I wonder what it would be like if God had a Facebook account. How many friends would He have? Would you add Him as one of yours? What would His friends post on His wall? How would you react if He “likes” your “Like this for a confession” status? How cool would it be to get a message from Him in your inbox? Or a birthday greeting posted on your wall? How often would He tag you? How many of your posts would He actually flag or delete? What comments would He have for your life drama? Would He be giving more of these :):) or these :(:( ?  Wouldn’t it be great to have a nice chat with Him at the end of the day?

Funny how these thoughts came to my mind when I thought about the amount of time people spend on Facebook as compared to the amount of time they would spend with God on a daily basis. What drives us to constantly watch our FB account throughout the day? I suppose it is the need to have a connection with people, to hear and to be heard. God wants us to have a connection with Him, too. He desires for us to have a personal relationship with Him. He even calls us friends. In John 15:15, Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” However, He also said in John 15:14 that, “You are my friends if you do what I command.”

How deep is your desire to be God’s friend? Like your FB friends, wouldn’t You want Him to share in Your everyday life, in your ups and downs, your joys and pains? He would love to be a part of every detail in your life. He’s sending you a friend request. Would you accept or ignore?

Prayer: Dear God, forgive me if I have ignored You a lot of times in my life. I am sorry if I have more time for Facebook than I have time for You. I know that You are always there and You see everything that is happening in my life but now I want to actually invite You to be a part of it. Thank You for being patient with me. I hope my relationship with You will grow more and more everyday. Help me as I commit my time and effort in this relationship, as I do with everything that is important to me. All these I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

"I LOVE You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength." Psalm 18:1

Being a follower of Christ is so much more than just attending church. The bible says to "love the Lord with all your heart, mind soul and strength" (Mark 12:30). Have you ever heard of that Bruno Mars song Grenade? Here's an excerpt from that song:

"I’d catch a grenade for ya, Throw my hand on a blade for ya, I’d jump in front of a train for ya, You know I'd do anything for ya, Oh, I would go through all this pain, Take a bullet straight through my brain, Yeas, I would die for ya baby..."

Its funny how crazy in love this person seems to be in that song that he would do all of that for somebody. Songs are exagerrated sometimes, but you get the drift... When we are in love with someone, we express to them by our actions and words “I love you” on a daily basis.

As we begin to establish our relationship with God, eventually we should reach this place where “I love you” is A DAILY EXPRESSION TO HIM IN THOUGHT, WORDS AND ACTIONS. Whenever we fall in love with someone we must first spend time with them, getting to know them, and it works the same way with the Lord. If we can do that for another human, how much more with the Lord???

Spending time with the Lord means that we talk to him regularly in prayer. We shouild also read the bible often and do the things that God likes to do. We should also include him in the things we like to do. Today, take time to sincerely tell God, I love you; he deserves to receive our expressions of love, and he also requires it.

Oh, by the way.... JESUS died for YOU thousands of years ago... wayyyyyyy before Bruno Mars came up with this song, just sayin! :)

PRAYER: Heavenly father, sometimes its difficult for me to express my love for you. Please forgive me if I have been ignoring you, if I haven't been giving you enough time and attention. I know now that in order to have an awesome relationship with you I must make an effort. I must get to know you by reading your word and spending time with you in prayer. I remember today that you loved me first, fully and deeply by dying for me on the cross. I love you absolutely and with every single fiber of my being. I ask that you keep this fire within me burning, that I may continue to passionately live for you. In your sweet name I pray, AMEN.

I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 9:1 (NIV)

Being aware of God’s blessings – both great and small, in our daily life and not just during this time of the year – is the true meaning of thanksgiving. We have a tendency to only thank God whenever “something big” has happened. We neglect to acknowledge our “not-so-big blessings” from our gracious Father.

Whenever we express our gratitude to God, we remember how awesome He is. We think about His love, goodness, compassion, and faithfulness. A constant appreciation of everything He is to us brings us closer to Him and makes our relationship with Him more intimate. The old adage, “Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings; See what God has done,” still holds.

A wonderful thing about expressing our gratitude to God is this: it serves as a reminder to those around us that God is the ultimate source of blessings not only to us, but to them as well. We come to realize that He truly is the giver of every good gift, and that all He seeks from us is a grateful heart. What do you thank God for today?

Prayer: Our dear, loving Father, we want to express our love and gratitude for all that You have done. Thank You for the beautiful creation all around us. Thank You for the life You have given us and the lives of our loved ones and friends. You are always there to provide our needs and protect us from harm. Father, forgive us when we forget to acknowledge your gracious hands working in our lives. May we always come to You with a grateful heart. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Activity: “Bowl O’ Gratitude”

All you need are small pieces of paper, a pen, and a fish bowl (or any other container like a mug, a paper bag, or a tiny pail). Challenge yourself to write down every blessing – great or small – that you are thankful for. Things like, “I am thankful for a day spent with my best friend” or “I thank God for my mom’s delicious pasta!” or “Thanks to a bright and sunny day after the rain.?” or “I praise the Lord for the healing of my dad.” Drop your gratitude notes in the bowl, and read them out next year before Thanksgiving, and experience the joy of thankfulness all over again! Keep a personal bowl, or share with family.

"...We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." 1 Corinthians 18:4-6

As little children we are supposed to be taught about God, but so many of us grew up with age not knowing anything about who He is. As we get older we begin to seek for wealth, health, love, happiness, comfort and someone to look up to, and this is when many make the mistake of creating their own gods (idol), hoping that these gods will give them what they want. I've met quite a few who followed in their parents' and relatives' beliefs such as practicing Santeria. Santeria is almost the same as Voodoo wherein people worship fruits, statues, or even animals, and they even sacrifice animals and drink their blood with the thought that it will bring them comfort, healing, wealth, and happiness. These are their gods, and they also use these gods to do bad unto others. These are weak lost souls who are living in darkness not knowing that they are serving none other but the enemy (Satan) who reigns over darkness. There are many who believe that the wind is a god, or the rain, or a tree; when all these things are just part of God's creation that was given to us by God to enjoy. We cannot make up god because God is God and there is only one who reigns in the heavens and here on earth. We as Christians who know the true God must keep in our prayers all those people who are still in darkness. May our God reign over all forevermore. We love you Father God!

Prayer: Father God we ask this in Jesus mighty name and by the power of your Holy Spirit, that the people who are still in darkness will no longer suffer and that you remove them from the hands of the enemy and his principalities. We bind the devil in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and we command him in Jesus name to loosen your people and that they will no longer be in bondage. I pray that they will acknowledge your son Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I pray for the world oh Lord and especially for our Christian brothers and sisters who are still struggling with the ways of the world. Lord Father God, bring comfort and assurance to those who don't know you yet, that they will step out of darkness and into your light and bless them as you've blessed us. May they know that there is only one true God, who is you and you alone. That there is only one Lord, and that is Jesus Christ, Lord of all. Thank you Father God, in Jesus name we pray, amen.

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."  John 10:27

Whose voice you listen to and follow, determines what you do and who you are.

Whether you're lying down in bed or watching TV or browsing the internet or chatting with your friends or sitting in class or strolling in the park or even skydiving, you constantly hear different voices. Who do you listen to? Who do you follow?

Others and the world?

"You're not cool because you don't drink and go to wild parties."

"Eooowww, no way she can join us because she doesn't dress and act like us."

"You're good for nothing!"

"I'm better than you."

"Show me the money!"

"If you love me, you'll have sex with me."

"Stay away from us, Jesus freak!"

You're own?

"Nobody loves me."

"Nobody cares."

"I hate my parents!"

"I hate my life!"

"I wish I was dead!"

"I wish I was never born!"

"Nobody tells me what to do!"

"I'm going to fail."

"I'm scared, they might not like me anymore."

Satan?

"Don't trust God, he'll only betray you."

"You are your own boss, don't listen to any of those preachings at church."

"Don't bother about what is right, just do what makes you feel good."

"God doesn't exist."

"Don't mind the feelings of others. What matters is that you're happy."

"It's no use obeying God, he will not reward you for anything you do."

"Give up, God doesn't love you, he doesn't care!"

"There's no more hope, you will never ever going to change."

"Jesus freak!"

God's Word?

"Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Mt 11:29

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jer 21:3

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me," John 10:27,28

"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal 2:20

"See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him." 1 John 3:1

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." Mt 10:32-33

"For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly." 2 Tim 3:2-5

HOW TO KNOW GOD

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Whom do you trust?" is certainly an interesting question when we consider our lives in the world today. Trust seems to be in short supply these days. Can we truly trust anything or anybody? How can we be sure who is telling us the truth? How can we be certain that life will get better and not worse? When the situations of life gets difficult and the unknown becomes overwhelming, our need to have something or someone to depend upon - to trust - becomes even more pronounced. How we long to be able to depend on someone or something to provide certainty and stability in our lives.

Our Father in heaven desires and invites us to trust in Him, calling us to trust His wisdom and purpose for our lives. He calls us in Jesus Christ to Himself that we might have a sure and certain hope, that we can face every challenge and trial in life, that we can find forgiveness for our sins, that we can have the assurance that He holds us in the palm of His hands, and that we may be with Him forever in heaven. Let us not give in to the temptation of the world to not trust in God nor rely on mere men for the answers to the serious issues of life, but let us trust in God, who is faithful and true to His word. His Word and Spirit are always there to guide us, guard us, and keep us in Him.

When people ask, "Whom do you trust?" you can say, "I trust in the Lord with all my heart."

Prayer: 

Father, I thank You that in the midst of a world full of uncertainties that Your love for me is the one sure, dependable, and trustworthy thing in my life. You make my life bearable as You bring me to Yourself in Jesus Christ. You have kept every promise You have ever made. Your salvation for me and the world is sure and certain. You are my only way. By the power of Your Word and Spirit give me the strength of faith to continue to trust in You for all things in my life. Help me to overcome my own tendency to think I know better than You about what's good and right for my life. Strengthen my faith that as I trust in You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding, I can also be a witness to others and help them trust in you as well. In Jesus' precious name I pray, Amen.

Romans 7:19 (New Living Translation)

“I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”

Do you feel the same way as the apostle Paul does in the verse above? This is a realization of our inner struggle to do what is good and avoid what is evil. If you ever felt this way, you are not alone. A lot of Christians experience this, and probably more often than non-Christians do! In fact, when you decide to follow Christ, it will appear like you have more restrictions in life than you did when you have not received Jesus yet.

Do not be alarmed, rather be joyful. This is an indication of the Holy Spirit working in you! The only worse thing about doing what is wrong is not realizing and admitting that what you did was wrong. When you have done something that displeases God, repent and ask God for forgiveness, and ask God to help you to not make the same mistake again. When you are constantly dealing with this inner struggle, you must pause and recognize that this is a clear sign of the areas in your life that you need to improve. Deal with them one step at a time, constantly asking God’s help to give you wisdom and courage to follow His will. God will definitely be pleased when you can finally say, “I want to do what is good, and I DO it. I don’t want to do what is wrong, so I DON’T do it.”

CHALLENGE: Identify the instances when you knew the right thing to do but decided to do otherwise, and the times when you knew that your action is wrong immediately after you have done it. What could have helped you make the right decision? What could have prevented you from choosing evil over good? Ask God to give you the strength to overcome your inner struggles as you walk with Him DAILY.

PRAYER:  Father, forgive me for the times when I chose to disobey You. I realize that I have done wrong and I feel sorry. Please help me to choose whatever pleases You. Teach me to think wisely and act according to Your will. Help me to stay away from places and situations where I can easily give in to what I know is wrong. Make me humble and obedient to my parents, teachers, and elders. Help me to listen to the Holy Spirit and give me the boldness to stand up for what is right and to not be ashamed of my Christian faith. All these I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Rom 12:21

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This verse provides a very simple formula for us to follow if we are to experience and enforce the victory of God in our lives. What is evil? It is anything or anyone that goes against the will of God. What is good? It is doing the will of God. What is the goal of evil? It is to make you evil or to keep you evil! Therefore, by doing good you destroy the power of evil in your life. You break the power of it's chains! To do good is itself the victory.

We should do good no matter what the circumstance. To do good to those who are good to us is relatively easy but the challenge is to be able to do good to those who are bad to us. Repaying bad for bad only proves that you are no different than the other person. It only proves that you are evil. Repaying good for bad proves that you are a true child of God, a Christian, a true follower of Christ.

How do you respond when someone does you wrong? Do you feel the urge to strike back? That's good. You know why? That means you're human and not a tree! What really counts is how you respond, and that is despite of how you feel. It determines whether you are a person who is obedient to God or one who is still in a state of rebellion towards Him.

Make your choice today: do good and LIVE or do EVIL and die.

CHALLENGE: Determine the areas in your life today where you find it hard to respond in a Godly way when someone does wrong to you and ask God with all humility to create a change in you, to transform you into His image and likeness, to be Godly, to do good as He would, to be like Him.

PRAYER: Father, help me to respond with good towards the people who do me wrong. Teach me your ways. I want to follow you and be like you. Teach me how to be a true Christian, showing forth your glory and mercy. Help me to be a channel of your goodness. Give me the courage to do what is right even when it means to go against what's popular, even when I know people who don't know you will hate me all the more. My desire is to obey and do your will. Help me to do good as you want me to and be the overcomer that I was meant to be. Give me faith and courage to do as you command. I know you will never leave me nor forsake me. Be with me Jesus as I live the life of victory that you have given me. Amen.

God proved it to us so clearly that he truly loved us when he gave up his son and his life for ours. He wants us to do the same for one another. There are rules and regulations that we are suppose to follow and they are God's law,"The Ten Commandments". When we rule against God's law we are hindering his heart for we are in his likeness. We are to have the same love for one another as he has for us. We must keep ourselves in his presence always and allow ourselves to be the same in the outside as we are in the inside, for he is always watching. Blessings to all.