Tagged: message of the day

SURPRISE PARTY

“The people were full of anticipation.” –Luke 3:15 Many people expected John the Baptizer to be the Messiah (Lk 3:15). Their expectations for a Messiah were too low because Jesus, “Who is mightier” than John, is the Messiah (Lk 3:16). Peter had seen God work through him to raise Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:40). Under these circumstances, he expected his initial visit to the house of a Gentile to be significant. However, God far exceeded his expectations by pouring out the Holy Spirit on the Gentile, Cornelius, and his entire household (Acts 10:45). Today, on the last day of...

THE CHRISTMAS PRESENCE

“We are in the One Who is true, for we are in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” –1 John 5:20 On this second last day of the Christmas season, it is good to ask ourselves: “Are we having a good Christmas season, a good year, and a good century?” Whether something is good does not depend on our getting our way but on God getting His way, and whether we do God’s will depends on our loving God. Moreover, to love God we must know God, especially His saving death and glorious Resurrection....

Positive Thinking

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 The teachings of our Lord embraces positive thinking, but it reaches beyond thoughts to touch the hidden possibilities of the spirit. When we face the reality of situations in our lives, positive thinking can help up to a point, but relationship with the living Christ can do so much more. Positive thinking can only bring about limited solutions. Real change comes when you move past thinking, to an unshakable trust...

MAKING GOD A LIAR?

“Whoever does not believe God has made God a liar by refusing to believe in the testimony He has given on His own Son’s behalf.” –1 John 5:10 Two of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity have given Their testimony about the third Person, Jesus. The Holy Spirit has testified to Jesus, that Jesus Christ came through water and blood, and not in water only (1 Jn 5:6). “It is the Spirit Who testifies to this, and the Spirit is Truth” (1 Jn 5:6). The Father has likewise testified to Jesus, “on His own Son’s behalf” (1 Jn 5:9)...

ARE YOU LOVING?

“The commandment we have from Him is this: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” –1 John 4:21 Most people like to think of themselves as loving others. Yet are we truly loving or just deceiving ourselves? We are loving if: We are “beloved,” that is, we have first received God’s love (1 Jn 4:19). We love God with all our hearts (1 Jn 5:2; Mt 22:37). We obey God’s commandments (1 Jn 5:3). We love ourselves (Mt 22:39). We love the brothers and sisters we see in our everyday life (1 Jn 4:20). We love our enemies (Mt...