Your Will Be Done (A Sample Prayer for the Lord's Followers, 5)

In a world where selfishness reigns, praying for the Lord's will to be done is radical. The knees bow before the Sovereign ruler and the heart submits it's wills and desires to Him who knows what's best. Let us learn this discipline from someone who actually prayed "Your will be done."

Clothed in the frailties of human flesh, he was then thinking about the horrors and pains of his impending crucifixion, plus the experience bearing the weight of sin when he himself is sinless. So he prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42). For our lives to be consistent with this petition...

• We must prioritize God's will over life's necessities (John 4:34)
• We must strive to do whatever is pleasing to the Father (John 5:30 and 8:29)
• We must be obedient to God even if it means suffering for him and dying for him (Philippians 2:8)

"On earth as it is in heaven"
In heaven, there is no rebellion. In heaven, all the angels obey. So we long for the same thing to be true on earth when men submit to God's will without reservation.

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Ang Lakad ni Enoch

"Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared because God took him away." (Genesis 5:24, NET Bible)

"By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:5-6, NET Bible)

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"Huwag na huwag mong kakainin ang bungang iyon, sapagkat sa araw na kainin mo iyon ay MAMAMATAY KA" (Gen. 2:17), babala ng Diyos sa ating mga unang magulang sa hardin. Binale-wala nila ang babala at mas pinaniwalaan ang panlilinlang ng ahas. Kaya naman ipinataw sa tao ang parusang ito: "Dahil sa alabok, doon ka nanggaling, sa lupang alabok ay babalik ka rin." (Gen. 3:19). Pagdating sa ikalimang kabanata ng Genesis, naroon ang talaan ng mga pangalan nina Adan at ng mga inapong sumunod sa kanya:

• Sa gulang na 930, si Adan ay bumalik sa alabok.
• Sa gulang na 912, si Seth ay bumalik sa alabok.
• Sa gulang na 905, si Enosh ay bumalik sa alabok.
• Sa gulang na 910, si Cainan ay bumalik sa alabok.
• Sa edad na 895, si Mahalalel ay bumalik sa alabok.

Wala tayong oras at espasyo para isa-isahin ang mga pangalan. Sapat na ang sabihin na mula sa unang pangalang nabanggit hanggang sa huli, silang lahat ay bumalik sa alabok--- MALIBAN SA ISA!!! Si Enoch ay umabot sa gulang na 365 at ang pagkakasabi sa talata 25, sa gulang na iyon siya ay nawala (wala nang nakasulyap pa sa kanya) dahil kinuha siya ng Diyos. 

Sa pagbuklat natin sa Bagong Tipan, mas nabigyang linaw ang nangyari sa kanya: "... si Enoch ay hindi nakaranas ng kamatayan. Hindi na siya nakita sapagkat kinuha siya ng Diyos." (Heb. 11:5).

Ito ang unang pahiwatig ng Bibliya na ang parusang kamatayan na ipinataw sa sangkatauhan ay maaaring matakasan. Ang tao na bihag sa kuko ng kamatayan ay maaaring makaalpas. Ngayon at kumpleto na ang kapahayagan ng Diyos na nakasulat sa Bibliya, unawa natin na ang pagbabalik sa alabok ay hindi ang ating huling hantungan. Ang huling patutunguhan natin ay sa presensya ng Diyos upang makapiling siya araw at gabi at mamangha sa kanyang kadakilaan magpakailanman.

Kung paano nalampasan ni Enoch ang parusang kamatayan ay nandun rin sa Gen 5:24. Sa buong buhay niya, siya ay naglakad kasama ang Diyos o sa talasalitaan (vocabulary) ng sumulat ng aklat ng Hebreo, ang buhay niya ay kalugod-lugod sa Diyos (Heb. 11:5). Sa buong buhay niya, wala siyang ibang inisip kundi kung ano ang magbibigay-lugod sa Diyos. Naging maingat siya sa paglayo sa mga bagay at mga gawaing kinamumuhian ng Diyos. Ang lumakad sa tuwid na daan at mabuhay ng may takot sa Diyos ang nasa puso at isipan niya. Iyan ang ikinatuwa ng Diyos kaya't siya ay kinuha nang hindi dumadaan sa kamatayan.

Maaaring magtanong ang ilan, "Akala ko ba sa pananampalataya naliligtas ang tao at hindi sa gawa? Bakit tila ang kanyang matuwid na buhay ang siyang nagbigay-lugod sa Diyos at naging daan kung bakit siya nakalaya sa parusang kamatayan? Akala ko ba salvation by grace through faith alone?” 

Sinagot 'yan ng may akda ng aklat ng Hebreo. Aniya, ang dahilan kung bakit ganun na lamang kaganda ang lakad ni Enoch na siya namang ikinalugod ng Diyos ay dahil sa pananampalataya. Sa teolohiya ng sumulat, imposible para sa sinuman ang makapagbigay-lugod sa Diyos kung siya ay walang pananampalataya (Heb 11:6). Kaya naman sa konklusyon niya, ang ugat ng pagkalugod ng Diyos kay Enoch ay hindi dahil sa likas siyang matuwid, kundi dahil sa may pananampalataya siya-- pananampalatayang ang dulot ay matuwid na pamumuhay.

Ito ay isang nakakagalak na katotohanan: tayo na may pananampalataya sa Diyos ay kinalulugdan niya. Hindi na bale kung hindi man malugod ang mga tao sa atin sa tuwing naninindigan tayo sa katotohan. Ang tanging may halaga, nalulugod sa atin ang Diyos.

Huling punto: ang Diyos ay nagbibigay gantimpala sa mga masigasig humahanap sa kanya (Heb. 11:6). Kung wala tayong mapapala sa paglilingkod sa Diyos, kung wala tayong mapapala sa pamumuhay nang matuwid, kung wala tayong pakinabang sa pagsunod sa Diyos--- kawawa naman tayo. Mauuwi lang pala sa wala ang lahat. Ganito rin ang saloobin ni Apostol Pablo (1 Corinto 15:19). Mabuti na lang may pakinabang tayo sa pananampalataya ayon sa Heb.11:6. Ang Diyos ay nagbibigay gantimpala sa mga humahanap sa kanya.

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Like Enoch, walk with God, and you cannot mistake your road. You have infallible wisdom to direct you, immutable love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you."
Charles H. Spurgeon
Morning and Evening

The Scriptures and the Resolute Man

 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25, NIV 1984)

"Starting January 1, I will..."

• “... eat healthy foods”
• “... exercise regularly”
• “... lose weight”
• “... quit smoking”
• “... spend money wisely”
• “... start saving for the future”
• “... spend less time on video games and more on studying
• “... I will spend more time with my wife and kids”

These are just some of the most common resolutions people make every New Year. If the one making the resolutions is a Christian with sound theology, he would add one phrase in his resolution: "for the glory of God" . He might also include other spiritual activities:

• I will spend more time in prayer
• I will read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation
• I will memorize more Bible verses
• I will share the gospel to at least one soul every week
• I will seek opportunities to use my spiritual gifts
• I will keep a daily journal of my quiet time

But here's the problem. Richard Wiseman, a professor at the University of Bristol conducted a study in 2007. The study says that 88% of those who set New Year's resolution fail. That only shows that though people may desire self-improvement, they lack the resoluteness to fulfill their resolutions. To be resolute is to be "characterized by firmness and determination". Some may exhibit some resoluteness for the first month, or even the first quarter, but eventually give up on their good resolutions.

James wrote his letter to a group that needed lots of improvement. Those areas of improvement are implied by the items addressed by James in this epistle.

• In chapter 2, he addressed the issue of favoritism; also the problem of professed faith yet not evidenced by works
• chapter 3-- misuse of the tongue
• chapter 3-- false wisdom by self-seeking people that disrupts peace in the churches
• chapter 4-- fights and quarrels caused by uncontrolled desires
• chapter 5-- the rich and the powerful exploiting the poor and weak

But before giving the Lord' word to address all those problem areas, he first exhorted them to be doers of the word  and not hearers only. That makes a lot of sense for what use it is for him to give instructions in the chapters that follow if there is no determination on the part of his audience to obey? So he must first build a case for resoluteness in obeying the word. He issues a command: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only"

"Hearers", doesn't exclude other means of Scripture intake. It is just that it was the primary means of Scripture intake during their time. The first printing press won't be in operation until 1450. The mimeograph won't be patented until 1876. And the Xerox machine won't be introduced until 1959. Also consider the fact that the literacy rate during that time in the roman Empire could not have exceeded 20 percent according to separate studies by William Harris, Catherine Hezser, Harry Gamble.

Given that circumstances, hearing was the primary means of Scripture intake way back then. In our time, much has changed. The old primary means of hearing is still here with us. But in addition to that, copies of the Bible abound. There is rarely a home without a copy of the Bible. Cheap editions are available at the bookstore. You can even download them for free at the Google Playstore. By extension of application: We could also hear the command from above--

"Be doers of the word, and not readers only"
"Be doers of the word, and not memorizers only"
“Be doers of the word, not students only”

THE DANGERS OF HEARING WITHOUT DOING
1. The Danger of Self-Deception
How are we self-deceived? We are deceived when we think we are okay in the eyes of God just because we are hearing, reading, memorizing, studying the Bible. The Greek word translated as “deceiving” could also be translated as  "miscalculate"-- a mathematical error. You think you are in good standing before God because you are spending time in the word of God-- yet in reality you are in a bad condition because you are not doing what it says.

Donald Burdick wrote "In reality, the responsibility of those who hear is far greater than that of those who have never heard. If they do not combine doing with hearing, they put themselves in a most vulnerable position." (Expositor's Bible Commentary, 1st edition)

Luke 12:47-48 teaches that the one who knew and the one who knew not the Master's will would be both punished but the one who knew the Master's will would receive more blows.

2. The Danger of Unlearning the Things You Know
We must close a cultural gap here. For we live in an age when we have a pretty good idea of how we look like. We have good mirrors in our houses, so we see our selves daily. We could take portraits of ourselves with phones we bought for more or less a thousand pesos. We even coined a word so our narcissism would not sound so blatant. Do you remember Narcissus of Greek mythology.? He was the one who fell in love with his self upon seeing his image on the pool. If only Narcissus is not a fictional character, and if only he is living with us today, all he would upload on Facebook would be selfie photos. That is the coined word I'm referring to: Selfie.

The point is, in our time, we are well informed of how we look like. That is not so in the time of James. There were no cameras way back then. Perhaps mirrors were costly, and the mirrors that they had were not of the same quality as we have today.  The Macarthur Study Bible informs us: "First century mirrors were not glass, but metallic". People then may have some idea of how they look like but not as informed about it as we are today. That is the background of this imagery from James. A person who comes to hear the word without the resoluteness to obey it is like a person who comes into a first century mirror. He observes his face. He learns something about himself. But as soon as he walks away from the mirror, he forgets the image.

We come to hear God's word, and like a mirror it shows us our true condition. It also shows us the remedy to our condition. Yet because we are not resolute in obeying the word, as soon as we walk out of this building, we forget what we have learned.

As James was encouraging them to be resolute doers of the word, he tells some things about God's Word. If James found these truths helpful in building resoluteness, then these are the same truths that will help us.

1. The Word of God is Perfect
In verse 25, James used the term “perfect law” to refer to the word of God. In Psalm 19:7-8, we see synonyms for God's word (law; testimony; statutes; commandment). Psalm 19:7 is of course parallel to our text in James. Both verses describe the word of God as perfect. After the description, the Psalmist tells us what it does to us. The Perfect Law of God converts the soul.  It transforms our passions. It reverses our bad dispositions. The word of God not only changes our deeds outwardly; it also changes us inside. Paul David Tripp explains the need to be changed inwardly:

"A person who does not have biblical convictions does not have an internal restraint system. This person will do right when under a watchful eye, or when under external pressure. However, when these external motivators are removed, this person will behave very differently." (Age of Opportunity)

So to become a doer of the Word, there must be a change in our inward convictions or else, we would return again and again to worldliness. Praise God the word of God is perfect, and because it is perfect, it convert the soul. In penetrates deep inside. It is the Holy Spirit's scalpel for spiritual surgery.


2. The Word of God Liberates
James refers to the word of God as "perfect law of liberty". In the Bible, the person who lives in sin is the one who is really in bondage. He may think he is free, but in reality he is a slave to sin. Describing our condition before conversion, the Apostle Paul wrote "... at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures" (Titus 3:3 NIV). When you have all the opportunity to satisfy your lusts, that is not freedom. You are like an animal falling into a trap. You enjoy sin now and at the very next minute, you are caught to be butchered (James 1:14) For the wages of sin is death.

Why not resolve to obey what the word says? True freedom is found in it. For when we are freed from the enslavement of sin, we will then be free to serve our Only Worthy Master. And hasn't the Lord said,  "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32 NIV). Freedom is found in holding on to Jesus' teaching; freedom is found in pursuing biblical truth.


3. The Word of God is the key to blessing
 James ends verse 25 with the assurance that he who continues to be a doer of the word "will be blessed in what he does." The constant testimony of the Bible is that blessing is for those who treasure God's word.

• we see it in the lives of the Old Testament saints
• we see it in the Psalms (chapter 1)
• we see it in Jesus' teaching (Matthew 7:24-27)
• we see in Apostolic teaching (1 Peter 4:14)
• we see in in the last canonical book (Rev. 2:11)

Brethren, do you want to be blessed? If you do, then be resolute in obeying the word.

Knowing the Grace of Jesus in Christmas (Part 4 of 4)

 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:1-9)

Except maybe for a proverb, a single verse of Scripture must not be read apart from it's immediate context. So we have to read 2 Corinthians 8:9 with the verses preceding it. When we do, we will see a church excelling in many areas, but Paul wants them to grow in a neglected area-- the area of giving and self-sacrifice. So Paul wrote about the wonderful brethren in Macedonia. The Macedonians were poor, yet they sacrificially gave for the needs of others. Here is a poor congregation, making themselves even poorer to for the welfare of others. Paul was persuading them to imitate the Macedonians (verses 1-8)

Here comes verse 9. Though the Macedonians were good examples of giving and self-sacrifice, the perfect and ultimate example is the sacrifice offered by the Lord Jesus. If we truly understand the grace of Jesus in Christmas, we will be gracious to others in how we serve them and in how we treat them. Perhaps the most popular portion of Scripture about the Lord's self-humbling is Philippians 2. There Paul urged his readers to have the same mindset as Christ (Phil. 2:5). Doing so will lead us away from selfishness. It will make us look to the interest of others (Phil. 2:3-4)

Theologian J. I. Packer explains the spirit of Christmas this way:

"... the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor—spending and being spent—to enrich their fellow men, giving time, trouble, care, and concern, to do good to others—and not just their own friends—in whatever way there seems need. There are not as many who show this spirit as there should be. If God in mercy revives us, one of the things he will do will be to work more of this spirit in our hearts and lives." (Knowing God; 20th anniversary edition, p.64)

Last Words for the Last Days (2 Tim. 3:1 - 4:7)

This is a slightly edited version of the sermon
I delivered at GLCC Dagupan (December 30, 2012)

Hapon ng Disyembre 29, 1896, isang araw bago kitilin ng mga dayuhang awtoridad ang buhay ni Dr. Jose Rizal, dinalaw siya ng kanyang ina, ilang mga kapatid, at ilang mga pamangkin sa Fort Santiago. Sa kanilang pag-uwi, ipinadala ni Rizal ang kanyang cocinilla. May ibinulong si Rizal kay Trinidad: "There is something inside". Maaaring sinadya niyang gumamit ng salitang Ingles upang hindi maintindihan ng mga guwardiya; kung naintindihan nila, malamang kinumpiska nila ang cocinilla.

Pag-uwi nila sa bahay, hindi nila agad binuksan ang cocinilla pangambang minamanmanan pa rin sila ng mga kaaway. Petsa 31 na nang ito ay kanilang buksan. Natagpuan nila ang kapirasong papel; nang ito ay kanilang binasa, sila ay napaluha. Naroon ang isang napakaganda at makabagbag-damdaming tula. Bagamat hindi ito pinamagatan ni Rizal, ang tulang ito ay kilala natin ngayon bilang "Mi Ultimo Adios".

Sa tingin ko, kung alam mong malapit ka nang pumanaw, doon nananariwa sa iyong puso at alaala ang mga bagay-bagay na mahalaga sa iyo. Konti na lang ang panahon mo kaya isinasantabi mo na lang mga mga bagay na di naman mahalaga, at inilalaan mo na lang ang nalalabing oras at lakas sa mga bagay na malapit sa iyong puso. 'Yan ang dahilan kung bakit naisulat ni Rizal sa isang paraang nakakaantig-puso ang kanyang huling paalam.

Hawak natin ngayon ang huling sulat ni Pablo. Ang 2 Timoteo ay isinulat niya ilang araw o ilang linggo bago siya patawan ng parusang kamatayan ng mga awtoridad. At nang isulat niya ito, batid niya na malapit na ang kanyang pagpanaw (2 Tim. 4:6). Subalit hindi kalungkutan ang laman ng kanyang huling liham; sa halip ito ay isinulat ng isang tao na sa tingin niya ay hindi nasayang ang kanyang buhay. Hindi man siya ituturing na matagumpay ng mga kapwa niya Pariseo, sa kanyang sariling ebalwasyan ay matagumpay ang kanyang pananatili dito sa ibabaw ng lupa. Wika niya, "I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

Ang kanyang alalahanin sa kanyang pagsulat ay kung paano niya bibigyan ng lakas at pag-asa ang isang mas batang pastor na dinisipulo niya. May indikasyon na nanghina ng loob nitong si Timoteo (2 Tim. 1:6-7). Pero bagamat gusto niyang palakasin ang loob ng kanyang disipulo, ayaw rin naman niyang itago ang katotohanan na mahirap ang mga panahong darating. Ipinagtapat ni Pablo kay Timoteo na ang paglaban ng sanlibutan kontra sa mensahe ng Panginoon ay hindi isang pansamantalang kondisyon, kundi isan permanenteng kalagayan mula sa kanilang kapanahunan hanggang sa pababalik ng Panginoon. Patuloy na mamahalin ng sanlibutan ang kasalanan at patuloy nilang kamumuhian ang katotohanan. Ito ang nasusulat sa 2 Tim. 3:1-4:

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." (NIV 1984)

Ang pananaw ng marami ay ganito: “Man is inherently good”. Hindi nila nauunawaan ang lalim ng ugat ng kasamaan ng tao. Kaya naman ang kanilang mga mungkahi upang malutas ang problema ng kasamaan sa mundo ay mababaw. Sabi nila, basta magsama-sama lang daw tayo sa isang burol at umawit ng I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, magkakaroon na ng kapayapaan. Subalit pagkatapos ng mga peace talks at habang sariwa pa ang tinta ng mga lagda sa peace treaties, makakarinig ulit tayo ng mga balitang kagimbal-gimbal.

Paliwanag ni D.A. Carson: "What is astonishing is that after the bloody century we have just come through, so many people think that if we simply sit around a table and talk we will sort it all out. Th is attitude is astonishingly naïve. Christians should never, ever, be surprised by evil. While we should always be horrified by evil, we should never be surprised by it. Do not adopt a Pollyannaish view of things. Do not be surprised by evil. Hold few illusions about the world. Th ere are many times we should be horrified – surprised, never." <sup>1

Sa talata 5, mababasa natin na ang ilan sa kanila ay mga relihiyosong tayo pa, subalit ang kapangyarihan ng ebanghelyo na bumago ng buhay ay hindi nakikita sa kanila. Ang bilin ni Pablo kay Timoteo, huwag siyang maugnay sa kanila.

They are already present in Timothy's lifetime. So when we read “There will be terrible times in the last days” (3:1), we should not see it as having no application in Timothy's day. In this sense, the “last days” being spoken of here had already begun eversince Jesus' incarnation (Hebrews 1:1)

Included in this group of wicked men in the last days are false teachers who infiltrate the church of Jesus. The ones who are most vulnerable to them are those who
a. lack biblical knowldge
b. lack biblical morality (2 Tim. 3:6-7)

Praise God they will not remain unexposed (3:9)

The last days audience will be resistant to truth and receptive to lies. What will be on demand are preachers who preach the things that will tickle the ears or depraved minds (2 Timothy 3:3-4). It's not the gospel selfish people want to hear; what they want to hear is that it is God's will for them to have a luxury car, so they will hire teachers who will tell them they need a luxury car

Sa mga panahong ito na ang kadiliman ang namamayani, paano mo palalakasin ang loob ng isang pastor na halos sumuko na? Ito ay ginawa ni Pablo sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay n tatlong habilin:

1. Alalahanin at tularan ang mga huwarang Kristiyano
2. Panghawakan ang Salita ng Diyos
3. Ipasa ang Salita ng Diyos sa iba

Unang Habilin: Alalahanin at Tularan ang mga Huwarang Kristiyano
 2 Timothy 3:10-12  You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...”

After describing the ungodliness that will mark the last days, Paul points to an opposite example – namely Paul himself. Timothy heard apostolic teaching from Paul. Timothy observed Paul's pattern of daily living. Timothy knew Paul's motives for service. Timothy is a witness to Paul's faithfulness. Timothy saw how patient Paul was to difficult people. Timothy saw Paul's sincere love for God and men. Timothy witnessed Paul's endurance even in the most adverse conditions. Paul left the footprints and Timothy should follow them.

Paul especially mentioned about the persecutions and suffering he went through and says that it is not only for him, it is not only for Timothy, but for all who live godly lives. In looking for good mentors, consider how they view persecutions and suffering and how they react to them. Does he preach “It is NEVER God's will for you to suffer”? What will he say when he visits Paul in prison? Will he blame Paul and say: "It's your fault Paul! You are in prison because you did not have enough faith. You did not confess positive things. Follow this instruction Paul. Open your mouth wide and shout: I DECLARE I WILL BE RELEASED FROM PRISON". When that preacher lives by that principle, then he will not be a good mentor for you for he does not agree with verse 12.

Paul's life was a contrast to the attitudes of the decaying society. Paul will be gone soon, but these memories will linger in Timothy's thoughts and it will motivate him to be faithful in life and ministry.

John Macarthur remarked: "Often more than we realize, we are influenced by those we have lived with, worked with, and served with. Sometimes the influence is for good, sometimes for bad."2

May isang TV infomercial na noon ko pa napanood pero kumintal sa aking munting isipan ang mensahe nito. May dalawang bata ang naglalaro ng laruang kotse. Ipinagmamalaki ng isang bata kung  gaano kabilis magmaneho ang kanyang tatay. Sabi pa niya "Paglaki ko, gagayahin kon tatay ko". Bigla na lang sumulpot ang isa pang bata dala-dala ang isang nakakabilang balita: “Ang tatay mo nabangga.”

Maaari tayong mabuhay bilang mga masama o mabuting mga halimbawa; piliin na lang natin maging mga mabuting halimbawa sa pamamagitan ng pagsunod sa halimbawa ng mga Kristiyanong mas mature sa atin.

D.A. Carson asked, “Do you ever say to a young Christian, ‘Do you want to know what Christianity is like? Watch me!’ If you never do, you are unbiblical. After all, the apostle Paul can write elsewhere, ‘Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ’ (1 Cor. 11:1). Many things are learned as much by example as by word." ³

Pangalawang Habilin: Panghawakan ang Salita ng Diyos
2 Timothy 3:14-17 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

In an age of decadence, both in the society and in the church, the danger is for us to conclude, "If we can't beat them, let's join them". Paul's prescription so that the man of God will not fall into that trap is to remember the biblical convictions. Verse 14 serves as a transition between the first and second points. The godly mentors were only worthy of imitation because of what they have learned and become convinced of. Timothy's mother, grandmother, and Paul-- the godly influences in his life were all students of the Holy Scriptures and were convicted of its  authority.

So Paul's instructs Timothy, if you don't want to fall into the degradation that is prevalent all around, remember the power of the Holy Scriptures. They are sufficient for:

1. Giving the knowledge of salvation; and
2. For directing us to a holy life. It informs us of pure doctrine. It reproves us of errors in doctrine and behavior. Should we stray, it restores us to the right path and it builds us up that we may live righteous lives.

What happens to a man exposed to the Sacred Scriptures? He becomes competent, equipped for every good work. How could the holy writings do that?  It is because of it's divine origin. It is God-breathed (theopneustos).

Paul did not say: "I'm about to depart Tim! So that you will stay safe, make sure you are in company with Pope Peter and his successors. And when Peter dies, someone else will succeed him. Just stay close to the Pope Tim and you could never go wrong". Rather, Paul says "Hold on the the God-breathed Scripture", it will make you completely equipped for every good work. When there is a question regarding faith and morality, go to the sacred Scriptures. That is all you need. That sounds Sola Scriptura to me.

Pangatlong Habilin: Ipasa ang Salita ng Diyos sa Iba
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.

So far, the first two points are on the defensive end. The world is decaying but we should not rot together with them. So let us:
a. value godly mentors; and
b. treasure the Bible.

These two are meant to protect and build us up. . The third point is on the offensive side. Kumbaga sa boksing, hindi naman puwede na panay ilag at salo lang tayo. Siyempre susuntok rin tayo.

This is about crossing enemy lines and rescuing at least some of those who are in the decaying society and even those who are already in the church yet are being influenced by the principles of the ungodly world.

Our offensive weapon is giving them the word of God (4:2). We should give them the word of God at all times, in every opportunity and in whatever circumstance. We should give messages fit for the need. If corretion is needed, offer a correction grounded on Scriptures. If rebuke is needed, then don't hesitate to rebuke if you are standing on the authority of God's Word. And if weary hearts need encouragement, strengthen them not by some empty pep talk but by the rich hope found in God's word. We should offer the Word of God with patience even to those who seemed to cover their ears everytime we speak. And all these we should do with precision in expositing the counsel of God.

Surely, many will reject are message, but some will respond positively. Faithfully proclaiming the message is tough in the last days, but some will believe. Out of that believing few, some will emerge as the future leaders of our church, future worship leaders, future musicians, future missionaries, future evangelists and bible teachers. For this the discipleship program that the apostle envisioned:

2 Timothy 2:2 -- "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. "

Step 1. Paul passes the baton to Timothy
Step 2. Timothy is to pass the baton to reliable men
Step 3. These reliable men will pass the baton to other reliable men.

Paul's program is not that we keep our treasure for our generation alone. His program is an unbroken chain of truth-lovers and truth-defenders.

Praise God for the ministry of John Macarthur, but Macarthur is now 73 years old. Praise God for the ministry of R.C. Sproul, but he is now 74. Obviously, they will not be with us forever just like James Boice who left us at the age of 61 and Martyn Lloyd-Jones at the age of 81.

This is one of the reasons why we should keep on giving the word of God. When Paul was near death, it was one of his concerns: so if we are to be imitators of Paul, this should be our concern too. Think beyond 2013. Think about GLCC Dagupan's distant future. For time flies so fast; I didn't even notice that the next year marks the end of my first decade at Guiding Light Dagupan. Some of you were here from the beginning and you too didn't notice how time flew so quickly.

You may say, “Pastor Jun is still young; there is no need to worry about the future of GLCC Dagupan”. Folks, Timothy was a young man when he was instructed to extend the chain. On a personal note, let me say this. I have to say this. I am younger than Pastor Jun. But because of my medical condition, most probably I will depart earlier than Pastor Jun. I am saying this to you younger guys, or even you  older guys who are still expecting 20 to 30 years of productive life. You are this church's Generation Next. And the preparation for that is not later. It is now. It must be now. Let's get serious.

In order to fight a good fight, in order to finish the race, in order to keep the faith, these should be our priorities in the last days.</sup>

^FOOTNOTES: 

^{1. D.A. Carson, From the Resurrection to His Return (Christian Focus)}

^{2. John Macarthur, Second Timothy, MNTC (Moody Publishers)}

^{3. D.A. Carson, ibid} 

Dalawang Magkasalungat na Buhay sa Unang Salmo

AWIT 1, Bagong Magandang Balita Biblia

v.1 Mapalad ang taong hindi nakikinig sa payo ng masama,
at hindi sumusunod sa masama nilang halimbawa.
Hindi siya nakikisama sa mga kumukutya
at hindi nakikisangkot sa gawaing masama.

v.2 Sa halip, kasiyahan niyang sumunod sa kautusan ni Yahweh.
Binubulay-bulay niya ito sa araw at gabi.

v.3 Katulad niya'y punongkahoy sa tabi ng isang batisan,
laging sariwa ang dahon at namumunga sa takdang panahon.
Ano man ang kanyang gawin, siya'y nagtatagumpay.

v.4 Hindi gayon ang sinumang gumagawa ng masama,
ito ay tulad ng ipa, hangin ang siyang nagtatangay.

v.5 Sa araw ng paghuhukom, parusa niya'y nakalaan
siya'y ihihiwalay sa grupo ng mga banal.

v.6 Sa taong matuwid, si Yahweh ang pumapatnubay,
ngunit ang taong masama, kapahamakan ang hantungan.

1. Magkasalungat na mga Prinsipyo
Kung meron mang hindi ipinagdaramot ang mga taong walang takot sa Diyos, 'yan ay ang pagbabahagi nila ng kanilang mga prinsipyo sa buhay. Feeling talaga nila mga wais sila; papayo-payo pa. Ang kanilang mga paninindigan ay kanilang ibinabahagi sa mga personal na pag-uusap, sa kanilang mga awitin, sa kanilang mga isinusulat, sa kanilang mga ipinapaskil sa kanilang timeline at sa kanilang mga itini-tweet. Natutuwa sila kapag may sumasang-ayon sa kanilang likong pamumuhay.

Pero ayon sa unang salmo, ang tugon ng taong matuwid ay pagtanggi sa mga payo ng masasamang tao at sa kanilang mga baluktot na pangangatuwiran. Sa halip, ang mga prinsipyo sa buhay ng mga taong matuwid ay kanilang hinuhugot sa Salita ng Diyos. Ito ang kanilang patnubay sa pamumuhay.

2. Magkasalungat na Kagalakan
Ang kagalakan ng taong masama ay ang kutyain ang mga bagay-bagay na may kinalaman sa kabanalan. Wala silang interes sa mga matuwid na aral. Kapag tuturuan mo ng tama, magagalit pa sa iyo at iinsultuhin ka pa. Bakit? Kasi naman, tinatanggal mo ang kanyang happiness. Ang gusto niya happy siya, at ang happiness niya ay kalikuan.

Salungat yan sa kagalakan ng taong matuwid. Kasiyahan niya ang ipamuhay ang mga prinsipyong nahuhugot niya sa Bibliya. Marami mang pinagkakaabalahan sa buhay, hindi niya kinaliligtaang pagbulayan ang mga banal na aral araw at gabi.

3. Magkasalungat na paglalarawan
Ang taong masama ay inihalintulad sa ipang tinatangay ng hangin. Ang bagong aning trigo ay tinatahipan ng mga Hudyo gamit ang winnowing fork. Bago nila imbakin ang trigo sa kamalig, pinapatangay muna nila sa hangin ang mga ipa sapagkat wala naman itong pakinabang.

Sa kabilang banda, ang taong matuwid ay inihalintulad sa punong itinanim sa tabi ng batis. Laging luntian ang kulay nito at namumunga sa tamang panahon. Salungat sa ipang walang pakinabang, ang punong matatag, luntian at namumunga ay maraming pakinabang.

4. Magkasalungat na kinabukasan
Sa oras na hahatol ang Diyos, hindi makakatakas ang masama. Ihihiwalay siya ng Diyos sa kapulungan ng mga mututuwid tulad ng paghihiwalay sa mga tupa at kambing. Habang sila ay walang hanggang mawawalay sa presensya ng Diyos, ang mga matutuwid ay sasamahan ng Panginoon magpakailanman.

 "Tingnan ninyo, ang tahanan ng Diyos ay nasa piling na ng mga tao!
Maninirahan siyang kasama nila,
at sila'y magiging bayan niya.
Makakapiling nilang palagi ang Diyos
at siya ang magiging Diyos nila" (Pahayag 21:3)

Subalit huwag iisipin ninuman na ang mga matutuwid na tinutukoy sa Awit ay nangaligtas dahil sa kanilang sariling kabanalan. Kung babasahin ang mensahe ng buong bibliya, walang matuwid, wala kahit isa. Maliligtas lamang ang tao dahil sa sakripisyong ginawa ni Kristo sa krus. Ito ay biyayang kaloob ng Diyos at tinatanggap sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya lamang. Ang kontribusyon ng Awit na ito sa kabuuan ng teolohiya ng Bibliya ay ang katotohanan na ang mga nananampalataya sa Diyos ay kakikitaan ng buhay na banal, salungat sa buhay ng mga hindi kabilang sa kanyang kawan.

Oktubre 28 sa Buhay nina Jim Elliot at Micah Tarlit

Micah Rosario Tarlit

Micah, unang-una ay ipinaparating ko ang aking pagbati. Bagamat ako'y 'di makakadalo sa pagdiriwang ng iyong ika-18 kaarawan dahil kailangang may maiwang mag-aalaga sa iyong lola, nais kong ipabatid na ako'y nakikigalak sa iyong espesyal na araw. Tiyak ika'y puno ng pag-asa at ng mga mararangal na adhikain para sa kinabukasan. Nawa'y ang lahat ng iyan ay matupad ayon sa kalooban ng ating Manlilikha. Wala akong ibang hangad para sa iyo kundi magbunga ng maraming kabutihan ang iyong buhay. At dahil 'yan ang hangad ko, hayaan mong banggitin ko ang pangalang Jim Elliot.

Maraming puwedeng sabihin tungkol sa kanya, subalit wala akong balak pahabain ang mensaheng ito. Tutal, ang mga detalye sa kanyang buhay ay madali namang mahalukay sa panahong ito na may Google at Wikipedia.

Taong 1927, ang life expectancy o inaasahang haba ng buhay ng mga bagong silang na kalalakihang Amerikano ay 'di kukulangin sa 56 na taon. Oktubre ng 1927 nang ipinanganak si Jim Elliot, subalit ang haba ng buhay niya ay umabot lamang sa kalahati ng 56. Enero ng taong 1956 nang tumarak sa kanyang katawan ang isang sibat na agad kumitil sa kanyang buhay. At hindi lamang siya ang dumanas ng ganito; maging ang kanyang mga kasama ay ganun din ang sinapit: Ed McCully, 29; Roger Youderian, 31; Pete Fleming, 28; at si Nate Saint, 32. Ang tanging atraso nila, tinangka nilang ibahagi ang ebanghelyo ni Hesus sa Waodani tribe, isang marahas na tribo sa Ecuador.

Makatuwirang tanong: bakit kailangang mangyari iyon? Malakas pa sila at marami pang puwedeng gawing kapaki-pakinabang sa ating daigdig. Sa mata ng sanlibutan, nasayang ang kalahati ng buhay ni Jim Elliot. Ngunit nasayang nga ba?

Sa kamatayan ng limang misyonerong ito, ang pangamba ng marami ay manghihina ang loob ng mga kristiyano at mababawasan ang bilang ng mga hahayo bilang mga misyonero. 'Yan pala ay isang maling akala. Sa halip, naging inspirasyon sa marami ang buhay nina Jim Elliot at ng kanyang mga kasama. Marami ang naglakas-loob na ibahagi ang ebanghelyo sa mga lugar kung saan 'di pa ito naririnig. Marami rin ang nakakilala sa Panginoong Hesus, ang ilan sa kanila mula sa Waodani tribe.

Ang petsa ngayon ay Oktubre 28. Sa araw na ito noong taong 1949, may isinulat si Jim Elliot sa kanyang journal: 

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Si Jim Elliot ay isa lamang sa mahabang listahan ng mga martir. Sinimulan ni Stephen (Acts 7:59-60) at sinundan ni Apostle James (Acts 12:2). Silang lahat ay nagbuwis ng buhay dahil sa patotoong si Hesus ay namatay at muling nabuhay at nararapat kilalanin bilang Panginoon.

Oktubre 28, 2012. Eksaktong 63 taon na ang lumipas, subalit ang diwa ng isinulat ni Jim Elliot sa kanyang journal ay nananatiling sariwa sa ating kapanahunan. Kaya naman ito ang hatid kong mensahe sa iyo: Ang buhay na ganap ay 'di nasusukat sa haba nito. Hindi rin ito nasusukat sa kaginhawaang tinatamasa ng katawan. Ang buhay na ganap at kasiya-siya ay ang buhay na ginugol sa pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos anuman ang maging kapalit.

Isang pinagpalang kaarawan!

Sulat-kamay ni Jim Elliot sa kanyang Journal

The Love That Must Be Stopped (an exposition of 1 John 2:15-17)

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17, NIV 2011 update)

There is this idea that love is a matter of the heart and not of the head. That it is an emotion beyond the power of the will. The cultural usage of the phrase "falling in love" suggests that it is uncontrolled and inevitable. In his book What Jesus Demands From the World, John Piper confirms that love is indeed an emotion, but he adds: "Jesus does command the feelings. He demands that our emotions be one way and not another".¹

To support  his assertion, Piper marshals these Bible proofs:

a.With regards to rejoicing, he demands that we rejoice in persecution (Matt.5:12)

b. With regards to fear, he demands and that we fear not those who can harm only our bodies but fear him who could kill the body and send you to hell (Luke 12:5)

c. He demands that we not feel shame over him (Luke 9:26)

d. He demands that and that we forgive from the heart (Matt. 18:35)

In verse 15 of our text, God through his apostle John issues another command regarding our affections: "Do not love the world or anything in the world". Since this is a command, it demands our obedience. As followers of Christ we are told to not love the world, and if we feel we are having some sweet affair with the world, we have to stop² it at all cost.

But first we have to clarify what this command does NOT mean. The command to not love the world and the things in the world does not mean that we are to hate the physical created universe. After all, it is God who created this universe and was delighted to see its beauty (Gen.1:31). It does not mean we cannot enjoy works of art like secular music and movies (there could be expressions of worldliness in them but not necessarily). It does not mean we have to distance ourselves from pop culture. This is not about hairstyles or fashion. It does not also mean we have that we hate the unbelieving world. After all, we were commanded to love our enemies even those who persecute us. We are mandated to reach the world with the gospel of grace.

What does it mean then? The word "world" in this context means:

"an organized earthly system controlled by the power of the evil one that has aligned itself against God and his Kingdom" (Daniel Akin)³

"This is not a reference to the physical, material world but the invisible system of evil dominated by Satan and all that it offers in opposition to God, his Word, and his people." (John Macarthur)⁴

Whenever you see the prevalence of anti-God ideas and anti-God agenda, that is a part of worldliness (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Wanna feel the power and influence of this system? Go to U.S.A. and speak against the evils of the LGBT agenda. They will surely gang up on you.

Another verse to consider is Romans 12:2a "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The Greek word translated as "world" here is different from the Greek word translated as "world" in 1 John 2:15. Some say that it should be translated as "age". Yet when correlating bible verses, you just don't match words; you also match concepts. The concept Paul is conveying here is the same or at least very close to the Johannine concept of worldliness:

"Better translated “age,” which refers to the system of beliefs, values—or the spirit of the age—at any time current in the world. This sum of contemporary thinking and values forms the moral atmosphere of our world and is always dominated by Satan"⁵

In his exposition of Romans 12:2, James M. Boice mentioned several -isms of worldliness. The -ism of course is a suffix added to a word conveying distinctive doctrines or ideas. Not all -isms are worldly like Calvinism or Dispensationalism, but many of them are. Below are some of the -isms in Boice's list⁶ :

humanism-- humanity is of prime importance, not divine or supernatural matters.
relativism-- no absolute truth; it may be true for you but not for me.
hedonism-- the pursuit of pleasure is the highest goal
materialism-- physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life
pluralism-- all belief systems are valid; Christianity is okay but it needs supplement from other systems

These are just examples of worldly expression of man's hostility to God and his revelation in Scripture. If you subscribe to any of these ideas, you love the world. 

You Might be a World-lover if...

1. You want to fulfill your desires outside of God's revealed will ("the lust of the flesh"  verse 16)

The lust of the flesh is "any sinful desire, any sinful interest, that draws us away from God or at least makes continuing fellowship with him impossible"- Gary Burge⁷

There is nothing wrong with the desire to earn more, for the sake of your family and for the needs of others; but if you earn by dirty business deals or other corrupt means, then you might be a world-lover.

There is nothing wrong with the desire to have a partner but if you want to fulfill it by marrying a unbeliever, then the world could have had captivated your heart.

There is nothing wrong with watching movies, surfing the net or playing video games; but if these activities cause you to neglect prayer, personal bible study and other spiritual disciplines, you  might be in love with the world.

2. Visual delights arouse your desire for sinful acts ("the lust of the eyes" verse 16)

This point is closely connected to the previous one because the eyes are "often the means by which sinful desires are introduced into the mind of the individual." (Danny Akin)⁸ -- Sinful desires could be awakened by sound or smell and other senses but the most often means is the sense of sight.

~ Eve stared at the forbidden fruit and it was pleasing to the eye (Gen.3:6).
~ Achan stared at a luxury robe, silver and gold, and kept them against the Lord's instruction (Joshua 6-7)
~ David stared at bathing Bathsheba, and ends in adultery (2 Samuel 11)
~ The trick is so effective the devil even tried it on Jesus (Matt. 4:8)

Two Philosophers could be helpful here: Plato and Augustine⁹

For Plato: the good, the beautiful, the true, the real is essentially the same thing. That is if there is one beautiful, it must also be good, and true, and real. Using this criterion, the woman on the magazine cover may be visually pleasing but if her appearance is devoid of goodness and truth, then it is not beautiful

Augustine added a Christian flavor to Plato's musings. For him, there is only one good; only one real; only one true; only one beautiful. In saying this, he was not denying that there are other things good, true, real and beautiful. They do exist but only as reflections of God's infinite perfections. Because of that:

a. God is the SOURCE of anything good, true, real and beautiful
b. God is the JUDGE of what is good, true, real and beautiful
c. God's glory is the CHIEF END of all things good, true, real and beautiful.

Thus, when you are captivated by what you see but fail to honor God, you are in love with the world.

“The problem is not that God created the material things in the world. The problem is that people have made these things into idols” (Daniel Akin)¹⁰

3. You measure the worth of yourself and the worth of others by possessions and accomplishments ("the pride of life" verse 16)

The pride of life is "an attitude of pretentious arrogance or subtle elitism that comes from one's view of wealth, rank, or stature in society. It is an overconfidnce that makes us lose any notion that we are dependent on God"-- Gary Burge¹¹

I'm somebody because of my assets and income.
I'm somebody because of my degree and alma mater.
I'm somebody because of my position.
I'm somebody because of good looks.
I'm somebody because of my medals and trophies.

Some Biblical examples
~ Nebuchadnezzar's pride on his projects (Daniel 4:30)
~ Herod's pride on his oratorical skills (Acts 12;21-22)
~ Even religious people can be guilty of this like the Pharisees who were proud about their religious standing and looked down on others(Luke 18:9-12)

Reasons for Breaking this Kind of Love

1. Because if you love the world, you don't love God

I John 2:15b "If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them"

The text says that you either love God and hate his rival or love his rival and hate God. Take one of the world's ideas-- materialism for example, "the idea that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life"¹². The Lord Jesus says,

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

James 4:4 says "... don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God"

If we are divided between loving God and loving the world, it will not end in a 50-50 division. Rather, it will end 0-100, that is zero for God and 100 percent for the world. And if you have two hearts, you will not give one heart for God and one heart for the world. Rather, you will give both hearts to the world.

The Psalmist seems to have understood this, so he prayed "... give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name". (Psalm 86:11)

2. Because of this love's unhappy ending

Fairy tale endings are quite predictable. When the Prince finally marries his Princess, expect the last line to be "and they lived happily ever after". I guess it is a time-tested formula for fictional love stories. People like happy endings.

Soon, unbelieving people will realize that they pursued worthless things. Soon they will see that they have invested in the wrong place. The text says "the world and its desires pass away" (verse 17 a). It's like enjoying your stay at Sodom and hoarding possessions there, only to realize later that you will perish with them. For one of the reasons why God burned Sodom and Gomorrah is to make them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly (2 Peter 2:6).

If you want a happy ending to your love story, love God. Scripture says, "but whoever does the will of God lives forever" (verse 17b). What he prepared for those who love him is not just a happy ending but an eternity of endless joy in his presence.

"May thy dear Son preserve me from this present evil world, so that its smiles never allure, nor its frowns terrify, nor its vices defile, nor its errors delude me."  (The Valley of Vision)¹³

-----------------------------------
NOTES

1. John Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World
2.  In his online free bible commentary on the Johannine corpus, Bob Utley says that the grammatical construction conveys the meaning "to stop an act that is already in progress"
3. Daniel Akin, 1,2,3 John, New American Commentary

4. The Macarthur Study Bible
5. The Macarthur Study Bible
6. James M. Boice, Mind Renewal in a Mindless Age
7. Gary Burge, The Letters of John (NIV Application Commentary)
8. Daniel Akin, 1,2,3 John, NAC
9. See Albert Mohler's "A Christian Vision of Beauty, part 1"
10. Daniel Akin, 1,2,3 John, NAC

11. Gary Burge, The Letters of John (NIVAC)
12. American Heritage Talking Dictionary
13. The Valley of Vision's Facebook Page, March 5,2012 

The Resurrection: By Which Our Hope Stands or Falls

Photo Credit: http://www.kristinahansen.com/

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." (1 Corinthians 15:12-19  NIV)

A Long-lasting Lie (50s-60s A.D.)

The soldiers trembled in fear. They were assigned to guard the tomb of Jesus. There was a sudden earthquake so strong. An angel shining as lightning and clothed in a garment as white as snow went down from heaven. He rolled the large stone securing the tomb and sat on it. Jesus' body was missing!

Perhaps they were still trembling when they reported before the chief priests. They could be charged of negligence in fulfilling their duties. It might cost them their jobs, or worse, their very lives. Yet they were spared. Matthew reports:

When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, `His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. (Matthew 28:12-15)

A Long-lasting Lie (2nd Century A.D.)

Though the conversation was a work of fiction, Justyn Martyr's purpose in writing Dialogue with Trypho was to show the credibility of Christianity as a system of faith. Justin asserted that the Jews sent emissaries all over the world to "proclaim that a godless and lawless heresy had sprung from one Jesus, a Galilæan deceiver, whom we crucified, but his disciples stole him by night from the tomb, where he was laid when unfastened from the cross, and now deceive men by asserting that he has risen from the dead and ascended to heaven."

A Long-lasting Lie (Year 2000)
Irene was and still is a dear friend-- one of the most brilliant girls I've ever met. One day, she was so elated over a book she's reading. Long before Facebook, friends shared good stuff with each other. She thought it was good stuff so she shared it with me. But from the very first page I knew, and perhaps she knew that I would not click on the "like button".

In the chapter dealing with the empty tomb, the concluding sentence was:

"Thus when Jews spread abroad the story that the disciples of Jesus had 'stolen' the body, they spoke the truth."

~ J. Spencer Kennard Jr.
Cited in The Lost Years of Jesus Revealed
By Charles Francis Potter

That was 12 years ago. I didn't know much way back then, but the passion was there, both for the honor of my Lord and the spiritual well-being of my friends. On graduation day, I handed over her a handwritten response to the book.

Satan's Other Lies and the Motivation Behind Them
The Stolen-Body "hypothesis" was just the first of the series of lies formulated to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some of them are listed below:

• the body was stolen
• the witnesses went to the wrong tomb
• he did not die, but merely fainted; Gained consciousness at the tomb
• the Koran asserts that there was a switch that took place before the crucifixion. Somebody else got killed.
• Mass hallucinations
• James Cameron's documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus " (Discovery Channel, 2007)

It seems to me that on the subject of the resurrection, Satan is using all of his creativity in concocting lies. Why?

May I propose, that Satan, being a brilliant theologian knows this: The hope of believers stands or falls on the truthfulness of the resurrection.

The Resurrection has always been a part of Apostolic preaching. Less than two months after Jesus' death, the resurrection was an essential component in Peter's first sermon (Acts 2).

Paul, preached a tailor-made message for the pagan minds of Athens. It was significantly different both in style and content compared to his messages delivered in Jewish synagogues. Yet Jesus' death and resurrection wasn't left out. (Acts 17:18; 29-31)

The early hearers of the gospel then would have to choose between: the widely accepted lie circulated by the Jews VS. the apostolic preaching of a man who has risen from the dead, and now demands that he should be received as Lord and Savior.

Most of us Filipinos were raised in a Roman Catholic culture. Some of you grew up in evangelical households. Year after year, your family and your neighbors celebrate the resurrection. In the place where I was raised, the public market is crowded on Black Saturdays in preparation for the next day. Folks who abstained from eating meat since Maundy Thursday must eat special meat dishes on Easter. It is hard to find a person in our town who doesn't intellectually assent to a crucified yet a living Jesus.

But none of that is present in the first century, whether its Jewish culture or Gentile culture. The thought of a crucified Messiah is a stumbling block for a Jew and a foolishness to a Gentile (1 Corinthians 1:23). Profess faith in the Christian message and be counted as a gullible person.

Paul was a scholar thoroughly trained in the law under the tutelage of the eminent Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He was advancing in this career way beyond his contemporaries (Galatians 1:14); he could have been the next Gamaliel. Yet when he professed faith in Christ, he lost his academic reputation. At one point, a high-ranking government official shouted "Your great learning is driving you insane." It's all because of his testimony about a crucified and risen Lord (Acts 26:23-24)

Lord, Liar or Lunatic?

As hard as it was to believe in the resurrection of Jesus, it was never compromised by the Apostles. It has always been regarded as an essential tenet of the Christian faith-- something you must believe in order to be a Christian. And it is something you must continue believing unless you believed in vain (1 Corinthians 15:1)

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul makes a a case for the fact of the resurrection. His pieces of evidence could be classified in two categories:

1. The Testimony of the Old Testament Scriptures( see also Luke 24:25-27)
2. The Testimony of More Than 500 Eyewitnesses

But the real difficulty in the minds of some of the Corinthian Christians is accepting the truth of believers' bodily resurrection. It could have been due to the influence of ancient dualism where spiritual things are viewed as good and material things are viewed as bad. Or it could have been due to the influence of the Sadducees (Luke 20:27).

Paul responds in verses 12-19. He tells them that their disbelief in a future bodily resurrection of believers is inconsistent with their belief in Christ's resurrection; the resurrection of Christ and believers stand or fall together. You cannot take one and reject the other. If they have to reject one, they must reject both; and if they have to accept one, they must accept both. Why? Because in Paul's theology, Christ's work reversed the effects of Adam's failure. As Adam, the first representative of humanity fell and brought physical and spiritual death to all related to him, so Christ's victory brings physical and spiritual life to all who are related to him (1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Romans 5:12,18-19). His resurrection was not for him alone; it was the first-fruits assuring us that more resurrected bodies are coming (1 Corinthians 15:20).

If they must reject the bodily resurrection of believers, they must also reject a risen Christ. And if Christ is not raised, both the preaching of the message and the believing in the message are worthless. The Apostles are liars, and there is no salvation from sin (Romans 4:25-25).

Christ's death without the resurrection puts him on equal footing with Theudas and Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:35-37)-- he claimed to be somebody when he was a nobody.

Jesus death without the resurrection, doesn't make him LORD. When you gather followers around you and falsely claim that you have power over death (John 2:19; 10:17-18), that makes you a LIAR. And if you are sincere in your claims with no intention to deceive, that makes you a LUNATIC.

If we have believed in a Liar or a Lunatic, we are the most miserable of all men. The martyrdom of Stephen was worthless (Acts 7). The early death of the Apostle James was foolishness (Acts 12:2). Paul suffered for nothing (2 Corinthians 11:22-28). The early Christians gladly suffered from the confiscation of their properties for their faith in a worthless savior (Hebrews 10:34). What about those who were crucified upside down, burned as human torches, and those who were fed to the lions? If Christ is not raised, Foxe's Book of Martyrs must be retitled as Foxe's Book of Fools!

Praise God Our Hope Stands!

But Praise be to God we are waiting for the return of:

A dead LIAR

A dead LUNATIC

A LIVING LORD!

And when he returns, he will “transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Phil 3:21)-- free from the effects of sin. Free from poverty, misery, pain, sickness and death.

Winning the War Against Worldliness (Colossians 3:1-4)

What is the best strategy to fight worldliness?

Shall I smash my TV set into pieces?

Shall I retreat to the boondocks or hide in a cave and live as a hermit?

Shall I live in a box to insulate my self from the world outside?

I was in isolation from the outside world when I was in my mother's womb. Before there were any external influence upon me, I was already sinful from the moment of conception.

In the verses that preceded Colossians 3, it appears that in the pursuit of godliness, some teachers enforced some external rules. It may be some form of asceticism, that is the practice of denying the physical body of comfort and pleasures to achieve spiritual goals. It has penetrated the church and so Paul writes to instruct the Christians about true spirituality. The apostle told them that asceticism has no value in combating the indulgence of flesh (2:23). In place of these practices, Paul prescribes two imperatives which are grounded on two realities.

THE IMPERATIVES

1. SEEK for heavenly things (verse1)

Seeking the things of God should be our one single passion. The Greek word is zetew. It means to "try to learn the location of something". It conveys the idea of moving from place to place in the search process. It is the very word used in Mark 1:37. Jesus left very early in the morning while it was still dark. Nobody knew where he had gone. His disciples made every effort to search for him everywhere and when they finally found him, they exclaimed "Everyone is looking for you".

I was on board a public jeepney one morning. Though eavesdropping is not a habit of mine, the volume of the woman's voice four feet away compelled me to sing Alanis Morissette's opening line: "I had no choice but to hear you".

She worked hard for years for the education of his son. Yet on graduation day, she learned that her son's name was excluded from the list of the candidates for graduation. Her son failed to secure the signatures necessary for his graduation clearance. A few hours away before the commencement ceremonies, she took the clearance sheet and started to search for the required signatories. This San Carlos City resident must now go to places where she has never been before. Her search led her to the island of Salapingao and two other baranggays outside the city of Dagupan.

Nothing else mattered for that woman that day. She did not touch the laundry. She left the kitchen dirty. Earning income was far from her mind. The blanks in the clearance sheet must be filled. A few minutes before the commencement ceremonies, a handwritten entry was made in the list of the candidates for graduation. It was her son's name.

In order to resist our propensity for worldly matters, Paul prescribes that we should seek the things of God with such a vigor as this. Seek heavenly things as if nothing else matters.

2. THINK About heavenly things (verse 2)

The Louw and Nida lexicon defines the Greek word phrone as "to employ one's faculty for thoughtful planning, with emphasis upon the underlying disposition or attitude". Your thought life is an essential area to be conquered if you are to win the war against the indulgence of the flesh. Evil thoughts are not fought by restraining your brain's ability to think. Rather, one must actively involve the mind to meditate on the things which are eternally holy and beautiful.

THE REALITIES

I have said earlier that the two imperatives are grounded on two realities. The first reality we shall consider is:

1. Our Union with Christ

Col.3:1 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ"

Col. 3:3 " For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

There is a mystical union between Christ and his followers. We are united with him in his death and resurrection. Paul has already stated this earlier in 2:12-13. The result of this is that his followers died to sin. The old man that used to be a slave of sin is already dead, therefore is now free. Paul says in Gal. 2:20, he has been crucified with Christ. He no longer lives. The only life he is living is the life of Christ living in him. When the incarnate Christ was on the surface of the earth, nothing else mattered to him but to do the will of the Father (John 4:34). If Christ is indeed living in us, we will must have the same mindset. The good news is our union with Christ is not something we are still working on. It is a present reality that we should live with accordingly.

The second reality by which the earlier imperatives are built is:

2. Our Glorious Future

Col.3:4-- "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Christ will return and when he appears, we will see him in all his splendor. In Titus 2:13, Paul describes this appearing as "glorious". Yet it is not only him who will appear in glory. Colossians 3:4 says there will be a change in us. We will appear with him in glory.

If I'll give you a 3x5 card and ask you to scribble all the undesirable things in me, both physical and spiritual, perhaps you will answer back, "Bro. Manny, this 3x5 card will not be enough for my long list". But when the day comes when I shall appear with my Lord, I will be changed within a twinkling of an eye. All things inglorious in me will suddenly be replaced by glorious things. All things disgraceful in me will suddenly be replaced with honorable things (1 John 3:2)

How does this reality serve as a weapon in fighting worldliness? 1 John 3:3 says "Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."

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