His Righteousness

Sunday, April 3, 2022 – The Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 3:8-14

Brothers and Sisters: ⁸Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that, if possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing toward the Goal

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.^[a] 13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Dear friend,

You may know individuals in your life including family members who do not follow Jesus. They know of Him but they do not personally know Him; either because they don’t bother or because they have been hurt at some point in their life. Perhaps they experienced a loss that they blame God for and in turn have given up on God and their faith.

Friend, if you know someone like this, pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit then take some time with them and allow them to talk or vent their frustrations. Validate their feelings and hurt(s) but reassure them that God wants nothing more than to have them back. He desires their love. He has never forgotten them or abandoned them. If they would only come back to Him, they would realize that when troubles arise in our lives, they will find true comfort, healing and trust in our Father’s love.

When we ignore God, we allow the devil to win us over separating us from our Heavenly Father and the promise of His Kingdom.

Pray and ask God for direction. Loving and following God will not necessarily bring us fame and fortune. It will not keep trials and heartaches out of our life but having Him in our life can make all things more bearable. You could never ask for a more powerful force on your side.

God loves us all and He rejoices when a lost and disheartened soul returns to Him.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us. Show us the way to bring lost souls back to you. We believe that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, for our sins. He was resurrected so that we might have eternal life with Him in Heaven; a place where there is no more pain, no more suffering, no more heartache. Help us to carry this message to others.

Merciful God, continue to help and be with the people of Ukraine especially those fighting to save their countryman and their country. Bless and strengthen all those helping to bring relief to the wounded and to the many refugees who were forced out of their homes and their beloved homeland.

We humbly ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

May God be with you and may He continue to protect and guide you and yours!

Peace, love, joy and thanksgiving in Christ Jesus, our Savior!

Marie Antoinette

All life matters – from conception on!