The Treasures of Darkness

While reading the Bible, I got curious about this "treasures of darkness" mentioned in Isaiah 45:3.

I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. (Isaiah 45:3, NKJV)

Reading some references, I was enlightened that the treasures mentioned here are not "dark treasures" but treasures that are hidden in the dark until they are found and brought to light.

Literally, treasures of darkness are the riches that no one has found yet. This could be diamonds, gold and silver which are yet to be found and discovered.

It may also be interpreted spiritually. One may not know he can preach the Word of God (with clarity and anointing) until the Lord Himself called him and give him the task. Same thing is true with the gifts of prophesying, interpretation of tongues, dreams, etc.

May God reveal your hidden treasures.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29, NKJV)

Who's Your Audience?

Audience matter. It's as simple as addressing Americans in a speech using the English language, not Chinese or Tagalog (Filipino language).

Children love to show their parents what they can do and they would usually wait for an appreciation afterwards. Their parents are their audience.

As a teacher, there were too many moments I could never forget. One of which is the first CAT (Citizen Army Training) Graduation I have ever participated at as a teacher.

One CAT officer was crying. It's hard not to notice him because he was atbthe front line and he was the only one moving as he wipe his tears. Not to mention they (CAT officers) are supposed to show themselves as tough and ones in command (as in soldiers with high ranks).

This sixteen-year old boy, when asked by his adviser why he was crying, answered, "Because my mom called and she said she can't make it today."

At a glance one may conclude that his sentiments are too childish. Digging deeper, there's something more - no one's there to witness what he can and will do.

What can be more frustrating than preparing yourself for a performance then find out that on the day of the show, no one will watch and your co-performers did not show up?

Parents, be your children's audience. The moments when they insist to go with you no matter where you go would soon end. Then a time would come when your joy is to be visited by them every once in a while when they have their own families or living their own lives.

May we all act as children of God, who would not go anywhere He is not with us.

Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here..." (Exodus 33:15, NKJV)

No Lies

"In marriage, never stop doing good. Never lie. Lies invite anger and leads to separation. Never play with temptation. It will push you away from God's presence."

This was last Sunday's preacher's introduction. It was sharp and straight to the point. It helped a lot with my decision to listen eagerly to the end of the preaching.

More than just listening, I had this conviction that "lie" is not just about something that opposes the truth. Even the inability to tell things that the other party should know is a "lie".

Temptation is not a sin. Giving in to it is. Playing with it (meaning, staying close to temptation, believing that you're strong enough to not fall to it) will push you away from God's presence.

Wow! What a standard. I wonder if separation of married couples would still be necessary if everyone apply this... never stop doing good (for your partner); never lie; and never play with temptation.

Saved

There is no battle so tough that God cannot deliver you from. Just call on His name.

"I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies." (Psalm 18:3, NKJV)

Profitable For Nothing

Do not give in to pride.
Ask the Holy Spirit to break it from your system.
Hear God's words.
Follow the path He prepared.
Serve and worship Him alone.

Thus says the Lord : ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. (Jeremiah 13:9-10 NKJV)

obedient as Him

So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” (John 18:11 NKJV)

Jesus Christ Himself unconditionally surrendered to God's will. Being His servant, isn't it just right to do the same?  He could have let Peter fight for Him while He tries to escape but He did not. Jesus knew the exact meaning of Jeremiah 29:11.

I remember Pastor Bong Gonzales' teaching on obedience:

"It is easy to obey when what you're asked to do is something of your advantage. The real test of obedience is finding yourself still doing what you were asked to do even if it is against your will provided that you are not disobeying God."

It is sometimes hard to let ourselves just obey God and do His will especially when  it is against our own definition of pleasure but I want to be as obedient as Jesus Christ... confident that no matter what happens along the way, the end of the journey is always the sweetest victory.

Back To Dance Ministry

Eight weeks before Fathers' Day this year, my wife gave birth to our third princess. It was a bit different than that of her first. I was more relaxed and confident that things will turn out fine. Perhaps the elimination of unknowns in giving birth helped a lot.

About two hours after they told us my wife's next, a nurse came in to let us know that someone had an emergency and needed immediate attention so we have to wait until that person's done.

I'm fine with waiting but that day, I experienced the "not-so-good" part of waiting - it gave me a lot of time to consider "what if's"... What if something go wrong? What if my child has abnormalities? What if things weren't how we expected it to be?

I was on my chair, with what-if's part of waiting when I was literally reminded of this passage from the Bible:

"You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off." (Psalms 139:2, NKJV)

These words from God calmed me and made me start considering His plans and forget about what-if's. This experience reminded me to focus more on God's promises, plans and instructions, less on precautions that say otherwise.

Today, about three years after my twin daughters outgrew the habit of being carried while we dance before they sleep, I'm back to "dance ministry" with the newest addition to the family and I'm loving it.