Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Holy Week

What are your plans?
What will you do in these days?
Are you going to beach, to park or to the mall?

I just want to share something with regards to this topic. This Holy Week reminds us the great sacrifice Jesus Christ has done for us. And the Bible always reminds us to remember His death. This sacrificial death builds a bridge that fills the gap between man and God because of sin. With this bridge, we can cross over from death to life – the eternal life God has promised to us. What’s this gap? What about this bridge? What eternal life are you talking about? Let me tell you a good story.

One day in the time of Adam and Eve, God and man are very close to each other. God is holy, loving, powerful and a provider of all things. He is a good father. They can talk like what we usually go to our parent, friends and colleagues. It does not use figurative speeches. It is just a simple conversation between two objects. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God (by eating the forbidden fruit) there is a now a gap between the relationship of God and man. This gap is made because of sin – and that makes man separated from God. In Romans 3:23 it says For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So, everyone of us are sinners. No one is exempted from this fact. And in Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, …”. Here on earth we are suffering eternal death. There are two kinds of death. One is the physical death – that is we will die physically and our bodies will be buried. Second is the spiritual death – it is possible that we are physically alive but spiritually dead. Hebrews 9:27 says “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment”. Judgment is certain. And all those who will not pass the judgment will go hell. Revelations 21:8 proves this “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars – their place will be in a fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death”.
Who among you wants to go to hell? No one, right? Because of this, man finds their own ways to fill the gap. First, by going good deeds. But not all good deed is pleasing to God’s eyes. In Ephesians 2:8-9 it says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”. So doing good deeds is not a solution. Second one is through good morals but not all good morals are good for the others and some may be other way around. Bad morals in one country may be good in other countries and vice versa. So, following good morals is a no no. Third is through education. But learning to much about such thing scholarly is putting more guilt to one’s self and worse, may lead to false information and judgment. Final attempt man made to fill the gap is through religion. Religion is good but it is not a sure way to salvation for it is written in Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved”. All these four attempts made by man cannot fill the gap that has made by sin. Man is hopeless.

But in John 3:16, it says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”. God made the way. As it is said earlier, God is our great provider; He provides us the bridge that fills the gap that made because of sin for the man to cross. It is confirmed by Jesus himself in John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.”. Man may ask how strong is this bridge? That’s the common question to every common man before going to cross that bridge. That bridge has three strong foundation to make it a reliable and a strong bridge and it never falls. One strong foundation is in Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God ”. He is the Son of God that came down to earth from heaven. Second is in 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ died for sins once for all…”. He died on the cross for the payment of our sins. He suffered for us, he represented us on the cross. He paid it in full amount for us. That way it erases all our sins through His blood. Third is in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, it says “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”. This implies that He can overcome death; from earth He ascended to heaven with God the Father where there is eternal life.

Now, there is already the bridge, and it strong by its three foundation, what is man going to do? It is stated in John 5:24 “I tell you the truth; whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has corssed over from death to life.” All man have to do is to hear His words and believe on it. that is the way of crossing the bridge – Jesus Christ.


In God’ kingdom, we can claim the promises He has prepared for us:
1. Has crossed over from death to life (past)
2. Has eternal life (present)
3. Will not be judged (future) – since Jesus Christ has already paid for it on our behalf

The choice is YOURS.
Revelations 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Jesus is now knocking at the door of your heart, will you let Him in?

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”


Prayer of Faith

Lord Jesus, thank you for knocking at the door of my heart. I open my heart to You today. I admit that I have been in control of my life until now. I ask You to forgive me of all my sins. I believe that You died on the cross to pay for my sins. I believe that You rose again from the dead to give me eternal life. I receive You in my heart as my Savior and Lord. Lord Jesus, please take the throne of my life. Help me to follow You from now on, and help me to fulfill Your purpose for my life. Amen


Upon accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will become a child of God and has life. John 1:12 says “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” and in 1 John 5:11-12 says “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life”.




God bless and multiply!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Story-story lang

March 28, 2009 – 5pm – IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City
JOY Group Gathering

Bonding Time!
In LA – JOY group, is a group of youth in Lakas – Angkan Ministry Inc. where young professionals and even students are formed to make bonding moments, play games and enjoy everything around and make fun fun fun.

I invited my friend Lucman in one of our gatherings on the date and place above. I bet he really enjoyed our company because I can see he deals well with my friends in the group. And my bet is right (and I think I deserve a million bucks) because he wants to join in our next strike of fun. How I wish I can invite more friends in this gathering. The more, the merrier.

Pictures will be provided soon.

Have a blessed Holy Week to all guyz.