Slaves to None But Christ

The greatest freedom we can ever have is to become a slave to the Perfect Master.

These were the words I repeatedly heard in a series of sermons our senior pastor delivered in the middle of last year. And I am completely blown away with this perfect paradox.

Indeed, for most of my life, I used to always crave for freedom, for independence—living and surviving on my own, for my own whims and caprices, by my own ways, in order to glorify myself. It was only about four years ago that I met the Lord Jesus Christ and by His grace, I realized that He is my freedom and that becoming a child of God is the most liberating experience one can experience!

Nonetheless, even now that I am walking under the authority and control of the Perfect Master, I still find my human tendencies entangling me in a web of slavery to selfish ambitions and worldly pursuits—to please people, to live up to the desires and expectations of many, and even to the mundane stuff, like to dress to impress.  

It takes a daily, moment-by-moment commitment to surrender to His Lordship in order to experience the perfect and most amazing freedom that only Jesus can give. And most often, it takes a beautiful exchange of perspective: looking away from myself and looking up to my Master.

And what does Christ show me when I look up to Him? He shows me the world; He shows me what’s around me—the people and places I have constantly overlooked when my focus is on myself.

Today, I look up to Him and He shows me modern-day slavery. He shows me the heart-wrenching reality that yes, even if it’s already 2013, slavery is on-going and is even rampant in different areas in the world, my country not exempted. He shows me that while I am comfortably seated in my office corner writing this entry, these realities are happening:  

1)      somewhere in a train station or bus lane in Europe, a young boy/girl is being sold to save a family from poverty;

2)      somewhere in a dark brothel room in Southeast Asia, a young woman is being forced to perform  paid sex;

3)      somewhere in a cargo van in Russia, a teenage girl’s dream of uplifting her family from poverty is shattered as she realizes that after paying her placement fee, the caregiving job promised by her recruitment man is actually a job in the sexual trade.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and it is high time that we know all these. It is high time that we know Jesus’ heart for every boy/girl/man/woman trapped in sexual slavery. It is high time that we adopt His heart and His plan for them—to love and rescue them just as He continually loves and rescues us from our many sins.  

We are Christ’s ambassadors here in this world we live. We are His hands and feet. If you have been reading this post and are moved to help but feel inadequate or too little to make a difference, let us all together consider these simple action steps:

1.       Know.

We are not compelled to move if we are not passionate about our causes. We don’t become passionate if we don’t see the needs. We don’t see the needs if we do not know. Nehemiah hadto know about the situation in Jerusalem and this led him to pray and act.

To know more about the political and social situation of human trafficking in Southeast Asia and beyond, visit The Exodus Road.

2.      Pray.

Offer a prayer in faith, with faith. The Bible says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. We have been made righteous in Christ. Tap into this amazing power to make things happen. Remember, it is not us who make things happen; our perfect and sovereign God does.

Pray for the Lord to reveal to you what He wants to do through you.

3.      Act.

Prayer is communication. When we pray, we do not just tell God our petitions. We listen to Him and respond to what He says. Move as His Spirit leads. Is He telling you to pray for one soul trapped in sexual slavery or the investigators who risk lives and limbs to rescue them? Then, bring him/her to God on your knees, even if you do not know his/her name or face. Is He leading you to raise awareness through social media? Then open up your Facebook or Twitter and let the whole world know. Is He asking you to write about sexual slavery in your blogs? Then, respond to it.

Remember, where God leads, He always provides.

***

There are countless ways to help. As we know, pray, and act, let’s watch the Lord do immeasurably more than we can ask for.

Personally, I am excited to see great things happen (actually, great things are alreadyhappening here) and I am prayerfully hoping that the less time I spend thinking of my self and the more time I spend doing His will, these boys/girls/men/women will soon become slaves to no one but Christ.

29 years; 42 months!

All day long, all my heart could sing is this. I am overwhelmed, thankful, amazed, humbled down and smitten all over again by my Perfect Lover, JESUS CHRIST, who is also my Redeemer and Lord. Great is His faithfulness. His ways are higher, better, grander. :) He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is the God who saved and redeemed, who owns me, who perfectly scripted my life even before He created me, who defends and upholds me even despite the persecutions, rudeness, and mockeries... He is the same God who gave me a lot of victories last year and who will continue to do great and greater things, ALL for my good and His glory.

So, here's the song of my heart. My prayer is that we will all ponder and be edified by the lyrics.

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Forgiven and Forgiving

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive

and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

~1 John 1:9

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

~Matthew 6:14

Are you wearing forgiveness like a crown?

Or are you hiding it, afraid of what the enemy says of you?

I have been immensely inspired by this message on wearing forgiveness like acrown. And in this entry, I will be adding a few reflections of my own.

You see, I used to be a people-conscious person. I still am but by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me, I am slowly (and at times, painfully) being continually transformed to the image of Christ. That said, I was obsessive-compulsive to the point of being perfectionist—I worked hard to achieve, to win accolades, to gain the approval of the people around me, and to prevail over them. I lived to please myself by pleasing those around me.

As a staunch Roman Catholic then, I found it hard to accept that no matter how hard I try to be good, I would always fail. It was frustrating to think that heaven was always out of my reach.

It was in this frustration of realizing that I can never be perfect that I was led to Christ. It was in the pain of realizing that I can never please everybody that a deep desire and hunger for something more was created in my heart.

And I bumped into the man-god Jesus Christ. Actually, the more I think about it, He intentionally bumped into me to catch my attention as I have always ignored His pursuit of me.

In Him, I found completeness. In Him, I discovered that as a human being, I can never be perfect and righteous on my own. In my encounter of Him, I finally understood that He alone can fill all my inequities and inadequacies. In Him, I found forgiveness for all my sins—past, present, and future.

But as I have said earlier in this entry, it is my human nature to be a perfectionist. And knowing the enemy’s cunning tactics as an accuser, there were a lot of times in my early Christian life that I felt frustrated and it was incredulous for me to believe that I am already forgiven.

But in my a-little-more than three years of Christian journey, I have learned the importance of flaunting the forgiveness and salvation I have in Jesus Christ. I have learned to wear forgiveness like a crown. By His grace, I was enabled and equipped to claim victory in His Cross and Resurrection.

Christ taught me to cling to ancient Truth and to listen to His word instead of being persuaded by the whispers and deceptions of the enemy. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the moment I accepted Him, His love for me is and will always be complete and perfect.

Another way of flaunting God’s forgiveness in my life is to extend the same forgiveness He has given me to other people, believers or unbelievers alike. This is what the Lord has especially spoken to me for the past month.

The words of Christ in Matthew 5:23-24 are very clear. This is one of the best illustrations that in the eyes of God, obedience is better than sacrifice. As a Christian, I am to forgive and set my heart right in accordance to His will before I can come and fully experience His presence.

As such, I have to show forgiveness to fellow Christians. Because just like me, they are sinners who have been saved by His grace and needing His grace in each moment. Just like me, they are also God’s work in progress. Just like me, they falter and fall but just like me, Jesus is working in them and building them up into His image and likeness.

I have to forgive them because just like them, I am also a sinner always forgiven by Him.

I have to forgive the unbelievers because this is what Jesus commands of me. In fact, this is what He did for me. And this is His continuing invitation for the unbelievers: His forgiveness for all their past, present, and future sins. Since I am already in Christ, I have to reflect His glory; I have to mirror the same invitation to them—to come to Christ as sinners and accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior. I can only do this if I show them forgiveness just as Christ has shown me.

I have to forgive them because once in my life, I was just like them—a sinner, lost, confused, and seeking for the Truth.

When I forgive other people, I wear Christ’s forgiveness like a crown. I radiate His glory and majesty. I mirror His never-ending compassion and perfect love. When forgiveness (from Him and to other people) is always in my heart, I live life with so much positivity, giving more room for the Holy Spirit to work in my life to make me fruitful in His works through me and in me.

When I ask and accept the Lord’s forgiveness and extend the same forgiveness to everyone, I keep my accounts short, making me always prepared to meet the Lord, in death or in rapture.

How about you? Are you wearing forgiveness like a crown? Join my prayer to make each and every one of us aware of who we are in Christ: forgiven and always forgiving.

Thanksgiving Tuesday: New Depth of His Love, New Confidence and Security, and A Surpise Provision!

Praises to my King and Savior--Jesus Christ--who has graciously allowed me to experience a new depth of being loved by and being in love with Him. It is amazing how he is using my loneliness and pain to have greater joy and rejoicing in Him. Truly, only He can empty me so He may fill me with Himself.

In this season of seeking His will amid the loss and pain, I praise Him for bringing me closer and closer to Him. I praise and thank Him that He is my First Love, and He is my Only Judge. People may already have their own preconceived judgment and condemnation of what I said, decided, or did, but thank God, they are just people--fellow sinners needing God's grace just like me. Only the Lord Jesus sees my heart and He alone knows what's best for me.

I praise and thank Him for teaching me that my standard should only be His Word, the Bible. His Word is the light to my path and the lamp for my feet. People may give their advice, solicited or not, but I choose Jesus. I choose to honor Him. I choose to listen to Him alone and do what he says. I choose to obey His word, adding nothing or subtracting a zilch from it. I will accept His word and I will not bend it to serve my own pleasure or purpose.

In this season of lack, I praise Him for teaching me to depend upon Him for everything. And in this season of utter surprise, I praise Him for His downpour of provisions--something I did not expect. Just this morning, I was on the phone with a personnel from the Central Office and I was filled with inexpressible joy even when she broke the news I probably have to wait for August for my provisions. But lo and behold, by this afternoon, I received God's provisions. Indeed, I revel in the fact that He is my Great Provider and He alone knows best in when and how He will meet my needs.

For all these, I praise and thank God the Father of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ Himself who is my Lord and Savior and His Holy Spirit within me, my constant Guide and Help and the Seal of my salvation.

I have my prayer requests and desires but I praise the Lord for giving me this peace to say: "Not my will, Lord, but Your will be done."

Just Like the Wind and the Waves

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?

 Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

~Matthew 8:27

The disciples terrified—scared to their wits and in a panic mode. Perhaps they were consumed with the thought of the smallness of their boat in the middle of the vast lake, rocked by the waves and tilted by the winds.

But out of their fear and worry, Jesus arose and demonstrated his majesty. Inside the small boat, the disciples came face to face with the incomparable greatness of their Master. Within their hearts and minds, Jesus challenged them to increase their faith. With just one word from His mouth, He showed to them his awesome authority that even the winds and waves obey him!

In my walk with the Lord this time, I had seen myself behave like the disciples—scared to my wits, in a panic mode, and very much terrified. Similar winds and waves of my insecure and self-centered nature are attacking my very heart and I, sinful as anyone, am at a loss to fight back. The waves have started to drown me; the winds have begun to overwhelm me.

My small boat is rocking and tilting and I was freaking out. I tried to control the situation on my own but the winds and waves became stronger and stronger. I wanted to give up, throw everything, and declare to the winds and waves that they have won the fight.

I did give up.

Not to the winds and waves, though but to my strong and mighty Savior. And it was by giving up that God took control of the situation. It was by letting go that He took over.

And once again, I can say that in His hands, I am always safe—perfectly safe.

If I rely on myself to tackle the winds and the waves, I will always fail. I am just so glad that I do not have to do it myself. In fact, I should not do it myself.

Because it is only through the supernatural enabling grace of Jesus Christ that I can have the exceedingly abundant life He promised.

And you know what? I want to be just like the winds and the waves. I want to obey and follow what Jesus wants me to do, immediately. I want my emotions and insecurities to bow down to the Lord…always…forever.

On my knees, trembling at the awesomeness of my Savior, ready to do His will—this is how I want to remain.

He does not love you less

The Lord has been graciously showering me with opportunities to grow in my walk with Him, more specifically in the areas of controlling and subduing my emotions to His will.

And too many times, I failed. I gave in to my fleshly, sinful nature. I resorted to self-pity and self-centeredness. And you know the rest of the story. I would always end up hurting the people around me. Worst, I would even hurt my Lord and my God.

In the end, God's Spirit would convict me and lead me to repentance. After saying sorry to my Lord and receiving His forgiveness, I would be led to ask for forgiveness from the people I have hurt, who usually would be God's sweet surprise and wonderful blessing to me. And always, he would tell me: "I have already forgiven you. I was just waiting you ask for it."

This ability of his to forgive always amazes me. There are times that I could not believe it. Lately, I developed this habit of following this conversation with a question: "Do you love me less because I sinned?" And always, his answer will be a reassuring, "No."

I am always thankful to the Lord for the kind of man that He has blessed me with. But the more I think about this, the more I am made aware of the Lord's Perfect Love. This ability to graciously forgive illustrated by my sweet surprise and wonderful blessing is only a fraction of Jesus Christ’s grace to forgive and to love me just the same even if I sin against Him.

And this forgiveness and love are not just meant for me, but for you as well—for all of us.

 “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” ~Psalm 86:15

Notice that the first adjective used by the Psalmist to describe God is compassionate. We have a God who is merciful. He sympathizes and cares for us. And it does not stop there. He is gracious, slow to anger, and complete in love and faithfulness.

Is it not great? Whatever sins you have made—no matter how big or small—God is always there, with arms wide open. He has already forgiven you; He is just waiting for you to ask for it. Remember, He did not wait for you to be good but He already sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for you and your sins. Three days after, Christ is risen and He is now waiting for you…waiting for you to come to His arms.

And no matter how many times you sin, He does not love you less. There is nothing that you can say or do which will add or subtract to His love for you. He loved you even before He created you and that love in itself is complete. It is the perfect love.

If you come to Him today and ask for forgiveness, believe that because of the Father’s Perfect Love, He sent His only Son Jesus Christ and through Christ’s death and resurrection, He has forgiven you if you confess your sins. These, He promised in the Bible:

 “For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son,

that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ~John 3:16

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
and purify us from all unrighteousness.” ~1 John 1:9

“But now, this is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine.” ~Isaiah 43:1

You can read more if you want to discover God’s Perfect Love.

If you have sincerely prayed for Jesus Christ to come into your life, believe that He has given His Holy Spirit in your heart and the Holy Spirit will be the one to equip, enable, and strengthen you to do God’s will.

And no matter how many times you fail Him, He does not love you less. He just waits for you to come to His arms and ask for forgiveness.

Thanksgiving Tuesday: Another Answered Prayer and the Reward for Obedience

God to the Christian requires a love that is given with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our bodies, and with all our souls. But how do we attain that kind of love? First, it has to be purposed by God Himself who allows His Holy Spirit to be revealed to all those whom He has chosen. Second, as we are constantly filled by the Holy Spirit, we must intentionally seek and desire to be more intimate with Him, giving our best hours communing with Him.

Last Saturday, I have learned that the first gift our Creator bestowed to mankind through Adam at the Garden of Eden is the ability to communicate with Him. As our Potter and Maker, He delights at his child communicating to Him. [Communication involves more than just talking; it also requires listening. As such, it is equally important to listen to our Lord when we pray.] We are given this gift and we must use it. Hence, the importance of prayer.

I have learned how to keep an organized, weekly prayer list from a Pastor's wife who has been greatly used by the Lord during my times in the valley with Him. Through her and our One-on-One Bible studies together, I have discovered how to categorize my prayer and to schedule one category each day. By the Spirit's enablement, I was able and am constantly improving in my discipline to keep my prayer time with the Lord.

One of the prayers I have listed for Monday and Tuesday nights is the Lord's leading for a joint ministry for me and His sweet surprise and wonderful blessing. For more than two months now, I have constantly prayed that He will lead him to the right desire to serve Him together with me. As I said those words of petition, I always knew in my heart as have this trust and confidence that God will answer that specific prayer.

Lo and behold, last Saturday, God's sweet surprise and wonderful blessing led our second devotion time for the week. And his devotion centered on 1 Corinthians 12:12-30. Though we did not stay for long, the Lord surprised me when he said and I paraphrase: "This is the Lord's leading to me that we should start praying and looking for a ministry in church where we can serve the Lord together. And it's not just about you getting involved or me participating in the activities, I want it to be the Lord's ministry for us where we can serve the Lord together as partners."

Wow, I really could not believe what I heard at that time. While he was doing his speech, my heart was leaping for joy to the Lord, thanking Him with all my heart, mind, body and soul.

You see, I could have nudged him and requested him to choose a ministry for us. I could have demanded from him that we should start praying for a ministry together. I could have done a little manipulation but I chose not to.

Because that is how God has been leading and wanting me to honor the man in this relationship.  And I obeyed, by the leading of the Holy Spirit. I obeyed because I desired to honor God's design in a relationship.

And it was much sweeeter knowing that it was God Himself who enabled my man to lead me to Him.

As I shout for joy and leap in celebration, I give back all the praise and adoration to the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit!