The Altar of Cleansing

image source

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site 

of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. 

At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

The LORD appeared to Abram and said,

"To your offspring I will give this land."

So he built an altar there to the Lord,

who had appeared to him.

From there he went on toward the hills

east of Bethel and pitched his tent,

with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.

There he built an altar to the LORD

and called on the name of the Lord.

- Genesis 12:6-8

Beautiful April bids us goodbye in just a few more hours! As  I write my end of month blog post, I am truly grateful for how Abba Father touched my heart this month in unexpected ways... new faith lessons that help me see where I am in my journey.

And I am joyful for the freedom and opportunity to share how the past four weeks have graced my life.

The wise Socrates knew what he was saying when he said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." 

This is a universal, eternal truth. Abba Father actually tells us the same.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 90:12, which says:

Teach us to number our days 

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

A few other translations render this passage beautifully, such as:

Teach us to keep account of our days 

so we may develop inner wisdom.

(International Standard Version)

and

Teach us the number of our days 

that we may enter the heart of wisdom.

(Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

Keeping track of our spiritual lessons helps us discern the diverse patterns woven between the lines of our life story of which Abba Father is the author. The more we understand what His purposes are, the better we can cooperate with Him, instead of getting in the way of what He is doing.

Frederick Buechner writes:

"Maybe nothing is more important than that we keep track, you and I, of these stories of who we are and where we have come from and the people we have met along the way because it is precisely through these stories in all their particularity... that God makes Himself known to each of us most powerfully and personally. If this is true, it means to lose track of our stories is to be profoundly impoverished not only humanly but also spiritually."

He couldn't have said it better. I write my stories because in doing so I am enriched. There is always a connection between my external circumstances and the inner dimension of my life. There is always a junction where God's story and my own story meet!

While I was in Manila last month, the song Oceans was sung in church one Sunday. It was my first time to hear that song, and the lyrics really spoke to me. Somehow I sensed that it was a special message from Abba Father for my 61st year. (Listen to Oceans here.)

It was a call to launch out into the deeper waters... once again, the uncharted territories ahead of me.

That spiritual message for March about trusting the Father to re-seed my faith and expand my trust borders continued on even into the early weeks of April.


Showers of Blessing

The past days have been very hot and dry. To make matters worse, the city water supply has not been reaching our neighborhood; all we get is a trickle during the night. We have been grateful for our electric pump that supplies our household with well water, but we've been waiting for rain!

What a clear sign of favor when a refreshing downpour suddenly fell over our city at noon today, drenching the dry earth with much needed life-giving moisture, right on the last day of the month!

Thank You, Abba Father, for the prophetic message that the rains spoke to my heart today!

Passover

On April 14 we at the Negros Island House of Prayer celebrated Passover. This was a special event for us because this year's Passover "coincides" with the first blood moon of the lunar tetrad for 2014-2015. This is not mere coincidence. God has an important message He wants to convey, and we are paying attention. Right after the celebration we also had a solemn assembly during which we interceded for our nation the Philippines, and for Israel.

Butch and Mylene Yulo at the head table during the Passover Seder

Hebraic Roots

I now understand the importance of being connected to the Hebraic roots of my faith and developing a Hebrew mindset. Every single book of the Bible was written by Jews, therefore, the Bible in its original language is a result of Hebrew thinking. Scripture is therefore best understood when read with a Hebrew mindset.

A quote from Brian Knowles:

"The Bible, in its original languages, is, humanly speaking, a product of the Hebrew mind. The first and original manifestation of what we now call "The Church" was also an expression of the Hebrew mind. At some point in ecclesiastical history, someone snatched away the inceptive Hebraic blueprint by which Jesus’ movement was being constructed and replaced it with a non-Hebraic one. As a result, what has been built since is at best a caricature of what was intended. In many respects, it is downright contrary and antagonistic to the spirit of the original believing community.

"The Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, appears, in our time, to be returning his people to the original blueprint. The Hebrew Roots movement, led I believe by the Holy Spirit, is doing much to restore to the Body a sense of its first foundations." 

Celebrating the feasts of the Lord these past years is one way of  helping me connect to my Hebrew roots and gaining a deeper understanding of my Christian faith.

Family
Daughter Obedient One arrived on Holy Wednesday and stayed up to Resurrection Sunday. Family togetherness is one thing that means so much to me. Although Obedient and I see each other often as I visit her regularly in Manila, the last time we were all together as a family was a year ago when we celebrated my 60th birthday. We usually look forward to being together at Christmas, New Year, and Resurrection weekend. This Holy Week was therefore a very special time for all of us. Chosen One's mom, Madora, also arrived from Manila on Good Friday to spend the Resurrection weekend with us. What a special opportunity for us to renew family ties!

Resurrection Sunday lunch at Kaisei Japanese Resto

Dinner at Chicken House

Osbron Hall
One very special event that took place this month was the granting of a posthumous recognition award to our church's founding pastor, Gerald Osbron, and his wife, Barb. We fondly called them Jerry and Barb. Ernie and I went to the Baptist Conference Church one Sunday in June 1979, the very week we moved to Bacolod from Manila as a one year old married couple, and we never left. From a handful of about twenty members in 1979, our church steadily grew under this couple's faithful and loving shepherding. They retired in 1993, giving our church fifteen beautiful years of care and nurture. Twenty one years after they left us, our church has definitely grown, having given birth to many daughter churches all over this province and other islands.

Jerry and Barb were given the Arado Award, received by their eldest daughter Amy, together with her husband Dan, who flew all the way from Manila for this special night.

Arado is a local word for "plow" - it is a symbol of faithfulness and perseverance.

I am reminded of this verse that speaks of remaining loyal to the Master till the very end:

No one having put his hand to the plow and looking back 

is fit for the kingdom of God.

- Luke 9:62

That night was also special for us, especially those who received spiritual nurturing under Pastor Jerry and Barb. The new sanctuary which can seat over a thousand, was officially named "Osbron Hall" in their honor. The tiny seed that they planted 36 years ago has grown and matured to be a nurturing tree for many others as well.

Dan and Amy with Pastor Joe at our church driveway, right after their arrival from the airport.

Pastor Joe invites all the 18th Street church originals to go up the stage as Marilou Ascalon (Pastor Joe's wife) prepares to give Amy and Dan some tokens in honor of their parents.

Amy can't hold back the tears as she reads to us
a Scripture that very much applies to the work
that her parents began in Bacolod City

Pursuing Intimacy with God

Last week the Women of Purpose of our church listened to Marian Sycip teach on "Pursuing Intimacy with God," a lesson condensed from Edmund Chan's book Cultivating Your Inner Life. I love the opening words that Marian spoke, praying to give the teaching with a surrendered heart, "not with wisdom or eloquence, lest the Cross of Christ be emptied of its power" (1 Corinthians 1:17). What a privilege it was to listen to her humble words. It was like drinking from a well of life-giving water! 

Here are a few lines taken from the notes I took, golden nuggets of life to chew on in the days and weeks to come:

Intimacy with God is our one defining passion in life.

Prepare yourself to choose the deep things of God.

Passion is begun and sustained by God. A self-sustained passion is a short-lived gimmick.

Learn to read the Bible from a theocentric perspective, not an anthropocentric one. (A theocentric perspective looks at God as the center of the universe, while an anthropocentric viewpoint considers human beings as the most significant entity in the universe).

The Bible is all about the epic love relationship between us and God.

Intimacy with God is not just a key to blessing... it is the blessing! It is a relationship that anchors my life and blesses everything I touch.

True spirituality is first and foremost a restedness of soul that allows us entrance beyond the holy veil into the glorious presence of God.

Beyond the veil God quietly waits to meet us.

Abraham's Altar

In mid April I began meditating on the story of Abraham, which begins in Genesis 11:26. There is much to be said about this man, especially because the promise of a land and a people was originally given to him. But what spoke to my heart is his faith, considering that Abraham comes from Ur, a city in ancient Babylon known for its worship of the moon god Nannu.  It is very likely that Abraham was an idolater at the time God called him, a fact that makes his response of obedience noteworthy. 

The Bible notes that Abraham built an altar at significant points in his journey toward Canaan.

I've always paid special attention to Abraham's life. Known as the man with the tent and the altar, he never drove his stakes down too deep; he was always ready to move. And I love the fact that he built an altar whenever he reached a turning point in his faith journey.

I have often thought of an altar as a place of worship, but this month I came to realize that Abraham's altar was first and foremost a place of cleansing.

Surely before Abraham could worship God, his heart needed to be cleansed from the idol worship of his earlier years.

Cleansing provides the basis for worship. 

The reason for a daily altar is the urgent need for cleansing in the pilgrim life. (Ray Stedman)

My personal altar is located in my prayer room, as shown in the header picture of this blog. It faces east and is located right by the window. The gentle rays of the rising sun almost always shine on me as I sit there on most mornings. 

I've approached this altar often to worship my heavenly Father.

Yet on many mornings this month, I have come to my altar seeking not so much to worship as to ask God to cleanse my heart of clutter and distraction.

These past weeks I have been aware of the spirit of offense hiding in a little corner of my heart. One small offended thought gives birth to another... "A little leaven leavens the whole batch..." So, I've had to come often to my altar, asking Abba Father to renew my mind, and to cleanse it of unrighteous thoughts.

I do want that restedness of soul... a surrendered heart, spoken of by Marian... and gain entrance beyond the veil.

The Call to Separate

Further along in the story of Abraham's life, we read of his decision to separate from his nephew Lot. The herdsmen from the two camps had begun to dispute, leading to strife and enmity among them. The obvious next move was for Lot and Abraham to part ways.

In an act of magnanimity and grace, the elderly man gives his nephew first choice.

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We read in Genesis 13 that Lot chose the well watered plains of the Jordan. 

Some commentators accuse him of being greedy and selfish. However, after Lot departs, the LORD says to Abraham: 

"Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever." - Genesis 13:14-15

Abraham gets the better deal after all.

It is easy to make choices based on what our earthbound physical senses tell us: Watch out for #1! The truth is that Someone is watching out for us, and He can be trusted to make the best choice for us.

This story has appeared in my devotional reading plans several times this month. I sense God calling me to a separation, and yes... I am paying close attention. While it is not clear as yet what I am to separate from, just like Abraham, I am ready to obey.


At the Oaks of Mamre
I have always wondered about this place called "the Oaks of Mamre" where Abraham eventually set up his tent. In Genesis 18, the beautiful account of Abraham's encounter with the living God starts on a normal hot day, and finds him sitting by the door of his tent. Nothing new was expected, but that is how God works in our lives, when we least expect him. Abraham is still waiting for the son of promise. After begetting a son with Sarah's maidservant he realizes that he can't take things into his own hands. Both he and his wife must be at the point of despair. And yet it is in that very place where God meets them.

"This time next year, I will certainly return to you, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." The Lord tells him.

It is said simply, matter-of-factly, straightforward, without fanfare. Believe it or not. Take it or leave it.

Abraham feels like laughing. And Sarah, listening behind the tent door, laughs within herself.



Commentators have said it is the laughter of unbelief.

Maybe that is only partly true. I believe deep inside Sarah, it is a laughter of hope. It sounded too good to be true. And yet... what if it was true?

Suddenly, in the midst of the years of waiting, with despair setting in, Abba Father graces their lives and says, The time has come for My promise to be fulfilled in your lives.

The Bible is careful to describe the way Sarah laughed. Not out loud... but within herself. 

But God does not let the moment pass. With authority He confronts any trace of doubt in Sarah and Abraham. Is anything too hard for the Lord?

"I believe, help me in my unbelief."

Right here under the oak trees of Mamre, heaven came down and brought hope to this couple. Doubt and despair gave way to joy.

This is probably the top highlight of my month... that God speaks gently to me through this story.

I am at that point in my life where I am asking God Abba Father, Is this all there is to my life? Or is there something more?

Five years ago when my husband went home to heaven, the direction of my life changed. And this year, my 61st year, I am again at an intersection, a crossroads.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? This time next year...

I kneel at my altar of cleansing. Asking Father God to remove seeds of doubt from my heart.

Make room for hope... and come away laughing with joy.

A fresh infusion of hope is a ray of light on my path as I travel on.

I receive heaven's promise that there is a time coming when I will see the fruit I have been waiting for.

So be it, Abba Father. So be it.


This has indeed been a month of encounter with life-giving refreshing water and golden nuggets of truth. I name this month "Altar of Cleansing."

As I come to God and submit to His cleansing power in my life, He speaks hope into my heart and fills it with gladness.

As I read His word "theocentrically," a big word to simply say "putting Him in the center" instead of me, my desires, my expectations... Abba Father comes and brings understanding... a refreshing perspective from which to view my present circumstances.


These passages from the Psalms speak powerfully to me as this month ends:

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
- Psalm 16:5-6

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
"The Lord has done great things for them."
The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.

Bring back our captivity, O Lord
As the streams in the South.

Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
- Psalm 126

And this anointed song by Esther Mui, entitled Psalm 126, which fills my heart with so much hope, is my song for April (YouTube video embedded below).

A Blood Moon Passover

Total Lunar  Eclipse, April 15, 2014

photo by Victor Rogus

And God said,

"Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens

to divide the day from the night;

and let them be for signs and for appointed times

and for days and years..."

- Genesis 1:14

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language 

Where their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

-Psalm 19:1-4

And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars...

Now when these things begin to happen,

look up and lift up your heads,

because your redemption draws near....

... So you also, when you see these things happening,

know that the kingdom of God is near.

- Luke 21:25, 28, 31

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are My appointed feasts...

These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord's Passover.

- Leviticus 23:1, 2, 4, 5 

I no longer recall the precise moment when I began to have a deep love for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. All I remember is that the stories of the forefathers of my faith -- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- have made such an impact on me as a young follower of Christ.

After a life-changing encounter with God Himself, Jacob received a new name, Israel. After him was named the special nation that God calls His "first born son" (Exodus 4:22).

It saddens me when I hear other people say that the nation of Israel has fallen from grace, and has disqualified herself from God's original purposes for her. Because what I know and understand is that God's covenant with Abraham is everlasting. Even if Israel broke the covenant because of her unfaithfulness and disobedience, the promise is that there is a new covenant, the existing one made even better by God:

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, through I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people... they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. - Jeremiah 31:31-34

If there had been a change in His plans, He would have plainly told us, and we would not have to resort to guesswork and speculation about His real intentions.

Repeatedly it is said in Scriptures that God has a redemptive plan for the whole of humanity, and Israel has an important prophetic role in the midst of it.

In the fullness of time God will unfold His sovereign plan before our very eyes.

God's Appointed Times

An integral part of the prophetic timeline of this nation are seven important feasts, or moedim, directly translated as "appointed times," which God said are to be observed for all generations.

These feasts are not random events prescribed by men, they are appointments made by God Himself. In Genesis 1:14 it is clearly stated that the "lights in the firmament," the heavenly bodies, were created by God as His timepieces for these appointments.

Gradually, over the years, I have put some of the pieces together and have come to understand the significance of the Lord's feasts.

These feasts are rehearsals of the actual events of our redemption story.

The three spring feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits, point to the First Coming of Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus our Messiah, our Redeemer, and have already been fulfilled:

Jesus' crucifixion and death took place on the feast of Passover, April 3, 33 A.D., or Nisan 14, 3973 in the Hebrew calendar.

He was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and rose again on the Feast of First Fruits.

The Holy Spirit descended on the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, an event that is considered to be the birth of the Church.

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We are still awaiting the prophetic fulfillment of the last three Fall Feasts: Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, which point to the Second Coming of Yeshua HaMashiach.

Blood Moons

At the start of this year we began seriously looking at the significance of the blood moons, or total lunar eclipses, that fall on the same days as the Jewish feasts.

Four consecutive blood moons, called a tetrad, falling on Jewish feasts is very rare, and has only happened seven times since the time of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It has been observed that each time a tetrad "coincided" with the Jewish feasts, a significant event took place in the history of Israel.

NASA has confirmed that tetrads falling on Passover and the first day of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) on back to back years have taken place seven times since 1 AD.

First Tetrad

The very first tetrad to ever fall on Jewish feasts took place in the years 32-33 A.D. This tetrad is tied to Jesus' crucifixion on April 3, 33 A.D.  Jesus died on a blood moon Passover. The Bible also mentions that at twelve noon till three in the afternoon, there was darkness over the land, an account of which is mentioned in Luke 23:44,45 --

"Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two."

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Second Tetrad

In 162-163 AD another lunar tetrad occurred. Famine, persecution, and plague took place within this time frame.

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Third Tetrad

Charlemagne stopped the Muslim invasion of Europe during the 795-796 lunar tetrad. 

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Fourth Tetrad

The lunar eclipses of 860-861 AD takes place just after millions of Christians were killed by Arab crusaders in North Africa and Spain. The Greek-Byzantine victory over the Arabs at the Battle of Lalakaon which halted Islamic conquest in Eastern Europe also happened right after the four blood moons for these particular years.

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Fifth Tetrad

Right before the 1493-94 lunar tetrad, their Majesties Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain issued the "Edict of Expulsion" (March 31, 1492) ordering all Jews in Spain to leave the kingdom.  Around 200,000 Jews were dispersed as a result. This expulsion was a pet project of the Spanish Inquisition aimed at protecting the Catholic converts from Judaism to remain loyal to their new religion.

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Sixth Tetrad

The 1949-1950 lunar tetrad takes place after the rebirth of Israel as a nation (May 14, 1948). On July 5, 1950 the Knesset passed the Law of Return giving Jews the right to settle in Israel and receive legal status as citizens, something previously blocked by Britain after World War II.

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Seventh Tetrad

The tetrad of 1967-68 is tied to the June 7, 1967 Israeli victory in the Six Day War where Jerusalem was retaken after 1,897 years!

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Eighth Tetrad

Within this year 2014, and the next year 2015, there are four blood moons taking place, all four of them also falling on the feasts of Passover (April 15, 2014), Tabernacles (October 8, 2014), Passover (April 4, 2015), and Tabernacles (September 28, 2015).

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What is significant about this particular ltetrad is that it will be the eighth lunar tetrad that occurs on the same dates as the Jewish feasts. It will not happen again in this century.

It is worth noting that in the Bible, the number eight stands for new beginnings.

Are we on the threshold of a new beginning?

Many believe that we are in the generation of the Lord's return. 

Well, we are told by our Lord in Scriptures to watch, to pray, and to be ready for His return.

Jesus said there will be signs. He does not leave us in the dark. 

The book of Joel actually has this to say about the last blood moon before the return of our Lord Jesus:

The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of the LORD comes. - Joel 2:31

Celebrating a Blood Moon Passover

Abba Father said that His appointed feasts are to be observed as a reminder of His Lordship over us.

We at the Negros Island House of Prayer celebrated this special blood moon Passover at sundown of April 14, 2014. Around 370 persons representing the different churches in Bacolod City joined in the celebration.

Passover is a beautiful reminder of God's eternal promise to never leave nor forsake His people, Israel.

One of the traditional terms for Passover is z'man cheruteinu, or "the season of our freedom." (http://ravmatt.blogspot.com/2014/04/passover-season-of-our-freedom.html)

In observing Passover we re-live the events of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and their freedom from slavery. Because it is our desire to be one with Israel in her prophetic destiny, and to recognize the Hebraic roots of our faith, we look at the events surrounding Passover not as something that happened in the past, but about the freedom we have been given and which has been experienced by "us" together with our Jewish brothers.

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During Passover, we commemorate the death of Yeshua HaMashiach as our Passover Lamb.

We celebrate the truth that because of His sacrificial death, our sins have been atoned for, our debt paid in full by the shedding of His blood.

Indeed, this blood moon Passover was a very special one for all of us.

It was a privilege for me to have been a part of this meaningful celebration.

I Will Run to You
(Lyrics by Darlene Zschech)

Your eye is on the sparrow
And Your hand, it comforts me
From the ends of the earth to the depth of my heart
Let Your mercy and strength be seen

You call me to Your purpose
As angels understand
For your glory, may You draw all men
As Your love and grace demand

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God

Yes I will run the race
Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in
The glory of Your grace.








Sharing some photos of the memorable evening:

Butch Yulo, enjoining everyone to rejoice in the presence of our Lord

as the Passover Seder was about to begin.

After the Passover ceremony and dinner
From left to right:
Patrick Serios, Lyndon and Ann Cana, Mylene and Butch Yulo,
me, Miguel Zayco (behind me), William and Ruby Su,
Sofia, Honey Grace, and Raffi Catalan



Dan and Jing

Migui and Macy

Ruby, Ann, me

Jing, me, Pat

my dear family (daughter Obedient One was still in Manila)
Standing: First Born, me, Worshiper, and Chosen One
Seated: God-given

Blood Moons Coming

The Coming Blood Moons

Experience the Seven Blessings of Passover

The Apple of His Eye

Healing Grace: "Do You Want to Get Well?"

At the Pool of Bethesda

painting by Nathan Greene

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The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

This is an overdue end-of-month blog post for March.

But since this is a personal blog, my own little corner in cyberworld, there are no hard and fast rules that I impose on my blog writing schedule. Ideally I want to come up with a month end post. But when that doesn't happen, then I just write a post when there is a chunk of time to do it. Thoughts and insights flow freely and naturally that way, like a conversation between two friends. A blog post, for me, is like that - a conversation. That is why it means so much to me when readers take time to join the conversation by leaving a response in the comment box.

Before I share about the month of March which ended six days ago, I want to begin this post by relating an awesome experience that I had just a few hours ago.

This morning I woke up "seeing" blue.  It had been a pleasant night, and I would have wanted to sleep a bit longer. But there were splashes of blue dancing before my half-closed and still sleepy eyes. Not in a literal sense, of course. But it seemed like the color blue was calling out to me.

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So, I got out of bed and did what I usually do upon waking up. I went to the garden and sat on one of the chairs, took a few minutes enjoying the early morning sights and sounds, thanking the Lord for a brand new day. 

A gentle hue of blue was slowly spreading across the dawn sky.

A peaceful feeling of blue came over me. 

It's difficult to describe what that's like. It's not blue in the sense of being sad... but blue, like a warm, quiet feeling of being loved... embraced... affirmed... understood.

Blue is my favorite color.

No particular reason for my preference... except that I just feel naturally drawn to it.

One after the other, thoughts came rushing into my mind about what this color reminded me of.


My Prayer Shawl

The first thing I thought of was my special shawl, a Jewish prayer shawl called a tallit, a special gift from Israel given by my friend Rosemarie many years ago. In special times of need, I wrap it around my shoulders, or hide under it as I read my Bible, asking God for a special grace for a specific need.

It is white with blue stripes on it, and it has tassels, or fringes on them, called tzitzit. The knots on these tassels serve as a reminder of God's laws. But I also know that there is a special reason why there are blue threads running across the woven fabric of the shawl.

In the Bible, blue has a very special meaning. It stands for God's Word and for His healing power.

Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God. (Numbers 15:38-41)

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It was a widespread belief during the time of Jesus that there was a miraculous healing power in the Messiah and in the tassels of His tallit. 

In my favorite Bible story, this is probably the basis for the action of the woman suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years. In desperation, she sought to find healing by secretly touching the fringe of Jesus' shawl, and said "If I can only touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole." (Matthew 9:21) 

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Well, the tassels of that garment had blue threads in them. And the woman, believing that Jesus was the Messiah, was made whole. In faith she had to kneel down, literally bowing before the Lord in order to touch the hem of His tallit. Jesus Himself said that it was her faith that provided the environment for her healing.

I believe that blue is the color of faith.

Israel

The flag of Israel came to my mind.

Blue is the national color of  Israel, God's chosen nation, as depicted in her flag. 

In the words of David Wolffsohn, the person who is given the credit for designing the Zionist flag:

At the behest of our leader Herzl, I came to Basle to make preparations for the Zionist Congress. Among many other problems that occupied me then was one which contained something of the essence of the Jewish problem. What flag would we hang in the Congress Hall? Then an idea struck me. We have a flag -- and it is blue and white. The tallit with which we wrap ourselves when we pray: that is our symbol. Let us take this tallit from its bag and unroll it before the eyes of Israel and the eyes of all nations. So I ordered a blue and white flag with the Shield of David painted upon it. That is how the national flag that flew over Congress Hall came into being. Source

I have a very special love for Israel. Sooner or later, those whom God is calling to intercession will eventually find themselves drawn to praying for the nation whom God calls as the "apple of His eye."
(Zechariah 2:8)

Israel has a prophetic destiny, and if we love God, then we will love the nation that He loves in a special way, the nation that He calls His "first born."

Then say to Pharaoh, "This is what the Lord says: 

Israel is My first born son."

-Exodus 4:22

God's Heavenly Throne

In the first chapter of Ezekiel it is written that the prophet saw four living creatures, and "above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone..."

image source

Blue is the color of sapphire.

It is also written in Exodus 24:9-10 that when Moses went up on the mountain together with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel,

... they saw the God of Israel. 

And there was under His feet as it were 

a paved work of sapphire stone, 

and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.

Blue reminds me of God's sovereign rule over all creation, over all the nations, over my life.

God's Word

I thought of God's written word, the Bible. It is our love letter from God... our manual for our "operating instructions"... our history book that documents numerous real life stories of Abba Father's faithfulness, power, might, and majesty. It is precious food for our spirit, for God Himself says that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God!

This account has always amazed me. In Exodus 24:12 we read that God gave Moses the tablets of stone on which He had inscribed with His own fingers the laws and commandments that Moses was to teach the people.

According to Jewish midrash, these tablets were actually made of blue sapphire stone as a symbol of God's heavenly throne and His eternal Word.

The color blue is symbolic of God's word!


God's Comforting Presence

A beautiful passage from the Bible came to mind as I was thinking of the color blue:

O you afflicted one,

Tossed with tempest, and not comforted.

Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,

And lay your foundations with sapphires.

- Isaiah 54:11

What comforting words these are! In a time of trouble and difficulty, my Abba Father promises that comfort will be mine in the days to come! Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall see God! I believe that blue depicts the presence of God, and this verse tells me that my comfort will come from being in His very presence.

These passages from Scripture just blow my mind away! Obviously, sapphire stone is very special to God, and so is the color blue.


I have no doubt that colors have special meanings and that Abba Father speaks to us through them.


God's Healing Power and Grace

This morning, the color blue reminded me of so many things - among them, the beautiful and timely message of the healing that the Luke 8:43 (Matthew 9:21, Mark 5:25) woman received by touching the hem of Jesus' prayer shawl in faith.

Each time I encounter this story, something in me rises up to connect with this woman's story of incredible faith. For many years I have held on to the promise that part of my life story is my own version of supernatural healing.

Now I can finally share what is on my heart about the month of March!

The healing of the woman with hemorrhage connects to another story of healing recorded in the Bible, one that spoke powerfully to me while I was visiting my daughter in Manila last month.

In John 5 there is written the story of a man who had an infirmity for 38 years, and was waiting by the pool of Bethesda hoping to be healed in a miraculous way.


Jesus confronts this man with a loaded question:

Do you want to get well? 

- John 5:36

What strikes me in the many stories of healing in the Bible is the way Jesus asks questions to catch the attention of the one in need of healing.

Who touched Me? is a seemingly foolish question that Jesus asks after the woman with the issue of blood secretly touched the hem of His garment. After all, He was in the midst of a huge crowd and people were pressing in against Him. 

But this question was actually intended for the woman. Jesus wanted her to come out in the open about her faith.

Do you want to get well? This is another question that doesn't make sense. After being ill for 38 years, it goes beyond saying that the man would want to be healed.

But Jesus sees the real need of the paralyzed man. He wanted the man to move out of self-focus and be aware of the true source of healing.

There is no one who can help me, the man replies. 

But Jesus is not impressed with his self-pity. 

Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.

Three simple commands that Jesus gives... and with the words come the power enabling the man to carry them out!

The man is healed. This time, the faith came as the man took Jesus at His word. 

He did as he was told.

He got up. He was no longer an invalid. He was being given a new identity.

He picked up his mat. The mat stood for his old way of life. With this command came a new way of living. There was to be no turning back... no provision for a relapse.

He walked. He was ready for a new walk... a new victory... a new power... a fresh grace.

Then Jesus gives a fourth command. Stop sinning. Could anyone do this on his own? As with the first three instructions, Jesus gives this man the power to carry out the command. The paralytic not only receives physical and emotional healing, he receives spiritual healing as well.

What touched me the most about this story was the third command that Jesus spoke... the command to walk, and all the other things that the command stood for.

Enoch was a man who walked with God, and the Bible says that Enoch pleased God in this way.

Those that wait on the Lord will regain their strength.

They will mount up with wings like eagles...

Run and not be weary...

Walk and not faint...

This is what I desire. A consistent walk... of faith... of obedience.

Do you want to get well? I hear Jesus asking me the same question.

The obvious answer would be Yes.

But sometimes we can use our situation as an excuse. And we can be blind to our real need.


Jesus asks the question that we may see. What is it that we need healing for?

Narrowmindedness?

Complacency?

Self-righteousness?

Self-centeredness?

Unforgiveness?

Unbelief?

I think the easiest condition to heal is in the physical.

The deeper issues of the heart are more difficult to reach.



My response:

Yes, Lord. I want to be healed. 

Thank You for reaching out to me and confronting me with this question.

Re-seed my faith, Lord. Enable me to re-gain a sense of direction.

Thank You for Your offer of a new walk... a new victory... a new power!

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, 
Let me walk upon the waters,
Wherever You would call me...
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger 
In the presence of my Savior..."
- from the song Oceans, by Hillsong United

The month of March ended on a very positive note for me. I knew Abba Father was opening new doors of healing for me... new opportunities... open doors of provision.

March was also my birthday month, and it was a month of celebrating the faithfulness of God in my life.

Many valuable words of affirmation were spoken over me by beloved friends and family members. 

Here are some of the spoken  blessings I received:

You are a modern day Esther, raised up for such a time as this.

God is launching you out into the deep.

Your heavenly Father rejoices over you with gladness and singing, He quiets you with His love.

This is a season for you to arise, and shine!


I also received numerous tokens of love! Friends and family members treated me to special meals at restaurants and in their homes!

The past month was such a wonderful gift... a beautiful reminder that I am loved, and valued! March made me feel important, appreciated, and validated.

Thank you Lord for giving me true friends and thoughtful family members - from Bacolod, from Manila, and from all over the world!


I have named the month, Healing Grace.






Sharing some pictures for narvelous March:

with friends Tina and Rosemarie, in Manila

with grandsons, at Kuppa in Bacolod

with First born Son

my precious family... 

Women of Purpose, a joint birthday celebration for me and Mayang

a family outing at Campuestohan

Sister in law Sue and her whole family treated me to lunch

Tyrol restaurant in Bacolod

my Family Foundations Family,

together with Nening Arimas and Babes Luzuriaga

a beloved friend, Ruby

my white crape myrtle trees... in full bloom!
and look at the bright blue sky!

My birthday prayer for 2014:

my Word Cloud for March:

A special song Abba Father gave me for my 61st birthday!