PENnED
…before they're washed away
recent posts
- Does God Take People Away? Rethinking Job 1:21 in Context
- Grafted Into One Tree: What Paul Actually Meant About Israel, Gentiles, and the People of God
- When Frameworks Distort Scripture: Learning to Hear the Text Again
- The Obscenity of Misplaced Allegiance
- A Reflection Honoring the Women Harmed by Cruel Abortion Laws
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Category: Reflections on Scriptures
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Does God “take people away”? A closer look at Job 1:21 reveals that this common belief may not reflect what the Bible actually teaches about death, suffering, and God’s character.
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A reflection on Matthew 4:1–11 There are moments in life when everything feels stripped down. When the noise fades, the routines fall away, and we’re left with ourselves— our desires, our fears, our habits, our hopes. Scripture calls that place the wilderness. It isn’t always a desert. Sometimes it’s a season of uncertainty, a time…
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The Parable of the Talents teaches us about readiness, trust, and relationship with Jesus. Servants are entrusted with valuable talents, symbolizing their responsibilities. Faithfulness leads to joy, while fear and inaction result in condemnation. The essence lies in knowing the Master and actively serving Him, reflecting our faith in action.
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The Parable of the TalentsMatthew 25:14-30 Last Sunday we talked about The Parable of the Ten Virgins. Some of you may have already forgotten about that. Today I’m reminding you about that parable because it is closely related to The Parable of the Talents, which is the basis of the sermon today. Sometimes we come…
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It’s the Real Thing, Not the Shadow, that Remains By Ed FernandezDusk approaches. But for this solitary oryx, the day isn’t done.This simple, beautiful image seems to say: there’s no end in sight for the invisible trail it treads.As the sun’s fading rays strike its athletic form, a giant shadow stretches across the sand— distorting…
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Let not that question confuse you. Here’s a little background on why I ask such question: Yesterday I preached on a passage in Romans that included the following verses: Romans 9:30-33New International Version 30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by…
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Nakita ko ang isa ka kahoyNga puno sang mga bulakGaling kay daw nagapanaghoyGani nanaog ako kag mangodak Nagyuhom gid s’ya dayonKay nakita ko ang iya katahomAng iya yuhom nagpadayonKag nagbalik ang iya paglaum! There is Hope I saw this tree— Full of flowers But it looked like it was lamenting So I went down to …
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What’s BDNF? Well, it doesn’t stand for ‘Brain Damage Not Funny’ but it’s something related to that. I’m not going to just tell you or anyone who doesn’t know what BDNF is. And I’m not being selfish. I want you to do your own research and learn something new, TODAY! Doing so will already help…
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Good afternoon! I said, “Good afternoon” and you responded with the same. But is it really a good afternoon? Judging from the expressions on your faces, I’m not sure if it is. How does your face express a good afternoon? Let me see it. C’mon, everyone, let me see your face. (Pause to examine faces).…
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One of the signs, they say, that you’re old is the fact that you do more reminiscing than daydreaming. Well, at 65, I still daydream. So I guess I’m not too old yet. My imaginings, however, are more realistic than, say, those that I dreamed when I was 18. Would they be considered ‘old people’s…
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When I was in my late 30s and studying in a graduate theological seminary in Metro Manila, I dreamed of pursuing an area of study. And I was dreaming of doing it not just in any school but in a prestigious institution that was known for their graduate program in homiletics: Princeton Theological Seminary in…
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It’s there again today It’s the ‘Verse of the Day’ How many times have you read it? And how many times have you ignored it? Unwise statements abound like a swarm of crazy bees in flight And some of the worst come from the political right That they think they’re always right is no surprise…
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While enjoying my freshly brewed poured-over coffee this morning, I read Bible Gateway’s Verse of the Day. It is 1 Corinthians 10:13, a Scripture verse that every Christian probably thinks she or he knows very well. And that includes me. The verse is so familiar because it is often quoted. To put that in Filipino…
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Today is Thanksgiving Day. Everyone knows that. What makes this Thanksgiving different is that we are celebrating it in a pandemic. Everyone knows that too! The challenge, however, might be finding things that we can be thankful for today. Despite the COVID deaths, lack of money and scarcity of food for many, as well as…
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