Warrior's Creed #2: Total Surrender

Getting ready to cross the river and seize the promise!

I am currently studying the book of Joshua in the Old Testament for my personal morning devotions (my housemates and I at the Gideon training apartment are doing a group devotion in the evening, but that will be for another post).

 Things are getting rather intense these days as I am balancing crucial aspects of my life: my family, my work, and my ministry (or am I unintentionally switching one from the other?) But the fact that God's grace is overflowing and ever encouraging, I have no doubt that things will settle in perfect places. The Scripture says things have fallen in the pleasant places for me. The lot has been cast, and all good things will be relentless.

The warrior story of Joshua is a story of full obedience and decisiveness. Taking over the reins of leadership from his mentor, Moses, he was set to fulfill a crucial mission: bring God's people to the promised land. The pressure was all on him when Moses died: the people already waited for forty years, they wanted to go home. They needed a leader: strong and decisive.

God instructed Joshua to lead, and he never hesitated.

Here are few things I learned from the first three chapters of the book of Joshua, which I wish to expound later after finishing the whole book:

What to do accomplish God's will?

1) Physical Preparation

Although God can accomplish things on His own, He didn't plan things out as if humans are slaves and machines. One of the things He gave us is freewill. We can choose to obey or not. But the things he prepared for us must be taken out of obedience to Him and His word. God only requires us to live by faith, trust His will, and work our hands out according to His plans.

We must lay hold of God's promises and act on them!

Vision plus action. That is my current battle-cry. It is now high time for me to go to the next level of faith. It is now time to get rid of all the reservations and pursue a deeper level of commitment. God has been consistently on the work despite my stubbornness and hard of heart. And I now completely appreciate that I was called to carry out a mission, to use my life for something greater than my own, personal ambitions. Having the vision of God's will is something; carrying it out into action is another.

And so, though with shaking knees and trembling voice, I must run the race and declare the Word until I finish strong! Besides, "He who began a good work in me will carry it into completion..." (Philippians 1:6).

2) Spiritual Preparation

God's power is fully revealed in a life that is set-apart for His purposes and glory. Miracles happen when we get rid of ourselves everything that is not pleasing to God. A holy life is a powerful and miracle working life! I cannot be used mightily in the Kingdom if I cherish secret sins in my heart. I cannot be used to transform lives if my own is not transformed. Purity is power in the life of a believer! The only way I can do this is to trust the Holy Spirit to empower me every step of the way. Left on my own, I am limited. Left on my own power, I cannot endure great opposition from the enemy. But thanks be to God, He never left me as orphan. My King has established my path by His own steps...giving me power to go and overcome!

It was in this principle of consecration and purity that God worked mightily in the life of Joshua. He sanctified himself, and consecrated his life, his family, his mission, his purpose, for the glory of the King. And all Joshua ever experienced was a life of victory after victory...making him great in the land and among the people. God has been with him as He has promised!

In Joshua 3:5, the King revealed His war plan: "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great and amazing wonders among you." I am again excited to see what God has in store for me in this season of my life--a season of action and deeper commitment. I know better now than to live out a mediocre Christianity. I have seen many great things the LORD has done to still settle for something less. It's been a long time coming, but it is HERE and it is NOW. What else is there to fear? I am serving the KING of kings. I must lay hold of the authority He has given me.

As He was faithfully with Joshua ever since the beginning up to the last day, so the LORD will be with me today and for all eternity.

I intend to live by faith and trust in God's goodness and grace. It's time to cross the river and seize my promised land!

Warrior's Creed: All to the King!

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." -Philippians 3:8

Many people spent literally their entire life trying to find what matters. In our pursuit of power, money, fame, position, or significance, we tend to give all just to achieve an aspiration, an ideal. We study hard in schools to gain greater advantage. We work our hands real hard to achieve favor from men or from social structures that seem to control our will.

And this is not wrong. But it will be so eventually especially if we miss the chance to anchor our purpose on what will truly matter in the end. It will be very wrong if in our pursuit of the things we thought is essential, we end up losing our very life.

Because reality is, we now seem to live in a time where material things and the search for personal satisfaction get to be the center of our existence. We live in a constant chase of our own life.

There's no end to our pursuit of personal fulfillment.

But at the end of the day, what of these things? Will I rest my assurance on something that doesn't last. Will I entrust my future on something temporary. Will I find significance in things that are only good by the measures of this world, but are only fleeting shadows when compared with eternity?

As a warrior in the Unshakable Kingdom and servant of the Sovereign King, I must strive to be better than all these meaningless pursuit of the self. I must anchor my confidence on my Commander-in-Chief, to never question His strategies and His means. For I know that it was He who has given the call, it is He who supplies and empowers, it is He who will overcome.

The apostle Paul, one of the greatest warriors in history, no less exemplified a life that is fully surrendered to the King's cause. But there is much more to his warrior journey than that.

Prior to encountering his King one time on that road to Damascus, he was one of the most notorious persecutor of Christians. He has given his life for the purpose of seeing Christianity die in those early days. He was very zealous of destroying communities of believers. He existed to inject fear among those who follow the King. He was a passionate murderer and torturer of Christians.

In fact, when he encountered the King on the road to Damascus, he was on his way to persecute the Christian community there. But God has a greater plan. God has prepared a detour for him. And he was never the same person again.

What is amazing in Paul's warrior journey is not his extraordinary "conversion" nor the supernatural events surrounding his initiation to the Christian faith. It was only a small fraction of the entire story.

It was rather his "transformation" that is most amazing and most encouraging. It was his single-minded focus to serve his King that is worth-telling in many generations to come. It was his passionate, consistent denying of the self that is worth-emulating.

All people, at some point, can always be converted to a certain cause or a belief. But sadly, not all conversion leads to loyalty or the birth of commitment and purpose. We can be converted to the Christian faith without really being transformed from within. Transformation of the individual is the effect of following Christ. That is what real Christianity means: transformation of the entire being through the grace of God; not just an outward and physical conversion.

The King is calling transformed individuals, not converts.

I am thankful for Paul's transformation. I am inspired by his warrior journey and testimony. It is encouraging to know that a person like Paul--with high educational attainment, great wealth, lofty social position, and has claim all to himself can throw it all away for the sake of following Christ. He literally left everything just to know and serve his King (Philippians 3). Paul went on to become one of the greatest of Jesus' disciples, and wrote 13 influential epistles in the New Testament! All for the glory of God!

On a personal note, the appeal of self-fulfillment can still be attractive. But I know better now. I am comforted by the fact that if it is God's will, it is God's bill. This purpose that God has called me into is the one which will matter. Anything less is meaningless.

Nothing comes close to the joy and fulfillment of serving the King.

***
To get a sense of Paul's personal encounter and the context of his warrior journey, walk with him on the road to Damascus.

This Grace

The day started with the lyrics of the classic christian song "Amazing Grace" blurting out of the loudspeaker from behind me.

Here in this institute where excellence is upheld and integrity is a byword, it is encouraging to see that in every start of the week, we ask God for His favor and His grace in our work. That although our country is now becoming a highly secularized state with the increase of opposing narratives coming from the extreme liberals and post-modernists of varying tendencies, we still recognize that somehow, there really is a God up there whose grace we need to invoke. 

And even if, for most people, grace is misunderstood, that is always a good start.

Grace. In the Christian perspective, it carries a great weight. This is one of the concepts that is highly misunderstood. In matters relating to salvation, people can not grasp the truth that we need not work for eternal life because Jesus already accomplished that. We just have to receive it by faith. The saving grace of Jesus Christ as publicly demonstrated in the Cross of Calvary is already absolute and final. And any attempt at adding to the work of Christ is an insult to His sacrifice.

Yes. That's why it is hard to understand.

People seem to find alternatives thinking that we don't deserve God's grace, that's why we need to work hard in order to get saved or gain favor from God. People become motivated by reward or fear of punishments, by the appeal of charity and doing good works so that we get God's attention. This shouldn't be so. When in fact God requires that we do that because of love for Him and for other people.

I do not say that we should not do good works, but that our motivation to do good works is because we love God who loved us first. And because we should be in awe of His grace, we can't do nothing but love Him and serve Him with all our hearts. Because we experience God's grace, it should manifest in our lives as well. It should pour out naturally, not driven by emotions or human impulse.

Grace makes it possible for us to feel God's love. Grace enables us to connect with God, and do great things for Him.

John Newton composed the song "Amazing Grace" in the 17th century. But the words still ring true today.

As it was ever since the beginning of time...

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound 
That saved a wretch like me! 
I once was lost, but now am found; 
Was blind, but now I see. 


’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, 
And grace my fears relieved; 
How precious did that grace appear 
The hour I first believed. 




Through many dangers, toils and snares, 
I have already come; 
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, 
And grace will lead me home. 


The Lord has promised good to me, 
His Word my hope secures; 
He will my Shield and Portion be, 
As long as life endures. 


Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, 
And mortal life shall cease, 
I shall possess, within the veil, 
A life of joy and peace. 


The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, 
The sun forbear to shine; 
But God, who called me here below, 
Will be forever mine. 


When we’ve been there ten thousand years, 
Bright shining as the sun, 
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise 
Than when we’d first begun.



Your grace brings me to my knees... 

To the Fallen

The Philippine flag raised at half-mast at the headquarters of the
Philippine Rice Research Institute,
during the National Day of Mourning for the fallen 44.

This is for the fallen
in the raging fields of battle
where bullets whizzed, bombs exploded.

Let this banner wave in broad daylight
even in the dark of night
and speak of grief and a resolve to fight.

This is for the fallen warriors
who bravely fought for their nation
this is for you, our solemn salutation.

*******

It's been almost two long months since 44 men of the PNP-SAF were senselessly killed during that dreadful encounter in Mamasapano in Maguindanao. For all it was worth, the days following the massacre showed only the dark side of politics in this country. It revealed the weaknesses of our bureaucracy, or what's left of it. It again shed to the public light the in-accountability of our public officials and the impunity of those responsible.

One cannot contain the anger and the rage upon what is happening in the nation today. It is regretful that this administration can't seem to get away with the traditional blame-game. Could it be true that we have really lost our sense of shame, our sense of accountability, our sense of country?

I hope that the 44 deaths will be enough to purge this country, and bring our people back to their senses.

Long live, warriors!

Great Teacher Ponti

(google image)

Yesterday, I had a short but profound chance encounter with the legendary sir Ponti, one of my greatest teachers and mentors in CLSU. I say "greatest" not to render a cliche but to convey a reality. I say "mentor" not to make a cute statement but to make a fitting description of what he was (and is) to me.

We were both riding our motorcycles when we crossed paths at the intersection road near the CLSU Chapel where he'd turned right and I'd turned left. He was with his little daughter. We stopped for a brief chat. And since we were in the middle of a busy intersection, we only had the chance to ask each other how's it going.

I am more than happy to meet him after a long time. When I was hired to teach at the department of Social Sciences after my graduation, I had the chance to work alongside him for one semester. It was such a privilege. But shortly thereafter, he went out to study and finish his masters. Not that he still needed it, but university protocols require it. Some people don't need multiple degrees to be able to teach, and teach effectively. For me, what sir Ponti teaches from his big heart is more than sufficient. It is larger than life.

When he came back to teach at the university just last semester, I was already out of the academe and into a new work. I didn't realize it until that meeting yesterday that I was not able to inform him that I already left.

The student left without telling the master.

"Balita ko nasa PhilRice ka na?", he asked in his usual booming and fatherly voice.

"Yes sir", was all I can say. 

I know he was about to tell a story but we were in an awkward place and we're both going somewhere. So he just said with full affirmation, "Sige pagbutihan mo ha." And it took just that to calm the dragons of doubt.

The teacher, indeed, has appeared.

And here's the incurable romanticist student, again.

Well, it's not a romanticized cum intellectualized narrative. That simple encounter was profound not because of some engaging intellectual conversation and down-to-earth discussion of some philosophical issues as is characterized by sir Ponti's classroom lectures; but it was profound because of the honest sincerity that characterizes his life.

What I like best, or better admire, about sir Ponti is his down-to-earth persona that just tugs into you. His positive sense of self is contagious enough to make you feel sure about yourself as well. His sincere appreciation of talent and honest affirmation of strengths will make one defy even his or her greatest limitation. He was one of the reasons why I didn't want to remain a mediocre student who, according to him, has "a boring existence". I loved being a SocSci since then.

Plus, I'll never forget his engaging classroom teaching style. That classic, legendary helluva adventure in Philosophy which becomes alive at his words and descriptions and narratives. His lectures are a journey in itself. There's no better way of learning. His distinct teaching style was highly affecting.

It was a style I tried to emulate when I became a teacher myself. Simple but profound. And full of heart.

And thanks to the great teacher Ponti, I had such a wonderful teaching experience that will be cherished and remembered.

For as long as the dragons live, the student, who have now become a warrior, shall press on.