#john15:4

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One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St George (Died c 303) Martyr – 2 Timothy 2:8-10; 3:10-12; John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4 REFLECTION – “ [Jesus] is our only Master, who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should…

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[anastpaul]

Quote/s of the Day – 4 March – Wisdom for Lent and for Life

Quote/s of the Day – 4 March – Wisdom for Lent and for Life “Abide in Me and I in you.As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,unless it abide in the vine,so neither can you,unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4 “Strive to preserve your heart in peace;let no event of this world, disturb it.” St John of the Cross (1542-1591)Doctor of the Church “If, when stung by slanderor ill-nature,we wax…

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[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 29 April – “Abide in Me and I in you.” - John 15:4

One Minute Reflection – 29 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – St Peter Martyr/ of Verona OP (1205–1252) Martyr, Priest – 2 Timothy 2:8-10; 3:10-12, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4 REFLECTION – “ [Jesus] is our only Master, who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should…

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[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 5 May - “Remain in me as I remain in you ” … John 15:5

One Minute Reflection – 5 May – “Remain in me as I remain in you ” … John 15:5

One Minute Reflection – 5 May – Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: First: Acts 15: 1-6; Psalm: Psalms 122: 1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5; Gospel: John 15: 1-8 and the Memorial of the Conversdion of St Augustine “Remain in me as I remain in you ” … John 15:4 REFLECTION – “Whatever be the stage in which the soul is, its work, however, is never anything but a work of co-operation. The soul is…

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[anastpaul]

Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – 'But to God alone, give all the glory ...'

Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “Abide in Me and I in you.As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,unless it abide in the vine,so neither can you,unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4 “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,with thy whole heartand with thy whole souland with thy whole…

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[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 27 October – “Abide in Me and I in you.”

One Minute Reflection – 27 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4 REFLECTION – “ [Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong;…

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Jesus in Revelation (9)

jesussimplified.com/blog post published 07-18-2020. Send Questions » [email protected] The consequences of self-deception. “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” Philippians 3:18. Enemies of the cross of Christ are those who have significant Jesus but insignificant Christ. They acknowledge the gospel but deny its power. 2 Timothy 3:5. Those who have forsaken their first love appreciate the suffering Jesus; however, they do not consider that the suffering Jesus was also a Savior of the world. They fail to realize that Jesus Chris made our salvation a reality, on the cross at Golgotha. Apostles, when they spoke about salvation by grace, they spoke in the past tense. For them, the salvation of sinners was an accomplished fact. Ephesians 2:8. On the cross at Golgotha, Jesus Christ did not show us how we could get saved, and He did not make salvation only available to those who seek; He saved us, actually. We, the sinners, could not seek and find the Savior, because, our sin in the garden of Eden denied us the ability to seek and find. The lost sheep knows it is lost and panics, but it does not know how to find the way back. The Shepard must go and find it. Sinful humankind was hopelessly lost; however, the Good Shepard came to find and save the lost. Luke 19:10. The self-deceived Christians believe that if they do their best, Jesus will do the rest for their justification and salvation. Christians who have become prey to the Devil’s snare of self-deception believe that if they improve their behavior and obey the Ten Commandments, they would have hope in a possibility of salvation. They do not realize that sin is the power that has robbed them of the ability to obey. 1 Corinthians 15:56. “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:4. No one can get justified by observing the law. Galatians 2:16 and 3:10. Christians who have forsaken their first love conclude, tragically, that they must work hard to prepare themselves for the return of Jesus. They do not realize that as long as they are getting ready, they are not ready for the return of Jesus. Jesus did not tell us, “Get ready,” but “Be ready.” Mathew 24:44. The self-deceived might devise and implement impressive and effective programs. Their worship-time may be stimulating. A visitor to such a Church might conclude that this is a spirit-empowered Church. What she does may be very convincing to a casual observer. Such is the condition of the Church in Sardis. Jesus does not chastise the Church in Sardis for any a specific sin, but for appearing as the spiritually live Church while, in reality, being a dead Church. Revelation 3:1. The effective programs are not wrong when implemented with a proper attitude. When a Christian Church uplifts anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ, then such a Church is dead. To be continued in the next blog.

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Jesus in Revelation (8)

jesussimplified.com/blog post published 07-11-2020. Send Questions » [email protected] The self-deception problem. To the Church in Ephesus, Jesus said, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2:4, NKJV. Jesus did not reprimand the Church in Ephesus for not doing enough. On the contrary, He animated all that the believers in Ephesus were doing, and He acknowledged their efforts. Jesus tells the believers, “I see you; I know what you do, and I am with you.” However, Jesus reminded the believers in Ephesus that they have forsaken the essential reason they became Christians. Jesus Christ was the main reason why they became believers and joined the community of Jesus. However, because of the ongoing persecution by Rome and the Jews’ internal pressure, the priorities became diluted. Jews insisted that in addition to Jesus Christ, the Gentile believers need to accept practices by Judaism. The believers in Ephesus had to contend with clever attacks on fundamental teachings by the apostles. Claims of possession of “special knowledge” and inspired revelation were rampant. The believers had to assess carefully what is real and what is false. In doing so, for a good reason, the believers in Ephesus emphasized the importance of the traditional teachings, beliefs, and practices at the expanse of the Good News, Jesus Christ. However, the emphasis on what makes their practices good brings glory to those who adhere to them; but neglect Jesus who enables the believers to do what is Jesus’s glory. The yielded believers should strive to be good lampstands, not good light. The good Light, Jesus Christ, must shine through every believer. Accordingly, Jesus urges the believers in Ephesus to take a closer look at what they do. All Christians should always reassess their efforts, their doctrines, their teachings, and practices, to ensure conformity to the everlasting gospel. Christians everywhere should be on guard against self-deception. Even if the slightest hint of self-praise and self-righteousness is present, the believers should, like Job, repent of their self-righteous ways and return to righteousness by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. The believers everywhere should, and must, forsake everything, including themself, and place Jesus Christ in the center of everything they do. We are saved by grace alone through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ alone. The yielded believers do not ask, “What is grace?” Instead, they ask, “Who is the Grace?” Jesus Christ is the Grace God promised in the garden of Eden. Paul maintains, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:8 – 10, NKJV. When Christians forget the true nature and implication of grace, they then forsake their first love and follow the ways of self-deception. The Church in Ephesus could be found throughout Christianity today. Believers who have fallen in such a spiritual deficiency do not realize that it is their “first love” who has rescued them from the kingdom of sin and darkness and brought them into the Kingdom of Light and Righteousness, Jesus Christ. Christians must, at any a cost to self, abandon the self-deception of “I must get ready,” and obey the Jesus’ command to “be ready.” Luke 12:40. No one could be ready while still “getting ready.” Jesus Christ did not come to be our example, but to save us from guilt and punishment for sin. God does not hold sin against those who have washed their robes in the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. To be continued in the next blog.