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Charlie Kirk's Legacy: Prioritize the family

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  Today (October 14 in States and 15 sa Pinas), Charlie would have been 32. So young and yet now a symbol of Christian conservatism. What better way to celebrate him than to stand for what he believed? One way we can honor Kirk is to prioritize our families. We will cherish time with loved ones and put family first in all we do.  Colosians 3 and Ephesians 6 show what Christian family should look like. It is a family defined by love, submission and respect.  As Christians, the world is watching us. If they see a family that is loving and cherising, this will be a testimony to them on what it means to be a member of the family of God. A family that shows discord is giving bad publicity for the family of God.  As forgiven and loved individuals, our families should show the same love and forgiveness.  When we do, the world will be attracted to Christ, the foundation of all we do.  This is the best way to honor Charlie's legacy. Manatiling nakapokus sa biyaya. H...

Charlie Kirk's Legacy: Faithful to our spouses

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  Today (October 14 in States and 15 sa Pinas), Charlie would have been 32. So young and yet now a symbol of Christian conservatism. What better way to celebrate him than to stand for what he believed? One way we can honor Kirk is to be faithful to our spouses. We will honor, love and serve our spouses with devotion and respect. Ephesians 5 shows that the husband-wife relationship pictures the Christ-Church relationship. When we love and serve our wives, we are showing to the word Christ's sacrificial love for His Church. When our wives submit and respect us, they show the Church's submission to Christ.  This is our testimony first and foremost to our own family. This is our testimony to the world.  If we keep on loving our spouses the world will see the love that exists between God and man and that should exists between men.  This is the best way to honor Charlie Kirk.  Manatiling nakapokus sa biyaya. Huwag ninyong hayaang nakawin ng mga huwad na guro ang inyon...

Join an Bible-believing church

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  I am saved and am going to heaven by faith in Christ. So why do I need the local church.  No doubt hindi mo kailangang maging miyembro ng isang local church upang maligtas. Ang nag-iisang requirement ay ang manampalataya sa Panginoong Jesus.  However, sa sandaling manampalataya ka kay Jesus ikaw ay naging anak ng Diyos. Bahagi ka ng pamilya ng Diyos. Hindi ba dapat lamang na ang anak ng Diyos ay mamuhay kapiling ng ibang anak ng Diyos.  Kahit sa sekular na mundo, it is considered a tragedy kapag ang isang bata ay ipinanganak na walang pamilya. Nalulungkot tayo kapag ang isang bata ay pinanganak sa pamilyang namatay sa aksidente, halimbawa. O batang napulot sa basurahan dahil tinapon ng kaniyang ina. Instinctively, nakikita nating hindi normal ang ipanganak na hiwalay sa pamilya.  Spiritually ganuon din. Bagamat hindi natin kailangan ang church upang maligtas, it is not normal for a believer to live apart from his spiritual family. We need the family to grow in...

Kaya siguro ayaw nila magsimba kasi lagi tayong nakasimangot

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Siguro isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit ayaw ng mga unbelievers na magsimba ay lagi tayong nakasimangot. Sa halip na ma-encouraged silang bumalik, they feel out of place and unwelcome. So they never come back.  Naririnig ko na ang mga objections. Na ang dahilan kung bakit hindi nagsisimba ang mga unbelievers ay dahil they reject the truth. Na ayaw nilang ma-exposed ang kanilang kadiliman sa liwanag ng evangelio, Juan 3:19-21. Na binulag ng diyos ng sanlibutang ito ang kanilang isipan at kahit pa ikaw na ang friendliest church, hindi mo maliligtas ang taong ayaw manampalataya.  I agree and I agree and for the third time I agree. There is a spiritual side sa issue kung bakit ayaw ng mga unbelievers na magsimba. But the local church is made up of people and we should also consider the relational side of the issue.  If you ask unbelievers why they don't attend church, iilan lang ang magsasabing they reject Christ. They all claim to believe in Christ. They just hold to different ...

Hindi lagi fairy tale ending ang buhay

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  Life is tiring. There are many things I want that I can't have and there are many things I don't want that keep on coming. Bills to pay, deadlines to keep, expectations to meet, etc., they're endless, they keep on coming. If we don't have the right mindset, it can give us the feeling of being a hamster on a wheel.  We keep on running but going nowhere. Thankfully the solution is where the problem originates - our mindset. If we change our thinking, we can be delivered from this kind of feeling of meaninglessness. The situation doesn't change but our mindset and attitudes toward it do.  Life isn't always doing about the things we like to do but doing things we have to do. Even when we don't feel like doing it. Even when we're tired. Even when we'd rather surrender.  We have to go to work to feed our families. We have to tolerate the obnoxious workmate or churchmate. We need to do the chores and the laundry. I am thankful for the moments of happiness...

Out of our comfort zones

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  Ayon sa mga eksperto, isang dahilan kung bakit ang mga agila ay dominanteng ibon ay dahil they didn't cater to weakness. Kapag dumating na ang panahon upang ang mga inakay ay lumipad, tinutulak sila ng inang ibon palabas ng pugad and they have no choice but to fly or risk death. Paulit-ulit itong gagawin ng inahin hanggang sa makalipad nang solo ang inakay. We are men of habits but most importantly we are men of comforts. Kung papipiliin tayo between comfort and pain, 100% we will choose comfort.  We don't have the Achilles's mindset na pinili ang daan ng heroism and certain death over a life of comfort but mediocrity. Within us is a beast that desires comfort. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit pinipili nating magkompromiso when living the spiritual life becomes a burden. Mas pinipili nating talikuran ang Salita ng Diyos kaysa mawala ang pabor ng tao.  Ito ang dahilan kung bakit hindi natin maisakripisyo ang ating Sabado upang magbahagi ng babasahin kapag house to house evange...

The Martha Syndrome: busy but going nowhere

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  Nakakita na kayo ng hamster on a wheel? Wala siyang tigil sa katatakbo but he's going nowhere. Napapagod ngunit walang patutunguhan.  Ganiyan ang kwento ng karamihan. Ang buhay ay serye ng isang pangyayari pagkatapos ng isang pangyayari ngunit walang natatanaw na konklusyon. Ang malungkot kahit ang mga Cristiano ay naa-adopt ang gawing ito. Cristiano tayo ngunit nag buhay ay isang serye ng pangyayari matapos ang isang pangyayari. Walang kwento ang ating mga buhay. Walang nababasang testimonyo ang mga tao sa ating paligid.  Ang ating mga buhay ay walang laman at bakante. Sa termino ni Solomon, walang kabuluhan.  Minsan pinagtatakpan natin ang kawalang kabuluhan ng kaabalahan sa relihiyon. We do not realize that this is just another hamster on a wheel scenario. Binautismuhan lang ng pangalan- ngayon tayo ay "naglilingkod." Sa halip na gayahin si Mariang tahimik na nakaupo sa paanan ni Jesus, nakikinig at lumalago, tayo ay naging mga espirituwal na Martha. Laging alig...

Feed your faith

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  Bahagi ng pagiging tao ang mag-alinlangan. Bilang mga taong limitado ang kaalaman at lakas, natatakot tayo sa kung ano ang ating haharapin. Dahil dito ginagawa natin ang lahat ng ating magagawa para kontrolin ang ating buhay. Naiistres tayo kapag hindi natin kontrolado ang sitwasyon. Ngunit hindi ito normal para sa isang taong nanampalataya kay Cristo.  Isipin mo ito, pinagkatiwala mo sa Kaniya ang iyong eternal na kalagayan nang manampalataya ka kay Jesus. It doesn't make sense na pag-aalinlanganan mo ang Kaniyang probisyon sa pang-araw-araw na temporal na pangangailangan.  Kung laging nakatuon ang ating mga mata sa Kaniya, makalalakad tayo above the storms of life. But when we take our eyes off Him, doon tayo lumulubog. Remember Peter?  Ngunit bakit inaalis natin ang ating mata sa Kaniya? Because ang napapansin natin ay ang ihip ng hangin. Natataranta tayo sa mga ekonomikal at sosyal na kaabalahan.  Natutukso tayong to take things on our own hands. And then ...

Do not fear their hatred

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  We are peculiar. We are different. Alam ito ng sanlibutan even if most Christians don't. Maraming Cristianong so deep in compromise that they cannot be distinguished from the worldings. Worse, they considered themselves worldlings.  Nakalimutan nila na at point of salvation we're set apart in Christ. There's no commonality between the world and Christ, so why there should be with us?  The reason is tinanggap natin ang metanarrative ng sanlibutang ito. Nakalimutan nating siyasatin ang Kasulatang nagsasabi kung sino tayo at para saan tayo.  In the vacuum, pumasok ang worldly ideas and we accepted them as our own.  Hindi tayo ready na kamuhian ng sanlibutan. We wanted to befriend it. Dahil dito we are welcome with open arms.  But the moment you dare to be different, the world is quick to hate. They don't want you telling the truth. They don't want to see you living the truth because even if we're quietly living the truth, we're a testimony to their lies. So ...

Zeal with no knowledge

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  Marami ang nagsasabing iniibig nila ang Diyos. Ngunit kung tanungin ninyo sila (with chapter and verse) kung sino at ano ang Diyos, marami ang tila usang nailawan aa mukha. Hindi nila masasaysay ang katangian at gawa ng Diyos na diumano'y kanilang iniibig. These are the same people na kayang pangalanan at ilista ang mga kanta, dance moves at hobbies ng Bini (no hate to Bini).  Paano mo maiibig ang isang Personang hindi mo nakikilala? Ang resulta ay shallow pop Christianity na puno ng passion but lacking Biblical accuracy.  "Basta mahal ko si Jesus." "Ang mahalaga ay naglilingkod." "Huwag nating pagtalunan ang doktrina."  "Ang mahalaga ay wala kang inaapakan." Ilang ulit na ba natin itong narinig?  May tumigil ba at nagtanong, "Sinong Jesus ito?"  Ito ba ang Jesus ng Biblia o Jesus ng ating imahinasyon?  Kaya nating umubos ng oras sa ating mga hobbies. Kaya nating umubos ng oras upang magseminar, mag-overtime o maghanap ng second j...