Overturned

"He………..overturned their tables." John 2:15

Imagine a table properly arranged for display of things for sale or carefully arranged for a sumptuous dinner. Then someone overturns the said table.

We have a life arranged very well. My parents stay at home, our oldest brother takes care of our small business, three siblings are working full time secularly and if I am not mistaken our youngest sibling is about to finish her college that time. We were financially secure and five out of seven of the Cano kids are actively serving the Lord in various ways. When we were growing up, Tatang, my father, takes care of our small business and had to come home around 6 pm when we are all busy with our school work or household chores. We had no time to share time with him unless we were watching the same TV program. We never had the chance to tell him how much we love him or how much we appreciated his love for us. We never even had the chance to kiss him or hug him.

And then our tables were overturned. I still remember vividly when Tatang was having a heart attack. He suddenly lost his speech and mobility. We rushed him to the nearest hospital and doctors have to operate his brain to take out the clots of blood. That year, we spent Christmas in the hospital with Tatang in the ICU. And after that, for almost eleven months Tatang was bedridden before he passed away. I personally sought the Lord in what He is trying to convey to me or to us as a family. And for those months Tatang was bedridden, we were able to love him and serve him. We took turns in taking care of him. We expressed our love for him in words and actions. We were able to touch him, hug him and be romantic with him. In return, Tatang also expressed his affection to us even he had hard time talking. When Tatang died, we believed it was the right time, for God allowed us to have time to express our love and service to our father.

When God overturns tables, He has better arrangement in mind. Hardships, difficulties, trials, financial lack, health problems, relationship concerns are some of His ways of overturning tables. Jesus has the power to make all things work for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). And when He overturns your tables, put your faith in Him and watch His wisdom on the better arrangement He is working on in us.

Friends, we are blessed for He overturns tables so we can turn over our lives to Him.

Raise the Roof

"Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying." Mark 2:4

They were determined Jesus seekers. They tried to enter thru the front door but the crowd prevented them. They had an idea, they wanted to get into the house thru the back door (if the house had one) but likewise the crowd prevented them. They saw the window (if the house had one) and maybe they can pass by that but likewise the crowd prevented them. They must have given up, but that is not in their hearts. They must gone back home, but inside of them they know home is with Jesus. And then they went up the highest level, they climb the house top and opened the roof. And as they raised the roof, Jesus raises His eyes towards them and raises heaven's healing of the soul and body.

What are the "crowds" that prevent us from seeing God's healing grace. What keeps us from seeing Jesus? What keeps us from receiving his forgiveness? Are we as determined in seeking the Lord?

May God bless our hearts and minds that we may seek him with all we have, with all possible opportunities and with all possible ways. Let us get out from our comfort zone in going after God's face. Let us hurdle each obstacle that blocks us from walking out from our own mats. Or if you think you are weak, allow your friends to bring you to Jesus. Seek the Lord while He is near. Be determined. Do not give up and do not go back. Go to the highest level. Raise the roof.

Without a Trace

“It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses; your sins I remember no more.” Isaiah 43:25

When driving in a snowy or rainy day, you need to make sure your wiper works well for you to drive safely. A clean and clear wind shield is needed for the journey to be complete. Notice that there is a portion of the wind shield that the wiper does not reach. And this glass shield wiper really does not clean well as stains of drops still exist in the glass if you look closely. This kind of wiper has truly its limitation as there will be traces.

God conveyed His message loud and clear thru Isaiah - God wipes out our offenses. And there is no portion that will be left unclean. He makes sure that our hearts are clean and clear a hundred percent. He does the wiping and He leaves no trace or stains produced by our sins. His wiping reaches every corner of our souls. He remembers our sins no more. There will be no drops of unholiness in our being. We ask for God’s forgiveness and mercy and He wipes away our sins and iniquities. We are given hope that we can complete the journey, as we have a God who wipes our sins - without a trace.

Something New

"Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers." Isaiah 43:18-19

When we dwell on our past, we lose our vision of hope. You do not see what is coming forward or ahead but as you walk you see clearly what has happened yester time ago. We always see the future as a replay of the past. We cannot comprehend on how the future will be different from our past. We are boxed in the past and we can't see how the future will be entirely unlike the past. We say we have done this and it did not work; and we readily conclude that it will not also work in the future. If we have been a failure in the past, we will remain failure in the future, that's simply a humanely approach. We always see something old in the future. We remember the past vividly and do not understand on how God can change the course in our lives.

Isaiah prophesied on how God can change the course of our lives even if our past is not does not lead to the light. God encourages His people to forget the events and things of the past as He is preparing something new for us. When we are stuck in the past and we do not see a way, God makes a way in the desert. He builds a route for us to be renewed. He maps out a trail for us to find hope in Him. He allows us to go through a new track different from our old track. And when it seems we are having a wasted life, God rebuilds geology for rivers to run into our barren lives. God washes the dirt of sin and doubt in us to provide a new landscape in our hearts. Imagine a wasteland turning into a new frontier.

Tired of your old past? Rejoice, my friend! God is doing something new.

No Going Back

Read Mark 8:22-26

Jesus invites us not to go back…..

The blind man’s experience:

* They brought Jesus to me….
* Jesus led me out the village….
* He touched me and I can see people like trees….
* He touched me for the second time thus I can see clearly…
* He told me not to go back to the village and sent me home…..

Our personal experience:

* Somebody had been trying hard to bring Jesus to our lives….
* Jesus led us out from our old sinful lives……
* He touched us and saw He was crucified on a tree…..
* He is touching our hearts again and again thus we see His glory clearly…..
* He tells us not to go back to our old lives and go straight home to Heaven…..

Friends, let us commit to no going back…… and let us go straight home to Heaven.

Power of His Love

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love." 1 John 4:18

I am amazed with the hunger and thirst of this world with power. Engineers and scientists are getting to outdo one another by milking power from the earth - geothermal, from the wind, from the sun-solar, from the ocean waves and from gas, natural or fossil. People of this world can't just live another day without power. If you live in Angeles City, Philippines and got your power out for one day you will have pails of sweat out from you. If you live in Niskayuna, New York and got your power out in a winter cold night, you will have to wear five fleece jackets to get you through the night. This world lives and dies with power.

We hunger and try to search for power everywhere. We look for it from our degrees, from our money, or from our position. And yet all these things do not satisfy nor empower. God's love for us is ever available thus the power of His love. God's perfect and unconditional love for us drives out fear. God's love is all out. When we recognized His love for us, we have the power of His love. There is power to defeat temptation and weakness and not fear the spiritual enemy. There is power to overcome difficulties and not fear failure. There is power to go beyond our abilities and not fear limitation. There is power to face each problem and not fear solving it by mistake. There is much confidence in living in God's love and favor. You and I live forever and never die with the power of His love.

Bridge of Life

"and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." Ephesians 2:16

Want to hear a Good News? Philippine Daily Inquirer reports in their website that folks in Sitio Dumaliguia, Quezon, Nueva Viscaya began a P5 monthly contribution per family in order for them to rebuild hanging bridges in their town. The hanging bridges were destroyed by typhoons and as a result they were separated from the town center. It prevented the villagers to sell their products and crops, which were left rotten, in the town market. And their children failed to attend school up to the point the kids have to drop out from the academic year. The hanging bridges are also the links of the people to their health centers. They started their project "Bridge of Life" in spite they have to spend their own money.

Two thousand years ago, God erected a "Bridge of Life". And on that bridge, which is the cross of Christ, He did not spend worldly riches but gave His life for us to redeem us from our sinful ways. You see, we were separated from God; we were isolated from having life in abundance. On our own we cannot make the leap towards God. And in His love and mercy, God had a cross for a bridge for us to be one again with God. When Jesus died on the cross, He gave us a bridge to come back to God. Through the cross, we are reconciled with God and we are given new life. Without this bridge, our lives are rotten and we drop out. Through the cross we are healed from our iniquities. Friends, each time you remember the cross of Christ, thank Him for His love for us. Each time you see the cross of Christ, praise Him for the Bridge of Life.

Model the Right Model

"Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Mark 1:17

One of the significant yet meticulous lesson that I have learned in my profession as a power system engineer is this - Model the right model. In my line of work, I have to model big or small generators, transformers, or power lines and other electrical equipment in order for me to evaluate and assess the condition of a power system when these devices I just modeled are integrated in the system. It may be straightforward as it seems since textbooks introduces power system modeling first before any advanced lessons. But the bottom-line is you got to have the right model for every study or analysis to be realistic and useful. I may be a good analyst but if I have not modeled my electrical equipment right, my direction is naught. Everything boils down to the right modeling.

Certainly, this lesson is in parallel with our relationship with Jesus. Notice that Jesus' invitation to the first disciples was; first, follow Him, and second, being fishers of men. A disciple's first motivation is to model Jesus. I can be a preacher who can bring fire to the hearts of men but if I do not model Jesus, my message is in the cold showers. I can counsel a group or an individual to follow Christ but if I myself do not follow Him, what is the sense of my advice. I may have the mind to organize an evangelistic event for a Christian community but if I cannot organize my life in modeling the life of Jesus, I am like a puzzling maze. If we model the Lord Jesus in our lives, He promises that this same life will serve as bait for fishing men. Let us ask ourselves, do we follow Jesus in our words and actions? Let us pray fervently that God give us the grace to model the right model.

Him Alone

"There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." Luke 10:42

I've realized I have followed the Lord for the past eighteen years of my life. And for those seventeen years I was in the thick of things actively serving the Lord all by the grace of God. I organized groups for prayer meetings, guide a group of several men or have a one-to-one talk with a person. I have gone to mission trips to give retreats to start up an outreach or to revive sleeping souls. I trained brothers and sisters to develop teachings and talks for people to transfer what we have learned about God and community relationships. But for this past one year, I was zero. I have not raised my voice to preach and teach. I have not gone into mission trips. I have not pastor a small group besides my family. And this is what I realized…..

Mary has chosen the better part compared to Martha. She chose to sit in the presence of Jesus rather than prepare a seat for Jesus. She chose to listen to Jesus rather than prepare a sound system for Jesus to be heard. She chose to be with Him. God called us to be with Him. I have realized that my satisfaction must lie in Jesus alone and not in the service that I do for Him. He wants me to have that very intimate relationship with Him that I have during the first days after my renewal in the Spirit. That is to go back to my First Love. That is to be in His presence and not wanting anything more. Our call is to seek the Lord of the service and not the service of the Lord. Our call is to seek the Lord who answers our prayers and not the answers of the Lord to our prayers. Our call is to worship the King and not His kingdom. He alone is enough.

Drink Bible Everyday

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

When I was a little kid, I would walk with my friends around Angeles City. Most of the time we would walk around some Protestant churches, where we would always see people reading the bible. And each time we would pass by that place, one of our friends - Angel, would never forget to exclaim - "Drink Bible Everyday!" Pertaining to these people we observed to reading or holding a bible each day we walk by.

They say Christian life is a journey and in this exciting journey, we need a guide. We need His word to straighten and direct our paths. Take one day at a time in walking with God, and in each day take time to read the bible, His love letter to us. With reading and reflecting on God's word, our paths will be brightened and lighted as the sun covers the earth. Everyday is an opportunity for us to read and ponder His word as we continue to walk with the Light and to the Light. If you are a student, read the bible before reading your textbooks. If you are a busy single working person, read the bible on-line or subscribe to daily devotionals. If you are a working parent, share time with your spouse to meditate on God's word. It's not everyday we receive a love letter, and God has sent us one that expresses His unconditional love for us. Let His word guide you. Let His word quench you. Let His word refresh you. Let His word cleanse you. Dive deep into His message to you.

My friends, I am your "Angel" encouraging you - Drink Bible Everyday!

Life Goes On

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth." 1 Corinthians 3:6

It's been a year since we transferred from the Philippines to the USA. I always wonder what would be life without me. How will my siblings be without me? When they would need help, may it be counsel or resource I want to give it to them. How will be my catholic community without me? With the grace of the great God, I have served my brothers and sisters up to the edge of my skills and gifts. In my workplace, what will it be without me? I have made friendships and got along well professionally and socially. I have this hunch what is life without me - life goes on.

Paul emphasized to the Corinthians that life goes on after his service to them. That life also goes on after Apollo's time of ministry. God is the reason of growth. God allows everything to continue in His love and might. Life goes on not because of who we are but who God is. Life goes on because of what God can and will do, and does not depend on what we have done or doing. God will raise up another apostle to take my or your place that His work will be seamless. The place we have vacated will be occupied by another heart blessed by God. God alone with His empowerment will make you and me as obsolete, not taking our contributions from us but to show that life goes on only in Him and with Him.

What is life without you and me? God alone causes growth. Life surely goes on.