Mapping journeys, building bridges.

Keeping safe amid COVID-19

One of the obvious things this COVID-19 pandemic reveals is that the power does not come exclusively from the great, big, famous things in this world. Certainly, the havoc that the COVID-19 created around the globe today comes from microscopic size particles called coronavirus.

Lessons;

Pay attention to the little things around you. It may have a massive effect on your life either positive or negative. Learning a phenomenal lesson from the microscopic size coronavirus that hurt the global economy severely.
Prevention is the best defensive tool against the enemy. A much-publicized medical personality in China was first ignored when he raised the alarm about his findings of a highly infectious disease in Wuhan. The Chinese government was caught unprepared to contain the spread of the disease out of its border. By the time the Chinese government gathers themselves to fight the virus, it has already breached other continental shores.
There are real things in this world that are supernatural. There is a conspiracy theory spreading around that the coronavirus in COVID-19 was made by scientists and escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began. But that was debunked by scientific findings. An article published by https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-not-human-made-in-lab.html reported a result of research that was written on March 17 in the journal Nature Medicine. “Our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus.” Similarly, scientists and researchers at present are still scrambling to formulate vaccines to fight the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Safety Measures;

Follow the authority’s guidelines to the smallest detail like staying at home, always washing your hands and disinfection. Nobody knows where the enemy is coming from. You can only be fully safe when you surely know that everyone and everything around is not an enemy (not infected).
Submit to the knowledge of the academically expert on the issue. Do not fabricate imagination and construct opinions from your meager and hearsay knowledge about COVID-19 because it might do harm than good.
Most important, implore the Divine Power that is behind all of the creations in the universe to intervene for the good of humanity. Pray earnestly and constantly to the Almighty God for help to ease the burdens of our government, hasten the formulation and manufacturing of medical needs, protections for the front liners in the fight of the disease, healing for those infected, protections for everyone, and softening of all stubborn that neglect authority’s guidelines. https://bit.ly/3h3SuRw

Safe

Victory Worship

Featuring Isa Fabregas Cuna

Under Your grace, Your mercy amazes me
Under Your wings, Your shadow covers me
Your promise of love, where my heart is safely undone

Speak to me Lord, Your servant is listening
Over the noise, I hear You whispering
My hope has come and my heart is safely undone

Time to pray earnestly.

In recent times, various alarming events and natural calamities happened around the world.

Here in the Philippines, in Southern provinces had a series of high-intensity earthquakes that displaced numerous families from their destroyed dwelling places. There was massive destruction of infrastructures; buildings collapsed, roads and highways were split. While in the North, a devastating volcanic eruption massively destroyed properties, livelihood, and surrounding places were all covered with thick volcanic ash fall turning like a desert. Fourteen kilometers radius from the volcano’s crater became a no man’s land. Numerous pets and livestock in the area died due to starvation caused by zero vegetation.

Around the world, there were massive forest fires, scary bombing amounting to war between nations, massive protest among citizens of a nation which is tantamount to rebellion, and a frightening highly contagious deadly disease.

If these were not enough to drive a God believer or a Christian to pray, I do not know what makes one pray. Perhaps, is its predicament. Very indifferent? Too apathetic? Just wondering.

The truth:

All of these lead us to wonder about the biblical prophecy of end-times. It becomes hard for skeptics to argue the credibility of the bible prophecies. The series of events happening before our eyes are accurate as it’s written a long time ago. Add to the fact that there are people alive coming out in public claiming they are the second coming of Jesus Christ. (See here https://bit.ly/318SQi7) We are on the threshold of end-times.

Luke 21:8-10 (NIV) 8 He replied: Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.10 Then he said to them: Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV) Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

Prayer:

Almighty God, your glory is up to heaven, the skies declare the greatness of your works, the beauty, the splendor and majesty honors you. Everything is a manifestation of your power, you created everything from heaven to earth. Lord, you are exalted as head overall.

King of kings, Lord of Lords, we implore you to look with mercy, please forgive us of all our sins, bring down to their knees the stone-hard heart to repent and live a righteous remorseful life. Please raise-up nation and community leaders that personified righteousness, honesty, and faithfulness. In your grace, establish a society that upholds the biblical precepts and recognized divine supremacy, expedite the reconciliation and healing of our rebellious hearts with your loving and upright guidance.

Almighty God, for the sake of your faithful believers, please forgo all the destructive calamities, and pacify the fierce minds and angry hearts of the warring nations’ leaders. Oh Lord, with your power and authority strike to its extinction the viruses and organisms that are causes of the frightening deadly pestilence.

Almighty God, we humbly ask, preserve the earth, keep away your people and its livelihood from destruction, and please heal our land, In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

New Year prayer setting

During year-end, December 31 at night service to be precise, our Pastor would ask us to list down twelve desires to be had in the coming year, and at the same time look back at the previous year’s list how was it been going. My experience was that a majority of us had the majority of the list remained a desire, although there were few positive testimonies. Yes, harvesting few fruits is better than planting nothing and reap nothing, so it’s a good idea at all.

But Alas! I observed almost all are self-centered, myself included. More than the very few, the lists were focused to own self, hearing even those positive testimonies that were selfish, starring the three famous persons, I, Me, and Mine.

Realizing from the verse of the Bible; 1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us”, it’s God who propagates love so that we can spread His love to others. Selflessness is the essence of love that God bestowed to every one of us. Jesus our Lord himself is God did not consider his divine nature for his own sake rather took a human nature and sacrificed himself to death to save us.

What then my realization brings to me?

Today, instead of preparing my twelve items to wish list, I took a little different from what I usually do. I am putting down my twelve items prayer list for those I believe needed most, here I invite you to join me, we may not reach them physically but our prayers can make a difference.

Prayer for the victims of natural calamities

Almighty God, As the year 2019 passed by with extremely difficult situations due to calamities that hit them, please continue to wrap them by your loving care, hold them by your comforting arms, and bestow on them your strength. Lord, give them faith that can hold them through their struggles and enshrine them hope for a better tomorrow. In Jesus mighty Name, I pray, Amen.

2. Prayer for underground churches worldwide

Dear Lord, As the year 2020 begins, I ask you to give strength, hope, and joy to your faithful believers and servants around the world who are massively challenged by their condition and situation, under severe pressure by the society surrounding them, having to exercise their faith under the adverse environment. I look to you to give them peace and courage amidst the situation and fervently pray that mitigating circumstances would befall upon them. In Jesus mighty Name, I pray, Amen.

3. Prayer for those who are incarcerated.

Almighty God, As the years go by and still counting under confinement, and year 2020 has already come, we look to you for the enlightenment to those who are incarcerated that they may find freedom in the truth about your grace and mercy. And they will embrace your grace of repentance and forgiveness. Send to them the pillars of light to illuminate their spirit and enliven their soul to enable them to enjoy their newfound life under your grace and mercy. In Jesus mighty Name, I pray, Amen.

4.Prayer for those who are in the sickbed.

Almighty God, As the new year comes, many are joyfully celebrating but there are those who are in the hospitals agonizing with pain, mentally distressed, and emotionally stressed. Holy Spirit, please reach out to them, touch them with your healing hands, and comfort them and their love-ones along with their families. Pacify their worries and supply their needs, especially medicines and other medical needs to hasten the healing process. In Jesus mighty Name, I pray, Amen.

5. Prayer for those who are in the Home Care Center.

Almighty God, In the forthcoming year 2020, I pray for those are in the Home Care Center, that they will be continually showered with joy and peace. I earnestly pray for the satisfaction and fulfillment of their longings for their loved ones, let their family and friends pay a visit to them. Lord, give them the avenue to spend their time joyfully and establish a life with a promise of eternity. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

6. Prayer for the street children and orphaned.

Almighty God, As many years have gone by, and a new year is at the entrance ready for reckoning, I look to you for the sake of the street children and orphaned with street corners as their homes. Lord, please find favors for them that they endure as they continue to struggle. Look to them with your merciful heart, empower them to overcome, provide them their every need, consider their heart’s desire. Please make their life easier as you send nurturing arms to them and ad their life. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen,

7. Prayer for the soldiers, policemen, and firemen.

Almighty God, During New year, the soldiers, policemen, and firemen are often not in their homes with families celebrating the occasion. I pray that you afford them a joyful time wherever they are. Protect them as they perform their responsibility to protect the nation and the citizenry. Keep them away from harm as their work brings always perils to their life. I also pray for the comfort of their family as the longing comes with the celebration. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

8. Prayer for Filipino overseas workers.

Almighty God, During New year, among the lonely celebrators are the overseas workers having away from their families. Some of the Filipino Overseas Workers as cramming during year-end to spend Christmas and New year with families. Lord, please let them home or provide them an avenue to pacify their homesickness. Comfort every Filipino Overseas Workers living far away from families, reward them worth of their sacrifices, In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

9. Prayer for the government leaders.

Almighty God, thank you for our government leaders. You raised them in the position for the duration of time. And the year 2020 is dawning for the furtherance of our nation with the able stewardship of our leaders. The executive, legislative, and judicial branches, especially to our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Lord, protect him from harm. We pray for all our leaders, please keep them healthy, strong and wise. I pray particularly for reverence to God to personify upon all our government leaders. In Jesus mighty Name, I pray, Amen.

10. Prayer for our Nation Philippines.

Almighty God, thank you for this rich country Philippines. The year 2019 has brought us many experiences to be optimistic in 2020. Lord. let that optimism brings out a cooperative effort from every citizen to make this nation, the Philippines as a better place to live, orderly and peaceful, economically viable, and most especially with a God-fearing society. Lord, I beseech you, to give our leaders wisdom and a clear path towards giving Filipinos a comfortable and peaceful life. Strike down all the obstacles, hindrance and enemies along the way. Let all resources and the richness of our nation flourish in the global scheme. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

11. Prayer for the church leaders.

Almighty God, thank you for our church leaders, we look at them as the guiding pillars of faith. Lord, I pray for enlightenment and Spiritual infilling to all church leaders, that they will set aside each bias, and foster unity instead. Lord, give them the right focus to each ministry and make them a good steward of the flocks lay before them. I pray that your faithful believers would also behave, in speech and action, with reverence towards God the Father. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

12. Prayer for my family.

Almighty God, thank you for my family. I am very proud of them. Lord, I lift up my family before you, Oh God. Please give each one peace on their busy lives as well as protection against all forms of evils, keep them away from harm wherever they may be. Make our lives a blessing to others in any way and anyhow to the best we may be. I declare that the year ahead will be prosperous, and all confusions, envy, hatred, pride against one another will be dispelled in Jesus mighty Name, I pray, Amen.

What does Christmas mean to you?

A few days more and its Christmas. Christian celebrate Christmas every December 25, and even non-Christians have their share of season’s celebration. Business establishments have Christmas parties, exchanging gifts for their employees across religious beliefs.

But what does Christmas mean to you?

Christmas season is characterized by gift-giving. Christmas parties and gatherings will always be marked with a windfall of gifts. Unfortunately, the gift-giving has trivialized the Christmas celebration. It becomes more of a habitual practice than reverence to the celebrant. More than the commercialization, it diminishes the essence of Christmas. It replaces Jesus’ birth as the center-piece of Christmas and God’s love as the primary element.

Matthew 2:1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Reflection:

The birth of Jesus brings enlightenment to the world. John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Blessed are those who follow Jesus for they will see life eternal. And Christmas is just like a high-noon light of the day for them. However, many still opted to stay under the shadow of the worldly pleasures, may this Christmas will serve as the sunrise that will illuminate their life.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Reflection:

The real story of Christmas is Jesus being God himself became human as the love-gift of God to humanity. God gave his one and only Son to the world to save those whoever believes in him. Philippians 2:6-8 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Jesus is the greatest gift that man could ever receive. Boxed with humility, wrapped by mercy and grace, containing of redemption and salvation that whoever received bears a new tag for the old-self is gone and the new creation has come. Henceforth, the recipient will bear the tag of Jesus Christ – “Christian”. The identity that bestow eternal eligibility to be with Christ in Paradise. John 1:12 “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”.

The relationship between faith and reality

My realization was faith is necessary for everyone’s journey in this life. Especially, in a desperate situation, when seems nothing is left to keep it going. It’s the hope for the better days ahead that is always there to hang on. The strong conviction that compels one to keep on moving forward. Life is real, though full of challenges are yet very much worth living. It is a journey across the ocean of realities pushing to and fro. Life traverse through the time spanning the past, the present, and the future. The past filled with lessons, the present as the window for action, and the future as the goal’s placeholder. Life with a destined goal is purposeful. Correspondingly, faith is the strength that propelled anyone towards its destiny in the midst of the prevailing realities. Without faith, life is powerless and without a destiny it’s pointless.

The paradox, faith doesn’t take merits from any evidence that the reality brings about. Faith is born purely from the inner conviction of the things hoping for, independent of the realities happening around. Otherwise, there can be no hope at all. For anyone who puts all his consciousness on reality at hand, there can be no element of hope to come in his mind.

Faith can be delineated into two different realms. There goes a saying “believe in yourself and believe in God”.

First, faith in the natural realm, wherein you have to believe what you can. In real-world things happen, events occur and changing conditions are keeping in steps on every life’s journey. Consequently, these will shake off one’s faith and make one rethink its ways to reach its destiny. Because ignoring the realities in life is a very dangerous position. Accordingly, in between faith and reality, there are the senses, the intuition, the conviction and other human faculties that enable anyone to make decisions best fit of the prevailing condition. Appropriating properly these inherent capabilities and the firm conviction will lead anyone on the right way to its destiny.

Narrative

I was born and grew up in a remote rural community. I’d live my life until mid-teens around a seemingly primitive culture. I had a very narrow perspective of life then. The purpose of living was so simple and the goal in life was too little. I was exposed to urban life during my early adolescence that enlightened my consciousness to a more developed culture society. I found a broader world of possibilities in life. That was then I had set a goal to earn a degree in College. Believing in myself, I pursued a life in the City with near nothing to lean on. I just had to keep healthy and believed that I can do what the others do.

I survived my early city life the hard way. I didn’t have a college education then, with no work experienced, so I had to take a hard labor job in a woodcraft shop under the scorning heat of the sun. My tender body had to endure loading and unloading, carrying, drying of heavy timbers and lumbers day-in and day-out. During the night, I had to clean the shop premises with all the garbage and spoils of the manufacturing operation. Working almost 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. It was my stepping stone after I got my bearing to urban life and gained more experience and exposure, I explored for a better job opportunity.

The opportunities come to those who believe that there exists somewhere. I took from time to time looking for a better job that could allow me to attend school. In a long while, my persistence yielded result, I was accepted in one of the Security Agencies and was assigned as Security Guard to one of the biggest hospitals in the City. It was much better because it afforded me a time to attend school from 4:00 to 10:00 PM, I was assigned at a graveyard shift. During off classes, I moonlight driving public utility jeepneys plying around the city to augment my income. From then on, I felt the improvement to my living condition, financially and socially.

Progress is just as high as ambition. Plotting the right course in an appropriate environment, plus hard work and skills are the imperatives to achieve the ambition in time. Time must bring progress, so in my senior year in college taking up Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, I shifted my sight to office jobs aligned with my college course. That was then I applied in Employment Agency that was catering to banks and corporate offices. Fortunately, I got employed in one of the biggest banks as a messenger.

In my childhood, it never got into my imagination working in the bank, it was a notable milestone of my career. But it didn’t stop there when I graduated from college, I got an opportunity to work in one of the top companies in the country. Although I felt the challenges got tougher, I also experienced a life that was getting better. I earned my college degree in Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and got a job that ushered me a stable life by faith and through grit. I also utilized my energy aptly across diverse reality and persevered in the midst of difficulty.

Second, is the faith in the supernatural realm, wherein you have to believe in the existence of a supernatural being that transcends across the physical and spiritual dimension. It is impossible not to believe because science proves that there’s nothing that naturally exists out of nothing. Everything that exists must have a beginning. And there is only one account of the beginning of everything. It was created by a supernatural being, the God that transcends beyond the natural realm.

The Creation

In the beginning, were the creations. Its systems and design are beyond human comprehension. How everything was placed in its order to complement each other is beyond the natural realm. The planetary system, the solar system, the complementary functions, the gravitational forces, and the exact proportions of energy in the universe are unfathomable to the human mind. Although there were discoveries, study breakthroughs still there is no scientific explanation of how did it begin and established its place in the whole universe. The Big Bang Theory does not point to the beginning of things. The research for the earth-like habitable planet does not yield any sort of achievement.

Unfortunately, the remarkable advancement of human knowledge that resulted in a scientific development which consequently altered the natural order and ecosystem of the earth is the major cause of the many catastrophic phenomena that we are experiencing these days. The changes in the amount of gas composition in the atmosphere called the greenhouse effect are attributed to industrialization. The human’s exploitation of nature has contributed heavily to climate change on earth that world leaders are now trying to mitigate. The natural calamities such as; earthquake, super-typhoon, tsunami, and many more are getting more frequent and disastrous. It is feared, that if this phenomenal condition will continue its trend, it will lead to a human’s extinction.

All of these are manifestations of the supernatural being, the Almighty God who established the beginning of all things, the universal order, system, and design. God revealed his supremacy through his creations, and human intervention just meshed it out of order. He also revealed Himself in history, in miracles, in visions given to prophets, and most importantly the living words-the Bible.

The Bible

The bible is the only book that has comprehensive coverage about the supernatural realm. It holds the highest regard as an authoritative and adequate source of knowledge about God, the Creator. It is recognized for its infallibility and dependability as the rule of faith in God. To the pious believers, the Bible is the only book that contains God-inspired words. “John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. To the men who lost everything and all hopes that this physical world can offer will instinctively resort to his sub-conscious outburst with a deep sigh “Oh my God” seemingly reaching out to eternity. For it is written in the bible; “Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from the beginning to end”. Faith has no limit, and eternity has no boundary. “Hebrew 9:27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment”. This leaves no doubt of human existence beyond this physical world, unto eternity.

Life after death

Human has primacy among God’s creation. God molded man with his hand and gave life out of his breath. “Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being”. Meanwhile, the rest of the creations were just by the mere utterance of words as described in the Bible in Genesis 1.

A man on its perfection and completeness has three main components; the soul, the spirit, and the body. “1 Thessalonians 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The body returns to the ground. “Genesis 3:19b until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return”. Whereas, the life that inhabits the soul and spirit which is inherently eternal returns to eternity. Human’s life is from an eternal God.

Intersecting eternal life

In the aftermath of this imperfect world is intersecting eternal life. The place for those who are judged righteous by God will be with Him in heaven, otherwise, hell is real for the unbelievers. Matthew 23:33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Snakes are the characterization of treachery and unfaithfulness while the vipers represent a venom that spoils the righteousness that God establishes upon men. Snake is the main author of the fall and for those who remain enslaved to the fallen world is surely condemned to hell. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.

Notwithstanding, the Almighty God redeemed the world through his only Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. The key to heaven is the faith of the saving grace by the blood Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”. In effect, we are made righteous through Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”. Our eternal life in heaven will be secured through faith in Jesus Christ’s saving grace. Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Man believe it and you shall be saved, keep the faith because the world is drifting too far from the divine order, stand firm by it for there will be testing of your faith through troubles and tribulations. John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”