Can’t Figure It Out?

People who work in places that require creativity are encouraged to think in fresh, original ways (out of the box)—come up with non-traditional, non-conventional ideas that are fresh and innovative. 

“Resist the usual,” is a credo most creative departments in advertising agencies follow.  

Such was how our small group in church viewed the ministry of Jesus. He taught about life not in the way people normally saw it but in a jaw-dropping, head-scratching way. 

He said in Mark 8:35 (NLT), “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. ”  

He also said in Matthew 19:21, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven 

. . .” 

Luke 22:26 reads, “. . . Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.” 

When the people heard Him say these words, they were perplexed and thought that Jesus was strangely out of touch.

 

Even today, this is the way unbelievers think about our Savior. 

But we are the ones out of touch. We think in a run-of-the-mill way, limited by our imperfect humanity. In Isaiah 55:8, He explains this, “’My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.’” He thinks differently!  

So if we can’t understand what is happening in our lives, we must be confident that the Lord does, because He has all the answers—way beyond our limited, finite minds. Only by grace can we find answers on our own.   

Questions to ponder:  

When I find myself out of touch of the troubles around me, how do I find solutions and keep going?  How do I keep faith in and trust the One whose solutions I often can’t figure out?  

Photo credit: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/420945896402713915/

Old Habits Die

Let me delete “hard,” the last word from that idiom. Because old habits can die sooner or later. 

When our three sons were young, up until the pandemic, eating out was part of our routine.  There was not a Sunday (or some other day) that we did not go out to share a meal at our favorite or a new place. 

I am not blaming the pandemic for that habit now dead. I am bragging about Mother Teresa, the househelp who has stuck it out with us since the beginning of the three-year lockdown and learned to cook every cuisine you can think of, courtesy of You Tube and authentic ingredients ordered by son #3 online. 

She could actually mimic any cuisine served at our once-favorite dining places—and often does them better! 

The only time we dine out now is when there is a celebration with invited guests, clan, or friends. 

But there was that one time last year when we decided to spend our weekend at our favorite resort. Alas, the place has morphed into something unrecognizable and forgettable (especially the food). We ditched what would have been our last meal there and went instead to try an Italian restaurant that son #3 said be spotted on our way to the resort. 

It was a decision we all enjoyed. And JR’s driver, Sammy, who has begun making money on vlogs, documented it. Two pictures show our joy and upbeat expectation of the food yet to be served. 

Unsolicited review of the food at Amare on a scale of 1-5:  

Saturday Nights: Five Years Later

Sometime in 2019, just before the Covid 19 pandemic, I blogged about our Reuben Tribe. It is like my very own oasis, grace from an all-knowing God, where thirst for the Living Word is quenched week after week. 

Today, only five years later, I realize that so many changes have happened: Ate Miriam had gone home to Jesus (her wish in her last months), and so had Sis Blessie so unexpectedly. Several left for abroad or some place in the Philippines. 

But this tribe, and so with all our church’s other tribes happening in other days and other places, remain inexorable. It cannot be stopped. New families have joined us and by grace, more will in the coming days. 

We read about these different tribes’ activities on our church’s social media page. These remind us that we are headed in the same direction: toward the glory that awaits all believers. 

The concept of tribes (also called cottage ministry or small groups) suddenly perked up at our church service last Sunday, when our invited speaker, CAMACOP’s missionary to Nepal, spoke of discipleship and its exponential growth in ancient days in Antioch (alas, not Jerusalem, where it all began). From his slides, we saw how the Word is likewise exponentially spreading where he and his family are assigned. What a challenge!  

Aside from Bible study, sharing of praises and coming together in prayers,  Saturday Nights are also times of celebration of milestones like birthdays, promotions, graduations, etc.  

Fellowship with fellow believers is, for me, non-negotiable. It should happen if we wish to grow our faith. 

In the years to come, there will be more changes in membership, but there will never be any change in purpose: to honor and glorify the Source of all Saturdays and days we live out on earth.  

I fully agree with John Piper, one of the theologians and authors I frequently read, when he wrote, “Fellowship is a mutual bond that Christians have with Christ that puts us in a deep, eternal relationship with one another.” 

To Hell and Back

"Smiling Lola” was how people—young and old—in church described 80-year-old Mrs. Chua. She always had a chirpy remark for every person she meets. 

To those who did not know her well, she seemed free from all problems. But her faith brethren were witnesses to the tragic events in her life. In Mrs. Chua's own words, “I have been to hell and back.” 

She had nursed her husband through cancer surgery, heart attack, stroke, and half-body paralysis until his death. Then she also struggled with cancer for years after that. 

All through her difficult journey. she ran to her prayer partners in church. They constantly prayed for and with her, assuring her that God carries His children through their fears and brings them to a better place. 

“In a better place—that's where I am today,” Smiling Lola said in one of her testimonies in  church. She confessed to the audience, “After suffering through the grief of losing my husband and then struggling with cancer myself, I cried to the Lord every day. And miraculously, He healed me."  

  

“O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave,O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death . . . You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.” (Psalm 30: 5-6 and 11 NLT) 

Psalm 30 was penned by David, who experienced healing so incredible he declared that in his agony and anguish, he was soaked in spectacular grace—God’s powerful hand of restoration. 

In some ways, I (and perhaps some of you) have been “to hell and back” myself. God carried me (us) through. 

Saying Nothing

 When an innocent person is accused of a crime, his normal reaction would be outrage and anger. He would demand the accuser for concrete proof of his alleged crime. 

Either that or he would stay silent, thinking, If it isn’t true, why should I even bother explaining? 

In the Bible, Jesus did both. 

He spoke up: He rebuked the Pharisees, who could not believe His arguments about being the Son of God. He also challenged the unbelievers who argued with Him about who He was. His last argument was emphatic, “’I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!’ At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.”  (John 8:13-59 NLT) 

He stayed silent: The leading priests and the entire high council tried to pin Him down,  so they could put Him to death. Many false witnesses came forward to accuse Him. 

“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’” The council asked Him to answer, but He remained silent. 

A professor suddenly resigned from the university because some of his students who got failing grades spread a false rumor about him. He thought it beneath him to even defend himself. But by his leaving without any explanation, many people believed the students’ accusations.  

 

Sometimes, if we say nothing, wrongdoers go off scot-free. And yet, sometimes, too, remaining silent is the best option to quash the issue.  

When do we pipe up and when do we pipe down? 

I could almost hear my late mom repeating what she loved to say, "Always seek help from the Holy Spirit and His guiding grace to lead you in the right decision." 

Instant Friends

Thelma was running late and imagining dire scenarios. Her mother, who was traveling for the first time from the Philippines to Melbourne, Australia, must now be feeling nervous, or disoriented, or lost in the airport crowd. 

Was she surprised when she saw her talking animatedly with another lady.  

“Mommy!” Thelma exclaimed, hugging her Mom, who was oblivious to her daughter’s  arrival.   

“I gotta go, Sining,” Thelma’s mom waved goodbye to the lady she was talking to. “See you on Sunday!”  

Inside the car, Thelma apologized for arriving late. 

“No problem,” her mother replied. “Sining kept me company.” 

“Your friend?” asked Thelma.  

“Well, since we met at the airport, yes. She has lived in this city for years, and she invited me to her church this Sunday. Would you drive me there?”  

This usually happens when faith brethren meet for the first time. Although they are actually strangers, they feel like instant friends.   

Pastor Joe, a missionary, confirmed this. “In all the churches where I speak abroad, I am welcomed like an old friend.” 

Our Friend and Savior Jesus Christ unlocks doors for us to enter. That’s why there is an immediate welcome from and connection with a stranger when he finds out that you both know Jesus. It’s like reconnecting with an old friend. In John 15:13 (NLT), we read about what friendship is, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” 

Belonging to the family of believers is comforting. “Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.” (1 Peter 2:17)

Jesus is the mutual Friend of His followers. He joins hearts around the world and encircles them with His grace.  

Those who are in Christ, although strangers at first, become instant friends.  

  

Photo credit: Original painting by James Coates Fine Arts

Brand Image

In Marketing parlance, Brand Image is the perception of the customers of the brand. This image develops over time—as customers interact with and experience the brand. 

If marketers want their brand to have an elite, top-of-the-line brand image, then everything (advertising, packaging, pricing, and placement) have to be high-end. 

A Patek Philippe watch, for example, maintains a reputation for excellent craftsmanship.  Every part is polished, visible or not. Because it is the only company that maintains a record of all their watches since 1839, they can restore any of them. The lowest-priced Patek Philippe cost US$20,000 (over one million pesos!), sold only in exclusive shops.   

This was exactly the brand the Philippine’s new president was wearing on his inauguration day. Immediately memes about how much the watch cost (ranging from 14-24 million pesos), which was quite insensitive because 24% of the population is living in poverty, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority, and at that time, the country was reeling from the high inflation rate.    

Just as quickly, apologists came to his defense. “You can’t expect him to wear any less,  don’t you? The Marcoses are super rich and so are the Araneta’s (his wife).” Brand Image.  

In contrast, a Timex watch, which is displayed randomly in big and small watch shops, and which ordinary people like us wear, is mass-produced and can sell for as low as P2,000. 

To maintain their status in elite society, many go for Patek Philippe because of its Brand Image. In this consumer-oriented culture, we feel we can “buy” acceptance by wearing what beautiful people, like the new president, wear: branded watch and other branded items.     

In like manner, there is sometimes a temptation to make ourselves and our places of worship attractive to the world so we can win followers for Christ: impressive knowledge of the Bible, state-of-the-art equipment and musical instruments, etc. But the Bible is clear about the Brand Image that is really important to God. 

It is found in Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT). “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience . . . Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” 

Instead of enhancing our own Brand Image, we need to reflect the image of God, which is being perfected in us through the grace of Jesus. 

How can I be the likeness of Christ among unbelievers? 

photo credit: https://philnews.ph/2022/07/01/president-bongbong-marcos-wears-patek-philippe-this-is-price/