Dial P.R.A.Y.E.R.

Are you at the very bottom of your life and have nowhere else to go? When you call up your most trusted friends and relatives to seek solace and comfort from the heavy burdens on your shoulders, do you always get a busy line or an answer from an answering machine? Do you feel that there is nobody in the world that you could talk to, to whom you can unburden yourself? Why not try God? He is always available 24 hours a day. There is no busy line in His hotline and He is always available to attend to your most pressing needs or your most troublesome burdens. His hotline? Just dial P.R.A.Y.E.R. and you are connected immediately no matter wherever you are or at what time of the day you call up. He loves it when you pour out all the anguish, the pains, and the frustrations of your soul to Him. And He will not be readily judgmental. He will wait for the perfect time when you will see your own faults and repent them all and turn a new leaf in your life by surrendering your life to Him and accepting Him as your Lord and savior. And what does He give you when you do all of these things? Nothing much really. First, He gives you peace of mind and joy in your heart. You will feel as though the pressing load of a heavy rock was lifted up from your chest and you breathe again freely. Secondly, He will take away the hardened scales in your eyes so that you can clearly see the spiritual truths of His words. Then, He will comfort you in everything that you will do and you will be aware of His very presence in your life. Then He gives you eternal life. Then, oh I don't want to be a killjoy. YOU WILL FIND OUT ALL THE GOODIES HE HAS IN STORE FOR YOU WHEN YOU TALK TO HIM IN HIS HOTLINE.

The Eternal Thief

Have you worked out the deal of your life that would have rewarded you with a handsome sum only to see it fizzled out at the last minute? Have you been so happy in your life that you felt as though you were on top of the world only to see yourself in a whirl of problems later on? Have you felt the love and warmth of your family then later on found your family on the verge of a major breakup? Have you been so successful in your work that you could almost attain the highest level of corporate success only to find out that you were unceremoniously eased out of the coveted position because of intrigue? You may feel that fate has handed you a bad deal in these scenarios but is that the real situation?

There may be something else here than just pure luck or a bad day. Somebody, since time immemorial, has stolen all the blessings and happiness of mankind. In fact, he was cast down to earth and he continues to seethe and foam in his malevolent intent to do mayhem and destruction to mankind. The Bible says that "the thief comes but to steal, to kill, and to destroy." He is the eternal thief who steals everything that is good from mankind. His fate has already been sealed. He is doomed to suffer everlasting death and he wants mankind to lose its divine patrimony which is eternal life. He is a master deceiver who masquerades as an angel of light to deceive the nonspiritual and the spiritually puffed up.

But his nemesis is the Holy Spirit. The covering of the blood of Jesus protects us against all his wiles and malevolent intents. He was already vanquished at Calvary. All he could do is to deceive mankind. He is now the lord of the world adored by those who cling to all forms of godlessness and sinful living. Would you let him steal all the blessings intended for you, especially your eternal life with God?

Tags: God, Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, The Devil, Eternal Thief, Godlessness, Blood of Jesus, Eternal death, Eternal Life

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational

Do You Dare To Be Different?

Do you dare to be different? Do you dare to swim against the current of popular world views? Can you stand for your principles and for what you feel are the right things to do when everybody else is doing the opposite? Can you maintain your scruples and principles amidst the darkness and permissiveness of the world? It is easy to go along with everybody else and be comfortable with the popular and accepted views. It is easy to justify a morally warped principle and way of life when everybody else is doing it. After all, did not the popular maxim says, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do." Yes, it is so easy to swim with the popular current of worldly living since almost everybody else is doing it. Anyway, no one gives a hoot as to what we do with our private lives. Or is there really nobody who cares for what we do? But at the end of the day, when the life of our individual candle is snuff out, we will give an accounting for each and every thing we did, said and thought while we were alive in this mundane world. We did not sprout out of nowhere and we will not be extinguished forever like a flame of a burning candle. There is an existence beyond this present life and we will be giving an accounting to our Creator after our mundane lives are over. So to those who live for the day in excessive pleasures and wanton living, disregarding the norms of morality that God has prescribed to the world, there will be judgment that they will never forget for all eternity. They will rue the day that they disregarded the dictates of their conscience and instead live for their own selves in excessive and profligate living. They had their own "rewards" while they were still living.

Tags: Dare To Be Different, Principles, Going Against The Current, Morality, Excessive and Profligate Living, Conscience, Just Rewards

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational

Teach Us To Number Our Days

How do we look at our lives? Do we look at it as one straight line to nothingness, or do we fill it with purposeful living? Have we brought sunshine to the lives of others? Have we put smiles on the faces of those we met? Have we become an instrument of God in bringing peace and harmony to our surroundings? Have we filled the world with love every day of our lives?

The Bible tells us to number our days so that we can be aware that life is but a transient experience. It is not the end all and be all of our existence. One day we are alive and healthy, and the next day we may be gone. Numbering our days makes us also aware of our total dependence on God for everything. Hence, we are grateful for each day, each hour, each minute and each second that we are alive. When we awake each morning, we thank God for another day of life to serve Him and please Him in everything that we do. We join with the whole of creation in giving Him praise and worship because of His glory and greatness. Look at the birds. They never fail to sing and glorify God every morning. The wind, the blades of grasses, the bubbling brook, the majestic mountains, the clear sky and the dawning of the sun- they never fail to give glory to God each day since time immemorial. And so we breathe the fresh air in our lungs and savor God's all encompassing glory and splendor in the morning.
Like dew that refreshes all plants, God gives us His tender mercy and love as we awake each morning. And so we learn to number our days to spend them to please Him and give glory to His name.

Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Number Our Days, Glory of God, Whole of Creation

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational

Pre Tribulation Period

There is now a feeling of widespread despair and discontent in the world. Somehow, things are not the same. Extremes prevail. It's either too hot or too cold. Even in the temperaments of people, extremes are evident. People have either gone too evil or too righteous. People are bewildered. They could not ascertain their true feelings. Somehow, they feel a hollowness deep inside, a sort of a personal discontent. What's happening to the world?

We are now witnessing the onset of the Pre Tribulation period of the world. No! This is not yet the Tribulation proper. The Tribulation proper will usher in so much suffering and pain that people will wish they were dead instead of living a hellish existence. Just like in the days of Noah before the deluge, people were enjoying themselves and giving themselves wholly to sinful living.

God is shaking the world to see who are His and who are of this world. There will be no fence sitters nor neutral watchers. Either you are for God or you are with the evil one. People are now afforded their last chance to turn a new leaf on their lives. The message of Calvary rings loud and clear for the whole world to hear. Will you accept the offer of salvation or will you be condemned together with the enemies of the cross?

The grace of salvation and eternal life are offered to us to accept or reject. Those who will not accept it will be condemned together with the lord of this world and his cohorts. The choice is ours. If the situation now is too heavy and burdensome, think of what will happen when the Tribulation proper comes. We can only weep until all tears are gone.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

We Live By Faith Not By Sight

What is the difference between living by faith and living by sight (senses)? Let us illustrate the examples of each one to see their differences. To live by sight (or senses) is to live in this physical world with all its physical realities. We use our five senses, our own strength, our own resources, our connections, our human intelligence and our inter social activities with other people. We live by the standards set forth by man. When we get sick we see our doctor and take the prescribed medicines. We breathe, we live and die by the standards of men.

Not so with those who live by faith. They live by the standards of God. They cling to God's promises even if the physical reality says otherwise. They cling to the very idea that all things are possible with God. They have surrendered their will to God and have let God have a free reign in their lives.

Let me illustrate this with my own personal example to see how God works with individual persons. My eldest sister had recurring hypertension for just a little over two years and had diligently taken her prescribed medicines. When her finances got strained, she failed to take them for about a week. She got a massive stroke that almost resulted in her death. She was confined at the intensive care unit of a hospital for two months. Lately when I visited her, she was so emaciated and could no longer talk. She had her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. I have a brother in the province whom I was not even aware had diabetes like me. It was probably very recent only. I was shocked to hear that his right leg was already amputated because of his diabetes.

Then I consider God's protection and guidance over me. I have hypertension for more than 20 years now and diabetes for about 10 years and have been in the valley of the shadow of death so many times that I lost count already. It has been two years since I last saw a doctor although I am regularly taking my prescribed hypertension and diabetes medicines. I was scheduled for three major operations two years ago which did not push through due to some problems. After all those years, I am still alive and relatively healthy to give glory to God and becoming a living testimony to His goodness and grace. Not that I commend myself for what I am doing but I am giving all the praises and glory to my living God who provides for all my needs and have never left me nor forsaken me. TO HIM BE GLORY, HONOR, PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING FOREVERMORE.


Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Living By Faith, Live By Sight, Living Faith, Grace, Trust in The Lord

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Climb Every Mountain

Are you facing a mountain of problems right now and you feel so helpless and alone? Are you traveling in your own desert of trials right now, thirsty and forlorn for your long sought after deliverance and the advent of your own promise land? Is your back against the wall and you feel that the whole weight of the world is crumbling down upon you and you have nowhere else to go? Are you so sick that you could almost smell the scent of death lingering around your bed and you feel that there is no longer any hope nor remedy for your illness? If you are in these kinds of situations right now, cast off your long faces and rejoice for your deliverance is at hand.

Yes, you have now felt the full power of God bearing down upon you. He permitted these things to happen so that you will humble yourself before Him and finally acknowledge that you are totally helpless and that apart from God you can do nothing. Remember, these situations were a result of your own making, when you cast out God from your life in your mad quest to be your own "captain of your ship and master of your soul." They were caused by excessive pride and self glorification and the total disregard of God in your life. It is a good thing that God has given you a last chance to turn a new leaf on life and retrace your steps back to His loving arms once more. Let us surrender our lives to God and cast all our burdens to Him for He cares for us. Let us trust God that He will deliver us from all our predicaments and trials in life. Did He not promise, "Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) All things are possible with God to him who believes and trust in his unfailing love. So next time that you are confronted with a mountain of problems so high, just go ahead and climb it, for the Spirit of the Lord is with you and you will surely succeed. GO AHEAD AND CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN.

Tags: Climb Every Mountain, God, Mountains of Problems, Back Against The Wall, Trials, Desert Experience, Promise Land, Deliverance, Kingdom of God

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational