Holiness in the Body of Christ

God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything
we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.  (2Tim.1:9)
You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you
apart from the nations to be my own.  (Lev.20:26,7,11:44)

Is there a sin in the Camp? God demands holiness from all of us!
God is quick to rebuke anyone who is not right with Him, especially if they are
serving Him. That is what happened to me! I did things that displeased God...
I repented and He restored me back.
I am grateful that He disciplined me, and know that He loves me for my own good.
(see Heb.12:4-10) (Rev.3:19)
When God deals with us, He is not weak, but shows his power among us.
(2Pet.3:9,32:12)
The truth is that God knows everything! (1John3:20, Psalms139:11-12)

Everyone makes mistakes and stumbles...we are not immune to sin.
Being a Christian does not happen overnight... It takes time, it's a continuing process.
You may may be going through the same time in your life that I went through.
When we receive correction from God, we must stop and obey Him.
For He is a Jealous God. (see Exo.34:14) (Jam.4:4-5)

Our season of affliction teaches us to be right with God.... our failures, frustrations
and dissapointments, are actually good for us as it teaches us. We can learn from our
mistakes if we humble ourselves and ask God to correct us. As God tests and teaches us,
He refines us like pure gold... so that we can become stronger and better equipped in
times of testing and trials. (Psl.66:10) (Job 23:10)

When we choose God...He reveals himself to us! He does this through his Word (Bible).
In my own case, I have learned to fear and trust God. When you apply His Word...
it becomes Light! (Ps.119:130).

Scriptures to read regarding Holiness:

* Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-
   increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to
   holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of
   righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now
   ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free
   from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness,
   and the result is eternal life.  (Rom.6:19-22) (Rom.5:4,6:6-7,)

* Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
   Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness,
   but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death
   to life, and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. 
   (Rom.6:12-13) (1Cor.6:20)

* We were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature. 
   (Gal.5:13) (Eph.4:17-19,6;20-24,5:8) (Gal.5:1)
  
  

God's Command: Be Fruitful

Spring is Here! The other day when I was looking from the window to my front yard,
I noticed that our plum tree was blooming a beautiful bounty of flowers.
I began to reflect on the Old Testament account of how Aaron's staff miraculously budded.

(Numbers 17:8)
The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff,
which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded,
blossomed and produced almonds.

*God wants us to blossom and be fruitful!
  Remember the words from the Lord Jesus Christ when he said,

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself;
It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  (John 15:4-5)

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be my disciples.  (v.7-8)

Galatians gives a description of the The Fruit of the Spirit; (Gal.5:22-23)

The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

* We should always be prepared to be used by God so that He can accomplish
   His purpose for us. God's desire for us is to blossom in Him and be fruitful...
   but it requires that we spend time with God and yield to Him.
   Let nothing hinder us from being committed to Him. God is looking for His
   people to put Him first above all else.

  

* This is what I desire and we should be; to have more of Him... to please Him and to
    be fruitful.

A New Man and a New Perspective

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. 
(Gal.5:1)

* We do not own ourselves when we become the new creation that God wants us to be.

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,
to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison--who disobeyed
long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.
In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes
baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge
of a good conscience toward God.
It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at
God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.
(IPeter3:18-22) NIV
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, Arm yourselves also with the same attitude,
because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.
As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather
for the will of God. (1Pet.4:1-2) (Rom.7:4-6)

As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
(John 15:19) (2Cor.5:15) (Gal.20:20-21)

* Praise God because he has freed us from our sins when we embraced the Truth of His
   saving grace.
* Seek the will of God in your life. (Eph.5:17)
* Share with one another whatever gifts you received from God so that the body of Christ
   may be built up and bring more people to Him.

'What Must I Do To Be Saved?'

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the
Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know
you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the
miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God
unless He is born again. 
How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter
a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered,
"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water
and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where
it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 
(John 3:1-8 NIV)

In your prayer session with God:
* We must come to God for repentance and ask Him to forgive us our sins.
   There is no sin so great that God will not forgive. What matters to God is your
   total surrender to His will.
* Ask Him to come into your heart as Lord and Savior of your life.
  "For God so loved the world that He gave his One and only Son that whoever
   believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:16)
* And Confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is your Lord,' and believe in your heart that
    God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  (Rom.10:9)
    (Scriptures to read; Acts 16:29-35, Acts 8:26-35, Isaiah 53:7-8)

A New Heart From A Stubborn Heart

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you:
 I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you
 a heart of flesh."
 (Ezekiel 36:26,11:19) (Heb.1--12,10:16-17) (Jer.31:33-34) (Rom.3:29)

Those who turn to the Lord will become a new creation!     
God is ready to receive you and cleanse you from all your impurites.
If you have been wandering and are separated from God, He is waiting for you
to return to Him so that He can breath new life into your dead spirit. Only then you
will know the Eternal God.

* Father..I pray that people may find the truth of your saving knowledge and
realize that you are the only One who can change them... That they wll not refuse your
invitation, but will open their hearts to have a new relationship with you. Help them to
overcome their struggles and their unbelief...and know that the only way they can have
 a renewed spirit within them is through your Son Jesus Christ... Amen!
 

Heart of Stone                                      Heart of Flesh






         

Worship God and Give Him Praise

Let's take a look at a scripture passage to prepare our hearts to worship Him.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is GOD. It is He who made us, and we are His;
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His court with Praise
Give thanks to Him and Praise His Name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness
through all generations.
(Psalm 100:1-5)

Today is Sunday...God's Day.
This is the time that the family of God assembles together to have fellowship,
and joyfully reflect on the goodness of God.
Let's rejoice and be glad and give Him honor and Praise!

One Touch and You will be Made Whole!

(Mark 5:24-34)
A large crowd followed and pressed around Him. And a woman was there who had
been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care
of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His
cloak, because she taught, "If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed."
Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her
suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around
in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can
ask, 'Who touched me?' " But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.
Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and,
trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her,
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."


It takes only a step of faith to reach out to God! Hallelujah! Praise God!
Do you have an issue that you want God to touch?
Are you suffering from depression, sickness, finances, marriage strife, death of a loved one?
What about your soul, have you received Jesus Christ and are you at peace with Him ?
He is not too far to get hold of you... all you have to do is to reach out to Him in faith
and ask Him to take control of your life...only then will you be truly free and made whole.

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him 
must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
(Hebrew 11:6)

The River of God

Did you know that God provided salvation to mankind?  It's here already,
all you have to do is to ask God!

"I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
  I will make rivers flow on barren heights and springs within the valley.
  I will turn the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into springs.
  The desert and the parched land will be glad, the wilderness will rejoice
  and blossom, like the crocus, it will burst into bloom, it will rejoice greatly
  and shout for joy."  (Isa.41:18, 43:19, 35:1)  

Are you thirsty for more of God? Are your throughts barren and dry?
Listen to this music (you tube video) and think about the words of this song.
I pray that it will minister to your hearts, and that you will receive His eternal life
through faith in Jesus Christ.
"Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water
 I give him  will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
 (John 4:14)

God Bless You All!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcxdSaxVP_E

Zacchaeus Attempt To See Jesus Christ

                                                     

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of

Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who

Jesus was but beng a short man he could not, because of the crowd.

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was
coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zaccahaeus,
come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down
at once and welcomed him gladly.  (Luke 19:1-6)

Wow! What effort this man Zacchaeus put forth to be able to see
the Lord Jesus. By his actions he was rewarded the great privellege of dining
with the Savior!

In our Christian walk, If we are truly pushing hard to know Jesus and allowing Him
to manifest His work in our daily lives, we will see a sure promised result and reap
great rewards.

The Scripture says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
(Revelation 3:20)
Make sure to count all the blessings God had been given you. Always giving Him praise and gratitude!

The Strong Attraction of Christ to the Outcasts

(Luke 7:36-50) NIV
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the
Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life
in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an
alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping,
she began to wet his feet with tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them
and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this,
he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him
and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner." Jesus answered him, "Simon,
I have something to tell you." "Tell me teacher," he said.
"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,
and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the
debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?' Simon replied, "I suppose the one
who had the bigger debt." "You have judged correctly," Jesus replied.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?
I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet
with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has
not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume
on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much.
But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are
forgiven." The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even
forgives sins?" Jesus said to the woman, "Your Faith has saved you; Go in peace."

Praise be to God for the salvation that He sent to those who are desperately seeking Him!

What can we learn from this woman, Mary Magdalene? She was tired of living in her old
condition. People shunned her and she was a laughing stock among her own clan.
But out of her dull life, she was searching so desperately, and wanted new things that would fill
the void in her spirit. When she heard about Jesus, could this be what she was looking for?
She needed to investigate and find out for herself. And that's what action she took!
She stepped in. When she beheld Him, she clung to Jesus' side, begging for mercy and
forgiveness. She finally found her Lord and her faith saved her.

* What was the situation in your life when you received Christ?
* Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
* What are some of the attitudes shown by  those people who looked down on Mary?
   (v.39,43,49)
  The truth of the matter is that, in God, there is no favoritism.
   
# Holy Father, I pray that people may come to repentance and those who receive you
   may come to a full knowledge of your life changing power. That they will find a home
   church so that they can grow and learn what your plans are for them. Amen!

Choosing The Way Of Life or The Way Of Death

(Psalms1:1-6)
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand
in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of
the righteous. (also read Rom.2:7-10)

God is declaring a Life and Death option here. Our decision is whether we choose Him
or not. Blessings and honor reward those who receive Him and continue living in Him.
But death and judgment await those who seek after their own self desturctive way.

The Scriptures say, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads
to death." (Prov.14:12)

If you have not received Jesus as your Savior, then this is your time and your opportunity
to ask Him to come into your life. God is waiting for people to repent with a genuine heart.

# Abba Father, I pray that they will see the turth of your salvation through your Son
   Jesus Christ and that You came down to give them life. Amen!

House of Wisdom

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.  ~ Proverbs 9:1


















I decided to name my blog "Pillar's House"
Try to come up what I'm going to name my blog something that hold,
support on some kind of foundation.
Then I happened to read an interesting booklet entitled
"Godly Wisdom what Is It?"  by Frieda C. White,
(the wife of a minister, a frequent retreat and seminar speaker).
In her book, she discusses seven attributes of wisdom:
humility, truthfulness, caring, purity, righteousness, trustworthiness,
and peacemaking (remember the fruit of Spirit, in Galatians?).
This is why I decided to name my blog a "Pillar."

These pillars of wisdom are of monumental importance in our daily Christian walk.
It is my desire that as we all reflect on these pillars, that we will each grow stronger
in our faith and in the knowledge of God. Without these strong pillars as
our foundation, we will not be able to withstand and produced this fruits God
intended for us to posses.
So Let's apply God's wisdom in our daily lives so that in Him we will have victory in
our walk with Him and a fruitful life God created us to be.