Friendship: Brotherhood

A friend loves at all times, 

and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Prov. 17:17 NIV

Friendship is a gift from God. It is a gift of pure joy that can be found in a relationship that is filled with adventures and happiness. It also gives comfort and assurance to those who are troubled. That is why, one must find a good friend that loves and cares not only during the glorious days but also during the tough times. A true friend “loves at all times”, he or she will never leave you even in times of difficulties and sorrows. He or she is the friend who stick around no matter what happen. A true friend is like “a brother” or sister. He or she is like a family that is always there and will accept, forgive and understand. God wants us to have real and faithful friend. He wants us to cherish this gift of relationship that is why we must be careful to choose our friends. Find the ones that are true and will be like a brother or a family. Find the one who believes in God and will tell you to do right and will not lead you to do wrong. Find someone who is a friend that loves at all times.    

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Friendship: Beware of Gossip

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Prov. 16:28

Chatting and talking with our friends makes our day better. We talk to our friends all the time. It doesn’t matter what, when and how. Sometimes, we call and chat with them over the phone for hours or sometimes meet up just to talk and spend time with them. This build the relationship with our friends.

However, not all talks and chats are beneficial. Some can be harmful, hurtful and devastating. Especially, when we start to talk about other people’s negative characters and features. Though many would enjoy criticizing another person negatively behind their back, this is not good and beneficial to our relationship with them. This not only impacts the subject but also ourselves and the friends we gossip with. Gossip can ruin our integrity as a friend and ruin our relationships. It is sad to know that twenty to thirty more years of good friendship can be broken and ruin because of gossip. This is true and most people experience it. Most would end up having more enemies than friends. That is why we must avoid gossiping and especially the gossipers. Do not be friends with those who does not care and are not sensitive to the feeling of others. We may enjoy gossiping at one point of time, but in the end, all it does is hurt and destroy someone. We must talk to uplift not to destroy. We must express blessings and not curse. We must build friendship and not ruin it. We must love our friends with all our hearts. We must be careful with our words. We must not gossip.

If you have been gossiping, it is not too late. God wants you to make good friends. Therefore, confess this sin to God and ask him to better your relationship with others. Let God bind the friendship that you have started and make it a wonderful and meaningful one. Have a blessed and wonderful day with your friend. God Bless!    

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Friendship: Friendship with the World

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4

Friendship is one of the best relationship we can ever find. However, not every friendship will benefit us well. Some friendship can affect us negatively. A good example of that is being friends with the world. This means loving and embracing the worldly and sinful things that it offers. Being friends with the world is “enmity against God”, for God does not tolerate sin. God is blameless, holy and righteous. He is without flaws. That is why God does not want us to indulge ourselves with sin.

God wants us to be righteous like he is. He wants us to see ourselves as his reflection. Therefore, we must follow God and avoid the sins of this world. The devil is always waiting for an opportunity for us to sin. He will make sin pleasant and good to deceive us so we may fall on his temptation. But as believers and followers of Christ, we must look away and never entertain the friendship that this world is offering. For in the end, the sinful world will perish and only those who are friends with God will be saved. But thanks be to God, that as long as we live, we have hope in him. We can always repent and turn away from our sins so we can be friends with him and be saved. Amen.

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The Power of Jesus

"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

1 Corinthians 15:22

     How wonderful it is to know that Jesus did it all. I can only imagine how difficult the process of atonement for the people of the Old Testament was. But thanks be to God our Father that he gave his only begotten son Jesus Christ to pay for our sins. Yes, indeed! He paid it all! With his own precious blood on the cross of Calvary. Because of the blood Jesus that was shed on that cross, we are now made alive in Christ. For we have all died because of sin but thanks be to God that we can shout hallelujah. Only through the blood of Jesus Christ that we can be made alive. He paid it all once and for all. That is why all who believe can enjoy a perfect eternal home filled with happiness and no sorrow. This is the power of Jesus. This is the power of the lamb of God that took away the sin of the world. Amen.

                                                         Praise be to our God!

I Believe in Jesus

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."Romans 1:16

Confession of faith in Jesus Christ is the most important confession a person could ever make. For it is the confession that leads to eternal life. However, not everyone has a freedom to do so. Some non-Christian countries would not allow Christians to openly worship God and profess their faith in Jesus. And most Christians who live there, struggle to live their faith in God. Most of the time, they would worship in secret places. 

    On the other hand, there are some, despite the abundance of freedom of speech and religion, would not bother to confess their faith and even worse, is ashamed of the Gospel and would rather keep it to themselves. As Paul instructed, "we must not be ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God that bring salvation to everyone who believes." Salvation is for everyone. The Gospel must be spread all throughout the entire world. If we are living in a country that gives us the freedom to speak about faith and religion, we must use that opportunity to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At first, we may feel awkward or nervous but we must remember that Holy Spirit is with us and He will lead us and bring words in our mouth. Moreover, we must remember that it is not us who will change and save them but God. We are just vessels and instruments of his Gospel.

Note:

Pray first for the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.  

Dear God, 

     I am a sinner and I am not worthy of your love but thank you for your son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sin and for the sin of the world. Now, I want to spread the good news of salvation, but I am weak and I do not know what to do or say. Please help me and guide me. Put words in my mouth that I may speak of you and you only. Let me be a vessel of salvation to those who are lost. Open their hearts that they may receive you through me. This is what I pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. 

I Call on the Lord in my Distress, and He Answers Me. Psalm 120:1

I was watching CSI this afternoon and it amuses me even now how quickly the authorities respond to a 911 call. They treat every situation with urgency and importance. They selflessly rescue everyone without even thinking that their lives could also be in danger. Even a kid at a very young age is already taught how to dial the number so in case of an emergency situation, he or she can be able to call for help. That is why here in the United States, whenever there is a car accident, a disaster or any kind of emergencies, 911 is the best number to call for it is the number set by the government to ensure that every citizen can get help whenever, wherever it is needed. However, not all emergencies can be taken care of this agency. There are urgent matters that only God can address. That is why God has also designated a lifeline for everyone to reach. Sadly, nowadays, even an adult doesn't even know how to use this God-given lifeline. Let's look at this verse closely: 

     "I call on the Lord in my distress and He answers me."

There are two things that I would like to share today: 

1. Acknowledgment of our trouble and weakness. As the psalmists says, "I call...in my distress". He accept the fact that he is in distress and like him, we must acknowledge our situation and see the need for help. Most of the time, we don't see the need for prayer so we don't pray. Our hearts are arrogant filled with sin and pride thinking that we can make it on our own so we feel like we do not need anyone not even God. But that's a big mistake. We need others and we especially need God. We need to confess our sins and tell God of what is troubling us.  

2. Acknowledgment of God's power. As the psalmist calls"...on the Lord...and He answers me." We must acknowledge the existence of God and the power of God in our lives. It doesn't matter how big or small your problem is, God can still help. God answers prayer and God always care. Notice that all the words in this verse are in the present form of the verb, which means God respond the same time we call. Like 911 24/7 emergency hotline, God prioritize every call and prayer that we have. He knows every cry is urgent and needs immediate attention and care. That is why we can pray anytime, anywhere and however you want it to be. What God wants is for us to call with sincere heart with faith that acknowledge his power over all our troubles and fear. Believe in his mighty power. Believe that God can do exceedingly what he has promise and that is to be faithfully listening and answering our prayers.   

Something to do: 

            Today, take some time to pause and pray. Let God know your needs. Let God know your situation. Call upon God in your distress and he will answer you and save you from all your troubles. May God bless you today!