One Big, Happy Family Again
Before going down the stage Saturday, Michael left this statement that has often been heard and sung during our praise and worship during weekends here at Victory U-Belt — with God, nothing is impossible.
That statement was evident in the face of Michael as he testified Saturday night during our prayer meeting (Day Two Fasting) how he got reconciled to his mother, whom he hasn’t been communicating with for more than two years already.
Michael, who is part of our Victory group among the couples, runs a tarpaulin business near the Binondo area. His relationship with his mother went from sour, to bad to worse more than two years ago due to serious business opinions.
(Photo from Michael's Facebook account): Michael and his mother during a light moment taken at MOA on Dec. 16, 2010
He recounted in his brief testimony that their business differences seriously strained their relationship so that he had no mother to greet when Mother’s Day comes, couldn’t celebrate Christmas, New Year and birthday — occasions that were dear to them as a family.
His seven-year-old son used to ask where is lola (grandma) and he didn’t know what to say, so he’d quickly shift topic.
But one time, while reading his Bible, he came across the verse in Exodus 20:12 which says, Honor your father and your mother. It was a verse he said he had read and heard so many times now, but at that moment, God spoke to him about it. Convicted by that verse, he resolved to get it right with his mother. He shared this verse to his wife CJ and they both started to think of ways how they could reconnect with his mother.
Michael and CJ then included this family issue in their prayer and fasting on 2010, believing in God’s word that whatever they ask for, believe they have received it and it will be theirs.
Michael’s first step was to send her mother an e-card just before the Christmas season (this was in 2009). And he said he was surprised because her mother responded. He then, sent email messages to her from there. Come Mother’s Day last 2010, he sent her flowers.
Then some time in the third quarter of 2010, he arranged a visit at his mother’s home in Paranaque City, where they finally saw each other again for the first time in years.
By December, sensing the impeding family breakthrough, Michael, together with his wife and kids, asked her mother out for a dinner because it was her birthday.
“Kitang-kita sa mukha ni mama yung saya niya kasi magkasama uli kami lahat. (You could see from my mother’s face how happy she is because we were finally together again.),” said a teary-eyed Michael.
Michael said their time with her mother at Mall of Asia was considered as the highlight of 2010 because of how God brought his family together again after a serious relational fallout.
A lot of people during the service were teary-eyed as they listen to Michael speak, though what even surprised them was the fact that Michael introduced her mother, who was sitting at the back.
“Ang galing talaga ni Lord! To God, nothing is impossible!” beamed Michael.
Giants God Dwarfs
If you’re inside the ring to match up against a UFC fighter as big as the 340-pound, 7-foot-2 Shaquille O’Neal, do you honestly believe you have a chance of beating him?
The odds are surely stacked up against you. Especially if you’re not a UFC fighter.
Now in Day 2 of our Prayer and Fasting, I’m excited with the fact that the battles lying ahead of me are already settled. Even if
there are massive “giants” as massive as Shaq that me and my family will face this 2011, I’m convinced that God’s size, power and sheer Presence dwarfs anything that claims to be giant.
The Bible is replete with “giant-killing” lessons that serve to remind Christ-followers that the battle is the Lord’s.
* Joseph overcame loneliness, self-pity and the injustices in Egypt to emerge as the second highest official in Egypt.
* David, the shepherd boy, who had no prior battlefield experience, killed the 9-foot giant Goliath with a piece of smooth stone via his sling shot.
* Daniel served as a beacon of light in a dark world ruled by the Babylonian empire. He escaped being eaten alive by the hungry lions.
* Joshua courageously and boldly defeated 31 kings in leading the inexperienced Israelites to the Promised Land.
Giants may be littering your world today — giant financial bills or debts, giant issues that have destroyed the once harmonious relationship among your family, giant uncertainty, a big question mark facing you as you ponder on your future — but God dwarfs all these giants.
Psalm 24:8 says, Who is this majestic king? 1 The Lord who is strong and mighty! The Lord who is mighty in battle!
The same God who brought victory to all these great men in the Bible is the same God who will give you the courage to face your giants and give you the strength to overcome this year and in the years to come.
Photo Source:
2011 & The Non-Negotiables
Professional basketball players come and go. During the 1980s, the biggest stars of the NBA included Los Angeles Lakers superstars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson as well as their bitter Boston Celtics all-star forward Larry Bird.
The 1990s then saw the ascension to superstardom of Michael Jordan, said to be the greatest basketball player ever to play the game.
From 2000 to 2009, the first decade of the 21st Century, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal of the Lakers dominated the basketball headlines with their three straight championships (2000-2002) as well as their constant feuding when they were still teammates.
Looking at these NBA stars past and present, I believe there are five non-negotiable categories they have learned to master throughout their careers that made them who they are in the game of basketball.
These five categories included passing, shooting, defending, dribbling and right mindset. Kobe Bryant remains at the top of the game for 15 seasons already because he continues to improve on his passing skills, shooting, defense, dribbling and maintaining the mental toughness as he goes through the 82-game regular season grind.
In the spiritual arena of life, every person who calls himself a Christian also needs to have these five non-negotiables if he desires to grow further and experience spiritual progress not just in 2011 but throughout his life. Here are the following:
1. Love for the Word--One Psalmist once said, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105)
God’s word can only be a lamp and a light if as a believer, we put premium in our time for His word. God’s word brings vitality to his soul.
Psalm 19:1-2 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
2. Consistent Prayer life–prayer is never just an obligation or ritual. It ought to be a lifestyle. Because we communicate with a God who is relational. God wants to connect with us daily.
3. Lifestyle of Fellowship–a believer disconnected to the family of believers eventually cools off.
It’s important for every believer to be constantly connected to believers. For in the company of believers, we grow inwardly and manifests outwardly through our life of faith and good deeds.
First Century believers grew in their faith because they met together regularly in Solomon’s Colonnade in the book of Acts. Of course, today’s time of meeting may vary, but the principle remains the same–stay connected to the body of believers.
4. Passionate desire to Engage the Lost--Today, we are living in a world that is fast replacing God and the standards of the Bible with material things and the chase for their own desires. But Jesus believes in each one of us.
For as Christians, Christ sees each one of us as salt and light of this world. You may be the only Christian in your classroom, family, office or business right now, but as you live out His principles and walk in an uncompromising way, you will surely impact the lives of your family and friends, drawing them to God eventually.
5. Humble attitude–Humility is never a one-time thing. It’s a daily decision.
Jesus was humble from start to finish. He left His heavenly position to take on the lowly position of a servant. His purpose was to save us all from sin by allowing vile men to inflict punishment on Him and crucify Him on the cross.
His resurrection though completely destroyed the power of sin and death. His humility is something we ought to imitate daily.
By humility, it means considering others better than yourself.
And that could mean rejoicing on the promotion and success of other people. Even the people we often dislike. It means saying sorry or please forgive me if we have to.
You don’t have to be hard on yourself if one or a combination of these “non-negotiables” are not yet evident in your life as a Christian. Remember, the goal is not perfection, but progress. The more we let Christ reign in our life, the easier these “non-neogitables” become part of your life.
Happy New Year!
The Day The Sun Stood Still
In the Book of Joshua in the Bible, there was this strange battle that took place somewhere in the Ancient part of the Middle East, thousands of years ago. To be specific, you’d find that account in Joshua 10:7-15.
It was a day like no other. Five versus one. Bullies versus neophytes. Battle-scarred veterans versus rookies. Experienced versus inexperienced.
Every seeming advantage was on the side of the five Amorite kings who banded together against the Israelites.
The Amorite kings knew the terrains. They knew which is the best place to start the war and where they could have the upper hand.
Their armies were formidable because they were many, had more weapons to use and the war cry was thousands of times louder compared to the Israelites because they were numerous as the sands on the seashore.
Yet, in all these advantages, the Israelites had One Reliable Ally – the Lord.
The Israelites, led by Joshua, had been forcefully advancing in claiming the Canaanite lands. One by one, the “resident” kings of the Promised Land fell into their hands. At this point, the Amorite kings had been seriously threatened.
And with the Lord promising to give them the victory (verse 7), all the more, Joshua and the Israelites’ confidence were sky high as they went for the offensive.
The Lord delivered as promised, throwing the enemies into confusion according to verse 8. What made things worse for the enemies was the Lord even rained down hail stones, a battle scene never before seen in any other accounts of the Bible.
More Amorites were killed by the large hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites.
The Lord was fighting for the Israelites! And when Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still till they have total victory over their enemies, the Lord answered him in an astounding way.
Lessons we can learn from Joshua and Israel’s battle agains the Amorites:
- The Lord is a promise-keeper (v. 9-10). When He says something, He means it. His word is His bond. We can rely on Him. That’s why even though the Israelites’ enemies were overwhelmingly powerful, the Lord intervened and brought huge victory to Israel.
- The Lord is powerful. Our problems can be overwhelming at times when we look at it. Bills piling up and money is going low. Sometimes, our health fails us. We feel anxious about our future. We lose hope at times. But in all these difficult circumstances, the Lord is fighting for His people. And He will show Himself faithful and even powerful. The large hailstones He hurled was a proof of His power over nature. And the sun standing still for a full day was another testament to what God can do in the midst of our seemingly overwhelming problems.
- The Lord is our peace. When the Lord intervenes, we can be assured of His peace and security. Joshua confidently approached God in prayer when he asked that the sun stand still. He knew that the Lord will answer his prayer not because he said so, but because the Lord is faithful. He had peace in his heart even though outside, there was turmoil going on.
May 2011 be marked with “sun-stand-still” moments–which would leadto greater worship and praise to God.
Photo Source: http://www.kingwoodbiblestudy.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/sun1.jpg
IronMan In The Faith
Portland guard Andre Miller’s league-high streak of 632 consecutive games played ended abruptly when he was suspended for a game against Phoenix, leaving Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher - 435 consecutive games as of yesterday (Dec. 15) – as the league’s reigning ironman.
Ironman is an apt word to describe an athlete who has played with the most number of uninterrupted games.
Which brings me back memori
es of former Los Angeles Lakers power forward AC Green, said to be the NBA’s grandfather of all “Ironman” in the league.
The 6′9″ Green has seen a total of 1,192 straight games, dating back to the mid-1980s where he helped the Lakers to back-to-back championships during the 1987 and 1988 season. He then played for the Phoenix Suns, followed by the Dallas Mavericks before returning to the Lakers, winning his final NBA ring in the 2000 season, went to the Miami Heat the next year after which he finally retired for good.
Ironman is synonymous to longevity. It requires tremendous dedication for the game; it’s hard work more than just talk. And most of all, it’s pure focus on the game, which requires an athlete to be in tip-top condition day in and day out everyday all season-long considering the rigorous East and West Coast trips.
When I think of a character in the Bible, who can be considered an “Ironman”, I pick the Apostle Paul. He had been beaten several times for the sake of the Gospel, suffered a few shipwrecks in his numerous missionary journeys, got flogged and stoned by mobs and threatened with death. Yet, in all these, Paul remained in his Christian faith.
His secret wasn’t because of sheer will power. In, Paul revealed to Timothy, his spiritual son in the faith, the secret to his longevity –11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
His longevity is anchored simply on his relationship with God. God wasn’t a from a distance kind of God. Paul has instant access to God anytime of the day through prayer and the word of God.
As a Christ-follower, we all can be “ironmen” in the faith by living our lives under God’s principles. God is a relational God. And He desires to commune with us as He reveals His wonderful plans for us.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, 7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
