There would be an upcoming 3-days Singles Retreat on November 11, 2011. We've been wanting to join but we exhaust all our Vacation Leaves for the year.
It was really a blessing that Pnoy announced October 31 as holiday. I filed a leave previously for that day so I will be able to acquire it back.
Yey! Truly it's a blessing. God really wanted us to join. Hopefully, money wont' be a problem.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Give Thanks and Praise
I've been praying for a lot of things and got frustrated when I don't get the answers right away. Then I read that I need to give thanks and praise than ask and ask. This shows how strong our faith is that God will provide answers.
After that, answers are coming my way ^-^
Thank you God you are so good!
After that, answers are coming my way ^-^
Thank you God you are so good!
Monday, August 29, 2011
No God, Know Fear --- Know God, No Fear
Fear Not. Do Not be afraid. --> this is oftentimes mention in the bible
FEAR is wrong use of the imagination. It is anticipating the worst and not the best to happen.
When you allow your fear to overwhelm your faith, your future is over.
Fear is a good emotion if it's for your own good. Fear is a bad emotion if it's irrational.
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.
do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the LORD.
‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
be glad and rejoice.
Surely the LORD has done great things!
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
for you alone, LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
Faith is not believing in spite of circumstances.
Faith is obeying inspite of feelings and circumstances.
From the movie "Shawshank Redemption":
I guess it comes down to a simple choice really. Get busy living or get busy dying...
KNOWING GOD CONQUERS FEAR!
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
FEAR OF GOD, CONQUERS FEAR!
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
FEAR is wrong use of the imagination. It is anticipating the worst and not the best to happen.
When you allow your fear to overwhelm your faith, your future is over.
Fear is a good emotion if it's for your own good. Fear is a bad emotion if it's irrational.
Matthew 25:25-26
25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
Nothing under God's control is ever out of control.
Genesis 15:1
1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”
Exodus 14:13
13 Moses answered the
people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance
the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will
never see again.
Deuteronomy 31:6
6 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 forsake you.”
Judges 6:23
23 But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
2 Kings 6:16
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Isaiah 41:13
13 For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.
Jeremiah 30:10
10 “‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the LORD.
‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
Joel 2:21
21 Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice.
Surely the LORD has done great things!
Matthew 10:31
31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 1:30
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
John 6:20
20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
Acts 18:9
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.
Revelations 1:17
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
Mark 4:35-41
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Psalm 4:8
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
Faith is not believing in spite of circumstances.
Faith is obeying inspite of feelings and circumstances.
From the movie "Shawshank Redemption":
I guess it comes down to a simple choice really. Get busy living or get busy dying...
KNOWING GOD CONQUERS FEAR!
John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 8:12
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Psalm 27:1
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
FEAR OF GOD, CONQUERS FEAR!
Mark 4:41
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Psalm 111:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
Exodus 20:20
20 Moses said to the
people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of
God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Psalm 147:11
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Philippians 4:19
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
John 11:25
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
Matthew 10:28
28 Do
not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Monday, August 22, 2011
Master Your Emotions: Of Envy and Jealousy
Jealousy and Envy often times prevailed over friendship and Contentment
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Psalm 73:1, 12-28 --Asaph expressed his struggle
Deuteronomy 6:1-3
1) If we truly delight in the Lord We need to recognize our struggle - know our enemy.
If we don't recognize our enemy we will be facing sure defeat, like not recognizing the struggle, will make us surely down
ENVY
* Envy is resenting the advantage of another, with a desire to possess the same advantage
* Envy is coveting what another has
* The Latin word for "envy" is invidere, which means means to look at with enmity.
JEALOUSY
* Jealousy is resenting another's rivalry or unfaithfulness, with a desire to guard or maintain what one possesses.
* Jealousy is possessiveness.
* The Greek word for "jealousy" is zeloo, which means "zealous or burning with jealousy."
Envy is ALWAYS WRONG
Scripture never portrays envy in a positive light.
God is never depicted as an envious God.
Matthew 27:15-18
Jealousy IS NOT ALWAYS WRONG
It is natural and normal for feelings of jealousy to surface when a meaningful covenant relationship is threatened by unfaithfulness.
Numbers 5:25-31
Why is God called a JEALOUS God?
Jehovah God initiated a special covenant relationship with the Israelites. Because of His Love for Israel, God felt jealous pain when they threatened to destroy the covenant relationship and became disloyal.
Exodus 34:14
14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
The difference between Envy & Jealousy
ENVY
- burning desire to have
- coveting what another has
- empty hands that crave to be filled
- usually involves two people
JEALOUSY
- burning desire to keep
- possessive of what one has
- full hands that fear being emptied
- usually involves three people
Galatians 5:19-21
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
How we know we are Envious?
- we feel boastful
- we feel internal pain towards the success of others
- we became competitive
How we know we are Jealous?
- we became judgemental
- not allowing others to outside relationship
- we became anxious
- overly possessive
- unable to trust God, distrustful leading to insecurity
This enemy also disguises itself:
Here are disguises for masking envy or jealousy:
- Making an issue of unfairness of life
- Pretending apathy or indifference to people or situations
- Feeling of self-pity
- Avoiding problems or people that could produce envy or provoke jealousy
- Idolizing certain people by placing them on an unreachable pedestal
- Offering false praise and congratulations
- Dropping unnecessary, negative information about another
- Projecting jealousy or envy onto another
- Developing a superior attitude toward another
- Becoming a martyr
2) Run to the Lord after recognizing our struggles.
Psalm 75:4-7 --> Realize the Sovereignty of God
3) Resist Comparing ourselves from others
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Psalm 73:1, 12-28 --Asaph expressed his struggle
Deuteronomy 6:1-3
1) If we truly delight in the Lord We need to recognize our struggle - know our enemy.
If we don't recognize our enemy we will be facing sure defeat, like not recognizing the struggle, will make us surely down
ENVY
* Envy is resenting the advantage of another, with a desire to possess the same advantage
* Envy is coveting what another has
* The Latin word for "envy" is invidere, which means means to look at with enmity.
JEALOUSY
* Jealousy is resenting another's rivalry or unfaithfulness, with a desire to guard or maintain what one possesses.
* Jealousy is possessiveness.
* The Greek word for "jealousy" is zeloo, which means "zealous or burning with jealousy."
Envy is ALWAYS WRONG
Scripture never portrays envy in a positive light.
God is never depicted as an envious God.
Matthew 27:15-18
Jealousy IS NOT ALWAYS WRONG
It is natural and normal for feelings of jealousy to surface when a meaningful covenant relationship is threatened by unfaithfulness.
Numbers 5:25-31
Why is God called a JEALOUS God?
Jehovah God initiated a special covenant relationship with the Israelites. Because of His Love for Israel, God felt jealous pain when they threatened to destroy the covenant relationship and became disloyal.
Exodus 34:14
14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
The difference between Envy & Jealousy
ENVY
- burning desire to have
- coveting what another has
- empty hands that crave to be filled
- usually involves two people
JEALOUSY
- burning desire to keep
- possessive of what one has
- full hands that fear being emptied
- usually involves three people
Galatians 5:19-21
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
How we know we are Envious?
- we feel boastful
- we feel internal pain towards the success of others
- we became competitive
How we know we are Jealous?
- we became judgemental
- not allowing others to outside relationship
- we became anxious
- overly possessive
- unable to trust God, distrustful leading to insecurity
This enemy also disguises itself:
Here are disguises for masking envy or jealousy:
- Making an issue of unfairness of life
- Pretending apathy or indifference to people or situations
- Feeling of self-pity
- Avoiding problems or people that could produce envy or provoke jealousy
- Idolizing certain people by placing them on an unreachable pedestal
- Offering false praise and congratulations
- Dropping unnecessary, negative information about another
- Projecting jealousy or envy onto another
- Developing a superior attitude toward another
- Becoming a martyr
2) Run to the Lord after recognizing our struggles.
Psalm 75:4-7 --> Realize the Sovereignty of God
3) Resist Comparing ourselves from others
Monday, August 15, 2011
Managing / Mastering Your Emotions part 2
- 080711 -
1 Timothy 4:7-8 --> Discipline yourself for the purpose of Godliness
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 --> Discipline yourself for the purpose of Godliness
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Discipline yourself:
- to have quiet time
- attend worship
- D-group
- Discipline of SOLITUDE
- Discipline of MIND --> what you think will impact your feelings and will impact your life
How to turn Negative Emotions to blessings ?
- Master your emotions by being God-centered
1) Awareness
Emotions are windows to your soul
1 Kings 19:18
18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
2) Assume Responsibility -- God told Elijah to GO BACK and take ACTION
3) Align with God
Psalm 32:5
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Psalm 32:10-11
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
but the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
2 Corinthians 10:5
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Philippians 1:18
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
Philippians 1:21 >> Reason why Paul is joyful
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 11:28
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Snakes in my dreams
I woke up at the sound of my alarm at 6AM and tried my best to sleep again for a few minutes. Then I had this dream...
I was with a group of people chatting in a room. Looks like a bedroom with cabinets on top. Then I slouched against the wall and saw this snake dangling from the cabinet hissing its way toward me. I jumped out of fear. Then one person grabbed that snake and killed it. And then it all happened so fast, I saw a lot of snakes coming out of the cabinet. It turned into a cage with a hole (so that's the reason why they got out of the cage). The same person grabs the other snake and killed it with a snap of her hands. But she suddenly was bitten by another one and I think she died. Then I shouted "TULONG!!!" (Since we are Filipinos and in the Philippines I don't think shouting HELP is appropriate). Then in a flash, I saw a man with red eyes I think he killed the entire snake with the help of his comrades.
Then I woke up again feeling so tense and afraid it's just 6:20AM. I was not able to sleep after that.
It's my first time dreaming of snakes and it's really vivid. So this prompts me to research on meaning of my dreams about snakes.
"Seeing a snake or be bitten by one in your dream means hidden fears and worries that are threatening you. Your dream may be alerting you to something in your waking life that you are not aware of or that has not yet surfaced."
"The snake is a powerful dream symbol, associated with the feminine, healing and spirituality. Being bitten by a snake in a dream is actually positive, meaning you are accepting all parts of your nature as you grow into a stronger person"
This is contradictory to:
"If they bite you, you will succumb to evil influences, and enemies will injure your business."
I will research more about this if I have the time.
But whatever it is, whether good or bad, fortunes or misfortunes, problems, fears worries and trials. I must not believe in their meaning or interpretation. I just read a devotional today and God's word gives me peace.
I was with a group of people chatting in a room. Looks like a bedroom with cabinets on top. Then I slouched against the wall and saw this snake dangling from the cabinet hissing its way toward me. I jumped out of fear. Then one person grabbed that snake and killed it. And then it all happened so fast, I saw a lot of snakes coming out of the cabinet. It turned into a cage with a hole (so that's the reason why they got out of the cage). The same person grabs the other snake and killed it with a snap of her hands. But she suddenly was bitten by another one and I think she died. Then I shouted "TULONG!!!" (Since we are Filipinos and in the Philippines I don't think shouting HELP is appropriate). Then in a flash, I saw a man with red eyes I think he killed the entire snake with the help of his comrades.
Then I woke up again feeling so tense and afraid it's just 6:20AM. I was not able to sleep after that.
It's my first time dreaming of snakes and it's really vivid. So this prompts me to research on meaning of my dreams about snakes.
"Seeing a snake or be bitten by one in your dream means hidden fears and worries that are threatening you. Your dream may be alerting you to something in your waking life that you are not aware of or that has not yet surfaced."
"The snake is a powerful dream symbol, associated with the feminine, healing and spirituality. Being bitten by a snake in a dream is actually positive, meaning you are accepting all parts of your nature as you grow into a stronger person"
This is contradictory to:
"If they bite you, you will succumb to evil influences, and enemies will injure your business."
I will research more about this if I have the time.
But whatever it is, whether good or bad, fortunes or misfortunes, problems, fears worries and trials. I must not believe in their meaning or interpretation. I just read a devotional today and God's word gives me peace.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
How Do We Know If We Love Christ?
J. C. Ryle writes:
1. If we love a person, we like to think about him. We do not need to be reminded of him. We do not forget his name or his appearance or his character or his opinions or his tastes or his position or his occupation... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!2. If we love a person, we like to hear about him. We find a pleasure in listening to those who speak of him. We feel an interest in any report which others make of him... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!3. If we love a person, we like to read about him. What intense pleasure a letter from an absent husband gives to a wife, or a letter from an absent son to his mother... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!4. If we love a person, we like to please him. We are glad to consult his tastes and opinions, to act upon his advice and do the things which he approves... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!5. If we love a person, we like his friends. We are favorably inclined to them, even before we know them. We are drawn to them by the common tie of common love to one and the same person... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!6. If we love a person, we are jealous about his name and honor. We do not like to hear him spoken against, without speaking up for him and defending him... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!7. If we love a person, we like to talk to him. We tell him all our thoughts, and pour out all our heart to him. We find no difficulty in discovering subjects of conversation... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!8. Finally, if we love a person, we like to be always with him. Thinking and hearing and reading and occasionally talking are all well in their way. But when we really love people we want something more... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
Holiness, (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press,) 247-249.
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