Showing category "Word for the week" (Show all posts)
“To everything and to everyone there is a time appointed.” I think that statement had really shocked me—truly if we know the appointed time, then we won’t fret but we will prepare and do well in advance. What would happen if everyone knows the time that their loved ones would depart? Then they would all do what they can to be around them before that time comes. Likewise, what would happen if we know what time we are supposed to receive and get an employment?
Then we won’t be losing... Continue reading ...
Sometimes we often think that God is like a cosmic KJ, that He is really after our money, and so we don’t really give Him the tithes, nor really trust Him in His word to test Him. In spite of the many exhortations that we hear and the testimonies of blessings from many other Christians, there are many rebels who don’t really trust God of their money. They think it as theirs, a product of their hardships and efforts. As Moses had argued before the Israelites, don’t ever think that it was... Continue reading ...
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Matthew 27:50-51
The greatest benefit of the cross is that it restored us to a relationship with our Maker. Through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the Cross we have been granted free access to His grace. Through the blood of Jesus we have become children of royalty! Through the blood of Jesus we... Continue reading ...
What is rejection and how can we remedy it? Sometimes in order to understand the concept of a word, we need to understand it’s opposite. The opposite of rejection is acceptance and a beautiful picture of acceptance is being honored in a banquet together with a king or a very important host. Another definition of rejection is to be denied access, to be denied fellowship, love or honor. The deepest wound one can receive is to actually be rejected, and there is a corresponding parallel between... Continue reading ...
Celebrating New Year always evokes in us a new hope and a new beginning. Hope is sorely needed in a world that is greatly shaken, in a world that is currently in recession, experiencing earthquakes, political turmoil, unrest and floods. I believe that we have come to a juncture in time when everything that will be shaken will be shaken. Paul writes about this , “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much ... Continue reading ...
Where is the place that God marks as His dwelling place? Where is the sanctuary that God abides in? Stephen proclaimed that the Most High does not dwell in temples made with human hands and Paul continued that discourse by saying that you are the temple of the living God unless you failed the test of faith. God no longer dwells in a temple built by human hands but He has chosen to dwell in us and to be with us. This is paralleled by how the Lord chose His accommodation when He came on earth, ... Continue reading ...
What is the meaning of Christmas? My teachers in my elementary school often asked that question. We all guess what the meaning of Christmas is and almost everyone would think it is gift giving, or giving presents to those you love. But how about those who cannot give? Giving as alms and as responsibility to our fellow humans have been the core message of Christmas Sundays and for most there is really nothing wrong about that because our Savior came and gave His very life so that we can be sav... Continue reading ...
There has never been a more opportune time, more signs in the heavens and on earth happening than this time. When an earthly king comes to visit a country, they always send their advance party to prepare the way of the king for his coming. They make his passage safe, they level the crooked paths and they inform the people of how important this dignitary is by rolling a red carpet and putting signs of his coming. The truth is, the Lord Jesus, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is coming a... Continue reading ...
“Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness.” Proverbs 16:12
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne." Psalm 97:2 (NKJV)
There is a reason why the Bible instructs us that justice and righteousness is the foundation of any throne. Throne today represents those who rule, those given dominion in every sphere of the society. These could be barangay captains, mayors, governors, congressmen, senators, presidents, justices, chiefs, and bosses in ... Continue reading ...
Man is hardly thankful to God. If man had ever been thankful to God, he could have always followed and searched for truth. He could have been more thankful to Him than the birds that chirp everyday thanking God for a new day, a new meal and for the life it has. All of creation are thanking God for King David said, “Let all that has breath praise the Lord!” But we are hardly thankful to Him, even today that the pressures of living have become even greater and the economic systems of the wo... Continue reading ...
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8 (NKJV)
Trust
is earned. People can love each other, they can give gifts, they can
hug and even kiss but the lack of trust could easily distort this love.
To be a people of faith, we need to trust God. W... Continue reading ...
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:33-34
Seeking God’s Kingdom is not a one time or Sunday only matter, as the Apostle Peter wrote, we should be even more zealous as we see the day of His coming approaching. Being zealous for God is not a bad quality and it is even praised in the Bible. What is wrong is ... Continue reading ...
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6
Godliness with contentment is really a great gain. There is no amount of material prosperity here on earth that could bring us nearer to heaven. The only way of salvation from sin is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross. Because “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Therefore we cannot earn our way to ... Continue reading ...
"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars.
Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars.
It's
obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you
will most want to be, and end up being. "Your eyes are windows into your
body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills
up with light.
If you
live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is... Continue reading ...
"Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and
where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
The
first statement in this verse by the Lord, “Do not store up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where
thieves break... Continue reading ...
“Do not
store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where
thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
As King Solomon, the wisest
man to have ever walked this earth observed, earthly riches doesn’t last
forever, you can but cast a glance at them and then they ... Continue reading ...
"Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and
where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:19-21
There is a saying that
goes “Christians have become too heavenly minded that they are of no
earthly good.” From the very beginning, Christianity have been
pe... Continue reading ...
I have been wondering what
is the meaning of true ministry--at first, I thought that this means
preaching and teaching to people, having a platform to actually reach
others to God or becoming as famous as Martin Luther or Peter, Paul and
John. The very names of whom speak also the nature of Christ in them,
that He was a reformer, evangelist, teacher, prophet and lover of our
souls. Ministry have taken a new meaning apart from what God intended it
to be, it is preaching and teaching to ... Continue reading ...
How
can we strengthen ourselves? How do we react to situations and issues
that arise in our office, ministry, and children? Do we rant and rave
after losing our keys, or our car jammed into traffic, or after we are
being billed for our electricity and water consumptions? How do we keep
our cool and not burst into anger? Many Christians may not rant and rave
because they understood and knew that it is a sin to have an outburst
of anger but even then, in silence, their thoughts traverse ... Continue reading ...
“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night
will never cease.” Gen 8:22
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Eccl 3:1
Have you been experiencing a general weakness? Or have you been
wondering about your purpose? What you are supposed to do at this stage
in your life? Sit, relax, God is in control and He is not pointing His
finger, worried about time, or wrangling about all the things... Continue reading ...
There are times and seasons in our lives. In fact, we have to know them and learn to cooperate with the times and seasons that occurs in our lives because we don’t control time or season. There are many people who pretend to know the times and seasons of God or even the climate of our earth. The sons of Issachar are known to have discerned the times and seasons of God and understood what Israel was supposed to do (1 Chronicles 12:32). Why is it very important to know the times and seasons o... Continue reading ...
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. Ecclessiastes 5:10
We have been talking about
money in order to gain a deeper understanding on how God views money
and the natural resources that we have been given. Obviously, the Lord
will not give more to those who squander their present resources or
those who do not have the wisdom to use what they were given. Money is a
powerful tool when handled properly but without the right h... Continue reading ...
“It is impossible that no offenses should come…” Luke 17:1-4 NKJV
Many
people get easily offended. They are misers, unhappy and easily jolted
by the failures or successes of others. Misery can be defined as the
consequence of a negative reaction when we are offended, persecuted or
challenged. The feeling of misery escalates when we find ourselves drawn
to self-pity and self-condemnation or to accusation of others. Often,
the very people who are closest to us inflicts the hardest pa... Continue reading ...
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it.
Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come cl... Continue reading ...
We all have a story to tell about forgiveness. We face disappointments, we face hurts, we face a lot of unkind words, accusations, gossip and slander. So long as we remember, forgiving others is not an option so that we can live free from pain, free from guilt, free from bitterness and free from resentments. We are aware for example that there are many people who are hurting in this world, some because their husbands and spouses left them, mothers and fathers who have grown old and forsaken... Continue reading ...
"Whoever
can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and
whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will
trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with
someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?” Luke
16:10-12
Money per se is not evil.
But once we put our trust in money, or on our wealth, this becomes our
god. The Lord ... Continue reading ...
Recently
I had a dream. In my dream, I saw a number of people whom I could only
recognize as probably missionaries. This bold company of people were
preparing to share the gospel and reach out a number of people and
tribes. They prayed. They prepared. But what stunned me afterwards is to
see that the same people were hacked to death and killed. When I saw
what happened I run and run away from the scene out of fear for my life
and mortified at what happened. Upon waking up I wondered wh... Continue reading ...
What is disappointment? Everyone has at one time been a victim of disappointment. From the man waiting for his pizza in the Restaurant to the taxi driver waiting for his turn in the queue to the budding businessman receiving a letter of rejection from his bankers for his business proposal to the young lover whose romantics had just been rejected by his love one; Or to us, it could be an erring church member whose behaviour we regard as rebellious because we simply could not accept her person... Continue reading ...
1. Why do trials occur
in this life? And why does God sends trials? Most of us define trials by
our experience whether we are Christians or Non-Christians, everyone
understands that both suffers and come to a point of suffering in this
life. For most of us in the Philippines, trials are equated to poverty.
We endure the afflictions and sicknesses because we see them as part of
life. It is natural for most of us…but who could have thought that being
rich and wealthy could also be a... Continue reading ...
“No
servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and Money.” Luke 16:13
Understanding the times is
not only crucial to our survival but for us to use the times of crises
to take action. Unless we have been prepared of the things that will
happen ahead, who will warn the others? Just as a loud serene warns of
an impending war, disaster or bombing in a city, the tr... Continue reading ...
After this I saw four angels standing
at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the
earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on
any tree.
Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God.
He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God... Continue reading ...
Don't
let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the
rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed
to destruction. He
will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God
or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming
himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
In the last two chapters
we dealt with the two beasts that will deceive the whole world (those in
rebellion against God). The antic... Continue reading ...
“He
also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave,
to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one
could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast
or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17
Without the mark, no one will be able to “buy, sell, or trade.” Since
the power of the beast will mainly come from controlling the economic
systems of this world, those who are his slaves and people will be
marked ... Continue reading ...
“Once
you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of
your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical
body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and
free from accusation.” Colossians 1:21-22
In Revelation chapter 13
we see how another beast that will come out of the earth will deceive
the whole world by causing the inhabitants of the earth to worship the
first beast. In short, this beast will actually be ac... Continue reading ...
And I
saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads,
with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The
beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a
mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his
throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have
had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world
was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped th... Continue reading ...
“The
man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand
them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Corinthians 2:14
In the last chapter we
discussed that the seed of the anti-Christ will not come emblazoned with
his head flashing a word “antichrist” or his office affixed with a
plaque “Beast.” The Scripture refers to this personification of the sin
of man as the “man of s... Continue reading ...
There is a prevailing notion that the anti-Christ will simply come in power and then surprise the world, declaring, “I am the anti-Christ.” At least that was my notion as a young believer, but over the years, I have come to believe that the anti-Christ will not be as naïve as we think or consider him to be. Far from this, like his previous likeness, Hitler, he will come as an “angel of light” that will deceive many and devastate their livelihoods and trusts. In fact, because Hitler p... Continue reading ...
“The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…” Psalm 24:1In one of the most prophetic songs I have ever heard, Michael W. Smith’s Above All declares the majesty and power of God over the creation and dominion of man and all created beings. God’s power is really above all authority, above all powers, above all kings, above all thrones and dominions-He truly is the epitome, the one above all things. If Jesus is then King above all, what is the ques... Continue reading ...
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-14The persecution of believers since the time of Christ is a real issue. Make no mistake, every... Continue reading ...
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Matthew 24:7-8Like a woman who is about to give birth, the writhing pain and agony of the earth will just be a prelude to the end so that the New World Order which the Lord Jesus Christ will put up in His coming reign for a thousand years will be fulfilled. It is true that there will be much destruction because the judgment o... Continue reading ...
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Matthew 24:7-8The word nation translated here means ethnic from the Greek word ethnos. Almost all wars have been rooted in differences between tribal leaders and their practices which is why the travail in the last days would include severe wars between tribes or nation vs. nation and kingdom vs kingdom. For instance the case ... Continue reading ...
Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which ... Continue reading ...
“Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Matthew 24:4-8The church has been in deep slumbe... Continue reading ...
But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. (Galatians 1:15-17)Here Paul relates that immediately after the Lord called him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, he went into Ar... Continue reading ...
For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. (Galatians 1:13-14)Paul has literally wasted the churches in Christ before being born again. He was very zealous for the traditions of the Fathers that he wasted no time to apprehend anyone who confesses and beli... Continue reading ...
For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12)
Paul speaks of the origin of the Gospel that he preaches, it is not according to man nor did he acquired it from men or angels. He did not learn this from school, from conferences, writings of others or from an angel but he directly received it from the Lord Je... Continue reading ...
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let ... Continue reading ...
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
But even though we, or an angel from
heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have
preached to you, let him be accursed.
As we have said before, so I say again
now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you
rece... Continue reading ...
Verse 1: Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me
Paul, an apostle
Every letter of this venerable apostle bears his own signature and his greetings to the churches just as often most letters written during their time are given introduction by the author. Paul introduces himself, though he is known already but for the sake of clarity, he bolsters the idea... Continue reading ...
When Abraham was promised with a son, the Bible says that he walked by faith, though old and already weak, yet, “against
all hope, Abraham …believed and so became the father of many nations,
just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without
weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as
dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah's womb
was also dead” (Rom 4:18-19 NIV). Abraham did not deny in his
thoughts the im... Continue reading ...
We
continue discussing on the names of God that can impart strength and
faith to us on our journey this year. Understanding the names of God
will invariably deepen our relationship with Him. When Moses was sent to
deliver the Israelites, God first introduced His name to him for the
simple reason that the people will understand Him with a name that they
can comprehend. The third name of God found in Psalm 23 is like the
second, “He leads me beside quiet waters” (God of Peace),
peac... Continue reading ...
Redemption
is the key theme of the Bible and God’s work with the cross of Christ
is not yet finished. To every man, He still calls on the housetop and in
public squares as wisdom, come ye ignorant beings and hear me, “For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death” (Prov 8:35-36 NIV).
Every year we celebrate New Year because to us, it implies a new
beginning and we recognize that the past year...
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. (Rom 5:5 NIV)
Christmas is undoubtedly the biggest celebration in the Philippines.
Even those who cannot afford to buy anything by virtue of their poverty
are predisposed to go into debt just to have a table full of presents
and food this Christmas. It is not sin to celebrate Christmas nor does
the pagan practice formerly associated with it have anything to do ... Continue reading ...
Last
week we started sharing on the necessity of personally propagating the
gospel of Christ into all the world as the scale of darkness brings
scare and hopelessness into the hearts of many. The phrase “into all the
world” implies geographical, cultural, economic and global aspects of
propagating the Kingdom of God into all the world. There are however
some paradoxes in the world which certainly needs much study and
revelation from God. Our motivation in seeking others whom God ha... Continue reading ...
There
are instances in our lives when we have almost given up on people that
we are trying to win for the Lord. Sometimes we also give up on our very
love ones who do not seem to change. We demand that people around us
conform to what we believe is right and true. Though we understand that
the truth should be known by everyone, it is not our responsibility to
change people. We do not claim to have that power to change others. What
we do claim is that we have the faith that overcomes th...
“For the
kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit.” Rom 14:17
The
Christian faith is not only tribulations or sufferings. Those who have this viewpoint
have greatly exaggerated the nature of faith in Jesus Christ. While Paul said
that we should endure many tribulations to enter the Kingdom of God (Acts
14:22), His Kingdom is not all about sufferings. More than sufferings, it is
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Chris... Continue reading ...
“Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own
interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil 2:3-4 NIV)
In daily life, one can be affected by anxious
thoughts and worries of the future due to present instabilities that occur in
our society. This can only distract and lessen our full devotion to God. We are
called to abide in the Prince of Peace who alone can calm all our wo... Continue reading ...
We have been
discussing that faith is not based on feelings or intuition but on knowledge of
the Word, observations, experience and facts. Solid faith however is built on
the foundation of love which is why it only works by love (Gal. 5:6). Jesus
used His faith to make a difference in the lives of His people by healing the
sick, comforting those who suffer and warning others who are unruly and in
error. He did not flinch before his accusers nor did He give a soft view on
matters of eternal co... Continue reading ...
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