BEST FATHER

2 Corinthians 6:18

I will be to you as a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters”, says the Lord Almighty. (World English Bible)

As if salvation and eternal life are not enough, God actually wants to treat us like His children. Isn't His love just so great? So incomparable to anything? So awesome? So magnificent?

What does it mean to have God as our Father? Surely, all of us have fathers. How can we be born in this world without one, eh? I know there are certain people who neglect their duties as dads, but a real father does the following:

a. a Father PROVIDES

Just like how our dads provide for the family, God also provides for us. Meditating on what this means just makes us realize how rich we actually are. Imagine having the heaven as your source. #feelingrich, #IAmAPrincessMyDadIsAKing, feels eh?

b. a Father TEACHES

Remember that time when your dad taught you how to ride a bike? Or drive a car? Or cook? Or build something? Most of the time, it is our moms who do the teaching thing. They teach us how to write, how to walk, how to do house chores. However, our dads also teach us stuff. They may not always be available as they spend their time at work so they can provide for us, but we know that when we need to know something and our moms don't know how to do it, our dads do. This is also true with our Father in heaven. He teaches us how to live a holy life through the help of the Holy Spirit, which we received when we accepted Jesus as our Saviour. And if our parents are sometimes not available, we know that God is always available. And His teachings are the secrets in having a fulfilling and genuinely happy life.

c. a Father DISCIPLINES

Truth be told, when we think our moms are being too harsh with rules, we run to our dads to defend us and to allow us to have our own way. Then again, when dad is the one who's disciplining us for what we did or said or even thought about doing or saying, we know we have to listen, right? We know we have to always take them seriously when they rebuke us. In the same manner, God also disciplines us so that we can have a better life as we become better versions of ourselves. When we commit sins, God is just and forgiving. He does not keep records of our wrongdoings because His love covers all our sins. Still, He knows we have to be disciplined so we can have a better life. It is then best for us to welcome His discipline and just do His will, because that's actually our purpose – to do His will.

d. a Father LOVES

Out of all the duties of a father, this one, I think, is also a privilege. When you love someone, it doesn't just benefit the person, it also benefits you. Hence, if you have a loving dad who is faithful to his duties to you and to your family, you can only imagine how much more God will be loving and faithful, right? It's like having a good father here on earth, and having the best Father there in heaven; what more can you ask for? Nevertheless, as I've said in the beginning of this post, not all fathers do their duties. Not all of us are blessed to have a kind biological father. Still, even if that's the case, there's really no need to be sad. Instead, take comfort and contentment in having a real Father in heaven, who truly is (I said this before and I'll say it again and again and again) the BEST FATHER anyone can have.  

2AM Rants

Well it's two in the morning and I can't sleep. I already tried a bit of studying, but my brain can just absorb a certain amount of information about bacteria before it starts going haywire. So yeah. Here I am, writing again. Or ranting again. Whatever you wanna call it.

You see, as I was browsing through Facebook last Tuesday or Wednesday, I saw a quote saying, "Eventually, you have to forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made." Obviously, it struck me. I wouldn't be writing about it if it didn't, would I? Anyway, I just pondered on how true the quote was. I don't even know its origin, maybe it has one, maybe it doesn't. Nonetheless, it is true and I have been greatly affected by it.

As people who actually waste their time on reading this sad excuse for a blog know, I am a Christian. I know I also am a sad excuse for a Christian, but I did accept Jesus as my savior, and I do believe in God. Anyway, the point of me reminding you of my beliefs is that as I was praying tonight or last Friday night ('tis already Saturday in my time), I asked God why it is so easy for Him to forgive me for my sins when I, myself, find it really difficult to get over the wrong things I have committed. His answer came clearly and quickly (Call me crazy if you want; it's true anyway, I am crazy for God.) In fact, His response was a song. His answer was one of the songs I learned at the Musical Ministry in my college. It is a local song and it goes like this, "Paanong di kita ibigin? Paanong di ka patawarin? Bago man isilang sa lupa, ika'y akin  nang inaruga..." It translates to "How can I not love you? How can I not forgive you? Even before you were born, I already cared for you." If I'm not mistaken, the lyrics of the song "Pagbabalik" by Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ, originated from the Scriptures (in the Book of Jeremiah, I think). And it is through the Scriptures that God talks to us. We talk to Him through prayers. He talks to us through the Scriptures.

On the whole, we are humans. Some seem to be aliens (Hello, Dr. Sheldon Cooper; hullo, Mr. Bean) but the bottom line is, we make mistakes. There are times when we make bad choices, it doesn't mean we are bad, it just means we are not perfect. And being not perfect is fine. Making mistakes is normal. Sure it is hard to forgive ourselves, but eventually, we have to do it. We have to let go of the negative things that happened in the past. We have to move on from our previous mistakes. I'm not saying we should forget them; actually, we should remember the lessons we learned from them. Thus, what I'm saying is we should forget all the negativity that comes with our past mistakes. Even God loves us enough to forget all our sins and welcome us into His kingdom. Why should we let something that happened when we weren't as mature as we are now haunt us? Why should we exchange happiness and peace of mind for something that we cannot change? Of course, we can't change the past. But we can live in the present. And we should live in the present.

Christmas is Homecoming"

As we celebrate the Holidays this December, let us contemplate on the real meaning of Christmas.

Christmas is going back to one's home. It is going back to the Father. Some people avoid coming home to the Lord for they have failures, insecurities, etc. Some of us don’t even know how to come back to the Lord for we don't know Him, we don’t connect with Him through prayer, and we do not read the Bible.

Jesus told a parable about lost things, the parable of the lost son, the lost sheep and the lost coin. Focusing on the third one, a woman lost a coin and she looked for it all over her house. The reason why she did so was because that coin was important to her.

The coin symbolises us. A coin doesn't know that it is lost, at the same time, we usually don't know we are lost. This is because we are so occupied with what the world has to offer that we don’t know that we are missing the most important thing in our lives, a relationship to God.

We may have lost a lot of things: integrity, innocence, etc. We cannot regain those things, and that fact usually discourages us from going back to God. Nevertheless, we need to keep in mind that it is only God who can help us regain what we have lost. After all, Jesus came here to look for those who are lost, and with God, all things are possible.

Matt 11:28-30 (Message Bible) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

God's plan for you is to stay close to Him. He wants us to remain at His side for He loves us that much.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 "¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”

Eph 2:4-5 "⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."

The reason why there is Christmas is because we are all dead in sin, we needed a perfect saviour to save us.

2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

JESUS was the best gift God has given us.

Romans 8:39 "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (KJV)

-excerpt from Ptr. Rudy Fernandez' message 

Firepower Ministries

December 25, 2012

additional explanations by me :)

Prayer Mountain

Last Saturday, I let go of the chance to have fun with my friends and to be one with nature by doing some tree-planting in a place in Antipolo just so I can have an intimate time with God in a prayer mountain in Antipolo. :D

I went to Touch of Glory Prayer Mountain with my mom, youngest brother, my mom’s best friend and a friend of my mom’s best friend. It was my second time there and it was such a splendid experience. I was able to communicate with God, talk in the language of Heaven, and feel cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Indeed, it was worth missing the fun with my really lovable friends. I do hope that one day, I can take them there so they can also feel how wonderful it is to be in a place where they can feel the loving presence of God.  

Below are some of the pictures I took. :)

CHANGING TIMES NEED CHANGING LIVES

People around the world spend thousands to change their lives. They buy self-help books, attend seminars, go to their shrink… Nevertheless, the change they pay for is only temporary. Real change starts from within. Unless we change according to how God wants us to change, we can never have a better life.

Nowadays, the situation in the world is really irritating. Then again, we have to remember that vision comes from irritation. When we get annoyed at how things are happening now, God will give us a vision on what to do to change the world.

After all, the Word of God is the only effective thing that can promote change.

Foundational Principles that can Change Our Lives

1. Dedication: commit your body to God.

Romans 12:1

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

a. Cleanse your body.

2 Corinthians 7:1

7 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

b. Care for your body

Ephesians 5:29

²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church

c. Control your body.

1 Thessalonians 4:4

⁴ that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

1 Corinthians 9:27

²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

God's children are the ones who grow more and more beautiful.

2. Evaluation: where are you right now?

Some people don't change because they won't admit their real situation.

You can't get to your destination unless you know where you are at the moment.

Romans 12:3

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Romans 10:17

¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

3. Cooperation: connect to a group.

It's not good for man to be alone.

Romans 12:4-5

⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

4. Affirmation: Living to Love

There are 4 kinds of love in the Bible, but Agape is the best. Agape is the love of Christ.

Romans 12:9-10

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves

5. Motivation: serve with enthusiasm

You can't do anything great without enthusiasm.

Romans 12:11-12

¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,faithful in prayer.

Enthusiasm came from two words:

en-in

Theos-God

Hence, being enthusiastic is being in God.

To be enthusiastic is to experience these three:

a. Joy in hope

b. Patience in affliction

c. Faith in prayer.

 (this entry is an excerpt of the message in our church)

Message by: Ptr. Rudy Fernandez 

Firepower Ministries

Additional contemplation: mine 

Refuse

"Some things we have to refuse"

HEBREWS 11:24-25

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Moses refused to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. Why? He chose to be man of God.

We have to realize that sin gives little pleasure then provides long suffering. Sin promises happiness but fails to make it true. Only Jesus can promise us eternal happiness and give it.

To obtain genuine happiness, we have to refuse and to say “NO” to the following things:

1. Refuse to let the past shape the future.

Philippians 3:13-14

¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

One thing to do: Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.

Some people don't want changes in their lives because they are comfortable with what they already have even when what they have is not good anymore. Nevertheless, to obtain happiness, we need to forget the past, all the bad memories in it, and move forward. We need to live in the present with a vision of what is in the future.

2. Refuse to listen to the devil.

Matthew 4:1-6

¹Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

    and they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

Jesus refused the devil.

The devil is trying to make us live a life that is not in accordance with what God wants. He would challenge us, even use Bible verses to lure us. However, we need to remember that the only thing the enemy wants is for us to be damned; therefore, no matter how persuasive he could be, we need to remain true to our faith and refuse him.

3. Refuse to become a dead, dry church.

What is a dead and dry church?

A dead church is a church where people don't move or do anything for their employer-God.

Revelations 3:1-2

¹ “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”

We need to make sure that there is life in our churches. Life can be seen in it if the congregation change for the better, if people are impelled to share the Good News to others and save souls for the Almighty Father!

Romans 14:17

¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The kingdom of God is not outside. It is from inside a person. It is not something we can find in the outside world, it is something we feel in our hearts.  Thus, the kingdom of God should be our priority every day.

We should not settle for ordinary. The Lord our God wants us to be extraordinary, just like Jesus. If we want ourselves to be more like Jesus, we have to remember that God wants it even more.

4. Refuse to be around negative people.

Numbers 13:27-32

²⁷ They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!Here is its fruit. ²⁸ But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”

³⁰ Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” ³² And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.

These people saw the good things in the land where Moses sent them; however, they put more emphasis on the things that disturbed them.

Negative people are those who live negative lives. If a person is negative, he sees himself as a very small creature, incapable of doing anything. If we stay with them, we will also learn to be negative; hence, it would be wise for us to refuse to be around them or be affected with what they say.

5. Refuse to quit.

There are a lot of reasons to quit but we should not.

Matthew 10:22

²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

All men will hate you, but if you remain firm until the end, you will be saved.

Only a real Christian can continue until the end in spite of troubles, problems and persecution. This may be hard, but its reward is eternal. Indeed, its reward is eternal life and happiness in the arms of Jesus.

(this entry is an excerpt of the message in our church)

Message by: Ptr. Rudy Fernandez 

Firepower Ministries

Additional contemplation: mine 

The Measure of a Man

(Man refers to all Humanity)

Measurement is a basic part of this planet; the truth is physical measurement is really important in our lives. This is proven by the fact that we do physical measurements every day. If physical measurement is really important in the efficiency of our lives, how much more important the measurement of our spirituality is.

Spiritual measurement can be determined by how far we are willing to go for God. God wants 100% ownership; not just 99.99%; if not 100% of one’s life is given to God, the devil will find a way to use the little percentage one has not surrendered to God against that person.

Therefore, it is really crucial that we give our all to God once we decide to live our lives for him. Indeed, if only a handful of men, women and children would live up to the measurement of God, our nation can be truly blessed.

How is a man measured?

1. A man is measured by what he flees from.

If you are a man of God, you will run away from sin.

a. Flee from adultery (1 Cor 6:18)

b. Flee from covetousness and love of money (1 Tim 6:10-11)

2. A man is measured by what he follows after (1 Tim 6:11b ...and follow after righteousness...)

Things to follow after:

a. Righteousness:

- being  in the right standing with God.

- a lifelong quest.

*Being a Christian is a lifetime marathon/journey. A person cannot do this alone; he/she has to do it with Christ.

To know what you are following after, you can ask yourself the following questions:

-What are you pursuing in your life?

-Who owns you?

*If Jesus owns you, then you should be valuable. Remember how He died for you and paid a huge price to save you.

b. Godliness- being like God.

- It is a sad fact that 64% of Filipinos curse. Some of the 36% left do not feel offended when people curse. Being like God is being offended when people curse.

c. Faith- staying with God

d. Love- loving God and other people (even the unlovable ones)

e. Patience- enduring negative things

f. Gentleness(meekness)- being meek is not being weak; gentleness allows you to have control over your power (your power or ability to be angry, proud, etc.)

3. A man is measured by what he fights for (1 Tim 1:18) (1Tim 6:12)

Fighting the good fight of faith is the only fight worth fighting for.

*If you are a part-time Christian, you cannot fight full-time devils. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but we fight a spiritual warfare.

*Being a full time Christian is measuring up to God's expectations. It is putting God above all. Now, are you ready to die for God?

THREE THINGS TO DO TO NOT WAVER IN FAITH

1. Remember the past

(Exo 13:3) Remember what God did for you and sing to the Lord, praise his holy name.  (Psalms 30:4)

2. Fight for the future

*We need to understand that we have something to look forward to amidst all the noises, stress, pressures and sufferings.

Keep Jeremiah 29:11 in mind.

*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.”

3. Remember that others have made it.

(this entry is an excerpt of the message in our church)

Message by: Ptr. Rudy Fernandez 

Firepower Ministries

Additional contemplation: mine