Malayo pa ang Umaga (Rey Valera)

Psalm 130:6

My soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

          Marahil ay nakikita ng karamihan ang kanilang mga sarili sa mga letra ng kanta kung kaya't ito ay sumikat. Ang mga tao ay dumadaan sa sari-saring mga suliranin. Mapait ang buhay; may mga pagkakataon na walang patid ang pagpatak ng ating mga luha. Ang buhay natin ay isang madilim at mahabang gabi. Panay ang lingon natin sa silangan sapagkat doon natin inaasahang sisikat ang araw. Subalit sa ating bawat paglingon, wala man lang ni isang guhit ng sinag tayong nasisilayan. Malayo pa ang pagsilip ng araw.
          Ang salmistang nasa likod ng Awit 130 ay dumadaan sa matinding suliranin; inilarawan niya ang kanyang kalagayan bilang isang taong dumadaing buhat sa kalaliman (talata 1). Subalit sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, ang salmista ay buong tiwalang naghihintay sa kung ano ang gagawin ng Panginoon. Paano nga kaya kung malayo pa ang umaga?
          Sa talata anim ay kanyang isinulat na ang kanyang pananabik sa pagdating ng umaga ay higit pa sa pananabik ng mga bantay. Sa kanilang kapanahunan, ang tungkulin ng mga bantay na ito ay magmatyag sa gabi. Habang nakahimlay ang karamihan, at habang maging ang mga mandirigma ay mahimbing na natutulog, nasa taas ng tore ang bantay. Siya'y nakatanaw sa malayo upang kung sakaling may papalapit na mga kaaway at nagbabanta ng pagsalakay, gigisingin ng bantay ang taong-bayan upang sila'y maging handa sa pakikidigma.
          Gabi-gabi, iyan ang gawain ng bantay. Siyempre, ang pinananabikan ng bantay ay ang pagdating ng umaga upang sa paggising ng mga tao, siya naman ang may pagkakataong magpahinga. Ang sabi ng salmista, higit ang kanyang pag-aabang sa umaga kung ihahambing sa pag-aabang ng mga bantay.
          Sa mga pagkakataong madilim at mahaba ang gabi ng ating buhay, ano ba ang mga maaari nating asahan?


1. Maaasahan natin na ang mga dalangin natin ay hindi nasasayang (talata 1,2).
       Iyan ang ginawa ng salmista; dumaing siya sa Panginoon upang humingi ng saklolo.
       Eh paano kung sa pakiramdam natin ay tila hindi nakikinig ang Diyos sa ating mga dalangin? Ang lunas ay panalangin pa rin! Huwag titigil sa paghiling na tayo ay pakinggan ng ating Diyos.


2. Kung sakali man na karapat-dapat tayong maghirap dahil sa ating mga pagkakasala, maaasahan natin na ang Diyos ay mapagpatawad (talata 3,4, at 8)
       Sa talata 3 ay kanyang ipinahayag ang katotohanan na wala ni isa, maging ang mga pinakabanal sa piling natin ang karapat-dapat sa harap ng Diyos. Maaaring sa tingin ng madla ay banal siya, subalit kanyang inaamin na kung siya ay sisingilin ng Diyos sa kanyang mga kasalanan, ni hindi siya makakatayo sa harap ng Diyos.
       Subalit panatag siyang lumalapit sa Diyos sapagkat alam niya na ang kanyang nilalapitan ay isang Diyos na mapagpatawad. Nakakamangha rin na ang pagkakilala ng katangian na ito ng Diyos ang nag-uudyok sa atin na mamuhay ng may takot sa kanya (talata 4)


3. Maaasahan natin na ang salita ng Diyos ay totoo at maaari nating panghawakan (talata 5)
       Dumampot tayo ng isang pangako mula sa Salita ng Diyos. Hebreo 13:5- "Hindi kita iiwan; ni pababayaan man". Dahil hindi niya tayo iiwan, hindi kailangang hintayin ang umaga upang masabing kasama natin siya. Sa hinaba-haba ng gabi, Siya'y kapiling pa rin natin.

Ang mga halaman ay matutuyo;

Ang mga gusali ay maglalaho

Subalit ang kanyang mga pangako

Ay hindi mapapako

4. Maasahan natin na ang pag-ibig ng Diyos ay hindi nagmamaliw (talata 7)
       Ano ang dapat alalahanin kung alam mong iniibig ka ng Diyos? Wala. Dahil mahal niya tayo, hinding-hindi siya gagawa ng anuman na ikakapahamak natin; at ang pag-ibig rin na ito ang dahilan kung bakit siya gagawa ng mga hakbang para sa ating kapakanan. Ang pinakadakilang pagpapakita ng pag-ibig na ito ay ginawa na niya halos dalawang libong taon na ang nakakaraan nang kanyang ibigay ang buhay ng kanyang anak para sa ating ikakatubos. Kung 'yan ay kanyang nagawa noon, ano pa kaya ang hindi niya kayang ibigay? (Roma 8:32)
       
       Dumadaan ka ba sa isang napakahabang gabi? Mabagal ba ang takbo ng orasan na tila ang isang segundo ay tumatagal ng isang oras? Pagbulayan ang Awit 130 at hintayin ang pagdating ng umaga ng may pagtitiwala.

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Church Harmony and Hermon's Dew

Psalm 133:1

How good and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in unity!

Psalm 133:3

It is as if the dew of Hermon
    were falling on Mount Zion.
  For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
    even life forevermore.

As mandated by the Mosaic Law, the Israelites would go up to Zion to celebrate the God-ordained feasts three times a year (Exo.23:14). They have a set of songs to sing on their way up which we now call The Song of Ascents; the 133rd Psalm is one of them. What a pleasing sight it would have been to witness people from all walks of life singing a song about national and spiritual unity!

Two out of three of those annual feasts take place on dry months. At the peak of a drought, there is not even a drop of dew in Zion and in the  rest of the land (1 Kings 17:1).

There is a mountain range between Lebanon and Syria, and the tallest among them is Mount Hermon. In contrast to Zion, there is never a time in a year when Hermon is dry. You could  find ice at Hermon's peak even in the most severe droughts in the region. The dry months increase the usefulness of Hermon as its melting ice become a source of water to nearby places including the Jordan River.

One traveller narrates some memories from his visit:

"The vapour, coming in contact with the snowy sides of the mountain, is rapidly congealed, and is precipitated in the evening in the form of a dew, the most copious we ever experienced. It penetrated everywhere, and saturated everything. The floor of our tent was soaked, our bed was covered with it, our guns were dripping, and dewdrops hung about everywhere. No wonder that the foot of Hermon is clad with orchards and gardens of such marvelous fertility in this land of droughts."(Henry Baker Tristram, 1867)

The Psalmist is saying that in the unity of God's people, it is as if Jerusalem is refreshed by the water descending from Hermon. Jerusalem may be too distant to be a recipient of Hermon's dew, but it is very near God, the one who has "commanded the blessing." And where there's water, the grasses are green, the trees bear fragrant blossoms, the grains are plump, luscious fruits are in abundance, and the animals are well-fed. Best of all, human life is sustained.

Individual members of God's people face various trials daily. Souls are severely dehydrated wandering around the Desert of Sahara. May they find oasis in our churches. Let's pursue unity.

Church Harmony and the Oil Poured on Aaron

Psalm 133:1

How good and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in unity!

Psalm 133:2

It is like precious oil poured on the head,
    running down on the beard,
  running down on Aaron's beard,
    down upon the collar of his robes.

Unknowingly, those who cause unnecessary divisions in the church deprive themselves of wonderful blessings, much like dumping a pile of mud on the very well where they fetch water.  

Psalm 133 should motivate us to pursue church unity; for it pronounces blessing upon brothers who "live together in  unity". That blessedness was likened to two things: first, the oil poured upon Aaron (verse 2); and second, the dew of Mt. Hermon (verse 3).

In this post, we will dwell on verse 2. The third verse will be tackled in the next post.

1. The Oil Conveys the Blessing of Being Special
We derived this first point by looking into two questions:
       a. What the oil was?
       b. What the oil did?

Both of these questions are answered in Exodus 30:22-33.

As to the question "What the oil was?" we see that it was a very special fragrant oil. It was exclusively for tabernacle use. The proper blend was a general knowledge; the right proportion is known by all for it is written in the book. But I guess no one dared to imitate the blend for personal use, for a warning was issued: "Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.'"

As to the question "What the oil did?", we find out that whatever it touched became holy (v.29). Ordinary utensils became holy. Ordinary men from the tribe of Levi became special when the oil was applied on them.

Thus, church harmony is pleasant for it conveys that we are a special people. It is a manifestation that we are a holy nation. We may look ordinary in the eyes of men, but our unity in the faith testifies that we are a people belonging to God.

2. The Oil Conveys the Blessing of Acceptable Worship.
The mention of Aaron's name drives us to look into the significance of the Aaronic ministry. The primary aspect of the ministry is to offer sacrifices in behalf of the people.

In Leviticus 9, after Aaron offered the sacrifices, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out before the Lord's presence to consume what was offered. The people fell on their faces out of reverence yet they were shouting with joy knowing that their sacrifices were accepted.

Another aspect of Aaronic ministry is to pronounce the priestly blessing upon the people (Numbers 6:23-27). Part of the formula to be uttered is "the LORD make his face shine upon you" (v.25). The NLT renders it as "May the LORD smile on you". The opposite of that is for the Lord to face you with a frown. When a king is displeased with you, you know your life is in danger. You may sing praises to him all day but it will not change a thing; it may even aggravate the situation for your voice is an abomination to his ears.

Church harmony is pleasant for it conveys that out worship is not in vain. We can come to God corporately and he faces us with a smile. We may not be the best of singers but our praises are accepted before his throne. He is pleased with what we offer and he bestows blessing upon our lives.

3. The Oil Conveys Abundant Grace
Notice that the Psalmist pays attention to the quantity of the oil poured upon Aaron. Upon the first drop, it would have been enough to make Aaron fit for the ministry. Yet the oil was poured lavishly that it flowed from his head, to his beard and to his robe. You can also imagine how fragrance filled the air.

Church harmony is pleasant because it conveys the abundance of God's grace on his people. When he bestows blessing upon us, he doesn't measure it in teaspoons. What he gives his people is "grace upon grace" (John 1:16)

Unpretty (TLC)

I used to watch TLC's official music video here:<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcgM_cFyDuA>. But it is now blocked from Philippine viewers due to copyright grounds, so I have to settle with the one above (audio and lyrics only). I was still able to view the official video last week. I was then surprised by the significant increase in the number of views. The reason: younger audiences became interested in it because the teen-oriented TV series Glee featured it's own version of Unpretty.

There were several vignettes of stories in the original TLC video. What's portrayed in one of the more prominent vignettes are the emotional pains of the ladies caused by the pressure to look beautiful according to the standards of the men they love. Women do all their best to look pleasing in the eyes of their partners yet they always fall short of the standard set by magazine models and TV stars. Hence, ladies' hearts are broken feeling unpretty.

Brothers, let us serve as instruments in building up the faith of our sisters. We have to pull them away from worldly standards and direct them to a biblical view of beauty. Could we commit our selves to give less compliments for our sisters' physical features and commend them more for their pursuit of Christlikeness?

Many of our sisters are spiritually weak; they often succumb to ungodly influences. They need us to remind them that physical beauty will be here today and gone tomorrow. Let us tell them that what matters most is how they appear in God's sight.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (1 Peter 3:3-4)

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." (Proverbs 31:30)

GUEST POST: A Life of Prayer

by Sheryll O. Yap

Her preferred introduction: 

"Sheryll is a Young Adults Ministry volunteer of Soli Deo Gloria Christian Ministries in Davao City. She is also a government worker  in her non-spare time"

Photo Credit: Homemaker in Progress

A Life Prayer
April 7,2007

The Lord taught me to pray:
"Lord whatever may happen to me,
may I never forget
who You are in my life."

When He lifts me up before the eyes of men
When His favor makes me a blessing to others
And I am tempted to take the credit for myself,
I remember who He is in my life,
That apart from Him I am nothing,
Then my pride is crushed
and am humbled before Him.

When I am afraid and want to run away
When terror seem to eat me up
And I cannot move..
I remember who He is in my life
and I am calmed
For the Lord is my refuge
I shall not be shaken.

When I am discouraged and bowed down
And laid low in the dust because of my sins,
When I feel most unworthy to serve Him
Especially before the eyes of men
I remember who He is in my life
And I am renewed--
For the Lord chose me not because I was good
But only because of His mercy and grace.

When I feel so weary and long to depart
When the struggle I have to face
Seem to come up over me
I remember who He is in my life
And I am restored.
For it is He who gives me wisdom
and the strength to move on.

Lord, who are You in my life?
You have become everything to me
Ever since the time
when you showed me Your love
You have made me treasure it above all
...above all pain
...above all tears
...above all sorrows
...above all joys
...above everything.

For when I see the Son I tremble
Not with terror but with awe
I wonder how You could include me
When You hung upon that tree.
Who am I that You should love me?
Who am I that I should be spared?
You don't need me, O God,
You don't need me.
And yet You have loved me
And cared for me as Your own.

How I long for the day
When Your purpose for my life
Will be accomplished
When the mission You have assigned
For me is done.
For it is then, I know,
You shall take me to be with You
To make me finally see
the God of my life.
On that blessed day with the saints
I shall say before You:

"Thank You, O God, for always reminding me
Who You really are in our lives."

Amen and amen.

"Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng Tinapay" VS. "Lintik lang ang walang ganti"

Basahin muna: Genesis 50:15-21

Dalawang kasabihang magkasalungat ang mensahe. Ang una'y mahirap gawin. Ang pangalawa'y natural sa makasalanang tao. Pero bakit nagawa ni Joseph ang una? Siya na ipinagbili ng kanyang mga kapatid bilang kalakal; Siya na naging alipin sa Ehipto; siya na nabilanggo nang walang katarungan; siya na sa loob ng maraming taon ay nagdusa sa sakit ng damdamin at lungkot ng pag-iisa. Paano niya nagawang gantihan ng kabutihan ang lahat ng kasamaang ginawa sa kanya?

Siyempre, kasama diyan yung kanyang pananaw na ang Diyos na may kontrol sa lahat ng naganap ay may mabuting layunin. Kayang-kaya ng Diyos na baligtarin ang masamang hangarin ng tao para sa kabutihan (Genesis 50:20).

Bukod diyan, isa ring dahilan ang kanyang pagkakilala sa Diyos bilang Tanging Hukom. Sagot niya sa pag-aalinlangan ng kanyang mga kapatid, "Am I in the place of God?' (verse 19) Para sa kanya, ang Diyos lamang ang nasa posisyon upang magbigay katarungan. Hindi nararapat na ilagay natin ang batas sa ating sariling kamay. Kung kailangang sungkitin ang mata ng tao, ang nagbigay ng mata ang siyang may karapatang manungkit. Kung kailangang putulin ang daliri ng tao, ang pinagmulan ng daliri ang may karapatang pumutol. Kung kailangan pumatak ang dugo, ang nagkaloob ng dugo ang siyang dapat magpapatak nito. Kung kailangang kitilin ang buhay ng tao, ang may bigay ng buhay ang siyang may karapatang magpataw ng parusang kamatayan.

Romans 12:19-20

¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

   “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
   if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (NIV)

If wrath is needed, it must not come from sinful beings like us but from the one who remains perfectly holy even in his expression of wrath.

Earth's City Lights

Click HERE for larger image

Matagal-tagal na rin ang pagkakagawa ng imaheng nasa itaas subalit kamakailan ko lang ito namasdan. Gamit ang satellite, ito ay pinagtagpi-tagping mga kuha ng larawan upang maipakita ang liwanag at dilim sa iba't ibang panig ng daigdig sa oras ng gabi.

Sa mga mauunlad na lungsod, kitang-kita ang ningning ng mga ilaw. Matingkad na kadiliman naman sa mga kagubatan at disyerto ng Africa. Natural na madilim din sa Antartica kasi wala namang taong nakatira doon maliban sa mga scientist na nananaliksik.

May tuldok ng liwanag sa gitna ng Palawan kaya nasabi ko sa aking sarili, "Ah! yun siguro ang Puerto Princesa!"

Sa Asya, walang papantay sa Japan. Mula dulong hilaga hanggang dulong timog, nakakasilaw ang liwanag.

Sumagi lang sa aking isip, hindi lang naman industriyalisasyon at pag-usbong ng ekonomiya ang palatandaan ng pagpapala ng Diyos sa mga bansa. Maunlad nga ang Japan subali't ayon sa datos ng Joshua Project:

• 1.56% lang ng populasyon ang professing Christians (kasama na diyan ang mga Romano Katoliko, Greek Orthodox, at sari-saring mga kulto)
• 0.5% lang ng populasyon ang professing Evangelical
• 67.6% sa kanila, ni walang access sa pakikinig sa ebanghelyo.

Sa mapa ay kitang-kita rin ang liwanag ng mga mauunlad na lungsod sa Europa; subalit ayon sa 2005 Eurostat Eurobarometer Poll, hindi maikakaila na dilim ang naghahari doon. Ang mga naniniwalang may Diyos ay

• anim lamang sa bawat sampung katao sa Espanya
• lima lamang sa bawat sampu sa Germany
• apat lamang sa bawat sampu sa United Kingdom
• tatlo lamang sa bawat sampu sa France
• dalawa lamang sa bawat sampu sa Sweden

Kung meron lang sanang satellite na may kakayahang kumuha ng mga larawan ng ispirituwal na liwanag, makikita na ang pagpapala ng Diyos ay nasa mga dako kung saan nananahan ang kanyang mga tunay na anak. Kung nasaan ang mga sumasampalataya kay Hesus, naroon ang liwanag.

Eph. 5:8
"for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (ESV)

Phi. 2:15
"that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

John 8:12
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Matt. 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Things that Have Not Changed Before and After the Flood

The Revised and Expanded version of this post is found HERE.