There are times when the quietness of our everyday actions speak loudly, revealing our love for the Lord. In our desire to share Christ with a broken world, let's not ignore the power of our silent witness... (Read more inside ..)
There are times when the quietness of our everyday actions speak loudly, revealing our love for the Lord. In our desire to share Christ with a broken world, let's not ignore the power of our silent witness... (Read more inside ..)
We think ahead and carefully work out a plan. We picture in our minds with great detail how our future is going to unfold. But things don't go as planned. Some doors close, while others open. If this happens to you, it may be that God has something completely different in mind. God will never mislead us. When we trust Him with all our heart, He will direct our paths. His way is always best... (Read more inside ..)
The song "Who Am I?" by Mark Hall of the musical group Casting Crowns, begins: "Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?" In this song, Hall compares our lives to "a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow... a vapor in the wind." He reflects, "When we understand how small we really are and how awesome God is, then God's love becomes bigger to us." (Read more inside ..)
A successful businessman made this statement: "Almost every religion talks about a savior coming. When you look in the mirror in the morning, you're looking at the savior. Nobody else is going to save you but yourself."
The bible teaches the exact opposite of such a self-sufficient confidence. We cannot save ourselves. We can be saved only by God's Son, Jesus, who lived a sinless life, died as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and rose from the grave. (Read more inside ..)
Brewster Kahle has a vision for the Internet. He dreams of universal access to all human knowledge. As Digital Librarian, Director, co-founder of Internet Archive. He believes he have only begun to tap the vast potential of the Internet to change and improve the world.
But knowledge is not the same as wisdom. King Solomon was a man of vast knowledge. In his better moments, he used his given capacity to collect information and insight from every corner of life. In unguarded moments, however, he showed that all the knowledge in the world does not keep a person from missing the purpose of life.
Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Don't get caught in a web of knowledge without true wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord. (Read more inside ..)
How do bees lead one another to nectar? Scientist say it's all about the "waggle" dance. The theory was regarded with skepticism where it was first proposed by Nobel Prize winning zoologist Karl von Frisch in the 1960s. But now, researchers in the United Kingdom have used tiny radar responders attached to worker bees to support von Frisch's theory. They've confirmed that the bee orients its body toward the food source and uses the intensity of its waggle dance to signal the distance to other bees.
Jesus is living water and food for our soul. Joining Him to do the will of God and finish the work He has given us to do is the ultimate source of nourishment (Read more inside ..)
An increasing number of antique leather bound books are being purchased for their covers and not their content. Interior designers buy them by the linear yard and us them to create a warm, old-world atmosphere in the homes of affluent clients. Of prime importance is whether they match a room's decor. One wealthy businessman purchased 13,000 antique books he will never read just to create a library look in his renovated home. Those books are just for show.
We were addicted to receiving praise and feeling self important. The lord calls us to be people of inner substance, not just outward appearance.
We are to demonstrate the reality of His presence in us be an attitude of humility. "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant" (Read more inside ..)
The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and be glad... But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them....
Humans usually have this wheel mentality, sometimes you're up, sometimes you're dow. When you're sad now, you'll be happy later. When you're happy now, you're bound to be sad later. Sometimes we even warn people not to lough too much because they might end up crying later. It's some kind of weird "karma" thing that we all believe in, whether we say it out loud or not.
We let this thought invade for a while that we eventually became afraid of being happy. We always wary whenever we felt that we were happy because we thought that something or someone might make our happiness do a 180 degree turn. As we think of that, it would spoil our elation thinking that something could turn our happiness around.
I believe GOD doesn't just want us to be happy; He wants us to be joyful. Happiness comes from external things while joy comes from things that last. Happiness can go away after a while but joy, coming from God, lasts forever.
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"I tell you to everyone who has, more will be given"
I love the parable of the Ten Gold Coins. This parable is a constant reminder that we have all been given gifts and that these were not meant to be buried or hidden, but constantly shared and improved.
I believed that it is our God given duty to become the best of who we are. Yes, oftentimes the pursuit of excellence is an uphill climb full of challenges and difficulties. It means recognizing and accepting the things we are really good at and making it our mission to use our skills and talents to bless the world.
It means taking on more responsibility. It means a lot of hard work stretching and pushing ourselves to learn more, do more, live more. But I have learned that it is in exploring and honing our potentials that we become more and more our true selves. I believe that God delights in our efforts to discover and improve ourselves.
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“You shall love the Lord your God… You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
“Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.” Said Mother Teresa. We asked the Lord how we could love Him more …
We realized that far too many times, we think of love as something that must be extraordinary, something heroic and cinematic just like what the saints did: dying as a martyr, going to a faraway land as a missionary, fasting often and the like. We forget that more often, love is an everyday, ordinary thing. Waking up early to cook for the family, working hard to be able to send the children to school, trying to be patient with an irritating officemate, so on that day.
For many of us who are called to an ordinary and sometimes seemingly humdrum existence, we have to realize that loving Jesus is always extraordinary whatever everyday form it might take. Because everything we do, as long as it is done in the spirit of love, is special to Him and comes from Him who is Love.
Love and do what you like.
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Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name….
Thor, Mars, Poseidon, Mercury. These names remind us of thunder, war, the sea and messenger whose feet had wings. Jordan, Jabbar, Lebron, Patrimonio, Basketball and athleticism at its finest…Alexander d Great, Julius Ceasar, Genkis Khan, Great conquerors…
Many names evoke certain images when we hear or say them. Above all these, the name of Jesus stands out. It means love, goodness, mercy and sacrifice, Messiah, God.
If you want you want to be identified with Jesus, make sure that when people say your name, it will evoke the same imagery. When they speak your name, people should think of generosity. It must bring up memories of compassion and honesty. When friends speak of prayer and God’s Word, it’s good that your name is on top of their list.
I’m sure you wouldn’t want the mere mention of your name to create tension and uneasy silence. Or be associated with gossip, slander or malicious rumors.
We live our faith and carry the name of Jesus. What we do should always be a reflection of His person. If we call ourselves Christians, we should always take care of Jesus name.
Are you living up to your name and identity as a Christian?
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…
When we started to building our house, the plan called for a 10 months construction period. So when we reached the 15th month of construction, anxiety crept on us. We had chosen to purchase practically all the finishing materials and the interiors.
The purchase list was long and we had lots of errands to run. It ate into our regular schedules and into our nerves. The excitement was turning into frustration.
But as we looked at how the house took shape and our God ordained encounters in purchasing the materials, His grace and peace filled us. We were able to witness to the suppliers by not compromising correct transactions with the proper receipts just to get savings. We put a lot of time in customizing our etched glass display so that it conveys its Christian meaning clearly to those who enter our home.
All these realizations drowned our frustrations. When the time came for the house to be blessed, we had pure joy that filled our hearts for a long time.
Are anxieties leading you to frustrations and inaction? Think of how God has blessed you and grace will surely follow.
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Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
Gifted people are good in seeing “hidden signs.” One business visionary sees money trends in the next 50 years and gives advice on how to rake in millions. World renowned designers interpret fashion signs and can forecast “what’s hot” for the next 10 years. Chinese businessmen see money from that others think is a garbage heap and turn them into mega business controlling the national economy.
Too bad though that some people don’t look far enough to see what’s near enough. A celebrity mother didn’t have the time to see the signs of a depressed son and the suicide that the red light signaling that his marriage was to look at the pale faces of the dead poor, who were drowned by the flashfloods caused by of his illegal logging money machine uphill.
Jesus calls out : “Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?”.
What do the signs of your present time and situation tell you? Look at what’s near; your family, neighbors, relationship with the Lord. What’s the Lord asking you to do about it?
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For his merciful kindness is great towards us. And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.
There have been many stories about convicts who lived a life of debauchery and sin outside the prison walls, but after sometime of being behind bars and serving their sentence, they slowly notice God’s presence, embrace His teachings and live a new life whether inside the prison walls, or outside.
Many transformations have occurred while being with the lowest of the pit, mixing with the scams of the societies. It seems that the environment they have been transported in gives them a better view of God and His magnificence.
There are men who defied reason, were wild and wanton, who were incarcerated for their misdeeds. But when they were released, they began to preach about God and His goodness.
There are others who are still there, languishing, serving for life, but, now mouthing a different language, spreading and sharing God’s love to anyone who would listen. The walls and bars were not a hindrance to their mission, as they praised God for his mercy and kindness.
Never under estimate the mercy of God.
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Do not seek your own interest, but rather that of others….
“To live so that others can breathe and lived” In living this out, We have to strived to become more generous, conscious to cheerfully extend ourselves in service to others.
I’m not talking of anything fancy or earthshaking here. Just random acts of kindness, it could be the ever ready messenger, cook, driver, fundraiser, solid shoulder or the listening heart to sob stories to family, friends and colleagues. It could mean giving a smile or a warm greeting to strangers we’ve encounter. Volunteerism has even taken a new dimension, from simply forking out some extra change, we’ve learned to actually give our time, talent and treasure regardless of inconvenience or sacrifice. The sight of a face that brightened up with a big smile or glowing eyes is a reward in itself.
When we look beyond ourselves, our little gestures could actually touch hearts. As we make people “breathe easier” that’s enough from them to see God work out His little miracles.
Am I a WIIFM asking “what’s in it for me?
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The most influential people in the world, read the banner story of an international magazine. It was referring to individuals who, by virtue of their character, their drives and their dreams, changed the world and made history. They were presented under the classification of leaders and revolutionaries, heroes and pioneers, scientists and thinkers, artist and entertainers, builders and titans. Because of their influence, people listen, follow, believe and emulate them.
But the reality is that their knowledge and sphere of influence plus the power, authority, and prestige that go with it are limited to that category only. Nother more.
God authors everything. He alone is the most influential in this world. If only we listen, believe, obey and follow Him, His goodness, blessings and beauty will abound. Without limit. Without boundary. In him, there should be no room for questions, doubt, fear, sadness or conflict within us.
Who do I believe in? Who do i follow? Who do I trust to make a difference in this world?
My Lord God, You are the Most High. It is you that all beauty, goodness, and truth have their roots. I entrust my life to you....
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Never tire of doing things for others...
Sometimes, these little things are the big things..
which are treasured and kept in their heart.....
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kind heart is the garden
kind thoughts are the roots.
kind words are the flowers.
kind deeds are the fruits.
May you enjoy one beautiful garden of life....
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When you find a dream inside your heart
don't ever let it go
for dreams are the tiny seeds
from which beautiful tomorrows grow....
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Sunrise makes our morning beautiful,
but the word of God strengthen us
and makes our life more meaningful...
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I'm your friend, but God is your best friend
You can cry to me, but God can dry your tears..
I love you, but God loves you deeper
You can hold my hand,
but God can carry you better....
(Read more inside ..)
When God drops needles and pins
along your path in life,
don't stay away.
Instead pick them up and collect them
They were designed to teach you to be strong.
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While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve spirits [of the dead]?...While you do not know life, how can you know about death? (Read more inside ..)
[The superior man] acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions. (Read more inside ..)
Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established. (Read more inside ..)
With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow - I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud. (Read more inside ..)
When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it - this is knowledge. (Read more inside ..)
