Fearless: Survivng Transitions

Fearless 2
images taken from Google and Tumblr

Surviving Transitions

Speaker: Rob Cahilog

written by Ana Andres

Change is inevitable and so are transitions in life. There is always something we need to let go of in order to move forward. Be it a situation or a relationship, sometimes we just gotta let it go.

Elsa and the Anthem of Everyone Else

Most of us always just focus on the blessings we will receive. We're too busy wondering if we'll get that new iPhone 6 when really we should learn that God will not only bless us. There are times when he allows trials for us to learn. They come in the form of change, otherwise known as transitions.

Kuya Rob Cahilog defined transitions as, “the process of letting go of the way it used to be and taking home of what they become”. This is something we have to really prepare for because let’s face it: letting go isn’t easy. Once we have become too comfortable with the way things are, we don’t want to step out of that comfort zone any longer.

IT'S HAAAAAARD :|

For an instance, if you’re graduating from high school and now entering college, you’re going to leave your friends and classmates. Everything is new and you don't know what to expect.  Or perhaps your parents are on the brink of separation. You feel anxious and you cry yourself to sleep. You just don’t know what to do. You’re in a transition.

There was also a man in the Bible who experienced a big transition in his life. His name was Joshua.  

During his time, the Israelites and himself were wandering in the dessert for forty years. They were about to cross over God’s promise land when their leader Moses, who started their journey and led them out of captivity from the Pharaoh of Egypt, died. Joshua, being the assistant of Moses, now had the responsibility and burden to lead these people to the promise land. Not only that, he was to lead people who were stiff-necked meaning stubborn and he was to lead them to a place that was unknown. Just imagine  how much of a big burden this was to him.  It was probably overwhelming and it definitely was not easy for him!

Joshua: R U KIDDING ME?!

But this is what God said,

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” 

 Joshua 1:6-8

So how do we respond to transitions?

- Be strong in the Lord.

God is a big and powerful God. He is so big and powerful that our minds can’t fathom how gargantuan He is.  Because He is strong and everything is under His control, we can depend on Him totally. But questions is, do we truly believe this? Do we depend on Him or do we depend on ourselves?

Do I depend on God or do I depend on meself??

When trouble sets in, the devil tempts us to think that God wasn’t strong enough to protect us from it but we fail to realize that God allowed trouble in our lives so that we have an opportunity to depend on Him and be blessed by His Grace. 

Most of the time, we take matters to our own hands but what we don’t see is that we are limited—we are creatures of time-encased, air/food/sleep-dependent lives and sooner or later, we will run out of willpower. But God is the source of strength, He is the source of power and that is why we have to be strong in Him. Don’t allow the evil one to discourage you from seeking His goodness and Grace. Continue to pray, to read your bible and to fellowship with others!

- Take Courage

Somehow society has given us the wrong perspective that being courageous equates to being a “bad boy” or one that isn’t afraid to break the rules, which is really weird. Why? Wouldn’t you think that following rules is much harder and therefore requires more courage? 

Following rules sometimes means that we let go of certain wants and desires in order to carry it out. It can even means inconvenience. For example, if your teacher leaves the room while your class is taking an exam and everybody else starts copying answers because there’s no way the teacher would know anyways, wouldn’t it be easier to go ahead and cheat too rather than obeying the rules?

God says that true courage means obeying His commands and if we want to overcome the transitions we are going through, we have to obey Him. It’s really easier said than done because truth is, when we’re in a transition and we are midway through its end point, there will be times that we will be controlled by our emotions. It really takes much courage not to depend on our emotions but to depend on God and His promises.

This all seems so hard and complicated. No wonder why so many quit on Christianity. Why then should I go on? Why should I be strong in the Lord and take courage? 

It’s because if we quit, we will miss out on His promises and blessings and because really in the long run, we will realize that it’s much harder to live without Him.

So don't quit! With God, you can survive transitions. 

Fearless: So You Wanna Be FEARLESS?

Fearless 1
*all images taken from Google images

So You Wanna Be Fearless?

Speaker: Jeremy Sanchez

written by Ashley Petallano & Joanne Napicol

We all have fears. Admit it, even YOU are scared of something.

Spiders?! Spiders! SPIDERS?!

Even the man who possesses the biggest muscles in the world is scared of something or someone. Most of us are easily spooked by the following: imaginary monsters, creepy bugs, wild dogs. Other types of fears may involve our friends leaving us, people constantly breaking our hearts (there, there, here's an imaginary tissue), or even school work.

Sometimes we also fear facing the impossible. It can be something as simple (yet very traumatic) as forgetting to submit a project that is due TODAY. Beads of sweat break on your forehead as you try to think of a solution. Sadly, there's none. You can't help but think: "This is impossible!"

It's impossible! *insert panicking face here*

During times like these, we find ourselves in a similar situation with a Bible character named David. We all know David from his famous encounter with the Philistine giant named Goliath:

⁴ Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet^[a] tall! ⁵ He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.^[b] 6 He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. ⁷ The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds.^[c]His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield

1 Samuel 17:4-7

Goliath was the champion of the Philistines. He was definitely big and very strong. He was the very image of a warrior- tall, muscular and trained for battle. No one stood a chance against him and he made sure they were aware of that. 

The Israelites were losing hope. They created an agreement with the Philistines: the winner of the battle takes the losers as slaves. But with someone like Goliath on the opposing team, the Israelites knew they were fighting a losing battle. They were scared and saddened by this. The end didn't seem bright for them.

The Israelites: "We're gonna lose, lose, lose!" #sad

David on the other hand was just this teenage boy. Scholars estimate that he was 19 when he challenged the giant. From the perspective of a stranger, he was a nobody, just a mere shepherd. He was also the youngest of Jesse's son, which was probably why his father did not offer him first when Samuel asked for his sons.

¹¹ Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”

1 Samuel 16:11

No one thought much about David. To them, he was just a boy. The idea of him being thrown into battle and facing someone like Goliath was laughable and ridiculous. He was basically a reject. But God had bigger plans for the little hero:

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

Sometimes, we feel like David. We think that we're not fit to fulfill the challenge and that the impossible will eat us up. But we all know that's not how David dealt with his challenge.

Being the typical David (a boy after God's own heart), he asked to see King Saul to offer his services. Despite most of the king's armies (which included his own brothers) losing hope, David stood up and volunteered. 

We can only imagine how the royal court reacted.

Fast forward to the battle, there stands David against the giant Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:48-54 recounts of how the two opposing groups faced one another. Goliath, at the sight of David, laughed mercilessly and taunted the boy, belittling him even more.He was suited for war with his bronze armor, javelin and sword. David on the other hand only had five smooth stones.

Impossible and unfair, right?

With God? NOPE.

We all know how this ended. David charges towards his enemy, swings his sling and releases the rock. It only took one stone to hit Goliath in the forehead and kill him instantly.

ONE.

In the end, David wins.

People must have been astounded with what happened. A small boy with nothing but stones beats a giant warrior? IMPOSSIBLE!

WOOOW

In the end, we see a fearless David standing over his enemy's dead body. No one could have guessed that he'd win. How? How did he do it?

1. David knew God

In 1 Samuel 17:37, David answered Saul: “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” David being a shepherd has probably encountered bears and lions protecting the flocks of sheep from them. He has experienced God’s power and protection and knew that his God is a big God, allowing him to be confident and fearless when he faced Goliath.

David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! ⁴⁷ And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 

1 Samuel 17:45-47

If we want to be fearless like David, we should ask ourselves how much do we know that God he knew. David was very much confident with God despite what seemed like an impossible situation. What he did is difficult for some of us.

When we find ourselves facing an impossible challenge, we're easily frightened. However, if we know God, then we need not fear because we know He's got us. We don't have to worry ourselves to death. We are weak, yes, but we have a strong God.

2. David walked with God

Observe how David was described in Acts 13:22:

²² But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’^[a]

Isn't that amazing? God said that about David. David obeyed the Lord. He is famously tagged as a man after God's own heart. 

If we want to be fearless, we must walk with God. We can do so by reading our Bible every day and allowing our lives to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. We should try our best to obey His Word and not let our fears overcome us. We should be guys and girls after God's heart.

3. David feared God

Fearless David feared the Lord. We're not talking about the fear that equates to being scared.This kind of fear equals to respect. Proverbs 1:7 says that fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge and only fools despise wisdom. David respected God so much that he trusted Him to fight the battle. In the end, the Lord used David to defeat Goliath.

From David, we should also see that he was able to trust and fear God because he knew Him and walked with Him, therefore being FEARLESS as he faced a battle which others deemed impossible.

So, for us to be fearless we must fear our God by respecting Him and following His ways. Rest assured, our worries and challenges that appear big and impossible will shrink because let's face it- it is through our weakness that God proves His strength. 

Just like David, don't let fear get the best out of you. God's got you.

Yes Rapunzel, God's got you. 

“ Let us be fearless in facing life by fearing God, cause once we fear God, there’s nothing else to be afraid of”. 

- Jeremy Sanchez

Series Break: Being Filled 2015

Series Break
*all images taken from Google images

Being Filled 2015

by Daniel Carandang

written by Ashley Petallano

It's official: 2014 is out, 2015 is in.

Happy new year, Elevate!

The new year has finally settled and we've welcomed it with open arms, tons of food and fireworks. Of course, we can't forget those new year resolutions! Some resolutions are typical:

Di na ako magiging tsimosa! (I will no longer be a gossiper!)

Mas magiging organized na ako, pramis! (I shall be more organized, I swear!)

Sasayaw pa ako nang pumayat! (I shall dance this weight off!)

Dance that weight off!

Others are downright funny:

Makakahanap ako ng pagmamahal! (I shall find love!)

Magpapa-gwapo ako ng todo nang magsisi si ex (I will become more handsome so that my ex will regret!)

We all want fresh beginnings. Yes, we're very much thankful for all the blessings that we've received this 2014 such as food, funds for school, material things and friends but there are some things we'd like to bury under the ground and move  on.

Despite our want to escape difficult challenges this 2015, there is no doubt that we will face them again. They might even be more difficult. Temptations will continue to haunt us, stumble us even. Sometimes, we just want to throw our hands up and surrender to sin. But God doesn't want that for us.

God loves us very much that He desires us to live lives according to His will. There's no doubt that His ways are higher than ours and they're officially the best. However, as His children, we're more prone to the attacks of Satan who aims to overthrow our flow with the Lord. 

If we are to honor God and live our 2015 and future years for Him, there's one thing we should do:

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

Ephesians 5:18

Who is the Holy Spirit?

As Filipinos, we're very familiar with this term. Our country is very religious and we usually hear the term holy spirit during prayers, especially in school. Sadly, we know of it but most of us remain clueless and do not understand at all. 

Most of us: Holy Spirit whuuuut?

For starters, the Holy Spirit is not an IT-- HE is a person. He is God in Spirit form. The Holy Spirit is God. He has the attributes of God. He has been sent to teach us, guide us, comfort us; protect us,  encourage us, and empower us to live for God and fulfill His purposes in our lives.

So what does it mean to be filled by the Holy Spirit?

Some of us have seen our friends or family members get drunk. You know a person is drunk when they fail to walk straight, don't make any sense, talk gibberish and possess this unbearable scent of alcohol. A drunk person thinks and acts differently because he is filled with wine. This is used to illustrate the power of the Holy Spirit as said in Ephesians 5:18.

The book of Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul to the disciples in Ephesus. In the first three chapters, he tells them about all the unearned, undeserved spiritual blessings they have received as children of God. Then in chapters four to six, he now tells them, as a response, live for God, be imitators of God, turn away from the ways of your old life, & to make the most of every opportunity in these evil days to honor God.

In chapter 5, verse 18, he encourages them to live their lives as imitators of Christ, to turn away from their old lives and to make the most out of every opportunity to serve the Lord. 

The word "filled" means to be controlled or dominated. When you're under the influence of the Holy Spirit, you're sure to be headed towards God's path for you. Someone who has the Spirit is controlled by Christ, therefore, aims to live a life for Him.

God desires for us to be filled with His Spirit. If we are, then it will manifest in how we live our lives. We will submit to His will. Paul talks about submission that is not forced, it is a willing one. Being filled with the Spirit means yielding to His purpose moment by moment.

What does this do?

1. It pleases and honors God

We want to please God. As Christians, it's out ultimate goal to make sure that we do what He wants us to do. However, despite our best efforts, we will sometimes fail. In school alone, we encounter numerous people who seem as if they're determined to annoy us, causing our tempers to rise.

Before we came to Christ, we sinned without the guilt. Now that we dwell in Him, we feel terrible when we do not follow Him. We fail Him when we follow our flesh.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these..”

Galatians 5:19-21a

The Devil wants us to fail. Sadly, we sometimes do. 

At school, we become undercover Christians out of the fear that our classmates will ridicule us for our faith. We tend to be one with this sinful world despite our allegiance to Christ. 

To beat Satan and his minions, we must abide in the Spirit as Paul writes in Galatians 5:16. We are to WALK WITH THE SPIRIT! We can do this by spending more time with God through prayer and devotions, obeying His word constantly and allowing ourselves to overflow with His presence.

When we are filled, it manifests!

2. It protects us

Have you ever been in danger?

Faced anything that scared you out of your wits or doubted the possibility that you'll make it back home well, at least alive (e.g. bitten by dogs, chased by bullies, hold upped)?

Yikes! 

One of the greatest threats to our lives, our families, our faith and fellowship with God is ourselves.When we do not walk according to the Spirit, we put ourselves in front of harm's way, ready to be devoured by sin. Paul warns us in Ephesians 5:15-17: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

We can choose our options but we cannot escape the consequences they hold. That is why God reminds us through Paul to make wise decisions to avoid the unpleasant end results. 

Sometimes, we think of God as this cosmic KJ who doesn't want us to enjoy. Many young people look at Him as this boring and very strict Supreme being who is after their misery. That is very twisted thinking. It's no wonder most of the youth don't want anything to do with God.

We think that what we want is the best for us. We believe that having a relationship now is okay because we are happy. We think that engaging in parties is all right because we're not hurting anyone, we're just living in the moment. 

The problem is we don't see the big picture--God does. In fact, He warns us:

“There is a way which seems right to a man,but its end is the way of death.”

Proverbs 4:12

Whenever we walk by the Spirit, we protect ourselves from the consequences of sin. When we listen to the Spirit's leading, we are led away from regret and destruction.

3. It blesses us

No doubt, we all want to be #blessed.

There are numerous types of blessings. There are unconditional and special blessings that can be bestowed upon us by God. When we walk towards His path, He gives us the best. When we compromise, we shouldn't expect to be blessed because we don't obey.

In order for us to blessed, we must follow the Spirit. That way, we will see what God has in store for us. Rest assured, there will be no regrets.

“If you keep my commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love. 11 I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

John 15:10-11

NEON 2014: The Reason for the Season

NEON 2014

The Reason for the Season

by Daniel Carandang

written by Ashley Petallano

It's the most wonderful time of the year: CHRISTMAS! Feels like yesterday when we celebrated Christmas 2013 and now, we're enjoying Christmas 2014. Some of us have changed over the months. Others gained weight, some lost them. Our hairs have grown longer and there are some who chose to cut it short. Change is everywhere!

Sadly, even our view of Christmas has changed. Rather than focusing on the real reason for the season, we're more excited with shallow stuff: what gift will we get? Will mom finally buy us that iPhone 6? Will our crush grant our most wanted Christmas wish, which is for them to notice us? Will their be unlimited lechon kawali on the dinner table and if so, can you also eat it non-stop?

Christmas has been too commercialized. We're more concerned of the lights, the food and the gifts when we're missing the real reason behind the season. Christmas songs celebrate red-nosed reindeer, a fat man in a red suit bringing gifts and even heartbreak! 

And so today, we’re going to look back and rediscover God’s purpose when He made the first Christmas, through the angels’ announcement of Jesus birth more than 2000 years ago.

We all know the story of the nativity. Mary was about to have a baby and she went with her husband Joseph to Nazareth to register for the census. It can be compared to our voter's registration. It wasn't long until Mary had finally given birth to a baby boy and she named Him Jesus. 

Miles away were shepherds tending to their flock. During their day, shepherds were considered as the lowest members of the Jewish social group. They were seen like trash collectors, meaning the lowest of the low. Their job came with rough handling of animals and unbearable smell. 

Some of us feel like shepherds- unclean and just plain rubbish. From the perspective of an outsider, they weren't of great importance and we can feel that too. However, God knew otherwise. 

9 “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Luke 2:9

The angels weren't like what we see on commercials today with those fluffy wings and chubby cheeks, they were mighty warriors and they scared the daylights out of the shepherds. Who could blame them? There you are, silently tending to your sheep and looking at the stars when all of a sudden, angels come forth!

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:10-12

After the reign of David and Solomon, God became silent with His people. He no longer corresponded with them directly like He did with their ancestors. The Jews were continuously surrounded by their enemies and for 6,000 years, they waited for the arrival of the promised Messiah. These shepherds were the first to hear of the good news!

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

Luke 2:13-14

We like hearing good news. It feels so nice when we learn that our mom just brought home a bucket of fried chicken or find out that we aced our exams. The good news these men heard was not just any good news- it was the BEST for all generations.

The Messiah had finally come.

Some of us might wonder how this is good news to US. Sure, it was great for the Jews because finally, their savior had come. But what good is that to us? How can this be better than the news of our crush finally noticing us for the first time in forever?

Just one simple word: PEACE.

With all the stress this world has to offer (let's not get started with school), we just want peace. We want to experience that inner satisfaction, that feeling of quietness against the troubles. 

The song of the angels told of the Savior who came to glorify God, to show the world who He is and of course, to bring that long awaited peace. What does it mean when we say that Jesus came to provide us peace?

1. PEACE WITH GOD

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. 

Isaiah 59:2 

Let's face it: WE'RE SINNERS.

It only takes one sin to make you a sinner. Just us lying to our parents or disobeying them is enough to send us towards Hell. Because God is perfect, He has every right not to accept us into His kingdom. We're dirty and very much unworthy of His holy presence.

It's only by His grace that He chose to send His Son to die in our place. He wanted win His war against Satan, to win the souls that can be saved. We cannot win this war on our own- we need Christ and His sacrifice. 

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." 

Isaiah 53:5, 6

Christmas is a reminder of Christ's invitation to experience that real peace, as stated in Romans 5:1. He is offering us the gift of salvation, which He freely gives. Earthly presents such as gadgets or clothes are nothing compared to what He has to give or already given to us. 

Because of Jesus, we can enjoy peace with God.

2. PEACE WITHIN

Ever felt so jittery, so nervous that you just want to melt right on the spot?

There comes those times when our projects, defenses and exams fall into one day. Most of us wish to just fly away to Neverland while others wait in anticipation, sometimes with hard-pounding hearts and jaws ready to drop.

We've had our share of problems. Some of them are shallow while others are unbelievably difficult to handle. Trials are inevitable, we can expect them to come anytime, anywhere. The question is: how are you going to deal with them?

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

Problems can cause our brains to go crazy but those who rely on the peace of God through faith will breeze through trials with that assurance that surpasses all understanding. There's no guarantee that you won't feel pain, but when we put our trust in the Lord, we feel peaceful. We know that God's got us. 

Christmas also reminds us that because of Jesus, we can stop worrying about our past, present or future. God is sovereign and He can handle anything. With His help, we are assured that we are headed towards the right direction, no matter what the circumstance. 

Peace is not the absence of pain. It is actually being still in the presence of God despite the crisis. 

Are you searching for peace? Find it in God.

3. PEACE WITH OTHERS

There's two types of people: those we like and those we don't.

The people we like are easy to love. We can hug them anytime or say a good thing most of the time. However, those on the opposing side never fail to annoy us and wish that they'd just vanish to another planet, anywhere far from you.

We've all been hurt. Because of humanity's sinful nature,we're not perfect. We say stuff that offend others and we get offended in return. Being in pain because of others' actions or words is something we can never avoid. It's only natural for us to harbor anger or bitterness. 

During Jesus' time, the Jews and the Gentiles shared the same situation. They hated each other. Being in the presence of one another repulsed them. But they (and even us) were reminded by Paul in his letter to the people of Ephesians about peace with others through Christ:

“For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death."

Forgiveness is only possible because of Jesus- that is another gift brought by Christmas. When we experience God's present of forgiveness, we can forgive those who offend us. Why not forgive when we have been forgiven? We cannot have peace unless we have the Prince of Peace Himself.

When we have the peace of God, we will experience peace within and it will eventually manifest in our relationship with others.

Christmas should not be treated as a holiday all because of the gifts, food and the lights. Christmas is more than that. It's a season where we should celebrate the fact that PEACE came down in the form of a human to sacrifice Himself as an act of selfless love.

Never forget: JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!

The Gift: Everything Everlasting

The Gift 3

Everything Everlasting!

by Daniel Carandang

written by Ana Andres

(Listen to the preaching while reading! Click here!)

"Bae” has become a popular moniker to call a boyfriend or a girlfriend, in today’s generation. It is said to be a shortcut of “babe” and it depicts an intimate relationship. Most of the time, we call our close friends and family certain nicknames and it shows a certain level of closeness we share.  In the same way, God also has several different names and we are able to call on Him with these on the basis of our relationship with Him.

God says that we can relate to Him by calling Him our Daddy! However, this could be difficult for others to even imagine because their relationship with their earthly fathers is not good and this distorts the vision of a good Heavenly Father.  For some, their vision of a father may be someone violent, abusive, negligent and harsh. Because of this, it’s hard for them to imagine a Father that is compassionate, loving and kind. It’s difficult for them to believe there could be such but the Bible says that God is the perfect Father and even more, He is called the Everlasting Father.

Jesus is the revelation of the Father. Through Him, we were able to see whom God the Father was and that He’s a Father who will never leave us nor forsake us and who will never cease to exist because He is indeed everlasting! The title “Father” He possesses shows that He is a personal God. Although He is all-powerful, all-knowing and divine, He reaches down to us so that we may have an intimate relationship with Him.

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” 

Galatians 3:26

“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 

 Galatians 4:6

What then does this mean for us who are children of God?

1)   Everlasting Protection

         Man has sinned and because of this, the perfect creation of God has become corrupted. In our world today, there is almost no such thing as safe.  There is always a possibility of danger; people suffering natural disasters, crimes, accidents and poor health everyday. As a good Father, He will protect us and look after us and because He is everlasting, we can expect to be protected incessantly and without fail.

“The Lord will keep you from all harm—
 he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” 

Psalm 121:7-8

              If so, why then does harm still come our way? Why were there moments in life when it seemed like God did not protects us? Truth is, we don’t really know but one thing we know for sure is that, it was not because He was unable. Sometimes He allows trials to reveal Himself and His plans. Based on the truth of who He is, we can trust that His plans are perfect and that there is a higher purpose for whatever it is we go through.

 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” 

Romans 8:28

2)   Everlasting Provision

Most of the time when we are in need and provisional burdens come our way, we worry but for us who are children of God, this must not be an option. God our Father always looks after us and He said in His word that He would provide for us.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” 

Matthew 6:26

3)   Everlasting Love

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 

 Psalm 118:1

            Unlike humanly love, though also good and may be godly, it is not forever. Whether we like it or not, it has an end. That’s the reality of human life— it will one day come to an end. When it ends, the love is cut-off. On the other hand, God’s love for us is forever. The way He protects us, blesses us, provides for us and encourages us; that will never end. If God is the source of our love there really is nothing we should be anxious about.

Why is it that sometimes we feel like God is punishing us and does not love us?

             

            Because God loves us dearly as His children, He also manifests His love by disciplining us. If God doesn’t discipline us and allow us to do whatever it is we want to do without consequences, we will not learn and this will eventually lead us to harm and danger. When this happens, oftentimes we feel like God is punishing us but this isn’t true. He only wants the best for us and He wants us to grow.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Romans 8:37-39

            God’s love is the perfect love. Nothing can ever stop His love for us! Do you want to experience this kind of love? Open your heart to Him!