"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,' which means, 'God is with us" (Matthew 1:23).
Jesus Christ is called by many names and titles in the Bible. . All the names are significant. The ten names below are my favorite names of Jesus.
1. Emmanuel : "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,' which means, 'God is with us" (Matthew 1:23).
2. Alpha and Omega : "I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8).
3. Lamb of God : "Look, there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world."(John 1:29).
4. Kings of kings : "He is the blessed and only Sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords." (1 Timothy 6:15).
5. Prince of Peace: "And this is the name he has been given, 'Wonder-Counselor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace" (Isaiah 9:5).
6. Teacher : "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher" (John 3:2).
7. Living One : "I am the Living One" (Revelation 1:17).
8. Bread of life : "I am the bread of life" (John 6:48).
9. Faithful Witness : "Grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, ...and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness" (Revelation 1:5).
10. Light of the world : "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Friday, September 02, 2005
Do you want power?
"But you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come upon you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to earths remotest end.." (Acts 1:8)
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
* Word of wisdom * Word of knowledge * Faith
* Healing power * Working of miracles * Prophecy
* Discernment of spirits * Gift of tongues * Interpretation of tongues
(1 Corinthians 12: 8-10)
FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
* Love * Joy * Peace
* Long-suffering * Kindness * Goodness
* Faithfulness * Gentleness * Self-control
(Galatians 5:22-23)
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
"Spirit of God, enliven me.
Spirit of Truth, guide me.
Spirit of Goodness, strengthen me.
Spirit of Love, inflame me.
Spirit of life, sanctify me.
Spirit of mercy, forgive me.
Spirit of God, be ever in my heart and on my lips."
- The Holy Spirit is the power behind all Christian witnessing
- The Holy Spirit is the source and power for evangelization.
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
* Word of wisdom * Word of knowledge * Faith
* Healing power * Working of miracles * Prophecy
* Discernment of spirits * Gift of tongues * Interpretation of tongues
(1 Corinthians 12: 8-10)
FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
* Love * Joy * Peace
* Long-suffering * Kindness * Goodness
* Faithfulness * Gentleness * Self-control
(Galatians 5:22-23)
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
"Spirit of God, enliven me.
Spirit of Truth, guide me.
Spirit of Goodness, strengthen me.
Spirit of Love, inflame me.
Spirit of life, sanctify me.
Spirit of mercy, forgive me.
Spirit of God, be ever in my heart and on my lips."
Thursday, September 01, 2005
The Family Tree of Jesus Christ
"The roll of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers.......Matthan fathered Jacob; and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ"(Matthew 1: 1-2, 16)
Mary is named in family tree of Jesus Christ. From the beginning of salvation history, God had carved an important niche for Mary. The genealogy teaches us that God's plan for our redemption was formed long ago.
The family tree of Jesus Christ presents a motley crowd. We see high achievers like Abraham, Isaac and David. We also see plain ordinary people like Jesse the father of David. God called each one to perform a unique an irrepeatable task. Mary's unique role was to be the mother of Jesus.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "Against all human expectation God chooses those who were considered powerless and weak to show forth his faithfulness to his promises: Hannah, the mother of Samuel; Deborah; Ruth; Judith and Esther; and many other women. Mary stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from him. After a long period of waiting the times are fulfilled in her, the exalted Daughter of Sion, and the new plan of salvation is established.'"
Mary is named in family tree of Jesus Christ. From the beginning of salvation history, God had carved an important niche for Mary. The genealogy teaches us that God's plan for our redemption was formed long ago.
The family tree of Jesus Christ presents a motley crowd. We see high achievers like Abraham, Isaac and David. We also see plain ordinary people like Jesse the father of David. God called each one to perform a unique an irrepeatable task. Mary's unique role was to be the mother of Jesus.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "Against all human expectation God chooses those who were considered powerless and weak to show forth his faithfulness to his promises: Hannah, the mother of Samuel; Deborah; Ruth; Judith and Esther; and many other women. Mary stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from him. After a long period of waiting the times are fulfilled in her, the exalted Daughter of Sion, and the new plan of salvation is established.'"
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Jesus, Mary & Joseph as Refugees
"Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him. So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt"(Matthew 2: 13-15).
Mary was present in all the defining moments in the life of her Son. As a result to the threat to the life of Jesus by Herod, Mary, Joseph and Jesus became immigrant refugees in Egypt. How many immigrant refugees are there in the world today? Jesus and His parents had the refugee experience.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "Christ's whole life is a mystery of redemption. Redemption comes to us above all through the blood of his cross, but this mystery is at work throughout Christ's entire life:
- already in his incarnation through which by becoming poor he enriches us with his poverty;
- in his hidden life which by his submission atones for our disobedience;
- in his word which purifies his hearers;
- in his healing and exorcisms by which 'he took our infirmities and bore our diseases';
- and in his resurrection by which he justifies us;
Christ's whole life is a mystery of recapitulation. All Jesus did, said, had for its aim restoring fallen man to his original vocation:
When Christ became incarnate and was made man, he recapitulated in himself the long history of mankind and procured for us a 'short-cut' to salvation, so that what we have lost in Adam, that is, being in the image and likeness of God, we might recover in Christ Jesus. For this reason Christ experienced all the stages of life, thereby giving communion with God to all men."
Mary was present in all the defining moments in the life of her Son. As a result to the threat to the life of Jesus by Herod, Mary, Joseph and Jesus became immigrant refugees in Egypt. How many immigrant refugees are there in the world today? Jesus and His parents had the refugee experience.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "Christ's whole life is a mystery of redemption. Redemption comes to us above all through the blood of his cross, but this mystery is at work throughout Christ's entire life:
- already in his incarnation through which by becoming poor he enriches us with his poverty;
- in his hidden life which by his submission atones for our disobedience;
- in his word which purifies his hearers;
- in his healing and exorcisms by which 'he took our infirmities and bore our diseases';
- and in his resurrection by which he justifies us;
Christ's whole life is a mystery of recapitulation. All Jesus did, said, had for its aim restoring fallen man to his original vocation:
When Christ became incarnate and was made man, he recapitulated in himself the long history of mankind and procured for us a 'short-cut' to salvation, so that what we have lost in Adam, that is, being in the image and likeness of God, we might recover in Christ Jesus. For this reason Christ experienced all the stages of life, thereby giving communion with God to all men."
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Be Courageous
"I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."(Joshua 1:9)
The Bible is filled with texts on courage and they point to one lesson: It is God's will for us to be men and women of courage. In fact, it is our birthright. So how do we get courage? I find that the following ideas have served me well as I try to believe God's word and act courageously.
1. Acknowledge that you need courage just like everyone else.
2. Recognize the source of courage.
3. Fill your mind with words of courage from the Bible. Memorize your favorite ones and repeat them often.
4. Reflect on and write down those occasions when you need courage.
5. As events approach that demand courage, prepare yourself through prayer and affirmations.
6. Ask the Holy Spirit again and again to give you courage to fulfill your purpose in life.
7. Like faith, hope and love, courage grows with daily use. Use it or lose it. Be alert to opportunities to exercise your courage.
8. Finally remember this: To be bold, act boldly. As you act boldly, power will flow into you.
See: Some Books on Courage
The Bible is filled with texts on courage and they point to one lesson: It is God's will for us to be men and women of courage. In fact, it is our birthright. So how do we get courage? I find that the following ideas have served me well as I try to believe God's word and act courageously.
1. Acknowledge that you need courage just like everyone else.
2. Recognize the source of courage.
3. Fill your mind with words of courage from the Bible. Memorize your favorite ones and repeat them often.
4. Reflect on and write down those occasions when you need courage.
5. As events approach that demand courage, prepare yourself through prayer and affirmations.
6. Ask the Holy Spirit again and again to give you courage to fulfill your purpose in life.
7. Like faith, hope and love, courage grows with daily use. Use it or lose it. Be alert to opportunities to exercise your courage.
8. Finally remember this: To be bold, act boldly. As you act boldly, power will flow into you.
See: Some Books on Courage
Monday, August 29, 2005
Bible Characters
MY TOP 10 BIBLE CHARACTERS
"There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit; there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord." (1 Corinthians 12: 4-5)
What do the Bible personalities listed below have in common? Each of them can write CCA (Choice, Call and Anointed) after his name. God chose and called them for a particular mission. He anointed them for a specific task. Their characters and gifts differ and they responded to God's word according to their unique traits of character.
Abraham
Joseph
Moses
Joshua
David
Daniel
Mary
Peter
Paul
Stephen
Commentaries on the Bible
Bible Concordances
Thesaurus of the Bible
"There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit; there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord." (1 Corinthians 12: 4-5)
What do the Bible personalities listed below have in common? Each of them can write CCA (Choice, Call and Anointed) after his name. God chose and called them for a particular mission. He anointed them for a specific task. Their characters and gifts differ and they responded to God's word according to their unique traits of character.
Abraham
Joseph
Moses
Joshua
David
Daniel
Mary
Peter
Paul
Stephen
Commentaries on the Bible
Bible Concordances
Thesaurus of the Bible
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Who are my brethren?
"My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it."(Luke 8: 21)
Mary was never far from the ministry of Jesus. Although she kept in the background during His public life, she was fully aware of what Jesus was doing. In this passage, we see Mary seek out her Son during His ministry. Jesus used the opportunity to teach us a useful lesson about what constitutes true relationship in the kingdom: "My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it."
Navarre Bible Texts and Commentaries": writes -
"These words of our Lord show us that fulfillment of the Will of God is more important than kinship and that, therefore, our Lady is more united to her Son by virtue of her perfect fulfillment of what God asked of her, than by the Holy Spirit's using her to make Christ's body.....Therefore, the Church reminds us that the Blessed Virgin "in the course of her Son's preaching received the words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, He declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God as she was faithfully doing" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 58)."
Books on Mary
Mary was never far from the ministry of Jesus. Although she kept in the background during His public life, she was fully aware of what Jesus was doing. In this passage, we see Mary seek out her Son during His ministry. Jesus used the opportunity to teach us a useful lesson about what constitutes true relationship in the kingdom: "My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it."
Navarre Bible Texts and Commentaries": writes -
"These words of our Lord show us that fulfillment of the Will of God is more important than kinship and that, therefore, our Lady is more united to her Son by virtue of her perfect fulfillment of what God asked of her, than by the Holy Spirit's using her to make Christ's body.....Therefore, the Church reminds us that the Blessed Virgin "in the course of her Son's preaching received the words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, He declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God as she was faithfully doing" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 58)."
Books on Mary