LIFE IS AN ECHO

A son and his father were walking in the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

To his surprise, hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"

He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"

He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"

Compound Interest

( I would like to share an article from my friend Richard Rundell)

Einstein said that the greatest thing was compound interest. What is compound interest? You earn interest on not only the principal but also on the interest earned. Interest on the interest. Who created the concept of compound interest? God. If God created it for the financial world then would not He also apply that same principle to spiritual things? Paul wrote to the Ephesians,

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen”
(Eph 3:20-21).

Neither God’s love nor power is limited by our imaginations.

God does not subtract or add but multiplies and He does not just multiply but multiples at a compound rate. What is God’s interest rate? Five percent? No! A thousand percent or a million percent, whatever the need. Did He not multiply the loaves and fishes to feed 5,000 men plus women and children?

When God gives you revelation knowledge and you put it into practice, He gives you not only new revelation knowledge the next day or moment, but also revelation knowledge applied to the revelation knowledge He just gave you. That is compounding. Just as your savings account does not just sit in a bank vault but the banker invests it in means of production, so we must first acknowledge the gifts and blessings God gives us and second, put them into practice. But just as the banker needs the initial deposit with which to work with or to apply interest, we need to study and meditate on the Scriptures in order for God to have something with which to work and begin to compound.

Revelation knowledge is not a dead end street. But as we receive revelation knowledge, it opens new doors to further revelation knowledge. Remember that Peter, by revelation knowledge, declared that Jesus was the Christ (Matt. 16:16). We can apply the same principle to our initial salvation experience. It is not an end in itself but the beginning of our Christian walk and a glorious relationship with Jesus Christ. The gifts of the Spirit likewise are not ends in themselves but the beginning of a means to help us bless the body of Christ and to give glory to God.

God not only gives us blessings but blesses (compounds) those blessings. He not only grants us holiness but compounds that holiness with a holy application of that holiness. What about grace? God not only gives us grace but graces (compounds) the grace He has just given us.

As we receive the love that God imparts to us, and we reach out to others with that love, God compounds that love by heaping new forms of love on our very acts of love. The same principle applies to joy, peace and other characteristics of the Christian life God gives to us. Let us rejoice for His unspeakable, exceeding, abundant love for us.


© Richard Rundell
www.kingdombiblenuggets.org


shared by:

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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THE GARDEN OF LOVE

(photo courtesy of 1-800Flowers.com)

by Ann Platz

Before I met my husband, John, every attempt I'd made to find and keep love had led to disappointment and heartbreak.

John knew this, and so when he proposed to me, he vowed, "Your life with me will be a bed of roses!"

I was deeply touched by John's sentiment, especially since I knew he would do everything he could to make good on his promise. But of course, hardships come in life no matter how wonderfully our spouses treat us. And by the time our tenth anniversary rolled down, we'd experienced our share of stress and difficulty. It had been the hardest year we'd encountered together so far. What if John actually forgot our anniversary? After all, I'd been disappointed by men so many times before.

I need not have worried. John took me to a beautiful restaurant where he'd reserved a table with a lovely view. After a delicious, romantic meal by candlelight, we returned home and prepared for bed. In our bathroom, I brushed my hair a long time and applied some of John's favorite perfume.

When I came back into the bedroom, I noticed that John was smiling like an excited little boy. I couldn't imagine what he'd been up to. Then suddenly he folded the bedcovers back, and I gasped with delight and surprise. The entire bed was covered in rose petals, their fragrance filling the room.

“John, how did you do this? Where did you get all these roses?"

"Well," he said with a big grin," I called the florist and ordered pale pink Oceana roses like the ones you carried in your bouquet when we married. I requested that the blossoms be full and that the roses not be arranged. Then I spent hours gently pulling the petals apart."

I was so overwhelmed by his gesture that my eyes spilled over with tears. As John kissed them away, he gently held me and whispered, "Didn't I promise you a bed of roses when I proposed?"

"Yes, you did! But I never..."

That evening John and I celebrated our anniversary in a garden of love--and there were no thorns. I felt my wounded heart let go of old pains and lingering doubts. In their place, a healing peace engulfed me, and I fully understood the words from 1 John 4:18 for the first time:

"Perfect love drives out fear."

"LIVE NOW, BELIEVE ME, WAIT NOT TILL TOMORROW; GATHER THE ROSES OF LIFE TODAY." -  

Pierre De Ronsard

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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Love’s Tech Support

Tech Support: Yes, how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self- Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.


=========

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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Love: the Greatest Value of All

Watching You


The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.

It had been a year since Susan, 34, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. And all she had to cling to was her husband, Mark. Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again.

Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Susan, and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task.

Soon, however, Mark realized the arrangement wasn't working. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But she was still so fragile, so angry how would she react? Just as he predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm blind!", she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel like you're abandoning me." Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done.

He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.

Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus-riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, and his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself.

On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying the fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure do envy you."

Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?"

The driver responded, "It must feel good to be taken cared of and protected like you are." Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and again asked, "What do you mean?" The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you as you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady."

Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.

God watches over us in just the same way. We may not know He is present, but He is. We may not be able to see His face, but He is there nonetheless!

Be blessed in this thought. God loves You - even when you are not looking.

(source unkown)


----------

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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DEVELOP THE RIGHT (SELF) ATTITUDE

Here are 10 suggestions to help you develop and maintain a healthy self-image. Read them slowly. Meditate on them regularly.

1. Hate your sin, but never hate yourself.

2. Be quick to repent.

3. When God gives you light, walk in it.

4. Stop saying negative things about yourself. God loves you and it's wrong to hate what He loves. He has great plans for you, so you're in conflict with Him when you speak negatively concerning your future.

5. Never be afraid to admit that you've made a mistake and don't always assume that when things go wrong, it must be 'my fault'.

6. Don't meditate excessively on what you've done, right or wrong; both of these activities keep your mind on you! Center your thoughts on Christ.

7. Take good care of yourself physically. Make the best of what God gave you to work with, but don't be obsessed with your appearance.

8. Never stop learning but don't allow your education to become a point of pride. God doesn't use you because of what's in your head: He uses you because of what's in your heart.

9. Realize that your talents are a gift, not something you have manufactured yourself; never look down on people who can't do what you do.

10. Don't despise your weaknesses. They keep you dependent on God.

-- Author Unknown


This post courtesy of :
The Staff of E-Mail Ministry


© 2008

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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LETTERS: Only By Grace

( Original Letter : June 11, 2003 )


To my dear friends in Christ;

Greetings to you my Brothers and Sisters! It’s been a while since I last wrote to you. I apologize for that. It was a joy for me, however, to read about your various activities. How I wished I could be with you through all that!

By the GRACE of God, the war in Iraq has come to an end. Although there’s still hostilities in some places, like the bombings that occurred recently here in Riyadh, the general fear of escalation to the other Middle Eastern countries has finally subsided. I would like to thank all of you who prayed for me, and for the whole of Middle East. I thank God for people around the world, like you, who went down on their knees and prayed for this crisis – unlike others who just made a lot of noise here and there; but had never even said a word or two in prayer for those who were directly involved.

It is through this same Grace of God that we are to be saved – through our Faith. Paul clearly states this :

“ God, Who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. ( by GRACE you have been saved ) and raised us up with Him and made us sit with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. ”
Ephesians 2: 4-6 NIV

I am working in a Muslim country, in fact at the very heart of the Islamic Religion. I can’t help but notice their ways regarding their faith, like the five-times-a-day Salah, or prayers. This is a compulsory activity for them here, to the extent that all stores and shops ( even clinics ) need to close down during prayer time, otherwise the proprietor could be arrested by the dreaded Mutawah, or their religious police. The Mutawah would also roam around, and if they caught a Muslim not praying during Salah time – the guy could get arrested.

I also heard somewhere here that if a Muslim could perform certain rites and complete certain prayers for a certain number of times, there would be a corresponding reward for them in heaven. That’s why I often see people here mumbling certain words repeatedly over and over, while holding their prayer beads. And the extreme cases of course would be the suicide bombers who believe they’ll go to heaven while performing this act ( although some Muslims claim that these suicide bombers are not true followers of Islam ).

I have nothing against the Muslim people, in fact I admire their diligence in prayer (unlike some of us who pray only when it is convenient, or when others from community are with them ). But I can’t help compare them to the Pharisees, who were so much despicable to Jesus that He warned His followers to be careful of the Pharisees’ “yeast” ( Matthew 16:6 ) and mentioned seven woes against them (Matthew 23: 1 – 36 ). But, my dear friends, this is not unique to our Muslim brothers, but is also rampant amongst us so-called “Christians” (whatever denomination, sect, old or new way, etc you may be ). Remember Yano’s song “Banal na aso, Santong kabayo.”? That’s what I’m talking about.

Natatawa ako… hi.. hi… hi… hi….

Why? Why were the Pharisees despicable to Jesus? The answer would lie in what He said in Matthew :

“ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ you would not have condemned the innocent. ”
Matthew 12 : 7 NIV

The line “ I desire mercy, not sacrifice” was quoted by Jesus from Hosea :

“ For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings. ”
Hosea 6 : 6 NIV

It’s what inside of us that matters – what’s in our hearts – and not because of our efforts, because some of our efforts were not based on the correct motives. Salvation CAN NOT be bought by what we do or what we sacrifice ( remember Sacred Duty 3 : Service with Love particularly 1st Corinthians 13? ) It is rather GIVEN to us by grace, because of our FAITH.

Going back to Paul, he talked about this topic in his letters so much that it became one theme :

“ For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. ”
Romans 9 : 15-16 NIV

“ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. ”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

If salvation can be bought by a list of things we must do, a list of things we must say, or a list of things we must give – NO ONE can be saved. Because in our human nature, all of us fall short of God’s expectation from us :

“ The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. ”
Romans 3:22-23 NIV

But God, in His infinite love for us, knows that we can’t accomplish this – so He provided us a way out – and that is through Jesus Christ.

“ But what does it say? ‘The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the Word of Faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with YOUR HEART that you believe, and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. ”
Romans 10: 8-11 NIV

Remember the story of the two thieves that were crucified together with Christ? :

“ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him : ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him, ‘Don’t you fear God’ he said ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said ‘ Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’. Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today, you will be with me in paradise. ”
Luke 23: 39-43 NIV

When that criminal asked Jesus, “… remember me, when you come into your kingdom…” he actually BELIEVED that Jesus can save him – and he received God’s MERCY because of that and was saved. How many times did Jesus do this in the Gospel – giving grace to the unlikely of recipients : tax collectors; prostitutes; SINNERS. Because it is in His nature to do so :

“ God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. ”
Proverbs 3: 34 NIV

In my walk through life, I usually relied on my “galing” and “abilidad” that I failed most of the time (remember “Failure: So What?” ). But when I realized that it’s not up to me – but to the Lord – I surrendered myself to Him, and everything’s falling into place. That’s why one of the most endearing songs for me is this :

“ Only by grace can we enter…
Only by grace can we stand..
Not by our human endeavor..
But by the blood of the Lamb.. . ”
Only By Grace

Some of you may argue : So, okay.. it is through grace that we are saved, by our faith… but how about good works? Balewala ba lahat ang mga ‘yon? ( ang dami ko pa namang sinalihang activities sa Singles…. ) By no means!!!

Our good works should stem as an offspring of our love for God, because of the grace that we received from Him. Paul said :

“ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by actions, is dead…. Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”
James 2: 17; 21-22 NIV

Remember my letters on Sacred Duty : we must offer ourselves as living sacrifices :

“ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. ”
Romans 12: 1-2 NIV

First comes our faith; and from it springs our good works; but all this should be encompassed with love (Sacred Duty 3 : Service with Love ).

I hope to hear more from you and your activities back there. Marami rin akong kwento para sa inyo tungkol sa mga karanasan ko dito sa Saudi, but I’ll discuss that later on. But there’s one important one. Remember the story I narrated earlier regarding my three friends here who got stranded after they were kicked out unjustly by their company? They were stranded here for more than 6 months, struggling to get what is due them. Well, God works in mysterious ways. There was a change in ownership of the company, after the previous owner died, and by the GRACE of God, the new owners absorbed my three friends back. And now they’re back in the saddle – full of hope, full of life. Thanks for your prayers my friends!!!

Well, hanggang dito na lang muna. Medyo napahaba yata ako ngayon. I miss you all and I hope we can all get back together soon. May the Lord bless you at all times. Greet everyone with a holy kiss for me. See ya!!!

Shalom,
Brod. Pete


“Letters from my Sojourn”
© 2008 Peter Allan Mariano

Peter Allan C. Mariano

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LETTERS : Sacred Duty 3 : Service With Love

( Original Letter : March 10, 2003 )


To my dear friends in Christ;


Kamusta kayong lahat diyan?! (Welcome to everyone out there!) I hope you are all in good condition back there. I was so happy when I received emails from some of you, particularly Anna, Aleth and Jinky. Thanks for the birthday greetings guys! Saka na blow out pag balik ko! (I'll treat you all when I get back!) I also received one email that really warmed my heart. It was from Kosy, including a picture of his family – one big happy family! Malaking kabawasan sa pagka-homesick ko ang mga iyan (these things would really trim down my homesickness) , so thanks a lot. Pasensiya na (Forgive me) if I was not able to reply on time. Iisa lang kasi ang computer dito sa production line namin na may Internet access, so agawan kami. ‘Yung computer na gamit ko ay ibang access meron – access sa mga games, hehehe. ( We only have one computer available here in the production line which has an Internet access, so everyone is scrambling to use it. The computer that I am using has a different access - to games!)

Everybody here is talking about WAR. And believe me, there are even some supporters here of Mr. Saddam Hussein and Mr. Bin Laden. These are some of our Muslim brothers from other countries who are also working as expatriates here in KSA. Well, they are entitled to their own ideologies. But one thing is common – nobody in his right mind wants war. So, please help me in praying for an avertion to war, and a peaceful resolution to this crisis. Let’s pray to the Lord to touch the hearts and minds of the major players in this conflict, so they could all have a change of heart – from hate to LOVE.

“Love is all that matters...” goes the song playing in our computer’s CD player. Homesick kasi ‘yung kasama kong isa. ( My roommate here is homesick). He’s still single and misses his girlfriend... hehehe.... that’s why puro senti ang pinapatugtog. But that line from the song is one perfect description of love – it’s all that really matters. Even in our service to Him.

The following description of love from Paul sums it all. I urge you to memorize it, keep it in your hearts and minds, and live it up to its full extent. It is exactly what Paul himself describe as “... the most excellent way”.

“ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
1 Corinthians 13: 1-8 NIV

“ And now these three remain: FAITH; HOPE and LOVE. But the greatest of these is LOVE. ”
1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

That passage is not just a slum book description of love.. but it perfectly describes what our Sacred Duty to Him should embody – and that is Love. Why love? Why not faith or hope or joy? Simply because of this :

“ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. GOD IS LOVE. Whoever lives in Love lives in God, and God in him. ”
1 John 4:16 NIV

Even if we can talk in multiple languages, and as Paul said, even the language of angels, but don’t have love – we’re just noise. Even if we have the wisdom of Solomon or can make miracles like the greatest faith healer in the world, but are hearts our devoid of love – then we are nothing. WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT LOVE. WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT GOD. Nothing, Nada, Nil, Zero.... it is as if we were not even born, nor even exists.... nothing. This is more aptly applied to our Sacred Duty. Even if we are “successful” in our work (even for Him), but if we have done it without love, then it amounts to nothing. Even if we sacrifice everything, but there’s no love, it just goes to the recycle bin. Jesus himself said...

“ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. ”
1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

I once read about a famous pastor/writer from one church who visited a congregation from a different church. I can’t remember the exact details but here is what I know. The pastor went with colleagues, who were eager to show off their “Bible Knowledge” to this congregation. They were greeted warmly by one minister, who mentioned something that didn’t quite agree to what the pastor and his team believed in their own church. But, the pastor didn’t say anything to refute the minister, to the dismay of his companions (eager na nga silang makipag-debate kasi e...). Later, when they asked him why he didn’t make dikdik to the minister, the pastor said that he could do just that, and quite easily, but where would LOVE be if he did just that? Tok! Tinamaan sila ng bato galing langit!

In my work here in Saudi, I handle people of different nationalities, which have a culture, and a level of common sense, very much different from our own. At first, I was easily frustrated, kasi talaga namang #!@&$!?!!!! ang mga taong ito. At one point, one Bangladeshi guy, who is considered the worst case here and who everyone would love to get rid of, really got to my nerves because of his foolishness and irresponsibility, that I issued a directive slapping him with a severe punishment. Management told me that I just say the word and they would kick him back to where he came from. I almost did it... but then I realized... why should I? And then I asked myself WWJD ( What Would Jesus Do?). So, I talked to him, and gave him another chance. He’s been improving ever since, hopefully it would continue. And he told me one time that during his Salah, or the prayers the Muslim people do, he would always pray for me.

Sometimes in our service to Him, we do things this way or that because our own human nature tells us it’s the right thing to do. Yes, I mentioned before that we should do our Sacred Duty with excellence, but if it’s done out of the context of love, then it would be better off if we did nothing at all. Do the following scenarios look familiar :

a) Sure, you delivered that talk with ease and precision and everybody was laughing and clapping their hands – but later you would say how boring and nakaka-antok the next speaker is;

b) Sure, you did a very inspiring sharing that made everyone really cry, even the bato-bato – but later on would remark how the next sharer is just making paikot-ikot and probably was not saying the truth;

c) Sure, you did an excellent number in the cluster assembly or a leadership conference where everyone was dancing and singing their hearts out – but later would remark how the next music ministry makes two much sabit in the way they play or how sintunado their lead singer is.... and so on... and so on.... and not only at our Service to Him, but in others as well.

I remember the story shared by Dondi Nakar, head of our music ministry from the previous community that I attended to. ( I was also part of the music ministry, but this incident happened before I joined ). Now, the group was really good, I mean they are really excellent, and could rival any professional group in terms of musicality, showmanship, technical know-how, equipment and what-have-you. But one time, one religious leader, who also trains music ministry groups, while listening to them perform commented that they were the worst music ministry she has ever heard! Why? Ang galing-galing naman nila a?! (There were really very good?!) It was because they were playing for themselves and not for Him. It was because the music has gone to their heads, and not to lead worship. It was because they were playing to gain praises from the people, and not because it was an outpouring of His Love in their hearts. The group later realized that.... and they had a renewal of their hearts and minds. Now, that same religious leader would listen to them and say – you’re the best there is. And I still believe so!

Let’s do the same brothers and sisters, let’s put LOVE in everything that we do. Let’s put God, who is Love, in the center of everything that we perform. Because it truly is, as Paul puts it, the most excellent way – it’s the only way.

I hope and I pray that each and everyone of you receive his/her RHEMA, or the personal message of God for you, through this letter of mine. May he help you perform your Sacred Duty, full of His presence, full of His Love. And if you received something from this, share it also to others who might need it – just pray to the Lord to inspire you and tell you who it should be. And may the Lord bless you at all times, and help you grow and mature as true Sons and Daughters of the Living God. This I ask and pray in Jesus’ mighty and powerful Name.........


Shalom,
Brod. Pete


“Letters from my Sojourn”
© 2008 by Peter Allan C. Mariano


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