HUWAG NAMANG WINNER-TAKE-ALL

by | Jan 30, 2018 | Today's Word

Daily Devotions

365 Daily Supplements For The Heart
Approved Therapeutic Claims

Matthew 22:20-21 (NIV)
And he [Jesus] asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

“Dapat ba kaming magbayad ng buwis kay Caesar?” was a very difficult question posed to Jesus in order to trap him. Kasi pag sinabi nyang dapat kang magbayad ng buwis, parang pinayagan nyang i-dominate ng Rome ang Israel. Pag sinabi naman nyang huwag magbayad ng buwis magiging rebelde siya’t makakasuhan. Magandang aral ang naging paliwanag ni Hesus, “Kay Caesar pala yang barya e di magbuwis kayo sa kanya. Pero hindi ibig sabihin na tatalikod kayo sa Israel at sa Dios. Gawin nyo ang tungkulin nyo sa gobyerno at sa Dios nang sabay; huwag nyong pag-isahin.”

Hindi katulad ng mga gustong magpalusot, “Pastor, puede ko po bang ibawas sa tithes ko yung enrolment ng kapatid ko?” The tithe belongs to God at kung gusto mong pag-aralin yung kapatid mo, i-source mo sa iba. Huwag mong nakawin sa tithe mo. Lagyan mo ng kaayusan.

When you negotiate, leave something on the table for the other. Hindi mo dala lahat. Hindi yung winner-take-all. The world will hate you if you are the winner and you take all. Mas winner ka kung mas mapagbigay ka. Negosyante ka, may mga empleyado ka, hindi sa iyo lahat ang tubo. Nagbibigay ka rin sa pamilya ng mga manggagawa mo. May uwi rin sila. Ikaw itong nangangasiwa sa kusina para sa handaan. Hindi mo uwi-uwi ang lahat. Nagbibigay ka rin sa lahat ng tumulong at napagod. Kailangan lahat mayroon. Everybody brings home something.

Ed Lapiz

Day By Day Christian Ministries

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WALANG EXEMPTED

by | Jan 29, 2018 | Today's Word

Daily Devotions

365 Daily Supplements For The Heart
Approved Therapeutic Claims

Matthew 17:24-25, 27

…the collectors for the temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” Peter answered. [Jesus said to Peter] “…But we don’t want to cause trouble. So go cast a line into the lake and pull out the first fish you hook. Open its mouth, and you will find a coin. Use it to pay your taxes and mine.”

Required ang bawat lalakeng twelve years and above sa Israel taun-taon na magbayad ng temple tax noong panahon ni Hesus. Dito kinukuha ang panggastos sa repairs ng gusali, sa pag-supply ng langis para sa mga ilawan, at para sa ikabubuhay ng mga taong full-time doon sa temple. Kaya itinanong si Peter. “Nagbabayad ba ang guro nyo ng temple tax o nagpapalusot?” Nang isinumbong ni Peter ito kay Hesus ay inutusan siya, “Para wala silang masabi, bayaran mo. Mangisda ka doon. Buksan mo yung bunganga ng isdang mahuhuli mo at ipambayad mo ang mga coins na makukuha mo para sa tax nating dalawa for the temple.” Even the Lord Jesus paid the temple tax. Walang exempted.

Every user of the temple building, facilities and services ought to support its upkeep. Dapat may sense of responsibility din tayo na suportahan ang pagme-maintain ng facilities at services ng church. Papaano yun magpapatuloy kung gusto nyo na lang ay libre? Are you a part of the problem or of the solution? Kung may ten o fifteen percent ng tao na part of the problem, makakaya pang dalhin. Pero kung more than kalahati ang part of the problem, guguho na yung system. May pananagutan ang bawat nakikinabang.

Ed Lapiz

Day By Day Christian Ministries

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LOVING GOD

by | Jan 29, 2018 | Today's Word

Daily Devotions

365 Daily Supplements For The Heart
Approved Therapeutic Claims

Mark 12:29-31

“…‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’…”

How do we love an invisible God? How do we love God who is spirit? How can that be accomplished? Parang madaling sabihin pero paano ba ito nagagawa? Hindi mo naman siya puedeng abutan ng kape. Hindi mo siya puedeng paglingkuran dahil wala naman siyang kailangan. Hindi mo siya puedeng alagaan dahil wala naman siyang sakit. How do you love God?

Napakalinaw ng paliwanag ng Panginoon. He put love for God and for fellowmen on two sides of the same coin, as if to preempt the question, how can God be loved? The Lord’s answer was very simple: Love people. Hindi mo mahawakan ang kamay ng Dios, hawakan mo ang kamay ng iyong kapwa. Hindi mo matulungan ang Dios dahil siya ay Dios, tulungan mo ang iyong kapwa. Hindi ka puedeng makipagngitian sa Dios kasi hindi mo siya nakikita, makipagngitian ka sa iyong kapwa. Gusto mo palang mahalin ang Dios, sabi nya, “Pwes, mahalin mo ang iyong kapwa tulad ng pagmamahal mo sa iyong sarili. Yan na ang pinakamabisang paraan.”

Love for other people is what religion is all about. Actually, it is what religion should be about. Sadly, religion sometimes drags us into needless discussions, quarrels, even religious wars. But true religion is being good to other people. Ang pinakamagandang bunga ng theology at ng kaalaman sa salita ng Dios ay ang pagmamahal, pagtulong at pagiging mabuti sa iyong kapwa.

Ed Lapiz

Day By Day Christian Ministries

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TRUTH AND TACT

by | Jan 28, 2018 | Today's Word

Daily Devotions

365 Daily Supplements For The Heart
Approved Therapeutic Claims

John 4:16-18

Jesus told her, “Go and bring your husband.” The woman answered, “I don’t have a husband.” “That’s right,” Jesus replied, “…You have already been married five times, and the man you are now living with isn’t your husband.”

Jesus was truthful and tactful. Totoo ang sinasabi nya pero hindi nya kailangang i-present ang katotohanan sa isang mahapdi, masakit at maanghang na paraan. His speech was always diplomatic except on very few cases when his wisdom deemed it proper to be very emphatic.

Katulad na lang nang kausap nya ang isang babaeng Samaritana na nagmamagaling sa relihiyon, yun pala yung kasama nya sa bahay ay hindi naman nya asawa pero kinailangang mabanggit at mapag-usapan ito. Sa pagsasabi ng Panginoon sa katotohanan ng buhay ng babaeng ito, hindi nainis yung babae at lalo nyang na-appreciate na yung kaharap nya ay hindi basta-basta lang. At the very least, she considered him a prophet.

Dapat din tayo maging mas kaibig-ibig para sa ating kapakanan at dahil mas nagbubukas ang puso ng mga tao sa atin at nadadala natin sila sa Panginoon. Kung minsan gusto nating ibahagi ang mabuting balita pero hindi kaibig-ibig yung pamamaraan natin. Nare-reject tuloy yung maganda nating mensahe. Kung minsan, maganda yung payo, project o ideya natin, but because people don’t like us pati yung sasabihin natin ayaw na rin nila. It’s important for Christians to be likable, not to the point of compromising godly standards but the way Jesus was. We are better off liked than disliked.

Ed Lapiz

Day By Day Christian Ministries

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OVERZEALOUSNESS

by | Jan 27, 2018 | Today's Word

Daily Devotions

365 Daily Supplements For The Heart
Approved Therapeutic Claims

John 12:47

“I am not the one who will judge those who refuse to obey my teachings. I came to save the people of this world, not to be their judge.”

Like Jesus, we should not be judgmental. Do not judge people. Nang minsan, nagturo ang Panginoon at ang kanyang grupo sa isang bayan at ayaw silang pakinggan. Sabi ng mga disciples, “Lord, papaulanan na ba namin ng apoy ang barangay 58 na yan?” Sabi naman ni Lord, “Sobra kayong hot. Huwag. Hayaan nyo lang. Kung ayaw kayong pakinggan, move to the next town. Marami namang gustong makinig sa inyo e.” Nagkaroon lang ng konting kapangyarihan yung mga disciples gusto nang paulanan ng apoy yung ayaw makinig (tingnan ang Lucas 9:52-56).

Marami sa ating ganyan. Pag mayroon tayong kapatid, pinsan, o hipag na ayaw umattend ng Bible study o Sunday school, gusto nating paulanan sila ng apoy, kino-condemn-condemn na natin sila. Sabi mismo ng Panginoon na he does not judge people because he came not to judge but to save people. Ganun din dapat tayo. Overzealous evangelists and soul-winners could be judgmental. That’s why they never win anybody for the Lord. Kasi nakakainisan sila.

People flock to Jesus so people should flock to Jesus’ followers as well. Kung ang Panginoon naibigan ng mga tao, dapat kaibig-ibig din ang mga nagsasabing nananalig sila sa Panginoon. Kaibig-ibig tayo not in tolerating sin, not in jeopardizing our spirituality, not in compromising our high spiritual standards, but just in being non-judgmental.

Ed Lapiz

Day By Day Christian Ministries

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