Category: Life in Christ

Sunday Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9 NLT – Spirit baptized

Sunday Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9 NLT

“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him.

He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.

He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth.

And it is he who says, “I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them.

And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”

within youPrayer: Lord God – You made us and claimed us as Your own. And You sent Your Son to establish the rule and reign of Your Kingdom – a light to the nations… just, righteous and everlasting.

May I welcome every aspect of Your Kingdom into my life – here and now. Baptize me with your Holy Spirit and with fire. Establish a Kingdom stronghold with me that I might be a bearer of Your Good News – both near and far.

To you, LORD, be all honor, glory and praise. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Let Your Kingdom Come” – Sovereign Grace (YouTube)

Morning Reading: Luke 5.12-16 NLT – preaching, healing, praying

Reading: Luke 5.12-16 NLT

Jesus heals leper
Jesus heals leper

In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Prayer: Lord Jesus – help me to trust you in all things… and especially with my health – physically, spiritually and emotionally. And in the midst of all my stuff, remind me to take time out… just to be with you. Amen.

Hymn: “Take Time to be Holy” – William D. Longstaff (ca. 1882) (YouTube)

________________________________
Note from The Peanut Gallery: You may already realize that the “Daily Readings” are taken from a slow reading through the <em>”Gospel of Luke.”</em> Upon completion, my intention is to continue reading through <em>”Acts of the Apostles”</em>… since it continues the story begun in the Gospel. The idea is to reflect first on what Jesus said and did… and then on what those who followed him said and did.

On Sundays, however, I will return to lectionary readings from the USCCB Daily Readings… since many churches follow the same lectionary readings.

Unlovley America – “Scalia Protest at Princeton Raises an Important Question” – Re-blog (Crisis Magazine)

Peanut Gallery: I am in crisis… I do not recognize the country I have loved and lived in all my life. I do not understand today’s prevailing “culture.” I put the word in quotes because it looks more like a cess pool to me – catering to our basest nature (gangsta rap)… rather than encouraging us to soar to the heights of our God-given nature (flash mob).

We are so caught up in ourselves… in our own frantic activities… running to what, or from what… that we can no longer hear the music.

And now, the issue of legalizing/sanctifying gay marriage is at the forefront of the “culture wars.” Among the political/educational elite, there is no longer any room for civil discussion or debate. The lunatics are running the asylum… as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia discovered.

Justice Scalia at Princeton:

Digging his heels in, [Scalia] put to the students the following question, which goes right to the heart of the matter:  “If we cannot have moral feelings against homosexuality,” he pointedly asked, “can we have them against murder?  Can we have it against other things?”

Where is all this leading us? Regis Martin reflects on this very question in his important article re-posted below –

If a nation to be loved, as Burke once said, must be lovely, where does that leave those of us who look upon same sex marriage with abhorrence? At what point does cultural approval, followed by juridical vindication from the highest court in the land, so diminish the loveliness of our country that to withdraw one’s love and loyalty from it becomes the only tenable course to take?

These are serious times and Christians are facing serious issues. Please read Martin’s original article here, posted here at Crisis Magazine.

Special thanks to servus fidelis for bringing this important post to our attention.
______________________________________________

Scalia Protest at Princeton Raises an Important Question

by Regis Martin

Scalia-on-Fox-620x320When does it become impermissable for a self-governing people to pass laws that will ensure the survival of the things they love?  When they no longer command a majority of the electorate?  Is that the standard?  Certainly among people of democratic disposition, it is a constitutional given that any time a plurality of voters take charge, they are more or less at liberty to set aside whatever arrangements were in place before they assumed control.

In other words, that massive tectonic shift in the culture we’ve been witnessing over these past fifty years, is about to be given formal and official sanction from the political process.  All the awfulness of the culture, as it were, will sooner or later be codified into law.
Continue reading “Unlovley America – “Scalia Protest at Princeton Raises an Important Question” – Re-blog (Crisis Magazine)” →

Morning Reading: Luke 5.1-11 NLT – fishing

Reading: Luke 5.1-11 NLT

fishing for people
fishing for people

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Prayer: Lord Jesus – Break into my ordinary activities… so that I can listen to you and seee you at work… in the world around me… today.  And when I have listened… and taken it to heart… compel me – by the power of your Spirit – to respond without hesitation or reservation. All to the glory of God, the Father. Amen.

Hymn: “Jesus Calls Us, O’er the Tumult” – by Cecil F Alexander (1852)

________________________________
Note from The Peanut Gallery: You may already realize that the “Daily Readings” are taken from a slow reading through the “Gospel of Luke.” Upon completion, my intention is to continue reading through “Acts of the Apostles”… since it continues the story begun in the Gospel. The idea is to reflect first on what Jesus said and did… and then on what those who followed him said and did.

On Sundays, however, I will return to lectionary readings from the USCCB… since many churches follow the same lectionary readings.

French Morality Rally – La Manif Pour Tous – reblog from Public Catholic

Peanut Gallery: Who’d have thunk we’d be getting moral guidance from the French? And yet, some folks in France recognize that “gay marriage” is an oxymoron… a contrivance designed to gain the “blessing” of Church and State on sin-filled relationships.

Well good for them. Vive la France! And thanks to Public Catholic for bringing it our attention. BTW: I wonder if the French Muslim community will join this rally? Just a thought.
_______________________________________

Hundreds of Thousands Expected at Paris Rally for Marriage

January 9, 2013 By  4 Comments

Paris, France, Jan 9, 2013 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Supporters of traditional marriage expect hundreds of thousands of marchers to turn out for an upcoming national rally in opposition to President Francois Hollande’s “marriage for all” proposal.

Set to go before France’s parliament Jan. 29, the draft law proposes to redefine marriage as a union “contracted between two persons of different sex or of the same sex.”

The law would also allow “married” same-sex couples to adopt children while also replacing gender definitive titles such as “Mother” or “Father” with “Parent 1” and “Parent 2.”

Some opponents of the proposal say doing so would strip society of sexual differences and would create framework for a “new anthropological order” based on sexual preference rather than unique “sexual otherness.” Opponents also say the move would deny children the biological right of having a mother and father, and that the proposal should have been presented as a referendum to the people.

“La Manif Pour Tous” or “March For All,” a demonstration organized by French satirist Frigide Barjot – whose real name is Virginie Télenne – drew tens of thousands of supporters in the regional demonstrations held throughout France in November and December.

A modest estimate for the first national rally to be held Jan. 13 is projected to draw some 350,000 supporters, one of the organizers, Lionel Lumbroso, told CNA Jan. 4.

“The bigger we are, the more difficult it will be for the government to ignore us,” he said.

Although the “vast majority of the base is Catholic” and founder Frigide Barjot is a Catholic re-convert, Lumbroso said that the movement represents a much greater diversity of the French people because people of different faiths and political beliefs are coming together for a common goal. (Read more here.)