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!

Lord Save Us From Your Followers Movie Trailer

Now this is something we should all check out.

You can learn about this movie here: http://lordsaveusthemovie.com/





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How are you as a follower of Jesus Christ? Do you really live what you profess? Is he really the Lord of every area of your life?

Let's not allow to just be named "Christian" but let's aim to be known as "Christians" through our words, actions and lifestyle!

Blessings to you more and more and be a blessing to others in return!






Should a Convict be Ordained? I say YES!

I bumped into a blogpost from Joyful Christian Wife. If you've been a follower of the blog, you would know I've linked back to this blog a while back on regards to the controversial Miss California Carrie Prejean and I have revered her post as The TRUE Christian Perspective.

This time I am surprised with her recent post. I just want to make it clear before I continue though, I don't disagree with her as a person and a sister in Christ but I would like to give what I think as a Christian on the topic at hand.

There was this man who was convicted of sodomy and sexual abuse on an 11 year old kid. Just recently the same man was ordained minister in a Louisville Kentucky Church.

Now there's the conflict.

Marlo of JCW stressed that even though she's all for forgiveness, she's saying that the Church must have the Wisdom and Common sense not to put this kind of man in a position of trust and spiritual authority in the community. She continued saying (giving facts based on statistics) that these "kind of people" will someday go back to their old ways and re offend again.

Let's read a passage in the Bible:

John 8:1-12 (New King James Version)
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”


And what happened to this woman?

She was the first WOMAN that the Lord had shown himself to after He resurrected!
Read the passage in John 20:11-18. Now that tells us something. Not just Mary Magdalene being special to the Lord but that this woman who was once an adulterous came to know Christ and was changed ENTIRELY! And if Jesus can do that to her, HE can do the same thing to this convicted turned minister!

Let me throw these questions,

Who are we to judge the worthiness or unworthiness of a person in serving God and I mean specifically as a minister? Didn't Peter deny Jesus but still was appointed to open the gospel to the Jews? Didn't Paul approve several killings of the saints but still was appointed by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles?

It's not about being worthy because if it is then no one is! It's not about your past but it is about the future God has in stored for you! It is not a question whether this man will be changed or not. What we know is Jesus can change LIVES even to the point of opposing what the statistics say. God is above our thoughts, our ways and the norms of this world!

To bring it a little further, didn't Jesus came to seek those who are lost? Should we start putting requirements before anybody can serve God?

It's an issue of calling not being worthy.

What do we learn from this?


Your past is not an issue and is irrelevant compared to the future God has prepared for you! Go and SERVE the LORD!

May God bless you! and May God continually be glorified!


P.S.

My dear readers, these are my thoughts and convictions based on what I know. I may not be the brightest Bible Scholar out there to handle this issue but what I've written is what I think is right. If you have reactions and responses, please don't hesitate to leave your comments.



Extraordinary by John Bevere

It's the E word!

For several months now, I have constantly been reminded by God to live this life to the fullest! To be the person he designed me to be! To use all the good gifts He has endowed to me! To be more than ordinary. To be uncommon. To be different. To be EXTRAORDINARY!

Truly, this is our calling! Jesus didn't just die for us to save us from Hell and the Second Death. He came to give us LIFE and have it to the fullest! He came to make us MORE than CONQUERORS! To make us WINNERS! He came to make us excellent in everything our hands find to do! To make us the TOP and the HEAD. To make us the BEST for His glory!

That's the Design! But we sometimes listen to the Devil's lies and deceptions that we're nothing, we're doomed to fail and that we can never do it. The Devil always reminds us of our past (who we were, what we've done) but let's remind him of our PRESENT (saved by the Grace of God) and his future (eternal damnation in the fiery furnace.

Remember, as I've always said in this site that this maybe TRUE but without you declaring it for your life, believing this truth and LIVING it UP, it will forever be unreal.

SO go ahead, BE EXTRAORDINARY! Be EXCELLENT! Be The BEST! Be the PERSON God had designed you to be!

I am blessed when a friend of mine told me that John Bevere just published a book Extraordinary: The Life You're Meant To Live. And gladly I found an interview of him talking about it. I recommend for you to check it out below:



Check it in Amazon as well:





I Am A Goer, Are you?

Just recently two Missionary friends from Mindanao (the second largest Island of the Philippines) visited us here in Cebu. Their goal is to share some updates on what God has been doing in Mindanao and to possibly encourage others to respond to their calling!


Speaking of calling, I have learned after I finished a course of World Missions that there are at least 4 "calling" or "vocations" one can be called for. There are those who send (through finances) people to the field: they are the "SENDERS". There are those who mobilize and encourage people to pray and support the missionaries: they are the "MOBILIZERS". Third are the PRAYER Partners. And of course the GOERS, those who really go out there to the field.


I don't know about you but I have been denying that I can ever be a goer. No, that's not my calling. I'm sure of that. I believe I am a sender and I can even be a prayer partner as well. Those were my usual statements. Really...

But lately God rebuked me!
Choosing to be a sender was first of all WRONG. This calling is not something we choose but is something we respond to. It's not about us doing what we want but it's about God working through us. Being a sender and a prayer partner for me is the easiest way to go. My comfort zone and not really or shall I say not what exactly God had designed me to be.

Second, the WORD of the Lord says in the Book of Matthew

Matthew 28:19-20 (New King James Version)


19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

I mean, God didn't say those who have been called to be a goer, GO!

No! He said GO all of you who heard this and who's reading this and yes, including you.

I thought being a GOER takes for me to go to mountainous places and suburban areas and bring the Bible and share the gospel. God made me realize that I have been called to go in HIS special way according to his design for me. He called me to be a GOER to my family first, to my workplace, and to everywhere. And this actually just confirms God's word telling us to be a light, be a salt and be a blessing to the world.

Now, off you go! Go and share the gospel through your life, through your words and through your actions. And by the way, this calling maybe true for me but may not be true for you. You maybe called to Go as a cross-cultural missionary outside of your country or to another tribe or culture. If that's the case then so be it!

We need to just remember, it's not for us to choose but for Him to call.

You can listen to this song I have posted a while back and meditate on the lyrics:
I Will GO Where You Want Me To Go
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