Category Archives: Formation

THE POWER OF POSITIVE WORDS

THE POWER OF POSITIVE WORDS
Mt 12:33-37

33. EITHER MAKE THE TREE GOOD AND ITS FRUIT GOOD, OR MAKE THE TREE BAD AND ITS FRUIT BAD, FOR THE TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT.

34. YOU BROOD OF VIPERS, HOW CAN YOU, BEING EVIL, SPEAK WHAT IS GOOD? FOR THE MOUTH SPEAKS OUT OF WHICH FILLS THE HEART.

34. THE GOOD MAN BRINGS OUT OF HIS GOOD TREASURES WHAT IS GOOD AND THE EVIL MAN BRINGS OUT HIS EVIL TREASURES WHAT IS EVIL.

36. BUT I TELL YOU THAT EVERY CARELESS WORD THAT PEOPLE SPEAK THEY SHALL GIVE AN ACCOUNTING FOR IT IN THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.

37. “FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE JUSTIFIED, AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE CONDEMNED.”

OVERVIEW

Last talk I shared about the POWER OF A POSITIVE MINDS which tells us that we were given a unique gift given by God to us; to help us become fruitful, productive, creative, innovative and successful in our life.

It’s a gift that if we will utilize it, unleashes the power to be what God destined and desires us to be.

Having positive thoughts helps us to have a positive attitude towards life.

But there is one more ingredient if we want to release more of its power if we have these POSITIVE WORDS.

Take time to read this another life-changing message that could transform our lives if we understand THE POWER OF POSITIVE WORDS.

TRANSFORM OUR WORLDS

Our world could be transformed by our words.

Our life could be shaped by every word that we speak as it says in Proverbs 18:21 that life and death are at the tip of your tongue.

Many of us desire to change our lives.

We may be aspiring to possess extraordinary power.

Who among us wanted to be healed?

Do we want to have an answered prayer?

Do we want to have a happy relationship, a happy marriage?

Do we want life at its fullness?

But sad to say that many received the opposites.

Why? Because of every word we say.

WORDS REVEAL OUR CHARACTER

The Bible says that our words manifest what is in our hearts.

It reveals our character, it speaks our thoughts.

The Word of God speaks the heart of God.

There’s a saying that a fish is being caught by its mouth.

THE POWER OF SPOKEN WORDS

Spoken words have REAL POWER and these are not just air passing through the throat and our larynx.

In all God’s creations, only man can communicate with spoken words.

The power to use words is again a unique gift endowed to us by our Creator.

Going back in time, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word God so that what is seen was not made out of visible things. (Hebrew 11:3)

Life and death are at the tip of our tongue (Proverbs 18:21) and even Moses said to the Israelites, choose life.

The power of our words can actually destroy one’s spirit, and stir hatred and violence. It could trigger war. It could start chaos.

But the words as well on the contrary could spring hope, it could give life and could bring lasting peace.

The fact that we suffer and restrained our success is by every negative word that impacts our lives every day.

What are those words that we speak to ourselves and the words that we speak to others?

WORDS EVOLVE IN TIME

The quality of our words shapes our world.

Sometimes there are more useless words that we say than the words that bless us.

Today, there are a lot of new words that come out and evolve.

In my time a mouse is a real mouse and I can hear them running on the ceiling, but today it’s something I use every day and I can’t live without it.

Before an apple is a red fruit but today, it’s a piece gadget whose name is more popular than a real apple fruit.

There are many new words that we don’t understand. Sometimes I look stupid to others when I don’t understand what they are talking about like “petmalu”, “werpa”, “jologs”,”kikay”, “lol”, and “Lodi”.

What Power The Spoken Word Has:

THE POWER TO REBUKE

Mk 1:22 When a man with an evil spirit came, Jesus said, “Be quiet and come out of the man” and the evil spirit shook the man hard, gave a loud scream, and came out of the man.

Do we want that kind of authority?

Like Jesus, He rebukes temptation by the power of His words.

We have the same authority given to us but instead of using it, we use it against ourselves.

Instead of rebuking, we use words to pamper our sufferings, our sickness our problems by saying “there’s no more solution to my problem”,” I have a terrible mess”, “I am a hopeless guy”

Remember David when he was about to fight Goliath, regardless of what others said about him, he was not discouraged. He said to himself and to his bashers “the God who helped me from a lion is the same God that will deliver me from this uncircumcised giant”

David said to Goliath, you come with me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of Host. The Lord will give you into my hands…

Speak to your Goliath. Never allow Goliath in your life to intimidate you.

Sometimes, instead of rebuking, we find someone to blame.

Instead of finding words to rebuke our problems, we look for words to comfort our problems.

Don’t let the problem talk to you. Talk to your problem and say “Begone”. Say “It is written, that nothing is impossible with God”. “My God is bigger than my problem”.

Do not accept your miserable conditions, rebuke them.

THE POWER TO BUILD

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what helps build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).

In this passage, Paul is emphasizing the positive over the negative.

The Greek word translated “unwholesome” means “rotten” or “foul.” And it was originally referred to as rotten fruit and vegetables.

Being like Christ means we don’t use foul, dirty language.

For some reason, many people today think it is macho or liberating to use vulgar humor, dirty jokes, and foul language, but this kind of talk has no place in the life of a Christian.

Paul continues: “. . . but only what helps build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” This is reminiscent of his words to the Colossians: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6; see also Colossians 3:16).

We should speak words that build. Words that boast other morals.

Words that will inspire.

Our word is powerful that it can destroy rather than build.

We have to choose our words…that inspire others.

Remember Jesus with the Adulterous woman, with the Tax collector Zacchaeus and with Peter?

Jesus’ words bring transformation and not condemnation.

THE POWER TO HEAL

Our words not only heal physically but can be instrumental to heal emotionally and spiritually.

Proverbs 12:18 the tongue of the wise, on the other hand, can bring healing.

God’s Word cuts like a knife but this is to heal, but rash and harmful words never do this…they bring irreparable harm to the one that they are spoken to.

Proverbs 13:3 is so true “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”

We must realize that “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”

Our words have the power to heal.

POWER TO BRING LIFE

Proverbs 18 21: Death and life are in the power of your tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Whatever positive words we speak to ourselves bring life.

Proverbs 13:2 from the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good, but the desire of the treacherous is violence.

Remember when God commanded Prophet Ezekiel to speak words of prophecy to the dry bones, they were restored to life.

Our life no matter how dry it is could bring and restore life because there is power in spoken words.

You can speak healing to your sickness.

You can speak deliverance to your situations.

You can speak freedom to your bondage.

You can speak of prosperity in your scarcity and poverty.

Let the weak say I am STRONG. Let the poor say I am RICH.

When Bro Mike asked how are we? We answer with joy that we are blessed, happy and prosperous. I am healed, am rich, wise, with honor, with a peaceful heart, with abundance, I am free, with a good heart, and victorious.

Don’t worry about what other people say to you or what they say about you.

The power lies in what you talk to yourself.

When people curse you, but you talk goodness in yourself, their curse has nothing to do with you.

But even if everybody says well about you, but you speak badly about yourselves, their praise has also no effect on you.

What is important is what you talk to yourself…

Speak life if you want life to become alive in you.

I remember a story of friends who hike on a mountain and they were curious about the echo. So they started to shout in the mountain.

One man says I am good and the echo says” good…good…good..good

Then another man says you are ugly, the sound echoed and says “only you, only you, only you, you..you..ooo.

HOW TO HAVE THIS POWER

Change our vocabulary.

Speak quality words and not rotten words.

We have to change our old dictionary with a good vocabulary.

Instead of saying:

“I don’t have money” just say “I am financially challenged”

“I lost my job or I am terminated,” say “I am reassigned to a more challenging job”

“I have so many problems”, say “I have so many blessings in disguise”

“I am a failure”, say “I had lessons learned”

“I am broke” say “I am temporarily broke”

“I am loveless” say” I am in love”

If we want to change our life, change our talk.

Mikesendon

When Giving is Not Enough

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WHEN GIVING IS NOT ENOUGH

MARK 12: 41-44:

What if we are told that what we are giving is not enough?

Maybe you already gave your best, you have given everything, but are we giving enough?

How we could truly measure our giving?

Because the gauge of the world of how much you give is on the amount, it’s the quantity, it is on the range.

The world recognizes that you are a giver because you are known, you are exposed, and you are popular.

But God defies the norm of this world in giving but let him teach us that it is not in the amount of what we give but rather how much value we put on what we give.

THE WIDOW STORY

In the reading of Mark 12, Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and he began observing the people putting money into the treasury, and many rich people were putting the large sum.

A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which could amount to a cent.

But it was interesting that the poor woman found favor when Jesus highlighted to his disciples that among all the people who put money into the treasury, it was the poor woman who gave the more.

GOD’S EYE ON THE GIVER

Our giving cannot be hidden from the eyes of God. He is observant.

Every penny, every offering, every giving that we are doing is known to the Lord.

That is why, whatever we give in charity with a smile, cheerfully, and coming from the heart will not be put in vain.

He knows how much we give and the more, He knows how we value every act of giving we are doing.

QUANTITY OVER QUALITY

There are two important characters in the story. The rich who have given a large sum and the poor woman had given only two copper coins.

At first thought, we can say that it was the rich man who gives more. Because in comparison to the amount, the rich put in more.

But let us understand that God doesn’t look into the summation but at the percentage. How much percentage are you giving? Because if we will dig down into it, maybe you are only giving a portion, an excess from the whole bunch of what you have.

But the percentage of what the poor woman gave was 100 percent of what she owned, out of her poverty, put in all she owned.

God looks at what you have and what you give to determine the level of your giving.

A ten dirhams from a poor man is a sacrifice but this ten dirham is an insult from a rich man.

That is the reason Jesus was impressed with the giving of the poor woman because she gave without reservation.

She had given everything, with trust and dependence that her God is the God who is more than enough.

Because in giving, the measure is not on the quantity but rather on the quality.

In Genesis, we know that God regards the offering of Abel rather than of Cain. Because Abel’s offering was the best and God pleases with his act of worship to the Lord.

GOD SETS THE BAR

The woman illustrates what God has done.

God has given everything without reservation, without regret and hesitations.

He has given us His only Son because of His great mercy and love for mankind.

God set the bar. Jesus has given us an example of what a true measure of giving is.

God’s giving was a sacrifice. Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for many.

He loves the world so much that He gave his only begotten son.

Giving all that you only got and so dear to you is painful. It’s hard to let it go.

Giving is a sacrifice. Every sacrifice in the olden days entails the shedding of blood on the altar.

If you are giving without any feeling of pain, then think about it.

That is why you feel pain every time you give because what you are offering means a lot to you. It’s enough to augment your other needs, but you need to give it anyway because it is a sacrifice.

And sacrifice is not only about money. Maybe you are a mother waking up so early to prepare food for your children is an act of sacrifice. It’s giving your time.

Maybe you’re a priest, a minister, a religious, or a public servant. You are truly giving your time, talents and even your treasures to help is a pure giving without expectations of any material returns, or people’s appreciation.

But when you give, you don’t give to people. Your giving is being seen and counted by God. He will be the one giving you the reward.

GIVING TO GOD AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP

Many of us thought that to worship is just to sing and exalt God during a worship service.

But worship means to honor God and acknowledge His worth, His value to us.

If we know whom we value, if we understand that honor belongs to God, then it should not be difficult for us to give what is due to God.

Giving should be a joy that we are giving out from what we received from Him.

But it is sad to say that instead of joy, it becomes a burden for many.

Understanding what tithes and offerings mean should give us light to understand that it is not for God’s benefit but for our benefit.

WHAT ARE TITHES

Tithes are the tenth of our gross income. Tithe means tenth.

In the old bible testaments, they don’t deal with money as a form of commerce. They deal with their products like wheat and their livestock, their oxen, a bushel of corns and etc…

During that period, when they give, they set aside one ox for every ten oxen, a bushel of corns for every ten bushels of corns. A portion of every product they had.

What they set aside is considered holy unto the Lord. It does not mean it is clean alone but it is consecrated and become exclusive for God’s use.

God has exclusivity on every offering that belongs to Him and He takes it seriously.

In fact, when we use the tithes, the scripture says that we have to return them with interest. It is one-fifth of it or 20 percent. Does this mean God is so concerned with the money? No, but He wants to re-emphasize that it is” mine” and this is not “ours”. Lev 27:31

In addition, He emphasized that not giving tithes is robbing Him and curses is upon those who do rob him.

Lev 27:30-33 the Lord says that all the tithe of the land of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree is the Lord; it’s holy unto the Lord. for every tenth of the herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it, then both it and the substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed.

Do not think that we are helping God out. If you don’t have money and I give you one hundred; then I said to you give me the ten does not mean that you act like a rich and you enrich me since, at the start, the hundred is mine.

The same principle applies, God owns everything and God is asking us to give him back the tenth of what we received from Him. But rather, we act like we own it.

We become loyal paying our taxes but not giving back our tithes.

Tithes teach us the discipline and faith to be true disciples. This gives us the ability to have accountability for every penny and every blessing we received.

TEN NOT LESS

Ten is symbolic of the whole.

Ten is the minimum but not limited to.

Our numerical system is based on ten. The highest number we can count is up to ten. When you count from 1 to 10, then 11 to 20 means you start again to count another set of 1 to 10. Then twenty-one means you start again from one and so on…

If you can count one to ten, then you can count even up million. Because millions are a group of tens.

The tithes are symbolic of the whole. The ten represents the ninety, and the ninety is in the 10. God consecrates the ten and He blesses the ninety.

It is in this principle that Jesus represents all. When He died on the cross, he died for all and when He resurrected, we all have life because of Him.

Jesus’ act of sacrifice represents the whole body of the Church.

When we give the tenth of our gross, we declare that everything we received from Him is His; because the ten represents the ninety. But God is good that because of the ten He got as covered and there are promises on that.

The tithes become our covenant with God. God does not only blesses the tithes but even the ninety.

FROM GROSS OR NET

Many ask from where they will refer their giving, from the gross or from the net.

We understand that when we received our income, what remains is the available amount after deductions. There are deductions for taxes, mortgages, loans, and so on.

But frankly, when we applied for a loan or tax exemptions; we declare our gross income. It is only when we give tithes that we suffer from memory loss.

In Leviticus 27:30, God says that all the tithes of the land, of the seed of the land or the fruits of the trees, is the Lord; it’s holy unto the Lord.

It should be set aside; it is His and is exclusive for God’s use.

In Malachi 3:10 it says that we should bring the whole tithes into the storehouse so that there may be food in God’s house.

INTO THE GOD HOUSE

We have to bring the whole tithes into God’s house.

IT’S OBEDIENCE AND NOT THE MONEY

What blesses God is not the money but the obedience we have to God.

God is not broke and doesn’t need anybody’s money. He owns everything.

What He gets from our giving is obedience.

Because our obedience becomes an expression of worship.

Our giving becomes a sacrifice of worship because of our obedience.

Obedience to God proves our love for Him, demonstrates our faithfulness to Him, glorifies Him in the world, and opens avenues of blessing for).

In 1 Samuel 5:22 “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices / as much as in obeying the Lord? / To obey is better than sacrifice.” Why is obedience better than sacrifice?

THE PROMISE BEHIND GIVING

When we think that we took advantage by not giving what is due to Him, we are wrong.

In fact, it is we who steal the blessings that suppose we have to receive.

We deplete the grace that is about to release to us for our benefit because God has nothing to lose. It is we who have so much to lose.

It is the only verse I know that God is challenging us to challenge Him. In Malachi 3:10, He says that we challenge Him now on this.

He said to test Him, to provoke Him, put Him on the corner on this giving of tithes. And pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

He will open the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

We cannot outdo God in giving. But He is challenging us in this if He will not remove the barriers on your financial blessings, on the favors that are long-time stored for us.

Our obedience has a promise. It’s the key to opening the floodgates that were dammed out and closing the flows of blessings in our life.

A BLESSING OVERFLOW

God will pour out a blessing overflow.

He did not say He will pour out many blessings but said “ a blessing”.

There is one thing that God will give you.

It could be one favor, one person, one talent, one gift, one job, one business, one opportunity that when it’s given will be the source of your overflowing blessings.

FINAL WORDS

Do not be stingy.

Never be so tight be your tithes because it is not God who losses.

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—1 Cor 2:9

Do not rob yourself with the blessing because if we only knew that “one” thing God could be able to give, we will be overwhelmed. We will be amazed because truly it is. No doubt that our God is amazing.

Believe me, it is for our good.

May your happiness be full,

Mikesendon

RECOGNIZING YOUR EPHAH OF GRAINS

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RECOGNIZE YOUR EPHAH OF GRAINS

1 Samuel 17: 11-19

Aside from what we know, everything that happens in our lives is allowed by God to prepare us for the next.

Every door that we pass through is a way to the next level, to a new dimension, new opportunity, to a new blessing.

We all know the story of David, how he fought and killed Goliath.

His biggest challenge became his biggest leaping point towards his destiny to be king.

David before fighting his biggest challenge was prepared to fight a lion, to fight a bear, and a bear to fight Goliath.

Every challenge we overcome makes the latter easier for us.

Our OWN GOLIATH

All of us have our own Goliath.

But we have to remember the many challenges we encountered and overcome because those winning moments give us the courage to fight. It gives us the energy to stand and say to ourselves “I CAN DO IT”.

WHY? Because we have to remind ourselves that our God will never leave us nor abandon us.

Like David, he remembered what God has done in his life.

As servants of GOD, we are not exempted from this experience, because the more we are serving, the more Goliaths we have to overcome.

We understand that the greater the Goliath, the greater the blessings.

Every big challenges and obstacle determine how big our blessings will be.

DISCOVERING WHO WE ARE IN SERVICE

We all know the success of David fighting Goliath but what we don’t realize was that He was not sent to the battlefield to fight but to SERVE.

In 1 Sam 17:17 Then Jessie said to David His son, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp of your brothers. Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousands and LOOK INTO THE WELFARE OF YOUR BROTHERS, and bring back news of them”.

David’s destiny was shaped because of the service he gave.

It was during his service that he discovered his true calling…

Our service leads us to where God wants us to be.

I started in this Ministry serving as a service then into the Music Ministry 25 years ago in a small prayer Group in Caloocan. Being a choir member we have outreaches and I was assigned to be a sharer of the Word of God. But when I graduated from college, my service stops until I was led by God to work abroad where here in Dubai again called me to serve as part of the Service Ministry then became part of the Music Ministry, and later to Education Ministry.

Have we noticed that everything starts with Service Ministry because it’s a training ground?

In the service Ministry, we do an all-around job. There is no specific task because we ought to serve the needs of all other ministries.

Service Ministry works behind the scene. They do the menial things that others don’t want to do.

They do the works that others don’t recognize and appreciate.

They are people who seldom get a pat on the shoulder or appreciation. They are the people who don’t get the applause yet they continue to serve.

But Service is the core and essence of every Ministry.

It starts with service and should end in service. Being part of other ministries, the basics should remain that we are in service to God and to other believers.

ANOINTED BUT STILL SERVING

People sometimes got into the hypes of being recognized, being known, being popular, being remunerated, being appreciated, and applauded.

But we have to understand that David was already anointed yet he still serves.

He was already anointed by God to be the next king but never brags about his position.

“Hey, why do I have to bring the ephah to my brother when I’m destined to be king of Israel. They should be the ones serving me.”

Service remains rooted to be humble no matter we know already our predestined position.

Our anointing should not change the fact that we are blessed to serve.

We cannot say I’m an anointed preacher and I am spare of serving others.

It saddens me when I see anointed servants but they demand too much. Their demands are greater than the service they give.

We cannot be proud that we are a leader if we don’t have the heart to serve.

DON’T LOOK FOR THE BAG, RECOGNIZE YOUR EPHAH

For forty days they were in a stand-off with the Philistines and they are losing because they don’t have a match with the Goliath.

But David was sent to the battlefield to bring the lunch of his brothers and not to fight.

He was there to serve.

Many people of today look for what’s inside the bag but they don’t understand that it’s the ephah or bushels of grains that lead you to your destiny. Because today, many people want to lead than follow; many want to be the leader than to be a follower, many wanted to be a manager than to be a worker. Because they see the prestige of the bag.

They see the rewards rather than the sacrifice. We need people of today who want to serve. Who acknowledges the ephah that they need to do… Because the blessings are not in the bag but on our faithfulness to bring those bushels or ephah.

We have to be faithful and be trusted on the little works to be trusted with bigger things.

David was trusted with a lunch bag that he was trusted to carry on a bigger bag. We could not achieve the fullness of our service because we are busy serving ourselves. We want to make a name for ourselves.

ANOINTED BUT NOT YET APPOINTED

He was not arrogant to tell that I am anointed King because even when he was anointed, he was humble enough to still serve his brethren, his king, his father, and his sheep. Our anointing will not spare us from serving. But it does not mean that when we are anointed, we are already appointed. We can be anointed but not appointed. We have to remain faithful and trusted until we are appointed at the proper time.

SERVING THE BRETHREN

David serves the big guys.

He recognizes his role and who he was. Support for the tough guys.

From a small servant to a bigger serviceman.

Because the small contribution he brings can affect the success of the whole army.

Because many wanted to contribute but want their name to be recognized.

A servant is a team player.

You could not be a good shooter but you contribute to the offense. In basketball, the shooter depends on the isolation made by other teammates so that it could create a clear shot.

SERVICE CATAPULTS US TO OUR DESTINY

Humble servants were raised and blessed by God because they choose and responded to the call to serve. Elisha was the servant of Elijah but when was used by God, he did miracles and anointing more than Elijah. Ruth chooses to serve Naomi but his service is never in vain because that paved the way to be married to Boaz the landowner where she was gleaning.

Recognizing our ephah of grain is to be aware of our mission, and our mission is to serve with love.

In the end, we will answer and be accounted with this question, “what have we done when we saw Him naked, sicked, in prison, hungry and thirsty?’

Whatever we do to the least of our neighbor, we do it unto Him.

May you recognize your own epha of grain.

Mikesendon

GROUNDED AND ROOTED IN LOVE

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Grounded & Rooted in Love

Ephesians 3:16-19

We were created by God with love.

We are living because of His love.

We have the power to love.

As we are a product of God’s love, it is just right that we live; we celebrate and share that love we received.

STRENGTHENING THE INNER MAN

People of today are more focused on strengthening the outer man.

We go to the gym to make our bodies fit and strong, we go to salons and spas to make us look younger, and we visit doctors to be healthy.

We are more concerned on the outside that we forget to strengthen our inner man.

That is why when problems come, we easily surrender. We easily give up.

In a relationship, in marriage, we easily give up and find a replacement.

Divorce and separation are just like changing clothes or gadgets.

Why because we missed the basics.

Where are the gyms for the inner man that hones our character, our faithfulness, our faith, and our love?

Increases in Value

Last Valentine’s day, there was a scarcity of flowers in spite of their price going double. The queue was more and many men were fighting their way to buy flowers for their loved ones.

I remember one time on the same Valentine’s Day, there was a man asking the Saleslady how much was a bouquet of flowers.

The Saleslady replied “100 Dhs”; and the man said, ” Oh it’s very expensive, It’s only fifty on an ordinary day. Anyway, just give me the single rose. How much is that?”

“10 Dhs Kabayan!” says the Sales lady. But the lady suggested “ Kabayan, it’s better you give a bouquet of the lovely flowers so that your girlfriend will say Yes when you propose..But the man said,” No need, she’s already my wife!”

As time flies by, we heard countless stories of marriage is broken. It is because as time passes, we neglect to value the partner that we have.

The value of our partners, our friends, or relatives should not be compared to the price of our gadget which depreciates over time.

Their worth should increase even more like an old whisky fermented for years.

IT’S ONLY HERE ON EARTH

We should give importance to this gift of having a partner because it’s only here on earth.

Have we remembered when a Sadducee asks the Lord about the resurrection? His questions were

19“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last, of all, the woman died too. 23At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” -Matthew 18:19-27

It is therefore that marriage is only here on earth.

If you are single and want to be married, then avail this opportunity because in heaven, your spouse will not be your spouse anymore.

OPEN THE COMMUNICATION

Most of the problems encountered by so many are marriage-related problems.

A man has settled for another one. A nagger wife that makes the man avoid going home.

There was a saying that in the 1st to 2nd year of marriage, the man speaks and the wife listens. In the 3rd to 4th yr of their relationship, the wife speaks and the man listens. But in the 5th yr of their marriage, both couple speaks and the neighbor listens.

One time, the wife brings his husband to the doctor for a check-up and said, “Doc my husband has a serious problem because he speaks every time he is sleeping”.

After the consultation, the Dr called the wife privately and she asked, “is there any problem with my husband?” “There was no problem with your husband. Just allow him to speak when he is awake.”

Relationship over time dwindles because one partner controls the others.

Communication gaps started because partners are occupied with so many things in life.

And because of this, it results in quarrels and misunderstandings between the couple.

Couples quarrel but because they don’t want their children to know about it, they usually treat their partner with SILENT TREATMENT.

They share the same bed at night, they eat at the same table but they pretend to be ok.

SILENT TREATMENT

One time, couple quarrels and they treat each other a Silent treatment.

To avoid clashes, they don’t talk to each other.

But the problems come when a man needs to wake up early morning the next day but He is dependent on her wife to wake him up…

So he wrote a note saying “I have a flight to catch, wake me up at 5AM”.

The next day, the man was so angry when he noticed that it was already 9AM.

He immediately ran to his wife and angrily said:” I told you to wake me up at 5AM, now I’m late because you did not wake me up”. The woman said, “Hey, before you get angry go back to our room and read your note”. The man went back to their room, pick up the note beside the bed and read the handwriting of his wife “Hey wake up, you have a flight to catch!”

We should not let our pride ruin our relationship. We cannot just be silent and not resolve the conflict.

Because at the end of the day, the couple should resolve their conflict right away. Face the realities and decide to journey together in marriage.

You can’t continue with the silent treatment that other people think that your relationship is ok.

One time a neighbor approached the husband, you know I admire you and your wife because for a long time that we were a neighbor I never heard you arguing or fighting unlike us. What is your secret? Actually, the secret why we were silent is because we are not talking for years now.

Imagine how many wasted years in a relationship, being together but living in stress.

IT’S A JOURNEY

Being together is a journey.

There will be a fight but it’s a part of it.

We need to enjoy the journey of being together. We need to learn how to listen otherwise small conflicts become big.

When no one listens, what happens we ask for marriage councilors. What does the counselor do, counselor says “Mister what the wife says is this and that…the counselor will just repeat and clarify what the couple did not bother to listen to…And the last stage when both parties don’t agree to listen and settle, they will go to court, and the court will try to bring about all your flaws to have ground for separations.

Imagine the time, the resources, and reputation lost which can be resolved when they started to listen to each other at the start.

How much money and time was lost could be used for a Caribbean cruise and a second honeymoon.

The Grace to be Rooted and Grounded

Rooted is an agricultural term. Grounded is a structural term.

Our life is like a field wherein it should be rooted down in love.

Like a farmer who is planting good seeds, we should also plant a good seed of love.

The fruit is in the root

To be able to manifest the fruit of a lasting relationship, we need to be rooted.

You cannot expect a fruit unless there is a root.

The fruit is just a manifestation of what is in the root

You cannot expect a good fruit unless the seed is good.

Anything that springs up comes from the root that springs down.

For a relationship to last, it should be rooted and founded well that no matter how strong the wind of storms, no matter how many trials a couple faces; the couple could be able to last it all even against all odds.

May your love be always rooted and grounded,

Mikesendon

HOW DEEP IS YOUR DEBT

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HOW DEEP IS YOUR DEBT

Luke 7:36-39

Mercy 1

One of the good Filipino values that I learned is to consider the debt of gratitude or “pagtanaw ng utang na loob”.

It’s a debt that is very difficult to repay because no price tag is attached to it.

However, at the proper time, it should be returned when it is expected or wanted.

Filipino Values

“Utang na loob” or debt of gratitude is a norm of reciprocity, Filipinos are expected by their neighbors to return favors when it was expected and wanted at the proper time.

We Filipinos usually don’t forget the goodwill done to us and reciprocate that favor.

When abused, this becomes a burden and creates stress as the person becomes beholden to his debtors.

The only negative about this practice is when being used for some instances wherein the recipient is put in uncompromising situations.

Some people were instrumental to your success, to your victory. They tendered their support when the time you needed them without asking for any return.

However, in some later stages, they will ask you favor and remind you how they contributed and were helpful in where you are right now.

The common practice is in politics that usually results in graft corruption, illegal transactions, nepotism, and, appointing people that are unqualified of rendering good service to the people.

The Parable of the Two Debtors

The gospel shows us two types of people and how they react to and respond to the goodwill of Jesus in their life.

Jesus highlighted a picture of two characters on how they retort depending on how much favor they received.

Here we see a woman who was a sinner when known that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought her alabaster vial of perfume and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wiping His feet with her hair.

The other character was Simon, the Pharisee that invited Jesus for a dinner yet never offered water or assigned someone to clean Jesus’ feet.

The deeper Your Debt

The parable states that there are two debtors whom both of them were forgiven as they cannot repay.

The greater the debt, the greater is our love for God.

I wonder who among us can repay His goodness.

But, is our response to His goodwill deeper enough to truly appreciate and reciprocate what He has done for us?

The parable, it reflects that the deeper our debt, the more we should love Jesus.

The woman received much so she loved much.

Her gratitude to Jesus was shown by her care and her action toward Jesus for she doesn’t know how she could repay what Jesus did to her.

If we will remember that this woman might have already been dead when she was caught on the ground of adultery and those people were ready to stone her to death.

Until Jesus came to the rescue and dare each one of those people to throw a stone if they don’t have sinned.

Our Gratitude towards God’s Attitude

All of us experience the same goodness from God day in and day out.

But how do we respond and reciprocate this love, mercy, and goodness of God to us?

The woman’s response shall give us a clear view of how we should respond to God’s goodness to us.

Like the woman, we should always repent of our sins and start to walk to where Jesus is. We need to refuse to sin anymore and seek to be in His presence always.

The woman wets her feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair as a sign of repentance.

Being sorry for all the wrongdoing we have done in our life, we cry because we feel sad and sorrowful that we hurt the feeling of God when we sinned against Him.

The woman kissed the feet of Jesus as a sign of humility.

A sign of gratefulness is to be humble before our Lord.

The woman brought her expensive vial of perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet means giving up whatever is important to her just to please her new Master.

When we consider gratefulness for God’s goodness and mercy to us, we are willing to give whatever it takes to show our love for God.

We do it without any hesitations or reservations.

We give it fully; we give it freely.

Liberating Goodness of God

In my introduction, “utang na loob” or debt of gratitude is expected to pay back when expected and wanted.

God wanted us to show our debt of gratitude to him but He never forces anyone.

There is no price tag nor string attached to His mercy towards us.

His mercy is liberating because He doesn’t burden us to pay him in return.

It rather liberates us to start a new chapter in our life by doing what is good, just, and right.

He gives us the freedom to choose the path we want to take, yet the experience we have in Him inclined us to decide to respond and reciprocate His love toward us.

Because when we were still a sinner, God loves us with everlasting love.

Worry-Free Debt

Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins have been forgiven, your faith has saved you; go in peace”.

The most debt we have causes us stress and trouble.

In fact, many cannot sleep because of their insurmountable debt wondering how they could pay it.

When we committed sin, we feel guilt within that robbed us of our peace of mind and joy.

But Jesus redeemed us and He paid the debt that we cannot afford to pay by giving His life for us.

We are now debt free because we were redeemed in full.

We can now walk in the freedom bestowed on us by God.

God’s love is so deep that He doesn’t keep any record no matter how deep is our debt.

No matter how deep is our debt, Jesus paid it in full so that you will not worry about the credit slip.

May your happiness be full,