True Worship of God

"But the hour will come – in fact it is here already - when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: This is the kind of worship the Father wants." (John 4:23)

Genuine worship of the Father will be in spirit and truth. The Holy Spirit in us will lead us to the true worship of God. The Holy Spirit inspires and teaches authentic Christian doctrine and worship.

"God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). To worship God properly, we must recognize our spiritual nature and close the doors to the evidence of our senses. Our senses which represent materiality can be obstacle to genuine worship. For example, closing the eyes facilitates prayers for many.

Father, grant us the Holy Spirit so that we can worship you properly.

God loved the world so much

"Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Jesus is the expression of God's love for the world. When we are asked: How do you know that God loves the world? We point to Jesus. The presence of Jesus in our lives is the concrete evidence of God's love for us.

Jesus is present in everyone who believes in Him. Belief in Jesus means we accept Jesus as the light of our life, the center of our being, the meaning of our life. Faith in Jesus implies that we agree freely to walk by His light. This light is provided by the Gospels. We allow every detail of our life to be touched by this light. Acceptance of Jesus signifies knowing Jesus intimately, loving Him passionately us and committing ourselves to follow Him everywhere.

Born again

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

"I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

The kingdom of God here and now is something we cannot experience without the Holy Spirit. An old Chinese proverb says: 'When the student is ready, the teacher appears.' The Holy Spirit is the Teacher and Friend who is standing by waiting for us to be ready and invite Him into our lives. Jesus says that we must be born through water and the Holy Spirit. Full acceptance of Jesus Christ ushers the Holy Spirit into our lives. This experience marks our entrance into the kingdom of God which starts here and now. We experience the kingdom of God when we practice justice, truth, love and self-control.

Jesus says that we need the Holy Spirit to succeed as Christians. We respond to this message of our Lord and Savior by seeking everyday, a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit to help us to overcome sin and give us the power to proclaim Jesus Christ with boldness.

Thank you Jesus for your promise to give the Holy Spirit to whoever asks for it. Give us the Holy Spirit, Lord.

Names of Jesus

My Top 10 Names of Jesus

"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 for 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).

Lamb of God

"Look, there is the Lamb of God." (John 1:36)

The Lamb is one of John's favorite images for Jesus. It is one that is full of meekness, gentleness and tenderness. Jesus is not the lion of God or the powerful warrior horse of God but rather the Lamb of God. Everything in the scripture is written to teach us some truth. Jesus is the image of God the Father. One of the purposes of His incarnation is to reveal to us the nature of the Father. Jesus is the God who is meek, gentle and tender. A God that appears ordinary and is very lovable.

Jesus as the Lamb of God is a concept we can all relate to: young and old, poor and rich, strong and weak. The New Testament has so many names for Jesus: Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, High Priest, Son of David, etc. The Lamb is one of the most tender descriptions of Jesus. It is an image of the power that created the universe presented as powerless.

Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. The Lamb that defeated the ferocious enemy, the ruler of the powers and principalities. The Lamb was slaughtered but now is alive forever more. Is it not amazing that the image of a lamb is used to portray the power that defeated Satan? God displays His mighty power through meekness, gentleness and tenderness, rather than through brutal force.

Lord Jesus, make us meek, gentle and tender lambs.

The Light of the World

"The Word was the light that enlightens all men." (John 1:9)

The Word is Jesus Christ. Jesus provides meaning for the life of man. This meaning is the light that guides us in dark places of the world. Without this light, we move in darkness and error. The Word gives meaning to the spiritual nature of man. He explains everything about man in relation to God.

There are two lights in the world: the light of the Word and the light of Satan, which is in reality darkness. This light is error; it distorts the image of man by trying to portray man as purely a material being. But Christ is the true light of the world. Where is this light? Where is Christ? Where Christ is, there is the light. Christ is alive in the Church; He is in His word; He is also in the sacraments of the Church. Christ is also anywhere two or three people are gathered in His name. It is obvious that we cannot perceive Jesus today with our physical eyes. We need faith to do so.

How do we apply this scripture today? The word of God is the true light that enlightens me on: health, family, food, tools, job and money. Any other light will lead me into error. When we ask prayerfully this question: What does the word of God say on health, family, job, food, money or tools, the answer we get will guide me to right action in relation to all these basic necessities of life.

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)

Using a specific scripture at a critical moment brings power to the mind. God is present wherever His word is acknowledged with faith. To allow this power to flow to us at the moment of need, we feed our minds with God's word in periods when we are not pressed by tests. When we sow the word of God, we reap a harvest of courage and power during emergencies. Below are some scriptures that can be used as affirmations.

Some scriptures on courage:

WHEN YOU NEED TO BE BOLD AND DECISIVE:

Be strong and brave (2Sam 2:7)

Be strong and courageous: (Deut31:6, 7, 23; Joshua 1:6, 9, 18; 10:25; 2Sam 10:12; 13:28; 1Chronicle 22:13; 2Chronicle 32:7)

Be of good courage and act (Ezra 10:4)

Be strong and take courage (Psalm 31:24)

Those who trust in the Lord will fear no bad news (Psalm 112:7)

The righteous are bold as a lion (Proverb 28:1)

They spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:31)

God gives encouragement (Romans 15:5)

We do not lose heart (2Corinthians 4:1, 16)

Let us not lose heart (Galatians 6:9)

The bretheren have been encouraged to speak the word (Philippians 1:14)

 

 

WHY BE AFRAID IF THE LORD IS WITH YOU?

I will not be afraid of tens of thousands Psalm 3:6)

You will not be afraid (Psalm 3:24)

I will fear no evil (Psalm 23:4)

The Lord is my light, whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1)

He delivered me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4)

We will not fear though the earth change (Psalm 46:2)

You will not fear the terror by night (Psalm 91:5) You will not be afraid of arrow or pestilence (Psalm 91:5-6)

I will trust and not be afraid (Isaiah 12:2)

We have not received a spirit of bondage to fear (Romans 8:15)

God has not given us a spirit of timidity (2Tim 1:7)

I will not be afraid (Psalm 56:4, 11; Hebrews 13:6)

We are not those who shrink back (Hebrews 10 :38 - 39)

Perfect love casts out fear (1John 4:18)

See:
Some Books on Courage