CARRY…OK

A wedding will be held for one of the members of our church where I and my wife were assigned to assist the local pastor. This was in a small church in Manila Philippines.

My wife and I are neither professional singers, nor members of the music ministry in this church. But since no one was available to sing, we ended up preparing a song number for the wedding ceremony.

We will be rehearsing until evening, and so we brought our children to the house of their grandma because no one will look after them. It was past eleven o’clock in the evening when the phone rang. It was their grandma calling from the emergency room of the hospital and told us to hurry and to go there where she brought our three-year old daughter who had been vomiting all day.

Immediately, I turned off the karaoke and stopped everything we were doing. The initial thought was to rush to the hospital and get there as soon as we can. But I gained my composure. I held my wife’s hand and prayed to God before heading there.

God answered our prayers. We felt the presence of the Lord while praying. We believed that our daughter has been healed right that moment. The Lord went ahead of us to give His healing touch.

When we reached the hospital, we saw our little girl lying on the bed. I went to her and said, “carry na kita, okay ka na, pinagaling ka na ni Jesus.” (“I’ll carry you now. You are now okay. Jesus healed you.”)Then she smiled at us and embraced me so tightly.

During the wedding, we were so happy to sing, not only for the couple, but also for the Lord. We shared this experience to the guests.

Sometimes, when we have something to do for the Lord, things just don’t go well as we intend to. We just have to entrust everything to God.



Bible Reading: Mark 4:35-41 and Mark 4:1-20

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
(When Jesus said, “Quiet! Be still!” He used the word phimothete, which would normally be used to exorcise evil spirits. Jesus recognized the devil’s attempt on his life in the storm and spoke accordingly, taken from the book: The New Manners and Customs of the Bible Times by Ralph Gower )
40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
9Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.


M A C

Meaning: Even Jesus encountered obstacles set up by the devil during His ministry here on earth.

Application: When things seem to go wrong most especially when I am going to do something for the Lord, I pray and ask God for His guidance and protection and rebuke Satan’s wicked scheme through the power of Jesus Christ.

Character of Jesus: He is persistent. No one and nothing can stop Him from doing His business.