MAKING SENSE OF GOD'S WAYS

Having been a church pastor for almost 22 years provided me a first-hand eyewitness encounter of God’s ways at work in my life, my family and many people that I have been privileged of serving. One thing is for sure that I’ve learned that can never be taken away from me is this: “God never does things twice!” He has His ways of doing it tailor made for each event and situation. The main purpose is simply to show everyone that He was involved in the process of making it happen however impossible it might have been. A classic example of what God can do in an impossible situation happened to two people: “And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:35-37 ESV).

In spite of the many illustrations in the Scriptures, people are still perplexed at God’s ways. Many are still shaking their heads and giving up instantaneously when things are out of control. Here’s an illustration that may relate to your situation and that may also provide enlightenment: The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.  He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened.  Everything was lost.  He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was wakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.”

It's easy to get discouraged sometimes when things appear to be going badly.  But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground; it just may be a smoke signal that God used to answer your need. The prophet Isaiah explained God’s ways: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV). Furthermore, God never fails to remember His plans and purposes to anyone that trusts Him wholeheartedly, "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11, ESV).

The most important to remember is the fact that as long as God is in control, nothing will be out of control in our life and must always maintain the level of one’s faith without doubt in God’s capability. Keep in mind that if there is one Bible character that experienced the worst that anyone could ever received and still remained faithful to God, it was Job. Read Job’s story as a reminder and you will understand that God has always the final say in all things pertaining to our life. Thus, whether you are going through the worst or the best of times, there is always a specific purpose that can only make sense when seen through the eyes of faith.

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Opinions That Matter

Have you ever felt being in the middle of a tug-of-war of opinions? Was there a time that you felt so confused because of the differing opinions that are both unsolicited and unwelcome? Allow me to share a story I came across and this might relate to your current situation: “A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home, a boy commented, "Very stupid. Why neither of them rides on the donkey?” Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and commented, "The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?" Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.  Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, "How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman." The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey. Then, they met a young man. He commented, "Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you." Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders. It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a narrow bridge, the donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river.”

You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future. Thus, the lesson to learn is this: do not be too bothered by others' words if our conscience is clear. Remember this common saying, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion” but what you will decide is what will matter the most. Just allow them to share their opinions, write them if you can and then later sort them all out as references only.

At the end of the day, no one can truly express accurately and appropriately what you need except your own judgment and opinion. However, Jesus provided that the source of what we need would come from the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was speaking to His disciples, he pointed them to a day that the Holy Spirit would come in His stead and conveys His will for us. John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” In other words, even the Holy Spirit’s opinion is aligned with Jesus’ revealed will and words. If this is the case, then we need to be aligned with Him to supply us with God’s word that will make a huge impact in every circumstance.

By establishing the suitable boundaries as to the opinions that come our way, we will be sure that the appropriate ones will be counted as worthy for consideration. Many people will always share a “piece of their mind” that will either help or add confusion. Always have a weighing scale to balance them out and compare with what the Holy Spirit will confirm. In the end, one opinion must stand above all others and with this in mind will come the real “peace of mind.”

What we really need is not an opinion but a sure word. The book of Proverbs provides a clear example of it:

·      Proverbs 15:23, “To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!”

·      Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

Altogether, it is God’s word that we firmly need the most to guide us in our journey of life towards clarity of purpose and destiny. Moreover, when we stop and listen to many opinions of men from the media, our friends, our family and others, it will be surely biased based on their own perspective and experiences. That’s why, depend on what God has stated in His words and you will be settled completely in perfect peace.

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LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE TITANIC

Just last month, the sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago was remembered in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Even after a century, many are still fascinated with the horrible events of its sinking and the ship itself named Titanic. It must be mentioned here that when the ship of the Titanic was built, it was to become the greatest achievement in the shipping industry of the time, but what went wrong?

Numerous experts start with overconfidence when they discuss the "unsinkable" Titanic. One author describes Titanic Arrogance. Here's an excerpt: “The first few years of the 20th century, when the Titanic was built, were full of brash optimism based on remarkable advances in science and technology. It was a time of peace, progress and endless promise. Things were getting bigger, better and faster—the age more opulent and prosperous. "What could possibly stop the engines of progress or the captains of industry at their controls?" the book's prologue asks. The Titanic thus embodied a spirit of invulnerability characteristic of the times. In fact, when at the beginning of her maiden voyage one of the deck hands was asked whether the ship really was unsinkable, he replied, "God Himself could not sink this ship!"

Daniel J. Lohrmann, Michigan's first Chief Security Officer (CSO) & Deputy Director for Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Protection (CIP) within the Department of Technology, Management & Budget commented, “Numerous theories still abound analyzing the never-ending question: "Why did it happen?" The very word "Titanic" has become synonymous with words like enormous, monumental, gigantic, massive, huge and immense. But most of us aren't picturing a monumental home run or an enormous successful product launch. No, the word Titanic has also been seared into our brains as a massive failure.”

The Scriptures provides us the absolute truth of what really happened a century ago: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18, NIV). Let me share a story to illustrate it best, “The story is told of two ducks and a frog who lived happily together in a farm pond. The best of friends, the three would amuse themselves and play together in their waterhole. When the hot summer days came, however, the pond began to dry up, and soon it was evident they would have to move. This was no problem for the ducks, who could easily fly to another pond. But the frog was stuck. So it was decided that they would put a stick in the bill of each duck that the frog could hang onto with his mouth as they flew to another pond. The plan worked well--so well, in fact, that as they were flying along a farmer looked up in admiration and mused, "Well, isn't that a clever idea! I wonder who thought of it?" The frog said, "I did..." 

Let us remember that our words will always come back to bless us or in the case of the frog, free falling towards the ground. Nothing is sure with what happened to the frog but I think it was not what he wanted to happen. Being careful to utter boastful claims even up to the point of challenging what God can do is a sure way to receive God’s reply: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Humility is the opposite of pride and this is what we need to uphold relentlessly. There will be a time for recognition and it will come at the right time not as we declare it to be.

History will always remember no matter what we have done, both good and evil. But the most important truth to remember is this: God has the last say to all that we will do and have done at the Judgment Day. Today, when I read the Our Daily Bread devotional article, I was reminded that, “We are nothing without Jesus, so give Him the credit.” When we begin to acknowledge God in our lives and recognize this basic truth, we will never surely go wrong. Allow me to share also what I personally hold fast in my own life and ministry as a way to bring my feet always on the ground is by simply abiding in this truth: “Honor God and He will honor you.” Men may give the best of all admiration and commendation, but nothing can compare to what God can give.

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Life Lessons from a Rose

Red roses are one of the most popular ornamental flowers that are sold at a flower store. It takes about 6-8 weeks for roses to grow from start to harvest. Green sepals that cover the emerging rose protect the bud of the rose. As the rose swells, the sepals separate and unfold, dropping to the stem and allowing the rose to show its beauty.

Learning how a special flower like a rose grows provides many of us with life lessons to think about and give consideration to. Does it seem odd that such a flower would present parallel similarities of our life encounters? I don’t think so. In fact, having such knowledge would allow us to see more clearly ahead of us and prepare carefully. It does not hurt to do so especially if given the right insights as to the best way to organize the affairs of life.

Our daily life though faced with many struggles can also be filled with much beauty if given the right atmosphere. How is this so? To begin with, never allow any negative situation to turn your life upside down. Keep your emotions in check to see clearly what’s ahead of you. For there’s nothing in this life that is ever permanent even the worst of trials. But rather everything comes in seasons and right time. Believe it! Here’s what the Scriptures says in Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”(ESV)

Many people ask why roses droop in a vase. The best answer is the rose stem gets plugged up (or gummed up) with air or hard water. Thus, the head does not get enough water and droops. They could also droop if it is too warm out or the humidity is too low. Roses need rich topsoil to grow in. And above all, roses really need sunshine to have quality.

Again, look at how this flower has also its time of “drooping down.” And it comes due to the external factors that I believe it did not choose to be in. Similarly, we also have our “drooping down” moments. Unlike the rose, it has no choice in the matter and we have! Thus, what should be the best attitude to adopt when this moment comes? If I may suggest that there are times that the best response is to avoid a “head on collision” and just let it pass. What is more, never respond with what you “think” should be done right away. Remember that whatever you think may not be the right action to do so. Allow me to share a principle that I learned from a friend of mine, “Behave wisely and act with grace.”

Besides, there will be times that you will not know exactly what to do anyway but to turn completely in trusting the One that do knows everything. And the best place to find complete rest and isolation to know your next move is in God’s presence. Jesus gave us an invitation to consider in stressful times. Thus, accepting the invitation of Jesus is most appropriate to consider rather than using our “thorns” that can become “horns.” Here’s his invitation for you and I to think about and rightfully contemplate: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV).

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Watch and be blessed!