Afterlife: Live For Eternity!

Afterlife 3

Live For Eternity!

by Jeremy Sanchez

written by Larisse Millora

(Listen to the podcast while you read the blog! Click here!)

There is an afterlife to face after our lives on earth.

The Bible is clear about it. Even cultures and generations, from cavemen drawings to tomb markings, from papyrus to pad paper, people know in their hearts that there is such a thing as an afterlife. It says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God has planted eternity in the human heart. We learned last week that there are only two places the human soul can go: heaven or hell. There’s no in between. 

Sadly, because of our sin, hell is the consequences of our actions. But thank God, because of His grace, He has provided the way for us to be with Him in heaven forever through Jesus. And so knowing this, as a child of God, we should be preparing ourselves for heaven.

Everyone wants to go to heaven but if asked the question if you want to go to heaven now, you'd refuse. You still want to experience life! Like earning your first million or billion, to have your dream car, to have your first dream house, to have your dream vacation and of course dream relationship.

It's normal! We’re humans, we have finite minds and desires, but you see when we have the right perspective of heaven and what it is going be like when we’re with God, we can say, “Yeah, I’d love these things to happen in my life, but if they don’t, it’s okay because heaven is much more better that these things.” A wrong view of Heaven will make us live for the temporary, but a proper way view of Heaven prepare us for eternity.

So, don’t live for the temporary, LIVE FOR ETERNITY.

According to the Bible, heaven has three meanings: sky, universe, and God’s home. We’re talking about the third. Many of you are thinking of heaven as all white, always singing, full of white smoke – in other words: boring. That’s the common misconception of heaven. But there’s more to it:

“There is more than enough room in my father’s home. If this were not so, would have I told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you?”

John 14:2 

Jesus said that in heaven, there are rooms/places for His people. There will be places for us to live in. And last week, we learned that heaven is a beautiful place with streets of gold, beautiful stones, pearl gates and many more. The Bible says, in the end, there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will think of the old ones anymore…”

Isaiah 65:17

The Bible also talks about an event called the rapture, which is also followed by the millennial reign, Armageddon. Ideas like these are discussed in Eschatology, the study of the end times.  

God’s initial intention was really to live with His creation but it was broken because of sin.In the new heaven and Earth, things will be perfect again, and that’s permanent. Theologians say when we Christians die, we’re taken up to an 'initial heaven' in God's presence. But when everything has taken place, God will create a new heaven and earth where we will live. No more sin, no more tears.

You see, there are things to do, relationships to cherish, and a life to live in Heaven.

This is something we should be excited about. The Bible tells us to be excited for this day to come!

 “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed”

Romans 8:19

Have you ever experienced being so relaxed and feeling an overflow of joy? That’s what it’s going be like there and that is for eternity. That is God’s design. No more pain, no more heartbreaks and tears, No more calamities, tsunamis, No more murders, rape, and corruption. No more evil. Who wants that?

Why prepare for eternity?

Heaven is our real home.

“But we are citizens of heaven, where The Lord Jesus Christ lives.”

Philippians 3:20 

The Bible says that the earth is our only temporary home; our real home is in heaven. We are foreigners/aliens in this world.  Knowing that it is our home, a great motivating factor is that there are rewards waiting for us in heaven.  God has prepared rewards and riches for us in Heaven.

 “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds…”

Revelation 22:12 

Knowing these, Jesus tells us to store riches in heaven and not here on earth, because we can’t bring our riches here on earth to the afterlife.He says in Matthew 6:19-21 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Wherever we place our time on shows the true desire of our hearts. So store treasures in heaven.

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

Colossians 3:1-2

So the Bible tells us to think of things of heaven, to prepare for heaven and not to spend all our energy for the things of this earth that will pass away. And so how do we do this?

“So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

1 Peter 1:13-14 

Peter was writing to the Christians who were being persecuted.  He was telling them to set their eyes on heaven, of what was to come. Despite the persecutions, there will be something better after it all – and that is heaven. The early Christians were excited about heaven and what was to come that’s why they persevered. And so he’s saying to the Christians, persevere knowing of the reward in the end. He says, as you persevere, these are the things we should do:

“…but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior…”

1 Peter 1:15  

We should be different. Holy means set apart – different from the world. As believers of Jesus, the question is:  “Are we living our lives in a way that pleases God and is preparing for eternity, or are we just living for the temporary?” If you don’t have a proper view of heaven and a right thinking of who God is, we will not be eager for the future, thus living our lives the way we do now – we don’t strive to be like Christ; we harbor sins we know we should turn away from. 

So, how do we do this? We should repent our sins and do the opposite.

“So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. So prepare your mind and self for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

1 Peter 1:13-14 

Live our lives as God’s obedient children. Let’s read His word so we know what He wants us to do. And don’t slip back to our old ways. Start living for eternity now; don’t wait when things are going well with your life.

“Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog — it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”

James 4:13-14

Start living for eternity now. Don’t wait. Start obeying now. When you fall, repent from it, God is willing to forgive and restore the relationship tarnished by the sins you committed.

HEAVEN is a proof that God desires to be with His people.

Afterlife: Heaven and Hell

Afterlife 2

Heaven and Hell

by Daniel Carandang

written by Ana Andres

(Listen to the podcast as you read! Just click here!)

 One of the most mysterious ideologies from the bible is probably the concept of Heaven and Hell.  It’s a popular notion but each one perceives it differently; different religions saying differently from the other, Hollywood romanticizing it, several people speaking about different testimonies on Heaven and Hell and it either leaves us seeking or not believing.

 

 Truth is, regardless of how diversely it is perceived by different people, HEAVEN AND HELL IS VERY MUCH FOR REAL(Yes, it is real!). Having established this fact, it still poses several questions no one can seem to answer. 

Questions such as; what happens to aborted babies?  What about those people with mental defects? While we are here on earth, we will probably not be able to answer all these but that’s because there are things that remains a mystery. That does not mean however that we are to disregard of this truth. God has revealed enough for us to believe and hold on to His truth. As it says in Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

 

So, what are the things that God has revealed about the afterlife?

 

In Luke Chapter 16, Jesus tells a parable about a rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lived in luxury while Lazarus who was poor and laid at the rich man’s gate. They both died and went to two different places. One was suffered and one was comforted. Here, the truth that there is an afterlife is affirmed. A person does not become nothing after death and more so, that there is a stop over. He either goes to Heaven or Hell.

 

What does Heaven and Hell look like though?

 

Let’s start with Hell. Oftentimes, people have a very romanticized picture of Hell. It’s not surprising that people conceive it as the “fun” and the “better” place to go to after death as opposed to Heaven. The Evil one wants to convince us that we are able to bring to Hell the worldly pleasures. He wants us to think that there is where thrill is and that Heaven is plain and boring. But let me tell you what the Bible says about Hell; in Mark 9:43-44 it says, “if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched”.  

The Greek word used for hell refers to the valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, which was a garbage dump where fire constantly burned furnishing a graphic symbol of eternal torment. I don’t know about you but this does not sound fun at all. Imagine every single part of your body being burnt. You will feel the pain every second of it and what’s worse is that, it never ends. It goes on for eternity. 

But it doesn’t end there, the worst part is, there’s no escape! Just like the story of Lazarus in Luke 16:24-26, “So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’” And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us”. 

This isn’t a joke and if God were really really serious, can we really afford to risk our eternity? Some argue that if God were really a loving God, why would he send us to a place of eternal suffering? He does not want to and that is why despite our sins and wickedness, He did whatever it took to save us from the fiery lakes of hell but if despite this, we remain to be stubborn and reject His gift of eternal life in Heaven, we will be bound to where we deserve to be. Yes, God is loving but He is also just.

 

Now on the other hand, Heaven is a place of paradise beyond our wildest fascinations. This is where all our earthly suffering will end and where eternal joy will begin. It says in Revelation 21:4-5, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true”. 

All that we have, all of our possessions, wealth and what we go through today are temporary. NO MORE PAIN. NO MORE SUFFERING. We will be living in a God-filled place!

 

However, Heaven seems too good to be true for sinners and no matter what we do, it just seems like it’s out of our reach.  But the good news is, Jesus already paid the price! He paved the way so we may have eternal life in Heaven. If you have received this gift and believed in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, that’s great see you in Heaven! 

If you haven’t, it is not yet too late. Salvation is for everyone because truth is, everyone will fall short of the standards of God. No matter how little you think your sins are. Sin is sin and the standard of God is perfection. That’s the thing, right? Nobody is perfect and the bible says, our good works, charity, and sacrifice wont save us. Only Jesus can. And because God the Father saw how doomed we were, out of immense love, He sent His One and Only Son to come down from His throne in order to share in our humanity so that He may suffer death and break the power of the devil that holds death. And because he became fully human having to experience temptations and suffering but overcoming these all without flaw, He is the only one qualified and He will qualify us through His blood if only we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

 

Afterlife: The Life After Death

Afterlife 1

Life After Death

by Daniel Carandang

written by Kathy Raga

(Listen to the message while you read! Click here :D)

What do you fear the most? Some people may give obvious answers like insects,heights and whatever phobias they have.However,looking deep down in our hearts, we fear death. The uncertainty of our LIFE AFTER DEATH. 

People have different views about afterlife. Here are some examples: 

*annihilation 

When you die then it's the end of you. There is no heaven nor hell. Naturally, there is no afterlife and God. 

*reincarnation 

When we die,we will be reborn to another creature depending on how we live our past life. So if you are bad,then there is a big chance that you will be reincarnated as a cockroach. 

*compensation 

Death is like a roadtrip. There will be stopovers. 

After reading all of these, a question may bother us. So what is going to happen to us when we die?q 

This is how God views the afterlife:

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

Luke 16:22-23 

Death doesn't end everything. When we die, we will still live on. THERE IS A LIFE AFTER DEATH. THERE IS AFTERLIFE. 

We are spiritual beings. This is the reason why we will still go on after our life here on Earth is finished. It doesn't matter if you are rich poor,good or bad, we are all going to live after we die. 

THERE ARE ONLY 2 DESTINATIONS IN THE AFTERLIFE. 

Contrary to what our traditional religion teaches us,we only have 2 destinations when we die. There is NO option. When we die, we are either going to heaven or hell. 

This gives way to a fresh batch of questions.:

1. Are ghosts real? 

Ghosts are spiritual beings. Those spiritual beings are the angels and demons. They are our guardians here on earth. So ghosts are not real, they are the evil spirits sent to deceive us.

2. Are ghosts the spirit of our dead relatives? 

In Hebrews 9:27, it says:

27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

We will just die ONCE then we will face judgment. Our dead relatives are already in heaven or hell. There is 0% chance that they are here,lingering on Earth. 

3. Will praying for my dead relatives do somethingz for their spiritual beings? 

Our traditional religion leads us to believe that we can do something for them. In reality, we cant there is a big chasm or gap between heaven and hell. Those who are suffering from the clutches of the Enemy CANNOT go to heaven and vice-versa. 

WHEN WE DIE, OUR ETERNAL DESTINIES ARE SEALED,SECURE IT BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE 

We still have time to change and follow the right thing. There is a way to be saved from the eternal suffering in hell. 

Do you want to know the solution? 

God gave us the solution 2000 years ago. 

JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY FOR US TO BE SAVED FROM HELL. 

So what are you waiting for? Talk to God and asked Him for forgiveness. 

Remember this: If you take slow steps towards God,then God will hurriedly run towards you.

All Of Me: Idol Free!

All Of Me 3

Idol Free!

by Daniel Carandang

written by Sheresh Eunice Cortes

[Listen to the preaching here:All Of Me 3]

Whether we’re aware of it or not, there is a constant battle we are facing in our lives every day. It’s not just about the competition in our school or workplace, or the war in different parts of the world. But more than that, there is a more serious battle we all experience – and that is the spiritual contention of what or who takes the ultimate place in our hearts.

Idolatry is something others take lightly, or do unconsciously, when in truth it is very destructive. Most of the time, we relate money to idolatry but there is more to it than just that. It takes on so many forms such as studies, friends, career, religious saints and even family. Idolatry is when something or someone takes the place of God in our lives.

What’s so bad about idolatry and why should we be careful not to commit idolatry? Let us take a closer scrutiny on the following verses:

“And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Exodus 20: 1-6

In this context, God has just delivered the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. They were now journeying through the desert, and at this point in time, they were at the foot of Mount Sinai, where God was about to make an agreement with them. An agreement that if they will live like the chosen people God was calling them to be, they would be a model people (holy and set apart), the people through whom other nations would come to know God.

In these verses above, God, as He was preparing them for this, was giving them the first two commandments of what we know as the 10 commandments which were supposed to be the set of guidelines they were to live by that would set them apart from all other pagan nations around them.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Exodus 20: 1-3

God sent 10 plagues, each one a corresponding god that the Egyptians looked up to. Through these plagues, God was telling them that all these images that they considered “gods” were impotent, fake, and does not have the power to stop Him from delivering His people. The Israelites saw this display of power and when they were finally delivered from Egypt, God was telling them, “I am the REAL GOD” “I was the One who delivered you from your slavery in Egypt. So now stop worshipping other so called gods. I am to be your One and Only.”

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them”

Exodus 20: 4-5

God commanded us not to make any forms of idols in our lives. The most obvious one would be the religious images, or the statues that some people bow down to. Some people pray to these images, putting their trust in them for granting their needs… at times, they would even say “pray for us” after uttering the image’s name.

As what was mentioned earlier, idolatry takes on so many forms. It is more than just bowing down to images. Unconsciously, some of us commit idolatry by making things our idols. It could be money, studies, career, a person. When we look up to something or someone to meet our needs which God is supposed to provide, it becomes idolatry. When we put our hope to this thing or person, we make them our idols.

By committing idolatry, we fail to realize that God is everything we need. The root of disappointment is when we put our faith and hope to anything or anyone less than Him. God does not need a substitute! God should be our One and Only. We should be idol-free!

Below are three points why we should be careful not to commit idolatry:

1.      Idolatry breaks the heart of God

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

Exodus 20: 4-5

If we were to get married one day, we would want our partner to be 100% faithful to us, right? It is the same with God. Since we’ve surrendered our lives to Him, we are His. Just like a married couple, when one commits infidelity, the other gets hurt and angered. God gets righteously angered when we give away our affections and trust to anything or anyone other than Him.

Idolatry is spiritual infidelity.

It is painful to find out that we share our partner’s affections with anyone. We all want an exclusive love relationship with our partner – and that’s the same with God. He wants us all to Him. He wants an exclusive relationship with us. Once we drift away with a substitute, we leave Him in pain. He deserves our 100% faithfulness. After all, He loved and sought us still while we were yet busy with our worldly affairs.

2.      Idolatry destroys the idolater

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments”

Exodus 20: 4-6

The verses above do not mean you will be punished for the sins of your parents. God is a just God. It simply means that there are long term consequences, and the children can be affected by this if they walk after their parents’ example of idolatry. For example, if a person commits an idolatry of sex, he can get STD, or it can lead to a broken family and a ruined marriage. This thing could be passed on, if the child walks after his parent’s example.

Idolatry destroys the idolater by trapping him into an illusion that it can provide what the idolater needs. Idolatry keeps the idolater away from the truth that only God can satisfy his deepest longings. In the long run, the idolater will feel empty and unsatisfied for he cannot find what he truly needs in his idol.

(However, if the idolater commits to turning away from his spiritual infidelity that has destroyed him… he can always come to God, the greatest and only source of everything he needs, for restoration. And it will never be the same again.)

3.      Total devotion to God brings blessings and intimacy with Him

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Exodus 20: 4-6

If we are committed to God, He won’t hold any good thing from us. Despite the negative things happening in the world right now, there are still happy stories around. The Lord blesses His people, those who love and obey Him. A happy and fulfilled life is brought forth by the knowledge that one has everything he needs as long as he has God. Give your total devotion to God, and let yours be another happy story.

A friend once said, “Sin is like a chocolate covered poop”. Idolatry can appear enticing and beautiful, but may we always be reminded that in truth it is just crap. God made and designed us for an exclusive relationship with Him. Let there be no any affairs in our relationship with Him. Let God take the ultimate place in our hearts, in our lives.

He should be our One and Only. We should be idol-free.

All Of Me: How Serious Are You With Christ?

All Of Me 2

How Serious Are You With Christ?

by Jeremy Sanchez

written by Ana Andres

[Listen to the preaching here: All Of Me 2]

"This is God's universe, and He does things His way. You may have a better way, but you don't have a universe." - J Vernon McGee

Many times we fail to wrap one’s mind around the idea of how big and sovereign our God is. That’s okay and that’s completely normal because as humans, it’s impossible for us to fathom completely the greatness of God. But the problem sets in when we do not acknowledge this fact and most of the time, we don’t especially when it comes to God’s authority over our lives. Even as Christians, we like the idea that God is so sovereign and big that He is able to save us but most of the time, not the idea that because God is so sovereign and big, He is to be Lord over our lives.

It says in Romans 12:1, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him”and so basically it says that we are to give all of ourselves because He gave all of Him. Well truthfully, that’s easier said than done. Yes sure, Jesus gave all of Himself and that’s great and awesome but do I really have to give all of me? He loves and forgives anyway. It wouldn’t matter how I live.

 But you see, if that’s the kind of mindset you have, then I don’t think you understand the gravity of what Jesus has done and how profound, unfathomable even, His love is. In the preceding chapters of Romans (chapters 1-11), God’s story of relentless Grace was shown. It talked about how God saved us from our eternal doom through Jesus Christ and hence chapter 12 was the response; that after God picked us from our dark nothingness, so great and so powerful that it inevitably moves us to do whatever it takes to worship Him with our utmost being.

Aside from His loving nature, we also have to remember that He is to be feared.

“Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

Philippians 2:9-10

If we truly respect God and understand that He is much much bigger and mightier than us all, we will revere him. To illustrate this, imagine President P-noy visited your school and spoke to you. You would most likely be polite and show him respect perhaps more than you give to others because of his authority as President of the Philippines. How much more God, who is supernatural, who lives in unapproachable light and is surrounded by billions of angels. Let us take him seriously.

If you are serious about Jesus Christ and you’re willing to make Him Lord over your life, here are four points, derived from the acronym L.O.R.D., to guide you;

1)   L-oyal to Jesus

Loyalty is like a roller coaster ride. There will be plenty of ups and downs but you have to stick to the ride otherwise, you will fall off and die. Likewise, the Christian walk will definitely have plenty of ups and downs too but if we’re loyal to Him, He promises that we will never falter.

“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.”

Luke 6:47-48.

2) O-bey

“If you love Me, obey My commandments.”

 John 14:15

Then again, this is something easier said than done. We are naturally born with certain desires and we are naturally rebellious. Sometimes, obeying God would literally have to mean to oppose one’s self. It’s difficult and almost unnatural but we are given the opportunity to transcend this through His love and our love for Him altogether, He will pour His Grace to which we will allow to fill our lives and this will empower us to obey Him.

Many times, we won’t understand why He would ask us to do certain things but we always have to remember that He is much bigger than us and our limited mindset. He knows better than we do and that is why we have to obey Him. It is also for our own good.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” –

Isaiah 55:8-9

3) R-epent

To repent means to acknowledge your sins and to turn away from it. It’s very important that we acknowledge our sins. Most of the time, we justify ourselves and create reasons not to turn away from a certain thing just because we think it is what’s best for us. But then again, God knows better and His best plan is the perfect plan for you and me. Allow God to chage your thinking and turn away from what He commands us to turn away to.

4) D-ie to self

When we decided to accept Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we also decided to surrender our lives to Him. It is no longer about us but Christ.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. “ 

Galatians 2:20

It’s silly and it almost sounds ridiculous to give one’s life to someone but he is not just someone, He gave His life up for you and not only you but for all the human beings who ever existed and even those to exist. If you understand this profoundly and have experienced in your life the outcome of what He has done, you will be more than willing to give your life.

So what are you waiting for? A special day? A miracle? Start following Jesus now. The day is today, not tomorrow, not later, but today.

All Of Me: All Of Me, All Of His

All Of Me 1

All Of Me, All Of His

by Daniel Carandang

written by Larisse Oliveros

[Check out the podcast here: All Of Me 1]

In a relationship, we all know that one of the primary desires and expectations of people is loyalty, especially in marriages.  No one enters a marriage and desires to be cheated by his/her partner. Total commitment is desired and expected. If you get married, you expect your spouse to love you and be devoted to you, not to someone else.

In a similar way, God desires and expects us to be totally committed to him. He isn’t looking for a 50% or even a 99.9% commitment, but a 100% commitment to Him.

Whenever commitment is violated, people get hurt. Just like in any relationship, people get hurt, hearts get broken, and consequences are suffered. And that’s not what God desires for us. As we follow the design God has for our relationship with Him, we’ll bring him honor in our lives and at the same time,it will enable us to experience the full life He desires all of us to possess.

“The only permanent thing in the world is change.” –Anonymous

Economy, the in-demand jobs could be obsolete tomorrow. Technology, from pager and antenna phones to touch screen phones and Music, from Beatles to One Direction.

Things change. Are there things in your life that doesn't seem to change?

Anger, lust, greed, pride, sloth, avarice and other sins experience the consequences, and hurt the people around you thus, hurting God.

We can’t change ourselves.

We may not have the power to change ourselves, but the good news is that God has the power to change us and that He Himself – His Spirit wants to personally help and empower us to change.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

First and foremost, the Holy Spirit is a Person: He speaks, He guides and He also knows when we lie.

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But most importantly, the Holy Spirit is God.

“Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Acts 5:3-4 

Even after the Holy Spirit came, the believers were not immune to Satan’s temptations. Although Satan was defeated by Christ at the Cross, he was still actively trying to make the believers stumble – as he does today. The sin Ananias committed was not holding back part of the money, It was his choice whether or not to sell the land and how much to give. His sin was lying to God and God’s people, saying he gave the whole amount but holding some for his own and trying to make himself appear more generous than he really were. 

All lies are bad, but when we lie to try to deceive God and his people about our relationship with Him, we destroy our testimony for Christ.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”

Matthew 28: 19 

We worship one God, but exist in three persons. – The bible clearly teaches this, but it is a mystery we will never be able to comprehend or understand.

The Holy Spirit is God. He comes to live in all who have put their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Personal Savior.

The Holy Spirit comes alongside with us. (Side by side relationship)

Have you experienced morose? Discouraged? Heartbroken?Alone?

When Jesus was about to be arrested and crucified, the disciples’ hearts were troubled.

When you are in Quiz bee finals and you lost your most intelligent teammate or in a championship game and you lost the star-player, what would you feel?

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever the Spirit of truth.”

John 14:16-17a 

Advocate – Parakletos

This word comes from two root words: ‘Para’ (beside) and ‘kaleo’ (a verb meaning “to call”). Thus, making the literal meaning of the word “Helper” is “the One called to be beside” or the one called to come alongside believers.

Many times we turn to other people and to other things when we’re in search of comfort and encouragement. Not bad, but who is your first and foremost primary source?

People who don’t have a relationship with Jesus turn to all other things in search of comfort, encouragement, and peace. Which may include drinking, taking drugs, stress- eating, non-stop computer gaming, self-harming, and suicide.

WE SHOULD TURN TO GOD.

Turn to God and come to him whenever you are in need of comfort and encouragement! Lost? When lights go out and it is too dark, what do we grope for first? Flashlight! So there will be light to guide us in the dark.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit leads and guides us through life.

In his letter to the Christians in Galatia, Paul gave them the secret to overcoming the sinful nature. How many of you are still tempted?  To cheat, look lustfully; look at porn, gossip, burst out in anger?

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:16,17, 25 

Walk by the Spirit meaning live by and keep in step with the Spirit constantly. As Christians, we are called to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. We need to surrender and listen.

The Holy Spirit communicates with us.

When you are taking an exam and you didn’t study. You can resort to cheating so that you won’t fail. Your conscience will bother you, leaving you in a rather uncomfortable feeling. You say something wrong. Then you’ll be burdened to take it back and ask for forgiveness.

 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”

Proverbs 4:23

It depends on the things you allow into your heart. These things form your thoughts and attitudes shape the deepest part of your being. No matter what your circumstances are, if your heart is right, you're going to be okay.But if the wrong things in our hearts go unattended, they will become deeply rooted and harder to deal with. You have to constantly be working with the Holy Spirit to keep your heart right.

Sin has consequences. Even if we’re secured in our eternal destiny, we will face consequences. And if we allow ourselves to be weak, we can commit sins.

God did not make us as robots. We could actually quench and grieve the Holy Spirit, but we will not experience His power and we will suffer the consequences of our sins.

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

Ephesians 5:18

After making known to them the spiritual blessings given to them by God, and reminding them that He mercifully forgave them, Paul was telling the Christians in Ephesus that they should be imitators of God, live for Him, and in days of evil make the most out of every opportunity to honor God.

Do you want to be Loving like God? Even to people who are not easy to love?

Do you want to be Truthful like God? Even in the midst of peer pressure?

Do you want to be Compassionate like God? Even if we are bent being selfish?

Do not be controlled by wine it will lead to excessive sinning and will ruin your life! Instead, be totally controlled by the Holy Spirit. Be totally sensitive and surrender to the Holy Spirit, moment by moment.Slowly then fully.