Nature of the Philippine Educational System
1. Bureau’s responsibility to give education which has the role to rear the youth for civic efficiency
2. State has the control and supervision over educational system (public/ private)
3. State should establish a complete and adequate system of education
4. The educational system provides free elementary instruction
5. The public schools are on-sectarian but allows optional religious instruction
6. Schools should aim to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience, vocational efficiency, duties of citizenship
7. The universities enjoy academic freedom
8. The state promotes arts, sciences, and letter by providing scholarship for specially gifted citizens
Function of the Bureau for Education
1. Establish primary schools in every town
2. Authorized to establish night schools
3. Fix the salaries of the teachers within the limit established by law
4. Fix the curricula for all schools under its jurisdictions
5. Prescribe the authority of principals and teachers
6. Prescribe rules for the construction of school houses, and fix areas and land size required
7. Prescribe rules for hygiene to be observed
8. Determine the towns where teachers are paid by national treasury
9. Maintain in Manila or elsewhere in the Philippines classes to furnish superior instruction to teachers
Legal Bases
--Historical Background: Established Second Philippine Commission (William H. Taft) as legislative body to ensure free primary education system, develop duties of citizenship and civilized community, and learn English to be the medium of instruction
--Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission: establishment of Normal School and Trade School in Manila, organization of the Department of Public Instruction to control and supervise schools established by Military Regime.
--Act No. 477: Created the Bureau of Education (for public schools) which later changed to Bureau of Public Schools (EO No. 94)
Philippine constitution (1935), Sec. 5, Art XIV: “All educational institutions shall be under the supervision of and subject to regulation by the State.”
--State colleges/universities enjoyed freedom of action as to administration and supervision
--Commonwealth Act No. 180: All private schools (except non-diploma granters) are under the DPI. Substandard institutions disappeared but the question of nationalism emerged to Chinese schools which used curricula, English and Chinese.
--Commonwealth Act No 586 (Education Act of 1940): reduction from 7 to 6 years elementary, school entrance age, national support to elementary education, and compulsory attendance (fine P20-P50 were never imposed). Effects of Double-single:
a. 40 in the morning and 40 in the afternoon for 1 teacher, instead of the
original 60 for whole day
b. Children learn very little
c. Children loafed around one half day
d. 3:2 or 5:3 (teacher-class ratio) or to 1:1
e. Quality of instruction declined
f. Young and poorly taught graduates
--Republic Act No. 896 (Elementary Education Act of 1953): Restoration of grade VII (subject to availability of funds), return to the former practice, compulsory completion of the elementary grades, compulsory enrollment at age 7.
AIMS OF EDUCATION
1. Moral and spiritual values
2. Patriotism
3. Habits of industry
4. Family solidarity and cultural heritage
5. Promote sciences and arts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Administrative Management Discussion Outline
Administrative Management Course
Guide for Discussions
Facilitator: Reynaldo O. Cuizon
Chapter Topics (Administration and Supervision for Philippine Schools) Analysis on changes and Trends
Pre-Martial Law Period Martial Law Martial Law Post Martial Law Period
1945 to 1971 1972 to 1986 1987 to 2009
I The Philippine Educational System
II Legal Bases of Philippine Educational System
III Aims of Education in the Philippines
IV Meaning and Scope of School Administration and Supervision
V Fundamental Principles of School Administration and Supervision
VI Human Elements in Administration and Supervision
VII The Administration of School Financing
VIII The Role of School Administration and Supervision in Evaluation
IX Administration and Supervision of Extracurricular Activities
X Teacher Education
XI Techniques of Supervising the Individual Teacher
XII Techniques of Supervising Groups of Teachers
XIII Research: An Important Tool of School Administration and Supervision
XIV The Community School
XV Qualifications of a School Administrator and Supervisor
XVI Trends in School Administration and Supervision
XVII Contemporary Problems and Challenges
XVIII Looking forward
Summation
Learning Strategy
Research-based (document analysis and interview method) and discussions approaches will be used in the learning process.
Requirement
1. Project: not less than 25 pages (double space, areal font 12, 1 inch margin) of information concerning specific topics on Administration and Supervision for Philippine Schools during the Martial Law period (see listed copies in precious page).
2. Project: not less than 35 pages of information concerning specific topics on Administration and Supervision for Philippine Schools during the Post Martial Law Period (see listed copies in previous page).
3. Information gathered (either through document review or interview with key and reliable informants) should be properly cited.
4. Report and discuss in the class the salient and striking pieces of information gathered.
5. The student who will consistently produce sufficient, reliable and relevant pieces of information will be exempted from taking the final examination.
6. The topics will be divided into six groups hence there will be 3 topics per group. One group of topics will be submitted and discussed every meeting.
7. Rating of the project and discussions will be based on the following criteria: sufficiency, relevance, reliability and proper citation.
8. The students are encouraged to attached photocopies of the materials/documents or interview notes from where their information gathered is based from.
9. Students who failed to submit even one project will be given the grade of INC (incomplete).
10. The learning facilitator (professor) will facilitate the analysis and synthesis making.
Grading System
1. Recitation and engagement in the classroom discussions 10%
2. Project (Written Report concerning the topics provided) 50%
3. Final Examination 40%
Guide for Discussions
Facilitator: Reynaldo O. Cuizon
Chapter Topics (Administration and Supervision for Philippine Schools) Analysis on changes and Trends
Pre-Martial Law Period Martial Law Martial Law Post Martial Law Period
1945 to 1971 1972 to 1986 1987 to 2009
I The Philippine Educational System
II Legal Bases of Philippine Educational System
III Aims of Education in the Philippines
IV Meaning and Scope of School Administration and Supervision
V Fundamental Principles of School Administration and Supervision
VI Human Elements in Administration and Supervision
VII The Administration of School Financing
VIII The Role of School Administration and Supervision in Evaluation
IX Administration and Supervision of Extracurricular Activities
X Teacher Education
XI Techniques of Supervising the Individual Teacher
XII Techniques of Supervising Groups of Teachers
XIII Research: An Important Tool of School Administration and Supervision
XIV The Community School
XV Qualifications of a School Administrator and Supervisor
XVI Trends in School Administration and Supervision
XVII Contemporary Problems and Challenges
XVIII Looking forward
Summation
Learning Strategy
Research-based (document analysis and interview method) and discussions approaches will be used in the learning process.
Requirement
1. Project: not less than 25 pages (double space, areal font 12, 1 inch margin) of information concerning specific topics on Administration and Supervision for Philippine Schools during the Martial Law period (see listed copies in precious page).
2. Project: not less than 35 pages of information concerning specific topics on Administration and Supervision for Philippine Schools during the Post Martial Law Period (see listed copies in previous page).
3. Information gathered (either through document review or interview with key and reliable informants) should be properly cited.
4. Report and discuss in the class the salient and striking pieces of information gathered.
5. The student who will consistently produce sufficient, reliable and relevant pieces of information will be exempted from taking the final examination.
6. The topics will be divided into six groups hence there will be 3 topics per group. One group of topics will be submitted and discussed every meeting.
7. Rating of the project and discussions will be based on the following criteria: sufficiency, relevance, reliability and proper citation.
8. The students are encouraged to attached photocopies of the materials/documents or interview notes from where their information gathered is based from.
9. Students who failed to submit even one project will be given the grade of INC (incomplete).
10. The learning facilitator (professor) will facilitate the analysis and synthesis making.
Grading System
1. Recitation and engagement in the classroom discussions 10%
2. Project (Written Report concerning the topics provided) 50%
3. Final Examination 40%
Monday, September 7, 2009
WHO’S THE BOSS?
Daniel 4:34-35
James Boice writes:
We do not have a strong church today nor do we have many strong Christians. We can trace the cause to an acute lack of sound spiritual knowledge. Why is the Church weak? Why are individual Christians weak? It is because they have forgotten what God is like and what He promises to do for those who trust Him.
For an average Christian, God is a god who would like to save the world but who cannot. He would like to restrain evil, but somehow he finds it beyond his power. So he has withdrawn into semi-retirement, being willing to give good advice in a grandfatherly sort of way, but for the most part he has left his children to fend themselves in a dangerous environment.
Isn’t it true, more often than not, that the God you picture in your mind is old, has a long beard – and maybe leans on a cane? Isn’t it true? He wears a robe, has big toes, sandals. He’s not too sure about modern things like cell phones, advanced nuclear physics, laser beams, and electronic computers.
God isn’t old. He is eternal. He isn’t intimidated; He is All-powerful. He knows all things. He is SOVEREIGN!
Daniel 4 is one of the clearest declarations of the sovereignty of God found in the Scriptures.
When Nebuchadnezzar saw God in all His glory and sovereignty, his whole perspective changed. His sanity and kingdom were restored.
“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshipped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.
His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He has the power to do as he pleases among the angels of heaven and with those who live on earth. No one can stop him or challenge him, saying, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’” DANIEL 4:34-35.
GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY MEANS GOD’S EXERCISE OF POWER OVER HIS CREATION.
I. GOD’S RULE IS EVERLASTING.
“...His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (v. 34).
God does not become God by way of election. We do not elect Him. He will not relinquish His position. You cannot impeach Him and He will not resign. He has no predecessor and He will have no successor. There was no one before Him and there’ll be no one after Him
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” 1 Chronicles 29:11-12.
God is the Ruler of all things. Jeremiah asks, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37.
No one can act outside of God’s sovereign will or against it. Centuries ago, Augustine said, “Nothing, therefore, happens unless the Omnipotent wills it to happen; He either permits it to happen, or He brings it about Himself.”
Nothing is too large or too small to escape God’s governing hand.
II. GOD IS IN CONTROL
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth” (v. 35).
In Rabbi Kushner’s book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Kushner asks, “Can you accept the idea that some things happen for no reason, that there is randomness in the universe?” Speaking of the direction a forest fire takes, he asks, “But is there a sensible explanation for why wind and weather combine to direct a forest fire on a given day toward certain homes rather than others, trapping some people inside and sparing others? Or is it just a matter of pure luck?”
God is in control. Nothing happens by chance or pure luck. If there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control then we cannot trust Him.
In his well-known statement about sparrows, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father.....So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” Matthew 10: 29-31.
According to Jesus, God does exercise His sovereignty in very minute events – even the life and death of an almost worthless sparrow.
If God controls the circumstances that affect the sparrows, how much more does He control the circumstances that affect us? God does not walk away and leave us to the mercy of uncontrolled random or chance events.
That God is, indeed, both good and powerful is one of the basic tenets (doctrine) of Christian belief. We admit that we are often unable to reconcile God’s sovereignty and goodness in the face of widespread tragedy or personal adversity, but we believe that, although we often do not understand God’s ways, He is sovereignly at work in all of our circumstances.
All people – believers as well as unbelievers – experience anxiety, frustration, heartache and disappointment. Some suffer intense physical pain and catastrophic tragedies. But that which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an All-Powerful and All-Loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God’s eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good.
God is in control. God never permits people to act contrary to His sovereign will.
Consider the following passages of the Scripture:
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21.
“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” Proverbs 21:30.
“Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37.
“You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” James 4:15.
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” Revelation 3:7.
We make plans, but those plans can succeed only when they are consistent with God’s purpose. No plan can succeed against Him. No emperor, king, supervisor, teacher, or coach can speak and make it happen if the Lord has not decreed to either make it happen or permit it to happen. No one can say, “I will do this or that,” and have it happen if it is not part of God’s sovereign will.
Margaret Clarkson wrote, “The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable (secure, indestructible) rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident. They may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God....All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and of the personal history of every member of His redeemed family.”
Nothing is so small or trivial as to escape the attention of God’s sovereign control; nothing is so great as to be beyond His power to control it.
But many times we question God’s sovereignty – especially during times of difficulty. When everything is all right, God is good. When we get sick – God is bad. When we have money – God is good. When we don’t have money – God is bad. When we’re happy – God is good. When we’re sad – God is bad.
And we can’t help but ask WHY??? WHY ME???
God is in absolute control. There are many things that we don’t understand. But it’s not our business to understand; our business is to trust. God is in control. He is in charge!
No detail in your life is too insignificant for your Heavenly Father’s attention; no circumstance is so big that He cannot control it.
“All things work together for good to them that love God and who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.
III. GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IS NOT ALWAYS APPARENT (clear, obvious)
“A Christian husband flew in a private plane to another city to give his testimony at an evangelistic meeting, taking his son with him. On the way home they ran into an electrical storm that caused the plane to crash. Both the father and son were killed.”
Where was God during this time?
If God is in control, why did He allow this to happen?
One of our problems with the sovereignty of God is that it frequently does not appear that God is in control of the circumstances of our lives. Many times it appears that God doesn’t care. Or busy with other things.
But to believe in the sovereignty of God when we do not see His direct intervention – when God is, so to speak, working entirely behind the scenes through ordinary circumstances and ordinary actions of people – is even more important, because that is the way God usually works.
As the song says, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.”
Does God always orchestrate the events of our lives to fulfill His purposes?
According to Romans 8:28, the answer is a solid YES!
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
IV. GOD DOES AS HE PLEASES
God does as He pleases, only as he pleases, and no one can frustrate His plans or hinder His purposes.
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2.
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” Psalm 115:3.
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” Isaiah 46:10.
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’”
No plan of God can be thwarted; when He acts, no one can reverse it; no one can hold back His hand or bring Him to account for His actions. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and works out every event to bring about the accomplishment of His will.
But God is also infinite in love. He exercises His sovereignty for His glory and for the good of His people.
God has a purpose and plan for you, and God has the power to carry out that plan.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” Jeremiah 29:11.
Although these words were directed to the nation of Judah in its captivity, they express a principle about God. God has a plan for you. Because He has a plan for you, and no one can thwart that plan, you can trust God.
We make plans but are often forced to change those plans. But there are no contingencies with God. Our unexpected, forced change of plans is a part of His plan. God is never surprised; caught off guard; never frustrated by unexpected developments. God does as He pleases and that which pleases Him is always for His glory and for our good.
Our lives are also cluttered with a lot of “if onlys.”
“If only I had this,” or “If only that had not happened.” But again, God has no “if onlys.” God never makes a mistake; God has no regrets.
“As for God, his way is perfect” Psalm 18:30.
Is God sovereign only in the “good” circumstances of our lives? Is He not also sovereign in the difficult times, the times when our hearts ache with pain?
The Bible teaches us that God is sovereign over both the “good” and the “bad.” Consider the following:
“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other....” Ecclesiastes 7:14.
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” Isaiah 45:7.
“Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” Lamentations 3:38.
These three passages clearly state what is taught in principle throughout the rest of the Bible. God controls both the good and the bad.
In the earlier story (the death of the father and the son in a plane crash) a Christian friend, in an effort to comfort the bereaved wife and mother said, “One thing you can be sure of: God had no part in the accident.” According to this friend, God was apparently looking the other way when the pilot got into trouble.
God has not looked the other way or been caught by surprise when adversity strikes us. He is in control of that adversity, directing it to His glory and our good.
Trusting in God does not mean we do not suffer grief or go through pain, that our heart does not ache. It means that in the midst of pain, heartache, and grief we can say to the effect of, “Lord, I know You are in control. I don’t know and I can’t understand why You have allowed this to happen but I trust You. Help me glorify You in this.”
We honor God by choosing to trust Him when we don’t understand what He is doing or why He has allowed some adverse circumstance to occur. As we seek God’s glory, we may be sure that He has purposed our good and He will not be frustrated in fulfilling that purpose.
“God is too kind to do anything cruel, too wise to make a mistake, too deep to explain Himself.” – Charles Swindoll
As the song says:
“God is too wise to be
mistaken,
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don’t
understand
When you can’t see His plan
When you can’t trace His
hands
Trust His heart.”
Daniel 4:34-35
James Boice writes:
We do not have a strong church today nor do we have many strong Christians. We can trace the cause to an acute lack of sound spiritual knowledge. Why is the Church weak? Why are individual Christians weak? It is because they have forgotten what God is like and what He promises to do for those who trust Him.
For an average Christian, God is a god who would like to save the world but who cannot. He would like to restrain evil, but somehow he finds it beyond his power. So he has withdrawn into semi-retirement, being willing to give good advice in a grandfatherly sort of way, but for the most part he has left his children to fend themselves in a dangerous environment.
Isn’t it true, more often than not, that the God you picture in your mind is old, has a long beard – and maybe leans on a cane? Isn’t it true? He wears a robe, has big toes, sandals. He’s not too sure about modern things like cell phones, advanced nuclear physics, laser beams, and electronic computers.
God isn’t old. He is eternal. He isn’t intimidated; He is All-powerful. He knows all things. He is SOVEREIGN!
Daniel 4 is one of the clearest declarations of the sovereignty of God found in the Scriptures.
When Nebuchadnezzar saw God in all His glory and sovereignty, his whole perspective changed. His sanity and kingdom were restored.
“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshipped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.
His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He has the power to do as he pleases among the angels of heaven and with those who live on earth. No one can stop him or challenge him, saying, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’” DANIEL 4:34-35.
GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY MEANS GOD’S EXERCISE OF POWER OVER HIS CREATION.
I. GOD’S RULE IS EVERLASTING.
“...His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (v. 34).
God does not become God by way of election. We do not elect Him. He will not relinquish His position. You cannot impeach Him and He will not resign. He has no predecessor and He will have no successor. There was no one before Him and there’ll be no one after Him
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” 1 Chronicles 29:11-12.
God is the Ruler of all things. Jeremiah asks, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37.
No one can act outside of God’s sovereign will or against it. Centuries ago, Augustine said, “Nothing, therefore, happens unless the Omnipotent wills it to happen; He either permits it to happen, or He brings it about Himself.”
Nothing is too large or too small to escape God’s governing hand.
II. GOD IS IN CONTROL
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth” (v. 35).
In Rabbi Kushner’s book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Kushner asks, “Can you accept the idea that some things happen for no reason, that there is randomness in the universe?” Speaking of the direction a forest fire takes, he asks, “But is there a sensible explanation for why wind and weather combine to direct a forest fire on a given day toward certain homes rather than others, trapping some people inside and sparing others? Or is it just a matter of pure luck?”
God is in control. Nothing happens by chance or pure luck. If there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control then we cannot trust Him.
In his well-known statement about sparrows, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father.....So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” Matthew 10: 29-31.
According to Jesus, God does exercise His sovereignty in very minute events – even the life and death of an almost worthless sparrow.
If God controls the circumstances that affect the sparrows, how much more does He control the circumstances that affect us? God does not walk away and leave us to the mercy of uncontrolled random or chance events.
That God is, indeed, both good and powerful is one of the basic tenets (doctrine) of Christian belief. We admit that we are often unable to reconcile God’s sovereignty and goodness in the face of widespread tragedy or personal adversity, but we believe that, although we often do not understand God’s ways, He is sovereignly at work in all of our circumstances.
All people – believers as well as unbelievers – experience anxiety, frustration, heartache and disappointment. Some suffer intense physical pain and catastrophic tragedies. But that which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an All-Powerful and All-Loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God’s eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good.
God is in control. God never permits people to act contrary to His sovereign will.
Consider the following passages of the Scripture:
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21.
“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” Proverbs 21:30.
“Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37.
“You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” James 4:15.
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” Revelation 3:7.
We make plans, but those plans can succeed only when they are consistent with God’s purpose. No plan can succeed against Him. No emperor, king, supervisor, teacher, or coach can speak and make it happen if the Lord has not decreed to either make it happen or permit it to happen. No one can say, “I will do this or that,” and have it happen if it is not part of God’s sovereign will.
Margaret Clarkson wrote, “The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable (secure, indestructible) rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident. They may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God....All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and of the personal history of every member of His redeemed family.”
Nothing is so small or trivial as to escape the attention of God’s sovereign control; nothing is so great as to be beyond His power to control it.
But many times we question God’s sovereignty – especially during times of difficulty. When everything is all right, God is good. When we get sick – God is bad. When we have money – God is good. When we don’t have money – God is bad. When we’re happy – God is good. When we’re sad – God is bad.
And we can’t help but ask WHY??? WHY ME???
God is in absolute control. There are many things that we don’t understand. But it’s not our business to understand; our business is to trust. God is in control. He is in charge!
No detail in your life is too insignificant for your Heavenly Father’s attention; no circumstance is so big that He cannot control it.
“All things work together for good to them that love God and who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.
III. GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IS NOT ALWAYS APPARENT (clear, obvious)
“A Christian husband flew in a private plane to another city to give his testimony at an evangelistic meeting, taking his son with him. On the way home they ran into an electrical storm that caused the plane to crash. Both the father and son were killed.”
Where was God during this time?
If God is in control, why did He allow this to happen?
One of our problems with the sovereignty of God is that it frequently does not appear that God is in control of the circumstances of our lives. Many times it appears that God doesn’t care. Or busy with other things.
But to believe in the sovereignty of God when we do not see His direct intervention – when God is, so to speak, working entirely behind the scenes through ordinary circumstances and ordinary actions of people – is even more important, because that is the way God usually works.
As the song says, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.”
Does God always orchestrate the events of our lives to fulfill His purposes?
According to Romans 8:28, the answer is a solid YES!
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
IV. GOD DOES AS HE PLEASES
God does as He pleases, only as he pleases, and no one can frustrate His plans or hinder His purposes.
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2.
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” Psalm 115:3.
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” Isaiah 46:10.
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’”
No plan of God can be thwarted; when He acts, no one can reverse it; no one can hold back His hand or bring Him to account for His actions. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and works out every event to bring about the accomplishment of His will.
But God is also infinite in love. He exercises His sovereignty for His glory and for the good of His people.
God has a purpose and plan for you, and God has the power to carry out that plan.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” Jeremiah 29:11.
Although these words were directed to the nation of Judah in its captivity, they express a principle about God. God has a plan for you. Because He has a plan for you, and no one can thwart that plan, you can trust God.
We make plans but are often forced to change those plans. But there are no contingencies with God. Our unexpected, forced change of plans is a part of His plan. God is never surprised; caught off guard; never frustrated by unexpected developments. God does as He pleases and that which pleases Him is always for His glory and for our good.
Our lives are also cluttered with a lot of “if onlys.”
“If only I had this,” or “If only that had not happened.” But again, God has no “if onlys.” God never makes a mistake; God has no regrets.
“As for God, his way is perfect” Psalm 18:30.
Is God sovereign only in the “good” circumstances of our lives? Is He not also sovereign in the difficult times, the times when our hearts ache with pain?
The Bible teaches us that God is sovereign over both the “good” and the “bad.” Consider the following:
“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other....” Ecclesiastes 7:14.
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” Isaiah 45:7.
“Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” Lamentations 3:38.
These three passages clearly state what is taught in principle throughout the rest of the Bible. God controls both the good and the bad.
In the earlier story (the death of the father and the son in a plane crash) a Christian friend, in an effort to comfort the bereaved wife and mother said, “One thing you can be sure of: God had no part in the accident.” According to this friend, God was apparently looking the other way when the pilot got into trouble.
God has not looked the other way or been caught by surprise when adversity strikes us. He is in control of that adversity, directing it to His glory and our good.
Trusting in God does not mean we do not suffer grief or go through pain, that our heart does not ache. It means that in the midst of pain, heartache, and grief we can say to the effect of, “Lord, I know You are in control. I don’t know and I can’t understand why You have allowed this to happen but I trust You. Help me glorify You in this.”
We honor God by choosing to trust Him when we don’t understand what He is doing or why He has allowed some adverse circumstance to occur. As we seek God’s glory, we may be sure that He has purposed our good and He will not be frustrated in fulfilling that purpose.
“God is too kind to do anything cruel, too wise to make a mistake, too deep to explain Himself.” – Charles Swindoll
As the song says:
“God is too wise to be
mistaken,
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don’t
understand
When you can’t see His plan
When you can’t trace His
hands
Trust His heart.”
THE POWER OF PATIENCE
James 5:7-12
“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Don’t grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great judge is coming. He is standing at the door!
For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy.
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”
All through out the New Testament the return of Jesus Christ is emphasized. Two-thousand years ago, it was the message of the apostles – “Jesus Christ is coming soon!”
And the Apostle James writes to the believers during his time to patiently wait for the Lord’s return.
The word patience means “to stay put and stand fast when you’d like to run away.”
Many have fallen away from the faith because they can no longer wait. Some engaged in inventing formulas to calculate the exact date of Jesus’ return. So far, lahat ay bagsak!
Jesus says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” Matthew 24:42.
If that is the case, how can we as Christians experience this kind of patient endurance as we wait for the Lord to return? James gives three encouraging examples of patient endurance.
I. THE FARMER
“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near” (5:7-9).
If a man is impatient, then he had better not become a farmer. No crop appears overnight, and no farmer has control over the weather. Too much rain and too much sun can destroy the crop.
It takes time for plants to grow.
Why does he willingly wait so long? Because the fruit is “precious” (5:7).
“So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” Galatians 6:9.
The Christian is a “spiritual farmer” looking for a spiritual harvest. Our hearts are the soil, and the “seed is the Word of God.”
There are seasons to the spiritual life just as there are seasons to the soil.
The seed must be buried for it to grow. In the same, the Christian goes through trials and troubles and sufferings.
The farmer does not stand around doing nothing waiting for the harvest. He is constantly at work as he looks toward the harvest.
James did not tell these believers to put on white robes, climb a hill, and wait for Jesus to return. We must do God’s work until Jesus returns.
Nor does any farmer get into fights with his neighbors. “Don’t grumble against each other brothers or you will be judged” (5:9).
II. THE PROPHETS
“For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:10).
The prophets encourage us by reminding us that God cares for us when we go through sufferings for His sake.
1. ELIJAH (1 Kings 17-19)
« He announced to wicked King Ahab that there would be a drought for 3 and ½ years and he himself had to suffer in that drought. He went into hiding.
« Queen Jezebel threatened his life. Elijah ran. He was afraid, depressed, and abandoned.
« During those sad moments, Elijah wanted to die. He witnessed a windstorm, and earthquake, and God’s fire from heaven. But the Lord was not in any of those powerful things. Instead, God displayed His presence in a soft whisper.
2. JEREMIAH – “the weeping prophet”
« He spoke, nobody listened. He urged the people of Israel to act, nobody moved. He was poor and underwent severe deprivation to deliver his prophecies.
« He was thrown into prison, and into a well. He was rejected by his neighbors, his family, the false priests and prophets, friends, his audience, and the kings.
« Regardless of opposition and personal cost, Jeremiah courageously and faithfully proclaimed the Word of God.
3. DANIEL
« He was thrown into a lion’s den because he violated the king’s order banning prayer.
4. EZEKIEL
« During his ministry God told him to illustrate his messages with dramatic object lessons.
« Lying on his left side for 390 days during which he could eat only one 8-ounce meal a day cooked over manure. Another 40 days on his right side.
« Shaving his head and beard.
« Showing no sorrow when his wife died.
Why were they willing to suffer?
“All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it from a distance and welcomed the promises of God…..But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them” Hebrews 11:13-16.
Why is that those who “speak in the name of the Lord” often must endure difficult trials? It is so that their lives might back up their messages. The impact of a life carries much power. We need to remind ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a testimony to others around us.
This example that James used from the Old Testament prophets ought to encourage us to spend more time in the Bible, getting acquainted with the heroes of faith. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” Romans 15:4.
Like the farmer, we keep working, and, like the prophets, we keep witnessing, no matter how trying the circumstances may be.
III. THE LIFE JOB
“Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:11).
Job is a prosperous farmer. He has thousands of sheep, camels, and other livestock, a large family, and lots of servants. Suddenly Satan comes before God claiming that Job trusts God only because he is wealthy and everything is going well for him. And so the testing of Job’s faith begins.
Satan is allowed to destroy Job’s children, servants, livestock, herdsmen, and home; but Job continues to trust in God. Next Satan attacks Job physically, covering him with painful boils. Job’s wife tells him to curse God and die, but Job suffers in silence.
His friends were against him, for they accused him of being a hypocrite, deserving of the judgment of God. And it seemed like God was against him! When Job cried out for answers to his questions, there was no reply from heaven.
Finally, God speaks out of a mighty whirlwind. Confronted with the great power and majesty of God, Job falls in humble reverence before God – speechless. God rebukes Job’s friends, and the drama ends with Job restored to happiness and wealth.
The exhortation in verse 12 seems out of place:
“But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”
It is easy to say things you do not mean, and make promises you don’t intend to keep when you are going through difficulties.
Look at the example of Job:
“’I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord.’ In all this, Job did not sin by blaming God” Job 1:21-22.
James wanted to encourage us to be patient in times of suffering. Like the farmer, we must work while we wait for the harvest. Like the prophets, we look for opportunities to share the truth of God. And like Job, we wait for the Lord to fulfill His loving purpose, knowing that He will never cause His children to suffer needlessly.
And, like Job, we shall have a clearer vision of the Lord and come to know Him better for having been in the furnace of affliction.
Let us patiently wait for the Lord’s return.
James 5:7-12
“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Don’t grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great judge is coming. He is standing at the door!
For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy.
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”
All through out the New Testament the return of Jesus Christ is emphasized. Two-thousand years ago, it was the message of the apostles – “Jesus Christ is coming soon!”
And the Apostle James writes to the believers during his time to patiently wait for the Lord’s return.
The word patience means “to stay put and stand fast when you’d like to run away.”
Many have fallen away from the faith because they can no longer wait. Some engaged in inventing formulas to calculate the exact date of Jesus’ return. So far, lahat ay bagsak!
Jesus says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” Matthew 24:42.
If that is the case, how can we as Christians experience this kind of patient endurance as we wait for the Lord to return? James gives three encouraging examples of patient endurance.
I. THE FARMER
“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near” (5:7-9).
If a man is impatient, then he had better not become a farmer. No crop appears overnight, and no farmer has control over the weather. Too much rain and too much sun can destroy the crop.
It takes time for plants to grow.
Why does he willingly wait so long? Because the fruit is “precious” (5:7).
“So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” Galatians 6:9.
The Christian is a “spiritual farmer” looking for a spiritual harvest. Our hearts are the soil, and the “seed is the Word of God.”
There are seasons to the spiritual life just as there are seasons to the soil.
The seed must be buried for it to grow. In the same, the Christian goes through trials and troubles and sufferings.
The farmer does not stand around doing nothing waiting for the harvest. He is constantly at work as he looks toward the harvest.
James did not tell these believers to put on white robes, climb a hill, and wait for Jesus to return. We must do God’s work until Jesus returns.
Nor does any farmer get into fights with his neighbors. “Don’t grumble against each other brothers or you will be judged” (5:9).
II. THE PROPHETS
“For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:10).
The prophets encourage us by reminding us that God cares for us when we go through sufferings for His sake.
1. ELIJAH (1 Kings 17-19)
« He announced to wicked King Ahab that there would be a drought for 3 and ½ years and he himself had to suffer in that drought. He went into hiding.
« Queen Jezebel threatened his life. Elijah ran. He was afraid, depressed, and abandoned.
« During those sad moments, Elijah wanted to die. He witnessed a windstorm, and earthquake, and God’s fire from heaven. But the Lord was not in any of those powerful things. Instead, God displayed His presence in a soft whisper.
2. JEREMIAH – “the weeping prophet”
« He spoke, nobody listened. He urged the people of Israel to act, nobody moved. He was poor and underwent severe deprivation to deliver his prophecies.
« He was thrown into prison, and into a well. He was rejected by his neighbors, his family, the false priests and prophets, friends, his audience, and the kings.
« Regardless of opposition and personal cost, Jeremiah courageously and faithfully proclaimed the Word of God.
3. DANIEL
« He was thrown into a lion’s den because he violated the king’s order banning prayer.
4. EZEKIEL
« During his ministry God told him to illustrate his messages with dramatic object lessons.
« Lying on his left side for 390 days during which he could eat only one 8-ounce meal a day cooked over manure. Another 40 days on his right side.
« Shaving his head and beard.
« Showing no sorrow when his wife died.
Why were they willing to suffer?
“All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it from a distance and welcomed the promises of God…..But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them” Hebrews 11:13-16.
Why is that those who “speak in the name of the Lord” often must endure difficult trials? It is so that their lives might back up their messages. The impact of a life carries much power. We need to remind ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a testimony to others around us.
This example that James used from the Old Testament prophets ought to encourage us to spend more time in the Bible, getting acquainted with the heroes of faith. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” Romans 15:4.
Like the farmer, we keep working, and, like the prophets, we keep witnessing, no matter how trying the circumstances may be.
III. THE LIFE JOB
“Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:11).
Job is a prosperous farmer. He has thousands of sheep, camels, and other livestock, a large family, and lots of servants. Suddenly Satan comes before God claiming that Job trusts God only because he is wealthy and everything is going well for him. And so the testing of Job’s faith begins.
Satan is allowed to destroy Job’s children, servants, livestock, herdsmen, and home; but Job continues to trust in God. Next Satan attacks Job physically, covering him with painful boils. Job’s wife tells him to curse God and die, but Job suffers in silence.
His friends were against him, for they accused him of being a hypocrite, deserving of the judgment of God. And it seemed like God was against him! When Job cried out for answers to his questions, there was no reply from heaven.
Finally, God speaks out of a mighty whirlwind. Confronted with the great power and majesty of God, Job falls in humble reverence before God – speechless. God rebukes Job’s friends, and the drama ends with Job restored to happiness and wealth.
The exhortation in verse 12 seems out of place:
“But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”
It is easy to say things you do not mean, and make promises you don’t intend to keep when you are going through difficulties.
Look at the example of Job:
“’I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord.’ In all this, Job did not sin by blaming God” Job 1:21-22.
James wanted to encourage us to be patient in times of suffering. Like the farmer, we must work while we wait for the harvest. Like the prophets, we look for opportunities to share the truth of God. And like Job, we wait for the Lord to fulfill His loving purpose, knowing that He will never cause His children to suffer needlessly.
And, like Job, we shall have a clearer vision of the Lord and come to know Him better for having been in the furnace of affliction.
Let us patiently wait for the Lord’s return.
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