Ar-Ouch

When I was a new Pastor at MCF as the new Youth Pastor, there was one time that I led a devotion in one of the youth gatherings/fellowship. I shared about how it is wrong to associate friends with things and laugh at it. There went an series of arguments about it. Defending what I think was right, them, defending why it was just ok. Then after a few weeks, the chairman of the youth ministry told me that they were going to have a meeting. But in that meeting they will not be inviting me. Little did I know that they would be meeting with Youth Adviser,  and that the agenda was about me.

When the idea that they would be meeting about me sunk in, i was hurt. I was dreaming for the position of Youth Pastor for a very long time. There was a passion in me to lead this group and these men and women towards God, then. At the first signon conflict, it's as is that I was betrayed.

There was one class during my seminary days that we discussed a similar case study about one pastor who was hurt with they church he was leading. And that's one of the time that I really felt the hurt by that attack.

And that's one of the things that we experience from time to time. There are people that we love, we serve, we live with--people that we consider close to us would hurt us. And it's one of the most painful thing that we feel. Even our neighbor would hurt us.

And the response that we would easily resonate with us is pay evil with evil. We want revenge. We our out for blood. Whatever the people did to hurt us, we want to do the same thing and even to a certain extent something much worse to them. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

That's our natural respose to evil done to us. If we could have our way, and there were times that we did have our way, we would have gone all the way so that people would pay for the evil they did to us.

We have saying in Filipino: "Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhuin mo ng tinapay" Madaling sabihin pero masarap gawin. we want people to feel the same and much worse pain that they inflicted upon us.

That's our normal way of thinking.

But as Kingdom People... as people who represents God and His Kingdom in this world, we are called to a different kind of value system so that our response would be different to these kind of evil done to us.

But what has Jesus have to say about this?
Matthew 5:38-48

What did Paul has to say?
Romans 5:8

One Point:
Overcome evil by doing good! Romans 12:17-21

We do good, because goodness exposes evil. We do good because we are recipient of that same goodness from God! We can also do good because we can trust God that He sees everything and hears everything and He will be the one to avenge for us. We do good because God is good!

Temptation: Jump!

The second temptation that Satan majored in when he tempted Jesus was daring Jesus to jump from the top of the temple. Satan even quoted scripture to convince Jesus. Satan claimed that whatever Jesus do in this life, God will have to save Jesus, because Jesus was loved by God and is special in His eyes.

The temptation is essentially a temptation to presume on God. It is twisting the arm of God so that God would be forced to do something. If Jesus did jump, the Father would have to save Jesus. It has taken that long for God to bring Jesus in that moment in time. And  the Father would not allow anything bad to happen to Him. Jesus safety is an utmost priority.

This temptation is acting irresponsibly (most of the time in the guise of faith) then expecting God to breakthough and perform feats of salvation. Many of us are guilty into falling into this subtle trap. We would present God our prayer requests and in 'acts of faith, we become answers to our prayer even though it may defy logic, wisdom and even the very principles of God found in His Word. And then when we find ourselves caught in the chaos of our foolish decision, we expect no, we even demand God to save us.

Yes God is our Savior and Redeemer. He will never turn back on that role. But also remember, God is God, He is our King and our Sovereign. We don't play with God. We don't stiff arm God to do our will nor do we act as if God is our genie in a bottle who will obey our every command and longing. We don't rashly act upon things 'in faith' nor 'visions' because is God. We should be the ones to obey, to abide, to submit. We should never presume, that because it is a good idea, God is already backing us up. It should terrify us that we might be holding on to our ideas and implementing them in the name of God. God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us of His promises and principles. Let them be the guide.

Masakit Din Pala

Lord nakakasakit din pala talaga ng kalooban. Na minsan alang-alang sa pagpapalapit ng kaluluwa sa Iyo ay kailangan mong magpakumbaba at isantabi ang iyong mga hinanakit matupad lamang ang nais Mong gawin. 

In those moments you should remember Jesus' prayer: "Lord if it is possible, please let this cup pass away from me, but not my will but yours be done." Napaka-comforting na prayer and situation because even Jesus, the Son of God, was allowed by God to experience the struggle of His will different from the Father's. Sabi Niya sa mga disicples, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" but yet He obeyed, so that Father's will be done. My Lord and Saviour became so unselfish despite everything He was feeling, all so that the world might be saved. If my Lord has set aside pain and sorrow in obedience to the Father, I recon, I must do so also.

I also remember Jesus meeting with the Samaritan woman by the well. What transpired between Jesus and the woman brought salvation to the woman, but when the disciples came back, they were so engrossed with their stereotypes and prejudices that they missed the working of God in the heart of the woman. Ang sagot ni Jesus nung tinanong Siya ng mga disciples Niya kung kumain na Siya? "I have food that you do not know of... it is doing the work of God."

May mga personal concerns tayo. May mga personal prejudices at stereotypes. Minsan may sakit ng kalooban o takot din tayong dala. Maaring pagbigyan tayo ng Dios na 'ilaban' at mag-express ng ating kalooban sa Kanya, but we were never given any license by God to use those as excuses of not abiding, of not obeying, of not submitting. Yes it does hurt, but trusting in God that He knows what He is doing even though it hurt may and can be the only thing we can do towill satisfy our soul.

"In this world you will have troubles, take heart I have overcome the world." Thank You Jesus.

Not So Good News

A remedy is good news only to those whose hope is for a cure, but for those who think they don't need it, it is just information that is stocked somewhere in the deep recesses of one's brain.

The Gospel is good news. And it should be presented as good news. But how can it be good news when the people you are sharing it to does not or even resist the idea that they are in a predicament and the good news is the only solution? It'll just be words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs that may be inspirational but not transformational.

In this day and age, there is high intolerance when we talk about sin and hell. It's as if those two are antiquated ideas purported by a state-driven religion from who knows where and who knows when just to blind people to gain control of their lives.

It is not politically correct and sensitive if we talk, much more warn people of the peril they are in. It doesn't seem right anymore.

Somewhere along the way, the good news, the Gospel has lost it's impact and it's goodness because the bad news has been watered down. Jesus became a figure, a symbol of goodness, kindness and righteousness, a model to be followed but not anymore a Master nor a Savior to whom people should give their lives upon in faith and loyalty.

Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost. Much like the Pharissees of His day, they did not believe that they need seeking much more saving. So they'd resisted the idea of a sinner-seeking-saving Messiah. But still, Jesus did found some people who need saving. There were people who knew and saw themselves as sinners in need of Savior. Somehow the very presence of Jesus with them--the sinners, tax collectors and outcasts--led them to that realization that they were looking for something they never knew they were looking for. Jesus led them to Himself and their lives was forever changed

Temptation: Shortcut

Jesus third temptation found in Matthew 4 is the temptataion to take shortcuts. A 'shorcut' is essentially trusting another way, usually bending one's principles, convictions and godliness rather than fully trusting in God's way. It is like the cliche that the end do justify the means. As long as the end is achieved, whatever means a person does it is acceptable.

When Satan tempted Jesus by offering Him the Authority and the Kingdoms of the world in exchange of Jesus' worship, Satan knew that the very purpose by which Jesus came to earth is to redeem and regain all Authority and in turn, the Kingdoms of the world. What Satan is offering Jesus all the authority and the Kingdoms without the suffering, the pain, the cross and death, if only Jesus would bend His values, beliefs and conviction.

This temptation is very near to us. All of has been tempted to lie, to cheat, to misrepesent something or somebody just to get ahead or advance or accomplish something we want. Though we will not be offered the kingdoms of world now just even a bit of authority, still the temptation to bend, just for even a while, our beliefs or convictions is very real.

How did Jesus countered this temptation? He reached backed to a time when Moses was giving a speech to the Israelites, just before they were to enter and conquer, the Promised Land. Moses was saying to the Israelites to trust in the Lord because the Lord has been faithful to them and has shown His power and glory from their escape from Egypt to all the 40 years they have wandered about the desert--God has seen them through and He will continue to see them through. Moses is saying that God is ever faithful. The Israelites can trust God. Whatever happens God can be trusted. They are not on their own. As long as they continue to trust God, God will show His glory and power and faithfulness among their midst and in ang through their lives

This is a temptation where almost all of us fall. There are situations and opportunities in our life that when we look at it, it seems that there is no other way forward or way out but to just bend our values. But yet, there is a way. Like Jesus, a person can choose not to bend, a person can choose not to violate his convictions. It will not be easy, it may be even let a person great suffering but yes there is a way.

Why should a person continue to cling to his convictions and belief and turn away from this temptation? The issue is peace of heart and peace of mind. For Christians, the issue is looking into your heart and soul knowing that his or her relationship with God is intact, that fellowship with God still flows and that there is peace deep down.

In the end, Jesus did suffer horrible pain, he suffered the cross even death. But in His life, fellowship with God was never broken, God was able to do what He has purposed in Jesus' life and when Jesus rose from dead, all authority was given to Him and one day even now every tribe and tongue, every creature on earth. above the earth and even below the earth will bow and is bowing down to Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. 

The stakes if you falling for this kind of temptation may be higher than you could imagine. But if you could overcome it, with God's help, it will be worth it all. 

Temptation: Bread

The first of the three temptation that Satan majored in when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness in to make Jesus turn stones to bread. It is essentially tempting Jesus to fill a God-given legitimate need in an illegitimate way. Provision for needs is almost always at the top of a person's priority. It is essential to life. When needs are unmet, worry starts to creep in, tension starts, faith sways and hearts for God begin to faint.

Jesus, in the first temptation of the enemy, countered it by qouting Deuteronomy, "man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes out from the mouth of God". Jesus understood that Our Heavenly Father is the Provider, and God provides for the needs of His children; and that as long as a person is under the canopy of God--by abiding in His ways, laws, principles and precepts, God can be trusted to provide for His children.

Life is hard. The need for provision is always there. The temptation to find illegitimate sources for the provision of needs is very real. But like Jesus, let us trust that God has always connected the provision of needs with walking in His ways--that as we abide, He will provide.