YOUR DOUBLE BLESSINGS

Everyday, as children of God, we don't just have a blessing, but a - double blessing.

In Psalm 73: 26, it says,

My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

The writer of this Psalm was realistic to admit that his flesh and his heart fails, but he didn't stopped there. He finished the statement positively. Isn't this a great principle to change our life and our mindset? Yes. we can be realistic to admit our limitations and weaknesses, but always remember to end your declarations positively. Don't reverse it as some people do. They will say good things about life and about God, but sad to say, they will end their sentence negatively. It ought not to be so, but rather we must be realistic, and yet end our declarations with positive words, and declarations that express God's promises for us. Just like in this verse, we can end the sentence by saying -

 This is our double blessings.

Yes, there maybe double failures, which are the flesh and the heart, but praise God, there are double blessings for our double failures. This what makes us winners though sometimes our flesh fails. There are sicknesses, and diseases that sometimes afflict us and limit us. But our life should not be stopped by these limitations. In our limitations, God can work His possibilities. We also experience how our hearts fail sometimes. We get discouraged and we get disappointed. But praise God, God is the strength of our heart and our portion forever. This is our double blessings as children of God.

First, God is the strength of our heart.
Second, He is our portion forever.

The strength of the heart cannot be measured. It is unquantifiable. This signifies that this is what we need first in life before the portion. The portion can be measured. This is quantifiable. This can be the car you are asking for, the business you are praying for, the breakthrough you have been waiting for. But we must remember that it is strength first that we need, and not just the portion. Practically speaking, don't just ask your portion to be rich. Ask God to give you strength to handle the portion. For example, don't just ask for riches, but the strength and the capacity to enjoy those riches. Many have riches, but they don't have the strength in their hearts to handle the riches.

The portion actually means, "a share, a part." Isn't this a great reminder for us that what we have is but a portion? Yes, you and I cannot have everything in life, because if you have everything in life, what you will you need God for? You and I just have portions or parts because our everything must still be our God.

But God has promised this already - He is our strength of our heart, and our portion forever. You and I were guaranteed that what we have is always a double blessing. You and I will not just material blessings, but will also have the heart to handle these material blessings. You and I will not just have breakthroughs, but will also have the courage and discipline to handle these breakthroughs. You and I will not just have promotions, but will also have the enjoyment of these promotions. These are the blessings of the Lord which makes rich and He adds no sorrow with it. This again is a double-blessing- you are being made rich, and there is no sorrow with it.

Also, consider the promise, "they are new every morning, great is His faithfulness." What are the double- blessings here? Well, it is His mercies, and His faithfulness. As you read His words, you will be amazed that there lots of "double-combo" blessings of God for us. Wow! This is the reason why we can live everyday victoriously and abundantly.

Open your two hands everyday. You are about to receive double blessings.

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."

BE THANKFUL FOR THE THINGS YOU CAN'T DO

Oftentimes, we always gets frustrated of our inadequacies. We lament and we feel as a failure on the things we want to do but we can’t do. A person wants to paint but it is not his gift to paint and thus ends in frustration. A young man wants to explore the world but lacks the money to fulfill it. Response? Frustration. A mother wants to do everything for her kids but found herself short. An aspiring singer wants to fulfillment in her career but lacks the exposure and the equipments. Her response? Frustration.

Even you has a share of this kind of story. You want to do something but you found yourself short, inadequate and lacking. You oftentimes end up in frustration and ask “Why can’t I do it?”

But you know what?

You can be thankful even of the things you can’t do.

Why? You may ask.

For these simple reasons –

It prevents you from being proud.

We got to accept that we are not like Superman. Actually after observations of Superman, I found out that even Superman or any superheroes has limitations. We have seen how Superman has his weakness that Lex Luthor can even at times defeat him knowing that Luthor is not that super-human like him. That makes Superman - human.

And that is the purpose of your weakness, too-  to remind you that you are but human. It is a reminder for you to be humble. God said, “without Me you can do nothing.” At one time, an atheist has questioned this truth – “Why is it that  I can still do many things though I don’t believe in God?” My answer was- “Your unbelief doesn’t make God non-existent. Whether all of this world says there is no God, still God will be God. And the fact that you can do something though you don’t believe in Him, is even a favor from Him and you have nothing to be proud of.” 

So, if there are things you can’t do, be thankful for it prevents you from being proud.

Another reason why you ought to be thankful –

It prevents you from your own destruction.

God will not commit mistake in making you not to do a certain thing. A seemingly hindered event, schedule or appointment could be a disappointment to you but you actually don’t know that God has just been protecting you all the time. God will not give you something that will destroy you. So be thankful if you cannot sing like Celine Dion though you dream being like one. Be thankful if you cannot be like Manny Pacquiao. Be happy if you cannot be popular like the celebrities. You are what you are.

This leads to the reason that will inspire you –

It is pointing you on what you really can do.

Yes, on what you are really good at. Oftentimes, because we want to do many things we end up doing nothing. We cannot be Jacks of all trade. We may have a knowledge of a little bit of something but we must be good of what we really good at. The reason why you are not allowed to do a certain thing is because you are being pointed to the thing that is really meant for you.

So what if you cannot sing like Josh Groban? So what if you cannot be like Kobe Bryant? Be thankful of who you are. For sure, you can do something worthwhile. Discover it and focus on it.

And of the things you can't do, be thankful. You are just being prevented for your own good.

The God of mercy shall prevent me... - Psalm 59:10

WHAT IS THE TASTE OF THE WHITE OF AN EGG?

Good day! What do you have for breakfast?
I hope there is a fried egg.

It is because this is connected to this witty and radical truth -

Don't you know that the white of an egg was mentioned in the Bible? And we can get some valuable lessons from this truth? Well, it was recorded in the oldest book of the Bible which is the Book of Job. Job said in chapter 6, verse 6 -

Can that which is unsavory be eaten without a salt? Is there any taste in a white of an egg?

For sure, you don't like fried or poached egg without a salt. If you do, then Job is challenging you to answer his question- "If there is no salt in an egg, what is the taste of the white of an egg?" I give you time to think, or ask your kids, or maybe experiment with it by tasting an egg with no salt.

Whatever your answer is -

               actually, that is not the issue here.

The true issue in this verse was this -

             the severe suffering and poverty of Job that he didn't even have a salt to put taste to the only food he got and that is an egg. Don't you know that having no salt in a house in Israel at that time is the worst indication of poverty? This was what Job experienced at that time.

The worse was, three of his friends visited him but just gave him words but no actual help. My, they could have at least gave Job a salt!

Here are the lessons I got from this observation:

If you have a fried or poached egg for breakfast, be very, very thankful. Lots of people around the world cannot eat what you're eating because of extreme poverty. And if you're fried or poached egg tasted good because of the salt in it, also be very thankful. In some parts of the world, some may eat fried egg but they have no salt to put flavor in it. So be very thankful of your life if you can eat three times a day.

Sometimes, there are lots of small things in our lives that we need to appreciate because they are part of making our lives full and complete. Just imagine if there are no salt and eggs in the world?

Also, I learned a valuable lesson by observing what the three friends did not do to Job. They just brought words but no actual material help, not even a salt! This speaks to us to be more than just be thankful of the salt and fried egg in our breakfast table. This speaks to us to do something to participate in any effort to help the poor in our community. We cannot address the needs of poor people with our words no matter how religious it may sound. We must do something to help them for an egg with no salt still has no taste no matter how we persuade them that the egg tastes good.

Go outside and go to the poor areas in your community, ask a child the same question of Job -

 "What is the taste of the white of an egg?"

If the child answers, "Salty" or, "Delicious", then it means that they can cook fried egg properly because they have salt. But if the child answers, "I don't know. It doesn't have any taste." Then you can presume that their family is in extreme poverty.

In your work or school today, ask someone, "What is the taste of the white of an egg?" They may answer different answers and they will be puzzled why you asked that question, but the point here is the curiosity and the appreciation of simple things in life, and to be conscious of the blessed life we have.

A ONE-OF-A-KIND WORSHIP AND LORD'S SUPPER ON THE MOON [An Untold Account of Astronaut Buzz Aldrin's Testimony on the Moon]

All we know about that historic event of Saturn Flight in 1970 was when man first walked on the moon. Little did we know that there is a more significant event that happened on that day before they even set their feet on the moon.

What do you think what they did before they walked on the moon aside from the technical things they ought to do?
Guess what, what they did was, they worshipped God in prayer, and took the Lord's Supper on the moon! Isn't this amazing?

Buzz Aldrin, one of the astronauts who is a Christian testified about these things.

These are his words as recorded in Guidepost[October 1970] -

Now Neil and I were sitting inside Eagle, while Mike circled in lunar orbit unseen in the black sky above us.  In a little while after our scheduled meal period, Neil would give the signal to step down the ladder onto the powdery surface of the moon.  Now was the moment for communion. So I unstowed the elements in their flight packets.  I put them and the scripture reading on the little table in front of the abort guidance system computer.

Then I called back to Houston.

“Houston, this is Eagle.  This is the LM Pilot speaking.  I would like to request a few moments of silence.  I would like to invite each person listening in, wherever and whomever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the past few hours and to invite each person listening, wherever and whomever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his own individual way.”

In the radio blackout I opened the little plastic packages which contained bread and wine.

I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me.  In the one-sixth gravity of the moon the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup.  

It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were [Lord's Supper] elements.

And so, just before I partook of the elements, I read the words, which I had chosen to indicate our trust that as man probes into space we are in fact acting in Christ. 

I read: “I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me” (John 15:5).

Isn't it amazing that even on the moon, the words of God were proclaimed, the message of the blood of Christ was declared, and the thanksgiving to Almighty God was expressed!

Why You Should Not Feel Inferior

Job is the man who lost all of his children in one day in a freak accident.

He lost all of his wealth and resources.

And to make the matters worse, he even contracted a rare disease which filled all of his body with boils.

If you are Job, what perhaps will be your words?

You know what Job declared in Job 13:2? Here it is and you will be amazed - 

"I am not inferior."

What, Job? You lost all of your children, you lost all of your wealth, and you are sick with a rare disease, and you can still declare that you are not inferior? Job can answer, "Yes, I am not inferior."

Job has all the reasons to feel inferior, but he chose not to.

Inferiority is not based on circumstances. It is based on choice.

You can only be inferior with your consent. If you allow yourself to be inferior, then you are.

Circumstances ought not to make you inferior.

You must be above any situation. Your looks, your status in life, your education, or your handicaps ought not to make you inferior. Dignity do not depend on these things. The wealth and success of others ought not make you feel inferior because your significance do not rest on things, nor on the standard of others. Your worth do not depends on your past, but on your totality as being a child of God.

Criticism ought not to make you inferior.

No one has the right to make you inferior. No matter how hurting the words can be lashed against you but it is still your choice not to feel inferior. You will only be inferior if you go to the level or below the level of your critics. Your worth do not depends on what people says, but rather on how God sees you.

Crisis ought not to make you inferior.

Take crisis as a challenge. Crisis happens but our dignity do not depend on how much money we have in our pocket. Your worth do not depend on Bulgaris, Calvin Klein, Mercedes Benz, or on mansions. Your worth depends on the One who gave His life for you.

Let me tell you why you ought not to think and feel inferior - 

He who has God can never be inferior.

Believe how loved you are by our loving Father. Appreciate how you are being blessed by God. When you always think positively that all things work out together for good, when you always base your significance on God, when you always think that you are a victor, - inferiority can never sets in  your heart. Why? Because you have God.

You are not like Job.

You have your family.

You have your job, your business, your career.

You have a good health.
Can't you see how blessed you are today?

Above all, you have God.

Why feel inferior?

- A r t  R o y  R e m y

“It is one thing to believe that

after the rain is a blessing,

but it is a greater thing

to believe that even the rain

is a blessing.”

- 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 Wrong Thanksgiving

I always teach and preach about being thankful to God. Thankfulness makes you a better person, unleashes the blessings, and pleases God. However, I discovered today in the Word of God that there is such thing as - a wrong thanksgiving.


Check this out.


A Pharisee prayed to God this prayer recorded in Luke 18: 10-11 - 


   "O God, I THANK YOU I am not like other people-
   extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publican beside me.
    I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess."


This is the wrong thanksgiving you can say in your life.

A wrong thanksgiving is - 


   - thanking God by exalting yourself.
   - thanking God by bragging yourself compared to others.
   - thanking God by belittling others.
   - thanking God by showcasing your self-righteousness.
   - thanking God by boasting how good you are.


When we thank God how good our church is compared to others,
when we thank God how good we are compared to others,
when we thank God how how "deep" we are compared to others.
when we thank God how "different" we are compared to others.


- these are the thanksgivings which God don't want to hear from us.
There is a big difference between "Praise-Thanksgiving" from "Pharisee-Thanksgiving."


Compared to the Publican who is also praying beside the Pharisee, he smote his chest knowing how sinful he was and prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus said, "I tell you, this man went justified rather than the other." The prayer of the Publican is the right and authentic thanksgiving.


A thanksgiving that is not exalting self but God.
A thanksgiving that is not bragging one's self.
A thanksgiving that is not belittling others.
A thanksgiving that is not exalting one's self-righteousness.
A thanksgiving that is not showcasing how good you are.


 - A r t  R o y  R e m y

radical truths:

"Don't change the praise, "God is good" to "I am good."

We are called to thank God of how blessed we are but not how good we are. Jesus said in the sermon of the mount, "Blessed is the man" and not "Good is the man," because being blessed is recognizing that there is a Blessor and we are all but recipients of that blessing.

"Blessed man" is based in relationship with God. "Good man" is based in religion. Jesus changed this thinking when he taught, "there is no one good but God." The famous verse said it all, "there is none that do good, no not one." So, be thankful of how blessed you are and not how good you are. 

I Found My Lost Flat-Cap In The Mall And What I Found Again Was My Self-Worth

    "I left my favorite flat cap in the mall!"

This was my exclamation when we were already in the car when I discovered that I left my favorite cap in the movie theater in Eastwood Mall. I asked for my friends to wait for me as I hurriedly went back to the movie theater to reclaim my cap. This cap is important to me and has a sentimental value for me.

When I approached the guard of the theatre about my cap, he asked me first to describe the cap to prove that it was really my cap. I easily described it,

    "It's color white."

    "It's brand is Oxygen."

    "It has a silver lining in one side."

Though I knew that it also features one thing- that it has a stain in the rim, hehehe- but I know it was no longer relevant and to mention it was no longer needed. The guard was convinced that it was my cap, and he gave the cap to me. While I was describing my cap, I noticed some people sitting in the lobby whispering like, "It was just a brand Oxygen, why bothered to get it back." I don't care though for what they were saying, all I care is that this is my cap and it feels good that I have my cap again.

While I was walking back to go back to the car, I was enlightened about my worth to God.

1. When there are times I was lost, He will always go back to search for me and find me.

2. He can easily describe me- inside and out.

3. He knew my "stains" but He will just keep it to himself.

4. He will disregard how other people "brands" me.

5. What He knows is that I am very important to Him.

When I was back inside the car, my friends asked me, "Did you find it?"

I answered, "Yes,"with a thought in my head adding in my answer,

"Yes, and I found my self- worth again."