saturday post: standing by our words

Today's topic was a continuation of last week's topic, but going into details as laid out in Psalms 15:4-5. To answer David's question, "Who can enter God's sanctuary?" there are four characteristics a person must have:

1. One who honors God and rejects what is evil 
2. One who honors and stands by his word and promise 
3. One who does not take advantage of others in loans (usurious)
4. One who does not bribe innocents 

The first one is pretty all-encompassing, and I hope I do not belittle it by saying so. But in today's sermon, I was most affected by the second characteristic.

Because I hate the thought of people not liking me, I fall into the trap of saying things I don't necessarily mean just to please other people. Sometimes, I tell myself, "Well, the intent was there. I just can't (or didn't) follow through." It is a trap--sometimes I don't make good on the promise and let other people down. Sometimes, I don't really agree with what they say but find myself agreeing nonetheless and say otherwise to other people.

It's something I have yet to get a handle of; yet another struggle against hypocrisy. I am trying to say what I want to say and commit on what I really intend to accomplish. Of course, sometimes I still say or do the wrong things. Sometimes I also hurt people. So yes, I'm trying to figure out the balancing act. And as of press time, there's no clear result or solution to that struggle.

Wish me luck!

saturday post: the dwelling and our lives

Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? 

Psalm 15:1 (New International Version)

A major primetime news show featured a local priest announcing support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's bid for a congressional seat in Lubao, Pampanga during mass. And I wondered if the priest didn't feel his skin crawl while he made that pronouncement; mine did. Seated next to strategically placed impoverished children, the President calmly accepted--dare I say, with a beatific smile on her face--the priest's support.

I found it, quite frankly, hypocritical on both of their accounts and an upfront disgrace to God and His dwelling, the church; primarily on the part of the President, whom I can only assume is pretending to be pious and faithful because if she were, then the Philippines would be in a very different situation today.

Before this becomes a full-out rant against our government, I'd like to take pause and examine the situation. With all my prejudice against hypocrites and calling them out, I don't want someone else to point a finger at me and say, "Look who's talking."

In some cases for some people, their lives are divided in two parts: inside the church, outside the church. Inside the church, they act all holy and self-contained, but outside, they are the total opposite. Yes, some cases and some people. For example, me.

At one point in my life, I stopped and looked at myself and didn't like the hypocrite I saw. I didn't like the fact that Saturday was reserved for respectful behavior among the elders, brothers and sisters, but beyond it, there were no holds barred: Drink. Gossip and talk bad about people behind their backs. Forget to pray at night. Get mad at others and let them have it. Curse. It was even more troubling for me because sometimes I was tasked to perform the sermon; and there is nothing more heavy on the conscience than a sinful heart standing at the pulpit.

The psalm of David asks, "Who may dwell in the Lord's sanctuary," and I knew the person I was was not, but I hope and pray, the person I am trying to become is. Because not going to church is not an option to me, I sought and am continually seeking to improve my life by letting God seep into my life outside of church. My goal is to erase the divide between myself in church and myself outside of church; that wherever I am, I am one person, and that I dwell in God in the same way that I have faith that with Him, the Holy Spirit dwells in me. My goal is to have integrity in life rooted in God.

I do not claim to have reached these goals. In fact, I might've slipped last night--but not as much as I have slipped and fallen before. For reasons I cannot explain, I feel that even when I cannot help myself, God helps me.

I sympathize with other believers who are struggling with the issue of oneness of life, those people who have sat in church and wondered, "How can I face the Lord after what I did yesterday?" The question is not designed to make us avoid the Lord, but to face up to reality and make the necessary changes.

I pray that we will all be worthy to enter God's dwelling, and that we ourselves are worthy dwellings of God by living righteous lives inside and more importantly, outside of church.

no need for fanfare

On a trip to Las Vegas, we came across this at downtown Fremont:

 

 

I asked one of the people showing us around about them and he told me that these people campaign for God in hopes of saving their souls by converting at least one other person; another's salvation is his, so to speak. 

I felt sad because first, one's salvation can never be bought by another person's salvation. But more so, I think and feel that beyond blasting megaphones and waving placards, the best testament to God is a life that is lived faithfully, daily.

Ria's post on readiness comes to mind. (Ri, permit me to re-post it here.) When the disciples asked Jesus why He liked to use parables, He responded,

"Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state, they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it." - Matthew 13:12,13 (The Message)

I hope that we all make stories out of our lives that will open other people's hearts and minds to God's message. No need for megaphones, placards, or any kind of fanfare.

Picture Perfect

This is my personal testimony. I wrote this on Feb 28, 2006. I still believe this is my best blog post ever. So, here it is.

For seventeen years, I never imagined even for once that I am pre-destined for something. I thought that I make my own destiny and that everything depends on the things I do. So, for the longest time, I was a goody-goody, who imitated what successful and good people did. I conformed to the world's standard of what is good and I was afraid to try out things that are not in the picture of the perfect life I tried to build for myself.

Little did I know that by concentrating on that beautiful picture I have for my life, I missed a lot. I was so focused on that picture that I didn't even take time to appreciate the beauty around me and know the lives that surround me.

One day, I discovered that my life has some sort of purpose. However, it wasn't that easy for me to accept the fact that all the things I've achieved and worked for were not there because of my own doing or greatness but because of the someone who gave me purpose. As I got to know that someone, I started to understand that the perfect picture of life that I have is nothing compared to the life I was pre-destined for.

Nevertheless, having that knowledge in my mind didn't change my life overnight. It was really hard to let go of that picture, step out, discover new possibilities around and allow myself to be of use to others. It is frightening to let go specially when you're holding on to something that is good already. But the good is the worst enemy of the best and if we don't let go of the good, we can't get the best! So, after a long battle with myself, I let go of that picture. It wasn't easy but it took only one decision, one decision I live by everyday, one decision to love God with all my heart and all my mind.

Right now, it is still unknown to me what God's plans for my life are but I trust HIM and believe that my life is far better than the picture I've let go of. If I continue to live by HIS words, I'll definitely get the best because HIS words are my life, our life.

saturday post: Proverbs 12:12

"...the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit," as written in the King James Bible.

In the sharing segment of our service today, my mom recounted an experience with one of our customers: This customer would directly deposit her payment to our bank account and just text my mom about it. My mom noted that sometimes this customer would overpay, so she'd inform the customer of the mistake to set the record straight (literally too, because my mom oversees the accounting). So when a sales agent approached our customer to convince her to switch from our business to his (piracy!), our customer fortunately refused. I hope it is safe to assume that she thinks we conduct our business honestly, without an eye to taking advantage of her.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that good things do come to good people. It's a different world we live in today; a world that believes getting ahead of others is key, and that nice guys usually, if not always, finish last. Not much of a motivation for good-doers. But God knows better; and for Him to have sacrificed His only Son, He cannot NOT take care of those who look up to Him. Knock, Jesus said, and the door will be answered.

And I guess, it also matters by how we define "good things," the things we judge are desirable and aspire to possess. If we think that wealth--having bazillions of money, mansions or multiple houses, closetsfull of clothes and accessories--defines good things, then maybe we don't have it because God does not desire us to have this. People who will stop at nothing to amass wealth are not characteristically godly; they're greedy. I think that the way we define that "fruit" also shows what kind of people we are.

So it's also a challenge to people who aspire to be closer to God to evaluate what exactly they're striving for. Do we want a mansion? Or do we want a home? In spite of what the world says or believes in, God will give us what we deserve. Evil will beget evil, and as Proverbs 12:12 says, the root of the righteous will yield fruit.