IT’S YOUR “STAGE”

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-29-11

IT’S YOUR “STAGE”

(Proverbs 29:27)

“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.”

“All that are unsanctified have a like rooted antipathy to godliness and godly people: He that is upright in the way, that makes conscience of what he says and does, is an abomination to the wicked, whose wickedness is restrained perhaps and suppressed, or, at least, shamed and condemned, by the uprightness of the upright.” (The Bible Collection, Henry Complete, Matthew Henry) We were called the saints, sanctified or the upright. But it’s so unfortunate that some so called Christians are not living the Christian life accordingly. A friend of mine once said; “They’re not upright, Ely” He was referring to the group of cults. We have here a simple guidelines or a simple acronym for us to start our way up to our S-T-A-G-E, it is our stage to growth and maturity.

S- START RIGHT with God and His Word.

T- TALK RIGHT with God and with your fellowmen

A- AIM RIGHT for God, for your family and your ministry.

G- GET RIGHT with God and with men.

E- ESTABLISH RIGHT relationship by being relational.

(Proverbs 29:7) “The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

MR. OPPORTUNITY IS BALD

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-28-11

MR. OPPORTUNITY IS BALD

(Philippians 3:13- 14) 13- “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14- I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

The question could be; “Why is it that opportunity is pictured as bald behind his head?” My answer would be, because once opportunity passed by you and you did not grabbed it, you ignore it and you did not do anything about it. You will be behind the opportunity; grabbing it and having it again would be next to impossible. You may have lost it already. You may chase it but you may not have another one like it. “When you're in a position where you think you've got a lot of ego and you might perceive it as power… If you're in a position to make things happen… that allows you tremendous opportunities which other people don't have.” Alan Bond “If you don't act now while it's fresh in your mind, it will probably join the list of things you were always going to do but never quite got around to. Chances are you'll also miss some opportunities.”Paul Clitheroe “I just found it interesting to talk to adults I admired, and to discover that the path they took was never all that clearly defined. It was comforting to me when I figured out that you don't have to know what you want to do with your life; you just have to take a few steps in one direction, and other opportunities will open up.” Anderson Cooper (Woopidoo Quotations, Inspirational Business Quotes) Apostle Paul said in (Galatians 6:10) “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

FAITHFUL SERVICE

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-27-11

FAITHFUL SERVICE

(Psalm 31:23) “O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.”

“FAITHFUL SERVICE
Not to be always wanting
Some other work to do,
But cheerfully to take the task
Which Christ has set for you,
And to bear the little crosses
Of humble daily life
With that same dauntless courage
You meant for nobler strife;
And to share the yoke with Jesus
Wherever He may lead-
Whether in pleasant pastures
His tender flocks to feed;
Or whether upon the mountains
His blood stains mark your way,
Only to follow Him meekly,
And to follow all the day,
So, soul, you will be winner,
When day’s work is done,
And better fitted for labor
When tomorrow greets the sun”
-Silver Cross
(Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations, page 620)

(Psalm 101:6) “Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.”

LEARNING BY SURRENDERING

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-26-11

 LEARNING BY SURRENDERING

(Jeremiah 18: 4-6)

4- “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5- Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6- O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

God is the Master Craftsman. God created men from the dust of the earth. It means we are really nothing but dust. (Genesis 2:7) “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” We all know that God created Eve by taking the rib of Adam and God made her a woman. (Genesis 2:21- 23) We cannot fathom and fully understand how God created man out of nothing. And it’s beyond our imagination on how God touched the womb of Mary, so Jesus could be born in the flesh. (Matthew 1: 20). “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

We are the Lord’s creations and we are His children. As believers, we must learn to yield to God and submit to Him in obedience. We will either surrender to Him as the clay is in the potter's hand, or resist His will which could be dangerous. God has re-created us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 4:24) “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

ACCEPTING GOD’S FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-25-11

ACCEPTING GOD’S FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

(John 1:12)

 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

Accept that you are a sinner before God. (Romans 3:10, 23) 10- “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” 23- “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” I know it’s not easy to humbly come before the presence of God to ask for forgiveness of your sins and accept before Him your sinfulness and unworthiness. It means that you also accept your depravity and your need for the Blood of Christ to wash you and cleanse you of your sins. (Ephesians 1:7) Because of what He has done at the Cross, all we have to do is to accept it by faith. Accept the free gift of salvation. The gift was offered, but the question is: would you be willing to accept that gift by humbly coming to God and accepting it by faith?

Believe and accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. (John 1:12) When you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, it means you also accept His Lordship, His shed blood, His finished work at the Cross of Calvary. Because of what He has done at the Cross, all we have to do is to accept it by faith. (Romans 6:23; John 3:16)

Confess your sins to God. (I John 1:7- 10) A preacher said; “To confess, it means to say it, to look at it and deal with it as it is.” 9- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

THE WORLD HAS YET TO SEE, WHAT GOD CAN DO...

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-24-11

THE WORLD HAS YET TO SEE, WHAT GOD CAN DO...

(Joshua 1:8)

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

I used to be a civic youth leader in our village. I did not come from a political clan or wealthy family, but the Lord called me through this way to get my attention and look up to Him for guidance. I was lost, until one day I came to church for the VBS in Williamsburg Baptist Church in Batangas city, Philippines. I came to know the Lord through pastor Rolly Nolido, who was our teacher in Vacation Bible School at that time. Pastor Nolido asked me if I could come back to the church, which I did. I remember, I was sitting on the chair in the pastor's office crying for joy when pastor Rolly led me to pray and asked the Lord to save me. I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior on January 8, 1993. Since then, I faithfully attended church. I was baptized at the end of the said month and year. I started to see the need and the passion for a handful of our young people in our church. My pastor encouraged me to lead these young people and to bring more teens to our church in which I had the privileged to serve. I responded positively and organized our youth group. I sensed that the Lord was calling me to a full time Christian service. I enrolled in the seminary in Manila through our church. After a few years, the Lord opened the door for me to pastor my home church and assisting other churches in Metro Manila. The Lord called me to plant a church in Batangas City where I met my wife who at that time was serving her church as a Sunday school teacher. To God be the glory!

PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY- “ON THE ROAD”

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-23-11

PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY- “ON THE ROAD”

(II Kings 9:20) “And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.”

During the Old Testament times, we already have bad drivers. When I was a little boy, we have a song at school that we would usually sing before the start of the class. It goes like this: “Beep, beep the small jeep is running down the street; stop, look and listen, stop, look and listen…” The 3 words on that song could save lives, impact lives and even change lives, if we only put them into practice as a Christian. But some believers that I know, those 3 words don’t even apply to their walk with God and their driving attitude. Have you put these 3 words (stop, look and listen) into practice while you’re behind your wheel? We need to exercise the “3 C’s” on the road- be considerate, be courteous, and be calm. On Sundays, every time we’re driving for church and if someone who were dressed up will cut us off or over speeding; we would say, “He is the pastor of the church” or “She’s late for the Sunday school” “She is late for her meeting with her Sunday school staff” “He has the key for his church” or “He is a deacon”. Be careful if you have the sticker of your church at the back of your car.  And be much careful if it says something about your Savior and Lord. (Proverbs 2:15) “Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:”

STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN!

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-22-11

STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN!

(Psalm 46:10) “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

AT A GLANCE: Police Officer William L. Potts of Detroit, Michigan, decided to do something about the problem caused by the ever increasing number of automobiles on the streets. What he had in mind was figuring out a way to adapt railroad signals for street use. Potts used red, amber, and green railroad lights and about thirty-seven dollars worth of wire and electrical controls to make the world’s first 4-way three color traffic light. It was installed in 1920 on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit. Within a year, Detroit had installed a total of fifteen of the new automatic lights. (Internet- The Great Idea Finder)
People are always on the “GO”. Be it on the traffic at home or business, people are busy that they don’t have time to STOP! The Bible said; “Be still…”Take time to be quite and meditate with God. Even the Lord Jesus Christ went into a desert place to rest and be alone. God the Father rested on the seventh day after creation. We also need to LOOK! Look at yourself. Paul said; “Examine yourself if you are still in the faith.” King David said; “Search me, O God…” We have to LISTEN! It is very important to listen to God’s voice and listen to what the Bible and the Holy Spirit is saying to us. Notice what Jesus did in His journey in (John 4:6) “Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.”

THE DANGER OF “FAMILIARITY COMPLEX” WITH THE THINGS OF GOD

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-21-11

THE DANGER OF “FAMILIARITY COMPLEX” WITH THE THINGS OF GOD

(Acts 5:9) “Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.”

Once you visited a beautiful place over and over, you will have the tendency to get used to it. In a process of time, you will not appreciate it anymore. This is the kind of danger that many Christians usually practice in the church or at home. We are so much familiar with the routine of worship and working for God’s glory. The praise and worship, the prayer (both in private and public), the preaching of the Word of God are a common practice which leads to over familiarity. If I can use the words as “familiarity complex”; we have that in our churches and Christian organizations. There is no excitement, because we lost it already. We lost the joy of singing, serving and worshipping Him in Spirit and in truth. The feeling of being so close to the Lord cannot be found in some Christian worship. One of the dangers would be the feeling of familiarity complex in terms of answered prayers and God’s blessings upon us. For Ananias and Sapphira, it was just another offering and another contribution to the Apostles feet. (Acts 5:2) “And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles' feet.”

7 STEPS TO YOUR LADDER TO GOOD SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07- 20- 11

7 STEPS TO YOUR LADDER TO GOOD SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY

(Joshua 1:7- 8) 7- “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8- This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

1- Be strong, verse 7- “Only be thou strong…”

2- Be courageous, verse 7- “…and very courageous.”

3- Observe and do what the Bible says, verse 7- “…that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee:”

4- Stay focus on what the Bible says, Verse 7- “…turn not from it to the right hand or to the left,”

5- Talk about what the Bible says, verse 8- “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;”

6- Meditate on what the Bible says, verse 8- “…but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,”

7- Firmly trust what the Bible says, verse 8- “…that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:”

God’s promise… in verse 8- “…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

SIN AND JEOPARDY

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-19-11

SIN AND JEOPARDY

(Psalm 51:1- 5) 1- “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2- Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3- For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

There are times that we have the tendency to take sin so lightly. Some people don’t take sin seriously for fear of losing their position, possession or power. Remember that little sins can lead you to a greater one. If God has convicted you of any sin, we must repent right away and close the door to the devil who wants to take advantage of your downfall. You can pick the kinds of sin you wanted to commit, but you cannot choose the consequences. I remember the story of the 2 young boys who were playing near the 11,000 volts of electric power. The boy number 1 warned the boy number 2 not to play with the live wire with his stick. Out of curiosity, he continued playing with the wire and won’t listen to his friendly advised. And you know what happened next… It leads to his death. (Psalm 51:4; 10) 4- “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 10- Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

THE DANGER OF LOSING OUR PASSION IN OUR PRAYER AND SERVICE TO GOD

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-18-11

THE DANGER OF LOSING OUR PASSION IN OUR PRAYER AND SERVICE TO GOD

(Acts 6:2; 4) 2- “Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 4- But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

When was the last time we cried out to God for the ministry, for our church and for the work of the Lord in your community? When was the last time we cried out to God for the missionaries who serves the Lord in the ministry of the mission organizations on the other side of the globe? Many Christians and churches have lost that desire already; verse 4- “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” Picture in your mind the way King David prayed to God in the book of (Psalm 69:3) “I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.” It’s so unfortunate that many Christians and churches have lost the fire in their service and prayer life to God. We should at least search our heart if we are still walking with God both in our service and prayer life. (Psalm 139: 23) “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:” Paul gave us this great encouragement as we serve the King of kings. (I Corinthians 15:58) “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

THE DANGER OF LOSING OUR TEARS FOR THE LOST SOULS

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-17-11

THE DANGER OF LOSING OUR TEARS FOR THE LOST SOULS

(Luke 13: 34-35) 34- “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35- Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Jesus shed tears for Jerusalem as well as for every lost soul. He cried for those who have no hope, for the unsaved, for every individual who rejected Him as their Lord and Savior. Have you ever looked at your love ones right in their eyes with love, knowing that when this life will come to an end (God forbid) or when He comes back for His saints, they will not make it to heaven? It’s one of the reasons why we must witness or have passion for the lost. We need to cry out to God for their salvation and we need to do something so they can hear the good news of salvation. In every sponsored concert of music prescription, we made sure that the gospel is shared and we extend an invitation for salvation. I hope and pray that pastors, artists, evangelists and the motivational speaker will do the same. That should be our main purpose and focus. Notice the passion of Apostle Paul in (Acts 20:24) “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

SPIRITUAL DANGERS

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-16-11

SPIRITUAL DANGERS

(II Timothy 3:1) “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

According to Apostle Paul, We are all living in perilous times. We cannot deny the fact that there is always danger in every corner of our lives. We have fear because of what’s going on in every corner of our world. Even if you’re living in a so called wealthy environment and in a luxurious hotel, beautiful places and close to a military base or police station; we can still be in different kinds dangers such as physical and spiritual sickness, financial insolvent or accident and death. Although as God’s children we have His protection; we can be in the wrong side of the track which could lead to a very dangerous situation. Apostle Paul used the words, “…that in the last days perilous times shall come.” “The last days” covers from Paul’s day right on until the Lord comes in the air, the 7 years tribulation, until the day He comes to rule the earth for a thousand years. One of the dangers the pastors may encounter are the dangers of losing his passion for the lost souls, losing his passion to preach the Word of God, losing his passion and his tears as he stand in the pulpit. We lost our passion to touch and influence lives. We may just go with the flow and don’t even know it. Notice the consistent passion of Paul to the people during his times in (Acts 20:31) “Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”

WE ARE IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-15-11

WE ARE IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE

 (Ephesians 6:11- 18) 11- “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12- For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13- Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14- Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15- And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16- Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17- And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18- Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

Our text is very self explanatory. Our enemy is powerful than us that we cannot win over him, but only in the name of Jesus and by the Blood of the Lamb. There is no power that can overcome him, but by God’s power and strength. (Revelation 12:10- 11) 10- “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11- And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

A DESERVING WIFE…? A PERFECT HUSBAND…?

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-14-11

A DESERVING WIFE…? A PERFECT HUSBAND…?

(Titus 2:4) “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,”

A good husband deserves a good wife, a fruitful wife, a responsible wife, an obedient and submissive wife, a prudent wife, a respectful wife, a pious, industrious and a considerate wife? Wow! It sounds like you’re eyeing into a perfect wife. A great wife longed for a loving, caring, respectful and responsible husband. Whewww!!! It’s hard to be a perfect husband to a deserving wife. We don’t have to be perfect and deserving; we just need to love God and love each other and we need to serve God and be serving one another.  The Christian homes are more inclined to prosperity and blessings. The Christian homes are designed and expected to have love, understanding, provision, peace and debts are paid. The children’s education should be one of the primary goals of parents and everyone should be well educated. The family should have the comfort within their homes and family circle. Some families are brought in to ruin by bad housewives, as well as by the evil husbandry.  Fear of God, regard to life, values and church is important. Your business, job and friends are not as important as God and family. There are parents who are willful and wasteful, distrustful and awful. And we must do something for our family as servants of the Lord our God. We are a team as couples, as a church and as Christians. (Titus2:5) “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

WE WERE CREATED WITH A PURPOSE

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-13-11

WE WERE CREATED WITH A PURPOSE

(Genesis 2: 15-17) 15- “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16- And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17- But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

God made us out of the dust of the earth and our immortal soul was from the breath of God’s nostrils and we cannot deny the fact that we came from God and was made by His own hand and we will all return in His hand after death. When God created man, He created us with a purpose and the desire to make us a responsible and blessed individual.  It’s clear as crystal that the Lord was the first agriculturist and the one who placed man in a place where God wanted man to be. It was not adventure, curiosity or false hopes that made man separated from God. It was sin and Satan who introduced it to us. We let Satan led us to His way and we went our way. We refused God’s Word, God’s way and God’s will for our lives, therefore; physical death, separation, destruction and eternal death was imputed to every individual, unless we come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

IT’S FAITHFULNESS TO GOD?

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-12-11

IT’S FAITHFULNESS TO GOD?

(Isaiah 25:1) “O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”

People will call you a fool, fanatic and other names because you put God first in your life and you identify yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ. Is it foolishness, fanaticism or faithfulness when you refused to work on Sundays and double pay, because you have to be in church for worship? (Matthew 6:33). You stand for what is right and the truth. You say NO to sin, Satan and self gratification; would you call it foolishness, religious fanatics or faithfulness to a loving God?  We trust God in every aspects of life, it means in everything; because we know He is faithful and we want to remain faithful to Him. Gideon was a man who has no self worth and self esteem. He was used by the Lord because in spite of his personal issues, he trusted the Lord as he obeyed God. To those who turned their back from following Gideon and God’s idea; it was non-sense and foolishness to them. But we know that God has His own way of doing things. In this part of the Scriptures, it’s very clear that God has a purpose and all they have to do is to trust His heart. (Judges 7:4) 4- “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.”

IT’S FAITHFULNESS TO GOD?

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-12-11

IT’S FAITHFULNESS TO GOD?

(Isaiah 25:1) “O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”

People will call you a fool, fanatic and other names because you put God first in your life and you identify yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ. Is it foolishness, fanaticism or faithfulness when you refused to work on Sundays and double pay, because you have to be in church for worship? (Matthew 6:33). You stand for what is right and the truth. You say NO to sin, Satan and self gratification; would you call it foolishness, religious fanatics or faithfulness to a loving God?  We trust God in every aspects of life, it means in everything; because we know He is faithful and we want to remain faithful to Him. Gideon was a man who has no self worth and self esteem. He was used by the Lord because in spite of his personal issues, he trusted the Lord as he obeyed God. To those who turned their back from following Gideon and God’s idea; it was non-sense and foolishness to them. But we know that God has His own way of doing things. In this part of the Scriptures, it’s very clear that God has a purpose and all they have to do is to trust His heart. (Judges 7:4) 4- “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.”

CHRIST- “A CORN OF WHEAT…”

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07- 11- 11

CHRIST- “A CORN OF WHEAT…”

(John 12:24) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

Christ is worth living for and He is also worth dying for. Paul said in the book of Romans that we’re supposed to give our lives as a living sacrifice in which I strongly agree; and not our dead bodies. I believe that Christ is the “corn of wheat…” that was mentioned in our text. He gave His life for us, for our salvation. He died so we might live. He suffered so we can be with Him in heaven for eternity. He humbled Himself so He can lift us up by His death on the Cross. Notice this very beautiful passage from the Scripture; “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,” He stepped down (in a human form) in obedience to the Father’s will, so the prideful sinners like us would bow down in submission to His will. He died for our sins so we could die to our sins, because without Christ, we can do nothing...

The Apostle Paul beautifully gave us a picture of Christ’s humility as “a corn of wheat” in (Philippians 2:5- 8) 5- “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6-Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7- But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8- And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE FOR GOD’S GLORY AND TROPHY

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07- 10- 11

STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE FOR GOD’S GLORY AND TROPHY

(I Corinthians 9:25) “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

Ortega Y Gasset said: “Excellence means when a man or woman asks of himself more than others do.” Mr. Lee Iacocca the highly respected man in the car industry once said; “The kind of people I look for to fill top management spots are the eager beavers, the mavericks. These are the guys who try to do more than they’re expected to do- they always reach.” But Apostle Paul has a different perspective in doing things; he said in (Colossians 3:17- 23) 17- “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 23- And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” If our workers in Christian service as well as people in any work place has this kind of attitude; we will have less problems in our churches as well as in any work place or offices.

How about from the Old Testament perspective in working with excellence either for the world or for the Lord’s honor and glory? King Solomon is the authority when it comes to excellence and hard work, notice what he said in (Ecclesiastes 9:10) “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”

SET THE WATCH!

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07- 09-11

SET THE WATCH!

(Judges 7:18- 19) 18- “When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 19- So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.”

I have been wondering and thinking about the physical watch and the physical calendar that people during the time of Gideon has. And I was also wondering if Gideon was the original of the Daylight Saving Time. (DST) in verse 19- “So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch…”

“He made his descent in the night, when they were secure and least expected it, which would put them into great consternation, and when the smallness of his army would not be discovered. In the night all frights are most frightful, especially in the dead of the night, as this was, a little after midnight, when the middle watch began, and the alarm would wake them out of their sleep. We read of terror by night as very terrible (Ps. 91:5) .” “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;” (The Bible Collection)

“ALTHOUGH THE FIG TREE SHALL NOT BLOSSOM…”

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-08-11

“ALTHOUGH THE FIG TREE SHALL NOT BLOSSOM…”

(Habbakkuk 3:17- 19) 17- Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18- Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19- The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”

Can you rejoice in the Lord in spite of difficulties? Will you still serve Him even when the ministry is not going in the direction that you wanted it to be and you have difficulties in the work of the Lord and on your own perspective? Would you still love Him even if your bank account is drained already and the pots and the plates on your table are empty?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said; “From whence can God relieve my care? Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere. His method is sublime; His heart profoundly kind. God never is before His time and never is behind.” (Morning by Morning, page 226)

(Romans 8:28) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”