I’ve been meditating lately on the word of God as to why God provides. What is the real reason why He provides for us all? Why He fulfills your need? Why He knows exactly when you need it? Why? Why? Why?
The reason why these questions are lingering on my mind is because I am amazed how God supplies all my needs. His provision comes exactly when I need it. He uses people to send His provision and I am very grateful to God for He is always on time.
I talked to my wife and both of us are amazed by our God and our thankful hearts are just witnesses of how God provides. As we have been counting our blessings these last few months, we end up with the question, WHY?
As I seek God in meditating on His word, there are several stories in the bible that have helped me find the answer.
When I read the story of Elijah, I learn that God sent provision to feed Elijah though ravens. Elijah also experienced provision through a widow who had nothing but a little oil. And in the New Testament, Jesus fed 5000 men though five loaves of bread and two fish from a young boy. These stories amazed me and at the same time made me realize that God sometimes uses the people we least expect. This is to help us realize that He is our provider. Both of these stories gave glory to God. The name of God was glorified because people and their stories helped people know that God provides. These stories are just but another testimony that God is our ultimate provider. These stories in the bible will never deny the fact that God does miracles in our lives. He provides!
There are many blessings in our lives that sometimes we forgot to give glory for. We forgot to bring back the glory to our God. When we experience God’s provision, we are overwhelmed and happy. And that story of provision is a great testimony to all people that God really provides.
If you are like me, wondering why God provides for your needs, remember that God wants to use your story as a testimony so that the name of the Lord will be glorified. So the next time you experience God’s provision, tell others how faithful God has been in your life, and who know, someday, people will come and believe in our testimony that God really provides!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
WOW! (Walk ON Water) Windows YP 2011
I never heard such a passionate story ever! Just recently in the Windows YP 2011!
This year Windows YP had a theme, “Walk On Water!” (WOW). This is a challenge to walk on water, to dare yourself to live the impossible. Our lives are full of challenges, and it seems like you need to walk on water in order to overcome huge challenges. It is something beyond reality and requires a reliance on the miracles of God. Windows YP is a youth missions conference held by the Youth Mobilization team of International Teams Philippines.
Many youth were challenged, and it shows in every loud “amen” we heard whenever we asked if they are ready to go to missions. Actually, I always had goosebumps every time I heard them shout a loud amen. Considering they are native youth from the provinces, they have nothing in their pockets, and their families don’t have work to earn a living for them, I still heard a loud amen. It seemed so strange….
What really struck my heart so deep is when I heard a group of youth – five women’s testimonies, walking town to town, no money in their pockets to pay for their transportation, carrying a heavy speaker, preaching and proclaiming the Good News. Wow! Their story blew me away. It challenged me more than they could imagine. I have never heard such a passionate story ever! They are really missionaries in God’s Kingdom.
There were about 30 youth who attended this missions conference. I just couldn’t imagine how many souls and how many lives would be reached though the lives of these 30 youth. I am really looking forward to seeing them one day fulfilling their calling to their respective mission fields. I see so much potential in them. I hope and pray that they will live out their potential.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
I thank God for my team mates and I am proud of them.
I am proud of my team mates. Even though they don’t have professional cameras, only simple ones, and sometimes capture blurred pictures, but they captured perfect smiles from the people we help. People from poor communities, people who always find ways to smile through their helplessness, not because they’re ignoring the pain but because they have found hope in Jesus. My team is sharing that hope to them. Those smiles are picture perfect, regardless of the quality if the camera.
I am proud of my team mates. Even though they don’t have “must-have” gadgets like iPhones. They are deeply connected to the people we serve. They connect to their hearts and minds in an amazing way. That’s why people welcome them in their homes even when they are homeless. They offer their food even when they don’t have much. That’s how my team mate is connected to people and create such a big impact in their lives.
I am proud of my team mates. Even though they don’t have cars, they arrive in time to be there to help the people, to stand beside the broken, to share hope from God to people and to find ways to cheer them up in their difficult situations. Nothing beats the time we spend with people who need hope. That’s the best time to share Jesus with them. Because they are seeing Jesus every time we help them in difficult times. Even though they don’t have cars, they are there just in time, exactly when people need them.
I am proud of my team mates. They are not well paid, but they share what they have. Jesus and everything He is to them – that’s what they share. Even though they don’t have access to travel, God provides His ways to treat us to travel. Most of the time, their travel costs do not come from their pockets but from treasure in heaven. Even though they are not well paid, they share their resources to the people we are serving. Sometimes, we don’t know how it’s possible for us to travel, to eat in neat restaurants and to experience good treats. The only thing we know and we are sure of is that God provides and will never fail.
Sometimes I’ve been disappointed, seeing people enjoying luxuries in life. They have professional cameras, must-have gadgets, cars and money to travel, but they are not using these advantages to serve people. Even though they have these advantages, they don’t know to connect to people, to help them and bring hope to them. But then I always focus not on what we don’t have but what we have.
There are three things we have.
First, we have Jesus in our hearts. Jesus is what people need in their lives. That’s what we share, why we serve and what we preach. Next is, we have people. People who welcome us in their lives, who we are serving and people who become part of our lives. And last, we have each other. I have my team. Same as me, who experience what I experience. They are humble, serving and loving. They are not desiring luxuries in life but they embrace the simplicity of serving and loving God. That’s why I am proud of my team.
I am proud of my team mates. Even though they don’t have “must-have” gadgets like iPhones. They are deeply connected to the people we serve. They connect to their hearts and minds in an amazing way. That’s why people welcome them in their homes even when they are homeless. They offer their food even when they don’t have much. That’s how my team mate is connected to people and create such a big impact in their lives.
I am proud of my team mates. Even though they don’t have cars, they arrive in time to be there to help the people, to stand beside the broken, to share hope from God to people and to find ways to cheer them up in their difficult situations. Nothing beats the time we spend with people who need hope. That’s the best time to share Jesus with them. Because they are seeing Jesus every time we help them in difficult times. Even though they don’t have cars, they are there just in time, exactly when people need them.
I am proud of my team mates. They are not well paid, but they share what they have. Jesus and everything He is to them – that’s what they share. Even though they don’t have access to travel, God provides His ways to treat us to travel. Most of the time, their travel costs do not come from their pockets but from treasure in heaven. Even though they are not well paid, they share their resources to the people we are serving. Sometimes, we don’t know how it’s possible for us to travel, to eat in neat restaurants and to experience good treats. The only thing we know and we are sure of is that God provides and will never fail.
Sometimes I’ve been disappointed, seeing people enjoying luxuries in life. They have professional cameras, must-have gadgets, cars and money to travel, but they are not using these advantages to serve people. Even though they have these advantages, they don’t know to connect to people, to help them and bring hope to them. But then I always focus not on what we don’t have but what we have.
There are three things we have.
First, we have Jesus in our hearts. Jesus is what people need in their lives. That’s what we share, why we serve and what we preach. Next is, we have people. People who welcome us in their lives, who we are serving and people who become part of our lives. And last, we have each other. I have my team. Same as me, who experience what I experience. They are humble, serving and loving. They are not desiring luxuries in life but they embrace the simplicity of serving and loving God. That’s why I am proud of my team.
A dream, a bible school.
Do you ever experience a certain excitement in your heart, when you know that something you are doing – it could be a profession, work, study or business, or whatever you are doing – that you could take it to a higher level? There is some kind of a rush inside of you, like you couldn’t sleep unless you either write it down, tell it or share it to all people. That is an absolute thrill!
When God opened my eyes and I saw the need to equip the members of our church, I dreamt to set-up a discipleship program in our church. I called it “Be:E”. Derived from it’s purpose, “Be Enlightened, Be Empowered, Be Equipped”. I couldn’t expect it would be something that people would support so much. But, by the grace of God, this ministry keeps on going and growing. Many people saw great positive results from students who were attending. The fruit of this ministry is truly undeniable. I am thankful how He uses this ministry to develop disciples and help people become deep-rooted followers of Christ.
God keeps on putting oil in my lamp and keeps on pushing me because I know He will reveal doors of opportunity to put this Be:E on a higher level.
My mentor never forgets to encouragement me every time we meet to have a time of mentoring. He always fans the fire in my heart with his words of encouragement and by guiding me on how this can be attained. One question he asked that ignites the passions again is, Wwhy not make Be:E a bible school?” He never knew that was actually my desire ever since I started Be:E. That question is like a confirmation that makes me excited and to plan to set up a bible school. Who would have thought that a small church like ours couldn’t have a bible school. To some people, it might be impossible. But we know, in God nothing is impossible.
I remember the words in the bible, Luke 1:37, “For nothing is impossible with God”. There are a lot of times when we were blinded by the reality. We cannot deny the reality. It will surely hinder us from what God can do in an impossible situation. Most of the time, it will break us, tear us down and make us overwhelmed. That is reality! How can we overcome reality?
I have learned that in times when reality crippled me, I hold on to what God can do and what God says. For when things are getting impossible, He intervenes and lets us experience His power. For He is beyond anything we could ever grasp or imagine. Soon I focused myself to God’s word, the impossibility became a stepping stone for me to get what God has promised. His word became some kind of rush in my heart. A rush, a thrill, and an excitement.
What makes me feel this rush or excitement is that this passion is from God. We will see this thing that will come to pass. He will fulfill what ever He puts in our hearts. I know this bible school is a huge thing for me and for our small church. But we are believing in a huge God.
That is why I couldn’t sleep, and I am excited to see the fulfillment. God will definitely put Be:E to a higher level. I could feel the rush. Let us all be in prayer.
When God opened my eyes and I saw the need to equip the members of our church, I dreamt to set-up a discipleship program in our church. I called it “Be:E”. Derived from it’s purpose, “Be Enlightened, Be Empowered, Be Equipped”. I couldn’t expect it would be something that people would support so much. But, by the grace of God, this ministry keeps on going and growing. Many people saw great positive results from students who were attending. The fruit of this ministry is truly undeniable. I am thankful how He uses this ministry to develop disciples and help people become deep-rooted followers of Christ.
God keeps on putting oil in my lamp and keeps on pushing me because I know He will reveal doors of opportunity to put this Be:E on a higher level.
My mentor never forgets to encouragement me every time we meet to have a time of mentoring. He always fans the fire in my heart with his words of encouragement and by guiding me on how this can be attained. One question he asked that ignites the passions again is, Wwhy not make Be:E a bible school?” He never knew that was actually my desire ever since I started Be:E. That question is like a confirmation that makes me excited and to plan to set up a bible school. Who would have thought that a small church like ours couldn’t have a bible school. To some people, it might be impossible. But we know, in God nothing is impossible.
I remember the words in the bible, Luke 1:37, “For nothing is impossible with God”. There are a lot of times when we were blinded by the reality. We cannot deny the reality. It will surely hinder us from what God can do in an impossible situation. Most of the time, it will break us, tear us down and make us overwhelmed. That is reality! How can we overcome reality?
I have learned that in times when reality crippled me, I hold on to what God can do and what God says. For when things are getting impossible, He intervenes and lets us experience His power. For He is beyond anything we could ever grasp or imagine. Soon I focused myself to God’s word, the impossibility became a stepping stone for me to get what God has promised. His word became some kind of rush in my heart. A rush, a thrill, and an excitement.
What makes me feel this rush or excitement is that this passion is from God. We will see this thing that will come to pass. He will fulfill what ever He puts in our hearts. I know this bible school is a huge thing for me and for our small church. But we are believing in a huge God.
That is why I couldn’t sleep, and I am excited to see the fulfillment. God will definitely put Be:E to a higher level. I could feel the rush. Let us all be in prayer.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thank You!
I am so blessed to have friends who extend their help to my family. They are very supportive and I am so thankful to have them by our side. Through many years, they’ve shown their support, both prayerfully and financially. Even though they don’t want their generosity to be recognized, I would like to honor God through their great example of service to Him.
Just recently, we moved to a new place which brought much relief for my daughter Micah. She had bad asthma because the place we lived in was crowded and didn’t have good ventilation. Every night she experienced difficulty breathing. We brought her to a doctor and the doctor told us that Micah’s asthma was due to living in such a crowded place. That caused us to pray for a donor who would support us to get a new place for my family. And God provided friends to help us move to a new place.
Our bedroom
Now that we have already moved to our new place, we are seeing good progress to Micah’s asthma. This new place has good ventilation and is not crowded anymore. It has a enough space for us. This place brings good relief for Micah. We hope she will continue to experience relief and show good progress. This new place is a sweet deal.
Our sala
As soon as we moved our things and starting to organize and settle, we remembered God’s faithfulness in our lives through friends who send their support to our family. They are all our encouragement that God will never fail our faith in Him. God truly honors our faith in Him. No matter how hard it is for us to imagine or for our minds to grasp the vastness of God’s provision, He will definitely will make a way to send His provisions. As long as we keep on putting our faith in Him and don’t doubt His plan in our lives, He will never fail to send help and this help will get to us.
our cooking area and toilet
Like what He did to Elijah. God sent food to Elijah through ravens. God also provided food for Elijah through a widow. And in the new testament, Jesus fed five thousand men though two fish and loaves from a young boy. Good thing that the same God who provided for His people in the scriptures is the same God we are serving today. I am happy to see that miracles are still happening in these times.
Even though, friends don’t want their generosity to be recognized, I want to thank God for their lives. I want to give honor to God who sends them to our lives. I know I couldn’t repay their generosity, but at least I could thank them. I can make know to them that I appreciate every help they extend to my family. Truly, having friends who love God is priceless. Their friendship is such a great gift from God.
Just recently, we moved to a new place which brought much relief for my daughter Micah. She had bad asthma because the place we lived in was crowded and didn’t have good ventilation. Every night she experienced difficulty breathing. We brought her to a doctor and the doctor told us that Micah’s asthma was due to living in such a crowded place. That caused us to pray for a donor who would support us to get a new place for my family. And God provided friends to help us move to a new place.
Our bedroom
Now that we have already moved to our new place, we are seeing good progress to Micah’s asthma. This new place has good ventilation and is not crowded anymore. It has a enough space for us. This place brings good relief for Micah. We hope she will continue to experience relief and show good progress. This new place is a sweet deal.
Our sala
As soon as we moved our things and starting to organize and settle, we remembered God’s faithfulness in our lives through friends who send their support to our family. They are all our encouragement that God will never fail our faith in Him. God truly honors our faith in Him. No matter how hard it is for us to imagine or for our minds to grasp the vastness of God’s provision, He will definitely will make a way to send His provisions. As long as we keep on putting our faith in Him and don’t doubt His plan in our lives, He will never fail to send help and this help will get to us.
our cooking area and toilet
Like what He did to Elijah. God sent food to Elijah through ravens. God also provided food for Elijah through a widow. And in the new testament, Jesus fed five thousand men though two fish and loaves from a young boy. Good thing that the same God who provided for His people in the scriptures is the same God we are serving today. I am happy to see that miracles are still happening in these times.
Even though, friends don’t want their generosity to be recognized, I want to thank God for their lives. I want to give honor to God who sends them to our lives. I know I couldn’t repay their generosity, but at least I could thank them. I can make know to them that I appreciate every help they extend to my family. Truly, having friends who love God is priceless. Their friendship is such a great gift from God.
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