In all things, Put God First

Sirach 5:1-8
Do not set your heart on your wealth, nor say, "I have enough." 
Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart. 
Do not say, "Who will have power over me?" for the Lord will surely punish you. 
Do not say, "I sinned, and what happened to me?" for the Lord is slow to anger. 
Do not be so confident of atonement that you add sin to sin. 
Do not say, "His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins," for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners. 
Do not delay to turn to the Lord, nor postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will go forth, and at the time of punishment you will perish. 
Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you in the day of calamity.

Homily:
It is easy to take God for granted and ascribe victories to self. Especially when His love, mercy, grace and favor abounds.

It is easy for the flesh to weaken the spirit with endless insatiable desires.

It is easy to forget how fleeting life is, when we think we hold all the aces.

It is easy to undermine God's role in our lives, and be blinded by hubris to the consequences of ingratitude.

It is easy to forgive and forget ourselves. Always justifying our actions and rationalizing its effects, without asking God for forgiveness and changing our ways. Our memory fails us, because of the lag between cause and effect.

It is easy to take offense and punish others, but our stiff judgment of others becomes the yardstick for God's judgment of our own actions and the punishment that follows.

In all things, Put God First.

You will come to see that even though the choices can be hard (staying humble in spite of great victories, fasting in spite of great wealth, praying in spite of great winning streaks, commitment in spite of alternatives, gentleness in spite of great strength, forgiveness in spite of great authority), your life will have more meaning.

Leave judgment to God

Mark 9:38-40
John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." 
But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. 
For he that is not against us is for us. 

Homily:
Denominational christianity did not start today. Somehow, humans have always and will continue to seek exclusivity from a catholic God.

Instead of spending time deciding who is with us or against us based on our doctrines, let us focus more on our journey. The purifying of thoughts, words and deeds is lifelong and the best signal to our belief.

Salvation will not be dependent on the crowd we are in. Each of us will answer for our intentions and actions.

Leave judgment to God. None of us are worthy in our thoughts, words or deeds to pass judgment.

Show mercy to others, just as you are continually shown mercy.

Avoid comparison. If we were created to compare, we would not have been created uniquely.

Temptation

Sirach 2:1-6
My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation. 
Set your heart right and be steadfast, and do not be hasty in time of calamity. 
Cleave to him and do not depart, that you may be honored at the end of your life. 
Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you be patient. 
For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. 
Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him. 

Homily:
Are you ready to serve the Lord? Yes? Prepare yourself for temptation.

Temptations are not reserved for sinners, they come to us all. What distinguishes the righteous from the sinner is the choice they submit to - the choice of the flesh or the choice of the spirit.

The flesh is in a race against time. Time wears it out.
The spirit is in no race. It defines the times.

The more you give to the flesh, the more it takes.
The more you give to the spirit, the more it gives.

Be patient in all things and let His spirit lead you.

Temptations come to make us better, use them to reinforce your faith.

Wisdom

Sirach 1:1-8
All wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him for ever. 
The sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity -- who can count them? 
The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom -- who can search them out? 
Wisdom was created before all things, and prudent understanding from eternity. 
The root of wisdom -- to whom has it been revealed? Her clever devices -- who knows them? 
There is One who is wise, greatly to be feared, sitting upon his throne. 
The Lord himself created wisdom; he saw her and apportioned her, he poured her out upon all his works. 
She dwells with all flesh according to his gift, and he supplied her to those who love him. 

Homily:
Wisdom dwells within all of us, because of God's love.
To those that love God, there is an extra supply.

We neither need years nor experience to love God, we just need to weigh our choices against His will and make sacrifices for His will.

A clarifying question in moments of truth:
If I was to die and stand before God now, what will be a worthy choice?

The acts of love confirm our love.

Remember, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Even as God, His actions confirm His love.

In life, narrow margins make a difference.
An extra supply of wisdom makes the difference.

Love God.

Love your enemies

Luke 6:27-38
But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 
To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 
Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. 
And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. 
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 
And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. 
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 
"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

Homily:
Enough said.

Lord, help me to continuously feed my soul with the actions of life - loving, giving, sacrificing, forgiving.

An impossibility

Hebrews 11:1-7
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the men of old received divine approval.
By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but through his faith he is still speaking.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God.
And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.

Homily:
By faith, we set our alartms for tomorrow morning, with a firm belief that we will be alive and ready to wake up.
By faith, we tell a friend that we should have drinks at a bar in the next 3 hrs, ignoring all other possible outcomes of our trip to the bar.
By faith, we save today, with a firm conviction we will be here tomorrow.

We demonstrate faith when we are not asked, and we doubt when we are asked.

"And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

How do you demonstrate your faith? Obedience.

Obedience to what?

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40

Elders

1 Peter 5:1-4
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. 
Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock. 
And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory. 

Homily:
Care for those in your care.
Give without expecting. Give thanks for all you get.
Wake up first. Sleep last.
Prepare the table. Eat last.
Speak only that which you practice. Lead by example.

Get behind me, Satan

Mark 8:27-33
And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesare'a Philip'pi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" 
And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Eli'jah; and others one of the prophets." 
And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." 
And he charged them to tell no one about him. 
And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 
And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 
But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men." 

Homily:
Even those that know who you are, can unwittingly try to hinder your being who you are, because they think the path to being, should be free of pain.

Guard your tongue and seek those that value discretion as your travel mates.

Understand the cross you will carry and commit to finishing. Half measures are worse than non starters.

Flee from those that plant the fear of pain that comes with growth. Anything worth having, is worth sacrificing for.

There will always be opportunity costs, but the greatest costs come from shrinking to fit into other people's narrative, instead of learning, growing and leading your story.

Questions

Mark 8:22-26
And they came to Beth-sa'ida. And some people brought to him a blind man, and begged him to touch him. 
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" 
And he looked up and said, "I see men; but they look like trees, walking." 
Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and saw everything clearly. 
And he sent him away to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village." 

Homily:
7 questions come to mind from this passage.

Why were those that brought the blind man begging Jesus to touch him, but there was no mention of the blind man asking for healing?

When he took the blind man by the hand (aka touched him), how come healing did not occur immediately?

Why did Jesus lead the blind man out of the village before healing him?

How come after spitting on his eyes and laying hands on the blind man, he still could not see clearly?

Why did Jesus have to lay hands again (a second time), this time on his eyes?

Why did the blind man have to look intently before full restoration of sight?

Why did Jesus instruct him not to enter the village after his healing?

Dear Lord, give me understanding.

One man

Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 
And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 
So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." 
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 
Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 
Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive upon the face of all the earth. 
For in seven days I will send rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground." 
And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him. 
And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth. 

Homily:
For one man, God has always had mercy on humanity. It takes just one, for favour to abound.

Is doing what is right, lonely? Yes, but it has saved more people than one.
Is doing what is right, hard? Yes, but it has made more lives easier.

Do not wait for another saviour, save yourself. Live according to the Word that is written in the bible and your heart.

Dear Lord, let me continually do what is right and find favour in your eyes, Amen.

A sign

Mark 8:11-13
The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 
And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." 
And he left them, and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side. 

Homily:
Too many people wait upon a supernatural encounter, forgetting that their very existence is supernatural.

To walk with God, they want to see a burning bush, a talking wind, tongues of fire from above or Jesus Christ himself.

Signs are not required when the map is already established within.

What further signs do you need to believe? What sign is greater than your very being?
We are with ourselves the most, but we pay attention to ourselves the least, searching for external noise, when the true signals for our journey dwells within.

Stop waiting for signs, be the sign. Let your life point unmistakably to righteousness.

Dear Lord, help me be a good sign to myself and my neighbours.

Hard choices, Right choices

Luke 6:17, 20-26
And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; 
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." 
"Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied." "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh." 
"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! 
Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets." 
"But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation." 
"Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger." "Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep." 
"Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets."

Homily:
The passage can be summarized in one quote:

"Hard choices, Easy life. Easy choices, Hard life." - Jerzy Gregorek.

Jesus puts it differently in Matthew 7:13-14 ~
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Hard choices, Right choices.

The pathway to sin and return

Genesis 3:9-24
But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 
And he said, "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." 
He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 
The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." 
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate." 
The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."
And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, `You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 
And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. 
Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" -- therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 
He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Homily:
The pathway to sin and return:

Rationalisation 》 Disobedience 》 Judgment 》 Fear 》 Blame game 》 Consequences 》Introspection 》 Confession 》 Sacrifice 》 Forgiveness 》 Reconciliation 》 Rejoicing.

Throughout this path, God's love remains ever present.

Judgment

Genesis 3:1-8
Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, `You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" 
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, `You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 
But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. 
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. 
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 

Homily:
This was the start of judgment - "when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil".

Judgment is the source of our unhappiness. With judgment, nothing is ever as it is, everything has to fit into a label. And labels distort reality.

Delay judgment. See what is for what it is and be thankful, for it is designed for you and your time.

Please, persist

Mark 7:24-30
And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid. 
But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. 
Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni'cian by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 
And he said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 
But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 
And he said to her, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." 
And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.

Homily:
If you were begging someone for a favour and he said  to you in reply, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
Referring to you or your kind as a dog, what will be your honest reaction?

This Greek woman decided to have nothing stand in the way of getting want she wanted for her daughter.
Her pride, her ego, her shame - these were small matters compared to what she needed from Jesus Christ.
Note that she did not need it for herself, but for one she loved.

Life and love is about sacrifice (alternatives forgone).

What inconveniences keep us from persisting when we ask.
Does the inconvenience matter more than what we are asking for?

Please, persist.

Dear Lord, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." - Genesis 32:26

Thoughts, words and actions

Mark 7:14-23
And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him." 
And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 
And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 
And he said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 
All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man."

Homily:
Be conscious of what comes out of you - your thoughts, your words, your actions.

Do not dismiss or gloss over the things that flow from within. They will surprise and sometimes, astound you.

If all our thoughts came true, what kind of world would we live in? (Not our present thoughts, all our thoughts.) A world of Scalar Chaos.

If all our words became flesh, what kind of world would we live in? (Not our present words, all our words.) A world of Masked Desperation.

If all our actions achieved their intent, what kind of world would we live in? (Not our present actions, all our actions.) A world of No More.

When we come to an understanding that our thoughts, words and actions matter - that they shape our world, which in turn shapes us; we become more conscious and use them more deliberately to nurture others and self.

Dear Lord, guide my thoughts, words and actions. Help me to nurture those you have put in my care.

Go to God

Mark 7:8
You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.

Homily:
There are 10 commandments, simplified into 2 when Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40

Read God's Word and pray for understanding.

The traditions which men set as requirements for righteousness are biased to the times.
You serve a timeless God.

The traditions of men are an unequally yoked burden, ultimately undermining God's word.

Heed the advice Jesus Christ -

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

It is harder to live under the yoke of tradition than the yoke of God's word. And only God's word holds the promise of forever. Go to God.

Faith works

Mark 6:53-56
And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret, and moored to the shore. 
And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. 
And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.

Homily:
Faith works.

The same Jesus Christ that was limited in his works (among his kin) by a lack of faith in Him, brought healing to many that touched the fringe of his garment by faith.

The same applies for those that believe in you, they make you do more and they benefit more from that belief.

If faith is so powerful, why do we act more on doubt? Because doubt works too.

Doubt has a "but" for every possibility.
Faith has an "and" for every impossibility.

Doubt waits.
Faith works.

Faith

Luke 5:1-11
While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes'aret. 
And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 
Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 
And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 
And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 
And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men."
And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Homily:
Doubt happens to all of us. It is what we do after that matters.

We either act out our doubt or faith in His word. Choose faith.

Simon Peter acted on faith in His word, and it made all the difference.

Our acts of faith will bring in more blessings than we can imagine.

Trust and follow His lead.

Rest a while

Mark 6:30-34
The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 
And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 
And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. 
Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. 
As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 

Homily:
Make time for yourself.
Make time to pray.
Make time to meditate.
Make time to rest.

Take care of yourself.
Take care of your spirit.
Take care of your mind.
Take care of your body.

Your work is important. To finish it, you need to be living a lively life.

Advice

Hebrews 13:1-8
Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body.
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never fail you nor forsake you."
Hence we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?"
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

Homily:
Some passages need no elucidation.

The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?

The cares of the world

Mark 6:7-13
And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 
He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 
And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." 
So they went out and preached that men should repent. 
And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them. 

Homily:
The below passage aids my understanding.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:25-34

Dear Lord, help me to understand the purpose of my journey and bring me to places that your word can be planted on fertile soil, to your honor and glory.

Beware of the familiar

Mark 6:1-6
He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. 
And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands!
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 
And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."
And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. 
And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. 

Homily:
Beware of the familiar.

They assume they know all you have, are and will be. They actively sell a ceiling to you, when the sky has no cap.

The familiar hates growth. Growth is change. The familiar hates change.

Do not tarry in their presence.

You cannot flourish in their presence, hard as you try.

They have no faith in you. They only have faith in their biases.

They are "but people". Beware of "but people". They have a "but" for every statement. Always undercutting you.

Beware of the familiar.

Watch and pray

Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Homily:
Sin and Virtue are seeds that are always available to us. The 2 seeds are poisonous to each other.

Our choices determine which is planted, gains root, is nurtured, flourishes, bears fruit and spreads (compounds).

At any point in time, we can poison the tree of sin by virtuous choices or poison the tree of virtue by sinful choices.

There is a constant battle between convenience (sin) and sacrifice (virtue).

Without deliberate choice, sin, like weed, will prevail.
With deliberate choice, virtue, like cultivated plants, will prevail.

However, we must remain vigilant, because weeds are unrelenting.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” - Matthew 26:41

Granted and ungranted requests

Mark 3:1-20
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Ger'asenes. 
And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 
Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones. 
And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." 
For he had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 
And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many." 
And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country. 
Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him, "Send us to the swine, let us enter them." 
So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea. 
The herdsmen fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.
And they came to Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 
And those who had seen it told what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine. 
And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their neighborhood. 
And as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 
But he refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decap'olis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled. 

Homily:
What is interesting about this passage was how 3 characters begged and asked of Jesus - 2 were granted, one was refused.

First the unclean spirit known as Legion begged - "Send us to the swine, let us enter them."
He gave them leave.

Secondly, the people of the city "began to beg Jesus to depart from their neighborhood."
He got into the boat.

Lastly, the man who had been possessed with demons "begged him that he might be with him".
Jesus refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."

Many other times in the bible, Jesus asked those he healed not to tell anyone, but in this case, he asked that the good news should be shared.

In the times when he asked those he healed to tell no one, they spread the good news even more.

This time, when the people wanted him out of their neighborhood, he asked that the good news be shared and it was.

And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decap'olis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled. 

Ask and you shall receive, is not predicated on the state of being that asks, but on the giver.

Even those that do not do the will of God can ask and receive. But what do they ask for?

If you do not want Jesus within you, He will get in the boat and leave. But because He loves you so much, He will keep your conscience alive within, to remind you of all God has done and still wants to do for you.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” - Mark 2:17

Dear Lord, never depart from me.

Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. 
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 
Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 
For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. 
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. 
So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Homily:
Enough said.

Lord, help me to love myself and others, just as you love me.

Fear not

Hebrews 2:14-15
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.

Homily:
Fear not. Even unto death, God is faithful.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Dear Lord, during periods I have doubts and nurture fear, please remind me that you are with me.

Endure

Hebrews 10:32-39
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.
"For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls.

Homily:
The path a lover of God takes, is no different from that of others. Peaks and valleys happen to all.

Staying true till the end is not easy. The side distractions and attractions are many. The lure to give in to our basal desires is ever present.

Endure - embrace long-suffering.
Endure - you are built to last.
Endure - the end will help you understand why.