I have so much to tell you and I don’t even know where to start. This day was full of significant realizations but my “topsy turvy” brain makes it difficult for me to process a clear complete thought. Perhaps, I’ll start at the beginning like I always do.
I had an amazing Sunday even though my head was feeling a little heavy due to my lack of sleep. Again. What’s new. Pastor Peter gave an insightful message! Like he always does. We focused on the book of John; chapter 5 to be exact. It gave me a whole new perspective on waiting – waiting for a suitable career, potential God’s best and a deluge of blessings.
Pastor Peter started off by reminding us that Christianity is
not a religion but rather a living relationship with Jesus. Our church,
Christ Committed Fellowship is helping people to follow Jesus. We are all ought to be Christ Committed Followers. We will soon be celebrating our 25th anniversary on August 30!! At the Araneta Colliseum! I was shocked that we will be having two separate services, one at 10 am the other at 3 pm! It overwhelms me to think that we can no longer fit ourselves in one service! Amazing! We are already that many! And to think it was only 25 years ago when our church started in a small house in Makati ( I think). God you are truly awesome!
He went on telling us that Jesus is an All Sufficient God who is faithful to bless us if we are willing to wait.
Matthew 6:33 says, “but seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (The Message)
Pastor Peter had three important points but I will share the one that struck me the most.
The All Sufficient God does not exempt us from testing
There are just certain lessons we will never learn until we go through it ourselves.
When God tests us, He wants us to learn thus we need to have a positive attitude towards testing. Testing is always there to build us up.
It’s hard noh? Even I am struggling about it. Who wants testing? You will have to be a retard to bask in its idea! C’mon! But once we get the whole picture that we are being readied for an even better life after this journey, we will never look at problems the way we usually do.
1 Corinthians 10:18 says, “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it.” (NIV)
“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; He’ll always be there to help you come through it.” (The Message)
This has always been real for me. There were gazillion of times where in I was tested immensely to the point that I felt like I was failing God in whatever I do but His Saving Grace always reminded me that I don’t have to rely on my own power to battle the deceptions of the Devil. He and all the heavens are there to back me up even if I have to go through it all by myself. Often times, my parents or other people for that matter, do not really know or understand what I am going through but God was always there to tell me that He knows and that He cares.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”(NIV)
“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.” (The Message)
I have come to believe this is true as well. I have questioned God thousands of times before, why I had to undergo such sufferings knowing that I do not deserve them in the first place. Then I knew, I can serve as a channel of comfort to those who went through the same struggles as I did. I know that the problems I had before may or may not compare to what other people have experienced but, shallow or not as they may seem…they were difficult enough for me. I am ready to lift up my burdens to God so that I can help other people carry their yokes of slavery. It does not have to be a lifetime suffering! It will always have an end if we want to be freed from it.
Lastly, he also talked about surrender. We will never understand His grace until we let go of the substitutes. I have always been weak at this area. I am such a people person even though I can appear rather timid and quiet. I have used other people as my anchor to an already shaky world.
In my former long list of potential husband, I had this wrong notion that when this right person comes, he will fill in the void that has been preventing me from being
ETERNALLY happy. But pastor Peter told us that all human beings have the potential of disappointing us just as we have the capability to fail other people. It’s just the way we are! That is how we came to be the moment Eve allowed herself to be tempted. I know my future husband cannot complete me just as I cannot complete him. We have God for that. I truly thank Him for His existence that makes all things work for the good!
I then changed my long list to a
top 7 must haves in a godly Christian husband.
Next time, I'll post them here.
In a nutshell...
High point:Hearing a certain someone say, "...e di madalas na kita makikita jan ngayon?" Dies. Goes to heaven for a second. Comes back to earth. Haaaay. Hanggang ngayon nakangiti pa rin talaga ako! if you only knew
how much you made me smile today! then I am dead haha
Low point:None really except that my tummy hurts. Dysmmenorrhea.
Prayer Request: Job for me and my lovely friends!
