It's Because Of Jesus

We've been taught that we have greater value as we do more good things whether at work or school. But this concept doesn't apply in our relationship with God. Our value in God's eye is not based on our works, but on what Jesus did for us. It's because of Jesus.

I was reading in the Bible how the Pharisees (religious rulers) judged Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. I thought to myself, "I can't believe the Pharisees judged the tax collectors and sinners without realizing they too were just as sinful as them."

But it was in that moment when God convicted me and said, "Have you not realized that you have been thinking the same way as the Pharisees?"

When God asked me that question the Holy Spirit revealed to me exactly what he meant.

I have been doing the Daniel's fast for the past couple of weeks (giving up meat, sugar, and bread). While I knew many people who were doing the fast, I also knew those who were not doing the fast.

Without me realizing, I was looking down on those who chose not to do the Daniel's fast. I had thoughts that I was a better Christian and more valued than them.

God reminded me that just because I fast, it does not mean I'm better than those who don't fast.

God values me just as much as he values someone who does not follow Jesus. It is only because of Jesus that we can be called righteous.

Who am I to think that I'm better than others because of the works I've done?  I was thinking just like what the Pharisees were thinking without even realizing it.

Romans 3:22-24 says, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Our value is not based on our works, but on the works of Jesus. 

We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). There's no good deed we can do to make ourselves worthy of God. Jesus is the only perfect sacrifice who can redeem our sins.

Jesus died on the cross and His blood covered all our sins. It's because of Jesus that we can stand before God and have a relationship with him.

Will you accept Jesus as your savior? Will you accept God’s gift of grace that he has freely given to you?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

God will not value us more because we wake up earlier than anyone to pray, or because we memorize more verses, or because we devot our whole lives to ministry. Our works are not what brings us value to God. God loved us even while we were sinners and it's by His grace that He sent Jesus to save us.

We have no reason to boast about the things we do for God because our works would mean nothing if Jesus never died on the cross for us.

I am who I am today not because of the sacrifices I made, but because of the sacrifice that Jesus made.

Being Christian isn't about doing religious things. It's about coming to know Jesus and being devoted to Him. Christianity is about having an intimate relationship with the most almighty God who made the world and everything in it.

We fast and devote our lives to God not to gain worth in God's eyes, but to know him in such a deeper way and to be transformed more into His image. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says,"..we are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord.."

The more we spend time with Jesus, the more we become like Jesus.

Jesus is calling each of us to follow him. Will you follow Jesus and put aside your desires to hear what He is asking you to do?

Jesus will change your life and for the better. He promises us this: "..I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). God has already made a way for you to know him. He has given you the free gift to stand in His presence.

God desires for you to know him. There is much treasure to be found as we devote our time to God. He wants to show you what your purpose is in life and how much joy there is in knowing Christ.

God's not asking you to do more, but to come to him in surrender and a willingness to follow Jesus. There is nothing more you can do because Jesus has done it all. So remember, it's because of Jesus that you are valued and loved.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that there is nothing more I can do to gain your love for me.

Embrace Awkwardness For The Gospel

We all try to avoid being in situations that will embarrass us. We avoid taking risks because of fear of being wrong. But what if the only thing holding us back from witnessing miracles was our fear of awkwardness? Embrace awkwardness for the gospel.

I was at the gym and was faced with two choices: I could be a normal person who just minds their own business and leaves the gym like any other day, or I had the choice to tell a complete stranger what God put in my heart to tell them with the possibility of changing their life and witnessing a miracle.

What did I choose to do?

The second choice - I embraced awkwardness.

I was at the gym running on the elliptical and a girl came up to the elliptical right next to me. The moment I saw her I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to pray for her because He has a word for her.

So I started to pray for her. I asked God to reveal to me the girl's name, and I got the impression her name was Marilyn (although I had doubts because I had just finished listening to a podcast with a guest speaker named Marilyn). I then began praying for her more and asked God to reveal to me what to say to her that would encourage her.

He told me she's currently in a situation where she's doubting him. Her life has been unstable like a rocking ship, but God wants her to know that only He can make her life still. He wants her to know that He is the Great I am.

I wrote all of this down so that I wouldn't forget. Now was the time for me to step out of my comfort zone and tell this complete stranger what I believed God spoke to me about her.

Luckily she wasn't using headphones so it wasn't too hard to get her attention. I said to her, "Hi, I wanted to ask is your name Marilyn?" She said, "No, but why?"

At that moment I freaked out because I was wrong about her name and said "oh sorry nevermind." I awkwardly went back running and she had left the elliptical to do a different workout.

In that moment God said to me, "Why didn't you tell her the rest of what I told you to tell her? Go find her and tell her the rest of what I told you."

I told God, "Are you crazy, you want me to look like a fool and chase this girl down?" I had already gotten her name wrong and I didn't want to take the risk of looking more like a fool if the prophetic word I received was wrong.

I debated with God for 15 minutes then decided I was going to head home. But as I was walking out God said something that made me turn back. He said, "If you had sought for a word of knowledge and a prophetic word for this girl out of love and not performance, you wouldn't care if you were wrong."

It was in that moment when I realized that this whole time I was caring more about my performance and track record than loving this girl. My fear of being wrong blinded me from seeing the opportunity to show God's love to her.

I didn't care at this point if I was wrong. The chances of me being wrong were worth the chance of me being right and seeing this girl touched by God. I wanted this girl to experience God's love and know that He is real.

I decided it was worth taking the chance of being wrong and awkward.

I turned back to find the girl but thankfully she happened to be walking back my direction. I told her, "Hey, sorry about earlier. Because I got your name wrong, I was hesitant to share with you what God had spoken to me about you. The moment I saw you I felt God tell me to pray for you because he had a word for you."

The girl looked intrigued, so I went on. I told her how God told me she's currently in a position of doubting God. The moment I said that she had the most shock look on her face. I asked, "Is this true?" She said, "Yes!"

I kept going and told her the rest of what God had told me. She told me how she was amazed because she's never experienced this before - how God can tell a complete stranger what was going on in her life and have them say the exact words she needed to hear.

She ended up sharing how she's actually a Christian but has been doubting God. She thanked me for sharing because it definitely encouraged her.

That night I learned one thing: It's worth embracing awkwardness for the sake of the gospel.

If I had decided to follow my fears of being wrong or awkward, I would never have been able to witness a miracle of God. And most importantly, that girl would have missed an opportunity to encounter the love of our living God.

I didn't know what was going on in that girl's life, but God knew. God loves using us to reveal himself to others.

Don't let awkwardness stop you from being used by God. 

Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.."

I wonder how many opportunities we have missed out on being used by God because of fear of awkwardness?

There should be no reason not to share the gospel or step out in faith when God prompts us to do so. Even if we are wrong, it's worth the chance of being right and seeing someone come to Christ.

God has given all of us all the ability to speak a prophetic word to others. 1 Corinthians 14:31 says, "For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged."

This prophetic gift was not only made for certain people, but for all and for the sake of love. You're no exception.

The point of the prophetic gift is to encourage others and to draw them closer to Christ. The prophetic is a beautiful gift that allows others to feel known and loved by God.

You are called to do more than preach the gospel, but to also live it in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." God has equipped us with the Holy Spirit to do miracles that would only prove to others of God's realness.

Will you step out in faith and pursue the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Will you believe that God can do anything through you? Will you take risks for the sake of the gospel?

We see the disciples in Acts not only preach the gospel, but also display it through signs and wonders. The disciples went around healing, prophesying, casting out demons, and many other miracles. Mark 16:20 says, "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

We read about the disciples not to be in awe at their works, but to be encouraged to live like them. We are called to share the gospel through His word and live it in power through the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12)

God's plan for you is greater than you know. He wants to use you in ways you cannot imagine. Don't let awkwardness stop God's plans to use you mightily. Allow God to use you wherever you may be. If you ask God out of pure love, He will reveal to you the perfect words to say that will draw others to Christ. So remember, embrace awkwardness for the gospel.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you love using me to reveal yourself to others. 

Trust God In The Uncomfortable

No one likes feeling uncomfortable. Our natural instinct is to run away from whatever is making us feel uneasy. But it's when we go through the trials and hardships that we come out stronger than ever before. Trust God in the uncomfortable.

I don't like feeling uncomfortable.

What makes me uncomfortable you might ask? Worry.

My natural tendency is to run away from situations that will worry me or take things into my own hands when I fear things won't go my way.

I was faced with an uncomfortable situation where I found myself whispering to God, "please bring that person away, it's only making it harder for me to go through what you've asked me to do."

But it was in that moment when I realized that I wasn't trusting God completely.

If I had trusted God, I wouldn’t be asking God to remove that person in my life. It’s tempting to ask God to remove the difficulties in our lives, but it’s during those times that God wants us to learn the strength of being still in him.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God.."

Even in the midst of our storms, we must remember that God is still God - sovereign, almighty, and good.

Could we be so strong to withstand any storm? The answer is yes, but that kind of strength can only happen when we persevere through trials and testing. James 1:3-4 says, "because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

We must persevere and commit our ways to God to be unshakeable and strong. Matthew 7 describes two houses; one house that was able to withstand any storm and another that fell and crashed.

What was the difference between the two houses? One house was built on a solid foundation, while the other was built on sand. Jesus says in Matthew 7:24-25, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."

If we want to be like a house that stands firm despite the winds and waves, we must persevere through the discomfort. When we can learn to persevere, we will be as what James 1 describes "mature and complete, lacking nothing."As we abide in God in the midst of our uncertainties, we are building our lives on a strong foundation that will leave us unshakeable.

God tests us through trials to strengthen us for what is yet to come.

I want my foundation to be built on God. No matter what storm or discomfort I may face, I can still stand. I want to be a child of God who doesn't let anything shake her.

Will you continue to trust God despite the discomfort and worry? Will you believe that God is in control no matter how uncomfortable your situation may be? 

Psalm 18:2 says, "The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer."

When God becomes our foundation and fortress, nothing can shake us. Embrace your storms because it's through the storms where you will find yourself strengthened like never before. Trials and tests will only make us stronger.

It's easy to wish for our storms away, but then why would there be a need for a fortress? Why would there be a need for God? We will face storms in our lives, but we can still rest through the storm knowing God is our fortress. He loves us and always has the best in store for us.

Psalm 3:5-6 reminds us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." God is in the business of making our lives good and stable.

Do you trust God with all your heart? Or is there still a little part of you that is still doubting God's goodness and sovereignty? 

Trust the process and God's faithfulness. He is with you even in the storm and will use this time to strengthen you to be unstoppable for the plans he has for you. So remember, trust God in the uncomfortable.

Prayer: Lord, help me to trust you even in the uncomfortable. I know your ways are always pure and good.

Don't Be Afraid To Dream Big

We all have big dreams that we desire to see come to pass. But the moment we realize that our dreams are bigger than we are, it's easy to keep it to ourselves or throw away the dream. But what if our dreams were made to be bigger than us? What if it wasn't up to us to make the dreams happen? Don't be afraid to dream big.

For a while, I had kept my dreams to myself.

Why? Because I didn't feel they were worth sharing since my dreams seemed impossible for myself to do.

I was already sharing the gospel through writing, but I also had desires to share the gospel through speaking. I had visions of myself speaking in front of thousands and seeing people come to Christ. I had dreams to lead people into worship and desires for the prophetic gifts. God also started giving me visions to turn Living Revelations into a ministry to bring multitudes of people to Christ.

All of this was exciting, but the moment I started using my common sense and saw my own weaknesses, I held myself back from these dreams.

I'm a shy person and always had the fear of public speaking. I never saw myself as a singer or a professional piano player, and who am I to turn Living Revelations into a ministry?

I told myself, "These are just dreams, I can't possibly do any of this."

I sure was right. I can't make these dreams a reality, but God can.

I completely took God out of the picture and failed to realize that it was God himself who put those dreams and desires in my heart. But the moment I started to see God open doors for my dreams to come true, I came to the realization that these dreams in my heart were put there for a purpose.

God opened doors for me to speak at conferences and at the Singles Ministry at my Church. To my surprise, many people came up to me after I spoke and said what I spoke touched their lives. I even had people tell me that I was a natural (if only they knew my fear of public speaking). God also gave me more opportunities to lead worship at my church. I started receiving prophetic words and details of people's lives that encouraged them as I shared what God spoke to me.

As I continue to walk out in faith, I am continuously seeing God do what I thought was impossible, possible. I believe God will do the same with my vision for Living Revelations. My vision is to help others find God real in everyday life through online devotions, Bible studies, videos, and worldwide conferences to display God’s glory through word and power.

Matthew 19:26 says, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Don't be afraid to dream big because we have a big God who can do all things. 

It is only through God's power that we can accomplish all the dreams he has put in our hearts. God purposely puts dreams that are bigger than us so that we can see His power at work in us. 

God wants to show off in your life, and it starts with making the impossible become possible in your life.

We see God constantly showing off His glory and power throughout the Bible. God always chooses to do the impossible so that people would fear him and put their trust in him. (Psalm 40:3)

We see in Acts that Jesus chose to use unschooled and ordinary men to be his disciples and to carry the gospel to the world. Jesus could have chosen educated Pharisees who spent years studying the word of God, yet he chose fishermen and tax collectors to preach the gospel and perform miracles that would only draw people to Christ.

Acts 4:13 says, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men were with Jesus."

God chose to use Moses, a man who wasn't good at speaking to speak on behalf of the Israelites and lead them out of Pharoah's hand. Moses said to God, ".. I am slow of speech and tongue." (Exodus 4:10). God replied, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:11).

God called Joshua to lead the Israelites into their promise land. He tells Joshua "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9).

We see the people that God used in all 3 examples do the impossible because God was with them.

Just as God was with those in the Bible, so is he with you.

Will you believe that the dreams and passions in your heart were put there for a purpose? Will you believe that God is enough to make your dreams come true? 

Moses was able to split the red sea with God. The disciples were able to heal the lame and sick with God. Joshua was able to cross the Jordan river on dry ground and bring down the walls of Jerhico by sounds of trumpets with God.

You too are able to accomplish the impossible with God. 

Hebrews 13:21 says, "May God equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever."

Don't feel discouraged if your dreams seem beyond your capabilities. You were never made to accomplish your dreams alone. God is with you and will help you succeed in doing His will for your life. He will equip you with everything you need to accomplish your dreams for His kingdom and glory. Only God can turn our dreams into reality. So remember, don't be afraid to dream big.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that with you, I can accomplish all my dreams no matter how impossible they may be.