Psalm 118:13, NIV

Philippians 4:13, NIV

JUST RUN!

When we take part in a 100-meter sprint, our main goal is to be ahead of the rest of the participants. But in order to do so, we have to keep our eyes open, looking at the finish line, and run. Hence, the finish line is the sight in which we have to lay our eyes on in order to know: the direction, and the destination.

The position of the finish line in a 100- meter sprints tells us where to run. If there is no finish line, then we will be stuck not knowing where to go. If the finish line is up north, we have to run north in order to cross it and win. Thus, telling us that the direction.

The position of the finish line in a 100- meter sprint also tells us our destination. The finish line is the goal that we set ourselves to achieve. We arrive there at the end, because the race finishes there.

Similarly, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is like the finish line in a 100- meter sprint. He is both our direction, and destination. He is the direction because without Him, we do not know where to go. We are lost sheep without our shepherd.

Jesus Christ is also our destination in which we arrive to at the end of our race. He is our prize. He is our final resting place where we finally can be with him forever.

The truth is, we are all set off in this race called life. We have no choice but to run. But the best thing about this race is that we have the direction, and the destination.

We know that Jesus leads us, and He also awaits us.

The Love of Christ

“Who was I and where was I going,

What kind of fruits were my actions growing,

Staring at the pages, He’ll be staring at the pages of my life,

Was my passion just to know Him,

Did I really let it out and show Him?

Staring at the pages, He’ll be staring at the pages of my life.”

- Pages, Leeland

I cannot remember the amount of times that I have listened to this song. But just recently, I stumbled upon this song on my iTunes and immediately, I saw the chorus in a way which I have never seen before.

The chorus of the song gave me a picture of God in His magnificent glory, standing face to face with us. And in His hand, there lie the book of life where our whole life actions are charted in detail.

The truth is, God is always watching us. We may not feel it, we may not see it, but He is always on the watch. But I believe, more than that, He is also watching and looking through the pages of our lives. What we did, the things we say, and the thoughts we think. The pain reality is that it is all recorded in the book of life.

So just like in the song, I believe that the fundamental principle in which we are odd to live our lives as followers of Christ is to share the love of Christ to all. I think most of us cringe when we hear the word, evangelism. But evangelism is more than just reciting John 3:16 to everyone on the street. No, that is just a small part of evangelism. Jesus called us to be the light to the world that is filled with darkness. That means, we share the light that we have to others not by shouting and screaming “Believe in Jesus, or else hell awaits you.” to everyone we see but to show love and genuine care to others.

We encounter non- believers everyday. That is our mission field. We can either show the of Christ love by smiling at a friend, or blessing the needy with food and clothing. We are not called to be a city on a hill so that we can shout at and condemn the lost. But we called to be a city on a hill so that we can see the lost and reach them with the love of Christ.

Our many hats.

I stumbled upon this short story on the Internet the other day. It somewhat moved within my heart to share it. It was a story about a mother who was also a worship leader in the local church. She admitted that she woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was feeling “blegh” ever since. As the night comes as she was about to step on stage to lead worship, she mumbled this under her breath, “Okay, mum’s hat off, worship’s hat on.” The elder of the church overheard her and lean over saying,

“The problem is that worship hat should have never came off in the first place.”

When I read that story, I begin to reflect upon my life and heart and wonder whether or not have I fall victim to that scenario. Throughout our Christian lives, we sometimes do that without even realizing it. We put on our “leaders” hat when it is time for us to lead our cell group. We put on our “preaching” hat when it is time for us to speak behind the pulpit. We put on our “worship” hat, when it is time for us to lead worship.

But in fact, those hats should have never came off in the first place. Why? This is because live our lives as leaders. We live our lives as preachers of the Word, proclaiming His love. We live our lives as worshippers, adoring our Creator.

I think the elder of the church couldn’t have said it more clearly. That those hats that we wear in church should have never came off in the first place. 

So, how do we live our lives from Monday to Saturday?

Lead = Serve.

“Setting an example is not the way to lead, but it is the only way to lead.”- Anonymous

Today, the term leadership has many different meanings. Ask two different people to define leadershipand you will receive two different definitions. Has leadership become so complex that no one is able to put a finger for one definite answer?

It is true that the term leadership is complex. We can find many leadership books in bookstores teaching us how to lead effectively and productively. But I believe for those of us who are in Christ have the definition in our hands already.

Jesus is the perfect role model of true leadership. The way to lead effectively is through our actions. Jesus Himself did what He then commanded us to do.

Jesus did the job of a “servant” by washing his disciples feet. Jesus cooked breakfast for his disciples by the Sea of Galilee, which was suppose to be a “women’s” job back in His time. Jesus did those things because I believe He wasn’t just telling and instructing us believers what we must or have to do, but He was showing us how to. We love people through our actions; similarly, we lead people through our actions.

If my God did all those things, then what does that say of me? What does that say of us?

Being Given Over to Death

“For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake…. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” – 2 Corinthians 4:11-12

It is the great mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Death gives life. Jesus’ death on the cross gave life. The death of a vision brings new vision. The death of a seed gives new life. It is the central focus of God’s requirement for experiencing Him–death. When Jesus extended us an invitation to experience salvation and a relationship with Him, it came with a great cost, our very lives. Yet what we don’t realize is that until we relinquish our total lives, we really aren’t living at all. Without this death we will continue to strive, manipulate, and fret over every detail of life. It is when we finally say, “Yes, Lord, I am Yours completely,” that we experience real freedom for the first time. This is the only time when Christ is fully seen in and through our lives. Christ describes our lives as vessels – vessels for Him to be revealed in and seen by others.

How is your vessel today? When people look inside, will they see a life that is dead to all things, save the life of Christ revealed? In the workplace, we are faced with challenges each day that seek to instill fear and control at every turn, but Christ says He wants to live through your life in the workplace. He wants to reveal Himself to your fellow workers today. However, He can only do this if our vessel is free of ourselves. Ask Jesus what things must die today in order for Him to live completely in and through you.

The Victory of the Resurrection

“‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ . . . but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, 57
The Resurrection seals what we could not: victory over death.

Death is the great enemy of mankind. It comes to everyone without exception. It violates our dominion of God’s creation, breaks apart relationships, disrupts families, and causes us to grieve the loss of loved ones. However, Christ’s resurrection has broken the power of death for Christians because “death no longer is master over Him” (Rom. 6:9).

In today’s passage the apostle Paul reminds us of the final victory over death that results once we have been transformed into our resurrection bodies. To make his point, Paul quotes from the Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Hosea. In using Hosea’s sting of death metaphor, Paul implies that death left its sting in Christ, as a bee leaves its stinger in its victim. On the cross Jesus bore all of death’s sting (sin), so we wouldn’t have to bear any of it. When sin’s penalty has been removed, death merely interrupts our earthly life and ushers us into the heavenly realm, where we will worship and praise God forever.

Paul concludes (v. 57) by thanking God, who provided us the triumph over sin and death. We also should be thankful to God who, through Christ’s redeeming work, gave us what we could never have obtained by ourselves. God promises to all believers the heavenly in exchange for the earthly, and the immortal in exchange for the mortal.

With Jesus Christ’s triumph over death, we have no reason to fear what death can do to us. Instead, we should rejoice concerning the Lord’s promise to us about the next life: “Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire . . . and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain” (Rev. 20:14;21:4).

God Got It Covered!

“God raised Joseph in a desert to use him in a palace; He raised Moses in a palace to use him in a desert. God always knows what He is doing.” – Mike Pilavachi.

We all go through different seasons in life. Sometimes, it’s a smooth sail through, but there are also times where it’s a rocky road. Well these few weeks been “rocky” for me. Things have not been turning out the way I want them to be at times. What I want, I do not get. So with all these uncertainties and confusion that is going on in my life, I got quite impatient with God. (Yes, I’m being very honest here.)

Although I still seek God during those times, it seemed to me at that time, that my prayers are just bouncing off the walls. It is as though I’m talking to myself. But then one day, I stumbled upon that quote by Mike Pilavachi that brought tears to my eyes. As I read that quote, my heart was filled with love. A love that I know is from God and only God can give.

We know the two bible stories very well. Most of us grew up with that. But I failed to see it that way. That God does know what He is doing. I was reminded that my problems are small to God. This does not mean that He doesn’t care. But it simply means that it is “easy” for Him and that even though it seemed like my problems were too overwhelming for me, I know that it is possible for God. Therefore, I know that He is there.

For many of us, we always think that we’re alone. We think that nobody cares, and that you are not important. Maybe you can relate to what I went through. You feel frustrated, lost and confuse. But I can assure you that God is always there. And that He has never left your side. He was, is, and will always be there.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your GOD goes WITH YOU; HE will NEVER leave you nor FORSKAE you.”

So take heart, friends. God is there for you.

(Forsake – To quit or leave ENTIRELY.)

No Weapon formed Against you shall Prosper!

The word of God is our handbook of how to overcome evil. The devil wants to steal, kill and destroy. As a Christian, you are always at constant war with the devil. The evil one works out schemes and strategies that would work against you. One preacher said, 'the moment you invited Jesus into your life, you showed up on the enemy's radar'. The Bible says that, the enemy comes round and round to see whom he may devour. 1 Pet 5:8 says, 'Be sober, be vigilant; because our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour'.

Will good come out of evil?

No. Good never comes out of evil because they are opposite terms. But the Bible says, 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and to those who are called according to His purpose' (Rom 8: 28). This word refers to the circumstances and situations we face. The Bible encourages us to give thanks in the midst of the adversity. 1 Thes 5:18 says, 'In everything give thanks…' Notice the word "in". It doesn't say to give thanks 'for' everything. But in everything you can give thanks because God is good, all the time. He has not changed at all.

The only good that comes out of the evil situation is from God and not from the evil one. When you have faith in God and say, 'Lord, I give you thanks in the midst of my situation. You have made me more than a conqueror. I will not be ashamed. I will be the head and not the tail' you will defeat the enemy. Not only that you will see what the enemy meant for evil, God turning it around for the good.

The Lord shall preserve you:

Psalm 121: 7 says, 'The Lord shall preserve you from all evil'. Vs. 8 says, ' He shall preserve your soul'. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forever more'. God wants to guard, protect and keep you from all harm and danger. Our God is in the preserving business. He wants to safeguard your thoughts, your will and your emotions.

Ps 54:7 says, 'No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord'.

The Bible does not say that there will not be any weapon formed against you. It assures you that the weapon formed against you will not prosper. Between you and the weapon (of the enemy), there is the Lord God Almighty. God is all around you. God is round about His people. And no evil can cross the power of God and touch us. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 49:25 says, ' I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children'. Are you concerned about your children? God goes for battle every time the enemy shows up. God looks at your enemy as His own. An attack against you is an attack against the Lord God Almighty. So, take heart! The Lord shall preserve you!

God told Joshua in Joshua 1:5 says, 'No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you'. You can be rest assured that the God who was with Joshua is with you. You need not be afraid. God has not changed. He is just as committed to you as He was to Moses and Joshua. What He promised to the saints in the Bible holds good for you today. Cheer up! God is on your side. 

If God be for you who can be against you?

Popeye the Sailor Man and Spinach

I grew up watching Popeye the Sailor Man. Those years there were less hangups about watching violent cartoons and its impact. It was fun to see the underdog Popeye overcome a steroid charged Bluto (or Brutus). And the secret was SPINACH. Looking back, it was a great way to manipulate our young minds on the wonders of eating your vegetables!!

I guess for many of us, we silently want to be a Popeye. Loser becoming a winner.

Just two days ago, I bought a booklet titled "The Grace of Yielding". I started reading the first chapter that afternoon itself. I had to stop after the first paragraph. The chapter was titled "The Measure of Spiritual Strength". My first comment was "Ouch"! I would like to quote the text from the first two paragraphs:

"The first scripture I want to examine in regard to our topic is found in Romans 15:1"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."  This I believe, is the scriptural mark of strength. It is not how much you can do, but rather how much you can bear of the weaknesses of others.

It is very satisfying to be strong in your own ability, in your own ministry, in your own experience - to be the person with all the answers. But that does not require much spiritual strength. However, it does require spiritual strength to bear the weaknesses of others"

As we walk with our Heavenly Father, He often reminds us when we are looking the wrong way - as I have been. I guess we often need time to review the Popeyes in our life. It is not about fighting and winning over Brutus. But it is about bearing the weaknesses of one another

Blessings