Jeremiah, Chapter 23, Verse 4
I will raise up
shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear or be terrified; none shall be
missing—oracle of the LORD.
During the season of Lent we offer our suffering up
to Christ to unite with His suffering and as our shepherd, He guides us through
this time to bring us into his glory.
For Jews, there was only one Temple. It was the one
place on earth that could truly be called holy. It was the place where God’s
Spirit dwelt. The Temple was a place where they could withdraw from the
pollutions of the world and know God’s presence in purity. As Christians by the
action of Christ we, our bodies, are the temple of God, and He is always with
us. No longer was God’s presence and his purifying ritual confined to a single
geographic location. No longer were they the exclusive privilege of a single
ethnic group. Now the temple has no walls. It is universal—that is, it’s
catholic. We are the temple of God’s presence.
Do you not know
that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ...God’s temple
is holy, and that temple you are.
(I Cor. 3:16-17)
We are the temple
of the living God; as God said, “I will live in them and move among them, and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Cor.6:16)
When I was a youth of 20 I had the great honor of
serving in the Navy Seabee’s and went to build the South Pole Station in
Antarctica and breathing was difficult in the frozen thin air, here is an
excerpt from my book, “The Ice is Nice and Chee-Chee is Peachy.
Most of the
Steelworkers and I were assigned to shoveling snow that had accumulated from
the winter. As you worked, it was so ice-cold that frost formed on your beard,
face and hair from the vapor of your very breath. Living there, I could really
reflect on the statement: “God is closer to you than the very air you breathe”.
Being there gave new meaning to that. Your breath was always with you; you
could not escape it; even if you tried. Your breath almost caressed you as you
went about your day. I thought, “Are we really loved that much?” and then I reflected
on John 3:16 from the bible and it seemed to make more sense to me.
Because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to save you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy. DEUTERONOMY 23: 14. The last principle of spiritual warfare must be emphasized: Don’t invite the Enemy into your camp. Look out for Trojan Horses, poisonous reptiles and be prepared to fight.
·
Trojan
Horses. Sin is always wrapped in attractive packages. The simple pleasure of
satisfying curiosity could be a Pandora’s Box. Stay away from all things of the
occult; such as Ouija boards and fortunetelling; séances, channeling, and other
forms of necromancy (attempts to contact the dead); substance abuse; sexual
sin; and abortion. Seeking the attractive “gift” of pleasure, power, secret
knowledge, or (in the case of abortion) even escape from responsibility. In
addition, forgiveness is crucial to deliverance from the Evil One, because a
bitter heart gives him a foothold in our lives. “Take heed lest anyone be
lacking in the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause
trouble, and by it, many be defiled” (Heb 12: 15). Those especially who have
suffered a grave injustice must seek
the grace to let go of the offense and pray for the offender, so that
resentment doesn’t ferment into malicious bitterness. If we’re ever tempted to
invite the Enemy into our “camp” in any of these ways, we must recognize the Adversary’s deception and reject his offer
firmly and immediately.
·
“Poisonous
Reptiles” are the “little” sins that find their way into our hearts. We may
ignore them or think them of no consequence as we try to stand guard over the
carefully constructed fortifications of our spiritual life. To resist the
temptations of ordinary demonic activity, we must guard our thoughts closely and reject immediately any thought that leads to sin. We must also carefully examine our thoughts to seek out assumptions or
conclusions that may be false and contrary to faith, so that they lead us
astray. Above all, we must engage in
a frequent examination of conscience and then go regularly to Confession.
Daily Devotions
·
Manhood of
the Master-Day 3 week 7
·
Do
40 min. in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
[1] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic
Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 32. Presence of God.
[2]Thigpen,
Paul. Manual for Spiritual Warfare. TAN Books.
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