Living Word Tacloban City

03/10/2020

Saturday Exhortation

October 3,2020

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:34-36

In this passage of Scripture, we see Christ's response to the Jew who had believed him yet cannot see the spiritual nature of his words. Man has always been apart from the Spirit, frail to the things of the spirit and here we see one instance of it when these Jews fails to see the more weightier things of life which is the matter of the soul and how Christ the Messiah and great Prophet graciously gives his people precious truth from heaven. Never has God been gracious to his people when he sent his one and only Son to open up the eyes of the blind and heal the hearts of those who are rotting from the leprosy of pride and self-righteousness.
To hear Christ words is to hear the mouth of the one whom heavens and earth were formed.

Going back to the text Christ reveals that humanity as prosperous and freely his feet moves on the face of the earth is still burdened with one great problem, we are slaves to sin. Our slavery to it explains why men cannot change the course of their life, how every day we commit things that are of opposite to holiness. Day after day our slavery to sin causes us to act and live a life object of God's wrath and holy anger.

Furthermore, our slavery to sin reveals that sinful men by nature are not of God's household. This slavery of ours to sin separates us from the abode God has prepared for the eternal future.

Yet as aforementioned men would rather be concerned with the economy rather than
the status of their souls. Most live dancing with God's sovereignty ignorant of the dangers they might receive from dying as slaves to sin. Yet to those whom God has saved they know there is hope, Christ the Son has the power to set the captives free from sin. His perfect righteousness has the power to cover the guilt of sin. His death on the cross can pay for the price of our slavery to sin. His Spirit has the power to change a corrupted life and His truth that shouts "Christ can save even to the uttermost" is still offered today and whom the Son set's free oh is free indeed, giving those who were in the gloomy dungeons of sin freedom through faith in Christ leaping from darkness into the light.

Come to Christ and receive freedom!

19/09/2020

Pray For Your Ministers

An Exhortation to Prayer
September 19, 2020

11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:11

Paul urges his readers that prayer is a must for them, they do not consider the prayers of their brethren as feeble or unimportant, they see it as a help. The congregation's prayer for its ministers is a weapon and a privilege that is not to be taken lightly.

Oftentimes believers think that ministers are superhuman, there are those who are so occupied with their own selves and needs that they forget to pray for their ministers. Ministers are to be judged more strictly and is called to a higher standard of living, they are to live their lives as models on how to imitate Christ, yet this does not mean that they are invincible to temptations nor free from the afflictions of life.

Unknown to others there are some, even as I write this, that are hurting, battling with loneliness and depression. Yes, they are men of faith, but there are times that they are grinded and pulverized either by the discipline of God or by the sanctifying afflictions God sends to refine them.

They might stand and preach well, but others are experiencing melancholy deep inside with God as the only one who knows. As godly as they looks, they are also prone to hardship, temptation, and sin.

This was not written to glorify ministers, or to seek pity and sympathy from people, for I myself know that to suffer for Christ is a privilege. What this writer desires and exhort is that men who profess Christ and is under the leadership or the overseeing of a minister must pray for his minister.

He must see this as urgent and not just as an optional task. Paul by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit sought the prayers of the Corinthians for he knew that their prayer is God's ordained way of lending a spiritual hand to the afflicted and working minister. It is also a way in which God will be glorified as it will be the platform in which God will show his power and faithfulness, by answering the prayers of the saints for their minister. Are you so aware and watchful in your prayer for your minister that you closely watch and pray every day, trusting God is answering your prayers for him?

Sadly, nowadays, not all, yet sometimes ministers only inhabits the church member's mind when they have stumbled and sinned greatly. There are those who judges more and pray less. May it not be, may every believer help and back up their ministers in prayer. May every member under their leadership rejoice and weep with their pastors. This was not written to elevate ministers but to let people see that as godly as they look they are still weak feeble men that is reliant upon God's grace and needs their people's prayer. If you are still reading this take the time to pray for your minister and give thanks to the Lord for his goodness in his life.

Blessed are those ministers whose brethren are praying for them.

05/09/2020

An Exhortation to Prayer
September 5, 2020
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. Luke 17:5-6
Either this is what the apostles' response to Christ's teaching on guarding one's self against sin and temptation in verses one to two or about believers forgiving their brethren not just of their sin but even in their sins, these are very clear words that teaches every reader of divine Scripture that men who desires to obey Christ and live holy lives needs faith to do so.
Yet as feeble as we are, his disciples thought that faith is mainly measured by its size when in reality and in God's eyes it is not. Christ response corrects his disciples understanding about faith, his answer implies that faith first and foremost is not measured by size but by its being genuine, even the smallest faith can do great things when exercised.
Christ response to the disciples' statement was to teach them that it is not the size of faith that is to be blamed for our shortcomings, it’s the absence of it that causes us to stumble and fall, we ought not to blame the tiniest particle of faith if we fail to forgive or triumph over temptation for if there was indeed a small faith present, it would certainly turn the situation upside down for our own good to the glory of God.
It is either men have faith or no faith at all, it is either men are growing into godliness or dying in sin. Men are not factories of faith; it is something that is created and given by God and I firmly believe that what God has given will never lead men into sin no matter how small it is.
And so from this correction Christ gave, we can learn that what we need is genuine faith from Christ who is the author and perfecter of our faith, we ought not to think and rank faith in sizes for even the smallest dot the author places in his writing is essential, so does what looks like small faith to us.
This also teaches us that faith is not a play child’s thing, for Christ, even the smallest particle of it can cause the kingdom of Satan to blow up into millions of pieces.
It's a call for every believer to examine their heart if they really possess faith or not and stop blaming "small faith “out of ignorance of the truth that victory and holiness will not be decided by the size of your faith but by the presence of it, it’s either you have it or you don’t, no in between and no excuses.
If anyone is reading this up to this point and sees himself as faithless and far away from God, the encouragement is this, pray that God would help you overcome your unbelief, that he would shower you with his love and grace. Pray that he would open up your eyes to see Christ the author and perfecter of your faith. He is compassionate, a bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not s***f out, there will always be grace for those who would humble themselves at the throne of Christ.

05/09/2020

05/09/2020

To not know Christ is the greatest curse man can inflict on himself. He must not be content nor be at ease if deep inside his heart and conscience he knows he is far away and does not know Christ. He must know Christ, he must seek Christ, he must do it while he can be found.

29/08/2020

Working Out Your Salvation
Saturday Exhortation
August 29, 2020

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13

Paul commands his readers to put their salvation into work, he desires that their obedience to Christ be practiced more and more, not just in his presence but much more in his absence.

Paul knows that a true believer is solely saved by grace through faith in Christ alone (Sola Fide), but he also knows that this faith is not sola (alone), true salvation is not received by our works but it will surely start a work in the person's life, it will produce a supernatural obedience that is from God for the fulfillment of God's commands.

A true Christian is someone who has been truly changed by God and just as Paul has written to the Philippians are expected to work it out, there is no other way around. One cannot drive a bicycle and not move his pedals, so does a believer in putting his received salvation and new life into practice.

Yet he must do it with fear and trembling, he must do it with a sense of holy reverence and awareness before God. He must be aware that the holy life is not just mere child's play but the work of God himself in a man's life.

The godliness of a Christian is from God, it is him who works in the heart of man in order for the Christian to will and work God's purposes which is mainly all about being conformed to Christ, now as God's workmanship and professors we must be careful with our lives that when we present our so-called godliness as a recognizable true work of God that will not cause God's name to be blasphemed.

We must work out our salvation in such fear and trembling because we know that it is God's reputation that we represent. By taking heed of Paul's word God's name would be glorified.

Photo:ctto

27/08/2020

23 And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:23-24, ESV)

Oftentimes Christians think that denial of self and losing their own lives and advantage for the sake of Christ is what mature believers do when in reality its a basic and primary command Christ gives to those who wants to follows him, in fact this is what makes Christians grow, when they deny themselves in order to gain Christ when they think of everything as loss in comparison to gaining Christ.

This is the everyday task of the believer, he may fail today but the grace of God will lift him up to continue this glorious mission of un-embracing the world and pressing forward to the embrace of Christ.

This is the challenge that would make every head bow down in humility or disappointment yet to not face this with faith that the one we are following is greater than the life we are losing will cause a man great and grave consequence. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul. Christ is calling to every believer, if anyone dares and desires to follow him, he must not do it with a self-advantage seeking heart nor a lukewarm heart that would throw down its cross when the going gets tough. He wants those who follow him to have a convinced heart that Christ is greater than any pursuit this world can offer.

24/08/2020

He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. (Psalm 112:7, ESV)

Social media and television may give us news but the believer has his truth, he may receive facts from reporters yet his trust is in the Lord, in today's time wherin fear and anxiety is what the media tries to implant in humanity's heart be firm in your trust in the Lord.

Do not let the wind and waves of COVID 19 drown you, you have Christ a sure and mighty helper, he is sovereign and everything that falls into our lives are regulated and is ensured for the good of his people and the glory of his name ( Rom. 8:28 ). Believers are not to live lives as if they have no hope, we have Christ our living hope.

Application:

1. Do no to be afraid of the things of this world.
2. Minimize your exposure to bad news and marinate yourself in God's truth.
3. Meditate in the power and sovereignty of God the beauty of heaven and the trustworthiness of Christ.
4. Pray by the power of the Holy Spirit.