WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU ARE WEAK

A radical truth from God -

Let the weak say they are strong. - Joel 3: 10

It didn't say, "Let the weak say they are weak."

Most of the times when we are weak, we complain and emphasize our weakness. Most of the times, we declare our discouragements, our disappointments and our frustrations. And the more we speak about our weakness, the more we get weak and oftentimes, this aggravates to doubt, fear, and anger. God says in this passage, that we must declare the opposite. When we are weak, we must declare we are strong.

This does not mean that God doesn't care of our weakness. The truth is the opposite - God cares for us so much that He is giving a formula for us how to be strong. This also doesn't mean that we ignore our weaknesses. The truth is clear, God recognizes our weakness. He said, "Let the weak..." so it means God knows our weakness. The truth is - God is offering a formula for us how to be strong and what to say when we are weak. And God said when we are weak, we must say we are strong.

The reason is this - our life go to the direction of what we say. Our words has a powerful creative power to change things. God wants us to say " we are strong" when we are weak, because there is no need of emphasizing weakness, but rather to emphasize our strength in God.

Let the weak say they are strong.

It also didn't  say, "Let the weak think that they are strong."

To think is not enough. We must declare what we believe. This is the reason why "faith comes by hearing", and not by reading the word of God alone. When we hear, it means someone spoke, and it includes us in this regard. We must speak the word of God so that we can hear. And by so doing, our faith increase and our strength too.

Let the weak say they are strong.

It didn't also say, "Let the weak invite friends to talk about their weakness."

Our weakness can be passed to others when we emphasize too much about it. Words of discouragement can influence others. God said, "let the weak say they are strong."

You produce what you say. Your life go to the direction of what you declare. If you are weak, you can never be strong by saying you are weak. Better declare and say that you are strong. This is not my idea. This is God's. Say what God wants you to say.

So when you are weak, you know now what to say.

WHAT YOU ARE DOING TODAY IS NOT CALLED "A ROUTINE," BUT " A JOURNEY

Office work?

Homework?

School days?

House chores?

A job?

A project?

Well, believe it or not, whatever you are doing right now has a significance. It is not just a mere routine but rather a part of your journey where you can choose to be happy, exciting and fulfilling.

We must not reserve our happiness just for the milestones of our lives. Life is not all getting some awards. Life is not all graduation, celebration, party and vacation. The thing you are calling as "routine" could be the place where happiness is just lurking around. All you got to do is appreciate and be happy. We hate routine, and we are all on the look-out for something extra-ordinary to happen. But if we reserve our happiness just for the extra-ordinary moments, we will be missing the most important part of our lives. God did not give you a milestone, but what is called "A day" and He said, "This is the day which the Lord has made."  When you are happy for the ordinary days, extra-ordinary days will just be the bonus.

This "ordinary" or this "routine" is called the "journey of your life." You must look at it in an eye of appreciation. The thing you are calling "routine" is actually the thing building you to reach your dreams. However,  you are missing its happiness because you are postponing your happiness to your destination, and hence you are not enjoying the journey.

We must not reserve our happiness to the time when our dreams come true. The practical reason for this is - dreams never stop as long as we live. When we achieve one dream, another dream will come. So if we confine our happiness just in the achieving of our dreams, we will be missing the happy journey we are in.

When we look life just as a goal, this is the reason why you look on what you are doing right now as just a mere routine - boring, insignificant and stressful.

Office workers have postpone their happiness only to the time when there is a vacation, or maybe every 15th day- the payday, or maybe there is a hang-out with friends. What you are doing is you are postponing your happiness to "someday" and not "today." You are reserving your happiness to the destination and not in your journey. Sadly, this is also the reason why some will go for their dreams at all cost though it may cause them their health, or their relationship. They are blinded that their happiness is only be received when their dreams are achieved, only to find out that it cannot make them fully happy at all.

The students are postponing their happiness only if there is no classes, or maybe when they graduate, or in time of vacation. They don't realize that everyday of their class is part of their journey. They thought if they just graduate, then everything will be happy, but you will be surprised that arriving there will be another phase of the journey. And ironically, they will look back someday wishing they could have been happier in the past.

For example, this is funny but true, family members prepare for one big family occasion in expense of true happiness with each other. How many family members became irritable to each other in the preparation for the party? Why they became irritable? It is because they have postponed their happiness only when the party is all set. They cannot see that even in preparations for the party is a time of bonding and happiness. Why? It is because they treat the preparations and the work as just routines, and not a journey toward their destination.

The moment you look at life as just a mere routine, you will miss lots of important things actually happening in your life. You cannot just post in Facebook only the milestones of your life. You cannot base alone your significance in it. Life is not all about your "milestones" and successes. You can still post the "common" days with a positive and happy outlook. It is because it is the small things that counts- your time with the one you love, your time with your family, the good thing you learned today, the food you ate, the blessing of being alive, the privilege of work. Again, it is because it is the journey that counts.

What you are doing right now is significant. It is not called "routine" but "a journey." It is a part of your life, a part of the fulfillment of your purpose here on earth, a part of God's wonderful plan for you. When you start looking at your work as a journey, you will start appreciating life one step at a time. You will appreciate the people you are with, your friends, your family, and yourself.

I have written this post with love. I can never call writing in my blog as just part of my "routine." Never. This is my passion. I enjoy doing this. This is but the result of a happy, positive, full of love, wonderful journey in life.

Your day is not called "a routine" but a blessed Day.

It is called "a journey of life."

Live it to the fullest.

"This is the day which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."

HOP-IN TO THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE

God is inviting you -

"His going forth is prepared as the morning." - Hosea 4:3

The new year has started, and God, with all His promises, favors and blessings, is inviting you to hop-in to the best year of your life. He promised that all of these has been prepared for you. He is inviting you to hop-in and have the best ride of your life this year.

Our God is a Big God, and let me remind you, He has the greatest ride in the world. God wants to bless you and to make you happy. He wants you not just a life but a fulfilling, abundant life. You must believe that if God will park something in front of your house and ask you for a ride, for sure it will not be a bicycle, but a Ferrari, a Limousine, or Lamborghini. Jesus has already became poor so that we will be rich. He already rode a donkey so that we can ride a chariot. He planned the best for us.

Yes, it will be a great ride in the best year of your life. Going where? Going to -

"The land which the Lord your God cares for: the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year." - Deuteronomy 11: 12

God has promised to bless you, care for you, prosper you and protect you.
This is the year which God will give you your breakthroughs. But remember it will not happen unless you believe. And unless you open the door of His car, and ride on. You must fully give yourself to Him.

What will you fear? Challenges? O, they are but part of the thrill of the ride. Those things ought not to make you step back but rather to make you excited that God will take care all of them. What is making you step back and not to open that door of possibilities? inadequacy? Words of people which restricts you? C'mon - it is God who is inviting you. What is the thing restraining you? Guilt? Fear? God is the One saying to you, "Hop in. I care of your present and your future more than I care for your past." And besides, remember who is the One driving, ok? It is He, not you.

So, hop-in. Take your seat.  Relax, believe and enjoy the ride for 2011.


O, And by the way, He also said, 
"I can also give this car to you."




 

LIFE DOESN'T BRING YOU JOY; YOU BRING JOY TO LIFE

Photo courtesy: Kirsten Paulick

When your expectation of joy absolutely rests in what life can give you, you will be disappointed. Life is not all good days, there will be bad days. Life is not all riches, there will be scarcity. Life is not all laughter, there will be crying. Life is not all mountains, there will be valleys. Life varies.

This is our common mistake why we cannot have true happiness - we expect that it is life that will bring us joy. Well, here's a radical truth and here is the understanding of how you will truly have joy in this life, and it's this -

Life doesn't bring you joy; you bring joy to life.

This means - joy is a choice not a circumstance.
It is not what happens to you but what you make happen in life.
It is not how someone or something in this world has made you happy; it is how you bring joy to someone's life.
Meaning, joy is not from outside-in, but from inside-out.
This also means that joy comes from within first.
From the joy you have within your heart, you will be the one to give joy to this life.
And how can this be? Or how can you have joy within your heart?

Well, it's none other but to have the Very Source of all joys. It is having Jesus in your heart. No wonder Jesus said, -

"These things have I spoken unto you, that MY JOY will remain in you , and that your JOY will be FULL." - John 15: 11

Without Jesus in your heart, you can never be happy even you have everything in these world. Life can never make you happy because the only one who can give you joy is  the One who made life. The only way to have joy and to truly enjoy life is to have Jesus. This is why joy is from inside-out.

Thus, you are the one to bring joy to life because Jesus is in your heart as your joy.
Since Jesus is in your heart, you are not dependent on life to bring you joy but rather you are the one who brings joy to this life.
You bring joy to good days and bad days, to riches and scarcity, to laughter and crying, to mountains and valleys. You can fully enjoy life because of who you have and not what you have. And you can enjoy life to the fullest, as what Jesus said, because you are the one who bring joy to life.

"No wonder I am enjoying life to the fullest."

WHAT GOD SAYS TO WHAT YOU SAY

THE "NEW-EVERY-MORNING" PROMISE

The mercies of God and His love are new every morning.
Yes, every morning and everyday.
The mercies He gave you yesterday is different from what you have today. They are newer today.
The expression of His love which He expressed to you yesterday is different from what you will see today. They are newer everyday.

God said to you -

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness."[Lamentations  3:22-23]

This is what I call "The New-Every-Morning" promise of God for our lives.

The "New-Every-Morning" promise guarantees us that life is better everyday. Though there may be trials sometimes, but God guaranteed that He will make everything come out right.

The night ends at midnight and the new day starts right after that. But though it is a new day, we all know the fact that it is still dark from 1 in the morning to 4 in the morning,right? But this darkness do not discount the fact that it is already a new day.

There are times in our lives that seemingly hope is not seen because of the darkness being experienced, but this darkness do not eradicate the fact that a new day has already started. This is why the Psalmist said, "Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning." The "New-Every-Morning" starts at 1AM in the morning though it is yet dark.

The "New-Every-Morning" promise also guarantees us that life doesn't have to be perfect in order to be enjoyed. If we reserve our happiness in our "If only I have that...If only I have this...", we can never be happy in life. You don't need everything to enjoy life; rather, you need life in order to enjoy everything. Life is not perfect but it does not mean it cannot be enjoyed. The truth is, I have observed in life, life is enjoyable because it is far from perfect. Imperfection gives spice to life, and imperfection leads us to God. Accept the fact that your life is not perfect and you have don't have to wait your life to be perfect just to be happy. Enjoy life right now in whatever you have in whatever you can.

I was amazed to discover today that according to Astronomy, the sun never rises or sets down in the same exact place everyday. We may not notice it but science has proven it that the sun rises and sets everyday slightly moving further toward the south each day between 21 June and 21 December, and a little further towards the north each day between 21 December and 21 June. Isn't this amazing?

So, if the sun is never perfect in where it rises and sets, so why bother to expect your life to be perfect? If the sun don't worry about it, you don't have to worry about it, too. All the sun keeps on doing is rise up in the morning with all its vibrance and shining glory for us telling us,

"Hey, beloved, good morning! Today is a new day. Today, God's love and mercies for you are newer. The favor for you today is new. Your strength is new. Your life is new. Today, your success journey continues. Today, your potentials will be unleashed. Today, you will fulfill your purpose in life. Get up today with full of hope and happiness. Smile in the morning. Enjoy life to the fullest. God is with you."

This is the "New-Every-Morning" Promise. Claim it. Live it. Maximize it. Enjoy it.

BE GREAT AT THE LITTLE THINGS

The true measure of greatness is when we chose to be great even at the little things.

Greatness is not measured only in the spectacular. It is measured in faithfulness even in little things.

Greatness is not when a leader, a pastor or a preacher preached one great sermon which moved the whole congregation; greatness is when a leader, a pastor or a preacher keep on preaching the word though the attendance is low, and though there are no people are touched.

Greatness is what the people behind the scenes are doing year-in, year-out- the one who cleans the church auditorium, the one who sets up the audio, the one who cleans the restroom of the church building, the one who visits the sick, the one who practice in the choir- year-in, year-out. That is greatness.

Greatness is not just during big days like anniversary, concerts or conferences. Greatness is during the low days but many are still pressing on. 

Greatness is not when you celebrate because the church is doing fine; greatness is when you keep on though the church is experiencing tough times.

Greatness is not when people are clapping their hands in praise of you but greatness is continuing on though there are lot of oppositions.

Greatness is not when the medal and honor was given. Greatness is during those times you work hard far from the limelight of popularity.

True greatness is not measured in "up" days but in "down" days.

True greatness is not measured in your mountains but in your valleys.

True greatness is being faithful though there are no praises of man, though lacking in resources and though seemingly the work is just mundane.

You don't need the spectacular just to be great.

You don't need the dramatic just to be great.

If God has placed you where you are right now and by your faithfulness, lives are being touched and influenced, what you are doing right now is great. Yes, regardless if people notice you or not, regardless if what you are doing is just mundane work to the sight of some, regardless if seemingly it is not bearing fruits as of now. What matters most is that you are doing what is good and best and God is pleased with your faithfulness.

What you are doing right now is already great if you are faithful in what you are doing.

Think of this-

David didn't show up to fight Goliath. He brought lunch. Stop looking for the dramatic and be great at the little things. 

Those who made a difference are not those who are always seeking great things, but those who chose to be great even at little things. 

BLESSINGS ARE NOT JUST GIVEN BUT COMMANDED BY GOD FOR YOU AND ME

Read this awesome and overwhelming promise from God's Word. 

The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouses, and in all that you set your hand into; and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you." - Deuteronomy 28:8

Take note of those words, "Command the blessing." 

God is not just giving you blessings but has commanded His blessings for you and me. 

What God commanded, it will surely follow. When God commands the wind, it will follow. When God commands the sea, it will follow. When God commands the  blessings, it will follow. 

This is a wonderful truth that frees us from our doubts, fear and uncertainties. This promise frees us from "barely get by" mentality and "I don't have enough" mentality." This will make us to have an abundant mentality. A mindset that is always trusting in God believing that God commanded His blessings for us.

This will stop us from thinking with a scarcity mentality. God has not created us to drag through life and constantly struggle. 

God didn't created us to survive. God has created us to thrive. 

Don't let your own thought talk you out of it, nor other people talk you out of it. Believe that it is God who said it. Even in crisis, you will still have more than enough because God has promised it. Even in an environment filled with negative people, you will still thrive because God has commanded His blessings. God said, "you will flourish even in the desert."

Just think of it - "God has commanded His blessings."

This is my declaration and my trust in the Lord- God has commanded His blessings for me.

The truth is, the problem lies in us. God has already said it. God has already commanded it but we have chosen the lack-mentality which has been programmed to us by the enemy. The problem lies on the inside and not on the outside. If we will just believe and change our mindset, then we will be blessed. 

There must be first an abundance inside before there is an abundance outside, 

meaning one must think, believe and declare.

I have realized the importance of declaration. God did not just think about this promise. He said it. He wrote it. He declared it. Meaning, I must not just think about it but to write it, say it, believe it and declare it.

A negative mouth means a negative life.

A sad mouth means a sad life.

A poor mouth means a poor life.

What you declare happens.

But - 

A positive mouth means a positive life.

A happy mouth means a happy life.

An abundant mouth means an abundant life.

What you declare happens.

Get lack out of your system. Believe that God has already commanded His blessings.

Change from "barely enough" mindset to "more than enough" mindset.

Change from "scarcity" mindset to "abundance" mindset.

Believe it. Say it. Declare it.

And this is why, I am thankful to God for blessing me with more than enough life, with a wonderful life, an abundant life, a positive and happy life.

God has commanded His blessings for me!
This just made me to leap out of joy!

"The Lord shall make you plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give you. The Lord shall open unto you His good treasure, the heaven to give rain unto your land in his season, and to bless all the work of your hand, and you shall lend unto many, and you shall not borrow. The Lord shall make you the head and not the tail and you shall be above only, and you shall not be below."

“Stress

wants to jumble your mind.

But you are the one

who should jumble stress.

Jumble the word "stress"

and you can find the word,

"rests.”

- A r t  R o y  R e m y

I Am Not Just Enjoying My Life; I Am Enjoying My Eternal Life!

If you are a child of God, it must be clear to you that the life you have right now is not just an ordinary life. It is the eternal life. 


Eternal life will not be given after you die, and as eternity begins. Many believers miss this basic radical truth - Eternal life was given right at the moment when you received Jesus in your heart. I John 5: 11 recorded, "And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life." It didn't say, "to be given," but already "given." And maybe you missed the promise in John 3:16 which says we, "...have everlasting life." It didn't say that what we have is just "life" but it was clearly said, "eternal" or "everlasting" life. Many believers know about this promise of eternal life but they don't appropriate this promise in their lives. In their minds, eternal life is - heaven- when it is not. They thought eternal life begins only in heaven. A misconception once again. No wonder many believers live a defeated life here on earth thinking that heaven is the final escape and heaven is where they can only be happy. They have postponed their happiness to heaven. 


The truth is- the life you are living right now- is an eternal life. 


This is an awesome and amazing truth that can drive away all misconceptions, and can radically change the way you live today.


Believing and being fully conscious that the life you are living today is an eternal life can change your life.


You will appreciate the more the life God has given to you.
You will be more confident that the life you have is a blessed, victorious and abundant life.
You will not postpone happiness to heaven. You will be happy right now. Heaven can wait, enjoy life now "on earth, as it is in heaven."
You will be happy knowing that nothing and no one can lessen even a little bit from this eternal life you have. No one can snatch this eternal life in you.


Grasping this truth in my mind one day amazed me and gave me shivers to my bones. As I feel the breath coming out from my nose and mouth and as I feel my arms, I was so amazed to realize that the life I have right now is not just an ordinary life- but an eternal life! Whooooa!


This is why I am not just enjoying my life; I am enjoying my ETERNAL life!

- A r t  R o y  R e m y

The Blessing of Ministering to New Believers

We all love children. Looking at them and playing with them surely takes away our stress. I, myself, love children, too. I love to look at them, play with them, cuddle them, kiss them and hug them. Children has this innate characteristics to really give you a one-of-a-kind refreshing. Their innocence and angelic character relaxes your heart and mind.

One child whom I love is the child of one of my friend in the church. Her name is Keyl. Everybody in the church loves Keyl. She is so cuddly and cute. When her Dad posted her pictures in Facebook, I was so glad. When I get tired at work, just a glance at the above picture eases my mind.

Kids make the place happy.

Kids make everybody sweet.

Kids refreshes you from any stress.

Connect this in a church and you will discover that this is also the one that can contribute to the liveliness and happiness of the church. What I mean is- the new believers. Yes, the new converts, the visitors or the people new to our church. They are the "babes" in Christ.

And isn't it also true that knowing that there is a new believer or a new visitor in the church makes the church happy? Isn't it true that we act differently when there is a new convert? We are conscious of our actions to make our new believers feel accepted and loved. New believers make everybody sweet. Why? Because there is a new "babe" in the church. New believers remind you of your first love. New believers remind you of how sweet it was to be a child of God. New believers has this innocence. New believers appreciate much what we often took for granted. To them, everything in the church is wonderful. Everything they see is a delight and a blessing. And we, in reaction to their attitude, becomes very accommodating to them. Visitors change our Sundays. When you have no visitor brought in the church, you don't care if the songs are too loud, or the message is long or the people don't smile. But when you have a visitor, how you prayed that the songs will be okay, the message ought be perfect, and  you wish that everybody will smile and shake hands with your visitor. You are careful and you ensure that nothing will offend your visitor. Speaking of, taking care of fragile kids, right? New believers make us behave how we ought to behave in the church. Visitors make our church gatherings happy.

Another thing, new believers make everybody sweet, and new believers refreshes us from any stress. To the new believers, our issues in "Christianity" is not their issues. All they know is that they have a new life in Jesus. To the new believers, even our issues in the church is a petty thing to them. New believers make us behave differently.

This is why if the church has no new believers, no people being reached and no new members, the church is not that happy. There is no liveliness. There is no baby in the house! And since there are new people being reached, we tend to focus on ourselves to the point that we tend to notice our differences, and eventually, conflicts emerge in our midst. Why? Because there are new babes in the church. Everybody is stressed out, and all our attention is among ourselves in all those years. 

But just wait when a new believer comes, O, the atmosphere will be different. There is a new child of God, there is a babe in Christ, and their presence makes our gatherings happy.  New believers make us sweet. They refreshes us from stress, making us realize that there is no need to dwell in unnecessary issues and better to minister and focus to these new believers.

Just like Keyl, our attention is to her when she is around in the church. Her smile makes us happy. Keyl makes everybody sweet. Keyl relaxes you from stress. This is the same blessings you get when you minister to the new believers.

The blessing of ministering to new believers is that actually, they are the ones blessing us.

- A r t  R o y  R e m y

__________________________
Just few more radical thoughts:

I will not spend my time resurrecting the dead when I can focus on new births.  

If we want radical change in our churches, if we want any issue to vanish, if we want liveliness in our midst, let us focus more on the new believers and pool all our resources and potential to minister to them.

We are called to "love our neighbors." How much more when our neighbors are already with our Church. 

“A calling is

"the place

where your

deepest gladness

meets

the world's deep need.”

- F r e d e r i c k  B u e c h n e r

“No one

ought to set what is happiness for you

because they are not the one

who created you.”

- A r t  R o y  R e m y