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TODAY’S WORD…

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Dear friends,

if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.

And we will receive from Him whatever we ask

because we obey Him and do the things that please Him.

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And this is His commandment:

We must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another, just as He commanded us.

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Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with Him,

and He with them.

And we know He lives in us

because the Spirit He gave us lives in us.

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– 1 John 3:21-24 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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We are children of God

and, as such, it is required of us

to reject sin in any shape or form,

and to practise brotherly love to the full.

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God knows everything;

not only does He know our sins and our frailties,

He also knows our repentance and our good desires,

and He understands and forgives us.

Just like St Peter, on the Lake of Tiberias,

we make the same confession to Jesus:

"Lord, You know everything, You know that I love You." (Jn 21:17)

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If our conscience tells us we have done wrong,

we can seek forgiveness and strengthen our hope in God.

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If our conscience does not accuse us,

our confidence in God is ardent and bold,

like that of a child who has loving experience of his Father’s tenderness.

and we will receive from Him whatever we ask

because we obey Him and do the things that please Him.

Jesus promised:

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,

ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you." (Jn 15:7)

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Keeping the Lord’s commandments

involves loving Jesus and loving one another

Keeping the Lord’s commandments

ensures that God abides in our soul, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit:

"If you love me you will keep my commandments.

And I will pray the Father,

and He will give you another Counsellor, to be with you for ever." (Jn 14:15-16)

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Finally, faith and love cannot be separated,

and what should truly mark us out as Christians

is an unselfish and generous love for one another.

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QUOTE…

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"We cannot rightly love one another unless we believe in Christ;

nor can we truly believe in the name of Jesus Christ without brotherly love."

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– St. Bede

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, You know everything, You know that I love You.

Thank You, Lord God. Forgive me, Lord God.

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