Who is my hero?

This is part of one of the sermons I used to hear, as part of a series of sermons on the topic, Being Changed by the Truth of God's Word. I continue to think about this as days go by and my prayer is that I can live His truth day by day.

Since we were small we have already learned about heroes. Throughout our lives we have idolized some people and personalities whom we consider heroes, by our standards or the world's standards. We can say that anyone can be a hero for another. But for us Christians, who should we consider a hero? According to Jack C. who was the preacher that Sunday on this, a hero is somebody whose life has been touched by God and is being moved by God's power to live for God. So how does your hero measure up to this definition? How do we see these people whom we consider heroes?

Jack C. then directed us to take a look at Jesus as the apostle John saw Him - as Light, Life and Love. In the same way we also see Jesus as these.

Jesus is Light. We have a special aura or radiance because we have Christ in our lives. As God separated light from darkness in Genesis 1, He also wants to separate us from darkness and bring us closer to the light - Himself. This darkness is exemplified in 1 John 2:15-16 as the love for the world. Thus to be in the light is to radiate Jesus in our lives.

Jesus is Life. He is the Author of life.

Easter Hope

Easter! What a wonderful word! What a wonderful occasion! To celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. On Whom our faith rests. He died for our sins, and He rose again. He conquered sin and death. They hold no sting anymore. And so for us who believe, we can live life abundantly as He has promised. He came so we can have life and live it to the fullest, under His care, under His wings, under His watchful loving eyes. We can walk hand in hand with Him, just as a father walks hand in hand with his children, making sure no harm comes upon them. So as long as we hold on to His hands, we are safe and secure. We experience hope, joy, love...just as the sun rises every morning, His presence and words bring so much promises for us - today, tomorrow. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow, and we need not fear, because He is with us. Always. He will never leave us nor forsake us. So lovely is His dwelling place, so peaceful, even if around us is so chaotic. Let's fill our hearts with praises to our loving God, for He inhabits the praises of His people.

Christmas greetings!

Dad's 75th birthday

Since last year we have been discussing about how to celebrate our Dad’s 75th birthday, which is today, 25 August. We were planning of going home again to Antique and holding a party with family and friends. He wouldn’t have any of it though and he told us not to hold a party for him. And now there is really no need for a party as he left us to go back to our Creator last April, four months short of his 75th birthday. We continue to grieve of his passing away, of his leaving us, of the times we wished we could still talk to him, laugh with him, discuss things with him. We miss him, his voice, his laughter, his concern, his sense of humor, his love – everything that a father is to his children. There are regrets, what ifs, and should have beens. And yet in the midst of these, there are things to thank God for. We thank God for giving us Dad as our father, who was responsible, did his role as a father diligently, provided for our needs, gave us security, taught us many things, led the family with authority, and many more, that helped us to be what we are today. Many times in the past, especially when we were still young, my Mom would tell us that we would be lucky if we could meet a man like our Dad to be our husband.



We think of him everyday, and especially today on his birthday. I continue to listen to the song With Hope. Today I read in 2 Samuel 1:17-27 the lament of David for his best friend Jonathan, a devotional in today’s Our Daily Bread. It says that in grieving for a loved one, it is important to bring to mind the “cherished details and shared experiences of our lives together.” We give time to remember, in a deeper sense, thanking God for specific things, the events that happened, the little and big things, the impact of a person’s whole life. Indeed, today and everyday, we give time to stop a while, remember and think of Dad, honor his memory by doing what is good and beneficial, and give thanks to God. The precious memories of Dad’s life and the truth of God’s love and hope of salvation to those who believe will comfort us in our sadness and heal the pain of our loss.


More photos here.

Today is Aug 5th

I wrote in my FB thoughts that I am still affected by hospital, wake and funeral scenes. And that my sibs tell me the same thing. It's true. Because we always remember our Dad who passed away last April. I have not looked at the wake and funeral photos for quite some time now. I just look at the photos when he was still alive. and the pictures in my mind, the memories of times together through the years, the last few times I saw him, at home and even in the ICU.

Thus with Cory Aquino's death and all the media releases and photos until the funeral today, I also feel the sadness and loss. As a former President she had made a great impact not only in the Philippines but also the whole world, in terms of showing that there is another way to achieve democracy - she didn't do it on her own though; she was supported by the people. She made a difference in the way she lived and did her work/duties, thus gaining an untarnished reputation and a place in Philippine history and that of the democratic world. It is best for others to emulate the good examples she had shown...as a wife, mother, leader...as a woman of power, strength, substance.

Today also marks my grandfather's 108 birthday. He passed away in 1984 but we always remember his birthday come August. It doesn't have to be a big celebration. Just thinking of him is enough to honor his memory. One of the 'almost' permanent memory for him is the naming of one road in our hometown as the Rep. Emigdio V. Nietes Avenue. It was a tribute to him during his centennial birthday.

In a few week's time, on the 25th, my Dad would have celebrated his 75th birthday. We were planning to go home and have a party to celebrate. But this time there will be no big party. Instead we can continue to remember him and honor him by living our lives the way that would make him happy and glad, and to give thanks to God for the time that he was with us.

This train of thought is similar to what God wants us to do as well, as His children. We are called to live our lives honoring Him. Jesus tells us that every time we break bread and drink from the cup of wine we do them in remembrance of Him. This gives me a clearer picture of what it exactly means to do things in remembrance of Him, in proclaiming His death until He comes.

Holy week

For many years back home when I was still in school I associated the holy week with evening processions of saints on flowered floats, evening mass, kissing the statue of Jesus in the glass coffin, dropping coins as offering, as well as the roasted peanuts and bibingka (native rice cakes) sold in the town plaza. This was for Holy Thursday and Good Friday. The town was so quiet, and there was not much food to buy in the market. We had to eat mostly salted fish and vegetables during these few days. The elders told us we had to be careful because there was no God on Friday and Saturday as he was dead. That means if we got wounded it might not heal, or if we went out to travel we did not have any protection, as God was dead so He could not watch over us. Then came Easter Sunday. We had to wake up early in the morning for the "Bitay" (literally translated as "Hang") - a sort of a musical presentation wherein a main angel (usually hanging from something hence the term) and an angels' choir would announce through singing (in a monotone) that Jesus has risen and then the statue of Virgin Mary would come and receive a crown or something. In fact I did not really understand then as there was always a crowd and it was difficult to always see what was going on in front. Oftentimes we would just go there to watch whoever was chosen by the parish as the main angel. It was quite a status symbol then to be one.

It took many years for me to really, really understand what the Holy Week including Easter and even Palm Sunday was all about. That was when God revealed the truth to me in a personal way. Finally I was able to understand about all of it as told in the Bible and the reason for commemorating this event in the history of humankind and in celebrating Easter. Many things which I thought was true before had to be changed into the real truth. For e.g. it was not true that Jesus dies again every Good Friday of each year and that God is nowhere during that period. We are just commemorating what He did for us because of His great love for us and His desire that no one would perish. We remember that He suffered for our sins so we can attain the forgiveness and salvation. He bore it upon Himself, thinking of me above all things. Because He loves me and does not want me to perish, knowing that my sins have separated me from Him.

In addition to His death, we all the more remember and celebrate the fact that He did not remain dead. He resurrected from the dead. He conquered death! And that is what we celebrate as Easter. He rose again and He is alive. He remains alive up to this day! And what a joy to know this. It gives so much hope! May it not be only during Easter Sunday that we celebrate life with joy! Let it be that everyday of our lives we acknowledge that Jesus is alive, and so we can always rejoice in that truth.

My prayer is that the lives of each person who personally knows this truth will truly reflect that Jesus is alive and is working mightily - in us, around us ... and others will also come to know this truth.

Ezra: a model for revival

Last Sunday's preaching was given by Bro Jeff from the Word of Life Fellowship. It was a very enlightening preaching which made us focus on what really counts in life. As an introduction he gave a general description of biblical history especially on the promise of God to His people, as well as His warning. And throughout history we could see how true God's words were, and are still true up to this day. The exiles and the returns of God's people to their home were also discussed to give a background on where Ezra was in all these happenings. The main bible reference we read is Ezra 7:10, which told of Ezra's passion for the word of God. He studied it, practiced it in his life, and taught others to follow it.

And so we were encouraged to look at Ezra as a model for our lives to have a revival in loving the word of God. In this life with all the distractions it is not surprising that God's children would neglect His word. But since we are living a different life from the world, we live according to a different standard. God's standard. So high we could not achieve it on our own, but only by God's presence through His Holy Spirit. So we need to keep close to Him day by day, moment by moment.

Here are Ezra's examples which we can emulate to have more zeal and passion for the Lord and His word:

1. He set his mind to study God's word. He focused his mind on God, he had passion and thought of His word always. What or where does my mind dwell on every day? We were reminded that the only eternal things in this world are the word of God and the souls of people. Let us be passionate and be consumed with God's word and the souls of people. Verses to read also include Matthew 6:20-21 and Joshua 1:8. The success mentioned in Joshua 1:8 is not the world's standard of success (more and more expensive material possessions and status) but rather God's standard which is knowing God's will for us and then doing it. So what is the focus of our lives? We should daily study and read His word, seeking the Lord. spending time with Him in prayer and meditation.

2. He practiced what he learned from God's word. There is a saying that "You only believe as much of the Bible as you live." For e.g. in 1 Peter 5:7 which talks about casting all our anxieties on the Lord for He cares for us...How true is this verse in our lives? Do we give all our worries to the Lord or do we hold them back from Him? We should give our worried to God and let Him take care of them, as He has promised and desires to do. We should give it to God and once we have done that we should not allow it to burden us.

Another example is 1 Corinthians 10:12 on temptations. Have we really acted on this verse and its promise? In fact God has given us the ability to withstand temptations everyday and in every situation. There is always a way out that He provides, we just have to claim it or ask for it.

3. He taught others to do the same. In 2 Timothy 2:2 we could see that teaching can be in many ways - big & small groups, one on one. It is everyone's responsibility to teach. And in Titus 2:3-4 the more mature in Christ should teach the younger ones.

All in all the preaching was very refreshing and it reminded us to still go back to the basics of spiritual disciplines to please God and grow in our relationship with Him. And as we meditate on what Jesus has done during this holy week, and looking forward to celebrate easter this Sunday, it is indeed a tribute to our Savior to live our lives fully committed to Him.

To live with passion for Him.

seeing & believing

Last Sunday we had a wonderful servant of the Lord who spoke God's message from his heart. He was a former refugee. Now he is living a life God has given him. He said when they (he & his family) went to their new country they had nothing but the clothes on their backs. And he added that that was how good God was to them back then; He still is. He even said that during the conflict in their old country, with nothing to eat, God still provided for them through the waste food that his Mom would bring back from her dishwashing work in one of the camp kitchens.

He used the verses from John 20:24-29 as the reference for this Sunday. What struck me was that the apostles were hiding in fear, and yet when Jesus appeared to them He gave them PEACE. The peace that goes beyond understanding. I have felt that many times when I call on the name of the Lord. And we were encouraged again last Sunday that His peace is really something that we can have anytime, anywhere, coz of Jesus' presence with us.

Another thing that was mentioned was that the Lord went straight to the person who needed Him most, i.e. Thomas who was in doubt. He went straight to the person who was hurting - Thomas needed Him; he needed to hear Jesus' voice. And when he finally met Jesus, he personally declared Him as his Lord and his God. May we also do the same.

I love Jesus and His love and care. In v29 Jesus comforted Thomas but He also rebuked him. But He still loves him. He still loves us and He reaches out to any one who doubts, but desires to know. And what a great encouragement to us who have not seen Him and yet believe. We are blessed; we should continue to believe.

Doubting Thomas went on to be a great church planter! We who believe are God's walking miracles. He works in us day by day. May His workings be evident in my life.