"God-confidence"

Our qualification comes from God. (2 Corinthians 3:5) 

Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan has the largest central span of any suspension bridge in the world. This elegant structure, which is held up by only two towers and a network of steel cables, can look dangerously fragile, but in reality it is incredibly strong. Although its supports seem so minimal, it can withstand 178 mph winds and earthquakes of up to 8.5 magnitude. Imagine the engineering genius that went into the making of this bridge! 

Did you know that you are the result of an even more wondrous feat of engineering? In today’s first reading, St. Paul calls our attention to the incredible structure that God has been building in our lives. Everything that we are, everything that we do, all the forces that we withstand—it all gives evidence of how carefully God has crafted our foundation. Like a master builder, he has laid this foundation with great precision and fortified it with his own divine grace. What a marvel you are!

Here’s even more marvelous news: God isn’t done building you! Through the grace of his sacraments, he continues to make you stronger and steadier. Day after day, he infuses you with the gifts of his Holy Spirit so that you can withstand any gale force winds that might come against you. Through the witness and encouragement of other brothers and sisters in Christ, he continues to teach you how to adapt to the pressures of temptation without snapping or crumbling.

Take some time today to stand back and admire God’s handiwork. You are a marvel! You are far stronger than you think, far more flexible than you think, and far more capable than you think. You have “the strength for everything” in Christ, who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13)! So try not to give in to fear when you face challenges today. Instead, stand firm on the foundation God has poured for you. Pray for the situation, not in “self-confidence,” but “God-confidence.”

Remember, God has given you the perfect structure for the job he has assigned you to do. Christ is with you, he is in you, and he is more than able to work through you. 

“Lord, thank you for all you have built in me. Give me confidence to use your gifts.”

from wau.org

Godly encouragement

The God of all encouragement . . . (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Experts tell us that for every negative comment we hear, it takes five positive comments to balance it out. That means it’s much easier to get discouraged than to feel encouraged. Perhaps that’s why Paul uses the word “encourage” or “encouragement” ten times in this letter. Maybe he wanted the Corinthians—and us—to know God’s love more deeply. 

The Gospels give us lots of examples of Jesus encouraging people.

When a scribe asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, he replied, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). Imagine how good that scribe must have felt!

When Peter professed him as the Christ, Jesus answered, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah” (Matthew 16:17). Think of how that must have reinforced Peter’s conviction and his desire to keep following Jesus. 

When confronted with a woman caught in adultery, Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11). Imagine how these words must have strengthened her to go and “not sin any more” (8:11)!

The encouragement didn’t stop when Jesus returned to his Father. He promised to send the Holy Spirit as “another Advocate” (John 14:16). And can you guess which word is used for “advocate”? Parakletos, which comes from the same Greek word for encouragement that Paul uses in today’s first reading! 

Part of the reason Paul stressed the Holy Spirit’s role as encourager was that he was writing to Christians undergoing hardship. He wanted them to know that the Holy Spirit would help them find hope and stay close to the Lord even through trials. He wanted to tell them that the Spirit could teach them through their trials so that they could walk alongside other people and offer them the same encouragement. 

The Holy Spirit wants to encourage you as well. When you’re feeling down on yourself, he will help lift your spirits. When you wonder whether your efforts are bearing fruit, he will show you how much you’ve grown. And when things are going well, he is with you, encouraging you to keep up the good work.

God is on your side. He is always at work, offering you his encouragement.

“Holy Spirit, how do you want to encourage me today?”

from wau.org

Listen

I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched. (Tobit 2:4) 

There’s a special branch of the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force called the Quick Reaction Alert force. These pilots are on constant alert. Should a threat arise, they can be in the air in minutes. They could be fast asleep, brushing their teeth, or eating lunch, but they snap into action when the alarm sounds.

This sounds a bit like Tobit’s prompt response in today’s reading, doesn’t it? It was the Jewish feast of Weeks, and he was relaxing in front of a fine dinner. But when he heard that a fellow countryman had been killed, he immediately went out and buried the man. This was both a dangerous and a subversive act for an Israelite like himself living in exile in Nineveh. The Ninevites intentionally affronted Jewish customs by doing things like delaying the burial of dead Jews. But Tobit never hesitated. He was on constant “alert” to do God’s will. He didn’t allow his own comfort or safety to get in the way. He didn’t allow fear or so-called common sense to stop him. A brother in the Lord had been killed, and he deserved the dignity of a proper Jewish burial. 

So how can we be on call for the Lord just as Tobit was? How can we be always alert as those British pilots are? In our case, the call probably won’t sound like a siren, and we probably won’t need a shovel and a strong back. God is much more likely to summon us with the “still small voice” of his Spirit. 

The key is to listen. Take a minute at the end of your prayer time or after Mass to listen with your heart. What comes to mind? You might feel the need to call a friend who is hurting. You might remember a long-standing disagreement with your neighbor and start thinking about pursuing reconciliation. Or you might feel a new enthusiasm welling up inside you to join a ministry at church.

No matter how you hear the call, take action! 

“Lord, give me ears to hear you and the courage to follow you, no matter where you call! Help me to be always ready to respond to you.”

from wau.org

Protecting your lot through praise and prayer

Today being the last Saturday of the month, the leadership would like us to meditate on the theme “Protecting your lot through praise and prayer”. I would like us to consider this using three major questions:

·         What is our lot?

·         Why is it necessary to protect it?

·         How does praise and prayer help us do this?

What is my lot?

In this context, lets us use the definition of a lot as that of a measured parcel of land or a piece of property. So, as children of God what then is our property? The verse that readily comes to mind is that of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1:3…”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” . So with this mindset we recognize that as children of God and consequently heirs of the Kingdom, everything we have and will have, whether physical or spiritual is a property or blessing given to us freely by God. We are stewards of these blessings as explained in 1 Pet 4: 10 “ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 

Why is it necessary to protect it?

It is necessary to protect what you have been given because we are warned in 1 Peter 5: 8 “Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour” Again, Jesus in John 10: 10 reminds us that “…The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy…..”. Thus we are entreated to be consistently on our guard against the subtle influences of the enemy. So how can we protect our lot from the enemy? We have been given two strategies; praise and prayer.

Praise stems from a recognition that all we have been given is a blessing. Thus, by having an attitude of praise we are actively acknowledging the presence and the hand of God in our lives. As a result, our minds are focused on Him always, as we receive His strength to resist the devices of the enemy. An attitude of praise and gratitude helps us not to slip into the valley of anxiety and depression, a common tactic used by the enemy. By remembering through praise and thanksgiving, how far the Lord has brought us or how much the Lord has provided for us, we receive the encouragement and courage to move ahead regardless of the situation we may find ourselves. 

An attitude of praise and gratitude promotes a healthy detachment from the blessings we have been given by refocusing our attention to the giver of these blessings. The blessings we have received should not separate us from the Lord but rather should draw us closer to Him. Sometimes, if we are not careful, the enemy can use these blessings we have prayed for and received as a means of drawing us from the Lord. May this not be our portion. Let us employ the strategy of praise. Living a life of praise and gratitude enables us to walk by the Spirit as encouraged in Gal 5:16, by exhibiting daily, the fruit of Joy. You will agree with me that a joyful person is always an attractive person. Living a life of praise fills us with an inexplicable joy that has a way of drawing others to us and provides us with the opportunity of sharing the source of our joy with them. Consequently, we can protect our blessings from the prowling enemy in addition to snatching others from his grip.  An attitude of praise helps us to overcome difficulties. By exhibiting the fruit of Joy which is because of a life of praise, we gain the strength to move ahead even during difficulties, regardless of whatever the enemy may through our way.   

Today I pray that we will all begin to put on a garment of praise. As an aid, I would like to encourage us all to write down, during our spare times, 100 things that we are grateful for and let’s remember to give Him praise for them.

The second strategy, is that of prayer. Indeed, the need for prayer cannot be overemphasized. On numerous occasions in scripture, we see how Jesus is said to have gone by himself to spend time in prayer. He gives us a model to follow. The more we spend time with the Father, the more our hearts desires become like His and we receive strength in heart and mind to protect our lots from the advances of the enemy. 

To conclude I will like to remind us of Paul’s encouraging words in 1 Thess 5: 16-18 “Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. 

May we live lives of praise and prayer. Amen    

-Talk given on Ghana Charismatic Renewal North America Prayerline_29th April 2014

Victory over sin

Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. (John 8:34) 

What should we do with such a black-and-white statement? Does it mean that we are all slaves of sin? Let’s look at this.

First, we should understand that we are all called to holiness. But God doesn’t call us to something he won’t equip us to fulfill. So we shouldn’t feel helpless or powerless in the face of our sin.

Second, we should understand that God wants us to learn to rely on Jesus, the source of all holiness. St. Alphonsus Liguori once said, “Habitual sin and prayer cannot coexist. Either we will stop sinning or stop praying.” We need to get in the habit of drawing strength from Jesus in all the ways that he comes to us: prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, spiritual direction, the beauty of nature, and Christian fellowship. To strive for holiness apart from Jesus will only leave us frustrated.

Third, we need to learn how to overcome our attractions to sin. St. Francis de Sales compares the person who indulges in “affection for sin” to the Israelites who left slavery in Egypt but longed for its comforts while journeying through the desert. The Israelites had to ask the same question we should ask: “Do I really want to return to a life of slavery for just a few moments of pleasure?”

Finally, we need to develop a plan. If you are prone to pride, dedicate yourself to humility. If you are prone to lust, pursue purity. Remember, you cannot think your way into being virtuous; you must act your way there. 

At the start of each day, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the grace you need to make the right choices. Then, every few hours evaluate how you are doing, and ask the Lord again for his help. In the evening, take a few minutes to prayerfully review your day. Thank Jesus for every victory you have experienced, and ask his forgiveness for those times you have failed. Over time, you will find real and measurable progress. You really can become holy!

“Father, I want to hate sin. Give me the grace I need to say no to the temptations I face. I want to be holy, and I know I cannot do it on my own.”

from wau.org

Lift your eyes

Whoever looks at it after being bitten will live. (Numbers 21:8) 

The story of the Israelites’ grumbling and the punishment of the seraph serpents is just one of many in the Old Testament that recount how hard life in the desert must have been. The plagues that God used to convince Pharaoh to let his people go must have been dramatic—almost as dramatic as the parting of the Red Sea that had sealed their freedom from slavery. The Israelites were the beneficiaries of many displays of divine power, so you can understand their perplexity at the “plague” that God seemed to have unleashed on them. In Egypt, God had taken care of everything so that he could bring them unharmed into the Promised Land. But now things seemed radically different. 

Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, we see that the journey to the Promised Land was very difficult—and not just because of the harshness of the desert. It was hard because it called for full cooperation with God. How challenging it must have been once the people realized that God was not going to take care of their every problem! It must have been shocking indeed to discover that they needed to put aside their grumblings, work together, and obey God’s commandments. 

Like the Israelites, we too face challenges and difficulties—trials that call for deep trust and cooperation with the Lord. How do we react to these trials? Do we lose hope, get impatient, maybe even grumble and complain? Or do we look to the cross and stand firm on our faith in the goodness of the Lord and the victory that he has won for us?

Whenever you find yourself challenged by life in this valley of tears, remember this reading. Lift high the cross of Christ, and believe in its power. Jesus wants to raise you up, no matter what you are experiencing right now, and fill you with the joy of his kingdom. He is the divine healer who wants you to receive the greatest healing of all: freedom from unbelief, so that you can trust in his goodness and his perfect plan.

“Jesus, I place my faith in the victory you have won for me on the cross. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you.”

from wau.org

The next step in faith

So they took away the stone. (John 11:41) 

Raising Lazarus from the dead was one of the most amazing miracles Jesus performed. But think about Martha. In this story, we see Jesus bringing this grieving sister from a theoretical faith to actual, living faith in him. In some respects, this is just as amazing as raising someone from the dead.

That’s why Martha makes a great Lenten companion for us. Hers is the kind of transformation Jesus wants to bring about in all of us. So let’s look at Martha’s progression to deeper faith:

At first, Martha trusts that Jesus can answer her prayers: “Lord, if you had been here . . .” (John 11:21).

Jesus says Lazarus will rise, but Martha doesn’t believe it can happen now. She pushes it into a distant future time: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24).

Jesus asks if she believes he is the resurrection and the life. Martha responds generally: “I have come to believe that you are the Christ” (John 11:27). She can’t seem to make the jump from Messiah to resurrection.

When Jesus asks Martha to open the tomb, she hesitates: “Lord, by now there will be a stench” (John 11:39). So Jesus nudges her forward: “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” (11:40). You can see it here and now, not just in some distant future. Martha needs to apply her faith. 

Will she allow her brother’s body to be brought out? You can almost feel the struggle as she grapples with this decision. Jesus isn’t afraid of the stench, but he waits for her to decide. Finally, Martha gives permission, and the tomb is opened. Jesus calls Lazarus forth, and Martha comes to believe.

Every Sunday this Lent, Jesus has been leading us to take another step forward in faith. As he did with Martha, he brings us along gradually. Even if we waver, he waits for us to say yes to the next step. 

“Jesus, I remove the stone! Come, Lord, and bring me to life!”

from wau.org