Remembering my Dad

Eugenio "Jun" Navo Jr. (01/8/1940 – 02/28/2016)

He is a husband of a loving wife, a father of five wonderful children, a grandfather to cheerful kids, a brother to his siblings, a friend to many and a God’s child. It is an overview of who he was to many people in his lives in the past until his last breath.

As a Husband

 

It was a front-row seat for me to witness the loving relationship between my Dad and Mom. Although they were nine years apart, they were deeply in love. It was not a perfect marriage but they were perfect for each other. Nonetheless, theirs was a marriage made for them by the Lord until death separated them after 47 years.

 As a Father

Having five children with four girls and an only boy, my Dad preferred to have boys, and if not for Mom’s losing her ovary, there was a huge possibility that twelve children may have been our number instead of five. My Dad wasted no time, they were married January 1969 and in November, I was born, Evelyn came next on December the following year, then Joan on January the next year. It was with Arlene and Eliza that a break came but both were born two years apart in the same month. His style was strict not just to us but to his nieces and nephews as well. He wanted the best for his children and extended family and being strict was his way of showing care. I didn’t understand it then but appreciated them altogether. He is a man of few words but a man determined to express his feelings in a straightforward manner without any pretense whatsoever. He was proud of us and made sure that he shared about it to many of his friends.

As a Provider

I remembered tagging along as a little kid during his PLDT days as an installer-repairman and seeing his work first-hand was one of our bonding times until he left for overseas in the early 80’s and became an OFW for most of my elementary and high school days. In leaving for Libya and Saudi Arabia to provide for the needs of his family, he missed a lot of important events in our lives growing up but it was a sacrifice he needed to endure for his family’s welfare. We heard his personal messages through audiotapes, overseas telephone conversation, and letters. He sent whatever he can to ensure that his family was cared for and whatever request we have, he would try to send it as well. He loved his family so much and gave up many years in doing so.

 

As a Grandfather

My Dad was blessed to have grandchildren that he needed to converse in English. He may not be fluent in speaking it but his grandchildren understood him nevertheless. Whenever a favor was asked of him about any of his grandchildren regarding pick-up from school, babysitting hours and other things, he would never say no but always on the go. Mcdonald’s would be one their hangouts and he would bring them as his treat. His grandchildren recognized his strictness but in a different way for how he showed to us and it was more of playful strictness and my Dad enjoyed them a lot.

As a Brother to his Siblings

 

My Dad cared for his siblings and his relationship with them was solid. He made them laugh whenever they meet in Balagtas, Bulacan during his visits to them. It was one of those days that my Dad constantly brings me along with him. He loved them and cared for them also. My Dad was good-humored whenever he sees them and saw how they cared for him as well. Whenever he asked them a favor or any request from him, they dotingly accommodated him.

As a Friend to Many

My Dad was not an extrovert but he loves telling stories to people that would like to engage discussion. It wasn’t a huge number of people but it was enough for him to be in a company of friends that he liked to keep. When meeting with new people, he would ask many questions as his way of inquiring about them. It was his way of making people comfortable using this style. People would be uncomfortable at first but before they separate they would tell me they liked my Dad and his way of engaging people. He has his way and people that knew him remembered it explicitly.

As a Child of God

My Dad’s journey in his relationship with God was an uphill battle; he was not religious and curses a lot as part of his vocabulary. However, whenever possible, he would be in a church to attend important events. The turning point in his life was during one of his illness and through hearing the gospel message, received the Lord as his Savior and Lord. It was a significant event for him and for myself, as a Pastor because God used another person to lead him and secure his spot in God’s family.

Goodnight Dad

Remembering him in this manner allowed me to deeply appreciate my Dad’s life and journey until the end. His life may be ordinary compared to others, but he made extraordinary efforts that made a huge impression to many people until his death. It was clear that my Dad’s life was a colorful one and filled with many adventures. 

His illness was a long battle filled with pain that he tolerated silently. We were fully aware of his pain and greatly admired him for being strong. He was stubborn yet he knew what was at stake. At the end, even in the midst of pain, I believed that the Lord Jesus was conversing with him as he reflected many days before his passing. I saw the peace of God on the day that I was in the hospital, we were alone and prayed for him, said my goodnight, and kissed him on the forehead. Deep inside, I was made aware that it was not that long. Later that day, he passed away witnessed by my siblings. When I visited and saw him lying on his bed without life, I saw a man’s body fully rested and free from pain but the soul and spirit of Eugenio “Jun” Navo Jr. went on his eternal journey to heaven and to be with the Lord forever. To this, we say, cheers to you Dad until we see you again!

God's Kingdom and You in 2016

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God’s Kingdom has been compared to a hidden treasure in the field and a pearl of great price; thus, God’s people must place enormous value on being part of the Kingdom of God, and the true riches that people received when they become members of God’s Kingdom. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it (Matthew 13:44-46, ESV).

What is the Kingdom of God? Dr. David Naugle defined the Kingdom of God this way,

The Hebrew word for kingdom is malkut and its Greek counterpart is basileia. Both terms primarily mean “rule” or “reign.” Only secondarily do they denote a realm, sphere, or territory over which a rule or reign is exercised. Both terms have a dynamic or active meaning, and refer to the exercise of God’s power, dominion, or sovereignty.”

Why did Jesus choose a pearl to compare God’s Kingdom in this parable? Ron Graham explained,

Jesus chose a pearl rather than a gold nugget or a diamond because it may be that a pearl is a ready-made treasure that cannot be improved upon by man. A pearl need not be melted down and purified, nor does it need facets cut upon it so that its glory may be seen. The kingdom of God comes to us already perfect. We cannot improve it in any way, or make it more valuable than it is.”

In understanding the reality of God’s Kingdom and its value, what is the significant value of God’s Kingdom today? Jesus spoke that God’s Kingdom should hold prominence and first place in our lives, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). Next, looking from God’s perspective, it highlights the spiritual and universal nature of God's kingdom and illustrates that the Kingdom of God is a heavenly kingdom for people of all nations. Lastly, the parable demonstrated that the glory and power of God’s kingdom couldn’t be understood and explained using the combined wisdom of the ages. Why? Because when God is fully involved, everything else becomes insignificant to what He can do to those that are part of His Kingdom.

Now, what would you do when you find a great treasure such as God’s Kingdom? There are three specific things we can do: (a) Let others see the value of God’s Kingdom in our lives by living it out; (b) Let others know about the existence of God’s Kingdom by speaking about its value in our lives, and (c) Let others enter by leading them in the God’s Kingdom by boldly sharing its effect on our lives. And most importantly, lead others towards God’s Kingdom to ignite people’s hearts on fire. It is easy to determine when something is aflame. It ignites other material. Any fire that does not spread will eventually go out. (Christian Theology in Plain Language, p. 162).

Remember that the parables Jesus told reflected the high value of belonging to the kingdom of God and nothing is worth having unless you and I become part of His Kingdom. Jesus said it explicitly, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.” When we believe His Word, then His Kingdom would become a reality in our lives. What’s the attraction of this kingdom? “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, ESV).

Martin Luther said, “And if thou be not in the kingdom of Christ, it is certain that thou belonged to the kingdom of Satan, which is this evil world.” What are you still waiting? This year, make firm decision to enter God’s Kingdom through His Son, Jesus Christ, and He provided the way to do it, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

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Understanding our Spiritual Battle

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Another year is fast approaching, and we need a reminder of the spiritual battle we need to face with confidence and assurance of victory with God's help.

Craig Brian Larson, chief editor for Christianity Today's PreachingToday.com, shared a National Geographic article about the Alaskan bull moose: The males of the species battle for dominance during the fall breeding season, literally going head-to-head with antlers crunching together as they collide. Often the antlers, their only weapon are broken. That ensures defeat. The heftiest moose, with the largest and strongest antlers, triumphs. Therefore, the battle fought in the fall is really won during the summer, when the moose eat continually. The one that consumes the best diet for growing antlers and gaining weight will be the heavyweight in the fight. Those that eat inadequately sport weaker antlers and less bulk.

These images clearly illustrate what occurs in our spiritual battle on a daily basis. One gained supremacy because their dietary source was better than the other and not about their size. Thus, in our spiritual battle against our enemy, our victory depends on the strength of our faith life and not our religious life. We need to anchor our faith in God’s promises to remain “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). What are the sources of our strength? It is through “the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1) and the “power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16).

Aside from maintaining our faith-life secured, what else could we do to ensure our victory on an ongoing basis? Paul outlined specific instructions for us to do on a daily basis:

1.      “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). What does the armor of God symbolize? Paul explained it this way, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).

2.      “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:14-15).  Remember, the belt holds the clothing together in the same way that the truth of God’s Word holds our faith firmly in place while the breastplate protects the front body as it moves forward only. What does the breastplate symbolize? It is “putting on faith and love as a breastplate”(1 Thessalonians 5:8). What role do our feet signify? Our feet fitted with readiness “who bring good news!" (Romans 10:15) to others in need.

3.      “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). What does this mean? The shield of faith is both a defensive and an offensive weapon against the enemy. It becomes defensive by having “minds that are alert and fully sober” (1 Peter 1:13) and it becomes offensive when we “keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18).

4.      “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17). When we wear the “hope of salvation as a helmet” (1 Thessalonians 5:8), we preserve what Christ gave us in His death in the same way that Jesus used the word of God to defeat Satan’s schemes in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-15).

How do preserve and secure these things on a daily basis? By following the same pattern of clothing ourselves physically. Simply put, it is a position of readiness at all times because our enemy lurks and waits for an opportunity to attack. Ray Stedman explained,

“We have been born into a world under the control of the satanic mind. Yet, in the mystery of the cross of Jesus and in the power of His resurrection, applied by faith, we discover that the force which ruins us is now broken and its power is canceled.”

He added, “No battle was ever won without courage, perseverance, and strength. And that is the challenge before us, clearly sounded in Ephesians 6.” But the most important aspect of our spiritual battle is to distinguish our real enemy: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Thus the conclusion of the whole matter: Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:13). Keep standing no matter what and to hold your ground at all cost. Jesus did, and He promised His presence is with us when we do the same.

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The Power of the Gospel

The “Gospel” that Christians refers to is the “good news” that Jesus our Lord died to pay the penalty for our sin. He paid for our sins so that we become part of God’s family, and it is only through faith in Him alone. Thus, “the Gospel” contains what every individual need regarding the plan of God’s salvation for mankind that has lost its way and revealed in Jesus Christ His Son. No one can dispute the fact that the clearest argument for the Gospel of Christ's power is the testimony of changed lives and those continually changed and impacted by its power.

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According to the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, “In the Greek New Testament, gospel is the translation of the Greek noun “Evangelion” (occurring 76 times) “good news,” and the verb “evangelize” (occurring 54 times), meaning “to bring or announce good news.” Both words are derived from the noun “angelos” and “messenger.” Thus, the power of the gospel was the reason that the apostle Paul strongly passionate about sharing the gospel. He knew first-hand what it could do because he was the primary recipient of its power to change lives.  After being transformed by the gospel, he became a tenacious messenger: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV).

One of the important issues about the gospel message has to do with how one receives the salvation offered in the gospel. It is an undeniable fact that God offers us salvation from sin’s penalty and power that concludes with the glorious promise that one day it would result in the glorious reign of Christ on earth. Also, the power of sin, death, and Satan are vanquished and eternally defeated. God offered us salvation, as a gift through faith in Christ is indeed good news beyond description.

The gospel of Jesus, when preached, holds the greatest news that humanity needs to hear. It negates the bad news of hopelessness and fear that this world dispenses. One just needs to take the time to listen intently to what the gospel offers and allow God’s power to do His work. Jesus completed everything that is considered incomplete in our lives. He is sufficient to fill all our needs and provide them with an eternal perspective.

This world offers nothing compared to what the gospel of Jesus offers. It has the complete package, and there’s nothing more to add. Everything is guaranteed and completed for our benefit throughout eternity. Don’t miss the opportunity of seizing the moment of receiving the greatest news that anyone can hear. There’s only one person that died for our sins and waiting for us to respond with faith in His saving work. You got nothing to lose except what causes despair and fear in our lives.

Here’s an interesting comparison of the gospel message from an ordinary soap: “A soap manufacturer and an evangelical preacher were walking along together, the former not being a Christian. The soap maker said, "The Gospel you preach has not done much good, for there is still a lot of wickedness and thousands of wicked people." The preacher was silent awhile, and in a few moments they passed a child making mud pies in the street. He was exceedingly dirty. Then the preacher's turn came. "Soap has not done much good in the world, I see; for there is still much dirt, and ever so many dirty people!" "Oh, well," said the manufacturer, "soap is only useful when it is applied." "Exactly," replied the other, "so it is with the Gospel." (Family Herald and Weekly Star)

Remember that the power of the gospel can only be experienced when we allow the message to saturate every aspect of our lives. Unless the message is received, it will not do its mighty work. Each day, we are bombarded by numerous messages selling their products with an expiration date. But in the past two thousand years, the gospel’s message and its power changed many lives and still changing lives today. My challenge is this: would you take the time to hear and receive its message and power today? I urge you to do so in the soonest possible time, and I assure you that you will never be the same again.

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Practicing Humility

“A man can counterfeit love, he can counterfeit faith, he can counterfeit hope and all the other graces, but it is very difficult to counterfeit humility. You soon detect mock humility. They have a saying among the Arabs that as the tares and the wheat grow they show which God has blessed. The ears that God has blessed bow their heads and acknowledge every grain, and the more fruitful they are, the lower their heads bowed. The tares lift up their heads erect, high above the wheat, but they are only fruitful of evil. If we only get down low enough, God will use us to His glory.” ~Dwight L. Moody 

How do you know when you are humble? An attitude of humility becomes evident in a person’s life when we empty ourselves with the ego of self-importance. First, avoid the trap of E.G.O. (Edging God Out). God hates an individual with an EGO. Remember that it was EGO that turned Lucifer into Satan. He said, “I will ascend…I will raise…I will sit… I will ascend…I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14).  Next, assume an attitude of an E.G.G. (Everything God Gave). Jesus Christ illustrated humility when He said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Moreover, Jesus exemplified when He  “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7) and came to serve humanity clothed in poverty. When He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane directed to His Father in heaven, Jesus showed his selfless attitude, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus can choose to skip the Cross of Calvary and walk away, but He didn’t for our sake. His love for us compelled Him to humble Himself and to receive extreme humiliation ending in death at the Cross. Thus, when a Christian life becomes fully empty of EGO, every “I will” becomes “God's will.”

Here’s a story to remind us to remain humble and at times to stay still and silent: The story is told of two ducks and a frog who lived happily together in a farm pond. The three would play together and amuse themselves 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 opened his mouth and said, "I did, and he fell..." (Today in the Word, April 1989, p. 34).

Remember that there are times when we need to shut our mouth, and there is a time to open it. When we choose to open it, make sure that we will not be in trouble or else, we will regret it like the frog. The Scriptures contained reminders that we need to take heed. Proverbs 29:23 states, “Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.” James reminded,  “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up” (4:10). Peter said, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).  I firmly believe that when we choose to wear the humility of Jesus on a daily basis, God will take notice. It is a decision that we must intentionally make. Take note that humility is NOT the opposite of pride. It is adopting a solid position to remain content in where God has placed us at the moment.

God has the final say, and when we choose to submit to His will, we do not lose anything. Instead, we gain a lot from Him because He sees the best place to bring us to our maximum satisfaction. Humility clothed with God's love removes self-importance to attain the honor that God gives in return. Try it and you will never be the same. Choose to humble yourself and in due time, God will lift you up (1 Peter 5:6).

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Source: Two Ducks and a Frog - Sermon Illustrations on SermonSearch.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-illustrations/5074/two-ducks-and-a-frog/