#55 The Test of Humility

A blessed day to all (".)
Luke 14 (excerpts)

...when Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

note: please read the complete text on this link--

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2014&version=NIV

Praise GOD!

Our Loving Lord's beautiful message today is a sensitive topic and yet it is an all-time high.

As a Christian myself, I can't deny that I am not able to practice such virtue (humility) every moment I live my life for Christ, but I am humble enough to admit it, and I am trying my very best to not only say it, share it, but most of all, practice it.

"For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Humility

> "A quality by which a person considering his own defects has a humble opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God's sake."

> the quality of being humble; having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, low in rank;

> synonyms are lowliness, meekness, submissiveness

> antonym is pride

To practice humility is not easy; it's a grace from God and when we are able to submit to our God and ask Him to change us, part of His sanctification process is to make us humble,....and truly, it is a blessing :)

The Bible on "Humility"
> The Bible describes humility as meekness, lowliness and absence of self. 

> The Greek word translated “humility” in Colossians 3:12 and elsewhere literally means “lowliness of mind,” so we see that humility is a heart attitude, not merely an outward demeanor. One may put on an outward show of humility but still have a heart full of pride and arrogance. 

> Jesus said that those who are “poor in spirit” would have the kingdom of heaven. Being poor in spirit means that only those who admit to an absolute bankruptcy of spiritual worth will inherit eternal life. 

> Therefore, humility is a prerequisite for the Christian.

> When we come to Christ as sinners, we must come in humility. We acknowledge that we are paupers and beggars who come with nothing to offer Him but our sin and our need for salvation. We recognize our lack of merit and our complete inability to save ourselves. Then when He offers the grace and mercy of God, we accept it in humble gratitude and commit our lives to Him and to others. 

> We “die to self” so that we can live as new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

> We never forget that He has exchanged our worthlessness for His infinite worth, our sin for His righteousness, and the life we now live, we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 3:20). That is true humility.

> Biblical humility is not only necessary to enter the kingdom, it is also necessary to be great in the kingdom (Matthew 20:26-27). 

> Jesus is our model. 

> Just as He did not come to be served, but to serve, so must we commit ourselves to serving others in all lowliness of mind, always considering others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). This attitude precludes selfish ambition, conceit, and the strife that comes with self-justification and self-defense. 

> The truly humble does not defend himself when falsely accused or unjustly treated. He defends the truth, but not his own ego or reputation. 

> Jesus was not ashamed to humble Himself as a servant (John 13:1-16), even to death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). 

> In His humility, Jesus was always obedient to the Father and so should the humble Christian be willing to put aside all selfishness and submit in obedience to God and His Word. 

> True humility produces godliness, contentment, and security.

> God has promised to give grace to the humble, while He opposes the proud (Proverbs 3:34;1 Peter 5:5). Therefore, we must confess and put away pride. If we exalt ourselves, we place ourselves in opposition to God who will, in His grace and for our own good, humble us. But if we humble ourselves, God gives us more grace and exalts us (Luke 14:11). 

My question is?

..... have we humbled ourselves lately?

Glory to GOD!

Have a great day in the Lord :)

#54 The Narrow Door

A blessed and reflective reading to all (".)

Luke 13 (excerpts)

...Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

note: please read the complete text on this link--

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+13&version=NIV

Praise GOD!

Be glad if we are able to praise God everyday we live our lives. There's an estimated 7 Billion people around the world and it is truly a blessing if we are part of God's people who puts Him first in all that we do :) 

May we all contemplate on His beautiful message for all of us today, God bless.


 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.-- Matthew 7:13-14

> wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction; many enters through it;

> small is the gate and narrow is the road that lead to life; only few find it;

  

> Jesus is the "door" through which all must enter to have eternal life. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). 


> The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Jesus Christ. 


> the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11).

> Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line, all muscles taut and giving his all in the effort. But we must be clear here. No amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). 


> No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it. But entering the narrow gate is still difficult because of the opposition of human pride, our natural love of sin, and the opposition of Satan and the world in his control, all of which battle against us in the pursuit of eternity. 

> The exhortation to strive to enter is a command to repent and enter the gate and not to just stand and look at it, think about it, complain that it’s too small or too difficult or unjustly narrow. 


> We are not to ask why others are not entering; we are not to makes excuses or delay. We are not to be concerned with the number who will or will not enter. 


> We are to go ahead and enter! 


> Then we are to urge others to strive to enter before it’s too late.


Remember: "Jesus is the door;" may we never turn our back on Him and proceed to the wide gate and broad road that will lead us to our own destruction. To deny Jesus is to deny life.


Glory to GOD!


(ref: Got Questions: Bible-answered questions)

#53 Forewarned and Encouraged

A blessed day to all (".)

A verse to contemplate as we reflect on our spirituality today-

"teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom."- Psalm 90:12

Luke 12 (excerpts)

...There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 

...What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

...Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 

...Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

...“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 

...But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.

...anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

...“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

...“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

...But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

...“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 

...You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

note: please read complete text on this link--

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2012&version=NIV

Praise GOD!

The most beautiful, amazing and wonderful part of being in God's light is we can always rejoice everyday, every moment, every breath because of HIM!

I am not just saying it for the purpose of sharing, but it's the reality of it. When we are in tune with God, when we are in His light, when we continue to walk in Him, He shares us a certain kind of "joy" that is exhilarating and never ending :)

Joe Stowell shared in his "strength for the journey" that:

> we are so blessed; as compared to the people of the past in the Bible, we have an edge.

> God dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit ("He is in us and with us,"- John 14:16-18) to convict, comfort, guide, and encourage. His 24/7 presence is waiting to be tapped and used no matter where we are or what we are facing. 

> We have the Bible; we have the full revelation of Scripture that the Holy Spirit uses to teach and direct our lives. No Bible hero had the privilege of having a Book that could be carried, read, memorized, and used in transforming ways to tell them everything they needed to know about God and themselves—but you and I do!

> Jesus, our Loving Savior, saves us from sin, cancels hell, and guarantees heaven; He has already done far more than we deserve and enough to keep us happily praising Him for the rest of our lives!

On "Our Daily Bread" sharing for today, Anne Cetas quoted:

> As we continue our walk with our Loving Lord, "we have to renew our mind and refocus our thoughts on the Lord."- Romans 12:2

> When we are starting to worry, we can remind ourselves: “Worry does not meet my needs at this time—or ever. My heart’s need is to trust God. I will ‘be anxious for nothing’ ” (Philippians 4:6).

> When we envy what another person has or does, we can reinforce the truth: “Envy does not meet my needs at this time—or ever. My need is to give thanks to God. His Word says, ‘Envy is rottenness to the bones’ (Proverbs 14:30), and ‘In everything give thanks’ ” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

How can we not rejoice in Him?

Thanks be to GOD! 

Thank you to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and continues to give us the discernment; may we all see God's good, pleasing and perfect will through the Holy Spirit's renewing of our minds.....and our whole being :)

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Glory to GOD!

#52 Prayer: Our Lifeline to GOD

A blessed and prayerful day (".)

One of Charles Stanley's Life Principle is "we stand tallest and strongest on our knees."

Luke 11 (excerpts)
Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer 

1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

note: please read complete text on this link--

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2011&version=NIV

Praise GOD!

How important is praying? Here are some prayer verses to reflect on:

1 John 5:14-15

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Ephesians 6:18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Romans 8:26

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

James 4:3

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Mark 11:24-25

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

John 14:13-14

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

May we all not underestimate the power of prayer, it is our lifeline to God.

Everyone- our loved ones, our family, extended family, relatives, friends, collegues, or even acquaintances can or may neglect or turn against us but not our Loving Lord. He is the only one who can hear us and truly see our hearts. We don't have to wait, we don't need an appointment, we don't have to fall in line in order to have an intimate talk with Him.........and the most beautiful part, He listens with all His heart.

How can we not fall on our knees and pray (".) 

Glory to GOD!

Have a great day everyone :)

#51 Are we BUSY?

Are we BUSY? Are we "Being Under Satan's Yoke" unknowingly?


Luke 10 (excerpts) 

23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

At the Home of Martha and Mary 
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

note: please read the complete text on this link--

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10&version=NIV

Praise GOD!
Last night, after I tucked-in Ram to bed, my husband and I watched a television broadcast of Dr. David Jeremiah's “When Christians Wouldn’t Know They Were in a War.”  



Dr. Jeremiah emphasized that to win the war against Satan, we should know who he is and what he can do. We have to remember that Satan is:


> the great deceiver- You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.- John 8:44


> the great divider- The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.- James 3:6; but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.- James 3:8


> and the great destroyer. 

And Satan has a lot of strategies in his hands to conquer us: 
> the strategy of indifference
> the strategy of ignorance
> the strategy of infiltration
> the strategy of indifference
> the strategy of intervention
> the strategy of intimidation

Here are some quoted verses from the Bible Dr. Jeremiah cited:
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.- 2 Corinthians 11:14; 

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.- 1 John 5:19;

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.- Ephesians 6:12

and do not give the devil a foothold.- Ephesians 4:27

Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?- Proverbs 6:27

The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.- 1 John 3:8

He said that if we know who is our enemy; surely we will know how to win our battle, through God's strength and power. Awareness of who Satan is and what he is capable of should not be taken for granted. We may not know it but we may fall on his trap. Dr. Jeremiah emphasized too our busyness as a strategy of Satan. Are we trapped?

Reflect on this:
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, “We can’t keep Christians from turning against God but we can distract them from God. Let them go to church, but let us steal their time so they don’t have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do,” said the devil: “Distract them from maintaining that vital connection with Jesus throughout their day!”

“How shall we do this?” his demons asked.

“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered. “Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear the still, small voice of God. Entice them to play the radio or iPod whenever they drive, to keep the TV, DVD, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, and every kind of newsletter and promotion offering free products, services and false hopes. Let them stand in lines for hours for the latest cell phone or Harry Potter book forgetting about God. Let them be seduced by glitzy advertising that will lure them away from God. Fill their world and their minds with trash so that they will not have room for God. Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.

Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep wives and husbands too tired to love each other after their work. Give them headaches too! If they don’t give each other the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere. That will fragment their families quickly! Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!

Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so they will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and forget that loving God and neighbor is what is really beautiful.

Give them Santa Clause to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas. Give them an Easter bunny so they won’t talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death.

Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Let them think that attending a sports event is more important than keeping holy the Lord’s Day and treating the sport stars as if they were bishops. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God’s creation.

Keep them busy, busy, busy! It will work! It will work!”

It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there, having little time for their God or their families. 

(source: Does “BUSY” mean: Being Under Satan’s Yoke?

I have shared that everything is trivial except for the things that is done for our Loving Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the essence of the message of our Loving Lord today:

Martha was busy instead of spending time with Jesus. 

Sometimes we can all be busy instead of spending time with Jesus. 

What a pity that is. 

A day without Jesus in it is a day wasted.

The question is: "are we busy?"

Glory to GOD!

#50 Take up your cross and Follow Me

A blessed and contemplative reading to all (".)

Luke 9

Jesus Predicts His Death
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

note: complete text is on this link--

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%209&version=NIV

Praise GOD!

To "follow Christ" is a very tough calling and yet we know it in our hearts that it is the best choice ever.....

May enlightenment be with you all with this reading.....

"What did Jesus mean when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23)?"

Let’s begin with what Jesus didn’t mean. 

Many people interpret “cross” as some burden they must carry in their lives: a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical illness. With self-pitying pride, they say, “That’s my cross I have to carry.” Such an interpretation is not what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

When Jesus carried His cross up Golgotha to be crucified, no one was thinking of the cross as symbolic of a burden to carry. To a person in the first-century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could develop.

Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. Because the Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death.

Therefore, “Take up your cross and follow Me” means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. 

This is called “dying to self.” 

It’s a call to absolute surrender. 

After each time Jesus commanded cross bearing, He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:24-25). Although the call is tough, the reward is matchless.

Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Although these multitudes often followed Him as Messiah, their view of who the Messiah really was—and what He would do—was distorted. They thought the Christ would usher in the restored kingdom. They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers. Even Christ’s own inner circle of disciples thought the kingdom was coming soon (Luke 19:11). When Jesus began teaching that He was going to die at the hands of the Jewish leaders and their Gentile overlords (Luke 9:22), His popularity sank. Many of the shocked followers rejected Him. Truly, they were not able to put to death their own ideas, plans, and desires, and exchange them for His.

Following Jesus is easy when life runs smoothly; our true commitment to Him is revealed during trials. Jesus assured us that trials will come to His followers (John 16:33). Discipleship demands sacrifice, and Jesus never hid that cost.

In Luke 9:57-62, three people seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus questioned them further, their commitment was half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None was willing to take up his cross and crucify upon it his own interests.

Therefore, Jesus appeared to dissuade them. How different from the typical Gospel presentation! How many people would respond to an altar call that went, “Come follow Jesus, and you may face the loss of friends, family, reputation, career, and possibly even your life”? The number of false converts would likely decrease! Such a call is what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

If you wonder if you are ready to take up your cross, consider these questions:

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing some of your closest friends?

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?

In some places of the world, these consequences are reality. But notice the questions are phrased, “Are you willing?” 

Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but are you willing to take up your cross? 

If there comes a point in your life where you are faced with a choice—Jesus or the comforts of this life—which will you choose?

Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. 

Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price. Jesus followed His call of death to self (“Take up your cross and follow Me”) with the gift of life in Christ: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25-26).

Glory to GOD!

God bless to all (".)

#49 Don't be Afraid; just Believe

A blessed reading (".)

Luke 8 (excerpts)
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
...49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

note: complete text is on this link--
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%208&version=NIV


Praise God!


One time, when my hubby and I are having our morning walk, I've told him that I try to chant some verses from the Bible over and over again in my thoughts. It helps me uplift my spirits and I believe it's another blessing for me to keep playing His words in my thoughts; sometimes with a melodious tune. 


Today's most inspiring message that touched my heart again is this: "don't be afraid; just believe."


It feels so good to really trust in our Loving Lord. Other than He is always confirming us everyday that as we learn to lean on Him and not on our own selves, He is giving us a thrill that is more than awesome and inexplicable.


Charles Stanley shared in his Life's Principles that as we continue to give our life to God and trust in Him with everything, we are assured of all the things we ask in Him in prayer; that complete faith in our Almighty unravels a relationship where we can truly claim that when we request something from Him in prayers, "it's as good as done."


It is truly a blessing; and yes, life is never the same again, amen!


If there are doubts, fear, unwanted/negative thoughts that lingers in you now, just chant wholeheartedly............"I am not afraid, I believe."


We have our Loving Lord's blessed assurance of all His promises to us.....and that we can hold onto until the end.


Glory to GOD!

#48 Saved and in peace.....

If you have been saved, will you keep it to yourself or will proclaim it to the whole world?

Luke 7 (excerpts)

...A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

note: please read the complete text on this link--

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+7&version=NIV

Glory to GOD!

Everyday is a day to proclaim the goodness of the Lord; out of His immeasurable love, He gave us the gift of salvation and to all of us who have received Him, we are now at peace. The wonderful and amazing part of it is we can share the good news to others and the ripple-effect is outstanding :)

Psalm 96:1-3 

1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Yesterday, I watched a movie in Lifetime channel- Hunger Point. It's a fictional story about 2 sisters dealing with their dysfunctional upbringing which affected their attitude toward food.

Frannie, at 26, has a college degree, a waitressing job, and still lives at her parents' house. She tells in earthy, sharp-tongued prose the story of her Long Island family, a nice middle-class clan of ordinary neurotics: Dad obsesses over the preparation of gourmet meals and keeps his mouth shut; Mom pops Valium and compulsively diets while conducting an illicit affair; and little sister Shelly, seemingly serene and perfect, gets thinner and thinner as the days go by. The story explores the symptoms of anorexia and the crushing effects it has on a family. When Shelly checks herself into a hospital, Frannie realizes that her own behavior, self-destructive through alternative means is not so different from her sister's desire to erase herself. Life utterly stops, though, when Shelly commits suicide. Things break apart: Frannie's parents split, her best friend Abby drops her, and Frannie herself sinks into a dangerous, masochistic depression. Frannie slowly climbs out of her depression to find a job, a boyfriend, and a little self-esteem, but more importantly comes to terms with her sister's death and the permanent void it creates.--ref: Kirkus Book Review

Somehow, the story is depressing and quite heartbreaking, but then again, it reveals certain truths. 

Here are some eating disorder statistics I've checked out:

PREVALENCE
> It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men
> One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia
> Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia
> Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.)
> An estimated 10 – 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males

MORTALITY RATES
> Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
> A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover
> The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old.
> 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems

ACCESS TO TREATMENT
> Only 1 in 10 people with eating disorders receive treatment
> About 80% of the girls/women who have accessed care for their eating disorders do not get the intensity of treatment they need to stay in recovery – they are often sent home weeks earlier than the recommended stay
> Treatment of an eating disorder in the US ranges from $500 per day to $2,000 per day. The average cost for a month of inpatient treatment is $30,000. It is estimated that individuals with eating disorders need anywhere from 3 – 6 months of inpatient care. Health insurance companies for several reasons do not typically cover the cost of treating eating disorders
The cost of outpatient treatment, including therapy and medical monitoring, can extend to $100,000 or more

ADOLESCENTS
> Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents
> 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25
> 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight
> 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight 

RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES
> Rates of minorities with eating disorders are similar to those of white women
> 74% of American Indian girls reported dieting and purging with diet pills
> Essence magazine, in 1994, reported that 53.5% of their respondents, African-American females were at risk of an eating disorder
> Eating disorders are one of the most common psychological problems facing young women in Japan.

  

My conclusion and opinion: truly, if you zero-out God in any one's life, depression and hopelessness is prevalent and healing may not be possible.

May we all continue to depend on God on everything!

God bless everyone (".)

#47 Follow Me.....

Funny thing :) ..... As I am trying to check out for a photo of the best depiction of my post for today, I got this picture- the twitter bird. As high-tech as we are, it is automatic that the twitter bird is the instant picture of follow me. Good thing I also have a twitter account so that my posts will be read through twitter link- RTan2011 :)

But here is the real depiction of the photo of my post I want you all to see and contemplate.

A blessed and contemplative reading to everyone (".)

Luke 5-6 (excerpts)

Luke 5
Jesus Calls His First Disciples 

 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners 

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 6
Blessings and Woes 

 20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Love for Enemies 

 27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others 

 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit 

 43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

The Wise and Foolish Builders 

 46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

note: please read complete text at this link--

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%205-6&version=NIV

Praise God!

I will always thank God everyday, every moment, every breath for letting me find the real meaning of my life in Him. I truly believe in my heart that I am a step away from the previous walk I have with Him. I have passed the "thank you Lord for all the blessings" kind of relationship with Him. I now claim I have a more stronger and deeper relationship because He led me into it. I know it will take me my whole lifetime to know Him more and more but I am just glad He gave me the chance to follow Him.

It is my earnest hope that if you have found Him after seeking Him, please do not let Him go, but rather follow Him and deepen your relationship with Him. It is not easy but we have the blessed assurance that He will be with us until the end. This world is chaotic, you may not accept it but it is the truth. It is getting worst everyday and it will never get better because this world is fading away fast. All the signs of times are around us- war, famine, hunger, oppression, financial instability, unemployment, etc.....you name it, this world have it. The worst part, relationships are in chaos too- broken family, disparity, dividedness, etc.....But remember, this is not our world.

Here is a heartfelt explanation of "servanthood".....how we can follow Jesus, our God.

The Bible has a great deal to say about servanthood because the central theme of the Bible is the Servant of all—Jesus Christ. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). When we give Jesus Christ His rightful place as Lord of our lives, His lordship will be expressed in the way we serve others (Mark 9:35; 1 Peter 4:10; John 15:12-13). How can we demonstrate love for God? Our love for God will be expressed in our love for others. “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5).

True leadership is servanthood, and the greatest leader of all time is Jesus Christ. Servanthood is an attitude exemplified by Christ “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6-7). The five words in the New Testament translated “ministry” generally refer to servanthood or service given in love. Serving others is the very essence of ministry. All believers are called to ministry (Matthew 28:18-20), and, therefore, we are all called to be servants for the glory of God. 

Living is giving; all else is selfishness and boredom.

Let’s serve others by serving Christ (Colossians 3:23-24). 

God the Father has served us by sacrificing Christ on the cross for our sins, and we should serve others by giving the gospel and our lives to them (1 Thessalonians 1:5-6).

Glory to GOD! Have a great day to all (".)