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.

Ephesians 4:1-3 (Ostrich Day!)

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

I, then, a prisoner for the Lord urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace... Ephesians 4:1-3 (full readings)

Steve's Reflections: I attended a prayer breakfast, Pray Fergus Falls, at the local YMCA this past Tuesday morning. Little did I know that God had an appointment for me. I was edified by the words of a fiery Baptist believer from Georgia, but was troubled by by one comment. He shared, "A good Southern Baptist is afraid of two things: becoming Catholic and becoming Pentecostal." I uncomfortably looked at my pastor, Fr. Greg, who was also in attendance in his full clerics. He stood silently like a lamb before slaughter. I prayed, "Dear Lord, help me build a bridge with this man." As he was nearing an end to his preaching, he shared that he awoke that morning with a strange image on his mind - "Ostrich Day." Ostrich day? I was shocked as I recalled the image for last Friday's devotion - "Head in the Sand"! I raised my hand and shared with the group of Christians, "I'd like to confirm that message from the Holy Spirit. I sent out a devotion to over 500 Christians this past Friday, and the title of it was Head in the Sand." Ostrich Day. A bridge had been built. Only the Holy Spirit could do that. As he returned to his seat, which just happened to be right next to me, he thanked me, as he put his hand on my shoulder. His wife asked me, "Who are you?" With a wide smile and a twinkle in my eye I said, "I'm the Catholic who Talmadge is afraid of that found his Lord and Savior at age 15." With a joyful laugh he leaned over, hugged me, and laid his head on my chest; a genuine act of love between two lovers of Jesus! Unity. Paul's message to us today speaks of preserving Christian unity through the "bond of peace." The Holy Spirit, through the gift of knowledge in a dream, brought unity between two Christians. I'll never look at Christian unity the same - Ostrich Day!

Faith Challenge: Sometimes God speaks to us in the most unusual ways - never doubt those promptings of the Holy Spirit even when they don't make sense to you. They may make perfect sense to someone else - Ostrich Day!

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: Job, A Friend of God

Counter-Culture News: 40 Days for Life (ends 31 Oct), LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Pat Castle (work to elect ProLife politicians), Carolyn McKissack (daughter Karen's health)

* Sue Peters (husband Bill cut his hand severely, for no infection and guidance for the medical team), Robert Cox (daughter Pauline's health)

Feast Day: St. Peter of Alcantara: Peter was a contemporary of well-known 16th-century Spanish saints, including Ignatius of Loyola and John of the Cross. He served as confessor to St. Teresa of Avila.

Faith Quote: "I do not praise poverty for poverty's sake; I praise only that poverty which we patiently endure for the love of our crucified Redeemer...." ~ St. Peter of Alcantara

Through Christ Our Lord,
Steve
Romans 12:2