Category Archives: Reflection

WHEN WE COME TO OUR SENSES

Luke 15:17-24

It is odd to think to exchange something valuable for something that never lasts.

How many times do we neglect to value what is important in the exchange for what is really essential?

We follow our desires; we chase our dreams only to realize that they are just fleeting things.

It seems odd to understand that we forget our first love because we found someone that we thought they are better than the latter.

Regret is always at the last. We will only realize what is really important when we come to our senses.

The Fate of a Prodigal Son

It’s one of the renowned Jesus parables of a younger son who asked his father for a share of his estate. So the good father decided to divide his wealth between them and not many days later, the younger son gathered everything and started his journey away home. He squandered his shares with extravagant living.

Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country and he began to be penniless; he started to work as a helper feeding the swine. But the income he had is not enough that he even shared with the pods that the swine were eating.

But he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger.

What We Exchange

We can relate to the story because, in so many instances, we tend to exchange something better for temporary things.

We put more value on ownership rather than relationships.

We laid more weights on the worlds rather than in His Words.

We pay more attention to the things that are just trivial rather than what is essential.

We fight for our own rights but neglect other’s need and their plight.

We defend and stand with our pride but fail to understand the feeling of the other side.

The son chooses his freedom to do what he desired to do with his life and spent the rest of his life with people whom he thought would help him.

Is it funny to realize that we more we desire to be free but yet the more we trap in the rat race?

The more we desire to make life easy and simple, the more it becomes complex.

The more we settle with our selfish ambitions, this always leads to our own destruction.

What are those things that we regret today because we choose to exchange them for something less?

Choose what is best

Is it not wise for a man to exchange something better for a lower value?

Will we exchange our dollar for a peso less than its current rate?

This is what happens when we choose to serve only ourselves rather than choosing to serve others.

Anything we do for just personal interest will not bear fruit and serve its best.

We cannot live in immorality but when someone speaks the truth, we feel not guilty; yet we tell that person that he should understand our personality.

The younger son already living the best in the presence of his father. They have slaves and everything.

He was living in abundance yet he still desires to live free away from his father, thinking that by being away he could have better control of himself and can be able to do exactly what he wants.

Little do we realize, that we tend to live away from the presence of God thinking we could do better and do exactly what we desire to do.

But the more that we distance ourselves from His loving presence, the more we detached ourselves from the provisions and move away from the shadow of God’s protection.

Psalm 91 is an assurance for those who choose to dwell in the shelter of our God Most High.

Away from Him, we can do nothing. If we decide to live apart from Him is like a branch detached from its vine. The blessings stop and the branch dried up.

The son began to be impoverished so he decided to hire himself out as a helper of the swine.

Walking away from the grace of God will slowly make us poor not only materially but the worst is in our spirituality.

The more we deprived ourselves of the presence of God, our spirit and our soul becomes dry.

Even we work things out; the material needs and people that surround us are not enough to fill the vacuum that was left empty because it longs for the presence of our loving Father.

Choose our God and we choose the better part.

When we come to our senses

Our situations and the conditions we are in might be horrible is not a punishment but a mere consequence if we walk away from the Father.

But the consequence should be the jolting point for us to realize that we have gone far.

It’s a bumper for us to be an awakening point from our sleep and be aware that our conditions are not permanent.

We have to come to our senses.

This is what happened to the younger son. He became aware that his suffering was not a punishment but a turning point to return back to where he really belongs.

That his afflictions were not borne but the consequence of his unwise actions.

We are not born with suffering, but most of it was the result of our foolish actions and decisions.

When we come to our senses, we will realize what more relevant things are.

It will bring us to an awareness of who we really are, and how God values us more than any other.

If we come to our senses, it will lead us to come back to the presence of God who never stops waiting for us for our return.

Second chance

God is giving us second chance, a third chance…

He allows us to stand up and walk past where we fell.

Never be so stuck in our sin thinking that we cannot rise again.

Never thought that we cannot correct our mistakes.

When we come to our senses, think that God is giving us another chance.

God’s arm is wide enough to embrace us again. His mercy is far greater than our sin.

He patiently waits for our return.

Call to Repent

Luke 13:1-9 is another parable where Jesus expounds that we need to repent.

Coming to our senses makes us repent of our sins.

We cannot judge others that they are more sinners because of their fate or their situations because unless we repent, we will all perish.

Unless we come to our senses, we will not mend our ways but will continue to walk to our death.

God wanted to see the fruit in us. Like the fig tree, without finding any fruit after how many years is destined to be cut down.

Better be humble down before God than be cut down in our relationship with God. Before the blessings are cut down and stop it from flowing. Before the sun goes down leaving us un-repented.

Dig around and put Fertilizer

The owner of the fig tree asks a favor from the owner of the vineyard to give him chance to dig in and put fertilizer hoping that the tree will eventually bear many fruits.

Time is given to us each day, a chance to dig deeper into ourselves and check our relationship with others and with our God.

We have to dig deep into our hearts what are those things that truly matter and are essential.

We need to put in fertilizers to eventually grow us more in our relationship with our God.

We need to add more value to our time with people who really matter to us.

God is giving us more time but not on our terms but on God’s terms.

When Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh to repent for their sins,

God has given them 40 days.

They humble themselves and wore sack clothes and sit on ashes to show that they were sorry for their sins.

What are those things that we added to strengthen our relationship with Him?

May we come always to our senses and our life live in its full,

Mikesendon

Senses

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

Walking on Top Where Everybody’s Sinking

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Walking on Top Where Everybody’s Sinking

MATTHEW 14:22-33

Do we want to see miracles that most people failed to see?

Do we really want to receive blessings that many missed receiving?

It seems surprising to know that God’s blessing is just around us and just within our reach.

It seems odd to know that you and I can walk on top of where everybody was sinking, and yet we don’t experience it?

Because Peter is a man just like us, with limitations, with many weaknesses yet experiences the miracles of a lifetime to walk on top of the water.

Who among us wants to walk on top of where everybody is sinking?

THE NEED FOR AN ANTENNA OF FAITH

It was not just long ago when most of us witnessed and experienced that to have clear reception of channels on radio or television, we need to have an antenna.

Is it not funny that before, you need to turn the antenna to every angle possible just to receive a clear reception of invisible power, unseen energy, that feeds the radio, the wireless telephone, and television with huge data or hertz to hear and see that are just around us?

Although this technology is now revolutionized into a more advanced technology using a fiber optic, the law is still the same.

The question now is, do we have that antenna for us to receive these things, these blessings, these revelations, and these miracles that are just around us?

Do we have the FAITH to see what others don’t see?

Faith is an antenna to receive and tap into the power that many missed to possess and experience.

The miracles and blessings of God surround us, but we don’t experience them because we don’t have the device to claim and received them, we don’t have an antenna of faith.

It’s just like your swimming in a vast ocean with countless fish but you cannot fish because you don’t have the net to catch them.

That is the faith Peter had, he saw Jesus walking on top of the water and when he Jesus invited him to come, he believed that he can walk too on the water.

FAITH is like a WIFI, it is invisible but it can connect you to what you need.

In faith, there are no dead spots in God because we will always be connected in faith

In Hebrew 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

FAITH MAKES YOU EXCEPTIONAL

When you have faith, you become exceptional.

Peter became exceptional as he walked where many could sink.

He was the only disciple who had the experience to walk on top of the water.

Our faith makes us special as we can connect to where most can’t connect.

By faith, it makes us among the list of halls of fame in heaven, who gained favor and pleasing before God.

Because by faith, we can please God.

By faith, Enoc please God and took him up without seeing death.

By faith, Noah being warned by God of things not yet seen prepared the ark for the salvation of his household.

By faith, Abraham became the father of many nations.

But all of them were human too like us, and what happened to them can come to reality in us if we have faith.

Your FAITH in God can make you exceptional too.

Why? Because their faith and our faith when we fully practice can please God.

Shout that you are exceptional.

Declare that you are extraordinary.

Your faith can move mountains
Your faith can connect to where many can’t connect
You can tap on the power where many missed
You have the lenses to magnify the unseen
With faith, you have the edge over your adversaries
With your faith, you dare to face your enemies
With faith, we can touch the heart of God
With faith, we can be part of a miracle
With faith, our prayers could be heard and answered

Because you are exceptional.

A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

-Psalm 91:7-10

WALKING ON TOP OF WATERS

Matthew 14:29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter goes out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

God allows us to experience walking on top of the water to show us that whatever is impossible could be possible.

That all of us can rise above where people are afraid to walk off.

That we can overcome our fear and have the courage to endure what others feared to face.

So that we can step outside our boat and live away from our own comforts and start to trust God’s provision and power.

WALKING EVEN THERE IS A STORM

But seeing the wind, Peter became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out “Lord save me!”

Like Peter, he already walked on the water but he was distracted by the strong wind that he saw, and he slowly sunk down. Jesus told him how little was his faith.

Don’t expect God to be sensual in our storms.

Because we may not see or feel Him physically, but with faith, we will know that He is always in control.

That is the reason why we must walk by faith and not by sight.

Storms should increase our faith as faith could be the best practice in our storms.

Uncommon faith brings uncommon results.

The presence of storms in our life does not mean that God is not with us. In fact, the presence of God is with us.

In fact, it is the presence of God that sustains us in battle the strong winds in our life.

Psalm 46:1 says our God is our very present help in times of trouble.

God is present in our tribulations, in our sufferings, and in our struggles because He is a very present help in our times of need.

Call upon the name of the Lord and he will be with us.

It does not mean that when we are being shaken by the strong wind, God is absent.

GOD ALLOWS YOU TO SINK TO HUMBLE YOU

Never be so proud that we are on top of the water always because sometimes God allows you to sink.

It is when you are on the top of everything that he allowed us to sink to understand that we need Him to help us.

Our walking on top of the water is not ours to brag about but rather to understand that we experience it because it is a grace.

Don’t be so proud that you are walking on top of waters and overcoming all your storms that you lose sight of the hands that call you.

Because sinking allows makes us call the name of the Lord for help.

Sinking allows us to understand that we need Him always in our life.

Sinking diverts our attention and focuses again on the hands of the one always willing to help us.

And it is Jesus.

May your happiness be full,

Mikesendon

CATCH A GLIMPSE OF GOD’S GLORY

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CATCH A GLIMPSE OF GOD’S GLORY

Luke 9:28-35

Caught a Glimpse of His Glory

How good it is if we could taste and see how good our God can be.

It is an honor and privilege if we could have that chance of seeing at least a bit of God’s glory.

Is it not awesome to open our eyes and you could see the fulfillment of what we dreamed of, what we desire, of what we aspire to?

Have you experienced it, going to a place you dreamed of and when you were there, you were feeling awe and you don’t want to leave that place anymore?

When God has given you the chance to taste and to experience, you may say to yourself “Lord hope this will last for long.”

And when we have it, we felt undeserving and question ourselves “who am I to deserve all of this?”

THE EXPERIENCE OF DISCIPLES

And these are the same emotions of Peter when Jesus took them up to the mountain.

Jesus had given them the chance of their lifetime to catch a glimpse of Jesus’ glory.

To see and experience what other disciples missed to experience and see.

To be in an exclusive, private moment with Jesus.

To witness the amazing presence of Father himself in the company of the prominent servant of God: Moses and Elijah.

GOING TO THE TOP

But experiencing glory is not easy unless you pass through agony.

Experiencing victory is not easy unless you pass the hardship and test of difficulties.

Because going to the mountain requires you to climb it. It requires you to pursue it.

No guts, no glory.

Jesus’ glorious resurrection did happen if he did not walk toward the Mount of Calvary.

There is no glory if there is no Calvary.

There is no Easter Sunday if there was no Good Friday.

THE MOUNT OF GLORY

An old man was climbing a mountain but as he climb it, there was a point that he felt really tired and said” God, I’ve been climbing this mountain for almost all of my life but now I’m failing and it seems I can’t reach the peak of this mountain.”

And he heard a voice echo saying” This mountain has no peak, climbing it has already its own reward. You never climbed it in vain!”

All of us may be tired of climbing our own mountain desiring to reach its peak.

We may be having going up and trying to conquer the mountain of problems, a mountain of obstacles, and difficulties but do not be dismayed because climbing has already its rewards.

We may be waiting to see the fullness of our quest, the answers to our prayers, and the realizations of our dreams.

But our climbing is not in vain because when we climb the mountain of life, it teaches us to persevere, it makes us strong, it expand our faith, it develops our hopes and it molds our character.

Our mountain teaches us to trust God. It teaches us to be humble.

We may not have that glorious moment yet but if we never falter and quit, the glory is about to come.

Time will come to that victory is sweet and we can taste it.

JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF

Jesus reveals himself to his three disciples.

The Jesus they know in the valley is different from the Jesus they saw on the mountain.

Jesus showed them that glimpse of His divinity.

Jesus’ transfiguration elevates their knowledge of Him.

He revealed to them that the Son of Man will suffer many things and be ejected by the elders and chief priest and scribes, and be killed and raised up on the third day. (Luke 9:22)

To tell them that His word is true, He showed them himself in a glorious form.

He may be a suffering Son of Man but He is also a Glorious Son of God.

The question is, how much do you know Jesus in your life?

Is He the Jesus you know in the Valley or the Jesus on the Mountain?

Because if you knew Him only that He is a wondrous healer, a miracle worker, The Shepherd, the provider, the suffering servant then your knowledge of Him is just Jesus on the valley.

But if you considered Him as the Son of God, the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, The King seating on the right hand of the Father, then you know Him as Jesus on the Mountain.

Our knowledge of God shall elevate as well.

JESUS CHOOSES HIS COMPANION

Have we not asked ourselves why there are twelve disciples yet He revealed His glory only to only three?

Jesus feed thousands and healed many, but He circled himself with His twelve disciples. But out of the twelve, He chooses only three as His trusted confidante.

Because we cannot give ourselves to so many.

God’s glory is exclusive to those who are chosen, to the few who are willing to follow Him.

As He said, if you want to be truly my disciples, deny yourself, carry your cross and follow me”.

There is sensitive information that can be confined only to a few.

Mt 17:9 Jesus said, tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

And they kept silent and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

Surrounds ourselves with people whom we can trust.

Jesus surrounds himself who can insulate and help Him to accomplish his mission.

KNOW WHO WE ARE IN FRONT OF HIM

They saw Jesus in His glory talking to Moses and Elijah.

When they are fully awake, they saw His glory speaking to two men.

Then Peter speak “Master, it is good for us to be here, I will build three tents- not realizing what he was saying.

While He was saying this, a cloud formed and overshadowed them.

And a voice came out of the cloud and said “This is my Son…

What we know in the valley cannot be used in the mountain.

We cannot be too much intelligent in front of God.

Rather He commands us to listen to Jesus, the beloved Son of God.

GO DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN

It’s good to stay on the mountain, especially if the presence and glory of God are there, and Peter was so eager that he suggested building three tents for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.

But that glorious experience shall not remain on the mountain but rather share it as well with those who seek His glory.

We have to go down from the mountain and start to witness and share that experience with others.

Jesus allowed His disciple to see Him in His glorious form, a glimpse from humanity to divinity.

They have that moment to witness a transfigured Jesus on the mountain because they might not recognize a disfigured Jesus when they go down to the valley.

He revealed to them that the Son of Man will suffer many things and be ejected by the elders and chief priest and scribes, and be killed and be raises up on the third day. (Luke 9:22)

If we desire to experience and caught a peek at the glorious face of Jesus, first we need to recognize the disfigured Jesus in the life of others.

We cannot just yearn to experience glory but rather feel and see His agony in the life of many.

Let us acknowledge, remember and minister to Him in the life of those who are disfigured because nobody recognized them in their situation especially those who suffer, the voiceless, who are in pain, who are deprived, who are helpless, hungry, and thirsty, the unloved, the persecuted and rejected.

If we aspire to see Him in His glory, we need to seek Him in the life of brethren who are in frailty and agony.

Mother Theresa said” I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper’s wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?”

May all of us have a glimpse of His glory,

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

ONE THING THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING

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ONE THING THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING

Malachi 3:10

One Thing that could change Everything Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house and test me now on this,” says the Lord of Host, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and POUR OUT A BLESSING until it OVERFLOWS.

Is it unusual that we are looking for so many things yet the answer of God could be found in only ONE THING?

Is it amazing that we try to do so many things to please God but the basic secret of doing this is to have ONE FAITH?

Hebrew says that “without faith, we cannot please God”.

Remember that God is not counting how many we are in our community, or how many we are in our ministry because we may be many yet He wants that we are ONE.

We may have different languages, dialects, cultures, and traditions, and we may be having different attitudes and behavior, but let us all set aside all of this as God is looking only for one language, one praise, one attitude and that is being ONE IN HEART, One in Voice.

Though we are many, let us make ourselves ONE in spirit to Worship ONE GOD.

ONLY ONE THING IS NEEDED

We are so busy and troubled by all the worries and trivial things of this world but Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10:41 “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered in so many things; but ONLY ONE THING IS NECESSARY, for Mary has chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

John 6:27 “Do not work for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set the seal.”

When we received His Words, we received Jesus. We received God.

Because Jesus is the testimony that God is true. Jesus’ testimony set the seal that God is true. (John 3:33)

That ONE CHOICE to believe in the Son of God give us ONE GREAT REWARD, it’s the ETERNAL LIFE.

THE POWER OF ONE CHOICE

We are what we are because of the choices we made in the past.

We become what we want to be by the CHOICES we make today.

If we are in that failure today because we had those poor choices in the past.

If we are miserable today because we choose to be.

If you want to be successful in your life, what is the choice you do today to achieve that goal?

If we desire to possess ETERNAL LIFE, is our choices and action leading us to receive God’s wonderful promise?

In this world, we are laid and offered so many CHOICES but in the end in we have to decide between two choices.

To be holy or to be folly.

To eternal life or eternal death.

THE POWER OF ONE DECISION

When a man found a field with treasure, he chooses to sell his properties to buy that piece of land.

In the parable of a man who found a pearl, he decided to sell everything to possess the pearl.

In life, to possess the true treasures we have to decide.

Are you willing to deny yourself, sell everything you have and sacrifice to possess that ONE THING?

It is not easy because selling everything is denying yourself. You have to put your life into it in exchange for something good.

Are we willing to delayed gratification to accomplish our purpose and our mission?

We forsake something temporary for a life that leads to eternity.

We forego trivial to possess and achieve what is eternal.

Being successful requires your life into it.

The road to success is not a straight path. But rather it is complex, but with knowledge, guidance, and perseverance, nothing is impossible.

Our success depends on the severity of our desires.

God says, delight yourselves in the Lord and He will give you the DESIRES OF YOUR HEART.

THE POWER IN ONE

Understanding the power in one can unleash the floodgates of blessings in our life.

Understanding God’s work is important.

God created men from His single creation. From one man, He formed his wife. They became two.

But God said that when a man and woman joined together they become ONE FLESH; not two but ONE.

God created the plants but He doesn’t need to recreate them every now and then rather, from ONE SEED it becomes a TREE, and from one tree it can create a forest.

We ask God for so many blessings, but actually, we need only a blessing because out of that blessing God can overflow it that we don’t have room to store.

THE FLOODGATES OF HEAVEN

When God blesses you, you don’t need many blessings.

What we need is ONLY a blessing.

In Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test me now on this,” says the Lord of Host, “if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and POUR OUT A BLESSING UNTIL IT OVERFLOWS.”

To access God’s blessing is to know the key to UNLOCK the floodgates of heaven.

In Mt 7:7 Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened

Because in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called in my name will humble themselves and pray and SEEK my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

NO ROOM TO STORE

Are we ready to receive a blessing that there is no room to store?

You don’t need blessings you need only a BLESSING.

Because God can give one person, one event in your life, one opportunity, one call, one smile that can open the doors to lead to more blessings.

Just declare that you’re blessed and say it “I AM BLESSED”

Blessing is not a SITUATION but it’s a DISPOSITION.

When I have an I-phone I am blessed. When I have a car, I have a job I am blessed, I have clothes am blessed but when my phone is gone, my job is gone I am still blessed because the things that are in me do not determine my blessings but the God that I believe and trust.

You are blessed when in spite that you have a migraine, you are sick you’re still alive. In spite that you have no job, despite all your affliction, you are still alive because we are blessed.

God is about to bless you where have no room to store.

DESIRE TO BE A BLESSING

The ultimate purpose of blessings is for us to be a blessing to others.

God is about to bless you that you will be a blessing to others.

The sick that you will be touch shall be healed.

Those whom you will minister shall be blessed.

Don’t search for blessings because if you desire to be a blessing, your blessings will be full.

Blessings will follow if you walk not in the path of the ungodly but his delight is the Lord.

He will give you ONE PERSON. Like Naomi to Ruth; Like Boaz to Ruth & Naomi, like Elijah to Elisha, like the butler to Joseph; like Moses to the Israelites. Like Coach Roach to Manny Pacquiao.

God will bring one person that will influence your life and leads you to your destiny.

He gives you a person to bring you to your next blessings that will open a door to your destiny…

I and my wife desire to be an investor and our prayer are to have a mentor, then a friend of mine invited us to attend a seminar and that event was another door that opens to a new venture of knowledge and knowing other positive-minded investors.

One lock to open the door, but we need only one master key to open everything.

God will release one thing in your life that affects the whole thing…

One message, one inspiration, one word…could change the trajectory of your life.

One decision that shall turn the event of our life.

ONE STEP COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE

One step will make a difference.

Like Peter when he step out of his boat, he experienced what no other people had experienced; walking on top of the water.

Every journey always begins with a single step.

We may not experience the abundance of the blessings that are prepared for us because we fear stepping out of our boat of the comfort zone.

Your fear is holding you back from stepping out of your past.

Your fear is holding you back from stepping entering into a new relationship after the break-up, new investment, and business venture past set back.

Sometimes, our blessing is not on our boat.

Sometimes our destiny is not on that boat and for us to reach our destiny is to take that one leap.

If we continue to hold on to that boat and sleep comfortably on the bottom deck, God can use storms to destroy that boat and even throw us to be swallowed by a fish only to accomplish His purpose in our life.

Never grieve on the broken boat but pick up whatever is left as God has prepared something new for you. Be ready to step out of your boats.

ONE SAVIOR, ONE CHANCE

The sin of one man tainted all the next generation with original sin. But with one man, He redeemed the bondages of many.

We have One Jesus, one Cross that saves millions of lives.

One savior, one God, one Redeemer.

We are all sinners, we have all inequities, we are slaves and bondage of our sins and we need only one sacrifice, one Jesus to free us from where we were and from where we are.

Justice says your curse but mercy is your chance, if you have been given ONE chance will you accept Him today.

May God blesses you with that ONE THING,

Mikesendon

NAILED FOR A REASON

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Sometimes life nailed us.

There are events, circumstances, and people who hold us helpless.

With no one to turn to, our only last hope is God.

LIFE NAILED YOU

It was trending recently when a passenger doctor was dragged forcibly out of the plane of a reputed airline company.

Is it a life mockery that you entered the plane as a descent doctor and leave the plane as a patient?

Sometimes we are good doctors but we cannot heal ourselves?

That we are good marriage counselors, yet we have inner struggles in our relationship?

Is it not we are frozen when we teach others but we find it difficult to teach our children…

That we excel in academics but we are poor in love…

We are respected servants of God but struggle to get respect from our peers.

Sometimes life nailed us. Sometimes life is a mockery…

And this is the same experience Christ had when people asked Him to help Himself because He helped a lot of people.

He had done a lot of miracles and still, people were waiting for more…

He wanted to save many but He cannot able to get that respect from His neighbor.

Because what they saw was His being ordinary, a common man, a son of a carpenter.

Sometimes people treat us based on our seeds but not on our fruits.

THE SEED and the FRUIT

We cannot judge the seed by its appearance for now.

Because if we understand what it would become, we can tell what it could be.

I am hesitant toward people who only want my fruits but they are not there when I’m on the struggle to sprout my root.

Be cautious with men who are only after the fruits but nowhere to be found when you were once a seed establishing a root.

BE INSPIRED BY THE ONE ON THE CROSS

Christ was nailed for a reason.

He was nailed by the disciples who betrayed Him.

He was nailed by His own people.

Our life can relate to Him because, in one way to another, we were nailed by our experiences and people who do not understand us.

If after all the good works, good intentions, and good service you provided, you are misunderstood and unappreciated; do not be discouraged for you are not alone.

If you look at people, you will be disappointed.

When you look at events, you will be discouraged.

When you look at your surroundings, you will be dismayed.

But focus on Jesus, the One nailed on the cross and you will be uplifted, encouraged, and delighted.

May His grace abound in you.

Mikesendon