Why Suffering: The Question click this link.
Lately, everybody seems to have sipped from the cup of suffering. Losing a loved one, a good relationship that ended, loose ends at work, tragic events crying for justice and a lot more. From the painful experience, some question why a loving God allow such thing to happen when He is the author of love. I could recall how a friend struggled in her faith after failing the Bar exam. She entertained in her mind that life could be better if God is not around for what was the point of keeping Him in her life if the bad things still happen to her.
When trials come our way, they are supposed to make us desperate for more of Him and not to shaken our faith. Said possibility of forsaking God should not be taken for granted because the Enemy is determined to avail all means to separate us from Him. His comfort is felt more in times of mourning. To take by heart His true nature is the only key to find hope and the beacon of light in the midst of darkness.
No matter what, GOD IS GOOD and Romans 8:28 is true. We need to be patient to see how God works out everything for His glory and for our best.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Conflicts of Law
Today, Fred tagged me in this photo and I got reminded of my Conflicts of Law experiences which made my law school years colorful. It is our official sportsfest every year which usually falls on the 1st week of February. A month prior to Conflicts we practice a lot specially for the cheerdance competition. We proceed somewhere after our last class at 9 P.M. for practice, we manage to go home past midnight. For runners like me, I can only afford a 4-hour sleep because we meet up at 5 a.m to jog. Sometimes, I excuse myself from the cheerdance practice to accommodate the badminton and volleyball team rounds. I remember that there was a time where I joined both the cheerdance and group dance contests, whew! to add to all the sports that I'm already counted in, SO MUCH to take but by God's grace I adapted well.
In our class, I guess I'm the only one who is not a member of any fraternal or academic organization, Conflicts of Law was the best time for me to gain many friends in school specially that I am involved in almost every game. Since the parlor games require stamina and speed too, I am extra involved into those also (lobo run, sack race, planting straws and etc.)
My last Conflicts in AdDU. The girls are my chikitings in our Bible Study Group
and we represent different teams.
(Nikki, Jonah, Luli, Leslie and me)
This is not Conflicts but these are my lady lawyer friends and seniors.
In our class, I guess I'm the only one who is not a member of any fraternal or academic organization, Conflicts of Law was the best time for me to gain many friends in school specially that I am involved in almost every game. Since the parlor games require stamina and speed too, I am extra involved into those also (lobo run, sack race, planting straws and etc.)
We were the champion also of that year in badminton. My teammates are Fredelyn, Alex and Randolf.
Being a jack of all trades, poster making is also one of my interests. We won first here too :-) It is because my partner Elaine did it very well haha, Architects are good with these stuff. To God be the glory.
This was at the thanksgiving gathering. (most of them are Sigma members)
My volleyball team, Jiggy Lu was our team captain :-) I'm the official photographer of our batch which explains why I am usually not in the picture hehe
We brought home too the champion trophy.
We won first almost in every game. We were the over-all champion for two consecutive years. All of my medals in Ateneo were from Conflicts particularly in the individual games such as 100m dash. I was not heavy then and I am glad that I am getting back soon to said weight. So sad that I have not kept a single picture of all my running competitions. I used to have them in my old FB account which got corrupted and later inaccessible then totally gone.
and we represent different teams.
(Nikki, Jonah, Luli, Leslie and me)
This is not Conflicts but these are my lady lawyer friends and seniors.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
H.S. MARATHON 2
SLOW DOWN TO SPEED UP [I WILL TAKE THIS TEXT BY HEART :-)]
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
"Haste makes waste," is an old adage that is altogether true. "Hurry and speed are great illusions," says Winifred Peterson. He continues, "Contradictory as it may seem, slowing down may be the best way to speed up.... Slow down to decrease errors, to achieve accuracy, to reduce mistakes. Slow down and finish one thing and then move on to the next, rather than attempting to juggle a dozen unfinished tasks at the same time. Slow down and think the problem through before you act and you will be less likely to go off in wrong directions. Slow down and try to understand people and situations so you won't jump to impulsive conclusions. Slow down and savor the wonder of life rather than racing through it and missing the joy of living. Slow down and see the scenery instead of a blur. Slow down and wait upon the Lord. Often the best thing you can do is to do nothing until more light has revealed the way you should go."
To the modern mind, waiting is such a waste of time. We mortals reason that doing anything is better than doing nothing. We say, "Show me a man who has not made mistakes, and I'll show you a man who has not done anything," yet learning to wait is often the surest way to real accomplishment.
"Call it what you will," wrote Vance Havner, "there is waiting before God that we hurried, modern mortals do not know, that sends a man back to his task with the hand of God upon him in such a fashion that the waters of Jordan part before him."
It is our failure to learn to wait upon the Lord, to discover the will of God for our lives, that results in so many of our failures today. Scores of letters and e-mail messages come across my desk that speak of human tragedies, many of which could have so simply been avoided had we learned to wait long enough to hear the voice of God. Tragically we make the same mistakes that our fathers made and their fathers before them. A careful study of the Scriptures and history itself will reveal that many, if not, most mistakes in life are made as the result of rushing ahead of God.
Does waiting really help? Before you make a firm decision, let me share with you some promises from the world's best loved textbook on living‑‑the Bible. Isaiah 40:31 (LB) promises, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.... They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." That is the answer to the weariness and boredom of man today.
David wrote, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14). Micah, the 7th century prophet, cried, "I watch in hope for the Lord.... I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).
A closing thought: You may think, "That is well and good to talk about waiting on God, but what is waiting on God? How does it work today?" To wait on God means that you stop trying to work out the solution yourself. Quietly bow your heart before God and say, "Father, I do not know what to do, but I want you to guide me and direct me. I am asking you to take control of my life. Show me the path to take."
Stop long enough to say that and you will be amazed at what happens. There is a wisdom that transcends the knowledge of the universe and a strength that defies weariness, and it is ours as we learn to wait upon God. As Isaiah so vividly pictured it: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31 LB). That is God's answer to the weariness of life today. By waiting, we can most surely move ahead. As one of the great musicians once wrote, "There is no music in a rest, but there's the making of it."
Resource reading: Psalm 17
Our Eyes Are Upon You
A closing thought: God seldom delivers us from the battles of life, but it is much better to face them realizing that He is with us, than to be spared them, and not realize His strength on our behalf in the time of trouble. Resource reading: 2 Chronicles 20.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Ephesians 5:25
When it became apparent that his wife had Alzheimer’s, Dr. Robertson McQuilkin made a decision that few men would have made. He resigned as President of Columbia International University to devote all of his time taking care of her. It wasn’t logical because men are driven by accomplishment in life. When a man suffers a serious illness, statistics are that four out of five women will stay by their husbands, but when the roles are reversed and it is the woman who is stricken with affliction, four of five men abandon her.
But not Robertson McQuilkin. In the 25 years that he was her primary caretaker, God taught him many lessons about commitment, love, and how our culture is out of harmony with the manner in which God loves and cares for us as his children.
Frankly, he’s one of the men I most admire because he not only was there for her in times of sickness and times of great stress, but he shared his heart with us in such a manner that we see Christ in his actions.
In the early years of her illness, Dr. McQuilkin tried to go to his office and fulfill his responsibility while a caregiver stayed with his wife. He reflects, “During those two years it became increasingly difficult to keep Muriel home. As soon as I left, she would take out after me. With me, she was content; without me, she was distressed, sometimes terror stricken. The walk to school is a mile round trip. She would make that trip as many as ten times a day. Sometimes at night, when I helped her undress, I found bloody feet. When I told our family doctor, he choked up. ‘Such love,’ he said simply. Then after a moment, ‘I have a theory that the characteristics developed across the years come out at times like these.’” Then Dr. McQuilkin added, “I wish I loved God like that-desperate to be near him at all times. Thus she teaches me, day by day.” When speech began to fail her, one of the last phrases that Muriel could say was, “I love you.” One of the most difficult things for this devoted husband was that as the affliction ran its course, Muriel couldn’t respond. “I would love her,” he said, “but she couldn’t love me back, and that’s a painful thing.”
He often thought, “’Lord is that the way it is between you and me? You pouring out your love and care so consciously, and what do you get back—a brief salute in the morning, we connect, grumbling when I don’t get what I want, when you don’t do it in the way I like?” How sad for him.”
It was his integrity and love for his wife that led him to give up a career—not a sense of guilt or economic necessity. In reflecting on what the life of this man taught that could never be learned in a classroom, I’m immediately drawn to the commitment of his love that was completely unrequited. So much of our love is “tit for tat.” In other words, when you love me, then I respond in kind, but when you stop returning my love, the deal’s off.
Have you ever considered what might happen should God choose to love us in the way we love each other and usually Him as well? Paul put it that God demonstrated His love for us while we were yet sinners in that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Robertson McQuilkin lived out the reality that love is a deep commitment, a decision to care that abides unmovable, regardless of the temperature of the heart that rises and falls with our emotions and feeling.
Resource reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.
It is so natural of us women to offer sacrificial love to our spouses, but I will make my commitment to it exceptional. I will serve and love my husband-to-be more than any average women could possibly do. It is achievable because I will be doing it not with my own strength but by Him who told us to submit to our husbands as we submit to Him. He equips whom He calls. To love someone with God behind it is definitely exceptional :-)
"Haste makes waste," is an old adage that is altogether true. "Hurry and speed are great illusions," says Winifred Peterson. He continues, "Contradictory as it may seem, slowing down may be the best way to speed up.... Slow down to decrease errors, to achieve accuracy, to reduce mistakes. Slow down and finish one thing and then move on to the next, rather than attempting to juggle a dozen unfinished tasks at the same time. Slow down and think the problem through before you act and you will be less likely to go off in wrong directions. Slow down and try to understand people and situations so you won't jump to impulsive conclusions. Slow down and savor the wonder of life rather than racing through it and missing the joy of living. Slow down and see the scenery instead of a blur. Slow down and wait upon the Lord. Often the best thing you can do is to do nothing until more light has revealed the way you should go."
To the modern mind, waiting is such a waste of time. We mortals reason that doing anything is better than doing nothing. We say, "Show me a man who has not made mistakes, and I'll show you a man who has not done anything," yet learning to wait is often the surest way to real accomplishment.
"Call it what you will," wrote Vance Havner, "there is waiting before God that we hurried, modern mortals do not know, that sends a man back to his task with the hand of God upon him in such a fashion that the waters of Jordan part before him."
It is our failure to learn to wait upon the Lord, to discover the will of God for our lives, that results in so many of our failures today. Scores of letters and e-mail messages come across my desk that speak of human tragedies, many of which could have so simply been avoided had we learned to wait long enough to hear the voice of God. Tragically we make the same mistakes that our fathers made and their fathers before them. A careful study of the Scriptures and history itself will reveal that many, if not, most mistakes in life are made as the result of rushing ahead of God.
Does waiting really help? Before you make a firm decision, let me share with you some promises from the world's best loved textbook on living‑‑the Bible. Isaiah 40:31 (LB) promises, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.... They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." That is the answer to the weariness and boredom of man today.
David wrote, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14). Micah, the 7th century prophet, cried, "I watch in hope for the Lord.... I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).
A closing thought: You may think, "That is well and good to talk about waiting on God, but what is waiting on God? How does it work today?" To wait on God means that you stop trying to work out the solution yourself. Quietly bow your heart before God and say, "Father, I do not know what to do, but I want you to guide me and direct me. I am asking you to take control of my life. Show me the path to take."
Stop long enough to say that and you will be amazed at what happens. There is a wisdom that transcends the knowledge of the universe and a strength that defies weariness, and it is ours as we learn to wait upon God. As Isaiah so vividly pictured it: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31 LB). That is God's answer to the weariness of life today. By waiting, we can most surely move ahead. As one of the great musicians once wrote, "There is no music in a rest, but there's the making of it."
Resource reading: Psalm 17
A closing thought: God seldom delivers us from the battles of life, but it is much better to face them realizing that He is with us, than to be spared them, and not realize His strength on our behalf in the time of trouble. Resource reading: 2 Chronicles 20.
ROBERTSON MCQUILIKIN AND HIS LOVE
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Ephesians 5:25
When it became apparent that his wife had Alzheimer’s, Dr. Robertson McQuilkin made a decision that few men would have made. He resigned as President of Columbia International University to devote all of his time taking care of her. It wasn’t logical because men are driven by accomplishment in life. When a man suffers a serious illness, statistics are that four out of five women will stay by their husbands, but when the roles are reversed and it is the woman who is stricken with affliction, four of five men abandon her.
But not Robertson McQuilkin. In the 25 years that he was her primary caretaker, God taught him many lessons about commitment, love, and how our culture is out of harmony with the manner in which God loves and cares for us as his children.
Frankly, he’s one of the men I most admire because he not only was there for her in times of sickness and times of great stress, but he shared his heart with us in such a manner that we see Christ in his actions.
In the early years of her illness, Dr. McQuilkin tried to go to his office and fulfill his responsibility while a caregiver stayed with his wife. He reflects, “During those two years it became increasingly difficult to keep Muriel home. As soon as I left, she would take out after me. With me, she was content; without me, she was distressed, sometimes terror stricken. The walk to school is a mile round trip. She would make that trip as many as ten times a day. Sometimes at night, when I helped her undress, I found bloody feet. When I told our family doctor, he choked up. ‘Such love,’ he said simply. Then after a moment, ‘I have a theory that the characteristics developed across the years come out at times like these.’” Then Dr. McQuilkin added, “I wish I loved God like that-desperate to be near him at all times. Thus she teaches me, day by day.” When speech began to fail her, one of the last phrases that Muriel could say was, “I love you.” One of the most difficult things for this devoted husband was that as the affliction ran its course, Muriel couldn’t respond. “I would love her,” he said, “but she couldn’t love me back, and that’s a painful thing.”
He often thought, “’Lord is that the way it is between you and me? You pouring out your love and care so consciously, and what do you get back—a brief salute in the morning, we connect, grumbling when I don’t get what I want, when you don’t do it in the way I like?” How sad for him.”
It was his integrity and love for his wife that led him to give up a career—not a sense of guilt or economic necessity. In reflecting on what the life of this man taught that could never be learned in a classroom, I’m immediately drawn to the commitment of his love that was completely unrequited. So much of our love is “tit for tat.” In other words, when you love me, then I respond in kind, but when you stop returning my love, the deal’s off.
Have you ever considered what might happen should God choose to love us in the way we love each other and usually Him as well? Paul put it that God demonstrated His love for us while we were yet sinners in that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Robertson McQuilkin lived out the reality that love is a deep commitment, a decision to care that abides unmovable, regardless of the temperature of the heart that rises and falls with our emotions and feeling.
Resource reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.
DETOURS
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” Exodus 13:17
You’ve just started your vacation! The luggage is crammed into the car, and what wouldn’t fit got lashed on top! After you turned off the main highway to reach your destination, you were confronted with a roadblock and a big yellow and black sign reading, “DETOUR!” This is the last thing in the world that you wanted! Detours are no fun, time-consuming, annoying, and they slow you down. They take you places you don’t want to go.
Hey, roads are not the only places where there are detours. The reality is that life is full of detours. They include your future plans, your health, your investments, your work, and your romances. A detour may take you far astray and slow you down. Just this morning as I prepared to open the file on my computer marked scripts, it wasn’t there. “No,” I thought to myself, “this can’t be! It has to be there. It was there last week, and it’s been in the same spot for a long, long time.” I squinted and carefully read through the list of files and then thought of what I intended to write for today’s commentary. I smiled as I thought, “You’re taking a detour right now.” Yes, I had the file backed up, but it took time to locate the folder and delayed my getting started—a minor detour, for sure.
You may remember that Moses and the sons of Abraham took a forty year detour in the wilderness. Moses wrote, “When Pharoah let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt’” (Exodus 13:17). Actually within a few weeks after they left Egypt, they came to Arad, located at the southern tip of the Dead Sea—a jumping off spot to Canaan—and then—WHOA! A detour sign that pointed them into desert instead of a land of milk and honey.
Detours always force us to ask, “Why? How come there’s a road block and a menacing sign that says, “Detour! There are some reasons.
1. Some detours in life are there because God has a better plan—one that you can’t see at the time, one that actually you can’t even imagine. God had to get Egypt out of the hearts of His people to allow Canaan to take root. Joseph also had a long detour in his life, one that resulted in his being taken to Egypt as a prisoner, a slave with his future on hold. Paul’s life is a study of detours of one kind or another.
2. Some detours are the result of simply missing the road. The sign was there as plain as the nose on your face, but you were talking, goofing off, consumed with conversation or thought, and you just didn’t see the sign that said, “Turn here!” And when you realized it, you were confronted with a detour that was time consuming and lengthy. Much like the Prodigal you finally came to your senses and got your feet headed the right direction. The detour was the result of your failure, not God’s.
3. Some detours are there because of circumstances you have no control over. I was headed to a family reunion when a freeway sign flashed a signal, “Detour!” An accident ahead had blocked the highway. There was nothing to do but patiently take the detour.
4. Detours produce growth in our lives. They stretch us, teach us, humble us, and direct us to where we ultimately want to go. As Warren Wiersbe says, “It’s the bumps we grow on.” Include detours in that one.
Resource reading: Deuteronomy 1:1-18.
ALL OF THE ABOVE POSTS WERE BY HAROLD SALA. (REPOSTING)
You’ve just started your vacation! The luggage is crammed into the car, and what wouldn’t fit got lashed on top! After you turned off the main highway to reach your destination, you were confronted with a roadblock and a big yellow and black sign reading, “DETOUR!” This is the last thing in the world that you wanted! Detours are no fun, time-consuming, annoying, and they slow you down. They take you places you don’t want to go.
Hey, roads are not the only places where there are detours. The reality is that life is full of detours. They include your future plans, your health, your investments, your work, and your romances. A detour may take you far astray and slow you down. Just this morning as I prepared to open the file on my computer marked scripts, it wasn’t there. “No,” I thought to myself, “this can’t be! It has to be there. It was there last week, and it’s been in the same spot for a long, long time.” I squinted and carefully read through the list of files and then thought of what I intended to write for today’s commentary. I smiled as I thought, “You’re taking a detour right now.” Yes, I had the file backed up, but it took time to locate the folder and delayed my getting started—a minor detour, for sure.
You may remember that Moses and the sons of Abraham took a forty year detour in the wilderness. Moses wrote, “When Pharoah let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt’” (Exodus 13:17). Actually within a few weeks after they left Egypt, they came to Arad, located at the southern tip of the Dead Sea—a jumping off spot to Canaan—and then—WHOA! A detour sign that pointed them into desert instead of a land of milk and honey.
Detours always force us to ask, “Why? How come there’s a road block and a menacing sign that says, “Detour! There are some reasons.
1. Some detours in life are there because God has a better plan—one that you can’t see at the time, one that actually you can’t even imagine. God had to get Egypt out of the hearts of His people to allow Canaan to take root. Joseph also had a long detour in his life, one that resulted in his being taken to Egypt as a prisoner, a slave with his future on hold. Paul’s life is a study of detours of one kind or another.
2. Some detours are the result of simply missing the road. The sign was there as plain as the nose on your face, but you were talking, goofing off, consumed with conversation or thought, and you just didn’t see the sign that said, “Turn here!” And when you realized it, you were confronted with a detour that was time consuming and lengthy. Much like the Prodigal you finally came to your senses and got your feet headed the right direction. The detour was the result of your failure, not God’s.
3. Some detours are there because of circumstances you have no control over. I was headed to a family reunion when a freeway sign flashed a signal, “Detour!” An accident ahead had blocked the highway. There was nothing to do but patiently take the detour.
4. Detours produce growth in our lives. They stretch us, teach us, humble us, and direct us to where we ultimately want to go. As Warren Wiersbe says, “It’s the bumps we grow on.” Include detours in that one.
Resource reading: Deuteronomy 1:1-18.
ALL OF THE ABOVE POSTS WERE BY HAROLD SALA. (REPOSTING)
No plan or decision is so great or meager if placed in God's hands
A perceived impossible commitment becomes real through Christ
When crossroads and detours confront us,
God's way is the sure and right way though it is less traveled
I enjoyed what was not meant for me,
I am expecting how spectacular the right one would be.
It will never be perfect,
But I do not doubt that it will be a beautiful love story.
H.S. MARATHON 1
No matter how tight my schedule could get, I still find time to nourish my spirit. I am glad that Harold Sala's blog is working again after it'd been inaccessible for a month or so.
Here is an excerpt of his Jan. 5 entry entitled FORGETTING THE PAST:
I awakened this morning thinking about some advice that Paul gave long ago–good advice as we ponder a new year. He wrote to the Philippians, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). A paraphrase puts it, “I am still not all I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing…” Then Paul mentions three important guidelines: #1: A wise forgetfulness of the past—“forgetting what is behind.” #2: Priorities for the present. That idea is found in these words, “straining toward what is ahead,” and #3: An alignment of his goals and ambitions with the will of God—“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Friend, you can identify with His words, “I am still not all that I should be…”? Chances are that this past year ended with more than a few loose ends hanging—things you wanted to get done but didn’t, projects that are unfinished which have to be transferred to the inventory of this year’s load. But then Paul gives us guidelines on how to accomplish what needs to be done.
In the two minutes that remain, ponder that phrase, “forgetting what is behind.” Why not dwell on the past? Because it’s a closed chapter. Like water poured out on sand, you can’t recall a single day. It’s gone, and you have to turn loose of it if you can grasp the future which is yet before you. You can no more change the past than you can unscramble scrambled eggs. Let it go. If you failed, it’s best to forget it. If you succeeded, you did so because someone reached out to give you the toe-hold you needed to get up the ladder. But in the final analysis, if you succeeded yesterday, it was because God blessed you. You need to forget yesterday because it doesn’t guarantee success tomorrow, or even today.
Forget the heartaches of yesterday, the losses which came your way, the defeats which ensnared you and the sorrows that broke your heart. Forget your good intentions and unfulfilled ambitions, but don’t forget them so soon that you fail to profit from their mistakes. But having taken this step, you must go on. That’s why Paul quickly adds, “…straining toward what is ahead.” His concern here isn’t the future, it is prioritizing the need at hand in the light of God’s direction.
Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. It is also the only part of eternity which you can claim because it is the only day which you can do something about. It’s yours to use or abuse, but it can never be recaptured once it’s gone.
Resource reading: Philippians 3.
At best life is short. You can make some mistakes‑‑but there are some that you cannot afford to make. You cannot afford to be the biggest success in town if you have never learned how to live. Is it any wonder Moses prayed, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12, KJV).
What’s good about depression? Not much, if you are the one who feels like you are under the giant treadmill that is grinding the juice out of the grapes. Yet when you are walking through the valley, if you can only see light at the other end, you can keep plodding on, knowing that nothing is forever.
The fact is that God often teaches his children some of the most valuable lessons we ever learn through difficulty and affliction (and that includes discouragement and depression). Roses never smell better than when their fragrance is released through crushing. And there is no perfume without the crushing. There can be no bread without the crushing of the grain. It’s always been that way. Isaiah observed, “Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it” (Isaiah 28:28).
He uses a picture—horses pulling a threshing cart, but it is the wheels of the cart which grind the grain. Frankly, it helps me to know that God knows how much I can handle, and though we may differ on that, at times, I know He is always right. He knows. He cares. And He will eventually say, “Enough!”
When you feel you are still in the fire, say,
1. God knows better than I do when enough is enough.
2. The fact that I am undergoing a trial, a dark period in my life, doesn’t mean for a moment that God has forsaken me. He not only brought me to this point, but He will walk with me through the valley and take me up on the other side.
3. I will tell my doubts and fears where to get off and refuse to believe what I know to be untrue.With Paul I will affirm that even if everyone (my thoughts included) are liars, God is true!
4. I will search the Scriptures and hold on to the promises of God, knowing that He is a gentleman and will keep His word.
5. I will strive not to be impatient, believing that God will give me deliverance in His time. I’ll also look for parallels between what I’m going through and Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in the hostile environment of Babylon.
6. I will not throw away my confidence in God.
7. And though He slay me, with Job I will trust Him.
If you could only see the whole which God sees, your valleys would never be so dark nor your days so long. That’s where the element of faith comes into the picture. Trust Him, friend. Nothing is forever.
Resource reading: Lamentations 3.
Tragic, yet true, is the fact that so many of us who call ourselves Christians and name the name of Christ, know so little of the true nature and character of God, our Heavenly Father. We are living in a day of great religious popularity, yet few people know much of the true nature and character of God. Why? How do we account for the fact that many have a rather distorted picture of God? Why do some think of Him as a kind of Cosmic policeman‑‑a Great Watchman‑‑who is ready to get you when you are bad, while others think of Him as an ancient kind of Father Time who has withdrawn from the stage of life?
In some cases we do not have a very clear picture of God because the God talked about in some churches and pulpits is not the God of the Bible. But I think the real answer is that in so many cases our relationship to God is need‑centered, rather than God‑centered. Overwhelmed by our physical needs, all we think of is, "God, I want you to do this. Make this happen, Lord. I want this and I want that, and I want it now." Our thoughts are centered on our selfish needs rather than upon the true nature and character of God. We come grasping and grabbing as though grace is going out of style, and we had better get it fast before the supply runs out or the price goes up.
"Be still and know that I am God." Have we been so consumed with our lives, our wants, our needs, our little world, that we have never begun to explore the depths of God's Word to discover what He is like? Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). When you begin to grasp something of His true greatness, you will be amazed at how small your problems are. "Be still and know that I am God," our Father still instructs.
Resource reading: Psalm 42.
Christianity is unique in many ways, but one of them is its narrowness. Luke, the man who wrote more of the New Testament than even the Apostle Paul, said, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
If Christ is the way to God‑‑the way, the truth and the life‑‑as He said, how do we make Him our Savior? Paul explained, "God made Him to be sin for us...that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him"(2 Corinthians 5:21). John also said, "As many as received Him, to them God gave the authority to become His sons, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12).
Christianity is not a legalistic system, not a matter of joining a church‑‑it is not a bag of do's and don'ts. It is a relationship with the one who was born at Bethlehem. To receive Him as Lord and Savior and to walk in His footsteps is precisely what is necessary to make Heaven your home. As Admiral Byrd was guided to the safety and warmth of his hut, so you can let the cross guide you across the barren waste of life to heaven's home. The cross yet leads home!
Resource reading: Galatians 2.
There is a very close relationship between the heart and the soul. The heart controls physical life while the soul controls emotional and spiritual life. The Bible says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). Jesus Christ identified the heart as the seat of action. He said, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19).
Almost everything you do begins as a thought. As I have done, talk to the men who fill the prisons and ask them how they happened to commit the crime for which they are jailed. They will usually tell you, "I don't know...." As you begin to probe deeper into their thinking, you will discover that in most cases the thought was in their minds, and then eventually came to the surface. At the moment, they may have been surprised at their actions, but the thought had been there for a long, long time.
At times, it seems that it is more than we can do to control our hearts and thoughts. Why would any person allow his emotions and thoughts to put him flat on his back in the hospital, or in the penitentiary, if he could control his heart? God diagnosed the subtleties of the heart when He said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV). You may think, "I can control myself." Maybe so, but there are two facts that cannot be ignored. First, God is in the business of changing‑‑no, replacing–hearts. "I will give you a new heart" (Ezekiel 36:26) is God's promise to the man who realizes the need for God's help. David cried, "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalm 51:10 KJV). That He will do.
Second, with God's help you can control your thinking‑‑and thus control your heart. Paul said we are to bring every thought into captivity to Jesus Christ. When your emotions begin to get away from you‑‑stop dead in your tracks and say, "Lord, I need your help." Then, ask Him to take control of your emotions, and you will discover the battle is not to the strong or the swift, but to the man who has taken Christ as his Savior. Resource reading: Ezekiel 36.
Here is an excerpt of his Jan. 5 entry entitled FORGETTING THE PAST:
I awakened this morning thinking about some advice that Paul gave long ago–good advice as we ponder a new year. He wrote to the Philippians, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). A paraphrase puts it, “I am still not all I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing…” Then Paul mentions three important guidelines: #1: A wise forgetfulness of the past—“forgetting what is behind.” #2: Priorities for the present. That idea is found in these words, “straining toward what is ahead,” and #3: An alignment of his goals and ambitions with the will of God—“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Friend, you can identify with His words, “I am still not all that I should be…”? Chances are that this past year ended with more than a few loose ends hanging—things you wanted to get done but didn’t, projects that are unfinished which have to be transferred to the inventory of this year’s load. But then Paul gives us guidelines on how to accomplish what needs to be done.
In the two minutes that remain, ponder that phrase, “forgetting what is behind.” Why not dwell on the past? Because it’s a closed chapter. Like water poured out on sand, you can’t recall a single day. It’s gone, and you have to turn loose of it if you can grasp the future which is yet before you. You can no more change the past than you can unscramble scrambled eggs. Let it go. If you failed, it’s best to forget it. If you succeeded, you did so because someone reached out to give you the toe-hold you needed to get up the ladder. But in the final analysis, if you succeeded yesterday, it was because God blessed you. You need to forget yesterday because it doesn’t guarantee success tomorrow, or even today.
Forget the heartaches of yesterday, the losses which came your way, the defeats which ensnared you and the sorrows that broke your heart. Forget your good intentions and unfulfilled ambitions, but don’t forget them so soon that you fail to profit from their mistakes. But having taken this step, you must go on. That’s why Paul quickly adds, “…straining toward what is ahead.” His concern here isn’t the future, it is prioritizing the need at hand in the light of God’s direction.
Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. It is also the only part of eternity which you can claim because it is the only day which you can do something about. It’s yours to use or abuse, but it can never be recaptured once it’s gone.
Resource reading: Philippians 3.
NEVERTHELESS, HOLD THE REINS
THE VALUE PF PATIENCE IN DEPRESSION
What’s good about depression? Not much, if you are the one who feels like you are under the giant treadmill that is grinding the juice out of the grapes. Yet when you are walking through the valley, if you can only see light at the other end, you can keep plodding on, knowing that nothing is forever.
The fact is that God often teaches his children some of the most valuable lessons we ever learn through difficulty and affliction (and that includes discouragement and depression). Roses never smell better than when their fragrance is released through crushing. And there is no perfume without the crushing. There can be no bread without the crushing of the grain. It’s always been that way. Isaiah observed, “Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it” (Isaiah 28:28).
He uses a picture—horses pulling a threshing cart, but it is the wheels of the cart which grind the grain. Frankly, it helps me to know that God knows how much I can handle, and though we may differ on that, at times, I know He is always right. He knows. He cares. And He will eventually say, “Enough!”
When you feel you are still in the fire, say,
1. God knows better than I do when enough is enough.
2. The fact that I am undergoing a trial, a dark period in my life, doesn’t mean for a moment that God has forsaken me. He not only brought me to this point, but He will walk with me through the valley and take me up on the other side.
3. I will tell my doubts and fears where to get off and refuse to believe what I know to be untrue.With Paul I will affirm that even if everyone (my thoughts included) are liars, God is true!
4. I will search the Scriptures and hold on to the promises of God, knowing that He is a gentleman and will keep His word.
5. I will strive not to be impatient, believing that God will give me deliverance in His time. I’ll also look for parallels between what I’m going through and Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in the hostile environment of Babylon.
6. I will not throw away my confidence in God.
7. And though He slay me, with Job I will trust Him.
If you could only see the whole which God sees, your valleys would never be so dark nor your days so long. That’s where the element of faith comes into the picture. Trust Him, friend. Nothing is forever.
Resource reading: Lamentations 3.
BE STILL AND KNOW
Tragic, yet true, is the fact that so many of us who call ourselves Christians and name the name of Christ, know so little of the true nature and character of God, our Heavenly Father. We are living in a day of great religious popularity, yet few people know much of the true nature and character of God. Why? How do we account for the fact that many have a rather distorted picture of God? Why do some think of Him as a kind of Cosmic policeman‑‑a Great Watchman‑‑who is ready to get you when you are bad, while others think of Him as an ancient kind of Father Time who has withdrawn from the stage of life?
In some cases we do not have a very clear picture of God because the God talked about in some churches and pulpits is not the God of the Bible. But I think the real answer is that in so many cases our relationship to God is need‑centered, rather than God‑centered. Overwhelmed by our physical needs, all we think of is, "God, I want you to do this. Make this happen, Lord. I want this and I want that, and I want it now." Our thoughts are centered on our selfish needs rather than upon the true nature and character of God. We come grasping and grabbing as though grace is going out of style, and we had better get it fast before the supply runs out or the price goes up.
"Be still and know that I am God." Have we been so consumed with our lives, our wants, our needs, our little world, that we have never begun to explore the depths of God's Word to discover what He is like? Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). When you begin to grasp something of His true greatness, you will be amazed at how small your problems are. "Be still and know that I am God," our Father still instructs.
Resource reading: Psalm 42.
THE CROSS POINTS HOME
Christianity is unique in many ways, but one of them is its narrowness. Luke, the man who wrote more of the New Testament than even the Apostle Paul, said, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
If Christ is the way to God‑‑the way, the truth and the life‑‑as He said, how do we make Him our Savior? Paul explained, "God made Him to be sin for us...that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him"(2 Corinthians 5:21). John also said, "As many as received Him, to them God gave the authority to become His sons, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12).
Christianity is not a legalistic system, not a matter of joining a church‑‑it is not a bag of do's and don'ts. It is a relationship with the one who was born at Bethlehem. To receive Him as Lord and Savior and to walk in His footsteps is precisely what is necessary to make Heaven your home. As Admiral Byrd was guided to the safety and warmth of his hut, so you can let the cross guide you across the barren waste of life to heaven's home. The cross yet leads home!
Resource reading: Galatians 2.
A BROKEN HEART
There is a very close relationship between the heart and the soul. The heart controls physical life while the soul controls emotional and spiritual life. The Bible says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). Jesus Christ identified the heart as the seat of action. He said, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19).
Almost everything you do begins as a thought. As I have done, talk to the men who fill the prisons and ask them how they happened to commit the crime for which they are jailed. They will usually tell you, "I don't know...." As you begin to probe deeper into their thinking, you will discover that in most cases the thought was in their minds, and then eventually came to the surface. At the moment, they may have been surprised at their actions, but the thought had been there for a long, long time.
At times, it seems that it is more than we can do to control our hearts and thoughts. Why would any person allow his emotions and thoughts to put him flat on his back in the hospital, or in the penitentiary, if he could control his heart? God diagnosed the subtleties of the heart when He said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV). You may think, "I can control myself." Maybe so, but there are two facts that cannot be ignored. First, God is in the business of changing‑‑no, replacing–hearts. "I will give you a new heart" (Ezekiel 36:26) is God's promise to the man who realizes the need for God's help. David cried, "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalm 51:10 KJV). That He will do.
Second, with God's help you can control your thinking‑‑and thus control your heart. Paul said we are to bring every thought into captivity to Jesus Christ. When your emotions begin to get away from you‑‑stop dead in your tracks and say, "Lord, I need your help." Then, ask Him to take control of your emotions, and you will discover the battle is not to the strong or the swift, but to the man who has taken Christ as his Savior. Resource reading: Ezekiel 36.
PAUL'S THORN IN THE FLESH
But God chose not to give Paul his request; instead He chose to give him something greater, to teach him something more valuable‑‑that His grace can meet us at the point of our deepest need.
True, there are times when God spectacularly removes the thorn‑‑the cancer goes into remission and disappears, the tiny holes in the heart of the baby that should have died gradually mend, the lame walk and the blind see. Yet often God has something even greater for us‑‑the ongoing lesson that His grace is sufficient to help us learn to live with our "thorn in the flesh."
But God chose not to give Paul his request; instead He chose to give him something greater, to teach him something more valuable‑‑that His grace can meet us at the point of our deepest need.
True, there are times when God spectacularly removes the thorn‑‑the cancer goes into remission and disappears, the tiny holes in the heart of the baby that should have died gradually mend, the lame walk and the blind see. Yet often God has something even greater for us‑‑the ongoing lesson that His grace is sufficient to help us learn to live with our "thorn in the flesh."
Understand that it is not the strong person, the one who has need of nothing, or the self‑sufficient, independent person who needs no one's help, including God's, but it is the individual who understands how weak he is who is in a position to receive abundant help that God describes as His grace. Think about it.
Resource reading: 2 Corinthians 12.
Resource reading: 2 Corinthians 12.
ALL OF THE ABOVE POSTS WERE BY HAROLD SALA. (REPOSTING)
Monday, January 26, 2015
i CARE TO CARE
Psalm 91
Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a]
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have
made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
Psalm 91
1Siyang tumatahan sa lihim na dako ng Kataastaasan. Ay mananatili sa lilim ng Makapangyarihan sa lahat.
2Aking sasabihin tungkol sa Panginoon, siya'y aking kanlungan at aking katibayan, ang Dios ko na siyang aking tinitiwalaan.
3Sapagka't kaniyang ililigtas ka sa silo ng paninilo, at sa mapamuksang salot.
4Kaniyang tatakpan ka ng kaniyang mga bagwis, at sa ilalim ng kaniyang mga pakpak ay manganganlong ka: ang kaniyang katotohanan ay kalasag at baluti.
5Ikaw ay hindi matatakot sa kakilabutan sa gabi, ni sa pana man na humihilagpos kung araw;
6Dahil sa salot na dumarating sa kadiliman, ni dahil sa paggiba man na sumisira sa katanghaliang tapat.
7Isang libo ay mabubuwal sa iyong siping, at sangpung libo sa iyong kanan; nguni't hindi lalapit sa iyo.
8Iyong mamamasdan lamang ng iyong mga mata, at iyong makikita ang ganti sa masama.
9Sapagka't ikaw, Oh Panginoon, ay aking kanlungan! Iyong ginawa ang Kataastaasan na iyong tahanan;
10Walang kasamaang mangyayari sa iyo, ni anomang salot ay lalapit sa iyong tolda.
11Sapagka't siya'y magbibilin sa kaniyang mga anghel tungkol sa iyo, upang ingatan ka sa lahat ng iyong mga lakad.
12Kanilang dadalhin ka sa kanilang mga kamay, baka matisod ka ng iyong paa sa isang bato.
13Iyong yayapakan ang leon at ang ulupong: ang batang leon at ang ahas ay yuyurakan mo ng iyong mga paa.
14Sapagka't kaniyang inilagak ang kaniyang pagibig sa akin, kaya't iniligtas ko siya: aking ilalagay siya sa mataas, sapagka't kaniyang naalaman ang pangalan ko.
15Siya'y tatawag sa akin, at sasagutin ko siya; ako'y sasa kaniya sa kabagabagan: aking ililigtas siya, at pararangalan siya.
16Aking bubusugin siya ng mahabang buhay, at ipakikita ko sa kaniya ang aking pagliligtas.
How can I ever forget to lift up in prayer your safety and best welfare
Care for someone seems to be natural despite the inspites
At the end of the day, you are still a brother in the Lord
Said relationship is amplified by the fact of our meeting.
Not because it is not romantic that it could not be brotherly
One told me that it is impossible
I dare not doubt its possibility for I only believe that it is right
Considering a person a brother in the Lord is never wrong.
When I remember the risk that a friend is into
My heart simply burns in deep concern
I was introduced to the real ills and danger of police operations
These I never knew before our paths crossed.
You may never know that I still care
That sleep evades me when news of bombs and ambush reach my end
My hope is that you strengthen your relationship with God
In prayer and in reading His word, that you abide in His love.
No matter what you put me through
I cannot change my self
I love people and I care about people
Specially those who were purposely placed in my life and you are one of them.
pic taken from firstcovers.com and vis.ualize.us
I could still recall the dreadful feeling whenever he goes to operations. I kept praying for his safety, wisdom in the conduct of operations and for peace in my heart that all will be well because God is with him. I remember how I distract myself while waiting for his call to tell me that all went according to plan and no one was hurt. The joy of thanking God that he and his troop were protected from danger. In those occasions I learned to be more calm and to put all my trust in God as to their lives. Having gone through all of it, there is no way that I could forget to care and pray. Every life is precious in the eyes of the Lord.
Bisan indi na kita lapitay nga maghigala
Bisan wala nako mi nabati-an simu
Bisan nalipatan mo nako kag wala ka labot sakon
Kag bisan di na kita magkita liwat
Handum ko gyapon nga tani pirmi ka layo sa kala-inan.
--------------------
--------------------
Let not thine heart be troubled
Sleep well at night
God will keep you safe wherever you may be
Love and Joy Perfected
as promised, here is the continuation of John 15 picking up from verses 9-17
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
If we want to understand the Father's love then when observe the Son's love. People from the Old testament had a hard time understanding God but when Christ came and demonstrated the greatest love of all on the cross then there is no way we could justify our ignorance of the Father's love. The invitation is the same, that we ABIDE in His love.
If we want to understand the Father's love then when observe the Son's love. People from the Old testament had a hard time understanding God but when Christ came and demonstrated the greatest love of all on the cross then there is no way we could justify our ignorance of the Father's love. The invitation is the same, that we ABIDE in His love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
This verse shows the way to ABIDE in His love, by keeping His commandments. The ten commandments? Yes and the two greatest commandments found in
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Do not miss the word JOY, if we listen to His words that we abide in His love, yeah, you read it right, our JOY will be FULL. It is not just much joy but full or complete.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Now this verse is my LIFE VERSE, it capsulized every other commandment to one which is loving others as Christ would love them. Easy said than done but all He asks of us is our yeses and by His Spirit He will empower us to do it. That ANOTHER seems to include everybody, every created being with no exception of those we find detestable to deal with or those we consider as our enemies.
This verse shows the way to ABIDE in His love, by keeping His commandments. The ten commandments? Yes and the two greatest commandments found in
Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Do not miss the word JOY, if we listen to His words that we abide in His love, yeah, you read it right, our JOY will be FULL. It is not just much joy but full or complete.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Now this verse is my LIFE VERSE, it capsulized every other commandment to one which is loving others as Christ would love them. Easy said than done but all He asks of us is our yeses and by His Spirit He will empower us to do it. That ANOTHER seems to include everybody, every created being with no exception of those we find detestable to deal with or those we consider as our enemies.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
As mentioned earlier, sacrificial death is the greatest expression of love.
As mentioned earlier, sacrificial death is the greatest expression of love.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Friendship entails a different category of relationship. I have things that I could freely share to my friends but not with my ate or kuya that is friendship should be breed in the family.
I'd like to be God's friend and to be one, I'll keep His precepts.
Friendship entails a different category of relationship. I have things that I could freely share to my friends but not with my ate or kuya that is friendship should be breed in the family.
I'd like to be God's friend and to be one, I'll keep His precepts.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Is it not amazing that Jesus did not keep anything from us but fully disclosed everything that the Father has in His heart for us. God is at work and He needs us to accomplish His platform in the human plane.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
The illustration I remember about this verse is getting inside a door (supposed to be our free will to choose) but if we look back there is signboard noting, I LET YOU IN (now that's God choice who to let in. Do not misunderstood this as God choosing who is going to heaven and who is going to hell because the invitation of His free salvation is free for all to receive. It is an OPEN invitation without classification. However, God being omniscient has foreknowledge of everything which is not also bound by time. Even before the creation, He knew men would fall, He knew He has to sacrifice Himself to redeem us and He knew who would accept or reject Him.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
Of the long discussion, the primary point is underscored here, that is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
Of the long discussion, the primary point is underscored here, that is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
BRAVE IN UNIFORM
pic taken from w8themes.com (edited)
BRAVE and HEROES IN UNIFORM
No one could escape death
I hope before one meets his end
A reconciliation with his creator has been made
To those whose calling put their lives at risk
May they have consistent and strong faith
Not only in overcoming fear but in keeping peace inside
To the Father we pray:
For all, courage to keep the flame of service burning
Determined hearts to deliver justice
And never to act with hate and vengeance.
To the insurgent groups, heart to reconsider their acts
Honor for the authority and value for lives
Love which promotes the best for all.
To the grieving families, support and comfort
Courage to overcome the pain of loss
And hope to a better tomorrow in time.
The officers, enlightenment as they lead their troops
Wisdom in directing their operations
Unceasing compassion to preserve their team.
As these brave men wear their uniform and arm themselves
Please, put on too Your shield and walk before them
Keep them safe under Your wings God.
Amen
No one knows when love strikes
No one knows too when death creeps
Let us uphold what is certain and lasting, it's Jesus and His forgiveness.
Condolence to the families of PNP-SAF Casualties in Maguindanao :'-(
In the middle of this crisis, PNP-SAF ambush/casualty, which is really heartbreaking. A good news came in.
A dear brother in the Lord made it to be in the list. Congrats sir Dan. Prayer will always be our best weapon. To God be the glory, from rank 17 (in 2011) to rank 14.
A dear brother in the Lord made it to be in the list. Congrats sir Dan. Prayer will always be our best weapon. To God be the glory, from rank 17 (in 2011) to rank 14.
TODAY IS JANUARY 29, 2015 ---GRIEVING
How it pinched my heart was unbelievable whenever news reports of Yoland typhoon and the devastation it caused flashed on TV----and the same PAIN and GRIEF i feel now regarding the PNP-SAF Casualty in Maguindanao last Sunday. Two of Zian's "ninong" failed to attend his dedication because they were part of that operation that met a tragic end.
How these brave souls worked hard and prepared for the operation could not be questioned. In fact, knowledge thereof will leave each heart in awe of their commitment and strong determination to take the risk for the sake of safety and peace for all. (I'll continue later)
THE SISTER OF MY LOLO, LOLA PURS JOINED OUR CREATOR THIS MORNING. WE WILL MISS HER. WE ARE COMFORTED OF THE HOPE THAT SHE IS IN A BETTER PLACE NOW AND HER SUFFERING HAS ALREADY ENDED.
REST IN PEACE BROTHERS AND LOLA DEAR.
Sa ngalan ng Dios at ng bayan, kailangan kong magtrabaho now.
Zian's baby dedication
My preggy and ever pretty bestfriend, Doc Anj.
That's a lechon karnero, the area for non-pork eaters.
Anj's hubby, Adlee, and parents :-)
Of course, thou shall not forget to invite thy church family :-)
Saturday, January 24, 2015
PIECES OF THE WORLD
Happiness is having a new Bible and 3 new key holders to add to my collection :-) My specification for my keychain, it must be made of metal or plastic the least so that it would not get rotten over the years.
They've asked as to what would i do with my collection, well if i have my own house already, i'll have one of the walls thereof painted with the world map where i could pin these in their respective country of origin. Isn't it nice?
The map is Hokkaido of Japan. I bought the tower from the airport in Tokyo.
The Jerusalem key chain was given to me by Ptr. Mike while the Jeju Island "god" was from my Korean dormmate.
Keychain from asian countries are the most in number specially SG. The airplane is from Quatar.
I did not request for these but I am still happy to have them because they were given by my good friends. How thoughtful of them :-)
I still have other items that were not included in the pic because i left them in the office.
I bought that stuffed white bear from Hokkaido Zoo.
Of my collection, this one is my favorite, a calendar from 1995-2044.
The person next to me is my top sponsor of my collection :-) He arrived this afternoon from his training in Manila. It's been almost a year ago the last time we were together. Our dear bunso is a marine engineer that is why he is always overseas. It is because of him and ate Jing that i maintain an account in FB, Viber and Skype. Oh yeah this brother of mine is my favorite sibling and seeing him now brings extra gladness in my heart andI hope we could fly kites together before he goes on board again. My childhood had been great and memorable because of him. He was my ultimate playmate.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Cover: Ikaw of Yeng
My jawline is still not defined as I wanted it to be for what is more obvious is still the "chubbyness" therefore February is not yet the month for the launching of the new looks hahaha I will be kind to myself by adjusting the target period to June. However the straps must be appropriate already in 2 months time for the summer get away.
Not only my physique that must be worked out but also my singing :-) particularly the "timing" part.
In that RAW COVER of Yeng's Ikaw, I am not extra familiar with the rhythm yet and the ending part is horrible. What i really lack is focus, seriousness and consistency because i played much in the last part like i was reciting a poem or worst it was reading instead of singing. Guess what, i got to add it to the long list of things that must be improved. As i try to be patient to others then I'll do the same to myself.
Why can't i just admit that singing is not my forte? Why do i justify the mess? Because Because and Because I LOVE SINGING and i would never give it up. What love can do is really unbelievable for it goes beyond the limits :-) I cannot blame anyone if this COVER is described as PALPAK haha for what is important is that I had fun doing it but a better version thereof is something to look forward. Next time, I intend to change the lyrics with that Hiligaynon (ilonggo) translation I came up with earlier.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Lead Me To The Rock
Stronghold
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7, NKJV
Visit Corregidor on Bataan in the Philippines, and there you will find a deep tunnel. Originally built to store arms and munitions, Malinta Tunnel was also a stronghold, a safe-haven where the bombs and shrapnel of the enemy couldn’t penetrate. It served as a hospital, a haven for wounded soldiers as well as headquarters for General Douglas McArthur and the American and Filipino troops.
Go to Saipan, and there deep in the rocks, you will also find strongholds, cut from the rock where there was relative safety. Again should you go to Europe, you’ll find the same thing—strongholds in mines, caves, tunnels, and the rocks.
Strongholds are not modern inventions. One of the most elaborate was Masada, built by Herod on a rocky prominence overlooking the Dead Sea. Taken by Zealots during the Jewish Revolt, it became virtually impregnable… at least for three years until the Romans built siege ramps.
An interesting observation: the strongholds of history eventually were overrun and destroyed, and now you visit them with a guide and read the plaques telling how they were eventually destroyed by the enemy.
The fact is, nonetheless, that strongholds are important. They give you immediate security and protection. They allow you to sleep at night without fear of what may happen to you or your children.
During the seven years he hid as a fugitive from Saul, David, the man whom God had chosen to be king, hid in strongholds in the Negev which was a burning, desolate waste which offered little protection from the sun, from thirst and drought, and even more important, from his enemies. During those years of desperation, David learned that safety is not the absence of danger but the presence of the Lord.
Repeatedly he referred to the Lord as His stronghold, his tower, his fortress. InPsalm 18 he wrote, “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 18:1-2). He talks of death all about him and the distress which vexed his soul and then records: “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help.” In a rather lengthy discourse, David told how he endured and God gave him ultimate victory.
Nahum, writing when Nineveh, one of the great cities of the ancient world, was crumbling, wrote, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7, NKJV).
You will never know or understand that God is a refuge until you run to Him, until you throw yourself upon His mercy, until you beat on the door and say, “Take me in. I need your protection and help!”
Far too many stand outside the door, debating the strength of the walls, wondering if they are good enough, or even thinking, “I can handle this on my own.” If someone was chasing you with a weapon, and they were getting closer and closer, would you stand outside the walls of a rock-solid fortress guarded by soldiers armed to the teeth and wonder if the fortress was strong enough to survive?
“Yes,” you may be thinking, “that worked for David but I’m not so sure it works for me!” How do you know until you try it? Never have I heard someone honestly say, “I threw myself upon the Lord and He pushed me away, told me, ‘I was not good enough,’ or closed the door of help in my face.” I rather doubt that you will be the first one. Need a refuge? God’s still in business.
A closing thought. Most strongholds have massive, towering doors. The refuge God provides is entered by kneeling. That’s the difference.
Resource reading: Nahum 1.
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PERSONAL REFLECTION: Main reference (Ephesians 6:10-20)
I may not be literally in the middle of a battlefield now but I am facing life issues that may swallow me whole and grieve God if I'll let them get into me. To be consistent in my christian walk, it requires a daily renewal of my commitment to stay on the right track with full dependence on God to provide what it takes to fight victoriously on His side.
In the epistle of Ephesians chapter 6 entitled the The Whole Armor of God , there it emphasizes that every believer is exposed to spiritual warfare.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c]against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
When we are in the battle, we can take refuge under the command of a strong leader. It is wise to choose God as our King and Commander-in-chief. It is foolishness and utterly wrong to fight against Him.
Now, what confidence do we have that we shall overcome victoriously? The fact that God is on our side is an absolute claim of success. On the cross, He said, it is finished! he worst it the enemy could do is kill our body which we must not fear because the more important that is living is the soul which shall go onward for eternity What i really like about being in God's army is that we could find rest for our souls simply because He already won the battle for us when His blood was shed for our redemption. His death spared us from the worst thing that may happen to us, ETERNAL DAMNATION IN HELL.
Why do we strive not to give into sin? When we are truly grateful with what He had done on the cross and we understand His love for us then we are compelled to love Him back and do the things that make Him happy. Understanding by heart what He did on the cross will not only bring tears to our eyes but eternal gratitude and awe will dwell in our hearts.
There is nothing more beautiful on earth than the Father's love and I am glad nothing is strong enough to take us away from it. We may make poor choices in life that pulls us away from Him but said distance does not bar His love from reaching us. No matter how far we go astray, His love would keep calling us back to His side.
Next question, How do we prepare ourselves in this spiritual battle?
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Matthew 12:30
He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.Why do we strive not to give into sin? When we are truly grateful with what He had done on the cross and we understand His love for us then we are compelled to love Him back and do the things that make Him happy. Understanding by heart what He did on the cross will not only bring tears to our eyes but eternal gratitude and awe will dwell in our hearts.
Romans 8:31-39
God’s Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen,who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Next question, How do we prepare ourselves in this spiritual battle?
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
1. belt of truth
The belt holds things together from falling therefore if we do not want to fall into sin or to feel broken then we should always keep the truth with us. The truth is in Christ and in fact the truth is a person which is Christ. So long as it does not contradict the bible and God then we have the truth.
2. breastplate of righteousness
Often we are distracted by guilt as if God cannot forgive us. It is the number one lie from the enemy. If we observe righteousness and we are quick to repentance then we shield our heart from unnecessary guilt. As the accuser shoot arrows of lies, it shall not penetrate our hearts as we wear that breastplate.
3. gospel of peace as shoesThe gospel is God's call to His people to reconciliation. Accepting Him as one's personal savior, Christ becomes the Prince of peace of that believer.
4. shield of faith If we are true to our faith and do not live like hypocrites then we have the Lord's protection from unwarranted accusation. One must be able to distinguish a trial from discipline. Trial makes us stronger and is allowed by God while God's discipline is His loving way of correcting us when we are sinning. Indeed God forgives but i does not readily erases the consequence of our sin. If we overspend then we have to pay our debts though our creditor will waive his right to press charges on account of said delinquency.
5. helmet of salvationWhat we feed our minds affect our disposition, our person. We protect our head from the persuasion of wordly principles by upholding our salvation. We are not only saved from eternal damnation but also from the attacks of the enemy. We recognize the truth when we are in Jesus and we ought to obey it if we have the best in life.
6. sword of the Spirit (word of God)We cannot just go out in war without an offensive weapon. When we are confronted with sharp principles that may kill our virtues then we must fight back with the truth. When Jesus was tempted thrice and He overcame the same by quoting the word of God (IS IT NOT WRITTEN______________?)
The sword could cut a bad habit or vice or distaSteful relationship. By reading the Bible we are exposed to the distinctions of right and wrong and with such we are equipped with wisdom to make the right choices in life.
The belt holds things together from falling therefore if we do not want to fall into sin or to feel broken then we should always keep the truth with us. The truth is in Christ and in fact the truth is a person which is Christ. So long as it does not contradict the bible and God then we have the truth.
2. breastplate of righteousness
Often we are distracted by guilt as if God cannot forgive us. It is the number one lie from the enemy. If we observe righteousness and we are quick to repentance then we shield our heart from unnecessary guilt. As the accuser shoot arrows of lies, it shall not penetrate our hearts as we wear that breastplate.
3. gospel of peace as shoesThe gospel is God's call to His people to reconciliation. Accepting Him as one's personal savior, Christ becomes the Prince of peace of that believer.
4. shield of faith If we are true to our faith and do not live like hypocrites then we have the Lord's protection from unwarranted accusation. One must be able to distinguish a trial from discipline. Trial makes us stronger and is allowed by God while God's discipline is His loving way of correcting us when we are sinning. Indeed God forgives but i does not readily erases the consequence of our sin. If we overspend then we have to pay our debts though our creditor will waive his right to press charges on account of said delinquency.
5. helmet of salvationWhat we feed our minds affect our disposition, our person. We protect our head from the persuasion of wordly principles by upholding our salvation. We are not only saved from eternal damnation but also from the attacks of the enemy. We recognize the truth when we are in Jesus and we ought to obey it if we have the best in life.
6. sword of the Spirit (word of God)We cannot just go out in war without an offensive weapon. When we are confronted with sharp principles that may kill our virtues then we must fight back with the truth. When Jesus was tempted thrice and He overcame the same by quoting the word of God (IS IT NOT WRITTEN______________?)
The sword could cut a bad habit or vice or distaSteful relationship. By reading the Bible we are exposed to the distinctions of right and wrong and with such we are equipped with wisdom to make the right choices in life.
And as God's soldier, we stand to PRAY always and we PERSEVERE till our last breath to do our duty as His follower and on guard of the enemy's attack.
THE BOTTOMLINE
Let us live this life thru the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We do not have make our own battle plan. All we have to do is abide in His word, abide in Him and let Him abide in us.
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Hebrews 12:2
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Read your bible and pray everyday.
P.S.
When confusion strikes you (as the enemy bombards you with lies), choose that which honors God and does not offend Him. One way to know that you have the truth is when you have peace of mind :-)
Please be brave to follow the truth.
Read your bible and pray everyday.
P.S.
When confusion strikes you (as the enemy bombards you with lies), choose that which honors God and does not offend Him. One way to know that you have the truth is when you have peace of mind :-)
Please be brave to follow the truth.
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