Marge Asilo

Honestly, I don't really know how to start this but I will just let if flow informally. Anyway, today is ate Marge's birthday! I'm so grateful to God that I met someone like her. I'm just amazed on how God uses her life. I can see God in her every time I had a chance to see her.

It all started when we were in Nueva Ecija trip. I stayed there for 4 days and 3 nights with other friends from church. I never expected that I would get to know her more during those times since I'm one of the quiet persons there. I don't really speak a lot but I do when I need to or when I feel like doing it haha! Anyway, it was those times that I met her for the first time. The first thing I noticed about her, or maybe something that she did that caught my attention was her laugh. Awiieeee hahahaha! It was very cute and loud that I can't help but look. Then the first night,we opened up and started sharing things about how God moves and works in our lives. I had the chance to be with her through the trip and I am very thankful to Ms. Julienne Cayabyab. Ayie haha! 

I'm really honored and privileged to be a friend of a woman of God, a woman of faith. I really admire her. I pray that God will use her more and use her to reach out for more people out there. I'm really thankful to God that I have met someone like ate Marge. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATE!

I love you with the love of the Daddy God and God bless youuuuu 

God is an awesome God!

I'm so happy right now and I have no one to talk about to about my happiness right now since its still morning and I guess everyone's still sleeping.

This month, our church is holding a new series entitled "Cats, Monsters and Broken Hearts". This series will run for a month and it is all about the singers of this generation and the message behind their songs. I'm so excited for this series and today, we're about to finish week 1! Yesterday was a blast. In the 2 services in a Thursday, there were overflow rooms already. I just love to see how God works in our church. I feel so blessed to be a part of this church.

I have this childhood friend whose not really into "church". I mean I grew up with her abroad. We were growing up in the same church. But somehow.. somewhere she got lost. I didn't see her for a while especially when we got here in the Philippines for our college studies. I haven't had contact with her ever since. We barely talk and meet since we are studying in different schools. Just now, she sent me a text message saying that she has loads of problems that she can't handle anymore. Its really shocking for me because she really doesn't text me when she has something bothering her. So I took the chance to reply and comfort her with God's Word. With my surprise, she asked me about the church I'm attending, Victory University Belt. She asked me what time are their services and if she could bring someone with her also who wanted to attend the church as well. I was so shocked that I can't help but smile and thank God. 

Its Friday today and I'm going to see her in our 5pm youth service in Victory U-Belt. I'm so haaaaaaappyy! I hope that she will be blessed and whatever the message later in the service, I pray that it will give her a change of heart. God will change her heart. She will return. God is more excited than I am I'm sure haha! Thank you God! THIS IS ALL FOR YOU! 

Obedience

In our generation, some people think that just knowing things about God is enough for their salvation. They thought that regularly attending a church is enough to be saved. But it is not enough. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior is not the end point in salvation. It is the starting point :)

It is good that we know a lot about Him but as we learn about Him more, we are ought to obey Him. Obedience pleases the Lord. Obedience to God's Word builds strong spiritual foundation. In some cases, its really hard to obey God especially if it will cost us something big or something important to us. It is sometimes difficult to surrender things to Him but with continuous prayer and reading His Word daily will little by little help us let go of those things. Little by little, we will learn to obey Him. As we know Him more and more, we will see how great, how awesome, how gracious, how loving our Father is. That we just can't help but kneel and cry out to God. That we just can't help but to obey and praise Him. That we can't help but surrender everything to Him knowing that we are in good hands. Reading His Word will let us know Him more with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is by reading the Bible that we will know Him more. And the most important thing is that we should live it out, and let it be evident in our lives. It will not happen in just one moment, it is a gradual process. God will change our hearts little by little. God will help us go through anything. And as we walk with Him and fall in love more with Him, it will not be too hard for us to obey anymore. 

It is when you fall in love with Him deeper and deeper, that you become happier and more secured in this place. Place your security in God and we will not have to worry about anything anymore for He will never abandon or forsake us. He loves you so much. He loves you so much to hurt you and let you go through things you can't handle alone.

Deuteronomy 31:8

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you."

Do not worry

Something that really inspires me. Thank you God.
READ: Matthew 6: 24-34

Worrying keeps us distracted from God. It divides our attention on Him. The Enemy’s ploy is to make you so busy dealing with the things in your life that you fail to focus on the One who can make it alright: the True Light, Jesus Christ. During the times you worry, you unconsciously distrust your God’s sufficiency. And then the devil is happy. He wants us to trust our own efforts, our own ideas of a way out, rather than keeping focused and dependent on our Savior.

Yes, you are human. Yes, you worry. It’s in your nature. However, don’t dwell on fear. Don’t be overwhelmed by these. They are a ploy from the devil to rob you from the hope and life that Jesus has purchased for you on the Cross. Whatever it is you’re going through right now, remember that there is a Higher Truth than what you are afraid of. That’s Jesus, and there is no more excuse to worry and stress yourself, after all that He is willing to do for you.

REASONS WHY NOT TO WORRY:

Worry keeps you from enjoying what you have (v25). Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? The problem with us is that we constantly seek, and seek, and fail to already see how much God has blessed us. We fail to see that life is much more than just being in on the fashion, having more than enough, and being popular. Beloved, they are not wrong, however, they shouldn’t be a cause of stress, whereas God willed for you to enjoy your life to its fullest. Right now, you are very blessed. You have all the reason to be happy. Happiness is not about what you have; it is what you enjoy in life. Every good thing, no matter how small, comes from God, and they are for you.

Worry makes you forget your worth(v26). Are you not much more valuable than they? Look around you. Look at the birds, the squirrels, the bats, and others. They don’t starve. They have all they need. God provides for these mere animals. How about in your case? God punished His beloved Son on your behalf, and do you think He will brush off your needs too easily? Will He ignore your pleas? Does the Cross stop in your salvation from eternal damnation, and then Jesus will tell you, “Okay, child. I’m done. I’ll just see you in heaven. Good luck in this world.” It’s not like that. Hey, beloved, when you worry, you forget what has been done for you. You forget who you are now that Jesus died for you. You forget how the Almighty Father sees you. When you are preoccupied with different things, you forget the kind of God that you serve, and how faithful He is to you. Don’t lose your focus on Him. Know that He is faithful, and He is willing to do anything for you, because He loves you.

Worry is useless. It disrupts your productivity(v27). Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Worrying won’t solve your problem. If you are jobless, worrying constantly and getting yourself stressed won’t land you in a position. When you’re too preoccupied with too many things, you’ll be exhausted easily. You’re putting yourself in a rocking chair: you do something by worrying, but you’re not getting anywhere. It’s useless stressing yourself with stuff that were already dealt with in Jesus on the cross.

Worry erases God’s promises in your mind(vv28-30). Will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? When you’re too busy with your problems, you fail to remind yourself about God’s plans for you(Jeremiah 29:11). Beloved, you forget that God Himself will solve that trouble for you. You exhaust yourself for nothing. Will He not much more clothe you, oh you who are dearly and deeply loved by Christ? Don’t doubt your Savior. There’s nothing that is too difficult for Him to solve. You can come to Him again and again and again, and He won’t ever get tired of you! You can ask from Him repeatedly and He won’t ever run out of stock, or ever be unavailable! If He doesn’t get tired of clothing those lilies everyday, how much more will He love to attend to you, beloved?

Worry is the characteristic of pagans and unbelievers(vv31-32). For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Those who don’t trust and believe in Jesus are set on struggling tooth and nail to meet their needs. They have no one to depend to, and no rock to stand on. How about you? You’re the favored one of God. You’re not like the rest of the world. You have an awesome, loving Father on your side, so why be afraid? You know that He is for you, why worry? Why imitate man’s tradition? Because you are righteous in Jesus Christ, God will always be enough for you. You have Someone to lean on and run to. Worrying reduces your ability to trust in God. The more you try to figure out what you can do, the more you become desperate, because the answer doesn’t lie in yourself. It lies in Jesus. Remember that, beloved.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (vv33-34).

The Greek word for the ‘first’ in verse 33 is proton, which means ‘holding the highest place in our affection.’ And for the word seek is zeteo, which means ‘to hunger, to desire to worship.’

Therefore, God wants us to always hold His kingdom and righteousness(Jesus) in the highest place for our affection, in a hunger, or a desire to worship. It means beholding our Savior, before anything else. It is considering what Jesus has done, and has promised to do, before freaking out. It is trusting the Lord through worship before totally panicking, because stability comes only through Him, beloved. Your security and source of joy and provision is Jesus alone. NO one else. Nothing else. Depend on Him, because He is the Source of your peace. He will still your soul, then with your eyes still focused, and your heart trusting upon Him, you’ll discover in Him, the solution of all your problems.

Live one day at a time. You have to be aware that you are in a position of receiving and dependence in Jesus. Don’t worry about the future, beloved. You might not be able to enjoy today, which God has prepared for you too. In all these setbacks, God has a plan. His mercy and goodness holds you up, and you won’t be overcome. Ever. Worry only distracts you from Him, and it’s not good for you.

Beloved, always be conscious of who you are, and what your faith calls for. Be confident, because you believe in a God who can do anything. Don’t be afraid to put Him first, because He won’t fail you.