DAILY HOMILIES

Some of us have been Christians for more than 18 years yet we are still bent over spiritually. Darkness (sin and evil) still rules in our lives. It is not about how often we attend Church; it is about whether we worship God in spirit and in truth. Let us pray today for Divine healing from whatever is preventing us from standing upright before God.

(Image: Courtesy of stock.adobe.com) As we celebrate World Mission Sunday today, we are reminded that missionary work is not the exclusive reserve of the ordained but something to which we all are called. In his message for world mission Sunday 2022, Pope Francis tells us: “The essence of the mission is to bear witness to Christ, that is, to his life, passion, death, and resurrection for the love of the Father and of humanity.” (para. 5).

God wants us to win in the game of life; to bear fruits, and to fulfill our calling. A football player who doesn’t play well, who continues to pass the ball to the opponent, who even scores his own side will soon be removed and replaced. A cook who consistently misses the mark in the kitchen will produce food that he cannot even eat.

HEAVEN HAS NO BRANCHES. Heaven is one place, there are no separate departments in heaven, there are no branches in heaven, and there is no such thing as Catholic Heaven, Pentecostal Heaven, or Redeemed Heaven. It is the same Jesus Christ that we serve; there is no Catholic Jesus as separate from Pentecostal Jesus.

But the day you decide to make God your number one, you are faced with a tough choice, either to break loose of your family bonds or to remain there unable to grow spiritually. This is the division Christ is speaking about. It is a division from the world but at the same time, it will bring Peace to your soul, a peace that the world itself does not understand.

It would be shameful if after preaching to you to live your best life today and be prepared for death (which can come at any time), I fail to prepare for my own death. The sad truth today is that a lot of us, preachers, know the bible but we do not know God.

Luke was a doctor yet he served in the vineyard. Let me ask you: What skills do you have? Do you know you don’t need to be a pastor to serve in God’s vineyard? Luke was not an ordained priest but look what he did for the history of Christianity! You too can do something!

What does it mean to be rich towards God? It is refusing to live according to the passions of our flesh or following the desires of the flesh and the senses. To be rich towards God is to place priority on the things that pertain to God over and above the things that bring about our material comfort. It is taking care of our souls rather than our flesh only.

Take in a deep breath for instance and say a prayer to the Holy Spirit. It may be a short prayer and as you exhale the air, say another short prayer. Doing this little exercise can catapult you to a higher realm and make you conscious that you are not alone in this life. God is with you right here, right now. Feel his presence in the Holy Spirit.

How do we acknowledge God before people? By putting God first in every decision and choice we make. Get used to doing what is right especially in secret and you will not have a problem acknowledging God publicly.

To say holiness is impossible or that it is not easy to live differently from the world is to act like the proverbial beggar sitting on a stool of pure gold, yet asking for crumbs from passers-by.