Sort of rushing this one. I’m excited to start November, but not without paying proper tribute to what was revealed last month.
I was a little wary of letting Sister Winnie speak before the congregation, but I also found it to be an opportunity to let her bring it, when we had God Without Religion to follow. Here are some notes I took down that one Sunday she spoke. This first set of items were what I took note of from the book.
- The Law? There’s so many to follow, and none of us are able to meet its standard… Nobody was qualified, but Christ was the One who qualified us.
- Before we talk about the New Covenant, what is a Covenant in the first place? It’s an agreement between two parties. In the case of the Old Covenant, the agreement was made with a Holy God and sinful Man; The sacrifices they made were what atones them to uphold the Covenant. This is why we remember the establishment of the New Covenant; the New Testament may ‘begin’ with stories of the birth of Christ, but it’s during the Last Supper that Christ mentioned His blood that begins the New Covenant.
- 3D Glasses: Respect the Old, but Embrace the New.
I liked when she shared this – THE CONTEXT OF THE WORD: Christianity is not what we do for God, but what God did for us. – Now this was something that she shared from her learnings, which was not from the book. I appreciated how she said this, and how it reminded me of JFK’s own ‘Ask not what the country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country’ (or something like that, anyway). She also mentioned a story, a perspective of how Moses was barely coming down from Mount Sinai, and he was already complaining, ‘Puro utos! Puro utos!’ (‘It’s all commands! It’s all commands!’ in Tagalog); Then I realize it was the people who said ‘all the Lord commands, we shall do’; but what I remember is that he didn’t seem to join the crowd in saying the same thing. Just a reminder of how backbreaking it is to follow a thrice-Holy Law.
Our good sister Winnie will be speaking again some time this November.
#GodWithoutReligion #AndrewFarley #LawVsGrace
In my thinking about how Christ is our Indicator – that is, He is our indicator of success, not the size of our bank account, not the number of likes, follows, and shares, etc.; I’m more reminded of how Christ is, as Pastor Joedy shared once, our Potential.
In my thinking about Him being our Success, I’m brought back to understanding how He is our Source.
We talk about KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators – or that’s a term I’ve heard during my time working in a Call Center. We also talk about Indicators in Forex Trading – that is, signs of when to go long, when to short, when trends are most likely to change, and so on. This being said, indicators tell of progression and opportunities – indicators are measures of success. Now in our walk in this reality we’ve been brought to think that – yeah, it’s out bank balance, our material stuff, our online stuff that convinces us, others, and even God that we’re successful. But the Truth of the matter is it’s Christ HIMSELF who is the Indicator whom we all share in His body, as the sign of our success – And Pastor Joedy goes further by saying that He is not only our Indicator of success, but He is the Cause and the Source of any success we’ve to have in this life.
Because Christ was successful in absolutely and completely saving us, so we are successful as well. Sure, we can win and be successful out of our own efforts, but it only serves its meaning in Christ; And, actually, even our losses and our failures have their value, because our eternal Savior has given us eternal Success.
#ChristianIdentity #PracticalChristianity #BenefitsOfSalvation #KPIs #Indicators #Success
October 26
Lord, teach me to love. I don’t want to be ‘alone’ in that regard.
October 29
The One to whose throne we run to at our hour of need
The One to whom we are told to cast all our cares and anxieties upon
Shed His blood and poured out His Spirit upon us first.
His Grace abounds to us.
As we cast our cares and anxieties at His feet at the throne of grace
So we also build our plans upon Him, as He is our Rock.
He is our Source of Mercy and Strength.
You are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and what you do and what you handle is also in the Holy Spirit; A result of you and the Holy Spirit working together.
#JesusChrist #HolySpirit #Revelation #Meditation #Reflection #RunAndStand #ChristianIdentity
“To think too much is a disease.”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky
#Overthinking
!!One Piece Spoiler!!
“I am Arabasta’s guardian deity… Falcon! The one who destroys… the royal family’s enemies!”
Pell’s sacrifice hits hard. I’m just thankful for everyone loyal to our family. I’m reminded of everyone who serves us, and whom we serve – and I’m thankful to our Good God for loving us through them. Thankful for Manang Irene, who bound herself to us.
At one point told a threat to my family, ‘You’ll touch this family over my dead body!’
May our Lord continue to bless her and her family, greatly.
#OnePiece #Gratitude #Community #Friends
!!One Piece Spoiler Ends!!
October 30 – 31
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalms 103:1-5
Have you noticed? The Psalmist writes the benefits we’re not to forget in present tense. But, you may ask: Am I not already forgiven and redeemed? Hasn’t Christ already separated my sin as the east is from the west, so therefore I am already healed of sin, the disease of all diseases? Am I not already crowned? Isn’t it already finished, isn’t it supposed to be in past tense?
To all this, I would respond: Are you already satisfied? Is your satisfaction already in the past tense, as well? Friends, I suppose there’s a finished satisfaction, as well as an ongoing one, especially considering that the Psalmist writes all this, starting with ‘forget not’: I am making the assumption – well, the certain indication, more like – that we do have the tendency to downright forget the benefits we have (past, present or whatever tense you would see it in), as purchased once and for all by Christ. In these times we find ourselves dissatisfied at the very least, let us allow the Holy Spirit, poured into us through the finished work of Christ – To bless the Lord, and to remember His benefits!
That’s certainly a personal note for me today, especially as I am not satisfied – no, I’m more like crying out for healing in more ways than just in the physical. I’ve been praying more for healing of diseases of the mind. For a ‘straightening out’ of all that we’ve carried since the first days we started breathing in this world; I’ve been praying for restoration of our brain, altered by whatever substances may have crept in through taking in whatever we’re exposed to in this corrupted existence. I’ve been praying for downright healing of our mind, broken by our own doing and/or through past trauma, present experiences, and future fears.
It gives these verses that we like to quote, so much more meaning:
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5
Oftentimes we quote this against visible, physical sickness or injury, especially where it says that we are healed by His wounds and scars. But look at what was written before that: He was pierced, He was crushed, and more importantly – upon Him was the chastisement. Now when it comes to the word for chastisement, e-Sword helped out; The word is מוּסָר, mûsâr, moo-sawr’ which says the chastisement, or the ‘reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint: – bond, chastening ([-eth]), chastisement, check, correction, discipline, doctrine, instruction, rebuke’) of our peace was upon Him.
Other translations share: “the punishment that brought us peace was on him” (NIV), “The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him” (AMP); See here, the wounds were indirect, but it was all done in the name of punishment! What does this mean? I see that it means that we are first and foremost given peace, and it is through this peace that we are healed!
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
It’s by peace that we’re restored, and it’s in peace that we are kept and preserved. It’s peace, the peace of God, this peace that surpasses understanding, that serves as a guard to our hearts and our minds; It’s in this peace that we are able to go ahead and be ourselves, in peace knowing that He is with us no matter what. I can’t stress how much this means to me now; It IS November as I’m adding all this and there are many reasons for me to be in anguish and toil, but I will say – it’s Christ, the Prince of Peace, who keeps me together during this time. Ministering to me. Loving me. Taking care of my heart and my mind as I lift all of my regrets, all of my missed opportunities, all of my deep seated fears and all of my immediate reactions – I lift all of this to Him, together with all the reasons to praise Him, and all the success. ALL of my being is intentionally in acknowledgement of His overtaking, overpowering, overwhelming presence; I’d much rather say this rather than saying that ‘I lift’ all of me unto Him, as if I knew the first step to doing that.
No, right now, I am content with His presence. As I type this, and as I reflect on former fuck-ups, present pains, and fears of the future… I may lash out, but it’s to Him that I can become vulnerable. I could pour it out to Him, knowing that He understands more than anyone else could ever claim to. As I reflect on my own personal issues and problems, and as I ponder on the burdens I take on – those burdens of others that come my way, by way of my living forward, further from being a Prince and closer to being a king – It would be so tempting for me to be weighed down with those who have slammed their burdens upon me, but I thank my God, for it’s here that I appreciate the salvation I have in Christ. Yes, the same Christ who tells me that I could cast ALL of my burdens upon Him, and take on His yoke instead.
I know that I will never be without Him but I also appreciate now, how I am absolutely NOTHING without Him – and, nevertheless, He still chooses to love me, and to save me by always being with me; He saves me, He saved me by being EVERYTHING to me. Adding value to all that I’ve had in my past, what I’m going through in my present, and in all the possibilities He sees for my future. What a great and mighty Savior I have, what a Friend I have in Jesus, indeed!
I’m reminded of His goodness tonight, by way of what He tells us in Psalm 91:
“Because you holds fast to me in love, I will deliver you; I will protect you, because you know My name.
When you call to me, I will answer you; I will be with you in trouble; I will rescue you and honor you.
With long life I will satisfy you and show you My salvation.”
Psalms 91:14-16
Through Christ we would be so bold to claim how our God speaks to us, and affirms us. He reminds us, that because we have believed in His love for us by believing in His Son, and because we place our trust in Him; Friends, take it in as I remind myself to take it in: He will deliver me and protect me. He will answer me when I call to Him, and when I find myself in trouble of any kind, I will be relieved, knowing that He will not only rescue me, but He will honor me – The only One whose Word truly matters will not only rescue, but HONOR us.
And this translation, the ESV, it says He will satisfy us with long life, but the board I’m looking at above my monitor, the same board I know my Dad had made during his time in active service, the translation reads: ‘I will satisfy you with a full life, and give you my salvation.’
It’s because of that translation that I thought I’d be real and candid with our God. Lord, I told Him – Lord, I know You’ve given me Salvation. I know this because You’ve given me Christ. But I’d love some of that full life, right now.
Not sure where I’m heading to with that sort of line to God, but while I’m just enjoying this moment, and more importantly, waiting on the eternal and everlasting God to respond as a wise and thoughtful Father to the primitive groanings I’ve made… well, we have this Scripture to tide us over.
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Psalms 67
Fun fact, they appreciated us as Pastors during the last Sunday of October, and there engraved on the little token they gave us- there was Psalm 67. And I had to share it here. Going through it now it just reminds me of the sheer sovereignty of our Savior, much so that entire peoples, whole nations are called to praise Him, to be glad and to sing for joy. In the midst of all the injustice we see, online or in the flesh – well, we will continue to sing for joy, knowing that it is the Lord who judges us with equity.
To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts.
Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more.
Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
Psalms 28:1-6
At this point, I’m remembering how God is our Deliverer. I don’t know, I’m sorry I went this far tonight. I felt I needed to let it all out by way of prayer and apparently through the words I’m typing right now. I’m not fully under the influence of other substances right now, but I do want to stress out that even in these moments, we have a good God who loves us and does all He can to help us, even during these times. And if I’m honest, I’m just glad everything is still in order, no matter how much the order of my mind is challenged.
I’m sorry , I’m going ahead of myself here. Just trust in the Lord. You can disregard everything I’ve rambled about, and just… Trust in the Lord.
#Bible #MentalHealth #BeingVulnerable #TrustInGod #JesusChrist #Salvation #Satisfaction
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