Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Thinking Good Things
Do you believe that the state of your emotion is mainly caused by the things you think? Usually, the stress we experience is because of our internal battle. Be reminded that our mind is a special gift from God. Imagine, there are more than billions of thoughts that our minds can process but we have the freedom to choose what to think.
The bible says - "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things" (Philippians 4:8). It is very clear that Paul was saying that we can choose what we think and his words encourages us to think only the right things because they impact our lives.
Minsan ang iniisip natin sa umaga pa lang is our problems, struggles and remedies that can be done. But once you open your eyes, isn't it wonderful to thank the Lord and think of the blessings that He can give us? Pag nagto-throwback tayo, mas nakakatuwang isipin at alalahanin yung mga magagandang bagay na nangyari di ba? And with our current status, if we are in the midst of trials, it is way better to think about the things that are praiseworthy because we have a lot to be thankful for the Lord. If you start the day with happy thoughts then your whole day will be awesome.
So let's focus on the good things only. Sabi nga ng isang mentee ko, "let's focus on the positive things na lang because the world is not perfect". Then sabi din ng isa kong mentee, "life is better if puno ng love and compassion ang puso natin and hindi puro galit, pride and ego". So... itigil mo na yang pagpapakataas at pagwo-worry, focus tayo sa good things at sa mga magagandang bagay na nangyayari sa buhay natin.
Photo credit: thinkingzone.com
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
It Is Not Fair
Probably most of us have felt that something isn't fair. That we deserve better, that we deserve so much more. Yes it is true, sometimes nagiging selfish tayo. Probably because we were born in a selfish nature. Remember noong bata tayo, we ask for whatever we want. Like, "I want food! Take care of me! I want that!" But let's admit, there are times na tayo rin mismo, nagiging unfair sa ibang tao. Sometimes we feel that we are more privileged sa ibang tao. Madalas din it is easier for us to see the mistakes of other rather than looking at our own. As we all know, nobody is perfect - that is why we really need JESUS in our lives.
The good news is, God is letting these kinds of attitudes as mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3:18 TLB (“God is letting the world go on its sinful way so that He can test mankind, and so that men themselves will see that they are no better than beasts”). Imagine, without God in our lives, we will become inhumane to each other. Without God, there will be no forgiveness, patience and compassion. Lahat tayo nagkakamali, the only thing that makes the difference is how we respond to it. Magpapakamataas ba tayo, paiiralin ba natin ang pride? Itatanim ba natin sa puso natin na lagi tayong tama at full of pain and hatred? Na napaka-unfair? Or we will chill down, pray to God, be humble and surrender to God?
Let's face the truth that time will come that we will be answerable to God with all the injustices that we committed so we need mercy. We are not just the victims but sometimes we are perpetrators too. It means that we need Jesus in our lives, always!. He can vindicate and refresh us as written in Psalm 40:17 MSG ("I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing; make something of me. You [God] can do it; you’ve got what it takes"). So the next time you feel that you were treated unfairly, be reminded that every person in this world (including you) needs Jesus.
Photo creidt: moneyinternational.com
Saturday, June 24, 2017
The Effects of Prayerlessness
Colossians 4:2 - Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
Have you ever thought the fact that there is a price when we allow our prayer life to subside? When we realize such certain moment, we sometimes think the repercussion that it will take.
Emptiness. If we fail to make prayer as the priority in our life, we will feel empty and disconnected from the source. Our hearts will feel a strange sense of unrest and uneasiness. Do you realize that when we pray, our burdens seem to be lighter as we have someone to talk to? As I always say, God's yoke is always waiting for us to be shared and surrender to Him any circumstances that we might have.
Lost. When there is no sense of belongingness with Him, we could get lost in the middle of weariness and hardship and we become accustom to it. If we continue in this manner and lifestyle, we begin to rely upon ourselves instead of upon the Lord and the effect could be vulnerability and always at risk of disaster.
To avoid these difficulties, let's make it a habit and priority in our lives the fellowship and communication with the Lord. It is a must that we pray and in contact with our Father in order to clearly hear His voice and fathom His will and plans for our life. If you feel that sometimes you allowed prayerlessness in your life and in "seenzone" with our heavenly Father, confess this to Him. Once you renew your prayer life, you will able to experience again His goodness and re-ecounter God's best.
image credit: alkalema.tv
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Confidence in His Light
I was driving around the block earlier just to destress and take off from my mind a feeling of sadness ( I tried to contact someone but He was unavailable apparently ). Sometimes I just drive and drive just to ease a tension. Then I drove to this dark street and I realized that I am not familiar with the place. So I stopped and opened Waze to know my location and way home. I was around 'Sports City'. Fortunately, navigation became easy because of this application. That moment reminded me of verses that I read last Thursday during my morning devotion.
John 11:9-10 - " 9... Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
Well literally, it is easy to walk and drive during the daylight. But in this verse, the world's light represent the God's guidance and progress in our lives. The word stumble is a symbol of a moment falling out from the personal relationship with the Chief Shepherd. So if we don't have this intimate relationship with our Creator, we will fall apart and will be clueless to everything that is happening around us. Without His guidance and love, it will always be dark and night in our lives. We will never see the sun shine down upon us. So if you are in the middle of nowhere and seems light is unreachable, call on His name and meditate on His words. Don't let the enemy sway you and bring you to the world of total blindness.
Just like what happened to me, even if I am not familiar with the place (well, it was my fault driving around there), I was confident because I know I have Waze haha. In real life, let's all be confident in facing challenges and dark matters that run after us. We have God in our life and we will never stumble.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
A Second Chance
On our post-Valentine lifegroup, we discussed about second chances; on how we can get our second chance and why should we give second chance to others. When I was doing my devotion and creating the lifegroup teaching points, Matthew 18:21-35 (21 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times) really spoke to me. This verse is part of "The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant", below video describes what this parable is:
Most of us, for sure, had that one thought “If only I had a second chance, I could…” Our Father grants us second chances, third chances, fourth chances, etc. But we must remember and put in our hearts that we should use those priceless opportunities in good and truthful ways.
We sometimes stumble and we all commit mistakes and after that moment, we inevitably ask our Creator for another chance. God believes and always give us second chances but there are strings attached to those who are doing these opportunities – repentance and change.
Now after we have received and earned that second chance, He also teaches us to give second chance to others. Probably “love your neighbor” is His hardest reminder to us.
1. Our
OWN Second Chance
God is not only the God of second chances; He is the God of another chance. This is good news because most of us mess up the second chance fairly quickly. One of the amazing facets of God's character is His incredible patience with us. Psalm 86:15 says it well: "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." The Bible is full of people who received second chances, and even third and fourth chances: Peter, Jonah, Mark, Samson, David, and others. All trophies of God’s grace.
2. Giving Second Chance to OTHERS
God is not only the God of second chances; He is the God of another chance. This is good news because most of us mess up the second chance fairly quickly. One of the amazing facets of God's character is His incredible patience with us. Psalm 86:15 says it well: "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." The Bible is full of people who received second chances, and even third and fourth chances: Peter, Jonah, Mark, Samson, David, and others. All trophies of God’s grace.
- Repent First. Repentance is one of the first principles of the gospel and is essential to our temporal and eternal happiness. It is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments. Luke 5:31-32 (31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”)
- Ask for Forgiveness. Forgiveness is always available! The good news is that, no matter how serious the sin, God is always seeking us out and is willing to forgive and forget our sins and give us a fresh start. As long as we live, it is never too late to ask for forgiveness and make a new start! So Jesus used this illustration: (Luke 15:3-7) 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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. When we have sinned, we can ask God for forgiveness, as in the Lord's Prayer: (Matthew 6:12) "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
- Visible and Invisible Change. After having the second chance, it is now in our hands the responsibilities to show others and to Him that we have changed genuinely. Remember, people will see our outward personalities and actions to verify our changes. But God sees everything and He sees our heart if we made a pure repentance. 1 Peter 1:7 "These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
2. Giving Second Chance to OTHERS
God
is patient and forgiving, He wants His children to be patient with and
forgiving of others. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly
loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience" (Colossians 3:12). He
gives us second chances, and we must give the same to others. Jesus gives a
stern warning to those who refuse to forgive, saying that if we will not
forgive others, God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:15; see also Ephesians 4:32;
Colossians 3:13; and Proverbs 19:11). If someone is truly repentant, then we
are obligated to forgive (Matthew 18:21-22)
- Guard & Check your Heart. Forgiving others is sometimes very hard, but it is essential if you want to break out of the bondage that it's brought you under. Forgiving others opens you up for the Lord to begin healing your soul and heart (inner healing). Since unforgiveness blocks us from receiving God's forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 6:15), it puts up a wall between us and the source of our healing.
- Forgive & Forget. Of course, it is impossible to truly forget sins that have been committed against us. We cannot selectively “delete” events from our memory. The Bible states that God does not “remember” our wickedness (Hebrews 8:12). But God is still all-knowing. God remembers that we have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But, having been forgiven, we are positionally (or judicially) justified. Heaven is ours, as if our sin had never occurred. If we belong to Him through faith in Christ, God does not condemn us for our sins (Romans 8:1). In that sense God “forgives and forgets.”
Giving someone a second chance means we give him another chance to earn our trust. But that does not mean we instantly forget what experience has taught us. Trust must be earned over time, and we are foolish if we give trust prematurely. We can have a loving and forgiving heart that also practices wise guardianship over our lives.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Setting Goals
On my way back to Dubai, I was seating in the plane and was thinking that this year will be a very good and fruitful year for our church. It made me think to do planning and vision casting. So after landing and getting a cab, I immediately asked the team to get ready for an exciting activity. Below is the teaching that revealed to me during my devotion last Wednesday and Thursday.
IS SETTING GOALS UNSPIRITUAL?
No! Many people wrongly think, "Goal setting is unspiritual because it shows a lack of trust. It's not right to plan. Instead, people should wait for God to lead them.” Granted, God doesn't want us to forge ahead in pride without consulting Him for direction. But neither does He want us to sit around without acting, because He's given us gifts and talents and has also said that we are called to do good works.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.)
Forging ahead without seeking God or sitting back and doing nothing can stem from fear or a lack of faith. However, setting goals and consulting with Him shows that you trust Him and believe that He is able to lead you while you are moving forward.
The main verse that we studied was Philippians 3:13-14.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Setting goals is a part of spiritual discipline
- Before you can ever accomplish anything meaningful in life, you have to see what God sees so you can see what God can do in your life
- Once you are able to see what God can do, then you have to believe he will really do it
- You have to believe he can help you make the changes you need to make
- If you don't believe change is possible, you won't even make the effort to change
- But once you believe you can actually change, then you will be able to set faith goals
1. Set Goals Like Running in a Race (v 13)
- TAKE HOLD (Apprehend, Make it my own) - to reach the goals, claim it as you have received and accomplished it.
- FORGETTING (Not to have remembrance, Not looking back) - forget the past and old failure but never omit the lessons that you have learned from it
- STRAINING TOWARD (Forward, Reaching Forth) - focus your eyes on God, focus on accomplishing good works. No laziness, no weakness, no backing down. Aim for gold!
2. Set Goals Like Winning A Prize (v 14)
- PRESS ON (Pursuing, Chasing, Running) - it is about winning the prize which is knowing God more and hear His calling. Again, setting goals is a part of spiritual discipline. It's not just a good idea; the Bible says you need to set goals in order to grow in your faith. Goals stretch you and help you become all God wants you to be.
God is a God who sets goals, and he expects you to set them too. Like the Apostle Paul, he wants us to say: Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. (1 Corinthians 9:26)
You will make mistakes in setting goals. It's OK. Because God wants to see you do His will, He will teach you the way to go as you walk in faith. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. (Psalm 32:8)
After the teaching, I divided the team into two groups and put the goals that we will accomplish and might able to attain. It turned out to be exciting and the ideas were pouring out:
After the teaching, I divided the team into two groups and put the goals that we will accomplish and might able to attain. It turned out to be exciting and the ideas were pouring out:
Sunday, November 6, 2016
No Longer Slaves
Yesterday, I lead the teaching our lifegroup and I was so excited about the topic. It is mostly about Galatians 4:4-7 (4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba”, Father. 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.)
These verses tell us that since we are redemmed through Christ, we are no longer under the law, hence we are saved, free and no more slaves. For this teaching, we had three points:
1. We Are Redeemed (v4-5). Paul made an example on how even an heir is being put to a "slave" status while he was an underage. He is under the care of trustees and guardians and he can only enjoy his inheritance once his father, the master, say he can do so (see Galatians 4:1-3). During the old law, once a person committed a sin, he can just kill an innocent animal and offer it to God then he believed that he will be cleansed. But this is not the real case of how to be redeemed. For us now, we are under the law when we learned old traditions that we practice in our childhood years. We were taught that if we go to church every Sunday, we will become holy and be righteous. Sometimes we need to celebrate fiestas and other customs because we initially believed that it will make God happy. But that is not the right way to be redeemed as described by Paul. These laws (traditions) is like the trustees that guards the heir. We have to realize and understand first what is right and wrong, then the right time sent by our Father is when he sent His only Son. We don't have to offer anything as Jesus Christ, who followed all the laws as human didn't make any mistake paid it all for us when he was crucified on the cross. He died for us. His substitution (offering) is permanent. But this is only achievable through faith, if we first accept that we are sinners and that Jesus died for us.
Galatians 2:20 (I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of the God, who loved me and gave himself for me). But now that we understand that Jesus died for us, what's next? It didn't stop on that point. It is like we are a new person.
2. We Are God's Children (v6). Now that we are redeemed, we are now a child of God. By virtue of adoption, we have given:
- A new name (son, no longer slave)
- A new legal standing/status (accepted, no longer alienated or condemned)
- A new family relationship (Father, not Judge)
- A new image, image of Christ
We are God's children so we have to talk like one, walk like one and think like one. Being a child of God is not an easy task. There will always be struggles and temptations that may lead us back "under the law". But the good thing is, since we are sons and daughters of God, he sent us the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. This is to guide us to avoid human flesh sins. We don't need any law to dictate us what to do, we have the Spirit and following it should become naturally.
The power of the Spirit is undeniable but we also need to work and feed it. How? We can do bible study, attend a lifegroup, through prayers, reading the bible, everyday devotion and many more. We have a lot of options so that we can always be aligned with God's plan for us. Galatians 5:16-18 (16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law)
3. We Are No Longer Slaves (v7). We have been redeemed that lead to our adoption and sonship and as a child of God, He sent us the Holy Spirit and we should listen to Him so that we are not thinking about the law, instead it should be easy for us to just follow the good ways and that is called obedience. Don't call it as sacrifice or following his commandments, don't treat it is as a law as we shouldn't be "under the law". Just be obedient and we can follow naturally without hesitations but only love.
3. We Are No Longer Slaves (v7). We have been redeemed that lead to our adoption and sonship and as a child of God, He sent us the Holy Spirit and we should listen to Him so that we are not thinking about the law, instead it should be easy for us to just follow the good ways and that is called obedience. Don't call it as sacrifice or following his commandments, don't treat it is as a law as we shouldn't be "under the law". Just be obedient and we can follow naturally without hesitations but only love.
Galatians 5:24 (Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires). The lusts and passions of our old sinful nature have been put to death with Christ. Only through faith - the sinful flesh has no power over us. It is our decision to believe it, not work at it! We might have a situation that we can't control and tempting us to do even though we know it is not God's way but we can always ask for strength from Him because he can do anything and nothing is too hard for him. Jeremiah 32:27 (I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?)
Friday, July 3, 2015
A Realization on Rejection
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
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Who is Your First Love?
Do you sometimes feel that you are very passionate into something from the beginning but suddenly the interest is becoming less and less? As Christians, we sometimes drift away from the burning fire of passion in serving Him? Am I right? I am not saying that this is normal but this happens to a lot of believers. There could be many reasons but the most important thing is that we always have a chance to rekindle the fire.
As we progress in life, most of the times, the priorities will change and we aim to a better and more convenient nature of living. Other reasons could be that we are distracted and very complacent that in time of "service", we are pouring out a lot of reasons and excuses. Let's also remember that "serving without substance" is as bad as ignoring His call. He wants "us" and not our "empty service".
To have a better passion in service for God, we must remember that loving Him and putting Him on the top of our priority list is the greatest commandment. And if we enjoy serving Him in any way that we can, it is also an excellent sign of our love to Him. (Matthew 22:36-38 '36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.')
Don't limit ourselves in a state where we become comfortable in serving Him. Try to find other ways to improve it and get out of your comfort zone. If you are shy to encourage and share His words, start now to change that attitude. Returning to a life of passionate service for God begins with repentance. If we gradually releasing our hands from the sphere of commitment, it also means that we are waving goodbye from our first love. We can always reconnect to Him and put Him in our hearts by regular prayer and meditation on His words. We should have an intimate relationship with Him and that makes Him happy. Be excited everytime there is an opportunity to serve Him. Make your devotion a daily habit and put it in your routine and give way to an amount of time to have a "personal date" with Him and rekindle the flame of your first love.
Image taken from cccooperagency.wordpress.com
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Nothing is Impossible
When I heard that there was a plan of building Hope church in Dubai, at first, I thought it won't be easy since this is a Muslim country and besides, there are big Christian churches that have been established here. I told to myself, it is impossible. How can we invite members as it is not allowed to do it publicly (in Singapore, we can distribute some pamphlets about the church in a mall or street)? How can we start, we don't have any leaders here? Where do we get the money to spend in lifegroup and services? But those doubts suddenly diminished when inch by inch, we reached our goal. This November we will be celebrating our first anniversary and I couldn't believe it! It has been a whirlwind and exciting journey.
This experience thought me that indeed, nothing is impossible with His guidance. I am so blessed to meet these believers who helped hand in hand in building this Hope church in Dubai. As the saying of my forever favorite verse (Philippians 4:13) - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". We are all overcomers and if sometimes we experience problem that seems to have no solutions and we don't know what to do, we should learn to focus our eyes only to Him because He will teach us lessons that we can't learn in any other way. It is also an opportunity to understand and nurture His presence in the midst of a situation of walls of nothingness.
When we are asking the question 'What am I going to do?', just remember John 6:5-6 (5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do). These are all tests and there is nothing, as in nothing that He can't do even in our wildest imagination. It is a reminder that we need to implement things according to His process and procedures and that everything comes from God and not from human solutions and resources.
In every obstacle that we face, just remember that God has the solution and sometimes, He might require our involvement and participation to achieve. He may even ask us to do something unreasonable for us. But believe me; everything is within reasons and for our own good. Initially I had many doubts about planting church here in Dubai but now, it so fulfilling that we have accomplished something that can please Him. We didn't do it on our own, we believe He has always been guiding us and giving us wisdom when it comes to decision making.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Christian Backsliders
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:
- Refusal to Face Their Own Guilt. Yes, sometimes they will be questioning their mistakes and incorrect actions and try to defend them. They often not think of the danger that will come to them if they do not receive forgiveness for wrongs done. Since they have committed disobedience, they are thinking to harden their hearts and will choose such a way to harden more to avoid the wrath that they might receive.
- Fear of Condemnation. Truly, there is no condemnation in Christ. But backsliders are thinking that if their church leaders give them advice and provide other solution, for them, it is condemnation and it will lead to inquest them and question their own cleanliness. They become proud and they will not listen to any words that they will receive and this will also head to rebellion.
- Full of Pride. I think this one is the totality of the previous items. Backsliders will think low about gospel and His words. They will try to uphold their reasoning and will put in their mind that there is nothing wrong to enjoy some things as we only live once. The way they will shield their ways of life will become stronger.
- The Listen to the World. They will stop living a holy life because they will accept advice from unsaved people whether it could be family or friends. They could also be influenced by what they see in television, movies and even social media. The trouble will start once they also pay attention to the temporal things in this world.
- Poor Examples. We cannot deny that there are some bad examples that surround the Christian life. It could be a church leader or a friend in their own lifegroup. Once these bad samples caught the eye of a believer, they might be questioning their faith and will query on the validity of their status.
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
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Facing New Challenges
Yesterday, my boss talked to me about a new opportunity. It was way better than my current position and tasks. I admit I was very hesitant at first because for sure it means bigger responsibility. Also, I didn't feel comfortable yet as I feel that I am still a "newbie" in this level. But honestly, it is the best job opportunity I've ever had (of course a salary increase is a big possibility) and I wasn't expecting this as early as now. Another factor is that most of my colleagues have better and longer experiences than me and that they are also older. This is indeed a big challenge for me and I am having doubts if I can do it.
We all know that most of answers to all our questions can be found thru His words. So I seek for His messages about it. I decided to make it my devotion for five days so that I can have answers about it. After few days of reading His words, I realized that we should do one thing in this kind of situation, face challenges with faith. So I found these verses from Joshua 1:1-9 and it was an instant affirmation of His plans to me and the pointers i have learned from it.
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
- Be Strong and Courageous. If new responsibilities and bigger challenges are about to come your way, we should face them in a manner of full confidence and positive attitude towards it. We should also be strong and keep in mind that He will not give us something that we can't be victorious.
- Obey His Words. Upon the transition of these challenges, we should always consider that each action has its own guidelines. In every decision, let's consider His teachings and messages so that the outcome will be according to His plans. When we are obedient in His words, it will be a sure success. So we must always follow His directions and have a heart that always praises Him.
- Meditate on the Scriptures. It will also help us if we will have a daily devotion and meditate on His words. To accomplish the will He has for us and to keep us the right path, biblical thinking is the best approach in everything that we do. Trust me, once you put into your heart His messages and listen to His voice, everything will be easier.
- Fear No More. Like what He said, He will always be with us wherever we go. So we shouldn't doubt our abilities and we should cast away those fears. Faith and prayer is the best weapon that we have.
I told my boss that I will inform him my decision after my two weeks' vacation in USA but as early as now, I am sure what will be my answer. I have learned that if new challenges come into our way, we shouldn't avoid and run away from it. We shouldn't retreat and doubt ourselves, just read the promises He made to Joshua and we will realize that they are also applicable to us. So we should focus and keep our eyes only to Him and we must obey His instructions. We should also remember that these opportunities can give way to be a blessing to others and to serve Him more.
Image taken from legacyportfolio.co.uk
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