Overcome
Dearest Father, thank You that in Jesus I can overcome sin, that crouching monster at my door that wants to rule me. As written in the First Reading today.
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Today's Readings:
First Reading: Genesis 4: 1-15, 25
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 50: 1 and 8, 16bc-17, 20-21
Alleluia: John 14: 6
Gospel: Mark 8: 11-13
Reading 1, Genesis 4:1-15, 25
Genesis 4:1-15, 25 GNBDK
[1] Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, “By the LORD's help I have acquired a son.” So she named him Cain.
[2] Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. [3] After some time, Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the LORD.
[4] Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering,
[5] but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger.
[6] Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face?
[7] If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.”
[8] Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out in the fields.” When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him.
[9] The LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He answered, “I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”
[10] Then the LORD said, “Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge.
[11] You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him.
[12] If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
[13] And Cain said to the LORD, “This punishment is too hard for me to bear. [14] You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
[15] But the LORD answered, “No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge.” So the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him.
[25] Adam and his wife had another son. She said, “God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed.” So she named him Seth.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 50:1, 8, 16-17, 20-21
R. (14a) Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting. “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always.”
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
“Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?”
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
“You sit speaking against your brother; against your mother’s son you spread rumors. When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
Alleluia
John 14:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel, Mark 8:11-13
Mark 8:11-13 GNBDK
[11] Some Pharisees came to Jesus and started to argue with him. They wanted to trap him, so they asked him to perform a miracle to show that God approved of him.
[12] But Jesus gave a deep groan and said, “Why do the people of this day ask for a miracle? No, I tell you! No such proof will be given to these people!”
[13] He left them, got back into the boat, and started across to the other side of the lake.
Dearest Father,
Dearest Father, thank You that in Jesus I can overcome sin, that crouching monster at my door that wants to rule me. As written in the First Reading today.
Genesis 4:7 GNBDK
[7] If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.”
Sin is like a crouching monster at our door, waiting to rule us. But we must overcome it.
How?
In Christ. Our Way, our Truth, our Life.
John 14:6 GNBDK
[6] Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.
Yesterday morning, I was ready to publish my daily journal for SpeakChrist Diaries, but suddenly we had an electricity blackout.
So since it’s a Sunday, anyway, my time to rest and recharge, I just lounged around with my family, reading a novel on my phone.
The kids, my nephew and niece, were playing Jenga.
We were laughing and joking with each other.
When the electricity went back around noon, the kids went back to playing on their phones.
But the Jenga pieces were left on the floor.
I told my nephew to keep the toys if he wouldn't be playing with them anymore.
But he wasn't budging, just kept on saying, wait. Cause he was playing on his phone.
He always does this, he takes a while before doing what he's told.
I told him I'd count to 5, after that, I would throw away those Jenga pieces outside.
Even when my nephews and niece were little, I used this style to discipline them.
I'd count to 5 and if they’re still disobeying, I'd flick their ear hard. After a few times they disobeyed and I flicked their ears, they know to follow what I say when I start counting.
I always try to follow through with whatever punishment I say so that they know I mean business when I say what I said.
Sometimes I hear their moms, when they get angry because the kids are disobedient, say something they can't follow through like “I'll hang you upside down!”
I know they were meant as just threats to scare the kids into obeying, but I think they get immune to it and would know that their moms are not really serious, so they won't listen.
This time, after many repeated commands to my nephew, he still wasn't budging. With my patience at its limit, I told him I'd count to 5, and if he didn’t keep those Jenga pieces, I'd throw them outside.
I started counting. But he was still not budging and that irritated me so much. He was really just disobeying on purpose.
After I counted to 5, and he didn’t do it, I started kicking those pieces outside.
My mom got angry at me for doing that, blocked me from kicking the pieces outside, and reprimanded me in front of the kid saying, those are not my Jenga and he is not my kid and I shouldn’t do that. And that got me so mad.
I started kicking those pieces around in my anger.
My nephew saw that I was serious and angry, and only then did he stand up and start picking those scattered pieces up.
Even when he started picking up the pieces, I still kicked them in anger. And told him I'd count to 5 again and throw everything if he's not done by then!
That really angered my mom and we were full-on arguing by then.
I got fed up with arguing, especially in front of the kid, so I went to our foyer which served as my office, and working instead. Then I started blasting jazz music to help calm myself but also to drown out my mother's nagging.
It's true what God said about sin:
Genesis 4:7 GNBDK
[7] If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.”
I certainly wasn’t smiling then and I know I didn’t handle that very well, letting my anger get the better of me.
I didn't feel like publishing my journal then. How could I talk about God when I was at odds with my mama and my nephew again?
I wondered why these sudden bursts of fighting and arguing were happening in our home. Something like this happened just last week with the same nephew.
I know that this is the enemy’s work to divide and conquer.
Cause then I felt unworthy to publish my journal about operating in the Kingdom of God, knowing I was feeling like this.
Sin really is a crouching monster at my door and Satan is like a roaming lion waiting for someone to devour.
Jesus set us free from the clutches of the enemy so that now it's our choice whether to give in to sin or not.
Like it was my choice to break out in anger. And my choice to even persist in it.
Later that afternoon, when we were in church for Sunday's Mass, I was still pissed off that I didn't give the sign of peace to my family when it came to that point at Mass.
I just asked the Lord to give me time to settle my feelings.
But I still continued to draw near to God and to do what He called me to do, like publish my journal that day, otherwise, the enemy would always cause this kind of distraction if I let it win by derailing me from what I'm supposed to do, just because I'm feeling unworthy.
Good thing, my nieces and nephew went to where I was to ask for my blessing at that point and that settled my conflict with my nephew.
Today, I mean to buy my mama her favorite raisin bread as my peace offering. One thing I've learned is to never hold on to grudges. There's no point. I have better things to think about and pursue.
Sin is really crouching at our door wanting to rule us.
But if you already gave your life to Jesus and made Him your Lord and Savior, you are already in the Kingdom of God with the power and protection of God, our Father and King, and the authority to rule in our domain, especially over sin. And any attacks of the enemy to cause us to sin.
We can choose to follow Jesus and rule over sin or we can choose to follow our feelings and let sin rule over us.
I think that's how we often fall into sin, cause we follow what we feel rather than what God says in His word.
So let's keep our eyes on Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And follow what He says, not what we feel.
Daily, in a 24-hour window, sin crouches at your door wanting to rule you.
But you can rule over sin, as in anything in life, in Christ.
Remind yourself of your Divine Identification and who you are. You are a child and heir of God. You are meant to rule over all situations in your life and not be ruled by anything. Take up your authority and command sin, the devil, and his minions causing strife and division, causing anger and offense, to depart from you and your loved ones and to go to the foot of the Cross of Christ and there to be dealt with, accordingly, in Jesus name. I did just that, murmuring it to myself.
Even when you're feeling unworthy, continue to pursue the GodX vision God has for you - that you are to be holy and perfect like Him - able to rule over sin.
Remain in God and His word, our Rock foundation, even when your feelings tell you to latch out or persist in sin.
Then do what God tells you to do within a 24-hour activation window to rule over sin. Because you can. No matter how hopeless you may feel against sin.
When you're able to do that, you are living the rich life that Jesus has died to give you.
And you can continue to live rich in Christ each and every day.
Here I am, Father, doing what You called me to do - loving others as You love me.
I love You.
Live the Rich Life in Christ today:
Sin is crouching at your door wanting to rule you.
Are you entertaining sin or overcoming it?
In Christ, you can overcome sin and kill that monster crouching at your door wanting to rule you.
Genesis 4:7 GNBDK
[7] If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.
Now Your Turn
(Questions to ask yourself when scripture journaling)
What verses spoke to me strongly and powerfully from the scripture readings?
What is God saying to me in these verse or verses?
What does God want me to do today?
Journal prompts of the day:
Are you entertaining sin or overcoming it?
Is Jesus your Way, your Truth, your Life?
What can you do today to rule over sin?
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