Along my walking trail, it is amazing to see beautiful blooms alongside grasses, twigs and decaying debris.
“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” Psalm 129: 2-3
How many times have we been overwhelmed by pain and sorrows. As Christians, we can experience persecution of all sorts. There are trials from the world, from our hearts, and Satan himself. It is natural to feel that we are swamped with many problems, especially if they are grievous and painful. The Psalmist… continue reading..
The year 2021 has begun to roll. Yet as days and months hasten on, we know that 2021 will soon end. Just as our Pastor said, every beginning has an end. Thus, we become wiser if we ponder that as New Year begins, we are drawn one year closer to the end of our lives. Knowing that we will soon leave this earth, our mindset should be to prepare to meet our Lord.
And how do we prepare? If we are leaving for another country, we spend time to get a visa. We book an airline and hotel, and… continue reading..
It is amazing what words can do.We know that our words are powerful. It is called “performative” in communication because what we say can lead someone to act. So when we say, “sweep the floor,” “buy pandesal” or “turn off the light,”; a person is moved to action. Even trained animals respond to the commands of their masters.
Words can also be a soothing balm. It can heal, encourage, or mend a broken heart. Encouraging words give hope when we are down and blue. But words can also be like bitter poison. Words that humiliate or discourage can destroy a relationship… continue reading..
Psalm 112:1-2 “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord. Who greatly delights in His commandments. His offspring will be mighty in the land. The generation of the righteous will be blessed.”
God’s kindness overflows in every sphere of life of a believer. Those who fear God and delight in His commandments receive rewards in great measure. Not only will they experience peace, hope, and joy, they too will find the full meaning of their existence.
God always recompense His people. What we give to God, He gives back a hundredfold. God blesses those who… continue reading..
We remember heroes for their courageous deeds. Yet, they were merely doing what is right at the right place and time. Every sensible and godly person will do the same thing given a similar situation.
That is why I believe that there are everyday heroes we hardly notice. Take, for instance, a mother doing all things for her family, a father working all day diligently to provide food on the table, a student who, despite the difficulty of online classes, is striving hard to learn.
Who am I that the Lord should notice? I am destined to eternal perdition. I should be living in anguish and sorrow every day because of my sins. But the Lord showered me with all good things. He stooped low to get me out of the horrible pit of wickedness and my abhorring vileness. He ransomed me with the blood of His own beloved Son. Who am I that He should notice? I am vile and of worth nothing to Him. Yet He took notice of me.
And what can I give unto the Lord for He has everything? But He delights in… continue reading..
The lingering pandemic and strong typhoons hitting the country one after the other can make people feel that we live in a season of difficulty. Yet Christians remain unmoved because we believe in God’s promise in Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed in you because he trusts in you.”
The verse, Psalm 119:76, “I know O Lord that Your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness, you have afflicted me.”, may seem confusing to the unbelieving world. Yet, as followers of Christ, this verse gives tremendous comfort. God is faithful in His desire to shape us in holiness… continue reading..
“And you, Capernaum, who is exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for you”. Mat 11:23-24
Sodom and Gomorrah have become symbols of anything false and ugly in man due to the Fall. The height of immorality and wickedness can be equated to their names. But our Lord said in Matt.11:23-24 that the case of Capernaum, Chorazin,… continue reading..
Ephesians 2:4: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”
God’s love for His people is unfathomable. It is not a general kind of love, but each of His children is given that same, special, and abounding love. Our lack of understanding of God’s love makes us oblivious to the staggering and unimaginable blessings we could have received. Had we know the fulness of this love of God, we would be the happiest, most contented, most productive, most fruitful Christian in this benighted world.
Cat’s Claw Trumpet in it’s radiant display of its spectacular bloom. The vine was cut off in minutes due to ignorance.
One fine morning, there was a flurry of activities in the village park. Workers were clearing of the area that circles the park. They clipped the unruly bougainvillea branches, cut the grasses, and removed tangling vines.A permanent fixture in the park was this very special ornamental vine (Cat’s Claw Trumpet) hosted by one of the Narra trees. It was planted 30 or more years ago by one of the residents. Every summer, the villagers are… continue reading..
