Here are the excerpts from Mark 8: 22-26 the story of Jesus healing a blind man in Bethsaida.

Be healed and be changed!

…some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and…begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man…spitting on the man’s eyes…and asked. “Can you see anything now?”

The man looked around, “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”

Then Jesus placed his hand on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.

Insights:
1. When people trust Jesus, they lead others to Him too, because they need healing in many areas of their lives!

Questions: Do you trust Him enough that you just can’t help but led your family members, friends and colleagues to Him? What makes you afraid of leading them to Jesus?

2. There are times when God changes something in your life He leaves areas unchanged to allow you to trust Him more by honestly telling Him how you feel about it. A person with deep relationship with Jesus can tell Him the good and bad, the best and worst parts of his life.

Questions: Do you trust Him enough that you can tell Him what you really feel and see? Or are you still hesitant to tell Him everything? What can you do to have that intimate relationship with Him that you can tell everything…EVERYTHING…to Him?

3. God is more than willing to COMPLETELY heal and change you no matter what it is!

Question: Do you believe that He can do that change and healing in your life now? Are you willing to take the risk of believing completely on Him for that change and healing?

Bloody procession!

This coming Friday is one of the most bloody Fridays of the year in the Philippines. This bloody day, a part of the Lenten Season is planned – infact there is people exodus going on in the major cities to have both religious and grand weekend long vacation to visit families and to see bloody bodies (not by accidents but by choice).

One of the most popular visited places during this Lenten Times is the one in Maleldo, Pampanga, where selected men of the village are nailed on the cross as penitents.

Crucifixion at Maleldo, Pampanga

Why are we practicing this?

We Filipinos are cultural Christians, thinking that to do certain religious piety or make ourselves suffer will make God love or care for us more or will make Him considerate to give our prayer requests, the like of ’suertes’ for the year and good health.

To note sadly, the least that we think of during Holy Friday, even if all the processions and pious practices are around, is the real essence of God’s sacrificial act of LOVE by giving His ONLY Son to carry in Himself the sins He did not commit but ours.  So that we may be guiltless and will not suffer the painful consequence of our sins in hell!

During that time He became the BAD one not us:

• He was the cheating employee, the selfish businessman, the corrupt government official.
• He was the flirting wife, the adulterer husband, the disobedient child.
• He was the hold upper, the murderer, the drug addict, the sexual abuser.
• He was the lustful man, the self-absorbed vain lady, the extravagant yuppy.

Name all the sins we commit and those He took, was punished and died so that we can now run free from the eternal horrible penalty.

By reading this, I hope that you will appreciate that act on the CROSS by Jesus.

To end this post let me share with you a beautiful verse in the last book of the Bible: “…Jesus Christ, who is the first witness…the ruler of the kings of the earth…Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom…to serve His God and Father.” (Revelation 1: 5, 6)

Just one very graphic picture of the aftermath in the terrible Haiti Earthquake!

Some people sent me messages regarding the earthquake in Haiti.  They asked questions about God! Specially when Pat Robertson made an unpopular comment which gathered a lot of unfavorable responses from non-Christians and Christians alike.

People became more aware of God and questioned His existence, abilities, powers, His omnipotence and omniscience because of this tragedy and other natural and man-made calamities: storms, flooding, tsunamis, volcano eruptions, forest fire, wars, bombings, brutal crimes, massacres, sea vessels’ tragedies and many others!

I have posted a blog in my other site when typhoon Ondoy devasted the National Capital Region of the Philippines with deadly and destructive flood last September 2009. I am re-posting it here:

How can we answer the question, “Why does a perfect, good and all-powerful God whom we believe and trust allows tragic disasters to happen?”

I’ve learned some things from the Bible, that I think, presented 3 simple but profound answers:

[1] The world is evil, not because of God’s creation or His will, but because of the evil forces, that is against Him, and mankind’s wrong choices.  On the latter point, I’m talking about the choices of the first man & woman when they choose not to follow God’s guidelines.  It was a bad choice and unfortunately in doing so, the natural movement of the forces of nature abandoned the good plans of God too, a very unfortunate consequence but real.

[2] On the other hand, God is in pain and suffers with us because He cares for those who are suffering in the midst of tragedies. That is why He touches the hearts of the people who have the capacity & capability to help! Through them He extends His assistance. Let us become aware that it is always a privilege to be of help!

[3] Lastly, God’s purpose is to make one day to do away with evil that caused all of these disasters.

I look forward to that time when eventually God will say, “Enough is enough, those evil things has to stop now!” I hope and pray that many of us are looking forward for that to happen. May it be  very soon!

The reason why God doesn’t give us the things we ask for is because we ask too little.  When we dream of something we dream not big enough!  When we set a goal or aim for something then pray that God grant that, we aim & goal too low and the worst is we want an answer soon!  God delays or not answer our prayers because He knows that it isn’t the best for us & He is waiting for us to be ready to receive the most ever, best & greatest answer we never have thought of!

Have a Christmas filled with time being ready to receive the best gift & answered prayer from God!

Last tip to receive a prayer request coming up the day after next!

Simbang Gabi is one of the most treasured Filipino Christmas Traditions.  I’m not a Roman Catholic but I love it!

There were times I went with my friends to the mass when I was younger to see people, to watch the nativity drama and to buy or eat puto-bongbong, bibingka, suman & sip the hot tabliya tsokolate after the mass.  That is to experience first hand pag-simba sa malamig na madaling araw!

There are many reasons why Filipinos religiously attend the very early Christmas Mass. Piety is one, love to do it for God is another.  Some binatilyos attend the mass to see their ‘nililigawans’ or the dalagitas to have a glimpse of their ‘manliligaws.’  But one that stands out is making it as a ‘panata’ because many Filipinos believe by completing the 9 days of pagsimba until Christmas early morning a prayer request or a wish will be granted!

But do you know that God would still answer your prayers even if in any case you won’t complete the Simbang Gabi? Follow through the next three coming posts with the Simbang Gabi title to learn how will God answer your requests this Christmas.

Greeting you a Christmas Season filled with answered prayers!