El Shaddai Toronto Chapter

TODAY'S WORD OF GOD - NOVEMBER 23, 2020 He noticed a poor widow putting in . . . more than all the rest. (Luke 21:2, 3) Show me the money! That line from a 1990s movie quickly became a popular catchphrase. In other words, money talks. This was just as popular a mindset in Jesus’ time as it is now. But Jesus was different. While the clinking coins attracted the attention and admiration of the Jewish leaders, he was not impressed. He saw the hearts of the contributors, not th...e amount they were giving. Rather than admiring their impressive sums, he was impressed by a poor widow’s humble offering. In her lowly attire and with her meager offering, this woman may have been practically invisible to everyone else in the Temple that day. But Jesus saw her. Perhaps that was because her humble trust that God would care for her reminded him of his heavenly home. It’s like the way you would feel if you were on a trip on the other side of the world and bumped into someone who spoke your language. In a similar way, Jesus found a kindred spirit in this woman. This story shows us that faith and humility are the surest way to Jesus’ heart. He longs to see in us what is at the center of his own lifethe generosity and trust in God’s provision that enabled him to go to the cross for us. This is what it means to be a kindred spirit with Jesus. It means trusting in his Father and offering ourselves to him and his people in whatever ways we can. It means not holding back on our money, our time, or our love when opportunities to give present themselves. It means believing that God will help provide for us if we decide to give just a little more than we have in the past. It means showing Jesus the money of a heart given over to him in trust and faith. So ask God today to give you a heart like this poor widow and like Jesus himself. Believe that whatever you offer to him in faith and trust, he can turn into a heavenly treasureeven two small coins! Jesus, may you recognize in me what you saw in this poor widow.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE (SOLEMNITY) November 22, 2020 Inherit the kingdom. (Matthew 25:34)... Today, on the feast of Christ the King, we celebrate Jesus’ sovereignty over all creation. We celebrate the fact that all things were created through him, all things are redeemed through him, and all people will be judged by him. It’s this last pointJesus as judgethat today’s Gospel focuses on. It tells us that as our King, Jesus has the right to set the standard by which we will be judged. Other judges exercise their office based on the existing laws of the land. But Jesus is the law of the kingdom. His life, his way, is the standard by which we will be judged. If you want to be a judge in this world, you have to know the law intimately. Just one word in one statute can affect the entire outcome of a case. Not so with Jesus. His law is simple. We will inherit the kingdom based on this guiding principle: Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:34, 40). That’s the standard: mercy, generosity, and self-giving love. It’s often said that you can’t take it with you, and there is a lot of truth to that. All our money, all our honors, all our possessions are temporary. They won’t follow us to heaven, and they can’t help us get in. But there is something we can take with us: our acts of charity. In fact, they are the very things that will open the gates of heaven to us! Jesus will not be impressed if we have many possessions, and he will not be disappointed if we have just a few. What matters is whether we have let him soften our hearts so that we feed the hungry, forgive those who have sinned against us, and reach out to the lonely. Because his kingdom is not a kingdom of wealth and power; it is a kingdom of humility, love, and service. Jesus, my King and my Judge, teach me to love as you love.

TODAY'S WORD OF GOD - NOVEMBER 21, 2020 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. (Luke 20:38) The Sadducees in today’s Gospel present Jesus with a tragic but unlikely situation. A woman marries and is widowed seven times, and her husbands were all brothers. She leaves no children behind. In heaven, they ask, Whose wife will that woman be? (Luke 20:33).... The Sadducees weren’t really interested in this theoretical woman and her marriages. They were only trying to trip Jesus up. Yet they raised an interesting question, and Jesus gave them an interesting answer. People in heaven will not be married, at least not in the sense we understand on earth. Have you ever wondered what it will be like being in heaven with your family members? We all know people who have been divorced or widowed and then remarried. What will their relationship with their ex-spouses and stepchildren be like in heaven? Even those who go through life with only one spouse, or who have never been married, may still have worry about unresolved family strife. The good news is that we won’t have conflicts in heaven. There, Scripture tells us, God will wipe every tear, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain (Revelation 21:4). We won’t suffer or be weighed down by the sins that result in so many of our difficulties. There may be more than one spouse waiting for us in heaven or maybe a sibling we didn’t get along with. It may be hard to imagine these relationships without all the problems, complications, or bad feelings, but that’s how it will be. And we will love it! As we go through our days trying to bring peace to our households, neighborhoods, and workplaces, it’s comforting to remember that someday our relationships will be healed and perfected. In fact, these struggles can bring us closer to God and prepare us for the life to come! So take comfort from Jesus’ words today. He is the God of the living. That means he can bring new life and hope to all your relationships now. It also means that he is eager to welcome you into heaven with a love far beyond anything you have experienced here on earth! Jesus, help me to keep my eyes on heaven, my true home.

TODAY'S WORD OF GOD - NOVEMBER 20, 2020 In my mouth it was . . . sweet . . . , but . . . my stomach turned sour. (Revelation 10:10) Sometimes a thought arises suddenly in your mind during prayer. Maybe a Scripture verse stands out to you, a song fills you with hope, or tears flow as you recognize your need to repent or to forgive someone. In each of these instances, you have heard a message from the Lord. It can be stirring, even exciting, at the time. But the reality of livi...ng out that word can be bitter or sour in your stomach. John, the author of the Book of Revelation, knew what that felt like, as did the prophet Ezekiel more than five hundred years earlier. John addressed believers living in a society hostile to the gospel. He saw that bearing witness to Jesus in such a culture could be a bitter experience. Similarly, God commissioned Ezekiel to assure his people living in exile of God’s abiding faithfulness to them. Their lives seemed helpless and hopeless, so his words were surely sweet. But Ezekiel also found it bitter to announce to these exiles the terrible news that Jerusalem, their home, was about to be destroyed. It’s a sweet thing to know God has said something to you, and not only big things like those that John and Ezekiel were called to convey. Most of us will hear the Lord on the subject of smaller things: forgiving someone, having a sensitive conversation with one of your children, or encouraging a friend or coworker with a verse from Scripture. To be given a word for someone else, to be given a direction by the Lord, is exhilarating! Right up until you actually have to act. Then you might find yourself with that nervous, sour stomach. But take heart! Remember that God loves you and entrusts you with his word, whether it is a message for someone else or some guidance for your own life. Take time as well! The Lord is patient and understanding. He knows you might need a while to digest what he says. Finally, take courage! Your Father promises, [I] . . . will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8). Lord, thank you for the sweet words you speak to me. I trust you to help me through whatever might follow.