Risen from the Storm

Today, it's the 1st year anniversary of Bagyong Ondoy. Many families in Metro Manila, specially in Marikina, Pasig and the Rizal province were affected. Lives were lost, houses were devastated, belongings were ruined, and trauma lingered. On TV, I saw families offering thanksgiving to God for protecting them. One community puts up a church as a symbol of their rising from the tragic calamity.

"...persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4:9)."

When we feel that we have hit rock bottom or depressed about life's situation, let's think of the Ondoy victims. They suffered, survived, recovered, and have risen. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! (Mark 16:6)"

Hunger for His Word

On my way home after a day's activities, I was in a very long queue waiting for a taxi. I could feel my stomach revolting in hunger. Finally I arrived at our residence, excited to eat home-cooked food. I had my fill and was content.

On another occassion, Me, Michelle and Sev went out to eat bread in a nearby bakery to fill our hunger in the morning. We had hot pandesal and juice. Sev wanted eat the bread whole.

I imagined how Jesus was very hungry after 40 days of fasting.

"He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:2-4)."

It could have been easy for Jesus to turn stone to bread, but He did not succumb to the devil's temptations but instead he stressed that God's word is the true bread.

In our life, there are different types of hunger: Physical hunger, which is the call of our stomach; Emotional hunger, the need for love and affirmation; Mental hunger, the need for knowledge and information; and most importantly, spiritual hunger, the need for God in our lives.

God has provided the earth with fruits and animals for us to fill our physical hunger. He has also filled our emotional hunger, by showing us the greatest love ever known; Christ's death on the cross. God also fills our mental hunger through the knowledge of Him through scripture and the books that God inspires others to write. Our spiritual hunger can be filled with our communion with God through prayer and sacraments.

But sadly, man wishes to fill His hunger through the ways of man instead of God's. Some fill their physical hunger by means of greed, hoarding more to themselves resulting to other people in starvation. Others commit suicide because they cannot cope with their emotional hunger brought about by stress, loss, or depression. While som even manipulate others by means of emotional engagement to fulfill their own needs. While others in pursuit of their mental hunger, convince themselves that God does not exist and everything can be explained through science. Others try to fill their spiritual hunger through beliefs that are comfortable to their own lifestyle.

The Word of God is our true bread that will satisfy all our hunger. When we live by His Word, there is sharing. There was no needy person among them (Acts 4:34). Even our physical hunger will be addressed. Through the Word of God, our mental, emotional, and spiritual hungers will also be filled. For His Word is rich in meaning, guidance, affirmation, and nourishment.

Let us not start our day without getting filled with God's sustainance for our daily lives.

What is your greatest hunger at present? (Physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental)
What are your ways of filling this hunger?
How has God filled your hunger in the past and how do you think will He fill your present hunger?

Open and Sensitive to God's Word

Having seen this amazing collection of swords made me imagine about medieval times. The word sword comes from the Old English sweord, meaning to wound or to cut. When we hear someone speak about God and he/she was able to drive home a point relevant to our lives, we say, "Natamaan ako sa sinabi nya" or "His words struck me." God's word strikes us like being struck by a sword. It cuts deep into our "calloused" hearts and opens us up to be sensitive to His will.

A speaker once said, "we must be sensitive like open wounds when we hear God's word." I recall the days when I had big knee wounds brought about by sports accidents. If someone unintentionally touched the wound, even as to get near it, I would always react and move into action. When listening to a priest's homily or a teaching, our hearts could be one or the other: calloused or open. When we have a calloused heart, it is as if we know everything. We are passive about the message. But if we are somebody with an open heart, even when the speaker hasn't started talking, we are excitedly anticipating the blessings and the richness of God's word. And upon hearing His message, we are filled with love and gratitude.

Is your heart calloused or open to God's word for you today?

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 12:4

Asking Questions

This picture was taken in front of the Academy of Athens in my recent mission trip. Above me are the statues of Socrates (right) and Plato (left), two of mankind's great philosophers. The Socratic method, described by Plato (Socrate's student) in the Socratic dialogues, influenced much of Western thinking. It is a method of problem solving wherein a problem is broken down to a series of questions. And the answers to these gradually reveal the solution a person would seek.

In life, we ask ourselves many questions. Questions like, "Why me?" or "Why now?" We even pose questions to God, like many of the verses written by David in the book of Psalms:

Psalm 13: 1-6

How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look upon me, answer me, LORD, my God! Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death, lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed," lest my foes rejoice at my downfall. I trust in your faithfulness. Grant my heart joy in your help, That I may sing of the LORD, "How good our God has been to me!"

We pose questions to be able to understand clearly our life's situations. For us to find the right answers, then we have first to ask the right questions. In the Psalm above, David asked God questions, to be able to convict his own trust in God and affirm God's faithfulness to him. Not to doubt Him.

In my own life, 10 years ago, our family went through a great trial. We were swindled a great amount of money that significantly affected our way of life. It was at the same year when I was about to start in my missionary work. In my prayers I asked God, "Why Lord? Have I not been faithful?" I asked that question to be able to seek deep in my heart and be convicted that the Lord has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11 always affirmed me, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." True enough, I saw God's plan unfold as He allowed my family to live a simple life, away from the temptations of drugs, infidelity, corruption, mysticism and other things that would lure us into great sin. Then I realized later that God has answered, "Yes, my son, exactly because you have been faithful."

As we probe our hearts and go deeper in seeking God, we humble ourselves and ask difficult questions. When being in a state of unforgiveness we ask, "Is my pride higher that my love for God?" Questions like this can help us come face to face with ourselves and be brought to the point of surrendering before God. For He alone holds all the answers to all of our questions.

Socrates posture is this, and I quote, "I know that I know nothing." This is one of his Socratic paradoxes. Coming before the God of the Universe, we also say, Lord, I know that I know nothing. Therefore to ask God questions is an act of humility and the gateway to great wisdom.

A Good Collection

I visited a friend's house while on mission and he has this amazing collection of action figures. There were all sorts of comic heroes, iron man, batman, superman, hulk, g.i. joes...you name it. All my childhood dreams of collecting these toys are in one single room.

What are the things in life we collect and store in the room or our hearts? Unknown to us, we might be collecting grudges, dissapointments, frustrations and other negative emotions. Once these things store up in our hearts, we can't help but talk about it. We then emit a negative presence with the people around us. We want to share our negativity to others and make them see our perspective. Often times we catch ourselves talking bad about other people.

We have to be conscious to collect and store in our hearts love, humility, and forgiveness. When these things build up inside of us, we also can't help but talk about 'em. We command a presence of encouragement and nourishment. When we are faced with challenging and humbling situations, our posture should be forgiveness, for we all fall short of His graces as humans. We then transform into persons who care, share, and honor the people around us.

May we collect what is good and discard what is bad.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

Free To Sing

Last Sunday was the 2nd mass at our residence, Royal Palm. We finally have our very own choir. It's a choir made up of people with different backgrounds. There's a lawyer, a businessman, a missionary, a house help, a security guard, and other types of professions. Different people with one common love: singing for God.

When we come before the Lord face to face, I don't think we will be asked of our education degrees, bank account, profession, or social status. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.(2 Cor. 5:10)" We will come before the Lord and be asked about the good we have done while on earth.

In the eyes of God, we are all His children, given the gift of free will. We are free to serve Him, love Him, honor Him...sing for Him. Some interpret freedom as a breakout from discipline and virtue, but what this type of freedom will really do to us is put us in bondage. "For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1).

Last Sunday, we were free to sing our hearts out to God. At that point we were all His children, trying to please our Father in Heaven with a humble offering of our praises. We could have chosen not to serve Him, we had that free will. But it is in choosing to serve Him that we have experienced true joy.

Human, Humility, and Humiliation

Christian maturity is much measured by one's humility. At the end of Christ's mission on earth, He went to the lowest of low... death on a cross. Wikipedia describes crucifixion:

The goal of Roman crucifixion was not just to kill the criminal, but also to mutilate and dishonour the body of the condemned. In ancient tradition, an honourable death required burial; leaving a body on the cross, so as to mutilate it and prevent its burial, was a grave dishonour.

Under ancient Roman penal practice, crucifixion was also a means of exhibiting the criminal’s low social status. It was the most dishonourable death imaginable.

Christ sacrificed the powers of His divinity and experienced the most humiliating human experience. Come to think of it, the words; human, humiliation and humility are very closely related. Man cannot be humble without experiencing a degree of humiliation.
Well the more we love, the bigger the sacrifice. Thank you Lord, for saving us by your sacrifice and humiliation.

What humiliating experience humbled you?

A "Bald" Move

Friday last week, my 3 year old son, Sev, finally had his hair cut. He was having an irritation behind his ear due to his long hair. Now, he's bald or in the local dialect, "semi-kalbo." We were worried that Sev would cry after the haircut and feel bad that he's already bald. So I decided to also get a semi-kalbo haircut. You can say that I made a "bald move." After many bouts between Sev and the barber, the job was finally done. My son was surprised to also see me bald. He was laughing out loud upon knowing that both of us are already kalbo. He liked the new light feeling and I felt that me and my son achieved a new milestone in our bonding.

I am reminded of an old Christian song, "God With Us Emmanuel." It was one of the early Charismatic songs back in the 90's when i was still in Youth for Christ. The song goes, "He walked where I walked. He stood where I stand. He felt what I feel. He understands." I wanted my son to know that I understand the feeling of being bald, and we're going to be bald together. Whenever we feel pain, hurt, shame, suffering, and betrayal, we have a God who went through them all and more. Jesus shares with us our joys and most especially our sacrifices. He is not someone who just observes us from a distance. He is Emmanuel. He is God With Us.

If right now you feel hurt, alone, betrayed, or abandoned, just remember that all you have to do is to close your eyes and feel Christ inside you. He's there knocking upon your heart, waiting for you to invite Him in. He came down from heaven to earth to let us know that He understands and He will save us if we let Him. He made a bold move to show His love for us, now it's our turn to love Him back...boldly.

A Challenge To Be Initiators

Last Sunday we were very excited to hold the very 1st Holy Mass in our residence community. We didn't know how many would attend since the Mass' schedule was given in short notice. But to our surprise there were about 120 people who came. The hall was packed. My wife, Michelle, was one of the main organizers and I was part of the choir. I remember my wife talking to our priest months ago of the possibilities of having a mass in our area. She initiated it and soon things snowballed and resulted to the 1st Mass in our place. Every Sunday hereon, there will be mass for all our neighbors to attend and recieve God's graces.

Our challenge as Christians is to be initiators. During the time of Paul and Barnabas, the Good News was only spread to the Jews. But a group of believers initiated evangelization to the Gentiles. But other believers, who were from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and proclaimed the message to Gentiles also, telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:20). This eventually led Barnabas to go to Antioch, then later Barnabas sought Paul and brought him there too. This led to the first official Christian community. It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26) .

How are we to respond to Christ's call to initiate in spreading the Good News? Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

First, we are prompted by the Holy Spirit. There will be a strong sense inside us that urges us for the task. There is an internal pressure in our hearts that tells us to do what God prompts us. We pray about this and be led by His Spirit. My wife had a strong sense from the Spirit that gave her boldness and confidence to talk to the priest.

Second, we are not to stifle the Spirit by minding our lack of ability. Instead we are to submit to God inspite of our inadequacy. It is the Spirit that will move. We have to be vessels of His words. For the words you will speak willnot be yours; they come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you (Matthew 10:20). I felt that I lacked the ability to start a choir, since I could only play the guitar and didn't have the experience of organizing singers. But a day before, the neighboring residence community's guitarists and singers agreed to my wife's invitation of singing and playing for us. Praise God. Now I'm trying to learn from them. We didn't say that we'd cancel Mass because we lacked the skills and talents. Indeed, if it is God's will, and we are available vessels, He will use us.

Third, we will do our best but it will be God who will make the work grow. The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow (1 Corinthians 3:7). What we can only do is to initiate and try our best to sustain it, but it is God who will stir the hearts of people. It is Him who will heal them. It is Christ who will be their salvation.

Is there something you ought to do for the Lord? What is hindering you to make the initiative to do His prompting? What steps will you make to make "Him" happen?

Keep Your Roots Deep In Him

Colossians 2:7 "Keep your roots deep in him..."

During storms and floods, I often see trees getting uprooted. Some trees can't handle the strong winds and the current of the floods. The roots of these trees don't have much to hold on to. The roots are not deep and strong enough, so the trees are uprooted.

How deeply rooted are we in Christ? Just like in our Christian life, there are strong winds and floods that can "uproot" us if we are not deeply rooted in Him. There are four T's that can uproot us from our faith. These are:

-Temptations
-Trials
-Tragedies
-Trouble

Our "favorite" sins always call upon us specially when we are idle. Many succumb to the sins of the flesh, others to alcohol or drugs. These temptations want to uproot us out of our commitment to Christ. Other temptations may also be bad habits or a bad attitude that we are trying to change and some people around us cause us to be swayed back to them. By God's grace, let us resist these temptations. They are like the forbidden fruit in Genesis. Just there hanging, waiting to be picked.
Trials are a part of growing as a Christian. They are meant to strengthen us in our faith and dependence on God. When things don't go our way and we seem to be oppressed, we ask God to give us the strength to overcome these. God does not give us what we can't bear. During trials, we are humbled. Let not our pride get the best of us, or we will get uprooted in our faith.

There are tragedies in life that come. Mostly unexpected. A death of a loved one, accidents, and calamities are examples of tragic events that may come to one's life. If we are not deeply rooted, we will start to blame God and question His plan.

Sin can lead us to trouble. While the other T's may be caused by external factors, our sinfulness and it's consequences will bring us a troubled life. While we are all sinners, we must be reminded to repent and seek for reformation. Sin's troubles will uproot us from God's presence.

We have to be firm in our faith and seek to grow our roots deep in Him. What can help us to be deeply rooted in Christ?

D - discern through scripture
E - embrace sacraments
E - exercise humility
P - pray regularly

Everyday we make decisions, we discern. If our discerment is not based on the guidance of God's word through scripture, we easily weaken and lose hope. When we discern through scripture, our faith roots are deepened and our convictions are strengthened.

Embracing the sacraments allows us to experience God's graces. Specially during the Holy Eucharist, when we receive the Body of Christ, our souls are renewed by the presence of Christ in us. When we worship Him during Holy Mass, we are brought back to the truth that He is God and we are not. He is in control of our lives as long as we surrender ourselves to Him. Sacraments deepens our understanding of our faith.

Excercising humility makes us grow each day to be like Jesus. Who could be more humble than Christ? There can none other be more humbe than God's Son coming down to earth to suffer and die on the cross in the hands of the ones he loved. When we are not humble, we are easily uprooted by pride. The problem with proud people is that they don't even acknowledge that they have sinned. Humble people are deeply rooted in Christ because they are quick to know they are at fault and that it is better to do the loving thing.

Praying regularly allows us to be more familiar with God's voice, specially when life's situations get more confusing. Our constancy in prayer will give us the sensitivity to his prompting. When we pray, we become more dependent in Him and less on ourselves. Prayer deepens our roots in Christ, specially when we meditate and contemplate on His message for us in our life's situation.

Let not temptations, trials, tragedies, and troubles uproot us of our faith. Instead, let us grow deeply rooted in Christ, standing firm amidst the storms that life may bring.

Be a Champion for Chino!

Chino Nebrao, 10-month old son of our friends and household mates, Clark and Cynch, has severe mitral regurgitation with mild stenosis. In simple terms, he has a defective heart valve. The condition affects only 2% of the world’s population and survival rate is only 5%. To treat baby Chino's condition, a sum of Php 2 million or USD 45,000 is needed for the open heart surgery, medications, and other hospitalization expenses. We need 2,000 generous souls to give, at least, Php 1,000 (USD 20) each.

I don't know how many people in cyberspace this blog can reach, but I do pray for the Lord to touch the hearts of the readers to help baby Chino. Chino's parents, Clark and Cynch, are faithful servants of God. They have been going on many missions around the world and have made a great impact in bringing Christ to others specially to the people in Africa. I am moved by their great faith in God and posture of total surrender in the light of Chino's condition.

Let us pray for baby Chino's healing. Let us allow the Lord to use us by being Champions for Chino.

Please visit www.championsforchino.com for more details.