RESURRECTION AND LIFE

Now when Jesus came, he found that Laz'arus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died".

"And even now I know that whatever you ask from God,

God will give you."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."


Jesus said to her,

"I am the resurrection and the life;

he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die."

"Do you believe this?"

She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world."

WORK RENDERS WAGES BUT GIFTS ARE FREELY GIVEN

In Luke 12:2, the Lord said, "Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known."

"What do I really expect from my Lord in terms of prosperity? In my years of work and devotion to His service, I have constantly sought for prosperity as some sort of gift or reward for all the things that I have done."

Expecting something in return for a work done is not a gift but a wage or compensation that is due. God's gift is freely given and does not require any work. If you truly trust the Lord, what He said is "Ask and you shall Receive". He did not say work for it. What matters is the intent or purpose in asking. If God would give such gift, will it lead you to righteousness or sin?

God knows the intents of your heart and nothing is hidden. He knows you from inside out and you can never escape His eye that is upon you. You are free to work and do things your own way, but you still need His instructions and teachings in order to undertand the truth and the right path to take.


PRAYER

Father God, all things belong to You and gifts are freely given to those whom You so please. Nothing that we do can ever outdone Your generosity. We rest our faith and trust in You through our Lord Jesus that whatever we earnestly asked for in prayer shall be granted.

We pray for prosperity and abundance as we purely depend upon Your graces and provsions each day of our lives. Please look not at our sins but in the faith that is in us through Your Son, who lives and reigns with You now and forever. Amen.

FACE YOUR BURDENS BY WORKING TO RESOLVE THEM.

In Luke 11:46, the Lord said, "You yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers."

Let's face it, your financial burdens will never go away unless you do something about it. Do you expect that God will do this for you without you even lifting a finger? If God brings food to your table, do you still expect Him to pick-up the spoon for you so that you can eat? He has given you the hand to do so!

"Since the beginning of the week, I seem to spent time working for only half a day. In the afternoon, I extend my rest period by watching DVD movies. I really have not yet explored the potentials and possibilities of developing my businesses or updating my pending works. Such slow phase of work will not render good and sound results says my God today. Faith and works are interalated according to Paul. I can never be a recepient of those that I seek and desire if I will just sit around and not work to harvest them."

In times when things are not turning out the way you expect them to be, the more you should lean to God for wisdom and understanding. He is the only one who can deliver you from difficulties that life brings. Ask for His Spirit to strengthen your resolve and determination to rise up from each and every fall.

Examine your heart very well, God has always been there for You but are You always there for Him?


PRAYER

Father God, today I humbly ask for the in filling of Your Most Holy Spirit to strir up my mind and heart for work, as I face the burdens of life. Power me up to accomplish and solve the problems at hand and bring me to even greater heights in terms of stability and prosperity. I believed in faith that You have placed me in the midst of a great harvest and it is now my turn to grab the sickle and buckle down to work.

Lord, please forgive the hardness of my heart born out of ignorance of Your Word. Whenever I face such difficulties in life, my faith shakes, a weakness that still bothers me today. I can easilly point fingers at others and make up a lot of excuses for problems that have risen, but in truth, these have may been brought by my own negligence or wrongdoings. Up until now, I am still a seeker of wealth and fame, but not willing to touch the burdens with one of my fingers.

Please accept my thanksgiving, praises, and deep appreciation for Your continued daily provisions that sustains our lives both in flesh and in spirit.

All these I humbly ask and pray, in Jesus Name. Amen.

THE LORD WILL REPAY

In Matthew 16:26, the Lord said, "What shall a man give in return for his life?"

God will repay every man for what he has done. Live by faith and believe that every word of the Lord will surely happen.

"At the Mall, my family and I happened to pass by a lottery booth and I bought two tickets. There are times when my mind seem to travel, looking forward to what I will do if ever I win in a lottery game. I could see our former house that my mom really would love to buy together with the adjoining property. If God would permit me to own these properties, I will renovate our former house to suit our taste and convert the adjoining property into an apartment that we could rent out. Also, I will buy my dream vehicle. I shall invest more on acquring other properties that will be income generating."

Life is not a game of chance but by faith and nothing else. It is not all about personal gain but more on the Christ that lives in you. He is the only one who holds your lot.

In the conduct of our lives, we should be cautious of our acts. Any act has its own corresponding consequence. It may not have a direct impact on us but it can affect the lives of others. This is the law of cause and effect in order to maintain balance in the world. The effect may not come soon but surely it will come.

People are binded together because they live in the same world with God residing in each and ever heart of men.

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!

In Luke 7:34, the Lord said, "The Son of man has come eating and drinking; and you say, `Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"

Serving the Lord in His church is a way to thank Him for all the good works he does over your life. It is not a venue where you can criticize others in the guise of being righteous. Each one of us has his own weaknesses and such should not be seen as a reflection of our true character. Rather than dwell on the negative, why not try to see the good that your fellow servants are doing. Church service is a manifestation that God works powerfully in the life of His servant. It is a commitment to the Lord and no one else.

Be sure to always read His word everyday before doing anything else. This gives you the picture of what your life had been, where you are now, and what lies ahead of you. It is always fitting to be inspired and be guided as you face today's work. By doing so, you can be assured of His continuing graces and provisions.


PRAYER

Father God, thank you for reminding me of my commitment to accomplish the work that you have begun in me. As your steward, you expect that such works should properly be accounted for. Please accept my service as a thanksgiving offering for all the good things you have done for me and my family. Guide my mind and heart to work for peace rather than cause division. In my journey to serve in accordance with Your will, teach me on how to respond properly so that the life of Your Son will be greatly manifested in all the things I say and do. The wisdom of my acts today serves as an example for my children to emulate as they will eventually face a life of their own in the future.

BELIEVE AS YOU WALK EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

In John 3:16, it reads, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

The course of life of any human being is to reach his final home and destination. The road towards this had not been passed by anyone except by Jesus. He is the only one who knows how to get there and we can not walk this road unless he brings us. Are you prepared to walk with Him?

You can easilly say "Yes" to the Lord, but if your heart is not steadfast towards Him, it will lead you nowhere (Mt.21:28-30). Openness, humility, and obedience are the main characteristics of a true servant like Jesus.

Journeying with the Lord needs patience. There will be obstacles that you must face but never loose hope.

The world may fill you up with so many good things, leaving no space for God's best over your life. It can make you famous and popular to the point where people now sees you and not the Lord in you. It can even make you a master of yourself with no one else to obey, but more of requiring others to be obedient to your beg and call. In all of these, where is now Jesus over your life?

Pray to the Lord that he takes away the obstacles that could misguide you from taking the right path , and to stand strong in faith that with Him, you shall reach your final home and destination.


PRAYER

Dear Lord, I believed that you are the only one who can bring me to my final destination in life.

You chose to suffer because of me. You could have enjoyed all the riches and power in your kingdom, yet in your obedience to the Father, you came all the way from heaven and took human form, just so you can show us what values most the eyes of our Creator.

Please forgive me for the many times I have said "Yes" to you but keep on falling back to my old ways.

I have walked the crooked road but you have managed to set my foot toward the right direction to take. By your saving grace, my eyes have been opened to the joy and essence of good and rightful living. May I be able to sustain these graces that you have bestowed upon me by constantly seeking for your guidance each day of my life.

With all humility, I pray for continued guidance of mind and heart that I may I live in peace and comfort, knowing that I am always close to you who made all things possible for what I am and where I will go.

HOW DO I RESPOND TO GOD'S GENEROUS BLESSINGS?

In Luke 1:30, the angel Gabriel said to Mary, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. "

REFLECTION:

"God has given me so much and the only way only way I could thank Him is to keep my end of the bargain so to speak, and that is to accomplish the tasks he has given me in building His church.

Several years ago, when the Lord first called upon me to undertake for Him this worthwhile endeavor, I was very much hesitant, thinking that such a huge responsibility is not fitted for the likes of me. He responded by saying that "With God, Nothing is Impossible".

Although I was full of uncertainties during those times, I said "yes" to my Lord.

True enough, in all these years, He has worked mightily in me in so many vast ways that I could ever imagine!

A living proof that when God finds favor in a person, it does not matter who he is, what he is, or where he came from, but his willingness to take upon God's offer and trust that the good Lord shall take care of the rest.


PRAYER

Father God, you have caused me to blossom like a vine and bear abundant fruit for the simple reason that I chose say "yes" to you through Christ.

The work that You have begun in me have produced very remarkable results and have clearly shown how sweet life is, to those who seek and hunger for you.

Although I am just your lowly servant, I am deeply appreciative of your utmost concern over the kind of life that I am suppose to live.

Instead of showing me that you are the high and mighty God, ready to punish all those who rebel against you, you chose to be a loving, patient, and understanding Father, ready to give all the great and good things needed, for your child to mature and prosper. Thank you so much for your abundant provisions that have and will sustain us for the coming days.

Please forgive me for the times that I have doubted your sincerity to fulfill your promises, brought about by the pressures of life that I have to face.

Always keep me secure in all walks of life so that I may continue to live in peace and prosperity, finding the utmost joy of serving you through Christ my Lord. Amen.