Right Companions

Right Companions

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24, NIV.

TODAY’S WORD

Your destiny is too big to accomplish on your own. That’s why it’s so important to be connected to the right people. We have to understand that God has already arranged for certain people to speak faith into you. He has already placed people in your path that will inspire you, challenge you, and help you accomplish your dreams. The reason some people never reach their highest potential is because they never get away from the wrong people.

Recognize today that not everyone can go where God is taking you. You’ve got to connect with people who understand your destiny and can call forth your seeds of greatness. You don’t have time to spend on people who are always pushing you down, telling you what you can’t do, or never giving you their approval no matter how hard you try. Friend, life is too short to drag people along. If you will get the wrong people out of your life, then God will bring in the right people so you can fulfill the destiny He has in store for you.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for placing the right people in my life. Help me to discern the right connections You have for me. Give me strength to release the wrong relationships so I have room in my life for the people You have chosen to connect with me in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

Courage to Serve with the Best You Have

byRick Warren

"If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done." (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT)

God expects you to do what you can with what you have and wherever you are. Less-than-perfect service is always better than the best intention.

One reason many people never serve is that they fear they are not good enough to serve. They have bought into the lie that serving God is only for superstars. Some churches have fostered this myth by making excellenc an idol, which makes people of average talent hesitant to get involved.

Real servants do their best with what they have. Servants don’t make excuses, procrastinate, or wait for better circumstances. Servants never say, “One of these days” or “When the time is right.” They just do what needs to be done.

The Bible says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT).

You may have heard it said, “If it can’t be done with excellence, don’t do it.” Well, Jesus never said that! The truth is, almost everything we do is done poorly when we first start doing it — that’s how we learn.

At Saddleback Church, we practice the “good enough” principle: It doesn’t have to be perfect for God to use and bless it. We would rather involve thousands of regular folks in ministry than have a perfect church run by a few elites.

Talk About It

• What excuses have you made about serving in ministry that do not line up with what you know God would have you do?

• What steps do you need to take today to start serving?

Happy Birthday Tatay!

by: Meg

If yesterday was my mother’s birthday, today is my father’s 60th birthday, amazing isn't it? Yes, that’s fact (at least two-in-one), one cake, one celebration, one in everything, hehehe. It’s always my mother who wants to make their birthdays one at the same time… (Did I tell that my mother is also good in accounting and budgeting? Well she’s expert on that!)

When I was young, I considered myself as the assistant of my father to any carpentry and repair works at home, no doubt why I earned this degree in Architecture. He also planned the nipa house we had in the province and I can still vividly remember it even when I was three years old then. My father was a very strict person…I used the verb ‘was’ because that was before when I was still studying. Afraid enclosed with respect is what I felt towards him. One time he caught me talking with someone on the phone (my father was on the extension line) and after that he asked me this question… what do you want --- to have a boyfriend or to study? I was so ashamed that time because I came to know how he wanted me to finish and prioritize my studies first. And from then on I focused and set my goals, it’s not just because I’m afraid of him but I came to see how my father really determined and strived to work hard just to finish our college degrees. And I’m proud of him as a security guard because all of his four children finished the tertiary level.

One thing that I really liked about my father is his being supportive in my decision especially when I wanted to work in Dubai 2008. My mother refused me to go but since I have him at my side, he entrusted me with his blessings to pursue my dream. At the same time, I assured and convinced my mother that it’s time to live a life independently on my own and explore the possibilities and opportunities abroad. God knows how deeply I was blessed to have an extended family abroad (my housemates, officemates and church mates in Dubai were truly my blessings).

Indeed, I admired and loved my father for the freedom he empowered me to follow my dreams. I’ve gone this far because of him. I realized that his strictness is wisdom of discipline which I owe him a lot until now. Like my mother, I want to thank and love God for giving me a great father like him which is definitely worth loving for.

Happy birthday Tatay! =)

(I like this song from Lee Greenwood)

Before Creation

Before Creation

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world…

Ephesians 1:4, NIV.

TODAY’S WORD

Did you know that God chose you before the foundations of the earth? Before the worlds were ever formed, He knew you. And, He didn’t create you to be average. He didn’t create you to barely get by. No, He created you to excel! Not only has He chosen you, but He has equipped you with everything you need to live and thrive in this life. He has deposited seeds of greatness inside every person. But in order to tap into those seeds of greatness, you have to believe this and act on it.

Too many people today are going around with low self-esteem, feeling inferior like they don’t have what it takes. But that is living a lie. And as long as we have a poor self-image, we’re not going to experience God’s best. In order to be all that God has called us to be, we have to see ourselves as chosen, valuable and victorious.

Today, meditate on this truth. Let it sink down deep into your heart. Let it build confidence and security in you. As you understand your value in the eyes of God, you’ll be empowered to live the life of victory He has prepared for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for choosing me. Thank You for equipping me. Help me to see myself the way You see me. Show me Your ways that I may walk with You in confidence and trust all the days of my life in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

Be Confident in God’s Strength in You byJon Walker “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’” (Numbers 13:30 NIV) God wants you confident in the truth that, through him, all things are possible. Your focus will determine your behavior and it will influence your faith. When the Israelites first approached the borders of Canaan, Moses sent scouts into the Promised Land to assess the situation. Ten of the scouts came back with reports that focused on the giants in the land, men so big and powerful the scouts feared they could not be defeated. However, two of the scouts remained focused on the promise from God that he would hand the land over to the Israelites. One of those scouts, Caleb, silenced the others when he said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Numbers 13:30 NIV). He was focused on the magnitude of God, not the magnitude of any giant challenges ahead. Today you may see many giants that challenge your faith — giants of time and energy, finances and resources, fear and faithlessness. God wants you to be confident that he’s pouring his strength into you so you can do whatever it takes to defeat these giants. God says you can take possession of an abundant life because he is with you. By seeing his hand sweep away the personal giants in your life, you’ll be even more confident that you can do all things through him who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Talk About It What giants are you facing today that seem too big to handle? Are they too big for God? Do you focus your day by studying God’s Word in the morning? How would doing so give you confidence in God’s strength throughout the day?

Happy Birthday Nanay!

by: Meg

Today is my mother’s 59^th birthday and I thank God because He gave me such a wonderful mother like her. There are many things I like about my mother which I truly admired of… her humility, patience and unconditional love.

I saw my mother how graciously taught us these three important virtues. As time passed by, I learned that Humility is the SOUL of forgiveness and forgiveness is the HEART of humility.  Like my grandmother, she’s also patient with us --- as her children and I love her for that especially when we were still so young.  Her unconditional love taught us these two basic things (forgiveness and patience); truly mother knows best.

I’m proud of my mother for being such a great daughter to my grandmother and grandfather. She may not able to attend further studies in secondary school because of poverty yet I owe her a lot of what I am right now. She strived and encouraged us to have a better education and to attain more what they don’t have in life through perseverance, discipline, determination and patience. The love that she learned from my grandmother is definitely an epitome of a woman with a good heart, with her loving kindness --- what else is there to be grateful for to God every single day and having such a wonderful mother like her… I will always thank and  love God for the rest of my life!

Happy birthday Nanay! =)

(I like the message of this song by Elvis Costello especially the following lines)

She may be the mirror of my dreams

The smile reflected in a stream

She may not be what she may seem inside her shell

She who always seems so happy in a crowd

Whose eyes can be so private and so proud

No one's allowed to see them when they cry

She may be the love that cannot hope to last

May come to me from shadows of the past

But I'll remember till the day I die

She may be the reason I survive

The why and wherefore I'm alive

The one I'll care for through the rough in many years

Me, I'll take her laughter and her tears

And make them all my souvenirs

For where she goes I've got to be

The meaning of my life is she

Speak to Your Mountains

Speak to Your Mountains

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done.

Matthew 21:21, AMP.

TODAY’S WORD

We’ve all had seasons when the challenges of life feel overwhelming. During those times, it’s easy to be tempted to talk about how bad things are. Maybe you received a bad medical report, or maybe you’re facing a financial obstacle. But the more you talk about something, the bigger it becomes in your mind. Instead, you’ve got to dig your heels in and say, “No, I am not going to give life to that defeat. I am not going to speak sickness over myself. I’m not going to speak lack. I’m not going to speak fear. I’m choosing a different report. I believe the report of the Lord which says I am blessed. I am favored. I am prosperous. I am healthy. I am whole. I’m a victor, not a victim.”

Remember, even if you don’t see how things could ever work out, God does. You’ve got to speak to those mountains in your life and declare favor over those situations. Instead of talking to God about how big your problems are, talk to your problems about how big your God is! As you speak to your mountains, they will be moved, and you will move forward into the victory God has prepared for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word which is life to my spirit. I receive Your strength today and choose to speak to the mountains so I can move forward in the victory You have in store for me in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

God Requires Risky Obedience byJon Walker “Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of.” (Luke 19:26 MSG) If God tells you to take a step of faith but you hesitate to take it until he shows you what the second step will be, you’re not waiting on God. He’s waiting on you. God uses risks, large and small, to push us into a deeper faith. And so he wants us to step forward in faith, even if we don’t know where the second step will take us. The not knowing is what requires faith, and the not knowing compels us to rely on God to guide us forward. Regardless of what we see on the other side of a God-directed risk, the reality is God is there. What seems to be a no-guarantee situation actually comes with the greatest guarantee of all — a God-guarantee — that he’s working in your life. With this guarantee from God, you can enter into the risky obedience of attempting things that are impossible unless God gives you his strength to do them. With this guarantee from God, you can enter into the risky obedience of loving other believers so deeply and so richly that you prove to the world that God’s love is flowing through you. With this guarantee from God, you can enter into the risky obedience of loving your unlovable neighbors just as God loved you, even when you seemed unlovable. With this guarantee from God, you can enter into the risky obedience of changing your priorities to match God’s priorities, sacrificing, in faith, what you cannot keep for the things that can never be taken away. With this guarantee from God, you can engage in the risky obedience of making disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them that the risky obedience of following Jesus comes with a God-guarantee (Matthew 28:19-20). Talk About It What task is before you that seems impossible? How would your approach to that task change when you believe it comes from God?

Megastructures

Set Forth His Word

Set Forth His Word

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11, NKJV.

TODAY’S WORD

Are you going through a difficult time today? Let me challenge you: don’t use your words to describe your situation, use your words to change your situation! All through the day you should go around saying, “I have the favor of God. I can do all things through Christ. I am blessed. I’m strong. I’m healthy.” When you speak like that, you are blessing your life. You are speaking favor into your future.

When you get up in the morning, if you aren’t feeling up to par, don’t set the tone of the day by speaking it. Don’t ever say, “This is going to be a lousy day. I don’t want to go to work. I’m tired of dealing with these children.” No, get up and say, “This is going to be a great day. I’m excited about my future. Something good is going to happen to me.”

Always remember, send your words out in the direction you want your life to go. Let His Word always be on your mouth. His Word will never return void. It will accomplish what it was set forth to do. So set forth His Word and move forward in blessing and victory all the days of your life!

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I send forth Your Word. I declare blessing, favor and victory over my life. I choose to set the tone for the day in peace, joy and victory today and every day in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

Faith Involves Taking Risks byJon Walker “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NASB) As we follow Jesus, he will move us deeper into faith by asking us to take risks. But they are never the proverbial “leap of faith” into darkness; rather they are specific risks that Jesus tells us to take. He asks us to do this because each risk, taken in faith, shows us that Jesus will take care of us, just as he has promised. Each time we take a step of faith, it moves us further away from living by sight, independent from God, and closer to living a life of faith, where you truly believe you are secure in God’s promises. “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NASB). When we do not live by faith, we live faithlessly — because any decision made independent of God is afaithless decision, no matter how good or right it may appear. Jesus is simply guiding us to the same deep intimacy he has with the Father: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19 NIV). Talk About It What is your natural reaction to taking risks? What are some steps you believe God is telling you to take that seem risky? How will you move forward in faith?