Empty Life

1 Peter 1:18

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.


Notes:

Have you ever wondered why no matter how people try to be happy, life still seems to be hopeless? Why do you think even those prestigious people who we admire so much end up killing themselves at the peak of their career?

Most people think that if they gained the whole world, they would be satisfied. Well, they are absolutely wrong! Because the bible is very much clear that a life without Christ is empty. That's the reason why whatever we do seems pointless, meaningless, and worthless.

Praise be to God! He gave up his life so that we may gain it. Our empty life is satisfied in the fullness of Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus!

Jesus really cares. He can't keep looking at our miserable life. He took an action and volunteered Himself to save us. If you ever thought of giving back the favor to Him, don't bother yourself. It is priceless. Even your life is not enough for its full payment.

So whenever we feel empty, miserable, hopeless, there's unexplainable power flowing within us that comforts us, relieves us, and heals us. And that is Christ who you accepted in your heart.


Prayer:

Dear Lord, your love is incomprehensible. We cannot measure your compassion towards humanity. We are so much grateful to know that there is God like you who cares and loves us. May we always go back to the thought that you are the reason why we live. You are the life-giving fountain of our dying heart. We may always remain in your love and you remain in us. Praise your Holy Name Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Grace

Do you know what GRACE is?

It is when you realize your EMPTINESS -

And you see GOD's FULLNESS.

It is when you recognize your WORTHLESSNESS -

And you embrace GOD's LOVING-KINDNESS.

It is when you start walking in HUMBLENESS -

And live in His PRESENCE.

It is when you don't care what everyone SAYS -

for you, He is the only one that MATTERS and NO ONE ELSE.

A Grateful Heart

We do not thank God for what we RECEIVE from Him.

We are grateful because we have HIM.

And that satisfies EVERYTHING.

True Honor

Mark 15:32 (NIV)
Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Notes:

Most often, we are so worried about what people may call us. So we work so hard to earn a title. We are hurt when others don't recognize it. 

Well, that's the kind of mentality the world has. But for believers of Christ, we are not like the world that is chasing after these arrogant titles. Jesus said in Matthew 10:22 that His followers will be ridiculed because of Him. So why bother yourself to gain people's respect then? Don't try so hard for it. It is meaningless. Rather, take off your title and let the Name of Lord, Jesus Christ reign instead. 

Get ready and condition yourself to be criticized and ridiculed because even your family will do that just like what happened to Jesus in Mark 3:21. 

But hold your ground. Just continue to walk humbly before God and He will lift you up in honor. 

We may not gain respect and honor from this world, but God sees and rewards a good heart. He will be the one to crown you with glory in His Name. True honor only comes from Him.

Prayer:

Dear our Heavenly Father in Heaven, we praise you because you are Holy. You are mighty and strong. You are so pure and clean and honorable but you chose to come down and humble yourself just to show us how to live here on earth. Thank you for your compassion Lord to connect and link us back to your presence. We may not be honored here on earth, but it is okay. What matters is your Name. May you be Glorified with our life dear God. In Jesus Name, Amen.  

True Wisdom

James 3:17 (NLT)

 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.


Notes:

Most of us think that if we know a lot of things, we are wise. If we trick someone and gain something good, we are wise. If we can live on our own and do not depend on others, we are wise. If we insist our own rights, we are wise. If we earn a degree, we are wise. If we successfully get through someone with our lies, we are wise. Actually, WE ARE NOT. All these things are not true.

True wisdom always does what is right and believes on what is true. It is not self-seeking but willing to understand, forgive, give way, submit, obey, be corrected, and be taught. It is slow to get angry and doesn't depend on outburst emotions. It doesn't rush things out but thinks carefully and plans well. It is kind and  fair and doesn't take side. Lastly, it does what's best for another.

It is impossible to do all these things without God's help in our life. We need God to teach us every single moment how to live in such wisdom.

Let's live with God's WISDOM.

Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven, you are so wonderful and awesome. Nothing can be greater that you. And we are glad to know that through this, we can assure that our trust can never be forfeited. We believe that true wisdom comes from you Oh God. We badly need it in our life. It is the only way to protect us from this crooked generation where lies and deceptions are just a norm. Save us from darkness through the light of your wisdom. Dear Lord, with out own might and strength we cannot do it. But with you in our life, everything can be done. In Jesus Name, we ask and pray. Amen.

The Possibility of the Impossibility

Matthew 19:26  (NLT)

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”


Notes:

Most of us think that God is Holy. He definitely is. But the problem is, we don't want to follow Him because we think it is impossible to meet His standards. That's only the half truth. In the past, people couldn't totally relate to the Holiness of God. But, thanks to our Loving Father in Heaven who gave His only Begotten Son to save us all.

He is telling us with this verse that we can do it through Him. And He is serious about it!

So, whenever you are in trouble, just declare this promise, "Humanly speaking I can't do it. But with God everything is possible."

Are you almost giving up with your relationships? Having a hard time doing something? Confused with your decisions? “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Believe that! It is true. God never lies to his words. Just trust him and you will see.


Prayer:

Our Heavenly Loving Father in Heaven, you are so Holy and righteous. We don't deserve to come near you but you draw us closer to your side. We don't deserve to be loved but you gave yourself up for us. Help us to really experience this promise to our life oh God. Yes, we think that we can't. It is impossible to obey you. But you are always there to guide through. We want to obey and follow you all the days of our life. We may have thousands of ideas how to do it but let Your will be done in my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Gift Giver

Daniel 1:17, 20 (NLT)

God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.


Notes:

Everyone hones their skills to be famous and recognized by many. That purpose has a weak foundation. That is why, when we get depressed, even our proudest talent can not comfort us.

God is the giver of all abilities and talents. He has entrusted us with such gifts to do His marvelous works on earth. He uses our capabilities to touch lives and be fruitful for the betterment of our life as well as the others.

We may realize the very purpose of our skills and talents. Let us use it for the Glory of God and not for selfish ambitions.

Surely, everything you do may seem to be meaningful to you because to are driven by God's love.



Prayer:

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for enabling us to do your work. Thank you that you are so rich and we have a Father like you who is so generous to give us something we can use for the advancement of your Kingdom. We may not waste this gift of grace to glorify your Name each moment. Thank you dear God. This, we pay, in Jesus Name, Amen.

No Longer an Outlaw but In-Law

Romans 8:4 New Living Translation (NLT)
"He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit."

Notes:

It is hard for a non-believer of Jesus to follow completely what is right, no matter how much effort would be put into. Sin takes dominion and slaves a person. One may try to make a resolution but after a while, he goes back to what he used to do.

We were  all outlaws. Though the laws promote good moral standards, it seems like it has no power to totally change a person.

That is the reason why Jesus came to save us. He came to satisfy the law for us. He came to model us the right living. After His life on earth, He left His Spirit so that the Law is no longer a strange thing to us, but it is part of us. The law, as we receive His Spirit through Jesus Christ, is now written on the tablets of our hearts.



Prayer:

Our Heavenly Father, we want to thank you for your vast love for us. We can never understand the whole scope of your plans for us but we trust you completely. Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ for giving us life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Dear Lord, please help us how to live each day so that we may please your heart. We are no longer outlaws but in-laws. We are glad to have connected with you through the blood of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Delivered

Jonah 2:9 New Living Translation (NLT)

 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
    and I will fulfill all my vows.
    For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”



Notes:

The promises of God are for those who have already been set free: those who have believed Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It doesn't mean that everything will go well as what you are expecting it to be.

Look at the Israelites. They were set free from Egypt. Their slavery was broken as they received the promise of God. However, as they were heading to the promise land, went after them. So, freedom from slavery doesn't mean a comfortable life. But it is a life with God's peace despite of all the troubles chasing after you.

Sadly, some of them chose not to cling to God. They clung to their own understanding and desired to go back to their past life, to go back to slavery.

Freedom means living with God. It means following what God wants and not ours. True freedom is in God.



Prayer:

Papa God, thank you for the freedom you have brought back to us. Though we don't deserve it because we chose to be slaves, you still chose to love us and restore us. We ask for your forgiveness Lord for our transgressions. Please dear God. Do not allow us to hurt your heart even more. Help us to obey and follow you. Lead us to your care and love. Thank you our loving and sweet Father in Heaven. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Treasure

"Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
Matthew 6:21

Notes:

If we put our desires to education, job, health, relationship, money, and dream, that becomes our treasure. We tend to give value to it. We may treat it as if life depends on it. But the problem is, you will all lose them (Matthew 10:39). Remember that everything in this life is meant to be destroyed except the word of God (Matthew 24:35).

See? Clinging to God means clinging to life. Cling to the life-giver. And if we learn to put our desires to the words of God, our treasure will never disappear, stolen, broken, and destroyed because God is eternal. On the other hand, relying on things we have in this life will be the only rewards we could ever get in this lifetime. There's nothing more to it.


Prayer:

Lord, we know that you are the source of everything because you are its Creator. Our loving Father in Heaven, may your Spirit teach us to surrender and give our hearts to you. May you help us to realize that true treasure in You. Continue to lead us to the truth and unsealed our eyes from the lies of the devil in our lives. This we pray in Jesus Name. Amen.