Close to GOD - May 9, 2014

Scripture: Psalm 15-172 

1 Adonai, who can rest in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain?
2 Those who live a blameless life, who behave uprightly,
who speak truth from their hearts
3 and keep their tongues from slander; who never do harm to others

or seek to discredit neighbors;
4 who look with scorn on the vile, but honor those who fear Adonai;
who hold to an oath, no matter the cost;
5 who refuse usury when they lend money and refuse a bribe to damage the innocent.
Those who do these things never will be moved.

Message:

The Secret to being close to GOD.

Observation/Promise:
Humans are not perfect. In fact we fail more than we succeed, we are evil more than we are good. But who can rest in the mountain of GOD or who can enter His most Holy presence? Who is worthy? Is anyone ever worthy? There is no one, no one is worthy but those who trust in His Son Yeshua who is worthy can enter the rest of GOD. For when we trust in His Son Yeshua, we begin to be transformed by His grace. We do not act as we used to, His grace and amazing power changes us into the likeness of Him.

Command/Application:

We are not perfect, but with everyday we live, we have to strive to be holy not by being perfect because we can never achieve holiness or perfection on our own. But by being dependent on GOD's grace and humble to accept and receive His mercy and forgiveness when we diligently ask for it each day. For every breath we breathe and the thoughts that my come in and out of our minds may not be pleasing to the LORD. How easy is it for us to judge others when the weakness that they have is our strength but when we remember to be merciful to others because GOD has shown us the same mercy, we ask forgiveness because we understand just how frail and sinful we are. It is not by being righteous that brings us close to GOD, it is by humility and trust in His Son Yeshua. The One who saves.

All Work Out - April 22, 2014

Scripture: Romans 7-8

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) 

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. - Romans 8

Message:

Our sufferings now can only remind us of our Hope for a glorious Future.

Observation/Promise:

We may have sufferings and troubles on earth, but they are only to mold us into better persons, shaping us to be a people of great character, one that GOD is working to be worthy of the paradise He has prepared for us. Yes we are all saved from our sins and condemnation when we accept the Lord Yeshua as our GOD but acceptance is not the end but only the start of our transformation. We can not stop pursuing GOD just because we are already sure of our salvation. The Word says we need to work out our salvation. When GOD saves us, He starts molding us into people with golden characters. And the process of molding and transformation may not be a pleasant experience because it is usually painful most of the time. 

Application/Command:

We need to only trust GOD in our troubles and suffering. When we trust GOD, we are letting go of our human ways of getting things done, we simply trust that the hardship and difficult circumstance is only making us hope more on the glorious future He has in store for us and that what we are going through now will bear into such a fruit that will make good use in the tasks and roles we will be responsible for in the future. And even in our failures, we can be confident that GOD will use our mistakes for His glory and our greater good. With GOD, no experience could ever be a waste, when we follow GOD, everything will all work out in the end and only GOD knows how. 

Faithful GOD - April 3, 2014

Scripture: Job 1-2
6 Adonai said to the Adversary, “Here! He is in your hands, except that you are to spare his life.”
7 Then the Adversary went out from the presence of Adonai and struck Iyov down with horrible infected sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 He took a piece of a broken pot to scratch himself and sat down in the pile of ashes. 9 His wife asked him, “Why do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God, and die!” 10 But he answered her, “You’re talking like a low-class woman! Are we to receive the good at God’s hands but reject the bad?” In all this Iyov did not say one sinful word.
13 Then they sat down with him on the ground. For seven days and seven nights, no one spoke a word to him; because they saw how much he was suffering.
Message:
HE is GOD and He is a faithful GOD through the good and the bad times.

Obeservation/Promise:
All of GOD's children are in GOD's hands, He protects us from harm and everything that is not good for us. The only time GOD gives us up from His hands is when He is going to test us and so we go through trials, and great sufferings, but this is all with GOD's consent. But the great about Iyov or Job was that he knew GOD and was faithful to him in both the good times and the bad times. The devil thought that he was just like any other man on earth, that will curse GOD when horrible things happen to him, but he was none like the others and GOD was proud of him the Lord even boasted about his servant to the devil and He was right about Job.

Application/Command:
Be faithful to GOD in the good times where we are not troubled by trials and everything to GOD but most especially in the bad times when we are suffering and going through such misery. GOD is always in Control, even when we see that everything is out of control. GOD has a purpose and plan for everything, therefore trust HIM and stay faithful to Him. No matter how hard difficult life is, all the more cling and hold on to GOD. In the end, GOD will prove Himself faithful and true to us and we His servants will end in praise and rejoicing because He is good!!! 

Applying SOAP to Psalm 84

SOAP - Scripture, Observation/Promise, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Psalm 84

O: 1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
A: 2 I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.
      With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.
O: 3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her                young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!
O: 4 What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. O: 5 What joy for those whose strength comes from theLord, 

     who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

    6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing         springs.The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
    7 They will continue to grow stronger, 

    and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.P: 8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. 

P: 9 O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield! 

    Show favor to the one you have anointed.

O:10 A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!
A: I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
O:11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory.
    The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
O:12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

GOD's good plan

9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 ... and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
- Ephesians 1

GOD has a plan, a great and grandiose plan for each of us and for the whole world at large. Why would HE go through all the trouble of creating a world, being hurt repeatedly by the humans HE intentionally created to love and worship Him? But GOD's heart is always for the good to every human person and creature alike. Therefore God's plans are good, they are to fulfill His own pleasure because His pleasure is always good. Paul explains GOD's plan the one day at the right moment, HE will bring everything together, both male and female, animals and plants, every living creature under the authority in Christ. He works out everything according to His plan. If you are part of this world, then you are part of GOD's plan. GOD's plan is always good, do you want to know what His good plans are for you?

If you want to know GOD's plan for you, you have to understand who GOD is, His greatness - who He is, His goodness - what He is like, His power - what HE can do. To know GOD, first we have to believe that HE exists and that HE is real and that HE is at work in every little thing in this world. You have to understand what He did to show His love for you, what Jesus did on the cross some 2,000 years ago is something that every seeker should take hold in His life - GOD sent His Son to die for you. Why? That's how much He loves you. Jesus is the proof of His love. Jesus was raised to life and right now is seated on the right hand of GOD is proof of GOD's power. Death is something everyone is certain about, but JESUS conquered even death and so will those who truly believe in Him. Do you want to be part of God's good plan? Believe and keep seeking Him.

GOD's Beauty

1 How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord!
He shouts with joy because you give him victory.
2 For you have given him his heart’s desire;
you have withheld nothing he requested.
3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.
You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
4 He asked you to preserve his life,
and you granted his request.
The days of his life stretch on forever.

- Psalm 21:1-4

Replace the King with I. I rejoice in the strength of the LORD. I shout with joy because YOU give me victory. Yes! the LORD gives the victory to us when we rely and depend on HIM all the way to fight for us, when we cling to HIM in times of trouble, GOD is too merciful not to hear us and respond to our call. GOD is too good not to understand our heart's desire and give to us whatever we may have pleaded in prayer from HIM. This is the beauty of GOD, HIS character is glorious and wonderful for humanity to behold and worship. 

Even when we go through difficult times, GOD allows this, it is for our good. No matter how painful our situation may be, we just have to trust HIM because HE is in control and HE alone knows the purpose of our pain and suffering. We can't understand now but after everything, we will be able to understand and agree that what GOD did was simply for our best.  When we ask GOD to preserve our lives, HE will do it, because HE longs to extend HIS goodness and favor to us. Our part is to request or ask this from GOD. And HE will grant our requests with more than what we could have ever asked for. 

Taste and See

19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the Lord for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them.21 The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the Lord and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the Lord and will keep it. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them.

-Isaiah 19:19-22

GOD gives chances to everyone who will turn to HIM and make HIM GOD of their lives, No matter what they have done in the past or their rebellious reputation the creator of the whole Universe is the GOD who gives chances. As long as we are alive and breathing, everyday in our life is a chance to  be right with GOD. The LORD has a promised a day for salvation even for the gentiles whom GOD did not chose to be HIS people. But those that turn to the LORD will be identified as children of GOD because they will built an altar of worship to the LORD in their lives like a monument that everyone can see that the Creator GOD is LORD of their lives. For when they cry out to GOD in times of trouble, the LORD willl hear them.

Those that know the LORD will give their sacrifices and offering to HIM. What are these sacrifices? Praise and thanksgiving, even when they are in a dark situation. Even in dark times they will have and enjoy peace that the world cannot understand. Time is an offering that children for GOD offer to HIM not just once a week but every single day, they offer and set aside time to devote themselves to GOD. When they seek GOD's promises HE will never fail to fulfill them. And in times of trouble they don't have to be afraid or worry on how fend for themselves for protection because GOD Himself is their shield and strength, their protector. Taste and see that the LORD is good, see for yourself.