Transferring Blog Site

Hi to all who are following my blog...I'll be using my other coffee confessions blog for the meantime, mainly because I can access it through my kindle fire tablet.  It's rbcoffeconfessions.wordpress.com

Hope you guys follow me there also. 

Being in Front

I was driving home around lunch time, and when I reached a red light in an intersection I found myself behind a long bed truck also turning left.  I usually don’t like driving behind long bed trucks because they’re usually slow, and when you are in a two-lane road it’s sometimes hard to overtake them.  Although this truck wasn’t carrying anything, it still did not go as fast as I wanted it to go, and, as I expected, I had a hard time finding a way for me to overtake it.  So I patiently drove behind it until I found a way out!

As it turned left to a usual shortcut leading to a main road, I decided not to follow it, and took the long way that also lead to the same road.  As I reached the main road I saw in my rear view mirror that the truck I was following was now behind me.  I found myself smiling, relieved that at least I’m not behind the truck following its pace of driving, but I was now in front, driving as fast as I wanted to without the truck hindering me.

As I was smiling a thought entered my mind – my being in front, ahead of the truck, was what made me happy.  As long as I was behind the truck, and it was dictating my speed, I didn’t like it.  But when I found a way to overtake it, to be ahead, in front, doing things my way, that’s what made me happy.  I was consumed with the desire to be first, to be ahead of the truck.  Hmmm…I thought again…just like life, isn’t it?

It’s all about being first, being ahead of the pack, doing what we want, in our own pace, in our own way.  And if anyone blocks our way, or hinders what we want to do, we always find a way to overtake them.  And if there is no way to overtake them, when we can’t dictate the pace, when we don’t get to do things our way, that’s what ruins our day.

It’s interesting how God teaches us the opposite.  It’s all about humbling ourselves, and realizing that we can’t always have things our way.

1 Peter 5:6  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Could this be why there are many who are impatient with God, frustrated even?  We want things to go a certain way, but God seems to be blocking the way.  He has His pace, and we have ours.  That is why there are many who decide to give up on God, “overtake” Him, and go their own way.  And yet the Scripture above tells us to humble ourselves under God’s might hand so that He may lift us up.  If we are truly walking with God it is so important to stay behind Him, and allow Him to set the pace, and IN DUE TIME, or in God’s time, things will fall into place.  So many times we want to lift ourselves up, when it should be God doing that.

Philippians 2:3-4  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

It’s the same thing God asks from us in our relationships with others.  Sure, there will be times that we are leading the way, and things may be going our way.  But there will be times when we need to humble ourselves, shelve our own personal desires and goals for a moment, and consider others also.  There may be a reason that someone is leading us at this moment, that we are following someone else’s pace.  It is so hard to consider others better than us, or consider their interests also.  As we humble ourselves we  eventually realize that sometimes the other person’s ideas or ways are actually better than ours!

I remember driving to Baguio City when I was still in college, and young as I was I was impatient with how the car in front of me was not overtaking the truck that was in front of him.  So I decided to overtake.  As I entered the other lane I was surprised to see that I was just approaching a curve, and there was a bus coming my way!  So I quickly swerved back to my lane, and eventually realized that was the reason why the car wasn’t overtaking.  He was not overtaking for a reason, and I didn’t see it his way.  He was right all along.

Is being first, the one in front of others, something that consumes us, something that we must always have?  Sometimes we need to realize that we need to step on the brakes, humble ourselves, and realize that there may be a reason why God is asking us to humble ourselves before Him, and allow Him to set the pace.  And there may be a reason why God is asking us to humble ourselves before others, to learn from them, from the circumstance we are in. 

My Sardines Tradition

I was having breakfast this morning – bottled Spanish style sardines.  This is a usual treat I enjoy when we have the budget to buy a bottle – it is quite expensive, especially the really “sarap” ones.  Anyway, back to my story.  As I was munching on my breakfast, it brought a “mini” flashback.

I remember when I was young, my mother taught me how to eat sardines.  Actually I first saw her eating sardines in a certain way, and then she eventually taught me and explained to me why.  It was the canned sardines during that time, the flat can type, most probably imported.  What she taught me was to slice it open first so that it opened up flat.  And then we would take out the bones that were right in the middle of the fish.  She explained, just like eating any other fish, that we should take out the bones so that it would not hurt us or choke on it.  And ever since then that would be how I would eat my sardines.  Slice it open, lay it flat, take out the bones, and then munch!

Until I started working.  The company I worked for started selling canned sardines.  We were the first marketing arm of VMC brand of canned sardines and bangus.  And so, just like any other marketing company, before selling the product we first had a product knowledge seminar on how sardines were cooked.  And that’s when I learned that the sardines in the can were “pressure-cooked”, so that by the time it is canned the bones would be so soft they were actually edible!

So there was no need to slice open a sardine, take out the bones, so it would not hurt us while eating.  For so many years I followed a tradition of my mother, which turned out to be useless.  It’s funny how we have so many traditions about so many things without really asking, or studying about it.  We just follow without any question whatsoever.

In everyday practices like eating, or cooking, and doing other things, there may be no harm whatsoever in doing things traditionally, as the family members passed on through the years.  We all have those experiences – how we eat, how we drink medicine, how we clean cars, etc.  But in the spiritual realm, in our walk as Christians, I believe we need to be a little more careful and understanding concerning traditions.  For what may seem innocent and good to us may not be to God.

In our walk as Christians some traditions may seem trivial, simple differences in how we worship, and yet without our knowing it may actually be useless (to God, not to us), and detrimental to our life now, and to our eternity.  We get so used to “worship” according to what we have been taught without checking with the past, which God so graciously revealed to us in His Word, the Bible.

The Pharisees during Jesus’ time were so seeped in tradition that Jesus had to warn His disciples:

Mark 7:6-8  He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8  You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

For them they were worshipping.  But little did they know that God was not accepting their worship, for with their lips they prayed, but their hearts were far from Him.  And their traditions were rules taught by men, and not taught by God.

In our worship of the Lord how important it is for us to make sure we’re not just following rules taught by men, but to follow the command of our Lord.  It may seem good and practical to us, but is actually useless to the Lord. 

God is so willing to give us a “God knowledge seminar”.  He’s prepared the manual – the Bible.  And if our hearts are just open there are a few things we can learn, and unlearn, with regards to how we approach God.  And, it is always good to ask, to check, if we’re doing what is pleasing to the Lord.

Sometimes I Forget

Sometimes I forget that I’m the one God called to ministry, and the “life of faith” (a term we use in our church for our Ministers having no salary, just trusting in the Lord to provide for us through the members of our church), and not the other members of my family.  There are times when God provides for us just exactly what we need, and many times He provides just at the nick of time.  And that makes us anxious – especially my wife and kids.  And sometimes I expect them to have the same walk of faith as God has graciously given me when He called me to ministry.  But they don’t.  And I shouldn’t expect them to have that same faith.  I can pray that the same grace God has given me to trust Him and wait upon Him will fill their hearts and believe that He will provide for our every need.  And I realize that through the years He has been doing that – filling our hearts with faith, and providing for all our needs.  And I am thankful.

Sometimes I forget that I myself become anxious.  I cannot claim to have great faith in God.  As a man, and as the head of the family, I consciously hide my anxious feelings, my fears.  One of my kids mentioned that they have never seen me cry, and have that feeling that I never cry.  But they don’t know that I have cried before God many times.  Usually it’s when they’re all asleep, and I face the many trials and needs that we have – and I cry to God.  Sometimes I forget that I, too, am as weak as they are.  One of my favorite passages in Scripture:  Psalm 56:3-4  When I am afraid, I will trust in you. 4  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  And I am thankful that God reminds me of who I really am.  There are times when I am “strong” in faith, and I have to encourage them to be strong also.  But I cannot do it as if I’m the only one strong, when in fact I am as weak, or even weaker in faith as they are.  There are many times when they, my wife and kids, are the ones who scold me for my lack of faith.  Thank God for that.

Sometimes I forget that I am not the pillar of my family.  God is.  The usual stereotyped picture of the husband/father is that we are the pillars of the family, and we have to hold it up.  We provide, protect, lead and guide them through the many circumstances of life.  But I eventually realize that I am not strong enough, bold enough, to be a pillar.  Then I also realize I am not called to hold up my family.  I am not supposed to try and carry the burdens for all of them.  What I am to do is to look to to the Lord and allow Him to hold up my family, each one of us, with the different roles we have.  Psalm 18:1-3 …I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2  The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3  I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.  It is He who is our pillar, the One we take refuge in.  In no way am I to try and take that place from Him.  And in no way am I to try and show my family that that is who I am.  God is our pillar.

I thank God He is who He is, and that when I forget who He is, and think that I am, He is the One who reminds me of who He is, of who I am…or rather, who I am not.

Isa 40:28-31  Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Like a Pro

I just read an article about how Kobe Bryant reacted after he was benched by Coach Mike Brown. Kobe has been known to shoot his mouth off and just criticize decisions of past coaches and players. But this time it was different. The article is found here: http://mobile.latimes.com/p.p?a=rp&m=b&_fromSocial=1&postUserId=7&postId=1861325

Here’s an excerpt of the article: “There's also no Kobe moaning or groaning; instead I'm getting this guy who sounds like a pro while only stating the obvious.
"It's his decision to make," Bryant says of Brown. "If you guys are looking for a story, I'm not going to contribute to it. I can't sit here and criticize the decision. As leader of this ball club, it's something I can't afford to do. I've got to have his back."”

Now that’s a professional player. Oh he may be upset at being benched by the coach, but there’s no verbal complaining or criticizing. I like what Kobe said – as leader of this ball club…I’ve got to have his back. Now that’s being professional – knowing that you are there for others, and not the other way around.

Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,
There’s more to circumstances than just our good. Maybe we’re in a circumstance where we’re supposed to give, not receive. Maybe we’re the ones supposed to learn, and not teach. Maybe we’re the ones who are meant to lose, not win.

And most especially with God. How quick we are to complain and argue with the Lord as to what He allows to come upon our life. But who are we to argue with a holy, wise and loving God? Who are we to tell God “you might be wrong Lord”?. Are we not just supposed to submit ourselves to a higher will, a higher purpose for us, instead of insisting on what we think is right for us?

Luke 22:41 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
Luke 22:42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
It’s nice to see our Lord being really human at this point. He was about to die, and being human it was something He did not want. He actually prayed that if possible His Father would change the course and take Him away from the cross. But look at the submission – yet not my will, but Yours be done.

If reporters saw and heard Him pray, they would have commended our Lord for His “pro” attitude. He didn’t complain or argue. He didn’t turn His back and go His own way. He willingly submitted to the will of His Father.

In a world where nothing is certain, and where bad things do happen (this was foretold by the Lord in John 16:33. Have a look), we need to be able to stand firm and strong, defending and glorifying our God who we believe is the best, the wisest and the most loving in this world, no matter what He sovereignly allows to come our way. We need to be able to tell the Lord “I have your back, Lord. I’ll glorify You and show others that You are always good, and always right, no matter what”.  Of course God doesn't really need us to defend Him...it's just our way of saying - I'm yours Lord, I'm with You, no matter what.

Just like a pro.

Live With Your Windows Open

Having a tinted car has its advantages. Aside from deflecting the sunlight, let me share how it helps.  First, it allows me to sing and play “air drums” to the beat of the music I play.  I can do that because no one can see me, because of the tint (Ok, for those who know me now you know what I’m doing as my car passes by!).  I can also wear anything I want – a crumpled shirt, shorts with holes in it, when I pick up the kids.  As long as I stay in the car it’s fine, since no one can see me!  Another advantage – I can give a reckless driver a “dagger look”, and be so confident to do it, because I know he can’t really see me!  Of course it doesn’t make it right, that’s why  after I do that I ask forgiveness from the Lord.  The thing is,  because I know the car is tinted the boldness to do it is there!  In some places, like Manila, a dagger look can really get you into trouble, even get you shot.  Here where I live it can get you into an argument, and maybe even a fight.  That’s why a dagger look can have its consequences.  Because of the tint I fall to the temptation of reacting in the wrong way.

It’s that last example that checked my Christian walk today.  Yesterday the car air-conditioner broke down, and since I did not find time to have it fixed today I had to drive with the windows down.  As I was driving a car coming from a side street to my right turned towards the road, and even if the driver saw me coming she did not slow down!  So I had to press hard on the break as the car turned right beside me.  I was about to give the “dagger look”, when I realized my window was open!  And so, at just the right time, when the car was right beside me, I gave the driver a smile!  Hahaha!  In my mind I said “Whew!”.  It was a “half smile”, but at least it wasn’t the dagger look!  It was my wife who noticed that the driver was a woman, and also noticed that she was waving apologetically, probably realizing that it was her mistake.  Whoa…imagine if I gave the dagger look!  I would have felt guilty.  What is worse – imagine if the person knew me, and knew that I was a Christian…a Pastor even!  My testimony would have gone down the drain!  It’s a good thing I was smiling!  Sort of…

I quickly sensed the lesson God was teaching me at that moment.

1 Peter 2:12 NASB  Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

As Christians it is so important for us to be living life “with our windows down”!  Yes, we do have our bad days, and there will always be times when we will have friction with others.  But our lives speak of our faith and our desire to follow our Lord.  How we react, and respond, to these things speak to others about what is in our heart, what we believe in, what guides and shapes our life.  We claim to have a Savior who saved us from our sins, and we claim to believe in a Lord who is continually cleansing us from our everyday sins and conforming us to His image.  Do our lives show it?

So, keep those windows open…and live the life that we know our Lord will be pleased with, and a life that is a blessing to others.  There is no tint that can cover the life that we live, the life that we show and share with others.  By God’s grace may we always allow our lives to show the goodness and righteousness of our Lord.

Matthew 5:16  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Back to Instant Coffee

There’s nothing like the taste of brewed coffee.  I don’t drink it, though, like the “real” coffee drinkers do.  They drink it black, so that they can really taste the freshness of the ground coffee beans.  But I enjoy drinking a freshly brewed cup.  It’s really different.

That’s why I was so excited when my two sisters gave me coffee for Christmas.  One was Japanese “Drip On” coffee.  You open the sachet and out comes something that looks like a tea bag, but with ground coffee inside.  You place the contraption on top of the mug and you pour water on the bag, and it drips down into the mug for a fresh cup of coffee.

My other sister got me a one cup brewer, together with 18 days old coffee beans.  Haven’t tried it yet because I want to finish the Japanese coffee first.  But it’s next in line, and I’m excited to try it.

But it’s funny how recently I’ve been looking for the taste of Nescafe’ Classic instant coffee.  I know true coffee drinkers will be ridiculing me and telling me off that instant coffee is not real coffee.  But, for some reason, I was looking for the usual taste of Nescafe’ classic again.  Because of all the stock of brewed coffee I had at home, plus the convenience of having a coffee presser, I stopped buying instant coffee.  Even before my sisters gave me coffee for Christmas someone had given me a bag of Starbucks coffee!  And so I finished that first, then started with the Japanese coffee, while the 18 days ground coffee is waiting for me to taste it.  But honestly, my tongue was looking for Nescafe’.

And so I bought a pack this afternoon from the supermarket.  As I was preparing a cup after dinner, I asked myself if it was the convenience of it being instant, or the taste, that brought me back to Nescafe’.  My answer – the taste.  I was just longing for the taste of Nescafe’ that I have been so used to, that I have been drinking ever since I started drinking coffee.

You see from time in memorial Nescafe’ has been the coffee served in our family house.  My parents drank Nescafe’ every morning.  My first cup of coffee was Nescafe’.  Of course having brewed coffee was always a treat, and enjoyable.  But Nescafe’ was always there.  I think I have gotten so used to it, that my taste buds eventually long for it.  I guess when you’ve tasted and enjoyed something for so long, you just have to go back to it.  So, for the meantime, it’s back to Nescafe’.  The ground coffee will just have to wait.

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

It’s interesting how God described our experiencing Him as tasting.  God cannot just be a concept, a theology, or a belief in our minds and hearts.  He has to be Someone we taste, someone we experience.  As the psalmist says in Psalm 34:8 – Taste and see that the Lord is good!

But tasting God’s goodness takes a step of faith.  We need to set aside all other things, or other sources, of goodness, of pleasure, and allow our lives to have a taste of what God can do.  It takes a step of faith to believe that God is alive, and that He can really satisfy as much as He says He can.

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."

In this passage it’s about drinking, about quenching thirst.  When we drink the water the world offers us, it doesn’t really quench our thirst, does it?  It just moves us to have more.  And we end up dissatisfied.

But the water God gives us truly satisfies.  It’s a water that wells up to eternal life.  And it’s a water that quenches the thirst of our hearts, not our flesh.  That’s why it truly satisfies – because when the heart is satisfied, nothing that the body looks for matters anymore.

Oh to have a taste of the love, the thirst-quenching life of the Lord, poured out in the cross of Calvary when He died for our sins, and continuing today because He has risen from the dead!  Oh, to enjoy His ever satisfying grace, love and faithfulness…just like my instant coffee.  And even more.

Isaiah 45:22  "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”

Living a Good Eulogy

I officiated in a burial service today for the father of a church member who passed away just last December 31.  We sang a few songs, shared God’s Word, and then listened to friends, loved ones, and family members share their eulogies concerning the deceased.  Officemates, a neighbor, a “kumpare”, a niece and his daughter stood up one by one and started sharing about what a great officemate, friend, uncle, husband and father he was.  And though they were sad that he had gone ahead, and that they would not see him anymore, yet they were joyful that now he was with His Creator, in a “better place”, eternally enjoying the presence of His God.

While listening to the eulogies, it got me thinking – “I wonder what people will say when I’m gone”.  I don’t want to sound morbid, or inconsiderate, but that’s what I was thinking…what would my fellow pastors, church members, Christian friends, family members, and my immediate family say?  As imperfect as I am I did hope, in my imagination, that my friends and family would remember the good things in me. 

And it made me think – I better make sure that I live in a way that people will see the good things in me!  What I want people to say about me when I’m dead will all depend on how I have lived with each of them.  I pray that as I walk by God’s grace everyday, allowing Him to change me and mold my character, other people will be recipients of good eulogies for me in the future!  Better than that, I do pray that people will see that it was not me, but God, who molded and formed the Christ-like character that He took hold of me for.

Makes for a good new years’ resolution, doesn’t it?

Proverbs 22:1  A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Ecclesiastes 7:1  A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.

Wasting Away but Being Renewed

2 Corinthians 4:16  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
Our latest Christmas vacation made the verse above more real to my heart.  Both my parents are diagnosed to have Alzheimer's, although my Dad’s condition seems to have plateaued.  We would have the same conversation though every 2 or 3 minutes, asking me the same questions over and over again.  I squeeze in a little spiritual insights now and then, but most of his questions are about me, my wife and the kids.
My Mom’s condition is different.  Her vocabulary is depleting, and she cannot finish a sentence because she cannot remember the words she wants to use.  All throughout my stay she seemed to know who I was, but on the day we left she turned to me and asked “are you my son, or my brother?”.  Most of the time she would call me “Toto”, which is both the name of her brother, and a common name in the Ilonggo dialect.  She passed around a notebook to my kids, asking them to write down their names so that she would not forget who they were.

It was hard to see them this way.  It was equally hard for my two older kids who grew up with good memories of their grandparents.  It was sad to know that we would not be seeing them as they used to be.

Life changes.  Our bodies change.  In fact, they’re deteriorating.  And no matter how many herbal or natural vitamins we may drink, or place in our skin, the inevitable is happening – we are wasting away.

Of course I didn’t have to visit my parents to realize this truth.  Every new ache and pain that I feel in my body moves me to pray that it is just something minor.  Of course every time I get a good blood pressure reading, or a positive blood test result, it moves me to thank the Lord for His faithfulness.  But I know that I’m not as strong, or as healthy, as I used to be.  And they remind me of the truth of 2 Corinthians 4:16 - Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

It was a chance for me to have a family talk with my wife and kids about what is happening with my parents.  What we are seeing is what happens to each one of us.  Even though I pray that I may not go the same way they are experiencing now, or have a grave disease or attack in the future, yet one thing is for sure – our bodies are wasting away.  And so, what should we be concerned about, more than our bodies?  Our inner lives. 

We do not live forever. Our bodies wasting away remind us that we are not going to be keeping our bodies, or living in this earth, forever. So what gives us hope? Our inward lives. “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:18  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

How is our eternity set?  Through our believing in what Christ Jesus did on the cross for us.  Many Christians look at Jesus on the cross and wonder what He was doing there  Why did He have to suffer?  He did it for us...in our stead.  The pain, and punishment, He bore on the cross was payment for something that we sinners owed Him.  To believe in Christ as our Savior, as the One who paid for our sins, sets our eternity with Him.
John 3:16  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

What about our “new year’s resolution”?  What did we pray to the Lord for this new year?  Was it about something external, something we want to “see” or gain materially, physically or externally?  All of us, including myself, have that tendency to fix our eyes on what is seen, on what is temporary, for it gives us some sense of joy, fulfillment and happiness…temporarily.  What our minds and bodies do not tell us is that we are wasting away, and we need to focus on things that are unseen, what we will enjoy eternally – our hearts.

Should we not be praying for a stronger faith, a deeper relationship and walk with our God?  Should we not be “wishing” that we live a life of trust, dependence on the Lord, and see Him in every blessing and trial that we face?  Should we not be praying that we be more Christ-like, more like our Lord, in all our dealings with man?  Should we not be making this our priority, what we fix our eyes on?

Not just for the new year, but for every day of our life!  What is seen is temporary…what is unseen is eternal.
Proverbs 4:23  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.