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  • The Lord’s Supper: Why we do it

    Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

    Peter Paul Rubens' Last Supper (1632)

    The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

    My wife, two boys, and I were in another church last Sunday to join them in their anniversary celebration. In the car, on our way home, my wife, said this about the pastor who was invited to preach and officiate the communion: “I could forgive his over-an-hour sermon that went everywhere but the way he did the communion….” She felt that the way it was done was irreverent–the pastor obviously took it lightly. There was neither re-enactment nor recitation of the words of the Lord’s Supper and he cracked not-so-funny jokes that led people away from reflecting on the sacrificial death of our Lord.

    It makes me sad when Christian leaders do not lead people to experience a meaningful celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Although I understand that different traditions have different ways of doing it, but the purpose of serving the Lord’s Supper seems clear in our Scripture text today: to experience the presence of the Lord in a special way by reflecting on what he’s done for us on the cross of Calvary.

    If our understanding of the Lord’s Supper is clear, then our proclamation of the Lord’s death in it can be clear as well.

  • Envious of the filthy rich? Don’t be.

    Read: Psalm 37:1-11

    1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

    Sometimes we wonder why “those who are evil” prosper instead of  those who are good. We can probably explain it in terms of latent talent and drive–those who have the talent to enrich themselves and whose whole purpose in life is to get what money can buy tend to become rich in material possessions. On the other hand, those who are good, especially Christian believers, perhaps put more value on the spiritual or other non-tangible things and that’s why they do not get rich or as materially prosperous as some bad guys.

    I don’t think unbelievers and evil people should be given monopoly for making money. I think it’s okay for believers to make a lot of money. As long as money do not get our affection, as “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10), there is no problem in that. So perhaps the reason why those that do evil are getting rich and we are not is perhaps because we do not work as hard.

    But it seems that the issue  here is about those that make a lot of money using evil ways. Well, the advise is to not get envious of them. Why?  Because “like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” In v. 10 it reads:  “A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.” This gives some the idea that unbelievers and evil ones will be annihilated, that is, they will cease to exist. When they die, that’s the end of them.

    That might get us interested, but we should really be more interested in what God has in store for us: “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity” (v. 11). For us, believers in Christ, “a new heaven and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:13) is our inheritance, our “land of promise.” God’s people who live “holy and godly lives” (2 Peter 3:11) will live in this perfect place forever!

    Don’t get envious, heaven is yours!

  • How to avoid becoming a liar

    Read: 1 John 4:7-21

    19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

    If asked  if we love God, most of us, if not all, would quickly say, “I do.” But I doubt if we can say the same when asked about a sister or brother in Christ or anyone, that we don’t like. But the fact that we are commanded to love, including those that are a pain to us, implies that God will enable us to do it. What can also help us do it is thinking about how God loves us despite what we are.

    Loving is not always easy, but if we love God, we must  keep doing it.

     

  • Does God have favorites?

    Read: Psalm 145:8-21

    18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,  to all who call on him in truth. 

    “The LORD is near to all who call on him….” But  the verse doesn’t stop there. It goes on to add a qualifier: “to all who call on him in truth.”

    The question we might ask is, What does it mean? Does it mean that the one that calls does so sincerely or seriously–not just pretending but truly doing it? Or, does it mean that the one that calls lives and operates his life within the context of truth? Based on the verses that follow (vs. 19-20) and speak of the one who fears and loves the Lord–as opposed to the wicked–I’d prefer the latter option.

    The Lord is near to those who call on him and live in and by the truth.

  • Why praise God?

    Read: 1 Peter 1:3-5

    3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade._

    In the Bible study I led last night we began by singing praise songs. Then I gave everyone the opportunity to express their praise to God. There was one thing that everyone agreed was the greatest thing that God has given us. And that one thing is the exact same thing that 1 Peter 1:3-5 praises God for: eternal life._

    Some people think of eternal life as the life one lives without end after death. But in this Scripture text we find that eternal life begins at new birth or the moment you receive or believe in Jesus as Savior (John 1:12; or are “born again” John 3: 1-21). Then you enjoy the “abundant life” (John 10:10) God has given you and, with “living hope,” look forward to the “inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” which is “kept in heaven for you.”

    The gift of eternal life is given to us
    not because we are great
    but because God’s mercy is great.

  • God loves sinners

    Read: Romans 5:1-11

    8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

    This is the good news that many religious people either do not get or simply  ignore. Why do I say that? Well, most professing Christians I met think that by doing good they can make themselves acceptable to God and make it to heaven. But how can sinners make themselves acceptable to God? They cannot!But God does what we cannot do–save us from sin through Christ’s death. And all we need to do is to embrace God’s love and  receive the gift of salvation by believing in Christ as Savior. And since Christ is also Lord, we are to follow him with a single-minded devotion. Then we become saints.

    Sinners who embrace God’s love become saints.

  • Type kita…

    Dear Kuya Ed,

    Matagal ko na kayong binabantayan sa FB. Meron din akong gustong sabihin sa inyo na hindi ko dapat sabihin. Kaya lang hindi ko na matiis…type ko kayo! Tsup…tsup…tsup!

    Secret Admirer

    ……………………….

    Dear Secret Admirer,

    Salamat naman at may naduling pa sa akin. Kaya lang may misis na ako. Ang pangalan niya ay Ruth, at may tatlong anak na kami. Kaya’t pasensya ka na… my heart is already taken. But don’t lose hope… may makita ka pang mas bagay sa iyo. Keep looking up so when you look around, you’ll find the right one!

    Blessings!

    Kuya Ed 

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________

    ?????

    Have troubles or problems? Questions?

    Maybe Kuya Ed can help. May tanong ka ba? Malay mo, baka may sagot si Kuya Ed. So, sige na…sulat na…

    Dear Kuya Ed…

  • Can you make it at the Pearly Gates?

    Read: Exodus 20:1-17

     1 And God spoke all these words:  2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

    Many professing Christians think that if they observe the Ten Commandments then, when they die,  at the “Pearly Gates” St. Peter will let them enter heaven. To them obeying the commandments is the way to be saved.

    The first two verses that introduces the 10 Ten Commandments, however, show that God has already saved the people of Israel from slavery before they heard the Ten Commandments. Sure, they have not yet reached the promised land but we know that even getting there does not depend on them. If it does, then based on how they obey God, none of them could make it!

    Similarly, God has saved us and through faith in Christ we receive salvation as a gift. When we who have already been saved obey the commandments, we do it, obviously not to be saved, but because it’s what saved people have been empowered by God to do! Ephesians 2:8-10 reads, “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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

    We’ve been saved not because we obey, we obey because we’ve been saved. 

  • We can shine like stars

    Read: Philippians 2:12-18

    14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life.

    As part of the community of believers, we are “the light of the world,” says Jesus. Shining “like stars in the sky” among “a warped and crooked generation,” however, is not automatic. For us, children of God, to shine, we are to “become blameless and pure.” And part of how to become one is doing “everything without grumbling or arguing.” The question then becomes, How do we avoid such things?

    The answer is found in vs. 12-13: “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Don’t get it wrong, salvation is not by human works but by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). But those that have received salvation as the gift of God are now “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” In other words, as God’s living masterpieces, we ought not to stagnate, but we are to be spiritually renewed everyday. When we grow spiritually, then we bear spiritual fruit, and doing good works becomes second nature to us.

    We’ve been saved not by our good works, but we’ve been saved to do good works. 

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________

    Fun Facts About Stars

    • There are nearly 1 x 10 ^22 stars in the universe.
    • Some of the stars in the sky are so far that the light from them takes million of years to reach us.
    • Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our solar system and is nearly 4 light years away.
    • Inside the nebula, when gases and dust condense, a new object is formed which is known as protostar.
    • Depending upon how hot the white dwarf star is, its color varies from blue, white, yellow, or red.
    • Supernova explosions are capable of destroying an entire star.
    • Pulsar, a neutron star which was discovered in 1967 emits radio waves.
    • Polaris, the north star, is the only star in the sky that doesn’t appear to move from night to night.

  • Trust God no matter what?

    Read: Psalm 86

     1 Hear me, LORD, and answer me, 
       for I am poor and needy. 
    2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; 
       save your servant who trusts in you. 
    You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord, 
       for I call to you all day long. 
    4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, 
       for I put my trust in you.

    Will the LORD hear and answer the poor and needy that cries for help? Will the LORD guard and save the life of the one that serves and trusts in him? Will the Lord have mercy on the one that acknowledges him as God and calls to him “all day long”? Will the Lord bring joy to his servant?

    I wish I can say a resounding yes to all these  questions.  But what if the answer to each of these questions is, Sometimes the Lord answers our prayer, sometimes he does not? Would we continue to  trust the Lord?

    May we learn to trust God like Daniel’s three friends who defied King Nebuchadnezzar and whose lives were threatened because they did not serve and worship the king’s gods. They said to him,  “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18).

    Yes, trust God no matter what.

  • Lonely Girl

    Dear Kuya Ed,

    I must confess: I am a shopaholic. I always feel the urge to go shopping. Yesterday I came home from my Black Fiday shopping spree with a lot of stuff. But I still feel empty. I don’t understand. What’s missing in my life?

    Sincerely,

    Lonely Girl

    ……………….

    Dear Lonely Girl,

    No material thing can fill the void in your heart. Don’t get me wrong, we all need things. In fact my company helps people become successful so they can afford to buy stuff. But to really satisfy us, we need something better… deeper–a relationship with our Creator. It is by worshiping and loving God, not things, that we can have a meaningful and joyful life. Have faith in Jesus for he came so that we “may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV).

    For more help, read my reflection, “Image in your heart…”

    _

    Image in your heart

    Blessings,

    Kuya Ed

  • Image in your heart

    Read: Deuteronomy 4:32-40

    32 Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33 Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

    These rhetorical questions are meant to remind God’s people that the LORD is God, that there is no other God but the LORD, and therefore they must be wholly devoted to the LORD their God.  Unfortunately, however, God’s people, then and now, often forget that the LORD is God,  and they often replace the LORD with the gods pagans worship.

    With all the stuff people brought home from their Black Friday shopping, I wouldn’t be surprised if all they have in mind are the new  things they possess, and I wouldn’t be surprised if God is not on their minds as they wake up this morning. But since you’re reading this, you are blessed!–you have not forgotten that the LORD is God, not the latest Louis Vuitton bag or the new Rolex Datejust Special Edition.

    If you want to know what you worship looks like, just look at the image in your heart. 

  • How to make your BLACK Friday COLORFUL

    Go shopping in the wee hours of the DARK BLACK Friday morning until your feet turn BLUE for walking and waiting and your eyes RED for lack of sleep. Then, when too tired to go on shopping, go home to your WHITE painted home and try what you’ve purchased on.

    See if the little PINK bikini fits despite the big heap of the rich mashed WHITE potato that the butter made YELLOW but you ate as if there was no tomorrow. Also try on the synthetic pair of BROWN winter boots despite the aching SWOLLEN RED foot.Twitty

    When you’ve done that, you may slip under the PURPLE comforter that covers your  bed while the image of little YELLOW Twitty on your BEIGE bedroom wall watches over you while you sleep until the day turns GRAY.

    But if you’re too tired to do any of the above, or if this BLACK Friday has made you sad, just read my blog and I may be able to help turn your BLUE BLACK Friday RED and bright!

    To go there, please click here >> https://edfernandezdatsme.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/turning-black-friday-into-bright-friday/

  • Turning Black Friday into Bright Friday

    The world's largest motorized shopping cart, according to Guinness, measures almost 10 feet long, by 12 feet tall but 6 feet wide.

    Read: Psalm 42:1-11

     5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? 
       Why so disturbed within me? 
    Put your hope in God, 
       for I will yet praise him, 
       my Savior and my God.

    I know what it means to be downcast on Black Friday (BF). Let me re-tell the story that I told an FB (Facebook) friend about an early BF experience:

    My two boys and I were on our way home from a Thanksgiving celebration when we decided to go to Frys to experience–for the first time!–Black Friday shopping. We had no intention of buying anything. But while in the computer section, I asked a rep what was the best offer for a good laptop and she said, “The Lenovo for $150.” My son who makes his own desktop PC said it was a pretty good price, so we took our chance. We didn’t get it. After marching in a long line, we were told, “Sorry guys, no more.”

    No wonder it’s called Black Friday. But how can we turn BF into Bright Friday? The opening of Psalm 42 reads,

     1 As the deer pants for streams of water, 
       so my soul pants for you, my God. 
    2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 
       When can I go and meet with God? 

    If we thirst for material stuff, we may  feel sad. But if we thirst for God, we’ll surely feel glad.

  • What are you thankful for?

    Rizal Park, Norala by Sheela Mar Defensor Baclaan

    Read: 1 John 1:1-10

     3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

     5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

    I grew up in Norala, a small town in southern Philippines. In the 60s we had no electricity. However, when it was full moon, our family and the people in our neighborhood would go out of our homes and enjoy the bright night. Adults sat around and chat while we, the children, played out in the streets. What a joyful fellowship!

    Give thanks for we have fellowship in the light!