Martes, Setyembre 30, 2008

Security in the Midst of Distress

Isaiah 33:6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.


God is the sure foundation of our times. In the midst of distress, He is the solid rock on which we stand, though storms may come, we will not fall, because the Lord is our foundation.

The context of this verse is a time of suffering, distress and judgment. The destroyer and betrayer had shaken the nations and the people of God were in distress. In verse two, they were crying to the Lord, they longed for Him (not just His blessings, but HIM) . They asked God to be their Strength and their Salvation. They didn't just ask for strength and salvation per se but for GOD HIMSELF to BE their strength and BE their salvation.

In times of distress, whether it is economic, or natural (typhoons and hurricanes), or spiritual/emotional (depression, discouragement), we should lift our eyes to the Lord, who will be the sure foundation of our times. We should long for Him and not just His blessings. His blessings are not the sure foundation for our times. It is God Himself.


Isaiah 33:1-10
1 Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.
2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
3 At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter.
4 Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it.
5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
7 Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected.
9 The land mourns and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like the Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.
10 "Now will I arise," says the LORD. "Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up."

Martes, Setyembre 9, 2008

Psalm 37:37

This is a wonderful verse, and it is easy to memorize the verse number.

In the New King James Version, this is how Psalm 37:37 is written:

"Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace."


Has anyone tried to sell you insurance? Usually the strategy used is fear about the future. "Will you have enough money? What if you die? Will your children be hungry?"

I'm not putting down insurance companies or insurance salespersons here. My husband and I have bought some insurance policies and pre-need educational plans, as part of our setting aside for the future. But sometimes in the effort to sell, insurance salespeople "scare" buyers into getting policies.

One thing I know...my insurance policy is not our security. Money is not the source of my security. I will buy insurance, but I will not be scared into buying it.

Psalm 37:37 is God's ASSURANCE promise... Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace.

God says my future is peace. That means my INHERITANCE from Him is peace, not fear. I don't need a horoscope to tell me that. My God says that my future is peace. It's not something to wish for that we might not have...if God says my future is peace, IT IS.

Better yet, read the entire 37th Psalm. In my kids' Adventures in Odyssey Bible, Psalm 37 has a "subtitle": The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked. The whole psalm shows the difference between the righteous, those whose sins have been covered by the blood of the Lord Jesus, and the wicked.

Psalm 37:16-20 says:

"A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.The LORD knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the LORD, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away."


Because of the blood of Jesus, I have been made righteous. Because He has triumphed over sin and death, I am more than a conqueror. Because He rose from the dead, I have hope in the face of anything.

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know, I know He holds the future, Life is worth living, just because He lives."

Miyerkules, Setyembre 3, 2008

Psalm 35:1-2 -The Unborn Baby's Prayer

I just wanted to share with all my blogroll friends out there a pro-life picture that I made. I was reading Psalm 35, then the Lord made me realize that Psalm 35:1-2 might as well be coming from an unborn baby's lips.

So I made this graphic. I am not a professional graphic artist, okay. I made it on powerpoint then I took a screenshot of it.

I have posted this picture on our pro-life blogs and other sites.


Here's a Spanish version. I got the verse from the Nueva Version Internacional at Bible Gateway.com

Huwebes, Agosto 28, 2008

When the Lord Upholds You with His Hand

I have been out of the blogosphere for a long time because I had been undergoing personal and emotional struggles, which by God's grace I have overcome already. I felt I couldn't write anything encouraging on my blog so I did not post for three weeks.

I had been struggling with deep emotional issues of rejection and hurt. I let feelings of hurt overcome me. During this time I would cry to the Lord and ask Him to help me. I felt the Lord allowed this trial to happen so He could minister to my heart and bring me on the road to emotional maturity. I now know the Lord in a deeper way.

One of the verses the Lord brought to mind was Psalm 37: 23-24:
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.



When you feel you are drowning in your troubles and tears, there the Lord upholds you with His hand. Just imagine how big God's hand is. In our weakness, God is strong, holding us up. As 2 Corinthians 12:9 says: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Sometimes it is in our emotional and relationship struggles with people that our relationship with God undergoes a major testing. We are overwhelmed and we begin to get buffeted by the storms and floods. But God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." When we are weak and wobbly, about to faint, God's strength upholds us.

The Lord was trying to show me how my hurts were controlling my thoughts and my life, and He wanted me to release them and learn to forgive and to react more maturely. The Lord breaks us to chasten us, to remove what is not from Him. So we will be more like the Lord Jesus.

One thing we should never do in times of suffering is get mad at God. That is a real stupid thing to do. If we have a sin, we should repent and turn back to God. If we are not in sin, we should trust the Lord in the midst of trials. God is faithful. And He upholds us with His hand.

The Lord understands our suffering more than we can ever know. Isaiah 53:3-5 says:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.


The Lord knows what it is to suffer and be rejected. The Lord Jesus took our sins, sorrows and sicknesses on the Cross, so we don't have to bear the punishment for sin ourselves and to live in sorrow and to live defeated by sickness. By His resurrection He triumphed over sin and death.

Biyernes, Agosto 8, 2008

Lyrics of Dark but Lovely by Sarah Edwards

Anyone who has ever felt rejected or insecure will be ministered to by this song. Especially if you are dark-skinned like me. Here in the Philippines, we had 400 years of Spanish colonial rule, which has led to preference to fair skin in judging physical beauty. When I was a kid I used to be teased about my dark skin.

But even fair-skinned people can be darkened by sin in their hearts.

Based on Song of Songs 1:5, the song tells of God calling us beautiful, even if we have been "darkened" by sin. The blood of Jesus covers our sin and makes us beautiful and pure in God's eyes.

The Lord calls us beautiful, even if we experience rejection from people. Only the Lord can minister to the deepest longings for acceptance and love in our hearts because He is our God and Creator. In Song of SOngs 1:15, the Lover tells the Beloved, "Behold, you are beautiful, my love! Behold, you are beautiful! You have doves' eyes." Throughout the Book of Song of Songs, the Lover ( God) calls the Beloved (us) beautiful over and over again.

I believe these are the Lord's declarations over us. People around us may fail to affirm us, appreciate us or encourage us, even those closest to us, but the Lord always speaks love over us. As Song of Songs 2:4 says, His banner over me was love.

This is a love song for the Lord...who are we that God thinks of us? yet He has enabled us to love Him back. To love Him for who He is, not what He can give us. To just sit at His feet and gaze at His beauty.
________________________
Lyrics:

I can’t understand this work of grace
How a perfect God would come and take my place
I can’t understand this work of grace
How a perfect God would come and take my place

The stars they don’t move You
The waves can’t undo You
Mountains in their splendor
they cannot steal your heart

This God who is holy
Perfect in beauty
Awesome in glory
Is ravished by my heart

Though I’m poor you say I am lovely
Though I’m dark you say I am beautiful
Though I’m poor you say I am lovely
Though I’m dark you say I am beautiful

Somehow my weak glance has overwhelmed You
And somehow my weak love it has stolen away Your heart

I can’t understand this work of grace
How a perfect God would come and take my place
________________________

You may listen to this song on Sarah Edwards' MySpace profile

This song is from the "Constant" album of Forerunner Music/IHOP. It is available on itunes.com.

Huwebes, Hulyo 24, 2008

Let the Esthers Arise, For Such A Time As This

I wrote this in my pro-life blog for youth. Please pray with us because a population control bill is being pushed in our country.

Esther was a teenager whom God used to save the lives of her people. Not just a generation, but all the Jews in Persia.

Like a fictional genie would, the king asked Esther what she wanted, even half the kingdom was offered to her. But she chose to ask for the king to spare her people from annihilation.

She would have kept quiet if they were to be made slaves and not killed. But they were marked for death, for annihilation.

Haman even promised to put money in the Royal Treasury to carry his evil plan out.

If Esther had chickened out and chosen to keep quiet, some of that money from Haman would have been hers, as she was a queen. And she and her family would have perished.

God had a plan and a purpose to save the Israelites, and He could have used anyone to deliver the Jews in Persia. Esther was not indispensable in His plan. But Esther chose to participate with God in His plan and purpose.

God has a plan and a purpose to save the unborn generation and future generations. Will we participate with God or keep quiet? Esther chose to participate with God.

As a result, the king gave her Haman's estate and she herself wrote the decree that overturned Haman's death decree.

____________

The Book of Esther in the Bible tells of the story of Esther (a.k.a. Hadassah), a Jewish teenager, who was an orphan. It was her Uncle Mordecai who took care of her.

The search for a new queen of Persia led Esther to the king's palace where she became Queen of Persia.

One day an evil man named Haman wanted all the Jews killed because he hated Mordecai. So he tricked the king into signing a death decree for all the Jews by saying there were treacherous disobedient people who needed to be killed.

When the decree was released, Mordecai and all the Jews began mourning and wailing. Esther, in her confinement in the Palace, did not know about this until she sent a messenger to find out why Mordecai had been mourning.

Mordecai sent Esther a copy of Haman's death decree for the Jews. He also told her that Haman had promised to put big money in the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. He urged Esther to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

Now Esther knew that one cannot go into the King's presence uninvited, under penalty of death, unless the king extended his golden scepter. She had this told to Mordecai. She feared for her life, because it had been 30 days since the king called her.

Mordecai sent a straightforward message to Esther: ""Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

Her Uncle Mordecai's words were enough for Esther to make her decision. She decided to go to the king, even though it was against the law. She had this told to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

So Esther, under penalty of death, approached the king of Persia. But he held out his scepter for her and her life was spared. Having a strategy in mind, she asked the king and Haman, the king's right-hand man to a banquet, which was followed by a second banquet.

At the second banquet, the king asked Esther what her request was. He even asked her if she would like to have half the kingdom, and he would give it. But Esther didn't ask for riches and land and jewels. She told the king, "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life-- this is my petition. And spare my people-- this is my request. For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king."

The king asked her, who would do such a thing? That is when Esther pointed out that the one who had decreed it was Haman.

The king got so angry. And so Haman's fate was decided.

But Esther did not stop there. The death decree for the Jews had been issued and was still set to be carried out.

Esther risked her life once again and approached the king once more, under penalty of death. This time she pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the death decree of Haman. She said, "If it pleases the king, and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces. For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?"

What did the king do? He told Esther to write a new decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews.

So here we have an ORPHAN, risking her life twice to approach a king, writing a decree to overrule a death decree because she could not bear to see the annihilation and destruction of her people.

___________________
Right now in our country we have a death decree on future generations being tackled in Congress. It is called the Reproductive Health and Population Development Bill. Foreign finance institutions have promised to put big money in the Philippine treasury if the Bill becomes law.

Let the Esthers arise in this generation, who will not care if they will not have half the Kingdom, who will pray and fast and risk their lives for the Lord, for the unborn generation whom the Lord loves, for their children and for future generations. Let the Esthers speak up, write and issue decrees to overturn the death decrees on their generation.

Biyernes, Hulyo 18, 2008

"Down the Road of Bittersweet" by Karl Kohlhase / Nina's Story

Watch the very, very touching slideshow/music video of this song about parents receiving the news that their baby had congenital problems and how they trust God to walk with them "down the road of bittersweet". when you click on the link, the song will begin to play:

http://www.k4communications.com/karl/bittersweet.html

Lyrics:

We had some good news and some bad news on a cold November morn
The test confirmed that we were parents, but there was something more
Our little boy had complications, and we were frightened as could be
But we decided to go walking down the road of bittersweet

The next nine months we grew together, somehow closer than before
And our faith began to blossom into something more
We would hold each other close and pray, then cry ourselves to sleep
We knew that God was walking with us down the road of bittersweet

Jesus, take my hand and walk beside me
And make my footsteps firm beneath my feet
I know You’ve gone this way before so guide me
I’m not alone as I go walking down the road of bittersweet

The room was filled with apprehension on the day that he was born
But when I took him in my arms I knew there was so much more
There was a bond of love between us, and I was never more complete
I never knew I’d find such blessing down the road of bittersweet

The doctor said we may not have much time before we’d have to part
So I treasure every moment deep within my heart
Soon we’ll have a little angel, praying for our family
I’m just glad I got to meet him down the road of bittersweet

Jesus, take my hand and walk beside me
And make my footsteps firm beneath my feet
I know You’ve gone this way before so guide me
I’m not alone as I go walking down the road
I’m not alone as I go walking down the road
I’m not alone as I go walking down the road of bittersweet


Words & Music by Karl Kohlhase

© 2006 karl kohlhase

Written for Prenatal Partners For Life

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I am writing this post in response to my older sister Aileen's tag in her blog.


In other countries, congenital malformations are reasons for abortion. Here in this video are parents who CHOSE LIFE for their little babies. My own sister(my younger sister) had a baby with severe congenital malformations incompatible with life, several years ago. They found out during the fifth month that Nina, my niece, had a genetic disease due to an extra chromosome. They had a routine ultrasound, and just like the people in the song, they found out there was something wrong with her heartbeat, it was too weak. After an amniocentesis, they learned of the diagnosis. Nina had several heart malformations that made her heartbeat weak. It broke their hearts. They were in the U.S. and the doctor had to suggest abortion or "termination of the pregnancy" as they called it, by law. Terribly heartbroken, they called us in the Philippines. I remember telling my sister back then, "you know, as long as Nina is in your tummy, she will live because her circulation is through the placenta, through the umbilical cord". MY SISTER AND BROTHER -IN-LAW CHOSE TO HAVE NINA and she carried Nina to term, up to 9 months. They reasoned that if my niece will live while she was in the womb, they will shower her with love all those 9 months in the womb. Their OBGYN doctor in the U.S. fully supported their decision to keep the baby .And the OBGYN was one of those who was crying along with them when my niece was born. At 9 months my niece was born, but she only lived for 1 1/2 hours. BUT SHE WAS WORTH IT ALL.

My sister has one beautiful baby in heaven, and after Nina's passing away, she now has three more beautiful kids on earth. Smiley

In our pro-life ministry, I have had several opportunities to share (with my sister's permission, of course) Nina's story. Many have been blessed and touched by Nina's story, and I pray young people will never think of abortion as an option when they hear it. And more often than not, listeners are moved to tears as I share her story. Nina's story is a story I went through as an aunt, and I want to say I am proud of my sister and brother-in-law, and of Nina.