A TIME TO REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE!

Tomorrow is my husband’s birthday. It will be the 8th birthday we will be CELEBRATING together…as a couple and now, as a family. His birthday is made up of many fine and treasured memories of our times together. The Lord has been gracious…oh, yes…too gracious. Like David, I REMEMBER and in prayer I ask;

‘WHO AM I, LORD GOD, AND WHAT IS MY FAMILY, that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, O GOD, You have spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. You have looked on me as though I was the most exalted of me, O God. 1 Chronicles 17:16-17

Our past….has been MEMORABLE
Our present...is PALATABLE
Our future…will be INCREDIBLE

I met my husband almost 8 years ago while he was a missionary brother in the Catholic congregation of the CONVENTUAL FRANCISCANS FRIARS...whose founder was ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI in the 12th Century. On that first birthday together, I gave him a little book with beautiful proverbs and sayings unaware that 8 years down the road…some of the words in that little book who come to pass…in ways unimaginable.

WHEN SEEING IS BELIEVING

Matthew 24:2 “DO YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

From time to time, God causes things to happen in the physical to reaffirm and reassure OUR FAITH. Hence, the topic of today…WHEN SEEING IS BELIEVING.

The above words are Jesus’ spoken to his disciples almost at the end of His earthly ministry. His disciples had drawn his attention to the temple building. And Jesus quickly asked and answered his own question. ” DO YOU SEE….In other words, when you see…you will believe. Shortly after, the disciples went to Him at the Mount of Olives to inquire further into the details…Yes, they needed to know what awaited them in the physical, prior to His return and the End of the Age. Jesus’ answer may have surprised them. Why? Because, the signs which he related to them meant they had to be SEEN with the physical human eyes for one to understand. And here are some of them;

ENLISTED

Matthew 22:2-3, 14 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who have been INVITED to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. ‘For many are INVITED, but few are CHOSEN.”

Friend, before you read this post, I would advice you to read the whole story on the THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING BANQUET in Matthew 22:1-14.

ENLIST means to enter or persuade to enter the ARMED FORCES; to engage or secure a person or his support for a venture, cause etc; to enter into or join an enterprise, cause etc.

This morning I thought about the life of a soldier. Yes, a professional soldier. In case you don’t know, almost all countries in the world have a professionally trained army. Yet, most of them will probably never be on the frontline or battlefields in their lifetime. Then why waste the taxpayers’ money in equipping people who are almost PROFESSIONALLY REDUNDANT all their career lives? you may ask. The answer is simple. Because wars can start anytime…unexpectedly.

If that is the case, a soldier in the army cannot afford to be careless with his life…more so, no matter how long or unlikely a war may seem, a soldier cannot

MARRIED BUT UNLOVED

Genesis 29:30-31 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and HE LOVED RACHEL MORE THAN LEAH. And he worked for Laban another seven years. When the Lord saw the Leah was NOT LOVED, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

LEAH in Hebrew means WEARY, TIRED, TENDER or WEAK.

A simple question for the single person. At what state are you approaching the idea of marriage?
For the married person. At what state did you enter into your marriage? Let’s put some substance into the above questions from the example of Leah’s love story in Genesis 29

Here is Leah, daughter of Laban. Leah had WEAK EYES and most probably unattractive, unlike her younger sister, Rachel who was lovely in form and beautiful. According to their custom, the younger sister could not get married before her elder sister. So here we see a problem. Even through the bible does not mention it, it is most probable that Rachel had many suitors. But NO, none of them were interested in her sister Leah. Hence, right from the start, Leah was always DISADVANTAGED. Not only because she was physically unattractive, but she was seen as

I AM HERE

John 5:5-9 One who was there had been an invalid for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no-one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, SOMEONE ELSE GOES DOWN AHEAD OF ME.” Then Jesus said to him, “GET UP! PICK UP YOUR MAT AND WALK.” At once the man was cured; he pick up his mat and walked.

Here again is a great bible account of Jesus’ healing ministry. But before we overlook something let me put some flesh into the skeleton. Here is a man, invalid for 38 years. Yes, 38 STRAIGHT years. And you are right…his second home is a Pool in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate. As it were, once each year the angel of the Lord came down to stir the waters at the Pool. Hence, the first person who entered after the stirring received their healing. But poor man, for 38 years someone else always outwitted him. Then one day, something changed. Jesus happened to pass by the Pool and learned about his fate.

A JOB PLOT

Job 1:9-11 “Does Job fear God for NOTHING?” Satan replied. Have you not put up a HEDGE around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herd are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely CURSE you to your face.

Two questions came to mind as I read the above scripture verses.
How much does God know about me? How overconfident is Satan about the issues in my life?

You see, Job was a man like you and me…flesh and blood. But there was something that God knew about him that makes me extremely glad. GOD KNEW THAT JOB WAS GOD-FEARING AND SHUNNED EVIL. But Satan had a different and overconfident opinion over this matter. Does Job fear you for nothing? He asked God. And there we go again.

In the past few months, I hear Satan, the accuser of the brethren asking this same question over and over again. DOES

SHE LAUGHED…

Genesis 18:12-14 SO SHE LAUGHED to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Then the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah LAUGH and say, “Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything TOO HARD FOR THE LORD? I will return to you at the APPOINTED TIME next year and Sarah will have a son.”

Yes, we almost always associate laughter with pleasure and a good sense of humor. But no, not so in Sarah’s account. Then, why did she laugh? If you were placed in her shoes, what would be your reaction at such unexpected news? I must admit, I would react the same. Why, because I believe Sarah did not laugh out of PLEASURE, but rather out of FEAR.