My grace is sufficient for you

"but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,* in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me."  (2 Corinthians 12: 9)

"The Lord has more need of our weakness than of our strength: our strength is often His rival; our weakness, His servant, drawing on His resources, and showing forth His glory. Man's extremity is God's opportunity; man's security is Satan's opportunity. God's way is not to take His children out of trial, but to give them strength to bear up against it "  (Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"

Where is your treasure?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be."  (Matthew 6: 19 - 21)

We seek not tainted riches but pearl of the greatest value.

"But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides."  (Matthew 6: 33)

We resolve to make the seeking of the pearl of the greatest value our top priority always and everywhere.  We understand that in doing so, we gain all riches at the same time.

"I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings."  (Luke 6: 9)

Lord, never let our hearts be tempted by dishonest wealth.

What we sow and how we sow in the vineyard of the Lord

"Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
 Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work."  (2 Corinthians 9: 6 - 8)

Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
What do we sow and how do we sow in the vineyard of the Lord?

• We sow time (symbol is clock and watch)
• We sow talent (symbol is our key instrument of livelihood. For me, it is computer and smartphone)
• We sow treasure (symbol is savings, checking and credit accounts)
• We sow tools (symbol is property, cars, homes)

We sow the above in full realization that all that we have come from God.  We sow knowing also that we can never outdo God in generosity.  Our sowing is a product of prayer and forethought and not an accident or spontaneous reaction.  We sow joyfully knowing that God loves a cheerful giver. We sow the maximum realizing that minimum sowing produces minimum fruit.

"I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last."  (John 15: 16, 19)
"I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord.  I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, alleluia."  (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)

God is the Guardian of my rights

"Blessed the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God,
The maker of heaven and earth,
the seas and all that is in them,
Who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
who gives bread to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free;"  (Psalm 146: 5 - 7)

God secures justice for the oppressed.  He is the Guardian of my rights.  Therefore, no fear, no fury, no fight.

"LORD, guide me in your justice because of my foes;
make straight your way before me."  (Psalm 5: 9)

"The LORD does righteous deeds,
brings justice to all the oppressed."  (Psalm 103: 6)

Therefore I must trust the Lord when my rights are infringed upon.
Teach me O Lord to let go:

"I let go of my desire for security."
"I let go of my desire for affection ."
"I let go of my desire for control ."
"I let go of my desire to change the situation ."
"I let go of my desire for perfect health ."
"I let go of my desire for perfect family harmony ."
"I let go of my desire for the perfect job."

God does not delay in fulfilling His promises

"Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
“In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  (2 Corinthians 6: 1 - 2)

There is a time for prayer, a time for waiting and a time for answer.

"I am bringing on that victory, it is not far off,
my salvation shall not tarry;
I will put salvation within Zion,
give to Israel my glory."  (Isaiah 46: 13)

God promises that His answer or salvation shall not be late.  Once the fullness of time arrives, God moves fast.

"The least one shall become a clan,
the smallest, a mighty nation;
I, the LORD, will swiftly accomplish
these things when the time comes."  (Isaiah 60: 22)

"The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3: 9)

Why does the Lord appear to be slow in fulfilling His promises?  God is an excellent Father.  Delay in keeping His promises is to allow us maximum time for preparation to receive His gifts.

"Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision;
Make it plain upon tablets,
so that the one who reads it may run.
For the vision is a witness for the appointed time,
a testimony to the end; it will not disappoint.
If it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late."  (Habakkuk 2: 2 - 3)

Write down the promise of God and date it. Then save it in a place that you can easily retrieve it.  Wait for the fulfillment in prayer.  As you pray for its fulfillment, hope will be born in your heart and "the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4: 7)

Then one day, you will taste the joy of fulfillment of this promise:
"I have left an open door before you, which no one can close."  (Revelation 3: 8)

Let go

"I let go of my desire for security."
"I let go of my desire for affection ."
"I let go of my desire for control ."
"I let go of my desire to change the situation ."
"I let go of my desire for perfect health ."
"I let go of my desire for perfect family harmony ."
"I let go of my desire for the perfect job."

The One Thing I ask for

"One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the LORD’s house
all the days of my life,
To gaze on the LORD’s beauty,
to visit his temple."  (Psalm 27: 4)

The One thing you need:  The Holy Spirit.

"In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said: Whatever you ask I shall give you."  (1 Kings 3: 5)

"So God said to him: Because you asked for this—you did not ask for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies—but you asked for discernment to know what is right—
I now do as you request. I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you."  (1 Kings 3: 11-12)

"There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”  (Luke 10: 42)

If I have the privilege to ask God of Only One Thing  here and now, what will that One Thing
be?

I will not hesitate.  I will ask for the Holy Spirit and all His gifts.  I will continue to wait on the Lord and ask for this until He grants me my heart's desire.

A New Creation in Christ

"So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come."  (2 Corinthians 5: 17)

There are many words and concepts in the New Testament that can be verified to authenticate the claims of Christ and the Christ event.  2 Corinthians 5: 17 is one such scripture.

Any person who claims to have accepted Jesus as Lord must show evidence of being a new person.  New in thoughts and desires and therefore new in words and deeds.  The new desires, thoughts, words and deeds produce a new character.  The new character becomes evidence of a new destiny.  This metamorphosis is evident to everyone and the before the change and after the change can be verified.

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13: 17)
Change happens not because of what you know but because of what you do daily.

Let your Holy Spirit fix me

"Do everything without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world,"  (Philippians 2: 14 - 15)

Your word O Lord is mirror of my soul.  I look at my soul in the light of your word above and I do not like what I see.  Lord, I do not know how to fix me.  I don't have the courage to fix me.  But I know your Holy Spirit is resident in me.  He inspires me to call God, Abba - my Father.  Lord, please ask your gentle comforting Spirit to fix me.  Help me to submit trustingly to His surgery.

"Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.  He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like."  (James 1: 22-24)

God calls to the ministry

"Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown us, we are not discouraged."  (2 Corinthians 4:1)

The very fact that the call to ministry comes from the Father of mercies and God of all consolations is a tremendous cause for confidence.  Knowing too that the call is not based on any personal merit adds to the confidence.

The call to ministry comes out of God's merciful heart and also out of His mysterious providential plan.

"I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry."  (1 Timothy 1: 12)

Jesus calls.  Jesus gives the strength to serve.

"Do not fear: I am with you;
do not be anxious: I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."  (Isaiah 41: 10)

Jesus gives assurance of His presence.  It is His presence that drives out fears,worries and doubts.

"It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed."  (Deuteronomy 31: )

Again, God's presence in the Journey/Ministry is guaranteed.  Why fear? Why worry? Why doubt?

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. "  (1 Corinthians 15: 10)

Thank you Jesus.  Your grace to me will not be ineffective.

Don't Mess with the Ten Commandments

"Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5: 19)

Today, there is a grave temptation to redefine and reinterpret the Ten Commandments.  Jesus instructs us in Matthew 5: 19:  Do not mess with the Commandments.

Lord Jesus,save me from the temptation of diluting your word in order to make it acceptable.  May your Holy Spirit lead me to the fullness of truth and maintain me there.
 

Barnabas saw the grace of God in action

"When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,"  (Acts 11:23)

When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, scripture reported that he "saw the grace of God."  What exactly did Barnabas see?  He saw the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit in action. The Church of Antioch was a Spirit-filled Church.  What are the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit?

"1831 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.

Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God . . . If children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ."  (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1831)

"1832 The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity."  (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1832)

Members of a Spirit-filled Church manifest the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit as a way of life.  This is what Barnabas experienced when he arrived in Antioch.

Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God."  (2 Corinthians 1: 3 - 4)

Our Father is the source of all mercies.  God our Father is Mercy Himself.
What do I do with all the mercies that the Father shows me everyday?
I thank God for His mercies.  I ask Him for a merciful heart so that I can show mercy to everybody I encounter this day.

The Lord Himself will build my house

"Unless the LORD build the house,
they labor in vain who build.
Unless the LORD guard the city,
in vain does the guard keep watch."  (Psalm 127: 1)

Lord, I trust in your word.  I thank you for this promise.  Yes, I look up to you to build my house.

"So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God."  (Acts 5 : 38 - 39)

This endeavor or this activity is not of human origin.  It is of God.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?"  (Psalm 27: 1)

Since the Lord is with me, I shall not fear.  His Presence drives out fear.  Thank you Jesus.

The Sign Language of God

"And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."  (Luke 2: 19)

What Mary kept in her heart and pondered deeply are all the words she heard in the course of her pregnancy and birth of Jesus Christ: Angelic salutation, Joseph's dream, Elizabeth's greeting,  Simeon and Anna's words and the testimony of the shepherds.  Together these words were profound signs from God to Mary to strengthen her faith in her unique mission.

We too receive our own signs.  Sometimes, they are little signs and occasionally they are big signs.  It is a good idea to form the habit of noting all signs that we receive from God and to reflect on them frequently.  All the signs together form a critical mass that point to our destiny.

From Christ alone comes riches

"I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest—oracle of the Lord GOD.
The lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, and the sick I will heal; but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them in judgment."  (Ezekiel 34: 15 - 16)

From Christ alone comes my pasture, my rest, my healing and my strength.  No need to look elsewhere.

"The LORD is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths
for the sake of his name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff comfort me."  (Psalm 23: 1 - 4)

Do I believe all the above to be true?  ABSOLUTELY!!!

Loving God above all things

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  (Mark 12: 30 - 31)

How can I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and with all my strength?

I know: "But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness,* and all these things will be given you besides."  (Matthew 6: 33)

When I put God first ahead of my health, family, finances, job, property and tools, food and future, I know that I love Him above all things.

Ignorance of Scripture

Mark 12:24
24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.  - St Jerome

Trust in the Presence of Jesus and do not fear

"He shall not fear an ill report;
his heart is steadfast, trusting the LORD.
His heart is tranquil, without fear,
till at last he looks down on his foes."  (Psalm 112: 7 - 8)

The man who is steadfast in trusting in the Lord with all his heart will not fear bad news from any quarters.  Whether the devil attacks him with ill tidings on family, health, finances, job, tools and property, food and future.  He will not be moved because his heart and mind are fixed on God for his security.

"God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken
and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
Though its waters rage and foam
and mountains totter at its surging."  (Psalm 46: 2 - 4)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff comfort me."  (Psalm 23: 4)

"Do not fear: I am with you;
do not be anxious: I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."  (Isaiah 41: 10)

"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4: 6 - 7)

"Fear is useless; what is needed is trust."  (Luke 8: 50; Mark 5: 36)

Trust in the Lord and refuse steadfastly any fears, worries or doubts.  What makes us fearless is the absolute certainty of the presence of Jesus with us.

The stone rejected by the builders

"Have you not read this scripture passage:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes’?”  (Mark 12: 10 - 11)

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.  God is Master of surprises.  Sometimes He springs His surprises through reversals of position.  The first becomes the last; the last becomes the first.  Some other interesting reversals in the Bible are shown below:

"He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.

The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty."  Luke 1: 52 and 53)

"The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry no longer have to toil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes."  (1 Samuel 2: 5)

"He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
and he has set the world upon them."  (1 Samuel 2: 8)

"He guards the footsteps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall perish in the darkness;
for not by strength does one prevail."  (1 Samuel 2: 9)

O Lord my God, how happy I am because my destiny is completely in your hands.  I will trust you to make me whatever you like.

"My destiny is in your hands;"  (Psalm 31: 16)