Loose Ends…

Daily Prayer for August 18

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Psalm 73:23–24, NIV

Thank you, great God and Father, for filling our hearts with trust so that we are of good hope, also for those who have not yet found trust. Thank you for giving us courage to face all the questions that arise in human life and for accepting us again and again when we come to you. You know what lies before us. You know the mountains that have to be moved. You know all the things that frustrate us and try to wear us out, and you will take them away. At last your light will shine into all the darkness. This certainty fills us with gladness and thanksgiving. In this faith we are determined to remain steadfast and to press on to victory. Amen.

Daily Dig for August 18

Basil the Great

I ask, “How have you all this wealth?” For the care of the poor consumes wealth. When each one receives a little for one’s needs, and when all owners distribute their means simultaneously for the care of the needy, no one will possess more than one’s neighbor. Yet it is plain that you have very many lands. Whence all these? Undoubtedly you have subordinated the relief and comfort of many to your convenience. And so, the more you abound in your riches, the more you want in love.

Source: Ownership: Early Christian Teaching

—Dion Todd

Filthy Rags

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; Isaiah 64:6 KJV

As the preacher looked over the congregation, pondering his next victim, I sank lower and lower in my chair. He always chose someone at random from the congregation to pray, so everyone tried to avoid making eye contact with him during this time. You would suddenly find everyone reading their Bible or the church bulletin.

When I was called on to pray, I just felt so unworthy, so unqualified, especially when asked to pray for others or in public. I looked down on myself and felt that if people knew me, they wouldn’t be asking me to pray. I just felt that my prayers were weak, that others could do better, and I often could not properly get the words out because of over thinking what I was going to say.

Finally one day in frustration, I just confessed to the Lord that ‘I am not worthy to do this so stop asking me.’ To my amazement I heard ‘That’s right. You’re not’ and then this verse came to my remembrance in a very clear way. He made it very real to me. All our righteousness is as a filthy rag, literally in Hebrew, a menstrual cloth.

We all know this in our head, but I finally understood in my heart that it is not our religious performance, or our acts of ‘righteousness’ that makes us worthy to come to the Lord in prayer. It is the sacrifice of His Son Jesus that makes us worthy to pray. We stand before Him washed as white as snow by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, while our own ‘righteousness’ is as a menstrual cloth.

When you are called on to pray, step out boldly knowing that God has made you righteous through His Son Jesus Christ, and not by your own actions. You are only worthy, because He has made you worthy, and you were brought here for such a time as this. So pray it boldly like you mean it, and speak to Him like you would your Dad.

Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to redeem us, to wipe away our sin. Now we can come boldly to You in prayer. I adore You and want to know You better. Please fill me with Your love and peace, shine Your light through me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

Bible Fun Fact: Any grain offering made to the Lord had to have salt on it (Lev 2:13).

Call Waiting

Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18 WEB

As Jesus walked along the sea shore, He saw Peter and his brother Andrew. He told them to follow Him and that He would make them ‘fishers of men.’ As they followed Him for the next few years, they became experienced and He taught them so that they could teach others. It was a long time before they were ready, but the day finally came and in chapter ten, Jesus sent them out on their first teaching mission:

‘Jesus sent these twelve out, and charged them, saying, ‘Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give’ (Matthew 10:5-8).

There is an amount of time between Jesus calling you, and Jesus sending you. How long is unknown to us and it varies person to person. This span of time varies throughout the Bible. David became king at thirty, while Moses started his ministry at eighty.

When I was around twenty years old, the Lord told me that I would teach His word and to prepare myself for ministry. I was so excited and went through Bible college, got ordained, then I waited. I was forty-five years old when the Lord finally put me in full time ministry, and I no longer even wanted it. Where I had once felt like I knew a lot, now I feel like I know nothing. As Paul wrote: ‘Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know’ (1 Corinthians 8:1’2 WEB). I can testify that this is true.

Do you feel that God has called you for something, but it has yet to come to pass? Do not give up hope yet for this is the normal course. God is faithful, but there is a training time between the calling and the sending.

Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank You for not forgetting about me. I know that Your eyes are on the sparrow and that You will also take care of me. I want all that You have for me on this earth. Please walk with me, talk with me, speak to me and through me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

Bible Fun Fact: The book of John contains no parables.

Today’s Verse, Illustrated…

What Jesus Did! ‘What Are You Living For?’

[Jesus said,] “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

— Luke 12:27-32 NLT

Key Thought

What’s the bottom line in these words of Jesus? It is this: Don’t be afraid to live for the Kingdom as your highest priority and your most pressing concern. God takes care of things much less important than us in a way far finer than we could provide for ourselves. We’re more important to God than those things. So let’s give the Father the joy of giving us the Kingdom by making it our strongest desire. Let him take care of the “little stuff” as we pursue the “Kingdom stuff.”

Today’s Prayer

Holy Father, give me a passion for your Kingdom and your righteousness. Make that passion burn inside me until your Kingdom becomes my highest call. I know that my worries about other things will be driven out by the proper passion for what you long to give me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Wisdom: 1 Corinthians 1:18

Passion for Praise: ‘From the Everlasting Past’

Spiritual Warfare: ‘God’s People Know His Voice’

God’s Power for Our Battles

But you do not believe Me [so you do not trust and follow Me] because you are not My sheep. The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.

— John 10:26-27 AMP

A Year with Jesus: ‘Beyond Magic: Supernatural!’

Note from Jesus

Dear Beloved,

On the night I was betrayed, I shared in what you call The Last Supper. I gathered with My closest disciples around a table to share the Passover meal. And I used this setting as the background to institute a regular meal for disciples to use to remember Me and to be joined together as My body. This meal became a centerpiece of early Christian gatherings on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). This special meal is known to you by several names — The Supper, The Lord’s Supper, Communion, Holy Communion, The Eucharist, and The Feast. No matter what you call this meal, it has been practiced by Christians from the beginning of My church.

From the beginning, My followers had a tendency to drift from My original intentions. I wanted them to share together in loving unity, to proclaim My story, to examine their hearts, to remember My death, to celebrate My resurrection, to give thanks for the gift I gave them, and to anticipate My return. Some looked at taking the bread and wine as almost magical. Some felt if they could just eat the bread and drink the wine in this special feast, then some supernatural power was at work in them to make them holy.

I warned about this misconception when I taught the crowds after I had fed the 5,000 and walked on the water to My disciples (see the second set of verses below). More than just eating My body and drinking My blood metaphorically in communion, they needed to eat Me — My “flesh.” They needed to take My teaching, lifestyle, and love for others into their lives and let Me sustain them. I wanted My early disciples, and you today as My disciple, to realize that The Supper is not magical but transforming. I am present in The Supper to give you life through the sacrifice of My life. You must commit to taking Me in and letting Me reign over all your heart as your example, teacher, and Lord.

Paul (in the first set of verses) warns the Corinthians that there was nothing magical in communion. Instead, the meaning and significance of communion come from a disciple’s faith to receive Me and his or her commitment to follow Me.

The Israelites shared in spiritual food and drink in the wilderness, but that supernatural food did not keep them from sinning or from being judged:

They [the Israelites] were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
(1 Corinthians 10:2-5 NIV)

The goal of My Supper is not to see who can eat the most magical food and drink the most supernatural drink! On the other hand, those who come to My Table committed to live for Me will find supernatural sustenance in My holy meal. So Paul warns the Corinthians not to think of The Supper as magical. My Supper is to be a supernatural meal that sustains those who seek to avoid idolatry, who care for each other in My church, who recognize My Supper as a recommitment to live for Me, and who not only give thanks for the Father’s grace in sending Me but also share that grace with others.

Verses to Live

My resurrection from the dead has great power, yet simply taking the Lord’s Supper won’t do things for you. You must live by My wisdom and truth.

I [Paul] wouldn’t want you to be ignorant of our history, brothers and sisters. Our ancestors [the Israelites] were once safeguarded under a miraculous cloud in the wilderness and brought safely through the sea. Enveloped in water by cloud and by sea, they were, you might say, ritually cleansed into Moses through baptism. Together they were sustained supernaturally: they all ate the same spiritual food, manna; and they all drank the same spiritual water, flowing from a spiritual rock that was always with them, for the rock was the Anointed One, our Liberating King. Despite all of this, they were punished in the wilderness because God was unhappy with most of them.

Look at what happened to them as an example; it’s right there in the Scriptures so that we won’t make the same mistakes and hunger after evil as they did. So here’s my advice: don’t degrade yourselves by worshiping anything less than the living God as some of them did. Remember it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and then rose up in dance and play.” We must be careful not to engage in sexual sins as some of them did. In one day, 23,000 died because of sin. None of us must test the limits of the Lord’s patience. Some of the Israelites did, and serpents bit them and killed them. You need to stop your groaning and whining. Remember the story. Some of them complained, and the messenger of death came for them and destroyed them. All these things happened for a reason: to sound a warning. They were written down and passed down to us to teach us. They were meant especially for us because the beginning of the end is happening in our time. So let even the most confident believers remember their examples and be very careful not to fall as some of them did.

Any temptation you face will be nothing new. But God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward. So then, my beloved friends, run from idolatry in any form. As wise as I know you are, understand clearly what I am saying and determine the right course of action. When we give thanks and share the cup of blessing, are we not sharing in the blood of the Anointed One? When we give thanks and break bread, are we not sharing in His body? Because there is one bread, we, though many, are also one body since we all share one bread. Look no further than Israel and the temple practices, and you’ll see what I mean. Isn’t it true that those who eat sacrificial foods are communing at the altar, sharing its benefits? So what does all this mean? I’m not suggesting that idol food itself has any special qualities or that an idol itself possesses any special powers, but I am saying that the outsiders’ sacrifices are actually offered to demons, not to God. So if you feast upon this food, you are feasting with demons —I don’t want you involved with demons! You can’t hold the holy cup of the Lord in one hand and the cup of demons in the other. You can’t share in the Lord’s table while picking off the altar of demons. Are we trying to provoke the Lord Jesus? Do we think it’s a good idea to stir up His jealousy? Do we have ridiculous delusions about matching or even surpassing His power?
(1 Corinthians 10:1-22)

Some of the Jews began to grumble quietly against Him [Jesus] because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

Crowd:

Isn’t Jesus the son of Joseph? We know His parents! We know where He came from, so how can He claim to have “come down from heaven”?

Jesus:

Stop grumbling under your breaths. If the Father Who sent Me does not draw you, then there’s no way you can come to Me. But I will resurrect everyone who does come on the last day. Among the prophets, it’s written, “Everyone will be taught of God.” So everyone who has heard and learned from the Father finds Me. No one has seen the Father, except the One sent from God. He has seen the Father. I am telling you the truth: the one who accepts these things has eternal life. I am the bread that gives life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died as you know. But there is another bread that comes from heaven; if you eat this bread, you will not die. I am the living bread that has come down from heaven to rescue those who eat it. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is My flesh.

The low whispers of some of Jesus’ detractors turned into an out-and-out debate.

Crowd:

What is He talking about? How is He able to give us His flesh to eat?

Jesus:

I tell you the truth; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not know life. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, then you will have eternal life and I will raise you up at the end of time. My flesh and blood provide true nourishment. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you will abide in Me and I will abide in you. The Father of life Who sent Me has given life to Me; and as you eat My flesh, I will give life to you. This is bread that came down from heaven; I am not like the manna that your fathers ate and then died! If you eat this bread, your life will never end.

He spoke these words in the synagogue as part of His teaching mission in Capernaum. Many disciples heard what He said, and they had questions of their own.

Disciples:

How are we supposed to understand all of this? It is a hard teaching.

Jesus was aware that even His disciples were murmuring about this.

Jesus:

Has My teaching offended you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to return to where He came from? The Spirit brings life. The flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have been teaching you are spirit and life, but some of you do not believe.

From the first day Jesus began to call disciples, He knew those who did not have genuine faith. He knew, too, who would betray Him.

Jesus:

This is why I have been telling you that no one comes to Me without the Father’s blessing and guidance.

After hearing these teachings, many of His disciples walked away and no longer followed Jesus.

Jesus (to the twelve):

Do you want to walk away too?

Simon Peter:

Lord, if we were to go, whom would we follow? You speak the words that give everlasting life. We believe and recognize that You are the Holy One sent by God.

(John 6:41-69)

Response in Prayer

Father in heaven, Holy Communion is precious to me. But after reading what Paul wrote the Corinthians and what Jesus said in today’s verses, I am convicted that I have sometimes approached The Supper as something mandatory and magical, not as a commitment to live for Jesus and not as a way to love my brothers and sisters as Jesus did. I pray for the Holy Spirit to transform me to be like Jesus. Father, please give me clarity of mind as I seek to live the righteous character and gracious compassion of Jesus with my brothers and sisters. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The Power and Presence of Sin

The apostle Paul tells us, “…by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world…” Romans 5:12.When sin entered, where did it reside? Did it hide in a cave? Or is sin only present in Satan himself? The apostle goes on to say, “…by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners…” Romans 5:19. Sin entered as a great pollutant that contaminated the heart and nature of fallen mankind. No one escaped its venom. From the first child of Adam who murdered his own brother, to the most “innocent” of persons in our day, all have sinned, Jesus Christ being the only exception to that absolute truth.

What gives sin such power? Even Jesus described it as a master that dominates people like a slave master. I believe sin to be the seed of rebellion (the lie) that Adam and Eve received into their heart and nature from the Serpent (Satan). It is as a single cell of cancer that never stops spreading. There is no cure until the whole is taken away. The power of sin is in its presence. Only where sin has no presence does it have no power.

Consider these two examples: One man has wrestled with lusts for years. He has prayed, fasted, and taken every step possible to keep it subdued. There are many places he will not go, not because they are sinful places, but because the lusts within him so easily revives and begins to war in his thoughts and imaginations. So far this man has kept himself from fulfilling the unclean desires that are within. He has never committed an act of adultery or fornication, and does not partake of pornography. This man has power over the unclean lusts that lie within him, but it is a constant battle that never ceases. In the best of times the uncleanness seems to be dormant, but it is always ready to revive and roar.

Another man does not struggle with such things. He faces the same tests of living in this world with all the opportunities for sinful acts that are common to men. He also does not commit adultery, fornication, or partake of pornography. In fact he never even desires or contemplates such things. It is just not in his heart to want or to do anything of that nature.

I cannot help but have respect for the first man. He lives every day in a battle with lusts, but he keeps himself from fulfilling the act of the sinful thing. His determination and fortitude is to be admired. Yet with all the power he exercises over the sin, he is not free from it. If at any time he lets down his guard he will fall into its darkness and shame.

You cannot rightfully claim that this second man has power over unclean lusts. In fact no one knows what course he would take if these things were actually in his heart. Would he be weak or would he be strong? He might fail on the first encounter. But this second man does not need strength to overcome uncleanness because it has no place in his heart. The truth is that no one needs power over sin if sin has no presence within them. Yes, as we are sent by the Holy Ghost we are given “…power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy…” Luke 10:19, but this is power over things that withstand the work of God, not things that are within our own heart and nature.

Christ did not come to give us power over sin. He came to “take away the sin of the world.” I John 3:5. His blood washes the contamination of sin out of his people. I John 1:7. When Jesus said “you shall find rest unto your souls” Matthew 11:29, he was promising the end of a warfare and not the beginning of a lifelong struggle. As long as you seek power over something that is in your heart or nature, you are setting yourself up for a battle that will never end. Jesus never said he would give you power over it. He said “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36. When Cornelius and those with him were filled with the Holy Ghost, God had already, in a moment of time, purified their hearts by faith. Acts 15:9. Sin had lost its presence in them!

“Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” John 14:30

Quote of the Day

“With the new day comes new strengths and new thoughts.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Humor…

Tuesday Treats

Daily Prayer for August 7
Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt

Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light. John 12:36, NIV
Dear Father in heaven, as your children we come into your presence so that you may lead us with the light that streams out from you. We come to your light seeking an inner birth to make us what your children ought to be. Bless us as we thank you for all your goodness and for the powerful help you have given many among us. Accept the thanks we offer you, and grant that we never forget the good you are doing for us. Help us to go forward, always forward, until your kingdom is completed. May it not be in vain that we live in the Lord Jesus and in love to you, the God and Father of all. May it not be in vain that we bring you our requests and prayers for your kingdom to come soon. Yes, Lord Jesus, come! Come soon to this earth so that all people may acknowledge the true God and may love you. Amen.

TODAY’S DAILY DIG

TODAY, AUGUST 07, 2018

Henri J. M. Nouwen

For a long time, I sought safety and security among the wise and clever, hardly aware that the things of the kingdom were revealed to “little children”; that God has chosen “those who by human standards are fools to shame the wise.” But when I experienced the warm, unpretentious reception of those who have nothing to boast about, and experienced a loving embrace from people who didn’t ask any questions, I began to discover that a true spiritual homecoming means a return to the poor in spirit to whom the kingdom of heaven belongs.

Source: The Return of the Prodigal Son

Verse of the Day

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

When we think about God’s being our judge, we normally think of falling into judgment. Isaiah reminds us that God’s being our judge means that he will be there to judge us based on his will, his rule, and his grace. He is on our side and is looking to save, not condemn. Using the New Testament idiom, when we stand before our Judge we see instead our Father.

My Prayer…

Holy and Righteous Judge, I am glad that my fate, my future, and my life is in your hands. I know about your love for me because of the gift of Jesus. I know about your desire to save me because of your loving grace. I know your demand for holiness is met by the sacrifice of your Son. So God, I gladly and willingly trust my life, my soul, and my eternal future to you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Maybe it’s the small bead of sweat that rolls down your forehead every time the offering plate starts to come down your pew on a Sunday morning. Maybe it’s the quick change of the channel the moment you see those pitiful African orphans on television or the slight revulsion when another late-night huckster screams from the screen, “God wants your money!”

However you approach it, Christians start to get a bit uneasy when the subject of money comes up. But rather than a subject to be avoided, Christians ought to know what the Bible says about money, because what it actually says might surprise you. Did you know that Jesus talked more about money in the New Testament than He did about heaven and hell? Why would money garner more attention than even the afterlife? It speaks to the power of money in your life, for both good and evil. Here’s a verse you’ve probably heard about money:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24

If you think this means God wants you to live in poverty, you would be wrong. If you think you’re supposed to give all of your money away to a charity, you would be wrong. When you start to look at what the Bible actually teaches about money, you will find some surprising things. Here are six surprising things the Bible says about money.

Your money isn’t really your money.

If you’ve ever raised a child then you’ve encountered that humorous moment when they mistakenly claim ownership of something that’s not theirs. “My sister can’t have my toy. It’s mine.” To which you would rightfully reply, “Actually, that toy is mine. I bought it with my money. I’m just letting you play with it.”

How many of us hoard our money and like that young child try and say, “God, you can’t have my money. It’s mine!”? In reality, your money is not your money because everything belongs to God. Here’s what the Bible says.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Psalm 24:1

The very next breath you take, the mind and intellect and physical strength you exert to go and earn money are all gifts from God. At the end of the day, everything we have belongs to Him, including ‘our’ money.

God isn’t after your money, He’s after your heart.

So if everything belongs to God, then why do we need to give Him our money? Is He poor? Does He need a loan? Isn’t it all His anyways? When God asks you to give, He’s not after your money (because it’s already His). God’s after your heart. Look at what Jesus taught,

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart.’” Matthew 22:37-38

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

When you follow the money, you find your heart. If you opened up your checkbook, it would be quickly obvious where you focused most of your affection. Money is the quickest onramp to your heart. If you can steer your money in the right direction, your heart will soon follow. Why does Jesus talk so much about money in the New Testament? It is because He is concerned with the condition of our hearts.

Giving is the only antidote to greed.

Imagine the greediest person you know: the person that focuses only on themselves, who thinks the world revolves around them and uses people only to further their own interests. Is that the kind of person you want to be around? Is that the kind of person you want to be? Absolutely not! Many people still wear the emotional scars of being around greedy people concerned only with their own interests. This is why the Bible speaks so strongly against greed.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” Colossians 3:5-6

Greed is a cancer which, if left unchecked, will grip your soul and never let go. What’s the antidote? Giving. When you willingly give your money away, when you choose to live a life of generosity, you break the power of greed in your life.

Every time you get paid, you take a test.

A common theme in the Old Testament is the principle of firstfruits: God asks us to trust him with the firstfruits of our wealth as a sign of worship and trust.

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” Proverbs 3:9

When we honor God with the first portion of our income, also known as the tithe (which means tenth), God blesses us in return. And whether you know it or not, every time you get paid, whether it’s weekly, bi-monthly or monthly, you take a test. Will you trust God with the firstfruits of your income? Will you trust Him with the tithe? Here’s the promise from God Himself of what happens when you do:

“‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Malachi 3:10-12

You’re happier when you give.

When the Apostle Paul was nearing the end of his ministry, he set an example of generosity and reminded the church of the power of giving:

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

Who are the happiest people you know? Think about it for a moment. Happiness isn’t directly tied to your bank statement. In fact, some of the most miserable people in the world are some of the richest (just read the tabloids). Conversely, some of the happiest people you know are people who don’t necessarily have a lot in this world but they’ve found something deeper, a richer joy that transcends worldly wealth and possessions. It all goes back to what Jesus said 2000 years ago. You are more blessed (a word that means joyful and happy) when you give. Try living a life of generosity and see how it improves your disposition and overall mindset.

How you handle God’s money now is a trial run for greater riches.

Let’s say you’ve got a cousin that always asks for money. They promise to pay it back, but all they’ve done is waste it on useless and selfish things. How tempted would you be to give them even more money? Let’s say you have a financial or money manager that has managed to waste away all of your retirement. How tempted would you be to give that manager even more of your money?

God looks at us in the same way. We’ve been called to manage or steward his riches on earth. For many of us, we’ve wasted away the little amount of money we have on useless and selfish things, and we’re angry that God won’t give us any more. We ask God for more wealth, but we can’t properly manage what we already have. Why would God give us any more financial blessing when we can’t take care of what we already have? In the Parable of the Talents Jesus drives home this point in a story of a master who went away and entrusted his servants with money. When they managed it well, here was the master’s response:

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.'” Matthew 25:21-29

God doesn’t want us to live in poverty all our lives. Instead, it is actually quite the opposite. The Bible gives out an outline on how we can handle our finances in a Christian way that serves the Lord. We can worship God and honor Him by giving to our church and giving up greed. God will bless us financially if we do so.

Saint Cajetan

Saint of the Day for August 7

(October 1, 1480 – August 7, 1547)

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODAug07.mp3

Saint Cajetan’s Story

Like most of us, Cajetan seemed headed for an “ordinary” life—first as a lawyer, then as a priest engaged in the work of the Roman Curia.

His life took a characteristic turn when he joined the Oratory of Divine Love in Rome, a group devoted to piety and charity, shortly after his ordination at 36. When he was 42 he founded a hospital for incurables at Venice. At Vicenza, he joined a “disreputable” religious community that consisted only of men of the lowest stations of life—and was roundly censured by his friends, who thought his action was a reflection on his family. He sought out the sick and poor of the town and served them.

The greatest need of the time was the reformation of a Church that was “sick in head and members.” Cajetan and three friends decided that the best road to reformation lay in reviving the spirit and zeal of the clergy. Together they founded a congregation known as the Theatines—from Teate [Chieti] where their first superior-bishop had his see. One of the friends later became Pope Paul IV.

They managed to escape to Venice after their house in Rome was wrecked when Emperor Charles V’s troops sacked Rome in 1527. The Theatines were outstanding among the Catholic reform movements that took shape before the Protestant Reformation. Cajetan founded a monte de pieta—“mountain or fund of piety”—in Naples, one of many charitable, nonprofit credit organizations that lent money on the security of pawned objects. The purpose was to help the poor and protect them against usurers. Cajetan’s little organization ultimately became the Bank of Naples, with great changes in policy.

Reflection

If Vatican II had been summarily stopped after its first session in 1962, many Catholics would have felt that a great blow had been dealt to the growth of the Church. Cajetan had the same feeling about the Council of Trent, held from 1545 to 1563. But as he said, God is the same in Naples as in Venice, with or without Trent or Vatican II. We open ourselves to God’s power in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, and God’s will is done. God’s standards of success differ from ours.

Another Saint of the Day for August 7 is Saint Sixtus II and Companions.

Saint Sixtus II and Companions’ Story

Freedom to assemble has always been one of the first liberties that dictators deny to subjects (and one highly prized by our American forebears). The emperor Valerian published his first decree against Christians in 257 and forbade them to hold assemblies. Pope Sixtus had been pope for only one year when he was murdered while presiding at the Eucharist in one of the underground caverns used as cemeteries (catacombs). He and four deacons were seized and beheaded. Two other deacons were probably martyred the same day, and Saint Lawrence four days later.

During his year in office, Sixtus had to deal with the controversy about the validity of baptism by heretics. He supported the positive view but was tolerant toward the practice of the Eastern Church which rebaptized those who had received the sacrament from heretics.

The negative view was shared by Saint Cyprian, to whom Sixtus sent messengers for discussion. Sixtus was asked to be patient with those in error, and contented himself with a strong recommendation of the truth. Other popes did the same, until the error was finally condemned.

Reflection

What are we willing to suffer to practice our faith? In times of persecution, Christians have always dared to come together to celebrate the Eucharist—huddled in a corner of the prison, risking life and possessions—in Ireland, for example, by providing “priest’s holes.” Those of us who live in Christian lands can scarcely comprehend the possibility: Does the Eucharist mean so much to us that, under government persecution, we would gather at night in one of our homes to celebrate the mystery of the Body and Blood of Jesus, risking that fatal knock on the door?