The Art Of
Love
“For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that
whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” – John
3:16
What is love that God made man equal?
What is love that even though He is God, He don't equate
Himself as God but came as a man to experience the same suffering as we had-
the same rejection, same pain, same challenges.
William Wilberforce even said that "God made man
equal"
Our long search for something that can fill up the voids in
our hearts made us long for love, for power, for money. We exchange the
provisions of the Almighty in self-reliance, that, we think that through our
own moves we will regain self-worth, that we will move forward no matter what.
History even made it clear that out of our knowledge many
people out there have been being branded as slaves- as if they no longer belong
to God but to people.
What is really love? That people today think that somebody
always has his own agenda, that people have their own ounces against someone.
What is love that people afford to hate, or deceive, or lie just for the sake
of in-equating somebody or anybody else.
I believe that dignity doesn't mean that because everyone do
engage in deceit you keeps silent or be swayed. Dignity is all about doing
something right even no one else will. Dignity is making yourself equal to the
poor and making someone rich in spirit even you yourself needs somebody.
Dignity doesn't allow dirty works and never let people go down the drain.
Dignity is not self-seeking nor saving just only yourself, but it is lifting up
everybody. Dignity is love.
What is really love ? That people today rather drink
complacency rather than praying in solitude. What is love, that people are
being force to revolt just for the sake of peace and sovereignty. What is love
that people tend to war and to abuse just for the sake of what they thought is
right and what they thought is true. What is love that people killed for the
sake of religion. What is love, that people shed tears, even today for the
silent abuse that they couldn't take, and for hiding their heart's content to
speak up for what their faith dictates. What is love that people suffer.
I believe God is love. He is not hiding from us. We all just
have to seek so that we will find, to knock so that the door will open. Love is
family. It is home. For that reason that God is love, God's loving arms is also
our home.
Love is Charity.
1 Corinthians 13 Says:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and
have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could
remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me
nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is
not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies,
they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be
knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which
is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a
child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish
things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to
face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but
the greatest of these is charity.
King James Version (KJV)
Love is not a choice. It is every human beings inherent
worth. To love is not just being human or humane, it is our spirituality that
opts us to love. Why? Because God loves us first and it is being shown when His
blood poured out in the cross.
John 6:44 New International Version (NIV)
44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me
draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
So we love even people don't loves us in return. We share
God not for people to listen, but we share God because He loves us first. He
died in the cross as an assurance that we will never be hurt again. (John 3:16)
When we are in pain because nobody listens, remember that
God has a plan and it all works out for the good of those who loves Him. God
will made it beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
So people will also see the beauty when it is the right
time. Rest assured my friend, Love can be hurting because you'll never get hurt
when you don't care. The greatness of love is when somebody disappoints you, you
still accept them, made them realize what is wrong and still gives them hope.
Love can move mountains and to love, in it's sense is to have faith.
___________________________________________
My Adventures of
Faith (Stories of Love, Compassion and Freedom of Faith)
 |
UP: Journey going home from SCI Flora with Ptr. John, Ate Mariael and Ate
Jane. Picture taken at Windmills of Bangui, Ilocos Norte ; DOWN: One of SCI
Classes held at Church of God, Flora, Apayao August of 2018
CKSC Bible Distribution
 |
*Praying w/ Vineyard of God Family for Bible Distribution Activity.
|
Outreach to Pinaron, Apulug, Cagayan
Ate
Mariel, Kuya Israel and I on Ptr. Roland and Ptr. Ruben House Outreach in
Cagayan
Church of God Mountain Outreach
*Ptr. Jo Sayco, Ptr. Liwliwa Mendejar, Me and Ate Mariael
going to Church Of God
Outreach on the Mountain for Sunday Service with the
natives
|
*Me at Church of God Outreach
on the mountain in the midst of Prayer
SCI Philippines Journey
*My Sisters in faith:
Myself with Ate Mariel and Joice in SCI Batch 99th
Testimonial
Banquet, Church of God, Poblacion West, Flora, Apayao
SCI Batch 99th- “More Than Conqueror in Christ” with SCI
Staffs (From front left to right) Ptr. and Pra Fred and Rose Constantino, Pra. Zen
Reyes, Ptr. Roland Tabilangon, Dir. Fernando Reyes, Ptr. Philip Pataguan, Ptr. Ruben Armandico and Bro. Jay-R, on graduation
ceremony, August 30, 2019.
*Home Cell with Cell Family at Chrissa Mae’s House, Mabuhay Homes,
Mamatid, Cabuyao City, Laguna
Sharing my Faith to my alma mater as a Guest Speaker:
Ms. Geraldine Baliber and I
in 19th Completion Ceremony of Christ the King
School of Cabuyao, March 28 , 2019
*My
Remembrance Token as a donor participant for CBTL Philippines yearly Blood
Letting Project 2019 in Partnership with Philippine Blood Center, April 23,
2019.
__________________________________________________
As
I look back on the above stories, I realized that I am more than capable and
blessed more than how I viewed my life to be. Capable because I am able to held
on to God’s promises while accepting His challenge for me to make a stand and
fight a good fight of faith ( though it is not perfect yet up to this day), and
blessed because God allows me to experience all those things that helps me to
grow as a person and in the knowledge of and relationship with Him all the
more. It takes two years for me in my aunt’s home to admit the faith, to which
and where hope I found and a year and a half for me to endure being barely in
the church because of persecution from home before I finally make a stand and
God make room for me as my refuge always.
Now,
I may be not in the Promise Land of God for me yet, but my prayer is for God to
help me endure the training and the testing until such time that I am fully
mature in the life of Christ.
If
I would have a chance to speak to young women like me today who experience the
same emotional struggle this is what I will going to say:
To all the girls who could
read this. . .
I know you always strive to obey God even though it is so
hard. I know that you want to inspire a whole lot of people and go out there,
and make a difference to the whole world even you yourself needs an inspiration
and motivation to continue with the faith that you profess.
Sometimes walking with the Lord feels like you are alone. In
fact, I know too, that you can’t even feel His presence and you question if He
is even there. I know that you are so close to crying but you rather not too
because you can’t let people see how broken you are and that weakness means
that even you, loses hope on His miracles. I know. I know. You are tired and
the world is even more tiring. It aches to know that even your love ones
couldn’t understand how you strive to love the Lord in spite of how weak and
depress you get to be.
I know and I understand because that is always been my
battle. I even question God and get mad at God on how poor I become and how
pathetic and stupid I get to be with all my financial battles and failures
while all people surrounding me are already on the peak of their race getting
the trophy of their hard work. I always tell God that I did all I can do but
things were not still enough. Most of the time, I always thought of dying
myself, to which people do not know of course. Because my biggest challenger is
my own emotion and it is a constant feud within.
But you know what keeps me going? It is my fear for Jesus.
Knowing that Jesus died for my sins, I couldn’t afford to waste this life that
He had given me when He first love me. I always tried my best to hate Him but
all I get from Him is His grace and mercy.
During my times of weaknesses, all I can do is to rely in
Him because who else will help me except Him. I believe that God made us weak
at times in order for us to realize that we cannot do things on our own might
and strength, but only by the Spirit of God.
Many times, we are tampered down by the challenges and bad
things that happened to us, but do not give up. Do not be hampered by things
that are seen, but instead, find strength on things that are unseen.
In the end, I hope that these words from the Word of the
Lord will help you find your way back to Him:
“But we have this hidden treasure in jars of clay, to show
that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us (v.7) So we do not lose
heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed
day by day (v. 16). – 2 Corinthians
4:7,16
May you continue with the faith. God bless you more and
more!
-Madellene Kong Peñaflor
This blog
post is a blog for Compassion Bloggers under July 2019 Writing Prompt “Cheer
Up!”
Compassion Bloggers is a ministry of
Compassion in Jesus’ name whose mission is to release children from poverty .
~
“This is how
we know what true love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought
to lay down our lives for our brothers. (1 John 3:16)
Laying our lives means sharing the very life of Christ. It is not
only about preaching the word or quoting the scriptures, but becoming the
living Word ourselves- the word who became flesh (John 1:14) like Jesus did. We
could do that by doing little things into people surrounding our circle or
getting involve for a higher cause. What are you willing to do to love God and
other people?
Join us and make a Compassionate Step for others today!
Feeling
compelled with my faith journey? You could also do the same thing and do even
more. Make a step to free a child from poverty today. . . .
Want
to help but still on a tight schedule or tight budget? You can still do great
in promoting our vision. . . .
Girls’ figures
Do
you struggle with unruly emotion? May this 7 day devotional inspires you that
with God, everything is possible. . . .
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