Meeting Gracious people of OMF LIT

One of the pleasant gifts and surprises in life is when God allows you to meet people! I think thats a loaded statement for many of us who for one way of the other have found our false comfort on being alone or simply locked in our individuality. Yes we are unique so unique that its not meant to rot without taking the risk to relate to others. I think that's the lesson i learned and i will cherish. As I met the light hearted people of omf lit.

They just don't publish their books they practice grace. I have learned a lot! Thanks to my brother whose influence in my life always brings me back to deep thoughts and a lot of laughter. I really agree that the godly are the most light hearted. More the books at the omf lit manila, it's really their grace filled attitude that makes people feel accepted when they go inside the bookstore.

kuhol este cool talaga ang mge taga omf lit! Lalu na yung anak ng pastor sa marketing ang pangalan niya starts with letter g........ methodist siya kaya tamang tama sa letter g sa liturgy hahahahah

handling success in grace

HANDLING SUCCESS IN GRACE

By: Rev. Arnel C. Tan

“At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court” Daniel 2:49

It’s one thing to be successful and it’s really another issue to handle your success in grace. Daniel modeled this for us. While it’s true that he is the man in skin for handling success in grace all his trail points us back to God the One who gave him success, its not our goal to paint a superman in Daniel. People like him are rare. Many can handle adversity while many stumbles face flat threading the slippery role of victory. It’s when we are at the pinnacle of success that our spiritual boundaries are either defined or rapidly becoming blurred.

As much as Daniel needed God in captivity the more he acknowledge his need of God in the palace. Remember he served kings whose moods and power differ from each other. Yet these monarchs wanted Daniel nearby. In times of crisis Daniel gave the best advice. His tenacity in politics is remarkable. He did not only stay long he stayed clean! Before we make Daniel look flawless let us remember that everything is because of the favor (grace) of God.

Favor from God or grace is very clear to Daniel. No wonder he carefully handled his success in grace! How? He the LORD as the source of all of these blessings He remembered his friends who prayed with him. This is something worth remembering when God allows us to taste success let us not forget that we did not reach the top on our own. Someone along the way helped us! Daniel handled success well in grace by not treating his friends as competitors but companions, and his enemies he treated them calmly in prayer and not in vengeance. Daniel in grace let go or shared his powers instead of hoarding it.

Before the king or before the lions Daniel knew his identity as a recipient of God’s grace. I like the word “request” this is a language of grace while “demand” is an expression of control and legalism. He has always been in the request mode from captivity as he dealt with the king’s chef and before Nebuchadnezzar himself he still uses the grace word “request” what a man! Many have become unbelievably demanding while in authority and few have shown grace. Success is very revealing. Honestly, we are not sure of what it will reveal about us. For the mean time the attitude we show in where we are now is most probably be the same attitude we will manifest if ever God grants us a taste of success. Consider your place today as a preparation for what God has planned for you tomorrow. The bottom line handling success in grace is all about how you view yourself and how you view God!

FINDING STRENGTH IN GOD

FINDING STRENGTH IN GOD

By: Rev. Arnel C. Tan

“…….But David found strength in the LORD his God.”

1 Sam. 30:6 NLT

David under the most stressful moment of his leadership survived when he found strength in the Lord his God. This is a wonderful intimate picture of David’s relationship with the LORD. Here we see David personally so acquainted with his God. In the most trying moment he found God so near, so real. Such relationship of being near God and being strengthened by God is not the experience of many. Not that it’s not available nor was it kept in a hidden code; it’s really an open secret that few dare to explore.

Such simplicity of finding strength in the Lord requires a faith relationship with God. No time wasted proving the existence of God, much time is allotted in knowing God, resting in God and being strong in God. It’s also a desperate call for help and a deliberate abandonment of all false source of confidence. Until it’s really God alone as the source and the sufficiency of life and meaning of our existence and His glory the pursuit of our heart we wallow in shallow waters. Ignorant of the things we say, detached from true communion with the Almighty.

I really wonder especially in the darkest time of my life if this Old Testament record of David finding strength his God is still true today? My heart in many dark night of the soul could not even describe the abyss that I am in. If there is one thing very difficult to do is to lie to your heart. Feelings are expert liars, restraint within are so difficult to achieve when the inner man wants full release from bondage hard to describe. Perhaps David having been familiar with this dark corner of life where his leadership is waning and his crisis increasing can only run to God with whom whose presence and promise he enjoyed.

While David’s crisis and ours seem to have been eaten by a stubborn web of complication the way out and the way to survive is still made so simple. Find strength in God. After all we tried the many medicines and promise of relief from the experts we still find true rest when we finally come back to God and be strengthened by Him. It’s no longer our strength it’s God’s strength at work! It’s declaring dependence rather than independence that the weary finds rest, or rest finds him. This is a case of reckless abandonment of our deep wounds into the care of the Great Physician. Oh weary one after everything has been said and done, bloodied and messy and sick and tired of being sick and tired we still find that our way back to safety is drawing close to the LORD. And David found strength in the LORD his God in other words it means CALL ON THE LORD! Next time let’s not try to experiment let’s experience the strength that comes from God! Believe me He is more than willing He is able!

BLOGGING AGAIN!

It's been really a while since i made another entry to this blog. I don't know what bit me tonight I thought of renewing my blog. Special thanks to you who took time to read and comment, believe its special to me. I've been around lately so humbled by the opportunity that the Lord is opening, honestly something is changing i really wish that i could pray more than preach more. i feel my own inadequacy and the tremendous responsibility before God when you are being listened to.

Aside from my sunday preachings in church i wish to add no more. I've said "no" to many invitation lately. Not because of anything else it's just a strong conviction to pause and do some hard thinking than frequent preaching. It spiritually nourish me more than ever, to be in prayer meetings with God's people.

THANKS FOR DROPPING BY