CHANGELESS

Everything changes in this world. One day, you have friends, suddenly they are gone. One day, you have a relationship,suddenly it's gone.

Prices of commodities change all the time. Time changes. Climate changes. Just like this summer here in the Philippines, the climate every afternoon is very hot but during the night, it rains. Tuition fees change. Our mind changes. Our circumstances change. Our moods change. Electric bills change. Water bills change.


EVERYTHING CHANGES. Sometimes, in these changes, we tend to doubt if our dreams would  still come true...we doubt if we could still live a life that God has promised...we doubt if we could have a relationship that will last until Jesus comes again...we doubt if we could survive for the next few weeks or months or next few years.


But until we focus on God, these doubts will remain in our hearts and they will create fear and the worst thing to do is committing suicide. But hey, don't do that, your life is going to be eternally worst if you do that...don't give up...don't be discouraged. There is someone who never changes....and that someone is God.

God never changes. He said in Malachi 3:6 ,“I am the Lord, and I do not change."

That is so encouraging. He is always there to take care of you.The same God who took care of you when you were still in your mother's womb will be the same God who will take care of you now... in your studies...in your career...in your marriage and until you grow old.

Here's a very beautiful passage of how God took care of us when were still unborn : Psalm 139:13-16 say,

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.You saw me before I was born.Every day of my life was recorded in your book.Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." What a beautiful passage. If God took care of us when we were still unborn, how much would he take care of us now that we are already grown up?

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 The New Living Translation).

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."(Jeremiah 29:11 The Message Translation)


 

YOU ARE VALUABLE IN GOD'S EYES
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26)

"...If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 6:30)

Hey, the God who is changeless is always there to carry you through...just like what Paul said in Philippians 1:6, i would like to say to you that : "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."


I like The Message Translation, it says, "....the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears."


YOU CAN TRUST IN GOD......THE CHANGELESS GOD! SO, HOLD ON TO HIM.


Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.

All  devotional thoughts on this site are my own writings. I've learned them during my personal devotional time.If in case u want to use this material, please ask permission from me first or at least, acknowledge that i wrote it and it came from this site.

Thank you!

ENCOURAGEMENT

DISCOURAGED?....
BURNED OUT ? ....
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO?....
UNCERTAIN OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOUR FUTURE?....
 
BE ENCOURAGED...YOUR FUTURE IS FULL OF...

  

HOPE  because God will give you hope 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,"...plans to give you hope and a future." JEREMIAH 29:11

JOY because God can fill you with ALL JOY

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

 

PEACE because God will establish peace for you.

"LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us." Isaiah 26:12 

Love because God will make sure that love will follow you all the days of your life...

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."Psalm 23:6

Strength because God is your strength and your portion forever..

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26

Confidence because God has been your confidence...

"For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth." Psalm 71:5

Courage because He will do what He has promised to you whatever happens....

"So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me." Acts 27:25 






Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide. 

Standing Still While Men Were Sitting

Funny,i was standing still while men were sitting on their seats when i rode the MRT yesterday. Well, this scene is not unusual anymore.We're living in a generation  where gentlemen are rare to find.

Imagine, i was facing three men who were sitting pretty...whose eyes avoided to meet mine..as if i was invisible there. I stood from  Taft Edsa station to Santolan.

I tried to look as if my bag was very heavy (but it was really heavy) and tried to see their reaction but they didn't notice me. Or maybe,they really ignored my "suffering" as if there was no woman there. Maybe, if i looked like Marianne Rivera or my body was like that of Carmen Electra they would have initiated offering a seat for me...but haven't they noticed that i have lips like that of Angelina's (Angelina Jolie)?...hehehe.

Hmmm...gentlemen are rare to find nowadays...i thought. I also would have thought that i would stop at my destination without sitting even for a few minutes but thank God (i sighed), there was still a gentleman there. He was also standing behind me and he offered a seat who was already available for him that time.

I could say, "when women are trying hard to stand still, there's still at least one man who would offer a seat and be as gentleman as he could be."

Come on gentlemen, when you see us women standing in MRT or in the bus and you're sitting pretty on your seats, don't ignore us...offer your seat and be a man enough to do good and "stand still."

Galatians 6:9-10 (The Message Translation) "So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all..."


Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.

What It's All About

I just wanna share what i received from my email. When i read it, it made me more humble before God. I believe the author wants to share this article even without permission from him because there's a "share icon" on this article so i'm posting it here.


What It’s All About?


It’s not about following our career path;
It’s about following His call upon our lives. Matthew 16:24

It’s not about our self-efforts to live for Him;
It’s about letting Him live His life in us. Gal. 2:20

It’s not about our attempts at self-improvement;
It’s about His transforming grace. 2 Cor. 5:17

It’s not about our self-image;
It’s about being conformed to His image. Romans 8:29

It’s not about our abilities to serve;
It’s about His power to equip us. Acts 1:8

It’s not about our human resources;
It’s about His sufficiency. 2 Corinthians 3:5

It’s not about wanting the approval of others;
It’s about having His approval. 2 Tim. 2:15

(Excerpt From Meet Me In The Meadow)

http://roy.dayspring.com/2010/04/what-its-all-about.html

Jesus...Our Compassionate Shepherd

 ^{Text: Mark 6: 34-44}

^"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things."By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."But he answered, "You give them something to eat."  They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied,  and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Thoughts:

I was touched to read again these passages reminding me of Jesus as a good shepherd to us. 

In the passages above, we can see there the continuation of the text i used in my last devotional post regarding "Toxic" Day. Jesus, before seeing this large crowd of people, was hungry and had not taken his meal yet, he invited his disciples by themselves to be in the solitary place to rest but the crowd went ahead of them and this large crowd were waiting for them. Although Jesus wanted to rest that time, he still ministered to these people, taught them and gave them something to eat. 

By that time, it was so late and the disciples reminded Jesus to send the people away because it was a remote place but Jesus didn't do that. He still took care of the people. 

The passages above are so rich in thoughts and lessons but i want to focus on the first verse of my text for this devotional thought, focusing on Jesus as a good shepherd.Verse 34 says, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd."

I love how King David described the Lord as his shepherd in Psalm 23:

 The LORD is my shepherd, 
 I shall not be in want.

 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
 he leads me beside quiet waters,

 he restores my soul.
 He guides me in paths of righteousness
 for his name's sake. 

 Even though I walk  through the valley of the shadow of death,
 I will fear no evil,
 for you are with me;
 your rod and your staff,
 they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me
 in the presence of my enemies.
 You anoint my head with oil;
 my cup overflows.

 Surely goodness and love will follow me
 all the days of my life,
 and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
 forever. 

Here are other verses that you can see from Genesis to Revelation that describes the characteristics of our Shepherd: 

Genesis 48:15  "Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,"

Isaiah 40:11, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."

Jeremiah 17:16 " I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips is open before you."

Ezekiel 34:12 "As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness."

John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14  "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—

Hebrews 13:20 " May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,"

1 Peter 2:25 " For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

1 Peter 5:4  "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." 

Revelation 7:17  " For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

He loves people. He loves you and me. He knows our needs physically, emotionally, spiritually, materially, socially...every aspect of our lives. He will not stop doing good to us. He is our shepherd, he has been our shepherd all our lives to this day...he is good...he is compassionate...he is so concerned with everything that we go through everyday of our lives. 

If you have turned away from him, he is always there to welcome you and carry you close to his heart. He has not forgotten you. And if you haven't given your life to him even once, he is there waiting for you to receive him. He is a faithful shepherd...he is waiting for you to give yourself to him.He loves you. You can entrust your whole life to him and he will not leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13: 5, God says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." He knows what you're going through  right now...turn to him because he is so compassionate.

Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide. 

All  devotional thoughts on this site are my own writings. I've learned them during my personal devotional time.If in case u want to use this material, please ask permission from me first or at least, acknowledge that i wrote it and it came from this site.

Thank you! 

A Letter To Women and Men

I was browsing my old sent emails  on my personal inbox and i saw this email that contains this article which i shared to my sisters and friends before. It was  written by someone. I just removed some of the paragraphs and edited some which i don't agree with but here are some part of it. The title is Letter From God to Women but i just changed my title post because i believe this is also for men.

"When i created the heavens and the earth,I spoke them into being.  When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils.  But you woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into  man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and  perfectly fashion you. Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the  creativity.  From one bone I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects his  heart and his lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do.  Around this one bone I shaped you. I modeled you. I created you  perfectly and beautifully. Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile.  You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man,  his heart.  His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life.  The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage  to the heart. Support the man as the rib cage supports the body. You were not  taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his  head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand  beside him and be held close to his side. You are My beautiful girl. You are a splendid woman of excellence.  Your eyes - don't change them. Your lips - how lovely when they  part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form,your hands so gentle  in touch. I've caressed your face in your deepest sleep;  I've held your heart close to mine. Adam walked with Me in the cool of the day .  I fashioned in you: My holiness, My strength, My purity, My love,  My protection and support. You are special because you are the  extension of Me. Man represents My image. Together you represent the totality  of God.  So man - treat woman well. Love her, respect her,for she is fragile.  In hurting her, you hurt Me. What you do to her, you do to Me.  In crushing her, you only damage your own heart,the heart of your  Father, and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion  I have given you. In gentle quietness show your strength. In love,  show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self." Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.

"Toxic" Day

^{Text:  Mark 6:31-32}

^"Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them,'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place."

Thoughts:

How is your weekend so far? Have you had your rest yet? Have you had enough sleep? 

We went home past midnight last night from the funeral home where our Lola Onette's body lies and if you were to ask if i had enough sleep, i had at least 4 hours of sleep but i still managed to go to church service this morning without sleeping in the middle of the sermon ( the sermon was very good and i don't wanna sleep during church services...Shame on you if you're sleeping in the middle of a sermon...oops...sorry...but i hope if you couldn't really stay awake at church, i hope at least God is speaking to you through dreams while you're sleeping during the sermon....hahaha...but my advice is, if you needed some sleep before going to church, sleep at home first , you would miss a lot if you  go to church and just sleep there:)).

Going back, have you experienced a day without any sleep and or skip meals because of a very busy and stressful day? I know everyone of us already experienced that. When i was still a nursing student, i used to manage being awake for the whole night and still went to school the next day without any sleep and then had an early duty at the hospital that started at 6am the following day and i needed to wake up before 5am so i practiced drinking 4-6 cups of coffee just to make myself awake and that practice caused me now to be sensitive to caffeine so my doctor advised me not to drink coffee and any tea anymore. 

Anyway, everyone of us have experienced a very busy and stressful day that caused us somehow to skip meals and not to have some proper sleep.Some people call it a "toxic day". I heard that term from medical representatives who were our customers when i was still managing my sister's and brother-in-law's internet cafe. "It was a very toxic day," they always said.

Yeah, sometimes in a week, everyday is a very "toxic day". I also experience that in the call center and if you don't know how to get away from a "toxic" day, that might cause you to live a shorter life or make you look order than your real age.

Jesus  and his disciples also experienced "toxic" days. But Jesus knew how to manage it. Let's go back to the above text ^{: "}Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place."

If you're going to read the following verses (verses 34-44) after this text, crowd got ahead of them where they were going and Jesus still ministered to those people and it was the scene when Jesus fed the five thousand but i just want to focus on these two verses where Jesus said,  "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place."

Jesus knew that his disciples were already hungry and tired so he invited them to be with him in a quiet place and get some rest. I believe even in a short time in that boat, they were able to take a nap and ate and had some rest before they met those people who got ahead of them and met them in the place where they were going. And note that Jesus wanted to be with his disciples just by themselves and be in a solitary place.

Jesus who invited his disciples to be with him and be in a solitary place to rest is the same Jesus who is inviting us to be with him and be in a place where we could concentrate to spend time with him in prayer and reading his word everyday. 

He knows our "toxic" days. He knows when we skip meals and we don't have sleep at the proper time at work or at home and in the middle of our "toxic" day, Jesus is inviting us to get away from it for a while or get away from people first for a few minutes or hours or a day and spend time with him...to personalize it, just you and him. "Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). 

Are you expecting a "toxic" day next week? Don't worry, just learn to spend time with  Jesus and you will discover or rediscover that spending time with him will give you so much rest. Enjoy your time with Jesus everyday and face your "toxic" day with him.

Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.

All  devotional thoughts on this site are my own writings. I've learned them during my personal devotional time.If in case u want to use this material, please ask permission from me first or at least, acknowledge that i wrote it and it came from this site.

Thank you! 

ypóschesi

Text: Mark 6:16-28 

Thoughts:

I love foreign words.If you're wondering what's the meaning of ypóschesi (trying to figure out how to pronounce it?...i don't know how to pronounce it either :)) but it means "PROMISE" in Greek word.

Have you promised something to someone and you thought that the promise you've made would not affect you and somebody you care about? 

I believe all of us are guilty of promising something to someone that affected us and somebody we care about.

There are times that we make some promises without thinking it through much or maybe sometimes we are just careless about our words or maybe there are few times that we are just tired of using our mind or  we just don't realize that the promises we make would have a great impact not just to us but to someone we care about.

In my text today (if you have a Bible at home or you have an access to biblegateway, you could just click the link below this post and read it from there), you could read there that King Herod made a promise that really affected not just himself but somebody whom he honored..somebody whom he protected...somebody whom he liked to listen to....and that somebody was John the Baptist.

Although Herod was the "brain" of John the Baptist's imprisonment, he feared of killing him. Verses 18-20 say, ^"For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." So Herodias (Hereod's wife) nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him." 

But during his birthday, he made a careless promise to his daughter because he was pleased with her dance number. He said, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."(Mark 6:22-23)

Ooopps...that was his carelessness. Herod didn't know that it would affect him and someone else. Little did he know that his daughter would ask her mother what request she would make. And since her mother was nursing a grudge against John the Baptist (verse 19),she answered her daughter immediately, "The head of John the Baptist." (verse 24).

In verse 25, it says,  ^"At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter." 

"Oh nooo!", i guess that was King Herod's silent reaction in addition to his distress. Yes he was distressed about it.  Not just he was distressed but the Bible says, ^"The king was greatly distressed (verse 26).

But, even though he was greatly distressed, he still didn't refuse the girl's request.

The following verses would tell you what was the next scene in that birthday party...it wasn't a party anymore but it turned out to be a "funeral party ". 

Verse 26 say-29 say, "..but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb."

I believe Herod was greatly distressed for what had happened not just on that day but throughout his lifetime...if he was a Filipino, he would have said "sana hindi na lang ako pinanganak...malas naman ng araw ng kapanganakan ko"...sorry for those who don't understand Tagalog :) . You might need an interpreter for that...hahaha..(but seriously,i don't wanna add to what the Bible said, it's just that when we do something that causes us guilt, it remains there unless we ask forgiveness from God and he only can remove that guilt).

Promising something to someone? Think it through first. It may cause you distress or your life or someone else's life. Be careful. Use your brain as our Pastor would always remind us.

Actually, what happened to Herod was not just a simple promise,it was with an oath...i believe it's deeper than a promise but even if it was with an oath, he could have refused to have John the Baptist beheaded. He was just pressured because there were guests and it was his promise to his daughter (verse 26).

The book of proverbs has to say about that situation, i mean, if we were trapped by what we promised. Read  Proverbs 6:1-5:

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
       if you have struck hands in pledge for another,

 ² if you have been trapped by what you said,
       ensnared by the words of your mouth,

 ³ then do this, my son, to free yourself,
       since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands:
       Go and humble yourself;
       press your plea with your neighbor!

 ⁴ Allow no sleep to your eyes,
       no slumber to your eyelids.

 ⁵ Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
       like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

The Message Translation is clearer:

Dear friend, if you've gone into hock with your neighbor or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger,If you've impulsively promised the shirt off your back  and now find yourself shivering out in the cold, Friend, don't waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess.   You're in that man's clutches!Go, put on a long face; act desperate.Don't procrastinate— there's no time to lose.Run like a deer from the hunter, fly like a bird from the trapper!

ypóschesi? pistév̱o̱ óti mésa apó. Ah what? Are we talking about tables and grandchildren here now? Hahaha..that only means..."Promise? ....think it through."

POST SCRIPT:

You can read the text on this link : http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206&version=NIV

Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide. 

Who is Jesus To You?

Text:Mark 6:14-15 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him." Others said, "He is Elijah." And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."

Thoughts:

We just celebrated the Holy Week and yesterday was a celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But who is Jesus to you?

During Jesus' time, even if his name had become popular, other people had mistaken him as John the Baptist.Others said he was Elijah and others claimed he was a prophet.

Even the high priest doubted that he was the Christ, the Son of God and they accused him of blasphemy claiming he was the Son of God. "Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ,the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy." (Matthew 26:62-65)

The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him for claiming that he was the Son of God. "In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " (Matthew 27:41-43).

Peter had a revelation of who Jesus was. "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:15-18)

Even the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus during his crucifixion had a revelation of who Jesus really was. "When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54).

Do you know that demons recognize that Jesus is the Son of God? "When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" (Matthew 8:28-29)

Even Satan himself recognized that Jesus is the Son of God, he just put doubts in his words to tempt Jesus . "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." (Matthew 4:6).

Even to this day, Satan recognizes how powerful the name of Jesus is. When we submit to God and resist the devil, the  devil will flee from us."Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

The name of Jesus is so powerful.If we have personal relationship with him, demons could even recognize if Jesus is in us or not. If Jesus is in us, we can even drive out demons in the name of Jesus. Notice in the following verses that some Jews who didn't have personal relationship with God tried to use the name of Jesus in driving out evil spirits but evil spirits recognized that they just use the name of Jesus but they didnt have personal relationship with Him.  "Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. (One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor." (Acts 19:13-17).

Who is Jesus to you? Do you recognize him as the Son of God , your Lord and your Savior? Do you also recognize him as the only way to heaven? Do you recognize that his name is so powerful?

John  3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

What Jesus has done on the cross is very significant. He died to save us and whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Have you already accepted him as your personal Lord and Savior?
If you haven't done it yet, you can pray this prayer with all your heart:

Lord Jesus, thank your dying for me on the cross.Thank you for the salvation.Forgive me from all of my sins. I accept you as my personal Lord and Savior. Write my name in the book of life. From now on, help me to follow you. Make me the person you want me to be. Thank you Jesus. In your name i pray, amen.


Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide. 

Tetelestai

 

It saddens my heart to see people punishing, particularly, crucifying themselves during Holy Week.

It's their choice. The reason for doing so is because they think that they still need to do it in order for them to be forgiven from their sins.They also think that they still need to do something for them to be accepted by the Lord.

As i watched "Passion of the Christ" on dvd this morning, it points me again to what Jesus has accomplished on the cross for our sins.

The lashes that the Lord received were enough...the pain that he felt when the soldiers were hammering those big nails in his hands and feet that passed through his flesh,carpals (bones of the wrist), metatarsals (bones of the feet) and nerves...the pain that he went through when that thorny crown was put on his head...the blood that was shed when he received those lashes and when he was crucified was enough to pay the price for our salvation.

We don't need to punish our bodies anymore.God is not pleased with that.

If you're thinking that you still need to punish yourself,walk through the altar using your knees, punish yourself or even try to crucify yourself just like what other people are doing in order to be accepted by the Lord and receive God's salvation, its about time to realize that you don't need to.

The Bible says ,^"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NIV).

What Jesus has accomplished on the cross was enough.

Tetelestai ! (Tetelestai is the greek word for "It is finished").

All we have to do is ask Jesus' forgiveness from all our sins and accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior and spend time with Him in prayer,read his word and attend worship service.

Jesus loves us so much.

As you celebrate this Holy Week, dont forget to thank Jesus for what he has done for you on the cross and spread the word, Tetelestai ! 

Copyright © 2010 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.