Tag Archives: baptism of the Holy Spirit

Positivity: Breaking The Spiritual Warfare

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“It only has just begun.”

How often do we hear this statement after our surrender and moment of salvation?

Yes, it always is a victorious feat upon an encounter with the Lord, Jesus Christ. A turning point but in actuality, a never ending battle. A believer’s journey never ends in the water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, allow me to provide a brief run-down why every spiritual journey is like a horse shoe.

1. Life is not storm-free.

  • God intended for us to be prepared by making our lives a storm-proof life by giving us His armor and shield – the hope that we cling to through the Cross.

2. The enemy is always at work too.

  • Salvation is breaking free from the stronghold of the dark forces, our evil self, the common nature of our past.

3. Not everyone will believe what you say.

  • This is the moment of persecution and rejection that every believer must face when sharing his testimony and being bold about faith.

4. Prayers do go unanswered.

  • Blessings may come but they may not be in the form of how you expected them to be. There is sometimes a deafening silence from God every time you pray.

But….

There is one gift that we all could use in keeping balance with what I have mentioned above and that is free will. But free will never go unrestrained, for that is not how God meant it to be used. It only means that we have a choice in doing the right thing that is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord within the limits of faith and Christianity and in accordance to God’s will still. God wanted us to choose Him, to seek Him and that we will use the gift He has given us in doing exactly that.

It is a spiritual warfare that we, Christians and believers, deal with every single day. And I believe it is in this warfare that we have to use our free will to choose positivity by hoping on the message of the Cross. Day by day, it is a struggle. Without a positive outlook, all hopes are gone. Neither can we withstand the trials of faith and none will survive the warfare without it.

There is a time to be low but there is such a thing as resiliency. Bounce back if you must and higher this time around. It doesn’t matter how many times you have bounced, just make you sure you bounce back higher every time until you finally reach your goal – mission accomplished.

Now that is the positive spirit – breaking one barrier at a time, every time. 🙂

The Best Milestone

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Victory Weekend 3/3/2013

This is how it feels to be spiritually renewed – my first. 🙂

I was never baptized. Even when I was young. Baptism a few months or a few years after babies were born is a common tradition in the Philippines especially among Catholic families.

I asked my Mom about it. Her reason as to why she didn’t let all five of us, her children, be baptized when we were young is because she wants us to choose our own religion when we grow older. A thought I never understood at that time, but I never cared much either.

My siblings and I, when we were young, would attend Sunday services at the Protestant church in our town which is the Bulan Evangelical Church. My great grandfather was one of the ministers of that church. Even until now, every time I get the chance to visit our town, I still attend services in our church with my grandmother, my siblings and my relatives.

But I have learned later on, that it was never about religion.

Christianity is never about that. Rather, it is about having a deep and personal relationship with God. “Not just a one-time experience but a lifetime walk with Him,” indeed.

I believe that for you to know God, you have to go through a series of unfortunate events that will completely turn you around and leave you seeking Him with all your heart.

That’s what happened to me. I know God already. I know about religion. I know about the Bible. But it was the personal relationship with Him that I never had.

It was a total change of heart and mind for me. A painstaking process of constant reaffirmation of faith. Indeed, temptations will be at their peak when you are starting to seek God.

But it is a test of faith. This is where you start to build the foundations for your faith to make it firmer and stronger. I have found it hard to believe, at first, when things started to happen miraculously.

Yes, I can never think of any word that could ever explain those moments of disbelief, those moments of amazing surprises. They were never coincidences nor signs. I would like to think of them, rather, as parts of His greater plan.

Having faith and building trust on God, alone, would be equivalent to letting Him be in control of your life – your decisions, your choices, your past, your present, and your future. We are merely actors of a movie under which He is the director and the scriptwriter.

What more can be happier than being at peace, being grateful, and being joyful in and with His presence almost every day of your life? I assure you, it is the happiest. 🙂

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” – John 8:36

Experiencing Victory

Experiencing Victory