The Good News Blog

And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:20-31)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands…you will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country” -Deuteronomy 28:1-3, NIV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Do you want to experience more of God’s blessing in your life? Living in obedience and integrity is the key that unlocks the door to His abundance. When you put God and His Word first place in your life, the Bible says you’ll be blessed in the city and in the country—you’ll be blessed wherever you go!

This chapter in the Bible goes on to say that you will be so blessed that you will lend and not borrow. Can you see yourself in that position? Can you see yourself living in that kind of abundance?

See, God doesn’t want you to be living with a barely-get-by attitude. We don’t serve a barely-get-by God; our God is more than enough! He wants you to have more than enough to meet your needs and be a blessing to the people around you.

I encourage you today to make room in your life for the blessing of God. Choose to live in obedience to His Word. Choose to follow His commands. As you do, you will rise up higher and live the abundant life God has for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for Your hand of blessing on my life. I choose today to put You first in everything I do. Help me to walk in integrity and follow Your commands so that I can honor You always. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing” -2 Thessalonians 1:3, NIV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God’s desire is to see you grow and increase in every area of your life—especially in your love for others. That’s because love is the greatest thing, and it is all that matters in eternity.

The book, Love at Last Sight: 30 days to Grow and Deepen Your Closest Relationships by Pastors Kerry and Chris Shook, sums it up perfectly. It says, “At the end of the day—in this all-too-short life we all share, all we really have are relationships with people we love and who love us.

In light of relationships, the job and career we set as goals now aren’t really so important; the ladders we try to climb don’t matter so much; the objects we long to possess seem utterly trivial. What really matters in the end is that special look that you share with your spouse, the arms of your child reaching up to you, the quiet comfort of being with a friend who stands by your side in a difficult time.”

Today, I pray that your love continues to grow and build a solid foundation for your faith. I pray that through your connection with the Father, you are strengthened in all of your relationships as you move forward into the life of blessing He has for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for loving me and transforming me into Your image. I invite You to search my heart and mind today. Help me to keep Your plans and purposes first and to love others the way You love me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

True Life Testimony of Sis. Kristine Grace M. Reyes

Growing up in a family of believers, I have truly enjoyed the immense blessings of our Heavenly Father. At the same time, it has not always been an easy life. But rather much satisfying and rewarding to know that no matter what struggles, failures, blessings, and victories I have gone through, am going through, and will go through- I am and forever will be a daughter of the King of Kings. He will always bless me, guide and protect me, and keep me safe in His loving arms.

Now, let me take this privilege to share with you a part of my life that has been a true testimony of God’s faithfulness and bountiful blessings that I myself didn’t know was even possible.

After graduating from high school in 2008, I went on to East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas, USA to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration- Marketing. At the young age of sixteen, a girl who is all new to the whole college concept, not to mention being far away from the family and being all alone, I never thought that I would make such an adjustment to what I had accomplished.

Some people find it frightening to be in my situation when I first arrived in the States. People always asked me how I coped up and adjusted easily being on foreign land. Actually, it wasn’t as difficult as people thought. As long as I kept in mind that God is with me all the time, there is really nothing to be afraid of. I made new friends as soon as I got there. I got involved in multiple organizations I could be a part of.

God gave me favor among my professors, employer, classmates and peers. Every semester has been one accomplishment over the other. Of course those successes won’t be possible without God’s guidance, leading, and strength. Every day was a new challenge and a new day to shine for Him, to make Him proud. Our God is amazing and He works in beautiful ways.

This 2010, God has been yet again faithful to me as I spent my sophomore year in ETBU. Some blessings He has showered me with were being a part of the Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) Leadership Team and finding a new church that I can call my home. Through BSM, I have been blessed with the opportunity to reach out to ETBU ladies through a ministry that I lead called “WoMin” or Women’s Ministry and to also reach out to the incoming freshmen class through Journey.

Being part of the Leadership team, I got to attend conferences and retreats. One of the retreats I attended this year was Abide. Abide is a conference mainly focused on prayer. Before going to the retreat I remembered praying to God that I wanted Him to use me in this retreat. I wanted to meet people and be able to connect with them. I was very eager for Him to use me and to be a channel of His blessings to others.

On the night I was in Abide, along with other BSM leaders and students, I was in one of the prayer stations that they had surrounding the camp site. While I was praying in front of the bonfire, I heard a voice talk to me and prompting me to share with the people around me what I have been learning for the past few weeks.

At first I thought to myself if I was just thinking out loud or if it was something God wanted me to do. So again I bowed my head and prayed asking God that if it was really Him, and not my imagination, I asked Him to give me a sign. I asked Him to let someone sit by the log I was sitting on. And in a couple of seconds, two girls sat by me. I couldn’t believe what I saw and so I prayed again. I asked God to confirm it by letting anyone sit by the log across from where I was sitting. No one really seemed to notice it so I asked specifically for that log. But in a few minutes, a guy came there to sit and pray.

Now I had thoughts in my head of what I was going to say and how I was going to say the things that God wanted me to share. It seemed kind of silly at that moment when I panicked for a bit. I have never been in a situation like this before. So while I was asking God for courage and strength to speak to His people, I was reminded of the story of Moses when he went to speak to Pharaoh when the Israelites were still in bondage in Egypt.

The story reassured me that God was in total control and that He was going to be with me and will be the one to put the words in my mouth. I attempted to stand up a few times but my human strength failed me. My knees were badly shaking and I thought I was going to pass out soon enough because of the nervousness that was making me insane. When I was attempting to stand up once again (with my knees still shaking of course); I suddenly felt a strong yank in my knees and a strong force pushing me upward to make me stand up straight.

Up to this day, I really think that it wasn’t with my own strength that I was finally able to stand up. But it was definitely God who helped me to. Isn’t that awesome?

So then I started to talk and all eyes were on me. I remembered starting off by saying something like, “God has asked me to share something with all of you. Is it all right if I do?” I started talking about how God loves it when we serve Him. But He wants all of us and no reservations. God wants every inch of us surrendered to Him acknowledging that He delights in the things that we do for His glory. It pleases Him that we serve but it should come from the in depths of our hearts. We shouldn’t hold anything back from Him.

We should give Him our all- whether they may be successes we have accomplished or a sin we may have done ages ago. He wants us to let go of everything in this world that is separating us from Him. He doesn’t want boundaries or limits to the relationship we have with Him. He truly desires that we all come back to Him; no matter how much we think that we are unworthy of it all. He is wonderful and amazing and His mercies are new every day.

Then suddenly words and sentences flew out of my mouth. I didn’t even realize that I was talking on and on until I thought about it. I knew that after the first few sentences, something took control over me. I was talking but it was Him who put the words in my mouth and spoke. It was like my mouth was just moving but I was not the one letting the words and thoughts come out. It felt like something came in me and I knew I wasn’t myself anymore; it was someone else.

At that instant, I felt comforted knowing that He was there with me all along. After “I” talked for about 5 minutes or so (or maybe even more), I took in a deep breath and started praying again- thanking God for using me to bless to others. He never ceases to amaze me. I was in shock of what happened and I couldn’t take it all in at once. But it was a great joy to know that when you ask God to use you, He definitely will. Just wait and see! I know He will as long as you desire it.

Before I was about to leave the prayer station, a girl came up to me and patted my shoulder saying “Thank you.” I don’t really know what she was thanking me for. But I know that God worked in her and that the “Thank You” was really meant for Him. The next day, a guy came up to me and said that the message that I shared was for him. He has been going through things in his life and it encouraged him to keep on going.

Praise Jesus for how He works in us and through us! He doesn’t call the equipped but equips the called. As long as we are willing to serve Him, He will use us in ways we cannot imagine.

Finding a new church this year has been such a blessing to my spiritual life. I have gained and learned so much cramped up in a semester’s worth of time. Although I am not as involved in church ministries as to how I am here in JIA Bahrain, I still find time to plug in and be a part of the church.

Every Tuesdays, I attend Life Challenge (LC) which is the college and young adult ministry in church. We have praise and worship and a series of topics to talk about. It is mostly about what we, college students, go through and experience everyday in our lives- like school, love, finding God’s best, how our generation is like, how we are different from our generation, our faith and walk with God, and serving Him and seeking Him passionately.

Under LC, we have “realTALK” which is a campus ministry that aims to reach out to the lost souls around different colleges and universities in East Texas. In every realTALK session, there is a main issue being talked about like freedom, faith, pre-marital sex, and others. And students ask questions and the facilitators relate it all to what the Bible says and to how God commands us.

So far, there are three real TALK present- in Kilgore College (KC), Tyler Junior College (TJC), and Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA). One time, I attended realTALK in TJC (1 hour and 15 minutes away) and SFA (5-6 hours away). After each session, my heart deeply yearned for the lost souls. No matter what the topic was about, at the end of each session there would be a dozen of students who would want to surrender their lives to the Almighty God and want His salvation.

It is amazing to see and be a part of this change, this revival that is about to happen; a rising generation that wants to seek God passionately. It makes my heart smile to see lost souls surrendering to God and to His will for their lives. I praise Him for He always searches for His lost sheep. He never ceases to amaze me.

As much as we hear the saying, “The harvest is plenty and the laborers are few”, it won’t have such a direct impact to a person until you experience and consciously realize it yourself. We cannot reach out to the lost if we do not have the longing to do so. We cannot minister to them if we do not allow God to use us and equip us with the right tools we would need to minister to them.

Every Sunday and Tuesdays, I would see an increase in number of college students during the service. What makes it more amazing is how God builds healthy relationships amongst each and everyone. Everyone has the same goal and the same enthusiasm to experience God more mightily in their lives and to see Him work within ourselves and with people we interact with.

One of the very evident things that one would notice is how everyone is full of the Father’s love that it is impossible to keep it all in. There is always like an explosion of love, understanding and compassion for each other in reverence to our Maker. It is really amazing how God works and so is my desire for it to happen more in JIA Bahrain.

God wants us to experience Him in a whole new level. But we have to take the step and the initiative to want it as well. I tell you my brothers and sisters in Christ, once you experience His presence and love fall down from Heaven, you would never want it to end.

OH WOW! I never thought that this would ever happen to me! I know that I see it in the news and see the repercussions happen on the streets. But I never thought that one day I would go through the motions myself.

On April 20, 2010- Tuesday, at around 5:30 p.m. in Marshall, Texas, I almost lost my life to a car accident that could have gone worse if God had not intervened.

I was with two friends headed to Rue21 to make a quick stop to shop for clothes and was then headed to Wal-Mart to do a quick grocery shopping. While we were on our way, we came to a stop sign that would allow us to make a left turn to the next lane. When the lights went green, being in the inner lane of the intersection, a black GMC Sierra truck (on our right side) tried to cut us off our lane by trying to overtake our vehicle.

This is clearly illegal but whatever the driver was thinking of at that time, it surely wasn’t about his driving and what lane he was supposed to drive on. (Haha! J’kid.) As he tried to cut us off, I was sitting at the back seat (right side) when I felt a sudden cloud of comfort wrap around me. I looked to my right and I saw something white, like a wall probably, come between the two vehicles on the back side of both the vehicles to where I was sitting. After a few seconds, I finally realized that I almost died right at that instance if only my (spiritual) eyes hadn’t seen the white wall.

I thought of how bad it could have been, especially with me being the one who would experience the stronger impact of the collision. I imagined if I was going to get squeezed between the two vehicles. Or was I going to have a serious head injury that would knock me out and paralyze me for the rest of my life? Or maybe something tragic that would probably freak my parents out and make my mom hop on a plane to the first flight she can get booked on to travel to the US?

There would probably be blood everywhere and shattered pieces of glass and car parts for sure. I could hear the police and ambulance sirens in my head as they rush to make it on time to the accident. I suddenly thought of everyone I loved and everyone I knew. It was like my life flashed before my eyes, literally! I could imagine my mom and dad in shock and in painful tears. I thought of my brothers and sisters and how they still needed me. An array of faces of friends and dear ones lingered in my mind. I knew deep in my heart that it could have gone worse but it didn’t. Why?

It was overwhelming to feel like I was in the brink of dying; that in an instance my existence in this world could be over even before I knew it. But no matter how much “disasters or tragedies” that kept lingering in my mind, all I could say is “Praise Jesus!” and “Thank you Lord for saving my life”.

As I sat in the back seat, the same cloud or blanket of comfort once again surrounded me as my eyes started to water. All I could feel was awe for my Father up above and His arms wrapped around me saying, “Everything is alright darling. You have nothing to be afraid of anymore”. It took me a while to calm down and realize the intensity of what happened and could have happened.

After my near death experience, it just brings me great joy and appreciation for being a daughter of the Almighty. If I didn’t have Him with me, I wouldn’t be here sharing my story. Sometimes I think that I may have overreacted to the situation. But I have this gut feeling that I know I didn’t.

When I talked to my mom later on about my I-almost-died experience, she shares with me how the Holy Spirit prompted her to pray for me hours before the accident. It was at around 1 p.m. of April 21 in Bahrain and 5 a.m. of April 20 in the US. (Bahrain is 8 hours ahead.) She started to pray in tongues for me while claiming and believing that God is in control and I am safe in His hands. Truly, the power of prayer is very potent. I am just amazed at God’s incredible ways to keep His children out of harm.

Looking back at the accident, I now understand why God didn’t want me to die on that day, why something much worse could have happened but it didn’t. I fully grasp now that my mission here on earth is not yet over. I still have a long way to go and God isn’t done using me for His works here on earth. Our God is magnificent, don’t you think? He never ceases to amaze me.

All praises, honor and glory be to our Heavenly Father, who is like no other!

Hope In The Lord (Live Concert) – James Parmis

Let’s Talk About God (Live Concert) – James Parmis

This videos was taken last July 30, 2010 during the concert and the launching of the album called “In Heaven” together with the celebration of JIA Bahrain 11th Year Anniversary.

Praise God, the concert was indeed successful…!!!

Thank you so much for your prayers!!!

May God bless and protect you…

P.S. To Buy a copy “In Heaven” album, go to this site:
http://www.InHeavenAlbum.com

By Dr. David Jeremiah – Turning Point Ministries

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. -Revelation 20:10a

Recommended Reading
Revelation 20:1-10

The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees that “the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial.” But legal proceedings can take many months, if not years, to finally be resolved in court. When a trial is finally ended, those seeking justice rejoice with a sense of relief.

The Bible says rejoicing is heard in heaven when a sinner is saved (Luke 15:7), but there will no doubt be rejoicing for another reason: when justice is finally applied to Satan and he is confined to “the lake of fire and brimstone …forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

For thousands of years Satan has committed crimes against the person of God and His creation without suffering (as far as we know) any punishment for his deeds. But his crimes and character will be laid bare before the bar of God’s justice at the end of the coming Millennium, and he will be consigned to an eternal prison from which there is no escape.

Be assured that, though the wheels of God’s justice do not turn at a human pace, they turn nonetheless. All injustice will be set to right in due time.

God is not always a God of immediate justice, but He is a God of ultimate justice. -John Blanchard

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Esther 4:1-10:3

by Bo Sanchez

Be true to how God made you.

Don’t try to be someone else.

Be the best that you can ever become.

Or else, Cherie Gil’s words will describe you (from an old Sharon Cuneta movie): “You’re nothing but a second-rate, trying-hard, copy-cat.”

Friend, God created you with a special gift. And only you can give this gift to the world. If you don’t become true to yourself, if you don’t give this gift to the world, the world becomes a lesser place.

Love yourself. Celebrate yourself. Be yourself.

Be true to how God created you.

In other words, follow your heart.

Follow your path.

Follow your calling.

Follow your destiny.

Unfortunately, very few people encouraged us to do this.

“Why Don’t You Become Like Ate?”

The opposite is true.

Some of us grew up being compared to others.

Some of us grew up hearing these words:

“Why can’t you be like your elder sister who’s bright?”

“Why aren’t you like your cousin who is more responsible?”

And worse, we heard our parents say, “Why don’t you become like me? At your age, I was already doing this and doing that—and I never did this and I never did that…”

Parents, these are toxic words.

It’s like giving poison to your kids.

I know you don’t mean it, but this is what they hear: “You’re no good. You’re not good enough for me. If you want me to love you, you’ll have to be someone else.”

I Still Remember

When I was six years old, I came home with our class photo.

I wasn’t too proud of it, but I had to show it anyway.

I gave it to my father.

When he looked at it, he couldn’t find me. He said, “Bo, where are you?”

Sheepishly, I pointed to myself in the photo—somewhere at the back of the crowd. You could only see half of my face.

Dad groaned. I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt me. Parents usually don’t. But that day, he did.

Because he said, pointing to the mestizo guy in front, “Bo, why don’t you be like this guy! Be in front! Wave at the camera!”

Ouch.

I said, “Yes, Dad.”

But I felt very sad that day.

Because I was a shy kid at the back.

And Dad wanted me to be like that mestizo kid in the front row. Confident. Outgoing. Aggressive.

That happened when I was six years old.

That was 35+ years ago.

Yet to this day, I still remember how I felt that day.

That’s how toxic those words were to me.

Parents, you need to love your kids with their personality, their temperament, and their unique gifts.

Never compare them with others.

After all, this is how God loves you.

Friend, are you still hurting?

Perhaps people around you are looking down at you. People around don’t believe in you. And all they do is point out your weaknesses.

You have a God that doesn’t do that.

He never compares you to anyone else.

He loves as you are.

He celebrates who you are.

He enjoys you—your idiosyncrasies, personality, gifts…

And He accepts you as you are—the entire mix, the whole package.

The Seeds Of Your Success Were Already Planted In Your Childhood

Yesterday, I was going over my photo albums.

I saw this photo of me as a baby.

When my mother brought me to Chinatown, people bowed to me with great reverence.

Because they thought I was the reincarnation of Buddha.

My mother said she could leave me in a box the whole day and I won’t budge. She said I didn’t need a baby sitter. Because I’ll just stay in my box and imagine the entire day.

Because my physical body may have been inside the box but my mind was creating worlds and galaxies.

As a kid growing up, I remember always having such a wild imagination.

Like I wasn’t satisfied reading comic books. I had to draw my own comic books. Complete with my own characters and storylines. It was a series! Comic Book Volume 1, 2, 3… (Now you know why I give a Teaching Series at the Feast!)

To this day, you can leave me in a “box”.

That’s why my wife says I’m a low-maintenance husband.

She can leave me for a few days with my books and I’ll be happy.

Why did God make me this way?

Because He wanted me to write talks, write books, and design organizations that will bless the world.

That’s why the Bible says, For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made… (Psalms 139:13-17)

I Appreciate Myself Now

I appreciate the fact that I’m creative.

I appreciate the fact that I was a baby who liked to stay in the box the entire day.

I appreciate the fact that I like imagining worlds in my head.

If you look at your childhood, you’ll see the seeds that God planted—seeds that will later grow and bear fruit in your life.

Here’s another thing I love about myself.

And this photo represents it so well…

That’s not a toy chicken.

That’s a real, live, warm-blooded chicken in my hands.

Thankfully, I didn’t become a sabungero.

They said that when I was a toddler, I would chase after chickens and grab them. I wasn’t afraid.

I appreciate the fact that I like chasing what I want.

To this day, I like taking risks.

I like daring stuff.

That’s why I’m a pioneer.

That’s why I like building organizations from scratch.

I like blazing a new trail.

This was how God made me.

I appreciate that.

I thank God He made me this way.

That’s why the Bible says, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)

Are Martha’s Second Class Citizens Of The Kingdom?

One day, Jesus visited his friends, Mary and Martha.

Mary was the quiet one who liked listening to Jesus.

Martha was the cook with the outgoing personality.

Honestly, this Bible story has disturbed a lot of Martha’s in the world. Because many people see themselves as Martha. Busy. Hardworking. Talkative.

Very few people see themselves as Mary. Quiet. Contemplative. Reflective. Introspective.

Here’s the story from the Bible itself.

Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught. But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Because of this, a lot of Martha’s out there feel like they’re second class citizens of the Kingdom.

That’s why people believe that monks are holier than businessmen.

That contemplative nuns are holier than salespeople.

That hermits who live in deserts are holier than policemen, nurses, accountants, and laborers living in the world.

That’s not true.

Holiness has nothing to do with your personality or your job.

Holiness is all about love.

Let me say something that will change the way you interpret this story: Jesus wasn’t correcting Martha’s busyness. And he definitely wasn’t correcting Martha’s service. Jesus was correcting Martha’s “comparisonitis”.

If You’re Martha, Be Yourself!

Martha’s problem?

She kept comparing herself with Mary.

Comparisonitis is a spiritual disease that has become an epidemic. It’s the cause of much unpeace in our lives.

To drive home my point, let me change the story a bit.

What if the Bible story went this way…

While Martha was preparing dinner, Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, trying to listen to what He taught. And then Mary said, “Lord, can you tell my sister to stop all her work and sit here with us? Why can’t she be like me?” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Mary, you are so upset over this! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Martha has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her.”

My point?

You can be a Martha and be at peace.

How? Be true to yourself.

Don’t Fulfill Someone Else’s Dream For Your Life

I came to know God when I was in second year high school.

At that point, my mind was made up—I wanted to serve God forever. So I opened myself to the most obvious way of serving God—to be a priest.

But for many years, I never felt a strong call for the priesthood. Believe me, it was difficult to say “No” to priesthood.

Because ever since I can remember, my mother wanted me to be a priest.

She never forced me. She would just say, “Bo, I’ll be very happy if you become a priest,” oh, about 16 times a day.

Okay, that’s an exaggeration.

But you know what I mean.

My mother can be very insistent. (She used the power that all mothers have. It’s called Em2: “Emotional Maternal Manipulation”.)

But when I searched my heart, I realized that this was her dream, not mine. And my parents respected my decision not to pursue priesthood.

Today, I thank God I didn’t become a priest.

God called me to be a lay preacher instead.

Because my talks come from my experience as a husband, a father of two boys, and as a small entrepreneur.

People don’t see me on an altar.

They see me as one among them, living their lives and facing their problems. With marriage problems to fix. With kids to love. And bills to pay. And cars to repair.

And I’m happy doing what I’m doing now.

Honestly? I can’t imagine myself doing something else.

Follow Your Bliss

I heard of a sad story of a priest who, after only one month after his ordination, left the priesthood.

No, it wasn’t because of a girl.

It was because of the original girl in his life.

When he was ordained, he realized he became a priest because of his mother.

Because he knew he’d never be happy, he left.

I know of a doctor who—after 10 years of studying medicine—left his medical practice and became a businessman selling kitchenware.

When I asked him why, he said, “I come from a family of doctors. My parents were both doctors. My elder brother was a doctor. My uncles were doctors. And I was expected to be a doctor. So I took medicine. Only to realize later that this wasn’t what made me happy. What made me happy was when I sold stuff to people!”

Henry David Thoreau said, The greatest tragedy in life is to spend your whole life fishing only to discover that it was not fish you were after.

Friend, God has given you a dream for your life.

That’s the dream that you have to fulfill.

And you’ll only be happy if you fulfill that dream.

Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss.”

What makes you truly happy?

Truly fulfilled deep inside?

That’s the path you need to take.

Success Is Effortless

Here’s what I learned in life: The most stressful thing for you to do is to be someone else. And the easiest thing to do in the world? To be yourself.

And there lies your greatest success.

And your greatest happiness.

When you become yourself, you discover that success and happiness becomes almost effortless.

I’m not saying “without work”. Success entails lots of work. But it’s work that’s done effortlessly.

Have you seen a world-class singers sing?

They sing effortlessly.

Have you seen world-class athletes perform?

They perform effortlessly.

They do so because they’re following their bliss.

Once Upon A Time, I Felt Envious

I have a confession to make.

A very embarrassing confession.

Some years ago, I used to compare myself to Mike Velarde of El Shaddai. And Frank Padilla of Couples for Christ. And Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga.

And I felt very small.

I felt very insecure.

I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt envious.

I preached to thousands. But Mike preached to millions.

I built a group that has grown in a few countries. Frank built a group that is now in 156 countries.

I built four small ministries for the poor. Tony built 1,700+ GK villages for the poor.

As I compared myself with these giants, I asked myself a terrible question: “What is wrong with me?”

Let me give you a background.

Many years ago, I suffered from a shame-based personality. (I shared in my books, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future and 7 Secrets Of Freedom.)

My shame-based personality was partially connected to my being molested as a child.

Basically, I was ashamed of myself.

I didn’t like being me.

Because I hungered for love, I wanted to be someone else. In an unconscious way, I wanted to be more successful so that people will love me.

But thankfully, God made it his fulltime job to heal me. (Wink.)

He told me that He loved me.

And He told me to love myself.

Over and over again, God told me, “I didn’t create you to be Mike Velarde or Frank Padilla or Tony Meloto. I created you to be Bo Sanchez. To be the best Bo Sanchez in the world.”

I like what Judy Garland said: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

And one day, I learned to love myself.

To accept myself.

To celebrate all that I am.

To embrace my calling.

When I did that, it was like I turned a key in my soul.

All of a sudden, peace flooded my spirit.

Like a heavy burden lifted from my shoulders.

I felt free. Liberated. Whole.

Instantly, I gained confidence.

Today, I no longer feel envious.

Today, I no longer look over my shoulder, comparing myself with this guy or that guy.

Because I’m at peace.

I am where I’m supposed to be.

And I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

I want you to have that same peace today.

Deep in your spirit, receive God’s embrace today.

God Wants You To Be You

Friend, God has chosen you.

You’ve been handpicked by God.

Your destiny awaits you.

Don’t look down at yourself.

You might say, “But Bo, I’ve not been a very good person lately. I’ve fallen into sin. I’ve been far from God.”

I’ve got news for you: If you’ve been far from God, God has never been far from you. He’s pursued you, chased after you, and He’ll never give up on you.

God wants you to be another Jesus in the world.

But I’ve got a radical announcement to make: He’s not interested in making clones of Jesus. (That’s what happens in Pampanga every Good Friday—they crucify themselves.) He’s interested in making the best “you” in the world—to be Jesus in your unique way.

Yes, God wants you to be you!

Learn To Appreciate Yourself

Friend, God created you in a very special way.

He shaped you, fashioned you, and molded you.

God designed every part of your being.

You may not feel good about yourself right now.

You may feel you have no gifts.

You may feel down now because you’ve failed so many times in the past.

But remember that God has a great plan for your life.

Friend, you have a sacred mission to fulfill.

God has appointed you to be a prophet.

Every raw material you need to do His work is already there within you.

And God appreciates you!

So first things first—Appreciate yourself.

One of my favorite Bible passages is this:

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

One Bible translation says, “God will dance over you.”

Have you ever imagined God dancing?

And why is He dancing?

Because He delights in you.

Because He’s throwing a party in your honor.

Wow.

That’s how much He appreciates you.

So start appreciating yourself.

And be true to how God made you.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez 
http://bit.ly/internetguru

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“…The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”  -1 Samuel 16:7, NIV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

When the Lord looks at your heart, what does He see? Every one of us has an outer life and an inner life. The outer life is our public life that the people around us see. The inner life is made up of our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. Only you and God know what’s going on inside of you.

Too many people go around today pretending—acting one way, yet on the inside they’re thinking something totally different. Their heart and their actions don’t line up. But we have to understand that God is looking on the inside. We can fool a lot of people, but we can’t fool God. He would rather us be open and honest than go through life pretending.

Take inventory of what’s going on inside of you today. Are you at peace? Are you overlooking offenses? Do you believe the best in people? Do your heart and actions line up? If not, ask the Lord to give you an undivided heart. Be determined to stay true in your mind and your actions. Line up your whole being with His Word so that you can be pleasing to Him all the days of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You today and ask that You search the deep places of my heart. Show me if there is any area where I need to line up my heart and actions. Help me to be authentic and true in my mind, heart, and actions. In Jesus Name. Amen.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” -2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

As a believer, God wants to do His work on the earth through you. You are His ambassador or representative. You have been given His authority and power. It’s easy to get focused on this natural realm and all the things that we need, but do you realize that you are equipped to be somebody else’s miracle?

Every single day, we have opportunities to show God’s love and compassion to others. We have the opportunity to meet their needs, bring them healing, and offer hope and encouragement. Every day, we can sow good seed into the lives of others that will reap an eternal harvest.

I encourage you today to look for ways to be a blessing to someone else. When you pour into others and help meet their needs, God will make sure that others pour into you. Let’s continue to work together to build His kingdom to the glory of God!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for choosing me and using me. Once again, I surrender every area of my life to You. Show me ways to be a miracle to others so that my life brings glory to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“It is an honor for a man to cease from strife…” -Proverbs 20:3, AMP

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Oftentimes, challenges are merely distractions meant to keep us from pursuing our destiny. Maybe someone in the office isn’t as friendly to you as you’d like. Maybe you have a neighbor who always parks in front of your house and blocks your mailbox.

Those things may be frustrating, but they have little significance when you look at the big picture. You can’t allow the little things to open the door to strife in your life.

In the Bible, just before David fought the giant Goliath, his brother Iliab tried to confront him. David knew that arguing with Iliab wasn’t even worth his time and strength.

He knew his real battle was with Goliath, and he didn’t want to be distracted. He simply “turned away” from Iliab and kept his focus on what he was called to do. In our own lives today, most frustrations aren’t worth our energy. When we avoid strife, it is a mark of honor.

Today, I encourage you to turn away from strife. Keep your focus on what God has called you to do. As you do, you will live in honor, and you’ll move forward in the destiny He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for Your hand of victory in my life. Give me the wisdom and courage I need to walk away from strife so I can focus on the destiny You have prepared for me. I love You and bless You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.