Can we trust the silence of the Almighty?

Today, I started to write on this segment and hope that we can explore on this subject with depth and perhaps gain a new refreshing revelation later. The truth is not all questions have answers but with God’s revelation, we can get a better understanding of where we are and why we are going through it.

One of the greatest mystery of all is this silence of God right when you think you need Him. Why does God put us through this process? Have you experienced this where you heard from God, that a breakthrough is coming and you have hope and excitement. Suddenly, you got hit by this ‘massive’ silence from God, that left you wondering what you did. Is God angry with me? What have I done wrong this time?

Today, I hope to discuss this with you. Honestly, I have no answer to this yet. Are we on the same boat? Why is it that God cannot understand us? Does He had to figure us out or do we have to figure Him out?

Let me share my story – God’s silence

Declare the year of freedom I was given this for 2017. I did not understand why and how. But, I accepted and believe it was from God. My husband spent time in prayer and received more revelation on it. He believed God will send us to places, namely Spain, and surprisingly, Japan and one other place, I forgot. Japan was a surprise for me as it is a hard land for the gospel.

Next question: How? Dan is unable to find work for over 2 years now. We do not have the income to travel. But deep in my heart, I believe if this revelation is from Him, He will give all we need to get the tasks done.

He received revelation that needs to meet specific conditions before breakthrough comes. Then lately, Dan, my husband became desperate for income to flow in. It was a difficult struggle for us not to have an income for the family. It is either we are fighting with God on this or God is addressing this head on. We are still struggling to figure this out.

Lately in the shower, out of nowhere God dropped a word for us : Your drought is over! When you hear this, you can imagine how exciting I am. Right? Wrong. Next thing you know God is silent since and everything seem to go wrong. We have more frustrations and pain to deal with. Can the word I heard be of God’s?

Is this silence familiar to you?

Do you have a word for our situation? This is a learning curve for us and the struggle is real. Most of all, I share with you honestly today because I believe we are not the only family going through this and at the same time, there is a need for us as believers to understand this mystery. In  hoping that from what we learn, it produces a sweet aroma from the hardship we go through to bring God’s glory and then return it back to Him.

We include a set of questions for your group Bible discussion. Hopeful that this discussion will help bring some light and answers to your circumstance, You are allowed to use my story.

Group Bible Discussion:  Silence of the Almighty

 Study : The Life Of JOB 

Questions: 

1. Does God have a purpose in His silence? Discuss the possible answers.
2. What have I done to cause God to remain silent this long?
3. Is God angry with me?
4. What does the Bible talk about His silence?
5. How long should God remain silent?
6. Why is God silent?
7. How do we pray for those who go through this?
8. Is God’s silence an final test for His children?

Do you have a tool you use to share Jesus?

Do you have a tool you use to share the gospel with others? Today, I learned a  good tool to share my faith. Would you like to know? Sometimes, we are fearful to share because we do not have a good tool to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, when we found one, our fear and stress disappear. I’m excited.. shall we begin?

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is Eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

One thing we need to remember that heaven exists, not for good people, but for people who receive forgiveness. Once we understand this truth, we know where we stand. If the qualification to enter heaven  is being good, how much good qualify us to enter heaven? You see, we are never good enough, therefore, goodness cannot be the measurement for entering heaven.

Let’s look at the various key words in this verse. The word wages, mean rewards we receive for accomplishing a job. In other word, what we deserve.

Then we focus on the word sin. What do you think of when you see the word sin? A good way to describe sin is: What is it that you simply cannot let go? Entrapment

The word death means your last judgement. SENTENCE

Here comes the Good News

BUT, wait a minute, here comes something good.

Let’s look at the word gift. Now, put the word gift next to wages. How do we contrast the word wages to gift? Wages are what we deserved.. yet gift – un-deserving and free. Here’s how we illustrate it.

Wages  – what we deserved                                Gift  – what we don’t deserve and free.

Q: What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

Introduce God Q: What do you think of when you think about God? The contrast of sin is God.

Sin  – our entrapment                                        God  – Holy and righteous and just.

God gives Eternal life (Never ending life) through His Son, Jesus Christ. The gift of God is eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ by His death on the Cross. His blood cleanses us from our sins. The contrast of Death is Eternal life.

Death  – Our last judgement and sentence        Eternal life  – Life never-ending.

Final illustration:  Between Wages and Gift is the cross of Jesus Christ.

Wages       Death                     Cross of Jesus Christ                        Gift      Life

Conclusion

We hope this illustration helps you share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone you come to know. Easter is fast approaching and it is a good tool you can use to talk about your faith and God. Write to us and let us know what you think of this tool. We would love to hear from you. Have a fruitful week sharing Jesus to your friends and families.

Entitlement or freedom

Entitlement is the language of our future generation and is also the reason they fight so hard. What is entitlement by the way? In a nutshell, ‘entitlement is the fact of having a right to something‘. Meanwhile, my next question, is freedom a right? If freedom is our ‘right’ why then do we need to fight for it? Do we truly understand what it means to have freedom? So what is freedom then?

According to dictionary.com, ‘freedom is the power to determine action without restraint’. The freedom of speech and of press are highly valued to the American citizens. My question however to all: ‘Is there no room for moral restraint in freedom whether in speech or in press?’

Bible talks about freedom

Today we look at what the Bible talks about freedom.

When the Bible says ‘..Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh’ it urges me that there is restraint. In other word, think twice brothers. Even though you have the freedom, do not let it become an opportunity for a self-centered act. Rather, through love, serve one another. The word serve does not mean lord it over others. It means to give of oneself humbly. Jesus came to establish the new commandment. In John 13:34, the Bible says:

A new commandment I give you: love one another. As I heave loved you, so also you must love one another.

As I have loved you

The phrase ‘as I have loved you’ tells me about the freedom that He gave up to become a human and lived as one for 33 years. The freedom He gave up when He gave His life in exchange for our sins on that cross. What He gave up to love you and me. Does the freedom you know tells you otherwise?

As disciples of Jesus Christ, the Bible is clear. Choose to love one another as Jesus have loved you. What is freedom if there is no love? To those who do not know Jesus, it is through Him that you will truly have freedom.

Freedom is gain through perfect love. There is no need to fight and no room for demand, simply agape love. Hopefully, the next time you think about entitlement or freedom, you think about what Jesus had to give up to love you.

Will You Sing Me A New Song?

God gave me a new song this year and He revealed this new song to me in portions. Kind of like how He sometimes guide and show Himself to us, like using puzzle pieces that eventually fit together as He gives us more pieces. Although, we may not think to put the pieces together, He would show us how they come together and fit perfectly.

This is how the song goes:

https://youtu.be/eZ9hPJmdW5M

Story Behind This Song

This song is about a conversation that took place between God and His beloved. It began with His beloved, entering into God’s presence and she spoke to Him.

Spirit of the Mighty God, do Your Mighty work. Come and full me to the brim, fill me up today.

In this conversation, His beloved seeks God’s power to work in her. The request to fill with His spirit seems crucial to her. She sees how important her beloved God is, in her life. This deplete the conversation that takes place in our personal relationship with God, our Heavenly Father. In times of need and in times of doubt, we reach our hands to Him, telling Him we need Him.

Can we function without His power? Not for long.. indeed. We cannot by our own might and strength do what He specializes in, the supernatural things only He knows best. Therefore, only through the supernatural power of God will we see and do what the eyes cannot. The song goes on:

God finally spoke

Go light your world, go light your world, go light your world, now is the time.

Then, in the midst of her plead, she heard God’s voice and she got excited.

Fill me up to the brim, fill me up to the brim. Spirit of the Mighty God, do Your work in me.

Again you see she needs His assurance here in the conversation. How often we find ourselves doing that? Either we lack confidence in ourselves or we lack our faith in God.

But in this conversation piece, God allows just that simply because He sees our needs. He wants us to solely rely on Him and then right in the end, He gave His last word saying,

Go light your world, now is the time. Go light your world, now is the time!

It’s as if He is saying, trust Me, go! I will be with you my beloved. You are not alone. Go and be My hands and feet where I place you, where only you will touch, influence and bring honor and glory to My name. Go, bring those whom you loved and cherish to Me and in my arms they will be saved.

Much Is Not Enough, He Wants Our All

A couple of days ago, I listened to a LIVE message featuring Lisa Bevere and Hannah, promoting Lisa’s latest book and a phrase stood out to me. It stated that ‘some gave much, but others gave all’. There is a huge difference even between the words ‘much’ and ‘all’. Do you know that much is not enough, He wants our all?

The truth is, if 1% of rust or lead is found in our drinking water, it is absolutely unacceptable in our book. However, what makes it acceptable to God when we think we are doing God a favor by giving what we think is our ‘much’, when in fact He is asking for our ‘all’?

I know it’s a lot to digest in that paragraph, but I urge you to think about it. Think about how we can give our all today in terms of our time and how we represent Him in terms of what we say, what we do as well as surrendering our thoughts to Him, Even how we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we spreading the truth of God or only our understanding what the Gospel is about..?

Shallow roots bear no fruit let alone, good fruit. In the same way, it is true of believers in Christ Jesus. The amount of nutrients we receive depends on how deep these roots grow. Therefore it is important to keep a consistent relationship with God.

Like such as, studying the Bible and spending time in God’s presence. This is how established we are and  get rooted in His love together as we fellowship with His holy people.

Often times, we use fruit as a sign to show the health of a tree. Yet we never look at its roots as a sign of a healthy tree. As a result, we overlook a crucial reason for consideration. Incidentally, this brings us to ask the next question.

Why Strong Roots Matter?

On the surface, we tend to look for the fruit instead of looking deep at its roots. Being filled to the measure of all the fullness of God means we need to grow strong roots to grow good fruits. Let me explain this truth.

The depth in which they go, and how they intertwine with others prove the extend how these trees will survive and flourish in the forest. Clearly,  good trees bear much fruit.

For example, the redwood trees grow strong and tall while they are close together and it dies when planted alone in the National park. As believers, we know we can learn this important principle truth.

What Did We Learn?

To grow strong in the Lord, we learn the strength matters as well as the amount of nutrients we receive depends on how deep these roots grow.

Finally, we are not made to grow as a loner.. we are a forest deep in the garden of our Father God.

Note: Credit is given to Hermanto Anggono for this message.

‘ Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord .’

Why New Covenant Is Better?

He did not come to cleanse just the outside but really.. what’s inside that no man sees. Often times, Jesus spoke against the pharisees and teachers of the laws, on many occasions, disagreeing on many issues and practices, thus touching on a man’s heart than simply after the formality.

The grace of God should never be trampled. It is not a license to sin, rather, a call to holiness. God is gracious. He is also righteous and holy. We cannot take God’s grace for granted. One day, we will stand before God and answer, to give an account of what we do with our lives.

Grow Your Faith, Declare His Name!

I believe these words spoken were not for the disciples of Jesus only, rather for those who believe, including us. The Holy Spirit sent to the disciples in the early church, is the same Holy Spirit we know today. The power of the Holy Spirit has not changed. So, what changed?

‘and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can do much.’

Cain And Abel

 God is cruel and indifferent to some while He is non-existent to others. Today I share the story of two brothers, Cain and Abel. Who are they and why we need to see God in a different light?

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they disobeyed God. After the serpent tricked them somehow,  God chased them out of the Garden of Eden as a result of it. God punished all including the serpent. Yet, He made coverings for both Adam and Eve out of skins because they were both naked. Did God care for Adam and Eve despite their disobedience? I believe so! They stayed at the east outside the Garden. The story did not end here. As you can see..

Cain

 The story continued with Eve first gave birth to Cain and later Abel. The pair of brothers were first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 4. So did God stop caring after knowing that Adam and Eve disobeyed Him and chased them out of the Garden of Eden? Apparently not!

 Why Do We Need To See God In A Different Light?

The story went on to show that Cain complained to God that somehow, God was too harsh in His punishment toward him. Cain got afraid that people wanted to kill him. God did not ignore his plead. Instead He put a sign on him so no one dare take his life. Was God more than fair to him despite what he did?

In the coming ‘Resurrection Day’, I hope your perception of who God is, changes. What you failed to see before hopefully shed a new light to your understanding of who God truly is.

Would you let God become your Heavenly Father you need today?