Will you receive "the promise of entrance" into God's rest (Heb 4:1), that is, will you be with the Lord forever in the perfect happiness of heaven? "Therefore, while the promise of entrance into His rest still holds, we ought to be fearful of disobeying lest any one of you be judged to have lost his chance of entering" (Heb 4:1).
By ourselves, we are unable to obey the Lord and enter eternal rest. We are spiritually paralyzed. Our only hope is to come to Jesus just as we are. We need to be carried to Jesus through the intercession, evangelization, redemptive suffering, and service of the members of His Church (see Mk 2:3ff). Jesus in His mercy will say to us in our spiritual paralysis: "Your sins are forgiven" (Mk 2:5). At this point, we can receive the grace to repent and accept Jesus as our Savior, Lord, and God on His terms. If we are freed from our paralysis and become children of God (Jn 1:12), we will enter heaven where we belong, that is, with our heavenly Father forever.
Jesus is the only Way to our Father in heaven (Jn 14:6). Accept Jesus. "Rise" and "go home" to heaven (see Mk 2:11).
| PRAYER: | Father, may I repent and bring joy to heaven (Lk 15:7, 10). |
| PROMISE: | "The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." –Mk 2:10 |
| PRAISE: | Being in community has helped Dorothy grow spiritually and remain faithful to the Lord and His Church. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College