"Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24
In great need of something? Jesus said in John 14:14, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." But sometimes, we come to feel that our prayers are powerless and are not answered. Why do these things happen?
I believe the secret is wholehearted faith. There is no such thing as half-hearted or partial faith. I may describe this in a situation wherein we come to plead to God, but still impulsively manages everything on our own way that we would be able to find the solution to our problems by our ownselves.
To have a whole-hearted faith is to fully depend on the ways of the Lord. We just have to be sensitive to hear from Him. To be sensitive enough to hear what He is telling us to do, not that we will say a prayer and then immediately act on our own way.
We may ask a prayer that delays so much. But God is a God of perfect timing. I remember the situation in our church that there were 2 air-condtioners installed but it can't run because it needs a 3-phase transformer which costs a huge amount of money. We've been praying for it for almost a year, but still it seems that our prayers are not heard. But we never stop on believing. Then, here comes the electric company, telling us that they would install the transformers without pay. Wow, a great blessing from the Lord. During the waiting time, our church administrators have nearly acted to loan for money, believing that God would supply the payments for it. If they've decided to loan for it, we wouldn't receive such blessing in our church.
That's the power of whole-hearted faith, that God will supply everything, in His ways, not on our ways. We just have to sensitive enough to hear from Him, have a wholehearted faith to believe, and have total dependency on His revelation..
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
His Absolute Strength Rooted from Our Total Submission
"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." 2 Chronicles 16:9
Through the life of Paul, God declared that He will surely strengthen us in our weaknesses (Phil. 4:13). Claiming those verses, I find confidence that God will strengthen me in all the temptations, trials, and worries that I will be encountering. But, when these situations come on my way, I see myself falling away from God and dumped once again in my shortcomings.
"GOD! What's the problem?" I exclaimed. "I do claim that your strength will be upon me? How come that I can't feel it?? I can't use it??"
But with a verse I've read enligthens my mind. From 2 Chronicles 16:9, it says that His strength will be poured upon those whose hearts"are fully committed to Him." I began to wander and think of the shortcomings that I have, and with a snap, God slapped me with a voice saying, "Gary, I need your total obedience. If you skipped some of my commands, you're allowing the enemy to find an entry point in your heart."
Come to think of the situations wherein we fall. We will see that these are the situations wherein we lack guidance, submission, or trust from the Lord. True enough, right?
For us to gain the absolute power of God to overcome weaknesses, we must allow ourselves to submit every details we have in our lives. Only then will we come to experience the benefit of His strength.
Through the life of Paul, God declared that He will surely strengthen us in our weaknesses (Phil. 4:13). Claiming those verses, I find confidence that God will strengthen me in all the temptations, trials, and worries that I will be encountering. But, when these situations come on my way, I see myself falling away from God and dumped once again in my shortcomings.
"GOD! What's the problem?" I exclaimed. "I do claim that your strength will be upon me? How come that I can't feel it?? I can't use it??"
But with a verse I've read enligthens my mind. From 2 Chronicles 16:9, it says that His strength will be poured upon those whose hearts"are fully committed to Him." I began to wander and think of the shortcomings that I have, and with a snap, God slapped me with a voice saying, "Gary, I need your total obedience. If you skipped some of my commands, you're allowing the enemy to find an entry point in your heart."
Come to think of the situations wherein we fall. We will see that these are the situations wherein we lack guidance, submission, or trust from the Lord. True enough, right?
For us to gain the absolute power of God to overcome weaknesses, we must allow ourselves to submit every details we have in our lives. Only then will we come to experience the benefit of His strength.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Jesus, My Best Buddy
Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15
Our friends and our colleagues are the persons with whom we want to allot the majority of our time. We love to be with them, to talk them, to share each other's interest and to help one another in times of problems.
I have friends with whom I enjoy a lot of time being with them. We have a hobby that connects us together; basketball and we call ourselves as the stars team. It is very nice to remember those days wherein we play together in different places, eat together as we share our individual interests and bond together outside our schools.
But gone are those days for we departed ways when we choose different schools when we entered college. It feels a little bit sad whenever I would think about it. That's the significance of the friends we have in our lives. We treat them as our best buddies and we feel something is missing when our time being with them are lessened.
Now, come to think if your friend is the king or president of your country? What would it feel? If I have a friend like him, I would abuse my friendship power to be able to be with him in their palace all the time; and I would proudly say, "hey, my friend is the president of our country."
Isn't it great to have that kind of friendship. But we neglect the fact that it is really possible for us to have a friend like them. Much more, this Person who is inviting us to become His friend is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. None other than Jesus!
No one could ever overtake the friendship that he could offer. If you begin to explore the promises of God in our lives, His friends, we would see the Best Buddy that we could ever have.
The dictionary defines friend as a person whom one knows, likes, and trust.
Maybe we'll ask, "hey, maybe God really knows me. But does He really like me and trust me?
Reflect on these verses:
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zep. 3:17 - the Lord indeed delights in us
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. Jer. 24:7 - God, with confidence boldness, affirmed that we will still return to Him even knowing the fact that we, who accepted Christ, have a decision of our own. Why? because He believes that we will still walk for the good; He believes that our conscience and our love for Him is true.
Now, we as His friends must also do our part. As friends of God, we have the responsiblity to know him more, to delight in him and to trust Him in everything that we will do(Isaiah 55:6; Psalms 37:4; Proverbs 3:5,6).
Aim to have a closer relationship with Him, and you'll find the Best Buddy you cannot ever compare! To have a quality time with Him will surely be the best!
Our friends and our colleagues are the persons with whom we want to allot the majority of our time. We love to be with them, to talk them, to share each other's interest and to help one another in times of problems.
I have friends with whom I enjoy a lot of time being with them. We have a hobby that connects us together; basketball and we call ourselves as the stars team. It is very nice to remember those days wherein we play together in different places, eat together as we share our individual interests and bond together outside our schools.
But gone are those days for we departed ways when we choose different schools when we entered college. It feels a little bit sad whenever I would think about it. That's the significance of the friends we have in our lives. We treat them as our best buddies and we feel something is missing when our time being with them are lessened.
Now, come to think if your friend is the king or president of your country? What would it feel? If I have a friend like him, I would abuse my friendship power to be able to be with him in their palace all the time; and I would proudly say, "hey, my friend is the president of our country."
Isn't it great to have that kind of friendship. But we neglect the fact that it is really possible for us to have a friend like them. Much more, this Person who is inviting us to become His friend is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. None other than Jesus!
No one could ever overtake the friendship that he could offer. If you begin to explore the promises of God in our lives, His friends, we would see the Best Buddy that we could ever have.
The dictionary defines friend as a person whom one knows, likes, and trust.
Maybe we'll ask, "hey, maybe God really knows me. But does He really like me and trust me?
Reflect on these verses:
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zep. 3:17 - the Lord indeed delights in us
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. Jer. 24:7 - God, with confidence boldness, affirmed that we will still return to Him even knowing the fact that we, who accepted Christ, have a decision of our own. Why? because He believes that we will still walk for the good; He believes that our conscience and our love for Him is true.
Now, we as His friends must also do our part. As friends of God, we have the responsiblity to know him more, to delight in him and to trust Him in everything that we will do(Isaiah 55:6; Psalms 37:4; Proverbs 3:5,6).
Aim to have a closer relationship with Him, and you'll find the Best Buddy you cannot ever compare! To have a quality time with Him will surely be the best!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Shine Like a Star in Christ
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17
Is it nice to hear how some singers on stage dedicate their song to a particular person, and as she sing the song, she does it with passion and with the best she could show as if she was actually singing face to face to the one whom she have dedicated it.
Just like the singer, let all our works be dedicated for the Lord. Whether we are studying in school, working in our companies, playing any kind of sports and whatever thing we do, do it for the glory of God. If we are aware that we dedicated it to the One who is a Most High God, we will surely do it with all our best; to the best of our abilities that would touch the heart of the One whom we have dedicated all of it.
Once we dedicate all our works in the Lord, we will surely excel and our efforts will be seen by others. Works that shines the best; promotions in work, high colors in school, triumphs and awards in competitions will be on our favor if it is dedicated for the Lord. As it is written in Psalms 37:5-6, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the daws, the justice of your cause like noonday sun.
Do everything for the glory of God. Once He see our hearts having the right motive of glorifying Him, He will surely bless us with the glimpse of glory that he has; the glory that shines the excellence of our works.
Be it for God's glory alone!
Is it nice to hear how some singers on stage dedicate their song to a particular person, and as she sing the song, she does it with passion and with the best she could show as if she was actually singing face to face to the one whom she have dedicated it.
Just like the singer, let all our works be dedicated for the Lord. Whether we are studying in school, working in our companies, playing any kind of sports and whatever thing we do, do it for the glory of God. If we are aware that we dedicated it to the One who is a Most High God, we will surely do it with all our best; to the best of our abilities that would touch the heart of the One whom we have dedicated all of it.
Once we dedicate all our works in the Lord, we will surely excel and our efforts will be seen by others. Works that shines the best; promotions in work, high colors in school, triumphs and awards in competitions will be on our favor if it is dedicated for the Lord. As it is written in Psalms 37:5-6, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the daws, the justice of your cause like noonday sun.
Do everything for the glory of God. Once He see our hearts having the right motive of glorifying Him, He will surely bless us with the glimpse of glory that he has; the glory that shines the excellence of our works.
Be it for God's glory alone!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Overcomers in Christ
The Lord holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blamelass, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones. Proverbs 2:7-8
One of God's blessings to us who are striving to be faithful to Him is the blessing of victory; that in everything that we will encounter, with the continuous guidance and residence of Jesus in our hearts, we will always be victorious.
Come to think of the days when we struggle so much and have come up to think that we will lose the battles in life (such us temptations, problems in our family, in our neighborhood, in our emotions, or in our treasures). Now come to think of ourselves. Is our problems a result of fate, or a result of our disobedience to Him?
If its a result of fate, do remember that God knows everything that is happening to us. As God said through the life of Paul in Romans 8:28, "all things work together for good to them that love God." God will surely hold the victory for us, He is just molding us in the process.
If its a result of our disobedience, then, humble yourselves, bow down and take an act of genuine repentance. Once God see the realness of your heart, He will count us as upright persons, enabling us to capture the blessings He promised in Proverbs 2:7-8, that He will win the battle of struggles, temptations, and worries for us.
Whatever our situations are, if we take an act of faith to walk uprightly by God's grace, God will surely pour out the blessing of victory in us. Claim that we are overcomers as we reside in His presence.
One of God's blessings to us who are striving to be faithful to Him is the blessing of victory; that in everything that we will encounter, with the continuous guidance and residence of Jesus in our hearts, we will always be victorious.
Come to think of the days when we struggle so much and have come up to think that we will lose the battles in life (such us temptations, problems in our family, in our neighborhood, in our emotions, or in our treasures). Now come to think of ourselves. Is our problems a result of fate, or a result of our disobedience to Him?
If its a result of fate, do remember that God knows everything that is happening to us. As God said through the life of Paul in Romans 8:28, "all things work together for good to them that love God." God will surely hold the victory for us, He is just molding us in the process.
If its a result of our disobedience, then, humble yourselves, bow down and take an act of genuine repentance. Once God see the realness of your heart, He will count us as upright persons, enabling us to capture the blessings He promised in Proverbs 2:7-8, that He will win the battle of struggles, temptations, and worries for us.
Whatever our situations are, if we take an act of faith to walk uprightly by God's grace, God will surely pour out the blessing of victory in us. Claim that we are overcomers as we reside in His presence.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Secured Hope on the Solid Rock
"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
Our lives are journeys full of obstacles and struggles. Every person has a unique struggle of his own. With these struggles, we commonly grow weary because of the wrong perspectives we have in life. We commonly look for hope in our own strength, in the circle of our friends and in the treasures of this world.
But we forget the very basic yet very true perspective; that when we give our hope in the Lord, we will not grow faint. Why? When you read Isaiah 40, it speaks of the greatness and splendor of our King and our Solid Rock. When we medidate all of these, we will see the fact that our problems are too small compared to the beauty of His greatness and His awesome splendor.
Don't compare your problem to others; that it is impossible to be solved. Remember, the Lord declared through the life of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." We may be tempted to give up because of the problems we have in life and see it as a problem that is impossible to withstand. Yet if we hope in the Lord, He has declared that He will provide a way for us to stand up from it. Instead of comparing it to others, compare it to the greatness of God; the One who will accompany us with these struggles. We will see that our problems are too little for Him to handle.
God is the only One who is worthy to be entrusted by our hopes and daily struggles. Our strength will surely be renewed seeing the truth that our hopes and burdens in this world are being carried for us by a Most High God whose ways are perfect and pure.
Have our hope secured; entrust everything to the Solid Rock... to Jesus Christ, and everything we experienced in life will be in sequence for our best.
Our lives are journeys full of obstacles and struggles. Every person has a unique struggle of his own. With these struggles, we commonly grow weary because of the wrong perspectives we have in life. We commonly look for hope in our own strength, in the circle of our friends and in the treasures of this world.
But we forget the very basic yet very true perspective; that when we give our hope in the Lord, we will not grow faint. Why? When you read Isaiah 40, it speaks of the greatness and splendor of our King and our Solid Rock. When we medidate all of these, we will see the fact that our problems are too small compared to the beauty of His greatness and His awesome splendor.
Don't compare your problem to others; that it is impossible to be solved. Remember, the Lord declared through the life of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." We may be tempted to give up because of the problems we have in life and see it as a problem that is impossible to withstand. Yet if we hope in the Lord, He has declared that He will provide a way for us to stand up from it. Instead of comparing it to others, compare it to the greatness of God; the One who will accompany us with these struggles. We will see that our problems are too little for Him to handle.
God is the only One who is worthy to be entrusted by our hopes and daily struggles. Our strength will surely be renewed seeing the truth that our hopes and burdens in this world are being carried for us by a Most High God whose ways are perfect and pure.
Have our hope secured; entrust everything to the Solid Rock... to Jesus Christ, and everything we experienced in life will be in sequence for our best.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
In God's Presence Will We Find Rest
"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest," says the Lord. Exodus 33:14
The Lord clearly declares that He would be always there for us; to guide us and to comfort us so that we will find rest. But if we would read Exodus 33:12-13, Moses expressed first his desperation to know the Lord and his dependency and trust upon His ways. Just as he asked, the Lord promised to him that God will be there for him so that he may find rest and assurance with all the questions of doubt he had for himself.
Like us, we may always doubt what would be there for us ahead. Sometimes or most of the time, we get depressed because of all the pressures and worries we have in our lives. But once we expressed to God all of the anxieties we have in life, God will surely be there to comfort us and support us. Psalms 55:22 declares, "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."
Once we accepted Jesus, have in mind that His grace made us to become righteous(God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Cor. 5:21). So if you have Jesus in your heart, cast wholly all your cares to him, and the Lord will be there to support you.
Trust God, and allow yourself to always linger in His presence and in His ways.
The Lord clearly declares that He would be always there for us; to guide us and to comfort us so that we will find rest. But if we would read Exodus 33:12-13, Moses expressed first his desperation to know the Lord and his dependency and trust upon His ways. Just as he asked, the Lord promised to him that God will be there for him so that he may find rest and assurance with all the questions of doubt he had for himself.
Like us, we may always doubt what would be there for us ahead. Sometimes or most of the time, we get depressed because of all the pressures and worries we have in our lives. But once we expressed to God all of the anxieties we have in life, God will surely be there to comfort us and support us. Psalms 55:22 declares, "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."
Once we accepted Jesus, have in mind that His grace made us to become righteous(God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Cor. 5:21). So if you have Jesus in your heart, cast wholly all your cares to him, and the Lord will be there to support you.
Trust God, and allow yourself to always linger in His presence and in His ways.
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