No Answers?

Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? —Job 40:2

Just before Christmas 2003, Lydia came home from work to the sight of flames shooting out of her house. She was devastated by more than the loss of her home—seven of her family members died in the flames. When news about the tragedy spread that morning, a deacon from her church rushed to comfort her. She had some deep questions for him, but he had no answers.

Lydia could relate to Job's story. He lost all 10 of his children (Job 1:18-19), yet he continued to worship God (v.21). Then his health was affected, and his wife urged him to curse God and die (2:9). Job's friends thought they had the answer—he must have sinned and deserved his troubles.

Job complained bitterly to the Lord and pleaded for an explanation and relief, but God didn't give him any answers. He didn't even tell him about Satan's request to test him (1:6-12; 2:1-6). Instead, He reminded Job that He was the all-wise God and that Job was not. Job was humbled, and he repented for having questioned God's authority (42:1-6).

This side of heaven, we may not find answers for our desperate questions of "Why did this happen?" and "Why me?" But we can rest in the truth that God is in control and that He loves us. —Anne Cetas

Though darker, rougher, grows the way
And cares press harder day by day,
With patience in His love I'll rest,
And whisper that He knoweth best. —Pentecost

God does not have to answer our questions, but He will always keep His promises.

Taken from Our Daily Bread dated 5 December 2004

Inspiration

Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, "Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard— just do what needs to be done!" That is what we mean by ordinary human initiative. But when the Spirit of God comes to us and says, in effect, "Get up and get going," suddenly we find that the initiative is inspired.

We all have many dreams and aspirations when we are young, but sooner or later we realize we have no power to accomplish them. We cannot do the things we long to do, so our tendency is to think of our dreams and aspirations as dead. But God comes and says to us, "Arise from the dead . . . ." When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with such miraculous power that we are able to "arise from the dead" and do the impossible. The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we "get up and get going." God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, "Arise from the dead . . . ," we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand, "Stretch out your hand" (Matthew 12:13 ). As soon as the man did so, his hand was healed. But he had to take the initiative. If we will take the initiative to overcome, we will find that we have the inspiration of God, because He immediately gives us the power of life.

Taken from My Utmost For His Highest dated 16 February

Be Happy Today

The Bigger Picture

Surrender

Last night, i was reading about surrender... that to attain complete freedom and peace of mind, we have to surrender EVERYTHING to Him, and that surrender IS an act of worship. Then it occurred to me how little I have actually given up for Him. I thought the process of lifting everything up to God was a one done deal. Then I just realized that we actually have to practice it everyday... until it becomes a habit. We are not perfect, and we are not meant to do goodness out of fear or obligation. We do it out of love... And we cannot truly love anyone else, or even ourselves, unless we love Him first. It seems simple as soon as we realize it, and we need to remind ourselves everyday that it's the ONLY way to keep going. Of course, there comes trust, but you can never really trust if you don't love first. And in order to love Him, we have to know Him more.

There was a time when I couldn't stop thinking about a problem that's been troubling me for weeks. I longed for dreamless sleeps, but was always haunted by exhausting dreams like running, falling or crying. But you know, the choice is always ours. Once we learn to lift our worries up to Him, we are bound to choose to make it all stop. The situation is beyond our control, all we can do is let go, and trust God. Again, it is so easy to say, but there really is truth to it. Once we grasp the real essence of surrender, what doesn't make much sense now will have the greatest sense later on.

No matter how far we go in this world, we ought to go back to square one to understand what 'living' really means. Eventually, we will be made perfect, in His will and time. Let us start knowing, trusting and loving our Lord Jesus Christ NOW. May God be praised forever.

Sisters

More pictures at Flickr Mojojho!

Wet Pants

Come with me to a third grade classroom.....

There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it.

When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives. The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat." He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that's filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap. The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, "Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!"

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk.

The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!"

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Susie whispers back, "I wet my pants once too."

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good. Remember.....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car. Each and everyone one of us are going through tough times right now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can. Keep the faith.

Affluenza

Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. —Luke 12:15

As people in affluent societies stock up on Blackberrys and flat-panel TVs, it's hard to deny the increasing wealth in many parts of the world. You might call it "affluenza." There is anxiety, however, amid so much prosperity. It is the economic "puzzle of our time," said Robert J. Samuelson in The Washington Post. I wonder if this is true because we are attempting to find security in "more stuff"—stuff that is temporary and fleeting.

The Bible calls the pursuit of more stuff "greed." Jesus warned His followers about greed by telling a story about a rich man. The problem with this rich man was not that he had an abundance of bumper crops, or that he decided to build more storage space (Luke 12:16-18). The problem was that he invested his entire life in his possessions (v.15). He drew his security from his material goods and failed to be "rich toward God" (v.21). Rejecting the knowledge and precepts of God as the basis for life made him a fool. He was living for the moment while presuming on the future (vv.19-20).

The "good life" cannot be found in things. Instead of seeking our security by acquiring "more stuff," may we find true satisfaction by investing our resources and our lives in and for His kingdom. —Marvin Williams

He possessed all the world had to give him,
He had reached every coveted goal;
But, alas, his life was a failure,
For he had forgotten his soul. —Denison

Poverty of purpose is worse than poverty of purse.

Many times in my life, I have indulged on worldly things with great selfishness, forgetting that those things just offer temporary happiness. I have made decisions, in the past and in the present, that lacked consideration for others, that they eventually turned sour, leaving me anxious, frustrated and regretful. But since the Lord is ever faithful and forgiving, and always finds a way to touch our hearts, we are always given a chance to make up for our shortcomings. May we focus on serving Him and following Jesus' steps, so that we may serve one master... God alone. May God be praised.

Taken from Our Daily Bread dated 12 July 2007.

The Purpose Driven Declaration

Today I am stepping across the line. I'm tired of waffling and I'm finished with wavering, I've made my choice, the verdict is in, and my decision is irrevocable. I'm going God's way. There's no turning back now!

I will live the rest of my life serving God's purposes with God's people on God's planet for God's glory. I will use my life to celebrate his presence, cultivate his character, participate in his family, demonstrate his love, and communicate his Word.

Since my past has been forgiven, and I have a purpose for living, and a home awaiting in heaven, I refuse to waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, trivial talking, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying. Instead I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of his family.

Because this life is preparation for the next, I will value worship over wealth, "we" over "me," character over comfort, service over status, and people over possessions, position, and pleasures. I know what matters most, and I'll give it all I've got. I'll do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today.

I won't be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil. I'll keep running my race with my eyes on the goal, not the sidelines or those running by me. When times get tough, and I get tired, I won't back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I'll just keep moving forward by God's grace. I'm Spirit-led, purpose driven, and mission-focused, so I cannot be bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not quit until I finish the race.

I'm a trophy of God's amazing grace, so I will be gracious to everyone, grateful for every day, and generous with everything God entrusts to me.

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say, "However, whenever, wherever, and whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes! Wherever you lead and whatever the cost I'm ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyway. Whatever it takes, Lord; whatever it takes! I want to be used by you in such a way, that on that final day I'll hear you say, 'Well done, thou good and faithful one. Come on in, and let the eternal party begin!'"

Taken from The Purpose Driven Life website.

Limited But Useful

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. —1 Corinthians 2:3

Suzanne Bloch, an immigrant from Germany, often played chamber music with Albert Einstein and other prominent scientists. She said that Einstein, though an accomplished violinist, irritated his fellow musicians by not coming in on the beat. "You see," Bloch explained, "he couldn't count." Einstein could project revolutionary theories about the cosmos, but he had difficulty with rhythmic counting. Despite his limitation, he remained an enthusiastic musician.

Do we sometimes lament our limitations? We all have abilities, but we are also afflicted with inabilities. We may be tempted to use our limitations as an excuse for not doing the things God has enabled us to do. Just because we may not be gifted to speak in public or to sing in a choir doesn't mean that we can sit on the spiritual sidelines doing nothing.

When we realize that all of us have limitations, we can move forward by seeking God's guidance in using our gifts. Surely we can pray. Surely we can show kindness to others. We can visit the lonely, the sick, the elderly. We can tell with effective simplicity what Jesus means to us. Paul said, "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them" (Rom. 12:6). —Vernon C Grounds

Lord God, I humbly ask of You
The strength to do Your will;
I give to You my talents now
Your purpose to fulfill. —Cetas

Too many people make a mistake by burying their talents

Each one of us is gifted with skills and talents that God has intended for His purpose. May we use them, and share them, for His greater glory. We cannot say that we lack this or that, because we do have limitations. Let us not compare ourselves to others, and set a human standard on everything we do. Always look up, and we'll be given gifts we never thought were possible. Remember that God equips us for His purpose. Each waking hour, let us ask Him what would He have us do for Him today. God bless everyone!

Taken from Our Daily Bread dated 11 July 2007

The Secret of Spiritual Power

by Chip Brogden

"Then Peter took Jesus, and began to scold Him, saying, 'Not so! May this never happen to You, Lord!' But Jesus turned, and spoke sharply to Peter, saying, 'Get out of my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, because you do not have God's interests in mind, but your own interests'" (Matthew 16:22,23).

See how many times the disciples tried to correct the Lord. See how many times they argued with the Lord. See how many time their thoughts contradicted the Master. See how many times they urged Him to take action. And the Lord, ever patient, would correct them.

In every case we see that He is the Lord, and they are the disciples. The roles must never be confused. He is the Master, and we are His servants. We do not command Him, but He commands us. We do not direct Him, but He directs us. We do not lead Him, but He leads us. He was not created for us, but we were created for Him. He does not serve us according to our pleasure, but we serve Him according to His pleasure. So we must be adjusted to Him, and not the other way around. The Lord will never apologize to us and say, "I'm sorry, I was wrong. We'll do it your way." How laughable! How absurd! But we often live as if we expect Him to do that very thing. We have not humbled ourselves.

Taken from The School of Christ.

Blessed

You are free
When you fear nothing but God
You can express what you feel
Without worrying if others
Will agree or disagree
On matters that make you
Sad or happy
You are not shaken
By their opinions
Objections or reactions
You are pleased
Even by the smallest things
That seem to pour down
With overwhelming abundance
Counting each one as a blessing
Till there's nothing else left
For you to do but
Thank Him
Praise Him
Love Him
And trust in Him
Little by little
You feel how He sees
Your innermost desires
And you learn to hope
Without expectations
Because later on
Your desires
Will become so irrelevant
That you will wonder
How could you have yearned for more
When in fact you already have so much....

Plan, With God

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass —Psalm 37:5

Don’t plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him— that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.

In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our "spiritual face" before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are.

Don’t plan with a concern for evil in mind. Does God really mean for us to plan without taking the evil around us into account? "Love . . . thinks no evil" ( 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ). Love is not ignorant of the existence of evil, but it does not take it into account as a factor in planning. When we were apart from God, we did take evil into account, doing all of our planning with it in mind, and we tried to reason out all of our work from its standpoint.

Don’t plan with a rainy day in mind. You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled . . ." (John 14:1 ). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command— "Let not. . . ." To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.

Taken from My Utmost For His Highest dated 5 July 2007.

No More Mowing

One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part. —Luke 10:42

The mayor of a small town in Kentucky stopped mowing his lawn in 2005. He has put up a sign on his property that reads: "There are more important things in life than tall grass."

He said that he has several reasons for not cutting the grass, one of which is his wife's death from cancer. That loss caused him to reflect on the priorities of life. He enjoys just sitting in the evenings and observing the wild flowers, squirrels, and birds that are now coming to his yard. A member of the city council remarked, "If he likes it like that, it's fine. I kind of feel like maybe he is right. Maybe there are more important things than mowing grass."

The mayor gives us some food for thought about priorities. What we do with our time shows what we feel is important. In our Bible reading for today, Martha was "distracted with much serving" (Luke 10:40). Mary, however, took the time to sit "at Jesus' feet" and listen to His teaching (v.39). Perhaps she realized that she wouldn't have many more opportunities to learn from Jesus.

Sometimes responsibilities like washing dishes, mowing the lawn, or working extra hours on a project need to wait so that we can spend time with the Lord or family or friends. That may be what's more important. —Anne Cetas

Important as your task may be—
The work you must fulfill—
Be sure you keep that human touch
If you would do God's will. —D. De Haan

Helping someone in Jesus' name is your most important work for the day.

May we spend the day not taking more important things for granted, remembering Him & walking in His steps through simple acts of love and kindness towards others. God bless!

Taken from Our Daily Bread dated 5 July 2007.

Movie Titles

Check this out. Ang kulet hahaha!

English movie titles you DEFINITELY should NOT translate in Filipino

1. black hawk down - ibong maitim sa ibaba
2. dead man's chest - dodo ng patay
3. i know what you did last summer - uyy... aminin!
4. love, actually - sa totoo lang, pag-ibig
5. million dollar baby - 50 million pisong sanggol (it depends on the exchange rate of the country)
6. the blair witch project - ang proyekto ng bruhang si blair
7. mary poppins - si mariang may putok
8. snakes on a plane - nag-ahasan sa ere
9. the postman always rings twice - ang kartero kapag dumutdot laging dalawang beses
10. sum of all fears - takot mo, takot ko, takot nating lahat
11. swordfish - talakitok
12. pretty woman - ganda ng lola mo
13. robin hood, men in tights - si robin hood at ang mga felix bakat
14. 4 weddings & a funeral - kahit 4 na beses ka pang magpakasal, mamamatay ka rin
15. the good, the bad and the ugly - ako, ikaw, kayong lahat
16. harry potter and the sorcerer's stone - adik si harry, tumira ng shabu
17. click - isang pindot ka lang
18. brokeback mountain - may nawasak sa likod ng bundok ng tralala / bumigay sa bundok
19. the day of the death - ayaw tumayo (ng mga patay)
20. waterworld - basang-basa
21. there's something about mary - may kwan sa ano ni maria
22. employee of the month - ang sipsip
23. resident evil - ang biyenan
24. kill bill - kilitiin sa bilbil
25. the grudge - lintik lang ang walang ganti
26. nightmare before christmas - binangungot sa noche buena
27. never been kissed - pangit kasi
28. gone in 60 seconds - 1 round, tulog
29. the fast and the furious - ang bitin,galit
30. too fast, too furious - kapag sobrang bitin, sobrang galit
31. dude, where's my car - dong, anong level ulit tayo nag-park?
32. beauty and the beast - ang asawa ko at ang nanay nya
33. the lord of the rings - ang alahero

When Tears Fall

I've had questions, without answers
I've known sorrow, I have known pain
But there's one thing that I'll cling to
You are faithful, Jesus You're true

In the lone hour of my sorrow
Through the darkest night of my soul
You surround me, and sustain me
My defender, forever more

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You Healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

I will praise You, I will praise You
When the tears fall, still I will sing to You
I will praise You, Jesus praise You
Through the suffering, still I will sing

Whitewater Experiences

Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. —1 Chronicles 28:20

I was enjoying the start of my first whitewater rafting experience—until I heard the roar of the rapids up ahead. My emotions were flooded with feelings of uncertainty, fear, and insecurity at the same time. Riding through the whitewater was a first-rate, white-knuckle experience! And then, suddenly, it was over. The guide in the back of the raft had navigated us through. I was safe—at least until the next set of rapids.

Transitions in our lives are like whitewater. The inevitable leaps from one season of life to the next—college to career, singleness to marriage, career to retirement, marriage to widowhood—are all marked by uncertainty and insecurity.

In one of the most significant transitions recorded in Old Testament history, Solomon assumed the throne from his father David. I’m sure he was filled with “white-knuckle” uncertainty about the future. His father’s advice? “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; . . . for the LORD God—my God—will be with you” (1 Chronicles 28:20).

You’ll have your fair share of tough transitions in life. But with God in your raft you’re not alone. Keep your eyes on the One who is navigating the rapids. He’s taken lots of others through before. Smooth waters are just ahead. —Joe Stowell

I am safe when danger threatens,
For I’m trusting Christ the Lord;
Since He promised He’ll be with me,
Though I fear, my faith’s restored. —Hess

God will guide you through the rapids of change.

Taken from Our Daily Bread dated 1 July 2007.