Becoming Wise

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. (1 Corinthians 3:18)

We are said to be in the "information age" where internet is the greatest tool to search and find information that you can crunch to produce data, knowledge, and wisdom. In this time and age anybody who is not hooked up to the internet find themselves lacking and lagging behind.

Why is becoming wise so important?

I remember King Solomon sought for wisdom over riches when he was crowned to rule over Israel and God was pleased with Solomon's choice. Solomon's wisdom is talked about by all walks of life at the time. Kings, Queens, royalties, and other personalities with authority present themselves in awe of Solomon's wisdom.

In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon shared the benefits of being wise:

• Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse (Proverbs 2:12)
• Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words (Proverbs 2:16)
• For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. (Proverbs 9:11)

Do not deceive yourself. Wisdom yields better rewards than anything else.

Where to find (and get) wisdom?

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

The Day of God's Wrath

Romans 2:5 reads "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.".

When we talk about God, there will always be a discussion about His appointed time for everything and we hear "in His time". However, this usually pertains to the fulfillment of our requests to Him. "in His time" you'll marry the best-fit partner to raise your own family. "in His time" you'll land on a perfect job that will support you financially. "in His time" all your troubles will be turned to blessings!

But God reserves a day for His wrath, i.e., a day when His strong vengeful anger, His retributory punishment for an offense will be executed. How can one be in that day? What characteristics should be cultivated to prepare one to be in the day of God's wrath? Here are two:


Stubbornness - unreasonably or perversely unyielding. A character wherein one always finds a justification in wrongdoings. Twists the truth to approve a misconduct.


Unrepentant - failing to perform all of the following

• acknowledging the wrongdoing
• asking God for forgiveness
• avoiding the mistake

God is a righteous God and He is fair and just. The offender might not be reaping the consequences of evil behavior today yet there is hope for every one affected by such: the day of God's wrath. Nevertheless, let's continually pray to God, that through His mercy, such offenders come to the understanding of God's love. So instead of suffering God's wrath later, they'll be with us enjoying God's blessing of salvation.

Strive to have Influence

Even a little example can be a big influence for Christ.

Team Building through Guided Devotions

 

Conducting personal devotion is really a struggle. Physically more than spiritually. But how can your team develop the habit?

It must be the resolve of the Team Leader and here are some suggestions

(1) Require each member to recite a memory verse before starting the Saturday practice. A week-long preparation for this one memory verse is fair enough.

(2) Conduct a series of lectures specifically designed for worship team. And what would one expect when there’s a lecture? Quizzes and Recitations!

(3) Require each member of a devotion kit: Bible, Notebook, Pen. The list of verses to be studied will be provided along with a number of standard questions to be answered during personal devotion. The catch here is that before Saturday practice starts it will be checked by the Team Lead (a variation might be checked by a buddy).

It is good to see everyone doing it; encouraging each other to do it; for the Glory of God!

The Last Days 2.0

We Pentecostals/Born-Again Christians believe that one day Jesus will come back again "in a twinkling of an eye" and will take His "beloved". My belief is that these "beloved" are those who "heard" "the call" to "renew your minds", "repent" and "accept Jesus" as your "personal Lord and Savior". This belief in itself draws a lot of debates/argumentations. Nevertheless, salvation is personal, i.e. individual, and it's a relationship me and God alone preserves.

Another belief associated to this "one day" is termed "rapture" - exhibited by an abrupt disappearance of Jesus' beloved. I can imagine the chaos it will bring to the world. It will be the greatest headline the media will ever have. Much greater than the Manila Bus Hostage Taking Crisis, much major major than Ms Raj's major major statement.

While the world is in extreme chaos, there stands a great question: how about those who believe in the Christ which are left behind?

I don't want to be left behind. Do you want to experience being left behind? How then can we keep our living aligned to Jesus' expectations so when that "one day" comes we get "raptured" and spared from the last days?

Heaven is for Little Children Only

Matthew 18:2-3 states that "He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'"

Here our Lord Jesus speaks of the truth about a key to enter heaven: YOU! No one else can get you into heaven but yourself.

There are only two things required of you: (1) change (2) become like little children.

Change to what? Change what? Change when?

The only change Jesus speaks of is the change brought about by being born again.

Like Little Children?

Yes! You know what little children are, right? Cute, fresh, full of hope, never worries, and the list can go on forever.

Ah, you won't argue we love little children very much and that we treat them with special care.

God loves the little children too, and if we grown ups behave before Him like the little ones, He'd throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we will not have room enough for it!

Give Love A Chance

Why Give Love a Chance?

• Source of Love - God
• Object of Love - World, specifically, you!
• Manner of Love - Jesus at the Cross of Calvary

How can I Give Love a Chance?

• Believe
  
  • B - Bible Reading
  
  
  • E - Exchanging
  
  
  • L - Letting Go
  
  
  • I - Investing
  
  
  • E - Evaluating
  
  
  • V - Vehement
  
  
  • E - Evangelizing
  
  
  
  
• Be & Live
  

What are the benefits of Giving Love a Chance?

• not perish
• have everlasting life

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."