"He has opened the prison door, and set the captives free..."Instead of your shame
you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion
they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land
they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
- Isaiah 61:7
And instead of confusion
they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land
they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
- Isaiah 61:7
To forgive is to set a prisoner free
and discover the prisoner was you.
- Lewis B. Smedesand discover the prisoner was you.
Today our nation celebrates its 112th year of independence.
On June 12, 1898, the brand-new and hand-sewn Philippine flag was raised for the very first time, declaring our freedom from 400 years of Spanish rule.
We celebrate that today as a nation, although in most homes, the event will go by unnoticed. There are festivities, and parades, and floats, gun salutes, fireworks, mostly participated in by government officials. Small versions of our nation's flag is displayed in cars and many business establishments, and there are special movies, plays, reading of nationalistic poems in commemoration of the historical milestone, but in most Filipinos' hearts, that is as far as it will go.
Even I did not really do anything patriotic today. We - my British friend Trudi, my daughter Obedient One and I - went to the mall, had a lunch of mojos and pizza at Shakey's, and watched Karate Kid in the afternoon.
But all day long the fact that today is a significant event in our nation's history was on my heart.
In my heart I rejoice that our nation is now free from foreign dominion, and that this month, we will install into office the fifteenth president of our republic.
The picture below is an important milestone in our history: it shows Emilio Aguinaldo waving the Philippine flag for the first time, from the balcony of his home in Kawit, Cavite.
Proclamation of Philippine IndependenceJune 12, 1898
read more here
The freedom that we enjoy today was purchased at great cost. There was much bloodshed, betrayal, and treachery. We proclaimed independence from Spanish rule only to find ourselves under another colonial power, the United States of America.
And today, while we are thankful for the many positive influences that our "colonizers" left as a lasting imprint and legacy upon our land and hearts, sadly I must say that there were also many wounds within our soul as a Filipino people that remain unhealed to this day.
Many wonderful things that should have been rightfully ours were taken away from us.
Part of the struggle that we Filipinos face today has to do with recovering our sense of identity.
It is never easy to live as a free people after having been a nation in chains for more than 400 years.
The same story is true of the Israelites after they were delivered from Egypt, where they lived under cruel taskmasters.
God had to constantly teach them that they were no longer slaves...revealing to them Himself as their God, their healer, their provider. They had to discover that he was a benevolent God, One that could be trusted and depended upon, not an easy thing for them to learn after the tyranny and cruelty of the Egyptian pharaohs under whose rule they lived for 400 years.
It took a long time for the Israelites to learn the concept of nationhood. God had to remove all traces of the slave mentality and victim spirit from their mindsets. It had to take a new generation, led by Joshua and Caleb, to cross the Jordan River and begin taking over the Promised Land, city by city.
It was a process of recovering their dignity as free men, and God showed them they could do it. But it was not easy.
Indeed, it is a long road to freedom, and is bought at great price.
The reason I am in Manila is that I did an Ancient Paths seminar for a group of recovering drug dependents that hopefully are on their way to being released back to society as renewed and dependable citizens.
There were a total of ten participants, including the woman who heads this reputable foundation, and another person, their psychotherapist and life coach who has spent long hours with them, painstakingly ministering to them by listening to them, equipping them, and nursing them back to mental health step by step.
Their full recovery is a long and painful process.
As my friend Trudi and I ministered to these young men and women, there was an anger, an indignation inside of me at how the enemy had stolen their true identity and destiny.
For years these men had become enslaved to alcohol and drugs, have been in and out of prison, confused about their true identities, imprisoned by bitterness, anger, fear, compulsive habits, and a crippling sense of rejection and failure. Some have been thought to be fully rehabilitated, only to find themselves back in the facility after a few years.
I found myself crying out to God for their healing, for their restoration. These are promising young men and women, gifted, potential ambassadors for God's kingdom. They have been stolen from, their potentials ripped off, their opportunities nipped in the bud.
Speak new life over me, one of them cried out during ministry. I'm tired of being given up for dead!
I knew God is near to the broken hearted, and I sensed His strong presence around us.
In your compassion, reach out to them, dear God.
Last night, we ended the two day seminar by sharing with them the true meaning and spiritual connotation of each of their names.
The proclamation and declaration of our true name can be used against the enemy when he tries to lie to us about who we are.
It is so true, we have all been called many names in this life, but only the name by which God calls us will set us free from captivity!
He calls one Rich in God's Grace, another one is Famous Warrior, still another is Divine and Glorious...Strong Protector...Double Portion...Declarer of God's Truth.
Heal them from their brokenness, I prayed.
Open their eyes to the truth of how You see them!
Release them from deep seated feelings of inadequacy and sense of failure!
Pour upon their hearts a revelation of Your love that they may be set free from fear!
Break the power of the lies that they have believed!
It was a glorious evening as each of the participants discovered the true meaning of their names.
Many of them received breakthroughs and healing for some of their inner wounds.
All of them asked to be released into their God given identities as men and women, and looked forward to the glorious unfolding of the opportunities for them to walk in the path of their individual destinies.
This is only the beginning, I had to remind them. It is a process, and not an overnight thing...but then again, expect the impossible to happen before your eyes.
To God alone be the glory for these things. God ministers the healing, I am simply the channel.
As I write these lines, I am humbly reminded of the own work of liberation that Jesus has done in me.
It is for freedom that Christ shed His blood on the cross.
Thirty six years ago I made the choice, and crossed over from death to life, embracing the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
Lloyd writes on his recent post, "Eternal life is not a wage to be earned, but a gift to be received from God."
The penalty of eternal death that should have been yours and mine has already been paid by Jesus...He died in my place so that I could go free.
And I have turned my life over to my new Master. I am no longer a slave. I am free!
I have pledged total allegiance to Him, my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, my King.
Mine is a life of learning what this means. And I have often said that I don't want any half-hearted allegiance to the King who has redeemed my life from the pit and lifted me up from the miry bog!
Yes, this freedom was bought with a price; it cost my Heavenly Father the life of His only Son!
Knowing that Jesus shed His precious blood to buy back my freedom, I treasure my freedom as something to be deeply valued and guarded!
Jesus Christ says in Luke 9:23
I am a disciple, a life-long learner of what it means to be a Christ-follower.
According to Pastor Edgar, being a disciple is responding to a call to follow Christ. It means to be totally immersed in the life of my Master.
The goal of my life is to be like Christ. Not always easy, and there are many pitfalls along the way.
But the Master is ever ready to help me, and to train me. It's His goal for me, too.
To be totally immersed in the life of my Master.
To live a life of radical obedience.
Not out of duty, but out of love. After all, don't I owe my freedom to Him?
Being a disciple means that there are certain movies I cannot watch, certain books I must not read. For I must not fill my mind with influences that will damage it, or render it unfit for the Master's use. Whatsoever things are true ...right... noble... lovely ... pure ... admirable ...worthy of praise, these are the things I must think on.
Yes, I must keep my vessel clean, my mind a holy ground for God to think through, my mouth a holy instrument for Him to speak through.
It means there are places I may never go to...and carefully choose the people I go with.
It means that I live my life in constant obedience to the desires of my Master. Keeping my heart soft and pliable by walking in compassion and humility, free from offense and false judgment, and constantly releasing forgiveness to people who have hurt me and wounded me.
Being a disciple means that I live my life dedicated to the purpose of serving my God, and advancing His kingdom.
My prayer for our nation today as we celebrate independence day is that we will know what it means to value and guard this freedom that our heroes died for. But above all, that we will be a nation that truly honors God! May we be willing to release forgiveness and speak blessings to the nations that have wounded us as a people. Then and only then will we find true freedom.
My prayer for the young men and women that we ministered to these past days is that they will continue to walk in freedom, down the pathway of healing that Jesus has already purchased for them through His death and resurrection!
And my ongoing prayer for myself is expressed beautifully in one of my favorite songs, The Stand, posted below.
What can I say? What can I do? But offer this heart O God, completely to You.
And today, while we are thankful for the many positive influences that our "colonizers" left as a lasting imprint and legacy upon our land and hearts, sadly I must say that there were also many wounds within our soul as a Filipino people that remain unhealed to this day.
Many wonderful things that should have been rightfully ours were taken away from us.
Part of the struggle that we Filipinos face today has to do with recovering our sense of identity.
It is never easy to live as a free people after having been a nation in chains for more than 400 years.
The same story is true of the Israelites after they were delivered from Egypt, where they lived under cruel taskmasters.
God had to constantly teach them that they were no longer slaves...revealing to them Himself as their God, their healer, their provider. They had to discover that he was a benevolent God, One that could be trusted and depended upon, not an easy thing for them to learn after the tyranny and cruelty of the Egyptian pharaohs under whose rule they lived for 400 years.
It took a long time for the Israelites to learn the concept of nationhood. God had to remove all traces of the slave mentality and victim spirit from their mindsets. It had to take a new generation, led by Joshua and Caleb, to cross the Jordan River and begin taking over the Promised Land, city by city.
It was a process of recovering their dignity as free men, and God showed them they could do it. But it was not easy.
Indeed, it is a long road to freedom, and is bought at great price.
The reason I am in Manila is that I did an Ancient Paths seminar for a group of recovering drug dependents that hopefully are on their way to being released back to society as renewed and dependable citizens.
There were a total of ten participants, including the woman who heads this reputable foundation, and another person, their psychotherapist and life coach who has spent long hours with them, painstakingly ministering to them by listening to them, equipping them, and nursing them back to mental health step by step.
Their full recovery is a long and painful process.
As my friend Trudi and I ministered to these young men and women, there was an anger, an indignation inside of me at how the enemy had stolen their true identity and destiny.
For years these men had become enslaved to alcohol and drugs, have been in and out of prison, confused about their true identities, imprisoned by bitterness, anger, fear, compulsive habits, and a crippling sense of rejection and failure. Some have been thought to be fully rehabilitated, only to find themselves back in the facility after a few years.
I found myself crying out to God for their healing, for their restoration. These are promising young men and women, gifted, potential ambassadors for God's kingdom. They have been stolen from, their potentials ripped off, their opportunities nipped in the bud.
Speak new life over me, one of them cried out during ministry. I'm tired of being given up for dead!
I knew God is near to the broken hearted, and I sensed His strong presence around us.
In your compassion, reach out to them, dear God.
Last night, we ended the two day seminar by sharing with them the true meaning and spiritual connotation of each of their names.
The proclamation and declaration of our true name can be used against the enemy when he tries to lie to us about who we are.
It is so true, we have all been called many names in this life, but only the name by which God calls us will set us free from captivity!
He calls one Rich in God's Grace, another one is Famous Warrior, still another is Divine and Glorious...Strong Protector...Double Portion...Declarer of God's Truth.
Heal them from their brokenness, I prayed.
Open their eyes to the truth of how You see them!
Release them from deep seated feelings of inadequacy and sense of failure!
Pour upon their hearts a revelation of Your love that they may be set free from fear!
Break the power of the lies that they have believed!
It was a glorious evening as each of the participants discovered the true meaning of their names.
Many of them received breakthroughs and healing for some of their inner wounds.
All of them asked to be released into their God given identities as men and women, and looked forward to the glorious unfolding of the opportunities for them to walk in the path of their individual destinies.
This is only the beginning, I had to remind them. It is a process, and not an overnight thing...but then again, expect the impossible to happen before your eyes.
To God alone be the glory for these things. God ministers the healing, I am simply the channel.
As I write these lines, I am humbly reminded of the own work of liberation that Jesus has done in me.
It is for freedom that Christ shed His blood on the cross.
Thirty six years ago I made the choice, and crossed over from death to life, embracing the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
Lloyd writes on his recent post, "Eternal life is not a wage to be earned, but a gift to be received from God."
The penalty of eternal death that should have been yours and mine has already been paid by Jesus...He died in my place so that I could go free.
And I have turned my life over to my new Master. I am no longer a slave. I am free!
I have pledged total allegiance to Him, my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, my King.
Mine is a life of learning what this means. And I have often said that I don't want any half-hearted allegiance to the King who has redeemed my life from the pit and lifted me up from the miry bog!
Yes, this freedom was bought with a price; it cost my Heavenly Father the life of His only Son!
Knowing that Jesus shed His precious blood to buy back my freedom, I treasure my freedom as something to be deeply valued and guarded!
Jesus Christ says in Luke 9:23
If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
I am a disciple, a life-long learner of what it means to be a Christ-follower.
According to Pastor Edgar, being a disciple is responding to a call to follow Christ. It means to be totally immersed in the life of my Master.
The goal of my life is to be like Christ. Not always easy, and there are many pitfalls along the way.
But the Master is ever ready to help me, and to train me. It's His goal for me, too.
To be totally immersed in the life of my Master.
To live a life of radical obedience.
Not out of duty, but out of love. After all, don't I owe my freedom to Him?
Being a disciple means that there are certain movies I cannot watch, certain books I must not read. For I must not fill my mind with influences that will damage it, or render it unfit for the Master's use. Whatsoever things are true ...right... noble... lovely ... pure ... admirable ...worthy of praise, these are the things I must think on.
Yes, I must keep my vessel clean, my mind a holy ground for God to think through, my mouth a holy instrument for Him to speak through.
It means there are places I may never go to...and carefully choose the people I go with.
It means that I live my life in constant obedience to the desires of my Master. Keeping my heart soft and pliable by walking in compassion and humility, free from offense and false judgment, and constantly releasing forgiveness to people who have hurt me and wounded me.
Being a disciple means that I live my life dedicated to the purpose of serving my God, and advancing His kingdom.
My prayer for our nation today as we celebrate independence day is that we will know what it means to value and guard this freedom that our heroes died for. But above all, that we will be a nation that truly honors God! May we be willing to release forgiveness and speak blessings to the nations that have wounded us as a people. Then and only then will we find true freedom.
My prayer for the young men and women that we ministered to these past days is that they will continue to walk in freedom, down the pathway of healing that Jesus has already purchased for them through His death and resurrection!
And my ongoing prayer for myself is expressed beautifully in one of my favorite songs, The Stand, posted below.
What can I say? What can I do? But offer this heart O God, completely to You.
The Stand
by Hillsong
You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand
You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand
So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You
So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand
So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You
So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So I'll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours
You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand
You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand
So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You
So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand
So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You
So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So I'll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours
It was for freedom that Christ set us free;
therefore keep standing firm and
do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
- Galatians 5:1
19 comments:
Great post, Lidj! Much of the work I do is speaking life to those wounded by this world...addictions, abuse of all kinds and ungodly thought processes must go in order for the young people I work with to walk in the path of their destiny.
It's sad that many of them have never had life spoken over them, but rather the opposite. The psychological consuqences are devestating!
May God bless and empower you, Lidj, as you minister to the poor.
With Much Love...
Dear Lidj,
Congratulation with your freedom day.
We seem to share a similar history, Little Norway and the Huge nation, the Philippines.
We were ruled from Denmark for 400 years, and those were not proud ones.
Then we became free,only to experience that the mighty English generals handed us over to Sweden as a reward for their help to beat Napoleon.
Now the freedom thought had risen and the fire could not be extinguished. In 1905 we were finally free.
Luckily we had no bloodshed or war to fight.
Therefore the Scandinavian countries in many ways act as one.
We have similar languages, and all a cross in our flags.
Oh, I do wish for the Filipinos that they too may feel pride to be one unique nation.
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free."
You are doing a wonderful and so important work, help freeing those enslaved by drugs and alcohol.
They have a unique opportunity to be seen, prayed for and guided in love back to a freedom they maybe never knew.
I'm so happy for them.
I know that Jesus gave his disciples new names. I'm not accustomed with that being done in Norway.
Some day, maybe you'll give me a new name too? A name to with stand the treacherous fiend.
My Felisol name was given me by my brother, when we were kids. I love that too.
Happy 112th year of independance to the Philipines! I appreciated what you had to say in comparing our freedom recieved through our country, and the freedom we recieve through Christ. Another great post!
Happy Independeance Day Lidj
Lidj... I am in the process of restoring my sight on the Lord as King, and myself as a Christ follower.
You said:
Being a disciple means that there are certain movies I cannot watch, certain books I must not read. For I must not fill my mind with influences that will damage it, or render it unfit for the Master's use. Whatsoever things are true ...right... noble... lovely ... pure ... admirable ...worthy of praise, these are the things I must think on.
Yes, I must keep my vessel clean, my mind a holy ground for God to think through, my mouth a holy instrument for Him to speak through.
It means there are places I may never go to...and carefully choose the people I go with.
May I always have my vessel clean ... "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow...." (Ps 51)
Blessings to you as your nation celebrates it's 112th year of independence. I admire you as a person who takes a stand for Christ and other causes. You are an amazing woman.
Happy Independence to you sister! Like what you said, it might have gone unnoticed by some. That included me. I almost forgot! I'm glad you came by to remind me. I love the analogy you used with being colonized for so long, that it is like being in a bondage. So true. It felt as if I was there, seeing those people tired of being in a hole for so long. That they are screaming for Someone to get them out! And glory be to God! Nothing is impossible with Him! But at the same time, I pray for you and other precious "kapatid" in Christ, for the Lord to protect you and them in this ministry you're doing for His glory. May His Holy Blood cover you all and praying for His angels to surround you all at all times.
Before coming here to read your post, I was just reading 1 Cor.6, when Paul reminded the Corinthians to avoid immoral behavior. Our society nowadays, is becoming more tolerable of such ill behaviors. We are warned not to participate in those acts or condone it in any way. God truly expects us to have a high standard. "We must be holy for He is holy." May we be all empty and clean vessels, ready for His work. Glorifying Him in everything that we say, do or think. Beautiful post as always. You always inspire and encourage me. God bless you richly! To God be the glory forever and ever. For all ages to come. "Be strong in the Lord's mighty power." Ingat ka sister Lidj. The last time I had gone home was 2007 when my father passed away sa colon cancer. At this time, my family and I have no plans yet to go for a visit. But I pray that the Lord will send a revival to our leaders in the government. And to all as well.
Thank you for sharing this song, Lidj. It is a gift, today.
this is a beautiful post...right from the heart. I know that painful journey to heal...it's sooo long and so often I have asked God why did He let it all happen? Freedom always comes with a cost. Stay strong and have a great day. Sarah
Hello, I always enjoy reading your blog when I have a chance. My daughter-in-law came to the US from the Philippines when she was 9...I've gotten to know her mother and siblings a little and now two of our precious grandchildren are 1/2 Filipino! So when you post about your homeland it is of special interest to me. How wonderful you had another chance to visit with you family. God bless you and all your work...
Lidj,
Thank you. Your post on Freedom deeply ministered to my heart. Leaving in a different country than my birth country has given me first hand experience of understanding what freedom means. At home...everyone is free to be themselves, but in another place, one has to think twice or thrice before stepping out. It took the Israelites a long time...for the slavery mentality gain over 400 years to discard. It took a long time...to believe that as God's children, God was on their side all the time.
Many a times, I have failed to see that in Christ...I have freedom to be the person God wants me to be without stopping to wonder what others think of me. But...it takes wisdom and perseverance before we walk out and on in the Freedom we have in Christ.
Thank you...and may the Lord bless Phillipine.
Gladwell
I also meant to comment on Ingrid Trobisch. I was blessed to hear her and her daughter Katrina speak years ago and I have several of her books (signed!) ... I was profoundly touched by them and their testimonies. By looking at your links I see that Ingrid passed on 3 years ago and remarried in the last years of her life after 20 years of widowhood. What a blessing for her. I've often wondered about Katrina...her marriage had hit a very rough spot when I met her and I've wondered what the outcome was. She is a very private person...and I haven't seen anything written about her other than in relation to writing/speaking with her mother. Do you know? What a remarkable woman Ingrid was!
"I don't want any half-hearted allegiance to the King who has redeemed my life from the pit and lifted me up from the miry bog!"
I want to give my whole heart as well. Isn't it amazing how easy it is to slide back on that....almost without knowing it is happening. The enemy is cunning and his lies filled with half truths that draw us away from our freedom in Christ just to be enslaved by our sinful desires.
True freedom is found in radical obedience, one not of duty but of desire out of love! Another beautiful apparent paradox of God's way! You understand and live it so fully and so beautifully.
"Keeping my heart soft and pliable by walking in compassion and humility." The fight to remain humble when you are learning so much and feel like the Holy Spirit is making good progress in your sanctification is the one place I have the temptation to then give in to pride.
I love your connection of all of this to a desire for your nation. True independence comes with forgiveness and then blessing the very nations that inflicted the enslavement. And how that relates to the bondage others find themselves in due to addictive choices....for them to walk in freedom through the healing path only Jesus can provide. I'm praying this for a young couple that just came to the Lord but has some criminal history that carries consequences. I'm wondering if they will fall away from the faith if they expected Jesus to rescue them from the consequences of sin in this life. Thank you for your prayer...I'm applying it to Woody and Crystal.
As to you visiting the U.S. and being on the west coast, Matt even suggested that perhaps, if you have the time we would pay to fly you up from S.F. to Portland for a weekend. You could stay in our humble little home...my son often gives up his room for guests. Think about it. You would be very welcome and we could have wonderful, quality time with you....Matt and me!
36 years of blessed freedom in Christ--what a testimony. So many different kinds of freedom you mentioned--political, in Christ, and from addiction. But He (or she) who is free in Christ is the most free of all. Amazing what the Lord did for us. Wishing blessings on you and on your country as you celebrate independence day and count the costs.
Hi Lidj, Happy Independence Day! You are earning a very special place in Heaven . . for all the people you touch with this blog of yours, especially the messages and confirmations you convey with so much gentleness in your postings. Love, Sandy:O)
What a beautiful post of love. It's so obvious you love your country. I learned much from your post about the history of the Philippines.
You have such a tender heart for the broken. I'm sure the people you ministered to were blessed by your presence and caring.
You make very good points about the life we live as true Christians. We are to live to please the Master. I am so thankful He hasn't left me alone. I can abide in Him and then He works in me and through me. I can submit and be His vessel to be used for His purposes.
Bless you,
Debbie
dear crown of beauty. i was just over at sandy's and i was mentioning to her how much you pray and here i read this post and the whole time you are crying out to the lord for these poor souls.
all i can say crown of beauty, it seems that they are seeking and the lord will surely find them!
the picture of the white bird being set loose from the cage reminds me of that beautiful verse,
John 8:36
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
may the lord bless this work that you are doing for him crown of beauty...love terry
The word of the day must be FREEDOM
as Denise wrote about it on her blog too!
We have so much freedom in Christ - we need to let ourselves out of the cage and out of the box - and allow God to let us fly and soar with Him! He will catch us if we fall and He will glide our wings to new heights!
Loved this - especially the picture of the dove and the open cage! Wow!!! Spoke volumes!
Choosing JOY, Stephanie
came back and read again. I didn't know your husband passed away 18 months ago. I'm sorry. This song on your post...so soothing. You have a gentle soul. Thank you for being you.
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