"On Fasting..."

Fasting is Deliverance...

"Fasting is disconnecting yourself to the world; Praying is connecting yourself to God."~ Jentezen Franklin
I'm celebrating with my "Fast." Today marks the 7th day of it. My withdrawals from fasting get  easier to contain now. I know I can't do it on my own capacity if my fasting is not supported with praying; both of which are dependent of each other.

Since I haven't plugging-in with social networking; not mall/store shopping ; and even not listening or humming songs but K-Love & Air One radio stations, my hope in doing all of these with the Holy Spirit guiding me is to come out and live out the veracity of His Word; the Bible.

When you fast & pray earnestly, reading His Word and listening to a host of TBN preachers like Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah, Jentezen Franklin, James Merritt, Jack Graham, Bayless Conley, John Bradshaw and of course Joyce Meyer and John Hagee especially on Sundays and after dinner from Monday -Friday is nothing but gaining new revelations on how to cement your walk with God. That alone I think is a personal breakthrough and a joy that springs forth due to a paradigm shift.

Many would not attempt to fast, pray, read the Bible daily and steering clear from worldly stuff. And that's a very legitimate reason if you're a non-believer or not a Christian. But if you believe in Trinity, the message of the Cross, and the Holy Bible as the Word of God, I believe that 'Fasting" corporately as a church should be our first line of attack embarking on our New Year's resolutions.

With my experience in "Fasting," in the previous years, it's worth replenishing your body from the toxic, residual "messes" of our own making. We're still human after all. We all sin and when we do repeatedly for the same offense most likely (because God always allow us to go to the same battle until we really got and learn from it).Many of us settle from staying or keeping an addiction (whatever form that is) because we think God will always forgives us and we give the Lord different excuses as to why until now we're not delivered. Why can't we just accept the fact that we are proud, arrogant and stubborn so we can at least establish some grounds. From there, we can begin to glean something of importance, of value and live a life of meaning. But before that, we should be willing to do something different above what is expected of us.

For the last three years, I've been at the bottom of the barrel; been in the valley for too long. I've been hanging out for something I thought my past life was real and can have a part two or a sequel to once-revered relationship that happened three decades ago. And all this time, I've missed out on my full blessings and the prophetic vision that was laid on my spiritual life .I had allowed the devil to play games with me; putting seeds of myths on my mind that I accepted them to be true. But there's no need to glorify his dirty tricks now. I'm here now with the new mindset: to always align my heart's desires, passions and dreams with God's will for my life. It's never too late to have a clean slate by doing fasting. And I know that during fasting the atmospheric presence of God intensifies; helping and guiding you pull away from things and people; entanglements, that are keeping you distant from Him.

This is a season I give to God...and I'm depending solely on His Grace to give me the help, the direction, steps, strength in my home, in my talk and in my walk...

"There's no person so deep in sin that can't be washed by the blood of Jesus Christ; that we, sinners can be forgiven even the most defrayed of human hearts.

Thanks for reading and you take care always...Till tomorrow

God Bless

"When Timing is not Right..."

"When Timing Is Not Right..."

Timing is important on God's perspective; however, we don't see it that way especially when we've been praying for something or for someone to come into fruition. Waiting becomes a temptation to create your own answer. So, we failed to wait on God's timing and over time or very shortly, we suffer the consequences of our disobedience, rebellion and arrogance to His Word.

I've known from elders and heard from a few people while growing up in a quaint barrio that our prayers can be answered by God immediately; wait awhile or can't be answered at all. And in my personal experiences, I've gotten all these kind of responses. Having been raised in a Catholic church and graduated in a Catholic high school, my thoughts were framed or draped on its beliefs and religious practices. But when I went to college, it's no brainer that there was a growing propensity within me that wanted to almost explode. And being away from home had given me opportunities to explore religious beliefs or even cults. I felt like a nomad attending to different religious activities outside the university. Those meetings didn't settle with me that was why I never joined as a member. I was just there for the taking. I thought I had a gift for discernment...

At 17 as a college Freshman majoring in Mass Communications, what do I know and I didn't know what to expect. I didn't have the right armor of God's word to protect me from false preachings and from the devil's schemes and from those who were wearing cloaks to lure you to be like them. Although I wasn't a prayer warrior back then and didn't even realize the importance of praying, I've always known that God loves me and that truth of it has followed me wherever I am.
Through it all; the adventure, the exploration and my journey to find who God really is in my primetime was premature, not ripened.
You know why, because I wasn't praying directly to God. I didn't have the Holy Spirit to guide me. I didn't have a personal relationship with the Lord until very later on in my life. It's true that I was born- again Christian, also at 17. I still remember that mid-afternoon when a pastor immersed my head in the river and I thought that was strange and yet the pastor ended up saying something to me like prophesying for great things on my life. Although I didn't have the full understanding of that representation of water baptism, I felt peace, a dash of joy... So I waited for the full blessings to come around. I'm still waiting for the one prayer God never has shown me favor.

Could it be that this prayer of mine falls under the category of prayers that can't be answered? Is it still worth waiting or abandon it totally and just let God be the throne of all my heart's desires. I may not see His reasons and as a better Christian now, I should have a concrete inkling, too. It's hard to take courage to trust. You have to know how to really pray with pure/good intentions so we may be illuminated with God's working and preparing His will and provisions into our life,

In Isaiah 40:31 says, : "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall not mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

Thank you for reading...

Happy Sabbath & till tomorrow. Take care always.

"The Presence of God is Your True Prosperity..."

"The presence of God in your life is your true prosperity and success...~Creflo Dollar

The life of Joseph as written in the book of Genesis chapters 39-50 exemplifies the Lord's presence in his prosperity as" he found grace in the Egyptian master whom Joseph served. "And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. He made Joseph overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand."

The best part of Joseph's success story for me was not when he finally revealed himself to his brothers who cast him into a pit and sold him to the Ish-me-e-lites for twenty pieces of silver and they brought Joseph into Egypt. For me, it was when the wife of his master cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." But Joseph refused. His response to her was to me was an indication of his understanding of the presence of God in his heart.
In Genesis 39: 9 Joseph said, "There is none greater in this house that I; neither had he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And Joseph's master put him into the prison "when he heard the words of his wife that Joseph came in unto her to mock her."
"But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

I believe that in Joseph's heart of hearts, he was committed to follow God's will for his life. He never complained or murmured like the Israelites in the wilderness. Instead, his heart and eyes were fixed to fulfill his destiny bestowed by God. He waited and  he did the best of his time while waiting in prison. Then the time has come to reap his reward: In Genesis 41:42-42 says, "And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck: And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

You and I may have equated success to much possession we have stored in our house or in our business; the car we drive and the memberships in the social strata we're a part of; or the accolades and academic credentials we have under our belt. Needless to say; these are all signs and representations of comfort and convenience and I don't have any qualms about some people having them. But I just want them to recognize that all of these can be gone in a split of a second. And if you don't have God's presence in your life, you are bound to just accumulating things...lost & unhappy.

Where do you go from here? Is Heaven not in your mind these days? Dr. Franklin Paul Crouch spent all his life spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ when he was alive; touched and helped people all over the world with his genuine crusade for Christ. Being the president and the founder of TBN, he had won his race here on earth. That's success that abounds...

Thank you for reading...
Till tomorrow and good night!

"Your Inner Compass"

Your Inner Compass

The Holy Spirit is your heart's compass. Your divine guide. But here's the "kicker:"
Since he is Holy and perfect, God can't invade a deceitful heart, a manipulative mind and worst; if the Lord sees that you're serving two masters: part of you in the secular humanity and part of you turn to God when you're in need. That means your soul is not right. That you're troubled with many things; That your measure of faith still depends on your surrounding circumstances. Your faith is still encumbered ; a "see-saw" perhaps. In short, you're lost. 

When you're on the mountaintop, you translate this to be God's divine provision which is true because God brings us to a season of exceeding abundance; however; when you're in the valley you experience trials, deep sorrows and even infirmities. And according to your faith, the length of your stay depends on your understanding on how God operates. If you've missed it because of your stubbornness, your full blessings are also curtailed and in halt. You can't trade divine treasures with earthly treasures. If you choose the latter, you'll be miserable and you may need an "endless ladder to reach heaven."

Never grieve the Holy Spirit deliberately. For He will leave you and you're on your own. I know we're not perfect but if we have Him as our true compass, we'll go through life with the evidence of His grace. With that, nothing should shake our faith to a point where we feel disconnected, strayed. I wish I could say that I've never done premature, selfish, arrogant ways but I did. We all did.

Our God is the God of order not confusion. So if He is truly in the throne of your life, every step you make is ordered by him and you delight in his way. (Psalm 37:23)

So how do we preserve and strengthen that compass in us? What my heart says has something to do with compassion, humility and  the joy of knowing and learning more of His Word. The more we immerse ourselves with His Word, we'll be more acquainted of how to overpower the devil's plots and tactics.
I also mentioned compassion because if we're heartless and not be able to feel and do something for others' pain & suffering, then we couldn't call ourselves sons and daughters of the Almighty God. He wants us to freely give our support financially, our time and services and our prayers. After all, everything that we have comes from Him. I don't know why still many people refuse to honor Him with our gifts. If we have the Holy Spirit, to be compassionate to our neighbors and to those in need won't be an issue but a grateful heart. Another one is humility. Oh, that's a "biggie." We all have tendencies to boast. We couldn't wait for other people to compliment our works. Is it necessary for us even to broadcast our fine achievements and accolades because deep inside we all need recognition. Why can't we be humble enough to be quiet like "deep waters?" There's always that sense of urgency waiting to be uplifted. We call that foolish pride.

But all these things that we're so fixated with are just what they are: things that leave us no comfort but more longings for something that will quiet our soul and our mind...We should ask: what should we give back to God for everything he gave and still giving to us? We should be thankful of His blessings; past, present & future. I pray that we all reconcile with the truth of God's promises. He is the only Way, the Truth and the Life...I know you believe that, too.

Thanks for reading and till tomorrow...


"Nothing is Happenstance..."

"Nothing is happenstance..."

 I believe that everything happens for a reason...
When my dad died from a hard fall that caused him his life, we were all in state of shock. And it would be for several years before healing has begun.

Days before my dad's passing, he cleaned out everything in his backyard; uprooted some bushes and trees that were withering, discarded stuff away from his shed like somehow he knew he got about 72 hours left to live. The night he died, it was a picture of a dark, blistering, freezing winter of December 9, 2005.

Because of how it happened, we had to pull together as a family and set aside individual differences of personal opinions among us. That was the very first funeral in the family. There was no such thing as the right words to say when you're mourning. A bucket of tears was shed, the pain sometimes is almost unbearable, a wrecking spirit ensued. It was a very long process for all of us before we have come into realization that the only acceptable reason we can confide in ourselves was God's higher purpose.

Thus, it was very important that we are a family of faith that God, through it all, He is the Almighty...We have to decide that we may not know the reasons why things happen so untimely, we have to put our trust in Him. We have to let Him be our Sovereign Father in our life. I know that's hard to do because we're all weak and sinners. We're always surrounded and bombarded with so many choices and with so many rights. It's mind-blowing how some people could make their claims outside the Word of God. That's wild trappings...

Guideposts is one of the magazines I read from cover to cover. "It's a monthly inspirational, interfaith, nonprofit magazine written by people from all walks of life. Its articles help readers achieve their maximum personal and spiritual potential." Today it felt compelling n my spirit to read all the articles. Something revelatory happened while I was reading up to the point where I felt so guilty for not being more audacious in a good way to do something bigger and challenging. I have allowed myself in a state of dormancy by creating dreams with the wrong souls and I only have myself to blame. But that's over now...We all have different lessons to learn from. And you know when you've really learned that lesson. That's between you and God and His grace.
  
One thing I want to reiterate is that: when you finally learned your lesson you feel completely free, and freedom has a new meaning which is forgiveness and acceptance of what you've done wrong and God is now the shepherd of your life. "And that you you are His sheep and you know His voice."What an assurance.

Now I get to choose how I embark a new journey, a new road. It may be a road less traveled but that's the path I'm taking. I know that the travelers on that path are willing to reach the end  with me...

Thanks for reading and till tomorrow.

"The Gift of Deliverance"

The Gift Of Deliverance...

I've noticed Today that I'm beginning to experience the effect of fasting. I committed myself to miss lunch for 21days. And if you're working, there are some issues. When your flesh is vexed with physical hunger, you want to lie down in the comfort of your own bed or couch and read your  Bible and start praying to God for spiritual strength and deliverance from temptation to give in for your appetite.

The realization that when you're hungry, your sense of focus towards learning/relating and communicating  yourself to others may be weakened; even jeopardized. Remember the story of Jacob and his older brother Esau in the Bible. Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew in exchange of Esau's first-born birthright. And just for a bowl of soup to satisfy his hunger temporarily, Esau sold his birthright. I bet Esau was so remorseful and hated himself realizing the magnanimity of his birthright.

I'm just saying that hunger alone can provoke somebody to make irreconcilable choices. And if your heart and mind are not framed and grounded with the truth of God, you and I are bound to fail. We need to quote, meditate on scriptures that would sustain the forefront of our faith.

We need to be delivered from feeling small, defeated and victimized by half-truths and notions of relativity. When we do, we're giving the devil a stronghold in our way of thinking. Satan will make things look like half-truths and relativism are acceptable. But in God's Word, these notions are an invitation for sin.

In Matthew 4:4; Jesus answered, "It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God." I am believing that I can do this. That this is not even a sacrifice on my part. If I have to live the rest of my life on this earth, let it be that the truth of His Word will follow me, and lead me to Heaven's gate. 

My gift of deliverance: Just like the song "Oceans by Hillsong; "Let me walk upon the waters and takes me deeper where my feet ever wanders; and keep my eyes above the waves."
But only in His presence that I'm delivered in my prayer, in fasting and in my moment of weakness.

I should not be focusing in my human flaws but in the strength and power of the One that I'm praying to for petitions in my life; my sons, family, friends and  especially spiritual men and women of God whom he called and anointed to preach His gospel of Truth of eternal salvation; Heaven and Hell. Also praying for marriages under God's covenant to get strengthened and unified. You know, Family is the catalyst for every foundation the world has ever known. Take care of your family. Make time for your family. Do things for them. Distance should not deter you from expressing your love for them. 

So I should meditate on this scripture: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians6:11 (KJV) I'm aware that in embarking good resolutions; keeping them is not easy. There will be encounters as tests of your character but "God is with you, who can be against you." (Romans 8:31) So, why are we sometimes putting such burdens on ourselves that are self defeating. Isn't  it that we're already victorious and more than conquerors just accepting Him as our personal Savior & Lord?

Thanks for reading...Till tomorrow.

"Happy Three Kings"

"Happy Three Kings' Day"

 So Back to Work Today...I think I've greeted at least  a dozen of  my co-educators, teachers & colleagues, Happy New Year; Happy Three Kings. To some, the latter didn't seem to resonate with them anymore. They may not even remember the three kings' names not unless they have a Bible background, or was a regular in a Sunday school. If ever they paid attention to my reaction to their seemingly odd facial expression, I was somehow disconcerted. I think that's what I get for expecting too much from people or just maybe that that we used to celebrate in reverence is no longer a "hype."

Taking Down The Christmas Decors...

This year I dare to do things slightly different and see whether that brings me more creativity in my thinking and work. Doing something new is always a good challenge; a workout. So, this year, 2014, I decided to keep my Christmas decorations till today. My mom's analogy on this is to fully embrace the completion of the entire Christmas/ New Year's celebration. And the blessings will also come in full circles. That may be true but  that's primarily the reason I waited. I just want accessibility, feasibility and where that takes me. Enjoy its every moment that I am a part of it...

Keeping Tract Of My Time...

I'm keeping a log & journal of all my activities. I want to have a clear picture where my time is going. This includes even my time writing a blog for 31 days; networking, watching television shows, reading, exercising; "people to see and places to go." I'm sure I'll be finding that some of the things that I'm doing are off my core objectives. I just want to identify them concretely through chronicling data of how my time is being spent. With that analysis drawn after reviewing them, that will reveal where my disconnects were...
It could have been that one of the major issues for not achieving a unified pace is setting boundaries. There are still many times that I let people invade my time and space. Or worst, not setting higher goals for myself. May be because you don't see many people going  and chasing for their dreams anymore. Some of us have lagged for so long we think we're okay. We're so confined with the parameters the society has embellished into our minds  devalued, downsized, mitigated integrity.
I really wish I'm wrong with my perception.

Keeping It Real...

What happened in the past can never be restored nor recovered. That's baloney if somebody tells you that. That's why we are to choose to be 100% be in the moment. Be respectful of my presence. Don't multi-task when you're talking to me. Don't be thinking other nonsense people or things if you want real communication. Don't infuse things that are subsidiary to what we're talking about. That's not being selfish. That's letting the other person what you can take and what you can ditch. Otherwise, a masquerade of fowl plays and games emerge if you're not honest with what's holding you and keeping you grounded in this life.

Till tomorrow.