Mojo Spills....

Love, Love, Love :D

2010-01-23T13:56:00.007+07:00

Love Is a Choice

Wednesday December 09 2009

Posted by Rick Warren

... That you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:20 (NIV)

The birth of Jesus reflects the truth that love is a choice and a commitment. You choose to love or you choose not to love.

Today we've bought into this myth that love is uncontrollable, that it's something that just happens to us; it's not something we control. In fact, even the language we use implies the uncontrollability of love. We say, "I fell in love," as if love is some kind of a ditch. It's like I'm walking along one day and bam! - I fell in love. I couldn't help myself.

But I have to tell you the truth - that's not love. Love doesn't just happen to you. Love is a choice and it represents a commitment.

There's no doubt about it, attraction is uncontrollable and arousal is uncontrollable. But attraction and arousal are not love. They can lead to love, but they are not love. Love is a choice.

You must choose to love God; he won't force you to love him (Deuteronomy 30:20). You can thumb your nose at God and go a totally different way. You can destroy your life if you choose to do that. God still won't force you to love him. Because he knows love can't be forced.

And this same principle is true about your relationships: you can choose to love others, but God won't force you to love anyone.

Love is an Action

Thursday December 10 2009

Posted by Rick Warren

Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT)

The baby Jesus shows us that love is something you do. You show love by what you do, not just by what you feel.

Do you really love someone? Let's see how you act toward that person.

Love is more than attraction and more than arousal. It's also more than sentimentality, like so many of today's songs suggest. By this standard, is love dead when the emotion is gone? No, not at all. Because love is an action; love is a behavior.

Over and over again, in the Bible, God commands us to love each other. And you can't command an emotion. If I told you "Be sad!" right now, you couldn't be sad on cue. Just like an actor, you can fake it, but you're not wired for your emotions to change on command. Have you ever told a little kid, "Be happy!" I'm trying, daddy!

If love were just an emotion, then God couldn't command it. But love is something you do. It can produce emotion, but love is an action.

The Bible says, "Let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions" (1 John 3:18 NLT). We can talk a good act: "I love people." But do we really love them? Do you really love them? Our love is revealed in how we act toward them.

Love Is a Skill

Friday December 11 2009

Posted by Rick Warren

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NLT)

Love is a skill that can be learned. In other words, it's something you can get good at and that means you get better at love by practicing love. There is no time better than the Christmas season to practice loving others.

You may think you're a good lover, but God wants you to become a great lover, a skilled lover, a master lover. Yet, most people never learn how to love. You can become an expert at relationships.

Wouldn't you like to become known as a person of extraordinary love? When people speak of you they might say: "He doesn't care who you are or what you look like." "She doesn't care where you've been or what you've done or where you're from."

The only way you get skilled at something is to practice. You do it over and over. The first time you do it, it feels awkward, but the more you do it, the better you become.

The same is true with love (1 John 4:7). Let's practice loving each other. As the Bible says, "Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all" (1 Timothy 4:15 HCSB).

Love Is a Habit

Saturday December 12 2009

Posted by Rick Warren

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them." Luke 6:32 (NIV)

If you only love on and off like a light switch, you do not love others like God wants you to love. Jesus said, "If you only love those who love you what credit is that to you?" (Luke 6:32 NIV).

His point is this: anybody can love those who love them. Becoming a master lover means you learn to love the unlovable. It's when you love people who don't love you, when you love people who irritate you, when you love people who stab you in the back or gossip about you.

This may seem like an impossible task and it is - that's why we need God's love in us, so we can then love others: "We know and rely on the love God has for us" (1 John 4:16 NIV).

When you realize how much God loves you - with an extravagant, irresistible, unconditional love - then his love will change your entire focus on life. If we don't receive God's love for us, we'll have a hard time loving other people. I'm talking about loving the unlovely, loving the difficult, loving the irritable, loving people who are different or demanding.

You can't do that until you have God's love coming through you. You need to know God's love so it can overflow out of your life into others.

Love must become your lifestyle, the habit of your life. But it starts with a decision. Are you ready?

Your life is worth far more than you think, and by learning to love others with the love God gives you, you will have an influence far greater than you could ever imagine. If you will commit to this, you will experience love as God means it to be, filled with hope, energy, and joy.

My prayer for you is "that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love ..." (Philippians 1:9 NCV).

Daily Digest #390

2010-01-23T13:51:00.004+07:00

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” —Joel 2:12

I have colds right now. I knew I was gonna catch it. I had many warning signs before I engaged into different activities that eventually made me sick. And just when I needed my voice and health for choir practice last night, I had already caught it. Now, I have hoarse voice and difficulty breathing. I can imagine God telling me, "I TOLD YOU SO... :-P" I realize how stubborn I can be sometimes. Now all I can do is live with the consequences.

I guess it goes the same with any other bad habits we've developed over the years. For sure, before we even adapted ourselves completely to them, we already had warning signs and preview of the consequences from others. Yet, we find ourselves drifting and making the same mistakes. And sooner or later, we struggle to break them.

God reminds us of His love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and until we recognize that, we will continue running in circles, asking the same questions, and never really understanding the essence of His answers. For this, let us pray. Lord, thank You for Your love and forgiveness. Thank You for helping us pick up the pieces when we fail, or rise when we stumble and fall. Thank You for always giving us warning signs for every doubtful decision or irresponsible action. May we have the heart to listen to Your message and to learn Your lessons. Amen.

Happy Monday! Pray always. God bless!

Be thankful even in tough times

Monday December 14, 2009

Posted by Rick Warren

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Philippians 4:4 (NLT)

When the Apostle Paul says, "Always be full of joy in the Lord," he doesn't say only be joyful in good times. Even when times are tough, The Bible teaches we can be joyful if we follow this simple strategy -

Don't worry about anything.

Worrying doesn't change anything. It's stewing without doing. There are no such things as born-worriers. Worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned.

How do you unlearn it? Jesus says (Matthew 6:34), "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." He's saying don't open your umbrella until it starts raining. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live one day at a time.

Pray about everything.

Instead of worrying, use your time for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole lot less to worry about. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.

Thank God in all things.

Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities. It makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied. It's never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.

Think about the right things.

If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think because the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act, which is why the Bible teaches that, if you want to change your life, you need to change what you're thinking about.

This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things. Because the root cause of stress is the way we chooseto think, we need to focus on the positive and on God's word.

What is the result of not worrying, praying about everything, giving thanks, and focusing on the right things? Paul says we will then "experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7 NLT)

What a guarantee! He is guaranteeing peace of mind. Have you noticed that is what everybody seems to be looking for?

Daily Digest #389

2010-01-23T13:49:00.003+07:00

O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. —1 Kings 3:7

We usually fail to recognize our smallness when we think too much of ourselves. We can be our own "gods" until such time that we ourselves realize and admit that we do not know everything and can't control everything. But God is love. He reaches out to drowning souls and hears the hearts of those who seek His help and wisdom.

Sometimes when we're too proud, He allows things to happen so humbling moments could follow. Only then do we truly learn to honor His greatness.

For this, let us pray. Lord, thank You for the gift of wisdom. Thank You for sending us angels to help us understand Your message clearly, and people/circumstance s to learn lessons of patience, humility and endurance. May we always humble ourselves before You, and praise You for Your glory. Amen.

Allow me to share an article from the Purpose Driven Life (read below). Happy Wednesday! Pray always. God bless :D

We Love Because God Loves Us

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

This Christmas season is a good time to remember that the reason God wants us to love is because he is love, and he created us to be like him - to love. The only reason we're able to love is because God loves us: "Love comes from God ... because God is love" (1 John 4:7-8 NIV).

We were created in God's image to do two things on earth: Learn to love God and learn to love other people; life is all about love.

But love all started with God. He loved us first and that gives us the ability to love others (1 John 4:19). The only reason you can love God or love anybody else is because God first loved you. And he showed that love by sending Jesus Christ to earth to die for you. He showed that love by creating you. He showed that love by everything you have in life; it's all a gift of God's love.

In order to love others and to become great lovers, we first need to understand and feel how much God loves us. We don't want to just talk about love, read about love, or discuss about love; our need is to experience the love of God.

We need to reach a day when we finally, fully understand how God loves us completely and unconditionally. We need to become secure in the truth that we cannot make God stop loving us.

Once we're secure inside God's unconditional love, we'll start cutting people a lot of slack. We won't be as angry as we've been. We'll be more patient. We'll be more forgiving. We'll be more merciful. We'll give others grace.

But you cannot give to others what you have not received yourself, and so my hope is that, as you learn how much God loves you, you'll also let him heal your heart so that his love can flow freely through you. It's impossible to love others until you really feel loved yourself.

Daily Digest #388

2010-01-23T13:46:00.003+07:00

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. —Psalm 51:17

Allow me to share an article about habits and hope from the Purpose Driven Life online (read below).

Molded into Godly Character

Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24 (NIV)

Your character is essentially the sum of your habits; it is how you habitually act. The Bible says, "Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness"(Ephesians 4:24 NIV).

God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us. All three are indispensable for character development. God's Word provides the truth we need to grow, God's people provide the support we need to grow, and circumstances provide the environment to practice Christlikeness.

If you study and apply God's Word, connect regularly with other believers, and learn to trust God in difficult circumstances, I guarantee you will become more like Jesus.

Many people assume all that is needed for spiritual growth is Bible study and prayer. But some issues in life will never be changed by Bible study or prayer alone. God uses people. He usually prefers to work through people rather than perform miracles, so that we will depend on each other for fellowship. He wants us to grow together.

In many religions, the people considered to be the most spiritually mature and holy are those who isolate themselves from others in mountaintop monasteries, uninfected by contact with other people.

But this is a gross misunderstanding. Spiritual maturity is not a solitary, individual pursuit!

You cannot grow to Christlikeness in isolation. You must be around other people and interact with them. You need to be a part of a church and community.

Why? Because true spiritual maturity is all about learning to love like Jesus, and you can't practice being like Jesus without being in relationship with other people.

Remember that during this Christmas season, when your family or friends challenge your ability to respond like Jesus!!

Remember, it's all about love - loving God and loving others.

It reminded me of Jesus' story, when he asked the lame sitting by the pool for 40 years if he wanted to be healed.... I learned that the first essential step towards growth and healing is the desire for change. It struck me because I was thinking about habits yesterday as I waited for the bus.... how thoughts can turn into actions, actions into habits, and habits into character... how the habit of laziness kills the opportunity to change and become better each day, wasting time going through the same problems and realizing the same solutions... . how bad habits can cause delays in what God has already started in me.... and how constant prayer and focus can help break these habits...

When Jesus saw the man again, He said, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." From here, I gathered that when we don't break our bad habits, we cannot expect things to get better. Otherwise, we would be like fools doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

For this, let us pray. Lord, thank you for the gift of choice... for giving us opportunities to learn, repent and change every day and be closer to You. We humbly ask for strength to face our fears and weaknesses. May we remain faithful no matter how hard things get, and trust that we are being molded into Your Son's likeness. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of the day! Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #387

2010-01-23T13:19:00.005+07:00

That you . . . may be able to comprehend . . . what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ. —Ephesians 3:17-19

Indeed, there are many, many, many things to be thankful for everyday :D Allow me to write my prayer of thanks:

Thank You, Lord, for another waking day, full of blessings and opportunities to change, to love and to serve.

Thank You for blessing me with a peaceful sleep last night, and a smile on my face this morning.

Thank You for the prayers that have been said on my behalf early this morning. Please bless these people, whom I am grateful to have in my life.

Thank You for watching over my family, and for keeping us together in prayer. May You guide our choices today.

Thank You for my relationships -- my closest friends, my peers, people in the community. May You strengthen these bonds, in spite all odds, and be always in between.

Thank You for my job, not only for giving me means to earn a living, but also to learn to serve others as if I were serving You.

Thank You for a safe neighborhood, for surrounding me with good people who are always ready to help in any way they can.

Thank You for the children here at school who continuously inspire me to do better. Please bless them, their families and their homes.

Thank You for answering all my prayers and for the gift of discernment. May I always trust in Your word.

Thank You for providing me all the material things I need today, and for letting me realize that I have just enough.

Thank You for the gift of music, for inspiring me with Your words in many different ways.

Thank You for allowing me to see Your face in others. I pray that I may also serve as Your instrument so they may also see Your face in mine.

Thank You for the gift of humility and forgiveness. Thank You for always welcoming me back into Your arms, no matter how sinful or hopeless I become.

Thank You for bringing in new hope on this new day. Thank You for the lessons of the past.

Thank You for the gift of today. And thank You for the promise of tomorrow.

And lastly, thank You for showing me Your great unfailing and unconditional love -- through other people and my circumstances. May I always remember and be grateful for the rest of my life.... Amen.

There are so many other things to be thankful for, and God knows what is in our hearts. May we trust that God sees and hears EVERYTHING. May we learn to count our blessings rather than our misfortunes. And may we always remember how great is the Father's love for each of us, and what He has done to save us, through Jesus Christ. Let us be grateful everyday. Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday to you :D Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #386

2010-01-23T13:14:00.002+07:00

They have not served You . . . in the many good things that You gave them. —Nehemiah 9:35

Good morning, everyone! :D I just wanted to share this article and video (watch below) about thanksgiving. Have a great day! Be a blessing to others today :D Pray always.

Daily Digest #385

2010-01-21T15:21:00.004+07:00

The word of the Lord has sounded forth . . . in every place. —1 Thessalonians 1:8

Allow me to share 2 articles from the Purpose Driven Life online, and 1 from Max Lucado online.

Show caring, consistent love

Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. When they couldn't find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. Impressed by their bold belief, he said, 'Friend, I forgive your sins.' Luke 5:18-20 (Msg)

Give caring, consistent love to those who don't know Jesus.

Like the four friends who helped the paralytic, sometimes it takes something radical to lead someone to Jesus!

And sometimes it just takes the caring, consistent love of a small group of Christians. As we enter the holiday season, I want to encourage you to plan with your small group to reach out to friends and neighbors who do not know Jesus

The reason God used the four friends mentioned in Luke 5 is because they cared for the paralytic. Just like those four, your life mission should start with love - caring for those around you and caring enough about those who do not know Jesus that you reach out to them during this holiday season. The number one reason Christians don't share Christ with others is that they are too preoccupied with themselves.

Before you can care about others, you must become aware of them. When your small group meets, try to identify the people you know who need to know Jesus.

And start praying for them, that God will give you an opportunity to share your faith in a non-threatening way. Pray that God will soften their hearts and soften your heart.

Then, make a plan for how you can reach out to these people as a small group.

Believe God works through you

Your small group must believe God can work through you to reach people for Jesus.

No one is hopeless. When the four friends looked at the paralytic's condition, they could have responded in doubt: What could Jesus do? Instead, they believed God could heal him -- they had faith. The Bible said the paralytic's sins were forgiven when Jesus saw the faith of the four friends.

There are people paralyzed in our world, who aren't necessarily physically paralyzed, but who have a paralyzed faith. Whether they're paralyzed by doubts, loneliness, fear or anything else, the result is the same -- they need the faith of the others.

In a sense, they don't have enough faith to believe, so your faith is going to have to bring them to Jesus. The Apostle Paul asked for prayer, so "that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ ..." (Colossians 4:3 NIV)

A Useful Vessel

“If you give up your life for me, you will find true life.” Matthew 16:25 NLT

When you’re full of yourself, God can’t fill you.

But when you empty yourself, God has a useful vessel. Your Bible overflows with examples of those who did.

In his gospel, Matthew mentions his own name only twice. Both times he calls himself a tax collector. In his list of apostles, he assigns himself the eighth spot.

John doesn’t even mention his name in his gospel. The twenty appearances of “John” all refer to the Baptist. John the apostle simply calls himself “the other disciple” or the “disciple whom Jesus loved.”

Luke wrote two of the most important books in the Bible but never once penned his own name.

Let us pray. May we become worthy servants of Christ -- selfless, generous, caring and loving without conditions nor expectations. Lord, help us recognize opportunities to lend a helping hand or a listening ear. May humbly walk through the path You have laid out for us today. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Digest #384

2010-01-21T15:07:00.005+07:00

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. —Mark 10:45

Allow me to share 3 articles from the Purpose Driven Life online regarding service.

Servants Do Every Task With Equal Dedication

“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (Luke 16:10 NLT).

Servants do every task with equal dedication. Whatever they do, servants “do it with all their heart” (Colossians 3:23 NIV).

The size of the task is irrelevant. The only issue is, does it need to be done?

You will never arrive at the state in life where you’re too important to help with menial tasks. God will never exempt you from the mundane. It’s a vital part of your character curriculum. The Bible says, “If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody” (Galatians 6:3 NLT).

It is in these small services that we grow like Christ.

Jesus specialized in menial tasks that everyone else tried to avoid: washing feet, helping children, fixing breakfast, and serving lepers. Nothing was beneath Him, because He came to serve. It wasn’t in spite of His greatness that He did these things, but because of it, and He expects us to follow his example (John 13:15).

Small tasks often show a big heart. Your servant’s heart is revealed in little acts that others don’t think of doing, as when Paul gathered brushwood for a fire to warm everyone after a shipwreck (Acts 28:3).

He was just as exhausted as everyone else, but he did what everyone needed. No task is beneath you when you have a servant’s heart.

Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things. Don’t look for great tasks to do for God. Just do the not-so-great stuff, and God will assign you whatever He wants you to do.

There will always be more people willing to do “great” things for God than there are people willing to do the little things. The race to be a leader is crowded, but the field is wide open for those willing to be servants.

Sometimes you serve upward to those in authority, and sometimes you serve downward to those in need. Either way, you develop a servant’s heart when you’re willing to do anything needed.

Servants Maintain a Low Profile

“And all of you must put on the apron of humility, to serve one another; for the Scripture says, ‘God resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5 TEV).

Real servants maintain a low profile. Servants don’t promote or call attention to themselves. Instead of acting to impress and dressing for success, they “put on the apron of humility, to serve one another” (1 Peter 5:5 TEV).

If recognized for their service, they humbly accept it but don’t allow notoriety to distract them from their work. Paul exposed a kind of service that appears to be spiritual but is really just a put-on, a show, an act to get attention. He called it “eyeservice,” serving in order to impress people with how spiritual we are (Ephesians 6:6 KJV; Colossians 3:22 KJV).

This was a sin of the Pharisees. They turned helping others, giving, and even prayer into a performance for others. Jesus hated this attitude and warned, “When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1 CEV).

Self-promotion and servanthood don’t mix. Real servants don’t serve for the approval or applause of others. They live for an audience of One. As Paul said, “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 NIV).

You won’t find many real servants in the limelight; in fact, they avoid it whenever possible. They are content with quietly serving in the shadows.

Joseph is a great example. He didn’t draw attention to himself, but quietly served Potiphar, then his jailer, then Pharaoh’s baker and wine taster, and God blessed that attitude. When Pharaoh promoted him to prominence, Joseph still maintained a servant’s heart, even with his brothers, who had betrayed him.

Unfortunately, many leaders today start off as servants but end up as celebrities. They become addicted to attention, unaware that always being in the spotlight blinds you.

You may be serving in obscurity in some small place, feeling unknown and unappreciated. Listen: God put you where you are for a purpose! He has every hair on your head numbered, and He knows your address.

Servants Finish Their Tasks

“Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (Matthew 25:23 NLT).

Real servants are faithful to their ministry. Servants finish their tasks, fulfill their responsibilities, keep their promises, and complete their commitments. They don’t leave a job half undone, and they don’t quit when they get discouraged. They are trustworthy and dependable.

Faithfulness has always been a rare quality (Psalm 12:1; Proverbs 20:6; Philippians 2:19-22).

Most people don’t know the meaning of commitment. They make commitments casually, then break them for the slightest reason without any hesitation, remorse, or regret. Every week, churches and other organizations must improvise because volunteers didn’t prepare, didn’t show up, or didn’t even call to say they weren’t coming.

Can you be counted on by others? Are there promises you need to keep, vows you need to fulfill, or commitments you need to honor?

This is a test. God is testing your faithfulness. If you pass the test, you’re in good company: Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Daniel, Timothy, and Paul were all called faithful servants of God.

Even better, God has promised to reward your faithfulness in eternity. Imagine what it will feel like one day to have God say to you, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (Matthew 25:23 NLT).

By the way, faithful servants never retire. They serve faithfully as long as they’re alive. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God.

For this, let us pray. May we develop a servant's heart. May we allow His Spirit to mold us into good and faithful ambassadors of faith, love and goodwill. And in spite of these good works, may we count not what we have given, but rather what we have received as blessings. May we love, serve and live humbly everyday. Amen.

Daily Digest #383

2010-01-21T15:04:00.002+07:00

The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. —2 Samuel 18:33

Usually, when relationships are broken, we tend to turn a blind eye on the opportunities God gives for reconciliation. There's this growing pride saying, "it's totally his/her fault! he/she should say sorry" or "he/she has done this many times, i'm done with him/her". It is easy to judge when hurt, and we're usually tempted to get back at the person who hurt us :D But God moves in mysterious ways! His wisdom in moments of prayer pours in, and gives us strength to humble ourselves and own up to our faults. There is no room for judgement on others, only on one's self. And we learn to see Jesus' face in his/her face again, even the most spiteful of "enemies" :D Of course, we should also remember how our own emotions could be the worst enemy of all.

Among my many relationships, there were some very dear to me that I eventually lost. Some of which I wasn't willing to restore anymore, and some were because others were too proud or too "fed up" to work it out. But humbling moments with God taught me to assess myself in moments of difficulty with other people by asking: "Have I loved enough? Do my choices bring me closer to God?" I also realized that un-forgiveness is only caused by stubbornness to listen to God's voice and do God's will. Lack of prayer always drifts me farther away, and makes my wounds deeper, and my pain worse. I came to realize that only when I truly forgive and love do I attain peace of mind.

Broken relationships are God's wake up call to assess ourselves and our priorities. That's why we should always pray for our relationships, that God may be in the center ALWAYS. Conflicts can always be solved, only if we're willing to cooperate. Sometimes we focus too much on what we can gain, rather than what we can give. May today's reading serve as a reminder for us to pray, to love and to forgive. We may give up on others or ourselves, but God will never give up on us.

Let us praise God for our many blessings and for answering our prayers! May God bless our relationships and guide our choices today. Amen.

Have a wonderful day ahead! Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #382

2010-01-21T14:55:00.002+07:00

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. —1 Peter 4:10

I just remembered an incident when my parents were here in September. We were on our way to the province that time. I had everything planned to prevent hassles along the way. But for some reason, the bus schedule changed: from 6am to 9am! I didn't want to make my parents wait for 3hours, especially when they woke up so early in the morning. So we took the bus that would take us halfway, and just pick up from there. When we arrived, the clerk at the ticket desk informed us that the bus to our destination would arrive in 2hours. I started to get pissed off with all the change of schedule. I had been there 4 times already, and the schedules have always been the same, until that trip. I worried so much that I almost left my laptop in the bus! I had to run to fetch it, and it was already about to depart! Good thing, my parents were calm and just enjoying the experience, which in turn kept me still. That time, I remembered to pray. I said a quick prayer, apologized for my worries and impatience, and asked God for help. Suddenly, a Thai lady approached us and offered some help. She took us to a small travel agency that offered trips every hour. She even assisted us in paying for our tickets because the ticket lady was talking so fast, I couldn't understand anything she said. After a few minutes, we were finally seated comfortably in the van. I never got to thank the lady again. The last time I saw her was at a quick stopover. She walked hurriedly away from the van (I think that was her stop), right after the driver dropped my guitar huhu. For some reason, I fretted about the dent quicker than expected (I normally go ballistic about anything bad that's happened to my guitar, or to stuff that I treasure). The dent in my guitar has been a great reminder to me about the previous incident -- how God sends help in times of need, and that I should pray instead of worry -- and that I need not be so attached to material things heheh.

For this, join me in prayer. May we be inspired by good examples we witness in others to do the same. May we be ambassadors of Christ, not hesitating to offer a helping hand to those who need them. May we always remember that there's a reason why we are put in a certain situation, or why we encounter a certain person. May we see all these as blessings, and thank God -- for the grace, if not, for the lesson :D

Also, allow me to share today's post by Max Lucado (read below). Happy weekend! Pray always. God bless!

Timely Help

“We will find grace to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 NLT

God’s help is timely. He helps us the same way a father gives plane tickets to his family. When I travel with my kids, I carry all our tickets in my satchel. When the moment comes to board the plane, I stand between the attendant and the child. As each daughter passes, I place a ticket in her hand. She, in turn, gives the ticket to the attendant. Each one receives the ticket in the nick of time.

What I do for my daughters God does for you. He places himself between you and the need. And at the right time, he gives you the ticket. Wasn’t this the promise he gave his disciples? “When you are arrested and judged, don’t worry ahead of time about what you should say. Say whatever is given you to say at that time, because it will not really be you speaking; it will be the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11, emphasis mine).

Four Secrets To Answered Prayer

2010-01-21T14:52:00.002+07:00

By Rick Warren | Thursday, November 5, 2009 | 11:01 AM EST

From PurposeDriven.com

“Then [Nehemiah] said, ‘O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! . . . I confess that we have sinned against you . . . Please remember what you told your servant Moses: If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored . . . Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me’” (Nehemiah 1:5-11 NLT).

Here are four secrets to answered prayer from the life of Nehemiah:

Base your request on God’s character--Pray like you know God will answer you: "I’m expecting You to answer this prayer because of Who You are. You are a faithful God. You are a great God. You are a loving God. You are a wonderful God. You can handle this problem, God!"

Confess the sins of which you’re aware--After Nehemiah based his prayer on who God is, he confessed his sins. He says, "We’ve sinned." He says "I confess . . . myself . . . my father’s house . . . we have acted wickedly . . . we have not obeyed." It wasn’t Nehemiah’s fault that Israel went into captivity. He wasn’t even born when it happened and he was most likely born in captivity. Yet, he’s including himself in the national sins. He says, "I’ve been a part of the problem.”

Claim the promises of God--Nehemiah prays to the Lord, saying, "I want You to remember what You told your servant Moses." Can you imagine saying "remember" to God? Nehemiah reminds God of a promise He made to the nation of Israel. In effect, he prays, “God, you warned through Moses that if we were unfaithful, we would lose the land of Israel. But you also promised that if we repent, You’d give it back to us.

Does God have to be reminded? No. Does He forget what He’s promised? No. Then why do we do this? Because it helps us remember what God has promised.

Be very specific in what you ask for--If you want specific answers to prayer, then make specific requests. If your prayers consist of general requests, how will you know if they’re answered?

Nehemiah is not hesitant to pray for success. He’s very bold in his praying. Have you ever prayed, "Lord, make me successful?” If you haven’t, why haven’t you? What is the alternative? A failure?

Is it OK to ask God to make you successful? It all depends on your definition of success! I believe a good definition of success is--"Fulfilling God’s purpose for my life in faith, love, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and expecting the results from God.” That is a worthy life objective that you should be able to pray for with confidence.

Consider this--If you can’t ask God to make you a success at what you’re doing, you should be doing something else. God doesn’t want you to waste your life.

Daily Digest #381

2010-01-21T14:44:00.002+07:00

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. —Galatians 5:22-23

There Are No Shortcuts to Maturity

“I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in His grace until His task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns” (Philippians 1:6 LB).

It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time.

When you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. In the United States, tomatoes are usually picked unripened so they won’t bruise during shipping to the stores. Then, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly.

While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow. God views our lives from and for eternity, so he is never in a hurry.

Christian author Lane Adams once compared the process of spiritual growth to the strategy the Allies used during World War II to liberate islands in the South Pacific. First they would “soften up” an island, weakening the resistance by shelling the enemy strongholds with bombs from offshore ships.

Next, a small group of Marines would invade the island and establish a “beachhead”—a tiny fragment of the island that they could control. Once the beachhead was secured, they would begin the long process of liberating the rest of the island, one bit of territory at a time. Eventually the entire island would be brought under control, but not without some costly battles.

Adams drew this parallel: Before Christ invades our lives at conversion, he sometimes has to “soften us up” by allowing problems we can’t handle. While some open their lives to Christ the first time he knocks on the door, most of us are resistant and defensive. Our pre-conversion experience is Jesus saying, “Behold, I stand at the door and bomb!”

The moment you open yourself to Christ, God gets a beachhead in your life. You may think you have surrendered all of your life to him, but the truth is, there is a lot to your life that you aren’t even aware of. You can only give God as much of you as you understand at that moment. That’s okay.

Once Christ is given a beachhead, he begins the campaign to take over more and more territory until all of your life is completely his. There will be struggles and battles, but the outcome will never be in doubt. God has promised that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6 NIV).

A God-fashioned Life

"Take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG)."

Many religions and New Age philosophies promote the old lie that we are divine or can become gods. Let me be absolutely clear: you will never become God, or even a god.

That prideful lie is Satan’s oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, “you shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5 KJV).

This desire to be a god shows up every time we try to control our circumstances, our future, and people around us. But as creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want you to become a god; he wants you to become godly, taking on his values, attitudes, and character. We are meant to “take on ... a God-fashioned life” (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG).

God’s ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone.

God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn’t want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality.

God wants you to develop the kind of character described in the Beatitudes of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, Paul’s great chapter on love, and Peter’s list of the characteristics of an effective and productive life (Matthew 5:1-12, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 13, 2 Peter 1:5-8).

Every time you forget that character is one of God’s purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You’ll wonder, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?” One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It’s what enables us to grow. Remember, earth is not heaven!

Many Christians misinterpret Jesus’ promise of the “abundant life” (John 10:10) to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer.

In a word, they expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect heaven on earth.

This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of reality.

Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God’s purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on earth when he’s planned the real thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on earth to build and strengthen our character for heaven.

Let us pray... Lord, thank You for the opportunity You give us everyday to have a change of heart. Please help us build a strong character foundation rooted in You. May we strive to have that constant connection with You by the power of prayer, and establish a deep and meaningful relationship with You. May we trust that someday we will be made perfect like Your Son, in Your will and time. Amen.

Happy Thursday! Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #380

2010-01-21T14:37:00.003+07:00

The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. —Genesis 2:7

This was forwarded to me earlier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU. It's a very interesting and awakening environmental video. The first several images have already caught my attention, and I've decided to show it to my kids in class later today. I guess one of the biggest, and most neglected, responsibility we have is the caring of our surroundings. We have abused our resources in many "innovative" ways that we don't realize how we have caused serious imbalance to our planet. May this video allow us to look back where we came from, and how blessed we are to have Earth as our temporary home.

I am also posting 3 articles about service, from the Purpose Driven Life online. May we assess our actions, and be reminded of our purpose for Him.

Happy Wednesday! Pray always. God bless!

We Serve God by Serving Others

“Whoever wants to be great must become a servant” (Mark 10:43 MSG).

We serve God by serving others.

The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you’ve arrived. In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept.

Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you.

This is so contrary to the world’s idea of greatness that we have a hard time understanding it, much less practicing it. The disciples argued about who deserved the most prominent position, and 2,000 years later, Christian leaders still jockey for position and prominence in churches, denominations, and parachurch ministries.

Thousands of books have been written on leadership, but few on servanthood. Everyone wants to lead; no one wants to be a servant. We would rather be generals than privates. Even Christians want to be “servant-leaders,” not just plain servants. But to be like Jesus is to be a servant. That’s what he called himself.

While knowing your shape is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is even more important. Remember, God shaped you for service, not for self-centeredness. Without a servant’s heart, you will be tempted to misuse your shape for personal gain. You will also be tempted to use it as an excuse to exempt yourself from meeting some needs.

God often tests our hearts by asking us to serve in ways we’re not shaped. If you see a man fall into a ditch, God expects you to help him out, not say, “I don’t have the gift of mercy or service.”

While you may not be gifted a particular task, you may be called to do it if no one who is gifted at it is around. Your primary ministry should be in the area of your shape, but your secondary service is wherever you’re needed at the moment.

Your shape reveals your ministry, but your servant’s heart will reveal your maturity. No special talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting to pick up trash or stack chairs. Anyone can be a servant. All it requires is character.

It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. You must have a servant’s heart.

How can you know if you have the heart of a servant?

Jesus said, “You can tell what they are by what they do” (Matthew 7:16 CEV).

Servants Make Themselves Available

“No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4 NASB).

Real servants make themselves available to serve. Servants don’t fill up their time with other pursuits that could limit their availability. They want to be ready to jump into service when called on.

Much like a soldier, a servant must always be standing by for duty: “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4 NASB).

If you only serve when it’s convenient for you, you’re not a real servant. Real servants do what’s needed, even when it’s inconvenient.

Are you available to God anytime? Can he mess up your plans without you becoming resentful? As a servant, you don’t get to pick and choose when or where you will serve.

Being a servant means giving up the right to control your schedule and allowing God to interrupt it whenever he needs to.

If you will remind yourself at the start of every day that you are God’s servant, interruptions won’t frustrate you as much, because your agenda will be whatever God wants to bring into your life. Servants see interruptions as divine appointments for ministry and are happy for the opportunity to practice serving.

Real Servants Pay Attention

“Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now” (Proverbs 3:28 TEV).

Real servants pay attention to needs. Servants are always on the lookout for ways to help others. When they see a need, they seize the moment to meet it, just as the Bible commands us: “Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 GWT).

When God puts someone in need right in front of you, he is giving you the opportunity to grow in servanthood. Notice that God says the needs of your church family are to be given preference, not put at the bottom of your “things to do” list.

We miss many occasions for serving because we lack sensitivity and spontaneity. Great opportunities to serve never last long. They pass quickly, sometimes never to return again. You may only get one chance to serve that person, so take advantage of the moment.

“Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now” (Proverbs 3:28 TEV).

John Wesley was an incredible servant of God. His motto was: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”

That is greatness. You can begin by looking for small tasks that no one else wants to do. Do these little things as if they were great things, because God is watching.

Daily Digest #379

2010-01-21T12:31:00.005+07:00

We should not trust in ourselves but in God. —2 Corinthians 1:9
It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” —Luke 4:4

I was browsing through facebook earlier and was entertained by the many posts, videos and shoutouts from various friends. Many of which helped me remember the things I used to believe, the songs I used to hear, and the words that has repeatedly reassured me of God's presence in my life. So thank you, dear friends :D You have no idea how much of a blessing you are to others. May you continue to be His instruments of love and inspiration :D

Waiting is the Hardest Part

Part 1

"Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children . . . so she said to Abram, 'The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.' Abram agreed to what Sarai said" (Genesis 16:1–2 NIV).

And so Sarai took it upon herself to solve God's problem. After all, God told Sarai's husband, Abram, that he'd have a huge family, more descendants than there are stars in the sky (Genesis 15).

Sarai waited and waited for God to provide their first descendant, to answer her prayers, to make good on his promise--but the baby didn't come. Every day, the tension and the frustration mounted. As that great theologian and musician, Tom Petty, sings: "The waiting is the hardest part."

Like me--perhaps like you--Sarai began to wonder if God would ever answer her prayers or if he had forgotten about her. Perhaps--like you, like me--Sarai questioned whether God really knew what he was doing.

It appears Sarai's thoughts walked as far as her faith would carry her until she stood looking at the mountains of her fear. Did God understand how important this was to her? How could God deny her the greatest desire of her heart? Was God even on her side?

Even as Sarai acknowledged God's ability to fulfill the promise--"The LORD has kept me from having any children . . . "--she denied God's sovereignty to decide when the promise would be fulfilled.

If we could ask Sarai, "Can God?" she most likely would answer "Yes." If we then asked Sarai, "Will God?" her honest answer may have been "No."

When faced with a delayed answer, do you break with God? What does manipulating an answer to our prayers say about our belief in God's character?

Part 2

"Now the serpent . . . said to the woman, 'Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" (Genesis 3:1 NIV).

And so Sarai took it upon herself to fulfill the promise, no longer trusting God to do his job. The waiting is the hardest part, and Sarai was tired of the wait.

Sitting in a humid tent, she heard the support poles creak; she heard, through the open flaps, a camel snort; and she heard . . . was that a voice, like the hiss of a serpent, saying, "Did God really say your husband would be the father of a family so vast it would surpass the number of stars in the sky?" (Consider Genesis 3).

Perhaps Sarai said, "God can, but he won't." Or maybe she said, "God can't figure this out, but I can." Looking through the tent's door, she saw her servant Hagar, and in that moment she saw the solution, though she didn't see the Pandora's box she would soon open. Perhaps she even thought, "Of course! This is probably the answer God meant for me to see all along."

Sarai believed her assumptions more than she believed God's promise. She wondered why God was no longer on her side--"Why is the LORD keeping this from me?"--instead of confessing she was no longer one with God's will.

Ask God to help you identify the places in your life where you're saying, "The LORD is keeping this from me!" God's interest is that you master the lessons of faith. He wants you to succeed, able to walk further in faith each day. So failure is not defeat; he will continue to teach you--and stretch you--until walking by faith and not by sight is as natural as breathing. Tell God, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

Part 3

“God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’” (Genesis 17:15–16 NIV).

(This guest devotional is by Jon Walker, author of ‘Growing with Purpose,’ and editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-line Devotionals. )

Just like you or me, Sarah and Abraham may have thought, “God doesn’t understand our circumstances; his commandments are good guidelines, but they simply don’t work well in the nitty-gritty of life.”

And so Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

Yet the promise had been that Sarah would be the one to deliver a son for Abraham; so the wait continued, long after reaching the point of desperate frustration- -the place where you say, “God, I can’t go on any longer!”

You’ve been there--like the widow knocking on the judge’s door, you pray day and night but the shutters stay closed and the door remains shut (Luke 18). Sarah and Abraham knocked on that door for another fourteen years! (Genesis 16:16; Genesis 21:5).

While Abraham and Sarah waited, God made a covenant with Abram, changing his name to Abraham, which means “father of many.” And he changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, saying she would be the mother of nations and among her off-spring would be kings (Genesis 17 NIV).

Then God sent three mysterious visitors to tell Abraham that Sarah would provide him a son within the year. Sarah laughed, not believing God was about to give birth to his promise (Genesis 18).

Yet, they were totally and wholly dependent upon God to fulfill his promise. Not dependent because they’d obediently submitted everything to God, but totally dependent because they’d exhausted every other possibility.

And that’s often why God delays. He’s waiting on us to be ready for him.

Finally, God opened Sarah’s womb so she could bear Abraham a son in his old age, at the time appointed by God (Genesis 21:2).

For this, let us pray. Lord, please help us put to good use the little faith we have in our hearts. May You continue to speak to us in ways that we would understand. May we open our ears to Your message, and gain courage to act upon the things You ask us to do. In moments of fear or doubt or hopelessness, may we cling to You and find comfort in You. May we learn to fight temptation with Your words, and Your love. These we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #378

2010-01-21T12:27:00.002+07:00

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem. —Philippians 2:29

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble [James 4:6]..... It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud [Proverbs 16:1]

Allow me to share another article from the Purpose Driven Life online...

The Four Laws of God’s Blessing

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you . . . and you will be a blessing to others” (Genesis 12:2 NLT).

The Bible teaches that we should use our blessings to bless others –

Our blessings should flow to others.

The Bible teaches us that we are blessed not just so that we can feel good, not just so we can be happy and comfortable, but so that we will bless others. God told Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others” (Genesis 12:2 NLT). This is the first law of blessing: it must flow outwardly.

When we bless others, God takes care of our needs.

God promises that if we will concentrate on blessing others, he’ll take care of our needs. There’s almost nothing that God won’t do for the person who really wants to help other people. In fact, God guarantees this blessing. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth . . . no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30 NIV).

When you care about helping other people, God assumes responsibility for your problems. And that’s a real blessing, for he’s much better at handling your difficulties than you are.

Our blessings to others will come back on us.

The more you bless other people . . . the more you help others, the more God blesses your life. Luke tells us, “Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back--given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity" (Luke 6:38 MSG).

You cannot out give God. The more you try to bless other people in the world around you, the more God says, “I’m going to pour blessings out on you. We’ll play a little game here. Let’s see who will win. Let’s see who can give the most. The more you bless others the more I’m going to bless you in return.”

The more we’re blessed by God the more He expects us to help others.

Jesus said it this way: “Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given” (Luke 12:48 TEV).

Would you agree that based on the blessings of your life you probably have a greater responsibility than other people in the world? If you live in the United States, I’m sure you’d agree, because it’s obvious we’ve been given freedom that many people don’t have. We’ve been given opportunities that many people don’t have. We’ve been given material and physical and spiritual abundance that a lot of people around the world simply do not have.

Think this through with me. If I’ve been blessed more than the rest of the world then it would stand to reason that God would want me to care about the rest of the world. Does that make sense?

May we reminded of our role as servants, always giving praise to God for everything that is good, and not keeping the glory for ourselves. May we be humbled by our circumstances -- good or bad. And may the good examples we witness in others urge us to have a change of heart, and do the same, or even greater things, in His name. May we be a blessing to others, just as others have been a blessing to us... These we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Daily Digest #377

2010-01-21T12:17:00.001+07:00

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. —Romans 12:10

I came across a beautiful poem earlier. Similarly, our love for God reflected in others does not wait. He urges us to exercise the fruits He has instilled in our hearts -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control -- so we may be a blessing to others. Anyway, here it is:

The Clock of Life

The clock of life is wound but once,

And no man has the power

To tell just when the hands will stop

At late or early hour.

To lose one's wealth is sad indeed,

To lose one's health is more,

To lose one's soul is such a loss

That no man can restore.

The present only is our own,

So Live, Love, toil with a will --

Place no faith in 'Tomorrow' --

For the clock may then be still.

For this, let us pray. Lord, teach us to love with all out hearts -- the kind that is unconditional and unselfish. May we learn to live for others. May we remember that we are here for your purpose. May Your will be done always. Amen.

Happy Tuesday! Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #376

2010-01-21T12:02:00.003+07:00

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. —Psalm 42:1

Allow me to share the latest entry from the Purpose Driven Life online.

Snatching from God’s Hands of God

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty--he is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:8, 10 NIV).

This guest devotional is by Jon Walker, author of ‘Growing with Purpose.’

In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man.

We, too, steal things from the One True God:

- We steal when we take matters into our own hands, thinking God is too slow or not coming at all;

- We steal when we insist on our own answer instead of being content with God’s;

- We steal when we grab for something we want, because we think God won’t give it to us;

- We steal when we say we did it when the truth is it only happened because God worked through us.

The problem with this promethean pattern is it destroys our ability to be grateful. If we took it, then we got it no thanks to God or anyone else.

When we snatch things out of the hands of God, it says more about our ability to trust God than it does about whether or not God is trustworthy.

When we grab for what we want, it quite possibly reveals a root of bitterness growing within us, defiling us to think God will not be there for us when we need him (Hebrews 12:15).

When we steal from God’s infinite bounty, we’re submitting to the lie that we’re unworthy to be blessed by God and so we have to take because he’s unlikely to give.

Gratitude is one gauge that measures our dependence on God. The more dependent we are, the more grateful we become.

The psalmist sings of gratitude that overflows your soul, compelling you to praise the Almighty, King of Glory: “I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God” (Psalm 84:2 NLT).

Let us pray for enlightenment, encouragement and strength to face and act on the purpose that He has instilled on each of us today. May we be reminded of our duties as humble servants as we await eternal life, and be grateful for another day of blessings and opportunities. May His will be done always. Amen.

Happy Monday! Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #375

2010-01-21T11:54:00.002+07:00

When your children say to you, “What do you mean by this service?” . . . you shall say, “It is the Passover.” —Exodus 12:26-27

Defining My Life's Mission
By Rick Warren | Thursday, January 15, 2009 | 8:38 PM EST
From Purpose Driven Magazine

If most of us drove our cars the way we live our lives, we’d never get out of the driveway. At best, everything would be haphazard. With no road map or direction in mind, we would simply react to traffic rather than purposefully navigate ourselves to our destination. Or perhaps we could think of a hundred places to go, but at the end of the day, we’d be out of gas and right back where we started. Does that sound like your life? If so, then it’s time to define your life mission.

What is a life mission? A life mission is a description of what you believe God wants you to do with your life. A life mission is more than a goal. It’s not simply a to-do list. Many people confuse a goal with a life mission. If you ask them “What’s your purpose in life?” they’ll answer with a list of goals: graduate, get married, buy a house, make a million bucks, retire—those are all goals. Goals are fine, but goals are worthless unless you have an overarching life mission that will bring all of those goals into focus.

Your life mission is the reason you exist. It’s why God put you on this earth. Your life mission expresses your values, your S.H.A.P.E. (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences) and your commitment to God’s purpose for your life. Your life mission answers the questions “What on earth am I here for? What does God want to do through my life?”

Your life mission is not to be confused with your career. It’s much bigger than that. You can lose your job, but you can never lose your God-given mission. It’s the reason he created you.

I’ve heard people say, “Why is it important to define my life mission? I don’t have time to do that.” Think of it this way: An average person in America will live 700,000 hours. Isn’t it worth four or five of those hours to find out what you should be doing with the rest of them? Imagine the tragedy if you spent all of that time doing the wrong thing.

How can you discover your life mission? You start with two options. You can try to decipher it through speculation or you can discover it through revelation. Speculation is mere guess-work. You can read philosophy or self-help books, but they’re just guessing too. They’re filled with theories and conjecture that are highly unreliable. One answer is as good as another.

Fortunately, there is another book you can refer to—the Bible, God’s Word. That’s revelation. The Bible was written by your Creator, and it’s the owner’s manual for your life. The Bible teaches very clearly that life is a test and that this life is preparation for eternity. You may spend 80 to 90 years in this world, but you’re going to spend millions and millions of years in eternity.

God has put you here to develop your character. He’s put you here to test your faithfulness, and to get you ready for eternity with Him. The Bible says, “Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to” (Ephesians 5:17 LB).

Here are five questions you need to consider when you think about your life mission:

What will be the center of my life?

Who or what are you living for? You have to start with this question. You must have something at the center of your life that everything else revolves around. Like the hub of a wheel, it holds everything else together.

There are many options. You could center your life on your career. I don’t advise that. You could center your life on your possessions. I don’t advise that either. You could also center your life on pleasure or popularity. But none of these things are really going to last. God made you to center your life on him.

In fact, God says this is the first purpose he made you for. You were created to be loved by God. God knows everything about you and he still loves you. Here’s the amazing thing: He wants you to know him—not just know about him, but to know him and love him back. Your primary purpose in life is to know and love God, because he knows and loves you.

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV). It’s the most important thing.

Proverbs 9:10 (LB) says, “Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding.” Until you know God, you’re just speculating on the purpose for your life. But when you understand who God is, you’re going to understand who you are and why he put you here. Do you know God or do you just know about him?

What will be the character of my life?

What are you going to be? God is far more interested in what you are than what you do. He is far more concerned about developing your character than making you comfortable. What kind of character does he want to develop? He wants to make you like Christ.

Romans 8:29 (LB) says, “From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him . . . should become like his Son.” God wants you to learn to think like Jesus, to talk like Jesus, to act like Jesus. Those character traits are summarized in Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV): “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

How does God develop those qualities in you? He does it by putting you in the exact opposite situations. For instance, God teaches you to love by putting unlovely people around you. He teaches you to be joyful by allowing hardship in your life. He teaches you patience by letting you stand in line at the post office! Fruit doesn’t grow without fertilizer, and God uses hardships to fertilize the seeds he plants in your soul so the fruit of the Spirit will grow.

If God is going to make you like Jesus Christ, that means he’s going to take you through the same kinds of experiences that Jesus Christ went through. Were there times when Jesus was lonely? Yes. Were there times when he was tempted? Yes. Were there times when He could have become discouraged? Yes. Do you think you should be exempt from those? Of course not. They are all part of character development. Remember, this life is a test. God is getting you ready for eternity and he's watching how you respond to those situations..

What will be the contribution of my life?

What are you going to give back? What will you do with your time, your treasure, and your God-given talents? God put you here to make a contribution with your life, to put something into this world to make it a better place.

How do you know what your contribution is? Look at your S.H.A.P.E.—your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences—and ask yourself, “What am I naturally good at?” God uniquely shaped you to serve others.

The Bible says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10 LB).

You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. Abundant living comes from abundant giving.

Below are my last two questions:

What will be the communication of my life?

What will be your life message? God wants to say something to the world that he can only say through you. At the same time, there is one message that he expects all to share: the Good News of Jesus Christ. God made you to tell others about him. If you don’t tell other people about him, how are they going to know? How would you have known if somebody hadn’t told you? God wants us all to share Christ with others.

The Bible says in Acts 20:24 (LB), “Life is worth nothing, unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling the others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.”

In addition to that, you have a unique life message that is based on your gifts, passions, and experiences. In fact, your greatest life messages come out of your experiences. Especially the painful ones. God never wastes a hurt, and he can use even your most tragic experiences to touch the lives of other hurting people. There is no baby born by accident. There is no loss that cannot be redeemed.

How does God use unexpected problems in your life mission? How can he bring good out of even your worst experiences? When you respond correctly to an unexpected problem, it can help you know God and his love better. It can help you grow in Christ-like character. It can give you a ministry to others. And it can give you a new life message about God’s power, faithfulness, mercy, and love.

What will be the community of my life?

Will you demonstrate your commitment to the family of God? There are over 50 “one anothers” in the Bible: Love one another, serve one another, share with one another, etc. Obviously, you cannot practice these “one another” commands by yourself. They must be done in community.

A big part of your life mission will be lived out in fellowship with other followers of Christ. That’s why it’s so important to be a part of a local church and a small group. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone.

What will be the center, character, contribution, communication, and community of your life? The answers to these questions will be the basis of your life mission statement. Take time to think deeply about them. Write down your answers. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly worded thesis statement. But it does need to be carefully thought out and articulated. Once you know your mission, then you can begin to set goals to accomplish it.

What matters at the end of your life is not what other people say about you. What matters most is what God is going to say about you. I want to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

What do you want to hear him say? - End

Daily Digest #374

2010-01-21T11:50:00.002+07:00

Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. —Galatians 6:7

Allow me to share one of my favorite parables in the Bible. It is something that has touched my heart over and over. I admit that I have not fully grasped its meaning and truly applied it in my life. I am also attaching yesterday's entry (read at the bottom), they are somewhat related. I hope you will be enlightened, too.

The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23)

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."

10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:

"Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15For this people's heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them. 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Let us pray. Lord, help us grow a heart that hears and understands Your word. Help us build a strong foundation of character and faith. Lord, help us in our unbelief, our unwavering pride and our selfishness. May we seek Your will each and every day. Amen.

Have a fruitful Wednesday! Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #373

2010-01-21T10:40:00.002+07:00

When you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your . . . deed may be in secret. —Matthew 6:3-4

I was searching articles about giving and sharing in secret and I came across this article about God's spiritual gifts. I've been curious about this, and today I found His answer.

Let us read the article below and take time to assess ourselves.

A Spiritual Gifts Snapshot

Pastor Erik Rees offers a helpful overview of spiritual gifts

By Erik Rees | Tuesday, July 14, 2009 | 12:51 PM EDT

From PurposeDriven. com

God creates every person with a unique set of gifts. But how do you know which gifts he gave you? One place to start is by understanding each gift mentioned in the Bible, and what it looks like when applied. Check out this handy primer from Erik Rees' Only You Can be You

Administration:

This God-given ability serves and strengthens the body of Christ by effectively organizing both people and resources in order to reach ministry goals. If this is your gift, you might be:

• an effective organizer.

• known for being an efficient planner who reaches your goals.

• a natural delegator.

• someone who looks for opportunities to make decisions.

• a person who sees what needs to be done in order for dreams to become reality.

Apostleship:

A person with this gift is good at launching and leading new ministry endeavors for the purpose of advancing God’s kingdom. The original Greek word for apostle means “sent one.” If this is your gift, you might be:

• driven to start new endeavors, most often churches, for God.

• open to risky new challenges.

• someone who enjoys making a difference in the lives of both believers and nonbelievers.

• eager to be known as one of Christ’s ambassadors to the world.

• a person who enjoys working hard to help churches reach their full potential for God.

Discernment:

God gives us this ability to help us recognize truth or error within a message, person, or event. If this is your gift, you might be:

• someone who easily “reads” people and who is usually right.

• able to recognize whether a message is from God, Satan, or man.

• able to recognize inconsistencies in others.

• someone who easily identifies another’s true motives or agenda.

• able to perceive when the truth is communicated with error or is being twisted.

Encouragement:

Some people are naturally able to inspire and encourage others. They often serve as counselors or people who empower others to achieve their God-given dreams. If this is your gift, you might be:

• one who inspires and impacts others to live for Christ.

• able to easily rejoice with those who have overcome difficult life situations through Christ’s help.

• someone who seeks out opportunities to help others reach their full potential in Christ.

• a natural encourager, whether through your words or your actions.

• one who readily rejoices at others’ success.

Evangelism:

People who share the love of Christ with others in a way that draws them to accept Christ’s gift of eternal life display the gift of evangelism. If this is your gift, you might be:

• a person who looks for ways to build relational bridges with nonbelievers.

• able to sense when a person might be open to hear and receive the gospel.

• someone who’s seen many people come to faith in Christ.

• able to triumph over logical arguments, winning others to Christ simply by loving them.

• someone who is deeply burdened for people who don’t yet know Jesus.

Faith:

People with this gift are able to trust God to handle any and all obstacles along the way to accomplishing his purposes. If this is your gift, you might be:

• a person who welcomes the opportunity to take risks for God.

• energized by volatile situations.

• challenged by ideas and situations most people see as impossible.

• often seen by others as having a passionate prayer life.

• someone able to embark on ventures with great God-confidence.

Giving:

This gift is characterized by the ability to joyfully support and fund initiatives for building God’s kingdom through support that goes above and beyond the regular tithe. If this is your gift, you might be:

• able and willing to intentionally give more than the 10 percent tithe in order to advance efforts you see as growing God’s kingdom.

• someone who prefers your donations to remain anonymous whenever possible.

• a person who seeks out ways to increase your resources in order to give more for God’s use.

• someone who sees your resources as tools given by God for his use.

Healing:

People with this gift are able to heal and restore physical health to others by means other than the traditional or natural. If this is your gift, you might be:

• a person who firmly believes people can be supernaturally healed.

• someone who prays to be used by God for the purpose of healing others.

• able to realize without question that healing occurs only by God’s divine permission.

• someone who views traditional medicine as one way God may choose for healing.

• able to embrace this gift as from the hand of God and to see it specifically as a way to bring him glory.

Helping:

People with this gift enjoy assisting others in reaching goals that glorify God and strengthen the body of Christ. It is sometimes called the gift of helps or service. If this is your gift, you might be:

• a person who enjoys and looks for ways to help out behind the scenes.

• someone who rejoices in the success of others.

• detail-oriented.

• often in search of ways to assist others.

• not interested in recognition for what you do.

Hospitality:

A person with this gift enjoys providing others with a warm and welcoming environment for fellowship. If this is your gift, you might be:

• known for making others feel valued and cared for.

• always on the lookout for people who may go unnoticed in a crowd.

• someone who wants others to feel loved and welcomed.

• able to see your home as God’s property for the express purpose of making others feel welcome.

• someone who promotes fellowship among others.

Interpretation:

People with this gift are able to understand a message from God delivered by another using a special language (see Tongues) unknown to others in attendance. If this is your gift, you might be:

• able to perceive a clear idea of what God is saying through another person, even though the language the speaker is using is unknown to him or her.

• able to translate words and messages of God in a way that edifies, comforts, and exhorts believers.

• able to communicate so as to be understood the sounds, words, and utterances made by others that glorify God.

Knowledge:

This is a gift to communicate God’s truth to others in a way that promotes justice, honesty, and understanding. If this is your gift, you might be:

• someone who devotes much of your time to reading Scripture.

• a person who loves to share biblical insight.

• one who enjoys helping others understand God’s Word.

• one who finds time spent studying and researching Scripture beneficial.

• someone who delights in answering difficult questions about God’s Word.

Leadership:

This is the gift to cast vision, stimulate spiritual growth, apply strategies, and achieve success where God’s purposes are concerned. If this is your gift, you might be:

• given to huge visions for God and able to inspire others to work toward accomplishing those goals.

• naturally drawn into leadership roles.

• a motivator who encourages both people and teams to work together in achieving God’s purposes.

• naturally able to grasp the big picture.

• able to delegate responsibility to others who are qualified in order to get things done for God.

Mercy:

This gift involves ministering to those who suffer physically, emotionally, spiritually, or relationally. Its actions are characterized by love, care, compassion, and kindness toward others. If this is your gift, you might be:

• drawn to opportunities that allow you to meet the needs of others in practical ways.

• able to devote significant prayer time on behalf of the needs of others.

• someone who puts the needs of others ahead of your own.

• a person who grieves at the grief of others.

• one who is most fulfilled by visiting people in need, whether in hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, prisons, on the mission field, or wherever God leads.

Miracles:

A person with this gift recognizes God’s supernatural power to act in the natural world. If you have this gift, you might be:

• able to view prayer as a supernatural vehicle through which God acts in the lives of people on earth.

• someone who gives credit to God alone for supernatural works.

• able to grasp fully that miracles only occur by God’s will.

• someone who sees yourself as an instrument for God’s use.

• someone who prays and expects supernatural results in “impossible” situations.

Pastoring:

A person gifted in pastoring takes spiritual responsibility for equipping a group of believers to live Christ-centered lives. Shepherding is another word used for this particular gift. If this is your gift, you might be:

• driven to help others reach their full potential in Christ.

• someone who enjoys serving others and who looks for opportunities to serve.

• good at developing personal, trust-based relationships with others, particularly a small number of people.

• someone with a propensity for meeting the needs of others, willingly giving your time to help them with spiritual issues.

• someone who believes that people take precedence over projects.

Prophecy:

People with this gift are known for offering messages from God that comfort, encourage, guide, warn, or reveal sin in a way that leads to repentance and spiritual growth. The original Greek meaning of the word prophecy is “to speak forth the truth.” The gift includes both forth-telling (preaching), and foretelling (revelation) . If you have this gift, you might be:

• known for publicly communicating God’s Word, using a variety of means.

• someone who loves to share your strong biblical convictions with others.

• a person who views yourself as God’s tool, ready to be used by the Holy Spirit in changing lives.

• someone who finds it easy to confront others’ motives when they are not up to God’s standards.

• a person who frequently receives and shares messages directly from God for comforting, challenging, and confronting his people.

Teacher:

This gift enables you to teach sound doctrine in relevant ways, empowering people to gain a sound and mature spiritual education. If you have this gift, you might be:

• given to hours in the study of Scripture in order to best apply its principles and truth.

• someone who enjoys making the Bible clear and understandable to others.

• a person who seeks out opportunities to speak biblical insight into daily situations.

• good at helping others learn to study the Bible.

• able to recognize a variety of ways to effectively communicate the Word of God, including speaking.

Tongues:

This gift enables a person to communicate God’s message in a special language unknown to the speaker. If you have this gift, you might be:

• one who believes God is prompting you to communicate his message, often through prayer, in a specific language unknown to you.

• someone who intercedes for others in prayer using unknown words, sounds, and utterances.

• one who desires and seeks out opportunities to pray, using these unknown languages for God’s glory.

• ready to share with others the words and/or messages of God given to you using unknown languages.

• able to comfort or exhort others using unknown languages inspired by God.

Wisdom:

This gift is characterized by the ability to make wise decisions and to counsel others with sound advice, all in accordance with God’s will. If this is your gift, you might be:

• one who enjoys speaking biblical insights into life situations.

• sought after by others for advice/wisdom.

• one who takes pleasure in counseling others.

• known for making correct decisions and judgments.

• able to recognize God as the primary source of wisdom and direction.

Erik Rees is Pastor of Life Mission at Saddleback Church. Learn more about Erik, S.H.A.P.E., and Only You Can Be You at his website.

This article is excerpted from his book, Only You Can Be You.

I realize how each one of us had been given a set of spiritual gifts. Now let us ask ourselves: what am I doing with the gifts that He has given me? Am I sharing my talents, skills, knowledge and time to others? Do I take credit for the good things I have done, or do I thank God for making things possible?

For this, let us pray. Lord, thank You for enlightening us with Your words of wisdom. May we not count our good works and expect rewards or more blessings from You. Lord, please speak to us when pride and self-righteousness overcomes us. Please humble our hearts. Please open our eyes to see opportunities to serve with all our hearts, to use our spiritual gifts, talents and skills, and practice our love for You and others. These we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Happy Monday! :D Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #372

2010-01-21T10:30:00.002+07:00

This my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. —Luke 15:24

Allow me to share relevant articles from the Purpose Driven Life online. May we make time to reflect on our own, and pray for a change of mind and heart.

A Shared Life

“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20 NLT).

God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship.

Today, however, the word has lost most of its biblical meaning. Fellowship now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun.

The question, “Where do you fellowship?” means “Where do you attend church?” “Stay after for fellowship” usually means “Wait for refreshments.”

Biblical fellowship is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other “one another” commands found in the New Testament.

When it comes to fellowship, size matters: smaller is better. You can worship with a crowd, but it’s hard to fellowship in a crowd. The body of Christ, like your own body, is really a collection of many small cells. The life of the body of Christ, like your body, is contained in the cells.

For this reason, every Christian needs to be involved in a small group within their church, whether is it a home fellowship group, a Sunday school class, or a Bible study. This is where real community takes place, not in the big gatherings.

God made an incredible promise about small groups of believers: “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20 NLT).

Authentic Friendships

“But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).

In Biblical fellowship, we should experience authenticity.

Authentic friendships are more than superficial, surface-level chit-chat. They involve genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level, sharing.

These friendships develop when we get honest about who we are and what is happening in our lives. They develop when we share our hurts, reveal our feelings, confess our failures, disclose our doubts, admit our fears, acknowledge our weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.

Unfortunately, this level of authenticity and intimacy is the exact opposite of what we find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, we often become involved in pretending, role-playing, politicking, superficial politeness, and shallow conversation. We begin to wear masks, keep our guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in our lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.

It’s only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, “If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves” (1 John 1:7–8 NCV).

The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in God’s light, we can bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.

Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.

Why would anyone take such a risk?

Because it’s the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed” (James 5:16 MSG).

A Healthy Dependence

“I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Romans 1:12 NCV).

In authentic Christian fellowship we learn the art of giving and receiving. We learn healthy ways to depend upon each other.

The Bible says, “The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part” (1 Corinthians 12:25 MSG).

Mutuality is the heart of fellowship: building reciprocal relationships, sharing responsibilities, and helping each other. Paul said, “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Romans 1:12 NCV).

All of us are more consistent in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us. The Bible commands mutual accountability, mutual encouragement, mutual serving, and mutual honoring.

Over fifty times in the New Testament we’re commanded to do different tasks for “one another” and “each other.” The Bible says, “Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19 NIV).

You are not responsible for everyone in the body of Christ, but you are responsible to them. God expects you do whatever you can to help them.

Don’t Be Reluctant to Show Mercy

“When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair” (2 Corinthians 2:7 CEV).

In Biblical fellowship, people will experience mercy. Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.

We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other.

It’s impossible to have biblical fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.

The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).

The mercy God shows to us is the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make: Will I use my energy and emotions for retaliation or for resolution?

You can’t do both.

Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior.

Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability.

Happy Thursday! Pray always. God bless! :D

Daily Digest #371

2010-01-21T10:13:00.005+07:00

The accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. —Revelation 12:10

I'm seriously lagging on my daily reading of "My Utmost for His Highest" so I tried to catch up last night, and read these:

The Missionary’s Predestined Purpose

Now the Lord says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant . . . —Isaiah 49:5

The first thing that happens after we recognize our election by God in Christ Jesus is the destruction of our preconceived ideas, our narrow-minded thinking, and all of our other allegiances— we are turned solely into servants of God’s own purpose. The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course, but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree. And when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for Himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God. The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us. And we see the nature of Almighty God purely focused in

John 3:16 — "For God so loved the world. . . ."

We must continually keep our soul open to the fact of God’s creative purpose, and never confuse or cloud it with our own intentions. If we do, God will have to force our intentions aside no matter how much it may hurt. A missionary is created for the purpose of being God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified. Once we realize that it is through the salvation of Jesus Christ that we are made perfectly fit for the purpose of God, we will understand why Jesus Christ is so strict and relentless in His demands. He demands absolute righteousness from His servants, because He has put into them the very nature of God.

Beware lest you forget God’s purpose for your life

The Missionary’s Master and Teacher

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am . . . . I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master . . .—John 13:13, 16

To have a master and teacher is not the same thing as being mastered and taught. Having a master and teacher means that there is someone who knows me better than I know myself, who is closer than a friend, and who understands the remotest depths of my heart and is able to satisfy them fully. It means having someone who has made me secure in the knowledge that he has met and solved all the doubts, uncertainties, and problems in my mind. To have a master and teacher is this and nothing less— ". . . for One is your Teacher, the Christ . . ." ( Matthew 23:8 ).

Our Lord never takes measures to make me do what He wants. Sometimes I wish God would master and control me to make me do what He wants, but He will not. And at other times I wish He would leave me alone, and He does not.

"You call Me Teacher and Lord . . ."— but is He?Teacher, Master, and Lord have little place in our vocabulary. We prefer the words Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer. The only word that truly describes the experience of being mastered is love, and we know little about love as God reveals it in His Word. The way we use the word obey is proof of this. In the Bible, obedience is based on a relationship between equals; for example, that of a son with his father. Our Lord was not simply God’s servant— He was His Son. ". . .though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience. . ." (Hebrews 5:8 ). If we are consciously aware that we are being mastered, that idea itself is proof that we have no master. If that is our attitude toward Jesus, we are far away from having the relationship He wants with us. He wants us in a relationship where He is so easily our Master and Teacher that we have no conscious awareness of it—a relationship where all we know is that we are His to obey.

The Missionary’s Goal

He . . . said to them, ’Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem . . . ’ —Luke 18:31

In our natural life our ambitions change as we grow, but in the Christian life the goal is given at the very beginning, and the beginning and the end are exactly the same, namely, our Lord Himself. We start with Christ and we end with Him?". . . till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . ." ( Ephesians 4:13 ), not simply to our own idea of what the Christian life should be. The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful or to win the lost. A missionary is useful and he does win the lost, but that is not his goal. His goal is to do the will of his Lord.

In our Lord’s life, Jerusalem was the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will upon the cross, and unless we go there with Jesus we will have no friendship or fellowship with Him. Nothing ever diverted our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. He never hurried through certain villages where He was persecuted, or lingered in others where He was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned our Lord even the slightest degree away from His purpose to go "up to Jerusalem."

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master" ( Matthew 10:24 ). In other words, the same things that happened to our Lord will happen to us on our way to our "Jerusalem." There will be works of God exhibited through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude while the rest will show total ingratitude, but nothing must divert us from going "up to [our] Jerusalem."

". . . there they crucified Him . . ." ( Luke 23:33 ). That is what happened when our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that event is the doorway to our salvation. The saints, however, do not end in crucifixion; by the Lord’s grace they end in glory. In the meantime our watchword should be summed up by each of us saying, "I too go ’up to Jerusalem.’ "

May we make time to reflect on these words. We usually fail to see our own selves as the enemy, and rather claim that we have no choice or control over the situation. May we realize how important it is to assess our choices, priorities and our way of life. May we be reminded of our purpose, and act according to His will -- with focus, dedication and discipline. Lord, we ask for strength and courage to obey Your will at all times. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Happy Wednesday! Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #370

2010-01-21T10:05:00.003+07:00

[God] does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. —Job 5:9

I could only think of one song upon reading today's reflection :D I'm attaching the mp3 file. This was one of the very first songs I listened to 3yrs ago. It's one of my faves. Read the lyrics below:

GOD OF WONDERS

By Caedmon's Call, Third Day and Chris Tomlin

Lord of all creation

Of water, earth, and sky

The heavens are Your tabernacle

Glory to the Lord on High

God of wonders, beyond our galaxy

You are holy, holy

The universe declares Your majesty

You are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth (2X)

Early in the morning

I will celebrate the light

And as I stumble through the darkness

I will call Your name by night

God of wonders, beyond our galaxy

You are holy, holy

The universe declares Your majesty

You are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth (2X)

Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth (3X)

God of wonders, beyond our galaxy

You are holy, holy

Precious Lord, reveal Your heart to me

Father holy, holy

The universe declares Your majesty

You are holy, holy, holy, holy

Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth (6X)

Lord of heaven and earth

Early in the morning

I will celebreate the light

and as I stumble through the darkness

I will call your name by night

God of wonders beyond our galaxy

You are holy, holy

The universe declares your majesty

You are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth

halleluiah to the Lord of heaven and earth

God of wonders beyond our galaxy

You are holy, holy

Precious Lord reveal your heart to me

Father holy, holy

the universe declares your majesty

you are holy, holy, holy, holy

halleluiah to the Lord of heaven and earth

Indeed, God loves us sooo much that He has made everything wonderful. Together, let us give thanks to God and praise Him for His glory, His blessings, His guidance, His faithfulness and His unconditional love. May we always pray to Him.

Happy Tuesday! God bless! :D

Laminin

2010-01-21T09:57:00.003+07:00

A doctor-friend wrote:

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is.....how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) ...and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking....'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

And then I lost my breath.

And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!

It was because he started talking about laminin.

I knew about laminin. Here is how wikipedia describes them: 'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see....laminins are what hold us together.... LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell.. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE.

But now I do.

And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)... .

Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!!

Amazing.

The glue that holds us together.... ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross.

Immediately Colossia ns 1:15-17 comes to mind.

'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible,

whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. ' Colossians 1:15-17.

Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.

Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!

" Faith is not knowing what the future holds, but knowing who holds the future."

I wanted you to know and to undertstand that YOU are being held together by the cross of Jesus Christ. His love. His forgiveness and His marvelous power.....

AND THEY ALL SAID........ ......... .AMEN.

Daily Digest #369

2010-01-21T09:51:00.002+07:00

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. —2 Corinthians 5:10

I bet most of you had a great long weekend :D I had an extraordinary one, together with a few close friends. We were privileged to go to Hua Hin, led by Father Tamayo, to serve in the morning mass for President Gloria Arroyo. It was humbling to witness the presence of Jesus in that small conference room yesterday morning. Words flowed out of Father Tamayo's mouth, straight into the small crowd's heart. The atmosphere was very peaceful. There were neither interruptions nor problems, despite of the tight schedule, raw callouses and nervous voices.

After telling the story of the blind man, Bartimaeus, who was healed by his faith, the homily ended with the question: "What would you ask Jesus to do for you?" With the president in the audience, the gospel allowed each of us to reflect on our choices -- whether to lose faith, or to keep holding on -- especially at difficult times. The gospel was very timely for such a crowd. Sometimes, we really need to be reminded of our priorities -- God, others, or ourselves.

Indeed, God equips those He calls for service. At the end, we were graciously applauded, and were invited to have breakfast with the president! How cool is that??? :D

Let us thank God for all the blessings that we have received. Everyday, the Lord gives us reason to smile, and praise Him for His works. May we lift up all our troubles, fears and plans to Him, and trust that He is always watching over us. May He live in our hearts as we await eternal life, where we would be one again with the Father. We ask these in Jesus' name. Amen.

Happy Monday! Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #368

2010-01-21T09:38:00.002+07:00

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. —Psalm 119:37

It's funny how some random chats I had this morning brought us reminiscing about the past. I have forgotten many of the things I've heard, and it was such a delight to learn how things were in the past, and what I used to be. Last night, I was wondering about my old self. Did I change much? Did I improve? Am I happier? Looking at the choices I've made now that I'm older, I realize how I've been so afraid of the unknown. I was more enthusiastic, and much braver, before.

I guess the Bible verse today reminds us how we should learn to look back to what was once pure and simple, how our child-like faith and passion are God-given. He did not give us a heart of fear, but of trust and faith. He patiently waits for us to come back to Him, and awaken the Spirit that He has instilled within each of us. He offers His wisdom freely through the Bible, if we would only read, reflect, and truly understand and exercise in our lives what we've learned.

For this, let us pray. Lord, thank You for Your wisdom. Thank You for sending us daily reminders to turn back to You. We ask for Your guidance, strength and protection as we make choices and do the tasks You have set for us to do. May we turn knowledge into wisdom, and truly have a change of heart. Amen.

Happy long weekend! :D Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #367

2010-01-21T09:34:00.002+07:00

When he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him. —John 10:4

Sometimes we are called to step out of our comfort zone. Since we usually fear the unknown, we doubt that things would be better for us in that new place.

I found an interesting article about displacement (Strength for the Journey by Joe Stowell). Read below:

DISPLACED

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

Have you ever felt completely out of your comfort zone, totally removed from all that’s familiar? It’s the feeling of being displaced. We cherish familiar settings, places that we have grown accustomed to, places that are compatible to our relationships and lifestyle. In a fast-moving, mobile culture that pushes us from here to there like tumbleweeds, we long for a familiar environment to provide sanity and serenity. For most of us, displacement can be stressful and scary.

For some, displacement is more than a fear—it’s a reality. Many permanently displaced people walk the streets of our inner cities; some by their own doing, others through the winds of “fate.” In the marketplace, many find themselves displaced from jobs, and all the meaning and fulfillment they received from being productive in the workforce has suddenly disappeared. Throughout history, wars have displaced sons and daughters. Think of all who were displaced by Katrina. Cruel and oppressive regimes have spawned pilgrimages of millions who fled the tyranny of fear, leaving the comforts of their native land to move to unknown places.

Whatever the cause, displacement is an unwelcome and unsettling prospect. It almost always means loss and sacrifice.

That’s what strikes me about the wonder of what happened at Christmas. In order to rescue us from this fallen place, Jesus became a displaced person. He relinquished the privilege of reigning as Creator and King in order to incarcerate Himself in the body of a child. He spent 33 years walking on this planet rejected by His own, scoffed by His family, misunderstood by both political and religious leaders, and ultimately crucified. Why would He have voluntarily and so dramatically displaced Himself from the grandeur of His glory and all the marvelous perks of paradise to subject Himself to that?!

Some of us might willingly be displaced as an act of sacrifice if the cause were great enough. That’s why some leave family and friends to go to war. But, as Paul notes in Romans 5:7, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.” Which makes the next verse all the more incredible. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8).

The stunning point of Christmas is that God considered my needs and the worth of my relationship to Him to be sufficient cause to endure the trials of displacement. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,” the apostle Paul wrote, “that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus displaced Himself to guarantee a permanent place where eternally I can be secure, safe, and satisfied without any fear of ever being displaced. I find it interesting that what I am longing for here can only be realized there. Thanks be to God, my permanent address is already assigned to me and, if you know Christ as Savior, so is yours.

Let’s not miss the wonder of what really happened at Christmas. Jesus Christ was the most significantly displaced person in history—and He did it willingly so that permanent displacement would never be our fear. What amazing love!

YOUR JOURNEY…

Have you ever been displaced? What caused it, and how did you respond? Allow Jesus’ example of displacement to give you courage should it happen again.

Read Jesus’ prayer for His disciples in John 17:6-26. In verse 14, He said, “They are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” How does being a follower of Jesus make you displaced in this world? Be encouraged by the privilege of identifying with Him in this way!

For this, let us pray... Lord, may we learn from your Son's example of displacement. May we have the courage to step out of our comfort zones and learn to surrender to Your will. Amen.

Happy Wednesday! Pray always. God bless! :D

Daily Digest #366

2010-01-21T09:30:00.002+07:00

Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. —1 Corinthians 13:13

How lucky are we to have special people in our lives who love us despite of our shortcomings, fears and weaknesses :D I can identify with those people who ask for a heart that hopes, loves and commits itself to them when they hurt. They are usually the misunderstood, because they do not have the courage to say what they truly feel. And no matter how hard they try, they always spill out the wrong words, which usually makes matters worse. I do not intend to make an excuse for those who are hurting. Like myself, these people are yet to master their emotions. But what amazes me the most is how some people in our lives can show us true compassion, patience, understanding, forgiveness and acceptance despite our irrational behavior. They never get tired of loving. They never cease praying for those they love. This simple act of kindness always helps awaken hearts that have grown cold and weary, until they experience how love truly heals faster than time.

Allow me to share a beautiful story about love and forgiveness. This was just forwarded to me by a friend. Happy Tuesday! Pray always. God bless!

Nails in the Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed.

They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.'

You are my friend and I am honored. Please forgive me if I have ever left a 'hole' in your fence.

Daily Digest #365

2010-01-21T09:24:00.002+07:00

You shall teach [God’s Word] to your children . . . when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. —Deut. 11:19

Parents have many ways to show the world how precious their children are. I have many friends with kids these days. Their babies' photos take up most of their album spaces in facebook, and it's been really fun to view them all. No matter how difficult the circumstances are, parents try their best to provide for, spend time with, and teach their kids. And no matter how these kids turn out when they grow up as independent adults, their parents' child-rearing would still bring tremendous impact in their lives.

I was once asked what were the most valuable lessons my parents have taught me. And I remember answering "be silent if you have nothing good to say" and "do not spend more than what you earn" from Mama, and "be less attached to material things" and "make time to keep in touch with family" from Papa. I believe these words have helped shaped me into becoming the person that I am today. Now that I have learned to read Bible passages, I couldn't thank God more for having my parents teach us (my siblings and I) His words in their own paternal way. And no matter how human they have turned out to be, their care and words in my youth always bring me back to honoring them as my parents.

Our experiences as kids, good or bad, have an effect on how we raise our children today. With God's wisdom and guidance, may we become God's instruments in teaching and molding our youth. In turn, may we keep a child-like heart. May we always pray for our children, that they may grow doing God's purpose, and live a life of faith, hope and love. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Happy Monday! Pray always. God bless!

Live simply. Speak kindly. Care deeply. Love generously.

2009-11-24T07:33:00.001+07:00

Relationships are Worth Restoring

2009-10-19T20:38:00.002+07:00

“If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you . . . agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends” (Philippians 2:1-2 Msg).

Relationships are always worth restoring.

Life is all about learning how to love, and God wants us to value relationships and make every effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt or a conflict.

In fact, the Bible tells us that God has given us the ministry of restoring relationships. For this reason a significant amount of the New Testament is devoted to teaching us how to get along with one another.

The Apostle Paul taught that our ability to get along with others is a mark of spiritual maturity. Since Christ wants his family to be known for our love for each other, broken fellowship is a disgraceful testimony to unbelievers. This is why Paul was so embarrassed that the members of the church in Corinth were splitting into warring factions and even taking each other to court.

He wrote, "Shame on you! Surely there is at least one wise person in your fellowship who can settle a dispute between fellow Christians" (1 Cor. 6:5 TEV). He was shocked that no one in the church was mature enough to resolve the conflict peaceably. In the same letter, he said, "I'll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other" (1 Cor. 1:10 Msg).

If you want God's blessing on your life and you want to be known as a child of God, you must learn to be a peacemaker. Jesus said, "God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God" (Matt. 5:9 NLT).

Notice Jesus didn't say, "Blessed are the peace lovers," because everyone loves peace. Neither did he say, "Blessed are the peaceable," who are never disturbed by anything. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who work for peace"--those who actively seek to resolve conflict.

Peacemakers are rare because peacemaking is hard work, but because you were formed to be a part of God's family, peacemaking is one of the most important skills you can develop.

Unfortunately, most of us were never taught how to resolve conflict, so over the next few days, we’ll consider the steps necessary to resolve conflict.

From the Purpose Driven Life online

Daily Digest #364

2009-10-19T20:14:00.002+07:00

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! —Psalm 46:10

Allow me to share another article from the Purpose Driven Life online:

God Wants You Strong

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked” (John 5:8–9 NIV).

For 38 years the man was paralyzed in a sickly cycle of passive dependency, coping to make it to the end of each day, longing for something else.

It’s the kind of circular survival thinking that traps us in a death-like state where we’re ruled by our fears and our stress, far removed from the abundant life Jesus promised.

Then Jesus said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

He gave the man an option: “You can get up and walk, step into faith and leave behind your fear. God is strong, and he wants you strong.”

Like our own steps of faith, the first step was surely the hardest for the man. He had 38 years of experience telling him his legs would not support a walk; he had no experience in trusting this man named Jesus.

It took courage, energy and pain to take the first step, but then, he had one step of experience telling him Jesus might be right; two steps telling him Jesus could be right; three steps telling him Jesus must be right; four steps telling him Jesus is absolutely right.

Jesus didn’t enslave the man; he liberated him, empowering him with choice and independence from his fears.

When we’re paralyzed in confusion and fear, the questions remain:

• Do I want to be healed?
• Will I do whatever God says to be healed?
• Will I pick up my mat and walk, making godly, healing choices?
• Will I step into faith and walk away from my fear?

Pray – ‘Father, I want to be healed. Help me in my unbelief. Be my strength and my boldness. Amen.’

Daily Digest #363

2009-10-19T19:58:00.002+07:00

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:16

I would like to share an article from the Purpose Driven Connection (excerpts from S.H.A.P.E.: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life, written by Eric Rees).

God Designed You to Make a Difference

God doesn’t create anything without value. He is the ultimate craftsman. And he designed you specifically to fulfill a unique role in his ultimate plan to establish his kingdom on earth. Even though each of us has made mistakes that make it more difficult for him to perfect, we still are a special work of the Creator’s hands. He even takes time to know about our day-to-day lives. In fact, he is smiling right now, rejoicing as you seek to discover the masterpiece you are to him.

The Bible says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT).

This verse helps us understand that if we want to discover our mission or purpose in life, we first need to look at the masterpiece God has made us to be. While self-help books tell you to look within, I’m saying the key to living the life you were meant to live is to look to God and ask him to help you discover your uniqueness. Once you discover who you are, then you can start figuring out what God has planned for you, the specific way he designed you to make a difference in the world for him.

Another translation of Ephesians 2:10 uses the word workmanship to describe our uniqueness. It’s from the Greek word poiema, which literally means “work of art,” and is the root of our English word poem. You are a work of God – and nothing but the highest and best comes from his hand. Like the artist who takes scrap metal and turns it into an amazing sculpture, God takes our lives and fashions them into a masterpiece.

Your Unique Ministry

God created you as a unique masterpiece because he has a specific purpose for your life – a specific and unique “contribution” that only you can make.

What does that mean? Your contribution is the unique service God created you to make, a ministry only you can perform. It is the specific mission God has given you to fulfill for him on earth. It is what I like to call your unique Kingdom Service.

I define Kingdom Service as “your specific contribution to the body of Christ, within your generation, that causes you to totally depend on God and authentically display his love toward others.” Your Kingdom Service is way more than a career. It is a special commissioning from God to make a significant difference on this earth.

I have discovered that most people, myself included, tend to define their contribution in life by one of three things: trends, what others tell them, or by truth. When we let trends guide our life, we simply are living to fit into the current styles of the world. When we let others tell us what we should be doing, we are living to please them and win their approval. However, when we let God’s truth define our Kingdom Service, submitting to his authority and desiring to please only him, we are able to lead a life of lasting significance, fulfillment, and Kingdom impact.

With this encouragement, challenge yourself to invest in God’s kingdom in a way that will last long after you are gone. Be a contributor, not a consumer. For some people, that means trading in a career for a full-time ministry. For most of us, however, finding and fulfilling our Kingdom Service means discovering how God wants us to minister in the paths and relationships of the daily lives he has given us. For all of us, it means determining that we will let God use us to impact eternity and leave a heavenly legacy on earth.

Your Kingdom Service is expressed through the unique S.H.A.P.E. God gave you. The S.H.A.P.E. concept was developed by Rick Warren, who writes, “Whenever God gives us an assignment, he always equips us with what we need to accomplish it. This custom combination of capabilities is called your S.H.A.P.E.”

Your S.H.A.P.E. points to five specific characteristics:

Spiritual gifts

A set of special abilities that God has given you to share his love and serve others.

Heart

The special passions God has given you so that you can glorify him on earth.

Abilities

The set of talents that God gave you when you were born, which he also wants you to use to make an impact for him.

Personality

The special way God wired you to navigate life and fulfill your unique Kingdom Purpose.

Experiences

Those parts of your past, both positive and painful, which God intends to use in great ways.

Rick continues: When God created animals, he gave each of them a specific area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each animal has a particular role to play based on the way they were shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed, or shaped, by God to do certain things.

Wise stewardship of your life begins by understanding your shape. You are unique, wonderfully complex, a composite of many different factors. What God made you to be determines what he intends for you to do. Your ministry is determined by your makeup.

As we allow God’s hands to lovingly mold us, we submit ourselves to his purpose in creating us. God specially designs each of us for doing his will on earth. Each one of us is intentionally shaped to fulfill the specific plan he has for each life. Understanding this amazing concept should produce in us a desire to humbly and gratefully accept the role God has created us to fulfill.

When we reach this position of heart – when we become pliable and welcome the loving pressure of God – we understand that his purpose is to handcraft us for a special role only we are able to fulfill.

Note: Erik is a pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.

Daily Digest #362

2009-10-19T19:50:00.003+07:00

In everything give thanks. —1 Thessalonians 5:18

At a recollection last Friday, we were asked to reflect on our "Jerusalem", "Judea", "Samaria" and "to the ends of the earth". Each symbolizes either a person that you would help bring closer to God, or a place where you would do your mission: "Jerusalem" is a member of your family; "Judea" is your neighbor, friend, co-worker; "Samaria" is an outcast in the society; "to the ends of the earth" is a place where you wish to do community service. We would discern and pray for each until they are fulfilled. I have yet to realize what they'll be, and I have a feeling that God will reveal them to me in due time. I still had issues to overcome, which He made me ponder over the past week, and actually opened opportunities for me to straighten out. He taught me how each person has a mission of his/her own, and no matter how i fail to understand or accept, I should at least respect and honor the unique journey God has willed upon them. I was also taught to honor my parents, no matter how "human" they seem to me, and always thank God for having them in my life. I was very much humbled when Papa told me, upon asking forgiveness for something I did, that there was nothing to forgive (I had to remind him of what I did because he forgot it already) and that he would love me no matter what. I simply saw Jesus in him.

All these blessings brought a lot of energy and sincere enthusiasm in me yesterday. I couldn't wait to give something back to express my gratefulness. Though I realize I should be thankful for my blessings everyday, yesterday felt extra special because several of my past prayers were finally answered through the tiny details that only the Spirit of God would allow me to see. Indeed, God's timing is always perfect.

For this, please join me in prayer. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to guide our decisions and to open our eyes to see Jesus in others. Thank You for always hearing our prayers, and moving us with Your answers in ways that would truly cause change within us. Lord, we know we are weak, that is why we ask for strength and courage to seek Your will at all times. We ask for Your protection. May we overcome temptations to sin, and turn our doubts and fears into prayers. We ask these in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #361

2009-10-19T19:45:00.002+07:00

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. —Proverbs 20:5

Wow, the Daily Bread entries this week are on a roll :D I've been hit here and there by the truths that I've been denying myself to believe, and follow, these past few days. And God's truths continue to prevail! I have been called to accept and understand people in my life, but I refused and insisted on what I thought was best. There's no love in what I did, although I claimed I loved those people. I realize how my pride has taken over, and how I've given into the fear of losing it. I demanded to be heard and be understood, but I also forgot to listen and understand. I thought I was being selfless, but I turned out to be the selfish one. In the middle of all these, I asked God, "what's the matter with me???" I couldn't help but complain how I've become worse rather than better. Still, He assured me of His love and forgiveness, which is always humbling and awakening.

For this, join me in prayer. Lord, thank You for your message to us today. Thank You for giving us the chance to be Your ambassadors of love and peace. We are sorry for those times when we chose to disobey, and went our own way. Lord, we ask for faith in Your love and mercy. May we allow Your Spirit to grow in us and manifest true love in our lives. These we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #360

2009-10-19T19:36:00.003+07:00

Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? —1 John 3:17

The reading today made me reflect about my choices. I realized I have not been kind and generous. I've been picky in terms of giving and helping out others. I find it hard to trust people easily. And when I do, I set expectations which when are unmet could lead me to anger and frustration. But I learned how these expectations have bruised and ruined some of my dearest relationships (family and close friends alike; some of which I am still too proud to mend). I have reacted badly to complains and rejections -- which I may also have expressed on others -- and it kept me from loving and giving unconditionally. I always forget how God has been generous and patient with me all this time. It's a shame how I claim to love God and to be loved by God, when I do not let His love manifest in me sometimes. But He has ways to remind me to pray in moments of weakness -- when I choose my own comfort over others' needs -- to look at the brighter side of things, and to accept, if not understand, the things that I cannot change.

For this, please join me in prayer. Lord, thank You for the lesson you imparted to us today. We look forward to learning more from You, and to becoming real Christians. May our choices be pleasing to You. May we be humble servants, doing our utmost for the task at hand. May we continue to pray for others, to count our blessings, to forgive, to LOVE and to serve You with all our hearts, just as Your Son did. We ask these in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #359

2009-10-19T19:27:00.002+07:00

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. —Galatians 4:19

Earlier today, I had 4 kids re-taking the exam in the computer room. One of them had been a real pain in the *(&)% for the longest time. I had to sit with him and make him read the instructions one by one. As he read aloud, I asked him to do exactly as instructed, but he couldn't. I asked him if he understood what he read. The first time, he answered 'yes' but just guessed which buttons to click. So I asked him to read again, asking questions in between just to reiterate what was being asked of him, and he finally did everything correctly. So from a score of 10, he got an 80 on his second take.

I realized how I've been like this particular student. I read Bible passages, share them to others, yet I still get lost sometimes. I guess I also read without really understanding. When I read beautiful verses, or sing glorious worship songs, I sometimes miss the meaning of the words that I fail to apply them in my own life. I have hurts that I have yet to overcome, and wants that I have yet to surrender. Indeed, maturing takes a lifetime. But I thank God for giving me a chance to choose His will everyday. I thank God for reminding me to pray when I am on the verge of giving in to sin, and for still loving unconditionally me when I fail Him. He allows me to learn, unlearn and relearn the things I have forgotten or ignored so I could make a wiser choice the second time around.

For this, let us pray. Lord, thank You for showering us with knowledge and experiences to learn from. May these turn into wisdom, so we may glorify You in everything that we think, say or do. Thank You for the gift of choice, for drawing us closer to You no matter how much we resist sometimes. May Your will be done on us always. We ask these in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #358

2009-10-19T19:20:00.002+07:00

No one can serve two masters. —Matthew 6:24

Allow me to share an article from the Purpose Driven Life about contentment, and trust in God. Read below:

Trust God

“…Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:32-33 NLT).

God promises to meet all your financial needs if you (1) ask Him for help; (2) learn to be content; (3) practice giving in faith; (4) maintain your integrity; and (5) trust Him with your life.

Worry is really just a form of atheism. Every time you worry, you’re acting like an atheist. You’re saying, “It all depends on me.” That’s just not in the Bible.

Worry is a warning light that you doubt the love of God. Yet, the Bible says God “provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever” (Psalm 111:5 NIV).

The book of Romans tells us that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you to pay for your salvation. If God loves you enough to send His own Son to die for you, don’t you think He loves you enough to take care of your bills?

God solved your biggest problem when He saved you. Don’t you realize that any other problem is minor by comparison? The bottom line is really this: Am I going to believe that God will do what He says He will do—that He will provide for me?

If you’re serious about being set free from financial fears, then it’s your choice. But you must choose to do what God has clearly told you to do. He’s laid it out. He said, “I will do this—the promise—if you will obey the premise.”

I want to challenge you to solidify your commitment.

• Are you committed to asking him for the things you need, rather than going out and charging it?

• Are you going to start learning to be content, and to stop comparing?

• Are you going to start worshiping with your tithe as God has commanded and believe that he’s going to take care of your needs?

• Are you going to live with integrity and be honest in your finances?

• Are you going to start trusting Jesus Christ completely with every area of your life?

For this, let us pray. Lord, may we make this commitment with you -- to ask, to be content, to stop comparing, to become more generous to others, and to trust You completely in all the areas of our life. Thank You for giving us a fresh start every day, and for giving that chance to be closer to You. We ask for Your protection and guidance. May Your will be done on us. Amen.

Daily Digest #357

2009-10-19T19:06:00.003+07:00

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. —John 14:13

God's reminders are everywhere. We usually perceive them in an unexpected way, and from the most unlikely people. It just proves how God designed each and everyone of us, in a unique way yet connected to each other.

Allow me to share an article from the Purpose Driven Life online:

Start with the Faith You Have

“[The boy’s father said,] ‘If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!’ Jesus said, ‘If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.’ No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, ‘Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!’” (Mark 9:22–24 MSG).

Is it possible to be filled with faith and doubt at the same time? Yes!

You can have faith that God wants you to do something and still be scared to death. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is going ahead and doing what you’re called to do in spite of your fear.

You have to begin with the faith you already have; it may be just a little, but you start there. A beautiful example of this is the story of the man who brought his sick son to Jesus in Mark 9. Jesus looked at the man and said, “I can heal your son. If you will believe, I will heal him.”

The father then makes a classic statement: “Lord, I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”

Have you ever felt like that? “Lord, I have some faith. But I also have some doubts.” This man was filled with faith and doubt, yet despite his honest doubts, he went ahead and asked Jesus for a miracle. And he got his miracle—Jesus healed his son.

Mustard seed faith moves mountains. No matter how weak or how frail you think your faith is, it’s enough to get you through what you’re facing because your “little faith” is in a BIG GOD.

Matthew 17:20 says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed . . . Nothing will be impossible for you.” That’s not a lot of faith; in fact, it’s just a little faith. But what else does that verse teach? “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move,’ and it will move” (NIV).

Mustard seed faith moves mountains. Don’t get this reversed; we tend to read this verse backward; we want it to say, “If you have faith like a mountain, you can move a mustard seed”—as if it takes enormous faith to do a very little task.

Everybody has faith. You had faith this morning when you ate your cereal—faith that your spouse didn’t put poison in your granola!

You had faith when you sat down in your computer chair—faith that it wouldn’t collapse.

Everybody has faith; the difference is what you put your faith in.

Sometimes people will tell me they don’t want to surrender to Jesus until all their questions are answered; they don’t want to make a commitment until everything is understood.

God wants you start with the faith you have, and based on the example of the mustard seed, you don’t need a whole lot of faith to do great things for God. You just need a little.

So here’s a trustworthy equation: Little Faith + Big God = Huge Results!

• You take your little faith; “Lord, I believe! Help me with my unbelief!”

• And you place your faith in our big God.

And then he’ll show you how he works out huge results.

For this, let us pray. Lord, thank You for reminding us everyday of Your love and power over our lives. Thank You for sending Your angels to help us get through our difficulties. Lord, please help us in our unbelief. May the little faith we have seek Your will, and give glory to Your name. We ask these in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #356

2009-10-19T18:55:00.004+07:00

Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! —Revelation 5:13

If you can remember my previous posts, you may have felt a sense of worry and lack of faith. Our grad school class was really anxious about how the debates and research papers would turn out. Our prof was giving us a difficult time in class, encouraging us to drop the course if we wouldn't take it seriously. Everyone admitted that he/she has never worked so hard since college! All I could do was pray, that everybody gave it his/her best shot, and that the professor would be in a really good mood.

You know what? Our prayers have been answered! Not only did everybody endure till the last minute, but our professor also turned out to be kind-hearted, and was an excellent mediator. Honestly, we were all surprised to find ourselves appreciating the class in the end. We learned more than we expected, and gained more friends. It was an extraordinary experience for a multi-cultural class of 60 :D.

I couldn't help but rejoice and thank God more for helping each of us endure and persevere till the end. Last week, I couldn't imagine how all of these would end (I was seriously juggling tasks at work and in school). For this, please join me in prayer... Lord, thank You for the strength and courage to face the every-day challenges on our way. We thank You for sending us your angels -- encouraging us, giving us hope, making us smile in spite of everything. We thank You for the relationships you have blessed us with. Please protect our family, our friends, our workplaces and our neighborhood. These we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #355

2009-10-19T16:27:00.003+07:00

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious. —Ecclesiastes 10:12

I was tempted to send an anonymous letter to the dean last week. We were just annoyed at how the prof was handling the class, treating us like college freshmen instead of professionals. But last week, there was less yelling and more smiling so we all got to relax in class (maybe too relaxed, as most of us got really sleepy). We figured maybe he had personal issues we didn't know about, so we can only do our utmost to finish the course. I also realized how he's assigned basic stuff on the foundations of education... I guess we just overreacted because our previous professors were very considerate and fun.

We're all busy individuals, each with our own concerns, and we fret at every inconvenience we experience in our lives. The reflection has taught me to lengthen my patience, and to see the brighter side of the situation -- which is the opportunity to learn more, not just about the course, but also about myself.

For this, let us pray.... Lord, thank You for the everyday opportunity to show Your love in our lives. Thank You for allowing us to experience Your grace even in the most unexpected places, and Your love even from the most unlikely people. Lord, please tame our tongues. We ask for forgiveness for the times when we choose our will over Yours. We ask for guidance, that we may follow your path at all times, and learn to be slow to anger. We ask these in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #354

2009-10-19T16:16:00.002+07:00

What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. —Philippians 3:7

I just had a quick conversation with an elder about "backsliding". This got me into serious thinking last night. He said most of those who backslide are the ones who cease praying, eventually slipping back to their old ways. I assessed myself and realized how I've held on to habits that have kept me away from Christ. These are the things He continuously tells me to let go, but I have chosen my own will over His. Mostly out of comfort, or for believing it's the easiest way out. But when I look at it closely, I realize how I've been afraid to face some of the things at hand. I hold on to what I'm used to having, to prevent myself from falling or making mistakes. I thought by doing this, I was being brave, but it was actually cowardly. What I thought was faith in God turned out to be faith in myself alone.

This brings us all back to embracing the power of prayer. It is only through constant prayer that we learn to surrender to God and let go of the things that keep us away from Him. For this, let us pray.... Lord, thank You for opening our eyes to the things that matter most -- our relationship with You, and with others. Lord, though it may be hard for us to let go, please be patient with us. We ask for strength and courage to face our trials. May we cling to you at all times. These we ask through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Daily Digest #353

2009-10-19T16:12:00.002+07:00

[Jesus said], “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” —Luke 7:9

Allow me to share the May-26 entry of My Utmost for His Highest about "unanswered" prayers:

Thinking of Prayer as Jesus Taught

Pray without ceasing . . . —1 Thessalonians 5:17

Our thinking about prayer, whether right or wrong, is based on our own mental conception of it. The correct concept is to think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues "without ceasing"; we are not even conscious of it, but it never stops. And we are not always conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect oneness with God, but if we are obeying Him, He always is. Prayer is not an exercise, it is the life of the saint. Beware of anything that stops the offering up of prayer. "Pray without ceasing . . ."— maintain the childlike habit of offering up prayer in your heart to God all the time.

Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer. He had the unlimited certainty of knowing that prayer is always answered. Do we have through the Spirit of God that inexpressible certainty that Jesus had about prayer, or do we think of the times when it seemed that God did not answer our prayer? Jesus said, ". . . everyone who asks receives . . ." ( Matthew 7:8 ). Yet we say, "But . . . , but . . . ." God answers prayer in the best way— not just sometimes, but every time. However, the evidence of the answer in the area we want it may not always immediately follow. Do we expect God to answer prayer?

The danger we have is that we want to water down what Jesus said to make it mean something that aligns with our common sense. But if it were only common sense, what He said would not even be worthwhile. The things Jesus taught about prayer are supernatural truths He reveals to us.

For this, let us pray. Lord, thank You for never ceasing to hear our prayers. Thank You for always looking into our hearts and healing them all at the same time. We praise You for Your power over our lives. Lord, help us in our unbelief. Teach us to be patient. May we grow in faith, and trust in Your will and time always. Amen.

Daily Digest #352

2009-10-19T15:32:00.003+07:00

[God] comforts us . . . that we may be able to comfort [others] with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. —2 Corinthians 1:4

Here are some excerpts from an RBC Ministries article about where to find comfort ("Where Can We Find Comfort, pp. 5-6, 30):

One of the things we learn from the Bible is that the reassuring Spirit of Christ works in ways that are not always our ways. This is graphically illustrated in the life of someone who probably experienced as much trouble as any war veteran, addict, sexual-abuse victim, or bereaved person you have ever met. Yet in spite of all his pain, he came through it praising "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3).

We know him as the apostle Paul, the converted killer-turned- spiritual- advisor. As a battered, bruised, and often sorrowing representative of Christ, Paul is a case study of how the Spirit of God can give comfort and help in the midst of trouble.

He is an example of someone who was able to get beyond the tormenting memories of what had done to others (Acts 8:1-3; 1 Tim. 1:12-17) and what others had done to him. Yet Paul was more than a survivor. While remembering and bearing the scars of the past, he wasn't broken and embittered by his memories. He was able to look back and see that the darkest times had actually prepared the way for a sunrise. He wrote convincingly about a mysterious yet real source of comfort that freed him from his memories....

Paul explains where we can find comfort in his second letter to the Corinthians, namely, from:

1. God who comforts

2. Weakness that helps

3. Conscience that reassures

4. Sorrow that changes

5. Spirit Who empowers

6. Faith that sees

7. Person who cares

8. Strength that sustains

I believe most of us can relate most to #7. But seeking comfort from another person alone is not enough. Like us, the other person is only human who has limits and weaknesses. Our expectations may be great that we pressure the other person to provide what he/she simply cannot give. Most relationships are broken because of high expectations. I have my own share of experiences regarding this. But the experience taught me to turn to God. He made me realize how my fears and weaknesses have affected my judgment about others. He heard my prayers, answered my questions (which was A LOT) and gave me a different perspective. His responses humbled me and caused me to repent, to heal and to share a bit of comfort to others as well. I still have to make up for my shortcomings, and I thank God for giving me that opportunity every day.

What about you? How has God comforted you? Please feel free to share :D

Let us pray. Lord, thank You for being our Comforter. Thank You for giving us a different perspective when all we see are flaws. Lord, forgive us for allowing our fears and weaknesses to cause us to give in to sin. We pray for our relationship with others -- our families, friends, neighbors, officemates, sisters and brothers in the community, and our enemies. May we continue to seek comfort and strength in You. Amen.

Daily Digest #351

2009-10-19T15:25:00.002+07:00

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. —Psalm 19:1

As I was doing my research last night ("religious education" for my grad school class), I came across a video about God's existence proven by Einstein in class. You may watch, or read the lines below:

A University professor at a well known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?"

A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!"

"God created everything?" The professor asked.

"Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."

The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question, professor?"

"Of course", replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"

The other students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color.... You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's Inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name - Albert Einstein

It's amazing how God's power and wisdom manifests itself in situations that deny His existence. God is all-knowing, all-powerful and loving. We may wonder why He allows bad things to happen, but there are answers yet to be revealed in His will and time. Our personal relationship with the Lord determines how we perceive things. His love and faith in us enable us to endure no matter how difficult or hopeless things get.

For this, let us pray. Lord, we praise You for Your power over everything in this world. Your love has changed our lives, from the inside out. May we give glory to Your name in everything that we do. Amen.

Daily Digest #350

2009-10-19T15:17:00.003+07:00

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:1

Allow me to share a reading about eternal life. Here's an excerpt from the article ("Where Do We Go From Here", p.32):

Looking Ahead

Do you know where you are going after you die? Or are you like the pilot who lost his navigation equipment, became disoriented, and then announced to the passengers, "Ladies and gentlemen, the bad news is that we don't know where we are going. The good news is that we're making great time."

Is your life flying by without real direction and purpose? Do you have serious doubts about where you will spend eternity? If so, remember these words of Jesus: "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (Jn. 6:37). The choice is yours. If you seek God's forgiveness through Christ, you will be forgiven. You will spend eternity in heaven. You will no longer have to fear the grave.

But what if you are sure that you are headed for the resurrection of the righteous? Then you must remember the judgment seat of Christ. You must so live that you will reap a harvest of eternal gain rather than loss. You must immerse yourself in God's Word to know what He values most. You must even now be concerned about imitating Christ in your attitudes and actions (Eph. 5:1-7).

Christ wept over the lost condition of mankind. He gave His life for sinners. His love and compassion were obvious to all who came in contact with Him. What about you? Do people sense your concern for the lost? Are you willing to give of yourself that others may come to know God?

May God help us know where we are going when we die -- and to be faithful until we arrive.

We may be too busy worrying about our lives, and neglect our relationship with others and with God. God teaches us that there's more to life than our careers, our accomplishments and our earthly possessions -- He has given each of us a purpose. May we focus on the eternal rather than material things this world offers. May we learn to endure until God's work in us is complete. May we live a life like Jesus, and look forward to joining Him in His Father's kingdom.

Daily Digest #349

2009-10-19T15:12:00.002+07:00

God is love. —1 John 4:8

Allow me to share 4 related articles from the Purpose Drive Life online (read below). May we be reminded how much God loves each of us. Pray always. God bless!

God Says You Are Accepted

“Therefore, accept each other in the same way that Christ accepted you. He did this to bring glory to God” (Romans 15:7 GWT).

Most of us spend our entire lives trying to earn acceptance. We want to earn it from our parents, peers, partners in life, from people we respect, maybe even from people we envy. The drive to be accepted is a deep drive that can influence the kind of clothes you wear, the kind of car you drive, the kind of house you buy, even the career you choose.

Remember as a kid you wanted so badly to be in the in-crowd that someone would say to you, “I dare you to do this,” and they’d suggest something that was either stupid, or that put your personal safety at risk. But, you did it anyway because your desire to be accepted overruled the desire for safety.

We do it because we love the feeling of “I’m OK, I’m accepted; somebody accepts me.” When you’re accepted, it does tremendous things for your self esteem. The truth is Jesus accepts you and that acceptance is not based on your performance. In fact, you may have received Christ and accepted Jesus into your life, but do you realize that you’re able to do that because Jesus accepted you? You don’t have to earn his acceptance; you don’t have to prove yourself to him.

We need to stop thinking, “I’ve got an unpleaseable God up there and I’ve got to be a good boy, or good girl, to be accepted.” God, through Jesus Christ, has already accepted you. That’s the good news!

The Bible teaches, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” (Psalms 27:10 NIV). Now, the fact is, some of you had an unpleaseable parent. No matter what you did, it wasn’t good enough. For instance, if you got B’s on your report card, you had a parent who wanted A’s. If you got lots of A’s, that parent wanted straight A’s. No matter what you did, you couldn’t find acceptance.

The tragedy is that some of you even today are still trying to prove yourself to an unpleaseable parent. You’re still trying to earn that acceptance. I want to say two things to you:

1. In all likelihood, you’re not going to get it. If you haven’t gotten it by now, then you’re not likely to ever get it—and that is your parent’s problem, not yours.

2. You don’t need that acceptance to please God. You’ve been accepted by God. There are nearly 6 billion people on the planet, if some of them don’t like you, who cares? You don’t need it. You have been accepted by God!

God Says You Are Valuable

“You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him—be free now from all these earthly prides and fears” (1 Corinthians 7:23 LB).

God says not only are you accepted, you’re valuable.

How much do you think you’re worth? I’m not talking about your net worth; I’m talking about your self worth. Don’t ever confuse your valuables with your value as a person. You can be rich or poor but it has nothing to do with your value as a person.

What determines value? There are two things that determine value in life:

1. It depends on what someone is willing to pay for it. How much is your house worth? Not as much as you think it is, and probably not as much as it was a year ago. Your house is worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. No more.

How much is a baseball card worth? To some of you, it’s worth nothing. To Matthew, my son, it’s worth a lot of money. Some people are willing to pay $10,000 for a baseball card.

How much is a piece of art worth? Whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

2. It depends on who owned it in the past. Sometimes something is valuable because of who used to own it. For example, would a car owned by Elvis Presley be more valuable than a car you owned? Probably. Or, would a guitar be more valuable because it was owned by John Lennon? I read about a pair of stinky, smelly, worn out basketball shoes that sold for $7,000 at an auction because they happened to be owned by someone named Michael Jordan.

Based on these two things, what’s your value? Ask yourself, “Who owns me?” “What was paid for me?” The Bible says, “You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him—be free now from all these earthly prides and fears” (1 Corinthians 7:23 LB).

You have been bought and paid for by Christ. You belong to Jesus. How much does that make you worth?

Now ask yourself, “Who do I belong to?” The Bible says you belong to God. God exchanged his own Son for you! The cross proves your value. Jesus didn’t die for junk. You are incredibly valuable. Nobody has ever paid a greater price than God paid for you. You are acceptable and you are valuable!

God Says You Are Capable

“It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began—to show his love and kindness to us through Christ” (2 Timothy 1:9 LB).

You have a right now to go directly to God; you have direct access. You don’t have to pray through anybody else. You don’t have to confess through anybody else. You don’t have to go through anyone else to have fellowship with God. The Bible teaches that you have a direct line now.

In addition, God says you have been gifted for ministry to serve other people. Every Christian is a minister. That doesn’t mean every Christian is a pastor, rather minister. Anytime you’re using your talents and gifts to help others you’re ministering.

Notice the Bible verse above says, “He saved us for his holy work.” You are saved to serve. Why did God save you? So you could serve him.

You may be thinking, “How do I know what my ministry is?” You look at your talents, your gifts, and your abilities. You look at how God shaped you. God wants you to use those talents and gifts to help other people. Every time you do that, that’s called ministry: nothing fancy, scary, or supernatural about it. It’s just helping others.

Can you minister in a sales office? Yes, you can. Can you minister as an accountant? Yes, you can. Can you minister driving a truck? Sure! Anytime you’re helping other people in his name, you’re ministering.

In fact, God says you’re necessary in the church. You’re a necessary part of this family. Look at it this way, if I don’t use my talents—you get cheated. If you don’t use your talents—I get cheated. Everybody else in the congregation gets cheated.

We’re all important; we’re all necessary to do our part as we fit together.

God Says You Are Forgiven

“I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you” (Isaiah 43:25 TEV).

Some of us, even though we’re believers, think whenever we’re having problems that God’s getting even with us; that God’s just trying to get back at us.

It’s like the guy who was driving up to a mountain lake and on the way up it starts snowing, so he gets out to put chains on his tires. While he’s doing this, another car comes along and slams into his car. And he watches in horror as his car goes over a cliff.

He continues up the mountain on foot, in the snow and sleet, and he’s getting sick from the cold. Then, as he rounds a corner, he sees that his cabin has burned down. He starts hitting his head against the wall, and asks, “Why me, God.” The heavens part and a voice says, “Because some people just tick me off.”

Some of you really feel that is the way God feels about you. You think that whenever you’ve got a problem, God is ticked off. But the Bible says, “I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you” (Isaiah 43:25 TEV). God doesn’t hold a grudge. If you have received Jesus as your Savior, then there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. He doesn't rub it in, he rubs it out. He doesn’t rehearse it, he releases it.

Daily Digest #348

2009-10-19T15:08:00.002+07:00

He restores my soul. —Psalm 23:3

Oh, how very timely :D I believe some of us are feeling "cast down" at the moment. The reflection explains how important it is for us to cling to God more in moments like this. We may not be aware that we are carrying baggages which we thought we have long forgotten. However, the passage reminds us of God's love, that no matter what choice we make, and no matter how grave our sins are, He still welcomes us into His loving arms and gives us rest. He continues to teach us about forgiveness -- how we should forgive others, and most especially, ourselves. He reminds us how every single one of us matters -- that the universe will never be complete without our existence. And that's more than enough reason to get up and live again :D

I would like to quote Psalm 91 from the Bible. This goes especially to those who need inner healing. Please read below, as if it was your own prayer.

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—

even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him

and show him my salvation."

And allow me to end this with Romans 8:37-39. I feel very fortunate to have read it last night:

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How deep is the Father's love for us! :D May we always remind ourselves of our worth, and be grateful to be part of God's family. Pray always. God bless!

Daily Digest #347

2009-10-19T14:59:00.004+07:00

A merry heart does good, like medicine. —Proverbs 17:22

While we're on the subject, I wanna share a couple of Christian jokes to you :D Keep smiling! May this be a day of laughter and lightness of heart. Pray always. God bless!

Jonah and the Whale

One day, a teacher was talking to her first grade class about whales when a little girl had a question.

Little Girl: "Do whales swallow people?"

Teacher: "No, even though they are much bigger than a person, they have throat pleats that filter their food of krill and plankton.

Little Girl: "But Mrs. Thurston says Jonah was swallowed by a whale."

Teacher getting angry: "Blue whales cannot swallow people."

Little Girl: "Well, when I get to heaven I'll just ask Jonah if he was really swallowed by a whale."

Teacher, still red with anger: "What if Jonah went to hell?"

Girl: "Well, then you can ask him."

The Lord is My Shepherd

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her 2 nd grade class memorize Psalm 23, one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. She gave the children a month to learn the chapter.

One little boy was excited about the task, but he just couldn't memorize the Psalm. Although he practiced and practiced, he could hardly get past the first line. The day came for the children to recite Psalm 23 before the congregation. The little boy was nervous. When his turn came, he stepped up to the microphone and proudly said, "The Lord is my Shepherd and that's all I need to know!"

How to Get Into Heaven

A man dies and mets St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. Peter says to the man, "Here's how it works. You need to have one hundred points to get into heaven. You tell me about all the good things you've done. They are all worth a certain number of points. If your total is one hundred or more, you can come in."

"Well," says the man. "I was happily married to the same woman for 52 years. I never looked at another woman. I was attentive and loved her dearly."

"That's great," says St. Peter. "That'll be two points."

"Hmmm," says the man. "This is going to be harder than I thought. Well, I attended church regularly, volunteered my time and tithed faithfully."

"Wonderful," says St. Peter, "That's worth another point."

"One point!" says the man. "Okay, okay. I was involved with a prison ministry for twenty-five years. I went into the prison, at least monthly, and shared Jesus with them."

"Wow!" says St. Peter. "That's another two points!"

"Only two points!" says the man. "At this rate, it'll be by the grace of God that'll I'll ever get into this place."

"Bingo!" says St. Peter. "That's one hundred points! Come on in."

Forest Gump and St. Peter

When Forest Gump died, he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, "Welcome, Forest. We've heard a lot about you." He continued, "Unfortunately, it's getting pretty crowded up here and we find that we now have to give people an entrance examination before we let them in."

"Okay," said Forest. "I hope it's not too hard. I've already been through a test. My momma used to say, 'Life is like a final exam. It's hard.' "

"Yes, Forest, I know. But this test is only three questions. Here they are."

1) Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'?"

2) How many seconds are in a year?

3) What is God's first name?

"Well, sir," said Forest, "The first one is easy. Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'? Today and Tomorrow."

St. Peter looked surprised and said, "Well, that wasn't the answer I was looking for, but you have a point. I give you credit for that answer."

"The next question," said Forest, "How many seconds are in a year? Twelve."

"Twelve?" said St. Peter, surprised and confused.

"Yes, sir. January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd …"

St. Peter interrupted him. "I see what you mean. I'll have to give you credit for that one, too."

"And the last question," said Forest, "What is God's first name? It's Andy."

"Andy?" said St. Peter, in shock. "How did you come up with 'Andy'?"

"I learned it in church. We used to sing about it." Forest broke into song, "Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me, Andy tells me I am His own."

St. Peter opened the gate to heaven and said, "Run, Forest, Run!"

Catholic Heart Attack

After suffering a heart attach and having quadruple bypass surgery, a man woke up to find himself in a Catholic hospital with nuns taking care of him. As they nursed him back to health, one of the nuns asked him if he had health insurance.

"No," he replied, "No health insurance."

"Do you have any money in the bank?" asked the nun.

"No. No money in the bank."

The nun asked, "Do you have any relatives you could ask for help?"

The man replied, "I only have a spinster sister, who is a nun."

At this the nun because irritated. "Nuns are not spinsters. Nuns are married to God!"

"OK, then," said the man. "Send the bill to my brother-in-law."

The Pope Wants to Drive

After getting all of the Pope's luggage loaded into the limo (and he doesn't travel lightly), the driver notices that the Pope is still standing on the curb.

The Pope was still standing on the curb.

"Excuse me, Your Eminence," says the driver, "Would you please take your seat so we can leave?"

"Well, to tell you the truth," says the Pope, "they never let me drive at the Vatican, and I'd really like to drive today"

"I'm sorry but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job! And what if something should happen?" protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.

"There might be something extra in it for you," says the Pope.

Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel.

The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Supreme Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 105 mph.

"Please slow down, Your Holiness!!!" pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.

"Oh, dear God, I'm gonna lose my license," moans the driver.

Bigger

The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.

"I need to talk to the Chief," he says to the dispatcher.

The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going a hundred and five.

"So bust him," said the Chief.

"I don't think we want to do that, he's really important," said the cop.

Chief exclaimed, "All the more reason!"

"No, I mean really important," said the cop.

The Chief then asked, "Who ya got there, the Mayor?"

Cop: "Bigger."

Chief: "Governor?"

Cop: "Bigger."

"Well," said the Chief,"Who is it?"

Cop: "I think it's God!"

Chief: "What makes you think it's God?"

Cop: "He's got the Pope for a limo driver!"

The Athiest in the Woods

An atheist was walking through the woods, thinking to himself,

"How beautiful the animals are!"

"How majestic the trees are!"

"How powerful the rivers are!"

As he walked along the river, he heard rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned and saw an 8-foot grizzly bear charging towards him. He ran along the path as fast as he could, but when he looked over his shoulder, he saw that the bear was closing in on him.

He kept running, but when he looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. Then he tripped and fell on the ground. The bear was right on top of him with his right paw raised to strike him. At that instant, the atheist cried, "God help me!"

Time Stopped.

The bear froze.

The forest was silent.

A bright light shone upon the man and a voice from the sky said, "You've denied my existence for all these years and have taught others that I don't exist. You've even credited creation to a cosmic accident. Why would you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Are you now a believer?"

The atheist looked into the light and said, "Well, I would be hypocrite to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now, but could you, maybe, make the BEAR a Christian?"

"Very Well," said the voice.

The light went out.

The sounds of the forest resumed.

The bear lowered his right paw and brought both paws together. He bowed his head, and said: "Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive from Your bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen."

Daily Digest #346

2009-10-19T14:49:00.002+07:00

I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me. —2 Samuel 1:26

Allow me to share 4 articles from Purpose Driven Life online about our relationship with others. Let us pray for our family, our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues, as well as our enemies. May we strengthen the bonds of friendship, cherish the good memories and learn from bad experiences. May we find ourselves meaningful relationships that help us grow in our life's journey, and lead us closer to God. May we honor each other, and together be ambassadors of Christ. These we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Life Together: Authentic Friendships

In Christian fellowship people should experience authenticity.

Authentic fellowship is not superficial, surface-level chit-chat. It’s genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level sharing.

It happens when people get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. They share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclose their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.

Authenticity is the exact opposite of what you find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is pretending, role-playing, politicking, superficial politeness, and shallow conversation. People wear masks, keep their guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in their lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.

It’s only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, “If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other…If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves” (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).

The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in the light, we bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.

Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.

Why would anyone take such a risk?

Life Together: A Shared Life

“How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1 TEV)

God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience “fellowship.”

Today, however, the word has lost most of its biblical meaning. Fellowship now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun.

The question, “Where do you fellowship?” means “Where do you attend church?” “Stay after for fellowship” usually means “Wait for refreshments.”

Real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services. It is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other “one another” commands found in the New Testament.

When it comes to fellowship, size matters: smaller is better. You can worship with a crowd, but you can’t fellowship with one.

Once a group becomes larger than about ten people, someone stops participating— usually the quietest person—and a few people will dominate the group.

Jesus ministered in the context of a small group of disciples. He could have chosen more, but he knew twelve is about the maximum size you can have in a small group if everyone is to participate.

The body of Christ, like your own body, is really a collection of many small cells. The life of the body of Christ, like your body, is contained in the cells.

God has made an incredible promise about small groups of believers: “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (Matthew 18:20 NASB).

Life Together: A Mutual Dependency

“I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Romans 1:12 NCV).

In authentic Christian fellowship people should experience a mutual dependency. This mutuality is the art of giving and receiving; it’s depending on each other.

The Bible says, “The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part” (1 Corinthians 12:25 MSG).

All of us are more consistent in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us. The Bible commands mutual accountability, mutual encouragement, mutual serving, and mutual honoring.

You are not responsible for everyone in the body of Christ, but you are responsible to them. God expects you do whatever you can to help them.

Life Together: Don’t Be Reluctant to Show Mercy

“When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair” (2 Corinthians 2:7 CEV).

In real fellowship people experience mercy. Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.

We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other.

You can’t have fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.

The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).

You can’t do both.

Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior.

Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time.

Trust requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. They must prove they have changed over time. The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability.

Daily Digest #345

2009-10-19T14:42:00.002+07:00

Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you. —Mark 5:19

[Written on Monday, Aug 24] I hope you all had a great weekend. How's your day so far? I had a rather busy day, but pretty enjoyable. Earlier, I was worrying if I could accomplish all my tasks at work today. I was greeted by a number of tasks on my desk, and the minute my boss stepped in the office, she handed me more haha. But I was able to finish everything an hour before my deadline! :D God kept sending me happy thoughts throughout the day which helped me enjoy my work. My 4 consecutive classes turned out extraordinarily fun for the kids, which I consider a miracle considering all else I needed to do in the office. It's been a fruitful day, and I'm happy that I can now read today's reflection and chat with friends heheh. Anyway, let us reflect on today's passage....

I lost my wallet last Friday. I was on my way to do grocery shopping for next day's event (farewell party for a household sister) when I dropped my wallet. And I only noticed that it was gone when I was about to withdraw cash in the ATM machine. It was my 1st time to lose a wallet, but for some reason, I didn't panic. It felt like I knew everything would be sorted out. I had to walk home since I didn't have any money, and tried to remember everything that was in it. I had my ATM card, insurance card, apartment key card, and important university receipts inside. When I got home, another resident was about to enter, so I was able to get in with her in right away. When I reached my apartment, I got my bank documents and tried to cancel my card by phone but it didn't work. I only had a few baht in my mobile credit so I had to call the apartment manager (who happens to be our office chief accountant as well) to ask if I could use her landline. But she did more than let me use her phone! She contacted the bank herself and cancelled the card for me :D And she even replaced my key card for free!

The next day, I rushed to the grocery store to, first, replace my ATM card, then buy ingredients for the food I was preparing for lunch. Carrefour opens at 9, but the bank opens at 10.30am, so I couldn't imagine how I still made it on time! At the bank, there was this little girl who kept smiling at me, so we sort of played a game (just made funny faces) while I waited to get my new ATM card. It was already 11am when I started shopping when I received calls and text messages that my guests would be late. Whew! That just bought me time to finish my cooking at home.

I suddenly realized how losing my wallet kept me busy, and my mind away from worrying about the party's attendance. I thought there would only be 4 of us since some did not confirm, but for the 1st time in many months, my original household was complete! :D The farewell party turned out well. The surprise was a success. And we witnessed the power of prayer in an extraordinary way that afternoon. I couldn't thank God more for making everything possible that day.

Oh, and this afternoon, I filed for a police report since my medical insurance needs it to replace my lost card. The policeman was very nice, I think I just made a friend heheh. Before I left the police station, he gave me his email and mobile # because he said he wanted to practice his English more. Yuy.

God made everything easy for me these past few days. I couldn't thank Him enough for guiding my words and thoughts, and for giving me more than enough reasons to smile everyday. For this, join me in prayer. Lord, thank You for giving us a different perspective; for helping us see our misfortunes as blessings in disguise. Thank You for allowing us to see Your face in others. Thank You for carrying our burdens. Lord, we ask for strength to follow Your will each day. May we live our lives with faith, hope and love. These we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #344

2009-10-19T14:29:00.003+07:00

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:3

Let me just share a story about a glimpse of heaven on earth. May we be a blessing to someone today. Pray always.

The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.

"Leave me alone," he growled.

To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling, her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."

The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.

"What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone."

Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked.

"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"

The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked.. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer, I didn't do anything."

"This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.

"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go, I didn't want to come here in the first place."

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

"What business is that of yours?"

"I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, President and CEO of the company."

"Oh."

The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."

"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."

The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

"That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently. "Jack, do you remember me?"

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so, I mean you do look familiar."

"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."

Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."

"I know," the woman continued.. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."

"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.

"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always open to you."

There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he asked.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus...He led me to you."

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

"On the contrary, Ms.. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And thank you for the coffee."

If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing. If you have missed some of my emails, you might have missed a laugh. But, if you have missed knowing my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, you have missed everything in the world.

Have a wonderful day. May God bless you always and don't forget that when you "cast your bread upon the waters," you never know how it will be returned to you. God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up inside your heart.

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go. Only one of two things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!

God closes doors no man can open and God opens doors no man can close.

Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing.

Daily Digest #343

2009-10-19T14:22:00.002+07:00

[God] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. —Ephesians 3:20

I am not so good with compliments. Normally, I would make jokes about them because I wouldn't know how to react accordingly. But I was taught before how to say 'thank you' for every sincere compliment, and it set a good start for me to say thanks to God who made it all possible. Yeah, it may sound too good to be true, but it makes me practice humility in a sound way. There is acknowlegdment of whatever I did or had, but there's also recognition of where it came from, which I could not take credit for.... I still slip sometimes -- feeling proud about things without thanking God for them -- but I am thankful that He gives me the chance to practice humility every single day.

For this, let us pray. Lord, thank You for the blessings and for hearing our prayers every time. Thank You for reminding us of our place in this world, and at the same time for making us feel we mean more than the world to You. Forgive us for taking credit for Your grace and power in our lives. Lord, we pray for a humble servant's heart. We ask for strength to follow Your will, and to do our utmost for the time You have given us. May we serve You and our brothers and sisters whole-heartedly. May we serve as Your instruments of love and peace. These we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Daily Digest #342

2009-10-19T14:15:00.003+07:00

Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. —2 Corinthians 11:14

We may not realize this, but many of Satan's deception lurks in places where money and power are involved. When I started working and earning my way through a totally independent life, it was the most wonderful feeling. I could buy anything I wanted, and could go anywhere any time. I felt that I deserved every bit of luxury for my hard work. But I learned how one could be deceived of finding love and happiness in the wrong places -- usually those that money can buy. Our work becomes a goldmine for sufficing our material needs, and most of the time, a place to find self-worth. We work hard, we earn more. We get promoted, we earn much more. But if we were not too careful, we might be blinded by this abundance and end up confusing necessity with luxury, compromising our passions with our quest for worldly things, and risking our relationships (with God and others) that used to be at the top of our priorities. Truly, money is NOT the root of all evil, but the LOVE of money.

What started as a pursuit with noble intention -- earning to support the family, support one's education, or follow one's dream -- could lead to darkness for someone who does not have sound principles regarding good and evil. And God has set the standard based entirely on love. We ought to educate ourselves with God's standards, and not someone else's (like those self-help books that misconstrue God's Words), in order to prepare ourselves for the world ahead of us. Reading God's Words regularly is like getting a spiritual check-up; an assessment that figures our distance away from, or closer to God.

Let us pray. Lord, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the wisdom and guidance. Thank You for the gentle nudges everyday to stir us back to Your path. Please forgive us for being stubborn sometimes, for refusing to see the light and for choosing to turn away from You. We lift up all our concerns and priorities to You. May we find purpose in everything we do, and praise You for giving us direction. May we build a closer relationship with You, through Your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

God is Interested in Your Work

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11-12 MSG).

Many Christians don’t make the connection between Sunday and Monday. They compartmentalize their life. They think, “Well, I’ve got a spiritual life and I’ve got a secular life. My spiritual life is when I read the Bible, when I pray, when I go to church, when I do good things for others. That’s my spiritual life.” And that’s over in one compartment.

So then, they think, over in another compartment: “This is my secular life. That’s my work, my job, my career, my business decisions, my finances, my pension plan; all these things are my secular life.”

God says, “No, that’s wrong. All of life is spiritual.” The word secular isn’t in the Bible. It all matters to God; everything in your life is important to God. God is as interested in your work as He is in your prayers. In fact, I would suggest that He might be more interested in your job because you spend more time working than you do praying.

The fact is, your relationship to Christ is like marriage. Marriage is a full-time relationship, and so is your relationship with Christ. What do you think would happen if I came up to my wife and said, “Honey, I’m going to act married only when I’m at home”?

The fact is, all of life is important to God, and you can’t separate your Christianity from your work, just as you can’t separate your Christianity from your life.