world that believed in the message of the Good News and was received by the Father into heaven where he would reign. Of course, I could be wrong about the actual meaning of the hymn, but it really doesn't make any difference. It makes me think about creeds, or statements of belief. I know there are a few formal ones such as the Apostles' Creed, or Baptismal Creed, and the Nicene Creed which expands a little on the first. But have you ever thought of what you would include in your statement of beliefs? How about a little challenge? Why not take a few minutes and write your own. Feel free to use either one of the formal creeds or none and put down on paper your statement. No one has to see it. It is your own. But it may actually help you to understand what you truly believe.

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Inspiration

It may seem that the lives of some non-believers are often much easier and carefree than our own. Unshackled to principle, they may float free between pleasures with no particular conscience. But this 'freedom' is not true freedom, and one shouldn't mistake it for what it really is; being lost in the wilderness. This 'freedom' of the non-believer does not extend into the afterlife, and is in fact, shackled only to this, our material world. Since they have not had to endure the call of their consciences, they will not find our God's eternal peace.

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Inspiration

Love one another; it is as simple as that. For if God demands you to honor his creation, this also includes his people. Love is not a science, it is an art that takes constant negotiation, communication, and consideration. But should we become better in this, all the better not only for this world, but also in preparing us for the next -wherein everything resides within the arms of our everlasting and loving Father.

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Devotion

We all know the story of the lost sheep and the prodigal or lost, son, but do we remember the story of the lost coin which is sandwiched between the two in Luke's Gospel? The ten drachma were most likely the woman's dowry and very important to her. She rejoices with her friends just as Jesus tells us the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner repenting. I hope the angels rejoice several times a day! These three parables tell us how important it is to repent, to turn our lives around and get back on the right track. I once taught in a juvenile facility where a young man told me he was bad and could never be better than he already was. He was sixteen years old! He had already given up hope. He couldn't see any way out of the life he had been leading. I tried to tell him he wasn't a bad person but had made bad choices. He couldn't believe me. I wondered how many times in his young life he had been called "bad?" I still am bothered when I hear a parent, or anyone else for that matter, call a child "bad." We all have free will and sometimes we use it the wrong way. We are given this gift so that we can choose the good because without free will, we cannot choose to love. We all make bad choices, but would be like to be called "bad?" I don't think so. It's a good thing that God doesn't consider us so bad that we can't turn back to him. Just like the lost sheep, he searches for us until he finds us. Just as the woman who searches for the coin, he searches for us, and just like the "lost" son, he searches and waits for us to come home so that the rejoicing and the celebrating can begin.

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Inspiration

Though the shepherds were startled and afraid by the angel, they could hardly be blamed perhaps for not recognizing the absolute significance of the events that were coming to faithfully unfold in front of their eyes that very night. Little did it perhaps yet dawn on them what miraculous event was coming to pass. However, can we even now dare to fully comprehend the magnitude of Christ's teaching and salvation? Have you truly considered its implications for your life? Be not like the shepherds, for one has already heard their good news. Rather build upon this faith, serve it by meditation on God's divine grace, and go forth, knowing the divine word of Christ!

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Devotion

And evil brings forth evil. Honest people can be trusted to be honest and dishonest people can't be trusted, because they lie. Whether we like it or not, we are judged on our actions. People are always watching us, just as we watch others, if we are honest with ourselves. It takes time to get to know people. Because of that, we watch what they do, what they say, so that we can decide how well we want to know them. We all shield ourselves from pain or misunderstanding by only revealing ourselves a little at a time. If someone is always gossiping about their friends, we wonder what they are saying about us, when we're not present. If a co-worker brings home office supplies, are you comfortable leaving your valuables around? It is only when others prove themselves trustworthy that we are willing to share ourselves with them; that we are open to bringing them into our lives. We look for the "good trees" to include in our lives, and once we identify the "rotten trees" we do our best to avoid them, or if that isn't possible, then to avoid giving them invitations to do damage to others. We need to take care that we are the "good trees" that produce good fruit.

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