49. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. He will never stop proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

3 November 2020

The Apostles Persecuted

Acts 5

42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Acts 5

34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.

35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.

38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 

39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

About three weeks ago, I got reconnected with my elementary batch; we graduated from Batangas North Elementary School in 1973.

I went on facebook just this September 2020 for purposes of the blog, “Wala ka sa Lolo ko” series. 

I started on the blog just this 24 August 2020. It so happened that day the passage for reflection was Luke 7, hence blog #1 dwells on “Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman.”

As my habit, I reflect on two chapters of the Bible daily, on chronological order. So next I dwelt on the Book of John, then went back to Matthew, then Mark, and closed on Luke 6, with blog #45 on “Judging Others”, completing on the four gospels.

Then the three blogs preceding this one, dwelt on Acts chapters 1, 3 and 4, respectively. When I checked on my previous reflections, the next focused on chapter 7 (am on the second cycle through the whole Bible). I noticed I skipped two chapters, hence this focus on Acts chapter 5.

Then, what has it got to do with my getting reconnected with my elementary batch, some of whom would only remember how I looked some 47 years ago, yes almost 5 decades ago.

The first in the batch who accepted my fb friend request was Leilani, our class valedictorian. We had a long chat via messaging, including my mentioning of my spiritual journey, and towards the end, I volunteered to create a chat group for our batch.

I am sure Leilani was surprised by my light countenance, very far from my personality way way back.

Back in elementary days, I was timid simply because I had inferiority complex; I was about a head shorter than most of my classmates, and I was dark-skinned. You can try to identify me in the grad pic.

Batangas North Elementary School, 1973.

Even when I graduated high school, I was standing barely five feet.

So it must be that most of my batchmates would not think I would be the person to initiate the chat group.

When more members were added to the chat group and messages poured in, I shared the grad pic, and made it the group profile photo. Kumustahan, and we shared recent pictures. There was wonder how I grew up to be 5'7", I said I ate much star margarine in college. One said, I must have bought all the growth balls in the hometown public market.

One classmate shared, she mentioned me to our Social Studies Teacher who readily remembered me being small, “parang kinder.”

Then there was question if I had bleach, given my fair complexion now. In turn, I said, “It's all..... God's grace.”

The short of the story, the Lord Jesus changed me for the better and be a witness for His surpassing lovingkindness.

It must have been meant that this blog had to focus on the top verse.

In our batch, there's a Pastor's wife, and a sibling of a Bishop of a Christian church.

One classmate is going through medical operation in Italy and we offered prayers for him for comfort and strength. We were together in prayers at onslaught of Typhoon Rolly.

One classmate in Canada would always take note of my blog post in the chat group.

May my elementary batchmates, among others, be blessed by my testimony of God's amazing grace.

My children's children will someday say, wala ka sa Lolo ko, he will never stop proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Amen.

May you be blessed.

Maraming salamat.