Your Servant is Listening

“Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10

How many times did the Lord call Samuel before Samuel answered Him? Three times. For us, it can take many, many more times, I think. Samuel was living with Eli the priest, in the shrine of the Lord in Shiloh. His mother had dedicated Samuel to God. We are not so blessed as to have nothing to do but devote to God all our time and energy. Samuel was already learning at a young age how to listen to the Lord.

How important it is to reserve a quiet time for the Lord so He can speak to us! 

Steve Clark in his book, “Catholics and the Eucharist: A Scriptural Introduction,” wrote: “There is nothing more important than to have God speak to us. We belong to a relatively self-confident human race. We live after centuries of technological development. We can handle more and more of the uncertainties of life, acquire more and more knowledge, power, and comfort. Those of us who are adults with an adequate education, job, financial standing, and home often feel that we can get our lives to go much the way we want them to.

“Yet, we also know that tragedy may happen to us or those close to us. We know we are not doing well with our responsibilities in various respects, and the consequences may be bad for us and others. Accidents also may happen at any time. Moreover, even though we resist the thought, we know that a destructive global war that might destroy all we hold dear is still possible. And we all know we will die one day and perhaps become helplessly incapacitated before that.”

We are in a global war right this very minute, and we cannot see the enemy. Just when we think we are winning the war with these modern vaccines, there comes another wave and the numbers of infected are unprecedented. Whole families are getting sick! My intercessory list is so so long! What is God trying to tell us? C.S. Lewis wrote that, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world…”

Speak Lord, Your servants are listening. Help us to hear You and heed Your words. 

Be Kind

“I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my troubles to the Lord. Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” 1 Samuel 1:9-20

How many times have we judged others and have been wrong about them? Most of the time we do not even know. Here in Hannah’s story, the priest in the temple thought Hannah was babbling in her drunkenness. He did not know that she was deep in prayer from her sorrowing heart. She was barren, but the Lord in her goodness, granted her prayer and gave her a son who would grow up to be the prophet Samuel. 

I think of the climate we find ourselves in today where it is so hard for people to see the fake news from the truth. We forward messages that we have not confirmed or checked the sources of. I get insulted and cursed for saying that a particular candidate can be depended on because of their past record of helping the poor and those with no voice even before they got into politics. People prefer to get their news on TickTock or YouTube or Facebook, not realizing they are being manipulated. They judge candidates based on spliced videos, or a slip of the tongue. What has happened to us? 

If it was not so sad, it would be funny, that on Facebook groups about Downton Abbey or Jane Austen, which I am a part of, people sometimes get into bitter arguments about the pettiest matters. Members insult each other, and say the rudest things! At times, I get surprised in our subdivision group chat, somebody calls out another in public for doing something offensive to him. We used to be a polite people, people who thought first before shooting off a comment. Always, and I remind myself of this, we need to be kind because everyone, no exception, is having a hard time. I guess many are stressed, exhausted, and facing so many battles from all sides. 

Like Hannah, we need to pour out our troubles to the Lord. And like Eli the priest, if we speak out unkindly, we should ask forgiveness, and speak a blessing on those we judged too harshly. 

Fishers of Men

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17

I will always remember my dad for being eternally young and enthusiastic. Even when he was 90 plus years old already, he would not let his feeble frame stop him from going out on a fishing boat in Batangas with fishermen to find fish. He walked slowly to the boat with someone to support him. He was put in a chair to be carried inside the boat. He was out in the sun for 6 hours looking for fish. His fish finder conked out but he came back still convinced there was much fish to be caught off the coast of Batangas. He was not discouraged after hours under the sun.

We too are called to be “fishermen”, but not of fish, but of men. Do we easily get discouraged after people don’t respond to our invitation to join an online prayer meeting or listen to an inspirational talk? I listened to a woman share about how she found the Lord after a neighbor just kept persistently listening to her problems. They would be sitting down at a coffee shop or on the steps to her home, and the neighbor would patiently encourage her and pray for her, until one day she decided to go with her to a Life in The Spirit Seminar. 

Ric Warren, the founder of Saddleback Church, wrote on one Facebook post, “The night before my father died, my wife, my niece, and I were in his bedroom by his side. Dad suddenly became very agitated and tried to get out of bed," Warren continued. "Of course, he was too weak to get up so Kay insisted he lay back down. But he kept persisting in trying to get out of bed. Finally, Kay in exasperation said 'Jimmy, you CANNOT get up! You are dying. We will get you whatever you need. What are you trying to do?'

"My dad replied, 'I've got to save one more for Jesus! I've got to save one more for Jesus! One more for Jesus! One more for Jesus!' He began to repeat that phrase over and over and over. It is no exaggeration to say that during the next hour, he repeated the phrase probably a hundred times: 'Got to save one more for Jesus!'"

No wonder Ric Warren is so passionate about what he does! “While my head was bowed,” Warren recounted, “my dad reached out and placed his frail hand on my head and said, as if commissioning me with a sacred calling, 'Reach one more for Jesus! Reach one more for Jesus!' It was a holy moment and I knew what I was supposed to do the rest of my life, regardless of problems, illnesses, conflicts, critics, attacks, delays, difficulties, or any other barriers," he wrote.

Beloved

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22

In another version, we find: "Thou art My beloved Son, on You my favor rests." And in the Amplified, it says, "This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight." I went through different versions because I imagined myself, during my baptism, with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit being present along with my parents and godparents. God looked down and said, "This is my beloved daughter! My favor rests on her! I delight in her! She pleases me well!" Blasphemy? Indeed not!

Jesus paved the way for us to be part of His holy family. We are adopted sons and daughters of God. We read that John the Baptist protested strenuously to Jesus' request to be baptized, but Jesus insisted. "This is the fitting way to fulfill all righteousness, to perform completely what is right." (Matthew 3:15, Amp.)

Jesus went into the waters of baptism just like any sinner even if he was sinless. He joined with us, sinful humanity, and shared the travails, weakness and death of ordinary human beings. Because of His obedience, the Father was well pleased with Him. In His baptism, the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, were present. In our baptism, Father, Son and Spirit were present as well. We are one family, one church. And when Jesus was baptized by John, even though He did not need it, He was saying to each one of us, I am one with you. I will be with you through thick and thin, I will journey with you, I will see to it that you finish the race. I will do everything, even to dying like a common criminal, so that the good work started in your baptism will be carried to completion (Phil. 1:6). 

Thank You Jesus for everything! You made the impossible possible for us! 

Plant Seeds

“This joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase, I must decrease.” John 3:29-3

John the Baptist said this in answer to some questions put to him about him baptizing and about Jesus baptizing as well. John was very clear about his role in God’s Kingdom. 

Are we clear about our role in the Kingdom of God? In His last recorded personal instruction to His disciples, Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Do we take this as a personal commissioning or do we dismiss this as a call only to the disciples, to priests and pastors and missionaries? 

I take this as a personal call to step out in faith and plant seeds of faith in any way I can. Today there is such tremendous opportunity to do so, not only because of the internet, but also because more and more people are in need of prayer and encouragement. Just yesterday, I received a personal message from someone who said she felt my message was an answer to a question she was asking God. Every day, we can pray that Jesus lead us where we can plant seeds. He promised to accompany us while we do this. We will be surprised, like John the Baptist, at the joy it will bring when we obey Jesus’ instructions. 

Build Up Our Faith

 “I do will it.  Be made clean.” Luke 5:13

Sometimes during great and terrible trials it can seem as if God is hiding His face, indifferent to our pain. The Gospel reading today is about a leper who approached Jesus, pleading, “If you do wish, you can make me clean." And Jesus moved with pity, touched him and said, “I do will it. Be made clean." Is Jesus not the same yesterday, today and forever? 

Yes He is! Today, just because it seems He is not answering my prayers quickly for healing my lungs, He is no different. I trust Him. I am also praying that this pandemic will end. It is taking too long, Lord! We just had a short respite, and now we are again praying for long lists of people who are sick. Entire families are sick! And now, more young people have symptoms. 

We need to build up our faith all the time so that we can be strong when trials come. In 1855, some builders wanted to hang a suspension bridge over Niagara Falls but they could not figure out how to get the heavy cables across. Finally, Theodore G. Hulett said they would hold a kite flying competition. Whoever could send a kite across the 800 ft. wide river would win $5.00, a princely sum. 16-year-old Homan Walsh beat several other contenders. His kite string was tied across the gap, and was used as a pilot line to pull a stronger rope across from Canada. Several exchanges later, and a cable was finally brought across which became the foundation for the first ever suspension bridge. 

Our faith is like that, it starts out very weak and feeble, just like the thin kite string. Over time, reading the Bible and feeding on God’s word daily, trusting Him, our faith gets built up. We know God will come through for us in His perfect time!

Loving God

 "Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 John 4:21

When we were young, my brother Robert and my sister Tina were always quarreling. Robert would sometimes maltreat Tina and annoy her endlessly. Then my mom read the passage in 1 John 4:19-21 to them. It reads, "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." My mom was amazed because they stopped their quarreling overnight! The Word of God is alive, and if we believe it, we can see miracles, big and small.

In loving others, there's a lot of self-discipline involved. We have to take control of our emotions and not allow our emotions to control us. I learned this the hard way. A long time ago, one of our employees did not take care of some crafts I made and use for workshops and demos on TV. I found it dumped in a box in the stock room even if there were written instructions to take good care of it. I got so furious, I hit her on the shoulder. Even if I apologized as soon as I calmed down, she brought me to the barangay (a small administrative division here in the Philippines), and then to the Dept. of Labor when the barangay did not take her side. I learned that acting on your emotions lead you to make poor choices and decisions, and can land you in unpleasant situations.

Our friends and family won't take us to the barangay or to a court when we quarrel them, but we still cannot allow anger and frustration prod us to say hurtful things. Our brother or sister, wife or husband, they are not our enemies, that we have to protect our ground, and fight them for every wrong they commit. If we encounter people who are rude, unkind, disrespectful, we can be like David who chose which battles to fight. When his brother insulted him in 1 Samuel 17:28, he just turned away. He knew he had bigger battles to fight with a REAL enemy!

Take Courage

“Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid!” 

Mark 6:50

On the first day of our trip to Coron in 2019, we went on a 1 1/2 hour ride to Malcapuya Island where the white sand beach just went on and on under the water. Before we got there, the waves were high and rough and most of us were afraid, even with our life jackets on. I kept my eye on the middle pole in the boat because it looked as if it was about to crack! One of the passengers got her rosary out and started praying. She said she had called on the guardian angels of her daughters for protection. Our outrigger had to rescue another boat whose propeller had bent because it hit a rock in the rough seas. We towed that boat filled with passengers to shore. 

The men who were manning our boat were just laughing because they were used to going out in such weather, but the disciples, who were hardy fishermen, were not so complacent. They were terrified! Their boat was tossed about when Jesus came and walked on the sea. They had seen Him and thought He was a ghost. “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid,” Jesus said, then He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.

Sometimes we too are tossed into the rough waters of circumstance. It may be that we are very sick, or our business is floundering and we do not know what to do, or a wayward child is put in jail, or a parent has worsening dementia. These days it is this unending pandemic that is tossing our boat and we are all unsure about when and how this will end. We just know we need Jesus in our boat, and we pray in our need and our frustration. 

If we have Jesus in our boat, the seas outside may toss our boat, but our hearts can be calm and our mind peaceful. “Perfect love casts out all fear,” it says in 1 John 4:18. Let us strive to know Jesus who is that perfect love who will drive out any fear or anxiety in our hearts. I like to recount the beautiful words of 16th century Spanish mystic Saint Teresa de Ávila. This prayer was found written in her breviary by her own hand: “Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God is enough.”

Perfect Love

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:7-10

I was 38 years old when Joshua was in my womb. I was so anxious, I just kept praying and praying. God in His mercy and love, spoke into my heart, and said, “You will know how much I love you, when you hold your child in your arms.” This reassured me immensely and immediately. 

True to His Word, when I held Josh in my arms for the first time, I knew His perfect love. The whole Bible is about God’s love for us. It’s all about how He calls an imperfect people to have a relationship with Him- an intimate loving relationship with a God who gave His all to save us and claim us for His very own. Our destiny is to love Him and to allow Him to love us!

Someone wrote that to love is to treat a person with intrinsic worth, not only when they serve your purpose. I can’t imagine God needing me to do anything for Him. I am sure there are other people who could do a better job for Him! But He fashioned me, He “formed my inmost being; He knit me in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) And He did that with His perfect love. 

Unbroken

Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

Matthew 4:17

I was quite impressed with Angelina Jolie's movie "Unbroken". It is the true story of Louis Zamperini, an American prisoner of war, who survived horrible maltreatment at the hands of sadistic captors. During his 47 day ordeal at sea before he was captured by the Japanese, Louis vowed that if God would save them, he would devote his life to serving Him. He forgot about this prayer, especially during his harrowing captivity, but remembered it when he and his wife joined a Billy Graham Crusade in 1949,  years after he was freed. When Louis accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he suddenly had respite from years of having nightly nightmares about strangling the "Bird", his especially sadistic and violent torturer. "It was a miracle!" he said. He also repented of his excessive drinking and verbal abuse which almost sent his wife away from him. 

In 1950, he went to Japan to return to the Sugamo Prison. He met with the guards in the same stifling room where he had been “beaten, starved, openly humiliated and threatened with beheading over and over again.” There Louis spoke to them about love and forgiveness, and embraced them. Some even became Christians. In 1998, he attempted to meet with the "Bird", but Mutsuhiro Watanabe refused to see him.

How sad that Watanabe could not see God's gracious sign of forgiveness and His calling His son to return to Him and repent! No matter how black our heart is, no matter what evil we have done, God is ready and willing to accept us if we repent. Are there any signs we are missing? Or perhaps we need to be God's sign to someone badly in need of God's healing presence?

Amazing Story

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” 

Matthew 2:2

Today is the feast of the Epiphany. The story of the astrologers or magi traveling from a far away land to pay homage to the newborn king of the Jews is the stuff of legends and amazing stories. Imagine, they actually followed a star that moved, that went ahead of them, leading the way, until it remained stationary above the manger where Jesus was born! Then there is the prerequisite villain, a powerful King who pretends to want to know where the baby is, to pay Him homage, but actually wants to destroy the baby!

The Magi, men from an ancient tribe, were the first Gentiles to worship Jesus and give Him gifts. Saint Paul says in the 3rd chapter of Ephesians that God's secret plan is now revealed. That we Gentiles are now co-heirs with the Jews, and sharers of all the promises given to them! 

There are many Herods in the world today who stifle their conscience and choose  to follow their own nefarious schemes, even if they know about Jesus. Should we not choose to be one of the Magi, the wise men, who left their homeland and all that was familiar and comfortable in search of a far better kingdom, tribe and family? We are wise indeed if we spend our whole life in search of our King, in search of the One foretold in ancient scriptures, and finding Him, follow His way.  And just like the Magi, when we meet Jesus, our lives are never the same again. Pope Francis said in his Angelus message in January 2019, “Each time that a man or woman encounters Jesus, he or she changes paths, returns to life in a different way, returns renewed, ‘by another road.’ They returned ‘to their own country,’ bearing within them the mystery of that humble and poor King.”

Abba Father

‘God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.’ Galatians 4:6-7

When we come to God in prayer, do we talk to Him like a child trusting in a Father's goodness and His desire to give us His best? Do we believe He is truly listening and our every petition, big and small, reaches His ears and commands His utmost attention? Do we know that we have access to Him even when we are unworthy, dirty, and at odds with seemingly the whole world? 

I read somewhere that the "Our Father" was only taught to the first Christians after years of learning, and after their baptism. It was a sort of secret prayer. But we learned this as a child, and it has become so familiar that we recite it without much thought. Back in Jesus' day, and even today, Jews couldn't even say God's name, the four letter YHVH. They even write G_d, instead of spelling His name out. 

For the Jews, a name is not just what somebody or some thing is called, but a name conveys the nature and the essence of the person or thing. It includes even the reputation and the history. So when G_d's name is on a piece of paper, the Jews have to treat  that paper with respect. 

Perhaps that's one reason why the Pharisees wanted to destroy Jesus. They thought He was a radical out to destroy their cherished beliefs and traditions. They missed out on what He wanted to give them and us- access to an intimate relationship with our Abba Father! 

Abba Father, may I get to know You more and more each day! Thank You Jesus for teaching me a secret prayer. Many know it now, but if I keep praying and listening to You, I am sure I will get to know more and more of Your secrets! As we enter a new year, we will not be afraid or anxious because we know You go before us! 

The Word Became Flesh

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us...” John 1:14

What gave the apostle John this amazing insight? In the very last chapter of John’s gospel, he writes, “This is the disciple who bears witness of these things, and wrote these things...” In chapter 19, where John writes about the crucifixion, he says, “He who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may also believe.” 

John the apostle walked with Jesus, spoke with Him, listened, even argued with Him. John alone of all the disciples remained near Jesus along with the women at Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus asked John to take care of His beloved mother and he took her home with him. What stories would he hear from Mary? Did he ask the questions the well loved song asks? “Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water? Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.” 

John wrote in 21:25, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written.” That only means John knew there was so much more to write about! 

John knew Jesus from being with Him, from His mother’s stories, from witnessing the crucifixion, and seeing Jesus after His resurrection from the dead. That is why John remained faithful and steadfast even in the midst of Nero’s persecution of Christians in A.D. 54 through 68, and then Domitian’s in A.D. 81-96. He was banished to Patmos by the Roman authorities, still considered a threat in his old age, and there he wrote the Book of Revelation. 

How about us? We may not have walked with Jesus or talked with Him, but we can read the words of one who did. As John wrote: “No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed Him.”

 (John 1:18)

Waiting on God

“Anna, the prophetess, never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” Luke 2:37-38

There was always a lot of activity in the Temple in Jerusalem, a lot of coming and going all around. On the day Mary and Joseph brought the 40 day old baby Jesus to present Him to the Lord, only an old man and an old woman witnessed it. Simeon was righteous and devout, and had been waiting to see the Christ. Then there is the 84 year old prophetess Anna, who never left the Temple, but worshiped there night and day. Out of all the people who visited the Temple that day, only these two were blessed. 

“My eyes have seen Your salvation!” Simeon cried out in joy. Anna gave thanks to God and thereafter spoke about the child to all who would listen. What was special about Simeon and Anna? They were waiting. They had eager hearts and minds, thirsting for God. They listened to the Spirit. 

Perhaps there were many in the Temple that day who were praying and seeking God just as there are many people who pray each day, and some even go to church every day. But if our prayers are always about asking God for this and that, we seldom have time to listen. The Holy Spirit will not have opportunity and space to speak to us. Our hearts will not have “fertile ground” to receive what God has to tell us. 

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Jesus does not barge in, demanding we listen to Him. We have to invite Him in. If we open the door, we will marvel like Simeon and Anna, at what God will do in our lives.

I Have Seen Your Promise

"My eyes have seen your saving deed..."

 Luke 2:30

What an amazing man Simeon is! He had been waiting a long time for the promised Messiah, the consolation of Israel, a land battered and torn by many upheavals and foreign domination. What did Simeon see when he went to the temple, inspired by the same Spirit who revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's anointed? He saw a mere baby, 40 days old, carried by His mother. Simeon got excited nonetheless! "I can die now! I have seen Your promise with my eyes!" He was content. 

Simeon had been studying God's Word, and was a just and pious man. His faith did not waver in the many, long years he had to wait. Sometimes we too have to wait many, long years for God's answer. What is the longing in our hearts? Sometimes we get too impatient and do not wait for Him. It is said that God works slowly but surely. After all, a thousand years in our reckoning is just like a day passing to God (Psalm 90:4). In these days of fast foods and even quicker answers on Google, it will profit us much to take time, slow down, and see God's saving deed as Simeon did. 

Lord, may I quiet my heart and mind, and hear Your still, small voice. You cannot wait to speak to me. You always make time for me. Help me every day to make time for You. May I be as excited as Simeon to see You! 

Feast of the Holy Innocents

“Herod ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.” Matthew 2:16

It was St. John's feast day yesterday. He wrote in his gospel, “We are writing this so our joy may be complete." When JOY is shared, it is completed. When Joy is kept to ourselves, something is lacking! Take time to share JOY  this Christmas season! And who better to share it with than children!

Today, December 28, is the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents. King Herod had hundreds of innocent children massacred ostensibly to save his throne.

Macrobius (ca. AD 400), one of the last pagan writers in Rome, in his book Saturnalia, wrote: ‘When it was heard that, as part of the slaughter of boys up to two years old, Herod, king of the Jews, had ordered his own son to be killed, the Emperor Augustus remarked, “It is better to be Herod's pig than his son."’

It was better to be a pig than Herod's son because Herod was a Jew and killing a pig was not kosher! Ironically today, countless, innocent unborn children are being slaughtered legally. It is better to be an endangered animal than a fetus in the womb.  Endangered animals are more protected, aren't they? Let us take time to pray for these innocent ones today. 

Yes Lord, I Believe!

 "... he saw and believed.” John 20:8

Would we be like the disciple Jesus loved, whose Feast Day we celebrate today, who saw the burial cloths in the empty tomb, and believed? Or would we be like some of the disciples in Mark 16:11, upon hearing Mary Magdalene’s testimony, “…they refused to believe it”?

The writer of the Gospel of Mark is John Mark, who traveled with the apostle Paul. When he settled in Rome, he wrote down Peter's recollections of Jesus' life. The last chapter of his writings are a short summary of what happens after Jesus' death,  starting from when the women discover the empty tomb. The disciples did not believe Mary Magdalene when she delivered the news that Jesus was alive. Neither did they believe Cleopas and his companion when they reported seeing Jesus on the way to Emmaus.

Jesus then appeared to them and rebuked them for their disbelief- “their stubborn refusal to believe". Do you think Jesus is frustrated with the disciples here? Disappointed? Is He thinking they are hopeless? That He can't depend on them? That they can't be trusted with the mission He wants to give them? On the contrary, right after rebuking them, He says, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to everyone, everywhere." 

I can imagine Jesus being frustrated with the lot of us! We are being given so much! We are entrusted with so much treasure in His Word. What do we do with it? But then I know, because I see it in my own life, that no matter how much I fail, Jesus never gives up on me. He still gives and gives and gives! Every day, He opens up His treasure chest. And every day, I just want to shout, "Yes, God is good!" And yes, Lord, I believe!

Let God Be Our Strength

“Happy the men whose strength you are! ​Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.” Psalm 84:5

It seems to me that we should live our life so we make some difference in the world, and perhaps the only way to do that is to know what God’s purpose for us is and to live that purpose. It does not matter how young we are, how old, whether we are a President, or a janitor in a small school in the province. We have work to do that can give meaning to our life. I always think of life as a pilgrimage. We are all pilgrims on a journey and we have to follow the road God has set for us so we don’t get lost. 

John Bechtel was a missionary in Hong Kong and he had a dream to have a camp for the teenagers he saw loitering in the streets. He found a closed hotel and conference center that would be a perfect place but the only problem was it was being sold for $250,000.00. This was in 1971. 

His friend, Walter Meloon, an influential businessman, believed in his vision and promised to raise all the money he needed. 3 months later, Walter sent a note: “Dear John, I’m sorry. I tried my best. I couldn’t raise the funds. Only one person responded. I enclose it.” It was a note from a 14 year old girl named Belinda Holmes. “Dear Mr. Bechtel, I heard about your plan. I’ve been praying about it. I’d like to give you my pocket money. Here is $1. Please use it to buy the camp.”

John was really disappointed but his wife said, “Follow what she says. Go buy the camp for $1.” So he goes off and shows the letter to the caretaker who laughed but reluctantly gave the offer to the Board. The Board prayed about it and agreed to sell the whole place to John for $1.00. Today Suen Douh Camp still exists. There have been over 2,895,750 camper days and 156,552 young people have accepted Christ.

20 years later after he started the camp, John was speaking in a church in the States, and a woman approached him after his talk. “Mr. Bechtel, I am Belinda Holmes.” That was the first time she heard what happened to her $1.00! 

When we pray each day about what we are to do, when we partner with God, we will never know what He can do with our smallness and our willingness to give what He wants us to give. We just need to let God be our strength and set our hearts on the Lord. 

The Word was Made Flesh

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." John 1:14

Can our minds wrap around this truth? The One who made the earth, the universe, who put the stars and the planets in their place, became a man and walked with us for 33 years!

He was born of a peasant woman, but He was a King! Heaven came to that little town, Bethlehem, and the angels were His army. The powerful rulers of His time

tried to destroy Him. But they were the ones who were destroyed, because the Kingdom that He came to build on earth, His Church, is still alive and flourishing! 

That same Word who became flesh, who is outside of time and place, entered time and stepped into His own creation, to become the Immanuel, “God with us”. That same God wants to dwell in our hearts. May we make a place for Him by “cleaning up the cobwebs” of festering disappointments, envy, shame, guilt, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, whatever keeps us from having a good relationship with the God who loves us best. 

Let us rejoice because He came to free us from the poisons the enemy wants us to imbibe every day. If we follow the way of the Lord, we will reap a harvest of blessing! 

May Our Heart Be His Manger

“He will establish a house for you." 

2 Samuel 7:11

These words were said to King David by the Prophet Nathan. “I have been with you wherever you went. I will establish a house for you. Your house and your kingdom

shall endure forever..."

When we give our Yes to God, we are part of the kingdom that endures forever!

This Christmas, we are all innkeepers. We can say yes or no to Jesus staying in our heart. Do we say, "Yes, Lord Jesus, come in!”?  May we offer our hearts to be His manger!