“IF YOU HAD AN INN WOULD YOU LET THEM IN?”

Joseph & Mary were looking for a place to stay.

But Bethlehem must have been packed with people at that time.

There was a requirement for everyone to return to their ancestral towns & be listed in the census. Joseph & Mary were part of the crowd who went to Bethlehem to be listed.

Then it had to happen right there.

Luke 2:6 says that while Joseph & Mary “were there, the time came for her to be delivered.”

There were too many people in the town at that time that they found “no place for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

IF YOU HAD AN INN WOULD YOU LET THEM IN?

Maybe you would quickly say “Yes! Come in.”

But what if Joseph & Mary tells you, “Thanks for the hospitality. But looks like we can’t stay here. Maybe you didn’t notice it but your inn is FULL.”

My friend, DO YOU HAVE ROOM IN YOUR LIFE FOR JESUS.

Maybe you just didn’t notice but your LIFE is already FULL. You don’t have space for Jesus.

1. FULL of WORRIES. You worry too much. You worry all the time. Worry fills up your day that you don’t even have time to pray.
2. FULL of HURT. You experienced brokenness in the past. You always asked, “where was God when people were hurting me?”
3. FULL of RESOURCES. You trust your money, job, business & properties so most of your time is spent accumulating more of them.
4. FULL of DOUBT. You need hard evidence to believe in Jesus. You will only believe scientific data & not a book that has survived 2,000 years.
5. FULL of YOURSELF. You think you’re superior to anyone. You don’t feel the need for anyone else. You don’t even have the need for God.

Do a self check as we end #advent2020 this week.

Your life may be FULL & you don’t know it.  Jesus wants to ENTER your LIFE but it’s FULL.

There’s still time for your unwanted “guests” to CHECK OUT so that Jesus may COME IN.

Do it now before it’s too late. May God bless you this week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

#shareaboutJesus #GBYW

"DO YOU SMILE EVEN IF YOU'RE WEARING A MASK?"

I DO.

Especially during the picture taking :)

Since wearing masks became a way of life our world appears to be less friendly.

I don't know what the other person's intention are because most of the face is covered.

Is this person friendly, happy, sad or afraid? Does this person have good or bad intentions?

Is it worth it to smile when you meet someone even with your mask on ?

My personal suggestion. Yes!

Smile even with your mask on.

Because your eyes & eyebrows still reveals some information about you.

The wrinkles on the side of your eyes also shows your positive energy.

Smiling with your face mask on is like JOY.  Your JOY is not seen but surely it’s felt by others.

There is no need for you to use "#blessed" or "feeling happy" in your posts.

Because your mere presences exudes JOY.

JOY starts from your inner disposition & then revealed in other ways.

JOY is an inside job. JOY as an internal element that is not dependent on your external circumstances

Because JOY is rooted on God’s unconditional love.

St. Paul is my hero when it comes JOY.

He didn’t have an easy life but he had a JOYful one.

He experienced lashing from the Jews, got beaten up with rods & was also stoned too.

He was shipwrecked three times, imprisoned, robbed, experienced hunger & other forms of persecution. Read 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 for more details.

Yet, despite all these hardships, he preaches "Rejoice always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

Paul experienced sorrow but he knew that JOY walks with him.

His JOY was unshakeable despite his unfavorable circumstances.

He himself said that he was "sorrowful yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor. 6:10).

Why?

BECAUSE HIS JOY WAS IN THE LORD, NOT IN HIS CIRCUMSTANCES.

If you’re experiencing a “storm”, Paul is reminding you to, “REJOICE in the Lord always. I shall say it again: REJOICE!" (Philippians 4:4)

JOY is what we reflect on this 3rd week of Advent.

May we be JOYFUL not because Christmas is near but because JESUS is always NEAR.

Friends, I pray that JOY may fill up your life in Jesus name! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

#shareaboutJesus  #advent2020

"WHAT IS LOVE?"

We all struggle in answering the question, "What is LOVE?" Because there are different kinds of LOVE & we don't know what kind is best for us. God's LOVE is the best type of LOVE for you. That's the truth.

Our mistake is we try to replace God's LOVE with other things that fail our expectations. Self-centered love will never replace LOVE that is God-centered.

Let's understand God's LOVE by using a popular verse John 3:16.

"For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."

• "For God so loved the world" - God loves you. God pursues you to LOVE you. The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-31 shows this kind of LOVE. The son was still a long way off but when his father saw him he "was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him & kissed him" (Luke 15:20). The Father does not wait for you to be 100% good. God sees you from a distance & runs to meet you! There is nothing required for God to LOVE you. He simply LOVEs to LOVE you.
• "he gave His only Son" - It's the most expensive kind of LOVE because God laid down His life for you. Jesus says that the greatest LOVE is , "to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John 15:13). That's what Jesus did on the cross. That's how God loves you.
• "everyone who believes" - It's the LOVE that's freely given to undeserving creatures, that's you, that's us. Romans 5:8 says, "But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." The love of God is the greatest because while we don't deserve it, HE loves us.
• "have eternal life" - It's the LOVE that will give us the ever lasting joy. Human love can be like food products that have "BEST BEFORE" limits. God's LOVE is perfect because it is for eternity. What is eternity? John 17:3 give us the answer when it says, "Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, & the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ." So KNOW God & LOVE Him.

How should you respond to God's LOVE?

You need to treasure God above all things. Make God your top priority always.

This 2nd week of #advent2020, I pray that the light of the 2nd candle will be a reminder of God's unending LOVE for you.

Love like Jesus. That's the best kind of LOVE that you can give.

May God bless your week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

"HUWAG KA NAMAN PAASA"

Pero pwede kang umasa.

Saan? Umasa ka sa Diyos.

Always remind yourself to HOPE IN GOD!

Yan ang mensahe sa unang linggo ng Adbiyento - "PAG-ASA", "HOPE".

May nakikita ka pa ba na PAG-ASA sa buhay mo? How much HOPE do you still have with what 2020 gave us?

Or is HOPELESSNESS ruling your life now?

The future may look bleak but you are called to HOPE IN GOD.

Ano ba iyang PAG-ASA na pinag-uusapan natin?

What is this thing called HOPE?

HOPE is not only the desire for something good to happen.

HOPE is not saying, "I hope to find a new job soon. I am not sure but I want it to happen."

HOPE means you expect it to happen.

It is the confident expectation & desire that something good will come in the future.

The phrase, “HOPE IN GOD” doesn't mean, “Cross your fingers" or "Wish ko lang".

Instead it means, “Expect awesome things to come from God!”

To HOPE in GOD means to draw HOPE from God Himself.

• When people put you down. Lalo na iyong mga taong mahal mo pa naman. Draw HOPE from God so that He may give you the strength to extend love to them instead of seeking revenge.
• When there are challenges in your livelihood. Draw HOPE from God that He give you strength to keep moving forward. To never give up. Marami pa dyan pwedeng bentahan.
• When a you're sick. Draw HOPE from God that He will give you strength to recover. Rest, relax & re-hydrate your body. Less stress is always the best way to rest.
• When you're faced with temptation. Draw HOPE from God that He give you strength that you may keep yourself holy & pure. Tukso, layuan mo ako!

Having HOPE in God is pursuing the path to holiness!

That is what God wants for you.

So fill up your HOPE tank by spending extra time with God this #advent2020.

Check out Pathways of HOPE to get you daily dose of HOPE.

Romans 15:13 says "May the God of hope fill you with all joy & peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope"

As you start #advent2020 this week, wait with confidence for the the good things that God will bring in your life.

Always Hope in God! May God bless your week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com