4th Beneficiary of God's Power Blessings - Daniel

Daniel - God saved him from the lion's den

Daniel was among those who were taken into captivity to Babylon after the first fall of Jerusalem. Daniel, together with Meshach, Shadrach and Abedneggo refused to eat the sumptuous fares being given to them in Babylon but instead convinced their caretaker to give them kosher (clean) food such as fruits and vegetables to eat. Daniel, like Joseph, was given by God the wisdom to interpret dreams which he did to king Nebuchadnezzar. Because of the accurate interpretation, Daniel was elevated to one of the highest positions in all of Babylon. The other officials despised him since he was highly esteemed by everybody because of his wisdom and the probity of his ways. Since his detractors could not find any fault in him, they convinced the king to issue a decree that anyone who will pray to any god or man during the next thirty days except to the king shall be thrown into the lion's den. When Daniel learned about this, he went home to his upstair room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem and prayed there three times a day. His detractors reported this to the king and the king had no choice but to order that Daniel be thrown into the lion's den. The following day, when the king and all the officials of the palace visited Daniel in the lion's den, they found him alive and being licked playfully by the lions. The king ordered that the detractors of Daniel be thrown into the lion's den and they were mauled and eaten by the lions. On many occasions have Daniel interpreted dreams and signs for the king and they all came to reality. God also gave Daniel prophecies for the end times which corresponded with the prophecies in the Book of Revelation. God's gracious favor with Daniel was exemplified by the words of an angel which said that God was already answering Daniel's prayer although he has just started praying it.

Tags: 4th Beneficiary of God's Power Blessings, Daniel, Bible, Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar, Lion's Den, Living Faith, God's Faithfulness To Those Who Trust Him, Grace, Favor of God and Men

Posted by: Mel Alarilla

3rd Beneficiary of God's Power Blessings - David

David - A Man Whose Heart Is After God's Own


David was chosen by God to succeed Saul to the throne of Israel. Through the prophet Samuel, David was chosen from among the sons of Jesse to be the anointed of the Lord. David, although still a lad tending the sheep of his family, battled Goliath with just a mere slingshot and a living faith in God. God delivered Goliath to David's hands and from that day on earned the ire of king Saul. Through much persecutions from Saul who pursued David bent on killing him, the Lord stayed at the side of David. And finally, David was crowned as the king of Israel. God loved David because David had a heart after God's own. He remained faithful to God and enjoyed tremendous success and wealth. In the two instances when David sinned to God- when he conducted a census of God's army without God's consent and when he committed the sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Bathsheba's husband, God forgave him although the consequences of his sins remained. His child with Bathsheba died and his kingdom became divided after his death. David committed to build a temple to God in Jerusalem although it was his son Solomon who undertook the actual construction. David died beloved of the Lord and his people. He remains a monumental figure in the annals of Biblical patriarchs.

Tags: God, Power Blessing, David, Israel, Goliath, Saul, Bathsheba, Solomon, A Heart After God's Own, Faithfulness to God, Temple of Jerusalem, Biblical Patriarchs

Posted by: Mel Alarilla

2nd Beneficiary of God's Power Blessings - Moses

Moses - The man of God to whom God spoke face to face.

Moses is a towering figure in the Bible. He was destined to be great and to lead the Jews out of the bondage of Egypt by the mighty hand of God. There is a parallelism in the lives of Jesus Christ and Moses. Both were born during times of persecutions and both survived the threat of early death from their persecutors. Moses was destined to study the rich culture and traditions of Egypt when he was adopted by the sister of pharoah. But destiny intervened and Moses found his true calling among his people.
God revealed Himself to Moses on the holy mountain of Sinai as a burning bush. Though Moses was reluctant to become the leader of the Jews, He was prevailed upon to accept the responsibility with the assistance his brother- Aaron and with the promise that God will be with them in their trek to the promise land. Signs, wonders and miracles accompanied Moses and Aaron's confrontation with the pharoah. The pharoah was adamant but later on consented when his own first born son was killed by the avenger of death together with all the first born of the Egyptians.

In the wilderness, God accompanied Moses and the Jews through a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The Jews were sustained by God for 40 years in the desert. No one among the first generation Jews were able to reach the promise land because of their disobedience to God except for Caleb and Joshua. Even Moses was not permitted to set foot on the promise land because he struck the rock with a staff instead of talking to it thereby depriving God of His miraculous glory.

Moses was so closed to God that he was able to intercede for the Jews when God had wanted to destroy them because of their evil hearts. Moses died of old age still possessing all of his inherent physical capabilities. Moses was entrusted by God to bring His laws to the Jews and to the whole world. Moses was the precursor of Jesus who will lead His chosen ones to the promise land- the New Jerusalem.


Tags: Moses. Lawgiver, The Ten Commandments, God, Burning Bush, Mt. Sinai, Aaron, Pharoah, Signs, Wonders, Miracles, The Promise Land, Jews

Posted by: Mel Alarilla
Spiritual/Inspirational

Abraham - The First Beneficiary of God's Power Blessings

          ABRAHAM

          He was born Abram from the land of Ur.  He was called and chosen by God out of the myriads of mortals that existed on the earth during his time.  That was the first evidence of the grace of God.  Abram responded by leaving his native Ur and embarking on the first journey to Canaan- the promised land.  Then God said to Abraham that he will father a son by Sarah and his offsprings will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands at the sea.  Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.  

         When Isaac was born, God again tested  Abraham's faithfulness to Him.  He demanded that Isaac  be sacrificed  by Abraham to Him. Abraham became obedient to the directive of God and that was the final test.  He was blessed by the Lord from all the peoples of the world during that time.  Their herd with his nephew Lot were so many that they had to part ways.  Abraham was blessed even more by the Lord and he rescued Lot and his household from the marauding kings who were the enemies of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah.  He was blessed by the high priest Melchizedek after his victory over the enemies of Sodom and Gomorrah. There he gave Melchizedek a tenth of all his properties as the first recorded case of tithing.  Abraham was immortalized as the father of Israel and the Jews and of his descendant- Jesus Christ.  Those who bless his descendants- the Jews, will be blessed by God.  Those who curse the Jews and Israel will be cursed by God.   

Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Abraham, Canaan, Sarah, Isaac, Melchizedek, Sodom and Gomorrah, Blessings

Posted by: Mel Alarilla

Philippines

Spiritual/Inspirational   

Rediscovering God

Where do we place God in our lives? Do we place Him at the very center of our existence? Or do we put Him at the farthest corners of our hearts and minds? Some sort of a spare tire to be used when the need arises?

When we are in distress, when fear and anxiety beset us, when tons of problems seem to overwhelm us, when we feel that we could not possibly cope with the stressful situation confronting us, who do we seek? Our doctor? Our psychiatrist? Our closest friend? Our spouse? Our parents or any relative we hold near and dear? When do we turn to God for relief? When things start to fall apart and when we completely lose control of the situation? Then afterwards , we blame God for the disaster that befell us, forgetting that it was caused by us in the first place.

The answers to these questions determine how we relate to God. To most of us, God is a far away and distant despot who does not care about us, leave us to our fate and circumstances, who disturbs our peace when we sin and who demands an accounting from us all the time. But when the chips are down, He is nowhere to be found and do not give an iota of concern whatever happens to us. In fact, God is an ever reliable scapegoat for all our troubles and misfortunes in life. But is He?

God said, "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength." (Isaiah 45:22-24a)

He further added, "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please....What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." (Isaiah 46:9b-10, 11b)

God is not affected by how we perceived Him to be. He is not changed nor affected by our puny perceptions. He is sovereign. He do as He please. The good news is, He is everything that we could ever think of as good and positive. And He could not contradict His own nature. The bad news (or good news, depending on one's perception) is, He created us with our own free will, and that we have the choice to accept or reject Him. He will never force Himself on us.

There lies the problem. We know that there is a God, but we limit His power over us by our inability to perceive Him as He really is. So we make do with a counterfeit "God" who is capricious, whimsical, moody, revengeful, catankerous, self seeking and avaricious; who expropriates everything for His own glory alone. Pity the people who looks at God this way.

Hosea 4:6a says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Wrong perception of God may lead us to our own destruction, and greatly tie up God's hands to help us out of our predicament. The only solution is to know the real God through His words in the Bible.

Jesus Christ shows us the way to the Father. "Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me." (John 14:6) Also, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) You want to know the real GOD? Read your Bible.

VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES - Series # 6

VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES



26) Something wonderful is the masterpiece of God's creation- so sensitive, so marvelous, so exquisitely beautiful. Something wonderful is the masterpiece of God's creation- so precise, so complicated, so sublime. Something wonderful- it cannot be compared to any other creation- in beauty, in grace, in near perfection, in its quest to reach for infinity. That something wonderful is - Y...O...U! "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well." (Psalm 139: 14)


27) Do we live to please ourselves and satisfy our earthly natures? Do we do things to please others, especially those we hold near and dear? Are our actions, thoughts and feelings motivated by our desire to please ourselves and our loved ones as well? There is a higher meaning and purpose to life than this, and that is, " ...to live in order to please God." (1 Thessalonians 4: 1)


28) Surrender yourself totally unto the Lord, never mind the cost, He will compensate for everything. He will walk beside you every step of the way and will wipe away the tears in your eyes. He will guide you through all the pitfalls in life and will strengthen you in moments of weaknesses. He knows all your pains and tribulations and He will always comfort you. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)


29) Loneliness is a fearful foe, it stalks you to the very depths of your soul. It is more pronounced when you are alone and have no one to relate to; no one to love you nor care for you; no one to lift up your spirits when you're down. But there is a remedy for loneliness, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16: 11)


30) The end may come sooner than we think. So many souls are perishing and yearning to be saved; so many voices crying out, lost and in despair. They grope in the darkness, stumbling every step of the way, searching for a soul saving hand to reach out for them. "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." (Luke 10: 2)


SMILE! GOD LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT!

INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGES FROM FRIENDS - Series # 2

INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGES FROM FRIENDS - Series # 2


This is the second of the series of Inspirational Messages From Friends. They came from my brothers and sisters in Christ who have been so generous with their words of encouragements. God bless them all. I hope you too, dear readers, will be inspired by them as much as I was. And as the title of this blogspot connotes, you will experience God's tremendous showers of blessings for reading this blogspot and giving your spiritual support for God's cause. Thank you very much and God bless you all. HAPPY READING!


From Sis. Wen Carino (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Little keys can open big locks; simple words can express great thoughts; a sincere prayer everyday brings you God's immeasurable blessings and graces."


From Sis. Wen Carino (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"As the sky breaks into a beautiful sunrise, may God open the heavens to shower you with lots of love and happiness, and make your day a truly meaningful one."


Anonymous

"Each day is an offering of love, a gift only God can deliver, and the way we use each shining hour is our gift of thanks to the Giver."


From Sis. Edith Sayco (Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Nights are the best time to be peaceful, to ponder on things, to appreciate life, to plan for tomorrow and to thank God for all the BLESSINGS."


From Sis Emma Garcia (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Mornings are just like paintings, you need an inspiration to get you going. God and His words are the only inspirations I know that we can stand and move on."


From Sis. Emma Garcia (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"5 steps to a lovely morning: close your eyes, take a deep breath, open your arms wide, feel your heartbeat and say- 'Here I am Lord, embrace me and be my strength.' "


From Sis. Fe Lim (Cainta, Rizal, Philippines)

"Happiness is somewhere between too little and too much. May you have just enough wealth to meet your needs; enough poverty to learn how to work hard; enough blessings to know that God loves you; enough problems so you don't forget Him; enough happiness to keep you sweet; enough trials to keep you strong; enough hope to keep you happy; enough sorrow to keep you human. What you are is God's gift to you, but what you become is your gift to God."


From Bro. Arnold Mendoza (Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines)

"May the Lord's loving eyes keep watching you all day long. Have a wonderful day."


From Sis. Emma Garcia (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"I have never seen God but I know He's there. It's people like you who make Him so real. May you always be a blessing to every life you touch."


From Sis. Emma Garcia (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Inspire: Be thankful for each new challenge because it will build your strength and character."


From Sis. Julie Jimenez (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"No matter where we are, what we have, what we went through, the BEST IS YET TO COME FOR THOSE WHO PUT GOD FIRST IN THEIR LIVES."


From Sis. Wen Carino (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Good person.....ikaw yan.
Good Friend.....ikaw uli yan.
Good Taste.....Sa iyo yan.
Good Heart.....Sa yo pa rin yan.
Great Taste.....Sobra ka na...
Kape na yan!
Happy Day!


From Sis. Julie Jimenez (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Take chances,
Make mistakes.
That's how you grow.
Pain nourishes your courage.
You have to fail in order to
Practice being brave."


From Sis. Mila Le Rey (Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines)

"God is so amazing
He sends you sunrise
Every Morning
Flowers year round
Rainbow after rain
He owns the universe
But prefers to live
In your heart."


From Sis. Julie Jimenez (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"In every stair of our life
There will be a cross of trials
But do not fear to take hope
For the Lord is with us forever."


From Sis. Emma Garcia (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"The most humbling statement we can say is: I am nothing without God. And our most powerful statement is: with the grace of God, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."


From Sis. Malou Chua (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"When you surrender your will to God, He will make sure your life is in line with His perfect plan because the key to a great blessings is being willing to adjust your plan to God's will."


From Sis. Julie Jimenez (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"A sweeter smile
A brighter day
Hope everything turns out
Great for you today.
Good morning! Have a nice day!"


From Sis. Wen Carino (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Jesus cares for you!
May the Lord shower you
With so much blessings
And miracles today,
Tomorrow and forever.
God bless."


From Sis. Wen Carino (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Always say, 'I am happy because
God is with me.
Where I am, there He is;
What I do, He sees;
How I feel, He knows.
Truly life is wonderful.
Good day!"


From Sis. Julie Jimenez (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"We came to this world with nothing,
But to God we are something.
He wants to share with us everything
Because He loves us more than anything.
God bless."


From Bro. Joel Reyes (Boacaue, Bulacan, Philippines)

"When our hope fails, God's hope in us does not. Hope is the strength of the weak. It is a power to go on because tomorrow is better than today."


From Sis. Julie Jimenez (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"I asked God to be with you today
And send His blessings along your way.
Good morning."


From Sis. Susan Dulo (Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Prayer is a perfume to our soul
And a fragrance that pleases God.
Wear your prayer everyday
And let it freshen you
Anytime, anywhere you go.
Have a blessed and sweet scented day!
God bless."


From Sis. Julie Jimenez (Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines)

"I wish you perfect health,
Happiness and love that never end,
Peace of mind and all the wonderful
Things in life.
Have a nice day!"


From Bro. Billy Joel Azada (Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines)

"What is the secret of a good life? I found the answer in my home. The wall says- Be Strong, the ceiling says- Aim High, the door says- Be Open, the window says- Learn To Give And Take, the clock says- Time is Gold, the calendar says- Love Every Day As If It Is The Last Day, the cabinet says- Keep things In Order, the bed says- Take Time To Relax, the lamp says- Be The Light, and God, who is found everywhere in my house says- KEEP FAITH BECAUSE I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS."


From Sis. Malou Chua (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Worry...destroys our thinking, disrupts our work, destroys our poise and disfigures our face. So get rid of it. Why worry when we can PRAY."


From Bro. Arnold Mendoza (Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines)

"God never send you into a situation alone. God goes before you; He stands beside you; He walks behind you. Whatever situation you have right now, be confident. God cares for you."


From Sis. Fe Lim (Cainta, Rizal, Philippines)

"Sometimes you have to fall from the mountain to realize what you are climbing for. Obstacles are placed in our way to see if what we want is really worth fighting for. From every wound, there is a scar, and every scar tells a story- a story that says, I SURVIVED."


From Sis. Susan Udtujan (Cainta, Rizal, Philippines)

"Chronic worry will steal your joy. By living in fear, you are showing that you don't trust God enough. 'My heart trusted in Him and He helped me. I rejoice greatly.' (Psalm 28: 7)"


From Bro. Arnold Mendoza (Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Just open your eyes and feel the morning with a prayer. As you go on to your work, take things easy, for God knows you are doing better each day."


From Sis. Malou Chua (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"God's love will carry you through in everyday's life. No one is more secure than those who are in God's hands. May your life be as beautiful as your heart."


From Sis. Emma Garcia (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Time alone can prove the worth of a person. As time goes by, we are as worthy in the sight of God, for He took our infirmities and gave His life as a ransom for many."


From Sis. Emma Garcia (Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines)

"Time may stop, days maybe over, months may go, years may pass, world may end, but there's one thing that will surely remain- the word of God endures forever. His love will not fail."


"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 35, 37, 38, 39)