JE # 35 – Knowing God's Will with our Body

admin — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:08:00 +0000

January 18, 2008

What a beautiful morning! I woke up early this day – afraid to be late in our scheduled Young Adults ‘ Planning Session in Farview. hehe.. I went out to our unit’s balcony and witnessed the foggy (was it really fog or smog?) Makati. i never seen that before. i felt i was in Mindanao State University (Marawi City) where each morning is greeted by fog and a bright sunshine. It was amazing, I felt peace from within whenever scenes like this display before my eyes.

I went to the nearest Internet cafe to have my report done for the planning. 7:30 – i hurried off to MRT guadalupe Station to meet my Bro. Ferdie to accompany me on our way to Fairview. We arrived on time at Samaritana – a very solemn place in the heart of East Fairview. Hope you guys could visit the place one of these days. If you want some solitary place in the city, you can go to this place. Enough for that. Samaritana did not pay me for endorsement. Haha..

We were there on time(kanina ko pa nga sinasabi) but the formal session did not start right away. My stomach was struggling for not having my breakfast. I decided to have one delivered by McDonalds. Due to stress (from last night’s blogging) and hunger, I experienced headache and pains on my bones. FYI, I’m suffering from a condition called Scoliosis. The pain usually lasts for hours.

Anyways, the session was good.We discussed the past accomplishments and future plans.

After the whole day’s activity, the group part waysbringing an inspiration to move on with the ministry that the LORD has entrusted us.

This Sunday is very unusual to my regular Sunday routine where I usually wake up early, rush for the First Service, sing with co-choir members, listen to Pastor Ed Lapiz’ sermon, meet some friends and share insights with other Young Adults in the Church.

This time, I decided to worship at Victory Christian Fellowship in Robinsons Galleria even though I felt the pain all over my body.

Thank you for reading my Inroduction. Hehe.. Here we go. My post starts here. The following are my personal reflections from the Pastor’s sermon that night.

It was about knowing God’s will through our bodies.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1

It is God’s will that we offer our bodies to Him. our bodies belong to the Lord. It should not be used for sexual immorality

Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will
destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the
Lord, and the Lord for the body.

1 Corinthians 6:13

Our bodies are not meant for pre-marital sex, for homosexual acts, for masturbation, etc. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should aim day by day to honor this Spirit that lives in us by striving to be pure in all our ways. Honor God with our bodies. Offer ourselves to God. Let us keep our standards of purity high because the body that we have can be used to honor God. And how do we honor God more? – by taking care of this body through balanced diet, regular exercies, etc.

When we are healthy, God can use us for His greater glory. It’s hard to reach out to others when we are sick (physically and spiritually). To be healthy (and godly), one must sacrifice some things. What does sacrifice means? Sacrifice is giving up something valuable or important for somebody for something else considered to be of more value.

Jesus, the greatest sacrifice demands the best offering from us. And what could be our best offering for Him? – It is our own life! There is no greater offering than this one. So, let us present our bodies as living sacrifices before God.

To end this post, let me share some lines from a Tagalog worship song:

Ano pa ba ang maihahandog ko,

liban sa buhay kong nanggaling sa Inyo

kung anuman sa sandaling ito’y tangan

at mga bagay na tinuri kong yaman

ito’y hindi pa rin sapat sa alay na nararapat sa Inyo

LIVE LIFE. LIVE FOR GOD!

Journal Entry # 21 – I Only Have 5 Months To Live..

admin — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:14:00 +0000

Lamentations 3:22-25 KJV

It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Let me share this entry from a dear sister in Christ, bianca. hope this will move you..

http://inspiringentries.blogspot.com

Im dying of end-stage Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia.. a cancer of the immune system.. My doctors told me i only have a few months to live.. But who are they? they didn’t create me, did they? They did not master every part of my body as what my maker have mastered..

I only realized my disease 3 mos ago.. I was honestly not ready for the news i was about to receive.. At that time, I had 8 mos to live.. The doctors suggested several ways of having cure to this disease but they were all useless.. it only brought more pain to the body that had already been painful.. WM has no cure.. at first i started asking God why.. why has this happened to me? but little by little im seeing light at the end of this dark tunnel i am walking through.. i no longer see myself 5 or 10 years from now.. that is too far from reality.. i know my frail body will not last that long..

but this disease had given me a new perspective in life.. it gave me reason to thank God for every single breath i take and every morning i see with my failing eyes.. i come to appreciate the leaves falling the the roses beside my hospital bed.. i learned to love my parents more.. say i love you to those i really love.. and appreciate every single and simple things people important to me are doing.. knowing that i may not be able to that again.. or perhaps tomorrow..

i have now come to accept my condition.. i know from my heart of hearts that God has a better purpose for me.. oh how i pray that my testimony may change lives and make people realize how short our live are.. it is short because no one can be sure that they are still alive tomorrow..

i am not praying for long life for my sake.. i am praying for long life so that other people may come to realize the same realizations i had while im on my hospital bed.. i am not praying for healing for myself.. i am praying for healing to those people that have long more years to live and can do lots of change to other people and their community.. i am not praying for miracle for myself.. i am praying for miracle to those people who knows me or read this post that they may realize their potential in Christ to be used for his greater glory, before its too late..

i wanted to write lots of things here.. but that seems to be boring to read.. so as you finish reading some parts of my life, i dont want you to pray for me.. I WANT YOU TO PRAY FOR YOURSELF.. what have you done for Christ lately? when was the last time you became a blessing to your family and brethren? my friend there is only one difference between you and me.. I have 5 more months to live.. but you don’t know how long or how short you’ll live.. i pray that you would start acting right here right now.. i don’t need to know you’re a christian.. i need to SEE that you’re a christian..

Bianca – 12/12/2007

from Christianster.com
(published with permission)