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Joy is not for me. Joy that I delight in is God’s channel to receive the utmost praise from me. Worship is

Prize the Moment!

How can we live everyday and not be moved by the awesome fact that, those who are in Christ, possess an immediate, intimate, inspiring, lively relationship with Almighty God?

When Martha had Jesus all to herself, she busied herself! How can you entertain the God in Man at your home and be distracted with serving?!

Jesus diverted her back to what was important: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41, 42 NKJV)

Martha’s sister, Mary, seized the moment to be at the feet of Jesus. While I’m sure whatever Martha was preoccupied with was important, being alone to enjoy Christ is an advantageous privilege in itself.

Serving God is vital; but don’t let that work supersede your relationship with Christ. He is a Treasure to be prized!

A Far Better Wardrobe

Romans 8:18 says: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

All difficulties we are undergoing now are not worth the time to grieve over when we align them to the everlasting, overwhelming glory God awaits to show us.

A consistent difficulty I suffer with presently is the pursuit of fashion. I crave for the ultimate style that most fitly expresses my personality. I spend so much time surfing fashion sites and stocking my Instagram feed with various, cool men styles.

Then a Bible teacher struck the thunder when he quoted from 1 Timothy 6:6: Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

Being satisfied in Christ is itself great value. Paul in this chapter warns us not to be so wrapped up in the culture around us, because its temporal.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (I Timothy 6:7 NKJV)

We were came into this world with our hands empty and that is how we are going to leave it. Why do I feel I need to have a high end wardrobe when I will only leave it for decay or for someone to devalue it by selling everything at a thrift store?

Here is what Jesus had to say to my anxiety of being socially acceptable with my wardrobe: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25 NKJV)

Life is more meaningful than only being preoccupied with being up to date with what to wear.

To appease my inner groaning, Jesus presented to me a far better wardrobe. In Revelation 19, the citizens of heaven celebrate the marriage of the Lamb with the Church. This is a perfect picture of our eternal union with Christ where we believers will enjoy what David describes, In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalms 16:11 NKJV)

Revelation 19 goes on to describe our new wardrobe: And to her (us the Church) it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:8 NKJV)

We are going to have a far better wardrobe. It will not lose its impression because it will be glorious and incorruptible. It will display our righteous efforts to exalt Christ.

And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (I Timothy 6:8 NKJV)

Let us not be entangle with the conforms of this life. All the glitters and vintage looks will one day fade away. Rather, let us anticipate the day where we will shine in such an outfit that expresses our acceptance in Christ.

I have enough food and clothing, so I can be content. My wardrobe may not qualify a front cover on GQ, but I can look forward to a far better wardrobe.

Eph 2:8> Joy of Grace!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, “(Ephesians 2:8 NKJV)

Don’t forget your roots!

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”(Romans 8:1 NKJV)

You are justified by God’s grace. God had not “dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.” (Psalms 103:10 NKJV)

Rather, He gave freely His Son Jesus to pay the wages of sin. The gift of God is eternal life (Rom 3:23)!

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7 NKJV)

You are redeemed. “…He made us accepted in the Beloved”. (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV)

Take pride in it. Brag about it. Facebook!

Let Jesus know your joy too:

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. (Psalms 5:11 NKJV)

Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

Here’s a great book to refresh that zeal to chase after God: Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer.

Tozer in his book confronts various life transitions that permeate our lives, steal our attention in seeking God and leaves us complacent. You will find that though this book is over 50 years old, that is still very relevant today.

Pursuit of God can be a good warm up to restart your chase after God!

Phil 1:21 vs Phil 2:21 Christian

My buddy Carlo in our prayer group commented, “There are two types of Christians: A Philippians 1:21 Christian and Philippians 2:21 Christian”.

Philippians 1:21 Christian lives by the verse: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21 KJV)

This Christian understands God is passionate for His glory. He looks at the Scriptures and accepts the fact that he was created to exalt God. His life channels through this verse:

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (I Corinthians 10:31 NKJV)

This person sees and reflects the glory of God as the Spirit makes him more and more like Christ (2 Cor 3:18). He accepts that his life was predestinated to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29 NKJV).

He leaves behind the past and sees himself in the aftermath of his choice to follow Christ. He accepts that he is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and that the life which [he] now live in the flesh [he] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [him] and gave Himself for [him]. (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).

To him, salvation wasn’t an insurance of eternal security from everlasting damnation, but a sorrowful repentance of his rebellion against God and a sincere acceptance of God’s offer of mercy by believing in Christ’s shedding of His holy blood, he is remitted of his sins and is imputed Christ’s righteousness.

Being born again to him is to be an imitator of God (Eph 5:1). He realizes when 1 John 2:6 says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (I John 2:6 NKJV), he sees that he must “deny himself, and take up his cross and follow [Christ] (Luke 9:23 NKJV).

To him, he counts all things as loss for Christ (Phil 3:7). He views the mercy God had on his life, and he gives up his wants, dreams, ideas, presumptions, goals, plans, ambitions, desires, temptations to live for the wants of God (Rom 12:1). He isn’t entangled with the culture of this world (2 Tim 2:4; Rom 12:2), rather he aims for Christ always to be magnified in [his] body, whether by life or by death. (Philippians 1:20 NKJV).

Suffering for Christ is not a trifle, but a privilege (Phil 1:29).

His joy is unconditional. His delight sings the same song: Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. (Psalms 73:25 NKJV).

Death is not a dead end to him, but the obviosous anticipation to desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Philippians 1:23 NKJV).

The profile of the Philippians 2:21 reflects the verse: For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:21 NKJV)

His life is centered on himself. He abuses the grace that Christ dreadfully purchased for him (Rom 6:1). He lives totally to gratify himself. Although his pattern of lifestyle can be affiliated with a follower of Christ, his true colors are as the Apostle Paul describes:

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame— who set their mind on earthly things. (Philippians 3:18, 19 NKJV)

He is hindrance to the advance of Christ, because (pretty much) he is in the way. His religion is impure and defiled (James :27), because he lives well and sees others in need and takes no pity on them (1 John 3:17). His wealth is stored for the here and now. He is so ineffective to share the Gospel because he is so preoccupied with life here on earth. Every success he makes, he perceives it as a blessing and blames the Devil or even God for any discomfort.

He is pretty much useless to the cause of Christ (Luke 14:34-35). These words of Christ label his worship: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. (Matthew 15:8 NKJV)

He believes that he is a valuable asset to God, but he is actually nothing more than a whitewashed tomb (Matt 23:27).

What he says in his heart is what Christ condemn to the Church of Laodicea: Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— (Revelation 3:17 NKJV)

Both profess Christ, but they don’t walk the same path. Which of these profiles address to you?

…When you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.
-Francis Chan, Crazy Love

Jesus, Best Superhero

I am not ashamed of Batman. He is my favorite superhero. Honestly, I have idolize him a lot. He is just this ultimate symbol of willpower that rather then accept tragedy, he swallows and nurses his fears so that he may prey it on the fearful. Although human, to me he is the best superhero, because the rest of them are identified by their powers and therefore their powers are actually their crutch. Take it away and they’re worthless. But Batman is a cripple, maimed by his parents’ death, but that tragedy is his strength because it forces and pushes him to protect and avenge the weak among him.

But Batman is flawed. He can’t abolish evil. As much as he sweats for the peace of Gotham, evil still permeates. His weakness is his rule which is not to kill; so he won’t ever be able to permanently rid of the enemies of the law. Joker knows that and he takes advantage of it.

Superheroes as great as they are artificial. They can’t overcome the ills of our reality. As moral as they swear to be, they lie, cheat and bend the rules to “save the day”. I can’t say that’s pure justice if the end justifies the means.

But Jesus is the real deal.

but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (II Timothy 1:10 NKJV)

Jesus destroyed death, which is pretty much the fear of man. They suppress the idea that one day they will die and what follows after will not to be liking.

But Jesus has shown the way of life and immortality to everyone by swallowing God’s wrath against man.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (Romans 5:12 NKJV)

Man rejected God who made man to worship and serve Him. Missing God’s demands is what sin is. And we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Sin separates us from God and puts us under the punishment of death.

Then Jesus steps in:

For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (II Corinthians 5:21 NKJV)

Jesus is God. Quickest way to defend this is John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 NKJV)

We use words to reveal what’s on our mind. Jesus is called the Word because He is the revelation of God to man. Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15 NKJV).

Jesus who to us is the Word who “became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NKJV)

Sinless God became as sinful men to paid the penalty of sin.

God’s law cursed us with no way to merit righteousness that God see even our attempts as filthy rags (Isa 64:6 NKJV).

But Jesus as the Superhero that He is rescued us from death!

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” ), (Galatians 3:13 NKJV)

Hung on a cross, this instrumental of death, Christ became the propitiation (substitute) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (I John 2:2 NKJV)

Heroes defend the weak. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6 NKJV)

Batman “died” for Gotham (Dark Knight Rises 2012) and “rose” as Bruce Wayne to live for himself. But Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (I Corinthians 15:3, 4 NKJV)

Christ lives today, never losing His identity, but reigning as the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV). Now in His glory, He doesn’t “hang up the cowl” (Batman!), but lives continually praying for us and helping us.

Jesus is the Hero without limits. Best Hero. Case closed.

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There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (I John 4:18 NKJV)

Not Made for Safety

  Hopefully, you know the quote: 

“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are made for”.

Ships are preserved from the risk of threatening storms and others dangers if they just remain berthed at their dock. The ship I lived on, we did just that. We were berthed in Germany for 8 months.

Safe? Yes. But almost everyone and their sister were restless. As much we felt at home in Germany, we wanted to leave and sail with the news of Jesus to the world.

We were ambassadors of Christ. And if you claim yourself as part of God’s own, you are an ambassador. The point I’m getting to is that we are not made to be “safe in a harbor” (a church most likely); we are made to go and risk ourselves for the cause of Christ.

Omission is a common disease in the church. It traces from even the very beginning of our history.

Christ told His followers,“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 NKJV). While the Apostles did preach the Gospel, they resided in Jerusalem. God had to providentially scatter them into the world in order to spread hope to everyone (Acts 8-28).

Sadly in some areas, history is repeating itself. They are some churches that depend on missionaries and pastors to share the Good News. But sharing the Gospel is not only for qualified people. We are all commanded to preach the Gospel.

Sailing out into sea, risks are likely, but ships were made to confront risks in their efforts to complete their mission.

Here is something most people don’t talk about: 

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, (Philippians 1:29 NKJV)

You were not made for safety.

Suffering is part of the profile of what it means to be a Christian. We are not just privileged to receive salvation, we are also given the privilege to suffer for the name of Christ.

Leaving Germany was bittersweet, but the relief was overwhelming. We were all excited because we were finally out doing what we came together for.

Pastor and a favorite book author, Francis Chan had this to say concerning “harbored” Christians:

Christians are like manure: spread them out and they help everything grow better, but keep them in one big pile and they stink horrible

If you’re just berthed at church, sure you’re safe, but you’re also useless to the intent of God’s want for us to make Him known. It’s time to sail out.