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  • JESUS IS THE TRUTH

    JESUS IS THE TRUTH
    2023/03/23
    All the world of illusions, all our pretenses and rejection of people, the seeking of riches, the world of prejudice and hatred – are essentially a fear of our own weakness, and our own solitude and loneliness. This insight from Jean Vanier, a famous lecturer and author indicates the reality of fears in our life – fears that we either find difficult to confront or refuse to confront.  How can we find the courage to face ourselves and see our weaknesses and sinfulness? Who can free us from our fears? It is only by turning to Jesus who is the Truth that we can find the courage to look at ourselves as we really are. It is in Jesus that we realize our true dignity as children of God. We recall the Gospel scene involving the woman caught in the act of adultery and who was brought before Jesus (John 8:1-11). Jesus’ response was not condemnation but compassion and forgiveness. Many other Gospel incidents prove the same: Jesus came not to judge but to liberate us. Let us open ourselves to Jesus who is the Truth.  Jesus knows our weaknesses, all our fears, all the evil that is in our hearts, and all our inconsistencies. The apostles of Jesus realized only too well how in fear and cowardice they had abandoned Him during His passion and death on the cross. Yet when they encountered our Risen Lord, once again, they experienced forgiveness and they were even empowered by His spirit to do great things.
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    2 分
  • PASSAGE

    PASSAGE
    2023/03/22
    Jesus is the Son of God and Equal to God – John 5:17-30  Today’s passage emphasizes Jesus’ equality with God, his power to give life and judge people, and the importance of faith in him for eternal life. When uncertain about God’s will, it is very important that we tell ourselves: ‘Even if there are aspects of God’s will that escape me, there are always others that I know for sure and can invest in without any risk, knowing that this investment always pays dividends.’ These certainties include fulfilling the duties of our state in life and practicing the essential points of every Christian vocation. There is a defect here that needs to be recognized and avoided: finding ourselves in darkness about God’s will on an important question . . . we spend so much time searching and doubting or getting discouraged, that we neglect things that are God’s will for us every day, like being faithful to prayer, maintaining trust in God, loving the people around us here and now. Lacking answers about the future, we should prepare to receive them by living today to the full.”
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    2 分
  • REPENTANCE

    REPENTANCE
    2023/03/21
    Repentance is more than being sorry 1 Samuel 6 When Jesus began His ministry, the first verb He put in front of His followers was “repent.”  Repentance isn’t just guilt or regret. We can be sorry for the consequences of our actions, but not change our heart or examine how we think and believe. Our thoughts and convictions produce our actions, for good or evil.  In 1 Samuel 6, a group of Philistines chose a path, faced the consequences, and turned to a different way. These Philistines changed their behavior, which was admirable, but they weren’t motivated by genuine repentance. They changed because they were afraid of consequences. The Philistines were motivated by fear of God, but they didn’t know God. Still, the Philistines did three things we can do when we know we’re wrong: Admit we’re wrong. Try to make it right. Don’t do it again! Genuine repentance, motivated by a desire to please God and turn away from sin, will lead us to ask for help — “I know I’ve done wrong, so how can I make this right?”  Genuine repentance also leads us to do everything we can to right our wrongs. The Bible teaches that Christians should be known as people who “dwell together in unity.
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    2 分