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Status: In a Relationship…. with God
February 18, 2012It is true that a lot of Filipinos go to church, it is also true that Filipinos are prayerful. Well, let me tell you something, going to church and praying are not enough. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to discourage you from going to church or praying. Doing those things are good but there are other things one needs to do in order to develop a relationship with God.
- Pay attention to what the pastor/priest says.
-Filipinos go to church, there is no question regarding that. I am not a Catholic but since I study at a Catholic school, I am obliged to attend their mass. I have noticed that the priests actually give good messages; the messages might be a bit short but they are inspiring. However, not everyone listens. Some attendees have other businesses that they discuss with their seatmates. Therefore, even when the messages are good, not everyone is able to appreciate them.
In our church, the pastor prepares a message and handouts are given to the congregation. There are blanks on those handouts and as our pastor tells us about God’s message, we fill those blanks. I also try to take down notes during the service, that way, even after it’s finished, I can meditate on God’s words and also add some of my thoughts related to them. Of course, I am not saying that every church in the Philippines should have the same kind of system, I am also not telling everyone to take down notes during the service/mass/or whatever you call it, what I am pinpointing out is that Filipinos should not just sit down or stand up or kneel down when they are in church, we should all listen so that we can apply God’s words in our lives.
- Don’t just pray, pray from the heart.
- Since a lot of Filipinos are Catholics, they pray the prayers they have just memorized. Those prayers are nice but once memorized, it seems that they are only praying with their lips and not with their hearts. The Lord’s prayer is a very good prayer but Jesus only said “you should pray like this…” not “you should pray this…” Therefore, Jesus was saying that his prayer is a guide. When praying one should keep these 4 things in mind: Adoration, Confession, Thanskgiving and Supplication. Thus, when making your own prayer what you need to do first is to give praises to God, then confess your sins and ask for forgiveness, give thanks, and finally, tell God about your requests.. Requests don’t have to be personal. It’s actually God’s will for you to pray for others. As you pray for others, the blessings you ask to come their way will also come yours and you’ll even be blessed more.
- Read the Bible.
- Reading the Bible will allow you to develop a better relationship with God because the texts that are in the Bible are His words. It will also allow you to have a stronger faith and it could be a form of a personal encounter with God. By reading the Bible, you will know the truth and you will be able to know how to face each day of your life according to God’s words. The Bible is also inspiring and it will motivate you to do good things towards other people.
- Love God and love other people.
- Those are the two greatest commandments. If you love God and make Him number one in your life, you can be certain that the enemy won’t be able to harm you.
There are a lot of other things that you need to do like fasting, tithing, etc. However, those things can be found when you do number 3. Also, reading the Bible will make you realize that it is God’ s will for you to have a heavenly life even here on earth. Look at psalm 144:13 “Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields.” Let us all work hand in hand to destroy the barrier between God’s blessing and our lives; the heaven is open and our barns will be filled if we will only learn how to place God above all.
The Love that is Agape
February 13, 2012- Love is patient .
- Love is kind.
- Love knows no envy.
- Love is not boastful.
- Love is not proud.
- Love is not rude.
- Love is not self-seeking.
- Love is not easily angered.
Since it is heart’s day tomorrow (Philippine Time), let us delve into the real meaning of love as stated in the Bible…
John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (KJV)
The real mark of a follower of Christ is his/her ability to love.
LOVE- hallmark of spirituality
We have to stop thinking of love as something that suddenly comes to our lives and as something that is uncontrollable. Love is not attraction. It is attraction which is uncontrollable, love is controllable because it is a choice.
Deuteronomy 30:20
“That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him………..” (KJV)
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (KJV)
The word “love” has four implications in Greek. Agape is the love of God. Fileo is a child’s love to his/her parents. Eros is erotic love. Esporge is love for friends.
The love being described in the Bible is Agape.
Love is patient as God is patient. Hence, we should always be patient to others, especially to those we love if we really love them.
There is a difference between a good Christian and a kind Christian. A good Christian goes to church and avoids sin. A kind Christian cannot stop his/her self from helping others because his/her heart goes out to them. Thus, he/she shares the Word of God and reminds others of the Love of God.
Love is being happy for the success of other people. It is being grateful that something good happened to the ones we love.
Love is not praising one’s self but being more aware of the positive virtues of others.
Luke 17:1
Then said he unto the disciples, it is impossible but that offenses will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come.(KJV)
This verse means that one cannot help but be offended and offend.
Humble people do not need offenders to apologize to them to be able to forgive. They forgive with their hearts even if the people who did them wrong did not say sorry.
Don’t try to forgive people if Jesus is not in your life, it would be TOO DIFFICULT for you. Only God can change you and transform you. It is only with the help of God that you can do extraordinary things like forgiving.
2 Timothy 2:24-26
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (KJV)
If you don’t forgive people, you fall into the devil’s trap.
Love is graceful and charming.
Don’t be tactful. (ouch) Always think before you speak. (ehem) Even when you apologize after you say something bad, there is still a chance that the people you have hurt with your words would not forget what you have said, especially if Jesus is not in them as they would continuously hurt and hate you for what you have said.
A lot of people are in need, you have to realize that you are here to help those people.
The big problem that our planet faces is selfishness.
Corruption, environmental destruction, war, poverty, crime, single-parenthood, broken homes, etc. are caused by SELFISHNESS.
Love is wanting others to feel good, not seeking for personal pleasure.
A person who is in Christ should always have his/her temper under check.
As God fills a person, he/she becomes less of his/her self. Hence, if you are in Christ and Christ is in you, you should learn how to control your temper. When you lose your temper, you lose everything while when you master your temper, you’ll master almost everything.
When someone did something bad to you, what comes out of your mouth?
Remember, hurting words can kill.
(this entry is an excerpt of the message in our church yesterday)
2 Timothy 2:24-26
November 2, 2011
2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel, instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth and that they will come to their sense and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
As a servant of God, it is our duty to do His will, which is to share His words or His love to others. As Christians, it is our responsibility to declare the scriptures to people, to tell unbelievers about God and about His promises and teachings in the Bible, in the hope that they will also come to Him and acknowledge Jesus as their Savior and as God. However, to do that responsibility and play the role of a Christian in this world is never easy. In fact, it is evident that nowadays, there are more unbelievers than believers, correct me if I am wrong but I think that has always been the case. That is also the reason why we, Christians, are sometimes or most of the time disheartened to announce the word of God. Some foolish ones even tend to quarrel with those who oppose their ideas and beliefs, with those who have different faith and with those who cannot accept God as their hearts are hardened and their eyes are blinded by the enemy, giving a bad image to real Christians. But the Bible tells us that if we are servants of the Lord, we must not quarrel. We MUST be kind to everyone, which is also another difficult thing to do and to be. I know it is never easy to have someone oppose your position in your face but when it comes to being a Christian, we should always be extra-careful. We carry the name of God and we should act according to what we call ourselves: CHRISTIANS. Therefore, we must be like Christ. Now, what we need to do when we encounter people who do not want to listen to our statements about God and His words is to be gentle in instructing them and to pray about them. That is what the Bible tells us after all. We have to include them in our prayers and we have to gently tell them that their view is thwarted. If we don’t do that, it would sound as if we are shoving our beliefs in their throat and no one would listen to us; even though our intentions were good in the beginning, the effort we exerted and the opportunity we got to share the words of God would only be thrown in the trash. Anyway, no misunderstandings would take place if we will all speak in a gentle and proper way; thus, we should always be careful with how we speak and how we deliver messages, especially if we are engaged in the work of trying to make disciples of every nation. We have to remember that people would reject God not because of their will but because of the will of the enemy who has been blinding them and fooling them from the beginning. We should keep in mind that our enemies are not the unbelievers but the devil. Our battle has always been spiritual and we should do our best to win it with the help of God and for the kingdom of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
October 30, 2011
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quite life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
As Christians, we are already aware of the fact that we do not live for ourselves but for God. We exist to give Him praise, glory and to fulfill His purpose for us. One of the most common things that God wants us to do is to share the word of God to others. In my case, I like to refer to the word of God as the love of God for indeed, it is by His words that we feel loved although we face challenges. Since by knowing God, I feel His love, I am impelled to also share His words to others so that they as well can experience His love. However, I know that my behavior would definitely affect my will to share God’s love to others. Although the words I would refer to are actually God’s words (His promises found in the Bible), people would not listen to me if they know that I am living a troublesome life. If they do not see me doing things I am supposed to do, like obeying my parents when they ask me to do chores for example, they would not be encouraged with what I am saying even if I would quote the best verse in the Bible. Their hearts would be covered and their minds would be narrowed as they would only notice the dark blotch they see in my life. Hence, if I want to be an effective Christian who efficiently shares the word of God, I should lead a quite life, which means that I should stay out of trouble and only positively influence people. This also means that I should be careful to choose who I hang out with and treat each and every individual properly. Also, I should mind my own business, avoid listening to gossips and hanging around busybodies and I must also make sure that I do not give a false or an unproven testimony about someone else. In addition to that, I should work with my own hands. This implies that I should not be dependent on anyone but on God and on myself. I need to be dependent on God because He is actually the only one I can totally trust and rely on, but my faith would not be enough if I do not put it into actions, thus, I, myself, should also work. By being careful to live that kind of life, being sensitive to how others feel and how my actions would affect them and being blessed by God as I work with my hands, I would not need to convince people that they should listen to me when I tell them about God’s words, because they, themselves, will come to me and be curious of why I am blessed by God, loved by the people I care for and respected by those who do not really know me. With that, I am sure that once I share the word of God to them, the devil would not be able to do anything to block their minds and hearts in accepting Jesus Christ as their savior and deciding to live their life to please God.
“Born to Win”
October 23, 2011
“Born to Win” (Ipinanganak upang Magtagumpay)
Firepower Ministries – October 16 & 23, 2011
Intro: We are created to win. We are all born to win. Since we are created in the image of God, we are born winners. Who in this life would like to lose? In the morning when you get up, do you pray for failure or for triumph?
WHAT IS DEFEATED LIFE? (Ano ba ang buhay na talunan?)
A life without fruit. (Buhay na walang bunga.)
John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be disciples.
God created you for His purpose and glory, not for your own.
A life without power. (Buhay na walang kapangyarihan.)
Acts 1:8 But you will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.
The power of God should be displayed in your life.
A life without a positive influence. (Buhay na walang mabuting impluwensya.)
You are supposed to influence others in a positive way. You should be a channel of blessings to others.
A life dominated by the flesh. (Buhay na kontrolado ng laman.)
Deny yourself. You should live according to the desires of the Holy Spirit. Do not just feed your body, feed your soul.
A life directed at times by Satan. (Buhay na napapa-ilalim pa din sa gawa ni Satanas.)
Nobody should direct your life but God alone. Your life is not your own in the first place, it is God’s.
A life dictated by the world. (Buhay na dinidiktahan pa din ng sanlibutan.)
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
You have a choice whether to obey the Godly system or the worldly system. If you obey the latter, God’s blessing, protection and guidance would not be with you.
Four things that Will Change the Game: (Apat na Bagay na Magbabago ng Labanan.)
1.Faith that gives you victories in battles .
(Pananampalataya na nagbibigay ng tagumpay sa labanan.)
1 John 5:4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
1 Juan 5:4 Sapagkat ang sinumang ipinanganak ng Diyos ay dumadaig sa sanlibutan at ito ang tagumpay na dumadaig sa sanlibutan, ang ating pananampalataya.
What are the battles in life?
a.Against temptation b. Against gigantic problems c. Against yourselves
Accepting Christ will bring you to heaven but you need to have the faith that overcomes the world by being born of God to overcome the world and to win over problems.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs— heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Do you know where you are going after you die? Your answer to this question will prove whether you are a child of God or not. If you are not sure that you will go to heaven, then you are NOT a child of God. If you are not a child of God, you are a child of the devil, you are a slave to sin.
Since God gave you free will, you have the privilege in making the last say in everything that happens to you.
“What is ahead of us and what is behind us are insignificant compared to what we have inside of us.”
- Never make your past an excuse for the problems you have now. What happened to you before does not matter, what matters is what is inside your heart.
Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
We should not only desire the power of Jesus, we should also desire his character. We should pray to be more like Him. Learn to love others as Jesus love. Always see the good things about others.
2.Faith that amazes Jesus.
(Pananampalataya na nagpapahanga kay Hesus.)
Two things that amazed Jesus (Dalawang bagay na gumulat kay Hesus.)
- Unbelief (Kawalan ng Pananampalataya)
Mark 6:6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Marcos 6:6 Nangilalas siya sa kanilang hindi pagsampalataya.
- Simple Faith (Simpleng Pananampalataya)
Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”
Lukas 7:9 Nang marinig ni Jesus ang mga bagay na ito ay namangha siya sa kanya. Lumingon siya at sinabi sa maraming tao na sumusunod sa kanya, “Sinasabi ko sa inyo, maging sa Israel ay hindi pa ako nakakita ng ganito kalaking pananampalataya.”
Having faith is not seen in being religious; it is seen in acting like Jesus, in trying to be like God. You should have a faith like that of a child. Christ is not concerned about the miracles you make; He’s concerned about your faith. The quality of your faith reveals what is inside your heart.
The quality of faith that God wants – faith that allows God to do what is right in your life even when it is not what you want.
3.Faith that can be seen.
(Pananampalataya na maaaring makita.)
Matthews 9:2 Some men brought him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Mateo 9:2 Dinala nila sa kanya ang isang lumpo na nakaratay sa isang higaan. Nang makita ni Hesus ang kanilang pananampalataya, sinabi niya sa lumpo, “Anak, lakasan mo ang iyong loob, pinatawad na ang iyong mga kasalanan.”’
Jesus told the man that his sins are forgiven and thus, he is healed. This shows that Jesus knows that the root of all problems, whether physical and emotional, is spiritual sickness, spiritual weakness. (sin)
Have you done anything for others that Jesus saw?
- Some people (those we love and care for) cannot come to Jesus; hence, we must do it for them.
Spending quality time with God is a faith that can be seen. (prayer, fasting, reading the Bible)
“Your behavior is a reflection of what you truly believe.”
- When you are not in church, what kind of a person are you?
- What do your friends say about you?
If you are a Christian, then you should act as a Christian.
A little trivia: According to a survey, only 1 out of 10 dreamers will have his or her dreams come true.
- It is because only one of them will make the decision to trust God and follow that dream.
Faith- verb, active –always moving forward
James 2:26 As the body without spirit is dead so faith without deeds is dead.
Faith- saying sorry for your sins/inequities and then showing God that you truly regret committing them by not repeating that sin/inequity
4.Faith that increases continuously.
(Pananampalataya na patuloy na lumalago/lumalaki.)
Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
Lukas 17:5 Sinabi ng mga apostol sa Panginoon, “Dagdagan mo ang pananampalataya namin.”
- Context: forgiving 70×7 times
- Small faith can do this
Your faith (your life) should LEVEL UP!!
Most of the time, when God asks us to do something, we think that our faith is not enough for it. However, Jesus said that even with a small faith, we can do whatever God asks us to do. The quality, not the quantity of faith, matters. A small faith has a good quality when it is used accordingly.
How can faith increase? (quality-wise)
- By using it through relationships
- By forgiving, loving
- When it becomes a faith that others can find favor from.
– quotations and original lesson from Ptr. Rudy Fernandez
– additional explanations by me. 
Have a blessed week everyone!