I am a disciple of the Lord! I will no longer allow myself be tempted, hence I shall refrain from all forms of alcohol. If I were to give spiritual talks and there is a break, I will sit with my own spiritual team. This is to avoid being present at any form of salacious talk and banter. I encourage my team of fellow disciples to always pray, fast and discern all things. But as leader I have to make the final decisions. Do I come across as one who takes after my master?
Jesus not of this world, came into the world so as to led us out into His. He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. How then can I a disciple of Jesus not sit and dine with sinners? To guide, lead and love them out of sin into the Kingdom of the Master whom I serve. Yes I will most definitely have to face resistance, opposition, even jeers, harsh criticism and so on. This is to be expected for a servant is no greater than his master. My Lord died for me so that I may live free from sin and have hope of eternal life with Him; And so I must be prepared to lay down my life for my brethren if need be, so as to lead them into eternal glory with Him. Every soul is precious to Him just as mine is.
Jesus I belong to You. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 16:1-10 ·
‘Come across to Macedonia and help us’
From Cilicia Paul went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek.
As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them.
So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.
They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them, they went through Mysia and came down to Troas.
One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, ‘Come across to Macedonia and help us.’ Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News.
Gospel
John 15:18-21
The world hated me before it hated you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If the world hates you,
remember that it hated me before you.
If you belonged to the world,
the world would love you as its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
because my choice withdrew you from the world,
therefore the world hates you.
Remember the words I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too;
if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well.
But it will be on my account that they will do all this,
because they do not know the one who sent me.’
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