"For fear that I might be disqualified." 1cor9:26
Often, when we encounter challenges in our lives so that we are overcome by great anxiety, or fear, and we are facing an uncertain future, one of the most common encouragements we hear from others — or maybe we tell ourselves even — is that we should not be afraid, but instead we should just trust God. Right? Sige lang. Trust God.
[Read more…] about HOW MUCH FAITH DO YOU NEED?
“Lord, bigyan mo kami ng problema.” The first time I said that prayer was in 2009 during a prayer for empowerment for the team that was assigned to handle the Holy Triduum preparations of our prayer community. Naturally, my team was surprised about that prayer because they expected me, as the team leader of the service team, to ask the Lord to bless us so that everything would fall into place, that the event would go smoothly, and so on. After all this was not an easy service, and it involved tremendous amount of preparation and coordination, with many moving parts. The odds of a foul up were stacked against us. And then this was my prayer: “Give us problems, Lord.”
[Read more…] about PRAYING TO HAVE PROBLEMSElsewhere I wrote an article entitled, “You Will Have Problems“, quoting what Jesus said in John 16:33 “In this world you will have troubles.” What was His point? Where is the good news in that? I invited my readers to go through a discerned inspiration and assemble the sentences found in 9 verses that I picked form the gospel of John, to come up with a coherent explanation for this verse.
Of course there is no “correct” answer. But let me share with you my personal re-composition of the nine verses mentioned in that article with an explanation of why I sequenced it this way.
In this world you will have trouble. Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. But take heart! Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.You believe in God; believe also in me. I am the way and the truth and the life. I came from the Father and entered the world; I have overcome the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
So there. The obvious and the not so obvious combined to reveal the good news.
For me I choose to highlight the reference of Jesus to the troubles in THIS world, versus THE PLACE that he has prepared for His followers. We are all doomed to a life that will not be without troubles … in THIS world. But for those who believe in Jesus, the good news is that Jesus has prepared a place for his followers … a place that is NOT IN THIS WORLD. It’s a place where there is no death nor mourning nor crying nor pain (Rev 21:4). “In my Father’s house”, Jesus says.
In the meantime that we are in this world, and while we await the return of Jesus, what shall we do, and how should we deal with our troubles? How do we live in this troubled world with peace, and with the joy that Jesus gives? I shall deal with that in a separate article, but for now leave with you the following encouragement:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither 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.
Rom 8:38-39 (NIV)
There’s a beautiful verse in a Christian song that has been playing over and over in my mind like a last song syndrome. “Everyone that sees You always want to know You. And everyone that knows You always has a smile.” For those of you who want to know God in a new way and thus wear a glowing smile, consider that God is an “all and nothing” God.
[Read more…] about OUR ALL & NOTHING GOD
It’s a refreshing feeling when a verse in scripture just jumps out and speaks volumes to you especially when you’re feeling down, or dry, or just needing to hear some good news. That’s what happened when I saw this verse. I immediately remembered my friends in my prayer community and at my former workplace, specifically those who hold positions of great service responsibility. And I prayed for them this blessing. Now it has become one of my favorite go-to blessings to share especially with those who are burdened with responsibilities.
[Read more…] about A THREEFOLD BLESSING