Heroes for our Time

John the Baptist said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Mark 6:18

Every day is a fitting day to ask God to raise up heroes in our country. Let us pray that He would embolden and enlighten ordinary men and women like you and me who would be unafraid to speak His truth and bring His light into the world. Here is a description of King David, one of the heroes of the Bible: “As a youth he slew the giant ​and wiped out the people’s disgrace, When his hand let fly the slingstone ​that crushed the pride of Goliath. Since he called upon the Most High God, ​who gave strength to his right arm To defeat the skilled warrior ​and raise up the might of his people…”

The passage in the Gospel of Mark is about John the Baptist and how he was unafraid to speak the truth even when Herod was a powerful man and a despot who liked to get his own way. Herod was brash and liked to show off, promising the young daughter of his mistress Herodias that she could ask anything from him after a dance that pleased him. After a consult with her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. John was beheaded. 

Did that silence John the Baptist? Many would say yes. But I believe he lived on in the consciences of many, including Herod himself, who I am sure, was haunted by the voice and the words of the man. In Mark 6:16, Herod thought John had come back from the dead in the person of Jesus Christ! And he was not the only one. Many said of Jesus: "This must be John the Baptist come back to life again!"

The truth will prevail and the truth will not die. Let us pray for heroes. Each one of us must be a hero. We have a calling to be prophets for our time. In Esther 4:14, the Queen Esther was called to task by her uncle Mordecai. "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Take Nothing for the Journey

“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two...He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick –no food, no sack, no money in their belts.” Mark 6:7-8

When St. Francis of Assisi heard the gospel on taking nothing for the journey on Feb. 24, 1208, he was overjoyed. I can't imagine anyone being overjoyed at Jesus' instructions to the Twelve Apostles to go out preaching and to take nothing but a walking stick! But Saint Francis had been feeling the pull of God in dreams and visions, and he felt that this was the clear direction he had been seeking.

Although he had been a rich young man, with a taste for luxurious clothes and good food, he had renounced his possessions to the dismay of his father, and embarked on begging for food and for stones to rebuild a small church. Why did Jesus instruct them to bring nothing but a walking stick? 

In The Anawim Way, I read today, “This poverty is an integral part of their mission. Jesus requires them to go forth as poor men so that they will always remain aware that they are totally dependent on God. Whatever results they may achieve will not come through human means but through divine providence. Jesus is more concerned that His disciples be poor than that they be successful. Success in the eyes of the world is not a measure of value in the Kingdom of God, whereas poverty of spirit is the key to being a truly effective minister – even if the world pays no attention at all.”

Like Saint Francis, we too are pilgrims on a journey. We take different paths, but we go to the same God. We will all learn eventually that we need to take nothing on our journey. Everything will be left behind.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose." (Jim Elliot, from his diary, Oct. 28, 1949)

Revelation

“My eyes have seen your saving deed...” 

Luke 2:30

February 2nd, exactly 40 days after the birth of Jesus, is the Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple. “When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord.” So Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, was ransomed the same way every Jewish boy was blessed and bought with five shekels according to Old Testament law. 

We can read this law in the 18th chapter of Numbers, 14-16: “Everything in Israel that is devoted to the Lord is yours. The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver…”

There was an old man in the Temple who witnessed this visit of the Holy Family to the temple. His name was Simeon, a just and God-fearing man, and it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Christ. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and said in joy, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go ​in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, ​which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, ​and glory for your people Israel.”

What can we learn from Simeon? I believe that we too can receive a revelation from God if we want it enough. 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 at what God will do in our lives.

Perfect Love Banishes Fear

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Mark 5:36

I don’t know if many people believe that God speaks to us, that Jesus desires to have a conversation with us. I just spent a whole weekend retreat listening to talks, sharings, and having quiet time in response to the message, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) 

Why does God compare us to sheep? Because sheep are near sighted, and they can get into serious harm if they stray from their shepherd. Ever since I was young, I would listen to God and I know He really, really takes care of us. He is involved in my unimportant every day activities, and in the big events of my life and major decisions. But recently, I find myself in  unknown territory. I still have my pulmonary hypertension and need oxygen 24/7, and my poor husband has to do so many things to help me. When I was praying about this during the weekend, God told me to have no fear.

“Remember when you were in the hospital and you felt My presence very near you, that you had no fear at all? Perfect love banishes fear. Always strive to live in that love, that perfect love, where there is NO NEED TO FEAR for your future, for whoever becomes President, for whatever befalls Robert (my brother with cancer). Know that wherever you are, there I will be. One day you will be in my real home. Although I cannot wait for that day, there are still things you need to do, to know, to become. Trust Me and live in My perfect love.”

Perfect love. Yes I only have to remember when I was in the hospital in December 2019, when I had to undergo a coronary bypass to be followed by a  pulmonary artery embolectomy under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. I had no fear at all, I was so fully at peace that when the nurse asked if I needed something to help me sleep the night before my open heart surgery, I said no. I slept very well and woke up early enough to have some time for prayer before they gave me an anesthesia before wheeling me off to the OR.  Amazing grace! Indeed, perfect love banishes fear and uncertainty! 

May I Keep My Eyes on You

"...he had his dwelling among the tombs." Mark 5:3

Jesus encountered many unclean spirits and people who needed to be delivered from them. Here in the 5th chapter of Mark, Jesus and his disciples were met by a man taking refuge in the tombs who had hundreds and hundreds of evil spirits tormenting him. Even if he was chained, the man could break out of them and smash his shackles to pieces. Night and day, he would scream and hurl himself at the rocks. Jesus sent the two thousand demons into a large herd of pigs. The swine rushed headlong into the sea where they were destroyed. 

Do we believe there are demons abroad today? I know there are. And they do not hide in tombs. I know of one case which happened to a very rich family living in an exclusive neighborhood. One of the daughters needed an exorcism by a priest. The priest could see a huge spirit sitting on top of their beautiful home. Unfortunately she did not want to be exorcised. She wanted to continue with her sinful ways, leaving her husband and family for someone else, and consorting with people who could only do her harm. Although outwardly she was glamorous and popular, in a way she was much like the man in the tombs. She liked her chains and continued to smash herself against rocks. 

The movie “ The Exorcist” was inspired by a true story which happened in 1949. The name of the 13 year old boy it happened to was a carefully guarded secret, but after several exorcisms, he happily returned to normal. The parents found out it happened because of a spiritualist aunt who taught the boy how to experiment with the Quija Board. The strange activity started with scratching sounds on walls, progressed to shaking of his bed, and furniture moving around with no one touching them. The boy would speak in Latin, sometimes in a low demonic voice, and become so violent that he had to be exorcised by nine Jesuit priests and 48 witnesses for thirty times over a period of six weeks! 

In 1 Timothy 4:1, we can read what Paul wrote: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons." In 1 Peter 5:8, we find, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour." 

Yes, unclean spirits are abroad today, and we must not allow them a foothold in our lives. Where there is hatred, unforgiveness, selfishness, envy, lust, promiscuity,  anger, etc., we give permission for our enemy to lay a finger on us. Lord, may I always be vigilant. May I keep my eyes on You. May I stay away from any darkness or chains of bondage, and live in Your wonderful light.

Radical Love

 "If I have not love, I am nothing." 1 Cor. 13:2

I asked God once if He could love me more, And I thought His answer would be that no, He already loved me infinitely. As usual, God has a different way of thinking, as it says in the Bible, “His thoughts are higher than our thoughts!” This is what He answered me in my heart, “You are like a tree planted beside a running stream. Just as a tree, if it stretches out its branches, can hold more water, if you stretch out your arms out in love to others, you will be able to hold more of my love."

Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 talks about faith, hope and love. Faith is not needed in eternity because we will see everything. In heaven, all the promises are fulfilled, so we do not need hope. Only love remains. It is the currency of heaven. It will never be obsolete or unnecessary. And that is why we should practice love today and every day. Until we become experts in loving God and our neighbors!

It's difficult, but perhaps if we read 1 Corinthians 13 line by line and really let it sink into our hearts, we will be able to love the way God wants us to. For instance, "LOVE is not pompous". Do I act as if I am entitled? Am I courteous, especially to the poor, and those with no standing in the world? Am I kind to all those I am in contact with, even online? Even those with different beliefs, opposing views, a different candidate in the coming elections? Even if they insult me and bash me and call me all sorts of names? The Philippine campaign period this year is especially acrimonious and I suppose it is because of all the people paid to silence the opposition by using foul language we are not used to dealing with. I have a really difficult time discerning what is best to do. My sister even consulted a priest about making negative posts (but truthful) about a particular candidate. Is it justified? Is it a sin? The priest said to use her conscience in deciding. She decided to erase her posts and choose radical love. 

Contrary to what the movies and TV shows display, love is an action verb, not a feeling. And because it is an action verb, we will be able to SEE whether or not we love as God wants us to love!

Transformation Starts With Us

Then Nathan said to David: “You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:7

Nathan the prophet confronted David about his sin. The King not only committed adultery, but he tried to cover it up by committing murder! David realized his sin and cried out for God’s mercy. “A clean heart create for me, O God, ​and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, ​and your Holy Spirit take not from me.” (Psalm 51:12-13)

Yesterday morning I was watching the news and was dismayed to learn that our country, the Philippines, has fallen 2 places down the 2021 Corruption Perception Index from its rank in 2020. We rank 117 in a list of 180 countries, and we get the same score as Algeria, Egypt, Zambia, and Nepal. The discussion afterwards centered on the institutional and cultural corruption prevalent now. The one being interviewed said it will take more than one term of the Presidency to change this because it is so embedded in our way of doing things with the government. 

Institutional corruption like what happened with Pharmally and other dubious government transactions was especially concerning because the President acted as if he was the lawyer of those stealing our taxes, instead of him trying to find the culprits. But we as a people are also at fault because it is so easy for us to give grease money to facilitate procedures with government offices. To cut red tape, we are willing to give money under the table. That is what is meant by cultural corruption. I remember when someone from the QC Hall visited one of our branches and asked why we pay higher Municipal taxes than the watch store next to us when we were just selling paper products and inexpensive gifts. Shouldn’t that inspector have asked the question of the owners of the watch store if he really wanted to know the answer? This is happening in all corners of our country!

We need to face our sin and repent with humility. Let us claim God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Let us take God’s word to heart so He will give us good leaders who will make a way for transformation to start in our country. It begins with us. 

Turn Away!

“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32

Most of our ideas begin from something small. Most projects, plans, businesses, organizations, heroes, etc. start out like Jesus’ mustard seed. In the first reading about King David and Bathsheba from 2 Samuel 11:1-17, we see that David’s terrible sin against God started when he remained in his palace instead of going with his army out on campaign. After his siesta, he strolled about lazily on the roof and saw a beautiful woman bathing. Instead of looking away, he asked about her and invited her into his room. She became pregnant and he devised all sorts of plans for her husband, a faithful soldier, to lie with Bathsheba. When Uriah did not do so, David took the irrevocable step of having him murdered. David was a man “after God’s own heart”. How could he conceive of such a dastardly deed? 

“True, I was born guilty, ​a sinner, even as my mother conceived me,” King David acknowledges in Psalm 51:5. I listened to Dr. Clay Jones on YouTube speaking about the depths of human depravity. He is with the Christian Apologetics program at Talbots Seminary, and the author of “Why Does God Allow Evil?” Dr. Jones studied genocide, the Japanese atrocities in Nanking China in 1937 where sons were forced to rape their mothers, the Holocaust where millions of Jews, dissidents and homosexuals were systematically murdered by the German Nazi regime between 1933 to 1945, and other evils. He concluded that those who commit genocide are not inhuman monsters but it is the average members of the population who commit the horrendous evil. Just as those who approve of the abortion of 60 million babies, pulling babies’ legs or suctioning them or scraping them out while still alive are ordinary people like you and me. How is that possible? 

Goodness or evil starts small, starts from a seed. We have to be very careful what we allow to grow in the fertile soil of our heart and our mind. What kind of ideas do we entertain? We need to be vigilant against temptations that are offered to us from the books we read, the shows we watch, the sites we visit on the internet. We may think, “Oh I’m just going to take a peep! No harm can come out of it.” Unfortunately many people have gotten into serious trouble from just that attitude. By the grace of God, we should snip the pesky seductions in the bud and turn away. 

Let Your Light Shine

Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?” Mark 4:21

Isn’t this a rather absurd question Jesus puts to his disciples? Naturally a lamp should not be hidden away. Neither under a bed nor under a basket! But Jesus asks it nonetheless to emphasize a point. He is talking here about the light of Christ, our faith, conviction and hope in our Savior. Many of us have a tendency to keep our faith to ourselves, thinking it is enough to be a “good” person, but not advertising that we pray, and believe in Christ, for fear of being ridiculed, or rejected. We are happy with our lives as it is, we don’t want to be known as a radical Christian, much less a rabid one, especially in the cultural climate we have today. 

In The Anawim Way, I read that, “Sometimes, we hide – or smother – our faith under a “bushel basket,” a receptacle for collecting and carrying things. In other words, we give priority to collecting and carrying the things of this world; we are preoccupied with possessions and work and money. At other times, we hide the light of Christ under a “bed,” a place of comfort and rest. This represents our dedication to pleasure, as well as our spiritual laziness – a common enemy of faithful discipleship. We do not let our light shine because we simply do not bother to make the effort, and we would prefer an easier path. So, even though we have received the light of Christ, our selfishness leaves us sitting in darkness, and deprives others of light as well.”

Let us remember that part of our calling as Jesus’ followers is what He commanded after He rose from the dead, in Mark 16:15-16: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Stir Into Flame

“Stir into flame the gift of God bestowed when my hands were laid on you.” 2 Timothy 1:6

Years ago, when I started in the Charismatic renewal, my family and I attended several Life in the Spirit Seminars. We would join rallies and fall in line to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I do not know how many times we went to the front to receive an anointing. I can’t remember how many times hands were laid on my head. 

I knew that God had stirred my spirit when I had a hunger for His Word. Every line from the Bible became rhema, every phrase would jump out at me. I would read every page, underline the words, and make notes in the margins until my Bible fell apart and needed rebinding. 

In the 1st to 3rd chapters of Revelation, Jesus asks John to write letters to seven churches. In 2:4, we read, “But I have this complaint against you. You have abandoned the fervor of your first love for me.” This is a sign of the end times. More and more people will turn away from God. More and more will lose confidence in the Gospel. Truth will no longer be absolute, subverted by agnosticism. Meaninglessness will prevail. Doesn’t it sound like we are already at that point? 

Saint Paul reminds Timothy and all of us to stir into flame the gift of God. We should not allow the flame of our love for God to die down into embers or charcoal. We should not be complacent, ok with the status quo. Lord, help us to persevere in running the race. May we always set aside time in our busy day to connect with You and learn at Your feet. 

Freedom

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Acts 9:4

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. Prior to his conversion he was so intent on persecuting Christians, the followers of Jesus, and sending them to prison. After his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus none was more zealous in planting churches in Asia Minor and Europe. 

Harriet Tubman was a black American born into slavery. She escaped and was able to rescue several slaves using what was known as the “Underground Railroad”. She said, “I freed thousands of slaves. I could have freed thousands more, if they had known they were slaves.” 

Many of us do not know we are enslaved. We can be in bondage to things, like me! I cannot throw things away because I am always thinking I can make something out of old clothes, books, even toilet paper rolls! There are some who like to go shopping even if they have so much already. Then we can be in bondage to our appearance, addictions, hobbies, indulgences, relationships, work, the list goes on. When something controls how we act, how we feel, then these things can boss us around. Freedom from slavery begins with recognising what are our masters. 

Saint Paul recognized his Master, Jesus Christ. That’s why he spent his life preaching so others could be set free. In John 8:32, Jesus says, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Let us not only know the truth, but like Harriet Tubman, who was a staunch Christian, help others find the truth. 

The Only Thing

"Ezra read out of the book from daybreak till midday." Nehemiah 8:3

Daybreak till midday? I can imagine what grumbling there will be if a priest or preacher reads from the Bible from daybreak till midday! Just yesterday during the homily of Father Nocomora in the mass at Our Lady of Fatima, he said that the Gospel reading from Mark 3:20-21 was a favorite because it had only 3 lines! 

After the walls and gates of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Jewish exiles returned to the city and the people had settled in their towns. One day in 445 B.C., all the people assembled together at the square inside the Water Gate. Then Ezra the priest brought out the scroll of the law and read aloud to the men, women and children gathered there. The people paid close attention, and then after Ezra read from early morning till noon, they lifted their hands and worshipped the Lord. After that, it was the turn of the Levites, the other priests, to explain what was read so the people would understand. 

The people started weeping for they realized their sin before God, but Nehemiah and the Levites instructed them, "Don't weep on such a day as this! This is a sacred day. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Go and celebrate!" 

The Word of God, as it says in Hebrews 4:12, is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife. It can cut deep into our innermost thoughts, and exposes us for who we really are. If we spend time reading it and deliberately trying to understand it as the people in the square did, we will realize how poor and wretched we are before our God. But God does not want us to remain in our wretched state. He wants to pick us up from the mud, and give us new life in Him. That is truly something to rejoice about! Isn’t it amazing that He did not want to remain a distant, uninvolved Father, but He wanted us to get to know Him. The Bible is a love story from beginning to end. 

Jealous of the Stars

“And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.” 

1 Samuel 18: 

Jealousy. We are all eaten up by it some time or another in different degrees. Here we have King Saul, powerful, rich, famous, and he feels jealous of David who killed Goliath the giant. All the women are now crazy about David and sing ditties about him, “Saul has slain his thousands, ​and David his ten thousands.” Instead of being glad that he has a hero in his midst, someone who can help him with his battles, Saul is bitter and resentful and PLANS to kill David! I doubt if anyone I know has been jealous enough to think of killing anyone, but we can see how sin progresses. Saul has been disobedient to the Lord and Saul knows he has lost God’s favor. He wants to kill his rival, David, who has God’s favor. 

Instead of asking forgiveness and repenting, Saul feeds his rebellious nature and puts himself in an even worse position with the Lord. Sometimes, we just don’t know how to count our blessings! American country music artist Gary Allan said, “ You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars.”

Father, if there is anything in me just a tiny bit rebellious against You, please root it out at the start. Reveal to me what does not please You and help me to be victorious over it. May I be always grateful for who I am, where I am and what I have.

Living Power

"Ezra read out of the book from daybreak till midday." Nehemiah 8:3

Daybreak till midday? I can imagine what grumbling there will be if a priest or preacher reads from the Bible from daybreak till midday! Just yesterday during the homily of Father Nocomora in the mass at Our Lady of Fatima, he said that the Gospel reading from Mark 3:20-21 was a favorite because it had only 3 lines! 

After the walls and gates of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Jewish exiles returned to the city and the people had settled in their towns. One day in 445 B.C., all the people assembled together at the square inside the Water Gate. Then Ezra the priest brought out the scroll of the law and read aloud to the men, women and children gathered there. The people paid close attention, and then after Ezra read from early morning till noon, they lifted their hands and worshipped the Lord. After that, it was the turn of the Levites, the other priests, to explain what was read so the people would understand. 

The people started weeping for they realized their sin before God, but Nehemiah and the Levites instructed them, "Don't weep on such a day as this! This is a sacred day. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Go and celebrate!" 

The Word of God, as it says in Hebrews 4:12, is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife. It can cut deep into our innermost thoughts, and exposes us for who we really are. If we spend time reading it and deliberately trying to understand it as the people in the square did, we will realize how poor and wretched we are before our God. But God does not want us to remain in our wretched state. He wants to pick us up from the mud, and give us new life in Him. That is truly something to rejoice about! Isn’t it amazing that He did not want to remain a distant, uninvolved Father, but He wanted us to get to know Him. The Bible is a love story from beginning to end. 

Love One Another

Jesus came with His disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When His relatives heard of this they set out to seize Him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Mark 3:20-21

This passage had me completely perplexed which is why I wanted to think about it more. Why would Jesus’ relatives think He was crazy if crowds gathered about Him, making it impossible for Him and His disciples to eat? I should have thought this happened many times during His ministry. Did they always come out to rescue Him? One passage we may remember relating to this is what happened in the same chapter, verses 31-35.

“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. Someone told Him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Was Jesus rejecting his relatives? On the contrary, He was building a new family which includes you and me IF we do the will of our Father. This was not easily understood by His kin. First He chose the disciples, and then He continued to preach to all who would listen to form a new community. How generous God is that He includes each of us in His plan! We become brothers and sisters. “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

 

Jesus Chooses Us

“He appointed Twelve…” Mark 3:14

Jesus chose the twelve to be His apostles, His companions and also those He would send out to preach. Many of them became saints, but one committed suicide after betraying Him.

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Agnes of Rome. She was obviously very beautiful because there are so many stories about how men desired her. But Agnes wanted no other but Jesus to be her bridegroom. She suffered martyrdom at twelve or thirteen years of age because she refused one of her suitors and he betrayed her as belonging to a Christian family. She was murdered during the persecution of Christians upon the order of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. 

In stories like Cinderella, the Prince usually ended up with beautiful maidens like Saint Agnes. The heroine was not only attractive but was usually good, kind, sweet, and generous. But Jesus is different. He, the Prince of all ages, sometimes prefers the ugly, vengeful, mean, vain step sister, doesn’t He? He did say He came for sinners like you and me. I believe if Judas the betrayer went to Jesus and asked forgiveness, he would undoubtedly have been forgiven, no matter what he had done. The problem was Judas thought he was beyond hope. 

No matter what we have done, we should never lose hope. Jesus chooses us again and again. We should be like the Apostles and spread that message to everyone who will listen. Jesus chooses us! 

The Battle is the Lord’s

“For the battle is the Lord’s and He shall deliver you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:47

The classic story of David and Goliath is a parable of good versus evil. Here is puny David, a youth remarkable only for his bravery and trust in the Lord and in his gifts. Then there is the Philistine Goliath, a seasoned warrior of many battles, who in his own words, promised to “leave David’s flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.” Goliath was a giant of a man described as a champion whose height was six cubits and a span (9 feet 9 inches or about 3 meters!). Not only that, he was heavily armored with a bronze helmet on his head, a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels (125 pounds or about 58 kilograms). On his legs he wore bronze greaves, and his bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft had an iron point which alone weighed six hundred shekels (15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms). 

David refused to put on armor because he wasn’t used to it. Where did his confidence come from? He proclaimed bravely, “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.” (1 Samuel 17: 45)

We come up against many battles. There is this pandemic which has gone on too long, which even the brightest scientists, policy makers and strategists have not been able to defeat. There is this Global Lockdown unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetime. Aren’t we experiencing the worst recession since the Great Depression, the most uncertainty for the most people in a crisis that is not yet over? And here in the Philippines we are also facing an unprecedented fight between two distinctly different candidates for the May elections. One candidate is extremely well funded, and backed by many seasoned political giants and machinery. The other has volunteers and donations in her camp.

When we are on the side of good, we can depend on the Lord backing us up. The battle is the Lord’s. We may not understand what is happening, we may even think He is sleeping, and not answering our prayers. But in Isaiah 55:8-9, we are reassured by God when He tells us that, “…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We need only to trust Him. 

With God’s Heart

“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

When God sees Nick Vujicic, what does He see? God sees his heart. When we look at Nick, what do we see? A man with no legs and arms! That is the first thing that strikes us. Nick was born with the tetra-amelia syndrome but even if he does not have arms and legs, he goes around the world preaching to millions of people. 

In his autobiography, he writes that his mother rejected him when the nurse brought him for her to hold. “Take him away! I don’t want to touch or see him!” she cried out and his father vomited. His mom and dad were probably so distraught, they left him in the hospital at first. His mom managed to hold him when he was already four months old. But that did not define Nick. Of course, Nick questioned God. Why was I born this way, he asked. He felt hopeless and depressed and wondered if suicide would solve his problems. He felt this way for seven or eight long years and asked God many questions. 

It was only when Nick took God seriously, and began to read the Bible, that he was healed emotionally and spiritually. The verses from John 9:1-3 resonated with him as He realized that God had a plan and a purpose for him. “…this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” From age 19, Nick had been able to give inspiration and encouragement to others by sharing his testimony. “You have a choice. We can choose to dwell on disappointments and shortcomings. We can choose to be bitter, angry, or sad. Or when faced with hard times and hurtful people…we can choose to learn from the experience and move forward, taking responsibility for our own happiness.”

Nick’s special condition has enabled him to reach hurting people that no one could reach. He has had opportunities to serve God in a special way. One time, he had a short meeting with the President of Ecuador. A few days after that, the President had to consider a law that would allow abortion of disabled fetuses. He vetoed it because he said Ecuador needed more Nick Vujicics! We may not have as big a challenge as Nick, but certainly we have as special a role to play in God's scheme of things! As Nick always says, “I am God’s creation, designed according to His plan for me!” 

Obedience Brings Blessing

“Obedience is better than sacrifice.” 

1 Samuel 15:22

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28) I remember my dad telling me the story of the 1941 movie about Sergeant Alvin York starring Gary Cooper. Sgt. York was a mountain boy from Tennessee, who had little schooling, and helped provide for his family of ten brothers and sisters by hunting, fishing and a lot of hard labor. He was always in a lot of trouble because of his hard drinking and brawling until he met Jesus Christ as a young man. His conversion experience came at a revival meeting in 1915. After that, he studied the Bible seriously and stopped drinking and fighting. When York got drafted for WWI, he applied to be a ‘Conscientious Objector’ because he did not want to fight, much less kill anybody. He believed that God did not want him to do that. He was denied and he was willing to face the consequences of his disobedience.

York’s Commander, a Major Buxton, was a Christian as well, and he urged the young man to study God’s Word related to war and obedience to one’s country. After studying the Scriptures and much praying, York decided that he could, in good conscience, defend his country. He joined the army as an infantry private in the 82nd Division and was sent to France in 1918. 

York was a crack shot owing to all the hunting he did, and he distinguished himself in an October 8, 1918 attack where his battalion aimed to capture German positions. York with his pistol found himself exchanging fire with about thirty of the enemy’s machine guns, and he just shot as sharp as he could, all the while shouting at them to come down because he didn’t want to kill more of them than he had to! Eventually Imperial German Army First Lieutenant Paul Jürgen Vollmer who commanded the 120th Reserve Infantry Regiment's 1st Battalion, offered in English to surrender the unit to York who accepted. 

York eventually received 50 decorations and his citation for the Medal of Honor reads: “After his platoon suffered heavy casualties and 3 other noncommissioned officers had become casualties, Cpl. York assumed command. Fearlessly leading seven men, he charged with great daring a machine gun nest which was pouring deadly and incessant fire upon his platoon. In this heroic feat the machine gun nest was taken, together with 4 officers and 128 men and several guns.” 

During the investigation that gave him the Medal, York explained to General Lindsey that, “A higher power than man guided and watched over me and told me what to do."   Truly, obedience brings blessing even in the hardest circumstances! Especially in the hardest circumstances!