GOD IS IN CHARGE: HUPOMONE

If God is sovereign and loving, why does He allow pain and suffering? The Bible does not deny the reality of pain and suffering. The book of Job shed light on this question. It is not just a story of pain and suffering but a story of God's love, mercy, compassion and sovereign plan. We can learn from Job's hupomone, which is steadfast perseverance and unwavering trust in what God's sovereignty in midst of suffering (James 5:11) "Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful." Hupomone is a positive anticipation in what God can do and will do amidst suffering

The Prosperity of job (Job 1:1-6) " There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them."
Job was a family man, blameless, prayerful, upright, and obedient to God. He was probably the wealthiest man of his time with a very good reputation He was also a spiritual leader.

The Pain & Suffering of Job ( Job 1:7-22) "The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. 13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you." 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you." 20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong."
From Job's experience, we see the reality that suffering is not always because of sins. God is not arbitrary. He always has the best purpose in mind, but we may not always understand these purposes. Another reality is the co-existence of the spiritual world and the physical world. Satan challenged God that if He removed His hedge of protection and His blessing from Job, he would curse Him. God places a hedge of protection around all of His children and nothing can harm us unless God allows it.

 

Job's Response. Job responded to all his trials by saying,"Naked I come from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of The Lord." (Job 1:21)

Job was able to worship God amidst pain. Hupomone is worshiping and trusting God in the midst of suffering, believing that there is a purpose behind everything, even if we do not understand.
God did not answer Job's question of 'why'. Instead, He asked Him several questions about creation, light, how the world was made and how it operates. If Job could not even understand these things, then he must trust God who knows everything.
At the end of story, Job was doubly blessed material, but the blessing is not just material. Job's suffering resulted to the transformation of his character, greater humility, growth in faith, and most importantly, the greatest of all blessings-greater intimacy with God.

 

God’s Love

                            The greatest truth in all of scripture is this: God is love. Understanding this in its full dimension will set you free to enjoy all that is your as a Christian. But you must accept that God loves you. If you grew up experiencing  unconditional love in your family, this may not be hard for you. However, if your early years were void of love, this truth may be hard to accept. God loves you, not because you deserve his love but because his nature is to love. The only way he will ever relate to you is in love. His love for you gives you an inherent worth that nothing can diminish.               

                 If you cannot accept the truth God loves you, you will be limited in how you can relate to him. When he disciplines you, you will not take it as an expression of his love. Rather, you many resent him. When God says no to a request  that is less than his best for you, you will conclude that he doesn’t care for you. Without a clear understanding and  acceptance of God’s love for you, you will be disoriented to him and to what he wants to do in your life. If you will accept God’s love, however, you will be able to return love to God as well as to others. 

 1 JONH 4:19              

        Are you experiencing the profound sense of joy and security that comes from knowing you are dearly loved by God? Being assured of God’s love for you sets you free to enjoy the numerous expressions of love he showers upon you each day.                       

I'm Somebody .

Watch the touching story of Crystal and how football has given her an opportunity to think of herself as more than                                                             a street child.

              
                   She's one of our opponent when we play in Angels cup and Pinay Futbol cup last year :)

The LORD your God is with you, 
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

"embrace from the Father "

When I was riding in a jeep I saw this little girl sleeping in her fathers arms. I wished i had a father in this earth who I can sleep with every time I'm traveling, but I know that our Heavenly Father is always there beside us !

Bible Verse Today .

Finally, all of you have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9                                  

Every individual who knows God understands that all people need love and encouragement, even if it is just a kind of word or smile.

HOLD ON.

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."

                                                     Deuteronomy 31:6

before I was asking Him why you allow this to happen why should I need to stay away from my family. God answer all my question by showing His love by using my Jaz Family. To show me that there’s still people here in earth who can support and loved me. Now, I Knew from my heart that

God will cause even the worst things to come together for good. Hold on to the promises of God, no matter what you see on the outside. God is good. If He allows something bad to happen, you my not understand it, but you can hold on to His goodness

A Choice .

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

                                                                               Psalm 73:21-25

I have a choice. You have a choice. We can choose to dwell on disappointments and short comings. We can choose to be bitter, angry, or sad. Or when faced with hard times and hurtful people, we can choose to learn from the experience and move forward, taking responsibility for our own happiness. Think about how you want to respond the next time a challenge comes your way.

God will always be there for us no matter what happens but as a people  we also have a choice  to make our own decision.  Just like my situation as a college student there's too many choices that I need to make.

college classmates...

             

Angels in the Square Camp!!!

On April 4, 2013 the angels went on a youth camp called 'The Square Camp'.

The camp ran for 3 days and 2 nights in which we participated in youth fellowship with over 300 other young adults. On my first day at camp i met a girl named Carla. She was funny and did not believe in God. I shared my testimony with her about how God has worked in my life and how He had transformed me into a new creation and she answered me with the word "Okay" and we went back to our room.

The next day one of our leaders told us that there would be a baptism going on at lunch time. When Carla heard about the baptism she asked me if we could go because she thought it would be 'fun.' 

I answered her by telling her that baptism is not 'fun' or a game and i walked away from her. 

When I was back in our room i felt God speak to me and show me that He never ran away from me even though I am a sinner, He was just waiting for me to confess my sins.
Just like God didn't run or hide from me, I needed to go back to my friend Carla. 

I went back to her and told her about my past life and how I too had once be baptized for fun. It flashed back to me and I had the opportunity to explain to her what baptism was really about. 

Later that night in our room, Carla told me about her past and how she did not have a father. She had a lot of questions such as 'How can i believe in God if He separated my mother and father?' I told her about how I grew up without my father and about how my father had killed my twin when I was a baby. I explained that no one can give us real happiness; even our parents can hurt us, but God will never hurt us. 

The next day we brought our things back to the bus and Carla hugged me and thanked me. 

 

19 years of waiting.

Last April 19, 2013 Ate Josie allowed me to go with my Momma to the province to get my baptismal certificate for my Passport Requirements. I need this certificate because I want to go to Africa to be a missionary there.

I was so happy for this, you know why? For 19 years I’ve been waiting to see my grandmother and especially see my real Dad. I did not expect that I will have a chance to see them when I go there with my Momma. While we are in the bus I was thinking what I would do if I saw my real Dad and I was very nervous because I didn’t know if he would accept me being his daughter.

When we arrived at the house of my grandma I knocked on the door and an old girl opened the door for us. When she saw me she immediately hugged me and started crying. She told me “I’m your grandma” then we entered her house and began talking; I asked to my grandma “Is my Dad is here?” then she told me “I’m sorry but your Dad is not here, he’s in the other place with his new family.” When I heard that from my grandma I was shocked and sad because for 19 years I had been waiting to be complete in our family. I told myself that it would never happen, but for me it is ok if my Dad has new a family, I just want to hug him, call him “Papa” and to tell him that I miss him so much.

My Momma told me the reason we are not with my Dad for 19 years is because my ma’am broke up my Dad. My Dad killed my twin that’s the reason why my Momma broke up with my Dad. Even though my Dad did that before, I still love him and I already forgive him for what he did to my twin. I am always asking myself “why do we need to forgive people that did something wrong to us?” It is because our God forgives us in all our sins and also the bible tells us in Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Birthday Present

The month before my birthday, I was so excited when I found out that Ate Josie would throw me a party for my 18^th birthday. When she told me that, I was so I was happy!!! It would be my first time to have a party.

After she told me that, we went to a store to get my gown fitted. After one week Ate Josie and I went back to the store to get my gown. When I saw it I was so happy because it was so beautiful. Its color was yellow.

Then the day before my birthday, Ate Josie told me that we would not celebrate on the day of my birthday.  She told me that we were going to move the party to April 3^rd, 2012, instead on March 30^th.  On my birthday I was sad that there was no party, but then I remember that April 3^rd, 2011 was the day when I accepted Jesus Christ us my personal savior.  I felt blessed when I realized we would be celebrating on my “spiritual birthday.”

Truly in Control

I know that God is with us everywhere we go, and in whatever we do in our lives, He helps us. But sometimes I ask Him, “God, are you truly in control? Why am I here in this situation?”

God speaks to me through Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When I read this passage I realized that truly God is in control in my life, and I know that God has a big plan for me.

Even though I’m not sure what that is now, I trust that God knows. 

From Dark to Light

My life, before I knew God, was one of darkness. It was dark because I didn’t have dreams; and I didn’t care about the people around me. I was tired of being who I was. I wanted a new life, to be newly created by God. I decided to move from a life of darkness into a life in the light. A life that allows me to have big dreams, a life that gives me hope that they might come true. Now I have faith in God.

God tells me in Isaiah, “My child, trust me and don’t be afraid for I am your strength.” Now every time that I have problems I always remember to surrender everything to Him and trust Him because he is with us always, he is always there to help us.

Passion of Braves

The Hope Braves is a basketball team that desires to give everything and to play hard at the time of its games. But the players do not simply play, they play with passion, and with the fruit of spirit. They play with the passion of Jesus Christ in their hearts. 

The Hope Braves won, back to back, five championships in the month of January, 2013. The team believes God wants them to be winners because they deserve it. They could not have imagined that they would return to their school with the title of "Champion."

As you can see in the photos, their opponents were tall. Because of God’s will, however, they won. God did not let them lose in those championships, because they were there to honor Him.The Hope team do not play to be famous in the eyes of people, but they play because they want to glorify the name of the Father who is in Heaven.
In the last game, which was the most exciting of all, they faced many challenges. It was a close game and their opponents were very skilled. There were injuries on both teams. 


But in the end, the Braves won. Their coach encouraged them to play, not for themselves, but for God. And that’s what they did. They won and hopefully will continue to win in the Future. 

Being Part of a New Family

I’ve been a part of a family of angels since august 2010. I started attending a Bible Study, every Monday night with Ate Josie Long. After the Bible study, we always had food cooked by Ate Malou, one of the workers at the YMC. The Bible study was one of my favorite things to go to.

June 4, 2011, 23 angels and I moved into a condo with Ate Josie Long.   We lived there for a month. After that month, Ate Josie Long decided to move us into a new "Josie’s Angels Home." There are now a lot of girls staying here at what we call JAZ (Josie's Anegls Zone).

Being away from my real family is too hard. I miss my little nephew and my little niece who always use to beg me, “Auntie Auntie play with us." And I miss my whole family too. But I need to stay away from them, for many reasons.

The first reason is that they don’t know God. Because they don’t know God, they would always hurt me, especially when they drank alcohol. The second reason is that they don’t have money to pay for my education and they cannot provide for my everyday needs. The third reason is that I did not feel that they loved me well. They did not treat me like one of their family members. Instead, they treated me like a maid. I was the one who always cleaned the house. If I did not cook food or clean, my uncle would hurt me.

But, being a part of the family of angels, I feel God wants me to be happy. He gave me a new family. A family who can love me, and a family who can hug me if I have a problem, and a family who can understand me. Here, I feel I can better experience and serve the God I love.