Perfectly Imperfect

“Accept each other as Christ accepted you; then God will be glorified.” Romans 5:17

In your journey of discovering your purpose in life, you will meet different kinds of people. There will be people who will remain true to you and there will be people who are good to you when they want something from you. People will love you, people will hurt you. People will value you and some will just use you. For sure, those people who do good things for you will be easily put on your "Beloved list". How about those who have hurt you? Will you hate them forever?

I want to share to you a story on how I tried to discover what God was trying to teach me on one of the most difficult people I have encountered in my life so far. ("So far" because I know after this, He'll give me more difficult people to be with, well its part of the test) 

I consider this person difficult because he knows me when he needs me. Yes, a user-friendly kind of person. Even though he was mad at me, he has the guts to ask me to help him do some of his stuffs. Of course in the beginning I don't know that he hates me to the bones. So I have no idea what he has in mind while I am being the good-helping-girl who does my best just to help him out. To cut the story short, God allowed some things to happen to let me know what kind of person this man was. 

This man hates me because he feels jealous about me ( I won't elaborate why, for some personal reasons and because I really don't know enough reason why he should hate me). As a human, I felt betrayed, I felt used and abused. I underwent a series of depression. At church, I was told to forgive those who sinned against me so that God will also forgive me (Mat 6:14-15). So I tried to forgive him and pretended I wasn't hurt. Actually, he has no idea what was happening to me that I already discovered his true feelings towards me. 

The story didn't stopped there. It happened not just once, twice, it happened a lot of times. I got depressed again, felt bitterness and resentments towards him. During the hardest part of depression, I realized that I have been trying my best to forgive him. Why can't I? I kept on trying my best to be the best person that I can be towards him but he kept on disregarding all my efforts. I felt I wasn't appreciated after all those things that I have done for him. 

I kept on praying to God to help me forgive him. That may he reveal to me what was it that He was trying to teach me. I realized that if I will not succeed in this test (test of love towards others) I will not succeed in my journey to live like Christ.

It is today that I was reading Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life that I found what was God trying to teach me for almost three years now. I was in the 7th day of the forty days devotional book, and the topic was about how we believers can bring glory to God. I was struck on the second reason, it says "We bring glory by loving other believers. When you were born again, you became a part of God's family. Following Christ is not just a matter of believing; it also includes belonging and learning to love the family of God...It is your responsibility to learn how to love as God does, because God is love, and it honors Him."

I just felt an overwhelming feeling as I read the paragraph about loving others. For me, I took it not for believers only but also for the pre-believers (I don't want to use the term "Unbelievers" because I am hoping that God will let them be believers as well, credit goes to Bishop Manny Carlos of VCF). I realized that God has been loving me for who I am. He accepted me without even making me feel guilty of my past life (Heb 10:17). 

What I lacked in my heart is God's graciousness towards me. I am a sinner, but still he chose to love me and even I continuously sin he still loves me (Eph 2:4-5). It is because of God's grace that I am saved. I forgot that I was once a drunkard, a smoker, and all the bad things you can call me, but God chose to love me. God made me realized that in order for me to forgive that person, I should think first on how God forgave me and love me, so that I may know what His grace is all about. 

There are always difficult people that we will encounter in our life. Difficult people are those who love to push your button of anger. They can be your parent, a sibling, a friend, an in-law, a neighbor or even a random people that you meet at school, workplace or even at church.

God allows us to sin, so we may know how it is to be forgiven;

God allows us to get hurt so we may know how it is to forgive.

I am not perfect, so was that person who have hurt me. I am God's child, so was he. So what is the reason I cannot love him? :) I just realized that life is a series of tests. And this encounter with this man is one of God's test for me. Today, I choose to forgive him not partially, but fully! I choose to love him as God loves me. Not because I need to, but because God wants me to and by loving him, God is glorified (Rom 15:7). I am not doing this for myself, but I am doing this for God. :)

Photo from: http://www.zazzle.com

God created us as perfectly imperfect people so we may know that by His grace alone, we are saved (Eph 2:8-9). 

Letter

 LETTER FROM SATAN (DARK LETTER)

…PAY ATTENTION TO THE P.S. at the end.

Letter from the Devil

This can really make you think. It actually made me really mad while I was reading it, but it made me realize some things.

Plus, I had to send it because of the P.S.

This is deep… and I wasn’t going to forward or share it, but that last line… you’ll see.

A LETTER TO YOU FROM SATAN

I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores.

You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn’t even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night.

You are so unthankful, I like that about you.

I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living, Fool, you are mine.

Remember, you and I have been going steady for years, and I still don’t love you yet.

As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate God.

He kicked me out of heaven, and I’m going to use you as long as possible to pay him back.

You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you.

But you have yielded your life to me, and I’m going to make your life a living hell.

That way, we’ll be together twice. This will really hurt God.

Thanks to you, I’m really showing Him who’s boss in your life with all of the good times we’ve had.

We have been…

watching dirty movies, cursing people out, loving worldly things, having bad influences, stealing, lying, being hypocritical, fornicating, overeating, telling dirty jokes, gossiping, being judgmental, back stabbing people, disrespecting adults, and those in leadership positions, no respect for the Church, bad attitudes.

SURELY you don’t want to give all this up.

Come on, Fool, let’s burn together forever. I’ve got some hot plans for us. This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you.

I’d like to say ‘THANKS’ for letting me use you for most of your foolish life.

You are so gullible, I laugh at you. When you are tempted to sin, you give in.

HA HA HA, you make me sick.

Sin is beginning to take its toll on your life. You look 20 years older, and now, I need new blood.

So go ahead and teach some children how to sin.

All you have to do is smoke, get drunk or drink while under-aged, cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate, and live being as selfish as possible.

Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it too. Kids are like that.

Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I’ll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess your sins, and live for God with what little bit of life that you have left.

It’s not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning, it’s becoming a bit ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I still hate you.

IT’S JUST THAT YOU’D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.

P.S. If you love me, you won’t share this


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I saw this on Facebook, and it scared me so. But there's something within me that tells me not to be afraid. For God is always with me and He will not give up to win my soul! :) As well as the souls of millions of people who doesn't know Him yet.

Brothers and Sisters, Jesus loves you and He will never be tired of loving you. For God is FOR YOU! :)


It is not too late to know Him better and to accept Him as your god and your personal savior. 


REMEMBER, GOD IS FOR YOU! 



Click this if your heart says, "I WANT TO BE SAVED" :)

Free at Last!

                                           Photo courtesy of : The New York Times

Imagine this: Doctors and nurses on panic, my mother lying in bed, lifeless. A nurse was suctioning her through her nose, another nurse placed an oxygen pump in her mouth, and another one is pumping her chest. The doctor shouts to give nurses the instruction on what and how many medicines will be given to my mom through her dextrose. All these are happening in front of me. 

I know you are wondering what I was doing when all those are happening. Yes, I was praying. Praying that may God extend my mother's life so that I may introduce God in her life. I was faithfully praying for her temporary physical salvation from death.

After forty-five minutes, God didn't heard my prayers. He took my mom's life from us.

Twenty-first of June 2011, Tuesday at exactly 2:45PM (Philippine Time), my mother died in front of me. Cause of death, Cardio-Pulmonary arrest, and it was a diabetic complication since she was suffering from diabetes for almost a decade when she died. 

When the doctor looked at me, I cried. I perfectly understand what her eyes wanted to say. I cried not because my mom already died, not because she can no longer be with us. I cried because I felt that I was not able to help her know the truth - the truth that will set her free. 

I was spiritually renewed through God's grace recently, I was freed and forgiven from sins and I know the truth. And I was not able to share that to my mom who is  really in need of salvation. I felt that I failed what God wants me to do, to win souls. I was a disgrace and I am so disappointing in God's eyes.

I can't stop asking myself if my mother will go to heaven or she will be burned in the fires of hell. The thought of hell almost killed me. I cannot accept that my loving mother will be there. Isn't it awesome when all the members of your family will be in heaven when His judgement time comes? 

One night while I was praying, God talked to me and said: "Everything's alright, worry no more my child." Every time I remember how God assured to me that my mother will be in heaven, I can't stop but cry. I am crying not of sadness, but of joy and celebration. Lord's assurance is all I believe in and I know that He will take good care of mama. 

I have tried to share words to her but I don't have the courage to do so. But our God is a god of second chances. If I was not able to let my mom receive Jesus as her personal savior, there is another person sent by God to let my mom receive Christ. Maybe God made His own way to touch my mother's heart before her death. 

The days before her death, she was silent. I think those were the times she was praying and asking for God's forgiveness and mercy.

Today, she is with the Lord for two months and two days to be exact. My mom suffered of illness for 10 long years, she had undergone eye operation due to Diabetic Retinopathy. She had undergone dialysis due to her kidney failure and many more medical operations. Her body was ruined by her illness.

Here on earth she suffered nothing but pain, but now that she is in heaven with the Lord, she is free at last! :)

To God be the Glory!

"For you will be saved, if you honestly say, 'Jesus is Lord,' and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell this to others." 

Romans 10: 9-10

                                 Photo courtesy of : Alvin Guevara

Open your heart, and let God show you the way.

A friend of mine recommended this online comic series to me and I found it really interesting. A true story of a former Jesuit priest turned to a Christian Pastor named, Alberto Rivera.

As a Jesuit, Alberto helped destroy churches and ministries. But as he read the Scriptures, he saw that Catholicism couldn't save.

You can read more about the story by clicking here or here.

Spend some of your time to read the 12 series of his story and it is worth the time.

Open your heart and let God show you the way.

God bless everyone! :)