Journey to God in Small Steps

I had a good time watching the movie "Facing the Giants" earlier. I was just struck by the part where the Coach was making reforms in his team to turn their defeat around. He rededicated the football team's vision, purpose, training principles — essentially the team's foundations — on the word of God. One of the lessons the coach was trying to apply to the team was from the story of Nehemiah and his people when they were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Here is the clip from the movie. The coach resolved to have each of the team members guard an opponent in front of them as part of the overall team's defense. After Holy Week, I know life will continue. But the rebuilding of our country will also continue, each to our post. In the story of Nehemiah, they were building the ruins of their nation. For our country, so will we. My dreams for my country started when I was working. I did not want to leave the country because I have hopes that the countr...

I hope everyone is having a great Holy Week so far. I’m amazed at the depth of faith and love our people are showing for one another. Much has been said about the deity of Mary, the mother of Jesus. What is the truth of all of this?  Mary was the mother of Jesus, a virgin when she bore the son of God who would take away the sins of the world. I have respect for Mary for her obedience to God in spite of what the religious people of the time would think towards her. Out of all the disciples, only she, John, Mary Magdalene, and other women remained faithful to Jesus at the time of his death. This is the Mary that I know, respect and honor. However, to me, the deity of Mary as a sinless, present intercessor, raised to the highest honor equal to Jesus, virgin till death as pictured in the rosary where you would repeat her “qualities and authority” is still questionable. The Mary that I honor is a woman who was steadfast in her faith to God, a good mother, and a faithful e...

Holy Week is here again. Just when I was about to prepare myself for a different trip, I realize it's suddenly here. For the Philippines' 80% Roman Catholics, this is a very important tradition to remind themselves of what Christ did, often told in the fourteen stations of the Cross that would depict each phase of Christ's suffering until his death. It often includes a Bisita Iglesia where people would go from church to church. People would include a passion story in their services. Streets will be filled with people who would go over the passion story together with walks, leaflets, and collective prayers. A prayer for Holy Week A prayer for people as they prepare and attend to their services to the Lord during this season. O Lord Jesus, we just thank You God for another opportunity to be one with you in your suffering and sacrifice. Lord I pray that You will open my eyes such that there will never be another Holy Week for me where I have learned about You more. Lor...

Two sequential stories from the Bible hit me with a similar note one day—how God provides for us but our eyes have to be opened for us not to miss it. The first story is the story of Hagar, Abraham's slave girl who had borne him Ishmael. When Sarah, Abraham's wife sent Hagar packing, the mother and son were led to a desert. When supplies were gone, Hagar and her son were crying. God heard the m. An angel of God said to Hagar, "' What is the matter? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.' Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. " (Genesis 21:17-19)  God opened the slave girl's eyes so she could see the provision of the Lord for both of them. The second story is of Abraham. In Genesis 22, Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac to God. God tested Ab...

Today, I was reading the first recorded prayer of Solomon in the Bible. 2 Chronicles 1 and 1 Kings 3. It's just amazing how I've read this chapter many times before only to receive a different revelation about it. That is the power of the Word of God and the Spirit when both come together to reveal something new —be it a  spiritual insight, spiritual knowledge or instructio n —that you can apply everyday because it speaks specifically about what is happening in the natural —your situation or perception about the situation itself — in a way that you can understand and know specifically. In the story Solomon offered a thousand sacrifices to the Lord in Gibeon. The temple was not built yet and Solomon was in his early years of rulership. In a dream, the Lord appeared to Solomon asking what he desired (2 Chronicles 1:7, 1 Kings 3:5).  ** Trivia: The books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles probably don't have the same authors and they were written in separate time periods but ...

It's been awhile since I blogged. Not a lot to share recently. God is still dealing with some issues in my life. It seems He never rests taking care of those areas. I recently just finished the cardboard model our church gave us to remind us that we're a part of building God's House. It may mean physical and it may mean spiritual. I started it yesterday and thank God it looks as it's supposed to look. I remembered two accounts in the Bible where the people of God were doing the same task as a body. David and the leaders, priests and families of Israel gathered together some time ago to build a temple for the Lord. It was that very temple where people from surrounding nations, not just the Israelites, would go to to visit the God of Israel. I just love the exhortation of David when he encouraged his people that they were doing the right thing and appreciated their earnestness to give to the work. " But who am I, and who are my people that we should be a...