His Words

Last night, I was able to attend the Hope Filipino Dubai lifegroup. Hope was my church in Singapore that opened my path into Him that resulted to personal relationship with Christ. I was so glad to know that finally, there is a lifegroup here in Dubai that will have the same spirit as to what I have experienced in Singapore. Though the lifegroup setup last night wasn't the same as the Singapore "version", it was a good start for me since it was only the 2nd gathering and we don't have a ministry house yet. Nevertheless, we had a fruitful discussion over dinner. That night, I was reminded of two major points during our sharing session.

First, we must/need/should thank God for everything. Not just for blessings and good happenings in our lives but also the challenges. As I shared before here in my blog, problems and adversities are good opportunities to get closer with Him. We might sometimes feel helpless and that there is no one else to run to but to Him. So for every obstacle in life, we should thank Him. For every pit stop in our journey to victory, let's take a pause and pray and thank Him for the opportunity of feeling His presence and guidance. The world isn't all about happiness and joyful moments. Time will come that we will be pulled out from our comfort zone to face "non-entertaining" parts of our lives. This is clearly stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus). These chapters of our life is not about punishing us but a reminder that He is always there for us, waiting to be called and waiting for a spare time that we might have. And besides, there is nothing we can't overcome if we have Him.

Second, I was reminded to pray not only for ourselves and family but also for others such as co-workers, friends, housemates, etc. We might sometimes forget that the people surround us have a great effect on our daily lives. If we are cornered by an angry person then everything around us can be messy. If a friend is having a problem, it consumes us, we got affected. If a housemate is in a bad situation, the atmosphere of the house will be polluted. We should also pray for them that everything will be okay and that God will give them the wisdom for every decision and to remind them the never ending love of God. Pray for their success and pray for a wonderful day. Verse 1 Timothy 2:1 (I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people) describes what kind of prayers we should do.

Sometimes, we take for granted those simple things and favors that have given to us by someone. We normally forget to say "Thank You" and appreciate those moments. Maybe someone offered you a cup of coffee or wipe your shirt to remove small dirt or asked you how is your day and gave you some tips. Though these things are "small" in nature, still showing appreciation and gratitude to that person will put a smile on their face and it feels so good to see that right? Also, it is beneficial to that person probably because you can lift up his/her mood for that day. If we are on their side, say we did something for someone, receiving gratefulness can pinch a joy in our hearts.

In the Christian manner, we should be thankful for all the blessings that He is giving to us and no matter what the circumstances are, we should still appreciate what He presented to us. Of course saying "thank you" for wonderful things is easy but the real test is how to show gratitude to Him when challenges are coming into our way. For whatever the nature is, we should ALWAYS thank Him as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus). I have discussed before that adversities are just God's tests for us and these things will prove how strong our faith is once we overcome it. Failures and challenges are great opportunities to be closer to Him and have an in depth relationship with Him as we ask for guidance and help and He loves it very much when His sons and daughters are coming towards Him asking for divine help and providing solutions to our problems. Yes, I will say, give thanks for these instances and never doubt in showing appreciation to Him. We should be reminded that He loves us and those tests are there not for us to suffer but to cast away those weaknesses (Psalm 136:1 - "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.")

So let's be thankful for everything! He uses other people to help us and these people are His instruments to show us the way and provide us the necessary things that we need. We might be in lack for some factors in our lives but the people around us might become our greatest line of supply. Showing gratitude is so easy but remember to feel it directly from your heart and say/show it with gladness and sincerity. Thanking these people is also thanking Him.

image taken from thechangeblog.com

For sure we all know all the gifts and promises that He has for us. That when we reach the kingdom, there will be endless happiness and will be fulfilled with love. Of course, all we need to do is to obey Him and give Him the highest praise and continue to put our trust in Him. But let's see what are the eternal rewards that we will receive after accomplishing our tasks here on earth. As we all say, we must be strong and full of endurance in this game called life. We should never stop in doing good and spreading His words. Since we are in this game, we will also have our own medals after the race.

1. Medal of Extreme Joy. Since we have accomplished the discipleship tasks, aren't the new believers that we helped would be our greatest joy and glory?! I mean, the happiness in our heart is priceless once we see those people who were lost but now with our help, were saved and walking towards the journey of Christianity. In the presence of our Lord, these new believers will be our gift to Him and the feeling can't be compared to anything on how we succeed in the spiritual development of others. (1 Thessalonians 2:18-20 "¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. ¹⁹ For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.")

2. Medal of Life. Problems, trials and hardships are unavoidable in this game. During the race, we will be encountering tests that will determine the level of trust and love that we have for Him. Whether the test is an uphill climb or a rocky road, just be reminded that spiritual growth happens in adversity. We should never give up, instead continue to love and trust Him and the eternal reward will be an unending life. (James 1:12 "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.")

3. Medal of Triumph. If we are effective in our ministry, executed a perfect discipleship and victorious over sins then there is a triumph that awaits for us in the finish line. That reward will be imperishable and the light that it brings will enlighten and inspire others. (1 Corinthians 9:25-27 "²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.")

4. Medal or Righteousness. There will always be temptations, there will always be hardships, oh yes, Christian life is not easy but if we live righteously then these things are nothing. As a believer, we should always pursue godliness and should strive to meet God with a pure conscience. (2 Timothy 4:5-8 "⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. ⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.")

So after gathering all these medals, what should we do about them? Well, it will be our gift to our Lord in the time that we meet Him. Offer them into His feet as sign of appreciation for all the things that He have done to us: saved us, equipped us, guided us, protected us and loved us unconditionally.

I always say that it is better late than never, this post should have been published during the valentines season but because of many reasons (I know I know, excuses!) I couldn't find a perfect timing to write this. Anyway, it was a blessful preach from Ps. Christie last 13th of February and she constantly saying that love isn't just a romantic feeling. There are many forms of love such as love to parents, siblings, friends or even country (nationalism???). But the main point of the discussion was looking for someone to share with your passion, dreams and future.

In 2 Corinthians 6:14 (Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?). Ps. christie said that if we have a relationship with non-believer, we shouldn't judge them or make a distance from them. Instead, we can still love them and we should lead them into the path of true love and happiness. Also in 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 (To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.), a couple shouldn't divorce if one of them is not a believer.

Ps. Christie also pointed out two major guidelines in waiting for that "someone".
1.) Look only with marriage in mind. - Of course if we want a relationship we should also consider someone who has plans for the future and true to commitment. He/She should have a stable job and financially stable. But of course, look for someone who is emotionally and spiritually stable. Just remember that we are complete and whole in Jesus.
2.) Wait for God's time. - He has the best and perfect timing for our lives. He knows when is the correct day on which we will face that someone and share the love with for our entire life. Let Him do the work and don't jump into someone immediately if you just feel that you need to get married the soonest. If that someone davalues you, then run away from that one.

The best of all, I think we should put these three important standards in looking for someone: (a) there is a growth in spirit / (b) servant of God / (c) one with a kind heart. Also, always remember this verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;), in short: No SEX before marriage. But what is true love? It's in 1 John 3:16 (This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.), it is the sacrifice of Jesus to save us and not thinking only about Himself.