~~~ Acts of the Apostles 14:19-28 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ John 14:27-31a ~~~
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
If we consider the many hardships of just the Blessed Mother Mary
and Joseph before Jesus was even born we see they had hardships.
It seems that if you want to be associated with Jesus
expect to have a few challenges along the way.
Their joy was quickly tempered by their fleeing from a demented ruler.
How could anyone feel threatened by an infant?
Time after time those who follow Jesus are faced
with ridicule and false accusations.
It takes strong faith and conviction to face death for what you believe,
but we have many martyrs in the early church who did just that...
they gave their life to enter into the Kingdom of God.
Their joy was quickly tempered by their fleeing from a demented ruler.
How could anyone feel threatened by an infant?
Time after time those who follow Jesus are faced
with ridicule and false accusations.
It takes strong faith and conviction to face death for what you believe,
but we have many martyrs in the early church who did just that...
they gave their life to enter into the Kingdom of God.
'...they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.'
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.'
Our faith is built up by hearing the faith stories of others.
The more we hear the more likely we are to also believe.
We can see the enthusiasm of our peers...
those like us, and we too become inspired to a deeper faith.
The more we hear the more likely we are to also believe.
We can see the enthusiasm of our peers...
those like us, and we too become inspired to a deeper faith.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Do not be afraid to share your story of how God has worked in your life.
What may seem as insignificant to us may be just what someone else needs to hear.
Every time we share our story it serves as a reminder to ourselves.
A reminder of how God is alive and real.
How he is with us, present now in our life.
He always has been and he always will be...until the end of the ages.
In our world today it can be challenging to think of peace.
There seems to be more than enough reasons for us to doubt
the possibility of ever living in a peaceful world again.
It only takes a few minutes of watching the news
before we realize what a violent world we live in today.
We must be vigilant of our personal safety at all times.
And yet there is no way to protect oneself from senseless violence.
Jesus does give us peace, but as he says it is not the peace our world can give.
We must look for the peace from God within our soul.
This is where we will find the peace from him.
This interior peace, when cultivated, can calm us as
we live in this world of ours.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
What may seem as insignificant to us may be just what someone else needs to hear.
Every time we share our story it serves as a reminder to ourselves.
A reminder of how God is alive and real.
How he is with us, present now in our life.
He always has been and he always will be...until the end of the ages.
In our world today it can be challenging to think of peace.
There seems to be more than enough reasons for us to doubt
the possibility of ever living in a peaceful world again.
It only takes a few minutes of watching the news
before we realize what a violent world we live in today.
We must be vigilant of our personal safety at all times.
And yet there is no way to protect oneself from senseless violence.
Jesus does give us peace, but as he says it is not the peace our world can give.
We must look for the peace from God within our soul.
This is where we will find the peace from him.
This interior peace, when cultivated, can calm us as
we live in this world of ours.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
If you are living life to the best of your ability,
the manner in which God has commanded,
then you have no reason to have troubled hearts strangled with fear.
the manner in which God has commanded,
then you have no reason to have troubled hearts strangled with fear.
Many times in scripture we hear Jesus say...
be not afraid it is I.
Perhaps we should focus more intently on his peace on a regular basis.
Whenever I feel afraid I picture my guardian angel
enveloping me in his/her wings of protection.
The Peace from God is another Blessing of Easter
that we can meditate on today.
Look for ways to bring more peace into your life;
it is good for your soul.
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