Hidilyn Diaz and her Faith

In almost all interviews I watched about her was all about her faith with God. Therefore, she was graciously blessed. She prayed for bronze. God gave her silver. 

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7

Heaven is for real - A struggle of faith

Catching a glimpse of Heaven is for real turned out to be a blessing. I invited a friend over to watch the movie with me and scenes on the screen got me teary eyed.



It's a story of a simple family of four (eventually turned five). A mom, who maintains the music ministry in a church, a dad who works as a volunteer firefighter and at the same time a minister at their local church with two beautiful kids.
As a family, they also have their share of trials and that's where adorable Colton comes to the picture.

This time, I won't be doing a review about this movie since I don't want such to turn into a debate of what readers believe in rather, I will point out the most important phrases I've noted while inside the cinema.

At the hospital

During the time that Colton was admitted to the hospital, his father Todd, went to the chapel shouting:

"You made me suffer and I took that. You made my family suffer and I took that. Now you want to take my SON?"

In a scenario such as this, I thought of maybe the father; though he is a minister in the story should know better. He should know the response in certain situation like this.



On the other hand, he may be acting human after all.

At the same time as he was yelling to God, his wife called friends and asked for prayers.
In times of crisis, to whom do you turn to?

With the psychologist

With prayers answered, Colton got well and started talking about heaven. This bought uneasiness to his father Todd and started consulting a psychologist.

Here are three questions we usually need in our daily life.

1. Is it unusual (for your wife) to call friends and ask for prayer in times of crisis?
2. Is it unusual for you to pray?
3. Did you come here today because you were wondering about my faith, or about your own?

The Persecution

I remember a pastor saying:

"When you follow God, prepare to be persecuted.."

This is true. In one scene, after the story has been published in a local newspaper, Todd was coming out of the restaurant and a group of men shouted:

"Next time that there is a fire, can you tell Jesus that instead of walking on water, He could just dump it on the fire?"

A perfect example of walking the Christian faith is telling everybody about Jesus and sharing the word of God. Taking up your cross won't be an easy task but as we go through sharing the Gospel, may we be reminded that God will take care of their hearts.

The Saviour

At the graveyard, Nancy and Todd talks about life, love and death. In this chapter, a phrase catched my attention with Nancy saying:

"You don’t have to save the world, Todd. I believe that’s already been done."

A phrase of belief. A phrase uttered claiming Jesus saved you and me...

Colton's message

I have been watching a recent interview with Colton before they released the movie and he said:

“The problem is we’re too attached to things in this world and they can’t go into heaven. “So when you love Jesus and you decide to follow him, it’s easier to let those things go so you can be in heaven for an eternity.”

40 Days of Revival: Lent Day 40: A Heart of PRAISE - PRAISE HIM FOR THE HARVEST

The harvest is God's domain. He is the harvester and He says in His Word that people are ready and hungry to hear about Him, there just aren't enough people to tell them. 

It is our responsibility to do the work preparing the 'ground.' 'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.' John 4:34-36 (NIV) God is not looking for our ability but more our availability and heart. 

If we seek Him with all our heart, pray, be aware of the Holy Spirit and open to be used - it is amazing what God can achieve in and through us. Every week in our church many people make a decision for Christ. Let's all resist the temptation to 'go through the motions' or become familiar with the miracle of people making a decision for Christ. Press in. Pray. Petition God for people to respond. And let us praise Him for the harvest we see now and the harvest we are yet to see!

40 Days of Revival: Lent Day 39: A Heart of PRAISE - PRAISE HIM IN HIS HOUSE

As the church gathers together, His House becomes a place where we can bring our hearts, voice, music and words to sing and give praises to our Heavenly Father. The strength of worship in community is the encouragement it brings to one another in our different seasons of life. 

Our freedom in worship allows others to feel free to worship, creating an atmosphere of sincerity where people can be real with God as they encounter Him through praise. It lifts those silenced by weariness and puts a new song in their mouths. There is an undeniable sense of JOY when the church gathers to worship - a joy not dependant on circumstance, rather a characteristic of being renewed by the Holy Spirit. 

Music enriches our worship. There are anthems sung around the world declaring the greatness of God. Some of these have begun as an expression of our House and have now become a resource that enriches local churches, leading people into the presence of God through praise. Take a look at the praise song beginning in 1 Chronicles 16:8. Read it aloud as you prepare your heart for tomorrow's services. Give Him praise for all He has planned to do.

40 Days of Revival: Lent Day 38: A Heart of PRAISE - PRAISE HIM IN YOUR SECRET PLACE

Acts 16 is an incredible story of the power of praise and worship. Paul and Silas are in prison for doing the work of the Lord. In the midst of their bleak circumstance, their choice to praise not only brought about their freedom, but salvation to the jailer and his family. 

God does not need our praise and worship. 

We worship Him more for our benefit than His. Bringing praise and worship to God reminds us of His power and authority, and positions us in a place of submission and awe. It diminishes the power of sin and darkness over our lives, and brings attention to who God is and not only to what He can do. 

Whatever your circumstance - praise! Praise in our 'midnight' hour magnifies God for who He is, and not just what He can do. God dwells in the praises of His people, so we can be sure that as we lift His name in worship, He is here! The style and how you express your praise and worship is not as important as the response of the heart behind it.

40 Days of Revival: Lent Day 37: A Heart of PRAISE - GIVE THANKS

A heart overflowing with gratitude and thanks results in praise. When we pray and experience God moving and answered prayer, our natural response is praise in gratitude, which in turn creates an opportunity for further prayer to God and praise! Thanksgiving brings glory to God and makes Him known. Yet, even in difficult times, gratitude has power. 

Novelist, theologian and Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis said, 'We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is 'good,' because is it good, if 'bad' because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.' The expression of gratitude and thanks to God magnifies His majesty and power. As we bring our attention to His sovereignty, whilst still remembering what He has done for us, our faith is stirred up and our hope for what is to come is increased. 

Give thanks daily - write down or tell someone two things you are thankful for at the end of each day. Perhaps make it a regular dinnertime activity. Be determined to develop a spirit of thankfulness and praise.

40 Days of Revival: Lent Day 36: A Heart of PRAISE - CELEBRATE HIS GRACE

In Old Testament times, there was only one entrance to the tabernacle - the place where one would go to meet with God. Once an Israelite entered the gate into the outer court with his sacrifice he was standing on 'holy ground.' Under the new covenant, Christ is the gate; the 'one way' by which we enter into God's presence. 

The Psalmist reminds us here that it is not the act of walking into a physical building or a gathering of the church that we enter into His presence; rather it is in recognising that Jesus is the only way by which we can come before God. A heart of praise sees the grace of Christ - that by His sacrifice alone we are once again in His presence - and it is in His presence that we are revived and renewed. 

In a place of 'ruins,' we most need the presence of God, yet it is in those very places that we often don't feel like we can come before Him. Remember that it is not by our own efforts that we can stand before Him, but by His grace alone. Instead of being consumed by a list of worries and needs, pause to remember Jesus Christ, and enter into His presence with boldness.

40 Days of Revival: Lent Day 35: A Heart of PRAISE - DECLARE JESUS

We've all experienced seasons in life when we have felt that our life - perhaps due to relationships, work or finances - has become overly complicated. Thank God that we can call on the name of Jesus at these times! Unchanging and always present, Jesus' name can simplify life as we lift Him up as the focus of our praise. 

Likewise, sharing our faith does not need to become complicated. The Holy Spirit convicts (John 16:17) and we are released to simply declare Jesus' name by sharing our story and show others that there is a Saviour who deeply loves them and has a plan and purpose for their lives. Make a list of any challenges that you are currently facing. Beside each of them, write the name of Jesus. Begin to praise God, focusing on Jesus and declaring the power of His name over your situation.

40 Days of Revival: Lent Day 34: A Heart of PRAISE - BE REFRESHED

In Acts 3 we learn that a time of refreshing is the immediate comfort we can expect when we repent and accept Christ as our Saviour. 

Where does this sense of refreshing come from? It comes from being in the presence of the Lord; from His Holy Spirit. Our sins are wiped out and we receive a refreshing from the Lord? This is an incredible and incomprehensible exchange for our sin. Does this mean we repent once and that sense of refreshing is always present? No. In our human nature, we want our actions to follow a genuine heart to change but we will fail. It is crucial for us to continually turn back to God, remember all that He has done for us, and hold onto the anchor of His hope. One way we can do this is to praise God regardless of how we feel emotionally, by bringing what the book of Hebrews calls a 'sacrifice of praise' (Hebrews 13:15). 

As revivalist Thomas Charles of Bala, wrote in 1791 'those who have struck the deepest note of penitence can reach the highest note of praise.' Take a moment to remember when you first met Jesus and the sense of 'refreshing' that came with finding joy in the Lord in the midst your circumstances, past failures and hurt.

40 Days of Revival: Lent Day 33: The Decision to make it PERSONAL - GIVING

A collective offering and a common cause has always been a powerful force on the earth for building unity and resource takes the church forward. There are numerous biblical examples of just this, ranging from the offering for the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 35), to David's collection for the temple (1 Chronicles 22) right through to the early church (Acts 2:42). 

When we gather together under the one name of Jesus, for His purposes, we can achieve so much more together than we ever could individually and we are even stronger than the sum of our individual parts. 

Today, as one church we are gathering to give collectively that which we have purposed in our heart privately, and set aside prayerfully, in our yearly 'Heart for the House' offering. A sense of shared sacrifice unites us in heart, intention and purpose. Take a moment to commit this day to God personally. Pray also for your fellow believers in Christ, asking God's blessing to be upon them on this significant day.