Tagged: Daily Reflection

“In Him…” –Ephesians 1:4, 11, 13 St. Paul is completely preoccupied with being in Jesus. In today’s passage from Ephesians, Paul mentions benefits and blessings that come from being in Jesus numerous times in twelve verses. Paul is underscoring the critical differences of our location: it makes an eternal difference whether we live our life in Jesus or outside of Jesus. Paul proclaims that in Jesus we: have “every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Eph 1:3), have been “chosen” before the world began, to be holy and blameless (Eph 1:4, 11, 13), have been chosen “to be full of love”...

“Can I take the place of God?” –Genesis 50:19 Joseph is a “type” of Jesus, that is, he is an Old Testament figure whose life foreshadows the future coming of the Lord. In a sense, Joseph “took the place of God” in showing forgiveness to those who turned their backs on him (see Gn 50:19). Joseph not only forgave those who hurt him, but he reassured them repeatedly and even provided for them the rest of their lives. We too, in a sense, can take the place of God. As disciples of Jesus, we imitate the Lord in His character...

“The Lord watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever.” –Psalm 37:18 Israel bitterly mourned for his son, Joseph, whom he had to assume to be dead. “Though his sons and daughters tried to console him, he refused all consolation, saying, ‘No, I will go down mourning to my son in the nether world.’ Thus did his father lament him” (Gn 37:35). After fifteen years of intense grief, Israel found out that Joseph was alive. “He was dumbfounded; he could not believe them” (Gn 45:26). Israel set out to see Joseph. When Joseph met his father, “he...

“If anyone does not receive you or listen to what you have to say, leave that house or town, and once outside it shake its dust from your feet.” –Matthew 10:14 Remember, man, that we are dust (Gn 3:19), and we tend to pick up dust as we struggle through life. As we announce the good news of God’s kingdom, we are often rejected and persecuted. We naturally feel resentment, discouragement, and unforgiveness. However, we must shake off this lethal dust, or we will no longer be able to serve in God’s kingdom. Through forgiveness and healing, we let the...

Jesus “summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority to expel unclean spirits and to cure sickness and disease of every kind.” –Matthew 10:1 In our secularized times, many Christians are so confused they deny or question the existence or activity of the devil. Their confusion permits the devil to get away with murder, lust, greed, perversion, etc. He has also been able to mass-produce his perversities through mass media, especially TV. The combination of these factors results in a dramatic increase in demonic activity not only in pagan lands but even in Christian areas. We have let the devil...