WOYWW: War Room!

Started out with these magazine pages. 

I have to close her eyes!

“When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” Matthew 6:6

I am reminded of a story of a little boy saying his bedtime prayers beside his mom and grandma. He started by mumbling, “Thank You for my parents, my grandma and my brothers and sisters. Thank You that I passed my math exam...” then he ended by shouting, “and please may I get a bike for Christmas!” His mom asked him why he was shouting. “God’s not deaf!” she said, and he responded, “No, but Grandma is!”

We all have our little quirks when we approach God. Before Him, we are naked. We cannot pretend to be who we are not. He knows exactly who we are, what we are capable of, what we can be. He knows our foibles, our idiosyncrasies, our weaknesses and strengths. Here is a God who knows us inside out and loves us anyway. We are precious in His eyes, whether we are a heroin addict, a foul mouthed President, an inmate in the bloodiest prison in the country, or a harried mother too busy to pray. I can see Him waiting for us to come to Him. 

It is inconceivable, that kind of love! Here Jesus is telling us that the Creator of the Universe has time for us. One-on-one time. He wants to be alone with us. He waits. No cellphone. No one to tell us our time is up. He waits for us to tell Him about our day, our frustrations, our battles, our victories. What a comfort it is to tell Him of our sins, our burdens, and have Him carry it for us to Calvary. 

Our prayer room can be our war room where we battle against cancer, against the crisis in our country, against the enemy who steals, kills and destroys. It can be our sanctuary in the storm, a place of rest where we can claim our Father’s promises of restoration and peace beyond understanding. For me it is a place where God reveals His inexhaustible treasures. 

Thank You Lord for one-on-one time with You! 

Previous Posts

For my growing collection of prompts, 

inspirations, creative pursuits,

courageous artists and their art, join me here!

or on Facebook and Instagram

Joining the lovely Julia Dunnit for a 

peek at desks and projects!

I find a lot of inspiration

visiting my friends here:

Mondays @ Soul Survival, A Round Tuit
One More Time, Dream Together
Small Wonders, Testimony Tuesday,  Titus 2 Tuesdays, 
Count Your Blessings, Word Art Wednesday, 

 Unite,  Rubie Tuesday Link Up, Be Inspired

 A Little R and R,  No Rules Weekend Blog Party
Cheerleaders of our Faith, Reflect
Wow Us Wednesdays, Sitting Among Friends

The Weekly Creative, Three Word Wednesday
Word Filled Wednesdays
Great Blog Train Bloghop, Cheerleaders of Faith
Women with Intention Wednesdays
Christian Blogger Link Up, Word Filled Wednesdays

Thoughtful Thursday,  Hearts4Home Thursdays, Thought Provoking Thursday
Tune In Thursday Homemaking Party, Purposeful Faith

Thriving Thursdays with Serving Joyfully

Thursday Favorites, Desire to Inspire Legacy Leaver Thursday
Beloved Brews Thursdays, Sincerely, Paula

Creative Things, Bloom! Soul Survival, Inspiration Gallery
Hearts for Home Thursday

Dance with Jesus Friday, Lyli Dunbar, Fresh Market Link up
Grace & Truth Link Up, Dance with Jesus
Glimpses of His Beauty

Blessings!

Patsy  

As Far as the East is from the West

“Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense.” 

Psalm 51:1

In High School I had to memorize a portion of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, the part where Portia proclaims, “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: ‘T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power...But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's when mercy seasons justice.” 

Here Portia, disguised as a lawyer, is telling the court that Mercy must be freely given. It should not be constrained or forced. When we show mercy we not only bless the recipient, but ourselves as well. And when a powerful man shows mercy, he becomes most like God. 

Indeed all of us have greatly sinned against God by rebelling against Him. We were created in His image and to be in effect, mirrors of His glory. When we sin, we smudge that mirror. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." 

But no matter how smudged and dirty, and even broken our mirror is, God in His mercy can restore it for us. So great is His compassion and love for us, that when we come to Him for restoration, He will remove our transgressions “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). 

Listen to My Groanings

“Lord, listen to my groaning.” Psalm 5:1

The whole book of Lamentations in the Bible is a funeral song written by the prophet Jeremiah. He was an eyewitness to the devastation of Jerusalem. Jeremiah wanted to record the destruction in vivid detail to warn future generations of what would happen when a people willfully disobey God and fall into sin.  

“Lord, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs...My groans are many, and my heart is faint.” Lamentations 1:20-22

In Lamentations, Jeremiah speaks of how the leaders of Jerusalem deprived the people of their rights. They perverted justice in the courts.  “Do they think the Lord did not see it?” Lam. 3:36

Jeremiah cries out: “Lord, remember everything that happened to us. See all the sorrows we bear! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We are orphaned and fatherless...Why have you forsaken us? Restore us O Lord, and bring us back to You again.” Lamentations 5

Like Jeremiah, let us bring our groanings to the Lord. Just as an eagle does not fight his enemy, the snake, on the ground, but takes it up into the air, where he is weak, we too should take our battles into the spiritual realm where our enemies are powerless. 

Whatever it is we are groaning to the Lord for, He will fight for us. The battle is not over yet. “The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

Mustard Seeds in My Hand

“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God...It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.” Mark 4:30-31

Mustard planted today could begin growing tomorrow. It is a very tiny seed, but it has to be scattered by the farmer. It has to fall to the ground. A seed held in the farmer’s hand has no chance of growing into a bush. 

All of us are given gifts by God. Most of these gifts are very small and to our untrained eyes, quite insignificant. “What is in your hand?” God asked Moses in Exodus 4:2. Moses had a shepherd’s staff, an everyday thing during his time. “Throw it to the ground!” God told Moses, and it became a snake. Moses used his staff to perform signs that gave God glory. 

We too have some insignificant things in our hands, but if we “throw it to the ground”, it can grow from tiny seeds to shrubs scattered across the desert, life-giving, and beneficial. It even grows in the desert. 

Whatever we have in our hand, however small or insignificant, we should offer to God. We will be surprised at what He can do when we open our hand and let our money, time, gifts, talents, abilities, or influence, fall to the ground of God’s field. Moses had his staff, David his slingshot, the little boy had loaves and fishes, Mary in Luke 10 had time. God took all of these ordinary, every day things, and used them to build His Kingdom. 

Lord, show me what I can offer You. Show me what You can use. I know You will bless and prosper everything I give to You. 

Set the Lord Before You

“I set the Lord ever before me...” 

Psalm 16:8

Life is hard. We have decisions to make, unpleasant people to face, challenges we don’t know how to overcome, situations that are beyond our scope of influence but directly affect us. How do we deal with all of this? How do we set the Lord ever before us? 

Saint Teresa of Avila, the Spanish Carmelite nun, wrote the famous poem, Nada Te Turbe. It goes: “ Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things pass away:

God never changes. Patience obtains all things. He who has God finds he lacks nothing; God alone suffices.” How enviable if we truly are able to let nothing disturb our peace! 

This is precisely what God teaches in the Bible. Saint Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from a Roman prison. He did not know whether or not he would be killed, but this is what he said: “Always be full of joy in the Lord...Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

Do not be disturbed. Do not be anxious. This is the temperament of one who has the Lord in his mind, heart, and spirit. To have a transformed life, we first need to transform the way we think. Instead of conforming to the world’s way of thinking, we need to think of ourselves the way God thinks. We need to aggressively believe in what God says and promises. 

When God Speaks

“...but the Lord was not in the earthquake.” 1 Kings 19:11

Many people think that when God speaks, He will do it in a booming voice, a Ten Commandments sure-to-be heard powerful utterance. But usually when God speaks, we can easily miss it if we are not quietly listening, and waiting for Him. 

The powerful prophet Elijah was waiting for the Lord in Horeb, known as the mountain of God. There was a strong wind, breaking rocks all around. But Elijah did not find Him in the heavy wind that could rend mountains. Then there was an earthquake and God was not there either. After that, there was a conflagration, but the Lord was not to be found in the depths of the fire. 

 After the fire, there was a tiny whispering sound. If Elijah had not been quiet, he would have missed the sound of gentle blowing. We too can easily miss God’s presence if we are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of our every day life. We need to give God space and time if we want to hear Him. He seldom wants to intrude. If we stay still and quiet at His feet every day, He will even gift us with the nuance of His voice. 

When I was young, I had been pestering God for something I wanted for 3 years. Then one day, He gave it to me. When I was saying my thank yous to Him, saying several Hallelujahs, I paused. I heard Him say, “You have been praying for this for so long, I give it to you.” I stopped because I distinctly heard His disappointment. I knew in my heart He was not pleased with my choice. Though it pained me I told Him that if He did not want it for me, to take it away for I could not do it on my own. Looking back, I am very happy God showed me His will. 

Lord, may we always stop and make the time to listen to You. “Big things” can happen when we hear Your still, small voice. 

Sheep in the Midst of Wolves

“Whoever is angry with someone will be liable to judgement.” Matthew 5:22

Last Monday, the Philippine National Police Chief, Director General Oscar D. Albayade, pronounced that the recent series of murders of priests should not be a cause of alarm for the public. This is in glaring contrast to the message of today’s gospel. 

Jesus said, “You shall not kill; whoever kills will be liable to judgement. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement...” As followers of Christ we need to recognize the growing culture of death, hate and anger in our society and speak out against it. 

Isn’t it alarming that the Global Peace Index of 2018 ranked the Philippines as the 2nd “last peaceful” country in Asia Pacific after North Korea? What kind of a country are we leaving our children? 

We need to start with our own hearts. Is there anyone we are angry with, have not forgiven? We need to make our hearts bastions for Christ. According to Wikipedia, “bastion fortifications offered a greater degree of passive resistance and more scope for ranged defense in the age of gunpowder artillery compared with the medieval fortifications they replaced.” 

The more hearts claimed for Christ, the more bastions of the Holy Spirit in our country, the more we will be able to defend against the onslaught of the enemy. We need to guard our hearts and minds against the many deceptions, and attacks thrown at us.  

Jesus, our brother, You send us out as sheep in the midst of wolves. May we be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

WOYWW: St. Anthony of Padua

Two notebooks for two friends of mine turning 60! May they bloom more in God’s garden! 

"Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:19

Today is the feast day of the well loved Saint Anthony of Padua. He is known to be the patron saint of lost things or people, and Catholics habitually pray for his intercession when we lose small or big things. That is because once he lost his book of psalms that contained many of his notes and comments. This book was very precious to him especially since the printing press had yet to be invented. He prayed, and the novice was moved to return it as well as other items he had stolen. That psalter is now preserved in the Franciscan friary of Bologna. 

What is not so well known is that Saint Anthony was a very effective preacher, even to the simple minded. This would not have been discovered had he not been forced to give the homily when there was no one else who was prepared to do so. The Dominicans who were well known for their preaching visited Anthony's Franciscan order, and assumed the Franciscans would give the homily but no one had prepared. The head of Anthony's hermitage then asked him to preach on whatever the Holy Spirit inspired him to speak of. To their surprise, Anthony delivered so moving and effective a sermon, that the news reached the ears of Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis thereafter entrusted the teaching of his friars to Saint Anthony. 

Before this happened, Anthony had spent many hours in private prayer and study. There was a time he was very sick, and during his recuperation, he would read the Bible and learn from it. His sermons contained many passages from scripture, and in one surviving lecture, there are at least 183 Bible passages. 

One day when St. Anthony was in Rimini, there were many heretics mocking him, and refusing to listen to his preaching. St. Anthony then went to the seashore and talked to the fishes about God’s love. Many onlookers saw a shoal of fish with their head above the water listening. After that, the miracle story spread and Rimini was purged of heretics. 

Lord, like Saint Anthony, teach us from Your Word. Plant it in our hearts that it may bear fruit and we shall give You glory. 

Light in the Darkness

“You are the light of the world.” Acts 5:14

Now more than ever we have to be the light that Jesus calls us to be. It is an upward call, and for everyone the call is unique. “A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise Your Father in heaven.” 

I thank God for every opportunity I have to testify to His goodness and faithfulness. Tomorrow I will give a talk about our business to employees in HSBC. Even if the talk is about our business, and how it grew, I always emphasize that our business is a gift from God, and He is our partner. My mother who started it in 1967, did not have money and used fabric scraps to make the first things she sold. She did not have a degree in business, and she did not have a strategy. Her capital was praying to God. 

We too have that capital, that wealth, that asset. We need to pray for our families, our homes, our work, our neighborhoods, our cities, our church, our country. Only then can we be light and salt to others. Only then will we have the courage to do what God calls us to do. To be a light in the creeping darkness. 

Blessed are the Thirsty

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6

Yesterday, a parish priest, Father Richmond Nilo was shot dead as he was preparing to say mass in the Nuestra Señora de la Nieve Chapel in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija. He is the third priest to be murdered since December last year. The last two priests were known political activists working for justice for the people. 

There is an old song by the group Kingston Trio named “Desert Pete”. It tells of a water pump in the desert. When travelers cross the dry dusty cactus desert, they are joyfully surprised to find this water pump. There’s a bottle of water and a note stuck to to the pump which says, “This pump is old, but she works. You’ve got to prime the pump. You must have faith and believe. You’ve got to give of yourself ‘fore you’re worthy to receive. Drink all the water you need but leave the bottle full for others.”

The traveler has to pour all the water in the bottle over the pump to get it to work. If he drinks all the water first, the pump won’t work, he’ll get thirsty again and the next travelers won’t be able to drink. 

Life is like that. We are all travelers, pilgrims, thirsty and hungry for the meaning of life and our purpose. Some of us, just take our one life and spend it on ourself. But we will soon be empty again. Some of us meet Jesus and empty ourselves into His hands. He will be the living water for us, and He will give our life meaning and purpose. 

I do not know much about the priests who were murdered but I am pretty sure they knew Jesus and were willing to pour out their lives for Him and for others. Lord, be with Your people and fight for us. Amen.

One Thing

“Why did you do such a thing?” Genesis 3:13

Adam and Eve could have had a perfect life. God provided everything they needed and they lived in this wonderful garden we can only dream of. There was only one thing, ONE THING God commanded of them. “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die (Gen. 2:6-7)”.

Now there was a serpent in the garden. Instead of stepping on it, the woman listened to it and actually conversed with it. There are many serpents around us. The best thing to do is not converse with it because it is crafty and deceiving. It can convince us of things we wouldn’t do otherwise. The serpent said, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from ANY tree of the garden?” The serpents in our life always try to make God appear harsh and tyrannical. 

Eve answered, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or TOUCH IT, lest you die.’” Where did the exaggeration come from? Only from accepting the serpent’s invitation to interact with him. 

The woman continued to listen to the serpent. “You surely shall not die! God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So the woman ate from the forbidden tree, and gave it to her husband to eat. 

The man and the woman were banished out of the garden. Now man and woman had to work for their food, toil over land with thorns and thistles. Fast forward to Luke 10:41-42. Martha is toiling over a hot stove, preparing food for Jesus and His disciples while Mary her sister was sitting at Jesus’ feet, enthralled with His words. Martha complained to Jesus, “Please tell my sister to help me.” 

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—really only ONE thing. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Let us learn a lesson from Eve. We should not listen to the serpents in our lives. Let us instead make it a priority to listen to God. 

In My Father’s House

“You should have known that I would be in My Father’s house.” Luke 2:49

We should spend more time in our Father’s house. There is such an abundance of blessing when we are in the presence of the One who loves us best, the maker of our bodies, minds and hearts. I see Him tinkering, fine tuning, putting things in the right places as the Bible says in Psalm 16:6: “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

If we do not take the time to bring our car for maintenance, and just keep using it until it needs repair, it will not run in optimal condition. Basic car servicing saves us time, money, and reduces the risk of a breakdown. So it is with our bodies, minds and hearts. We need regular time with our Maker. Let us not run to Him only when we are in trouble. 

When we take time to connect to God every day, we will be able to build an intimate relationship with the One who knows us best. The One who only wants to give us good things. The One who wants the absolute best for us. Sometimes we settle for mediocre. Sometimes we are deceived by the glittering things the world offers, or the things that excite us, or what makes us feel good. Talking to our Father, just being silent with Him, will help us see the truth if we want to see the truth. 

When something bothers us, and there’s always something, we can lay it at the feet of God knowing that our concerns are His concerns. In Our Father’s house, there are many mansions, many rooms, and there is always a place for us there. 

Water of Life

“One soldier thrust his lance into His side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.” John 19:34 

In the following verse we read that this testimony was given by an eyewitness at the crucifixion. He saw the soldier pierce Jesus’ side when He was still on the cross, and observed that blood and water flowed out. 

In his book “The Case for Christ”, Lee Strobel asked a doctor what would happen in such a case. “Hypovolemic shock would have caused a sustained rapid heart rate that would have contributed to heart failure resulting in a collection of fluid in the membrane around the heart called Pericardial Effusion, as well as around the lungs (Pleural Effusion). The spear of the soldier apparently went through the right lung and into the heart. The fluid would have the appearance of water followed by a large volume of blood.” That is what happened in the physical world.

But what happened in the spiritual realm is actually more momentous. With the first Adam in Genesis, God put him to sleep and took a woman, the first Eve, out of his side (Genesis 2:21-22). Jesus is the 2nd Adam, and God took the 2nd Eve out of His side, the Church, symbolized by blood (the sacrifice of the Eucharist) and water (baptism). 

In Ezekiel’s vision in chapter 47, the prophet describes the water of life. “Wherever this water flows, everything will live” (v.9). Through the water of life from the wounds of Christ, Ezekiel’s vision is fulfilled.

Lord, by Your Spirit, may we, Your people, Your Church, bring new life, healing and transformation wherever we go. 

Interconnected

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Mark 12:31

 We are all connected. It is very distressing when we see so much disagreement and disunity in our nation. Even if we do not see eye to eye, we should be civil and kind because in reality we are all neighbors. 

A farmer, who grew award-winning corn in a state fair every year, was interviewed by a newspaper reporter. The reporter found out that the farmer shared his corn seed with his neighbors. “Why do you do that?” he asked. “Aren’t they in competition with you?”

The farmer explained that the wind picks up the pollen from the corn and blows it from one field to the other. “If my neighbor grows inferior corn, the cross-pollination will surely affect the quality of my corn! I have to help my neighbors grow good corn so I can consistently have good quality corn.” 

We need to help others live better lives. It is not enough to work hard to get richer, to be able to afford a nice house, cars or vacations abroad while many live lives of quiet desperation. We cannot have peace if others around us are at war. 

WOYWW: A Valuable Bequest

This is what I am working on. I plan to have a giveaway of a hodgepodge of stuff on my Instagram account. Let’s see if I can actually make a lot of stuff for it! 

“Stir into flame, the gift of God bestowed when my hands were laid on you. The Spirit God has given us is no cowardly spirit, but rather one that makes us strong, loving and wise.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Imagine having an inheritance, a valuable piece of commercial property in New York, a fabulous gem-studded clock by Faberge, or a magnificent painting by Michelangelo. The only thing is you had absolutely no knowledge of it. You did not know about it because you did not bother to read the will outlining your bequest and what you had to do to have it. 

The gift of the Holy Spirit, which Paul talks about in his letter to Timothy, is a gift Jesus died to give us. It is an amazing bequest, much more precious than anything money can buy. And it is available for anyone! Young, old, rich, poor, someone with a PhD or with no education at all. It is absolutely crazy not to find out how to have this gift for ourselves, or if we have it, to stir it into flame!

Previous Posts

For my growing collection of prompts, 

inspirations, creative pursuits,

courageous artists and their art, join me here!

or on Facebook and Instagram

Joining the lovely Julia Dunnit for a 

peek at desks and projects!

I find a lot of inspiration

visiting my friends here:

Mondays @ Soul Survival, A Round Tuit
One More Time, Dream Together
Small Wonders, Testimony Tuesday,  Titus 2 Tuesdays, 
Count Your Blessings, Word Art Wednesday, 

 Unite,  Rubie Tuesday Link Up, Be Inspired

 A Little R and R,  No Rules Weekend Blog Party
Cheerleaders of our Faith, Reflect
Wow Us Wednesdays, Sitting Among Friends

The Weekly Creative, Three Word Wednesday
Word Filled Wednesdays
Great Blog Train Bloghop, Cheerleaders of Faith
Women with Intention Wednesdays
Christian Blogger Link Up, Word Filled Wednesdays

Thoughtful Thursday,  Hearts4Home Thursdays, Thought Provoking Thursday
Tune In Thursday Homemaking Party, Purposeful Faith

Thriving Thursdays with Serving Joyfully

Thursday Favorites, Desire to Inspire Legacy Leaver Thursday
Beloved Brews Thursdays, Sincerely, Paula

Creative Things, Bloom! Soul Survival, Inspiration Gallery
Hearts for Home Thursday

Dance with Jesus Friday, Lyli Dunbar, Fresh Market Link up
Grace & Truth Link Up, Dance with Jesus
Glimpses of His Beauty

Blessings!

Patsy  

God’s Fingerprint

“Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Mark 12:17

This is one of the most satisfying encounters of Jesus with the Pharisees and Herodians. These people were the trolls of Jesus’ day. They pretend to be righteous and truthful and wise, when all they wanted was to trap Jesus. They asked Him whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not. How we all wish Jesus’ answer was different! 

Back then, their taxes were even more crippling than ours. There was not only the income tax, there were crop taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, emergency taxes, and a tax collector could even stop someone carrying a load to pay taxes on that as well. The taxes and the grain were sent to Rome and it was used to support the lavish lifestyle there. No wonder there were riots because of the taxes imposed on the Jews. 

Jesus’ answer utterly amazed them. He was not trapped. On the contrary, His answer still resonates with us today. It is so dismaying and disheartening to see how our taxes are being wasted, stolen even, by people in government with no conscience. One department spends 3 million pesos a day churning out fake news and who knows what other mischief. Millions of pesos are being spent with no corresponding documents. Jesus asked His questioners to show him the Roman coin, the denarius. “Whose image and inscription is this?” On one side, the face of Tiberius Caesar Augustus was inscribed, on the other, the words, Pontifex Maximus or “Highest Priest”. 

“Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” Pay Caesar his taxes even if we do not like what he does with it. We are citizens of two kingdoms. One kingdom, in which we are exiled for a little while, will not last. We are also citizens of an eternal Kingdom. 

In Genesis, we read that each one of us, is made in the image and likeness of God. His fingerprint is on us, just as a potter’s fingerprint is on his clay pot. You and I we belong to Him. Kingdoms come and go. Caesars, no matter how much power they seem to have over our lives, decay and become dust. Let us just follow the instruction in Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Mere Stewards

“He leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.” Mark 12:1

The man in Jesus’ story does not seem to be a wise businessman at all. He spends a lot of money planting a vineyard, building the wall around to protect it, providing a winepress, a  vat, and a lookout tower. Then he leases his property to tenant farmers and goes far away on a journey. 

At harvest time, he sends a servant to  the vineyard to collect his portion of the fruit. The tenants beat the servant and send him away empty. Every time the owner sends someone, the vine-growers either harm the servant or kill him. Finally, the man sends his beloved son thinking the tenant farmers will respect his only son. Alas! The farmers had other plans, and wanted the inheritance of the land for themselves! They killed the son and threw his body outside the vineyard. 

No, he is not a wise businessman at all! This is a story of the limitless love of God. He provides everything we need for us to bear abundant fruit. Most of the time we think what we have is ours, the fruit is ours, the time we have on this earth is ours. We claim the gifts without thanking the giver, without giving back to Him what is His. We accumulate and accumulate without asking the “landlord” what He wants us to do with His property, His vineyard, with the life He has loaned to us. 

How amazing is our God, that He showers us with gifts, and leaves us to multiply and use them! We are mere stewards of His property. He gives generously at first, and waits patiently for us to give Him good fruit. The more we give Him, the more generous He is with us! Woe to those who do not realize this! Like the tenants in the story, they too will be destroyed by their own greed and blindness! 

War Room

“Thus will I bless You all my life; lifting up my hands to You in prayer...” Psalm 63:4

Psalm 63, one of King David’s psalms, is full of poignant imagery. Here we see how David longed for God. “My flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless, without water.” 

The preacher Leonard Ravenhill said that no man is greater than his prayer life. A big 18-wheeler truck can't be powered by Piaggio Ape engine! We need a power outside of ourselves, and that can only be accessed by prayer and faith. 

Saint Monica is one of my favorite saints. I can imagine how she prayed for her profligate son, Augustine, who left the Church, 

had concubines and bore a son out of marriage. But she did not give up praying. Augustine eventually converted to Christianity, became a great writer, a priest, a Bishop, and then a Saint! 

I can picture Saint Monica in her war room, her prayer closet, pouring out her heart to God, knowing He cannot resist answering a persistent mother’s prayer.  

The mother of John Hagee, the fiery preacher, is another persistent mother and powerful prayer warrior. John is the second son of a preacher and heard 10,000 sermons growing up but he had no desire to be a Christian. One day, coming home late and tiptoeing past the bedroom of his mother, 

he heard her sobbing out to the Lord, “Lord God in heaven, save my son, John!!! If he leaves this house without knowing Jesus Christ, he'll be lost forever!" John Hagee went to bed with his mother's prayer thundering in his ear. In the days and nights following, he could still hear his mother's voice. Two months after, he surrendered his life to Christ Jesus “crushed by the power of his mother's prayer".  

He said his mother went to war with the devil for his soul in her prayer room. Indeed, our prayer room is our war room! Like Saint Monica, and John Hagee's mother, 

let us never give up praying for our heart’s desire! 

The End of the World

“Let your love for one another be intense...” 1 Peter 4:8

Saint Peter, at the start of this passage, writes, “The end of all things is at hand. Therefore be serious and sober-minded so you will be able to pray. Above all, let Your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.” 

Last night I had the strangest dream about of all things, the end of the world. There was a giant computer screen in the sky that everybody around the world could see, and a woman’s automaton voice was warning of the coming apocalypse. The screen was filled with swirling masses of gas, and a countdown, and lots of other changing images. The strange thing was almost no one was minding it. We were in an amazing theme park, and even if people could hear the countdown, people were running around trying to find the most exciting ride, the best blockbuster attraction. People were laughing, talking to each other, pulling each other to and fro. 

Isn’t that a picture of what’s happening in the world? In the Bible, there are several warnings about the end of the world. It may not happen to everyone at the same time, but for each and everyone of us, the end of the world will come. My neighbor, the one who gayly waves at me from across his car and gives us gifts every Christmas, his end of the world came yesterday. I will never see him again in this side of the world.

We live our lives as if there is no end in sight. But there is a countdown for each of us as surely as there was a visible one in my dream. No doubt God wants us to enjoy ourselves in this beautiful world He gave us, BUT He reminds us to live bearing in mind what is important. “Be serious and sober-minded so you can pray. Love one another intensely. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Use your gifts to serve others. In all things, may God be glorified.”