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Christ: self denial and dying to one’s self

To be like Christ, to die to one self is to accept the lordship of Father God in one’s life and to place an immense urgency to honor and obey whatever His will is without any regards to self and other people.. no ifs, no buts..

Self denial and dying to one’s self..

I thought I had a different understanding of what self denial and dying to one self means..

To be like Christ, to die to one self is to accept the lordship of Father God in one’s life and to place an immense urgency to honor and obey whatever His will is without any regards to self and other people.. no ifs, no buts..

Dying to onself is to be like..

Samuel who was the faithful priest who did all according to what is in the heart and mind of God (1 Samuel 2:35)..

David who was regarded to be the man after God’s own heart because he did all of God’s will (Acts 13:22)..

And

Jesus whose food was to do the will of God and to finish His work (John 4:34)..

So I urge you brethren, when we pray, let’s take heart and mean (with a humbled, accepting heart of submission) what the Lord’s prayer said:

Matthew 6:9-10 NKJV
In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

Unhindered, unopinionated
Absolutely good and infinitely wise will of our sovereign God

Psalm 115:3 NKJV
But our God is in heaven
He does whatever He pleases.

I pray that the LORD God Almighty bestow upon you the grace to desire to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Here’s a prayer for you.

#GirlwithpinkBible

#TimeSpentWithGodIsTimeBestSpent

Short and Sweet.. in You Jesus

In times of need, You always provide.
In times of abundance, You remind.

In times of joy, in You we are filled.
In times of sorrow, in You we yield.

Fear and doubt may rise up in our midst
But there’s a Victor, who for us, bleed.

Sweet Jesus to You, our Great Delight
Humbly we lay down our lows and heights.

If you want to know more about this Victor, the Lord Jesus Christ, who bled and died for you, click here.

#girlwithpinkBible

Change My Heart

Change my heart

When I am in peaceful waters

Or when I am drowning under the mighty waves.

Change my heart

When I am savoring Your blessings

Or when I am in want and need.

Change my heart

When You give me my heart’s desire

Or when I’m in a period of waiting.

Change my heart

When I am alone

Or when I have all other people’s love around me.

Change my heart

When I am filled by the Holy Spirit

Or when You feel seemingly distant.

Change my heart

When I hear praises of people for me

Or when I hear criticisms and prejudice.

Change my heart

To look only to You

In whatever season You have brought me into,

In whatever circumstances You have permitted to come into my life.

Change my heart

To be courageous and grateful,

To be content and humble,

To trust its Maker and Provider,

To surrender to its Father, King and Master.

Change my heart completely

Until it is only You and Your fullness

it contains.

Not taking pride from its accomplishments

But seeing the grace it undeservingly receives.

Not focusing on the blessings

But seeing Your faithfulness to see it through.

Change my heart my Jesus.

If you want to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ and how He can change your heart in His, click here.

#GirlWithPinkBible

The Flood and Jesus

This hit me like an unexpected pillow smacked to my face while I was walking to work (I wanted to cry not because of the pain but because of the humility felt for such an undeserving revelation).

Decreation – to go back to the “creation state” (from Bible Project Podcast)
What decreation: the flood

If one thinks about it, God showed us through the flood that destroying all humanity and making a new generation again will never save us from our sins.

Eventually, after God killed all the sinful humans through the flood, the generation after Noah and his sons still made the same, if not worse mistakes and sins. It happened over and over and over again.

It is the innate human heart condition of immorality and rebellion against God that makes us do what we do: to go after other gods, especially the idols of ourselves. We are innately sinful, born with desires that don’t please God and destroying humanity with all of God’s power and might will not, and never change that.

Then, how?

Solution: Grace through Jesus Christ

Only by the Cross of Calvary

The Son of Man, Son of God

The Way, the Truth and the Life

Indeed, no one comes to the Father

without sin and in full righteousness

unless He accepts the Savior, the King, the Messiah

The only Name given among men under heaven by which all who accepts Him can be saved (Acts 4:12)

only by and through Him, Christ Jesus.

If you want to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ and how you can be saved through Him, click here.

#GirlWithPinkBible

One Honest Prayer from the Heart

A heart where You rule and reign
A heart that beats only for You
A heart that seeks to please You
A heart that is after Your own heart

Jeremiah 29: 13

“And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart”.

A promise that really touched my heart.

A promise that I’ve taken hold of especially at times when I knew I had nurtured the callousness of my heart.

This stubborn, stubborn heart that had swayed from Your path countless of times.

A heart that, despite its rebellious nature, cries for freedom and salvation; desiring for deliverance from its stiff-necked, sinful nature.

A heart that is too weak to fight its desire for this world.

A heart that is too proud and selfish to admit that it wants You above anything else.

And yet..

..when this heart remembers this staggering promise..

..it remembers that the only reason where it is right now is only because of You

and not because of its own efforts..

..it is humbled down, and seeks after its Maker and Lover earnestly..

So Lord Jesus.. take the callousness, take the stubbornness, the procrastinating spirit and the tendency to drift away…

This heart wants You to take them away

This heart wants You to help it deny itself and shun away from the worldly pleasures that is fleeting and empty and leaves it in despair in the end.

This hearts admits it needs You

This heart admits that it wants to come back to You

To that season when it can recognize and quiver whenever it hears Your voice as its only Shepherd

This heart wants that

Because that is the only place this heart is filled with exceedingly great joy and is fully fully satisfied.

Change this heart Oh Lord God

Nothing is impossible with You

No callousness nor stubbornness can separate this heart from You and from Your love

Make this heart pure

A heart that fixes its vision of You and to You

A heart that hates to sin and flees from sin at all cost

A heart that is not divided but determined

A heart where You rule and reign

A heart that beats only for You

A heart that is after Your own heart

-from 22 March 2018 Devotions

If you want to know God personally and have Him change your heart so He can fill you with exceedingly great joy and peace, click on this link.

#girlwithpinkbible

KNOWING, BRETHREN BELOVED, YOUR ELECTION OF GOD. – 1 Thessalonians 1:4

Many persons want to know their election before they look to Christ, but they cannot learn it thus; it is only to be discovered by  “looking unto Jesus” (Heb. 12:2). If you desire to be sure of your own election, assure your heart before God by asking the following questions: Do you feel yourself to be lost, guilty sinner? Then go immediately to the cross of Christ and tell Jesus so. Tell Him that you have read in the Bible,, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).Tell Him that He has said, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). Look to Jesus and believe on Him, and you be confident of your election directly, for as surely as you  believe, you are elect. If you will give yourself wholly up to Christ and trust Him, then, you are one of God’s chosen ones; but if you stop and say, “I want to know first whether I am elect,” you do not know what your are asking. Go to Jesus; although you are ever so guilty, go just as you are. Leave all curious inquiry about election alone. Go straight to Christ and hide in His wounds , and you will know your election. The assurance of the Holy spirit will be given to you, so that you will be able to say, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him” (2 Tim 1:12). Christ was at the everlasting council. He can tell you whether you were chosen or not but you cannot find it out in any other way. Go and put your trust in Him, and His answer will be, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jer. 31:3). There will be no doubt about His having chosen you, when you have chosen Him.

Sons we are through God’s election, who in Jesus Christ believe.

-CHARLES SPURGEON
(Morning by Morning: 365-Day Devotional)

Our Patient Father God

I was staring at our “babies” a few days ago when this truth was instilled in my heart: the great patience of our Father God.

My sister and I got these plants a few weeks back and had to learn how to take care of them (I didn’t want any plants initially since I’ve always thought I would end up neglecting and killing them 😅).

Anyways, after a few days of attending to their needs like watering them, exposing them to indirect sunlight if able to, and even talking to them, I was getting impatient and restless, seeing that there was no change in any of them. No new leaf, no buds, nothing.

Then the epiphany: the great patience of our God. We don’t really think about it but if we looked at His point of view towards us, we would really appreciate His patience with our growth in Him. All the things He would allow in our lives, the joy and sorrow, success and failure, gains and loses and even the times we would either please Him or disappoint Him, He would use that for our growth towards Christlikeness. And He wasn’t restless or impatient or anxious whenever we stumble or take a wrong turn. He patiently waits for us to realize our mistakes (realization that comes with humility and humbleness as the Holy spirit convicts us) and lovingly expects a new leaf in our lives to spring forth, knowing in all His infinite wisdom and sovereignty that He faithfully works out all things for the good of those who loves Him and are called according to His purpose. Waste and delays are in existing in His vocabulary, meaning He doesn’t waste anything and there is no delay in His timeline since He makes things beautiful in His perfect timing.

So I encourage you, my friends, when we fall into sin or into waywardness, don’t lose hope. Instead let us come boldly to His throne of grace and humble ourselves before this patient Father who takes delight patiently in the growth of all His creations. Hope in Jesus! Hope in the finished work of Christ at calvary!

If you want to know more about this patient Father God in Christ Jesus, I would like to invite you to say this prayer.

#GirlWithPinkBible

#TimeSpentWithGodIsTimeBestSpent

God in Control

When fear and doubt
Pain reigns throughout
Above it all
God in control.

When fear and doubt

Pain reigns throughout

Above it all

God in control.

In wealth, in lack
Devil ransacks
Find rest my soul
God in control.

Lovingly wise
Grace hears our cries
Our great console
God in control.

Good and constant
Never dormant
Justice extolled
God in control.

Soul trust in Him
When future’s grim
Knees down you fall
God in control.

Run to His arms
Tell Him your qualms
He’ll fill that hole
God in control.

In Christ we’re one
Daughters and sons
Jesus, the goal
God in control.

Let God take full control.

I invite you to surrender in humility and receive Jeus through this prayer.

#GirlwithpinkBible

#TimeSpentWithGodIsTimeBestSpent

Photocredits: Mhat Palomares

A New Job During COVID-19 Outbreak – A Testimony

The news about COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore (where I am working) and whole world spread and caused great fear to everyone. It has a lot of implications in the economy that can caused work retrenchments up to closing of small businesses. A low economy may mean a hard time to get pass approval in Singapore. But I was surprised at how God moved in the middle of all of these things happening!

In the beginning of 2019, I have been praying for a job that will not just be a source of provision but a place where He will let me “sit beside quiet waters”.

I can vividly remember the day when God dropped me a date “March 17”. During that time I was asking God about the significance of the message I received and His reply was, “Trust Me and wait patiently.” March 17, 2019 came and nothing happened so I told myself that maybe the message was not supposed to be for me but was meant to be released on other people.

Days passed by until the calendar flips into another year – 2020. I received a phone call from an HR Manager in another company and was asking me if I am available for an interview. Right at that very moment, I was so puzzled because I cannot remember sending any application to that specific company. What puzzled me even more was the remark of the HR Manager when I asked where did she get my number and she said that someone recommended me to them for that position. That elevated my wondering even more!

So I prayed and asked God during that lunch time if I should go for it. There are a lot of worries and hesitations deep within me that time, and it seems to be that I cannot hear God at that very moment. “Old Comfort” was so resounding that a new opportunity should not be considered. But there is a big urge inside of me to go. It was very timely that our Pastor Christie [our dear Pastor in HOPE Filipino Congregation] was sharing about Joshua and Caleb spying the promise land which God promised to be “flowing in milk and honey”. When they return to the wilderness after seeing the land, they brought back good news! It was the first confirmation.

Pressing on prayer, God reminded me that I have been praying for a job last year but passively turning it down because of some obligations I have to meet for my family – so any chance to be jobless should not be an option for me. Then, He reminded me a memory of me praying for a new job during the teaching about the prayer of Jabez during the Leaders Camp 2019 – He has heard my prayers.

January 16 – I went down for interview. I was excited and full of expectation. I was like Caleb marching towards that office expecting what God has promised. After the interview, the HR Manager told me that she will call me if I have been short listed and set schedule for the final interview. The office ambiance was very peaceful and the people are cheerful and very welcoming. The receptionist even asked me if I want a cup of coffee while waiting for the interviewer.

The news about COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore (where I am working) and whole world spread and caused great fear to everyone. It has a lot of implications in the economy that can caused work retrenchments up to closing of small businesses. A low economy may mean a hard time to get pass approval in Singapore. But I was surprised at how God moved in the middle of all of these things happening!

January 23 – The HR Manager called me and asking for some details because she has been processing my pass application. I was so surprised about the news! I cannot describe that moment but I was so thankful to God and merely laughing at how silly I was not to trust His words.

February 3 – The pass was successfully applied and pending for MOM approval.

February 16 – The pass was approved by MOM. I tendered my resignation the following day.

February 25 – I officially signed the contract. I will be working Mondays to Fridays (office hours) with a favourable salary and allowances, with sufficient number of annual leave for family time and mission trips, with sufficient benefits to cover me as an employee. I underwent medical check up.

February 27 – The result of medical check up was released and I am fit for work.

March 17 – My last day at workplace. For me, this was the promised date of the Lord. The same as when He promised Joshua and Caleb that they will step into the promise land.

March 23 – I will report for work.

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