Living In A Material World

I get so livid at the idea of seeing people throwing themselves into the mercy of creditors by purchasing all kinds of material possesions that their bank accounts could hardly afford and complain about not being able to meet their monthly payments. Incoherence may be part of it, the thought of acquiring things that one has never had the chance to enjoy in the past can be dangerously attractive. Godly contentment is a hard value to acquire but nevertheless a rather practical and noble feat.

Proverbs 30:8-9

KYRIE

Kyrie elieson, down the road that I must travel
Kyrie elieson, through the darkness of the night
Kyrie elieson, where I'm going will you follow?
Kyrie elieson, on a highway in the light

From the song Kyrie by the band Mr. Mister
1985

"Kyrie Elieson" is greek for "Lord Have Mercy".

Proverbs 29:25

What's In A Name?

We first came up with her nickname we decided to call her Pajie a combination of both our nicknames Pat and Phenjie. Then we started working on her her full name and we settled for Patricia Janelle, this was probably 6 months before she was born.

We first came up with her full name we thought of calling her Paige then we decided on Josette for her middle name, no particular reason we just felt like it. Jheyjette was the name of my "baby pillow" when i was still barely reading my first book, i decided that when i had kids at least one of them would be its namesake fortunately or unfortunately for her this is my youngest daughter's nickname. This was also decided upon probably 6 months before she was born.

Pajie and Jheyjette are both my daughters and i love them unconditionally... they along with their Mother are my gems!

In Isaiah 44:28-45:7, God called the Medo-Persian King Cyrus by his name 200 years before he was born. Intricately, God describes how the Babylonian Empire would fall under Cyrus' reign. How his parents named him Cyrus is a subject that is beyond any normal human understanding and how did God allow him to do the unthinkable by conquering the powerful Babylonian Empire? He is God, indeed He can do anything that pleases Him.

Ezra 1

Bacolod The Comfortable

Leaving the comforts of a place called Bacolod seem to be the most ridiculous decision one could ever make. To many the impression of moving to the Land of Milk and Honey could be a recipe for ones insatiable appetite for success. I did not have that kind of motive when I left the comforts of Bacolod, quite honestly until this day i couldn't quite figure out why i made such a decision except to follow God's will. Yesterday, for the first time in my life I became a part of the North American workforce...it wasn't a walk in the park. I had to do things that i would not normally do in my Land of Comfort. Back there I was the Boss, while here I am humbled to accept my first job as part of the Merchandizing Department doing odd but noble tasks inside a store's basement area or what they would call "the docks". Tough! My back hurts like crazy and my heart rate went haywire but it's very humbling. A friend and Mentor whom i would normally refer to as "Yoda" told me minutes before i left for work that he went through the same thing before, he complained to God but that his paradigm shifted immediately after a tete a tete with his creator. He approached his Boss and told him "I want to be the best in what i do" the minute he said that his demeanor began to change dramatically and he started to pursue work as though he did it for his Savior and not for his earthly boss. I have an obscure sense of what my future is but for now i know i may have lost the Comfort of Bacolod but i have gained the Confidence of Serving my King in whatever i do.

In Isiah 6:1 Judah just lost a powerful and very popular King. Under King Uziah's reign people felt safe and secured. They trusted and depended on him but when he died the people were crushed and distraught.

Sometimes God has to remove the people, things or places that we depend on so that we can see that it really is all about him.

Isiah 6

Of Hymns and Sufferings

Without fear we sang in prisons 30 feet beneath the earth. We were terribly hungry, beaten, and tortured.

The Communists were good at torturing us.

We would say to each other, "The communist beat us very well - let us do our work well, Let us sing well".

Richard Wumbrand
Spent 14 years in a Communist prison
Romania, 1940s, 50s and 60s

"It takes a real commitment to Jesus Christ in times of persecution. Thus there is usually a tremendous depth of relationship with the Lord. And with that relationship, there comes tremendous faith and a great love for fellow believers"

Chuck Smith
Founder
Calvary Chapel Movement

2 Thessalonians 1: 3-5

The Fifth Column

During the Second World War, there excisted individuals who betrayed their country by becoming spies for the Occupying Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines. These traitors were referred to as the "Quinta Columna" or the "Fifth Column" by the Guerilla Forces. The idea was for them to wear a mask made out of a paper bag with two holes enough for their eyes to view and identify those whom the Japanese Army suspect to be part of the Guerilla Movement. Some of them used to be members of the Movement but had departed, blinded by their own delusions of gradeur and have grown impatient of waiting for the promise of salvation from the Allied Forces. The information they shared with the Japanese Army dealt a big blow to the Guerilla Forces and cost the lives of many even the innocent ones. But in the end the Philippines was liberated, most of those who were with the Fifth Column suffered long years of imprisonment and some who were captured by the guerillas suffered the very unfortunate fate of being killed.

Apostasy- the word translated "falling away" is the Greek word apostasia. The root word means to depart.

2Thessalonians 2:3

When God Hides

It was January of 1999, a month before that my wife was diagnosed of a very rare form of disease. Her doctor told us that it was in its advanced stage and all we could do is pray and rely heavily on medications that could possibly reverse the condition. My wife was also instructed not to stress herself out too much as this might be detrimental to her health. And then it happened so fast, her immune system collapsed and her condition worsened. I looked at her pale face while she was lying in pain in her hospital bed then she whispered to me "forgive those who have hurt you" and "i am ok with the idea of you finding another wife should i go". Flustered, i could only turn to the one person whom i thought had abandoned me at this darkest hour. Asking for His forgiveness and for His help. Days were long and nights were even longer but i prayed and cried all at the same time begging Him to spare my wife from further agony. The attending doctors finally instructed me to send my wife to the capital city of Manila in the Philippines for more treatment coz' the city where we were living just simply lacked the facilities at that time. She was given a 50/50 chance to live and the doctors made no secret about their doubts regarding her chances to me. I had to talk to my children the day before we left and had to prepare them for what may come. I remember telling them "if i come back from Manila and Mom's not with me, it's coz' she is in a better place with the Father where it is more peaceful and where she will be happier". But as soon as we arrived in Manila provisions came, the treatment was a success, my wife had a miraculous healing all because...I believed in the One who could heal, deliver and answer during my darkest hour.

Psalm 30:7-8