“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” —2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

“What Does 2 Peter 1:3 Mean?” By Dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com:

“The position and privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus and all that we will ever need to live a godly life which is pleasing to the Lord, were given to us as a free gift of God's grace. Freely given through the merit of Christ's sacrificial death at Calvary and because of His omnipotent, divine power.

As His children, we are called to live a life of godliness, to live our life in spirit and truth, and to live in total dependence upon our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. But it is only through His divine power that we have been equipped by God to live such a godly life, for we have been imputed with Christ's righteousness, indwelt by Christ's Holy Spirit, identified with all His goodness and grace, and have been accepted by the Father in the Beloved, by grace through faith in Him.

It is only by God's divine power that we were saved through faith in Christ's sacrificial work at Calvary, and it is only by God's divine power that we are enabled to live our Christian life as unto the Lord. It is God's divine power that saves the sinner, and God's divine power that energises the saint to live a godly life. It is by God's divine power that we were saved from the penalty of sin and it is also by His divine power that we are saved from the power of sin in our lives.

All that pertains to life and godliness in a believer is achieved through the ministry of the Holy Spirit within our heart and the intercessory ministry of our great High Priest in heaven, for it is God Who works in us, to equip each believer to mature in the faith, to grow in grace, and to come into a fuller and deeper knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. For without Christ, we can do nothing, but we can do all things through Christ Who equips us with His divine power.

We have not been called, chosen, redeemed, and accepted because of our own merit - but by His glory, His goodness, His virtue, and His grace. And we are called to share in His glory and be clothed in His righteousness as children of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

Let us never forget that our heavenly position and privileges are ours in Christ Jesus Who, by His divine power has given us everything that is needed for life and godliness. And let us never forget that all that we are and all that we have is because of His glory, His goodness, and His grace. He laid aside His glory so that He could call us out of darkness into His marvellous light.

To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to anything that has never been part of Him. — Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

When Christ calls a man, he asks him to come and die. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Give me [Jesus Christ] all the flesh, all the desires that you think are innocent as well as those that you consider sinful - the whole package. I will give you a new self in its place. In fact, I will give Myself: what is Mine will become yours. —C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

PS: Around that time I was given my first crucifix and a medal of the Virgin Mary (the latter being a family heirloom) and I was practically forced to wear them. But that's another story. Since the major "pressure" was around the family heirlooms, I saw no need to wear the scapulars. And my teachers in catholicism only repeated the "you-can't-take-them-off-once-you-wear-them" argument, so. *Shrugs*

Merry Christmas in advance!

Wow this is old lmao sorry girl.

I recently stopped wearing my brown scapular because 1 I wasn't able to complete the whole of the devotion and 2 I'm 100% sure the priest didn't do the whole of the blessing so like at this point I'm just... I did it to spark a devotion to the Blessed Mother and didn't fully know all about it when I did it so now that it's been a few years and I know I wasn't blessed correctly it's just not going to change my relationship with Mary. Since taking it off I feel a lot closer to her and like she is truly my Mother. Also I have a suspicion that it wasn't made out of wool because it's starting to fall apart now and there is like... netting almost behind what I thought was wool.

The other one I wear, which I just got a new one from @alwaysabeautifullife and I need to get blessed because they KEEP falling APART is my red scapular of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I really love the devotion to the Passion and the Precious Blood so it just made sense for me. Here is a really good article on the red scapular to get to know it more but I'll put the TLDR below.

-Saints tell us all the time to meditate on the Passion of Christ to keep us humble

-it started as a devotion in 1846 by a sister in the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul order

-it offers spiritual protection from demonic attacks

-an increase in faith, hope, and charity on Friday's to those who wear it faithfully

If you can keep up with the devotion of the brown scapular (which requires fasting every Friday and/or Wednesday, saying at least one hour of the little office and/or saying a rosary everyday, and I believe certain acts of charity as well as regular confession) and can keep up with wearing it all the time except when bathing, I say go for it! But for me, my devotion to the Passion is greater and so that is why I have chosen that one specifically.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52).

At the Rapture, not everyone will hear the sound of the trumpet. It’ll be audible only to the Christians who died in Christ already and those alive at the time. Everybody else won’t hear it, because the sound of the trumpet would only be heard by faith. It’s not something you’re going to make an effort to hear, because as a Christian, you already live by faith. Everything about your life and your relationship with God is by faith; therefore, you’re going to hear it.

The Bible says, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found…” (Hebrews 11:5). He was raptured by faith. So, with your faith in Jesus Christ, you have nothing to worry about; trust that when the trumpet sounds, you’re going to hear it.

As read in our theme verse, the sound of the trumpet will happen faster than the snap of your finger. In a twinkling of an eye, we’re out of here, and suddenly, we’re in heaven. Every Christian ought to go at the rapture. It therefore means that anyone who doesn’t make the “first flight” hasn’t been living for the Lord.

Keep your faith alive, and live for the Master every day. Walk in love and in righteousness. Focus on getting others ready for the Rapture and into the Kingdom of God.

CONFESSION

Oh, what a day of rejoicing it’ll be when the Master shows up! Today, I walk in the light of His Word and of my salvation, engrossed in the pursuit of the expansion of His Kingdom, seeking, above all, the rule and reign of His Kingdom in the earth and in the hearts of men. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Hebrews 11:5-6 - By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.