Thursday, June 27, 2013
“In Disguise”
Saturday, July 31, 2010
"DEATH in the Eyes of God"
Many people today, Christians and non-Christians alike, are afraid of dying. In fact, a 2005 study at George Mason University indicated that “Humans clearly have trouble thinking about death” and that “…the problem of the fear of death muddling our thinking is so much worse than we imagined.”
There may be various reasons why one would fear death. Some of the things I could think of: people are afraid of leaving their material possessions, their families, and their loved ones. Others are afraid of dying because they are uncertain of their eternal destiny. Many are afraid of the lake of fire, called “Hell.” I believe that only very few people could face death any time, without any sort of fear – and they are those who have completely and genuinely given their life to Christ, without any reservation whatsoever and believing deep in their heart the true meaning of Salvation, that their death—regardless of any forms and shapes—would only mean “coming home” to the mansions that Christ has prepared in Heaven, according to John 14:1-3.
Just recently, I lost a very dear friend of mine: a young man, and a true Bible believing born-again Christian – a true saint. He was born and raised from a good family and had a great childhood, but like many others the influence of the dark world we are now living in had taken his adulthood life to a wrong direction – after he got saved. God, as faithful as He has been to His children, He did exactly to this young man what David wrote in Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” God’s goodness and mercy followed and pulled this young man out of the worldly trap, as he re-committed his life in serving Christ before he died. This young man could have been a future servant of God, but God has a much better plan for him…He took him from this world, instead. He is now dwelling in the house of the Lord.
As the Scripture tells us in Psalm 116:15: God rejoices when the saints die. Thus, God rejoices when my dear friend died. The life and the death of the believer are significant in the eyes of God.
How about you? Are you afraid of facing death? If you are a true Bible believing born-again Christian, then you are a true saint and you should not be afraid of dying. Your death brings glory to God, your Father. On the contrary, if you are not a Christian believer, your only hope of deliverance from the fear of death is to become a saint. John 3:3 says, “… Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 14:6 also says, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” You can be saved, be born again, be a saint, and be a child of God in the privacy of your own room, right now: whoever you are, and whatever you are. No religion can save you, but Jesus can. You can be saved only with your free will in coming to Christ. Like one of the two criminals next to Jesus when He was crucified – he came to Christ in his own free will. Luke 23:42 says: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Then, Luke 23:43 says: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Without any fancy preparation of any kind -- All you have to do is come to Christ: confess your sins (by your mouth) and ask for forgiveness. Start a personal relationship with Jesus now, before it is too late.
Romans 10:9 says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Romans 10:10 says: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Romans 10:11 says: “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Romans 10:12 says: “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.”
Romans 10:13 says: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Sunday, July 11, 2010
“The Battle is not Yours, but God’s”
Do you have a battle that you’re fighting in your life right now? I thought you do – just like me and everyone else in this world! Every human being alive on this earth—wealthy, poor, young, and old—faces all kinds of problems: some big, some small. Loss of loved ones; infirmities; adversities; loss of jobs; addictions; financial difficulties; marital challenges – these are just few examples, and many others. Children of divorced parents have problems, too. Even Presidents of all nations and Pastors of all churches have numerous problems, as well. No one is immune to trials and sufferings. Every one has his own battle.
Long time ago, one friend had told me: “People are like lizards. They run around dragging their bellies, some are heavier than others.” This is very true, if we pause and think about it: everyone has burdens, just different weights. We may look good on the outside, but we may be weeping deep inside.
Our Christian Bible is very clear: God promises our deliverance from any sort of battles. The Bible says in 2 Chronicle 20:15, “…Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed…for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” But one may ask, “This is too good to be true . . . but what is the catch?” Yes, there is a catch on this, and that is: God only fight battles of His own children, like the shepherd who protects his own sheep. In fact, the care of a shepherd for his flock is referred to as illustrating God’s care over his people (Psalms 23:1,2; 74:1; 77:20; Isaiah 40:11; 53:6; John 10:1-5; 7-16). God also made a promise to Israel in 2 Chronicle 7:12-22, that He will hear the prayers of Israel, but with a condition: only if they repent from their sins.
Salvation with the Lord is the key element that everyone must see, not only to the fact that Salvation through Christ is our only passport to Heaven (John 3:3), but this is also a command from God, assuring His promise of deliverance to His children, according to our text. When a person is saved and redeemed by the blood of Christ, it was by the grace of God through faith (Ephesians 2:8). It was only after Salvation, that one becomes a child of God (Galatians 3:26).
Therefore, if you know for sure that you are a child of God – your assurance to win the battle could only be achieved by turning over the fight to Him. Be still and fear not! The battle is God’s, not yours. You will never win, when you fight by your own.
Otherwise, it is not too late to repent your sins and be saved. Repentance of their sins was God’s condition to Israel before He hears their prayers, but Salvation of the Lord with you was what God wanted you to see before He fights your battle. Let Christ saves you from the wages of your sin, which is death and then ask the Lord to fight your battle—and He will be with you!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
“Prayer Works, but not All the Time”
It is very easy for us to say, “Please, pray for me!” or “Don’t worry, I will pray for you!” But many times, we only say the former as we seek pity from others, and we say the latter simply as a gesture of being nice and a consolatory act to our friends and relatives. Yes, of course, we want to be out of troubles, sickness, trials, or sufferings right away the reason why we ask for prayers – not realizing the fact that we always forget to pray, especially when we’re not in need of prayers. Now that we need prayers, we expect God to hear our prayers and that He gives us the desires of our hearts – ASAP! Pronto!
We need to remember that God has a high expectation of us that He commands us to delight ourselves in Him as a prerequisite to His giving (not as an aftermath of His giving). The word “shall” clearly denotes the certainty of His promises.
The Book of Psalms is crystal clear: we should continue to delight ourselves in the LORD – whether we need something from Him, or not. We should thank Him, for blessings and adversities. We should always strive to be righteous, godly, and humble to people around us, instead of flying higher than others. We are not eagles, we are only humans. We should watch our mouth. We should be careful of our actions. We should keep our focus to Christ, if we know Him, and if He knows us. We should be proud of our Salvation, if we know we are saved and have been born again. Otherwise, the first thing we should do is to seek Him. Matthew 6:33 is also clear, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Let us be sincere in our prayers, and let us examine our hearts and thoughts before we ask others for prayers and offer prayers to others. 1Chronicle 28:9 says, “…the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts,” and Psalms 44:21 says, “he knoweth the secrets of the heart.” Prayers will not work if our hearts and thoughts are in vain. Let us ask for forgiveness from people whom we had wronged first before we pray or ask for prayers; let us confess our sins; let us exercise humility; let us not forget that Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6; let us pray to the Father and not to idols; when we pray, let us not use vain repetitions; and lastly, let us search our soul and ask ourselves the question: Do I delight myself in the LORD?
Only when we keep a positive answer to the question, that God will give us the desires of our heart. That is His promise to us! Calling God, “Lord, Lord!” has no merits in our prayers, especially when we do not the things (sic) which He says, according to Luke 6:46.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Salvation of my 90-year old Mother -- A Testimony
This testimony is my attestation of Salvation of my 90-year old mother on
December 13, 2009.
This is aimed to touch the heart of every unsaved individual reading this blog.
May you be blessed by my mother’s Story of Salvation!
Passage of Scripture (KJV): Ephesians 2:8-9
Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
Ephesians 2:9: “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Introduction
Not long after I got saved in 1996 (when my mother was only 77 years old), I started to pray that God would touch my mother’s heart so that she would come to trust Christ in her own free will and get saved by His precious blood. For many long years, I prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed, asking God to save my mother before she dies. But because my mother lives in Murrieta, California (north of San Diego), while I live in Raleigh, North Carolina -- I must confess that there were only a few times that I witnessed to her, both in person and over the phone. The first time I witnessed to her in person was when my wife and I visited her a few years ago: we took her to a Bible-based church; I gave her my testimony on how I got saved and how I changed; and I walked her through the Bible for the first time explaining the Gospel of Christ and the importance of Salvation. I felt all my effort was useless as it was like penetrating a hard rock. The Catholic influence on her was so strong that she wouldn’t even consider seeing the truth from the Word of God. Instead, she kept looking at the Catholic tradition. Like my brothers and relatives, they were afraid of accepting the Biblical truth about Salvation as they thought that “born-again Christians,” which they mocked, is a completely different religion. To me, the results of all my effort in witnessing to her were both disappointing and scary: I was disappointed because at the end, she almost threw the Bible to my face saying, “We were born Catholic, we should die Catholic.” I was scared because all I could think of was that my mother was going to hell when she dies. Yes, I was frustrated but did not stop there. I continued to pray for her Salvation. Since I believe in the power of prayer, I also asked many of my born-again Christian friends and family to pray on her behalf.
A few years later after my first soul-winning encounter with her, I tried and tried again to evangelize her over the phone. Most times, I found myself spending anywhere from one to two hours talking to her on the phone (with tears on my eyes) about the goodness and righteousness of Christ and about Salvation. The results were all the same as before: her heart was as hard as a rock. She still embraced her Catholic religion, regardless of what the Bible says about Salvation.
I was wounded, but full of faith to the Living God: I stick to what the Bible says in Luke1:37: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”—thus, I continued to pray.
My Mother’s Final Wish
Then, in May 9, 2009 – my mother turned 90. As her health started to deteriorate, including her memory, she decided to go back to the
My Burden to Lead my own Mother to Christ
Finally, on December 12, 2009 (Saturday) – my 6-year old grandson and I flew to see my mother in
God Heard my Prayers
Lo and behold, God heard my prayers: On the morning of December 13th (Sunday), while at my brother’s house in Murrieta, CA—as my grandson and I prepared ourselves to visit Calvary Baptist Church (an Independent Baptist Church in Temecula, California, which I found in the Internet), to attend the morning Service—God opened up an opportunity that I asked my mother to come with us to the church. Although she hesitated at first (knowing that it is not a Roman Catholic Church), I finally convinced her to come. Inch-by-inch, one step at a time, my grandson and I walked my mother very slowly, from the parking lot to the Church Auditorium. As the morning service went on, I noticed that she inter-acted very well to the flow of the Congregation—she sat down; she stood up; she shook people’s hands; she sung hymns from the Hymnal Book and read through the Scripture as I guided her with my finger through each stanza and verse. It was such a great feeling as I see her inter-acting with the Worship Service. The sermon at the time was focused on The Magi’s Visit to the Baby Jesus in Matthew 2:1-12. As I carefully observed her during the entire Worship Service hour, I noticed that she was listening to the Pastor (as he delivered the Message) intensely and patiently, and glancing to the Scripture once in a while. I held and kept the Bible open in front of her for her easy viewing. Although she did not respond to the Pastor’s invitation for Salvation, I was able to discern what the Holy Spirit was trying to tell me: Not to worry, because He was in control. Then, while still inside the Church at the end of the Worship Service – all of a sudden the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart saying that I park the car on the side of the road, on the way out driving home, to lay out the Gospel to her one more time. This was entirely different from what I originally planned, that I would talk to her in private when we get back to my brother’s house. God made me realized that talking to her inside the car, on the side of the road, was the most private moment I could have to minister with her quietly and seriously.
How my 90-year old Mother got Saved
I did exactly what the Holy Spirit allowed me to think: I parked the car on the side of the road as we headed home. I was on the driver’s seat; my mother was at the front passenger’s seat; while my grandson was in the back seat of the car. Having two Bibles on my hand (one English/King James Version and one Tagalog version) – I started by telling my mother that I would like to spend a few minutes to explain to her one more time the importance of Salvation.
As she showed her interest in my request, I started by laying out to her the Five Steps to Heaven: (1) that she should acknowledge the fact that she has sinned, per Romans 3:10 and 3:23; (2) that she should realize that there is a penalty for her sin, per Romans 6:23a and Revelation 21:8; (3) that she should know that Christ paid the penalty of sin for her, per Romans 5:8; (4) that she should accept that Christ wants to give her the free gift of eternal life in heaven, per Romans 6:23b; and (5) that she should believe in Christ and ask Him to be her Savior, per Romans 10:9-10 and 13. I was reading through the Bibles (both King James and Tagalog versions) showing her slowly every verse mentioned above and making sure that she truly understood every single verse we read.
As I read carefully with her through the verses, she started getting convicted when I briefly explained the wages of our sin, which is death (Romans 6:23a) as this is the main reason why Jesus had to die on the Cross. She started crying, which became heavier and non-stop – a sign of true conviction.
In addition, I read and explained to her Luke 16:19-31 (the story of The Rich Man and the Beggar) —while reading in both King James and Tagalog versions—explaining to her the fact that Lazarus (the beggar) died and opened up his eyes in Heaven while the rich man died, but he opened up his eyes in Hell; and the fact that there was no purgatory being mentioned in the passage of the Scripture (contrary to the false doctrine of the Roman Catholic). I also explained to her the part when the rich man was begging Abraham that he would send Lazarus (the beggar) to his father’s house for he has five brothers, that Lazarus may testify unto them fearing that they (too) would also end up to the same place of torment, called Hell. Then, after my brief explanation of the passage, I asked her where did she want to open up her eyes – Heaven or Hell? She answered, “Heaven,” and she continued to cry.
Finally, I told her that she, and only she, could make a decision for her own Salvation. Not I, not any one else. She then decided to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior, and we did exactly what the Bible says in Romans 10:9. As we held hands together in the front seats of the car (both of us crying), I led her to Christ by leading her to a short prayer of Surrender confessing with her mouth the Lord Jesus, repenting her sins, believing in her heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and accepting Christ as her Lord and Savior. She repeated every single word I uttered during the prayer and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.
It was a joyful and heartfelt experience for me, especially hearing my mother repeatedly saying “Thank you, God! Thank you, God!” (in Tagalog, “Salamat sa Diyos! Salamat sa Diyos!”) after we prayed, with tears in her eyes and conviction in her heart.
My 90-year old mother got saved and was born again on December 13, 2009, not based on the Roman Catholic’s false doctrine of Salvation, but based on the true doctrine from the Holy Bible. The Bible, indeed, is crystal clear – Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:,” while Ephesians 2:9 says, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
It was a Joyful Moment
Oh, what a great joy in my heart to see my own mother getting saved. Now I know for sure that my mother will see the
Even the angels in Heaven were rejoicing when my mother got saved. The Bible says in Luke 15:10: Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
After She Got Saved
Last time I visited with my mother in
Praise the LORD
“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalms:106:1)
“Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?” (Psalms:106:2)
This testimony was written by Manny H. Moe - Founder of The Young Pigeons Ministry.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A Story of “Salvation - TOO LATE!”
Luke 16:22: And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luke 16:23: And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
It was TOO LATE for a Soul to be SAVED!
It was December 14, 2006 (Thursday) when I visited my hometown Calamba (now a city), province of Laguna during my five-day stop over in the Philippines, on the way back to the USA from Seoul, South Korea on business trips. Early that morning, I took the public bus at Quezon City which arrived at Calamba City before eleven o’clock that same morning. At a bus stop in Barrio Real (where I was born), a young man named Manuel picked me up with his car. We then drove to his parents’ house, which is not far from my parents’ old house. As we got there, my childhood friend, who is a young Christian, was also there—he was excited to see me after many years. He lives about a block away from the house I was at. After a few handshakes with all the people in the house, I asked this young Christian how his father (whom I called Tio or Uncle Juan) was doing, as I knew he had been sick for a few years suffering from an acute lung disease. His reply was that, “he is at home, still sick, but quite okay”—as if not too big of a deal for him because his father is going to be a-okay.
I wanted to see Tio Juan real bad as I knew I had to minister to him with great sense of urgency in my heart, but it was already lunch time and the food, which the owner of the house prepared for me was already on the table warm and waiting for me to dive in. As much as I wanted to see the sick uncle right away, I had no choice but to let my fleshly appetite fall into the temptation of good-smelling aroma from the native Filipino food, which I had been craving for many years while in America. I munched like a hungry goat in the prairie and did not stop until I was bloated to my throat.
As soon as I finished munching, I slowly eased up to the front door intending to go and see my sick uncle in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, another delay came along the way: three mentally handicapped men in the Barrio heard of my coming and they came to give me a big welcome salute. Feeling like a celebrity in the house, I had no choice but to stay for a little bit longer to accept the honor of their hospitality – not to mention the fact that (like them) I was ecstatic and joyful to see all of them.
It was during that joyful and meaningful event when Tio Juan’s younger daughter walked in with sorrowful facial expression and started crying while saying that her father has just passed away a couple of minutes ago. Oh, what a timing! It was like a huge brick that smacked my chest, in spite of my happy time full of joy and laughter with old friends and families. Immediately thereafter, we ran to the house (a block away) where the dead uncle was at. As I got in to his small shanty-looking house, I was brokenhearted (deep down inside) when I saw his dead body lying down on a piece of plywood right on a dirt floor, with a dirty pillow and a dirty blanket. As I reached down on my knees on his side, I touched his chest gently and checked his pulse and every thing. Surely, he was dead. Not much I could do at that point to share to him the Gospel of Christ, and to help him confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, that he may believe in his heart that God has raised Him from the dead – for him to go to Heaven. It was too late! He died unsaved, and was already on his way to hell like the rich man in Luke 16:22-23.
How about you? If you die TODAY -- where are you going to spend your eternity – Heaven or Hell? Are you going to be like the beggar in our text (who went to Heaven), or like a rich man (who went to Hell)?
NOW is the time to CONFESS Jesus in your heart as the Bible teaches in Romans 10:9-10,13 and start having a PERSONAL relationship with HIM. Please find the page titled “Salvation 101 - Simple Prayer of Surrender” in this blogspot and recite the prayer with your mouth, and with sincerity in your heart. Otherwise, it will be TOO LATE!
If you get saved through this page, please let me know your testimony of Salvation so I can pray for you. You can email me at mhmoe@bellsouth.net.
Monday, May 11, 2009
A Testimony of SALVATION!
Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007.
This is aimed to touch the heart of every Christian believer and non-believer alike reading this blog.
May you be blessed by Kajal’s Story of Salvation!
Manny H Moe
Founder, The Young Pigeons Ministry
Psalm 68:20: “He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.”
2Corinthians 6:2: “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
Date: 2007/04/10 Tue AM 09:06:21 EDT
To: Dad
Subject: God is good!
Hi Dad,
I just wanted to spread some good news. I have an Indian friend from School, who left me a burden after I had a conversation with her about accepting Jesus Christ about a month ago. I had asked her if she were to die today where she thought she would go. She answered with, "I know that I would go straight to hell". When she said this, I began to cry and she didn't understand why. And I continued to tell her about the Bible and the Scriptures (particularly John 3) and about being saved. She said that she had witnessed too many things and done a lot in her life that made her sure that there would not be anything to look forward to after death. She truly believed that God would not forgive her sins. But I kept telling her He forgives all sins as long as you accept him into your heart. After that night, she didn't completely understand everything I said to her.
Anyways, I have been worrying about her ever since our conversation, and have been praying for her to find God. Last night, before we got ready to go out to dinner she said she had something to tell me. She had said she went to church on Easter Sunday and was really touched by the Pastor's message. She said at the end of service, they had invitations and for some reason that she could not understand she felt something in her heart. She said she felt "weird", something that she had never felt before. She told me that she began to walk forward but that it felt like something was pushing her to go. Something had guided her towards the front. As she got to the center of the church (half way to the front) she was about to stop but the feeling in her heart just got stronger. She continued forward. Finally she found herself at the altar, but she said she doesn't even know how she got there. On Easter Sunday, she accepted the Lord and became a member of that church!
As she told me this story I began to cry. I was so happy! And I saw such a difference in her personality yesterday. Before, she was always depressed about school, family issues, and just life in general. But she had also said that when she went home that night to her family, her and her dad got in some argument again and instead of yelling back like she used to do before, she felt extra calm and spoke gently to her father even if he used harsh words to her. She said she could not stop smiling after she got saved. And I noticed she seems so much happier and NEW!
God is good!
I just wanted to tell you this because I am so happy. Please pray for her (Kajal) as well, so that she can keep growing in her faith. I'll be going to church with her later tonight. Anyways, I hope you have a wonderful day Dad! I love you!
Jessica
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A Little Boy BAPTIZED!
Passage of Scripture (KJV): Galatians 3:26-27
Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:27: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Tyler’s Story of Baptism:
It was a Sunday (October 26, 2008) – the Lord’s Day: Tyler (a little over 2 months before he turned 6 years old at the time), together with his mom and grandma had a late start from home coming to church, and not able to get to his regular Sunday School class -- grandpa was out of town on business and not in the church with them that day. Since they were late, Tyler decided not to join his class and stayed in the pew for the worship service instead. As a behaving young man, he listened with full attention as the Pastor delivered the Message on that day. During the invitation time, the Pastor gave the invitation not only to those who want to be saved, but also to those who want to be baptized, and to those who want to be members of the Church. It was that moment when Tyler quietly asked his mom that he wanted to come forward -- he wanted to be baptized. Surprised as she was, his mom took him forward (to the Pastor) in front of the stage where the pulpit is. Tyler asked the Pastor that he wanted to be baptized.
The following week he got sick again, but this time with pneumonia. He was in bed for a few days, with recurring fever of high temperature and annoying cough. It took him on this situation until almost the middle of the next week when the fever stopped.
Exactly 1 year, 6 months, and 3 weeks after Tyler was saved – he was baptized by Youth Pastor Jason Little at the Beacon Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC on November 9, 2008.
What a great joy seeing a very young and intelligent boy to realize the importance of Baptism in his Christian life. In his own mind, without being ashamed but with great courage, he made his own decision to come forward and ask to be baptized. Courage and obedience: these are two important elements for every Christian to keep in their person when walking by faith, with Christ.
If a young boy (like Tyler) could decide for his own in professing his courage and obedience to follow Christ, should it be difficult for an adult to do the same? After all, adults should be more intelligent than a 6-year old boy.
Jesus shows us a clear example of professing His courage and obedience to His Father in Heaven in Matthew 3:13-17, when he came forward to be baptized in the Jordan River. Tyler has followed the example that Jesus did. If God is well pleased during the Baptism of Christ, we can be sure that God is also pleased when Tyler was baptized.
This testimony was proudly written by Manny H. Moe (Tyler’s grandfather, and founder of The Young Pigeons Ministry).
Sunday, June 15, 2008
A Testimony from my Daughter on Father’s Day 2006
Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
This is my daughter’s testimony on Father’s Day / June 19, 2006.
This is aimed to touch the heart of every father reading this blog.
May you be blessed by Vanessa’s Testimony!
Learn for yourself first the Word of God -- then share it to your children.
Happy Father’s Day!
Father's Day Testimony from a Daughter
From: Vanessa
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 2:21 AM
To: Dad
Subject: Father’s Day
Hi Dad,
I went to church today but I went by myself -- my boyfriend had to work. They were talking about Deuteronomy 6:1-6 since it was Father's Day. It was talking about how a goof father should learn for himself the word of God and then spread it to his children. I just wanted to say thank you for introducing God to me. It is because of you that I am going to heaven and that I got saved. To see where my life was headed before and where it is now is so amazing and that is proof that there is a God. Really before I didn't think I had a purpose and now I am working, doing a good job at work actually making a difference. The pastor was also talking about how a good father always 24/7 talks to their children about God. Well there was a time before when I knew who God was and thought I knew him but then I knew the difference and felt the difference finally when I got saved. I am glad I got saved to and I want you to know that you are a big part of me getting saved. Because I always saw you and mom reading the bible and turning to God every time there was a problem and I started doing the same myself because you guys set an example.. (before I got saved)... and then one day I just realized what I was missing in my heart and that was surrendering my whole life to Jesus. I just want to tell you that before it may not seemed like I appreciated you when I was a teenager being bad and not listening. But now I am glad you never let me hang out with friends as much and always talked about God and made us go to church because now I realize that you did it all for the good reasons. And while you are still alive I want you to know that I appreciate you as a father and I thought about you all day today while they were describing what a good father is at church. I am lucky I have a family like ours. I mean I know we have our ups and downs with our family but 99.9% of it is good because we all have an unconditional love for each other like God has for his children. And I want you to know that I love you and am so very thankful that I have a dad like you. I always brag about my family to my friends and my boyfriend and I always tell them how loving our family is. I love you and mom very much and just to say again I appreciate everything you two did for me when I was a teenager and how you implemented God all through my life. I am so happy I have him in my heart and that I am saved. You and mom gave me a gift no one else could ever give me and I will keep that with me until I leave this earth. I love you dad and Happy Father's Day!
Vanessa
Monday, April 21, 2008
A Little Boy SAVED!
This is a grandfather’s testimony of his grandson’s Salvation on April 16, 2007.
His name is Tyler, who turned 5 in December 31, 2007.
This is aimed to touch the heart of every unsaved individual reading this blog.
May you be blessed by Tyler’s Story!
Passage of Scripture (KJV): 2 Timothy 3:15
Tyler’s Story of Salvation:
It was the evening of April 16, 2007 (Monday) when Tyler accepted the Lord Jesus Christ in his heart—he was 4 years and 4 months old at the time. This is the true story of his Salvation:
Monday, April 7, 2008
Challenge #7 – Understand the Teaching of the LORD’s Prayer!
Challenge:
Many Christians (nominal or real) have misunderstood the true meaning of PRAYER. Some thought that prayer is merely talking to God, or merely asking God about something. The Catholics thought that prayer is reciting the Rosary, which is not only useless, but also against the Biblical Doctrine. Matthew 6:7 says, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Rosary is very CLEARLY “vain repetitions.” One man thought that as long as you have a good intent on what you ask God for, it is prayer. Wrong! People are being misled by their wrong understanding of the Biblical Doctrine. This challenge not only intends to correct this misunderstanding, but also hope to give a clear direction on “how to pray” straight from the Bible.
In any circumstance, the main foundation of our prayer must be based on what Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:5-13: the Lord’s Prayer.
The book titled “Answers” by Keith Piper defines “prayer” as follows:
- Prayer is asking specific things from God and receiving them.
- Prayer is worship addressed to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Prayer is having two-way fellowship with God.
- Prayer is NOT just talking TO God, but WITH God.
In order for us to understand the true foundation of PRAYER, as it was taught by the Lord Jesus Christ – I have broken down the Lord’s Prayer for easy understanding.
PART I.
Our Father which art in heaven,
- The very key in any prayer is SALVATION, as prayer is ALWAYS toward OUR FATHER. We cannot call Him FATHER unless we are His Child.
- Salvation gives us genuine BELIEF that OUR FATHER is in primarily in HEAVEN, where we will spend eternity when we die.
- Even CHRIST (the SON of GOD) called onto HIS FATHER, as HE said, “ABBA, FATHER” while praying at the Garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested. (Mark 14:36)
- No one has the right to call Him FATHER unless he was a Child of God. The Bible says in Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Only when you accept Christ that you will be a Child of God, then you can earn the right to call OUR FATHER in HEAVEN.
Hallowed be thy name.
- “Hallowed” (adjective) means “Holy,” “Consecrated,” “Sacred,” “Revered” – it points toward GOD’s Name. Holy is HIS NAME! Whether it points to JEHOVAH, YAHWEH, ELOHIM, etc. – HIS NAME is indeed HOLY!
- This is a phrase of EXALTATION of God.
- Lifting up the NAME of OUR FATHER is indeed an important element of every prayer because HE is HOLY!
Thy kingdom come.
- Again, this line also relates to SALVATION. The New Testament has mentioned several times that being SAVED (being BORN AGAIN) through the GRACE of GOD by FAITH of accepting CHRIST is our ONLY WAY to the KINGDOM of GOD, which is in HEAVEN.
- John 3:3 says: "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
- Matthew 6:33 says: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
- To me, Matthew 6:33 is very clearly saying that ALL the things we ask for will not be given to us if we don’t seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness FIRST.
Thy will be done in earth,
- “Believing completely (totally)” is the key phrase here. Logically speaking, acceptance of Christ in Salvation proves our total belief in GOD (OUR FATHER) as our SALVATION is from HIM through CHRIST.
- Believing in OUR FATHER’s will and believing His GODness make us believe that HIS WILL be done in earth where we’re at. OUR FATHER is a POWERFUL God. HE can do everything HE wishes, even the most impossible things all combined.
- As we pray, we always need to keep in mind that it must be HIS WILL and not OURS that we must respect. We must keep our FAITH that HE knows BEST. No matter what, HE is GOD!
as it is in heaven.
- If we totally believe the WILL of OUR FATHER in earth, we must also believe that HIS WILL in earth is exactly the same as IN HEAVEN.
- Again, this line also relates to SALVATION. Only when we are SAVED that we will believe in HEAVEN.
- This also means that we should RELY to the WILL of OUR FATHER, as His WILL here in earth is the same as in HEAVEN.
PART II.
Give us this day our daily bread.
- Prayer is a DAILY chore, as a minimum.
- Daily bread is not just food that we eat. It includes ALL our needs (materials and spiritual). Specifying our need when we pray is an important teaching of our Lord, although OUR FATHER knows what things we have need of before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8).
- Asking OUR FATHER what we need on a daily basis is what Christ expects us to do.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
- Forgiving: How forgiving are you?
- Before you ask for forgiveness from God, make sure you have forgiven others, even those who had done wrong to you. No matter how serious it is.
- Think about this and ask your own self this question: How could God forgive me, if I myself could not forgive others?
And lead us not into temptation,
- CHRIST knows what we are made of. We are made of flesh. We can always be tempted. This is why we must always ask God to keep us away from any temptation.
- Temptation leads to sin.
- We should strive to remain holy, as God is Holy.
but deliver us from evil:
- CHRIST knows the works of the devil: to kill, to steal; and to destroy.
- This is also why the Bible teaches us the whole Armour of God: The Bible says in Ephesians 6:13: "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
PART III.
For thine is the kingdom,
- This part should always remind us that God owns the Kingdom, the Heaven, which we all have to have the desire of going when we leave the world we now live in (that is, when we die).
- The question we should ask ourselves is, “Where shall we go when we die?” There are only two possible places where our soul could go when we die: Heaven or Hell
- John 3:3 very clearly indicates that our only way to go to Heaven is Salvation to Christ. We need to be born again to go to Heaven. Otherwise, Hell is the only alternative…not Purgatory that many Catholics claim. Purgatory is not in the Bible.
- Catholics defend purgatory by quoting 2 Maccabees 12:40-45 (an Apocrypha book from the Douay-Rheims Bible, which is the Catholic Bible) where a “sin offering” is offering for dead soldiers who had committed the sin of idolatry. This not only contradicts the Bible, but also contradicts the Catholic teaching, because idolatry is a mortal sin that would confine a person to hell. The Book of Maccabees has never been regarded as inspired by Jews or Christians.
and the power,
- Psalms 147:5: Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
and the glory,
- Psalms 24:10: Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
for ever.
- Eternity – John 3:16 – relates (again) to Salvation first, then everlasting life. Very clearly, it says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
PART IV.
Amen.
- Affirmation of the truth of statement
- Confirmation of belief
- How could one affirm the truth if he has not accepted Christ. The Bible says in John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
- To affirm the truth requires believing in Christ through Salvation Only, and not believing through religion and tradition. To be saved, one must follow Roman 10:9, which says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
- Be saved now: ADMIT your sins; CONFESS your sins with your mouth to Christ; BELIEVE and ACCEPT CHRIST in your heart as your Saviour and Lord; and then say -- “Amen.”
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Simple Explanation: Why God Allows Pain and Suffering?
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."
"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him! That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
BE BLESSED & BE A Blessing !
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Challenge #6 – The ONLY TRUE Salvation is Jesus Christ!
Challenge:
As we look around the globe today, we can see the many different religions: Christianity (as others claim Christianity as religion); Islam; secular, nonreligious agnosticism and atheism; Hinduism; Chinese traditional; primal-indigenous; African traditional and diasporic; Buddhism; Sikhism; Jainism; Baha’i Faith; Spiritism; Shintoism; Unitarian-Universalism; Scientology; and many others. For one who is really curious to find out the real truth, a good way to start is ask the question, “Why?” But if you are one of the many spiritually ignorant people in the planet earth, you may either not care at all because you are happy on the religion you and your forefathers inherited without even knowing the real truth, or you may think that there may be so many religions in the world, but all worship the same God. You may think you are correct, if the latter is what you believe in. But the fact of the matter is -- you are as wrong as that of a lost soul with similar belief, so please consider yourself lost as well.
Even in the Christian world, we see that there are so many different groups (small, medium, large), who claim that they are Christians – but ask them if they are saved or not, or talk to them about Salvation or any thing about the Bible and they stay as far away as possible from you. They are like melting candles when the word “Bible” is mentioned. They dread Bible Study. They always thought that one who brings the Bible to them has always the intention of taking them away from their religion. They thought Christianity is simply “believing in Christ by name” based on their old tradition, but their words and actions are truly not Christ-like at all. The fact of the matter is, the devils also believe (James 2:19), except that they also tremble. I was in exactly the same boat before I got saved in August 25, 1996. I thought I knew Christ as a Catholic. I used to go to church, but living and talking the carnal way. Then later on, I found out that Christianity is not merely a matter of believing in Christ. I learned that it is not enough to simply say “I believe.” True Christianity requires personal relationship with Christ, in which personal relationship drives interaction with Christ. Interaction includes communication, obedience and reward, disobedience and discipline, covenant and faithfulness between the person and the Lord Jesus Christ. It requires full focus in Christ, which creates conviction. No conviction, no Christ. Thus, what really matters is not a religion, but a relationship after acceptance of Christ as Saviour and Lord through faith by the grace of God. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” But the real question is: Are you saved?
It may be impossible to live a perfect life in this world as the Apostle Paul and many other Apostles dealt with the same struggles we have now, but having a personal relationship with Christ on a daily basis and knowing that a genuinely saved or born-again Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11; 1 John 4:15; Romans 10:9) could be the most assuring and joyful experience from a human perspective, the fact that God is with His child every second, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, now and forever. God will never leave, nor forsake His child. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:5: “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
The fact that you are reading this challenge could be a sign that you are searching for the truth. Welcome to our humble blogspot! If you are indeed searching for the truth, then our sincere personal prayer for you is that you may be touched by the power of the Holy Ghost as you read through this article (and perhaps the other ones below), that you may decide to receive God’s free gift of Salvation.
If you are already a saved Christian, we also want to welcome you and ask that you would help us pray for the Salvation of those whom God is calling to receive His gift.
The Passage of Scripture above, Acts 4:12 is only a crystal-clear indication that the only TRUE Salvation is JESUS CHRIST. No other name under heaven could save a lost soul: no religion; no tradition; no cult. Only Jesus Christ could save a lost soul. Jesus said in John 14: 6: “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Therefore, if you are not certain that you are going to Heaven if you die today – NOW is the time to forget your religion for a minute. NOW is the time to focus your faith in Christ, and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour of your soul. Put an end in your sins. Repent and allow Jesus to pay all your sins in FULL. Now is the time to break the strongholds of Satan in your life, regardless of your tradition and past religion for many years. Allow yourself to be born again. Jesus says in John 3:3: “…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Accept the Gift of God now (Ephesians 2:8). You don’t have to dig the entire depth of the Bible to be saved. That’s not the measure of your Salvation. Instead, it is only knee-deep. No matter how bad your past was, all you have to do is drop on your knees and pray to God with pure sincerity in your heart, cry out to Him if you so desire. Confess your sins to God, and accept Christ that you may be saved. The Bible says in Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:10 also says: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Lastly, Romans 10:13 says: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
My dear friend, your courage to face Jesus now could benefit not just yourself, but your entire family as well. By accepting Christ -- you are simply avoiding to burn your own soul in hell (Luke 16:23-31).
On the same note, it is completely up to you if you want to keep whatever religion you have if it is truly dear in your heart, and if you think it makes sense at all – but all I am asking you is: Follow Jesus! The ONLY TRUE Salvation is Jesus Christ!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Challenge #5 – Set your Vision in CHRIST…You will NEVER Go Wrong!
Habakkuk 2:3: For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Challenge:
Happy New Year to all! It is my sincere prayer—in the name of Jesus—that all you readers of my blogspot ministry may have the most abundant blessings not only in the year 2008, but also in many years to come.
It is now the beginning of 2008 – I’m sure most of you have New Year’s resolutions to improve yourself or your family or your job, etc. -- but have you ever asked yourself these questions: “What is my ultimate goal in life? Why do I exist in this world? Where is my life going from this point on? What is God’s purpose for my existence?” Tough questions to answer by yourself, but not quite if you seek God for answers. Being able to ask yourself the questions is the very first step. Answers will follow. God loves you the reason why He created you in the first place. There’s no need for you to dig the depth of the Bible for answers. The answers are only “knee-deep.” If you would only humble yourself and kneel down, asking God for forgiveness of your sins and accepting Christ as your Saviour and Lord – you will find the answers to your questions. Knowing the Five Steps to Heaven and reciting the Simple Prayer of Surrender—which could be found in the bottom page of this blogspot page—could lead you to answers.
The Bible says in Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”
However—chances are, you may not really care what life offers you in the future, and you don’t care asking yourself those questions above. You may say that life has a life of its own, and it goes wherever it wants to go. You can simply ride on. Or, you may say you are having so much fun and material things in your life right now…why worry about the future? Wherever the wind blows you go. That’s it! If this is your attitude toward life, then you’re missing a whole lot. You must drop on your knee, look up, and seek God. Keep in mind that your life on earth is too short. In fact, some are shorter than others. Remember that God can always pull the plug on you, then what? I urge that you start thinking about your future as you are truly important. Set your vision starting NOW. The vision you will set TODAY will surely come, whether you like it or not. Read the above Scripture again! “Where there is no vision, the people perish:… For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
What is your vision? You may say it is 20/20 vision, but you know in your heart that’s not what I meant. The real question is more like, “How do you see yourself in the future?” Do you have any future at all? Keep in mind that future is not only in this life, but it goes beyond this life. The quick answer is that if you are simply riding on in life, simply having the most fun you can get every single day, you must accept the fact that you really have no future at all, and that you are on your way to Hell. The fact of the matter is you live day by day. In fact I challenge you to look at yourself in the mirror when you’re not having fun. I am positive you will find your life empty. Living is not just to have fun, my friend. When you die without accepting Christ, you will end up in burning Hell like the rich man in Luke 16: 23, which says” “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…” God created you for a reason, and the reason is not just for you to have fun and ignore the Call of God for Salvation. God created you in His own image (Genesis 1:27). You may be young and do not care about God’s plan in your life, but let me tell you something: GOD LOVES YOU! God wants to give direction in your life, and all you have to do is “believe.” The Bible says, living is believing so we do not die. John 11:26 says: “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” In contrast, if we live in accordance with the world, we will die. Romans 8:13 says: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
Why invest your life in things of this world which will always pass away, when you can invest your life in things of eternity which will never pass away? You can invest in Christ.
Jesus is actually saying, “I died for you. What have you done for me?”