PATIENTLY WAITING

James 5:7

So be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious crop from his land, being patient with it until it receives the fall and the spring rains.

During my college days, I commute going to school. I live in Tondo, a district in Manila. I take four jeepney rides to reach University of the Philippines in Diliman. And in between those rides, I have to queue in line, and worse, have to wait for the next jeepney especially during rush hours. In 5 years of doing that routine, day after day, I learned to accept the concept of waiting. And actually liked it, eventually. During those waiting times, I learned to be patient - I read my books in advance, conceptualized my next poem, meet some people, and pray – that the next jeep would come soon since I would be late.

Heavenly Father, may You bless us with the virtue of patience, knowing that You are continuously working in our lives. But we must also be prepared as we wait, patiently, for Your second-coming. We have to “keep on watching, because (no one really) knows the day or the hour (Mat. 25:13)”.

Lord God, as good Christian followers, I know we were never meant to live on earth as if this is our only total experience. Our lives here are like waiting for a jeep. We have somewhere else to go. We have something else to do. And when that time has come, we can truly say that it is truly worth the wait.

“I have waited for so long
But sometimes I feel like You are not listening
Still I wait patiently and remain strong
Because it’s near, that is, Your second coming.”

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry

FAIR ENOUGH

Matthew 20:15

Have I not the right to do as seems good to me in my house? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?

I have always thought life is unfair.

I have been faithful to my wife for 13 years, yet, here is an actor who has a wife and a number of mistresses and children out of marriage. But he is by far, richer than me with all those big houses, money and cars. I have been working for 15 years now, and I can say I have been generally honest in my dealings with my company and suppliers. Yet, here is a politician known to have amassed great fortune from graft and corruption, but he is still free, rich and well-loved. As a child, I would complain because my mother would always ask me to run errands, and point to my brother saying, “It’s supposed to be his turn!”

So many cases and situations in life, I shout “NOT FAIR!” Until I realize that isn’t this the same thinking that Cain has? He thought that God always favor Abel, and out of envy, he allowed sin to enter his door and be his master. He thought God is unfair so he killed his brother. From this, we shall realize further the basic truth. We are not the true judge of what is fair and what is unfair, because our concept of fairness is tainted by envy and selfishness – it centers on ourselves and what we believe ought to be. But God has His plans and purposes. And believe you me, those are fair and for the goodness of all.

Almighty Father, You are a just and faithful God. Gently look at our hearts, for You are the only One who can really judge the hearts of men. I may perceive others to be worthy of Your wrath or even hell, but You are the only one who knows what should be done. Life may never really look fair to us, but Your grace is much bigger than we’ve sometimes allowed ourselves to believe.

Oh Lord, Your work is perfect, Your ways are justice, You are God of truth and without iniquity. And in all of these, we only trust in You.

“If you feel that blessings pass you by and life seems a bit unfair,
Just remember Christ was born to die; His salvation, to others, let’s share.”

Life is not always fair, but the Lord God is always faithful.

INHERITING HEAVEN

Colossians 1:12

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light…

My father was orphaned at an early age. Since then, he lived with his grandmother. He would tell us stories of his life with our “lola sa tuhod” (fore-grandmother), as she is really very strict. He would also tell us that he received no inheritance, whatsoever, from his parents or his grandmother. All he inherited was the good memories (and pain) of growing up and the wisdom he gained through the years.

I was, therefore, luckier than my father, for we inherited a house (just a house since the lot, we lease). But since there was no will of inheritance, we ended up selling the house and divided among us, his children, and went on with our own lives. So, the real inheritance I got from my parents is wisdom through education. Up to now, I am really very thankful that they, as much as they could, really pushed us to study and study hard for our future, working very hard so they can provide the money for our tuition fees, uniforms, shoes, allowance, jeepney fare, payment for field trips and more.

If for these little inheritance, I am already joyful and thankful, what more with the promise of inheritance that our Lord God prepared for me, for us all – the inheritance of Heaven and eternal life. This can make me a very rich man. How about you, are you ready to inherit Heaven?

Almighty Father, I yearn for the riches of inheritance that You prepare for me. I yearn for the mansion in Heaven that You would give me. As I was born to a living hope, I pray that I would continually live in Your spirit so my hope would never die and even flourish through faith, and one day would blossom in fulfillment.

Oh Lord, strengthen us in faith so that we do not deny Jesus’ work for us and in us. Strengthen our faith so that we see the incomparable riches of the glorious inheritance reserved for us in heaven. Strengthen our faith so that we give up all in order to receive that inheritance.

“There can be no consolation in earthly things I have.
As for me, my only treasure is the fullness of Your love.”

The poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.

CHILDLIKE WONDER

Matthew 18:5

And whoever receives a little child like this in my name receives me

I have another hobby. I collect model cars, specifically “mini coopers” and “hotwheels” (1969 and 1970 car models only because that is my and my wife’s birthyear – you just guess which one is which). Most of the time, when I am thinking, either about work or about my devotion, I will get one of the cars out of its box and start playing with it – pushing it with my finger complete with sound, “vrooommmm!”. My wife would just observe me and just remark, “isip-bata ka na naman”. Actually, I cannot really comprehend if she means I am being “childish” or being “childlike”. But I know in my heart, that during that brief moment of time, I was being childlike, playing with You, Oh Lord, so I may get the inspiration I need to complete my work.

Lord Jesus, You Yourself said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” But this doesn’t mean that I have to act like a child, or think like a childish person. A childlike person is playful, open minded and unrestrained by the inner voice of reason, collective cynicism, or fear of failure. I should see good in everything I see, hear and experience. I should remain humble, for whoever humbles himself as a little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Almighty Father, I am a child once. But that doesn’t mean that I cannot be childlike today. But I did lost it somewhere. It has been replaced by wordly fear, mistrust, prejudice, doubt and selfishness. I have totally abandoned childlike virtues, and even looked down upon them as being immature.

I HAVE TO GO BACK TO BEING A CHILD AGAIN!

I should bring back those wondrous qualities like unconditional love, trust, playfulness and simplicity. Only then can I bring back that feeling of pure happiness, pure contentment and pure joy. LIKE A CHILD IN ALL ITS SIMPLICITY!

“We are the children of Easter morning
We sing to celebrate our new lives
May our lives be that song resounding in praise
To the goodness and glory of God.”

“Great is the man who has not lost his childlike heart” - Mencius

SUPPLICATION

James 5:15

And by the prayer of faith the man who is ill will be made well, and he will be lifted up by the Lord, and for any sin which he has done he will have forgiveness.

As we seek God in prayer, we tap into the mind of God. As we begin to inquire concerning His plan, we begin to catch a glimpse of what He wants. And some of what we see may surprise us. When God gives you a glimpse of His fantastic plan for your life, you will become so excited about it, you will hardly be able to contain yourself.

God has great things in store for you. Take time to seek them out.

Be blessed with another poem:

As I welcome the day
My heart to You I give
Guide me through the day I pray
Give You thanks for the life I live.

As I open my mouth and say
Blessings for the food you give
Guide me through the day I pray
Sins I commit, may You forgive.

As I go through work and play
You will it, every success I achieve
Guide me through the day I pray
I bring them back to You, all You give.

As I retire at night and lay
You still look at me, I believe
Guide me through the night I pray
All the pain and hurts, You relieve.

Lord God, be merciful to me a sinner.

PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS

Romans 5:1

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…

When was the last time you prayed for a peaceful world. Maybe, a long time ago, or may be not at all. For how can one person pray for peace, when inside of him, peace is not even there in his heart. May we ask God that we experience true peace in our lives – of mind, heart and spirit, so we can understand and provide for others, for it is in giving that we really receive; in loving that we are really loved.

St. Francis was born at Assisi in 1182. After a care free youth, he turned his back on inherited wealth and committed himself to God. Like many early saints, he lived a very simple life of poverty, and in so doing, gained a reputation of being the friend of animals. He established the rule of St Francis, which exists today as the Order of St. Francis, or the Franciscans. He died in 1226, aged 44.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Almighty Father, bless me with a peaceful heart, a heart that is willing to forgive, a heart that is willing to give. May our hearts be yearning only for You until that time when it comes to rest in Your loving arms.

To be at one with the Lord, is to be at peace…

FOREVER FLAWLESS

Matthew 5:8

How blessed are those who are pure in heart, for it is they who will see God!

In refining silver, the silversmith needs to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. He had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. And not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

Maybe, you would then ask the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” His answer would be, “Oh, that’s easy— when I see my image in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Almighty Father, keep my heart pure for You. You have created me in Your likeness and image. You are the absolute example of purity, and to be with You, I must also be pure. And yet, You still love and take care of me, in spite of being impure and disgusting. Always keep me under the warmth of Your love – molding me, turning me around, heating me up – under Your watchful and caring eyes, until You see clearly Your own image in me.

Oh Lord, search our heart and cleanse us of all that would keep You from being our “first love” always and in all things. For You are everything to us, for You alone can fulfill our deepest needs. We seek Your mercy, we seek Your compassion as we glorify and praise You forever and ever.

“I am just a handful of dust
With Your breath, becomes a living soul.
My heart’s for You, I put my trust
To be like You, is my only goal.”

Whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, if there is anything of excellence - keep thinking about these things.

CHRIST THE KING

Today is Christ the King Sunday

Luke 23:42-43
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!"
Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

I always look forward to Sundays. Sunday is rest day, and more! It is family day, wash-the-dog day, waking-up-late day, eating-a-special-meal day, going-to-mall day. And of course, it is the day of the Lord. It is the day when we, at least, spend a whole one hour praising Him, singing for Him, hearing His mighty words and receiving the Eucharist - signifying that we accept Him as our Lord, our God, our Master, our Teacher, our Savior, OUR KING!

As a child, my parents would bring us to Luneta Park on Sundays. It was a joy for us, being with them without any worries, playing and running on the grass, breathing the fresh sea breeze, eating street foods. For on that day, we feel like we are in PARADISE.

If in those little, minute things and places, we already find solace and experience paradise, what more if we really experience the true one, the one promised by our Lord. When we reach that place, we can truly say that “I am now in Paradise, with my Lord and my King!”

Almighty Father, I know that today, I am with you in Paradise. For You are always inside me, talking to me, hearing my thoughts, understanding the pain I go through, and loving me, for the real Paradise is in my heart. Continue filling-up my soul with Your love, Oh Lord, overflowing, out-pouring, that I may share them with others.

Oh Lord, continue to console our souls. Anticipate our desires and make Yourself present to us always, bringing all those graces and remedies to those who are in need. We speak to You, for we know You are near, willing to listen. We ask these in Jesus name, our Lord and King forever, AMEN+

“I would forsake a thousand other days anywhere
If I could spend one day in Your courts, belong to You alone.
My strength are You alone,
My Glory, my King and my God.”

"Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit."

OMNIPOTENCE

Ephesians 3:20

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us…

Superman is my superhero. I remember watching the TV cartoons and eventually, the movies about him and his exploits. As I child, I would try to draw him either saving a lady in distress or maiming an evil robot. My mother even bought me a superman costume. When I wear those, I felt like I am invincible, ready to conquer everything, flying and running around – until I fell down, got bruises and felt pain. It was then that I cried and cried. It was then that I realized that the costume will only make me look like Superman but it will not make me Superman.

Sometimes, we feel like we are above others – because of the position we have, the influence we impart, the people we know or the things that we wear or have. But soon enough, when those are gone, we end up with nothing. Even our so-called friends would leave us. Only then would we realize that the only power we should wear is the power given to us by God. And we should realize that this power can only be attained by carrying our cross… and helping others to carry their own, in His grace and mercy.

Almighty Father, You are all-power and all-wise. Give me the power to serve You and others. I understand that everything right I do now, it is because of You. Anything that I do for others, it is for You. For You alone does wonders in our lives.

Oh Lord, may we continue to receive and seek Your power as Your children. Cloak us with Your powerful spirit so we may realize that You alone is the source of it all. We do have not this power in ourselves and it will not be given to us by anyone else; for it comes only from Your, our God of mercy, through our Messiah, our real superhero, Jesus Christ.

“In times of trouble, Oh God deliver us.
In seasons of hunger, Oh God feed us.
In moments of weakness, Oh God strengthen us.
When we thirst for justice, Oh God set us free.”

My power is in You, now and forever.

MERITS NOT DEMERITS

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Most of us male college students had undergone military training. And for four semesters of my college life, I would go to UP dressed in green fatigue uniform that I myself prepared (washing, ironing). I would make my boots and buckle shiny and clean. And as I face my platoon sergeant, I would stand “chest-out and stomach-in” and prepare for the inspection. And no matter what preparation I would do, this “inspector” would always find fault in how I look – unbuttoned pocket, mud in the shoes, wrong way of wearing the beret cap, etc.

And for that, I would get demerits – instead of merits for the other right things I have done.

Almighty Father, I am very happy to know that You are not a God who finds fault. Rather, You look beyond the wrong things that we do and focus only on how beautiful we are in Your loving eyes. I would love earning those “merits” that You give us. Even though we are full of mud, does not smell good, wearing the wrong uniform – You would still accept us when we seek forgiveness, for You are a loving and merciful God.

Oh Lord, I, therefore, should also find what is good, what is right – in my neighbors, in my family, and in myself. I shall let my faith grow in me and share it with others. “And as we let our own light shine for others to see, we unconsciously give other people to appreciate and permission to do the same.”

“Let all my wrongdoing be washed away,
And make me clean from evil.
For I am conscious of my error;
My sin is ever before me.”

From all the evil that surrounds me, defend me.

THE RIGHT CHOICE

Joshua 24:15

…choose you this day whom ye will serve; …but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

There goes the alarm! I have a choice to wake up or continue sleeping. I have a choice to be grumpy today or be nice to others. I have a choice to drink hot coffee or a cold juice. I have a choice to eat eggs or just fruits. I have choice to read the newspaper or just listen to the radio. I have a choice to wear formal or rugged. I have a choice to go to the office or just stay home. I have a choice to love my wife today or just ignore her. I have a choice to say a prayer of thanks to God or just go on my way.

Life is full of many choices. But sometimes, we choose what is easy, what is good to ourselves. And it is a sad truth that, from the very beginning, we have rejected God by doing things our own way. We don’t like someone telling us what to do or how to live—least of all God. We choose to ignore him and just get on with our own lives. We rather choose to disobey his instructions for living in his world. We choose to live on our own.

Almighty Father, open our hearts to You and let us choose:

LOVE.
Today, I will love You and all those things that You love.

RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Today, I will do what is right in Your eyes, based on your will.

FOREGIVENESS.
Today, I will choose to forgive so I may be forgiven.

PATIENCE.
Rather than complaining, I will find a moment to say a prayer for You.

FAITHFULNESS.
I will keep my promises, as You have been constantly fulfilling Your promises to us.

BE HOPEFUL.
I will look at life positively, for You are my influence and my teacher, for life.

Oh Lord, teach us to serve You fully, and may we choose to be with and in Your love forever.

“Nothing is won by force, I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it only be in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.”

My LORD, I choose You, now and forever.

I AM YOUR HANDS AND FEET

Psalm 112:9

He has given with open hands to the poor; His righteousness is for ever

My father is a cursillista. Cursillos in Christianity is a ministry of the Catholic church founded in Majorca, Spain by a group of laymen in 1944. Its method focuses on training lay people to become effective leaders over the course of a three-day weekend. The weekend includes fifteen talks. In their group, my father is the sought-after speaker for Lesson No. 10, “Ang Pamumuno” (or Leadership).

When I accompanied him one time on his talk, he started with a story. It is about a war wherein a soldier saw a cross. On that cross is the image of Jesus without hands and feet, destroyed when the enemies bombed the Church. This soldier, then, wrote something and put it on top of the cross. It reads,

“We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ!”

Lord Jesus, I have put the nails through Your hands and feet. I have thrust the spear through Your side. I have done this because of my sins. And I am doing this because I still sin. Your forgiveness is my only hope. And Your forgiveness You have given – purely, unconditional, selfless – all out of love.

Let me be Your hands and feet as we I journey in this temporary life. Let me reach out to others and let them feel Your unending love. Though I know that I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

“Here I am, Lord
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.”

Happy is the man who gives honour to the Lord, and has great delight in his laws.

GET READY

Matthew 24:42

So keep on watching, because you don't know on what day your Lord is coming.

I have never attended kindergarten. In my formative years, my father and my mother were my teachers and mentors. I learned to read, write, add and multiply at home. So, when I enrolled in Grade One, the registrar asked my father to go to the school principal to talk about my predicament, since the school requires a child to attend kindergarten.

Without hesitation, we went straight to the principal. They talked briefly. Afterwards, the principal asked me to read a book, which I did. I was able to identify the animal names from a picture book. Finally, added and subtracted some numbers. I have never been so prepared when we went to the principal’s office. My father is confident that I can make it. I was accepted, eventually.

And all through my life, I make sure that I am always prepared before doing something. Our souls need the same. When it comes to being ready for the Lord, we cannot afford to procrastinate, for tomorrow may be too late!

Almighty Father, I am always prepared for You. While here on earth, I shall ready myself by living the life of Your kingdom by following Your will, living a righteous life described in the scriptures and living my life as a faithful Christian witness, always open in helping others.

Oh Lord, we understand that being prepared is hard work. It requires patience, perseverance, persistence, and a daily choice to live as Your Son prescribed - forever loving You, loving others, and serving in Your name. May we continually be ready, keeping the lamp of hope burning, for when You come, You would come for the wise not for the foolish. And yes, we are ready!

“Perfect submission, all is at rest
I, in my Savior, am happy and blest
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love - Crosby”

Be always prepared, for no one knows what tomorrow will bring.

I BLAME MYSELF

Romans 2:1

So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself…

It always happen. I always find someone or something to blame when something not right happened in my life. Very basic example: When I play badminton, and hit a poor shot, or when the shuttlecock goes out of bounds, I would look at my racquet, as if looking for something wrong with it – the tension is not right, I should replace the grip or worse, I should buy a new racquet. I fail to recognize that it is not the racquet, or the shoes, or the flooring. It is actually me – I have not done proper stretching, I am not focused on the game, or I really push myself to win instead of just enjoying the game. I have to understand that I only have myself to blame.

When things go wrong in our lives, we tend to look around us for someone that we can hold responsible for all these difficulties. Blaming others for the faults we commit or problems we experience is unjust, cruel, and even displeases God. It is as old as mankind, when Adam, himself, put the blame to Eve when God confronted them for the violations they committed. I have to change myself. Now, when I make a bad shot, I would tell myself, “what’s wrong with you, Jun? focus on the game, center your shots, move, move, move!” And everything else will just follow.

Almighty Father, when I blame others, I am actually blaming You. I must understand that no person looks bigger in Your sight and of others than does the one who acknowledges his error, who asks for forgiveness, and expresses a need for help.

Oh Lord, may we point our accusing fingers only to ourselves. May we acknowledge our own failures so we may learn from it and have the opportunity to improve ourselves and repent from everything evil within. I am responsible to my every actions as I am responsible in making others act according to Your will.

“I blame and blame and blame
For everything around me is lame.
But as to others, my finger I point
The other three, to me, staring at gunpoint.”

Judge others not, for one man is not different from another before God.

ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART

Proverbs 22:4

By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honor, and life.

One day a wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country so that the son could see how the poor lived. They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "Very good, Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" "Yeah!" "And what did you learn?"

The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the house; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard; they have the whole horizon." When the little boy was finished, the father was speechless. His son then added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"

We all want to become rich. That is a given. But, Jesus tells us about two different kinds of riches--those toward oneself and those toward God. Realizing how poor we are in spirit in the eyes of God is a good start. Being wealthy is not really the issue why men falls to sin. It is the selfish heart and attitude that make us fail with respect to God’s standards.

Almighty Father, everything I have now, I achieved because of Your mercy and grace. There is nothing wrong about being abundant in life, but I must live it with a generous heart, knowing that I am just Your steward and servant.

Oh Lord, we are rich because of Your provisions and not by our chasing after wealth. May we learn to share our wealth to bless those in this world who are not as privileged as ourselves. Whether we are rich or poor, there is always something we are rich in that we can give to others.

“Better is little with the fear of the LORD,
Than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is,
Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith..”

“Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped.” - Calvin Coolidge

TRUE WEALTH

Luke 16:13

No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

That great wisdom from my father, I still keep in my heart - “You should eat to live and NOT live to eat.” I would like to extend this further and exclaims – “I should work to live and NOT live to work.” One cliché about money is that “it is the root of all evil.” But I would rather say that “it is more of the LOVE FOR MONEY that is the root of all evil.”

Almighty Father, I should know the difference between love for money and loving You and my neighbors. Money in itself is not evil. Money can also make many good things possible. But, we all should come to realize that money is a good slave but a terribly bad master. For what end we use money as means, shows whether money is the root of all evil or not.

Lord God, may I use all the resources You are giving me to uplift the spirit of others, to show them how You really care, to make them aware of Your true love. Detach my mind and my heart from love of money so that I may use money to make lives better and never allow money to use me.

May I use money for the good of others. For the only greatest riches that we should aspire for, and as You promised, is the gift of eternal life!

“Do Thou direct and govern all and sway
Do what Thou wilt, command, and I obey
Only Thy grace, Thy love on me bestow
These make me rich, all else will I forego.”

I want to be rich, but only if it is Your will and if it is Your way.

OMNIPRESENCE

Psalm 139:1
O Lord, you have knowledge of me, searching out all my secrets.

A poem inspired by Psalm 139. The Lord knows our every ways, thoughts and words.

You formed me out of clay
And breathed life
You formed me in my mother’s womb
And into the light was born.

You watch on me everyday
And give me strength
You watch my every steps and ways
You see my thoughts from far away.

I will give you praise,
for I am strangely and delicately formed;
your works are great wonders,
and of this my soul is fully conscious.
My frame was not unseen by you when I was made secretly,
and strangely formed in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book all my days were recorded,
even those which were purposed before they had come into being.
How dear are your thoughts to me, Oh Lord!
How great is the number of them!

You will be my guide eternally
My heart to You uncovered
Guide me by Your hands
Keep me in Your love
Reserve a mansion for me
In the Heaven above.

Truly, the upright will give praise to Your Name: the holy will have a place in Your house.

PEACE BE WITH YOU

Luke 21:18-19

But not a hair of your head will come to destruction. By going through all these things, you will keep your lives.

I grew up in Tondo, a district of Manila. Tondo is notorious for being the poorest and most underdeveloped district of the country. Many of the city's slums are found in this area. My childhood memories would be marked with gangster wars. At night, rival gangs would be seen fighting with each other using hand-made guns, arrows, knives and bolos (sword-like implements). There were even two instances wherein the gang wars happened in front of our house. I didn’t know what happened then, for my mother would ask me to hide under the bed. “Be calm, it will be over soon”, she would tell me.

Nowadays, happening are even bigger wars than this – nation against nation, clan against clan, philosophies against philosophies. And one can even be a front-seat spectator to all of these, what with the magic of televisions and satellites. No need to hide under the bed.

Are these the signs of the times? Two thousand years ago, Jesus already prophesized: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky (Luke 21:10-11).”

Almighty Father, You have given us and giving us enough information so we may be prepared. May we use prophecy to help us shape our lives, give us direction and guidance in serving You.

Oh Lord, we should not mind all of this, rather, we shall put all our trust in You for You have never forsaken those who seek You. You are our comfort in all afflictions and Your promise gives us life. Give us eternal comfort, good hope through grace and may Your consolations cheer our souls.

“You did not brought destruction, but creation
You did not brought war, but peace
You did not brought uproar, but serenity
You did not promised death, but life.”

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to You.”

TRUST WITH ALL OUR HEART

John 6:29

This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent

My wife and I attended a seminar on parenting. It was a two-hour talk, but very straight to the point. In the last 30-minutes, Bro. Ed shared his own life experience in raising up his only daughter, April. The talk is an eye-opener, not that it opened my eyes that we are doing wrong in raising up our own children, but rather, it helps us understand that we are not alone. In this age of technology, parent-teen bonding and communication becomes all the more important.

Lord God, You have come to this world by choosing to be part of a family. You could have come clothed in shiny clothes, riding in a chariot of fires with Your army of angels, so that people will believe that You are the King. But no! You chose to be born in a manger and be raised up by Mary and Joseph, knowing exactly well that the family is important in providing the very proper spiritual and moral upbringing to each and every child.

This is the very reason why we should believe and put our faith in You, Oh God. We have been demanding a lot from You lately, of things that we may not need. And instead of waiting, we show doubt and more disappointment. This has got to stop. From now on, I shall take the time to appreciate everything that you have already done and given us. And I will start with my own family. For giving them to me, I thank You fully.

“I have been waiting in vain for signs from Heaven
Up to the point that I get disappointed and doubt Your love.
This is wrong, I know that all I need, you have already provided
And for giving them to me, I thank You fully! ”

What we know of God encourages us to trust Him in all we don’t know.

FEELING SECURED

Romans 8:31

What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?

Me and my family lived in Xi’an, China for three years. Xi’an is where the famed Terracotta Warriors is located. I have been in the place three times and I can say that the site, which is actually a part of a tomb for Emperor Qin, is a majestic one. The Terracotta Army was buried with the Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi) in 210-209 BC (his reign was from 247 BC to 221 BC and unified China from 221 BC to the end of his life in 210 BC). Their purpose was to guard the emperor and help rule another empire with Shi Huangdi in the afterlife. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Armies".

Sometimes, we find security in material things, that is to keep us secured from things we fear that, most of the time, does not really exist. As a child, I would hide under the blanket for fear of ghost. The security to which we mostly cling to is mere illusion. No man-made faith, structure, or religion is secure. All human efforts to provide security ultimately fails.
Our faith should not be in blankets, guns, security alarms, gas masks or duct tape. Our faith should be in God. He alone can save us.

Almighty Father, cover me with the blanket of Your love. Keep me secured, for in You alone should I turn to in the hours of our needs. You are my refuge and my fortress, in whom I shall put my trust.

Oh Lord, nothing in this world can separate us from Your love, through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We walk in the path of sins, through dark fogs, that is why we have fear in our hearts. Blow away this fog of fears, Oh Lord, and let us feel Your loving and tender care forever.

“He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
Out of miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock
Making my steps secured.”

“Security is not the absence of danger, but the presence of God, no matter what the danger."

PAID IN FULL

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

It was my first time to go to the school fair to commemorate my school’s foundation day. My mother gave me money-tickets so I may enjoy the rides like the merry-go-round, the train; enter the booths where I can watch magic shows. Of course, there is food – hotdogs, Filipino delicacies and “palamig” (cold drinks).

But what really caught my fancy at that time are the colorful circles drawn on the ground. I looked and wondered what they are for. I stepped on them and suddenly, two grade 6 students grabbed me and took me to a “jail”, where I cried and cried. I didn’t know that my mother saw what happened and she just followed us. Upon seeing her, she immediately explained that it’s just a game. And I have to pay them money-ticket so I may be released from the “jail”. Since then, I would make sure that I see where I am walking on to avoid those colorful circles.

As we go through lives, we are being tempted by “colorful circles” that may cause us to commit sin. Luckily for us, there would be no angels to grab us and put us to jail. And even luckier for us, we don’t have to pay for our freedom with our lives because Jesus has already taken care of that for us.

Lord Jesus, I always trust in Your words and in Your promises. Your gift of salvation is a gift of love. As I have accepted You as my Lord and Savior , I know that I am now under greater responsibility to make sure my life, and the lives of those I love, are in total obedience to Your Words and Your will.

Oh Lord, help me choose the right words and the right actions so I may resist temptations. I don’t want to be forever in the mercy of death, so I continually seek for Your love and forgiveness. Teach me to turn from my wicked ways and finally, sin no more.

“Yet all shall be well, all shall be well
You'll see, all shall soon be well
All things, all men, all the world shall be well”

I am free, yes, forever, I am FREE!

WALK THE PATH

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin

It rained hard an hour ago. I am standing there, waiting for a jeepney that would take me to the next jeepney stop. I waited for an hour but the jeeps are full. I decide to walk further, hoping that I could catch one. But nothing came. I just realized that I am not the only one walking. So, I decided once and for all, I will walk from EDSA-Quezon Avenue to Welcome Rotonda (a distance of about 15 km). It turned out that it was just the start of a nightmare. When I reached the Espana area, the whole place is flooded up to the knee, then up to the waist. I have to walk, and walk again to reach home, while wading through flood, evading floating debris and open manholes (as if I can see it through the murky water). Luckily, I know the path, and I just followed it.

The whole time I am walking and wading through flood, I just put my self in God’s presence and asked Him to walk with me and bring me home safely. It was a two hour walk, but it’s worth it.

Almighty Father, let me walk with You and grow in my faith. And as I walk with You, teach me more about You and the life You want for me. May I truly appreciate what You have done in my life. I will not mind how far I shall walk with You, Oh Lord. It doesn’t matter if at times, I would stumble, as long as You are there to hold my hands, up to the point of carrying me.

Oh Lord, I trust in You for I love You. Most of the time, You have asked me to walk with You, but I simply ignored Your invitation. But now, You don’t have to invite us. We can only trust in our heart when it is fully surrendered to obey the truth that You are. And we would truly be blessed if we learn to walk daily with You instead of You begging to walk with us.

“Let me walk the path
That You have made for me
So I may follow Your will
And be the person You want me to be.”

Don’t walk in front or behind me… Walk beside me and be my friend.