Work- God Rests. Pray- God Works

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Every single day, we face situations and 'challenges' that triggers our emotions. These situations causes our brain to think ahead of something that 'have not' or 'may not' happen; but 'may' or 'may not' result badly - that my friend is called worry. We worry if we're gonna be late for a meeting, we worry if our co-workers likes us, we worry if our child can go to school next year, we worry if we will have food on our table for the rest of our days. 

And this 'thinking ahead' brings a very close friend named anxiety and her buddy: stress. Stress makes our mood -sour, and may drastically affect a person we love, even if we dont intend it to. 

PROMISE: Cast our cares on Jesus, because HE cared so much that He gave HIS own life to give us a full life. (Matt 6:25-34) 

PRAY. And great things happen, TRUST will give us peace beyond our understanding!!! When we Work, God rests. when we pray, God works. ;)

COMMAND: Do NOT worry, just PRAY and THANK God.

WARNING: Worrying does not add a single day in our life

I am a perfect example for this. My personality being a melancholy-choleric makes me want to interfere with about anything, because I felt they 'need' my help they're just too afraid to ask, and I can do that better because I am a perfectionist (the melancholy speaking). The choleric side will be bossy, and push my decisions to theirs. And it caused confusions, frustrations, 'i told you so's', stress; because I will be thinking of their worries, and because I worry that their worries will happen, yet i have my own worries, and BOOM!!! I donre even want to name what happens next  ;)

So this year, LORD help us to enjoy life -to see the beautiful people you have put, to make it the best possible life there is. Help us to even appreciate the people that may cause us to frown, for YOU have put them so we can learn from them and be wiser. Teach us to number our days right, and live to the fullest by teaching us not to worry but instead pray, and put everything into YOUR hand. For you even cared about the birds in the air and their chicks, the wildflowers in the fields that will die the next day; how much more your people whom YOU gave up Your life on? 

Memory Lane

RHEMA VERSE: Forget what is behind and strain towards what is ahead, let's press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenwards in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13b-14

MESSAGE: Our brain is a powerful tool intricately designed by God. It holds tons of memories from certain events that can be triggered and put us to the same place or feeling it experienced from the past. Some memories makes us smile, and 'some' or many times, it  can make us frown or even sad. This new year, Apostle Paul is telling us a precious message: 

forget what is behind: our past mistakes, people who let us down along the way, the problems, our former glories- and look ahead for the bright and great future the Lord has prepared. 

Press on towards the goal: what God started (a dream, vision, a process, an opportunity) He will not put in vain, He will remain faithful until He completes it- that's HIS promise (Phil 1:6) A good athlete runs even with a sprain or a bruise- we may think that our challenges is taking the best part of our life but if we continue to run the race, though we may be beaten or broken down, GOD will give us inner strength to finish the race.

And when we came to that goal, only to realize that 'those' that happened in the past was also God's design, for us to be able to come to the great future. What a great joy to serve our God!

PROMISE: For. I know the plans I have for you, a plan to prosper you and not to harm you, a plan to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

COMMAND: Press on!

WARNING: Looking behind will make us miss the great future ahead.

APPLICATION:  Lord, teach me to always rely on You. To seek you first and foremost about anything and about everything. To consult You before my decisions and not after my confusions. Give us directions for this year, give us strength, wisdom and favor. Help us enjoy every moment be it a challenge or success. Thank you Lord for another year with You. Bless every lives we touch, may we cause them joy and be a testimony of Your great love and grace.

Uncommon WIsdom

Text: Exodus 37-38, Psalm 19, Acts 11

Rhema Verse: Psalms 19:7. The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

Message: The Word of God is life, a spring of living water as in Psalms 1. Those who delights in His Word is like a tree planted in streams who bear fruits in season. It gives uncommon wisdom that can make the simple wise. It is like a double edged sword that pierces then convicts me when I am wrong.

Promise: Nerie, meditate my Word day and night and you will be prosperous and successful. Your Word is the light to my path, I will never be wrong or clueless. 

Command: READ the WORD day & night.

Warning:

Application: God is my wisdom, I may not be a learned person, but God gives grace and wisdom to the humble. More than a year ago, I kept on feeling that I can do things on my own;that I don't need to bother God for the littlest of decisions. But I was in the wrong. I realized that. everyday, every situation I need to ask for wisdom and watch for The great difference of God's work versus man's work. Right now Lord, I am waiting for Your great display for JNRM, NewYou, SAlicon Builders & Wellness Naturale, give Your people uncommon wisdom, unity, favor, strength & fear of the Lord.

The Process

Text: Exodus 33-34, Psalms 16, Acts 9

Rhema Verse: Acts 9:15. But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.  Acts 9:20. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”

Message: Paul became a believer of Christ, after his encounter in Damascus. As soon as he regained his sight, he begun preaching. His preaching became more and more powerful but in the form of debates v22, 29, it caused alot of problems at first, because many tried to kill him. When the apostles sent him to his hometown peace was restored to Judea, Galilee, Samaria. It!s clear that everything begins with a process. It is not in an instant that I can be a good messenger, apostle, entrepreneur or be the best person ever it come with a 'process'. Change is painful at first, it is like pruning a tree, but good thing Jesus will sure make my life super beautiful. It took a great boldness for Apostle Paul to testify, because He was fully convinced that He is indebted to God.

Promise: God can make me the best person He intended me to be. The process/promise may seem long, but we'll sure get there, because HE said so.

Command: 1. Don't be hasty, every second, every situation, every person was intricately designed by God to mold me to be the best person He created me to be.

2. Have patience for the people God put in my life, because they too are also hasty in the process.

Warning: Hastiness brings great stress.

Application: Lord, let me always rest in You. Know and believe that in these situations you are with us. Give me patience Lord. Thank you for teaching me the exercise of "stop"- stop-look-see through. Thank you for giving me wisdom, passion and strength. I trust in You Lord. You are the God and owner of JNRM, NewYOu, Salicon Builders, Wellness Naturale

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.