bestie...or not?

hellooooo everyone! :-)


question of the day b/c there seems to be a lot of controversy over this topic o_O


should you have a best friend down here on earth or is it enough to consider Jesus your best friend? also give your rationale behind your answer and use supporting Bible verses if possible, thanks! 

ReFlEcTiOn :-)

Hey everyone!

As I had said before, Izzy made a suggestion about making this an all purpose blog where i reflect when i can and talk about a variety of topics and since i'm on break this week (whoo hoo!), i thought perfect timing. i've been dealing with the usual load. some times are easier than others, but  i got this verse today from a friend that said:

"The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;"

I thought to myself, wow! God must know i have a lot on my mind (well, obviously), but more than that, it means that He cares enough to send an encouraging word while i'm at a low. so, if you're dealing with a bunch of obstacles right now, remember that God will deliver you and you will make it through the storm. just make sure you anchor yourself so that you're strong enough to weather it :-)

March 28, 2012

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

How many of us do dishonorable things with our bodies? Do you mistreat it, neglect it maybe? What about ways in which you cherish your body? Do you treat it like the temple of God that it is?

In today’s society, it’s easy to think that our bodies are our own especially since independence is highly valued in our culture. But as Christians, we are no longer our own. God paid a price, He paid cash for us! So, we don’t belong to ourselves anymore, we belong to Him. Therefore, we must honor Him in everything we do! In what ways have you honored Him with your body today? Can’t count any?? Well, let’s get started :-)

March 27, 2012

Romans 8:29-30

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

Many people don’t truly get the meaning of this verse, and thus, it is the subject of much controversy in the church. Some people use this to say God has favoritism or that He picks and chooses people that He wants so you can never know whether you have a chance at salvation or not. If you’re not picked, you’re just not picked…But take a look at what the scripture is really saying. It’s not saying that God picks and chooses people. In fact, the Bible says that God desires for everyone to be saved. However, He gives us free will and is well aware that not everyone will make that choice. But for those He knew would (in His omniscience), He has a plan! A plan for you to prosper in this life as He uses you to accomplish His will. Not only will you be justified in this life, but you will be glorified in the next. And if God glorifies and justifies you, no one can take that away ;-)   

March 26, 2012

Philippians 3:14

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Don’t give up!!! You can’t get a prize if you do. Sometimes, we let the little things affect us so much that we lose sight of the big picture. We are all striving to achieve a goal, not a physical one, material one, academic one, career one, NO. We are striving for a spiritual goal because we want to get the prize that God has for us. If we want to get that prize, we must press on as Paul did and not let the little things get in the way. If we lose focus, we may lose sight of the goal which is to our detriment because the biggest prize we could ever receive, we can only get from Jesus Christ. Align your priorities today and make it your goal to win the prize. It’s waiting for you, don’t just let it sit there! :-)

March 25, 2012

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

When something is hard for you to do or seems impossible, it’s easy to say, I GIVE UP! None of us like to think of ourselves as failures, so it makes it hard to persevere and try, try, try again if we think we won’t be successful at something. But how about leaving it in God’s hands?

Many times we fail at doing certain things, not because we’re just dumb people who will never get it, but because we can’t do it alone and we don’t realize we can’t do it alone. If we would just put it in God’s hands and trust Him to handle it, many of our problems could be avoided. Don’t be the one who struggles all the way to the end just to realize that you should’ve asked for help. You can ask Him for His help today. He’ll be faithful to help you and show you that in your weakness, He is made strong :-)

March 24, 2012

Psalm 34:1

“I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth”

How often do you bless the Lord with what comes out of your mouth? Are you continually blessing the Lord with everything you say? If so, congrats!! Keep doing that! Are you occasionally blessing the Lord but then slipping up at times? Not to worry, keep working on it. God loves to see us doing our best to please Him. Hopefully none of us fall into the category of those who are continually uttering, enabling, or encouraging vulgar, distasteful words that are unpleasing to God…If so, that’s a big no-no!

It’s easy to pollute ourselves with all the sin that’s in the world. Words mean nothing nowadays. People just say what they want and think it’s okay because it’s their mouth, their life, and they can do and say what they want. However, this is not true for the Christian. You are no longer your own. Your mouth represents Christ now. As Christians, we may slip up, but it’s imperative that we watch what we say to ensure that it is edifying to others and pleasing to the Lord. In doing so, not only will we be glorifying the name of our God, but we’ll be attracting others to Him as well :-)

March 23, 2012

Luke 17:11-19

“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.””

Do we notice a recurring theme? O_o You all may not remember, but in a previous devotion, Jesus told a parable in which once again, the good guy was a Samaritan. Any idea why? Well, here’s a possibility based on a few things Jesus said Himself: You ever notice that people from the outside always appreciate and are more grateful than people on the inside? You might think that’s beside the point of this scripture, but hmmm, I’d think again. The main takeaway of this is that we shouldn’t be ungrateful to God for His works and that also faith is a key component to our salvation. Notice: your faith has made you well. Why would Jesus say this? If taken from a logical standpoint, here’s a possibility: Jesus heals 10 lepers. Only 1 returns to say thanks. This indicates that he was probably the only one that believed in Jesus’ ability to do it, so much so that he had to come back and say thanks once he was healed! This is a good example of how a Christian reaction should be. The others on the other hand, probably just believed in their own might or saw Jesus as a person to be used, meaning that Jesus meant nothing to them…Are you that type of person? Are you the one that remembers to thank God for His many blessings? Or are you the user that comes when you want something and when you get it, tend to believe it’s all you? Each man should answer for himself, but just make sure you’re on the right side :-)

March 22, 2012

Philippians 4:19

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

In today’s world, most people find themselves, well…. broke :/ Luckily for us, we have a heavenly father that is watching over us all day and all night. Not only is He providing a watchful eye and protection, but He also knows that as humans we have needs; and He promises to fulfill those needs for us At times, we may think that God is oblivious to our situations…that He is not listening, He doesn’t care, or that He is not doing what He promised He would. But if you have food to eat, clothes to wear, and most of all salvation, what else do you need? We may have wants that are extraneous to these things, but what is essential remains: God always takes good care of His children in whichever way He sees fit. So, trust Him and rest in the fact that, all that you need, you already have it ;-)

March 21, 2012

Luke 10:29b-37

“"And just how would you define 'neighbor'?"

 Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I'll pay you on my way back.'

What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.

Jesus said, "Go and do the same.""

How many of us love our neighbors as ourselves? Can we truly say that we would help someone in need or would we be one of the “Christians” who just walked by? In this story, a man attacked by robbers needed help, two major religious figures of his same nationality passed by and left him there for dead. Only one person stopped for him, and what’s funny is that Jews typically hated Samaritans and thought of them as unclean, impure and what not. Yet, at this time, the Samaritan is the one that took care of him and provided him with the help he needed. Are you a good Samaritan? Or are you one of the people who pretend to be all into the Lord, but don’t even care about the person beside you? If so, pray to make that change because Jesus wants us to go and do the same. With His help, you too can be a good Samaritan :-)

March 20, 2012

Matthew 20:1-16

“God's kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. Later, about nine o'clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went. He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o'clock. At five o'clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, 'Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?' They said, 'Because no one hired us.' He told them to go to work in his vineyard.

When the day's work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, 'Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.' Those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, 'These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.'He replied to the one speaking for the rest, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can't I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?'

Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first."

And this is why Jesus is my right hand man:D lol. Here He tells a parable of basically and employer who pays the same wages to those who start working early in the morning to those who started later on at night. So, of course these men get upset because they think it’s unfair, but is it really? If you agreed to receive a certain wage at the end of the day and someone decides to extend that same wage to someone else, who are you to get angry? It’s not your money and, in the words of my father, it’s none of your business! Lol.

God extends His grace to whom He wills, when He wills. Don’t get upset at God for His generosity. Also, don’t get upset at those who are more generous than you. If there’s one thing I notice time and time again, it’s that people get upset at other people for extending a courtesy that they themselves could not bring themselves to do. You are your own person and so are they. Same goes for Jesus in this case. So, don’t get upset at Jesus for accepting the laborers at any time of the day. It’s probably through this courtesy that you or your family got extended the grace to enter the kingdom of God. Now, aren’t you glad He pays the same rate? :-)

March 19, 2012

Revelation 3:15-22

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

If God placed you in a category based on your spiritual life, where would you fall?  Oftentimes, we think we’ve got it made. We have a nice house, good paying job, nice car, money to buy what we need, nice clothes, name brand sneakers, etc. But is that really enough? In this passage, the church of Laodicea thought they had it all: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’” But what did they really have?? Nothing. They didn’t even realize that they were “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” The church of Laodicea represents the church of today. That’s how we are: we think we have it all, we forget all about God. We are so lukewarm that God wants to throw us up. We can’t even hear Him when He speaks. Would you be in this category?? Are you lukewarm? If so, make a decision to become on fire for the Lord today. Here He is, standing at the door, knocking: “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.” Let those who have ears to hear, hear :-)

March 18, 2012

Romans 8:31-39

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

   “For your sake we face death all day long; 
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

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

Isn’t it nice to know that someone is fighting for you and that with Him on your side, you are more than a conqueror??? That no matter what happens, you have the guarantee that you can overcome it through the love of Christ and nothing can separate us from this love: not death, not life, not present, not future, not depth, not height, and so forth. This love empowers us to face tough situations and overcome anything!! As Paul writes, we face death all the day long. People can bring stuff against us all the day long but it counts as nothing because God has justified us and Jesus intercedes on our behalf. Knowing that you have this power and this love on your side, what are you afraid of???? As humans, we tend to base our fears on our own might. But if we think about God’s place in our lives, we will fear nothing. We will face our situations with a boldness, a courage that can only come from God. If you don’t have this strength, pray for it today! In fact, I don’t even have that strength, but I pray for it everyday. You all can pray for me too. I want to have so much faith in God’s love that it emboldens me to face whatever comes my way with a level peace, a peace that passes understanding knowing that my God has justified me and made me a conqueror through him that loves me! Join me in this quest today! :-)

March 17, 2012

Matthew 15:1-20

“After that, Pharisees and religion scholars came to Jesus all the way from Jerusalem, criticizing, "Why do your disciples play fast and loose with the rules?" But Jesus put it right back on them. "Why do you use your rules to play fast and loose with God's commands? God clearly says, 'Respect your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.' But you weasel around that by saying, 'Whoever wants to, can say to father and mother, What I owed to you I've given to God.' That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God's command by your rules. Frauds! Isaiah's prophecy of you hit the bull's-eye:

   These people make a big show of saying the right thing,

      but their heart isn't in it.

   They act like they're worshiping me,

      but they don't mean it.

   They just use me as a cover

      for teaching whatever suits their fancy."

He then called the crowd together and said, "Listen, and take this to heart. It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up."

Later his disciples came and told him, "Did you know how upset the Pharisees were when they heard what you said?" Jesus shrugged it off. "Every tree that wasn't planted by my Father in heaven will be pulled up by its roots. Forget them. They are blind men leading blind men. When a blind man leads a blind man, they both end up in the ditch."

Peter said, "I don't get it. Put it in plain language."

Jesus replied, "You, too? Are you being willfully stupid? Don't you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. It's from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. That's what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands—that's neither here nor there.”

Hmm…I bet many people loved how he addressed the hypocrites. Jesus always knew how to shut people up who had too much to say about things that did not concern them. But most importantly…notice the bottom of the scripture?? It’s not what we swallow that’s the problem; it’s what we throw up. Some people may laugh at what Jesus said to Peter, but thank God peter was there because if it wasn’t for him, I bet he wouldn’t have been the only not to understand. And the ones who didn’t would be too proud or embarrassed to ask for fear of feeling stupid. But since Peter asked for clarification, there you have it: If you swallow something, it eventually leaves your body. But when you throw up all the evil stuff mentioned in the scripture??? We pollute not only ourselves, but the people around us. So, next time something comes out of your mouth, try to make sure it’s something edifying and not polluting. There’s already too much in this world without Christians adding on to it. It won’t be overnight, but step by step, we’ll make it :-)

March 16, 2012

Matthew 15:21-28

“From there Jesus took a trip to Tyre and Sidon. They had hardly arrived when a Canaanite woman came down from the hills and pleaded, "Mercy, Master, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly afflicted by an evil spirit." Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, "Now she's bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She's driving us crazy." Jesus refused, telling them, "I've got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel." Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged.

"Master, help me.”He said, "It's not right to take bread out of children's mouths and throw it to dogs." She was quick: "You're right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master's table." Jesus gave in. "Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!" Right then her daughter became well.”

The first thing I thought when I first read this passage is HA! If that was me, Jesus probably would’ve been scratched out of my book :X. Knowing me and my temper and my pride, I would no longer want His help. Granted, if my daughter was sick I might be a little desperate, but man! It’s tough when you go to someone for help and they compare you to a dog! But look at how humble this woman was! Not only that but she had enough faith to know that Jesus could heal her daughter. Sometimes, we need to show this level of faith and persistence as Christians. Don’t harden your heart against God just because He doesn’t reply as you would like. Rather, humble yourself, have faith, and continue to make your demands known to Jesus. I’m sure He’ll be faithful to you like He was to the lady in this story :-)

March 15, 2012

Luke 10:38-42

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

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

Funny story huh? Here goes Martha thinking she’s telling on Mary and that Jesus will support her in telling Mary to come help her in the kitchen…and instead Jesus tells her, “Well, um Mary has chosen the good part and…I’m not going to take it away from her.” How many times do we put other things ahead of God and think nou gin yon bagay nap regle?(translation: we think we’re doing something) smh. If only we knew, all the things we have to do are not that important. At the end of the day, what matters is that we had time for God. Too often, we slack off and forget what matters. Don’t take it as passing judgment. I’m guilty of these things too. In fact, I’ve decided from now on to keep up with posting these things even if I have a lot to do and study for (hopefully the night before so that you guys can read them in the morning). The reason being is God always takes care of me, even with the things that I think I can’t do. So, next time think about that when you put God on the back burner. Would you like Him to do the same? If not, it’s time to make a change. ;-)

March 14, 2012

Hebrews 3:1-6a

“So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.”

This verse teaches an important lesson that as Christians we must not forget: Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith and He deserves all the glory, honor, and praise! Sure, we can remember all the people who were instrumental in furthering his kingdom and the gospel, leading his people, upholding his rules, etc. But let’s not forget who the builder is behind all this…no other than the big man, Jesus Christ himself! So, while we remember who the builder is, let’s do our best to be like Moses and get things ready for Christ’s coming. We don’t want Jesus to come home to a dirty house! ;-)

March 13, 2012

Esther 4:12-14

“When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai sent her this message: "Don't think that just because you live in the king's house you're the one Jew who will get out of this alive. If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this.”

Your family ever finds themselves in a bind? Maybe it’s your classmates, a group you’re a member of, or your church family. When they are in a bind, what do you do to help? Are you the flake that always runs away at the first sign of trouble? Do you stick it out through the storm and wait it out ‘til the storm is over? Do you take active measures to find or work on a solution? Or do you sit back and think, I can’t do anything…so why bother?

Sometimes, our own laziness and fear gets in our own way. We could easily do something or effect a change in a situation but we’re too afraid and think to ourselves, there’s nothing we can do. Esther found herself in this situation because she thought to herself there’s nothing I can do. But Mordecai challenged her! Who knows? What if God placed you where you are for such a time as this? Next time you think you can’t do anything, think about that statement and see if you put your faith in action if there’s not something you can do. Also, challenge others who think that there’s nothing they can do! Don’t let people get off the easy way. Challenge yourself, challenge others, trust God, do what you can, and see His glory. :-)

March 12, 2012

Luke 5:29-32

“Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. "What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and 'sinners'?" Jesus heard about it and spoke up, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out."”

People always question the behavior of others when it doesn’t match up with their own. In this case, most people thought that Jesus wouldn’t want to associate with people that have been stigmatized in society and was talking about him behind his back. Jesus, who heard them speaking in the background asked a very good question: who needs a doctor? The healthy or the sick?

Oftentimes, we look down upon others rather than sharing the word with those who need it most. But as Christians, we need to learn to get out of our Christian bubble and help those who need it most. One song sums it up nicely:

“It's crowded in worship today, as she slips in trying to fade into the faces.

The girl's teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know, farther than they know.

A traveler is far away from home. He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row. The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances are better out on the road.

Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should come.

And we are the body of Christ…

If we are the body, why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body, why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? There is a way. Jesus is the way.”

Meditate on these words. :-)

March 11, 2012

Romans 14:1-9

“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

Take away message of these verses? We belong to the Lord, and everything we do is to the Lord regardless of what we choose and our differences in choosing. So many times we let differences between us separate us for no reason, even though we have the same vision and common end goal. Of course, the devil uses this as an opportunity to cause problems in the church (not just locally, but the Christ one as well) where there need be no problems. If there’s not one, we create one.

I remember being on this site, and this will seem absurd because it is, but people with natural hair and people with relaxed hair were talking against each other? Both of them were criticizing the other for their choices, attributing it to a reason that was insulting to the other group. And I thought to myself…WOW! If it’s not skin color, it’s skin tone. If it’s not skin tone, it’s ethnic background. If it’s not ethnic background, it’s hair type. If it’s not hair type, it’s how you choose to wear your hair??? O_o....smh. Then what I realized is that even in the church, we do this too! We find little things about how people worship and what they decide as policies to form a separation between us even though we have the common goal of serving the Lord. Now, I’m not saying go worship at a church with unbiblical policies or that strays far away from what you believe. But don’t use different practices as a basis for separation when we all seem to have the same vision. One person will do it one way, someone will do it another way. The most important thing is, each person is doing so to the Lord. :-)

March 10, 2012

Hebrews 13:17

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”

Oooooh, this verse is so dear to my heart because I’ve seen how it can be first- and second-hand. Growing up with my dad as a pastor, positions of leadership have been present all my life. Not only did I have to worry about my dad’s leadership and the submission to his authority, but I also had to worry about leading by example, and later on, leading my youth group in the function that I serve. Boy, has that been a challenge and journey of lessons o_O.

It’s never easy to lead. People expect you to be perfect, though they themselves are not. Also, oftentimes, many people do not curb under your rule, and they convince others to follow suit. At other times, some people just “boycott” and don’t participate at all. It’s easy to become discouraged and just want to leave the post that you’re in. But you know what makes leading worthwhile? The few people who do care, who understand that you are human and you will make mistakes; the few who listen to you rather than being stubborn against your rule; and those who give 100% in everything that they do. They know that the group is a team, and they do their best to give their part. Which group do you belong to? Do you fully commit and submit to authority? At church? At school? at work? Or do you make the leaders’ job a burden and thus, ruin it for yourself accordingly? If you fall into the latter group, make it a goal to make it easier on your leaders today so that they can do God’s will with joy in their hearts. Don’t be a burden, be a chocolate bar (i.e., a treat) :-)

March 9, 2012

Galatians 6:9

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Ever get tired of doing good because you feel like you’re the only one trying? Maybe you don’t want anything in return, but you find it discouraging that not enough people are trying or that you’re the only person “like you” in the world…Well, that’s because you are. God makes us all different. None of us are the same. Some people are more similar than others, but more often than not, good characteristics are hard to find. 

So, don’t let that be a reason to stop doing good. You won’t find your reward in the hands of men; you’ll receive your reward from the hands of God. Now, isn’t that a better place to get it from? I think so, and pretty soon, hopefully, you will too (if you don't already). :-)

March 8, 2012

John 14:16-18

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

Isn’t nice to know that you have a Comforter at your disposal??? AND…..HE’S FREE!!!! Jesus made sure to tell his disciples (and thus, us as well) that He will never leave us alone. Even when He had to leave earth, He sent someone who could live in us. The world can’t receive Him because they don’t see Him, but us as Christians can, and He lives in us.

So, no matter what situation you find yourself in today, whether you’re sad, angry, afraid, depressed, or tired, there is a comforter that is there to help you through whatever you are going through. He’s letting you know that He is with you, He’ll never leave you, and He will come to you whenever you need Him. :-)

March 7, 2012

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Ever feel like your past is holding you back? Maybe past mistakes are tying you down. Or maybe you’re afraid that people will find out about your past and regard you negatively? Even worse, maybe they already know and just won’t forget about it even though you’ve tried to change. Well, I’ve got news for you, good news! In Christ, you are a new creature, whether people believe it or not. Your old life, that’s yesterday. Your new life starts the day that you let Christ take over.

Don’t let what people say or the devil take that away from you. They could’ve done that to Jesus, but He didn’t let them. People can only take away what you let them take. Rather, take active steps to implement this new change in your life. God will always send people to edge you on. Hey, that’s what I’m doing right now. So, make the change today and get ready to enjoy and thank God for your brand new life. :-)

March 6, 2012

John 14:1-4

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

This world can be a very troubling place for anyone who lives here. Bad things happen everyday, we never know what to expect, and life is full surprises: some good, most bad. Thankfully, Jesus knew about these many things that could come our way and gave a solution: believe in God, believe also in Him.

No matter what we’re going through or what life throws our way, one thing we can rest assured in is the fact that Jesus is preparing a place for all of us right now, a place where there’s only good surprises, a place with no disappointments, a place void of sadness, a place free from anger, a place where happiness never ends. The best thing about it? We get to live with our Maker forever and forever. So, the next time life gets you down, remember what God has in store and fix your eyes to the heavens because pretty soon, that’s where all of us believers will be :-)

March 5, 2012

Luke 18:1-8

“Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, ‘There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'

‘He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.'

Then the Master said, ‘Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?’”

This story serves to ingrain one message: PUSH! Pray Until Something Happens!!! So many times we get so tired of praying and not seeing results that we give up and let go right when we are about to be delivered. This lady asked night and day til she received what she was asking for, so why are we always so quick to give up??

Look at what Jesus tells the disciples in this chapter…they were dealing with an unjust judge here. So, given that our God is JUST, how much more quickly and faithful will He be to us if we continue to persist, pray, and knock on His door? Your persistence WILL PAY OFF!! If anything, God is just disappointed that He doesn’t see more of it as highlighted in the last verse. So, when you feel like giving up today, push yourself to keep going and keep praying. God will reward your persistence and you’ll have pleased Him in return :-)

March 4, 2012

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

“Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity. Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God.”

Ahhh, one of the toughies. For some people, this may be a-okay, but for most people, this is one of the toughest things to do: abstaining from sexual immorality in a world where everyone says it’s ok! This is especially tough when you have a special someone in your life because you probably want to express your love in the most intimate way possible. But what if you do and it doesn’t last??? :-(

God has reasons why He sets certain rules in place. It’s not to be spiteful and not let us have any fun. On the contrary, these rules are here to protect us. No doubt, the temptation will always be there, but if we want to make it easier on ourselves, let’s delve in and stay true to God’s Word. Furthermore, fine someone who shares your beliefs. It’s a lot easier to stay pure when your significant other feels as you do. Most of all, pray. There’s nothing that can’t be overcome w/the power of prayer :-)

March 3, 2012

Colossians 3:13

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

So, that’s what I learned about my situation last week: I must just forgive and let it go, EVEN THOUGH IN MY CASE, THEY NEVER APOLOGIZED OR RECOGNIZED WHAT THEY DID!!! I’ll just pray for them because what I realized over the past week is that holding something against someone not only keeps me upset, but I also have trouble praising God the right way. Last week, my worship was stilted. I could barely get the words out and when I did, I was just going through the motions. So rather than have my spiritual life suffer, I’ve decided to just let it go and pray for them. Hopefully, as a reward, God will bestow His grace on my life. :-)

P.S. Special thanks to Tia for your response on that last post. It helped a lot!

March 2, 2012

Psalm 94:18-19

“When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

We fall down, but we get up! Even better? Sometimes, before we hit the ground, if we let God know we’re slipping, He’ll catch us even before we fall. And got a case of the worries??? God can assuage that too! Just think about it. If you’re worried about anything at all, it’s because you’re not secure about something or something that could happen. You don’t know and fear of the unknown makes you uneasy. But if you have someone who catches your foot when it’s slipping and consoles you in your anxiety, what more do you need? Sounds like the perfect package to me. It may take some getting used to because you might be so used to falling or worrying that it seems like the most natural thing to do. But let’s try this way and see if it works better so that you don’t have too many skinned knees or high cortisol levels for no reason lol :-)