The True Vine

“I am the vine, you are the branches.” John 15:5

I am not much of a gardener but even I know if you cut off a branch from the vine, usually it will wither and die. But you can also use grafting as a way to propagate new vines, just as a lot of us prefer to have our own independent way of thinking about life. When I was younger I used to read a lot of Carlos Castañeda, and books about Theosophy. I preferred to believe in reincarnation, and thought Theosophy was more comprehensible than what Jesus taught. Eventually, after several Life in the Spirit Seminars, I decided to throw away all my esoteric books and follow Jesus. I have never looked back, and the more I read the Bible, the more I realize that Jesus is the true vine, and every other belief system is fake news. It is a graft that grew its own roots. 

No other man can claim his birth, life and death was prophesied thousands of years before. He was not just one of the enlightened ones Theosophists claim He is, or just a prophet as some religions declare. If we insist on believing what we want to believe we lose out on so much! Jesus is God just as He claimed, He is the True Vine, and if we connect ourselves to Him, His life will flow through us. Jesus claimed He existed before Abraham (John 8:58) and that He and His Father are one (John 10:30). He also made Himself equal with God (John 5:17-18). 

We do not lose anything by uniting ourselves with the True Vine, instead we gain so much and can claim all His promises. Every day as we place our hope and trust in Him, we can experience more and more of the fullness and richness of life that only He can give.

The Eye of the Storm

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” 

John 14:27

The infamous typhoon Haiyan that devastated parts of the Philippines in November 2013 was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded. As I watched helplessly on CNN, I saw swathes of water enveloping cities, felling trees, moving huge boats inland. My sister-in-law in Coron, Palawan, reported being terrified of the strong winds and rain which blew through the open windows of their house. And then, suddenly, peace. The eye of the storm.

In our life, there will always be upheavals, challenges, frustrations. I don’t think anyone will be able to escape it. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Some of us are dealing with sickness, some a wayward child, others worry about what the future brings. So much to disturb our peace. If.we.let.it.

In the same way that in any typhoon, there is the eye where one can find calmness, God has also provided a place for us to meet Him. In Psalm 46:10, we read, "Be still and know I am God." Even if all is raging outside, we should not permit the fury to come into our heart and mind and spirit. I picture a boat in the middle of a stormy sea. As long as the water does not get into the boat, it will be all right. As long as we do not allow the storm to affect our emotions, our attitude, our thinking, we will be all right.

Exodus 14:14 is one of my very favorite verses: "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still, you shall hold your peace." Our part is to keep still. If we manage that, God will keep the water out of our boat, even if any storm or virus does its worst!

Waste Not the Gift of the Spirit

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” John 14:25-26

Jesus told His disciples in John 16:7 that, “It is better for you that I go.” What’s better than Jesus walking the earth, preaching, healing people, loving them? Believe it or not, Jesus NOT being on the earth! That’s exactly what He was explaining to those listening to Him. “It is much better for you that I go, (it is profitable, expedient, it is for your own good, it is for your advantage that I leave you),” Jesus said to the disciples because they were filled with grief. “Unless I go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you, (will not have close fellowship with you, will not be able to partner with you). But if I go, I will send Him to you.”

I am tempted to be skeptical here, but I prefer that truth form my experience, rather than experience form my truth. I prefer to believe Jesus when He says things like that. I can see that if Jesus were still walking the earth, I would have to go where He was to speak to Him, to ask Him questions. Instead I can be in my nightclothes, and just ask Him from wherever I am. I can read the Bible and the Spirit can illuminate certain passages for me. I can pray in the Spirit for people I don’t even know because the Spirit knows them and their problems. And the Holy Spirit can speak to a million people all at the same time. The Spirit is more pervasive than the internet or TV or radio because the Spirit can go where those are forbidden or censored. 

Yes Jesus is present in a more powerful way today. He is IN us! And because He is IN us, we can be more powerful if we work together, pray together, plan together!

Let us not waste this precious gift of the Spirit by belittling it, or not being aware that we have Him in us. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority…to overcome all the power of the enemy.”

The Coronation

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” John 14:1

Yesterday, millions watched the Coronation of King Charles the Third. It was full of splendor and spectacle, symbolism and pomp. Even the invitation card to the Coronation had special details that symbolized spring and rebirth. King Charles was anointed with holy oil, and then was adorned with regalia which symbolized his power and responsibilities. The King’s sceptre with the largest stone cut from the largest diamond ever found, represents the sovereign’s temporal power. Then there is the Orb he carries, split into three to represent the three-known continents in England’s medieval period: Europe, Africa, and Asia. These, including the five pound crown on his head, are all meant to illustrate how powerful the King is, after all he is holding the earth in his hand. 

Perhaps we were impressed with all the pageantry and historic traditions on display at the Coronation. The gold carriages, the thrones, the 200 year old robe of state trimmed with ermine carried by Prince George and other pages, the ceremonial procession, all these symbolize Royal authority. 

Of course we know that in reality, King Charles has very limited power and authority, not only because the crown’s influence has waned in recent years, but because his power is only on earth. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” We have Our Father’s house to look forward to. It has more than enough rooms, and space for all who call upon His name and follow Him. When Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled… have faith in Me”, we can count on that more than if King Charles III says it. Jesus speaks of eternal realities when He tells us, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” We have an awesome future prepared for us if we but believe! Far more resplendent than anything that could be planned in all of England and the whole world! Let us be true servants of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and know that a splendid future awaits us! 

Light to the Nations

"I have made you a light to the Gentiles..." Acts 13:47

This must have been an amazing message for the Jews to hear but they rejected it! And so it continues today. Sometimes we take the Word of God for granted.

Do we really treat the Bible as if the words written on it came from the Creator of the Universe? Sometimes we are so bored reading the same words over and over again! But these are the only words that can give us fullness of life!

Thank you Lord for being patient with me! Especially during those times when I want to just rush through my prayers and my reading of Your words of life and truth!

You call me by name and You guide me! 

I Am the Way

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” 

John 14:6

Many people have rejected Christianity because of its exclusivity. But truth by its very nature IS exclusive. You can’t have many truths. Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38, “What is truth?” but he did not wait for the answer. Many of us do the same. We prefer to make our own truth because we do not like to change how we think and how we live. 

Jesus said, “I came to bring truth to the world.” If what He says is true, then all other so-called “truths” are fake news. There are many articles about “Defining your truth”, and “Living your truth”. One article on Huffington Post by Rebecca Mckown actually ended with, “Now you are ready. Your truth has been un-earthed. Now go and live your truth. I will be right beside you.”

No one on earth can be right beside us all the time except Jesus. No one died so that we can live victoriously. In almost all other world religions, we have to earn nirvana through good deeds. The good has to outweigh the bad. The way of Christ is counterculture. Christ became sin for us so we can be righteous, holy and pure and the Father can accept us into His Kingdom. We have access to our Father because Jesus reconciled us. How glorious is this way of God that we may have an intimate, loving relationship with the Son, the Father and the Spirit. It is wholly incomprehensible that God would want that with us. Thank You Lord that You made a way where there is no way! You opened up heaven’s doors, because You are the way, the truth and the life! 

Who is Jesus?

“From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (John 13:19-20)

Sometimes Jesus speaks in riddles. I am sure the simple fishermen among the disciples were wondering what He was talking about when He said this. They had no inkling of the horror that was coming. But Jesus said one thing they understood. “...when it happens you may believe that I AM” 

Many people insist that Jesus never claimed to be God, but He did. Jesus said, "I and the Father are one," and, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." He also said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” When Moses encountered Yahweh in the burning bush in the 3rd chapter of Exodus, Moses asked what he was to answer the Israelites when they ask what God has sent him to them. We read in verse 14 this answer: “And God said unto Moses, I AM That I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (KJV) The disciples may have been simple men, but they recognized the name, I AM. 

C.S. Lewis, who was once a professor at Cambridge University wrote: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse.” In other words, we were not given the choice by Jesus to say he was a good man, a great teacher or anything of that sort. He is either who He says He is, God, or He is crazy or a very evil man. 

Who is He to you? If He is a mad man or an evil person, we do not need to do anything more but resign him to the dust heap of history. But if He is God! If He is God, we have to go through the Bible with a fine tooth comb and find out all there is about Him that is important to our very existence, and to our life in the world to come!  And change the very fiber of our lives!

Show Us the Father

Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” John 14:8

Jesus answered Philip, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Philip and the other apostles got to know Jesus intimately, they had a relationship with Him. What they knew of Jesus, what He did, what He said, they passed all of this to others. Philip the apostle preached in Greece, Syria and Phrygia. Peter led the Twelve Apostles in extending the church “here and there among them all” (Acts 9:32). Then there is Paul who played a very crucial role in the first century. He zealously spread the gospel to the non-Jews with his missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire and he started more than a dozen churches. Then there is John the evangelist who also played a leading role in the early church in Jerusalem. 

From the first apostles of Jesus, we have the Apostolic Fathers, men who have the words of the apostles ringing in their ears. Clement was converted by Peter in Rome. He is the first Apostolic Father of the Church, one of the three chief ones along with Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp. Clement learned about the church and Christianity from Peter and others who knew Christ. Ignatius and Polycarp also knew some of the apostles. They were there when some of the apostles were still alive and they carried the torch, and handed down the faith. These early church fathers defined the faith during the first 800 years, long before the writings in the New Testament were put together. 

Irineus writes in the 2nd century, that he met Polycarp when he was an old man and that he “always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true.” As a child, Irineus studied under Polycarp, the last known living connection with the Apostles. Polycarp is a vital link to the apostles, who are eyewitnesses. He knew he had to faithfully testify to the truth, and at the age of 86, in 155, he willingly died as a martyr rather than deny that truth. 

We too have not heard from Jesus directly, but we have the Apostolic Fathers, the many Church Fathers after them, that we can study from. They were diligent in defending our faith from heresy. They were core Christian theologians, apologists even. If we are confused with many different ideas, we can go back to their writings, the many letters that have been preserved as an example of the theology of the earliest Christians. We can “see” Jesus through the Scriptures, but we can also glimpse Him in the writings of these devout and faithful men, most of whom died defending the faith. 

Let us ask these men to show us Jesus, and Jesus to show us the Father. 

Listen

“My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. They shall never perish." John 10:27

I wonder how many times Jesus told the disciples to pay close attention to His words? Even God the Father told them, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" when they were up on the mountain of Transfiguration. When we pray, do we keep talking and talking? Or do we take the time to listen? If we regularly stay silent for a time and try to hear the Lord, we will eventually recognize His voice.

If we meet a new friend, and she calls us up, we may not recognize her voice right away. But if we talk to each other often, we hear her voice all the time, then we will know who she is even if she does not give her name. The key is we have to take the time to listen. James Dobson, the Christian author, prays, "Lord, I need to know what You want me to do and I'm listening. Please speak to me through my friends, books, magazines, and circumstances." 

Most of the time, when I listen for God to speak, I do not hear anything. But there are many times He speaks to me as long as I tell Him I want to hear Him. He has spoken to me through the Bible, through the radio, when I am before the Blessed Sacrament, when I am at the beach, when I am in a garden, when I am alone or in a crowd. He has encouraged me, assured me of His love, admonished me, saved me from mistakes, and given me peace and joy beyond understanding. There is no downside to listening to God. Even when He shows me my sin, there is no condemnation. 

Dear dear Jesus, may I always take the time to be silent and try to listen to You. I so want to be Your sheep, to be part of Your flock, and learn all You want to teach me. 

The Wise Man

“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:54-58) 

Today is the Memorial for St. Joseph the Worker, who is the Patron Saint of laborers, craftsmen and working classes. It is also fitting that it is Labor Day here in the Philippines and is a public holiday in many countries around the world. 

In the gospel story for today, people in the synagogue were astonished at Jesus’ wisdom and learning, but they put him down and did not give him credibility. All because he was a ‘mere’ carpenter’s son, and they knew where he came from. Today many of us do not really accord dignity and respect to people who serve us, the waiters, the guards, the street sweepers, the couriers, the men who collect our garbage and keep our metropolis running. They are faceless to us most of the time. We don’t talk to them, or greet them  a good morning. 

We need to be humble in order to see the value of each human person. Our blessings pass through them. What would our city look like without them, dirty, smelly, even more of a horrible mess of cars and motorcycles, no one to fix the internet or electric service, no one to bring our purchases to us so conveniently, etc etc. 

One day I heard a talk from one of our leaders in community when we were on retreat. The first thing he asked was, “Do you know the name of the person who served you breakfast?” This man made it a point to get to know and speak to each person he came into contact with. He could tell us stories about each of them. 

Let us be more caring and generous with the people we come into contact with every day. Our lives will be so much richer for it. We never know what we can learn from others. The wisest people never met anyone they could not learn from! 

God Speaks

“The sheep follow Him, because they recognize His voice." John 10:4

Do we recognize God's voice?

I think He speaks in different ways, and we will never be able to box God in, much less the way He chooses to communicate with us. One night, as we were driving home from a weekend at the beach, I had this urge to pray. First it was because there was a danger we would run out of gas, and when that danger passed, I still had that strong compulsion to pray. I prayed that angels surround our van, that God would thwart any evil intentions of bad men, that we and my sister's family would reach home safely, that we would not be in any accident. I prayed in tongues. I prayed for persecuted Christians, etc, etc.

Back safely at home, when I was about to fall asleep, my husband Luigi asked me, "Did you have a good sleep?" as he thought I had been dozing in the van while he was driving. "No," I answered, "I was praying almost the whole time."

"Then you heard the loud noise?" 

"I did. I thought a rock hit our van." 

"That was a man with a gun," he said. 

"Whaaat!!" He then told me that there was this SUV that he went ahead of last night. After that, the driver kept trying to squeeze in front of our van but couldn't. He even turned on his flasher. Then, when our vehicles were caught in traffic on a bridge, the man got out and Luigi saw that he had a gun. Then the gun SLIPPED from his hand, and the man scrambled to find it in the dark. When the vehicles started to move, the man ran toward our van and hit it hard with his fist twice!

After Luigi told me what happened, I realized that sometimes God gives us this need to pray for protection. When we do pray, we don't even realize what dangers we avert through prayer. I think God allowed this incident because I had been praying for protection for those being persecuted in the Middle East, and sometimes I think to myself, "Am I helping even a tiny little bit? Maybe this is all useless!" But God showed me that I should persist even if I do not see any results!

Yes God speaks. It doesn't have to be an audible voice, or a whisper. He constantly speaks to us in many different ways. Let us be like sheep who know the voice of our Shepherd, and listen and watch for when He speaks for He will if we but be vigilant and wait.

Don’t Be Saul!

“Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" Acts 9:4

Saul was traveling to Damascus on a mission to arrest and drag to Jerusalem anyone following the 'new way'. In Acts 9:1, he is described as 'breathing murderous threats' against Jesus' disciples. He was stopped by a light in the sky, and a voice asking,"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

In Syria today, there are about 603,000 Christians. They are being persecuted by modern day Sauls who want to exterminate them. Christians have lived in Damascus for more than 2000 years but now they are being driven away from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of Christians in Syria are being kidnapped, tortured, and even crucified and beheaded. There are still a few Christians who speak Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. Their churches, St. Elias Church and St. Grace Church in the Christian village of Maaloula near Damascus are under attack. The congregations have found themselves caught in the middle of warring factions and rebels have fallen into Islamic terrorism. 

There is not much we can do. But I know prayer changes more things than this world thinks it can. Let us pray that these modern day Sauls get converted if not by a light from the sky and a voice from heaven, then by other miracles. Nothing is impossible with God! And He is so creative! I believe that even now, saints are arising in the persecuted areas of the world! Let us cover those areas with prayer! Let us combat the jihad against Christians with an army of interceding warriors!

And then we should also think of the times we were Saul to the beggar on the street, the helper who does not get a day off, the Grab driver we scolded for not taking care of our delivery. These days there are so many opportunities NOT to be Saul and to help the many who are in need and who are hungry.

Living Water in the Desert

“Do you really grasp what you are reading?" "How can I," the man replied,"unless someone explains it to me?" Acts 8:30-31

Philip was one of the seven men, along with Stephen, who were chosen to distribute bread to the widows and the community. Like Stephen, it was important to him, not only to give bread, but also the bread of life. In this chapter of Acts, he is instructed by an angel to go to the desert. There he meets an Ethiopian eunuch, a treasurer of the Queen of that country. This man was reading Isaiah and Philip asked him if he understood.

 "How can I unless someone explains it to me?" the man answered. Philip then took the opportunity to tell him about Jesus. “Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him,“ we read from the same passage of scripture. How blessed this Ethiopian man was that God sent someone to teach him! 

Back then, it took a movement of the Spirit for someone to know about Christ. The Holy Spirit directed Philip to go to the desert. The Spirit told him to catch up with the man's carriage. After the encounter the Spirit snatched Philip away and the eunuch saw him no more!

But today, there is so much opportunity to read the Scriptures, to understand it, to know more. I love listening to preaching on YouTube, and reading teaching from books. I can search about almost any topic about the word of God and like the eunuch, find living water in the desert!

Bread of Life

"I am the Bread of Life." John 6:35 and John 6:47

This is one of the "I AM" statements of Jesus that we can't ignore. We have to decide if this man who claims to be the the bread of life, meaning "essential" for our existence, is saying what He knows to be truth. Is he a liar? The worst kind, who knows what he is saying is false but desires to deceive others? Or is he delusional, crazy, living his own reality? He could also be a fool, couldn't he? We could say "I like Jesus. I admire Him. I like reading His words. He is wise, compassionate, but I don't believe I have to obey Him. He's not God!" Well then, who is he? Isn't He who He claims to be?

Jesus said in John 6:32: "For the bread of God is that which COMES DOWN FROM HEAVEN, and GIVES LIFE TO THE WORLD." So of course, the people hearing that said: "Lord ALWAYS GIVE US THIS BREAD!!!" They were probably looking for manna, like the bread that fell from heaven during Moses' time every single day! But Jesus is much more, much much more than manna. This is what the first Christians believed: 

Ignatius of Antioch wrote in his Letter to the Romans in A.D. 110, “I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire His blood, which is love incorruptible”.

And Origen wrote, “Formerly there was baptism in an obscure way . . . now, however, in full view, there is regeneration in water and in the Holy Spirit. Formerly, in an obscure way, there was manna for food; now, however, in full view, there is the true food, the flesh of the Word of God, as he himself says: ‘My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink’ [John 6:55]” (Homilies on Numbers 7:2 [A.D. 248]).

If we don't believe what Jesus said, then we will always be hungry. Always be searching. But you see, that's OK. Jesus said, "If you seek, you will find." (Matthew 7:7) If we need to, let us just keep seeking, keep asking, keep looking. Don't stop. One day we'll be able to decide and know for ourselves if this man is who He claims to be! It’s the most important quest of our life. It determines where we will live forever. 

Signs and Wonders

“And these signs will accompany those who have believed..." 

Mark 16:17

Today is the feast day of Saint Mark the Evangelist. He took Jesus' words to go into the world and proclaim the good news to all creation very seriously, even if he probably did not hear this from Jesus Himself. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journeys, and he wrote down the stories of Peter in the 2nd Gospel. It is probable that he was the founder of the Church in Alexandria, Egypt and its first bishop. He was martyred there. He died while being dragged through its streets.

Jesus said in Mark's narration that signs would follow those who believed Him. This is so intimidating. We can use His name to expel demons, we can speak entirely new languages, we can safely hold serpents, we will be able to drink poison and not die, and when we lay hands on the sick, they will recover. These signs followed the Eleven as they continued Jesus' work. They would follow us too if we would just believe and do it. Most of the time, we are too timid to lay hands because what if nothing happened? 

What would have happened if the  Old Testament prophets were too timid? James wrote in his only epistle that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently...(5:17). Peter was a man with a nature like ours, Jonah, even Moses who needed someone to speak for him. Yes, there is hope for us, if we believe, pray fervently, and go out and do His work. We can be Jesus' hands and feet. We have HIS Spirit!

Walk Hand in Hand with God

“Do not work for food that perishes...” John 6:27

Jesus said this after feeding 5000 people with loaves and fishes. These same people followed him, getting into boats to look for Him. Jesus is the only human with the unique perspective of literally seeing with God’s eyes the difference between perishable bread and His Words, the bread of life. 

A preacher tells the incredible story of Hien Pham, his interpreter, when he spoke to the troops in Vietnam. After Vietnam fell, Hien was accused of working for the CIA and incarcerated. He was forbidden to read anything but writings of Marx and Engels in Vietnamese or French. He was indoctrinated that there is no God day after day after day. One night he decided, “Tomorrow I am going to live as if there is no God.”

The next day he was assigned to clean the dirty, smelly latrines. He covered his mouth and nose as he mopped up the toilets. As he was about to throw out one bucket, he noticed a piece of paper in English. He surreptitiously cleaned it and put it in his pocket. That night when all was quiet, he took it out and read it. It was a page from Romans 8: “And we know that all things work together for good for them that love God.” No verse was more relevant for him that day and he fell to his knees. The next day he volunteered to clean the latrines again. Each day he would find a page from the Bible, clean it and read it eagerly at night for his devotions. It turns out the Commander had been given a Bible which he used for toilet paper.

When Hien was eventually released, he and 53 other people decided to build a boat and escape. A few days before they were about to leave, four fully armed Viet Cong arrived and interrogated him. He insisted he had no plans of escaping. When the four left, he asked forgiveness from God for the lie and promised to tell the truth if they came again. 

A few hours before he and his companions were to board the boat, the four Vietcong came and asked him again, “You’re trying to escape, aren’t you?” “Yes,” Hien Pham admitted, “Are you going to kill me?” “No,” they whispered, “we want to go with you!”

So all fifty-eight escapees set out. In the high seas, there was a storm and the boat almost capsized but the four Vietcong were the best mariners they could have wanted and they all safely reached Thailand. 

Hien said when he was finally in the US, “You know you always think you’re going to manage it your own way. It never works. The most important thing is to find intimacy with God, and He will guide you and take you through safely in your journey as you walk hand and hand with Him. When everything comes together, you have wonder, truth, love, and security. That’s what gives life meaning, and you’ll find only God is big enough to do that for you.”

God’s Word is Alive!

“Were not our hearts burning within us...?" Luke 24:32

Jesus is alive! That's what we shout every Easter. He is risen! But in a very real way, His Word is alive too! "For the Word of God is ALIVE and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."

When I was in High School, some Gideon missionaries came and distributed Bibles. I still have it, with the date written on the front page. January 27, 1971.  To receive one, we had to make a promise to read it every day. I promised because the Bible was so cute, and I did not have one. So I started reading a chapter a day until I got to John 12. In my little Bible, there is a verse encircled with a question mark. "The one who loves his life will lose it, but the one who hates his life in this world will preserve it to eternal life”. Well, I LOVED my life, and I could not understand why I would lose it because I loved it, so I STOPPED reading the Bible! The Words certainly exposed my innermost thoughts and desires! At that time, I was not willing to even explore further what the verse meant. 

Then when I got older, I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit during a Life in the Spirit Seminar. After that, I would read and read the Bible. I would underline almost all the verses with my yellow highlighter or a ballpen. My old Bible is full of lines and notes all around the margins. I could not get enough of God's Word and it really spoke to me. The Words would jump out of the Bible. 

In the story in Luke 24, two of the followers of Jesus were walking to Emmaus when Jesus joined them. They did not recognize Jesus at first, but while Jesus explained the scriptures to them, their hearts burned. In the same way, if the Spirit of Jesus is with us while we read the Bible, the Word comes alive and full of power. Lord, may Your Word burn within me, and transform the way I think and act. Holy Spirit, teach me and help my faith grow!

Jesus, Help Me Grow My Faith

“See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, To deliver them from death…” 

Psalm 33:18-19

I was listening to Heidi Baker preach, she always has such fantastic stories. Heidi has been a missionary in Mozambique, one of the poorest countries in the world, since 1995. At first they worked with orphans and abandoned street kids and eventually moved on to found Bible schools, medical clinics, primary schools, well drilling, evangelistic and healing outreaches in many remote villages of Mozambique. 

She told this story in the Prayer and Presence Conference last year. She was one of the translators in a prayer meeting in Africa. The small, old lady testifying was speaking in Makonde, a language spoken by an ethnic group in southeast Tanzania and Northern Mozambique. Someone else would translate to Portuguese and Heidi would translate to English. 

The old lady started out by saying, “My husband died and I was super happy about that. I’m rejoicing!” So Heidi as the third translator verified if that was what the old lady was really saying and it was! She thought why was this testimony not screened? She was cringing inside. Meanwhile the old lady went on, “I hated him! I hated him! He beat me! But I came in here last week, someone hugged me so I thought I should pray for my dead husband, so he got up and here he is. Lead him to Jesus now!” Pandemonium. The old lady was a brand new believer, and did not know anything, did not even know that this was a big miracle. They all prayed for the husband who said in a loud voice, “I will never beat her again!” 

God met the old lady’s simple faith and answered her prayer. She wasn’t this awesome anointed lover of God, just someone who believed in the power of Jesus, that He can deliver from the power of death. God did it and it’s a testimony for people around the world that God can do anything for anyone. Jesus, help me to grow my faith! 

Whom Should I Fear?

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

An Indonesian priest came over to pray over me some time ago. He is the only priest I know who goes out into the streets and marketplaces to evangelize. He invites people to go to Church. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they put a knife on his neck. He used to do it back in Australia, and 6 men harassed him and his companions. One threatened to kill him, and while he had the knife pressed to his neck, he said, “Don’t you know that God loves you so much?” To his surprise, the man crumpled up and cried. 

After fasting and praying for several weeks, Father and his companions went back again. The same men approached them and they were able to invite them to Church. Eventually, three of them became Catholic. 

The world is full of things that look and feel frightening. We can be anxious about many things. The future of our country, our world, can look very bleak indeed. Personal problems can seem overwhelming. That’s why we need to have God’s perspective when we look at the world we live in. The priest could have been tempted to punch the man who threatened him, but he saw him through God’s eyes and knew how much God loved him. Why should he fear this man? 

Problems like a debilitating sickness, losing a job, a broken relationship, etc., are devastating, no doubt about it. But if we let God light our way, and find our refuge in Him, His grace will envelope us. He has many gifts for us, if only we trust Him with our life. I know this to be true. 

Victorious!

“We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

Many people today obey man rather than God for different reasons- political expediency, political correctness in the name of tolerance, money, popularity, convenience, selfishness, etc. The apostles were different. Even in the face of death, arrest, or jail, they stood their ground.  “We must obey God rather than men!” Where did they get their courage and strength?

They knew Jesus, they were witnesses, and they had the helper Jesus sent, the Holy Spirit. Sometimes people think it is easier to follow the ways of the world. An unwanted child in the womb? Get rid of it. A tax problem? Give grease money. Caught in dilemma? Lie. Lie. Lie. Follow the path of least resistance. It is not easy to obey God’s laws. That is what the world wants us to think. But that is only when God is out of the equation. 

God is bigger than our problems, our dilemmas, any trouble facing us. I confess that I can be anxious about even the most absurd things. Then I stop short and go back to God’s promises and I can relax when I obey Him. “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6) “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26). 

Like the Apostles, we can know Jesus by delving into the Bible, talking to Him, listening to Him, and following His wise ways. And with the Holy Spirit, we can be victorious and obey Him rather than men.