Today's Devotion- The Secret of Being Content

Phil 4:12know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.NIV

In this verse, many will find themselves in struggle, for many are in unstopable pursuit for more. As if God is not providing what they need! The problem is not on the need but in want. The focus is not in what is necessary but on what is popular! That's why many can't find a time to rest, to appreciate or even to enjoy what they have been blessed with.

Though others seems to be content to hide that little demon friend they have which is "laziness" and "fear".

But what's the "Being Content" means?

As it is stated its the being not the having. You maybe having nothing and yet still content in it, someone might have everything and yet not even close to be content!

That's why Christ is teaching us to trust in Him and see Him as our completion. Where He made a promise that He will never leave not forsake us. Saint Paul learned also that "He can do all things through Christ Jesus! So learning to be content is within the person who has in Him the true satisfaction, by placing His trust in the hand of his God! Where are you in this? Are you like those who wants to be first in everything and then start to loose what they have gained , for it does not satisfy them anymore? Are you with those who just sit and say what I have is enough for i'm afraid to go out and try? Or are you with the few who looked what they have, see what they could have and looked upon Him who is the provider of every good gift and trust Him, believed Him for the best ! Who will never be tired of doing good! Who even in the midst of nothingness can still be our fullness, in sorrow can be our joy, in loneliness, our companion, in sin our righteousness, in shame, our comfort and in anything, our everything!!! Jesus Christ is the Name!!!

There is a popular song that christian churches loves to sing, and it speaks of the truth to the matter. the chorus goes this way

"So I lift my eyes to you Lord
In your strength will I breakthrough Lord
Touch me now, Let you love fall down on me
I know your love dispels all my fears

Through the storm, I will hold on Lord
And by faith, I will walk on Lord
Then I'll see, beyond my calvary
One day, and I will be Complete in You"

Wow, no matter what we have or dont have, its not what will make us satisfied and complete! Its always in us, if Christ dwells in us. We just need to learn to be content in Him in our being!
The being is who you are, not what you have, its inside of you not outside of you. Its not the worth of your possessions, but the worth of you!!! Not what you know but who knows you!!! Are you known in Christ as His disciple?

God bless my friend and always remember, give thanks for He will always provide for you a blessing to thank Him, a trial to make you close to Him, a grace to accept you, a wisdom to lead you, a spirit to empower you, a someone to accompany you, The Lord for you to serve, a friend for you to depend, a need for you to pray. a problem for you to believed!

Till next time!!!

Bong

Today's Devotion- A story to tell of a faithful God

Deut 7:9-10
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. 10
NIV

Born with a purpose!
This day like everyone someone is celebrating his birth. A man I knew was born today! He was born to a poor family, poor not because they are lazy but because they were abandoned! He was born in the family of 5. The only boy who grew up without the touch of his father! His mother was a hardworking woman in spite of being totally deaf as a result of physical abuse from her husband.
The boy grew up, living with different kin who showed kindness until they were united with his two sisters and mother when he was 12 years old. The boy and his sisters faced and overcame all odds, doing everything they could to live. He grow up though in hate of his own father. And by it he was involved in different kind of criminal activities together with his peers. He took up college degree just to find a valid opportunity to kill his own father. But, at age 20, this boy who is now a man, found the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, through a ministry whose passion is to see people saved and transformed, and everything begun to change in him! He immediately become involved in the ministry, as a maintenance person, fixing and cleaning their worship places and carry things that his pastor would require. This man learned to love God and people, hatred to his father was replaced by compassion and longing. He was called by God to be a pastor, an incredible thing for him to become, because he knows he does not know the how of it! But He who called him is faithful! God brought to many experiences that cause him to see God’s faithfulness and goodness. He was assigned in many pioneering assignment in different island and location of his country and is now presently assign in other country! He was able to established 30 churches to this date! An exciting blessing is that he got married to a kind, God loving and very beautiful lady who joined him in serving God. They were blessed too with three handsome and dynamic sons!
Today, that man turns 44 years old! Not poor anymore, but blessed more than he deserved for God has blessed Him according to His faithfulness! He learned that in this life God has a purpose in everything, a calling to every one! And only in placing our confidence in Him, we can begin our journey in this life with in that purpose of God. Even, the most excruciating suffering is there in our life for our good, according to His will! Well, he has brought us here to live and know there is God!
You have your own story which is made for His glory!

This is my story!

Till next time! God bless!
Bong

Today's Devotion-The best is yet to come

Heb 11:39-40These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.NIV

Last other night as I was watching the late news, the newscaster reported the passing of one of a "true Canadian". He was talking to a business tycoon "Mr. Ted Rogers" owner and founder of a multi telephone and cable business in Canada "ROGERS". This man according to the news, accepted the mandate from her mother at six years old when his father passed away, leaving them with almost nothing, they lost every penny due to the sicknes that their father suffered. At that time, it seem so impossible to become what he is today. His battle cry that he popularized was the title in this devotion today; "The best is yet to come". As I keenly listen to the news,I cannot avoid to be impressed with Mr. Ted Rogers fighting spirit and abilities. he came from a place of impossiblities and now become not only a pillar for business but a valid example of breaking through all odds and even become a blessing to many. The point is this;

1. No matter what seeming difficulty you have, God has a greater promised as stated in the verse above.

2. If by nature we can become someone from nothing how much more if we have placed our destiny in the hand of God. Jer 29:11. He said "I know the thought I thinks towards you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you good future!!!

3. Let's learn from those who have passed through this life already who have left us a lesson to hope, to believed and even to follow. Heb 12:1herefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,NIV

We might have lost a job, a loved one a licensing test but as we look ahead, its not yet end of the road. No, and even if its a road end , its still possible to get a bulldozer and make a way where there seems to be none, by believing God's promises.

Let's face it, its not what we suffer that will dectate our future, but its whom and what we believed! Study His word and you will see, so many that have gone through worst things in life and yet able to make the best of it. If not, just look in the history or even just around the corner and you will see, signs of hope, of triumph, perseverance and victory. Much more, to those who makes Jesus as their Lord. He will not just end our life just like that!!! He has come to give life and we'll have it more abundatly he said (john 10:10b)

So as we look ourlives today, consider it a gift, and look ahead, count and expect that "the best is yet to come". No matter what, Dont give up! Keep it up! Jesus is your back up!!!

Till next time!!!

Bong G

Today's Devotion- Devoted to what is good

Titus 3:88 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. NIV

The scarcity of a man whose heart is devoted to what is good can be equalled with the animal species which are endangered today. This is due to the fact that many who seem to be apprehending what do the Lord require is now settling to what is good to them. In this verse we can see that the Holy Spirit is teaching us the vision that God what man to apprehend and to hold tightly "devoted to what is good". In old testament it was recorded in Mic 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. NIV . May we who are in the service of the Lord really show that we are devoted to this, not because we are holding to our own interest but of the Lords'. If we would only consider all things as of the Lord,the fightings, back bitings and division would have been diminished if not erradicated. We might be living in a better world than what we have today. Sometimes, we are no different from the people of the world who does only good to those who does them good. Jesus said that unless we do exceed the goodness of the pharisee, we will not enter His kingdom. (Matt 5:20). Friends, what motivates you to do what you are doing? If its not what the Lord require, then you are heading to useless endeavor. Some, do good to keep their control, position and benefits. But may the Lord found true servant in you, that though you might lost everything that you have and have worked for, you still keep doing what is good!

Devotion to God can greatly expressed by being devoted to what is good, good in His standard and rating.

May you found yourself doing these, as He said, this is excellent and profitable to everyone! ..And this is what the Lord require of us!

Let us begin to populate our church, our community and our society with those who are devoted in doing what is good! Let us multiply the likeness of Jesus in this generation. Let us replenish the earth with the kind of people God wants! Starting with us!

This does not mean that we will feed all the hungry people that we know or give everything we have to the person we meet across the street, but its the giving of our right, our privilege to be rewarded, opportunity to have more, in order to advance the Kingdom of God and for our King, who is our Lord Jesus to be honored by many through us! Lets look for that opportunity to do good for Him even at the cost of our everything!

God bless and be devoted to what is good!!!

Till the next time!

Bong

Today's Devotion- "I see the Lord"

Isa 6:1-2 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. NIV

How many times in our lives that,we have lost the sight of God. He had been clouded by many good thing in this world. But, until the lost of this good that we begin to see Him better. Sometimes it really need to loss what is good to see the "One who is Good". That's why we must beware of allowing ourselves to be consumed by many things that surround us, for time will come that they will be taken from us and we will only be left from where we start; having nothing but Him. This is the reason why the bible is encouraging us to always focus our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2). For only Him is our permanent possession. He is our permanent friend, comfort and our ever present King. Like Isaiah, may the death of our earthly security and comfort (represented by king uzziah) be a route back to the undying security and comfort that God gave us since the time of our birth and became more overflowing when we were "born again". This is the reason why, there is no permanent source of joy in this life, no permanent friend, no permanent companion, no permanent possession, so that when we lost something , we thought to be so valuable, we will see the Lord beyond it, for He is the only one who is everlasting. Therefore, the only one to be permanent to be seen! "I see the Lord" must be our assuring declaration, in the midst of this changing generation, in this economic regression in this over loading, burdenedful life. For when we see Him, we will see who really is the King! The Lord Almighty. The One who is Holy!

Now I understand why, in loneliness, we can rejoice, in detrayal you can have peace, in lost of everything, we possesses only what is best! "I see the Lord"!!!

Till the next time!

Bong G

Today's Devotion-Hearing God

Gen 15:1After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
"Do not be afraid, Abram.I am your shield, your very great reward." NIV

Many people today wants to be heard, and some wants to hear someone who would give them guidance, counsel and advice on life and other related matters. But how about you? As a christian our greatest desire should both heard and hear God, for in Him we have placed our hope in this life and in the life to come! There will be many who will be saying so much and so seemingly important points, ideas and principles, but to us the most sought for is Gods word to us. Abraham heared God for he has obeyed God by faith and keep on looking for the opportunity to hear and even see what God is intending to do in His life. If we are not looking to hear from God, what else we could hear to be valued and listen too? Sometimes we just need to take a pause and rest from our busy schedule for the intent of hearing God, He might speak to us in a vision, in reading His word, in praying or in simply, meditating His goodness in us. This world becomes so noisy that we could hardly hear Him, who has the Word of Life for us! Get yourself into a place where the only reason of being there, is to hear God. HE will for sure has a word for you! We all know that "Man doe not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Mat 4:4). God bless and remember, the greatest vision is "God"!

He is just waiting in a place, in a situation where you will know He cares!!! He is our greatest reward!!!

Till next time!

Bong G

Today's Devotion-A clear vision - pursuit of Christ

Prov 29:18
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: KJV
Phil 3:8
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,KJV

Every person who lived has a dream a vision and a goal in life. Some lived not knowing where they are going. The man who does not have any clear vision in life will have the tendency to live a life with out the sense of fulfillment. They will just face the day and spend it the way it leads them, and at the end of the day as they look back it seems the only thing that happened was a day that passed. God gave us the ability to dream, to plan and to achieved it with all the God given abilities. We will be accountable to how we lived this life. We will either waste it, or fulfill His vision for us. Jer 29:11; is a guide for us to know the vision, the plan the pursuit we should look forward! We might have strived and gained, but what an everlasting joy and gain Christ can bring to them whose vision is him! The vision to be found by Christ in the fulness of Him! It might not be as popular as others pursuit, but theres not like it in this world and life to a sincere christian! Nothing is more valued in his life than Christ his Lord!

We might become rich, well known, wise and sought too! But all these things matters not, if Christ is not the pursuit of it and the ultimte and totality of it!

Friends let us have a clear vision of knowing, living and exalting Christ! A pursuit that will be the greatest of all!

Till next time!

Bong G.