The Secret to Contentment

What does contentment mean?  It is an inner sense of rest or peace that comes from being right with God and knowing that He is in control of all that happens to us.  It means having our focus on the kingdom of God and serving Him, not on the love of money and things.  If God grants us material comforts, we can thankfully enjoy them, knowing that it all comes from His loving hand. But, also, we seek to use it for His purpose by being generous. If He takes our riches, our joy remains steady, because we are fixed on Him. 

[1 Timothy 6:6-10]

“Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either.
But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that.
Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.”

[1 Timothy 6:17-19]
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,
who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous
and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Contentment also means not being battered around by difficult circumstances or people, and not being wrongly seduced by prosperity, because our life is centered on a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. So no matter what happens to us or what others do to us, we have the steady assurance that the Lord is for us and He will not forsake us.

How do we acquire contentment?  The world goes about the quest for contentment
in all the wrong ways, so we must studiously avoid its ways. Paul’s words show...
The secret for contentment in every situation is to focus on the Lord--as Sovereign,
as Saviour, & as the Sufficient One.  He is the Sovereign One to whom I must submit;
He is the Saviour whom I must serve; He is the Sufficient One whom I must trust.
If I know Him in these ways as Paul did, I will know contentment. 

So how can we cultivate contentment in Christ?  How can you “want what you

already have?” The following principles are suggestions on how to cultivate

contentment in Christ:

•    Beware of the effect of greed.
•    Give away your possessions.
•    Simplify your lifestyle.
•    Appreciate growing old.

Grateful, Thankful & Hopeful

[Philippians 4:4-9]
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me,
or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Peace Be With You

Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of Christ. In fact, “peace of mind comes through the mind of Christ.”

Paul closes out Philippians 4:1 with a call for the church to “stand firm” (stekete). This refers to a soldier remaining at his post no matter what happens around him. Let the enemy attack as it will, the soldier’s orders are clear: Stand firm! This command is necessary because we struggle standing firm. Left to our own devices we will retreat or surrender. As we age, our physical bodies begin to sag and droop. That’s bad, but it is somewhat expected. Do you know what’s far worse? When we age and begin to sag and droop spiritually. Sometimes it has nothing to do with age; we just let ourselves go spiritually. This is a grave danger because in our conflict with Satan and others, we will be sitting spiritual ducks—weak, anemic, and lethargic. We must always remember: "Peace of mind comes through the mind of Christ.”

You can choose your friends, but you’re stuck with your family. And healthy families aren’t defined by the absence of conflict, but by the way they work through it. Since you and I are going to spend eternity with brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to ensure that we are in harmony down on earth. We must maintain the unity of the church. We must seek peace. The reason is simple: Your name is written in the book of life. Peace of mind comes through the mind of Christ. 

In Philippians 4:6 Paul writes, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” The first word in the Greek text is “nothing” (meden). Paul’s emphatic point is there is nothing you can worry about—absolutely nothing! The implication is that anxiety or worry is a sin. Unfortunately, most believers prefer to coddle worry and not call it “sin.” It’s difficult for many of us to call a behavior that we commit on a daily basis sin. We would much rather label adultery, homosexuality, or pornography “sin” because we may not be guilty of such behavior. Yet, it is obvious that there are more Christians addicted to anxiety than to all the other addictions combined. The word translated “anxious” (merimnao) describes being divided and pulled in different directions. I would guess that this describes you just like it describes me at times. Worry is a sin all of us grapple with on a daily basis.  Unless you call worry sin, there’s no need for the Prince of Peace to come and deliver you from your sin.  Peace of mind comes through the mind of Christ.

Paul indicates that the cure to anxiety is “worry about nothing, pray about everything.” Verse 6 uses no less than four different terms for prayer:

(1) “Prayer” (proseuche): This is the broadest word for communication with God.

(2) “Supplication” (deesis): The word used here conveys the sincere sharing of personal needs and problems.

(3) “Thanksgiving” (eucharistia): Our prayers should be accompanied by a heart of gratitude for all that God has done for us in the past.

(4) “Requests” (aitema): This word speaks of specific petitions rather than vague and hazy generalities.

Paul makes it clear that worry and prayer cannot coexist at the same time. You can either pray or worry, but you can’t pray and worry. What God wants is for you to counter worry with prayer. Therefore, when you are tempted to worry, why not attempt to pray? It may be just a five second “arrow prayer” shot up to heaven. Prayer is critical as we seek to break this cherished evangelical sin.

In 4:7, Paul promises, “If you choose to pray instead of worry, God will cover you.” He writes, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The phrase “the peace of God” occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. When you pray instead of worry, God’s experiential peace will flood your being.  The peace of God will watch over and warn us against any intruders. If the peace of God is not ruling or standing sentry over our inner man, then an unwanted intruder has already entered. When God’s peace floods our lives, it will protect our valuable hearts from wrong feelings and our strategic minds from wrong thoughts. The enemy is unable to get in when God’s peace protects us.

Paul not only discusses how we should pray (4:6–7), he also reminds us how we should think and what we should do in the midst of conflict and church strife (4:8–9). Paul gives six characteristics, followed up with a summary and comprehensive command: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (4:8).  Paul urges you to “dwell” or “think” on godly characteristics that will help you in the midst of conflict.

We have seen that when we pray, we experience the peace of God (4:6–7). Now we will see in 4:8-9 that when we “practice” we experience the God of peace. Paul transitions from attitude to action and lays down his final command: “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”  Do not be just hearers, but doers (cf. Luke 11:28; Jas 1:22). When hearing is followed up with doing “the peace of God will be with you.” As you practice God’s Word in conflict in sour relationships, God will be present in a powerful way.

Please slip a rubber band on one of your wrists. Now whenever you recognize you’re not rejoicing, flick yourself. When you sense a lack of gentleness, hurt yourself. Five minutes from now when you find yourself filled with worry, nail yourself. When you begin thinking about ungodly characteristics, snap yourself silly. When you are convicted over your lack of living like a doer of the Word, draw that rubber band back and prepare to say “ouch!” If you’re really audacious, take off your rubber band and use it on someone else! God wants to change you and those around you. But sometimes there needs to be negative reinforcement. This is how things work in almost every family. Yet, God’s heart is that you would recognize you are His child. He loves you. He wants you to have peace of mind, but it can only occur by having the mind of Christ.

Fight!

May we all continue to...

“pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:11-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Earthly Goals On Heavenly Gains

An excerpt from Ptr. Keith Krell's article on Philippians 3.

In Philippians 3:15–16, Paul transitions from his own personal experience to apply an exhortation to the church. He writes, “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect [mature], have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

The “therefore” ties back into Philippians 3:10–14,
"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." and emphasizes the theme of spiritual maturity.

Paul’s exhortation is:

1. Keep living to the same standard to which you have attained.
2. Apply what you know.
3. Persevere in your faith.
4. Don’t worry about what you don’t know.
5. Take a baby step this week.
6. Just be obedient one day at a time.

We are all at a different place in our spiritual growth. However, as individuals and as a community, we are called to press on and pursue Christ.

As I reflected on these verses this past week, I was deeply challenged and convicted. The Lord revealed to me that I take too much responsibility for the responses of others. When people in our church sin and choose to ignore biblical confrontation, I am the one who typically feels badly. I can put a great deal of pressure on myself to “be used by God” to bring those who are wayward back to the Lord. Yet, often my best attempts end in failure. Fortunately, the Lord reminded me that He cares more about the sanctification of believers than I do.  Indeed, I have a thimble’s worth of love and care for others compared to the Lord’s endless oceans of love and care. That is why I find so much comfort and encouragement in 3:15.

When believers’ minds are set on other pursuit and goals, God will reveal it to them. He will make it clear. I just need to learn to leave it in His hands. What a comfort to know that when believers get off track, God will point it out to them so that they can once again press on. Of course, certain believers may choose to ignore God and rebel against His authority, but He is capable of dealing with them. His love is eternal and constant.

Paul wants you to remember to pursue God’s prize—intimacy with Jesus. When you focus on Jesus, He tends to grant you His grace in every area of your life. It’s all about putting first things first. Set your earthly goals on heavenly gains.

Mother's Day

To the greatest Mama in the world and the best Mama the Lord intended for me to have...Happy Mother's Day, mama Julita!  Thank you for being our teacher, coach, encourager, cheerleader, greatest fan, carer, nurse, discipline officer and friend! I've never fully understood the many sacrifices you've made & the different ways you've shown your love until I myself became a wife and a mother...I shall try my best to put into practice the things you've taught & shown me for my family. I love you po Mama!

To another great Nanay in our world and the best Nanay the Lord intended for myDear to have...Happy Mother's Day, nanay Eme!  Without you, I wouldn't have had the wonderful blessing of having your son, Luis, in my life.  Thank you so much your love, sacrifices, support & prayers.  We love you po Nanay! 

Thank you, dearest Lord, for the privilege of being a mom to our two greatest treasures in this life!

To all the MOMS in the whole wide world,

A bLeSsEd HaPpY MoThEr'S DaY tO yOu All!

Whether you bore your children from your WOMB or from your HEART, they all definitely grow through your caring hands & loving arms. Shalom!

Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward,

and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

(Colossians 3:24 NLT)

Reunited

The Lord is really really awesome and His ways are out of this world!

There is no way we could out-give Him nor turn-away from His voice most especially when we set our hearts to obeying & following His ways.

We planted some measly moments of our lives to minister & fellowship with brethren at Millmerran, teach them how to make a couple of bread & cookie recipes, and in return, we get a wonderful blessing back!

To the lovely couple to whom we sold our mixer a long time ago and who in turn gave it back to us just recently, bless your hearts! Thank you for your generosity & we praise the Lord for you! We speak more blessings overflowing unto your lovely family!

MyDear now sings to our beloved mixer "Red":
 ♪♫ reunited and it feels so good ♪♫

Jubilee

Here’s something you might not know: the word jubilee comes from the Hebrew word yobel, which means “ram’s horn trumpet.” If you’ve ever celebrated the Jewish New Year, it’s possible you've heard a ram’s horn trumpet played to mark the jubilee. In Judaism, the Jubilee Year is a year of freedom from enslavement which is celebrated every fifty years. But that horn gets played every year. What’s a jubilee without a ram’s horn trumpet?

A jubilee is the celebration of the anniversary of a special event, or it’s the anniversary itself. Which basically means it’s a birthday party.
 

The Jubilee is the year at the end of seven cycles of shmita (Sabbatical years), and according to Biblical regulations had a special impact on the ownership and management of land in the Land of Israel; there is some debate whether it was the 49th year (the last year of seven sabbatical cycles, referred to as the Sabbath's Sabbath), or whether it was the following (50th) year. Jubilee deals largely with land, property, and property rights. According to Leviticus, slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven, and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest. Leviticus 25:8-13

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[1 John 2:15-17 NIV]
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

"What Are You Willing To Let Keep You Out Of Heaven?"
by David Padfield

The Lust of the Flesh
Most of the time the word "lust" is used in a negative sense in New Testament passages like these: "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Rom. 13:14). "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). "For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error" (2 Pet. 2:18).

The "lust of the flesh" then is an evil desire for the things of the flesh. The first thing that usually comes to mind is adultery and fornication. "Adultery" is usually used in the Bible to describe all illicit sexual relations between one or more married individuals. "Fornication" is a rather broad term used to describe any illicit sexual conduct, including pre-marital sex or even homosexuality. Adultery and fornication are both "works of the flesh" (Gal. 5:19), and as such will keep those guilty out of heaven.

God designed marriage to keep people from sexual sins (1 Cor. 7:1-5). The marital bed is holy. The Hebrew writer tells us that "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 13:4). This marital union is so sacred that God has only allowed one reason for a person to divorce their spouse and marry another, i.e., sexual immorality. Jesus plainly said, "whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery" (Matt. 19:9).

The Lust of the Eyes
The "lust of the eyes" speaks of eyes that are delighted with riches and rich possessions; this is the lust of covetousness.

Those men whom Moses appointed as "rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens" were to be "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness" (Exo. 18:21).

The Ten Commandments included a warning against covetousness. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's" (Exo. 20:17).

The writer of Proverbs tells us "he who hates covetousness will prolong his days" (Prov. 28:16).

Jesus admonishes us to "take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15). Paul instructs us to "put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Col. 3:5). The parable of the rich fool shows how dangerous a covetous attitude can be (Luke 12:16-20).

The Pride of Life
The "pride of life" is a vain craving for honor and applause, or the stubborn mind-set that will not allow one to repent of and confess their sins. King Saul is just one of many Bible characters who allowed pride to destroy them (1 Sam. 15:1-23).

Think of the story our Lord told about the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee despised others and should have thought of the words of Solomon in Proverbs 8:13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate." The Pharisee prayed as one who needed no forgiveness, and got none. The tax collector prayed as one who needed God's forgiveness, and he received it.

Pride oftentimes keeps Christians from truly repenting of their sins, especially when their sin is public in nature. Sometimes Christians refuse to repent of their sins because they are not aware of them--they do not think they are guilty. But let's be honest about the matter, most of the time an impenitent heart does not come from ignorance, but from foolish pride--they know they are guilty but they won't fess up. They will not acknowledge their sin and then repent of it, and irrational pride is so often at the heart of the matter--they cannot stand before the ones whom they sinned against and say, "I have sinned."

The book of Proverbs speaks at great length about selfish pride and destruction it brings. It reminds us that "when pride comes, then comes shame" (Prov. 11:2), and "by pride comes nothing but strife" (Prov. 13:10), and warns us that "pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18).

Conclusion
Those who fill their lives with "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" need to be advised and warned, for "the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:16-17).

Many years ago Matthew Henry wrote: "The things of the world quickly fade and die away; desire itself will ere long fail and cease, but holy affection is not like the lust that passes away. The love of God shall never fail. Many vain efforts have been made to evade the force of this passage by limitations, distinctions, or exceptions. Many have tried to show how far we may be carnally-minded, and love the world; but the plain meaning of these verses cannot easily be mistaken. Unless this victory over the world is begun in the heart, a man has no root in himself, but will fall away, or at most remain an unfruitful professor. Yet these vanities are so alluring to the corruption in our hearts, that without constant watching and prayer, we cannot escape the world, or obtain victory over the god and prince of it."

There is only one sin that God will not forgive--that's the sin you will not repent of!