Death is Real

I was moved by the message we had during our service this evening. It was something that I knew a long time ago but had forgotten maybe due to our unending busy schedules and unecessary worries in life. I'm sure you know Brittany Murphy,Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Patrick Swayze, and Frank Sinatra, right? What do you think is the common factor among those people? One, they are celebrities, they are known, they are famous. Two, they are all dead. Three, their deaths are so sudden that we never thought it would happen to them. What is my point? Death could arrive in our doorsteps right this minute and we would never be ready. Even the people suffering from a terminal illness aren't sure what exact date, time, and hour they will be able to breathe their last breath. Despite our youth, our strength, our status in life, in the end, we would be having our appointment with death, and that's something we could never include in our organizers no matter how eager we would want to put a date to it.

James 4:14 says "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes." The last part of that verse does spark a big realization and hits the truth like an arrow in a bull's eye. That's why we need to make sure that we are living a life that is worthy of the time we have been given here on earth. As Ephesians 5:15-16 states, "Be careful, then, how you live not us unwise but as wise, making the most out of every opportunity because the days are evil." Let us be wise in our decisions. Let us make sure that we do not waste every precious grain of sand falling in each of our life's hourglasses. Let us not make the mistake of living our lives in liberty without knowing the consequences of our actions.

Death is real. Do not be foolish and deceived that we have the freedom to do whatever we can according to what we want. We are already freed by the truth that Jesus Christ has brought to us. With that, let us live our lives according to the truth that is in the Book of Life and make sure that we abide by it. The Bible, although it was written more than 2000 years ago still bears the things that people need despite the changing times. It was, it is, and will always be.

A Promise

We look at ourselves and we say that we are better than others. Better in a sense that other people are more sinful than we are. If we compare ourselves to people who have been convicted as murderers, rapists, and those convicted with other crimes, we could surely say the punishment they deserve are much more that we should endure the moment our Creator judges us. I had that kind of thinking before, I thought I was a better person because I never did the things that would offend others. I have always followed life's rules, if I may put it that way. Jesus Himself stated more than twice in the scriptures that unless we repent, we shall all likewise perish. No matter how big or small our sins are, it is of the same caliber, they are sins. There is no little or big sin. In God's eyes, they are still sins, a stumbling block for us to draw nearer to Him.

No religion can save us. No living person can buy eternal life. All we need to do is to draw near to Him and have a personal relationship with our Savior. It sounds corny at this day and age, but to be honest, that's all we need in order for us to have a fulfilled life. No man can stand the agonies of everyday living without someone to depend on. If you want a wall that you can lean on, He is always there. He is just waiting for us to come to Him. Matthew 11: 28-30 "Come to Me. all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Boast in Him

Have you ever had an achievement? Of course you have. All of us have achieved something in our lives. It can concern having high grades, winning an essay writing contest, or being able to surpass the trials that we have encountered in life. I read a story in the book of Judges concerning a man named Gideon. He was assigned by God to lead the men of Israel in defeating the Midianites (a group of people who were persecuting Israel at that time). The Midianites were very many in number. As Written in the scriptures, they were many as locusts and their camels were without a number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude. God specifically instructed Gideon to bring only a few men, in which He would deliver the Midianites to them.

As I was reading, I wondered why God wanted such, when in fact, given that the Midianites were too many, then Israel should have had many warriors that would be able to defeat their enemy. Then I was able to see an answer to my question, written in Judges 7:2 And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their (Israel's people) hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'

It just hit me. God always wants us to acknowledge His name. In whatever we do, in whatever triumph we have in our lives, we should always bring Him back the glory and honor. There are times that we think we are great because we are able to rise above others. Many times we depend on our own intelligence and ability in doing things. Worse, we sometimes boast of it. It may not be to other people, but to ourselves. We sometimes think highly of ourselves, and I know no one is exempted from that kind of attitude. We are but humans. We have pride, especially if God bestowed us the gift of intellect. This is just a reminder, to myself and to those who might be guilty of it. We should always remember, if we are to boast, let us all boast in His name, because He alone knows everything.

Work is for the living

Humans never get contented. When we have something, we tend to ask for more. Just for example, we buy the latest model of mobile phones, but then again, technology improves and the next month, there are newer models of mobile phones presented in the market so that ours become outdated. On our jobs for example, we have been longing to be hired by the companies that we apply for, and then when we get in, we complain of the workload that our superiors give us. To be honest, I myself am guilty of that. I have resigned in the previous companies I was with, because I wanted to have bigger opportunities, bigger money, to be exact. And so, that kind of thinking made me a lazy employee, not doing my work the way it should be done, and making excuses for me not to be able to come to work. In short, I slacked my way out of work. I never did the best in all the things that I was supposed to do.

I read a verse in Ecclesiastes 9:10 of the Old Testament, saying : Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. It gave me a realization, that we have to value our work, our jobs, or whatever we want to call it. It doesn't matter if it is just household chores, schoolwork, or work that we do for the government or big multi-national companies. The verse just tells us that our job or the work that we do is a blessing. It's a blessing because despite how difficult and tiring it may be, it is God's way of giving us an opportunity to live, a chance of showing how intelligent we are, and the way for us to be a blessing to others. We only have limited time here on earth, we might as well enjoy what little time we have left by being happy while working because when the last chapter of our life closes, our knowledge and skills are of no more use.

Live to Worship

Your love O Lord, reaches to the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like majestic mountains,
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide.

I will lift my voice to worship You my King,
I will find myself in the shadows of Your wings.

This song by Third Day just refreshes my entire being. It gives us the assurance of God's promises in us. It helps us grasp His Omnipotence and glory. The lyrics of this song were taken from the Book of Psalms, a book containing the praises and adorations that God wants to hear from His people.

There are times that we get too tired with our lives. People disappoint us, we get hurt, and then we hurt others as well. Listening to songs that would uplift us would be very helpful. It wouldn't only comfort us but would give food to our souls as well.

Tumong sa Kinabuhi

Why are we here on earth? Why, of all the possible human beings that might have sprang up from the seeds of our mothers and fathers, were we the one chosen? It is simple. God has a purpose in our lives. He originally created us for His glory. Let us do everything according to the plans that He has for us. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."