iFollow: Desire To Be With Godly Peeps

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Desire To Be With Godly Peeps

By Jeremiah Sanchez

Everyone has someone to look up to.

For those who are big fans of Korean Pop, the so-called Hallyu Fever, groups such as Girls Generation, Super Junior, Big Bang and the likes are amongst their list of idols. Whenever there's a new music video, fans pause every second in order to memorize the steps.

Love participating with the rush of basketball? LeBron is your guy. Or maybe Bryant. Monroe? You decide. But when you're in a game yourself, you envision your basketball star and attempt to duplicate their awesome moves.

People will always look up to other people. It's in this way that they can mold themselves into what they believe as something better. Just take a look at the circle of friends we have. There's a common saying: tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are.

God has a purpose why he created a large number of us. He knew that as the years would pass, matters would become terribly confusing and we would need the help from others in order to survive. We need good influences in our lives in order to be assured of a godly life ourselves. But sometimes, we find ourselves in the company of a bad crowd who tends to draw us to things that would lead to our destruction. Smoking, gambling, and the likes. 

We need people who would direct us towards the Light. A kind of crowd who would lead us to the path of Jesus.

Walk with the wise and become wise, 

associate with fools and get in trouble

Proverbs 13:20

We need to seek such people for the following reasons:

1. No man is an island

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

 

There is no 'I' in the word TEAM. We need people. People around us, even those who annoy us everyday, are of great importance. God created Eve for Adam so he would have a constant companion. God did not intend us to be alone. He wanted us to have friends/companions. On our own, we would have difficulty in surviving the littlest matters. But with someone else, the burden would seem lighter. Remember: two heads (or even more than two) are better than one.

When we need help, there are some things we can't do on our own. We try to parallel park when we're proclaimed amateur drivers. Instead of attempting to solve it on your own and face the risk of damage, turn to others who can help. When faced with the challenges of this life, turn to those who are connected to the God of answers. They can remind you of His word and even share words of encouragement to enlighten our spirits.

We are obviously unaware of the fact that we have our own sort of BLIND SPOTS. In order to illustrate such, try looking at your forehead without the use of a mirror. Think you can do it? Of course not.Seeing our foreheads by ourselves without a mirror is an impossibility. But who else can see our foreheads? OTHER PEOPLE. Sometimes, we have habits that are not pleasing in the eyes of the Lord but we do not see them. Our family and friends who are attuned to the Word can serve as our mirrors in order to see. They remind us for our sakes, to help us be the best that we can be for Jesus.

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

2 Timothy 2:22

2. There will always be someone more knowledgeable than you

Let's face it. As much as we want to be smartest people in this planet, we are not. There will always be someone who know more than you.

And we should treat that as a good thing. 

Humility plays a big role when it comes to seeking wisdom via others. We have to accept the fact that other people possess the knowledge that we need. If we will remain proud and refuse to accept the advises offered to us by those who surround us, we might as well face an inevitable destruction. Because we should know: God opposes the proud.

"...as the Scripture say: 'God opposes the proud but favors the humble.' "

James 4:6

"Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall." 

Proverbs 16:18

Such situations are like those when we face our parents. Our folks never fail in reminding us via the famous phrase: Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na ako (Been there, done that). It's true. They have been through the road that we are on and obviously, they do know better. They know what to expect and what to avoid. Our pastors in the church are also those who know more helpful facts when it comes to the Word and its application. Our dgroup leaders in church also serve as our guides as they have also experienced trials similar to ours and their knowledge can be helpful for us.

Take a look at Moses. 

Moses was the Chosen One. God had revealed such knowledge through the Burning Bush. He chose Moses for one of the greatest missions written in the Bible. Moses led the people of Israel towards their freedom. With a raise of his staff, he parted the Red Sea and performed various miracles in the name of the Lord. He was THE MAN. He had every right to feel superior to anyone. He could claim that he knew better because God chose him.

But notice this.

As the leader of the Israelites, Moses faced and settled disputes within his community. His father-in-law Jethro paid him a visit and Moses relied to the old man his current situation. In Exodus 18 verses17 till 23, Jethro gave Moses a lengthy advice regarding his problem. Now, Moses could have shunned such advice. He was MOSES, the Chosen One, after all. Why should he listen to his father-in-law's advice. 

But...

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.

Exodus 18:24

Moses LISTENED. He listened to his elder. Despite the fact that he had a higher position over Jethro, Moses was humble enough to take heed of his father-in-law's advice because he acknowledge the fact that Jethro knew better than him. 

We have people around us who undeniably love us and care for our sakes. But sometimes, in order to build us up, they are forced to rebuke us or criticize us. As the receiver of such, we have to keep in mind that they are saying such things because they want us to become better people. Rather than think that they have no right to criticize us, we should be thankful because it shows that they care.  

Humble yourself. Listen and obey. It's for your own good!

If you listen to constructive criticism,

You are at home with the wise!

Proverbs 15:31

It's better to take heed now of the advices we receive from those who know better than us because someday, we ourselves would serve as the influence of others. There will be those who would look up to us, ask for our help and we should serves as Christ-like examples to them. Our influence will eventually be passed on. So, as early as possible, soak yourself with the influence of those who are in synced with the One who is the Master of Wisdom. 

3. We live in a world full of ungodly people 

The world we live in right now is no longer a safe place. Right and left, robberies, murders and pain are spreading. People are hurting their fellowmen due to desperate needs, selfish desires and such. Satan rules this world and a number of us follow his ways. 

We need each other in order to remind ourselves that despite this world being bound to the rules of Satan, Jesus can still overcome his reign. As he boldly declares in John 14:30, though Satan is the ruler of the world, he has absolutely NO POWER over God and Jesus, His Son. Because we are easily discouraged with the events happening, we need the company of our fellow believers in order to assure us that Jesus is the solution and together, we can cling unto Him as we await His deliverance of His people.

Friends, God wants us to live a life of wisdom. In order to do so, it is not enough that we seek Him and read His Word on our own. It is best enjoyed when we our with those with the same cause. When we help build each other for the better, we find ourselves gaining more godly wisdom than we can ever achieve on our own. 

Be thankful for the people He has surrounded you with. Your parents, siblings, friends, dgroup in church, etc, Acknowledge the fact that God placed them in your life because He has a purpose. It is also through them that you can feel the embrace of the God who wants nothing but the very best for you! So, be thankful and desire to be with peeps who love the Lord! :D

Blog by Ashley Bernadette Petallano (c) 2013

iFollow: Asking God's Wisdom Through Prayer

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Asking God's Wisdom Through Prayer

By Timothy Adrian Santos

Alas, the week of exams has come (for most of us, graduating students have already eluded such phase)!

What do students usually do before an exam?

There are the usual type of students who, despite the fact that they have an exam the very next day, choose to spend majority of the afternoon playing computer games with friends.

Then there are those who tweet 'EXAMS TOMORROW- STUDYING- DND' but it makes one wonder-  if you're indeed studying...then why are you on Twitter?

And we should never forget those who make it a habit to sleep off before the very big day.

But, hope remains on those studious children who make sure they have a full grasp of the lesson and work hard in understanding the items that may appear on the exam.

STUDYING. Not everyone is a big fan of studying. There are some of us who declare: "When I graduate, I can finally say goodbye to Math, Science and History! Goodbye Studying!" We are sadly mistaken. Right after every final chapter in our lives, we continually study in order to survive life. 

You see, life itself is a complicated course that we have to pass as long as we live. It's the state where there are so many questions yet the answers are difficult to find! Unlike in an exam where multiple choices are provided, life simply cannot be answered with a, b, or c. It's more than that.

With all the craziness this life has to offer, most of us are still in search for the answers that we crave. Where do we look?

Simple. 

Should you need answers, look upon the ONE who knows everything in life.

⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ⁶ But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.⁸ Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

James 1:5-8

James, brother of Jesus, wrote this book in order to show his audience the right perspective when facing trials. When we are being tested by the challenges of life, our automatic response is to becom

e frantic, to panic and see the worst case scenarios. We lose ourselves and our senses. But James reminds us that should we need the answers to our problems, we should ask wisdom from our God.

Why?

Reading verse 5 in the New International Version:

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

Take note of the word should. This is no mere suggestion. James says that should we be in search for wisdom, we SHOULD ask God. When we say ask, it is continually seeking God and His take on the matter you're asking on. 

And why shouldn't we ask our God about the things we face in life? He is the infinite source of wisdom. Being the Creator of everything that exists, it's evident that He knows everything. A rational choice would be to humbly ask for His wisdom upon us. As the verse said, God gives generously. He won't begrudge us what we need.

Sadly, we only approach Him as a last resort because often, we depend on ourselves to solve the problem. We doubt God's ability to help us resolve the challenge presented unto us. 

Let's remind ourselves that God is not a stingy type of father, the one who hesitates to give us what we need. 

¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.^[a] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15

He is our ABBA Father. The Father who loves His children unconditionally.

⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

James 1:6-7

BELIEVE AND NOT DOUBT. 

Simply said: trust God.

As mentioned above, we have this human tendency to panic when things go wrong. And when they do, we often try to save it ourselves. We believe that we can handle such when in fact, our attempts can even worsen the state that we're in.

Why do we find it so hard to believe that God's Wisdom can guide us through our trials?

According to James 4:8, we are double-minded sinners. We hold on to sin and sometimes, we fall into its trap, trusting that it knows the best for us. Because we refuse to let go, we doubt God's advice when He attempts to help us. 

BELIEVE AND NOT DOUBT.

Friends, we must put our faith in the One who owns the wisest decisions in this world. Sure, there are times when His answers are vague or unclear, but we have to understand that we are just humans and eventually, He will reveal His plans when the time comes. Our God knows what is best for us and He will surely direct us to the right path because He loves us. Ask. Just ask Him and He will respond.

Remember: Wisdom will only benefit us if we are obedient to the Word of God :)

So, rather than consulting this world and asking it for the right answers, turn to the Master of Answers and find yourself being continually amazed with the things He shall reveal to you :)

Blogger: Ashley Petallano, 2013

iFollow: Primary Source of Wisdom? God's Word.

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Source of Wisdom? God's Word!

by Daniel Carandang

Let's face it: we will never outgrow our need for guidance.

For those of us in high school, we can't wait to escape the walls of our school and the clutches of our teachers towards the more independent setting of college. But the truth is, there are still professors waiting to tell us off. Wherever we are and whatever we do, there will always be people ready with words of guidance for us: our parents, older siblings, teachers, etc.

In the many ways we live this journey called life, we also need a guide.

When faced with a crossroad, ask yourself: what do you consult before making a step or aiming to take a path?  Do you have a manual?

Self-help books are made available to those who want to maximize their lives. But such books are unreliable, limited and mere opinions you cannot entrust your life to.

Should we need wisdom, we should turn to the primary source of it. And that is the Word of God (the Bible). Not Wikipedia, Google or those self-help books...only God's Word!

Your Word is a lamp for my feet

And a light for my path...

Psalm 119:105

Ever experienced a brownout? When all of the lights suddenly turn off and you're surrounded by darkness, what do you immediately look for? Your slipper? Toothpick? Toothbrush?

No, you look for a flash light or a candle, sources of light in order to illuminate the darkness. 

We live in a dark world. Because most matters remain unclear to the rest of us, we blindly feel our way around our surroundings and often fall for the hidden traps the devil lays for us because we couldn't see. In order for us to avoid being tricked or swallowed up by the darkness, we need a light to guide us through. 

The lamp unto our feet - before taking an undecided step, shine your lamp unto the ground. When faced with choices, don't automatically jump without knowing what is ahead. Let the light shine through the darkness, allow it to illuminate your path, to show you where you should go. 

The world is filled with opinions, suggestions and answers that are supposedly helpful to our lives. Got a problem? Eat, drink and be merry, says the world. Like that woman? Sleep with her, says the world. The world can trick us into making the wrong decisions we eventually regret in the end.

How do we find the right choice then? How can we avoid falling into pits laid out for our destruction?

Our primary source of wisdom...will always be the Word of God. :)

3 Reasons Why We Should Make God's Word Our Source of Wisdom

1. The Bible is GOD's Word

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

2 Timothy 3:16

Persecutors of the Word claim that the Bible was only written by men who had their own set of opinions too.  But they don't realize that every word written by those men were words from God. Atheists, despite their unbelief are astounded by the consistency of the Bible. 

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,

2 Peter 1:20

The Bible is the only book that claims to be God's Word. There has been so much power and congruence written in its pages. This special Book was written by 40 different authors from various walks of life: shepherds, judges, tent-makers, physicians, priests and kings. They are unified by the guidance of the Holy Spirit in writing His Word. Its principles are surprisingly applicable to any age, any nation, any time and place. Its authenticity and divine inspirations is what makes it overwhelming!

2. God's Word is Righteous and True

I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,

and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me

Psalm 119:75

You are righteous, Lord, 

and your laws are right.

The statues you have laid down are righteous;

they are fully trustworthy. 

Psalm 119:137-138

God's Words is our standard for life and living. Famous author and Christian C.S. Lewis' illustration of a ruler in evaluating what is straight or not applies to the same principle. The Bible is our ruler in life whenever we trying to figure out if what we're about to do is a straight line or a crooked one.

As humans, we are easily deceived by emotions. Our impulsiveness is usually derived from the callings of our heart. But in Jeremiah 17:9, we are told that this is the most deceitful organ in our body.

When we think we've found the ONE, our heart tells us to go after it, despite the fact that you're not even sure if you know that person well or that you have other priorities to attend to. Teenagers engage in premarital sex, claiming that the spur of the moment decision was from their hearts. 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

His Word penetrates even the soul, spirit, joints and the marrow. It distinguishes the vaguest things we thought to be similar in life. The Bible judges our hearts and assesses our motives. As the Lord declared in Jeremiah 17:10a, "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind."

3. The Word is GOD

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning.

John 1:1-2

In our pursuit in reading His word, we will know Him. When we are familiar with Him, we'd know what makes Him joyful and what breaks His heart. We should trust the manual our Dad has given us because He is always after the best for us. 

Need wisdom? Seek God's Word...

and you shall see for yourself :)

iFollow: Want Wisdom? Follow God

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Want Wisdom? Follow God!

By Daniel Carandang

We all want the best for our lives :)

In school, we want to get the highest grades in all our subjects and be hailed as one of the top students. We also want the best of friends who will be there for us no matter what and share with us the best of jokes and stories. Of course, young as we are, we desire to meet that special someone who has the best qualities. We want a relationship filled with affection and love. When we graduate, we want to be enrolled in the best college so we can bear our school name with pride :)

We don't want good or better. We want the best.

For us to achieve this, we acknowledge the fact that we lack information and that we need guidance. We always follow something or someone. Check the nearest bookstores and see that there are hundreds of self-help books (How To Grow Muscles on Your Face- really?) for self improvements. Popular culture never fails to offer us with people we can look up to and possibly pattern our lives after. We can call this as the Mirror Mentality- what we see, we copy.

Now, ask yourself:

What or who are you following?

You see, what you're following determines where you're headed. Where you're headed determines where you'll end up.

The saying YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE (YOLO) was quite a sensation months ago. For YOLO people, since you only live once, might as well make the best out of it by having fun while it lasts. So they live young, wild and oh so free with beer in hand and parties everywhere. 

However, that's not the case. Yeah, you do live only once but it would be such a waste if you invested your life on having worldly fun alone. You only have one life- do it right so that you won't suffer from regrets in the end. 

Today's youth, they say, is the most knowledgeable generation. With the technologies existing and the internet informing us of the latest, this is true. However, we should know that there's a big difference between acquiring knowledge and having wisdom. Knowledge is basically information, vital stats, etc. Wisdom is far off from knowledge. 

Having wisdom is making godly decisions then applying them immediately :)

So, how does one acquire wisdom?

Fear of the Lord is the fountain of wisdom

Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement

Proverbs 9:10

"Fear the Lord? So for me to get wisdom, I have to be afraid of God?"

The fear written in the verse is not a negative one, implying that your knees should wobble and your stomach should churn because you're deathly scared of God. Nope. It's not the constraining type of fear.

When we say fear the Lord, it basically means respect God. Giving him the utmost respect. When you give God your utmost respect, you willingly acknowledge His word and His way and you OBEY because you respect what He has to say. 

Want wisdom? FOLLOW GOD.

Ask God: Is this Your will for my life?

Noah was a man who feared the Lord and because of his utmost respect for the Big Guy, he was able to acquire the wisdom sent from heaven. 

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:7

We're all familiar of the Noah and his Ark. His account is written in the book of Genesis, chapter 6. Noah was given a task that tested his faith in the Lord. He had to build an ark for him and his family and couple of wild animals for the flood. Of course, people made fun of him but Noah turned a deaf ear at their mockery and even attempted to rescue them. He knew that God knew what was best for Him.

So despite the ridicule, he obeyed. And we all know what happened during the Flood. 

Why do we have to fear God to acquire His wisdom?

1. God knows and holds the future

Fortune tellers are not strange in the Philippines. We find it amusing whenever they predict our futures by merely rubbing their crystal balls, reading our palms while massaging it at the same time, calling out spirits and all that. Although, there are some who actually believe that these people can predict the future. 

Guys, if there's someone who knows the future better than those fortune tellers, it's God!

Remember the things I have done in the past

For I alone am God!

I am God and there is none like Me.

Only I can tell the future

before it even happens.

Everything I plan will come to pass,

for I do whatever I wish.

Isaiah 46:9-10

We have no idea of what lies ahead. No one does. Except God. He's the only One who knows what will happen in the future. He knows our future careers, future spouses, families, etc. He holds our future in our hands and you can be rest assured that the best is yet to come!

2. God loves us and wants the best for us

God loved Noah. He wanted Noah to be rescued from the Flood, which is why he told Noah to built his ark. In holy fear, Noah obeyed his God because he believed that the Lord knew what was best for him and his family.

God wants the best for you! He often sends His insights through the advice we get from our parents, teachers and good friends. His Word is actually the biggest book of dos and don'ts meant for our betterment. 

When He says that you should take care of your body because it is a temple of God, He means well. He doesn't want you overeating, which results to becoming obese or eating much of street foods that can harm your health. 

God is our Father who wants us to be happy :)

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

God's will is always the best. He's God! His intentions are not created to harm us. They're for our own good. The world has warped our trust in His judgement, leading us to false teachings and convincing us that God wants us to live boring lives. He does not. He just wants to keep us away from things that will deceive us, causing us pain.

He loves us and the proof is what Jesus did on the cross two thousand years ago. 

In every decision that we make, trust and acknowledge God. Believe that He knows what He's doing :)

Trust the Lord with all your heart;

Do not depend on your understanding

Seek His will in all you do

And He will show you which path to take

Proverbs 3:5-6