Preaching Echoes: Recent Episodes
Glen Guevara
Sa church, we need to see that unrepentant members are like ticking-time-bombs. Ang mga church leaders, and even ang mga church members ay hindi pwedeng maging passive lang at walang gawin, at antayin nalang na sumabog ang mga "bomba" na ito kung saan marami ang maaring masaktan at mamatay.
Kung ang katawan natin ay merong white blood cells para protektahan ito mula sa mga infectious diseases. Meron namang church discipline ang church para ma-protektahan ito mula sa infection ng kasalanan.
Brethren, we must never forget that we can only work for Christ because He first faithfully worked for our salvation, He is fully submitted to God the Father. He was faithful in his work from the time that He hammered nails as a carpenter to the point the He himself was nailed to the cross in our place for our sins.
Gusto mong kumain? Mag trabaho ka. Ayaw mong mag trabaho, kahit kaya mo naman? Wag kang mag expect ng pag-kain. That's the rule. Malamang binaggit niya ulit ito dahil may mga tao sa Thessalonica na umaasa parin sa iba para sa pang-araw-araw na pag-kain nila! Yung mismong survival nila, na dapat sila ang responsable, pina-pabuhat pa nila sa iba! Grabeng katamaran na talaga ito.
Whether you are aware of it or not, there are reasons found deep in your soul that pushes you to keep on doing what you are doing. And, if you profess to be a Christian, your motives and reasons for working must align with the reasons found in the Bible. Brethren, have you already considered: what are the Biblical motivations for us to work?
To the not-yet-married ladies, if you're looking for a biblical husband, look for a man that can love as Christ loved the church; and not-yet-married men, if you're looking for a wife there is one over-arching character that she must possess: SHE MUST BE SUBMISSIVE. The only biblical qualification for a wife is she wants to fulfill God's design for marriage is that: SHE MUST BE SUBMISSIVE.
Again, what is the second purpose of marriage - ILLUSTRATION! Our marriages must be a breathing and living picture or example of Christ's love for his church! And men, husbands and future husbands, we share a title that belongs to our Lord - the title "husband" and may we steward it right!
Do not be bound together with unbelievers! This is very fundamental. Why? Because a man will not be able to pass the other requirements, kung dito palang bagsak na siya. Please also take note that though being a Christian is a primary requirement for you to have a godly husband and family... ladies, THAT IS NOT THE ONLY REQUIREMENT if you want a God-glorifying and design-fulfilling-marriage.
Don't just long to satisfy your fleshly-wants at the expense of your wife and children. Instead, fulfill the call of God in your life - sacrifice your life to serve them, nourish them, cultivate them, and love them as Christ did for his Church.
If marriage was God's idea, kung ang Diyos ang nag-establish, nag-imbento at gumawa ng kasalan at pag-aasawa, we must define it and do it - HIS WAY.
Please, brethren, kung binabasa mo lang ang Bible kasi expected sayo ito ng mga tao, REPENT! Hindi yan ang tamang rason bakit ka mag babasa ng Bible, read it for the right reasons - to see and know more of Christ so that you may behold the glory of God and be transformed by the Spirit of God!
Sino daw ang nag wo-work sa ating inner being, sa ating mga puso, sa ating kalooban? IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU! Hindi sinabing, "it is YOU who works in you" NO!!! we cannot change ourselves in the inside. We need the help of our strong and gracious GOD!
Do you consider kung ano ang iisipin ng mga unbelievers whenever you decide to do something? Of course, we must consider them, not because we are men-pleasers, but for us not to be a distraction, instead, for us to be a decoration for the proclamation of the Gospel!
Brothers, let us not fool ourselves, it is very much possible, na idina-dahilan lang natin yung "I'm free in Christ! I'm free in Christ!" pero ang totoo meron tayong pinag-nanasaan na kasalanan. At ang paraan natin madalas ay gawing pang-camouflage yung "kalayaan" na sinasabi natin, para nga naman hindi halata. Isang malaking kasalanan yan sa harap ng Lord.
"Gray-Areas" yan yung mga area or situation na honestly speaking, mahirap husgahan kung kasalanan nga ba o hindi, dahil walang direct instruction ang Bible sa mga yan. Yes, meron tayong laya sa mga bagay na hindi specifically tinawag na sin sa Word of God, PERO mga kapatid, paalala lang, pwede kasi na maging "COVER-UP" ang so-called "Christian-freedom" para sa maling motibo ng pag-kakasala. Kaya dapat na maging mapanuri. Ano ang mga Biblical-questions na pwede nating gamitin kapag may mga gray-areas of decision making tayong kinakaharap?
Let us say na you DESIRE GOD'S WILL and you DO IT FROM THE HEART, tapos very evident din ang pag-pursue at pag-obey mo sa GOD'S-WRITTEN-WILL-OF-COMMAND. Paano mo ngayon malalaman yung will ng Lord sa buhay mo, sa mga area na hindi naman naka-sulat specifically sa Bible, like for example, Sino ba ang dapat kong ligawan? Kelan ba ako dapat pakasal? Anong field ang ipu-pursue ko? At marami pang ibang tanong.
Kung tayo ay naniniwala na ang Bible ay ang Word of God, IT IS ENOUGH -- na mabasa at maintindihan lang natin ang 1 Peter 2:12-17 upang tayo ay sumunod dun ng buong puso at walang pag-aalinlangan. Pero dahil mainit ang usapin ngayon about sa government issues, aralin narin natin kung ano ba ang turo ng Word of God about sa responsibility nating mga Kristiano sa ating gobyerno at paano tayo dapat mag respond sa mga issue na kinakaharap natin ngayon.
Wala nang mas lilinaw pa sa 1 Thessalonians 4:3, sinabi niya na ng direkta mga brad. "Ito ang 'will', ang 'gusto', ang 'utos', ng Diyos" ano raw yun? "Your sanctification." Pero, ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin nun?
Kung nais natin na ma-please ang Lord sa atin, then we must obey his will. Ngunit, pano nga ba natin malalaman yun? Ano nga ba ang will ng Lord para sa atin?
Maraming mga tao ang mag-sasabing Lord nila si Jesus at mukhang nagse-serve sila sa Kanya - buong buhay nila, pero sa dulo ay re-reply-an lang sila ng Lord ng "I NEVER KNEW YOU, DEPART FROM ME YOU WORKERS OF LAWLESSNESS."
Yung akala mo ligtas ka pero hindi pala — yan ang pinaka-malalang panlilinlang ang pwede nating gawin sa ating mga sarili.