Driving Around

It was a Sunday night and our helpers were on their day off, so my family and I decided to eat out.  Our first choice was a place that served good spareribs at a very affordable price.  My wife and I were invited to eat there once, but the kids had not yet tried it, and so they were excited to give it a try.  But when we reached the area we could not find it.  So we decided to go to another place commonly known as “fake Bob’s”.  It was called that because the owner was a former cook of a well known restaurant here called “Bob’s”, and he served food that tasted a lot like his former employer, but at a more affordable price. Our kids had heard about that place and were excited to try it, but when we arrived it was closed.

“Where to next?” the kids asked.  So we all decided to have good old Chicken Inasal, the local favorite here in Bacolod.  So we drove off to a well known server of Inasal, a place called Aida’s, that had recently opened a new branch in a place near our house – so we thought.  When we arrived another restaurant was occupying the place!  Ok, so our next choice was “Mang Inasal”, a well known eatery that served “unlimited rice”.  We like eating in this place because we leave “busog”, filled, after eating a big piece of chicken leg or thigh, with as much rice as we want.  It’s the restaurant you go to when you feel like breaking your diet and gaining a little more weight.  Well, this time, upon arriving in the “mini mall” where it was, we couldn’t find a parking space.

When we finally found a parking space it was right in front of another Chicken Inasal restaurant called “Chicken Deli”, also well known, and that also served unlimited rice (they call it Kan-on all you can).  It’s as if a light switched on, and the a parking space was reserved for us!  And I said “hey, why not here?”.  And why not, because the chicken they serve is as good as any other Chicken Inasal place here.  So, we ordered, ate and went home full and satisfied.  After all the driving around, and all the seemingly “closed doors” we encountered, we finally ended up in a restaurant that was never in our minds at that time, but that ended up satisfying our appetites and filling our stomachs.  It’s as if God was leading our way to where He wanted us to eat.

Proverbs 19:21  Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Life can be so much like what my family and I went through.  We make our plans, “drive around” trying to fulfill them.  Many times we can’t seem to find the way, or we end up in a dead end, or with circumstances closing the doors to them.  Hindrances and missed opportunities frustrate us, sometimes causing us to panic.

But if our lives are in the hands of a Sovereign God, who not only controls our life, but has actually written down its events already in advanced, we know that every closed door, every hindrance that we experience, are just part of the highway He has prepared that will eventually lead us to His plan for us.  And even if His plan was not exactly like what we originally had in mind, yet in it we are satisfied, filled, because it is one that was planned by our loving and faithful God.  It is where He wants us to be.

Psalm 139:16  … All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

It’s nice to know that even if things do not go exactly the way we planned, or wanted them to be, we will eventually end up where our Lord wants us to be, where He will satisfy and fill us – as long, of course, as we remain fully trusting and dependent on our Sovereign and Loving God.

Good Memories

I was talking with a sister in Christ who had just come from the US and she was sharing with me the places that she visited.  She was talking about New York, and the statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, places that I had been to also way back 1978.  We were comparing notes, how it felt to be on top of what used to be the tallest building in the world (when I was there), and how it felt like it was moving, and how strong the wind was, and how small the cars in the street looked from the top.  The feeling she had brought back the awesome feeling I had when I visited the place.  Our talk brought back good memories of my visit way back when.

A few weeks before we also had a chat on facebook when she was in San Francisco, and she was sharing how beautiful it was – the weather, the streets, the cable car ride.  As we were chatting I could not help but remember the good times I had there with my cousins, riding the cable car, going down Lombard road, eating in fisherman’s wharf.  And when I was there ‘78 that was when Saturday Night Fever was showing, and I was able to watch it there.  Of course that lead to me and my cousins going to a disco, and “staying alive”!  I remember telling my friend that I literally “left my heart in San Francisco”. 

It’s great how we remember these milestones in life.  Our minds keep them stored for us to remember, to bring back to life.  And when we bring them back and talk about them again it brings joy, a smile to our face.

Of course we do have some bad memories, and they do haunt us once in a while.  But we overshadow them with the great memories, and remember that, though we did have some bad experiences in the past, yet they are balanced by the good.

How important it is for us to remember.  Even with regards to our spiritual life, our walk with God.  Many times our bad experiences, whether in the past or present, will fill our minds with worry and anxiety.  David had an experience like that, and he shares it in this psalm:

Psalm 77:1-9  I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2  When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. 3  I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. 4  You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. 5  I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; 6  I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired: 7  "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? 8  Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? 9  Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"

Sound familiar?  Yup, I’m sure it does.  We all have these moments when we think God isn’t listening, or isn’t moving in our life, when we feel He has left us on our own to fight the battle.  But after struggling with his feelings, look what David did:

Psalm 77:10-14  Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." 11  I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12  I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. 13  Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? 14  You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.

David appealed to the “years of the right hand of the Most High”.  He remembered how God had been faithful to Israel and to him.  He brought back to mind, and heart, how the Lord worked miracles for them, how great He was, and how He displayed His power among the peoples.  And this was what brought back hope.

How important it is to keep track, to keep in heart, to have great memories of God’s working in our life.  This is, of course, dependent on whether or not we have acknowledged God’s working in every experience we have had, whether good or bad.  Someone who has been trusting in himself, or in other people, will not be able to see the “years of the right hand of the Most High”.  But for those of us who have prayed, have entrusted our every experience, who have acknowledged God’s hand in every area of our life, should be able to look back and see how faithful He has been to us, how He has seen us through.  And this should give us hope.

Memories of our personal experiences remind us of what has past.  Memories of God remind us that He is here and now.  God has not changed.  Who He was in our past, is who He is today, and who He will be in our future.  Let’s keep these memories of God’s faithfulness fresh in our minds day by day.  May this give us hope.

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Malachi 3:6  "I the LORD do not change.

Easy, Fast and Convenient

I'm sitting on a sofa, writing this blog using the blogger app I downloaded for my iPod. And I'm thinking - wow, now I can write anywhere and anytime I want, as long as I have my iPod with me. And this iPod...another cool thing. It's not just a music player anymore! Now I can do almost anything with it - check my appointments, surf the web, go to facebook, read my bible, check the news, and listen to music if I want!

Technology has really made things easier, faster and more convenient. And it's great! Believe me, for someone who began watching black and white tv, I've seen how technology has changed things, and I'm enjoying it.

Sadly it's made some people forget how easy, fast and convenient it also is to communicate, talk and interact with the Lord. We don't need an Internet connection or a wifi signal to call Him or commune with Him. From the moment God created man He has always made ways to communicate with him, and to Make sure that we have access to Him. Take prayer, for example:
'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' (Jeremiah 33:3 NASB)
Of course this was always with the premise that we were calling Him with all our heart, and not just taking a chance, just in case anyone is "up there".
When you think of it, prayer is as fast as closing your eyes and opening your heart, and God is there.  How we make the mistake of opening our smartphones, laptops or computers first and fixing our eyes on these things before we spend time in prayer and fellowship with God.

How fast does it take for God to hear our prayer?
As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you... (Daniel 9:23 NIV84)
Actually it's even faster than that...
Psalm 139:4  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
God knows us more than we realize.

Technology has distracted us, making us think that it is faster, easier to depend on it. But our God has not changed. He is still there, waiting for us to call upon Him, and He will answer.

Go ahead, enjoy technology and it's benefits.  But I do hope we take advantage of this easy, fast and convenient opportunity to fellowship and enjoy God in our life, and make it our priority day by day!

Beginning the Day

I have a usual routine from Monday to Friday:  I take my two boys to school, come back home and have a quick breakfast while watching the news on television, and then I go straight to my prayer time.  I do this like clockwork.  But today I cut off something in the routine.  I did everything up to the opening of the tv.  But then all I was watching was bad news!  A car accident, people disobeying traffic rules, a priest that was killed, corrupt politicians, etc., etc., etc.  I wasn’t personally affected by all the bad news, it was just all bad news, and it was not doing any good to me at all!  So, I decided to skip the news part of my routine and go straight to my prayer time, where I knew I would get something good.

I was reminded of how important it is to start the day with the right things entering our hearts and minds.  Paul wrote to the Philippians about having peace in their hearts, and reminded them:

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

True, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, anything excellent or praiseworthy – these are the things we should be thinking about, the things that fill our minds and heart.  Where do we go, or how can we begin the day, making sure that these things are what fill our minds?  Media?  Well, once in a while we do get some of these things on television or in the newspapers.  But if we want all of the above, there is only one place – one person actually – where we can get this from:  The Lord and His Word.

What a blessing it is to begin the day, and end it, with the Lord and His Word filling our minds and hearts.  It’s the best way for us to deal with the “bad news” that this world throws at us each day.  We never know what we’re going to face, or what kind of day we’re going to have.  But if we begin and end with the Lord we have a hope, and a faithfulness, to hang on to, no matter what.

Psa 92:1  It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,
Psa 92:2  to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

Changing Soap

A big change happened recently!  I changed soap.  Now why is that such big news?  As far back as I can remember, the bath soap that my family has used has always been Safeguard.  I don’t know why – it’s either my parents believed the advertisements, or because my mother used to work for the company that manufactured it - I never really asked, but every since I was a young kid the soap in the bathroom, in  our guest bathrooms, and even in the kitchen sink, was Safeguard.

And so, when I got married, what soap do you think I had my family use?  Safeguard.  Well, by the time I got married I believed that it was the best soap to use, killing 99% of household germs, so they said.  But it was more because of tradition.  We used it before, no reason to change brand.  Even when another brand came out, also claiming to kill 99% of household germs, I did not lift a pinky to even try it.  I stuck to one soap.  I was a “one soap man”.

Until last week.  For some reason, as I was walking down the bath soap aisle of the supermarket, I saw the other brand of soap, and decided to try it.  I’ll admit that one of the reasons was the price, since it was cheaper.  But then I told myself – if they  claim to also be a germ killing soap why don’t I try it?  And, at the same time, save some money.

Well, after days of using the soap, the topic just popped up in the dinner table, and everyone was saying that they liked the new soap, including myself.  It smells good, it seems to last long in the body, and it looks like it does perform as the advertisements say.  So, it seems like we’ve shifted to another brand of bath soap – a better one, for us at least.  And we’re happy…and clean.

It’s hard to break tradition.  Even if there are claims of a better one out there, if we have used a certain product traditionally, or habitually, it’s hard to get ourselves to try new ones.  Sometimes we even stick to tradition without even knowing why.  I remember the story of a woman who baked chicken in a unique way – she would cut the edge of the legs before putting it into the oven.  Her husband asked her why, and all she could say was “that’s how my mom did it”.  So the wife asked her mom why she cut the edge of the legs of the chicken, and her mom had no explanation…all she said was “that’s how your grandmother used to cook it”.  So the wife finally asked her grandmother why she would cut the edge of the legs when baking chicken.  And her grandmother answered “it’s because our ovens during our time were small, and the chicken just wouldn’t fit”.

I remember asking our cook why she would put salt in the cover of the rice cooker while it was still cooking.  She didn’t know why, she just did it because that’s what she was told.  It’s hard to break tradition.

Luke 5:36  He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.
Luke 5:37  And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.
Luke 5:38  No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
Luke 5:39  And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'"

I remember when I started growing in my personal walk with the Lord, how God’s Word, the Bible, started revealing to me what His will was, how He wanted me to live, and how He wanted me to worship…I remember how there were many practices, both in religion and in life, that I knew God wanted me to change.  It was hard.  But for a heart that was made new the old ways just wouldn’t work.  There were lots of new teachings, new revelations, that the Lord was revealing that had to be put into “new wineskins”, into a new heart.  And so I had to start getting rid of traditions, both in how I worshipped and also in how I lived, and I started living according to what I believed God wanted me to do according to His Word.  It was hard at first, but eventually the “new wine” started to blend with the “new wineskin”, or the new heart that God had given me.

If you are in a similar situation, and you feel that God has changed your heart, has given you a new heart, ready to know more of Him, more of His Word, don’t be afraid to get rid of the old to make room for the “new”.  You’re a new wineskin now – there’s new wine out there that God wants to pour into your heart through His Word.  Not that all traditions are wrong, but we need to ask ourselves "why am I doing this?", "is this what God desires from me?".  It's God's traditions that count, not man's traditions.

Don’t be afraid to leave what are human traditions, and take the new things that God wants you doing, and enjoy it!
Isa 43:18  "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
Isa 43:19  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

My Backsliding Experience

I was writing in my other blog about backsliding (a topic I am very familiar with since I was a former “backslider”), and I remembered my own experience of backsliding from the Lord. 

Years ago, when I was in college, someone shared to me the “gospel”.  At that time my understanding of the gospel was the message given during the Mass.  But I heard a different kind of news – good news.  It told me of who I was, a sinner, whose life was separated from God because of my evil deeds.  But it taught me about a Savior, of what He did to save me from that state.  He died for me, took the punishment that was meant for me because I was a sinner, and paid the price for me.  I remember telling myself “why didn’t anyone tell me about that”.  And when I was invited to receive that message for myself I did, I prayed, and things started to change. 

I started attending bible studies, and then slowly began to attend a Christian church.  I started to learn what the Bible taught about who the Lord was, what He promised for us, and how He was a prayer answering God.  I was slowly growing in my new found Christian life.

A few months into my new Christian life I got to like a girl.  I started courting her.  And after a few weeks I was going to go for it – I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend!  And so, as every “born again” Christian would do, I prayed.  I prayed seriously, sincerely, in Jesus name even, that God would move her heart and have her answer me with a great, big, “YES”!  I was excited.  I went to her house…popped the question…and she answered “no”.

I was shocked.  I went out of her house wondering why God did not answer my prayer!  I was fuming mad!  I thought that God answered prayer?  My request was simple.  Couldn’t God have just moved her heart to answer me?  And so, right at that moment, I turned my back on God.  He did not give me what I wanted, and so I did not give Him what He wanted – Myself.  And so I backslid.  I drank more, took more drugs, enjoyed life more.  I was on my own.  Oh sure, I still believed in God, but He was just there…useless.  If He couldn’t answer my prayer of what use was He to me?

That was my concept of God – that He had to answer my prayer.  That He was there at my beck and call.  Prayer was my tool, my magic potion, to get Him to do what I wanted Him to do.  And when the potion did not work, all I had to do was throw it away, and look for another one.

For those of you who have backslid, or maybe you’re still a backslider, have you ever noticed that the reason I had for backsliding is the same reason that most of us have for backsliding – God not answering our prayer, or not allowing things to go our way.  When God does not give us what we want we take it against Him, we feel He is unfair, and we turn our backs on Him.  Oh it may be as simple as my request, or it may be as major as keeping someone alive, or stopping our business from failing, or maybe keeping a job.  And when He doesn’t answer as we want Him to, we just throw Him away, and we go back to our own way.

What I did not realize was that I had made myself an image of God according to my imagination, according to what I wanted Him to be, rather than who He was.  The god I wanted was for my pleasure, to do as I desired.  And if I just offer the right sacrifices, the right prayer, He will do that for me.  Many today worship a god of their imagination, of their liking, rather than really bowing down and worshipping the God of who He is.  It was only later on that I realized that I had it all wrong, and that I was there for Him, not the other way around.

We live for ourselves.  It doesn’t matter what other people think, and it doesn’t even matter what God thinks.  I do what I want to do.  This is what characterizes the life that all of us live.

2 Corinthians 5:15  And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

Jesus gave His life for us, not so that we could get all that we wanted, but so that He could get all of us.  He saved us from the hold of sin, to bring us to His hold of freedom, a freedom to enjoy His life.

When we live for God, I mean REALLY live for God, it does not matter whether or not He does answer our prayer, or whether our desires are met or not, or whether things go our way or not.  What matters is we know He is with us, that He holds our life, and that we have eternity assured for us because He paid the price for our sins through His dying for us.  That’s what really matters.

But you know what’s great?  He does answer prayer.  He may sometimes answer “no”, or “wait”, but He does.  And it’s the knowing He hears, and cares, that really satisfies.  And, yes, He does meet our desires.  They may come in different packaging, and He may even change one or more of our desires, but He does.  He is here to satisfy.  But God doesn’t want us living for what He does.  He wants us living for Him…period.  Just Him.

It took around 5 years of a backslidden life for me to realize that – it was all about Him.  After turning my back on Him, He never turned His back on me.  He looked for me, even when I was not looking for Him.  And eventually He brought me back.  But by that time He made sure that I understood why He brought me back.  It was all for Him, not for me.

God took away the self-centeredness and began to build and mature my God-centeredness.  And He is still building; and I may be maturing but I cannot claim to be mature.  He is still working in me.  But He has made it clear – that I am here for Him, not Him for me.  The world does not revolve around me, it revolves around Him.  He reminded me, and continues to remind me, that I live for Him who died for me, who gave His life for my sake.  And that is something I am willing to do, wholeheartedly, by His grace and strength.

2 Corinthians 5:15 And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

Those Forgetful Moments

I officiated a wedding today, generally all went well until the end.  After the proclamation, where I say “I now pronounce you husband and wife”, I asked the congregation to pray for the couple, and right after that I announced that the service was over.  With the usual “God bless you all”, and “another round of applause for the newlyweds”, I officially ended the service.

As I was putting all my stuff together I saw the groom looking at me with a puzzled face, as if saying “It’s finished?  You didn’t forget anything?”.  I was about to tell him it was now the wedding planner’s turn to handle the picture taking when I heard someone from the congregation shout “you may now kiss the bride”!  Wow, I had forgotten the most awaited part of the whole ceremony!  Oh no, what a “50’s moment” that was!  Very quickly I jokingly said “I was just testing if you would remember”, and with a guilty smile on my face apologized to him, and quickly said “You may now kiss the bride”!

It’s a good thing it was taken very lightly by the congregation, who just laughed it off as a nice light comedy moment in the ceremony.  But, wow, I forgot the sweetest, most romantic, part of the ceremony – one that everyone, from the bride and groom to the congregation, wait for!  Anyway, I went down from the pulpit making a mental note – “I’m not going to forget that part again”! 

The story doesn’t stop there!  As I left the venue someone was standing at the gate and waved at me.  I approached him with a puzzled look on my face (it was my turn to use that look, ha ha), and he said “You don’t remember me?”.  Aaaargghhhh!  He looked so familiar, but the Pentium 1 processor in my brain was taking its sweet time searching its memory base as to who he was!  It’s a good thing he was kind enough to introduce himself, and even added a compliment that he was blessed by the wedding service.  Of course I had not seen him in years, but he did look very familiar, and I just couldn’t remember who he was right away.

Don’t you hate those forgetful moments?  They remind you of how old you already are.  Sigh.

I am thankful, though, that I don’t have to worry about that with my God.  Though He is the “Ancient of Days”, He does not, and will not, forget us.

Isaiah 49:15  "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

Here the Lord uses probably the most intimate and loving relationship in the world – that of a mother and child, to compare with His love for us.  But I’m sure we know of mothers who have abandoned their children, or who have forgotten about them.  But the Lord said “I will not forget you”.  As the famous Basil Valdez song says “Hindi kita malilimutan”.  That’s God’s promise.  It’s who He is.

There will be times when we will feel that maybe God has forgotten us.  But during those moments we’re the ones with the memory problem, not God.  We are the ones who forget what He promised, verses like the one above that assure us that our Lord will never forget.

Thank God He is God. 

Nothing Like The Real Thing

There’s nothing like the real thing, as Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrel sang years ago for Motown (ok old guys, start singing…).  I started enjoying brewed coffee again a few days ago.  There’s nothing like the taste of freshly brewed coffee!  Actually, I used to brew coffee everyday with a regular coffee brewer.  But after a month, when the electric bill came, I was “shocked” to find out how high my bill was.  Since I drink around three cups of coffee (at the most) a day, that meant I would brew a fresh cup three times a day also.  So, I decided to go back to instant coffee.

Then a few years back a friend of mine gave me a coffee presser.  It made things a little easier, and I could enjoy brewed coffee once again.  But eventually for lack of budget to buy packs of brewed coffee I was back to instant.

Recently I received two packs of brewed coffee from brethren in the church.  Then I remembered the old coffee presser, just like the one in the picture below, that I used to use some years back.  I asked Marge to look for it, and she found it.  And, lo and behold, I was back to drinking brewed coffee again!

 

Yeah…there’s nothing like freshly brewed coffee.  The richness, the fullness of the taste.  Thank God for coffee!

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Many times in Scripture the Lord would invite people to “taste” and enjoy life with Him.  Just like brewed coffee, or any other favorite beverage or food you may enjoy, the moment you taste “the real thing” – life with God – you will always look for Him, because there will be nothing, or no one, who can replace Him.

When reaching out to a Samaritan woman who had five husbands, and was living in with someone, Jesus said:

John 4:13  Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
John 4:14  but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The things of this life, what this world has to offer, only makes us thirst some more.  They don’t really satisfy.  But if we drink the water that the Lord gives us we will never thirst.  The satisfaction we receive will be more than what the world offers, and it wells up to eternal life!

Let’s not make the same mistake as Israel:

Jeremiah 2:13  "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Imagine turning their backs on the “real thing”, the spring of living water, and building their own cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold nothing.  How many today have turned their backs on the Lord, or, at least, have placed Him in the sideline, while they’re busy digging their own cisterns, stressed out, tired, frustrated…because it holds no water.

There’s nothing like the real thing.  In John 10:10 Jesus said that He came so that He could give us life…and He brews the best!

Exhausted, Giving Our All

During my prayer time this morning I read a couple of passages that the Lord used to check the quality of time that I gave Him in prayer.  All I can say is “ouch”.  Let me share them with you.

Isa 43:22  "Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel.

Wearied means “exhausted”.  Do we exhaust ourselves for the Lord?  No, not in ministry, but in prayer.  Is our prayer time a time where we weary ourselves before Him, seeking Him – His presence, His fellowship, His will?

Another passage brought to my attention was this:

Mark 14:3  While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Here was a woman, with an expensive alabaster jar of expensive perfume, pure.  Verse 5 tells us it was worth a year’s wages!  And yet she broke the jar and poured all the perfume on our Lord’s head.  That was how much the Lord was worth – everything she could give.

She spent so much, gave so much, for the Lord.  Worship at its best.  No, not at it’s best…worship as it should be.  There is no other worship that God accepts.

Wearied.  Giving the best, giving our all.  Does this describe the worship, the prayer time, that we bring to the Lord?  Does this describe what we offer to the Lord, what we believe He is deserving of?

The Bodyguard

I was in the mall today, having an early dinner with a friend, when I saw a brother in Christ from our church walking just outside the glass panel of the restaurant.  He is a head of security of a congressman who just happened to be there also in the mall.  I was waving at him to say hello, but he was so engrossed in his role, or work, as security for the congressman that he either did not see me, or if he did he could not afford to be distracted.  I admired his focus, his attention and discipline during that moment.  I’m sure when I see him on Sunday he will be the usual accommodating and friendly brother he is.  But while at work, he was fixed on doing what he was called to do.

I remember another brother in Christ, now a Minister of the Gospel, but many years back was a close-in security of a political figure.  I was told that when he was with other Christians he was friendly and would fellowship, but when he was at work guarding his boss he would not leave his post, or even talk to anyone who approached him.  Talk about alertness and commitment to his work.

This should remind us of the same commitment and alertness we show to the Lord and to the life He desires us to live.  Many times in the New Testament God’s Word reminds us to be alert at all times.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6  You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
6  So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

Have you ever seen a security guard asleep?  Christians are not supposed to be that way.  We are to be alert, not allowing anything in the world to distract us, and so self-controlled that no matter what may catch our eye we keep our eyes on the Lord!

And just like a bodyguard knows that the person he is guarding may have enemies ready to pounce on him, we, as Christians, need to be alert at all times knowing we, too, have an enemy.

1 Peter 5:8-9  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

We shouldn’t be walking in this world unaware that we have an enemy who is ready to pounce on us and attack us.  We should be self-controlled and alert, standing firm in the faith always.

Spiritually we are to be bodyguards to ourselves, our Christian lives, guarding our heart that has been bought and saved by our Savior.  Standing firm, alert, not allowing anyone or anything to distract us.

Desiring to Obey

One of my favorite moments when I’m on a local flight is when the plane has landed.  The stewardess welcomes everyone to the city where we landed, and gives a few more instructions – please don’t open your cellphones, and do not unfasten your seat belt until the fasten seat belt sign has been switched off, and the  plane has come to a stop.  Clear as daylight.  But, while the plane is still taxiing (is that a right spelling?  Or word?!) to the arrival area you begin to hear cellphones ringing.  And the moment the plane stops, even before the fasten seat belt sign has been switched off, people start standing up and getting their bags in the overhead bins!  And I always begin to smile when that happens.  What’s funny is, even in a short flight, of around 30-40 minutes, people are rushing to get out of their seat and leave the plane!  It never fails, and it always brings a smile to my face.  And I notice how people are looking at me, still sitting down and waiting, probably wondering what the heck I’m doing waiting for the pilot to switch off the seat belt sign!  And I can just imagine the feeling of frustration of the fight stewardesses who give the instructions, and see how everyone just disobeys them.

You actually see it everywhere – people living as if there are no laws.  We cross the street where we want to, jeepney drivers pick up and drop passengers where they want to.  We live lawless lives – as if there is no law.

Sadly, there are many people, so called “Christians” even, who live as if God has no laws.  We know we’re not supposed to lie, and yet we do.  We know we’re not supposed to commit adultery, and yet we cheat on our spouses.  We know we’re not supposed to covet, and yet we live for what our eyes and hearts desire.

In Psalm 40:8, David proclaimed -  “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart”.  God doesn’t want us to live lawless lives, as if there were no laws and commands that He wants us to follow.  He wants us desiring to do His will, and obeying them.  And He has given us the grace and power to obey, through the regeneration of our hearts, and the transforming work of the Spirit through the Word of God.

Psa 95:6-8  Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7  for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…

So, when the Holy Spirit prompts your heart to obey what you have read or heard from His Word…Just do it.

James 1:22  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Blurred faith

My usual habit every morning is to have breakfast, and then with the last gulp of water take all my vitamins, and other maintenance medicines I need for the day.  I am so used to it that most of the time I just go to the other end of the table, where all our medicines are, and just reach out for the capsule or tablet I need to drink - even if I am not using my glasses!  This morning I realized how I "blindly" just get the medicines I believe are mine and drink them.  I am so used to how the packaging looks like, or how the capsule looks like, I don't have to really use my glasses to recognize them.  Of course I am hoping that one day I do not accidentally drink the wrong medicine!  I call this "blurred faith".  It's not that I'm blind, and I can't see the medicines I'm taking - I just see it with blurry vision, and my being so used to it gives me faith that I'm taking the right one.

I immediately related it to our faith in God.  Let's admit it - none of us really know God 100%.  Paul the apostle wrote about that:
1 Cor 13:12  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Now, he says, we see but a poor reflection of God.  If you're wondering why his example was "as in a mirror", which usually shows a good clear reflection, we need to understand that mirrors then were not as polished and clear as ours today.  Today our concept of the things of God, and of God Himself, are poor reflections of who He actually is.  We don't see the fullness of God yet.  We know Him and His ways in part, not in full.  But one day we shall see Him face to face.  One day we shall know Him completely - in eternity.  But now, in this life, we only see a blurred reflection.

Yet, this blurred faith we have in God is all we need!  God allows us a glimpse of who He is in order that our faith in Him might increase.  And the more we learn, the more we know, the more we realize who our God is, the more our faith is strengthened.  And the more our faith is strengthened the more we desire to know of Him, about Him.

This "blurred faith" that we have allows us to reach out for Him, call on Him, and rely on Him in all circumstances of life, and it brings the result we desire - His answering our prayers and desires.

We may not know much, but what God has revealed to us in our hearts of Himself is enough to give us the "mustard seed faith" to believe and call upon Him.  That grace is all we need.

1 Pet 1:8  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Disconnected

Our electricity at home was disconnected today.  What a hassle it was to spend a few hours without electricity and all the benefits that it brings with it.  We were disconnected not because we couldn’t pay the bill, but because I didn’t pay the bill on time.  My bad habit is usually to go past the due date of the bill and wait for the notice of disconnection, which usually will give around 2 to 3 days before they actually cut off the electricity.  Well, it just so happened that, for some reason, the notice of disconnection did not arrive.  And this morning, lo and behold, the Electric Company “Disconnectors” were knocking on our gate.

Again, what a hassle the discomfort of not having electricity brings!  No television, no internet connection, no electric fan or air conditioners to beat the heat!  And I was “inis” (irritated…I wonder if that’s the right English translation) at myself because anytime I could have paid the bill, and yet I decided to just follow my habit (which I now call “bad”!) of waiting, waiting for something that did not come.  And so, for a few hours, I suffered the consequence.  I am almost 100% sure that when the next bill comes I am going to pay on time!  Hahaha!  (Now I can laugh – the electricity’s back!).

This reminds me so much of how the “bad habit” of sin leads us to suffer the consequences, and how it is so important for us to be “connected” to the Lord always!

Psa 95:6  Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7  for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, 8  do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, 9  where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did. 10  For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways." 11  So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."

We all have the “bad habit” of following our own evil desires, instead of listening to how the Lord wants us to be living.  When we do that we end up suffering the consequences of sin.  God doesn’t want us in that situation.  He wants us resting in Him, with Him, walking in His ways.  This is why He tells us “if we hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”.

Let us let go of those bad habits of sin, and through His strength live in His righteousness, that we may enjoy the benefits of His salvation, of His grace.  Let’s not wait for sin to “disconnect” us from the benefits of righteousness.  Instead let us keep walking with the Lord, keeping our eyes on Him always.

What aids us in this desire is worship.  As we bow down and recognize our Maker, our Shepherd, our hearts become open to hearing His voice, and are softened to obey His Word.

So, come, let us worship and bow down, listening always to the voice of our Shepherd, that we may not make the wrong decision to sin, and end up suffering the consequences.

Chance…Coincidence…or God’s timing?

Our church celebrated its 15th anniversary by having a family day where all our outreach churches, and satellite area churches also attended.  Part of the festivities were the giving out of door prizes.  All those who attended registered and were given corresponding numbers, and if their number was picked the holder of the number won the prize.  We do this to bless everyone who attends – I mean, who doesn’t like winning prizes, no matter how small they are?

There was one prize – a cash prize of 500 pesos.  The number was picked, and it belonged to a lady member of one of our satellite area churches.  And when her name was announced as the winner she started to cry where she was sitting.  She came to get her prize, and there were tears of joy.  It was obviously an unusual way of expressing joy in winning such a simple door prize.  So we asked her to testify.  This was what she said:  on that day her daughter needed to buy school supplies that would have cost her 520 pesos.  She was praying where the amount would come from.  And then she won the prize.  After she got the prize, another member came and gave her the 20 pesos.

Wow.  Coincidence?  Or was this God’s working?  Did He orchestrate the whole event to make this woman get the amount as a prize?  By the way, I forgot to mention that there was another number that was picked for that prize, and the person wasn’t there, and so we had to pick another number…hers.

I do not believe in coincidence, bad luck or good luck, or arranging things or doing things to make circumstances go our way.  I simply believe that there is a God who provides for us in simple ways, normal everyday circumstances, and even in miraculous ways.  And it may look like coincidence, but it isn’t.

Or is it just in the heart?  An atheist will claim it was coincidence, good luck.  Another will claim he did something to make it happen, that it was “fate”, that it was meant for him.  I choose to believe in a God who is alive, active, working and moving in my life in all circumstances.  It is to Him that we give all glory.

Proverbs 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

He Knows Us

My car broke down the other day.  It just wouldn’t start.  I called a friend who knows a lot about cars, and asked him to pass by and help me find out what was wrong with it.  Sometimes, just a little tinkering with the engine fixes the problem.  Sometimes.  This time, it didn’t.

He came back with a mechanic.  Instinctively his hands started going through different parts of the engine, checking this and that, making sure that every part was working as it should.  And then he found out the problem.  But even as he started fixing this problem he also started checking other possible problems, until he eventually found a bigger problem – one which, if I had continued using the car, would have brought a much bigger and expensive problem that what I had then.

Thank God for mechanics, good mechanics, who know exactly what they’re doing!  We can tinker around the engine, troubleshoot a little as to what the problem is, but only a good mechanic will know exactly what should be done, and more even.

Psa 139:1  For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
Psa 139:2  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
Psa 139:3  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Psa 139:4  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

In this psalm David was not saying “Lord, you are searching me and getting to know me”.  He said “You have searched me…know me”.  The Hebrew word for “search” is used for miners searching for gold, looking under every stone, every inch of the wall.  That’s who much the Lord has searched us – every nook and cranny!

The psalm continues and gives more evidence of how much God knows us:

Psa 139:13  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
Psa 139:14  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psa 139:15  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
Psa 139:16  your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Even when we were still in the womb of our mother God already knew us.  He created us, He made us.  As early as those days every day ordained for us were already written.

Shouldn’t we be trusting Him to check our lives and find out what is wrong, what deep problems we may have and what solutions we need?  Should we not be allowing Him to lead and guide us in life?  Should we not have confidence in Him, in what He is doing to shape our lives.  Should we not believe that He knows what is Best for us?

Foolish Heart

I think I was just plain hungry!  I was browsing through the internet news sites, and saw this article in the Inquirer:  http://globalnation.inquirer.net/2672/reviving-the-%e2%80%98bicol-express%e2%80%99

The title:  REVIVING THE BICOL EXPRESS.  And I thought it was about food!  It immediately brought to mind the bicol express served in one of my favorite restaurants here in Bacolod.  But, alas, when I clicked on the page it was about the PNR reviving their train ride to Bicol from Manila.  Hahaha…anyway, congrats to the Bicolanos, the train ride from Manila to Bicol has been revived!  Me…I’m still hungry, and writing this blog.

Wow, the power of hunger.  It can fool around with our imagination!  Have you ever made the wrong decision because you were hungry?  Maybe you ate too much, or ordered food and forgot to check how much it would cost.  When we follow our appetites, without thinking, many times it leads us to do things we probably would not normally do. (ok, I have to confess – while writing this I paused, went down to the small store beside our ministry center and bought a 12 peso snack that would usually cost 9 pesos in a supermarket – something I wouldn’t usually do.  But, I was hungry!).  The power of hunger!  The pull of desire.  It can influence you to do things.  Unless, of course, we learn how to harness it’s power, and seek a stronger influence to conquer it. 

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

It’s true, isn’t it?  The heart – with all of it’s emotions, desires, wants and needs, is deceitful.  It will deceive us into doing anything and everything just to fulfill whatever desire or emotion that we have tucked away in it.  Many of us, if not all of us, have been “victimized” by the desires or feelings of our foolish hearts.  (Ok…I can hear some of you singing the Steve Perry song…foolish heart hear me calling, stop before you start falling).  Maybe it was hunger, a need, a love for someone, a crush…whatever our hearts felt many of us have fallen prey to it, and we ended up doing foolish things.

And, so, we need to be careful not to easily, and quickly, heed the pull of our hearts.  If our hearts are deceitful then who can we trust?

Jeremiah 17:10  "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Instead of trusting our heart, we should be trusting the Lord.  He alone can really search our heart and examine our mind, and lead us into the right conduct, the right life – a life that He will reward.

We should be careful not to allow our emotions or feelings to lead us.  It must always be the Lord.  So the next time we feel “hungry” for something, or even someone, let us first surrender our heart to the One who examines our hearts and minds, and who can lead us to the right path.

May 21? You Never Really Know…

Ok…I was going to post an article from one of my favorite Christian writers and preachers, Greg Laurie, on why tomorrow (May 21) is not the Judgment Day, as this one weird, attention getting, pastor claims.  It’s funny because this guy once predicted that last September 6, 1994 was judgment day.  Obviously he was wrong.  And he will be wrong again tomorrow.

Anyway, as I was about to post the article, I was going to write on the “what’s on your mind” box above the article and say “I’ll see you tomorrow, and on Sunday, for sure!”.  And I did write it, but right after I paused, and thought…hmmm – how sure am I that I will see all my “friends” tomorrow or on Sunday.  Not that I believe the prediction of May 21 – I don’t!  But this fake pastor being wrong does not make the coming of our Lord any less true!  As sure as our Lord ascended into heaven, for sure He will return for His people, and to bring judgment on the earth.

Acts 1:11  "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

But it’s not going to happen with all of this publicity.  And, most especially, with all the focus on this fake pastor.  When all of us are ushered into eternity, when we are in His presence, there will be no one else we will be boasting of except our Lord.  No one else will get the credit, no one else will be thanked, but God.  The attention this fake pastor is getting is a confirmation that our God is not glorified in what is happening.

But this doesn’t mean it’s not going to come at 11:59pm of May 20, or at 12:01 of May 22.  That’s the whole point – we don’t know, we won’t know, and the Lord will not reveal it to us.  Why?  God doesn’t just want us to be ready and expect His coming, He wants us to LIVE expecting Him to come, ready to stand before Him, any time, any moment.

Mat 24:42  "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
Mat 24:43  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
Mat 24:44  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

That’s why the Lord never told, and will never tell.  He wants us to keep watch.  Not like we’re all keeping watch if May 21 is the day, but keeping watch over our lives, living a life ready to see Him anytime.

You see, it’s not just a “judgment day” that we must be ready for.  We must be ready for any occasion, any moment, any day or hour when our Lord will just suddenly take us home to be with Him.  Our Lord is going to take us like a thief in the night.  And the whole point of our not knowing when is that He wants us living in readiness and expectation and hope every moment of our life.

So, if this May 21 prediction moved you to check your heart just to be sure, then it’s God’s way of telling you that there’s something to be changed in there, and we better not wait for another prediction before allowing Him to move in our hearts.

And so I ended up posting this message:  “I’ll see you tomorrow, and on Sunday – for sure!  But, at the same time, you never really know…”.  We don’t really know, right?  Isn’t the Christian life exciting?  Keep watch…Be ready…every moment.  And not with fear, but with hope and expectation in our hearts that the One who died for our sins is coming back to take us to be with Him…forever.

Friday the 13th?

I have a friend who is a resident doctor in a hospital in Manila, assigned to the Pedia section, who posted this in her facebook wall:  “Thank God it's Friday the thirteenth! No one wants to give birth. No scheduled c-sections and the mommies are trying to hold the babies in until this day passes”.  It was a day of rest for her, while for the superstitious it was a tense day holding the babies from coming out, for fear that bad luck would befall their babies, or them, because they gave birth on Friday the 13th!

Being superstitious is actually as tiring as those soon to be mothers trying to hold back their babies.  If you think a certain day will bring “bad luck”, then you end up being tense, always on the look out for something bad to happen.  A superstitious person tires himself/herself into making sure she does things correctly, or positions rooms and tables correctly, or whatever else he has to do, just to make sure things go his way.  It’s tiring, tense, stressful.  Why not just sit back, relax, and leave the whole day – your whole life, in the hands of a sovereign and loving God.

That’s why I’m not superstitious.  Not because it’s not allowed in our church or religion, but because there is no room for superstition in a heart that puts its trust in a sovereign and loving God.

Being sovereign means that you are in control.  It’s hard to live in a life that is controlled by chance, or by “fate”.  It is more comforting to know that your life is in the hand of Someone who is in control.  Just take a look at the whole Bible.  From Genesis to Revelation notice the control, the hold, of God in the lives of His people – Israel and the Church.  Even if bad things did happen, eventually everything else fell into place.  There is a peace that fills the heart of someone who trusts in a God who has everything planned.

Even in our personal lives God works the same way.  Look what it says in Psalm 139:

Psa 139:13-16  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.14  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.15  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16  your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Check out the last verse – ALL the days ordained for me WERE WRITTEN IN YOUR BOOK BEFORE ONE OF THEM CAME TO BE!  Talk about control!  What will happen tomorrow, next week, next month, has already been written!

So what about those bad days, the not so nice circumstances that come our way – does God actually want those things to happen to us?

Rom 8:28  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

He causes ALL THINGS, good and not so good, to work together FOR GOOD.  That’s how loving God is.  He will mix all circumstances, the sweet and sour, salty and bland, and make sure that it all comes out for our good!  Now that’s a loving God!  He is wise enough to know that trials and hardships also work for our good, and loving enough to make sure they all end up for our good.  At least for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Instead of depending on good luck charms, practices and beliefs, why not entrust your life to God and allow Him to have His way, to work out His plan in your life?

Luck?  No such thing – for me.  Friday the 13th, black cats, feng shui, oro plata mata…don’t need them.  I have a God.  He holds my life.  He knows me by name.  Each day, each moment, is His.  I rest in Him.

Jer 17:7  "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
Jer 17:8  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Touching gloves

Just read an article in the Philippine Inquirer website titled “Why are you touching gloves?  Is he your friend?http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20110510-335601/Why-are-you-touching-gloves-Is-he-your-friend

Sports is competition.  You’re out to be number one.  And even if your opponent isn’t an “enemy”, or someone you hate, you go out there and fight like he is your worst enemy. 

That’s what Freddie Roach was frustrated about in Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Mosley.  They were always “touching gloves”.  Even though Manny was trying his best to knock out Mosley, it looked like the whole fight was staged.  Why?  Because of their touching gloves before and after the round would start. 

In sports you have to desire the top spot, the gold medal.  Being number one is the whole point.  If not, then you will always have lackluster performances.  Even if your best friend ends up as your opponent – in the arena the goal is always to be number one.  That’s why there’s no touching gloves until after the fight.  You see that even in basketball.  If a player falls to the ground because of a physical play, many do not help them up.  Why?  It’s competition.  It’s not time to be friendly.  Leave them on the ground.

But that’s sports.  You need fire in your heart, your animal instincts need to come out, and look at every opponent with a “lion heart”, seeking to devour and pulverize them.  That’s what makes sports exciting!

In life, though, it’s different.  Especially in the Christian life.  The reason why many people, Christians included, have many enemies, get into trouble and conflict, is because we look at life as a competition.  We hear the same things that coaches and trainers shout to their athletes – “go for gold”, “you’re number one”, “don’t let anyone beat you”.  And so we push our way through every situation in life, and push away everyone who gets in our way.

We shouldn’t look at life as a competition.  We are not out to be number one.  In fact, if there is one thing God’s word teaches us it’s that we’re number two.  Second to He who is the number One.  But not only that, but the Bible also reminds us that we are not to seek being first, but to always be LAST.

Mark 9:35  35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

Mark 10:43-45  43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Yes, there will be conflicts, disagreements and painful experiences in life, even within the church.  This happens when our sinful human nature brings out it’s ugly head and pushes us to be number one, and brings out the competition.  But the Holy Spirit in us moves us to “touch gloves”, and reminds us that despite all our differences of opinion and character, God has given us the capacity to love, by allowing us to experience His love – a love that forgives, a love that overlooks sin – both our sin and the other party – and desires to bring out the Christ-likeness in us.

1 John 4:16-18  16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
NIV

And so if you hear that voice in your head asking “why are you touching gloves? Is he your friend?”. Say, yes, he is.  And even if he isn’t, God’s love compels me to love him back, no matter what punches he may throw at me.

Colossians 3:12-16  12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Ready to “touch gloves”?  It’s all by grace.

Anything can happen

I got this breaking news from ANC alerts in facebook:  RT @BreakingNews: Indonesia plane crash update: Everyone on board killed on impact, Antara news agency reports - BNO News

Wow, and I had just arrived from a trip to Cebu by plane last night!  My thanksgiving to the Lord for a safe trip became real.  I’m in my home, safe, all because my Lord protected me, and my wife, in our trip.  I heard there are families who do not travel together, just in case something happens, at least there will be one batch of the family intact.  But, you can never tell.  All I know is that every time I travel, by plane, car, or walking, I always seek God’s protection.

Anything can happen, anytime, anywhere, where and when it’s least expected.  Don’t mean to scare anyone who’s about to travel.  But every time I fly I always sit in awe and wonder how a very, very heavy airplane can stay up in the air, relying only upon two or three jet engines on its wings, making sure that it’s flying at the right speed.  I mean…anytime one of those engines could malfunction, or the pilot can make a wrong judgment about something, or…

I don’t want to say anymore…I’m scheduled to fly back to Cebu this coming July!  But, in reality, whether we’re on a plane, driving a car, walking in the sidewalk, asleep in our beds, or kneeling down and praying – anything can happen, anytime, anywhere.

Just shows us how we need to be prepared in our hearts for a time like this.  There is life after death.  Our life today is preparation for this.  What we decide today will tell what will happen after our death. 

Psalm 90:9  All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
Psalm 90:10  The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Psalm 90:12  Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

And there is one wise decision that we should make, just to be sure:

Acts 16:30  He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Acts 16:31  They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

Always There

My wife and I were in a hotel room in Cebu City, about to fall asleep, all the lights closed.  And then I noticed a few things:  there’s a red light on the television set right in front of our bed.  Then, there’s a red light blinking in the smoke detector above.  And then there’s a red light flickering on an emergency flashlight that is hanging on the wall.

All those red lights mean one thing – “standing by”.  The tv is ready to open at the press of a button in the remote.  The smoke detector is ready to blast its siren and turn on the sprinklers at the moment it detects smoke coming from a fire.  The emergency flashlight is ready to be used in case of a brownout.  All on stand by, all ready for use.  It was a relief to see all those red lights blinking.

God doesn’t have a red light that we can see.  But He sends the same message to all of us who believe in Him.  He is standing by each one of us, ready for whatever we need Him for, whenever we need Him.

Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength,  an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear…

Jeremiah 33:3 `Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

ISA 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

See the “red lights” flickering?  It’s God telling us that He’s always there, ready to help, in just one call, one prayer, one cry.  All He’s waiting for is for us to “press that button”.  Those “red lights” are all over the Bible, reminding us of how close, of how concerned, how loving our God is to be there in our time of need.

The red light is God Himself reminding us that He is always there.

PS 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear?

Stand By Me

As parents my wife and I have been through a lot of bad experiences with our kids.  We have seen them fall and hurt themselves, standing beside them in the emergency room while the doctor stitches up their wound.  Through times of sickness, failure, hardship, frustration, we were there with them.  Even as they get older you stand with them through their heartaches and broken hearts.  You watch them cry, feeling helpless and weak.

And as much as you don’t want them to experience those things they are part of life.  And as if we have the power to take away those experiences in life and shield them forever.  We can’t.  It’s all part of our experience in this life.  All we can do as parents is to stand by them, with them, beside them, assuring them that we are there for them when they need us, that no matter what they go through they are still our kids, and we will do anything in our power to lift them out of their situation.

It’s the same assurance our heavenly Father gives us.  Never in His Word did God promise us that if we walk with Him, if we surrender our lives to Him, would there be a perfect life with no problems or hardships.  On the contrary He warned us about them.

John 16:33  33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
NIV
Our Lord never hid that truth from us.  In this world we will have trouble!  It’s a “given” in this life we live in.  This was God’s way of telling us that our hope, our source of joy and happiness, cannot be in this world, because trouble will always be there.  But, as our Father, He assures us:

“I have told you these things so that IN ME you may have peace”.  Even if this world will bring trouble we can still find peace in Him.  Knowing He is with us, the God who overcame this world, gives us assurance that we can get through any and every circumstance this world has to throw at us.

Yes, the hardships and pain of this life will be there, but our Heavenly Father will always be there to see us through. 

Isaiah 43:2
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
NIV

Like a Mountain

I have always loved mountains.  Maybe it’s because since I was about six years old my parents would take a trip to Baguio at least once a year.  There’s something about a mountain, it’s majesty and strength, that amazes me.

What I love about the road that I take going home is it has a view of Mt Kanlaon.  It almost seems like the road is going straight towards it.  I love looking at the mountain.  It’s a symbol of strength, majesty and permanence.  There are times I feel that it calls me, draws me to it, especially during times when I need a break, or a breather from all the hustle and bustle of life. 

There is another “mountain” that I run to everyday.  Psalm 125:1-2 shares that with us.

Psalm 125:1  A song of ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
Psalm 125:2  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

In this psalm the psalmist was obviously in awe of the majesty of Mount Zion .  And a pilgrim traveling from his place to Jerusalem to worship the Lord would have a view of this mountain.  As the psalmist reflects on the strength and majesty of it, he relates it both to us and the Lord.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion…it cannot be shaken.  Why?  Because we trust in Someone who is strong, who is omnipotent, who is trustworthy and true.  If we trust in people, in things, in circumstances, they will eventually fail us.  But if we trust in the Lord He keeps us strong and firm as we walk in this uncertain world.

And just as being surrounded makes you feel protected, so those who trust in the Lord will be surrounded by the Lord, protected in our way.  This is the benefit we have as we entrust our walk and our way to the Lord – He surrounds us, protects us, guides us so that our hearts remain strong, assured and hopeful that He will make our paths straight.  A storm may pick up strength while it is travelling above the sea, but the moment it hits the mountains its strength is weakened.  That’s why cities or towns surrounded by mountains are always protected against storms.

May we have the strength of a mountain as we trust in our Lord, and as He surrounds us as a mountain.

Coincidence? No such thing.

Coincidence. The “Word Web” dictionary defines it as:  An event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental.  I don’t believe in coincidence.  Things that happen that seem to be coincidence are actually events that might have been accidental although it was really arranged – by God.

Yesterday, Friday, I received an alert in my cell phone that there was a fire in the Pao de Arco complex sometime in the afternoon.  I was home at the time, and when I received the alert my heart jumped!  Why, you may ask?  At that same moment, more or less, I was scheduled to speak to the employees of Pao de Arco in their regular gathering for Bible study.  It was supposed to be Friday afternoon.  For some reason it was postponed to another day.

Coincidence?  When you believe in a God who is Sovereign over your life, who guards you day by day, moment by moment, you don’t believe in coincidence.  Everything that happens in our life is orchestrated and planned by our Lord Himself.

Prov 16:9  In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Psa 91:14  "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
Psa 91:15  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
Psa 91:16  With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

If our total trust is in the Lord, every appointment, every circumstance, whether seemingly good or bad (notice the word “seemingly” – we need to be careful not to be fooled by how circumstances look), is in His hands.  And if our life has been entrusted to Him, if we belong to Him, He has our life in His control.

Rom 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I thank God for His protection upon me and those who were supposed to attend the Bible study in Pao de Arco.  He is faithful.

Non-stop praying

Pray Continually.  1 Thes 5:17

Many months ago I wrote about how I have this habit of quoting a verse of Scripture as a prayer every time my older children would leave the house and commute to school, church ministry center, or anywhere they would go.  Here is that verse:

Psalm 91:11-12  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12  they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

So I would pray “Lord, command your angels to guard them in all their ways”.  Here in Bacolod we may have less crime compared to Manila or Cebu, but we still do have our cases of holdups, snatching and slashing of bags.  And, who knows when an accident will happen?  And so every time they travel my prayer is that the Lord may protect my kids, and charge His angels to guard them always.

When my daughter left for her training stint in Singapore of course my prayers continued, especially since I would not be able to see her at the end of the day to assure me that everything went well and she did have the protection of the Lord with her.  But you would think that there would be no need for prayers, knowing that Singapore is such a safe and modern place.  The streets are well lighted the whole night.  There are cameras in the streets that keep watch.  And the crime rate is really low.  You would think that in such a modern and almost perfect society you would not need the protection of the Lord.

Until I heard from my daughter, and saw in the news, that a 14 yr old girl fell into the tracks of their MRT, and if I’m right lost her legs, or at least almost lost them.  That’s where I realized that no matter how modern or efficient a society may be, yet the need for the protection of the Lord is always there!  No one is perfect, no society is so perfect as to not need the Lord’s guidance and protection always.

It’s when things seem so smooth and flawless that we need to remind ourselves that we still need the presence and guidance of our Lord.  When things are going well, and it seems that there is no need for the Lord’s protection or guidance, we tend to put our guards down, and just trust in society, circumstances, or even ourselves.  But we need to pray without ceasing.  We always need the Lord’s protection, guidance and presence.  We need to pray without ceasing.

The Enemy in Us

“Right now, we’re playing against the Knicks,” D’Antoni said. “It’s us.”  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/sports/basketball/15knicks.html?_r=1&hpw

In case you didn’t know, D’Antoni is the coach of the Knicks!  They’ve been having problems not with the team they’re playing against, but against themselves.  Individualism is always a struggle for any team.  The moment a player thinks only of himself, everything falls apart.  That’s why many times the real enemy of a team is itself, it’s own players.

Ask a Christian who his/her enemy is, and they will quickly answer “the devil”.  And it’s true.  Peter tells us:

1 Peter 5:8  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Yes, he is our enemy.  But most of the time he uses another enemy to try and destroy our foundations.  Who is that?  Our self.  What many Christians don’t realize that there is another enemy lurking closer than Satan himself – our sinful self, our old self.

James 1:13  When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
James 1:14  but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
James 1:15  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Another enemy that we need to be aware of is our selves.  Yes it is true that our sins have been forgiven in Christ.  It is true that He has set us free from sin.  Yes it is true that His grace supplies us with the strength and power we need to overcome.  But we must not forget that deep inside this new heart that the Lord has given us is our sinful nature that still struggles to rear it’s ugly head up.  Inside us are the old desires of our flesh, still desiring to be satisfied.

The only solution, the only victory that we have is Christ in us.  Not only has He washed our sins, He has also set us free from sin.  And only in Him, only with Him, can we overcome our self.

This is why we need to fix our eyes on Jesus always.  We need to walk in the Spirit always.

James 4:7  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:8  Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Galatians 5:16  So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Be aware of the schemes of the devil, but be aware also of the tool that he uses to go against us – our own self.  That’s the other enemy we need to be aware of.  Don’t just rebuke the devil. Don’t just shout “get behind me Satan”.  Know that a major battle of a Christian is defeating our self.  We need to ask the Lord to open our eyes that we may be conscious of our old self coming out, and praying for the power to defeat it.  We need to be dying to our self, and allowing Christ’s life and character to be seen in us.

Eph 4:22-24  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Living with Uncertainty

Earthquakes are happening everywhere!  The latest that has caught our attention is Japan, in Sendai, where not only are they reeling from an earthquake but also from a tsunami.  Before that there was an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, another one in China, in Indonesia – everywhere around us, all with catastrophic results.  We have had news of earthquakes in our country also, but not as bad as what we have been seeing in Japan and New Zealand.

Ask a geologist and he will tell you that earthquakes happen all the time, we just don’t feel them.  But It’s the big ones that really bring the worst damage.  The thing is there is no way to predict when an earthquake can come.  We all have an idea of the effect of a major earthquake.  The scary part is that we don’t know when it will strike.

Life is really so uncertain.  We don’t know, can’t tell or predict when they will happen.  Sometimes all we can do is go through the consequences.  And it’s not just earthquakes.  It’s the same thing with problems, trials, hardships – we can never tell when they’re going to come.  They just do.  So how do we prepare ourselves for disasters such as these?

Proverbs 3:25-26  Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,  for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

Have no fear of sudden disaster.  Earthquakes, fires, trouble, trials, hardships – they are sudden disasters.  They come suddenly without warning.  Are Christians exempted from these?  No.  But God tells us not to fear them.  No matter what this world may bring upon us our hearts should be confident in our Lord.

For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.  In the midst of the disaster God is with us.  It is His presence that gives us confidence, that no matter what the circumstance we’re going through our Lord is with us, and He will see us through.  If I may borrow a line from a Simon and Garfunkel song - “like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down”.  God will lay Himself down and see us through.  Actually, God has already laid Himself down.  All we need to do is trust in Him.

Psalm 32:6-7  Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.  You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

A mistake that many make is this:  the only time they pray is when disaster comes.  No, we need to pray while He may be found!   And when the mighty waters rise He will be our hiding place, He will protect us from trouble and surround us.  Why?  Because disaster or no disaster He is our hiding place.  We are so used to hiding in Him that no matter what the circumstances may be, good or bad, we are with Him.

Isaiah 43:2-3  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

Yes we may have to pass through the waters and rivers, and we may have to walk through the fire, but God’s promise is I WILL BE WITH YOU.  The waters will be there, but they will not sweep over us.  We may feel the heat of the fire, but it will not set us ablaze.  For the Lord our God is with us.

Life is uncertain.  But our God is certain.  His promises are certain.  We can entrust our life to Him.  We should.

How NOT to complain

Aside from crime and corruption, one of the common things you will see in the local news today is complaining.  OFW’s, despite the fact that they are safe back home, or waiting for rescue in hotels outside Libya, complaining that it took the government too long to take them home, or of the food they are being served, or that our country could not send planes or soldiers like the British did.  Drivers and commuters complaining about rising gas prices.  People complaining about government officials.  Complain, complain, complain…grumble, grumble, grumble.  I guess that’s what makes it “news” – when we focus on the bad things, rather than on the good things we can be thankful about.

And it’s not just on television.  In real life complaining is so much a part of our life.  Yes, “our” lives, including mine!  We like to complain about everything.  Usually it is during times when things don’t go our way.  We complain when the car in front of us is not driving as fast as we want.  We complain when our salary is not as high as our friends salary.  We complain when the food served in a restaurant is not as good as we thought it would be.  Let’s face it – we’re all inborn complainers (hmmm, I wonder if there is such a word?  Oh, there is!  Just checked with the dictionary:  A person given to excessive complaints and crying and whining).  Yeah, we’re all complainers, although some of us in our own simple and quiet ways, but we all complain.

So what is the antidote to complaining?  There’s a passage in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonica church that comes to mind:

1 Thessalonians  5:16-18  Be joyful always;  pray continually;  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ

BE JOYFUL ALWAYS.  I’m not sure if you’ve ever noticed how being joyful affects how you react or respond to seemingly bad situations?  When our hearts are filled with joy we tend to see everything in a “positive” way, more calm, more peaceful.  That’s what joy does – it’s infectious.  It fills and affects our hearts.

But it also depends on the source of joy.  If our joy comes from temporary things, then that joy is also temporary.  But if our joy comes from something, or Someone, eternal, then our hearts are also eternally affected.

Psalm 4:7  You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.

This is the kind of joy that fills our hearts so much that it stops us from having a complaining attitude.  Don’t leave your home with out it!  This is why it’s so important for us to be spending time, quality prayer time with the Giver of Joy.

PRAY CONTINUALLY.  Prayer is not meant to make us get what we want.  Those who pray for this reason still complain, because God does not always give us what we want.  Prayer is meant for us to refocus our hearts on the One who is Sovereign, in charge of all circumstances surrounding our hearts.  Prayer allows us to surrender, to trust, to entrust all of the situations we are in to the One who holds our life.  Knowing that God is in charge will help curb that desire to complain.

Phil 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Phil 4:7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.  It’s important to see what God is teaching us through this verse.  It does not say “give thanks FOR all circumstances”, but it tells us to give thanks IN all circumstances.  In other words, no matter what circumstance we may be in, we are asked by the Lord to have a heart that is always thankful.  Of course bad circumstances will arise in our lives – but even when they do come we are to maintain an attitude of thankfulness.  There is always something to be thankful for, and it is not necessarily within the circumstances you are in right now.  And, there is always someone to be thankful about.  Above all, we should always be thankful for the Sovereign God we have entrusted our lives to.

When you think about it, the sequence of the passage makes sense – when we are filled with joy, and pray to our Sovereign God, thankfulness will surely fill our hearts, no matter what the circumstance.

Phil 2:14-16  Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--

Do everything without complaining or arguing.  It shows who we are, what God has made us to be, and what our purpose in life should be – to shine like stars as we hold out the word of life!

Free iPad!

For facebook users…did you receive a post that said this:  Hey “your name” I cant believe it, I actually got a free ipad to test out and keep. They are only giving away a limited supply, so I'm showing you this. There are still giving them away from the new years overstock! I absolutely LOVE the iPad :).  Ok, so did you click it?  Were you excited about the fact that you also could get a FREE iPad!  If you did, it’s either a “worm” entered your computer and sent this to all those in your friend list, or it was a deadly virus that hacked your account and closed it.  Or nothing happened.  Or, what’s worse, is that you really got a free iPad and that’s going to make me regret not clicking it!

But most probably nothing happened.  And when that happens, don’t you end up feeling like a fool for actually clicking on something, hoping to get something really big or expensive, but ended up with nothing?  Well, that’s what all of those worms or viruses do – they attract our attention, prey on the desires of our heart, and then when we click – bang!  we’re caught in their trap.  And you see it in your wall – your friends who clicked it are sending the same thing to everyone in their friend list.

That’s exactly how temptation works.  And if we’re falling into it in facebook, I wonder how we’re doing in our everyday life?
James 1:14-15 (NIV)
14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

The picture used by James here is that of a fish attracted to a bait, running after it because it looks delicious, not knowing that it is stuck to a hook.  And when the fish bites it is caught.  It ends up in the frying pan.  The same thing happens when we are tempted.  The sin looks so enticing, so delicious, too good to turn away from.  When Satan tempts us, he’s not going to show us the consequence of what we’re going to do, or the ugliness of the sin.  He’s going to focus on how good you will feel, how much you will enjoy it – even if it’s just for a few seconds.  And when we bite…bang!  We’re caught in the sin, and suddenly all the ugliness of what we did sinks in, and we feel bad.  Then the tempter becomes the accuser – He will accuse us to our face, making us feel down, depressed, causing us to fall away from God.

How important it is to temper our desires.  No, more than that, how important it is for us to surrender our desires to the Lord, and allow Him to place His desires, His will, His kingdom in our hearts.  Christians are not people who lift up their desires to the Lord.  Christians are those who live according to God’s desires for them.  “Your kingdom come, Your will be done…”.  How we’ve forgotten that aspect of the prayer the Lord taught us.

So, the next time we see a worm wiggling, or an iPad ad calling us to click.  Think twice, thrice even.
James 1:16-17 (NIV)
16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

If God has something good for you it may not necessarily come from a click of the mouse.  It will most probably come from working hard, saving up, and of course discerning well if that iPad (or whatever else you’re praying for) is really for you.

Blowing our Horn

I had a very interesting experience recently.  My car broke down and I had to borrow the L300 van of the church.  For the first few days of using the van I found out the horn was defective.  In other words it didn’t work.  And for Filipino driving the horn is very important!  Unlike in other countries where the blowing of the horn is considered disrespectful, here in our country the blowing of the horn is a necessity!  There are many occasions where we love to blow our horn.  When a car slowly or suddenly swerves towards us we blow the horn to warn them that we’re right beside them, or when they slow down at the middle of the road to talk to someone (yes, that still happens in less populated and small cities like where I live in) blowing the horn is important.  And with all the motorcycles and bikes in our roads it is so important to warn them that there are vehicles sharing the road with them!  Or even pedestrians who just choose to cross when and wherever they want to.  Of course there are those drivers who are just plain disrespectful, who blow the horn just like they talk, and just blow it whenever they want to.

And so imagine my predicament of driving a van without a horn!  It was a nightmare for a while!  Every time another car would slowly swerve my way, I couldn’t do anything but slow down.  When pedestrians would cross, I would be forced to give way.  And when driving beside a motorcycle or biker I would be watching them closely making sure that I would not hit them.

But after one day of adjusting, I found myself driving differently.  First I was driving slower, just to make sure that I did not bring myself into a situation where I needed to blow my horn.  If a car would swerve my way, I found myself giving way.  And if a car slowed down, or would not move right away when the traffic light turned green, I would just patiently wait, not able to blow the horn anyway to remind him to go.  It made me realize that there are times when we just blow our horn for such minor reasons that it becomes irritable, rather than necessary.

As I was driving I thought - this is what it must be like when we have to hold our words.  Just like cars we have a tendency to blow our horns, speak words recklessly and disrespectfully, whether it is called for or not.  Most of the time we are lead by our emotions, whether it is anger or irritation with others.  Sometimes, just like the traffic around us, people “swerve” into our space, or they may do things that we disagree with.  And we warn them, or shoo them away, with our words.

There are a number of commands of the Lord in Scripture that warn us of the misuse of our words.  For example:

Proverbs 17:27-28  A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Using words with restraint is a characteristic of a man of knowledge.  Keeping silent and holding our tongue is a wise and discerning thing, even for a fool.  There are times we need to speak, but this does not mean that we speak what we want and when we want.  It always pays to discern and pray for what words to use.

Ephesians 4:29  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

The use of our words must come from a proper and pure motive – to build others up according to their needs.  There are reckless people who need to be corrected.  There are those who hurt us, jump start our anger, who need to be told.  Never in Scripture is it taught for us to hold our emotion, even anger, but it is clear that the words we use are to be wholesome, encouraging, rather than destructive.

Let us live life as if our “horns” were defective.  If someone tries to swerve recklessly our way, or does something we disagree with, let us discern and pray before we blow off our words out of our mouth.  It is better to be silent, patient, understanding, rather than destroy someone with our words.