Check Your Heart

It's not always about our prayers.  Sometimes, even when we pray with all our might, it still seems that God is far away from us.  That no matter how we kneel in front of God and cry our hearts out God keeps quiet.  Why?

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. (Psalm 66:18-19, NIV)

Cherished.  The dictionary defines this word as something we hold dear, something we nurture or care for dearly.  Something we could not let go.

It's not always about praying to God.  Prayer, just like any form of communication, is a two way thing.  God answers when we have the right motives.  God answers when we don't have any sin that we let linger in our lives.  God is not silent.  He hears you and it breaks His heart when He can't answer your prayer because of what you're still holding.

What is it that you can't let go?  Is it lying?  Smoking?  Are you holding on to a relationship that you know doesn't please God?  Check your heart and let it go.

Let God break you so He can make you.  Surrender your sins to Him today.

Indescribable

God is higher than anything and anyone, outshining everything you can see in the skies. Who can compare with God, our God, so majestically enthroned, surveying his magnificent heavens and earth?  He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,  rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash,  seats them among the honored guests,  a place of honor among the brightest and best. (Psalm 113:4-8, The Msg)

Don't Ask to Walk on Water

God has a weird sense of humor. Nobody knows why He hides His glory behind turbulence. Right now, we're right smack in the middle of one. And God, weird as it may seem, is definitely in control.

You see my brother, whom I miss so much, wandered a bit from the family. He was testing his wings and checking out the view from the other field and he's somewhere out there trying to make a name for himself. And just like everyone else in this world, he has his good times and he also has a taste of his bad times. Right now is just the worst of his bad times. Totally negative.

You see God allowed Him to do whatever he pleased. That is called permissive will.

In Matthew 14:22-23, the disciples saw Jesus walk on water. Peter, being the competitive geek that he is, asked Jesus if he can walk on water too. Jesus allowed him to do so. Peter walked on water although it was not the original intention. Permissive will.

But permissive will is dangerous and not rooted in stronger foundation. That is why as soon as Peter saw the wind, he got scared and immediately cried out for help. He called on to Jesus.

You see there will come a time in our lives when God may grant us our prayers if only for us to realize that it's not His plan for us. He will let us feel what we want to feel but truthfully in the end, His plan will always prevail. When God gives you what you want, your scary wind will soon come and threaten you. I don't know why most, if not all of us, take this route when it's safer to just abide by God's will for our lives.

In the end, you will still call on to Jesus. Know however that He is more than prepared to reach out His hand to you and save you. He's just waiting for you to acknowledge that you shouldn't have asked to walk on water in the first place.

When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!" 

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. 

 So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.  

“Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” (Matthew 14:26-31, NLT)

Trust that God has the perfect plan for your life. Abide in Him for apart from God, you can do nothing (John 15:5).

Guess Who's Watching You

Have you ever felt tired of serving just because nobody notices what you do? My former boss, Kitkat, the best boss in the world, was never stingy on commendation. She notices even the littlest of my accomplishments and improvements at work and commends it immediately. This helped boost my morale and inspired me more to do better.

But what if no one spots your achievement? What if you continue working in your own little space, make very good progress yet at the end of the day no one notices? Ministry life can also be like this. Workers can go unappreciated by the very people you serve in the name of the Lord.

Well, I have great news for you. While the people around you may not be aware of what you do, God is watching you. He knows.

I have better things in mind for you -- salvation things! God doesn't miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you've shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it. (Hebrews 6:10, MSG)

God sees what you do, He knows the intention of your heart and He is proud of you. I would personally like the God of all creation to be proud of me than get the approval of the people around me.

And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them. (Hebrews 6:11-12, MSG)

Don't Wait in Vain

A traffic light timer is there so you know how long you need to stop. I actually like it because it tells me if I could still send a text message or update a Twitter post while waiting. It's easy to wait when you have an idea of what you're looking forward to.

We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV)

But not seeing what you're waiting for is exasperating, especially when you're waiting on a promise. You know it's gonna happen, you believe it will come, you have envisioned it but right now it just doesn't seem obtainable.

And it's harder to wait when at this moment there's a struggle. I personally find it hard to focus on the promise when I'm facing hardships. I know this too, shall pass, but what I'd like to know is when. But the answer is not always available. Enter: faith.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. (Hebrews 11:24-25, NIV)

Moses decided that he would face his challenges rather than find a shortcut to a comfortable life. He refused the wealth and privilege given to him by his title.  He knew that if he chose the latter, his pleasures will only be temporary, so he chose what was more important.

He valued suffering in the Messiah's camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. (Hebrews 11:26, The Msg)

If we know what to value in this lifetime, if we choose what is right and pleasing to God, if we allow our sufferings to build our character and make us stronger, if we look forward to what's ahead even when we're unsure of what we face... as long as we hold on to God and His promises, we will surely reap our rewards.

He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. (Hebrews 11:27, The Msg)

There's Joy in Suffering

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonias 5:16-18, NIV)

It's not easy to be joyful when you're going through tough times. It's difficult to praise God when you're miserable and problematic and in pain.

I had my first taste of climbing a mountain yesterday. It wasn't an easy feat and it just got more strenuous when my calves and thighs started cramping. I can run a good distance so I thought I could endure climbing but only when I was out there did I realize that the environment was so much different. I was battling with my physical condition at the same time stressing out emotionally because I knew I was slowing the team down.

But God met me when I needed Him most. He did not miraculously heal my cramps but He gave something much more valuable -- His joy.

I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! (John 15:11, NLT)

I was able to overcome the excruciating pain and reached the summit. It took me a painful while to do so but I appreciated the view and  the success more because I knew my way there was not easy.

And without God's joy, I would have broken down and given up.

A more detailed story about my epic climb and how God met me at Mt. Batulao is found in my other blog: http://mynameiseka.blogspot.com

Commit to Stay

I don't like waiting. I don't like sitting around doing nothing. But when my sister was studying for her medical board exams, she'd spent hours and hours in a coffee shop where it's quiet. And I tag along whenever I can. 

You see, she lives in her dormitory, far from home and I miss her so much so whenever I get the chance I'd hang out with her even when I'm not allowed to disturb her when she studies. I hate waiting, but I love being with her so sitting for hours, waiting, becomes bearable. More than anything, I just want to be with her. 

This should be our attitude towards God. Persistent. Unwavering. Determined. That even when what He's doing does not make sense at all, we still want to be with Him.  Not letting go. 

I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. (John 15:9, The Msg)

We will never understand God's ways. He cannot be predicted and we can't put Him in a box. He will always surprise us, amaze us, keep us in awe.

But we will always have questions. We will always wonder and hope and pray and doubt and speculate. And God knows this that's why He urged us to just abide in His love.

God's ways will always be unfathomable but His love will forever be reliable. Remain devoted to Him.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11, NIV)

Devoted by Citipointe

An Old Man's Faith

Have you been praying for something and you know God has promised you this yet at the rate your life is going it seems like this will never come to pass? I wrote a journal on prayer a few days back and how God answers our prayers but today I am reminded of Abraham and the attitude of his heart towards God's promise.

We all know that God guaranteed Abraham a son and that he will be the father of many nations. Abraham was 99 years old and his wife Sarah, 90 when this promise was given (it's in Genesis 17, if you don't believe me). I cringe at the thought of a 90 and 99 year old couple having a baby. By my brain standards, it's simply impossible. But God definitely has a different set of brains than me that's why He can confidently promise Abraham a son.

This is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God's promise arrives as pure gift. (Romans 4:16, The Msg)

What I learned from dear old father Abraham is that he made sure that his heart had the right stance for when God fulfills His covenant. Abraham kept the faith. God wanted to give something that seemed ridiculous from his own point of view but he trusted God to deliver.

When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. (Romans 4:18, The Msg)

 Are you praying for something impossible? Cure for cancer maybe? Salvation of a loved one? Restoration of family? If Abraham's God, who created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in it, can give him a son at the age of 100 and make him father of many nations, then this very same God today can and will carry out all of His promises to you. Believe. Have faith.

He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. (Romans 4:20-21, The Msg)

The more impossible the prayer fulfilled, the greater God will be glorified.

Confessions of a Real Life Bully

I used to be a bully. Classmates and friends from high school can attest to that. I have hurt a lot of helpless individuals in the past and I am not proud of it. If only I can go back in time and say sorry to everyone of them, I would. But I can't. And it sucks.

In my defense though I suffered a terrible childhood and found that bullying as an outlet was a good way to release all the anger I stored up inside. It's a lame excuse I know, but it worked for me for most of my life.

I tamed down when I started working and when realized that I am but a speck of dust in the corporate world and the real life bullies were meaner and more unforgiving -- the big bad bosses (not you Kitkat, you were great). But I found myself still bullying a class of powerless folks -- the household help (wherein, if you haven't done the math yet, I am the big bad boss in the picture).

I don't abuse them physically but my very little tolerance for obtuse behavior caused me to verbally hurt our helpers. Don't get me wrong, I don't curse or use harsh words. On the contrary, my talent in using sugarcoated sarcasm did most of the work.

As we all know, we can't read the Bible without it affecting our lives, without it changing us. Because of God's love, I am slowly changed and I find that I have been able to let go of almost all the things I'm not proud of. And the magnitude of grace that comes from God surprises me everyday.

The point of this journal today is inspired by our 2 helpers who went home at 2 in the morning from day off. As an employer I have all the right to throw a fit. And I was actually already fuming at 12 midnight, when I needed them (I was working late) and they are still nowhere to be found. I was arguing with my mom about rules on day off and stuff like that but mostly I was pissed at having to do something myself when they are paid to do just that. In short, all my fruits fell off.

Being in Christ doesn't mean you're a perfect person. But here's the good news, I caught myself early, through the Holy Spirit, and I calmed down. Then in spite of my anger I started worshiping God. I prayed, read my Bible and was overcome by peace that I can't begin to describe.

2 hours later the helpers ring the doorbell. I opened the door for them and I was surprised at myself for not yelling. I did not even tell them off. I asked where they've been and told them to rest. I was just so surprised at how composed I was that I suspected it was the Holy Spirit taking over me. And that's the way I prayed it would be. To God be the Glory!

Fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:2, The Msg) 

God Speaks

God speaks to us. True story. The God who created the heavens and the earth and the whole wide universe through words, talks to people. But not everyone hears. Another true story. God communicates with us for us to obey. And some people don't hear Him because they find it hard to abide in Him. Sin disconnects us from God, making it hard to hear what He has to say, until we altogether stop seeking Him.

There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:11, NIV)

Worldly things also dampen our senses to receiving God's word. Take watching the news for example. We see death and stories about dying everywhere. And even our favorite soap opera shows too much evil and suffering. Our emotions tend to get numb to these things that we walk away from our TV unchanged and unmoved.

People tend to view God's word the same way. They use it for information and entertainment when it is never for these things. God's word is for obedience. It will never allow you to stay the same. God's word will move you. God's word will change you.

You can easily imagine that God relates to you as any other human being does. Totally untrue. There may be some things that you need to adjust in your life in order to experience God's full presence, in order for you to hear Him completely. It doesn't rely on emotions but on the attitude of the heart.

The Bible recounts several instances when God speaks to someone directly. Notice that it is not important how He spoke, but that He did. And all of them indicated that they knew it was God and all throughout scripture it focused on the message and not the way God revealed Himself. They all knew what God wanted them to do but the problem at times was the willingness to obey. But one thing they all had in common -- none of them remained the same.

God wants the same for your life. He wants to talk to you so you will know His plans, what you need to do, how you need to obey. God loves you and has the perfect will for your life but the first step is hearing His message. You can hear Him, you know. And I believe you already know how.

Exactly as I planned, it will happen.Following my blueprints, it will take shape. Who could ever cancel such plans? (Isaiah 14:24, 27 The Msg)

Let Go and Let God

I am in a season in my life wherein I don't have anything -- I resigned from a high paying job in exchange for one that pays me enough to have coffee every Monday when I meet with my small group, I can't go out with my old friends because I don't have the budget for our usual dinner plus movie plus coffee night outs, I was forced to quit a habit that was my security for decades now and I recently let go of a long running relationship that wasn't pleasing to God (meaning I lost the one person who I rely on the most -- the only person I trust and run to for anything).

Since I've lost everything in my life, one can conclude how unhappy I must be right now. Wrong. On the contrary, I've never been this happy before. Wait, no, I'm not happy -- I AM JOYFUL. God will take away everything in your life if it would make you realize that He is all you need. And that's exactly what happened to me.

You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. (Philippians 4:19, The Msg)

God took me away from my busy schedule so I have more time to read His Word and meditate on His revelations. He replaced my bad habits with fruitful ones and I've never been the same again. I may not see my old friends often but God replaced them with new ones who I fell in love with instantaneously. I may not have the budget to go out as much as I want to but I'm surprised to realize that I've been having coffee, dinner and going out to movies for free. God has been blessing people who in turn blesses me. And God may have asked me to let go of the most important person in my life because He needed my hands free when He hands me out the right person --- the one who I will spend the rest of my life with. I am just so amazed at God's grace and blessings. I know He's real. I am experiencing Him first hand.

Then He told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat -- I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how.  (Luke 9:24, The Msg)

What's your story?

Express Your Heart at Work

From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time. (Deauteronomy 11:13-14, MSG)

I'm sure you've heard the famous Confucius saying “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Cliche as it may sound, it just holds true. However, we hear some people say "I took a job I hate in order to make a lot of money, so someday I can quit and do what I love to do." That is the biggest mistake one can make. Doing a job that doesn't express your heart is a total waste of time.

The Bible tells us again and again to serve God with all our hearts. He wants you to serve Him passionately and not out of mere duty. People excel in things they are passionate about more than in things that they do out of obligation.  God intended for you to use whatever you enjoy to serve Him and others. 

Do you work with enthusiasm? This is one sign that you are indeed serving God with all your heart. When you do something you love doing, you don't need people to check on you, to challenge you or even to motivate you. You do it because you are enjoying it. No recognition, reward or applause is needed because you love serving this way. While the opposite is also true that you get discouraged easily if you don't have a heart for what you do. 

Passion drives perfection. If you do what you love doing -- when you do what God intended you to do, you excel at it. You work effectively. You will notice that those who are successful at their field are those who work not for profit or out of duty, but those who has the passion for it. After all, the best things in life are not, well, things. You may have a lot to live on, but in the end still have nothing to live for. 

A simple life in the Fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches. (Proverbs 15:16, MSG)

Don't be content with just finding the "good life" because at the end of the day, it's just not good enough. Aspire instead for the better life: find out what you love to do -- that which God gave you a heart for -- and do that all for the glory of God!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. (Colossians 3:23, NIV)

The Substitution Principle

We face a daily battle between this new nature we have in Christ versus our old, sinful nature. To win this battle, we have to change the way we think.

Our thoughts determine our feelings and hence we act according to how we feel. So if you feel sad, it's because you're thinking unhappy thoughts. If you want to get out of this depression or whatever struggle you may be in, you need to ask the Holy Spirit to change your thoughts -- give you something better to think about.

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. (Romans 8:6, NLT)

All our thoughts come from 2 sources: God and Satan. If it's from God, it's inspiration. If it's from the latter, it's temptation. And God gave us the freewill to choose. I don't know about you, but I would choose to be inspired any day than struggle with temptation. But if the evil one wins most of the time, the way to retaliate is to replace your thoughts. If you're battling with pornography and you come across a website that you know will tempt you, close it and go to a different website -- one that could inspire you instead. If you want to quit smoking and you keep thinking about cigarettes, you need to focus on something else. It's the principle of substitution -- whatever you want to change in your life: DON'T RESIST IT; CHANGE IT.

If you ask the Holy Spirit to give you refreshing and inspiring ideas to trade with the old, unhealthy ones, you will find that it will be given to you. Then when you start thinking about something good instead of evil, or something positive instead of negative, in no time at all, wickedness, immorality, maliciousness ---- all sinful thoughts will lose its charm and won't have any effect on you anymore.

But it all starts with giving the Holy Spirit free access to your irrepressible thoughts so it will be replaced with thoughts of God. Read your Bible and memorize verses. That's a good place to begin.

Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored. (Romans 8:7-8, MSG)

Stop Blaming Temptation

Temptation is not a sin. Remember that Jesus was also tempted. But He refused to give in to sin. This makes Jesus the only one qualified to be sacrificed for everyone else's sins.

He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. (Hebrews 4:15, MSG)

Every time Satan tempted Jesus, He retaliated using God's Word. That was the only thing He relied on. When tempted to turn stones into bread: Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth." (Matthew 4:4, MSG). When Satan asked Him to call to the angels to catch Him when He jumps; and when He was tempted to take all the riches of the earth, Jesus again and again threw God's Words at Satan.

And so must we follow Christ's example to use God's Word to our advantage when we are beating the enemy's temptation. Satan will not stop. He will wait for all unguarded moments and pounce on us the moment he sees one. And the only way for us to be equipped with God's Word is if we read and meditate on it daily. Your gun will be useless if it doesn't have bullets. It's not enough to know how to overcome temptation, you must be armed first. The good news is that ammunition is readily available to us: God's Word. Read it. Meditate on it. Put it in your heart. So that when temptation comes, you know exactly how to say no.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.(1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT) 

God loves you. Be encouraged.

Mind Your Own Business

"If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you? You—follow me." ~Jesus, John 21:22 (The Message)

Jesus wants us to mind our own business. We don't question why that particular friend still can't come to church; or why he's still drinking and smoking when you saw him raise his hand in worship the other day. We don't ask God why He wants us to give up this relationship when the another person with the exact same situation still hasn't given up his. Jesus wants us to just mind our own business.

He deals with each one of us differently because we have different hearts, different situations, different needs. One thing that worked for you may not exactly work for someone else. God longs to have a personal encounter with each and everyone of us and that's when He deals with our hearts.

This message came to me not when I was looking at a friend with envy but when I couldn't obey the Lord because I feel that a friend of mine needs help. We have the same issues, same problems, same struggles however I "found" Christ first. I had a revelation before she did and I felt like I needed to show her the way. But Jesus clearly asked me, "What's that to you? You -- follow me." I couldn't completely obey because I felt that my friend was my responsibility. Again, I was wrong. I completely let go of my friend, surrendered her to God and let Him take full control of our lives. And He (again) showed me how in control He is.

So if you feel that the Christian walk of the people around you is your responsibility, ask God for help. You're only role is to point them toward the direction of Jesus and He will be faithful to nourish the seed that you planted. Mind your own business. You -- follow me, He said.

Lost and Found

When my youngest sister was 3 years old, we lost her in the mall. Dad thought she was with me, Mom thought she was with Dad, I was busy enjoying my ice cream to even notice her missing and my two other siblings were busy racing each other. Only when we reached the car did we realize that she was nowhere to be found. We retraced our steps and frantically looked for her. Panic stricken, we searched every inch of the mall for her. She was too young to ask for help and she was small enough to be kidnapped. We finally found her at the food court oblivious to the fact that she was lost. Dad was so relieved to see her that he gave her a bear hug and carried her all the way back to the parking.

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. (Luke 15:4-6, NIV)

Jesus came to seek and save the lost -- sinners. When we don't obey God, we stray away from His presence. We spend time in the wilderness struggling to survive. But no matter how far away we have deviated from God's plan for our lives, no matter how deep we are in sin and no matter how lost we may be, Jesus came to seek each and every one of His children so He can carry us all home. He disregarded the fact that in exchange of our coming home, He needed to sacrifice His life. How do you respond to that?

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10, NIV)

We must first admit that we're lost so we can find salvation.

‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:6-7, NIV)

Love This Way

It's not valentine's day but let's talk about love. I am no expert on this matter and especially not on relationships but the only reason why I feel I have the authority to discuss love is because I  know it first hand.

If you came from my era where slambooks are a hit, then I'm sure you've come across the question "what is love?" more than once. Funny how I've always thought it was a feeling (A feeling you feel when you feel a feeling never felt before was my corny answer, verbatim). But the Bible tells us otherwise. It is not a feeling but a command.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38, NIV)

And I command you today: Love God, your God. (Deuteronomy 30:16, The Message)  

God sacrificed His one and only Son to save us, sinners. He allowed for His Son to suffer, be persecuted and to die on the cross for you and I, even though we didn't deserve it. He did so that we can be saved and have eternal life with Him. God supremely modeled to us what love is. And that gives Him all the right to command love.

This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. (1 John 3:16, The Message)

Look around you. There are opportunities every single day to obey God's command to love. Pray for a sick colleague. Honor your parents. Assist a stranger carry his groceries to the car. Offer your time and talent to help a friend with her ministry. There are hundreds of ways to follow this command. Love. Just love.

You see the depths of my heart yet you love me the same... 

You are amazing, God!

Indescribable (Chris Tomlin)

Watch Your Mouth

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29, NLT)

In one way or the other, I know that I have said some things to some people that I shouldn't have. As a team manager, it is my responsibility to  encourage my members to do best in their jobs. But there are times when it's really difficult specially when I know I am right and they are not.

But the Bible didn't say don't use foul or abusive language UNLESS you know what you say is true. It says let EVERYTHING you say be good and helpful and to use words as encouragement to those who hear them. But sometimes when people make mistakes we just can't say anything right. And in that case, it's best not to say anything at all, at the moment. Especially if you only feel like hurting the person -- take the concern to God, ask Him for grace and the heart to forgive and then talk to the person involved. It's okay to get angry and to say the truth but make sure we back it up with encouragement afterwards. I, personally can't leave anyone knowing that they messed up period. I want them to also know that they are forgiven and that there is something we can do about it. I definitely want to hear those things if I'm the one who created a boo-boo.

How Do You Pray?

I know people who have given up on God. They pray for something and God seems to be quiet, not answering any of their prayers. Their solution? Quit praying. They simply concluded that God has decided to ignore them.

Sometimes, God answers our prayers directly simply because we are right in asking it and the timing is right. We hear Him and see results straight away. But when God doesn't answer our prayers, it's not because He doesn't care. God sometimes denies our prayers because He loves us too much that He wants to protect us. He knows what's best for our lives and we need to learn to trust Him. Sometimes the prayer just isn't right and God wants us to grow. And there are times when God delays His answer to our prayers. He grants the desires of our hearts in His timetable, not ours. We just need to continue on with our faith and wait on Him. But then maybe, just maybe, God already answered the prayer but it was disguised simply because He has something much much better in mind. It's not in the package we expected but be encouraged in the fact that it is way better than we can imagine.

I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. (Mark 11:24, NLT)

How God answers prayers (Author Unknown):
1. No, I love you too much.
2. Yes but you have to wait.
3. Yes but it's not what you expect.
4. Yes and there's more!
5. Yes... I thought you'd never ask.

The Day It Rained Indoors

It was raining so hard a few days before the Couple's Getaway where I volunteered to help but the weather was perfect on the day before the event. The sky was clear, the air was cool even though the sun shone and the fog was gone and we could see the beautiful view of the Taal Volcano. It was exactly the weather we prayed for.

But the perfect weather was a day too early and it started raining again on August 5, the actual date of the event. Participants were already arriving and we were about to let them into the function hall when the ceiling unexpectedly caved in. Yes, an instant waterfall effect and the carpets and tables got soaked. It was a disaster! And my first thought was, "God, where are you?"

Sometimes when we pray and we don't see answers right away, we feel that God just isn't there. But contrary to what my sometimes little mind thinks, God doesn't go away. He is always available, always there for us, God always cares.

But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. (Psalm 55:16-17, NLT)

In a wretched moment, David calls on to God knowing that He cares. Anytime we call on to God, He hears us. He always hears His children. Let your hearts be encouraged by this promise. God may not always answer us at the time that we expect Him to, or when we want Him to, but rest assured that He is there morning, noon and night.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22, NIV)

Carpe Diem

If Jesus asks you to follow Him today, what would your response be? 

He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral." (Luke 9:59, The Message)

Would you immediately get up and follow Jesus or would you first make sure that you get permission from your boss? Or that your bills are paid for the month? Or maybe make sure that you get to Tweet: "Following Jesus now! Woohoo!"

Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home. (Luke 9:61, The Message)

There is no excuse for not obeying God immediately. It doesn't matter if you've recently just met Christ, or if you just repented a 20-year-running sin. Once you've said yes to Jesus, it's an all or nothing deal. 

It took me several years to follow Jesus. I met Him long ago but I took my precious time delaying because I did not want to give up a lot of the sins that I was holding on to. But postponing it only gave me stress, guilt and my life was in total chaos. What's worse is that God also delayed His blessings. 

But the moment I decided to say yes, mean it and drop everything for Him, everything (and I mean every little detail of my life) turned the right direction. God provided for everything I needed to grow in Him and He sent me people I needed to be with. I have been in awe since that day, and I still am up until today. 

Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day. (Luke 9:62, The Message)

So what's stopping you?

Learning from the Sword

I know it sounds cliché,  but it's true that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. But stronger doesn't necessarily mean better. It just means, well, stronger. Some come out bitter after overcoming obstacles. Others end up being completely different people. Others get traumatized -- yes they survive but they lose their spirit in the process. That's not God's intention for us.

God allows us to go through trials because He wants us to build character. And our only model for character is Jesus. Just as the apostle Paul described in his letter to the Romans:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. (Romans 5:3-5, NIV)

Perseverance, as defined by the dictionary, means steady persistence in a course of action or a purpose especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragement. Perseverance builds character.

The best illustration of building character through perseverance is through a sword. Before it becomes a sword, metal go through a heating and cooling process. Imagine going inside a man sized oven then going out into the snow then back to the oven again. And with the heating and cooling, the metal is also hammered to form its shape. Imagine what torture it goes through.

After that, the metal is sharpened. Its edges are ground until it reaches the desired sharpness. This grinding method is again torture to the sword but the friction is what makes it sharp.

And finally, the swordsmith would decorate, craft and assemble the final product. And before it goes out of the shop, the swordsmith polishes it like crazy. And the only time he is satisfied with his work is when the sword is shiny enough for him to see his own reflection.

Exactly what God wants from us. To persevere through the hardships, continue reading and trusting His Word, constantly communicate with Him and come out with a character more like Jesus. Character produces hope to keep us alert for whatever God will do next (Romans 5:4b, The Message). 


And in the sword's case, it's the battlefield.

Shut Up, Please

We live in a world that's loud. Noisy. Trains, blenders, radios, jackhammers, sirens.. noises. But the loudest of them all are the ones produced from within: the thumping of the heart, the sound of worry, the cry of despair, the wail of lost hope... and we wonder how we could meet God in a quiet place. Is there a way to calm a frantic heart? 

Yes. The good news is, God knows where we're coming from. He understands. And He's just waiting for us to give Him all our cares in exchange of His peace. He longs to quiet our hearts. 


Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, NIV)


We must learn to cast all our worries on God and rely on His unlimited strength and power. Didn't He create the universe and everything that is in it? Then how come we think that our problems are the end of everything? If only everyone will lean on God's love and take a rest, we will all definitely find peace. 


Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ. (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)


Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

Still by Hillsong Australia