Category Archives: Love

Chosen

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“If God is pleased with me, why I am I so terrified?”

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I’m sharing a piece I wrote years ago that still feels just as meaningful today.

Have you ever been chosen to do something that seemed impossible? You know that you have been living your life to please God in every way. Yet, this circumstance seems unplanned and difficult, even if it is something good.  How did you feel? Perhaps, you felt uncertain or even “terrified”?

“The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God.” 

-Luke 1:28-35 NIV

The song, Be Born In Me by Francesca Battistelli, expresses some the emotions Mary may have felt, when she found out she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Can you even imagine how she felt? Luke 1: 29 says, “she was greatly troubled.” Initially, she must have felt terrified to see an angel appear and speak to her. The angel told her things, that seemed impossible. She must have also felt frightened. She must have thought about the severe punishment of those days for a woman who conceived a child without being married. Here she was: a girl engaged to be married. And, now all of these plans might change. But, at the same time she must have felt beyond honored and incredibly blessed to be chosen to be the mother the Son of God. At the same time, imagine the great responsibility she must have felt.  In Luke 1:46-50 NIV, “… Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,for the Mighty One has done great things for me holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. “ – Luke 1:46-50 NIV

She must have wondered why God would choose her of all of the other women in the world. In a similar way, we wonder why God would choose to love us. We don’t deserve  His great love. Yet, God sent a King, His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth to pay the ransom for our sins, so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. And, all that God ask of us are willing hearts. Will you let the love of Jesus Christ be born in you?

Think about the lyrics to the song, Be Born In Me by Francesca Battistelli:

  “Everything inside me cries for order
Everything inside me wants to hide
Is this shadow an angel or a warrior?
If God is pleased with me, why am I so terrified?
Someone tell me I am only dreaming
Somehow help me see with Heaven’s eyes
And before my head agrees, my heart is on it’s knees
Holy is He. Blessed am I…

All this time we’ve waited for the promise
All this time You’ve waited for my arms
Did You wrap yourself inside the unexpected
So we might know that Love would go that far?…

I am not brave
I’ll never be
The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy
I’m just a girl
Nothing more
But I am willing, I am Yours

Be born in me, be born in me
I’ll hold you in the beginning, You will hold me in the end
Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me”

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us (while we were still sinners) so much that you were willing to humble Yourself by coming down from your throne in heaven to be born in a stable and to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. Please give us willing hearts. Make our hearts Your Bethlehem. May your love be born in us. Amen.

Breaking the Bottle

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As we journey through the holy week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, I’d like take a moment to reflect on one of the events leading up to His ultimate sacrifice and its significance.

Recently, I heard a beautiful song by Steffany Gretzinger and Tiffany Hudson named “Break The Bottle.”  

*”I’m going to break the bottle

I’m going to pour it all out

I don’t waste what’s spent on You

Even if they call me crazy

You’re the One who saved me

I’ll never waste what’s spent on You…

Pour me out like water

Pour me out like oil

There is not another

So worthy of it all”*

The moment I heard the lyrics, I was reminded of Mary (the sister of Lazarus and Martha) and her beautiful, extravagant act of worship—just a couple of days before the Last Supper and three days before the world would witness the most selfless act of love.

“Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

— John 12:3 GNT

Mary’s act wasn’t just about perfume. It was about value, devotion, sacrifice, and worship. In that moment, she symbolized what Jesus would soon do for all of humanity—be broken and poured out. And just as her gift filled the house with fragrance, Christ’s sacrifice would fill the world with the fragrance of redeeming love.

“Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him.”

— Ephesians 5:2 TLB

It’s a powerful image: Christ’s love being like a sweet perfume to God. And now, Jesus calls us to follow His example. We are called to live lives so full of worship, surrender, and love that we, too, become a fragrant offering. May our lives reflect this sweet fragrance. May our acts of love, compassion, and surrender—no matter how costly—be poured out for His glory.

“But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ’s victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance.”

— 2 Corinthians 2:14 GNT

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your beautiful sacrifice of love. Please give us Your Spirit of worship that overflows into our lives in a way so that we are broken and spilled out for Your glory, as a beautiful fragrance of love. Amen.

Gethsemane and the Olive Press

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”For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.“ 
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT   

God saw our imperfections, flaws, and mistakes. He saw our sinful nature; and how easily we can fall into sin. He saw our selfishness, our pride, our unyielding nature, our dishonesty, our ungratefulness, our wastefulness, our vanity, our unforgiving nature. He saw our hunger for earthly desires and our thirst for human approval/praise. After seeing all of this, He still loved humanity. He chose to send Jesus Christ, his only begotten to take on the pressure of our sins. “In Biblical times, farmers would put olives in the trough of a giant stone olive press, and then roll the large, heavy circular stone over them. The enormous weight of the stone crushed the olives, allowing the oil inside to pour out through a spout cut into the stone” (Dave Adamson, 2024). The rolled over the olives three times, producing oil “to anoint kings,” oil to “heal the sick,” and oil to cook, or to light lamp stands,” respectively with each turn (Dave Adamson, 2024). “In Hebrew, this sort of olive press is called a “gat shemanim” (גת שמנים pronounced “geth-sem-uh-nim”), which we translate in English as “gethsemane””(Dave Adamson, 2024). It was in the garden of Gethsemane, that Christ literally sweat drops of blood (hematidrosis), being crushed by the pressures of sins, and spilled out like oil.

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5A5C6yL7xk/?img_index=1

Feeling Isolated?

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Have you been feeling isolated and alone lately?

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Many people have been required to remain socially distanced due to their age,  immunosuppressed state, or being at a higher risk of becoming ill with COVID-19. If you are facing loneliness or depression after being isolated for nearly 14 months, this message is for you.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

-John 14:16-18

God promises us that He is always with us and that nothing can separate us from His love. Romans 8:38-39 NIV says, ” For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and we are His followers, we can count on never being alone because Jesus will always be with us and He never breaks His promises.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

-Hebrews 13:8 NIV

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for all of Your beautiful promises. Thank you for the hope we have in You. And, thank you for the assurance that we are never alone because You are always with us. Amen.

A Prayer of Hope for 2021

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2020 has been a sad, difficult, stressful, and overwhelming year. COVID-19 has brought great loss and hardships to so many. Even though 2020 has been a dark year, we have not been alone. God has been with us all along and He is our hope going into 2021.

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 “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” 

– Psalm 71:14 

Tonight, we are praying for God’s blessing over 2021.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being with us throughout 2020. Thank You for Your never-ending love and faithfulness. Please be with us as we enter 2021. You are our hope, and we trust in You. For those who have lost loved ones in 2020, we ask You, Jesus, for Your comfort. For those who have COVID-19, we ask that Your healing hand be upon them. We ask that You heal our land of COVID-19 and that the pandemic end. For those who are struggling through financial hardships, we ask for Your providence. For those who are facing loneliness, we ask that you surround them with Your love and presence. For those who are tired and weary, we ask that You give them strength. For those that don’t know You as their Savior, we ask for salvation. Please bless this New Year with Your infinite love, joy, and peace. In Your holy and powerful name, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

God bless you!

Facing Loss

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COVID-19 Cases Worldwide:13,787,827
COVID-19 Deaths Worldwide: 588,635

To some, these are just numbers on a page. The sad reality is so many people are hurt, suffering, and brokenhearted right now.

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As the writer of this blog, I can tell you that I haven’t lost anyone to COVID-19, but I have recently experienced the loss of two of my extended family members (within the past 6 months) and I know loss hurts. Knowing that so many people have lost their loved ones to COVID-19 breaks my heart. Still, I can’t even fathom all of the hurt, pain, and brokenness that many must be enduring right now. Maybe you know someone or are someone who has been directly impacted by a death caused by COVID-19? Or maybe you or someone you know who recently has lost a loved one in some other unexpected way. I don’t know. But, when calamity strikes we as humans are often left with many questions that we as a mere human can’t answer. But, no matter what happens we are not alone.

The psalmist wrote, “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered… Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. – Psalms 73: 21, 23-24 NIV “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we cry out to God, He will hear and come near to us. “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.” -Psalm 18:6 NIV “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalms 34:1-18 NIV We are never alone. God is here with us.

Here are some of the lyrics to a song by Hillsong United called Here now (Madness):

“Skies spin their dance within Your breath
Time runs its race within Your hand
And my mind runs wild to comprehend
What no mind on earth could understand
Your ways are higher
Your thoughts are wilder
Love came like madness…
It makes no sense but this is grace
And I know You’re with me in this place
Here now
Still my heart
Let Your voice be all I hear now
Here now
Fix my eyes on things that I can’t see now
Spirit breathe like the wind come have Your way
‘Cause I know You’re in this place
Faith makes a fool of what makes sense
But grace found my heart where logic ends
When justice called for all my debts
The Friend of sinners came instead…
And I know You’re with me in this place
Here now
Still my heart
Let Your voice be all I hear now
Fix my eyes on things that I can’t see now
Spirit breathe like the wind come have Your way
‘Cause I know that You are
Here now… ”

Dear Lord Jesus, please be with all of the people who are hurting because they recently lost a loved one. Please comfort all of those who are suffering because of unbearable loss. Please surround them with Your embrace of love and give hope in You. Amen.

P.S. Follow He Knows Your Name on Facebook for more updates. I now post prayers on Facebook on a weekly basis. Here is the link to He Knows Your Name’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Heknowsyourname/

Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Coming Soon

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Updated on 04/02/2020:

After much consideration, due to the worldwide crisis occurring at the moment and recent  family loss (my cousin passed away tragically and unexpectedly), I have decided to postpone the launching my new blog series. I’m sorry.

Please keep following He Knows Your Name for further updates. Thank you.

Immanuel: God is with us

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Fir trees are laced with lights, tinsel, and ornaments. Lamp posts are garbed with garland and holly. Gift wrapped packages are everywhere. The music playing in stores yells “it’s the most wonderful time of year.”   

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You look around. You don’t feel very merry. The Christmas lights aren’t all that bright and the warmth of holidays just isn’t there. Maybe you are going through a difficult and dark time in your life. I don’t know what you are facing. If you are experiencing great loss, grief, pain, illness, brokenheartedness, sorrow, disappointment, depression, anxiety, stress, emptiness, fear, confusion, brokenness, family problems, work problems, deadlines, or financial hardships; then it’s okay to feel not okay. 

It’s okay if you don’t welcome the Christmas festivities. Trees, presents, and holiday foods are nice; but they are not the reason Jesus came. As the prophet, Isaiah, prophesied in the book of Isaiah, Christ came to be to “bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”

 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,” 

– Isaiah 61:1 NIV 

 Christ came so we wouldn’t have to face the pains of this world alone.  

“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”  

– Isaiah 7:14 NLT 

The same Savior, that came over two thousand years ago, is still with us; comforting our broken hearts, freeing us from bondage, and being a light to us in our darkest moments. In Matthew 28, Jesus promises to be with us always. “ … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:20 NLT 

“Emmanuel
He is still with us
We’re not alone
Here within His love
Emmanuel
He is still with us…

 Mercy is falling, falling
Lift up your hands receive it now
Here in the presence of the Lord…

Be still and know He’s in control
Here in the presence of the Lord…

Pour out your heart before Him
Open your arms He’ll hold you now
Here in the presence of the Lord..

Emmanuel
He is still with us
We’re not alone
Here within His love”

-Lyrics to Here in the Presence by Elevation Worship

  

Dear Lord Jesus, our Savior and King, we thank You for coming to earth to not only save us, but also to be with us no matter what hardships or pains we are experiencing. When our faith is dwindling and our hope seems lost, please remind us that You are still with us. You are our strong refuge and our light in the darkness. You are our comfort in depths of our pain and our anchor in the storm. Your are our warmth on the coldest of nights. You are our healer and our protector. You are our loving Father and our Prince of Peace. Please make us more aware of Your beautiful presence. Please embrace us with Your infinite love and surround us with Your all surpassing peace this Christmas and always. Amen.  

 

* Emmanuel is the Romanized version of the word “Immanuel.”

Luz en Tinieblas

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“Milagroso

 abres camino

 Cumples promesas

Luz en tinieblas

Mi Dios así eres tu…”

Este es un extracto de la letra de la canción, “Way Maker,” escrito por Osinachi Okoro. Me encanta esta canción. Nos recuerda de la fidelidad de Dios.

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 “Por la fe, Sara misma recibió fuerzas para concebir, aunque era estéril, y dio a luz, aun cuando por su edad se le había pasado el tiempo, porque creyó que era fiel quien le había hecho la promesa. Por eso también, de un solo hombre, que ya estaba casi muerto, llegó a tener una multitud de descendientes, tan numerosos como las estrellas del cielo y tan incontables como la arena que está a la orilla del mar.”

-Hebreos 11: 11-12 RVC

En Génesis 12, Dios hizo una promesa a Abraham y a Sara por medio de Abraham. “Pero Jehová había dicho a Abram: Vete de tu tierra y de tu parentela, y de la casa de tu padre, a la tierra que te mostraré. Y haré de ti una nación grande, y te bendeciré, y engrandeceré tu nombre, y serás bendición.”-Génesis 12: 1-2 RVR 1960 Años después, Dios confirmó Su promesa a Sara. Cuando esto sucedió, Sarah se rió con dudas. Génesis 18: 13-14 RVR 1960 dice: “Entonces Jehová dijo a Abraham: ¿Por qué se ha reído Sara diciendo: ¿Será cierto que he de dar a luz siendo ya vieja? ¿Hay para Dios alguna cosa difícil? Al tiempo señalado volveré a ti, y según el tiempo de la vida, Sara tendrá un hijo.” Aunque Sarah se rió con dudas, Dios aún cumplió Su promesa a ella y a Abraham. Como Sara, a veces luchamos con la duda.

Dios sigue siendo fiel!

No importa lo que pensemos o sintamos,

Dios sigue siendo fiel!

¡No importa cuáles sean las circunstancias,

 Dios sigue siendo fiel!

“Mantengamos firme, sin fluctuar, la profesión de nuestra esperanza, porque fiel es el que prometió.”

– Hebreos 10:23 RVR 1960

Si Dios fue fiel en su mayor promesa: hacer un camino para que recibamos la salvación a través de su Hijo, Jesucristo, podemos estar seguros de que cumplirá el resto de sus promesas.

Querido Señor Jesucristo, gracias por cumplir siempre Tus promesas. En medio de nuestras dudas, por favor ayúdanos a tener fe en ti y en tu fidelidad. Amén.

 

Publicado en 15 de noviembre de 2019

Posted in English on November 15, 2019

Click on the date to read this post in English.