Friday Reflections

The following reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager © 2017. Don's website is located at Dailyscripture.ServantsOfTheWord.org

Meditation: How good are you at reading warning signs? Jesus expects his disciples to accurately read the signs of the times! Seafarers and farmers know the importance of spotting weather conditions for safe travel and planting. A lot of effort is made today, with the help of science and technology, to discern potential natural dangers, such as tropical storms, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earth quakes, and erupting volcanoes, so that people can be warned to take shelter before disaster hits.

Don't miss God's kingdom and power to transform your life
Our need for accurately discerning the spiritual condition and moral climate around us is vital if we want to avert spiritual crisis and moral disaster. The Lord is ready to transform our lives by offering us his kingdom of righteousness (moral goodness), peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). - But we can miss it if we allow a permissive attitude that takes sin lightly or puts off repairing wrongdoing before it is too late to get reconciled with God.

Jesus used a very vivid illustration of a threatening lawsuit to show the urgency of settling a bad case outside of court before a worse sentence could passed against us. Why did the neighbor in Jesus' story make an effort to come to an agreement with his adversary before the matter was sent to court for judgment? The accused knew that he had a bad case which would likely go against him in court. He quickly tried to come to an agreement with his adversary to avoid receiving a worse sentence of being thrown into prison and given a costly fine as well.

Jesus will set us free and fill us with the Holy Spirit
We all stand in need of God's mercy, grace, and protection. The Lord Jesus is our physician and healer and he is ready to set us free from any sinful patterns of thinking, acting, and speaking. If we give our lives over to him he will fill us with his Holy Spirit and give us a new heart and a transformed mind that is filled with his truth, love, and goodness. If you want lasting peace and joy with God, then allow the Lord Jesus to transform every area of your life, your home, your work, your relationships, and possessions so that he may truly be the Lord and Giver of abundant life. Are you ready to surrender all to him - and to receive all from him?

"Lord Jesus, flood my heart with your love and free me from all that would keep me from doing your will. Transform my mind that I may discern what is right and choose what is good and pleasing to you."

The following reflection is from One Bread, One Body courtesy of Presentation Ministries © 2017.

 

JESUS, OUR LIFE (Jn 14:6)

  "Who can free me from this body under the power of death?" —Romans 7:24  

If we're honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that we may have not been honest with ourselves. This is because, if we had been honest, we would have had to admit that there is something very wrong with us. No good dwells in us (Rm 7:18). We have "the desire to do right" but "not the power" (Rm 7:18).

"What happens is that" we "do, not the good" we "will to do, but the evil" we "do not intend" (Rm 7:19). "This makes" us prisoners "of the law of sin" in our body's members (Rm 7:23). We are wretched because our bodies are "under the power of death" (Rm 7:24). Who can free us from this miserable human condition? (Rm 7:24) Only through Jesus Christ our Lord can we be freed from our self-destructive, fallen nature (Rm 7:25). "There is no condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rm 8:1).

Because Jesus is our Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and God, we center all time and life on Him (see 1 Pt 1:21), and measure years from the approximate year of His birth. In the beginning of the third millennium, totally give your life to Jesus. Love Him with all your heart. Worship Him and tell everyone Who Jesus is and what He has done. Proclaim that " 'life' means Christ" (Phil 1:21).

  Prayer: Jesus, You gave You