It Ruins the Whole Thing!

 “He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation;…” Psalm 147:19-20

The words written in the Bible aren’t part of some fairy tale. They are words from a loving God who wants the best for us. The world He created was awesome and amazing, and it still is, if we see it through His eyes. But we’ve managed to destroy whole swathes of it by our selfishness, greed, and ungratefulness. Can it still be salvaged? Of course, if we are willing to believe in Him and in His Words, His statutes and His ordinances. But we have to choose Him. We can’t straddle two worlds. Especially now when the enemy seems to be more active in “evangelizing” people to his way of thinking, his culture. The enemy does not want us to believe there is an eternal truth. Instead the enemy wants us to think we can make our own truths. 

There were a couple of kids who wanted to see a movie that had just one little thing in it that was not good. “Please dad! It’s just a little part of the story!” The dad stood his ground even if the kids thought it was so unfair that their dad wouldn’t let them watch the movie. 

The next day their father treated them to some chocolate brownies that looked really yummy. As they started to grab some, their dad said, “Before you put them in your mouth, I need to tell you that I put just a tiny little bit of our dog’s poop into the mix. Just a small bit, so tiny, you won’t notice it at all.” 

“Ewwww!” The kids put back the brownies disgusted and told their dad the whole thing should be thrown away!

“Why?” their dad acted amazed. “It’s just a tiny little bit. It won’t affect the taste. It’s so tiny, it probably won’t be in the bite you’ll eat. It’s not going to ruin these great brownies!”

The kids whined and complained and insisted that even if the poop was so tiny, it made the whole batch of brownies unfit to eat! 

The dad concluded, “And that’s why we don’t watch movies with just a little part that displeases God. It ruins the whole thing.” 

Father, help me to be uncompromising in following You! 

If God is For Us

 “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31b

Sometimes I am overwhelmed with the many concerns I need to pray for. Our country with its many problems cannot answer the needs of the people. In fact there are many more who are poorer than before. Prices are rising. People are voicing anxieties about the coming Big One. The traffic problem makes so many lives miserable, including our employees who cannot spend enough time with their families. Our money and our natural riches are being squandered and stolen. Many of our political leaders cannot be relied on to work for us, for they are mainly looking out for themselves. 

Then we need to pray for our families, our work, those who are sick (so many!), and oh the myriad challenges we face. We can get insane if we think we have to know all the answers, and can find solutions to everything. That is why I look to the Bible for my answers. Indeed if God is for us, who can be against us? God told the Jews: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:14) Yes, be still. Every morning instead of prattling to God about my problems, I can sit quietly and try to listen, so that if the Lord wants to say something to me, He can.

All Things Work For Good

 “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

In 2009, we started visiting the son of a friend of ours who was incarcerated in the city jail because of a skewed justice system. He was just 23 years old, and the prison was a horribly crowded place. Inmates slept on stairways, holes in the ceiling, and all sorts of cramped areas if they did not have any money to pay for bed space. 

It was a terrible, terrible thing for this young man to have to stay in jail for several years but we saw how God made this situation work for good. As we visited him weekly, we started a prayer meeting and got to know the horror stories of some of the inmates. He admitted that if God hadn't allowed him to go to jail, his life may have gone on a downward spiral. But he grew in the Lord, his heart expanded, and he recognized his gifts. He didn't use to read, but he started reading lots of books. When before his jail time, he was concerned with acquiring the best cellphone and having a good time, he began to appreciate simple joys. He also cared about the other inmates. He made really tasty sandwiches, and served them to his fellow inmates. He especially tried to show care to those without visitors, because those men sometimes got crazy!

He started drawing and painting after he had a dream. He asked his mother to get him brushes, paints and canvas. He started a painting club with some of the other prisoners, and even held an exhibit. He started painting the inmates in stark black and white, and a well known gallery held an exhibit of those amazing artworks which received much acclaim. After the judge declared him innocent of the crime, he was freed. I lost touch with him but I know he continued to paint and have exhibits not only in the Philippines but Europe as well. 

Many times when I remember people I once journeyed with and then parted ways, I entrust them to God confident that He who began the good work in them will bring it into completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). 

Fellow Citizens of the Saints

 “You are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19

Saint Paul couldn’t have been writing this to ordinary Christians like you and me, could he? But he did. He wrote this letter while he was imprisoned in Rome. He had spent more than two years building the church in Ephesus, in what is now Turkey. Many had converted to the faith, and of course he wanted to encourage and comfort the believers there. In his 6 chapter long letter, he talks about the glorious inheritance awaiting those who believe in Christ. He expounds on God’s eternal plan from the beginning, how God has given the believer everything he or she needs to live out the Christian life and grow in maturity. 

When I think of saints, of course I think of the well known saints like Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Bernadette, Saint Therese, etc., but for each well known saint, there are thousands and thousands of unknown saints. There are those who were thrown to the lions, crucified, burned to death, or beheaded for not sacrificing to Roman gods, or renouncing their belief in Christ. Martyrdom is not confined to the early years of Christianity. According to Open Doors researchers, “More than 380 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.” One in seven people are persecuted worldwide for their faith in Jesus. 

But apparently, to Paul, we don’t need to be persecuted, martyred or tortured to be considered a fellow citizen of God’s holy people. We already are part of God’s family. We are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. Each one of us who believe are one of those building blocks, carefully joined together, to make God’s holy temple. 

Lord, I’m content to be one of the tiny stones in Your temple, but I want to be the best and strongest little stone for You! With Your help, nothing is impossible! 

Him Who Loves Us Best

 “This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” the Lord said. (Luke 13:16)

I always marvel at how much knowledge, entertainment and news is at our fingertips if we have a computer or a phone with an internet connection. The first computer was the size of a room, and the first hard disk drive was the size of a cupboard! And now, my phone has more power than that monster computer which I think was powered by steam!!!

Before, news had to carried by people on horses and letters by boats which took months to reach its destination. Now, a glance at my X feed can bring me news faster than CNN! What an amazing world we have!

But are we just as amazed at how awesome it is, that the Messiah that "kings and prophets" longed and waited for, is here with us today? That we can actually have a relationship with Him? We can read His words, His love letters to us. We can read His story and if we read it often enough, and get to know His character and personality, the more clearly we can hear Him speak. One of the best reasons to read scripture is to know Him who loves us best. He can answer our questions and guide us the same way He did for our forefathers. In this story in Luke 13, we see His compassion, even that He is willing to fight the authorities for us, just so He can help us and free us! 

Is it not that we often take for granted that we can actually worship and fellowship with other believers without fear of getting caught, stoned, burned at the stake, or carted off to be killed by animals in the middle of an arena like the Hunger Games? The Jews are still waiting for their Messiah. 

Have we "found" Him for ourselves?

The Good Fight

  "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

Saint Paul when he wrote these words to Timothy was almost at the last lap of his race. He was encouraging Timothy not to become weary in his own race. We are all in a race, and to be victorious, we have to remember to keep an eye on the prize and stay in our own lane. Can you imagine if you are a runner, and you are always looking in all directions to see how others are doing? How can you win? When King Saul started getting envious of David, his exploits, and the accolades David was receiving from the people, he became such a bad king that he wanted David killed!

I was just listening to Pastor Robert Madu, and he said that nowadays we sometimes look through feeds in Facebook and Instagram to see how we measure up. I was so amused when he came up with these little ditties: "Mirror, mirror in Facebook, Tell me how my life should look!" or "Mirror, mirror on Instagram, Tell me who I really am!" Really? Is this what modern life is like?

I think what we need to do is concentrate on OUR race, and not look at what other people are doing. I can't be like my FB friends who are great at mentoring, or preaching, or making funny jokes! I love my friends who are wonderful cooks, have PhDs, accomplish one great goal after another, and I refuse to compare myself to them. Let them be the best they can be with the gifts and talents God gave them. I'll just be the best ME I can be with what God has given me! And if we can, let's help each other fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith!

Saved!

 “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live.” Ezekiel 33:11

If you know the name Evel Knievel, that could mean you’re either old or you are crazy about motorcycles. Anyway this man was a drunk who struggled with addiction, a womanizer, and a gambler. He even ended up in prison for a while. He was in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most broken bones of any human being for all the death defying stunts he pulled with his motorcycle. In his book, “Evel Ways”, he wrote that he’d had a better life than any king, President or prince. At his peak in the 70s, he earned millions from endorsements. He had 5 Rolls Royce, 5 Ferraris, Lamborghinis and 2 jet planes. 

One day he was on a beach in Florida when God spoke to him. He felt it on the inside, a voice saying, “Robert,” which is his real name, “I’ve saved you more times than you’ll ever know, now you need to come to me through my son Jesus.” 

He had to call his friend Frank Gifford to ask him who Jesus Christ was. And Frank advised, “Get that book by Lee Strobel, ‘The Case for Christ’. That will explain everything.” Evel repented and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. After he gave his testimony in Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral in April 2007, 700 people came forward to do the same. Evel Knievel died a few months later at the age of 69, saved by the grace of God. 

Saint Making Machine

 “I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self...” Romans 7:22

Saint Paul goes on to write, “But I perceive another law within my body, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me with the law of sin which is in my body.” He says he’s a miserable man, pitiful, perhaps even frustrated! So we would be too if we realized how far we are from the ideal. 

But that is why we are here on earth, I believe. This is a giant saint making machine! This world with all its trials, suffering people, sin and despair, gives us opportunities to learn compassion, generosity, hope, and love for others who can give nothing in return. Do we take advantage of the innumerable chances we have to make a better man or woman of ourselves? 

Choe Langr wrote in her Old Fashioned Girl blog that, “Evil has never been so accessible.  Neither has sanctity.” We just have to see this world through God’s eyes. Why does He allow evil? Why does He allow poverty? Why does He allow injustice? He gave us the wonderful gift of free will to misuse if we choose to be the selfish, destructive ones. But we can also choose to be the ones who give, who stand up for the truth, who ask forgiveness, who show compassion, who are tireless in helping even if it seems hopeless. 

Flourishing and Thriving

 “Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord...whatever he does, prospers." Psalm 1:1-3

I really am not that good with money, but my mom was. She could really save and make money grow. Although she didn't study anything about it, she listened and learned, and she read the Bible from cover to cover I don't know how many times. There's a lot about money in the Bible, and if we follow what the Bible teaches, we will prosper. That's what it says.

But what is prosperity? I googled it, and I like this definition: "It's a state of flourishing, thriving. Prosperity often encompasses wealth but does include other factors independent of wealth in varying degrees, such as happiness and health."

When we delight, are captivated by, entranced, thrilled, gladdened, take pleasure in the word of God, and meditate on it, reflect, deliberate, contemplate, ruminate, chew on, mull over His law constantly- whatever we do, we will prosper in it!

A lot of people put down the "prosperity gospel" because it doesn't really give a true picture of the Christian life. But I do believe that if we obey God and His teachings, we will thrive, we will be content, blessed and happy. Because we will have the right perspective about not only money, but things. From reading the Bible, I know that our money, our business, our things are not ours. It's all God’s and we are mere stewards. We are supposed to use our gifts, talents and resources, and make it grow and do good. If we work with God, anything is possible!

God wants us to be generous with everything we have because He is generous and He wants us to learn to be like Him. And how generous is God? He gave His only beloved Son so that we might have "all things" added unto us (Mt. 6:33). THAT is what prosperity is all about!

Broken Was the Snare

 “Broken was the snare, and we were freed.” Psalm 124:7 

Many people are trapped, but they don’t realize it. Many people think it is freedom to stay out late and drink, take drugs, indulge in pornography or casual sex. As they say, “My body, my choice.” They are actually caught in a snare that is very difficult to break free of without God.

Two mothers prayed constantly for their sons, that they would go on the straight and narrow path. One son named Kenneth became a preacher after he married a godly woman. The other son named Larry became a drug addict at a young age. His mother never stopped praying. Larry’s friends told him that whenever he was under the influence of drugs, he was always talking about the Lord, so they did not want him around no more! “All you want to talk about is God!” they complained. After that, Larry got evangelized by listening to his own words! It sobered him up. 

The thing is some doctors told his mom that if he ever got off drugs, he wouldn’t be in his right mind, he would be a vegetable, because he had been taking drugs for so long. But she kept praying and did not give up. 

After he was freed from the snare of drugs, Larry took up Physical Therapy, and he got top grades. After Larry received his diploma, he commented, “Kenneth, that’s pretty good for a carrot!” 

Thank You Lord, we can depend on You to free us and our loved ones from the snare! We must never, never give up praying!

Just As If I’ve Never Sinned

 “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

Who is righteous? In Isaiah 64:6, we read that our righteousness is filthy rags before God!!!

I did some treasure hunting and I was ecstatic to find an abundance of verses in the Bible where Christ's righteousness passes to our account! We do not have a righteousness of our own, but it comes from our faith in Christ. 

"We are justified in the eyes of God, JUST-AS-IF-I'D never sinned"! (David J. Stewart)

And so we can depend in confidence on a God who made a way for us!

Here are the verses about the imputed (to pass to one's account) righteousness of Christ:

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10

“Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4 

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.” Romans 3:21-22

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ “ 1 Peter 2:24

God Cannot Be Outdone

 “A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” Luke 12:21

In the same passage we read: “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong? Thus it will be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” 

In this life we are called a fool if we do not save up and take care of the future. But what we really need to learn is to trust God. In “Pondering the Anawim Way” the meditation book I read daily, I was struck with this passage: “There is no need to fight with our brother for our earthly inheritance. Our Brother, Jesus, is sharing with us His eternal inheritance.” 

Jesus instructed, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Real life is not measured by how much we own. In God’s eyes, what is really more important is how much we share! I cannot help but think of all the Senators, Congressmen, contractors, and other government people enmeshed in this huge corruption scandal dominating the news today. How much money and possessions can they possibly covet that they have to endanger their souls? 

It can be really difficult, but we can do it step by step. It is important to be generous consistently so it becomes a lifestyle. My mother used to say, “Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch.” If we want to train ourselves in the ways of God, there is no other way but to just do it, until it becomes easier and easier. God cannot be outdone in generosity!

Pray Without Ceasing

 “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night? Will He be slow to answer them? I tell you, He will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” Luke 18:6-8

The parable of the persistent widow teaches us to pray unceasingly, to never give up, especially when we do not see the answers we are asking for. Corruption scandals have been plaguing our country for a long, long time. Will we stop praying just because God has not given us what we want? 

I always keep in mind that Jesus never gave up praying. He would go off to the mountain by Himself to pray, to be with His Father. Perhaps like us, sometimes He would be at a loss for words, with all that He was facing. One time, He prayed, “Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” (Luke 22:42)

Can we pray like Jesus, if our husband is in a coma, our daughter has an incurable disease, or we have lost everything? The ways of God are unfathomable. The Philippines was just hit by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake, the deadliest we have experienced since 2013, killing 72 people. Last month we had a category 5 typhoon that hit us. So many of our people already reeling from the effects of the bad economy had to deal with these natural disasters. Sometimes it can seem so hopeless. 

We always have to remember God never promised an easy life. But the God who gave us His only Son so that we could one day be with Him in heaven, will not fail to answer our prayers if they are for our eternal good. We just have to put our faith and trust in Him, and never give up praying! 

Although we should act as if everything depends on us, much more should we pray as if everything depends on God, because it does!!! "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." (Alfred Lord Tennyson)

Saints Point to Jesus

 Today, October 18, is the Feast Day of Saint Luke the Evangelist. He is known as the patron saint of artists, physicians, bachelors, surgeons, students and butchers. 

In Christian tradition, Saint Luke is known to be the first icon painter, having painted the Madonna and child several times. The well known Black Madonna of Częstochowa is believed to be his work. I happily discovered that he illustrated a gospel book with miniature paintings! It's amazing to know that we who paint in our Bibles follow in the tradition of Saint Luke?

I love reading about the saints. We can discover how ordinary men and women place their God-given gifts, their time, their resources, their voices, at the feet of Jesus, offer their lives to God, and discover their purpose. The saints come in different sizes, colors, temperaments, and professions, but they all point to Jesus. 

Saint Luke was not a Jew, but when he discovered the Savior, he decided to know as much as he could about Him. He interviewed Mary and wrote the most beautiful account about her in the Gospels. He was Paul's companion several times as Saint Luke mentions in the Book of Acts which he also wrote. I am sure he tried to learn as much as he could from Saint Paul and others as well. We find 6 miracles and 18 parables in his gospel not found in the others. 

Luke is mentioned in Paul's letter to Philemon, where Paul calls him "my fellow worker". And after Paul is deserted by everyone else in his final imprisonment, only Saint Luke remains with him. “Only Luke is with me,” St. Paul writes in his letter to Timothy (2 Tim 4:11) Do we get to know Jesus with all the resources available to us today? We may not be able to interview Mary or Saint Paul, but we can prayerfully read the gospels. We can listen to people who study God's word and learn their insights. We can sit at Jesus' feet and listen to Him. He may not speak clearly at first but if we persevere, God will surprise us. After all, He said if we knock, He will open the door. Like Saint Luke, let us open our hearts to discover all that God has in store for us! How exciting it is to wake up every morning to God's marvelous love and generosity! 

Even the Hairs on Your Head are Counted

 “Even the hairs of your head are counted!" Luke 12:7

How precious are we to God? So precious He knows how many strands of hair there are on our head. Now I do not know why He needs to know that, but that's what it says in the Bible! If He knows that, then He also keeps track of what we are doing every minute, every second of the day. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says that God has a plan for each of us, not just a mediocre plan, but a really excellent one. So it would be great to get to know what that plan is, to work with God, to make it come true.

Nick Vujicic was born with the tetra-amelia syndrome. He does not have arms. He does not have legs. But he goes around the world preaching to millions of people. One time, he had a short meeting with the President of Ecuador. A few days after that, the President had to consider a law that would allow abortion of disabled fetuses. He vetoed it because he said Ecuador needed more Nick Vujicics! We may not have as big a challenge as Nick, but certainly we have as important a role to play in God's plan for the world!