Not in the sense of God's wisdom, understanding (sense) etc; but in the sense of "sensing God"...

(Had to clear that up first)

I've been trying to discipline myself into reading a little from the Bible again each day. I am innately aware of my need to do so, in fact, I started writing down scriptures again that I had once memorized but since forgotten. I've gone through a long season of not reading His word, and let me tell ya, I can tell the difference.

As is God's way, He spoke to me through His word once again with the first scripture I had transposed from my old bible. It comes from the book of James, and I will break it down here:

Js 4:5: "..or do you thik that the Scripture says in vain ""The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? (the NIV I think reads "God Jealously yearns for the Spirit he caused to live inside us" - loose translation).

So, after a long day at work, driving home through the gridlock & rain (I'm sure many can relate), I had the choice to hang out & watch the tube or take a short nap before I had to go out again in a half hour. Then I noticed my bible sitting on the table where I had left it, and the Spirit prompting me to look inside. God was jealously yearning for my Spirit to connect to His...

6: But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble".

7: Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

One by one, I could write about what these scriptures mean to me for an hour or more. There is so much there. This last scripture reminded me of something I read or heard someone say yesterday about God's voice being quiet & soft. (His still soft voice). The thought of God drawing near to me is very uplifting to say the least, and humbling. I know when He does I can sense it, if I listen for it. It often brings me so much peace, the peace that I can't understand but is none-the-less there. (Peace that passes all understanding).

But then I thought about the many times I have not sensed his presence, and the Holy Spirit drew me back to the previous verse, #6: "Therefore, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the "humble". I am convinced that this is a key to happiness. Not that I'm always in the "humble" state of mind, but when I can take an objective view of my life, character, behavior, and ask God to take the reigns & help me in that way, He is always faithful.

Anyway, just thought I'd share that. As always, the Word becomes alive when I really take the time to "hear".

Last week I was feeling like a failure, but this past weekend, God showed me that 1. It's not about me. and 2. He is always working. PTL. -Aarika

Today, God healed my hubby from his stomach pains. PTL. - Geneyem

Today, my email was hacked into, but I was able to recover it. PTL. -Joanna Pantig

Praise the Lord for real friends.

Although it's hard to admit after 17 years of sobriety, I could have very easily thrown that away recently during an outing with some good friends. We were all hanging out for the weekend just to get away from life for a while, and really having a great time just kickin' it.

Saturday Night rolled around, and we were all hanging around the fire just chewin the fat & picking on each other, when some of my friends went out to get a few beers to celebrate the weekend.

I immediately knew I was in trouble, but didn't want to go against my friends' wishes. As soon as they left, however, I knew I had to get out of there so I crawled back into my tent at 8 at night. Earlier when we were talking about our pasts & the stupid things we used to do, I started feeling IT. For those of your that used to drink but no longer do, maybe you'll know what I'm talking about. You know, the feeling like youve already had a few just from remembering what it used to be like. It's a strange physiological sensation & I'd had it before. I knew that as soon as the beers started going around I'd be really tempted to just kick back & have a cold one. First the old memory would kick in & remind me of all the times I got stoned or drunk around a campfire, then once I started feeling that way it wouldn't be a big stretch to actually just go there. And I knew instinctively that would be the turning point for my growth also, once I broke my sobriety I'd have no reason to stop - it's just the addictive mindset.

Don't get me wrong - I know Jesus has completely healed me, & I no longer consider myself an alcoholic or drug addict, but I do believe in those old familiar spirits coming back to haunt me if I put myself in their paths.

But something good came of this whole situation - true friends doing what true friends do. As soon as they returned & found me back in my tent - they put the beer away & asked me to come back & hang out with them again. That was really cool. That's what I call true friends. By the way, if you ever find yourself in that situation with an ex-addict/alcoholic, do them a favor & remember my story. It's about decisions, and what's most important. Thank you my friends. You know who you are.
PTL. - Steven

Today, God rebuked me of my sinful habits. PTL. -Geneyem

Today, Marc Anthony De los Santos Dizon committed his life to Christ. PTL. -Julian

Lord I believe, help my unbelief. PTL- E.J.

God reminded me tonight He was still here...

How awesome it is to be able to just say that God is near & I know it to be true. It's like a sixth sense, because I felt his presence tonight. Sometimes I long for just a nudge, a simple word from the Holy Spirit, and when it comes it's better than Pasta or Pizza.

For a long time I've been having withdrawels from a lack of worship in my life. In fact, even though I am a musician by calling, often I don't even want to listen to music. If that sounds strange, I'm telling you it is. It's a weird place to be. Was a time in my past when I could sit and play my guitar for an hour just worshiping God in the Holy Spirit, singing scriptures in English & the small amount of Hebrew that I learned. It was such an uplifting time. Haven't had that kind of experience in a while, until tonight.

Tonight I got a breakthrough. It was a practice session for the worship team at church. I love the team - everyone there is so real & cool with each other. We are a tight knit family of believers, no attitudes, nothing lingering below the surface. Just some real people loving on each other & goofing with each other & just being real. Tonight, however, I was just feeling a bit disconnected. Things didn't sound right to me, and I was having trouble keeping beat & playing the correct chords. Normally I could just disengage & go with the flow, but I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to pray with the team. We all came together & prayed, and the mood transformed into a beautiful time of peace & worship. It was incredible. The last song we played was more of what we call a "flow" , the song lingered on as people just worshiped through it, and when the time came, the last note was played right on time and it ended softly, like falling on a bed of soft pillows. It was awesome.

What God showed me was that I do care about worship more than I realized. And that through the praises of his people God manifests himself. Awesome.

Today, i got into a car accident on the 57 south and watched as everything around me got shifted into perspective. I was actually not scared for myself, but more so scared of hitting other people and causing other people to crash. And yet God was there. PTL for the reality that God continually saves. -Aarika

Tonight I had an opportunity to watch a group of Christian believers portray the Gospel in their deeds. A disparaged man who wandered in off the streets to our Community Feed was ministered to in a holy way.

When the man, who I will call Tom, arrived at the hall where the feed was held, things were winding down. The hall had been cleaned up, tables stowed away, floor vaccumed, and the volunteers were taking care of last minute details before locking up & going home.

I was in the kitchen when someone asked me if there was any food left to give to the man. I surveyed the situation - we had two boxes full of bread & bananas, hardly a full course meal but at least some sustanance. As I carried a box out of the kitchen, Tom was sitting down being ministered to by some of our elders. I listened as he explained how he got there. He looked like he had seen better days & it was obvious he had not been able to take care of himself well. His face was full of scars and he was weak but talkative. He wore a walking cast which covered up some badly mangled feet. His eyes revealed his desparation & need for some help.

My first inclination was that we were all going to be there for a while. I just have to be honest. I was tired, it had been a long day. Then the Holy Spirit helped me to step back & really assess the situation. Thats when God blessed my socks off.

This could have been a scene from the days of Jesus. My pharisee attitude quickly took a back seat by the grace of God. As I stood & listened to Tom talk, God showed me that this was a divine appointment.

For the next 45 minutes, the love of Jesus rained down on him. He received a meal put together by the kitchen staff; a nice dress shirt someone was wearing to replace his tattered t-shirt; two pairs of clean socks; a belt, & much personal ministry. He wasn't going to get away without God showing Tom how much He loved him. A warm rag helped wash some of the dirt off his face, back & feet, and by the time he left Jesus had given him his best. As we were praying over him before he left, Tom started to break from the love being poured into his life. The gospel of Jesus was presented to Him, but the words were just a follow up the actions that came before.

Watching God's love flow through the conduit of his people to this broken & disparaged man was like a ray of sunshine on a cold day. I was reminded of the scripture that states that we can love because God first loved us. What an awesome experience it was watching the gospel unfold in deeds & words. My faith has been renewed in a mighty way tonight.

People change and people grow. Together and apart. What's nice to know is that all change is truly and solely a testament that God is working in all of us. PTL. -Aarika

Praise God for love because I love to love and think we all should love. - RJ

Praise God that we can find rest in Him. - Melody

Praise God for the people in my life who keep me accountable and focused on Him.  -Heidi

God helps the helpless. I needed some money to help someone in my family, and I was complaining to the Lord, "You know I have nothing. It seems impossible." I came home from school today, and an unexpected relative was in my house. She gave me $200. God is so good and provides my needs daily, "Give us this day our daily bread" PTL. -Alex

Yesterday, we had our first Lunch'n'Learn of the quarter with some dance team friends, which was such a blessed experience! God revealed His faithfulness that He is working in hearts to ask questions and to seek answers about Christ. Sometimes I just sat in awe of the work God is doing. God is definitely moving! PTL! -Melody

Today, EJ had a great performance (sorry I'm spoiling it for you Eej!) and I couldn't be more happy with the work that he put into his art. He shared with me his joys and struggles and we prayed together over the phone before he went onstage. God is the most creative Creator who created creativity and instilled that in a young new actor at Walnut High School. PTL. -Julian

That the Spirit blew into my heart not of my accord. I don't have control of life, God does, That is a comfort.PTL- E.J.

Today, I had quite the test of patience. I had an audition at noon in the Lower East Side, before which I set to complete some errands nearby. I planned my itinerary down to the minute, taking down directions from each destination to the next. I was way ahead of schedule when I started to go to my audition, which I try to be at 30 in advance. However I got so lost I walked in the wrong direction for 35 minutes, had to a take the subway back in the other direction, and arrived at my audition 5 minutes before my appointment. God was testing my patience today and I definitely failed, repenting a couple times throughout the wandering. I thought to myself "why does God need to test my patience so many times a week?!" Well it wasn't too long after I realized the answer: "...because you still need to get better at it." The audition ended up going very well, and I rejoiced -- not just because of that, but because I was reminded that no matter how much I try to plan and prepare, I still can't control my future. It's not that I lost control, it's that I never had the control to begin with! PTL. - Julian

"False gods cannot forgive you for your sins, they can only punish you for your sins." Tim Keller PTL. - Julian

"Now if we are made for heaven, the desire for our proper place will be already in us, but not yet attached to the true object, and will appear as the rival of that object. And this, I think, is just what we find" C.S. Lewis. PTL. -Alex

What a nice morning. The sun is out, the chickens are laying, people are happy, all is OK with the world.

I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit this morning when I still half asleep. Can't describe it other than to say that it's like a ray of sunshine to my soul. God is so awesome. Lately I've been praying for the Lord to give me a divine appointment, an opportunity to speak into one's life from the Holy Spirit. He has been faithful & given me those appointments. God is good!

Today was a tiring day. By noon as I sat having lunch with my mom, I told her I was ready to go home & go back to bed. I was just worn out.

I contemplated skipping my practice at church, but decided against it. Each week our Praise & Worship team gets together to practice & just hang out for a couple of hours, and when I finally got there, I was glad I didn't bail. As soon as I walked in the church I saw several familiar friendly faces, and I felt, as I always do, right at home, and refreshed from my tiring day.

Our church experiences a unity in the Spirit I've not experienced in other relationships in the time I've walked with Jesus. It's incredible. There's a real maturity, and peace, in the friendships that have formed there. Not that we don't know how to have fun - we do. We have several resident clows & comedians that love to keep things off balance, which is great, because the last thing anyone there wants is religiousity. But we also take care of each other & aren't afraid to ask tough questions if something seems amiss in someones life. It's literally like a healthy, whole family. Sure, there's issues, but we deal with them & then celebrate our closeness once again. I love my church family - they are a vital part of my life & bring completion & happiness to me in many ways. God bless them all.

On Sunday, a woman (Rhonda) was passing by CFBC to use the restroom when she initiated conversation with me and Pastor Ed. She shared that she was also Christian and unexpectedly opened up about her struggles with her family. After we prayed for her, she thanked us and left. Soon after, she returned with another woman (Rosa) who she had just met. Rosa had noticed that Rhonda had been crying and asked Rhonda if she could take her back to CFBC so she could also receive prayer. Pastor Ed and Pastor Bong led us in prayer for Rosa and the hardships with her family. PTL for the God of all comfort who comforts us so that we may comfort others. -Melody

Today, is my husband's birthday. I praise God for him and how he continuously rebukes and encourages me. He's a great father and a great husband and a great leader. PTL. - Geneyem

God is teaching me to not be afraid of mistakes because at the end of the day these mistakes will only benefit me if I truly take the time to think them through and learn from them. PTL for mistakes and how God uses them to shape me for His glory. PTL. - Richeezy

Today, God answered my prayer for humbling me and the decision to go to Costa Rica. Thank you Lord for friends who pray and rebuke me. PTL.
-cleofayepeniel

Blessed to have a brother who will fix my car so it runs smoothly without weird noises!!! PTL!!! - Marloooo

Today, a friend of Melody & me, with the guidance of Melody & the Spirit, gave her life to Christ! The heavens rejoice over another soul saved, and I'm in awe of God's grace! PTL!!!!! - Julian

Today, EJ wrote this and I was so blessed by his maturity and faith in Christ:

"So as you know I got my appendix removed and to keep it short and to the point. It was a great experience. I think through it I have seen that much more of God's providence and my fragility. I got to experience the merciful side of God in a way only few can experience. Being close to death wasn't as nerve racking as I thought only because of one reason. Christ. His death reminded me of how little my pain is compared to his. My burden is nothing. I literally shouldn't worry because Christ did it. I wasn't afraid because to live is Christ and to die is gain. Whether I'm alive or not I am the Lord's. I am Christ's property. So I really was not all that scared. I am not trying to brag in my own bravery because it was only given by the Holy Spirit through Christ's finished work on the cross. So thankfully I'm alive and I feel his grace."

Where most his age would lament, he's able to give praise. PTL. - Julian

I didn't die of toxins killing my intestines due to the rupture of an organ that is the size of my thumb. PTL - E.J.

A day older than yesterday. A year older than last. I am alive in Christ. PTL. -Jacquie

Tonight, one of my residents told me she wanted to commit her life to honoring God with Jesus as her Lord and Savior. My heart is overflowing with joy and praise for the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in her life! Praise the Lord indeed!!! -Melody

I can give my burdens to a God who laid the foundations of the world. Who set boundaries for the oceans when they burst out of the womb. Who controls the universe by the word of his power. Who simply was. This is amazing. PTL- edward

Today, I took the afternoon easy and after cleaning my room spent some time in prayer. As I did, I began to look around me and became in awe of the space. The money, time, effort and circumstances to bring this little room together are all possible because they were first willed by the Father. PTL. - Julian

Today, 23 years ago, Melron Farol Cruz was born. PTL. - Julian

Surf City (Half) Marathon is this Sunday, and I have been preparing for almost a year. I haven't ran in a little over a month and a half. Tuesday, I ran a mile and a half. It took me almost an hour. Today, I ran almost three miles in under an hour. I know I'll be sore for the next few days, but I am so grateful for having legs to run. PTL. -Jacquie

This weekend, I experienced the work of our God of all comforts (2 Corinthians 1:3-11) through the comfort of a sister and brothers-in-Christ. PTL. -Melody

Last night, my car battery died when I stopped at Tutti Frutti about a mile and a half away from my house. My parents were in Torrance, my Kuya JP wasn't home, my Kuya Joem wasn't answering his phone, and my Kuya Jino was out with his family. I called E and he was actually home and his battery died shortly after I called him. PTL for His perfect timing. E didn't have jumper cables and neither did I, so we called Tita Yoly and she was about to leave her house, but she had jumper cables! PTL for His perfect timing. E was able to jump start my battery and I was able to go home! PTL. -Krissa

Yesterday, my car overheated in west covina so i had to bring it to pepboys therefore pushing back all of my afternoon plans. They told me that i had a hole in my radiator and that it needed to be replaced which was running at: $600. (YIKES!) But PTL for God's providence through Uncle Tony and Tito Dodo, who quickly came to my rescue, gave me advice, took my car and are in the process of fixing it for a substantially cheaper cost. Also, PTL that my grandparents were so willing to pick up my sibs AND take me to work where we closed early and a friend of mine was able to bring me home in time to finish ALL of my homework. Overall, PTL for a God who brings us to situations that just seem to be a pile of trash, but then reveals that He's got a trashbag in His pocket and will help us clean up the mess. All the time He is just too good to me and I praise Him for His mercy! -Aarika

Today I was able to celebrate my birthday with my hubby only!! PTL. - Geneyem

Jesus Christ atones for us. The Holy Spirit transforms us. God loves us. And they all want us to kill sin. they All will never forsake us. PTL - E.J.

Someone finally accepted our offer, signed all the paper work and now waiting for escrow to close on the 29th of this month. PTL. - Geneyem

"So the eternal law demands that we purify our love by turning it away from temporal things and toward what is eternal"-St. Augustine PTL. -Alex

Got a text from Jasmine saying at the church plant Regen church she met a girl who got saved at a CFBC VBS 6 years ago. PTL. -PJ