Dear Lord God, I hear Your message, yet I struggle under the sun; one cannot serve two masters; do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life; and this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. I can see Your truth, yet I know I cannot live it under the sun without Your help through a greater understanding of the knowledge and wisdom that is received through Your daily bread of life which springs forth a greater faith, hope and love of the journey under the sun and all the roads, turns, hills, valleys and spirits You place in my path. The journey, not the destination; for You have made know to me the destination, it is the journey which is unknown to me and how I will travel it. O Lord Jesus I know there is much to learn, but I feel You have given what I need to know. Help me practice; practice Your presence at every turn, up every hill, in every valley for without You I can do nothing. Have mercy on me and all those I love and seek to serve in Your name. Show me how to use what Your have taught me, help me to let there be more of You and less of me in order to be like You all that we need. In Your Sacred Holy name I ask this Jesus, Amen.
If our life were not under Mary’s protection, we might tremble for our perseverance and salvation.
— St. Peter Julian Eymard
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyre’nians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cili’cia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly instigated men, who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us." 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Bible Study: [6:8-8:1] The summary (Acts 6:7) on the progress of the Jerusalem community, illustrated by the conversion of the priests, is followed by a lengthy narrative regarding Stephen. Stephen’s defense is not a response to the charges made against him but takes the form of a discourse that reviews the fortunes of God’s word to Israel and leads to a prophetic declaration: a plea for the hearing of that word as announced by Christ and now possessed by the Christian community. The charges that Stephen depreciated the importance of the temple and the Mosaic law and elevated Jesus to a stature above Moses (Acts 6:13-14) were in fact true. Before the Sanhedrin, no defense against them was possible. With Stephen, who thus perceived the fuller implications of the teachings of Jesus, the differences between Judaism and Christianity began to appear. Luke’s account of Stephen’s martyrdom and its aftermath shows how the major impetus behind the Christian movement passed from Jerusalem, where the temple and law prevailed, to Antioch in Syria, where these influences were less pressing.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, thy servant will meditate on thy statutes. 24 Thy testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors. 26 When I told of my ways, thou didst answer me; teach me thy statutes! 27 Make me understand the way of thy precepts, and I will meditate on thy wondrous works. 29 Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me thy law! 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness, I set thy ordinances before me.
Bible Study: [Psalm 119] This psalm, the longest by far in the psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. Several expected elements do not appear in the psalm: Mount Sinai with its story of God’s revelation and gift to Israel of instruction and commandments, the temple and other institutions related to revelation and laws (frequent in other psalms). The psalm is fascinated with God’s word directing and guiding human life.
22 On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 However, boats from Tiber’i-as came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper’na-um, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
Bible Study: [22-71] Discourse on the bread of life; replacement of the manna. John 6:22-34 serve as an introduction, [27] The food that endures for eternal life: cf John 4:14, on water "springing up to eternal life."
/ raangulo
Get Skype it’s free.
Check out my blog at http://raagroup.blogspot.com/ where daily readings and more are posted daily.
One Walk 
Leave a comment