Jesus looked at His disciples and told them in front of a large crowd that they are blessed because they have made big sacrifices and that these sacrifices which are investments in God's Kingdom, cause them to inherit the blessings of God's Kingdom. Here is the scripture:
Luke 6:20b (NKJV) Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Jesus then addresses the crowd and tells them that if they haven't made sacrifices for God's Kingdom, then they have already received their blessing. In the New King James Version, we translate the word to "consolation" and in the NIV the same word is translated to "comfort." Here is the verse:
Luke 6:24 (NKJV) But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
We of course understand that when you receive your reward here on earth, that you cannot take it with you to heaven and it is temporary where as if you live your life to build rewards in heaven, that those rewards last forever. That is why Jesus said it is a "woe" if you get your comfort/consolation now. Because it is nothing compared to an eternal reward.
Have you ever received a "consolation prize?" Someone got a really cool prize and the 2nd and 3rd runners up got something made out of plastic? The root word of consolation is console. It means to comfort someone who has experienced loss. In terms of a prize, the lesser prize is purposed to comfort the ones who didn't get the major prize.
That is what earthly riches are likened to by Jesus. You could have had Kingdom prizes. You could have had eternal rewards. But because you chose to invest only in yourself and not in God's Kingdom, because you chose your own comfort and lived without sacrifice, you have settled for the consolation riches. Jesus said, woe to you.
Let us live our lives going for Kingdom prizes and not settle for woe-full consolation gifts. Enough said!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Worship at TFI Gateway Mall Cinema 2
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thanksgiving Dinner at Johnny Rockets - And Camp!
Ethan and I had dinner at Johnny Rockets for Thanksgiving (USA) on Friday because we missed celebrating on Thursday because we were at the Tabernacle of Faith Christian Academy Grade School Camp in a rural locale. We would have cooked a turkey, but we have no oven in our apartment :-). We would have gone to the home of any number of American Missionary Friends, but we were a day late. So we had chili burgers, chili dogs and milk shakes at a nostolgic American diner instead. It was great! Ethan had a blast putting 1 peso coins into the juke box and watching the wait staff occassionaly perform dance numbers to 50's/60's music.
Ethan was so happy after the camp. It was his first ever as he is now in grade 4 and the camp is for grades 4-6. We had wonderful guest speakers, Assembly of God missionaries Mark and Sarah Brown who along with their team shared in the first two sessions. They used props such as a parachute and a robot and even did a "shadow surgery" in which they removed "sinful" items from a patient behind a back-lit sheet. The kids not only loved it, but the illustrations are memorable. Then in the third session (Thursday night), I did not share my prepared message as worship (led by Leyl Bartoleme and Jay Aquino) took off in an amazing way. By the 4th song, kids were weeping before the Lord and by the 6th song we were in a full revival. It all started because there were songs about the Father and the kids who miss their earthly fathers due to seperation (there is no divorce in the Philippines), being work-a-holics, not showing them love, etc., began to forgive them and allow God to heal them of their pain. But it didn't stop there. Mothers, uncles, siblings, teachers, friends, enemies, they were forgiving them all and forgiving each other. The tears turned to joy and there was allot of hugging going on and then the worship flew because of high praise and a victorious celebration! So great and amazing!!
I didn't get a chance to write about the High School Camp a couple of weeks ago but it was equally amazing!! God moved as our guest, Carlo Victa (from San Diego and Baguio City) taught us God's Word and as worship (led by Leyl and Yash Bartolome) took off as well! The High School students are transformed and the difference is still obvious as I walk the hallways of the school even today. God is sooooo good!!!
We have much to be Thankful for. I am thankful for God's faithfulness not only in my life and in the lives of my family members, but also in the lives of my TFCA Family. The Students, the Teachers and the Staff. God is working guys and let us continue to keep our hearts sensitive before Him daily. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Ethan was so happy after the camp. It was his first ever as he is now in grade 4 and the camp is for grades 4-6. We had wonderful guest speakers, Assembly of God missionaries Mark and Sarah Brown who along with their team shared in the first two sessions. They used props such as a parachute and a robot and even did a "shadow surgery" in which they removed "sinful" items from a patient behind a back-lit sheet. The kids not only loved it, but the illustrations are memorable. Then in the third session (Thursday night), I did not share my prepared message as worship (led by Leyl Bartoleme and Jay Aquino) took off in an amazing way. By the 4th song, kids were weeping before the Lord and by the 6th song we were in a full revival. It all started because there were songs about the Father and the kids who miss their earthly fathers due to seperation (there is no divorce in the Philippines), being work-a-holics, not showing them love, etc., began to forgive them and allow God to heal them of their pain. But it didn't stop there. Mothers, uncles, siblings, teachers, friends, enemies, they were forgiving them all and forgiving each other. The tears turned to joy and there was allot of hugging going on and then the worship flew because of high praise and a victorious celebration! So great and amazing!!
I didn't get a chance to write about the High School Camp a couple of weeks ago but it was equally amazing!! God moved as our guest, Carlo Victa (from San Diego and Baguio City) taught us God's Word and as worship (led by Leyl and Yash Bartolome) took off as well! The High School students are transformed and the difference is still obvious as I walk the hallways of the school even today. God is sooooo good!!!
We have much to be Thankful for. I am thankful for God's faithfulness not only in my life and in the lives of my family members, but also in the lives of my TFCA Family. The Students, the Teachers and the Staff. God is working guys and let us continue to keep our hearts sensitive before Him daily. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Hunger NOW, Cry NOW, Be FILLED
In the Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-23), Jesus twice says "now."
"Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh." (NKJV) - verse 21
So if you want to be filled with food and filled with laughter, it's not enough to have hungered and cried previously and it won't do you current good to plan on hungering or crying tomorrow or later today. You need to do it NOW.
I have been instructed by my doctor and dietitian to eat 6 small meals a day in order to keep my blood sugar levels more stable. This has changed my life drastically in many ways. Firstly, my metabolism has increased which has caused me to lose weight (in a good way) and my energy has increased. Secondly, if I eat too much at any given meal, I won't be hungry in time to eat again. Then I have to eat when I'm not hungry.
Eating when I'm not hungry is one of the least satisfying things that I do. I really don't like to do it but I have to do it. And so I have become good at not eating too much and I seldom eat junk food anymore. That way when it is time to eat, I have a hunger to satisfy which makes ingesting that food all the more pleasurable to me. Much more satisfying!
Sometimes we eat the Word of God out of habit, out of discipline, out of obligation even when we are not hungry and it isn't nearly as satisfying. I do believe that you should read God's Word every day no matter how you feel, but I also do believe that we are responsible for our own level of hunger by being purposeful about not filling our lives with "junk food"... the junk food of busy-ness, meaningless entertainment, so on and so forth.
I need to come to God hungry. I need to open God's Word hungry and eager to eat! And when I do that, His Word promises that I will be filled!
The greatest times of weeping that I have experienced have been when I become aware of my own sin, failures and weaknesses. My mistakes and my disobedience towards my God. The conviction which the Holy Spirit brings upon us is necessary and the results are beautiful. I pour my heart out to God, I come to Him appealing for mercy and He grants it and I end up feeling so great and filled with joy! It is awesome to be cleansed from my sins and cleared of all unrighteousness. There is nothing else like that!
So the question that I am posing today is this. Are you hungry NOW? Are you crying NOW? When you hunger, wait to eat from the table of the Lord and don't accept inferior food. When you cry, direct your tears towards the feet of Jesus the same way the sinful woman with the alabaster jar did when she washed His feet and ask Him to cleanse you of your sins. If you hunger NOW and weep NOW, you WILL be filled! You will be satisfied!
"Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh." (NKJV) - verse 21
So if you want to be filled with food and filled with laughter, it's not enough to have hungered and cried previously and it won't do you current good to plan on hungering or crying tomorrow or later today. You need to do it NOW.
I have been instructed by my doctor and dietitian to eat 6 small meals a day in order to keep my blood sugar levels more stable. This has changed my life drastically in many ways. Firstly, my metabolism has increased which has caused me to lose weight (in a good way) and my energy has increased. Secondly, if I eat too much at any given meal, I won't be hungry in time to eat again. Then I have to eat when I'm not hungry.
Eating when I'm not hungry is one of the least satisfying things that I do. I really don't like to do it but I have to do it. And so I have become good at not eating too much and I seldom eat junk food anymore. That way when it is time to eat, I have a hunger to satisfy which makes ingesting that food all the more pleasurable to me. Much more satisfying!
Sometimes we eat the Word of God out of habit, out of discipline, out of obligation even when we are not hungry and it isn't nearly as satisfying. I do believe that you should read God's Word every day no matter how you feel, but I also do believe that we are responsible for our own level of hunger by being purposeful about not filling our lives with "junk food"... the junk food of busy-ness, meaningless entertainment, so on and so forth.
I need to come to God hungry. I need to open God's Word hungry and eager to eat! And when I do that, His Word promises that I will be filled!
The greatest times of weeping that I have experienced have been when I become aware of my own sin, failures and weaknesses. My mistakes and my disobedience towards my God. The conviction which the Holy Spirit brings upon us is necessary and the results are beautiful. I pour my heart out to God, I come to Him appealing for mercy and He grants it and I end up feeling so great and filled with joy! It is awesome to be cleansed from my sins and cleared of all unrighteousness. There is nothing else like that!
So the question that I am posing today is this. Are you hungry NOW? Are you crying NOW? When you hunger, wait to eat from the table of the Lord and don't accept inferior food. When you cry, direct your tears towards the feet of Jesus the same way the sinful woman with the alabaster jar did when she washed His feet and ask Him to cleanse you of your sins. If you hunger NOW and weep NOW, you WILL be filled! You will be satisfied!
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