The Chief Desire

Question: What is the chief  end of man?

Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

My thoughts of the coming year is a reflection of the grand opening question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. What is your chief end?? Such a question presupposes that men have purposes, ends, goals or designs. By inquiring as to our chief end, an implication is made that all of our subsidiary designs and goals are to be subservient to our chief end.  Life in this world move mistily. The days so long gone and another year is coming. How will we direct our youthful passions and the pursuit of our ambitions? Let us examine ourselves as to the chief end we set before ourselves in life. The Worm Pilgrim has many a time looked upon it.

Reproduced herewith is a commentary on the same question by Rev. William Patton Mackay in his Notes on Shorter Catechism , Hodder and Stoughton, 1889: 

    "To glorify God!"

    Man by nature has self for his centre. Everything must bow to self. This is what leads the drunkard, with an everlasting hell before him, to drain his cursed cup. You may speak to him about God ; he has a higher God within -- that is SELF. He cares not for God's will -- the ruler of his life is selfwill. Sin may shortly be said to be just selfwill* -- that is, a man, at all costs, will get himself gratified at the expense of his neighbor or his God. Man by nature has not the glory of God for his centre, but the glory of himself. God came down in His strong love to get us who believe out of self and put us into Christ, so that we might glorify Himself.

    As long, therefore, as a man is out of Christ, he cannot glorify God. Getting into Christ is the first step a man must take before he can glorify God. Many seem to suppose that man's chief end is to enjoy himself in this life -- to eat and drink like a beast. Solomon, the wisest and richest man on earth, tells us that his experience in seeking for his chief end "under the sun" ended in "vanity and vexation of spirit.

    "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit" (Ecc.es. 1:14).

    If we read the Book of Ecclesiastes in this light, we shall see its meaning. A man tries to find his chief end "under the sun," and then he will "perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his portion" (Eccles. 3:22).

    A miserable one it is to most, and the end of it all is, "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts ; even one thing befalleth them, as the one dieth, so dieth the other ; yea, they have all one breath ; for all is vanity" (Eccles. 3:19). So if we are in the experience of Ecclesiastes "under the sun," we are no better than the beasts.

    But One has come from above the sun ; and the chorus of His angelic bodyguard, as they announced His glorious coming to the expectant ears of the waiting few, was "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14).

    Others, however, turn from such pursuits and betake themselves to religion, and suppose that "man's chief end" is to go on all his life doing the best he can, and in the long run, as the result of his honest and sincere efforts, that God will save his soul. They put the salvation of the soul at the end -- God puts it at the beginning, and says, I'll save your soul for nothing, and then you'll begin to live for My glory after having got your soul saved.

    The first step is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16: 31). Then the believer begins to glorify God. Until a man's soul gets rest in Christ, he has no heart to think of God's glory. 

    "To enjoy Him for ever."

    Man's joys are the song, the bottle, the dance, the race-course, the newspaper, the novel.

    God says to His own, "Rejoice (the Christian should be the happiest man ; but it is) in the Lord alway" (Phil. 4: 4). "Is any (among you) merry, let him sing psalms" (James 5: 13). "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord" (Eph 5: 19); "Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Coloss. 3: 16). We rejoice that our names are written in the Book of Life. "Rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10: 20); "Whose names are in the book of life" (Phil. 4:3).

    Is He our chief joy at merrymaking times? All men's joys leave a sting and a desire for more ; tasting of them we thirst again ; but His joy is everlasting ; it is perfect, and it is permanent. Every joy, every amusement of earth gets wearisome, as every labour is vanity, if we are "under the sun." If we are "in Christ" Who is seated above the sun, our work will be to glorify God ; our delight to enjoy Him now and for ever ; our happy eternity begins with Christ.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (1Corinthians 10:31)

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. (Psalm73:25-26)".

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Note:

*So that in 1 John 3: 4, sin is expressly said to be "lawlessness" (not transgression of the law, but its root, lawlessness or selfwill).

The Joyce Meyer's Heresy

What a crystal clear heresy!!!!

The following is from DARTHFOCUS, uploader of the above video. 

A Man Fell in a Hole

Thomas Boston, the great Scottish theologian (1636-1732), illustrated man's spiritual condition by comparing the unconverted person to a man in a pit.  He can only get out of the pit by grabbing hold of the rope of gospel let down by Christ and be pulled out of his misery.  Yes, he may decide to pull himself up by the rope of the gospel, but there’s one problem: the unconverted man is dead in the pit.  Can a dead man grab the rope of the gospel?   Can a dead man reach out in faith for Jesus?

We are unable to save ourselves.

·         Eph. 2:1,4,5 - "you were dead in your transgressions and sins….But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved."

·         I Cor. 2:14 - "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

All Paths Will Eventually Lead To God!!!

Stay with me on this...
Hold me still...
Oh, I see that frown..
Yep! All religion leads to God!!!
Brand me a heretic...
Yes, I say it again, all Paths lead to God!!
Clinch your fists against me...
Hurl your stones...aim it to kill me...until..

God is Never Obligated...

”Suppose ten people sin and sin equally.  Suppose God punishes five of them and is merciful to the other five.  Is this injustice?  No!  In this situation five people get justice and five people get mercy.  No one gets injustice.  What we tend to assume is this: if God is merciful to five he must be equally merciful to the other five.  Why?  He is never obligated to be merciful.  If he is merciful to nine of the ten, the tenth cannot complain that he is a victim of injustice.  God never owes mercy.  God is not obliged to treat all men equally.  Maybe I’d better say that again.  God is never obliged to treat all men equally.  If he were ever unjust to us, we would have reason to complain.  But simply because he grants mercy to my neighbor gives me no claim on his mercy.  Again we must remember that mercy is always voluntary.  “I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy” (Ex 33:19; Romans 9:13). There are only two things I ever receive from God – justice or mercy.  I never receive injustice from His hand."

-R. C. Sproul, The Holiness of God, chapter 6.

The Knock!

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

-Jeremiah 31:3

The Knock!

by Rev. Charles Spurgeon

The Master came one night to the door, and

knocked with the iron hand of the law; the

door shook and trembled upon its hinges.

But the man piled every piece of furniture

which he could find against the door, for he

said, "I will not admit that man."

The Master turned away, but by-and-by He

came back, and with His own soft hand, using

most that part where the nail had penetrated,

He knocked again -- oh, so softly and tenderly.

This time the door did not shake, but, strange

to say, it opened, and there upon his knees the

once unwilling host was found rejoicing to receive

his guest!

“Come in, come in; you have so knocked that my

affections are moved for you. I could not think of

your pierced hand leaving its blood mark on my

door. I yield, I yield, Your love has won my heart.”

So in every case, the love of Christ wins the day.

What Moses with the tablets of stone could never

do, Christ does with His pierced hand!

Such is the doctrine of effectual calling.

Do I understand it experimentally?

"With unfailing love I have I drawn you to myself."

-Jeremiah 31:3

Divine Providence is a Friend

"I thought: Surely I shall die in my nest!" (Job 29:18)

Typhoon Sendong  devastated some areas in Mindanao, particularly Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities last December 16, 2011. It was so tragic that the death toll has reached over 650   with more than 800 persons still missing according to the latest news reports. 


Adversities like this may sometimes weakened our soul. However, the confidence of a  Christian is with the heart of Job who confessed in the Scripture the  most beautiful expression: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:22). Thus,  to the Christian, everything – rain and drought, heat and cold, earthquake and typhoons, flashfloods, tsunami and volcanic eruption, safety and destruction, health and disease, peace and war, prosperity and poverty, life and death, even the most seemingly random events – is attributed by Scripture to God's direct governing and Fatherly care  “according the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph. 1:11).  

Reproduced herein is an excerpt of the sermon,  appropriate for these difficult times,"The Nest was Destroyed, and The Poor Bird Lay Bleeding and Exposed", by Rev. James Smith, a predecessor of Rev. Charles Spurgeon at New Park Street Chapel in London from 1841 until 1850.

"Job's nest was very comfortable—and appeared to be very secure. It was on high—and not to be easily reached. He knew that death could reach it—but he thought that nothing else would disturb it.

His conduct was consistent,

his conscience was quiet;

God was his Father, and

providence was his friend.

"I thought: Surely I shall die in my nest!"

But, alas! Suddenly a 'storm' arose—the nest was destroyed, and the poor bird lay bleeding and exposed! 

No earthly nest is out of danger! Temporal comforts are only lent to us. The higher the tree in which we build—the more exposed to the whirlwind and the storm! 

Here on earth—we have no continuing city. In one moment—our fine nest may be devastated! Let us therefore endeavor to leave our matters fully with the Lord—and learn to be content with His appointments. 

We must die. But when, and where, and how—should be left with the Lord. 

Five minutes after death—it will matter very little whether we died on a bed of down, in a luxurious mansion, and surrounded by kind friends—OR as a poor diseased beggar, dying alone in squalor! 

Present comforts may all leave us, and our soft nest may be scattered to the winds—but nothing can disturb our salvation and future glory! 

"These all died in faith—and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth!" Hebrews 11:13 

"They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a heavenly city for them!" Hebrews 11:16.

J.I Packer once said, "The doctrine of providence teaches Christians that they are never in the grip of blind forces (fortune, chance, luck, fate); all that happens to them is divinely planned, and each event comes as a new summons to trust, obey, and rejoice, knowing that all is for one's spiritual and eternal good (Rom. 8:28)."*

God is sovereign. He brings good out of evil. He brings glory out of suffering. He brings joy out of affliction. Divine providence is a friend!

____
Note:
-Victims of Typhoon Sendong, photo courtesy of iamjammed.com
*J.I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Beliefs, Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2001.

Oh, Man Consider Your Rotten Spiritual Cadaver!!

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.. (Ephesians 2:1)

Some professing Christians tell you to “Give your life to Christ by an act of your will”-to get to heaven. The problem is, you can’t do it. Teaching on Divine Sovereignty and Man's Helplessness in Regeneration, Dr. Robert Charles Sproul, teaching elder of  St. Andrews Chapel (Presbyterian Church in America) at Sanford, Florida, said: 

"What I find in the Bible is a description of fallen man not as one who with respect to the things of God is mortally ill, but one who is dead in sin and trespasses. He is as dependent upon the grace of God to be raised to spiritual life as Lazarus was for the power of Christ to come out of the grave. We don't see a person sick unto death in a hospital bed at his dying moment having to open up his lips to recieved the medicine. We see somebody who has been pronounced dead whom God must bring back  from the dead if that person is to become alive. God just doesn't throw a lifesaver to a drowning person. He goes to the bottom of the sea, and pulls a corpse from the bottom of the sea, takes him up on the bank, breathes into him the breath of life and makes him alive. That  what the Bible says happens in your salvation."

Which comes first, being born of water and the Spirit or entering the kingdom of God?

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” ( John 3:5) 

The Worm Pilgrim's Wilderness

The Nahal Zin Mountains

The "Great and Terrible Wilderness" through which the Israelites passed 

included this area around the Nahal Zin as described in Numbers 34.

Photo Courtesy by Bible Places.com

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. (Exodus 13:21)

The Exodus of  Israelites from Egypt to Canaan could be of two ways. One way would take a few days journey; and the other was of much further---40 years! The way that God chose for them, as we are told in the Scriptures, was through the wilderness and from where God lead them. 

A wilderness is a place separate from civilization. It is sparsely populated and those living in such places requires assistance or aid from outside world to survive. Wilderness is uncultivated, barren, and water less,  such that food is scarcely found. Life in the wilderness is harsh, lonely and painful.

But why would God chose the way of wilderness for His people??

The hardships of wilderness disciplined God's people. Moses said, 

"Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD .(Deuteronomy 8:2-3)"

Israelites Passing Through the Wilderness
 by William West (1801-1861)

God's great deal of sin of  the Israelites and their  many discomforts  during those forty years in the wilderness is included in the providential care of God. He reminds them that He was with them during both good and bad times. That He did this for three specific reasons: to humble them and to knock down their pride as this motivated many of their sins; to know what was in their hearts as seen in their reactions to various trials; and to teach them that man does not live by bread alone. God wants to see whether they will live by faith, depending upon Him to supply those needs.

The Christian life is a pilgrimage to Celestial City. The journey along the way involves a great deal of discipline to "Be conformed to the image of His Son...(Romans 8:29)". So that God "Might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory (Romans 9:23)."  The author of Hebrews warns, "Do not despise the chastening of the Lord" (Hebrews 12:5). Explaining  this matter,  Puritan Pastor, John Flavel, said:

"All the dark, intricate, puzzling, providences at which we were sometimes offended...we shall one day see to be to us, as the difficult passage through the wilderness was to Israel, "The right way to the City of Habitation."

He further said,

"Let us consider and marvel that ever this great and blessed God should be so much concerned, as you have heard He is in all His providences, about such vile, despicable worm as we are! He does not need us, but is perfectly blessed and happy in Himself without us. We can add nothing to Him."

‎"GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT REDEEMER, PILGRIM THROUGH THIS BARREN LAND; I AM WEAK, BUT THOU ART MIGHTY , HOLD ME WITH THY POWERFUL HAND...."

                                                                              -William Williams

This blog is inspired by the Great Welsh Hymn - Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer.

Identity Theft

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 

(John 10:10)

As more and more people are using the internet now a days, identity theft is becoming a bigger problem and have been a subject of penal legislation. Identity theft, the subtlest form of theft,  can enter into many areas of our lives. It involves any instance where a person uses someone else's identification documents or other identifiers in order to impersonate the person for whatever reason --most usually in perpetration of criminal activities, making innocent victims at fault at someone's wrong doing using the former's identity.

Identity theft is not a new crime. It is not unique in 21st century. The first form of identity theft happened in the fall of man at the  garden of Eden. Since then, Satan has been stealing our identity in Christ. Sinclair Fergusson, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina, explains how much have we been stolen of our identity in Christ. In his lectures on Paul In Union With Christ and Christian Living, he said:

"Paul’s favorite way of speaking about a Christian is to identify them as being “in Christ.” The expressions “in Him”, “in Christ” and “in the beloved” are used over 160 times in the New Testament. It describes our new creation and means that we are a part of a new order. We are united to Him by the Spirit through faith. For the believer (those who are “in Him”) all fullness is found in Christ and we enter into all the fullness of His resources wherein we have been given a new identity. Sadly, however, the contemporary church has spent too much time looking at the blessings of the Gospel (being “in Him”) horizontally rather than vertically, i.e. what’s in it for me temporally rather than the blessing of the spiritual family that I am now a part of. Because of that drift we struggle in finding our identity in Him…only when the foundation of being “in Christ” is true that the imperatives of the Gospel be embraced…otherwise we will kill our people."

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Note:
Images are from http://hollycenterwood..com/2010_11_01_archive.html.

Sanctification and Union With Christ

"Sanctification … is the invariable result of that vital union with Christ which true faith gives to a Christian. “He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (John 15:5 ). 


The branch which bears no fruit is no living branch of the vine. The union with Christ which produces no effect on heart and life is a mere formal union, which is worthless before God. The faith which has not a sanctifying influence on the character is no better than the faith of devils. It is a “dead faith, because it is alone.” It is not the gift of God. It is not the faith of God’s elect. In short, where there is no sanctification of life, there is no real faith in Christ. 


True faith worketh by love. It constrains a man to live unto the Lord from a deep sense of gratitude for redemption. It makes him feel that he can never do too much for Him that died for him. Being much forgiven, he loves much. He whom the blood cleanses walks in the light. He who has real lively hope in Christ purifieth himself even as He is pure ( James 2:17–20 ; Titus 1:1 ; Gal. 5:6 ; 1 John 1:7 ; 3:3 )."

-J. C. Ryle

God's Passion For His Glory

“You see, what we need to remember, brothers, is that our God is a purpose driven God.  Three times in Ephesians chapter 1, He tells us that the gospel and the ministry of Christ is to the praise of the glory of His grace.  That's His purpose, His glory.  The ultimate purpose has not been, will never be, the eternal souls of men being saved.  That is not the ultimate purpose.  God is absolutely powerful enough to redeem every soul, had He wanted to.  The ultimate purpose is the glory of God, and sir, you will glorify God, either in Hell, vindicating His justice, that should come against a sinner like you, or either in Heaven, glorifying His grace that got you there, fully by His own doing, but you will glorify God."

“You see, God is absolutely thrilled about being God.  And He wants the universe to see the glories of who He is.  For the universe to see the glories of His love, and grace, and mercy, He needed deeply offensive, ungodly rebels, and sinners who ought to go to Hell that He could redeem, and make just, as His Son is just, and you all qualify.  That's why you're saved, chiefly to the praise of the glory of His grace.”

-Jeff Noblitt,Calvinism, A Cause For Rejoicing (November 2007)

Ang Unang Mga Buang-Buang!!

…. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made aprons. (Gen. 3:7)

Buntag sayo, Lunes nangandam na unta ka  sa trabaho, you are gasping out of  bed… the best effort that you can…. Ahhhhh…. kapoy og poypoy ang lawas, sakit ang mga kasu-kasuan, gahi kaayo nga ubo, nagtubod ang ilong sa sip-on, sigeng hingos….ahhhhhhhh...the world’s worst cold ever! Mura ka’g gidangdang sa kalayo sa kalintura...aaahhhh..absent na lang sa ka sa work..and..  you know the lurking truth: you have an infection. Oo, gi-trangkaso ka!!

Unsa may buhaton nako ?! ngutana pa ka?!!

OK. There are two options: The foolish path and the path of wisdom.

The foolish path is this, nakasulay na seguro ka ani before--deny the pain, and mumble this to yourself in a hundred times or more, “Wala ko’y sakit! … wala ko’y sakit!...wala ko’y sakit!.ok ra ko! ok ra ko!! wala ko'y sakit!!..wala ko’y sakit!”…. and eventually get sicker. Foolish!

The path of wisdom calls you to go and see the doctor and get a treatment.
Pasalig ko--it works a lot better!

Yep! Mga panghitabo nga maka-igmat! 

Si Adan og si Eva, sukad-sukad wala pa kasulay  sama niana sa ilang kinabuhi. Kabalo baka? Nagsugod ang tanan sa gamay’ng ingkib sa bunga, og ang ilang mga mata, nanga-abli og napuno sa kahadlok og kalisang!

Something was dreadfully wrong. Something was out of order. Chaos!!!

Og karon nadunggan nila ang mga dahunog sa  tunob sa Dios. God was coming in Eden!!!

Nataranta sa kahadlok!!

Kangilngig!!!

Kahinumdum baka? Kana bitaw for the first time nasayran nimu nga dakung sala ang imong gibuhat, og nabutyag nga sala gyud! Sama sa nakapamakak ka sa imong bestfriend nga diin pang daan nakasayod ka nga sayop, unya nabutyag sa iya og sa tanan?? 

Yep,  sa dihang ning abot ang Dios sa tanaman sa Eden, ing-ana! ing-ana nga mga panghitabo ang gibati sa duha ka karaho!!

Hala!  Unsa kaha’y ilang mga pulong, mga panghuna-huna, mga actions, pag-atubang sa Dios?

Would these words, thoughts and actions have an eternal significance?

For Adam and Eve, the first hint that they had disobeyed the LORD and thus ruined their relationship with Him is an intense horror. Makalilisang!! Ang paraiso daw sama sa  giyab-an og hilo! Og nakasayod sila niana. Sa kina-iladman og kina-uyokan, nakasayod sila nga sila nakasala. 

They could’nt put words to their feelings. They just knew something was wrong.

And so they acted.

They acted incorrectly and foolishly!!!

Nanguha sila’g dahon sa hegira--yep, dagkong mga dahon, sarang ikatabon--og gitahi nila kini og nanagbuhat og mga tapis niini alang  sa ilang mga kaugalingon.

At least that way, they figured out, “We can’t see each other and God won’t be able to see us .” “Ok ra seguro ni, God won’t think and see anything fault at us. Ok nani. Matago na nato atong mga sayop ani!!!

Oh… how foolish!!!! Mga buang-buang!!!

Unya mo rason pa ta nga naa ta'y "Free Will''! Tan-awa daw na gibuhat ni Adan og Eva kung "Free Will" pa ba nah. These have proved that our free will is not sufficient to do the will of God in any manner.

Since our first parents tried their own remedy for the tragedy, you and I have been doing the same.

You and I take fig leaves everyday and try to cover our sins with them.

Sin is embarrassing--so you try to cover it.

Sa unsang paagi?

May be you've tried to cover it in the darkness of denial. May be you've tried to justify it.

 Yep, we usually do that.

May be you've tried covering it in hopes that God won't notice--by piling "good works" upon "good works", such as attending church and giving money to charities.

May be you've tried to cover it up with self-flagellation, so that when you felt bad enough for your sins then you'll say, " God will overlook my sins and accept me."

It still does not work.

But God, in the abundance of His grace, has given you something that does work:  the BLOOD OF HIS SON.

God killed an animal--the first sacrifice for sin--and covered Adam and Eve both literally and figuratively. God had to do it. He alone could provide the cover for human filth.

After God covered them, he could deal graciously with them. There was hope, but only if God did do the covering.

Yep. Jesus sacrifice on the cross gives you the final covering for all your sin.

Jesus -fully God, fully human-had to suffer physically and spiritually to cover your immorality-your sins and blot it out in God’s sight.

Naa pa ba??

Wala na’y lain nga makatabon sa kapungot sa Dios sa sala og sa makasasala.

NOT GOOD WORKS.

NOT CHURCH ATTENDANCE.

LABAW NA ANG IMONG PENETENSYA!

NOT EVEN DENIAL OF SIN as suggested by our modern culture!!.

ONLY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD, CAN COVER YOU.

ONLY THE LAMB OF GOD, ENDURING GOD'S RIGHTEOUS WRATH IN YOUR BEHALF, CAN SHELTER YOU!! 

There is mystery in this.  The mystery of mysteries, though, is this:   Nganu man mag-antos pa man siya sa krus, nga kitang tao man  mismo maoy nakasala??

Nga unta anang higayona pwede man unta sa diha diha wagtangon niya ang tao sa kalibutan, didto sa Eden. 

Apan ang Dios nagpadayag..Oo nagpadayag sa Iyang pagkabalaan….. sa Iyang grasya!!!!

Samtang nagbasa ka niini nga sinulat. Huna hunaa si Jesus didto sa krus. We see his agony, and in his agony we see the holiness and judgment of God.

But you also see grace.

Here is your covering for sin. It’s God’s remedy. It is skin-blood-not fig leaves.

Good works?? They can’t erase bad works..No..Never!!

Denial?? Impyerno ra’y padul-ngan ana.

Penetensya?? Haisssst! It will only compound your sorrow.

Ang Krus ni Hesus?

Karon mao'y atong  kadangpan!!!

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: 

But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. 

(Prov. 28:13)

REPENT OR PERISH!

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Notes:

-Image of Adam and Eve by Cranach, 1528,  is taken from http://www.kolibrikerteszet.hu/zamatos_fugefajtak_termesztese
-Image of Christ on the Cross is taken from http://danacandler.com/blog/?p=67.

The "Poor Jesus Syndrome"

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelations 3:20)

Kieth Green, aptly said that there are man-made methods that have made the modern gospel very shallow, and therefore unbiblical. In What's Wrong With the Gospel??, he said:

"The "Poor Jesus" Syndrome. This is the form of preaching that misuses the Scripture in Rev. 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock . . . " How many evangelists have used that Scripture to paint a pathetic picture of Jesus standing outside a door, waiting, knocking, knocking, waiting, for the sinner to open up and let Jesus in? Sometimes these preachers go on and on, until it starts to sound like, "Aw, poor Jesus is out there in the cold, shivering, waiting for someone to let Him in. Won't you go ahead and let poor Jesus into your heart?"

What a line of reasoning. First of all, this statement by the Lord in Revelation is not to the unsaved, it's to the Church in Laodicea (see 3:14). The picture is truly pathetic. Jesus is standing outside of His own church, knocking for them to let Him in! (Sound familiar?) And if there's any doubt left as to who He's talking to, look at verse 22, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

Second of all, the truth of the matter for sinners is the exact opposite. Jesus is not outside of their world, knocking to come in - they are outside of His Kingdom! And they can knock all night like the five foolish virgins (Matt. 25:11), but Jesus will never let them in unless they meet the requirements: a humble and contrite heart, and a complete disgust for sin. Then, and only then, will God deliver them from their slavery to sin - and transfer them by His grace to the Kingdom of His lovingkindness. God will never repent for someone - He will take every step possible to make the sinner see the folly of his ways, but the final move is up to the individual himself. Each person must make the final surrender, the desperate gasp of "I am a fool to run my own life! Lord, show me the way to your door, and I'll knock and knock, and beg forgiveness ...I'll do anything, anything, ANYTHING YOU SAY!" Then, and only then, will God save a sinner."