God’s Joy

“For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight...” Isaiah 65:18

If we read the 65th chapter of Isaiah, we cannot fail to see how unhappy God is. “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations, a people who continually provoke me to my very face .” (v.2-3) “I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.” (V.12)

And then the tone changes and God promises “to create a new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people.” 

What changed? Always God is hopeful that there will be a ‘remnant’, a small group of people who will be obedient to Him, who will seek to delight in Him, who will not have rebellious spirits. Do we desire to be that people? A people God will call His joy and delight, the apple of His eye? How do we be that people? First, God already delights in us. Second, we are the ones that pull away, wanting to do things “my way”. Third, when we realize that we are running away from God and not toward Him, we can always, always make a decision to run back to Him, to repent. And like the prodigal son, we will be welcomed with wide open arms. 

Ambassador of Christ

“We are all ambassadors for Christ…” 2 Corinthians 5:20

I was reading about Salma Hayek teaming up with Unicef to eradicate tetanus. “Several years ago it was so hard to get media attention for this,” the Unicef spokesperson said, “Enter Salma, and here we suddenly had 30 media outlets hanging on her every word."

There was a John 3:16 challenge back in 2015 or 2016, where the challenge was for Christians to share the verse once a week with a lost person to invite them to a relationship with Jesus. After Football superstar Tim Tebow put John 3:16 on his eye black during a national championship game, this bible verse was googled 94 million times!!!!

We don't need star power to be ambassadors for Christ. We just need to KNOW Him, really KNOW Him!

The concept of "knowing" in a biblical sense involves a sense of intimacy, closeness, and sharing experiences. Knowing is translated from the Hebrew root word yada and appears almost 950 times in the Hebrew Bible. It means so much more than the  English word "know,”. Are we aware that it is love that the Lord desires, not sacrifice? That He prefers that we know Him and have a relationship with Him rather than fasting, and alms giving?

"Embedded in every work God does in our lives, is an invitation to an intimate relationship with His son." (From the “Word Among Us”.)

If we get to know Christ more and more, our words and our lives will be so compelling, that we would not need to be a popular actress or a famous athlete to be an ambassador for the One who calls us to be His very own! 

As ambassadors for Christ, what creative thing can we do so people will want to know Christ more? These days it is not so difficult because there’s Facebook and Instagram and a myriad other platforms and mission fields where we can set up our soap box. When we share about God’s love, we are scattering seeds far and wide, and God will be the One who will give the growth. 

It is Mercy I Desire

I have been busy with this acrylic artwork with paper elements. Painting and drawing it made me happy! 

“For it is mercy I desire, not sacrifice.” Hosea 6:6

In Matthew 12:7, Jesus quoted from this passage in Hosea when the Pharisees were on the judgement seat again in declaring what His disciples were doing was unlawful. 

When I was in High School, I had to memorize and recite Portia’s famous lines in William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”:

“The quality of mercy is not strained. 

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven 

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: 

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. 

Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes 

The throned monarch better than his crown. 

His scepter shows the force of temporal power, 

The attribute to awe and majesty, 

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings. 

But mercy is above this sceptered sway; 

It is enthroned in the hearts of kings; 

It is an attribute of God Himself; 

And earthly power doth then show like God's 

When mercy seasons justice.”

Yes, mercy is an attribute, a quality of God, love being the foundation of what He does. We do not deserve everything God does for us, especially His ultimate sacrifice of His Son Jesus. “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Are we merciful like God? When we are in a more dominant, more powerful position, do we show compassion? I remember clearly when I did not. We had ordered a meal at a restaurant in El Nido, and I instructed the young waitress to separate the bill. When she came back, I got so irritated because she did not follow what I asked her to do. I berated her for it and I am still ashamed of my behavior. 

Mercy, as Shakespeare wrote, becomes the throned monarch better than his crown. We are all sons and daughters of the King of Kings. I believe we are here on earth to learn the ways of our Father, not only mercy, but goodness, graciousness, generosity and kindness. But most of all, love. Let us always remember to wear our invisible crown as we go about our day, and make sure that we wear it like a son or daughter of a gracious and loving God. 

Return to Me

“Return to Me…” Hosea 14:2

The story of the prophet Hosea is amazing. The Talmud, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism, of which the Torah is part, calls Hosea the greatest prophet of his generation. And he is the only Jewish prophet who left any written prophecy.

What is amazing is God told him, this shy bachelor, to marry this beautiful woman Gomer. But God also told him that she would be unfaithful. In spite of that, Hosea, like any obedient prophet, went and wooed Gomer, loved her, and had three children with her. It went downhill after that because she left him for a succession of men. He had to rescue her from slavery and bought her at an auction for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley!

This story of a love so great and forgiving foreshadows the story of God's love for us.

God is always asking us to return to Him. In spite of our sins and unfaithfulness, God says to us, "Return to me, your sins have been your downfall. But only return and ask me to forgive your sins, and I will heal your waywardness and love you freely. I will turn away my wrath and be like dew to you. You will blossom and bear fruit." (Hosea 14:2-10)

"That is the story of the Bible isn't it? At Bethlehem God entered the slave market  where the whole human race was putting itself up for auction, prostituting itself and its humanity to a cheapened life. But on the cross the Lord Jesus paid the price, the full price for our freedom, and bought us back. This is the story of God's love and God's heart -- His loving desire to make of His people the full persons He intended them to be." (Ray Stedman) 

“I took you in my arms; I drew you with cords of kindness, love and compassion...my heart is overwhelmed..." (Hosea 11:3,8)

This is God saying He loves us, He loves us, He loves us!!! It's a crazy love, an unimaginable love! Imagine a billionaire saying he would exchange his magnificent mansion for our hovel, his unlimited bank account for our meager savings. The Great Exchange! And it has already been offered to us!

Jesus says to us, "I'll take your poverty and give you My riches. I'll take your sin and trade it for My righteousness. I came into your decaying world to give you eternity!"

If Today You Hear His Voice

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Psalm 95:8

If anyone had the right to be stressed, it was Jesus. He knew what was His fate. And true enough, he sweated blood, which only occurs under conditions of fear, extreme physical and emotional stress. The condition is called Hematidrosis, when the capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture. 

I don’t know anyone who has experienced this, but stress is prevalent in our society today, especially in the Philippines. A 2024 AXA Mind Health study found that 87% of Filipinos experience work-related stress, which is 11% higher than the global average. 

Whenever I feel stressed, I find comfort in prayer, reading the Bible or a favorite devotional. In “Streams in the Desert” I read, “Talk to God about whatever may be pressuring you and then commit the entire matter into His hands. Do this so that you will be free from the confusion, conflicts, and cares that fill the world today....burden Him with it, and you will have put the concerns and cares of the matter behind you.”

“Build a little fence of trust around today; fill the space with loving work and therein stay.” We should also take the psalm for today seriously, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Psalm 95:8) 

If we do this, we will not miss God visiting us with His peace and wisdom.

Special Gift

"Teach them to your children and your children's children." Deuteronomy 4:9

Moses and the people who followed him as they journeyed to the Promised Land saw a lot of miracles and received many special gifts from God.  One of those special gifts were the "statutes" He taught them, "that you may live...observe them carefully...However...take care not to forget the things which your eyes have seen...but teach them to your children and your children's children." 

The root of the word "statute" is a word meaning "to engrave", and refers to a permanent, unchangeable rule of conduct prescribed by an authority. "That you may live..." shows God's desire to give us eternal life. Thus obedience to His Words, the bread of life, ensures this.

Through the years, the Word of God has been watered down, made palatable, more acceptable.  To be a Christian, it is said, we need only to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  To be a radical Christian, we need only to wear a t-shirt with a Christian message.  But it is clear in the Bible that if we do not separate ourselves from the things of this world, we might as well be an atheist!  We cannot wear naked looks like some actresses like, listen to foul mouthed music, watch pornographic movies and still call ourselves Christian. We are not a Christian country if 70% percent of unwanted pregnancies end in abortion, if 20% of the Philippines' yearly national budget is lost to corruption while children suffer because of bad education and health care.  

We can't be Christian if we live as if God did not give us "statutes", engraved laws, unchangeable laws to live by.  We can't just say Jesus is Lord and not show any evidence that He is! One day, Jesus might just say, "Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord, will enter Heaven, but ONLY the one who does the will of my Father." Oops! He DID say exactly that in Matthew 7:21.

If we want our children and our children's children to get into heaven,  we know what we have to do!!! 

Greatly Troubled

Yesterday, I was drawing some plaques to mold in clay. Here’s Mother Teresa and Saint Francis. I think I have to make some changes. 

“Mary was greatly troubled.” Luke 1:29

This is taken from The Word Among Us, and I wanted to share it because it spoke so deeply to me: “Face-to-face with the mighty angel Gabriel, Mary was “greatly troubled” (Luke 1:29). Gabriel announced God’s plan for her to conceive through the Holy Spirit and bear a son who would inherit the throne of David and rule forever. And Mary, despite not having all the answers, was able to say:

 “May it be done to me according to your word” (1:38).

“The words are so simple, so faith-filled, that we might miss out on what was behind them. By saying “yes” to the angel, Mary also said “no” to many things. She closed the door on an alternative life that had its own attractions: a life of quiet contemplation, out of the limelight, surrounded only by friends and fam­ily; a life of simple joys and everyday challenges. And yet with just a few words, she put aside all her dreams to embrace God’s dreams instead.

“We can read this passage and marvel at Mary’s faith—and lament our lack of faith 

in comparison. But it’s important to see that when he greeted her, Gabriel called Mary full of grace, not full of faith. Mary’s “yes” to God was the result of the grace God had given her, not the result of her own willpower and forceful personality.

“This is a key point for all of us. For in the final analysis, faith is not some­thing we drum up on our own. It’s a gift given to us by a gracious, gen­erous God. It’s a grace that he pours into us, a potent seed that is wait­ing to be plunged into the soil of our hearts. We may think we have weak faith, but the truth is God has given us all the faith we will ever need. We just have to learn how to yield to this great gift. So what do you think? Can you say “yes” to God today?”

Yes, you can. God’s gift of grace guarantees it! “Father, thank you for the gift of faith. 

Knowing you is the greatest joy of my life.”

To embrace all that God wants to give us, that is saying "yes!" It is an adventure, a journey, and we will never know where God will take us! It is not only Mary that God wants to use, that God has a wonderful plan for. He wants to use each of us. We all have apart to play in God's great plan to bring His Kingdom here on earth.

Speak Out!

Yesterday I finished another painting. Yay! 

Hmm, maybe I should put rays from the star! So not yet finished! 😂😂😂

Yesterday I also sold some paintings in Art in the Park. 

Thank you to this happy buyer! 

“His flesh becomes like the flesh of a little child.” 2 Kings 5:14

The story of Naaman the leper is certainly one of the more intriguing stories in the Bible, and brings up more questions than answers. Like Jesus said in the Gospel reading for today (Luke 4:24-30), “There were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, only Naaman the Syrian.” 

The little servant girl of Naaman bravely tells Naaman, this valiant, battle-hardened army commander that there is a prophet in Samaria who could heal him of his leprosy. So Naaman asks permission of his King to find him. He appears at the door of the prophet Elisha’s house and the prophet does not bother to come out. Elisha merely sent word that Naaman should wash 7 times in the Jordan and he would be healed. Peeved, Naaman storms off angry. “Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the rivers of Israel???”

Naaman had a lot of expectations about what the man of God should do! “I thought he would surely come out and invoke the Lord His God..." It was a good thing that his servants reasoned with him, “If the prophet would have told you to do something extraordinary, wouldn't you have done it?" So Naaman swallowed his pride and did as the prophet told him. And he was healed!!!

Lesson number 1: Even if we are a lowly slave girl, we can be a messenger of hope and healing. Perhaps we are too afraid of our boss to speak to him or her about  something he or she needs to hear? Perhaps we prefer to just be silent even if we know something that would greatly ease another's burden? Let us always speak out with courage, words of life and truth. This world filled with despair and darkness needs to hear it. 

Lesson number 2: Obedience may bring us to a closer encounter with God. What is it that God is asking of us? Sometimes when God does not fit into the box we made for Him. Like Naaman, we can be so adamant, proud and unwilling to see things from God's point of view!!!  Let us not allow our expectations of how God should act or who God will use to speak to us, be a hindrance to what God wants to do for us, and through us!

A Mission and a Purpose

"What shall I say to them?" Exodus 3:13

The life of Moses before God spoke to him from a burning bush is one short chapter in the Book of Exodus. 40 years of Moses’ life. Then God gives him a mission and that recounting is from chapter 3 to 40 in Exodus, then the whole of Leviticus and Numbers. Moses died when he was 120 years old and this is described in the last chapter of Numbers. 

What does this tell me? That each of us has a mission, a purpose, and the years that are important to God are when we answer His call and do His work. It matters not to Him, the mistakes we make, how insecure we are, our shortcomings. What is important is He can use us, flaws and all.   

"I have seen the affliction of my people. I am aware of their sufferings," God told Moses. "I will send you to Pharaoh so you may bring my people out of Egypt." And so begins one of the most magnificent stories in the Bible. "What shall I say to them?" asks Moses. "Who am I?" Perhaps if God spoke to us we would ask the same. "What will I say? What will I do? They will not believe me!" etc. etc. etc.

In Jeremiah 1:7, the Lord said to Jeremiah, "Do not say, I am too young,' because you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid for I will be with you." 

Lord, our confidence and security must be established in You. May we know our mission and set our sights on accomplishing it, knowing You are walking with us. 

Merciful Father

The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ Luke 15:21

The “Parable of the Prodigal Son” is one of the most famous stories from the Bible. What is the meaning of prodigal? It can mean wasteful, extravagant, improvident, excessive, and reckless. We can say that this is the Parable of the Prodigal Father as well. The father in the story was sinned against by the younger son when the son asked for his share of the inheritance, in effect wishing his father dead. The father gave the son what he asked for and set him free. After the son “devoured his wealth with harlots”, he came back in remorse wishing only to be hired by the father. But no! The prodigal father welcomed him with a largesse of love and mercy. 

There are still those who believe that President Duterte was God’s anointed for the Philippines, and that is why we should not criticize him and just support him in what he did. But in the story of the prodigal son, we see that God allows us to choose, He gives us the freedom to do what we want, just as He gave Israel a King when they clamoured for one, in effect rejecting Him as King over them. Here in the Philippines, 16 million Filipinos chose President Duterte disregarding all the signs that he would not be a blessing to us but a curse. Even he himself said it, “Don’t elect me as President. I don’t want to kill people.” But he was elected, and he instructed the police to kill, kill, kill. Now that he will face an international court for his sins, his supporters still defend him. 

Just as the father in the parable waited for his son to come back home (Luke 15:20), and was filled with compassion for him, so too our Father stands by patiently for each of us. He waits for our whole nation to realize our sins and our rebellion against Him. As the father in the story rejoiced, celebrated, and invited everyone to share in his excitement, our merciful Father will be over the top delighted if we see the light, the error of our choices and return to Him.