STOP

He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." John 2:14-16

The disciples saw one of the ways how Jesus practiced His preaching. On this day, He showed His followers what it takes to be a Son of the Father. He lived what the scripture relates to be consumed with the zeal for the house of God. He lashed out what is not of the Father's house. He distinguished what do not belong to the place of worship. Jesus provided His apostles a main lesson - no personal business in the Father's business. And in this manner, He came strong to drive home the point. He had a whip on His hand and with no discrimination, Jesus pushed them all out of the temple.

God's place is not a marketplace.
The place of worship is not a financial district.
The temple is not Wall Street.
The church is not the stock market.
The Christian community is not a real estate industry.

We have financial responsibilities in life. We have to take care of our families. We have to have sources of income while loving and serving God. Pastors, priests and full-time missionaries must be taken cared financially to continue the work called for them. On the other hand, if we make our ministry as our business then we are no different with the folks who were bolted out of the temple. If we enriched ourselves using God's house as our office, wait for Jesus to escort us on the way to the exit. If the pulpit assigned to us generates more income for us than it generates more conversion, its time to question what kind of zeal is in us. If the gifts given to us provide more assets to us than it sustain commitment to Christ of our people, bring out the whip of Jesus.

Its not a surprise that some of the disciples lived and died as fishermen while they led the church. Its no wonder why Paul has to work as a tent maker as he was doing his mission.

STOP making the Father's house a marketplace. I did not say that. Jesus did.

Our Ministree

One generation praises your deeds to the next and proclaims your mighty works. Psalm 145:4

I believe I was in grade 1 or 2 when I watched men and women come together in our yard for worship. My parents were members of this charismatic movement that was blazing the Catholic Church during that time. I saw people singing to God. Saw them raising their hands in worship to Jesus. They discussed the Bible with fervor and passion as never before. Though the group did not last for long, my parents were keen in bringing their eight children closer to God. My mother lined us up for the Eucharist every Sunday. They encouraged their children to serve actively in the church. I was an altar boy and at the same time joined the church choir from time to time. We prayed together as family every time the street rosary was with our home in one week. Celebrating religious or holiday feasts will not be without the Holy Mass is a trademark family tradition. Acknowledging God's work in our family was vocally expressed.

If you are looking for a ministry, look at your family tree. Look inside your home for evangelization. Go for Jesus' revival in your own residential tent. Pass on your life with God to your children. Hand out new life in Christ from fathers to sons. Transfer the Good News from mothers to daughters. Move God from parents to children.

Let me enumerate some practical ideas:

* Be a model disciple of Jesus to your kids
* Pray with your children
* Have a Bible sharing with your children (e.g. choose the Gospel Reading for Sunday)
* Tell Bible stories to your kids
* Bring your kids where you worship God
* Serve with them in church/community
* Encourage your church/community to have their children formation
* Enrol your kids in bible schools

The psalmist reiterates from one generation to the next, God's deeds and works are praised and proclaimed. We pass on our godly heritage to our shoots. We transfer our Christianity to our children.

Our family tree is our ministree.

Moving One Another

None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. Romans 14:7

I guess, I thought I can do it. And I was proven wrong. With three ladies and a man in our family, moving our things from our apartment to our new home seems to be a gigantic task. I was moving things I can carry and load in our vehicle from day to day. However, we have two sofas, one queen-sized bed plus another twin-sized bed, a small dining table and other stuff which I alone cannot lift. Well, my wife can carry but limited only to two to five pounds. Our daughters can carry their belongings up only up to maybe two pounds, too. Talking about having me as the only man in their lives. This was the spot where I asked for the help of our friends willing to lift our heavy stuff. They came and willingly carried us. They moved us. They sent us from one point to another. And so in one November weekend, we were able to move in our new home.

Paul exhorts God's people to do the same. Move one another for none of us lives as his own and none of us dies as his own. Everyone has burdens to carry. Some burdens are light and can be carried personally. Most burdens can be carried only through helping one another. If you think you can carry your heavy load by yourself, you are wrong. If you think others can carry their heavy load by themselves, you are wrong. When your baggage's weight is more than you think you can lift, be humble to ask for someone to help you move from your old place to your new place. If you happen to know somebody who needs your extra time and listening heart, be quick to respond, come willingly and move that somebody into a place of comfort. More hearts make burdens easy. More hands make moving easy. Lift one another's load. Carry each other's burden. Bring up one another's baggage. And so one day, together, we shall move in to our new Home.

Hoping in God

LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me. Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother's lap, so is my soul within me. Israel, hope in the LORD, now and forever. Psalm 113

It's a short psalm yet it portrays how we should hope in the LORD. Sometimes, insightful message need not to be in novels but in small conveyance.

So how does this psalm reflects our hope in God?

Your heart and vision direct where your hope lies.
If your heart is full of yourself, then your hope lies in you. When your life is in turmoil and proudly cast your hope in what you have in you, your hope lies in your wherewithal. If your eyes see you are bigger than God, your hope lies in you. When your vision looks to your security where God is not in the frame, your hope lies in what you can do or what other people can do. Whenever you need something or about to do more than what you used to do, if your heart depends on you and your eyes look to yourself, hope does not lie in God.

Your hope lies in God whatever great things or magnificent matters you are facing.
David might be facing tough challenges. He might be having matters greater than his capacity or skills. Yet, these great things or magnificent matters do not keep him busy. It does not make him startled. He is not worried. He is not moved. His hope is God. We are called to be like that. Problems, typhoons, dirty politics in government, job insecurity will confront our lives. These things will not get us busy. We will not be moved. We will not be worried. Our hope is in God.

Hope is dependence in God.
David illustrates dependence in God as a weaned child sitting on a mother's lap. A weaned child is one who has stopped nursing milk from the mother and started to have solid food intake. A weaned child, in effect, has gained independence and is detached from the mother. However, David points to a weaned child still dependent and still attached to the mother. When we have grown as a child at some point we take independence from our parents, but not in our relationship with God. The more you grow, the more we should be rooted in God. You have been following Jesus for five months, ten years, more than a decade, twenty years or more, your call in your first day with the LORD remains the same - depend on God. Our souls are stilled in God alone.

Friends, now and forever - hope in the LORD.

Squandered Service

Then he also said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property." Luke 16:1

I was looking for a good feeling and timing to write a good blog since I have been tired for the past days. I am busy with work and home. I cannot focus on my personal prayer. I was thinking this is another slump. I decided to write one when I feel better and when the timing is right for me.

As I write this one, I realized that I do not own any of my service to God. Yes, we own our ministry for His glory thus to take accountability and responsibility to any work called for us. Yet, our service is not on paper owned by us. It is owned by God.

He is the proprietor. The land title has His name. The vehicle is registered on His behalf.

So why squander His property? Why squander His service?

We do it our way and not His way.
We do it on our time and not on His time.
We say or write our words not His words.
We are self-centered not Christ-centered.
We proclaim ourselves not Jesus as Lord and Savior.
We cling to our skills and resources not on His grace.
We take the applause rather than saying "Not to us but to You oh God!"

We serve not because we deserve to be serving. We serve for He alone is deserving of our time and effort. When we serve Him, we are stewards of His property. We submit our service according to the directions of the Lord of the service. We speak and move in His instructions.