Walking down the Katigbak Pkwy in front of Quirino Grandstand yesterday, Friday, 8 October 2010, a certain crusade which was being organized caught my attention. I was about to visit Makansutra to finally do my clearance form the company. I changed my mind upon seeing the thick cloud covering the city and the wind blowing furiously that the dust it blown made me cough.
A considerable number of people were gathered at Quirino Grandstand. Women wearing Saya and men in long and short sleeves polo were over the place and still others were coming. I wonder who they were and from what sect they could be. Later did I know that these people were from Jesus Miracle Crusade.
"JESUS SAVES!" This powerful words caught my enthusiasm to stop and intently pay attention to the pictures posted on the wall of the grandstand. News like "Hostage freed in Mindanao" did an impact on me. I smiled at the thought. It was ironic tht the news and the words written above were there just in front of the very spot where the hostage taking last August 23 took the lives of Chinese nationals and the hostage taker himself.
Could this same words be in the heart of those families whose loved ones suffered the cruelty of death? Will the proclamation of God's saving grace int that crusade make them realize that indeed God is the God of miracles? We can't tell. While I delve at the thought, God impressed in me the verse in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
I realize it's not for us to question why certain things happen so favorably to one and unfavorably to the others. For the Lord sends rain to both the righteous and the wicked.
All the way through, God again impressed in me the story of Daniel's friends; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3). The story tells that King Nebuchadnezzar put up a statue to which all shall bow down and worship upon hearing the sound of musical instruments. If anyone caught not doing as instructed shall be placed to a blazing furnace.
The three friends were caught not following the King's command and the news were brought to him. Nebuchadnezzar was furious and so summoned the three Godly men and commanded to bow down and worship the idol. When faced with the King's presence, they replied with courage: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." And God did saved them!
Many times we faced with the temptations to compromise, to question God, to be bitter towards him. King Nebuchadnezzar appear in many forms. He could be our problems which we thought we cannot solve the right way and so we compromise (our tithes, relationships, etc.) He could play the role of our parents, relatives and friends questioning the very relationship we have with the Savior thus leading us to a lose heart and fall away. Or he could be the finger of the enemy poking at us whenever we make a mistake.
The attitude of the three friends made a big difference to the situations and it did touch the heart of the Lord. God saved them! There is promotion in our Faithfulness. When confronted with a problem, it should be our attitude that God is able to save us...and even if He doesn't, we will still stand upright! I love the line from Facing the Giant that says, "If we win, we'll praise God; and if we lose, we'll Praise God!" It doesn't change anything. Whether winning and losing, we'll Praise Him!
After all,
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:35-39
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