Our Christian Journey

Steps of Faith… How Our Lord God Reveals Himself

2008-04-28T02:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

Have you ever come to the point wondering who our Lord God really is? What does He looks like? What is His character really is, aside from being omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent? How He thinks and feels? Why He does what He does? Where and when can we really find Him?

It’s past one o’clock in the morning and I’m already tired but still I cannot sleep. I read a few verses in the bible and asked the Lord what He wants me to do. I reflected over the past 2 years or more of my Christian life and it seems that my life has been a constant struggle between my flesh and the Holy Spirit that is within me. When I commit a sin, I felt weak and helpless, the Holy Spirit will convict me then I will repent and my strength and hope will be restored again. This has been a cycle, I asked the Lord for a clean heart, soul and spirit but my fleshly desires, lust and pride always surface. I’ve heard so many testimonies and stories about similar struggle but I never thought this would happen to me. Did I really surrendered my life to God and let Jesus Christ reign as my King?

Then I’ve come to realize that the one I feed the most always win. If I feed my flesh with worldly desires, lust, and pride, my spirit weakens. If I feed my spirit with the words of God, trust in Jesus Christ and do good works to exalt and glorify His name, my spirit strengthens (but honestly, my fleshly desires still emerge from time to time… argh@#!, I got to stop feeding the flesh and let it starve to death!).

Apostle Paul has a similar experience when he says, “For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate… For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish… Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:15, 19, 24).

Fortunately, Apostle Paul also gave the answer on verse 25… J

It is written in Galatians 5:16-17, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

Then “bang”! It hits me, our Heavenly Father is teaching me a lesson that in every step of faith I made, our Lord God reveals a little bit of Himself to me. He is teaching me to walk by the Holy Spirit and get to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more, get to know our Heavenly Father more… I’ve learned that I need to look at my circumstances based on God’s character and really surrender to Him what I hold dear and important in my life… I’ve learned to thank and glorify Him for everything that is happening in my life and trust God that He only wants the best for me…

According to Gary Thomas, “Faith is not tested by how often God answers prayer with a yes but my willingness to continue serving and thanking Him even when I don't have a clue as to what He is doing.”

Dear Heavenly Father, we glorify, honor and praise You. Thank You for giving us Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Continue to teach us, Father, that our purpose and priority in our lives should be to glorify You and get to know You more and our relationship with You to be first in our lives, before anyone or anything. We ask and pray in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

God bless you!

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

God’s Blessings Are Always On Time

2008-04-22T03:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

Have you ever been in a situation where your back is against the wall and everybody wants to rip you apart?

This is what I felt these past few weeks; every creditors and banks that I owed money have been hounding me to pay my past due. One threatens to sue me in court and others kept calling on my phone, day and night. This situation kept me busy for the past few weeks (I guess I’m justifying why I was not able to write in this blog but the truth is I’m also tired because of my heavy workload… and I lack the energy to write… and…Ok, stop, before I write a whole page of justification :). Going back to my story, my wife nearly has a nervous breakdown when she received a demand letter from a bank. She confesses to me (her fear) that a sheriff might just take away all our belongings and I might be imprisoned and this will cause us shame in our community and etc., etc. Miraculously, even if all of these things kept my wife worried, I was at peace and I can sleep soundly. One night, I heard my wife crying and when I asked why she is crying, she said that she pity me. This is when I told her to stop worrying because I know deep in my heart that our Heavenly Father is in control and He will never forsake me. I told her that we have a rich Father and we need not worry. True enough before the deadline set by the creditors; I received bonuses and merit increases from our Company and was able to pay the creditors on time. Really, God’s blessings are always on time and never late, we just have to trust in Him.

I believe the peace I felt is what David felt when he wrote in Psalm 29:11; “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.”

I believe the Holy Spirit also comforted me during this difficult time and gave me peace and more… as it is written in Galatians 5:22-23;
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”

I believe that our Lord Jesus Christ also comforted me that I am never alone when He gave me the Holy Spirit, He said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).

Finally, I believe that our Heavenly Father is on my side and held my hand…

I would like to share this inspiring poem…

It Depends On Whose Hands It's In (by Paul Ciniraj)

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6
A baseball in Mark McGuire's hands is worth $19 million
It depends whose hands it's in

A tennis racket is useless in my hands
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.
It depends whose hands it's in

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea
It depends whose hands it's in

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands
It depends whose hands it's in

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in. So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because....... it depends whose hands it's in.

Dear Heavenly Father, we glorify, honor and praise You. Thank You for giving us Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, through Him we now have the Holy Spirit as our Counselor and Comforter. Teach us, Father, to put all our concerns, worries, fears, hopes, dreams, families and relationships in Your hands. Heavenly Father, give us the courage to examine what we have made to be as our purpose and priority in our lives, and if anything comes before You, help us to put it where it needs to be. We want our purpose for our existence to be only to glorify You and our relationship with You to be first in our lives, before anyone or anything. We ask and pray in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

God bless you!

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

Glorify God Anytime, Anywhere and in Any Situation

2008-03-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

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Hello Dear Friends,

What are you going to do when you are 40 years old, in a stagnant career, broke and in debt?

Well, my friend, this is my current situation and if this happens to me 3 years ago, I might have committed an “accidental” suicide (A suicide that looks like an accident so my family can still claim my life insurance, like crashing my car into a truck). In fact, I don’t know why I’m confessing this thing because I’m a very proud person and even my small group of Christian friends don’t know this situation I’m in. What I know is that whenever I decide that my sole purpose for existence is to glorify God and make Him smile, everything I do contradict my sinful nature (I guess this is the power of the Holy Spirit at work). I hope and pray that I can look back someday in this stage of my earthly life and say, I glorified God during this difficult situation (Although I must admit that I put myself into this situation in the first place).

While surfing the internet, I came across this story about the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee…

The BUZZARD

If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

The BAT

The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from
which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

The BUMBLEBEE

A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up.

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up… Looking-up means that we must be “God-centered” rather than “self-centered”, have “God-confidence” rather than “self-confidence” and to be “God-dependent” rather than “independent”…

I believe that we just need to look up and glorify God anytime, anywhere and in any situation…

I believe that our sole purpose for existence is to glorify God…

It is written in Ephesians 1:5-6;
“In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.” (The emphasis is mine)

Glorifying our Heavenly Father also means glorifying Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, who is also God…

It is written in John 17:24, Jesus Christ prayed for all believers;
“Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world” (Again, the emphasis is mine)

It is written in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20;
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (Again, the emphasis is mine)

Dear Heavenly Father, we glorify, honor and praise You. Thank You for giving us Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Teach us, Father, to glorify You anytime, anywhere and in any situation, which is the sole purpose for our existence. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for dying for our sins and paying our debt, we give You glory, honor and praise. Thank You, dear Holy Spirit for continuing to guide us so that in everything we do it glorifies God. Heavenly Father, give us the courage to examine what we have made to be as our purpose and priority in our lives, and if anything comes before You, help us to put it where it needs to be. We want our purpose for our existence to be only to glorify You and our relationship with You to be first in our lives, before anyone or anything. We ask and pray in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

God bless you!

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

Hope in the Midst of Disappointment

2008-03-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

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Hello Dear Friends,

“Will you continue to love, trust, obey and worship God, even when you have no sense of His presence or visible evidence of His work in your life?”

Day 14 of the Purpose Driven Life (PDL) book by Rick Warren asked this question that we need to answer when facing the “test of faith”.

Are we a fair-weather Christian and only drawn to God when everything in our life is going our way? Can we still glorify, honor and praise God when problems or trials came and God seems so distant?

In John 4:23-24, Jesus said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

It is also written in 1 Peter 1:7;
"That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

There is a reason for our trials or problems or chastisement (disciplines) that only God knows but there is always hope if we continue to believe and trust that our Heavenly Father only wants to give the best for us.

I must admit that over the past few months (or almost a year, as you have noticed since the last time I wrote in this blog was in April 2007), I’ve been disappointed, angry, frustrated and depressed. I’ve been waiting on God to fulfill His promise and answer my prayers over a desperate need. Perhaps you can empathize, and perhaps you understand when I say that this desperation lead me to a spiritual vacuum or desert. I’ve demanded God to provide for the need on my own timetable. Then I realized that there was absolutely nothing I could do to make this thing happen. I was totally and wholly dependent upon God to fulfill His promise. Not dependent because I obediently submitted everything to God, but totally dependent because I’d exhausted every other possibility or effort. ;-)

I've realized that our Heavenly Father is teaching me to be patient and to wait for this thing to happen in His time. This lesson is necessary and the intention is not to torture me, but to reinforce my faith and endure them in order that I may become stronger.

Only when our faith is tested will we know if it is genuine. A gold miner may believe he has found gold. It may look like gold. It may smell like gold. It may feel like gold. It may even bend like gold. But, the lucky individual will not know for sure until he takes his find to an assayer and let it be tested. After yielding a bit of his discovery into the care of this inspector, and after that individual runs various tests upon the product, only then the newly wealthy individual will know exactly what he has and how much he can expect it to bring into his pocket.

Our testing proves the quality of our faith which is of much more value than all the gold in the world. Gold gains and looses value. It can be lost or stolen. It will eventually be destroyed. A genuine faith will endure all tests, only grow stronger because of them, and last an eternity. A true faith not only endures the trials or problems it is exposed to, it shines a glorious light upon the author of that faith – Jesus Christ and our Father God.

You see, all of these problems, disciplines, testing and trials do have a purpose – beyond making us miserable. They show to the world that we are the real thing, certified in the fires of tribulation, and proven by the test of time.

Our response will show if we are on the road to a mature, true and spiritual relationship with God that is not just dependent upon how easy or difficult our life is.

So meantime, as we patiently wait and hope for God's answer, what are we going to do?

In the scripture, we are continually admonished and encouraged to PRAY. Jesus modeled this for us when He was on earth. If prayer would not affect the outcome, God wouldn’t ask us to do it; we would only be spinning our wheels in futility. It is written in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.” The condition here is faith or believing.

We are commanded to PRAY even when life is thorny and difficult, we must trust in this promise of our Heavenly Father: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'” (Jeremiah 33:3) WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP PRAYING AND ASKING! As my youngest daughter always says, we just have to PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens)!

Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus Christ taught us to pray, "Our Father, Who are in Heaven, Holy be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven...". Help us, Father, to remember that we should obediently submit everything to You and be dependent on Your strength and wisdom. Father, You know what is best for us, help us to humbly say "Your Will be done in my life". We thank you, Father, for giving us Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Thank You for continuously blessing us. We thank, ask and pray in Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

God bless you!

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

Heaven in our Hearts and Minds

2007-04-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

“When heaven is in our hearts we will look forward with hope to the day when we will emerge on the other side.”
(From Eternity by Joseph M. Stowell)

I always imagine this scenario when someday I will be facing the throne of God…it will be like a court of law… There is God who is the “Judge” sitting on the throne and in front of Him is my “adversary” who accuses me before our God day and night… Also in front of God is Jesus Christ, my “Defender”, and where I am, well, probably hiding at the back of Jesus out of fear from God… The court session will go something like this;

Accuser: Your Honor, this guy, Ron, who You call Your child, has done so many disgusting things during his lifetime… and he will show the “Judge”, a very long list of all my sins and faults …

Accuser: “Ron is not worthy… Pride, lust, deceit, anger, greed, envy, gluttony, laziness… and so on and so forth… linger within…” (He gave every detail of my sins, faults and errors… At this point, as he speaks, I felt like sinking… I have bowed my head so low and cried so much … tears of shame…because all that he have said are true)

Judge: “Ron, are all these accusations true?” (Of course, we know that God already knows the truth even before the accuser speaks)

Ron: “Yes, Your Honor, all that he has said are true… his charges are fair… I plead guilty, Your Honor” (I mumbled)…

Accuser: “Your Honor, the sentence?”

Judge: The wages of sin is death… but I will let Jesus speak first and defend My child… before I give the sentence…

Jesus Christ: “Thank You, Your Honor, for giving Me the opportunity to speak… Your Honor, it’s true that My client is guilty and his penalty should be death… but in this case the death has already occurred… because I already died for him so the penalty is already paid” (The accuser is suddenly silent and Jesus Christ is smiling at me)

Judge: “If that is the case, Ron, My child, you are free to go to heaven and have eternal life”

Ron: “Thank You, Your Honor, Father Almighty… Thank You, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (At this point, there is so much joy in my heart that I cannot help but cry… this time… tears of joy…)

For me, heaven meant being with Jesus Christ which as Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:23 is “better by far”…

What is in our hearts and minds?

> “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21 NIV)

> “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV)

> “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2 NIV)

> “As he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV)

The benefits of putting Jesus Christ and His “heavenly kingdom” in our hearts and minds are:

1. SECURITY

> Jesus Christ gives us security and peace of mind

> “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NIV)

2. STABILITY AND SUPPLY

> Jesus Christ is our compassionate Mediator. He will maintain stability in our souls regardless of what is happening around us and help us in time of our needs.

> “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace for timely help.” (Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV)

3. ADVOCACY

> Jesus Christ is our Defender against the accusations and attacks of our adversary.

> “…we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous” (1 John 2:1 NIV)

> “…For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 12:10-11 NKJV)

> Right now in heaven Jesus Christ is restricting the work of the devil against us. His present work in heaven guarantees that in every trial of life, He will make a way of escape that we will be able to bear it.

> “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will let you be tried beyond your strength; but with trial He will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV)

> “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” (Psalm 34:7-8 NKJV)

How can we put Jesus Christ and His heavenly kingdom in our hearts and minds?

We need to entrust our lives to Jesus Christ and believe in the gospel of salvation that Jesus died for our sins; He was buried; and was raised on the third day …

As it is written in. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4;
"For what I received I pass on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

Jesus Christ is God’s only way to heaven. In John 14:6, Jesus answered "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Jesus Christ promises eternal life. Jesus Himself said in John 11:25-26, "...I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die..."

If you haven’t entrusted your life to Jesus Christ then you can pray this simple prayer to express your faith in Jesus Christ and receive Him into your heart as your Lord and Savior. You only have to pray this prayer once but with sincerity because when He enters your life, He will never leave you.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, I need you. I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that you died on the cross to pay for all my sins. With your help, I will turn away from all my sins. Please come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. I accept your free gift of eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Thank you for coming into my life and giving me eternal life. AMEN.

WHAT'S NEXT

God's Word admonishes us not to forsake the "assembling of ourselves together..." (Hebrews 10:25). Several logs burn brightly together; but separate one and its fire goes out. So it is with your relationship to other Christians. If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call or visit a nearby church where Christ is honored and His word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

God bless you! Happy Resurrection Day!

Watch out for our next blog… “Hope in the midst of disappointment” …and find out how God will give us hope to face the “disappointment in life” and how to be always on the right path during our Christian journey…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

A Life That Pleases God (Part 2)

2007-04-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

"Since God knows what is best, in what areas of my life do I need to trust Him most?"

Day nine of the Purpose Driven Life (PDL) book by Rick Warren asked this question to consider.

As for me, I find that finance (anything related to money) is a difficult area to trust God, although He has never let me down in this area. I often feel that God has overlooked something and that He really should be giving me more (smile…). My work experience in audit and finance taught me to plan my finances by doing cash flow analysis. As such, I account for money that goes in and out and that includes tithes. I always have this struggle that if I give a 10% tithe then it affects my future cash flow and I end up having a negative balance (expenses are greater than earnings and cash-on-hand). Deep in my heart, I know that God is in control and that He knows best…

It is written in Malachi 3:10, “…Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

In part 1 of this blog’s subject, we learned that God smiles when we love Him supremely, when we trust Him completely, when we obey Him wholeheartedly.

To continue, below are the remaining 2 acts of pleasing God that makes Him smile :-)

4. God smiles when we praise and thank him continually

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.” (Genesis 8:20)

“Noah’s first act after surviving the Flood was to express his thanks to God by offering a sacrifice… Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we don’t offer animal sacrifices as Noah did.” Instead we are told “in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Remember the time when we are given a round of sincere applause and congratulations, or when someone honestly thanks us for something we have done for them. God loves it too.

It is written in Hebrews 13:15, "...By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."

God has put the feeling of praise and appreciation in our hearts because it reflects His character. Like Noah, “we praise God for who He is and we thank God for what He has done.” “An amazing thing happens when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God. When we give God enjoyment, our own hearts are filled with joy.” Learning to praise and thank God continually makes God smile, and we are warmed by the radiance of His glory.

God smiles when we love Him supremely, when we trust Him completely, when we obey Him wholeheartedly, when we thank Him continually.

5. God smiles when we receive his gifts joyfully

“Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth… Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” (Genesis 9:1, 3)

After the flood, God gave Noah and his family the same command he gave Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful”. God delights and blesses us when we receive His gifts, including His physical gifts of our bodies, joyfully and reverently. This means everything we do can be done for God’s pleasure if we do it with an attitude of praise.

When we watch our children display their talents, whether they be academic, athletic, or performance, doesn't it feel great? God feels the same about us. “Like a proud parent, God especially enjoys watching us use the talents and abilities He has given us.” God enjoys watching every detail of our lives, whether we are working, playing, resting or eating washing the dishes, fixing the car, weeding the garden, raising a family. He doesn’t miss a single move. Even the little things can bring a smile to God’s face.

It is written in Psalm 37:23, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delights in his way”

Every activity we do can be an act of worship. Every ability God gave us can be used to His glory. As Rick Warren says, “There are no unspiritual abilities; just misused ones… use yours for God’s pleasure …

God smiles when we love him supremely.
God smiles when we trust him completely.
God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly.
God smiles when we thank him continually.
God smiles when we receive his gifts joyfully.

God knows we are incapable of being perfect or sinless.” Noah certainly wasn’t. It is written, “For He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14)

What God is looking for in us is an attitude of our heart and our motivation. The PDL book’s chapter 9 closes by asking, "Is pleasing God your deepest desire?"

When we live in the light of eternity we should come to the realization that the amount of pleasure we get out of life is far less important than the enjoyment God gets out of our lives.

Apostle Paul put it this way in his second letter to the Corinthians, “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” (2 Corinthians 5:9) Could we say that? “My goal is to please God.”

God is looking for people like Noah… today… people willing to live for the pleasure of God… willing to live to make God smile. It is written, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to please him.” (Psalm 14:2).

There is nothing [absolutely nothing] that God won’t do for the person totally absorbed” with the desire to make God smile.

It is written in Galatians 1:10, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

What can we do to make God smile?

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving us that You gave Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins. We commit our lives to pleasing and loving You. Father Almighty, give us the courage to examine what we have made to be as our priorities in our lives, and if anything comes before You, help us to put it where it needs to be. We want our relationship with You to be first in our lives, before anyone or anything. Help us so that in everything we do, we will always give You glory, honor and praise. Father, we desire to always make You smile. We ask and pray in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen. Amen.

Watch out for our next blog… “Heaven in our hearts and minds” …and find out what are the benefits of seeking first Jesus Christ and His kingdom and how to be always on the right path during our Christian journey…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

A Life That Pleases God (Part 1)

2007-03-26T01:22:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

"The smile of God is the goal of your life."
(From the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren)

Day nine of the PDL book begins with the statement above and since this is our ninth blog (Wow! How time flies…tempus fugit), I was inspired to write and figure out what will please God and makes Him smile…

If pleasing God is the first purpose of my life, my most important task is to discover what will please Him and how to do that… I also have to figure out how to spend my remaining time on earth and do more what pleases God…

I tried computing how much time is left for me on earth based on a typical lifespan as written in Psalm 90:10 “The length of our days is seventy years or eighty, if we have the strength…” I hope my engineering skills can be of use :-)… Here it is…

I’m currently 39 years old, so if I live up to 70, I only have 31 years to spend on earth… Out of these 31 years, I have computed the following based on my typical activities/events in my life in a year:

Sleep--------------------9.0 years----------- 29%
Work--------------------7.0 years------------23%
TV-----------------------2.5 years-------------8%
Eating-------------------2.5 years--------------8%
Travel-------------------4.0 years-------------13%
Leisure------------------1.3 years--------------4%
Illness------------------1.3 years--------------4%
Hygiene & Dressing----0.7 years--------------2%
Pleasing God-----------2.7 years--------------9%
Total-------------------31.0 years-----------100%

Oh… Oh… based on the above computation, it seems I’m failing in providing more time to please God… Starting today, there will be less TV, eating and leisure for me (Ouch! :-))… I will also devote time for worship while I’m travelling… (Hmm, maybe I can squeeze more time during hygiene and dressing)... I can also be God's ambassador at work... And I pray to God, that there will be less illness for me so I can devote that time to Him…

Lord, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 NIV)

This is on the quantity part only but how about the quality part… The Bible gives us many examples of people who succeeded in pleasing God. One of these is Noah.

Rick Warren in the PDL book listed five ways - five acts of worship as demonstrated by Noah that made God smile…

In Noah’s day everyone lived for their own pleasure, not for God. God couldn’t find anyone on earth willing to please him - except one man. On man made God smile - Noah.

It is written in Genesis 6:8 (NIV), “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD”.

Think about it - you and I are alive today because God smiled on Noah and Noah found favor in God. Why did God smiled on Noah?

1. God smiles when we love Him supremely

“…Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9 NIV)

This is what God wants most from us “A relationship!" God made us to love us and He longs for us to love Him back.

This is why learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of our life. Nothing else comes close in importance. Jesus called it the greatest commandment. “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV)

When does God smile? God smiles when we love him supremely. Secondly,

2. God smiles when we trust Him completely

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

God warned Noah He was going to flood the earth. As such, Noah had to build a giant boat hundreds of miles or a long way from the sea. He also had to care for large numbers of animals in which he had no experience of. Noah had plenty of reasons to doubt. But he did it without complaining and without questioning. For 120 years, he builds that giant boat while people around him is mocking and teasing him. What an amazing example of trust and obedience to God!

Noah trusted in God’s word when he couldn’t understand God’s reasons. But you see, God commanded Noah to build a giant boat to save and protect his family and the animals. God’s commands are there to protect us from harm and provide for our future.

Sometimes, I can identify with Noah… I feel like sometimes I’m being asked to do things beyond my experience… beyond my comfort zone… I prayed and asked…Lord, help me…

I have learned that this is the type of "Holy Spirit led" life the Lord is requiring of me -- of all of us. God wants us to trust Him even when it doesn't make sense to us. Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for our lives. He is requiring us to take a step of faith into the unknown way of the Father. He is asking us "How much do you love and trust Me?"

"Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust." (Psalm 16:1 KJV)

Trusting is an act of worship. Just as parents are pleased when children trust their love and wisdom” trusting God makes Him happy” Also, isn’t it interesting that just before the writer to the Hebrews mentions Noah, he says “...Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6).

When does God smile? God smiles when we to take a step of faith and trust God completely… and walk with and led by the Spirit of God… God smiled at Noah because he loved Him supremely & trusted Him completely. Thirdly,

3. God smiles when we obey Him wholeheartedly

“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22)

“Noah obeyed God wholeheartedly… without reservation or hesitation.” No wonder God smiled on Noah.

Noah obeyed God to the smallest detail. He did not try to do things His own way, but trusted that God's ways were best. Any parent knows that delayed obedience or partial obedience is no different than disobedience.

The two paragraphs below in the PDL book are the highlight of what I learned;

"God doesn’t owe us an explanation or reason for everything He asks us to do. Understanding can wait but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach us more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, we will never understand some commands until we obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding."

"Often we try and give partial obedience to God. We want to pick and choose which commands we obey. We make a mental list of the commands we like and of those we think were written for other people. Then we ignore “the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I’ll attend church but I won’t tithe. I’ll read my Bible but won’t forgive the person who hurt me. Partial obedience is actually disobedience."

“…but I gave them this command: Obey Me, and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.” (Jeremiah 7:23 NIV)

On the other hand, “an act of obedience is also an act of worship. Why is obedience so pleasing to God?” For the same reason it is pleasing to you when your child obeys joyfully and willingly. It proves they trust you. It shows they love you. It demonstrates they respect you. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15 NIV)

I am convinced that if we live this way, loving, trusting and obeying God, we will find our lives most exciting. We will find that we are doing things that we could never imagine doing. I suspect that if we lived this way, we would find that we are living the way we always wished we would live -- doing the things we secretly always wanted to do.

When does God smile? God smiles when we love Him supremely, when we trust Him completely, when we obey Him wholeheartedly.

I’ll share the remaining 2 acts of pleasing God that makes Him smile in part 2 of this blog since this is getting longer…I might bore you if you are not bored already :-)

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving us that You gave Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins. We commit our lives to You and we love You supremely. We trust You completely and we commit to obey You wholeheartedly. Give us the courage to examine what we have made to be as our priorities in our lives, and if anything comes before You, help us to put it where it needs to be. We want our relationship with You to be first in our lives, before anyone or anything. We ask and pray in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen. Amen.

Watch out for part 2 of our blog… “A life that Pleases God” …and find out how to live a disciplined life that makes God smile and how to be always on the right path during our Christian journey…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

The Power to Live a Christian Life

2007-03-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

“What makes us special is… the signature of God on our lives”
(From Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado)

I’m blessed with many Christian friends where I can always see the power and signature of God on their lives. I meet them every Monday and Thursday; each one of us sharing our own experiences, joys and struggles. Their stories give me hope that I can change for the better. They have shown me that God sees every person as a work in progress and His goal is to take us and shape us more and more into the image of Christ. They have shown me the way to a God-centered and purpose driven life and to have God-confidence instead of self-confidence. (I will share more of these in our future blogs :-)

Our relationship with God depends totally on what God has done through Jesus Christ and the power to live the Christian life also comes totally from God. To live the Christian life as God intends, we must continually draw upon God's power, through the Holy Spirit. He has given us the Holy Spirit so He can care for us at every level of our need. He is faithful to provide both for our future and present needs… both the big and the small stuff… Some of the roles/purposes of the Holy Spirit in a Christian life are;

- To dwell in us

"But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you (and remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all)." (Romans 8:9)

- To glorify Christ

Jesus said, "He will bring Me glory by revealing to you whatever He receives from me." (John 16:14)

- To teach us the truth

Jesus said, "When the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God; He will lead you into all the truth…" (John 16:13 TEV)

- To convict the world of sin and justice

Jesus said, "And when He comes, He will prove to people of the world that they are wrong about sin, and about what is right, and about God’s judgment." (John 16:8 TEV)

- To confirm our relationship with God

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family--calling him 'Father, dear Father.' For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our heart and tells us that we are God's children." (Romans 8:14-16)

- To be the source of Christ-like qualities in our lives

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a)

Jesus said, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)

Jesus said, "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

The Holy Spirit is the power source for living out the Christian life. As we face choices every day, being filled with the Holy Spirit will guide us to make the right choices, see life from God's perspective and live in a way that pleases Him.

We need to continually confess our sins and trust God to control our life, asking Him to fill us with the Holy Spirit. God loves us and cares for us that He washes or cleanses our every sin by the blood of Jesus. Joy begins with having the courage to believe that we are forgiven of our sins that is why a Christian is always cheerful in spite of the heavy trials…

If you have not yet experience this joy for yourself… then know that Jesus loves you and cares for you as you are and place your faith in Him …then you can pray this simple prayer to express your faith in Jesus Christ and receive Him into your heart as your Lord and Savior. You only have to pray this prayer once but with sincerity because when He enters your life, He will never leave you.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I need you. I confess that I am a sinner and my sins have kept me from having real joy. I believe that You died on the cross to pay for all my sins. Please come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. I accept Your free gift of eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Thank You for loving me and coming into my life and giving me eternal life. Amen.

Watch out for our next blog… “A life that Pleases God” …and find out how to live a disciplined life that makes God smile and how to be always on the right path during our Christian journey…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

The Spirit of Truth

2007-03-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

“Ingat ka sa driving mo” (Be careful of your driving)

This is the last piece of advice I received from my sister-in-law when we brought her to the hospital…

Lynette is the most ambitious, outspoken and fashion conscious among my wife’s siblings (2nd of 6). One time while I'm teaching her math lesson, she mentioned to me that she wants to be a broadcaster and a journalist that's why she is taking up a course in mass communication. She got married early but was able to graduate and was on her way to reach her dreams. She gave birth to the first grandchild of the family and brought happiness to every one. Early marriage did not deter her from pursuing her dreams but a tragedy occurs that will change her life…

She had a stroke because of aneurism in her brain nerve. She went into a coma for several weeks and had a very slim chance of living but miracles do happen and our prayers are answered… However, when she woke up, things will never be the same… A different Lynette emerges…

She became unfashionable and she talked non-sense (that’s what we think but now it became apparent that we are the foolish ones… :-)) We teased her and called her “Dina, ang babaeng nawawala sa sarili” (based on a movie of a woman who lost her mind). But most of the times, I will get snippets or pieces of advice from her in perfect timing such as…have faith in God…just pray to Him… even though I haven’t told her anything about my situations…

Looking back, I now realized that Lynette is among the first in her family to receive the Spirit of Truth (before her is my mother-in-law but that’s another story… :-).

So who is the Spirit of Truth and, why without Him, we will never understand what God has freely given to us… He is God, the Holy Spirit who is the power source for the Christian life.

It is written in 1 Corinthians 2:12-14;
“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

No one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And God has actually given us His Spirit (not the world's spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us… most especially the gift of salvation… This maybe the reason why I cannot understand Lynette, I’m spiritually discerned…

The Holy Spirit also helps us in nurturing the seed of heaven in our hearts… guaranteeing our inheritance as children of God… It is written in Ephesians 1:13-14;
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.”

Its been more than 4 years since Lynette died; she never got out of that hospital… I can still remember the stories that people told about her during her funeral… Each one has their own story… How she helped them during their times of needs… How they make them laugh… This is the testimony of Lynette’s life… and we will never forget her…

Every time we talked about her, we always have teary-eyes and my wife is the one who will always burst into tears because they are so close to each other… But I believe, she is already happy in heaven (where there are no more tears, pains and sufferings) and fulfilling her dream of becoming a broadcaster… Heaven’s broadcaster of the Good News…

In John 3:5-6, Jesus said, “…I tell you the truth; no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”

Dear Heavenly Father, we give You glory, honor and praise. Thank You for forgiving our sins through Christ's death on the cross and for taking control of our lives and for filling us with the Holy Spirit. We ask You, Father God, to continually guide and bless us through Your Holy Spirit and help us turn away from evil. In Jesus Christ mighty name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Watch out for our next blog…"The Power to Live a Christian Life”…and find out what are the roles of the Holy Spirit and how He will help us to be always on the right path during our Christian journey…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

Are You Lost? …God’s Map to the Right Path (Part 3)

2007-03-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear Friends,

Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy… (Fading then gone)

This call came from my youngest daughter (then 2 years old) when she got lost in the mall or was it when I lost her? (She might protest, better be on the safe side :-)

We were playing hide and seek in the jungle of ladies’ clothing while my wife and eldest daughter swing from trees, I mean dress…now I’m confused. Anyway, I swear that I kept my eyes on my daughter while I’m hiding and she is looking for me (My wife asked, how can that be possible? Well, that’s my version of the story, it’s a good thing my daughter is still too young to remember). After a while, I cannot see her and all I heard is her call (as it fades). How my heart jumps and looked for her everywhere. When I saw my wife, I asked her if our daughter is with her and she said “No” (with a puzzled look as if saying to me, "she is with you, stupid!"). I panicked and went to the customer service counter and there she was… She was so calm holding a lady’s hand (I wanted to shout, "how can she be so calm while I’m in the state of panic?", it's a good thing I did'nt, people might think I'm crazy)… I hugged and kissed her… I felt so relieved… I thanked the lady and held my daughter so tight… Since then we always kept our eyes on her because it seems it became her habit to get lost in the mall… (This proves a point…does it? But that’s another story :-)

Our Heavenly Father also keeps His eyes on us, because as sinners, we always have the tendency to sin and get lost…But God is always following us and looking after us even though we think He is not there. It is written in Ezekiel 34:11-12:
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after My sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.”

Similarly in Luke 15:4-7, Jesus told this parable;
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

So you see, dear friends, God is always looking after our own welfare even if we have sinned against Him and He is always waiting for us to come back into His loving arms and He wants to hug and kiss us… All that He is asking, is for us to confess our sins and repent (promise or vow not to do it again). As it is written in 1 John 1:8-10:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.

So why most people today sort of unconcern about the Holy Bible and dismiss it?
Because the Bible contains God's word and contains the Spirit of Truth as revealed by God and reading this will always convict us of our sins. But as Christians, "you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you (and remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)" (Romans 8:9)

I must admit that even as a Christian I also sinned but having the Spirit of Truth always convict me of my sins and I confessed these sins and repented. I love God and Jesus so much I always felt in my heart and know that He grieves whenever I sin. Being children of God, we must always seek the light and hate darkness to be worthy of the sacrifices made by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is written in 1 Peter 2:24-25;
He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The Good Shepherd and Overseer of our souls is Jesus Christ and we are His sheep. He has sacrificed Himself to free us from sins and for us to live in righteousness. Jesus said in John 10:14-15;
“I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me— just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

In John 14:15-17, Jesus said;
“If you love Me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”

Dear Heavenly Father, we know that we have the tendency to direct our own lives and, as a result, we get lost and sinned against You. We thank You for forgiving our sins through Christ's death on the cross. We now surrender our lives to Christ and ask Him to take His place on the throne of our lives. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. As an expression of faith, we now thank You for taking control of our lives and for filling us with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus Christ mighty name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Watch out for our next blog…"The Spirit of Truth...Heaven in our hearts”…and find out who the Holy Spirit is and how He will help us to be always on the right path during our Christian journey…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

Need Direction? …God’s Map to the Right Path (Part 2)

2007-02-25T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear Friends,

Need Direction - God

This is God’s message to me last week while I’m thinking on what to write for this blog…the message was flashed in an electronic billboard in front of SM Megamall… just in time as the bus that I’m riding on my way home would pass this billboard.

For the last three weeks, God has given me three messages through this billboard…All in perfect timing…The other two messages are…

God will make a way when there seems to be no way

The above message was given to me at a time when I’m having all sorts of problems…

God is good…all the time

The above message appeared to me twice at a time I’m confused and looking for the presence of God…

Amazing how God will use all kinds of media to communicate with us and say how much He loves us and how He always thinks of us…

However, the HOLY BIBLE is still the best media that God uses to communicate, teach, direct and lead us among other things…

It is written in Isaiah 48:17;
This is what the LORD says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

In Psalm 18:30, King David, the man after God’s heart, sang to the LORD…
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.

In Psalm 16:11, King David, sang to the LORD…
You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
With eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

In Psalm 119:105…
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

So you see, dear friends, the Holy Bible is God’s map complete with His communications and instructions for us on how to navigate to the right path…

Our Heavenly Father who does know the way has instructed some of His men (e.g., prophets, apostles, etc.) to draw a detailed map so we won't get lost and so we can learn the right way to operate down here on earth and ultimately make it safely to our final destination…Heaven…the throne of our Heavenly Father...

But to say we don't have time to read God's map, the Holy Bible, is like a driver going on a long journey and saying, "Well, I'm in such a hurry to get there I don't have time to look at the map." If we'll just take the Bible and simply read it, believe it, and follow it, we will be on the right path and will wind up in the right place.

Other than being God’s map, do you know that the Holy Bible is also God’s great love letters to us?

It is written in Hosea 2:23;
I will plant her for Myself in the land; I will show My love to the one I called 'Not My loved one’.
I will say to those called 'Not My people', 'You are My people';
and they will say, 'You are my God.' "

It is written in Zephaniah 3:17;
The LORD your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."

It is written in Psalm 86:15;
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

I remember the first time I’ve received a love letter from my girlfriend (who is now my wife…gotcha :-)… I would re-read it… smell it… re-read it… smell it… I have re-read her letter so many times that the paper crumpled…and smelled it until its fragrance is gone… (Now, I’ve realized how crazy I am for doing this…joke only…better be on the safe side in case my wife is reading this blog :-)

Similarly, we should do the same thing for God’s love letter… RE-READ, STUDY and UNDERSTAND THE HOLY BIBLE…be like the Bereans as it is written in Acts 17:11…
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

God's great love letter to us can guarantee life, love, happiness, and Heaven forever through simply reading it and believing in its main Character, the One Who loved us so much that He gave His Own life to save us - Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

It is written in Romans 5:8;
“…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In John 8:42, Jesus said… "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now Am here. I have not come on My own; but He sent Me.”

But why most people today sort of unconcern about the Holy Bible and dismiss it? I’ll share the answer in part 3 of this blog… (Ok, I know I said I’ll share it on part 2 but this blog is getting longer…I might bore you or if you are not bored already :-)

Our Father in Heaven, we thank You for loving and leading us to the right path. Lord, we ask and pray that our hearts and minds be opened so we can understand Your Words written in the Holy Bible. In Jesus Christ’s mighty name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

Watch out for part 3 of our blog…"Are You Lost?...God’s Map to the Right Path”…and find out how God will seek us if we are lost and lead us to the right path during our Christian journey using His map…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

God’s Map to the Right Path (Part 1)

2007-02-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear Friends,

“Oh No, not again, Iba-Oeste…we are lost, we’ve already been to this town…three times”

These are the words exclaimed by my wife and two kids when we’ve seen the same familiar town.

It’s been three years when this funny incident happens to us, we were going to a mall in a nearby province when we encountered a roadblock. The bridge along our way is being repaired so vehicles were directed to a detour. However, there are no road signs that we can follow so we opted to ask for directions. Every person we’ve asked will give us a different direction and will end up on the same town “Iba-Oeste”. It’s a good thing that my youngest daughter thought of drawing a “map” and using this map, we finally found the familiar highway going to the mall. It took us one and half hours to get through what usually took only 30 minutes to travel. Since then we will use this map when we were going through this detour and would joke about “Iba-Oeste”. We even took an oath not to tell anyone since we know people will laugh at us (it’s our family’s pride at stake here…). Well, I’m breaking our oath…sorry, girls…I needed to tell a related story…Anyway, it’s time to reveal our secret…the truth will set us free… :-)

Unlike the people that we’ve asked for directions, God will always guide or lead us to the right path using His map…THE HOLY SCRIPTURE OR HOLY BIBLE…

It is written in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT 2nd ed.), “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”

By reading the Holy Bible, we will get to know Jesus Christ, which is the Holy Bible’s central character and theme.

In Luke 24:44-47 (NIV), Jesus said to His disciples, “This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms”. Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”.

The Holy Bible is the world’s bestseller book having been printed in millions or maybe billions of copies in different languages.

Here's what some remarkable men said about the world's bestseller:

"I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book." -- President Abraham Lincoln

"The existence of the Bible, as a Book for the people, is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity." - Immanuel Kant (Philosopher)

"The New Testament is the very best Book that ever or ever will be known in the world." - Charles Dickens (Author)

"All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the truths contained in the Sacred Scriptures." - Sir William Herschel (Astronomer)

"There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history." - Sir Isaac Newton (Scientist)

"It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people. The principals of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom." - Horace Greeley (Editor)

"Let mental culture go on advancing, let the natural sciences progress in even greater extent and depth, and the human mind widen itself as much as it desires; beyond the elevation and moral culture of Christianity, as it shines forth in the Gospels, it will not go." - Goethe (Author)

"The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a power that conquers all that opposes it." – Napoleon

"In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength." - Gen. Robert E. Lee

"If there is anything in my thought or style to commend, the credit is due my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principals taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity." - Daniel Webster

Wow! That is a lot of praises from remarkable men for the Holy Bible…and I think there are more praises out there…it cannot be denied that the Holy Bible is the most amazing and absolutely unique book that has ever been written…

The Holy Bible has the answers to every questions we have concerning where we came from, how we got here, why we're here, how to survive and be happy while here, where we are going, how to love and have true happiness forever, how to know and understand God and many more.

But why most people today sort of unconcern about the Holy Bible and dismiss or reject it? I’ll share the answer in part 2 of this blog…

I must admit that I’m one of those people who do not read the Bible everyday and I pray to the Lord that He will help me in this struggle. In fact for the last 5 days, I cannot think of what to write for this blog’s topic…I needed to search the Bible for answers and directions…

I sincerely pray to our Heavenly Father to, "Open my eyes, yes, that I may see wondrous things out of Your Word." (Psalms 119:18.).

This past three weeks since I started writing to this blog have been remarkable for me…I can really feel the presence of God in every circumstances in my life…I’ll tell you why I said this in part 2 of this blog… :-)

Our Father in Heaven, we thank You for loving and leading us to the right path. Lord, we ask and pray that our hearts and minds be opened so we can understand Your Words written in the Holy Bible. In Jesus Christ’s mighty name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

Watch out for part 2 of our blog…”God’s Map to the Right Path”…and find out how God will lead us to the right path during our Christian journey using His map…and seeks us even if we dismiss or reject it…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

Refuge Against The Storm

2007-02-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear Friends,

I live in the Philippines, where we are always hit by storms. And every storm that hit our country usually wreak havoc, there are lost of lives and properties. But Filipinos always manage to cope with these disasters because of the love and help of families, friends and kind-hearted individuals.

My family experienced the wrath of a storm when we are still living in our old house in Manila. Fortunately, when the storm hits our house, we are taking a vacation in my parents’ house in Quezon City. When we came back, the roof of our house is already gone; my wife and I, however, still able to cope with this disaster and make a joke out of it. I said to her, “I love you so much that I will give you the ‘stars’ and pointed to the stars in the sky”…we had a good laughed…

I believe we were able to cope because of our love for each other…and the love and help of our families and friends …

Similarly, in our life, we will encounter storms in the form of problems and trials…during this time, there will always be pains, troubles and sufferings. And sometimes, we may even ask God…Why me, Lord?

But you know…Real Christians know and understand why “storms” come in their life and know that these shall pass…they have peace of mind and know how to be still, and trust and wait for the Lord …and they also know that they have a “refuge against these storms”…It is GOD’S LOVE…the LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST…

It is written in 1 John 3:1, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”

In 1 John 4:9-10, “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

So instead of asking…Why me, Lord? A true follower of Jesus Christ will ask… What do You want me to do now, Lord? What do You want me to learn out of this, Lord?...Because a Real Christian knows that no one can separate him/her from the LOVE OF GOD THAT IS IN JESUS CHRIST…

It is written in Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

And the question above is answered by Apostle Paul in verse 37-39, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

At the time that I’m writing this blog, I’m being hit by a financial “storm”. I have an overdue debt from a bank and it gave me only two options, either pay the full amount or sign a contract that will penalized me with about 25% per annum interest rate. The only solution I can think of is to sell our car (which also became a liability to us because of repairs needed to be done) and I have only 2 weeks to do this…I know that God is teaching me a lesson on not overspending and living only within our means…I prayed to the Lord to help me and surrendered my problem to Him…One week had passed and there is still no assurance I could sell the car…then I started to worry…

On our Sunday’s worship…our Pastor is explaining a topic about knowing and understanding God…He said, “Thoughts of a big God will dwarf our problems, but thinking that God is small, unloving and uncaring, will make us worry a lot.” This hits me and asked God for forgiveness because of my worrying and this time I fully surrendered my problem to Him…then I have peace of mind…

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus also said in Matthew 6:31-34, “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' The pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 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.”

God really work in mysterious ways and His timing is always perfect…just this Wednesday, a buyer went to our house and I was able to sell our car for a reasonable price…He paid in cash on the same day…I already paid the bank on Thursday with still some cash left…I paid 4 days in advance before the deadline this coming Monday…

Heavenly Father, we give You honor, praise and glory. Thank You for Your Love that is in Jesus Christ our Lord which is our refuge against the storms that we will encounter during our Christian Journey. Thank You, Lord, for teaching us to always have faith and trust in You… And this we pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord…Amen. Amen.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

Watch out for our next blog…”God’s Map to the Right Path”…and find out how God will lead us to the right path during our Christian journey using His map…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

Starting A Christian Journey

2007-02-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear Friends,

Throughout my life, I constantly exercise faith in my daily activities:
· When I commute to work, I have faith in the driver to bring me to my destination
· When I work as an employee, I show faith in the Company that it will pay my salary
· When I take a medicine, I exercise faith in the doctor that prescribed it and the drug company that made the medicine

Then I realized, if I exercise faith on almost every activities of my physical life, what about my spiritual life, to what do I anchor my faith?

Then I began to doubt… in the first place, is there really such a thing as a spiritual life?... or when I die…that’s it…the end of my existence…Oh…Oh…then I only have a short time…I started to lose hope…but then being a logical person, I started searching for the meaning and purpose of life…

I have a Real Christian as a friend; He is a true believer and follower of Christ; I usually observe him and asked myself… Why is he like this? When everyone is drinking beer, he only drinks ice tea? When everyone is going to bars, he did not want to? When everyone is reading FHM, he did not want to? My gosh, what’s wrong with this guy? What’s wrong with FHM? He is so weird, is he normal?...hmmm…maybe he is “gay”…(Ang sama talaga! Nagduda pa sa friend niya! Pardon me for speaking in my native tongue, what I’m saying, is that I’m so bad, I even doubted my friend). Kidding aside, you know what amazed me is that he has a strong disposition and he is joyful…he has peace; he manages to smile even during trials and problems…What did this guy have that I don’t have? Compared to me, I’m easily discouraged and I felt empty and worthless…

Luckily (was it really luck or did God really seek us?...I’ll share the answer in our succeeding blog), our boss started a bible study in our office, so I attended it and learned from our bible teacher about…A Saving Faith…this gave me hope…

This is where a Christian’s journey of faith starts…

We must place our FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST to save us and give us eternal life…

It is written in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…and this not from yourselves, it is the GIFT OF GOD…not by works, so that no one can boast”…

In John 3:16, Jesus said, “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”…

I came across these two great quotations:
· From D.L. Moody, he said, “Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in money and you may have it taken from you; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity”.
· From G. K. Chesterton as he famously put it, “When we reject the God of the Bible, we don't believe in nothing; we believe in everything including Little Green Men”.

If you have not yet placed your faith in Jesus Christ and have not yet trusted God …then you can pray this simple prayer to express your faith in Jesus Christ and receive Him into your heart as your Lord and Savior. You only have to pray this prayer once but with sincerity because when He enters your life, He will never leave you.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I need you. I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that You died on the cross to pay for all my sins. Please come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. I accept Your free gift of eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Thank You for coming into my life and giving me eternal life. Amen.

With this prayer, you already started your Christian Journey and rest assured that you are not alone in this journey even during times of trials and problems…God will be with you forever…and of course, you can count on us your Christian friends to also be with you…Amen. Amen.

Let “Our Christian Journey” begin…

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

Watch out for our next blog…”Refuge against the Storm”…and find out why a Christian journey is always sunny even during stormy days (times of trials and problems)…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.

My Christian Journey

2007-02-01T00:55:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear Friends,

I was once asked “what event was the greatest turning point of your life?”

I married at the age of 22 years old, some say it’s a young age to get married but still I’m happy with my marriage and I have two wonderful daughters…in terms of maturity in handling responsibility maybe that is a turning point but not my “greatest”.

I have a good job, a house of my own and other things… in terms of financial maybe that is a turning point but still not my “greatest”.

The “greatest” turning point in my life is when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior; and it began in a bible study, this is where my journey as a Real Christian began.

Before this "greatest" turning point, I used to think that being a “Christian” means doing good works and regularly going to church… having done these then I can pursue worldly things and be assured of going to heaven..(Yes, I know I’m stupid or maybe ignorant to think like this…:-))

During our bible study, I realized that I am “self-centered” and all earthly things are "vanity." I could relate to King Solomon (in Ecclesiastes 2:11) “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

Again, I started asking questions, Why am I not happy? Is life really meaningless?, then the small voice began to speak and this time I listened, he said search the bible, regularly attend bible study, and this time, really try hard to know Jesus and God. The only thing that lasts is what a person does for God. Serve God. Live for Him. Spend all the energy you have in His service and you will be building up great treasures – maybe not on earth, but surely in Heaven where it really counts!

I could also relate to Nicodemus on John 3:1-21… I realized that…God loves people so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus…Jesus sacrificed Himself for us…sinners... and died on the cross because He loves …all of us… (As written in Romans 2:11) God does not show favoritism and (in Jeremiah 29:11) He has plans for all of us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.

God really performs miracle, He knows I’m searching and He gave me hope and showed me the way. God said in Deuteronomy 4:29, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God--------- you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

The miracle is when I was invited by our bible teacher in his discipleship group (D-group) and through this Christian fellowship’s guidance and help, I realized that I need to do God’s will and have my share of Christian sacrifices and of course joy…to be a “Real Christian” (like my “weird” Christian friend...I'll share this story in our next blog)… go against the tide of sins (hmm…so that's the meaning of the “born against” joke)… reach out to people starting with my family and friends…share the good news of salvation by grace through Jesus Christ…and do my best for Jesus…

For it is written on Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”.

This is my Christian Journey from being a self-centered Christian (If you can call that a Christian) to being a “Real” Christian and hopefully in God’s time and by God’s grace through Jesus Christ, I will become a “Real and Purpose-Driven” Christian…Jesus said (in Matthew 10:32-33)"Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven".

Finally I asked all of you this question, can a person calls himself a Christian and yet does not share the gospel of Jesus Christ?---------------------------------- Obviously, my answer is “No” because I belong to Jesus and I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Amen. Amen.

Let me know your thoughts and give me your comments… Share your Christian Journey…Show the world you are not ashamed of Jesus Christ...

Let's make this "our blog" and a chronicle of "Our Christian Journey"...

Cheer-up! God loves you! Jesus loves you!

Watch out for our next blog…Starting a Christian Journey…

Your Friend in Jesus Christ,

Ron F.