Luke 11:23 (Stand United in Christ!)

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

"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." ~ Luke 11:23 (full readings)

Rosemary's Reflections: Jesus wants to know where we stand on the battlefield between heaven and hell. This passage reminds me of my favorite song, "Frontline" by the Christian group Pillar. It's about fighting for the faith and being determined to win the eternal crown Paul talks about in his letters. The lyric "stand beside or step aside" is like what Jesus is saying, Flight...or Fight the good fight. We can't just join the team when it's winning and leave when it's not. We have to stick it out with Christ until the end, no matter how hard the powers of darkness shake the Church's foundation. I have heard the phrase "cafeteria Catholics" to describe those who only agree with the Church's teachings on certain topics of their choice, one of them being abortion. Some believe there are exceptions to the rule, but I believe there is no gray area in the matter. A life is a life is a life! If you are pro-life, there can be no wavering, otherwise your beliefs may collapse upon themselves with the slightest opposing wind. Even though our country is divided into fifty states, we stand united under the belief of Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. If we want our nation to be called a people of God, then we must also stand together with Him. Since it's the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and there are 5 decades, dedicate each state to the Blessed Mother to unite us together with her Son, Jesus Christ. United we stand, divided we fall.

Faith Challenge: Pray for our nation's leaders that they will work towards making the US "one nation, under God, indivisible."

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: Little Things

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, Vatican, Project Rachel. &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: Our Lady of the Rosary.

Faith Quote: "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." ~ C.S. Lewis

Through Christ Our Lord,
Rosemary

2 Tim 4:7
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* 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.

Matthew 24:42 (temptation)

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

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Matthew 24:42 (full readings)

Rich's thoughts: Today's Gospel is about the unfaithful servant, who because his master was long delayed from returning, fell into temptation and went against his master's wishes. How many times are we tempted by something that we know that God doesn't want us to do? If God is always present in our life, why is this an issue? Lord, help me to not be led into temptation and protect me from evil. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Reflect on the temptations in your life. Would you proceed to give in to your temptations if you knew your master (Jesus Christ) was present?

Sr. Francelle's devotion: Learn how we as Christians can spiritually grow from our temptations.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life.
* Virginia AG: State Can Force Abortion Clinics to Follow Same Standards as Hospitals

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer).
* Rich Reich (Brother Knight Bob Kane passed away), Pam McGushin (Terry Reszel cancer), Molly Barber (her health), Joe Hourigan (Dad's health)

Faith Quote: "Lord, make me chaste, but not yet." - St. Augustine

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

Exodus 14:28 (the faithful love of God)

Let's welcome God every 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

As the water flowed back, it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh's whole army which had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not a single one of them escaped. Exodus 14:28 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "To be sure, not every story in the Bible harmonizes with my preferred image of a gentle God. But violent as it is, this tale is still a love story. God's love for his chosen people is ferocious and one-sided. God is the mother lion, lashing out to protect her cubs, ready to tear limb from limb any creature that would harm them. How surprising to think that God could love with such intensity. How humbling to think that God could love me like that." by Karla Manternach

Rich's comments: In studying the Theology of the Body, I have learned that God's love is faithful, total, fruitful, and unconditional. The faithfulness of God's love is revealed to us today in Scripture. God is faithful to His people, and we are called to follow God's will and be faithful in return.

Faith Challenge: Let's challenge each other to joyfully live out the Good News.

* NEW: How do you portray God's love in your life? Is your love for others faithful, total, fruitful, and unconditional?

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 (John 14:6) to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16) and setting the unborn free!

* NEW: Learn about Theology of the Body and its life-transforming message of hope; a message that counteracts societal trends which urge us to view the body as an object of pleasure or as a machine for manipulation.

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, addictions, Stephanie Spader (for a family with unexpected pregnancy), Rob Rysavy (for a coworker's wife who is battling an illness), Carol Nesbit (Please pray for my niece, Kelly, whose baby died in her womb. Pray for healing for Kelly and her husband, Kenny, and their new angel baby in heaven.)

Feast Day: St. Lawrence of Brindisi

Faith Quote: "Don’t settle for less than the authentic expression and revelation of God’s faithful, total, fruitful, and unconditional love.” - Christopher West

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* 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.

Let's joyfully invite others to join our LIFE Group...Rich or Pat will gladly add them to the devotions distribution list (Mark 16:15)!