GIVE MORE THAN WHAT THEY BEG

GIVE MORE THAN WHAT THEY BEG
Acts 3:1-10

Giving someone will not change the world but it will change someone’s world.

We can’t give to everyone but everyone can give to someone.

This is what we want to achieve the goodness within us ripples until it becomes a miracle.

Is it not a miracle to see everyday people living happy and content because there is abundance and no one is lacking not because everyone is rich as Warren Buffet; but because everyone discovers the joy and principle of sharing?

There is greater joy in giving that God is teaching this to us. The joy the giver have is more than the joy experienced by the recipient.
That the blessings of someone who gives are far greater than the one who receives.

IS IT A RECKLESS DECISION?

We learned that giving is not a reckless decision at all.
Because we understood that it is in giving that the more we received.

There is more joy in giving than in receiving alone.

OUR PRESENCE is our PRESENT

We can give without loving but we cannot truly love without giving.
We cannot consecrate our all by giving our treasures alone.

Because sometimes, God and other people don’t need your money but they need your time.

Sometimes, our time is better than any dime; our presence is the best present we can give to a person.
Our presence cannot be replaced by any material things.

For those OFW with family miles away, we usually equate our presence with our dear ones with material things. We translate our love for them with goods, gadgets, and comfortable life.

But there are times that they don’t need our money, they long for our presence, tangible love.

Good that in this digital era, we can fill the gap of our absence by the use of social sites through FB, Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, IMO, and skype. Our presence with them becomes virtual.

But no matter how it is, the effort of making ourselves available to them cannot be discounted.

PETER HADE GAVE MORE

In the reading of Acts 3:1-10 12, Peter and John on the third hour of the afternoon for prayer, going up to the temple a man lame from birth begs them for money. Peter looked straight at him and did John, said to the man “Look at us! Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk.
A poor beggar received more than what he expected.
Because Peter and John, have given more than what the man asked.
They had given what they only have, their TIME and Jesus who is in them.

In this part of the talk, we will share how & why you have to give more than what others beg of you:

1. GIVE THEM RELATIONSHIPS NOT OWNERSHIP
If we want to improve our relationship with others, even if it’s your spouse, your children, your parents, or other people; we need to spend quality time with them.
Because you cannot replace our presence with material things.
Sometimes, people don’t need our money.

They need our time.
Because the time we devote to others sends a message that they are important to us.

The time devoted by Peter and John to a beggar on the street helps the man to understand that respect for oneself is more than a small coin he can receive.

The sense of touch and sight was felt by the beggar when he looked at the disciple’s eyes and that feeling flowed when Peter reached out his hand to the man.

This power of touch and sight is missing in a virtual and digital relationship.

I wonder about seeing couples in a cozy restaurant, dining together but they don’t look at each other their eyes were hooked on their own phone.
Leave that gadget behind for a while and start a good talk, look at each other’s eyes and connect.

This is what the lame beggar felt when he looked at Peter and John.

Connection.

Our time spent sending a clear message that you are near and available on time that they need us.

Another act of good deed is by the Good Samaritan. A businessman and a traveler where time is gold; he dared to spare his time to carry the man to his horse and brought him to care in a hotel and paid for it.

2. GIVE THEM OUR GOD NOT YOUR GOLD

We cannot truly consecrate by giving what we really have by giving our treasures alone because it is not enough.

Share to them our God when we give.

Let them know that we are just a channel of God’s goodness; that every blessing we share with them is not from us but the fruit of God’s goodness and generosity to us.

We let them realize that God is alive through us. We become Jesus to someone.

We become a living manifestation that God is real because they can sense, they can feel that He is working through us.

The reason why many desperate people don’t believe that God cares is that they don’t experience that sympathy, that empathy from people who were blessed.

The ultimate purpose of our blessing is that we become a blessing to someone who is in need.
Because all the things that we have, time treasures, and talents all come from Him alone.

Let them realize that what they receive does not come from us, but we are only sharing the blessing that we received from God.

Don’t ask them to repay you, but let them do exactly what you did to the next person with the same experience and situation.

Ask them to do other what you did to them, let that goodness ripple and daily we will see miracles. The goodness they received shall be the same goodness they will share.

Giving our God to them is empowering them to stand in their own faith and relationship with God.
By sharing with them our God, let them discover a wonderful relationship with our Master and let that relationship be intimate and personal with God.

3. GIVE THEM WHAT THEY REALLY NEED

Sometimes our intention to help is good. However, in the long term, we don’t help but rather let them be lazy, lame, and selfish.

We teach them to be too much dependent on the moment that it paralyzes them and kills us as well.

The problem sometimes with us, we let them paralyze their thinking because every decision should be coming from us. We limit their ability to think for themselves.

Don’t give them the fish but teach them how to fish.

You can empower them by teaching and sharing with them what you know and how they could be able to maximize their time and resources.

Give to our children what they only need. Don’t just give our children the taste of our wealth but teach them what made us wealthy. Don’t just give them your riches, show them how you did it. Teach them your passion, your vision, your mission, the right character, and outlooks in life so that they could have their own.

I think it’s not right that we only give food to the beggar to eat, it is hard work but we need to transform them to be a better part of our society. They need to regain their identity and integrity so that they could somehow be contributors to the common good of the community.

We should give them a chance instead of giving them a label that reminds them of their inability to be part of the community.

4. GIVE THEM MOTIVATION AND NOT DISSUASION

Some people give but they let that opportunity to judge them and blackmail people, their relatives, or even their kin.

They don’t need our judgment.

We should not use our giving to let others look stupid or use them for our own propaganda of being self-righteous.

5. GIVE THEM LOVE NOT PITY

What people need from us is not our pity but our love.

We can only strengthen their belief in themselves if we show them our trust and belief that they can do it alone.

The more we pity them, the more we let them stay in their miserable conditions.

You give not because you expect to receive but because you love.

Like the Good Samaritan, what he had given is the best out of his love and kindness without expecting any form of return.

Some people make friends because they have a vested interest in you.

Do we want to partake in a Mission of God to mankind by giving our time, treasure, and talents?

Do we want to have that happy and fruitful relationship?

Do we want to experience deeper peace of mind with God?

It is not that we are giving our time to God and man but actually, we are seizing that time we spent in our favor to experience His immense and glorious presence.

GOD’S EYE ON THE GIVER

Our giving cannot be hidden from the eyes of God. He is observant.
Every second, every time, every giving that we are doing is known to the Lord.

That is why we give our time and talent with joy.
He knows how much we give and the more, He knows how we value every act of giving we are doing.

May you always become Jesus to somebody,

Mikesendon

DRAWN OUT FOR A REASON

DRAWN OUT FOR A REASON
Exodus 2:1-10

Do we not wonder why sometimes in our life, we pass through a series of stages wherein, we felt uncomfortable because we are taken out of our comfort zone?

There were times we resisted change because we don’t want to adapt to the new situations, a new set of rules, and from where we are already comfortable.

Are we not amazed as well that in our lifetime, we experienced a series of stages in life that brings us to a better, bigger and brighter side of our life?

Life is a journey, it is a series of stages from one to another. It is a process, a transition from one event to another, from one experience to another.

Life stages are constant.

It’s a series of drawn-out. A process that God is shifting us every time whether we like it or not.

THE MOSES STORY

In our text today, we read that Moses was drawn out from the river when he was a baby. Little did he know that God is drawing him out to be transformed to do bigger things for a mission prepared for him by God.

The life of Moses was a series of stages into a life already predestined, already orchestrated, and well planned by God for him.

Little did Moses know that his life was phases of God drawing him out from the womb of her mother to the Hebrew house, from the house to the river, from the river to the Pharaohs’ palace, from the palace to the wilderness, from the wilderness back to his people to drew God’s people to become a mighty nation.

OUR LIFE IS A DRAWN-OUT EXPERIENCE

God in our life is drawing us out every day from our fear, from our hidings, from our comfort zones.

God is calling us out from our sins, from the raven we have known.

Even the life of Joseph was a series of drawn-out experiences.

He was drawn out from his house to be thrown inside the pit, he was drawn out of the pit to be a slave in Potiphar’s house, from the Potiphar’s house he was drawn out to be thrown inside the prison but one day, he was drawn out from the prison to be seated inside the palace. In life, sometimes when we are being taken out from our misery, from our sufferings, from our hardships; we expect that the next stage of our life is good, something that we could forget our pain and agony.

What if the result is opposite to what we expected?

Like Joseph, when he was drawn out from the pit, he expected that he will be freed but he was sold to be a slave.

He serves well in the Potiphar’s house but in return, he was wrongly accused and thrown inside the prison.

But God drawing us out to something better. He draws us out to be placed in a stage where He could prepare us for a bigger mission, to handle bigger responsibility.

Moses was drawn out to be trained, to be equipped, to work out his character to become a good leader, be familiar with and survive with the terrain of the desert.

Moses was drawn out into the wilderness to draw out his people from the bondage of the Egyptians.

1. DRAWN OUT FOR A BIGGER MISSION

Do you know that God is preparing us for something big?

If we will just reflect on our life, God incubates us to become big.

The people of Israel were only seventy when they went to Egypt, but God incubates them for hundreds of years to become a big and mighty nation of God.

Anything alive grows. It started from a small form, but the time will come, it will be bigger when you draw them out.

Just imagine how tiny creatures were when we were in our mother’s womb, when it was time to get out, we were drawn out larger than it was.

We all are undergone an incubation period.

All our experiences are a series of stages preparing us to become more experienced and successful.

We become more skillful and proficient not only by acquiring knowledge but by having the necessary experience.

Experience is a good teacher.

We have a mission and our mission is bigger than we thought. David was drawn from being a shepherd to doing a bigger mission. To be the next king.

God has drawn you from your place to be here in UAE because you have a mission for your family.

God has drawn you out from your ministry to be a leader because the mission set before you is bigger than what you thought.

Don’t think about your condition, your situation because God is about to shift you to your destiny.

NEVER BE AFRAID TO BE DRAWN OUT.

2. DRAWN OUT TO FLY HIGH

Just imagine a caterpillar inside a cocoon. When the time has come, it must come out and be drawn out because it cannot stay inside for long. It will find its way to break the small space so that it could come out and be free.

The butterfly cannot be able to have its wings fly unless it was drawn out from its cocoon.

Our life may be like inside the trap of a dark cocoon. We cannot see any rays of hope but while we are in a situation that is difficult to bear, just think that God will draw us out.

Never be tired of believing that someday, you will be flying high.

Always sing your belief “I believe I can fly..”

Our life is not always in the cocoon stage because that is just temporary.

There will always be time for everything to work in season.

Since everything is temporary, be prepared to be drawn out.

Losing a job is temporary.

Being sick is just temporary.

Our comfort zone is not our destiny because God’s promise is not in our shelter. Be prepared to be shifted.

3. DRAWN OUT TO HAVE A NAME

In our text, the child was born but without a name.

He was unknown and nobody knew him.

He had no influence, he had no name.

He was just a baby born to an ordinary Hebrew family.

The baby was named Moses which means draw out from the water.

Isn’t it that God has drawn us out to give us a name?

To restore our dignity and to reclaim the sonship we have in God. We are not known, we don’t have influence, but God is drawing us out to give us the importance and to redeem our worth.

For He rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves-Colossians 1:13

God has taken us out from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of light.

God has drawn us out to give us names that represent who we are and the mission that we should accomplish.

You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas (which is translated Peter). —John 1:42

Remember how God drew out Saul from his old belief to become a new disciple of God defending the faith. He was given a new name, from Saul to Paul.

Our life is drawn out for a reason, to be a better person whom God prepare for a bigger mission.

May your happiness be full,

Mikesendon

THE STONE HAS BEEN ROLLED

THE STONE HAS BEEN ROLLED

The stone has been rolled, now we know that we are not fooled.

Because the fullness of our faith is when Christ is resurrected from the dead.

When Christ rises again, we know that our faith is not in vain.
He is alive and in Him, we are alive as well.

It gives us hope that no one can constrain us from our situation.

The stone has been rolled for us to give us the assurance that there is life after death.

Giving us the courage to triumph over every adversary.

The stone has been rolled for us to be free. Free from our sin and freedom from anyone who makes us slaves.

No more chain can bound us, no more stone can hold us because indeed we are free.

Have a blessed Easter Sunday

Mikesendon

WATER YOUR DREAMS

WATER YOUR DREAMS

Philippians 3:13-14

All of us have dreams.

The question in front of us is are all those dreams still alive or have they all disappeared like a vapour dew.

Many of us were all vibrant and full of hope when we were young, we dream dreams. Almost excited that we can change the world, to make things happen.

But along the way, with so many disappointments and failures; we never dream again.

We surrender our goals and forget to dream again.

We make excuses that dreaming is for all the young.

We dare to dream.

Getting rid of failures and disappointments

After so many failures and disappointments, we never dream again.

We feel hopeless that those aspirations will come into reality.

We made so many excuses, we dug holes where we can bury them.

All those regrets, we don’t want to remember them anymore.

The more we remember, it reminds our inability to make things happen, our weaknesses and our limitations.

So, we stay in our comfort zone. Like an eagle who lost the ability to fly, we prefer to mingle with the chicken.

Sometimes, we build a bed on our situation.

Because staying with people with the same experience gives us the alibi and relief that where we are is normal.

Being lame is normal when you are surrounded by people who cannot walk.

Gossiping becomes normal when all the people you know are a gossiper.

Have we ever had our dreams so near, so close yet it’s difficult to achieve?

Then we blame others for our failures.

Like the man in Bethesda, he wanted to get to the pool but he blamed his inability to be healed because no one takes him to the pool.

For 38 long years, he was there near the pool waiting for miracles to happen.

Have you already put a bed on your situation?

Be ready for a radical manoeuvring

But we cannot just stay where we are.

Because God has a perfect plan for all of us different from ours.

If other people had wavered in their dreams, some people dreamt but their dreams were not realized because God has a different plan for them.

Like St Paul, he had already a plan in his head and in his heart. He was resolved to fulfil it no matter what.

But something happened along the way, he was walking on the wrong road.

The road to Damascus was his turning point.

The change was so radical that he needed to despise himself.

He needed to forget his dreams. He was required to change the course of his journey toward the road that leads to the path where God had called him.

From Damascus to Jesus.

He counted it a loss for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Never worry if your dreams did not material because God has another plan for you.

The Recipe for Success

Colonel Harland Sanders never gave up even though he faced a lot of rejection.

He was already in his seventies when the best of things come in his life.

The recipe for his success is not on the secret recipe of his chicken alone but also due to his motivation not to give up on his dreams.

The thing that can make you discouraged might the same thing that could fuel your dreams if you never give up.

Take that last ounce of courage and let it take you to the next level.

Never give up on your dreams and your dreams will never give up on you.

In the Middle of Crossroads

We may be in the middle of our crossroads today.

We are perplexed about what to do next.

New Year resolutions are not enough to make some radical change in our life.

We need to decide, we need to act.

Leave behind all our failures and shortcomings in the previous years and let it be our inspiration to do something better for this year and the years ahead.

Let our battle cry be “CHANGE IS COMING!”

But to be able to live this battle cry, we need to water our dreams.

Water Our Dreams

It’s not enough that dreams are planted inside of us because without watering them, they will die.

The destiny of dreams cannot be realized if we fail to water it.

Our dreams become alive when someone is watering us, inspiring us to continue despite anything that happens in our life.

This message is not about planting dreams in you, I am just watering what is already inside of you.

I want to refresh and revive the long-forgotten dreams you had that roots were hampered because we failed to water that dreams.

Never expect to have fruits unless you have your dream to take roots.

The transition from planting that seed of dreams to increasing is watering.

ASPIRE

Proverbs 29:18 “where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained”

We need to have a clear vision of what we wanted to do. For without it, people perish.

They become wild and uncontrolled because they don’t know the destination they wanted to pursue.

Vision set the tone of our journey and this emanates from our dreams, our aspirations, and from our hopes.

To aspire does not mean only to dream but to pursue that dreams.

We don’t need to stay in a corner daydreaming but we need to follow the path where the dreams are leading us.

We direct our hope and our ambition towards achieving something great.

Our aspirations help us to focus and set the directions we have to go.

It is our dreams, our aspirations that give us excitement that fuels us towards our destiny.

Our destiny is like a magnet and our dreams are like metal. Our destiny pulls us towards it if we have that dreams which are alive in us.

Dreams make us vibrant, alive, hopeful, awake and full of zeal.

To dream is not when we are asleep because dreams should make us awake.

What happens to that dreams you had, does it still wake you up?

Many people don’t achieve their dreams because they don’t want it bad enough.

ACQUIRE

It’s not enough that we have dreams and goals.

It’s not enough that we pursue and chase that elusive dreams.

We need to acquire the skills to make that dream a reality.

We should equip ourselves to ready ourselves when we get there.

We just don’t aspire to be a good and anointed preacher but we have to study and learn and acquire hours to meditate on the Word of God.

We don’t just pursue happiness but we learn how we could be happy and in the process understand what really makes us happy.

Laughter is good medicine but when we laugh without any reason then we need good medicine.

When God has a plan for us, He has drawn us from where we are into an experience where we could learn…not to harm us but to build us.

Moses was drawn out from the water to the palace to learn the ways of the Egyptians. To learn leadership, to experience to be rich and have enough.

He doesn’t want us to be in a fight where we are not prepared.

Because life is tough.

The enemy is merciless.

We acquire knowledge from education.

Learning from the books that we read, the people that taught us, from our pastors and spiritual directors.

We acquire learning through intense and massive hearing and listening.

INCREASE YOUR BELIEF

To acquire, we don’t focus on where we are weak but we concentrate on our strengths.

When we concentrate on our strong points, we increase our belief and our confidence.

And what we will do with our weaknesses? accept the areas where we are vulnerable and delegate them.

You need people that would bring you to where you want to go, just like a paralytic man the man who was lying on his bed, he had his four friends who were able to tear the roof and took him down to Jesus.

Look for people who are willing to tear down walls that hinder your way to the achievement of your dreams.

MARRY A DREAMER

Some people could help you achieve your dreams, you need only to find the right team.

You have to find the right partner, the right people who are also a dreamer.

You need someone who will water your dreams and not a dream killer.

Avoid toxic people that pump you with discouraging words that decrease your morale and pull you down.

APPLY

FAITH without action is dead.

What is knowing without doing?

DREAMS is a

DEDICATED RESOLVE

EMANATES from our Core gifts & life purpose

ASPIRING for the highest goal possible

MOVING forward with confidence into a

SUCCESSFUL and tangible results

-mikesendon

Taking the first step is the hardest because we are being seized by our fear.

The fear of losing money if we put it in stocks; if we invest it in mutual funds or if we start our own business if we invest it in a real estate.

The fear of losing the regular streams of our salary if we concentrate on venturing into our own business.

Do it afraid until you’re not afraid anymore.

Our dreams could only be tangible if we start making them happen.

Landing on the moon was just a dream but because they decided to do it despite all its impossibilities, they made it possible.

PAY IT FORWARD

Because to achieve our dreams, we have to pay it in advance.

People who delayed their gratification achieved their dreams and goals because they paid it in full.

To apply is the willingness to sacrifice.

God desired to restore our relationship with Him, so Jesus paid it in full in advance.

Our salvation was paid fully in advance.

If you wanted to be promoted in your job, you have to work for it first.

If you dreamt to increase your wealth, you have to invest your capital first.

Investing is not about money alone but you are investing your time, your gratification, your sweats, your talents and your skills.

You pay it in full because what you see on the seed is not its smallness but you see it as a tree.

You don’t look at your small investment as an expense but as a seed.

You never give up doing what is good because you know that at the proper time you will harvest your good deeds.

Every random act of kindness, every small deed of goodness is an investment in heaven.

Do it and you will feel motivated to do it

–Zig Ziglar

The most difficult part of our journey toward achieving our dreams is the transition process.

Unless we put ourselves into it, we can never be able to learn it.

Habits are Character

Motivation is what gets you started. Habits are what keep you going

Jim Rohn

SURRENDER OUR DREAMS

Whatever dreams we have, learn to surrender them to Him.

His plan for us is better than our plan for ourselves because He knows best.

The last thing I ask from you is not to settle for less.

Dream big dreams and the universe will conspire to let it be a reality.

May your BIG dreams bring Big blessings to the world,

Mikesendon

WATER YOUR SEEDS

WATER YOUR SEEDS

1 Corinthians 3:6

 

Are you expecting something in your life that could grow this year?

We can only expect something that could grow if there were seeds that were sown in us.

We never expect to harvest unless there is something that we had planted.

What kind of seeds you are growing?

Are these seeds are seeds of greatness, seeds of faith, seeds of love, the seeds of goodness, seeds of wisdom, seeds of abundance and so on?

The quality of our harvest depends on the quality of seed that we planted.

Never expect to harvest harmony and peace when you are sowing seeds of division.

Only plant and water seeds that only you want to grow.

Never sow seeds that you don’t want to harvest.

 

PLANTING AND REAPING

In our text, Paul says that “I planted, Apollo watered and God gives the increase.”

No matter who had planted or watered the seeds in us, at the end of the day, it is God who gives the increase.

It is God who causes the growth.

Be careful of what seeds you are planting because what you are sowing, you will reap.

If we are so excited to harvest on what we planted, God is earnest to see that the tree bears many fruits.

Remember how Jesus cursed the fig tree who found to have no fruits (Mark 11:14)

God looks for fruits and He will cut down trees that don’t grow fruits (John 15:2).

 

WATER THE SEEDS

That is why it is not enough that someone has planted it.

The transition and process from planting to harvesting are watering.

The seeds that were planted have no destiny unless it’s being watered.

That dreams that are inside of you has no destiny unless it’s being watered.

Someone might have planted that aspirations, that dreams, that goals but without someone to water it, it will just die.

The seeds of God’s wisdom that was planted in your heart by a preacher, by a Pastor, by a Priest or whoever God uses is not enough that it’s only sown.

It should be watered and taken care of until the roots sprout and a bud shoot from the ground.

We need to water the seeds.

 

SEEDS HAS ITS DESTINY

In the beginning, God created destiny on every creation He created.

He had given destiny to every seed when He said, “let there be…” so that He will not say “let there be” anymore every time a new tree or new life form.

That is why we don’t judge the seed on its small form because it has its own destiny.

A forest could start from a handful of seeds. The world was populated from a single seed of Adam and Eve.

The seeds that were planted on you have destiny if it’s only been watered.

We don’t judge our dreams and our aspirations or even other dreams that they are too small because every seed of dreams planted in us if watered has its destiny.

Seeds that are buried in the ground is hidden but its destiny shall be exposed over time.

Is it not that every seed that was sown in us is concealed and while it’s still hidden, we thought that our future is grey?

While the seeds were still enclosed, we see no light because the seed has still no roots. Sometimes it is still covered with many doubts, questions on how this will come into life.

When we are in this state of asking ourselves, we don’t have yet the assurance that the seeds will grow, we thought that we are buried.

Sometimes we are buried by so many problems, uncertainties, doubts, lack of skills and resources and we see our future as grey. But the reality is, God did not bury us; we were planted.

And because we were planted, we have a destiny.

The realization of that destiny is by watering the seeds.

 

WHAT DOES WATERING DO TO THE SEEDS?

Many young minds with great potentials became despicable because wicked seeds were planted in them. This makes worse when it’s watered by wicked thoughts.

They became the problem of society and bringing fear and terror to so many.

Many women in some parts of the world lost the grip of its abilities because they were not watered. They treat them as a second-class citizen.

There’s a lot of children who ended up in the streets because their parents failed to inspire them and the leaders failed to guide them.

Watering is inspiring the mind, the heart and the life of people, so that whatever planted in them grows and be fruitful.

But what is watering if there were no seed planted?

Water will not work if nothing is planted in you.

 

1. WATER EXPOSES US TO OUR VULNERABILITY

It’s good to take a bath.  It’s refreshing but not to the seeds.

Water brings pain and suffering to the seeds.

It is done not to please you nor give you comfort, its purpose to slowly kill our old self, to replace our old beliefs systems, change our old mindsets and to replace our old habits and character.

Changing our self-belief is a tough decision to do because we need to be radical.

It makes the seed’s skin to decay so that it helps the inside to shoot out.

Watering will help our roots to bud and that good things in us to sprout.

We must be dead of ourselves if we want to re-birth with a more vibrant destiny.

To be a better person, watering kills our pride, it will show us our weakness.

To be a better investor and grow the seed of abundance, it will highlight our past spending habits. We need to cut-off unnecessary expenses and debts and opens you to focus on your economic activities.

To grow a fruitful relationship, watering the seeds will uncover you to start forgiving and start loving the person without any reservations.

 

2. WATER BRINGS DISTURBANCE TO YOUR REALITY

If you want to be renewed, be ready to be disturbed

Watering makes the encasement expand.

The words of encouragement will expand our mindset and it will leave us restless.

There is something that makes us restless until we reach that destiny of what we really meant to be.

As St Augustine said, “My heart won’t rest until it rests in you.”

Because watering push us to the threshold of our weakness to strength, from our fear to courage, from our doubt to our self-belief,

Our big why becomes clearer than before; our core purpose and mission come to life.

This clarity makes us sure of who we are and where we want to go

When you allow God to water you, you allow Him to disturb you.

Watering exposes the truth of who we really are, that we were born to be victorious, that God has a better plan for us, that we were gifted and  we possessed talent and skills to flourish, that we are not alone, that we have inherent power to succeed, that we are unique and no ordinary.

Knowing the truth about us highlights more of our future image than of who we are before, unleash the intrinsic will to move ahead.

 

3. WATER EXPOSES YOU TO YOUR POSSIBILITY

Watering exposes us from what was impossible before to what is possible today.

It exposes that our current situation is just temporary and we have to go through a process of transformation.

Because of our roots started to shoot down, our buds started to shoot up.

Being planted make us covered by darkness, doubts, fear, and lack of will. But by watering us, we are being exposed to our new possibility.

To be exposed to knowledge and wisdom from people’s insight and experience, from God’s Words and inspirations; we started to become strong and to stand on our own.

Watering exposes us to be wealthy by starting to change our mindset and habit on how we deal with every blessing that we receive. That the subject of money is not taboo because this is God’s instrument for our blessings and we can also be his channel of blessings for others.

We started to be mature until we are ready to face different challenges outside our comfort zones. We are strong enough to face storms.

Watering brings new hope and rays of light in us.

Watering erases any doubts in our mind that we could be changed and forgiven no matter how sinful we are. That His love could change us to be a better person.

No amount of guilt that could not be washed by the unsurmountable love God has given us.

 

LOOK FOR PEOPLE TO WATER YOU

We could be watered by God, by people, and by our experience

Elisha left his farm, killed his oxen and cooked it with its own yoke.

Why? Because Prophet Elijah watered him. Prophet Elijah exposed him of what he could become.

Simon and Andrew left their boat and nets and became a disciple because Jesus watered them

I served in El Shaddai PPFI Ministry till now because I was once watered by our servant leader Bro. Mike Velarde twenty-five years ago. I have this desire to write because I was inspired reading and listening to Bo Sanchez books and write-ups.

For a long time, I am hesitant in Real Estate investing because of fear and lack of information how it really works but when Pastor Dan Calingasan and Mam Vangie exposed us to Real Estate Market and how the economy works, we started venturing into it.

Look for trusted people to water your dreams, your passion, your craft, your mission, your vision.

Look for a coach, a spiritual advisor, a pastor, a mentor, a marriage counselor, a financial coach that will inspire, direct and push you to your potentials.

Find someone that will motivate you; that will inspire you to become what you really meant to be.

Look for people you considered as your hero in the field that you want to succeed and follow them. Success is just a matter of copying those are successful in the field you want to be successful.

God uses His Words, other people, and your experience to water you.

Always remember that these people are not always there to please you.

There will be times that they are tough, they are firm, they tell you the truth and will ask you to do drastic things, to sacrifice, and to do radical decisions.

You will not like their ideas, their thoughts and comments but this is all essential things that will help you achieve whom you want to be.

Do not be afraid to be watered.

Because watering changes us.

We can only truly know who we can become until we are exposed.

 

May God water you and exposed you to your potentials,

Mikesendon

 

 

THANK GOD IN OUR JOURNEY

THANK GOD IN OUR JOURNEY

Exodus 16: 8-12

Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

Verse 10: It came about as Aaron, “Say to all congregation of the sons of Israel,’ that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

Verse 11: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ” I have heard the grumbling of the Sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, “At twilight, you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread and you shall know I am the Lord your God”

It is easy to praise and thank God when we reach our destination but we should learn
how to praise Him in our journey.

INTRODUCTION

All of us are blessed by God.

What are those things that we are thankful for?

Is it that most of the time we praise Him for what was given to us.

Most people today are thankful and praise God when they arrive at their desired destination.

But the challenge is, can you praise and thank Him in your journey?

THE GRUMBLING ISRAELITES

Looking back on the life of the people of God, He had promised them that they will be brought to a place of flowing milk and honey.

To a land given they will call their own.

The Israelites were being led by Moses to a place promised by God to them, but life in the wilderness is not easy.

In the beginning, they can see their destination but they were disillusioned by their situation.

When you are conquered by your current situation, you tend to forget the destination.

When you are overwhelmed by your distress, you forgot to hold on to the promise.

This is what happened to the Israelites.

They were excited to leave their suffering behind because they believed in God for a promised deliverance and relief, but the wilderness is their test.

Instead of praising God on the journey, they blamed God and Moses for their fate.

So they started to complain, to murmur and grumble.

DISHEARTENED SITUATION

Transition is not easy.

Transition is a challenge.

That is why only a few love change.

We can relate with the Israelites because most of us when we are in transition and when things are not working well, we look for someone to blame.

We put blame even on people who wanted to help us.

We blame our situation on our parents, our boss, our employer, our colleagues…

The people questioned Moses and asked if they were brought to the wilderness to be put to death as there were no food, no water, and no comfort.

Sometimes we focus more on our current experience that we forgot why we are really in transition.

Instead of appreciation, when the blessings become normal, we tend to consider the blessing as an obligation.

LOSS SIGHT OF THE PROMISE

When people focus more on their situations, we lose sight of the vision and a promised provision.

HOW TO PRAISE GOD IN OUR JOURNEY

1. LOOK AHEAD FOR THE PROMISE

Never thank God only because you reach the destination or you achieved your goal, or you have been successful in your life.

God’s promise is like a boarding pass in your hand, believe that you will reach your destination.

When you have your boarding pass and you know you are on the right plane, don’t worry.

The plane will take you to the desired airport even when there is a re-route.

Our hope will be more if we always look ahead to the promises He has for us.

We have to praise Him for there is something more and better that awaits us.

Even in times that we don’t see it clear enough, always believe in His Words for God’s promises are true.

In my Father’s house are many mansions, I will prepare a room for you.

Praise Him because He is taking us to where He wants us to be.

When God says so, consider it done.

As Paul says in Phil 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

2. LOOK BEHIND WHERE YOU COME FROM

Phil3:13 “but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”

God is always taking us to a better place where we are right now.

We can truly praise God when we know where we are going and thank him more when we look back knowing where we came from.

Looking back gives us the ability to know that we are progressing, that we are moving.

A journey is about movement.

Life is a journey and no matter how slow and fast it is, our life should always be moving forward.

Past is a history to learn. It had a good memory to cherish and to treasures and bad memory to learn and fuel us to move forward.

We cannot make friends with the past if there is someone and something greater waiting for us in the future.

We cannot stay where we came from otherwise we will impede growth.

You will appreciate it now when you look back and see yourself back then.

Isn’t it that a lot has changed?

Isn’t it that today is better than what it was?

3.  LOOK INSIDE FOR THE PURPOSE

We can praise God, even more, when we look within ourselves, for the ultimate purpose of why we are in transition.

Before we grumble and complain, try to see first what is behind the suffering we are into right now.

When we know the purpose and our goal, consider that God is preparing us for something big.

Learn to wait on the Lord and He will renew our strength like the wings of an eagle.

Why? So that in waiting we prepare ourselves to carry the weight of the blessings that He has about to give.

Maybe your situation is hard and difficult because you’re preparing for your retirement. It’s hard because you need to save and be tight on your finances.

Your situation is difficult because you’re supporting your family back home.

But be thankful because, despite your situation, you are strong, healthy, and continually blessed by God to support them.

If you know the purpose inside of you, everything that you face is a challenge to overcome.

The more challenge you overcome, the more you grow in your character.

The more we become excited and the more we will appreciate when the blessings come.

We therefore praise and thank Him for the blessings that are about to be given but also the training and lesson it gives while waiting for it to come.

We thank God not because He is killing us or inflicting us with more pain or difficulty but He is training us and equipping us to adapt to the new territory He prepared for us and me.

Sometimes we thought that God is against us.

So we thought of something that we could do by ourselves and thought we think well than God.

GOD KNOWS BEST

One afternoon there was a man who is under the Duhat tree to take a siesta and He saw a duhat fruit. He said to himself “I think there is something wrong, why did God let this small fruit of duhat grow on a tree while pumpkin buds out on a soft and small vine where it’s larger than the duhat.”

While pondering, a duhat fruit fell on his face. Then he exclaimed “Ah God knows best! If that duhat fruit that fell on my face is a pumpkin, then I’m done. Dr. Belo will be having a hard time fixing a battered face”

God knows best and His purpose is always best for you.

My plan for you is not to harm you but a future.

4.  LOOK OUTSIDE AND BE ENCOURAGE

Most of the time when we look outside and see what is happening on the television, hearing the news, we will be discouraged.

The economy is in recession, the market is down, my stocks are red, and there are news and rumors of termination and much more. All of this will discourage us.

But looking outside will also help us to be encouraged because, despite any global concern happening around us, we are still blessed.

We are still alive and being protected by God.

Looking outside helps us to see how God blesses the ants, the lilies, and the birds.

If they are blessed, how much more that God could not bless me.

Looking outside gives us more reason to thank God

Looking outside shall encourage us to appreciate what God is doing to others and help us to look into ourselves to be thankful for what we have.

5. LOOK ABOVE FOR THE INSPIRATION

When everything goes wrong, always look up for inspiration.

Like Job who lost everything in his life still blesses God and thanks to Him for all that he had.

Look up and thank God for what you have.

Thank Him not only when you received favors but in all circumstances give thanks to God.

Journey in the desert is not easy but Moses reminds them that in their forty years in the wilderness, their feet had not swollen.

For forty long years, God never missed a single day without Manna falling from the sky.

When they were bitten by snakes, God asked them to look upon a serpent rod and they were healed.

God’s presence was with them always for He was fire by night and a tower of clouds by day.

Never question God in our situation till you look up for inspiration. You will be amazed to know that what you have in your transition is nothing compare to what God prepared for you at your destination.

There are many things in this world we don’t have control over, but look up and thank Him who is always in control.

START COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS

Is it that most of the time we count the things that we don’t have?

I don’t have this latest I-phone, I don’t have a job, I don’t have this, I don’t have that.

It’s easier to count what we don’t have yet we don’t count the value of what we do have already.

If we start to count our blessings, soon we will stop counting anymore.

What we don’t have will outweigh the values of what we have

Count your blessings until you can’t count them anymore.

May you thank God always in your journey.

Mikesendon

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CAST YOUR NET TO THE OTHER SIDE

THE PROMISE IN THE DESERT

The Promise in the Desert

DEUTERONOMY 8:2-10

 

 

 

In all of our sufferings, sacrifices and troubles, is it not our desire that we could go out from all of these experiences and have a life that is to the FULLEST?

In the text of Deuteronomy, we can learn that Israel was on the staging period to claim what were promised to them by God.

The freedom from the hands of the tyrants Egyptians into a promised land with flowing milk and honey.

Deuteronomy means repetition of the law, it is where Moses after that forty long years of journey and being in transition, Moses was preparing his people into a new territory, into a new life, into a new relationship with God.

Here comes a destiny that will be changed because of a promise and a covenant of God to His people.

The topic is interesting and exciting because it’s a prelude to a new challenge in the life of God’s chosen people, the Israelite.

We may not see the complete blueprint of His plan in our life right now but He will allow us to have a glimpse of His promise even when we are in our own desert experience.

 

ENTERING A NEW DOOR

In our life, after all the trials, the hardships and sacrifices; we come to a point when we are about to enter a door that leads us to what God had promised us, because we refused to quit.

We remained to endure and be faithful regardless of all our circumstances.

We thought that those doors lead us to a mess and we thought that God brought us to suffer but unknowingly, that same door leads to another doors of opportunity.

Because in life, God sometimes closes more doors than He opens.

So that He could point us directly to a door that is open. To a door that He wanted us to enter in.

 

THE PHASES TOWARDS GOD PROMISE

 The Desert Experience

 God is taking us out from where we are right now.

He don’t want us to stay where we are; in our sickness, in our fears and anxieties, in our miseries and agony.

Sometimes you are already contented and happy in where you are right now, but God will take you away from your own comfort.

God made a way to bring us out because He knows and understand what we experience.

This is what God did to His people in Egypt, He had chosen Moses to lead them out from being slaves, from a miserable conditions they were in.

But instead of thanking God; they murmured, they complained and rebel against Him.

The whole congregations of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. –Exodus 16:2

They thought that God brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.

Sometimes, that is what we thought with God when we don’t understand His will and His promises.

God want us to enter into a new territory but sometimes we are not yet ready.

• Not ready to leave our old friends
• To leave our comfort zones
• To leave our sins

We usually looks on the hardships and difficulties rather than the hidden opportunities.

We focus on the suffering rather than on the promised blessings.

That is why we complain and grumble.

We become a whiner and loss the chance to be a winner.

But whether we like it or not, we are in transition like a baby that is about to breakthrough from a mother’s womb to birth.

In preparing to the new dimension of our life, we need to remember who we were and where we are going to.

So Moses reminded them on their desert experience.

You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these 40 years, that He might HUMBLE YOU, TESTING YOU. TO KNOW WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART whether you KEEP THE COMMANDMENT OR NOT.”- Deuteronomy 8:2

He humbled you and let you be hungry to understand that He is the God that provides the manna.

He made us thirsty to understand that He can make water out of rocks.

He humbled us an employee that we desire to be an employer and understand the feeling and situation of an employee.

He humble us in scarcity that we may desire to save and be a good stewards of any blessings we received from Him.

He humbled us in our sickness to understand that He alone can restore our health and the God who heals.

Our experience, our desert experience should not demotivate and demoralized us rather be a learning stage, that we be molded and formed by God into having character He wanted us to possess.

Our desert experience shall test us how grateful we are in spite of our situations.

Our conditions shall give us hope that God will deliver us, putting our trust and faith more unto Him.

 

2. Desert with Manna

Even the people complained, God provides them what they need.

Moses said, “It is the bread which the Lord has given us to eat.”-Exodus 16:15

Even in our desert experience, God takes care of all our need.

His promise is not to harm us for but to have a future, to be blessed.

We should understand that our God is not only concerns about our destination but He is in charge of the itinerary as well.

We need to acknowledge that everything comes from God.

In this desert with manna experience, we usually forget to value the manna and the blessings we received because now it becomes normal.

Is it not a miracle that something you don’t know falls every morning from nowhere? A miracle that something nobody knows could be eaten.

But the manna after months consistently comes every morning becomes normal, the Israelite don’t consider it as miracle anymore.

That is the problem with all of us, any blessings we received regularly becomes ordinary.

We consider now that the provision becomes God’s obligation.

And because of this, we forget to be thankful.

We place more value now on the gifts rather than the giver.

We became complacent and we don’t now desire for something more great because it’s readily available.

Our desert with manna becomes our comfort zone.

We become lazy and passive.

We don’t aspire anymore because everything we need just come without much effort.

When everything is given to us, we don’t desire for something great anymore.

We should remember that this is just a staging area and not yet the final destination God prepared for us.

God want us to move from Desert with manna to a promise land experience where we can grow, we can multiply and we can be more productive.

 

3. The Promise Land experience

After forty years the fall of manna stopped.

When manna ceased, this does not mean that God’s blessing also stopped.

“The manna ceased on the day after they eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.”- Joshua 5:12

God wanted us to be self-sufficient.

He wanted us to participate in the works of blessings because when we do it by ourselves, we have that accountability and care for the fruit that we reap.

In the promise land experience, we start to be a partner with God in taking care of his creation.

We start to work with full faith and hope that He will bless every works of our hands.

“Nasa Diyos ang Awa, nasa tao ang gawa” which means man does the work but the grace and mercy comes from God.

When we do it by ourselves, we put our passion, we use our gifts, we put our love on it and instead of receiving, we learn to offer and sacrifice every fruit of our works for the glory of God.

As God blesses us as we work, we blesses God in every fruit of our produce.

In the promise land experience, you till the land and sow the seed but its Him to let your seed grows.

You plant the seeds, He make sure that the sun shines, the rain to water the land and send the bees to pollinate the plant.

In the promise land experience, we don’t just wait for a miracle but we participate in making miracles to happen.

 

May you receive His promise even in your desert experience,

Mikesendon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CATCH A GLIMPSE OF GOD’S GLORY

CATCH A GLIMPSE OF GOD’S GLORY

Luke 9:28-35

 

 How good it is if we could taste and see how good our God can be.

It is an honor and privilege if we could have that chance of seeing at least a bit of God’s glory.

Is it not awesome to open our eyes and you could see the fulfillment of what we dreamed of, what we desire, of what we aspire to?

Have you experienced it, going to a place you dreamed of and when you were there, you were feeling awe and you don’t want to leave that place anymore?

When God has given you the chance to taste and to experience, you may say to yourself “Lord hope this will last for long.”

And when we have it, we felt undeserving and question ourselves “who am I to deserve all of this?”

THE EXPERIENCE OF DISCIPLES

And these are the same emotions of Peter when Jesus took them up to the mountain.

Jesus had given them the chance of their lifetime to catch a glimpse of Jesus’ glory.

To see and experience what other disciples missed to experience and see.

To be in an exclusive, private moment with Jesus.

To witness the amazing presence of Father himself in the company of the prominent servant of God: Moses and Elijah.

GOING TO THE TOP

But experiencing glory is not easy unless you pass through agony.

Experiencing victory is not easy unless you pass the hardship and test of difficulties.

Because going to the mountain requires you to climb it. It requires you to pursue it.

No guts, no glory.

Jesus’ glorious resurrection did happen if he did not walk toward the Mount of Calvary.

There is no glory if there is no Calvary.

There is no Easter Sunday if there was no Good Friday.

THE MOUNT OF GLORY

An old man was climbing a mountain but as he climb it, there was a point that he felt really tired and said” God, I’ve been climbing this mountain for almost all of my life but now I’m failing and it seems I can’t reach the peak of this mountain.”

And he heard a voice echo saying” This mountain has no peak, climbing it has already its own reward. You never climbed it in vain!”

All of us may be tired of climbing our own mountain desiring to reach its peak.

We may be having going up and trying to conquer the mountain of problems, a mountain of obstacles, and difficulties but do not be dismayed because climbing has already its rewards.

We may be waiting to see the fullness of our quest, the answers to our prayers, and the realizations of our dreams.

But our climbing is not in vain because when we climb the mountain of life, it teaches us to persevere, it makes us strong, it expand our faith, it develops our hopes and it molds our character.

Our mountain teaches us to trust God. It teaches us to be humble.

We may not have that glorious moment yet but if we never falter and quit, the glory is about to come.

Time will come to that victory is sweet and we can taste it.

JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF

Jesus reveals himself to his three disciples.

The Jesus they know in the valley is different from the Jesus they saw on the mountain.

Jesus showed them that glimpse of His divinity.

Jesus’ transfiguration elevates their knowledge of Him.

He revealed to them that the Son of Man will suffer many things and be ejected by the elders and chief priest and scribes, and be killed and raised up on the third day. (Luke 9:22)

To tell them that His word is true, He showed them himself in a glorious form.

He may be a suffering Son of Man but He is also a Glorious Son of God.

The question is, how much do you know Jesus in your life?

Is He the Jesus you know in the Valley or the Jesus on the Mountain?

Because if you knew Him only that He is a wondrous healer,  a miracle worker, The Shepherd, the provider, the suffering servant then your knowledge of Him is just Jesus on the valley.

But if you considered Him as the Son of God, the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, The King seating on the right hand of the Father, then you know Him as Jesus on the Mountain.

Our knowledge of God shall elevate as well.

JESUS CHOOSES HIS COMPANION

Have we not asked ourselves why there are twelve disciples yet He revealed His glory only to only three?

Jesus feed thousands and healed many, but He circled himself with His twelve disciples. But out of the twelve, He chooses only three as His trusted confidante.

Because we cannot give ourselves to so many.

God’s glory is exclusive to those who are chosen, to the few who are willing to follow Him.

As He said, if you want to be truly my disciples, deny yourself, carry your cross and follow me”.

There is sensitive information that can be confined only to a few.

Mt 17:9 Jesus said, tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

And they kept silent and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

Surrounds ourselves with people whom we can trust.

Jesus surrounds himself who can insulate and help Him to accomplish his mission.

KNOW WHO WE ARE IN FRONT OF HIM

They saw Jesus in His glory talking to Moses and Elijah.

When they are fully awake, they saw His glory speaking to two men.

Then Peter speak “Master, it is good for us to be here, I will build three tents- not realizing what he was saying.

While He was saying this, a cloud formed and overshadowed them.

And a voice came out of the cloud and said “This is my Son…

What we know in the valley cannot be used in the mountain.

We cannot be too much intelligent in front of God.

Rather He commands us to listen to Jesus, the beloved Son of God.

GO DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN

It’s good to stay on the mountain, especially if the presence and glory of God are there, and Peter was so eager that he suggested building three tents for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.

But that glorious experience shall not remain on the mountain but rather share it as well with those who seek His glory.

We have to go down from the mountain and start to witness and share that experience with others.

Jesus allowed His disciple to see Him in His glorious form, a glimpse from humanity to divinity.

They have that moment to witness a transfigured Jesus on the mountain because they might not recognize a disfigured Jesus when they go down to the valley.

He revealed to them that the Son of Man will suffer many things and be ejected by the elders and chief priest and scribes, and be killed and be raises up on the third day. (Luke 9:22)

If we desire to experience and caught a peek at the glorious face of Jesus, first we need to recognize the disfigured Jesus in the life of others.

We cannot just yearn to experience glory but rather feel and see His agony in the life of many.

Let us acknowledge, remember and minister to Him in the life of those who are disfigured because nobody recognized them in their situation especially those who suffer, the voiceless, who are in pain, who are deprived, who are helpless, hungry, and thirsty, the unloved, the persecuted and rejected.

If we aspire to see Him in His glory, we need to seek Him in the life of brethren who are in frailty and agony.

Mother Theresa said” I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper’s wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?”

May all of us have a glimpse of His glory,

Mikesendon