Month: November 2012

God Cares For You

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I was walking along Stafford Street in downtown Timaru and saw this little bird lying dead on the pavement.

What came to my mind right away was the statement of Jesus Christ in Matthew 10:29-31:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

What a great assurance we have from our Heavenly Father.

Indeed, if He cares about each sparrow that falls to the ground, there’s greater reason He cares about you.

Trust his word.
God never fails!

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Our God is Mighty to save

Let Us Anchor Our Faith in God

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Isn’t it very comforting to know and believe that the Almighty God who has spoken these words to Israel is the same Almighty God who is at work in our lives today?

Thus, let us stay steadfast in our faith.

Failures, frustrations, broken relationships, strife, sickness, maybe every burden in this world may befall us but when we anchor our faith in the Almighty God always we will never drift away aimlessly.

Surely, He will deliver us and place us on safe and secure ground.

Always remember:

The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.
            Zephaniah 3:17

Remembering God’s Goodness – Our Trip and Arrival in New Zealand

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‘Daw kahapon lang’ (It seems like yesterday) we said goodbye to our family, relatives and friends in Iloilo, Philippines.

On 10 November 2012, we reached one year of living in New Zealand. Moving and traveling to a new country and starting a new life is one faith journey that we will always remember.

On the one hand were the hardships that went with the transition. It is always given and expected.

On the other hand is God, His loving kindness, His Mighty hand, continuously guiding and showering us with goodness and grace.

Traveling to a foreign country for the first time as a family is really exciting and enjoying.

Exciting because you get to experience many “firsts” and you just enjoy laughing at all the “miscues”.

Of course, it’s always good to ask when you’re in doubt.

So, we were inside the old Manila International Airport. I was pushing our trolley full of baggage towards the Malaysian Airlines counter. I approached a Chinese-looking guy wearing Malaysian Airline uniform and spoke to him in my best English only to be responded to in Tagalog. He’s Filipino.

What really gave us priceless and immeasurable joy was seeing our daughter enjoying the trip, cheering and smiling all along, unmindful of what lies ahead in our New Zealand sojourn.

We left Manila on 9 November 2011.

The three-hour flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur was quite smooth and on time.

Because our connecting flight was still three hours away, we hanged out at the KL International Airport. We also got to know other Filipinos bound for Auckland.

Wi-Fi Internet at the airport enabled us to contact home and update our family.

Finally we left Kuala Lumpur at almost 10:00 PM and with 11 hours flight, we slept and took much-needed rest.

At Auckland Airport, Boyet and Sharon Quimba met us. They’ve lived in Auckland for six years.

We are so grateful for Boyet and Sharon and their family for providing shelter and valuable guidance as we started our new life in New Zealand.

We thank all our brothers and sisters in Christ who consistently pray for us.

We thank our families and kin for your love and thoughtfulness.

We thank the Lord God Almighty for the safe trip and most of all for making our New Zealand living possible and successful.

Lake Tekapo South Canterbury

You Are Called To Persevere

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And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
(1 Peter 5:10)

Have you been in a situation where after you finally decided to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, surrendering your life and receiving Him in faith as Lord and Saviour, you suddenly faced tremendous trials?

I know of many who after gaining their new-found faith faced trials in many forms. They experienced rejection from family and friends. Some suffered financial losses, lost a job, relationship conflicts, sickness or even death of loved ones.

Suffering for your Christian faith happens in every situation and location

 
It’s understandable and expected that a Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim who becomes a Christian will certainly suffer persecution, oftentimes severely. I read and learn about the persecuted church through Open Doors.

How about when you are living in a nominal Christian family and community and then you discovered Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life?

For sure you will suffer from isolation, not primarily because the nominal Christian environment you are in will reject you. Your renewed relationship with Christ will lead you to thirst for more knowledge of your Saviour.

As a true disciple of Jesus Christ your focus now is how to strengthen that relationship. Eventually, you will find yourself avoiding the people and environment that would take you back to your former nominal Christian living.

Would you believe that your most painful persecution could come from within the Christian community or environment?

It’s when you thought that the Christians around you would stand for what is right and just and you found yourself all alone making a stand.

Worst, the Christian leaders whom you expected to take the lead have become accessories to the wiles of the unjust.

The scorn and insult would become inevitable when after you have settled in your heart that you will trust Jesus Christ alone, follow Him in baptism, and commit your life, your family to serve Him each day, something untoward happened unexpectedly.

Perseverance in faith brings freedom, happiness and joy

 
When you are facing debilitating trials, read and remember the story of Job. Despite suffering from severe trials, he remained steadfast in faith. Read how Job persevered and gained God’s restoration.

Yes, Christians are called to persevere, especially when our faith is under trial.

Keep holding on to your faith no matter what happens. When you persevere, you will witness God’s amazing power sustaining your life along the way. Then when you have overcome, you will find peace and happiness that you have never experienced before.

Starting your new life in Jesus Christ could place you in lots of challenges but persevering in your new found faith means a life of freedom and victory.

Just come to Him in prayer. Hold on to Jesus, He’s always there. Trust His word, He loves you always now.

Are you going through tough times today? May this post strengthen your faith in Christ.

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