His Words

Yesterday, after I withdraw some cash from the ATM, an Arab guy came to me and told me some insulting words. I was surprised and shocked and stood motionless in front of him for few seconds. I am not sure if other people heard it but I ignored that man. Instead, I came to the parking space, got into my car and thought for a while. I was a little depressed  because of what he said. Those words really shook me and I just couldn't accept it.

It was kind of a wake up call for me. I almost forgot how to accept criticisms and judgement from other people. When I got home I was still thinking of it. It wounded me so deeply. It almost destroyed my self esteem. So I prayed and realized that I don't have to be afraid and just treat it as a lesson and not a rebuke. I have to be better not only for myself but also for my family and especially for Him.

I truly believe that our Father never wanted us to feel rejected or abandoned. My devotion today almost made me cry and I am very emotional. But in the middle of quick time with Him. I felt the love, His acceptance and His appreciation. God's words tells us that without being rooted and grounded in the love of God, we cannot experience the fullness of God in our lives. (Ephesians 3:19 - "and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.")

Rejection is devil's one way of destroying our life, for us to be affected and doubt ourselves. It wounds a person's spirit and can be very painful. I realized that in order to overcome and be victor to this kind of situation, first, we must accept ourselves, who we really are and what our God can do for us. His love is never ending and trust me, it is a very good feeling. (Hebrews 13:5 - "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."). We also need to start seeing ourselves for who we are in Christ, and the person that God has really formed within us. So I guess God wants to ask me, how is my heart now towards that person who "bashed" me and if I love that man as He commanded me. It is funny but I have forgiven that person and it is a vital step in the process of healing.

Image taken from chronicle.umbmentoring.org

Yesterday, I received a sad news about a dear friend who might lost her way from the path to a good relationship with Christ. It was so surprising to learn that story as we never imagined that it could happen to her. It got me asking myself, how can be a strong and matured Christian swayed away from his/her belief? What made her do that and what are the factors that might have contributed to drift away. My devotion today is about the probable reasons why some Christians are backsliding and how can we help them and avoid such situation.

I am not an expert in defining backsliding but in my understanding, it is a point where there is a spiritual regress and disobedience. It may also mean perpetual state of willful rebellion. In bible we have references for this. Jeremiah 3:22 (Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding. Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God) and Jeremiah 31:22 (How long will you wander, unfaithful Daughter Israel? The Lord will create a new thing on earth— the woman will return to the man). In these verses, the important words are faithless and unfaithful which have the same meaning.

There are many reasons that we can itemize and think of. I have been to this situation before but I am glad that I have managed to bounce back and enlighten the fire again. In my experience, I realized some of the aspects that might result to backslide could be:

Hebrews 6:4-6 (4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[a] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.)

So how can we help the backsliders? We can pray for them. It actually depends on the situation and the level of disobedience. It is not easy to let them understand and could result to arguments. But if there is a chance, try to be reasonable if there is a possible discussion. As they say, prayer is the most powerful thing that we have. As for the believer, we can avoid to backslide by focusing our eyes to the Lord. Some people can let us down but with Christ, we can always count on Him. We should always examine our faith, 2 Corinthians 13:5 (Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?). Come to Him for forgiveness and seek Him every day. Stay in His words and be surrounded by other believers.

Image take from ladysmithbaptist.co.za

Oh yeah the title seems to be about pregnancy but it is not. It is basically how to up lift our hope and expectations when we are asking something from God. I remember when my job in Barclays Capital ended, I prayed for a job that doesn't have a job rotation so that I don't have to work at night. After few weeks, my prayer was granted but I forgot to mention Him that I did not want to be an "on call support". But my new job that time required me to be available for any system malfunction at night. Then I remember a preaching from a pastor before that we should pray for the exact things that we want and not too vague.

When we are talking and praying to God and basically asking something, we should be more specific and don't settle for less. Sometimes, we hesitate to pray specifically because we don't have enough faith that anything is possible; we put in our mind that any prayer results will be just fine. Even Jesus prayed a specific item during His execution (Luke 22:42 - “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”). He sets himself to accept the Father's will, but he prays for deliverance. To help us pray more effectively, I have enumerated some things that we should always remember:

Image taken from powertochange.com

We might sometimes think that we are smart, well-educated and matured enough to make decisions for ourselves. Yes, we are living in a fast-paced world and immediate decision making is becoming a trend now. But have we considered His Words in coming up resolutions. We all know that wisdom comes from Him and He also wants us to develop the way we impose a conclusion in everything that we do. That is discernment, the ability to identify right from wrong, true and false, correct and error in a biblical way and this thing requires time to develop.

Wisdom is a very powerful tool and we should use it wisely for any judgment that we use. Also, let's continue to grow and don't get contented with what we have now. There is always a room for improvement and nourishment. Let's be hungry and thirsty in cultivating lessons and reading the scriptures will enable us to provide the best judgment. It clearly states in Hebrew 5:12-14 (¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! ¹³ Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.), that we need to learn all over again and make a restart in every factors in our lives.

Life is full of situations that require immediate discernment. We shouldn't make a rush decision, instead let's provide time on this. Listen carefully to His voice and commit yourselves and time to Him. Don't let your busy schedule and appointments hinder you in understanding the directions He wants us to follow. Spend quiet time with Him and absorb the truth in unhurried manner. Then as we consume the lessons, let's apply it in our lives, put it into practice and make it a training ground to enhance discerning good from evil. The scriptures will reveal to us God's perspectives that will help us to make a wise choice. So it should be our priority to spend time with Him and continue to grow. Keep the fire burning and always look for an opportunity to cultivate more lessons in life. In order to make the best decision for our life, let's always put our eyes on Him as I'm sure, this kind of Christian trait takes time to flourish.

image taken from loyolapress.com

Most of us feel guilty once we have performed wrong doings or violated God's law. It was like the feeling of being responsible for the things that caused negative to our life and even to others. The Holy Spirit is giving His full force and a lot of efforts to turn us away from committing sins and lead us towards to our Heavenly Father. I just realized that not all guilt comes from ungodly actions. 

Have you experienced that sometimes you question your performance for not reaching your goals? Or even feel so ashamed of the past events that we can't move forward? Even not fulfilling the expectations and criticisms by others has a big impact to us. Those times of rejection or pattern of abuse from a family member or encountering a power tripper supervisor can lead us to negative feelings. We can think of those ideas such as, 'what did I do wrong?', 'why it isn't enough?', 'why didn't I act on it', 'how did it happen, what was I doing?' These things are great and powerful tool that our enemy uses to spin our heads away from God. Whether false or real, these feelings can lead to the division of our attention. We can't think properly and we might question God's goodness. It also wastes our time and energy and insecurities will enter to overpower us. We might not feel the true love of God as we mingle and entertain those thoughts. Then what's next? It may lead to depression and hopelessness.

To cope up these, others channel their feelings through over shopping, overeating, excessive amount of time watching television and surfing the internet. But in the end, after those things, the feeling of guilt is still there. I admit that before I had the personal relationship with Jesus, I had the tendency to overeat and waste a lot of money just to push away those condemning thoughts and I assure you, those things will not help you at all! We must remember that dealing with guilt quickly is very important.

In Hebrews 10:22, "let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.", it commands us to draw near to God as He will cleanse us. Point your eyes towards only to Him. Also, in Romans 8:1-2 "¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death", we must be reminded that there is no condemnation in the Kingdom of God. We must first admit and acknowledge our emotion and surrender everything to Him. Then identify the issue and pray it to God. If you commit sins and violated His commandment then ask for forgiveness and take necessary measures to amend your attitude (1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"). If you have the feelings of false guilt then ask God to adjust your thoughts and let Him guide you and point you to the right thinking. Praise Him because He promises forgiveness and the removal of guilt.

image from bedof65roses.blogspot.com

We might be having some confusion on how to differentiate such two words. I admit that I had the same situation before I became a believer. I used to combine these two words and stating they have the same nature. But as I progress to study His words, it reveals to me slowly that they are indeed different but their goals and purposes are the. We can also identify them as two sides of a coin. It is also a good timing to better understand this since I'll be discussing this topic in our small group tomorrow. One most notable context that I read before in a book (sorry, I forgot the author) was the detailed differences of these two words; I remember it because I used an acronym to memorize it. So let's call it the FESOS list:

I also read before that Hope is the blueprint of Faith. We know what we want to do in our lives, we have this vision and we already have the knowledge. Hope is the plan that faith carries out. We should learn and understand the words, base our hope in His words and not in our wishes. In Hebrews 6:19 it says there "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain". Hope described as the anchor of life since we are like a ship in this world on which we might encounter storm that can toss us up and down and even put us in the great danger. But with this anchor, our hope, we can keep steady and steadfast and looks forward for better things that will come into our lives.

Surely, we sometimes feel that we are losing hope, faith and confidence. My devotion for today seems to be perfect for the current state of my mind and heart. The verse spoke to me in a way that I shouldn't lose confidence in myself, instead I have to face every challenges. That I should be proud of what I have and what I am doing and that no one will take that away from me. That I should be thankful to Him for all the accomplishments that I have. In Hebrews 10:35-36, it says there "³⁵ So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. ³⁶ You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

These past few days, I am losing my confidence at work. Literally, I am not doing anything after the hectic schedule of training. There was even a time that I am all alone in the office, all of them went overseas for a project. I have no one to talk to and I felt so useless. I don't feel any fulfillment in my work and I feel so lost. I have been praying for days now to refresh my emotion and reveal to me the things that I should do. I was then reminded that life isn't always about fun, it has full of tests that we need to pass and we should be confident enough that each struggle will be victorious. I then asked myself, in those times that I was busy, I was complaining and now that I have a lot of free time, I am still complaining. Yes, I am struggling in my work now but I believe that God will help me to overcome this. I can't memorize and fully understand the entire banking system in just few months, it will be an ongoing learning. Once we have confidence in Him, it will flow back to us and the confidence that we will have will be everlasting. I think what I should do is just do the best that I can and make the most out of my free time. To keep steady and wait for His perfect timing on what I should do and the reward will be upon me. I will continue to trust God that He will give me the desires of my heart beyond my imagination. Learning takes time and do the blessings of God. Thank you Lord for your words, I have regained my confidence and will worry no more. I put my trust and faith only to You.

For the past few weeks, I wasn't able to attend services since I was busy in training at work and other things that are not that important. Also, I haven't opened my bible for months now and I only rely my devotion thru the internet (though I'm not saying it isn't good, it is still an effective resource to enrich and feed the soul). I'm doing my devotion everyday but I felt that something is missing and that my week isn't complete. I told myself that, I still read His words, share it to others and prays everyday but I knew there is something missing and my eyes and heart was opened thru this verse: Hebrews 2:1-3 (¹ We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ² For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.)

It is not easy to admit to myself that something is wrong and that something must be changed.  The services and regular gathering with brothers and sisters in Christ provides an anchor of support and accountability. In my opinion, not attending church just to attain other interests could be one of many signs that a believer is drifting away from God. Eventhough we are fed by His words via available resources online or other tools such as apps or mobile shortcuts, I do believe that there is a huge difference in experiencing His presence in a church where other believers are worshipping, proclaiming His greatness, singing and dancing for Him. But still, we must remember that attending services means nothing unless we hear, receive and apply God's words into our lives. So we must also pay attention to every words and live with it. These past few days, I was so down for no apparent reason, I feel that I lack something and today it was revealed to me . 

Aside from attending services, it is also advisable to read the bible to nourish the soul and get some encouragement. I also lack this part for few months now, I know that I have to relive that burning passion that I used to felt when I was in Singapore. From the bible, I can get all the answers, all the resolutions and the formula to live a life according to His will. The internet has been useful but there is a big impact if you worship Him in the church and rejoice with other believers. It is also a good thing spending time alone with Him with a bible rather than being connected with the new technology and what the world has to offer. In today's verse, the words "drift away" gave a question on my part and it was like a wake up call for me. I was also amazed by His power that despite those things that I lack, He still blessed me and protected me. I believe and I declare that more blessings will be upon to me if I'll just continue the faithfulness, trust and my unending worship to Him. 

When I was young, I tried to make money as early as nine years old but I have no means of doing it. It is basically to help my parents regarding the expenses in our home. I remember that I used to sell plastic bags in a market and it wasn't simple. I also experienced working in a publishing house, I used to write short stories for comics and it was 150 pesos each. I also tried going door to door giving out flyers as an advertisement for a school supplies store. Thank God I have the best parents in the world who worked hard so that we can finish our studies. I thought life would be easy in terms of work, that I just have to do my best and impress my boss in everything I do to earn that money.

I experienced hardships, stress, job loss, sickness and almost giving up in work. Sometimes, I don't feel fulfillment in my work as I always thought of being the best in the eyes of my manager. Eventually, I realized the true meaning of service. He told us that we should serve one another but we might encounter certain people that will make our lives difficult and miserable. We might face an overcontrolling boss, a powertripper manager and demanding supervisor. But thanks to His words, we are bound to the true meaning of work and whom we serve. I always look into these verse whenever I am having a challenging stage in my work: Colossians 3:23-24 (23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.)

If we put in our hearts the true meaning of such biblical definition then the impact of our work will lead to a better place. Also, the quality of each of our steps will be improved and it will keep us going. So whatever our task is, whether "cool" to others or not or even seems to be unattractive, lets put Him first in everything we do and always put in our minds that we do our work to glorify Him and He is the real boss. Trust Him that He will use us for His purposes and that we were not put in our position for the good of others. We are portraying our roles and goals wherever we are. So if we are having any trouble in our work that pertains to our boss, just think that they are answerable to the Maker and that we only serve to Him, we should impress Him, do everything for Him and serve Him with joyful heart and in the end, we won't be needing approval and appreciation from others. We need to know only that God is pleased and promises reward those who serve Him (Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.)

Last Sunday was a very heartwarming service. Some were teary eyed, some were bursting into tears. Pastor Simon explained that love really hurts, all of us have experienced being hurt and hurt someone in the name of love. Love, as emphasized was not only about romantic feeling, in the Christian life, it is about how God disciplines His children. The sermon evolved in the verses from Hebrews 12:4-13. As per Ps. Simon, there are three characteristics of tough love.

1.) Tough love is a sign of caring concern (Hebrews 12:4-8 - "4) In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5) And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6) because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone he accepts as a son". 7) Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8) If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons") Discipline is the main word for this characteristic, as sometimes we take discipline as a matter of punishment and not a sign of love. We might experience superb ways of discipline from our parents, we forgot that what they are doing could be a way of showing their love. In our work, the boss might have higher expectations from us maybe because they want us to be prepared to a higher level. In our part, if we really love or care someone, sometimes we have to be tough.

2.) Tough love will earn us genuine respect (Hebrews 12:9 - "Moreover, we have all had human fathers who discplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!") We should also be reminded that if we become tough to others in showing love, we should implement it correctly, we shouldn't execute it out of anger. There are three areas on how we can exercise tough love: a) teach them how to think / b) encourage them to make a change - God disciplines us for our good / c) challenge them to be submissive and to obey - learn how to be obedient as submission helps us to accept a "NO" answer and helps us accept disappointment). If others were able to obey us, respect will come next as respect is being earned and not being requested.

3.) Tough love focuses on the long term benefits (Hebrews 12:10-13 - "10) Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. 11) No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12) Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13) Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled but rather healed.") The disciplines that we have experienced may mold us to be a better person so that in the future, we know how to handle things. We should also admit that we have some unrighteousness in our hearts and minds and we should face possible disciplinary actions from others. As to generalize this characteristic, short term pains will lead to long term gains.