Honor God with your body

Let's talk about sex, marriage, and food. Because it's February :)  From Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (3:16-17, 6:9-7:11):

 

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"You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God Himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred --- and you, remember, are the temple...

"Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in His kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.

"Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims.

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"You know the old saying, 'First you eat to live, then you live to eat'? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor Him with your body!

"God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave. He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power. Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.

 

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"There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, 'The two become one.' Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever --- the kind of sex that can never 'become one.' There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for 'becoming one' with another. Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you realize that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. 

"Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, is it a good thing to have sexual relations?

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"Certainly --- but only within a certain context. It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality --- the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to 'stand up for your rights.' Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it's for the purposes of prayer and fasting --- but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence --- only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.

"Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me --- a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.

"I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can’t manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single. And if you are married, stay married. This is the Master’s command, not mine. If a wife should leave her husband, she must either remain single or else come back and make things right with him. And a husband has no right to get rid of his wife."

Speak to glorify God, not self

Paul the apostle repeatedly writes in his first letter to the Corinthians:


For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
(1 Cor 1:17)

Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
(1 Cor 1:31- 2:5)

 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
(1 Cor 13:1)



Wisdom and eloquence are good, until they defeat the purpose of the message. When we speak about God, do we glorify Him, or ourselves?

Feb 4 2013

This day is important to me because:

• For the first time, I sent someone (two students) to the Disciplinary Office for cheating. Verbal reminders and personal confrontations are not enough --- people (myself included) don't learn until we reap the consequences of our actions. "God disciplines those He loves" (Hebrews), and so should we.

•  For the first time in over a year, I returned to our research lab. Not much has changed there, it seems, but I feel I've changed much. What I couldn't do before, I could do now. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians)

• For the first time in weeks, I chose to go home early (as in, the sun hasn't set yet). For a long time I needed to get my energy level up; now that it's up, I need to get going. I'm distinguishing between goals (ex: graduate) and means (ex: dance). "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians)

• I'm using a laptop given to me by my uncle and aunt, and I'll be using a cell phone I "inherited" from my brother. Very good gadgets that I didn't lift a finger to get. "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all -- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans)

Plus there are the everyday (but always special) blessings like my family, a fulfilling job, supportive friends, enough finances and yummy food. Thank You, thank You.


"In everything, give thanks." (1 Thessalonians)

:) :)

(Hey! And the day isn't even done yet ;) )

So everyone can know Your name. ♥

"What we are is God's gift to us,
what we become is our gift to God."
- Eleanor Powell


It's good to live for yourself, but better to live for others, right?

So will we live for the people who are gonna hate us no matter what,
Or will we live for the One Who already loves us no matter what?

I simply love The Script, and this song seems like a call to be the best *you* that you can be. For yourself, sure, but how about for the ones (and ultimately, The One) you owe your life to?

May they know your name so they can know His name. ♥







Hall of Fame
The Script ft. Will.I.Am

You could be the greatest
You can be the best
You can be the king kong banging on your chest

You could beat the world
You could beat the war
You could talk to God, go banging on His door

You can throw your hands up
You can be the clock
You can move a mountain
You can break rocks
You can be a master
Don't wait for luck
Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself

Standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

You could go the distance
You could run the mile
You could walk straight through hell with a smile

You could be the hero
You could get the gold
Breaking all the records they thought never could be broke

Do it for your people
Do it for your pride
Never gonna know if you never even try

Do it for your country
Do it for your name
Cause there's gonna be a day

When you're standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
'Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Be a champion

On the walls of the hall of fame

Be students
Be teachers
Be politicians
Be preachers

Be believers
Be leaders
Be astronauts
Be champions
Be truth seekers

Standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Standing in the hall of fame



Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
--- Hebrews 12

Thanks for 30 ♥

Writers used to end their work with "30". But today, my 30th birthday, I find there's so much more to write --- and celebrate --- about.

May I never run out of reasons to say, "Thank You, Lord."

Image credits: image.wallpaper777.com; gocarlo.com; static.desktopnexus.com; u.jimdo.com

Reminders for the 30-year-old ;)

Because I'm officially turning 30 tomorrow ;)


11 Famous People Who Were in the Completely Wrong Career at Age 30
Heehee :) Quite encouraging. ;)

Letter to an Incomplete, Insecure Teenager
From tadpole to half-mature to complete... Beholding (God) is becoming (more like Him).

J. I. Packer's Advice To Aspiring Writers
Go deep in personal worship; Write to hit hearts; Write from a sense of calling.

How to Glorify God at Work
Honoring God wherever we are.

Questions to Ask When Preparing for Marriage
Hey, I'm just asking...

Too Soon Old
Every age and season is significant.

A 30-Year-Old Dream I Have Outlived By One Year
Surely my reward is with my God.

"Working for God"?

I love this song... :)

From John Piper's "Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist":

God's insistence that we ask Him to give us help so that He gets glory (Psalm 50:15) forces on us the startling fact that we must beware of serving God, and must take special care to let Him serve us, lest we rob Him of His glory...

Our job is to "wait for Him"...

God is not looking for people to work for Him, so much as He is looking for people who will let Him work for them. The gospel is not a Help Wanted ad. Neither is the call to Christian service. On the contrary, the gospel commands us to give up and hang out a Help Wanted sign (this is basic meaning of prayer). Then the gospel promises that God will work for us if we do. He will not surrender the glory of being the Giver...

Religious "flesh" always wants to work for God (rather than humbling itself to realize God must work for it in free grace). But "if you live according to the flesh you will die" (Romans 8:13). That is why our very lives hang on not working for God.

Then shall we not serve Christ? It is commanded: "Serve the Lord!" (Romans 12:11). Those who do not serve Christ are rebuked (Romans 16:18). Yes, we must serve Him. But we will beware of serving in a way that implies a deficiency on His part or exalts our indispensability.

How then shall we serve? Psalm 123:2 points the way. "Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till He have mercy upon us." The way to serve God so that He gets the glory is to look to Him for mercy. Prayer prevents service from being an expression of pride.

Any servant who tries to get off the divine dole and strike up a manly partnership with His Heavenly Master  is in revolt against the Creator. God does not barter. He gives the mercy of life to servants who will have it, and the wages of death to those who won't. Good service is always and fundamentally receiving mercy, not rendering assistance...

And so we will serve God by believing His promise of fullest joy and walking by that faith. We will not serve by trying to put our power at His disposal for His good, but by doing what is necessary so that His power will be ever at our disposal for our good. And of course, God has appointed that His power be at our disposal through prayer. "Ask and you will receive!" So we serve by the power that comes through prayer, when we serve for the glory of God.

Without doubt this sort of serving also means obedience. A patient who trusts his doctor's prescriptions obeys them. A convalescent sinner trusts the painful directions of his therapist, and follows. Only in this way do we keep ourselves in a position to benefit from what the divine Physician has to offer. In all this obedience it is we who are the beneficiaries. God is ever the Giver. For it is the Giver who gets the glory.

1 Peter 4:11 states the principle so well: "Let him who serves serve in the strength which God supplies in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and power forever and ever. Amen." The Giver gets the glory. So all serving that honors God must be a receiving. Which means that all service must be performed by prayer.

To be sure, let us work hard; but never let us forget that it is not we, but the grace of God which is with us (1 Corinthians 15:10). Let us obey now, as always, but never forget that it is God who works in us, both to will and to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Let us spread the gospel far and wide, and spend ourselves for the sake of God's elect, but never venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through us (Romans 15:18). Let us ever be praying for His power and wisdom, so that all our serving is the overflow of righteousness, joy and peace from the Holy Spirit. "For he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men" (Romans 14:17-18).

So the astonishing good news implied in the duty of prayer is that God will never give up the glory of being our Servant. "No eye has seen a God besides thee, who works for those who wait for him" (Isaiah 64:4).

Free to work :)

"The diligent find freedom in their work;
the lazy are oppressed by work."
(Proverbs 12:24)


This is me. Well, this is supposed to be me:

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Where are you in this graph?

http://softwarecreation.org/images/2007/work-satisfaction.jpg

I believe fulfillment in work is not just based on skills and challenges. Whatever our reasons are, below is a useful guide:

http://www.the-happy-manager.com/image-files/the-happy-work-cycle-what2.png

Maybe I'm just ahead of my time? Excuses. Surely I can adjust to the present!

http://www.iftf.org/system/files/deliverable/IFTF_FutureWorkSkillsSummary.gif

The clock is ticking, I keep telling myself. Work is not a matter of life and death. JESUS already dealt with the real life-and-death-and-afterlife issue. All I have to do is walk in His footsteps, in the much less dramatic but still significant arena called the workplace.

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And remember: Work, like everything else, presents many challenges that we can use to honor God. :)

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Thank You Lord, for giving me work that I love to do. :) Amen.

It's what GOD does for us

Excerpts from Romans 12, The Message version:

Embracing what God does for you
is the best thing you can do for Him

Fix your attention on God.
You'll be changed from the inside out.

Readily recognize what He wants from you,
and quickly respond to it.

God brings out the best out of you,
develops well-formed maturity in you.

Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace,
it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.
No, God brings it all to you.


The only accurate way to understand ourselves
is by what God is and what He does for us,
not by what we are and what we do for Him.

Stand for God by kneeling

Standing up for God by falling on his knees. Hats off to American Idol finalist Colton Dixon. :)

This, his swan song, was the first time I heard him sing. May he always sing for God's glory :)

P.S. This is his rendition of "Everything" by Lifehouse.

without You...

i am lost
i am vain
i will never be the same
without You...


My God song for this season is (no mere) pop/dance track:




Without You
David Guetta featuring Usher


I can't win, I can't reign
I will never win this game
Without you, without you

I am lost, I am vain,
I will never be the same
Without you, without you

I won't run, I won't fly
I will never make it by
Without you, without you

I can't rest, I can't fight
All I need is you and I,
Without you, without.... You!

Oh oh oh
You you you
Without
You you you
Without you..

Can't erase, so I'll take blame
But I can't accept that we're
Estranged
Without you, without you

I can't quit now, this can't be right
I can't take one more sleepless night
Without you, without you

I won't soar, I won't climb
If you're not here I'm paralyzed without you, without you

I can't look, I'm so blind
Lost my heart, I lost my mind without you without... You!

Oh oh oh
You you you
Without
You you you
Without you..

I am lost, I am vain,
I will never be the same
Without you, without you.. without you

The best time for Faith

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Faith is confidence or trust in a person or entity.
- Wikipedia: Faith 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.
- Letter to the Hebrews


This must be the best season yet for me to have faith.

Previously, following God used to be so simple, understandable, and attainable.

Now, there's a lot of "?", "!", and "?!?!"... But thankfully, my past (and the history of the world) is filled with accounts of how wise, faithful, good and great our God is.

So now, this intellectual overachiever is confused... But grateful because God is still in control. HE will work out my life, as He always has.

"Be still... and know that I am God."

Instead of worrying or panicking, I will remember to trust, and be at peace. 

Because the best time for having faith in God 

is not when things are perfect,

but when everything's all messed up. 

May I glorify You as I continue to trust in You. :)


P.S. Some reminders from the net. May we all be blessed. :)
Image credits: [1], [2], [3].

It's You already!*

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

That's right.

It is GOD who is with me (and you)

It is God who is mighty,

It's He who delights in me and you,

It's His love,

It's Him rejoicing. 

This Valentine's season, let's keep our eyes on the best kind of love around. :)

* In Filipino, "It's you already" is the literal translation of "Ikaw na!", which means "You're the man!" or "You're the best!"

The Lord giveth (work). Blessed is He. :)

"I guess he figures since he gave me my career, he can take it away."

"Hey. He didn't give you anything.
You get hired because you've got drive, talent and love for what you do.
That's a gift from God, not some video director."

Happy to watch Honey again this morning :)
First saw this as a college senior. It's even more resonant now that I'm actually working in a neighborhood that's indeed in the heart of the streets.

Glory to You.



To underline the point: I just got an email from JobsDB.com:


Dear Maria Teresa Pulido,
We noticed that your resume(s) has not been updated for the past 6 months and hope this is because you have found a nice job!
...

Yes, I did. I "found" the best job for this season on the last line of the last page of their job listings. :) So I wouldn't be updating my resume (for the next job hunt) any time soon. Thanks to JobsDB, to Rye my colleague/church-mate, to FEU - East Asia College...

... and to my Heavenly Father, the source of all that's good and perfect. ♥

"Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

The most-watched video on Youtube: 




Excerpts:

"[The Church] is not a museum for good people,
it's a hospital for the broken.
Which means I don't have to hide my failure,
I don't have to hide my sin
'Cause it doesn't depend on me,
It depends on Him. 

"Religion says "Do", Jesus says "Done."
Religion says "Slave", Jesus says "Son."
Religion puts you in bondage while Jesus sets you free
Religion makes you blind but Jesus makes you see

"And that's why religion and Jesus are two different clans
Religion is man searching for God
Christianity is God searching for man

"Which is why salvation is freely mine
And forgiveness is my own
Not based on my merits
but Jesus' obedience alone

"So for religion, no I hate it
In fact I literally resent it
Because when Jesus said "It is finished,"
I believe He meant it."

Thank You (Jan 13, 2012)

Thank You Lord for:
* snorkeling ♥
* Iloilo getaway with friends from work
* Kenny's break-fast with friends from church
* letting me teach my fave subject once more
* the time, the money, the discipline
* my new home away from home ^_^
* more faith in the One who's in control

It's only the 13th of the first month and great things are already here. Here's to an awesome year! All glory to God ♥

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Thanks to Bless, Resmond and Arvin for the pics :) )

Glory to God in Miss U 2011

Have you caught the Miss Universe fever? :)  I barely saw the replay but like the rest of my countrymen, I'm so proud of how Miss Philippines honored God above all, even her heart.

"If I had to change my religious beliefs, I would not marry the person that I love because the first person that I love is God who created me and I have my faith and my principles and this is what makes me who I am. And if that person loves me, he should love my God too."
- Shamcey Supsup, Philippines


And... she didn't win. It seemed like a repeat of last year when Miss Jamaica gave, in my humble opinion, the best answer in the final round.

But it's great that Miss Angola's answer also honored her Creator:


"Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing. I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life."
- Leila Lopes, Angola (and Ms. Universe 2011!)


'Til next year! Indeed, the Gospel is being shared to all nations... including through international beauty pageants  ;)

The BIG GULP Prayer

In the past, my 'dangerous prayer' was, "Lord, please give me patience."
Nowadays it's humility. (He really grants these quickly.)

Dear Lord,
     Please remove my ego
     and replace it with Your Spirit
     and Your heart
All glory to You
     means accepting defeat and failure
     but also victory and success
     as long as You and You alone are praised

(Big gulp.)

Amen.

Just giving (back) the glory, the blessings

The NIV Student Bible explains:

David's prayer at the beginning of temple construction shows why he was a man after God's own heart. Despite all his achievements, he was deeply humble. He wanted glory to go to God, not Himself.


Here's the gist of the prayer from 1 Chronicles 29:

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,


Praise be to You, O LORD,
God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.

Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
You are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from You;
You are the ruler of all things.

In Your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give You thanks,
and praise Your glorious name.


But who am I, and who are my people,
that we should be able to give as generously as this?
Everything comes from You,
and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.


As for all this abundance that we have provided
for building You a temple for Your Holy Name,
it comes from Your hand,
and all of it belongs to You.


I know, my God,
that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent.
And now I have seen with joy 
how willingly Your people who are here have given to You.


O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
keep this desire in the hearts of Your people forever,
and keep their hearts loyal to You.


And give my son the wholehearted devotion
to keep Your commands, requirements and decrees.

Redeeming Love ♥

God loves us at our worst and redeems us to be our best. ♥ 

If there's one book that defines me --- or to be more exact, my relationship with God --- it has to be "Redeeming Love". (Thank you again to Jenny and Faye for sharing it with me.)

 

From the official site.

What's the big deal, you may ask. If it's inspired by a Biblical story, what's new in this book? How relevant would it be in this day and age... How relevant would it be to me?

The official site is celebrating the book's 20th anniversary. In the online journal contest, you can read how "Redeeming Love" has impacted others, and vote for your favorite testimonies. You can also share how the book impacted your life, and get a chance to win a trip for two to San Francisco, one of the main settings in the book.

The site also features some excerpts from the book. I can repost some of the parts here, but I might just end up transcribing the whole thing  :p  Just read it for yourself. (I can lend you my copy. c: ) And... prepare to be blessed :)