Holy Friday's Reflection: The Salvation of God Through Jesus

“The Luckiest Tree”

There was once a tall tree planted in a high mountain. One day, a group of loggers went to the mountain to cut trees around it for future use. They cut all the trees they can see and their attention focused on the tallest one. The tall tree prayed to God and said, “Oh Lord, if you will allow these loggers to cut me, make me your instrument for your future purpose.” And the loggers began to cut the tall tree. The loggers divided the wood into two equal parts. One was sent in a farm and the other half was kept. An old farmer bought the wood and used it as a food container for the animals. The wood asked God, “Lord, you cut me and made me a food container for these animals; I know that you have better plans for me Lord, I trust you.” One night, a man and a woman went in the farm and looked for a shelter to stay. The farmer doesn’t have any space in his house but he referred the couple in his animal house. That night, the woman gave birth to his son, and she placed her little baby to food container. The wood said, “God, thank you for giving me the chance to cuddle you begotten son.” Many years passed, the other half of the wood is used. A group of soldiers is looking for a wood to make a cross.  They found a wood kept in a warehouse. They get it and made a cross. The wood said, “My Lord, I was kept for a very long time, make me the best purpose I can be.” The soldiers take off the cross to the warehouse and give to a man named Jesus. They torture him and let him carry the cross. And before the day ends, they nailed the man in the cross. The wood said, “Oh God, I thank you for giving me the chance hold your wounded son.”

The story tells us that the tree faithfully devoted its life to God. It prayed to him to use him for his propose. He let the Lord drive his own life. And that made him the luckiest tree in the world. If the tree can be faithful to God, how much more we can be. If we will just let God use us for his own purpose we can be also – or much more be blessed. Every one of us has a mission to make. Our mission is to bring each other closer to God. He formed us in His own image so we can know Him personally and have a joy-filled life. He did not make us as tree, but gave us a will and a freedom of choice. The Bible says, “The result of unforgiven sin is death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). There is only one way to reach God. Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem. He is the only One who can bring us back to God. He offered his life on the Cross and rose from the grave, paying the penalty for our sin and bridging the gap between God and people. (1 Peter 3:18).

We have differences with each other; language, culture, behavior and attitude but God wanted us to unite as we get close to him. We have our own sufferings, trials and pains but these are essential for us to grow in any area of your life. Our book has been written and on the last chapter, we have happy-ending.  We may be going through rough times now. Perhaps there’s a mountains of trials in your life today – bills, school, works, health, family, friends but whatever it is believe that you can have that happy future. We must trust Jesus Christ at all times to forgive our sins and settle on to obey Him for the rest of our lives. That way we can know God and find his salvation. (Romans 10:9-10).

Holy Thursday's Reflection : God’s Mercy

To the parents, how much do you love your children?

To the children, how much do you love your parents?

Parents love their child so much that is why they are very hardworking just to give their child a brighter future. They work so hard day and night to give the needs of their child. They send them to the best schools and give them the best education they can have. They even sacrifice their own happiness to fulfill their duties and obligations to their child. They would even trade their lives just to meet the needs of their child.

I remember my father and mother worked so hard to gives quality education. My father worked as a marble contractor. He used to earn more than enough for our family. Our family that time was well off that we could afford a luxurious life. But things fell down easily. My father had a tuberculosis and been in and out of the hospital. The doctors had to remove the water out of his lungs. During those times, we were too young to work for our family, so my mother step on. She worked for our family even harder this time. She sells variety of food at the street from morning to afternoon. I worked along with her selling foods in the street in the morning and I go to school in the afternoon. It is hard for us but we have to do endure it. We helped each other to build our family back again. We get strengths from each other and support each other’s battle. Today, everything was change, Mama is gone, and Papa is 650 kilometers away from me and its my time to be the flag bearer of our family. But with God’s grace I can pass all the challenges I may have meet along the way and fulfill God’s plan for me and my family.

Just like any other parents in the world, God is very loving. He showed his unconditional love for us by sending his begotten son to wash away our sins – John 3:16. Jesus died in the cross to redeem us from our sins and lead us to God. God loves the wicked and sinners. The bible said that he loves bad people “We somehow know this already, but it still jars our sense of “justice”” Luke 6:35-36. God gives his mercy to those who do not deserve His kindness at all. In another part of the Bible, it says, “When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” Titus 3:4-6. Even the bible said that Jesus eats with the sinners; Mary Magdalene, Levi - Tax Collector, a sinful woman etc. God’s mercy is undeserved kindness. Jesus said “I don’t condemn you—now go and sin no more.”

As Brother Bo Sanchez said to his article, forgiveness isn’t the result of Repentance. Rather, repentance is a result of forgiveness. Repentance comes when God’s kindness invades our soul. Change of heart is a spontaneous result of being loved! Let God’s mercy overflowed to our life and we’ll share to the rest our the world.

Holy Wednesday Reflection: Defeating Temptation

Since Monday this week, I am doing my prayer and fasting. I am only eating one meal a day and praying every 12 midnight. I am on my third day of fasting, and I will be honest to say that there are times I am tempted to eat a lot. Buy chocolate and ice cream and pig out tempt me. I am tempted to go to the mall instead of staying at home. I am tempted to play Plants vs. Zombies the whole day, forgetting my other priorities. My thoughts are easily tempted.

In real life, temptations are everywhere. It may be hiding inside your room, sitting on your sofa, fast moving in the highway, or waiting in the road – even the internet is overflowing with temptations. Everyday we shocked by small and big temptations – Lies, Sex, Desire, Wants, Food, Drinks, Drugs, Alcohol, Vices. Temptations come in different colors and variations.

Sex, Lies, Drugs, Desire, Wants, Food, Alcohol, Vices

Sex maybe wonderful and feels good, but anything that feels good has the potential to lead us into trouble. Examples: Lies – How many relationships have been broke by these words. Drugs – How many families have been ruin by this illegal chemical. Desire and Wants – How many dreams have been destroy by this thoughts. Food and Alcohol – How many mothers and fathers and children were lost because of this materialism. Vices – How many homes were burn by this illusive comfort? The moment you tried these things, part of our brain wants it repeatedly.

Sexual relationship with wrong partner may direct us into trouble. People end up destroying their marriage, friendship, job and being gone to jail and worst – killed. The Bible said: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 Yes, you read it right. Temptation will lead us the way to escape from it. Every temptation is an opportunity to do good. Opportunity to be with God’s glory. It provides us the choice we have to make. Temptation is an evil deed to destroy us, but God used it to develop us.  Each time that we choose to be good instead of living with the sin, our character is maturing and our spirits grows. Like a plant being watered and fertilized.

We can defeat temptation by living the characters of Jesus Christ:

1. Love – How can I love if the world hates me? We should always remember that the world is representation of God. And if we love our God, we can love the world even if it is against us. God will reward our unconditional love for him. And remember: Jesus died to show us the true meaning of love to us.

2. Joy – The real meaning of joy is when we feel it in the midst of sorrow. Whatever trials may endure us, we must turn to him at all times. Joy is different from Happiness. Happiness could depends on external circumstances, but joy is based on our relationship to God.

Take this for example. When my mom died last Christmas I was really so miserable. It felt like my future plans and dreams were demolished. But in the middle of my sorrow, I felt that my heart was filled with so much joy. As I look at my mom lying on her bed, covered with white cloth, I found an inner peace within. I know Mama will be in heaven, and hug tight by our creator. I know that she will be in a place where no one will harm her no more, no pain and suffering can weakens her anymore. God will protect and comforts her because Mama lived a good life here on Earth.

3. Peace – Being at peace in the middle of chaos and confusion is the real essence of peace. It is being focus and determined even when things don’t go the way we planned. To be in ultimate peace is being with God. Trusting him in all circumstances of our lives in which we are feared or afraid.

The next time will be tempted, I would pray. I will focus my attention to something else. Temptation starts in our mind. Instead of resisting the thought, I will refocus on it. I will not fight it, I would just change the thought I am thinking. The Bible said; “God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who loves him.” James 1:12. God will reward those who obey him. And by defeating our temptation, evil become less powerful.

I will ask you do the same thing I am doing. Get your calendar and pen. Every time you defeat your little temptations, mark a red star on your calendar.  And at the end of the week, take a look and see how you’re doing.

Holy Monday Reflection: Humility

Today, God thought me the essentials of humility. I have material things I needed; shelter, food, clothes, shoes, watches, book etc., but sometimes I complain having less. I don’t have ipod, I don’t have the height, my skin is not fair enough, etc. But when I open my eyes, even kings and queen of other nation doesn’t have a perfect life. I opened my eyes and I saw a homeless child lying on the street floor and begging for alms. I looked at the other side, I saw a man without the left arms and on that point, I knew how lucky I was to have complete body parts.

God taught me today that humility is an act of being empty. Remember the keywords: Humility is being empty. Humility is being desperate that our good God will fill you up. I life, we have so many problems we face everyday. Some are simple problems that we can easily overcome. But sometimes life throws us a problems we don’t know how to solve. Then, that the time we have to pray to the Lord and ask him to solve our problems. When we have problems that we cannot solve, we become empty, and being empty is okay. That leads us to our Lord’s guidance.

Like my favorite author, Bo Sanchez said: “The day a successful person stops being humble is the day he prepares for his downfall.” What does I meant? For me, it means that the more we become successful we are, the more we should be humble to everyone else. Life is everyday learning experience. God arranged people in our life to inspire, challenge, train, teach us in every aspect that we have to learn to prepare us to be worthy of his glory. Jesus said: ‘For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.’ Romans 12:3

Humility is not just being empty but being empty at all. Like Jesus who undress himself and went down to the world and live like an ordinary man. He was crucified and died for us to redeem the world from sin. This Holy Week, let us start to be humble and reflect to our mistakes and ask for God’s forgiveness.