Today’s
Gospel Text: And he said to them, "Go
into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized
will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany
those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and
if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their
hands on the sick, and they will recover." 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after
he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand
of God. 20 And they went forth and
preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message
by the signs that attended it. Amen. Mark
16:15-20
Reflection: Some theologian’s best way to scuttle the work of God was by denying that it was
Jesus who ever said these things and that the disciples had put these words in
the mouth of Jesus.
When they did not succeed in their fabrication they resorted to other ways to foil the work of God in the revelation of his Son Jesus.
This time around, in their ever newer methods, they did not deny the words but took the liberty to give it a new meaning and interpretation.
"We need to proclaim gospel values and not the gospel", they said and evangelize by actions rather than words and hence witness by deeds.
They managed to sweep quite a few with their deceptive tail and hence many walked in their deception because they trusted their irrational rational mind rather than trust the truth; Jesus Christ who has proved himself for all ages by his death on the cross.
Hence the call to proclaim the gospel, which is the good news of God’s saving plan stands firm forever and for all ages:
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (vss. 15-16)
The saving good news of God offered through his son Jesus is to be believed in order for men to be saved and there is no other way offered by God to humanity. (cfr. Acts 4:12)
There have been countless witnesses who have proclaimed the gospel with great risk to their lives and with great sacrifice, going through great persecution and torture for the sake of the Gospel.
Compare this with terrorism in the name of religion; even in our day there are people who go through great hardship for the sake of the gospel of peace.
There have also been dedicated disciples of Christ who support this mandate of Jesus with their prayers and material support so that the work of God may triumph until the day of Christ.
Prayer: Lord, protect me from every deception of the evil one as I seek to dedicate my heart to your gospel.
DD = Dedicated Discipleship: Come grow in the Lord with us
When they did not succeed in their fabrication they resorted to other ways to foil the work of God in the revelation of his Son Jesus.
This time around, in their ever newer methods, they did not deny the words but took the liberty to give it a new meaning and interpretation.
"We need to proclaim gospel values and not the gospel", they said and evangelize by actions rather than words and hence witness by deeds.
They managed to sweep quite a few with their deceptive tail and hence many walked in their deception because they trusted their irrational rational mind rather than trust the truth; Jesus Christ who has proved himself for all ages by his death on the cross.
Hence the call to proclaim the gospel, which is the good news of God’s saving plan stands firm forever and for all ages:
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (vss. 15-16)
The saving good news of God offered through his son Jesus is to be believed in order for men to be saved and there is no other way offered by God to humanity. (cfr. Acts 4:12)
There have been countless witnesses who have proclaimed the gospel with great risk to their lives and with great sacrifice, going through great persecution and torture for the sake of the Gospel.
Compare this with terrorism in the name of religion; even in our day there are people who go through great hardship for the sake of the gospel of peace.
There have also been dedicated disciples of Christ who support this mandate of Jesus with their prayers and material support so that the work of God may triumph until the day of Christ.
Prayer: Lord, protect me from every deception of the evil one as I seek to dedicate my heart to your gospel.
DD = Dedicated Discipleship: Come grow in the Lord with us
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