Good Leg, Bad Leg

During my last trip to Guimaras, I was privileged to meet a man who had been the patient of my friend who was with me. My friend is a former physical therapist, and he had been rehabilitating the man's left leg that broke. I listened as they talked to each other about how the cane should not be used on the left part of the body where the bad leg was, with the left hand holding it. Instead, the cane should be held on the right side of the body where the good leg was, with the right hand holding it. People wonder why the cane should not just support the bad leg by being used on the same side. But the logic is simple: Strengthen the good leg, and it will have enough strength to carry the bad leg.

Instantly, God spoke to my spirit as I had that insight. And my heart's desire as a servant of this church is to strengthen the good leg. God has not called me to be an evangelist, but to be an encourager and an exhorter for the body of Christ. And as God strengthens the local assembly, it will be more equipped to the work of reaching out to others(“bad leg”) for Christ. May you strengthen a good leg today.

“...speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” - Ephesians 4:15-16

Hearing Aid

As I was buying medicine, I asked for the price of a gentian violet. I thought I heard the pharmacist say “forty” (and then some) so I was calculating in my mind the total price I was going to pay since I was also buying vitamins. It was pretty high. When I was given my change, to my relief, she actually said “fourteen.”

Sometimes our hearing can be the root of our problems. We don’t listen very well, and we miss out on things. Even when we try to listen to God, maybe we only hear half of what He’s saying or not hear Him right at all. May the Lord unplug our ears from any clutter and may we be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). That way we can hear what He is saying by His Spirit (Revelation 2:7).

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

- Romans 8:14

M & N

Today, I met two fellow Christians, both younger than me.

The first one was someone who I haven't seen in a long time -- I'd like to call him Marv. I met Marv when I was coming out of the mall after work. Marv serves the Lord as a worshipper, youth leader, and a preacher. I admire his passion for the Lord as well as his energy. He even works at a call center on night shift. The last time I lived like he did I ended up having Mild Leukopenia, but I eventually recovered from it. But God has blessed Marv with good health -- His ways are higher. I may never understand every question in life of why things happen the way they do but I rest on God's sovereignty. Marv is a pentecostal and he is on fire for the Lord. We exchanged cellphone numbers and parted ways. He's interested in coming to our midweek service soon and misses listening to Vineyard songs, since his church plays mainly Hillsongs only.


Afterwards, I went to my home church to prepare worship songs for our 6th year church anniversary. There was my pastor and he told me one of the girls in our church wanted to help. I'd like to call her Nic. Nic is an English major college student and has been coming to our church for a while now. She steps up to serve as a percussionist -- and what a percussionist! She learns the beat for every song so fast before you can say MJ. I'm blessed by her willing to help us with the music ministry.

I am blessed to see young people serving the Lord. I feel like I have been chosen by God to stand between the older and the younger generation. I'm 27 now and I'm somewhere between those who have the energy to serve the Lord fervently, but could use the wisdom of those of us who have more life experience with the Lord, and those who are way ahead of me in years and I look up to them for counsel and see their life persevering for the Lord as an example for my own walk.

CALLING ALL RADICALS... It's time to take this generation for Jesus! Are you up to it? If you are, join me. No, I'm not talking about another concert, though we could do that. I'm talking about being so aware of Jesus in your daily life that not only are you blessed and happy, but you're encouraging those around you to look to you for insight and direction in their spiritual walk. May God fill your life with His presence to overflow to a lost and dying generation. His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.


M & N, may God bless them and young people like them.

UseLESs rUsH

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16


Recently, I had to rush some errands for my office and I didn't have a lot of time in my hands since I decided to do it on my lunch break. I had to go to the mall to buy lunch, get a staple gun, swing to the other office to drop some supplies, pick up the laptop the company issued me, and go back to my office. All this has to happen in one hour.

12:00:01...12:00:02...12:00:03...12:00:04...

The following occurs between 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M.

Preparing to rush out the door, I picked up the plastic bag that I thought were the supplies I needed to deliver. I got to the mall parking lot and I took a good look at the bag -- it was the wrong one, since I picked up the plastic bag containing the trash instead! I then had to go to plan B.

12:59:57...12:59:58...12:59:59...01:00:00

In the world we live in today, things are rushing. Even on this remote island in the Philippines were I live in, things are already starting to be fast-paced. Life just keeps demanding, doesn't it? Still, we are called to be wise people. We Christians live by a higher standard and we live by faith. No matter what happens, let's take time to wait on the Lord, to pray over things, and to make decisions based on a Biblical world view, and not the view the world tries to plunge down our throats.

RJ
Iloilo City, Philippines