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Monday, August 10, 2015

An Evil Report for September!


"Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!" 1 Kings 19:7
After Elijah slaughtered the prophets of Baal, Jezebel swore to hunt him down and have him killed. So Elijah fled to the desert alone and prayed that God might take his life. Completely disheartened and exhausted, Elijah fell asleep under a lone broom tree. The broom tree is not actually a tree, it is more of a shrub, and quite inadequate for shelter under the hot sun of the desert. You can imagine how Elijah must have been moaning with self-pity by this time. But then an angel woke him up and told him to get up and eat. There was bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water to drink. Elijah ate and drank and went to sleep again.

 After a while, the angel ministered to him again. "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." Elijah got up and the food gave him enough strength to travel 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. Some writers say the journey of 40 days and 40 nights is symbolic of our whole lifetime on earth. Obviously, we have to eat and drink everyday to feed and nourish our bodies. We cannot live our whole life on one meal and we usually eat three times a day. The same is true for our spirit. We also need to feed our spirit, and not just once a month, or twice a month. Our faith can get weak and ineffective and we need to feed on the Word of God daily. If our physical body needs exercise, our spiritual muscle needs it too. "Build yourselves up by praying in the Holy Spirit..." (Jude 1:20-21) Reading the Word, obeying God, and praying in tongues,will make our spirit strong and equip us ably for the long journey ahead!


"An evil report he shall not fear..." Psalm 112:7

There are many "evil" reports going around today. Just search for the words "Jade Helm" to read about conspiracy theories about what America is preparing for, "Jeff Berwick" for the impending economic collapse coming next month, "shemittah" for the 7 year cycle of either blessing or judgement, "Rabbi Jonathan Cahn" and his best selling book "The Harbinger" about the signs of America's destruction if the people do not repent.  According to Cahn, all 9 harbingers manifested in the last days before the destruction of Israel are manifested in like form in American soil.  The first warning came in September 11, 2001 when terrorists attacked US landmarks. Seven years after, in September 29 (if you use the Jewish calendar, it is exactly 7 years after to the day), the Dow Jones Industrial average dropped 777.68 points, the largest drop in its history.  So many people are awaiting what will happen this September, 7 years after 2008.
 I believe that whether "evil" comes or not, whether collapse or economic ruin comes or not, we should ALWAYS be prepared! Psalm 112:7 continues, "his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." We should be disciplined in reading the Word of God, and praying. In Acts 17:11 we read, " Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."  We too should receive the Word of God with great eagerness, and examine the scriptures every day so that when evil does come, and it will, we will be prepared and victorious and peaceful.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4 (KJV)


"Take to heart these words..." Deuteronomy 6:6
The 6th chapter of Deuteronomy is our God's call to us for wholehearted commitment to Him. This is a poignant moment for Israel. Moses is about to die (Dt. 34) and he leaves a whole Book filled with instructions and laws and reminders for his people. In the 6th chapter we find the "Shema", the great Jewish prayer, which devout Jews recite when they wake up, and before they sleep. The prayer is named after the opening word, which means "Listen up', "Pay attention", "Take heed".
The chosen people were instructed to keep God's Word close to them, bound on their wrists, or on their doorposts in a Mezuzah. I like to put the Shema in a little glass container and hang it around my neck.

Although it can be tedious reading, there are gems hidden in the Book of Deuteronomy. I always liken reading the scriptures to a treasure hunt. There are gems hidden in all those laws and statutes. We will get to know our Father more, and how much He loves and cares for us. That is the only reason for all those instructions. The people of Israel were surrounded by many pagan peoples with many practices that God abhorred. God did not want His people whom He chose to love to be contaminated by the culture around them. He wanted to bless them in the same way He wants to bless us today. Like the Jews, we too are surrounded by an ungodly culture, a culture of death and sin. If we want to be a people God calls His own, we need to know how God wants us to live, to be holy, a people set apart. "It was not because you are the largest of all the nations that the Lord set His heart on you and chose you, " He told Israel, "for you are really the smallest of all nations. It was because the Lord loved you..." (Dt. 7:7-8) 

Thank you Lord for being faithful and for loving us! Teach us Your ways, and ingrain Your words in our hearts. Thank you for sending Jesus who fulfilled every law, every letter and every bit of the letter of law for us who accept Him as Lord and Saviour!

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Friday, August 07, 2015

Paint Party Friday: Second Chances!

 Work in progress for 3 paintings I need to come up with for an exhibit in
 Manila Hotel, a prestigious hotel with a rich history.

 "What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and ruin himself in the process?" Matthew 16:26
There can't be two more different people than Leah Darrow and John Pridmore. One was a successful fashion model who had her face splashed on Times Square, buses and subways while living the so called good life. The other was a gangster who had expensive cars and made money faster than he could spend from protection rackets and drug deals.
Leah Darrow was on a photo shoot in a skimpy outfit, making sexy poses when she saw herself the way Jesus saw her. She saw her empty hands and knew she was using all the wonderful gifts God had given her for herself and it made Him very sad. She ran out and called her father. "Dad if you don't come and get me, I'll lose my soul!" Her dad came after driving so far and brought her to church to confess her sins.

John Pridmore's mom had just prayed that Jesus would take her son because she could see the monster he had become. After John hit a guy with a knuckleduster and that man smashed his head on the curb, John drove home and heard his conscience for the first time in his life. John was then confronted with the reality of God. Then he felt God withdrawing. He got terrified and cried out to God from a place of desolation for another chance. He was instantly lifted up. At a spiritual retreat he felt an urge to go to confession. He said, "My sins killed me but confessing them brought me back to life."
Today Father John Pridmore and Leah Darrow go around the world preaching God's message and spreading His love. What a wonderful testimony of second chances and God's amazing grace!

"We ourselves heard this said from heaven while we were in His company on the holy mountain." 2 Peter 1:18
Peter is talking about what happened in Mark, chapter 9, verses 2-10. Jesus had taken him, along with James and John up a high mountain. There they saw Jesus transfigured, glowing with unearthly light. They saw Elijah and Moses speaking with Jesus. In awe, they also saw a cloud overshadowing them, and out of it, came a voice: "This is my beloved Son. LISTEN TO HIM."


Most of us have not had encounters with God like Peter's, but God does break into our ordinary everyday lives. We just need eyes to see Him. Take the example of the two followers of Jesus walking home to Emmaus from Jerusalem (Luke 24:13+). They did not recognize Him when He walked and talked with them. The truth is God speaks to us and walks with us in our ordinary, every day encounters with people, the situations we find ourselves in, what we feel, what we see, what we take for granted. We just need to LISTEN, open our eyes and SEE Him. I so admire preachers, authors, and anybody, who can take a story out of their every day life, and squeeze a lesson out of it. Because the lessons are there. The diamonds are buried for us to find, especially in the hard places we want to avoid and get out of. If I review my day yesterday, I will see that God broke through with His love in the hug from my husband, His peace as I tackled all the work I had to do, His creativity and courage as I painted a big canvas for an upcoming art exhibit in Manila Hotel, His patience with dealing with an overdue account. Sometimes, there are big lessons, but most of the time, they are small lessons we have to be grateful for. If we LISTEN, eventually, like the two followers of Jesus on their way to Emmaus, Jesus will open our eyes to really see Him!

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Wednesday, August 05, 2015

WOYWW: Mother Teresa's Humility List

I have been busy,
and even if I have very little space,
I manage to paint!

My sister Peggy and I need to make 3 big paintings for an art exhibit
in Manila Hotel, a prestigious hotel with a rich history.
General Douglas Macarthur stayed there 
to help build the Philippine Army.

Photocourtesy of Manila Hotel

To handle the cost of his suite,
he was given an honorary title of "General Manager".
Gen. Macarthur however ignored the figurehead status and 
took over the management of the hotel!!!!

 These are 2 small ones I started before 
I knew about that invitation,
so these have to wait a while!

Work in progress.
Really when you start out, 
you have to go on in faith
that something beautiful will eventually emerge
from bits of paper and splatters of paint!

"By my life,says the Lord,I will do to you just what I have heard you say." Numbers 14:28
Sometimes, when someone says something negative and I say, "Don't say that! Don't confess defeat or failure or lack or disaster!", I get a scoffing expression on their face. But we either believe the Bible or we don't. Here is a direct example of what happened when the Israelites grumbled against God. He was going to give them this land flowing with milk and honey, but they were intimidated by the "giants" who lived there.
Even if Caleb said they could be victorious, the Israelites preferred to believe the men who had gone with him who said, "The land we explored is a country that consumes its inhabitants. They are giants and we are like grasshoppers to them!" The people had forgotten their God could do the impossible! They started grumbling and complaining until God said, "I will do as I have heard them say." Instead of giving them the land, he allowed them to be consumed (Numbers 14:45).

Jesus said in Mark 11;23 that we will have what we say. Indeed it says in Proverbs 18:21 that death and life are in the power of the tongue. There are about 8000 promises in the Bible. If we confess even some of those promises, instead of declaring defeat or lack, we will be able to fight the enemy from a standpoint of victory. Our God will do to us just as He has heard us say!

 "Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth." Numbers 12:3
Another word for meek is humble. Now you would think that a man who spoke to God face to face, who led a nation to freedom, would not be characterized as the "meekest man on the face of the earth". I would think words like confident, fearless, mighty man of valor, would be a more fitting description. But no, Moses was the meekest man ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Perhaps that is why God chose him. Maybe that is why God was able to use him in a powerful way. Scripture says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). Thus it is clear if we want to be used by God, it is best to study how to be a meek and humble person. I don't know about you, but I never really aimed to be known as a meek person. I remember my sister said once that she was always honored for being simple, and she didn't like it!
Meekness or humility is not highly prized today. It is listed as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Joyce Meyer said that all the fruit of the Spirit comes from love and is held together by self control. Are you up for a challenge? 

Let's rate ourselves against Mother Teresa's humility list!
1. Speak as little as possible about yourself.
2. Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others.

3. Avoid curiosity.

4. Do not interfere in the affairs of others.
5. Accept small irritations with good humor.
6. Do not dwell on the faults of others.
7. Accept censures even if unmerited.
8. Give in to the will of others.
9. Accept insults and injuries.
10. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded.
11. Be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone.
12. Do not seek to be admired and loved.
13. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.
14. Give in, in discussions, even when you are right.
15. Choose always the more difficult task.

There's a FREE LIVE simulcast event featuring Raul Ries 
presenting a clear gospel message as well as encouragement to believers 
on Friday, August 7th at 7PM (MT)
 in the USA -  9AM on Saturday in the Philippines . 
Listen live on Youtube!




Joining the lovely Julia Dunnit for a 
peek at desks and projects!
I find a lot of inspiration
visiting my friends here:

Blessings!
Patsy



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Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Look at the Picture in the Box!

"Bring me the head of John the Baptist on a platter!" Matthew 14:8


The beheading of John the Baptist happened 2000 years ago because John was brave enough to convict Herod of wrong doing in God's eyes. Today many Christians are being beheaded just for being Christian. In Pakistan, a Christian couple was beaten and burned in an brick making oven after being accused of burning the Koran. They were just bringing out the trash as part of their job in a brick making factory.

Pastor Kevin White has shepherded a flock of 6000 Christians and a minority of Jews in Iraq for a decade. He has played a key role in freeing hostages as the envoy of the Bishop of Canterbury. But because of the advance of Islamic terrorists, more than a thousand members of his congregation have been murdered including some of his staff and some children. From 6000 they are now 1000 including the remaining 6 Jews in the place where Abraham was born.

Just like in Jesus' day, when Herod tried to stop John from proclaiming the truth, we can be sure that no amount of persecution will stop God's work. Beheadings, burnings, silencing of Christians will not halt the spread of the Gospel. God's Kingdom advances!!! We can be sure if that!
"I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me." Numbers 11:14
Poor Moses! Asked to lead a people through the wilderness to the land of Canaan, their promised land. The Jews were always grumbling, even though they witnessed miracles and wonders. They actually longed to go back to their life of slavery in Egypt! I think it is but natural that Moses would complain to God about the responsibility given to him. Sometimes we complain too. When our backs start aching. When the task at hand seems thankless. When no one seems to realize how hard we are working. When we feel unappreciated. When we feel our load is just too heavy.
Sometimes when we need to assemble something, we get frustrated at the instructions. Sometimes we even want to give up! The instructions are just too complicated to understand! What to do? We need to look at the box cover to see what the bits and pieces will look like once the work is over. We need to see the outcome.
I think it is the same with our work for the Lord. Take my job, for instance. I have so much to do, it can seem overwhelming at times. Never ending. Too many details to remember and follow through on. When I get frustrated, I just need to look at the big picture. What is God's plan? Our business is almost 50 years old, and sometimes, because of the many little and big things that need to be done, I can feel we are travelling through a never ending wilderness. But God has led us through that wilderness even if sometimes we did not know what we were doing. Step by step, he gets us through the challenges. There has not been a single time he left us to cope on our own. How many people has He helped through our business though the years? How many people has He inspired and encouraged? Yes, we are all pilgrims on a journey, and we always need to focus on the big picture, the picture on the box, the vision God paints for us in His word.

 "Since you have heard and read all about Him and have learned the truth...there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a NEW NATURE because you are a NEW PERSON..." Ephesians 4:21-24
Last Saturday we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Pathways Ministry, a prayer group under our community which ministers to all kinds of peoples from different walks of life. I was so inspired listening to several testimonies of changed lives. Marriages broken by infidelity and bitterness were mended. A drug addict caught in an entrapment now serving the Lord. A businessman whose priority was advancement in his career now puts God first. If I turn the flashlight on my life, I cannot say there has been a dramatic change. There was no big bad sin in my past that I needed to turn away from. But I still need a spiritual renewal of my thoughts and attitudes. I need a change in the way I speak. I need to be kinder, and more loving. And I especially need patience! I know I can be a really horrible person. And if I let the world influence the way I think, I can become greedy, acting entitled all the time, combative, and unkind. I have to be careful about what and who I surround myself with. It is just too easy to fall into the enemy's traps!!!!

Do we want to be a new person, the best we can be? Then we need to look for people who will help us to become that person! We have to read good books and we need to refrain from watching TV shows and movies that will influence us in the other direction. We need to be purposeful in pursuing that "new man or woman created in God's image". But we do not go off on this quest alone- "Be confident of this, He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion." Philippians 1:6

 "You shall bring the first fruits of your harvest to the priest..." Leviticus 23:10-11
Paul Washer is an evangelist I regularly listen to for his earnest and heart rending preaching. He said that although most people stop reading the Bible because of tediousness of the book of Leviticus, that is where we can find biblical principles to live our life by. The main focus of the book of Leviticus is that God is holy and we should worship Him.
Although Leviticus shows us how free we are in Christ, how the demands of God's holiness are met in Christ, it also shows us what is important to God. For instance, how serious some sins are because of the punishment meted out for it. Here in Leviticus 23, we see how God wants us to offer Him our first fruits. Not because He needs it, but because it is part of our worship.

I have tithed ever since I was single and I have found that He really takes care of me and all that I need, and even provides for helping others. I remember when my brother in law found it hard to tithe and my sister would keep convincing him to do so. He could not imagine giving the money away when he was having a hard time providing for his family. He even wanted to go abroad in search of a better livelihood. But out of obedience to God, he decided to tithe. Now he has a thriving practice, has enough money to travel around the world, and help generously where it is needed.
God is indeed faithful and I have witnessed that indeed, obedience brings blessing!

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