Hosanna!

Hi I'm DJ and I am a sinner saved by grace. 

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One of my favorite stories in the OT is about the widow and the oil found in 2 Kings 4:1-7T.

he widow had a debt she could never afford to pay with money, the only thing that would pay it was her sons being sold as slaves. For a widow, losing her sons was like sentencing her to death by starvation. She would lose her source of income and support.

The widow followed ALL that Elisha told her to do - gather MANY jars from her neighbors, close the door behind her and keep pouring the oil into the empty jars. 

If she hesitated and got only few jars then she wouldn't experience the full blessing.

She never doubted how her little oil could fill up the jars, but by faith she kept pouring.

In the end, she paid off the debt AND had enough to live on the rest.

This story is just like our life:

1. We all have the debt of sin and death we could never afford to pay. 

2. Like the oil that was poured out that provided a means of redeeming her son, so Christ's blood was poured out for us to be the price to redeem us from sin and death. 

3. Just as the widow had faith that the oil wouldn't run out, so we too ought to have faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. 

4. Not only is our debt paid,  but we get to live an abundant life in Christ.

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If you fail to pray, you CANNOT win.

The battle is lost even before it is waged. A battle is also won before it is waged.

In the the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples carelessly, prayerlessly and sleepily allowed themselves to be carried by the rolling of the wheel of time in a crisis so vital, so significant that nothing like it would ever happen again in the world.

They did not anticipate the crisis and therefore were completely unready for it.  One betrayed our Lord, one denied our Lord, while all forsook our Lord.

Satan's attacks are rarely anticipated because he doesn't attack on a regular pattern and schedule that we can predict. Satan leaves us for a season so we can lower our guard.

By prayer and being watchful we can anticipate his attacks

- The Dangers of Shallow Faith: Awakening from Spiritual Lethargy (A.W. Tozer)

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Just because it's culturally accepted doesn't mean it's right.I've heard it a few times when someone told me "20th century na, ang old school mo." Or "it's acceptable na to do this this and this".

People's moral standards are often dictated based on what is acceptable in our times. If you think about it,  it keeps changing as if morality was subjective and not absolute.

Let's take a look at examples in the Bible. Polygamy was culturally accepted in those times, yet in the stories where there was Polygamy, there was always strife.

Abraham took Hagar to try and fulfil God's promise for Him, only to cause enmity in the future between the Ishmaelites and the Israelites.

Gideon was a judge who did many great exploits for God but he had 72 sons and many wives and this ended up in a great slaughter of 1 son of his concubine killing all 72 but 1.

David married a lot and took in many concubines and he had a very dysfunctional family where there was rape, there was murder and conspiracies.

Solomon didn't finish well because his wives from other nations led him astray to worship other gods.

Bottom-line: Just because something is culturally accepted in our days doesn't make it right. 

Go back to God's word. It is unchanging in every era and season. God's word is absolute and is ever reliable and true. So when in doubt of what to do, go to God's word.

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To the baby Christian...take heart!

When we read or hear about the story of Gideon in the book of Judges, we remember him for the man of little faith who kept asking God for signs.

But when I read it again, I realized just how gracious and patient God is. In Gideon's first encounter with God, God calls him "O valiant warrior." but if you continue reading it doesn't seem like he's a brave man. In fact because he was afraid to destroy the idols of the father he did it at night.

God didn't look at Gideon at his current state of doubts and fear, rather God looked at him at what he could be if he trusted and walked with the Lord.

3x Gideon asked for a sign, and never do you read the line "And the anger of the Lord burned against him." God could have grown impatient with Gideon, yet God patiently dealt with him strengthening him to be the leader God was calling him to be.

The night they were about to attack Midian, God boosted Gideon's confidence and gave him additional assurance. He told Gideon to go down to the camp, and then there's this interesting line where God tells Gideon "But if you are AFRAID to go down, go with Purah your servant" (Judges 7:10) and in vs 11 it reads "and he (Gideon) went with Purah. I find these 2 verse striking because God knew Gideon was afraid yet He encouraged him to take his servant with him if that would give him comfort.

Gideon was a man of little faith. But God is a patient and gracious God. I find this passage so comforting because let's admit it, we aren't anything close to those great men of faith in the Bible. We, like Gideon have our own shares of doubts and fears. But God, rather than being impatient and expecting us to have great faith immediately, gently encourages us and strengthens our faith in Him.

So let us not get discouraged if we aren't at par with other Christians around us. Rather, focus on Jesus and trust that just like a loving father catches and helps his little baby stand til he can walk, so will God patiently help us grow as we continually pursue Him.

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the first half of the gospel is believing in Jesus, the second half is becoming like Jesus. If the first half of the gospel is justification by grace through faith, the second half is sanctification by faith through the outworking of grace. If the first half of the gospel is forgiveness of sin, the second half is freedom from sin. If the first half of the gospel is, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven,” the second half is, “I’m not just forgiven, I’m being made perfect. Holy discontent is coming to the place where we know that we know there is more God has for us and wants for us and wills to do through us, and we know we can no longer settle for anything less.”

-J.D. Walt, Seed Bed

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Started a new page for devotionals and Bible studies. Follow me on Instagram @selah.speak

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Deuteronomy 1:2 "It is 11 days from Horeb...to Kadesh-barnea"

Mt. Sinai is at Horeb and Kadesh-barnea is the border to the promised land.

It would only take 11 days from Mt. Sinai to the promised land, but it took the 1st generation 40 years of wandering because of their disobedience and rebellion.

The length of time to get you from where you are now to where God wants you to be is directly affected by our willingness to fully surrender and obey God's commands. 

Stop resisting and rebelling.  Stop circling around in your sin. Rather than trying to be the master of your own life (which you don't own by the way) surrender it to the Good Father who knows what is best for us. His commands are for our good. Let us trust in God's unchanging nature and attributes even when it's hard to understand our circumstances.

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Jesus endured so much for us! As we celebrate this Holy Week, may we reflect on the depth of God's love for us and may it challenge us to live lives holy and pleasing to Him

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A passage in scripture struck me this morning, in Numbers 35:33 it says "So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land." and in v34 God reiterates that the land should not be defiled for He dwells in the midst of the sons of Israel. If the whole land of Israel became unclean then God would no longer be able to dwell in their midst.

BLOOD POLLUTES THE LAND.

How polluted the Philippines must be. How many innocent lives lost from extrajudicial killings to lives who were lost because some people intentionally misused funds for their own benefit rather than for the needs of the people.

The heart of God grieves with our current state. Our country is said to be the "only Christian nation in Asia" but sadly, it isn't mirrored in the lives of many.

I was so tempted to point fingers - "Lord di ko naman kasalanan ah, kasalanan to ng mga tao sa gobyero, bakit damay damay? Di naman ako yung pumapatay...di naman ako yung nangungurakot eh...." I mean seriously, it's easy to wash our hands and just shift the blame elsewhere.

But if every Filipino (myself included) would self-examine our own hearts, we'd realize how sinful and selfish we truly are. If it's not the sin of participation, it's the sin of omission that we are guilty of.

  When we choose to live our lives blinded to the cries of our countrymen (because caring creates discomfort) we sin by knowing the good that ought to be done and not doing it.

It's easier not to care and not be involved. But that wouldn't be a very Christ-like thing to do. Jesus said "By THIS the world will know that you are my disciples - that you LOVE one another." Apathy is not love. Self-preservation is not love. How I pray that God would stir our hearts to truly seek Him, that this nation would have a nationwide day to repent, to fast and pray and seek God's forgiveness of the many sins we've committed.

  Lord, the Philippines needs You. We are sorry for the countless sins we've all participated in. Forgive us for the times we believers failed to be Your hands and feet to those in need. Forgive us for the times we turned a blind eye to focus on our own comforts. Forgive us O Lord, and help this nation truly be a Christ-centered country.

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For 6 years the Israelites were to till, sow and prune the land and the crops. But on the 7th year they were to allow the land to lay fallow. To the business minded person this would sound like a crazy idea because how could they make money if they had no crops for a year. To the worrier, this was troublesome because how could they survive without food? To the workaholic this was bothersome for how could they let the land lay untouched and not do any work on it for a year? Last night I was overcome by an anxiety attack. There was so much to do, so little time, so many new things to learn but my brain was not cooperating. I had no time to cook our meals and had to spend more on ordering out. I felt like money was wasted when I should be responsible enough to manage everything. As a wife, I felt like a failure. As a worker, I felt like a disappointment that I couldn't get everything done. This morning, God spoke to me through this passage. This was an AMAZING PROMISE that God was giving His people. However, it was a CONDITIONAL Promise. If the Israelites would obey and let the land rest for 1 year, He would COMMAND (such authority!) His blessings on them. Give up 1 year, get 3 years worth of supply in return!  Ultimately God was asking me "Will you trust Me? Will you surrender your worries, your fears, your anxieties to Me?" Whenever we feel overwhelmed with our responsibilities, whenever we are consumed with our worries - let us fix our perspective back to God. In v23 God said "the land is Mine". Truly all the world and all that is in it belongs to God. God spoke a word and creation began. God breathed life in us. God commands creation to defy the laws of nature. So why do I worry, why do we worry? Trust God. Surrender it all to Him. See Less

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The laws God gave Israel wasn't one to restrict them - but to set such a high moral standard that if compared to the practices of the rest of the world theirs would be impeccable.

  We live in times where morality has become subjective. The world says "you do you", do what your heart tells you, pursue whatever makes you feel good, choose what makes you happy.

But God's standard reveals that what makes us feel good does not to equate to good.

A rapist feels good when he rapes. Rape is not good. It is evil. 

Having an affair feels exciting. But immorality is not good. It is evil.

Lying doesn't seem like a big deal. But lying is not good. It is evil.

Buying whatever we want without thinking even if we don't need it feels thrilling. But materialism is not good. It is evil.

Getting praise and affirmation we want feels good. But pride is not good. It is evil.

As I read through Exodus 22 what struck me was how God made laws that would protect the marginalized, the people we often overlook, the people we often fail to care for. God's law is so much higher than our moral standards and when you study it more, the more you understand that His commands are really for our good.

Read Exodus 22:21-27

- God looked out for the strangers / foreigners in the land (protection from racism)

- God looked out for the widows & the orphans - if you oppressed them God actually had a severe punishment of making your family widows & orphans too. This just shows how big a deal it was to take care of the less fortunate

- Lending with interest to the poor was prohibited. And if you took the only thing that kept them warm at night you ought to return it. God also adds a warning here that if you didn't, and the poor man cried out to the Lord, God would surely hear and act because He is a gracious God.

God expects His people to abide by His commands, otherwise how would we be different from the rest of the world? When the world tells you to focus on what makes you happy, God tells you to love God and love others. To love selflessly, to love like Christ. And honestly loving difficult people is nearly impossible. But God doesn't expect us to do it on our own strength. He enables us to do the impossible when we are first fully devoted to Him.

When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind & strength then it becomes possible to obey God and truly love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

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In Mark 3 we read the story of a man who had a withered hand whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Jesus commanded the man "Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

In a different passage in John 5, Jesus heals a lame man who has been crippled for 38 years! Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

In both passages, it's humanly impossible to do what Jesus asked them to. How can you stand if your lame, how can you stretch a hand that's withered?

These are 2 powerful stories that remind us of the power of the command of Christ. When Jesus commands us to do the difficult and impossible, know that He empowers us to do it. It reminded me that God never asks us to do something He won't enable us to do, we just need to obey.

Imagine all the great things we miss out on when we refuse to obey God's commands.

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The Glorified Over-worker

Don't you just love a hard worker? They're driven, they get things done. But when someone isn't as productive or someone who goes home on the dot, it's easy to diss them for being lazy, slow, inefficient or unhelpful.

The Over-worker. Always working. They never stop, they never stop working. First in the office and last to home. Sleeps past midnight and burns the midnight oil ‘til every last drop runs out.

And we applaud them. "Good job!", "You're so hard working! Praise God for you!",  "Such commendable commitment!" BUT RARELY do we call them out that over working and not resting is WRONG.

*** Funny story - Mondays are my (supposed) rest day. I opened my work e-mail (so I could get some work done on my Sabbath) and saw this feature "My Analytics" in my Outlook so I went and checked it out. Apparently it records your work hours and productivity etc.

So I was excited to see how productive I was, but rather than feel accomplished, I felt convicted. Apparently it tracks when you work beyond your work hours and this line hit me hard "You compromised your nightly recharge on 5 days last month by working past midnight."

COMPROMISED. Yep, I compromised.

You'd think but hey, it's work, it's normal. There's nothing wrong with it. But the word COMPROMISED struck me so hard because it didn't sugar coat it and called it out for what it was. It was a compromise.

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We know in our heads and probably heard this a gazillion times - the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But do we really take to heart what that means? 

We also read in the Bible that God commanded IN THE 10 COMMANDMENTS - Commandment #4 - Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 

Because our culture glorifies the over working employee, slaving over work and spending too much time working has lost the negative image that it really has.

If it weren't for Jesus, I'd go to hell for not resting on the Sabbath!

It's THAT big a deal. Rest was part of God's design and when we try to go against that design, IT IS SIN. plain and simple.

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I know at times it's frustrating and you'd tell me you can't help it there's just so much work to be done and so little time. I understand you, heck, I struggle with that myself. 

But Jesus reminded me in His word in Matthew 11:28-30 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Jesus wants us to come to Him for strength, to learn from Him, to find rest in Him. We need an attitude of HUMILITY. Often times we do everything on our own strength and only cry out to God when we're at our limits. Why not go to Him immediately, daily, moment by moment. For He promises that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

I pray that we all learn to unlearn the culture of glorifying being overworked and remember to set our priorities straight. I pray that rather than doing it all on our own strength we start running to Christ, in whom we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.

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The waiting game

Noah and his family was in the ark for 378 days (See timeline below). The story of being locked up for a long period reminds me of our quarantine season. In their case though, the couldn't go out at all. 

I wonder what is must have been like. Cabin fever perhaps? Fear and anxiety? The world they once knew was wiped out, how would they start over again? What would it be like when they finally got out? How long before they could go out again?

We do not know and cannot say exactly what happened inside the ark because it isn't stated in the Bible. Maybe there were good days, maybe there were bad days. But we do know Noah was a righteous man.

Noah did what was within his control - sent out the dove to test the living conditions outside, and even when the earth was already dry he waited on God to tell him to go. 

Remember the 1st month of the ECQ - How after 1 month people couldn’t wait to get out of their houses?  If it were up to human logic, Noah could have gotten out on the 1st day of the 1st month of his 601st year. But he didn't. He waited on God (that was almost 2 months of waiting for God's word even if the land was already dry).

And when they left the ark, his first act was to build an altar and make a sacrifice to worship God. 

I love how Noah waited on God (even if the waiting was already more than a year in the ark), I love how Noah chose to worship God rather than question God for the devastating flood that had just happened.

When we have the right view of God and a proper relationship with Him, waiting becomes easier to do because we find hope and assurance in His good and unchanging character. We can find rest in His sovereign plans for us and for this world.

======================================= TIMELINE (Yr based on Noah's Age, MM-DD-YY)

> 02-10-600: Noah enters Ark (Gen 7:7)

> 02-17-600: Fountains of the deep burst open  (Gen 7:11)

--- 150 days: Water prevailed on earth (includes 40 day rain), (Gen 7:24)

--- Water recedes after the 150th day of water (Gen 8:3)

> 07-17-600: Ark rests on Mt. Ararat (Gen 8:4)

> 10-01-600: Tops of mountain are visible (Gen 5)

> 11-10-600: Noah sends out the dove and raven to see the living conditions outside, Dove returns (Gen 8:7-9)

> 11-17-600: Noah sends out dove again, returns with olive leaf (Gen 8:10-11)

> 11-24-600: Noah sends out dove, dove doesn't return (Gen 8:120

> 01-01-601: Waters have dried up (Gen 8:13)

> 02-27-601: God tells Noah to go out

TOTAL DAYS IN THE ARK:  378 days

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When being too busy is bad

It has been years since I had the chance to enjoy the stillness with God. For years the hustle and grind was my life - and honestly I enjoyed it. When God called me out of the noise it took a while to adjust but it was in the stillness that I heard Him clearer and got to know His heart more.

Recently, I got busy again. This time around it wasn't busy with the corporate life but with church activities. I could feel the rush of adrenaline pumping in me as I thought that doing more would equate to being of more value to God.

Two days had passed in a blink of an eye, and I realized in those two full days I was busy "working for God" that I actually missed two full days of quiet time with Him. How could I have missed it?

God is faithful even when we fall, He nudged me and told me to remember our Mary moments and to remember to choose what is better - to sit at His feet.

I was greatly convicted of my foolishness of being so preoccupied on my to do list that I had missed the most important part - to spend alone time with my God and Savior.

I share this post because I know there will be days I will fail again. And for people like me, the struggle comes when the lines of choosing good over the best is blurred, when subconsciously sacrifices become the goal rather than obedience, when I try to increase output when I need to be filled first. 

This quote from Corrie Ten Boom hits hard - "When the devil cannot make us sin, he will make us busy." Sometimes it's not the outright evil that makes us stumble, but the subtle lies, compromise and complacency that slowly draws us away from God,

As we enter into a new one, I pray that God would give us all these moments of refreshments that we can taste and see that the Lord is good. To sit at His feet, to hear His heart, to know His will and to obey with delight. 

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Age is but a number

Random Bible Trivia: Methuselah was the oldest man recorded who lived and died at the age of 969 (Genesis 5:27)

How did he die exactly? Though it isn't explicitly stated how, we can find out that he died the year the Great Flood happened.

Genesis 5:25 - at the age of 187 Methuselah had Lamech

Genesis 5:26 - at the age of 182 Lamech had Noah

Genesis 7:6 -The flood waters came when Noah was 600 years old

187 + 182 + 600 = 969

I would remember Methuselah for being the record holder of the longest life. But knowing that he died on the year of the flood made me realize something - certain feats and accomplishments are nothing unless we are right with God. Let's assume that he died in the flood, why was he not part of those who got in the ark? Perhaps we wasn't righteous like Noah. Perhaps he didn't walk with God as his father Enoch did? 

We might not even live to hit 100 years old, and since the flood the lifespan of man was cut drastically shorter. With the fleeting life we have we must ask ourselves HOW are we living it. What and who are we living it for? 

We must learn to number our days and live each day purposefully with eternity in mind. Live a life of obedience, walking with God until we walk with Him home.