Like an erupting volcano

I will return again to my place,
    until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
    and in their distress earnestly seek me.

(Hosea 5:15)

Each one of us has their own unique personalities. There are jolly, talkative persons while others are timid and shy. One type of personality that I admire is that which is slow to anger and possesses strong self-control. I am trying hard to have these qualities and slowly I know I am getting there. My younger brother is one of the coolest person I know.  He is patient and has a good temperament. He seldom gets angry but when he is pissed off, it’s like having a volcano erupting nearby.

As we all know, our God is slow to anger. Many times we had failed Him, disobeyed and displeased Him and yet He is still there for us. However, there had been times that He had been upset and punished His people. All of it were documented in the Bible. He became angry with Adam and even when the two had eaten the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden and He commanded the two to leave the paradise. He sent big flood to earth that had drowned thousands of people who do not know how to listen to Him saving Noah and his family only. He was displeased with the unfaithfulness of David. The fruit of David and Bathsheba’s wrong relationship died thereafter.

Know therefore that God will never tolerate our wrong behaviors. He has to correct and punish us to become better and to learn a lesson. We have to realize that life without God is worthless and meaningless.

Let us not wait for God to do the same to what He did with Adam and Eve and the others. Acknowledge that we are sinners and had done wicked things. Repent and ask for God’s forgiveness. Always seek his kingdom first and be assured that whatever situation you go through God will always be there for you.

Heal the world

Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,
    for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
    and no knowledge of God in the land;
 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
    they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

(Hosea 4: 1-2)

Look around and you will see the worldliness of the inhabitants, individuals’ morals has been polluted. Listen and you will hear curses and swearing. Bad words had become a very usual language to some. Your senses will tell you that the world is now changing not for the good but for the worse.

If I had created something, for instance, a work of art like a scrapbook, I would take care of it for life. I would look at it every now and then and be proud that I have made something beautiful. Something close to my heart, a remembrance of my past. Now if one day this piece of art had been destroyed, I think I would freak out. That person who dared to ruin my work will get what he deserves. I bet if on the same case you would also react as mine, am I right?

Earth has now been ruined and this is the reality. God had made it so wonderful when he created it. Body of waters were all fresh and clear, various animals were abundant and free, the air is void of pollutants. People are disciplined, morals were intact and most of all, they were God fearing. However, see what had happened after generation to generation. People who were assigned to take care of nature had become its detractors. The air and water had been polluted. Mountains are now denuded. Many animals had been proclaimed endangered. Humans had lost their morals and they become disobedient and disrespectful to God. Do people still know that there is God? And if they do, is God being obeyed?

“Heal the world and make it a better place,” says a famous song. It is never too late for us Christians to move and that includes concern to people and to nature. Do not go with the flow of this world for you will be misled. Go to where God leads you. Be a change advocate for the better.

What sin does

Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days (Hosea 3:5)

retrieved from www.jesus-islam.org

We are the redeemed and our Redeemer lives. For all have sinned and had done wicked things, we deserve to die. However, because of God’s love for us, He gave his only Son to set us free from sin and its consequence which is death. God’s gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus.

God is so good for He has given us not just one, two or three chances. He is willing to forgive us from all our wrongdoings. All we need to do is repent, turn away from evil and start walking in Spirit. We need not crucify ourselves to be forgiven. Christ had already done that many years ago.

Sometimes we feel so unworthy of God’s love. Because we have done a lot of wicked things, we feel filthy and undeserving so we tend to be ashamed of what we have done. This makes a gap between our relationship with God. This is what sin does. It disrupts our communication with God. But be aware that God is faithful and just if we confess our sins.

Grab the chance to turn back to God while we still have plenty of time because when His second coming arrives, we may not be able to live eternal life with Him if we still choose to stay as our old selves. Return now and seek the Lord.

Unfaithful

And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the LORD. (Hosea 2:13)

Have you ever been in love? They say that love is the greatest feeling ever. Some even do crazy things for it. Some risks everything just to experience it. Several instances occurred wherein a son/ daughter is disowned because of choosing his/her lover instead of following what their parents wanted. When you want to love someone and be loved by someone, be prepared to take the risks. All out love is sacrifice.

Now what if the one you love the most—-whom you have given all that you have, whom you had risk everything, will one day find someone whom he thinks is much better than you? What if one day he left you to be with someone else? What if he/she says that his love for you has fade away? What if during your relationship he has another aside from you? Will you ever bear to love someone who is unfaithful?

If I was cheated by my lover, I would never ever forgive him. The fact that I did my all for him and he just waste it to be with someone is unforgiveable. Have you ever been unfaithful or has someone been unfaithful to you?

I never had a boyfriend since birth but I know that I have been unfaithful to someone. How come this had happened when I am not committed to a relationship?

I must be committed to God. However, most of the time I take Him and His words for granted. I spent my 24 hours doing worldly things and often times I do not give time to do my devotion. I browse the internet for hours while I read His words only for few minutes.

I have come to realize that I should hate myself because of being unfaithful too. God had loved us so much that He gave His only Son to forgive our sins and yet, what are we doing? We are worshipping this world by doing things that feeds the flesh and not the Spirit. Because of succumbing to the will of this world, we forgot that we have a God who had sacrificed so much.

Thank God for His mercy and grace. There is still time for us to fix our life. There is no need to hate ourselves because God is willing to forgive us and we could start on a clean slate basis. Starting now, live a life that focuses on God above other things.Do not wait for our unfaithfulness to be punished!

Little ministers

 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt

(Daniel 12:2)

retrieved from www.zorahdesign.com

The end is coming soon and there are only two places where each of us will go, in Heaven or in Hell. How we spend our life here on earth will one day matter and these includes if we had surrendered our life to God, accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior and walked in Spirit and lived in righteousness.

Though some of our beloved relatives were already buried six feet under, when God will come the second time around, we shall meet each other again but it is either in eternal life or eternal damnation. If you are already saved, can you afford to live eternally in Heaven while the other members of the family will be suffering in Satan’s den? Think about it.

They say that there are only two masters in this world whom we serve. If we are doing things that do not please God then we are pleasing the other master and that is the Devil. The time of God’s second coming is uncertain so we should decide as early as now where to go after life.

Saved ones, do not hesitate to spread God’s words for we are His ministers. We need to minister His word by all means. Be an instrument that others may know the way to Heaven using all sorts of dissemination. Send verse text messages, post the way to salvation through social media, communicate and share the good news and preach the Gospel.

God wants everyone to be saved. For every single soul who accepted Christ, thousands of angels in heaven are rejoicing. There is no harm in trying. Each person that surrounds you is your responsibility. Share salvation now that many will no longer awaken in everlasting contempt but everlasting life

The venom of failure

³⁵ and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined,purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time

(Daniel 11:35)

retrieved from http://www.askideas.com

Failure can be divided into those who thought and never did and those who did and never thought. But of course some fail because it is not the right time yet to succeed.

You know what is the best thing about failure? It is learning. For every experience of misfortune leaves a lesson in life that will mould us to become better and better as we walk our way to success. No one is immune to failure. Everyone will encounter stumbling and falling. What is important is that we stood up and continue life. And just so you know, most of the successful persons had failed a thousand times before they had reach their dreams. Even the wisest of the wise had experience the venom of failure.

God’s children are wise because we desire to please God and anyone who lacks wisdom can ask God who gives generously. However, God allows failure to come into our life because He loves us so. He wants us to be refined, purified and made white until His perfect time arrives. So if we fail, we must not be discouraged. Instead, the more should we become optimistic and use that experience as a stepping stone to reach our dreams.

God hears our prayers

¹² Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 

(Daniel 10:12 ESV)

retrieved from wallpaperscristaos.com

There are days when we feel like we are fighting this battle alone. We cry out to God yet answers to prayers has been hard to chase. Sometimes, we think that God is not listening to our pleas. Was there a time that God did not hear our prayers?

Sin disrupts our communication with God. Because of our wicked works and filthy motives, some prayers has been left unanswered. However, if like David we had set our hearts to understand and humbled ourselves before God, certainly our prayers and pleas were all heard. The thing that makes it seem like it was not answered is because of God’s perfect timing. We want answers in an instant. Yet God wants to deliver blessings at the right time.

The verse above says fear not for your words have been heard. God’s trunk line is always open and never busy. We need not doubt if our prayers have been heard or not. If we are doing our part of obeying His words and pleasing Him, above all else, we could expect Him to give the desires of our heart. Pray without ceasing and one day it will be granted. Quitters will never reach what they want to have while those who wait patiently are those who will receive much more than what they had ask for. Remember that with Jesus, the best is yet to come.

On the other hand, if our prayers had not been answered, be thankful still. God knows what He is doing. Sometimes, unanswered prayers are God’s gifts.

Book Review: A March Bride (Rachel Hauck)

The only thing that trumps hot cheese pizza is true love!

I was searching Amazon and Goodreads for Christian Romance Novels to read today however, no plot of the stories I’ve seen interests me. Until I run into A March bride by Rachel Hauck. Remember Once Upon a Prince last time? The story of Prince, turned King Nathaniel and the landscape architect Suzanna Jean? It’s a continuation of their love story. God is really so good for showing me the book! So, here is my review which contains some spoilers.

In the beginning, I quite hated Suz for being a brat and for going back home because of citizenship issues leaving Prince Nate behind. However, I loved how the author used that situation to inculcate the word of God in the story—-asking for God’s wisdom, the fact that Jesus gave His citizenship for us and the comparison of Suz to Esther.

I so loved how Prince Nate planned to woo back Suzanna with the help of the family and the people of St Simons. It was way cool!Way cool—as described! And, I was so touched by the speech of Daddy Gib in their surprised wedding.I really shed tears! Daddy’s girl here.

Compared to Once upon A Prince, it was shorter and simple. Nevertheless, it made me feel good and happy. It brought me to the island of St Simon and the kingdom of Brighton. That is the best part of reading a book for me, losing myself!

Now I am looking forward to the story of Prince Colin and Avery which will be released this year, sometime in October.Happy reading!

The Rebels

⁵ we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. ⁶ We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ⁷ To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. ⁸ To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him (Daniel 9:5-9)

retrieved from wallpapercave.com

What is life before we knew Jesus? How do we live when we haven’t surrendered our life yet to Christ? Has the Lord brought big impact to the way we live the same way we did when we were still under the slavery of sin?

No one will probably stand in the midst of all of us and proclaim that he/she is blameless. For all have sinned and done wrong. We all disobeyed. We did things that did not glorify nor please God. But our God is gracious and merciful. Instead of us, it was Christ who is holy that was crucified to set us free from sin. When we had accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our filthy hearts were cleansed and purified. One thing that God cannot see, would you believe, are our sins when it is covered by the blood of Jesus.

Because we have been cleansed, we should do our part too. Do not take for granted what Christ had sacrificed. Show the world how Christians act by getting rid of temptations and walking uprightly. A change in the way we live should happen, from wicked living to righteous living. Turn your backs from the past and start walking in Spirit. In such a way we will not only please God. We can make a big impact to this world by showing them that a life with Christ makes it worth living.

Book Review: Once Upon A Prince (Rachel Hauck)

Book Review: Once upon A Prince (Rachel Hauck)

This is my very first of the hundreds of book reviews to come. I spent most of my unemployed months watching feel-good movies and last night I decided to resume reading books. Who knows, one day I will become one of those authors in the best-sellers section of popular bookstores (Yeah right….In my dreams!)But it is not bad to dream anyway. So, here comes my first book review which I just finished reading an hour ago.

Once Upon A Prince (Rachel Hauck)

I am a sucker for royal stories and so I am warning you, I am quite biased here. I so loved the well-written story. It’s sooooo cute! Like I have mentioned, I am fond of feel-good stories, in movies or books… I have always preferred happy ever after over cliff hangers and so this book is included in my list.

Another warning, this book is Christian Romance and it is safe to say that it lacks smexiness. Therefore, there are no sexy scenes included which, some readers are dying to read. Nevertheless, it did not spoil my interest in reading the story.

What I loved about the book is how the author made use of Christian values, of surrendering to God, of trusting His sovereignty. I fancy the story of Daddy Gib and Mama Glo who once were lost but found a way to happily ever after again. Thanks be to God for restoring broken pieces and for giving the unexpected blessing named Avery. The emotional moment between Mama and Suz almost made me cry too. Then there is the weird, half-sane fairy godmother Aurora who speaks in riddles and disappears abruptly.

It is a story of a damsel in distress saved by a prince who always comes to her rescue. Their moments of praying together is one of my most loved scenes. Talk about #relationshipgoals. Oh!Don’t we all want to marry a prince? A Christian royalty who is the defender of the faith?

I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, delightful story. A fairytale, a faith-based novel.

I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!