The musings of a wandergeselle about faith, literature, music, dancing, culture, food, travels, art, fashion, photography, life experiences, and everything in-between from journée to journée.
This blog turned 13 last October 21 – it’s officially a “teen.” 😄To celebrate this milestone, I thought about writing a letter instead because I need to write this quick.
We have had no internet connection for 2 weeks now, despite following up with Converge. I’m currently using my cellular network’s data just so I could post this – thank you, Globe. Still, God is good all the time. 🙏😊
To my dearly beloved The Journeyman’s Moments,
You were born in 2012out of a need to clear my name from a painful past. I never thought that you would become an online journal for my spiritual journey.
I also wasn’t expecting that I’d be able to post here regularly. And yet, the weekly posts turned to monthly posts, and eventually, to posting every year.
You bear witness to my every rise and fall, to my every tear and laughter – a testament of God’s saving grace day in and day out, year in and year out.
As my experiences grew, you grew with it. When I became wiser, your words became better.I changed, you changed, too.
You are more than an online journal for me. Because you are my constant reminderof a life lived in full despite the changing seasons.
When I need a good laugh, I come back to the old memories here. When I need encouragement, your words give me renewed hope and comfort.
But I guess the most important reason as to why you’re one of God’s greatest gifts is that because of you, a deeper sense of accountability was instilled in me over every single word I post here.
You are my testimony on how living by faith does not happen by mere words alone, but by living it out and letting itbe known through you for the whole world to see.
My dear, we still have so many stories to tell – I have more than a hundred drafts. lol You know what that means, we have a lot of work to do for as long as God is still working in us. 🥰
You are me, and I am you. Thanks be to WordPress – our memories will be preserved for future generations to laugh with, to cry with, and to be inspired by.
So, with internet or not, we will find a way to make our stories seen and heard – God will make a way. 😁
Always your creator made by another Creator,
Christine ❤️
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10
After my “huhuhu waaah-ing 😭” last night because I remembered and missed Mom when I requested a copy of her death certificate online, I didn’t expect God would comfort me right away. And it was something that I can never ever dismiss – the comfort was tangible. 🙂
My husband came home to my puffy eyes last night and gave me a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead. And when I told him I missed my Mom, he told me he received a token from a coworker because he was one of the godfathers of his coworker’s kid. He urged me to open it. But he was more excited, so he opened it himself. lol And tadaaaa, we found these inside the pouch – a box of uplifting quotations with Bible verses and hand cream. 😍
Thanks, Rod and wifey!
Oh my dear Father, what did I do to deserve this kind of love from You? Even if I failed You so many times, Your faithful love remained. 😭🙏 God already knows I will be crying over Mom last night. To pacify me, here came His surprise. Indeed, there is just no coincidence when it comes to faith.
“…for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him.” – Matthew 6:9
These are very simple gifts. And yet to me, they spoke volumes. They were exactly what I needed at the right time. I mean, out of all the million items that could be given away as a token, why exactly them, right?
My husband told me it looked like these gifts were all intended for me. Now, I have a new hand cream because I’m about to use up the hand and body lotion I’m using now. I’ve been doing some cleaning and washing here at home lately (please refer to my previous articles) and once again, God already knew what I needed beforehand – some pampering for ze hands. This is actually how God’s character as a Father is displayed revealing His never-ending care and provisions for His children.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” – Matthew 6:26-27
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.” – Matthew 7:11
I never asked for these gifts. And yet God knows how to cheer me up and gave me exactly what I needed – materially and spiritually. He has always been like this to me ever since I became a born-again Christian. Maybe because God also knows how I feel deeply about everything – depression is another generational curse in the family.
This was how God saved me and how I was born again 11 years ago in the same month (you may read my testimony here and also here). Yes, I’m celebrating my 11th year this month as a born-again Christian. God’s timing and reminder are just so perfect, aren’t they?
It’s as if He was reminding me that “I sacrificed My Son for you on the Cross so you can be saved 11 years ago. So now Tin, stop moping around and stay focused on the task I laid out for you.” 😀 Ah yes, being born again is still the best milestone by far – nothing compares. ♥️
But wait, there’s more. When I opened the box, this was the message I saw – again, this was exactly the reminder that I needed last night. 😭
God is our Great Comforter, indeed. I can post a lot of Bible verses here that will show how He is close to the brokenhearted and how those who mourn will be comforted when they seek His Name.
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.” – Psalms 34:18-19
“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4
And yet the one I will post below speaks most to me and on what He wanted me to do:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
As they say, you will never feel what other people are feeling if you’ve never been in their shoes. When God allows us to experience pain and loss, it’s not to punish us or make us miserable. It is so that we can share His greatness with others and how in the midst of our pain God moved in amazing ways. This is how we testify to the world that He is real and that those who believe in Him may die but will never perish (eternal inheritance).
Every single time, God never failed to remind me that He is always with us and will always be with us because He is the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end. Everything may seem bleak and dark to most of us now, but as what God has promised, there is a “positivefuture” ahead of us, and He is already leading us there. We need not be afraid because we are not alone. ❤️🙏
A preparation for the Great Work up ahead. 🙏
P.S. What happened last night wasn’t a coincidence, and I know I am not writing this article a few days before Holy Week for no reason. When God moves, we can expect that it will be miraculous and marvelous. What God requires from us though in return is our authentic faith – one that honors Him in our highs and in our lows just like what this blog of mine is all about. 🙏
From My YouVersion Bible AppDaily Prayer & Devotion
This is the greatest lesson I’ve learned, so far. Thanks be to God for finding every opportunity to teach me this because I tend to be too stubborn sometimes. 😉 I got the message now, Lord, and I am obeying. 🙏
We are just too blessed to have a God who just never, ever gives up on us and will do everything so we won’t be completely destroyed. That is how much He loves us and how precious we are to Him. ❤️
Yes, in a bottle – bottles of my shampoo and conditioner. 😃 I was supposed to write this yesterday, but I felt it best to post it today, Monday. The 14-day community quarantine imposed by the government also started yesterday.
Prior to the implementation, panic buyers were already hoarding supplies in case of a total lockdown. Grocery stores were running out of supplies. I told my husband that we will refrain from going to the supermarkets since we still have groceries at home good enough for 2 or 3 days.
Aside from the fact that all the items we need were no longer available, there were long queues everywhere. The crowd was enormous, and yes, hilarious. The moment I saw online posts of people flocking the supermarkets, I just can’t understand what they were panicking about.
Please Stop Panic Buying
The Department of Agriculture already mentioned in a press release that we have enough food supply that can even last up to 9 months. Panic buying will only lead to long lines and big crowds.
When this happens, shoppers will all be susceptible to acquiring the virus because of a lowered immune system due to stress. The chances of being exposed to possible infected persons who are asymptomatic will also be very high.
Praying For God’s Will
As of writing, there are 11 deaths listed and about 140 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines. I told my husband that the 14-day quarantine is not enough as this is only the onset of the epidemic and community transmission. And sadly, our government can only do so much in containing it given the country’s population of 109,140,500.
I told my husband we will wait out for the panic buying to wane and buy our food supplies this Sunday when supermarkets replenish their stocks and the partial lockdown begins. By then, most people have already bought their supplies and the number of buyers has already dissipated. It’s the perfect time to go out since everything we need is already available.
Shopping Was A Breeze
And it was indeed true. There were very few shoppers present last Sunday, and the grocery store already restocked most of the items. We decided to go out during lunchtime under the striking heat of the sun. It only took us less than 15 minutes to buy everything that we need (just the basics, we are against hoarding).
I teased him that most people won’t be in panic buying mode every day because it’s very expensive. If supplies at the physical stores will still be out of stock, and the government implements a total lockdown, I already found alternatives to buy our groceries and medical supplies online.
I shared with my husband that we really have nothing to worry for as long as we do our part in protecting ourselves and other people around us. Then God will do the rest for us.
Surviving Trials Left And Right
My husband and I have been through severe testing and difficult trials in the past. There were times when we’re absolutely sure there’s no way we’re going to survive a trial.
But each time, God has ushered us through in unexpected ways that so often surprised us. I know that this is only one of the many trials we have to go through now where God will once again fight for us on our behalf.
And this is where the story of God’s message in my shampoo and conditioner bottles will come in. 🙂
God’s Message In A Bottle
Nope, I didn’t hoard shampoos and conditioners. lol And neither am I promoting these products. I just want to share the wonderful story behind them.
Last year, I had my hair rebonded because I was born with curly hair. My hair specialist advised I use a shampoo and a conditioner that are paraben-free. This will protect my hair from breakage and any further damage. She offered one which they sell in the salon but, unfortunately, it’s a bit pricey.
So I told her I’m not buying it since I’m also using a hair treatment at home. It’s my first time hearing about a paraben-free shampoo, so I did my own research out of curiosity. And I found out that paraben-free and sulfate-free shampoos are best to use on chemically-treated hair.
Why Human Nature
I chose the Human Nature brand based on customer reviews, which were mostly positive. I started using it last December, and so far, the results are satisfying.
A few weeks ago, the situation on the COVID-19 outbreak here in the Philippines escalated with the rising number of confirmed cases. It led me to contemplate everything I’ve been reading on the news.
This deep contemplation continued even while I was taking a shower. 😀 I stared at the shampoo and conditioner bottles in front of me while washing my hair and then, something caught my eye.
Just below the expiration date and product code, I saw a familiar word. I read it aloud. Surprisingly, it’s a Bible verse. 😀
Bible Verses Printed On Bottles
I was so amused that I immediately checked out the bottle of my conditioner and see if it also has one. Yes, there’s also a Bible verse printed out along with the product code and expiration date.
Then it dawned on me that God must have seen what’s in my heart – the possibility of anxiety, worry, and fear to overcome my faith. I used to be a worrier before I became a born-again Christian and now a prayer warrior. 😉
I may be bold in sharing Bible verses in my social media profiles, but that’s because I have so little faith. Every time I share the gospel online, it’s actually my way of reminding myself about God’s calling for me the moment I feel like shrinking back.
Here are the Bible verses in the bottles:
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” – Galatians 5:13
“And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through His prophet:
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” – Matthew 1:21-23
We Need God Even More Now And He Knows
God knows I needed reassurance, a reminder – all of us do. That is why He called us to serve one another in love and take heart that “God is always with us.” The body of Christ will all work together to defeat this enemy by doing their assigned parts.
How? Through the Spiritual gifts. I’ll share in the latter part of this article how being in tune with the Spirit is very important in discerning God’s messages, and eventually His answers to what we were praying for.
A Coincidence Or A Sign?
I know some people would think this was just purely coincidence. In my case though, I have long given up the notion of coincidences when I became a born-again Christian. In fact, this was not the first time a sign or a miracle happened. And I believe more of these revelations will take place in the coming days, months, and years.
As I continued to devote more time reading the Word, I thought it best to share it in any way possible to encourage other people during a time of crisis. I have also observed that sharing the Bible verse as is doesn’t get as many impressions from your audience as you want it to have.
One Way To Share The Gospel
However, there’s a way to get around that. Posting a photo that you know will get so many likes and placing the Bible verses as a caption might do the trick. Here’s the photo I chose and the Bible verses I included along with the post. Was I successful? I would like to believe that the first few Bible verses somehow came across (planting the ‘seed’) to anyone who saw that photo.
This photo was taken 6 years ago (2014) during a short modeling stint – my first and probably my last.
It doesn’t always have to be a picture of yourself because your Facebook friends might have the wrong impression of you being a narcissist. And that’s the least trait that we want them to think about us. 😀 A landscape photo or a photo of nature would do. It can actually be any photo. If you’re undecided, ask God for leading and discernment to know what to post and how to share it on social media.
His Leading Is Very Important
I always ask for God’s leading and discernment when it comes to sharing Bible verses that will best fit a specific situation. I discovered, though, that we can only hear His voice clearly when we’re not distracted by a lot of things around us.
If I haven’t been sensitive enough and I was distracted enough, I sure wouldn’t notice the Bible verses in my shampoo and conditioner bottles. Nothing has changed in the way I pray at night before I sleep. The only thing that changed was my prayer points.
And one of them is sensitivity to the presence of the Holy Spirit. God never fails to answer us when He sees we are ready. And we can only be ready when we allow ourselves to be used by God completely according to His purpose.
A Calling For Believers To Take The Task Assigned
Devotion to the Word, a peaceful countenance, and more quiet time with the Lord – these are what every believer should do now. And it is the Spirit who will act on our behalf when we feel overwhelmed by everything around us.
For the past weeks, I had a difficult time praying for “HEALING” as the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in the Philippines. God knows unbelief and doubt can overcome our faith when driven by worry and fear. And once again, God moved ahead of me.
Fight The Good Fight Of Faith
This is what I’m holding on to now, and this is how I will end this article as well. I pray that this article may bring every believer out there an assurance that in all the verses He has revealed in the past days and weeks, only one thing stood out – God will remain by our side no matter what happens.
Please join me as I continue to pray for healing, comfort, peace, grace, courage, boldness, and strength to be upon each and every believer in this world. The enemy won’t stop now or anytime soon, and neither should we.
Always believing in God’s miracles as we fight the good fight of faith,
P.S. I told my husband that for as long as I’m breathing, I will continue worshiping the Lord. I prefer it that way than to cower in fear. Whatever may happen, let the will of the Lord be done always. 🙂
P.S. 2 I’ve been using Paulo Coehlo journals for my daily devotion, and there were some instances where I found God’s instructions through it. The artwork for March 12, which was also the start of the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in the country, looked like the virus strain, for one.
Coincidence? I bet it’s all part of God’s plans. 🙂
I am writing this in the vernacular because of its local context. If I still have enough time today (I will do the laundry and clean the house 😀 ), I’ll write an English translation. 😊
What It Means To Live By Faith And Not By Sight
Ngayon ko lang lubusang naintindihan ang konsepto behind this mantra. Faith is about claiming the beautiful promises of God not when everything around us is doing well, but when everything else seems to go wrong.
What I am claiming now is that the life after this world is something to look forward to. And I am claiming it with excitement. ‘Yung tipong parang first time mong pumunta ng EK at wala kang idea anong meron doon. Pero maraming nagsasabi sa’yo na sobrang masaya daw doon at sobrang mage-enjoy ka.
Aside from that, hindi ka lang mag-isa ang mage-enjoy. May mga kasama ka. Na-imagine mo ba kayo ng mga barkada mo noong highschool? Magkakahawak-kamay. Magkaka-akbay. Nagtitilian at naglulundagan. Dahil punong-puno kayo ng excitement na malaman what is waiting for you doon sa pupuntahan nyo.
Imagine that scene. That is what it’s like to enter God’s EK. At itawag natin syang “Eternal Kingdom.” 😉👍
Always looking forward to entering God’s EK,
P.S.
Sa mga nangangamba na baka ‘di papasukin sa entrance, hindi pa naman huli ang lahat. Pwede pang pumila at bumili ng ticket.
Nakatatak sa ticket ay JESUS: Surrender/Salvation/Altar Call. Make-claim nyo sya sa hospital for sinners, the church. For FREE. 😊
This article was inspired by a recent convo. It made me wonder about that “big” word – millionaire.
Before I start with this article though, I will be describing people not because I am judging them. First, I am no saint, I have my own flaws. Second, only God does all the judging and has every right to do so. Lastly, it is only for the purpose of driving towards my point and let the message across. No offense intended here, folks. *peace* ☺
Upon observation, there are two types of millionaires – the silent type and the loud type. The loud types are those who are very obvious when it comes to their riches for the world to see. There are those, however, whom people never knew as rich and some are heirs and heiresses by birthright because they were silent all the time living very low profiles.
The loud types have all the flashy wealth anyone could think of from high-karat bling blings, designer clothes, cool cars, huge houses, and all the “riches” this world offers.
The silent types, on the one hand, are the millionaires who are dressed simply, mingled with the commoners, refused to be addressed with the title he/she deserves, and live a simple life.
For the latter, I remembered this one incident wherein I encountered a man dressed in simple casual clothes without the “tags” while going inside a 30+-storey building. He greeted everyone courteously and offered to give way to other passengers going inside the elevator. Then after we went out, I overheard someone saying, “Didn’t you know that that’s the CEO and owner of this building?”
I didn’t hear what the reply of the person’s companion was because I was heavily processing the information with unbelief. A lot of questions went through my head like why would he dress that way, how can he become a CEO and still act like a regular employee, etc.
Another similar incident happened at a resort. While touring around the place, we asked for directions from a man dressed in working clothes – all shabby and soiled. We found out later on (much to our surprise) that he is the owner of the resort. 😃
Ah yes, never judge a book by its cover, eh?
I’m just amazed how these silent millionaires prefer to be identified and be associated with having a low profile in society when their bank accounts and assets speak the opposite. They have every right to claim power, entitlement, and authority because they are rich according to this world’s standards. But they did not conform to the standards of this world.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2
This reminded me of the life of Jesus here in this world. He is a silent millionaire too. The richest, if I may add. He’s the son of God and the son of Man but He never lived a life of comfort, splendor, and extravagance just like a King. It was actually the opposite – He lived life in SIMPLICITY, HUMILITY, and SERVITUDE.
Imagine a God serving mankind. I mean, you’ll never even see it in Greek mythology. All gods and goddesses are regarded in society with such high bearing.
If there is one thing that wealth, riches, and self-glory bring and if our souls are left unchecked, it is pride. Pride leads to arrogance and arrogance leads to greed, discontentment, and so on. It glorifies no one except the world, its standards, and its riches.
Then He said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” – Luke 12:15
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” – Luke 12-21
With humility, we acknowledge there is someone supreme who is richer, someone who provides everything we need, someone who is more knowledgeable, more powerful, and someone who deserves all the glory. With humility, it always prompts us to ask this question – what are the things that matter to God?
We are supposed to please no one with our lives except God and this includes our lifestyle. I’m sure your question then is this, “So Tin, are you asking that all of us should live like beggars?”
No, not really. It’s always between you and God and your own conviction how you live your life. It requires asking God if what you do pleases Him or not. The Spirit knows what is sinful in your nature and He will expose it.
If God thinks your weakness involves money and material possessions and you easily get carried away by its sinful nature, then certainly He will ask you to let go of your possessions.
If it is pride from achievements and God knows it will lead you to become self-sufficient and self-glorifying, He certainly will rebuke you in that area too.
On a personal note, I hated the feeling of standing out because I have “more” in terms of the riches of this world. I hate entitlement and biases. Back when I was in high school, my Dad drops me off at school with his company car. I studied in a public school and it isn’t common for public school students to be dropped off or fetched by a car going to school or going home.
So what I did, I asked my Dad to drop me off at the main road and then I’d walk about 1 km going to school instead. Pretty absurd, right? lol My Dad couldn’t get my logic behind that but as a loving Dad that he always is, he always gives in. 😉
Even now, I still have this guilty feeling when I eat in a fancy restaurant or when I dress up too much only to see a beggar on the street dressed in shabby clothes talking to himself, or an old woman who pees on her ragged clothes and sleeps on the side streets, or that kid rummaging the garbage can and someone treated him a meal at Ministop.
It’s that aching guilt that what I can only offer to them at that point were prayers. I felt that they deserve more than my prayers or a meal. I was saved by grace, I know they will be saved too by His grace. Though this world may be unfair to them, God is never unjust and I can only continue praying that they will live the life that they deserve. I am confident they will have that kind of life in eternity. But how do I share the Word with a stranger without being rejected? Yes, that is what I always ask every time I felt this need to talk about faith with those who aren’t saved yet.
There is no perfect answer how we should all live. But as far as I know, the Bible is clear in stating we should all be Christ-like in every manner. No, we can never be like Him when it comes to supremacy because He is the one and only TRUE GOD. But as followers of Christ, He gave us the Bible as a guide how to live pure and uncorrupted lives.
“So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:6
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27
I guess what we can only ask ourselves is not a matter of whether we live like a beggar or live like a loud or silent millionaire but a question whether we’re going to allow the world to corrupt us or not?
My answer is a solid “NO.” And yes, “no” to excuses too. Let us never validate our actions even if they are wrong because what is sinful to God will always be sinful to God.
They say Christianity is a lifestyle. With that in mind, I constantly ask myself: are we really living it out? Or are we too consumed by this world we already forgot who we’re supposed to be living for?
“Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.” – 1 Peter 2:16
“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” – 1 Timothy 6:6-8
P.S.
This is a 1am thought, by the way, written a few weeks ago. It’s an unlikely hour but I always have this urge to write and browse through random bible readings from 12am until 3am. The thoughts just all come as fluid as they can be making me finish an entire article in just 15minutes compared when I write them during the daytime.
It’s the “bewitching hour,” some say. Or maybe the Spirit always come during these unlikely hours? Or maybe God whispered a la the story of Samuel? 😀
Ah, I am assuming and I can never tell but the verse below just popped into my head so I searched for the exact bible chapter and verse over Google. Are you also ready? 😉
“He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever He comes, He will reward the servants who are ready.” – Luke 12:38
This is a morning thought that’s been itching to get out and I just need to write it fast before I get on with today’s tasks and busy schedule. Yes, my priority is God first. So this first before anything else. 🙂
However, I do not have the extra time (maybe later) to look up the exact biblical references (bible verses) for some of my quoted statements. You know I am never good in memorizing numbers but I can memorize a thought. But you can go the extra mile by typing them over Google search, it might show you other verses too that the Holy Spirit may be speaking to you in whatever season you’re in.
So what’s this morning thought I was saying? It’s this – as believers, may we not fall into the sin of having the superiority complex and the exclusivity of Christians mingling with fellow Christians or on-the-road-to-being-a-Christian alone. Remember that “we ALL have fallen short of the glory of God” and salvation is not reserved for the privileged few but it’s FREE FOR ALL.
That’s regardless if someone used to be/or currently a drug addict, a rapist, a robber, a criminal, an adulterer, an abortionist, etc., CHRISTIAN OR NOT. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ because we have ONE FATHER, ONE CREATOR.
Even pastors and ministers sin by saying the wrong word, by making the wrong decision, by being tempted with anger, etc. for they are as human as we all are and to sin is part of our fallen nature. Yet when we were given a new life when we got saved, we commit to a life of righteousness.
That is why the greatest way to show our love back to the Father who gave us this opportunity to a new life is to extend the GRACE that He has given us even if we all DO NOT DESERVE IT. We are all a work in progress in our spiritual journey, it is best to develop a character that ENCOURAGES, that gives HOPE, rather than a character that condemns and criticizes.
The core of Christianity was never just about faith nor discipleship but most importantly, about LOVE. The greatest commandment is this, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
Jesus came here not to condemn this world but to give HOPE out of His Father’s LOVE FOR US. That is why even “if we speak in tongues,…but DO NOT HAVE LOVE, we are only a resounding gong. And for anyone who doesn’t know how to love doesn’t have the love of the Father in them.”
And lastly, “faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.”
What do you know about love? Read 1 Corinthians 13. I got to know all about it and apply what I learned from the bible when I got married.
Yes, my seasons changed and it was a total paradigm shift from knowing the theories alone (when I was single) to applying them for real (when I got married). And yet I am more than glad to God for giving me this opportunity. 🙂
My challenge is this:
If you can overlook an offense no matter how grave it is even to the point of life and death, then you know how it is to love. You know without a doubt the Father’s love for you and me. It was when Jesus died for our sins – the greatest sacrifice and form of love ever done.
For one, try to reach out and LOVE that person under the stronghold of drugs and massacred an innocent family. Pray for a new life to begin with God at the center of his life, then maybe that love you have given will radiate in him and him to others until it becomes a domino effect.
How do you change the world? Be that change by starting with one person at a time. That is our responsibility, leave the government to carry on with its own and other affairs.
Again, do you have the love of the Father in you? If yes, then we should love others as to how He loved us. Start it with someone you know whom you thought is impossible to love. You might be startled by the fact that it did not only change that person but it also changed you.
Indeed, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” 🙂
P.S.
This is the intro for my next article – the 2nd year wedding anniversary special. Pretty long, eh? 😀
It is to depart, to move away, to leave. But what does this word really hold?
Goodbye is having enough from the constant lies after lies casually said.
Goodbye is hopelessly groping for an answer to the retort “Why listen to the Pastor, is he the one you are going to marry?”.
Goodbye is being fed up in the temptations being entertained.
Goodbye is spending more time in another kingdom making memories with them instead of making your own together.
Goodbye is a battered ego because of persecution and name-calling during heavy fights.
Goodbye is a deep pondering what will happen to your family if too much time is spent playing online games.
Goodbye is too much of something wrong that you thought at first was worth sacrificing and enduring but later realize it has to come to an end.
Sometimes the only option is to surrender it all so God can completely take over and take control.
Being at peace – God instructed us this.
It was a week of being disconnected from one another as a couple. Until now I still am not ready to go back to how we were.
But on his end, nothing has changed. The “I love you so much” and the “I miss you” were there every single day. Apologies were said but I was pushing him away and yet he chose to stay.
Which made me question my actions. Am I acting out of pride because my ego was hurt? Am I being selfish? Am I retaliating? Am I punishing him? How long am I going to be like this to him? Am I really doing what the bible says about forgiveness?
I got the chance to share our status with my fellowship group and sisters in Christ, mostly single. They were astonished that even engaged couples still break up. And I told them that yes, couples break up and get together a thousand times in the entire duration of their relationship. Even more so when your relationship is gearing towards marriage – the more that the enemy will try to break apart that beautiful promise of God for both of you.
And their answer was something I wasn’t prepared to hear – a note of gratitude because they, too, are learning from me and my relationship. I wanted to cry for they didn’t know that they are one of the reasons who give me strength and my motivation to uphold to God’s promises and hold on to the commitment.
I was made being overly empathetic and my heart pours out to each one of my sisters in Christ. I love them and my constant prayer is that God will lead their hearts and give them the same strength and boldness in spirit to never fall away from their faith no matter what happens in their relationships.
And when I woke up this morning, I do not know the reason why my pile of clothes went tumbling down as I opened my closet and some clothes still continue to fall down after I piled them up – yes, frustrating. And yet God made me realize at that moment what faith is all about – make your foundations strong, otherwise, you will crumble when shaken.
While stacking my pile of clothes for the last time patiently making sure the bottom parts are well-stacked up, this verse came into my mind:
1 Corinthians 1:8 NLT
“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God did not ask me to leave everything behind and start anew but to have peace in the midst of turmoil. For God works more powerful in times of trouble and despair than in happiness and contentment. And I believe that is what He wanted me to learn. For that is what He has already said and it was pre-written:
John 16:33 NLT
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Just like this new and modern chandelier. It will stay hanging in the ceiling for as long as the structure of the building is there. Time will pass it by, it will look old, tattered and worn out but its foundation will still remain. 🙂
I do not intend to tell the world about the second coming of Jesus in a way that most people know i. e. placards with those words written on it, preaching about how sinful men are, that our time is short, etc. for back when I was still a non believer, I used to treat them all nonchalantly with a little bit of contempt, cynicism and scorn. I may have received it that way but I didn’t know that the seed was already being implanted.
I believe those who preached the Good News this way in the past were God’s disciples called to do exactly that at that time. Now, I believe, God has a different set of tasks to the newly saved believers to continue the mission that those before us have left in our charge now. There was no social media at that time. 🙂
I don’t need to tell people anymore of what they already know – Jesus’ second coming is near. What I intend to do, on the other hand, is to share to people how it is to prepare for that second coming and the things that most people clearly do not understand. These are the things that are far too basic, far too common and yet most commonly misunderstood and oftentimes disregarded.
Which leads me to the concept of this very simple word: LOVE.
Love is the overused word in the dictionary that permeates with everything. It goes on with a lot of definitions, given in a whole lot of different contexts and manifested in a whole lot of different actions.
So why this word?
I may not understand how everything is interrelated in the following series of events that I will discuss but all I know is that they all centered on one common theme which is LOVE and I have to share them all because the Spirit has prodded me to.
Scenario 1
I lead a small bible study group in church of young, single, female professionals.
Scenario 2
I am in a relationship now and engaged to a fellow Christian.
Scenario 3
Dreams, signs and wonders.
For Scenario 1, it started through my coaching group when our coaching leader assigned chapters of The Purpose Driven Life to each one of us to discuss. It was my first time to read the book. I believe God intended I read it just now. It is this book that spearheaded my passion in fulfilling the mission that Christ has left for us to do. I used the chapters on missions as our discussion platform for my small group. Which led me to buying my own copy of the book but I ended up buying a different but somehow similar book also by Pastor Rick Warren called “Better Together: What on Earth Are We Here For?“.
Better Together by Ptr. Rick Warren
And it was also through this book especially with the first few chapters that led me to the concept of LOVE and what it means in God’s eyes which I am now discussing with my bible study group. To quote some passages:
“Life is all about love and developing relationships – with God and with other people. You may succeed in many areas, but if you fail to love God and love others, you’ll have missed the reason God created you and placed you in this planet.”
“Real love is placing the needs of others before your own. It is making your problem, my problem…It is giving to another without any guarantee of getting anything back. It is giving others what they need, not what they deserve. Although love can create feelings, love is not a feeling. It is a choice, an action, a way of behaving, a commitment. Love is sacrificing for others.”
I remembered a few days back, I saw one status update on my Facebook news feed that really touched me. I wanted to share it at that time but something held me back so I just saved the link. I didn’t know that I would be needing it now to emphasize more of the passages I have written above. It is a short film entitled “Blind Devotion.”
And this will lead us to my Scenario 2, my relationship with my fiance. He is not as devoted as I am, but I can feel that the seed is already there. God gave him to me at a time that both of us did not expect. I was a patient due for eye surgery and he was the nurse. Our love story started there and the rest was history. But as times passed by, we went through what every couple would go through – conflicts, happiness, rage, patience, forgiveness, hurt, pain, joy, laughter…every emotion, every situation – we went through them as a couple. We have been together as a couple for only a year but we have learned so much about each other, how to value a relationship and having God in it except for this: LOVE as how God would define it.
Then came a point I wanted to give him up, he wanted to give up too. We talked but still ended up together. Then he asked me this question, “What is it that makes you stay with me though I have hurt you so many times, you have suffered so much for me, I have made so many mistakes, I keep on failing you and yet you always forgive me? I want to know why.”
I was silent for a time and this thought came to me and I explained why I am like that to him is because of God and my love for Him. God loved us so much He gave us His only son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins though we do not deserve it. I told him I want to honor my God that is why I want to honor the commitment and honor him by learning the art of God’s love expounded in 1 Corinthians 13.
This happened just yesterday and when I woke up today, I read my devotion of the day in Our Daily Bread and I broke into tears, because it was an affirmation that I said the right thing to my fiance. This was the bible verse:
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” – Matthew 18: 21-22
March 6 Devotion: ODB
God has forgiven us. So we, too, should forgive those who sinned against us. To quote yet again passages from “Better Together”:
“Jesus says we are to be to one another what He is to us. The love of Christ is self-less, sacrificial, and submitted to the Father’s will. His standard of love is personal – reaching out to the undeserving, looking past their faults and into the desperate needs of their hearts.”
This kind of love now leads us to Scenario 3 – dreams, signs and wonders. I have been having dreams about me and my fiance the past several days which are bad dreams that dealt with my fears of him doing what he is not supposed to do and yet I felt they were all too real in those dreams. I always wake up with a heavy feeling until this morning.
My dream was about my fiance and I and we were supposed to board a bus headed for Baguio City but we got separated because of the huge crowd of commuters. I hopped in on a van instead and was surprised to see my ex boyfriend inside. We chatted for a while but then I noticed the destination name plate of the van and it was headed for Laguna (both my ex and my fiance now reside there). I asked the driver to stop then hurriedly went down the van and waited beside the road for a bus to come along headed towards Baguio City.
Then came a group of women who looked familiar walking towards me but I haven’t seen them yet in real life. Found out they were also headed for Baguio City so we waited for a bus then when one came, we boarded the bus, which was like a 12-seater, and there were only a few of us inside. Then that’s the time I woke up.
The night before, one of the verses in my devotion was Matthew 13:36. I read it but was too sleepy I didn’t understand it clearly. When I woke up today, I felt the urge to reread the verse but I forgot the verse so I randomly chose Matthew 13:3 which led me to the parables. It was all about the harvest and almost the entire chapter are highlighted in red which I don’t normally see in the bible app that I am using. So it means, the chapter I am reading is very significant.
The Parable of the Farmer
It is not a coincidence that my Discipleship 2015 training in church tomorrow has a key verse which is all about the harvest and the ministry that I volunteer in, which is a community outreach ministry, has a training on Urban Farming come this Sunday.
Neither it is a coincidence that after my devotion when I woke up today and checked my phone, I got a notification from a friend of mine regarding a video that she shared with me on Twitter. Here it is:
I cried after watching it. Because I now know the significance of it all. Everything is now crystal clear to me. It is indeed near. And what God was telling me the past days about love is that it is this kind of love that we need to exert to bring more people closer to Him despite of the conflicts and the differences.
“God says we must DECIDE to love one another. We’re to love other believers regardless of how we feel about them or how unlovable they may appear. No matter how difficult it may seem, we’re to actively, consistently, and deeply love the believers God brings into our lives, our congregations – and our small group.” – Better Together
“As members of God’s family, we must choose to love, not who to love.” – Better Together
And I believe this is the message that God wanted for us to understand now. The second coming is near, the more that we have to exemplify what Jesus did extending His love not just to His disciples but to those who are least likely to be loved. Just like the way that God is using my relationship with my fiance to master having that kind of love that is of God’s and not our worldly definition of it. I have been stumbling upon random verses from different books in the bible that have his name in it since last week, which is Joseph. I even joked my fiance our first baby boy will be named Zaphen derived from Zaphenath – Paneah which is the Egyptian name that the Pharaoh gave to Joseph when he appointed him as leader of his officials. This was one of the bible stories I read just a couple of days ago.
The story of Joseph, the dream interpreter.
I now understand why God gave him to me – I am being prepared for a mission and as my mate, he too is being prepared by God because the time is near for the harvesters to harvest this land. My interpretation of my dream today was very overwhelming, I wept. I wept because I know what it means – the message is very clear.
My fiance and I are due for a road trip with his childhood friend and his girlfriend to Baguio City over the weekend. I have visited the place countless of times and it was during one of my hikes at La Trinidad in Benguet, a province in Baguio City, that I was completely amazed by God’s bountiful and beautiful creations at its best. I was on top of a very high mountain after a treacherous hike and what I saw in front me was what I called in my previous article as “heaven here on Earth” because you see nothing else but a sea of clouds. And for me, it was very symbolic of my faith. The treacherous hike, wherein I almost fell off a cliff, was a matter of pain, suffering, life and death. But if you were able to overcome it all, the Kingdom of Heaven is waiting for you above, on top of it and no amount of words could describe how it feels to be there.
Last 3/3 marked my 3rd year since I got saved as a Christian last 3/3/13. The movie Son of God was released on that date too. And this coming 3/13, which falls on a Friday, I have a great feeling it is going to be a significant date as well. The verse regarding the parables can be found in Matthew 13:3 too. Most of my daily verses that I encounter came from the Gospel of Matthew. I did my research and the Gospel of Matthew is considered by scholars as the summary of Jesus’ ministry. It tells of Jesus sending His disciples to preach His Gospel to the whole world. It is also one of the four canonical gospels and it connects the old and the new testament. (wikipedia.org) I know for a non believer you will say it is all coincidence. But I say, as a believer, they are all signs from the Spirit.
Which led me to wonder on these passages written in that chapter:
“That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear but they don’t really listen or understand.” – Matthew 13:13
After these revelations, I only wept. And in between sobs, this was all I could utter in prayer:
“Lord help me to make them understand. Teach me to love them like how You have loved us.”
My brother is one of my spiritual mentors. He was the one who introduced me to the church and eventually to my faith. I know God appointed him to be that and I can attest through the role that my brother is playing in my life right now. He gave me a planner last year by Paulo Coehlo which contains quotations on life and faith. Each month has a designated character trait and last Christmas, he gave me the same planner. And now I know why. For this month, the character trait is this: COURAGE.
March: COURAGE
And this is the quotation for today:
“The only sin is a lack of LOVE. Be brave, be capable of LOVE, even if LOVE seems a treacherous, terrible thing. Take pleasure in LOVE. Take pleasure in VICTORY.”
The Valkyries by Paulo Coehlo
This may be the longest post I have written here on WordPress but I know every word here is all God’s plan because the mission for us all is starting to get clearer and He requires us to act on that mission. 🙂
Paulo Coehlo Planner 2015, The Holy Bible, Our Daily Bread, Better Together – my daily meal. 🙂
“So he is a flirt. And you fell for his charms. Are you willing to sacrifice your happiness when he flirts with other girls even when you are already a couple? How long are you willing to take it further when you two got married and you found out his mistress is having his baby – and she is not the only one?
Complicated, it is. Is this the kind of life you wanted for yourself and your future children?”
SILENCE.
So I continued:
“When an inner voice tells you that something is not quite right and when you ask yourself where did you go wrong, that inner voice is the Holy Spirit telling you to REPENT for your sins.
You just cannot go on sinning and then keep on asking God to forgive you. That is not the way things go. That is not what the CROSS meant and why Jesus died for us.
Believe me. I went through the same thing.”
So what now?
“SURRENDER it all to God. Cut him loose. Pray for him. Pray for yourself. Talk to God.”
What if he asks for another chance? Should I give in?
“NO. It is not your battle anymore but God’s. His chances are with God and not with you. You cannot change him. Let God change him for who and how He wants him to be.”
I don’t think I can let him go just like that. I love him.
“Ask God if that is the kind of love that He wants you to have. If you don’t feel right about it, when you are constantly hurt, then ask God to lead you. God would never want to see us crying, to see us broken. He would not send His son, Jesus Christ, to this world and let Him die on the cross if He doesn’t love us.
On the other hand, God wants to protect us from anything evil, from anything that would break us apart, from anything that is unholy. He knows you can get out of that situation. He gave us CHOICES. And as cliché as this may sound, our choices define our destiny in life.
You need not ask yourself if you are going to choose him or Him. It should ALWAYS be Him. Above everything else.”
What are the promises I will feel better afterwards, that I can move on from this and that my life will change for good?
“That is why God taught us things such as FAITH and TRUST. They are the only two things that we can offer to Him in return. Seek Him more.
Life as a Christian, no matter how devoted you are, will never be that smooth sailing. Never forget that there is that other side of the coin, always – the good, the evil; the strong, the weak; etc.
But then again, you have your CHOICES, your FAITH and your TRUST in Him. You should never worry.”
So I thought to myself:
“We may have our battered hearts but never should our souls be tormented. They were meant to be pure, to be holy – untainted.”
So the reader said:
“But we are never perfect. Even the Christians.”
Then I guess you need to read the article again. 😉
The Journeyman's Moments 