Oppressed - OffToRest

Date: July 26, 2013
Text: Exodus 28-29, Acts 7

Rhema Verse: Acts 7:9-10 “These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.

Message: Joseph had a hard time during the testing moments of his life. He had to go through a process of maturity; from being a favorite-tactless-youngest child to a mature, sensitive, organized and responsible man as a servant. All this amazing transformation came because GOD was with Him even through the toughest time that a person may seem to question is there really a God? In every situation, especially in the bad times, the Lord is with us. He can give us the rest we need. We need not to call only at times we are oppressed, but we need to learn to seek for HIM in our everyday living so we have uncommon wisdom, and uncommon rest and peace that surpasses all understanding.

Promise: God never leaves me, nor forsakes me. Nerie, meditate My Word day and night, only then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

Command: Seek uncommon wisdom and favor through the Word.

Warning: thinking I can handle things on my own will result to oppression.

Application: Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with people whom God anointed and filled with His wisdom in JNRM. I had the impression that those tough times we had together in the company, the problems we had to go through was for one reason - maturity. It is a process, and Only God knows how soon everything will take place, but what amazes me is their willingness to go through it. Thank you Lord for their lives, thank you for the people you have put in our place that makes this race a joy to pass through. Thank You forI know You who begun the Good work in us, will remain faithful until you complete it. Thank You that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Thank you for the favor and the uncommon wisdom will be with us all, in Jesus name.

Stop, Look and See Through

Text: Exodus 25-27, Acts 6

Rhema Verse: Acts 6:2-4. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

Message: As the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. As an organization grows there will be alot of needs to be met, because people 'needs' alot of things constantly. But one things inspired me is what the disciples did when faced with their situation. They have uncommon wisdom to make them stop their emotions from the nagging believers, look at the situation, and see through the problem for a solution. They realized that they could not leave the most important thing - the strategic work of evangelism and delegate the tactical work to competent and anointed men.


Promise: God can give me uncommon wisdom 1Kings 3:11. He is the giver of ALL good things. Matt7:11 And it is HIS joy to give me what I need in the name of Jesus, so my joy will be complete. Jn14:13

Command: Ask for uncommon wisdom. Stop, look and see through! Quiet the storm of emotions.

Warning: Not learning to be still, in the rage of a storm will make all the 'passengers' drown.

Application: Before I was able to read my devo my husband and I was talking how a child learns so fast (we were amazed by Nikki's intelligence). He said he watched it once in Discovery channel that it was because each of the brain have cells that holds a storage of curiosity. It branches out once a curiosity is being experienced and then nurtured or exhausted. He even said that according to scientists, the most genius person on earth only utilizes 15% of the brain's capacity to hold wisdom. But the good thing is, there is a God who created the human's brain and i can ask anything in His name. He granted Solomon, Joseph, Stephen and so many people great wisdom and understanding because They asked to govern His people. And Lord, that is what I ask of You today. Father, grant me uncommon wisdom, knowledge and understanding so that I may govern Your companies, Your cell group, Your church. And Lord give me an undivided heart, that always look for You, hungers and waits for Your direction. Use me Lord, strengthen me, enable me and also the people I get the opportunity to touch. Thank you for the wisdom, the favor from God and Men.

Choose Wisely

Text: Exodus 21-22, Psalms 12, Acts 4

Rhema Verse: Acts 4:32. All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.

Message: The early disciples were persecuted after healing a lame man in the Beautiful gate. During their trial they raised a question: "Do you think God wants us to obey you (persecutors) or God?" After that they prayed to God for courage. The Holy Spirit shook the place and responded by  giving them boldness, one heart & mind. In any trial or 'situations' I am facing, a challenge is always raised: Whom will I obey? The people/myself or God?

Promise: 1. I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Acts 2:25b
2. The Holy Spirit has given me power to be a witness in all the world. Acts 1:8
3. The Holy Spirit will give us one mind and one heart to honor HIM.

Command: Pray to God for courage. Obey God rather than men.

Warning: Fearing men rather than God will end up in great consequences.

Application: Father, forgive me for the times I choose to follow others than following Your ways. I remember when I was faced with the problem at customs, I felt that I needed to give-in to what they require or else the paper will not be released, I chose to give-in thinking that it was the Only way. And now anything that comes their way they wanted to get more. Lord, forgive me I forgot that You are the God who can do the impossible. Father, you can get us out of this mess, move through the situation Holy Spirit. I declare that there will be no procastrinations, no hindrances, no sorrow in our businesses in Jesus mighty name, everything will go smoothly. Lord, teach me to always Rely on you, give us one heart and one mind. Do not let us forget the reason why we are doing this- for Your Glory alone. And because this is Yours, and You are the owner of our lives and every business You will never leave us, nor forsake us. Thank you faithful Father, because we can rely on You.

Even More Beautiful

Text: Exodus 17-20, Acts 3

Rhema Verse: Acts 3:2. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple.

Message: In the beautiful gate was someone all his life who thinks he wasn't beautiful, or worthy, or enough- a lame man. But God changed all that, God made him see what He is- soo beautiful and blessed.  This man came to know Jesus, and His life made so many pitiful lives ahead of him even more BEAUTIFUL.

Promise: HE makes ALL things beautiful in HIS time. God made me and my life beautiful.

Command: Stop and See through the 'situation'. Find the beautiful gate.

Warning: Looking at your circumstances with all the noisy emotions will make it impossible to see through. Don't look at yourself, Nerie. Look unto Jesus.

Application: God, now I know that to be able to make an impact to others, You must first be the greatest impact in me. Lord, I want to be able to see the beautiful things, your miracles, the parting of the red sea in my life everyday, and make me able to testify it to everyone who surrounds and get in touch with my life. Father, I don't want to see myself working on these, cause I know I surely can't. You have made me realized my limitations in compare to Your incomparable greatness. And God I don't want to live a life of mediocrity, work in me, work through me. Make my life and the life of others I touch even more beautiful, because You are sooooooo beautiful God.

BLINDED BY PROBLEMS

Date: July 1, 2013.
Text: Gen. 44-46, Luke 18

Rhema Verse: Genesis 45:8. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

Luke 18:41. “What do you want me to do for you?”  “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

Message: Many times when people face problems they get blinded by the situation and starts to panic, especially for a melancholic like me. But it is God who gives wisdom to see beyond what is happening, and what He is doing, just like in the time of Joseph. But it was clear that even though I could be in panic, distressed or drowning in my self-inflicted anxiousness, I could ask God like the blind beggar in the street to 'see'. See God's promises of salvation prepared for me.

Promise: God is always asking and waiting to do wonders for me. "What do you want me to do for you?"

Ask everything in my name, and my Father will give it to you so your joy will be complete -Jesus.  John 14:13

Command: When facing challenges, Stop-Look-Listen just like the blind beggar. Stop your negative thoughts, Look at what God is preparing, Listen to His directions.

Warning: Being blinded by too many negative thoughts and fearing things only created by your mind will stop you from getting your miracle!!!

Application: The night before my youngest birthday, while I was packing loot bags for his party I was being anxious with 1.2M, I needed to pay for the stocks so it could arrive here in the country. As part of being a melancholic a 'thinker' I exhausted my mind where I can get that amount; for we have already paid 2/3 of that 3 months ago and the stocks needed to be paid in full to arrive. And so I counted first, every chocolate for the loot bags and calculated how many loot bags I can make; 150 divided by 3 is 50 (I rechecked twice) While I was picking each chocolate my mind is counting and sorting and I begun to pray. I said, "Lord what if the children were more than 50, they haven't eaten this kind of chocolates yet, can you make it 70? Just like what You did with the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes that fed 5,000 men not counting women with leftover." I was sure my heart began to feel joy in my heart and went on counting and putting in chocolates to the loot bags. When my back begun to feel a little achy, and seeing little chocolates left in the bed, I started to count how many loot bags I made, I bundled them by 10 bags, and my tears began to fell when I counted I already made 50 and there's more in the bed... I counted every visible bags 55, 60, 69 and when I saw the last loot bag beneath the pillow I wept aloud. I heard what God said to me, Nerie, if I can do this with chocolates I can definitely do this in your finances. What a great God we have... All we need is to be like the beggar so bold to ask.