LORD, SET MY FEET IN A SPACIOUS PLACE

I am a bit claustrophobic. For example, when I use the bathroom in an airplane (or in a bus, coming from Baguio to Manila), or in a crowded elevator, I start to feel uneasy. There was one time I rode in a one cab pickup of a Christian brother, and I started to feel so claustrophobic that I asked if I could open the window and breathe the air while we were moving. There was another time I took a van for hire to a far away town, and since I was one of the last passengers to arrive, I had to sit in the back seat, and we were packed like sardines. I struggled for the whole hour. On the way back to the city, I made sure I sat in the front seat.

When you are claustrophobic, space is a blessing! You’re able to breathe, feel relaxed, at rest. 

I remembered this about myself when I read this verse in David's psalm:

Psalms 31:7-8 NIV I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.  (8)  You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

Why would David say, or sing, “you have set my feet in a spacious place”?

The ESV translates it “broad space”, while the NASB uses the word “large”.

I tried to put myself in David’s shoes (or sandals) and understand why he was glad and rejoiced in the love of the Lord by setting his feet in a spacious, large, place.

It seems obvious that the scenario in this psalm is David surrounded by his enemies. In verse 4 he uses the picture of a trap, or a net (ESV, NASB). You can imagine how a fish feels when a net is slowly surrounding him.

For the Lord to set David’s feet in a spacious space meant that he was in an open space, without enemies surrounding him. Imagine being surrounded by enemies – a sure formula for anxiety, panic, fear. With the Lord setting him in a spacious, broad, place, David is now at peace, relaxed, and able to rest.

That was how David described the Lord being his refuge.

Psalms 31:1 NIV For the director of music. A psalm of David. In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

 There are times when there are circumstances beyond our control – trials we face, troubles that come our way. Or it can just be our thoughts – trying to find solutions to problems, imagining “worst scenarios” in our mind. We feel, just like David, surrounded, like a net coming closer. Then the anxiety, the fear, begins to creep in.

This is when, like David, our hearts need to call upon the Lord.

Psalms 31:2-3 NIV Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.  (3)  Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

 We run to Him in prayer; we run to His Word. He becomes the rock of refuge, the fortress we run to for protection. It is in Him, in His presence, surrounded by His Words and promises, that we find rest for your soul.

In another psalm, David sings: Psalms 61:1-2 NIV For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.  (2)  From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

 The ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I. It is when we are in the “heights” of the presence of God that the space we are in becomes broad, and we are able to find rest.

 We find this higher Rock, God’s higher presence, when we are alone with Him in prayer, in our times of fellowship with Him. Just the Lord and His Word.

I remember Moses, leading the people of Israel in the wilderness to the promised land.  He was surrounded by thousands of Israelites who were hard headed and stiff necked! But he had his tent of meeting, where the Lord met him face to face. When we call on Him, and come to our “tent of meeting”, this is when, even just for a moment, the Lord places us in a spacious place, with Him, in His presence.

The circumstances may still be there. The trials we face may still be surrounding us. But, in our hearts, in the depths of our inner being, our Rock, our Fortress, brings us to a place of peace, trust and rest.

 

May the Lord, by His grace, keep us in this spacious place always.

 

ETERNAL TREASURES IN OUR HEART

 

This is my "toy car collection". All of these were given to me by my daughter, all for my birthday. They're placed above my desktop, so I see them when I am preparing for my sermon or just browsing the internet. They represent two areas of my memories and enjoyment in life.

First the Volkswagen Combi. In my younger years my uncle used to have a combi. And I still have great memories of him picking us up and enjoying the ride with my cousins. Somehow this has stuck to my memory, so much so that it is still a hidden desire in my heart to have one. I know it's almost an impossibility because it is a classic van, and to restore one today would take thousands of pesos, which I don't have to spare! And so, it's just a pleasant memory stuck in my mind. But, it's made "real" by the toy model above. It always brings a smile.

The police cars show my obsession with police. I never had a desire to become a policeman. I just always enjoyed watching (and still do up to today) police tv series ever since I was a young boy (that was during the black and white television days). I even used to read a pocketbook series of the 87th precinct written by Ed McBain. When I was young, I used to like drawing policemen. One of the best memories I have was when I was twelve years old, it was my first time in the US, and we were driving from San Francisco going to Disneyland when we were pulled over by a highway patrol motorcycle cop. I was in the back of the station wagon of my uncle and when I saw him, I couldn't stop staring. What I just used to watch on television I saw in real life! What a treat, and what a great memory that is still in my mind up to today. 

As I mentioned, I still enjoy watching movies and television series of police, and my eyes still light up when I see a Volkswagen combi (there is at least one here in Bacolod City). I guess we all have these secret memories and things that light up our hearts. That's how interesting our minds are, right? All those memories, all those desires and things that bring us joy, they're just stored up there. And the joy, or good memories, come back every time we see things like my model car collections.

What more with our hearts! Our minds store up memories. But our hearts store up what we treasure in our life. This is why our Lord Jesus reminds us about what we are to treasure in our hearts, our inner man.

Matthew 6:19-21 NASB "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  (20)  "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in or steal; (21) for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In eternity we are not going to have earthly memories. We're going to have memories of the eternal treasures that we stored up while we were living this life here on earth. And all the joy we're going to have in eternity is going to be that which was connected with our Lord. For He is our greatest treasure, and everything we do for Him becomes our treasure in heaven.

Matthew 6:24 NASB "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Are our hearts storing up eternal treasures as we serve God, or are we so busy storing up earthly treasures that we will not be able to bring to eternity. And if the treasure in our hearts is earthly, then that is what we are living for. Who, or what, are we living for?

Proverbs 4:23 NASB Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

Enjoy every memory, every little thing that may bring a spark of joy or happiness in our mind. But let's make sure that our hearts are filled with eternal treasure, so that when we do inherit eternity, by God's grace, we will have eternal memories of our Lord and His faithfulness stored up in us. 

Our sins they are many...His Mercy is More

Here is a testimony of my son, Paul, who asked me the favor of sharing it in my blog site. We pray that the Lord may use this to glorify His name, and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

My Testimony

I’ve been praying about sharing my testimony on Social Media. I’ve reached a point where I just can’t just keep acting like nothing has changed or keep quiet about what God has done with me. For some reason, I have this strong prompting in my heart that there is someone out there who need to hear/read this. 

Social Media has been a tool for me to connect with people and express my thoughts / feelings (especially memes lol), but now I want to use it to share about God’s great Mercy and Grace. I’m praying that the Lord will use this post to speak to souls, even just one soul! If this is you right now, I pray that He may open the eyes of your heart and draw you to Him. 

(long post ahead)

For those who already know what has happened to me, I’m NOT writing this post to explain my side, nor justify my actions, but to display what God’s done in my life—how He’s disciplined me, delivered me from my sinful life, and saved me from my sins. I am a sinner saved by grace alone, not by anything I’ve done. (And NO, the break up didn’t change me, I already encountered God before everything started unfolding)

For those who’ve known me since I was young, this is a confession of who I was these past years.

For those who know me professionally, this is a proclamation of how the Gospel has worked in my life.

However, if I were to try to put down everything in writing, this post would be too limited for me to share. So I’ll go straight to the point about my experience. 

I was living a double life. My “Christian” life and my worldly / “secret” life. I cannot expound in this post about what I mean by “secret”, but it definitely was not pretty. I tried to keep my “Christian” life as a facade—hiding my vices behind my family and the church and ended up getting deeply immersed in my fleshly desires. I kept purposely running away from God, but eventually realized that I couldn’t hide from Him. Honestly, I was never even happy. I felt empty and somehow tormented all of these years. 

Until I had an encounter with the Lord. 

One simple day at home, alone, He opened my eyes. Out of the blue, all the things I’ve done and sins I’ve committed started replaying in my head & I saw how dirty and disgusting I was. I felt the darkness all around me and started to feel the shame and condemnation consuming me. Being a musician and someone who loves music, I found myself looking for comfort through music. At that very moment, He led me to the song “His Mercy is More”, after almost 5 years of not listening to Christian Music:

“What love could remember no wrongs we have done

Omniscient, all knowing, He counts not their sum

Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore

Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

What patience would wait as we constantly roam

What Father, so tender, is calling us home

He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor

Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

Praise the Lord, His mercy is more

Stronger than darkness, new every morn

Our sins they are many, His mercy is more”

At that moment I just broke down and cried. I heard Him say “Yes, you’ve sinned a lot, but My Mercy is More! Isn’t that what I did on that Cross? To bear all your sins & shame to save you?” Suddenly it felt like all the shame was lifted off and His love just embraced me. Until today I’m still overwhelmed, I still can’t fully explain what happened. My heart just exploded with joy and gratefulness, because He still showed His love for me in spite of who I am. Now, all I have is Peace with Him and indescribable Joy that can only be experienced in His Presence. 

I sinned a lot all my life. I was imprisoned to my own sinful pleasures and vices, and because of my selfish and fleshly desires, I ended up hurting my family, my church family and someone I loved and cared for, which eventually led to heartbreak and seperation—one of the things I deeply regret. 

Sin is what has seperated me from God, which also leads to our eternal death (hell). Because of that seperation, this is also what caused the emptiness in my heart which led me searching for love/pleasure in all the wrong places. God HATES sin. But because of His great love and mercy for us, He provided the greatest sacrifice—His Son, Jesus Christ. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  ‭‭[John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬]

Because of my sins I could not draw near to God. It was His grace that drew me close. His mercy showed how I cannot save myself, but can only be saved through the Cross. How can we fathom the depths of His lovingkindness? A God coming down from the throne to become man and die for our sins. I felt naked before God, stripped off and filled with so much shame, but He clothed me with His love. He made me feel that all the shame from my sin has already been paid for through the Cross. He broke me down so He could build me up again with His grace and love. Now it’s His love that leads me to repentance daily. My only prayer is that He continues to keep me faithful and use me for His glory alone while I enjoy the journey of His sanctification. 

If you’ve reached this part after this long read and wish to know more about who this Great God is, you may message me anytime.

If you’re struggling with vices, message me. So I may share the joy that God has given me over those temporary pleasures. 

If you’re already a Christian and you’re doubting your faith and feeling lost right now, I pray that this testimony helps and leads you to cry out to Him. Again, you can message me anytime. I believe this is the reason why I needed to post this in the first place.

There’s so much to share, I can’t put everything in this post. All I can say is: Knowing Jesus Christ is so much better than anything this world has to offer. 

~ Paul Benjamin U. Benitez

Trusting God's Wisdom

One of the blessings of being a Christian is that we can come to the Lord and ask Him for wisdom with regards to decisions we need to make, whatever the circumstance or situation we are in.  And God has promised to provide that wisdom to us.  Ever since the beginning God has given His Word, He has made clear His will to His people.  And it is to our benefit that we take heed to them, listen and apply them.

But when we pray for God’s wisdom we need to be reminded of how vast and wide this wisdom of God is.  We make the mistake of thinking that God’s wisdom is just like ours.  We look at a situation we are in, ask for God’s wisdom, and sometimes expect Him to answer according to how we see fit.  Or, God does answer, and His answer does not seem to jive with what is happening.  We don’t understand.

I find myself in that situation many times!  Yes, there are times when I pray for God’s wisdom, and when He answers I get it, I understand why He worked or answered in a certain way.  But there are many times when I pray, seek His wisdom and guidance, and things turn out so different from what I expected, and I don’t understand.

It is no wonder that God reminds us that He does not think like we do; He does not look at things the way we do.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV 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.

 And so, He asks us to trust Him completely.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV 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.

Notice how our minds have a tendency to blur important parts of God’s Word?  We see the phrase “trust in the Lord with all your heart”, and we may claim to do it.  But did we notice the next line – “and lean not on your own understanding”?

Sometimes, when we pray for God’s wisdom, we tend to seek it with our own understanding.  And so, when God answers in a different way, we somehow question it.

 This portion of Proverbs 8 reminds us of how vast, how majestic, how powerful, the wisdom of God is:

The LORD brought me (wisdom) forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; (23) I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. (24) When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; (25) before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, (26) before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. (27) I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, (28) when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, (29) when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. (30) Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, (31) rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

Have you ever looked at creation and noticed how exact, how detailed, how perfect it has been created?  How are there oceans and land, and why don’t they overlap or cross over one another?  How are there underground springs where we get our source of water?  How majestic are the mountains, the hills, and how tiny are the particles of dust in the air?  How can we look up to the sky and only a see a fraction of the whole universe which He created?

Everything that we see on earth – all are a result of the wisdom of our Craftsman, our Creator.  All done with His wisdom. He created the world according to His wisdom, how He thought was just right.  Every detail, every aspect – all God’s wisdom.

And this is the wisdom that we pray for when we need it.  Think of it – how, then can He make a mistake when He works in our life with His wisdom?  Truly His ways are not our ways.

We are not supposed to understand God's wisdom, we're supposed to trust Him.  The wisdom that our God used in creating the earth, and each one of us, is the same wisdom that He uses in answering our prayers, in moving in our circumstances. 

We may not fully understand it.  We just have to trust that He is wise.

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His Heart

("Trust His Heart", Babbie Mason)

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE KEYBOARD

I remember watching my mother typing notes using the typewriter (for the younger generation just Google what a typewriter was, hehe), and admiring her for being able to keep her eyes on the notes she was typing and not looking at the typewriter keys.  And she always came out with a perfect letter.  Sure, some mistakes here and there, but generally I just loved watching her type without looking at the keys of the typewriter.  I believe it was her years of being a secretary that gave her that skill.

Later on, in my high school years, we had typing classes.  They trained us to type that way - memorizing where the letters were in the typewriter keys, and typing without looking at the typewriter and just looking at what we were copying.  It was something I enjoyed, and actually got good grades in those classes!  And it wasn't just typing without mistakes, but typing fast - all without looking at the keys of the typewriter.  I guess it was something that I inherited from my mother.

As I slowly evolved into the computer age, I also applied that skill, being able to type fast, without looking at the keyboard, and just looking at my notes or at the monitor.  Up to now, actually, I'm still able to use that skill.  But "old age" (notice it's in quotes...still adjusting to the fact that I am getting old, hehe) has crept up and affected that skill. I still enjoy typing without looking, but I am making more and more mistakes as the years go by.  Just like now.  I'm typing this blog in my desktop, and in almost every sentence I am either pressing the wrong key, or have to look down once in a while to remember where the asterisk, the "&" sign is, or for which letter should I be using my "pinky" finger or my index finger for, hehe.

It gets even more frustrating with my cellphone.  Instead of pressing the space button I'm pressing the letter "n", or misspelling words, all because I still think I can type a text message while just looking at the screen of the cellphone, and I end up with a message full of misspelled words.  So now I have to type slowly, while keeping my eyes on the virtual keyboard on the phone.

My mind tells me I can still type fast, that I still memorize where the keys of the letters are, but my body is saying "slow down", and keep your eyes on the keypad, so that I will make less mistakes.  It's a fact of life that I have to accept.  Now, I have to type slowly, keeping my eyes on the keyboard.

Hebrews 12:2 NIV Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our Christian life is based on the same principle.  If we are to live a life that is not "misspelled" in any way, if we are to walk right, then we are to keep our eyes on God, the "keyboard" of our life.  He tells us how we are to live and walk.  He keeps us on the right path.  It is when we take our eyes away from God and His Word that things just begin to crumble, especially our faith.  So, the key - keep your eyes on the Lord and His Word.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV 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.

Christians are to trust in the Lord with ALL our HEART and LEAN NOT ON our OWN UNDERSTANDING.  That's how God wants us to live.  No compromise, no adjustments.  Our hearts are to be looking to Him always. But our hearts always have the tendency to trust in ourselves, other people, other things, rather than in Him.  This is where we begin to make mistakes, and brings us to crooked and rough paths in life.  It is when we trust in Him for all things that our paths remain straight.

This tendency to look away from God, and to trust in ourselves or other people or things in life, is not about our getting older, our "old age", but our "old nature".  Our sinful nature naturally focuses us away from God.  We have been "trained" to trust in our selves, our skills, our wisdom.  It has trained us to put our hope and foundation on things and the world.  It is when we are born again, our eyes opened to God and His kingdom, that we are brought out of that life.  

But our old self still haunts us, even if we are now living in full trust in the Lord - for our salvation and for our life.  And it influences us to look away from God, which eventually causes us to sin, to create a path of our own, rather than stay where God wants us to stay.  Most of the time we may be keeping our eyes on Jesus, but then we move away from Him, deceived once again by our old nature, thinking that we can do things, or life this life, on our own.

So, for those of us getting old, the key to typing correctly - keep our eyes on the keyboard.

For those of us living a new life in God's kingdom, the key to living the life He wants us to live - keep our eyes on the Lord.  Don't look away, don't trust in your self, in your skill.  Trust completely in the author and perfecter of our faith.  And do it slowly.  God isn't rushing.  We shouldn't rush through life.  That's when we start making mistakes.

As I end this blog, I thank God for the backspace button...I'm able to  corrects the mistakes I make, hehe.  In the same way I thank God for His forgiveness and grace, allowing me to "backspace" in my life and start over, keeping my eyes on Him.

God's grace and peace be with you all!

I Really Don't Know Life At All

 "I've looked at life from both sides now

From win and lose and still somehow

It's life's illusions I recall

I really don't know life at all"

That’s from Joni Mitchell’s song “Both Sides Now”. I love that song. If I’m not mistaken it was written sometime in the 60’s, but the reality of its message rings up to today. It speaks so much about what we feel about life, when we look at both sides – win or lose, ups and downs, blessings and trials.  We just really don't know life at all.

Who of us can explain what happens in this world? Sure, we have “gold medal” moments (as I write this the hangover of Hidilyn Diaz’s Olympic gold win is still there). But we still have the covid-19 virus that has mutated to a delta variant! Our day may start good, but may end up at the opposite end. In reality, we really don’t know life at all.

Compare the lyrics of Joni Mitchell’s song to that of the words of our Lord:

The apostle John wrote:

John 1:4 NIV In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

Notice the certainty, the assurance, that God gives us when it comes to life. In Him, Jesus Christ, was life. Why? Look what John says before that:

John 1:1-3 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

The Son of God was there in the beginning. Through Him all things were made. And when God made man, life came from the breath of God.

Genesis 2:7 NIV the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Imagine that "life" that was breathed into man! God is eternal, which means that the life breathed into man was also eternal!

And yet man rebelled against that life of God by disobeying their Creator in Genesis chapter 3. This is what brought death, and eternal separation from God. This is also what brought a curse to this life on earth.  Because of this sin, man has lost his understanding of who God is, and is blinded to the life that God has for those who follow Him. Sin has blinded us from seeing God and His life.  

But that’s why God sent His Son.

Jesus Himself said:

John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 9:39 NIV Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness. Never. Why? Because the Light of the world opens our eyes to our sinfulness, and makes us realize that we have rebelled against Him. He opens our eyes to who He is, and He makes us realize that we have been living apart from Him, all this time. Only through the life and death of Jesus the Christ do we have forgiveness of sin, and redemption, so that we are brought back to the "life" that was breathed into man in Genesis - life eternal. This now becomes our new hope - not just life in this world, but life eternally with God.

After Jesus had given sight to a man born blind, He asked this:

John 9:35-38 NIV Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (36) Who is he, sir? the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." (37) Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." (38) Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

This was the whole point of Jesus healing the man born blind.  The Light of the world opened his eyes so that he would believe and worship Him.  He opened the man's eyes so that he would see Him, know Him, and receive the life that Jesus restores - eternal life.

This is what He does up to today.  He opens the eyes of the blind, that we may know Him, and the life eternal that He restores to us through His death on the cross.

Life’s illusions become clear when the Light of the world opens the eyes of our hearts that have been blinded by sin. Through the cross He has brought redemption and forgiveness of our sins, and for those who realize their blindness He is there that we may see. That same question He had to the blind man He also asks us – “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”.

"I’ve looked at life from both sides now. Life may have its illusions. But through the Light of the world I now know life eternal, a life that is not of this world. A life with God forever through the redemption and forgiveness of sin found in Jesus. I now know life."

May this be the new song of life that we sing in our hearts. 

Enjoying Freshly Ground and Brewed Time of Prayer

In this world where almost everything is automatic and quick, we sometimes miss out on the best, and just settle for "just right", or, in Tagalog - "pwede na".  Making coffee is one of those examples. 

Many people settle for instant coffee.  Not that it's not coffee.  But it's a quick fix.  When you don't have time to prepare and brew coffee, instant coffee is the way.  My eldest son and I enjoy freshly brewed coffee every morning.  We usually have ground coffee in a pack, and we just scoop up what we need straight to our dripper (our preferred way of preparing coffee). 

But there was a time when we would buy coffee beans, and freshly grind it.  It takes more time and effort. But you get the BEST aroma and taste of coffee when you do it.  There is nothing that beats it.  When you take the beans and begin to grind it you already begin to enjoy the aroma of the coffee.  And then when you eventually brew it into a cup, it tastes fresh.  The aroma and freshness makes the time and effort worth it.

Instant coffee is still coffee, that's true.  But why settle for a quick fix, when we can enjoy the process of enjoying the best coffee you can have?  Packed ground coffee ready to place in a coffee maker is still coffee, that's also true, and it tastes so much better than instant coffee.  But there is nothing better than enjoying freshly ground beans, pouring hot water over it, and enjoying it every morning.  It takes time and effort, but it's the best.

Luke 10:38-42 NIV As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. (39) She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. (40) But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (41) Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, (42) but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Both Mary and Martha enjoyed the presence of Jesus in their home.  Martha, probably being the eldest, was the one who opened her home to Jesus.  But as you continue in the story who is it that enjoyed the BEST of the time with the Lord?  It was Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what He said.  The description of what Mary did shows us how she was not after a quick "hi, hello and goodbye" with Jesus.  She wanted to enjoy the time with Him.  Her sitting down describes how she wasn't going to do anything else except take time, make time, to listen to what the Lord was saying.

Martha enjoyed the fact that Jesus was in their home.  But Mary took the time to sit down, listen, and had the BEST experience with the Lord.  Jesus eventually said - "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

What a beautiful description of what our prayer life should be like, right?  In this world where everything is moving so fast, when we have so much to do, how easy it is to have "instant prayers", rather than enjoying a "freshly brewed" prayer time.  What a blessing to take time to sit down, take our Bible, read until the Holy Spirit ministers to us.  It really provides the best time we can have with the Lord.

Many Christians today settle for "instant prayer", which does still have it's benefit, but we miss out on having the BEST experience with the Lord when we take the time to go through the long process of enjoying our sweet time with the Lord.

Shouldn't we be after the BEST time we can have with the Lord always?  Doesn't He deserve being given the best time?  Why settle for a quick experience of "instant prayer", when you can enjoy the slow and beautiful process of enjoying the presence of God as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts?  Why settle for instant, when you can enjoy the best, and have a "freshly ground and brewed" time of prayer?

60 is the new...60

I had to go to the mall to buy some medicines.  Ok, I did have to buy essential medicines for my blood pressure, but I didn’t HAVE TO go to a mall, hehe.  It’s just that this mall I go to here in Bacolod is a sort of “happy place” - less people, strict safety protocols, and nice to walk around in.  Plus it has a food court that has almost no customers because of this covid-19 scare.

When you enter the food court you have to register your name, I’m guessing for contact tracing just in case.  Of course you had the usual fill in the blanks - Name, address...AGE.  Age!  I paused for a while...what should I put.  Two things entered my mind.  If I put “60”, they might question why I’m out, because our city being in MGCQ (Modified General Community Quarantine) discourages senior citizens from going out for non-essentials.  So maybe I should just put 59?

The second thing that entered my mind was - WOW, I AM 60 YEARS OLD!  Hahaha.  It hit me...hard!  I am 60 years old.  I just celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago.  I know I am 60...reality just hit me when I had to write it down in the registration.

I have no problem with being 60.  For me it’s just a number.  And although I’m starting to feel my body telling me I’m getting older, being 60 isn’t really bothering me.  I do remember when I was a teenager, looking at all my relatives who were 60 and above, and saying “wow, they’re old”.  Well, now teenagers are looking at me and saying the same thing.  But it’s ok, I don’t mind.  It’s good to be 60.

Before the pandemic I was excited to become 60, with all the discounts and perks that come with it - watch movies for free, discounts in restaurants and other perks like getting preferential treatments like not having to line up when paying bills, in airports, etc..  But with this pandemic movie houses are closed, I’m not going to be travelling soon and although restaurants are opened we haven’t really gone out as a family to eat. Maybe when we order “take out”.  And I can’t enjoy those benefits until I get my senior card, which I have to wait for a while before I get it since the Senior Citizen’s Office in our City Hall was closed for sanitation when one of their employees was found to be infected with covid-19.  But, it’s ok.  I’m not in a rush to get it.  And once I do get the card, then I’ll enjoy all those benefits for the rest of my life!

I am also processing my SSS (social security pension).  Imagine, the government is now going to start taking care of me (partially, at least). I’m also going to get a refund of all the PAG-IBIG (housing benefits) contributions I’ve made through the years.  Again, I’m not rushing.  Eventually I’ll be enjoying them for the rest of my life as a senior citizen.

Yes, the benefits are there.  But being 60 does remind me of one thing - how finite I am, how temporary My life is.  And with this pandemic taking lives, especially of “high risk” senior citizens, it does remind me of how fragile I am (reminding me of the song of Sting, the singer).  With my asthma I am considered a “high risk” senior citizen, which makes me extra careful in where I go, who I’m with, and following all the health protocols as strictly as possible.

But getting older simply means that eternity with my Lord and Savior is slowly becoming a reality.  And while I’m still alive and well, I have His Word to assure me as I continue in this journey He has placed me in.  This is one of them:

Psalms 139:13-16 (NIV)

¹³For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, 

I know that full well.

¹⁵My 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,

¹⁶your eyes saw my unformed body. 

All the days ordained for me 

were written in your book 

before one of them came to be.

From the time He created me in my mother’s womb, till the last breath I take, all the days ordained for me have already been written.  From the first to the last chapter, to the last sentence of the story that He has written for me, He holds me in His sovereign and loving Hands.  I have this truth to hold on to, and enjoy day by day, as what He has written comes to pass.

THE WATER THAT GIVES LIFE

God always has a way of teaching me through the kalamansi bush that we have at home.
The past months have been dry, practically no rain at all.  The kalamansi bush in our house did have some fruit, but they were small and it has been taking a while for them to grow, probably because of the lack of rain.  In fact some of the fruit dried up even when they were still tiny.  There was obviously a lack of water to nourish it.
And then yesterday it rained practically the whole day.  It was a welcome pouring of rain, a big change from the scorching hot weather we have been experiencing.  It cooled our day.
Then, this morning, I noticed something with the kalamansi bush:

I'm not sure if it's clear in the pictures I uploaded, but I was surprised to see flowers starting to bloom.  This, of course, is a sign that there are more fruit about to come out!  Wow, all it needed was just one day of rain, the right amount of water, to bring it back to life!  The kalamansi bush was nourished, and had all it needed to continue bearing fruit!  I can't wait for the next "harvest", not only of the fruit coming out of these flowers, but from the small fruit that, for sure, will keep growing because of the nourishment it received from the rain.

It reminded me of a psalm I just read a few days ago:
Psalms 1:3  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Our kalamansi bush needed rain for it to be nourished after a long hot spell.  But imagine if this was planted right beside a stream of water!  The flowers would just keep blossoming, it would keep bearing fruit, and for sure it wouldn't wither.

Psalm 1:3 describes  a man walking with God, who will become LIKE a tree planted by streams of water.  When a man has everything he needs to be nourished he will yield the fruit he needs to bear, he will not "wither" and in whatever he does prospers.

But what fruit is this talking about?  This is not talking about material or financial fruit or prosperity.  This speaks of the spiritual fruit that we should bear as we walk with God.  How do we know that?  Because the nourishment that Psalm 1 is talking about is spiritual nourishment, that bears spiritual fruit. 

Psalms 1:1-2  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  (2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Now that's a man who is blessed!  He is someone who gets the right counsel, walks in the right way and sits with the right kind of people.  He is someone whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and meditates upon it day and night.  To meditate is not just to read, or memorize.  To meditate is to ponder on what you have read, and see how it can be applied in your life.  That application of the Word of God in our life is the fruit that you bear.

A man who is continually nourished by the "water" that God supplies him is someone who will continually bear the fruit that God wants us to have, to bear.

When a fruit tree bears fruit continually, that's when it is blessed and prosperous.

So with Christians.  When we continually bear the fruit of God's Word, that's when we are considered a blessed and prosperous person - blessed with the spiritual fruit that comes from the spiritual nourishment of God's Word.

This is the prosperity that the world needs to see in us.  Not just financially or materially prosperous, but rich in the fruit that comes from the spiritual nourishment we receive from God's Word.

Everyday we have been given the blessing and access to this spiritual nourishment from God's Word.  All we need is to make time, read and meditate upon His Word, apply it to our life - and that's when the outpouring of His nourishment will come.  He will "rain" His Word upon us, and be nourished.

Then, we will be a people blessed and fruitful in our life.

IT'S THE PRODUCT, NOT JUST THE PACKAGE

A few months ago, we received a blessing of a pack of Mascobado sugar, packed in small packets.  Since I usually use honey to sweeten my coffee the Mascobado sugar packets were just kept in a container.  Now that the supply of honey is short, because of the community quarantine we are in, I started using these packets of Mascobado sugar for my coffee.
Today something interesting happened.  I got two packets of mascobado, and when I felt one of them I was surprised that it felt flat and empty.

I didn't have to open it to confirm that it was empty, I just had to press hard on it and it was just full of air.  It most probably was a packaging error.  I know that happens.  That's why manufacturing companies always have quality control checks, even in packaging.  But, once in a while mistakes do happen.  This is possibly the case.  The packaging was the same, it was sealed, but there was nothing in it.

When you think about it - it's not just about the packaging, it's about what's inside that counts.  The label in the package can say "Mascobado", but if there's nothing inside then it's not what the package label says, it's the product inside that really matters.

It made me think about the label "Christian".
2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-- unless, of course, you fail the test?

Millions of people today wear the label "Christian".  We profess that we are Christian, we attend a church that is Christian, we fellowship with people who are Christian, we can even live a life that looks Christian.

But when the package is opened, will the product prove the label?  When our hearts are exposed, will it show that we are really Christian?  Or will it be empty, like the Mascobado packet that I found?

There are many of us making an effort to take care of our label "Christian", and the packaging that comes with it.  But what really counts is what is inside.  When everything else is taken away, will we still be Christian when our hearts are exposed?  Take away your religion, your denomination, your traditions and practices, and then ask yourself - "why am I a Christian?".

The answer should be simple - Christ.

Nothing else, no one else.  Just the Christ.

Not an imitation of Christ.  Not who we think He should be.  Not an invention of Christ.  Just Jesus Christ, as He revealed Himself to be, as He has shown us in His Word.
The "Christ" is the "Anointed One", the One chosen to live a righteous life, die for our sin, and rise again - that we may be saved, reconciled back to God, and live lives that glorify Him.  This is the Christ we trust in - for our eternity and for our life today.
Without this Christ in our hearts we may have the right label and packaging, but we will be empty in our heart.

When God graciously opens a heart, and reveals who He is to that heart, and that heart believes, that is when a person becomes a "Christian".  And where can we go to show us who we are to believe in, except to Him and His Words.

Have we met this Christ?  Is this the Christ we believe in?  Is He truly the "Messiah", the Anointed One - for our eternity and our life today?  Do we consider ourselves His disciples?

In the end, our hearts are to proclaim what the psalmist said:

Psalms 73:25-26  Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  (26)  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

No one else, nothing else - just Christ alone.

The package may be right, but will the inside show the right product, or will it be empty?

It's not too late to make sure we are truly Christian.

Patiently Cleaning

One good thing that this quarantine is doing is making us aware of the things that we have not been cleaning for the past months (or even years!).  One of those things I noticed were our window screens.  So I took one down, and brought it to our backyard where we have a hose to wash out the dirt accumulated in the screen.  But our water pressure was so low that the water coming out of the hose was not as strong as I wanted it to be.  And even if I was using the "old style", pressing the finger at the end of the hose to try and make it spray, it wasn't working.  It was washing away the dirt, but not as fast as I wanted it to be.  So I started grumbling and complaining about the water pressure and how long it was taking to clean the window screen.  It was taking so long!

Then, for some reason, I had a thought - "be patient.  Imagine how long it is taking the Lord to wash you of the sins that you are still struggling with".  Whoa!  It blew my mind.  I don't know if that was the Holy Spirit, or just me, but it hit me like lightning!  That is true...I have been a believer for so long, and up to now the Lord is still cleansing me of sins that just keep coming back!  It's taking so long.
And so I smiled, humbled, and just went on patiently washing off the dirt in the screen, imagining how patient and how gracious my God has been.

Psalms 136:1-26  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.  (2)  Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.  (3)  Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.  (4)  to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.  (5)  who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.  (6)  who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.  (7)  who made the great lights-- His love endures forever.  (8)  the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.  (9)  the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.  (10)  to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.  (11)  and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.  (12)  with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.  (13)  to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever.  (14)  and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.  (15)  but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.  (16)  to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.  (17)  who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.  (18)  and killed mighty kings-- His love endures forever.  (19)  Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.  (20)  and Og king of Bashan-- His love endures forever.  (21)  and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.  (22)  an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.  (23)  to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.  (24)  and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.  (25)  and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.  (26)  Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

Every time I come upon this psalm in my prayer time, it always strikes me - all 26 verses, in all the

times the Lord worked in Israel's history - it was His love enduring forever. I would always wonder - why did the author have to write "His love endures forever" after each account of God's working in their lives?  I guess it was his way of showing how the Love of God was enduring.  God just kept loving them again and again, despite all their sin and imperfection, His love endured.

It's interesting how the word "endure" is defined  - "suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently". Or "remain in existence; last"
Isn't it hard to endure someone who hurts us or sins against us, and we have to forgive them again and again?  We suffer patiently while living or relating with them.
But this psalm is talking about the love of our God enduring with us.  I would like to think it's the second definition that applies with Him - "remain in existence; last".

How thankful should we be that God's love endures?
How difficult do you think it is to forgive sin?  Especially for a holy God!

And yet His love for us endures, remains in existence, lasts forever.  But how can God's love endure the sin we commit again and again, and how can He forgive again and again?  Through Jesus Christ.  The suffering, and the death, of Christ was payment for our sin. When we put our faith in Christ it has justified us, brought us near to Him, being payment for our sins.  And this is what covers us in the eyes of God everyday.  Because we have put our faith in Christ as our Savior, His atoning sacrifice covers us.  And every time we still commit sin, Christ's death is the only reason why He can forgive us, and restore us.  This is why His love endures forever.

This is not condoning sin, or giving us a reason to keep sinning.  In fact, realizing what Christ has done to justify us and to cover us, should make us get rid of the sin that so easily affects us.  But every time our flesh overcomes us, and we sin, the only reason God's love endures is because of what Christ has done for us. This is why His love can remain, last, forever!

1 John 1:7-9  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  (8)  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 2:1-2  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  (2)  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Thank God for that!  Amen?

Imagine how long has our God been forgiving us?  The only time that forgiveness will end is when we are in eternity with Him, when there will be no more sin!

But as long as we are still here, His love remains in existence, it lasts forever, because of the grace that is found in what Christ has done for us.

His love endures, because our faith in Christ's sacrifice has brought us near to Him, has reconciled us.

His love endures because even if we do sin, Christ's sacrifice covers us, and our Heavenly Father forgives us because of that.

And so, again, as I kept patiently washing our window screen, I smiled, imagining how loving and patient my God is for me.  It made my day.  Thankful for the grace I have in Christ, and the enduring love of God because of Him.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever.

THE SAME ROUTINE DAY AFTER DAY

Have you noticed how time flies with this Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) we are going through?  Most of us, if not all of us, are going through the same routine day by day.  That's the story of my ECQ  life - I wake up, prepare my brewed coffee, sit down in my "prayer seat" and read God's Word, meditate upon it, pray.  And then I spend the day how to minister to a church I don't actually see, and then after that listen to music, after that watch tv, check the news, binge on a tv series I missed in the past.  Check on my wife and the kids, and realize we're all doing the same thing day after day, the same routine.

It was morning...and then evening.  Another day passing by.

Actually, there was one day when I actually forgot what day it was!  I was sitting, waiting for one of my favorite shows to come out, until my daughter tells me "Dad, that was yesterday", and starts laughing.  I laughed also.  It made my day.  I actually forgot what day it was!

That's how routine and monotonous our days have become.

And I'm sure, like me, a thought passes by our minds everyday, saying "when is this going to end?".  Of course who doesn't want this to end.  Our "normal" has been changed.  We've been stripped of our everyday routines.  I guess it's normal for us to be praying that God bring an end to this unique ECQ experience.  

But through it all, what should also come to our minds is "what is God teaching me in this experience?".  Why is He bringing us through this ECQ (aside of course from protecting us from a virus, and our helping the nation by not being an instrument in making it spread).  What is God teaching us as His people, His church?

It reminded me of the Israelites, when God delivered them from Egypt, and had them travel for forty years through the wilderness as He brought them to the promised land.  The Lord could have shortened the travel.  It could have been just a few days.  But He chose to have them travel for forty years.  Forty years!  When they were hungry and grumbled that they had not food, God provided manna for them every morning.  They were given exactly what they needed for that day.  When they were thirsty, God had Moses strike a rock, or "cleanse" a pool of water that was contaminated.

Day after day, for forty years, that's all they saw, all they experienced.  And, unlike us, they ate the same thing again and again for forty years (think about that before you complain and grumble).

Talk about the same routine day after day... And that for forty years!  Why would God bring them through that experience?  There were a number of reasons why, but one of them comes to mind:

Deuteronomy 8:2-5  "You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.  (3)  "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.  (4)  "Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.  (5)  "Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

First, it was "that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."

The circumstance we are in always reveals what is in our hearts.  God wanted to know if the Israelites would obey Him, even if He had them go through the wilderness for forty years.

What is it in our hearts that God is exposing through this ECQ experience?  Are we continually obeying Him, without question?  Or, are we beginning to grumble and complain, and anxiously praying that God brings an end to this lockdown? If you think of it, grumbling and complaining is a form of disobedience, a disobedience of the heart.  Why?  Because grumbling and complaining is questioning God's sovereignty over our life in bringing us through this experience.  

The second reason God humbled His people:

"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

Man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.  It's not what we are eating that is important.  What should have been important for the Israelites was the word of the Lord - that He would take care of them, that they were not to worry or be anxious, that He would never leave them or forsake them.  That promise, that word, is not dependent on HOW He does it...it's just dependent on His Word.

We can go through a day with little food, and be content.  We can go through a day with lots of food, and be content.  We can go through a day with no food, and yet be content.  Content that we have a God who has promised that He would never leave us or forsake us.

That's how God wanted the Israelites to go through the forty years of wilderness travel, eating manna every morning.  He wanted them to have hearts of worship and obedience.  He wanted them to have hearts that were so content with God and His words, that it did not matter if it they had manna every morning for forty years.

And then there's verse 4 - "Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.

I wonder if they realized it - after forty years of traveling their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.  God took care of them, sustained, them, and brought them to the promised land.

How we miss those simple blessings of our God.  We complain about being cooped up in our homes, about our not being able to go to the mall, or be with friends or churchmates, about not having the freedom to go out when we want to.  But do we see that through this experience, day by day, whether we have plenty or we lack things, that God has been sustaining us through it all, day by day?

(5)  "Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

Do we see this experience as God disciplining us?  Not disciplining us as a punishment, but disciplining us for maturity, for us to have the right heart before Him.  He is our Father, and as His children He wants us to grow with the right heart, the right perspective of life.

I guess this is what we need - another perspective of what's happening with us today with this ECQ experience.  Are we beginning to grumble and complain?  Are we praying that God bring an end to this and bring us back to our "normal" life?

Or have we forgotten that the "normal" for a believer is that "man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Do we rejoice that through this experience God has been sustaining us, taking care of us, despite the virus and lockdown we are experiencing?

Are we thankful that we have a heavenly Father who is disciplining us, making sure we are going through life with the right heart, the right attitude, a right perspective - one that glorifies Him and in line with the kingdom that He is preparing us for.

Remember, God is also bringing us through a wilderness journey in this life.  And we have a promised land waiting for us - eternity, eternal life with Him.  And in eternity it's going to be all about God.  It's not about the place, or what we will enjoy - it's all about Him.  And it's going to be the same day after day after day.

We're just being prepared to enjoy eternity with the One who redeemed us.  

A Simple, Subtle, Temptation

I experienced a "simple" kind of temptation.  Twice actually.

Just like most of us, I have been stuck at home for the past seven days!  No going out of the gate, no driving around, no going to the grocery, or buying medicine.  No going to the ministry center of the church, no going to the mall, no eating out.  No date with my wife, no fellowship with other believers, no Sunday worship!
We just stayed home.
I wanted to be the one with the quarantine pass so that I would have an excuse to go out of the house during this community quarantine lockdown.  But my kids didn't want me to go out because I am a sort of high risk to get the virus.  So my eldest son got the pass.
So I've been on lockdown for seven days.

I was tempted to break the rules though...twice.
First, I found out that members of the clergy were exempted from the lockdown IF they were going to go out and visit a parishioner who was sick, and pray for them.  All they had to do was show their ID. So I wanted to have a church ID made so that I could have an excuse to go out.  But I was convicted by the Lord, because I wasn't going to use it for the right reason, and just for the reason of going out and doing what I wanted.  So, it didn't happen.  It didn't feel right.

Then, today, I wanted to ask if there was a way for me to get an extra pass, so that I could go out.  Of course that is breaking the rules, because only one per household was allowed to have a pass.  That plan eventually fizzled out.  I was going to break the rules, only one member of the household should have a pass...and I couldn't do it.  It didn't feel right.
My God's name, and my testimony as a Christian and pastor was on the line.

I was tempted to do it.  I almost did, but thank God He got me out of it.  And what a great feeling it is to overcome temptation, and walk in the righteousness that God has for us.

What a subtle thing temptation is.  But it's something we need to be conscious about.

James 1:13-15  Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.  (14)  But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  (15)  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

How subtle temptation works in us.  It's simple.  Our bodies are tempted by evil, no matter how simple that evil is.  And because we are a sinful people, there is "evil" in our bodies that we are tempted to do.  Our bodies lust for it, it carries us away and entices us, until we eventually sin.

Temptation in itself is not sin.  But it's what leads us to sin.  The good news is - we can overcome it.

My temptation was simple, very subtle.  In fact there are some reading this who will argue that what I was tempted to do wasn't really sin, or "sinful".  But for me I was tempted to break the rules of the ECQ.  I was tempted to do something that I wasn't supposed to do.  And if I actually did it, for me that would have been sin.

There are so many other grave sins that our bodies lust after.  Even as Christians, living this new life we have in Christ, we are still in our sinful bodies.  And there will be times when we will be tempted to do the evil that we used to do when we weren't with the Lord yet.  Temptation will always be there.  But by God's grace and strength we can overcome it.

1 Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Just as there is evil working behind every temptation, God is also there working "behind the scene", behind the temptation, showing us the way out, giving us the grace and strength to be able to overcome the temptation.  And what a joy it is for a Christian to know that he/she has overcome temptation and live the righteous life God wants us to live.  

It just feels right.

Being Very Careful

How careful are we today with this covid-19 virus situation we are in.  I remember at first that I wasn't that careful in the beginning.  At first I believed the news that only patients who were sick should wear a mask, and that we should just practice social distancing.  And then I heard about a man, so much younger than I am, infected with the virus.  Then I became extra careful!  I started wearing a mask all the time, washed my hands with a sanitizer when I went back to the car, and washed it again when I reached home.  I even had one instance when I let my guard down, and spent time with someone and I wasn't wearing a mask!  When I got into the car I quickly washed my hand (and even face! That's how afraid I was), and when I went home I took a bath!
These are really times of being very, very, careful with regards to where we go, what we touch, who we are with, because we don't know where this virus could be.
I saw a news report that suggested that even the groceries we buy should be sanitized first before we bring them in the house! 
And, just a little cough makes us wonder if that's a sign we have the virus.

Wow, talk about being very, very, careful because of this virus.  It's affected all of us.  And we must, if we are to avoid being infected by it.

It made me wonder - are we Christians this careful with regards to sin?

Ephesians 5:15-17  Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,  (16)  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  (17)  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Be very careful how we live.

If only every believer would be very careful how we live, what a blessing this would be!  

We would be wearing "masks" to guard our mouths from speaking words that are hurtful, deceitful, immoral.

We would wear "gloves" to make sure that we do not touch any sin, commit sin in our life.

We would watch who we are with, where we are, to make sure that we are not contaminated with the world, that no "droplets" of sin would hit us.

We would "leave our shoes and clothes" outside their homes, make sure that nothing happens inside their homes that is not contaminated with sin!

We would be conscious of every little "cough", wondering if we had sinned against our God.

Are we being very, very, careful with our lives as Christians?  Here is an ever present consciousness that we must have as disciples of Christ.  This is how we should be walking all the days of our lives!

This "lockdown" could be the best time for us to not just be very careful about a virus, but for us to pray and ask the Lord to make us very careful with regards to our life, to any sin, that may have contaminated us, and seek God's protection as we go through our lives everyday.

Psalms 1:1-2  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  (2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

We are to be very careful that we do not walk in the counsel of the wicked, that we do not stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

Our "mask", our protection, is God's Word, the law of the Lord, guarding us from the virus of sin in our lives.

Let's all be very, very, careful.

FEELING PROTECTED

The COVID-19 virus is around us.  And though the virus is not airborne, it can be transferred by droplets landing in our hands, eyes, mouth, even eyes!  And so we need protection.  Doctors are telling us that the best protection is to wash our hands all the time.  We also have the social distancing required by the community quarantine we are in.  Wearing of masks for those who are coughing or sneezing, or even for extra protection is also advised.
Even if we cannot see this virus, it’s nice to have that feeling that we are protected, right?

We are also protected by those who love us.  My children have become very protective of me and my wife, since we belong to that segment of the population that are more susceptible to not only catching the virus, but to become sick because of it.  And so they have asked us not to go out anymore.  My wife and I are used to going to the supermarket for the family, but now our kids are the ones who are buying groceries for us.  Even going out to buy medicine, they want to be the ones to do it.
We’re adjusting, yes, but it’s a nice feeling someone is protecting us.

Psalms 91:1-4 (NIV)

¹He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, 

my God, in whom I trust.”

³Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare 

and from the deadly pestilence.

⁴He will cover you with his feathers, 

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Psalm 91 is a known song in the book of psalms that speaks of protection.  It’s a great feeling to know that we have a God who promises us that wherever, and whenever, He is always there to be our protection!  Of course this is assuming that we are dwelling in His shelter and in His shadow.  When we are where we aren’t supposed to be, or doing what we’re not supposed to be doing, we cannot expect His protection.  But generally speaking, our God is always there for us.

But do you know that God’s protection here in this world is not just for today, or for our life here on earth?  He is protecting us in light of the eternity we have inherited through Jesus Christ!

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV)

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 

We have an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade.  Not here on earth, but in eternity...it is kept in heaven for us.  This is what God is protecting us from here.  We are shielded by God’s power, protected until the coming of that day!

Here is the real protection of God.  He’s not just protecting us FROM circumstances, but protecting us FOR eternity.  There’s a difference.

This means that, even if we experience trials, hardships, sickness, pain in this earth, the Lord is still protecting us.  He is making sure that we will reach the inheritance that He has prepared for us!

If that is the case, what is God really protecting?  Our hearts, our faith.  God is making sure that when we enter eternity our faith remains strong and steadfast, no matter what trials and hardships we are facing.

This is the protection that is sure, that God promises to keep.

No matter what trial, sickness or hardship we may face, God is keeping our hearts, our faith, so that we enter our inheritance joyful in Him.

A Weaned Child

Psalms 131:1-3 (NASB)
[1] O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.
[2] Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
[3] O Israel, hope in the LORD
From this time forth and forever.

There are areas in my ministry as a pastor where I can seemingly have a sense of control or management.  I can manage meetings with the different boards, prayerfully coming up with decisions for the church.  I can manage ministry heads as they take care of their ministries, giving them guidance as to how to take care of the ministry under them, and the workers that serve with them.  When members of the church ask for counsel I can be there to lead them to God’s Word, assist them in finding God’s will.  I can manage my preparation for Sunday sermons, prayerfully seeking God’s wisdom in His word.
But there are areas of ministry - “great matters” or “things too difficult for me”, just as the psalmist says above, that I have no control of.  One of them is the heart and life of a believer.  I can talk to them, counsel them, lead them to God’s word.  But I have absolutely no power or control over how a believer deals with his/her relationship with God.  I can only pray that God would overcome (or even overthrow!) their hearts and lead them to complete submission to Him and His Word.  These are great matters and things too difficult for me that God uses to humble me, make me realize that He is God...and I am not.
Another is the growth and life of the church.  It was Jesus Christ who proclaimed “I will build my church...”, not me, or the different church boards, or the ministers and workers or disciplers...Christ.  We have no idea whatsoever of what the outcome of every sermon, every discipleship lesson, every bible study or counseling will be.  It’s all in God’s hand.

This is the weaning process that God works in me.  He works in me to the point of composing and quieting my soul, trusting in Him, depending on Him, for areas in ministry that I have no control over.    Just like a weaned child with his mother.  A weaned child is someone who stops crying for milk, and knows that eventually his mother will come and feed him, satisfy his hunger.
That is what I should be - a weaned child of God, not crying anymore for results, not frustrated in the lack of growth or commitment of another believer.  Not crying over someone who does not want to listen.  Not worried about the growth of the church.  That’s not my part.  These are the things too difficult for me - and I have to trust in the Lord completely for it.
I have a role in God’s building His church, but my hope is in Him, not in my work or effort.

My hope should be in the Lord, now and forevermore.

We all have areas in our life that are “great matters” that are “too difficult” for us to handle.  God does that on purpose.  We may have a spouse we are frustrated with, children we are concerned about, areas in our business or work that we become worried about.  It is His way of humbling us, of making us realize that we are not in control, and we will never be in full control.  Yes, there are areas of our life that we can manage with God, but there will always be areas where we will just have to humble ourselves and completely trust in Him.

God is weaning us as His children.  He’s teachings us to stop crying, complaining, and completely trusting that He will eventually take care of every area of our life.  As we grow and mature eventually all our crying and complaining will stop, and we will have become children who have composed and quiet souls, knowing that our God is there.

We are to put our hope in God.  No one else.  Nothing else.  He is our heavenly Father, weaning us to trust completely in Him.

A Much Needed Downpour

Our kalamansi shrub has been quite dry the past weeks of scorching heat supposedly because of the El Nino.  Then one day it rained so hard for a few hours, so hard that it flooded a lot of our streets causing traffic jams.  A few days after I went out and, lo and behold, this was what I saw:

I’m not sure if you can see it in the picture, but all of a sudden white flowers start budding, opening up!  All the dry shrub needed was enough water for it to seep in to bring out the flowers that will eventually end up into fruit in the end.

We all need that “downpour” during dry moments in our life.  I experience that a lot, believe it or not.  Many people look at pastors or Christian workers as “supermen” who are probably so strong in the Lord that they never experience dry moments.  Well, we’re human beings, just like each one of you reading this.  And like the rest we experience those “dry” moments in our life, when things get monotonous, there seems to be no joy, no inspiration, no zest or drive for going through a day.

Then, the downpour we so much need comes.  It’s a downpour that doesn’t come from the world, but from the One who alone can provide a “rain” of water that refreshes us and keeps us going.  That’s how faithful and loving our God is.  Though He sees us going through dry spells, He will be faithful and gracious to pour out living water on us again, so that we will be refreshed.  All we need to do is remain, rooted to Him, just like the kalamansi shrub that just stays in the ground waiting for the much needed rain to come.  We need to, as our Lord Himself taught us - “remain in the vine”, and the fruit will come out.
And it begins with the flowers.  What’s a Christian life without flowers.  And only living water from our God can refresh us enough to bring back those flowers in our life.

John 4:13-14 (NASB)

¹³Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

No matter how we feel, or what we’re going through, we need to hold on to the truth that the Giver of Living Water, who holds our life, will refresh us again.  We just have to keep on, hold on, seek Him, and trust. Let God bring the flowers back to our day by day walk with Him