Week 43 Daily Dose of Love
#295 (10/22)
False Messiahs
and False Prophets
Matthew 24:23-28
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There
he is!’—Do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great
signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note, I have told you beforehand.
So, if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is
in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far
as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
Mark 13:21-23
“And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look! There he
is!’—do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and
omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be alert; I have already told you everything.”
It is easy to be
attracted to false prophets who lure us with powerful words, wondrous signs, and fascinating omens. But
there is a big difference between love and attraction. Love requires humility, acceptance, openness, and
a willingness to suffer. Attraction just has to impress us. Love is the ultimate truth in the universe. False prophets seek power, influence, honor,
and glory. Jesus only wants our love.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we distinguish false prophets from true disciples of Jesus?
Principles of Love:
Vision; Learning; Opening
Pray Through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
#296
(10/23)
The Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:29-31
“Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man
will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on
the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet
call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Mark 13:24-27
“But
in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be
falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of
Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four
winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”
Luke 21:25-28
“There will be signs in
the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be
shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
In the end, love
will triumph over everything. We only need to fear end times to the extent that we do not love God and
each other. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. It is the basis for creation
and the only thing left when time on earth has ended. Those who are grounded in God’s love can “stand up and raise (their) heads”
because they know where they are going. Reflection/Discussion:
What would we do if it were clear the end times were near?
Principles of Love:
Nature
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
#297 (10/24)
Parable of the Fig Tree
Matthew 24:32-26
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know
that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But about that day and hour no one knows,
neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Mark 13:28-32
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as
its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see
these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation
will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son,
but only the Father.”
Luke 21:29-33
Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they
sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these
things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not
pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass
away.”
Trees are receptive to the rhythms of nature. They respond to the increasing light and warmth
of spring; their tender buds gently open as the earth gradually leans toward the sun to bring the lasting warmth of summer. Jesus tells
us to be receptive to the rhythms of God’s loving nature. God is the conductor and we are the orchestra.
The symphony of his love sets the tone and tempo for our lives. The Holy Spirit is the silent baton
that our heavenly director uses to bring us together and keep us in rhythm with the melody of his love. We come into
harmony with our true nature and all of God’s creation when we are receptive to the source of light and warmth in our
lives. Reflection/Discussion:
What can we learn about God’s love from nature?
Principles of Love:
Learning; Nature
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts and minds
To your love and wisdom
#298 (10/25)
Take Heed, Watch
Mark 13:33-37
“Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going
on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on
the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the
evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And
what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
Luke 21:34-36
“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed
down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.
For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that
you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Evelyn Underhill wrote: “The problem of life, for those who are aware of it, becomes the problem
of how best to use the measure of freedom which our condition involves.... Shall our divine faculty of conscious attention
be given to the great purposes of the journey or to the little distractive incidents of the way? Shall
we drift or march; be conscripts or volunteers? The whole meaning of life depends on the choice we make.”
“...Life,
the Spirit of Life, invites our love - a love industrious and courageous - and it is in generous and disinterested response
to this invitation that man’s happiness consists.
“‘The joy of
the true lover is to serve him that loveth.’ To love life in this sense with a love which gives but
does not grasp, which cooperates eagerly and passionately in the hard and painful work that life must do, is the exact antithesis
of loving ‘the world.’ It makes the (person) who has it, whether he dig the earth, or search
the stars, a partner in the business of the Universe: a voluntary instrument for the self-expression of the strong Spirit
which is behind the appearance of things.”
Reflection/Discussion:
How do we “keep alert” in
the midst of a busy life overflowing with demands and distraction?
Principles of Love:
Opening; Commitment; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#299 (10/26)
Parable of the Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this.
Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were
wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with
their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But
at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all
those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of
your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! There will not be enough
for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they
went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.
Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied,
‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor
the hour.”
Love is seldom a last-minute thing. Fully opening our hearts to God and each other is most easily
accomplished through a lifetime of preparation and focus. It is possible to turn away from self-centered
living and fully embrace God’s love at any time, but we never know when there is no time left. If we are preoccupied
with worldly things that crowd out God’s love from our hearts when he calls, we may miss our destiny of eternal life
with him. Reflection/Discussion:
How can we bring “flasks of oil” with us through our daily activities?
Principles of Love:
Commitment; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
#300 (10/27)
The
Last Judgement
Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit
on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one
from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at
the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick
and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him,
‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And
when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly
I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared
for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I
was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit
me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them,
‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This parable makes it very clear that the final judgment is based on the Greatest Commandment: We
will be judged by the depth of compassion in our hearts. An open heart recognizes and responds to the suffering
and needs of everyone created by God. A closed heart thinks first of its own comfort and security.
We make the choice. God responds accordingly.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we develop and maintain awareness of those who
are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and in prison?
Principles of Love:
Compassion; Commitment
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your creation
#301 (10/28)
Unless a Grain of Wheat Dies
John 12:20-25
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival
were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir,
we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I
tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears
much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it
for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever
serves me, the Father will honor.”
The only way to follow Jesus is to fully love and serve God and let go of self-centered
needs and desires. Selfishness is the opposite of love as well as its greatest obstacle. We
must allow our ego and self-centered desires to die to make room in our hearts to receive the full radiance of God’s
love. If we love possessions and ourselves more than God we ultimately
lose everything; but if we let go of self-centered attachment and open our hearts, we gain eternal life with our loving father.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we develop a habit of diminishing
self-centeredness, ego, and attachment?
Principles of Love:
Acceptance; Humility; Opening; Nature
Pray Through the Day:
Not my will
But yours be done
