roman guevara

ROMAN GUEVARA
Daily Devotional Reading

“Textback Please, Thanks”

Scripture:

Proverbs 11:17

¹⁷ A kind man benefits himself,
but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

A friend of mine told me, that when Rudy Fernandez, the actor, was lying on his deathbed, tinawag niya ang kanyang mga anak to give them his last words or habilin. When it was Mark Anthony’s turn, his son by Alma Moreno, it is said that he gave (3) important reminders, and one of them, was, na, matuto siyang magtextback.

How important is it to textback, that a man who is about to die, would include it in his last words for his love ones?

Bakit ba tayo hindi nagtetextback?

One, hindi natin kilala yung nagtetex.

Number lang ang lumalabas sa ating celfone. Therefore, we conclude na baka nakuha lang ang number natin from someone else without our permission. It happens. And it happens a lot. Usually me pino promote na event or me tinitinda na item. We consider this a breach of our privacy, as well as a waste of our time to read, and much more to textback. Now, kung wala namang pinopromote o tinitinda, still, suspicious parin sa atin yung texter, kasi nga, hindi naman nakasave ang name niya sa ating directory. Ergo, hindi naman urgent at important sa ating buhay. Why should we textback?

Second, kilala natin pero hindi naman urgent ung message.

Tulad ng quotations. Me nagtext sayo “generosity is a good virtue”, or “bible reading is a must”, sino ba naman ang magtetextback sa ganyan? Siguro kung ang quotation ay “the heavens are beautiful and so are you” siguro sasagutin natin agad. Pero thanks sa mga nagsesend ng quotation, for taking the time to go unlimitext, and for including us in the text blast. Pero, alanganamang, sagutin natin ng sagutin ang quotations. With what? Another quotation? And there are other non-urgent messages. Like jokes. Or nonsense na questions. Or simpleng pangungulit. Bakit ba natin sila sasagutin agad o i tetextback? Lalo na king me ginagawa kang mahalaga. Tulad ng nagmamaneho ka ng sasakyan. Nasa meeting. Nasa bible study o worship service. Nagtatrabaho. Nagaaral. We do have a life. And our lives must not be enslaved by the not-so-urgent matters that usually pretends to be.

Third, kilala natin, pero sadyang ating iniiwasan.

Kung me utang tayo sa kanila at naniningil na. Kung me ibibigay sayong assignment, utos, or request, pero, unavailable ka sa ngayon. Kung hinahanap ka na ng magulang mo at pinapauwi ka na sa bahay. Kung ang girlfriend mo inaalam kung nasan kana at sino na ang kasama mo. Kung me kalokohan tayo at mukhang me nagiimbistiga. What else? Iniiwasan din natin yung mga nanliligaw, mga stalker, mga nangungulit. Mga kagalit natin na nagsosorry na, pero di pa tayo ready to forgive. Or when we are running away from something, and the only way to have peace of mind, is to ignore the text.

Fourth, kilala natin pero hindi naman important.

Hindi important ang ano? Ang message? O yung person? Sometimes yung message hindi important pero yung tao oo. Sometimes yung message important pero yung tao hindi. Pero sometimes important na yung message at pati yung tao, pero hindi parin tayo agad nagtetextback…………………………iba nayon. Pwedeng katamaran. Or pwedeng hindi ka kasi considerate. Hindi ka kasi thoughtful. Hindi ka kasi kind.

And the bible may not contain texting guidelines, but it does teach us to be kind.

There are messages that are not so urgent.

There are times we are really very busy.

But people are always important. Kahit sino pa siya.

And not texting back, and not texting back immediately, specially when we should, tells a person, that he is not important to you. And that is painful. That is unkind. And in some cases, very cruel.

Lalo na, kung mahalaga talaga sa buhay mo. Tulad ng magulang, kapatid, asawa, boyfriend, best friend, mga kabarkada mo, churchmates, people you work with, people you live with. Mga taong pinagkakautangan natin ng utang na loob. Old friends. People who helped us in the past. People who love and care for us.

Sometimes we take them for granted. Sometimes we think, they understand naman why we dont textback immediately. Or that, they are always around naman, kaya kahit bukas nako magtextback, or next week nako magtextback, or next month nako magtextback. How can you be so sure that they will still be around next month? next week? or na nandiyadiyan pa sila bukas?

Minsan me mga taong sablay sumagot sa text. Di mu alam kung na nanadya o me sayad lang talaga. Bakit kanyo? I text mu ngayon, as in right now, ng “kamusta? san kana?” . Sasagutin ka naman, yun nga lang after 1 week. At ang sagot sayo “o, eto mabuti naman, nandito lang ako sa bahay”. E seven days na ang lumipas, kung sumagot, akala mo ngayon lang natanggap. Some people are just unbelievable!

Pero, at eto, pero talaga. Pag siya naman ang nangailangan………gusto, sasagot tayo agad agad. Lalagay pa sa dulo ng message “textback please, thanks”. At ilang ulit pang ipapadala ang message niya, until we finally respond. Bakt natin siya dapat itextback agad? Nung bang tayo nagtetext sa kanya, sumagot siya agad? Ang hirap kasi sa ibang tao, pag mekailangan lang dun lang nagtetext. Pano ba naman gaganahan ang ibang tao sa iyo.

Even your love ones. One day, makakahalata narin ang mga yan, at mapapagod. Mapapagod na mahalin ka. Mapapagod na itext ka. Kasi, hindi kanaman considerate. Hindi kanaman thougthful. Hindi kanaman kind.

I heard someone say one time, “ako kasi, hindi naman ako talaga mahilig magtext, kaya hindi ako agad nagtetextback”. Bumenta nayan. One day, isang araw, you will realize, it’s basic human kindness, na magrespond kanaman sa text, lalo na, kung parte siya ng buhay mo.

Let’s be kinder. Mag textback naman tayo.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank you Lord for today. For the beauty of your creation. For the life that i have. For the opportunity to make things right. Thank you Lord for reminding me of the importance of kindness. Show me my faults. Convict me of my shortcomings. Teach me to be humble in times of correction. Enable me to see the things that i must change in my ways. Teach me to be kind. Fill me Lord today with your love, joy, and peace. And make this day, and this whole week, a blessed week, for me and for my love ones. I pray all of these things by faith, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in Jesus name, amen.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THIS DEVOTIONAL, FEEL FREE TO RECOPY, REPOST, OR LINK THROUGH YOUR SITE, THANKS AND GOD BLESS.

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO HEAR THE WEEKLY AUDIO MESSAGE FOUND ON THE LISTEN SECTION OF THIS SITES HOMEPAGE.

ROMAN GUEVARA
Daily Devotional Reading

“Sex, Lies, and Youtube”

Scripture

Psalm 34:11-13

¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹² Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

¹³ keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

Sex………16 years of addiction to pornography.

Lies………2 years of deceiving people about an aggressive cancer.

And Youtube…300,000++ views for the hit song “Healer”, taken out of Youtube by Hillsongs.

This is now how people talk about Michael Guglielmucci, an Australian Worship Leader, Composer and Pastor, who finally admitted to the public, that he has been addicted to pornography, and that he has been lying to everyone, about having cancer.

Hindi naman ito ang first time na ma iskandalo at madisgrace ang isang kilalang Pastor.

I remember in the ’80s, isyung isyu sa mga christians at hindi christians ang pagbagsak ng isang Jimmy Swaggart. Sumikat siya bilang isang “tele evangelist.” Nakilala dahil napapanood siya ng milyong milyong mga tao sa pamamagitan ng world wide television. Kinaiinggitan din ng marami, dahil noong araw, it took a lot of money to be seen by millions on television. And Jimmy Swaggart’s ministries hauled in as many milliions of dollars in donations and offerings, as the millions that watched him. I’ve been told that he was truly a charismatic and dynamic preacher who also sang during his sermons and services.  But one day, he was caught and photographed going into a motel with a prostitute, and that was the end of his worldwide ministry.

And there were others. Pastors, Priests, Preachers. We’ve heard some of the stories. We’ve seen them on the news. We’ve read them on magazines and newspapers.

But Michael Guglielmucci is a little bit different.

For one, mas kilala siya bilang isang worship leader and composer, kesa bilang isang Pastor. At hindi lang siya nakilala dahil sa TV. Nakilala siya dahil sa bilis at efficiency ng Internet, specially through the posts of Hillsong sa Youtube.

For years, his compositions have been sung by thousands of people all over the world, specially in Australia. His group Planetshakers, is one of the more well-known worship ministries, not only in Australia, but in many parts of the Western World.

Specially sentimental to a lot of people is his latest song, “Healer”.

Sabi kasi niya in one of his videos, nacompose daw niya ang kantang ito, dahil nga nalaman niyang me cancer siya. Eventually, the song was recorded on one of the worship recordings of Planetshakers, and later, pati Hillsongs inimbitahan siya na irecord at ivideo yung kantang “Healer” sa kanilang latest worship recording.

I remember one Hillsong fan telling me, before this scandal broke out, na panoorin ko daw sa youtube yung kantang “Healer”, kasi nakaka iyak daw. Yung worship leader, si Michael Guglielmucci, kinanta with Hillsongs Band, ang kantang ito na daladala ang oxygen tank sa stage, kasi nga me cancer daw. Wala na ngayon ang video ng “Healer” sa youtube kasi tinanggal na ng Hillsong.

And this is what is so baffling to a lot of people.

He didn’t just lie to people….he lied about having cancer, and from this lie he was able to compose a beautiful song about healing.

He said in one of his recent interviews, that he lied about cancer because he was addicted to porn.

But nobody is buying it. At least for now.

A lot of people, specially those who have known him for years, even his own family and friends, have been hurt by these developments. And since he is known worldwide, countless more have been greatly discouraged by this news.

Many are asking questions.

Why did he really lie?

How could somebody like him lie and lie about something like cancer?

He didn’t need the fame and attention, because he already had fame and attention.

He didn’t need the money, because he already had lots of it.

Again, why did he lie?

How could he lie?

It’s easy to talk about scandals and sins, because….it is not our own.

Pero, “honestly”, sino ba naman sa atin ang hindi nakapagsinungaling?

Just in case na merong nagbabasa nito na hindi minsan nagsinungaling sa buong buhay niya, e, congratz na lang, at sana tuloy tuloy kana sa pamumuhay ng buong katotohanan.

But to most of us, who, at some point in our lives, have lied, be it a white lie, a small lie, or the really big ones, we know the feeling….and im sure, wala sa atin gustong magsinungaling at maramdaman ang feeling na nakapagsinungaling.

But why do we lie? Why have we lied?

Why are we lying?

How could we lie? Specially now that we are christians, some even ministers of God….How could we still say, and sometimes live in a lie?

I remember Dr. House, the lead character in the medical series HOUSE, saying in one of the first episodes of the first season, “Everybody lies”. He was referring kasi to patients in the hospital, na bago nila ti ni treat, e tinatanung muna as part of their diagnosis, tungkol sa personal history, para madetermine ang right treatment. E kaso nga lang, minsan, nakakahiya ang “true” at personal history, kaya many of his patients lie.

Does everybody lie?

Lahat ba ng nagsisinungaling, o nakapagsinungaling, e,  masama?

Should we just tell the truth?

What are the implications and consequences of telling the truth?

Can the people we love, handle the truth?

Can we handle the truth?

Michael Guglielmucci said, halos 16 years na siyang addicted sa pornography. Subtract muyan sa kanyang edad ngayon, and you will know that 16 years ago, he was only like 13 years old. Meaning? Sino banamang teenager na lalaki ang hindi naging curious about porn? And you will also discover pa, that as you read his bio, na anak siya ng Pastor, batang bata siya nung nagstart sa ministry, and at 29, he has been ministering for quite so many years already.

Maybe napagod? Maybe me pinagdadaanan ang isang taong lumaki sa isang christian family, na hindi pinagdadaanan ng ordinaryong teenager? Maybe he had struggles that many people couldn’t help him with? Maybe he had lived for so long being so strong for so many people, he didnt have time to be weak, but he was already weak, and so he fell? Maybe hindi talaga madali ang makilala ng maraming tao dahil sa ministry? Maybe, just maybe, these are the reasons why he lied?

Does that justify what he did? Does that nullify the effects of his deception?

Of course not. But we should definitely not judge him nor should we condemn him.

But knowing more about God’s grace and love, should make us, those of us who are just watching on the sidelines, better understand, why he did what he did, and ultimately forgive him, as we all have sinned, and all of us need forgiveness.

May God help us all.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Forgive us Lord our sins. Forgive us of our lies. Forgive us for judging other people. Forgive us for being proud. We have sinned before you many times. Maybe not like the sins committed by others, but then you know each of us more than anyone else. Help us Lord to live a life that pleases you. And teach us Lord to understand why others fail and fall. Cause us to be compassionate and gracious towards others. We pray for everyone who is struggling today because of some very sensitive matter in their life. Give all of us the wisdom, the courage, and the strength to overcome, by the power and blood of Jesus Christ. I pray all of these things, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THIS DEVOTIONAL, FEEL FREE TO RECOPY, REPOST, OR LINK THROUGH YOUR SITE, THANKS AND GOD BLESS.

ROMAN GUEVARA
Daily Devotional Reading

“Public Worship, Private Blessings”

Scripture

Acts 16:25-28

²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁷The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

A really long read? I know………….. And to some of my friends who just don’t like reading lengthy articles, (and lengthy verses), my apologies.   I trust that inspite of, well everything, that’s going on in our lives, still, the Spirit of God will speak to you today, and make his message clear and practical.

Why is the title of this devotional “Public Worship, Private Blessings”?

Si Paul kasi, at ang kanyang companion, si Silas, nakulong.

Nakulong sila dahil minsan silang nangaral ng Salita ng Diyos. Along the way, napalayas nila ang masamang espiritu na sumasanib sa isang slave girl. E kaso, yung slave girl, pagmamay ari ng isang negosyante. Ikinagalit nila na napalayas ang masamang espiritu sa kanilang slave girl, kasi, somehow, binibigyan ng masamang espiritu na ito, ng kapangyarihan ang nasabing slave girl, na magfortune telling.

Raket. Gimik. Isang malaki at kumikitang business!

E napalayas nga ni Paul, kaya natsugi ang fortune telling business. Sa galit ng negosyante, ginamit nito ang kanyang influence, at nakulong si Paul at ang kasama nito, si Silas.

What do you call that? Injustice. Nangyayari na nung araw pa yan. It happened then. It still happening now.

What else can you call that? Irony? Malas?

I’m sure others can think of better terms, however, hindi bat nangyayari naman talaga sa maraming tao yung, gumagawa kana ng tama, tapus napapahamak ka pa? O di naman kaya sa christians, sa workers sa ministry, hindi bat nakakaranas din tayo ng mga unexplainable trials, sometimes even suffering and tragedies?

A Pastor na iniwan ng kanyang asawa for his best friend; a worship leader who lost his daughter because nasagasaan ng kanyang son ang daughter ng sasakyan; a faithful tither or donor who got bankrupt; or a committed church volunteer na nagkaroon ng malalang cancer. At marami pang iba.

Hindi naman kasi laging puro masaya at puro jubilant blessings ang christian life.

Me trials din talaga.

Ang point…..Paul was just like us. Nakaranas din siya ng mga matitinding pagsubok. Like being sent to prison for doing the right thing.

What do others do? Well some, sadly, would begin to blame whoever.

Ministry. The people they are with. And sometimes even God. Others would begin to complain. Even to regret doing the right thing. Rebel. Magmukmok. And worse of all, lose faith.

But Paul showed us a better response to unexplainable and difficult trials…he worshipped God. And he did so, for all the world to hear and see. He worshipped publicly!

In doing so, e, nakatanggap siya ng (5) private blessings, as a result of his public worship.

1.) COMFORT

Acts 16:19-25

¹⁹When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ²¹by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

²²The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. ²³After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Grabe yung ginawa sa kanila! Kinaladkad, pinagtulungan, pinahiya, binugbog.  But what did they do? They worshipped pa rin. Kasi alam nila, in all of our burdens, trials, temptations, the best option parin is to worship God. Because when we worship God, we get his comfort. Yung hindi natin naiintindihan, pinapalitan niya ng kapayapaan. The peace that the world cannot give.

2.) MIRACLES

Acts 16:26

²⁶Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

Pagnagwoworship, nobody can stop God from performing miracles. Me gumagaling sa karamdaman. Me nahihilom ang wounded at broken heart. Me nagbabalik loob sa Diyos. In Paul’s case, nung nagworship siya, nagpadala si Lord ng earthquake, at nagbukasan ang mga selda sa kulungan. It happened then. It can still happen now. Basta gusto ni Lord, you better believe it, miracles can still happen, specially, when we worship God.

3.) SALVATION

Acts 16:27-34

²⁷The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ³²Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

Pagnagwoworship tayo together, something powerful happens. And what is that? God manifests himself somehow, and he makes his presence felt. Nararamdaman ng tao ang presensya ng Diyos, lalo na, pag tayo ay sumasamba sa kanya. This brings all people, including unbelievers, to the realization, that God indeed exists. And he touches people. He convicts people to come to him. To the point that this leads many, even among those that initially did not believe, to come to God for salvation. Sila pa minsan ang magtatanong, papanu ba maging Christian. Why? Because they say and felt God’s presence as christians worshipped the LOrd.

4.) FREEDOM

Acts 16:35-36

³⁵When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

Bagamat yung freedom ni Paul at ni Silas dito ay actual, physical release from prison, still, we can see here, that when people worship, God gives people freedom. Many have been released from their worries, fears, resentments, and burdens, as they have learned to surrender everything to God, in sincere, wholehearted worship. Many can be set free from their addictions, bondages, dungeons. Be they man made or truly spiritual in nature.  Indeed, one of the blessings of worship, is to be free, in Jesus name.

5.) DIGNITY

Acts 16:37-40
³⁷But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. ³⁹They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. ⁴⁰After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

Hindi sila dapat nakulong. Kung papaano sila nakulong, at kung ano ano ang ginawa sa kanila as they were sent to prison, is just totally an example of terrible injustice. Hindi bat minsan nararanasan natin na tayo ay malamangan, matapakan, maagawan, mapagtaksilan, maapi, at masaktan? Minsan pa ng ating sariling mga kamag anak, kaibigan, kasama sa ministry, at pati na minsan ng sariling asawa at anak. It happens. It happened then. It’s still happening to some people.  But thanks be to God, he is still the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is still on the throne. He is in full in control. Alam niya ang ginagawa niya. When people worship, they can be assured, that one day, God will do his will for us. And he loves us. And he will bless us. He will restore our dignity, like he restored the dignity of Paul and Silas, when they were unjustly imprisoned. God is good!

Let the Lord speak to our hearts today.

May our reading for today, encourage us, to worship the Lord, inspite of all our dealings and burdens in life.

Ikaw kapatid? Anu ano ba ang trials na pinagdadaanan mo ngayun?

How do you cope?

What do you do when you are faced with difficult trials and testings?

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Praise you Lord for you are good, for your mercies are new each day. I come to you Lord with all my heart, asking you God, to fill me today, with your love, joy, and peace. Touch my heart LOrd, renew my mind, and refresh my soul. Enable me to worship you in spirit and in truth. To not hold back, but to offer to you everything. All that is within me. All that is in my heart. I rejoice in knowing, that God is greater than all my worries and fears; than all my hurts and pain; than all my discouragements and difficulties. I trust in your great power Lord; in your great love. And i accept today, Lord, all your infinite blessings for me, in Jesus name, amen.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY TODAYS DEVOTIONAL, AND THE ONES BEFORE IT, FEEL FREE TO RECOPY, REPOST, OR LINK TO YOUR SITE, THANKS AND GOD BLESS.

ROMAN GUEVARA
Daily Devotional Reading

"Finding Freedom inside Prison"

Scripture:

Isaiah 42:5-9

⁵ This is what God the LORD says—
       he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
       who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
       who gives breath to its people,
       and life to those who walk on it:

    ⁶ "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
       I will take hold of your hand.
       I will keep you and will make you
       to be a covenant for the people
       and a light for the Gentiles,

    ⁷ to open eyes that are blind,
       to free captives from prison
       and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

    ⁸ "I am the LORD; that is my name!
       I will not give my glory to another
       or my praise to idols.

    ⁹ See, the former things have taken place,
       and new things I declare;
       before they spring into being
       I announce them to you."

One
of the things that i do to relax, and sometimes to think more clearer,
is, watching T.V. series from the West; And for quite some time,
nakakahiya man aminin, e, i have, amassed quite a collection of their
DVD copies. Eto yung ilan sa kanila na meron akong kopya; Grey’s
Anatomy, House, Desperate Housewives, Burn Notice, Tudors, Robinhood,
Kyle XY, Heroes, Lost, 24, and yes, Prison Break.

Me ilan ako sa
kanila na naging favourite ko nadin at inaabangan abangan, but
recently, i sort of have been reviewing Prison Break. Siguro paghahanda
na din, as their new season is about to come out this month of
September. And watching it again made me wonder about life inside
prison. What’s it really like. And how people inside survive.

Interestingly,
as i was thinking about Prison, somebody with a prison ministry, met up
with me, and invited me to speak at the Correctional Facility for Women
in Mandaluyong. I said yes immediately, and i got to speak last Sunday
morning.

This was not my first time to do prison ministry. A
couple of years ago, i got the chance to speak at the National
Penitentiary or Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. I even brought my band
"RISE UP" with me, and we sort of did a mini-concert for the "churches"
inside. Yes, you got that right, churches. Para sa mga hindi pa
nakakapasok sa Bilibid, merong mga churches sa loob. Complete with
their own building or office, equipment, instruments, and of course
leaders, pastors, workers, most of whom are inmates, serving various
sentences.

Ganun din dito sa Correctional. Me mga churches
din. And my invitation was to speak to the 5th anniversary of one of
the churches inside.

It wasn’t my first time to do prison
ministry, but it was my first time at the Correctional for Women. The
truth is, kung hindi naman dahil sa ilang mga rehas na hindi naman agad
natatanaw, hindi munaman agad aakalain na nasa preso ka. Lalo na, nung
nagstart na ang worship service.

Ginanap ito sa gymnasium on
top of one of the prison buildings. As i walked inside i was greeted by
the "church leaders" dressed in their sunday’s best. All women of
course…..and all prisoners. I shook hands with the ushers, with the
bible study leaders, with choir and worship team singers, and with
their "pastors".

At some point, the praise and worship
started, and about 300 plus "attendees" began to sing and dance as the
worship leader led all of us in anointed and jubilant praise and
worship. This was after all, their 5th anniversary. And for a moment
there, as we were singing familiar worship songs, i felt as though, i
was not inside a prison. And i think, they felt it too.  It was so
surreal. I cant really describe it that much. It’s one of those things
that you have to see and experience for yourself, so that you could
fully appreciate the event. I felt FREEDOM.

Pagkatapos kong
magpreach at magpray for the "attendees", i was asked to stay for a
little while to join the leaders for a thanksgiving lunch. And my God,
it was like a fiesta. Me tilapia, tahong with cheese, chicken with a
very special sauce, pork with pineapple, at siyempre, chocolate cake! 

And
it was during this time that i got to know some of the "leaders" of
this church inside prison. The keyboardist and founder of the ministry,
ay dating carnapper queen. Halos sampung taon na siya sa kulungan.
Konting konti nalang ay makakalaya na. Yung worship leader naman, drugs
ang involvement. Halos me sampung taon na din. Eto naman, malapit nadin
makalaya. Pero, kita mo sa mga mukha nila, na bagamat nami miss na nila
ang kanilang mga pamilya at buhay sa labas ng prison, e, sa loob ng
prison namay natagpuan nila ang kapayapaan, and yes, ang tunay na
kalayaan.

The truth is, kung hindi naman nila sinabi sa akin, e,
hindi mo talaga akalain.  Na ang mga women na ito, na kamukha lamang ng
ating mga lola, ina, tita, ate, pinsan, at kaibigan, mga "church
leaders" ngayun, e, dating mga kriminal!.

That’s the power and grace of Jesus Christ. He set’s people free, from all kinds of prison.

Ang prison naman kasi, hindi lang yung sa Bilibid at sa Correctional.

Some
people are imprisoned by their hate, bitterness, and unforgiveness.
Some people are imprisoned by their pride, rebelliousness, and
stubborness. Some are in chains because of worldliness, selfishness,
and materialism. Isama mo pa ang lust, pornography, and sexual
addiction, para darkness na darkness na ang dating diba!

But
that’s not all. Some people live in the prison of their past. Their
past achievements. Their past relationships. Their past life, which,
sad to say, no longer exists. Kaya sabi sa verses natin for today, "he
opens the eyes of the blind, free captives in prison, releases those in
the dungeons, and he shows them new things."

Hindi kanaman
kailangan maging masama para mabuhay ng nakakulong. Dahil marami ang
nabubuhay na nakakulong dahil sa panlilinglang ng diyablo, o dinaman
kaya dahil sa ating sariling mga gawa.

But thanks be to God, to set people free, is one of the things that Jesus does so very well.

Yes he heals us of our hurts. But he doesnt stop there.

He opens our eyes so that we can see the beautiful future he has for us.

He
frees us from our chains, he releases us from our prisons and dungeons,
because he wants us to fly to greater heights. Not to be trapped in our
past. Not to be hindered by our bondages.

Not to be limited
by prisons of the worst kind. The prisons we’ve created for ourselves,
and the prisons we’ve allowed other people to put us in!

The
"church leaders" and "christians" na na meet ko sa Correctional maybe
inside a prison, but they surely are "free", in fact baka mas malaya pa
sila kesa sa mga bantay nila, o di naman kaya sa mga taong nasa labas
ng preso. Mga taong nasa labas ng preso, pero wala namang kapayapaan at
kalayaan sa buhay na nagmumula sa Panginoong Hesus.

Read our scripture again for today, and ask the Spirit of God kung ano ang mensahe niya para sa yo sa araw na ito.

It’s time to be free!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank
you Lord for your word today. For your words of truth. Indeed you give
people their freedom. And that is what i desire Lord. Freedom from all
kinds of bondages. Freedom from deception. Freedom from doubt. Freedom
from my past. Freedom in Jesus name. Help me Lord to see. Open my
spiritual eyes. Allow me to grasp the beauty of your plans for my life
and for my future. I entrust to you all my burdens, all my fears, all
my worries. For i believe in your promises for me. I believe in you. I
your words. As i pray all these things, by faith, in the most powerful
name of Jesus, amen.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THIS DEVOTIONAL, FEEL FREE TO RECOPY, REPOST, OR LINK THROUGH YOUR SITE, THANKS AND GOD BLESS.