Just a little note about the change of photo in my blog site:
One of my favorite movie detective characters in the 70's-80's was portrayed by Clint Eastwood - Inspector Callahan, whose most well known line was "Go ahead...make my day". Some of you who know the Dirty Harry series of movies will know what I mean.
What makes my day? Well, the new photo I placed in my blog site says it all - God's Word, a mug (not just a cup, hehe) of coffee, and a view of the mountains. And that is in the right order.
There is nothing like a freshly brewed coffee in the morning that just makes my day. Something is just missing when I continue the day without having that one mug of coffee in the morning.
And, for me, there is nothing like being in the mountains. Now, since I don't always have the time to enjoy being in the mountains, a nice view of the mountains will do. Everyday, on my way home, the road that leads to the subdivision I live in has a beautiful view of Mount Kanlaon. And even if it's just for a short time, I enjoy that view of the mountains, and pray for a time when I'll be able to go there again.
But there is nothing that makes my day than a moment of spending time with God and His Word. It may not be hours, but just the time spent in recognizing who He is in my life, reading His Word and praying that the Holy Spirit may teach and guide me through it, and pouring out my heart to Him in prayer...all that is enough to really make my day.
I may begin a day without coffee, and I may have a nice view of the moutnains...but if I begin a day without God and His Word my day is shot.
I pray God and His word make your day too.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Saturday, November 4, 2017
A Snake Catcher I am Not!
I came home the other night to find our helper frantic and frightened because she had found a snake in her room! A snake! I get my flashlight, and go to the corner of her room where she saw it last, and there it was, hiding behind a small shoe rack. It was a small snake, brown in color, probably not venomous but I remember someone telling me that they do bite when they are defending themselves.
In an instant I remembered a favorite show I watch in National Geographic of snake catchers in South Africa who are called everytime there is a snake in a house or building. I pictured the various techniques they used to try and catch snakes, venomous and non venomous. They have these long tongs that they use to hold the snake right below the head, special glasses to protect them from snakes that spit venom into the eyes of their enemy, together with all the years of experience they have in catching snakes. They're bold enough to hold a snake by its tail, and fast enough to avoid getting bitten.
I had all that in my mind, but I ended up asking our helper to call the neighborhood gardener to come and catch it for us. A snake catcher I wasn't. I knew that even if I had all those techniques and actions of the snake catchers in my mind, I knew I couldn't to what they did. I didn't even try. I just stayed and watched the snake, making sure it didn't run away, until the gardener came. And when he came in a few minutes he was able to kill it, solving our problem for us.
In a situation where I had no idea what to do, nor the experience, I depended on someone who did...and he was able to do it.
In an instant I remembered a favorite show I watch in National Geographic of snake catchers in South Africa who are called everytime there is a snake in a house or building. I pictured the various techniques they used to try and catch snakes, venomous and non venomous. They have these long tongs that they use to hold the snake right below the head, special glasses to protect them from snakes that spit venom into the eyes of their enemy, together with all the years of experience they have in catching snakes. They're bold enough to hold a snake by its tail, and fast enough to avoid getting bitten.
I had all that in my mind, but I ended up asking our helper to call the neighborhood gardener to come and catch it for us. A snake catcher I wasn't. I knew that even if I had all those techniques and actions of the snake catchers in my mind, I knew I couldn't to what they did. I didn't even try. I just stayed and watched the snake, making sure it didn't run away, until the gardener came. And when he came in a few minutes he was able to kill it, solving our problem for us.
In a situation where I had no idea what to do, nor the experience, I depended on someone who did...and he was able to do it.
Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (11) Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (13) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
This passage in Paul's letter to the Ephesus church was a strong and firm reminder to believers who they were up against. The struggles they were going through were not the usual struggles that anyone in the world was going through. They were to stand against the devil's schemes. This is why they were to be strong IN THE LORD AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER, not in themselves. This was also why they were to put on THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, not their own armor.
They were not to depend on themselves. They were not to assume that they were able to go against the schemes of Satan against them. They were not even supposed to try. In fact, one of Satan's schemes is to make us think that we can do it on our own, and make God the last resort. But God shouldn't be the last resort. They were to call for His help, immediately. They were to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, not in their own power. They were to wear God's armor for protection, and not their own.
So, just like my incident with the snake, we mustn't assume that we can face struggles in this life on our own. Let's call on the One who is strong and who can defend us. God wants us to realize who we are facing, and that we cannot face him on our own. We need someone greater and stronger than our enemy, and that's our God. And He is able to do it.
Let's not even try. As Proverbs 3:5 says - we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.
Call on Him. Always.
Call on Him. Always.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Prayer and Coffee...worth the effort
It's a cool, early November 1 morning, as I spent time in prayer and enjoying a hot cup of Kalinga Dark Coffee. Both of these habits I keep take time and effort to do, but, of course, it is all worth it.
I buy coffee beans from our suki store here in Bacolod - Little Farmers Coffee (found in SM, Lopues East and 888...bro Jay, free commercial!) They sell various blends of coffee beans from the Highlands of Benguet. Of all the varieties (around 10 or more), there is only one blend that I choose, and that's Kalinga Dark. It is a strong Robusta blend that my eldest son and I enjoy. And we chose this after tasting almost all of the varieties. But once we tasted this, we never shifted to any other blend.
Every morning I take a scoop and a half of beans, freshly grind it, and then use a dripper and eventually enjoy the strong and smooth taste of the coffee. By the way, I enjoy mine with a spoonful of honey just to add a little sweetness to it.
As I mentioned a while ago, it takes a lot of time and effort...but it's all worth it. Buying coffee already ground, or instant coffee, will be faster and more convenient. But there's nothing like the taste of freshly ground coffee of a specific blend...and it's worth all the effort.
It's just like prayer. It takes spiritual discipline to pray. I say "spiritual" because apart from the prompting and working of the Spirit moving me to pray I probably would not have a prayer time at all.
Just like choosing the right beans it took a lot of years of my life before I actually realized what a blessing it was to choose God above everything else the world has to offer. For coffee all I had to choose from was around 10 or more blends till I found the one I loved. With God you have the whole world to tend with, and apart from God choosing me and calling me to Him I would probably have never found Him at all.
And it is because of this grace that I find time every day to pray. And it takes time and effort. Time to worship, read His word, and then pray as the Spirit leads us to intercede for others. It takes a lot of effort to fight the temptation to do something else, check posts on facebook, answer texts or calls...
But it's all worth it. Spending time with our heavenly Father, enjoying the privilege of entering His presence through Jesus Christ our Savior, before anything else in the world - that's what we need to jump start the day and depend on the strength and power we need to live the Christian life.
The difference with coffee and prayer for me is this - with coffee it's my own effort that moves me to grind the beans and eventually drink the coffee. With prayer it's not my effort...I depend totally on the Lord calling me and drawing me to Him, remaining in Him so that I may bear fruit. My effort in prayer is simply responding to that calling and drawing, enjoying its fruit.
I can last a day without coffee (I think, hehe)...but I won't last a day without prayer.
But I thank God for both.
I buy coffee beans from our suki store here in Bacolod - Little Farmers Coffee (found in SM, Lopues East and 888...bro Jay, free commercial!) They sell various blends of coffee beans from the Highlands of Benguet. Of all the varieties (around 10 or more), there is only one blend that I choose, and that's Kalinga Dark. It is a strong Robusta blend that my eldest son and I enjoy. And we chose this after tasting almost all of the varieties. But once we tasted this, we never shifted to any other blend.
Every morning I take a scoop and a half of beans, freshly grind it, and then use a dripper and eventually enjoy the strong and smooth taste of the coffee. By the way, I enjoy mine with a spoonful of honey just to add a little sweetness to it.
As I mentioned a while ago, it takes a lot of time and effort...but it's all worth it. Buying coffee already ground, or instant coffee, will be faster and more convenient. But there's nothing like the taste of freshly ground coffee of a specific blend...and it's worth all the effort.
It's just like prayer. It takes spiritual discipline to pray. I say "spiritual" because apart from the prompting and working of the Spirit moving me to pray I probably would not have a prayer time at all.
Just like choosing the right beans it took a lot of years of my life before I actually realized what a blessing it was to choose God above everything else the world has to offer. For coffee all I had to choose from was around 10 or more blends till I found the one I loved. With God you have the whole world to tend with, and apart from God choosing me and calling me to Him I would probably have never found Him at all.
And it is because of this grace that I find time every day to pray. And it takes time and effort. Time to worship, read His word, and then pray as the Spirit leads us to intercede for others. It takes a lot of effort to fight the temptation to do something else, check posts on facebook, answer texts or calls...
But it's all worth it. Spending time with our heavenly Father, enjoying the privilege of entering His presence through Jesus Christ our Savior, before anything else in the world - that's what we need to jump start the day and depend on the strength and power we need to live the Christian life.
The difference with coffee and prayer for me is this - with coffee it's my own effort that moves me to grind the beans and eventually drink the coffee. With prayer it's not my effort...I depend totally on the Lord calling me and drawing me to Him, remaining in Him so that I may bear fruit. My effort in prayer is simply responding to that calling and drawing, enjoying its fruit.
I can last a day without coffee (I think, hehe)...but I won't last a day without prayer.
But I thank God for both.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Casting our cares
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.
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.
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.
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