| August 1-8 Holiness: August 1. �I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live� (John 14:18-19). How can we improve our relationship with Jesus? It�s simple, we can use the �GROWTH� process. G=Go to the Lord daily in prayer, R=Read his word daily, O=Obey the Lord, W=Witness for Christ (watch what you say), T=Trust in Christ (Think positive), H=Holy Spirit in you. Jesus may I open my awareness to your tender and yet passionate embrace, so that I may know the love of GOD. August 2. And I will save the Lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you home (Zephaniah 3:19-20). The outcast is welcomed, a common biblical theme- something we wouldn�t know by listening to those who oppose us! We pray that we can learn to respect one another, get along with one another, and to welcome one another. August 3. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1). Life is tabernacling. When the circus is over, when the breath has seeped out, when the spirit in the cloud has moved on to another place, it�s time to go on to another tent. See us through the wilderness, awesome and loving God, and then bring us home to you. August 4. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving�God, obeying God, and holding fast to God, for that means life to you (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19-20). The god who gave us life wants us to choose life as an act of holiness. Holiness means being set aside for a sacred purpose. Holiness means harmony within the community. Holiness means wholeness, integrity within the self. Holiness will bring us life and well-being. August 5. (Matthew 7:21-27). Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount with a parable of the wise man and the fool. The parable presents us with a choice: Will we follow Jesus and found our lives on his teachings, challenging though they may be? Or will we choose a weaker foundation for our lives- one that may seem easy but is far riskier? If Jesus� words about the perils of building on sand- and his words about how demanding it can be to follow him- sound daunting, don�t panic. Remember: Because of his cross and resurrection, sin has been defeated, and you are a new creation! You can receive the love of Christ to strengthen your will. You can know the mercy of GOD to overcome your sins. And you can receive the joy of the Holy Spirit to wash away your fears. In baptism, you were cleansed from all sin, and made into a fit vessel for the life of the Trinity, The very power of GOD dwells in you and by that power, you can now fulfill Jesus� commandments. August 6. (Matthew 7:21-27). God�s love is unconditional and eternal. He stands as a rock, the foundation of your security and protection. He has given you marvelous gifts filled with divine potential. If you are feeling inadequate, look to Jesus, crucified and risen, and know that he has made it possible for you to live his peace and hope. Listen to how Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta encouraged her sisters, and take these words as your own: If you look at the cross, you shall see his head lowered to kiss you. You will see his arms stretched out to embrace you. You will see his heart open to welcome you. Don�t be afraid. He loves us, and he wants us to love one another. He loves us in spite of how poor and sinful we are. Jesus� love is real and powerful. So fix your eyes on him today, and watch the blessings flow! August 7. (2 Peter 1:2-7). Imagine the joy of receiving a package from someone dear to your heart- something you weren�t expecting. You immediately rip off the wrapping paper and open the box, where you find a heartfelt letter and a valuable gift. Wouldn�t you be deeply touched at your friend�s generous, unexpected gesture? Well, as a child of God, you have received a tremendous gift, worth far more than anything money can buy. God has given you a share in his own divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)! It is as if he has inserted you right into the middle of the life and love that are constantly flowing within the Blessed Trinity! How amazing it is that God would give us such a valuable gift! Imagine the transformation that can occur in us as the concerns and desire of our heavenly Father- his own nature- become our own. This isn�t something we could ever produce on our own; it can only come from God. All he asks is that we open this gift and let it change our lives. August 8. (2 Peter 1:2-7). Do you know the promises of God? Are you experiencing this divine nature active within you? God is calling us out of the bitter cold of sinfulness and into the warmth of his love. The more we allow his life to flow in us and change our ways of thinking and acting, the more we will experience his nature taking root in us. Sinful thoughts and attitudes will fall away, and they will be replaced by the virtues of faith, hope, and love. Longstanding patterns of sin and disobedience will finally be dealt with, ushering us into a new freedom that fills our hearts with joy. How can we experience this transformation? By practicing the virtues of faith, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (2 Peter 1:5-7). As we do, old temptations and sinful ways of thinking will diminish. Repentance, forgiveness, and compassion will become a more regular part of our day. We will hunger for more of Jesus- and he will feed us. Ultimately, we will find ourselves changing in ways we didn�t even expect, all because the divine nature of God is being woven into the fabric of our hearts. |
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