Encounter with Jesus?

If you're familiar with the first four books in the New Testament which is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, I suppose you'll notice that most of the stories there contain people who had an encounter with Jesus.

There were those who are blind (Matthew 9:27-31; Mark 10:46-52), paralyzed or physically disabled (Matthew 9:1-8, 9:18-26; Luke 5:17-20; Luke 6:10), possessed by a demon (Matthew 15:21-28), unclean because of leprosy (Luke 12-16) and even those who are brokenhearted (Luke 7:37-38,50). There were also several different ways on how they encountered Jesus, but I noticed that one thing they all have in common is HUMILITY and FAITH IN HIM.  Jesus has this popular line where in He says something like, "Go, your FAITH has SAVED you!"

For every encounter, there was ALWAYS a CHANGE not just with the physical healing of the person, but also with their LIVES. Every time Jesus would tell the person not tell anyone what He has done (which I don't understand why He does, but He does anyway), people couldn't help it but to tell others. This is because they had that LIFE-CHANGING ENCOUNTER with JESUS CHRIST himself! All it takes is for a person to humble themselves, and have faith in Jesus Christ that He is our Lord and Savior. It's the greatest decision anyone could ever make.


There's a great big difference when we just stand with the crowd and hear the name of Jesus, not really knowing who He is, compared to having a genuine encounter with Him which is definitely life-changing and awesome! It's when we experience Him that we get to know Him.

As Charles Stanley, a pastor from InTouch Ministries, would say it,

"If you've never been excited for Jesus Christ, you have MISSED SOMETHING BIG!" 

The question remains for every person out there:

"Have you encountered Jesus Christ yet?"

 Healing Begins - Tenth Avenue North

(I'm loving their songs. HEHEHE)

UST Graduate Incident

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/300296/2-suspects-in-killing-of-ust-graduate-arrested

This is kind of a late blog entry about the news but anyway... HEHE. ^^;;

There was this news about a girl from UST who got raped and killed by a tricycle and another guy. I'm not so sure about how it all happened but yeah, you get the point (You can read the article above). Since I wasn't really watching television, I wasn't able to get the whole picture of the incident. All I heard was the cry of the mother on TV, telling the people that she would never forgive the men who killed her daughter. On the other hand, the two guys who killed the girl were crying endlessly and apologizing.

Upon hearing that, our househelper reacted by saying, "Dapat yung mga ganyan pinuputulan ng kamay para matuto." (English: "They should have cut the hands of those guys so that they'll learn.").

In my mind, I thought of the idea as "harsh".

But then, that comment made by our househelper kind of made me think more of God's grace. If cutting of people's sinful hands was already harsh for me, what more if it's God's wrath that'll be poured out on us because of what we did?

"..For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." - Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)

A lot of people just don't realize the consequences of their actions. NO ONE in this world is good. No one is right with God. We're all supposed to go to hell. That is the bad news a lot of people don't understand. They think that if they do good generally, they would go to heaven. And if they do really bad deeds (the major one's like stealing, killing, committing adultery, etc.), they'll go to hell.

That's not how things work. And again, quoting from the youth pastors in our church: "You will never appreciate the good news until you understand the bad news". Well, I already told you the bad news about hell, the good news is Jesus Christ!

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23 (NIV)

I'm thankful for God's mercy, grace and for Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us. I'm thankful that He adopted me as His lovely daughter to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. I'm thankful for His great and indescribable love for me! ^^

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

"The Bridge"

This video is sort of old, but I just felt like posting it. It's one of those videos our teachers let us watch when I was in High School.

"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 (NIV)

The Only Way

When people talk about religion, I would often hear the same line: "It's not about the religion, but the relationship with God." The statement is basically correct, but there's actually more than just saying that religion doesn't really matter.

The world defines the word "religion" simply as a set of spiritual beliefs. Usually, it is when a person belongs to a certain group of people who share and practice the same beliefs. Sometimes, we even get to ask a person, "What's your religion?" But instead of "religion", I believe the correct term for it is "denomination".


According to my dad (a 63-year old preacher/pastor), and from a source I found on the net, the word "religion" comes from the Latin word "ligare" which means "to bind, connect, or link together a human and a divine". Assuming that "re" is a prefix which means "again", we can conclude that the real meaning of religion is "to bind or link AGAIN".


So, what does this mean? What are we connecting or linking together again?


In the beginning, God once had a good relationship with man and woman; until one day, man sinned by disobeying God. The fall of man started when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree (Genesis 3). Since then, God became distant to man.

During the Old Testament days, man has to give offerings in order to please God. Some books like Exodus and Leviticus contained instructions on how the sacred offerings should be delivered, such as: animals offered to God must be done by priests, grain offerings, and many more. This is used for the atonement of the people's sins.


But in the New Testament, God sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the atonement of our sins. He was declared the Lamb of God because He was the sacred offering or sacrifice in order for man to be reconciled with God again.

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" - John 1:29 (NIV)

Jesus Christ was the one who connected us to God. He is the way to the Father. Religion is to bind again to God. There is only one religion and that is JESUS CHRIST.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" - John 14:6 (NIV)

"Worthy is the Lamb seated on the throne! You are God in the Highest~"

#nowplaying In the Highest - Citipointe

The Right Path

There was this season in my life when I felt anxious and paranoid about my future. I don't know why, but I kept thinking about it since I'll be turning into an official adult next year. And pretty soon, I'll also be working.

Then, God spoke to me through His Word just this week. He reminded me that He is in control and He will continue to guide me on the right path. Even if I'm not sure of what will happen in the future, I know that God has plans for me and He will guide, protect and bless me. 

Psalm 23:

"1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need."

God is being characterized here as a shepherd and us as His sheep. In life, if we don't have Christ in us, we will be like a sheep without a shepherd. We'd be lost and feel empty inside. We won't have someone to lead us in the right path and love us unconditionally just as Christ loves us. He is everything we would ever need. It is only in Him that we are satisfied.

"2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful  streams. 3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths  bringing honor to his name."

God is our provider. He wants to bless us, but sometimes sin gets in the way. When we fail to follow Him because of sin, He makes something good out of the mess we have done and continues to lead us. Bad things may happen to us, but God is still God and God is still good. He is a faithful God. He does this all for our good and all His glory!

"4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid,for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."

We may feel fear, but God calls us to lean on Him. We may be troubled, but God calls us to trust in Him. At times, we may be upset or feel abandoned, but God is ALWAYS WITH US. People may not understand what we feel or think inside, but God does. He is a God whose love never fails, protects us and whips our tears away.

"5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.   You honor me by anointing my head with oil.   My cup overflows with blessings."

God will bless us abundantly as He has promised. And I believe the greatest gift He has given us was when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. Without Him, we will die because the consequences of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We are not saved because of the good deeds we have done, but through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) alone. We are saved when we confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).


No words can describe how awesome God's love is for us! ❤

"6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

God is a good shepherd and He will never abandon us. He is an AMAZING GOD! Believe God for great things because we have a great God! Trust and look forward to God on what He will do! ^^

His Sovereignty

We always hear the saying, "Let go, and let God," but sometimes we just can't help but try to take control over things especially when we're overwhelmed with our situations. We fear failure. We fear defeat. The more we try to control our situation, the more it becomes a mess. We have so many "what if" questions in our mind that we couldn't stop worrying and trying to figure things out on our own.

It's normal to feel fear, but Jesus asks us to step out in faith and TRUST in Him. And only in Him.

Even if we don't get our questions answered, we should still have faith in Him and in His sovereignty. When I read the book "Dug Down Deep" by Joshua Harris for the second time, I was reminded of God's sovereignty...

...over the universe (Hebrews 1:3),

...over every kingdom and earthly authority (Psalm 47:8),

...over the human heart (Proverbs 21:1), and

...in salvation (Romans 8:30).

He knew us ever since the beginning of time and He has plans for us which are good, pleasing and perfect. So why try to take control? God owns the universe. He created it. He holds the entire world in His hands. He's bigger than anything else and is infinite. No human mind can ever comprehend to what He has in mind. So why not hand Him your problems?

"To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end — even the wicked for a day of disaster." - Proverbs 16:1-4 (NIV)

"How to Receive an Answer from God"

We can't deny the fact that many of us pray to God everyday whether we're alone or with other people. Especially when we have a problem. We become more receptive to God. We'd pray about ourselves, our friends, family, problems... just about anything.

And, I have to be pretty honest that sometimes I feel like God doesn't want to answer some of my prayers... even the smallest prayer requests. But I just keep on praying anyway. ^^


Yesterday, I was able to listen to one of the podcasts of Rick Warren entitled, "How to receive an Answer from God" and I realized some stuff about prayer. 
*Rick Warren is a pastor from Saddleback Church, California (http://saddleback.com/). He also wrote the book, "Purpose Driven Life".*


(*MY NOTES ACCORDING TO THE PODCAST*)
He discussed about the 4 Attitudes we should have in order to Receive an Answer from God which are:


1) Be willing to let God answer according to His TIME.

- We must be willing to wait and be patient to God's answers. He will answer our prayers at the right time. God is the God of time after all.
- If we are mature enough, we will be able to wait because faith is patience.


The question here for us is, "How long are we willing to wait?"


- God often delays an answer to a prayer because he needs to prepare us.


Just imagine if an 8-year old boy would ask his dad if he can drive the car. The dad would of course say "Not yet". The boy would still need to be prepared and have that skill of driving before he can actually hit the road.


It's the same thing with us. God wants us to grow first in order for Him to approve of our prayer.


- God is never late. His timing is always PERFECT.


2) Be willing to let God answer in His own WAY.

- God's ways are always better and bigger.


"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."-Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

I kept a journal for my prayers and realized that it's a good thing that God didn't answer all my prayers before because if he did, my life would have been more chaotic.

- An example of this would be the Prodigal Son. He asked his father to give him his inheritance. In the end, it didn't do him any good.


I remember the movie, Bruce Almighty. He answered all the prayers and said "YES" to each one of them so they would be "happy", but it all turned out to be a disaster for everyone..

3) Be willing to let God answer in His own POWER.

- Sometimes, God answers when the situation is humanly impossible so He will get all the glory.

This is what people see as a miracle.

- When you pray for a certain situation, don't be surprised if it gets worse before it gets better. Sometimes God answers to the point of our hopelessness in order to get the glory out of it.

We realize our need of Him in ever situation in our lives. Without Him, WE ARE NOTHING.

4) Be willing to let God answer for His own PURPOSE.

- Why does God answer prayers? There are two reasons:

1) for our GROWTH, and 2) for His GLORY.

- An example would be Paul. According to Romans 1:7, 1:10, 1:15, Romans 15:20, and 15:24, Paul wanted to preach the Gospel in Rome.

"It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation." -Romans 15:20 (NIV)

- God answered Paul's prayer to go to Rome, but in Acts 28:16, it says that he became a prisoner in Rome.

- Sometimes, God denies our original request to give us what is really the desires of our heart.

Paul's heart was to preach the Gospel in Rome. But when he got there, God let him be a prisoner because he wanted Paul to write the letters which brought us to the New Testament today. He had better plans in mind for Paul.

Rick Warren ended with a quote saying:

"When you pray, & the request isn't right, God says 'NO'.

When you pray, & you're not right, God says 'GROW'.

When you pray, & the timing isn't right, God says 'SLOW' or 'NOT YET'.

When you pray, & everything is in place, God says 'GO'."

--------------------------------

It was very refreshing to hear that preaching from Rick Warren. :3


"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - Mark 11:24 (NIV)

Imperfect

Almost throughout the whole week, some people just keep on pointing at my imperfections. It got me emotionally tired because I didn't find it constructive on how they deliver it to me. It's okay to receive constructive criticisms but, the way they tell it to me wasn't really helpful. I feel like they're pointing at me and trying to shove all my mistakes on my face... I hope they look at themselves first on the mirror before looking at others. -___-;; Honestly, who wants to listen to people who can't walk their talk?

At some point, we all experience that. But, earlier today, I once again experienced how deep God's love is. He reminded me how I am significant to Him despite all my iniquities, weaknesses, idiosyncrasies, and imperfections. He is a God who loves me deeply even though I make mistakes. And so, I thank Him for another beautiful week! ❤

"...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how WIDE and LONG and HIGH and DEEP is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)

Citipointe - Higher + Wider + Deeper

I am an imperfect person, loved by a PERFECT God.

Who Am I?

Recently, I have been listening to this really nice song entitled "Who Am I?" by Casting Crowns. Now, I know that this band is not that popular compared to Lady Gaga and all those other Pop celebrities, but their song is really good and it spoke to me. I truly am God's precious Princess.  ❤ 

My favorite line:

"Lord, you catch when I'm falling, and you've told me who I am... I AM YOURS."

I'm encouraging you to watch it until the end.

Here's the video:

Merry Christmas!

Okay, so I decided to finally create my blog..
To be honest, I'm not really good with words, but I think it'll be better if I practice it rather than not do anything about it. This is my first post... and I'm doing this for the sake of posting. HAHA.


Normally, I don't think anyone would be interested in reading my thoughts, but I still decided to make one.


Anyway, since it's Christmas, usually people would go to provinces or have parties with their relatives. Our family didn't. We just stayed at home, ate and watched a movie entitled, "Fireproof".

It really is an awesome eye-opener movie! I highly recommend it.


The story is about a married couple who are about to have a divorce, when the husband decided to do something about it just to save their marriage. He realized the real meaning of love through Jesus Christ, was able to experience and receive Him wholeheartedly!

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."- Romans 5:8 ( NIV)

It teaches us that love isn't based on our feelings, but by sacrifice. And this is what Jesus Christ did for us when all of us don't even deserve it. He died on the cross for us! We are ALL sinners, no matter how good you think you are. We fall short of God's glorious standards!


All of this reminds me of everything about Christmas!
It's not about the decorations, food, parties, fun, etc. but about JESUS CHRIST.
It reminds us of a Savior who was born to die for our sins and save us all!
Apart from him, we are nothing.


Merry Christmas to all~!