Psalms 95:6
Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My lovely daughter is graduating today from high school. Let me dedicate today’s devotion to wish her “Happy Graduation”.
To our dearest Shiela,
Time really flies when you are having fun. You are now a young lady ready and willing to face the challenges of a college life. We are so proud of all that you have accomplished, things that you have creatively created, and all that you have done with your life so far. The only thing I can tell you with certainty about your future is that it won’t be anything like you imagine. It never is.
So, whatever you do, do it with a smile on your lips and in your heart. We can wish you all the best, we can wish you all the luck…but all will come to naught if you stop having fun. And nothing is more important to us than your happiness. Be happy in achieving what you want in life. Be happy in knowing that in your own little way, you can make a difference. Be happy in believing that in everything you do, God is there to guide and protect you.
Happy Graduation! We can’t wait to see what the future will hold for you! Yes, there will be victories, yet there will also be failures. But our fervent wish is that you succeed in the most important things in life. And, we pray to God that it will be a life full of happiness.
With all our love, Papa, Mama & Mark
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, enlighten our eyes, understanding fully that all knowledge came from and existed within You. Kindly share us Your knowledge, making us aware of what is meant to be, permitting our souls to understand it and the wisdom to agree with its outcome. And we kneel and bow before you today fully understanding your will. Amen +
Come into his presence with thanksgiving; joyfully sing psalms to Him.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
BY HEART, WE OBEY (03-30-11)
Matthew 5:19a
“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.”
--------------------------------------------------------
The commandments are clear. And they are summarized into two main points: Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. However, sometimes, people would interpret these commandments differently. Some men would have other woman aside from his wife because it says, “love your neighbor”.
And so when Jesus added more into the context of these commandments, He was charged as trying to change the laws of the prophets and Moses. But, in fact, he was just reinforcing the law.
He would not just say “do not kill”. Just being angry with another person and mere thinking of or saying bad things against this person would already mean breaking the commandments. For it was not just physical death but also emotional, relational and spiritual death for both.
He would not just say “do not commit adultery”. For everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This is a powerful statement. This further advances the thought that our mind should always be pure and free from sins. For once we harbor ill and dirty thoughts, this can drive us to commit further sin against God and against men.
And so, through all of these, He would say, “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” For most of us, this would be difficult to do. For after all the bad things done to us, how can you forgive that person. Yet, that is basically the advocacy that Jesus wants. He is not abolishing the laws, but reinforcing it so it may come into fulfillment within us.
And to end His discourse, with all of these things said and done, “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, I may not be perfect, but I will be in your love. Amen +
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.”
--------------------------------------------------------
The commandments are clear. And they are summarized into two main points: Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. However, sometimes, people would interpret these commandments differently. Some men would have other woman aside from his wife because it says, “love your neighbor”.
And so when Jesus added more into the context of these commandments, He was charged as trying to change the laws of the prophets and Moses. But, in fact, he was just reinforcing the law.
He would not just say “do not kill”. Just being angry with another person and mere thinking of or saying bad things against this person would already mean breaking the commandments. For it was not just physical death but also emotional, relational and spiritual death for both.
He would not just say “do not commit adultery”. For everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This is a powerful statement. This further advances the thought that our mind should always be pure and free from sins. For once we harbor ill and dirty thoughts, this can drive us to commit further sin against God and against men.
And so, through all of these, He would say, “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” For most of us, this would be difficult to do. For after all the bad things done to us, how can you forgive that person. Yet, that is basically the advocacy that Jesus wants. He is not abolishing the laws, but reinforcing it so it may come into fulfillment within us.
And to end His discourse, with all of these things said and done, “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, I may not be perfect, but I will be in your love. Amen +
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
WITH ALL MY HEART (03-29-11)
Matthew 18:35
“So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
-------------------------------------------------------------
It is always easy to say, “I forgive you”. What is difficult to do is to forgive fully and forgive from the heart. Our sinful flesh has a high resistance to laying offenses aside – we always want to take revenge. We want others to suffer as we suffer. Within our vicious mind, retaliation is most often not an option, but rather it's a driving force – the only option - it has to get even!
Learning to forgive implies that forgiveness is a learned process, not an automatic response. It could be 7 times. It could be seventy-seven times. And it may even be seventy times seven. The Lord doesn’t and will not care how many times you do it. What he expects us to do is to do it repeatedly.
And we have to do it from the heart – forgiving and then forgetting. For how can we ask God to forgive our sins, when we ourselves cannot forgive others? How can we ask God to give us what we need, when we ourselves cannot give to others what they need?
Learning to forgive begins with understanding what God says about forgiveness in the Bible. Our Christian life should be a changed life. We should forgive others no matter how many times they sin, as we live a progressively more holy life as we grow closer to Christ.
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
When was the last time you forgave someone of his sin? Have you done it straight from the heart?
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Solidify our understanding of forgiveness as you have done for us. Amen +
Remember your mercies, O Lord.
“So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
-------------------------------------------------------------
It is always easy to say, “I forgive you”. What is difficult to do is to forgive fully and forgive from the heart. Our sinful flesh has a high resistance to laying offenses aside – we always want to take revenge. We want others to suffer as we suffer. Within our vicious mind, retaliation is most often not an option, but rather it's a driving force – the only option - it has to get even!
Learning to forgive implies that forgiveness is a learned process, not an automatic response. It could be 7 times. It could be seventy-seven times. And it may even be seventy times seven. The Lord doesn’t and will not care how many times you do it. What he expects us to do is to do it repeatedly.
And we have to do it from the heart – forgiving and then forgetting. For how can we ask God to forgive our sins, when we ourselves cannot forgive others? How can we ask God to give us what we need, when we ourselves cannot give to others what they need?
Learning to forgive begins with understanding what God says about forgiveness in the Bible. Our Christian life should be a changed life. We should forgive others no matter how many times they sin, as we live a progressively more holy life as we grow closer to Christ.
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
When was the last time you forgave someone of his sin? Have you done it straight from the heart?
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Solidify our understanding of forgiveness as you have done for us. Amen +
Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Monday, March 28, 2011
CLEANSE ME (03-28-11)
2 Kings 5:15
“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”
----------------------------------------------------------------
He was a great warrior. Respected and highly esteemed.
But he suffered from leprosy.
And he was dying.
But these would not prevent him to take pride and heed the advice of Elisha, God’s prophet, to go and wash seven times in the river Jordan so he would be healed.
At least he did not take heed the first time. But his pride would simply go away through the prodding of his servants. Maybe, he finally realized that his pride would do nothing to him, and only the mercy and power of God can make him well again.
The healing of Naaman, the leper who leads the Aramean army, is not just a story of the healing of a man from one of the most dreaded diseases of ancient times. It is a story of salvation, one which illustrates the spiritual salvation man finds only in Jesus Christ and how men come to find that salvation in Christ.
We knew in our heart that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life – our only salvation. And yet, we sometimes keep a hardened heart. Because of our pride and ego, we want to follow our own way and not God’s way.
Listen to our loved ones. Listen to our elders and friends like Naaman. Become a new creature by faith in our Lord.
Follow Him and be cleanse of our sins.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, heal me. Let your living water wash away all my tears, illnesses, pains and sorrows. My pride has no match to your unending mercy, love and forgiveness. Cleanse me… heal me. Amen +
Athirst is my soul for the living God.
“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”
----------------------------------------------------------------
He was a great warrior. Respected and highly esteemed.
But he suffered from leprosy.
And he was dying.
But these would not prevent him to take pride and heed the advice of Elisha, God’s prophet, to go and wash seven times in the river Jordan so he would be healed.
At least he did not take heed the first time. But his pride would simply go away through the prodding of his servants. Maybe, he finally realized that his pride would do nothing to him, and only the mercy and power of God can make him well again.
The healing of Naaman, the leper who leads the Aramean army, is not just a story of the healing of a man from one of the most dreaded diseases of ancient times. It is a story of salvation, one which illustrates the spiritual salvation man finds only in Jesus Christ and how men come to find that salvation in Christ.
We knew in our heart that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life – our only salvation. And yet, we sometimes keep a hardened heart. Because of our pride and ego, we want to follow our own way and not God’s way.
Listen to our loved ones. Listen to our elders and friends like Naaman. Become a new creature by faith in our Lord.
Follow Him and be cleanse of our sins.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, heal me. Let your living water wash away all my tears, illnesses, pains and sorrows. My pride has no match to your unending mercy, love and forgiveness. Cleanse me… heal me. Amen +
Athirst is my soul for the living God.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
WELL OF LIFE (03-27-11)
Third Sunday of Lent
Luke 18:7
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
------------------------------------------------------------
In my hometown, I experienced first-hand the problem of water shortage during summer. I would fall in line and wait for hours just to fill two buckets with water. So, we would really be careful in using them so it will not be wasted.
Most of the time, we try to “water” ourselves with things that we think will make us grow. Then, a time will come when we experience “water shortage” as we start feeling dry, and thirsty and hungry. And that only made us crave for more, as our principles and morality starts to fall off. And deep inside, our body and our soul start to rot away. We withers like grass and wilts like flower.
Only the words of the Lord can make us fresh. Hearing the words of God and putting them into actions, could make our soul really jump for joy. This is what we must think; this is what we must believe.
Fill yourself with the words of the Lord. Get your bible and read about the good news. Overwater yourself with His words, with His promises, with His love, with His passion, with His spirit. Your soul will definitely not rot away, but grow more and more in love, until, it overflows.
Our body may wither as time goes by but our soul, watered with the spirit of God, will remain forever. When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and come into our heart, He washes away our sins and gives us a clean heart!
Let His blood wash you.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul and spirit. Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Your Precious Blood and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Amen +
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Luke 18:7
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
------------------------------------------------------------
In my hometown, I experienced first-hand the problem of water shortage during summer. I would fall in line and wait for hours just to fill two buckets with water. So, we would really be careful in using them so it will not be wasted.
Most of the time, we try to “water” ourselves with things that we think will make us grow. Then, a time will come when we experience “water shortage” as we start feeling dry, and thirsty and hungry. And that only made us crave for more, as our principles and morality starts to fall off. And deep inside, our body and our soul start to rot away. We withers like grass and wilts like flower.
Only the words of the Lord can make us fresh. Hearing the words of God and putting them into actions, could make our soul really jump for joy. This is what we must think; this is what we must believe.
Fill yourself with the words of the Lord. Get your bible and read about the good news. Overwater yourself with His words, with His promises, with His love, with His passion, with His spirit. Your soul will definitely not rot away, but grow more and more in love, until, it overflows.
Our body may wither as time goes by but our soul, watered with the spirit of God, will remain forever. When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and come into our heart, He washes away our sins and gives us a clean heart!
Let His blood wash you.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul and spirit. Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Your Precious Blood and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Amen +
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
TWO LOST SONS (03-26-11)
Luke 15:31-32
“My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
We all heard about the “prodigal son”. He left his family after taking all his inheritance (even when his father is still alive), and spent them all on vices. When all the money is gone, he thought of going back to his father, not to ask for more, but to ask for forgiveness and to request to just work for him.
And his father would forgive him… no questions asked. He did not even bother to let his son finish what he would be saying. He knew that his waiting will not be in vain. He knew that someday, his son would return… and he has already made up his mind – he would accept him no matter what.
He would welcome him in his arms, and would never allow that he would be lost again.
Still, he also had another son who is “lost”. The elder son may not have left their house, but the communication between them may have stopped the day he gave the younger son his share. The elder son must be full of envy that he would spend his time with his friends rather than with his father.
And on that single day, the father was really hoping that he regained both his sons. I would imagine the three of them embracing each other – the younger son finally forgiven and the elder son, finally reconciled with his father fully knowing that he has nothing to be envy about.
So, who are you? The son that is lost and needs forgiveness from the Father? Or the son that is with the Father, but your heart is away from Him? Either, it is good to know that the Father is waiting and always willing to accept us again, so we can join him forever in His Kingdom in heaven.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, I am lost, but you never cease to look for me until I find my way to you. This is what true love is all about. A patient love… a love full of forgiveness. Thank you for everything. Amen +
The Lord is kind and merciful.
“My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
We all heard about the “prodigal son”. He left his family after taking all his inheritance (even when his father is still alive), and spent them all on vices. When all the money is gone, he thought of going back to his father, not to ask for more, but to ask for forgiveness and to request to just work for him.
And his father would forgive him… no questions asked. He did not even bother to let his son finish what he would be saying. He knew that his waiting will not be in vain. He knew that someday, his son would return… and he has already made up his mind – he would accept him no matter what.
He would welcome him in his arms, and would never allow that he would be lost again.
Still, he also had another son who is “lost”. The elder son may not have left their house, but the communication between them may have stopped the day he gave the younger son his share. The elder son must be full of envy that he would spend his time with his friends rather than with his father.
And on that single day, the father was really hoping that he regained both his sons. I would imagine the three of them embracing each other – the younger son finally forgiven and the elder son, finally reconciled with his father fully knowing that he has nothing to be envy about.
So, who are you? The son that is lost and needs forgiveness from the Father? Or the son that is with the Father, but your heart is away from Him? Either, it is good to know that the Father is waiting and always willing to accept us again, so we can join him forever in His Kingdom in heaven.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, I am lost, but you never cease to look for me until I find my way to you. This is what true love is all about. A patient love… a love full of forgiveness. Thank you for everything. Amen +
The Lord is kind and merciful.
Friday, March 25, 2011
LET IT BE DONE (03-25-11)
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Luke 18:7
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
Nine months from now and it would be Christmas. Not that I am in a hurry, but I am just saying that today is when the Lord Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, nine months from now, it would be His birthday…
And the Annunciation would signify two great things:
God's action in entering the human world in order to save humanity.
And, humanity's willing acceptance of God's action in Mary's freely given acceptance of the task of being the Mother of God
And all of these would not have happened if a girl from Jerusalem had said “no”. Through Mary’s act of faith, she fully cooperated in God’s plan of salvation – a plan that He cannot carry out without her “yes”.
And in this present age, God is also asking us to conceive His Son into our hearts, into our soul. Hear the call, hear the annunciation – as we are all called to have it done to us according to His will.
For we are all the handmaid of the Lord. And we are all called to a life of obedience to His will. And it would not obedience borne out of being afraid, but borne out of trust, fully believing in His promise of salvation, so someday, we can join Him in his Kingdom in Heaven.
Rejoice, for today, we celebrate the beginning of our salvation!
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, You have revealed the beauty of your power by exalting the lowly virgin of Nazareth and making her the mother of our Savior. May we become more like Jesus Christ, whom we acknowledge as our Redeemer, God and man. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen +
Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Luke 18:7
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
Nine months from now and it would be Christmas. Not that I am in a hurry, but I am just saying that today is when the Lord Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, nine months from now, it would be His birthday…
And the Annunciation would signify two great things:
God's action in entering the human world in order to save humanity.
And, humanity's willing acceptance of God's action in Mary's freely given acceptance of the task of being the Mother of God
And all of these would not have happened if a girl from Jerusalem had said “no”. Through Mary’s act of faith, she fully cooperated in God’s plan of salvation – a plan that He cannot carry out without her “yes”.
And in this present age, God is also asking us to conceive His Son into our hearts, into our soul. Hear the call, hear the annunciation – as we are all called to have it done to us according to His will.
For we are all the handmaid of the Lord. And we are all called to a life of obedience to His will. And it would not obedience borne out of being afraid, but borne out of trust, fully believing in His promise of salvation, so someday, we can join Him in his Kingdom in Heaven.
Rejoice, for today, we celebrate the beginning of our salvation!
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, You have revealed the beauty of your power by exalting the lowly virgin of Nazareth and making her the mother of our Savior. May we become more like Jesus Christ, whom we acknowledge as our Redeemer, God and man. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen +
Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
TAKE HEED (03-24-11)
Luke 16:29
“But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
When coming back from a trip abroad, I would make sure to bring back souvenirs from the country where I have been, so, maybe my wife and my kids would believe that I have been to that country. And so when I tell them stories, it would really be believable.
However, have you talked to a person who said he just came from Heaven (or maybe, from hell), and told you everything about the place and even brought a “souvenir” just to make you believe in all that he said?
Most probably, not. And most probably also, you would not be encountering a person like that for the rest of your earthly life. But, is it enough justification to say that Heaven (or hell) does not exist? Is it enough to say that everything written in the Bible is not true? Definitely not!
For the very person to whom we should believe that Heaven exist is the Lord Jesus, Himself for He came from that place. He taught us about it, and even showed us the way to reach that place. And all we need is to listen to the Word and keep it in our hearts forever. Let it renew our lives and the lives of others. When Jesus sent out His disciples, He tells them, “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me.” He knows that His disciples can be trusted and would only share the right things based on His teachings.
In Cana, Mama Mary instructed the helpers to listen to Him and do whatever He tells them. During the Transfiguration, God the Father instructed us to listen to Him.
So as a response, would you not listen to Him?
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, let there be no misunderstanding. May we accept it as Your truth and listen to Your message to us, and use it to change our lives, for Your Word will accomplish its purpose. Amen +
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
“But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
When coming back from a trip abroad, I would make sure to bring back souvenirs from the country where I have been, so, maybe my wife and my kids would believe that I have been to that country. And so when I tell them stories, it would really be believable.
However, have you talked to a person who said he just came from Heaven (or maybe, from hell), and told you everything about the place and even brought a “souvenir” just to make you believe in all that he said?
Most probably, not. And most probably also, you would not be encountering a person like that for the rest of your earthly life. But, is it enough justification to say that Heaven (or hell) does not exist? Is it enough to say that everything written in the Bible is not true? Definitely not!
For the very person to whom we should believe that Heaven exist is the Lord Jesus, Himself for He came from that place. He taught us about it, and even showed us the way to reach that place. And all we need is to listen to the Word and keep it in our hearts forever. Let it renew our lives and the lives of others. When Jesus sent out His disciples, He tells them, “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me.” He knows that His disciples can be trusted and would only share the right things based on His teachings.
In Cana, Mama Mary instructed the helpers to listen to Him and do whatever He tells them. During the Transfiguration, God the Father instructed us to listen to Him.
So as a response, would you not listen to Him?
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, let there be no misunderstanding. May we accept it as Your truth and listen to Your message to us, and use it to change our lives, for Your Word will accomplish its purpose. Amen +
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
SOMEONE DESERVING (03-23-11)
Matthew 20:22
“You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
-----------------------------------------------------------
As parents, most, if not, all of the time, we would only ask for something good will happen to our children. And in this graduation month (at least in the Philippines), we would all be proud of our sons and daughters and would wish them all the best in the coming years.
But let us take a step back and check those things we are wishing. Then we ask ourselves, do we really want them for our kids? Or because we really want them for ourselves, also? Such that if our son will become rich, then we can ask for some money from him from time to time. Such that if our daughter would be able to marry a politician, then at least we can have a little influence and power of our own.
This could be what the mother of John and James was thinking when she asked Jesus to make her sons sit in places of honor with Jesus in heaven. So if her two sons are seated with Jesus, then she would have no problems being with them also in Heaven.
Jesus did not really responded “No” to the request. He simply said that it will not be His decision, but would be the decision of the Father, and these places of honor is only reserved for those who are deserving to be with Jesus in Heaven.
Our Father in heaven already knows what we need even before we ask for them. But still, He wants us to pray and ask for it. And so we must really be careful in wishing or praying for something. We must always be ready for any consequences or effect of those things we ask. And we must be ready to accept whether those are given to us or not.
Pray for something we need, and not what we want. The last one is acting like a master, the first one is acting like a humble and trusting servant.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, give me a servant’s heart. Amen +
Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
“You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
-----------------------------------------------------------
As parents, most, if not, all of the time, we would only ask for something good will happen to our children. And in this graduation month (at least in the Philippines), we would all be proud of our sons and daughters and would wish them all the best in the coming years.
But let us take a step back and check those things we are wishing. Then we ask ourselves, do we really want them for our kids? Or because we really want them for ourselves, also? Such that if our son will become rich, then we can ask for some money from him from time to time. Such that if our daughter would be able to marry a politician, then at least we can have a little influence and power of our own.
This could be what the mother of John and James was thinking when she asked Jesus to make her sons sit in places of honor with Jesus in heaven. So if her two sons are seated with Jesus, then she would have no problems being with them also in Heaven.
Jesus did not really responded “No” to the request. He simply said that it will not be His decision, but would be the decision of the Father, and these places of honor is only reserved for those who are deserving to be with Jesus in Heaven.
Our Father in heaven already knows what we need even before we ask for them. But still, He wants us to pray and ask for it. And so we must really be careful in wishing or praying for something. We must always be ready for any consequences or effect of those things we ask. And we must be ready to accept whether those are given to us or not.
Pray for something we need, and not what we want. The last one is acting like a master, the first one is acting like a humble and trusting servant.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, give me a servant’s heart. Amen +
Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
HUMBLE YOURSELF (03-22-11)
Matthew 23:10
Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah.
------------------------------------------------------------
We are nothing as compared to God. And yet, we still think that we are better or even superior than most people that we meet or know.
His instructions are clear and straight to the point. These are exactly what’s wrong – pride, self-promoting, exalting self. When we choose to fight, strive or desire recognition, appreciation, honor and respect, we are exalting our self as if we are the superior one.
But, He is also clear on how to change – humble your self.
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
Our job is to humble ourselves. God’s job is to lift us up. We need to see that all that we have is given by God and be humbled by that realization. And we need to be willing to use all that we have been given for the sake of the Gospel.
Get our eyes off our self. Focus on Jesus and His power working in us. The genuinely humble do not seek their own honor, but rather seek to honor God. But in the end, God honors them.
In the eyes of the world, we may think or believe that we are important, and they look upon us. But we should know what is more important. And that is our own salvation.
A true servant does not seek his own reward, but rather serves because he has accepted the Lordship of Christ.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, Show me how to be humble of heart, like you. Please prevent me from gloating over praise on one hand or be discouraged by criticism on the other. Amen +
…and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.
Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah.
------------------------------------------------------------
We are nothing as compared to God. And yet, we still think that we are better or even superior than most people that we meet or know.
His instructions are clear and straight to the point. These are exactly what’s wrong – pride, self-promoting, exalting self. When we choose to fight, strive or desire recognition, appreciation, honor and respect, we are exalting our self as if we are the superior one.
But, He is also clear on how to change – humble your self.
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
Our job is to humble ourselves. God’s job is to lift us up. We need to see that all that we have is given by God and be humbled by that realization. And we need to be willing to use all that we have been given for the sake of the Gospel.
Get our eyes off our self. Focus on Jesus and His power working in us. The genuinely humble do not seek their own honor, but rather seek to honor God. But in the end, God honors them.
In the eyes of the world, we may think or believe that we are important, and they look upon us. But we should know what is more important. And that is our own salvation.
A true servant does not seek his own reward, but rather serves because he has accepted the Lordship of Christ.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, Show me how to be humble of heart, like you. Please prevent me from gloating over praise on one hand or be discouraged by criticism on the other. Amen +
…and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.
Monday, March 21, 2011
JUDGE NOT (03-21-11)
Luke 6:37, 38
"Stop judging and you will not be judged… For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
--------------------------------------------------------------
I disagree with what a friend is saying. Instead of saying my side about the issue at hand, I criticized him - hmmm, no, it was something harder – I actually insulted him. Yet, he remained silent.
His silence made me stopped and think hard. His silence exposed the pride I feel inside. His silence judged me more than I judged him in the first place.
The act of judgment is an act of pride. Judging others is an act of monumental pride - enormous pride, stupendous pride, galling, astonishing, fantastic pride. When you render judgment on another, you have taken upon yourself an awesome responsibility for making the correct judgment.
Because, after all, your judgment is not necessary.
So when we judge others perhaps we should step back for a moment and judge our judging. Are we being fair? Or are we acting on a double standard? “We all have beams in our eyes, so to speak; to judge people for the little motes stuck in their eyes while we have big beams in our own is devilish arrogance as well as folly.”
As Tyron Edwards (renowned American theologian) have said, “Most of our censure of others is only oblique praise of self, uttered to show the wisdom and superiority of the speaker. It has all the insidiousness of self-praise, and all the ill-desert of falsehood.”
Make the right judgment based on facts, or don’t make any judgment at all.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, may Your Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love. May Your Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another.
Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
"Stop judging and you will not be judged… For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
--------------------------------------------------------------
I disagree with what a friend is saying. Instead of saying my side about the issue at hand, I criticized him - hmmm, no, it was something harder – I actually insulted him. Yet, he remained silent.
His silence made me stopped and think hard. His silence exposed the pride I feel inside. His silence judged me more than I judged him in the first place.
The act of judgment is an act of pride. Judging others is an act of monumental pride - enormous pride, stupendous pride, galling, astonishing, fantastic pride. When you render judgment on another, you have taken upon yourself an awesome responsibility for making the correct judgment.
Because, after all, your judgment is not necessary.
So when we judge others perhaps we should step back for a moment and judge our judging. Are we being fair? Or are we acting on a double standard? “We all have beams in our eyes, so to speak; to judge people for the little motes stuck in their eyes while we have big beams in our own is devilish arrogance as well as folly.”
As Tyron Edwards (renowned American theologian) have said, “Most of our censure of others is only oblique praise of self, uttered to show the wisdom and superiority of the speaker. It has all the insidiousness of self-praise, and all the ill-desert of falsehood.”
Make the right judgment based on facts, or don’t make any judgment at all.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, may Your Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love. May Your Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another.
Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
AS WHITE AS LIGHT (03-20-11)
Second Sunday of Lent
Matthew 17:2
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.
---------------------------------------------------------------
We would always want our white shirt to be really white – not off-white and definitely not dirty white. And when we clean our tiles, we would want them to be sparkling clean. And we can only do this if we would get the right chemical or soap to do the job.
But nothing can really compare with how Jesus transfigured as His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And only Him can exudes this kind of transfiguration because it matches what is inside Him, what is inside His heart, what is the state of His soul and spirit.
For in Jesus Christ, the outside matched with the reality of the inside. Jesus' divine nature was "veiled" in human form and the transfiguration was a glimpse of that glory.
The Son of God came to earth in the form of a man to be the true servant of God and to gift mankind with the greatest gift ever given, eternal life. And He remained true to that commitment. He was tempted many times, but His Spirit cannot be simply broken and that spirit had fully consumed both His physical and spiritually being during the transfiguration.
The transfiguration of Jesus Christ was a visible sign in the presence of reliable witnesses of the reality of the power of God and the glory, which is Christ Jesus. The reality that God is in Him, that God and Him is One.
And we are all called to receive and exudes that same glory. May others see in us the reality of God that is within us. And as we metamorphose into what He wants us to be, may we also facilitate the transformation of others to receive the same glory that is within us.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, may your light shine upon us forever. We see Jesus, not casting us off, but leading us down, leading us out - to minister to people, so Your love endures forever. Amen +
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Matthew 17:2
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.
---------------------------------------------------------------
We would always want our white shirt to be really white – not off-white and definitely not dirty white. And when we clean our tiles, we would want them to be sparkling clean. And we can only do this if we would get the right chemical or soap to do the job.
But nothing can really compare with how Jesus transfigured as His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And only Him can exudes this kind of transfiguration because it matches what is inside Him, what is inside His heart, what is the state of His soul and spirit.
For in Jesus Christ, the outside matched with the reality of the inside. Jesus' divine nature was "veiled" in human form and the transfiguration was a glimpse of that glory.
The Son of God came to earth in the form of a man to be the true servant of God and to gift mankind with the greatest gift ever given, eternal life. And He remained true to that commitment. He was tempted many times, but His Spirit cannot be simply broken and that spirit had fully consumed both His physical and spiritually being during the transfiguration.
The transfiguration of Jesus Christ was a visible sign in the presence of reliable witnesses of the reality of the power of God and the glory, which is Christ Jesus. The reality that God is in Him, that God and Him is One.
And we are all called to receive and exudes that same glory. May others see in us the reality of God that is within us. And as we metamorphose into what He wants us to be, may we also facilitate the transformation of others to receive the same glory that is within us.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, may your light shine upon us forever. We see Jesus, not casting us off, but leading us down, leading us out - to minister to people, so Your love endures forever. Amen +
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
A GREAT PRIVILEGE (03-19-11)
Matthew 1:20
“Joseph… do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.”
-----------------------------------------------------------
Your wife came to you one evening. She told you that she is 2-month pregnant. You were ecstatic and even jumped for joy. Then, she said that you are not the Father, but some other guy. In fact, it was the Holy Spirit. What will you do? What will you think? Would you believe her? Would you say goodbye and leave her?
St. Joseph actually thought of leaving Mary at that time. Not because he felt cheated, but because “since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly”. During that time, a woman accused of adultery will be put to death by stoning. And here is his wife, pregnant, and no one has ever touched her in the first place.
Yet, he changed his mind, after a dream. He took Mary as his wife, took care of her and Jesus. They lived in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up strong in body and spirit and have been very obedient to His parents.
What a great privilege it was given to St. Joseph. He was a mere carpenter, and ordinary man. Yet, he was given the opportunity to be the earthly father of Jesus, calling him “Papa”, “Father”, “Tatay”, “Daddy”. What a great privilege of being called “Papa” by no other than the Lord, himself. And all along, he remained humble and did not even bragged about it.
He remained obedient to the will of the Lord, letting Jesus grow in spirit, totally being under God’s love and glory.
And he remained truly faithful, believing and trusting the Lord that one day, Jesus will “save us from our sins” so we can be with God forever in heaven.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, I need your special care. Like your earthly father, Joseph,
I want to do God's will, even if I may not always understand. Make me gentle and selfless in the care of my children; help me guide them in the toils and troubles, the happiness and wonders of this life. Amen +
The son of David will live for ever.
“Joseph… do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.”
-----------------------------------------------------------
Your wife came to you one evening. She told you that she is 2-month pregnant. You were ecstatic and even jumped for joy. Then, she said that you are not the Father, but some other guy. In fact, it was the Holy Spirit. What will you do? What will you think? Would you believe her? Would you say goodbye and leave her?
St. Joseph actually thought of leaving Mary at that time. Not because he felt cheated, but because “since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly”. During that time, a woman accused of adultery will be put to death by stoning. And here is his wife, pregnant, and no one has ever touched her in the first place.
Yet, he changed his mind, after a dream. He took Mary as his wife, took care of her and Jesus. They lived in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up strong in body and spirit and have been very obedient to His parents.
What a great privilege it was given to St. Joseph. He was a mere carpenter, and ordinary man. Yet, he was given the opportunity to be the earthly father of Jesus, calling him “Papa”, “Father”, “Tatay”, “Daddy”. What a great privilege of being called “Papa” by no other than the Lord, himself. And all along, he remained humble and did not even bragged about it.
He remained obedient to the will of the Lord, letting Jesus grow in spirit, totally being under God’s love and glory.
And he remained truly faithful, believing and trusting the Lord that one day, Jesus will “save us from our sins” so we can be with God forever in heaven.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, I need your special care. Like your earthly father, Joseph,
I want to do God's will, even if I may not always understand. Make me gentle and selfless in the care of my children; help me guide them in the toils and troubles, the happiness and wonders of this life. Amen +
The son of David will live for ever.
Friday, March 18, 2011
RECONCILED TO GOD (03-18-11)
Ezekiel 18:21-22
If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed… None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
--------------------------------------------------------
I was going fast on a turn. I did not notice a somewhat deep crater. The front wheel of my bike fell into it, and, well, you probably know what happened next. I lost control of the bike and I fell down suffering bruises on my knees and legs. I got up, looked at my wounds and stood there for a while, thinking what happened.
Then it hits me – I could just stay there for the rest of the day pondering what happened. Or I can stand-up, ride the bike again, clean my bruises upon reaching the house, and get on with my life.
Throughout our lives, we experienced falling down, not only physically, but spiritually as well. Once we entertain temptations and commits sin, we fall out of the grace of God and come short of His glory. And most of the time, we just let it happen again and again and again, thinking that once we committed sin, it is forever on us, and that God hates us forever.
That is a very wrong thinking.
God is the author of reconciliation and has even taken the initiative to remove the wall of enmity between Himself and mankind. Through His love, Christ became the agent of the reconciliation, having died for all our sins. And finally, man is called to be an ambassador of reconciliation. For through forgiving others can we truly be reconciled with God, for sin that separates is ours that only God could reconcile.
And that bruises may have healed and scarred us for life. But those scars would be a beautiful reminder of the forgiveness we received. That scar will be forever remind us that we have life today and forever because of the forgiveness the Lord has extended to us, again and again and again.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, forgive us our sins. Amen +
If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed… None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
--------------------------------------------------------
I was going fast on a turn. I did not notice a somewhat deep crater. The front wheel of my bike fell into it, and, well, you probably know what happened next. I lost control of the bike and I fell down suffering bruises on my knees and legs. I got up, looked at my wounds and stood there for a while, thinking what happened.
Then it hits me – I could just stay there for the rest of the day pondering what happened. Or I can stand-up, ride the bike again, clean my bruises upon reaching the house, and get on with my life.
Throughout our lives, we experienced falling down, not only physically, but spiritually as well. Once we entertain temptations and commits sin, we fall out of the grace of God and come short of His glory. And most of the time, we just let it happen again and again and again, thinking that once we committed sin, it is forever on us, and that God hates us forever.
That is a very wrong thinking.
God is the author of reconciliation and has even taken the initiative to remove the wall of enmity between Himself and mankind. Through His love, Christ became the agent of the reconciliation, having died for all our sins. And finally, man is called to be an ambassador of reconciliation. For through forgiving others can we truly be reconciled with God, for sin that separates is ours that only God could reconcile.
And that bruises may have healed and scarred us for life. But those scars would be a beautiful reminder of the forgiveness we received. That scar will be forever remind us that we have life today and forever because of the forgiveness the Lord has extended to us, again and again and again.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, forgive us our sins. Amen +
If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Thursday, March 17, 2011
INTERACTION (03-17-11)
Luke 18:7
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”
----------------------------------------------
These are the laws of nature…
In Physics, you have the Law of Interaction: “To every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction.”
In Buddhism, you have the concept of Karma: “For every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.”
And then, there is the Golden Rule: “Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you.”
And then, there is the Christian way as espoused by the Lord Jesus: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
What a great principle to live by. Knowing that doing something good can be rewarded back with something greater.
God has shown us this by even giving His only Son so that His Life, Death and Resurrection could provide us with our salvation and eternal life with Him. This is the greatest act of love that the Lord is also expecting from us – to live our life for others so they may also feel the love of God in their lives through us.
The more we give, the more we love. Start by hearing His words and living a life devoted to Him. Invite Him to dwell in our hearts so we may live a life of holiness and be a model to others.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, let us love one another, for Your love is a selfless, giving love. The love we should offer shall no longer be self-seeking, but, instead it shall seek the good of those that we love. Amen +
Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”
----------------------------------------------
These are the laws of nature…
In Physics, you have the Law of Interaction: “To every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction.”
In Buddhism, you have the concept of Karma: “For every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.”
And then, there is the Golden Rule: “Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you.”
And then, there is the Christian way as espoused by the Lord Jesus: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
What a great principle to live by. Knowing that doing something good can be rewarded back with something greater.
God has shown us this by even giving His only Son so that His Life, Death and Resurrection could provide us with our salvation and eternal life with Him. This is the greatest act of love that the Lord is also expecting from us – to live our life for others so they may also feel the love of God in their lives through us.
The more we give, the more we love. Start by hearing His words and living a life devoted to Him. Invite Him to dwell in our hearts so we may live a life of holiness and be a model to others.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, let us love one another, for Your love is a selfless, giving love. The love we should offer shall no longer be self-seeking, but, instead it shall seek the good of those that we love. Amen +
Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
SIGN OF THE TIMES (03-16-11)
Luke 11:29
“This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.”
--------------------------------------------------
Civil wars and political unrests in Libya and Egypt, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, piracy and human genocide in Somalia and some African countries, earthquake and tsunami in New Zealand and Japan. These are recent events that echo the ends of time.
War, famine, disasters…they are happening for they are real. And in the midst of it all, what are we doing to prepare ourselves? That is, both physically and spiritually.
And in all of these disasters, people are asking a moral question - “How could God have let this happen? Did God abandoned us?”
I am not really in any position to respond to these questions. Moreover, people may have asked these not to question the authority of God, but rather as a reaction to what happened, being overwhelmed by the horrifying sights and smells and profound scenes of human suffering.
Bad things happen, that is a reality. However, we should not dwell forever on these things. The world is generally peaceful and stable. When waking up in the morning, most of the time, if not always, you would see the same things (your slipper, your book, your clothes) at exactly the same place where you left them before you sleep the night before.
And so, the truth is, when “bad” things happen to us, that is reality. In the midst of devastation and helplessness, we can do more than just cast weak sympathetic glances at each other. And when we set aside complaining and place ourselves in God’s protection and voice our pain and suffering openly to God in prayer—that is, when you really trust in God.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, protect us, cradle us, heal us. Teach us, Oh Lord to fully put our trust in You and let this trust push us into action to prepare ourselves from any impending disasters. Amen +
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
“This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.”
--------------------------------------------------
Civil wars and political unrests in Libya and Egypt, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, piracy and human genocide in Somalia and some African countries, earthquake and tsunami in New Zealand and Japan. These are recent events that echo the ends of time.
War, famine, disasters…they are happening for they are real. And in the midst of it all, what are we doing to prepare ourselves? That is, both physically and spiritually.
And in all of these disasters, people are asking a moral question - “How could God have let this happen? Did God abandoned us?”
I am not really in any position to respond to these questions. Moreover, people may have asked these not to question the authority of God, but rather as a reaction to what happened, being overwhelmed by the horrifying sights and smells and profound scenes of human suffering.
Bad things happen, that is a reality. However, we should not dwell forever on these things. The world is generally peaceful and stable. When waking up in the morning, most of the time, if not always, you would see the same things (your slipper, your book, your clothes) at exactly the same place where you left them before you sleep the night before.
And so, the truth is, when “bad” things happen to us, that is reality. In the midst of devastation and helplessness, we can do more than just cast weak sympathetic glances at each other. And when we set aside complaining and place ourselves in God’s protection and voice our pain and suffering openly to God in prayer—that is, when you really trust in God.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, protect us, cradle us, heal us. Teach us, Oh Lord to fully put our trust in You and let this trust push us into action to prepare ourselves from any impending disasters. Amen +
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A BREAD IN RETURN (03-15-11)
Matthew 6:12
“…and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…”
----------------------------------------------------
Someone threw a stone at you, and it hit you really hard. Your head is not the only one bleeding, but your heart as well. For how could a friend of so many years did this to you. So, do you seek revenge, and throw a bigger stone at him? Do you seek revenge, and out of hate, you kick him, punch him, and leave him dying so as to relieve the pain you are experiencing?
You would be thinking a lot of things just to take revenge. I am just human, you would say.
But how about throwing “bread” at him. And if you are it, put some butter and jelly. Have you thought of forgiveness? Have you thought of reconciliation? Have you thought of leading him for the better, leading him to Jesus?
Yes, Jesus who, 2000 years ago, have died so our sins may be forgiven. Jesus, who wants us to forgive not only those who are dear to us, but our enemies as well. Jesus, who through Him, God is still forgiving us our sins, so we may live forever with Him.
Forgiving means letting go of the anger we harbor inside us and allowing God to deal with him or her as he, in his perfect wisdom, sees fit.
It doesn't mean excusing a wrong or denying that it ever happened. It means we don't allow ourselves to be consumed with anger towards the one who has done something to us.
Instead of cursing him, we pray for him.
Almighty Father, today, I decided to forgive. Today I have gained a better understanding of forgiving others and with your help, I fully forgive from my heart. Just as you have freely forgiven me, I forgive them. Father, I ask you to forgive me for hurting others out of my own hurt and to heal my relationships with others. Amen +
From all their distress God rescues the just.
“…and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…”
----------------------------------------------------
Someone threw a stone at you, and it hit you really hard. Your head is not the only one bleeding, but your heart as well. For how could a friend of so many years did this to you. So, do you seek revenge, and throw a bigger stone at him? Do you seek revenge, and out of hate, you kick him, punch him, and leave him dying so as to relieve the pain you are experiencing?
You would be thinking a lot of things just to take revenge. I am just human, you would say.
But how about throwing “bread” at him. And if you are it, put some butter and jelly. Have you thought of forgiveness? Have you thought of reconciliation? Have you thought of leading him for the better, leading him to Jesus?
Yes, Jesus who, 2000 years ago, have died so our sins may be forgiven. Jesus, who wants us to forgive not only those who are dear to us, but our enemies as well. Jesus, who through Him, God is still forgiving us our sins, so we may live forever with Him.
Forgiving means letting go of the anger we harbor inside us and allowing God to deal with him or her as he, in his perfect wisdom, sees fit.
It doesn't mean excusing a wrong or denying that it ever happened. It means we don't allow ourselves to be consumed with anger towards the one who has done something to us.
Instead of cursing him, we pray for him.
Almighty Father, today, I decided to forgive. Today I have gained a better understanding of forgiving others and with your help, I fully forgive from my heart. Just as you have freely forgiven me, I forgive them. Father, I ask you to forgive me for hurting others out of my own hurt and to heal my relationships with others. Amen +
From all their distress God rescues the just.
Monday, March 14, 2011
NOT COUNT THE COST (03-14-11)
Matthew 25:40
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
----------------------------------------------------------
They would knock on the car windows, begging for alms. Sometimes, I would give them something but most of the time, I would not. What is worse, I would even comment that these children are part of a syndicate, so giving them money would mean “feeding” the syndicate.
I would see them sitting or lying on the streets, begging for alms. Sometimes, I would give them something but most of the time, I would not. What is worse, I would even comment - they seem to look to be in such good health: they are just so lazy! They could work. They are young and even look stronger than me.
God would see me kneeling, praying for something that I need, or even begging for something that I want. Sometime, He would give it to me immediately but most of the time, He would not.
And then I would comment, He does not love me, He does not care.
It is really our nature to want to receive more than to give. When it comes to giving to others, we are sometimes very stingy. But when it comes to asking for something, we even “want the whole world”.
One must take from oneself and give to others. And we don’t just give alms. We must do so cheerfully and not reluctantly, secretly and not for the praise of men. And you may not care anymore how he use it – as what St. John Vianney had said – “The poor will be judged on the use they have made of their alms, and you will be judged on the very alms that you could have given but haven't.”
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost. Amen +
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
----------------------------------------------------------
They would knock on the car windows, begging for alms. Sometimes, I would give them something but most of the time, I would not. What is worse, I would even comment that these children are part of a syndicate, so giving them money would mean “feeding” the syndicate.
I would see them sitting or lying on the streets, begging for alms. Sometimes, I would give them something but most of the time, I would not. What is worse, I would even comment - they seem to look to be in such good health: they are just so lazy! They could work. They are young and even look stronger than me.
God would see me kneeling, praying for something that I need, or even begging for something that I want. Sometime, He would give it to me immediately but most of the time, He would not.
And then I would comment, He does not love me, He does not care.
It is really our nature to want to receive more than to give. When it comes to giving to others, we are sometimes very stingy. But when it comes to asking for something, we even “want the whole world”.
One must take from oneself and give to others. And we don’t just give alms. We must do so cheerfully and not reluctantly, secretly and not for the praise of men. And you may not care anymore how he use it – as what St. John Vianney had said – “The poor will be judged on the use they have made of their alms, and you will be judged on the very alms that you could have given but haven't.”
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost. Amen +
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
VICTORIOUS OVER SINS (03-13-11)
First Sunday of Lent
Matthew 4:11
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
--------------------------------------------------------
He is the Son of God, the Lord of the Most High, and still He was tempted.
Satan knows that He is the son of God, and yet, it still had the guts to tempt Him. OR, a better way to put it – Satan knows He is the Son of God, THAT IS WHY, it gathered all his guts to tempt Him.
He succeeded before when He tempted Adam, who gave in to its wants and “through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men.” And Satan would do anything to prevent man from achieving the promises of salvation.
The temptation of Jesus focused on Satan's determined effort to keep Jesus from the cross. It didn't want Him to die so that we may live for it knew Christ's death will destroy evil, death, and Satan himself. The proof of his desperation was his willingness to compromise with Jesus by letting Him rule over an earthly, materialistic kingdom.
But, Satan would never succeed the second time. But, it would never stop. Satan returned throughout Christ's ministry: through demon-possessed people, the hardened hearts of the scribes and the Pharisees; His own family who cannot understand His mission in life, His own disciples; and finally in the colossal struggle in Gethsemane, where for the nth time, He accepted His fate by following the will of God – “I shall drink the cup which the Father has given Me”.
And as we become victorious against temptation, God will send His angels to minister on us, guiding us, protecting us so that Satan may not succeed again in separating us from the One, True God. Resist temptation and live life fully with the Lord.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, teach us to be vigilant in the eyes and the heart, strong in spirit and virtue in resisting temptation. Amen +
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness…
Matthew 4:11
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
--------------------------------------------------------
He is the Son of God, the Lord of the Most High, and still He was tempted.
Satan knows that He is the son of God, and yet, it still had the guts to tempt Him. OR, a better way to put it – Satan knows He is the Son of God, THAT IS WHY, it gathered all his guts to tempt Him.
He succeeded before when He tempted Adam, who gave in to its wants and “through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men.” And Satan would do anything to prevent man from achieving the promises of salvation.
The temptation of Jesus focused on Satan's determined effort to keep Jesus from the cross. It didn't want Him to die so that we may live for it knew Christ's death will destroy evil, death, and Satan himself. The proof of his desperation was his willingness to compromise with Jesus by letting Him rule over an earthly, materialistic kingdom.
But, Satan would never succeed the second time. But, it would never stop. Satan returned throughout Christ's ministry: through demon-possessed people, the hardened hearts of the scribes and the Pharisees; His own family who cannot understand His mission in life, His own disciples; and finally in the colossal struggle in Gethsemane, where for the nth time, He accepted His fate by following the will of God – “I shall drink the cup which the Father has given Me”.
And as we become victorious against temptation, God will send His angels to minister on us, guiding us, protecting us so that Satan may not succeed again in separating us from the One, True God. Resist temptation and live life fully with the Lord.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, teach us to be vigilant in the eyes and the heart, strong in spirit and virtue in resisting temptation. Amen +
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness…
Saturday, March 12, 2011
HATE THE SIN, LOVE THE SINNER (03-12-11)
Luke 18:7
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
We have heard it time and time again – we are all sinners. Yes, no one is spared. Yes, God hates sin and the wrath of God abides upon all of us.
But still, we have that free will, we have that choice – to continue to sin and reject Jesus as our Lord… or receive Him in our hearts and let Him reign upon our lives forever and ever.
And I do pray that we accept the latter. For even though we are sinners, God has loved us. For He hates sin but loves the sinner.
If Jesus would save a murderer like Saul (later to become the Apostle Paul), then he will save anybody! If Jesus would save a drunkard like Noah, then He will save anybody. If Jesus would save an adulterer like David, then He will save anybody. God will receive any repentant sinner that comes to Jesus Christ for salvation.
We are all sinners, and so He came.
Jesus did not come for the righteous, or for those who think that they are already righteous. He did not come to those who feel they are far better than others that they do not need to be saved anymore.
He came to call sinners whom He loved, calling them to repent and sin no more, accepting fully His invitation for salvation. That is why He came. And by His grace He says, “Follow Me! Leave all. Place all hope in Me”.
And He speaks the promise: “…and him who comes to Me, I will not cast out”. Accept that promise of salvation – repent and live life with Him.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, heal me, for I am a sinner. Have mercy upon me according to Your loving kindness and wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, our Divine Physician. Amen +
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
We have heard it time and time again – we are all sinners. Yes, no one is spared. Yes, God hates sin and the wrath of God abides upon all of us.
But still, we have that free will, we have that choice – to continue to sin and reject Jesus as our Lord… or receive Him in our hearts and let Him reign upon our lives forever and ever.
And I do pray that we accept the latter. For even though we are sinners, God has loved us. For He hates sin but loves the sinner.
If Jesus would save a murderer like Saul (later to become the Apostle Paul), then he will save anybody! If Jesus would save a drunkard like Noah, then He will save anybody. If Jesus would save an adulterer like David, then He will save anybody. God will receive any repentant sinner that comes to Jesus Christ for salvation.
We are all sinners, and so He came.
Jesus did not come for the righteous, or for those who think that they are already righteous. He did not come to those who feel they are far better than others that they do not need to be saved anymore.
He came to call sinners whom He loved, calling them to repent and sin no more, accepting fully His invitation for salvation. That is why He came. And by His grace He says, “Follow Me! Leave all. Place all hope in Me”.
And He speaks the promise: “…and him who comes to Me, I will not cast out”. Accept that promise of salvation – repent and live life with Him.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, heal me, for I am a sinner. Have mercy upon me according to Your loving kindness and wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, our Divine Physician. Amen +
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Friday, March 11, 2011
FAST FRIDAY (03-11-11)
Psalms 51:19
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit…
-------------------------------------------------------------
Fasting and abstinence – spiritual disciplines that we observe especially during the Lenten Seasons. We should have started doing them last Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays of Lent, everyone is enjoined to do the same.
However, remembering that fasting is a form of penance and self-denial, and though we are urged to do this during the entire season of Lent, it does not have to be a fast from food or eating meat on all those forty days.
There are many other ways in which we can show God how sorry we are for our sins. Among them are the following: being generous with others, studying the Scripture, praying the rosary, practicing self-control, and more.
The prophet Isaiah was clear on this when he exclaimed (Isaiah 58:6-8):
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
Releasing those bound unjustly,
Untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
Breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
Sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
And not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
And your wound shall quickly be healed;
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
You shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
“I fast not because I want others to see
Rather, because I want to be what the Lord wants me to be.”
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, we observe fasting out of love for You and not because we have to, and also to give us an opportunity to deny ourselves in other ways.
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit…
-------------------------------------------------------------
Fasting and abstinence – spiritual disciplines that we observe especially during the Lenten Seasons. We should have started doing them last Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays of Lent, everyone is enjoined to do the same.
However, remembering that fasting is a form of penance and self-denial, and though we are urged to do this during the entire season of Lent, it does not have to be a fast from food or eating meat on all those forty days.
There are many other ways in which we can show God how sorry we are for our sins. Among them are the following: being generous with others, studying the Scripture, praying the rosary, practicing self-control, and more.
The prophet Isaiah was clear on this when he exclaimed (Isaiah 58:6-8):
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
Releasing those bound unjustly,
Untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
Breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
Sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
And not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
And your wound shall quickly be healed;
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
You shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
“I fast not because I want others to see
Rather, because I want to be what the Lord wants me to be.”
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, we observe fasting out of love for You and not because we have to, and also to give us an opportunity to deny ourselves in other ways.
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
LIFE AND DEATH (03-10-11)
Deuteronomy 30:19
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then…
-------------------------------------------------------
A 10 year old kid just having fun. Back then, I only knew few things in life and do so little – playing, studying, eating, sleeping. I never even thought of getting old. Twelve years later, a full-pledged engineer working in a multi-national company, I learned far more things – based on experience – playing with experiments, studying pareto charts, still eating and still sleeping.
But the thought of getting old is slowly creeping in.
And now, another 18 years later, whenever I see old people with their gray hairs and difficulty in moving around, I have come to realized that ALL, yes everyone, will grow old and ultimately die.
After millennia of human existence, it is noteworthy that no one has really made the slightest progress in overcoming death. No progress has been made, and no progress in sight. I think God has intended it to remain that way. He is teaching us something.
Death is inevitable. But we should not think about it all our life. We should live life based on the will of God, and death will not really be a painful experience but a glorious one.
And life with Jesus and in God is the righteous thing to do. Have you learned how to share your work, your family life, your personal life with Jesus, to operate in dependence upon his wisdom, his supply of grace, his forgiveness of failure, to bring all of your life constantly back into connection with him?
Choose life, and you will never go wrong.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, give us strength and wisdom in living life. Bless our families and bless our land, that we may have the joy of welcoming and nurturing the life of which You are the source. Amen +
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then…
-------------------------------------------------------
A 10 year old kid just having fun. Back then, I only knew few things in life and do so little – playing, studying, eating, sleeping. I never even thought of getting old. Twelve years later, a full-pledged engineer working in a multi-national company, I learned far more things – based on experience – playing with experiments, studying pareto charts, still eating and still sleeping.
But the thought of getting old is slowly creeping in.
And now, another 18 years later, whenever I see old people with their gray hairs and difficulty in moving around, I have come to realized that ALL, yes everyone, will grow old and ultimately die.
After millennia of human existence, it is noteworthy that no one has really made the slightest progress in overcoming death. No progress has been made, and no progress in sight. I think God has intended it to remain that way. He is teaching us something.
Death is inevitable. But we should not think about it all our life. We should live life based on the will of God, and death will not really be a painful experience but a glorious one.
And life with Jesus and in God is the righteous thing to do. Have you learned how to share your work, your family life, your personal life with Jesus, to operate in dependence upon his wisdom, his supply of grace, his forgiveness of failure, to bring all of your life constantly back into connection with him?
Choose life, and you will never go wrong.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, give us strength and wisdom in living life. Bless our families and bless our land, that we may have the joy of welcoming and nurturing the life of which You are the source. Amen +
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
MARKED BY LOVE (03-09-11)
Ash Wednesday
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
And we allowed ourselves to be marked.
Yes, the ash imposed on our forehead is not something to be proud about. It means that we are all sinners, that we are all unworthy, that we all fell short of the glory of God.
That we all came from dust, and to dust we would all come back. And in this universe where we live in, a dust is nothing but an invisible speck. And that is what we are.
And yet, God loved us. And continue to love us.
When we wear the ashes on our heads, we also acknowledge the sacrifice of Christ, who forever substituted His own death for the "burnt offerings" made by Old Testament priests to atone for the sins of the people.
And then, there is forgiveness. If we would confess to all that Jesus is our Savior and that He is the risen Lord, then you will be saved.
And long after the ashes on our foreheads were gone, may our hearts always remember the sacrifice that Jesus had done for the atonement of our sins. Always remember that not the ritual, but the truth of your heart, can earn you blessings, mercy and forgiveness from God.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, lead us into sincere repentance and renew our lives with your grace. May this season of repentance bring us the blessing of Your forgiveness and the gift of your light. Amen +
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
And we allowed ourselves to be marked.
Yes, the ash imposed on our forehead is not something to be proud about. It means that we are all sinners, that we are all unworthy, that we all fell short of the glory of God.
That we all came from dust, and to dust we would all come back. And in this universe where we live in, a dust is nothing but an invisible speck. And that is what we are.
And yet, God loved us. And continue to love us.
When we wear the ashes on our heads, we also acknowledge the sacrifice of Christ, who forever substituted His own death for the "burnt offerings" made by Old Testament priests to atone for the sins of the people.
And then, there is forgiveness. If we would confess to all that Jesus is our Savior and that He is the risen Lord, then you will be saved.
And long after the ashes on our foreheads were gone, may our hearts always remember the sacrifice that Jesus had done for the atonement of our sins. Always remember that not the ritual, but the truth of your heart, can earn you blessings, mercy and forgiveness from God.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, lead us into sincere repentance and renew our lives with your grace. May this season of repentance bring us the blessing of Your forgiveness and the gift of your light. Amen +
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
FILIAL FEAR (03-08-11)
Psalms 112:1
Blessed the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commands.
--------------------------------------------------
The fear of the Lord, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, is a different kind of fear. It is defined as “filial fear”. This gift is described by St. Thomas Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God.
It is the fear of offending someone whom we love. So, as we grow in our Christian life, our servile fear is continually being replaced by filial fear.
If before, we fear Him because we do not want to be punished, we are being converted to be a person who do not want to commit sin anymore. We fear that committing sin would separate us from Him. Filial fear sees sin as more “evil” than the punishment that comes from sin.
With the gift of fear of the Lord, we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person becomes aware that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love.
Fear of the Lord does not equate to being afraid of Him. This gift fills us with a sovereign respect for God that we avoid sin. But it should not prevent us from using our talents to the betterment of our fellowmen. This is not a fear that leads one to despair, rather it must be coupled with trust, and most importantly, love.
If we fear anything other than God, we are deceived. God is the only thing in the universe worthy of fear.
Let us serve God with thankfulness in the ways which please him, but always with reverence and holy fear.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, let me fear You. Not fear in the human sense of the word – but a fear that recognizes You are my God – and helps me to realize I do not have to run and hide. You are love, Oh God and until the day I die I will stand in awe that You willingly came looking for me. Amen +
The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commands.
--------------------------------------------------
The fear of the Lord, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, is a different kind of fear. It is defined as “filial fear”. This gift is described by St. Thomas Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God.
It is the fear of offending someone whom we love. So, as we grow in our Christian life, our servile fear is continually being replaced by filial fear.
If before, we fear Him because we do not want to be punished, we are being converted to be a person who do not want to commit sin anymore. We fear that committing sin would separate us from Him. Filial fear sees sin as more “evil” than the punishment that comes from sin.
With the gift of fear of the Lord, we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person becomes aware that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love.
Fear of the Lord does not equate to being afraid of Him. This gift fills us with a sovereign respect for God that we avoid sin. But it should not prevent us from using our talents to the betterment of our fellowmen. This is not a fear that leads one to despair, rather it must be coupled with trust, and most importantly, love.
If we fear anything other than God, we are deceived. God is the only thing in the universe worthy of fear.
Let us serve God with thankfulness in the ways which please him, but always with reverence and holy fear.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, let me fear You. Not fear in the human sense of the word – but a fear that recognizes You are my God – and helps me to realize I do not have to run and hide. You are love, Oh God and until the day I die I will stand in awe that You willingly came looking for me. Amen +
The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
Monday, March 7, 2011
HOLD ON TO ME (03-07-11)
Mark 12:10-11
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?”
------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus, in today’s gospel, again assailed the Jewish community during His time for totally ignoring Him, to the point of rejecting Him out. But, in the end, He will become the cornerstone that would hold each and every people in the world together in one faith.
Christians in all ages should see this parable as exhorting them to build faithfully upon Christ and make sure they do not fall into the sin of this Jewish generation.
Similarly, we should make Jesus the cornerstone of our lives – letting Him hold us in all directions. Others may have rejected Him outright, but time will show them their just “reward”.
As for those who believed in Him and follow His ways and words, continue to be yield fruits for His kingdom as we await our own rewards in Heaven.
My spiritual castle is still under construction. I know that God isn’t finished with me yet. The point is to start small, keep it simple and build on that, one prayer brick at a time. Then, become the model for others to imitate.
This is the fruitfulness of Christ and the fruitfulness of a people whose power and strength and comfort flows only through Him.
And with Jesus as the cornerstone of our lives, acknowledge God's presence gratefully every moment of our lives, not just on Sunday mornings, or during Bible studies. Do it every moment and be a model for others, as we see new faces of God every day in every person we meet and see.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, let us make You the cornerstone of our lives, totally abandoning ourselves to You as we await Your joyful return and the promise of eternal life with You. Amen +
Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?”
------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus, in today’s gospel, again assailed the Jewish community during His time for totally ignoring Him, to the point of rejecting Him out. But, in the end, He will become the cornerstone that would hold each and every people in the world together in one faith.
Christians in all ages should see this parable as exhorting them to build faithfully upon Christ and make sure they do not fall into the sin of this Jewish generation.
Similarly, we should make Jesus the cornerstone of our lives – letting Him hold us in all directions. Others may have rejected Him outright, but time will show them their just “reward”.
As for those who believed in Him and follow His ways and words, continue to be yield fruits for His kingdom as we await our own rewards in Heaven.
My spiritual castle is still under construction. I know that God isn’t finished with me yet. The point is to start small, keep it simple and build on that, one prayer brick at a time. Then, become the model for others to imitate.
This is the fruitfulness of Christ and the fruitfulness of a people whose power and strength and comfort flows only through Him.
And with Jesus as the cornerstone of our lives, acknowledge God's presence gratefully every moment of our lives, not just on Sunday mornings, or during Bible studies. Do it every moment and be a model for others, as we see new faces of God every day in every person we meet and see.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, let us make You the cornerstone of our lives, totally abandoning ourselves to You as we await Your joyful return and the promise of eternal life with You. Amen +
Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
WALK THE TALK (03-06-11)
Matthew 7:24-25
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
--------------------------------------------------------
With the advent of internet, we can read about anything online. We can just view training programs if we want to learn new tricks or skill.
When I am just starting to play badminton, I would browse the internet to learn more about this game. But something is missing – I don’t even have my own racquet to play with! It is not enough that we learn about something, but we have to do it. I have to go to a badminton court and hit shuttlecocks, practice the footwork and play some games. I have to immerse myself in playing the game.
The same goes with us being the follower of Christ. We would have two or three Bibles at home. Or maybe, an altar with all the saints on it. But still, we are weak spiritually and can be swayed easily by any temptations that come our way.
Christianity is not just reading the Bible as reading the Bible is not Christianity. Our faith is a free, unmerited gift of God; but it’s not magic. We must learn to accept God’s will and grace, obey them and let it work in us. We must build our life on a solid, rocky foundation. And that great foundation is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must accept him as our Lord and Savior and Master. That means committing our lives to him. And then, we act on it.
It means committing to following his example, carrying our own cross and helping others carry theirs. We have to immerse ourselves in His love as we love others.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, let Your Spirit works in me. Let me take action in Your love and may Your mercy be received by my new heart. Amen +
Lord, be my rock of safety.
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
--------------------------------------------------------
With the advent of internet, we can read about anything online. We can just view training programs if we want to learn new tricks or skill.
When I am just starting to play badminton, I would browse the internet to learn more about this game. But something is missing – I don’t even have my own racquet to play with! It is not enough that we learn about something, but we have to do it. I have to go to a badminton court and hit shuttlecocks, practice the footwork and play some games. I have to immerse myself in playing the game.
The same goes with us being the follower of Christ. We would have two or three Bibles at home. Or maybe, an altar with all the saints on it. But still, we are weak spiritually and can be swayed easily by any temptations that come our way.
Christianity is not just reading the Bible as reading the Bible is not Christianity. Our faith is a free, unmerited gift of God; but it’s not magic. We must learn to accept God’s will and grace, obey them and let it work in us. We must build our life on a solid, rocky foundation. And that great foundation is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must accept him as our Lord and Savior and Master. That means committing our lives to him. And then, we act on it.
It means committing to following his example, carrying our own cross and helping others carry theirs. We have to immerse ourselves in His love as we love others.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, let Your Spirit works in me. Let me take action in Your love and may Your mercy be received by my new heart. Amen +
Lord, be my rock of safety.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
WORTHY OF PRAISE (03-05-11)
Sirach 51:12-13
I thank the LORD and I praise him; I bless the name of the LORD. When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer…
--------------------------------------------------------------
“To praise”, by definition, means “to extol or exalt or even worship a hero, a ruler or a deity.
But the Lord God is more than a hero or a ruler or a deity. He is our Father, our Lord, our King, our Salvation. If there is an act more powerful than just praising Him, then He is more than worthy to receive that.
But, He is also a humble God - God was so humble that He became a man! He, the LORD of everything stepped down from His glory and took the form of a modest servant – dying for our sins and assuring our salvation.
Praising God starts in our hearts, “and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Then, praise Him continuously through prayers and songs, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).
Then, together with our loved ones, give Him glory and praise, “I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee” (Psalms 22:22).
And we praise Him, forever and ever, “Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD! Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised!” (Psalms 113:1-3).
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, we praise You forever. To you we do lift up our hearts, our souls, our voices! It is only in You that we trust. Give us the strength and courage to be obedient to Your Truth and Your teaching. And You are our hope, today and tomorrow. In You and You alone do we trust. Amen +
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
I thank the LORD and I praise him; I bless the name of the LORD. When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer…
--------------------------------------------------------------
“To praise”, by definition, means “to extol or exalt or even worship a hero, a ruler or a deity.
But the Lord God is more than a hero or a ruler or a deity. He is our Father, our Lord, our King, our Salvation. If there is an act more powerful than just praising Him, then He is more than worthy to receive that.
But, He is also a humble God - God was so humble that He became a man! He, the LORD of everything stepped down from His glory and took the form of a modest servant – dying for our sins and assuring our salvation.
Praising God starts in our hearts, “and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Then, praise Him continuously through prayers and songs, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).
Then, together with our loved ones, give Him glory and praise, “I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee” (Psalms 22:22).
And we praise Him, forever and ever, “Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD! Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised!” (Psalms 113:1-3).
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, we praise You forever. To you we do lift up our hearts, our souls, our voices! It is only in You that we trust. Give us the strength and courage to be obedient to Your Truth and Your teaching. And You are our hope, today and tomorrow. In You and You alone do we trust. Amen +
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Friday, March 4, 2011
WITHOUT HATRED (03-04-11)
Mark 11:25
“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
“…and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”
A college classmate once remarked to me, after I told him to forgive our other friend, “I am not God, so how can I forgive him?”
And this really got me thinking. Is that what he really believes? Or, is he just saying that because anger is still in his heart? Later on, I was able to confirm it. He had forgiven him.
He had forgiven him because anger and hatred was gone, and because the other person is sincere in asking for forgiveness.
Yes, we are not God. If someone did us wrong, hatred and anger would cloud our judgment and we would see that other person in a different light. We would think of him as an enemy not worthy of our forgiveness and friendship. And if left uncheck, it would go on forever.
But we are all called to a life of perfection in Him. We also make mistakes. We also commit sins against other people and against God. How can you ask for forgiveness, if you, yourself, cannot forgive others?
We don’t need to be God to forgive others. We only need to have God in our hearts to replace the hatred that we feel. When we reflect on how grievous our own sins have been, and how, despite all that, God still forgives us, we learn to forgive ourselves and others.
Learn to forgive, and later on, to forget. For true forgiveness comes straight from the heart – free from anger and hate.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, purify our hearts today. We trust that You have forgiven us today, and we forgive ourselves and those who sin against us. Amen +
The Lord takes delight in his people.
“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
“…and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”
A college classmate once remarked to me, after I told him to forgive our other friend, “I am not God, so how can I forgive him?”
And this really got me thinking. Is that what he really believes? Or, is he just saying that because anger is still in his heart? Later on, I was able to confirm it. He had forgiven him.
He had forgiven him because anger and hatred was gone, and because the other person is sincere in asking for forgiveness.
Yes, we are not God. If someone did us wrong, hatred and anger would cloud our judgment and we would see that other person in a different light. We would think of him as an enemy not worthy of our forgiveness and friendship. And if left uncheck, it would go on forever.
But we are all called to a life of perfection in Him. We also make mistakes. We also commit sins against other people and against God. How can you ask for forgiveness, if you, yourself, cannot forgive others?
We don’t need to be God to forgive others. We only need to have God in our hearts to replace the hatred that we feel. When we reflect on how grievous our own sins have been, and how, despite all that, God still forgives us, we learn to forgive ourselves and others.
Learn to forgive, and later on, to forget. For true forgiveness comes straight from the heart – free from anger and hate.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, purify our hearts today. We trust that You have forgiven us today, and we forgive ourselves and those who sin against us. Amen +
The Lord takes delight in his people.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
EYES OF FAITH (03-03-11)
Mark 10:51
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
----------------------------------------------------------
“Oh, God, please help me go through this crisis in my life. Please forgive me for all the sins I have done and I promise not to do it again.”
This is how we pray, because maybe, just this morning, one of our loved ones was either sick or has met an accident. Or maybe, because a big financial problem is being experienced by the family.
But most of the time, once we received what we need, we again go back to our previous wrongdoings, totally forgetting God… until that next disaster.
We are all blind in faith because we choose not to see and remain in the dark, or go back in the dark, where things are easier to do.
But then, there are those people who pray not because they are in crisis. They prayer not because they have problems. Rather, they pray because they saw themselves, in all humility, as absolutely dependent upon Him, their only hope. They pray because they are faithful… they pray because they are hopeful. They pray because they see with their heart.
The miracle stories of Bartimaeus seeing again are signs of who Jesus is for us. We should invite Him in our hearts, seeing with the eyes of faith. Perhaps dimly at first and in need of correction, but nevertheless focused on the source of life and light that the Lord is offering to all of us.
Make sure we never go blind again and continue to see. The change was permanent and these drastic changes in our lives should also be permanent and plain for all to see.
May others see all the good and right things in us so they may know that the Lord our God is really a merciful and loving God.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, open my eyes. Open my heart. Renew my faith with the unstoppable faith that Bartimaeus possessed. Amen +
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
----------------------------------------------------------
“Oh, God, please help me go through this crisis in my life. Please forgive me for all the sins I have done and I promise not to do it again.”
This is how we pray, because maybe, just this morning, one of our loved ones was either sick or has met an accident. Or maybe, because a big financial problem is being experienced by the family.
But most of the time, once we received what we need, we again go back to our previous wrongdoings, totally forgetting God… until that next disaster.
We are all blind in faith because we choose not to see and remain in the dark, or go back in the dark, where things are easier to do.
But then, there are those people who pray not because they are in crisis. They prayer not because they have problems. Rather, they pray because they saw themselves, in all humility, as absolutely dependent upon Him, their only hope. They pray because they are faithful… they pray because they are hopeful. They pray because they see with their heart.
The miracle stories of Bartimaeus seeing again are signs of who Jesus is for us. We should invite Him in our hearts, seeing with the eyes of faith. Perhaps dimly at first and in need of correction, but nevertheless focused on the source of life and light that the Lord is offering to all of us.
Make sure we never go blind again and continue to see. The change was permanent and these drastic changes in our lives should also be permanent and plain for all to see.
May others see all the good and right things in us so they may know that the Lord our God is really a merciful and loving God.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, open my eyes. Open my heart. Renew my faith with the unstoppable faith that Bartimaeus possessed. Amen +
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
A SERVANT’S HEART (03-02-11)
Mark 10:43-44
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
--------------------------------------------------------------
“Your wish is my command!”
Househelp… driver… cook… yaya (babysitter)… gardener… if we can afford to pay for them, then it would be great since they can make our life easier. And we can do more things since the everyday task can already be done by them.
And for some, this thinking even goes further.
In our relationship with the Lord, we always think that we are also the master and God is our slave. Our prayers tend to be "give me" prayers – “Please help my business succeed”, “Heal my mother's cancer”, “Work in my boss's heart to give me a raise”.
And so, when our wishes did not happen, we rebel. We put blame to God for not giving in to our wants. And worse, we stop believing in Him altogether, simply because we thought we are not loved anymore.
A true servant of God chooses to be like Christ in serving God and others. They see freedom not as a great way of doing something for themselves, but as the freedom to do what's needed to lift someone else who needs it.
Hence, our prayer should be of servant’s prayer: “Father, what do you want me to do today?”, “How can I help my friend learn to be brave in face of sufferings?, “Give me strength and boldness to witness for you so others may know You.”
And as we live our lives totally in obedience to His will, the master-slave relationship simply vanishes. As you finally found Him in our hearts, you would hear Him calling you, “my friend”.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, give me a servant’s heart. Amen +
Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
--------------------------------------------------------------
“Your wish is my command!”
Househelp… driver… cook… yaya (babysitter)… gardener… if we can afford to pay for them, then it would be great since they can make our life easier. And we can do more things since the everyday task can already be done by them.
And for some, this thinking even goes further.
In our relationship with the Lord, we always think that we are also the master and God is our slave. Our prayers tend to be "give me" prayers – “Please help my business succeed”, “Heal my mother's cancer”, “Work in my boss's heart to give me a raise”.
And so, when our wishes did not happen, we rebel. We put blame to God for not giving in to our wants. And worse, we stop believing in Him altogether, simply because we thought we are not loved anymore.
A true servant of God chooses to be like Christ in serving God and others. They see freedom not as a great way of doing something for themselves, but as the freedom to do what's needed to lift someone else who needs it.
Hence, our prayer should be of servant’s prayer: “Father, what do you want me to do today?”, “How can I help my friend learn to be brave in face of sufferings?, “Give me strength and boldness to witness for you so others may know You.”
And as we live our lives totally in obedience to His will, the master-slave relationship simply vanishes. As you finally found Him in our hearts, you would hear Him calling you, “my friend”.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, give me a servant’s heart. Amen +
Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.
MOST PLEASING (03-01-11)
Sirach 35:6
The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing, nor will it ever be forgotten.
-----------------------------------------------------------
So what happened between Cain and Abel? Why did Cain killed his brother? Is it because of envy? And what was he envy about?
The Bible story would tell us that both gave their own offering to God, based on their capability – Cain would offer from the fruit of his harvest, while Abel would sacrifice from his first-born sheep.
And so what is wrong with Cain’s offering? Nothing. It may not be the offering, but the offerer. In the same Bible reading, God questioned Cain why he was angry. For God knows what is in his heart. He may be offering as expected, but God also knows that “sin is crouching at (his) door”.
Cain would just offer for the sake of having something to offered. He maybe sacrificing inferior products, and just get the best quality food for himself. While Abel would give the highest yield there is – “portions from the first-born of his flock”.
And so for Abel, he is making the offering, not because it is needed, but because it is the right thing to do in the eyes of God. That he should make sure that what he offers is the best there is, so God would be satisfied.
For Cain, getting the best this world can offer is his priority. And he can only provide God the inferior things, for he thinks that God doesn’t really need anything.
But for Abel, the best things in life is for God. He has no problem parting away with his best animals. For God really needs one thing – our total love, faith and worship – borne out of total trust in Him.
We are all called to give the best, and it will never ever be forgotten.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, teach me to give You only the best. May I do it because I totally trust in Your Word and that I love You above all. Amen +
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing, nor will it ever be forgotten.
-----------------------------------------------------------
So what happened between Cain and Abel? Why did Cain killed his brother? Is it because of envy? And what was he envy about?
The Bible story would tell us that both gave their own offering to God, based on their capability – Cain would offer from the fruit of his harvest, while Abel would sacrifice from his first-born sheep.
And so what is wrong with Cain’s offering? Nothing. It may not be the offering, but the offerer. In the same Bible reading, God questioned Cain why he was angry. For God knows what is in his heart. He may be offering as expected, but God also knows that “sin is crouching at (his) door”.
Cain would just offer for the sake of having something to offered. He maybe sacrificing inferior products, and just get the best quality food for himself. While Abel would give the highest yield there is – “portions from the first-born of his flock”.
And so for Abel, he is making the offering, not because it is needed, but because it is the right thing to do in the eyes of God. That he should make sure that what he offers is the best there is, so God would be satisfied.
For Cain, getting the best this world can offer is his priority. And he can only provide God the inferior things, for he thinks that God doesn’t really need anything.
But for Abel, the best things in life is for God. He has no problem parting away with his best animals. For God really needs one thing – our total love, faith and worship – borne out of total trust in Him.
We are all called to give the best, and it will never ever be forgotten.
Let us pray +
Almighty Father, teach me to give You only the best. May I do it because I totally trust in Your Word and that I love You above all. Amen +
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)