17 Oct Lighten the Load (Lk 11:46) by Dr. Cliff Ozmun
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.” ~ Lk 11:46 (full readings)
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Cliff’s Reflection: In contrast to Jesus’ two commands to love God and love our neighbors (Mark 12:30), the Pharisees imposed 613 laws, which they proceeded to circumvent with regard to themselves. These laws placed unbearable burdens on adherents and actually led them further from the Kingdom of Heaven, burdens the Pharisees would lift not one finger to carry. Jesus knew this keenly, and upbraided the Pharisees and scholars both publicly and privately with declarations of grief for their hypocrisy. Christ knew that the Father expects and honors not empty tithes of bitter herbs, but righteous sacrifice that frees the oppressed, feeds the hungry, shelters the poor, clothes the naked, and cares for family (Is. 58:6-10). Christians, if we accept the saving grace of Jesus’ redemptive Gospel we must accept the righteous expression of His social Gospel implied in Isaiah 58 and James 2, for starters. We must lighten the loads of life. Every day, women find themselves facing the challenge of unplanned pregnancy and are daunted by the thought of motherhood. Factors such as social stigma, scarce resources, and support from families are all heavy burdens weighing on mothers considering abortion. For the love of Christ, and through the love of Christ, we can help lift these burdens and lighten their loads. Christian pregnancy resource centers such as Care Net, PRC for Life, and many local centers exist to share the love and truth of Jesus Christ with these women in both word and deed by offering tangible resources and emotional, as well as spiritual, support.
* Dr. Cliff Ozmun is the Minister of Education for Calvary Baptist Church in Beaumont, Texas. He and his wife Michelle are the proud parents of five children, adopted out of foster care. They are grateful that these mothers chose life for their children.
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Faith Challenge: Contact your local pregnancy resource center today. Pray, donate and serve. If you already do this, then enlist others to do the same.
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Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, AFA,Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Ignatius of Antioch.
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Faith Quote: “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” 1 John 3:18
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Through Christ our Lord,
Cliff
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* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will and 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 (and families): Abortion (images) is #1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 and 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 and re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.