True Friends

In facebook I always catch myself accepting a friend request from someone I don’t know.  The usual thing that I check is the “mutual friends” part.  Some I guess want to “friend” me because I am a friend of a friend, or sometimes it’s because there is a group or organization that connects us.  But it really hits me when the birthdays come up.  I find it hard to greet someone I don’t know a “happy birthday”.  I know I can just type it in their wall, and they will appreciate it.  But it seems very superficial to me.  So I usually don’t.  Whether they’re hurt or not I don’t know.  Sometimes I feel guilty, but realizing that facebook is just a social site, and not real life, the guilt usually flies away.  Of course this does not mean that I will not send a greeting from time to time to someone I don't really know, but generally I find it hard to greet someone I don't know.

Actually, that should work even for our real friends.  There are some who take facebook so seriously that when a friend does not respond, react or greet they are affected.  We need to be reminded that facebook is not real life.

Anyway, this lead me to reflect, and research – what does God say about true friends?  Who are our true friends?  Allow me to share what I have found.  It will help us bring our friends through the litmus test, and also test what kind of a friend we are.
1.  A true friend will not lead us away from the Lord.
Deuteronomy 13:6-8 (NIV)
6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known,
7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other),
8 do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him.

2.  A true friend will love at all times. 
Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Let’s admit it, there are many times we are unlovable!  Those who love us no matter what are our true friends.

3.  A true friend is not just there because you have the money, or because you’re popular, or you have a nice car. 
Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)
24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a broth

4.  A true friend can be brutally honest, even when it hurts him to say it.  There are always times when we have to “wound” a friend.
Proverbs 27:6 (NIV)
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

5.  A true friend will give earnest, good and righteous counsel. 
Proverbs 27:9 (NIV)
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

6.  A true friends will help a friend who has fallen.  This works also in relation to sin – a true friend will help a Christian get up from his sin, and not leave him to be kicked around by the devil.
Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV)
10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

7.  A true friend will lay down his life for a true friend.
John 15:13 (NIV)
13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

This is why many consider Jesus as the truest of true friends.  Why?  Not only did Jesus lay down His life for us, but He lay down His life for us while we were still sinners!  That’s how much He loved us – enough to give up His life.  He did not have to, and He shouldn’t have.  But He did.  This is what makes Him the greatest friend that anyone can have.  It lasts up to eternity.

The Doctor Knows Best

The Doctor knows best.  Of course this does not mean that doctors are infallible and perfect, and that they can’t make mistakes.  But generally speaking our doctor knows what medicine to prescribe for our ailments.  I’m not talking about just any doctor out there, but the doctor who knows us, who has been checking us ever since.  Just like my doctor for my allergies – my asthma more specifically.  After all the tests and frequent visits I have made to her office because of my asthma she prescribed to me an inhaler that has practically solved my asthma problems – as long, of course, as I take it as prescribed.

Recently I ran out of that specific inhaler.  I was hesitant to buy a new one because of it’s price – very expensive.  It just so happened that a friend of mine had given me a free sample of another inhaler similar to what I was taking, but not exactly the same.  So I asked my doctor if I could take it instead, since I already had it with me.  My doctor told me that it wasn’t exactly the same dosage and medicine she prescribed, and that I should buy the usual one that she prescribed.

Well, as hard headed as I am (and cheap!  hehe) I decided to still use the free sample I had since, first of all, it was free!  And secondly, it might just work.  I tried it for a few days, but sadly it did not sustain my asthma, and I slowly started to “wheeze” and cough again.  So, eventually I ended up buying my usual doctor-prescribed inhaler.  And after just one puff my wheezing was gone!  I should have listened to my doctor from the beginning.  In this case the saying is true - “the doctor knows best”.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

We do that with the Lord, too, don’t we?  Those of us who walk with God, know Him as our Savior and Lord, and who have made Him our Shepherd, know that God knows best.  He is always after our good.  All the commands, the standards of righteousness that He sets for us, are all the best for us, they’re all for our good.  Our hearts know that.  But sometimes we face life’s situations and problems with our own understanding, instead of following our Great Physician’s advice (of course God’s commands are not just “advice”, but commands meant to be obeyed).

And so what happens?  When a child of God disobeys God, and tries to do things his/her way, it just won’t work.  We have been transferred to the kingdom of light.  Dealing with things in the ways of the world, or with our flesh, just won’t do it.  We have to accomplish things in this life according to the ways of God’s kingdom, according to His ways, not ours.

This is why we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart.  When He says humble ourselves, we should do exactly that.  When He says forgive, we should forgive.  When He says walk in righteousness, we walk in righteousness.  In all our ways we are to acknowledge Him, and His ways, so that our paths may be straight.

Though we may not understand, His ways are still the best.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The Cancer of Corruption

Philstar.com posted this question in facebook -  INBOX QUESTION: What can you say about alleged massive corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines?

What can I say?  So what else is new?  It’s come to the point that I am not surprised when corruption like this is exposed on television.  Sadly, I think all these Senate interviews, and exposes of corruption in the government are just hyped up “Tele novelas” just to excite people to watch or read the news.  Everyone knows that corruption exists in government.  We shouldn’t be surprised anymore that we find a Cabinet secretary, or head of a government agency is involved in corruption.  It’s come to a point where anyone who is assigned a position in government is immediately suspected of corruption.

But let’s go deeper.  If we think that it’s just our government leaders, heads and employees who are corrupt – well, we need to think again.  It’s not just the Generals in the AFP who are transferring funds for their personal gains.  Just ask the sales rep who deals with the Purchasing division of a company if there are purchasing officers who ask for a cut in the purchase.  Or ask a patient who buys medicine from a Doctor who sells free samples of medicines given to him.  Or ask a customer who had his electronic gadget fixed and was asked to pay for a part replaced but was never really broken in the first place.  It’s all around.

We don’t even have to point fingers at others.  Just check our own hearts.  How many of us are willing to shed a few pesos just to get out of a fix – caught by an enforcer for not wearing seatbelts, or to get things done more quickly at the city hall.  How many of us will not obey traffic lights or signs because we’re in a hurry.  I remember how I used to ask for lunch receipts from friends so that I could claim them as expenses from my office (and I worked with my father in his business!  I was basically stealing from him).  We justify corruption by claiming or believing we deserve them, that it is rightfully ours.  That’s probably what those generals and government officials are saying - “we’re not being paid enough, so we might as well get what we can”.  Ouch.

Corruption is all around, deeply embedded in our hearts.

Jesus simply called it sin. 

John 8:34 (NIV) Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

We are slaves to sin.  We’re bound to it.  We can’t help but do it.  But I know, for some of us, there comes a point when we want out.  We know we’re sinning, deep in corruption, tired of doing wrong.  Jesus also offered a solution for this.

John 8:36 (NIV)  36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

The way out of corruption is not a change of government, or Senate hearings, or an expose`, but a personal dealing in our hearts – allowing God to deal with our sin, cleansing us of sin, giving us the power to repent, and walk with God.  The Son, Jesus Christ, can set us free!  If we allow Him.

2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

It is possible.  All we have to do is heed the call of the Son of God to come to Him, believe in Him as the One who took your sin on the cross, paid for the penalty, and rose again from the dead.  He alone can set us free from sin.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Tune Up

Before my family and I left for our annual Christmas vacation in Manila, where my wife and I come from, my car needed a tune up.  It was already showing signs of a change of spark plugs and some cleaning here and there.  But I purposely postponed it because I wanted to have as much pocket money as I could in a place where every move you make has you reaching into your wallet and paying for something!  When we came back from our vacation I completely forgot that the car needed a tune up, and so when I drove it the day after we arrived to bring our kids to school I was so frustrated with how it was running!  So at the next opportunity I had I went to the shop and had it tuned up.  What a great feeling to be driving with a car with a well running engine.

Spiritually we all need a tune up.  There is always something that affects the running of our “spiritual engine” – our hearts.  The world we live in is full of distractions, temptations, trials and hardships that affect our hearts.  Sometimes we drive ourselves too hard on the wrong things – making money, building a family, working our behinds off – while we forget to take care of our relationship with God (prayer, reading His word, worship), and neglect our walk with Him, sometimes caught in compromise.

Many Christians forget that our “engine” is our heart, our spiritual life.  We have the tendency to take care of everything external, making sure we have everything we need.  But what really keeps us going, what really gives us life, is our hearts filled with the Holy Spirit’s life and power.

As this year begins, let’s bring ourselves to the One who can tune up our hearts.

Psalms 23:3 (NIV)
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Acts 3:19 (NIV)
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Times of refreshing.  Yes, that’s what we need.  Make sure to get that “tune up” as you face this new year.

Psalms 139:23-24 (NIV)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Promises for a Blessed New Year

I know we’re all praying for a Happy, Prosperous, Blessed New Year.  Let me share some promises of the Lord that are there for our taking – if we just follow what He wants us to be doing, how He wants us to be living.  The first ten verses of Proverbs 3 give us a “package” of blessings that are there for us, if we just obey.

Praying for long life?  Forget the pancit…

Proverbs 3:1-2 (NIV)
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

Praying for good relationships?  Oprah doesn’t have all the answers.

Proverbs 3:3-4 (NIV)
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Praying for straight paths?  No sharp turns, no dips, no danger zones? No need for feng shui, Oro, Plata, Mata, etc.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Praying for good health and nourishment?

Proverbs 3:7-8 (NIV)
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Praying for financial security and provisions?

Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV)
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

In a nutshell:  walk with Him, trust in Him, love Him, honor Him.  Let the Lord take care of the rest of our lives.

A Blessed New Year to all!