your decision matters

Noah, after hearing exact details about the ark, lived almost lunatic. He and his sons cut trees, made base, stem, door, and rooms. They fastened them together at the top of the mountain. Even if the ancient world mocked Noah he still chose to obey. Abraham asked for a son and God gave Isaac. When attachment and love were completely built, God asked him to kill Isaac. Abraham followed without a doubt. Moses, considering the attitude of post-slave Israel, made up his mind to lead a nation in spite of own pain. Having all the materials and persons needed, Solomon continued his father’s dream and built God a temple. Elijah didn’t saw baal’s hundred prophets a struggle to confront Ahab and Israel. He did what God told him and a fire was sent. Jesus, in spite of death on the cross, believed that God is true to His promise and will resurrect him. He offered his life and became the pioneer of salvation. Decision of a willing heart is the greatest miracle.

The gift of today

If we are alive today then we must live today. Nothing is ever beneficial by dwelling on the past. We have to forget the things of old. Yes, someone may claim that past makes us who we are today. I agree. But although the past defined us yesterday, it will never write our identity today. Who we are is more than the sum of our past mistakes or remarkable achievement.

Ballerina

After 6 months intensive training, a 10 minute routine wrote her fate. She always dreamt to become a world class ballerina. Straight from pre-school her single parent supported this dream. She would run errands from house to house to sustain her child’s tuition fees. She went to a prestige ballet school downtown that offers scholarship. And having one daughter, the stage mother gave only what's best for her aspiring star.

Reality check - there’s no time for mistakes now. Tonight is the final selection for scholarship. The chosen students will get 4 year course for free. So the girl who used to be pampered with much affection became a woman tonight. Wearing her tights and leotards, she toe-in a pair of blue tipped ballet shoes. Spectator began filling the theater by 7 o’ clock followed by the school principal, ballet talent scout, and a sponsor representative.

After an hour, lights shut off, an orchestra hit its piece, and the show is on. But during the performance, her audiences, who are not even interested became skeptical. Wanting to please the judges she jump, attempting a dangerous routine. Sudden miscalculation and panic struck her at the mid-air. She twisted her right ankle and fell flat.

Down bowed the poor lady on her knees, sobbing in shame, shocked by the reality that a sprain stole her dreams. Laughter and boos dominate the crowd. They are hateful, disappointment, and embarrassed. But a cry of applause was heard at the entrance, “it’s all worth it Hon!” It came from her own mother and choreographer.

Keep in mind that even if no one appreciates your sacrifices, the Lord sees your toil.

Someone needs you today

June 23, 2011 (revised: 04/05/14)         8:17 a.m.

I remember Jesus in His public ministry when many people went in and out of His life. Amidst of His being Rabbi, a teacher, almost 70 disciples stumbled over His teaching about the way they must eat the Son of Man’s flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. Others might have thought this teaching was cannibalism, but the truth came in later on. In John 6:66, we read that many of Jesus’ followers deserted him.

Add caption

Jesus’ godly sorrow was evident in John chapter 11 too. He was conscious that His friend’s death was
customized so the Son can receive glory for the Father. But because of unbelief and hardened heart of the crowd, His spirit was troubled. Martha knew that Jesus is the Christ, which means Savior.  But didn’t these believers bury their own brother? John 11:35 said, “Jesus wept” but He still shouted “Lazarus come out!” in spite of their vague rebellion. As a result many became curious and went to see not only Jesus but also Lazarus.

We realize from these situations that even Jesus went through sorrow. As a matter of fact, the life He lived on earth is an embodiment of godly sorrow itself. Is it rational for an innocent to die without any crime? Was there any help from those He fed? But Jesus’ heart, even though He trained long enough to see them leave along the way, was ready. He didn’t regret investing life for them or infused bitterness in thought and emotion. For we know that the law forbids such attitude against a neighbor. Through it all Jesus kept a pure heart.

Many people who are experiencing sorrow apart from God are embracing death even while living. Past
sorrows, those that were inflicted by this world, were actually a form of death. But Jesus loves us so much He endured godly sorrow so He can relate to us when weep alone. He understands your hurt today because He experienced worse.

So when you are down and troubled remember that after all, we need the same grace. The Savior who died for us is the same God who wants to extend his love for us. It’s better to have severe failures for this kind of hurt chisels an upright heart in us. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10

Christianity is not a one man game. We need them, the church and they need us too. Jesus loved us first, we can love other people. And it happens that way so we can live for others and not for ourselves alone. Someone needs you today.

The Lord’s purpose will still prevail after all. He decides whom to have pity on and whom to exterminate right away.

May His kingdom come, may the desires of His heart be established on earth, and may He use us not for fame or valor but only for His glory. So the name of God be praised through all the ages forever Amen

L-O-V-E

Everything we do must be of love. Prayer, worship, and devotion must be of love. Even logging on-line or eating or drinking or talking or meditating must be of love. And I notice that the more I practice to love, the more I don’t love. Love is as uncontrollable as we breathe. If we will die without inhaling and exhaling, so without love.

Love is a flow. There’s a season for everything, a time embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. The love and respect demand manifestation in our walk today. And this is what I followed. Greatest miracle Jesus gave us is to love abundantly. He taught us to love for he himself is a representation of the greatest love.

1 John 4:7 “dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.”

Speak up

31 Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. 32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged to Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

33 Jesus lead him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers to the man’s ear. Spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. 34 looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “ephphata,” which means, “be opened!” 35 instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

36 Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37 they were completely amazed and said again and again, “everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” Mark 7:31-37 NLT

Tyre and Sidon are figuratively compound towns described as lived by sinners. Jesus was begged by the people to lay hands and heal a deaf man who cannot speak. Then Jesus took away the man to heal him in private. 

Sometimes, Jesus will take us away from the crowd of our life. Away from our family, friends, and common people, being in secluded private place with the Lord means upcoming healing. Seclusion means abode or to reside. During the seclusion period of our life, he will put fingers on our ear and touch our tongue. These procedures by Jesus made me realize that he will cause us to hear his voice accurately and speak his words powerfully. Before, I was praying in the spirit and the Lord gave me a vision of great revival, healing, and restoration. That vision became a well in which I draw strength from, for I heard it from the Lord and now waiting for its fulfillment. As I draw near to Him, however, the Lord is training my discernment.  Compare to my first seasons, I can resist my flesh more. But still I have many things to overcome; I can do it by the grace of God. 

The Lord is training my tongue to speak of his words. I have to be careful with what I do and what I say because, either good or bad. I will eat its result. I’m still praying for boldness to proclaim God’s Word. But through many failed attempts, I figured out that I can’t make it happen on my own time. Desiring to speak is one thing but speaking with God’s grace is another. We may sound strong but someone might stumble because of us. Proverbs 15:23 said, “everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right words at the right time!”

“…his tongue was freed” (verse 35) means his tongue was imprisoned once. Shamefulness, fear, ignorance, bitterness, and even pride; these are my prison cells. But the Lord is personally teaching the power of forgiveness. And I am learning that we can’t help others if we don’t help ourselves. We can’t share Christ’ Salvation if we don’t love them, but what if Jesus commanded us to love the people we hate. Then there comes healing. Jesus will heal our ear first then our tongue which is congruent to our heart. I really thank God because of the fact that “…his thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways.” (Isaiah 55:8)

  

Still I am in the process of healing and learning. So I’ll patiently walk on it and treasure the abundance of open heaven but this is what I know, “everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” This is not the healed man speaking; this is the crowd who are spiritually healed too. So our walk is not in vain because we run for them.

By faith comes true wholeness

“Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given –and you will receive even more.” (Mark 4:24)

I am encouraged when I read this passage a while ago because little by little I encounter them personally. In verse 11 of the same chapter, Jesus said, “you are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God…”

For instance, Jesus revealed a new insight in the story of a woman who was bleeding for twelve years.

“A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 she had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought, “if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘who touched my robe?” (Mark 5:25-30)

Situations inflict us with pain, and so it is bleeding until now. Our emotional hemorrhage could come from broken relationships or disappointments from our own self. Often disregarded, we often end up giving everything to somebody that might help us. “…Over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better.”(Verse 26)

For years we could have spent our life on relationships that don’t work. Similarly, we could be desiring change and starting something new but still ended up futile. Through the process of finding cure, the person whom we put hope to heal us walked out of our life. On a job setting, after realizing that we are not enjoying we decided to quit. Our cycle of defeat will continue because the root of bitterness is not properly dealt with.

Then there comes a time when we have enough seeking for help, when self-pity turned to compromised acceptance, that the Healer will come.

“…she had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched his robe.”(Verse 27)

Eager to be healed, the woman grabbed her one-shot deal, intensified hope and faith raged on, “For she thought, ‘if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”(Verse 28)

Realizations come in your process when you’ll get tired of trying to be whole, but still, broken. I imagine her running towards Jesus, determined, “I’m done with frustration. I’m done with depression. It’s no use trying to patch this gushing blood out of me. This is my last chance to be healed. I may have failed many times before, but today I’ll leave them behind. I don’t care if it took me a dozen year enduring this sickness. But no one can rob me off this time; I’ll put my faith to Jesus. Even if I have to go pass through that crowd considering my own pain, I’ll do it. I’ll touch him with my heart and with all my faith.

“Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.” (Mark 5:29)

Then the woman, out of weeping and groaning, extracted the best worship no one has done. The grace of God flowed out to her, healing her physical body, fixing whole her life. For there in the sanctuary of the Lord, we can find abundance of grace flowing like a river. Healing is freely given.

Yes, people may have used you before then leaving your pain worse, but Jesus is the Healer. Maybe one person in your life cost you your heart or your present condition cost you your life as a whole, but Jesus is standing in that crowd, waiting for your touch.

Leave your pain behind and press in towards Jesus. It may sound another waste of time, but trust Jesus this time. People failed healing us because “…human effort accomplishes nothing.”(John 6:63) Jesus Christ, the restorer of the broken, is ready to heal us from all kinds of bleeding. A broken heart and a contrite heart, He will not despise.

Jesus never changes. He healed the bleeding woman before, and He will heal you too, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterdaya, today, and forever.” (Hebrew 13:8)