Numbers 11:15 (What's Your Limit?)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Upcoming Guest Authors.

"If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress." ~ Numbers 11:15 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: In today's Scripture, Moses apparently reached his limit. He was thoroughly frustrated and at wits' end trying to pacify the Israelites in the desert, while leading them to the promised land. Moses was so distressed that he was willing to lose his life rather than carry the burden of a complaining people. What's your limit? What will it take for you to give up on Jesus? Christ has not given up on us. Through prayer we can share our pain with Jesus. He will walk with us and help us carry our burdens with loving compassion. Lord, help me to share my pain with You for Your love is limitless. Amen.

Faith Challenge: What's your limit? Before you reach it, pray to Jesus to help you carry your burden.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, AFA, Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. Alphonsus Liguori

Faith Quote: "I Love Jesus Christ and that is why I am on fire with the desire to give Him souls, first of all my own, and then an incalculable number of others." ~ St. Alphonsus Liquori

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize:Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

Isaiah 53:5-6 (It is Good)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (website, Facebook). >

"But He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon Him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; But the LORD laid upon Him the guilt of us all." Isaiah 53:5-6 (full readings) >0

Steve's Reflections: Why is the most solemn, tragic day in history called "Good Friday"? Wouldn't "Black Friday" be more appropriate? God did for us today what we could not accomplish for ourselves. Just as God said, "It is good" of his creation, so too today he says, "It is good." Jesus poured out all that he had for you and for me, and when it came to his last breath he cried out, "It is finished." Jesus did all the wrong things in the worlds eyes - he washed the feet of the apostles to show them what it meant to truly lead and told them "Love one another as I have loved you." It is good. He waited in the Garden for his dear friend Judas to betray him with a kiss. It is good. He was silent as a lamb before slaughter as Pontius Pilate questioned him. It is good. He took every insult, buffet, lashing under the weight of the wood, the weight of world's sin. All so that we could be with the Father. It is good. Today is a good day. There is no victory, no resurrection without the cross. Our lives our not our own; they were bought at a price; our ransom has been paid! Today is good because today is the day Love conquered over death. It is good. In the words of Matt Maher in the song Alive Again, "O death where is your sting? O hell where is your victory? O Church come stand in the light. The glory of God has defeated the night!"
* Check out this inspiring song by Matt Maher about the greatest act of Love known to man, the cross - No Greater Love. "And we lift high the banner of the cross! There is no greater love than this. No love but this."
* Today's sacred image is by Nellie Edwards (http://www.immaculataart.com/).

Faith Challenge: Make it a good day by attending a Good Friday service. The veneration of the cross is a time to give thanks for all that was accomplished for each of us on the cross. The time from noon to 3 pm is a solemn time to reflect on the passion of Jesus that culminated in his death at 3 pm, the hour of Mercy.

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: Jesus Came to Serve "Jesus came into this world to do for us what that father did for his son. He paid the price for our sin by his death on the cross."

Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action &gt

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now. >

Feast Day: St. Adalbert of Prague "Preaching the Good News can be dangerous work whether the audience is already baptized or not. Adalbert fearlessly preached Jesus' gospel and received a martyr's crown for his efforts."

Faith Quote: "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” ~ John 13:34-35

Through Christ Our Lord,

Steve
Romans 12:2 .

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (23% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.
* Evangelize:Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

Gal 3:3 ("through the burdens") by JP's Dad

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (archive, Facebook).

Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Galatians 3:3 (full readings)

Jason's Reflections:

* One of my first thoughts after reading this verse from St. Paul was how sometimes God must feel the same way a parent does. How many parents have thought from time to time, “how many times do I have to tell you…” One of the reasons Paul wrote this to the Galatians is because they had begun to once again believe that by simply following their law they could find salvation. Paul pointed out once again that salvation comes from our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the promise of salvation fulfilled by his death and Resurrection. Our salvation is promised by God! It comes from making a choice to accept his promise.
* At Mass this past Sunday, our Priest spoke about accepting the burden’s of life with a Spirit of stewardship…to understand how God works through us often in the things that we feel are the most difficult. Many of you have prayed for my oldest son JP and our entire family for a very long time now, and for that we are more than thankful. JP has spent about 23 of the last 27 months in the hospital. As I write this, he is back in the hospital. My family picture above was taken about two weeks ago, a day after JP (red jacket) had been released from the hospital. We made a quick overnight trip to my parent’s lake cabin and had a tremendous evening of fishing. As you can see by the smiles on our faces, we thoroughly enjoyed it. We truly live our life day by day. We try our best to make each day a day full of LIFE! We have become very aware of the life decisions that face not only the parents of the Unborn, but individuals and families at every stage of life. We do our best to accept the burden (our cross) with faith that God is using our experience to do great things in our lives and the lives of those around us.

* Guest author Jason Peters is married to Deanna, and they have three children. Jason is the President of JMJ Caseworks in Sioux Falls, SD.

Faith Challenge: How is God working through the burdens in your life? How do your burdens impact the lives of those around you? Make it a great day!

Counter-Culture News: 40 Days for Life (ends 31 Oct), LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.
* Anti-abortion billboard turning heads [added by Pat]

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Leslee Unruh (grandbaby Pierce recovering from brain surgery & pneumonia), Rob Rysavy (AF Academy roommate Nick having back surgery), Beth Hughes (nephew died in swimming accident), Carol Nesbitt (special intention), Carolyn McKissack (daughter's health)

Feast Day: Our Lady of the Rosary

Faith Quote: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Heb 4:16

Through Christ our Lord,
Jason Peters

Heb 4:16

John 3:17 (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross)

Let's welcome God this morning by reflecting on this short Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which is based on Living Faith. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. John 3:17 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "The hope that all may be saved offends some Christians. It is as though salvation were a zero-sum proposition, as though there is only so much to go around, as though God's grace to others will somehow diminish our portion of grace. Remember the parable of the workers in the vineyard, how those who came early in the day complained that those who came later got the same wages..."

Faith Challenge: Let's all invite one person each week (John 14:6) to join our LIFE Group (>220 ProLife Christians).

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, American Family Association, Priests for Life* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images)...#1 cause of death in America. Let's courageously share ProLife Truth to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16) and setting the unborn free!

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas in footnote below.
* Prayer to end abortion, abused children, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/ despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, illnesses/injuries, jobs, natural disasters, refugees, addictions, persecuted believers, Peters family (JP in hospital), Stephanie Spader (healthy pregnancy), Adrian Hermosillo (sister Angelica battling cancer)

* NEW: Lynn Bishara (endoscopy/biopsy results for baby son Alex)

Feast Day: Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In Christ,

Steve
Romans 12:2

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead.'

* Fasting: Let's fast from things that take our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, bitterness, being so critical, impatience, gossip, excessive video games, etc) and take on things that fix our eyes on Jesus (selflessness, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, patience, understanding, caring, helping, listening).

* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' (Blessed Mother Teresa).

* Evangelization: Let's make room for unbelievers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service (Matt 28:19).