Coming to Jesus in our weariness

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (MATTTHEW 11:28)

Coming to Jesus is a personal experience that helps us understand the importance of His salvation in our lives. We have to take him for his word in order to have a close intimacy. We come and he will gladly welcome us like a shepherd cares for his flock and then we get healing for our complexities and find strength to encourage others. But our coming to Jesus must not only be at face value. In order to see the real light of Christ’s rest in us, we must set aside a few hindrances in our lives first. We have to do our first part before we receive Jesus’ promise of rest.

SET ASIDE OUR FRAIL WEARINESS

We are to acknowledge our frailty and dependence on Him including those that get in our way and surrender all the difference that displays our failure. All the useless things, the pain and the trouble we get from them. This is important to consider our new benefits. “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. (ISAIAH 55:2)

Next are our wrong partnerships, allies and connections. If we place a high value of our relationship with God, then we are to stay away from these pressures or severe our ties with them in order to grow and stop being under attack with lost opportunity, misplaced blessing and less confidence and more problems. Ignorance of instruction and rebuke tends us to follow and maintain wrong friends who bring us more complication in life. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Our sweeping freedom in Christ endowed us kingdom right and values that reflect that God is just. We become His people because of the work of Jesus on the cross. Thus we are assured that we have eternal life now and live with him forever. ”For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (GALATIANS 5:1)

SET ASIDE OUR DISDAINFUL BEHAVIOR

We are to become like ordinary, very plain but radiantly beautiful within as we allow God’s spirit to work within us. We are not to look for praise for ourselves in order to prove our greatness. We must put in absolute awe of God’s power and creativity for we are truly trifling compared with what God has done. We are to cast off our pride and our old sinful habits if we are to experience growth in our rest and be renewed totally. We must be like Moses, meek and unresisting, not wanting to argue and who endures injury with patience and without bitterness. (NUMBER 12:3)

The apostle Paul, in response to the accusation of weakness by the Corinthian church on him, wrote straight into the conflict and presented his position in contrasting his bold and militant self. Like him, we should not be proud but show a kind and gentle quite nature that is not afraid of danger or difficult situations and standing out prominently for Christ. “For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. (2 CORINTHIANS 13:10)

In the book of Zechariah is found the messianic vision of the coming prince of peace, the triumphant appearance of the humble king; thus taken up by the gospel writers to describe Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. In the New Testament, the messiah came not as a conquering warrior as what the Jews expected but in lowliness and peace. Not like the last kings of Judah and princes of old who rode on chariots and on horses, the messiah rode on an ass (ZECHARIAH 9:9).

SET ASIDE OUR DRUDGERY

We are to set aside our monotonous, boring and unpleasant hard work, eve subjecting ourselves to unfair and dishonest means. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls…” (jeremiah 6:16). This means our history and the lessons learned from it. We are to “walk in the light of the Lord.”  Then you will defile our carved idols overlaid with silver and our gold-plated metal images. We will scatter them as unclean things. We will say to them, "Be gone!" (ISAIAH 30:21)

We are to follow (or understand) God’s law that revealed his holy will clearly that ignorance can be no excuse. His commands are understandable and not strange or remote for us. It is in our mouths that we may readily talk about it and on our hearts that we may easily remember. (Deuteronomy 30:11)

With our faith making its victory against the world, we are to guard and obey (conform) in love God’s commands. Jesus has said in John 14:15 that is we love him, we will keep (comply with) his commands. This is the Christian’s power that conquers the world.

Let us all be aware of our weary countenance, our self-preoccupation and do the first step in coming to Christ. At all times, we have to take an obstacle inventory in order to get the true message Jesus wants to work in us. Our union with the Lord gives us that needful rest we replaced with our losing lifestyle. Resting in Jesus gives us satisfaction as well as fulfilling and growing relationship with Him. amen

Michael Medina, WCM

The Light of Christ Ministry

Walay imposible sa Diyos

            

“Mitubag si Jesus, ‘Ang dili mahimo sa tawo mahimo sa Dios.’ (LUKE 18:27)

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Ang kaluwasan alang sa tanan pero gikinahanglan  walay mobabag nga kinaugalingong pagbuot, sama sa salapi ug bahandi, aron matagamtam kini sa hingpit. Kung si Ginoong Hesuskristo adunay ipabuhat kanato dili kita mobalibad. Kasagaran ang  atong salapi o bahandi  maghatag kanato ug sayop nga panglantaw ug seguridad sa kinabuhi  ug sa  atong katagbawan niini,  malimot kita  nga adunay mas angay unahon diay pagpangita--ang Diyos hinungdan nga aduna siyay ipakita kanato nga angay natong pamalandongan.

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ANG PAGPAKITA SA DIYOS SA IYANG PAGKAGAMHANAN

Aduna ba goy dili mahimo sa Ginoo? (GENESIS 18:14)

Bahin sa pangutana ug si kinsa ang maluwas (MATTHEW 19:25), Si Pedro misulat, “Kon lisod maluwas ang tawong matarong, unsa pa kaha ang wala motuo sa Dios ug ang mga makasasala?” (1 Peter 4:18). Sa mga tawo kini imposible apan ang Diyos adunay mahimo aron mausab ang usa  ka daotan  ug makasasala (Matthew 19:26). Alang sa mga matarong, padayon lamang sa paglakaw sa “masigpit ang ganghaan ug malisod nga dalan paingon sa kinabuhing dayon” (Matthew 7:14) kay nagsaad ang pulong sa Diyos, “…gantihan man dinhi sa kalibotan ang mga maayong tawo” (PROVERBS 11:31).  Karon kung mangutana ka kinsa lamang diay ang maluwas ug sa unsang paagiha? Ang tubag: Maluwas ang imong kinabuhi kung mosalig ka sa Ginoo.” (JEREMIAH 39:18). Siya gayod maoy gasulti niini.

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Walay  butang nga lisod para sa Ginoo (Jeremiah 32:17)

Walay butang nga labihan ka katingalahan alang kaniya  ug walay huna-huna nga dili niya makab-ot. Mahimo niyang  buhaton ang tanang butang nga iyang gikahimut-an  kay mahimo niya ang pagtuman sa iyang mga saad  ug tumanon sa iyang mga pulong ang iyang mga  tuyo ug molampos kini. Ang tanan nga naglibot kanato gihimo sa Diyos gikan lamang sa iyang pulong. Kung ihulagway nato ang bantugang magbubuhat, mahimong madasig kita ug mapalalom pa ang atong pagtoo aron sa pagsanta niadtong wala gayod mitoo ug nag-ingon nga imposible ang tanan apan tin-aw kaayo nga walay lisod para sa atong Ginoo.

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ANG PAGPAKITA SA DIYOS SA IYANG PAGKA-DIYOS

Dili siya mahibulong (ZECHARIAH 8:6)

Dili malisod sa mata sa Diyos ang tanan tungod kay  siya ang Diyos ang naghatag sa kinabuhi, tinubdan sa tanan ug siya lamang ang makaluwas. Gusto ka ba nga maluwas? Usahay makalibog ug katingalahan sud-ongon ang mga saad sa Ginoo apan sa gisulti na niya ug gibalik-balik pag-ingon: Dili malisod alang kaniya ang gilantaw nato nga lisod.

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Sa iyang kabubut-on, makakuha siya sa atong kalisod (MATTHEW 14:36)

Iyang ipabuhat ngadto sa iyang mga pinili ang iyang kabubut-on.  Modungog siya sa atong mga pagtuaw  ug siya gayod mismo ang mosilot sa misupil kaniya. Siya ang angayan nga kahadlukan kay siya balaan  ug adunay gahom sa pagpatay  ug pagtambog ni bisan kinsa ngadto sa impyerno. Makalilisang gayod ang mahulog  sa iyang kamot ug mahukmang sad-an.

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Dili kita makasunod sa Ginoo samtang magkinabuhi sa kalibutanong kadato.  Matod sa iyang pulong:  kadtong kadtong buot madato mahiagom sa tintasyon ug malit-ag sa daghang mga binuang ug makadaot nga mga tinguha nga maoy makabanlud kanato ngadto sa kaalaotan ug kalaglagan. Kay ang pagkamahigugmaon sa salapi maoy tinubdan sa tanang pagkadaotan. May mga tawo nga tungod sa kadako sa ilang tinguha nga masapian, nahimulag hinuon sa pagtuo ug nahiagom sa daghang mga kagul-anan (1 Timothy 6:9F). AMEN.   

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(Michael Medina, WCM   The Light Of Christ Ministry)

SERMON FOR NOVEMBER 4, 2017

God’s justice and faithfulness

You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, "How have we wearied him?" By saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them." Or by asking, "Where is the God of justice?" (Malachi 2:17)

Our God of righteousness argues with the scoff of wicked men at the long delay of Jesus’s coming as they have tired his patience by their blasphemous speeches, charging his providence with injustice when they expected outward prosperity and happiness. The same can be told in these last days as Peter predicted that there will also be scoffers who will mock at the promise of Christ’s second coming, (2 Peter 3:3 2 Peter 3:4).

MAKING SENSE OF THIS ARROGANCE
These people flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin (Psalm 36:2)

These people think they are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth (Proverbs 30:12)

These people think they are holy enough, saying, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in God’s nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day (Isaiah 65:5)




Michael M. Medina, WCM         
The Light of Christ Ministry