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My wife recently had old friends over to the house to celebrate the birthday of an old classmate of theirs. Back in the day, they were a close knit band of rowdy friends hanging out not just in campus but around town as well… They’d go to bars, restaurants, regular hang-outs just to chit-chat the night away while drinking alcohol coupled with a handful (to put it mildly) of cigarettes on the side.
This was their old life. Mine didn’t differ too much from theirs… sans the smoking and drinking of course. I never was the drinking type… nor was I hooked on nicotine and tobacco. But that doesn’t mean my old life was more righteous in any sense… it was just as regretful.
Though I didn’t participate in booze sessions within the confines of smoke filled bars and restaurants with friends, I did engage in conversations with them which promoted distasteful humor and gossip and reveled in others misfortunes just to name a few. Who hasn’t at one time or another?
But now that my wife and I have entered and renewed our personal relationship with the Lord, it has totally transformed us and completely overhauled our way of life. It has changed the way we act, the way we speak, even the way we think.
But just as we get more and more comfortable being around folks who share the same zeal and faith in God, more and more also do we get uncomfortable with individuals who engage in immoral and ungodly activities which we once considered to be “okay”.
I remember when, a few months back, I was invited to go to an event out of community wherein it would expose me to the old crowd that I used to hang out with… I was, at first, eager to touch base with them and catch up on old times… but as soon as I was in the same room with them, everything seemed so different… it felt really weird… in front of me were people whom I used to be very very close with and yet it was as if the way we were conversing was that of one stranger talking to another… shooting the breeze, so to speak, took so much effort on my part… in fact, the usual gossiping and worldly humor that could be seen (and heard) in every corner of the room made me want to bolt out and go home.
It was apparent that I have significantly detached myself from these worldly and unnecessary practices.
But I realized soon after that it wasn’t enough for me to just be satisfied with being in and around community and to simply keep off the “outside” world and its false promises which I have so quickly grown out of. In as much as I’d like to avoid being away from the company of people in community, so too must I be immersed in situations wherein I am put in the midst of individuals who are caught up in worldly matters.
It is our mission to bring the word of God to people who have not fully realized the impact it has in their lives. The Word is not something to be kept only within yourself… The Word was meant to be shared in order to save everyone from eternal damnation. We have the Word within us… and by being in the presence of those who have yet to encounter Christ in a more personal manner, it is through us and our witnessing that they may be able to gain knowledge and ultimately salvation.
The salt has to be in the soup, in a manner of speaking.
“You are the salt of the Earth…”, says Matthew 5:13… “salt”, the ingredient which effects preservation and prevents corruption…
Salt are we who have heard the Good News and incorporate it in our daily life. Salt are those who have learned of Christ and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
Not the apostles, not ministers only; but all of us who are thus holy, are the salt of the earth - are to season others.
Now, whenever I find myself in situations wherein I am in the company of those who aren’t part of community, I rejoice and give thanks. I do so knowing for a fact that the Lord has given me another opportunity to spread the Good News… a new opportunity to testify and to witness to others…
…to truly live the life of one who is called a disciple of Christ…
…one who is a “fisher of men”.
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My wife and I decided to do our fasting today. As you might probably know, there are different kinds of fasting… of course the most common of them all and the first that comes to mind is the practice of either (1) not eating meat; or (2) abstaining from food altogether.
But what if the individual who is to fast doesn’t really eat meat? Or probably is a vegetarian…? Then that particular mode of fasting would be all for naught. Fasting is a form of “self-death” and that death to self would be impossible to achieve for someone who engages in a manner of fasting that is ALREADY his/her way of life.
So, there are other ways to fast… television fast, water fast, sleep fast, and more… I’m sure you could think of other ways to sacrifice.
As for me and my wife, we decided not to eat from morning till late in the evening. Just one single day… and that’s saying a lot about my wife since she’s one to start shaking and turning pale just a few hours past her regular mealtime.
Of course, our fasting day is laced with regular, interspersed prayer times… intimate times… private times with the Lord. Surprisingly, my wife was able to endure 1 whole hour of prayer without her noticing it! Praise God for that! She was surprised herself… I am happy for her.
Months ago, I never thought I’d see her become this deep in her faith… but true enough, in God’s time, everything is made unto good.
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My wife is going through a tough time at work. I just found out earlier this evening when she phoned me.
I feel for her… but what can we REALLY do, right? The only thing we have total control over is OURSELVES. Everything else that we don’t have dominance over should be turned over to the Lord through prayer.
I immediately told my wife to pray. To pray and to praise the Lord like she’s never done before. These are the best times to surrender everything to God and to prove to the Lord how faithful we are to Him.
Always and in all ways, we should praise the Lord. Not just in times of victories and triumphs… but all the more so during moments of despair and uncertainty.
Give thanks and praise to God for dire times such as these, for we are given another opportunity to demonstrate our strong faith.
No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
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Yesterday, during my private time with the Lord in the prayer room, I distinctly heard Him instruct me to bring my wife inside and ask her to join me…
So that’s just what I did. As soon as I finished, I called her in and asked her to pray with me. It was one of those times when you hear God and you just follow without asking any questions… I’m sure the Lord knew that my wife needed prayer during that particular moment.
I guided her all throughout… we started with praise and worship, then proceeded in thanksgiving and supplication.
I led the prayer aloud and a few short minutes later, as I was talking to the Lord, she started crying… and crying… I could hear her sniffles again and again…
Something struck her. The Holy Spirit must’ve overwhelmed her… tears were just flowing out non-stop. So I started praying in tongues and laid my hand on her. It just felt so surreal.
God knows. He just does. Isn’t it great?!
Praise God for opening my heart and allowing me to hear him clearly now more than ever.
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Just a short post… I’m still experiencing a “spiritual high”, so to speak… Why you ask? Well, because my prayer time has considerably improved… in terms of quantity and quality.
When I first started out before, I used to spend some 5 minutes in prayer when I wake up and a few short prayers here and there throughout the day whenever possible.
Now, I still have some prayers spread out through the day… some are more intimate than others… there are moments when I also go into simple silent public prayers…
But what has really improved the most is my private time with the Lord. Whenever I wake up… I make sure that I’m totally up and about so as to be confident that I won’t accidentally doze off during prayer. Then I spend quality time praying and meditating in a specially designated room…
Surprisingly, I noticed that the duration of my prayers recently have lasted a good 30 minutes per session. At times, I pray out loud… on other occasions, it’s a mix of prayer and silently listening for the Lord to speak to my heart.
It’s such a wonderful feeling. Refreshing and overwhelming. I pray for daily anointment. This is very important, indeed. It’s one thing to live and speak the Good News to others and share your personal spiritual victories… but it’s another thing to speak it with the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit within you. It makes all the difference.
(Hmmm… this turned out to be a longer post than I thought…! Hehe!)
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On my way home from a friend’s house, my wife and I stopped by a convenience store to buy some milk for our two little kids.
It was already 2:00 AM.
On my way back to the car, a little kid approached me. In his hands were a bunch of Sampaguita flowers… probably the last strands of what he had been selling since that afternoon.
He said, “Kuya, sampaguita po… 20pesos na lang para makauwi na po ako…” (”Sir, please buy my sampaguita… 20 Pesos only so that I can go home already…”), and he looked very sad and tired.
This kid is practically the same age as my little boy, and he’s still out at 2:00AM selling flowers while my kid is at home fast asleep already.
This crushed my heart so bad. I took the flowers and saw him off. As I drove away, I stopped at the next intersection waiting for the traffic light to give us the “go” signal. I noticed the very same boy walking away… he sadly looked back at me and softly waved goodbye…
Suddenly, I felt this great burden… so much pain and sorrow overwhelmed me. It’s as if I needed to do something more for the boy. In no exaggeration, the pain was totally unbearable… It’s as if someone had stuck a knife in my heart… and wouldn’t let go.
When we got home, I immediately placed the Sampaguita flowers on my altar and I just started praying and praying… I prayed with so much sorrow and grief that in the middle of my prayer I started crying and crying… tears just wouldn’t stop flowing down.
I prayed ONLY for this little boy… I asked the Lord for provisions for the kid as He has always provided for me and my family. I prayed for his safety and protection… I intently asked that kids like him be able to find God and faith amidst all their hardships. I also asked the Lord that I may be able to see this boy once again so that I may be able to help him some more.
May the Lord bless all the little children… especially those in dire need of His saving grace.
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Just heard from a friend over at that another member of ours, , is still in the hospital going through a grueling series of chemotherapy. He’s been there for almost a month now and there is still no word as to when or how much longer he has to stay there.
I may not know how it feels to undergo such a painful procedure… but my wife and I had a friend once who had leukemia, the very same condition Lex currently has… and we’ve seen how she suffered which in turn affected everyone around her greatly…
So, right now… I’d like to offer a prayer for my friend knowing that God is the Lord of infinite possibilities.
I ask that you, my readers, friends, even strangers… to please spend some time with me by reading the prayer below…
Dear Lord,
You know my friend so much better than I do. You know his sickness and his need. You also know his heart. Lord, I ask you to be with my friend now, working in his life. Let Your will be done in my friend’s life.
If there is a sin that needs to be confessed and forgiven, Lord, please help him to see his need and confess.
Lord, I pray for my friend because Your Word says I should pray for His healing. I believe You hear this earnest prayer from my heart and that it is powerful because of Your promise. I have faith in You to heal my friend, but I also trust in the plan you have for my friend’s life.
Lord, I don’t always understand Your ways, and why my friend has to suffer, but I trust You now. May You be glorified in my friend’s life and also in mine. In Jesus name, I pray…
Amen.
To those who spent a little time in prayer with me… thank you and may the Lord bless your lives as well.
