The Power of Forgiveness

The Power of Forgiveness
by: Jefferson "Jeflivs" Livara

"I am sorry" is the most abused sentence according to some and "I forgive you" is the most difficult sentence to say among others.

Forgive came from the old english word forgiefan, for which means complete and giefan which means give. We can now read it as completely give. If the origin of the word forgiveness is accurate then, we are now guilty of violating the word. "Forgive but never forget..." now becomes irrelevant to the entomology of forgiveness. According to Google, forgiveness is an action or a process . When we forgive, we completely give our understanding, peace, hope, joy, trust and love to the person. For some, it takes time to mend but it is the act that matters for it is a process.

Forgiveness does not only involve two parties. It always involve a third where God is the center. It is you, others and God. Anything you do to others, you are doing it to the Lord; Anything you also do for your self you also do it for the Lord. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and anything you do to for the Lord, you are doing it for the least of your brothers and sister. There is power in forgiveness and we might not even be aware of it. Jesus teachings always mention about forgiveness and love. Others think that forgiveness is a sign of cowardliness or defeat; Worse, others choose to live a life of guilt and pride each day. When we ask for forgiveness or forgive others, we are:

1. Unloading a heavy burden - We are releasing a burden that is deeply embedded in our heart and mind. We are surrendering it all to God. That is why when there is forgiveness, we become renewed, revitalized and recharged.

2. Freeing our self from the bondage - We are held hostages of pride when we cease to forgive. We are never free to act. It seems that everything we do is limited. That is the result of guilt and fear. When we forgive or ask for forgiveness, we are freeing ourselves and others from the torture we are creating.

3. Securing our relationship - Sin breaks relationships to others and to God. It also affects the way you look at your self. If we forgive, we are actually restoring broken relationships. We do not only restore but we are guarding it. We are securing it for the days, months and years to come. If we forgive, we do not only secure relationship from the person who has done you wrong but you are securing your relationship to God.

4. Living Life as true witnesses of Jesus - Jesus died on the cross for your sins. Jesus died as the sacrificial lamb. Jesus died as the final blood to be offered. For what? For my sins and for your sins. We forgive because we are FORGIVEN. The death of Jesus is an act of forgiveness. A man with no sin has been crucified to pay the price for us to be forgiven. Shame on the people who says they cannot forgive. Shame on the people who claims to be Christians without following what Jesus taught us. Have we witnessed Jesus lately? Take time to read the bible.

5. Obeying the words of God - Forgiveness comes from God. If we acknowledge we are His people then it is quite right to follow what He says. It might be difficult for our "earthly" mind to understand but God's plan for people who follow and serve Him is greater. A better life is waiting for those who forgive cheerfully. God forgave us without conditions. We are recipients of God's forgiveness too. Every time put pride before us, we are actually raising eyebrows with God and not just to the person who wronged us. We forgive because we acknowledge the KINGSHIP of God in our lives.

Forgiveness is a Power which can transform our lives. It starts the moment we say Sorry with all sincerity. Forgiveness from God is a manifestation of His unconditional love. It is a renewal of the old covenant to a new one. In Christ, we are a new creation. Leave the past behind and embrace the new plan of God in our lives.

Amen.

-Jeflivs

Reflections:

Isiah 3:19
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord"

2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Between Pride and You must be Humility.

I was very excited last night that I posted about our team's effort in helping the people in our mission area. I even posted it here in FB with pride. This morning I went over my posts and tried to ask my self, am I boasting? As I read my bible reflection for today, it says,

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the Gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

Thank God for reminding me not to boast on deeds!

Faith comes first before good deeds. Good deeds should just be a manifestation of faith in God. Good deeds will not save you; If good deeds are the basis to heaven then how NOISY heaven would be. All will be boasting of their deeds and achievements...

Jesus was truly amazing when he said that it is through FAITH... because faith cannot be measured or be boasted. No matter how small your faith is, God does not measure how immense it is. Again it was stated in the bible,

“If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you." Luke 17:6

It is by Faith and not by deeds. Good deeds are manifestation of your faith.

Compassion guards ourselves from Greed.
Faith guards ourselves from Self Gratification.
Humility guards ourselves from Pride.

Humility is not putting yourself below others. It is putting God above yourself.

The Blessing of Becoming a Blessing

The Blessing of Becoming a Blessing
 by: Jefferson Jeflivs Livara

All of us wanted to be blessed. In our churches, if only our prayers are broadcast then I would be hearing people asking for blessings and miracles in their lives. Sometimes our prayers become "selfie" too. We become focused on our own needs and fail to listen to the needs of others. We sometimes forget the essence of Christianity as what Jesus has taught us- to love God above anything else and to love others as we love our self.

Little do other people know that helping others who are in need is actually rewarding. It is not a total waste of money and time. When you help others you are doing something for your self too! When you help others:

• You guard your self from greed and selfishness. It teaches you to share what you have. It teaches you how to take care and love the people who are deprived of the goodness in life. It is also a preparation for you to receive more blessings! It can also come as a test of loyalty to God. If you are greedy and selfish, do you think God will give you more? 

• You show obedience to God. It is following the word of God! The bible tells us to help the poor and the oppressed. Everytime we help those people who are in need we make God smile on us. You are making a name in heaven. By doing, you are securing your future... in heaven. When you become obedient to God, everything you ask for will be given unto you. It is in the bible.

•  You LIVe life to the fullest. To live for someone else is one of the most noble ways to live life. Some people merely exist and just think of themselves. They just think of their own safety, own security and own comfort. Sometimes, they cause pain to others and they totally forget that life is not just about themselves. When you live life for someone, victory becomes sweeter. Jesus lived life not only for himself but for the whole mankind.

• You affect eternity. In your little ways you affect the lives of people. You make them feel better. You alleviate them from their present condition. You bring hope. You might not be able to witness it in your whole lifetime but the kindness you showed to them will be the same kindness they will be sharing to others. Who knows your grand children or your grand children's children will benefit the kindness you have showed them.

• You leave a Legacy. You leave a legacy in the minds of the people whom you have helped. With this, your generation will be blessed abundantly because you have become a blessing to the needy. Legacy is not the unfinished business of a dead man given to the living. Legacy is the inspiration, the deeds, the idea, the hope, the love and the honor you will be giving to the people whom you have touched their lives. Yes, you can create a legacy while you are still living. A living legend? Perhaps... but more preferred, a Living Legacy.

I have witnessed how filipinos can join together and help  fellow filipinos who are in need. May be we are already fed up listening about corruption and Napoles... May be we are already tired of watching calamity stricken places in the Philippines... May be we are already fed up of watching children being abused... All because of "HIRAP NG BUHAY".  Yes, life is difficult when you are alone but we are never alone.

I am still proud  to be a Filipino because once in my life I was able to witness how Filipinos worldwide respond to a cry of the young boy from Acao. I appreciate their efforts. I know that  the people who extended their help are also helping  family members or relatives to finish school... they are also helping their families who were left behind in the Philippines fulfill their dreams, a house may be or a farm. The people who love to help others are the PEOPLE who experienced the difficulties in life because they know how it is not to eat  meals; They know how it is to walk for hours just to attend school; They know how it is to sleep in the cold of the night; They know how it is to be deprived of the freedom, right and beauty of life which should have been theirs.

This Blog is dedicated to the Filipinos working abroad who are helping other Filipinos have a better life. Filipinos abroad(SG, HK, US, Middle East, JP, Au, Eu, Cn), and also to those who are here in the Philippines supporting fellow Filipinos.

Thank you for becoming a blessing to others. If everyone will have a heart like this then, we are looking forward to a better and brighter Philippines.

Reflections:

1 Corinthians 12:25-26 "that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

Matthew 25:35-40 - Words of Jesus Christ
"For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."

Why Give Up If God Has Not Given Up On You?

Why give up if God hasn't given up on you
by Jeflivs

When I was still living in the dormitory, Chess was one of the favorite games of ours. There were times we spent sleepless nights solving chess puzzles from grand master dorm mates. It was a terrible mind exercise that will let you thinking for days for the solution. There was one friend of mine that I can never beat in Chess. I lose over and over again every time he plays with me. One day I asked him, “ What is your secret? Your technique seems very effective!” then he replied,”SIMPLIFY”.

SIMPLIFICATION was a technique I adopted in playing chess and also in answering the most difficult mathematical expressions in our class. SIMPLIFICATION in chess is simply feeding some chess pieces to your opponent in order for you to concentrate more on the attack of the few pieces left. In doing so, you save time and your movements become more powerful. The same is with Math equations, you cannot solve complex expressions directly, you need to simplify the equation! Simplifying makes you work with fewer expressions. SIMPLICITY is POWER.

Today, the problems we meet are products of complex and complicated things made. Even Facebook acknowledges a “COMPLICATED” status. Hahaha! Why? Because we tend to choose to be complicated. Complexity is only a reflection of what the mind sees. It is a way of thinking. Even though how complicated your life is but when you choose to simplify it, you are giving your mind time to relax and concentrate to better things in life. Simplification starts when you choose to let go of the things that’s keeping you complicated and miserable.
let go of the Anger, 
let go of the vices, 
let go of the loneliness, 
let go of the pain,
and let go of the hatred in your heart.
You deserve to be Free! You deserve to be loved! You deserve to live in prosperity and success! All because God wants you to BE…

Have you ever experienced a trial in your life, that you almost laid down everything you have… you have exhausted all your efforts… you almost lost hope, faith and love to others BUT have you noticed that when you exhausted every human effort you have your FAITH in GOD remains. It was your faith that carried you through your darkest moment and it served as a guiding light for you to move on. If you haven’t experience it, you haven’t lived at all. Why give up if God has not given up on you!? It is simplicity in action. We are scrapped off from things which complicate us and we are left alone with God. Yes, it is about you and God. That is simplicity. It is the most basic of all. It is to remind us to become HUMBLE and acknowledge God in every victory and defeat we face in life. God will fight for you. God will provide. God will rescue you. Just call His mighty name. We are all entitled to His attention. If you are simple and If God is with you then who could possibly be against you. God loves us and everyday we live by his graces. Never give up on life.

Being simple and humble is not a mark of defeat. Sometimes the most powerful and successful men we knew are the simplest and humblest. They boast not of their material possessions but of the God they believe. For they acknowledge the supremacy of God in their lives. This is what keeps them to be SIMPLE.

Man is clouded by the things he places before God. These things often mislead him to the TRUTH. Christmas is in the air but let us try to see beyond the eyes can see. Are we celebrating it the way God wants us to commemorate the birth of Jesus? Dig deep in your heart and choose to be simple in this way, you will truly experience God’s presence.

Have a simple Monday Morning! Never Give Up.

Reflections:

Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation. (Psalm 91:14-16)

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. (Deut. 31:6)

When Prayers are Answered

When Prayers are Answered
by Jeflivs Livara

Once upon a time there was a couple who prayed for their finances to improve. Everyday and every night they pray that God will help them from their finances. The man working in the fields spent most of his time tilting the land. The woman earns her living by selling fruits and vegetables picked from their small plantation. One day a rich old man came and asked them to sell his inherited land. Three mountains and a river flowing in between makes this land costs millions and of course with a commission enough to buy them a new house and sustain them for the next 25 years.

The couple did not know what to do and disregarded the offer of the old man. The man continued to work in the fields and the woman continued to work selling fruits and vegetable. At the end of the day, the couple prayed again for God to help them with their finances everyday and every night. End of the Story.

I believe that when we pray for something God answers us in three ways: Yes, No or Wait. What if our prayers are already answered but sometimes we fail to notice the answer. In the story, the poor couple prayed for their finances to improve and after praying religiously an old man came offering them commission to sell his property. An opportunity which could have answered their prayers but the problem was, the couple did not know what they were ask for or did not appreciate the way their prayers were answered. Then, they let go of the opportunity.

Isn't it intriguing that such can, may or has happened to us. The reasons why we fail to discover God's answers because we are simply not paying attention. We let go of the moment. We let go of the chance and pray for another chance. It seems, we only know God when we ask for something like the genie in a bottle or we only acknowledge God when good things happen in the way we want it to be.What if God answers in the way God likes it to be? Are we ready to accept and embrace the answer? I hope you do! Many of us think that God does not answer our prayers (but in fact He did) because

1. We want the answers the way we like it to happen.It is not how we want it to be answered but it is how God wants it to be. He is God. He knows what is best for us. Many times we kept praying but the things we are praying for have long been answered. We cannot just accept it because it does not conform what we have in mind.

2. We fail to reflect.
The best way to understand your life is to take a moment of silence and reflect from the things that transpired. By doing so, we can point out what areas in our lives we fall short. We can pinpoint areas in our attitude where we went wrong. Reflection is a form of evaluating ourselves... evaluating our life. It improves the way we think. It improves the way we see life and enables us to be ready for the future. If you try to reflect in  life,  you would agree that God gives us hundreds of chances... hundreds of opportunities... and hundreds of understanding. Reflect on a verse in the bible and discover how God works in your life.

3. We become insensitive to the things around us.We sometimes fail to see answered prayers because we are focused on other things. We become insensitive to the world around us. We become insensitive to the inner voice speaking to us. We become insensitive to our own selves. In this world of technological advancement, we should still learn to become attentive to God and things happening around us. They might not be exact answers but may lead us to answered prayers. Pride can cloud our heart. It can leave us callous of other's feelings.

4. We look for worldly reasons. We fail to accept answered prayers because we sometimes give explanations to things which are given from God. We do not acknowledge God anymore. We let science give and find the answers. We become too much dependent on  Human Philosophies and Scientific Reasoning we get to explain why things happen. We become so much dependent in our own might that we fail to acknowledge graces from God.

5. We are not ready to accept the answered prayer.We ask many things but when answered we do not know how to react. We do not know how to accept the answer God has provided us. This makes us ignorant to our own prayers and longings. God loves us. Sometimes I get a feeling we are already "spoiled". Didn't you know that God loved us more than his son? Read John 3:16 and tell me.

We have a good God. The God you believe is a reflection of who you are. The prayers you ask is the reflection of your spiritual needs.

When prayers are answered, are you ready to respond and acknowledge God who gave you all these?We have a God who fulfills His promises.

Reflection:
1 John 5:14-15
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

The Wolf's Prophecies

The Wolf's Prophecies
by: Jeflivs

The Philippines is the only Christian Nation in Asia and I am damn proud. In a christian nation, I enjoy the privilege to talk about my faith and practice my faith through service. I also enjoy the freedom to worship the God I believe without fear and prejudice. I am grateful to be born in a country of  "lambs" where love, faith and hope overflows abundantly.

 Few days ago, the "only christian" nation came to a panic when heard about the report of a television network of the disease spreading in Pangasinan. According to people I talked to, it is the fulfillment what that "Indian Prophet" has mentioned during a visit in the Philippines. I myself watched the video of his "prophecies" and found nothing supernatural or "prophetic". Floods, earthquakes, typhoon, volcanic eruptions and so on are natural in the Philippines for the reasons that we are in the Pacific Ring of Fire and incidentally, we are also located along the typhoon path of the pacific. Nothing is extraordinary. I have been living my life with these calamities. I have experienced floods of NCR and NL; I have experienced the strongest earthquake in 16, July 1990; I have experienced the effects of Mt. Pinatubo; What more? The Philippines almost have it all. They all came! The most extraordinary of all is that Filipinos manage to smile through it all.

Prophecies are words of God. It should bring HOPE and not fear. It should uplift the weary. It should inspire people. It should manifest LOVE. Why? Because it is the word of God. Jesus is the fulfillment of the words of God. If we read the bible and read the stories of the prophets, they always mention of a Savior. They mention of a messiah. All the words of those prophets were fulfilled with no uncertainty. They were truly inspired by God. They were not wolves clothe in sheep using God's words to prosper their own ministry. Even as a Christian Nation, we sometimes fall short. We are Christians by name but not in deeds. We are fooled easily because we know only a little of God's words. Little knowledge is dangerous. Religion is exalted rather than meaningful relationship to God. Some would mix cultural rituals as religious practices to a christian experience. A confused christian community is what we have. The way the oppressor wants it to be. The easiest way to get into the veins of filipinos is to hit them hard on their cultural rituals and beliefs. Hit them hard on the religious statues they place everywhere and they will always remember your name.  Hit them hard why young filipinas like to consult fortune tellers before discovering their purpose in God. Hit them hard why they go to church but remain cold-hearted to their brothers and sisters. Hit them hard why they ask for God's forgiveness and yet they cannot forgive others - "forgive us for our sins as we forgive those who sin against us...". We become no less than the false prophets for we fail to accept Christ fully in our lives.

In this generation, we often hear "the end of the world", "the rise of 666", "The fulfillment of prophecies". "Wrath of God", "Great Famine", "Great Flood" and "War of the Worlds"; I just smile and leave the worry behind because I believe in a GOD that brings hope, love and prosperity. As the bible says in 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."

The prophecies God wanted you to hear is available for free in the book of life. Read and reflect on it everyday and you will never fear for the future. Be on guard and do not let the Wolf's Prophecies affect the lives of the good lambs.
Amen!

-Jeflivs

Reflections:

Matthew 24:24  “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

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."

Covered in Glory

Covered in Glory
by Jeflivs Livara

As I watch the news this morning, an illness that consumes the flesh and decays the skin is spreading in Pangasinan. The victims have been brought to doctors but cannot find for a cure. The mode of transmission is undetermined and it could possibly wipe out the whole population. Medical experts from here don't have exact idea for the disease and still remains under investigation. Our churches become filled and over flowing in times of fear and uncertainty. We only know God when we ask for something. We only know God when we fear of something. We only know God when He is our last choice. God shouldn't be our last choice. Worse, we blame God.

God created everything in this world good and everything which has been made has a purpose. Sickness is not the WILL of God to us. The truth is, it is our attitude towards others which makes us sick. Anger, depression, loneliness, brokenness, fear, envy, pride and selfishness can kill you faster than any other diseases. In some studies conducted, people with a cheerful heart have the longest life. Now, this breaks our old saying," Masamang damo, mahirap mamatay". A thankful heart receives more blessings!

We fear to much of things yet to come. We fear too much of our security. We fear too much of our life. Why? because we are NOT PREPARED. Instead of fear, prepare. We can be blanketed by his glory as protection.

Get to know God - knowing God is not just attending church. It is having a good relationship with HIM. Invest in the gospel. You are a reflection of the God you worship. It is not the rituals you do in church that makes you a better person. It is your relationship with God.

Build strong faith foundation - Build a strong faith foundation, which will guide you. The world shouldn't be the one to influence you but YOU influence the world with your faith in God. It guides us from witnessing the truth.

Serve God - You do not need to become a reverend in order to spread the gospel. God can use you as an instrument for who you are and whatever circumstances you have been. God can use you to inspire others.

Serve Others - Apart from your high paying job, I encourage you to do charity works. Serving others guards our heart from PRIDE. It simply humbles us. There is also a deep excitement and joy every time we serve which no material things can give.

Pray for someone - Praying for someone is not the same as wishing for someone's birthday. It is best to pray for that someone in his presence. We do that. We do it often. Anywhere... anytime... because you just don't know how that simple prayer can brighten up his day or even change his life.

Be thankful - A thankful heart receives the most blessings. Be blessed and be a blessing to others too. Thank the Lord for everything. Thank the Lord for his graces for they were given for free.

These are few but it will be a good start and the GLORY of God will shine on you. You become a refined individual. Fear Proof, anger proof, sad proof and so on... because you are consumed by the Holy Spirit. His fire is burning inside your heart and no sickness or illness can even touch you because you are all COVERED in his GLORY. Right before my eyes, I have seen the blind being healed.

Right before my eyes, I have seen the deaf start to hear.
Right before my eyes, I have seen the handicapped walk again.
Right before my eyes, I have seen sick and helpless being healed in the NAME of Jesus.

Again, why fear if the way to receive His glory is through faith and worship. You did not chose God. God has chosen you first. You did not search for God but God has searched for you first like a sheep lost from the herd. In the eyes of God you are important and you are entitled to live in His glory.

May you have a Glorious Tuesday.
Jeflivs

Reflections:
Proverbs 4:20-22
"My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh."

1 Peter 1:2
"Dear friends, God the Father chose you long ago and knew you would become His children."