Introduction to 2 Peter[1]
- Peter's
back. And this time he's writing to all of Christendom. Yeah, he likes to
go big picture.
- He's
also got some good news: God has given Christians everything they need to
live good lives now and in the coming world. Christians have the smarts to
escape the trappings of "the world" and to live as one with God.
- But Christians have to keep
up their end of the faith bargain. They have to do good deeds and be smart
and control themselves and preserve and be holy. Oh, and be loving, too.
Exhausting.
- If anyone doesn't do these
things, well, it's not gonna work out so well for them in the end.
- But
if you stay on the path to goodness, everything will be alright and you'll
get your ticket to board the train to Heaventown.
- Peter
knows that Christians already get this stuff. But he wants to keep giving
refreshers as long as he's around to do it. See, he's not long for this
world—death is knocking. It's hard out there for an apostle.
- Now,
some folks have accused Peter of making up all this stuff about Jesus.
(Who you gonna call? Mythbusters!)
- Not
so fast. Peter saw all of Jesus' goodness with his own two eyes. Remember
that time he went up to
a mountain with Jesus and the boss started to sparkle like a vampire?
- All
this great stuff that Peter's been telling the world about actually
happened. Not to mention, he adds, that the Hebrew Bible totally predicted
that how Jesus' life would go down. (P.S. That's a New Testament POV and
the Hebrew Bible fans don't agree.)
- But
just in case you're thinking that Peter is selectively interpreting the
Bible—he's not. Those interpretations come straight from God. (And yes,
this is Peter talking about himself…super trustworthy!)
OCTOBER
6 Thursday
GERMAN
AMERICAN DAY
2 Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 4-11
4 For if God did not spare the
angels when they sinned, but condemned them to the chains of Tartarus and
handed them over to be kept for judgment; 5 and if he did not
spare the ancient world, even though he preserved Noah, a herald of
righteousness, together with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the
godless world; 6
and if he condemned
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [to destruction], reducing them to ashes,
making them an example for the godless [people] of what is coming; 7
and if he rescued Lot,
a righteous man oppressed by the licentious conduct of unprincipled people 8 (for day after day that righteous
man living among them was tormented in his righteous soul at the lawless deeds
that he saw and heard), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue
the devout from trial and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day
of judgment, 10 and especially those who follow
the flesh with its depraved desire and show contempt for lordship.
11Bold and arrogant, they are not AFRAID to revile glorious
beings, whereas angels, despite their superior strength
and power, do not bring a reviling judgment against them from the Lord.
In
life we are always moving toward the future. Our destination is life eternal
with our creator. In our little sailboat of life, we tend to be either moving
toward God by taking advantage of His graces which provide the wind for our sails,
or we do nothing but drift.
Napoleon
Hill noted in his manuscript on a book he never published entitled “Outwitting
the devil” stated drifting was one of the tools the devil uses to keep us off
tack and not sailing towards God’s Mountain.
A Protection against
drifting lies within easy reach of every human being who has a normal body and
a sound mind. The self-defense can be applied through these simple methods:
1.
Do
your own thinking on all occasions. The fact that human beings are given
complete control over nothing save the power to think their own thoughts is
laden with significance.
2.
Decide
definitely what you want from life; then create a plan for attaining it and be
willing to sacrifice everything rather than accept permanent defeat.
3.
Analyze
temporary defeat, no matter of what nature or cause, and extract from it the
seed of an equivalent advantage.
4.
Be
willing to render useful service equivalent to the value of all material things
you demand of life, and render the service first.
5.
Recognize
that your brain is a receiving set that can be attuned to receive
communications from the universal storehouse of Infinite Intelligence, to help
you transmute your desires into their physical equivalent.
6.
Recognize
that your greatest asset is time, the only thing except the power of thought
which you own outright, and the one thing which can be shaped into whatever
material things you want. Budget your time so none of it is wasted.
7.
Recognize
the truth that fear generally is a
filler with which the Devil occupies the unused portion of your mind. It is
only a state of mind which you can control by filling the space it occupies with
faith in your ability to make life provide you with whatever you demand of it.
8.
When
you pray, do not beg! Demand what you want and insist upon getting exactly
that, with no substitutes.
9.
Recognize
that life is a cruel taskmaster and that either you master it or it masters
you. There is no half-way or compromising point. Never accept from life
anything you do not want. lf that which you do not want is temporarily forced
upon you, you can refuse, in your own mind, to accept it and it will make way
for the thing you do want.
10. Lastly, remember that your
dominating thoughts attract, through a definite law of nature, by the shortest
and most convenient route, their physical counterpart. Be careful what your
thoughts dwell upon.
A simple formula combining all the
ten points:
Be
definite in everything you do and never leave unfinished thoughts in the mind.
Form the habit of reaching definite decisions on all subjects.
Can the habit of drifting be broken,
or does it become permanent once it has been framed?
The habit can be broken if the
victim has enough willpower, providing it is done in time. There is a point
beyond which the habit can never be broken. Beyond that point the victim is
mine. He resembles a fly that has been caught in a spider’s web. He may
struggle, but he cannot get out. Each move he makes entangles him more
securely. The web in which I entangle my victims permanently is a law of nature
not yet isolated by, or understood by, men of science.
More from Kamil: KamilsView on YouTube and http://www.kamilsview.com/
German American Day[2]
German American Day
celebrates German culture and heritage in the United States. This holiday
also serves to remember 13 German families from Krefeld, Germany that fled
religious oppression in Germany. On October 6th, 1683, these families
established Germantown, Pennsylvania, the first distinctly German-American
settlement. In the centuries that followed, more than seven million more
German-speaking immigrants arrived on the shores of the US and as of 2010, over
20% of the US population claims German ancestry. In 1983, on the 300th
anniversary of Germantown, President Ronald Reagan declared October 6th as German
American Day. President Reagan officially declared German American Day
four years later in 1987. Today, German American Day, a celebration of German
culture, identity and heritage, is celebrated annually on October 6th.
German American Day Facts &
Quotes
·
The
current population of Germantown, PA is 26,563 inhabitants.
·
Wisconsin,
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa are now home to the
largest number of German descendants in the US.
·
After
the Second World War, around 375,000 Germans immigrated to the US. In the 50s
and 60s alone, around 786,000 Germans immigrated to the US.
·
Albert
Einstein was a German immigrant, a Jew who opted to remain in the US when the
Nazi party came to power in 1933.
·
The world will not be destroyed by
those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. - Albert Einstein
German American Day Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Read
some popular stories by German writers including Hansel and Gretel, The
Trial and The Man Without Qualities.
·
Spend
some time learning more about the religious oppression in Germany in 1683 in
order to further understand why the founding 13 families fled the country and
arrived in Philadelphia.
·
Enjoy
a glass of mulled wine. It is a common drink found at Christmas markets all
through Germany.
·
Enjoy
a German movie. Some of our favorites: Victoria (2015), Land of Mine
(2015) and Downfall (2004).
·
Learn
more about the Nazi Regime from WW2 in order to better understand how the
population of German Americans grew so quickly around that time.
Thursday
Feast
Thursday
is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday
commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is
the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by
making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stop by the grave
of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our
Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
Feast of the
day: Jäger-Schnitzel
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER ONE THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN
PERSON
Article 2-OUR VOCATION TO BEATITUDE
IN BRIEF
1725 The Beatitudes take up and fulfill God's promises from
Abraham on by ordering them to the Kingdom of heaven. They respond to the
desire for happiness that God has placed in the human heart.
1726 The Beatitudes teach us the final end to which God calls
us: the Kingdom, the vision of God, participation in the divine nature, eternal
life, filiation, rest in God.
1727 The beatitude of eternal life is a gratuitous gift of God.
It is supernatural, as is the grace that leads us there.
1728 The Beatitudes confront us with decisive choices
concerning earthly goods; they purify our hearts in order to teach us to love
God above all things.
1729 The beatitude of heaven sets the standards for discernment
in the use of earthly goods in keeping with the law of God.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Authentic
Feminism
·
do
a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary
[1]https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/bible/james-peter-jude/summary/2-peter-1
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