130. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. For him, we are God's offspring, in Him we live and move and have our being.
22 March 2021
We are God's offspring.
Revelation 12
17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Acts 17
28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.”
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.
It must be around late 2000, when I was starting to have difficulty getting a job, I sold the car to settle for an older one to generate some cash.
We went for a trip to Paete, Laguna and I bought a sacred heart image. At home, I put the image by the wood panel facing the front door.
During the next 6 years, that image would be to whom we would at times pray as a family. It was the high school days of my children up to the time they were in college.
It was to the image that I prayed when I would be awakened at night, restless because the house mortgage was past due and the children were to start college, and I had no stable income.
One time, in the middle of the night I even looked straight into the eyes of the image and prayed, "If you are real, then help in my difficulties."
That image was there when the cell group of our Christian friends, Kuya Nanie and Ate Becks Perez, came over to pray for our family situation. That image was there when Pastor Dan Guzman came over every Thursday night to have one-on-one Bible study for me.
It was early 2006, when I had recovered physically and financially, my 2 daughters were attending Ateneo, and I came home for vacation from a job abroad on 100/21 rotation, that I decided to have my water baptism and to surrender the image to Pastor Dan.
That day, I called my wife Marlou and our 3 children together in front of the image, and told them of my decision to have my water baptism and surrender the image to Pastor Dan. At that time, we were attending Sunday worship at Lipa Bible Christian Church.
My wife joined me in water baptism, and our 3 children had water baptism years later at their own volition.
Let me say, it was a long time, yet the Lord opened the eyes of my heart, through His Word specifically the teachings of Apostle Paul.
The testimony of Apostle Paul is unmistakable.
Paul In Athens
Acts 17
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.
30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
The Lord indeed opened the spiritual eyes of my heart. I came to know to worship God in the Spirit and in truth.
John 4
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Sharing my prayer, part of my reflection 4 November 2017.
"Lord, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:14-16). Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24). This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen."
Wala ka sa Lolo ko; for him, we are God's offspring, in Him we live and move and have our being, this my children's children will someday say.
May you be blessed with God's Word.
Maraming salamat.
Comments
Post a Comment