Bible: The Best Fairy Tale Of All Times

Fairy Tales are for children: where good fights against evil and good always prevails; where small defeats the giant; where animals talk; where there's wonderful and astonishing palaces with Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Knights and Slaves; a place where impossible becomes possible; and ultimately where there's a life lived happily ever after.

Does any of these sounds reality to you? I'd say yes! Things like these are true, really. I believe the Bible is the only realistic fairy tale ever told to man. It can be the origin of all fairy tales that people are not aware of. This book compiles the best love stories a teenager wants to hear, a story of courage and bravery, of friendship and betrayal, of victory and failure, and most of all, the greatest love of God to mankind by sending His own Son Jesus to die for us and break the curse once and for all.

Let's love our Bible the way we love ourselves.

Pressed Olives

"And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of Pressed Olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually." - Exodus 27:20

The Testimony of our life weighs upon the victory we've won, the crushing we went through and the trials we've overcome. Christian walk is never without thorns and thistles. God only promised the Victory and that he carries us all the way.

Consider our lives an Olive Tree. We are planted and expected to grow where God placed us and while in the process of growing, we experience being pruned, branches cut down, drought in one season and rain in another, storms trying to uproot us and testing the very foundation of our lives. After we've overcome all these, we flourish and bud came out. The fruit of our labor starts to manifest. It grows and once matured, plucked and harvested, prepared to be crushed and pressed. Yes, crushed till the last drop of oil are extracted! It was difficult, the process was painful but in the end, we bring about the finest of oil to cause the lamp burn continually.

So whenever we feel pressed on every side - pressure from family, finances, relationships, school, ministry - consider: God is about to bring the purest of oil from us. The lamp to to burn is not only our own lamps, our passion and ministry, rather it's others' lamps. People will look on us and see good things God did into our lives and it will cause others to be encouraged, edified and moved for the greater cause. Our lives will be a value-added factor to others' lives! With this we cannot minimize the impact we can cause to the people around us. Keep the flame burning!

Alabaster Jar

Fear is in the Mind

Have you ever experienced walking along dark street where everything seems and sounds creepy: the wind is blowing cold, leaves and twigs scratching each other, cricket chirping noisily, animals howling from afar, etc.? Have you felt the tension of having goosebumps while inside the room alone feeling like someone else unseen is with you? Or have you encountered your peripheral vision deceiving you like you're seeing someone passed by your side? Creepy, eh?

I don't intend to scare, but to tell you, fear is in our mind. Our mind conceives something to which our other senses react to: having goosebumps, hearing something unusual, seeing things never existed, etc..etc. I encountered the same! And I laughed to the thought that indeed, FEAR IS IN OUR MINDS.

Some time in September 2007, we had an encounter with someone - literally someone and not a pseudo thing or an imagination - which from then on I instilled the title in my mind. I was in college then, 3rd year to count it off, we're renting as bed spacer at UEP with my sister. She had a different room though and I was with the 4J Room. Four-J to mean: Johny, Junard, Jim [me] and another "J" I already forgot. Let's make-name then, say he was Jasper (nicer name though; will edit this one when I am reminded of his name). We were in a two-decked bed. I was in the upper part and Johny was under me. Junard was in the other two-decked upper bed and Jasper was under him. The two were nearer to the door but our bed was adjacent to the door so I can easily see whoever gets in or out.

That was midnight, around 12mn - 1 am when someone was moaning quite a noise already. After few minutes, the sound got louder until someone was already shouting right inside our room!!! The voice of a guy was shouting, "Palabasin N'yo ako dito! (get me outta here!)" over and over. Then he was breaking into the door to get out, punching the wood-made wall which divided each room, and his bed! I was sitting Indian-sit in my bed and out struck. I lost for words, I was thinking, "Are we on fire?" but I couldn't smell any smoke. I started to feel uneasy so I scolded out, "JOHNY ANO YAN!? (What is it Johny?)" I could see his silhouette through the moonlight but I couldn't think of who he was. I was thinking he was Johny because he was shouting Jasper's name but underneath, Johny called up a name I didn't hear well. The thought that he wasn't Johny sank in me and I thought someone else got into our room because I can see Junard alongside in the upper bed!

What if he got a knife with him and strike us all? What if he stole something? What if we were really on fire but due to fear my senses shut down? Plenty of thoughts rushed in until Junard embarked from his bed and turn on the light. Relief  rushed through me upon seeing who the guy was. Funny thing, he was Jasper! He straightened up, fixed himself and sat in his bed still shaky and in fear. Junard opened the door which was broken because Jasper kept on pulling it without even turning the knob! People from other rooms crowded at the doorpost and even our landlord brought a gun with him. Everyone was disturbed by the incident so we asked him what happened, why he was shouting and wanting to get out, and why he was calling himself and so forth. The just said he had a dream. In his dream he was kept in a box and so wanting to get out because he felt suffocated. Sad thing was, he couldn't give any reason why he was calling his own name.

Then everyone went to bed again. I wasn't able to sleep at once and found myself writing the incident in my notebook. I lost the notebook already, glad I still have the memory. Every time I thought of this, I laugh at myself. I was scared by the thoughts, not by what was happening. And so I am convinced, we are so fearful with almost everything in life but the truth is, we're only making it up - creating ghosts we ourselves fear the most.

Jesus comforts us with this: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me." (John 14:1) so that every time we are faced with fears, doubts and worries, we will be reminded that our God is greater than all these.

♫ I Am Willing by Jeremy Camp ♫

From Passion to Transformation

<fueled by the message at Crossover, 14 October 2010 by Bishop Oriel Ballano. Dear all, as we read this note, I do pray that the Lord will speak to us, open our eyes and illumine our mind to the truth these words hold. In Jesus' Name.>

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? (James 2: 18-20)
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (v. 26)

I have encountered couple of believers who argued as to what this verses mean. Some say Faith + Work = Salvation. Others Faith alone saves, and still others it's all in our Work. Paul is clear when he wrote to the Ephesians that salvation is of Grace, it is not of our own work lest none of us should boast. It's an unmerited favor to which we should be grateful - we don't deserve it but the Father so lavished His love for us that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be the final atonement and redeem us once and for all.

In his book, James was speaking to the believers [including us, the new generation] about practically living our lives the way Christian should. A life of Faith that develops. He was straight-forward in dealing with the content of his letter, an instruction that we should not neglect. As it is, plenty of people claim to have faith, to have known God and know what Christ did at the cross. But how about a relationship with Him?

It is an exciting and exhilarating experience to know God. However, after knowing how God loves us, how He so lavished His unconditional love and prepared an abundant blessing and a great future for us, what comes next? I've heard this line that says, "It takes a pulse to fall in love, but it takes a plan to stay in love." I dare replace the "Pulse" with "EMOTION" and the "Plan" with "CONVICTION". To say it, "It takes an Emotion to Fall in Love, but it takes a Conviction to Stay in Love." Just the same with our relationship with Christ, we are at first so emotionally drawn to the fellowship, to the people, to the church, but if we haven't gone to be convicted, the word will not penetrate and will lose its power to change us. (See Parable of the Sower, Matt. 13:1-23)

If there is one person in the Bible who is remarkable in dealing with the passion he had for Jesus Christ, it's none other than Zacchaeus. (Luke 19:1-9) A person of short stature, of influence for his wealth, despised by his fellow men for being a tax collector, and most of all an empty soul yearning to know Jesus Christ. But just like Zacchaeus, we will experience hindrances that will test our commitment to Christ.

1. His Stature (v.3) He was short. We don't need to elaborate on this. Petite sounds better though but no matter how descriptive you'll be about him, there's remain a problem of his physical structure. This problem speaks of a physical hindrance. Something within us which we've become accustomed to use as excuse. But the truth is, we are just making excuses and so it deters us to know Christ more intimate. The greatest hindrance to our walk in Christ is ourselves. Along the way, we will find plenty of things to excuse from the fellowship, meeting with fellow Christians on Sundays, Cellgourps or others: it could be for not feeling well (after a night full of chatting and working and going out, unless we really are sick!), personal things to do, feeling worthless, self-pity or even sin that caught us over the week! The number can be inexhaustible. Zacchaeus had all the reason to say, "Well, am just short and I can't see him in any way. People are taller than I am." But he never did.

2. The Crowd (v.3) They are blocking him! Imagine you're caught in a traffic of people while waiting for the train (LRT/MRT) to arrive say you're in the mid station. Not only that the platform is crowded, but also the train when it arrives! Seemed like no one embarks from the train yet still another bunch of people are coming over! You won't only get irritated with the train, but also with the people pushing, stepping on your foot and all! The crowd symbolizes the external hindrances in our lives. It's a constant thing. we're living in a world where everybody or everything can be too difficult for us. That is why Jesus reminds us to "take heart! I have overcome the world!" This crowd can be our finances that disables us to step out in faith for fear of lack; our parents, relatives and friends who keep on distracting and restricting us; our work that can be very taxing and eating up all our time for God; and just the same, the list can go beyond. Zacchaeus was in it. He had the chance to excuse himself and say, "I still got collections to do, remittance to the Roman empire and all these corporate stuffs." And again, he never did.

Zacchaeus got into all these two hindrances, but he never excused himself. Instead, he transformed his PASSION to know Christ into strategic ACTION. Potential can be very useless unless it becomes a Kinetic Energy. So what he did was, he RAN ahead, and CLIMB! Knowing Christ entails our effort because God will not reveal Himself through just dreaming! We have to make a move. We have to court Him! We have to know His very intentions, what breaks Him, what He ever wanted for us.

However, after overcoming these two great hindrances, still another stood to shake him:

3. The Antagonists (v.7). People were mumbling, "He [Jesus] has gone to be the guest of a sinner." Not only did Zacchaeus suffered the disadvantage of being not blessed with a growth hormones and the crowd, he experienced the people's judgmental look! Dear friends, walking with Christ is not a bed of roses and so is walking without Him. But let's ask ourselves, which extremes do we prefer, a life of thorns with Christ or a life of thorns without Him? A life of Joy in Christ or a flickering happiness with the world?

People will be mocking us, test us and all the more. But it's comforting to know that what Christ suffered at the cross and while on the way through from His birth down to His Death and even until now far outweighs what we are about to experience in this world. Jesus said, "Whoever receives you [us] receives Me and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent me [Father]." On the other hand, "Whoever mocks you, rejects you, ridicules you, and persecutes you do the same to Me and the One who sent Me [Father]."

Take a good CHEER! We are NEVER in the Losing End!

As We STRUGGLE. . .

Biblical Passage: Genesis chapter 32

Every struggle we face is an opportunity to Encounter God. It is in this season that we find ourselves broken and in need of a Savior. Our victory over life's adversities is not because we are wise nor strong. Our victory comes from the Lord.

Jacob struggled with God and he was blessed when he stood the test. God didn't come to Jacob just to have wrestled with him. He did it on purpose! But He didn't just came by surprise and blessed Jacob either! So are all our struggles in life. When Jesus left his human status on earth, he left with a word that in this world, we will experience struggles, adversities and alike. Everything that happens to our lives is never without the knowledge of our Father. Even Job experienced life in difficulty with the all-encompassing knowledge of God.

In all these struggles, our attitude should be like that of Jacob. His words, "I will not leave you until you bless me," speaks of a yearning from God to turn the situation to his favor. What God tells us with the problem at hand? How will we learn from these? What will we become out of these? The blessing depends on how we react on the situation. The problem itself will not make or break us, but our attitude towards it does!

Looking into the words of Christ when He said, "Take heart, I have overcome the world," (John 16:33) is such a comfort to the disciples and to us who are called. Victory is WON! He is Risen from the dead! We are made automatic Conquerors through the Victory of Christ at the cross.

Jacob was changed after his encounter with God. When faced with many struggles in life, be it financial, relationships with parents, siblings, leaders, friends, etc., school, or even ourselves, we should be changed for the better after we've overcome the test because it is the only concrete manifestation of an inward victory.

Facing the Dead-End

I am with you and I will watch over you wherever you go, and i will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what i have promised you." 

- Genesis 28:15

Many times we find ourselves lost and away from the presence of the Father because of the sin that so entangles us. But looking back to the traces of our journey, God has never really left us all the way through. While we are running away, He really never allowed for us to be very far from Him. There is no point too low for God not to reach us for His hands are never short not His ears too deaf to hear. He's always able and willing to bring us back to the land He promised us.

Along the way, we will find ourselves at one time or another in the realm of discouragements, pressures one every side, persecution, ridicule, threat. But it's comforting to know that God is always at work in our lives and never will He leave us until He's done what He promised. So whenever we feel like God has already left us alone, let's first ask ourselves, "Has God fulfilled all that He has promised me?" If the answer is NO, then it's not dead end yet. We're never alone. He must be busy fixing the details of our lives...we just have to obey and submit to His will.

Like Jacob, when he received that revelation at Bethel, the first thing he did was to acknowledge God's presence in his life; then he made a commitment to the Lord. So must we. When it's dead-end zone, the only thing that drivers do is to reroute himself back. However, life has no returning point. But the way out is much easy...it's just on our knees.

Chosen Generation (Chris Tomlin)

Rich in God's Sight

What are we living for?

The question may seem aged over time for you. But when you look into it on a personal perspective, What is life to you really? What have we done to make our lives remarkably significant in our walk on earth? And the most defining of all, how do we identify ourselves here on earth?

Let's find answer in the light of the Bible:

Luke 12:13-21 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

 ¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." ¹⁴Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" ¹⁵Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
 ¹⁶And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. ¹⁷He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
 ¹⁸"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
 ²⁰"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
 ²¹"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."


>> Now if I have to ask you, "What are you lliving for?", what would be your answer?

I'd like to present to you an argument of life that has been an intricate design of man: The Desire For Wealth. No one will disagree with me when I say that wealth is not bad. In fact, all people need it and way too far, WANT it! Verse 13 describes the yearning of man for inheritance - to wealth for that matter. God did design us for something, and even if we haven't gone to a realization that Deutoronomy is right when it says that it is God who gave us the ability to produce wealth, we simply desire it for inexhaustive reasons.

Some may say that they are living for their family, to support them, provide for their needs, etc. Some may also say that they are living just to get by this life and die afterwards (Well, honest people will accept the fact of their inability to find meaning in life); others, too, may be plain to say that they live up for their dreams. There are plenty of profession helping out others: Nurses, Doctors, Philantrophies, Teachers, name it! But no matter how good your deeds and motives are, when Christ is not the center of it, you lost it's real essence!

Rich and good our "ground" may seem, it is futile if it's not lived for the glory of God! What is the "ground" you cling and attached yourself too tight? Your profession? Your money? Your title? Your position, power and influence? Do any of these depicts how we identify our life? Solomon had it all, but in Ecclesiastes he wrote, "Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly Meaningless!...the Conclusion of the Matter is this: Obey the Lord, and Serve Him Only."

We may have all we desire on earth, but for what it's worth if we gain the whole world yet lose our own Soul? Thanks for reading this blog but before I end this up, I want to leave you a question to ponder: "Are you rich in the sight of God or only in the sight of men?"

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Peace in the midst of trials

BARE. That's what I can say about the title of this discussion. BARE, PLAIN, but is the most SIGNIFICANT agendum anyone would love to have.

Monday, 23 August 2010, I officially started my first day at Divelink Resort Manila Sales Office as a part time Bookkeeper. I am still connected to Makansutra Asian Food Village though as a bookkeeper there (at Manila Ocean Park), just behind Quirino Grandstand where the hijacking of Chinese nationals happened. Since I am a part timer of Divelink, I have all the chances of visiting Makan for some important turn-over and other things to do which already piled up over the weekend and my absences.

Having no knowledge of the hijacking, I made a phone call to my co-employee from Manila Ocean Park accounting dep't. (who is to replace me at Makan). From her I learned of the incidence going on outside the company. I took it very lightly, thinking it was just a prank for me not to drop by. But I came to realize, she wouldn't just do that. And boom! It was real. Praise God I didn't proceed to MOP.

It is not everyday that we face this kind of tragedy though, but small or big it may seem to one's perspective, we face moments where our security is threatened - personal security or the country's line of defense.

Prophesy was already made, In 2 Timothy chapter 3 is says there, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have NOTHING to do with THEM" ;

The incidence marked a stain of history in our dear country. As a Filipino, it left me the impression that even the most people we trust to bring us security, peace and justice can be the one giving us tragic times as this. Am not generalizing the entire policemen though, I couldn't be fair to them if I would! But am laying an argument that really, "EVIL LURKS IN A HUMAN HEART LIKE A VIPER IN ITS HOLE." We see that people can have the tendency to do things we never really imagine. That is why it is very important to be bathed and be borne in the Word of God, having an OLD SELF crucified with CHRIST.

I am now working at the sales office of a resort, and we can be affected by what happened. We cannot, however question the apprehensions of the other countries especially those Chinese people. Their government is only laying a norm of security to their people, like a hen covers her chicks under her wings. But security is never earned by being confined to a certain place. We can be secured even in the midst of battle. We can be at peace even if the whole world is raging against us.

Our PEACE, Our HOPE is under the shadow of the ALMIGHTY.

As Psalm 91 says,

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling — even the Lord, who is my refuge —

then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angles concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation. 

"JESUS SAVES!"

Walking down the Katigbak Pkwy in front of Quirino Grandstand yesterday, Friday, 8 October 2010, a certain crusade which was being organized caught my attention. I was about to visit Makansutra to finally do my clearance form the company. I changed my mind upon seeing the thick cloud covering the city and the wind blowing furiously that the dust it blown made me cough.

A considerable number of people were gathered at Quirino Grandstand. Women wearing Saya and men in long and short sleeves polo were over the place and still others were coming. I wonder who they were and from what sect they could be. Later did I know that these people were from Jesus Miracle Crusade.

"JESUS SAVES!" This powerful words caught my enthusiasm to stop and intently pay attention to the pictures posted on the wall of the grandstand. News like "Hostage freed in Mindanao" did an impact on me. I smiled at the thought. It was ironic tht the news and the words written above were there just in front of the very spot where the hostage taking last August 23 took the lives of Chinese nationals and the hostage taker himself.

Could this same words be in the heart of those families whose loved ones suffered the cruelty of death? Will the proclamation of God's saving grace int that crusade make them realize that indeed God is the God of miracles? We can't tell. While I delve at the thought, God impressed in me the verse in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

I realize it's not for us to question why certain things happen so favorably to one and unfavorably to the others. For the Lord sends rain to both the righteous and the wicked.

All the way through, God again impressed in me the story of Daniel's friends; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3). The story tells that King Nebuchadnezzar put up a statue to which all shall bow down and worship upon hearing the sound of musical instruments. If anyone caught not doing as instructed shall be placed to a blazing furnace.

The three friends were caught not following the King's command and the news were brought to him. Nebuchadnezzar was furious and so summoned the three Godly men and commanded to bow down and worship the idol. When faced with the King's presence, they replied with courage: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." And God did saved them!

Many times we faced with the temptations to compromise, to question God, to be bitter towards him. King Nebuchadnezzar appear in many forms. He could be our problems which we thought we cannot solve the right way and so we compromise (our tithes, relationships, etc.) He could play the role of our parents, relatives and friends questioning the very relationship we have with the Savior thus leading us to a lose heart and fall away. Or he could be the finger of the enemy poking at us whenever we make a mistake.

The attitude of the three friends made a big difference to the situations and it did touch the heart of the Lord. God saved them! There is promotion in our Faithfulness. When confronted with a problem, it should be our attitude that God is able to save us...and even if He doesn't, we will still stand upright! I love the line from Facing the Giant that says, "If we win, we'll praise God; and if we lose, we'll Praise God!" It doesn't change anything. Whether winning and losing, we'll Praise Him!

After all,
 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 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." - Romans 8:35-39

Looking through the Lens of Grace

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" - Genesis 18:14a

The story goes when the Lord promised Abraham that he will be a Father of all nations and his wife Sarah will bear him a child. Sarah overheard from the three visitors that indeed she will conceive a child in her old age while Abraham had already been worn out.  She laughed at what she heard and so questioned in herself the ability of the Lord to make miracles.

Oftentimes we act like Sarah did. When faced with a promise from the Bible, we reckoned if such can ever happen to us with the situation at hand. We look at the promise with the eyes of the present situation. Whenever we do that, we limit the hands of the living God to do great and marvelous things into our lives and so frustrates ourselves.

"Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" Let us ask ourselves once more, "Is there?" The Bible tells us that the things of the past is written to teach us. They are written accounts of the goodness of the Lord to those He pleases to bless. May the lives of the characters in the Bible remind us that indeed God is the God who makes miracles and still doing miracles after miracles to our lives.

God's sustaining grace is never far from us. It's always just an arms-length. We only need to be still and trust Him while He's busy working out the details of our lives. This is not the time to hold everything with our bare hands and play superman. It's time to look into out lives through the lens of God's grace. As he said, "My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

I'm Not Cool ..the coolest song ever!

Blessed to Bless

"I will make you into a great nation and I will BLESS you; I will make your name great and you will be a BLESSING. I will bless those you bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you." - Genesis 12:2-3

You cannot give what you do not have. The principle stands true even when it comes to becoming a blessing to other people. God did not bless us just to satisfy our personal needs and wants. No, in all these, there is a purpose for being a blessed person. And if we desire to bless others, we must be connected to the source of blessing and experience the blessing Himself.

Moses wrote, "Choose Blessing!" Who else doesn't want to be blessed after all? Nobody wants suffering but most of us already experienced the fangs of starvation, the agony of torture and sickness, the demeaning of ones self  due to failures one after another. It's inevitable. But we can do something about it. As I mentioned, we only need to be connected to the source of blessing. It is only in His presence that we find true peace despite the raging seas crashing against our shore of comfort, love in the midst of havoc and conflict, hope in the middle of wilderness.

When God promised to bless Abram, He didn't just bless him but also destined him to be a blessing. However, looking into the promise, God didn't say you will be a blessing and I will bless you. It doesn't work vis-a-vis. The river do not go up to the falls, but the falls flow through the river and onto the vast ocean. Our lives are only instrument of God to release the blessing to other people.

The promise [of Blessing] comes by Faith (Romans 4:16) for without Faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrew 11:6). Receiving the promise is through pleasing God thru Faith. Had Abram did not believe in God to fulfill it, the promise could never materialize. Same as true with us. If we want to experience blessing, we must have faith and not doubt, believing that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him and He who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23).

We may not have enough to share to others, but being faithful with the little that we have now can touch the heart of our Living God to bless us. I believe God blesses His people gradually. He doesn't just pour them all out on us because He wants to test us in the area of our faithfulness. We don't need to be a multimillionaire before we desire to serve Him. We don't need to have it all and got the whole world in our hands to extend a hand to others. For what profit for a man if he gains the whole yet forfeits his soul? The blessing is not a winner-takes-it-all kind of promise. God allows us to enjoy what we have now and exercise the passion to bless with it. Let us be reminded by the Proverb 30: 7-9, "Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."

Therefore, let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9

On Becoming A Servant

..here I am again. Trying to pen my thoughts into something senseful but laziness takes a grip on me. Thanks for this blog, less paper, less ink, less effort! Am just reminded of the message last night at the Crossover. I believe it did confirm my devotional last week, Monday I guess (I don't have my note with me). I was led me to the story when Jesus Christ himself washed the disciples' feet: A LIFE OF SERVICE (John 13:1-20)

How far have I gone into serving other people, friends, especially my family - biological and the christian family? "Never enough," I told myself. Whatever we've done and desire to do can never surpass what Jesus Christ did for us. Yes, all our effort in service is never in vain, but coming to a point of the kind of service He himself shown, we all fall short.

This truth should be our one compelling purpose in serving people. It is not an effort to repay Him (because definitely we can't out-give Him), but a response to His goodness and love He lavished on us. Not to return the favor to people, but to pay forward the favor God showered on us.

Service must be our Life. The thing is, how do we serve? What are the things God gave us so we can be of service to many. How do we use our Treasure, Talent and Time? Whenever we serve, we are never at the losing end. The God who sees our labor whether in secret or in public shall repay us accordingly.

Only Him, Who is Everything!

because of God who created the heaven and the earth,

i am here.

because of His divine love that is parted to us,

i am still standing.

because of His divine holiness,

i am walking in His will for me.

because He save me,

i will stay in His presence.

No matter what the circumstances that may come and challenge me,

i am going to survive in this chaotic and decaying world.

Only Him, who is everything!

What do we do when the lights go down?

"WHAT DO WE DO WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN??"

worth self-assessing isn't it??. ano nga ba ang ginagawa natin when the lights go down?? i want to share to you some of the things i've learned from the message/ actually i took down notes  kasi mejo tuma--ah,,eh..tanda na yata tayo.(some of the highlights lang naman,,you see,i can't catch up with the speaker,he speaks so fast palibhasa native language nya ang English>>>Dr. James O. Davis).. age is just a number daw though.

Light..Darkness..in a Christian community, these words come into different connotations. it may refer to a literal light, something that penetrates the eye thru our retina (am i right nurses??), and darkness, the absence of the former. it may also mean good and evil, or a certain situation in life..that is, light to mean smooth going, prosperous, happy, abundant life..and darkness to mean down, failure, problematic, stressful way of living. name it for yourself..you will eventually find yourself into the bosom of these two words. Let us ask ourselves first, when do we pray the most??is it when we are in good condition or when we are sick??when do we read the Bible the most??is it when everything goes well for us or when things go wrong along our way??i finally come to realize that even i, myself have never escaped the weight of the answer to these questions hold..nakakalungkot pala isipin. But praise be to God for He never stopped loving this undeserving person..\\

These are the highlights of the topic. (might be useful in time.)

 1. Those of deepest devotion sometimes go thru deepest darkness (Faith's Devotion). no matter how strong we may become in our spiritual life,we can never be free from darkness of life..to mean,problems,failures,pains,etc. for even Job whom God finds delight for being a true and faithful servant experienced it. It is in times of darkness that we learn the most.

2. The faith that is born in the light, develops in the dark (Faith's Development)..we don't live our lives by explanations,nor by people or circumstances, we walk by God's promises. It is thru darkness that we learn the value of what we have in the light. we learn from the light, and we use it when darkness comes. 

3. There are things that can be seen in the dark that cannot be seen in the light (Faith's Discernment) when darkness come,we tend to think that God has already left us..nangangapa sa dilim. But it is thru darkness that we see stars, the moon, the luminous light of a firefly..the beauty that darkness has can never be seen in the light. knowing this, we should be grateful to God for experiencing darkness in our lives because we learn to appreciate His provision, His guidance, His magnificent work in our lives. He holds it with His mighty hands, and knowing that darkness is never dark for Him makes all the difference. 

4. It is better to stand alone in God's ordained darkness than stand in self-made light.(Faith's Danger)..we are taught, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (prov.3:5).this means we should not rely on our knowledge and wisdom..But it doesn't mean we should not use it! it says that some things are tougher than we thought and these are beyond our capability to handle. thus,we need to trust Him. know that if He holds us with His hands in the light, He'll do the same in the dark. Don't think you are standing lest you fall. that's the essence of it! it is better to experience being beaten on every side if this would lead to your spiritaul growth than play safe and remain idle, stagnant (eventually you'll stink)! lastly, 

5. If your sun has gone down, it will come back again! (Faith's Daybreak)..there's always a sunset after the night. we know that the darkest part of the night is a few hours before daybreak. but even if we're at it,always remember the daybreak is coming soon for us. The lyrics of the song tells it, "there's a rainbow always after the rain"..similarly, your sun will shine down again on you. That even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil for the lord our God is with us! Cheer up, Child of the Living God!!!

GET THE FIELD READY!!!

Prosperity is one thing that everyone loves to experience. after all, who wants to be poor?? this issue has become so prevalent that even the least business minded person minds it! i believe it's God's will for every child of Him to have an abundant life. not just experience it for a moment then gone with the wind afterward but have it to the fullest till it overflows (John 10:10).

Hardwork is one of the ingredients to success as they say. it is indeed, the Bible tells us not to feed those who do not labor. but while we are busy doing our own thing, to get our own desires, to fulfill our dreams and all that we aspire, we forget that hardwork without God in it will not lead us anywhere. it all amounts to nothing! a saying puts it, "a man for the sake of getting a living forgets to live." true indeed..we forget that the best way of living is to enjoy it and to mind the business of the Lord in our lives.

i cannot say that i'm already prosperous, but if you measure prosperity not on material things, money and all that, i believe i am. i want to share something about the topic today that i hope would somehow encourage the reader of my blog. and as we meditate on it, let's learn from it, and pray that the Lord will help us apply it in our lives.

First thing to bear in our mid, PROSPERITY comes from the Lord, and it is His idea. He is our provider (Phil. 4:19). with the issue of prosperity comes the issue of security, significance and satisfaction. that when we have plenty of money we are secured. our future is secured so to speak. but security is never found through it because definitely, the more that you have money, the more danger you encounter against the greediness of other people. secondly, sabi nga nila, "pag wala kang pera wala ka ring kaibigan." it holds true sometimes, to some extent because others find you nice to be with. another lie of the enemy because  your being you is not relative to what you have. and thirdly, having plenty of material possessions-money for that matter-will not make us satisfied. it only leads to another cravings and stilll another and another. it is only through the Lord that we find true satisfaction. afterall, He is the source of everything!

there are certain laws of the Bible on how to be prosperous: 

law#1, ASK IN FAITH. Matthew 7 says, Ask and it will be given to you. another, James 4:2, you do not have because you do not ask. these only mean that whatever we want in our lives, somebody else owns it and all we have to do is to ask for it! 

law#2, SEEK FOR OPPORTUNITIES. let's not be misinformed, God doesn't just give you what you asked for by making it fall on your lap. money doesn't just rain on you, you have to earn it, work doesn't just call you, you have to apply and seek for it. the Lord only gives us the ability, the faculties to be used to get what we desire. (deutoronomy 8:17-18).

law#3, GOD IS NOT MOVED BY OUR NEEDS, HE IS MOVED BY OUR HEARTS. He sees the very need that we have but He looks even more in our hearts. readiness to receive God's blessings matters. more people are destroyed by wealth than poverty does! when our hearts are ready to receive it, God provides a way for us to have it! how then do we know that we are ready?? 1. when we have accepted that we don't own our possessions (Psalms 24:1). everything in this world belongs to Him and created for His glory alone..not ours! 2. when we are a good steward (Prov. 10:22).

Law#4, DIE BROKE. whatever we have, we cannot bring it to where we are going. we can't bring it to heaven!!! they're unnecessary.

the thing that i want to share today is that, prosperity comes and starts from our heart. to tell you a story, there were two farmers who keeps praying for the Lord to send them rain so they can plant crops. the two prayed so hard, but only one of them prepared his fields. who do you think has a greater faith?? similarly, if our fields, our hearts are ready for the blessings, then it will come by all means!! have our fields ready for God's provision, because it's gonna be a year of harvest. He wants us to delve into another level of life. an abundant one.

God bless you.

Review for CPA Board Exams

I never intended it to work that way. All I thought i could make it to the finish line but I gave up. I was at first enthusiastic of the review but eventually I got tired of attending. Maybe because i got bored of the instructors but the thing that affected me most is that I was not able to attend Sunday Services which is very crucial to me. So I stopped! I was not very proud of my decision but i already did it. No one to blame even myself (So please stop nagging me!).

I paid only miscellaneous for the first review because of the scholarship I had for graduating with honors (Praise God!) Well, whether i use it or not, the scholarship just expires after a period of 1 year. No worries, small amount during that time. But now, I decided (I mean really decided) to take the proper review and eventually the CPA board exams on May 2011. It's all because I believe God wants me not just to be a minister in words to the people He lend me to handle at church but also be a living testimony of His goodness thru passing the CPA Board Exam. I understand there's a risk. And two extremes may happen - pass or fail (Conditional sounds better though). But am not considering the latter though the former isn't always what happens even if you're a Christian. There are tests - in attitude, in persevering to the work He laid at hand, to my character all in all.

This time, I know it will not be as good as I imagined it. There will still times of discouragements leading to the thoughts of giving up, pressures in all sides, and a lot more vibes. But am confident that I can hold on the Hope I profess now because I can always trust God to keep His promise. This is for HIS glory alone, not mine, not my parent's or friends', but to His glory alone.