Why We Fear Death

You know why death is really scary? Because first, we don't know what is beyond despite our religion (though we pretend we do), and we cannot control that which is unknown to us. And anything we cannot control (but bears a lot of weight in our lives) we fear. We fear when we cannot decide our fate. Photo above by Matthew Osborn on Unsplash.

Second, we also fear that moment when we finally cross the border to the hereafter--when spirit leaves the body--and our family is left behind. What would become of them?

1. Not Sure About the Hereafter

We all know that souls go to either heaven or hell. The problem is, we don't know which one we end up in. Somehow we assume that all of us will go to heaven some way or another. I note this during funerals or when someone dies and the bereaved says something like this to the departed: "You're now in heaven, in a better place. You'll feel no more pain. See you there some time!" We assume everybody's going to heaven.

Very comforting words, and all of us want to hear them. But we need to really pay attention to what Jesus says about life and death. He says going to heaven is solely by taking him and his Word seriously and believing in his Father. It has nothing to do with religion, our goodness or what we do. Or how people love us during our funeral.

Click here for a free review of this e-book on being freed from fear.

We cannot just ignore what Jesus said about heaven or hell and just insist on what we want to believe. Jesus is the Truth, so we badly need a Jesus meet-up now while we're still alive. Meeting him in person. Hell is real and sinners, no matter how small or big their sins are, end up there, without exception. Even if your sin is just an iota of a dot, you still end up in hell. And the bible declares we are all sinners. We all deserve hell. 

Jesus is our only hope!

Without HIM being the center of our lives, we're hopeless and rightly fearing death. So, how come we're so sure that we and our dead loved ones are going to meet in heaven and will enjoy no more pain?

"He's really a nice person. He's not that bad," we often hear about the dead during funerals. But being nice won't get us to heaven. "He's helped a lot of people. He has a good heart." Helping people and having a good heart are admirable, but they won't get us to heaven either. "He's very religious and never misses church on Sundays." Awesome, but the bible says all our good deeds are like dirty rags to God.

Here's God's verdict about our spiritual standing:

“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." [Romans 3.10-12]

Actually, somewhere back in our minds, we have a good idea about this, I'm sure, but our religion has covered this up and replaced it with false assurances--especially that our religion, whatever it is (born again religion, Protestantism, Christianity, Roman Catholicism, etc.) has secured our safe passage to heaven. 

Nonetheless, the conviction of the Holy Spirit remains stronger so that uncertainties still loom in some corners of our minds. The Holy Spirit does not want us to base our confidence on what our religion claims for us. This is why despite our religiosity and superb churchmanship, we secretly fear the moment of dying. Because the bitter truth is, we are not assured unless the Holy Spirit assures us, bearing witness deep within our spirits--unless we let the Holy Spirit fully have his way in us.

That fear is designed by God to help us come face to face with truth and find out the real score--before it's too late. Are we or are we not going to heaven? We can find out and make certain right now while we're still alive through God's Word in the bible (and not just take our church's word for it), because the Scripture says, once we die there's no more second chance. "After death comes judgment." Our loved ones cannot pray for us when we're dead to somehow help us get promoted or plead or lobby for our gradual acceptance to heaven.

We see this in Lazarus and the Rich Man. When they both died, a verdict was swiftly made and they immediately found themselves in their rightful places in the hereafter. It was a quick, lightning-speed judgment. Lazarus was in Paradise at once and the rich man in hell. No intermediate anything. No more second chances. And Abraham told the rich man that the key to evading hell is believing God's Word. 

Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the Prophets (in short, the Old Testament or the bible); let them listen to them...If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets (the bible), they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” [Luke 16]

 Search the bible now and find out the truth for yourself.

2. The Family We Leave Behind

Some people search the Scripture and discover the words of Jesus on eternal life. Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me." Scriptures in the bible are reliable because they bear witness about Jesus. As people wholeheartedly study the bible they find out that receiving Jesus into their lives and fully surrendering to him makes them children of God. 

Yet to all who did receive him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. [John 1;12]

Children of God are "born of God," or in Jesus' words somewhere in the Gospel according to John, "born again." Born again is NOT a religion or church membership. It is the experience we have when we receive Jesus into our hearts and become a new creation in him. His promise is that those who become children of God through Him (and who take God's Word in the bible seriously) have the assurance of eternal life.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. [John 10. 27-28].

"They shall never perish." This is the only way we can be assured that when we die we go straight to heaven. Not because of our religion or good deeds or nice personality or church attendance or donations. It is because of Jesus' promise and what he did for us on the cross and his resurrection--and how all these things are seen in our lives and characters. 

But some people who already have Jesus and experience him in their lives sometimes still fear death, not because they're not assured of heaven or afraid of crossing from here to the hereafter. They fear for the loved ones they'd leave behind. What would become of them? We fear the moment we lose control of things, especially if we see how those we'd leave behind don't seem ready to take on life without us.

Yes we trust Jesus, but we're not so sure if they do, too. And we believe we need to be with them a little while longer to guide them in this matter. But we need to learn to trust God even for this. Anyway, we can hang on to his promise in Acts 16.31 that if we believe in Jesus, our families will be saved, too, provided we have shared the Gospel to them and prayed for them a good deal. Have you? Make sure you do this while you're with them.

Now, back to the assurance of salvation. We need to fully surrender our lives to Jesus to enjoy this assurance. And surrendering, we need to understand the following. See below.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Surrendering to Jesus Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

He Talked to Illnesses

Often, we just read past miracle passages in the Gospel like we do newspaper articles and miss a lot of vital details. Like how Jesus talked to illnesses and commanded them to scram. And they obeyed. Once, Jesus came to Peter’s house and found his mother-in-law “suffering” (hinting at how serious it was) from “high fever.” Gospel accounts say he rebuked the fever, touched the in-law and helped her stand up. Immediately, says Mark, the in-law was healed and stood up to serve them.

Photo above by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash.

If you’re a big fan of Jesus, besides loving him as your God, Savior and Lord, you’d drop everything you’re doing and stop to watch scenes like this in the bible closely. You won't stop till you see them for yourself. You have to see everything “with your own two eyes,” because nothing else is more important. A lot of theology smart Alecks would mock at this, but it’s a powerful way of understanding and imbibing GOD’s Word—actually seeing bible scenes with our spirit, as if watching a movie. Sometimes, we even find ourselves in the midst of it all, taking part (becoming a Jesus stalker). 

We fix our eyes on what is unseen [2 Corinthians 4.18]

How God does the supernatural. Click here.

Jesus “rebuked” the fever. He actually talked to it. The last time I looked, “rebuke” means “expressing with words one’s sharp disapproval of something,” or “speaking angrily to someone.” Imagine getting sick and then someone comes talking angrily to your fever. Or, have it the other way around--someone's sick and you come and talk angrily to his fever.

Jesus spoke to the high fever angrily and disapprovingly and commanded it to leave. And it did. The fever actually obeyed Him. It was crazy witnessing the whole thing. I wonder what Peter or his in-law thought about it. Or Peter's wife. Nothing's mentioned about any of them questioning Jesus' actions (especially not the patient, the in-law), seeing him talk to her fever like that. I mean, angrily. Today's smart-Aleck religious people will think it stupid.

There’s no mention of Jesus “commanding” the fever, but by simply using your Holy Spirit imagination, you clearly see this taking place. It can be safely assumed, and I guarantee it as a Jesus Stalker. Anything assumed or "added" that magnifies Jesus' glory is safe, compared to how smart Alecks question and subtract from Jesus' glory or decide whether Jesus or Paul or parts of the New Testament are authentic. 

I'd rather blow out of proportions God's glory and HIS Word and claim extravagantly His promises in the bible--give them excessive or highly preposterous applications today--rather than diminish or weaken God's Word by deciding which ones are still applicable today and which ones have become "obsolete," as smart Alecks say. 

The last move of God before Jesus comes back.

Jesus talked to the fever (scolded or rebuked it) and it left. Probably, something to this effect: “Get out of her, you fever!” Or perhaps, a word of rebuke: "GO!" Just a short sentence or a word like that from Jesus and everything stands at attention, submits and goes to its proper place. He showed how easy miracles are. All you need is a word from Jesus, and Jesus is easy to persuade about releasing a rhema word for a miracle if you really believe it. 

And here’s the thing--the fever “decided” to obey and leave. Jesus didn’t merely take away the illness, like how painkiller meds would take away pain. He rebuked it (talked to it) and the fever responded by leaving. The pain didn't just subside. IT LEFT. This reveals so much about the spirit realms and how we should operate in it.

The fever “left.” Smart Alecks will say it's just a figure of speech.

When someone or something leaves, it’s a decision of the will. This means the high fever heard Jesus speak and understood him. And then it decided to leave because it knew it had no choice. The KING had released the edict. In the spirit realms, illnesses have the ability to decide to leave or stay. So with other things, like stones crying out Hosanna (remember the time when Jesus entered Jerusalem and said the stones would cry out if the people didn't shout Hosanna? The stones were waiting on hold, observing if no one would praise the KING. If no one did, they would've shouted literally), or prophets calling heaven and earth to witness a prophetic declaration. Jesus also talked to a fig tree as Moses was commanded to “talk” to the rock to make it gush out water.

Real faith and ministry have something to do with the power to talk to creation (and even to emptiness or to non-existence) and command it. Jesus said anything he did we also could do, and Paul assured how we sit on the very throne where Jesus sits. 

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.." [Ephesians 2.6]

God talked to emptiness and spoke creation into existence. "Let there be light." Then something in nothingness moved and responded in obedience. "And then there was light." The Lord also talked to the ground. "Let the land produce vegetation," and land all over the earth obliged and did everything to make happen exactly as its Creator had spoken. It had to obey.

All creation responds to a Word released from God's mouth.

With mere simple words, the universe with all its trillion celestial elements and complexities, came into being and started to assume their proper places. The spoken Word is powerful. Elijah boldly declared that severe drought would happen, with zero rainfall except “at my word.” The spoken Word from God’s mouth released from our mouths effects radical creative miracles to whatever or whoever we speak it to. This supernatural power is promised to us by Jesus Christ.

“Anyone who has faith in me will do the things I am doing. And greater things shall he do because I go to the Father.”

Talking to creation or objects with the authority of Jesus Christ by speaking in His Name—we have been granted this power. Once creation discerns that we have God’s authority as His children because of Jesus in us, creation will obey without hesitation.

 

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” [Romans 8.19]

Creation and everything else will obey us if we exercise in full, unwavering faith the authority we have in Jesus, which the church has yet to discover and actually do. We can rebuke and command sickness to go, and God in his faithfulness will back up our words. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. "If HE did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us, how will he not also freely give us all things, along with Jesus?"

"(GOD) who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, [Isaiah 44.26]

The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground. [1 Samuel 3.19]

The Word from God is powerful when spoken by his servants. And Jesus did a demo on this by talking to the high fever and telling it to leave the in-law's body. See the dynamics of healing? Part of it is commanding creation to obedience and internalizing the truth that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. We are co-heirs with Christ. What's Christ is also ours by God's grace. Paul said all things are ours. We have to live these truths daily. 

All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. [1 Corinthians 3]

Unfortunately, to date, the church has not fully realized these supernatural Kingdom principles which God expects the church to fulfill in these last days, before Jesus comes back. They're still stuck in their human theology and philosophy, denominationalism and in their nice church programs and cute ministries. But the genuine things of God they mock. 

But one day, soon, we will learn and begin talking to illnesses, too. But everything has to start with total surrender to Jesus.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ.

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

He Found a Door to God

This is a true story. He was brought up in religion and grew up being more zealous for it than anybody else in his time. In fact, he described himself as among the fiercest leaders his religion had ever produced, a champion of it, and this religion followed the laws of God to the letter. He believed he found a door to God. He thought he had discovered real intimacy.

He hadn't.

Photo above by Sabrina Sölch on Unsplash.

Because one day, about noon time, as he was on his way to work, God Himself appeared and confronted him with his ministry activities that had gone haywire. Well, he didn't see God, but he saw a blinding light, brighter than the noonday sun. Consequently, he went blind several days because of it. He also heard God speak to him. "You haven't found a door to me. You've actually locked yourself out!" said the Lord, or words to that effect.

All his active religious life went down the drain. Pfft. After all his efforts to "serve God," he ended up estranged from Him and even kicking against the goads, so to speak. Suddenly, he was faced with the nagging truth that he really didn't know the God he claimed to serve. And these were the times he was really blind (when he thought he'd seen the light), groping around hitting the wrong targets he thought earned him points in heaven.

The bright light made him "blind" to the world and finally made him see truth--that everything in the world was darkness, empty, and wasn't worth seeing--especially all his so-called eye-opening theological studies. So God cut off his sight from them, from the temporary and false wisdom of man's religion. For three days he saw nothing but darkness, which was really all the world could offer.

Then God sent his servant, Ananias, to pray for him and recover his sight, which was now heaven's sight, making him see nothing but the King and His Kingdom in everything. Then God allowed him a door to His throne which allowed him access to the third heaven where he heard "inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell."

He, Paul, found a Door. And that Door was Jesus. 

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. [John 10]

The Door provides quick access to God's "pasture" (spiritual food) whether you go in or out through the door, whether in God's very Throne Room or in the midst of wolf territory in the world, even in a dry and thirsty land where spiritual drought rules over the dying land. You find water because the Door provides easy access to God's pastures, to His provisions, while the rest suffer unquenchable thirst. 

They hopelessly seek for God, to no avail, but you "see" Jesus in his sanctuary and behold his power and glory. You easily access the third heaven.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. [Psalm 63]

Paul found that Door. And he testified that there is no other door between God and man except the man Jesus Christ. He is the Way, Truth and LIFE. He alone is the Door. This discovery was why he junked his religion and all his achievements and titles and trophies there, treating them as "garbage." He confessed that there's no other way to gain Jesus Christ but to trash all your religion, even if his religion was thought to be solidly bible-based.

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. [Philippians 3.8]

Because you cannot find the Door unless you treat your human religion garbage. You probably think you have found it, like Saul did before he became the apostle Paul. 

A vital part of finding the Door, Jesus, is surrendering your life totally to HIM. 

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ.

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Love Your Haters? Umm...

Among other radical things, Jesus commanded us is to love our haters. It's not a suggestion. Now, try to get a mental picture of your haters and all the times they pissed you off. Or the troubles you went through because of them--like if your boss, for some strange reason, hates you and takes special note of all your little mistakes and makes a big deal of them.

Photo above by Sydney Sims on Unsplash.

And it's not enough just saying you love your haters because Jesus didn't stop there. He said, "Do good to those who hate you." You actually have to do something to make them feel loved, like buying them ice cream, for instance? I'm not kidding. Jesus said DO GOOD. And he's never just exaggerating things to make a point. Jesus always means what he says.

Supernatural help to love enemies and haters. Click here.

Well, don't get me wrong. It's okay to be pissed off by your haters once in a while. Even God was pissed off several times by his chosen people, Israel, in the bible. He punished them and sent them into exile--the whole nation of them. Imagine that. But, believe it or not, that was his love for them. I mean, he did that for their own good--and for the sake of His Name. 

Did he DO GOOD to them that hated him (the Israelites rebelled against him a lot)? You bet. He still rescued them over and over up the end and finally drove out all their enemies from their land so they could claim their inheritance, a land flowing  with milk and honey. During that time, it was their version of being treated to special ice cream. See? God actually gave them a treat in the end--milk and honey. 

If you lose your temper over haters and detractors and the likes, don't feel so bad. You got company with a lot of God's servants in the bible. Moses violently threw the stone tablets (after God wrote his commands on them with HIS own finger) when he lost his temper over Israel's idolatry, led no less by his brother, Aaron. David had an Amalekite messenger struck down for admitting killing King Saul (though it was a false claim). Prophet Samuel also struck down Agag, king of the Amalekites, after Saul spared his life though God wanted Agag killed.

Be free from the slavery of hatred. Click here.

And you've heard, of course, how Elijah sent fire from heaven to consume several captains and their men, and how Elisha cursed teenage boys who meant harm so that two bears suddenly appeared and killed them. What a way to be pissed off.

At least, when you're pissed off by people, you haven't done anything these men of God had done in the Old Testament. You're tamer and more patient. I mean, you haven't called down fire from heaven, have you? So you're still below average compared to them.

Have you seen how Jesus was pissed off by his detractors? He didn't kill anyone but he certainly said fiery, insulting words against them. 

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves."

Wait. There's more.

"You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?"

 And yet, Jesus told his followers to love their enemies and do good to them. Did he treat them to an expensive Mediterranean restaurant or anything like that? Did he produce and serve them the best wine of all? He didn't. So what good did he do to them? Because that was his teaching--do good to them. Well, while in great pain and nailed to a cross and accused unfairly by these religious leaders, Jesus asked the Father to "forgive them for they do not know what they're doing." 

That's doing good to those who hate you. He didn't just say, "Okay guys, I really love you!" He bled and died for them, and asked God to bless them with forgiveness. 

So, here's the point. Loving your haters doesn't mean you never get pissed off with them. You may (though it's not a privilege, really). But the important thing is to:

1. Forgive them.

2. Do good to them.

You may treat them to a buffet lunch if you feel like it, but the more important thing is to sacrifice your ego and ask God to forgive them. And at least like their posts on FB. Does this mean God will indeed forgive them? Nope, not necessarily. They will have to go through the process--feel remorse and repent. If not, then God won't forgive them. So why ask at all? Because God is after the condition of your heart. He wants you surrendered at all times.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Why Some People are Just Too Happy

Count it all joy brethren..

- James 1.2

Happiness comes in various hues and colors. Almost all of them are temporary except one. A lot of happiness happens for fleeting reasons and they're due to outside factors, mostly physical, what we get from the world. So we see "happy" people covering up depression with a smile, laughter or jokes. It's often escape, especially when they cannot face their realities anymore. 

Photo above by Alex Alvarez on Unsplash.

But there's a genuine happiness that springs from deep within. It comes in various forms, too, like baffling happiness, inexplicable laughter, clean jokes, taking things in stride, carefree freedom, seeing funny in everything, staying calm and cool, etc. I see it as glee even in ordinary situations--sometimes, even in adversity. Mostly, it's remaining contented and jocular amid vicissitudes of life. Simply put, it's being light-hearted and amused even in failures.

Click here for a free review of this e-book on being totally free to be happy.

A lot of people cannot understand it. You just can't help being happy, taking nothing seriously, though you know what things in life are serious and you tackle them intently as adults should. But you enjoy life in general like a kid. It's just not in you to worry too much or let anything bother you. I believe you're what others see as "cool." A genuinely happy person is cool, although a lot of seemingly cool guys aren't really happy. They feign being cool to cover up their real self.

And genuine happiness is only possible in Jesus Christ. I mean, if Jesus really reigns in your life supreme and nothing or no one else is, then this is the natural result. Sure, it's easy to claim that Jesus is your Lord and he reigns in your life. But if all that is mere talk or religious slogan (a churchy catch-phrase), it will not manifest naturally in your life. You'd pretend to be happy and artificially and consciously wear a smile. The kind people wear when posing for a selfie or cam shot to appear happy.

Fake Happiness

And often, feigned happiness is not comfortable alone. It needs the company of other people, without which happiness is impossible. So they want company or "fellowship" all the time because they can't stand loneliness in isolation. Fellowship is vital, but it's more important to be happy and strong even when alone--that is, alone with GOD. I believe this is among things GOD wanted done in this pandemic and lockdowns--that we learn to prioritize being alone with HIM than the so-called "fellowship" in church which is often a mere escape from loneliness or boredom.

And church makes us feel important and noticed, so our ego craves that attention and keeps going back there and become active and appreciated. But no real close encounter with the Lord--because if you do, God's Presence is so addicting. You'd keep looking for it and preferring it to other things. You'd want nothing more than be with HIM in silence, listening at his feet and talking casually with HIM. 

"Happiness" without craving for God's Presence is a lie. It's fake news. You can pretend but deep inside you're not. Or, your happiness is hinged on temporal conditions--good company of friends, new clothes, pay day, Shopee or Lazada, job promotion, career take-off, financial breakthrough, or even church. I've heard someone say you're going to be weak if you miss church on Sunday. Nope. If you do, your happiness is skin-deep. True strength and happiness comes from the Holy Spirit, spending time with the Lord and His Word.

Happy Alone

Imagine Daniel alone in the lion's den without fellowship with other believers or what we call "church." But he never grew weak in faith. In fact, his spiritual gift was intact. And there's Joseph being in prison for two years and having convicts as his companions. No fellowship of believers there. And yet Joseph came out with strong faith and a powerful spiritual gift.

This is why even a lot of church people are overstressed or pressured and take maintenance medicines to help them feel healthy or normal. Some even need sedatives, tranquilizers or calming drugs. Without genuine happiness, you'd be sick because its absence creates a lot of destructive cells or free radicals inside your body. They're harmful to your health and produce all sorts of illnesses. But the happiness or joy Jesus gives makes you rest in God and puts an "easy yoke" on you instead. Yeah, you have troubles but you can afford to be genuinely happy through it all. In fact he says:

"In this world you will have trouble. But cheer up (or be happy)! I have overcome the world.”

Be genuinely happy! Without effort or trying to, you are naturally in a happy mood all the time, even in sorrows. But it's not sorrows caused by sin, mind you. It's sorrows as Jesus had them. Joy in sorrows? Yup, nothing is impossible with God. But it doesn't mean you keep laughing out loud while in emotional pain. When Jesus agonized in the garden of Gethsemane, I strongly believe he was happy deep within because he knew well his suffering and death would mean our salvation. He was never sad about the fact. His sorrow was about going through the ordeal, and that's normal. 

Without meaning to, I sometimes find something funny in my sad moments, and I even laugh out loud in my loneliness. It's because (like what Sarah felt) God gives me laughter. When in company with people and it's a solemn occasion, of course I just laugh in my mind. It's part of a cheerful heart. Cheer is far from just feeling okay or smiling. It means animated or energized happiness. It's a "continual feast," says the bible. It's not just a good meal or snack, it's a continuous feast. And not enjoying this may mean spiritual oppression by the enemy.

All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. [Proverbs 15.15]

Mundane Happiness

But temporal or mundane happiness is always short-lived and dependent on circumstances that tickle the ego. Like winning in gambling, getting FB likes or Youtube subscribers, hitting sales targets if you're in sales, things like that. Or even having more income for your church, if you're a minister. These are temporal. This is not the happiness Jesus meant when he said, "Cheer up, I have overcome the world." Mundane cheer is the happiness that material possession or earthly success allows people who have not known Christ in a deep way and which only makes them depressed or anxious eventually.

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief. [Proverbs 14.13]

Thus, the real secret to genuine happiness is a surrendered life to Jesus Christ. He offers a drink that becomes a "spring of water welling up to eternal life," and that also means eternal happiness inside of you that naturally manifests without effort. It starts with a Jesus meet-up, meeting Jesus in person, in the spirit.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not because of your good deeds or religion), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. 

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Why Trials are God's Love for You

 

At first it's hard to see how a bad situation in life is actually God's loves for you. Doesn't make sense. We'd do everything to help people we love once we see them in trouble. Right? Then why is it that God doesn't seem to be doing anything? We often think troubles or problems are blockages or unfortunate mishaps or bad luck or punishment for wrong doing. Well, most times it's a result of what we did, and sometimes, too, it's some form of punishment (says 1 Thessalonians 1.8). But often it's how God loves us. God sees things so differently. 

Photo above by bruce mars on Unsplash.

Jesus said the Father won't give us snakes if we ask him for fish, or scorpions if we ask for eggs. But often, we beg him for snakes and scorpions without realizing it. For some reason, we're head over heels for them and in our blind desperation we see them as fish and eggs. So when God refuses to give in, we think we're being punished. "What wrong did I do to deserve this refusal from God" we wonder.

Actually, God is only keeping us safe from the snakes and scorpions we're trying to ask from him. We can't see them as thus because we are still slaves to the world's systems and perception of things. We're still carnal, not knowing that his love spares us from the world's deception. Keep this in mind--a lot of times (not always), if we can't see as God sees, we're still worldly.

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Job thought he was being punished unfairly. But actually, God was so fond of him that HE picked him among so many on earth as one of a kind believer. And HE bragged about him to Satan--to the extent of challenging the enemy to try Job in an extreme way. That's GOD's love. See? Do you want God to love you? Then we must start to understand how HE loves. 

He also loved Jesus, His Son, so much. So Jesus was crucified and felt abandoned by the Father that he cried out, "Why has Thou forsaken me?" But actually, the Father had declared once how Jesus was his, "beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." See that word "beloved"?

It's something like what James' and John's mom wanted for her sons--to be seated on the right and left hand of Jesus in his Kingdom. Jesus said (and I could see him chuckle at the idea), "You do not know what you're asking." Often, we think we know what we want but we don't. We want God to love us in a special way but we're not ready for it. And God sees all that. He sees the end of all things right from the beginning. 

And he spares us from added sorrows by not granting our request. Instead, he gives us something much better. He never says no but his yes are often misread. We think of it as a no or a rejection or a forfeiture. Sometimes, his yes is even taken as punishment. But remember, true believers always get a yes to their prayers because, "no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ," [2 Corinthians 1.20].

Because he loves us. This is why "stalking" behind Jesus (my way of saying getting too up-close to Him) is urgent. You've got to see Jesus doing his thing right before your very eyes.

At first, it's hard to comprehend how the thing God gives us is "much better" than what we're asking for--especially when what we're given doesn't look promising one bit. And it usually isn't. But in time we will, if we trust him. God will open our eyes to see truth at its barest if he sees our hearts are pure and ready to see it. 

It's okay to be prone to shortcuts and escapism and ask God to just spare us the trouble. It's human nature. It even manifested in Jesus. He himself somewhat had the same experience while agonizing in Gethsemane. He asked the Father to cancel (or let pass) his suffering or crucifixion, if it were at all possible. It was human agony, the human side of Jesus getting the harrowing thought. But the cross went through, anyway. And Jesus had the spiritual eyes to see truth.

Was the Father punishing him? Nope, though it looked that way to people. It was because the Father loved him so much.

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. [John 10.17]

Well, in a broader sense, the Father punished sin when Jesus suffered the cross because Jesus, who was sinless, "was made sin"  for us [2 Corinthians 5.21]. But that's for another topic to discuss. Right now, you have to understand that most dire situations we're in is actually God's rescue, keeping us safe from worse things, because he loves us. So we have to thank God for everything, even for things we don't have any inkling about. And then ask God to guide you through the ordeal. "God, what's this all about?"

Because we need to be guided in all things.

Once upon a time, I couldn't understand why I had this strange illness that kept me in bed. All medical tests were normal and yet one slight move made me weak and dizzy and breathless. So I was confined to bed in my room for months without understanding why--and I was asking God really serious questions about it--about my life, actually. WHY?

Later, while deep in my dramatic moments, I suddenly turned my sights to my bookshelf and saw the title of a book: "The Jesus I Never Knew." Then I remembered how the Lord had been urging me a long time to read the book again--a second time--because I had the impression that he wanted to point out something there, but I was so busy with other things I thought meant more to me and made me productive in life. 

So, feeling so sick and confined to bed, I realized I had more than enough time to spend reading it. God actually arranged everything to get rid of the "snakes and scorpions" I had been pouring time on (and thought made me productive) so I could spend quality time on what was really "fish and eggs." See?

Still cannot get what this is all about? Don't worry, a lot of people also didn't get it even when they heard it straight from Jesus. Even his disciples at times didn't. To get enlightened, you need to have Jesus first in your life, ruling it. When Jesus is in your life, so is his Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit will give you enlightenment. Surrender your life to Jesus first.

Surrendering to Jesus

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Making of a Jesus Stalker

 

Naturally, I'd want my very own story posted in this blog. How did I become a Jesus stalker? I was raised up in a strict Roman Catholic family and went to catholic schools in grade school. So I thought I was a Christian, a real Jesus believer. But fact was, I knew so little about his Word, if any, in the Gospel. I never opened the bible then to seriously study it so I could know Jesus better. I relied mainly on what I heard from Sunday masses or in religion classes at school.

Photo above by LinkedIn Sales Navigator on Unsplash.

It was okay while I was a kid. There were even times I felt so close to God. High school was tolerable and I was even able to mix Catholicism with Taoism and some Chinese traditions due to my interest in Karate and Kung Fu. But college was a totally different thing. It was chaos. It was then I started rebelling and questioning God though I still attended church on Sundays.

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One afternoon my fraternity brother, Jonathan, (I joined a tough college fraternity in FEU known for its violent frat wars) started arranging a Jesus meet-up for me. I learned that he had recently "surrendered" his life to Jesus and was now living "a new life." And yup, he looked like he was a changed person. For one, I noticed how he started taking a bath regularly. Those times, it was a miracle. We used to have fun missing our baths (we were so busy with our junior theses in Architecture) for days and comparing smells. But that seemed over with Jonathan. It was weird.

Then he started saying that my religion couldn't save me from hell. Neither my family. I was pissed off. What did he know about my religion and my family? "Don't you know how we never miss church since I was a kid?" I rebutted something to that effect. "And are you saying I and my family will go to hell?" I felt that he was pre-judging us. But he politely showed me Romans 3.23 and especially Isaiah 64.6:

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

I was shocked, to say the least, especially the part where righteous acts were trashed, just like that. No one told me about this. I was speechless but still pissed off with Jonathan. I warned him never to talk about Jesus or eternal life ever again. He went away sad but unknown to him, what he had said and the bible passages he had shown me stuck in my mind the whole day. God didn't leave me alone. He kind of nagged me about it. I was going to hell?

Until I couldn't stand it anymore. I found Jonathan again another day and asked him to tell me about the Jesus and eternal life thing again, from start to finish. He looked shocked. This time, it was like I arranged my own Jesus meet-up. But later, I was to find out it was Jesus himself who did all the arrangements. Jonathan was just an instrument. After he was through, we parted ways. But Jesus, again, never let me alone. He kept repeating his words in my mind.

So that night, September 05, 1980, at about 8 pm before going to sleep on my native "banig" mat, I said a short, simple prayer. I asked forgiveness of all my sins, repented, received Jesus into my life as Savior and Lord and surrendered my life to Him. Then I went to sleep. The next day was just like other days, but the peace I had was different. I knew Jesus was in me, all 100 percent of Him. I knew my heart was changed. I knew it in my spirit. I was not the same person anymore.

And it was not my doing. I was sure that there was nothing I could do to change myself. It was all God. 

Moreover, through Jesus and by God's grace and mercy and his promises in the bible, I knew I had eternal life right there and then. If anything bad would happen to me then, I was sure that Jesus would receive me in heaven because of what he promised and did for me, by grace through faith. Not because of my religion or anything good I have done.

That started my life journey of surrendering my life daily to God in Christ. I've become a Jesus Stalker since. This means I stalk stealthily behind Jesus wherever he goes and whatever he does in the bible, watching him up close. I see everything clearly.

Surrendering to Jesus

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.