Category: Bible Reading & Meditation
“Lord, are they few in number who are to be saved?” –Luke 13:23 Jesus taught: “The gate that leads to damnation is wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel it. But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!” (Mt 7:13-14) Jesus seems to have said that only a few people are saved from damnation. If this is a correct interpretation, our future is terrifying. To make sure he was understanding Jesus correctly, “someone asked Him, ‘Lord, are they few in number who are...
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“I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east.” –Ezekiel 43:2 Because of the people’s refusal to repent, “the glory of the Lord rose from the city” of Jerusalem (Ez 10:23). However, God promised that one day His glory would return to His people (Ez 43:4, 7). This promise was fulfilled in an unimaginable way when God became a human being. St. John proclaimed: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we have seen His glory: the glory of an only Son coming from the Father” (Jn 1:14). When Jesus was born,...
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“How dry they were!” –Ezekiel 37:2 Are you feeling spiritually dry? Do you feel that God is looking at your life and saying, “How dry you are”? At one time in my life I was constantly surrounded by spirit-filled people, but felt so dry and far from the Spirit that I’d given up hope of ever receiving His fullness (Jn 5:5ff). I was spiritually dry and I desperately needed living water (Jn 4:14). However, my life was fulfilling the saying: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” I wanted the Spirit and a few...
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“I will give you a new heart.” –Ezekiel 36:26 Because of the effect of sin on the human race, the human heart is “beyond remedy” (Jer 17:9). It cannot be fixed, controlled, educated, or bettered sufficiently to please God or to give us the power to live a free, fully human life. We are doomed unless we can get a heart transplant. Our problem is that all possible donors have the same defective heart. They too need a heart transplant and are also looking for donors. We need to be saved from this impossible situation. Jesus alone is the Savior....
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“Woe to the shepherds…who have been pasturing themselves.” –Ezekiel 34:2 Ezekiel prophesied against the secular and religious leaders in Israel, who had been fattening their bank accounts by exploiting those they were supposed to be serving (Ez 34:3ff). As a result, the people suffered brutally, while the “shepherds” profited. Today, it’s not unusual to see a CEO walking away with a multimillion dollar settlement while leaving his former company in ruins and many former employees out of work. It’s easy to see the crass exploitation in these examples. In contrast, in today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses those who worked hard for...
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