Posts

Not really alone

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   I have always been a loner. Even when I am in a group, I have the special ability to be alone. Whether that is because others find me intimidating o talagang repulsive lang ang ugali ko, I will leave it to you to decide. I guarantee na wala akong pakialam. After all a lion does not listen to the opinion of the sheep. But if there is one thing I learned from being a loner is you are never truly alone. Jesus promised to be with His disciples until the end of the age. The Book of Hebrews says He will never leave us or forsake us. For me that is very encouraging. Sometimes when I made decisions, people raise their eyebrows because my priorities are not the same as theirs. It is easy to feel lonely and neglected when others are in vacation spree while you’re inside the church , serving. There are things other people can do that you can’t because of the ministry. Early in life I have decided that my relationship to God will be a priority over every thing else. It doesn’t mea...

An encourager or a critic

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  Proverbs 18:21 [21]Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. We can’t resist it. Someone tells a story and we comment. And I will bet my bottom dollar that the comment is most likely a criticism rather than an encouragement. Isa sa mga katangiang hindi maalis-alis ng tao ay ang hilig na pumuna. Hindi sapat ang kasipahan ng isa kaya pupunahin. Mali ang desisyon ng isa at ang desisyon mo ay superior kaya pupunahin. Nagkamali ang isa at dapat mo siyang itama. Bakit hindi tayo masiyahang ang iba ay may desisyong iba sa atin. As long as the decision is not a crime or not unbiblical , we should let a fellow believers decides what he thinks is right for himself. God gives as volition and honors its decisions even if sometimes they are against His will. After all decisions have consequences. We’ll reap what we saw. If God honors human volition, we should do the same. Makuntento tayong magsaya na ang isang kapatid ay nagdedesisyon ng sa ...

Like fathers, like sons

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  Like fathers, like sons. If fathers are godly, they will raise godly sons.  I know there are exceptions. Even in the family we have examples of godly parents having ungodly children. But that is the point, they are exceptions.  Children learn godliness best if it is being demonstrated. More than the sermons, a solid role-modelling teaches children that godliness comes first.  You can talk all you want but if the children did not see the walk, they will reject the faith. Our words should match our works.  When children see us attend Bible studies even if it is uncomfortable or the weather is stormy, we are telling them that Bible studies are important. When they see us pray on our knees, we show them that prayer works. When they see us not panic in the middle of problems, we show them that doctrine works. But if they see us running around in panic, we're showing them that even if we proclaim God is in control, we actually deny it in our practice.  Let ...

Good marriage doesn't fall from heaven, you have to work for it

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  Good marriage doesn't fall from heaven. You have to work for it.  Narinig ninyo na ang kwento ng lalaking nag-pray para sa rescue nang siya ay maipit sa baha. He prayed, "Lord save me." Thrice may dumating na rescuers pero tinanggihan niya ang mga ito dahil sa kaniyang paniniwalang ang Diyos ang magliligtas. Pagdating sa langit, tinanong niya ang Diyos, "Ama bakit hindi mo ako niligtas?" Sumagot ang Diyos, "Thrice akong nagpadala ng rescue pero tinanggihan mo." Same thing happens to marriage. We pray and pray that God bless our marriage. But we refuse God-given ways to bless our marriages. I hate to tell this to you: Good marriages don't fall from Heaven.  Yes we pray. Yes we ask God to bless our marriages. But we need to do something about it. We can't have good marriages by simply praying for it.  God has already given His opinion on marriage in the Bible . Our job is to mine the Bible for the principles that govern good marriage. Good marr...

Kailangan ko bang pagsisihan at pagbayaran ang lahat kong mga kasalanan upang maligtas?

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Una sa lahat kung aware ka lahat ng iyong kaslaanan, you are omniscient . I cannot even know all my sins since for sure some of them I did out of ignorance. How can I know a sin I did unaware? Secondly if you repent of all of them, you must be an exceptionally honest man. Majority of us try to justify our sins. We defend our sins, we blame others. I guess my point is if I do not even know all my sins, how can I repent and expiate for all of them? Thankfully, ang kaligtasan ay hindi nakabase sa ating pagsisisi sa ating mga kasalanan at pagbabayad ng mga ito. Ang nag-iisang kundisyon upang magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan ay ang manampalataya kay Jesus para rito. Namatay Siya sa pagbayad ng ating mga kasalanan precisely because hindi natin kayang bayaran ang mga ito on our own. Siya ang nagbayad ng mga kasalanan upang hindi ito maging hadlang sa pagitan ng Diyos at ng mga tao. Walang makapagsasabing siya ay pupunta sa impiyerno nang dahil sa kasalanan. Sa halip ang nag-iisang...

Rejected by his own

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  Mateo 13:57 At siya’y kinatisuran nila. Datapuwa’t sinabi sa kanila ni Jesus , Walang propeta na di may kapurihan, liban sa kaniyang sariling lupain, at sa kaniyang sariling bahay. If you feel you’re rejected by people, don’t be surprised. Jesus Himself was rejected by His own, John 1:11 . Maybe one of the frustrating aspects of the ministry is when your own people rejected you. They will accept literally almost anything from almost anyone, without discernment, but filter everything you said and do with a personality lens. They reject you, not because you don’t teach the truth well, but because they don’t like you. It is discouraging. Ibinigay mo ang iyong oras, lakas, at talento upang ipaglingkod, pero dahil hindi ka pasok sa kanilang favorite people, they reject you. Most are looking for a nursing maid, not a teacher. Yung susubuan sila, lalagyan ng sapin sa likod at tatapik-tapiiin ang balikat. Ayaw nila ng gurong naghahanap ng accountability at responsibility. Sometimes ...

Sugarol ako, pupunta ba ako sa langit?

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  Una sa lahat, sana tigilan mo ang pagiging sugarol. Ninanakawan mo ang iyong pamilya ng kinakailangang pera, atensiyon at kinabukasan. Huwag mong ipagsapalaran ang iyong pinaghirapan. Mas maiging ibili mo ito ng pangangailangan ng iyong pamilya o itago para sa mga susunod na araw. This blog is not a defense or a justification for gambling. But to answer your question straight: hindi hadlang ang pagiging sugarol upang makarating ka sa langit. Yes I consider it as sin since it is a form of theft and it is almost always powered by covetousness and it is very slaving (addictive). But isn’t the reason why Jesus came to this earth is die for sins. According to 1 John 2:2 he is the propitiation for our (believers) sins and not ours only but also for the whole world (unbelievers). He died to remove sin as a barrier between you and God. Nobody will go to the Lake of Fire because of gambling. The only condition for receiving eternal life is to believe in Jesus, John 3:16 . If yo...

Identity in Christ

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  Do not judge me by my past mistakes. Mayroon akong mas recent. Iyon ang gamitin natin! Salty? Unfortunately this is the reality of many people. They are judged and defined by their past. They are judged and defined by their mistakes. They are judged and defined by their sins. But if you believe in Jesus for eternal life you have a new identity, John 3:16 . You are now part of the family of God. You are declared (not made) righteous. Your are forgiven. You are removed from Adam and placed in Christ. This is your new identity. You are part of a new creation. Your sins are paid for in the Cross . You are dead to them and you should reckon that as your daily reality. They should not defined you. Nakalulungkot na may mga taong sa halip na tulungan kang bumangon sa pagkalugmok ay tatapakan ka pa. Ipamumukha nila ang iyong nakalipas. In their opinion you are hopeless at walang chance na magbago. Linis na linis sila sa kanilang sarili napapatanong ka kung anong sabon ang kanilang gin...

Mas gusto kong maglaro ng ML kaysa magbasa ng Bible. Pupunta ba ako sa impiyerno?

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Full disclosure: naglalaro ako ng ML . It is literally the last thing I do every night before sleeping. It is what I do to unwind.  Whisper: there is more to life than playing ML. It is the sauce, not the meat, of our lives.  If you spend most of your time playing ML, I think you need to rearrange your priorities. And if you rather play ML than read your Bible , you need to rethink your priorities.  Having said that, playing ML will not send you to Hell.  Ang nag-iisang kundisyon upang magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan ay manampalataya kay Cristo. Maglaro ka o hindi ng ML, kung nanampalataya ka kay Cristo mayroon kang buhay na walang hanggan, Juan 3:16 .  Mahalaga ang pagbabasa ng Biblia. Pero hindi rito nakasalalay ang pagkakaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan. Kung may nagbahagi sa iyo ng mensahe ng buhay at nanampalataya ka, ligtas ka kahit hindi ka makabuklat ng Biblia buong buhay mo. Mahalaga ito sa paglago espirituwal. Pero kailangan mo munang magkaroon n...

Choose whom you will serve

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  Ecclesiastes 12:1 [1]Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"; Joshua 24:15 [15]If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The youth is the hope of the Father Land, sabi ni Rizal . Well Christian youth is the hope of the Church.  A Church with inactive youth will die.  For simple reason: this youth will be the future adult members of the church. They will decide the direction of the local church.  Kung ngayon pa lamang ay nahuhumaling ang mga Cristianong kabataan sa sanlibutan , siguradong kapag sila ay full adults na, hindi sila magiging aktibo sa simbahan.  Ang sanlibutan ay maraming pang-akit sa mga kabataan. Ang pita ng laman ay nakikipagtulungan sa sanlibutan upang dayain ang mga Cristiano.  Ang pagnanasa ng mata , ang pagnan...