Can't Touch This!

So I've been doing more Bible reading recently, and I have to say that truly, the Bible is the word of God. Period.

So since it is God's word talking to me, whenever I read anything: a verse, psalm, chapter, book, anything at all, I place myself in there somewhere, somehow. The results are cool. Powerful!

Let's see if you agree...

Psalm 91

Everyone and their momma should know this Psalm. I remember memorizing it at a young age, when I lived in Venezuela. The funny thing is that whenever I read it, still to this day, regardless of the language I read it in, I read it to a particular tune which is the tune I memorized it with...

Good times.. Good times..

Anyway, this is what you're going to do, it's simple: change each sentence and make it personal.

Example: Verse 7 reads, "Though a thousand falls at your side..."

Instead of 'YOUR', replace it with 'MY'

Now the verse should sound like this: "Though a thousand fall at my side..."

Easy, right? But be careful, always keep in mind who is the one speaking; it's not always going to be you.

So now let's see how powerful God's word really is

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High

will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place
of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue me from every trap
and protect me from deadly disease.
He will cover me with his feathers.
He will shelter me with his wings.
His faithful promises are my armor and protection.

"I will not be afraid of the terrors of
the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.
I will not dread the disease that stalks
in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes
at midday. Though a thousand fall
at my side, though ten thousand
are dying around me, these evils will not
touch me. I will open my eyes and see
how the wicked are punished.

"If I make the Lord my refuge,
if I make the Most High my shelter,
no evil will conquer me; no plague
will come near my home.
For he will order his angels to protect me
wherever I go. They will hold me up with
their hands so I won't even
hurt my foot on a stone.

I will trample upon lions and cobras;
I will crush fierce lions and serpents
under my feet!

"The Lord says, 'I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer.
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.' "

WOW!

Take a minute and let it sink..

This is where I was blown away, verse 13:

"I will trample upon lions and cobras; I will crush

fierce lions and serpents under my feet!"

I wear a size 10 in shoes. On a good day, 10.5 maybe even 11.

I also know that lions are HUGE animals! And I wouldn't mess with a serpent,
let alone a cobra with a ten foot pole, or even if you payed me to do it!

So what the heck is this dude talking about trampling and crushing lions and cobras and stuff?

I know David was brave and all, but how about those of us who didn't kill Goliath..?

That's not what he was referring to..

The Amplified Bible version reads, "And I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel." Genesis 3:15

"Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon - the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world - was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." Revelations 12:7-9

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

Check it

"If I make the Lord my refuge, if I make the Most High my shelter..." I will trample and crush that fierce lion and cobra, that old ancient son-of-a-gun, the devil - called Satan. In other words, I will be picking his gooey brain from under my shoes! In other words, through the power God has given me, this dude cannot touch me! In other words, ... get it?

Now check out how AWESOME my God is:

count the number of promises he will deliver on..

The Lord says:

1. I will rescue...

2. I will protect...

3. I will answer...

4. I will be with...
5. I will honor...
6. I will reward with a long life
7. I will give them my salvation

Seven. God's perfect number.

This can only mean one thing: God will always deliver, as he always does

Dudes and Dudettes, God's word is only powerful if I claim it for me.

"God of Wonders" by Third Day

Sound of Silence

I've never realized it until recently, but many of us are afraid of silence. Have you ever thought of that? For starters, have you ever seen a silent film? You see, in college I majored in Film and Media Studies, so I know a thing or two about silent films. Before sound was introduced to art of movie making, movies were silent. The only sound you'd get would be the music of a live band playing in the theater, right there, at the moment you and your friends (or date) were watching the movie! At times there was even a guy functioning as an MC who would narrate what was being seen on screen. Yet, there were times that no band and no MC were present, so everyone in the theater were literally quietly watching a silent film.

Think about that...

Can you imagine going to see 300 as a silent film?

or

Titanic?

or

Star Wars; any of the many out there?

How about while driving, can you drive without listening to your radio or a CD or iPod? I mean, I can point out many other examples, but I'm guessing that by now the point is becoming a bit clearer.

One of the reasons why I hate doctor offices or any of these type of offices is because it's so quiet! Not only that, but the person you go see - in this case the doctor - forces you to sit and wait quietly. Unless you have someone else with you, ain't no one to talk to! That's why you may find yourself taking a book with you, or reading a magazine, or listening to music from the iPod or cellphone. Or just sitting there dying of boredom, patiently waiting for someone to tell you the doctor is ready to see you... FINALLY!

So the question stands: what is it about silence that bothers us - that bothers me - so much? Just yesterday I was in my friend's car talking and we had a moment where no one was saying anything, maybe 20 seconds. Instantly, she felt uncomfortable and expressed how she didn't like the quiet. So she turned car radio on. I asked her what was so wrong with a little bit of quiet and she replied, "I don't know, I just don't like silence."

So I pose the question again: what's the deal with silence?

Imagine being in a classroom, one of those state university type classes with some crazy number, like 1500 students in one class and everyone, ALL 1500, are talking. You - #1501 - are trying to hear what your 87 year old professor is trying to say... keep that in mind, for now.

1 Kings 19

" 'Go out and stand before me on the mountain,' the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gently whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' " 1 Kings 19:11-13

Interesting.

If anyone knew about God in this passage and at that time it was the Elijah. Needless to say that he was running away from fear that what's-her-face, Jezebel, was going to kill him. No ifs or buts about it. She didn't just want to kill him for no reason.. she had her great reasons.

First, because of this so called prophet of God - you know, the Elijah guy - there was no rain nor dew for a hot minute. As a matter of fact, until he - you know, that guy - gave the word. Translation: no water = no crops = no food = famine = people dying = a nation of funky people = Jeze is upset, to say the least.

Then, Elijah challenges Jeze's crew to see whose god is the True God (chapter 18). Long story short, Elijah ends up killing all of Jeze's crew, 850 in total.

Now, you tell me, didn't she have a reason to wanna kill him?.. I'll let you answer that.

So Elijah finds himself hiding and God tells him to go wait for him on the mountain; nothing to make of that. Like a faithful and obedient servant, the prophet goes and is waiting for God to show up. Now, this is God we're talking about, you know, JEHOVAH, The Almighty...

He is one of those dudes who knows how to make an entrance. And when he does, everyone knows about it! I mean, lightning flashes and thunder rolls, and the winds blow, and the trees shake, and the waters tremble and the earth quakes... We've heard it all before. Elijah knew it all too well, since just a few days earlier had God appeared through the fire that consumed his altar and not that of Jeze's crew.

I am almost positive that Elijah had a clear sense of how God was going to appear to him on the mountain. But, boy! How wrong was he!

"...and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose". After ducking a few rocks and running wildly for his life, I imagine Elijah, thinking that God was on the mountain wondered, "Lord, what an entrance! Are you there?"

"but the Lord was not in the wind"

"After the wind there was an earthquake..." Since homeslice did not get a response the first time, he probably thought it was the weather. However, this earthquake had to be God.

"but the Lord was not in the earthquake." 1 Kings 19:11

"And after the earthquake there was a fire..." By then, Elijah probably wanted to peace-out and just go somewhere, because if God, who knows how to make an entrance was not in the wind, was not in the earthquake, then he wasn't going to show up! That thought quickly changed when he saw the fire. "Yeah! My God is HOT like fiya!" So contemplating the scene, Elijah surely yelled out, "Lord, you're hot alright! Is that you?"

"but the Lord was not in the fire." 1 Kings 19:12

"What the..." Before Elijah even finished the thought, he noticed something strange, unusual. All three events produced some loud sounds, I'm sure. And it's not like they're separated by several hours.. I mean, this was one after the other!

So why is it so still and quiet all of a sudden...?

The Amplified Bible version reads, "...and after the fire a sound of gentle stillness."

I imagine the prophet didn't even want to breathe, that's how still and quiet it was. He patiently waited to see what was going to happen next. In those seconds, minutes, hours of stillness, Elijah understood and it made sense to him.

"When Elijah heard it [the sound of a gentle stillness], he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave." 1 Kings 19:13

Check it

God did not speak through the wind, although he could have.
God did not speak through the quake, although he could have.
God did not speak through the fire, although he could have.

He spoke in the sound of a gentle stillness and instructed the prophet.

Why am I so afraid of the silence?

Elijah was going through some stuff! And it was not until he found himself alone, on the mountain, waiting for God to appear, that he received his instructions from God in the sound of a gentle stillness.

STRONG WIND + EARTHQUAKE + FIRE = the commotions of everyday life

Dude, Dudette, there is too much movement in your life - in my life. How can I possibly hear God's voice instructing me if I am constantly moving? How can you hear what your 87 year old professor is trying to say if all 1500 students don't shut it up? How can I hear him in the rumbling of the stones falling down on me or the earth quaking beneath me or the fire that surrounds me? He can certainly speak to me regardless of these things; however, he tells me

"Be still, and know that I am God!" Psalms 46:10.

We, I must "wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him." Psalms 62:1.

I will "wait patiently for the Lord. [ I will] Be brave and courageous. Yes, [I, me, this guy, the author of this entry, I will] wait patiently for the Lord." Psalms 27:14

For in the sound of a gentle stillness my God will answer me and lift this pain I hold deeply in my heart...



"It Is Well With My Soul" by Chris Rice

The Love of God

THE BEGINNING


I was in love, once. Actually, I still am. But that doesn't matter. I thought I was loved, once. Then I learned that it was not at all the case...

It was all too perfect. We had spent so many years together and still it looked like we had just begun dating but days ago. Everywhere we went, we were the show-stoppers, the couple who made people's head turn, the cutest couple. We made people jealous. We gave people hope. Someone once commented about us on a picture:

"True love never fails; they've (as in me and her) taught me that."

We even had times when we spoke about how impossible it was for either of us to see ourselves with anyone else. At one point, she got so angry as she visualized me dating or being with someone else. I didn't get angry, but the thought of her and someone else always bothered me. Greatly.

If you knew me, you knew her. If you knew her, you knew me.

We began acting alike. Talking alike. Thinking alike.

She would start a thought, and before she could get it out, I'd finish it, and then we'd laugh at how strange the moment was.
There were days where we simply could not stay off of each other. I remember once I was going to play basketball, something I usually did at the time, and the sadness on her face because I was leaving made me stay. I couldn't leave and see her this sad about me leaving; I didn't want to hurt my Baby. So I stayed. And we kicked it. And it was fun!

We believed that there was nothing we couldn't tackle as long as we were together. I loved her with a passion that scared me. She seemed to have loved me too... I knew exactly what to do to make her smile, to make her happy, to make her mad. I was convinced (and sadly I still am) that I was the only person in the world that could make her the happiest, ever. And that no matter what, no matter when, no matter where, no one else would or could ever take my place...

I was in love, once...

One of his most amazing creations had just betrayed him. There was none other like him. From all the beings that were created, he was the cream of the crop. Gorgeous, extremely talented, powerful, a natural created leader. He thought he was the best thing in wings... but he was not in the same league as The Father or The Son or The Holy Ghost.

In a flash Lucifer changed and chaos erupted. In a flash he and a host of other angels found themselves free falling from the place that was now once their home. God was hurt, very hurt. Maybe the pain was not as bad, after all, these dudes came about simply because he spoke and they appeared. So he had an ingenious plan.

"So God created human beings in his own image..." Genesis 1:27

God was in love! He knew they were going to be something special, but he probably didn't realize that they were going to be something special! He probably thought, "Did I really just do that? Boy, am I good!" Then it hit him that the form in front of him was not alive yet, so "he breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person" Genesis 2:7

This time he thought, "I took my time to make them. They aren't just a spoken word. They are my time, the works of my hands, my imagination, my image, my breath, my everything, my perfection incarnated." God was in love! He began spending a lot of time with the humans. They would start a thought and he would finish it. And then they'd laugh at how weird that moment was. If you knew them, you knew him. If you knew him, you knew them.

The other beings looked up to this perfect couple. Wherever they'd go, they were the show-stoppers, the ones who made heads turn and wings flap louder. They began acting like each other, talking like each other, thinking like each other. There was nothing they couldn't do together. I'm sure at some point, the thought of ever being with anyone else infuriated both sides. An angel once commented to another:

"True love never fails; they've taught me that."

Once God had to go back up to heaven, something he usually did at the time, and the sadness in their faces made him spend the night. There was no way he could leave them. There was no way they wanted him to go. God couldn't of left and seen them this sad; he didn't want to hurt his Baby. So he stayed. They kicked it. And it was fun!

He knew exactly what to do to make them smile, to make them happy, to make them mad. He was convinced that he was the only person in the world that could make them the happiest, ever. And that no matter what, no matter when, no matter where, no one else would or could ever take his place...

God was in love, still...

THE BREAK UP

Then things started to change a little bit. I began noticing that she no longer wanted to spend time with me. She had just gotten hired, and all of a sudden, I fell into second place. It wasn't because of how demanding her job might of been, for as strange as it sounds, she became addicted to her job and the people there. Then, things started falling deeper and deeper, faster and faster. I no longer mattered. We began arguing over stupid things. Lies. Secrets. Deception. I no longer was able to hold her attention. Her attention was now being devoted to her new love... People started getting in the way. Things started getting in the way. The idea of being with someone else was no longer something to get angry about.

I love you's were empty. I miss you's were robotic. It didn't matter whether I stayed or left to play ball. Lies. Secrets. Deception. The cute names between couples ceased. Our relationship, our friendship, our togetherness, everything no longer mattered. I wonder if it ever did...

We used to believe no one else could ever take our place in each others lives; now someone else sits comfortably in my place. While my heart breaks, his heart lives. While I'm filled with pain, he's filled with happiness. While I cry, he laughs (and laughs at me, for sure). While for me there is no more chance, he is presented with endless possibilities.

I was in love, once...

Then things started changing between God and his Baby. They no longer felt as excited to see him when he came by. He no longer held their attention. God noticed something was on their mind, rather, someone else. It didn't matter whether he stayed the night or went back to wherever he came from.

I love you's were empty. I miss you's were robotic. Where once he was called Beautiful One, Almighty, Precious One, Light of the World, Beginning and End, Unfailing Love, King of kings, Alpha and Omega, The Great I AM, now he was simply God. All of a sudden, things started to fall deeper and deeper, faster and faster. Their relationship, their friendship, their togetherness, everything no longer mattered. He wonder if it ever did...

They had gotten addicted to something else. It started getting in the way. Something else had found the path to their hearts. He believed that nothing or no one could have taken his place. Now, someone else was sitting comfortably in his place.

I am sure God thought, "While my heart breaks, his heart lives. While I'm filled with pain, he's filled with happiness. While I cry, he laughs (and laughs at me, for sure). While for me there is no more chance, he is presented with endless possibilities."

God was in love, still...

THE QUESTIONS

What happened? What did I do wrong? Why did she all of a sudden stop loving me? Am I that bad? Why'd she throw me away like a filthy rag? Why don't I matter anymore? Did I ever..? Was my love not good enough? Did she ever even love me? How long has this been going on? Why didn't I notice it at first? Why is this happening to me? Don't I deserve to be loved too? Don't I deserve to have someone to love? We were about to take it to the next level... why now? Why like this? When did I become so worthless? When did I become so useless? Why has she given him a chance? I thought true love never failed! What he offered her that I wasn't able to give her? Why doesn't she give a damn about me? I thought she loved me... I thought we were always supposed to be together... Doesn't the thought of being with another one anger her anymore? Why she letting him laugh to my face? Why him? Why not me? Am I that unattractive? Was I too boring? Was I too close minded?

Don't I deserve to be loved, too?

Didn't I give them everything they ever wanted? Did I spend too little time with them? Didn't I matter to them? Did I ever..? What did I do wrong? When did I become so worthless? When did I become so useless? Why are they letting him laugh to my face? I thought they loved me... Was my love not good enough? Was it not strong enough? Was it not clear enough? How long had this been going on? Am I that unattractive? Doesn't the thought of another one anger them anymore? Why don't they give a damn about me? Why did they let him get in the way? We were about to take it to the next level... Was I too boring? Was I too demanding? I gave them everything they could possibly need and want..! Am I not worth their time too? Is it that hard to be in love with me? Don't my feelings matter?

Don't I deserve to be loved, too..?

THE TOMORROW

So now I walk around with nothing put pain in my heart. I see those with their significant other and I get saddened, because I have no one to love me in that way. It's a kind of pain that I wouldn't want anyone to experience, the kind of pain where the one you love so much simply doesn't love you back, anymore. She and I were about to get married this coming April. I placed the ring on her finger, got her parent's blessings and permission. Now the ring sits in my room in its box. Her wedding dress was already bought. Now it just hangs somewhere. We even had the name of our children picked out... pathetic, I know. It hurts. God, it hurts!

To see her willing to give someone else a chance... She rather starts all over again, learning how to love again, while someone who already loves her is standing right in front of her, and it doesn't matter. It's a different feeling when you know for sure that you don't matter to the one who matters to you...

That's what I walk around with. I don't smile. I don't laugh. I don't sleep. Whether day or night, this pain is my only companion. I'm trying so hard to move on. I have friends and trusted people telling me sound advice, praying for me. But it hurts. She was supposed to be my wife... (I'm sorry, tears came down my eyes)

"He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care." Isaiah 53:3

THE MYSTERY

"Yet it was our weakness he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!

"But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed... He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word... Unjustly condemned he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream... He had done no wrong and never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal..." Isaiah 53:4-9

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son..." John 3:16

Why does God love me so much that he is willing to do whatever...? I don't know. But I can understand a little bit of it now that I am in a similar place, and would be willing to do almost whatever myself. I've had those who know more about my pain ask me, "Would you take her back?" With all the pain this has caused me, my honest answer is "Yes, I'd take her back, still." God knows under what circumstances and the in and outs of my answer - you won't understand because you don't know.

Pathetic, I know. But I guess the angels can say the same thing about God - I'm sure they don't...

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38,39.

I guess that's why it's a mystery, God's love is.

"The Love of God" by MercyMe

Lamentations

Sometimes in life we find ourselves in very painful and nasty situations. We could be doing everything right, yet we experience nothing but wrong. And we try to keep pushing, to keep moving forward, to keep fighting. And the more we push, the more we try to move, the more we fight we're pulled, we're stuck, we're knocked down, hard.

But that's just the beginning. It's OK to be knocked down once, right? As long as we get back up and keep trying to find ways to just remain afloat. But life is like a lurking shark in deep blue open waters. It senses movement. It senses your trying. It senses your fighting. It senses. It assesses. Then before you know it, you feel an overwhelmingly burning sensation, then you the blue around you becomes red: life just bit a chunk of your leg off...

We all think we are good people, at least. We've all wondered: why is this happening to me? I'm a good person! And we're baffled by the discovery that it's not about that; no, not at all.

Then what is it all about?

For some reason, regardless of what the answer to that question is, it's never satisfying. So we complain.

Why is this happening to me?

What have I done to deserve this?

This is unfair!

Where the heck is God?

God is picking on me!

Does God even exist?

Man, (insert whatever) God! He can ---

I've had a few of those moments recently, and at times have not been too far from crossing that line, you know? I've asked Him some very intense questions, questions that one ask only when they're feeling a certain level of pain inside, feel me? The type of questions that makes others around you a bit uncomfortable because they'd never dare ask so boldly. Most of these questions star[ted] with a "Why is" and "What have I done".

I'm not the first person to have done that, you know, the whole asking God questions and such. If you haven't done it, read the entire book of JOB.

Here is a man going about his own business, doing everything right, and next thing you know, from a day to a night, he was thrown down to the pits of utter misery.

"There once was a man named JOB who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless - a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil." Job 1:1

In one day, this guy lost everything he ever possessed! That may not mean much to us today, delineating everything he had, but to place it in the proper context of how we measure today's wealth, I'll paint two scenarios:

A. Imagine the wealthiest person in the world, Bill Gates. In one day, he looses everything he owns... E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

OK, that doesn't mean anything

B. Imagine everything you have, I mean everything, from the most significant to the most insignificant. Imagine everything being taken away from you. Bank account: drained. Job: lost. Food: none. Family: gone. Friends: all you see are their backs. Car: gone. Clothes: one. Health: hanging by a thread. Nowhere to go. No place to hide.

OK, that should mean at least something

"I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!" Job 1:21

Say what? It seems that JOB had it all figured out. I mean, he had to, because no one in their right mind would praise God going through what he was beginning to go through.

But later on in the story, JOB finds himself having to answer,

"Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them." Job 38:2,3

That was God's way of telling me to fall back, and stop 'questioning His wisdom with ignorant words'.

So then I begin asking Him to make me understand the purpose of what I was [am still] going through. He text me:

" 'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.' " Isaiah 55:8,9

I can't argue with that, for as much as I may want to. So I took the next step and asked Him to make me understand His ways, or at least try to; and this is where I am right now, today. And this is where I'll leave it, for now:

The faithfulness of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin
afresh each morning. I say to myself,
"The Lord is my inheritance; therefore; I will hope in him!"

The Lord is good to those who depend on him,

to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.
And it is good for people to submit
at an early age to the yoke of his discipline:
Let them sit alone in silence
beneath the Lord's demands.
Let them lie face down in the dust,
for there may be hope at last.
Let them turn the other cheek to those
who strike them and accept the
insults of their enemies.

For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever.

Though he brings grief,

he also shows compassion because of

the greatness of his unfailing love.

For he does not enjoy hurting people

or causing them sorrow.

If people crushed underfoot
all the prisoners of the land, if they
deprive others of their rights in
defiance of the Most High, if they
twist justice in the courts--
doesn't the Lord see all these things?

Who can command things to happen
without the Lord's permission?
Does not the Most High send both calamity and good?

Then why should we, mere humans, complain
when we are punished for our sins?

Instead, let us test and examine our ways.
Let us turn back to the Lord.

Lamentations 3:22-40

Enjoy "Revelation Song" by Philips, Craig & Dean from their new album Fearless

Look Closer

Things happen to everyone everyday. Lately, I've been going through some very tough times. Just recently, I found myself upset at God, telling him how unfair whatever I was/am going through is. I even pointed my finger at him while I was saying that too, tears streaming down my face, the veins on my face bulging out.


I even questioned his whereabouts now that I was/am the one who need(ed) him the most. I told my friends, who were with me at that moment, "You hear over and over again in the Bible that God knows everything, God hears our every cries, God this, God that... Where the heck is he now that I need him?"

Watch this skit: "Everything" by Lifehouse. ONce you're done, keep reading below...

That day I found the answer: God was right there, by my side, showing me his love through a little baby.


You see, my friends have a baby boy, Andrew, that I consider my nephew. The entire afternoon he was cranky and whining a lot. Until he got to my house, and saw his Tio (uncle) crying in pain.

If it's safe to say, he forgot about the discomforts he was feeling, and when he saw me--better yet, when God saw me--he reached out to me in the form of Andrew's hands to caress my face, my head, my back. He put a smile on my face, and made me forget about everything I was dealing with.

As a side note: it is great to have Christian friends. The entire time, without knowing, both of them were praying that God showed his love towards me through their baby. And he did!

That's when I realized something: the times I don't see God or think he's not near, it's not because of any other reason than me allowing so many other things--people--get in the way, blocking my clear view of him.

It's not his fault.

It's my fault.

Enjoy "Everything" by Lifehouse

Beware of the 'IF' in Life

I'm gonna be a man about it and put my business out there, regardless of what anyone may think about me afterward: I'm afraid of mice. A lot! The fact that something so much smaller than me can move so much faster than me and fit in holes so much smaller than its own body... that just freaks me out. A lot!

That's why I say be afraid of the quiet and small ones--or things--because you never know... you never know


IF

It's small and quiet; 'IF' is. A perfect formula to strike fear. Instead it strikes doubt in the mind of the one who tries to confront it. You see, 'IF' is the perfect military strategist. It knows it cannot overpower the enemy on the outside, because the enemy is too strong. So it presents itself for what it is: small and quiet. Its goal: inner destruction. It has not need to speak, because once present, the enemy has two equally fatal choices:

A. Say its name out loud, allowing easy access to the mind

B. Simply look at it and say its name in the mind

Either way, the mind is where it going to reach, so the enemy picks his poison; regardless, defeat is inevitable, when faced with 'IF'.

And it's so subtle, 'IF' is. It's kind of like watching a movie with a subtle tune in the background that at first you don't notice, but once the tune stops, you notice its absence after a while--if you even notice.

Know what I mean?

That's what makes 'IF' so dangerous, how subtle it is. It reminds me of this story I once heard:

Two lions were starving! One was much older and wiser than the other.

After hours of searching the terrain for food, they spotted a herd of Zebras down by the greenery. Finally, they will have some food! But the younger noticed something strange in his companions behavior. "What's the matter with you? Let's run down roaring so we can get ourselves one of these Zebras!" he said. The much older lion replied, "Run down and they'll flee from fear. Walk down subtly and we can catch as many as we want."

Genesis 3

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said, 'Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" Genesis 3:1

I gotta give props to it: the serpent is a smooth animal. He was real smooth with it. It pretended as if--oh! oh! here goes that word--it didn't know what God really said to Adam and Eve. If it hasn't hit you yet, that's what's called the hook. The 'hook' is that catch phrase or that question that engages you in a thought process or a conversation, mainly to end up buying or doing something you initially didn't want to.

"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [as she giggles: Silly!]” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die." Genesis 3:2,3

Eve was hooked!

"You won’t die! [as it giggles: Silly!]" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." Genesis 3:4,5

Matthew 4

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry." Matthew 4:1,2

This guy was hard core; Jesus was. I didn't go into no desert for forty days and forty nights after I got baptized to fast; I don't know about you. But Jesus did. For a month and nine/ten days (give or take) Jesus had no food, no water--granted he didn't go in February, that is.

Ever been hungry? Better yet, ever been starving? Ever spent a month and some days without eating? Imagine the hungriest you've ever been in your life so far, and multiply it by... a lot!

"During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread." Matthew 4:3

Check it.

'IF' has an interesting characteristic about it. It takes a fact, something known, established, concrete, changes its entire nature and distorts it into a lie, a condition, anything else...

Fact

"So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

Lie

"You won’t die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." Genesis 3:4,5

Fact

"After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy'." Matthew 3:16,17

Condition

"During that time the devil came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread."
Matthew 4:3

The walk down that road is not a good one, because there is nothing but doubt, deception, hurt, and too many unanswered questions. Unfortunately for us, Eve and Adam were unable to resist and defeat the powers of 'IF'. Fortunately for us, our last hope did not depend on them. Fortunately for us, our final hope depended on the One who not only resisted but defeated the powers of 'IF' and its #1 fan, Jesus!

So here we are, on life's journey. Not an easy one; no, not at all! And we experience many things, tough things, that makes us question God. I was recently speaking to a friend who, unfortunately, is seeing his parent's marriage crumble before his eyes. And this dude is feeling the full blow. Having been there myself but a year or so ago, I know what he is going through and the things that are going on in his mind.

So we sit down to talk, and it's good that he spoke and got many things off of his chest. I remember telling him that when I was in his place now, I asked God many questions. I asked God a whole lot of "why's". At the same time there were many other questions racing in my head--just like they were racing in his head--just like they race through your head. And Satan seizes the opportunity: "If God loves you so much, why is he letting you go through this hard times?" "If God loves you so much, why doesn't he make the pain go away?"

"If God loves you so much, why is he letting your parents get a divorce?" "If God loves you so much, why did he let [insert name] die like that?" "If he's such a loving God, why doesn't he do anything about it?" "Why didn't he do a miracle like he did back in the days?" "If he's soo good, why didn't he do as you asked? Didn't he say 'to whom asks it will be given'?"

I can keep on going, trust me

But like I told my friend, these are very legitimate questions that are not legitimate at all. What Satan is trying to make you forget--to make me forget-- is that "...faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

So when Satan throws an 'IF' at me--at you-- I'd respond like this: "It is because God loves me he is allowing me to go through hard times! He obviously sees something I cannot see, so I am trusting that he will lead me through whatever the situation may be."

But a better response is this: "Get out of here, Satan, for the Scriptures say..." Matthew 4:10

I want to respond like Jesus when he stood face to face with an 'IF'.

Always remember that God promised he'd be with you (and me) ALWAYS, even after this world is destroyed! So beware of the 'IF' in lIFe.



Enjoy "La Belleza de la Cruz" (The Beauty of the Cross) by Cristal Lewis