Define "PRUDENCE"...

Does it mean...

• overcautious?
• excessively cautious?
• unduly careful?
• unnecessarily cautious?
• prudent to excess?
• or perhaps, paranoia?
  

... because if it leads to the delay, postponement, or worst, cancellation of the "ad majorem Dei gloriam" then it can't possibly mean "prudence".

Let's see what the dictionary says...

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Function:

noun

1 : the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason
2 : sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs
3 : skill and good judgment in the use of resources
4 : caution or circumspection as to danger or risk

Dictionary.com

–noun

1.	the quality or fact of being prudent.

2.	caution with regard to practical matters; discretion.

3.	regard for one's own interests.

4.	provident care in the management of resources; economy; frugality.

Pru"dence\, n. The quality or state of being prudent; wisdom in the way of caution and provision; discretion; carefulness; hence, also, economy; frugality.

Prudence is principally in reference to actions to be done, and due means, order, seasons, and method of doing or not doing. --Sir M. Hale.

Prudence supposes the value of the end to be assumed, and refers only to the adaptation of the means. It is the relation of right means for given ends. --Whewell.

Syn: Wisdom; forecast; providence; considerateness; judiciousness; discretion; caution; circumspection; judgment.

Now, listen to what the Sacred Scripture say...

Proverbs 3:25-28

Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it" -- when you have it with you.

Tobit 12:17

But he (angel Raphael) said to them, "Do not be afraid; you will be safe. But praise God forever.

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.

Psalm 56:3-4

When I am afraid, I put my trust in thee. In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust without a fear. What can flesh do to me?

Now define...
DISCERNMENT!

CULTURE OF FEAR (10 years after)

In 2009, let's get rid of this
CULTURE OF FEAR in our Community,
by being...

Men Without Fear

In Judges chapter 7 verse 7: The LORD said to Gideon, "By means of the three hundred who lapped up the water I will save you and will deliver Midian into your power. So let all the other soldiers go home."

Let me quickly review the story with you. Verse 2 reads The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many soldiers with you for me to deliver Midian into their power, lest Israel vaunt itself against me and say, 'My own power brought me the victory.' In verse 3, God told Gideon to "proclaim to all the soldiers, 'If anyone is afraid or fearful, let him leave." Twenty-two thousand returned, only ten thousand remained. I concluded, two-thirds of the men were fearful. This meant that only one-third were MEN WITHOUT FEAR. In verse 4 the Lord said, "There are still too many soldiers. Lead them down to the water and I will test them for you there". There were 10,000 men without fear, but God would use only 300 men.

In verse 5 the Lord said, "You shall set to one side everyone who laps up the water as a dog does with its tongue; to the other, everyone who kneels down to drink." Verse 6 tells us about the 300 hundred men who, while standing lapped water with their hand to their mouth: the rest bowed down.

Although 9,700 men were MEN WITHOUT FEAR, they bowed down to drink. Only 300 remained erect, drinking water from their hand. They seem to remained upright, looking for the enemy. They were PREPARED for battle. In verse 7, the Lord said, "By means of the three hundred who lapped up the water I will save you". The number 300 is less than one percent of the original 32,000 soldiers.

Relevance in CFC-KSA today

I came to the realization and the conclusion that even today, God continues to use only a small number of men. He uses a similar plan, a similar equation, spiritually speaking. Even today, about one-third of men seem to be MEN WITHOUT FEAR – men seeking to serve God. These are men and women who have decided to follow God. God however, will only use a very small number of people to fulfill His divine plan.

How can I be used by God?

How does God determine and then select these individuals? God uses only a few men to fulfill His divine plan. He does not intend for man to receive the glory for His plan or for what He is doing. I believe that God separates His people by selecting those who are WITHOUT FEAR, those WILLING to be used, those SEEKING to be used, those who have PREPARED themselves to be used by God and possibly most important: those WILLING TO GIVE GOD THE GLORY for the victory.

NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!

This is where I take my hats off to our "separated" brethren... lagi silang nahuhuli, humihinto ba sila sa gawain nila? I thank them for making me understand the word "conviction", they are truly one of the few and I truly honor them.

You might ask the question, how can I become one of the few in Couples for Christ who are really used by God to fulfill His divine plan? I am convinced that first, you have to be in the WORD every day. Second, you have to be in PRAYER every day, and third, you must FREQUENTLY MEET with others of a like heart, mind, soul, and purpose. This will help you to be PREPARED to be used by God!

Finally you must be willing to GIVE GOD THE GLORY for what HE is doing, what He has done and what He is going to do!

READ!READ!
Judges 7:1-25 Gideon, with three hundred men, by stratagem defeats the Madianites.This chapter presents us with Gideon in the field, commanding the army of Israel , and routing the army of the Midianites, for which great exploit we found in the former chapter how he was prepared by his converse with God and his conquest of Baal. We are here told,

Judges 7
Gideon's army reduced. (1-8)
Gideon is encouraged. (9-15)
The defeat of the Midianites. (16-22)
The Ephraimites take Oreb and Zeeb. (23-25)

[[[Emailed to Cluster 2 on December 29, 2008]]]

SILENT NO MORE in 2009!

This blog of mine is getting to be a big joke to me. Ang tapang ng statement pero wala namang kamandag at higit sa lahat WALANG LAMAN! haha... Well, sana after 2 years na inactive ay magiging aktibo na rin ako finally. Pasantabi na lang po sa mga Tito at Tita ko kung medyo masasagi kayo sa mga isusulat ko.

Pero nais kong ipa-una na constructive lahat ang pagpuna ko at in the Spirit of Meekness lahat ang mababasa ninyo mula sa akin. At nais ko ring ipabatid na ako ang kauna-unahang GUILTY kung inaakala ninyo na pine-personal ko kayo.

With due respect and lots of love sa aking mga fellow elders...

SORRY PO kung tatamaan kayo!