Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

ONE HELL OF A DECISION

“Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the night to wail and grind his teeth.” —Matthew 22:13 We can hear the word “hell” used frequently in the workplace, on TV and radio, in all types of popular music, at the ball games — everywhere, it seems, except in church, the one place where we most need to be repeatedly taught and warned about the reality of hell, the “state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033). Not enough people in our society have a healthy fear of ending up in hell....

WHAT IS JESUS TEACHING US TODAY?

“…begin with the last group and end with the first…” —Matthew 20:8 Jesus, the “Teacher” (Mt 19:16), is always teaching, always teaching, always teaching. Therefore we, as His disciples, should be always listening for Him, always watching Him, and always docile to His lessons. Jesus describes the master who began paying the late arrivals first. Yet notice that He had gathered all those who had labored that day to watch the distribution of wages. Jesus was giving a lesson to those who had worked all day. His lesson was to display the lavish mercy and generosity of God, and He...

THE MIND OF CHRIST (1 COR 2:16)

m of heaven. Instead of spending our lives worrying about paying the bills, we focus on allowing God to provide for our genuine needs while we are occupied with doing His will and leading people into a new life in Christ. God knows everything we need before we ask Him (Mt 6:32). He is not stingy, but exceedingly generous. He is just, and though He demands that we bear fruit for His kingdom, He will not fail to provide for and bless those who spend their lives working for His sake (see Heb 6:10). Therefore, set your mind on heaven,...

SLIDE RULE

“They became defiled by their works, and wanton in their crimes.” —Psalm 106:39 “The Israelites offended the Lord” (Jgs 2:11). They persisted in sin and eventually began to receive the wages of sin (Rm 6:23). The Lord “allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand. Whatever they undertook, the Lord turned into disaster for them” (Jgs 2:14-15). In their affliction, the people cried out to the Lord, and He took pity on them by sending the “judges” to lead them to repentance. However, the people did not completely...

TRUTH SOMETIMES HURTS

Jeremiah ” ‘ought to be put to death,’ the princes said to the king; ‘he demoralizes the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them.’ ” —Jeremiah 38:4 The Lord commands us to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15). If we fail to try to dissuade others from their wicked conduct, God holds us responsible for their deaths (Ez 3:18). We must be men and women of the truth. However, in a world of lies, the truth and those who speak it are rejected. For example, Jeremiah spoke the truth...