Friday, January 8, 2010
Generosity
"A good eye and a humble spirit and a lowly soul, those who have these are disciples of Abraham our Father" (Mishnah, Abôth, 5.19).
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Meditations on Light and Life
"In the midst of temporal darkness we can be transplanted into everlasting light; in the midst of death we can have life and peace. So let us continue to work and trust that though there may still be shadows, they will soon be scattered. Those who hold firmly to Christ will enter God’s kingdom, the kingdom without end. That is our comfort and hope."
"If we have the right attitude of faith to the Savior and to the promises the Father makes, a new light will dawn for us, and the cause of Christ will suddenly take on joy and radiance. We will have new hope: "Why, we had completely forgotten that there is a Holy Spirit, who can supersede the laws of everyday life!" And we will not mourn, neither over the unfortunate circumstances of our lives, nor over the state of the churches, nor even over the powers of sin and hell. Nor will we fear the dangerous days that are foretold, the days of the end times. If we have the light and power of the Holy Spirit, we shall not be confounded."
"If we have the right attitude of faith to the Savior and to the promises the Father makes, a new light will dawn for us, and the cause of Christ will suddenly take on joy and radiance. We will have new hope: "Why, we had completely forgotten that there is a Holy Spirit, who can supersede the laws of everyday life!" And we will not mourn, neither over the unfortunate circumstances of our lives, nor over the state of the churches, nor even over the powers of sin and hell. Nor will we fear the dangerous days that are foretold, the days of the end times. If we have the light and power of the Holy Spirit, we shall not be confounded."
Friday, January 1, 2010
Meditations
"We must go down into the depths; that is our calling. Yet at the same time we must keep the heights in our hearts. Our human calling goes beyond death into eternity. Blessed are those who keep God’s height in their own depths."
"When we have found the foundation that God gives us for our lives, we will be shown his light for all people, both in the visible and in the invisible world. And we will be given the certainty that our faith and our relationship with the Father, as well as our life on earth – fraught as it is with trials and darkness – can work for the good of the world and for humankind. That is our joy."
"Jesus makes all things new! That is our light. And with it we can look into the greatest depravities, into the darkest places of humanity, and still have confidence in the God who makes all things new in heaven and on earth. We are not called to establish new hells, but to declare war on sin and death in the strength of God, who is love."
"Our thoughts should not dwell too briefly on the Crucified One. We ought, rather, to surrender our entire being to him: 'Very well, if I must die to myself, I must; but I shall do so in the name of the living God – under his judgment alone, and at the side of the Savior.' If we can release the things that bind us in this manner, we will be saved, for a whole new life will begin for us. The old world must be given up in this way – at the cross, and through judgment – if the new world is to begin."
"'Die, and Jesus will live' means 'Yield, give up your demands.' Then, instead of Death, you will see Life. We must go through death not in order to die, but so we might rise again."
"Right into death we must go! That is our first lesson as disciples of Jesus: to live in the midst of death, so that the Risen One is glorified. Therefore we should not say, 'In the midst of life we are surrounded by death,' but 'In the midst of death we are surrounded by life.' We should not mourn, but praise. Words do not convey the import of this truth, but every heart must receive it: you need no longer struggle to escape the valley of death, or to run from it as from an overpowering enemy. Stand firm instead at the side of the Risen One, and proclaim life in the midst of death. Jesus conquered death, and through him, the source of power and light, life will be victorious even in the dead."
--Now Is Eternity
"When we have found the foundation that God gives us for our lives, we will be shown his light for all people, both in the visible and in the invisible world. And we will be given the certainty that our faith and our relationship with the Father, as well as our life on earth – fraught as it is with trials and darkness – can work for the good of the world and for humankind. That is our joy."
"Jesus makes all things new! That is our light. And with it we can look into the greatest depravities, into the darkest places of humanity, and still have confidence in the God who makes all things new in heaven and on earth. We are not called to establish new hells, but to declare war on sin and death in the strength of God, who is love."
"Our thoughts should not dwell too briefly on the Crucified One. We ought, rather, to surrender our entire being to him: 'Very well, if I must die to myself, I must; but I shall do so in the name of the living God – under his judgment alone, and at the side of the Savior.' If we can release the things that bind us in this manner, we will be saved, for a whole new life will begin for us. The old world must be given up in this way – at the cross, and through judgment – if the new world is to begin."
"'Die, and Jesus will live' means 'Yield, give up your demands.' Then, instead of Death, you will see Life. We must go through death not in order to die, but so we might rise again."
"Right into death we must go! That is our first lesson as disciples of Jesus: to live in the midst of death, so that the Risen One is glorified. Therefore we should not say, 'In the midst of life we are surrounded by death,' but 'In the midst of death we are surrounded by life.' We should not mourn, but praise. Words do not convey the import of this truth, but every heart must receive it: you need no longer struggle to escape the valley of death, or to run from it as from an overpowering enemy. Stand firm instead at the side of the Risen One, and proclaim life in the midst of death. Jesus conquered death, and through him, the source of power and light, life will be victorious even in the dead."
--Now Is Eternity
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)