Devoted to Christ

I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no Savior. Isiah 43:11 NIV

All of us may find out our courage tested by the inevitable disappointments and tragedies of life. After all, ours is a world filled with uncertainty, hardship, sickness, and danger. When we focus upon our fears and our doubts, we may find many reasons to lie awake at night and fret about the uncertainties of the coming day. A better strategy, of course, is to focus not upon our fears, but instead upon our God.

God is as near as your next breath, and He is in control. He offers salvation to all His children, including you. God is your shield and your strength; you are His forever. So don’t focus your thoughts upon the fears of the day. Instead, trust God’s plan and His eternal love for you. And remember: God is good, and He always has the last word.

I finally got to getting around to a little bit of what the life of Jesus was as a child. As we all know, we know the Nativity story when Jesus was born and we know the last days of how Jesus lived. But below is a rare occasion we see Jesus as a child. See the scripture below.

Luke 2:41-52 NLT
41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.
43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it;
44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.
46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

So it’s funny how Mary and Joseph lived as average parents looking for their child. Their child was Jesus and they lost him and found him at the temple. So for us, I can say, Don’t Lose Jesus! Whether you’re a parent or not. Never leave him from your sight!

Today my Devotional Blog has been redesigned. Hope you like it for those who are frequent visitors.

Tonight I’ll be attending a special Christmas service by Greg Laurie. Special musical guest, Tenth Avenue North!

Find me at the 2nd row.
Orange County
2777 McGaw Ave.
Irvine, CA 92614

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 NKJV

The words of Jesus are unambiguous: “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). As followers of Christ, we are commanded to be generous with our friends, with our families, and especially with those in need. We must give of our time, our possessions, our love.

In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul reminds us “God loves a cheerful giver” (v. 7 NKJV). So take God’s words to heart and make a this pledge: Be a cheerful, generous, courageous giver.

“To show great love for God and our neighbor, we need not do great things. It is how much love we put in the doing that makes our offering something beautiful for God.” - Mother Teresa

Today I’ve been researching on how we can broadcast our services from my home church live via internet. I’d like a good quality broadcast. One with not too many pixels and buffering issues. I pray that my research and guidance from the Lord will seek this out!

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Ephesians 4:1 NLT

Life is best lived on purpose. And purpose, like everything else in the universe, begins with God. Whether you realize it or not, God has a plan for your life, a divine calling, a direction in which He is leading you. When you welcome God into your heart and establish a genuine relationship with Him, He will begin, in time to make His purposes known.

Sometimes, God’s intentions will be clear to you; other times, God’s plan will seem uncertain at best. But even on those difficult days when you are unsure which way to turn, you must never lose sight of these overriding facts: God created you for a reason; He has important work for you to do; and Hes waiting patiently for you to do it!

And the next step is up to you. If you’re really serious about knowing what God has in store for you, fast with God. Only then that God will know that you are committed to Him. Continue to serve him, love Him, and know Him through word and scripture.

I haven’t really gotten a chance to really thank God (at least publicly through this site) for what significance he’s played a part in my life since the beginning of this year. Specifically starting January. Was it a new year’s thing? I think it was something more than that. From then on, the maturity and growth for me in God’s word has significantly taken a dramatic increase of my spiritual faith and love in our Lord. And over the summer, I experienced struggles. After completing my MBA in June, I became sort of unemployed. For many you can still get funds from unemployment. But I couldn’t. I was stuck with obtaining nothing. Just searching for a job. But I also searched God. I think that’s what kept me going. For months and weeks I kept struggling and kept fighting the good fight. And I kept my faith and testimonies and shared them to others that now matter how rejected you are in this world, (from employers saying “no” to you) you keep going at it. There will be times of disappointment and that’s normal, but you have to get up on your feet and face the world again. With your bible in one hand and faith in your heart. I really really thank God for having me experience this, it’s what has gotten me closer to God. I fasted over the summer a couple times and it’s even gotten me closer to His relationship. I have a desire in my heart to preach the gospel in public. Pray for me. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Sometimes when you reach down deep in yourself and look what the good Lord has really done in our lives, it is with our sincere hearts that we must give thanks. May not only be this day to give thanks and give, but let this be something we experience everyday. Below is a song my church hasn’t sang for a while but whenever I do hear it, I appreciate the melody and kindness of what this song brings to my heart. I thank God for all the great upcomings in my life, but I ESPECIALLY thank God for all the shortcomings, the failures, the trials, and a couple of hard times. “All things work for good.”

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us”
And now let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us”

“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”

Psalm 100 (KJV)

4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. Isaiah 50:4 KJV

Do you every wonder if God is really here? If so, you’re not the first person to think such thoughts. In fact, some of the biggest heroes in the Bible had their doubts-and so, perhaps, will you. But when questions arise and doubts begin to creep into your mind, remember this: God hasn’t gone on vacation; He hasn’t left town; and he Doesn’t have an unlisted number. You can talk with Him any time you feel like it. In fact, He’s right here, right now, listening to your thoughts and prayers, watching over your every move.

Sometimes, you will allow yourself to become very busy, and that’s when you may be tempted to ignore God. But, when you quiet yourself long enough to acknowledge His presence, God will touch your heart and restore your spirits. By the way, He’s ready to talk right now. Are you?

Fil-Am Worship Center Podcast

Psalms 16:7-11
7 I will bless tHE LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set tHE LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Narration: Michael Serna
Intro and ending music: Sarah Joy Cotanda
Word of God: Pastor Lionel Cotanda

Summary:

• An encounter
• An Appointment with God
• Being in a place with people, a climate of praise and worship
• Coming with Your Best
• What You Will Feel

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