FAIR SUNSHINE

In the gospel of John chapter 8 verse 23, when Jesus replied, “You people are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world." The Lord is expressing a sense of belonging that surpasses everything we have or will ever experience on this side of eternity. Christ is from above, and so are we, God's children. To read His words, "but I have chosen you from the world, that is why the world hates you," shows how incomparably special believers are in the eyes of the Lord. God the Father offers the entirety of who He is, in the person of the most valuable treasure in heaven - the Messiah, Christ Jesus.

I almost did not speak with them, my flesh apprehensive as always. I had no words to say, no care to show. Two days with little sleep and a ton of things to attend to will definitely dull the senses. I just want to physically rest with my mind agreeing just for once.  Finding a place to park took me here after dropping off my wife and daughters at the hospital for a check up. St. Martin of Tours parish is located in Bocaue Town Proper. I had to pay a fee upon entry, and a small group of 12-year-olds ran up to my window, asking for change. I ignored them. I found a spot in the far corner of the lot hoping for some quiet but they followed me, hoping to get a few coins for it. "Come back later," I told them.  The impression to talk to them came gently. But I was too tired in my body and mind. Try as I may to ignore the tug in my gut, I tried making up excuses not to. But like always, I surrendered. Waited. "Help me please. What do I say?" I pleaded as I watche...

Grace would have us conclude the church's three day prayer meetings deliberately held at 3AM to inconvenience ourselves and emphasize the dire urgency in petitioning the Lord's hand to bestow greater spiritual blessings upon us, most especially in the area of prayer. It is common to give what time we can spare to prayer but to see how evil these days are is to give the time we allot for rest and instead knock early in the morning on the door of the just Judge who not only does not slumber, but takes great pleasure in answering those who stand confidently at His courts, believing He will. Teaching the children's church, preaching, devotions, reading of Scripture in family worship: all these and more are dependent on God's hand moving. The desire to labor for God and the temptation to achieve it through the arm of the flesh steals from His glory. The work is His. The Christian is His. The power is His. Therefore the glory should be His. All the believer can claim as his i...

We visited a dear brother in Quezon City on our way home who has been going through a difficult chapter in his life. He’s been struggling with severe back pain for months—pain that’s made even the simplest movements excruciating. On top of that, he’s now facing the possibility of losing his job because he can no longer keep up with its demands. Photo by K The visit wasn’t long, but it gave us the opportunity to share a meal as a family at a nearby ramen house. We didn’t talk much about work or the pain. I honestly zonked out at the table from the travel, having barely gotten three hours of sleep the night before. However, we concluded our time with exhortation for the brother to bear his cross, and prayer for the Lord's will in his sanctification.  It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Psalm 119:71   Matthew Henry writes: That it has been the advantage of God's people to be afflicted. David could speak experimentally: It was good f...

This would be the first post of a very long backlog that I hope to fill after nine months of not blogging. Since my last post in August, a lot has happened, the majority of which has been related to daily Family Worship. Being overwhelmed and exhausted was what took up the greater part of the missing time. As things begin to wind down, I will try again to resume documenting from where I left off. Pastor Nate Sonner of Reformed Presbyterian Church Dumaguete sent me a casual invitation sometime last December, (if my memory serves me well) to a conference concerning planting biblical and reformed churches on May 19. Dr. Al Baker from Vanguard Presbytery will be speaking. I didn't think much of it but I went ahead and invited some of the brethren in our gathering. We started saving weekly in our make-shift piggy bank. By March we were already booked and every detail sorted out for us. It is sobering to learn how much of what we heard on Day 1 of the lecture corresponded to our view...