Stuff from yesterday’s service.
James exhorted during Holy Communion and what struck me was his prayer, particularly where he mentioned ‘Spread righteousness.‘ I’m reminded of what sister Helen shared last May 24 – after we closed Pentecost Sunday with extended worship, she shared Romans 14:17; This Kingdom we are in is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and justice and the Holy Spirit.
Calyx shared his story about how he was locked out of a scholarship when trying to enroll. He specifically mentioned that the Lord provided for him and his family when they decided to enroll him in a private school. He helps his father out with not only washing, but now also repairing cars and business has been good as of late.
I shared to the congregation that the Lord is good to our youth, in the sense that He provides for them – not necessarily in the form of literal provision, but also with the wisdom to create wealth. It’s not only Calyx, but a couple of other kids who I see being set up for success by way of opportunities falling on his lap.
Prayer. Recap.
Genesis 26 was where we saw how the Spirit led Isaac to a well with no quarrels. Isaac saw a fulfillment of a promise made to His Father, Abraham. Because of this, Isaac built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord. Immediately after this Abimelech made peace with Isaac.
1 Kings 18 was where Elijah went solo against the many prophets of Baal and Asherah. Elijah built and altar and called upon the name of the Lord. Immediately after this God answered with fire that consumed the offering, the stone altar, and the water that soaked it.
Acts 2 was where the disciples were in the upper room, waiting as Christ commanded before He ascended into heaven. There was no altar, but they called upon the name of the Lord. Suddenly there was a great wind, and tongues of fire rested upon each and every believer.
Clarify last week.
I’m not going against tech. Tech is a tool like everything else. Knowledge is a tool like everything else. The problem is when we look at a tool and use it for what it isn’t intended (using a screwdriver as a hammer), but actually more when we identify with the tool – that is, when we trust in a tool more than it deserves.
The list of vices has only grown since the early 90’s. Back then it was just shabu and marijuana. Now we have THC, meth, fent, and all sorts of other flavors. Back then it was just cigarettes – now we’re seeing more cases of popcorn lung from vapes.
We’ve come a long way from the occasional heinous murder and the serial killer you watch on the news. It’s only gotten worse through sensationalizing relational traumas through shows like that of Jerry Springer. Within our shores we’ve have folks like Papa Jack and Tulfo creating content out of the relational woes of others.
When we put tools in a pedestal where it doesn’t belong, preferences turn into addictions. When we idealize people and fall in love with these ideals more than who people really are, Relationships turn into obsessions.
My point is, we’ve been programmed different, as new creations in the body of Christ. We are with the rest of the world with so many more tools in our disposal today… But in the midst of all the tools, we have a Helper. We have the Holy Spirit whose power and knowledge is infinitely superior to people and things and all that in Creation… and true relief comes when we work with the Holy Spirit, when we trust in the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now, I didn’t necessarily go through all of this verbatim – I only emphasized how we shouldn’t be glorifying tools, when we have the Helper.
But on another note, I felt I needed to encourage myself, and those within the sound of my voice – That this week, we would go beyond asking the Lord for help, rescue, aid, healing, recovery, and everything else in the context of restoration. I prayed that, in the name of Jesus, we would be given more than happiness, but joy that only the Lord could provide.
After the service Daniel came to me and emphasized that it’s joy, and not mere happiness that we have in the Lord. He appreciated how, when we sing and pray in Tagalog, we see such the profound impact of ‘galak‘ (joy) over ‘kasiyahan‘ (happiness). We talked about where joy is mentioned in the Bible, and the first thing that came to mind was the Magnificat – Hillsong’s ‘Unspeakable Joy’ in particular, where the chorus reads:
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
My heart joys in God my Savior‘
We’ve gone through a tale of three sisters… Now I thought we’d progress by going through the events of the chapters following the Scriptures we derived the tale of three altars from.
But before we go through the events of Genesis 27, there’s some context that we need to cover in Genesis 25 – where it doesn’t just cover the death of Abraham, but also the circumstances behind the birth of Jacob and Esau.
21 Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”
Genesis 25:21-23
In Genesis 26, Isaac called upon the name of the Lord, and immediately following this Abimelech came to him and made peace with him.
Genesis 27 was where Jacob deceives Isaac per Rebekah’s instructions. Isaac blesses Jacob, gives Esau the ‘leftovers’, and Jacob escapes.
It was emphasized that there was movement in two forms: (1) A shift in power and anointing, and (2) people moving through, people moving out.
9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
God’s Revelation to Elijah
11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
15 Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”1 Kings 19:9-18
1 Kings 19 – Elijah escapes from Jezebel. An angel feeds him and directs him to Horeb. In Horeb, God tells Elijah to anoint Hazael as King over Syria, Jehu as King of Israel, and Elisha as a prophet in his place.
It was emphasized that there was movement: Another shift in power and anointing (upon kings and prophets).
But, yes, now that I’m recalling all of this, there were other forms of movement – (1) nourished movement into the presence of the Lord (as a well-fed Elijah travelled to Horeb), and (2) another instance of moving out – Elijah anointing Elisha, who would take the place of the former.
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”Acts 2:38-39
Acts 2. The Church Grows. The fire that once consumed the offering, the altar and the water now comes as tongues resting over the heads of each individual believer.
Another movement of anointing. Another movement from the upper room to the marketplace.
Another movement in the form of the Lord adding to the numbers of the disciples.
After calling on the name of the Lord, God answers, and there is movement.
It’s the same thing in our personal life, and in our relationships.
Ever since we proclaimed that this 2nd quarter of 2026 is a season where dwell in the Word and wait on the Holy Spirit, we have been still, and we are seeing and knowing that God is God.
It’s 2023 once again. We declared back then that 2023 was going to be a Year of Movement. But here and now, in this 2nd season of 2026 we’re seeing that the promises of the Lord for 2023 continue to compound up until today…
Because we are moving forward. Just as the Body of Christ grew in numbers as the events in Acts 2, so we’re being strategically placed for growth in events today. Pastor James. Kids’ Praise.
Other people have moved through but they carry Christ with them. On a personal note I am moving forward from memories and mindsets that used to weigh me down so hard.
We’re moving upward. Sister Helen told us that the atmosphere is changing, and I believe it’s just like the air grows thinner the higher we climb. She quoted Romans 14:17 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
We’re climbing Everest, and we’re letting go of the tools we thought were essential, in favor of our oxygen tanks, in favor of the Holy Spirit.
We’re moving deeper. Relationships within our congregation are growing stronger. Complication is giving way to clarity and, again, we’re being redirected to where we need to be.
And so I wrote all of this, but when I got to it during actual delivery I blanked out. I could imagine how incoherent I was as I was building up from Scripture, only to forget all the actual movement that’s been going on, here and now.
I proceeded to end with this:
1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:1-10
Acts 3. The Lame Man is Healed. In the end, I just emphasized that we may have nothing, but in Christ we have the Holy Spirit. We have no tools, but we have the Helper. Not really sure why I shifted from movement back to the Holy Spirit… But regardless of all of it, here are the thoughts that I feel ought to be written in this season, as we keep going through life:
As we dwell on the Word and wait on the Spirit, we are brought to be still and to know that God is God. There is movement.
Let us continue to delight in the Lord, and allow Him to give us the desires of our heart.
This week, may we have joy unspeakable, discernible, coming only from the Lord.
May we have divine joy, superior to our rationalizations, superior to positive thinking, superior to our own preferences and priorities. Actually, ENGULFING our own preferences and priorities.
All glory, power, and praise to the one true God, His only begotten Son, our Savior, and the Spirit, our Helper. Amen.
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