GOD CREATED US AND SAW GOODNESS IN US

GOD CREATED AND SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

(Genesis 1:1-2:3)

POINTS TO PONDER:

1. Every time God created something, the bible says, "and He saw that it was good". Everything He created, what God beheld was what was good in everything. So if someone says you are ugly, you're not as bright or intelligent, you're not as well-deserving of life as others are, shrug it off and be confident enough to say, "I am sure that when God made me and He saw me for the first time after being done creating me, He saw that I was good." Sa Diyos, walang pangit, walang bobo o tanga, walang mas mabuti... Lahat pantay-pantay na magaganda sa paningin Niya at mabubuti ang pagkakagawa Niya. God doesn't make any junk.

2. There was an order on how God created everything and that order had man as its centerpiece, as well as God's masterpiece. We are the final touch, the most vital display in all of God's creation. 

The light, the heavens and the earth, the sun, moon and the stars, the plants and trees, the fish and everything in the sea, and animals were all made first with man in mind. Wala pa tayo sa mundo, ni hindi pa nagagawa si Adan at Eba, nasa isipan na tayo ng Diyos. Ginawa na ng Diyos yung environment kung saan mamumuhay ang tao in abundance. He loved and cared for us even before He made our first parents, and designed everything so that the life of man may be supported from His abundant creation. If God desired that our first parents be born into God's abundance, so is His desire for us, too. That is our birthright.

And because we are His masterpiece, He gave us an essence which He did not give any other kind of creature that He had made. GOD GAVE US A PIECE OF HIMSELF. HE MADE US OUT OF HIS OWN IMAGE, HIS OWN ESSENCE, HIS OWN NATURE. This means that we are already set apart immediately, automatically from the rest of creation. WE ARE SPECIAL.

3. Before God gave Adam and Eve responsibility, HE BLESSED THEM. It was the original intention of the divine that man be given DIVINE FAVOR. With the blessing, God declared man set apart from His other creation and as such, we play an important role in God's eternal plan. 

We have to draw strength from what God originally planned for man, to live out of His abundance, His divine favor, with a will to do or perform our  God-given responsibilities to honor Him.

A LOVE FOR A REASON, A SEASON OR A LIFETIME

(This is actually a repost of something I found in the web...)

”The highest function of love is that it makes the loved one a unique and irreplaceable being.”

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON...It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a G-dsend and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. Sometimes they die. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. Your need has been answered, and now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON....It is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life; whether you are a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

- reposted from www.ilovelanie.com

FREE MAX LUCADO Ebooks

I have several Max Lucado ebooks uploaded in my multiply site. Click on the link to go to my multiply page, then to download, just right-click on the link opposite "attachment" and follow the on-screen prompts. Hope these will help inspire you to lead a more Christ-like life.

IT'S NOT ABOUT ME by Max Lucado (pdf file)

http://nikkomahor.multiply.com/journal/item/56

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM by Max Lucado (pdf file)

http://nikkomahor.multiply.com/journal/item/55

HE CHOSE THE NAILS by Max Lucado (pdf file)

http://nikkomahor.multiply.com/journal/item/54

JUST LIKE JESUS by Max Lucado (pdf file)

http://nikkomahor.multiply.com/journal/item/53

THE BEST GAMBLE...

Recently, the Philippines had the highest lotto jackpot prize of more than 200 million pesos. For small fry like us, 200 million pesos is BIG MONEY... considering the financial crisis, I queued up to bet just like everyone else and then made a short prayer (just like everyone else)...

The funny thing was that after making the bet, I wasn't content with the short prayer and proceeded to our midweek service. A few minutes into the service, our pastor said, "You bought a lottery ticket and then prayed to God for Him to help you win... that is an image that doesn't suit a child of God..." I smiled and thought to myself, "there goes the 200 million", but I knew it was God's way of correcting me. I didn't need to win the jackpot prize in the lottery draw. I already have the best prize from betting my faith on the Lord Jesus.

God said that he will never leave us, he will protect us and provide for us AND if we continue to walk in His ways, He will surely prosper us. I don't need a lottery ticket. I just have to work hard and continue in His ways.

Oh well, it was nice daydreaming what to do with the 200 million but hey, I got a great God and He continues to bless and guide me everyday... I am a millionaire a million times over because I have the greatest treasure in my heart: an Almighty God who loves me no matter what.

HE is my best gamble.

SomeGreyBloke Asks "Why Does God Want to Send Me to Hell?" I Say, "He Doesn't..."

this is my answer to a v-log at Youtube that poses the question "If God loves me, why does He want to send me to hell?"... click on the link below to watch the video question and my short reply...

http://nikkomahor.multiply.com/video/item/17

Peace!

HOW TO COPE WITH THE CHRISTMAS RUSH

Every year, the yuletide season has always been stressful for me. All the more this year when finances are tight and people have gotten used to receiving gifts from me, my business and my family.

I was praying to God on my way home last night and I was asking Him for advice on how to cope with the christmas rush. I was worried that people might think that I have turned into a Scrooge or that I wouldn't be able to please them with the gifts that I can afford this year.

When I got home as I was watching TCT, Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries came on and gave short tips on how to cope with christmas anxiety. Praise God! A very quick answer to my prayer! Dr. Stanley first started with a reading of Philippians 4:6-7: " Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful thatn the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus." (TLB)

He then gave these tips:

1. Pray before adding anything to your calendar.
2. Don't go into debt buying gifts.
3. Don't feel obliged to buy everyone gifts.
4. Keep your focus on what christmas is all about: JESUS CHRIST.

And then he ended up with a reminder that we cannot live up to everyone's expectations.

I guess it was God's way of telling me that it's alright to share whatever I can with what I got. Not to impress. And not grudgingly. But cheerfully.

Perhaps there isn't much to go around. But God is reminding me of the young boy in John 6:1-12 whose lunch pack was only good enough for him. If I entrust my lunch pack to Jesus, He can and will multiply what I have to satisfy everyone on my list.

God is so good!!! He hears our prayers and He answers them on time.

Sharing God's Light In Hard Times

Everyone goes through difficulties and trials. There are times when we feel we are pressed to our limits and we're about to explode. I've been there many times and true to God's word, such testing develops character. Now, while my life is not problem-free, I can declare through my faith in Christ that I am not without a God who loves me, who will light a path for me through all the darkness I am going through.

The beautiful thing about having God on your side is that you can hold on to His promises. God said He will never leave us. And He said that His Holy Spirit is in us. That alone gives us every reason to stand tall and not be gripped by the demons of fear and despair.

In today's hard times, a lot of people are going through their equivalence of hell on this earth. Jobs are lost, businesses fail. It's important that we, as christians, tell people about God's message of hope and life. Money is not all there is to life. Sure, life is made easier with it, but not having enough of it should not drive you to depression.

We have a God who is bigger than our problems. But He cannot help us if we are so far away from Him. When He calls or when you stumble, instead of running away from God, run to Him. Perhaps you might not feel His presence immediately, but that doesn't mean that He doesn't have His eye on you. If a small sparrow is that important to God, remind yourself that you are more important than a small sparrow. God loved you and I enough to send Jesus Christ once on this earth to die for our sins so we can always have a way back to God.

In these hard times, we should allow God's light to shine through our lives so that we can be an encouragement and a blessing to those suffering the same difficulties that you and I are going through. Share the message, share the gospel, let people know that even in want there is rest if they are in Jesus. Peace and joy in our hearts, no matter where we are in our lives, are in fact more important than money.