Where is your focus?

Moderator: Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen. We have a new subject today. Where is your focus? Our usual guests are here. We are always privileged to have them. Beth, the floor is yours.

Beth: thank you, Moderator. It is always a pleasure to be here. About a week ago, my Father told me to focus on him. Mind you, this isn't my biological father. He passed

away when I was twelve years of age. This is my Heavenly Father. It was a difficult task because my mind was traveling in many different directions at a rate of 1000 miles an hour. But I tried. Few times, I fell asleep. But tried again. On an early Saturday morning, I tried again. While doing so, I felt some stomach pain. I just laid my hands on it without thinking about it. Then I noticed that the pain was gone. It was a WOW moment. I didn't pray for the pain to be gone. It just left. Yesterday, I had another chemotherapy session. The nurse was having a hard time finding a good vein. Once she did and during insertion, it would be painful. Now I would usually take a deep breath to minimize the pain. This time with the deep breathing, I focused on my dear Savior. The pain was very tolerable; almost nonexistent. Now, I am addicted to focusing on him. And not just because he heals me, but because I find rest in him.

Moderator: Wow indeed. Welcome Father, so glad you are here. And cannot wait to hear what you have to say.

Father: thank you, Moderator, always a pleasure to be here because I love all of my children. I said once in the book of Matthew 11 that whoever is burdened and heavy laden and comes to me, I will him / her rest. Although I love all of my children whether they know me or not, I cannot help them until they come to me. I want a relationship with all of them. Some want it, too. But many just want to acknowledge me from afar.

There are those who claim I do not exist. I love them all. It is worth repeating. I sacrificed my only Son to be able to adopt many, many more sons and daughters. I want my family to be complete. I want my family to truly love one another just as I love each one of them. There is responsibility and accountability. But there is also joy, peace, and rest among other things. As long as they all fix their eyes and minds on me, they will always have all of me as well as my rest. Thank you, Moderator, for having me.

Moderator: thank you Father. It is never enough to thank you. I can spend the rest of my life thanking you. Thank you, Reader, for taking the time to read this experience. I hope you have known what true rest really means. If not, test where your focus is. And what that focus is breeding in your life. Until next time, stay blessed. 

Questions

This is unusual for me to do. But I have some thoughts that I could not envelope in a story and have no commonality. This is basically a string of questions that many may have including me.

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, the question was why? Why me? Although I heard many religious leaders say one thing or another, the number one person’s thoughts that mattered to me was Jesus Christ. And I asked him. And he answered. Even after getting his answer, I tended to veer in other directions. The problem is not in him. The problem is in distractions. Satan loves to distract. Some of the answers that I heard from religious leaders were: there is a sin that needed to be cleansed, God is removing some rubbish such as complacency and laziness, a spiritual battle, a trial, a test, preparation for eternity, preparation for his glory, etc … Right before my diagnosis, I started getting more serious about God. In my experience, everything I say is usually tested. And this is no different. The turmoil that followed is unforgettable and unspeakable. It is one of those experiences where you have to walk in another’s shoes for a mile to really understand.

When I first received chemotherapy treatment, several people including my oncologist stated that chemotherapy is poison. Isn’t that a moral dilemma? God can protect me from this poison per Mark 16:17-18.

One of the endearing characteristics of Jesus Christ is that he uses one circumstance to accomplish many things. He had one main reason for the experience, but it is accomplishing many. It is a battle. I am also being cleansed and prepared for something which I do not know yet. I just hope I retain and use everything I learned. I believe he is healing on a deeper level. I tend to suppress my emotions because these are not right or “proper”. This suppression causes many illnesses. Our bodies were not created for that kind of stress. As time went by, we have forgotten how to release our burdens. And that is exactly what God wants to do; give us rest. ~ Matthew 11: 28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

I have always sought God’s will in my life. It wasn’t because I was religious, righteous, or even good. It is because I was and probably still am a coward. I wanted someone else to make decisions for me because I wouldn’t be responsible for the consequences. Boy, was I wrong! We all suffer when an associate makes a bad decision. We suffer when our ancestors made wrong decisions. It is part of life.

One thing I kept hearing over and over again is that God allowed this illness or this circumstance; the reference being the book of Job. I question that. I know God is good. I also know that I am his daughter through the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. Would I, as a human being, allow someone to hurt a loved one especially a child of mine? Why would God do that? He even said in Matthew 7:9-11: “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” It seems to me that my decisions and choices are the ones that get me into trouble whether I know the consequences or not. For every choice, there is consequence even generational. Sometimes we are ignorant of the consequences. If I know that eating a certain food will cause me to be ill and I eat it anyway, what should I expect? If I don’t know, what will happen? God mentioned several times in the Bible that his people perish / get exiled for lack of knowledge. ~ Hosea 4:6 and Isaiah 5:13.

Guess what? There are lies a plenty in this world. Satan thrives on lies. ~ John 8:44. Because his aim is to steal, kill, and destroy everyone and everything God loves. ~ John 10:10. It is our responsibility to gain knowledge and truth by asking, seeking, and knocking until we get an answer. ~ Matthew 7:7-8. And God is faithful. He will answer at the perfect time.

Throughout life, I‘ve heard references of how the good die young or the wickeds’ days are cut short. It is in the Bible both ways. I’ve seen both during my lifetime.  Which one is it? The good die young or the evil does? This is purely a generalization. Is this a defense mechanism to deal with pain?

Another thing I kept hearing is that cancer is a sure ticket to heaven. Really? How? What I know is that belief in Jesus Christ as a personal savior and son of God is the sure ticket to heaven, not disease. His redemptive work reconciled me to God, the father. This idea diminishes the whole ministry of Jesus. Why would he heal the sick if sickness would transport people to heaven? It doesn’t follow. Another lie? This seems to be a tactic to please people so they would not get too upset and leave a certain denominational church. At what price? Their eternity and the church leaders’ eternity? The church leaders are under greater judgment at the end because they are responsible for what they teach. ~ James 3:1.       

Church leaders encourage people to serve in the churches and give money. Very few actually encourage them to get to know God better; to draw closer to Jesus Christ, to whet their appetites with morsels from the Bible. Many condemn the people for their actions or lack of, yet, few speak of the love of Christ. Many state what God will do for them if they did such and such or gave a certain amount of money, yet few speak of what Jesus Christ already did. Who or what are we focused on? If the churches want to see the miraculous, they need to get serious about God.  

Religion or relationship? If I venture to be bold, I’d say that we are all religious. We are religious in attending school, going to work, eating, personal hygiene, doing daily things that we need to do. Most of us attend religious services. All religions have commandments and rules that we need to adhere to. Christianity is no different, that is, if you want to look at it as a religion. We have to attend church, we have to read the Bible, we have to pray, we have to love our neighbors and much worst, we have to love our enemies! It is such a burden. “We have to” is a tricky phrase. Why? Why do I have to? If you think about it a little further, all religions are such burdens. By the way, atheism is a religion. According to thefreedictonary.com, religion is defined as “a cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.” Fanaticism and extremism is born of religion. Mental illnesses are born of religion. Being zealous is very good, in fact, as long as you know the reason. ~ Galatians 4:18. Some think they are following the truth; while others negate that same truth. Is it really truth?

Unlike other religions, Christianity is about relationship. It is a relationship between two persons who love each other. You have tried it. I have tried it. There is nothing more satisfying than spending time with a loved one. The number one regret of many on their death beds is that they didn’t get to spend a lot of time with their loved ones. Everything else didn’t seem to matter. Who are the two persons spending time together? Jesus Christ and any person. Out of this love relationship, something beautiful begins to grow. I start to change and become more like him. He doesn’t change. He is eternal. I can always change for the better. So the burdensome commands in the Bible are not so troublesome.  Because I do them for someone who loves me and I love him. It becomes easier with him lightening the load. ~ Matthew 11: 28-30.

I see pain, sorrow, death, and illness everywhere. It breaks my heart. I know God is the healer and restorer, yet, I do not see him working. I know he is. He listens to prayers and always responds at the perfect time. My prayer for everyone is to know the truth, the whole truth, the absolute truth, and nothing else.

Self worth?

What is self worth?
How does one get self worth? Tangible or intangible sources?
Do all people have self worth?
Does it really matter to have self worth?
Does self worth or lack of it affect other areas of one's life?

What is one's identity?
How do we define ourselves? Tangible or intangible sources?
Is self worth related to one's identity?

I approached it with trepidation. You see, I do not want to state anything I do not believe as truth. It is a hard question to tackle. What is it? What is IT? Can we start with what it is not? It is not in jobs or careers for they can be lost or no longer interesting. It cannot be in money for money has a way of forsaking us. Cars? Property? They tend to get older and lose their novelty. Besides, the newer is better and bigger. Right? It is like a mirage. People? They tend to be fickle. Depending on someone who is unpredictable (and all of us are unpredictable; at least once in a while) is like leaning on an elastic surface. You would only get whiplash. SO it is not tangible. It must intangible, right?

Identity is who I am. What is my personality? What do I look like? Preferences? You get the picture. How I view, value, and treat myself is self worth. They are different, but interrelated. I have to know who I am to value myself correctly. Do we all have self worth? Sadly, no. We all ought to have self worth for each of us is a work of art (more on that below). It matters to have it. For when we value ourselves, we are qualified to value others. Thus, it makes it very important as well as affects every area of our lives for people are everywhere. And we have to deal with people daily, right?

Each one of us is unique. Each was made with a hole in self that cannot be filled with anything or anyone other than the author. He crafted this piece of art with unconditional love, grace, and kindness. He saw himself in the mirror and carved each person according to the image he saw in the mirror. He breathed into the person to give latter life. I heard of an auction where a violin was up for bid. It was worn out, dusty, broken in several places, and strings were abused. The auctioneer looked at it with disgust and started the bid at one dollar. Absolutely no one wanted to bid the dollar. In walked the violin maker. He kept walking until he reached the auctioneer, grabbed the violin, dusted it, fixed the strings, made some minor adjustments, held it up, and started playing. Everyone was captivated with the melodies. He stopped playing, handed it back to the auctioneer, and walked out. Everyone bid like crazy trying to own this mesmerizing musical instrument. It was too valuable for each of them. The moral of the story? In the hands of the maker, the created being can be fixed, restored, and play beautiful music.

I personally found self worth and identity in Jesus Christ. No, not religion. Relationship. 

And you, my friend, on what do you base your worth and identity? 

On Thanksgiving

Bible reference: Genesis chapters 37 and 39 through 50.

It is a matter of perspective. Which will you choose?

Poor Joseph. He was betrayed by his brothers and sold to be a slave. He became a slave to Potiphar. Latter’s wife eyed Joseph and pursued him. When she didn’t get what she wanted, she accused him of wrongdoing. It wasn’t bad enough being a slave, but to be an imprisoned slave! And for what? For doing right?! Years pass by and it felt like Joseph was forgotten by God. Whatever happened to his dreams? Did God give him those dreams? Or … these were substances of his imagination? Two of the king’s officials get imprisoned with him. They dream very worrisome dreams since they do not understand them. Joseph interpreted the dreams and they waited for them to take place. And they did, three days later. One was restored to his position and Joseph thought, “Great! This is my opportunity.” Joseph requested from the official to talk to the king on his behalf.  The other forgot. Poor Joseph. Another person forgot about him. He filled his days with work as an addiction to forget his pain. And he was faithful, even in prison. Two years passed and the king dreamt a disturbing dream. God closed up all of his magicians’ minds to the meaning. Was all of this pure luck?

Or …

Joseph kept a close eye on his father Jacob’s business and reported everything to him faithfully; even if he had to offend his brothers. His father favored him and his brothers were jealous. There was no promotion in that business. However, God chose to promote him. He allowed his brothers to betray him and sold him as a slave. He was sold to Potiphar. He kept close watch on Potiphar’s business until Potiphar trusted him wholeheartedly. Since there was no other promotion in Potiphar’s house, God had to move him elsewhere to promote him. He allowed that he be imprisoned.  He earned the trust of the prison keeper and he was trusted with everything there. It was just a matter of time before another promotion would take place. It was a waiting period. And he was faithful; even in prison. God was glorified.

Perhaps, dear Reader, you would interpret the story a different way. But the ending reveals the purpose. No, sometimes we will not see the end during the fire. So we have to trust; to have faith in God who walked with us in the past. Jesus Christ showed Himself faithful to me in the past. I have no reason to doubt him now for He never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” ~ Hebrews 13:8. He is so good. He is so sweet. He is so compassionate. He is so patient. He is love. He is the beginning and the end. He is the alpha and the omega. He is life. He is light. He is the door. He is just. He is wonderful. He is The Counselor. He is Great. He is Great at everything He does. For He is. And He is the reason I am thankful.  

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Are you ready?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB09F2PdXMw

In reference to the video above and Matthew 24.

Maybe the exact date of Jesus’ return is unknown because no one knows the exact hour or date as He stated in Matthew 24:36. So it can be September 23 or 24 or the following week or the following month or the following year. One thing is sure: He will come back as He stated in Matthew 24:22-35 and Revelations 22:20. The question is: Are you ready? It would be wise to be ready at anytime as advised by Jesus in Matthew 24: 42-51.

For all who claim that there is no God or believe in Jesus Christ or second coming: what if you are wrong? Are you willing to take that risk? It is for eternity. Just because you don’t believe in something or someone, it does not cease to exist. Gravity exists whether we believe in it or not. Seek the truth and you shall find it.

For all who await His return patiently: Maranatha! “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus,” Revelations 22:20 latter.  

How is your heart?

Biblical reference: Exodus chapters 1-12

During the famine of Joseph’s time, the Israelite clan moved to Egypt; Genesis 46. They thrived there. That generation died and Joseph with all he did was forgotten. The Israelites were enslaved by the new Egyptian king / Pharaoh. They needed a savior. Moses was sent. But Pharaoh wasn’t going to give up easily especially since he didn’t believe in God. He thought of himself a god. He believed the Israelites were being lazy and didn’t want to work. He employed magicians who can imitate some of the signs and wonders performed by Moses and Aaron (his brother) by the power of the true God. So Pharaoh’s heart became hard. God informed Moses of Pharaoh’s heart hardening ahead of time as an encouragement to stay in the bitter, long battle. After all, why would a king let a people go who are doing his country a great service at a fraction of the cost? It would be a terrible business decision. He was obsessed with their service regardless of the capacity of Egypt’s destruction caused by the plagues. The first two plagues were reproduced by the magicians. They could not replicate the rest and proclaimed to Pharaoh that it was the finger of God. He was unmoved. By the eighth plague, his officials attempted to persuade him to let them go for Egypt was ruined. Pharaoh did not regard their cry. All throughout the plagues, the Israelite communities were not affected. After the tenth and final plague, Pharaoh relented. He ordered them out of the country for his firstborn was dead. In fact, every first born son was killed whose house was not covered by the blood of the lamb. After letting them go, Pharaoh pursued them in the desert and into the Red Sea where he died with all of his fighting men. With this, the Israelites gained their freedom from Pharaoh once and for all.

There are many lessons to be learned in this story. 1) Pride comes before the fall; Proverbs 11:2, 16:18, 29:23. The fall or destruction not only affects the prideful person, but also those associated with him / her. In the story above, all of Egypt was affected. 2) God can and does protect those who take shelter in Him no matter how awful the storm is. He was able to protect the Israelites from all plagues. 3) God wants to set His people free from the bondage of Satan. All of us are born with a sinful nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God.  Pharaoh symbolize Satan. He won’t let people in his grip go unless they seek a stronger opponent; Jesus Christ. 4) The lamb sacrificed to protect the firstborn is symbolic to what Jesus Christ did in the New Testament. He died so we do not have to. He suffered to pay for our healing. He resurrected to resurrect us with Him. And in the process, He took the victory over Satan and death. He bestows this victory on whoever cleaves to Him.  

Dear Reader, please do not harden your heart and cause your downfall and of those around you. Stop believing Satan’s lies. He does not love you. He wants you to spend all of eternity with him in hell. He is a cruel master. If you give him an inch, he thinks he’s a Ruler. Why follow him when you can choose another who loves you very much? His name is Jesus Christ.