The Year of Divine Providence (2010)Ps Paul Tan Devotional Articles

A Time to Forget

January 16, 2010 (Adapted & Adjusted from Kenneth Copeland Ministries)

“Remember when…?” That’s a question we heard a lot during the holiday seasons we just celebrated. Reminiscing with family and friends, we browsed through Thanksgivings, Christmasses, and New Years gone by, enjoying the memories until inevitably, we stumbled across the memories we would rather forget.

Suddenly, the pain comes rushing back. The sting of a parent’s criticism, the broken promise of a friend, the rejections, the disappointments, the heartaches…

What should we do with memories like that? Do we have to drag them along, like so much baggage, from year to year?

No. We can leave them behind. In fact, we must leave them behind. And there’s only one way to do it–through forgiveness.

Forgiving someone sounds like a simple thing to do. Yet few of us actually do it. We treat forgiveness as if it were one of life’s additional options, something we can take or leave alone. But it’s not. It’s a basic requirement for every believer. In fact, as far as God is concerned, unforgiveness is wickedness.

And in Matthew 18, Jesus tells a parable that illustrates the terrible consequences of it. The parable involves a servant who owed his lord a debt equivalent to millions of dollars. When the debt came due, he pleaded with his master, “Lord, have patience with me and I will pay thee all.” His master was so moved that he canceled the entire debt!

Soon after, that same servant sought out a man who owed him $15. Finding him unable to pay, he ignored the man’s pleas for mercy and had him cast into prison.

When his lord heard about it, he was incensed. He called him a wicked servant and delivered him to the tormentors until he paid all that was due.

Look again at the size of that unforgiven debt. Fifteen dollars. The little debts are the ones that most often trip us up. The petty resentments between husband and wife, between brother and sister. Tiny bits of unforgiveness that seem too insignificant to bother with. Beware. Those are the kinds of debts Satan uses to torment you.

“Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him…Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

After all, Jesus paid off a mountain of debt for you. You can afford to be generous about the nickel and dime debt of others.

Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the unforgiveness in you. Then repent and release it. Welcome this New Year with more than just a time to remember, but also a time to forget.

Stand Strong

January 17, 2010

What do you do when you have done it all, when you have tried everything and nothing has worked? Or after you have given your absolute best with all energy and effort put in but you only see little breakthrough? You have been fasting, praying, contending, proclaiming, and so on and yet … nothing.

The Lord gave me a vision of a person demolishing a concrete wall with a sledgehammer. He strikes the wall with all his strength. He does it once, twice, ten times, and many more. The wall cracks little by little, and he repeats it many times until he reaches a point where there is a crack-line on the wall like a spider web. At that point, he pauses and then, with one last effortless strike, he demolishes the wall. Had he stopped in the fifth or the tenth strike, he would not have demolished that wall.

What we have done in 2009 brought us closer to the tipping point – a spider web crack-line. Be strong in the midst of your adversities. Be persistent in your prayer and grow consistent in your praise and worship unto the Lord, and allow the Holy Spirit to develop a godly character in you.

“Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared; but only men of character are trusted.” (Anonymous).

Standing strong includes: declaring, decreeing, praising, proclaiming and waiting. Waiting patiently on the Lord will give you strength to stand. “In conclusion (finally), be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].” (Eph.6:10,13 AMP)

When you go through battles in your lives, you need to stand through those battles. To stand means you do not waver from your beliefs or your moral position, and you do not cave in to pressures that arises. It also means that you are focused on the outcome and unwilling to be distracted by momentary setbacks, difficult situations, or even difficult personalities you encounter.

Standing is not only important during the time of crisis, but standing is vital to your success – when it comes to believing for a manifestation of God’s promise in a particular area of your life, you must be able to articulate what you’re believing for, and then you must confess the promises of God over that situation and stand on those promises. “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person.” (Job.22:28-29)

The Ultimate Success

January 27, 2010 by Webadmin

Saul’s first question when he encountered the living God was, “Who are you, Lord?” As he journeyed, suddenly Saul’s eyes ceased to function for three days and he was thrown to the ground. His bodyguards led him blindly into the city of Damascus, but during his blindness, he saw more than he had ever seen in his life!

Why would God visit Saul? Jesus visited this man on the way to Damascus because he was hungry for God, despite his false zeal. “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Mt.5:6)

Are you still hungry and thirst for more of God? Have you been stagnant recently? How about the New Year’s resolutions you committed to? Are you still excited to keep them? Do you want to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you? Try to have three days of fasting and praying in “blindness.” Be blind to your television set, video games, ball games, busy programs, and various forms of trivia for three days. This is not much out of your life, but I guarantee that when God comes to you, your life will be full of enthusiasm and commitment to follow His will even more.

This man, Saul, was a persecutor of the Faith; soon he would be persecuted for the Faith. He silently watched Stephen being stoned; soon he would be silent while he was stoned. He was the Church destroyer, then he became the Church builder. This Saul, who became Paul, is our best example and brings great hope for us because God is able and willing to help us change.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will. The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” (Vince Lombardi)

The ultimate success is doing the will of our Creator. Knowing the will of God will give us the insight, inspiration, and desire of how we should live. Abiding in His will gives us the motivation, willpower, and strength of character. Jonah was out of the will of God; he was overcome by the storm. Paul was in the will of God, he endured the storm. Jesus was the will of God; He took dominion over the storm.

Seek, and you shall find. If you seek the Lord and yet you are unwilling to stop sinning, you shall not find Him. Why? Because you are seeking Him in a place where He is not. But if you sincerely forsake your sins so that you may draw near to Him, you shall find Him.

Don’t ever throw in the towel or give in just because you hit some form of deadlock. The devil has never had the last word on anything, and he is not going to have the last word on your dreams and visions either. It is time for you to remember that what God has promised you shall come to pass as you hold fast to your faith in Christ.

Learn from Zacchaeus

February 8, 2010

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Lk. 19:8-10, NKJV)

You can tell by reading the verses above that even though Zacchaeus was short in stature, he was indeed a “tall” man on the inside. Why? Because, after a very brief time with Jesus, Zacchaeus did something what many well-trained, properly discipled, or mature believers never do — and that was to give 50% of his wealth to the poor. On top of that, he offered to pay punitive damages of 400%. Some people might think that when they received Christ, their debt is forgiven as well as their sins. Not Zacchaeus!

Therefore, according to Jesus, Zacchaeus’ spontaneous decision made evident that salvation had impacted not just his soul, but also his house.

In the Bible, house or household includes not just the individual and his or her extended family, but also the marketplace, because the vast majority of the population worked out of their homes. The fishermen lived by the sea. The farmers lived on the land they worked on. We can still see the same thing happening today in Indonesia and in many different parts of the world where a physician practices out of his own house. We also see that in different places, they still build “house stores,” where the first floor is used for their business and the second and third floors are used as their living quarters.

So when Jesus saves you, He not only wants to save your soul but also to redeem your household, your work, and your business. He cares about what you do and He is always present with you in whatever you do - daily. He wants to restore you, which means He wants to bring you back to a proper and better condition.

It is paradoxical that when a blind beggar named Bartimaeus had a transforming encounter with Jesus, everybody praised God. But when Zacchaeus, a powerful marketplace leader, had a powerful experience, everybody got upset. Both of these events happened during the same Jericho trip Jesus made.

There is no doubt that the reason people were upset with Zacchaeus was because he had a bad reputation. Many people were hurt and hated him because of what he did. But the people of Jericho hated him so much that their strong feelings against him blinded them from the amazing things that happened. Beware of your “strong feelings” against someone. It can blind you.

Isn’t it enlightening to see that because of what Zacchaeus did, Jesus called him a son of Abraham? Physically speaking he was not, but spiritually he was. The same is true with you – and because of that you are heirs to God’s promises.

The Law of Application

February 10, 2010

Knowing without doing is similar to having faith with no work. Our heads can be filled with so much knowledge but all that knowledge can still fail to go down “one foot” — from our head to our heart.

We need to make serious applications of what we have learned if we don’t want to get our heads filled with only knowledge. To understand the law of application means that we choose to implement, accomplish, finish, and to complete what we have learned.

We are living in an information age. We are barraged with data and information, but our retaining capability is less and less. Our ability to focus is less. Why? One of the reasons is the failure of application. You may religiously write down your notes, but when was the last time you went back and did a study on those notes? When was the last time you applied what you learned?

The best way to digest the word of God is to simply do it.

Our actions, relationships, and life-styles are based on our choices. We choose to do certain things and we cannot water down our bad choices and call it a mistake. Our choices will either lead us into issues or to good works. If you hang out with losers, negative people, and people with no faith, you will do things opposite of God. But if you hang out with winners, people that have a good attitude and great faith, you will grow and have a great life.

Stop whining or blaming the circumstances! Your past cannot determine your future, but what you choose today will determine where you’re going to be tomorrow.

“Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.” (2 Chron.31:20-21)

We need to learn to know how to get a hold of God. We need to learn the skill to ask, seek, and knock in the presence of God. We need to take time and to focus our energy on the things of God and be persistent. Some people are lazy. When they have a problem, they don’t want to work on it but expect others to solve it for them.

Your attitude will fix your altitude.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” (William Jennings Bryan)

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” (Deut.30:19)

Opportunity to Demonstrate Your Potential and Maturity

February 17, 2010

There is a danger that people go to church every Sunday only to get a temporary surge of motivation. They are motivated, but when Monday comes, they forget what they learned just twenty-four hours prior. They think that they are changed just by listening to the sermon. The fact of the matter is that you will not leave the church changed. Change will only take place if you apply what you have learned.

God wants you to be doers of the Word, and when you implement what God says, change and promotion will come. In other words, promotion and change is up to you. When you come to church and listen to a preaching, you are only gathering information. You leave the church every Sunday with the potential for change. “A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength.” (Prov.24:5)

When you apply that knowledge, you will gain wisdom. However, in life there are many tests that we all must go through. We have the tendency to be distracted by them or may even be discouraged and lose our focus. As much as we don’t like to go through testing, its purpose is good. It is an opportunity to demonstrate our potential and maturity. The end result of the test is good for us.

“And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deut.8:2-3)

Tests will reveal your inward poverty, your plateau, or your progress. Let’s pick anger as an example. If you know that you have anger and you continue to get angrier and in a quicker way, the test reveals your inward poverty. If you still struggle with the same thing you struggled with a year ago, then you are stagnant. But a test can also reveal your progress. When things that used to depress you no longer depresses you or you extend forgiveness and demonstrate love — you are making progress.

You may struggle in different areas of your life: addiction, drugs, alcohol, sexual sin, pornography, or with any other thing – choose today as the beginning of your change by submitting yourself to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead you. You cannot do it with your own strength. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Learn from David. He invited God to test him, “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.” (Ps.26:2); “You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.” (Ps.17:3)

See You at the Top

February 24, 2010

Many years ago I heard a motivational speaker named Zig Ziglar use the above title as he spoke to his audience in a seminar. As you read the Word, it actually is His desire that you increase and not decrease, that you be the head and not the tail, and that you not borrow but lend to many nations. We all like to hear verses like these. We like to memorize them and then claim them, however, before we can experience these verses, the Lord wants us first to obey Him (see Deut. 28:1-14).

The salvation from God is free, but in order to get the reward, you need to work. Nothing comes easy. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (Jam.1:2-4)

To be honest with you, I don’t really like that verse, however, testing always precedes promotion. Self promotion or human promotion cannot replace Divine promotion. If you humble yourself, God will promote you. Many times we put our faith in the process and not in the end result. God wants to take you where your ability can’t take you, and He can only use you through testing.

“The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts.” (Prov.17:3) Faith is not faith until it’s tested. Purity is not purity until it’s tested. Tests are not fun, but when we look at where that test will take us, we will have a better perspective as we’re going through it. A test is not just an obstacle or a bump in the road — it will bring you to the next level.

In order to improve, you have to change and to become perfect, you would have to change often. Change before you have to. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb.12:1-2)

Notice that both weight and sin can easily ensnare us. Sin will cause you to miss the mark. Weight can be heavy and slow you down. If Satan can’t make you sin, he will try to put weight on you.

See you at the top. Don’t let anything or anyone hinder, delay, or distract God’s vision in your life. He who has called you is faithful. Though He allows you to go through testings, He is always there with you, ready with His assistance.

The Beauty of Holiness

March 2, 2010

Holiness is beautiful, and that is what you were created for. God is holy and without holiness, you cannot see God. God wants us to be holy as He is holy. He never gives us a command that we cannot do. Holiness begins with who you are when you became born again in Christ Jesus. On top of that, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to lead us in our daily life. What else do we need? We have nothing to lose but have everything to gain, because God is with us!

“Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]–blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.” (Prov.29:18, AMP)

Whenever you have a problem living a holy life, it is because you have a vision problem. You don’t have any sense of purpose. But if you know that there is a prize at the end of the race, you are more likely to restrain yourself and not sin. If you have a vision of your calling, destiny, and purpose in life, you are willing to do whatever is necessary – make sacrifices, adjustments, and changes. You will never deal with righteousness or holiness until you first deal with vision.

Satan is working over-time to steal the vision from our young people through the media, wrong relationships, peer-pressure, and sin. Sin is an enticement in itself. It’s like bait. It brings pleasure to the flesh but only for a moment. After that? Guilt, condemnation, defeat, a lack of confidence, a sense of failure or worthlessness soon follows. It is good to remember how Jehoshaphat won the war: “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.” (2 Chron.20:21)

You parents need to work together with your children and be consistent. You are a model to them. You may have heard the story of Esther. The story did not begin in Esther chapter one. It actually began 500 years before, when Saul refused to eradicate the Amalekites. The prophet, Samuel, had to remind Saul of his failure to do what God commanded him to do. Esther was now left to do battle with an ancient enemy, Haman the Agagite, because of that failure. Parents: the sin or disobedience that you do not eradicate today, your children may have to face tomorrow. You can’t change anything that you want to tolerate – if you want to tolerate losing, failures, or a bad marriage – you’re not going to change.

You must have a focused vision. Look at the original state when God created the first man, Adam. He was created in God’s image, holy, beautiful, with no guilt or condemnation. The same thing with you: you are created in God’s image. Though we were born sinners Jesus came to redeem us so that we can go back to our original state just like when God first created man – pure and holy.

“Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Ps.29:2)

The Measure of Holiness

March 10, 2010

Consistency is one among several basic things that the younger generation is looking for and it has to start from the home. When parents want their children to do one thing but they themselves do not portray it in their lives, it causes them to be confused.

I am sure that you’ve heard of the following quotes: “Monkey see, monkey do.” “Your action is too loud, I can’t hear you.” “Learning is more caught than taught.” These quotes are in layman’s terms. Jesus said, “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (Jn.13:15) The Apostle Paul says, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” These are words all of us Christians must ponder and apply in our daily lives – as parents, leaders, or individuals.

Several weeks ago, we had a Purity Covenant at church and our youth made a pledge to their parents and God to guard their hearts and purity until the day they walk down the aisle in holy matrimony. Parents gave their children a token in the form of a ring, bracelet, or necklace as they prayed for them. It was a beautiful ceremony. The bottom line is that God wants all of us to live a holy life, not just the youth.

Holiness in the Scriptures is not measured by the outwardly things – by what you wear or what you eat. You can dress in the most conservative outfit but your heart can still be full of lust. You can smile on the outside but have hatred within you. You may say you forgive the person who hurt you but still keep bitterness in your heart. A husband and wife may look romantic on the outside but quarrel everyday at home. In the last ten years, we’ve also seen priests, preachers, and clergy who looked good on the outside but were then exposed in various scandals, sexual sins, or have a problem with integrity issues.

Holiness is what’s on the inside — the attitude of the heart. Holiness is godly living while still in the world, daily walking out the will of God, and not using our own strength but the power of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

The measure of holiness is not how much you withdraw from the world and stay in church all the time. True holiness is measured by how much you obey God and how you live out there in the world from Monday through Saturday and not just when you go to church on Sunday.

The God who sets us apart also tells us to go into a sinful and fallen world. While we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. As Christians, we are Christ’s ambassadors and we are to represent Him while we are still on this earth. It doesn’t mean that we behave “holier-than-thou,” but through Christ, we become salt and light to this world. Salt brings healing and light gives hope. This is who we are. (see Mt.5:13-16)

Increase, Do Not Decrease

March 17, 2010

“Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jer. 29:6c-7)

When you read the whole context, you will see that the people of Israel were going through tough times. They had every reason to complain or dislike the people around them. I don’t blame them if they cried to God to ask to come out of their captivity as soon as possible. However, rather than getting them out of their captivity, the Lord told them to “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters.”

This is talking about a long-term deal. The God is Israel is never threatened by any circumstances, challenges, or evil plan. He is able to turn the tide from bad to good. In fact, the Lord promised them to increase and not decrease.

If you don’t lose your flavor as salt or stop shining your light, even if the place is as bad as Babylon, you will prosper. Salt brings healing among the decaying and the rotten. It preserves, influences, and is very much needed. You don’t have to try to become ‘salt’ — you already are. Light shines the brightest in the midst of darkness. The darker the situation surrounding you, the brighter you will shine and so you are supposed to be in the midst of darkness.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer. 29:11) You can claim this promise if you engage in the world around you — seek the peace of your city. Increase your contribution to society, be an asset to your community and not become a liability. Be a blessing to others by doing acts of kindness so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

How about if you begin each day by asking yourself these questions: “Do non-Christian people around me trust me enough for me to speak a word into their life?” “Why should people trust me and is what I say trustworthy?” “Have I always been antagonistic to the people around me so that I cannot relate to them?” “Am I ‘salty’ enough to bring healing and meet the needs of the people surrounding me?”

Extra Mile

March 23, 2010

You may have heard that the difference between an ordinary and extraordinary person is in the word “extra”. Extra means added to, over and above the usual, original or necessary amount. It also means to a greater extent than is usual or expected. Is there any room in your life for extra? If there is, promotion and growth are on their way to you.

While the unemployment rate in America is still significant, how about if you do more than expected at work. Go earlier and stay later. Eat lunch in half the time allotted. Do something every day to help people around you. Be an asset to your workplace and not become a liability. How about starting tomorrow, you offer to go the extra mile for your boss? Make an appointment with your boss and let him know that if he needs anything extra to be done that you are available to help – even after hours. Instead of complaining, think of a solution for the challenge. “If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future.” (Winston Churchill). A motivational speaker named Zig Ziglar said, “A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.”

In the context of unfair treatment, forgiveness, and loving your enemy, Jesus said, “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” Stop arguing and start applying the Word of God. It works! People who want to go the extra mile almost always do so intentionally, because it requires a person to give of himself and that rarely happens by accident.

How about if you start making a commitment to do the extra mile in the various areas of your life? Are you able to improve your skill and bring it to your company? What additional education can you take that will add value to your business? How about increasing your faith level in the Lord? What about extending forgiveness and extra patience to others? How about saying extra prayers and spending more time alone with God than last year?

Peter admonished us to go extra in our life and ” … add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” (2 Pet.1:5-7)

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. The handkerchiefs and aprons that touched him were taken to the sick and with that touch, their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” (Acts 19:11-12). Paul preached the Word so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the Word of the Lord. The result? Even God did something extra, will you?

God Has a Solution for You

March 30, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I saw many ants inside my house. They were all busy carrying tiny bits of morsels they had found. There was one in particular that was carrying one small and insignificant crumb. I decided to put a tiny piece of dried and seemingly weightless onion leaf on top, but it took about five or six of them to carry this small leaf.

Many times we are just like these ants. We focus on our own little crumb. Some of us brag about our crumb, fight over the crumb, or even steal someone else’s crumb. Sometimes we feel that the crumb we carry is so big that it blocks everything else, including God’s vision and plan for our lives. God is so big, He is the maker of heaven and earth — the earth is only His footstool. We are even much smaller than those ants compared to Him.

Your “crumb” may be your great achievements, a big profit in business, or success in investments. There is nothing wrong with all that, but do not let these things block God’s greater plan for you. Your “crumb” could also be a desperate need, a problem, or a challenge. I don’t mean to belittle any of that, but if you let those things become your focus, you could also miss God’s great plan for your life.

My friend Ed Silvoso says, “If by mistake an optometrist prescribes reading glasses for distance vision, the user will not be comfortable focusing on far away objects because they would be a blur. Assuming that what he sees with greater clarity is what he is supposed to concentrate on, the patient will eventually give up the long view and miss the big picture entirely. We associate lenses with the eyes, but there are also intellectual lenses that, once placed over our mind, impact our understanding, for better or for worse.”

God has put us in the middle of what He is doing. He invites you to become an intervention to the problem you are facing now. Sure, He can do mighty things by Himself, but He wants to see if you will come in agreement with Him. He can identify with every aspect of any situation you find yourself in — from the lowest to the highest.

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jer.32:27)

The solution will come with your participation. Stop sitting by and saying that somebody else has to fix it! YOU are the intervention God is sending. YOU are the one He has called. Remove that “crumb mentality” and begin to see that God has prepared a table for you to eat with Him. Surely He loves you; do you love Him? He is always with you; are you with Him? He is giving you a solution; do you want to participate?

Relationship with God

April 5, 2010

This is Passover week — a time when we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He came to this world to restore man’s relationship with God. Sin separated man from God, but Jesus came to reconcile man back to the Father. The relationship that has been lost is now restored.

The kingdom of God is built upon relationship. It is time for us to have a special time with God - a time where you’re hungry for God and you are desperate for His presence.

Many times we are distracted by the negatives in our lives. Focus on God’s majesty and not on your negatives. We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. That means the negative situations that come our way works for the good.

We don’t like the negative situations, of course, but think about it, there would be no electrical power if there was no negative charge. Jesus didn’t get a confirmation that He had the anointing until the negatives began showing up in His life. David didn’t know that he had the anointing until he killed the lions, the bears, and the giant Goliath. God sends you a situation to show you that you can handle the problem. God never allows you to go to a process that you’re not able to handle and He doesn’t anoint you only for where you are, but also for where He is going to send you.

In Acts 19, a group of Jews were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” The group doing this were the seven sons of a leading priest named Sceva. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leapt upon them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

Even though they were the sons of a leading priest, they had no power to cast out the evil spirit. They tried to use the name of Jesus but did not have the relationship. They knew the theory but had no submission. James 4:7 says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” If you want to see breakthrough in your life, submit to God.

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jer.29:12-13) Make God’s priority your priority. Spend special time with Him until you become a carrier of the anointing.

God’s heart is to bring healing to the soul, but the problem is, we carry too much baggage of the past. We need to leave the past behind. The past is not in a vault somewhere, but it’s in you. You can move on and leave the past behind because you have been redeemed and forgiven.

Could Today be Your 40th Day?

April 13, 2010

For forty days, Goliath came forward every morning and evening and took his stand defying the ranks of Israel, “Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel.”

Look at these two paragraphs as you read the whole context of 1 Samuel 17 and I want you to see the three different kinds of hearing. First, Saul and all of Israel had been hearing the words of Goliath for 40 days. The words they heard made them become dismayed and terrified.

The second is the Israelites. They had been saying the same thing over and over again; about the rewards the king will give to whoever kills Goliath — nonetheless they themselves did not hear what they were saying. None of them were motivated by the reward, in fact, they were intimidated by the enemy.

Then came the young man David. He didn’t know Goliath had defied his people for 40 days. He heard both voices but he chose to focus on the reward and see Goliath’s challenge as an opportunity. The result? In one day, David became famous after he killed the giant.

Have you been intimidated by the enemy? That is his tactic. He wants you to get off of God’s promises. He cannot nullify God’s plan for you, he can only lie, cheat, and make your problems look bigger so he can steal, kill and destroy.

To the man of faith, there is not a thing that is not an opportunity. You cannot grow in faith unless you have a problem. Every problem comes with a promise and provision attached. In the Lord, it is impossible to have a problem without a promise and provision attached.

“Great faith is the product of great fights.” Smith Wigglesworth

Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper … .” This means that the enemy is forming specialized weapons against you. For what? To fight you! But none of his weapons will succeed. None! Turn your every problem into an opportunity to grow your faith. The problem is not your circumstances but in your perception of your circumstance.

Could it be that there is a meaning to the number 40? The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Goliath defied the Israelites for 40 days. Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. You may not realize that your giants have been intimidating you all this time. Could today be the 40th day to face the Goliath in your life by standing in God’s word?

Perfect Love

April 21, 2010

After the resurrection, Jesus showed Himself to His disciples as well as to many others. Some of them doubted, but then they met Him personally and they believed. This is proof that Jesus loved them until the end. He loves us so much that He did not leave us as orphans, but gave us His very own Spirit – the Holy Spirit. His love is amazing. He loves us even when we were yet sinners. He loves us now and He loves us with a perfect love.

Today the world is constantly trying to redefine the meaning of love. We commonly say “love” when we refer to our emotion, passion, or enthusiasm. Many people often use “love” as a synonym for “like.” It is interesting and rather amusing that there have been some recent scientific findings that deal with love as an emotion concerning our brain functions. In the early stages of love, which we call infatuation, a chemical enzyme is produced that can cloud clear thinking. No wonder we often times hear a cliché that says “love is blind.” During that time, perhaps even for a year or two, this enzyme produces a “feeling” that we associate with being in love. The problem with this kind of love is that it wears off.

Equating love to a feeling gets us out of a lot of obligations. When the feeling passes, the obligations and responsibilities are over. That is why we see husbands leave their wives or vise versa. They no longer honor their responsibilities to their children because the feeling of love has passed.

Similarly, it can also happen in our Christian life if we just use our feelings to love God. We pray because we have to. We read the Bible because of an obligation or just to accomplish the One-Year Bible reading target. Our children may take the BOSS program because we, as parents, forced them to. You’re involved in ministry because you must. You join CARE Cell because you are required to. The list can go on and on. If that’s the case, whatever you do now will eventually wear off and you may get tired, backslide, and even quit.

So, what then is Christ’s love? He sacrificed Himself because He loved us. This kind of love was “self-less.” This love involves a long term commitment to a higher purpose (see 1 Cor.13:4-7). That’s the kind of love God wants us to demonstrate in our relationships. Not the worldly kind that fades, but a supernaturally powered love that endures.

Some time ago, I read this quotation, “People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered, love them anyway! If you do good people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives, do good anyway! If you are successful you will win false friends and true enemies, succeed anyway! The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow, do good anyway! Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable, be honest and frank anyway! The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds, think big anyway! People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs, fight for the underdog anyway! What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight, build anyway! People really need help but may attack you if you help them, help people anyway! Give the world the best you’ve got and you’ll get kicked in the teeth, give the world the best you’ve got anyway!”

Believe and Obey

April 28, 2010

In America today, many people have adopted the convenient theory that the Bible is a book to be explained, when first and foremost, it is a Book to be believed and after that to be obeyed. There is a world of difference between knowing the Word of God and knowing the God of the Word. Some people told me that they search the Word of God daily, but in real life I don’t see them allowing the Word to search their hearts thoroughly. There is a big difference between searching the Word and allowing the Word to search us.

In the last several days, I keep on hearing what Tommy Tenney said, “David defeated Goliath not because he fought well, but because he believed well.” Not all of us are good fighters in the natural, but all of us can be good believers. Is it not true that for old-time Christians, they hear only old things repeated at church, Sunday after Sunday, conference after conference, and will most likely go away without any increase in faith?

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk. 9:23-24, NKJV) Have we become like the father of the child? Have we called ourselves believers but living in unbelief? Do you have any challenge that causes your faith to be tested? Are you struggling to understand first and then you will believe? Jesus did not say that if you can explain the Scriptures, all things are possible to him that can explain. “God being who He is will never be explained in time; nor, we think, will He try in eternity to explain either Himself or His ways.” (Leonard Ravenhill) Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believe.”

” … But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Dan.11:32b, NKJV) This is not just a cliché. Daniel shut the lions’ mouth with his faith. He was known as a man in whom lives the Spirit of the Holy God. Elijah shut up the heavens with a word. Joshua crumbled down the wall of Jericho by his simple obedience. Peter and John, both uneducated and untrained, marveled the educated and trained teachers of the law, the rulers, the elders and the high priests simply because they had been with Jesus.

Although it is not always easy to follow God’s simple solution during your journey, it is always worth it because it will lead you into a new place of communion and revelation. “No one can tell us where the shadow of the Almighty is, we have to find it out ourselves. When, by obedience, we have discovered where it is, we must abide there – there shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. That is the life that is more than a conqueror because the joy of the Lord has become its strength, and that soul is on the way to entering ultimately into the joy of the Lord.” (Oswald Chambers)

Obedience to the will and the Word of God leads us into the shadow of the Almighty.

A Good Steward of God’s Presence

May 5, 2010

“Never heard of that,” you might say. “I’ve heard about being a good steward of my time by having a well-planned schedule during the week. I also know about being a good steward of my finances. I am a good steward of my body. I maintain a good and balanced diet and exercise regularly. Surely these things help keep my body fit. But what about that being of ‘a good steward of God’s presence?’”

“We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, but rebelled by the sea – the Red Sea.

Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make His mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; so He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

The waters covered their enemies; there was not one of them left. Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.

They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” (Ps.106:6-15, NKJV)

The behavior of the people of Israel throughout the book of Exodus is a prime example of the sins of unbelief, ingratitude, and rebellion. After seeing the miracles of the Red Sea and the provision of food and water, their attitude seemed to be, “That’s nice Moses, but what have you done for us lately?”

We wonder how they could have behaved like that. Their short-term memory was worse than a two-year-old’s. They were forever complaining, whining, and wanting to be like the pagans from whom the Lord was constantly delivering them from. We could even find ourselves being angry at them for their stubborn stupidity — how ridiculous it was to make a golden calf and say that it was what delivered them from slavery! We would never do anything like that … or would we?

We may find the Lord doing some tangible miracles for us – above and beyond meeting our daily needs – and we’re thankful and are delighted for a few days. We may even be thankful for a bit longer than a few days, but memory is selective and we soon forget His works. We know what God has done before, but we worry and fear that He won’t take care of our next problem. We don’t trust Him.

Being a good steward of His presence means we need to remember what God has done in our lives and to involve the Holy Spirit in our now and future. Have you been ungrateful or fearful lately? Have you allowed unbelief to dominate you? Can you see that the transformation power of Jesus Christ has the ability to transform you? Remember His past graciousness and His wonderful faithfulness.

But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits

May 12, 2010

Daniel was a teenager when the Babylonians took him into captivity from Jerusalem. For more than sixty years of his life in Babylon, Daniel faced many challenges — some of them really risked his life. Yet in all those years, he grew stronger and stronger in his commitment to God and was successful nevertheless. He was employed as a civil servant, working with the government of Babylon. Daniel grew in wisdom, maturity, and in favor with God and with the people.

Daniel had to learn the language and the literature of the Babylonians. He had to study and learn the practices and principles of the country he lived in, and after that, he entered into the King’s service.

Can you imagine that? Even in captivity he was successful. What was his secret? Attitude is very important for success. You are what you know. You prosper according to “how much you know.” Based on his own experience, Daniel said that the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploit.

You may go to church — but do you know Christ personally? Maybe you’ve been baptized — but do you have a daily personal relationship with Jesus? You may win Bible trivias, but the point is — do you have an intimate relationship with God’s Word and pray every day? Oh, but I bring an offering and help the poor, how about that? The Bible says that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Sam.15:22).

The shaking we’re facing in America today practically touches three levels of the community: the government, the church leaders, and also the people. In Haggai 2:4, God spoke: “Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts.

What kind of attitude do you have at your workplace? Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb and guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Next in line after attitude is self-development. Learn from Daniel: he nourished and exercised his brain. What you do not use, you lose. Exceptional employees are always the last to experience layoffs. Make yourself valuable to your employer.

“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former ,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Hag.2:6-9). God is warning His people: shaking is coming but be strong. How? “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” (Mt.7:24-25).

Dry Bones Come To Life

May 19, 2010

“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones . . . and, behold, there were very many . . . and lo, they were dry . . . And He said unto me . . . Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord . . . So I prophesied as I was commanded . . . and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army (Ez. 37).

When I read this chapter, there were things that came into my imagination. It is such a gross, scary, and hopeless vision. Put yourselves in Ezekiel’s shoes and take time to meditate upon the vision God showed him. Then the Lord asked Ezekiel, “… can these bones live?” To that Ezekiel replied, “O sovereign Lord, You alone know.” The result is hopeless incarnate.

Obviously, no faith is required to do the possible. Again and again I see a pattern in the Bible that God asked men to not do what they can, but what they can’t. If you link your impotence to God’s omnipotence, the word impossible is dropped from your vocabulary. When you find yourself in that stage, it is more difficult not to believe than to believe.

To this mountain of bones, then, Ezekiel was asked to say, “Bones, come to life.” And so he said and so it was. The calling God has right now is not for the men and women of the past, but for those of the present. God is calling you and I to make a difference and really transform death to life, from hopelessness to hopefulness, from curse to blessing. It is not enough to admit that we are Spirit-filled, but are we Spirit-led kind of believers?

In these days of acute political helplessness, moral lawlessness, and spiritual dryness, where are the men and women of faith? The world is not waiting for a new definition of the Gospel, but for a new demonstration of the power of the Gospel.

What has been filling your mind recently? Is it filled with the world or The Word? Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to you and agree with what He says. God is looking for men and women of faith to do mighty things during these hours.

* Without God we cannot, but without men, God will not.

* Let the zeal of God burn brighter than any situation or challenge in your life.

* You can only prophesy what your hear Him say. What do you hear?

Let’s pray: Lord Jesus, You said that the armies in Heaven follow You, and Your name is called “the Word of God.” Help me to not only believe Your Word, but pray it in the power of the Holy Spirit! I accept that You have called me to be a prayer warrior. By Your grace, I receive a new anointing in intercession. Amen!

When God Seems Millions of Miles Away

May 26, 2010

Have you ever experienced an ease in your worship and prayer life? It’s when you spend time in worship and, within a few minutes, you are surrounded by the presence of God. You pray in the morning and by noon you see the answer to your prayers. You feel surrounded by God wherever you are. You can hear His voice clearly and you know His joy and His strength. You see God everywhere and there’s an enjoyment of God upon you. And yes, of course, you experience the favor of God, as you live in His ‘blessings’ and the accelerated times become so real in your life.

And then suddenly you pray and nothing happens. You take time to worship but you don’t feel anything. You face hard times, tough situations, or maybe even tragedy … and when you need Him the most, God seems to be millions of miles away. You press on, pray more and even fast, and yet there seems to be no results. You begin to ask why and there’s still no answer. Is God still there? Is He real?

Be at peace and know that God works in two ways: by manifestation and hiddenness. In manifestation, He reveals Himself. When God reveals something to us He works one thing and when He hides Himself, He works something entirely different.

Many of God’s people experienced God’s physical manifestation in their lives: Moses asked God to show him His glory and the Lord showed all His goodness and passed over him. God’s manifest presence came down in the tent of the meeting and there was a pillar of fire in the night and a pillar of cloud during the day. Joshua met the captain of the host of the Lord. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, there was a fourth Man and He looked like the Son of God. The disciples of Jesus experienced many manifestations of God. Saul, on the way to Damascus, experienced God’s personal manifestation. And there are many more examples in the Bible that explains when God worked in manifestation.

On the other side of the coin, God also works in hiddeness. Isaiah 45:15 says, “Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!” David cried out to the Lord, “How long will You forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Ps.13:1) When Job went through his testings, he didn’t understand why they happened.

In manifestation, God blesses us in the physical realm. He invades our heart to reveal Himself and to conquer our soul. He seeks to touch us and to restore our soul so that we are emotionally connected with who HE is. In manifestation, He seeks us and we walk by sight.

In hiddeness, God withdraws from us but He wants to pull us into His world. He wants to take us into His realm which is the realm of faith. In hiddeness, He wants us to seek Him. He withdraws from our emotions in order to connect us in a deeper way — which is with the inner man of the spirit. That is why He closes off our capacity to physically and emotionally experience Him. He wants to draw us into a place where we can start to learn how to walk by faith. He wants us to believe in His presence simply by believing in His Word and to know that He would be there even when we don’t feel that He is.

What’s Happening Here?

June 2, 2010

“And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kgs.6:15-17)

What’s happening here? This is a picture of soul versus spirit. One man could only stare at his circumstances; he walked by what he saw, depended on his soul, and the result was fear. The other man, Elisha, knew how to live in hiddenness with God; he could see beyond the natural to see the supernatural. His hiddenness brings him into a place of peace and rest. He could see what God is doing. Elisha’s servant cannot understand his tranquility. The difference is so critical.

Our soul should love the Lord too, that’s why we need to submit our soul to the spirit man — the inner man. If we walk by sight, the possibility of being distracted is tremendous, whereas walking by faith will cause us to be led by the rhema word of God. Our rest is a weapon against the enemy. There are more with us than there are with them.

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal .” (2 Cor.4:16-18)

Many believers only want a temporal relationship with God. They only want to see the manifestation – what they can see, sense, or experience in the natural. Manifestation is great. I love manifestations too — it’s not wrong – it’s just limiting. You may be in a hidden moment and you don’t know it. People pray for you and nothing happens. You ask yourself: “Is there anything wrong with me? Am I a second-class citizen?”

In hiddenness, He’s drawing you into a deeper place where He will show you His secrets, His mysteries, the unseen realm, and the deep things of the Spirit. In the unseen realm, we learn to fix our eyes on God. The inner man, in hiddenness, is renewed to view what is eternal. Your capacity to see into the realm of the spirit increases your spirituality. If you see the temporal world, you will not be of much use in the day of battle. It’s your eternal perspectives that overcome the enemy.

“Circumstances do not determine your level of life. What you do with circumstances determines your level of life.” (Edwin Louis Cole)

Be My Witness Everywhere

June 9, 2010

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

A key to understanding this verse is why the disciples were empowered in the first place. The disciples were empowered to tell “people about Jesus everywhere.”

The word Jesus used for power here is the Greek word dunamis that we get our English word “dynamite” from-it is a word that describes power. The specific usage of this word is the explosive power of revelation that takes place when we speak in His name and in His power.

Paul used this same word in I Corinthians 2:4-5, “And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so that you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.”

This word for power refers to the miraculous ability of God to change the way we think. It is dunamis power, but a dunamis power at work in the mind. When we are supernaturally empowered to speak for God, the hearers of our words will receive an explosive revelation of God’s heart for them.

The purpose of the power was to supernaturally empower the Church to share the wonder of God with supernaturally charged words that contained explosive power.

This power would unlock human minds with the dynamite of Heaven in an explosion of love.

In Luke 4, Jesus referred to Isaiah 61 when He shared the reason why He came to earth.

“He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come…”

This list from Isaiah 61 that describes God’s favor is impressive and wonderful: “Good news, comfort, released, freed, favor, beauty, blessing, praise, planted, glory, rebuild, repairing, revive, double share, double portion, prosperity, everlasting joy, reward, covenant, recognized, honored, blessed.”

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus was anointed by God to proclaim God’s favor on the earth. The fulfillment of the ministry of favor upon Jesus Christ was transferred to us when Jesus was taken up into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. Once He was enthroned, the Spirit was released to the Church. On the Day of Pentecost, the Early Church spoke in new languages, and when the people heard of God’s favor, they called it “the wonderful things God has done.”

That is why we are here today. God has done wonderful things and He has called us in such a time as this to be honored vessels to declare God’s favor to everyone.

Restoration in the Family June 16, 2010

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes .” [Matt 11:14; 17:10-13] “And he shall turn and reconcile the hearts of the [estranged] fathers to the [ungodly] children, and the hearts of the [rebellious] children to [the piety of] their fathers [a reconciliation produced by repentance of the ungodly], lest I come and smite the land with a curse and a ban of utter destruction .” [Luke 1:17]. (Mal 4:5-6, AMP)

It is clear that our Heavenly Father does not want us to experience curses or destruction. That is why He gives us this warning. God wants us to be reconciled – starting from the home. There are families living under the same roof, and yet they are separated and divided. They may look united on the outside, but they are not on speaking terms with one another. They argue most of the time and are in conflict and disagreement even over the small things. They may look romantic and are living in harmony in the pictures; but every time they see that picture, it is only a dream in which they hope that one day could become a reality.

Can the power of God save our spirits and souls and not restore our families? Of course He can restore our families. How? It is through reconciliation produced by repentance. And it starts from the home. “ So keep these commandments carefully in mind. Tie them to your hand to remind you to obey them, and tie them to your forehead between your eyes! Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting at home, when you are out walking, at bedtime, and before breakfast! Write them upon the doors of your houses and upon your gates, so that as long as there is sky above the earth, you and your children will enjoy the good life awaiting you in the land the Lord has promised you.” (Deut 11:18-21, TLB)

These are instructions for parents in teaching God’s thoughts on all of life and how to model these principles in their daily living. We hear many complaints about our schools, the church, and the entertainment industry’s lack of responsibility to give children good values – BUT God puts the greatest weight of responsibility on the parents. We blame the government, the guns and violence, the immorality, and the drugs. In essence we are saying, “Make the world safe so that my child will be safe.”

This is far from the biblical view of reality. God says, “In order for your children to be safe in an unsafe world, teach and model what they need to know and understand. Sin is real and we are surrounded by destruction. Teach your children to choose good over evil. Scriptures assumes that this will take time and that parents and children are doing things together – and using opportunities to discuss how God’s view of reality relates to our everyday living.

Can we really expect children to take these values seriously if they do not see them modeled in their own parents’ lives? Let us remember that God has given parents the responsibility to model and teach values to their children. If we don’t . . . someone else will.

“Honor your father and mother (remember, this is a commandment of the Lord your God); if you do so, you shall have a long, prosperous life in the land he is giving you.” (Deut 5:16, TLB) This is a word of life for all children, even if you are now grown up. You may be smarter, richer, or more successful than your parents but you still need to honor them. You may support them financially but that doesn’t give you the license to dishonor them.

God is Raising the Young Generation

June 23, 2010

Several years ago, I went to Argentina to attend a conference in the city of La Plata. One of the services I attended was ministered by children between the ages of 5 to 11 years old. After the pastor shared the Word, he then dispatched the children two-by-two to pray for the people. Two kids, ages 5 and 8, prayed for me and they operated with such an amazing word of knowledge that it was as if they knew everything about my life. Many people received healing in that service as the children prayed for the sick.

God is no respecter of person, He can use anyone — including little children. In fact, children have not been introduced to doubt, worry, or fear yet. Because children are so naive, it is easy for them to believe in anything. It’s easy for them to believe in the Word, but consequently, it is also easy for them to believe in the world. You, as parents or just as adults, have the opportunity to plant good seeds into the lives of your children and the younger generation.

The children and youth of the 90′s were products of the most stimulating environment ever presented upon a generation. All manner of electronic equipment was made available to the children starting from the time they were a baby and placed in front of the television by a parent. They learned how to access the computer information network before many of their parents even learned how to turn it on. So, don’t underestimate your kids – they can multi-task more than some adults. When you think they are not listening, they are. When you think they don’t understand, they do. When you think they get easily distracted, they can actually focus more than some adults.

There are innumerable computer games and toys that require skills in the sharpness and quickness of physical movement and mental comprehension for various age levels. Some parents take for granted the fact that their child is able to learn and interact within this computer world. That’s why parents begin to think, if they are to function and operate well in the world, they must be computer literate.

But how about this: Have you enabled your child to be spiritually literate – able to function in the power of the Holy Spirit and manifest in victory and power in this world? The devil is not wasting any time in his attack against your children. That’s why you need to teach your children to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit.

“Therefore you shall lay up these My words in your [minds and] hearts and in your [entire] being, and bind them for a sign upon your hands and as forehead bands between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up.” (Deut. 11:18-20)

As a believer, even if you are not a parent, you can be a spiritual parent and raise your spiritual children. “And all your [spiritual] children shall be disciples [taught by the Lord and obedient to His will], and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children.” (Is. 54:13, AMP)

Father’s Day June 27, 2010

As we celebrated Father’s Day and Graduation last Sunday, I remember former President George H. Bush when he was interviewed about his success several years ago. He did not boast of his academics where he attained his B.A. from Yale within 3 years, nor his success in the oil and gas business. He did not boast about his involvement in the government as a senator, an ambassador to the United Nations, becoming Vice-President, or even about being the 41st President of America. In the interview, he simply said, “I am proud to be a father.”

Well, it was a profound comment coming from a man who grew his two sons into becoming Governors of Florida and Texas and who later became the 43rd President of America. There are many things we can learn from this man as a father.

In our life today, the role of a father is very important. A father brings stability and strength. To be a good father, a man needs to first learn to be a godly man. Christlikeness and manhood are synonymous. You cannot change your past, but the choice you make today – to be Christ-like – equips and empowers you to be the man, husband, and father God wants you to be.

“Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” – Anne Geddes

The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, gave us a word worth pondering: “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless he LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Ps.127:1) Even though he was famous, known as a builder of cities, and the richest man that ever lived – he was not a good father.

“Being a male is a matter of birth, but being a man is a matter of choice.” (Dr. Edwin Louis Cole)

To the graduates, this is a beginning of a new beginning. Those who are working or looking for a job, remember that as you work, stop thinking that you’re only an employee. You’re not born to be employed — you’re born to be deployed; to release your God-given ability. Your job is your opportunity to give 110% to glorify your heavenly Father. They can never pay you enough, so don’t complain about your salary. You are worth more than they could ever pay you. So work is NOT about your salary – it’s about deployment – you are there to represent Christ.

Look ahead and see that God always addresses men according to what He designed them to be:Abraham – father to many nations, even though he was childlessSarah – mother of many nations, even though she laughed cynically as she was childlessDavid – king, even when he was still a kidGideon – mighty man of valor, when he was hidingJoseph – a ruler, when he was still a slaveJeremiah – prophet to many nations, when he was still a youthI wish all the best to the graduates, the fathers, and all the congregation in this year of Divine Providence.

Growing Up in God

July 7, 2010

When I go to exercise, my friend, from time-to-time, would ask me to change my routine in order to shock my muscles so that they would not get used to the repetitive motions and gain nothing. Sure enough, every time I changed my routine, I always went home with new muscle sores. The term “no pain, no gain” is really true.

What happens in the natural can be a picture of the spiritual. God also wants us to grow our spiritual muscles. From time-to-time, He brings us into a new situation with bigger obstacles in order to grow our faith. Naturally, we don’t like to change — we prefer to be in our comfort zone because we do not like pain. We build our security based on our experience, and certainly not too many of us like to take risks. We read the Bible and we listen to sermons. We even agree with the message the pastor preaches, but as soon as we face reality, we seem to lose the power to trust in the Lord. Why? It is because of tradition.

Thus, the tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation nullifies the word of God. And we do many things like that (see Mk.7:13). All the customs, rituals, beliefs, habits — which includes the skills and experiences we have built for years — could wash out our faith in the living and powerful Word of God. No wonder that from time-to-time, God would do something completely beyond our routine in order to shock our spiritual muscles to grow.

Remember the story when the disciples went through a furious storm and Jesus was sleeping? Can you imagine? The professional fishermen had to wake up a humble carpenter because their boat was covered in waves (see Mt.8:23-25)! That means these professionals went through an intense storm they had never experienced before. They had all the skill, strength, and years of experience that could even fill pages of their resumes, but all that was not enough to calm the waters. They were very familiar with the lake — they “knew it all.” They had security on their boat, but now their security was sinking.

Jesus allowed that to happen so that the disciples would come out of their routines and change their fear into faith.

Do you feel as if Jesus has ignored your request? Does it seem as if you are going through a situation beyond what you can handle? Have you been sinking into discouragement and you feel that Jesus doesn’t care?

Cry out to Him earnestly, press through your doubts, surrender your fear and renew your trust in the Lord, who is the sovereign Lord over your circumstances.

“There is an enormous difference between growing old in the Lord and growing up in Him. One is automatic and requires no effort at all … just aging. But the other is never automatic or easy. It calls for personal discipline, continual determination, and spiritual desire.” (Chuck Swindoll)

Holy Spirit, Breathe Afresh on Us

July 14, 2010

During the past couple of months, I have prayed for our young people to experience more of the Holy Spirit as they prepared for a short mission trip to Baltimore for “Compassion Commission.” I heard a voice in my heart saying the word “renewed normal.” It reminded me of the early 1980 ′s, when I attended a crusade and the preacher preached about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Being a baby Christian for only a few months, I had never heard anything like that.

Since my conversion, there was a big desire for me to know HIM more. When there was an altar call to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I came forward. Several men prayed for me, telling me that Jesus is the Baptizer. Many people that came forward received the baptism and I heard them speak in other tongues, including my roommate who stood next to me – he got it, but not me.

Going back home, I kept on asking the Lord to baptize me with His Spirit. Two days later, as I was sleeping, my roommate was awakened because he heard me speaking in a heavenly language. When I woke up, I found myself still speaking in tongues. All I remembered at that time was feeling such an extraordinary peace and a joy that filled my heart. I had no clue what I was saying. It sounded like gibberish, yet I felt so close to God. My relationship with God was energized, it is a precious spiritual gift that edifies the believer, and I’ve been praying in tongues ever since. I have more love for the Lord, the Word of God and compassion to reach the lost souls.

God wants us to remember and go back to the normal basics of Christianity. For so many years, before we were saved, we lived in darkness, sin, oppression, had bad habits and a bad lifestyle. We can be under that kind of condition for so long that they become part of a normal lifestyle — they became a routine, a custom, a tradition, our character, and a culture of this age.

“Do not conform any longer 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.” (Rom.12:2, NIV)

The Holy Spirit is speaking to us to go back to a “renewed normal”. The prefix “re” means again. God wants us to be as who He intended us to be when He first created man. “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Rom.12:2, Message)

It’s time to ask the Holy Spirit to breathe afresh on us — to give us a fresh hunger so that we are not satisfied with shallow Christianity, but have a renewed love for the Lord and compassion to reach the lost.

The Battle Between Our Two Ears

July 21, 2010

If you don’t like your life, change your habit. If you don’t like your habit, change your actions. And if you don’t like your actions, change your thinking. If you think like the world thinks, eventually you will act like the world acts. Unrestrained thoughts produce unrestrained actions.

After Jesus overcame the temptations, He returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. He went to his hometown, Nazareth, read the Scripture in the synagogue, and said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” – all bore witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.” (Lk.4:16, 21-22) But then they began to say, “We know Him, is this not Joseph’s son?” In just a few moments, they had a completely opposite opinion about Jesus to the degree that they wanted to kill Him.

Mark 6:3 says, “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

It is not like an offense where you hurt my feelings and I’m mad at you now — it is an intellectual offense. What they were witnessing in their heart, they canceled with their thought. It is possible to cancel what was released in the spiritual realm in the thought process, and when that happens, even the anointing in the Son of God, as He came in the power of the Spirit, was shut down for a breakthrough in that city.

The same thing can happen to us today. It is easy to recognize the human side of our familiar friend and at the same time, we fail to recognize the Spirit of God working in the person. Our thought patterns and set value systems can hinder our discernment to see and appreciate a change in our fellow brother’s life. The battle is between our two ears. That’s why it is important for us to operate in the renewed mind.

These past couple of months we have been praying for our youth as they went to Baltimore for Compassion Commission. Now that they have come back, can we believe that what we have been praying for is happening? Will you be able to recognize the Spirit of God working in your friend, your sibling, your children, and our very own young people? “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18)

Launch Out Into the Deep

August 4, 2010

I can identify with Bishop Bart Pierce when he said that his ministry is “to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.” The greater “enemy” is often times within ourselves — hiding under the shadow of the comfort zone of common sense. It is the set of physical or psychological circumstances in which somebody feels most at ease and are free from physical discomfort or stress. But Jesus pushed Simon beyond that. He afflicted the uncomfortable fisherman by going beyond his human understanding so that he could experience the realm of the yet unheard of.

“When Jesus had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men .” (Lk.5:4-6, 10b NKJV)

It is understandable if Simon would have said “No” to Jesus, because it did not make sense. But which one would you rather do? To make sense and catch nothing, or not make sense and obtain a big catch? The ordinary fisherman experienced an extraordinary thing because he was willing to do the extra.

Living in our super-modern age may cause us lacking to experience the super-natural. If you keep on doing the usual things, you will produce usual results. Doing unusual things will lead you to unusual results. Activity is not necessarily accomplishment — obeying God’s word is. His Word is bigger than our world. Simon was willing to go the extra mile, coming out of his comfort zone, and more importantly, he did it because of Jesus’ word.

Simon’s first effort was merely labor, his second was favor. His toiling all night was based on his profession, but the results were because of His provision. His vocation was for the temporal, but Jesus’ occupation was for the eternal. He was changed from Simon to Peter, from fisher of fish to fisher of men. His obedience to Jesus not only changed the outcome of the situation into a better result, but it also changed Peter into a better person.

“One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time .” (Andre Gide)

Overcoming Offenses

August 11, 2010

You will always have reasons to be offended. An offense is the bait of Satan. When someone offends you, the devil tries to trap you. If you take offense to it, it can affect your prayer life, your worship, your thoughts, feelings, and even your body chemistry. Offense can also lead to division within the family, ministry, business, and the body of Christ.

Can you imagine that aside from adultery and fornication causing people not to inherit the kingdom of God, hatred, contention, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, and dissension are also included on the list? (see Gal.5:19-21)

These are sins that people like to just sweep under the carpet, but God hates them. Why? Because He wants to see His body become one. When Paul was in Corinth, he expressed his frustration with what he saw happening in that church.

Brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? When one of you says, I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world? (see 1 Cor.3:1-3, NLT)

The kingdom of God is found in forgiveness, but the currency of the devil is found in revenge, anger, unforgiveness, and the devil will make us pay. God is going to heal you from every wound, hurt, disappointment, anger, hatred, resentment, and bitterness. You may have been treated unfairly or was verbally, physically, or mentally abused. You may have been holding anger for a long time and you got mad at yourself, your siblings, parents, friends, at your situation, or even with God.

Today, receive God’s forgiveness and extend forgiveness to others, and you will be free from the demons who have been tormenting your emotions.

A lot of times the people who have a hard time forgiving are the people who don’t realize how much mercy has been shown to them. They have limited experience with that mercy.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil.4:8-9)

Be Encouraged in Difficult Times

September 8, 2010

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. houses the personal belongings Abraham Lincoln was carrying the night he was assassinated. Among them is a well-worn newspaper clipping praising Lincoln’s achievements as president and describing him as, “One of the greatest statesman of all time.”

President Lincoln was by no means an egomaniac. In fact, he battled self-doubt throughout his presidency. That a national hero like President Lincoln would carry around words of encouragement in his pocket speaks volumes about the human need for affirmation.

Everyone experiences times of frustration and distress over unfulfilled hopes and dreams. When things don’t go according to our plans, it is normal to feel disappointment. You don’t need to pretend nor cover it up by spiritualizing it as if you don’t feel anything. At the same time, you must be careful on how you deal with that feeling, because if you remain in a state of disappointment for too long, it can turn into discouragement and finally into depression.

When we feel down for whatever reason, we cannot allow our circumstances to control our emotions. Satan seeks to fill our minds with negative thoughts and emotions that causes us to feel dejected. He is a discourager, and he pulls us down emotionally, spiritually, financially, relationally, and in every way he can. But Jesus is our Encourager, and He came to lift us up. He came to give us righteousness, peace and joy, and all these things causes us to feel up!

What is courage? Courage is the ability to do something that frightens you; it is strength in the face of pain or grief. “To be of good courage” is the same with “to be of good cheer” and it is only used in the imperative mood. “When the disciples cried out in fear, Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” (see Mt.14:25-27)

Things may make us feel sad temporarily, but we must not stay sad. If we do, Satan takes advantage of the open door and pushes his way further into our lives, bringing more serious problems with him.

You can experience victory over your emotions by being led, guided, controlled, and ruled by the Holy Spirit. “I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Ps.32:8)

The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and He is always ready to remain with us forever. Thank God, we don’t have to be disappointed, discouraged, or depressed. Jesus is not only the Way, but He is also the way out!

Who Needs Encouragement?

September 14, 2010

There are several ways to encourage yourself when you are discouraged.

You can draw encouragement from your past victories. You can find a tangible reminder to represent the accomplishments that make you the proudest. For you, maybe it’s a post card mailed from a friend, a plaque of honor you received, or a medal you’ve won. Whatever the case, give yourself visual cues that will trigger recollections of success.

Surround yourself with encouragers. Mark Twain understood the importance of being surrounded by encouragers: “Keep away from people who try to belittle your vision. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

Every time I watched an interview by a winning athlete, they always said that they envisioned the reward as they’re practicing or when they were discouraged by giant challenges. Doing so gave them the motivation to achieve the goal.

I also learned that men and women of God drew encouragement based on their relationship with God. They did not waver a bit — even when they faced a detrimental threat.

In the midst of tragedy Job declared: “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” Doing God’s will for the people, Esther made a commitment to see the king and said, “If I perish, I perish, but I am going to see the king.” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Paul shared his experiences and yet he’s totally committed to the Lord: “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” He had every reason to be discouraged and quit, but he did not.

These people and many others in the Bible constantly showed their courage because of their relationship with the Creator. You, too, can experience the comfort from the Holy Spirit first-hand when you go through your tough times.

Stir Yourself Up!

September 22, 2010

To be enthusiastic doesn’t happen automatically, you need to stir yourself up. Everyday you must choose to expect great things to happen to you. Use the Word of God to set your mind in the right direction, and then make a declaration of faith. You can say something like this: “God’s favor is upon me. He makes me more than a winner. I am loved and special. God is going to direct my steps today. He makes me confident. I am encouraged. Jesus gives me new hope.”

The devil may try to convince you and say, “You’ll never change.” So you begin to think, “I can’t be set free or I can’t get my life together.” Which would you believe, God’s Word or the devil’s lie? “But remember the temptations that come into your life are no different than what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” (1 Cor.10:13, NLT)

Losers look at what they are going through, winners look at where they are going to. If you sow in prayer, you will reap in power. God is a promise-maker and He also is a promise-keeper. God is not a human. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through? This is such a basic concept, but the promises of God often fall on deaf ears.

God appeared to Abram, which means “father,” and said that his name will be Abraham, which means “father of many nations.” Abraham simply believed and he received the promise. Jesus looked at Simon and said that he will become Peter which means “a rock.” Simon made a lot of mistakes and behaved like a reed, easily moved wherever the wind blows. But he remained teachable under the Master¹s word. He then lived as a “rock” in His faith in Christ.

In front of every promise, there is a problem. If you only look at the problem, you will lose sight of the promise. Never allow those who have no faith influence you. No-faith people always doubt new or big ideas. They give many reasons why it won’t work. Never allow discouragement to dominate your faith in God to fulfill your vision. The more discouraged we get, the more our perspective is twisted.

“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow” (Swedish Proverb). When you look at your challenges with your own reason and your own mind, you look small on your own side. You need to remind yourselves not to tell our God how big our problem is, but to tell your problems how big our God is.

“Beware of reasoning about God’s Word – obey it.” (Oswald Chambers)

Becoming a Person of Hope

October 13, 2010

Hope is the happy anticipation of good things from God that can change our present attitude. It is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing that may help or save someone. Hope is the ground for believing that something good may happen. It is a feeling of trust.

Many years ago, we used to sing this song every time we had fellowship at church, “We are together again, just praising the Lord. We are together again in one accord. Something good is about to happen. Something good is in store for all. We are together again, just praising the Lord.”

This song was again somehow ringing in my ear recently. As we praise the Lord, God dwells in the praises of His people; and when God shows up, definitely something good will happen.

Start every morning, as you wake up, by praising the Lord. Give thanks to Him and make a declaration that something good is about to happen in your life. Make a decision to aggressively hope for something good to happen to you. Wake up in the morning excited and expectant about life.

There are several phrases you may have heard, “Hope against hope.” It is a phrase used where you have no reason to hope but yet you still hope. Abraham experienced it in his life. “who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Rom.4:18-21)

How did Abraham do that? As he was waiting for the promise of God to come to pass, he gave glory to God. How about if you start everyday by giving glory to God?

There is something about hope that makes people light-hearted and happy. You’re not going to be happy if you don’t have hope. The more hope you have in God, the happier you become. Biblical hope is a close relative to faith. I don’t see how you can have faith without hope, because hope is the foundation on which faith stands upon. Hope believes everything is going to turn out all right. Hope is positive!

You may have heard a phrase, “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.” To enjoy life you must maintain a good, positive attitude. God is positive and He wants positive things to happen to each of us, but that isn’t likely to happen if we’re not filled with hope and faith. Good things begin to happen to you when you rejoice in the hope of experiencing God’s favor on a regular basis.

Faith

October 20, 2010

Sometimes God calms the storm, but sometimes, He lets the storm rage and calms His child.

Jesus spoke clearly that the only difference with those who can stand strong in the “storms of life” are those who hear and do His words.

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matt.7:24-27)

You may say that you have heard His word but you cannot do it. Please understand that the amazing thing about our awesome God is that He not only gives us the words, but He also gives us the grace on how to do it. He will help us all the way. He wants us to trust Him, and in the process of believing in Him, our faith grows.

That’s why faith is not a result of striving, instead it is a result of yielding unto Him. That doesn’t mean you can be irresponsible. God won’t do for you what you can do yourself.

Let’s say that you have received a promise from God. A promise is when the Lord goes into the future and He sees what He plans to do for you and He sees where you are and He comes to you with a promise necessary to get you there. He comes to you with the Scriptures, with the insight, with the concept that if you embrace fully what He has declared to you, He will take you right into the thing He saw you coming into.

Understand that while God keeps all His promises, He is not obligated to keep the potential. Something is not given to us as promises per se, but rather, they are given to us as possibilities that God will back up should we meet His requirements.

Vision

November 9, 2010

Many times in the Bible, we see God asking His people, “What do you see?” Why did God do that? In fact, God is still asking His people that same question today. I believe that He asks because vision is very important. Let me give you the three different translations from Proverb 29:18:

“Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (KJV)

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.” (NKJV)

“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves, but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed.” (Msg)

Without vision, people will have no motivation, they can become wild, and will not have self-control. What is vision then?

I like the way John Maxwell puts it, “Vision is a clear mental picture of a better tomorrow given by God which moves a person to believe that it not only could be done but that it should be done.”

Vision is seeing the future in the present. Vision is seeing the invisible and learning to make it visible. Vision begins with a seed without much detail or clarity. There is a big difference between having a vision and when the vision owns you. Moses received a vision of a burning bush and his whole life changed after that. His plan changed. His lifestyle changed. His motivation and passion changed. The bottom-line is that everything in him changed! The same thing happened to Abraham, Noah, Paul, and the list is endless.

When they saw the vision, the vision changed them, even though they did not have all the details or complete clarity. They received only a seed of the vision.

The same thing applies with us today. When you receive a vision from God, His plan for you is always the plan of good, a plan to give you the future you hope for. The earmark of your vision is the degree of your passion. When the vision becomes a passion, that seed begins to start a process and it’ll germinate within you.

A lot of people today do not have a dream or a vision. You may not have a dream now, but that doesn’t mean you are never going to have one.

A God-given vision is birthed as you spend intimate time with the Lord Himself, otherwise you may end up just copying someone else’s. No wonder in Proverb 29:18, vision is also translated as revelation. Before the Holy Spirit reveals His vision to you, it is still veiled. When you receive a revelation, that veil is opened to you so that you can see.

Your intimacy with God is the way you can conceive the seed of the vision. You need a relationship with the One who gives you the vision.

Reaching Your Destiny November 24, 2010

“The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.” (1 Sam.3:1)

If you study the context, it wasn’t that there were no visions at that time. There were visions. There were prophets. There were people that were living out their dreams. So why does the Scripture say that visions were rare and infrequent? What kind of visions did the Scriptures mean? It was the true, biblical, and godly visions that were infrequent.

I believe that we all have a personal vision. If you don’t have one now, it doesn’t mean that you can never have one. There is no problem with having a personal vision – we can even have thousands of them.

The question you need to ask yourself is: “Is your vision born of your heart, your mind, your personal dream, and is it something that you personally want? Is it copying somebody else’s vision or is it really God’s vision? Is it surely and securely established on the Word of God and not just based on some kind of personal ambition?”

When you build a vision based on your personal ambition, it may ruin you. Your own vision takes strife, manipulation, and involves all kinds of human effort. I’m not saying that when you have God’s vision you do nothing. Of course God wants you to do your part. The difference is that when you have God’s vision, it takes the power of God and HE will back HIS vision.

Thank God the boy Samuel received a vision from God as he ministered before the Lord under Eli. God can give dreams and visions to a boy (or girl). In this verse, the boy ministered, meaning, he was engaged in a close relationship with the Lord. Not only that, but the boy knew how to serve under the authority of his spiritual covering, Eli.

Today, God is still speaking to His people — young and old, men and women, single and married. He wants His people to reach their full potential and destiny. Some of you may feel that rareness of a vision. It doesn’t mean that God is not speaking to you. He still speaks to us today. There is a voice from God that you need to listen to. Let your soul be at peace and separate the noises of distractions, worries, and fears by spending time ministering to the Lord.

There were times in my life when I was so busy ministering to the people that I did not spend time ministering to the Lord. Problems, challenges, and many other situations will certainly drain you if you don’t spend quality time with God in the Word. Every time I spend time with the Lord, there’s a river inside of me that flows, giving strength, courage and hope. That river of life is also in all of you who believe.

The boy Samuel received visions from God. He stuck himself with the God who gave him the vision and became a great prophet who spoke to a nation, deposed a king and set up another. Yes, the boy became so powerful in the history of Israel. Too hard to believe? You can be like “the boy” and reach your destiny in this generation.

Grasshoppers Who Eat Giants

November 30, 2010

Whatever you’re going through right now, God is giving you courage to rise up and be of good cheer. The context we observe today is from Numbers 13:23-33. ” … and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole… Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large… the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report… we were like grasshoppers in our own sight…”

In short, Moses received a promise from God for the people and he sent twelve spies but 80% of them came back with bad reports and only 20% believed in God’s promise and took possession of the promise. How can you be the 20%?

The 20% always had the right perspective regardless of the impossible obstacles they see in front of them. They see beyond the problem and they focus on God’s promise.

The 80% used the word “nevertheless” even after they saw the fruit of the land. They magnified the problems instead of magnifying God. If you only see the problems, you will miss God’s plan. Do not become a “nevertheless” believer – it is a word of defeat, negativity, and is anti-faith.

The 20% watched their words carefully. They had every reason to say negative words, but they had a different spirit. These are the words of the 20%: “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

Most people have the tendency to magnify the power of the enemy instead of God’s power; because of that they distort their perception and put their belief in their distortion. They magnify negative words and give bad reports – can’t, won’t, impossible, difficult, give up, burned out — instead of using faith words. You, as the people of God should be able to say, “Greater is HE that is in us than he that is in the world.”

When you look at your situation with your own reason, your own logic and strength, then you will have a “grasshopper’s syndrome.” You feel small, worthless and helpless. Caleb spoke not just out of theory, but out of experience. He believed his God and so can you.

This Thanksgiving weekend, let us remember the many great things the Lord has done in our lives. Let us face the future with a different spirit like Caleb, ready to eat any giant situation in our lives.

The Drought Ends

December 8, 2010

When you go through a season of dryness, you must patiently rely on the promises of God and not on your emotions, realizing that He is taking you to a deeper level of maturity.

Focus on who God is and in His unchanging nature. Regardless of the circumstances and how you feel, hang on to God’s unchanging character. Remind yourself that what you know about God is eternally true: He is good, He loves me, He is with me, He knows what I’m going through, He cares for me, and He has a good plan for my life.

So don’t be troubled by what you see in front of you. Your circumstances cannot change the character of God. God’s grace still works in full force; He is still there for you, even when you don’t feel it.

Drought may also be caused by disobedience, hidden sins, or if you are away from God. There is no rest in your bones if you hide your sin (Ps.38:3). The people of Israel went through a drought because they worshiped Baal – even then God still reached out to them through Elijah so that they could repent. This is the heart of God — He doesn’t want anyone to perish, be cursed, or become dry. He wants to give you a life and a life more abundantly.

How can you end the drought?

Make a decision to follow the Lord all the way. “Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word.” (1 Kgs.18:21)

Come to the Lord as you are, He is waiting for you to make a move. “Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come near to me.’ So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.” (1 Kgs.18:30)

If you have not seen the reality of God’s promise, keep on trusting. Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light. “Go up now — look toward the sea.” (1 Kgs.18:43)

Believe that God can make something out of nothing. “So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” (1 Kgs.18:43)

Be persistent in prayer. “And seven times he said, “Go again.” (1 Kgs.18:43)

If you are in Christ, there is a river inside of you that will never run dry.

Love God, Love One Another

December 15, 2010

During this Christmas season, let us remember that the birth of Jesus reflects the truth that love is a choice and it is a commitment. God chose to love you and I with an unconditional love.

“See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him.” (1 Jn.3:1,4,5)

What is the good of you trying to let the world know? Christ lived a sinless life among His family, but none of them believed in Him. If I take a fish out of the water and put lungs within it – it would never be able to live in the water again. When you received Christ, He took you out of the old and put you into the new so that you can no longer live in the old.

You must choose to love God; He won’t force you to love Him. If you love God, you will love to obey Him. “Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22 NLT) Understanding can wait but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions! In fact, there are many of God’s commandments you won’t understand until you first obey them.

“If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.” (1 Jn.3:14-15, NLT)

You can only have relationship problems with someone you know. God won’t force you to love anyone — you have to choose to love others. Love is a skill that can be learned, in other words, it is something you can get good at; therefore, you get better at love by practicing love.

The only way you acquire skill at something is to practice it — you do it over and over again. The first time you do it, it feels awkward, but the more you do it, the better you become.

“Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes!” (1 Tim.4:15, MSG)

Love in Action

December 21, 2010

“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 complete picture of Christmas is not only to know that Jesus was born two thousand years ago, but He came to this world for a purpose. He, who knew no sin, took sin upon Himself, so that sinners might receive His righteousness. He endured the cross and His temporary death secured for us eternal life.

The cross is the enduring landmark across the landscape of time that testifies of God’s unconditional love for all of the human race. It reaches to the highest mountain and it flows to the lowest valley — right into the lives of the people God wants to save.

Without the cross, there will be no repentance and there will be no change in your life. If you remove the cross from the gospel of Jesus Christ, than all you have is borrowed truth from other religions because no other religion has a place where their god dies for them. Only Jesus, the Son of God, died for those He loves on the cross.

When you realize how much God loves you — with an extravagant, irresistible, unconditional love — then His love will change your entire focus in 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.

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. God not only wants you to have peace with Him, He also wants you to have peace (goodwill) with other people too. 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.

Have you ever thought of loving the unlovely? Did someone’s name pop up in your brain? Honestly, when I thought about loving the unlovely, my own name popped up. I was a sinner, saved by the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, and I know that I am greatly loved by Him.

This Christmas, I pray that you experience the first-hand love of God and extend that love to others.

Three Important Actions this Christmas

December 27, 2010

First, God wants you to be reconciled with Him. “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life .” (Jn.3:16) When we are reconciled with Him, He will fill our hearts with peace.

Peace is not the absence of chaos; it is the mastery of chaos. It is impossible not to have peace when the Prince of Peace is in you. When Jesus was in the boat with the disciples in the midst of the storm, He talked to the storm first, then to the disciples. Could it be that it was easier to speak to the storm than to convince the disciples? (see Mk.4:39-40) “Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.” (Job 22:21 NLT)

Second, God wants you to meet with Him, to experience Him and have a relationship with Him. It’s not a once-a-year thing during the holiday season, but a daily experience. Many Christians have no relationship with God. Some church go-ers are “bible illiterate” – never read the Word of God by themselves and have no understanding about the so many promises God has given them. They live with borrowed testimonies, borrowed faith, borrowed courage, and borrowed truth. The Bible mentions that “In the last days perilous times will come…evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus .” (see 2 Tim.3:1-15) When was the last time you experienced God? Knowing and experiencing the Word will make you strong in the Lord.

Third, God wants you to love one another. The Cross is vertical and horizontal. Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(Mt.22:37-39)

I will safely assume that you have no problem loving God. The challenge is loving people. Some have a hard time saying, “I’m sorry, please forgive me,” others cannot say, “I forgive you.” Loving people should go beyond asking or giving forgiveness – it is an act of love in its purest form without any hidden agenda.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” (1 Jn.4:20)