Having a contract with God. [Devotion, June 02, 2011]

Contract

What it is:

-An agreement between two parties. Especially one that is written and enforceable by law.

-Established by formal agreement.

 -Legal document binding two parties into mutual promises.

-Written agreement with one or both parties signing the said document to establish understanding.

 How it works:

-One party or both agrees to the provisions-rules- stated in the contract.

-It places an individual under oath of another party.

•  We have heard of the word contract many times in our lives, and one can easily explain what it is and how it works. In biblical times men like Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Joshua, Jehoshaphat, David, Solomon and many others were chosen by God to lead his people. And through this, they have entered into a contract with the Lord by having an oath with him and God with them.
  
  Genesis 26:1-6
  
  "  ¹ Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. ² The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. ³ Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. ⁴ I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring^[a] all nations on earth will be blessed,^{[b] 5} because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.” ⁶ So Isaac stayed in Gerar."

• God spoke with Isaac to stay in the land of the Philistines in Gerar the land of Abimelek with his wife and live there and he promised Isaac that he will bless him and give him the land to him and his descendants. For the Lord remembers his promise to Abraham that he will be the father of many nations, for he swore an oath, a promise, a contract. Even now in our present times, God wants us to enter into an oath with him, a contract that is eternally rewarding.

What are the benefits of forming a contract with God:

1. Provision of our needs. (Ephesians 1:3 "Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.")
2. Tranquility. (Isaiah 41:10 "So do not worry because I am with you. Do not be afraid because I am your God. I will make you strong and I will help you. I will support you with my right hand that saves you.")
3. Deliverance. (Psalms 18:17 "He delivered me from my strong enemy and from them which hated me, for they were too strong for me.")
4. Eternity. (Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.")

Knowing these and a lot more of the benefits in-store for us when we forge an oath to the Lord await us! Really such an awesome gift from the Lord of lords. God also wants us to:

1. Follow and let go of everything. (Matthew 19:21 "Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”)
2. Follow and never bend from his commandments. (Deuteronomy 28:14 "Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.")
3. Answer his call. (Revelations 3:20 "Here I am I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door. I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.")
4. Serve without reserve. (Ephesians 6:7-8 "[v.7]Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, [v.8]because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.") 
5. Submit with respect (Deuteronomy 5:33 "Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.")

To end this devotion, God has given us the freedom to choose for ourselves if we want to commit and sign his contract or not. The rewards of having a real relationship, a commitment, an oath, a contract with the Lord endures forever. Would you sign and accept his offer dear brother and sister?

Devotion May 27, 2011 (Follow the Leader)

Romans 13:1-5

Submission to Governing Authorities

 ¹ Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

An authority can be defined as a person delegated by an individual higher than himself/herself to enforce laws over a group of individuals. Like in our church/es we have leaders too, but why follow these individuals?

• They have been given the privilege to exercise control among us for they are bought about from a strong foundation (Romans 13:1 "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.") -and that foundation is God

• They are given the power to impose penalty among wrongdoers (Romans 13:2 "For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.")

• They are assigned for a reason, they are given for the best of our welfare (Romans 13:4 "For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.")

• Following them IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL (Romans 12:5 "Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience..")

Groggy from duty @_@ God bless to all pardon for the vague devotion-I think so-Stay inspired and please do rate

Manuyag, Alvin Christopher B. RN

Devotion May 25, 2011

Devotion

-Commitment to some purpose; The willingness to serve God; Love, affection, intensity, a strong attachment to.

Being married to God is the greatest devotion we can do as it creates a unison between us and the Lord. One that is lasting, perfect and built on a strong foundation, through his promises. As we devote our selves to God we ought to:

• Have honest affection. (Romans 12:9 " Love must be sincere, hate what is evil; Cling to what is good.")             

-Like in a relationship of flesh, our spiritual relationship must be genuine and pure. Love the Lord like he   loved us. For we cannot find a love greater than what God has given us.

• Have prompt willingness to follow/serve God. (Romans 12:11 " Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.")                                                                                              

-In our relationship with the Lord, we can show that we indeed commit ourselves to him with cheerful and wholehearted compliance to follow and serve him.

• Have unselfish charity. (Romans 12:13 " Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.") 

-One must practice giving without asking for something in return. Give without compromising another persons feelings in exchange for something in return. Remember the old saying "it is better to give than to receive."

• Retaliate with kindness and love upon those who hurt you. (Romans 12:19-20 " [v19]Do not take revenge my dear friends, but leave room for the wrath of God for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay" says the Lord.[v20]On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals in his head.")                                     

-Love the person who caused you great pain and forgive them of their sins. One of the greatest teachings in the bible is that of forgiveness. For it is when we forgive others that we are forgiven of our own sins. If they are wounded tend to their wounds, if they are broken be with them by their side, if they are alone keep them company. Do the opposite of our hate for another. And in doing this, they will know about God.

Have a blessed day ahead

Manuyag, Alvin Christopher RN.

The Crossing part 2 (The Kings of our lives)

Day two of our camp and many unexpected things happened. First, we had a visitor whom was introduced to us and joined our team session. He came from another country and was a preacher there, he stayed at our h.q ate lunch and dinner with us and I'm glad to know that he is comfortable, happy, blessed and felt very welcome our senior pastor asked me to keep him company to which I gladly obliged.

On this day we discussed about a few issues in life which were branded as "kings" in our lives, many of which are evident in my own life and maybe, in others too. These kings, if left to manifest and brood in our lives can cause great damage to our lives especially our eternal life and can lead us to eternal death.These so called "kings" are: Self will, self indulgence, self seeking, self complacency, self glorifying, self confidence, self consciousness, self importance, self depreciation, self vindication and many others that make us become unclean and sinful.

After the session was over we had an activity that, according to one of the staffs, was a supposed to be impossible to do activity however we and other groups did! surely it was a blessing for everyone of us. God has given us wisdom that we are able to handle these "kings" though they are present in each of us. If we let them control and overcome us, it will turn our hearts into brittle delicate glass, easy to break, and difficult to repair. One must be wise and lean on God to rid and repair our darkened hearts of these "kings" that create large gaping wounds in our spiritual lives.

At the end of the day it was all about entrusting and forging a life committed to God, a life committed to his promises, a life free of the curse of eternal damnation. It is all about surrender... Why not reflect back, meditate and let God search our hearts and inspire us what "kings" are taking hold in our lives? start having a real one on one with God and maybe realize that God's promises are worth it. Have it your way dear friend. Let God enter and work in our lives.

The Crossing part 1 (The Battle for Bethel)

Just got home from our church youth camp in Nasugbu, Batangas which took place last Wednesday, May 18, 2011. The experience I had cannot be described by any kind of astonishment nor amazement, no word can explain the four day session with the presence of God.

I was half excited-half nervous during the first day of the camp because this was the first time I attended the camp-by the way our camp is entitled "No Choice"-of our church. But I am glad things went smoothly for the whole duration of the event. From our first lunch, team meeting and up until looking for my designated tent, which I shared with three(3) more persons.

Our first activity for the day was to find a suitable camp headquarter, though we got a dead spot in the Bethel shelters-the name of the h.q. as per the camp map states-and in that same afternoon we are told that we have an opportunity to bid for our own coven to stay at until the end of our camp. As the bidding proceeded, our group decided to bid for the Bethel station since we thought that many will bid for the Jerusalem station, the Gilead station, Ai station and Zion station since the above mentioned were near to the meeting hall. The Bethel however, is situated just below the stated stations, near the kitchen, near the lake and the mountain.

Our first challenge was to take hold of Bethel through the game of cup stacking with a blindfold against a team aiming for the same spot. The duo of our opponent have great teamwork and leadership that at first I thought we are to lose the chance to gain control of the station even though they failed to finish strong. When it was our turn, we carefully strategized how we can rise up to the challenge and as the said challenge began, my teammates carefully devised a way to stack the cups carefully and the duo that we asked to represent us did it in accurate precision. With more than 20 seconds to spare, thanks be to God we won the battle to gain the right to take Bethel as our own h.q.

God provided me with wisdom that he gives victory to us in times of complex and difficult battles and that he never fails to guide us towards our goal, and that even if we fail, we should trust him that an even better plan is ahead of us just waiting for the right timing of God's grace to manifest. As the activity ended God provided us serenity under the covers of Bethel. What an astounding favor from the Lord for all of the tribes/teams of our camp. God really works in our lives and he just wants you and me to listen to his commands and let him be the frontliner for our battles.

Please do rate this blog post thank you,
Manuyag, Alvin Christopher B. RN