FAIR SUNSHINE

For the last two months I have been both staying in and up working on our December projects, barely clocking in 25 hours of sleep a week. I wasn't able to work in the streets as I would like to during this time, occasionally managing to sneak some time out in the morning to distribute tracts at my nearby haunts. But what I lost in external ministry I gained in much needed time for the inner man, as prayer became my main occupation on a lot of silent and lonely mornings. There is something in these 4 AM meetings that refreshes me as time and time again I am brought into severe and constant self examination. "Search me O, Lord.." was my constant cry. Worship became my yearning. I am oftentimes reduced to being silent before the Lord, unable to speak. In my utter helplessness to impress the Lord with words, He was so much magnified before me.  On our last week before submission I was finally able to go out again to minister to a place that has been on my mind of late. I...

This night, I traveled back through time two thousand years ago. I found myself inside a large enough hall fitting almost three hundred souls, all clamoring to see the unfolding spectacle. I had to violently pull the man beside me just to ask what the commotion was all about. “They have just brought him in for trial this morning!” , he shouted, laughing. “Who?” I asked. He looked annoyed but was too lost in the jubilation, he shouted at me,  “The Nazarene carpenter!” . My heart stopped for a brief moment at the mention of the words, I can only think of one person. I frantically looked around as the crowd suddenly roared in one direction. A man of dignified appearance slowly stepped out into the balcony overlooking the hall, with him a crippling, half bent man, wrapped in a scarlet robe, torn from face to foot, unrecognizable. I pushed my way through the crowd and somehow managed to get to the front line until a soldier blocked me from stepping any closer. I strained my neck and...

Take a good, long, and hard look. Let it sink in. I mean really sink it in. This is where most good intentions, good ambitions, good marriages, good romance, good relationships, good dreams, and good people go; people like your close relatives, your sweet husband, your beautiful wife, your loving father, or your caring mother, your son or your daughter, your brother, your sister, your niece, your nephew, your best friend, your co-worker, your classmate, or your neighbor. Everyone you know living the ordinary life from day to day. Both the religious and the atheist. The priest and the devotee. The pastor and the church attendee. Basically, hell is full of good people. Good people who went through life thinking that as long as they mind their own business in peace, do no harm to anyone, be charitable and help people, that everything will be alright and hopefully they earn a free pass. Good people who believe that by doing good they can hope to go to heaven. Heaven is the pursuit eve...

We were privileged to have had a small part in the Lord's ministry through a dear sister who does open-air preaching in Dipolog, Zamboanga. I was moved to contact her and open up the idea of sponsoring her tracts. Being the months before the yearly December film fest, I was staying in almost 6 times a week in the studio with barely clocking in 4 hours of sleep a day since late September. I fell sick when I came home last night but I devoted this day and set my mind to get this done among the many backlogs in my to-do list. This specific tract is in the Visayan dialect, ( I think..). It excites me to know a person at the far end of the country would be reading it. The cello vs. printer exchange was a wise move. The money used for the materials and parcel came from our own ministry fund, where we set aside part of our salary for the Lord's work. He has graciously provided for our needs himself.  May Lord Jesus Christ be lifted up, and bring his prodigal sons and daug...

This article I read more than two decades back stuck to me. It was about a cross country runner who was asked afterwards the secret to his persistence. "Most of the time it was just me and a lonely stretch of highway on the desert with the sun beating down on me, I can just give up. So I used the telephone poles. I let it pull me. When I reached a pole I aimed at the nest one." I went down my train terminal stop at Doroteo Jose, Sta. Cruz, to catch the 5PM bus to the province, but I was minded to at least hand out 10 or so tracts. I stood just at the entrance at the stairs going into the station and took out my stash. As providence would have it a line started to form, until it became quite longer than usual. The 10 tracts I planned were just enough for me to get a seat in the bus, but 30 tracts later the queue wasn't getting any less. There were as many as 60 people in the line at most times, the thought that the nth person might be the one God was aiming to reach...

From my journal entry. November 8th, 2017. 4:27 A.M. This is a small portion of a long commentary, after reading exchanges between debating preachers. There is a drought of the Spirit of God not only in the land, but over the face of the whole earth. An east wind, a grievous dearth of discernment, breathed not only by those living in open rebellion against God, but also by those who profess to know his name. The culprit of which, is neglect of continuous communion with God himself through His word, and constant secret prayer. God has no favor with the hasty comers and goers. He reveals the precious jewels of his living word only to those brave enough to wait on him, even, or most specially, in times when he chooses to be silent. No parent will trust mere children with such precious jewels, yet we expect God to trust us with his divine oracles while we have yet to think seriously if we have the faithfulness required to carry such a priceless treasure. We then turn to the wisdom of men...

From my journal entry. Early twilight of November 2, 2017 Sound doctrine is not about having good theology or becoming a walking concordance: it is about bearing fruit. It is possible to become a good professor of religion without really knowing God. Titus writes about what sound doctrine is: Titus 2:1-15 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound s...

From my journal entry. October 23, 2017. 4:18 AM. Psalms 119:67, 71 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. However dreadful in my understanding, it would be far better for me to be a Job; bankrupt, bereaved, and stricken to the bones, than to be as his healthy friends who pointed forth the finger and rebuked him for grieving. The Lord gives strength not to the warriors, but to the weary. Incline thine ear unto me O God. Bow down thine ear and hear me, for I am poor and needy. The self-satisfied do no want to pray. The self-sufficient do not need to pray. The self-righteous cannot pray. ~Ravenhill Psalms 34:18-20, 22 The LORD is near unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. My...

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Hebrews 9:27 November 1 is a big festivity here in the Philippines. It is when the whole nation pour into cemeteries to supposedly pray for the dead. I have been, for the better part of my life, part of this celebration, which in reality is more of a get-together for families going there to have picnics instead of contemplating what's really in front of them that day. As a young teen I was in charge of setting up the family tent the night before All Soul's Day. The atmosphere is more of a college fair than an actual observance of the dearly departed: young people walking around checking out if there are cute guys or girls near the family plot, kite flying, music, food, candle stealing, flower stealing, drinking, laughing, and of course saying the rosary, which I can honestly say, accomplished nothing. Holy Cross Memorial Park, Quirino Highway, Novaliches We headed out around 9 P.M. to to my f...