There are a number of times when I, and the other pastors of our church, would receive a blessing of a sack of rice either from brethren or from the church. Personally, I do not have the strength to carry one sack of rice on my shoulders and carry it all the way to my car. And even when I reach the house I cannot carry the whole sack inside. So, when I need to place it in the trunk of the car I ask someone much stronger than myself who can carry it and place it in the trunk of the car. When I reach home I would usually ask my eldest son to carry it from the trunk to the inside of the house.
I have to ask them that favor, because I know that I cannot carry it. So I cast that burden upon their shoulders.
I know what it takes to carry a sack of rice. When I was still working the company I worked for used to deliver rice to restaurants and market stalls. The truck helpers we had were the ones who would carry them. It is "chicken feed" for them, so they did all the carrying, while we salesmen would do all the sales talk. We would cast the care of carrying the weight on them, because they were the ones strong enough to do it.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
(1 Peter 5:6-7)
Have you ever cast all your cares on the Lord, and yet continue to feel anxious? Maybe it's because we aren't really casting them on His shoulders.
The word "cast" in the Greek means literally "to throw upon".
What does it mean to throw our cares upon the Lord? Verse 6 is the key.
Do we humble ourselves under God's mighty hand?
To humble ourselves before God is to believe that He has the mighty hand, and not us. When we keep believing that we can still solve our problems, or when we still think that we know what God should do, then we do not believe He has the stronger hand. We still believe our hand is strong enough to solve the problem. This why we are not really casting them to the shoulders of our God.
We need to humble ourselves, admit that we cannot do it, and believe that is it God with the mighty hand, and not us.
It is when we humble ourselves that God can now lift us up.
That is when we really cast our anxieties, our cares, upon Him.
Another reason we throw our anxieties upon our Lord - He cares for us.
God is not doing it because it's His job, or because He has to.
God takes care of our anxieties, casts them upon His strong hands and shoulders, because He cares for us.
Then all the burden is lifted from us, and we just still our hearts and wait for God to take care of the situation.
We need to humble ourselves under His mighty hands before we can really cast all our anxieties on Him.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Enjoying Honey
For a number of years now I have been enjoying using honey to sweeten my brewed coffee instead of sugar. It has been a "sweet" experience. I know, for a fact, that honey, being natural, is healthier compared to processed sugar. For a while I was using brown sugar, which they say is a notch better than white sugar when it comes to health issues. I was considering using mascobado, or raw sugar, but then I decided to try using honey.Our neighborhood supermarket sells what they claim to be "pure honey" from Camiguin, a region in Mindanao, and that's what I have been using for a number of years now.
And as most of us know, honey has a lot of benefits. Aside from using it with my coffee I take a spoon full once in a while just to give me the energy I need for the day
There are fake honey being sold in the market though, and we have to be careful. There are those who dilute the pure honey either with water or sugar, or both, just to be able to make an extra peso. Of course there are ways to check. The way I check is when I place the bottle in the ref. If it is fake the "honey" will harden. But if it is real it will slow down a bit, but it will still flow out smoothly. And there will be no trace of sugar or water in it.
So far, the honey I have been buying in our neighborhood supermarket has proven true, and I have been enjoying its benefits day by day.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
(Proverbs 24:13-14)
Solomon used honey as an illustration of seeking wisdom for our lives. The wisdom, of course, that he was referring to was the wisdom that came from God, that the Lord had blessed him with. It was something that Solomon had specifically asked from God:
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
(1 Kings 3:5-10)
Solomon knew, in his heart, that without the wisdom that came from God, he would not be able to be the king that God wanted him to be, that the people of Israel needed. And so his request was simple. He could have asked for riches and fame, but he asked for wisdom. And the Lord was pleased that Solomon asked for this.
Is this the wisdom that we pray for, long for, in our life? Wisdom is sweet to our soul, and its benefits are far better than any other source of knowledge or understanding that this world can give, for it comes from our heavenly Father.
Of course we have to be careful of "fake wisdom" that is being sold to us. How can we test if wisdom is from God or not?
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Proverbs 9:10)
Does the fear of the Lord reign in the depths of our hearts? Are we afraid to turn away from the ways of the Lord? Is it our utmost desire to glorify Him, and to live in His ways?
Wisdom does not come overnight. It comes from consistently seeking the words of the Lord and having it dwell in our hearts for us to be able to apply them.
Seek wisdom. Seek it like honey. And enjoy its benefits.
And as most of us know, honey has a lot of benefits. Aside from using it with my coffee I take a spoon full once in a while just to give me the energy I need for the day
There are fake honey being sold in the market though, and we have to be careful. There are those who dilute the pure honey either with water or sugar, or both, just to be able to make an extra peso. Of course there are ways to check. The way I check is when I place the bottle in the ref. If it is fake the "honey" will harden. But if it is real it will slow down a bit, but it will still flow out smoothly. And there will be no trace of sugar or water in it.
So far, the honey I have been buying in our neighborhood supermarket has proven true, and I have been enjoying its benefits day by day.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
(Proverbs 24:13-14)
Solomon used honey as an illustration of seeking wisdom for our lives. The wisdom, of course, that he was referring to was the wisdom that came from God, that the Lord had blessed him with. It was something that Solomon had specifically asked from God:
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
(1 Kings 3:5-10)
Solomon knew, in his heart, that without the wisdom that came from God, he would not be able to be the king that God wanted him to be, that the people of Israel needed. And so his request was simple. He could have asked for riches and fame, but he asked for wisdom. And the Lord was pleased that Solomon asked for this.
Is this the wisdom that we pray for, long for, in our life? Wisdom is sweet to our soul, and its benefits are far better than any other source of knowledge or understanding that this world can give, for it comes from our heavenly Father.
Of course we have to be careful of "fake wisdom" that is being sold to us. How can we test if wisdom is from God or not?
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Proverbs 9:10)
Does the fear of the Lord reign in the depths of our hearts? Are we afraid to turn away from the ways of the Lord? Is it our utmost desire to glorify Him, and to live in His ways?
Wisdom does not come overnight. It comes from consistently seeking the words of the Lord and having it dwell in our hearts for us to be able to apply them.
Seek wisdom. Seek it like honey. And enjoy its benefits.
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Lured by the "up to" promises of the world
Up to 15mbps internet speed.
This was what my landline/internet provider offered me for a minimal amount as a bonus for my being loyal to them for so many years. It was an offer I couldn't refuse, after realizing that the amount I would pay was so low compared to what they usually offer for that internet speed.
And the speed did increase dramatically! What took hours to download a movie now takes an average of 45 -50 minutes. I know it's still slow compared to other countries, but compared to my old speed this was a significant jump! Even the opening of websites is faster.
This made me curious. I now decided to upload an internet speed app to check just how fast my internet really was.
In the past I never really bothered to test the speed of my internet since it was just average and I was not expecting anything great. But now that they gave me the "up to" 15mbps I wanted to see if it really reached that point.
After a number of days of testing the top speed so far averaged between 12.5-12.9 mbps. Fast. But not 15mbps. I am so caught up in wondering if the speed will actually reach 15mbps that I test it about twice or three times a day! So far it has never even reached 13mbps.
I felt like sending a note to our provider, asking them why they promise something, and then do not really deliver. Then I realized what they actually promised - UP TO 15mbps. They never told me that they would give me 15mbps. They said the speed would reach up to 15mbps. So, it could be less (which happens almost always), or it might actually reach 15mbps when they probably feel like giving it. When it will actually happen I'm not sure. There's a big possibility that it won't.
So, I can't argue or complain. They are keeping their promise.
There is obviously a play of words. And they can't be accused of lying. What they used to attract me, and other subscribers that they have, is the 15mbps. Compared to 1mbps, or 3mbps, it's an attractive speed! And that's what made me bite the offer. I'm not complaining. I just realized how I was lured into accepting an offer.
It reminds me of how we are so tempted to bite the bait that Satan, or the world, offers us.
Genesis 3:1-5 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (2) The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, (3) but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " (4) You will not surely die, the serpent said to the woman. (5) For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
I want to focus on the last statement of the devil, in verse 5. Satan said that God knew that when she ate of it her eyes would be opened and she would be like God, knowing good and evil. I want you to notice the "up to" of Satan.
He said "YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED". But he did not say how open it would be. At that time Adam and Eve did not know evil. All they had was the garden and God. Yes, their eyes would be opened, but Satan did not tell them that once their eyes would be open to evil they would begin to lust for it.
Then Satan said "YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD". Notice his next "up to". Satan did say that she would be like God. But he did not tell her that she would not be God. No one can be God. Satan offered her "UP TO being like God", but did not tell her that it would not be exactly like that.
Eve did not notice the "up to" of the promise of Satan, and so she bit the bait. Yes, their eyes were opened, but because they were not God sin took over their lives.
Brethren, friends, be careful of the offers of Satan, and the world. They will offer us "up to" a certain amount of happiness, satisfaction, pleasure and fun. But they will not tell you that it will not completely make you happy, satisfied, or filled with pleasure and fun. In fact, the lack of satisfaction and happiness will just make us look for more, which will make us slaves of these things that only promise "up to", but do not give us the fullness of what God has to offer.
When Jesus was offering living water to the Samaritan woman in John 4, He told her:
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, (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."
God promises us a greater joy than what the world offers
Psalms 4:7-8 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. (8) I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
When it comes to peace, don't you want a total peace that can truly satisfy?
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Do not be satisfied with the "up to" promises that the world offers, that Satan uses, to lure us away from the total, fulfilling and satisfying promises that our Lord has to offer!
God doesn't fool us to try and keep our loyalty to Him. We just need to know, experience and see for ourselves that with God is a fullness of life that no one, or nothing, can offer us.
This was what my landline/internet provider offered me for a minimal amount as a bonus for my being loyal to them for so many years. It was an offer I couldn't refuse, after realizing that the amount I would pay was so low compared to what they usually offer for that internet speed.
And the speed did increase dramatically! What took hours to download a movie now takes an average of 45 -50 minutes. I know it's still slow compared to other countries, but compared to my old speed this was a significant jump! Even the opening of websites is faster.
This made me curious. I now decided to upload an internet speed app to check just how fast my internet really was.
In the past I never really bothered to test the speed of my internet since it was just average and I was not expecting anything great. But now that they gave me the "up to" 15mbps I wanted to see if it really reached that point.
After a number of days of testing the top speed so far averaged between 12.5-12.9 mbps. Fast. But not 15mbps. I am so caught up in wondering if the speed will actually reach 15mbps that I test it about twice or three times a day! So far it has never even reached 13mbps.
I felt like sending a note to our provider, asking them why they promise something, and then do not really deliver. Then I realized what they actually promised - UP TO 15mbps. They never told me that they would give me 15mbps. They said the speed would reach up to 15mbps. So, it could be less (which happens almost always), or it might actually reach 15mbps when they probably feel like giving it. When it will actually happen I'm not sure. There's a big possibility that it won't.
So, I can't argue or complain. They are keeping their promise.
There is obviously a play of words. And they can't be accused of lying. What they used to attract me, and other subscribers that they have, is the 15mbps. Compared to 1mbps, or 3mbps, it's an attractive speed! And that's what made me bite the offer. I'm not complaining. I just realized how I was lured into accepting an offer.
It reminds me of how we are so tempted to bite the bait that Satan, or the world, offers us.
Genesis 3:1-5 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (2) The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, (3) but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " (4) You will not surely die, the serpent said to the woman. (5) For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
I want to focus on the last statement of the devil, in verse 5. Satan said that God knew that when she ate of it her eyes would be opened and she would be like God, knowing good and evil. I want you to notice the "up to" of Satan.
He said "YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED". But he did not say how open it would be. At that time Adam and Eve did not know evil. All they had was the garden and God. Yes, their eyes would be opened, but Satan did not tell them that once their eyes would be open to evil they would begin to lust for it.
Then Satan said "YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD". Notice his next "up to". Satan did say that she would be like God. But he did not tell her that she would not be God. No one can be God. Satan offered her "UP TO being like God", but did not tell her that it would not be exactly like that.
Eve did not notice the "up to" of the promise of Satan, and so she bit the bait. Yes, their eyes were opened, but because they were not God sin took over their lives.
Brethren, friends, be careful of the offers of Satan, and the world. They will offer us "up to" a certain amount of happiness, satisfaction, pleasure and fun. But they will not tell you that it will not completely make you happy, satisfied, or filled with pleasure and fun. In fact, the lack of satisfaction and happiness will just make us look for more, which will make us slaves of these things that only promise "up to", but do not give us the fullness of what God has to offer.
When Jesus was offering living water to the Samaritan woman in John 4, He told her:
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, (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."
God promises us a greater joy than what the world offers
Psalms 4:7-8 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. (8) I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
When it comes to peace, don't you want a total peace that can truly satisfy?
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Do not be satisfied with the "up to" promises that the world offers, that Satan uses, to lure us away from the total, fulfilling and satisfying promises that our Lord has to offer!
God doesn't fool us to try and keep our loyalty to Him. We just need to know, experience and see for ourselves that with God is a fullness of life that no one, or nothing, can offer us.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
The Best Brew
When you get used to something that, for you, is the best, it is hard to settle for less. For the past years I have been enjoying the taste and experience of brewing coffee fresh from the bean. At first I would buy fresh ground local barako coffee from the market, and then brew it. Until a friend of mine who was a coffee enthusiast told me about brewing from newly ground coffee. This friend also blessed me with a grinder. Ever since then I have been buying coffee beans, and grinding only exactly what I would be brewing for one mug.
Aside from that I also buy the kind of coffee blend that I enjoy. A friend of mine sells coffee beans that he imports from the Mountain Province - Benguet, Sagada, Kalinga Apayao and other places. He has more or less a dozen coffee bean blends to choose from! After experimenting with almost all I found the blend that I enjoy - the Kalinga Dark Roast. It's Robusta, from Kalinga Apayao. For me...the best.
I don't buy any other blend. I don't drink any other coffee except newly ground coffee (except maybe when it is brownout, and I have no choice but to drink 3-in-1!)
In a recent meeting I was in, we were also served brewed coffee. But nothing beats the personal choice of coffee beans that I buy. In the apartment where we stayed the owners made sure that we had coffee - instant coffee. Out of habit every morning I would prepare myself a cup of instant coffee, but I wouldn't finish it. I would just wait for our meeting to start so I could enjoy brewed coffee. But that wouldn't fully satisfy. For the meantime, yes. But I still longed for my personal choice - freshly ground Kalinga Dark Roast in a mug. Every morning. The best...for me.
O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
(Psalms 34:8)
Have we had a taste of who our God is, of who the God of the Bible is, to the point that nothing else, and no one else can take His place in our heart?
Sadly, today, people settle for a 3-in-1 God, a generic God, and do not go out and really taste and see His goodness.
Everyone knows the line "God is good all the time, and all the time God is good", but do we really know this in our life? Have we tasted that He really is good?
Just like for coffee lovers like me, God wants us to have a taste of who He is, and realize that there is no one or anything, that can beat Him.
The difference between God and coffee is that, unlike coffee, God does not have different blends. He is who He is. And He has revealed Himself through His word, the Bible.
And it is when we respond to this revelation of God that we begin to taste and see who He is!
When we realize who He is - our Creator, and yet how many of us realize that we have rebelled against Him, that we do not live according to how He originally designed us to be - like Him.
And even more, how many of us know that He has graciously provided a way of escape from this enmity we have with Him, by sending His Son to die for us. This was the initial expression of God's love for us - by sending us a Savior.
And through His Son we are forgiven, redeemed from sin and adopted as His children - even as we put our faith in Him, in who He is.
When we realize that a God like this would show His love in this way, even while we were still sinners Christ died for us - when we have tasted of this love, there will be nothing and no one else who will be able to satisfy us as He did.
He is the perfect blend, the only blend, that will really satisfy our soul.
How I pray that we will all have a taste of the grace and mercy of our God, and that through this taste may realize that nothing else can replace Him, that He truly is good. It begins with our salvation, but continues on in our everyday life.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
(Romans 8:31-32)
And yet even "all things" will never replace the love of God that He showed us when He did not spare His own son to die for our sins and deliver us from sin.
Is God the "perfect blend" in your life? I pray that, as you seek Him, you will realize this too.
Aside from that I also buy the kind of coffee blend that I enjoy. A friend of mine sells coffee beans that he imports from the Mountain Province - Benguet, Sagada, Kalinga Apayao and other places. He has more or less a dozen coffee bean blends to choose from! After experimenting with almost all I found the blend that I enjoy - the Kalinga Dark Roast. It's Robusta, from Kalinga Apayao. For me...the best.
I don't buy any other blend. I don't drink any other coffee except newly ground coffee (except maybe when it is brownout, and I have no choice but to drink 3-in-1!)
In a recent meeting I was in, we were also served brewed coffee. But nothing beats the personal choice of coffee beans that I buy. In the apartment where we stayed the owners made sure that we had coffee - instant coffee. Out of habit every morning I would prepare myself a cup of instant coffee, but I wouldn't finish it. I would just wait for our meeting to start so I could enjoy brewed coffee. But that wouldn't fully satisfy. For the meantime, yes. But I still longed for my personal choice - freshly ground Kalinga Dark Roast in a mug. Every morning. The best...for me.
O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
(Psalms 34:8)
Have we had a taste of who our God is, of who the God of the Bible is, to the point that nothing else, and no one else can take His place in our heart?
Sadly, today, people settle for a 3-in-1 God, a generic God, and do not go out and really taste and see His goodness.
Everyone knows the line "God is good all the time, and all the time God is good", but do we really know this in our life? Have we tasted that He really is good?
Just like for coffee lovers like me, God wants us to have a taste of who He is, and realize that there is no one or anything, that can beat Him.
The difference between God and coffee is that, unlike coffee, God does not have different blends. He is who He is. And He has revealed Himself through His word, the Bible.
And it is when we respond to this revelation of God that we begin to taste and see who He is!
When we realize who He is - our Creator, and yet how many of us realize that we have rebelled against Him, that we do not live according to how He originally designed us to be - like Him.
And even more, how many of us know that He has graciously provided a way of escape from this enmity we have with Him, by sending His Son to die for us. This was the initial expression of God's love for us - by sending us a Savior.
And through His Son we are forgiven, redeemed from sin and adopted as His children - even as we put our faith in Him, in who He is.
When we realize that a God like this would show His love in this way, even while we were still sinners Christ died for us - when we have tasted of this love, there will be nothing and no one else who will be able to satisfy us as He did.
He is the perfect blend, the only blend, that will really satisfy our soul.
How I pray that we will all have a taste of the grace and mercy of our God, and that through this taste may realize that nothing else can replace Him, that He truly is good. It begins with our salvation, but continues on in our everyday life.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
(Romans 8:31-32)
And yet even "all things" will never replace the love of God that He showed us when He did not spare His own son to die for our sins and deliver us from sin.
Is God the "perfect blend" in your life? I pray that, as you seek Him, you will realize this too.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Someone Prayed for My Salvation
There is a song that we used to sing often in church services titled "I stand in Awe of You". That song just became more alive and real in my life after hearing a short story from a very close brother in Christ and friend whom I invited to share in our midweek service.
This brother was my schoolmate in De La Salle University. We became white belts in TaeKwonDo in DLSU together, and we got our black belts together. We also became "brothers" in the TaeKwonDo blackbelt brotherhood, both of us belonging to the first batch of this brotherhood, which is still alive up to today (going 36 years). We trained together, ate together...we were like brothers really.
Then time separated us when we graduated from college, and when we both became inactive in TaeKwonDo. But the long separation became good to us when we both found out that we were born again Christians! What a joy it was to know that both of us were being used in the Lord's kingdom, preaching the gospel and His word.
God was also so good in allowing this brother to visit Bacolod city often with a church that would hold seminars for pastors and leaders. And every time he would visit I would always try to invite him to speak and encourage the brethren in our church.
It was in this latest visit that he shared something that utterly blew my mind, and made me stand in awe of how compassionate and loving this great God we serve is.
He simply shared that when we were in college, he already was a Christian. And he also shared that he was also praying that one day I would be a Christian! I had no idea - first that he was a Christian (although I can testify that he had a character that we could call Christ like), and second that he, and his wife, who was his girlfriend then, was actually praying that I would also know Jesus as my Savior and Lord. He shared how he had a picture of me in his desk that he would use as a reminder to pray for me - and in that picture I was "high" (on marijuana). How did he know I was high - his answer "his eyes".
As early as that time my Savior was already moving in my midst, moving the hearts of His children around me to pray for me. Unknowingly He was already moving, making a way for me to finally open my eyes and recognize Him as my Savior and the Lord of my life.
Oh, how my heart bursts in thanksgiving, worship and honor of this compassionate and loving God, even when I was so far from him, living a life dependent on other things that replaced Him - and yet He reached out and saved me. And He was using His children, specifically my friend, to pray for me, placing His burden in his heart moving him to pray for my salvation.
And now - many many years after that prayer of my friend began, where am I now? Not only has my God saved me from my sins, not only am I living under His Lordship, experiencing His grace and change in my life day by day, and not only am I a pastor, humbly taking care of the church that He has entrusted to me and others to shepherd - but now I am continually learning how big and great and loving and gracious my God is.
It's never going to end. My God is going to continually show me how great and gracious He is.
And this reminds me not to give up praying for my friends, loved ones, who still do not know God has Savior and Lord. Because as He touches our hearts to pray for them this means that He is moving in their midst, preparing the way for them to hear the gospel and prayerfully respond to it!
Never give up praying. Nothing is impossible for our God. I am a living example of that.
And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am--except for these chains."
(Acts 26:28-29)
This brother was my schoolmate in De La Salle University. We became white belts in TaeKwonDo in DLSU together, and we got our black belts together. We also became "brothers" in the TaeKwonDo blackbelt brotherhood, both of us belonging to the first batch of this brotherhood, which is still alive up to today (going 36 years). We trained together, ate together...we were like brothers really.
Then time separated us when we graduated from college, and when we both became inactive in TaeKwonDo. But the long separation became good to us when we both found out that we were born again Christians! What a joy it was to know that both of us were being used in the Lord's kingdom, preaching the gospel and His word.
God was also so good in allowing this brother to visit Bacolod city often with a church that would hold seminars for pastors and leaders. And every time he would visit I would always try to invite him to speak and encourage the brethren in our church.
It was in this latest visit that he shared something that utterly blew my mind, and made me stand in awe of how compassionate and loving this great God we serve is.
He simply shared that when we were in college, he already was a Christian. And he also shared that he was also praying that one day I would be a Christian! I had no idea - first that he was a Christian (although I can testify that he had a character that we could call Christ like), and second that he, and his wife, who was his girlfriend then, was actually praying that I would also know Jesus as my Savior and Lord. He shared how he had a picture of me in his desk that he would use as a reminder to pray for me - and in that picture I was "high" (on marijuana). How did he know I was high - his answer "his eyes".
As early as that time my Savior was already moving in my midst, moving the hearts of His children around me to pray for me. Unknowingly He was already moving, making a way for me to finally open my eyes and recognize Him as my Savior and the Lord of my life.
Oh, how my heart bursts in thanksgiving, worship and honor of this compassionate and loving God, even when I was so far from him, living a life dependent on other things that replaced Him - and yet He reached out and saved me. And He was using His children, specifically my friend, to pray for me, placing His burden in his heart moving him to pray for my salvation.
And now - many many years after that prayer of my friend began, where am I now? Not only has my God saved me from my sins, not only am I living under His Lordship, experiencing His grace and change in my life day by day, and not only am I a pastor, humbly taking care of the church that He has entrusted to me and others to shepherd - but now I am continually learning how big and great and loving and gracious my God is.
It's never going to end. My God is going to continually show me how great and gracious He is.
And this reminds me not to give up praying for my friends, loved ones, who still do not know God has Savior and Lord. Because as He touches our hearts to pray for them this means that He is moving in their midst, preparing the way for them to hear the gospel and prayerfully respond to it!
Never give up praying. Nothing is impossible for our God. I am a living example of that.
And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am--except for these chains."
(Acts 26:28-29)
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