The Test of Love

As we draw near to Palm Sunday remembering this was the first day of Jesus' last week on this earth as a human being.
This was the week of fulfilling His mission, His purpose for coming to earth as the Son of Man.

Can you imagine what it was like for Jesus to enter the temple as boy, and reading from the prophet Isaiah.

He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. Isaiah 53:5,7

That was a great burden for a 12 year old boy to handle, for at that point He knew He was born to die. The remainder of His short life would be in total obedience to His Heavenly Father. He walked among men but never fell into the trap of sin, making Him the only acceptable sacrifice for our transgressions to a Holy God.

And now the time had arrived, it was a bitter sweet time for Jesus. He had just prayed for the cup to pass, for He knew the suffering that was up ahead. But not my will, your will be done He cried out to His Father. His prayer was so passionate that drops of blood dripped down his face from his forehead.

The first day of His last week has begun, He has His disciples get a donkey that was tied up waiting for Him, this donkey had never been ridden symbolizing the sanctity of His mission.

As He rode into Jerusalem the people were rolling out the red carpet of the day; freshly cut palm branches and they were even laying their coats before the King of the Jews. They were shouting Hosanna and dancing in the streets, this same group that was saying hail Jesus would be shouting nail Jesus by the end of the week.

Jesus knew the end from the beginning, He knew exactly what He would be facing. His Love kept Him moving toward Jerusalem, and would keep Him on the Cross. His Love was tested every step of the way.

Love was His motivation, and the fuel of His commitment !

His commitment was for the lost, and thats the final command He left with us.
To go into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples.

Thats the test of our Love...

Got Vision

Poor eyes limit your sight, poor vision limits your deeds. (Franklin Field)

When you study great leaders of history the main thing that sets them apart from others was the scope of their vision. The ability to see what others do not, and the courage to act. John Maxwell states; vision is the ability to see, the faith to believe and the courage to do.

In the book of Habakkuk chapter 1, we see the desperation of the prophet. He witnessed the collapse of the kingdom and the rise of the Babylonian Empire. Habakkuk was bogged down in a state of depression, all he could see was injustice all around. He could not see God working in the Big Picture, he lacked vision.

Like Habakkuk most of us live with a narrow focus on life, or tunnel vision. We allow outside influences to hinder our vision to the point of defining our lives. We have surrendered control to our obligations or to people, and such things as finances, time, career or job, friends and even family.

Who or what is calling the shots in your life?

Is your vision being hindered?

Before you were created, God had a plan and purpose for your life.

God has a tailor made vision just for you.

How do we discover Gods vision for our lives and ministry?

Remember Habakkuk only saw circumstances, he didn't see the Big Picture. He lacked vision, his vision didn't go past his problem, he was unable to see God working in it. But he was crying out to God!

Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and I will answer when I'm corrected. NKJV

We see 4 things Habakkuk did to receive Gods vision:

1. Stand

Stand in the Hebrew means; to take ones stand, to hold ones ground.

When everything is going wrong and seems to be falling apart, hold your ground and don't give up. Always do the right thing, even when others are not.

2. Watch

We need to watch not only our personal obligations, but stay focused on Gods business as well. We must watch the future closely by not focusing on the past or allowing the present to consume us. Watch where God is leading.

3. Listen

Habakkuk kept a listening ear, he was attentive to Gods voice. The Hebrew word used means; give attention to, to discern.

Not only do we need to stand our ground and keep watch. We need to hear from God.

4. Answer

Habakkuk said I will answer when I'm corrected.

Answer in the Hebrew means; to turn back to God, to repent.

I believe when we do not stand our ground, do not keep watch, do not listen to God, we are missing the mark.

When Habakkuk repented God answered him.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. NKJV

Listen:

When we stand our ground, when we watch God, when we listen, when we turn back to God and repent, we have Gods attention. And if it seems like its not going to happen, if it tarries, wait for it.

Hebrew word for wait means; to wait in ambush...

That means in waiting you are prepared, your ready to go, when it comes, you attack it. Your not just waiting around idly not doing anything, your taking care of business you have been in the process of preparation. When the vision is revealed, you don't even have to think about it, you just move.

Vision arises from our purpose in life. Our purpose is revealed as we focus on the Big Picture. Its time to start looking ahead!

Let me give you 4 steps to catch vision:

1. Dare to seek Prayer and Scripture

2. Dare to Dream Big

3. Dare to Believe God will do Great Things

4. Dare to Act

Attempt something so impossible, that if God is not in it, you will fail...

Got Vision!

New Season

As we welcome a new chapter in 2010 and close the chapter on 2009, I began to think about the future and the past. Everyone has made mistakes and failed in one or more areas, we have all had setbacks.


But we can't allow these setbacks and failures to stop us from moving forward. Jesus came that we would have life and have it more abundantly. Abundantly in the Greek=superior in quality, excessive. That is exactly the life God has for you and I. Jesus also said that we have an adversary that wants to steal, kill and destroy. That's why when we start moving forward, the Devil brings up our past. He wants to keep you from your future, keep you from your God ordained destiny.


Isaiah 43:18-19 Forget the former things; Do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; Do you perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.


The past is over, God is more interested in your future...


I believe God is calling us into a new season, a season of change. The only way things will be different in 2010 is if we seize the moment. It can't be business as usual, we need to stretch into the personal mold that God has designed for us as individuals.
As I peer into this new season and look to the future I'm reminded of Elisha.


In 2 Kings 6 it speaks about the prophets building a new place for their ministry because they out grew their old building. They were chopping down trees for that purpose and during this process one of them lost their axe head and it flew into the water. They could not continue until they got the axe head back. Elisha threw a stick into the water and the iron axe head floated to the surface. When this miracle took place it brought Elisha's ministry to another level.


That's exactly what is going to happen in 2010!


God is calling us into a new season, a new dimension and we are going to see dramatic changes in the ministry. Remember our destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. We must choose to embrace and stretch into God's plan for our lives and ministry. And just as God brought that axe head to the surface, He is going to bring our ministry to the surface. The axe head is a symbol of the anointing and the anointing is about to be revealed in a greater way than ever before in 2010. We are going to operate at a new level of ministry.


The axe head is rising, God's anointing is being manifest in a greater way.
The future is going to be amazing.


It's a New Season...

The Perfect Gift

It's Christmas Eve and I'm reflecting on the goodness of God. It's been a great year and of course it has been filled with ups and downs, and it has been the downs that God always reveals Himself. I think that without the downs we wouldn't appreciate the ups of life.

Last year we were without a church building for most of the year, in fact Christmas of 2008 we were having service at a basketball court. We have been in our building now for three months, and God is bringing an increase.

Last Sunday we had our Christmas Celebration Service and it brought well over one hundred un-churched young people from all over Metro Manila, who were there waiting for our Christmas Party that featured our annual talent show, "V.O.'s Got Talent".

We did something different in the service by putting the Christmas Story to music using traditional songs with a contemporary arrangement. We had great reviews, but more importantly around one hundred young people received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

That is what Christmas is all about, Jesus came that no one should perish, but have life through Him. God sent His only Son to evangelize the world made Him a missionary and sent Him to a field that was hostile to His message and would eventually murder Him. But God loved us so much and Jesus concurred, both knowing the end from the beginning, knowing what He would suffer, and He still came.

Jesus was born to die.

That's what Christmas is all about; He gave us a perfect gift...He gave us His Life.

To view pictures of the event, or to learn more about Victory Outreach Manila check our website: http://www.vomanila.tk/

God's Battle-Axe

Jeremiah 51:20

You are My battle-axe and weapons of war; For with you I will break the nations in pieces.

God is a Warrior, Jesus is a Warrior and so are you. You are His weapon of choice, you are His Battle-axe, He wants to fight through you...

The world is a battle field and a place of darkness. God has called us to reach Treasures of Darkness. We are actually Battle-axe's out of Darkness commissioned to go back to the pit we once operated in, as Warriors for God. Who better to go into the stronghold of Satan than those delivered from it's power.

The sad thing is many Warriors have been lost because they choose to stop fighting, and became statistics M.I.A., P.O.W. or ultimately Hell.

We all have to make choices; Fight or Surrender, to be a Battle-axe for God or not...

A Battle-axe must keep a cutting edge and not let anything or anyone dull it's blade.

The Battle-axe head must pass through the fire as the metal smith gets it red hot and shapes it with a sledge hammer, beating it until it's shaped for battle.

If you want to be God's Battle-axe, you have to pass through the fire: Trials, Temptations and Hardship. These are the tools used by God to shape us for battle.

Warriors are ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances that bring out their potential. Then they begin to inspire courage in others. Men and women who will re-write history and leave a legacy for generations to come.

We are the Battle-axes of God...

God's Favorites

Everyone wants to feel loved. Even the most hardened criminal deep down inside wants love.But not everyone feels love, many are rejected and unwelcome.

Sometimes we are all guilty of favoritism. We tend to judge people by what they have or don't have, skin color, nationality and whatever box we can put them in.

The problem with putting people into categories,it's easy to forget they have feelings, fears, hopes and dreams, just like us.

The bible calls us to love each other and show that love in practical ways. James shows us the biggest road block to showing love...is favoritism.James 2:1-13

The Greek word used for favoritism in James 2:1 is (prospolepsia)=partiality,favoritism, it has the idea of giving judgment on a person based on the outward circumstances, not on inward merits. Or you could say on their appearance rather than content of character.

James 2:4 He says favoritism starts with evil thoughts. It does not matter how you justify favoritism, it starts with evil thoughts. Favoritism always hurts someone...

Romans 15:7 Says to accept one another, just as Christ accepted you.

The Greek word for accept is (proslambano) it means to grant access to your heart

That's exactly what Jesus did for us, He accepted us into His Heart. Even before we changed our behavior. While we were still sinners and enemies of the Cross, Jesus died for you and I. We should accept people (access to our hearts) no matter where they are from or what they have done, Christ died for them too.

James says if we show favoritism we are guilty of sin and will be judged, sinful attitudes hinder our walk with God. Sins of attitude are the foundation for sins of action.

That's why repentance has to do with a change of mind, behavior won't change until we change our mind. What we believe impacts how we behave.

God doesn't look at the outward appearance He looks at the attitudes of the heart.

People matter to God, so they should matter to us.

We are all "God's Favorites"...

vomanila.tk

Wake-Up,Take-Up & Shake-Up

It is a fact that the Bible is a huge best seller, it has been rewritten in more translations and languages than any other publication. It can be found in most households around the world.

I remember growing up we had a large decorative family Bible that would take center stage on our coffee table, it was beautiful. But no one ever read it, it just sat gathering dust. It was just a decoration.

A few years ago high school seniors were asked questions about the Bible to find out how much they knew about God's word. Some thought Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers. And the Gospels were written by: Matthew, Mark, Luther and John. Some said Eve was created from an apple. Someone even said the epistles were the wives of the apostles.

Is it any wonder why our world is in a downward spiral?

The nations of the world need to turn back to God and His Word. The Bible is not irrelevant, it's very practical when read, understood and applied.

In the book of James chapter 1:21 he says; humbly accept the word planted in you. The word "accept" in the Greek translation means to; welcome, receive favorably, embrace, approve not reject. We must cultivate a heart and life that welcomes and embraces God's Word.

Its not government that can bring change, its God's Word living in and through His people that will change the world. Its time for the church to WAKE-UP, TAKE-UP & SHAKE-UP our cities with the Word of God.

http://www.vomanila.tk/