The Veil

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The other night, I visited my friend and while watching Larry King interviewed Bill Maher [not that I like to watch any tv shows], it grieved me to hear how much Bill Maher had hurtful things to say about Sarah Palin. How he projected her as ignorant just because she avoided media interviews. How he thought of her as a scary leader because she uttered she was online talking with her spiritual friends/warriors, praying for her. He made fun of her because she believed in angels and demons. He mentioned something about Moses’ dropping the heavy tablets of the Ten Commandments but I didn’t understand what he was trying to say because he started making fun of it.

I used to be that way. I made fun of my oldest brother who was on fire for the Lord when he turned to Christ. Everything that came out of his mouth, I laughed. All the Scriptures he mentioned, I thought of him losing his sanity. When he talked about spiritual battles, and of demons, I thought about how much he fantasized about things. That “this religion” is not good!

“But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts.” - Romans 1:18-19

We are all, unfortunately, the same. We are all SINNERS! How can we quickly think of others as full of flaws when we don’t have to go that far. Just look into ourselves. We have our own! Perhaps, even worse! Pride…Lust…Adultery…Lying…Murder…And others…

Oh how I wept when I came to the end of one road and just knew I couldn’t continue to walk all alone! That I needed Someone to guide me, strengthen me and release me from the bondages that had a hold on my soul. I knew there was a war going on. That I wasn't making fun of my brother...I was making fun of Jesus!!! I’m grateful that He found a lost soul like me…He showed His love and mercy to me...

“It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.” - 1 Corinthians 13:11,12

God is complete. Represented by Jesus. It’s us who lack understanding. One day, when we all see God and see Him face to face, everything will be revealed. This alone, a glimpse of what’s in store should give us, believers, the hope and strength that we need to continue to press on. To endure. To bless those who hurt us, instead of being angry. To pray for them instead that the veil is removed on their hearts, so that the Lord’s Good News they can clearly see…

“But the people’s minds were hardened, and even to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.” - 2 Corinthians 3:14

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Lord, if it grieved me to see so many who are still not willing to repent and turn to you, who are full of pride and hardened hearts, I can’t imagine how it must feel for You. For You, Oh God, have been patient so that many of us can be saved through Jesus. Help us Lord to remember that with You, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. Help us know in our hearts that You aren’t being slow about Your promise to return, as some people think but that You are being patient for our sake. [2 Peter 3:8,9] Because You, Oh Lord, God of love, doesn’t want anyone to perish. I pray Oh Lord that many more will turn to Jesus and let Jesus be the Lord of their lives. Lord, please remove the veils in so many, many people who still don’t know You, that they may see the brightness and let Your light in, into their dark hearts and minds. Thank You Lord for Your love, Your mercy and grace. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The Surprise Visit

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He was a lot taller than the Sergeant walking right behind him. I just walked in few minutes earlier and started filing away charts to help the medical secretaries, since I couldn’t find any seat yet in each of the computer station, as PM shift neared its end.

The Infirmary Deputy popped open the security door and he came in, beaming with a big smile and with a loud voice, greeted “Hello!” to everyone. Everyone was fazed.

“Who is he?” asked one of the nurses, while the look on everyone’s face was filled with curiosity, some with the threatening return gesture of ignorance and coldness to someone not familiar to them. He shook the hands of a co-worker near where I was.

“How are you, Sir?” I smiled back even if I didn’t recognize him. But I didn’t give my hands though he anticipated for me to approach him and would do so.

“I’m great! I hope you guys are, too!” he replied back with an even wider smile.

“Who are you? We don’t know you!” courageously asked one of my co-workers.

“I’m Mr. ___,” he replied, as if he was just a regular guy who happened to decide one night to visit the prison.

The curious eyes tried to look for the stripes on his shirt. There were none. And off he went to see the deputy in the back. As everyone continued to wonder who this mysterious visitor was.

As one nurse opened the pictures of the higher-ranking officials, she excitedly pointed at this man’s picture:

“There he is! Oh, my God! He is one of those top officials, right below the Sheriff!!! No wonder, it seemed like he was familiar to me somehow,” she exclaimed.

“It’s a good thing we are busy and I’m not surfing the net!” exclaimed the other.

I just smiled. I knew I didn’t have to worry about anything, whether we get surprise visits or not. I will do the same tasks, whether there’s a boss or not around…

How about you? Are you ready when Jesus comes back for a surprise visit? No one knows when it is going to be. But those who trust and believe in him and obey Him have nothing to worry about. But for those who have rejected Him, His surprise return would be terrible!   

“See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
- Revelation 22:12-13 

“And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds. And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death - the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” -  Revelation 20:11-15

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas.” - Hebrews 13:8,9

“And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - Philippians 2:8-10

Forgiving During This Invisible War

“God always answers in the deep, never in the shallows of our soul.” ~ Anonymous

Working at the prison’s Intake for many years when I was new brought so many different kinds of memories. Some were challenging [or most of them]. Some so tough that I just felt like giving up. Some were even tougher that I knew I survived, had it not for divine providence. Some were helpful for my own growth pertaining to my assessment, my interventions, or my autonomy with my decisions. But there were those memories that evoked hurt. Shame. Pain. Guilt. Doubts. Anger. The hunger for justice.

“Stop flashing your breasts!” I yelled so loud that the deputies nearby came rushing to my side.

There was this young inmate. So beautiful. Appearing so harmless because of the gentle nature. The way the words were spoken from the well-shaped lips. The way gestures were done with long, slim fingers. Imprisoned for the murder committed by those candle-like fingers. Deputies were always careful to search every crevices of that body. As many razor blades were adeptly hidden in those spots where no one would have imagined that it could be hidden. Attempting many suicidal thoughts by slashing the already well-scarred wrists, claiming many medical emergencies when self-mutilation was done, it became a habit. This inmate was a beautiful appearing woman. On the outside. The physical appearances of a woman enveloped in a man’s body. He was close to having surgery done to change his genital organs. But he killed someone.

He learned the system well. If he got bored in his cell, he would do anything to hurt himself so he could be housed in one of the Suicide Watch cells in Intake. Because he knew many male bodies arrive every minutes. And that was his pleasure.

During one of those watches, that was when I caught him alluring the newly-arrested bodies formed in a line. And he got in trouble! We decided to house him in a particular cell where there was a very tiny window and he wouldn’t be able to see nor be seen because it was only the staff who had the control of that window…And he grew silent. He learned a lesson. That his acts were unacceptable. He learned that he was causing embarrassment, not only to himself, but also to staff and to those who were being disgusted by his weird behavior. And he stopped. For a while. Until he was transferred to another state prison.

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9/11 remembrance. It was not over. This memory always must resurface. Because this memory was too painful to Americans. To those who suffered precious loss of lives so dear to them. Too hurtful because it was a deliberate act of murder to those innocent ones. I did post about God’s love that we must learn to forgive. But how do we do it when such acts seem forgiveness is just an impossible thing to do?

Letting an offender off the hook encourages him to repeat the same style of behavior again. And again. Yes, God does command us to love Him first, then love others. No bias. Other. Anyone. When something like this happens, a crack between relationships occur. It widens. Until there’s no closeness even and the separation so great that there seems to be no hope with reconciliation. We pretend sometimes that the hurt will not last. Wounds heal. And that people change. But we miss an opportunity to experience the joy of honest love, forgiveness and reconciliation if we keep on doing so. With God, there is balance in everything. We should not tolerate sins yet be able to forgive and rebuke at the same time only if coupled with His love.

We can openly rebuke at times, if only the offenders can understand that being rebuked is a way of honoring them. Because rebuke makes them think and be accountable for their actions. It is a way of honoring them, not fanning the flame of anger nor fury. It is a way of making them weigh and look into their inner selves to understand clearly what they have done. Other times, we must pray. Jesus did it on the cross:

“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” - Luke 23:34

Only God knows. Only God can bring the wounded ones toward the path of healing. Only God can bring those responsible ones to repentance. But two things are for sure, we do not close our eyes to sins that are more serious than we want to believe and our Christ-like faith does not mean believing whatever we want to believe. It is believing what His Word says. And obedience as being true followers of Jesus is after all, our duty! Fight? Yes, we must fight! For His truth and for His glory alone! Not for anyone's self-interest.  For we are engaged in this spiritual struggle until the Lord returns! To God be the glory forever and ever!

“But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.” ~ Psalm 130:4


“…and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.”
- Matthew 6:12


“With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.” ~ Luke 24:47


“For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.” ~ Ephesians 6:12


“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.” -Ephesians 6:17-18

Love Is The Answer

9 years ago, these were the different entries in my journal I kept for my child:

my journal entry on 9/11/01

“Today, America was waken up by the cold-blooded murders of innocent people…..”

“Daddy [my hubby] woke me up and called me from his cell phone. He broke the news about this evil act of terrorism. He was riding in one of the Metrolink trains, bound for his work as _____ [someone who loves to serve and protect this country’s freedom]. I hated the fact that you [my son] would wake up to this kind of violence…”

“This tragic event would change America’s history - forever…”

How do you just explain to a very young mind, waking up to that evil act in front of the tv set, that somehow, some enemies found some vulnerabilities in America, where they could intentionally harm it and its people. Land of the free. Land of equality…?”

the gruesome headline that morning

Some wounds heal. Some wounds don’t. This is the kind of wound that America had sustained from its political and spiritual enemy. It cut so deep that Americans’ hearts would be forever marred. But I believe that through “love”, wounds do heal. The scar would forever be there. But I believe….love is the answer:
For love is not biased……It’s the people who choose to be unfair.

Love is never cold….It’s the people who choose to be unresponsive and lack with enthusiasm.

Love is a special gift…It’s the people who choose not to share it with others.

Love can spread and be infectious….It’s the people who choose not to communicate it.

And “God” is love…It’s the people who choose not to recognize His greatest attribute…

“Listen to me, all you who are left in Israel. I created you and have cared for you since before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” - Isaiah 46:4-5

“O Israel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:27-30



Father God, I remember all the pain, all the hurt that morning. It still comes to mind as fresh as it was 9 years ago. Because I know this nation wept. Because I know You wept.

Lord, to those who lost their loved ones on that day, please cover them with Your strength and comfort. To those who have been enveloped with fear, please sustain them with the courage that comes from Your powerful hands.

Lord, please protect us and continue to guide us, as we continue to walk in our own journeys. Despite the pain, despite the wounds, help us grow in Your likeness. Help us share Your faithful and unconditional love with those who don't know or acknowledge You. Guide the leaders Lord in this country and give us a revival in all of our hearts. To know You. To seek You. To turn back to you. And turn away from all those things that do not glorify You.

Lord, help the people of this great nation to come together and because of Your love, be united instead of being divided out of all our differences. Help us not wait until another tragedy comes to be united. In Jesus' Name. Amen.