NEW BEGINNINGS, JUNE 1-30, 2023
The truly converted soul... Recognizes that pride manifested in feelings of superiority, entitlement and privilege, lies at the heart of sinful, human nature; and that to truly live out our purpose and calling is to be humble and recognize that we are nothing without the grace of our God, we are ineffective without His presence in our lives, and we have no influence and impact without the fruits of His Spirit working in us each day... May we truly repent of our delusions, our ignorance and misunderstanding, our negligence in allowing ourselves to be corrupted by unscrupulous people who only have themselves in mind at the expense of our purses, our lives and souls; and live each day being thankful of our salvation and deliverance, of the love and mercy we have received since birth, and pouring out the same measure of grace and mercy to others too...
The inclusive God... Throughout history, wars
had been waged under the banner of religious exclusivism, or the belief that
one's faith and set of traditions are the one true way, and that of others are
invalid, and must be condemned and destroyed or abandoned... Yet if we believe
and follow the teachings of our Savior, we have to take note that He preached
and reached out to people beyond His social, political and religious circle;
but spent a lot of time with the "others" - - ostracized and scoffed
at for their social status, their livelihoods, their faith, preferences and
nationality... And that is the mirror of true faith: it is not an affiliation,
not a membership, not a heterogenous group, but as He said, a "feeding of
the hungry, giving of drink to the thirsty, clothing of the naked, caring for
the sick, visiting of the incarcerated, being hospitable to the stranger,"
and like Him, "caring for, ministering and developing a ministry for
widows and orphans"... If we practice as He preached, and not discriminate
people nor judge them according to our standards and biases, then we belong to
the true church, that doesn't have a formal or written certificate, that isn't confined
to four walls, that isn't even named and indicated in legal and public
documents; but that is spiritual, eternal, alive and drives our everyday
motivation and moments...
Sad begets sad; don't be, or you and others
whose lives you touch might go down the way of destruction with you... The
Finnish were asked what they thought about being the happiest country on earth;
and the author of the article said that the ordinary Finnish could not relate
that much... For you see, they have different views of being happy: it's not
always having fun, always having a smile on, being constantly energetic and
enjoying to the max because YOLO; but being content and at peace, knowing that
they can pay the bills because they are in good health and they have jobs that
pay well; that when they get sick, the government pays for it; that they can
send their children to school, even to post graduate courses because it's
free... We don't have such a rich government, or one that has lesser corruption
than ours; but we can learn from their attitude... It is feeling confident and
thankful that wherever we are right now is where we're meant to be; that for
all our troubles and difficulties, we have a God who watches over us and is attentive
to our needs and concerns; that there is no reason to fear for tomorrow and
even for eternity, because He who designed all things, also has our future in
mind, and our well-being at hand; that we can afford to be generous, patient
and understanding now, because of The One Great Love that sustains us each
day... It is a stretch to wish each of us to be happy; but rather, to pray that
each one of us find that peace and contentment that only the Prince of Peace
and Everlasting Father can bring...
Proximity is an insidious jade... An old
proverb to be sure, but literally one that grows on you... And one famous
saying I've learned from a favorite author during my teenage years... So it
seems with our relationship with people too... They may be gracious to us, or
hostile, but like maltreated and abused Dan, the humble heart learns to love
those who are closest to us, for we realize they are given to us to accompany
us in this journey, and from we learn how to live and love more deeply... And
while crime, offense, abuse and oppression are deplorable; but the one who has
let the fruits of the Spirit in their lives learns to be patient and
understanding, forgiving, secure and at peace that someday, things will get
better, people will learn without coercion, and at the end, we shall all
receive our due reward... May we truly let our Father's love and light shine
through us; and even towards the unlovable and those we deem undeserving,
coexist and live in peace and understanding, in patience and humility, in faith
and trust, in wisdom and love...
The road to destruction is paved with greedy
intentions... I wasn't really offended when someone commented that if you want
to get rich, build a new religion; because honestly, we've seen far too many
so-called messengers of God who were actually only after people's purses...
There was even one who was so close to the story here, giving in to fraudulent
speculators decades ago, who dug up an entire hectare-full of land where a part
of his church establishment was built, strongly believing there was gold there...
Where they really able to find gold from all those dirt? No one knows, but one
thing for sure: when that guy started all the digging, for me, He just lost all
claim and credibility to seek after lost souls like our Savior commanded, in
order to bring them close to Him; because indeed, he showed himself a fraud,
who was only seeking for material treasure at the expense of people's tithes...
And our Savior's words today couldn't ring truer about where our hearts and
treasures are; for truly what we value makes all the difference in us between
keeping our sanity and going ahead to the road of insanity... May we remain
sane and sober; and live lives valuing what is true, seeing and keeping
ourselves far from the fake and false glitter of fame and fortune, and strive
and patiently endure on our path to eternity with our God, Savior, and One True
King and Master...
A thankful heart... Manifests sincere
acknowledgement of our God's goodness and love, His salvation and deliverance
and gift of eternity; and reflects and pours out the same grace, generosity,
understanding, patience, wisdom and discernment on others too... It does not
force others to believe and accept their personal opinions, biases,
exclusiveness, prejudice, and less-informed ideas; but works hand in hand with
others to fulfill our one great commission to be good stewards of life and
creation, to make this world better for everyone; and to make each of us feel
that more than our inadequacies and failings, the love of our Creator shines
and should be given a chance to shine on us, on all our efforts and fruits of
labors, and all creation... May thankfulness be not just a pretense, an
expression or conversation-opener for us, but our lifestyle and brand...
Of infinite potential... Maybe because I was
raised through childhood to a great extent by grandparents who lived through
the second world war of modern times, I was taught some crafts, and most
importantly how to reuse many things and whatever is available and at hand, to
the point of almost instinctively knowing that what is trash to many, still can
actually be used in other things... Thankfully, I fell just a little bit of
being a hoarder, but that is another story... Still, to those who have the
stewardship mindset, we know that to survive and thrive, we need to stay
hopeful; because the things entrusted to us are never vain, mundane, or
useless... These always scream out for bigger meaning and higher purpose... How
much more with human life... An article recently said that there really is no
cure for depression, just medicines to control hormones that trigger it; but
because one cause of depression could be the overwhelming feeling of
helplessness, maybe it would help those of us in those situations to think that
there will always be help available if we are humble enough to ask for it, that
all our efforts at living so far are not useless because they are working in us
to develop our character and patience, and that to a loving Heavenly Father of
all humankind, nobody is so misled and evil as not to warrant His rain of grace
and mercy, His outpouring of love and deliverance; and to have the wisdom and discernment
to see and treat other people in the same manner too, no matter their personal
beliefs and preferences... May we transform our view to that perspective, be
open to His daily revelations, and trust in His loving and wise guidance...
Strong east winds actually drive you west, and
if facing north, to the left... And those moments are big life changes,
challenging, scary at times, but amazing, and full of wonder... Because only
our Creator can bring about those, to the ones who have humbled themselves,
listened to His still small voice even if they don't understand it at the
moment, and obeyed His leading in humility and patience and courage... It is
blind to eyes that only see the moment; but for the soul who takes a step back,
wisdom is given at the end, to discern that all things work together for good
to those who love and believe in Him; all things turn out greater than before,
to the ones who trust His will, and walk in the path He designated--in patience
and faith...
Because the Word is life... So that we
shouldn't misinterpret nor twist it when we represent it to others, infusing it
with our own biases and judgments, and muddling it with our ignorance... For
like grass that is perennial, its truths will always seep through the cracks;
and in our moments of false pride and unfounded superiority, slap us in the
face or smack us over in the head... Rather we should give it due reverence,
and always be curious to know its language and culture, strive to gain wisdom
to know and understand its many levels and depths, courage to discover its
revelations, and humility to accept that we can never fully understand it nor
take and appropriate it all literally; yet to give it a chance to work in our
lives and drive our motivations and perspectives... May we therefore truly make
it a lamp in our path, to keep it shining, and when it seems to go dim, to
always fan its flames daily in our lives...
A diversity of gifts... Because our God is the
God of unity and peace, we bear His mark if we apply the same to all our
endeavors too... The people of God therefore should recognize and acknowledge
the potential in each one, whatever may be their status or situation in life,
and work together to welcome the multiples of intelligences each one comes
with... Unfortunately in many of our communities, we lack such of what the
secular and scientific world has established as to the diversity of personality
and capacity our human family has... May we truly see others through the eyes
of our Father, that towards a better world, we may work hand-in-hand with
others, especially those whose culture and beliefs are different from ours,
recognizing that they are God's children too, even if they choose to serve and
worship Him in manners different from what we grew up with...
Faith in action... Is not exclusive, not
condemning, not inward-focused; but goes out to the real world, spreading the
love of God without saying it out loud with words but with deeds and
presence... Because the Word is not realized with words; but bears fruit in
transformed lives, freed from judgment and bias, alive and glowing with His
light, poured out by His Spirit, and generously being poured out in everyday
acts and moments that make this life and earth better...
Liberty means that if we have to sow, we sow
generously... Because putting out feelers here and there, giving out tidbits to
people whom we believe need much is not charity but vainglory, just a way to
make us feel good without making us commit ourselves... So is it with the Word,
with a revelation, with the truth... A mere verse won't cut it, because as
history has proven, it can cause unlimited misinterpretations, racism and
discrimination, wars and chaos... But if we have to live our faith and
conviction, then we speak our truth quietly and clearly, we expound and explain
with wisdom and love, we do not give people a taste of the kingdom but a whole
heaping full serving of God's mercy and grace, we do not just give a verse but
we open up the Word to a hungry humanity in search for its salvation and
deliverance by its power; even if they might question or ridicule it, or
subject it to scrutiny, but still giving them a chance to hear, to understand,
to experience... In other words, when our Savior gave us freedom, we share such
gift and give liberty to others too; not only physically, but mentally,
emotionally, spiritually... We do not cover the Word, but open it up and expose
it, warts and all... For freedom begets itself, and the gift and indwelling of
the Holy Spirit bears fruit in lives poured out for His service and
sacrifice...
Having His eyes... In our time today, fewer
people claim and gain confidence from the belief that we were and are still
made everyday in our God's image; and fewer still unfortunately, exhibit His
qualities in how they see and treat other people... But the God of wisdom is
the all-wise and merciful eternal, THE God of love, from whom we hear that if
we love Him, we keep His command not only to love Him but our fellowman too...
And in this father's day at that, it is sad to note that fathers who truly fulfill
their God-given duties are dwindling around the world; which makes us think
that maybe we need a radical transformation in how we treat our fathers, how
fathers should treat their children and the youth, and how we all, as a family
under heaven, should treat those without fathers, especially those with
absentee or abusive ones... For as God's children we all deserve to grow in His
love and grace; and as fathers, mothers, elders, teachers and mentors, we are
all obligated and responsible to give the same kind of good and godly
upbringing to all children and youth entrusted to our care, seeing them with
the same fatherly loving eyes, treating them with humble hearts, gentle and
firm guidance, nurturing hands, and protective arms as they go on this journey too...
Never be silent... In proclaiming the truth,
in speaking out against abuses and oppression, in expressing love and
support... For that is a life well-lived, an existence actuallized... Yet a
Proverb says we are given two ears, two eyes, but one mouth, to perceive more,
and to speak by choosing our words wisely... Perceiving what others feel and
need, believing that things will work out well, and that even the nastiest
people have the desire to be acknowledged, and knowing that with such
knowledge, we need wisdom to be able to brandish such "weapon" with
all humility and nobility; primarily encourages us to choose our words with
care, and conduct our speeches in understanding and wisdom, in patience and
love...
Herein lies true love, that even if one party
has dementia, the other doesn't forget and still cares... So the Word today
says of our God... Unfortunately many of us, especially in generations past,
have chosen to forget how to truly love Him and our fellowmen; for we have
added tenets, practices and traditions contrary to His will even though we
claim them to be, by distorting and misinterpreting the Word, just because
these make us feel good, special and superior in the eyes of others... We have
forgotten His command not to add or deduct from what He has said, and have paid
dearly for it with lost and misled souls that we have doomed to perdition...
Thankfully our God always finds a way to get back at us, and in many ways,
always gives a chance for His people to learn and be saved... Let us not waste
our sane and waking time, and truly live our days in His love and leading,
finding our peace and confidence in His promises, making a living abiding by
His Word, and making a life in His presence...
Not a moment wasted... For the busy bunch, who
like to fill their hours with activities and stuff, for they believe that time
is gold, and every minute needs to be filled with doing something productive...
But downtimes have their purpose too, allowing us to think and take stock, and
see ourselves in the grand journey we are all taking... For that seems to be
the case with our metaphysical and spiritual lives too; in moments crammed both
with movement, and in times of rest and meditation - - not a second wasted in
nothingness and aimlessness, but always working out for the completion of our
Savior's good work in us...
The second witness... If we are to take the
book of Revelation's 'Two Witnesses' metaphorically, in our time today, truly,
we (including us who say we belong to the same faith and conviction) have
murdered and trampled on them... For one could very well be the Word--preaching
the gospel undiluted, in the same spirit of love and mercy our Savior meant for
it to be; and one is Living the Word--that is, if we can boldly proselytize to
what we believe is a world ignorant and uninformed, so should we apply our faith
and conviction in how we treat others too... For a sense of adventure and a bit
of bravado and pride, even a feeling of superiority, may color our reason to
preach the gospel, even if we say we do it out of love for God; but there can
be no more credible evidence of our testimony than loving our neighbor,
respecting their rights and peace of mind, giving a chance for God to work in
and through them without harassing or nagging them, condemning or shaming them
into guilt and obedience about it... For our ally is time; if indeed we are
true to the mission we were called, it helps give us patience and perseverance;
it allows us to wait for the right time, the right mindframe, without letting
us waste each precious moment in living for Him and for what He called us to do
for others too...
We don't put down roots... Unlike plants in
which we say literally are "rooted to the ground", our lives are
mobile and moving, ever-changing with the times, always on the go with life's
challenges and breakthroughs... That is why it is unhealthy to get comfortable
with comfort zones; they are death to the soul, and an affront to the very
nature our God intended for us to be... For we are meant to influence, to
spread our impact of life and restoration far and wide, nourishing other
people's souls and replenishing creation... Inertia is a natural reaction, but
settling down to the demands of culture and tradition, especially if they were
actually uninformed and lacking good judgment and discernment in the first
place is a curse... For as our Savior has said, He gives us life, and He
desires for us to live it abundantly, ever growing, ever new, ever expanding in
magnanimity and love...
True obedience brings freedom... Because of
the weight of tradition, and the burden to conform to a set of man-made values,
unfortunately many of us just follow and parrot traditions set by men who were
filled with pride, beliefs and tenets passed down from misinterpretations and
feelings of superiority; without striving to understand why, or caring to know
if these were logical, if these were what our God and Savior exemplified for
us... And without being aware that they were already proven false and
ineffective before, we fall prey to the pressure, and measure our life and walk
by erroneous, unnecessary, unreasonable, ungodly, unwise, and the same sinful
and prideful standards... It is time to go back to the Word first given to us
(in the apps or the printed version, they're in red), to rethink what we were
brainwashed in, and stop misinterpreting and misappropriating what is not for
us and what is beyond us in His will and plan... Because the kind of obedience
these bring only results in chaos and confusion, shame and oppression,
craziness and pain; while the kind of obedience our Savior challenged us with
brings life and healing, freedom and deliverance, peace and joy, wisdom and
love...
The reason for our hope... Not really sure if
many people still believe in an afterlife, or are starting to doubt many tenets
of the faith, including the one that says we are accountable in the afterlife
for everything we do while in this body; that is why we have to act with
respect, understanding, tolerance, kindness, humility, justice and fairness...
Because in our times today, many religious and social and political or
community leaders, business leaders too, seem to act with impunity, live it up,
blatantly steal from others their hard-earned incomes, trample over their
rights--to their persons and bodies, take away their self-esteem and peace,
even devalue and easily dispose of their very lives... Maybe we really have
believed that we are privileged and entitled, at the expense of others, and we
must do all we can to get what we want... Yet, no matter our status,
credentials, wealth and private armies, we are mere mortals, lower than angels,
weaker than even nature itself... May we stop waking up to a lie of our
invincibility, but always be mindful of our place in God's time, our value
among His creation and in His eyes, and not forget that everything we do is
counted, every thought, word and deed serving to build the life we are looking
forward to, an existence and reckoning, a reward or otherwise in the great
beyond...
Wisdom, humility and trust are the true
markers of a successful person... It is recognizing that you do not know
everything; but when seeking for truth, answers and knowledge, you are quiet,
clear, and keenly attentive to it; it is knowing that no matter the size of
your wealth, the height of your status, the magnitude of your achievements,
that you are just one breath away from a life beyond the grave, and that you
can never bring one cent or one dot of title with you after your heart stops
beating; it is acknowledging that you are limited, that you are helpless as an
individual and need the community of those close to you, physically or
emotionally, in order to survive, thrive and grow... Above all, it is knowing
and being fully aware that you are mortal, and so are not entitled to
privilege; but that whatever grace received should be accepted in gratitude,
lived in patience and perseverance, and given back in love...
When the soul does a backyard-bathe... Is when
it is at its most secure... For life is often full of troubles, yet, we as
God's dearly beloved creation and child, can have Him as our refuge; much like
our very own backyard in nature, where we are safe, secure of our space and
belonging, and at peace... No matter our challenges and difficulties, nay we
not forget to step out into our own "backyard" with Him, that we may
enjoy the abundance and rest He promised...
Battered, bruised but not broken... Sadly,
such is life for many, especially that everyday gets more and more challenging
and difficult, and many people around seem to grow more and more entitled,
enraged and abusive, oppressive and unjust... And we can only hope and pray
that someday things will get better, and that there will be a time our wishes
and dreams could come true... In the process however, we are thankful to our
God and Savior that He sustains and provides, that He strengthens and guides...
For as we work every day doing our best and giving our all--to our tasks, to
the betterment of our fellowman and community, we are and always will be given
love and grace, confidence and joy, hope and peace...
Sitting on the fence... What often costs us
our humanity and soul is finding faults in others; which is why, even as a
profession in audit, people have a mostly hate relationship with those who
point out at inadequacies in how others do their work... There must be a reason
why our Savior couched His words with reminders of love and unlimited
forgiveness... For as one loving and caring people of God, we are called upon
to alert others if what they have been doing is wrong, but not in a judgmental
manner; that is, correction and discipline is all about what is best for the
person, not the ego or image of the one doing the correcting, nor for
entertainment or shock value of those who will see the example... But the best
thing is, we should always start off in humble prayer, in honest and loving
conversation... Yet, for those who may not heed, we must not ostracize but
continue praying, and give them some space... For even if we think that person
is wrong, still they deserve respect for their choices, and an opportunity to
learn from the outcomes... If praying silently and sitting on the fence of our
brethren's lives is the most loving and humane thing to do, then so be it...
Anyway, we are each in our own journey, with different challenges and
milestones, but each one deserving of support, understanding, love and mercy
from one another...
Adverse Religious Experience... I came across
one online article on this by someone who said she had been brainwashed and
trapped before in traditions and faith systems so insular, inward-focused,
backward and selfish, where change is eschewed for the comfort of the familiar
and the affirmation of the misled and ignorant few, even when such sacrifices
truth, justice, mercy and charity towards the lost, and those whose souls
really need the inspiration and the love of God... I guess the hardest idol to
remove in our lives is our principles and traditions, that we have adapted from
people who manipulate us into thinking that we are less and inferior than them
in the eyes of our God... But our God truly is merciful, in that, because we
were created in His image, He also gives us the capacity to think, to realize
the sham of busyness according to our own less-informed criteria about life and
service in Him, and to wake up from the uselessness of our prideful dependence
on our own efforts at pleasing Him... Indeed, nothing quite like fulfills His
purpose in us, than for us to show in whatever we do that we are not exclusive,
we are not entitled, and we are not privileged; but that each person we meet
deserves our love and understanding no matter how unlovable we may perceive
them to be; and that each of us deserve respect and support in whatever
challenge and issue we face in our journey... May we not make AREs our own
little gods that trap us in false comfort and security, but truly dedicate the
rest of our days becoming more like our Savior who went out of His comfort zone
to bring life and light to a hurting world beyond...
It's time... Sometimes in our lives we don't
want to do some things because we feel it isn't time; sometimes too we ask why
we haven't yet received some things even when we feel we deserved it already...
But the good news is that with our God, there is no wrong timing... Psalm 37:4
says to delight ourselves in Him, and He will give us the desires of our
heart... And these blessings always come at the right time... May we always
remember that whatever may be our situation now, whatever we are feeling, to
only trust that we are where we need to be at the moment; because when we wait
patiently and not lose faith, there will always be a time when our dreams and
wishes come true, especially when those are motivated by love and service, by a
desire to do good and to give generously... We may be running late according to
our GPS-connected watches, but life, as planned and willed by Creator, for us
will always be on time...
For a wider audience... Because of the
Internet, it seems the world had gotten smaller, and many of us become
connected to people from the farthest corners of the earth... In the Word
today, that seemed to be the situation during the apostle Peter's time,
especially when the Lord instructed him to feed His sheep, not only the
immediate disciples, but people of all nationalities around the world... During
the retreat we were shown a video of the modern day Capernaum church, below
which, separated by a glass floor in the center, was the archaeologically-dug-up
original stone house of the apostle Peter, a former fisherman, by the seaside
of Galilee in the ancient province of Judea... And that site sits in the
crossroads of culture, history and faith... So it seems with our faith too: we
can no longer share God's word only to our family, neighbors, town or city, but
to a wider world, and the love and grace that goes with it... Imagine if
instead of preaching doctrines and arguing against the tenets of each one, each
one of us follow the command given to the apostle, and feed each other with our
Lord's words and grace, both as His sheep, and the flock that--with the
sacrifice of our time, talent energy and lives--nourish a sad, hungry and
broken world (from one end to the other) with the love, the wisdom, the mercy,
and the grace of our God?...
Awash and bursting in love, by a God who is
always within reach, a whisper and prayer away... Unfortunately in our time
today, not many people can confidently say that they are blessed, loved and
loved by our Creator... But surely, that faith is one which most of us need in
order to give life, hope and light to a sad and darkened world... May we then
always remember everyday, these words by our Savior; that in our own little
ways, we may each do our part to be immersed in the love and presence of our
God, and pour out a huge heaping of that love to others too...
Community... As one who grew up in the lower
rungs of society, there is none more important to survival and sanity than the
support and help of family and friends... Probably because the poor have no
wealth to depend on, good relations with those who are at hand and around can
ensure that we all go through life whole and strong... And in a better world of
perfect peace, this sense of community will reign over all Man-made structures,
systems and organizations... For the world does not need bureaucracies,
protocols, demagogues and fanatics to make it through wars and tragedies; but
as exemplified and willed by our Creator, people who care, people who give more
than what they have, people who go the extra mile...
The green thumb... I know of one who always
makes it a point that whatever she wants to plant, she lets the green thumb do
it, while she just happily waters the plant everyday; saying that no matter how
faithful she is in watering, if she herself planted or sowed, the plant dies...
Strangely, the story today matches this recent exchange: no matter how we
interpret or express our faith, only that which was founded on the works of our
God and Savior will bear good and worthy, everlasting fruit... Even if we claim
or profess it, if there is pride and malice, if induced by a desire for gain
and fame, there is no genuine faithfulness, and such a life will be full of
doubt and fear, anxiety and insecurity... And the Word today shows us Whose
words to uphold: the eternal words of our Savior are our canons of faith, while
those of the epistles are mere interpretations for the culture at that time,
and which we would be remiss if we appropriate literally word-for-word in our
time and generation today, because many of these have lost context... May we
always remember and heed the words of our Green Thumb Gardener and True Vine,
that our lives and spirits may thrive, bear fruit and last for all time...
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