Great is my helplessness!

The popular hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" have touched the hearts of many. Personally it has made a spiritual impact in my life and the ministry. I remember singing that song with tears in my eyes especially that part that says "pardon for sin......" each time I sing that song I remember another song that is so clear in my heart "Great is my helplessness". Actually, it's not a song yet. It is still needing of words and tune and melody. But in my heart it is loudly sung!

I think when we understand and accept our great helplessness only then we can appreciate and take refuge in the great faithfulness of the Lord! May our helplessness lead us to the One who is eager to help. Without maligning hardwork and excellence i am daily reminded that if not for the faifhfulness of God, Im not able to stand my circumstances and that includes my self, the dark ego in my that is only tamed by the gentleness of Christ!

If you happen to read this blog the message is unless the Lord shows us our helplessness the song will be just one of the well loved song. Let us ASK God to show us our true picture without him. May we see how our empty promises and our duty bound service really look like before God! The next time we sing that song may God awaken in our hearts that our helplessness is the road to His faithfulness! Imagine the helpless finding the undeserved help from God! Oh good Lord have mercy on us!

Thorns and touch

Who wants the hassles in life? honestly, we all find it attractive to just live life in its smooth phase. As for me being creature of habit, i want to stay safe. On the outset it looks perfectly fine until slowly one begin to feel the boredom and the tragedy of the uneventful! With amazement i wonder on those who dare, like my brother alex, honestly he inspires me a lot to come out of my walls. Little by little Im beginning to see progress.

Apostle Paul in the bible mentioned about his rare spiritual discoveries, not to mention this is exclusively his. imagine being caught in the third heaven and see some sites and heard some sounds that he is forbidden to disclose! Yet he mention a sharp thorn, that creates a persistent deal of inconvinience to his life. He begged God three times to take this away. Imagine he who prayed for others have not been able to pray for himself and get his desired response? Irony or false expectations? God replied "my grace is sufficient for thee".

God gave His sufficient touch of grace instead of instant relief. The result is always best for paul, his character is being built by the thorn and he is being refreshed by his touched. Could we also say he was pricked to be preserved? Preserved from what? From pride. from suferficial walk with God. to exempt him from the thorn is to expose him to danger. When finally life became eventful he learned the mystery that still bogs our minds to some extent, he slowly understood the meaning of when Im weak then I am strong. thorns and touch we both need them to grow deep!

God answers PRAYER!

My friend jethro Adang and his wife gingging felt God's call for missionary work in one of the remote third world countries. After much prayer and preparation it looks like all is set. Until it was found out that they still lack 55,ooo pesos for their airfare. Jethro texted me asking me for prayer.

The thought remained in my heart. Must have been God's propmting to pray and obey. In my heart I struggled, as I always do especially when it comes to asking funds from the congregation. The Chrsitmas season just passed. People are finanancially drained, and its not time for this. To settle things in my heart I prayed to God silently that if the heaviness in my heart is still there before we end the 7am service I will now sound off for help. i already closed in prayer when finally i said jethro needs our help will you listen to God on how you can be a part of this work. Then the worhsip service ended.

For me it was a sacred moment of seeing God answer prayers. i remember the awesome sight of seeing people saccrifially and yet joyfully responded. Some emptied their wallet and gave for jethro's plane ticket. By the way i did not mention how much money was needed. Maybe I was embarassed of the idea. it was an awesome sight to see God answer prayer and His people obeying Him. a lady gave her dollars saving $69 dollars, an American missionary gave the last 500 pesos. Im humbled by the sight of this, Im grateful the Lord allowed us this experience.

A coke in can full of coins was also given for mission. Counting everything it all amounted to 62,000 pesos! I can remember the overwhelming joy all over Jethro's face mixed with tears of gratitude giving glory to God who answers prayer! Thank God im alive to see these things unfold! I can't wait til Sunday to tell God's people in our churhc of this miracle!

Another unique experience on Prayer

Friday prayer meetings to me is not just a ministerial role that i do (paid to do), it is a unique experience each time we gather for prayer. Aside from the excitement meet the Lord in prayer, its a joy to see others pouring their hearts in prayer too. This night's prayer meeting reminded all of us that more than our individual prayers there's a unique joy to pray for others and being prayed by them too.

For the past months we have enjoyed our individual prayer though we are gathered us a congregation. This time its different, as we were about to close the meeting, I feel prompted to ask the people to hold each others hands and ask the name of the person he or she is holding both on the right and left side. immediately there burst a new enthusiasm from the people, joyful wishepering of names! Then I ask them to pray for those hands they are holding asking God to bring them to church next friday, or whatever the Lord wants to pray for them. A powerful force of a church in prayer was unleashed, a fresh presence of grace and peace overwhelmed my heart.

The unique lesson is we are a community and we must not neglect that awesome sense of being a community of believers in Christ. We miss a lot of joy when we are self focused.

On sick leave

Can't afford to get sick now a days. Can't be interupted with what we have set in our schedules and a thousand more details we have added to our endless "to do list". But just the same even with out our persimission we all do get sick! The viruses that are fellowshipping with us daily awaits the lucky winner with whom it will have a time of close conversation for at least 5 days (virus are selft limiting), when the 5 days is over and mr. virus still stays hmmmp time to call your aunt-anti biotic! Then let's see whats next.

On the non viral side of life.....applying for sick leave is a blessing! Invites us to think and later on give thanks. Reminds us that we are not superhumans, we do get sick. We say we have not invited the visitation of the virus. Well, it seems that one way or the other we have given them a juicy inviation. Look at the amount of sleep we have, the food we eat and the junks that we feed our body. Not to mention the tons of schedules we take (because we cant or wont say no) into our day or into the coming days. Sick leave uninvited ha?

it is in this state of slowdown that we learn to reflect a lot of thoughts visit our minds. Don't shoo them away let them flow for a moment and learn to value the blessings of evaluation. this can be good start of a better perspective and a better life. I remember the words of Jesus "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness....." taking a sick leave is awful, yet it can be an awesome discovery of our helplessness that invites us to turn to Jesus the One who helps the helpless! . By the way sick leave allows you to rest and not feel guilty.

Not Just Another Prayer Meeting

today i woke up with a different kind of enthusiasm. it's the first prayer meeting of the year 2006! It's the first early morning wedsnesday prayer meeting of our church. What's so exciting about it? Actually there is nothing fancy about this gathering. What makes it outstanding is that you can sense a holy excitement among the people in seeking help from God! Those that gather on this prayer meeting are rock-solid convinced of their utter helplessnesss. Such helpless state makes them realize that God answers the cry of the weak!

The meeting is not about changing the mind of God, for no one can manipulate God. Rather it is in response to the invitation of God for His people to PRAY. Something sacred begins to come alive again: a church who has been lifeless for the past 50 years is now on her knees. Honestly, something also happens to a preacher's heart when it begins to cry to God for help! Can't wait until next Wedsnesday and Friday when we will all gather again to pray!

The meeting ended with a simple song, "Expect a Miracle When you Pray!" Don't you think it's about time to catch up? Ask God to rekindle the fire of prayer in your life now. He still ansewers prayer!