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)

The Ark

Many people realized that Noah but while hammering every detail, he himself was being built.

We must realize that during the days of Noah,

 flood is not known by man. For a rational mind set, it makes no sense to build an ark at the top of a mountain when it never rained. People would naturally claim Noah was out of his mind. It was later revealed to Peter that Noah became a preacher of righteousness. But how could Noah preach when the God’s command is simply build an ark for a coming flood? Who told him to preach? I believe that because the bible says, “Noah walked with God” the Lord imparted what is in his heart to the heart of Noah. Then one day this Ark that caused him persecution and disgrace saved him and his family. The bible confirms that the result of his obedience is the condemnation of Ancient World. 

So believing and doing what you are convinced of will prove true when judgment comes. It may be a painful toil of self-effort today, but it will pay off when God saves. After all, it was about God’s character as a Savior that really matters anyway. So be determined to obey, it will be worth it.

The power behind paralysis

Title: The power behind paralysis

Type: Essay

Category: Healthcare

Often avoided, they ride in wheels – these are the ones they call, “person with disability”. Society looks at them through different eyes. Others are inspired about their story but for some, they are living frustration.

One of the top reasons of disability is spinal cord injury. It befalls on Christopher Reeves, the 1978 Superman. He fell while horseback riding. It crashed his neck and left his C1-C2 unresponsive. Spinal Cord is labeled in 3 parts; cervical, thoracic, lumbar. Unfortunately for the late Superman, cervical 1-2 control almost the biggest part of mobility. Of course, muscles and its bone structure remain in-tact, but once the nerves connecting them to the brain were damaged, it is called SCI or Spinal Cord Injury. 

This tragedy didn’t stop Superman. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Reeves raised a foundation that remains today. Christopher and Dana ReevesFoundation helps patients with similar condition to cope up from such life-changing event. Now, it awards grants for chosen beneficiaries and has research programs. They produce wheelchairs and other necessary items too. 

Spinal cord injury can struck anyone. Luckily reeves was financially stable

when it happened. But I wonder about those who live in remote places and got vertebrae hits. One of the leading cause of paralysis in the Philippines is falling from a coconut tree. Take Mindanao’s coconutindustry in for example. Field workers will climb up 80 ft. long tree barefoot. This dangerous job takes more than harvesting for a meal, but also their lives too. 

How can a minimum earner cope up with SCI? On a practical basis, this is what I perceive they would do. The family will assign someone to stay full time beside the patient. Then their children, considering of a school age, will force to labor. The patient could be depressed by sudden unproductiveness and would lower his self-perception. But we can also perceive the heart of a mother trying to lift up her family. She would work overtime and bear all the responsibilities. Until, at last, the patient found his courage to fight back and strive to live again. He stopped regretting about the incident and helps himself up. Alternative livelihood were solely welcomed and he produces at home. So he began to be active in a foundation that understands him well.

Caring for disabled person is a family effort. It will be exhausting at first but with the help of a foundations or non-government organization or the church, the patient can move on. For every superman, there is a kryptonite. But pure love and understanding can make a disable fly.

Fix me I'm broken

Jealous. What comes first in your mind when you encounter this word? Others say, especially couples, that jealousy is a sign of love. He loves his partner so much, it would end up in another fight if she mingles to anyone. Sarcastically, jealousy will soon come to this point - L.Q. or Lover's Quarrel.

But I see being jealous more that what they claim it to be. For me it is actually mistrust rooted from insecurity.

If I would enter in a relationship, I'll make sure my heart is complete. I don't buy the qoute "fix me I'm broken". And if I'm incomplete and entered be in mutual status with someone, surely it is rightful for me not to trust and be insecure. Isn't it unfair to her? She not the problem, I am.

So jealousy and all issues of life can be avoided once both parties are emotionally whole. But can I become whole all by myself? If "fix me I'm  broken", didn't I came to a point when I gave up trying to fix myself? Yes, the idea is great but I want fact more  than fiction. Show me how!

And that place of total brokenness no man can fix is where God sets in. If fixing a broken heart be available in Med Schools, then Doctors could prescribe cure over the counter. But that's not the case. So if men didn't made us, why seek healing through them? Can Samsung fix Toshiba? Can HP fix Lenovo? No. God made you so run after him for your heart. And it will be restored as good as brand new.

Just one touch

“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)

Sometimes life's trial stab us with pain, bleeding until now. Our emotional hemorrhage came from broken relationships from the past or disappointments to 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)

Over the years we had spent our life to a relationship that doesn’t work out. We tossed away time desiring for change and starting something new, but still end up broken. Through the process of finding a cure, the person we'd expected help left us. For new career; along the way we decided to quit job after realizing it's worth the sacrifices at all. But our cycle of defeat will continue until the root of dependence is not properly dealt by Jesus.

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

“…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 with such intensified hope and faith, “For she thought, ‘if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”(verse 28)

Realization will come in after you got tired of trying to be whole, but still, broken. I imagine her determination. She ran to Him saying, “I’m done with frustration, with depression. It’s no use trying to patch this blood gushing out of me. This is my last chance to be healed. I may have failed thousand times, but today I’ll leave them behind. I don’t care if it took me dozen year with 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 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.

There in the sanctuary of the Lord, we find abundant grace like a river. Healing is freely given.

Yes, people may have used you then left you worse, but Jesus is the Healer. Perhaps a person in your past cost you your heart. Your present decision could have 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 Him. It may sound another false hope, but dare to trust this time.