R.O.I. vs. Cheerful Giving

Before the offertory in church services, the liturgist usually reads Bible verses on giving. 

A favorite in many churches is Malachi 3:10 (NLT), “’Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!’” 

This is sometimes misinterpreted to mean that the more money you put into the offering bag, the more money you will receive in return—like an R.O.I. (Retun on Investment). That’s why some give big sums, expecting returns sooner or later.  

“We need to correct this wrong motivation to give,” one elder said in a meeting. “Giving is not a business proposition. It is defined in the New Testament as something you do with an open heart, without expecting anything in return. 

He then read 2 Corinthians 9:7, “. . .  decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 

No matter how well intentioned the elder’s proposal was, another elder replied, “Giving to the church work is personal, based on faith. Unfortunately, we cannot compel anyone to give cheerfully. Some treasure their wealth so much that by giving generously, they think they will be doubly compensated.”

The Bible raises a red flag about R.O.I. giving, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:21) 

 

That's why Timothy enjoins believers in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, "Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others . . . "  

The desire of a Christian's heart is to trust in God.     

Photo credit: 

Dewi Sri Farm: Encore

One day is simply not enough to take in all the treasures at Dewi Sri, a 10-hectare, Bali-inspired farm in Pila, Laguna. We were there exactly a year ago for an overnight stay. 

Although my heart brimmed with wonders to have written an ode to the place then, I knew there was more to uncover in this hidden paradise, tucked away from the highway.  

This second time around, we stayed for two nights; indeed, the bliss doubled. 

In the province where I grew up, farms were our playground, so the memories of those bygone days come alive at Dewi Sri. As for Tony and my boys—all born and bred in Manila—these are novel experiences and therefore, mind-bending.  

In this resort-farm, the efficient staff and everything else are authentic. Preservatives and chemicals are not welcome. You wake up and turn in with the best in nature surrounding your every move: birds, fowls, fish, flowers, vegetables, trees, rocks, rivers, ponds, fresh air and clear, blue skies. The sights and sounds seem to come directly from the heavens. 

Let me call this encore of a visit a perfect getaway, far from the madding crowd. All-natural and freshly-picked food served on a dining table—open to the scenic terrain—elevate eating from a ritual to a rite.    

Every nook is restful, calm, and an ideal spot for communing with God. I couldn’t take enough photos to show what a healing environment is like. 

Again, we had the pool all to ourselves; the music in our cottage was a chorale magnifique of tweeting birds, clucking chickens, singing geckos, whispering trees, humming waters, and whistling breeze. 

My collage below is just an overture of what you would enjoy at Dewi Sri. No, I am not a paid blogger for this edenic place. I was one paying guest (c/o son #3), but as I have rhapsodized above, every cent was all about the Creator's grace.  

“. . . ask the animals, and they will teach you,

    or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,

    or let the fish in the sea inform you.

Which of all these does not know

    that the hand of the Lord has done this?

In his hand is the life of every creature

    and the breath of all mankind.”

Job 12:7-10 (NIV) 

Women Miners

Mining?! It is the extraction of valuable treasures and other astronomical objects from the Earth. 

That’s exactly what the women of our church (ages ranging from 27 to 77) are doing every Sunday, online at the height of the  pandemic and face-to-face since a few Sundays ago, as documented below.  

We come together and do spiritual mining from the Bible, the greatest and richest Mine of all.  We extract valuable, astronomical gems found there. And they are endless! As we keep digging, we keep finding more—and more!  

What we learned in Children’s Sunday School or in our daily reading of the Bible are affirmed and enriched, filling us with astounding grace. In a circle, we find friendship, camaraderie, and love for each other in Christ.  

We have just concluded our series on “Second chances.”  Next, we are gearing up for a series on “Finding Christ." 

Meet our church’s women miners—after an hour of poring over the day's lesson and sharing of challenges, epiphany moments, and blessings in our lives.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)

No Lipstick for Mother: The Backstory

On Mother’s Day this year, my mind traveled back to my book, No Lipstick for Mother (illustrated by Kora Dandan-Albano and published by Hiyas of OMF Lit), which I wrote to encourage children to be proud of their mother. 

It was written before I started blogging so I have not yet shared its backstory. It is no coincidence that I am narrating it only now. The person (wedding godchild,  dear friend, and faith brethren), who inspired the book, suddenly went home to be with Jesus last month. Ironically, he was a father and not the mother who stars in the narrative. But the fact remains: this was written to honor him.  

Caloy had been a faithful member of our church for a long time. He was one of the very few who knew the Bible like the palm of his hand. If one had any question about anything in the good Book, “Ask Caloy.”  He was also a poet—his reflections were in verse form.  

ooo

One hot summer day years ago, before entering the church for the service, I saw him parking his tricycle. Sweat streamed down his flushed face. 

“It is difficult these hot days to drive a tricycle,” I said. 

He replied, “That’s nothing, Ninang, compared to how I feel about what I overheard children were saying about tricycle drivers."     

“What’s that?” I was alarmed. 

“I wish papa would find another job. Driving a tricycle is so embarrassing.” 

Embarrassing?! I screamed the word silently. 

“That hurts more than the sun, the dust, the fumes, and the punishing hours,” he said. 

I was just as hurt. So I did what I like doing best: I wrote about that story. In the process of tweaking, I changed the tricycle driver to a mother (at that time, there was one woman tricycle driver in our village) and used lipstick, which is familiar to every kid, as a metaphor for beauty and to convey vivid imagery. I sent the manuscript to the Palanca Awards and it won first prize in its category. 

Hiyas had the story re-told in Filipino by Dr. Luis Gatmaitan, a Palanca Hall of Fame awardee. 

On Mother’s Day, I thanked God for the life of Caloy, the father who inspired a mother’s story, which by grace, will likewise inspire children to be proud of their parents, who are willing to go through any hardship for their sake.  

"If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." (Romans 14:8 NLT)

Eve of Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day as we know it today is highly commercialized: flowers, greeting cards, parties, meals in fancy restaurants, and phone calls (more than any other day of the year) for mom.

I plead guilty to this state of disrepair. In advertising, my career for years, we hyped Mother’s Day to boost our clients’ sales. We crafted touching phrases so people would feel some kind of guilt if they scrimped on gifts for their Mom. Manipulative? But my heart cried, Mothers ought to be honored for their unconditional, sacrificial love sans gongs and cymbals.  

Celebrating mothers goes back to the beginning of time—to the first mother on earth: Eve. 

Called the mother of all the living, Eve was different from all of us—she came from a man and had no mother. All women after her came from a mother. 

The first human to fall into sin, Eve understood and suffered loss: loss of innocence when she disobeyed God in Eden; loss of paradise when God sent her and Adam out of the garden; loss of her son Abel when he was murdered by Cain. Worst of all, loss of close relationship with God. 

In Genesis 3:20, we read. “Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.” Let’s summarize what this means: 

1. The mother of all the physically living 

God commanded Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." From them would come all other human beings. 

But sin intervened. In Genesis 3, God pronounced a curse upon Eve, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing.” And He told Adam that he would return to the ground from which he was taken. 
Yet, even with that death sentence, there was hope: Eve would experience pain in childbearing, but would bear children to be the mother of all human race.  

2. The mother of all the spiritually living

To the serpent, God said in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers.” Spiritual battle! There would be war between the offspring of the serpent, Satan (those who oppose God and His will) and the offspring of Eve (humanity that obeys God).  

What began in Eden continued with Eve’s Cain and Abel, and then Eve’s third seed, Seth, who named his son, Enosh. “At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 4:26) 

Eve’s godly seed is represented by Seth’s offspring and wicked seed (those who disobey God), by Cain’s offspring.

3. The mother of Christ the Savior 

Eve would become the mother of Christ. God prophesied Christ when He told the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

When Eve and Adam sinned, they were separated from God. Because of His grace, God sent sinful men a Savior: Jesus. That Savior would come through the offspring of Eve.

Satan struck at Jesus’ heel (crucifixion) but Jesus crushed Satan’s head (dying for our sins on the cross and freeing us from Satan and death), so that we could live with God forever.

In celebrating Mother’s Day, may we reflect on the blessings that have come to all mothers through Eve. Like her, we have suffered over losses of various kinds. But the joy of motherhood outweights them all! 

Photo credit (top):  Andreus of iStock; (collage) Pinterest

Seenzoned

This term came with the digital age; it appeared in the urban dictionary sometime in 2016. Seenzoned is when you send someone a cyber message and you know it has been “seen” but you get no response. 

Young people of this generation go berserk when they are seenzoned. “It’s a death knell,” one of my students whined. “It means you are not important to deserve a reply.” 

I tried to appease her, “I get seenzoned often by friends and family and it does not matter. Perhaps they had no time to check their gadgets. Or even if they read my message, a no-reply does not affect our relationship.” 

Ooops, I spoke too soon. 

I was seenzoned by a student leader I never met, but whose online invitation for me to speak about writing in the big university in the south, where she is taking up education, I graciously accepted.  

Without asking for any fee or favor in return, I spoke virtually to over 100 students—most of them studying to be teachers—about why I write: to help instill values among young readers. It was a spirited and fruitful two hours of my time.

After my talk, the student leader wrote a message of thanks on behalf of the school and she committed/offered to send me some souvenir items, among which is a university t-shirt as soon as it is printed. She asked for my address.  

Six months later, the items she promised never came. So I messaged her and asked that perhaps they sent them to the wrong address? (Don’t get me wrong. The  items, for me, are inconsequential. But for future educators reneging on their commitment is dangerous; they will produce students who will emulate them.)

She replied that it was the club president, not her, who was in charge of such, but she will remind him. 

It had been three weeks, and there was no update from her. So I messaged her again, asking what had happened—wishing that as a teacher myself and a writer on grace, I could teach her and her schoolmates the value of commitment. 

Seenzoned. 

And that was like a death knell. My grief has nothing to do with feeling unimportant. It is about young people ignoring values. What happened? Commitment is a promise, a pledge, an obligation, a covenant, and according to son #3, who is a lawyer, “a contract.”  

Sob.

My prayer is that universities educating students to be teachers would emphasize the importance of moral values. Without them, the world of our children and their students would be in a state of meltdown.    

Beautiful Forever

For me, the ultimate magicians on this planet are  make-up artists. They can make any ordinary-looking woman extraordinarily beautiful. They can vanish crow's feet, wrinkles, skin blemishes, misshapen eyebrows, and pug noses right before your eyes. 

When I was still in advertising, I saw how make-up artists performed their magic. During a TV commercial shoot, they would work on the faces of our on-camera talents. In an hour or so, these talents would look like a million bucks!

After the shoot, just a few hours later when everyone had changed back to casual clothes and washed their faces—well, the magic went poof. That's how temporary make-up is. No wonder many celebrities lug magicians wherever they go!

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:8: 

He wanted the people of Corinth to avoid focusing on the external, which is temporary. When we focus on life in eternity, we can better accept skin blemishes and facial imperfections. Wrinkles, sagging jowls, and pock marks, which often cause aging women to panic, do not matter in eternity.

Beyond sorrows on earth are the joys in heaven. Insecurities about one’s physical imperfections and signs of aging will end; because in heaven, these anxieties are vanished. With God, everything and anything is beautiful—forever!

Lord, help me realize that physical imperfections do not make me less of a person. Help me see myself through Your eyes. And please make me look forward to the awesome beauty of forever. Amen. 

(The above devo is is an excerpt from "Grace Found Me," a recipient of the 2012 Gintong Aklat [Golden Book] Award, Inspirational Category, from the Book Development Association of the Philippines.) 

Being Nice

“A lemon!” Mercy described the smart phone she bought on sale with her first paycheck.  It was only one-week old and already it went pffft—zero incoming calls. 

Naturally, she was livid, and prepared to demand an explanation from the store. Her mother cautioned her, “Hey, be nice. Just explain what the problem is. Remember, a scowl begets a scowl and a smile- ”   

“ - begets a smile,” Mercy replied. “Okay, Mom, they might do something nice in return.”   

“Mercy, being nice is not about getting something in return. It’s how children of God should behave.  You will just annoy people by being difficult.”    

Mercy reined in her temper at the store. She patiently explained to the salesman what had happened to her phone. 

“I am sorry, Ma’am, but . . .” 

“Please, let me talk to your manager . . .”  

Because Mercy was nice, the sales clerk called the manager. Again, Mercy patiently explained her problem.  

The manager said, “Thank you for being so gracious, Ma’am. I wish all customers were like you. Let me call the head office.”  

After the call, the manager said, “We’ll service your phone and give you a temporary phone to use meanwhile.”   

Mercy happily narrated to her Mom the favor she got from the manager.  

The attitude of Mercy epitomizes Ephesians 5:8-9 (NLT), “. . . once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.” 

Colossians 4:6 is specific on what God’s people should do, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” 

Under annoying circumstances, one needs enormous effort, an extra package of grace, to remain nice. But we need to keep trying and behave as as people of light. 

Viral: Surge of Social Currency

In recent years, there have been diverse definitions of this “new” buzzword: Social currency.  And now, it is also equated with money. 

Quickly defined, social currency is the personal assets and attributes of a person that help him/her raise his status/reputation in the eyes of others.  

The term is commonly used for online social networks, but it also refers to real life and the online/physical hybrid environment in which we live today. It is associated with “like” (thumbs up, heart, embrace, and wow emojis; and number of followers) we receive that elate us. That’s why we take pains in uploading only our “good” side.  

Those ”likes” today are monetized by advertizers. 

This blog is hardly that. It is simply about one post of Tony that shocked him when he got more than 10 “likes” (the highest he ever got for one post). He got over 5,000 likes! 

Unbelievable. 

He posted this photo with a caption on how the book reveals devastating truths about our country that the public is not aware of.  

I teased him, “Now you’re rich!” 

“Rich?” 

“Yeah, your social currency surged beyond your imagination.” 

“Did I go viral?” 

“Not yet. Try reaching 10,000,” I dashed his hope.

This post has little to do with Tony (my camera has no filter), but a lot with Maria Ressa, the author. 

If you are updated on Philippine journalism, you must know her. Let me lift some data from write-ups about her: 

“Maria is the CEO and president of Rappler, the top digital only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. She has endured constant political harassment and arrests by the Duterte government, forced to post bail ten times to stay free. 

“In October 2021, Maria was one of two journalists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her ‘efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.’

“She was named one of Time Magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, was among its 100 Most Influential People of 2019, and one of Time's Most Influential Women of the Century. She was also part of the BBC's 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2019 and Prospect magazine's World's top 50 thinkers. In 2020 . . . "  

Plus tons more. 

Tony lent the book to me after he read it. I couldn’t put it down, sobbing through many of the pages. I can’t write all my reasons why, but if you love our country and have read the book, with its documented details of human rights abuses, you know why. 

We leave our beloved Philippines in God’s hand. The injustices will further escalate (end times), but grace with sail us through.   

Wandering Mind

Busy people’s plates are always so full that their minds tend to wander. In a poll of 2,000 people conducted in the UK for Avery Office & Consumer Products sometime ago, busy people forget an average of five important facts/tasks every day.  

Some of the top answers on what people forget are: calling people back; replying to emails; colleagues’ names; cellphones; reading glasses; and files on the printer. 

Bonnie (an accountant for various firms) shared this story. “I was frantically looking for my 

reading glasses everywhere, only to be told it was perched on my head.” 

Does that sound familiar? On occasion, we find ourselves drifting, causing people we’re conversing with to ask, “Hey, are you still there?” 

There is an old hymn that speaks of wandering mind: "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” written by Robert Robinson in 1757.  The lyrics say,  “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” 

This hymn is about the writer not focusing his heart and mind on the Savior who so loves him. He is in good company. He has busy us and Apostle Paul. “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Romans 7:19 NLT)  

Then there’s King David who had the same lament, “I have tried hard to find you—don’t let me wander from your commands.” (Psalm 119:10) 

There are too many distractions in this digitized life when we desperately want to go back to our Anchor. Even when our hearts long to seek Him, our wandering mind draws us away.  

We ask, we beg, for the Lord's restraining grace when our minds stray!  

Recluse No More

For three years since the pandemic began, I had been a recluse by choice. I didn’t want to risk it—with the coronavirus haunting us. Tony has comorbidities that I didn’t want to compromise. Except for one family reunion of about 13 people in an Airbnb  on Christmas, I attended church online and taught Sunday School online as well. 

Now that the health protocols have slackened, with many people no longer apprehended for not wearing masks, I decided to attend the opening of the art exhibit of a dear friend and former colleague, Caloy. 

It was like breaking a three-year fast. 

One other friend suggested that we meet up on that same date, at an earlier hour, to “launch” my book, “Teacher in Me” (written at the height of the pandemic and published by CSM Publishing), among close friends within the area. 

I prepared early, making sure I had a signed copy for everyone.  

And so it happened! We met at Jaeu, a Japanese-European resto in the mall. It was fun, nostalgic, and heartwarming: a grace gathering I wouldn't miss for the world.  

We reminisced, ate, laughed, cried a little, and exchanged gifts through a raffle. 

Then we headed to Metanoia, Caloy’s exquisite art exhibit. More chit-chats, reminiscing, and re-connecting, frozen for posterity in my heart and in these photos: 

Someone once said, friends make us laugh a lttle harder, cry a little less, and smile a lot more.  Indeed! And if I may add . . . they break you loose from being a recluse. 

Pandemic Soul and Sole

Both my soul and my sole graphically illustrate how the three-year pandemic had been for me: stark contrast between worldly pleasures and spiritual treasures. 

The world was in a panic, rushing to discover a vaccine/cure that can manage the Covid-19 virus. 

While at that, my own outer world stopped. Book publishing, which is 90% of my concerns, could not move forward as offices and printing presses closed shop. My part-time teaching job, our family business (medical transcription school), activities such as clan reunions, book talks, church worship and fellowship, etc. were put on hold until . . .?   

SOUL: Since we were at home 24/7 due to health protocols, days blended into nights. It did not matter what time we woke up and what time we went to bed. For the first time, our family broke bread together—morning, noon, and night. Tony and I bonded like we never had before—talking and laughing about anything under the sun. Schedules did not matter because routine was scrapped. 

I was not worried about death or sickness, but concerned about how to manage both. Hospitals and funeral parlors overflowed. Meanwhile, friends were dying here and abroad. Messages of death and anguish filled social media. 

But I knew that by grace, a new day, hope, would never leave, as captured by award-winning artist Glen McGraw’s “PINK Sunrise.”  The tide rolls; the sun shines.

 

I got busy helping with the PINK political campaign of VP Leni, the presidential candidate who symbolized hope. 

I wrote hundreds of hopeful blogs and three books on grace, even if there was no prospect of any ever being published. My Sunday school class for women required me to study Scripture and Theology closely.

Yes, my inner world kept going. There was movement in my soul. 

SOLE: All material things that are worn when going out to face humanity stayed put inside boxes and closets. The new footwear I bought before the pandemic was left idle and untouched. 

None, no movement for my sole. 

ooo

On the first day of face-to-face classes, I shook the dust off my blazers, bags, jewelry, and shoes. While spiritedly lecturing on consumer behavior such as materialism, of all topics, I tripped and fell down the floor. The culprit? My sole! 

It is all too clear, worldly pleasures do not last; spiritual treasures do. 

"Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (Matthew 6:20-21)

Apostrophe Amore

There seems to be a love affair between the apostrophe and a number of people. This obsession to put an apostrophe before the final “s” in a regular plural noun, where it shouldn’t be, is beyond my comprehension. I think I need brain surgery to understand this mystery.  

Among all the punctuation marks I review (yes, review, because all my students have gone through high school where grammar is drilled into their system) in my English classes, the use of apostrophe is the most difficult to teach and for many students to re-learn or unlearn. 

Any dictionary tells us that an apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to indicate only two things: 

1) possession or ownership (e.g., Karen’s sons);

2) omission of letters or numbers (e.g., isn't; class of ’99).  

Outside of those two, amore for the apostrophe must end. 

However, it is totally different with God. 

To Christians, “s” is never added to God, because there is only ONE God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. 

Should we add an “s,” then an apostrophe is a must!  God owns everything and therefore, the format is . . . God’s grace, God’s people . . . God’s ad infinitum, indicating possession. 

“For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.” Romans 11:36 (NLT) 

When we refer to God, let’s fall in love with the apostrophe, the punctuation mark that shows He possesses and owns all.

One-upmanship

We have all met the likes of an I-am-better-than-you personality. They are in our circles, in public places, proclaiming their greatness. They just have to be better than anyone. 

Let’s listen to this conversation between Red and Green:  

Green could be telling the truth, but why make Red feel small?  

One-upmanship originated in sports. It is the practice of successively outdoing a competitor by discomfiting him. The term has since been used for any assertion of superiority. 

Its opposite is humility, a trait or an attitude the Bible encourages everyone to pursue. Being humble doesn't mean to think less of yourself, but to think of yourself less. You can have strong self-esteem but not brag or make a big deal of yourself to others. 

According to psychologists, it is often people with low self-esteem that feel the need to practise one-upmanship to make themselves feel better.  

The Lord longs to lead His children toward humility. His Book tells us, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (Philippians 2:3 NLT)  

We also read in Proverbs 11:2, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

If Jesus, the Creator of the universe, was humble, why can’t we—His mere creation—do the same? 

This verse echoes all the others that admonish us when there is a temptation to act like Green.   

“Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!”  (Romans 12:16) 

photo credit 

State-of-the-art CCTV

CCTV (Closed Circuit TV), a surveillance system with cameras, recorders and monitors, has so fascinated me, I wrote a blog about it sometime ago. 

This modern contraption is able to do many things more quickly than a human being can: apprehend speedsters on the highway, catch thieves, cheaters, bullies, and all kinds of offenders in any place where it is installed. 

There are different brands and models of CCTV—the higher the cost, the better it can “see” and “hear.” Yet, the CCTV, no matter how technologically advanced, is not foolproof. It can only catch action and hear sounds within a certain range.  

There is a state-of-the art CCTV that can see all, hear all, feel all, taste all, smell all, and know all—including what goes on inside of us: God.     

He is omnipotent (all-powerful). He is omniscient (all-knowing). He is omnipresent (all-present). There is no way anyone can hide any sin from Him. 

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (Hebrews 4:13 NLT) 

We can only describe the things He can do, but no artist, not even the great masters, can render them visually. I found two that capture a few dimensions of Him.  

While He sees what we do wrong, He also sees what we do right.  

He holds the universe (plural, as astronomers have recently discovered that there are many) in the palm of His hand.  

 

In Scripture, we read that in the temple one day, Jesus noted that many rich people put in large amounts of money in the collection box. 

In contrast, a poor widow dropped in two small coins. Jesus told His disciples, “. . . this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”  (Mark 12:41-44) 

 

God also hears our silent, private prayers. “. . . your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!" (Matthew 6:6-8) 

What’s best is, this state-of-the-art, divine CCTV sees every heart and fills those that are committed to Him with grace.  

“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him . . .” (2 Chronicles 16:9) 

No CCTV, not even a future invention (with advances in artificial intelligence and technology), will compare or even come close to what God sees, feels, hears, tastes, smells, and knows for eternity.  

Is Everything Okay?

Yes, everything seems "okay" these end times. What used to be abominations are now accepted in society and are even cheered and applauded. 

To name a few: Spare the rod in disciplining a child; celebrate in public same-sex marriage as you would for a man and woman’s; allow premarital sex between couples who are in a relationship. 

More: Praise smart lawyers who defend killers in broad daylight, to get away with the crime—with no questions by authorities; ignore bitter rifts caused by politics among friends and families; idolize financially corrupt and morally bankrupt celebrities; worry not about biblical values totally slipping away; plus even more.

This social media fashion meme says it all.  Literally, waistlines can now be necklines; pants legs can now be arm sleeves. Weird, but today, this is "normal" and even considered cool and creative.   

My son #1, who sometimes share my home office, and I chat about the apocalypse as foretold in the Bible. 

The original word in Greek is apokalypsis. It means an unveiling, a revelation.  It’s not just about the world’s end, but making us see many things hidden before. There are today deeper truths being unveiled.

Kingdoms are rising against kingdoms (wars); aside from the pandemic, hundreds of billions of locusts are swarming East Africa; Satanism has become visibly blatant; wildfires, heatwaves, global warming have ravaged many countries, killing an untold number of people and animals.

Dr. David Jeremiah, a US pastor, asked: "Is the coronavirus a biblical prophecy? It seems to be “the most apocalyptic thing that has ever happened to us." 

The most apocalyptic narrative is, of course, the book of Revelation. It tells about the defeat of an evil beast, a final divine judgment and the coming of a New Jerusalem.

As Christians, however, we find hope in a divine promise that God has saved us for eternity. Regardless of what happens in the world, we have that confidence.

Every year, during Holy Week, we recall man's sinfulness and Jesus' suffering for us on the cross, as reminders of God’s redemption. Then on Easter (Resurrection Sunday), to all those who believe, all abominations will be behind us. 

Light at last, and everything will be okay when our mortal life or the world ends (whichever comes first)—in fact and in truth—forever and ever.    

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."  Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) 

Every day is Resurrection Sunday in our soul!   

Is Good Friday Any Good?

This question has been answered and explained umpteen times by theologians, including our own Pastor Moe, on Good Friday. And yet, this day remains too good to be true. 

It was a dark, bleak day, showing the worst in and of us.  These things  came to the fore: betrayal, cruelty, mercilessness, ruthlessness, callousness, poor judgment, etc. Physically, these were played out: blood, wounds, pain, thirst, agony, tears, fear, etc. 

Even so, everything about good Friday is good. 

It was the day the Lord reversed all these by being all these on the cross to represent us, sin. He also demonstrated what would never be approximated by the human heart—forgiveness to the worst of the worst, no questions asked. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do . . .” (Luke 23:34 KJV) 

Right then and there, He showed us how it’s done.  

When one of the criminals hanging on the cross beside His recognized Him as the Saviour, He bestowed instant and total forgiveness. A retired pastor, Bruce Fields, wrote: 

"How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology?  No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, no financial gifts, and no church clothes. 

He couldn't even bend his knees to pray. He didn't say the sinner's prayer and among other things, he was a thief. Jesus didn't take away his pain, heal his body, or smite his scoffers. 

Yet, it was a thief who walked into paradise the same hour as Jesus simply by believing. He had nothing more to offer other than his belief that Jesus was who He said He was. No spin from brilliant theologians. No ego or arrogance. No shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No haze machine, donuts, or coffee in the lobby. Just a naked dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray."  

Then Jesus died for that thief and for all of us. And our sins died with Him.  

Lord, we can never thank you enough.  

Making a Choice

This post on social media by a Christian friend must have passed my wall a dozen times, but I gave it only a cursory glance. This morning, however, after reading my Bible (Matthew 27), it hit me!  

“The governor asked, ‘Which of the two [Jesus or Barabbas] do you want me to release to you?’  

“‘Barabbas!’ the people shouted. 

“Over two thousand years later, today, we are still choosing Barabbas.”

Our Bible tells us that every year during the Passover celebration, it was the governor’s custom to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. That year, they chose to free the notorious prisoner, Barabbas, over Jesus. 

Life is all about choices. Even an ordinary movement we make upon waking up is a choice: check our phone messages or go to the bathroom. 

Today, called Holy Wednesday by the Christian world (a symbolic day when Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver), may we find time to reflect on the choices we make with every breath we take. It would help to always remember that the Lord chose us. 

In John 15: 16 (ESV), He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” 

Must we choose the world? Barabbas? “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”  (John 15:19) 

Our reward is found in Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

Let me then share with you my note-to-self starting today: As soon as you open your eyes every morning, choose to be grateful and happy. Thank the Lord for a new day of grace!   

Rear-view Mirror

Automobiles and other vehicles need a rear-view mirror to allow the driver to see rearward. 

This mirror is necessary because a driver should not only focus on where he is going, but to know the movements of other vehicles around him, avoiding collisions and other accidents.  

In our spiritual journey however, a rear-view mirror can only distract us from our goal. 

It is unnecessary. We simply need to singularly focus on where we are going. 

Total focus is demonstrated for us by Jesus during the days leading to His crucifixion. He had a purposeful approach to the city where He knew he would be nailed on the cross, after which He would be resurrected. 

“As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51 NLT)

Resolutely means: bravely, decisively, firmly, steadfastly, obstinately. 

Jesus’ eyes were on the cross. Anything beyond, beneath, beside, or behind that would be a distraction, like images and movements seen from a rear-view mirror. 

Remember when a man (verses 60-61) showed interest in following Jesus, but first wanted to say good-bye to his family? Jesus told him: “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Nothing could deter nor stop Jesus from His goal on the cross: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

He tells us to focus, simply focus on Him.   

How then can we be as focused on Him as He was focused on the cross? 

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:13

Wholeheartedly means: seeking His grace to enable us to commit our life to God totally and completely. 

Red Tape

Jemuel had been retired two years when he finally received his SSS pension. Before then, he was told to retrieve all documents from his past office, which had already closed shop. He was also told to produce affidavits to prove that the person Jemuel M. Vargas was the same as Jemuel Vargas. 

At the SSS office, he begged to see the person in charge of records, but was told that he had to make an appointment. It would have been so easy to explain how, somewhere along the way, the office he was working for had dropped his middle name from some documents. 

Meanwhile, Jemuel’s health was deteriorating and he could hardly commute from one place to another for all the SSS requirements. 

Red tape. 

We are all familiar with how it stretches to years what otherwise could be done in days. 

Contrast this with the way the Lord made Himself so accessible. He even provided us a number of ways to reach Him: praying with our voice, our thoughts, and our pens. We can also listen to Him anytime by reading His Word.  

At any moment we can talk to the Creator of the universe! Not only are we welcomed into His presence, we are also invited, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

“Let us come boldly.” No ID card, no password, no waiting time, and no appointment necessary to reach our heavenly Father. 

No red tape.     

In fact, we are told, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need . . . Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand . . .” ( Philippians 4:6-7) 

Grace is more accessible than anything we can think of.     

Finest Art in Flight

Every morning, since the pandemic began, Tony and I would spend our time savoring grace on the terrace: read the day’s newspapers and solve their crossword puzzles; read books; discuss about or argue over politics; catnap; review old photo albums; watch Mother Teresa water our garden; and enjoy the sight and sound of many birds. 

These flying marvels come and visit because our house is surrounded with trees. They sway with the branches and chirp our virus fears away. Some hover comfortably above us. 

Perhaps because of the summer heat, we see various migratory birds from cold places. 

“Look! That bird looks unusual,” Tony said one morning, pointing to a stunning work of art in flight, not much bigger than his thumb but with a tail three times its body size! 

I clicked my phone camera and tried to research online what it might be called. 

I had read up on birds before and in fact blogged about their colors, but I could not find the same exact bird in my camera. So I typed "rare birds" and eureka! I found tons of other unusual birds, which took my breath away!  

Sometime ago I also oohed and aahed over rare flowers and blogged about them. It was an underwhelming post, if one were to imagine all of the flowers that God has created. 

Now comes another word-deficient post—on rare birds. Of the over 100 rare birds (from different places in the world) I pored over, I am sharing photos of only 12 for lack of space. 

Each of these birds is a perfect example of the finest of fine arts in flight. Their beauty is indescribable and the reason for their creation is unexplained. 

We can only take a hint (our wisdom for understanding is finite) from Scripture:  

“Then God said . . . ‘Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.’ So God created . . . every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:20-23 NLT) 

Do you know of a bird photographer who has taken the photos of all birds of every kind?   

Tools, Not Schools

Many people today (and that includes me) rely on the Internet too much that we take what we read as gospel truth—and so they become schools, institutions for education. 

Google is now also a verb—a useful action word when we want quick answers to our questions. Professors scratch their heads (or bang them on the wall?) when they read student papers with cyber info put together, minus critical thinking. 

And today, the chatbot is all the rage. All one has to do is ask a question and voila, the answer comes! 

Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant are now members of many households. Then just recently, ChatGPT was launched to answer questions of practically anything on many areas of endeavor.  

The sad truth is, Internet data and information are simply tools. We still need to sift, analyze, and re-check them before we come into conclusions. 

I tried chatGPT to test how accurate it is. I used myself as guinea pig because only I know all facts about me. All the areas underlined in red are either wrong or no data.   

In sum, this chatbot does not really collate all Internet data—not about me anyway. It gives erroneous information that could mislead all readers, except me.  

My advice to students and to everyone, including me, is: let us look at information from the Net, no matter how advanced the creators claim it is, as simply TOOLS. They are not substitute for SCHOOLS. 

Critical thinking is key to learning. We need to listen to our professors or our bosses, or those who have the original, authentic wisdom and knowledge that the Internet appropriates for popularity, and eventually for money. 

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." (James 1:5 NLT)