If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,

you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Jesus, at the Last Supper, speaks about our spiritual unity with Him. Through baptism we share in His redemptive death and in His new life, which is inseparably linked with His glorious resurrection. Yet baptism alone is not enough. For God’s life to remain within us – and even more, to grow in us – faith is needed, faith in the word of Jesus. This faith is accompanied by acts of humility and by trials of fidelity. In this context, we need to recall the essence of the parable of the vine and the branches. From the vine flows the life-giving sap into the branches – that is, the same Spirit who dwells in Jesus Christ also works in us, the baptized, as long as we remain united with Jesus through faith. Jesus repeatedly emphasizes that without Him we can do nothing, and He gives His branches this promise: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” The condition for anything to work for our true good – not only temporal but also eternal – is that we remain united with Jesus through faith. His word helps us to maintain this unity; we are called to abide in His word. We are not only to hear it, but to live it!

Sometimes we have too much work and no time for prayer. But if we take it into account, then if we have at least some time for prayer, we try to make the most of it. However, we must think of God in work as well: “Lord, this is for You.” Simply, we need to rely on God in everything we do. Unless we stop, we run astray. But if we stop, God gives us the light for our work, for what to do. All things of the Lord and all divine inspirations are born on knees. If we do not pray, we get nothing.

He who prays has power because God works through him. It is a fight with the realm of darkness.

If we pray in earnest and give our problems to God, He really solves them. We do not seek advice from fortune-tellers who are inspired by the devil. It is not good to seek advice from them because their advice is the devil’s lie.

… by which have been given to us exceedingly great

and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers

of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is

in the world through lust.

Our life is short; in essence, it is only a time of testing, during which our eternity is decided. That eternity will be either happy or unhappy forever. An unhappy future – eternal ruin – awaits those who, in proud unbelief, reject the salvation in Jesus Christ. In Him, God has given us the greatest gift: that through Him we may receive a new nature! We must therefore put aside that nature which is infected by original sin and in which our human spirit is, as it were, clothed. Through this, our inner being has been darkened – our intellect struggles to recognize truth, our will tends toward evil, and our heart is filled with a perverted desire that unites with the spirit of the world, driving humanity toward temporal and eternal destruction. How can we escape this destruction? We must, through faith, accept the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Then the following applies to us: “To those who did accept Him He gave power to become children of God. They were born not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (cf. Jn 1:12) Thus, by accepting Christ, we already now – though original sin still remains within us – receive the divine nature.

Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips but cannot be achieved until the nature of Jesus Christ is in our hearts. The question is: And how can this happen and through whom? Jesus possesses two natures: one divine and the other human, and these two are united without division or separation. He assumed a human nature through the Virgin Mary, through her obedience of faith, through her “yes” to God! How did it happen? Through the Holy Spirit. And this is the answer for us too: The nature of Jesus can be rooted in us through Mary and through the Holy Spirit. We should not only receive the Holy Spirit like the Apostles on the day of Pentecost but we should also be guided by the Holy Spirit, walk in the Holy Spirit, i.e. our minds should be guided by Him so that we may have the mind of Jesus. The Holy Scripture commands: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phi 2:5) So the Holy Spirit will inspire us and make us think in the same way Jesus does. But we need a sound foundation, which is the foundation of humility and faith in relation to God, and this foundation is not stable in the old Eve’s heart.

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,

‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt

in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done,

he will have whatever he says.

What is human faith and what is God’s faith?

Human faith is necessary in everyday life. We have to believe people’s testimonies about Antarctica, for example, even though we have never been there ourselves. We believe that there is snow there, even though we have never seen it. This is natural faith, which can be proven materially.

What is faith in God or God’s faith? It is faith that is bound to the promises God has given us. It is faith in God’s omnipotence. By His almighty power, God created everything that exists; He created this world and cares for it. He created it for a purpose. We believe in God the Creator. We also believe in God the Saviour; we believe that the Son of God became man and died for our sins, and we also believe God’s word. Furthermore, in order to have God’s faith that works miracles, we need to receive grace so that God will show us that He wants to be glorified in this situation and that He requires us to stand in faith and not doubt. Everyone will face a test of faith, so we must overcome the doubt in our hearts. God’s faith is a gift that we must ask for.

“The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

A group of people once asked Jesus how they could do the work of God. Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” (Jn 6:29) God desires belief and faith from us, for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6).

The word of life we now repeat during our prayer stops also tells us that if we believe in the One whom the Father has sent, that is, Jesus, in a specific situation or problem, God responds to our faith by acting.

The following verses give a deeper insight into this truth related to faith.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,

that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him,

for He cares for you.

The Apostle Peter encourages us to humble ourselves before God. What does it bring? Above all, it brings us the light of knowledge that God gives us. Otherwise, without us even knowing, this light of knowledge is blocked by the self-centredness of our sin-infected nature, which Scripture calls the old self. Humility is truth. It liberates us from our own sense of self-importance, pride and unwillingness to admit our weaknesses and mistakes. This selfish sense of self-importance prevents God from working through us. Yet it is through humility that we would gain the greatest benefit, both spiritually and otherwise, not only for others but mainly for ourselves. Scripture says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humbling ourselves before God, from whom we derive our existence, all that is good in us and all our good works, is not humiliating. It is merely an acknowledgement of reality, that is, of the truth about ourselves. We develop this attitude of humility in interior prayer beneath Christ’s cross. Without true prayer, we will spend our lives in illusion.

You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and rightly so,

for that is what I am.

Jesus Himself says to you: ‘You call Me your Teacher and Lord,’ and He adds: ‘and that is what I am.’

In this short Bible study, we will examine some quotes from Scripture and consider whether Jesus truly is my Lord. If He is not, and if my ego is my god, then I must pray: Jesus, be truly my Lord! Let us call out to Jesus from the depths of our hearts. Only then can we confess with the repentant Thomas: ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus, be truly my Lord and God!

Jesus Christ is Saviour and Lord. Of all the titles of Jesus, the title ‘Lord’ became by far the most commonly used, wide-spread and important. It would hardly be going too far to say that the word ‘Lord’ became a synonym for the name of ‘Jesus’.

As for His gifts, to some He gave to be apostles, to others prophets,

or even evangelists, or shepherds and teachers.

So He prepared those who belong to Him for the ministry,

in order to build up the Body of Christ.

These are gifts and at the same time vocations, the purpose of which is not to glorify the individual, but to prepare those who are chosen perfectly for the ministry. For what ministry? For the building up of the Mystical Body of Christ. Previously, there was a mistaken idea among people that when someone becomes a priest or bishop, he is competent in all the ministries, as if he were an apostle, teacher, prophet, shepherd and evangelist at the same time. However, if someone is to perform one ministry thoroughly and gain experience, he cannot fully devote himself to another ministry. In fact, it is not possible to perform any of the ministries without a common denominator, which is self-denial, that is, denial of our ego. We should serve with the awareness that we serve Christ Himself and His Mystical Body – the Church – and we should not seek our own glory or self-realization in doing so. When someone holds an office without being a true Christian and striving to follow Christ, he automatically makes the office a means for building his own career and manifesting his proud ego. In that case, these ministries are ineffective, if not harmful.

And do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, 

that you may prove what is that good and acceptable

and perfect will of God.

Today’s world is characterized by many inventions which meet people’s needs quickly and easily: instant foods, instant electronic communication, instant information stored in high speed computers, etc. These are the hallmarks of today’s ‘instant’ generation. Christians must remember, however, that there is no such thing as ‘instant maturity’ in the Christian experience. Becoming a Christian begins a lifetime adventure of knowing God better and loving Him more.

God’s Word says: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,  that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom 12:2) Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may

see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

During the previous two weeks, we reflected on the Scripture verse from Acts 1:8: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In other words, we are called to bear witness to others, as we discussed in the short reflection on witnessing. This means being witnesses, or martyrés, like the apostles, even at the cost of persecution, ridicule or the loss of our lives. We must be witnesses to the living Jesus, who was crucified and rose from the dead! For forty days after His resurrection, He appeared not only to the apostles, but also to several hundred other people, thereby proving His divinity.

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;

and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,

and to the end of the earth.

It is the Holy Spirit, not we, who converts an individual. We, the privileged ambassadors of Jesus Christ, can communicate a verbal message; we can demonstrate through our life what the grace of Jesus Christ can accomplish. But let us never naively think that we have converted a soul and brought him to Jesus Christ. No one calls Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1Cor 12:3).

THE CHALLENGE

1. In Mark 5:18-19, notice Jesus’ words to a man He had healed.

a) Where did Jesus send him?

b) What did Jesus tell him to do?

c) Why do you suppose Jesus gave these particular instructions?

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,

that we should be called children of God!

Therefore the world does not know us,

because it did not know Him.

The Church is the body of Christ. Every Christian is a member of that body. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the head who directs the work of the whole body. While each organ has a different function, each one is necessary for the health and functioning of the whole body. The Holy Spirit gives life to the body. It is His presence that unites the whole body.

WHAT IS BIBLICAL FELLOWSHIP?

1. Read 1 John 3:1. If you are God’s child and He is the Father of all, what does this tell you about your relationship to other believers?

2. “Fellowship” is derived from the Greek word koinonia, which means “sharing in common”. God has given you much to share. As you examine the following verses, determine what you can share with others and one practical way to share it.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy and find grace

to help in time of need.

Communication is essential for any growing relationship, including our relationship with God. When you pray, the Holy Spirit helps you know what to say and how to say it.

We may master the technique of prayer and understand its theory. We may have unlimited confidence in the veracity and validity of the promises concerning prayer; we may plead them earnestly. But if we ignore the part played by the Holy Spirit, we have failed to use the master key.

PRAYER – YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH GOD

1. As a believer in Christ you have been given a special opportunity.
   What is it and why is it given to you? Heb 4:16

All Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for teaching,

rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

The sword is good for both offense and defence. God has armed us for spiritual warfare with the perfect weapon – the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God (Eph 6:17). The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to accomplish God’s work on earth. Today’s spiritual seekers need two things above all else:

– the knowledge of the Scriptures, outside of which there is no truth necessary for man’s salvation,

– the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, without which Scripture cannot be understood.

THE WORD OF GOD – A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH MAN

The Bible is the most remarkable book ever written. It was written by some 40 authors of different nationalities and walks of life over a period of some 1,500 years in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Yet the Bible has only one major theme and one central figure – Jesus Christ. This would not be possible if the Bible did not have a single author: the Holy Spirit.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,

and always be ready to give an answer to everyone

who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,

with meekness and fear.

The Apostle Peter encourages us to sanctify God in our hearts. How should we sanctify Him? Especially in interior prayer, where we talk to Him, listen to Him and ask Him to help us know and do His holy will in specific situations.

The Apostle then says that we should be ready to give an answer to everyone. But no one will ask us unless we apostolize. We must be ready to witness. In prayer we must ask God to whom we should witness, how we should witness and when we should witness. Then we have to overcome some shyness and take the first step ourselves. Strategic is the word first (Gr. proton). If we are to remove the speck from our brother’s eye, we must first judge ourselves. Similarly, when our brother has something against us, we must first take the step of reconciliation, even if we are not aware of any guilt. When we do this, only then will our eyes be opened. This is a special spiritual law.