This is something I am very passionate about, and I want to share that January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Please check out the links below, which have fact sheets. More importantly, read some survivor stories.
Let us raise awareness and join together in prayer for those who are victims of modern slavery.
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?…” Matthew 6: 25-27
Even the birds are provided for; won’t God provide for you?
When I was a child, my favorite part of church was Sabbath School, and more specifically, the mission story time. That was the time when we would read a true experience/story from a missionary or from people located in the featured mission field abroad.
I will never forget the story of a little boy and mother in an Asian country who decided to walk to church one morning knowing that when they returned home, after walking miles, they would have nothing to eat. That day, when they were walking home on a path through a wet and humid jungle type terrain, there was a small bag at the end of the path near their home. In that bag was fish.
Okay, so it’s not a box of chocolates, but life isn’t about getting what we want, it’s about our needs being provided, sometimes even by miracles. I can say that in my own life, I have lacked nothing. My mother taught me that no matter what happens or how tough times become, God will provide. He will provide in the future because He has provided in the past. Even when we seemingly “earn” what is ours, it is God who provides us with the ability, the possibility of employment and grace in the eyes of those who employ us.
“Give us each day our daily bread.” (Luke 11:3)
My focus today, on the sixth day of prayer, is blessing. God provides for us and gives us blessings. God doesn’t bless us just for the sake of blessing, instead, blessings change us. Blessings make us realize God is Creator, Provider, we realize our helplessness and how dependent we are on God, we shed selfishness, and we decide to share.
God told Abraham:
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.”
Genesis 12:2
God said He would bless Abraham, but the promise doesn’t end there; Abraham would be a blessing. God wants us to take our blessings and become a blessing.
We must give expecting nothing in return. Giving is better than receiving, and often times, giving means receiving something even if it’s not material. We are blessed when we give.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38
Today, as you pray for God to intervene and bless your life, pray that He will bless you and help you see how you can continue the chain of blessing. God will reveal to you how you can be a blessing.
Many church members, who come to Manhattan, live in New Jersey and in outside areas. I have heard stories of when someone has gone to a toll, and it was paid by the person in the front because the person in the front had his or her toll paid for. It’s a blessing chain.
Everything counts, and there is no telling how far a small gesture will go.
Be blessed, and more importantly, bless.
For more information on the Ten Days of Prayer, visit:
We often think about genuineness. We think about and try to define true success, true beauty, true fashion, true love, true art, true fame, true athleticism, and even how true the weather prediction will be for the next day.
Sometimes, I think we worry about the genuineness of things and concepts that are really not life or death or eternally important. But perhaps, I am wrong. I suppose many of us ask ourselves deep philosophical questions about life, and true purpose and belief.
In the book Destiny, by Dr. Tony Evans, he writes about Ecclesiastes 3:11, which says, “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart.”
Dr. Evans wrote: “All of us have eternity in our hearts. We know there must be more than just what we are experiencing right now. Even people without God spend a lifetime trying to answer eternal, philosophical questions. Who am I? Where am I going? Where did I come from? They ask these questions because God has placed eternity in their hearts.” Destiny, by Tony Evans, pg. 81 (Harvest House).
“If you seek your purpose from the perspective of time rather than the perspective of eternity, life will be flat. It will lack meaning because God has set eternity in your heart. You were made for eternity. If what you are doing is focused solely on temporal results and not also on eternal results, you will be dissatisfied simply because your soul is not temporal.” Destiny, by Tony Evans, Id. (Harvest House).
Jimcook317.tumblr.com
True spirituality and true religion is about being conscious of the fact that we have eternity set in our hearts, and it’s about being instep with that which we believe. After all, someone once said, “The best sermons are lived not preached.” My favorite Gandhi quote says “My life is my message.”
Our belief must transform us from the inside out–if not, there is no point of prescribing to something that is powerless. So, as I thought about real religion, it’s really all about being “in step with Jesus”… It’s about not taking lightly: lifestyle, health, language and the other elements of life. As we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, we come into contact with other souls, and they come into contact with our soul.
Life is like some giant silk road where we all give pieces of ourselves to each other.
Something I like that Dr. Evans also wrote is, “Whatever God has called you to do will have eternal repercussions.” Destiny, by Tony Evans, pg. 66 (Harvest House).
This is why it is so important to stay in step. It’s one thing to walk with someone, but if you lag behind, those around you may no longer know you are with the other person. Being in step shows unity, it shows you want to be together.
Do you ever remember as a child when you got angry at your siblings or maybe your parents? You’d strut behind everyone maybe subtly mad or more dramatically pouting, with your arms crossed because you were fed up with the person or people in front.
We often behave like that with God, even when we don’t realize it, at times.
We may take out some frustration or self-centeredness out on God. Our attitude with God reflects in the way we either keep Him at a distance or keep Him close. When we keep Him close, He guides us.
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:10). A way of being in step with God is allowing and praying for His will and guidance in our lives. The fact that our lives have eternal repercussions is no light matter. Let us ask God in which way we should go and keep close to Him, and He will direct our paths.
Luke 11 gives us ideas as to how we can relate to God. It begins with praise and the recognition of God’s power, sovereignty, and His place as our Heavenly Father, and then it goes into verses 3-4.
“Give us day by day our daily bread. (3)
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.(4)”
These texts reflect that God is a provider (3), and that He is merciful and forgives our sins and delivers us from evil (4).
As we continue in these Ten Days in Prayer, think about how you can be more “in step” spiritually speaking.
This is in no way an exhaustive list, but it made me begin thinking:
1. You can only be in step with God if you are willing to follow His will. It’s time to actually read and find counsel in the Holy Scriptures. Don’t put a question mark where God put a period, people say. God has established many things and counsel in the Bible, and for everything else there is a combination of prayerful Biblical interpretation, prayer and Godly counsel.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” (Psalm 1:1-6)
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16
2. Just as God is our provider (Luke 11:3), take time to give from what the Lord has blessed you with; share your blessings with someone who needs a helping hand or compassion.
3. Forgive those who wrong you, and measure others by the same standard you would like to be measured by. (Luke 11:4)
“For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 7:2
4. Love those around you. During His ministry on earth, Jesus had love and compassion for every soul, and He was a friend of every soul who accepted His friendship.
5. Pray. Pray for God’s will to be fulfilled in your life as each day unfolds.Pray for God to direct your steps.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Psalm 32:8
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5-6
Let us pray:
“Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” (Psalm 143:10).
As you continue to walk in your spiritual journey, and as you make decisions and pray, remember:
God saw something special in you; in your character, in your personality, that He has chosen you to mirror His image to the world. Pastor Jeffery Rosario–Paraphrase (Sermon from GYC 2014).
For more information on the Ten Days of Prayer, visit:
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44
The passage above speaks of a man who finds treasure on a property that is not his. Essentially, he is trespassing. When he finds the treasure, he doesn’t remove it from the property but instead works hard and buys the property. This parable illustrates the “if-you-want-it-how-bad-do-you-want-it” concept.
God’s kingdom is ours through the sacrifice of Jesus, however our obedience and desire to obtain and promote it play a role in our lives, and our dedication to working for the Kingdom shows what is important to us and our purpose.
Our priorities are illustrated by what we spend time and money on. Our priorities reflect our perception of our purpose in life.
“Your purpose isn’t just about you. It’s about God and His kingdom agenda (pg. 28)…The foundational principle for your destiny is this: God created you to put Him and His kingdom first (pg.34)…If He is truly before all things, He will hold all things together (pg.35)…When you are clear about your purpose, you will not allow circumstances to dictate your decisions (pg.47).” Tony Evans, Destiny: Let God use you like He made you.
Priorities take sacrifice.
Runway models restrict eating. Runners and boxers train. Fashion icons wear only what would look good through the lense of their personal photographers. Makeup artists spend incredible amounts of money on new product hauls and hours testing gifted products. Lawyers spend hours in the office, and they have Snuggies under their desks. Law students don’t sleep for three years. Advertisers never leave the office because competition is fierce. Missionaries sleep in humid jungles with no bodyguards.You get the idea; we sacrifice for what we care about.
Paul wrote in his last letter to Timothy:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished my race, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8
At the end of his life, Paul knew he had fulfilled the purpose God had for him. He had finished his “race.” Paul went through a lot of hardship as he fulfilled his purpose, but God guided and protected his steps.
The key to success in fulfilling your purpose and God’s will in your life is:
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
When we seek God and His kingdom first, everything else comes and falls into place. God gets first place.
“And he said into them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” Luke 11:2
When we pray “Thy kingdom come.” We play a role in God’s kingdom. We have a purpose to fulfill, and no one can do what God has purposed for your life in the way that you can.
God has an eternal reward for those who “love Him and are called according to His purpose.”
You have found treasure in a field. Will you give up all you have to put it in first place. How bad do you want the treasure? In life, it’s often not about whether you want something. That is not enough. It’s about how much you are willing to put from your part to promote that which you want and have.
In this new year, how can we reform and give God the place He deserves in our lives, desires and time?
A Christian’s life should be about service and expanding God’s kingdom, no matter what the field or career. It’s about reflecting the image of God to the world.
For more information on the Ten Days of Prayer, visit:
There are many popular gyms in New York, as a “Manhattanite” student, two come to mind: Crunch and Equinox.
Crunch can be found on many street corners of the Manhattan. It has a purple banner with its bicep logo. Students often go to Crunch. They fulfill their workout routines, blow some steam, watch others and sometimes get a scoop of gossip. Crunch is “affordable,” and so law students from around the area sign up.
Then, there is Equinox. The two I have glanced into have a lobby that looks like a ritzy hotel lobby. Marble counters, grand staircases–at first it was hard for me to believe that it was a gym. In the window, there is usually an ad for the gym. An oversexualized portrait of a fit man, usually in what looks like an expensive suit with a woman, who looks like a runway model, all over him or displayed on a staircase, table or bed.
I once had a classmate who signed up for an expensive cycling class at Equinox. A celebrity she liked would attend that same class once in a while. The power of that membership resulted in rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous.
The thing is, you cannot have a membership to Crunch and then show up to Equinox and expect them to let you in to use their top-notch glitzy machinery.
To have access to what you want, you need to sign up for what you want to access. In short, if you want a cycling class with your favorite actor, you better be willing to say goodbye to your Crunch sling backpack and bring a credit card to swipe your life away at Equinox (student perspective, of course).
Spirituality functions similarly. If you look at an atlas or globe, you’ll note that all rivers do not lead to the same sea. If simpler things in life work this way, like a gym membership, how can we expect something as complex as worship and belief to work in the way we want them to.
Just because we want to invoke whatever name or worship whatever we think is right, doesn’t mean our opinions change the truth.
Our opinions or convenience does not change the way the universe works.
Just like I can’t show up at Equinox with a Crunch membership, I can’t approach God in anyway other than the way He provided and prescribed for humanity.
Fortunately, membership to access God is free:
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Luke 11:2), He also taught them to pray to God the Father in His name.
“Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13.
Jesus made clear that the path to God the Father is through Him, God the Son.
“Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Belief in Jesus’ sacrifice for you; invoking His name in faith–that is your bridge to God.
Through sin, we distance ourselves from God. Jesus, through His sacrifice, reconciled us to God and gave us access to the “throne of grace.”
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
As we continue to pray for God’s Holy Spirit, let us make sure we are coming to God in faith; faith in the name of Jesus. He says, if we ask in His name, He will do, so that the Father may be glorified.
Recently, I was walking in front of a stair case when I saw her. She was intensely familiar but at the same time very different. She had a phone in her hand. She was animatedly talking to someone. A look of confusion flashed on her face, and then, she spotted me. A smile transformed her face, and she waved at me. Inside, I felt relieved that she knew who I was because I certainly knew who she was.
Seeing her face, took me here: I remember those hot summer days at Bible camp. Our campers arrival was a big deal. We, the counselors, would line up, with our clipboards in-hand by the entrance of registration. We would all search for our campers and make sure there were no “contraband” items against camp code like nail polish, jewelry or if you were a girl, pants.
I remember the heat was so strong my denim skirt was sticking to the back of my legs. I met her that day. She was one of my campers.
I don’t want to go into too much detail, but she was a feisty and angry little creature. He hair hung straight, she wore baggier clothes than the other girls, and she flirted with the guys that were older than her.
That year, my co-counselor and I had our hands full. We had multiple girls in our unit who were into self-destructive behavior, and we had to constantly be watching them. I don’t think the girls realized how drained and concerned we were for them. We would monitor their every move.
Every night, my co-counselor and I would go outside, just outside of our tent circle for our unit, and we would spend hours in prayer for the girls and for strength.
There were many moments of spiritual battles with these young girls. I particularly remember that this young girl had a breakdown one night; she was so angry at the world, so dark, yet so talented. She could play music by ear, and she was gorgeous. I wondered to myself why it was so hard for her to see herself as we saw her or better yet, as God saw her.
I was 17 that summer. It was my first summer counseling, and at first, to be honest I felt like my co-counselor and I had scored the therapy group. The group from hell, where none of the girls were happy.
At first in my prayers, I figured I was given this group because they needed me. By the end, I realized we needed each other.
As a 17-year-old girl, I was not immune to social and image pressures. I was insecure, and little did I imagine that I would soon be facing a heartbreak.
That summer, as I prayed for those girls, I grew to care for them, protect them and become their friend. I knew I really loved them. I saw them as children of God.
I would need to learn to see myself in that same light.
When I saw her coming down the stairs, not too long ago, I saw a happy, Godly young woman. She embraced me, and there, I knew those many hours of prayer had been answered.
Sometimes, we pray and think about things for a long time. I had often thought of her, but I figured I would never see her or run into her again. I thank God he allowed me to see the young woman she has become.
God answers prayer, and I am convinced that He does everything for the salvation of His children. We are all children of God, and He calls at each of our hearts by name. Will you respond to your Father’s call? He longs for you to pray to Him. When you do, He will not disappoint, instead, He will provide.
He cares. He heals. He loves. He listens. He works on your behalf. Why? You are a child of the Most High God.
“And he said unto them, When you pray, say, Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us this day our daily bread.” Luke 11:2-3
“But to all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
Pray to your Father in heaven.
“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask for a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask?” Luke 11:11-13
Happy 2014 to all of you! 🙂
It has been lovely to take a long (and well-deserved) break from school.
As we start the new year, I thought it would be appropriate to begin by joining the world-wide and annual”Ten Days of Prayer.”
At GYC (Generation.Youth.Christ) 2013, there was a seminar held by medical missionaries. The hosts were doctors who have done medical clinics in India, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
An Asian doctor who went to Bangladesh for medical missionary work told us this experience:
There was a doctor on the team who would take his laptop to the town square. From his laptop, he would talk to the town’s people about Jesus. People would gather around the doctor and his laptop to hear his gospel stories.
One day, the doctor was preaching. He was preaching about the paralytic man whom Jesus healed (Luke 5:17-26).
Awkwardly,a crippled man was brought and set in front of the doctor while he told the story of Jesus healing the paralytic man.
The doctor finished his story and then waived to the villagers nervously to bid his goodbye. The translator, who had been beside the doctor the entire time, asked the doctor where he was going.
“What do you mean?” The doctor replied.
“The crippled man, he is waiting for you to pray for him,” the translator said.
The doctor nervously turned back toward the crowd and saw the crippled man’s hopeful eyes.
The doctor prayed. He nervously prayed a long prayer. He practically preached the entire gospel in his prayer; the doctor continued to pray for the Lord’s will to be done. After the prayer, the doctor nervously thanked the villagers for their attention. He felt mortified and humbled by the crippled man’s hope and longing for healing.
The doctor went to another village with the team. While he was there, he received a phone call from the village where he had been with the crippled man in the town square.
“Is everything all right?” The doctor asked the team member from the other village. He wondered if a riot had been started or if he had left a bad impression of the doctors on the team.
“The man, after you left, the crippled man stood up and was healed!” The voice on the other end exclaimed.
Stories like these from far places inspire our faith. I am not talking about churches with people strewn all over the ground, where people shout and “healings” and other things occur through emotionalism and sensationalism. I am talking about a doctor who earnestly believed, and who with humility and a trembling spirit prayed to God for a crippled man who had faith in the healing Jesus he was hearing about.
A crippled man who was filled with enough faith to “rise up and walk.”
Clearly, the doctor takes no credit for this miracle. He simply prayed a humble prayer, and as any of us might have, he left the town square feeling like a failure.
God chooses impossible and dark moments to show His power before mankind.
This doctor and us, we have no power of our own, but we can choose to be connected to one who has ultimate power, God.
Power is attractive because it’s the power to effect change. God has the power to make a change in your life. He has the power to heal and forgive our sins.
The secret to power is the prayer of faith to God, our Father.
“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdon come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” Luke 11:1-2
While Jesus was on earth, He taught us to pray. We are not to use vain repetitions or prewritten prayers or mantras. He wants us to open our hearts. He wants us to bless His name for all of the blessings we receive from Him. Rather than Him hearing a prayer from centuries ago, He wants us to tell Him our needs and to ask for His perfect will to be done in our lives.
Ellen G. White compared prayer to opening your heart to a friend. (Steps to Christ).
I often go to a church that is open during the day to pray. Going to a church to pray is not necessary, since we can pray anywhere at anytime, but I find this church to be a really special place. Anyway, when I go, there is a stained glass window depicting the story of Lazarus.
Sometimes, I go into the church with a heavy heart, but looking at that window always reminds me that God makes all things new. He can turn something dead alive again; He can restore, renew and fulfill promises beyond our wildest imaginations. Why? He is an omnipotent God. There is nothing too hard for Him, and His promises are sure.
This new year, is there something you want to change? An old habit to replace? Do you need healing? Do you want influence? Do you want life? Trust your life to the Hands and Power that gave it all for you.
I first wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. It has been quite an amazing year. It was a year of realizations, maturing, growing up, hard work, solitude, spiritual decisions, wonderful people, emotions and many, many blessings.
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of taking part in a lovely Christmas concert at the historic Manhattan Seventh-day Adventist Church. I was overwhelmed with thoughts on how much God loves us. That is really what Christmas is all about.
Because God is so amazing, we experience His love on more days than just Christmas. I remember going down the stairs after my last exam. All I could think was, Thank you God for another semester. Every day was a new journey and experience with Him. Every day had its own miracle.
One of my recent miracles: While coming home, a family decided to move via our Super Shuttle, when we arrived to JFK there were hundreds of people. I was still in the security line when my plane was boarding. A woman called me out of the line where I was and put me through a faster line; a man freaked out in another security line because some dude dropped a piece of luggage in line and left it there. All of us saw our lives flash before us. My mom kept texting me telling me it would all be okay. I arrived to my gate as they were closing the plane door.
This is how life works out sometimes. It’s crowded, scary, and time seems to fly when you need it to slow down the most…sometimes, the door is shutting in your face, yet somehow, you get what you need, and God gets you through.
There is fear, uncertainty, sometimes anger, agitation, resignation, but in the end, you get what is meant for you if you leave it in God’s hands.
The birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of a promise. He was the answer to our mistake and rebellion. For our mistake, He gave us His love.
On this day, in this season, let us renew our gratefulness and our awareness of God’s love. Let us reflect His love and reach out.
I thank all of you for your support and friendship through this blog; for dealing with my randomness, complexity and silly humor. I hope you are with those you love. Cherish every day. Smile at every miracle, and allow God’s loving hand to guide your life.
May God bless you abundantly, so that you may be so filled that you pour yourself out to others.
Merry Christmas! And as we press forward, may we all continue to expect miracles. 🙂
GY
Tim Halperin: Under That Christmas Spell (as heard on Kidd Kraddick in the Morning)
“Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.”
Khalil Gibran
Rumor has it, Pippa is engaged! Too cool. Her style is always impeccable. Simple, modest and elegant. People are saying Harry is next, too. We’ll see how many royal engagements we can get out of the season. 😉
In high school, Alli D. and I would make a list of the best looking guys, modeled after People’s Sexiest Man Alive list.
I thought it would be fun to make a list of the guys who made my list this year (and practically every year–with the exception of some new ones).
These are the guys that make me say: tumblr.com
Shall we begin?
Man (or should I say Student) of the Year
Siddharth Malhotra
-Indian-
Perfection in flesh form. Kukkad (the song below) matches perfectly. I think that is what we all think when we see him.
santabanta.com
Latin Flavor (Speak to me in Spanish!)
Eduardo Verastegui
-Mexican-
He should probably be under “Old Classics” because he always makes the list, and I have had a crush on him since childhood.
International Justice Mission
GABRIELA YARELIZ 