The following reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager (c) 2014, whose website is located at DailyScripture.net Do you view Gods law negatively or positively? 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 Gods law - his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled. Jesus taught reverence for Gods law - reverence for God himself, for the Lords Day, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another persons good name, respect for oneself and for ones neighbor lest wrong or hurtful desires master us. Reverence and respect for Gods commandments teach us the way of love - love of God and love of neighbor. The transforming work of the Holy Spirit 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 Gods 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 Fathers law and thus may we be saved and protected through your mighty help. The following reflection is courtesy of PresentationMinistries (c) 2014. Their website is located at PresentationMinistries OBEDIENCE SCHOOL Hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live. Deuteronomy 4:1 The life of a Christian is a life of obedience (1 Pt 1:2). As followers of Christ, we obey Him in all things, even to death on the cross (see Phil 2:8). We obey Gods commandments carefully . Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations (Dt 4:6). We obey Gods law in detail . Jesus said: Of this much I assure you: until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all comes true (Mt 5:18). We obey the Lord exactly , not turning aside to the right or to the left (Dt 5:32). We obey the Lord joyfully . To do Gods will is our delight (Ps 40:9). We obey the Lord thankfully . It is a privilege to obey the Lord. Our obedience is careful, detailed, exact, joyful, and thankful. We obey because we love the Lord (see Jn 15:10). We do not obey the Lord scrupulously . We know the Lord loves us. Christianity is not having a perfect record, but receiving Gods forgiveness and mercy. We do not obey the Lord begrudgingly . We dont pout when we dont get our way. Instead, we love the Lord. This Lent, thank God that there is more to life than doing our own thing. Thank Him for the opportunity to obey and thereby love Him. Prayer: Father, forgive me for disobeying You. Give me the grace to love You through obedience to the Church and the Bible. Promise: What great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon Him? Dt 4:7 Praise: Dr. Norm asked Jesus to heal his patient of her migraine headache. The pain left her at once. (For related teaching, order our leaflet, Obedience School, or our tape Obeying God on audio AV 62-3 or video V-62.) Rescript: In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant my permission to publish One Bread, One Body covering the period from February 1, 2014 through March 31, 2014.Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 8, 2013. The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or statements
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 15:27:05 +0000
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