The Negotiator

When we talk about Love, everybody seems to be excited and thrilled.  Love is a very popular subject in every conversation or dialogue.  But do we exactly know the real meaning of it? How deep is our wisdom about love?  Over and over again, we utter the word “love” freely.  For example, an employee may say he loves his job, his family, his pay check and even the coffee at starbucks. But most of us cannot directly specify the kind of love that he means.  The word was without restrain being used differently by different people at different things.  But because love is the most important ingredient in a successful marriage as well as in our walk in Christian faith, we really need to talk about it and find out what it really means.

“Love is related to maturity. Like maturity, it is a process rather than state.” (Richard L. Strauss) To love is to decide. It is a decision.  People who are telling that they “fall in love” actually don’t, they grow into it instead. Maturing involves growing from state of giving much and receiving less then to a positive direction of cheerfully giving everything without expecting anything in return.

The relationship between the mother and the baby is best example. Newly born baby must be love or he will die. The baby receives love but he doesn’t have anything to give in return. The baby loves only himself, but as he grows, he becomes more aware of the people around him; his mother, father, brother & sisters and even his play mates. He begins to open his understanding and begin to love the first few people around him in his childhood stage. His growing years continues as he enters the adolescent stage where he begins to idolized people and heroes of his life. He also begins to enter into relationships with his peers (barkada) usually same sex then eventually opening his horizon to the opposite sex. Then soon you will hear from his mouth the utterance “I’m in LOVE”. Is it really love?  That is what we are going to discuss next…

Apostle Paul wrote the three great Christian virtues—faith, hope, and love but the greatest of all is LOVE.

It’s a relationship…

In the country such as UAE, we will encounter different kinds of people from all over the world who practices different rituals, beliefs and religions.  It is a common question among the Filipino groups especially if you are attending a different church from the rest “anong religion mo?” Sometime back, I don’t know how to answer such question because I really don’t believe on religion. What I believe is that I have a relationship with Him. Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship. 

Baptism…

Last December, my friend Benedick took his leave and went for a vacation. We came to

Dubai

in 2003 together and this is his first time to go back home. As part of the same cell group in Sharjah, we use to pray for him and his family; we believe that what seems to be impossible to man is possible to God. And what we believe in is definitely right.

I was so glad to hear from him that he got baptized in a church in

Baguio

where his wife is attending the service. The church is also praying for his family’s salvation as well as for his coming last December. It happened. Our God is not a deaf to hear our prayers. He is a God who answers and bring comforts in the time of grief. I can’t contain the happiness that I felt that day he told me. I feel so blessed to a have a living God, a prayer answering God.

Baptism isn’t what makes us a Christian. Our trust in Jesus and our commitment to be His disciple is what makes us a Christian. The Bible teaches, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It is written in the bible that baptism is a way of responding to Jesus’ call for you and me to become His disciple. Faith saves us; baptism is our first step of obedience to our new Master, if we are willing.

An ill-fated fact of life is most people will be severely hurt by a close friend or by his own self. If we are not careful, anger and bitterness can destroy a great portion of our life. I thank God for uplifting in those times when I was really down and depressed due to my wrong acts and decisions.

Some wounds cut so deep that only one thing can begin the healing process: receiving forgiveness.

Abortion is contrary to all that is sacred to womanhood and true femininity. There is nothing this side of heaven that compares to the wonder of conception, the development of life in the sanctuary of the womb, and the miracle of birth. It is a woman’s nature to give life. Abortion violates her most intimate instincts.

Several women say that the after effect of abortion is worse than that of rape. In fact, in many ways abortion is similar to rape: abortion is a brutal assault on innocent life, on a woman’s body, and on the dignity of womanhood. But in the case of abortion the victim consents to the "rape" and even pays the "rapist" for the assault. (You may conclude that the comparison is faulty because a woman consents to abortion. But don’t forget the other victims of abortion: not one unborn baby has ever consented to an abortion.)

Something sacred, something precious, is taken from a woman in both rape and abortion. In one case it is taken by force; in the other, by consent. Because consent is involved, true healing can only begin when the wrong is acknowledged and forgiveness is sought. That’s why pretense and denial are so devastating: forgiveness can only be experienced by those who honestly admit they need it.

I am accessory to the crime for the lost of my own flesh.  When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and my savior, admitted all the sins that I have done.  I know I’m forgiven. I believe that only forgiveness can heal the wound, scarce will always exist not to remind you of the wrong things that you have done but to remind you that the wound was healed by the Almighty.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loyal love; according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Psalm 51

Just like King David’s repentance and confession for committing adultery with Bathsheba, and for arranging the murder of her faithful husband, Uriah, deep sense of guilt and grief David experienced after his sin. He suffered physically and emotionally until he confessed his sin. I cried out to God, my savior, my father and my best friend, just like David.  God’s eye is upon me His loving kindness is upon me all the time.

When I refused to confess my sin, my whole body wasted away, while I groaned in pain all day long. Then I confessed my sin; I no longer covered up my wrongdoing. I said, “I will confess my rebellious acts to the Lord.” And then you forgave my sins.  Psalm 32:3,5

A Call to Love the People of the Middle East

Why does Middle East dominate the headlines so often? One obvious answer is oil, the lifeblood of modern economies. But there is more than oil that keeps Middle East in the news. This land is a spiritual focal point being birth place of Abraham, who was born in the Mesopotamian city of Ur , in the Middle East, about 4,000 years ago. The people of the Middle East have suffered from war, destruction, devastations, unrest and lack of peace; they need God’s mercy, grace and visitation. So, we are declaring, out of pure love, a period of 21 days of fasting and prayer for the nations and people of the Middle East from 11^th to 31^st March 2006. Our Redeemer Lives!

Let us join together and earnestly fast and pray for a mighty visitation of Our Redeemer, for a genuine peace in the land that God gave to Abraham - a peace that will extend across the entire Middle Eastand ultimately fill the whole world.

"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land" 2 Chronicles 7:14