Time of GRACE
Dearest Father, Thank You that in this time of GRACE, though we seem poor, we make many people rich. And though we have nothing, yet we possess everything. As written in the First Reading today.
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But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in Him, you may have life (John 20:31 GNBDK) - the rich and satisfying life in Christ. (John 10:10 NLT)
Today's Readings
First Reading: Second Corinthians 6: 1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 98: 1, 2b, 3ab, 3cd-4
Alleluia: Psalms 119: 105
Gospel: Matthew 5: 38-42
Reading 1
[1] In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted.
[2] Hear what God says: “When the time came for me to show you favour I heard you; when the day arrived for me to save you, I helped you.” Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favour; today is the day to be saved!
[3] We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way.
[4] Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties.
[5] We have been beaten, imprisoned, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food.
[6] By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God's servants — by the Holy Spirit, by our true love,
[7] by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves.
[8] We are honoured and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth;
[9] as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed;
[10] although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
Responsorial Psalm
R.(2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
In the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
[38] “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
[39] But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too.
[40] And if someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well.
[41] And if one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one kilometre, carry it two kilometres.
[42] When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something, lend it to him.
Dearest Father,
Thank You that in this time of GRACE, though we seem poor, we make many people rich. And though we have nothing, yet we possess everything. As written in the First Reading today.
2 Corinthians 6:10 GNBDK
[10] although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
The Paradox of Grace.
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
We are rich beyond words as children and heirs of God, adopted into His family by the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and now, joint heirs with Him.
But oftentimes, our circumstances show otherwise.
We have almost empty bank accounts, we work on jobs we don't care about, earning and living paycheck to paycheck, living purposeless lives, our families are broken, we feel alone and lonely even when surrounded with friends and family.
We feel discouraged and frustrated. And so we give up and get back to our old ways, turning from the Lord and what He calls us to do.
But that is exactly what Paul warned us about when he said not to receive the grace of God in vain or to waste it.
2 Corinthians 6:1 GNBDK
[1] In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted.
He said these things are normal in our lives with Christ.
2 Corinthians 6:8-10 GNBDK
[8] We are honoured and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; [9] as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed; [10] although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
These are not reasons for us to turn back from serving the Lord with the very lives we live.
2 Corinthians 6:4 GNBDK
[4] Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties.
Whether we follow the Lord or not, we are always going to face troubles, hardships, and difficulties in this world.
That's because we live under this world’s earth-curse system when God cursed the earth because of our first parents’ rebellion.
Genesis 3:17-21 TPT
And to Adam he said, “Because you obeyed your wife instead of me, and you ate from the forbidden tree when I had commanded you not to, the ground will be cursed because of you. You will eat of it through painful toil all the days of your life. It will sprout weeds and thorns, and you will eat the plants of the field. You will painfully toil and sweat to produce food to eat, until your body—taken from the ground—returns to the ground. For you are from dust, and to dust you will return.”
But now that we are in Christ, we are no longer under this earth-curse system and no longer face these things alone.
We have God Himself creator of the world, Who put everything under curse, saying He will help us out of this system of poverty, lack, and death. And He did. By sending us Jesus, who paid for everything so we can be God's children again filled with His Spirit, His Presence, under His protection, provision, power, and providence.
Galatians 3:13-14 EASY
[13] So God's Law shows that it is right for God to punish us. But Christ took that punishment away from us, because God punished him instead of us. It says in the Bible: ‘When people hang someone on a tree to kill him, it shows that God has cursed that person.’ [14] Christ died in that way so that God would bless the Gentiles in the way that he blessed Abraham. Also, if we believe in Christ, we can then receive God's Spirit that he promised.
And so now we have GRACE. God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
2 Corinthians 6:2 AMP
[2] For He says, “At the acceptable time (the time of grace) I listened to you, And I helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—
Now is the acceptable time. Now is the time of GRACE. God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
So even when we seem poor we are making many people rich. Even when we have nothing, we actually possess everything!
Nothing can shake us - not our guilt of the past, not our fear of the unknown in the future.
We live in Christ. And in Christ, we live in the eternal now, which is the only time acceptable to God - not later, not yesterday, not tomorrow.
Now is the acceptable time of GRACE. Now we have all of God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
So let go of the past, don't worry about tomorrow. Live today in Christ. Live fully in the now in Christ.
And when you do, the paradox of GRACE will no longer frustrate you. You eat those for breakfast.
2 Corinthians 6:8-10 GNBDK
[8] We are honoured and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; [9] as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed; [10] although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
Yes, you may seem poor but you actually make many people rich! Because you are rich. In Christ.
And as you live your life in this truth each and every day, more and more people will see it and then more and more people will give thanks to God for the gift of His GRACE.
One of the reasons I went into network marketing and why I want to engage in business, for that matter, is not only for me to become rich but to also make many people rich.
But now I just realized that by sharing the message of God's GRACE that the Lord has entrusted to me, I am finally making many people rich!
Because although I may have nothing, I actually possess everything - Jesus in me, the hope of glory, who has become the treasure chest filled with all the riches of glory God has prepared for His people.
Colossians 1:27 TPT
[27] Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!
And when I live in Christ, remain in Him and let His words remain in me, I can just take from Him who dwells in me, this treasure chest filled with all the riches of glory, ask for whatever I want and it will be done for me!
John 15:7 AMP
[7] If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
It will be done for you. Get that? You are the master or mistress ruling in God's name, in charge of your own domain - your very life and the people God entrusted to your care.
You only have to ask Jesus, living in You for whatever you need now -not tomorrow- in the doing of your task of ruling your domain and God will do it for you. You don't even have to struggle and hustle to do it. God Himself will do it for you.
John 15:7 EASY
[7] You must remain in me, and my teaching must remain in you. Then you may ask for anything that you want. God will do it for you.
You only have to live in Christ, live taught and guided by His words, now, in the acceptable time, the time of grace.
If you want to live making many people rich even though you seem poor, live having nothing yet possessing everything, live in Christ. Join me in our SpeakChrist RichLife Club. We'll do it together. St. Katharine Drexel, pray for us.
Live the RichLife in Christ today 🤟
Now is the time of GRACE
God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
So even when we have nothing, we actually possess everything.
Even when we seem poor, we make many people rich.
Free 🎁 for you.
In the Time of GRACE,
Even when you seem poor,
Even when you have nothing,
In Christ, you have everything.
Say Amen! 🙏
2 Corinthians 6:10 GNBDK
[10] although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
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
Do you still feel poor and have nothing in this time of GRACE?
Are you living rich in Christ in this time of GRACE?
Are you making many people rich in this time of GRACE?
Vivo dives vitae in Christo. Live the RichLife in Christ.
Join our SpeakChrist RichLife Club
Helping dreamers, like me, live the RichLife in Christ daily so we can go from being tired doubters and dabblers to becoming thankful believers and doers consistently achieving what God wants us to be, do, and have, without struggle, becoming God’s sources and symbols of blessing, extremely blessed and blessing others.