Jesus overcomes the Devil in the Desert.

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." (Matthew 4: 1)

Sunday, 1st March 2020, 1st Sunday of Lent.

The Gospel, Matthew 4: 1 - 11 is the Temptation of Jesus the Christ. After His Baptism, the Devil whisked Him off to the Desert.
What is the Desert?
Where is your Desert?

#1 The Desert is the place of spiritual combat.
#2 The Desert is the place of preparation for our life's work.
#3 The Desert is the period of Closed Door experience. Closed Doors: Health, job, finance, etc.

No preparation, no performance.  I was fortunate that I had five years of closed door Desert Experience before I had a big opportunity.
Recently, there was news of a young lady mayor of one of our large cities sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary for financial impropriety.  Was she prepared by a desert experience before her big job? The Desert is the place where we confront our demons, discover who we are and develop plans to deal
with the wiles of the enemy of mankind. No preparation. No performance.

Starting from Abraham and Jacob, David to Jesus, John the Baptist and Paul, all of our Bible heroes spent time in the Desert.

See how James in his letter describes what the Desert does for you:

"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1: 2 - 4).

The Church teaches that we can overcome evil in our lives through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. (Cf CCC 1434). Lent is a great time to start.
O that today you listen to the Lord, harden not your hearts.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Step by step guidance better than the GPS.

"The Lord will guide you always." (Isaiah 58: 11).

Saturday, 29th February, Saturday after Ash Wednesday.

Brethren, you know without doubt that the Bible is God's precious manual for our life. Will you carelessly discard the manual of an expensive computer software or How to use booklet of a medical equipment on which your life depends? Every single day, the Church celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Perfect Sacrifice. The Church uses the same Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit organized in a lectionary everywhere in the world.

What I am about to reveal to you may not be a secret for many. During the holy Season of Lent, the Church pulls out the best and the most powerful Scriptures for our consumption. This is because God Himself promises that Lent is the favorable Season to bless us.

Before the era of GPS navigation, being a roaming salesman in a large city was a very challenging task. But I discovered God's promise: "The Lord will guide you always." (Isaiah 58: 11). Things changed for me. All I needed to activate this promise was a short prayer: "My God, I can't find my way to the client's place. I need this sale desperately. Please help me O God." Again and again, the Lord led me like the three magis to where I needed to be.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Your will or God's will?

"See, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits." (Isaiah 58: 3).

Friday 29th February after Ash Wednesday in the Season of Lent.

Of the many indictments in the first Reading from Isaiah 58: 1 - 9, the one that struck home for me is:
"See, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits."
Put simply, this says: "You do your will and not mine."

Do you prefer your will to the will of God? Falsehood and fake doctrine are so prevalent today that some false teachers will have you believe your will is the same as the will of God or as good as the will of God provided your intentions are good.

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4: 1).

Pray for the gift of discernment of spirits this Lent 2020. And embrace the narrow way of sanctity: Embrace God’s gracious and mysterious Will every moment.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The key to life and prosperity.

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9: 23).

27 February 2020, Thursday after Ash Wednesday.

Many of us received the ashes and started the Journey of Lent yesterday on Ash Wednesday. There was much enthusiasm for Jesus and His mission. Today, Jesus shows us how to journey with Him successfully to Easter. There are 2 key words in our chosen Scripture verse: :

#1 Daily: The Journey is a daily commitment you renew at the beginning of each day. For example: Lord Jesus, this is Day 2 of Lent, I choose to continue the Journey of Lent with the help of Your grace.

#2 Deny: Do not be afraid of the word "Deny yourself." The Lord who created you and knows exactly what you need and when you need it asks you: "Are you able to embrace my holy, gracious will even when it is mysterious to you?"
If you say Yes to the question and commit to embracing the gracious and mysterious will of God every moment, this is ALL the self-denial Jesus is asking of you today. One day at a time this Lent.

Today, God is setting before us: life and prosperity, death and doom. Whichever we choose shall be ours. If we choose life by obeying the commandments, God promises to prosper whatever we do. (Cf Psalm 1: 4).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Here is Lent 2020!

"Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 5:20; 6:2).

Today is Ash Wednesday, 26th February 2020.

Our Lenten Journey begins today. The Destination is Easter.
What you need for the Journey:
#1 Prayer
#2 Fasting
#3 Almsgiving

We struggle against evil day and night. Jesus Christ overcame evil on the Cross. The Cross therefore is the means to the End we all desire: Victory, Freedom, Peace, Prosperity, etc. Our Cross during the next 40 days is: To embrace God’s gracious and mysterious will every moment in Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Rejection of the Cross is rejection of Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer. The Prince of Peace and Prosperity.

If we are faithful during this Journey of Faith, the reward will be huge and unbelievable. Among other things, we will grow in perseverance and come to exclaim: The Lord is truly my Good Shepherd. Now I lack nothing.

"To every time its purpose:
There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven:
A time for tears,
a time for laughter;
a time for mourning,
a time for dancing." (Cf Ecclesiastes 3:1-22).

Happy Lent!

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

When you ask and do not receive.

"You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (James 4: 3).

Tuesday 25th February 2020 in the 7th Week in Ordinary Time is the eve of Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the holy Season of Lent 2020.

We continue to enjoy the practical wisdom from the Letter of St James. We all have experienced occasions when we ask God for something we believe we need and deserve to receive but were disappointed. Why?
#1 Have you asked in faith? To ask in faith is to ask knowing that God is both able and willing to grant you the particular favor.
#2 Are you prepared to wait for God's time? Faith that is perfect is also patient.
#3 Do you ask to spend it on massaging your ego, self-indulgence or illicit pleasures?

God is a Father who loves you too much to help you at self-destruction.

Submit your desires, your plans and your entire life to God. Attachment to anything that is not God is idolatry. It rouses the passion and causes it to make war within us.

"Purify your hearts, you of two minds" and God will grant you your heart’s desire.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

I believe, help my unbelief.

”But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”  Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”  Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9: 22 - 24).

Monday February 24th in the 7th Week in Ordinary Time. The Gospel of today provides us the opportunity to grow in faith and enjoy the power of faith.

The father of the epileptic boy having at last placed himself in front of Jesus, was desperate to see his son healed at all cost. But one cannot buy faith. Mercy and compassion are always available.
”But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

The Bible has a lot to teach about Faith:
#1 Without faith, we cannot please God.
#2 Although man cannot live on bread alone, the just man lives by faith.
#3 This world is in a bitter and deadly conflict between good and evil. Victory must come to the side with faith.
Etc,

How do we get this precious faith?
Faith comes from hearing/reading the word of God constantly. To this, add prayer. For prayer and faith are like joined twins that can never be separated even by the most advanced surgery.

Your prayer must be fired by confident and expectant faith for God Himself has promised: Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will swing open for you.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com