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Saturday, November 5, 2005

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Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
Psalm 145
Luke 16:9-15

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contempt of court

"What man thinks important, God holds in contempt." —Luke 16:15

God's thoughts are not our thoughts. He says: "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are My ways above your ways and My thoughts above your thoughts" (Is 55:9). Also, God sees things differently than we do. "Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart" (1 Sm 16:7).

If we are to have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), we must not only reject the world but hold it in contempt. Jesus promised: "The man who loves his life loses it, while the man who hates his life in this world preserves it to life eternal" (Jn 12:25). We love the people of the world, but we hate the world system that ignores and rejects the Lord Jesus. We love the sinner but hate the sin. We hold in contempt not only the world out there but also the world in here, in our own person. We crucify our "flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24) by faith in Jesus, the waters of baptism, and life in the Spirit.

Let's not tolerate the world with all its evils. Let's not play games at the foot of the cross. We are either enemies of the world or enemies of the cross. "Unfortunately, many go about in a way which shows them to be enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil 3:18). "I am talking about those who are set upon the things of this world" (Phil 3:19).

Prayer:  Jesus, I'm literally letting the world get away with murder. Come in power to cleanse my temple.

Promise:  "Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila; they were my fellow workers in the service of Christ Jesus and even risked their lives for the sake of mine." —Rm 16:3

Praise:  Ron gave up watching the news, what the world sees as important, and spent that time in prayer.

Reference:  (Come to our Discipleship Retreat, Advent with Prophets Malachi and Micah Dec. 2-3. For information or to register, e-mail retreats@presentationministries.com or call 937-205-0128.)

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 21, 2005

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