Posts

Find your happiness in God

Image
  You are responsible for your happiness. Hindi hawak ng ibang tao ang susi ng iyong kasiyahan.  Ang tunay na kasiyahan ay nasa Diyos . Nilalang tayo ng Diyos upang makasumpong ng kasiyahan sa Kaniya. Ang nakalulungkot ay hinahanap natin ito sa ibang tao.  Anong laking frustration kapag ang taong inaasahan nating magbibigay ng kasiyahan ay nagdala ng kalungkutan.  We feel betrayed.  But the truth is walang nagsabing ang kasiyahan natin ay responsibilidad ng ibang tao.  We are responsible for our own happiness and if we are wise we'll find it in God.  Hindi mo masusumpungan ang kasiyahan sa mga panlabas at temporaryong mga bagay. Hindi mo masusumpungan ang kasiyahan sa mga eksternal na sirkumstansiya. Kapag nagbago ang mga sirkumstansiya o nawala ang mga bagay, mawawala rin ang ating kasiyahan.  Ang kasiyahang hindi mawawala ay masusumpungan lamang sa hindi nagbabagong Diyos. Sa Kaniya lamang ang tunay na kasiyahan.  Huwag ninyo hayaang kontro...

God can use you

Image
Ang ministry ay hindi lamang sa kamay ng pastor at ng mga diakono. Bawat Cristiano ay nasa full-time Christian service. Nasaan man tayo sa buhay, nilagay tayo ng Diyos sa lugar na iyan upang maglingkod sa Kaniya. Nilagay tayo diyan upang maging ilawan sa mundong madilim.  Sa pamamagitan ng Kaniyang mga anak na nakakalat sa buong mundo, sinisiguro Niyang ang lahat ay makaririnig ng mensahe ng buhay.  Ang nakalulungkot ay tikom ang bibig ng Kaniyang mga anak. Sa halip na maging saksi sa Kaniyang nagliligtas na biyaya, madalas sila pa ang kinatitisuran ng mga tao sa paligid.  Hindi nakikita ang biyaya ng Diyos sa kanilang mga buhay. Sa halip ang nakikita ay legalismo at judgmentalism.  Marami tayong mga rason upang huwag maglingkod ngunit nilagay tayo ng Diyos sa lugar na iyan dahil alam Niyang diyan tayo pinakaepektibo para sa Kaniyang layon.   Tanggapin natin ang Kaniyang layon para sa ating mga buhay at gaya ni Joshua gagamitin Niya tayo para sa Kaniyang ...

If you're alive, God has a plan

Image
  I don't know what you're undergoing today but if you're alive God has a plan for you. And that plan is full of grace and love.  Mula sa sinapupunan ng ating ina hanggang sa sandali ng ating kamatayan, ang buhay na iyan ay puspos ng biyaya.  Kasama natin Siya sa ups and down ng buhay. Ang tanong ay kung kinikilala ba natin Siya at kung nakikilala ba natin ang Kaniyang pagkilos sa ating buhay.  May mga panahong ang ating mga mata ay pinalalabo ng luha ng kalungkutan o ng alapaap ng pag-aalala ngunit huwag kang matakot, even then, nandiya Siya. Sabi nga sa " Footprint in the Sand ," iyan ang panahong karga ka Niya.  Ipagkatiwala natin sa Kaniya ang ating mga buhay. Bilang mga object ng Kaniyang pag-ibig, hindi Niya tayo dadalhin sa ikapapahamak natin.  Ang Kaniyang layon ay ang maging kawangis tayo ni Cristo , hindi ang mapahamak tayo.  Especially when we're down, remember this truth.  Manatiling nakapokus sa biyaya. Huwag ninyong hayaang nakawin n...

Mga Ipinanganak na Walang Buhay?

Image
  Isang nakalulungkot na trahedya ang makuhanan. Ilang buwan mong dinala sa sinapupunan pero hindi naipanganak na buhay.  Something spiritually is happening. Maraming nagki-claim na sila ay born again ngunit kung tanungin mo kung may buhay na walang hanggan , ang sagot ay wala.  Para sa mga taong ito, ang born again ay relihiyon (religious born again), hindi kapanganakang espirituwal (tunay na born again). Sa Juan 3 , sinabihan ni Jesus si Nicodemong kailangan niyang ipanganak na muli. Hindi ko tiyak kung sarkastiko si Nicodemo o genuinely curious siya, nagtanong siya kung paano siya makababalik sa sinapupunan ng kaniyang ina? Jesus chides him dahil bilang guro ng Israel dapat alam niya ang kapanganakang muli dahil ito ay binanggit ni Ezekiel .  Pinaliwanag ni Jesus na ang bagong kapanganakan ay espirituwal. Kahit bumalik pa si Nicodemo sa sinapupunan ng kaniyang ina, ang laman ay manganganak lamang ng laman, ang ipinanganak ng Espiritu ay espiritu rin. Pinaliwanag...

Stay on your own lane

Image
  Stay on your own lane and don't hate those in other lanes.  Malungkot mang isiping kahit sa ministry ay mayroong inggitan at pabidahan. Sa halip na matuwa sa ministry ng iba, ikinasasama ng loob ang tagumpay na sa kaniyang palagay ay dapat sa kaniya.  But the ministry is not a competition. Bawat isa sa atin ay may sariling linya. As long as you stay in your own lane and be faithful running it, you are a success, malaki man o maliit ang iyong ministry. Tingnan ninyo si Jeremias . Sa haba ng kaniyang ministry sa Juda , tinalikuran pa rin ng kaniyang bayan ang Diyos. Iisipin nating siya ay bigo, wala siyang impact sa kaniyang generation. But the truth is he is God's man for that time. Siya ang ilaw na nagpapakita ng liwanag ng katotohanan. Just because the others decide to reject the light, it doesn't mean he is a failure. He is a success. Judah is a failure.  If we just focuse on our own ministry, and let others work on theirs, I suspect that mas magiging harmonious ...

Unfortunately marami ring believers don't get it

Image
  Don't argue with unbelievers. They don't have the Holy Spirit and they won't get what you're sharing. Rather than be sidetracked into unprofitable debate, focus on the message of life. If they reject it, leave. Unbelievers, due to amoeba of unbelief, will reject your message and accommodate it to his existing worldview. He will accept that Jesus died for his sins, was buried and resurrected and that by faith in Him you have eternal life , and then on the next breath insists you need works to go to heaven. Unless the Holy Spirit convicted them of sin, righteousness and judgement, you're wasting your breath.  Our job is not to convert people. Our job is to share the message and let the Holy Spirit convict them. If they reject the conviction of the Spirit, no skill in communication will make them believe.  Without the Spirit, they won't get it.  Unfortunately, many believers don't get it either. Yes they believe in Jesus for eternal life. Yes they believe i...

Sa mga walang palalabs ngayong Valentine's, God loves you

Image
  It's Valentine's and marahil makungkot ka dahil wala kang palalabs. Don't despair. There is Someone who loves you and His name is Jesus .  Jesus loves you so much ( Ephesians 5:2 ) that He gave Himself as a propitiation for your sins . He died for your sins so sin will not be a barrier between you and God. All you need to do is believe in Him for eternal life .  You don't need to work for eternal life because Jesus did the work on the Cross . All you need to do is receive eternal life by believing in Jesus. This is true love. John 3:16 [16]"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Romans 5:8 [8]But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You probably think you're unloved. But the truth is you're very much loved.  Maybe the love you're looking for is found in Jesus. Stop looking for love in all the wrong...

Walang nagpapahalaga sa iyo? Try mo kay God

Image
  Feeling mo walang nagpapahalaga sa iyo? Don't be surprised. Karamihan sa mga tao ay pahahalagahan ka lang as long as may use ka sa kanila. The moment nakuha na nila ang kanilang gusto o wala na silang mahihita sa iyo o naglagay ka ng boundaries, they will ditch you gaya ng laspag na laruan. You probably think that is very dark. But if we are honest sooner or later we'll meet people who will use us. Kung ang sense of worth mo ay nakadepende sa aprubal ng mga taong ito, I pity you.  Before I continue, kung may mga tao sa paligid mo na pinahahalagahan ka no matter what, yung hindi ka iniwan sa ere o tinalikuran sa madilim na yugto ng iyong buhay, please lang, do the right thing: huwag mo silang hayaang mawala. Rare is a friend who will go with you through thick or thin.  Kahit hindi laging sang-ayon ang mga taong ito sa iyong decision, they will love you. Yes, pagsasabihan ka nila why they think you're wrong, and I hope you consider what they say before you decide, but no...

Everything I have, I owe to God

Image
  Deuteronomy 8:18 [18]But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. I thank the Lord my God for whatever we are enjoying now. Yes our life is not as grand as others but I sincerely can say that I won’t trade this life for any other’s. First I’m thankful that I believe in Jesus for eternal life, John 3:16 . I am thankful that my entire family are also believers in Jesus, Acts 16:31 . I’m triple blessed that I marry to a family where my father- and mother-in-laws are believers and models of grace. On that count alone, I am blessed. Secondly, I thank God that I am in a relatively good health. Sure I have a serious lung disease years ago, and I occasionally battle stomach pains and phlegms, but overall I am healthy enough to find a good living. Thirdly, I thank God that I have a profession that is respected by the community and earns relatively well...

Should a Christian celebrate Valentine's? Why not?

Image
  The Bible did not mention Valentine’s Day . So strictly speaking the Bible has nothing to say about observance or nonobservance of Valentine’s. This falls within the gray areas of Christian freedom. I chose to celebrate Valentine’s. But first let me explain the objections. The first objection by many evangelicals is that it is not mentioned in the Bible. The Bible mentioned observance of Lord’s Supper and baptism but never Valentine’s so the argument says we shouldn’t. But people forget that neither did the Bible forbid observance of it. Further, we have an example of a feast observance that is not mandated by the Law. In John 10:22, there is a Feast of Dedication being observed by the Jews and Jesus was among them. The Law never mentioned it, in fact it originated during the Maccabean period when the Maccabean rededicate the temple after years of being trampled by the Gentiles. Another objection is it has pagan origin. It is ironic that this objection is done by people who...