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God Knows How To Mold Your Heart
We can’t always understand God’s ways. Sometimes, it felt like He is leading us to uncomfortable places. Many times, we will be challenged to believe in Him despite the pain and difficulties. It’s like going through a narrow road. It’s hard yet fulfilling. It’s sometimes painful, but worth it in the end. Simply because God knows everything. He knows what your heart needs. There may be seasons when it feels like it’s the end of everything, but God is there, molding you into a better person. The situations He allowed you to experience will purify what’s within. It will reveal the truth, and believe it or not, it will lead…
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It Is Through The Grace Of Our Lord Jesus That We Are Saved
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. Acts 15:11, NIV Peter said these words when the Jewish Christians, Paul and Barnabas had an argument with regards to the circumcision of the Gentiles. The Jewish Christians wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised and follow the law that was written by Moses. But Paul had a different belief. So, Peter reminded them that just like them, they are all saved because of God’s grace. Sometimes, when we are so caught up with the things that we do, we became entitled of our accomplishments. We then associate our identity according…
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It’s Because Of Faith
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Acts 15:8-9, NIV The Jewish Christians were trying to impose the law of Moses on the Gentiles, which led to an argument between them and Paul and Barnabas. Peter reminded them that God purified the hearts of the Gentiles by faith and not by works. He has no favoritism. Instead, God treats His children equally. He showed that He accepted them by giving them the Holy Spirit. Peter simply acknowledged God’s unexplainable…
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Let’s Not Discredit The Works Of God In Other People’s Life
Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1, NIV A group of Jewish Christians came down from Judea to Antioch and tried to impose their customs on the Gentiles, who had a different cultural background. They don’t believe that these new believers were saved not unless they are circumcised. They wanted them to follow the customs that Moses taught. It seemed like this group of Christians discredited the grace that God poured out to the Gentiles, and they tried to insist that they should follow the law. Have…
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The Tent Of The Upright Will Flourish
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. Proverbs 14:11, NIV Sometimes, we tend to boast about the life we built despite the bad things we did. We put our trust in things that are temporary instead of relying on God. But in this verse, we are reminded that the righteous will flourish in the end. The wicked may appear to live in a house or a secure place, but in the end, they will be destroyed. Their foundation won’t last long. That’s why let’s choose to do good and be kind to others. Let’s do the right thing in the eyes…
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They Chose To Intentionally Seek God In Making Wise Decisions
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Acts 14:23, NIV When Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, they made sure that someone would take good care and administer to the followers there. They didn’t leave them empty-handed. Instead, they properly arranged and prepared everything they could in order for them to be guided. One of the notable things they did was pray and fast. The moment they appointed the elders, they acknowledged the truth that they needed God’s guidance in doing it. Prayer and fasting were the…
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We Must Go Through Many Hardships To Enter The Kingdom Of God
Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Acts 14:22, NIV After Paul was stoned by the Jews, he went to Derbe. Then, he returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch to strengthen and encourage the people there. Even though he was physically in pain, he still chose to serve God and His people. He remained true to his faith and encouraged others to do the same thing. Paul, in his wisdom, shared with them, “We must endure many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” He and the early disciples understood…
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Don’t Allow The Disappointments Or Fear To Reign
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. Acts 14:19-20, NIV Paul went through pain and persecution to preach the gospel. The Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium chased, stoned, and dragged him outside the city. Since they were thinking that he was dead, then it’s possible that the stoning Paul experienced was not an ordinary one. Perhaps his body was in pain, and his…
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Let’s Fix Our Gaze On The Source Of Miracles And Blessings
“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. Acts 14: 15, NIV This is what Paul said when the people in Lystra tried to worship him and Barnabas after witnessing a miracle. Because they saw a supernatural thing, they thought that the god they believed in appeared to them in human form. They thought that Paul was Hermes and Barnabas was Zeus. They bowed down to them and attempted to offer sacrifices. Because…
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We Can’t Harvest Anything Without Planting Any Seeds First
Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. Proverbs 20:13, NIV It’s okay to sleep and rest, but loving it to the point of being lazy is no longer a good thing. Sometimes, when we are so consumed with what we want, we simply follow our instincts regardless of the consequences. We somehow patronize immediate gratification to the point of compromising the work we must exert. We can’t harvest anything without planting any seeds first. The effort and the time we offered were like seeds that will someday bear fruits if we will only persevere and stay consistent. This very…
