Don't Blink!

Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. Mark 13:33

You got YouTube.

So even if you missed the winning run for the inevitable touchdown, you can search for that video and play it again and again.

The killer shot. You watched from the beginning until the last one minute. But you have to go somewhere else. You had to leave the game. Your team won and you want to see how it went up. That's why YouTube is here for you.

You were thinking of your favorite TV show as you drove that night. You still want to get a glimpse of the end parts as you push that pedal but to no avail. YouTube saved it for you.

Can't get into this very important family affair? Ask your relatives to post it on YouTube. Not everything is captured but you will feel you are there already.

There is a rewind. There is a replay.

But not on this.

Jesus comes at a time we don't know. Nobody knows. Not even your pastor. Nobody will be able to record it. When he comes, it's unannounced. When he comes, you must be ready. You must be awake. There is no way you can replay it on YouTube for when you missed it, you missed it forever.

That's why Jesus admonishes us all. Be watchful! Be alert! Watch!

You can. Make him your Lord. Be his servant. Pray daily. Read his word everyday. Love and serve him. Be a man or a woman for others.

Open your eyes by opening your heart for him. Don't ever blink!

The Less Is Not The Least

...and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. Luke 21:2

Luke paints a picture of less.

Poor. Widow. Two. Small. Coins.

If that is not a case of lack of something, I don't know what it is.

Poor is having not much. It is a state of need of enough or of more. Pockets are full of air. Bank account can't be counted.

Widow is having no company. No hands to hold but yours. No walks with somebody. No dinner with somebody. Sleeping all alone in a cold night.

Two small coins sound like not much in her purse. Even if these metals clash, no sound will be heard from a good distance. If you drop them in a collection box, even the dropper's ear might miss the fall.

Yet this less is not the least, for Jesus notices it.

How many times you retreated in giving because you have less? How many times you were prevented from helping because you have not much?

Does this sound familiar, "If only I have more money, more time, more resources, more skills then I can give." Luke's painting tells us this is a myth.

For even in times of less, you can bless. Even in times of not much, you can do much. Even in times of lack, you can give back.

For Jesus, for Luke, for the widow and for you...the less is not the least.

Hanging On His Words

...because all the people were hanging on his words. Luke 19:48

They hung on his words.
He said as long as he is running the company, he will take care of their family.
They just came from the Philippines to the United States and the boss came to their apartment to assure that the company or him will do whatever it takes for the family to hurdle this new start of life. He was thinking twice in pursuing his employment with them since the company was small and was given a salary not enough to feed the family and pay the rent of the apartment. This salary grade was even noted by the boss. From that day on, they hung on his words. From that night, the family held tight on his promise. He was getting calls from headhunters left and right, by email or by social media messages but turned them all down because he was hanging on his words.
After three years, he laid him off. Not because he was performing poorly, in fact he was not. The boss even repeated, what he always tells him, that he sees himself in the employee the way he worked hard for their company. For whatever reason he may have, which up to now he doesn't clearly understand, they hung on his words and his words let them down.

Life is full of these stories.

You heard him or her say, "Till death do us part.", yet now he or she is filing for a divorce. Your father told you he'll come to your school activity however up until the end you did not see his shadows. Or a girlfriend for a decade suddenly dumps you through text message. Or a friend who gave his words that when you need them most, he takes them back. You hung on their words and they let you down.

Any man's words will let you down at some point. And boy, isn't it comforting, Jesus is not only a man, but first and foremost -- he is God.

You can hang on his words. You can hold on to his promises. He says he'll die for you, he did. He says he will rise for you, his tomb is empty. He says his love is eternal, look at the cross. He says come out and walk on the water, focus your eyes on Peter. He says feed my sheep, offer your lunch. Everything works out for our good, wait and see. You can do all things through him who strengthens you, you can and no exceptions. He says, you'll get the job, you're now on your 8th month with the company. He says this, hang on to this. He says that, hang on to that.

He will not disappoint. He will never let you down. You hold tightly. He holds more tightly.

Hang on his words.

Hiding Myself

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter;so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.' Matthew 25:24-25

"Why wear a cap when you have a hair worth showing."

This was my barber asking me. He noticed I was almost always wearing this baseball cap. He also noted that by putting this on my head, my hair was at some point is being disfigured.

As I looked at the mirror, I think he is right. I have a hair for the world to see. So from that day on, if not really needed I decided not to wear a cap over my hiding my hair.

I also hid something for sometime now-- myself.

I made excuses not to write and update this blog. One major thing is that I am new to my work. In that case, I have to focus entirely on this career. I don't want to get laid off again. I wanted to perform above the expectations. Thus, this ministry has to go to the parking lot. Another reason is I want to give my time to my family. Because I'm spending more time at the office, it's only right to share some time to my family. And this is only right. However, I'm not so successful in this area. My body may be with them but not my mind and my heart -- I'm still thinking what will I do at work in the coming day or next week. Lastly, I thought I was too much of a sinner to write about him. I felt unworthy and I'm not wrong. But his call is to be faithful not be worthy.

Until, God gave me a "thud" through this parable.

Gifts from him should not be buried. Ministry from him should not be hidden. The call to share his word and work does not enter the storage room.

So, here I am. Showing up again.

With his grace by using his gifts, I'm coming out, from hiding myself.