What Do You Have in Your Hand?

God wants to take care of you, He wants to bless you, promote you and push you to a new and a higher level. He wants you to go above and beyond what you could ever imagine. He wants the full potential in you. But sometimes in life, we don’t have enough room to receive that blessing from God, because sometimes people tend to hold something on their hands. Some people fill their lives with good things in their hands that they cannot receive a new blessing from God. Every now and then, we need to take time to evaluate what we have in our hands and be willing to move some things out in order to make room for the new things God will give us.

I encourage you my friend today that you evaluate what you have in your hands and be open to what God wants to do in your situation. If your hands are full, I think it’s about time to use that to bless other people, don’t let that situation, object, problem, or any material stuff hold you from receiving that blessing from God. Instead, start making room because God is waiting for you to receive His new blessing for You. I will repeat it again, Let go and Let God!!!

Let Go and Let God.

In this life, we will experience challenges in life. Well, in fact, the Bible tells that every person, no matter how much faith you have or how good you are, we will always face problems, disappointments and challenges. It may be very simple like not getting that promotion or problems at school or taking that exam or you may have problems with you family or co-worker or maybe you are having problems with your finances or your relationship didn’t work out or somebody dies or problems with your health. Whatever it maybe, the reality is that we will all suffer some delays and setback. And one technique to overcome these disappointments is we should all learn to let go of the past. When we learn to let go, we learn to forgive.

If you feel that you are not moving forward in your life, you might want to check on your feelings on what you are still holding on. We should all be willing to let go of the past and choose forgiveness. That person who have hurt you, release it to God. That person who said something bad about you, release it to God. That situation you didn’t like, release it to God. Can’t forgive others, release it to God. Can’t forgive yourself, release it to God. Make that choice my friend to release everything to God for we will all experience setbacks and delays. Let go of the past, so you can overcome that situation and experience that Victory He has in store for You.

Firing Range

Do you know that you have the power to change, bless or curse your life and your future with your words? I always say this to my patients, that there is power over our words. If you keep saying that “You can’t do it, that you are not good, I am so undisciplined or I can’t do it” You just cursed your future, you just cursed your life. Last weekend, I went to a firing range, and it is my first time to fire a rifle in a controlled target range. I don’t know how to shoot; I don’t even know how to pull the trigger and where to put my hands and proper positioning. But with of course the guidance of my friends and with some positive declaration that I can hit my target, I was able to hit my assigned target very good, actually I was able to annihilate the target. Lol…You know what happened here my friend, I just kept saying to myself that I can hit that target, I kept saying to myself that I will be able to do it, I kept saying to myself that I can do it!

Same thing with our lives, we have to be careful about what we allow to come out of our mouth. We have to realize that our word and tongue is a small rudder that can set direction in our lives. Let me ask you today, which direction you are going? Are you declaring good things in your life? Are you blessing your life or are you complaining about it?

I encourage you today my friend to bless your life, choose what God says. He said, He will bless you, take care of you, anoint you and keep you. And as you prepare yourself for that Victory, you will fulfill the destiny that God has planned for you. Keep the faith my friends!

Faith without Works is Dead.

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  James 2:14

The good book clearly explains that if you have faith, you should also put it into action. Without work or implementation of your faith, it is dead… And I believe if you don’t implement what you believe or your faith, it is just called good ideas. And good ideas should be implemented; it should be done, for without proper work, it is dead!  Just like at school, if you just keep putting your faith in God to pass that exam without studying, aba… sigurado di ka papasa niyan (for sure, you will not pass that exam), not unless you did something fishy. Same with preparing for your something, like kung meron kang gustong puntahan na lugar and you keep on telling yourself, “by faith, by faith I can go to that place or conference”, I believe we all should do our part in saving and do not just put the faith on somebody else’s, are you getting what I am talking about? We should prepare, we should do our own part. When God truly work in our lives, it affects everything about us. It affects our words, our thoughts and of course our actions.

How do you know when somebody has faith? By their actions and preparations in life. How do you know someone is generous in giving? By actions. How do you know someone is kind? By their actions. How do you know someone is patient? By their actions. How do you know someone has love? By their actions. How do you know someone has self control? By their actions. How do you know when a person has joy? By their action. How do you know when a person has peace? By their actions. I believe we are all a work in progress, but I believe we should all start doing some action here.

Now, my question to you my friend, can your friends or the people around you, tell by your actions that you have faith or just actions or both? We all have areas that need improvement, I myself need to develop more patience, more love, more joy, more peace and I am working on it. And as a follower of Christ, we can be assured that He is always working behind the scene for us. So when I say KEEP the FAITH my friend, I also mean put it into ACTION!

Trust

Have you ever said to yourself “Someday that’s going to be me?” I think it’s high time for you to think differently and do things you have never done before. In fact, I dare you to believe God for the unthinkable. Let me tell you a story about one of my patient lately, he was diagnosed with a severe debility and has been in bed immobilized for almost a year and has been transferring from his bed to his wheelchair using a hoyer lift. He was also in hospice care, meaning just let the patient die because of his terminally ill disease. But when his hospice was lifted, skilled intervention was done; he told me he wants to get out of his bed and wants to be mobile again. And just recently, he is now transferring with minimal assist and is now pushing his own wheelchair independently. So what happened here? He didn’t think of defeat, he thought of victory. He didn’t think of failure, he thought of success. He didn’t think of giving up, he thought of fighting.

And many of us struggle with putting our complete trust in God. Sometimes, we even trust the report that we see and hear around us. We tend to trust the bad report that we see and read in the news, we tend to trust the bad medical report, we tend to view the updates that we get from our friends at facebook, and we tend to listen to the voice of other people.  And yes, the pain of the past can be easier to believe than the promises of God. But we have the power to choose what to listen and what to believe. There is power over what we listen and receive. Every time we accept and embrace that negative report, it turns into reality. So why accept that negative report when it will be true. Try changing your perspective and try receiving a good report, try embracing the truth that God loves you and He wants to bless you, take care of you, promote you, make you victorious. God has so much in store for you!

And whenever the dream inside your heart begins to show, there will be challenges, like the patient I was talking earlier, it’s not easy for him to stand up, he had some sort of difficulty, but with the help of his C.N.A., nurses and therapist he was able to overcome that adversity, yes he is not totally recovered yet, and yes people are telling him to give up because he was in hospice care. But the key is to know that you know that God will make good on His promises. Just keep believing and obeying God even when everything and everyone around you is telling you to quit.

I Need A Nurse!

God gave us dreams and desires in our hearts. And I believe we all have goals we want to accomplish. And one of the many dreams that God gave us is our college degree. A lot of Filipino nowadays are having problems with their degrees. Sa dami ng college graduates, minsan we no longer know kung ano ba talaga ang pwede work mo. Like for example nurses, sa dami nila, minsan hindi na nurse ang nagiging work nila. Or in my case, I graduated Physical Therapy but I ended up being a medical representative. Being a medical rep is not bad, nor being a call center agent. But God gave you that dream of being in the medical field, being a nurse, being a physical therapist, being a healer to somebody’s life. Why not try or pursue it just for one more time. I have said this before everybody can be a good medical rep, anybody can be a good call center agent, but not everybody can be a good physical therapist or a nurse like you. Yes, I am talking to you now… And you know who you are.

And yes, sometimes, it seems to take longer than we originally thought. Sometimes, things don’t work out the way we planned. It took me more than 10 years to realize that this is my calling. Yes, I was a good medical rep, but I believe I am better at being a physical therapist now. And if we are not careful, we will get discourage and end up just settling where we are. But let me encourage you. God doesn’t want you to just settle in that position. He didn’t let you finish that course for some reason. He intentionally, deliberately guided you to finish that course because you have His healing hand to take care of people, to empower patient, to enable to them, to educate them to be the best that they can be….He wants to take you to a higher level. But many times, people like, me misses out on God’s best simply because we give up too soon. And in reality, we don’t realize how close we are to that Victory.

I ask you my friend, don’t let that be you. Do not just give up because it is hard, do not give up because you were denied a visa, because you failed the exam, because you don’t have resources for the application. You have invested so much in your college course and you never know, just a few more days of believing, trusting and another few weeks or months of doing the right thing, you will see that situation turning around for you. Always remember that God is on your side. He permitted you to finish that course so why worry about your future. Keep standing and keep believing because you are closer than you think on reaching that dream!

Biggest Loser?

Have you ever heard the saying “Attitude determines your altitude?” If you look at it on a different perspective, we should have a positive, faith filled attitude in order for us to rise higher in life, but if we have this negative pessimistic manana habit, it will only drag us down.

Same with living a healthy lifestyle, if you want to lose some weight or to start an exercise program. We need to be positive and be proactive on how we should start it. I was observing the people from my former pharma company, majority of them are into running and exercise and noticed that these people are the one who are the winners and not the complainers. When we face adversity in life, our attitude affects the outcome. Same with taking care of our health. Are we going to say I will exercises tomorrow not today? I will eat healthy tomorrow? I will just do it tomorrow… But that kind of attitude not only closes your door to a healthy life, it also closes your attitude towards being successful. The Bible says that faith is what pleases God and if we have faith in ourselves in maintaining a healthy life, I believe God will take care of us and will be happy if we take care of His temple which is our body. Actually, He is trying to promote you, but you’ve got to stay on that positive side. You’ve got to stand strong and fight that temptation of not exercising and not eating healthy. I haven’t reached my ideal body weight yet, but like in our Christian life, I am still a work in progress. And I believe I am in the right path in living a healthy life… If we are not physically healthy, it is hard to be spiritually healthy…

If you are going through a difficult time today, problems with your family, finances, work and ministry. Try exercising. It releases special hormones that will help you think better, react better to certain circumstances and besides, exercises is good for you… And start thanking God for bringing you through the other side. As you progress, I believe God will take you to a higher level and you will continue moving forward in the abundant life God has for you by taking care of His Holy Temple which is your body…

Lessons I Learned From my Dad.

¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ²“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”^[a]

 ⁴ Fathers,^[b] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1-4

Since its FATHER’s DAY, I want to share to you some lessons I learned from my biological father.  I think we first begin to understand life and get our training from our family. And having a father figure is so important. Nowadays, especially here in the US, there is either a low father figure image or none at all. In our country, Philippines, having multiple spouses and family is so rampant that the kids suffer the consequences. And I would like to do some personal reflections today about my father and share lessons I think I have learned from him. I am doing this for many reasons. And I can say to anybody that my father was not definitely an ideal father. He was not a perfect one. We all recognize their imperfections, as every one of us has imperfections. But still, I learned some good lessons from him. And I want to share these with you.

He taught me the importance of family. The first lesson I learned is he valued our family, even though he had several families to support (he had more than 3+ spouses, lol). He made it a point to go home to every single house he had kids. He had special schedule and made it a point to visit us every weekend or a schedule of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It may sound weird, but I always look forward when he comes home from work or from his other family and drinking/smoking and telling special stories about his work but not his life. Lol…. Both my mother and father made it a point that we have a family meal at dinner and enjoy each other and talk about his business dealings. It is not perfect, but still he made it a point to have everybody during meal time. My father was often gone before breakfast, I don’t know where he goes, to work or to another family, but he has to be up early, probably around 3 or 4 in the morning. Home was very important to him. And there is this thing saying that the best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. I bet my father loved ALL the mother’s of his children. And up to this date, I still don’t know how many siblings I have…lol…My parents did not have any ideal marriage. They had their own differences. They were constantly fighting, but still, my father kept on supporting and taking care all of his family.

He also taught me the importance of hard work.  The value of hard, physical work and I appreciate it. When he is available and at home, he likes to tinker around the cars and explains me everything about his cars and his truck. He tries to repair all of problems in the house. He will show me how to do it and will eventually trust me to do it. Like for example changing the oil, tuning up the car, changing the tires, replacing the brake pads, bringing down an engine and etcetera…I think today we have a generation that does not think that hard work is important and a father son bonding.

Looking back, we teach our children, either intentionally or accidentally, lessons they will carry for the rest of their lives. I saw my dad smoking and drinking regularly. He didn’t tell me to do it, but accidentally, I was doing it too. I see this in myself too as a parent to my children. I am always grumpy at home and tend to get mad easily, so my kids are like that too. I tend to be mad at little things. I am amazed how often my father smoked, so when I was in HS, I was already imitating and smoking too.

Even when I am in conscious disagreement with something he believed like in his business or in his life, I reason my way through it using the same methods of thought I saw him use a thousand times before. It is important for me to be consciously aware of what I have learned from my dad. Part of that I am sure has to do with a need to know my own thoughts and beliefs, to understand what truth I have adopted for myself.

But part of it grows out of a simple sense of gratitude. He was my first teacher, and his lessons have been the most enduring. Which reveals an interesting twist to all this. Our parents are our first teachers, and their lessons are embedded deep in our souls. They become part of who we are and give shape to the way we think.

But we are not slaves to the lessons of our parents. WE ARE FREE TO MOVE BEYOND OR EVEN CONTRADICT THEIR LESSONS. God gave us the wisdom to know the truth. We are wise to take what is good from their lives and make it our own. But we are also obligated to leave behind what we receive from them that is not good. I like this saying “Do what they say, but don’t do what they do.”

This is hard to do, but it can be done. Whether it is GOOD lesson or BAD lesson. The most important thing is that he taught me something.

Enlarge Your Territory.

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. 1Chronicle 4:10

When I was planning to go outside the country and work as an OFW. Miss Gigi declared me this verse 1Chronicle 4:10 to me. At first I was a little bit concerned about that. What I know about Jabez is that his name means “problem, sorrow, pessimistic and trouble.” But by reading and declaring what Jabez did during his life. I believe God granted his request. Instead of sitting around feeling pitiful about himself. He believed God that He has something big coming. In the scripture, Jabez declared bold prayers to God and that he asked God to do something big for his life. I also did that to my possible ministry, at first I was a little hesitant on how to continue my ministry, but here I am now. Sharing the good news not only to small town in the south, not just a city, not just a state, not just a country, but the whole world. If you will look in my profile and stats in my blog, I’ve been going around the world sharing the good news through this blog. I continue to receive emails regarding their lives from all walks of life and country, on how God is continually changing them and how this blog has helped them through Jesus Christ of course. And yes, God is working through this blog going out into different nations.

I am enlarging my territory through the internet. Now, my question to you my friend, have you asked God how to enlarge your territory? Your influence? Have you ever asked Him to do something big in your life? We have not because we ask not. When you stretch your faith in Him, you get a vision to enlarge. I may not be able to go around the world as a minister, but God is using the internet to share His word. Sometimes, we have a limited view of God, we act like we are asking God a favor, so we end up asking Him small things. Mind you, our God is a big God and has unlimited resources. You are not doing God a favor by holding back and being small minded. If you want to please God, then believe in Him, ask Him to enlarge your blessing and you will receive large blessings indeed!

Relationship Not Religion

Hebrews 10:35-36

King James Version (KJV)

 ³⁵Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

 ³⁶For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Okay, I am now reading a King James Version Bible. I attended a Bible Study several weeks ago with Rev. Brandon and some Pastors talked about different versions of the Bible (of course I’m reading Tagalog Version),  and the other day, I was talking about His story at work and 2 ladies from work actually grew up just reading the KJV, so it’s just a matter of accepting and embracing other peoples opinion. And last Sunday, I attended a catholic mass care of the Filipino Community because of the Independence Day and there is this Old Filipina lady who introduced herself to us that she is the so called leader and even said that she can pray latin and that we cannot setup loud music/speaker inside the church and that we cannot sing  the songs that the Quartet prepared.  She was so offensive that the Filipino PT Quartet was almost discouraged by her words.  In my own honest opinion, it doesn’t matter what version you are reading, or how many times you’ve read the Bible (I’ve read the Bible several times, but still I am a work in progress), or what version you are reading or what position you have in the church or what kind of language you can pray or what religion you have.  What matter is how the good book changes your life, how you treat other people right.  How you treat God and how you glorify His name.  It will all boil down to that personal relationship you have with God.

Enough of my rantings, lol... going back to the verse above. God is asking, what are you believing today? Are you believing for promotion? Healing? Good relationships? Freedom from bondage?

God has promised all these things to you in His Word. He wants you to live in a blessed life. But of course, in order to experience freedom, we have to do our part. We have to keep believing and trusting God. The verse says, if we will stay in faith, if we will keep believing, hoping and doing the right thing for Him, it will be like a reward.

When you feel like giving up my friend, when things are not going your way, it may be hard, it may take a long time, but God is a faithful God, because your reward is coming. Just keep holding on to it. And being a physical therapist seeing patients who are debilitated by their problems, you can immediately observe patients who will recover and not by just observing what they say.  It’s a matter of declaring and expecting and receiving that blessing and healing. Friend, as you trust Him and stand in faith, as you claim His promises, you are positioning and drawing yourself close to God. No matter what circumstances look like, always remember that your reward is coming!

What's Your Goal? Watch Your Goal!

God has given you dreams and desires in your heart. We all have goals we want to accomplish in life and situations that we believe will happen someday. And sometimes, it seems to take longer that we originally planned. As a physical therapist planning a patient’s goal, we make the Long Term Goal planning between 8-12 weeks, but sometimes, things don’t work out the way we planned. Sometimes we don’t get the desired outcome we want from these patients and we need to extend additional weeks of treatment. And the additional treatment would need further evidence and medical justification to be submitted to the insurance company. I don’t know about you, but in life, this also happens, there are times things don’t work out the way we planned and it is easy to lose enthusiasm while waiting for your goal to be achieved.

If we are not careful enough, you will get frustrated, you will get discourage and end up just settling where you are.  But I want to encourage you my friend that God does not want you to settle in that position. He wants to promote you, He wants to bless you and move you to a higher level.  After I graduated in Physical Therapy school, I didn’t practiced my profession, I worked as a medical representative instead and conducted Round Table Discussions and Symposium during my 10 year stint as a Rep, during those times of conducting my activities, I was asking myself when will I be in the medical profession again and be the one participating the said lecture/seminar instead of being the sponsor. Guess what, just last night; I attended a Symposium sponsored by a company with free food and giveaways. Many times, people miss out on God’s best simply because they give up too soon. They don’t realize how close they are to their Victory!

My friends, don’t let that be you today. Do not give up just because its hard, do not give up because its taking you too long. God loves you so much and invested something in you.  If you have a dream of going out of the country, keep believing and trusting Him. If you have a dream of passing that exam, if you have a dream of having a good and better family, if you have a dream of being healthy, of getting out of that debt, of hitting that target, of getting that promotion. Just keep pushing and trusting God and believing Him and keep doing the right thing in staying in faith and you could see that situation turn around for you.

Always remember that if God is on your side, who can be against you. Keep the faith my friend!

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
(Galatians 6:9)

Prison Break

Acts 16:22-24 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Acts 16:25-26 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

You see here the story of Paul and Silas being beaten, chained down and thrown into the prison.  Actually, they were not given a good trial; they were treated like the lowest form of animal just by sharing the word of God. They did not steal or anything, they did not hurt anyone. Yet they were imprisoned simply because they were sharing His word!

When the two was sent down to jail, they did not complain or look for anything. Di sila nag REKLAMO about what they did to God! They did not say “God, this is unfair! Paano ito nangyari? Bakit ganun?”What they did was praise God instead. They thank God for the situation for it is His divine intervention. According to verse 25-26, they sang praises and shouted victory to God! Instead of complaining about their situation, they praised God! Other prisoners might have thought they must be out of their mind; the guards must have been outraged, why do these people still sing when they were already beaten up and chained in prison. Then all of a sudden, while singing praises and worshipping God, there was a large earthquake. Instantly, the doors opened, chains removed and then the angel of the Lord came and said “Let’s get out of here.” Now, even the guards helped them to get out because of fear.

We can be encourage with these two, it serves as a good reminder when things look difficult, when all are against you, when life seems so unfair, when people seems to put you down, when you feel like you are like Paul and Silas beaten down, chained and thrown into prison, that is not the time to get depressed and feel pity for yourself. That is not the time to start complaining, start looking ahead and don’t start looking on what you don’t have, start looking on what you do have! That is the perfect time to praise God! Praise can break any chains, any prison, any hurt, any kind of bondage, it can break any sin, any problem, any kind of depression. Declare His praises because He is working behind that scene!!!! STOP COMPLAINING and START PRAISING INSTEAD!

Family Tree

 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” Haggai 2:9

I like what I read on the book of Haggai, it says there that the present house will be greater than the glory of the former house. I believe that I will have a better life than my biological father, I believe that I can surpass whatever he did before in a Christ-like manner, I believe that I can overcome whatever wealth he accumulated because that is what God created us to be, better or greater than the former one. And I believe and declare that my children, Alyssa, Akeisha and Izaiah will overcome surpass what me and my wife Puppen have accumulated in our life span.

God wants to amaze us with His goodness. I believe that the day we are living is increasing in His favor.  I have seen God blessed me to a certain degree, God has blessed me financially, professionally and physically, but in reality, I haven’t seen anything yet. God’s favor is yet to come in my future and it will supersede anything that my father/mother has done and my children will also overcome what I and Puppen have done.

Now, the verse talks about how the glory of the previous one will be greater than the glory of the former. That means, what God did for my parents or me, my kids will surpass this. The blessings and favor of the past generation were good, but we serve a God of increase and I believe that He has greater things in store for me and my children!

Same with you my friend, I encourage you to get your hopes up, I encourage you to enlarge your vision, enlarge your territory, don’t settle that mediocre attitude that your family is just poor, just a regular employee, just a farmer, just a barely get by family,  and that you will be like that too. No! That’s a lie being given by the devil. God has a good plan for your life. Expect God to bring you opportunities across your life. Be expectant. Prepare your heart and mind to receive an increase and blessing that God has in store for you.