text

"The Subscriber Cannot Be Reached"

Scripture:

John 8:32
³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Ano ano ba ang mga possible at legitimate reasons kung bakit pag tinatawagan natin ang mga gusto nating makausap, e, imbis na mag ring ang phone nila, ang sinasabi ng phone ay, "the subscriber cannot be reached, please try your call later?".

One, baka walang signal kung san siya nanduon. Nangyayari pa rin yan ngayon. There are places or spots na mahina ang signal ng ating phone network, kaya people have a hard time connecting.

Two, baka naman low-bat. Sometimes people forget to bring their charger, kaya, pag hindi nila napansin ang battery nila, e bigla nalang ito nag sha shut off. Hindi tuloy siya matawagan.

Sana hindi siya nanakawan ng celfone o dinaman kaya naaksidente. Sana hindi. Pero posibleng reason din yan.

Pero meron pa bang ibang possible reasons?

Well, sad to say, meron pang isa.

At eto yung, sadyang pinatay ang phone.

And why so?

E, obviously, ayaw niyang ma reach siya ng kung sino man. And who knows, ikaw pala yung ayaw niyang makausap. Kaya kahit wag na siya makontak ng iba, wag kalang niya makausap, e, cge nadin, at papatayin ang phone for a certain period of time.

Maaring iniiwasan ka kasi, me utang siya syo, at baka singilin mo na.

O dinaman kaya, baka ikaw ang umuutang sa kanya, at umiiwas itong makausap ka.

Maaring me tinatago. Tinatago ang kanyang lokasyon. Kung sino kasama. At kung ano ginagawa. Hahayaan nalang niyang lumipas ang mga minuto, oras, at baka, ilang araw pa nga, para, makaiwas na magkaalaman kayo.

Puede ding galit kung kanino. Ayaw nito pang makipagusap kahit sa pamilya at close friends, much more makipagbati sa mga taong involved. They just want to be left alone.

E what about us?

Tayo na gustong gustong makausap sila?

Depende siguro kung gano ka emotional at important para sa atin na makausap ang gusto nating makausap, pero kadalasan, nanggigil tayo sa phone. Text tayo ng text. Mamaya kung ano ano na ang ating nasasabi, lalo nat pag napipikon na tayo at naasar kasi walang sagot. Walang response.

Mamaya maya, sa ating inis, e na wro wrong send na tuloy tayo. Kung sino sino tuloy ang biglang nakakaalam ng ating problema. E ang text panaman can be misinterpreted.

Usually sa mga magboyfriend this happens.

Pag pikang pika na yung girl sa boyfriend niya e, kung ano ano ang natetex nito. E kaso, wala namang sagot ang guy.

At kahit magtawag kapa ng magtawag, pag patay ang phone, better yet, pag pinatay ang phone, isa lang ang maririnig, "the subscriber cannot be reached, please try your call later."

But you can't wait.

Ayaw mung pumayag na hindi siya makausap.

Your anger, your sadness, your feelings are building up inside, and somehow, you think, the only way for you to get some form of relief, is when, mag ring ang phone niya, at sagutin ang tawag mo.

But what if hindi ito mangyari ngayon?

What if mapudpod na ang keypad ng phone mo sa kakatext pero wala pading textback?

What if maubos na ang battery ng phone mo kasi dial ka ng dial, pero, the phone remains dead?

What should we do then?

Hard as it may be, but eventually, we need to accept the harsh truth.

The person on the other line doesnt want to talk to you.

He doesnt want to be reached by people, most specially by you.

It's the truth.

Yes it's harsh.

But it is.

And by accepting it, the soonest, we will be free, to rest our thougths. We will be free to wipe our tears. We will be free to rest our tired fingers, and even our bodies, na maaring nagutom at napuyat sa kakatext at sa kakatawag. We will be free to do something else with our time, with our lives.

It's painful.

It's never easy na tinatakasan ka ng tao. Na iniiwasan ka. Lalo na ng mga taong minsang naging mahalaga at importante sa ating buhay.

But if that is the truth, eventually we need to accept it, eventually we need to accept it.

For only then, will we be free, free to be healed, free to be comforted, free to move on.

PRAYER

Help me Lord to accept the truth. Help me Lord to heal. Help me Lord to move on. I pray for the people who have hurt me. I pray for them. I pray for my anger towards them. I surrender them to you. I pray for the sadness they have caused in my life. For the sadness i have allowed to enter into my life. I pray for them, as i also pray for myself. I give myself to you. My heart most specially, that you may touch it. That you may fill me with love, joy and peace, this day, in Jesus name, amen

i wanted to beloved

I almost didn’t get to have my devotion this morning. It was soooo good to saty in bed and sleep ’til my alarm sets off again, but, I guess the spirit is willing so the body must follow!

I started my devotion with a short worship; actually, I was singing already the moment I opened my eyes, and started to pray for the most pressing needs in my list.

It is actualy about my family. I guess it would sound selfish but, I really focused on them this morning and I focused mainly about love. Why love right? I didn’t know why too but as I was praying God revealed it to me.

I love my family somuch that I wouldn’t let anything hurt them. Though sometimes I don’t show it, it doesn’t mean that I don’t love them. It doesn’t also erases my love for them if they chose not to beleve I love them, because the truth remains; they will always be in my heart and mind, second to God.

God showed me that we can sometimes be like that. One moment we feel sooo loved by God and then feel abandoned the next because we didn’t get goosebumps or didn’t have an epiphany.

Our belief doesn’t change God, rather, our beliefs changes us. God loves us constantly, eternally while we on the other hand loves Him conditionally.

We, as humans, always have to be assured by our senses: can we feel him? can we hear him? can we see him? can we etc…? If we find ourselves answering those questions with a resounding no, we start to believe that he’s not there, he doesn’t see us, he doesn’t hear us. Guess what, He’s there, if we would only learn how to open our hearts.

It is us who need to learn how to love God and in loving Him, see Him for who He really is.

Who can see (feel, hear, experience) God? Those who are pure in heart.

How can we be pure in heart? Know, accept and obey.

John 14:21 (AMP)

The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

Why Wait?
(A summary of God’s will part1-5 preaching)
Because although we want to be decisive, we do not want to be
impulsive.
Although we want to be swift, we do not want to be hasty.
Although we want to hold on to the one we love,
we do not want to lose ourselves in the process.
If we want to run, we must first learn to walk.
If we want to swim, we must first learn to float.
If we want to make love, we must first learn to love.
In the end, it is still best to wait for the one we want
rather than settle for the one that is available.
It is still best to wait for the one you love
rather than settle for the one who is around.
It is still best to wait for the right person.
Because life is too short to waste on the wrong one.
Because waiting serves a purpose. Noble and mysterious,
you have to know that flowers do not bloom overnight.
Rome was not built in a day.
A life grows in the womb for nine months.
Great love grows steadily over a lifetime.
Most good things in life take a long time. And they are
all worth waiting for. These, despite the fact, that
although waiting requires a lot of things…faith, courage,
and hope…waiting guarantees nothing.
One cannot imagine after all, that God in all His
wisdom, asks us to wait, for no essential reason.
Teach love to those who hate, and let that love embrace you as you go
out into the world. May the teachings of those you admire become part
of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you
have touched and whose have touched yours are always a part of you,
even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the
content of the encounter that is more important than the form.

history maker

"Watching History, Making History"

Scripture:

Jeremiah 1:4-12

⁴ The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

⁵ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew ^[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

⁶ "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

⁷ But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

⁹ Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

¹¹ The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?"
"I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied.

¹² The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching ^[b] to see that my word is fulfilled."

attitude

The longer I live, the more i realize the impact of attitude on life. attitude to me is more important than facts. it is more important than the past, than education, than money, 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, a school.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday. we cannot change the past. we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. we cannot change the inevitable. the only thing that we can do is to play on the string 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 ATTITUDE.

please be motivated

"Get Motivated"

Scripture:

Matthew 11:12

"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it."

What can we learn from the disciples of the past?

One, they lived with a mission.

Their mission? To advance the kingdom of heaven here on earth.

Two, how did they do this?

The verse that we've just read says, "the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing"

The verse further describes the disciples of the olden days as "forceful men"

In simple terms, we can say that the disciples were truly motivated believers in their cause.

And we can learn from them.

Ganun dapat ang ating pamumuhay dito sa lupa. Dapat meron ang bawat isa sa atin na goal in life. Purpose for living. Mission to accomplish.

Pag wala tayo ng mga nabanggit, diba parang meaningless ang ating existence?

Ang taong motivated, excited maging sa umaga, kasi alam niya me importante siyang gagawin ngayon. Me mga nakadepende sa kanya. At pinakaimportante, alam na alam niya, na merong pinagagawa ang Diyos sa kanyang buhay. Papano banamang hindi ka maexcite gumising!

However, motivation is like passion, it's like energy, it's really like excitement. A feeling, that increases and decreases over time. Lalo na siguro pag masyadong tumatagal ang katuparan ng mga hinahangad, so much time and energy ang na dedeplete. Tapos dagdagan mupa ng mga pagsubok, discouragements, trials, setbacks. Ayun na, kaya some people tuloy give up and quit, they've lost the motivation to go on.

How can we continue when we are beset with problems? When we've used up our strength, When we are no longer motivated? How can we remain "forceful"?

The answer is that, we must do something about it.

We must "GET MOTIVATED", again and again, whatever is necessary, to get our groove back, our energy, our passion, our excitement, for the life and mission that God has given us.

Surely there are good days, as there are bad days.

Sometimes gusto mong pumasok sa school, sometimes tamad na tamad ka.

Sometimes gusto mong magtrabaho, at other times, you just want to sleep more and stay home.

Sometimes excited ka to go to church, to serve in the ministry, to do your calling, but let's be honest, it aint all the time. Even the most Godly people get discouraged. Even the most anointed of preachers have entertained thoughts of quiting the ministry altogether.

But we must not allow this to last a few more minutes. This feeling. This thought of giving up. We must do whatever it takes to get ourselves back in the game.

Whatever works for you.

A glass of water, a pitcher of softdrinks, eating your favorite food, watching a movie, going to the spa, secluding yourself in a prayer mountain, getting counselling, or even shopping!

Whatever works for you, just do it.

Always remember, when God gives us a mission, he gives the provision.

Life is beautiful, because God is good.

God's will...

"Knowing God's Will Part 1"

Scripture:

James 1:5-8

5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

We make decisions almost everyday.

Meroong simpleng decision, at meroong mabibigat na decision.

Simple things like when to wake up?

What to wear outside?

What to eat for breakfast?

Where to go after school or work?

What to dvd movie or series to watch before you sleep tonight?

These questions are simple, yet oftentimes we struggle when we are about to decide concerning them, kahit parang ang babaw nila. And this happens almost everyday.

Major decisions naman include, sino ba ang magiging partner mo sa buhay?

Magpapakasal kanaba?

San ka ba titira,?

Mangingibang bansa kanaba?

San kana magche-church?

What will you do with your money?

Ibubunyag mo na ba ang matagal mo ng tinatagong lihim about yourself?

These are but some of the more important things to consider in life.

In all of that, the christian is different from the unbeliever, because, before he makes a decision, he consults God.

Importante sa kanya, hindi lang ang opinion ng nakararami, kundi kung ano ba ang say ni God doon.

In other words, ano ba ang "God's will".

And how do we know kung ano God's will?

It begins with a REVELATION.

Revelation means, a message from God.

Puedeng as you read the Bible, as you listen to a Preacher, o dinaman kaya advice from Godly people. In some occasions, even circumstances can bear the thumb print of God. Mga pagkakataon na hindi sana mangyayari kundi rin lang sa divine intervention. Doors closing, and others opening. Put them all together, and they can be God's message for you.

A REVELATION.

That's why, from this verse, we gather, be prayerful.

Pray for wisdom. Ipag pray mo muna ang iyong situation before you jump into any major and important decision concerning your life and calling.

Pag gusto mo talaga ang God's will, magpe-pray kamuna.

Ask God to show you his revelation for your life.

"Knowing God's Will Part 2"

Scripture:

James 1:17

17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Knowing God's Will is a gift.

A gift from a loving Father in heaven.

He knows what is best for us, what is good for us, what is perfect for us.

And that is why, to know his will, it is not enough to have a REVELATION.

What do we mean by this?

God's will is known through a REVELATION, that is also verified to be true and real, by a CONFIRMATION, that he likewise sends, to assure the believer of the revelation's authenticity.

Kailangan may confirmation, kung ang iniisip natin, ay God's will nga talaga.

For example, nagpray tayo for a certain option or decision. We feel si Lord ang nagreveal sa atin nung decision na ito. Ang kasunod dapat nito ay confirmation mula ke Lord na yun na nga ang message niya.

Gaya ng verse na binasa natin ngayon, sabi ron "Every good and perfect gift comes from our Father in heaven."

Kaya isa pa sa importanteng dapat natin lahat matandaan, if you know your Father, you will know his gift!

Furthermore, if you know your Father, you will know his will.

Have you been thinking about something very important recently?

Has God been speaking to you through revelations?

Through messages, preachings, bible studies, friends?

Then if you really want to live a life that God blesses, that which pleases God, then seek a confirmation.

Be sensitive and observant to what will happen next in your life.

The people you will meet.

The things that will occur.

The places God will be sending you.

Because God is a God of purpose.

Walang aksidente sa Diyos.

Alam na alam niya ang ginagawa niya.

He is in full control.

Trust in God. Put your hope on him. He will show you the way.

Get your CONFIRMATION

"Knowing God's Will Part 3"

Scripture:

James 1:2-4

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When God reveals his will, he confirms it.

And one way by which he confirms his will, is when there are trials and testings.

In other words, when God's will is being revealed, hindi puedeng mawala ang TENSION.

Already we have learned, that in knowing God's will, there must be REVELATION and CONFIRMATION.

Ano naman itong tension?

Hindi bat pag God's will dapat smooth ang lahat?

On the contrary, maraming beses sa bibliya, na me kwento ng mga tao, na even though they were doing God's will, pero, dumaan padin sa maraming pag subok.

Hindi laging smooth sailing ang pagtupad ng God's will.

Kadalasan pa nga, me struggle.

Why?

Because, in knowing and fulfilling God's will, there are (3) forces at work.

God's spirit, the human spirit, and evil spirits.

God's spirit wants to move us forward in life.

To do his will. And eventually, to live a life that is blessed by God.

But evil spirits despise this.

And they will do everything they can to deceive us in staying with the status quo, be lazy in our comfort zone, or worse, to do the opposite of what God wants us to do.

Kaya tuloy, yung human spirit, me struggle.

Depende na sa strength ng kanyang faith kung kanino siya sasama o susunod.

Ang hirap kaya non.

Parang kang pinupunit sa gitna!

And all of these things can happen, as a true believer in Christ seeks his will.

Yes, it is not an easy life.

But it can be so much worse if absent si God sa ating mga decision making.

We need to know and fulfill God's will in our lives.

Kahit na ito pa ay mahirap.

May struggles.

May conflicts.

May trials and testings.

We must now already realize, that in pursuing God's best for us, there will be tension.

Hindi siya basta basta nangyayari without us experiencing some form of struggle.

Akala nga ng iba heaven na agad pag naging christian na.

Lalo na kung ang foundation ng faith ay mababaw. Kung blessings oriented ang kanyang perspective. At kung hindi siya na disciple ng maayos, surely, he will be surprised, na serious matter ang pagiging mananampalataya.

But what is our point?

Don't be discouraged kung merong struggles sa life mo, lalo na kung ang struggles is about you fulfilling what you believe is God's will for your life.

In fact, rejoice, kasi isa yan sa indicator na nasa tama kang path.

And through all the tension, hold on to God, He will never let you go.

"Knowing God's Will Part 4"

Scripture:

James 1:12

12Blessed 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.

In Knowing God's Will, we have studied at least (3) major points.

First, REVELATION.

If it is God's will, he will reveal.

Second, CONFIRMATION.

That if it is God's will, he will confirm.

And third, TENSION.

That even the presence of struggles can serve as a confirmation of his will.

And now, the fourth, in this (5) part series.

PROVISION!

Yes, eventually, kailangan ito bilang pruebe, ebidensiya, katiyakan, na indeed, what we are doing, is his will.

Sabi nga, if it's God's will, he will provide.

He will open doors.

He will pave the way.

He will soften hearts.

He will make you and your intentions known.

He will show you the money.

He will make the impossible possible.

Ganyan ang God's will, walang sino sino. Walang hadlang na hindi mabubuwag. Walang harang na hindi matatanggal. Walang pangangailangan na hindi niya ipagkakaloob.

Pag gusto ni Lord, walang puwedeng makapipigil.

Ang problema, pag ayaw niya?

O di naman kaya, hindi pa right timing.

Sa prayer, we can expect the following answers.

Yes, No, and Wait muna.

Sana laging yes or no lang, para malinaw agad.

Kaso nga lang, there are times that God wants us to wait first. Puwedeng dahil me trials and testings muna na alam niyang kailangan nating daanan. Or we have sinned against him, kaya kailangan natin muna ng cleansing. Minsan, wrong pa ang motive. Hindi tama ang katwiran o dahilan.

Maraming possible reasons why God opts to delay the fulfillment of his will in our lives.

Ang importante, ayusin natin ang ating puso, ayusin natin ang ating faith, ayusin natin ang ating buhay.

And when all is in their right place, at right timing na, you can expect, even God's abundant provision for all your needs.

Sabi nga, pag me vision, me provision.

"Knowing God's Will Part 5"

Scripture:

James 1:27

27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Knowing God's Will is about being Christian.

It's about making Christ the center and Lord of one's life. So much so, that we value and place at the highest importance and consideration, his say, on every major decision that we are to make in life.

That is why, a true believer in Jesus Christ, would always pray before anything else. He would always read the Bible before anything else. He would always ask fellow Christians before anything else.

Because, he knows, that is the right thing to do.

And in Knowing God's Will, we have discussed that it is important to have REVELATION, CONFIRMATION, TENSION, and PROVISION.

And now for the fifth, and final part of this series, we are reminded, that for anything that God wants a believer to do, there is always a purpose behind it.

In other words, to know God's will, we must see, how that decision, leads us to the fulfillment of our calling in God, our MISSION.

Yes, mission.

Sabi nga nung verse natin for today, "Religion, to be pure and faultless, should be about looking after orphans, taking care of widows."

Aanhin mo ang lahat ng ritwal kung wala naman itong epekto sa ating puso, pag iisip, ugali, katwiran, at pagtulong sa kapwa?

Ano kinalaman ng ating magiging decision sa buhay sa ating ministry?

Malaki. Because all christians must have a ministry.

And our ministry is because of our calling.

Because of our mission.

The one God has assigned for us to do on this earth.

The reason we exist.

Why we are on this earth.

Meron tayong lahat nyan.

Yung iba alam na. Yung iba hindi pa alam. Yung iba nakalimutan na. Yung iba nagmamaangmaangan pa din na wala.

Hindi puwedeng magtagal tayo sa pagiging Christian na hindi natin natutunton ang mission natin, ang calling natin, ang ministry natin.

Mamamatay ang faith natin pag nagtagal tayo na hindi natin alam, at hindi natin ginagawa ang ating mission in life.

Kaya, for any decision that you would have to make in life, always consider, "E ano naman ang kinalaman nito sa mission ko ke God?

How will this decision help me, in fulfilling God's calling for my existence on this earth?"

God's will, always includes, God's mission!