Love Never Fails

When you're driven by love then there's no room for failures for LOVE never fails.

1 Cor. 13:8

Everything is Permissible but Not Everything is Beneficial

I don't know about you but when I graduated and landed on my very first job, I thought to myself; "I'M FREE!"

No, not because my mom who was providing my allowance was like enslaving me but it's just as if the WORLD is there waiting for you to be conquered!

You can now try just anything around you! Things that were No-no's when you were still a college student. Things that were for adults only...(Ooppsss...was I overly honest there?)

Anyway, I'm blessed because even before Jesus came God had already knew this would be coming. God already knew that this situation would be enticing. He then set a reminder! He gave a "shout-out" through the wisest man ever lived. Solomon.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes

"Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment." Ecc. 11:9 (NIV)

I'm sure everyone would love to just read the first part and omit the judgment part. BUT there's a but. We cannot picked verses in the Bible. If we choose to believe one thing, we would need to believe the attached accountability. Now, that's worth reiterating. A lot of us love to hear about promises and blessings but when it starts to be about "Go-ing" into the world, letting go of oneself, and sacrificing we can hardly obey and believe.

The Bible says "Be happy young man! Do whatever you like. But remember everything will be shed to light!"

God then reiterated this truth in the New Testament (coz people might forget) through the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians.

"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Cor. 10:23-24

Now that takes us a little deeper. God doesn't want us to just check on what we do whether it's beneficial or not but (there's the word again) at the same time check on what others would feel everytime we do something. To look not only for our own interests but also the interest of others.

So go ahead, ENJOY LIFE to the fullest after all this was HIS design from the beginning. Just make sure to ask this question:

What Would Jesus Do?

Now This I Do For the Gospel's Sake

Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

1 Cor.9:23
New King James Version (NKJV)

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The preceding verses before this talks about Paul giving up his own freedom to save those who are slaves (1 Cor. 9:19). Paul becoming weak to save those who are weak (1 Cor. 9:22). Paul becoming ALL things to ALL men to save more.

More verses before that also talks about Paul denying oneself. The King James Version of the Bible even titled this part of the Epistle "A Pattern of Self Denial".

And then Paul said,

"Now this I do for the gospel’s sake..."

Truly Paul denied himself of all things he enjoyed before for the gospel's sake. He was a Pharisee with all authority. He can choose to stay but he didn't. He chose to leave the "comfortable" for the gospel's sake. He denied his right to safety and security. Imagine how many times he was flogged, imprisoned and shipwrecked. He denied himself the need for acceptance, instead he went out and reasoned in the synagogues and bravely shared the gospel to anyone.

ALL THESE He DID for the gospel's sake!

What have we done for the gospel's sake?

What are we doing for the gospel's sake?

What will we be doing for the gospel's sake?

Have we been very busy "going" to church, "reading" the Bible and "praying" while forgetting the greatest commandment God left us?

What have you denied for the gospel's sake? What have you let go for the gospel's sake?

Think. Pray. Act.

Now is the time to GO!

Honor God With Your Body | Wordless Wednesday

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your body.

You Are God's Building

My first job was in a construction company. I was tasked to estimate the electrical expenses and needs for the site. Along with that I was also tasked to make sure that what’s in the plan get followed in the site itself. This only means I need to get the shovel, the hammer, the fliers, the “climbing” (we were building 60-meter cell sites/towers) and the grounding (land excavation of up to 3 meters or more). It was hard and really tiring. And I was actually “THE” engineer. How much more if I was the construction worker? That must had been more strenuous.
But here’s what I’ve learned today from 1 Corinthians 3:5-17. We are workers and builders in the Kingdom of God! Oh Yes! Being part of God’s family doesn’t just make us children of God [John 1:12] but workers and builders as well!


Paul said in 1 Cor. 3:9-10

9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.


Reflection:

1. We are co-workers with Paul. We are either the ones who lay down the foundation or those (I believe most of us will be) build ON the foundation. Either way we have a job to do! Paul referred to the Corinthians as the “Buildings” [1 Cor. 3:9]. Your friends, your family, your workmates, everyone are buildings. Buildings who may and may not have the foundation yet who is Jesus Christ [1 Cor. 3:11] but still they are our accountabilities. We have been called to either lay the foundation by sharing God’s WORD to them or build on the foundation (Word of God) by encouraging them, praying for them, discipling them and bringing them closer to God. How have you been building on other people’s lives lately? Have you been laying more burden (e.g. pain, discouragement, hurt, bitterness, etc.) or have you been laying some great things for the building to be more like what God has planned for it to be built.

2. We are at the same time the “BUILDINGS”. This is where I also praise the Lord. Indeed God is a complete God. He didn’t call us to just work and work and give away as mentioned in verse 1. We too have builders building on us making us better Christians. Correcting us, training us, rebuking us sometimes through God’s Word. My prayer is for each of us to be magnificent buildings, beautiful architecture, wonderful masterpiece as what God had planned for us beforehand.


So we see that there’s a process. God had raised Builders to lay the foundation in your hearts (during your Spiritual Birthday) and He has also raised builders who have discipled you, taught you and helped you grow from baby infants to now a mature Christian. And yes, even until now your builder is praying and backing you up always. But the process had not ended there. You too must be a builder on somebody else. Doing exactly what your builder did and had been doing to you.


And here’s the promise from [1 Cor. 3:14]:

“If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.”

Getting Personal

This post is my 83rd post for this site. Truly it has been a wonderful ride but yes, there's still more to come! And I'm so blessed to have all of you with me in this journey.

Today, I want to be a little personal and connect with my readers. You can ask me any question you have about this site, about me or just anything you wanna ask. You can leave a comment below the post or you may also send an email to yourdailyword@gmail.com and I'll try my VERY BEST to answer each of them with all honesty!

So go ahead! Spit it out!

And oh some questions might be answered by the "profile" I have just updated with a blurry pic (lol!) and have placed at the top part of this website.

Let me leave you with this verse today:

1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Your labor in the Lord is not in vain

1 Corinthians 15:58 (New International Version)

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Whatever you sow, you reap. If you sow good works, then you will reap good works. If you sow honesty, you reap honesty. This simply follows the golden rule: "Do unto others what you like for them to do unto you."

To those who are working, what is your boss like? Is he understanding? Does he give you rewards and recognition? Does he give you rest if need be? Or does he keep on pressuring you to do something you think you're unable to do? Do you feel like your boss has asked you so much but is paying you so little? A lot of us my have very good bosses that some really are proud of maybe because he listens and is fair (always). But some of us also have bosses that are super strict sometimes (unnecessary strictness), unfair (those who have favorites), or maybe bosses who are indecisive and are driven by things said around him. We all have various bosses ranging from good to worst based on our standards. But I know a master who is the best master of all!

It's Jesus, of course. Who else? He's the most fair master in the entire universe. Romans 2:11 says: "For there is no partiality with God."

What does this mean?

Everything you do for Him will never be in vain. A whisper of prayer for your brother. A tap on the discouraged friend to encourage him. A smile to a person. A show of love to an "enemy". Being excellent in your job knowing that you're wokring for God and not for men. Giving to the poor. Praying for the needy. Living a life worthy of your calling. Being a blessing in more ways than one. In sharing the gospel. In being proud you're a CHRISTIAN and a bringer of His name. In not compromising your character. In not giving in to temptations.

All of these and more will never be forgotten by God. You may not be experiencing the "rewards" now but take heart "Your labor in the Lord is not in VAIN!".

Just continue. Keep on running the race. Soon you will reap what is due you. Know that God when he rewards, he rewards tremendously. Remain faithful and be expectant for that!

God bless you!

God Gives the Increase

Wondering how to be rich and how to increase your fortune? Look no further, here's the answer:

1 Corinthians 3:6 (New King James Version)
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

You read it right, it's GOD who gives the increase! In fact the proceeding verse is as such:

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
1 Corinthians 3:7

Not you, not your company, not your investments, not your business, not your capabilities and "can do's", but it's all about God. Because at the end of the day, it's God who gives the increase.


But here's the catch, you need to plant and you need to water for God to do the "INCREASE". Don't take me wrong, your business or company or investments or anything can be used by God to perform the "INCREASE" in your life but what I'm saying our success and prosperity is not dependent on these but on GOD alone.

God said in His word,

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Gal. 6:7

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Mal. 3:10

You sow you offering to the Lord. You never miss giving your tithes even if it would mean, you'd be out of budget. Always remember tithes are holy before the Lord. When we fail to give it, we actually hinder God from blessing us with the blessing He had prepared.

At the end of the day, let's praise the Lord for the INCREASE but let's never forget we are to PLANT and WATER before that happens.

God Bless You!