A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. But I came to give life, life in all its fullness. John 10:10 (Life Application Study Bible)
Jesus Tells Us; Life is My gift to you, enjoy it! I came to this earth so that you could live your life to the fullest, not just endure it. I came to take away your sins, to be your guiding light, and to give you My unconditional Love. Don’t walk around with your head down, trying to “just get through” your day so that you can get up tomorrow and do it all over again. That is what the evil one wants, a dull, tiring life with no joy. I want every day to be a delight, as you live in My Presence, and discover My blessings. Yes, there will be problems, and some days will be tough. But when the rain comes. Choose to look for the rainbows.
Jesus Concludes; Choose to enjoy life, and let the world see Me through your joy.
John 10:10; Matthew 1:23; John 10:11; Study Notes
Footnotes John 10:10; In contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life. The life he gives to us is abundantly rich and satisfying. It is eternal, although it begins immediately when you turn to follow him. Life in Christ is more deeply meaningful than life without him, because of his overflowing forgiveness, love, and guidance. Have you accepted Jesus’ offer of life?
Passage Matthew 1:23; “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)
Footnotes Matthew 1:20-23; The angel declared to Joseph that Mary’s child had been conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be a son. This reveals an important truth about Jesus, he is both God and human. The infinite, unlimited God, took on the limitations of humanity so he could live and die for the salvation of all who would believe in him.
Passage John 10:11; “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Footnotes John 10:11-14; Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. This would remind Jews of Ezekiel’s scathing rebuke through which God had castigated the evil leaders of Israel. Immediately after this, God had said he would take charge as the Good Shepherd. Jesus clearly identified himself with God by using this title.
Jesus Tells Us is from the Jesus Calling 365 devotions for kids.
THE WORLD…we see history
OUR CRISIS IN FAITH. WHAT IS EVANGELIZATION (OUR ONLY WEAPON AGAINST THE RISE OF SECULARISM)
BY DEACON JACK SULLIVAN
Evangelization happens when the word of Jesus speaks to people’s hearts and minds
The theological concept of evangelization throughout the years has been a source of confusion to many. Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman, who lived in 19th century Victorian England once wrote an essay entitled “The Infidelity of the Future” wherein, he attempted to evangelize his Anglican Church and British society, which had drifted away from orthodoxy, and toward worldly skepticism and religious indifference as the result of a new secular movement. In fact, Newman was the first to recognize its dangers and the threat it posed to both the Church and western culture of his day. In his essay, he warned the people of his time, about the intrinsic evils, worldliness, and spiritual indifference, associated with the rise of secularism. But his premonitions were not only limited to his time, but to ours as well. Aren’t we experiencing a similar situation? This insidious movement has disrupted our own contemporary Church and culture as witnessed by vast numbers of our laity failing to attend Mass, and abandoning the practice of the faith.
First, evangelizing our communities, secondly, the mission of announcing the Gospel to non-Christians, and thirdly, the re-evangelization, of the baptized, who have drifted away from the practice of the faith. The pope continued by saying, “The evangelization of our culture, is all the more important because of these uncertain times, when a dictatorship of relativism threatens to obscure the unchanging truth about man’s nature, his destiny, and his ultimate good.”
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Without any question, our firm and determined efforts at evangelization within each of these belief groups will ultimately help to arrest the spread of secularism, that led us to our current crisis in faith! SURELY THE PRACTICE OF EVANGELIZATION WITH GOD’S SUPPORT THROUGH PARYER IS ULTIMATELY THE MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPON IN THE CHURCH’S ARSENAL TO COMBAT THE DESTRUCTIVE NATURE OF SECULARISM, WHEN APPLIED ON A SIGNIFICANT SCALE, BY A SUBSTANTIAL SEGMENT OF OUR LAITY! You see, evangelization, requires that we act beyond ourselves for the welfare of others, whereas secularism engenders attitudes of self-preference. Andy by focusing on evangelization, we necessarily subdue the spread of secularism!! For one is at enmity with the other! UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE LOSING THE BATTLE TO CURTAIL THE SPREAD OF SECULARISM BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE BY THE LAITY TO PRACTICE EVANGELIZATION! An effective weapon available to us to defeat the rise of secularism is always through community prayer to God, for only God can ultimately bring about meaningful conversion of people back to the faith. To substantiate the above, I have only to refer to three true masters of the art of evangelization and conversions: St. Paul, St. Augustine, and more recently, Cardinal Newman!
Source: Deacon Jack Sullivan Essay Part 5