God Is for You

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES What On Earth Am I Here For?

God Is for You By Rick Warren — Oct 7, 2015 “But the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.’” (Luke 2:10 NLT, second edition)  Knowing God is for you will change your whole perspective on life. You’ll stop thinking of God as someone looking down from Heaven, ready to yell “Gotcha!” any time you mess up. God is for your success in life; he created you for a purpose, and he wants you to succeed. It is God, your Creator, who will measure your success in life and no one else. This is extremely good news! It means you don’t need to be afraid of God, because God is for you. Yet some people are so afraid of God they get nervous just talking about him. Do you know why? They feel guilty, and then they start thinking, “If I get close to God, he’s going to lecture me. He’s going to remind me of all the things I’ve done wrong, and then I’ll feel even worse!” Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said, “I did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” Jesus was saying, “I didn’t come to scold you; I came to save you.” And if God is for us, who can be against us? Jesus came to save us, not to scare us. That’s why when the angel was telling the shepherds about the birth of Jesus, the first thing he said is, “Don’t be afraid!”   In fact, when God sends a message to people in the Bible, it’s not unusual for the first words to be: “Don’t be afraid.” There are 365 messages from God in the Bible that begin with a phrase like, “Fear not!” In other words, every single day of the year, you can read a message from God that says, in effect, “You don’t need to be afraid. I am for you; I am with you; I love you.” God is for you! PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over How would your life change if you deeply believed God is for you? Ask God to help you in your unbelief. Why do you think so many people are afraid of God? What other Bible verses talk about how God is for you? Try memorizing one of them this week. Today’s Scripture “Then said Jesus, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’” (Luke 23:34, KJV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Extend Forgiveness When you’ve been hurt or offended, sometimes it’s tempting to hold on to unforgiveness. But we have to remember, when people wrong us, our battle is not against flesh and blood. In other words, that person who hurt you is not the real enemy. The Bible says that your adversary is the devil, and he knows that if you don’t forgive, your prayers won’t be effective. Unforgiveness puts up a barrier in your life to the power of God. In fact, if we don’t forgive others, we can’t be forgiven by God. However, when you choose forgiveness, you open the door for God’s healing power to flow through you! Disarm the enemy in your life today by choosing forgiveness. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who wrong you. Look at what Jesus did—when He was betrayed, beaten, mocked and disrespected, He chose to forgive. Follow His example, and open the door for victory in every area of your life! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for forgiving me and giving me new life. Today I choose to extend forgiveness to others. I bless those who have wronged me and ask You to heal every broken place in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Unexpected =)

Tonight, I want to share an inspiring and unexpected letter from a friend, an ex-colleague (from Obayashi Dubai Metro) who’s working now at KSA, a good father to his kids, respected husband and a big brother of mine. My heart is overflowing with joy and happiness for his faith in God while reading his message. A good reason why I never get tired of sending devotional emails daily. =)

 

Re: Spiritual Maturity is Never an End in Itself

On Wed, Oct 7, 2015 at 11:23 AM,                                                                     wrote:

Hi Badet,

This one you sent me is very much applicable to me as I embark into a new challenges in life. Last oct 4,after 2 weeks holiday na received ko ung termination ng contract ko. Wayback a year ago, I was so excited accepted by Parsons in KSA working for riyadh metro, as we know like those first time in dubai metro. it was last Nov. 24 when i started working back in riyadh after almost 2 years working in a local company in pinas. It was  here in riyadh where i grow my faith attending BS and service with RICM (Rock International Christian Ministry) Baptist church where i continue to grow in Christ, i am thankful to be part of this group as it support me strengthen my faith and overcome challenges like one this.

I got my clearances and ticket this Thursday na ang balik ko sa pinas, oct 8, and i am not worry for God has something instore for me. The day i received my letter i called my agency in pinas and they assured me to have new work, sila din kasi nag susuply ng staff sa doha rail sa qatar at sa UAE.

Salamat sa mga ganitong pagkakataon mas nakikila ko ang reason ko in life not only for my family but all people i encountered in life.

Best Regards,

 

Spiritual Maturity is Never an End in Itself

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES What On Earth Am I Here For?

Spiritual Maturity is Never an End in Itself By Rick Warren — Oct 6, 2015 “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28 TLB) We are commanded to serve God. Jesus was unmistakable: “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many”(Matthew 20:28 TLB). For Christians, service is not something to be tacked onto our schedules if we can spare the time. It is the heart of the Christian life. Jesus came “to serve” and “to give” — and those two verbs should define your life on Earth, too. Jesus taught that spiritual maturity is never an end in itself. Maturity is for ministry! We grow up in order to give out. It is not enough to keep learning more and more. We must act on what we know and practice what we claim to believe. Impression without expression causes depression. Study without service leads to spiritual stagnation. The old comparison between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea is still true. Galilee is a lake full of life because it takes in water but also gives it out. In contrast, nothing lives in the Dead Sea because, with no outflow, the lake has stagnated. The last thing many believers need is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice. What they need is serving experiences in which they can exercise their spiritual muscles. Serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time we’re more interested in “serve us” than service. We say, “I’m looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me,” not “I’m looking for a place to serve and be a blessing.” We expect others to serve us, not vice versa. But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, “Who’s going to meet my needs?” and starts asking, “Whose needs can I meet?” PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What has God been teaching you lately? How have you expressed it through ministry? What do you think: are you more interested in being served by or serving in your church? Why? How does service make believers stand out in the world? Today’s Scripture “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me...” (Psalm 23:4, NKJV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Walk Through Have you ever gone through something that felt like the valley of the shadow of death? It’s easy to get discouraged during the tough times. But I love what it says in today’s verse, “though I walk through.” No matter what you are facing today, know this: you are not alone, and you are just walking through. You don’t have to stop and live in the tough times! They are only temporary. Don’t allow fear to paralyze you in the middle of “the valley of the shadow of death.” God is with you. He is walking beside you. He is strengthening you. He is making a way of escape for you. He is lining up people and situations to bring you out of that tough place into a place of strength and victory! Why don’t you get a vision of your life on the other side of that trial. See yourself more loving, more faithful, stronger and more blessed than before. Keep moving forward and keep walking through. Press forward into the victory God has prepared for you! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. Thank You for walking with me even in the hard times. I trust that You are taking me through my circumstances to a place of victory and strength in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

God Takes Your Problem and Makes It His

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES What On Earth Am I Here For?   God Takes Your Problem and Makes It His By Rick Warren — Oct 5, 2015 “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT, second edition)  What is grace? That’s when God gives you what you need, not what you deserve. Grace is when God says, “I’m going to take your problem and make it my problem.” Grace is God’s Riches given to you AtChrist’s Expense. The Bible says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT, second edition). In other words, you can’t earn your way to Heaven. You can’t work your way in. It’s just a gift. I know I don’t look like it today, but for three years I was a lifeguard. And every lifeguard knows you can’t save people as long as they are trying to save themselves. If somebody is drowning and flailing around in panic, a lifeguard knows to just stay back for a few seconds and wait until that person gives up. Because if you try to save others while they’re trying to save themselves, they will pull you under, too. When they finally give up, they relax; you put your arm around them and just swim back to shore. It’s really quite easy. God wants to save you. Jesus Christ wants to save you from your hurts, your habits, and your hang-ups. He wants to save you for his purpose and by his grace. But you’ve got to quit trying to do it yourself. You’ve got to relax. You need to let go and let God be God.  PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Why is it difficult for many people to accept a gift? What does it mean to take credit for your salvation? In what ways do we do this? How can you relax more in God’s grace? Today’s Scripture “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, AMP) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Press Through In Mark chapter five, there was a woman who had been sick for twelve years. The doctors gave her no hope, but she heard that Jesus was passing through town. Something deep down on the inside was saying, “This is your season. This is your time to get well.” In the natural, when she saw all the people around Him, she thought, “I’ll never get to Him. It’s so crowded and I’m weak.” She almost missed her season. But instead of dwelling on those negative thoughts, instead of looking at her situation, she started reminding herself, “If I can just get to Jesus, I will be whole.” She made the choice to turn her thoughts in the right direction and was empowered to take a leap of faith. She pressed through the crowd until she got just close enough to touch the edge of Jesus’ robe. Instantly, she was made whole. Jesus said in Mark 5:34, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” Notice it’s our faith that activates God’s power. We have to press through our thoughts, press through our circumstances, press through the crowd and obstacles until we touch Him. Today, with every step you take, God is drawing closer to you. He’ll meet your faith with His miraculous power so you can embrace the victory He has waiting for you! A Prayer for Today “Father, I come to You today with an open and humble heart. I ask You to fill me with Your strength, peace and joy so that I can press through to victory today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

♥ You are God alone =)

God’s Goal for You Is Character, Not Comfort

​

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES What On Earth Am I Here For?

God’s Goal for You Is Character, Not Comfort By Rick Warren — Oct 4, 2015 “Take on an entirely new way of life — a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.” (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG) Many religions and New Age philosophies promote the old lie that we are divine or can become gods. Let me be absolutely clear: You will never become God or even a god. That prideful lie is Satan’s oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, “You shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5 KJV). This desire to be a god shows up every time we try to control our circumstances, our future, and people around us. But as creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want you to become a god; he wants you to become godly, taking on his values, attitudes, and character. We are meant to “take on an entirely new way of life — a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you” (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG). God’s ultimate goal for your life on Earth is not comfort but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone. God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn’t want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality. Every time you forget that character is one of God’s purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You’ll wonder, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?” One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It’s what enables us to grow. Remember, Earth is not Heaven. Many Christians misinterpret Jesus’ promise of the “abundant life” (John 10:10) to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer. In a word, they expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect Heaven on Earth. This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of reality. Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God’s purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide Heaven on Earth when he’s planned the real thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on Earth to build and strengthen our character for Heaven. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over How does this devotional encourage you in light of the ways that the world is changing, often not for the better? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OICArFHAa9c What Scripture verses will you memorize to help you when you are facing discouragement or difficult circumstances? What do you expect from God? Where does the motivation for those expectations come from? Today’s Scripture “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight...” (Isaiah 45:2, NKJV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS He Prepares Your Path Do you ever feel like every time you try to move forward in something, you hit a roadblock, or something happens that throws you off course? Be encouraged today because God is going before you! You may not see it, but He is preparing a way for you. He’s making your crooked places straight. He’s making your rough places smooth. You may be going through a difficult time right now, but it’s not the end. It’s only the beginning, and God has equipped you for this journey! Don’t look at your circumstances today, look at the promise of God! Keep speaking words of faith because God promises to anoint your head with oil. He’ll cause your cup to run over. That means when you seek Him, you’ll be refreshed and anointed to do what He’s called you to do. What do you need today to keep moving forward? Start by checking your attitude. Don’t go around complaining and focused on the negative side of things. Instead, put on an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. Thank Him for making your crooked places straight. Keep your eyes on Him and let Him lead you into victory all the days of your life! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for Your goodness in my life. Thank You for preparing my path and for making my crooked places straight. Restore my soul and lead me in the good plan You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

♥ Gorgeous as you =)