I think I asked every single person I met along the way to pray for me.  Ma'am Debbie did and so did Pastor Buddy.  Feeling quite scared, I left the chapel in the middle of the message of the Guest Speaker to pray.  I don't know, I just felt so inadequate.  Was my speech too long?  Too verbose?  Too profound?  I looked at it again and prayed.  And then I crossed out pedagogy and substituted "instruction" in one, and "teaching" in another. The pro … Read More

via court of reverie et al.

History reveals the source of this conflict, yet as to why God chose Jacob over Esau, we will never know. God’s election is never out of merit, it is purely by grace.

God chooses whom He chooses, for though Jacob cheated and outsmarted his brother Esau, God remained with the former, while Esau’s line was cut off. God promised to restore the house of Jacob, and fulfilled His covenant with Him ultimately through Jesus Christ.

Job proceeds from human efforts, hence the despair. Job mistakes the endeavour as a pursuit of a place, or a time, or perhaps a situation of enlightenment. In the end, after much contemplation, God guides him into the truth, that is, into a proper relationship between the Creator and the created one. Job finds the key that will unlock wisdom — the fear of the Lord. We find the sensus plenoir in Christ. The salvific aspect of wisdom becomes accessible to us through the work of Jesus Christ — the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24). Christ is the fullness of the ever-wise, omniscient God. As for Job, he came to the realization that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. Therefore, it is not so much a question of where or how, but in whom. Wisdom is found nowhere else but in God, for the wisdom of God is in Christ, and is Christ.

RVM, july 21, 2010

But in witnessing for Christ, Jesus shines, not the witness. In fact, the witness “ceases”, while Jesus “increases”. The Holy Spirit subdues the witness completely that the latter is moved to ask for nothing else but to bear his cross in shame for the glory of his Master.

Let the eyes of men be drawn to God, not to the human instrumentality. May our light so shine that people see Jesus shine and glorify Him. Nothing we do as followers of God will ever matter, save that which we do for Him, which primarily is to make His work on the cross, and His triumph on the third day, shine in everything that we do.

rvm
20 july 2010

When the moments of sorrow
And moments of rain
And the looming tomorrow
Are scaring me again
When the moments of darkness
Assemble all fear
There’s doubt in the air
In times like these.

But in times like these
He is my Tower
In times like these
My Solace and Shield
He is greater than any burden
He is better than fear
He is my God
Also in times like these.

When the strength of my youth
Is challenged by decay
And the best of my years
Fade swiftly away
The uncertainties and dangers
Of every day
Bring me to my knees
In times like these.

When the Word became flesh
He knew times like these
And in His frail body
He felt times like these
Oh my Savior, Redeemer
Help me bear this cross
This heavy cross
In times like these.

ruth v. mostrales
june 14, 2010

to all who are reading this poem, please pray for my niece who might face a delicate operation this early point in her life. thanks and God bless you all. – rvm

Enlighten me with the knowledge of Your Word though it is blurred by these tears while I read it.
Teach me the faith that made the martyrs bold.
Show me thy beauty that, when the feeble saw it, made them strong.
Guide me as I look at the Way before me, help me to see your footsteps as I go.
And, as I move forward, let me not look back except to behold Your Son upon the cross, and Your Son resurrected on the third day.
I am nothing without Him, LORD, I am nothing on my own.
May You teach me to continue to trust in You when it is easier to doubt.
May I choose to remain in the narrow path and forsake the way that leads to destruction.
Help me to wait on You, and do this with joyful expectation because Your promises are true and You can be counted on.
Teach me how to love the way Your Son loved, and to hate every deed that You abhor.
Let me love my neighbor as I love myself, and let me place You above all.
And should I falter be patient with me…
Restore me and let me delight in Your chastisement.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

I couldn’t recount the minutest detail of what I had gone through emotionally, psychologically and physically, but I was glad I remembered Jesus Christ before everything inside me shut down. I started with Why questions, and then came the Hows. Finally, I asked: “Lord, who will stay beside me while I go through this trial? Who will be with me — is there anyone I can still trust knowing that in every person a betrayer is sleeping and needs only to be awakened? Is there anyone I can trust who will value friendship over money and not the other way around?”

All of a sudden, the lyrics of an old song surfaced in my mind and I began to recite it silently, solemnly…

Be strong and take courage
Do not fear or be dismayed
For the LORD will go BEFORE you
And His light will show the way…

Right there while on board that jeepney on my way to the office, God had a firm grip on my being, a tight hold on my heart as He reminded me of one of His promises neatly tucked inside that old song.

The LORD will go before you.

And then, I searched Biblos, and found an amazing verse: “You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the LORD will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.” (Isaiah 52:12)

Wow! He was saying, “I will not only stand or walk side by side with you. No. I, the Lord has spoken that I will not only fight alongside you. I will go BEFORE you! And as I do, I will also watch your back. And guess what, I did finish it all on the cross! Tetelestai!”

I am reminded of Jesus’ selfless sacrifice — He went BEFORE me and died for me so that in His suffering I shall receive victory over death. Jesus did not merely fight side by side with me, but He led the way, fought my enemy in my stead, and won the victory for me so that I would never have to fight it alone and fail.

And as if that weren’t enough, He guards me from behind and assures me that He takes care of what I cannot face or see as I move forward, and gives me push in the right direction. He wants me to make it to heaven. What a wonderful Savior!

I will still have to face the trial up to its conclusion as the Lord would have it, but I am encouraged that I will not fight it alone — the LORD will go before me, and His light will show the way.

Amen. ^^

http://bible.cc/isaiah/52-12.htm

i used to write not thinking about what others think, just writing without thinking how much ink is spent, just writing without thinking about the space used up, just writing.

i used to dream without knowing the time or hour, just dreaming about what’s near and far, just dreaming inside my reservoir of dreams and aspirations.

i used to laugh without thinking how loud it sounds, just laughing without fear or remorse, just laughing and enjoying the day and of course, just laughing.

i used to cry over childhood sins, just crying over poems and sad refrains, just crying without my hanky near and letting them flow without care as they stare.

i used to be what I thought will do, being the me that did all the work, but stumbling upon what God did for me and you, I received new birth.

now i write and write upon parchment old the most beautiful tale ever told, and if ink is blood let my pen bleed well to retell  Jesus’ love story without compare.

march 31, 2010

Which reminds me of the fact that when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I didn’t make reservations (and I’m sure glad I didn’t). Simultaneously with accepting His loving sacrifice on the cross, I also made Him my Lord and Master, whether I was aware of it or not. Being His servant means I have to listen to His voice and follow in his steps. Jesus died for me in obedience to His Father’s will. Jesus exemplified the life of a Son, a Servant, a Redeemer. As the Son, He sought His Father’s heart. As the Servant, He toiled in order to say: “It is finished.” As our Redeemer, He paid the price. In all these facets of His person, He humbled Himself and glorified God. In being God’s Servant, He suffered, but He received His exaltation from the Father. That’s Jesus’ example. He didn’t seek fame or fortune. He didn’t seek self-preservation. Instead He denied Himself, took up His cross and obeyed the Father. Having set the example, there’s no reason why I should change my course and lose my soul to gain the whole world, no matter how tempting it is to succumb to the temptation. Living a life of service to God and others demands that I live a life fully committed to the will of God and His glory. Everything else is secondary.

When times are tough and I battle against lack and poverty, and I grow frustrated about corruption in the government and private sectors, I struggle to keep my feet on the narrow way. By God’s grace, He leads me to unearth and rediscover Paul’s secret again. Paul secret is and is in Jesus Christ. He said:

“I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.” – Philippians 4:11b-13

God bless everyone.