11.1 Wala ka sa Lolo ko. He was born again 16 years ago, after being born from his mother's womb 44 years earlier.
17 October 2020
Updating blog dated 3 September 2020.
Sandro Botticelli • Public domain
Merry Christmas! Let me be the first to greet everyone.
________________________
3 September 2020
John 3
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
It's September, Filipinos are said to be the earliest to start welcoming Christmas, once it's "ber" months.
We do not celebrate halloween like the Americans, it precedes Christmas, that we play Christmas songs for at least four months even spilling over to the New Year.
I grew up with the Santa Claus culture, as the song goes, so be good for goodness sake. That is, I will go to heaven if I will be good or, that is, righteous. Sounds so logical.
Luke 18
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Another one.
Luke 23
The Crucifixion of Jesus
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?
41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Someday, my children's children will say, wala ka sa Lolo ko, he was born again after being born from his mother's womb 44 years earlier.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
I have to touch on the topic of "indulgence", and please consider the point I will try to make.
From:
But the abuse of indulgences, mainly through commercialization, had become a serious problem which the Church recognized but was unable to restrain effectively. Indulgences were, from the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, a target of attacks by Martin Luther and other Protestant theologians. Eventually the Catholic Counter-Reformation curbed the excesses, but indulgences continue to play a role in modern Catholic religious life.
I would like to mention, Dr. Harold J. Sala, Bible teacher, in his book, Heroes, acknowledged Catholic missionary Father Joseph Damien from Belgium who in 1873 lived among the lepers in the Hawaiian island of Molokai. For twelve long years, he tried to penetrate and minister effectively to the men and women whose limbs became horribly deformed, yet he was unappreciated. He finally reached the end of his patience, that's when he decided to quit.
Since 1965, a likeness of Father Damien has stood in the Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Building, a tribute to the man who gave his life for others. When Damien stood on the pier with a small group of loyal friends, ready to quit, and saw the unmistakable signs of leprosy, he turned and walk up the hill forever closing the door on the luxuries of life in his homeland. The next Sunday Father Damien went to his little chapel as he had done Sunday after Sunday, but this time it was overflowing. They listened to him as one of them. Great sacrifice indeed.
Christianity is not about religion, it is about personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, as adopted children through faith in Jesus Christ.
Our goodness is not for goodness sake. It is a result of our gratitude for the gift of God of "eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". (Romans 6:23)
Romans 8
Life Through the Spirit
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the way to our Heavenly Father.
John 14
Jesus the Way to the Father
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Again, "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
A gift is something we receive and are glad to unwrap and see for ourself. This gift is a signature apparel with label "Made in Heaven".
In the US, a prisoner rejected pardon. The decision was that if the prisoner does not accept the pardon, it is not in effect: "A pardon is a deed, to the validity of which delivery is essential, and delivery is not complete without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered; and if it is rejected, we have discovered no power in this court to force it upon him."
How does it sound to you, a prisoner rejected pardon? As a result, he remained in prison.
The words of Apostle Paul a.k.a. Saul the Pharisee.
1 Timothy 1
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
I changed wardrobe 16 years ago and started sporting signature apparel "Made in Heaven".
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
John 3
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Amen.
______________________
Now more on the birth and deity of Jesus Christ.
From Wikipedia.
The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Christ or birth of Jesus is described in the Biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, his mother Mary was betrothed to a man named Joseph, who was descended from King David and was not his biological father, and that his birth was caused by divine intervention.
Matthias Stom • Public domain
The nativity is the basis for the Christian holiday of Christmas on December 25, and plays a major role in the Christian liturgical year. Many Christians traditionally display small manger scenes depicting the nativity in their homes, or attend Nativity Plays or Christmas pageants focusing on the nativity cycle in the Bible. Elaborate nativity displays called "creche scenes", featuring life-sized statues, are a tradition in many continental European countries during the Christmas season.
Early Christians viewed Jesus as "the Lord" and the word Kyrios appears over 700 times in the New Testament, referring to him. The use of the word Kyrios in the Septuagint Bible also assigned to Jesus the Old Testament attributes of an omnipotent God.
The lordship attributes associated with the Kyrios image of Jesus also implied his power over all creation. Paul then looked back and reasoned that the final lordship of Jesus was prepared from the very beginning, starting with pre-existence and the Nativity, based on his obedience as the image of God.
Again, Merry Christmas!
May you be blessed with God's Word.
Maraming salamat.
Comments
Post a Comment