Hard Work Brings Profit

Proverbs 14:23 says “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” This proverb was written by King Solomon, the king who was gifted with wisdom and riches yet he teaches about hard work.    

Consider a person who dreams of becoming rich but complains about the kind of work he/she has or complains about the salary that he/she is earning.  It contradicts to what the Bible says in Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much;” (Luke 16:10a) If we complain about the work that we have now, how can we handle a bigger responsibility later on? If we complain about the minimum wage pay that we have now, how assured are we that we won’t complain about a higher salary later on?

However, if we are thankful with what have been given now and work at it with all of our hearts, working hard for the Lord and not for men, Proverbs 14:23 says “it will bring profit..”

Mere talk leads only to poverty.  Dreaming or aspiring or having an ambition is never wrong but dreaming without action leads you nowhere.  If you have a dream, you have to work at achieving it.  Seek wisdom on how to go about it, find the right resources, be faithful at what you do and start working.  Just talking about your dream without doing anything will not give you any result.

Consider a person who spends time boasting about what he can do and achieve yet doesn’t do anything at all…the verse we read says “it leads only to poverty.

Laziness does one no good.  No matter what you have now if you do not do anything worthwhile, nothing will happen. Proverbs 24:30-34 tells a story about a lazy farm owner: “I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”  

A little time spent on idleness is a lot of waste. Another similar illustration in the book of proverbs is a story about an ant “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.  But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?  When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.” (Proverbs 6:6-11)

The Bible teaches us not to be lazy, not to be idle because our conduct is being rewarded. "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:10) Hard work has its reward, laziness and idleness have their consequences.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17) Being wise is one factor to get through now when the days are evil.  Knowing God’s will for your life is the road map to success.

Conclusion:

1. Laziness leads us to nowhere.  

2. Hard work brings profit.

3. Our conduct shall be rewarded.

4. Be wise and understand what the Lord’s will is for you.  

Be thankful for what you have now, give your best in everything you do, work with all of your heart as working for the Lord and not for men.

I believe that God will reward your efforts with success.

How to Prepare for Eternal Life

1. Accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of your life.

If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you have to accept Him in your heart because He is the only way for us to have eternal life.

John 14:6 says Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Him.

The Father being mentioned here is God the Father.

Why can't man go to the Father directly? Because of the presence of sin in man's life.

But your sin have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.  Isaiah 59:2

Then they will cry out to the Lord,
But He will not answer them.
Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time
Because they have practiced evil deeds. Micah 3:4

Therefore inorder for us to be reconciled with God, we need a Savior. We need a Mediator.

1 Tim. 2:5-6 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

But we need to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and we need to believe that He is the only one who can save mankind.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Acts 16:31

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Jesus is the only way. There is no other way.

First step in preparing for Eternal life is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to have a personal relationship with Him.

2. If you already have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

What preparations must be done?

In my previous post entitled "Is Corona Virus one of the Signs of the End of the Age?", we talked about the return of Jesus Christ. We also tackled a little about the signs of the end of days. And it was clear that nobody knows the hour and the day. As to the end of times nobody knows when that would be. That is the reason why we have to be prepared always. To be watchful and alert at all times.

2 Peter 3:14 says And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1: 14-16

The word holy comes from the Hebrew Word Qodesh which means separateness, apartness.

In the New Testament, the word Holy was taken from the Greek word Hagios which means "set apart by or for God."

God is holy. We are not. But why did Peter tells us to be holy? This verse was quoted from the old testament from the Book of Leviticus when God says to the Israelites "Be Holy for I am holy."

This command is a long and lifetime process of sanctification. This cannot be done overnight in Romans 12:2
It says "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Another version says Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Since we are set apart by God, we no longer conform to the patterns of this world. We no longer act the way the world acts. We no longer decide the way the world decides. We must surrender and submit ourselves to God so that He will be able to transform us.

Let God change your life by letting Him change your minds. How? We must read the Bible and apply everything we learned..by everything I mean not selective. Not piecemeal.

But what is the good news here? You are not alone in achieving these things. The Holy Spirit is the One who works in us to sanctify us and to make us holy.

In John 14:16-17 we can find that Jesus said "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."

The Holy Spirit will help us all throughout our lives on earth.
Gal. 5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

How are we supposed to know all these things? We must read the Bible.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17

Apply biblical principles according to James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

The preparation that we are talking about here is our spiritual preparation.  It is the nurturing of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is the surrendering of our lives to Him.

Holiness is not the path that lead to Jesus Christ, but Jesus is the one that leads us to holiness.

We can never change ourselves. It is a futile effort to try to change ourselves. But if we truly surrender our hearts to God, if we humble ourselves before Him, He will make us holy people set apart to do His will.

It is by Grace that we have been saved through faith..then it is by Grace that we can live holy lives until the return of Christ.

Everything we do for this earth will stay on this earth but everything we do for God will last until eternity.

Decide everyday to live for God. Not for yourself, not for your family, not for anything but for God. What will be the result if we put God first?

Everything else that you need to survive and to live successfully will be given to you. Matthew 6:33 and all these things shall be added unto you.

Is Corona Virus one of the Signs of the End of Times?

Is the pandemic or the spread of the Corona Virus one of the signs of the End of the Age?

What does the Bible say?

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. - Mark 13:8

Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:10-11

I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Rev. 6:8

If our basis in answering our question about Corona Virus is these verses of scriptures we can say that yes it is one of the signs of the end of the age.

There are a lot of calamities happening in the different parts of the world.

There have already been wars and rumors of wars.

And this corona virus outbreak is affecting the entire world. It is affecting us.

Is it already the end of times? No not yet. There are Bible scholars who are into indepth study about the End of the World. This study is called Eschatology or the Science of the Last things. They focus more on the study of end times.

Since we are not very much into that, what we will be talking about is how to prepare ourselves for the last days making the Bible as our guide.

Let us open our Bibles to Luke 21:34-36: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

If you read back, Luke was discussing about the signs of the end of the age and he ended the topic with being watchful.

Watchful for what?

v.34 says "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap."

He talks about end of the age and then he says be careful or that day will close on you like a trap.

It will come unexpectedly.  Unknowingly.

We might be trapped because we are busy with unspiritual things:
 1. Carousing
 2. Drunkenness
 3. Anxieties of Life

We might not be affected with 1 and 2 but we might be affected with 3.

What are we busy about?
Are we busy investing for our eternal life? Or are we busy investing for our future on earth?

Who do we live for?

Matthew 6:19-21: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

We need to know who we are in this world.

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." Phil.3:20


I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. John 17:14-16

By the time we accepted the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, our citizenship and residency changed. We no longer belong to this world. We are already citizens of heaven therefore our perspective of live must have already changed.

Everything we long for and desire for must be for eternity and not for the short and temporary life that we are in.

Our main priority nowadays is to prepare for our eternal life.

Believers are awaiting for two big events that lead to eternal life. Either death on earth or rapture, the second coming of Jesus.

 Hebrews 9:27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Heb. 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

It is clear in Hebrews 9:27 that we die once and then judgment comes.

Or if we are still alive it is written in 1 Thes. 4:16-17 that we will meet Jesus in the clouds on His second coming.

What we do not know is WHEN that would happen.

The question is are we ready?
Ready for both?

We need to secure our eternal lives by being assured of where we are heading after this earthly life.

Everything we do here on earth is recorded and will be accounted for during judgment day.

For believers, everything we do for Christ is accounted so we can accept our reward.

For unbelievers, everything they do is accounted for the punishment of sins.

What are we storing now while still alive? Are we storing treasures on heaven?

The message in Matthew is:
Everything done for the world is useless, it doesn't count but everything done for eternity lasts.  Those are the things we ought to prepare for.

Another question is. Do we stop living life on earth? Does it mean that we will stop and disregard all earthly activities and devote all of our time in building up our spiritual lives?
No.

In 1 Thes. 3, it is written that we are to work and not be a burden to the church. We shouldn't make christianity a reason to be lazy. We ought to still work but we have to be careful and be watchful that when Jesus Christ returns or when death strikes we are ready!  We will not be caught unguarded.

That is the essence of Luke 21:34. We might be so indulged in the pleasures or the anxieties of this worldly life that we forget about our eternal life and unexpectedly, unknowingly, that time has already come.

That day will close on you suddenly like a trap.  And you cannot do anything anymore. You cannot anymore fix yourself because there is no more time to prepare.

Remember the story of the 10 Virgins in Matthew 25 who were waiting for the bridegroom carrying their lamps with them. Five women were wise and took oil in jars with the lamp while the other 5 did not bring any oil with them.  At midnight while the women were asleep an announcement was made that the bridegroom was on his way, the 5 unwise women asked for oil so they can light their lamps but the wise women cannot give them oil because what they have is enough for their own use.  So the 5 women went to buy oil and what happened next was so sad.

Read in vs.10-13

 10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

We don't want to be left behind.  If we read the Bible especially those that talk about the great tribulation, it is more difficult than what we are going through now.

Luke 21:35 "For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth."

That day will surely come. What is written in the Bible shall come true. So we have to be prepared.

We work - Yes! We worry - sometimes, but, what need do we have in the world that God cannot provide?

We work so we can eat.  Students still have to study.  If you have ambitions in life, go ahead and plan for your future. Dream if you must for yourself, for your family, for your children. Do not stop living your life on earth BUT be alert and watchful at all times.

Luke 21:36 "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

We have to be ready spiritually for that day to come.  Whether we die or we face Jesus during His 2nd coming, what is important is thay we are eternally prepared.

Our life on earth is short. God knows that infact one of His promises for us in 2 Peter 1:3 "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence."

Everything we need pertaining to this life has been given to us. We do not lack anything. But our faith and belief on God's provision and care are different matters to discuss about.

The end of the world may be near or it may still be years from now, we do not know the day and hour but what we do know is that we still have time to prepare and that is now.

If you are reading this blog and has not yet accepted Jesus Christ in your heart as Lord and Saviour, come and pray with me.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ
I am a sinner in need of a Savior.
Forgive me for all the sins I committed my entire life.
Wash me and cleanse me with Your Holy blood.
I accept You Jesus as the Lord and Savior of my life.
From this day onwards, You are the King and the Owner of my life.

Amen.

Again for those who are already in Christ, be watchful.  Do not be indulged in the pleasures and anxieties of this life but always be watchful.

We do not own this life. Stop worrying about what tomorrow may bring instead trust that God has secured your every tomorrow in His hands.

What Christians Can Do on A Lockdown

1. Spending time with the Lord.

Take the opportunity to draw closer to God.  We were busy with our jobs before and it was hard to spend some quality time with the Lord.  Let us take this time to spend more time with God in prayer, in reading His words in the Bible and in listening to sermons.

James 4:8 says  "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners;and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

When we draw to God and humble ourselves before Him, the Holy Spirit will show us areas of our lives that need to be changed. Probably He will show us that we still have unconfessed sins or things that we need to let go.

What is important is we draw closer to Him. We submit and surrender our lives to Him.

2 Cor. 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"

This is the best time for us to examine ourselves, to examine our faith in God. To examine whether we are living out our faith.

Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

Rev. 3:3 "Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."

We are asked to stay at home.  There is a lot of time for us to have the Lord search our hearts, mind, and soul.  Let us not waste this great opportunity to be with Him, to get to know more about Him. To let Him heal our wounded soul. To let Him work in our lives.  This maybe the only time He gave for us to prepare ourselves before we come to Him face to face.

The book of Ecclesiastes 3:3 said there is a time for everything, a time to live and a time to die.

In Psalms 31:15(a)it says "My times are in Your hands;"

And in Ecc.12:6-7 it says "Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."

In short "The best time to draw closer to God is now that we are still alive."

Isaiah 38:18 "For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness."

From start of this quarantine have we spent quality time with the Lord?


2. Exercise faith over fear
This is a trend in facebook #faithoverfear.

As christians, are we exercising faith over fear in every areas of our lives especially during this time of pandemic?

Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Are we living in fear now? Let us be confident that God is in full control.

We may not know what happens tomorrow but we have to believe that God knows what He is doing.

Whatever the outcome of this crisis is, wherever this is leading us, up to when this crisis will be, trust that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Rom.8:28)

It means that in all circumstances, whether it be good or bad in the present times, God is working out something good for us.

We only need to trust in Him.
We have to practice faith over fear.

Choose to live in faith instead of fear.

3. Let us submit to government authorities.
Rom.13:1-2 "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

As christians it is our duty to obey government mandates. When government says #stayathome, do not loiter around.  When government says obey the rules, then follow the rules.  Obedience to government authorities is obedience to God.

Up to what extent should we submit to government authorities?

As long as we do not compromise our belief in God. There were many instances in the book of Acts when the early christians were persecuted by Government authorities because of their christian faith. They stood for Jesus and defied government mandates.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33 "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven."

Mark 8:35 "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it."

There will come a time when we will be asked to choose between our faith in God and the world, we have to choose God.

For now, what government is mandating does not contradict with what the Bibles says, so as christians we have to follow them.

The measurement will always be "Is government mandate in contradiction to scriptures?"
If yes - do not obey
If no - obey

4. We care for others in need.
Phil 2:4 " not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

We need to check on those people around us who do not have anything to eat.  Maybe we have more than enough.

We need to stop thinking of ourselves but we need to care for other people's needs.

Share. Show love to those who are in need.

2 Cor. 9:11 "You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."

But God will always look into our hearts. In this verse we are told that God enrichly give to us that we may give to others. If our motives are the opposite, we may not be enrichly blessed.

Acts 20:35 "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

5. If you are the one in need be reminded of who your God is.
Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

When we ask, do not doubt
James 1:6 "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."


6. Do not isolate yourself from the Body of Christ.
Heb. 10:25 "not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Quarantine will never be a reason for christians to give up meeting each other.  We are blessed to have the resources that we need to still gather together and encourage one another such as the internet, facebook live, facebook messenger, our cellphones, etc. We should make use of these resources.


7. Be the light.
Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

This is the best time for us to show the light of Jesus to our families, our neighbors, our friends.

8. Spend more time in prayer.
1 Thes. 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."

In Revelation 5:8
"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people."

Our labor is not in vain. Our prayers reach heaven's throne.
God hears the prayers of the righteous, so keep on praying!

It is Finished!

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit.
John 19:30

It is finished! These are the last words of Jesus at the cross before He died. What Jesus meant was His task of saving mankind was done. It was finished.

It was done. He completed everything that there was to be done and no other sacrifice was needed because He already did everything.

He paid the price for our sins.
His sacrifice was the perfect sacrifice and it was the only sacrifice acceptable to the Heavenly Father.

Why did Jesus have to make that sacrifice? Why did He have to die?

He had to die because of the sins of men. Our sins.

For the wages of sin is death as stated in Romans 6:23.

And the Bible is clear in Romans 3:23 that all men have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.

Because of sin we were separated by God the Father and when we die and we wanted to go to heaven, we need a Mediator and a Savior who will save us from our sins.

"But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
Isaiah 59:2

The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."
Exodus 32:33

"and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins."
1 Cor 15:17

We can never depend on our own, apart from Christ, we are still sinners in the eyes of God.  Everything we do is useless without the work of Jesus on the cross.

When a person who has a personal relationship with Jesus dies, that man has the assurance of going to heaven but if a person who has no personal relationship with Jesus dies, that man will be judged for all the sins he committed while he was still alive.

That is the reason why we need a Savior, who will save us from our sins.

Before Jesus died on the cross, He said "It is finished!"

He bore the punishment for our sins.

We need to accept the gift of salvation. We need to accept that we are sinners needing a Savior because we are not qualified to save our own lives from eternal damnation. Only Jesus can save us.

Death awaits us but if we have Jesus in our hearts we are assured of an eternal life in heaven.

It is finished. Jesus did everything for us. We need not be afraid of condemnation, we need not be afraid of judgment because Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross at calvary.

If you are reading this, it is not an accident. Now is the time to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Do not waste this opportunity and pray this prayer of surrender:

Lord Jesus Christ
I am a sinner in need of a Savior.
Forgive me for all the sins I committed my entire life.
Wash me and cleanse me with Your Holy blood.
I accept You Jesus as the Lord and Savior of my life.
From this day onwards, You are the King and the Owner of my life.

Amen.

If you prayed that prayer from your heart, you are now saved! Praise be to Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand, Mark 6:30-44

Sharing to you some of my unedited/unpolished notes on Mark 6:30-44, Jesus feeds the 5,000.

Lessons to learn:

Mark 6:30-32:
Disciples doing ministry need rest. They need to go to a deserted place to get some rest.

Matthew 6:33-37
But when people come, don't let them go away no matter how tired and exhausted you are, instead teach them and give them what they need. We have to be compassionate to them because they come to you bringing a need. They come to you because they are like sheep without a Shepherd.

Jesus, our great Shepherd will never get tired of us no matter what when, where, or in what manner we would approach Him. He looks at our hearts with compassion knowing that we are in need of Him as our Shepherd.

Mark 6:38-43
Jesus is the great provider: He fed 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 pcs.of fish.

With the blessings of Jesus, food is multiplied. There is no scarcity of supplies in Jesus. What you have on hand is more than enough to last you that day.  Jesus even taught us in Matthew to pray to God the Father to "give us this day our daily bread..." We are assured then that our daily needs are met according to God's riches and glory.

Character shown by Jesus in this story:

1. Jesus cares for His disciples. Mark 6:30-32

2. Jesus is very compassionate and merciful. He is close to the broken and to the needy. Mark 6:34

3. Jesus cares for the welfare of the people, He did not send the people home hungry, instead He fed them.
Mark 6:35-34

4. Jesus is very organized. He had the people sit in groups and according to ranks.
Mark 6:39-40

5. Jesus is grateful. He gave thanks before He broke the bread to be distributed to the people. Mark 6:41

God's Time, Perfect Time

"..at the right time, I the Lord will make it happen.."
Isaiah 60:22

A lot of times I tried to make things happen the way I wanted them to but did not succeed.

I have ambitions, I have dreams, I have plans. I want to achieve all of them at my pace and my timeline.

But while trying to reach those goals I experienced delays and setbacks. I had failures, I went through pain and so much struggles.

Then my mom told me "don't rush..God has planned out everything for you..not the way you want them to happen, not according to your plans, and maybe not within your timeline...only trust His timing..."

True enough.

*originally posted on my facebook account.

Qualities of a Worship Leader Part 3

(continuation)

B. Heart for the People

"Love thy neighbor as yourself.
No one should seek their own good, but the good of others." Mark 12:30-31

The bible commands us to Love God and to love our neighbors.

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you."
1 Thes. 3:12

It should be our prayer that our love for other people will increase. If we were a loner before, pray that you would have the heart to mingle with other people.

We have to think about the welfare of others and not of ourselves. (1 Cor. 10:24)

Leading worship is leading God's children into His presence.

We have to lead the people to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, something we cannot do if we haven't ourselves worshipped the Lord in spirit and in truth.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves," Phil. 2:3


a.)Be an example in action

 Set an example to live a life of purity.
(1 Tim. 4:12)

..make up your mind not to put a stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother..(Romans 14:3)

We have to be careful with our lives whether we like it or not, people are watching us closely. People are observing our every actions. A little mistake would be a reason to cause other people to stumble and fall away. Let us not become a stumbling block.

b.) Be an example in speech

Problems we might encounter:
     1.) Communication Skills
           Moses had speech problems. (Exodus 4:10-12)
           Jeremiah also had the same problem. (Jer. 1:6-10)

Frightening and difficult situations:
In every difficult situation, we need not fear as to what to speak foe the Holy Spirit will be there to guide us. (Matthew 10:19-20, Luke 12:12)

The promise is that the Holy Spirit will help us in the most frightening settings, and so how much more may we depend on him in less threatening situations.

Communication is not a problem. God only wants our availablity and He will develop our abilities.

      2.) Consistency in studying God's word.

Spending quality time in reading God's word and in praying.

This will take time, patience, and a lot of love for God.  If you truly love God, it is impossible for you not to want to read the Bible because the Bible is one of the most important tool for God to communicate to us. He speaks to us in many different ways but His words in the Bible is the most reliable source and way of communication.

"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."  Joshua 1:8

When we are consistent in studying the Bible, we will know how to pray. We will know God's will for us. We will know what to teach others amd most of all we will know what to do with our lives.

Planning your songs, making you line-up, composing your exhortation, they will come easy if you spend more time in reading and studying God's word.

When we lead worship remember about two things
1. It is about God
2. It is about the children of God. (Mark 12:30-31)

It is not about you. Never about you. You are only an instrument like all the other musical instruments. You are an empty vessel.

Let the Holy Spirit do His work during worship service because it is all about Jesus. All for the glory of our King.

*** END ***

Two Pesos Regret

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2

While I was on my way to get a taxi cab, a boy around 9 or 10 years old approached me and mumbled something I did not understand. With the look on his face, I assumed that he was asking for money. I asked him where his mother was and he mumbled some words which i still didn't understand.

He followed me so I got my wallet and checked if I had coins. Yes, I had some extra coins.

Now my mind was filled with thoughts like: he might be gambling, or he might go buy rugby, or he might spend it on computer games, etc..etc..so I decided to give him only TWO PESOS.

After receiving the coins, he left and headed to another direction...to the Bakeshop...my heart stopped beating for seconds...Oh no! He was going to buy bread! Two pesos is not enough for one piece of bread!!!

My eyes welled-up in tears because of guilt. So I followed the boy having in mind that I will buy him plenty of bread.

I saw him headed towards the bakeshop and there was no other opened establishment. My eyes were fixed on him and I was sure I saw him in the bakeshop...BUT...when I arrived there...no kid, no boy, was in sight.

There were only three people in the bakeshop, the vendor, one lady customer eating bread, and one man buying bread. The boy was nowhere to be found. He wasn't in the bakeshop. Like he probably disappeared when I blinked my eyes?!

That left me stunned and filled with regret.


*** originally posted in my facebook account for my 2019 Christmas countdown. #dec04

Qualities of A Worship Leader Part 2

Qualities of a Worship Leader
(Continuation)

2.) Seeking to do God's will:
      a.) Set apart (Holy) Heart
Ezekiel 43:12 "And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple."

1 Cor. 6:19-20 (NIV)
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

Leviticus 20:26
"You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."

1 Peter 1:15-16
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

2 Tim. 1:9
"He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,"

Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."

Psalm 15:1-2

        b.) Repentant Heart
2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

1 John 1:9  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

Proverbs 28:13 "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

James 4:8 "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

2 Timothy 2:15
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

       c.) Humble Heart
James 4:10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Our model for humility:
Phil. 2: 3-11 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
 in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

       d.) Teachable heart
Prov. 4:5 "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them."

Heb. 12:6 "because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Phil. 4:9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Prov. 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Prov. 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.

Psalm 25:8-9
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore He instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

OUR DESIRE MUST BE:
John 3:30 "He must become greater; I must become less.”

Ephesians 2:1-10 Notes

This is an outline of my exhortation on Ephesians 2:1-10.

1. We were rescued from the past: Sins, guilt, frustrations, shame, regrets, failures. vs. 1 (As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,)

2. We once lived according to the patterns of this world.
vs.2&3 (in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath)

- We made decisions based on how the world decides. We acted the way the world tells us to and reacted the way the world shows us how to react.
Everything was based on what the world feeds us.

3. We are given new life in Christ. vs.1, 4-5 (But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.)

- Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made in calvary all our sins are gone, the past have been erased and we have been given a new life, totally new life.

4. We are raised up together with Christ. We are set apart from the world to be in the heavenly places so that God can show us His incomparable riches of His grace.  vs. 6 &7 (And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.)

- We are brought to another level higher than that of the world so we no longer live the way the people of the world lives instead, we are now dependent on God as His Holy Spirit works in our lives, we are now transformed by the renewing of our minds and we now live differently.

5. We experience God's grace not because of our works but because of God's mercy and love. vs. 8&9 (For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.)

- Everything we now have is all from God, we cannot boast of anything because it is not because of our good works that we were saved, it is purely a gift from God.

6. We are God's workmanship. Our worth is in Christ. vs. 10 (For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.)

- Whenever we feel insecure or shaken, always be reminded that we are handpicked by God, the work of His hand. We are unique from everyone and God has a purpose why He created us. He prepared us for something good and great.

* we are saved and loved
* we are elected and chosen
* we are different and set apart
* we are God's workmanship

True Worship

John 4:23-24 

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

God the Father is seeking for true worshippers.

Who are true worshippers? 

True worshippers - are those who worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

If there are true worshippers, there are false worshippers: 

There are people who worship in spirit but not in truth.  

- they are worshipping false gods

There are people who worship in truth but not in spirit.

- the worship is dead.

We've read that the Father seeks for those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. This means that worship is our life's priority. Worship does not only happen on Sunday morning but worship must be part of our lives.

We worship the Father in spirit because He is a spirit. He cannot be seen. He is not confined in any other places but He is everywhere..He is omnipresent..

We worship a God who cannot be seen.

We worship God in truth. By this it means that true worshippers know the truth and are living in the truth.

Only Born Again christians can truly worship God, those who have been born of the spirit of God.

1. You must have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior; and

2. It is evident in your life that you have been born again.

Why is it important to experience this? 

Read John 4:15-18

Jesus knew that this was a Samaritan woman who is living a sinful life but He wanted the woman to experience what it is to drink from the waters of living water and to let this woman worship God in spirit and in truth.

Therefore, our duty is first to experience it ourselves and then we let others experience what we are experiencing everyday to worship God in spirit and in truth.

On Sundays, when we worship God in spirit and in truth, we allow the Holy Spirit to work mightily in our midst...these peopl coming to church carrying their burdens will experience what it is to worship the Living God..One who cannot be seen but is so alive in our midst.

Let us worship the Lord our God in spirit and in truth, not just on Sunday morning service but everyday, every moment in our lives and we will see a big difference in our lives.

When we do that, when we make it a lifstyle, we will never thirst again..everything we need to live this life and to live a godly life will be given to us.

(This is a transcript from one of my exhortations during intercessory prayer meeting.)

Qualities of A Worship Leader Part I

Qualities of A Worship Leader
By: Audrey Bonjoc
January 14, 2020

"As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person." Proverbs 27:19

When we talk about the qualities of a worship leader we need to look into one part of man. The heart. Worship is a matter of the heart.

What is in your heart?

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Prov. 4:23

The status of our hearts affect our worship to God. So it is always important to let the Lord examine our hearts.

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Jer. 17:9-10

God looks into our hearts not on our abilities, not on our talents, not on our skills.

Let us examine then what a worship leader must have:

A. HEART FOR GOD
  1.) Seeking heart for the Lord:

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 (NIV)
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Matthew 22:37
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

OUR RESPONSE:
Psalm 63:1
"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land
where there is no water."

THE RESULT:
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord...
Jer. 29:13-14

When we find the Lord, we are ready to lead others to worship Him.  When our hearts are full of God, praises will overflow, and worship will be automatic.

When we seek the Lord, we must seek to know Him by being knowledgeable of His Word.

Psalm 1:1-6
Psalm 119:1-16

2 Tim. 3:16-17
 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Prov. 9:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

The more we hear of God's Word, the stronger our faith becomes.
Romans 10:17 "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."

***To be continued next Tuesday***

The Basics of Worship

Sharing to you my lesson outline for the Worship Leader's Class I conducted at our church.

The Basics of Worship
January 7, 2020
By: Audrey Bonjoc

1. The Heart of Worship is God
1 Chronicles 16:23-31, Daniel 2:20, Deuteronomy 10:21

We worship One God, Three persons.  We can worship God the Father, through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit.

We were separated to God by sin but because of the sacrifice that Jesus did on Calvary we were reunited to God the Father. The Holy Spirit who is in our hearts, who dwelt in it at the time of salvation, is at work when we worship. We feel the presence of God during worship because of the Holy Spirit.


2. Be a True Worshipper
John 4:23-24

Who are true worshippers?
True worshippers - are those who worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

If there are true worshippers, there are false worshippers:

There are people who worship in spirit but not in truth.
- they are worshipping false gods

There are people who worship in truth but not in spirit.
- the worship is dead.

Requirement to be a true worshipper:

A. You must have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior; and

B. It is evident in your life that you have been born again, through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in your life.


3. Experience God's Presence

   a. In God's presence there is fullness of Joy - Psalm 16:11
   b. In God's presence you'll find rest - Ex. 33:14
   c. In God's presence one can find times of refreshing, repentance, deliverance - Acts 3:19

A worship leader must experience God's presence inorder for him/her to lead God's people into His presence.


4. Lead People into God's Presence

Why the need to lead them?
  a. Some people do not know that they are in the presence of God- Genesis 28:16

  b. Because of sin they cannot go into the presence of God - Isaiah 59:2

-**-