What would it take for me to start working for Christ? I've been working, as diligently as I can, as a teacher, but when can I say the same thing about working for Christ? Why do I need to compartmentalize being Christ's worker and wait until something in my life is right or wait until something is finished?
He calls each one and since he's the one who does the calling, then we can rest assure that he will see through the work He will give.
"It is not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face for YOU LOVE THEM." Psalm 44:3
30 January
KEEP WATCH, BE ON GUARD
There are only two days that are important to us: TODAY and THAT DAY when the LORD comes. THAT DAY could be anytime now, it could be TODAY. Which brings us to the questions: How do I want God to see me when THAT DAY comes? Am I living the life that I want the Lord to catch me up with?
(Ephesians 5:15-16) "Be careful then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most out of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
It is only right that we take every opportunity to do good. There is always someone around us who could use our help and it is no accident that we come across them. They may not bug us to give them something to eat but merely judging by their looks, we'll know that we are far more fortunate. There may be people we know who, without giving us the slightest hint, could use our blessings - which could come in the form of gentle words, encouragement, or just a simple pat on the back. This is one way to look at 'making the most out of every opportunity'. Watch out how we could be blessings to others.
We have the tendency to mind our own business and think that there are areas in our lives that need to be taken care of first before we can be blessings. Bills to pay, our own personal heartbreak, how we feel we were misjudged or persecuted. But if we look closely, we actually have everything to be thankful and joyful about. Every problem or setback is an opportunity to call out to God. If we just take the time to consult Him, we'll find out that He's really onto us because nothing - "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" - Romans 8:38-39
God is present everywhere, even in pain. Life is not really like a round tire where sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down. It always has the up and down and it is up to us where we want to stay. How do we deal with the pain in our lives?
When Jesus was suffering on the cross, his heart must have bore the lashes of excruciating pain on his body. He must have every reason to be angry and bitter to the people whom, after all the compassion that he'd extended to them, at the end the same people who persecuted him. He has every reason to be angry. Oh I know I would be angry! But instead, all he could say was, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." Amazing! What stubborn joy!
I know, but we're not Jesus. How about we take a look at Robert Reed's life. He's not Jesus either. (From Peace that Defies Pain by Max Lucado)
"I have everything I need for joy!" Robert Reed said. "Amazing!" I thought.
His hands are twisted and his feet are useless. He can’t bathe himself. He can’t
feed himself. He can’t brush his teeth, comb his hair, or put on his underwear. His shirts
are held together by strips of Velcro®. His speech drags like a worn-out audio cassette.
Robert has cerebral palsy.
The disease keeps him from driving a car, riding a bike, and going for a walk. But
it didn’t keep him from graduating from high school or attending Abilene Christian
University, from which he graduated with a degree in Latin. Having cerebral palsy didn’t
keep him from teaching at a St. Louis junior college or from venturing overseas on five
mission trips.
And Robert’s disease didn’t prevent him from becoming a missionary in Portugal.
He moved to Lisbon, alone, in 1972. There he rented a hotel room and began studying
Portuguese. He found a restaurant owner who would feed him after the rush hour and a
tutor who would instruct him in the language.
Then he stationed himself daily in a park, where he distributed brochures about
Christ. Within six years he led seventy people to the Lord, one of whom became his wife, Rosa.
I heard Robert speak recently. I watched other men carry him in his wheelchair
onto the platform. I watched them lay a Bible in his lap. I watched his stiff fingers force
open the pages. And I watched people in the audience wipe away tears of admiration
from their faces. Robert could have asked for sympathy or pity, but he did just the
opposite. He held his bent hand up in the air and boasted, "I have everything I need for
joy."
His shirts are held together by Velcro®, but his life is held together by joy.
Joy is not based on emotion but on willful decision. It often hides itself under the murk of pain and it is up to us if we are going to search for it, if we're going to allow it's radiance to shine thru.
Psalm 126: 5-6 "Those who cry as they plant crops will sing at harvest time. Those who cry as they carry out the seeds will return singing and carrying bundles of grain."
Planting here is like cultivating something, something good. Planting for me is sharing the good news. However, the thought of sharing my faith to others - my friends, whom I've known for a long time and who've known me from long ago, family members, teachers, students - would always bring me a sense of discouragement or fear or even worse, shame. What's even awful is when the opportunity passed and I realized I didn't get out of my way, I didn't get out of my comfort zone, to share the love of Jesus. That verse in Psalm 126 is telling me that I should just fix my eyes on what can happen during harvest time, and that it's all that matters. When I learn to do that, then I can truly say that I can "Rejoice and be glad for [I] have a great reward waiting for [me] in heaven." (Matt 5:12)
There are only two days that are important to us: TODAY and THAT DAY when the LORD comes. THAT DAY could be anytime now, it could be TODAY. Which brings us to the questions: How do I want God to see me when THAT DAY comes? Am I living the life that I want the Lord to catch me up with?
(Ephesians 5:15-16) "Be careful then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most out of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
It is only right that we take every opportunity to do good. There is always someone around us who could use our help and it is no accident that we come across them. They may not bug us to give them something to eat but merely judging by their looks, we'll know that we are far more fortunate. There may be people we know who, without giving us the slightest hint, could use our blessings - which could come in the form of gentle words, encouragement, or just a simple pat on the back. This is one way to look at 'making the most out of every opportunity'. Watch out how we could be blessings to others.
We have the tendency to mind our own business and think that there are areas in our lives that need to be taken care of first before we can be blessings. Bills to pay, our own personal heartbreak, how we feel we were misjudged or persecuted. But if we look closely, we actually have everything to be thankful and joyful about. Every problem or setback is an opportunity to call out to God. If we just take the time to consult Him, we'll find out that He's really onto us because nothing - "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" - Romans 8:38-39
God is present everywhere, even in pain. Life is not really like a round tire where sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down. It always has the up and down and it is up to us where we want to stay. How do we deal with the pain in our lives?
When Jesus was suffering on the cross, his heart must have bore the lashes of excruciating pain on his body. He must have every reason to be angry and bitter to the people whom, after all the compassion that he'd extended to them, at the end the same people who persecuted him. He has every reason to be angry. Oh I know I would be angry! But instead, all he could say was, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." Amazing! What stubborn joy!
I know, but we're not Jesus. How about we take a look at Robert Reed's life. He's not Jesus either. (From Peace that Defies Pain by Max Lucado)
"I have everything I need for joy!" Robert Reed said. "Amazing!" I thought.
His hands are twisted and his feet are useless. He can’t bathe himself. He can’t
feed himself. He can’t brush his teeth, comb his hair, or put on his underwear. His shirts
are held together by strips of Velcro®. His speech drags like a worn-out audio cassette.
Robert has cerebral palsy.
The disease keeps him from driving a car, riding a bike, and going for a walk. But
it didn’t keep him from graduating from high school or attending Abilene Christian
University, from which he graduated with a degree in Latin. Having cerebral palsy didn’t
keep him from teaching at a St. Louis junior college or from venturing overseas on five
mission trips.
And Robert’s disease didn’t prevent him from becoming a missionary in Portugal.
He moved to Lisbon, alone, in 1972. There he rented a hotel room and began studying
Portuguese. He found a restaurant owner who would feed him after the rush hour and a
tutor who would instruct him in the language.
Then he stationed himself daily in a park, where he distributed brochures about
Christ. Within six years he led seventy people to the Lord, one of whom became his wife, Rosa.
I heard Robert speak recently. I watched other men carry him in his wheelchair
onto the platform. I watched them lay a Bible in his lap. I watched his stiff fingers force
open the pages. And I watched people in the audience wipe away tears of admiration
from their faces. Robert could have asked for sympathy or pity, but he did just the
opposite. He held his bent hand up in the air and boasted, "I have everything I need for
joy."
His shirts are held together by Velcro®, but his life is held together by joy.
Joy is not based on emotion but on willful decision. It often hides itself under the murk of pain and it is up to us if we are going to search for it, if we're going to allow it's radiance to shine thru.
Psalm 126: 5-6 "Those who cry as they plant crops will sing at harvest time. Those who cry as they carry out the seeds will return singing and carrying bundles of grain."
Planting here is like cultivating something, something good. Planting for me is sharing the good news. However, the thought of sharing my faith to others - my friends, whom I've known for a long time and who've known me from long ago, family members, teachers, students - would always bring me a sense of discouragement or fear or even worse, shame. What's even awful is when the opportunity passed and I realized I didn't get out of my way, I didn't get out of my comfort zone, to share the love of Jesus. That verse in Psalm 126 is telling me that I should just fix my eyes on what can happen during harvest time, and that it's all that matters. When I learn to do that, then I can truly say that I can "Rejoice and be glad for [I] have a great reward waiting for [me] in heaven." (Matt 5:12)
20 January
I know that I haven't been giving enough of my time, my talent, nor my treasure. So many times He'd presented Himself to me and I just ignored Him. I never try to see what's beyond the things around me.
Why can't I just seize it? The decision to be with Jesus.
God became a man and Jesus experienced things in this earth. Whatever I experience now, he'd gone through it, he knows. And because Jesus is always with the Father, he knows things beyond what is on earth. He keeps the Lord's promises in His heart and holds it dear. Hence he has joy. He has peace.
"The Lord has filled my heart with joy; I feel very strong in the Lord." 1 Samuel 2:1a
So the next time I drive by a parking lot filled with modern cars, hahaha, I won't bother thinking how old my car is, how out of date! Because there is something else! There is more to this life than my car, my clothes, my job, my house and these things do not define me. It wouldn't take a better lifestyle, a more promising career for me to be loved by my Father. Doesn't He sustain me everyday? YES HE DOES! And even with so much freebies than I expect!
Because this is not about me. There is always a choice and I can choose love, forgiveness, unselfishness. It's a decision and I'm free to decide.
J.B.
Why can't I just seize it? The decision to be with Jesus.
God became a man and Jesus experienced things in this earth. Whatever I experience now, he'd gone through it, he knows. And because Jesus is always with the Father, he knows things beyond what is on earth. He keeps the Lord's promises in His heart and holds it dear. Hence he has joy. He has peace.
"The Lord has filled my heart with joy; I feel very strong in the Lord." 1 Samuel 2:1a
So the next time I drive by a parking lot filled with modern cars, hahaha, I won't bother thinking how old my car is, how out of date! Because there is something else! There is more to this life than my car, my clothes, my job, my house and these things do not define me. It wouldn't take a better lifestyle, a more promising career for me to be loved by my Father. Doesn't He sustain me everyday? YES HE DOES! And even with so much freebies than I expect!
Because this is not about me. There is always a choice and I can choose love, forgiveness, unselfishness. It's a decision and I'm free to decide.
J.B.
30 December
What a year! Definitely one for the books. I've discovered a lot of things about myself, have new additions to my bank of knowledge, have met and spent time with wonderful people, have experienced another heartbreak, have overcome the heartbreak, there's just a lot!
I am thankful. Thankful to God's amazing grace, His great love. God has been really good. I couldn't ask for anything more.
Though I asked myself, "Had I own an account that barely keeps with the maintaining balance, would I be this thankful? Had I lost a job, a family member, a car, a home, would I still rejoice?"
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
God says His GRACE is sufficient. Like the analogy that Max Lucado presented in his book "Experiencing the Grace of Jesus": A plane is about to crash and the pilot has been giving each passenger a parachute. There's a passenger who asked if she can have a pink one, another if he can have a larger one, still another asked if he could jump when the plane is close to the ground. But the pilot only offered parachutes, nothing more, nothing less. The parachute is what's going to help them land on the ground safely and that's all they need.
I may not have had a new vehicle like I expected this year, the new, more promising job, the chance to meet the man of my dreams (naks!), a trip abroad, stored relationship, more developed friendship. I neglected to do what is right most of the time, I had been a disappointment, I was judged, I judged. But in the end, when I sought Jesus, I find him with his arms open and his eyes holding the expression of warmth towards me. His grace is all I need and there's no reason (and no way!) to be satisfied with things of this earth.
J.B.
I am thankful. Thankful to God's amazing grace, His great love. God has been really good. I couldn't ask for anything more.
Though I asked myself, "Had I own an account that barely keeps with the maintaining balance, would I be this thankful? Had I lost a job, a family member, a car, a home, would I still rejoice?"
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
God says His GRACE is sufficient. Like the analogy that Max Lucado presented in his book "Experiencing the Grace of Jesus": A plane is about to crash and the pilot has been giving each passenger a parachute. There's a passenger who asked if she can have a pink one, another if he can have a larger one, still another asked if he could jump when the plane is close to the ground. But the pilot only offered parachutes, nothing more, nothing less. The parachute is what's going to help them land on the ground safely and that's all they need.
I may not have had a new vehicle like I expected this year, the new, more promising job, the chance to meet the man of my dreams (naks!), a trip abroad, stored relationship, more developed friendship. I neglected to do what is right most of the time, I had been a disappointment, I was judged, I judged. But in the end, when I sought Jesus, I find him with his arms open and his eyes holding the expression of warmth towards me. His grace is all I need and there's no reason (and no way!) to be satisfied with things of this earth.
J.B.
29 December
Time is best spent waiting on Jesus
I. How must we wait?
A. By reminding ourselves of our role
John 1:12 - "To all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God."
1 John 3:1 - "The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are His children."
Since we are children of God, there is no point for us in trying to know everything that's happening or that's suppose to happen because our Father knows what he is doing.
B. By trusting Him
Jn 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me."
Even the return of Christ must not trouble us because it is a day to be anticipated.
C. By patiently hoping
Like Simeon in Luke 2:25-35. Since it had been revealed to him that he wasn't going to die until he sees the Messiah, waited everyday as if he was always at the edge of his seat, wide-eyed, expectant, patiently vigilant. He is described as righteous and devout.
Like Simeon, we also know that Christ is coming. How must we wait?
II. What are we waiting for?
A. Our own room
Jesus has made a perfect place for us that's why we shouldn't feel too comfortable in this world. He made a perfect place for us, a room just for us in heaven. (Jn 14:2)
When the people betrayed him, stoned him and crucified him, they were telling him that he doesn't have room on this earth. There's no room for a prophet or a messiah in the world. Still Jesus made it a point to knock on our hearts (Rev 3:20). Do we have room for him?
B. Seeing a bridegroom
(Luke 12:35-37)
Watchfulness
35"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.
God will be so thrilled to find us eagerly waiting for him that he will take the form of a servant to serve us!
Imagine how a groom would be waiting so expectantly, with full anticipation, to the approaching bride. That's how the Lord will wait for us.
C. Having a heart like Jesus
Romans 8:17
17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 14:8 "If we live, we are living for the Lordm and if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying we belong to the Lord."
Those who believe in Christ belong to God that when we find ourselves in heaven, something marvelous will happen. We find ourselves loving with a perfect heart, worshiping with radiant face, listening and talking to God as if our words are made of jewels. We will be like Jesus.
III. Are we ready?
"Is your trust, your attitude of dependence sufficiently stable to sustain you regardless?(....) Should your Lord be please to turn you into a Job, would He still be your Treasure and your Triumph? Don't let the answer slip off your tongue too easily. Think about the implications of that question to your own life, health, job and family. Should your Lord make you an Enoch, would you be reluctant to make that eternal journey?"
Titus 2:11-13
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
As an engaged couple prepare for their wedding date, so must we when we look forward The Date when we get to be with the Father. We must be obsessed with it and must not let anything make us forget.
12 December
It's all over the campus. The faculty and staff will receive some hefty surprise bonus for the holidays. It circulated in the department, but nobody seemed to have claimed the said bonus. When asked why, some said they aren't sure whether to claim it from the cashier, or that they are too embarrassed to get it because it might not be there, or it may be some trick the administration is pulling, or they don't really have a need for the extra cash.
Maybe we can do without the extra money, but can we say the same things to why we don't accept Christ's FREE gift? Are we oblivious of the fact that it is free? Are we too embarrassed to admit that we need it? (Just like grown men who have the habit of stepping outside church when the priest starts the homily.) Do we think that there is a catch? That it is too good to be true?
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. (Romans 6)
The payment for sin is death. Death for prisoners is a way for them to pay their sins. But it already happened when Jesus, the Son of Man, died for us. We have been set free. When we were sinners, we were given love. When we were selfish, we were given grace. "How can we who have been made right not live righteous lives? How can we who have been loved not love? How can we who have been blessed not bless? How can we who have been given grace not live graciously?" This is what Paul was trying to say in Romans 6.
There is no reason to believe that just because God's grace is a free gift, we can do what we want now and later ask for forgiveness. That since there is church on Sunday, we can live on our selfish desires for the rest of the week. God's grace is there before us, teaching us not to live against God, to serve Him which is what we are called to do. So really, why would we want to live otherwise?
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age... (Titus 2)
I remember this one sin that I repeatedly commit and that each time I do so I feel really frustrated, ashamed, and very far from God. I gave up trying to change. I compromised. I spent less time praying because I was too ashamed I felt I didn't have the right. I felt I was stuck in some murky, contaminated, depressing place. Until one day I realized that it had been long since I committed it. It surprised me at first because I thought I wasn't really doing anything, and in fact, I stopped trying to change. Then I found out that it is only by God's grace. The Holy Spirit zoomed in on that area of my life and changed me. I do experience times when I get tempted to do it again but then I would think of the murky, contaminated, and depressing place and say, "I don't ever want to go back." It's stupid if I go back.
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6)
The vow that we make with God should not be too fragile, like a groom flirting with another lady besides his bride. If we are in our right minds, we should know better than to forget our vows and play with fire. We know how God freely gives His grace and what it is like to live with this grace. We can experience a new life. Why in the world wouldn't we accept it?
--J.B.
Maybe we can do without the extra money, but can we say the same things to why we don't accept Christ's FREE gift? Are we oblivious of the fact that it is free? Are we too embarrassed to admit that we need it? (Just like grown men who have the habit of stepping outside church when the priest starts the homily.) Do we think that there is a catch? That it is too good to be true?
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. (Romans 6)
The payment for sin is death. Death for prisoners is a way for them to pay their sins. But it already happened when Jesus, the Son of Man, died for us. We have been set free. When we were sinners, we were given love. When we were selfish, we were given grace. "How can we who have been made right not live righteous lives? How can we who have been loved not love? How can we who have been blessed not bless? How can we who have been given grace not live graciously?" This is what Paul was trying to say in Romans 6.
There is no reason to believe that just because God's grace is a free gift, we can do what we want now and later ask for forgiveness. That since there is church on Sunday, we can live on our selfish desires for the rest of the week. God's grace is there before us, teaching us not to live against God, to serve Him which is what we are called to do. So really, why would we want to live otherwise?
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age... (Titus 2)
I remember this one sin that I repeatedly commit and that each time I do so I feel really frustrated, ashamed, and very far from God. I gave up trying to change. I compromised. I spent less time praying because I was too ashamed I felt I didn't have the right. I felt I was stuck in some murky, contaminated, depressing place. Until one day I realized that it had been long since I committed it. It surprised me at first because I thought I wasn't really doing anything, and in fact, I stopped trying to change. Then I found out that it is only by God's grace. The Holy Spirit zoomed in on that area of my life and changed me. I do experience times when I get tempted to do it again but then I would think of the murky, contaminated, and depressing place and say, "I don't ever want to go back." It's stupid if I go back.
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6)
The vow that we make with God should not be too fragile, like a groom flirting with another lady besides his bride. If we are in our right minds, we should know better than to forget our vows and play with fire. We know how God freely gives His grace and what it is like to live with this grace. We can experience a new life. Why in the world wouldn't we accept it?
--J.B.
8 December
Psalm 103:9-14 (New International Version)
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
It just blows me away. I thought I have a clear grasp of it, but it never fails to stun me each time. GOD'S GREAT LOVE. Jesus showed it to me. He didn't wait til I overcome my sins, til I reach perfection (which is never going to happen), til I confessed - but He did it. He thought that whatever state I am in, I am worth it. He accepted me just as I am.
There are so many things that have happened to me in the past weeks. I asked God to instill in my heart the lessons that H e wants me to learn. The trip to the shelter was one of the highlights of my November. I met good people with unselfish desire to reach out to young ones. The shelter accepts each kid who knocks at its doors with no questions asked. The shelter does not choose the right kid, those who are bright, strong and cute. The kids were accepted just as they are - hungry, thirsty, without a bag of clothes, without slippers for their feet.
Just as we are.
We were accepted. Perhaps the only "validation" why we were accepted is that we are hungry and thirsty. If we seek to make it right first, to clean up our act first, we may not be qualified because only God can make us right, only He can remove any stigma that comes with our name. He had done a great act of dying for our sins and giving His name to replace ours. There's no reason for us to ask Him to save us because He already did. "His covenant is not invalidated by our rebellion." The only thing left for us to do is to come to Him, hungry and thirsty.
We seek after this world, with hunger for fame and thirst for passion and romance, which leads us eventually to nothing. The hunger and thirst is never satisfied. Then we realize that what we are hungry and thirsty for is righteousness - a clean conscience, a fresh start. And only when we knock on the doors, lost for everything but our spiritual hunger and thirst, can we find a hand that will lead us in.
"Come back to the Lord your God, because He is kind and shows mercy. He doesn't become angry quickly, and He has great love." (Joel 2:13)
---J.B.
12 November
Someone who loves me unconditionally more than anybody else, who doesn't have a heart made of stone and always ALWAYS forgives me, has one request: to TRUST in Him. How can it be difficult when since the beginning of time He'd shown how faithful He is and until now, He has never let me down?
"David did not face Goliath on the battlefield because he had studied hi opponent's fighting style and had uncovered a weakness. He trusted God." (1 Samuel 17:37)
"Naaman did not slip seven times in the Jordan river because of recent findings in medical research. It was faith. (2 Kings 5:13-14)
"Paul did not decide to abandon the Law and embrace grace because it was common sense. He met Christ, and it changed him forever." (Romans 3)
In these accounts of three men, one thing is in common: they trusted first. They let go of common sense, of their own security, of their own strength and let God. They did not decide first what to do and then leave the rest to God, or let God do a part and they do the rest. Although they have sinned and were unclean, they heeded God's call to trust only Him. They let go of their self-righteousness.
Matthew 14
22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distancea]">[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
During this time, they were already exhausted, they have been rocked by waves and have been afraid to lose their dear lives for hours. All they knew was fear. That sinking, desperate feeling that nothing else can make things better. That was the only thing on their minds. They saw Jesus and thought he was a ghost and their fear must've been doubled. But Jesus immediately said, "It is I, do not be afraid."
28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
Jesus knows that there are things or circumstances where we experience fear and even when we are not calling unto him, he already tells us not to be afraid because He is. HE IS GOD.
Peter made a very very bold move. He stood up, stepped out of the boat (the thing that you know is supposed to save and protect you), and onto the water, and walked toward Jesus as if he were walking on a pavement. His eyes were focused on Jesus.
Making a bold move is focusing our eyes on Jesus. The boat and the shore which symbolizes security, protection, provisions, even blessings are out of our sight. Which means, even when we are experiencing pain, loss, and deprivation, we must exert effort to focus solely on Him. Without expecting to be cut some slack from the pain, look unto Jesus. And just like Peter, you can walk on water. Towards Him. Nothing else matters but our relationship with the one and only person who can save us.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
On the course of our walk towards Jesus, we may experience fear, like Peter. He saw the wind and panicked, doubted. When our circumstances do not change, when it seems like we've been down for an unreasonably long time, when focusing on Jesus starts to move to the bottom on our list of to-do's, we lose it. We begin to sink. Peter called out.
We may think that it's too late to call onto Jesus but it's not. It's never too late to call on Him. Because he will IMMEDIATELY and WHOLEHEARTEDLY reach out his hand. It's what He's wanted to do all along.
8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4)
J.B.
"David did not face Goliath on the battlefield because he had studied hi opponent's fighting style and had uncovered a weakness. He trusted God." (1 Samuel 17:37)
"Naaman did not slip seven times in the Jordan river because of recent findings in medical research. It was faith. (2 Kings 5:13-14)
"Paul did not decide to abandon the Law and embrace grace because it was common sense. He met Christ, and it changed him forever." (Romans 3)
In these accounts of three men, one thing is in common: they trusted first. They let go of common sense, of their own security, of their own strength and let God. They did not decide first what to do and then leave the rest to God, or let God do a part and they do the rest. Although they have sinned and were unclean, they heeded God's call to trust only Him. They let go of their self-righteousness.
Matthew 14
22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distancea]">[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
During this time, they were already exhausted, they have been rocked by waves and have been afraid to lose their dear lives for hours. All they knew was fear. That sinking, desperate feeling that nothing else can make things better. That was the only thing on their minds. They saw Jesus and thought he was a ghost and their fear must've been doubled. But Jesus immediately said, "It is I, do not be afraid."
28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
29"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.Jesus knows that there are things or circumstances where we experience fear and even when we are not calling unto him, he already tells us not to be afraid because He is. HE IS GOD.
Peter made a very very bold move. He stood up, stepped out of the boat (the thing that you know is supposed to save and protect you), and onto the water, and walked toward Jesus as if he were walking on a pavement. His eyes were focused on Jesus.
Making a bold move is focusing our eyes on Jesus. The boat and the shore which symbolizes security, protection, provisions, even blessings are out of our sight. Which means, even when we are experiencing pain, loss, and deprivation, we must exert effort to focus solely on Him. Without expecting to be cut some slack from the pain, look unto Jesus. And just like Peter, you can walk on water. Towards Him. Nothing else matters but our relationship with the one and only person who can save us.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
On the course of our walk towards Jesus, we may experience fear, like Peter. He saw the wind and panicked, doubted. When our circumstances do not change, when it seems like we've been down for an unreasonably long time, when focusing on Jesus starts to move to the bottom on our list of to-do's, we lose it. We begin to sink. Peter called out.
We may think that it's too late to call onto Jesus but it's not. It's never too late to call on Him. Because he will IMMEDIATELY and WHOLEHEARTEDLY reach out his hand. It's what He's wanted to do all along.
8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4)
J.B.
8 November
In a high school writing class that I once facilitated, I asked the students to write something morbid - their own epitaph. I asked them to start with the phrase: "Here lies.....", and follow it up with words that would describe them, describe how they lived their lives, or something that they just want to leave to the world as a final impression.
"Here lies a teacher who was very dedicated in teaching....... Here lies a scientist who discovered the cure for cancer..... a housewife....... a good student, a good son, and a good father......"
What defines us? If we lose our job, can we still be the employee who's regarded as indispensable by the company? If we were given the Most Valuable Player Award or the Most Beautiful Face Award, can that still be us 20 or 50 years later? If we lose all our children, can we still say that I am a father or a mother?
We have the tendency to equate our identity with how people see us or how we see ourselves by what we have accomplished, (All their children have finished college, they are parents who are very good providers) or what we have failed to become or what we don't have (I'm such a loser). If we rely on what things of this world say who we are, we're missing out on something bigger. Something that has been destined for us by our Heavenly Father, the creator and preserver of all things.
Moses was raised in a royal family. A handsome, confident, trained man. He surely would've been the next king! Until he made a mistake and killed an Egyptian. He broke a rule. Moses had to run away. He ended in the wilderness and became a shepherd. A downward move, a total career shift. From manager down to maintenance. He can't go back to his former plush life. Four decades have passed and he was still Moses the shepherd. He was pretty stuck. An old, tired and smelly man. This is all there is to it, thought Moses, I can't go anywhere, I can't be anybody, I'll just tend my sheep.
God thought otherwise.
God has a plan, a plan that was created even before Moses was born. Moses is to be sent to set free the Israelites. Moses said someone else can do the job. He was 80 then, but God wasn't through with him. God has a plan.
"But he replied, 'My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.' So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am." 2 Cor. 12:9 (Contemporary English Version)
God does not hold anything against us nor does He turn His back when we have setbacks. When Jonah disobeyed God, God's plan was derailed. Jonah was thrown into the ocean, but God already has a Plan B. God made a detour. Jonah knew of his disobedience and he came to God with boldness, admitted his failure and got back to the presence of the Mighty and Merciful Father. In spite of it all, he honored God.
Our mistakes or failures may hinder us from facing God. But God has already designed a destiny for each of us and it is a destiny that a loving father would give his children, a destiny that is bigger than our mistakes. When you tell your child not to climb on the highest branch of a tree but the child still goes up and got stuck and isn't able to climb down, aren't you going to come to the child's rescue rather than reprimand and say 'I told u so'?
"But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name..." (John 1:12 Amplified Bible)
Who am I? When I say im 27/F/Philippines, does that define me? When I say I'm a teacher, does that define me? When I received Jesus Christ, I already became someone. What I get out of my relationship with Jesus (his love, peace, companionship) are just secondary. First of all, I became someone. I made many mistakes in the past, and I still do make mistakes, I fail, I miss opportunities, I get rejected but those are apart from what God thinks of me.
When Jesus was living on earth, he was constantly secure of his identity. He was born out of a virgin mother in a manger. A prophesied king who was born in a manger. That was kinda weird wasn't it? Sounds like he was brought here by aliens because he was conceived out of nowhere. But Jesus only looks at his relationship with the Heavenly Father, nothing else. What other people tells of him didn't matter. He was confident because he knew who he was, the Prince of prince and the Lord of lords - that's what the Father told him.
"You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light." Ephesians 5:8 (Contemporary English Version)
First we recognize God's call to fulfill the destiny He has for us. Let's claim that we are children of His kingdom, living in the light, and everything else will fall into its place. There are things which we may be tempted to do although we know it is bad, but knowing that we belong to the Lord, and that we are people of the light, we know that we could overcome through the strength He gives us.
J.B.
"Here lies a teacher who was very dedicated in teaching....... Here lies a scientist who discovered the cure for cancer..... a housewife....... a good student, a good son, and a good father......"
What defines us? If we lose our job, can we still be the employee who's regarded as indispensable by the company? If we were given the Most Valuable Player Award or the Most Beautiful Face Award, can that still be us 20 or 50 years later? If we lose all our children, can we still say that I am a father or a mother?
We have the tendency to equate our identity with how people see us or how we see ourselves by what we have accomplished, (All their children have finished college, they are parents who are very good providers) or what we have failed to become or what we don't have (I'm such a loser). If we rely on what things of this world say who we are, we're missing out on something bigger. Something that has been destined for us by our Heavenly Father, the creator and preserver of all things.
Moses was raised in a royal family. A handsome, confident, trained man. He surely would've been the next king! Until he made a mistake and killed an Egyptian. He broke a rule. Moses had to run away. He ended in the wilderness and became a shepherd. A downward move, a total career shift. From manager down to maintenance. He can't go back to his former plush life. Four decades have passed and he was still Moses the shepherd. He was pretty stuck. An old, tired and smelly man. This is all there is to it, thought Moses, I can't go anywhere, I can't be anybody, I'll just tend my sheep.
God thought otherwise.
God has a plan, a plan that was created even before Moses was born. Moses is to be sent to set free the Israelites. Moses said someone else can do the job. He was 80 then, but God wasn't through with him. God has a plan.
"But he replied, 'My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.' So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am." 2 Cor. 12:9 (Contemporary English Version)
God does not hold anything against us nor does He turn His back when we have setbacks. When Jonah disobeyed God, God's plan was derailed. Jonah was thrown into the ocean, but God already has a Plan B. God made a detour. Jonah knew of his disobedience and he came to God with boldness, admitted his failure and got back to the presence of the Mighty and Merciful Father. In spite of it all, he honored God.
Our mistakes or failures may hinder us from facing God. But God has already designed a destiny for each of us and it is a destiny that a loving father would give his children, a destiny that is bigger than our mistakes. When you tell your child not to climb on the highest branch of a tree but the child still goes up and got stuck and isn't able to climb down, aren't you going to come to the child's rescue rather than reprimand and say 'I told u so'?
"But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name..." (John 1:12 Amplified Bible)
Who am I? When I say im 27/F/Philippines, does that define me? When I say I'm a teacher, does that define me? When I received Jesus Christ, I already became someone. What I get out of my relationship with Jesus (his love, peace, companionship) are just secondary. First of all, I became someone. I made many mistakes in the past, and I still do make mistakes, I fail, I miss opportunities, I get rejected but those are apart from what God thinks of me.
When Jesus was living on earth, he was constantly secure of his identity. He was born out of a virgin mother in a manger. A prophesied king who was born in a manger. That was kinda weird wasn't it? Sounds like he was brought here by aliens because he was conceived out of nowhere. But Jesus only looks at his relationship with the Heavenly Father, nothing else. What other people tells of him didn't matter. He was confident because he knew who he was, the Prince of prince and the Lord of lords - that's what the Father told him.
"You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light." Ephesians 5:8 (Contemporary English Version)
First we recognize God's call to fulfill the destiny He has for us. Let's claim that we are children of His kingdom, living in the light, and everything else will fall into its place. There are things which we may be tempted to do although we know it is bad, but knowing that we belong to the Lord, and that we are people of the light, we know that we could overcome through the strength He gives us.
J.B.
5 November
"Let me state something important. There is never a time during which Jesus is not speaking. Never. There is never a place in which Jesus is not present. Never. There is never a room so dark. . .a lounge so sensual. . . an office so sophisticated. . . that the ever-present, ever-pursuing, relentlessly tender Friend is not there. . .
But never interpret our numbness as his absence. For amidst the fleeting promises of pleasure is the timeless promise of his presence." Max Lucado, Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (2003)
"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:20)
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb 13:5)
A Facebook shout-out of one of my friends says, "I am a single wedding photographer." It was followed by a similar thread saying, "I am a single relationship therapist." My friend's shout outs lately have a theme. She would tell of her couple sightings and express her sighs of exasperation over the absence of someone in her life. She even mentioned moving to Alaska. She may be half-kidding. Or it may be the other half of a joke that is half-meant.
The world has its ways of luring us into something we think is our big break and our looming emptiness can drive us away from seeing the real thing. A career opportunity or a promotion, a super sale screaming of 80% discounts, a promising relationship, a simple flattery; things which we would whole-heartedly indulge ourselves to, only later to find out that it is taking too much and it is lessening the time we spend with our loved ones or that it is a want that only filled us temporarily. A time invested on something which gradually wastes away.
Have we ever whole-heartedly indulged ourselves to Jesus? The only one who can save us? The one who says he'll never leave us nor forsake us? The only one who can give us true peace?
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
Jesus made a DELIBERATE EFFORT to spend time with God. "....the Son of God, the sinless Saviour of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray." How about us sinners?
Jesus faced with a mulitutude of adulating thousands whom he fed. These were people who looked up to him, regarded him with such respect. But he did not faze. He dismissed the crowd and prayed to the Father. He knows this is all he needs. A time with the Father.
J.B.
But never interpret our numbness as his absence. For amidst the fleeting promises of pleasure is the timeless promise of his presence." Max Lucado, Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (2003)
"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:20)
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb 13:5)
A Facebook shout-out of one of my friends says, "I am a single wedding photographer." It was followed by a similar thread saying, "I am a single relationship therapist." My friend's shout outs lately have a theme. She would tell of her couple sightings and express her sighs of exasperation over the absence of someone in her life. She even mentioned moving to Alaska. She may be half-kidding. Or it may be the other half of a joke that is half-meant.
The world has its ways of luring us into something we think is our big break and our looming emptiness can drive us away from seeing the real thing. A career opportunity or a promotion, a super sale screaming of 80% discounts, a promising relationship, a simple flattery; things which we would whole-heartedly indulge ourselves to, only later to find out that it is taking too much and it is lessening the time we spend with our loved ones or that it is a want that only filled us temporarily. A time invested on something which gradually wastes away.
Have we ever whole-heartedly indulged ourselves to Jesus? The only one who can save us? The one who says he'll never leave us nor forsake us? The only one who can give us true peace?
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
Jesus made a DELIBERATE EFFORT to spend time with God. "....the Son of God, the sinless Saviour of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray." How about us sinners?
Jesus faced with a mulitutude of adulating thousands whom he fed. These were people who looked up to him, regarded him with such respect. But he did not faze. He dismissed the crowd and prayed to the Father. He knows this is all he needs. A time with the Father.
J.B.
30 October
On the way home tonight, I chatted with my friend who works in the ministry about her position in the church that my sister used to fill before her. I heard the same story from my sister. Working for people in the church can be twice as intense and demanding than working for people in a secular setting. There goes a phone call criticizing a church gathering, or an appointed member who suddenly backs out in the last minute, or fellow Christians who can really give you a hard time. Even in a church setting, things can go from calm to chaos.
Three days ago, as I walked across the parking lot after a very early prayer meeting, feeling the spring in my steps from an encounter with God, and basking on the gentle warmth of the sun and the quietness of the morning, red lights and alarm sounds emanated from my brain in a span of five seconds when I reached my car and found out that I got locked out. The day was marked with peace turning, very abruptly, to panic.
39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. (Matt 26)
At the beginning of this chapter, Jesus mentioned that he was going to be put to death. He knew of the prophesy about him, the Son of Man, and he hinted about it when he was dining and a woman poured expensive oil on his head. It was the subject when he was having the Last Supper with the disciples, and again when he was praying.
He was praying. He knew that the time was near. He knew that he will be taken with force, judged hastily, and put to death unjustly. Yet Jesus took the time to pray and asked the disciples to be with him in prayer for an hour. He was at peace. He was at peace because he has been praying.
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." (Matt 26)
Jesus knows the nature of the Father and in his prayers, he would always give due regard to the Father's will. He never tried to change the Father's mind.
How do we pray? Do we bring before God the considerations that He should have about the way we have been living our lives? Do we expect to have earned points from something that we did? Nobody is righteous enough to demand anything from God. Our position in life, the goals that we met, the noble life that we lead, the properties we have or lack, the number of hours that we went hungry because of fasting, have no participation in our prayer - they do not count to anything or for anything. The only participants are our HOPE and our FAITH. So we must not be presumptuous. We are in the place of forgiven sinners. The answer to our prayers, or the lack thereof, is God's grace.
We must not go ahead with anything without praying to God. When Jesus was faced with his captors, one of the disciples made a very bold move and cut a soldier's ear off. We may be so bold sometimes in our moves that we say and do things we don't mean. Trying times can bring us at our wits end that we tend to forget the right thing to do and this is mostly because we lack the time to pray and to receive the peace that comes from the Lord.
41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matt 26)
3You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. (Isaiah 26 Amplified Bible)
A couple of pointers to enrich our prayer lives: all of us have the privilege to pray and call out to God and we must do so also for others. As our brothers' keeper, we have the obligation to pray for them. Another, when we find ourselves with nothing to do, pray. While we are driving or commuting our way to work, pray. If we seem to have run out of things to pray about, pray the Lord's prayer - the prayer that Jesus taught. Pray in the right way to the right object who is God.
J.B.
27 October
I remember something that I wrote on my journal when I was in grade school. I remember I drew a small and a big circle which looked like a tire that rolls. This symbolizes life, that sometimes you're down, the dirt is on your face, and sometimes you're up. When you're up, it won't be long until you're down again. Sometimes I think that the tire must have gotten stuck on a really big pothole, with busted interior, while it was my turn to be in the bottom. It didn't take long and I'd gotten used to it. After a while, I had thought that it wasn't so bad that I would forget what brought me there in the first place (poor driving?). Then I'll start to recognize that it (whatever brought me low) is still present inside me even when the tire seem to must've rolled without me noticing. And it wasn't so bad because it made me appreciate how nice it is to be on top, that happiness is not the absence of unhappiness.
"When we are unhappy, it makes us look forward to heaven all the more. Happiness on earth is always temporary." Max Lucado, Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (2003)
Now I don't view my unhappiness with eyes that couldn't wait, with eyes that are longing to be on top again because every time, it lets me know that true happiness is not something that I can find here. It lets me know that there is something more that can truly satisfy me!
11Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. (1 Peter 2)
Because I am an alien on this earth, I won't find true joy here. But "until I see Him face to face, and grace amazing takes me home" I'll trust in Him, because:
19I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4)
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58)
God is abundant in His blessings and He allows me to take part in them. When snippets of joy fall from heaven, they are in the form of friends, family, and new acquaintances.
Now when I'm reminded of that 'tire' drawing from yellowed pages of my journal, I look at in another angle and I see it as a lifesaver. Something that God throws at me when I go overboard.
J.B.
"When we are unhappy, it makes us look forward to heaven all the more. Happiness on earth is always temporary." Max Lucado, Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (2003)
Now I don't view my unhappiness with eyes that couldn't wait, with eyes that are longing to be on top again because every time, it lets me know that true happiness is not something that I can find here. It lets me know that there is something more that can truly satisfy me!
11Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. (1 Peter 2)
Because I am an alien on this earth, I won't find true joy here. But "until I see Him face to face, and grace amazing takes me home" I'll trust in Him, because:
19I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4)
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58)
God is abundant in His blessings and He allows me to take part in them. When snippets of joy fall from heaven, they are in the form of friends, family, and new acquaintances.
Now when I'm reminded of that 'tire' drawing from yellowed pages of my journal, I look at in another angle and I see it as a lifesaver. Something that God throws at me when I go overboard.
J.B.
26 October 2009
Matthew 14:23 He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.
I truly treasure my quiet time. I am so "proud" of myself because it has truly become a habit for me.
I still remember how, in the past, it was such a struggle for me to have a regular QT. And that is how it was for soooooooooooo many years. Id rather sleep, watch tv, eat than have my QT. I knew it was important and yet i never exerted effort to do it.
Now, almost each morning, I spend time reading His word, talking to God, and enjoying His lessons for me. My mountainside is my bedroom, with the TV off or muted. I have it anywhere from 630-730am, after i take my bath. I will sit on my bed, legs crossed, get my QT book and my big serendipity bible. I first check the story behind the book where my verse is situated. That way, ill understand the story better. And truth be told, i dont pray quietly nor with eyes closed. I look up and pray out loud :-) I pray as if God is just beside me and I am talking to Him. That gives me comfort and makes me smile.
Thank God for QTs.
I.T.
I truly treasure my quiet time. I am so "proud" of myself because it has truly become a habit for me.
I still remember how, in the past, it was such a struggle for me to have a regular QT. And that is how it was for soooooooooooo many years. Id rather sleep, watch tv, eat than have my QT. I knew it was important and yet i never exerted effort to do it.
Now, almost each morning, I spend time reading His word, talking to God, and enjoying His lessons for me. My mountainside is my bedroom, with the TV off or muted. I have it anywhere from 630-730am, after i take my bath. I will sit on my bed, legs crossed, get my QT book and my big serendipity bible. I first check the story behind the book where my verse is situated. That way, ill understand the story better. And truth be told, i dont pray quietly nor with eyes closed. I look up and pray out loud :-) I pray as if God is just beside me and I am talking to Him. That gives me comfort and makes me smile.
Thank God for QTs.
I.T.
21 October 2009
2 Corinthians 5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live is in destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
I think this is the perfect verse for my friends whose house were destroyed by the recent calamities!
I know its truly sad that they have lost their house and i don't discount the fact that they may get depressed or frustrated by the situation.
But if we claim God's promise in this verse, i know it may just do the trick of lifting them from their sorry state... and have their eyes focus on their much better, stronger, calamity-free house in heaven. It is a house that is truly a home.
I.T.
I think this is the perfect verse for my friends whose house were destroyed by the recent calamities!
I know its truly sad that they have lost their house and i don't discount the fact that they may get depressed or frustrated by the situation.
But if we claim God's promise in this verse, i know it may just do the trick of lifting them from their sorry state... and have their eyes focus on their much better, stronger, calamity-free house in heaven. It is a house that is truly a home.
I.T.
20 October
I remember hanging out with my adviser and schoolmate who've both became my friends because of the college paper. The three of us were bound by interests in literature, college life, and the academe as the three of us are now teachers. They are my group of friends who are different from my other bunch of friends because we don't normally find ourselves talking about our family, our favorite music, food, films, our own personal interests. We do talk of our personal lives occasionally but with more depth on our rebuttals that each got it on the norm. The mood often boarders on political activism, teenage angst, and the need to just sit back and see the world from another angle. It's nice to be 'abnormal' sometimes.
There we were, a year ago, having one 'abnormal' discussion in a panciteria on a rainy night. The two of them had their share of their view in life and its tendency to somehow become....well, empty. When it was my turn, I just forked noodles into my mouth because, frankly, I can't think of anything that happened in my life that can find it's place on our wall of depressions.
I do have my share in the bottom, down the valley. I have a feeling I've been treading murky waters for the past months, past days, three hours and 18 minutes ago, who knows? Since my sister found a job and I've stopped living with my favorite person in the world, since I've met good people who turned out to be the ones who can hurt me the most, since my dog vanished, since I faced with the possible libel suit. But the real tragedy, I found out, was when I became certain that I can do it on my own. When I thought that life is going to be good as long as I do good, when I absolutely depended on myself. That's when I'll totally crash.
There we were, a year ago, having one 'abnormal' discussion in a panciteria on a rainy night. The two of them had their share of their view in life and its tendency to somehow become....well, empty. When it was my turn, I just forked noodles into my mouth because, frankly, I can't think of anything that happened in my life that can find it's place on our wall of depressions.
I do have my share in the bottom, down the valley. I have a feeling I've been treading murky waters for the past months, past days, three hours and 18 minutes ago, who knows? Since my sister found a job and I've stopped living with my favorite person in the world, since I've met good people who turned out to be the ones who can hurt me the most, since my dog vanished, since I faced with the possible libel suit. But the real tragedy, I found out, was when I became certain that I can do it on my own. When I thought that life is going to be good as long as I do good, when I absolutely depended on myself. That's when I'll totally crash.
Galatians 3:3
3Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?
Jesus have invited me to live in His Kingdom and I already said yes. I am now living with the King, the creator and preserver of all things, the great provider, Almighty, Sovereign Lord and if I think, even for one second, that my earthly worries are things which are so big for me that not even my King would be interested in checking up on it, then I am living like an alien in His kingdom for I don't know Him at all and I don't have any right on such:
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.It is by God's spirit, which He wholeheartedly have left for us to live in us, that I can overcome, that I can be joyful always, that I don't have to have a share of depression in my life.
Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.J.B.
------
Philippians 4:7 The peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
My QT book says that there is a part of the sea known as "the cushion." It is in such a deep part of the sea that it is never stirred.... regardless if the sea is agitated by storms, earthquake or other calamities.
The peace of God is like the cushion of the sea. It should lie so deeply in our hearts that no difficulty in our life can reach it.
I kept thinking... wondering... if only all those ondoy and pepeng victims knew God and had this peace....
I.T.
14 October
Losing
Had I closed my eyes for slumber
and not think of you?
Had I watched the sun rise
without acknowledging you?
Did I dare turn the page, finish a whole volume
even if it wasn't your word?
Did I dare listen to a sound
which is apart from your voice?
Is it not I who decided to succumb
to the pleasures of this earth?
Is it not I who talked to the public
without addressing the real concern?
Wasn't it me who banged the door
sulked in the corner
forgot you
broke the rules
refused to listen
lashed out
compromised
pretended
abused
raged
disintegrated
departed?
Isn't it You who was deprived?
Aren't You the king who lived lowly?
Isn't it You who received injustice
took the blame
endured the beating
died on the cross
abandoned
broken
a sinless
blameless
Holy
Lord
who thought of me
acknowledged me
wrote about me
listened to me
offered Himself
loved me
died for me
J.B.
Had I closed my eyes for slumber
and not think of you?
Had I watched the sun rise
without acknowledging you?
Did I dare turn the page, finish a whole volume
even if it wasn't your word?
Did I dare listen to a sound
which is apart from your voice?
Is it not I who decided to succumb
to the pleasures of this earth?
Is it not I who talked to the public
without addressing the real concern?
Wasn't it me who banged the door
sulked in the corner
forgot you
broke the rules
refused to listen
lashed out
compromised
pretended
abused
raged
disintegrated
departed?
Isn't it You who was deprived?
Aren't You the king who lived lowly?
Isn't it You who received injustice
took the blame
endured the beating
died on the cross
abandoned
broken
a sinless
blameless
Holy
Lord
who thought of me
acknowledged me
wrote about me
listened to me
offered Himself
loved me
died for me
J.B.
11 October
It's just not going to work. No matter how good my intentions are and how hard (I think) I tried to get close to God but I do not have the patience to wait on Him, it just aint gonna work. I've been feeding on the Bread of Life like it's served in a fast food restaurant. It may give me the immediate satisfaction that I need especially because I'm on the go but it's bland and just tastes ordinary that the immediate satisfaction immediately leaves me. Based on studies, fast food have potential damage to human health. Bread of Life to-go may even be detrimental to my existence.
I was wondering why I suddenly became like this. Like a workaholic yuppie who has no time to pause. Last night when I decided not to go to the Sunday church service I nudged myself for the reason. The thought that I was sulking crossed my mind.
I was not even mildly affected by the deluge that took place recently. I was warm and snug and comfortable in my house when there were thousands of people homeless, hungry, unsure, lonely, destitute. The only storm I experienced was my own, stupid, little heartbreak. What was I sulking about?
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. Nahum 1:3
The storms that happen in our lives, great or small, may trigger an unbelief. A doubt. But God is right there in the storm according to Nahum. His way is in the storm. He was and has always been present. And that shouldn't leave any room for doubt.
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey Him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Deut. 4:29-31
There were times when I wake up very very early in the morning and I thought that it was God who awoke me and I would start to pray. I wanted an encounter with Him like the ones I hear about so I go down on my knees and try to meditate, listen, pray. But nothing happened. This happened about three times and three times there was nothing. I started to doubt the possibility of 'it' ever happening to me. I think I sulked about that. When I thought I wasn't getting any from those very early morning awakenings, I stopped. After three lousy instances, I stopped. How foolish. How selfish of me to let go of my commitment. God has been very committed in not abandoning me. How's my commitment with Him?
Father God in Heaven, forgive me for thinking that my preoccupation deserves more time than my relationship with You. I know You've given me this freewill. Teach me (and please don't ever get tired of doing so) so I will only exercise this freewill in loving You. Thank you wonderful Jesus. Amen.
J.B.
I was wondering why I suddenly became like this. Like a workaholic yuppie who has no time to pause. Last night when I decided not to go to the Sunday church service I nudged myself for the reason. The thought that I was sulking crossed my mind.
I was not even mildly affected by the deluge that took place recently. I was warm and snug and comfortable in my house when there were thousands of people homeless, hungry, unsure, lonely, destitute. The only storm I experienced was my own, stupid, little heartbreak. What was I sulking about?
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. Nahum 1:3
The storms that happen in our lives, great or small, may trigger an unbelief. A doubt. But God is right there in the storm according to Nahum. His way is in the storm. He was and has always been present. And that shouldn't leave any room for doubt.
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey Him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Deut. 4:29-31
There were times when I wake up very very early in the morning and I thought that it was God who awoke me and I would start to pray. I wanted an encounter with Him like the ones I hear about so I go down on my knees and try to meditate, listen, pray. But nothing happened. This happened about three times and three times there was nothing. I started to doubt the possibility of 'it' ever happening to me. I think I sulked about that. When I thought I wasn't getting any from those very early morning awakenings, I stopped. After three lousy instances, I stopped. How foolish. How selfish of me to let go of my commitment. God has been very committed in not abandoning me. How's my commitment with Him?
Father God in Heaven, forgive me for thinking that my preoccupation deserves more time than my relationship with You. I know You've given me this freewill. Teach me (and please don't ever get tired of doing so) so I will only exercise this freewill in loving You. Thank you wonderful Jesus. Amen.
J.B.
5 October
What is my Jonah?
Tonight's message of Ptr. Ed Lapiz made me re-assess myself. He'd had numerous sermons which I've listened to and which have made me look into myself because when it comes to surrendering, I believe I need to get some work done because I don't think I have ever did it. That hurts.
When 'Pepeng' was approaching the Philippine area of responsibility just a few days after 'Ondoy', I'm sure that a lot of Filipinos were on their knees, calling out to God. Why must it take a monumental storm to get us on our knees? Why must it take a broken heart or a disaster to get me to remember God?
The storm rocked the ship where Jonah was in. The crew were panicking, calling out to their own gods and throwing their cargo (material needs) overboard. God made the storm stronger and the waves bigger. Why? Because Jonah was on the ship. Jonah's disobedience - the reason. The storm - God's reaction.
There are things that happen in our lives which we think are acts of God. But do we ever think that it's just a reaction of God?
The Jonah in me has been sleeping, down the deck, when everything else in life is moving about. There is a call in church for everyone to get on their feet and spread God's word. And where am I? Down the deck, even refusing to face my cell group leader, my pastor, my praise and worship leader. Just like Jonah.
When Jonah admitted that it was him who was the cause of the storm, he told the sailors that he must be thrown overboard. But the sailors still tried to row back to land, but of course, it was in vain. There may be people or circumstance around me that can hinder me from doing the will of God. I may let them, but if I do, the waves will just continue to get rougher and rougher. The adversity is never going to end.
I can't deny the Lord's call for me to spend more time in prayer. When Jonah disobeyed God, he was thrown into the sea and spent three days inside a whale where he couldn't do anything but pray and meditate and think of the things which God called him to do but he never did.
When will I throw myself overboard?
J.B.
Tonight's message of Ptr. Ed Lapiz made me re-assess myself. He'd had numerous sermons which I've listened to and which have made me look into myself because when it comes to surrendering, I believe I need to get some work done because I don't think I have ever did it. That hurts.
When 'Pepeng' was approaching the Philippine area of responsibility just a few days after 'Ondoy', I'm sure that a lot of Filipinos were on their knees, calling out to God. Why must it take a monumental storm to get us on our knees? Why must it take a broken heart or a disaster to get me to remember God?
The storm rocked the ship where Jonah was in. The crew were panicking, calling out to their own gods and throwing their cargo (material needs) overboard. God made the storm stronger and the waves bigger. Why? Because Jonah was on the ship. Jonah's disobedience - the reason. The storm - God's reaction.
There are things that happen in our lives which we think are acts of God. But do we ever think that it's just a reaction of God?
The Jonah in me has been sleeping, down the deck, when everything else in life is moving about. There is a call in church for everyone to get on their feet and spread God's word. And where am I? Down the deck, even refusing to face my cell group leader, my pastor, my praise and worship leader. Just like Jonah.
When Jonah admitted that it was him who was the cause of the storm, he told the sailors that he must be thrown overboard. But the sailors still tried to row back to land, but of course, it was in vain. There may be people or circumstance around me that can hinder me from doing the will of God. I may let them, but if I do, the waves will just continue to get rougher and rougher. The adversity is never going to end.
I can't deny the Lord's call for me to spend more time in prayer. When Jonah disobeyed God, he was thrown into the sea and spent three days inside a whale where he couldn't do anything but pray and meditate and think of the things which God called him to do but he never did.
When will I throw myself overboard?
J.B.
2 October
What to do during a storm?
Since I saw the devastation that the typhoon Ondoy had caused to thousands of Filipinos, I have been wondering what to do, or if there's anything that I can do. But most of all, I have been wondering how I could pray to God about it. I thanked Him for sparing us from the rage of the storm. I asked for comfort and peace from Him for the people who were affected and who've lost heart. But I still have questions.
Last night's message of Ptr. Ed Lapiz had enlightened me. He reminded me of the great flood during Noah's time when there was a 40-day and 40-night rain and the whole land was but a body of water. Only a few, Noah, his family, and a few animal couples, remained. God willed it. God willed the great flood. And whatever His reason is, it is not for us to question. It does make a lot of sense, though. A lot of people in the land then were living in sin and it's time to take action.
Some people would say that God is trying to tell us something through the circumstances. I believe He'd been telling us a lot of things before and we're just not listening. It's possible that we brought it upon ourselves. Whatever happened to our houses is something that we've been told, somehow, would happen. It's possible that because of poverty, there isn't a choice for most people.
(Matthew 7) The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
We've been warned about building a good foundation. A good foundation during the storm is Jesus. The disciples were panicking when the massive waves and strong winds were pounding mercilessly on the boat. They were about to capsize and they woke Jesus up! And what did Jesus say?
Matthew 8
26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
A storm is God's doing. He authored natural disasters. He may not change His mind about the typhoon or the earthquake. But the great thing about it is that He is a God of compassion.
If we are not traversing this water with You on our boat, we'll surely capsize even on the smallest wave. But with You in our vessel, Lord, we can certainly smile at the storm! Thank you wonderful Jesus! Ever-living God and Savior! Please continue to teach our hearts how to truly fear Your name.
J.B.
Since I saw the devastation that the typhoon Ondoy had caused to thousands of Filipinos, I have been wondering what to do, or if there's anything that I can do. But most of all, I have been wondering how I could pray to God about it. I thanked Him for sparing us from the rage of the storm. I asked for comfort and peace from Him for the people who were affected and who've lost heart. But I still have questions.
Last night's message of Ptr. Ed Lapiz had enlightened me. He reminded me of the great flood during Noah's time when there was a 40-day and 40-night rain and the whole land was but a body of water. Only a few, Noah, his family, and a few animal couples, remained. God willed it. God willed the great flood. And whatever His reason is, it is not for us to question. It does make a lot of sense, though. A lot of people in the land then were living in sin and it's time to take action.
Some people would say that God is trying to tell us something through the circumstances. I believe He'd been telling us a lot of things before and we're just not listening. It's possible that we brought it upon ourselves. Whatever happened to our houses is something that we've been told, somehow, would happen. It's possible that because of poverty, there isn't a choice for most people.
(Matthew 7) The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
We've been warned about building a good foundation. A good foundation during the storm is Jesus. The disciples were panicking when the massive waves and strong winds were pounding mercilessly on the boat. They were about to capsize and they woke Jesus up! And what did Jesus say?
Matthew 8
26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
A storm is God's doing. He authored natural disasters. He may not change His mind about the typhoon or the earthquake. But the great thing about it is that He is a God of compassion.
Psalm 103 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
If we are not traversing this water with You on our boat, we'll surely capsize even on the smallest wave. But with You in our vessel, Lord, we can certainly smile at the storm! Thank you wonderful Jesus! Ever-living God and Savior! Please continue to teach our hearts how to truly fear Your name.
J.B.
29 September
When hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, I was glued to the TV, wondering about my favorite state (I've never been there but I love it because it's the Jazz capital and I love Jazz). I looked at the pictures, heard the victims' stories, got mad when there was an issue with relief operations. I knew the statistics.
Last weekend, when typhoon Ondoy was raging, I was busily doing something else. We have the power up in this part of the province and it was just like an ordinary rainy day. I wasn't even watching the news. I wasn't aware that the city, about four hours drive from here was being savagely hit by the typhoon and that there were, and still are, a lot of people who are affected. It was the first time that the city had ever experienced that kind of flooding. Compared the Katrina, Ondoy turned out to be worse - a month's worth of rainfall in just six hours.
Was I being apathetic? When I finally saw the news last night, I realized how heartbreaking it had been for many Filipinos. Considering that there are more people living in poverty in Metro Manila compared to Louisiana, it must take a considerable time for them to get back on track.
What could someone like me do? If I don't personally know a victim of the typhoon, how can I encourage? Would a few pesos deposited to a bank account that helps the victims even make a difference?
"Thank you, dear God, for protecting us. May you look upon the victims of the typhoon with favor and grant them the comfort and peace that could only come from You."
J.B.
-----------
I am a man of prayer (psalms 109:4)
Wouldn't it be great if i am known to be a woman of prayer? Somebody who is famous and looked upon because of that? Someone whose looks, degree, work are secondary because he/she is more known to be a person of prayer?
I wonder what romyne, my cell leader, would have said if that is the dream i wrote in the form she gave me? I am sure she will be surprised but happy.
I do pray that i will learn to kneel more and grow from there. Learn to close my eyes more and trust that God will lead my ways. Learn to pray first before anything else... before questioning...before grumbling...before getting hurt. Learn to listen as God talks to me.
I.T.
Last weekend, when typhoon Ondoy was raging, I was busily doing something else. We have the power up in this part of the province and it was just like an ordinary rainy day. I wasn't even watching the news. I wasn't aware that the city, about four hours drive from here was being savagely hit by the typhoon and that there were, and still are, a lot of people who are affected. It was the first time that the city had ever experienced that kind of flooding. Compared the Katrina, Ondoy turned out to be worse - a month's worth of rainfall in just six hours.
Was I being apathetic? When I finally saw the news last night, I realized how heartbreaking it had been for many Filipinos. Considering that there are more people living in poverty in Metro Manila compared to Louisiana, it must take a considerable time for them to get back on track.
What could someone like me do? If I don't personally know a victim of the typhoon, how can I encourage? Would a few pesos deposited to a bank account that helps the victims even make a difference?
"Thank you, dear God, for protecting us. May you look upon the victims of the typhoon with favor and grant them the comfort and peace that could only come from You."
J.B.
-----------
I am a man of prayer (psalms 109:4)
Wouldn't it be great if i am known to be a woman of prayer? Somebody who is famous and looked upon because of that? Someone whose looks, degree, work are secondary because he/she is more known to be a person of prayer?
I wonder what romyne, my cell leader, would have said if that is the dream i wrote in the form she gave me? I am sure she will be surprised but happy.
I do pray that i will learn to kneel more and grow from there. Learn to close my eyes more and trust that God will lead my ways. Learn to pray first before anything else... before questioning...before grumbling...before getting hurt. Learn to listen as God talks to me.
I.T.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
