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THE JOURNEY TOWARDS PROSPERITY

2010-07-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

THE JOURNEY TOWARDS PROSPERITY

Every one wants to be prosperous. I believe that is the motivating factor behind many of the things that we do in this life. We dream about it, we think about it, we talk about it. Sa ating mga Pilipino masyadong inaasa sa gobyerno o sa mga pulitiko ang pag-unlad ng ating pamumuhay. Can the government deliver? Will our politicians serve us prosperity in a silver platter?
How does one become prosperous? This topic is very important that’s why many are using it or teaching it. In fact, it has already become a big business. In many seminars and gatherings the favorite topic is prosperity. People are willing to pay much just to be able to attend those seminars but sad to say only the lecturer gets rich. There are also many preachers who talk about prosperity every time they open their mouth.
Prosperity is really very attractive; it is not wrong. The Lord wants us to be prosperous. Why did God create all the riches in the world? To give it to the children of darkness? Or did He create all these for His children? Does God want His people to prosper? Or at least be sufficient? The question is HOW?
Some religious groups believe that to be holy you have to be poor. Is it biblical? What does God want for His children?

“For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. Every bird of the mountains and all the animals of the field belong to me” Psalm 50:10-11.
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one over all things. Riches and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is at your discretion the people are made great and given strength” 1 Chronicles 29:11-12.
We are going to study a series entitled THE JOURNEY TOWARDS PROSPERITY. It is a journey. It does not happen by chance or pure luck. It starts with a decision and a desire to be prosperous. After making a decision, it requires discipline.
In this journey, there are several steps. Let us begin with step one.

STEP #1: WORK HARD

It is only in the dictionary the prosperity comes before work. In reality work comes before prosperity. If you would succeed, work hard. The most miserable man in the world is the one who has no work to dedicate himself to. King Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3:22, “So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why they are here!”

Thomas Edison sent the following recommendations to a youth assembly that requested a message from him:
1. Always be interested in whatever you undertake.
2. Don’t mind the clock, but keep at it, and let nature indicate the necessity of rest.
3. Failures, so called, are the fingerposts pointing out the right direction to those who are willing to learn.

Why should we work? What are the reasons for work? There are several reasons that we are going to discuss.

1. GOD COMMANDS US TO WORK.
Every able-bodied person is commanded to work. In Exodus 20:9, the Lord commands, “Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God.” Six days of work and one day break. God commands that we should all work. Laziness is sin and it leads to poverty: “Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich” Ecclesiastes 10:4.
There are parents who let their children work for them. Their children sell cigarette, sampaguita, balut o hindi kaya ang mga bata ay ibinubugaw sa mga foreigners. While the parents stay home enjoying the fruits of their children’s hard labor.
It was commanded by God that we should all work. In 1 Thessalonians 4:11, it says, “This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands…” Why did Paul emphasize working with your hands? Because there are people who work with other people’s hands. Utos nang utos pero sila walang ginagawa.
The Bible says – make it your ambition to work with your hands. Godly people are working people. Ephesians 4:28 says, “If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work…” Again, the Bible emphasizes “your hands.” The meaning of stealing here is not just the conventional meaning of stealing. It also means harvesting what you did not plant, borrowing money without paying, copying the answer of others during exam, submitting a requirement that is not the product of your own labor, enjoying something without any contribution is as good as stealing.
There are many reasons why our country is poor. Sometimes only one in a family of six or seven or ten is gainfully employed. All the rest are consumers. Hindi pa nga sumusuweldo ay nagastos na or naipangutang na o naipangako na ng ina sa hinuhulugang aircon.
So, we should all work and not steal. All able-bodied individuals are commanded to work. Tingnan nga ninyo ang inyong katabi, magnanakaw kaya iyan? Hindi naman mukhang magnanakaw, di ba? Don’t judge the book by its cover. Minsan pag pusturang-pustura, ang yabang-yabang, baka iyan pa nga. You will never be prosperous unless you work.
II. GOD COMMENDS WORK
We work because it is commended by God. Pinupuri ng Diyos ang mga nagtatrabaho. In the Bible, God commends a hard working woman. This commendation is found in Proverbs 31:13, “She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.” Siguro ang kamay ng huwarang babaeng ito ay hindi na hubog-kandila dahil siya ay hard worker o masipag. Hindi siya katulad ng ibang mga babae diyan na isang metro ang haba ng mga kuko. Kung sobrang flawless ang mga kamay, it’s either you have many servants or you’re just simply lazy. Hindi nakakahiya na may kalyo ang ating mga kamay dahil sa pagtatrabaho. Ngayon, kung masipag ka na at flawless pa rin ang iyong mga daliri , eh di mas mabuti!
It is important that we work because it is commended by God. Students, if you think school is boring, try working in the farm under the heat of the sun.

III. GOD EXEMPLIFIED WORK.
Another reason why we should work is this: Work is exemplified by God Himself. In Genesis 2:22, “On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work.”
God finished all His work in six days and rested for one day. Hindi kaya kalabisan kung mas marami tayong pahinga kaysa sa trabaho? God knows how to rest because He knows how to work. Ang ibang tao puro rest wala namang work.

IV. GOD PROVIDES FOR US AND PROSPERS US THROUGH WORK.
Another reason why we should work is this: it is God’s way and provision through prosperity. Work is God’s design for us. Workers earn their food. God gives every bird its food but does not drop it into the nest. Ang isang taong nagtatrabaho ay dapat kumakain. Isa sa ating matandang kaugalian ay ang bayanihan – nagpapatrabaho, tapos nagpapakain. Ang mga nagtatrabaho ay pinakakain. Ngayon, meron namang medyo makakapal. Hindi nagtatrabaho, pero pag oras na ng kainan nandiyan na, dadampot ng martilyo, gagawa ng konti, nagpapanggap. But you earn your food by working. Kahit sa ating pamilya, kung hindi ka pa gainfully employed, you earn your food by working. Do household chores. Kapag marunong ng humingi ng allowance, dapat marunong na ring magtrabaho. It is the way we earn our food. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, it says, “Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘Whoever does not work should not eat.’” That is the way we earn our food.
We drink as much water as we want, inhale as much oxygen as we want, for what? Para lang maging walang silbi? Even fruit trees that do not bear fruit should be cut off according to Jesus. Hindi pwedeng puro dahon lang at walang bunga. Ganoon din ang mga tao – kailangan may bunga. Workers earn their keep and their wages through work.
This applies even to ministers of God who preach the gospel. Jesus said in Matthew 10:10, “Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.”

And then why should we work?

1. Work earns profit.
Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit.” Hindi nakakahiyang magtrabaho at hindi nakakahiyang magtinda nang may tubo. Bakit ka magnenegosyo kung walang kita? Kaya kayo namang mga Christians – kung may negosyo ang inyong mga kasama sa church, huwag kayong hingi ng hingi ng discount. Bayaan niyo naman siyang kumita! We all should encourage industry and commerce among us. We are not meant to be poor. Many of us are poor because we have a poverty mentality, and we have a lifestyle that is designed for poverty. Workers earn profits. Workers open the channels to prosperity. According to Psalm 128:2, “You will eat the fruit of your labor.”

2. Workers earn good sleep.
King Solomon who was a worker himself said in Ecclesiastes 5:12, “People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much.”
Even good sleep is a gift of God. He grants sleep to those whom He loves. And napakasarap na pahinga ay yung pahinga ng mga taong pagod. Pero ang pahinga ng taong napapagod na sa kapapahinga, iyan ang walang kuwenta.

THE BLESSEDNESS OF WORK

If we want to be prosperous we have to work hard. God commanded us to work. He commended the woman in Proverbs for her hard work and He Himself exemplified work. In the creation account, He worked for six days and rested for one day. Work is also God’s way and provision through prosperity.
What about the blessedness of work? How does God bless work? God blesses work through….

I. GOD’S JUSTICE.
God’s justice requires that the worker be blessed. The Lord is the author of all natural laws and phenomena. He established certain formula that when do you something, that something will produce results. Isa doon ang work. When you work, you have a reward. That is a natural law. In Proverbs 24:12, it says, “Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” The justice of God will see to it that we get rewarded. So if you want to be prosperous, work.
Then there’s another angle to the blessedness of work.

II. GOD’S FAVOR OR GOD’S PLEASURE.
A man in the Bible named Job was a very rich man. Satan knew that God’s favor was with Job when he said in Job 1:10, “Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason! You have always protected him and his home and his property from harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
So there is such a thing as God’s favor or God’s pleasure.
There’s also such a thing as God’s withholding of a blessing. The Bible calls it curse. There are works that God despises or hates. Ecclesiastes 5:5-6 says, “It is better to say nothing than to promise something that you don’t follow through on. In such cases, your mouth is making you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.”
The context of this is that people make a promise or pledge to God but don’t fulfill it. We usually make a promise to God when we are in a desperate situation. (Lord, makapasar lang jud ko magsimba na jud ko pirme. Lord, mauyab lang nako na si _____ pwede na jud ko mabuang. Lord, maayo lang ko ihatag jud nako ang akong tibuok tithes, etc). But as soon as we recover from that desperate situation we immediately forget all the promise that we made and say, “My vow was a mistake.” What does the Word of God say? “That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.” God has the power to bless and He also has the power to destroy.
Favor is God’s prerogative. He alone decides who to bless. That’s why there are people who work just little but become prosperous, while there are also people who work so hard but do not prosper (farmers, ice cream/ice drop peddlers, laborers, cabinet peddlers, etc). Baka wala yung favor ni Lord. If God’s favor is not in our work, let us examine our tongue instead of questioning God.
If God’s favor is not with us, it has something to do with our tongue. Ecclesiastes 5:5-6 says, “It is better to say nothing than to promise something that you don’t follow through on…. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.”
Is there a way to override God’s destruction? Only when God puts a protective fence around us. Without God’s protection, we will be destroyed naturally, automatically. But God is so gracious; most of the time, in spite of who we are, He exempts us from the consequences of sin. But yes, the Lord can give favor, and the Lord can destroy one’s work just by withdrawing His protection.
We ask, “Why is he prosperous? Why am I poor?” Don’t blame God. Don’t examine other people’s lives. Examine your tongue. We are accountable for every word that we say. There is power in the spoken word. God spoke and everything came into existence.
Be careful with what you say, it might come back to you. Instead of cursing people, bless them instead. Say something nice or good about others. Para yun din ang bumalik sa inyo. Some people have the habit of complaining about how difficult life is. Some mothers love to talk about other mother’s daughter but comes back to their own daughter! Yung mga taong mahilig magsalita o mamintas ng ganito ganyan, iyon tuloy ang nangyayari sa kanila. So be careful with your words! Your words know your address.
God surely blesses godly work. Godly work is governed by several ethical standards.

1. Focused Work.
Godly work is concentrated. Hindi sabog-sabog. Kailangan may focus. Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters.” When you run after two ducks, you will catch neither. Kailangan may concentration.

2. Steadfast Work.
Godly work has steadfastness. Hindi dahil nabugnot ka, iiwan mo na. Hindi dahil hindi mo magawa, titigil ka na. Hindi dahil pagod ka na, aayaw ka na. Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain during WW11, was asked to give a commencement address. He was introduced, and he stood up and said firmly, “Never quit!” and he sat down. This was probably the shortest commencement address in history.
Psalm 104:23 says, “Then people go off to their work; they labor until the evening shadows fall again.”
Godly work is steadfast; you labor until evening.
3. Righteous Work.
Work should be governed by righteousness. Ito at pagtatrabaho na walang halong pandaraya o kasinungalingan. Walang pagsasamantala. (Chinese businessmen sold siopao na carton ang palaman.) Proverbs 10:16 says, “The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.” Kaya huwag kayong mainggit sa mga kumikita ng malaki dahil sa paggawa ng masama.
Asaph, a worship leader in the Old Testament complained, “Was it for nothing that I kept my heart pure and kept myself from doing wrong? All I get is trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.” After considering the wealth, the life, the happiness of the wicked, Asaph became envious. But in the end he said, “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My heart may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.”

4. Honest Work.
Proverbs 13:11 says, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.”

5. Industry.
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Kung puro satsat, puro salita, pero wala namang trabaho, it will bring only poverty. What is one great way to prosperity? Hard work.

Let’s glorify God through work. We worship through singing, we worship through dancing, we worship through giving – but people of God also worship through work. Work is one of the best ways to worship God.

THE JOURNEY TO PROSPERITY (Part 3)

All other things being equal, walang magulang na gustong makita ang kanilang mga anak na naghihirap. Pangarap ng bawat magulang na guminhawa ang buhay ng kanilang mga anak at hindi nila danasin ang mga hirap na kanilang pinagdaanan. If that is true with our earthly parents, how much more with our Heavenly Father. God does not want us to be poor. God created this planet and all its resources just so we could live in it and enjoy it and live to the fullest. Such a beautiful truth but does not reflect reality. Only those who have the most toys and money are seem to be living to the fullest. But reality cannot or does not change the truth that God wants His children to be prosperous much more than earthly parents.
God has established certain rules or steps that we have to follow for us to be prosperous. The first step is WORK HARD o magtrabaho ng puspusan. The second step is INVESTING o pamumuhunan – putting our blessings, properties, possessions in a place where they earn profit or they increase their value. To invest is to increase. Is this biblical? Let’s read Matthew 25:14-30:
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last – dividing it in proportion to their abilities – and then left on his trip. The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping.
After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said, ‘Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.’ The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold, with the report, ‘Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.’ The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, ‘Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.’
But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You think I’m a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn’t plant and gathering crops I didn’t cultivate? Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

STEP #2: INVEST

A bag of gold or talent is equivalent to $1000.00. The first servant was given 5 bags of gold or $5000.00, the second $2000.00, the third $1000.00. With the present exchange rate $1 = Php45, the first received Php225,000, the second Php90,000, and the third Php45,000.
What will you do if somebody gives you Php225,000? Ask also your friends. Kahit man lang sa guni-guni ay mag-enjoy ka!
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The Lord gives capital to each one of us. We are all servants of God and we owe Him everything. He has given each of us capital to invest – it may be material like money or riches; it may be land or other possessions; it may be friends or connections na maaaring maging paraan para bumukas ang pinto ng kasaganaan. There is also the literal meaning of talent – ability, knowledge and imagination.
What is God’s basis in giving us capital or talent to invest?

I. WE ARE GIVEN ACCORDING TO OUR ABILITY TO RECEIVE AND INCREASE.
“He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last – dividing it in proportion to their abilities…” Matthew 25:15.
God gives us according to our ability to receive and ability to increase what we received. It has nothing to do with God’s stinginess. God is not stingy. He is a gracious God. The only limitation is our own ability to receive and increase. Do not accuse God of being unfair. “Bakit yung isa lima ang ibinigay samantalang yung isa isa lang? Napaka-unfair naman.” You have to consider first what is your ability. What’s the point of giving you five talents if you can’t even handle one? Ipagkakatiwala mo ba ang iyong kayamanan sa isang taong walang ginawa kondi ang magwaldas? Kaya wala tayong karapatang mainggit sa mga taong talented at nagiging mas talented pa o mayaman na, mas yumayaman pa. Ask yourself, “Napagyaman ko ba ang ibinigay sa akin? Napalago ko ba ito?” If the answer is no, then, we don’t have the right to demand for more. What will you do with Php225,000? Your answer to that question speaks strongly whether you are headed for prosperity or not.

1. HANDLING MONEY – THE FILIPINO WAY!
We, Filipinos, are more into spending than investing. Game show hosts would usually ask their contestants, “What will you do if you win 1 million pesos?” The most common answer: “A, bibili ako ng bahay at lupa. Wala pa kasi kaming bahay.” O hindi kaya, “Ipapaayos ko po yung bahay namin.” Atat na atat tayo diyan sa bahay at lupa. Kapag ang isang member ng family ay nag-abroad, malalaman mo na kumikita na siya doon kasi yung mga kaanak niyang naiwan magpapaayos na ng bahay o bibili ng bahay at lupa. Yung master’s bedroom, naka-aircon na, may terrace na, naka-tiles na ang sala, ang dog house may escalator na, etc.
Pagkatapos ng maraming taon na pagpapakahirap sa labas ng bansa, uuwi na ang Pinoy sa kanyang magandang bahay na kanyang naipundar.
Basically, that is the Filipino dream – to own a house. Well, it’s good to have a beautiful house. But if the flow of money is not sustained, mamaya nakasanla na rin yung bahay at lupa.
King Solomon in all his wisdom said: “Develop your business first before building your house” Proverbs 24:27.

2. THE BUSINESS MENTALITY OF THE FILIPINO-CHINESE
In the Philippines, those who have one syllable names control the economy – Sy, Ty, Tan, Ng, Yu, Uy. Two generations ago, these Chinese migrants were very poor. They came to the Philippines in search of a greener pasture. Back in China life was miserable – talagang sobrang hirap. Masuwerte na sila kapag may makakain na daga, kamote, at kung anu-ano. Pero ngayon sila ang may hawak sa mga malalaking negosyo sa Pilipinas. Kahit saang bayan ka magpunta, sila ang may hawak ng mga negosyo.
What happened? How have they become so rich? Simple. They know how to increase their money. Kahit iyan ay may pera, hindi agad yan bibili ng bahay at lupa. Ang gagawin nila, magrerent ng isang maliit na tindahan, magnenegosyo, titira sa isang gilid o sulok, at magtitiis. They live simply but they have lots of money. They know how to invest.
Students, we have to change our mentality - from spending mentality to investing mentality. Learn how to do business. Kahit gaano kaliit ang capital pwedeng lumago. Pwede kayong magbenta ng load, o hindi kaya magdala kaya ng mga produkto mula sa lugar ninyo katulad ng mga prutas na pwedeng ibenta pagbalik ninyo dito, o mag register sa direct selling, o hindi kaya magbenta kayo ng yema, ng pulboron, at kung anu-ano. If you know how to do business, hindi ka mawawalan ng pera. Do not just dream of getting a good job. Dream of giving jobs to people. Learn to invest.
What does God expect from those who received talents?

II. WE ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.
In Matthew 25:16-17, we read, “The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money.”
Notice the word IMMEDIATELY. Right after receiving the money, they invested it. That is what God expects. And what did God say to the one who did not invest what he received?
“Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest” Matthew 25:27.
But what if you were born poor? What can you invest when you have nothing to invest, when what you have is not even enough for your daily existence? It’s not your fault if you were born poor. But if you die poor that already is your responsibility. We cannot choose our parents and the circumstances we were born with but we certainly can choose how we live. Mahirap maging mahirap lalo na yung ipinanganak na mahirap at namatay na mahirap. Kailan pa tayo makakaahon sa hirap kung ganyan?
Those who were born rich and those who were born poor are both given 24 hours a day. How you make use of it will determine the difference. The Lord expects our talents to be invested. And the Lord expects that they earn profits. The Lord expects profit from the capital that He gives us. Katulad nung binigyan ng limang talents at dalawang talents, pagkatanggap, nagtrabaho sila agad, nagsumikap. Hindi nila sinabing, “Saka na, next time, magpahinga muna tayo.”
How do we waste God’s resources and opportunities? We read this line in the parable: “But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping” Matthew 25:18.
Iisa na nga lang ang ibinigay, wala pang nangyari. If you want something done immediately, give it to someone who is busy.
We should be busy. Yung isa na isa na nga lang ang ibinigay sa kanya, inilubog pa sa lupa. There are people who are like that – wala na ngang papel sa buhay, bigyan niyo ng konting trabaho, hindi pa aasikasuhin. Paano kayo bibigyan ng mas malaking papel? When there’s a lot to be done rise to the occasion. Sleep less, work more. When there is more to do, you just have to work more. Because, to whom much is given, much is required. And remember: To those who deliver more, more will be given.

THE PRIORITY OF EVANGELISM

2010-02-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

God created man, placed him in a perfect environment, and enjoyed his fellowship. But man chose to rebel against God. In that rebellion, the sentence of death has passed upon all men. God could have carried out a just judgment and destroyed humankind at that time. Instead, God created a plan to save humankind.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.
Jesus Christ—the Son of God came. At the age of thirty He started His public ministry. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and taught about the Kingdom of God. One time, He appointed 72 disciples to go to towns and preach about the Kingdom of God.

Before going back to heaven, He appointed the whole church to go and preach the Gospel. And that is what we call EVANGELISM.

Evangelism is tough work. It is much easier to take care of the righteous than go after the unrighteous.

A CASE STUDY: MATTHEW AND FRIENDS (Matthew 9:9-13)

“As Jesus was going down the road, he saw Matthew sitting at his tax—collection booth. ‘Come, be my disciple’, Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. That night Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many notorious sinners. The Pharisees were indignant. ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?’ they asked his disciples. When he heard this, Jesus replied, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.’ Then he added, ‘Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to be merciful; I don’t want your sacrifices.’ For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough.”

The sinking of the “unsinkable ship”, the Titanic, caused the death of approximately 1500 people. The nearest ship was miles away, but it was off duty. It could have rescued all the passengers if it were on duty. It could have rescued all the passengers if it were on duty. Similarly, many Christians are “off duty.”

If all Christians were off duty, we wouldn’t be here today. We’re here today because somebody cared and shared to us the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, in honor of that person, we too must decide to make personal evangelism part of our lifestyle. The most important contribution that you can make to the Kingdom of God is to provide an opportunity for a person to meet the Lord.
The story of Matthew is a perfect example of how we can share the Gospel.

I. BARRIERS TO PERSONAL EVANGELISM THAT ARE XPOSED IN THE STORY OF MATTHEW
1. Some people are too sinful for God to forgive.
2. People are not interested in the Gospel of Jesus and may not respond.
3. I am not trained for personal evangelism; it’s difficult for me to do.
4. I will be criticized and embarrassed if people don’t respond.

II. THE STORY OF MATTHEW ANSWERS THESE BARRIERS

1. Some people are too sinful for God to forgive:
God forgave Matthew…..
 He had backslidden from the faith of his fathers.
 He had betrayed his people by becoming a tax collector.
 He cheated his neighbors by collecting too much.
 He also had a sinful lifestyle.
“He said to him, ‘follow me.’ And he rose and followed him” (v.9).

 Jesus cared about Matthew even though he made sinful choices and led a displeasing lifestyle.

 God loves sinners and does not want anyone to perish.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.

 Jesus came to save sinners.
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” Matthew 1:21.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners” Matthew 9:12-13.

JESUS IS IN THE WASHING BUSINESS!
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” Hebrews 8:12

2. People aren’t interested in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and may not respond:
“He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him” (v.9b).

a. Jesus meets every spiritual need. He ministered to the poor, the captive, the blind, and the sick.
Jesus knows how to reach the hurting soul. Once you share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit does the rest of the work.

“Every Saturday evening for over forty years a servant of God stood on a certain street corner handling out gospel tracts to the passerby. And then he stopped. Discouraged because he saw so little fruit, he abandoned his post. Some years later he happened on the spot and a young man stood there and gave him a gospel tract. He stopped, and addressing the young man he said, “How is it that you are here tonight?” “Well, sir, it is like this. An old man occupied this corner for years; I was saved by the means of a tract he gave me. Evidently, the old man is in heaven now for I’ve missed him here, and so I am seeking to fill his place.”
Tears filled the eyes of the older Christian as the young man thus spoke.
“I am the man who gave you the tract,” he said, “and by the grace of God I mean to stand my place until Jesus comes.”

3. I’m not trained in personal evangelism; it’s too difficult.
“That night Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners” (v.10).

a. Matthew used what he had to introduce others to Christ.
 His home
 His food
Many of the personal evangelism of Jesus Christ were done around the dining table. Eating relaxes people.

b. Matthew related to his old friends and relatives in a new way. A way that would save them.

c. Matthew’s new relationship with Jesus.
All that Matthew did was share what he had found in Jesus, nothing more. That was his witness for Christ.

4. I’ll be criticized or embarrassed if people don’t respond.
“And when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does you teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’” (v.11).

a. Doing God’s will is more important than other’s criticism or our embarrassment.
Remember Jesus lived a perfect life and performed many miracles yet they crucified him.

b. When people reject—don’t take it personal.

FIVE SIMPLE STEPS:

1. LOOK AROUND—who among your family, friends, neighbors, classmates, and acquaintances need Christ?

2. LOOK UP—pray for them. Ask God to open their hearts to Christ and give to you the opportunity to tell them about Christ.

3. LOOK OUT—find ways to build friendship with these people. Help them or ask them to help you. It is easier to talk about Christ when people are your friends.

4. LOOK FORWARD—plan to invite these people to your home, snacks outside, to church, to a cell meeting.

5. LOOK AFTER—some of these people will want to accept Christ. Help them grow as new Christian believers. Connect them to a cell group.

BECOMING LIKE CHRIST

2010-01-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

You were created to become like Christ.
From the very beginning, God’s plan has been to make you like His Son, Jesus.
When the first disciples choose to follow Jesus, they didn’t understand all the implications of their decision. They simply responded to Jesus’ invitation. That’s all you need to get started: DECIDE to become a disciple.

We are not meant to remain as children…but to grow up in every way into Christ” EPHESIANS 4:14-15.
“For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to him…should become like his Son…”
ROMANS 8:29.
“…that you may become mature Christians and may fulfill God’s will for you”
COLOSSIANS 4:12b.

DISCIPLE was Christ’s favorite word for those who followed Him. The Greek word for disciple, ‘mathetes’, is used 269 times in the Gospels and Acts. It means a ‘taught’ or ‘trained’ one.
DISCIPLESHIP is the process of becoming like Christ.
DISCIPLE was Christ’s favorite word for those who followed Him. The Greek word for disciple, ‘mathetes’, is used 269 times in the Gospels and Acts. It means a ‘taught’ or ‘trained’ one.

I. THE DISTINGUISHING MARKS OF A DISCIPLE

A. A disciple is a Christian who is involved in the word of God on a continual basis.
“[JESUS] You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” John 8:31-32.

B. A disciple is one who lays down his life for others.
“[JESUS] So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” John 13:34-35.
“ And here is how to measure it – the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends” John 15:13.
We give up certain rights. We may have to sacrifice money, time, and possessions in order to love others better.

C. A disciple is one who abides daily in a fruit-bearing union with Christ.
“Remain in me and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me…Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit” John 15:4-5.
“[JESUS] The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields” Matthew 9:37-38.

D. A disciple must carry his cross in order to follow Jesus.
“And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me” Luke 14:27.

The world desperately needs DISCIPLES. We can help reach the world – that great harvest!

II. THE BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF A DISCIPLE
Once you decide to follow Christ, there are basic responsibilities and basic qualities.
“Timothy, my dear son, be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others.
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. And as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. Follow the Lord’s rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. Hardworking farmers are the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things” 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-7

A. GROW
“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2:1)
The verb ‘grow’ is present and imperative. It is a command. It is in the present tense. Meaning, we should continue to grow, to remain strong, as growth is a continuing process.
Physical growth is painful, and so is spiritual growth. It is never easy.

FACTS ABOUT SPIRITUAL GROWTH:

1. IT’S NOT AUTOMATIC.
“You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others, but instead you have dropped back to the place where you need someone to teach you all over again the very first principles in God’s Word. You are like babies who can drink only milk, not old enough for solid food. And when a person is still living on milk it shows he isn’t very far along in the Christian life, and doesn’t know much about the difference between right and wrong. He is still a baby-Christian!” HEBREWS 5:12-13.

Spiritual growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing.

Spiritual maturity is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life.

2. IT IS A PROCESS.
You are a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation in developing the character of Jesus will take the rest of your life, and even then it won’t be completed here on earth. It will only be finished when you get to heaven or when Jesus returns. At that point, whatever unfinished work on your character is left will be wrapped up.
As long as we live, we’ll never reach the point where we can say, ‘I have arrived!’
ONCE WE STOP GROWING, WE STOP LIVING!
“Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ” 1 PETER 3:18.

3. IT TAKES DISCIPLINE.
“Train yourself to be godly” 1 TIMOTHY 4:7.
Like an athlete, we need discipline in order to grow spiritually.
Spiritual growth involves CHANGE. In every change there is fear or loss; and in every loss there is pain.
Spiritual growth is hard work. It takes time.

When God wants to make a mushroom, He does it overnight, but when He wants to make a giant oak, He takes a hundred years. Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering.

B. MULTIPLY
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2:2).
Paul urges Timothy to entrust to men who can be trusted the teachings he received so that they too could teach others.
“[JESUS] Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” MATTHEW 28:19-20.
WE ARE CALLED NOT ONLY TO BE A DISCIPLE, BUT ALSO TO MAKE DISCIPLES.

“IF YOU ARE PLANNING FOR A YEAR, PLANT GRAIN; IF YOU ARE PLANNING FOR A DECADE, PLANT TREES; IF YOU ARE PLANNING FOR A CENTURY, PLANT MEN” (Chinese proverb).

We should be bearing not only spiritual children but also grandchildren and great grand children, continually reaching out for souls to witness and disciple.
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents…” LUKE 15:7.

GROW, THEN MULTIPLY! IF YOU DON’T MULTIPLY, YOU BEGIN TO EXPIRE!

THE POWER OF BELONGING

2010-01-23T21:39:00.001-08:00

Ephesians 2:19

Abraham Maslow, a noted psychologist, believes that needs build on one another. Throughout our lives we move from one cluster of needs to another as motivations for our actions. One basic set of needs, he argues, springs from our bodies. They are called physiological needs – food, drink, recreation, etc.
Men and women also have needs that result from living with other people. These social-dependency needs include the desire for self-esteem, love and affection, security, self-realization, and self-expression. People want to know that they are loved, that they have worth, that they can grow, develop, and realize their potential.
In trying to satisfy these needs, people try many things…

I. In trying to satisfy his need to belong, man seeks love and affection from….

A. Social Groups
• Family
• Peers –same age group
• Fraternities/Sororities
• Friendship Groups
• Special Interest Groups – (Athletes, Dancers, Singers, Artists, Gays, Writers, Scholars, Book Worms, Leaders, Entrepreneurs, etc)
• Task Groups – (Cleaners, Janitors, Snack servers, etc.)
• Diads

These social groups that we belong to shape the way we think, the way we talk, the way we act, the way we live. They form our convictions and principles. They help us know ourselves. They affect and influence us in various ways. They help us feel sense of identity. That you belong!
However, these social groups are limited and temporary. Family, for one, is a beautiful gift from God but they are temporary and fragile, often broken by divorce, distance, growing old, and inevitably death. No matter how solid and wonderful relationships are there is always a time when you have to say goodbye.
Illus: High School life….

II. God has established a spiritual family to meet our need to belong and this family will last for eternity.
“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family” Ephesians 2:19.
You are called to belong, not just to believe.
Even in the perfect, sinless environment of Eden, God said, “it is not good for man to be alone.” We are created for community, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves. We need the Body of Christ – the Church, the community of believers.
For the organs of your body to fulfill their purpose, they must be connected to your body. Imagine your feet walking without you.
The same is true for you as a part of Christ’s body. You were created for a specific role, but you will miss this second purpose of your life if you’re not attached, committed to a living, local church.
Disconnected and cut off from a local body, your spiritual life will wither and eventually cease to exist. This is why the first symptom of spiritual decline is usually inconsistent attendance at worship services or gatherings of believers.
The Church is God’s agenda for the world. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” The Church is indestructible and will exist for eternity. The Church is so significant that Jesus died on the cross for it.
Many believe one can be a “good” Christian without committing to a local church, but God would strongly disagree.

WHY DO I NEED A LOCAL CHURCH?

1. A CHURCH FAMILY IDENTIFIES ME AS A GENUINE BELIEVER.
You can’t claim to be following Christ if you’re not committed to any specific group of believers. There’s no such thing as ‘bogus’ Christian. You can’t be a guest or attender forever without any identity, accountability, or commitment.

2. A CHURCH FAMILY MOVES ME OUT OF SELF-CENTERED ISOLATION.
The local church is the classroom for learning how to get along in God’s family. As a participating member, I learn to care about others and share the experiences of others. God expects us to give our lives for others.

3. A CHURCH FAMILY HELPS ME DEVELOP SPIRITUAL MUSCLES.
You’ll never learn to play basketball if you’re just in the sideline watching others play. In the same way, you will never grow to maturity just by attending worship services and being a passive spectator. Only participation in the full life of a local church builds spiritual muscle.
We need more than the Bible in order to grow; we need other believers. We grow faster and stronger by learning from each other and being accountable (responsible) to each other. That’s the main purpose of having a cell group. Kung wala ka may mga maghahanap. Kasi they care about you.

4. A CHURCH FAMILY HELPS ME DISCOVER, DEVELOP MY SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND NATURAL ABILITIES.
God has a unique role for you in His family. This is called your ‘ministry’. And God has gifted you for this assignment.
Your local fellowship is the place God designed for you to discover, develop, and use your gifts. It is also the place where we share in Christ’s mission for the world.
As members of Christ’s body, we are his hands, his feet, his eyes, and his heart. He works through us in the world. We each have a contribution to make.
Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so I’m sending you.”

5. A CHURCH FAMILY WILL KEEP ME FROM BACKSLIDING.
‘Mind your own business’ is not a Christian phrase. We are called and commanded to be involved in each other’s lives.
We need a community. When you’re struggling with sin, you can’t battle it on your own. You need believers who will check on you, pray for you, encourage you, and reprimand you.
Life is difficult and we need the encouragement of other believers to get us through. Encouragement is not the responsibility of a gifted few, but the responsibility of all in the family of God. We live by encouragement, and we die without it – slowly, sadly, angrily.

IF THIS IS NOT A PLACE
(Ken Medema)

If this is not a place where tears are understood,
Then where shall I go to cry?
And if this is not a place where my spirit can take wings,
Then where shall I go to fly?

I don’t need another place for tryin’ to impress you
With just how good and virtuous I am, no, no, no.
I don’t need another place for always bein’ on top of things
Everybody knows that it’s a sham, it’s a sham (fake).
I don’t need another place for always wearin’ smiles
Even when it’s not the way I feel.
I don’t need another place to mouth the same platitudes (boredom)
Everybody knows that it’s not real.

So if this is not a place where my questions can be asked,
Then where shall I go to seek?
And if this is not a place where my heart’s cry can be heard,
Where, tell me where, shall I go to speak?
So if this is not a place where tears are understood,
Where shall I go, where shall I go to fly?

Do you have a spiritual family you can call your own? A family you can go to? A family who will welcome you home? A spiritual family personally chosen by you? A family that will help you grow in the Lord?

THE POWER OF BELONGING

2010-01-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

John 1:12; Matthew 18:20

To more people that we would dare admit, attending church is a lot like watching a show. The better the entertainment, the more they enjoy coming. But the less they like what they see and hear, the more they grumble and complain. This ‘entertainment syndrome’ is so prevalent that it has produced ‘church shoppers and hoppers.’
All of this is true, of course, until you get serious about this business of “the church.” Things change when you do. You feel more like investing your time, your treasure…..your very life.
God is involved in only two worldwide construction projects. The first is called evangelism, where He stretches His big arms around the world to reach and to win the lost to Himself. The second worldwide program God is involved in is the Church.
Since the beginning of the Church, our Lord has been reaching down into the ranks of humanity, selecting, choosing, calling out, drawing people to Himself. These people are men, women, boys, girls, teenagers, older folks, all different sizes with all different personalities, from all different nations and tribes. He continues to call them out from the full spectrum of humanity, from busy urban centers to distant jungles. And He places them……where? He places each one of them in His Body, the Church.
Let’s learn a little history together.
The Church in the first century – in its perfect condition – was the object of God’s attention and affection. It was purified by persecution, which caused its influence to spread like a wildfire. Its contagious momentum impacted every corner of the known world. People all across the Roman Empire, much to the embarrassment of its emperor, began to buy into it. And before long there were pockets of believers in villages, towns, and cities, none of them with beautiful cathedrals, but all of them with a heart for God. Their leaders walked with Jesus and taught His truth. Most of them ran the race until martyrdom. Many of their followers were handed the responsibility and became the new leaders of the Church. They, too, were martyred.
This fervent, often bloody chapter of history continued into the second third, and fourth centuries. But during the latter part of that era, something strange happened in the Body. Church became a formal thing. Christianity ultimately became an “official religion.” It took upon itself the marks of an organization. Its leaders increased their roles of authority. Their authority finally shifted to unquestioned power, and soon there emerged the voice of the Church. Worshipers, kept ignorant of the Word of God, became increasingly more manipulated and intimidated.
Predictably, the Church lost its way as its divine power was replaced with human authority. Zeal and excitement drained away. The shadow of the Dark Ages edged across the religious landscape. The Church’s authoritative guide – the Bible – was chained to the pulpit, with its message now hidden in the secret language of the clergy. The common people remained in the dark – ignorant of the Scripture. It is hard to imagine the darkness of those decades. There were exceptions, but for the most part, God’s truth was silenced.
By the fourteenth, fifteenth, and into the sixteenth century, a growing band of straight-thinking, tough-minded men emerged from obscurity (anonymity). These “reformers” courageously stood against the uncontested power bloc of the official Church and had the boldness to bring back the authority of Holy Scripture. As they broke with tradition, they spoke for God. Vital doctrines were rethought, restated, and reintroduced to the common people so that they could understand them and apply them to their lives. As you would expect, many of those reformers became martyrs….but their vision lived on. The movement had gained too much momentum to be stopped. A spiritual revival flamed across Europe and into England, igniting the Great Awakening that ultimately crossed the Atlantic to America.
God’s Body-building program was again on the move. No power was strong enough to shut it down.
The Church is larger today than it was yesterday. It will be larger tomorrow than it is today, because God is forever reaching people with the good news of Christ and bringing them into His Body.
What is a church? What are the requirements to constitute a church?

THE CHURCH IS NOT A BUILDING; IT IS NOT A DENOMINATION NOR AN ORGANIZATION; BUT A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS IN CHRIST, THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.
It comes from the Greek word ekklesia meaning “called-out ones”
In the New Testament the word ‘church’ may be applied to a group of believers at any level, ranging from a very small group meeting in a private home all the way to the group of all true believers in the universal Church.
According to Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather together in my name, I am there among them.”
That is the minimum requirement to constitute a church. You don’t need to have a building, to belong to a denomination; you don’t even need to have a pastor, a church board or a name before you can be called a church.
How can one be a member of God’s family? Is there a test? A membership fee? Initiation rites?

I. THE MEMBERS OF GOD’S FAMILY
When we place our faith in Christ, God becomes our Father, we become His children, other believers become our brothers and sisters, and the Church becomes our spiritual family. The family of God includes all believers in the past, the present, and the future.
You become a part of the human family by your first birth, but you become a member of God’s family by your second birth, that is, your spiritual birth which happens the moment you put your trust in Christ for your salvation. Your first birth was not your choice. But your second birth is your choice. It is an individual decision. Jesus says, “Unless you are born again you can never see the kingdom of God (or you can never be a member of God’s family)” John 3:3.
“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12.

II. THE BENEFITS OF THE MEMBERS OF GOD’S FAMILY
Your spiritual family is even more important than your physical family because it will last forever. Our families on earth are wonderful gifts from God, but they are temporary and fragile, often broken by divorce, distance, growing old, and inevitably death. On the other hand, our spiritual family – our relationship to other believers – will continue throughout eternity.
The New Testament gives great emphasis to our rich inheritance.
Here on earth we receive His grace, kindness, patience, glory, wisdom, power and mercy. But in eternity we will inherit more.

a. We will be with God forever.
b. We will be completely changed to be like Christ
c. We will be freed from all pain, suffering, and death
d. We will be rewarded and reassigned positions of service
e. We will get to share in God’s family

“God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” 1 Peter 1:4.
This means that your eternal inheritance in Christ is priceless, pure, permanent, and protected. No one can take it from you.

III. THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE MEMBERS OF GOD’S FAMILY
Fraternities have tattoos. They also have final initiation rites. For Christians, we have water baptism. Baptism is not optional, to be delayed or postponed. It signifies your inclusion in God’s family. It publicly announces to the world, “I am not ashamed to be a part of God’s family.”
Jesus commands, “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:18-20.
Your first baptism was not your choice. It was a transaction between your parents and God. But your water baptism is your own choice.
Your baptism declares your faith, shares Christ’s burial and resurrection, symbolizes your death to your old life, and announces your new life in Christ. It is also a celebration of your inclusion in God’s family.
If you haven’t been baptized as an expression of your faith in Christ, do so as soon as possible, as Jesus commanded.

Jesus says, “...upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” MATTHEW 16:18.
The Church is not the work of some pastor or body of elders or some other governing hierarchy. It is Jesus who builds it. The Church is solely his. The Church is not owned by some denomination or group of clergymen or some official religious organization.
Christ is our Boss, our final authority. Christ is our Lord and we are his servants. The Church was and is his...he originated it. He alone is its Master.

“...all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”
In other words, if all the wicked forces were unleashed from the open gates of Hell itself, the Church would not be hindered in its growth. Nothing could ever destroy the Church. It’s a permanent building process that will never be crippled by some outside force, never be rendered obsolete, and never be stopped by any power, person, or plan.
I urge you to ask yourself several hard questions:
• Where do I really stand regarding the work of a local church?
• Is my participation halfhearted or wholehearted?
• Does my giving reflect generosity?
• Have I prayed for the church’s mission and ministry?
• Do I support it in active service, not simply in passive presence?

SIGNPOSTS ALONG LIFE’S JOURNEY

2010-01-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 16:9

Happy New Year!
Is your new year new?
As you travel along the national highway there are signposts that give direction or warnings to travellers. Those signposts are very important especially when you’re travelling in an unfamiliar place, or when you’re travelling at night.
We Filipinos have many traditions in celebrating the new year (pagkain ng pansit, maghanda ng mga bilog na prutas, magsuot ng mga polka dots, maghasik ng bigas, magpaputok, at kung anu-ano.) Ginagawa ang mga iyon para daw pampaswerte. If it is true, eh di sana wala ng mahirap na Pilipino. Sana lagi na tayong swerte at wala ng mga calamities na tumatama sa ating bansa.
What does the word of God say?
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” Proverbs 16:9.

What are the signposts that we should observe as we go through 2010 and beyond?

1. PLAN BIG
“We can make our plans…”
What are your goals for 2010? What do you want to achieve? What are you aiming for? Or bahala na si Batman o ang tadhana o kuntento na tayo kung ano ang dumating? Many go through life without any plan/goal because planning is hardwork.
For those who have plans, how big are your plans? Are they humanly possible or impossible? If it is humanly possible then you do not need the power of God. Our God specializes in the impossible. If your plans are humanly possible, then, there is no room for God. You don’t need God.
I dare you to plan big. Dream big dreams. Dreams that will outlive you. Dreams that are humanly impossible.
In A Savior for All Seasons, William Barker relates the story of a bishop who paid a visit to a small, religious college. He stayed at the home of the college president, who also served as professor of physics and chemistry. After dinner the bishop declared that the millennium couldn’t be far off, because just about everything about nature had been discovered and all inventions conceived.
The young college president politely disagreed and said he felt there would be more discoveries. When the angered bishop challenged the president to name just one invention, the president replied he was certain that within fifty years men would be able to fly.
“Nonsense!” said the outraged bishop. “Only angels are intended to fly.”
The bishop’s name was Wright, and he had two boys at home who would prove to have greater vision that their father. Their names were Orville and Wilbur.
Keep asking yourself, “Survival, success, or significance?” Are you striving simply to survive, are you dreaming about success, or are you really out to make a truly significant difference? Making difference by being different.
Let me ask you, “What are you praying for?” What are you goals for your studies? What do you want to achieve? What are your goals for your business? To our cell leaders, do you have a goal to multiply? How many cell groups are you asking the Lord for? How many people are you asking the Lord for? Ask the Lord for a specific number? To those who do not have a cell group yet, what are you asking the Lord for? To those who are not yet committed, when will you commit? When will you make an influence? When will you truly live? If you are not making an impact, you are not living. You are merely existing!
The Lord challenges us, “Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the ends of the earth as your possession” Psalms 2:8.
“Keep on asking , and you will be given what you ask for….For everyone who asks, receives” Matthew 7:7-8.
Illustration: Keziah’s prayer (tindahan, car, house, money)

DREAM BIG DREAMS.
“By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope for” Ephesians 3:20.

II. HAVE FAITH
“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot see” Hebrews 11:1.
Faith deals with things future (what we hope for) and things unseen (what we do not see). The NIV translation (Being sure of what we hope for) puts the emphasis on faith as an expression of our confidence in God’s promises. However, it is also possible translate, ‘faith is the substance of things hoped for’ or ‘faith gives substance to our hopes.’ It suggests that what we hope for becomes real and substantial by the exercise of our faith. Faith is being certain of what we do not see. It is the means of ‘proving’ or ‘testing’ invisible realities such as the existence of God, His faithfulness to His word and His control over our world and its affairs.
The world says, “To see is to believe.” The word of God says, “To believe is to see."
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” Matthew 21:22.
Faith is to believe what we do not see. The reward of this faith is to see what we believe.
Faith begins where man’s power ends. We have a God who delights in impossibilities.
III. TRUST GOD
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” Proverbs 16:9.
“Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires” Psalms 37:3-4.
The word trust suggests the physical experience of supporting yourself on something or someone in total and helpless reliance and commitment.
As a proof of God’s trustworthiness, Paul says, “Since God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also gives us everything else?" Romans 8:31.
Christ is the ultimate proof that God can be trusted to keep His promises.
“Even strong lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will never lack any good thing” Psalms 34:10.
In what are you trusting? Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment. Trust in your friends and they will die and leave you. Trust in money and you may have it taken from you. Trust in reputation and some slanderous tongue may blast it. But trust in God and you will never be defeated in time or eternity.

As a challenge, write your goals/plans for this year 2010 or beyond. Believe that God will accomplish great and mighty things through you. Be amazed as those dreams will come true. Never forget to give God the glory. Have a safe trip and enjoy the journey.

THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

2010-01-23T21:35:00.000-08:00

John 10:10

Every year, the whole world celebrates Christmas. Both the religious and irreligious celebrate Christmas.
Christmas has come to mean – party, reunion, gift giving, exchange presents, eating, drinking, merrying, marrying. After 11 months of living a boring, busy life, people during the holiday season try a shot at happiness. That is, if they are lucky!
Everyone wants to be happy. And that is the motive behind everything we do.
Are you truly happy?
But man can never and will never be truly happy without God. Sin breaks our close relationship with God. It causes us to rebel against God and try to live our lives outside of God’s will.
When our relationship with God is not right, it causes PROBLEMS in every area of our lives. Wherever you go, you cannot escape that. Year in and year out, you celebrate Christmas but it’s not going to make any difference.
When people have problems, they often try many different ways of coping before turning to God, even when they know that their deepest need is God.

WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?
“THE THIEF’S PURPOSE IS TO STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY. MY PURPOSE IS TO GIVE LIFE IN ALL ITS FULLNESS” John 10:10.
In a nutshell, that is the meaning of Christmas. Jesus came to give us an abundant life –overflowing, rich, plentiful, meaningful life.
Is it possible? Yes! We can have an abundant life because Jesus Christ came to give us exactly that! That is what Christmas is all about. Without Jesus Christ, there would be no Christmas to celebrate.
Christmas means......

I. HOPE OF FORGIVENESS
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” Matthew 1:21.
JESUS – “the Lord Saves”

Salvation in the Old System:
“....There were two rooms in this tent. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and loaves of holy bread on the table. This was called the Holy Place. Then there was a curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place.
When these things were all in place, the priests went in and out of the first room regularly as they performed their religious duties. But only the high priest goes into the Most Holy Place, and only once a year, and always with blood, which he offers to God to cover his own sins and the sins the people have committed in ignorance......the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them....” Hebrews 9:2-10.
“Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins” Hebrews 9:22.
“The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship....But just the opposite happened. Those yearly sacrifices reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” Hebrews 10:2-4.

Salvation through Jesus Christ:
“Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever....Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” Hebrews 9:12-15.
“Under the old covenant, the priest stands before the altar day after day, offering sacrifices that can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down at the place of highest honor at God’s right hand....Now when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices” Hebrews 10:11-12, 18.

II. HOPE OF DELIVERANCE
“When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll containing the messages of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him, and he unrolled the scroll to the place where it says:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” Luke 4:16-19.
After reading the Scripture, Jesus said, “today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” v.21.
He was saying, “I have come to fulfill the Scripture.”
The Apostle John says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have enough room for the books that would be written” John 21:25.
Jesus came to declare deliverance to people who are oppressed by Satan. People are in bondage to sin, sickness, poverty, fear, and death. Jesus came to set people free!
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free...” Galatians 5:1.
Your freedom has been paid in full by the blood of Jesus Christ!
III. HOPE OF PEACE WITH GOD
Jesus came to declare God’s amnesty program. He came to let the world know that the God whom they had offended is willing to be reconciled to them, and accept them upon new terms; that there is yet a way of making their services acceptable to Him.
“We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God’s anger just like everyone else” Ephesians 2:3.
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners....So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God – all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God” Romans 5:8,11.

IV. HOPE OF GLORY
“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory” Romans 5:2.
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later” Romans 8:18.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.
“In my Father’s house are many rooms...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” John 14:1-3.

The meaning of Christmas is hope. In Christ, there is hope. There is no hope in our good works, achievements, riches, religion. Christ is our only hope. In and through Christ, there is hope of forgiveness, hope of deliverance, hope of peace, and hope that one day when the history of the world will come to an end, we will be with the Lord forever!

THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST OF WORSHIP

2010-01-23T21:32:00.001-08:00

Luke 18:9-14

Man’s chief end is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. We probably delight in God more fully in worship than in any other activity in this life. Worship is an end in itself because we glorify God by enjoying Him forever. In worship, we do not come to give but to get. We do not watch; we participate. We don’t care what other people think. We’re focused on one thing: pleasing God and enjoying Him.
If worship has a reward, it also has a moral enemy. Jesus Christ makes this clear in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great self-confidence and scorned everyone else: ‘Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a dishonest tax collector. The proud Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like the tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t sin, I don’t commit adultery, I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored.”

I. THE ENEMY OF WORSHIP
“The proud Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like the tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t sin, I don’t commit adultery, I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income” v. 11-12.
Pharisees during the time of Christ were deeply religious people during the time of Christ. They keep the law of Moses and they were the official interpreters and teachers of the law in Israel. But Jesus denounced them publicly despite of their being religious.
Luke 11:37-52:
 They were hypocrites (v. 39)
 They give their tithes in everything (v. 42)
 They love public recognition (v. 43)
 They have burdened the people with many rules and regulations (v. 46)

Now, this particular Pharisee went to the Temple to worship. What’s wrong with his attitude?
 Attitude of comparing
 Attitude of self-sufficiency
“God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them” Matthew 5:3.
The moral enemy of worship is DUTY. The Pharisee went to the Temple to worship because it was his duty. When worship becomes a duty, it dishonors God. When there is no longer the joy of worship, then, it is no longer worship. When you go to God in order to give rather than to get – worship becomes a duty. Let us not allow worship to become a mere performance. Let us God to quicken our spirits.
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away” Matthew 15:8.

II. THE REWARD IN WORSHIP
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored.”
Tax collectors were very unpopular during the time of Christ. They were outcasts. They were irreligious. They were treated with contempt by the people because they were traitors against their own government and people. They were collecting taxes for the Roman government and they collect more than what was right. Pharisees looked at them with scorn and disgust.
His attitude in worship:
 He did not enter into the temple.
 He cannot look up.
 He was beating his chest in sorrow.
 He was asking God for mercy.
 He came to get not to give.

Jesus said it was the tax collector who went home justified or forgiven, not the Pharisee, who was a very religious man. God looked upon him with mercy and lifted the load of sin in his heart and filled him with overflowing joy. For the first time in his life he felt clean and experienced true happiness as a result of his attitude of humility before God. God gave Himself to him. That is the great reward in worship.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he is the rewarder of those who seek him” HEBREWS 11:6.
You cannot please God if you do not come to him for reward! The reward is not the gift, because worship is not a work that after doing it you receive a salary. Worship is a better deal!

AFTER PLEASING GOD IN WORSHIP, HE GIVES HIMSELF TO US. HE IS OUR EXCEEDING GREAT REWARD! WE FEAST ON HIM! WE ENJOY HIM. HE FILLS US WITH EXCEEDING JOY!

In God’s presence there is pleasure, joy, and delight.
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple” PSALM 27:4.

Dr. Ron Allen refers to worship as our CELEBRATION OF GOD. Listen to his words thoughtfully.
“What, then, is the essence of worship? It is the celebration of God! When we worship God, we celebrate Him: We extol Him, we sound His praises, we boast in Him.
Worship is not the mumbling of prayers or the mouthing of hymns with little thought and less heart; we celebrate God when we join together earnestly in prayer and intensely in song.
Worship is not self-aggrandizing (conceited) words or boring clichés (basta lami jud ang fud, try ninyo, basta enjoy jud siya promise) when one is asked to give a testimony; we celebrate when all of the parts of the service fit together and work to a common end.
Worship is not grudging gifts or compulsory service; we celebrate God when we give to Him hilariously and serve Him with integrity.
Worship is not haphazard music done poorly, not even great music done merely as a performance; we celebrate God when we enjoy and participate in music to His glory.
Worship is not a distracted endurance of the sermon; we celebrate God as we hear His Word gladly and seek to be conformed by it more and more to the image of our Savior.
Worship is not a sermon that is poorly prepared and carelessly delivered; we celebrate God when we honor His Word with our words, by His Spirit.
As a thoughtful gift is a celebration of a birthday, as a special evening out is a celebration of an anniversary, as a warm eulogy is a celebration of a life, as a sexual embrace is a celebration of a marriage – so a worship service is a celebration of God.”

THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST OF WORSHIP

2010-01-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2010-01-02T23:47:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

THE RESULTS OF GENUINE WORSHIP

2009-12-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

2 Chronicles 5:11-14

Because God is worthy of worship and seeks to be worshiped, everything in our worship services should be designed and carried out not to call attention to ourselves or bring glory to ourselves, but to call attention to God and to cause people to think about Him.
“Then the priests left the Holy Place. All the priests who were present had purified themselves, whether or not they were on duty that day. And the Levites who were musicians – Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and all their sons and brothers – were dressed in fine linen robes and stood at the east side of the altar playing cymbals, harps, and lyres. They were joined by 120 priests who were playing trumpets, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words:
‘He is so good! His love endures forever!’
At that moment a cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their work because the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.”

What are the results of genuine worship?

I. WE DELIGHT IN GOD
God created us not only to glorify Him but also to enjoy Him and delight in His excellence. We probably delight in God more fully in worship than in any other activity in this life. Worship is an end in itself because we glorify God by enjoying Him forever. Which means we make the joy of worship our goal. It is precisely in confessing our frustrated, hopeless condition without Him that we honor Him. A patient is not greater than his doctor because he longs to be made well. A child is not greater than his father when he wants the fun of playing together with him. Do not presume that when you come to God you come to give rather than get. The only approach to God in worship is the humble approach because it is the only one that comes with empty hands. We must acknowledge that He alone can satisfy the heart’s longing to be happy. Worship is an end in itself because we glorify God by enjoying Him forever.
“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” Psalm 16:11.

II. GOD DELIGHTS IN US
When God first made the universe, He looked on all of it with delight, and saw that “it was very good” Genesis 1:31.
God takes special delight in human beings whom He has created and redeemed.
“Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on my hand” Isaiah 49:15-16.
God delights in our brokenness. Asaph, one of the writers of psalms, after experiencing depression and discouragement said, “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever” Psalm 73:25-26.
“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water” Psalm 63:1.
God is not unresponsive to the deep longing of our soul. He comes and lifts the load of sin and fills our heart with gladness and gratitude.
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalm 30:11-12.

III. WE DRAW NEAR TO GOD

A. Worship in the Old Covenant:
“The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But just the opposite happened. Those yearly sacrifices reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” Hebrews 10:1-4.

B. Worship in the New Covenant:
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s people, let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water” Hebrews 10:19-22.

1. We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. It is a confidence of free and open access to God based on the unique sacrifice of Jesus.

2. We have a great High Priest over the house of God. Our Great High Priest makes it possible for us to draw near to God together and to share the hope of living for ever in His presence.

IV. GOD DRAWS NEAR TO US
“Come near to God and he will come near to you…” James 4:8.
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father waited for the coming home of his son. In fact, every day he stood on the door with eyes on the road hoping that his son would come back. And when his son came back home, while he was still a long distance away, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
When we come to Him with all humility, He will come to us.

V. GOD MINISTERS TO US
In worship, we ourselves are built up and edified. When we worship God, He meets with us and directly ministers to us, strengthening our faith, intensifying our awareness of His presence, and granting refreshments to our spirits.
“Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” Hebrews 4:16.

VI. UNBELIEVERS KNOW THEY ARE IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Worship is a powerful witness to unbelievers. The atmosphere is electrifying. They feel it. They can sense it. But they cannot explain what it is. They just know that God is present in the midst of His people.

HOW CAN WE ENTER INTO GENUINE WORSHIP?
1. Pray that the Holy Spirit will enable us to worship rightly.
2. See God as He is and then respond to His presence.
“Offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” Hebrews 12:28-29.
3. Prepare for worship.
4. Make right any interpersonal relationship.
“So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God” Matthew 5:23-24.
5. Everything should be done in an orderly way.

WHAT MAKES GOD SMILE

2009-12-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

Genesis 6

The smile of God is the goal of your life.
Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that.
The Bible gives us a clear example of a life that gives pleasure to God. The man’s name was Noah.
In Noah’s day, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God’s. God couldn’t find anyone on earth interested in pleasing Him, so He was grieved and regretted making man. God became so disgusted with the human race that He considered wiping it out. But there was one man who made God smile.

“Now the Lord observed the extent of the people’s wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart. And the Lord said, ‘I will completely wipe out this human race that I have created. Yes, and I will destroy all the animals and birds, too. I am sorry I ever made them.’ But Noah found favor with the Lord.
This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him” Genesis 6:5-9.

Because Noah brought pleasure to God, you and I are alive today. From his life we learn what makes God smile.

I. GOD SMILES WHEN WE LOVE HIM SUPREMELY
Noah loved God more than anything else in the world, even when no one else did.
“Noah consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him” Genesis 6:9.
That is what God wants from us: relationship! It’s the most astounding truth in the universe – that our Creator wants to have a relationship with us. God made you to love you, and He longs for you to love Him back.
“I don’t want your sacrifices – I want your love; I don’t want your offerings – I want you to know me” Hosea 6:6.
Illus: A scene from the film Notting Hill – “I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her.”
God deeply loves you and desires your love in return. He longs for you to know Him and spend time with Him. That is why learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of our life.

II. GOD SMILES WHEN WE TRUST HIM COMPLETELY
“By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told….As a result, Noah became intimate with God” Hebrews 11:7.
God commanded Noah to build an ark because He’s going to send a worldwide flood. God wanted to save the family of Noah and the animal population.
There were 3 problems:
• Noah had never seen rain, because prior to the Flood, God irrigated the earth from the ground up.
• Noah lived hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean.
• There was the problem of gathering all the animals and caring for them.

But Noah didn’t complain or make excuses. He trusted God completely. Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for our life. We expect Him to keep His promises, help us with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.
It took Noah 120 years to build the ark.
In what areas of your life do you need to trust God completely? Trusting is an act of worship.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” Hebrews 11:6.

III. GOD SMILES WHEN WE OBEY HIM WHOLEHEARTEDLY
God gave very detailed instructions as to the size, shape, and materials of the ark as well as the different numbers of animals to be brought on board.
The size of the ark is equivalent to 20 college basketball courts, its height – 4-storey building.
“So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him” Genesis 6:22.
That is wholeheartedness.
Noah obeyed God wholeheartedly. He didn’t say, “Yes, Lord” tapos binago ‘yong plano nang kaunti dahil mahirap. He didn’t also say, “Yes, Lord” tapos hindi niya ginawa dahil wala namang ulan.
Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We choose the commands we obey. That is not wholeheartedness.

IV. GOD SMILES WHEN WE PRAISE AND THANK HIM CONTINUALLY
Few things feel better than receiving a heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else. God smiles when we express our adoration and gratitude to Him.
Noah’s first act after surviving the Flood was to express his thanks to God by offering a sacrifice.
“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings on it” Genesis 8:20.
Illus: magpapaprayer …… pagkatapos makuha ang answer hindi na marunong magpasalamat. Sasabihin ‘Ako na gud ni!’
“What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? Psalm 116:12.
By giving our tithes and offerings.
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” 2 Corinthians 9:12.

V. GOD SMILES WHEN WE USE OUR ABILITIES
After the Flood, God gave these simple instructions: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth…. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”
God said, “It’s time to get on with your life! Do the things I designed humans to do.”
You may feel that the only time God is pleased with you is when you’re doing “spiritual” activities. And you may think God is unconcerned about the other parts of your life. Actually, God enjoys watching every detail of your life, whether you are working, playing, resting, or eating.
You can wash dishes, repair a machine, sell a product, etc. for the glory of God.
God intentionally gifted us differently for His enjoyment. You don’t bring glory or pleasure to God by hiding your abilities or trying to be someone else. You only bring Him enjoyment by being you. Anytime you reject any part of yourself, you are rejecting God’s wisdom and sovereignty in creating you.
“You have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn’t ask, ‘Why did you make me this way?’” Isaiah 45:9.

Is pleasing God your deepest desire? If yes, then…
• Love Him supremely
• Trust Him completely
• Obey Him wholeheartedly
• Praise and thank Him continually
• Use your abilities

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GENUINE WORSHIP

2009-12-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

John 12:1-8

We enjoy flattery….
Flattery is not genuine….
We can’t flatter God….

“Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethlehem, the home of Lazarus – the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus sat at the table with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples – the one who would betray him – said, “That perfume was worth a small fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor – he was a thief who was in charge of the disciples’ funds, and he often took some for his own use.
Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer.’”

This is a very short narrative. And when you read it, it’s just that: a narrative. But when you try to read between the lines, the teaching is very profound. It teaches about worship – the characteristics of a genuine worship.

I. GENUINE WORSHIP IS A DECISION
“Then Mary took…” v.3.
Worship is a decision. It is not automatic. It is a choice amidst many choices. For others, it is not always an easy choice. To choose between evil and good is easy. But to choose between good and best is difficult (like between WC and USG meeting, WC between group study, CG between research sa Internet, Efest/LDI between NSTP, etc.).
Being present in a worship service is not enough. That is only for the sake of check attendance. Participate in worship. Immerse yourself in the presence of God. Lay down everything at the feet of Jesus. And say, like what Moses said, “Lord, I will not go unless You bless me.”
Decide that regardless of the weather, of your busyness, you will worship. Decide that regardless of who is leading the worship, who is preaching, you will worship. Worship is a decision.
“Praise the Lord, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me” Psalm 103:1-2.
II. GENUINE WORSHIP IS A COSTLY SACRIFICE
“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it…” v.3.
Nard was a fragrant ointment imported from the mountains of India. Thus it was very expensive. The amount Mary used was worth a year’s wages. Nard was used to anoint kings.
The perfume was probably the most valuable possession Mary had. But she gave it to Jesus. What Mary did is an example of genuine worship. She didn’t count the cost. She willingly gave the best she had to Jesus. It was, in fact, an extravagant worship.
David said, “I will not offer anything unto the Lord that cost me nothing” 2 Samuel 24:24.
“…let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…” Hebrews 13:15.
Genuine worship involves sacrifice – time, money, energy.

III. GENUINE WORSHIP IS FORGETTING SELF
“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair” v.3.
The perfume was supposed to be poured on the head. But Mary poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped it with her hair. It was an act of humility with so much love. Mary didn’t care about her reputation. All she cared about was to do this for her beloved Savior and Lord. She was focused. She was determined.
Worship is like that. We cannot enter into genuine worship when we are full of self. Worship involves forgetting self.
John the Baptist said, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” John 3:30.
In worship we do not care what people say. We move out of our comfort zones to be able to enter into genuine worship.
Biblical worship involves the body, the spirit, the heart, the intellect, and the emotions. Worship expressions illustrated in the Bible include…
• Lively and joyous singing involving all worshipers,
• Spontaneous and verbal praises from those present in worship,
• Humble kneeling or lying prostrate before the Lord,
• Hands upraised and stretched forth in worship, and
• Hands clapping in tempo with music and as applause expressed to God.

Psalm 98:4 reminds us to “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song and music.” Joyful sounds ringing forth in worship may take on many forms – including applause, laughter, praise, and singing. And all of these forms express our reverence for God.
There are worshipers who choose to remain indifferent as expressive worship occurs around them. They will never experience the true freedom in worship.

IV. GENUINE WORSHIP IS CONTAGIOUS
“And the house was filled with fragrance” v.3.
Bad smell and good smell are both spatial.
Sars is contagious. As well as chicken pox, flu, tuberculosis, and many others. Expose yourself to people who have these communicable diseases and the probability is high that you will get them.
Genuine worship is also contagious. When people are truly worshiping the Lord, and there is joyful singing and shouting and dancing, even unbelievers can sense the mighty presence of God. The atmosphere becomes electric. The fragrance of worship will fill the place.

V. GENUINE WORSHIP DISPLEASES THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS
“But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples – the one who would betray him – said, “That perfume was worth a small fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor – he was a thief who was in charge of the disciples’ funds, and he often took some for his own use” v.4-5.
The spectators in worship will always accuse the participators of being OA. There are always people who resist spontaneous, expressive, and joy-filled worship.
When David became king of Israel, one of his objectives was to bring the ark of God into Jerusalem. The ark of God symbolizes the very presence of God. As they were marching… “David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic. So David and all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with much shouting and blowing of trumpets. But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him” 2 Samuel 6:14-16.
There will always be Michal. As a result of her rejection, Michal had to face another kind of music – barrenness (2 Samuel 6:23).
Expressiveness in worship will always displease the self-righteous.

VI. GENUINE WORSHIP BRINGS GOD PLEASURE
“Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer.’”
Jesus enjoyed the fragrance of the perfume. He rebuked Judas for making those unnecessary comments.
God delights in genuine worship.

How can we enter into genuine worship?

1. Decide to worship God regardless. Focus on God.
2. Be ready to make a sacrifice – time, money, energy.
3. Forget about self.
4. Don’t mind others.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WORSHIP

2009-11-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

Psalm 95:1-7

Why should we come before our God with thanksgiving and joyful shouts?
Because our God is great. He deserves our highest praise.
“Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us give a joyous shout to the rock of our salvation! Let us come before him with thanksgiving. Let us sing him psalms and praise. For the Lord is a great God, the great King above all gods. He owns the depths of the earth, and even the mightiest mountains are his. The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care.”

The psalmist says let us give a joyous shout…let us sing him psalms and praise. It’s about celebration. Worship is celebration of God. But other churches’ gatherings or worship resemble a funeral rather than a festival. In some churches to smile during worship is considered a mortal sin. People are very stiff. They do not clap nor move their body. To do so means getting that ‘what-are-you-doing look’ from other attenders.

In worship we become preoccupied with the Lord. We don’t watch something happen, we participate in it. It’s coming to a place in one’s life, either alone, with a few, or with many, where one ‘connects’ with the living God. It is almost as though you could reach out and touch Him.
What happens when ‘connection’ occurs?
Whether it’s in a gathering of thousands, or when alone, or perhaps with a few, what happens?

I. WORSHIP MAGNIFIES MY GOD
All else is eclipsed in His presence. Nothing else matters. Like a couple who haven’t seen each other for many years, dahil ang isa ay nagtratrabaho sa abroad, tapos uuwi at magkikita sila sa airport….
Nothing else matters….
It’s not that God becomes bigger when we worship Him. He’s not a balloon. But when we worship God, lumalaki Siya sa ating paningin. Although we know that God is Almighty, that He is powerful, that He knows all things, that He is the Creator of the universe, but we need to remind ourselves often of the greatness of God.
“For you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods” Psalm 97:9.

II. WORSHIP ECLIPSES MY FEARS AND WORRIES

When David was being pursued by King Saul, sa halip na matakot siya o mabahala, he worshiped God, “I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints” Psalm 52:9.
Do not allow fear to overwhelm you.
“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” Psalm 55:22.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7.
When you find yourself worrying, try worship. It’s an antidote to fear and worry. Try it. It does great wonders.

III. WORSHIP CHANGES MY PERSPECTIVE
In 2 Chronicles 20, the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was alarmed by this news and sought the guidance of the Lord. He also gave orders that everyone throughout Judah should observe a fast. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord.
“Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever’” 2 Chronicles 20:21.
“At the moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had finished off the army of Seir, they turned on each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, there were dead bodies lying on the ground for as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped” 2 Chronicles 20:22-24.
When things look impossible, try worship. When things are unbearable, try worship. When the future looks gloomy, try worship. When situations look hopeless, worship. When things don’t fall into place and dreams are shattered, worship. I don’t know why but it does great wonders.

IV. WORSHIP REFRESHES MY SPIRIT
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty” Psalm 91:1.
“How happy are those who can live in your house, always singing your praises” Psalm 84:4.

V. WORSHIP ENHANCES MY WORK
When I put worship to work in my life, my attitude toward things changes. At this point music plays a vital role. A non-singing Christian is like a non-swimming fish.
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, accompanied by the harp and flute and the harmony of the lyre. You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done” Psalm 92:1-4.
Why is it that the song has dried up in our voices? Why are there so few who sing? I mean really sing heartily to the Lord with full voice? How many sing in the shower?
Our singing is limited to the four corners of the church building. Why?

1. The pressures of life squeeze out our song.
Song requires a free spirit within….creativity, relaxation, freedom from tension. We allow pressures to kill our song.
“If there’s a song in the heart, there’s always a way of singing it.”

2. Someone else sings for us.
The radio, the cd, dvd, mp3, cellphone do the singing for us.

Let me encourage you to start singing again. Yes, even when you’re alone. Express your praise in a song.
Rediscover the joy of singing your praise and adoration back to the Lord. Don’t worry if you can’t carry a tune (Just don’t sing with a microphone please or desire to be a worship leader.) If your spirit is in harmony with His, the music will be beautiful…and God will be pleased.

WORSHIP THAT PLEASES GOD

2009-11-10T22:44:00.000-08:00

Mark 12:30

God doesn’t want a part of your life. He asks for all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. God is not interested in halfhearted commitments, partial obedience, and the leftovers of your time and money. Hindi pulubi ang Diyos at hindi Siya namamalimos ng pag-ibig. He desires your full devotion, not just your admiration.
A person who is deeply in-love asks, “How can I please the one I love?”
If we truly love God, the right question to ask is, “How can I please God?”

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”

I. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS ACCURATE
People often say, “I like to think of God as….. and then they share their idea of the kind of God they would like to worship. But we cannot just create our own idea or image of God and worship it. That is idolatry. Worship must be based on the truth of the Scripture, not our opinions about what God is like.
“How foolish are those who manufacture idols to be their gods. Then the wood-carvers measures and marks out a block of wood, takes the tool, and carves the figure of a man. Now he has a wonderful idol that cannot even move from where it is placed! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. Such stupidity and ignorance. Their eyes are closed and they cannot see. Their minds are shut and they cannot think.” Isaiah 44:9, 13, 16-18.
Lagi din nating naririnig, “Ok lang naman kahit anong relihiyon mo kasi iisa lang naman ang Diyos natin. Doon din tayo lahat patungo.”
That line of reasoning is very wrong. Communism is also a religion. And so are atheism and humanism and animism. Others also think na kung mas marami silang church na mapasukan mas accepted sila kay Lord.
God requires that we worship Him in spirit and in truth:
“True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” John 4:23.

a. WORSHIP IN SPIRIT
Worshipping in spirit is the opposite of empty formalism and traditionalism. That kind of worship can be pointless, and useless and empty.
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” Matthew 15:8-9.
We worship in spirit when it comes from the heart. Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead.
In the end the heart longs not for any God’s good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul’s final feast.
“In thy presence there is fullness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures forever more” Psalm 16:11.
In worship we become preoccupied with the Lord. We don’t watch….we participate. An amazing thing about worship is that you don’t care what anybody else thinks.
When we come before God in worship, and we do not feel in our heart any grief or longing or hope or fear or awe or joy or gratitude or confidence, then we may dutifully sing and pray and gesture as much as we like, but it will not be real worship. We cannot honor God if our “heart is far from Him.”

b. WORSHIP IN TRUTH
We worship with emotions but those emotions must be based on the Word of God. People are very emotional during MJ’s concerts. And we call that emotionalism.
“They have a zeal for God, but it is not according to knowledge” Romans 10:2.
Freedom in worship is the fruit of truth.
Illus: “Lami kaayo magwali si Pastor ba…..
True worship affects not only the heart but the mind as well. The Word of God must be central in worship.

II. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS AUTHENTIC
When Jesus said you must “worship in spirit,” He wasn’t referring to the Holy Spirit, but to your spirit. Worship is your spirit responding to God’s Spirit.
When Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart and soul” He meant that worship must be genuine and heartfelt. It is not just a matter of saying the right words; you must mean what you say. Heartless praise is not a praise at all! It is worthless, an insult to God.
Worship engages your emotion. God gave you emotions so you could worship Him with deep feeling – but those emotions must be genuine, not faked. God hates hypocrisy. He doesn’t want showmanship or pretense in worship. He wants your honest, real love.
Worship must be both accurate and authentic. God-pleasing worship is deeply emotional and deeply doctrinal – we use both our hearts and our heads.
Your biggest distraction in worship is yourself and your cellphone – your interests and your worries over what others think about you.
Set your emotions free in worship.

III. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS THOUGHTFUL
Jesus’ command to “love God with all your mind” is repeated four times in the New Testament. God is not pleased with thoughless singing, or careless exclamations of “Praise the Lord, Hallelujah.” If worship is mindless, it is meaningless. You must engage your mind.

IV. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS PRACTICAL
The Bible says in Romans 12:1, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Why does God want your body? Why doesn’t He say, “Offer your spirit?” Because without your body you can’t do anything on this planet.
You have heard people say, “Di n’yo man ako kasama sa katawan, kasama n’yo ako sa espiritu.”
Do you know what that means? Nothing. It’s worthless! As long as you’re on earth, your spirit can only be where your body is. If your body isn’t there, you aren’t there.
Real worship costs. David knew this and said: “I will not offer to the Lord my God sacrifices that have cost me nothing” 2 Samuel 24:24.
When Jesus said, “Love God with all your strength,” He pointed out that worship takes effort and energy. It is not always convenient or comfortable. Worship is a willing sacrifice.
True worship not only requires our body, it also requires our money. Giving has always been part of worship – in the Old Testament and New Testament. The church in Macedonia is an example of generosity in giving and Paul was very proud of them:
“Now I want to tell you, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done for the churches in Macedonia. Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the gracious privilege of sharing in the gift for the Christians in Jerusalem. Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to us for whatever directions God might give them” 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.
“God loves the person who gives cheerfully” 2 Corinthians 9:7.

The deepest level of worship is praising God inspite of pain, thanking God during trial, trusting Him in difficult times, and loving Him when He seems distant.
Worship is a sacrifice.

PLANNED FOR GOD'S PLEASURE

2009-11-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE
REV. 4:11

Growing up insecurities……
You were planned for God’s pleasure. The moment you were born into the world, God was there smiling at your birth. He wanted you alive, and your arrival gave Him great pleasure. God did not need to create you, but He chose to create you for His own enjoyment.
Bringing enjoyment to God, living for His pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. Bringing pleasure to God is called “worship.”

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created” Revelation 4:11.

The Bible says, “The Lord is pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love” Psalm 147:11.

Anything you do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. Anthropologists have noted that worship is a universal urge, a part of our being. It is as natural as eating or breathing. If we fail to worship the one true, living God, we always find a substitute, even if it ends up being ourselves.

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in manmade temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs. he himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need there is….His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist” Acts 17:24-27.

“…We shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. God overlooked people’s former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him” Acts 17:29-30.

“The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him in spirit and in truth” John 4:23.

What is Worship?

I. WORSHIP IS FAR MORE THAN MUSIC
For many people, worship is synonym for music. This is a big misunderstanding. Every part of a church service is an act of worship: praying, Scripture reading, singing, silence, giving an offering, baptism, listening, communion, and even greeting other worshipers.
If worship were just music, then all who are nonmusical could never worship. Worship is far more than music.
Matt Redman, a worship leader in England, tells how his pastor taught his church the real meaning of worship. To show that worship is more than music, he banned all singing in their services for a period of time while they learned to worship in other ways. By the end of that time, Matt had written the classic song “Heart of Worship.”
I’ll bring you more than a song,
Because a song in itself is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Than the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart

II. WORSHIP IS NOT FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Worship isn’t for your benefit. We worship for God’s benefit. When we worship, our goal is to bring pleasure to God, not to ourselves.
You do not sing para ma-exercise ang vocal chords mo. You do not give for others to see your generosity. You do not attend a worship service to show people that you are a church-goer.
If you have ever said, “I didn’t get anything out of worship today,” you worshipped for the wrong reason.
Of course, most worship services also include elements of fellowship, encouragement, and there are benefits to worship, but we don’t worship to please ourselves. Our motive is to bring glory and pleasure to our Creator.

In Isaiah 29:13, God complains about worship that is half-hearted and hypocritical.
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

The people were offering boring prayers, insincere praise, empty words, and man-made rituals without even thinking about the meaning. God’s heart is not touched by tradition in worship, but by passion and commitment.
III. WORSHIP IS NOT A PART OF YOUR LIFE; IT IS YOUR LIFE
The Bible says, “praise him from sunrise to sunset” Psalm 113:3.
David says, “I will bless you every day, and I will praise you forever” Psalm 145:2.
“I will praise the Lord as long as I live, I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath” Psalm 146:2.

In the Bible people praised God at work, at home, in battle, in jail, and even in bed! Praise should be the first activity when you open your eyes in the morning and the last activity when you close them at night.
Worship is not only during Tuesdays or Sundays. We can worship wherever we are and whatever we do – every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God. The Bible says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31.
This is the secret to a lifestyle of worship – doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying a continual conversation with Him while you do it.
“Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” Colossians 3:23.
Kaya marami sa atin, madaling mag-worry, mag-init ang ulo, wala sa mood, sige yawyaw, kasi pagkatapos ng worship service, tapos na din ‘yong worship life natin. Next time na naman.

Worship is our life – not just a part of our life. It’s not something we do when we’re free. It’s what we do consistently.
Worship is falling in love with Jesus.
Worship is a love affair; it is making love to God.

2009-10-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Theme: GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER OUR PERSONAL HISTORY (part3)
Text: Genesis 37-50

6. Joseph was accused of a crime he did not commit.

“And about this time, Potifar’s wife began to desire him and invited him to sleep with her. But Joseph refused. ‘Look,’ he told her, ‘my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do! He has held back nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How could I ever do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.
She kept putting pressure on him day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day, however, no one else was around when he was doing his work inside the house. She came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding, ‘Sleep with me!’ Joseph tore himself away, but as he did, his shirt came off. She was left holding it as he ran from the house.
When she saw that she had his shirt and that he had fled, she began screaming. Soon, all the men around the place came running. ‘My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to insult us!’ she sobbed. ‘He tried to rape me, but I screamed. When he heard my loud cries, he ran and he left his shirt behind with me.’
She kept the shirt with her, and when her husband came home that night, she told him her story. ‘That Hebrew slave you’ve had around here tried to make a fool of me’, she said. ‘I was saved only by my screams. He ran out, leaving his shirt behind!” Genesis 39:7-18.

After failing to tempt Joseph, she is now trying to represent him as a criminal, to get even.

a. She accused him to his fellow servants and gave him a bad name among them.
b. She accused him to his master, who had the power to punish him.

7. Joseph was imprisoned on the grounds of false accusation

“After hearing his wife’s story, Potifar was furious! He took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held. But the Lord was with Joseph there, too, and he granted Joseph favor with the chief jailer. Before long, the jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The chief jailer had no more worries after that, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him, making everything run smoothly and successfully” Genesis 39:19-23.

Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?
Is He busy now cutting His finger nails that He missed this one event in the life of Joseph?
Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. You’re accused of something you did not do—isn’t that unjust? Would you not be hurt? Would you not fret? Would you not question God?
And to add insult to injury, he was thrown into prison on the grounds of that false accusation.
Isn’t that unjust? To be accused with something you did not do is one thing. But to be imprisoned, your freedom taken away, to suffer for something you did not commit—ibang usapan na iyan! Hindi na masamang biro iyan! Where is justice here?
Prisons were used to house force laborer or those accused and awaiting trial like Joseph. Many prisoners ever made it to the court, for trials were held at the whim of the ruler.

But look at what happened next?

“Before long, the jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The chief jailer had no more worries after that, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him, making everything run smoothly and successfully” Genesis 39:22-23.

God’s will will not lead you where God’s grace cannot keep you!

The Bible says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. God was with Joseph even while he was suffering in that dark, stinky prison cell. God has never left him nor forsaken him. This is not a detour from God’s plan but a part of God’s overall program for Joseph.

8. Joseph’s kindness was reciprocated with forgetfulness

The baker and cupbearer were two of the most trusted men in Pharaoh’s Kingdom. The baker was in charge of making the king’s food, and the cupbearer tasted all the king’s food and drink before giving it to Pharaoh, in case any of it was contaminated or poisoned. These trusted men must have been suspected of a serious wrong to be thrown into prison.

“Sometime later, pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended him. Pharaoh became very angry with these officials, and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of Potifar, the captain of the guard. They remained in prison for quite some time, and Potifar assigned Joseph to take care of them.
One night, the cup-bearer and the baker each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning. The next morning Joseph noticed the dejected look on their faces. ‘Why do you look so worried today’ he asked.”
And they replied, ‘We both had dreams last night, but there is no one here to tell us what they mean.’
‘Interpreting dreams is God’s business,’ Joseph replied. ‘Tell me what you saw.’
The cup-bearer told his dream first. ‘In my dream,’ he said, ‘I saw a vine in front of me. It had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon there were clusters of ripe grapes. I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand so I took the grapes, and squeezed the juice into it. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.’
‘I know what the dream means,’ Joseph said. ‘The three branches mean three days. Within three days Pharaoh will take you out of prison and return you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. AND PLEASE HAVE SOME PITY ON ME WHEN YOU WERE BACK IN HIS FAVOR. MENTION ME TO PHARAOH, AND ASK HIM TO LET ME OUT OF HERE. FOR I WAS KIDNAPPED FROM MY HOMELAND, THE LAND OF THE HEBREWS, AND NOW I’M HERE IN JAIL, BUT I DID NOTHING TO DESERVE IT.’
When the chief baker saw that the first dream had such a good meaning, he told his dream to Joseph, too. ‘In my dream,’ he said, ‘there were three baskets of pastries on my head. In the top basket were all kinds of bakery goods for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them.’
‘I’ll tell you what it means,’ Joseph told him. ‘The three baskets mean three days. Three days from now Pharaoh will cut off your head and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.’
Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he gave a banquet for all his officials and household staff. He sent for his chief cup-bearer and chief baker, and they were brought to him from the prison. He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, but he sentenced his chief baker to impaled on a pole, just as Joseph had predicted. Pharaoh’s cup-bearer, however, promptly forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought” GENESIS 40:1-23.
Joseph asked for favor but he was forgotten.
Isn’t that unjust? You help others in their misery. But no one helps you when you are in your misery. Isn’t that unjust? You do a kind thing to someone but that someone has selective amnesia – he immediately forgets all about the kind thing you did. Isn’t that unjust?

IV. JOSEPH WAS ELEVATED FROM PRISON TO PALACE (41:1-36)
Pharaoh had a dream. The magicians and wise men of Egypt could not interpret the dream. The king’s cupbearer remembered Joseph and referred him to the king.
“Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was brought hastily from the dungeon. After a quick shave and change of clothes, he went in and stood in Pharaoh’s presence” v.14.
After two full years in prison, Joseph now had the chance to appear before Pharaoh not to stand trial but to interpret a dream.
This was the interpretation of the dream according to Joseph:
“Both dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph told Pharaoh. “God was telling you what he is about to do. The seven fat cows and the seven plump heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. The seven thin, ugly cows and the seven withered heads of grain represent seven years of famine. This will happen just as I have described it, for God has shown you what he is about to do. The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten and wiped out. Famine will destroy the land. This famine will be so terrible that even the memory of the good years will be erased. As for having the dream twice, it means the matter has been decreed by God and that he will make these events happen soon” v. 25-32.

After interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph gave the king a survival plan for the next 14 years.
“My suggestion is that you find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of a nationwide program. Let Pharaoh appoint officials over the land, and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food and grain of these good years into the royal storehouses, and store it away so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come. Otherwise, disaster will surely strike the land, and all the people will die” v. 33-36.

Joseph rose quickly to the top, from prison walls to Pharaoh’s palace:
“Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his advisers. As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, ‘Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the spirit of God.’ Turning to Joseph, Pharaoh said, ‘since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, you are the wisest man in the land!’ I hereby appoint you to direct this project. You will manage my household and organize all my people. Only I will have a rank higher than yours!’
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh placed his own signet ring on Joseph’s finger as a symbol of his authority. He dressed him in beautiful clothing and placed the royal gold chain about his neck….And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I am the king, but no one will move a hand or a foot in the entire land of Egypt in the entire land of Egypt’” v. 37-44.

Joseph was 17 when he received Gods dream for him and when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. He had spent 11 years as an Egyptian slave and 2 years in prison. For 13 years, he was enrolled in the School of Suffering before moving to the School of Leadership. He was 30 years old when he became governor of Egypt.
When God wants to make a mushroom, He does it overnight, but when He wants to make a giant oak, He takes a hundred years. Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering.
An egg must first be broken and beaten. A garlic must first be minced. Before God can use you, He must first break you.
When suffering comes, it is not an accident, but a necessity; an essential part of the Christian life.
What does God wants to produce in our Christian lives? Patience, endurance, and the ability to keep going when times are tough. Immature people are always impatient. God wants to make us patient because that is the key to every other blessing. The only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through suffering.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are, and He will increase what you have, and He will not leave you where you are.”

2009-09-28T01:23:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO THE GREATEST ADVENTURE OF YOUR LIFE!

I am convinced that the greatest adventure of life is knowing God and loving Him, and living for His pleasure. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

It shapes our moral and ethical standards.
It directly affects our response toward fortune, fame, power, and pleasure.
It gives us strength when we are tempted.
It keeps us faithful and courageous when we are outnumbered.
It enhances our worship and prompts our praise.
It determines our lifestyle and dictates our philosophy.
It gives meaning and significance to relationships.
It sensitizes our conscience and creates the desire to be obedient.
It stimulates hope to go on regardless.
It enables me to know what to reject and what to respect while I’m in this planet Earth.
It is the foundation upon which EVERYTHING rests!

Knowing God is life’s major pursuit! And loving God is our ultimate response!

Enjoy the ride! Like any adventure, it’s bumpy but bubbly! Mark every spot!

Be ready for the adventure of your life! Safe trip! God bless you!

BLENN B. NIMER

2009-09-28T01:19:00.001-07:00

LIVING WITH A PURPOSE

“Lord, we love to obey your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name” Isaiah 26:8
“His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist”
Acts 17:27-28.

Everyone’s life is driven by something.
Some are driven by ambition (finish school, marry a rich guy, travel abroad, own a house, own a resort, start a business, etc.). Others are willing to sacrifice everything for their ambition.
Some are driven by things. Their desire to acquire becomes the whole goal of their lives. The most common myth about money is that having more will make me more secure. It won’t. Money can be lost instantly through a variety of uncontrollable factors.
Some are driven by relationships.
Some are driven by the need for approval. They allow the expectations of others to control their lives.
Some are driven by resentment and anger. They hold on to hurts and never get over them. They seek revenge.
But these are not God’s purposes for your life. Focusing on ourselves – our needs, our wants, our dreams, our ambitions, our desires – will never reveal our life’s purpose.
Many years ago newspapers carried the story of a young high school girl from California who did the impossible. 17-year old Karen Cheng scored perfect marks on the National Students Achievement Test, perfect marks on the rigorous University of California Entrance Exam. No one before had ever achieved such a remarkable academic excellence.
As it happens, one newspaper account of the girl’s genius included a question she had been asked by a reporter. It was the kind of question every human being should be able to answer.
The question: “What is the meaning of life?”
Her response: “I have no idea. I would like to know myself.”

Read Text:

In Him we live and move and exist. Without Him there is no living, there is no moving, and there is no existing. God is not just the starting point of your life; He is the source of it.
Before getting into God’s purposes for your life there are things you should know:

I. YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT
Your birth was no mistake. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. You are alive because God wanted to create you!
God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your tribe, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature.
He also determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality. God also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. God also planned where you’d be born and where you’d live for His purpose. God also decided how you would be born.
God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes. You are not an accident.

II. YOU ARE GOD’S SPECIAL CREATION
God was thinking of you even before He made the world. In fact, that’s why He created it! God designed this planet’s environment just so we could live in it.
We are the focus of His love and the most valuable creation.
“We are God’s masterpiece” Ephesians 2:10.
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it” Psalm 139:14.
God didn’t need to create you. He wasn’t lonely. But He wanted to make you in order to express His love.
God says in Isaiah 46:3-4, “I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you.”

III. YOU WERE MADE FOR A REASON
God made you for a reason, and your life has meaning! We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives.
There are many people out there who are lonely, depressed, and hopeless. Why? Because they’re looking for meaning in the wrong places. They try to find meaning through drugs, alcohol, vices, sex, wealth, fame, religion, good works, achievements, relationships, pleasure and many other things.
God is the starting point because He’s the One who created us.
“His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist” Acts 17:27-28.
“Lord, we love to obey your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name” Isaiah 26:8

God made everything for His glory. Everything created by God reflects His glory in some way – from sunsets and stars to storms and seasons. Creation reveals our Creator’s glory. In nature we learn that God is powerful, that He enjoys variety, loves beauty, is organized, and is wise and creative.
Living for God’s glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our lives.

HOW CAN I BRING GLORY TO GOD?

1. BY WORSHIPING HIM
You were planned for God’s pleasure. The moment you were born into the world, God was there smiling at your birth. He wanted you alive, and your arrival gave Him great pleasure. Bringing enjoyment to God, living for His pleasure is the first purpose of your life and it is called “worship.”
Worship is far more than praising, singing, and praying to God. Worship is a lifestyle of enjoying God, loving Him, and giving ourselves to be used for His purposes. When you use your life for God’s glory everything you do can become an act of worship.
At the end of the day we should ask, “Lord, have I given You pleasure today?”
“Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God” Romans 12:1.

2. BY LOVING OTHERS
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” 1 John 4:11-12.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Romans 12:10-21
· Honor one another above yourselves (v. 10)
· Share with God’s people who are in need (v. 13)
· Practice hospitality (v.13)
· Bless those who persecute you (v. 14)
· Rejoice with those who rejoice (v. 15)
· Mourn with those who mourn (v. 15)
· Live in harmony with each other (v. 16)
· Do not be proud (v. 16)
· Never pay back evil for evil (v. 17)
· Do what is right (v. 17)
· Live at peace with everyone (v. 18)
· Do not revenge (v. 19)
· Be kind to your enemies (v. 19)
· Conquer evil by doing good (v. 21)

3. BY BECOMING LIKE CHRIST
The process of becoming like Christ always begins with a decision. When the first disciples choose to follow Jesus, they didn’t understand all the implications of their decision. They simply responded to Jesus’ invitation. That’s all you need to get started: Decide to become like Christ.
“So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go instead and become mature in our understanding” Hebrews 6:1.
“….that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ” Ephesians 4:13.
“We are not meant to remain as children…..but to grow up in every way into Christ” Ephesians 4:14-15.
Cute tingnan si Dagul sa Going Bulilit. Pero hindi cute ang Christian na Dagul sa kanyang spiritual life.
God wants us to grow up. Your Heavenly Father’s goal is for to you to mature and develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Sadly, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up. Spiritual growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing.

4. BY SERVING OTHERS WITH OUR GIFTS
God intentionally gifted us differently for His enjoyment. You don’t bring glory or pleasure to God by hiding your abilities or trying to be someone else. You only bring Him enjoyment by being you. Anytime you reject part of yourself, you are rejecting God’s wisdom and sovereignty in creating you. God didn’t give you your abilities for selfish purposes. They were given to benefit others.

5. BY TELLING OTHERS ABOUT HIM
God doesn’t want His love and purposes kept a secret. Once we know the truth, He expects us to share it with others. This is a great privilege – introducing others to Jesus, helping them discover their purpose, and preparing them for their eternal destiny.

God made you to love you, and He longs for you to love Him back. He longs for you to know Him and spend time with Him. That is why learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of your life.
Living the rest of your life for the glory of God will require a change in your priorities, your schedule, your relationships, and everything else.
Will you live for your own goals, comfort, and pleasure, or will you live the rest of your life for God’s glory, knowing that He has promised eternal rewards.

2009-09-28T01:16:00.000-07:00

THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON IN THE WORLD
James 3:1-12

“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness.
We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every way. We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn around wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is aflame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks into curses against those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Can you pick olives from a fig tree or figs from a grapevine? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool.”

History of wars…. (man-to-man combat, spears, single shot rifles, cannons, automatic rifles, atomic bomb during the WW 11, missiles, nuclear bombs, biological weapons)
According to Apostle James, the most powerful weapon in the world is – the TONGUE.
The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart.

Read text.

The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart.
In order to impress upon us the importance of controlled speech, and the great consequences of our words, James gives us six pictures of the tongue: the bit, rudder, fire, a poisonous animal, a fountain, and a fig tree.

THE POWER OF THE TONGUE:

I. THE POWER TO DIRECT: THE BIT AND THE RUDDER
“We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do” (3:2-5).
The person who is able to discipline his tongue gives evidence that he can control his whole body. He proves that he is a mature man.
James presents two items that are small of themselves, yet exercise great power, just like the tongue. They are small but terrible. A small bit enables the rider to control the great horse, and a small rudder enables the pilot to steer the huge ship. The tongue is a small member in the body, and yet it has the power to accomplish great things.
The bit and the rudder have the power to direct, which means they affect the lives of others. A runaway horse, or a shipwreck could mean injury or death to people.

OUR TONGUE HAS THE POWER TO DIRECT. IT CAN AFFECT PEOPLE’S LIVES FOR THE BETTER OR FOR THE WORSE.

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” PROVERBS 10:19.
“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” PSALM 141:3.

II. THE POWER TO DESTROY: THE FIRE AND ANIMAL
“And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison” (3:6-8).

A. THE TONGUE IS LIKE A FIRE.
A fire can begin with just a small spark, but it can destroy a city. It can destroy houses. It can destroy lives. It can destroy dreams.
OUR WORDS CAN START FIRES.
“Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and tensions disappear when gossip stops. A quarrelsome man starts fight as easily as a match sets fire to paper” PROVERBS 26:20-21.
A hot head and a hot heart can lead to burning words that later we will regret.

“Speak when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”

FIRE BURNS AND HURTS, AND OUR WORDS CAN BURN AND HURT.
Fire spreads, and the more fuel you give it, the faster and farther it will spread. A person’s entire life can be injured or destroyed by the tongue. We may confess our sins of speech, but the fire keeps on spreading.

THE WORDS WE SPEAK HAVE THE POWER TO DESTROY. THEY CAN BREAK HEARTS AND RUIN REPUTATIONS. THEY CAN ALSO
DESTROY SOULS BY SENDING THEM INTO ETERNITY WITHOUT CHRIST.

B. THE TONGUE IS ALSO LIKE A DANGEROUS ANIMAL.
Animals in the zoo are beautiful attractions. But let them out and they are capable of doing great damage, and even killing. Poisonous tongues do just the same. Would you turn hungry lions or cobras in your homes? In your classroom? In your office? In your churches? Of course not! But we let loose our tongues and they accomplish the same results.
Animals can be tamed. Fire can be tamed. The tongue cannot be tamed by man, but it can be tamed by God.
“Let you conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt” COLOSSIANS 4:6.
The important thing, of course, is the heart; for it is “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” MATTHEW 12:34.

III. THE POWER TO DELIGHT: THE FOUNTAIN AND TREE
“Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Can you pick olives from a fig tree or fig from a grapevine? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool” (3:9-12).

A. THE TONGUE IS LIKE A FOUNTAIN.
The fountain, of course, provides the cool water that man needs to stay alive. Man needs water not only for drinking, but also for washing, cooking, farming, and a host of other activities so necessary to life.
WATER IS LIFE-GIVING, AND OUR WORDS CAN GIVE LIFE.
“A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook (stream, river)” PROVERBS 18:4.
“The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life” PROVERBS 10:11.
However, if water is not controlled, it brings death and destruction (Tsunami, flash floods, typhoons). In the same way, if our words are not controlled, it can cause death.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” PROVERBS 18:21.

B. THE TONGUE IS ALSO LIKE A TREE.
Trees are very important because they give us oxygen; they help to hold down the soil; they provide beauty and shade; and they bear fruit.
OUR WORDS CAN HELP TO SHELTER AND ENCOURAGE A WEARY FRIEND, PERSON, AND CAN FEED A HUNGRY SOUL.
“The lips of the righteous feed many” PROVERBS 10:21.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Think of it this way: Death words destroy, hurt, create hateful and humiliating feelings. Life words build and increase strength of character. They lift spirits. They center on the truth, therefore they set the person free who would otherwise be in bondage.
Would you like a brief definition of encouragement? According to Chuck Swindoll it is “courage transfusion.” Every time we encourage someone, we give them a transfusion of courage. And only those who are excited about life can transfer courage. People who are unforgiving, critical, fighting, and uncertain about their own self-image, can’t do that.

HOW TO BE AN ENCOURAGER?
· Talk less so you can feel more.
· Be sensitive to the timing.
· Watch your wording.
· Do everything in your power not to judge.
· Examine your motive.
· Guard against sarcasm.

But James issued a warning: a fountain cannot give two kinds of water, and a tree cannot bear two different kinds of fruit.

IF THE TONGUE IS INCONSISTENT, THERE IS SOMETHING RADICALLY WRONG WITH THE HEART.

“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” EPHESIANS 4:29.
“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes- these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God” EPHESIANS 5:4.
“So put away falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other” EPHESIANS 4:25.
Satan is called the ‘father of lies.’ THE PERSON WHO IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE HABIT OF LYING IS NOT A CHRISTIAN. Revelation 21:8 declares that all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire.
Yet Christians lie and often with great ease. We lie because we fear the consequences of the truth. We lie to cover up our sins and we make further lies to cover up the first one.
There are other ways we lie besides direct distortions. We lie when we fail to keep our word. When we say we will do something and then not do it, we lie. When we say we will not do something and then do the very thing we say we would not do, we lie. The missed appointment. The pledge that isn’t paid. We promised to pay on this particular day, but did not. This sort of thing occurs regularly. White lies, half-truths are lies, nonetheless.
Perhaps the worst and most damaging lie we speak is not the lie we say to someone, but the lie we speak about someone. This is slander or false witness that is forbidden explicitly by the ninth commandment:
“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor” EXODUS 20:16.
THIS IS THE LIE THAT STEALS A PERSON’S REPUTATION AND DESTROYS HIS OR HER NAME.
And that is the favorite sport of Satan – bringing false accusation against the people of God.
For the Christian, we must understand that it is far better to be lied to than to lie,
to suffer broken promises to us than to break them, and to be slandered than to slander. We are to pursue the truth and not give place to falsehood.
The tongue that blesses the Father, and then curses men made in the image of God and tell lies, is in desperate need of spiritual medicine. How easy it is to sing hymns during the worship service, then criticize the singer, the pastor, or the dress of someone on the way home. This is not right!
BUT THE PROBLEM, OF COURSE, IS THE HEART. AS WE FILL OUR HEARTS WITH GOD’S WORD, AND YIELD TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE CAN USE US TO BRING DELIGHT TO OTHERS, AND WE WILL BE REFRESHING FOUNTAINS AND TREES.
There are words that when you say from your heart, they can bless others:

PLEASE…
THANK YOU…
I’M SORRY…
I LOVE YOU…
I’M PRAYING FOR YOU…

2009-09-28T01:14:00.000-07:00

Theme: GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER OUR PERSONAL HISTORY
Text: Genesis 37-50

God is sovereign. He is in control. He created and rules the whole universe. He holds the universe in the palm of his hands. In Isaiah 45:11-12, “This is what the Lord, the creator and holy one of Israel, says: ‘Do you question what I do? Do you give me orders about the work of y hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live in it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command.’”
“It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers! He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing…Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away” Isaiah 40:22-26.

God preserves and governs everything in the universe. He controls and governs the affairs of nations. Nothing happens outside his sovereign will. The hearts of kings, rulers, prime ministers, presidents are in the hands of God. World history is his story.
Not only that he determines and governs world history, he also determines and governs our personal history.
It is amazing to see the extent to which scripture affirms that God brings about various events in our lives. That he in fact governs all aspects of our lives.
God cares about us.

“Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows” Matthew 10:29-30.

The implication is God is never too busy with world affairs that He doesn’t have time to look after us. He looks after us. He deeply cares for us. Each one of us. Does he evn get confused? “Kinsa gani ka? Unsa kahay mayo para kanimo? Hmmm…Mura’g di man mapuslan ning bataa ni!” The answer is solid NO!

Our dependence on God to give us food each day is affirmed every time we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” Matthew 6:11, even though we work for our food and obtain it through entirely “natural” causes.
God plans our days before we are born, for David affirms, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” Psalm 139:16.
God said to Jeremiah, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world” Jeremiah 1:5.

All our actions are under God’s providential care, for “in him we live and move” Acts 17:28. “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” Proverbs 16:9.

Success and failure come from God:
“For no one on earth-from east or west, or even from the wilderness—can raise another person up. It is God who alone judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall” Psalm 75:6-7.

All our abilities are from the Lord:
“What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” 1 Corinthians 4:7.

From these passages we can conclude that God is the God of world history. That He is sovereign; He is in control of our personal circumstances.
Consider some Bible characters whose lives are an object lesson to God’s Sovereignty.

First in the list is a young man named Joseph.

Personal Profile:
· His name is Joseph
· The 11th son of Jacob
· Jacob’s eldest son by his beloved wife Rachel
· 17 years old
· Occupation: shepherd

I. JOSEPH WAS LOVED BY HIS FATHER AND HATED BY HIS BROTHERS.

“Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift—a beautiful robe” Genesis 37:3.

In Joseph’s day, everyone had a cloak or we call it robe. It is probably equivalent to a modern-day jacket. It was used to warm oneself, to bundle up belongings for a trip, to wrap babies, to sit on, or to serve as a security for a loan (collateral). Most cloaks were plain, knee-length and short-sleeved. In contrast, Joseph’s was probably the type of cloak rich and powerful people wore—long sleeved, ankle length, and colorful. This shows the favoritism Jacob showed Joseph.
It was obvious to the other boys that Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, especially when Joseph received the multi-colored cloak. It was like adding insult to injury. And because of it, his brothers hated him all the more.

WHY DID HIS BROTHERS HATE HIM?
· Because his father loved him (37:3)
· Because he reported to his father their evil deeds.

“But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing” Genesis 37:2.
Joseph did this not because he is “sipsip” or “pa-epal” but because he was faithful to his father.

· Because of the gift he received from his father.
The multi-colored cloak aggravated the already strained relations between Joseph and his brothers. When there is favoritism in the home, there is going to be war.

“But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father’s partiality. They couldn’t say a kind word to him” Genesis 37:4.

· Because of his dreams

PRINCIPLE:
1. When you become parents, the rule should be: NO FAVORITISM!
2. If right now you are your father’s or mother’s favorite, please tell them to treat your siblings the same way. Or if you can’t tell them that, be discreet about it.

II. JOSEPH HAD A DREAM

What is a dream?
Dreams are said to derive from the activities in which the dreamer has been immersed during the day.

“As a dream comes when there are many cares” Ecc. 5:3.
Dreams recorded in Scripture are of two kinds:
1. Ordinary dream phenomena in which the sleeper “sees” a connected series of images which correspond to events in everyday life.

2. Dreams which communicate to the sleeper a message from God (the dream of Joseph the father of Jesus).

The word dream is sometimes synonymous to “vision”. A vision is a dream while you’re awake. Joseph’s dreams fall under number one.

What was the dream of Joseph?

FIRST DREAM:
“One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he announced. ‘We were out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then all your bundles gathered around and bowed low before it!” (37:6-7).

SECOND DREAM:
“Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers about it. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he said. ‘The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” (37:9).

Reactions against his dreams:

FIRST REACTION:
“’So you are going to be our king, are you?’ his brothers taunted. And they hated him all the more for his dream and what he said” (37:8).

SECOND REACTION:
“This time he told his father as well as his brothers, and his father rebuked him. ‘What do you mean?’ his father asked. ‘Will your mother, brothers, and I actually come and bow before you?’” (37:10).

In his excitement, Joseph told his family about his dream. Although the dream was prophetic, something that will happen in the future, it caused his brothers to hate him even more.
Joseph’s dream pictured the prominence that he would eventually have in his family. In the culture of his day, the first born was the prominent one. Joseph’s dream not only insulted his older brothers, it also violated the custom.
Joseph could have been more sensitive to his family’s response to his dreams. No one enjoys a braggart. If you want to tell others about things you have done, share your success in a way that gives the glory to God. Humility is the word.
His second dream was even more alarming. According to this dream, even the sun and moon, presumably his father and mother (though his mother was already deceased), would bow to Joseph. The eleven stars were his brothers.
Now, even his father was insulted by Joseph’s behavior. The son could have talked about his dreams with more tact.

PRINCIPLES:
1. God is the source of dreams.
“For I know the plans I have for you…” Jer. 29:11.

2. Nurture first the dream. Do not announce it immediately. Practice the LAW OF TIMING.

3. Do not share the dream to people who do not share the dream. Practice the LAW OF INNER CIRCLE.

4. THE LAW OF BAMBOO: “The higher it grows, the lower it bends.” Learn humility.

III. JOSEPH SUFFERED A SERIES OF INJUSTICES

“Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Schechem. When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, ‘Your brothers are over at Schechem with the flocks. I’m going to send you to them.’
‘I’m ready to go’, Joseph replied.
‘Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along’, Jacob said. ‘Then come back and bring me word.’ So Jacob set him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Schechem from his home in the valley of Hebron.
When he arrived there, a man noticed him wandering around the countryside. ‘What are you looking for?’ he asked.
‘For my brothers and their flocks’, Joseph replied. ‘Have you seen them?’
‘Yes,’ the man told him, ‘but they are no longer here. I heard your brothers say they are going to Dothan.’ So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.” Genesis 37:12-17.

Jacob asked Joseph to go find his brothers, who were grazing their flocks near Shechem. When Joseph arrived, he learned that his brothers had gone on to Dotham.

1. His kind visit was reciprocated with harsh treatment.

“When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance and made plans to kill him” (v.18).

Isn’t that unjust?
Where is God during this time? Joseph visited them probably to give them supplies but it was received with harsh treatment. If you were Joseph, how would you feel?
Can your jealousy toward someone make you feel like killing him? Before you say, “of course not”, look at what happened in this story. Ten men were suddenly willing to kill their own brother over a colored jacket. Their deep jealousy had grown into an ugly rage, blinding then to what is right. Jealousy can be hard to recognize because our reasons for it seems to make sense. Left unchecked, jealousy can lead to more serious sins. You may not kill but you can destroy by spreading lies or stories about the person you are jealous with.

2. His brothers planned to kill him, but decided to starve him.

“’Here comes that dreamer!’ they exclaimed. ‘Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into a deep pit. We can tell our father that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what becomes of all his dreams!’
But Reuben came to Joseph’s rescue. ‘Let’s not kill him,’ he said. ‘Why should we shed his blood? Let’s just throw him alive into this pit here. That way he will die without our having to touch him.’ Reuben was secretly planning to help Joseph escape, and then he would bring him back to his father.
So when Joseph arrived, they pulled off his beautiful robe and threw him into the pit. This pit was normally used to store water, but it was empty at that time” (v.19-24).

Isn’t that unjust?
It was an option that was not right, but would leave them guiltless of murder.

“They pulled off his beautiful robe…” (v.23.).

3. His brothers sold him to slavery.

“Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they noticed a caravan of camels in the distance coming towards them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking spices, balm, and myrrh from Gilead to Egypt.
Judah said to the others, ‘What can we gain by killing our brother? That would just give us a guilty conscience. Let’s sell Joseph to those Ishmaelite traders. Let’s not be responsible for his death; after all, he is our brother!’ And his brothers agreed. So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver, and the Ishmaelite traders took him along to Egypt” (v.25-28).

Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?
Although Joseph’s brothers didn’t kill him outright, they thought he was good as dead (or at least out of their lives) when they sold him to slave traders. They were quite willing to pass the blame to these cruel men. Like what Pilate did during the crucifixion of Christ.

“He sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this man. The responsibility is yours!’” Matthew 27:24.

Joseph faced a 30-day journey through the desert, probably chained and on foot. He would be treated like baggage, and once in Egypt, would be sold as a piece of merchandise or an animal.
A slave is usually considered to be a person (male or female) owned by another, without rights, and—like any other form of personal property—to be used and disposed of in whatever way the owner may wish.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time? What would happen to his dream?

4. His brothers made their father believe that has torn in pieces.

“Then Joseph’s brothers killed a goat and dipped the robe in its blood. They took the beautiful robe to their father and asked him to identify it. ‘We found this in the field,’ they told him. ‘It’s Joseph’s robe. Isn’t it?’
Their father recognized it at once. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it’s my son’s robe. A wild animal has attacked and eaten him. Surely Joseph has been torn in pieces!’ Then Jacob torn his clothes and put on sackcloth. He mourned deeply for his son for many days. His family all tried to comfort him, but it was no use. ‘I will die in mourning for my son,’ he would say, and then begin to weep” (v.31-35).

To cover their evil action, Jacob’s sons deceived their father into thinking Joseph was dead.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?

5. He was sold into Egypt to Potifar.

“Meanwhile, in Egypt, the traders sold Joseph to Potifar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potifar was captain of the palace guard” (v.36).

“Now when Joseph arrived in Egypt with the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potifar, a member of the personal staff of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potifar was the captain of the palace guard” Genesis 39:1.

Imagine the culture shock Joseph experienced upon arriving in Egypt. Joseph had lived as a nomad, traveling the countryside with his family, caring for sheep. Suddenly he found himself into the world’s most advanced civilized society with great pyramids, beautiful homes, sophisticated people, and a new language. While Joseph saw Egypt’s skill and intelligence at their best, he also saw the Egyptian’s spiritual blindness: they were very idolatrous people.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?

Ancient Egypt was a land of great contrasts. People were either very rich or very poor. There wasn’t much middle ground. Joseph found himself serving Potifar, and extremely rich member of Pharaoh’s cabinet.
Rich families like Potifar’s had elaborate homes, two or three stories tall with beautiful gardens and balconies. They enjoyed live entertainment at home as they chose delicious fruits from expensive bowls. They were surrounded by vases of flowers, paintings, beautiful rugs, and hand-carved chairs. Dinner was served on golden tableware, and their rooms were lit with gold candlesticks. The servants, such as Joseph, worked on the first floor, while the family occupied the upper stories.
Where is God during this time? Has he forgotten Joseph the same way his brothers had forgotten him?

In the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation, God was with Joseph. He has never left him nor forsaken him. God was with him when he was thrown into the pit by his brothers. God was with him when he was sold into slavery. God was with him now in Egypt.

“The Lord was with Joseph and blessed him greatly as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potifar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” (v.26).

Joseph had all the reason to be bitter, and to sour-grape; to be negative about his predicament. Instead, he chose to be positive. “Life is a matter of choice. Life is not so much about what happens to us, but about how we react to what happens to us.”

“A man had lost a leg in an accident and when he was picked up and discovered what had actually happened, he said to those around him, ‘Thank God it was the leg with the arthritis.’”

If you laugh at your troubles, there’ll always be enough to laugh at.

William Slangster, well-known British pastor, was told he had progressive muscular atrophy and could not get well. He made the following resolutions and stuck by them to the day he died:
1. I will never complain.
2. I will keep the home bright.
3. I will count my blessings.
4. I will try to turn it good.

Joseph was all alone in Egypt, separated from his family and friends. But the Lord was with him. And the Lord prospered him.

“…the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” Gen. 39:3.

“When we have nothing left but God, we find that God is more than enough”.

It is God’s presence that makes all we do prosperous. Those that would prosper must therefore make God their friend; and those that do prosper must therefore make God the praise.
Where was God all this time in the life of Joseph? All this time God is with Joseph.

God has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5.

2009-09-28T01:12:00.000-07:00

WHO’S THE BOSS?
Daniel 4:34-35

James Boice writes:
We do not have a strong church today nor do we have many strong Christians. We can trace the cause to an acute lack of sound spiritual knowledge. Why is the Church weak? Why are individual Christians weak? It is because they have forgotten what God is like and what He promises to do for those who trust Him.
For an average Christian, God is a god who would like to save the world but who cannot. He would like to restrain evil, but somehow he finds it beyond his power. So he has withdrawn into semi-retirement, being willing to give good advice in a grandfatherly sort of way, but for the most part he has left his children to fend themselves in a dangerous environment.

Isn’t it true, more often than not, that the God you picture in your mind is old, has a long beard – and maybe leans on a cane? Isn’t it true? He wears a robe, has big toes, sandals. He’s not too sure about modern things like cell phones, advanced nuclear physics, laser beams, and electronic computers.
God isn’t old. He is eternal. He isn’t intimidated; He is All-powerful. He knows all things. He is SOVEREIGN!
Daniel 4 is one of the clearest declarations of the sovereignty of God found in the Scriptures.
When Nebuchadnezzar saw God in all His glory and sovereignty, his whole perspective changed. His sanity and kingdom were restored.
“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshipped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.
His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He has the power to do as he pleases among the angels of heaven and with those who live on earth. No one can stop him or challenge him, saying, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’” DANIEL 4:34-35.

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY MEANS GOD’S EXERCISE OF POWER OVER HIS CREATION.

I. GOD’S RULE IS EVERLASTING.
“...His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (v. 34).
God does not become God by way of election. We do not elect Him. He will not relinquish His position. You cannot impeach Him and He will not resign. He has no predecessor and He will have no successor. There was no one before Him and there’ll be no one after Him
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” 1 Chronicles 29:11-12.
God is the Ruler of all things. Jeremiah asks, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37.
No one can act outside of God’s sovereign will or against it. Centuries ago, Augustine said, “Nothing, therefore, happens unless the Omnipotent wills it to happen; He either permits it to happen, or He brings it about Himself.”
Nothing is too large or too small to escape God’s governing hand.

II. GOD IS IN CONTROL
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth” (v. 35).
In Rabbi Kushner’s book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Kushner asks, “Can you accept the idea that some things happen for no reason, that there is randomness in the universe?” Speaking of the direction a forest fire takes, he asks, “But is there a sensible explanation for why wind and weather combine to direct a forest fire on a given day toward certain homes rather than others, trapping some people inside and sparing others? Or is it just a matter of pure luck?”
God is in control. Nothing happens by chance or pure luck. If there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control then we cannot trust Him.
In his well-known statement about sparrows, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father.....So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” Matthew 10: 29-31.
According to Jesus, God does exercise His sovereignty in very minute events – even the life and death of an almost worthless sparrow.
If God controls the circumstances that affect the sparrows, how much more does He control the circumstances that affect us? God does not walk away and leave us to the mercy of uncontrolled random or chance events.
That God is, indeed, both good and powerful is one of the basic tenets (doctrine) of Christian belief. We admit that we are often unable to reconcile God’s sovereignty and goodness in the face of widespread tragedy or personal adversity, but we believe that, although we often do not understand God’s ways, He is sovereignly at work in all of our circumstances.
All people – believers as well as unbelievers – experience anxiety, frustration, heartache and disappointment. Some suffer intense physical pain and catastrophic tragedies. But that which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an All-Powerful and All-Loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God’s eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good.
God is in control. God never permits people to act contrary to His sovereign will.
Consider the following passages of the Scripture:

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21.

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” Proverbs 21:30.

“Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37.

“You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” James 4:15.

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” Revelation 3:7.
We make plans, but those plans can succeed only when they are consistent with God’s purpose. No plan can succeed against Him. No emperor, king, supervisor, teacher, or coach can speak and make it happen if the Lord has not decreed to either make it happen or permit it to happen. No one can say, “I will do this or that,” and have it happen if it is not part of God’s sovereign will.
Margaret Clarkson wrote, “The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable (secure, indestructible) rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident. They may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God....All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and of the personal history of every member of His redeemed family.”
Nothing is so small or trivial as to escape the attention of God’s sovereign control; nothing is so great as to be beyond His power to control it.
But many times we question God’s sovereignty – especially during times of difficulty. When everything is all right, God is good. When we get sick – God is bad. When we have money – God is good. When we don’t have money – God is bad. When we’re happy – God is good. When we’re sad – God is bad.
And we can’t help but ask WHY??? WHY ME???
God is in absolute control. There are many things that we don’t understand. But it’s not our business to understand; our business is to trust. God is in control. He is in charge!
No detail in your life is too insignificant for your Heavenly Father’s attention; no circumstance is so big that He cannot control it.
“All things work together for good to them that love God and who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.

III. GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IS NOT ALWAYS APPARENT (clear, obvious)
“A Christian husband flew in a private plane to another city to give his testimony at an evangelistic meeting, taking his son with him. On the way home they ran into an electrical storm that caused the plane to crash. Both the father and son were killed.”
Where was God during this time?
If God is in control, why did He allow this to happen?
One of our problems with the sovereignty of God is that it frequently does not appear that God is in control of the circumstances of our lives. Many times it appears that God doesn’t care. Or busy with other things.
But to believe in the sovereignty of God when we do not see His direct intervention – when God is, so to speak, working entirely behind the scenes through ordinary circumstances and ordinary actions of people – is even more important, because that is the way God usually works.
As the song says, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.”
Does God always orchestrate the events of our lives to fulfill His purposes?
According to Romans 8:28, the answer is a solid YES!
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

IV. GOD DOES AS HE PLEASES
God does as He pleases, only as he pleases, and no one can frustrate His plans or hinder His purposes.
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2.
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” Psalm 115:3.
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” Isaiah 46:10.
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’”
No plan of God can be thwarted; when He acts, no one can reverse it; no one can hold back His hand or bring Him to account for His actions. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and works out every event to bring about the accomplishment of His will.
But God is also infinite in love. He exercises His sovereignty for His glory and for the good of His people.
God has a purpose and plan for you, and God has the power to carry out that plan.
“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’” Jeremiah 29:11.
Although these words were directed to the nation of Judah in its captivity, they express a principle about God. God has a plan for you. Because He has a plan for you, and no one can thwart that plan, you can trust God.
We make plans but are often forced to change those plans. But there are no contingencies with God. Our unexpected, forced change of plans is a part of His plan. God is never surprised; caught off guard; never frustrated by unexpected developments. God does as He pleases and that which pleases Him is always for His glory and for our good.
Our lives are also cluttered with a lot of “if onlys.”
“If only I had this,” or “If only that had not happened.” But again, God has no “if onlys.” God never makes a mistake; God has no regrets.
“As for God, his way is perfect” Psalm 18:30.

Is God sovereign only in the “good” circumstances of our lives? Is He not also sovereign in the difficult times, the times when our hearts ache with pain?
The Bible teaches us that God is sovereign over both the “good” and the “bad.” Consider the following:
“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other....” Ecclesiastes 7:14.
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” Isaiah 45:7.
“Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” Lamentations 3:38.
These three passages clearly state what is taught in principle throughout the rest of the Bible. God controls both the good and the bad.
In the earlier story (the death of the father and the son in a plane crash) a Christian friend, in an effort to comfort the bereaved wife and mother said, “One thing you can be sure of: God had no part in the accident.” According to this friend, God was apparently looking the other way when the pilot got into trouble.
God has not looked the other way or been caught by surprise when adversity strikes us. He is in control of that adversity, directing it to His glory and our good.
Trusting in God does not mean we do not suffer grief or go through pain, that our heart does not ache. It means that in the midst of pain, heartache, and grief we can say to the effect of, “Lord, I know You are in control. I don’t know and I can’t understand why You have allowed this to happen but I trust You. Help me glorify You in this.”
We honor God by choosing to trust Him when we don’t understand what He is doing or why He has allowed some adverse circumstance to occur. As we seek God’s glory, we may be sure that He has purposed our good and He will not be frustrated in fulfilling that purpose.
“God is too kind to do anything cruel, too wise to make a mistake, too deep to explain Himself.” – Charles Swindoll
As the song says:
“God is too wise to be
mistaken,
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don’t
understand
When you can’t see His plan
When you can’t trace His
hands
Trust His heart.”

2009-09-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

WHAT GUARANTEES SUCCESS
Ecclesiastes 9:11-18

“I have observed something else in this world of ours. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise are often poor, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being at the right place at the right time.
People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a snare, people are often caught by sudden tragedy. Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought anymore about him. Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. But even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king. A wise person can overcome weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.”

I. HUMAN ABILITY CANNOT GUARANTEE GENUINE SUCCESS
· The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race….
· The strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle….
· The wise are often poor….
· The skillful are not necessarily wealthy….
· The educated doesn’t always lead successful lives….
· The most beautiful doesn’t always get the crown….
· The most dedicated doesn’t always get promoted….
· The intelligent doesn’t always pass the board exam….

Success is not what you think!
Professionals, students, and everyone else need to listen to Solomon’s word. And why should we listen to him? Listen to this: In 1 Kings 4:29, “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth if understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” And in 2 Chronicles 9:22, “So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king in all the earth. Kings from every nation came to visit him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.” That’s his credentials. Enough to silence us.
The philosophy of our day convinces us that if we’re going to make it, we’ve got to run faster. We’ve got to be stronger and more competitive and more clever, and more manipulative. Otherwise, we won’t be successful. There is no room for the weak, for the soft-hearted, for the compassionate, for the merciful. You have to be tough in order to win! Don’t you believe it! Solomon seems to be shouting, “That’s not true!”
He says, “It is all decided by chance, by being at the right place at the right time….”
We’re talking about the sovereign hand of God. Even though we may not hear a lot about God’s sovereignty in the daily news, it is at work. In the final analysis His “time” and His plan (called “chance” by Solomon) always win. The hand of God has a way of bringing contrasting results other than expected and logical results.
In verse 12, “People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a snare, people are often caught by sudden tragedy.”
A similar warning is issued by the Apostle James in his letter: “Look here, you people who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like a morning fog – it’s here a little while and then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil” James 4:13-16.
You’ve made plans for the future. Success is coming. You can sense it. You can smell it. Momentum is increasing. Everything is going right and soon all the pieces will fall together. But suddenly (that is the key word)…………… a tragedy. You never thought about it….you didn’t see it coming. Solomon says, “….people are often caught by sudden tragedy….”
· Sudden death of a loved one….
· A terminal disease….
· A tragic accident….
· A natural disaster….
· Loss of a job….
· Financial reversals….
· The groom to be elopes with another girl….
· A sudden break up….
· And many other tragedies.

God has a way of bringing all of our plans to an abrupt halt. We ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will or God willing.” We make plans, yes, but God has the final say. He is sovereign!
The race is not always to the swift. The strong are not always the strongest. The intelligent and competitive aren’t always the wealthiest. Human ability cannot guarantee success!

II. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN ABILITY
“Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought anymore about him” v. 13-15.
Picture the scene: It’s a small village. Few people. No armies. A great king came with his vast army to attack it. The people inside the village are terrified. Death is sure. And suddenly within the village there is a poor wise man who speaks. The village was rescued!
It’s a scene that communicates the importance of wisdom (good judgment). The village represents a life under pressure – people like you and me in any generation, living our lives, realizing a very loud and powerful enemy is present. It’s all around us and it’s in us. The environment, the system, and our human nature dictate us to conform. The desire of the enemy is twofold: initially to seduce us and ultimately to destroy us.
Strength is impressive but wisdom is more effective.

III. WISE COUNSEL IS NEVER POPULAR, RARELY OBEYED, AND SELDOM REMEMBERED
“Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long” v. 16.
Solomon tells us that “the wisdom of the poor man is despised.” Wise, godly counsel is not popular. It’s rarely obeyed. It’s usually forgotten (like sermons/messages). No one remembered the poor man.
The poor man is the inner heart, the conscience, the spirit within us. It is the Spirit of God convicting us, convincing us, comforting us, guiding us and showing us the right path. We seldom obey.
“But even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king” v. 17.
The enemy is always louder and more convincing than the quiet wise man. But if you want to succeed, listen to the wise.

IV. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN WEAPONS OF WAR
The enemy forces are on the attack. What are these enemies? Sickness, tragedies, recession, financial reversals, break ups, shadows of the past, peer pressure, daily struggles like rent, tuition, food, clothing, medicine, etc. Our village - our life, our values, our principles, our faith, and our relationships – is being threatened.
Instead of fighting the enemy with our own strength, we need to listen to the quiet voice deep within our spirits. It is the voice of the Spirit of God, urging us to turn to God’s Word as our guide in the midst of chaos and confusion. As our village is under attack, defeat is very sure if we do not listen to the voice of the Spirit within.
But the Holy Spirit won’t shout. He won’t use force. He won’t even threaten. He speaks softly and waits patiently to be heard and obeyed.
When Moses died, Joshua succeeded him. His mission? Lead the people of Israel into their Promised Land. The Lord gave him this instruction: “Obey all the laws of Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then you will succeed” Joshua 1:7-8.
Not by strength, not by ability, not by beauty, not by intelligence that we will succeed. But by listening to God’s Word and obeying it. His voice is that gentle, small voice within us. Obey it!

MAKING MY LIFE COUNT
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

“Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead. When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down. When a tree falls, whether south or north, there it lies. If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. God’s ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother’s womb. Be sure to stay busy and plant a variety of crops, for you never know which will grow – perhaps they all will.”

When was the last time you did something adventurous? When was the last time you gave something to someone without expecting anything in return? When was the last time you gave your 100% in a project? When was the last time you said, “Lord, I trust you completely no matter what”?
If your answer to those questions is, “I can’t remember,” what are you waiting for? When will you live life to the fullest?

There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or cried
He never risked, he never tried
He never sang or prayed!
And then one day he passed away
His insurance was denied,
Foe since he never really lived,
They claimed he never died!

Solomon’s personal remarks as he nears the end of his journey are full of refreshing hope. We are told to stretch, to reach, to take up the challenge, to be determined.

I. LIVE UNSELFISHLY
“Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later…”
In other version it says, “Cast your bread upon the waters.”
Solomon is saying that when a life is released to others, God will bring back any number of benefits and blessings.
“If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” Matthew 16:25.
Releasing ourselves is God’s way. Living unselfishly is letting ourselves free. By giving ourselves away we find true life.
This may sound too simple, but it really all starts here – TAKE AN INTEREST IN PEOPLE. You have to show people that you care about them by taking an interest in them. Look for value in every person. Put yourself in other’s shoes. Find reasons to like them. You won’t take an interest in people if deep down you care nothing about them. If we don’t want to help people, yet we want to them to help us, then we get in trouble.
Everyday we have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. Don’t waste it.

II. GIVE GENEROUSLY
“Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead” v. 2.
The principle of many is: Get all you can, can all you get, then sit on the can!
Henry Ford once said, “Success is not rare. It is common. Most people think of it in terms of getting; success, however, begins in terms of giving.”

1. GIVE YOUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS
“Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will surely bless you abundantly” Proverbs 3:9.

A. TITHES – the 10% of my income. The first part of what I earn not the leftovers. God is not a pig na tira-tira lang ‘yong ibinibigay natin!

B. OFFERINGS – my expression of love and thanksgiving to God.

“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do…I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease…Then all nations will call you blessed” Malachi 3:8-11.

2. GIVE TO CHURCH WORKERS
“Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor” Galatians 6:6.

3. GIVE TO THE POOR OR THOSE IN NEED
“He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord and He will repay him for his good deed” Proverbs 19:17.
Walang memory gap si Lord. At ayaw Niyang may utang Siya kaya nagbabayad agad.
“If you shut your ear to the poor, someday you’ll cry all alone” Proverbs 21:13.

Solomon says, “Be liberal and generous to as many as you can. You do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.” We have no idea what calamity, need, or unfortunate event may occur. But those who are generous will find benefit after many days. The Lord promises us that.
We must adopt an ongoing mind-set of giving toward others. I believe it has nothing to do with circumstances. I’ve met generous people with almost nothing who were willing to share what little they possessed. And I’ve met well-off people who were stingy with their time, talent, and treasure. The issue is really attitude.
Henri Nouwen said, “When we refrain from giving, with a scarcity mentality, the little we have will become less. When we give generously, with an abundance mentality, what we give away will multiply.”
Why should we adopt an abundance mentality? We always say, “kulang pa nga sa akin eh, bakit naman ako magbibigay o saka nalang ako magbigay kapag may sobra.”
If you believe in abundance, that’s what life gives you. If you believe in scarcity, then that’s what you get. I don’t know why that is, but after 10 years of ministry and of paying attention to people’s attitudes and watching how life unfolded for them, I know it to be true. So if you desire to be more generous, change your thinking and your attitude when it comes to abundance. Not only will it allow you to be more generous, but also it will change your life.
“Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop….And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others….Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously” 2 Corinthians 9:6-11.

III. PURSUE VIGOROUSLY
“When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down. When a tree falls, whether south or north, there it lies. If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” v. 3-4.
Solomon is probably describing those who spend their lives observing, watching, not getting involved. Instead of watching, pursue vigorously. We cannot change the weather, we cannot change the past, and we don’t what lies ahead. We can worry about them all we like, but we can’t change them.
“Do not wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.”
Excuses….excuses….excuses. Hindi maubos-ubos.
What are you waiting for? Get involved. Get into the action. Don’t just sit and wait for something to happen. Do something. Commit to something that will outlive you. Make an impact in the life of people. Only people will last forever. The most important use of your life is to share the Good News to people who are lost and help them grow in their walk with God. It’s not going to be a walk in the park. But it’s worth the investment.
Face the challenge and pursue vigorously. Give your best. Don’t settle for anything less.

IV. TRUST COMPLETELY
“God’s ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother’s womb. Be sure to stay busy and plant a variety of crops, for you never know which will grow – perhaps they all will” v. 5-6.
This encourages us to trust the living God completely. Just as we do not know the path of the wind, and just as we do not know how bones are formed in a tiny fetus, just as we do not know any of that, we are to trust God in everything – completely. Entrust Him your future. He is already there. When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.
Live unselfishly, give generously, pursue vigorously – and God will take care of you – today and tomorrow.
“And he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” Matthew 6:33.

2009-09-28T00:54:00.000-07:00

TURNING TRIALS INTO TRIUMPHS
James 1:1-12

Not everybody who grows old grows up. There is a vast difference between age and maturity. Ideally, the older we are, the more mature we should be; but too often the ideal does not become the real.
The Epistle of James was written to help us understand and attain spiritual maturity: “That you may become mature and complete, not lacking anything” (1:4b).

WRITER: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a half-brother of Jesus.
James and the other brothers did not believe in Jesus during His earthly ministry (John 7:1-5; Mark 3:31-35).
1 Corinthians 15:7 indicates that Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection. This convinced James that Jesus truly was the Savior, and he, in turn, shared this knowledge about Jesus to the other brothers.
James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. Tradition tells us that James was martyred in A.D. 62. Because of his testimony for Christ, he was beaten to death with clubs by the Pharisees. The story relates that James died, as did His Savior, praying for his murderers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

TO WHOM DID JAMES WRITE?
“To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations...”James wrote to Jews living outside the land of Palestine. James sent this letter to Christian Jews (Jews who were converted from Judaism to Christianity) – who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire because of persecution.

PURPOSE: To expose unethical practices and to teach right Christian be- havior.

James confronts the unethical practices of his readers head-on. Christianity must not only be believed, it must be lived. The proof that our faith is real is a changed life. And a changed life will inevitably produce good works. This is the central theme of James’ letter, around which he gives practical advice on living the Christian life.
In this letter, we are encouraged to put our faith into action. It is easy to say we have, but true faith will produce good works.

“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.
God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” James 1:1-12.

HOW TO TURN YOUR TRIALS INTO TRIUMPHS?

To rejoice in the midst of trials, you must have....

I. A JOYFUL ATTITUDE
“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy”(1:2).
The word ‘trouble’ as used here refers to ‘trials or testing.’ Once you decide to follow Christ, you are also signing up for a troubled life. James assumes we will have trials. Jesus tells us to expect trials. He warned his disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation” John 16:32.
The believer who expects his Christian life to be easy is in for a shock. Some trials come simply because we are human – sickness, accidents, disappointments, etc. Other trials come because we are Christians – persecution. But if we fail an exam because we did not study, don’t call it a trial; call it laziness. If others are against us because we have a bad attitude, don’t call it a trial; call it attitude problem. If we suffer, if we fail, if we are in pain due to some wrong decisions on our part, don’t call it a trial; call it failure.
It has been said that the Christian life is certainly not a bed of roses, but in one sense of the word it is because, when one lies on a bed of roses, there is not only the fragrance of the roses which arises but also there are the thorns.
We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It is easy to be kind when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Every trial is an opportunity to grow and experience God’s grace and sovereignty.
Illustration: The Teakettle: Christians should be like the teakettle: sing even though we are up to our necks in hot water.
If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better. When Jesus washed the disciples feet, Peter said to him, “Lord, why are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now why I am doing it; someday you will.”
So, when trials come, immediately give thanks to the Lord and adopt a joyful attitude. How?

1. Express confidence to the Lord through songs.
“...sings psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...making music to the Lord in your hearts” Ephesians 5:19.
When times are rough, it’s very difficult to sing. We’re not in the mood to sing. We can hardly open our mouth. But we should not allow pressures of life to kill our song. And I believe that THE DEEPEST LEVEL OF WORSHIP IS PRAISING GOD IN SPITE OF PAIN, THANKING GOD DURING TRIAL, TRUSTING HIM IN DIFFICULT TIMES, AND LOVING HIM WHEN HE SEEMS DISTANT.

2. Express gratitude to the Lord through prayer.
“Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18.

II. AN UNDERSTANDING MIND
“Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (1:3).
It is important we understand that....

1. Faith is always tested.
In school, tests are given to determine how much we learned. Our faith is tested to increase it. Trials are hurdles. You have to pass every hurdle before you can move to the nest level, like in computer games. You will go through the same trial if you do not learn the lesson God wants you to learn. And when it comes to spiritual things, we are V.S.L. – as in Very Slow Learners. It is important that in every trial we ask, “Lord, what are you trying to teach me?”

2. Testing works for us, not against us.
The word ‘testing’ can be translated ‘approval.’ So, when our faith is being tested it means that God approves of our faith. And God’s approval of our faith is precious, because it assures us that our faith is genuine.
Trials work for the believer, not against him.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those of who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” Romans 8:28.
“A man of God went on a journey. All he owned were a book, a candle, and a cock. The book he read and loved, the candle provided him light, the cock crowed to awaken him in the morning.
One evening he arrived in a small town. He asked hospitality from home after home but was rudely refused both food and lodging.
‘God in His mercy and justice does all things,’ said the believing man. He found protection from the wind in the bunch of high bushes, secured his cock nearby and, with praise in his heart, began to read his book.
A sudden burst of wind blew out his light, and the good man found himself without the means to relight his candle.
‘God in His mercy and justice does all things well,’ said the trusting man. And he prepared to lie down to sleep. Suddenly a wild dog came out of the darkness, and the life of his cock was gone.
‘God in His mercy and justice does all things well,’ said the godly man, yet with sorrow. And he lay down and slept.
In the morning, the light awakened him. He gathered his book to his heart and walked back to the unfriendly village. To his horror, he saw that the robbers had come in the night. The village had been plundered and burned. The villagers had been murdered.
The man of God remembered. Had he been granted hospitality, he too would have died; and had his light shone or his cock crowed, the robbers would have been led to him.
‘God in His mercy and justice does all things well,’ said the godly man. And in the light of the day, he read his book and praised God.”

3. Trials rightly used help us to mature.
It is not good to talk about your troubles. 80% of the people who hear them don’t care and the other 20% are glad you’re having trouble.
What does God want to produce in our lives? Patience, endurance, and the ability to keep going when times are tough. Immature people are always impatient. If they want something, they want it now. If they want to say something, they’ll say it now. For them every time is their time. They can’t wait. They do not understand the Law of Timing – there is a time for everything! They do not consider God’s timing.
God wants to make us patient because that is the key to every other blessing. And the only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through trials.
So, we need to understand that every trial is a blessing in disguise.

III. A SURRENDERED WILL (1:4)
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
The testing of our faith develops perseverance. What is perseverance? An English writer once wrote an article in which he examined the traits of many successful people.
“The only common trait that can be discovered among them,” he wrote, “has to do with the capacity for sustained work in an emergency. Someone has said that the chief difference between a big man and a little man is that the little man quits when he is tired and sleepy, while that is the very time the big man presses on harder than ever.”
Along the same lines, another author wrote, “The longer I live the more deeply I am convinced that the difference between one person and another, between the weak and the powerful, the great and insignificant, is perseverance. This quality will do anything that has to be done in the world; and no talents, no circumstances, no opportunities, will make one a successful person without it.”
PERSEVERANCE IS NOT THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES BUT THE WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE DESPITE OF OBSTACLES.
God cannot build our character without our cooperation. We need to submit to the power of the Holy Spirit. Without absolute surrender on our part, God cannot make us the people He wants us to be.
God’s goal for our lives is maturity. It would be a tragedy if children remained little babies. God builds our character before He calls us to service. He must work in us before He can work through us.

EMPTY WHAT IS FULL; FULL WHAT IS EMPTY!

God cannot work in us if we are already full. If you come to a point in your Christian life and you feel you don’t need anything anymore from God, you don’t desire for more of God anymore, then, God cannot fill you anymore. There must be total, complete surrender. We must first be empty before God can fill us.
If the Christian life is difficult as it is always difficult, do not complain; persevere. If your ministry becomes difficult, as it will be difficult, do not complain; persevere. When your prayers are not answered immediately, do not give up; persevere. There were times in my life when I thought of leaving the full-time ministry......
William Carey spent over forty years in Burma and India and when asked to explain his astonishing accomplishments, he simply answered, “PERSEVERANCE.”
The life of Job is a classic example of persevering through adversity. His story is found in his self-titled book.
“Job lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and he employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area” Job 1:1-3.
But tragic events in succession came to Job’s life: all his oxen and donkeys were stolen, all his sheep were burned, all his camels were stolen, all his children were killed while they were partying at the oldest brother’s house, when a strong wind hit the house and the house collapsed. Lastly, he was inflicted with painful sores from head to foot.
Job’s disease has been diagnosed as boils or leprosy. But most likely it is elephantiasis. Throughout the book, the symptoms are described: itching and open sores, feelings of terror, maggots bred in ulcer, sleeplessness, nightmares, depression, fetid breath, failing vision, rotting teeth, weeping, fever, corrosion of bones, and then blackening and falling off of skin.
Job cursed the day he was born. But Job’s turning point is in 13:15 – “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him...”
Job experienced physical pain beyond imagination, psychological despair, social rejection, and spiritual condemnation. Having given up hope for healing from his friends, he can only turn to God, with nothing to lose but his life.
God never explained to Job why. Job simply came to the place where he accepted whatever God allowed. At the end, God blessed Job double.
“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He has fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters...After this Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and grandchildren to the fourth generation. And so, he died, old and full of years” Job 42:12-16.
When we go through adversity, God never explains why. But God is always in control. When you’re going through rough times, remind yourself God will never resign. Trust Him. He knows what He is doing.
But if our suffering comes from our own wrong doings, then, acknowledge it and repent. Meaning, change your ways.
“Not my will but Your will be done.”

IV. A BELIEVING HEART (1:5-8)
“If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.”
Usually, this verse is being used to encourage students who are about to take an exam. But that is taking the verse out of context.
When we are going through God-ordained difficulties, what do we normally pray? We pray for immediate relief, “Lord, take this away from me. Lord, heal me. Lord, give me. Lord, ba, bantay lang gid ka!” But according to James, we should ask for wisdom. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. Wisdom is the right course of action.
Why do we need wisdom when we are going through trials? Why not ask for strength, or immediate deliverance?
We need wisdom so we will not waste the opportunities God is giving us to mature. We should ask, “Lord what’s Your purpose in this?”
We are to ask in faith. Meaning, when you ask God for wisdom believe that God will surely give you wisdom so that you will know what to do. Believe that He will direct Your steps while you are in the dark. Believe that He wants the best for you even though you may not understand the purpose of the trial that you’re going through. Believe that God can turn the bad into good. Believe that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord. The question is, “Are you righteous? Are you living a holy life? Is your life pleasing to the Lord? Are you becoming like Christ? Are you obeying God’s word?”
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” Romans 12:2.
If you are still the old you, then, there is no way you will know God’s will. God will not reveal His will to those who are disobedient. As a consequence, we make mistakes, we commit wrong decisions and we suffer. Why? Because we are not living in agreement with the will of God.
This kind of experience is evidence of immaturity.

When we’re going through rough times, always remember this:

IT IS NOT OUR BUSINESS TO UNDERSTAND, OUR BUSINESS IS TO TRUST!
NO PAIN, NO GAIN!
WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE HIS HAND, TRUST HIS HEART!
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” James 1:12.

HOW TO HANDLE TEMPTATION
James 1:13-18

Temptation is an unpleasant fact! If you’re alive, you’re on the list. Temptation will find you. Temptation usually starts in small amount. Just a little bit of this....just a little bit of that. Soon it becomes sticky. No matter what you do, it won’t go away.
Believers don’t have immunity from temptation. In fact, we are the favorite target of temptation. But we have supernatural power available to us to say no to temptation and to live a life that pleases to God.
Trials may be tests sent by God, or they may be temptations sent by Satan and encouraged by our own sinful nature.
Why did James connect the two? What is their relationship? Simply this: if we are not careful, the testings may become temptations.
For example, you don’t have money – it’s a trial, whether you will trust God or not. But Satan can turn it into a temptation – you complain against God and question His goodness.
“And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession” James 1:13-18.

HOW TO HANDLE TEMPTATIONS?

I. CONSIDER WHERE TEMPTATION IS COMING FROM AND ITS RESULTS (1:13-16)

A. TEMPTATION DOES NOT COME FROM GOD
“And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either” (v.13).

B. TEMPTATION IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCOMPLISH A GOOD THING IN A BAD WAY, OUT OF THE WILL OF GOD.
Example: To pass an examination is good. But to cheat to be able to pass an examination is wrong.

C. TEMPTATION BEGINS WITH EVIL DESIRE.
“Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires” (v. 14).
The normal desires of life were given to us by God, and of themselves, are not sinful. It is when these desires go out of control that we get into trouble. Eating is normal; gluttony is sin. Sleep is normal; laziness is sin.
“For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world” 1 JOHN 2:16.

1. LUST – gratifying physical desires outside God’s will.
“So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.... When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God” Galatians 5:16-21.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” ROMANS 12:2.

2. MATERIALISM – craving and accumulating things for the sake of having them.
“But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” 1 TIMOTHY 6:6.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that....God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” 1 Timothy 6:6-8, 17.

3. PRIDE – obsession with one’s status or importance.
“Clothe yourselves with humility…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” 1 PETER 5:5.

D. EVIL DESIRES LEAD TO EVIL ACTIONS.
No temptation appears as temptation. The enemy does not come with sungay, buntot, and bangkaw.
“Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light” 1 CORINTHIANS 11:14

The temptation of Eve in Genesis 3:6 – “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some of it.”
Temptation is always appealing to the senses. Satan tried to show Eve that sin is ‘lovely.’ A knowledge of both good and evil seemed desirable and harmless to Eve. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good, at least for themselves.
Notice what Eve did: she looked, then took, then ate, then gave. The battle is often lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by seeing something we want.
One of the realities of sin is that its effect spreads. After Eve sinned, she involved Adam in her wrongdoing.

WHEN WE DO SOMETHING WRONG, OFTEN OUR FIRST RELIEF FROM GUILT COMES BY INVOLVING SOMEONE ELSE. LIKE POISON SPILLED IN A RIVER, SIN SWIFTLY SPREADS, AND BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO RECAPTURE.

When God asked Adam about his sin, Adam blamed Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent. How easy it is to excuse our sins by blaming someone else. We often fall into the trap of blaming others or circumstances for our personal failures. It is easy to blame others and make excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions.

EXCUSES INCLUDE:
1. It’s the other person’s fault.
2. I couldn’t help it.
3. Everybody’s doing it.
4. It was just a mistake. No big deal!
5. Nobody’s perfect.
6. The devil made me do it!
7. I was pressured into it!
8. I didn’t know it was wrong.
9. I’m just human!
10. The temptation is so great! I couldn’t resist!

E. EVIL ACTIONS LEAD TO DEATH.
It may take years for the sin or bad habit to mature, but when it does, the result will be death.
Life in the Garden of Eden was like living in heaven. Everything was perfect!
When God first placed Adam and Eve in the garden, He made it clear that complete obedience would be rewarded by immortal life (living forever in the paradise of Eden). But after disobeying, Adam and Eve no longer deserved to live there. So God told them to leave. Then, comes spiritual death (separation from God).
Deal with sin immediately and don’t give it a chance to grow. You can’t play with fire without burning your finger.

II. CONSIDER HOW GOOD GOD IS
“Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or cast shifting shadows” (1:17).
One of the enemy’s tricks is to convince us that God is not good. That God does not love us. “If your Father loves you, why are you hungry? Why are you poor?” “Why deny yourself pleasure when you can get it now?”
Once we doubt God’s goodness, we will be attracted to Satan’s offers.
The serpent (Satan) tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He suggested that God was strict, kuripot, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share His knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her and focus on the thing she couldn’t have.
“But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from 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” I CORINTHIANS 10:13.
During temptation, God, in His goodness and faithfulness, will always provide a way out. There is always a way out! But the question is, ‘Do you want a way out?’
Illus: ‘Remove the blood...’

A. GOD GIVES ONLY GOOD GIFTS.
Everything good in this world comes from God. If it comes from God, it must be good even if we do not see the goodness in it immediately.

B. GOD GIVES CONSTANTLY.
“Comes” means “it keeps on coming.” God does not give occasionally. He gives constantly. Even when we do not see His gifts, He is sending them.

C. GOD DOES NOT CHANGE.
There are no shadows with the Father of Lights. It is impossible for God to change. He cannot change for the worse because He is holy. He cannot change for the better because He is already perfect.

III. CONSIDER WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST
“In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession” (1:18).

A. YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN NEW BIRTH
God gave us spiritual birth because of His own grace and will, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. We did not earn it or deserve it.
“Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness – righteous, holy, and true” Ephesians 4:22-24.

B. YOU HAVE GOD’S WORD
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” PSALM 119:11.
God’s Word is your SWORD. When Jesus was tempted, he used the Scriptures to attack the enemy.
“Then the Devil came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.’ But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, ‘People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God” MATTHEW 4:3-4.
C. YOU ARE GOD’S CHILD
“You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God’s mercy; now you have received God’s mercy”
1 PETER 2:9-10.
“But to all who believed and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12.
Opportunities come only once. But temptation will always give you a second chance.

PRACTICAL STEPS:

1. DON’T PLAY WITH TEMPTATION. KILL IT !
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” JAMES 4:7.
“…do not give the enemy a foothold (space, chance)”
EPHESIANS 4:27.

YOU CAN’T PLAY WITH FIRE WITHOUT BURNING YOUR FINGER!

2. DON’T RATIONALIZE! ADMIT RESPONSIBILITY!
“Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters” JAMES 1;14-16.
Pornography is pornography! A lie is a lie! Cheating is cheating! Lust is lust! Sexual immorality is sexual immorality! Anger is anger! Temper is temper! Evil is evil! A sin is a sin! Don’t rationalize! Don’t pass the blame to others! Admit responsibility!

2. DON’T JUST PRAY WHEN TEMPTED, PRAY AHEAD!
“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” MATTHEW 6:13.

3. DON’T FIGHT TEMPTATION IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH, ASK CHRIST’S STRENGTH!
“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” HEBREWS 4:15-16.
4. DON’T BE ISOLATED; BE SURROUNDED!
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” JAMES 5:16.
With all the pressures and trials we face, it’s hard to stand alone. And the fact is, we don’t have to. Scripture tells us that if one can make a thousand flee, two can make ten thousand flee! There is power in linking up with a group that can help us be the men/women we’re called to be.
We need a small group of close friends who are believers and learners to give us support and accountability. Friends who will accept us no matter what, but love us enough to correct us, to check on us, to sympathize with us, and to rebuke us when we need one. Friends who are growing in their walk with God and knowledge of His Word.

5. DON’T JUST THINK OF THE PLEASURE; THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCES!
“These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death” JAMES 1:15.
Think of the effects. Think of your loved ones. Think of your testimony as a Christian.

6. DON’T LIVE IN GUILT; LIVE IN GOD’S GRACE!
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong” 1 JOHN 1:9.
But God’s grace is not a license to keep on sinning but a motivation to change our ways of thinking and living.
“Don’t you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see how kind he has
been giving you time to turn from your sin?” ROMANS 2:4.
“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God” ROMANS 6:12-13.

THE GRACE OF GOD IS NOT JUST THE GUARANTEE OF FORGIVENESS IF WE FALL, IT IS THE POWER TO KEEP US FROM FALLING!

GROWING IN THE WORD
James 1:19-27

There are many believers who are fooling themselves concerning their Christian walk. They think they are spiritual when the truth is they are not. It is a mark of maturity when a person faces himself honestly, knows himself, and admits his needs. But the immature pretends that everything is fine and so, he never grows.
One area where we need to grow is in the area of Bible Knowledge and Application. Many Christians are retarded when it comes to knowledge of God’s Word. We are content to be spoon-fed week in and week out. We don’t partake of it ourselves. We allow others to study the Bible for us. The result? Christian mongoloids!
Recent surveys by Barna Research Group have revealed that people do not know even half of the Ten Commandments, do not know who preached the Sermon on the Mount, do not know that the story of Jonah and the fish is from the Bible, and believe that the expression “God helps those who help themselves” is a direct quote from the Bible. (It was actually penned by Benjamin Franklin in the late 1700s.)
The new pastor of a rural church dropped into a Sunday school class and began quizzing the students to test the effectiveness of the teacher.
“Who knocked down the walls of Jericho?” he demanded of one boy. “It’s not me, Reverend,” the boy said.
Turning to the embarrassed teacher, the pastor said, “I suppose that’s a sample of your teaching ability.”
“Now, Reverend. Michael is a good boy and doesn’t tell lies. If he said he didn’t do it, I believe him.”
Thoroughly upset, the pastor took the matter to the Board of Elders. After due consideration the board sent the following message to the pastor: “We see no point in making an issue of this incident. The board will pay for the damages to the wall.”
Do you want to grow spiritually? The first step is to know God through His Word.

“My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight. So get rid of all filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls” James 1:19-21.

WHY SHOULD WE STUDY THE BIBLE?
“The Bible is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable (absolute, unchangeable). Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s character. Paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.”

“The Bible contains an answer to just about everything and every problem that confronts us, and I wonder sometimes why we won’t recognize that one book could solve our problems for us”- Pres. Ronald Reagan.

In order to grow in the Word, we must .......

I. RECEIVE THE WORD (1:19-21)
James calls God’s Word the “implanted word.”
He compares God’s Word to seed and the human heart to soil. According to Jesus Christ in Matthew 13, there are 4 kinds of soil:

® Hard soil (represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom but don’t understand it.)
® Rocky soil (represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but the wilt (wither) as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.)
® Thorny soil (represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.)
® Good soil (represents the hearts of those who truly accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest – thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had planted.)

Before planting the seed, a farmer must first prepare his land. The preparation is the hardest work of all.
If the seed of the Word is to be planted in our hearts, then we must obey the instructions James gives us.

1. BE QUICK TO LISTEN
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” Romans 10:17.
Preaching is God’s appointed means in bringing the message of the gospel to people. The preaching of God’s word must be central in our worship. It should never be replaced by drama, by testimony, by praise and worship, by intermissions, or political speeches.
Just as the servant is quick to hear his master’s voice, and the mother to hear her baby’s smallest cry, so the believer should be quick to hear what God has to say.
A boy was reading aloud in school. The teacher then asked him to tell what he was reading. He answered, “I don’t know. I wasn’t listening.”
It is a sad observation that during times of preaching, instead of listening, people are talking, texting, daydreaming, you name it.
A WARNING TO WORSHIPPERS:
“As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut! Don’t be a fool who doesn’t realize that mindless offerings to God are evil. And don’t make rash promises to God, for he is in heaven, and you are only here on earth. So let your words be few” Ecclesiastes 5:1-2.
When you come to church to worship, you must....

a. PREPARE
J Your clothes (para hindi ma-late o para walang dahilan na hindi maka-attend).
J Your ears (maglinis ng tainga. Maraming mga Christians hindi na tinatablan. Parang walang naririnig. Kung mayroon mang narinig, ‘yon ay hindi para sa kanya kundi para sa iba.)
J Your heart and mind
J Come on time! Isapuso at isaisip ang schedule ng worship para hindi nakakalimutan!

b. PRAY
J For yourself (confession, concentration, conviction)
J For the celebration (songs, congregation, Spirit’s moving, transformation)
J For the preacher of the Word and the Word (that the Word will be preached with power, with anointing, and with the Holy Spirit’s conviction).

c. PARTICIPATE
J Before the service starts, talk to people. Meet new friends. Don’t hide behind your cellphone!
J Put off your cellphone during the service. If you are being interviewed by a possible employer, will you text in front of him or during the interview? That’s being rude! You’ll never get a job if you do that! Ang rason ng iba importante daw. Importante lang siya because you choose to make it important. If you put off your cellphone, then, nothing is important. If you’re expecting a call or text para may rason kang lumabas during the worship, huwag ka na lang umatend. Sa labas ka nalang mag antay ng call at text. What’s the point in attending? Check attendance? Social obligation?
J Listen attentively. Don’t be distracted. Don’t allow your mind to wander. Take notes.
J After the worship, talk to people again. Don’t rush home unless it’s a matter of life and death. Fellowship is about sharing life together.

d. PRACTICE

HOW TO LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD IN YOUR READING?

a. Pray.
b. Read it systematically.
c. Read it aloud quietly to yourself.
d. Interact with what you’re reading. Ask the following questions:
« Sin to confess?
« Promise to claim?
« Attitude to change?
« Command to obey?
« Example to follow?
« Prayer to pray?
« Error to avoid?
« Truth to believe?
« Something to thank God for?

e. Record your discoveries.

WARNING: DON’T BE SELECTIVE!
This doesn’t mean we listen to every preacher and we accept every message that we hear.
If it is God’s Word, receive it. You are not God’s editor! Do not edit the teachings, verses, principles you don’t like.
“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear” 2 Timothy 4:3.
PROSPERITY THEOLOGY.....

A PROMISE AND A WARNING:
“So be sure to pay attention to what you hear. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they think they have will be taken away from them” Luke 8:18.

GROWING IN THE WORD
James 1:19-27

In order to grow in the Word, we must receive the Word. And to be able to receive the Word, we must be....

1. Quick to listen
2. Slow to speak
We have two ears and one mouth, which ought to remind us to listen more than we speak. Too many times we argue with God’s Word if not audibly, at least in our hearts and minds. Especially, kapag tinatamaan tayo, we try to come up with our own explanation and interpretation of the Scriptures and say, “mali man ang interpretation ni pastor! Dili man ingon ana!”
Worse, they try to convince others of their own interpretation.
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” Proverbs 10:19.
“A truly wise person uses few words....even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent” Proverbs 17:27-28.
All other things equal, we must receive the Word.

3. SLOW TO GET ANGRY
“And slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.”
James warns us against getting angry at God’s Word because it reveals our sins to us. When you get angry at God’s Word, you get angry at God. You are in a way saying that you are holier than God is; you are more knowledgeable than God is. By doing so, you are firing God and you are closing your hands to grace.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:3.
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” Jesus here is not talking about material poverty. To be “poor in spirit” is to feel that we are nothing, and that we have nothing, and that we look to God in complete submission and dependence upon Him and His grace and mercy. There is no place for boasting.

4. A PREPARED HEART
“So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls” (1:21).
James saw the human heart as a garden; if left to itself, the soil would produce only weeds. He urged us to “pull out the weeds” and prepare the soil for the implanted Word of God.
It is foolish to try to receive God’s Word into an unprepared heart. You do not plant your seed into an uncultivated soil. That’s a waste of time and seed.

How do we prepare the soil of our hearts for God’s Word”

a. By confessing our sins and asking the Father to forgive us.
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong” 1 John 1:9.

b. By meditating on God’s love and grace and asking Him to “plow up” any hardness in our hearts.
“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns” Jeremiah 4:3.

ATTITUDES THAT PREVENT RECEIVING THE WORD:
D A CLOSED MIND: is fear, pride or bitterness preventing me from hearing God?

There are only two ways to study the Bible: studying it with your mind made up or studying it to let it make up your mind.

D A SUPERFICIAL MIND: Am I really serious about wanting to hear God speak?
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” James 4:17.
This is what we call sin of omission.

D A PREOCCUPIED MIND: Am I too busy and concerned about other things to concentrate on what God has to say?

c. We must have an attitude of meekness.
Meekness is the opposite of anger in verses 19 and 20.
When you receive the Word with meekness, you accept it, do not argue with it, and honor it as the Word of God. You do not try to twist it to conform it to your thinking.
“Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar” Proverbs 30:5-6.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

d. We must accept its authority.
What is your final authority in life? When it comes to establishing a standard for morality, what’s your ruler? What shapes your thinking, your character, your habits? Why you do what you do? When a loved one of yours has a terminal cancer, where do you seek comfort? You go home one weekend and your father told you you’re not going back to school anymore because he’s out of job, where do you get strength to face an uncertain future? A friend who led you to the Lord and has helped you grow in your spiritual life makes an honest confession that he no longer believes in the truth that he once treasured and taught, and is no longer sure whether truth really exists or only an illusion, where do you turn to find hope amidst such confusion? How do you stay on your feet?

UNRELIABLE AUTHORITIES PEOPLE RELY ON:

1. CULTURE (everyone is doing it! The influence of media – culture of violence, culture of immorality, culture of lying, culture of corruption, culture of religion – seeking for experience, culture of substance abuse, culture of materialism).

2. TRADITION (we’ve always done it. Resistance to change. They build monuments of the past).

3. REASON (it seemed logical)

4. EMOTION (it just felt right)
What we need is a perfect standard that will never lead us in the wrong direction. Only God’s Word meets that need. Decide that regardless of culture, tradition, reason, or emotion, you choose the Bible as your final authority in faith and in practice. Why? Because God’s Word is Truth.
Francis Schaeffer pointed out that today, unlike previous generations, people, though they speak of truth and falsehood, are not speaking of truth in the biblical sense or even in the traditional sense to mean that which is true now and will always be true universally. Rather they mean that which is true now but not necessarily tomorrow or yesterday; or it is true for me but not necessarily for you. In other words, truth for contemporary men and women is relative.
But God’s Word is Truth – the Absolute Truth. And God uses His Word to accomplish His purposes, whether men and women believe it or not.
“And we will never stop thanking God that when we preached HIS MESSAGE to you, YOU DIDN’T THINK OF THE WORDS WE SPOKE AS BEING JUST OUR OWN. YOU ACCEPTED WHAT WE SAID AS THE VERY WORD OF GOD – which, of course, it was. And this word continues to work in you who believe” 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
God’s Book, God’s Word is God’s Voice. If our Lord were to make Himself visible and return to earth and speak His message, He would speak the same truth you see in the Scripture – His opinion, His counsel, His commands, His desires, His warnings, His very mind. When you rely on God’s voice, God’s very message, you have a sure foundation.

GROWING IN THE WORD (part 3)
James 1:19-27

It is not enough to receive the Word; we must do it. Many people have the mistaken idea that hearing a good sermon or Bible study is what makes them grow and get God’s blessings. It is not the hearing but the doing that brings the blessing. This is the hardest step of all, because Satan fights it so intensely. He doesn’t mind you going to cell meetings and weekly celebrations as long as you don’t do anything with what you learn.
Some Christians receive the word with joy. In fact, they are very emotional in receiving it. If the preacher gives an altar call they would be the first to respond. But after their emotions have subsided, back to normal, no application.
Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them. If you think you are spiritual because you own a Bible, if you think you are spiritual because you go to church on a regular basis, if you think you are spiritual because you attend cell meetings, if you think you are spiritual because you hear the Word, then you are only kidding yourself.
Putting into practice is what matters! The Bible wasn’t given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.

“And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law – the law that sets you free – and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it” James 1:22-25.

I. PRACTICE THE WORD
In this paragraph, James compared the Word to a mirror. What’s the purpose of owning a mirror? Why do you look at yourself in the mirror?

1. EXAMINATION
This is the main purpose of owning a mirror, to be able to see yourself and make yourself as clean and neat as possible. We always want to look our best. As we look into the mirror of God’s Word, we see ourselves as we really are. As the mirror shows us our true appearance, God’s Word reveals the true condition of our heart. If you look at the mirror and you see the face of Piolo Pascual or Pokwang, it’s either you’re watching too much TV or you’re high on drugs.
Every time you look at the mirror it will always tell you the truth. You can count on it. It is one of the few things on earth that always tells the truth. Unless what you have, is a magic mirror.
The Word of God has the same quality. It will always tell you the truth – regardless of time and space. It tells us who we are and it exposes our sinfulness.
“A rich Chinese man who visited England took great delight in a beautiful microscope which was shown him. Later he purchased one for himself and took it back to China. One day he examined a tiny bit of his dinner rice with the microscope. To his horror he discovered that there were actually tiny living creatures in it. What should he do? He cannot throw away the rice because it was his daily food. He thought he saw only one way out of it. He would destroy the microscope in pieces.”
Similarly, many people hate the Word of God because it reveals their true condition. Have you ever destroyed a mirror because you didn’t like what you saw?
James mentions several mistakes people make as they look into God’s mirror?

a. They merely glance at themselves.
They do not carefully study themselves as they read the Word. It’s like looking at yourself in the mirror without really looking. Akala mo ok na ‘yon pala may muta ka pa.
Illustration: (personal – hair clip)
Merely glancing is like hearing without listening; reading without understanding.

b. They forget what they see.
After looking at the mirror, mangutana pa jud ‘kampat akong nawong?’ ‘How do I look?’ Ilabay nalang ng imong mirror wala man diay pulos!
After listening to the Word, after reading the Word, they forget the Word. They do not look deep enough into their hearts. We need to constantly examine ourselves in line with God’s Word. God has a message especially for you every time you listen to His Word, every time you read the Bible God is speaking to you. So you have to listen carefully, look intently.
Examining other people’s lives is a lot easier that examining our own. Like the Chinese man, we don’t want to see and we don’t to know that something is wrong with us. But if we want to grow and if we want God’s best for us we have to examine ourselves using God’s Word as our mirror. And it involves asking hard questions?
« Sin to confess?
« Promise to claim?
« Attitude to change?
« Command to obey?
« Example to follow?
« Prayer to pray?
« Error to avoid?
« Truth to believe?
« Something to thank God for?

Record your answers!

c. They fail to obey what the Word tells them to do.
Hearing is not the same as doing. If we are to use God’s Word profitably, then we must look into it carefully and with serious intent. No quick glances will do.
Obedience is the key to God’s blessings.
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” John 13:17.
“But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!” John 15:7.
Why does James call the Word of God “God’s perfect law – the law that sets you free?” Because when we obey it, God sets us free.
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” John 8:31-32.
Illustration: Hinumdumi ang pa.....
Set free from what? From sin, from fear, from bondages – cultural, traditional, emotional, material, generational, from wrong teaching/doctrine, from bad habits and attitudes, from sinful lifestyle, from lustful pleasures, from selfish ambition, from trying to impress people and living to please them.
When we are rooted in the Word of God, He sets us free from all these and He gives us a new ambition: TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO HIM.
That is the meaning of true freedom: not satisfying ourselves by doing as we please but satisfying God by living as He pleases.

2. RESTORATION
A mirror not only reveals our true appearance, but it helps to cleanse us as well.
The Word of God not only examines us and reveals our sins, but it cleanses us. It gives the promise of cleansing.
“You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you” John 15:3.

3. TRANSFORMATION
After looking and correcting what is wrong with your appearance, there is now a change in the way you look and in the way you carry yourself. If you like what you saw in the mirror your confidence level increases and it gives you the feeling that it’s going to be a great day! You feel beautiful! But if it’s one of those bad hair days (especially sa mga curly....it’s like it has a mind of its own...it’s buhaghag....dili jud mo-straight kahit gamitan mo pa ng pliers at martilyo! mahangin ba sa labas?) You feel ugly! I’m so sorry for you! Pwede na kayo mag self-pity!
After the Lord restores us, He wants to change us so that we will grow in grace and not commit that sin again. Too many Christians realize their sin, confess their sin, and claim forgiveness, but never grow spiritually to conquer self and sin. If you are like that, you will never grow! Like a pig, after cleaning it, always goes back to the mud.
The word change in the Greek gives us our English Word “metamorphosis” – a change on the outside that comes from the inside. When an ugly worm turns into a beautiful butterfly, that is metamorphosis! A change from inside – out. If you look at a butterfly with its beautiful colors, you wouldn’t think that it was once an ugly worm.
The more we expose ourselves to the Word of God, the more we are changed. It transforms our thinking, our feelings, our habits, our attitudes, and our character.
“Ramad was the most dangerous man in all of India. His gang attacked, plundered, and terrified the remote villages of the area. He was wanted dead or alive. While ransacking a small home in one of these villages, he found a small black book. At first he started to throw it away, but he noticed that the paper was very thin and just the right size for roll-your-own cigarettes. Each evening after a meal, Ramad would relax with a smoke. He would take out the little book, tear a page out, and fold it over for the tobacco. One evening while folding the paper, he noticed the writing was in his own language. So each evening after eating, he would read a page of the little book and then smoke it. One evening he knelt down and asked Jesus to forgive his sins and to be his Savior. The small black book was the Bible.
He turned himself over to the police, much to their surprise, and turned from a bandit to a prisoner for Christ. The prison became Ramad’s mission field where he led many other prisoners to Jesus. God’s Word made the change in his life.”

When we spend time looking into the Word and seeing Christ, we will be transformed. Change does not happen by chance but by choice! It is always our choice – to listen or not to listen, to obey or not to obey!
Our prayer should be:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” Psalm 139:23-24.
The promise:
“And I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins” Hebrews 8:12.

If we do not practice the Word, we are only deceiving ourselves! The key to God’s blessing is – OBEDIENCE!

GROWING IN THE WORD (part 4)
James 1:19-27

Pure religion has nothing to do with ceremonies, temples, or special days. Pure religion means practicing God’s Word. If we do not practice God’s Word we are only deceiving ourselves. The key to God’s blessing is – OBEDIENCE. If you don’t obey it, you don’t believe it. And if you don’t believe it, you are denying the faith. When it comes to God’s Word we can’t be neutral. God has not given us that option. It’s either you believe it or you don’t. And if you believe it, you must practice it.
“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the word corrupt us” James 1:26-27.

HOW DO WE PRACTICE GOD’S WORD? WHAT ARE THE EVIDENCES THAT WE ARE TRULY PRACTICING GOD’S WORD?

I. BY CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE
“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless” (v.26).
One small part of our body can deny or proclaim the faith. The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart.
“Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:34.
“What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean” Matthew 15:11.
“He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin” Proverbs 13:3.
“Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person’s lips bring satisfaction. Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life” Proverbs 18:20-21.
What you say and what you don’t say are both important. Proper speech is not only saying the right words at the right time, but controlling your desire to say what you shouldn’t. Examples of wrongly using the tongue include gossiping, putting others down, bragging, manipulating, false teaching, exaggerating, complaining, flattering, and lying. Before you speak, ask, “IS IT TRUE, IS IT NECESSARY, IS IT KIND?”

1. LYING
“So put away falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other” Ephesians 4:25.
Satan is called the ‘father of lies.’ The Christian who is characterized by the habit of lying is not a Christian. Revelation 21:8 declares that all liars go to hell.
But lying has become a social habit of Christians. Those who are given to white lies will later on become color blind. If the tongue is inconsistent, there is something radically wrong with the heart. We lie to cover up our sins and we make further lies to cover up the first one. The result? Naprito sa sariling mantika.
“A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed” Proverbs 19:9.

2. GOSSIPING
Perhaps the worst and most damaging lie we speak is not the lie we say to someone but the lie we say about someone. This is slander or false witness forbidden explicitly by the ninth commandment:
“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor” Exodus 20:16.
“A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a neighbor, and within a short period of time the whole town knew the story. The person it concerned was hurt deeply and was very unhappy. Then one day the lady responsible for spreading the rumor learned it was completely untrue. She was very sorry and went to a wise old man to find out what she would do to repair the damage. After listening to her problem, he said, ‘Go to the marketplace, buy a chicken, and have it killed. Then on your way home, pluck its feathers one by one and drop them along the path.’
Although surprised by this unusual advice, the woman did as she was told. The next day she returned and informed the man that she had done as he instructed. ‘Now, go and collect all those feathers and bring them back to me,’ he said. The lady followed the same path, but to her dismay the wind had blown all the feathers away. After searching all day long, she returned with only two or three in her hand – all that could be found. ‘You see,’ said the old gentleman, ‘it’s easy to drop them, but impossible to bring them all back. So it is with gossip. It doesn’t take much to spread a false rumor, but you can never completely undo the wrong.”
“Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you” – Spanish proverb.
“Gossip not only hurts others, it can also boomerang and hurt the one who starts it.”
“A gossip tells secrets, so don’t hang around with someone who talks too much” Proverbs 20:19
“Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with s sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow” Proverbs 25:18.

3. OBSCENE STORIES, FOOLISH TALK, AND COARSE (vulgar, rude, foulmouthed, bad-mannered) JOKES
“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God” Ephesians 5:4.
“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” Ephesians 4:29.
Where do we get this kind of talk? From cellphone and internet messages and graphics, TV shows and movies you watch, and people you go with.
Avoid people who are full of obscenity, foolish talking, and coarse joking. Bad company corrupts good character. It is contagious. Better run away.

4. BLUNT SPEECH AND AN ABRUPT MANNER (mataray)
Avoid blunt speech and an abrupt manner, instead seeking to answer everyone with sensitivity and respect. The gentle Christian does not feel he has the liberty to “SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY WHEN I WANT TO SAY IT!” Instead he is sensitive to the reactions of others to his words, and considerate of how others may feel about what he says. When he finds it necessary to wound others with his words, he also seeks to bind up those wounds with words of consolation and encouragement.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger” Proverbs 15:1. (the way we talk to our parents, our teachers, to our peers)
There are people who have the gift of assaulting others verbally. They always have bad things, mean things to say. They enjoy insulting people, hurting people with their words. And I can’t really understand how they can be so mean and insensitive to other’s feelings. But these people, on the other hand, tend to be very sensitive when they are at the receiving end. And it’s very difficult for them to forgive and they never forget.
“There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking” Proverbs 29:20.

5. CONSTANT COMPLAINING
Constant complaining, parang laging galit sa mundo.
“A complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart.”
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” Proverbs 9:19.
“If you talk about your troubles, and tell them over and over, the world will think you like them and give you plenty more.”
“A man was placed in a monastery and was given the opportunity to say only two words every five years. After the first five passed, he was called in and allowed two words.
He said, “Food bad.” Five years later, his two words were, “Bed hard.” After a total of fifteen years, he said, “I quit.”
The bishops responded, ‘We’re not surprised. You’ve been complaining ever since you got here.”
“It is not the greatness of our trouble but the littleness of our spirit that makes us complain.”

6. NAGGING (irritating, distressing, troublesome, harassing)
Yawyawan. Kahit walang rason or maliit lang na bagay, sige na yawyaw! It really is irritating! You know how it is. We all have mothers. And mothers and wives have the tendency to be naggers. Some men are also naggers but they are the ‘exceptional men.’
Most married men have the exceptional ability to baby talk (la pa! o! oo! Deh!).
During courtship, the man talks the woman listens. During the relationship, the woman talks the man listens. During marriage, both talk the neighbor listen.
“Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome (difficult, irritable, hot-tempered) wife” Proverbs 21:9.
“Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife” Proverbs 21:19.
“Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife” Proverbs 25:24.
“A nagging wife is as annoying as the constant dripping on a rainy day” Proverbs 27:15.
7. ANGER
A hot head and a hot heart can lead to burning words that later we will regret.
“Speak when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”
“My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. You anger can never make things right in God’s sight” James 1:19-20.
Thomas Jefferson, a great American statesman, worked out a way to handle his anger. He included it in his “Rules of Living,” which describe how he believed adult men and women should live. He wrote this: when angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.
Outbursts of temper are harmful not only because they release our own ungoverned, sinful passions, but more importantly because they hurt those who are recipients or such outbursts. It damages the self-respect of others, creates bitterness, and destroys relationships.
“Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city” Proverbs 16:32.
“Keep away from angry, short-tempered people, or you will learn to e like them and endanger your soul” Proverbs 22:24-25.

James says, “if you can’t control your tongue, your faith is useless.” Meaning, if we can’t control lying, gossiping, coarse joking, blunt speech, complaining, nagging, and anger – we are denying the faith, we are denying God’s Word, and we are not yet a Christian. It’s a sad conclusion, but that’s what the Word of God says.
But the problem, of course, is the heart. Jesus says, “What is in your heart determines what you say” Matthew 12:24. Every day, we need a heart surgery. Ask the Lord to change you and empower you with His Holy Spirit. As you choose to fill your heart with God’s word, God will change the speech of your tongue.

GROWING IN THE WORD [part 5]
James 1:26-27

James says if we can’t control our tongue our religion is worthless…we are denying the faith…we are irreligious…we are atheists…regardless…..
Very strong and solemn statement.
According to James true religion means….

I. CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE
II. SERVING OTHERS
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” (v.27).

After we have sin ourselves and Christ in the mirror of the Word, we must see others and their needs.
Service/ministry means using whatever God has given me to serve Him and the needs of others.
You were put on earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created just to consume resources – to eat, breath, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life. If you aren’t serving, you’re just existing, because life is meant for service!
Jesus says in Matthew 16:25, “For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again.”
Jesus is saying that living is serving. If you don’t serve, you’re not really living.

HOW TO BE PERFECTLY MISERABLE
1. Think about yourself.
2. Talk about yourself.
3. Use ‘I’ as much as possible.
4. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others.
5. Listen greedily to what people say about you.
6. Expect to be appreciated.
7. Be suspicious.
8. Be jealous and envious.
9. Be sensitive to insults.
10. Never forgive a criticism.
11. Trust nobody but yourself.
12. Insist that you be respected.
13. Demand that people agree with your own views with everything.
14. Feel sorry for yourself if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them.
15. Never forget a service you may have rendered.
16. Treat yourself to a good time always.
17. Avoid your duties if you can.
18. Do as little as possible to others.
19. Love yourself supremely.
20. Be selfish.
The recipe is guaranteed to be perfect!
There are people who I call ‘TAONG KABAONG.’ A coffin is good for one person only, there’s no room for another. A ‘TAONG KABAONG’ lives only for himself.
But Jesus says if you live only for yourself because you are protecting yourself from pain, from trouble, from hassle, you create your own prison or kabaong because you begin to die spiritually and emotionally. When you live only for yourself, your life becomes meaningless. But when you give your life in service to Christ, you discover the real purpose of living, the real meaning of life.

A CASE STUDY: THE SAMARITAN (Luke 10:30-37)
Jews and Samaritans were not in good terms for hundreds of years.
The priest left the man half dead and passed by the other side.
A Levite (temple worker) came but did the same thing.
Upon seeing the man, the Samaritan stops, and goes across the road to where the victim, a Jew, was lying. The others have seen the man but have gone on. They may have felt compassion and pity yet they have not done anything about it. But the Samaritan goes across the road, dresses the wounds, takes the man to a hospital, takes care of him, and pays his hospital bills.

THE SAMARITAN’S ATTITUDE:

1. He saw the need. He did not pass by the other side. Are our eyes open to the needs of others?
2. He did not treat him as enemy although by race, they were.
“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matthew 5:44.
3. He responded to the need. He did not pray, ‘Lord, please send someone to take care of this man….”
“Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” James 5:15-16.
4. He did what he could to meet the need.
5. He was committed to meet the need. He cancelled all his appointments. He did not consider it an interruption to his schedule. He even used his own resources.
“You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.”
Helping others requires our time, talent, and treasure.
6. He did more than what was required. He went the extra mile.
7. He gave without expecting a Return of Investment.

There are countless opportunities for service. We just need to open our eyes.
“The world measures greatness by success; God measures it by service.”

Let go of yourself in service to others. You will be hurt, abused, criticized – but Jesus says that’s the way to live.
At the end of your life on earth you will stand before God and He is going to evaluate how well you served others with your life. At that point all our excuses for self-centeredness will not be accepted: ‘I was too busy’ or ‘I had my own goals.’ To all excuses God will respond, ‘Sorry, wrong answer. I created, saved, and called you and commanded you to live a life of service. What part did you not understand?’
You want to make a difference? Live a life of service. Without service, your religion is worthless!

A ‘NO COMPROMISE’ LIFESTYLE
Daniel 3

Go with me to Babylon (now Iraq), where King Nebuchadnezzar had summoned every leader – governors, princes, judges, advisers, treasurers – from his vast empire. Imagine the sight – multitudes of people wearing different costumes, speaking different languages. And they all had gathered for one purpose – to honor the gods of the king.
Nebuchadnezzar had erected a huge, golden image ninety feet tall. And now, these leaders are gathered for the inauguration and were to bow in worship as soon as the royal orchestra began playing. If you don’t bow, you’re a dead meat.
But three young Hebrew men – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – refused to bow. These men are captives from Jerusalem. But because of their abilities they were appointed as leaders in the government. But they disobeyed the order of the king. And they were reported by other leaders (mga sipsip).
The punishment for the violators was simple and easy. They were to be cast into a burning oven (litchon ang labas).
When the guards brought the three Hebrew men before the king, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “So – you refused to bow before my god when you heard the music? Well, I’m going to let you try again. When you hear the music and you are ready to bow and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a burning oven. Then what god will be able to rescue from my hand?” DANIEL 3:13-15.
These 3 young men didn’t want to die. They were human beings, like you and me. Anyone would be crazy to want to die sinugba in a fire. Hindi ka pa nga namamatay, crenimate ka na agad. But the Holy Spirit has placed an incredible faith in their hearts, and they said to the king:
“O king, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. The God we serve is able to save us…and he will rescue us from your hand. But even if he does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” DANIEL 3:16-18.
We don’t see much of that commitment nowadays, do we? These guys know God’s law and they were committed to obeying it.
“Do not worship any other gods besides me. Do not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything…I am a jealous God…” EXODUS 20:3-4.
And the Hebrew were taken captives because they worshipped other gods.
The king was furious and he ordered the oven to be heated seven times than usual. Then these 3 guys were brought in, bound hand and foot. The strongest soldiers in the king’s army had picked them up and were carrying them to the mouth of the oven to cast them in. But the flames were so hot and killed the soldiers – one after another.
Somehow, the 3 young men finally were cast into the oven. What happened next was really amazing! It’s a miracle! You can smell litchon right away, kahit medyo malayo. Burn a single hair and you can smell it from a distance.
The king was puzzled. There was no smell or burning flesh. He saw the 3 young men walking, dancing, praising God in the fire.
And the king said, “I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods” DANIEL 3:25.
How could a pagan king recognize the Son of God? It was because Christ’s glory cannot be hidden! He was brighter than the flame!
Christ appeared with the Hebrews in their crisis! It was a hopeless situation but Christ came to rescue and deliver them because He loved them. But let us remember that these 3 young men were totally committed to Him – even in the face of death!
It is one thing to believe that Jesus is God and Savior – but quite another to commit everything to Him. Commitment to Christ is all about giving your whole life to Him completely – entrusting everything to His care. And, in turn, He commits Himself to those who are totally committed to Him.

We want to be committed to Christ like the 3 Hebrew young men, what shall we do? Let us examine their commitments.

I. THEY WERE COMMITTED TO A PURE, UNDEFILED LIFESTYLE IN THE MIDST OF A WICKED SOCIETY!
“But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead” DANIEL 1:8.
These Hebrew men committed to eat vegetables and drink water only for ten days. These men were not vegetarians.
The chief official urged them to eat their share from the king’s table because if something happens to them, he will be killed.
What were the reasons why these young men?

1. The food were first offered to idols.
2. Their relatives and friends were already influenced by their new environment.

3. Babylon was a society so loose, immoral, full of cursing, full of drunkards. And their spirits were disturbed. They were shocked beyond belief.

4. It was not only an issue of food – but their entire lifestyle. They were committed not to compromise their beliefs and live a life of separation.
And because of their commitment, they became God’s voice when God wanted to speak to that nation and its people.
Look at our own society. Wickedness abounds. And that includes the church. The church has been infiltrated by the Babylonian spirit – a mix life, conforming to worldly standards.
It’s very difficult to differentiate the true from the false Christian.
Today, we need Christians like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
But you cannot be a voice for God unless you lead a separated, holy life! God cannot use you if your heart is influenced by this wicked age.
I ask you: When you’re in crisis, do you cry out, “Lord, where are You when I need you?
But what if the Lord should say to you, “Where are you when I need a voice? I need voices in these sinful times, holy people whom I can use. You say you want Me to come to you in your crisis – yet you remain a part of the wicked, worldly system. Tell Me – are you committed to My purposes?”
We need to take a stand! We need a live holy, separated lives so God can use us. They did not advertise their commitment. It was strictly a matter between them and God.
Among our youth, sex before marriage, getting married because the girl is pregnant, alcoholism, smoking, drug addiction, pornography, cybersex, phone sex, physical relationship, lying, disrespect to parents and authorities, laziness, prostitution, homosexuality, etc have become ‘normal.’ And our youth are being destroyed.
I dare you not to compromise! Don’t you allow this wicked system to destroy you and your friends!
Take a stand! Be a voice for God today. Live a separated, holy life and God can use you! We need to be committed to God and His purposes! Or else, we too will be destroyed.

“LORD, WE LOVE TO OBEY YOUR LAWS; OUR HEART’S DESIRE IS TO GLORIFY YOUR NAME” Isaiah 26:8.

II. THEY COMMITTED TO BECOME SEEKERS AFTER GOD – MEN WHO PRAY!
“So I turned to the Lord my God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting…I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people…” DANIEL 9:3,20.
The first commitment they had made – to live a separated life – had to be backed up by a second commitment, to be seekers after God. Indeed, it is impossible to live a holy life without spending much time in prayer, seeking God for the power and authority to live such a life.
But prayer will not keep you from crisis. It will prepare you to face it all with trust – to become a living sacrifice for God.
Prayer is very important. You can make a commitment to live a separated life – but that commitment is impossible to fulfill without also having a commitment to seek God.
ONE WEEK WITHOUT PRAYER MAKES ONE WEAK.
All the powerful sermons, all the exhortations in the world can’t make you committed to a separated, holy life. Everything will fail – unless you have committed yourself to seek God’s face in prayer.
The Lord requires prayer for everything. Prayer moves the hand of God. It shows our dependence on Him. That without Him we can do nothing. Prayer connects us to the power source. Like a plug that is connected to an outlet. Unplug it and there is no power.
Prayer is the process of giving up our bodies to the Lord. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did this long before they were thrown into the burning oven.
“I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and p and perfect his will really is” Romans 12:1-2

III. THEY MADE A COMMITMENT TO WHOLLY TRUST GOD – LIVE OR DIE!
“[NEBUCHADNEZZAR] Is it true that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance….But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. What god will be able to rescue you from my power then?” DANIEL 3:14-15.
These men were facing the worst possible crisis any human could face. If God didn’t come and deliver them by a miracle, they were dead!
But the three Hebrew young men were committed to trusting God no matter what:
“[THEY] O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need the defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” DANIEL 3:16-18.

In short, they were saying, “Live or die – we will trust Him!”
This is the kind of faith that causes angels to rejoice and blesses the very heart of God. It is a faith that says, “Lord, I am convinced, fully persuaded that You are able to deliver me. If You just speak a word, it will be over.
But, if not – I’m not going to run. I won’t accuse you of abandoning me. I will remain faithful and true. My life is in Your hands. Though You kill me, yet will I trust You!”
Most of us don’t have a faith that would use the daring words these men used: “But even if…”
I ask you – what will you do if you don’t get the answer to your prayer? Will you accuse God of failing you, of not loving you? Will you say, “Lord, where are You when I needed you? You’ve failed me! I hate You! I don’t trust You anymore!”
We are always to pray in faith believing that God will answer; yet we are to trust Him completely with our situation, saying in our hearts, “But even if, Lord – I’m still going to trust You.”

“[NEBUCHADNEZZAR] Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be crushed into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
DANIEL 3:28-30.

RELATING WITH OTHERS (part 1)
James 2:1-13

A mature Christian is patient in testing, able to overcome temptations, practicing the truth. Hearing God’s Word and talking about God’s Word can never substitute for doing God’s Word.
But that’s not all. Spiritual maturity can also be seen in the way we relate with others. The way we behave toward other people indicates what we really believe about God!
“My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others? For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’ – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him? And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? Yes, indeed, it is good when you truly obey the Lord’s royal command found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking the law. And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery. So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.”

HOW TO RELATE WITH OTHERS?

I. THE DONT’S
1. DON’T SHOW FAVORITISM
“How can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others?” (v. 1)
A deplorable incident occurred in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. He said in his autobiography that during his student days he was interested in the Bible. Deeply touched by the reading of the Gospels, he seriously considered becoming a Christian. Christianity seemed to offer the real solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. One Sunday he went to church to see the minister and ask for instruction on the way of salvation and other Christian doctrines. But when he entered the sanctuary, the ushers refused him a seat and suggested that he go back and worship with his own people. He left and never went back. He said to himself, ‘If Christians are like that I might as well remain a Hindu.’

a. We judge people by their past mistakes, not by their future possibilities.
Jesus Christ never condemned anyone except those who thought they were already good enough. The way he related with a woman caught in adultery is a perfect example of the graciousness of our Lord (John 8:1-11).
We judge people as if they are not capable of changing for the better. We can’t get past their past. We look at them as incorrigible – beyond reform.
Paul says, “….forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…” Philippians 3:13.

b. We judge people by their outward appearance.
1 Samuel 16:1-13 (the anointing of David as the next king of Israel by prophet Samuel).
“Don’t judge by his appearance or height…The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions” 1 Samuel 16:7.
During one of my lectures, we were talking about this verse, one of my students said, “kaya pala mga pinipili ni Lord na maging pastor hindi mga gwapo.” I said, “kaya nga e. Buti nalang dumating ako. Naputol and monopoly ng mga hindi gwapo.”
We live in a society where people value the externals much more than the internals. Listen to people’s conversations after attending worship. What do they usually talk about? The Sermon? I doubt! They talk about the preacher, the worship leader, anything but the message.
“For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’ – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?” James 2: 2-4.
WALKING PAWNSHOP.
For some Christians, dress code is a matter of life and death issue. They equate your dress with your spirituality. But if you read the Gospels, Jesus never taught, never talked about these superficial things that we are so concerned of. So why would we make them an issue?
For me, there’s only one guideline when it comes to dress code: BASTA DILI LANG MAULAW ANG HOLY SPIRIT!
KEY PRINCIPLE: IN NON-ESSENTIALS LIBERTY; IN ESSENTIALS UNITY; BUT IN ALL THINGS CHARITY.
As Christians, what should we wear?
“...clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…forgive the person who offends you…and the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony” Colossians 3:12-14.

2. DON’T FAVOR THE RICH (V.2-3, 6-7)
“If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’ – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?”

“And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?”
WHEN MONEY SPEAKS, EVERYBODY LISTENS!
The rich have political and economic power. They control government institutions and business establishments. Their influence is felt everywhere. They can buy positions, justice, power, votes, etc. They can silence people with their money.
Tapos pagdating sa church, sila pa rin ang bida? That should not be!

THE CRIMES OF THE RICH:
a. They oppress the poor (Christians).
b. They slander the name of Jesus Christ.

3. DON’T DISCRIMINATE THE POOR (V.3-4, 5-6).
“If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’ – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him? And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?”
They have no money. No power. They suffer injustice. Always the victims. Walang boses. No influence. Oppressed.
Pagdating sa church, ganon pa rin? Ang saklap naman ng buhay nila!

THE REWARDS OF THE POOR:
a. THEY ARE CHOSEN BY GOD TO BE RICH IN FAITH.
“Remember…that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful…so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.

b. THEY WILL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” Luke 6:20.
“God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them” Matthew 5:3.
It is possible to poor in this world and rich in the next, or rich in this world and poor in the next. Or you could be poor both in this world and the next, or rich in this world and the next. It’s your choice.

RELATING WITH OTHERS (part 2)
James 2:1-13

The way we behave toward other people indicates what we really believe about God!
In relating with others James says……
· DON’T SHOW FAVORITISM. DON’T JUDGE PEOPLE BY THEIR PAST MISTAKES AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.
· DON’T FAVOR THE RICH. THEY OPPRESS THE POOR AND SLANDER THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
· DON’T DISCRIMINATE THE POOR.

II. THE DO’S

1. DO OBEY GOD’S COMMAND (8-11)
“Yes, indeed, it is good when you truly obey the Lord’s royal command found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law. And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself…” Leviticus 19:18.
But who is my neighbor?
Jesus Christ answered this question in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. According to Jesus, our neighbor is anyone who needs our help (Luke 10:25-37).
What about our enemies, how should we treat them?
Jesus says, “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you…. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect”
Matthew 5:44-47.
“Love your neighbor” is the royal law because it rules all the other laws concerning relationships with men. Paul says in Romans 13:10, “Love is the fulfillment of the law.” If you love your neighbor, you don’t need to be told ‘do not steal’, ‘do not kill’, ‘do not covet’, ‘do not lie’. Because you love your neighbor you wouldn’t do anything that would hurt him, harm him, or endanger his person and property.
It is also the royal law because obeying it makes you a king. Hatred, bitterness, grudges, temper make a person slave. With these, we create our own prison cell and imprison ourselves. But love sets us free from selfishness and enables us to reign like kings.
“If you want to be miserable, hate somebody.”
“Bitterness always inflicts a deeper wound on the person who harbors it than the person against whom it is directed.”
Christian love does not mean that I must like a person and agree with him on everything. It does not mean we should look alike, think alike, and talk alike. That’s what we call cracker-box mentality – uniformity and unanimity.
Christian love does not leave the person where it finds him. Love always builds up.
If we fail to obey God’s command – “loving our neighbors” – then we will also fail with the lesser commands.

2. DO REMEMBER GOD’S JUDGMENT (v. 12)
Illus: people were lining up at heaven’s entrance….spell God…spell God… spell kelieflagelistiloscious.
“God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” Ecclesiastes 12:14.
Someday, we will stand face to face with God. We will give an account of the life we have lived. Whether we believe it or not it’s going to happen because God said it in His Word. And I absolutely believe it regardless of the evidence. If it’s not true, I lose nothing. But if it’s true, I gain everything. The Bible does not give us a complete picture of what’s going to happen on that day. But there’s going to be a replay of our lives. How?
Dr. Wilbur Penfield, a neuro-surgeon, reports:
“Your brain contains a permanent record of your past that is like a single continuous strip of moving film, complete with sound track. The film library records your whole waking life from childhood on. You can live again those scenes from your past, one at a time, when a surgeon places a gentle electrical current and applies it to a certain point on the temporal cortex of your brain. As you relive the scenes from the past, you feel exactly the same emotions you did during the original experience.”
“So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free.”

a. OUR WORDS WILL BE JUDGED
What we say to people and how we say it, will come up before God.
“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” Matthew 12:36-37.
“If you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell” Matthew 5:22.
“Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow” Proverbs 10:19.
“Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life” Proverbs 18:21.

b. OUR DEEDS WILL BE JUDGED
“Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism” Colossians 3:25.
“I hate all your show and pretense – the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry” Amos 5:21-24.
“So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters” Galatians 6:9-10.
MATTHEW 25:31-46.
YOU WERE PUT HERE ON EARTH TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION, NOT JUST TO CONSUME!

3. DO EXEMPLIFY GOD’S MERCY (v. 13)
“For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.”
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” Matthew 5:7.
Mercy means a sense of pity plus a desire to relieve the suffering. MERCY MEANS PITY PLUS ACTION.
To have a merciful spirit means the spirit that is displayed when suddenly you have the power to get even to someone who has wronged you. This person now is in your power; is there a vindictive spirit, or is there a spirit of pity and sorrow, a spirit of kindness to your enemy in distress?
MATTHEW 18:22-35.

a. If you are merciful, you will obtain mercy.
You already have it, but will have it every time you sin, because when you realize what you have done you will come back to God and say, “Have mercy upon me, O God.”

b. If you are not forgiving your brother, your prayer will not be answered.
If you are forgiving your brother, you can ask God for forgiveness, but you will have no confidence in your prayer, and your prayer will not be answered.
“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened” Psalm 66:18.
We proclaim, therefore, whether we have received forgiveness or not by whether we forgive or not. If I am forgiven, I shall forgive.

c. We shall need mercy at the day of judgment when every one of us stands before the judgment seat of Christ and has to give an account of the deeds done in the body.
For certain, there will be things that are wrong and sinful, and we shall need mercy in that day. And if we are merciful, we shall obtain mercy in that day.
So, if I am not merciful there is only one explanation; I have never understood the grace and mercy of God; I am outside Christ; I am yet in my sins, and I am unforgiven.

THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH (part 1)
James 2:14-20

FAITH IS A KEY DOCTRINE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

FAITH IS ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION.
Faith, complete trust in Christ alone, is essential for salvation.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” EPHESIANS 2:8-9.

FAITH PLEASES GOD.
For the genuine Christian, the major motivating factor for all of life is the desire to please God, not man. The key to pleasing God is faith.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” HEBREWS 11:6.

FAITH OBEYS GOD
Abraham is called the father of faith. His faith in God always manifested itself in obedience to God’s commands.
“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going” HEBREWS 11:8.

FAITH OVERCOMES THE WORLD.
The foundation of all spiritual victory is absolute trust and faith in God.
“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” 1 JOHN 5:4-5.

FAITH IS NOT JUST A FEELING. FAITH IS THE CONFIDENCE THAT GOD’S WORD IS TRUE, AND THE CONVICTION THAT ACTING UPON THAT WORD WILL BRING HIS BLESSING.

The Apostle James discussed the relationship between faith and works. What kind of faith really saves a person? Is it necessary to perform good works in order to be saved?
“Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless.
Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds .’ I say, ‘I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.’
Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?”

James is saying that faith without work is dead. But Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – NOT BY WORKS, so that no one can boast.”
Are they contradictory? Will this satisfy the questioning of the skeptics who are in search of evidence to disprove the Bible?
No. They are not contradictory. In fact, they are complementary. Salvation is by faith in Christ alone. There’s nothing you can do to earn your salvation. You only have to receive the gift of God – the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. That’s it? Yes. Do don’t have to do penance, magpapaku sa cross, lumuhod patungong altar, kumain ng apoy, at kung anu-ano. To work for your salvation is actually an insult to the finished work of Christ on the cross. So what do I have to do to be saved? Receive Christ. Put your complete trust in him. When you do that sincerely the Bible says, you are saved right there and then. You become a child of God and if you die after that you are assured of heaven. That simple? Yes. Salvation is free but not cheap. Jesus Christ bought our salvation with his own blood.
Now that you are saved, what do you do? James says there must be evidence of your faith. So what James is saying here is actually a continuation of what Paul said in Ephesians 2:8-9.

I. HOW DO WE SHOW THAT WE HAVE TRUE SAVING FAITH?

1. BY OUR GOOD WORKS
“Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless” JAMES 2:14-17.
PEOPLE WITH DEAD FAITH SUBSTITUTE WORDS FOR DEEDS. They know the correct vocabulary for prayer and testimony, and even quote the right verses from the Bible; but their walk does not measure up to their talk.

A. WE ARE CREATED TO DO GOOD WORKS
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” Ephesians 2:10.
Not only are we created in Christ Jesus – born again for the purpose of doing good works – but we are created to do good works that God prepared in advance for us to do. Before we came to Christ and before we were even born, God prepared certain good works for us to do.
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” Psalm 139:16.
These good works will arise out of the course of our daily lives. They may not be glamorous or exciting – like the saving of the world ala batman or spiderman or superman. They may not be featured in the Evening News. The challenge to us is to be alert for these opportunities and to see them not as interruptions or inconveniences, but as occasions for doing the good works God has planned for us.

1. DOING GOOD AT WORK
Perhaps one of the most obvious areas in which God has prepared good works for us to do is our life’s calling or vocation. The good works God has prepared for us individually are consistent with the abilities He has given us and the circumstances in which He placed us.
Most of us spend half or more of our waking hours at our vocations. If we fail to do good works there, we are throwing away half of our lives as far as fulfilling God’s purpose for us here on earth.
Evaluate your work situation; if you are a student, consider the work you are thinking of pursuing. Does it lead to doing the good deeds God has planned for you?
What about your attitude toward your job? Do you view the job as an opportunity to do many of the good deeds God has planned for you by meeting the needs of people, or do you view it only as a way or earning the money you need? If we are to grow in the grace of goodness we must have the right attitude about our vocation.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” Colossians 3:23-24.
Enjoy your work. A worker who does only what he has to is a slave. One who willingly does more than what is required is truly a free man.
2. DOING GOOD AT HOME
“Whoever does not work should not eat” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
“Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn’t follow the tradition of hard work we gave” 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” 1Timothy 5:8.
As students, spend wisely. You don’t have the right to ask money if you don’t know how to spend it the right way. Honor your parents by the way you spend their hard-earned money. Study hard. Work hard. That way you can repay all their hard works. Huwag sige sa internet.
During vacation or weekends na umuuwi kayo, magtrabaho kayo. tumulong kayo sa mga magulang ninyo. Huwag pasosyal sosyal kahit may mga katulong kayo. Ayaw sige laag. Sa mga lalaki, ayaw sige dula basketball unya dli mo manglaba.
Those of you whose parents are abroad, huwag sige hingi. Huwag sige pabili ng bagong cellphone, bagong sapatos, at kung anu-ano. Hindi niyo alam kung anong pinagdadaanan nila para lamang kumita ng pera. ‘Yong iba talagang kinakapalan nila mukha nilang umutang para lamang may maipadala sa inyo. Honor your parents.
“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. Honor your father and mother. This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise: if you honor your father and mother, you will live a long life, full of blessing” Ephesians 6:1-3.
Good deeds should begin at home. Let us do good to all, but especially to our own family.

3. DOING GOOD TO ALL PEOPLE
As believers, we have an obligation to help meet the needs of people, no matter who they may be.
“Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters”
GALATIANS 6:10.
“When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” MATTHEW 25:40.
To help a person in need is an expression of love, and faith works by love.
“Faith expresses itself in love” GALATIANS 5:6.
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth”1 JOHN 3:17-18.

Good deeds in our vocations and in our homes are important, but there is still a big world out there for each of us – to meet the physical, spiritual, and eternal needs of others. Here again, God has prepared good works for each of us, consistent with our gifts and circumstances. We need to pray, “Lord, what will You have me to do?” and then we should do it.
Opportunities for doing good are virtually unlimited. Only we need to be sensitive to God’s Holy Spirit as he selects opportunities for us.
One behavior we must guard against is the impulsive and often superficial response to the needs of others.

True goodness is not merely impulsive, but rational and considerate – It will therefore pause, and be at some trouble to inquire what service, and how best may it be rendered....Goodness should be willing to give time, and thought, and patience, and even labor; not mere money and kind words and compassionate looks.

True goodness is self-sacrificing, not only of money but of time. One of the less obvious but more critical needs that many people have is for someone to listen to them. They don’t need our advice as much as our attention. Just a little bit of concern from someone who cares goes a mighty long way.
True goodness is not only self-sacrificing, it is also untiring. It does not “become weary in doing good” Galatians 6:9.
True goodness does not look up to the recipients, or even to the results. It looks to God alone, and, finding His smile of approval, it gains the needed strength to carry on.

B. WE WILL BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO OUR GOOD WORKS
Jesus’ account of the judgment day is found in Matthew 25. There the test is good deeds: feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, clothing the needy, showing hospitality to the stranger, attending to the sick, and visiting those in prison. Jesus is teaching in that passage not that doing good deeds earns our admittance to heaven, but that they are necessary and vital evidences that we are bound for heaven.

OUR GOOD WORKS WILL PROVE THE VALIDITY OF OUR CHRISTIAN
EXPERIENCE AND OUR POSSESSION OF ETERNAL LIFE.

Consider your gifts, your talents, your vocation, and your circumstances as a special trust from God with which to serve Him by serving others. As Peter says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” 1 Peter 4:10.
Remember that you are responsible not for doing all the good that needs to be done in the world, but for doing what God has planned for you.
Remember also that most opportunities for doing good come across the ordinary path of our day. Don’t look for the spectacular – saving planet earth, saving the president from an assassin, pulling a victim from the wreckage of a flaming automobile. All of us have the opportunity to administer the kind or encouraging word, to do the little, perhaps unseen, deed that makes life more pleasant for someone else.
Opportunities for doing good are not interruptions in God’s plan for us, but part of that plan. We always have time to do what God wants us to do. Ask God to enlarge your soul and enable you to look beyond yourself to the concerns and needs of those around you.

“...lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” EPHESIANS 4:1-2.
“Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days” EPHESIANS 5:15-16.
As believers, we have an obligation to help meet the needs of people, no matter who they may be.
“Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters”
GALATIANS 6:10.
“When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” MATTHEW 25:40.
To help a person in need is an expression of love, and faith works by love.
“Faith expresses itself in love” GALATIANS 5:6.
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth”
1 JOHN 3:17-18.

THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH (part 2)
James 2:14-20

2. BY OUR CHANGED LIVES
“Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ I say, ‘I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.’
Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror” JAMES 2:18-19.
It comes as a shock to people that demons have faith! What do they believe? For one thing, they believe in the existence of God; they are neither atheists nor agnostics. They also believe in the deity of Christ. But they are still demons!
The man with dead faith was touched only in his intellect; but the demons are also touched in their emotions. They believe and tremble. But to believe and tremble aren’t enough. A person can be enlightened in his mind and even stirred in his heart and be lost forever.
JUDAS ISCARIOT.
There are people who are very emotional …
Being emotional does not mean being spiritual…(Pastor, yang pigsa ko pastor).
True saving faith involves something more, something that can be seen and recognized: A CHANGED LIFE.
“...lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” EPHESIANS 4:1-2.
“Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days” EPHESIANS 5:15-16.
Jesus Christ is in the business of changing lives. He changed a prostitute into a missionary (John 4). We cannot have Christ in our life and remain the same.

a. A NEW ATTITUDE
“Throw off your old nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness – righteous, holy, and true” EPHESIANS 4:22-24.
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” EPHESIANS 4:31-32.
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude in life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude…. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you…. We are in charge of our attitudes.”
b. A NEW SPEECH
“So put away falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” EPHESIANS 4:25, 29.
“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God” EPHESIANS 5:4.

c. A NEW MINDSET (way of thinking, outlook, attitude, state of mind)
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” ROMANS 12:2.
“Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth” COLOSSIANS 3:2.
We must have a Kingdom Mindset.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Matthew 6:33.

d. A NEW AMBITION
“Dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God...You are doing this already, and we encourage you to do so more and more....God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives” 1 THESSALONIANS 4:1, 7.
Our one ambition should be to please God. We are done away with self.
God demands our all – body, soul, spirit. He will not settle for anything less. It is only when we have come to total surrender to Gog can we experience His power in our lives.

3. BY OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD
“Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did – by his actions. And so it happened Just as the Scriptures say: ‘Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.’ He was even called the ‘friend of God.’ So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
Rahab the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions – when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds” JAMES 2:20-26.

James mentioned two persons who showed their faith by obeying God:

a. ABRAHAM
God called Abraham out of his hometown to lead him into Canaan and to make out of him the great nation of Israel. It was through Israel that God would bring the Savior into the world.
God promised him a son when he was 75 years old. After 25 years of waiting the promise was fulfilled (Genesis 15,18,21).
When Isaac (Abraham’s son) was about 13, God told Abraham to offer his son to Him. Abraham obeyed (Genesis 22).
ABRAHAM WAS NOT SAVED BY FAITH PLUS WORKS, BUT BY A FAITH THAT WORKS.

b. RAHAB (Joshua 2, 6)
Israel was about to invade their Promised Land and take the city of Jericho. Joshua sent spies into the city to get the layout of the land. There they met Rahab, a prostitute, who protected them and affirmed that she believed in what God had said and what God was going to do. When the spies departed, they promised to save her and her family when the city was taken; and this they did.
Rahab risked her own life to protect the Jewish spies, and she further risked her own by sharing the good news of deliverance with the members of her family.
“Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. THE DECISIVE ISSUE IS WHETHER THEY OBEY MY FATHER IN HEAVEN” (emphasis mine) MATTHEW 7:21.
He is the Judge, and it is what he thinks of us that matters. It is he who will say to these people, ‘I don’t know you! The word ‘know’ is very strong. It does not mean that he is not aware of their existence. He knows all things, he sees everything. ‘Know’ means being in a particular relationship to.
The most important thing is our relationship to the lord Jesus Christ. do we know him, and does he know us?

We must realize that God wants, above all, is ourselves – our heart. He wants our submission. He does not want merely our beliefs, our works, our enthusiasm, or anything else. He wants us. He wants our obedience, not only our sacrifices or offerings.
It is possible for a man to say the right things, to be very busy and active in the Lord’s work, to achieve wonderful results, and yet not give himself to the Lord. That is the greatest insult we can offer to God – a life that is not fully and entirely surrendered. And whatever else we may do – however great our offerings and sacrifices, however wonderful our works in his name – it means nothing.
God is entitled to the whole of our lives. That means that He must have control not only in the big things, but in the little things also; not only over what we do, but how we do it. We must submit to Him and His way as revealed in His Word.

James emphasizes that the mature Christian practices God’s Word. His faith is practical. He does not merely hold to his doctrines; he practices those doctrines in his everyday life.
HIS FAITH IS SEEN IN HIS GOOD WORKS, IN HIS CHANGED LIFE AND IN HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD.

MONEY TALKS
James 5:1-6

“Look here, you rich people, weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat your flesh in hell. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every whim. Now your hearts are nice and fat, ready for the slaughter. You have condemned and killed good people who had no power to defend themselves against you.”

When money speaks, everybody listens. Money is a basic need. It’s so difficult to buy when you don’t have money. What is the Golden Rule?
The Golden Rule is: “He who has the gold makes the rules.”
Money can buy:
A bed, but not sleep,
Books, but not brains,
Food, but not appetite,
Finery, but not beauty,
A house, but not a home,
Medicine, but not health,
Luxuries, but not culture,
Amusement, but not happiness,
Companions, but not friends,
Flattery, but not respect.

“A man’s treatment of money is the most decisive test of his character – how he makes it and how he spends it.”
Paul says, ““But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of money. And some people, craving for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” 1 Timothy 6:10.
Money is not evil, but the love of money is. According to Jesus, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21.
What does He mean by this? “TREASURES” is a very large term and all-inclusive. It includes money, but it is not money only. Our Lord is concerned here with our attitude towards our possessions. It is not what we have, but what we think of what we have, our attitude towards what we have.
There is nothing wrong with being rich, Jesus Christ is not against it. What can be very wrong is our relationship to our wealth or possessions.
This warning is not only for the rich. We all have treasures in some shape or form. It may not be money. It may be a husband, wife, children, boyfriend, girlfriend; it may be a degree, a diploma, a land, a house, a photo album, a cellphone, or something that has sentimental value. No matter what it is, or how small it is, if it is everything to you, that is your treasure, that is the thing that brings you satisfaction. This is the danger against which our Lord is warning us at this particular point.
Treasures on earth are almost endless. Not only love of money, but love of honor, love of position, the love of status, the love of one’s work or career and so on and so forth.
James is not against the rich. After all, Abraham was a wealthy man, yet he walked with God, and was greatly used of God to bless the whole world. James was concerned about the selfishness of the rich.

I. THE SINS OF THE RICH

1. HOARDING
“This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment” (5:3c).
These rich men were hoarding grain, gold, and garments. They thought they were rich because they had these possessions. During national crises, hoarders are the traitors because their resources are not available to others.
“Bertha Adams died alone at the age of seventy-one. According to the report the cause of death is malnutrition. After wasting away to fifty pounds she could no longer stay alive. When the authorities made a preliminary investigation of her place, they found a veritable ‘pigpen….the biggest mess you can imagine.’ The pitiable woman had begged food from neighbors and gotten what clothes she had from a charitable institution.
Amid the jumble of her unclean, messy belongings, two keys were found which led officials to safe deposit boxes at two different local banks. This discovery was absolutely unbelievable. The first box contained over 700 stock certificates, plus hundreds of other valuable certificates, bonds, and solid financial securities, and cash amounting to nearly $200,000. The second box had more currency - $600,000. adding the net worth of both boxes, the woman was a millionaire. Her great wealth did her no good whatsoever. Its proper use could have meant good health for her and many others.”
What did Jesus mean by “laying up treasures in heaven?” Did he mean we should “sell everything and give to the poor” as he instructed the rich young ruler? I think not. He spoke that way to the rich young ruler because of his covetousness.
To lay up treasures in heaven means to use all that we have as stewards or caretakers of God’s wealth. You and I may possess many things, but we do not own them. God is the owner of everything, and we are His stewards.
“…All the world is mine and everything in it” Psalm50:12.
The Bible does not discourage saving, or even investing; but it does condemn hoarding.

2. HOLDING BACK WAGES
“For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty” (5:4).
Laborers were hired and paid by the day and did not have any legal contracts with their employers.
“Never take advantage of poor laborers, whether fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. Pay them their wages each day before the sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin” Deuteronomy 24:14-15.
These rich men had hired the laborers and promised to pay them a specific amount. The men had completed their work but had not been paid (hindi minimum wage, tax evasion).
“Thou shall not steal” is still the law of God. As Christians, we must be faithful in paying our bills.
“Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that!” Romans 13:8.

3. LUXURIOUS LIVING
“You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every whim. Now your hearts are nice and fat, ready for the slaughter” (5:5).
Chavit Singson sa Sharon….
Sharon: “What can you buy with 1000 pesos?”
Chavit: “A pair of socks and a hanky.”

Luxurious living is sin. Even if we what we have has been earned lawfully and in the will of God, we must not waste it on selfish living. There are too many needs to be met.
Baka sinasabi natin, “hindi ako kasali diyan kasi hindi naman ako luxurious.”

Well, let’s examine our buying habits.

a. Do you buy things for their usefulness or because of their status?
b. Consider your clothes. People buy more clothes not because they need clothes, but because they want to keep up with the latest fashion. Stop trying to impress people with your clothes and impress them with your life.
c. Evaluate your spending: How much is devoted to God, to God’s work, to God’s workers, and to people in need? How much is devoted to our wants?
d. Are you addicted to something?
e. Do you have the habit of giving things away?
Masses of things that are not needed complicate life.
“Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own…. A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” Luke 12:15, 21.

4. CONTROLLING THE COURTS
“You have condemned and killed good people who had no power to defend themselves against you (5:6).
Economic power begets political power. The Golden Rule: “Whoever has the gold makes the rules.”
The poor workers could not afford expensive lawsuits, so they were not given justice, and were abused and ruined [imprisoned or killed].

II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF MISUSING RICHES
“Look here, you rich people, weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you” (5:1).

1. DECAYING OF WEALTH
“Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless” (5:2-3a).
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty…” Matthew 6:19.
There is an element of decay in all these things. Jesus is saying that these things do not fully satisfy. There is always something wrong with them; they always lack something. Some people appear to have everything that they desire, still they want something else. Happiness cannot be purchased.
Another problem with material things is that we get tired or bored of them. We may enjoy them for a while, but later we lose interest in them. The Law of Diminishing Returns. That is why we are always talking about new things, the latest, the best, top of the line. Fashions change. And we don’t want to
be out of fashion.
It is not true that as we get older, the desire for material things fades. The only thing that changes is the object of desire.
And the last fact about these things is that they will inevitably perish. They will fade – beauty, strength, charm, intelligence, power, money, etc. However wonderful and beautiful and glorious things may be, they all perish.

2. ERODING OF CHARACTER
“The very wealth you were counting on will eat your flesh in hell” (5:3b).
These things control our feelings, our affections, and our whole personality. We love these things. We pretend that we only like them, but really, we love them. They move us deeply.
Have you seen the change, the subtle change that tends to take place in men’s lives as they succeed and prosper in this world? They become slaves of what they love.

3. PREPARING FOR JUDGMENT
“This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment… Now your hearts are nice and fat, ready for the slaughter” (5:3, 5).
The witnesses against them: their wealth, the wages they held back, the workers.
“You are storing up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done” Romans 2:5-6.

4. LOSING OF A PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY
“The last days” indicates that James believed that the coming of the Lord was near. Think of the good that could have been accomplished with that hoarded wealth. People could have been helped.
“Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life” 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

It is possible to be ‘poor in this world’ and yet rich in the next world. It is also possible to be ‘rich in this world’ and poor in the next world. The return of Jesus Christ will make some people poor and others rich, depending on the spiritual condition of their hearts. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21.
What we keep, we lose. What we give to God, we keep, and He adds interest to it.

THE POWER OF PATIENCE
James 5:7-12

“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Don’t grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great judge is coming. He is standing at the door!
For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy.
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”

All through out the New Testament the return of Jesus Christ is emphasized. Two-thousand years ago, it was the message of the apostles – “Jesus Christ is coming soon!”
And the Apostle James writes to the believers during his time to patiently wait for the Lord’s return.
The word patience means “to stay put and stand fast when you’d like to run away.”
Many have fallen away from the faith because they can no longer wait. Some engaged in inventing formulas to calculate the exact date of Jesus’ return. So far, lahat ay bagsak!
Jesus says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” Matthew 24:42.
If that is the case, how can we as Christians experience this kind of patient endurance as we wait for the Lord to return? James gives three encouraging examples of patient endurance.

I. THE FARMER
“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near” (5:7-9).
If a man is impatient, then he had better not become a farmer. No crop appears overnight, and no farmer has control over the weather. Too much rain and too much sun can destroy the crop.
It takes time for plants to grow.
Why does he willingly wait so long? Because the fruit is “precious” (5:7).
“So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” Galatians 6:9.
The Christian is a “spiritual farmer” looking for a spiritual harvest. Our hearts are the soil, and the “seed is the Word of God.”
There are seasons to the spiritual life just as there are seasons to the soil.
The seed must be buried for it to grow. In the same way, the Christian goes through trials and troubles and sufferings.
The farmer does not stand around doing nothing waiting for the harvest. He is constantly at work as he looks toward the harvest.
James did not tell these believers to put on white robes, climb a hill, and wait for Jesus to return. We must do God’s work until Jesus returns.
Nor does any farmer get into fights with his neighbors. “Don’t grumble against each other brothers or you will be judged” (5:9).

II. THE PROPHETS
“For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:10).
The prophets encourage us by reminding us that God cares for us when we go through sufferings for His sake.

1. ELIJAH (1 Kings 17-19)
« He announced to wicked King Ahab that there would be a drought for 3 and ½ years and he himself had to suffer in that drought. He went into hiding.
« Queen Jezebel threatened his life. Elijah ran. He was afraid, depressed, and abandoned.
« During those sad moments, Elijah wanted to die. He witnessed a windstorm, and earthquake, and God’s fire from heaven. But the Lord was not in any of those powerful things. Instead, God displayed His presence in a soft whisper.

2. JEREMIAH – “the weeping prophet”
« He spoke, nobody listened. He urged the people of Israel to act, nobody moved. He was poor and underwent severe deprivation to deliver his prophecies.
« He was thrown into prison, and into a well. He was rejected by his neighbors, his family, the false priests and prophets, friends, his audience, and the kings.
« Regardless of opposition and personal cost, Jeremiah courageously and faithfully proclaimed the Word of God.

3. DANIEL
« He was thrown into a lion’s den because he violated the king’s order banning prayer.
4. EZEKIEL
« During his ministry God told him to illustrate his messages with dramatic object lessons.
« Lying on his left side for 390 days during which he could eat only one 8-ounce meal a day cooked over manure. Another 40 days on his right side.
« Shaving his head and beard.
« Showing no sorrow when his wife died.

Why were they willing to suffer?
“All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it from a distance and welcomed the promises of God…..But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them” Hebrews 11:13-16.
Why is that those who “speak in the name of the Lord” often must endure difficult trials? It is so that their lives might back up their messages. The impact of a life carries much power. We need to remind ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a testimony to others around us.

This example that James used from the Old Testament prophets ought to encourage us to spend more time in the Bible, getting acquainted with the heroes of faith. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” Romans 15:4.
Like the farmer, we keep working, and, like the prophets, we keep witnessing, no matter how trying the circumstances may be.

III. THE LIFE OF JOB
“Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:11).
Job is a prosperous farmer. He has thousands of sheep, camels, and other livestock, a large family, and lots of servants. Suddenly Satan comes before God claiming that Job trusts God only because he is wealthy and everything is going well for him. And so the testing of Job’s faith begins.
Satan is allowed to destroy Job’s children, servants, livestock, herdsmen, and home; but Job continues to trust in God. Next Satan attacks Job physically, covering him with painful boils. Job’s wife tells him to curse God and die, but Job suffers in silence.
His friends were against him, for they accused him of being a hypocrite, deserving of the judgment of God. And it seemed like God was against him! When Job cried out for answers to his questions, there was no reply from heaven.
Finally, God speaks out of a mighty whirlwind. Confronted with the great power and majesty of God, Job falls in humble reverence before God – speechless. God rebukes Job’s friends, and the drama ends with Job restored to happiness and wealth.

The exhortation in verse 12 seems out of place:
“But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”
It is easy to say things you do not mean, and make promises you don’t intend to keep when you are going through difficulties.
Look at the example of Job:
“I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord.’ In all this, Job did not sin by blaming God” Job 1:21-22.

James wanted to encourage us to be patient in times of suffering. Like the farmer, we must work while we wait for the harvest. Like the prophets, we look for opportunities to share the truth of God. And like Job, we wait for the Lord to fulfill His loving purpose, knowing that He will never cause His children to suffer needlessly.
And, like Job, we shall have a clearer vision of the Lord and come to know Him better for having been in the furnace of affliction.
Let us patiently wait for the Lord’s return.

THE POWER OF PRAYER
James 5: 13-20

Intro:
Speech is that which distinguishes men from animals, but prayer distinguishes the children of God from the children of this world. Speech we use to communicate our thoughts to each other, but prayer is the speech used by the believer to commune with God.
The gift of speech is a marvelous blessing, if it is used to the glory of God. James mentioned some of the lowest uses of the tongue: complaining and swearing. But he also named some of the highest uses of the tongue: proclaiming God’s word and praying and praising God.
Prayer is certainly a high and holy privilege. To think that, as God’s children, we can come freely and boldly to His throne and share with Him our needs! Instead of complaining about his situation, he talks to God about it; and God hears and answers his prayers. “Taking it to the Lord in prayer” is certainly a mark of spiritual maturity.
“Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain in the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5: 13-20

In this section, James encourages us to pray by describing four situations in which God answers prayer.

I. PRAYER FOR THE SUFFERING (5:13)
The word trouble means “suffering in difficult circumstances”. As God’s people go through life, they often must endure difficulties that are not the results of sin or the discipline of God.
What should we do when we find ourselves in such trying circumstances? Complain? Blame the Lord? No. we should pray, asking God for the wisdom that we need to understand the situation and use it to His glory.
James 1:5- “If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask Him and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.”
Prayer can remove affliction, if that is God’s will. But prayer can also give us the grace we need to endure troubles and use them to accomplish God’s perfect will. Paul prayed that God might change his circumstances (his thorn in the flesh), but instead, God gave Paul the grace he needed to turn his weaknesses into strength. (2 Cor. 10: 7-10)
But not everybody is in trouble. “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” God balances our lives and gives us hours of suffering and days of singing. The mature Christian knows how to sing while he is suffering. Our singing reveals our inner spiritual life. Our singing must come from the heart, must be based on the word of God, and motivated by the Holy Spirit. If a song is not biblical, it is not acceptable to God.

II. PRAYER FOR THE SICK (5: 14-16)
There is no formula prayer for healing the sick. I have prayed for sick people—others were healed, others were not.
What are the special characteristics of this case that James is describing?

1. The person is sick because of sin (15b-16)
“…and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.”
James has described a church member who is sick because he is being disciplined by God. This explains why the elders of the assembly are called: the man cannot go to church to confess his sins.
2. The person confesses his sin (5:16)
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

3. The person is healed by “the prayer of faith”
It is not the anointing that heals, but the praying. The Greek word translated “anointing” is a medical term; it could be translated “massaging”. James suggests using available means for healing along with asking the Lord for his divine touch. God can heal with or without means; in each case, it is God who does the healing.
The “prayer of faith” is a prayer offered when you know the will of God. The elders would seek the mind of God in the matter, and then pray according to His will. James does not instruct the believer to call for a faith healer. The matter is in the hands of the leaders of the church.

III. PRAYER FOR THE NATION (5: 17-18)
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”. James is talking about Elijah.
Elijah prayed in faith. Elijah prayed persistently. Elijah prayed earnestly (pray in your prayer. Not just saying religious words).
Prayer power is the greatest power in the world today. Elijah prayed for his nation, and God answered. We need to pray for our nation today, that God will bring conviction and revival, and that “showers of blessing” will come to the land.
2Chro. 7:14- “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.

IV. PRAYER FOR THE STRAYING (BACKSLIDER) (5:19-20)
Somebody said, “We spend so much time praying for sick Christians who, if they die—and they will eventually—will go to be with Jesus, but we spend almost no time praying for the sinners who, when they die, will go to the Christless eternity.
What are we to do when we see a fellow believer wandering from the truth? We should pray for him; but we must also seek to help him. He needs to be “converted”—turned back into the right path again.
It can also be applied to the lost sinner.
This brings us to the end of our study of James. This would be a good time for us to examine our hearts to see how mature we really are.

1. Am I becoming more and more patient in the testing of life?
2. Do I play with temptation or resist it from the start?
3. Do I find joy in obeying God’s word, or do I merely study it and learn it?
4. Am I able to control my tongue?
5. Do I make plans without considering the will of God?
6. Am I selfish when it comes to money? Am I faithful in the paying of my bills?
7. Do I naturally depend on prayer when I find myself in some kind of trouble?

Don’t just grow old—grow up!