You have been Blessed to be a Blessing

Genesis 12:2 (Contemporary English Version)
"I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others."

On several posts, I have spoken about God’s plans of prosperity and success for our lives and about how God can give you an increase in what you do and in every endeavor you'd take. And these promises are ALL true.

A lot of Bible verses can prove this point, here are some:

Joshua 1:8 (New International Version)
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 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.

John 10:10 (Amplified Bible)
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Psalm 66:12
You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

And a lot more verses/promises out there that we can believe in and claim for ourselves. Indeed this is a given FACT: God’s plan for you is to give you hope and a future!

But the cycle doesn’t stop there because the same Bible that says we will be blessed SO MUCH also says this:

Genesis 12:2 (New International Version)
"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.

In Gen. 12:2, we see GOD promising to bless Abraham and to make his name great and make him into a great nation. But God didn't stop there instead continued by saying “and you will be a blessing”. In other versions, “…and be a blessing to others”. And you are Abraham’s seed.

Galatians 3:29
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Being a seed gives you two things. First, you get to have the privilege of being blessed and for being recipient of the promises spoken to Abraham. Second thing is the accountability and responsibility for you to be, like Abraham a BLESSING to others.

We can believe that we will be blessed and I am sure that it will be done as God had promised but the question we should ask ourselves is this:

“Are we willing to be channels of blessings to our friends, family and others after we've been blessed?"

God Bless you!

A True Christian Perspective on Miss California Carrie Prejean

I'm sure we all have heard of her. It was her who refused to give up her godly convictions on same-sex marriage just to win the contest. It was her also who publicly and proudly claimed herself to be a Christian. But it was also her on those Magazine Pictures.

At first, the whole Christian "world" embraced her and accepted her as a role model and a one Christian everyone should follow. Right after she fell (with those pics out, everybody started to scorn and discriminate her even the ones from the Christian "world". Sadly, our nature is really a blaming nature. Remember what happened during the Fall of Adam and Eve?

With all the sites I have read and visited, one site had moved me and made me stop. I said to myself: Finally! Somebody spilled the beans!

It's a post from The Joyful Christian Wife, one of my favorite blogs that I follow and subscribe to. Please read her post about this topic: Finding Mercy in the "WHY" and be enlightened.

God Bless you!

God works for the Good

Genesis 50:20 (New International Version)
”You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Reflection:

Joseph experienced being rejected by his own brothers by selling him to Egyptian traders. He became a slave to a foreign land. He was wrongly accused of rape when he refused to go to bed with Potiphar’s wife and was imprisoned because of that. Even with all of these, he still managed to say “God intended all of it for good”.

How many times did we ask God “Why?” when we were going through some difficult times? How many times did we get disappointed with God when our prayers weren’t answered right away or when God didn’t seem to answer at all? I too am guilty of this sometimes especially when things seem to be unbearable and uncontrollable and problems seem so big and unsolvable.

What is God telling us?

Things may come to discourage us. People may discriminate us at times or even inflict harm on us. Situations may seem so dark and hopeless. The devil may lead us to situations to harm and destroy us [John 10:10]. But Praise the Lord because of his Sovereignty! Even how things look right now, God is able to shift it for our good. Other people even those who are close to us may harm, put us down or destroy us but God can still tweak it for our good.

Paul wrote to the Romans saying:

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)

Don’t lose hope! Don’t be discouraged!

If you’re still not winning against your problems, be assured God is not done with it yet!

You are BEAUTIFUL | God's Wonderful Masterpiece

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

Genesis 1:10 (NIV)

Reflection:

During creation, the last one created was MAN. Last but not the least in fact the most special. Yes, you are special! God made an effort in picking up dust and formed your great grand father Adam from it and breathed into his nostrils [Gen. 2:6] to bring him to life when he could have just commanded and said a word like how he created the rest of the creations (e.g. sun, moon, stars, trees, animals, etc.). Imagine him as an architect making his best creation so far. That’s how he made you!

He also made sure that everything is ready and complete [Gen. 2:1] before he created man. He made sure man can have food to eat and place to stay and live comfortably.

Aside from that here’s what I want you to look at today found in Gen. 1:26,

God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…”.

God is saying when he looks at us, it’s as if he’s looking at a mirror. He’s saying: You are his picture here on Earth! You have been created according to nobody else’s likeness but his. King and Psalmist David remembered this while writing one of his songs [Psalm 139:14],

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Paul also wrote to Ephesians saying [Eph. 2:10],

“For we are His workmanship…”

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

You are his Marvelous and Wonderful Workmanship made according to his IMAGE and LIKENESS!

With this TRUTH, will there be still room for insecurity and lack of confidence in your life?

Just like David, you need to know full well and believe this truth!

Be confident! You are a beautiful creation of God!

Then God said, “It was very good.” [Gen. 1:31]

Recommended Readings:

And God saw that it was Good

Stop Worrying, God knows your needs

And God saw that IT WAS GOOD (Gen. 1:10) - Earth Hour

"And God saw that it was good."

Genesis 1:10 (NIV)

Reflection:

Let's all acknowledge that God is the creator of all things. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made [John 1:3] which includes even the most hi-tech gadgets we have today. But here's what I want us to look at. God said "...IT WAS GOOD." not just actually in Genesis 1:10 but also in 1:3, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25 and in every day God created something. Yes! God created all these things: trees, mountains, landscapes, sun, stars, the sea, the rivers, the animals and the most special, US! And everytime he finishes a day creating something, he always ends up by saying; IT IS GOOD!

He in fact uses His creation to show forth his glory to everyone.

Now, what right do we have to damage what he has created beautifully? Damaging God's creation is disobedience before him. Even as simple as throwing your cigarette butts or plastic wrappers anywhere to as big as Factories emitting Carbon Dioxide and depositing wastes to the ocean, we damage this EARTH. On the other hand, even as simple as recycling plastic wrappers, cleaning your engines (for drivers), planting trees in your backyard or to as grand as organizing an event in your place, we can do something to save our Earth.

As Christians, we are expected to participate in this event even in our own simple ways. I have supported Earth Hour and now I'm supporting Earth Day this April 22! Anything for this Earth! Anything for God's creation! Anything for God! Now, how about you?

Recommended Readings:

Stop Worrying! God Knows your Needs

Give Thanks for Everything