I value privacy the most (who would not?), at least for my
life since I met the LORD (but now that I’m writing this, I don’t think I can
still stand to my first claimed statement). I don’t use my facebook and so
someone used it. It was a Friday, around 5:30PM, while I was in our leader’s
training and about to start our prayer time when my dgroup leader for the
longest time called and told me the discouraging news that I was hacked on
facebook. I quickly asked the place I was in if they have a wifi, but they
don’t give it to customers. The thing with me is, I don’t have that free
facebook thing because I’m preventing myself from scrolling through the pages on
my free times and I’m keeping myself
away from unnecessary posting of events publicly, I chose not to. I praise the
Lord for my disciple who has a facebook and so I logged in, deleted the not-pleasing-to-the-Lord
post and changed my password. I felt so down. I felt like it was my fault. Is
that what Jesus feels whenever I tell people that He lives in me yet my life
says otherwise (when I put shame on His name)?
I was reading a book that my disciple lent me and Shannon
Ethridge reminded me that I am the bride of Jesus Christ and His nametag is on
me and so I must represent Him well. And the next thing I learned was to toss
the bouquet and so I taught that to the students in our training. Sharing Jesus
to others for them to also experience the joy of being in a relationship with
Him. In that training, there were several distractions and I thought that this
hacking was one of them but I don’t want this to end this way. What is God
actually telling me to do to bring glory to His name even in this not-so-pleasing situation I am in? How can I represent Him well this time? Toss the
bouquet, to whom?
Going home, my sister’s friend texted me that my sister
(who’s in Hongkong that day) told him to tell me that I was hacked. I panicked
again. Until now, I was hacked?, I thought (Pati sa Hongkong, nakita!). I was so anxious that I might lose
my job, I AM A MISSIONARY, because of what the person posted on my status. So,
I asked my two disciples to be my avengers for a day and my sister’s friend
committed to monitor my account as well. Peace was nowhere to be found in my
face. To what extent and degree did that post reached. Did it stumble anybody?
I was prayimg.
That week was a busy week for me and I felt like I wasn’t
doing everything God wants me to do. I was procrastinating and was quenching
the Holy Spirit’s leading to share the gospel in jeepney/UV express service seatmates or drivers, cashiers, guards, waiters, neighbors, friends and some
other people the Lord impresses in my heart to share Jesus to. It felt no peace
and joy. Am I missing the best thing?
Intimacy with the LORD, His presence is what I was missing.
He is the BEST. And, I was so preoccupied with the things of this world and
forgetting whom I was created for and whom I should live my life for and whom
should I obey. Not for this world but for Him. The creation was created for man
and not man for the creation. Prioritize.
It was Saturday and I miss the Lord so badly. What was I
doing with my life? I am so sad. I cannot do anything apart from God. John 15
was true. I searched my heart. I asked God to search my heart and reveal to me what is not pleasing in His
eyes. I saw pride. I was more concerned of myself than of God. Why are we not
so anxious if we will stumble other people in our thought, words, actions,
dress compared to this?
Break off and die to yourself, Michelle. You’ll never
graduate from this. Live your life moment by moment surrender to God and
empowerment of the Holy Spirit because Jesus has cleansed me with His precious
blood. Thank You LORD, for Your forgiveness and love.
I wanted to abandon my wrongs and follow Jesus again. I
don’t want to stumble anybody. I wanted to bring smile on God’s face again. And
I wanted Him again to reign in me to bring honor and glory to His name.
Ephesians 4
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”:[f] do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
I wanted to forgive the person but I felt like I must do
something the extra mile to not make this opportunity pass without somebody
knowing the LORD. By the Holy Spirit’s leading and empowerment, He allowed me
to share the gospel to the computer shop where I was hacked. Please, it is only
by His grace. I have no part in this. If I were to be asked, I felt traumatized
with what happened and so I didn’t actually want to come back there and tell
what happened to my account but I read a psalm and it hit my heart.
We should not live by our feelings because if we do, we
might burn the cupcake. While writing this, I was waiting for the cupcakes to
cook but because I felt like it is so fluffy and soft, I heated it up again.
The 20-minute in the recipe became 40-minutes and so it dried up haha. We must
obey the recipe, we must obey what the Lord says because He knows what’s best.
Pray with me that the kids in the computer shop would know Jesus personally in
their lives and whoever used my account (I don’t want to use the term hacker
because the Lord loves him too, but I would for some parts because it sounds
better in my pun.)
 |
| While reading the book about satisfaction in the Lord, out of all the time that I could read the part where we should share Jesus to our neighbors, it was the time before I went out of the house to go to the computer shop. It is really what the Lord wants, to share Jesus to the spiritually lost kids. The youth who needs a friend and all I can offer is a relationship with Jesus Christ. (The computer shop where I was hacked after I used the public computer because I had to print something but I didn’t find it so I just sent my work report which was long overdue since I don’t have an internet at home that time. I used incognito and logged out.) |
The Hacker versus the Taker of the opportunity. The hacker
sinned against me but ultimately it is against God. What he did, I could relate
when I sin against God. Yet, Jesus Christ paid the penalty of my sin by dying
on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and for me to live with Him forever.
There is no greater thing than a friend lay down His life for His friend. May I
not put shame on His name. His grace.
His grace came out vivaciously to me as I experienced this.
Dear God,
Thank You for redeeming us. Thank you for loving us the same. Thank You for Your forgiveness and grace and because of Your goodness in our lives, we can forgive. We praise You for Your protection. We surrender to You all our hurts and thank You because You know all our heart's concerns. May You alone be glorified in our lives and in the lives who have read this article. May the truly forgive and live victoriously in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
In His Pursuit,
Michelle Aquino
You may email me at, michellleaquino@gmail.com for comments or prayer concerns.