Once a little cherubim was looking at God in heaven. God was watching the whole earth and His face was full of sorrow and pain. He was very sad and the angel thought a tear was welling in the eyes of the Lord. The angel decided in his heart to make the Lord happy and bring a smile on His face. The angel swooped down to the earth to search for something that will make the Lord smile. In a medium size church, he heard an outstanding sermon by a pastor and he saw that all the church goers were mesmerized by his Gospel message. They were all clapping so loud because of his earth shaking sermon. The angel decided to scoop the sermon in his tiny hands and brought it to the Lord. When he faced the Lord, he bowed down and opened his tiny hands and the sounds and sights of the earth shattering sermon penetrated the whole heaven . The Lord smiled a little but afterwards He became solemn again. The frustrated angel went back to earth and roamed its four corners to seek what will make the Lord smile. From a little cathedral he saw a huge choir singing a heavenly praise and worship song to the Lord as the whole congregation joined in the mighty song. Surely, this will bring a smile to the Lord, the angel thought. He scooped up the praise and worship song of the choir and hurried up to heaven. Facing the Lord again, he opened his tiny hands and there erupted a mighty song of praise and worship that reverberated throughout heaven. The Lord smiled a little but again returned to His somber expression. The angel became desperate. He roamed the whole earth to and fro in search of what can make the Lord smile. Going back to the first church he came from, he heard a faint cry of anguish and pain. Curious, he swooped down to that church and there at the farthest and darkest corner of the church was a solitary man who was beating his breast and was full of tears. He was crying to God and was asking for forgiveness for all his sins as he bowed down to surrender his entire being to God. Suddenly a flash lighted up in the mind of the angel. He scooped the repentance and surrender of the sinful man and flew straight to heaven. When he opened his tiny hands in front of the Lord, the sob and cries of the repentant sinner reverberated throughout heaven and a wide smile broke out in the face of God as He wipes the tears in His eyes. He embraced the tiny angel as the whole heavenly host erupted in triumphant shouts of joy and singing.
"THERE WILL BE MORE REJOICING IN HEAVEN OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS THAN OVER NINETY NINE RIGHTEOUS PERSONS WHO DO NOT NEED TO REPENT." (Luke 15:7)
Author Unknown
Note: I heard this story a long time ago and it lingered in the inner recesses of my mind. When the inspiration came from the Lord, I recreated that story to suit the heavenly purpose of God. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, God Smiled, Cherubim, Heaven, Outstanding Sermon, Pastor, Praise and Worship Song, Forgiveness, Repentance, Heavenly Host, Rejoicing In Heaven, Sinner, Born Again, Eternal Life, Amazing Grace, Love, Joy, Peace, Word of God, Holy Bible
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational/Motivational
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Does God cry? Yes, He does. He did during the death of Lazarus when He saw the multitude of people grieving the death of Lazarus. He was so filled with compassion and mercy, and so He cried. He is still crying today, seeing the magnitude of suffering and pains in the world. But He could only hope that people will see the light and free themselves of those unnecessary pain and suffering. To understand fully how life works, we must fully and intimately know the Creator of life. Let us consider several facts:
1. God is love.
2. God is a God of justice.
3. God created moral, physical and spiritual laws that cannot be circumvented nor disregarded.
4. God demands praise and worship from men through their own free will. He will never force men to worship and obey Him.
5. Man was born in a state of depravity because of the fall of our first parents. Thus, man was doomed to suffer eternal death.
6. Because of God's great love for fallen mankind, He sent His only begotten Son to suffer the penalty for man's sins and regain his original birth right of being born in the image and likeness of God.
7. Thus, Jesus Christ's death on the cross and His triumphant resurrection from the dead afforded man the chance to gain eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior.
8. Because of Jesus triumph on the cross, man was freed from the shackles of Satan and from all his bondages. Thus, if we receive Jesus Christ, we are assured of abundant eternal life.
Now God is crying because man is unnecessarily suffering because of ignorance and self pride. God wants to help man overcome all his sufferings, pains, and burdens by offering that man exchange them all for the joy and abundance of the Lord. All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, God Is Crying, Death of Lazarus, Compassion, Mercy, Magnitude of Suffering and Pain, Creator of Life, God is Love, God of Justice, Moral, Physical and Spiritual Laws, Circumvent, Disregard, Praise and Worship, Free Will, Man, State of Depravity, Fall of First Parents, Eternal Death, Only Begotten Son, Penalty For Man's Sins, Original Birth Right, Image and Likeness of God, Death on The Cross, Triumphant Resurrection, Bondages, Abundant and Eternal Life, Ignorance, Self Pride, Joy and Abundance of The Lord, Word of God, Bible
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational/Motivational
Do we remember how we were when we were not yet rescued by Jesus Christ from our decadent and evil filled lifestyles? How we sinned on the inside while professing piety and righteousness on the outside? How we enjoyed the orgies of sin in our minds through our fertile imagination? How we indulged in the revelry of sensual pleasures and the pursuit of happiness? How cruel we were to our loved ones, loving only ourselves? But all of that changed when we came to know Jesus Christ and have surrendered our lives to Him. Our dead spirit, steeped in endless sins, was reborn by the power of the Holy Spirit, and we became a new creation in Christ. The battle had only begun then. There were constant struggles as our former selves, steeped in evil habits, tried to reassert itself over our reformed selves. And by the amazing grace of God, we have survived one onslaught after another by the evil one.
How we struggled to keep in step with fellow believers and how we persisted each time we fall to sin, as we were strenthened by the Holy Spirit to keep on going no matter how many times we stumbled. It is not a matter of how many times we fall and get back to our feet again, but it is a matter of finishing the race at all costs. The victor's prize is not crowned on those who started fast on the starting line or on the bend, but on those who finally finished the race however bruised and battered they may be. We must not worry because God is so patient and loving and have given us all the incentives and strength to finish our own individual races. Are we not all WORK IN PROGRESS by the Lord?
Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Work In Progress, Decadent And Evil Filled Lifestyle, Piety, Righteousness, Orgies of Sin, Fertile Imagination, Sensual Pleasure, Pursuit of Happiness, Reborn, Power of The Holy Spirit, Constant Struggles, Stumble, Finishing The Race, Victor's Prize, Eternal Life, Love, Joy, Peace, Kingdom of God, Word of God, Bible
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
PhilippinesSpiritual/Inspirational/Motivational
Meet Faith the dog- a modern miracle worker whose quest for life will shame people who are whiners and cry babies and whose main preoccupation in life is to blame everybody including God for what and who they are. Faith was born two legged and he was cared for by a family who stood by her through thick and thin and who showed her love and affection far beyond what normal people can give to their fellowmen. Watch the video of Faith at Oprah Winfrey Show and simply be amazed. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Tags: Faith, Two Legged Dog, Miracle Worker, Quest For Life, Love, Caring, Patience, Perseverance, Family. Bonding, Joy, Happiness, Fulfillment,
Search For Life's Meaning, Zest For Life, Wonderful World, Alive, Comfort
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational/Uplifting
We have bestsellers now and then. There are classics, thrillers, mysteries, inspirational, fantasies, science fiction, book of world records, self help books, all kinds of books that became best sellers one time or another. But after some time, they fade away and are forgotten. The greatest book and bestseller of all time is the Bible containing God's words. They were written by more than 40 authors, written in the span of more than 1,600 years. They are an amalgam of individual books compiled together in a single masterpiece. It has been translated into all languages and dialects all over the world. It survived the ravages of time and the assault of the enemies of God. It has words of truth written all over it. And although written by different authors who do not always know each other, their prophecies were fulfilled in subsequent books with uncanny accuracies. Almost all the prophecies written in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the times of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The only prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled are the prophecies concerning the end times or the second coming of Christ. Even with the presence of inconsistencies and doublets in the Old Testament, testament to the different authorship and revisions by different editors, the Bible remains steadfast and true, testament to the infallible influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And God's words are very powerful and effective tools in our walk through life with all the trials and temptations surrounding man. They never change or fade away because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Holy Bible, Word of God, Inerrancy of the Bible, More Than 40 Authors, Written in The Span of Over 1,600 Years, Withstood The Test Of Time, Translated Into All Languages and Dialects Around The World, Accurate Fulfillment of Prophecies, Lamp Unto Our Feet, Light Unto Our Paths, Inspired By The Holy Spirit, Canon, Canonical, Apocryphal, DeuteroCanonical, Old Testament, New Testament, 66 Books, End Times, Second Coming of Christ, Salvation, Grace, Eternal Life
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational/Motivational
No Condemnation
Condemnation From Jury of PeersIn our criminal justice system especially in the Philippines and in most third world countries, to be tried, convicted and incarcerated in jails mean a lifetime of shame, ostracism and a second class status among the inhabitants of the country. Ex convicts are looked down upon with fear and derision and they are discriminated upon in most opportunities especially in looking for jobs. They may have been pardoned by the government and society but the stigma of their crimes will forever be indelibly marked in their personalities.
Not so with God. No matter how grievous or abominable our sins maybe, if we accept God's prescription for forgiveness of sins and eternal life, not only are our sins forgiven, they are forever erased in God's reckoning as though we never committed any sin at all. That is the power of God's restoration of our original identity as being created in His image and likeness. The only price we have to pay is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior and surrender our lives to Him. We could never attain salvation through individual or corporate acts of good works or self righteousness. Those who do so would only find their way barred from entering God's kingdom. The Father prescribed only one exclusive way, and that is the way of His only begotten Son- Jesus Christ. THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS.
Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, No Condemnation, Salvation, Grace, Eternal Life, Only Way, Truth, Life, Criminal Justice System, Jury System, Jails, Incarceration, Second Class Status, Discrimination, Stigma, Indelibly Marked, Crimes, Guilt, Justification, Restoration, Lord And Savior, Surrender, Self Righteousness, Love, Peace, Joy
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational/Motivational
To truly reflect the glory of God and to be an effective light of the world and salt of the earth as admonished by the Lord, we have to die to our own worldly self. We have to truly humble ourselves and acknowledge that everything in our lives are truly for the Lord alone. That is total surrender, when we kill any identification to our selfish, worldly and self glorifying self. In other words, we are dead to this world and alive for the Lord alone. And as we continue to walk in the way of the Lord and obey His own will in our lives, then we are opening ourselves to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to change us from glory to glory until we reach the whole measure of the fullness of Jesus Christ. That is the true yardstick of the real Christian. We die to ourselves and we live for the Lord alone. And in the process, we open ourselves to many trials because the work and purpose of the Lord in our lives must be accomplished so that the characters and virtues God wants to develop in us can reach its full fruition. Such is the transforming power of God to those who have fully surrendered their lives to Him. Peter, who was a sinful fisherman and one who disowned Jesus Christ, was transformed into a bold leader of the fledgling church of God after the death of Jesus Christ. Paul, whose hands bore the blood of Stephen and other Christian martyrs, was transformed by God to become the greatest and boldest propagator of the Gospel of Christ to the gentile world. If we truly love God and if we are truly desirous to please Him, then we must die to ourselves and live for His glory alone. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Dying To Self, Living For God Alone, Dead To This World, Alive in Jesus Christ, Grace, Salvation, Transformation, Glory, Eternal Life, Bliss, Worldly, Peter, Paul, Christian Church, Born Again, Word of God, Gospel of Salvation, Holy Bible, Love, Joy, Peace
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational/Motivational
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