Q - Bakit po parang ang daling galitin ang tao,
ang dali syang mainfluence para mamuhi ---kahit sya religious.
Tapos ang hirap nyang ma-inlfuence na maging kind and loving--- kahit sya religious.
Ang dali-daling sumama kahit ng ibang Christians sa instant hate campaigns?
A -
Luke 6:45-46(CEV)
45 Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts.
Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts.
Your words show what is in your heart.
------
People's words ---and actions --- show what's really in their hearts.
Kung madaling galitin,
madaling sumama sa hate campaigns,
madaling makigulo at magpalaki ng gulo --- alam mo na.
James 1:19 (NIV)
19 ...Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry...
-----
2 mata para makakita 2x
2 tenga para makinig 2x
1 bibig para magsalita 1x
=
Doblehen ang mapanuring pakikinig
Kalahatiin ang padalus-dalos na pananalita.
The best selling book of all time,
The Bible seems to be the book most
- read but least understood.
- quoted but also most misquoted.
- studied but also the most twisted.
- used but also most misused and abused.
- used to defend/protect oneself and offend/attack others.
- most praised and maligned.
- unifying and divisive in its interpretation and application.
It takes so much divine guidance and human scholarship to
decode, understand, interpret and apply the essence of this awesome book.
Any astute "theologian" could find a verse to lean and stand on to construct or deconstruct schools of thought.
Even warring schools could both find "supporting" verses to justify themselves and villify their opponents.
Be very respectful and careful in making
- theologies
- philosophies and
- applications
of "Biblical" teachings, especially when lives and lifestyles of untrained and uneducated but passionate hearers-followers are at stake
Q - Maganda po ba yung provision ng 1987 Cory Constitution limiting to Filipino citizens ang pamumuhunan /pagnenegosyo sa Pilipinas at naglilimita sa foreign capital sa ating bansa? Para Pilipinas para sa Pilipino?
A -
Maganda kung:
1. Ang elite o maperang Pilipinong capitalista ay talagang gusto at kayang mamuhunan at magpaunlad ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas.
2. Sapat ang puhunan ng Filipino citizens / capitalists para mapaunlad ang lahat ng sector ng negosyo at industria sa bansa.
3. Ang mayaman / ellite group na may Filipino citizenship ay mayrong ding pusong Pilipino at maka-Pilipinas.
HINDI MAGANDA kung:
a. Hindi sapat ang kagustuhan ng Filipino elite/capitalists na mamuhunan sa bansa. (Marami sa kanila ay sa ibang bansa pa nga namumuhunan.)
b. Kulang ang capital ng Filipino citizens para paunlarin ang lahat ng sectors ng economy.
c. Filipinos for convenience lang ang ilan sa kanila at hindi makaPilipinas ang puso.
Mayrong mga foreign blood, Filipino citizenship.
Kaya walang pagmamahal sa Pilipinas.
Nagpo-promote nga ng "local" products nila pero sa ibang bansa naman ipinama-manufacture at puro imported ang components.
O imported talaga buung-buo ang product.
Halos walang pakinabang ang PIlipinas sa negosyo nila.
Nagiging tagabili lang ang mga Pilipino.
Ang nagkakatrabaho ay yung foreign manufacturers.
MAY HINDI RIN MAGANDA
sa pagharang sa foreign capital:
NASOSOLO / NAKO-CORNER NG LOCAL ELITE ANG ECONOMY.
SILA LANG ANG NAGPAPASASA SA GANANSYA;
halos walang buting ibinibigay sa mamamayan,
tapos protected pa sila ng CORY CONSTTUTION from foreign competition.
KANILA NA LAHAT-LAHAT!
Q - Bakit po ang daming conflicts at gulo ng mga nangangaral ng Biblia?
A -
Most of the conflicts arise from the
- reading /misreading
- interpretation / misinterpretaion
- application /misapplication of the texts.
(Nearly) All who" kill or die" for religion think and believe they serve God by doing so.
The conflict arises from their differing scholarship.
Magkakaiba ng
- pagbasa
- pagpapakahulugan
- paglalapat sa buhay
ng mga katuruan sa Scripture.
ANG PINAKAMADALAS NA PROBLEM ay CONTEXTUALIZATION.
Hindi nababasa at nabibigyang-kahulugan ang context ng verses:
yung kahulugan nito sa original writers and readers/hearers.
Remember,
the Scriptures were originally written for / addressed to specific recipients. Their life contexts gave meaning and application to the message.
Lahat ng mga tao outside of the original audience ay nakikibasa lang.
Dapat suriin kung paano ia-apply sa context ng present reader ang mensaheng hindi naman sa kanila originally ibinigay.
Paano pagtutugmain ang context ng buhay nila ngayon at yung diwa ng teachings na ibinigay sa ibang tao sa ibang lugar sa ibang panahon.
Before killing or dying for a teaching,
examine first/ suriing mabuti:
Law of God ba talaga
o invented lang by people?
Gano karaming teaching ang "word of God" DAW
pero imbento lang pala ng kapwa-tao?
Proverbs 12:15 (CEV)
Fools think they know
what is best,
but a sensible person
listens to advice.
----
Mahalaga kung
- SINO ang adviser.
- kanino nakikinig
Q - Bakit po parang maraming contradictions ang mga katuruan sa Bible?
May mga verses na nagpapabait sa yo at mayrong nagpapasungit at nagpapalupit sa mananampalataya? Yung gustong maging mahinahon at mapangtanggap at maibigin, may supporting verses. Pero yung mga gustong maging malupit, exclusive at mabangis, may supporting verses din?
Paano pipili ng verses na paninindigan?
A -
MANINDIGAN KAY JESUS!
----
John 1:14 (CEV)
14 The Word became
a human being
and lived here with us.
We saw his true glory,
the glory of the only Son
of the Father.
From him all the kindness
and all the truth of God
have come down to us.
----
Kung lahat ba ng religious teachings and beliefs ay TAMA,
kakailanganin pa bang ipadala si Jesus?
Iipinadala si Jesus para
- ituwid ang liko
- liwanagan ang madilim
- itama ang mali.
AT SI JESUS ANG KINATAWAN NG LAHAT NG KABUTIHAN AT KATOTOHANAN NG DIYOS!
-----
SURIIN ang bawat katuruan:
- Ihambing
- SALAIN
sa Katuruan ni Jesus.
Ang mga aral/utos na SALUNGAT sa aral / utos ni Jesus
ay marapat na ipailalim kay Jesus.
Jesus taught about NEWness: New
- Command (Love)
- Life (Loving)
- Wine (Teaching)
- Wineskin (Heart)
- Covenant (Based on Grace, not the Law)
- Creation (Person/Personality/Character)
Kung tama ang lahat ng OLD, bakit pa sya magtuturo ng NEW?
----
JESUS IS LORD.
Philippians 2:9-10 (NIV)
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
----
HUWAG MALITO KUNG SINO ANG
- Lord
- Savior
- dapat sundin at sundan: Si Jesus lamang!
MANINDIGAN KAY JESUS.
Huwag sumunod sa mga kontra sa katuruan ni Jesus.
Luke 11:23 (CEV)
If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don’t gather in the crop with me, you scatter it.
Politicians WHO RUN ON RELIGIOUS PLATFORMS should stay away from secular politics and become full time religious missionaries instead.
Then they could serve their God more directly and purely!
(Dirty politics would only make them go to bed with the devil.)
Separation of Church and State, remember?
If religious politicians won public offices, they are to serve the entire nation, not only their church. So they will either compromise their faith to serve everyone or they will (mis)use their office to promote their religion.
JESUS says
"Give to Ceasar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." (Mark 12.17)
EVEN JESUS IS CLEAR ABOUT THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!
That separation protects the state from religious interference and the religious from political pollution.
Q - Eh sino po ang dapat mamahala? Di ba mabuiti nang mga religious? .... A - OK lang ba sa yo kung religious ang politicians / leaders PERO KAANIB SA IBANG RELIGIONS, hindi sa religion mo? Pero kung hindi naman religious kundi civic ang platform ni politician, eh di ok lang na mag-run sya.
Q - Maganda po bang iboto ang candidates na very zealous and very public for her/his religious beliefs?
A -
Siguro magagandahan ka kung lang kapanalig mo yung candidate?
Para magamit nya ang public office and power nya to promote your shared religious beliefs?
Pero baligtarin mo:
PANO KUNG IBA ANG RELIGION or religious conviction ng zealous candidate?
Kung salungat sa beliefs mo, magagandahan ka pa ba?
------
Public officials are to work and function for the WHOLE populace, for the whole nation. And the populace /nation is composed of people with diverse religions and spiritualities.
Hindi marapat na ang public servant , while using the powers of the State, ay maging "representative" and hitman of her/his religion against other citizens of different religious convictions.
Suriin mo kung ano o anu-anong religions ang ngayo'y humahawak sa leeg ng gobyerno!
----
SURIIN ang nangyayari sa mga sectarian states ---yung ang gobyerno ay kasangkapan ng relihiyon. Di ba tadtad ng conflicts, oppression and suppression of religious minorities?
Naranasan at nararanasan yan ng Christians sa maraming sectarian states where they are the minorities.
Ngayon, kung "Christians" naman ang ilagay mo sa gobyerno (not for their capacity to govern but because of their religious zeal which you share), babaligtarin mo lang ang sitwasyon. From naaapi, kayo naman ang mang-aapi? It would only be a different dog but the same vicious collar!
(In history, even Christians have not been known to be Christ-like when in power!)
----
Mas maganda para sa buong bansa at lahat ng mamamayan na pious public officials keep their piety within their own religious communities and in their private lives, not in their public office. Whenever they function as public officials whether as executives or legislators or justices, they must serve the whole society and not only their religious blocks. And they should not use the powers of the State to persecute other beliefs and believers.
2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)
We are ... Christ’s ambassadors...
---------
Ambassadors
- make peace, not war.
- use diplomatic, not offensive, language.
- create positive feelings, not negative ones.
Meanwhile, the Pharisees
- judge
- condemn
- oppress
people.
Christians are not to be the Pharisees' ambassadors.
The "normal" / majority could so easily become the mob that
- marginalizes
- trivializes
- demonizes
the "abnormal" / minority.
----------
Consider which of the two groups (majority/normal or minority/abnormal) Jesus
- went to
- fellowshipped with
- protected
- cared for.
Q - Bakit po may mga points of view / statements ang ilang Christians na based on Scripture pero very unloving and even cruel to some types of people ang application?
A -
APPLICATION of "Biblical" teachings are shaped by the INTERPRETATION of the verses.
Interpretation of the verses is shaped by
- KNOWLEDGE (or lack of it)
- SECTARIAN or CONGREGATIONAL THEOLOGY
- INFLUENCE of "teachers" and "preachers"
- PERSONAL OR SOCIETAL BIAS / PREJUDICE.
APPLYING VERY ANCIENT TEACHINGS (that developed in and were practiced by a very specific tribe in its specific context for its specific culture in a very far away time and place) TO THE LIFE OF ALL PEOPLES AT ALL TIMES IN ALL PLACES is bound to be full of problems.
Blindly adopting and following to the letter primitive tribal customs of a people who lived far far away in a time long long past will definitely produce a lot of tension, even pain, on peoples whose context is worlds and millenia away from the ancient source of tradition.
APPLY THE JESUS TEST/ FILTER in interpreting and applying Scripture:
Ask:
IS IT LOVING?
IS IT KIND?
IS IT RESTFUL?
Jesus is the only son and the only true representation of the Father.
He is the Way.
His way is the Way.
John 1:14 (CEV)
The Word became
a human being
and lived here with us.
We saw his true glory,
the glory of the only Son
of the Father.
From him all the kindness
and all the truth of God
have come down to us
Science could be God's ultimate prophet.
Science reveals the thoughts of God.
Natural Law expresses the will of God.
Before
- human priests,
- organized religion,
- man-made doctrines and manufactured images of God,
there was Creation pointing to and revealing
the Creator, that even those that do not accept human-crafted religious doctrines
have no excuse for not believing in the Creator.
Romans 1:20 (CEV)
God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen.
But from the beginning of creation,
God has shown what these are like by all he has made.
That’s why those people don’t have any excuse.
Q - tito i need help.. am i depressed? medyo madami ko problema sa personal life ko, but i put all my energy sa ministry. but then when i lead ministry it seems na mali ang lahat ng ginagawa ko ayon sa aming leaders. and i think i can't go on anymore. what should i do?
A -
rest a while from ministry. do some things that relax you and you really enjoy.
More than "atheists", sectarian theologians could be guilty of misunderstanding --- and misrepresenting--- God.
Q - Tito nagpauwi na po ang mama ko from hospital pagod na daw po sya, ayaw na rin po nya inumin ang mga medecines nya, for dialysis po sya pero ayaw din po nya sa bahay na lang daw po sya, ano po maipapayo ninyo saamin?
A -
Kung yun ang kagustuhan nya, alamin nyo kung bakit.
Kung inililigtas lang nya kayo sa gastos
pero kaya nyo namang gumastos, convince her to stay in the hospital.
Pero kung talagang yun ang kagustuhan nya,
lalu na kung clinically ay alam nyong talagang slim ang chance na magamot pa sya vs mounting medical bills, baka makatwirang sundin ang loob nya?
Science is not an enemy of God
although Religion often makes an enemy of it.
(And Religion, Inc. does not always correctly represent God.)
Science is God's handmaiden and prophet.
Religious idols are not only man-made material (mis)representations of God who is Spirit;
Idols also mean mental (mis)representations of God like man-made
- doctrines
- ideas
- theologies
- religious formulas
- "Statements of Faith"
- Etc.
Anything that oversimplifies and misrepresents God, be it a material object or a mental construct, is an idol.
Isaiah 46:5-8 (CEV)
5 Can anyone compare with me?
Is anyone my equal?
6 Some people hire a goldsmith
and give silver and gold
to be formed into an idol
for them to worship.
7 They carry the idol
on their shoulders,
then put it on a stand,
but it cannot move.
They call out to the idol
when they are in trouble,
but it doesn’t answer,
and it cannot help.
8 Now keep this in mind,[a]
you sinful people.
And don’t ever forget it.
Science could be God's ultimate prophet.
Science reveals the thoughts of God.
Natural Law expresses the will of God.
Before
- human priests,
- organized religion,
- man-made doctrines and manufactured images of God,
there was Creation pointing to and revealing
the Creator, that even those that do not accept human-crafted religious doctrines
have no excuse for not believing in the Creator.
Romans 1:20 (CEV)
God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen.
But from the beginning of creation,
God has shown what these are like by all he has made.
That’s why those people don’t have any excuse.
CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES, DENYING SCIENCE SINCE 1633 ---February 13,1633: Italian philosopher, astronomer and mathematician Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome to face charges of heresy for advocating that the Earth revolves around the Sun, not the other way around. Galileo officially faced the Roman Inquisition in April of that same year and agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. Put under house arrest indefinitely by Pope Urban VIII, Galileo spent the rest of his days at his villa in Arcetri, near Florence, before dying on January 8,1642.
Q - Ang leader po ng prayer ministry sa church namin ay effective lang sa mga emotional type na tao kasi ang drama-drama at ang haba-haba nyang mag-pray. Mahilig pa pong magpa-prayer fellowship sa hating-gabi, madaling araw at OVERNIGHT!
Kaya po yung ibang types of people, hindi makadalo o AYAW dumalo sa prayer fellowships led by her. Gusto po ng marami pang ibang tao pero ayaw nila sa style ng prayer leader. Tuloy hindi po sila dumadalo. ANO PO ANG MAGANDANG GAWIN?
A -
Magbukas ng ibang prayer events / fellowships led by other types of leaders!
Hindi naman FRANCHISE ng isang leader ang isang buong ministry.
Puede at magandang may iba-ibang prayer events / fellowships lead by different types of persons suited to different types of people and tastes.
Iwasan lang na magmukhang may competition.
APPLY this same principle sa ibang ministries sa church: Men's /Women's /Young Adults /Youth /other people/ministry groups.
HIndi naman kailangang isa lang ang group kasi may mga leaders na effective sa isang lang type of people but not with other types kaya napu-puera yung iba.
Q - Tito kating-kati na po akong magka-BF. Hilung-hilo. Sabik ba sabik.
Nilalagnat. GUstung gusto ko na po pero wala po talagang lumalapit.
Sawi po ako. Bigo. Zero. Dahil kaya di ako kagandahan?
What can I do para magka-BF?
Ano po gagawin ko ngayong Valentine's day?
A -
Pati si Miss Universe Pia walang BF; sawi rin daw sya.
So, wala sa ganda yan.
Walang nakaalam ng formula kung pano magka-love life.
So, habang wala pa, o kahit wala na ---do productive, fruitful, enjoyable, meaningful things with your life.
Ngayong VD?
Mag-shopping na lang muna kayo ni Pia.
O gumawa ka ng bahay para sa Gawad Kalinga
If salvation is earned only by being a member of a certain religious group,
then NO ONE got saved before that religion was organized by mere humans?
CHECK THE DATE
of organization of any religion that claims to have exclusive franchise to heaven.
Paano yung mga taong nabuhay at namatay bago nabuo ang religion na yun?
Even in the Old Testament,
it took ages and ages before organized, corporate religion was born.
Even Judaism was of a very late development.
So wala ring naligtas sa mga tao noong unang panahon?
Paano pa kung yung religion ay born only in the
- 1st Century?
- 3rd Century?
- 5th Century?
- 16th Century?
- 20th Century?
- Last Month?
- Yesterday?
Salvation has always been available way before corporate religions developed: Salvation is through an individual person's connection with God who at first was only partially and hazily revealed through the prophets but of late was clearly, definitely and perfectly revealed in and through Jesus.
Salvation has always been faith in God directly or through faith in the savior who was to come but without a name yet, then faith in the savior who has already come and with a name: Jesus!
Acts 4:11-12 (CEV)
11 He is the stone that you builders thought was worthless, and now he is the most important stone of all. 12 Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.
The name is JESUS, not the brand of any religion.
If salvation is earned only by being a member of a certain religious group,
then NO ONE got saved before that religion was organized by mere humans?
CHECK THE DATE
of organization of any religion that claims to have exclusive franchise to heaven.
Paano yung mga taong nabuhay at namatay bago nabuo ang religion na yun?
Even in the Old Testament,
it took ages and ages before organized, corporate religion was born.
Even Judaism was of a very late development.
So wala ring naligtas sa mga tao noong unang panahon?
Paano pa kung yung religion ay born only in the
- 1st Century?
- 3rd Century?
- 5th Century?
- 16th Century?
- 20th Century?
- Last Month?
- Yesterday?
Salvation has always been available way before corporate religions developed: Salvation has been through an individual person's connection with God who at first was only partially and hazily revealed through the prophets by of late was clearly, definitely and perfectly revealed in and through Jesus.
Salvation has always been faith in God directly or through faith in the savior who was to come but without a name yet, then faith in the savior who has already come and with a name: Jesus!
Acts 4:11-12 (CEV)
11 He is the stone that you builders thought was worthless, and now he is the most important stone of all. 12 Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.
The name is JESUS, not the brand of any religion.
Always give yourself a strong, beautiful and pleasant reason to wake up in the morning.
Schedule an exciting, enjoyable, meaningful activity everyday!
Q Madalas po akong naiinip, walang excitement, walang gana sa buhay. Parang walang strong reason to go on living?
A -
Change the horizon or the path ahead of you.
Magbato ka ng excitement sa landas na tatahakin mo in the future.
Mag schedule ka ng events, activities, etc na me-e-enjoy mo tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, etc so you have some exciting things to look forward to.
Commit yourself to projects / causes you love, like and believe in.
Get close to or surround yourself with people who are motivated, active and with a big purpose in life.
Pray.
Commune with God.
Give yourself a reason to anticipate the future!
Q - Paano po kaya matatahimik ang mga individual believers sa loob ng iisang church na hindi nagkakasundo sa pananalig at yung mga churches na pareho ang general religion pero hindi magkasundu-sundo sa particular doctrines? Lahat naman ipinipilit na sila ang tama?
A -
Amos 3:3 (NIV)
Do two walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?
----------
Kung talagang malaki and irreconcilable ang differences:
1. Magsama-sama yung pare-pareho ang beliefs at paninindigan?
2. Maayos at matahimik na bumukod ?
3. Huwag nang siraan yung iba?
4. Huwag ipagpilitang i-convert yung iba?
5. Grow in faith in peace.
Kanya-kanya para tahimik?
Q - Dapat po ba akong maging concerned pag may nag-di-disagree sa aking philosophy or belief?
A -
Depende kung
- sino sila sa buhay mo?
- ano ang kaalaman at karapatan nilang manuri?
- ano ang magiging effect sa buhay /hanapbuhay mo ng disagreement nila?
Q - After so many years of active church membership, pagod na pagod, sawang-sawa, umay na umay na po ako sa walang katapusang mga gulo ng Christians within the same local church, against other Christian churches and against other religions. Pero mas marami po yung intramurals: troubles and conflicts within the Christian community.
What can I do. I love God but I hate the culture of the churches!
A -
Hindi ka nag-iisa sa ganyang pakiramdam.
1. Cut or minimize your personal involvement in such troubles and quarrels.
2. Alongside church involvement, develop a very personal spiritual life and growth.
Improve your personal /private
- prayer
- study of the Bible
- worship
- ministries like doing good to people, etc
Q - Dapat pa po bang sundin ang mga kautusan / bawal sa Leviticus?
A -
1. May naniniwalang kung ipipilit sundin ang mga katutusan sa Leviticus, dapat sundin LAHAT, at HUWAG PILIIN LANG ang susundin at ang hindi susundin.
(Maraming Christians, selective ang pagsunod; may sinusunod at may hindi.
Kanya-kanyang pangangatwiran.)
2.
May naniniwalng CANCELLED na ng LOVE DOCTRINE ni Jesus ang mga UNLOVING / CRUEL commands/ teachings in Leviticus pero effective pa ang mga hindi contra sa teachings of love ni Jesus.
3.
May naniniwala na ang Leviticus ay may context: historical, cultural, religious, tribal, etc. --- at naniniwala sila na kung iba na ang context ng buhay ng present-day believers, hindi na sila obligadong sundin ang mga kautusan na hindi angkop sa context ng kanilang reality ngayon.
CONSIDER SOME OF THE PROHIBITIONS IN LEVITICUS and relate to each regulation the context and practice of many believers today:
Banned in Leviticus
1. Burning any yeast or honey in offerings to God (2:11)
2. Failing to include salt in offerings to God(2:13)
3. Eating fat (3:17) [That one’s “a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.” All fat is to be saved for offerings to God.
4. Eating blood (3:17)
5. Failing to testify against any wrongdoing you’ve witnessed (5:1)
6. Failing to testify against any wrongdoing you’ve been told about (5:1)
7. Touching an unclean animal (5:2
8. Carelessly making an oath (5:4)
9. Deceiving a neighbor about something trusted to them (6:2)
10. Finding lost property and lying about it (6:3)
11. Bringing unauthorized fire before God (10:1) [God will smite you.]
12. Letting your hair become unkempt (10:6) [“You will die” and God will be angry at everyone.]
13. Tearing your clothes (10:6) [“You will die” and God will be angry at everyone.]
14. Drinking alcohol in holy places (10:9) [“You will die.”]
15. Eating an animal which doesn’t both chew cud and has a divided hoof (EG: camel, rabbit, pig) (11:4-7)
16. Touching the carcass of any of the above (11:8)
17. Eating – or touching the carcass of – any seafood without fins or scales (11:10-12)
18. Eating – or touching the carcass of – eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat. (11:13-19)
19. Eating – or touching the carcass of – flying insects with four legs, unless those legs are jointed (11:20-22)
20. Eating any animal which walks on all four and has paws (11:27)
21. Eating – or touching the carcass of – the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon (11:29)
22. Eating – or touching the carcass of – any creature which crawls on many legs, or its belly (11:41-42)
23. Going to church within 33 days after giving birth to a boy (12:4)
24. Going to church within 66 days after giving birth to a girl (12:5)
25. Having sex with your mother (18:7)
26. Having sex with your father’s wife (18:8) [In 20:11, both are to be put to death.]
27. Having sex with your sister (18:9)
28. Having sex with your granddaughter (18:10)
29. Having sex with your half-sister (18:11)
30. Having sex with your biological aunt (18:12-13)
31. Having sex with your uncle’s wife (18:14)
32. Having sex with your daughter-in-law (18:15) [In 20:12, both are to be put to death.]
33. Having sex with your sister-in-law (18:16)
34. Having sex with a woman and also having sex with her daughter or granddaughter (18:17) [In20:14 if you marry both of them, all three of you are to be “burned in fire.”]
35. Marrying your wife’s sister while your wife still lives (18:18)
36. Having sex with a woman during her period (18:19)
37. Having sex with your neighbor’s wife (18:20) [In 20:10, both are to be put to death.]
38. Giving your children to be sacrificed to Molek (18:21) [In 20:2, the person is to be stoned to death.]
39. Having sex with a man “as one does with a woman” (18:22) [In 20:13, both are to be put to death.]
40. Having sex with an animal (18:23) [In 20:15, both are to be killed.]
41. Making idols or “metal gods” (19:4)
42. Reaping to the very edges of a field (19:9)
43. Picking up grapes that have fallen in your vineyard (19:10)
44. Stealing (19:11)
45. Lying (19:11)
46. Swearing falsely on God’s name (19:12)
47. Defrauding your neighbour (19:13)
48. Holding back the wages of an employee overnight (19:13)
49. Cursing the deaf or abusing the blind (19:14)
50. Perverting justice, showing partiality to either the poor or the rich (19:15)
51. Spreading slander (19:16)
52. Doing anything to endanger a neighbor’s life (19:16)
53. Seeking revenge or bearing a grudge (19:18)
54. Mixing fabrics in clothing (19:19)
55. Cross-breeding animals (19:19)
56. Planting different seeds in the same field (19:19)
57. Sleeping with another man’s slave (19:20)
58. Eating fruit from a tree within four years of planting it (19:23) 59. Practicing divination or seeking omens (19:26) [In 20:6 they will be “cut off from their people” by God. In 20:27, they are to be stoned to death.]
60. Trimming your beard (19:27)
61. Cutting your hair at the sides (19:27)
62. Getting tattoos (19:28)
63. Making your daughter prostitute herself (19:29)
64. Turning to mediums or spiritualists (19:31)
65. Not standing in the presence of the elderly (19:32)
66. Mistreating foreigners (19:33-34)
67. Using dishonest weights and scales (19:35-36)
68. Cursing your father or mother (20:9) [Punishable by death]
69. Marrying a prostitute, divorcee or widow if you are a priest (21:7,13)
70. Entering a place as a priest where there’s a dead body (21:11) 71. Slaughtering a cow/sheep and its young on the same day (22:28)
72. Working on the Sabbath (23:3)
73. Blasphemy (24:14) [Death.]
74. Inflicting an injury; killing someone else’s animal; killing a person must be punished in kind (24:17-22)
75. Selling land permanently (25:23)
Q - Can't people disagree without being angry and /or rude?
A -
Reaction is a choice.
Q - Ano po kaya ang burden ng preacher pag maraming nakakikilala sa kanya at maraming nararating ang message nya? (From a young pastor)
A -
Dumarami ang critics nya?
Q - Mabuti pa po nung hindi pa mga Bible addicts ang ilang friends ko. Cool lang sila at hindi pala-away and judgmental.
Pero nang magsimula pong magbasa ng BIble at umattend ng Bible studies, naging mga war freak po, palaaway sa ibang religions, pala pintas, batu nang bato sa iba...at pati po sa church nila, sila-sila batuhan ng batuhan.
Bakit po kaya?
A -
Malamang, modern-day Pharisee ang teacher/leader?
Dun lang naman sila kumukuha ng turo, liban na lang super able sila to self-study?
Jesus on Pharisees:
Matthew 23:15 (NIV)
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are
In the hands of self-righteous religious people,
verses become killing stones mercilessly thrown at people they judge as
"sinners".
Stones were used to wound, hurt and kill people judged by the religious as sinful
Those stones were the Law / Scripture / Verses.
Judgemental, self righteous religious people use verses as stones of death.
Binabato nila ng verses ang mga taong sa panukat nila ay makasalanan.
?
Judgmental religious people use Scripture / the Law / Verses to stone, wound, hurt and even kill people they accuse of sin.
Verses become weapons of mass destruction.
?
The judgmental mob had verse-stones in their hands: verses from Scripture that they turn into killing stones.
People found to be "guilty" of sin were stoned to death..
But Jesus did not let those people stone the "adultreous" woman to death.
Instead, he confronted the blood-thirsty mob with the same Scripture that could very well be used to stone them, too!
If people applied "the Law" on the woman, they should apply it to themselves as well.
The Law condemned everybody.
No one is righteous!
Romans 3:10(NIV)
10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
-----
Then Jesus wrote with his own finger on the ground/dust, did he write
another Law / the New Law: LOVE?
Seeing what he wrote and being confronted with the same verse-stones about their own sinfulness, NO ONE could stone the hapless woman.
Everyone was silenced.
The mob went away, probably thankful that they, too, have been spared from their own deadly verse-stones.
?
The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
- Proverbs 10:22 (RSV)
Q - Tito ed? If you love someone ba ? Hahayaan mo sya mamuhay sa kasalanan, na ang kasalanan ay magdudulot ng kamatayang spiritual? Ang Diyos ba natin ay konsintidor? Ano ba ang mas tama? Ang bible? O ang ating mga dadamin?
A -
ang madalas na tunay na malalim na isyu ay
- kung ang inaakala nating kasalan ay kasalanan nga ba talaga?
- Ang isang particular religious teaching ay kalooban nga ba talaga ng Diyos o likha ng relihiyon?
Maraming hindi namumuhay sa ilalim ng particular religous doctrine hindi dahil hindi sila naniniwala sa Diyos kundi dahil hindi sila naniniwala na lahat ng turo ng relihiyon ay galing talaga sa Diyos
People don't always identify religion / religious doctrine with God.
Ibarra at Pilosopong Tasyo, Noli Me Tangere:
I-APPLY sa kalagayan ng religious scholarship /mentality today.
---------------------
"Nagsusulat kayo sa heroglipiko? At bakit po?"
"Upang hindi ako mabasa ngayon."
"At bakit kayo sumusulat kung ayaw nyong mabasa?"
"Sapagkat hindi ako sumusulat ukol sa salinlahing ito.
Sumusulat ako ukol sa ibang panahon.
Kapag nabasa ako ng salinlahiing ito, susunugin nila ang mga aklat ko...
Sa kabilang dako, ang salinglahing babasa ng mga titik kong ito ay isang salinlahing marunong, mauunawan ako, at sasabihing:
'HINDI LAHAT AY NATULOG SA GABI NG ATING MGA NINUNO.'
Ililigtas ang aking akda ng mahiwaga o kakatwang titik na ito laban sa kamangmangan ng mga tao,
tulad ng mahiwag at kakaibang pagsamba na nagligtas sa maraming katotohanan mula sa kamay ng mapangwasak ng mg auring saserdote." (Almario)
----------
"Sinusunog" pa rin ngayon ng mga bulag na relihiyoso ang mga
- sulatin ng mga Pilosopong Tasyo.
- Pilosopong Tasyo.
Inuusig
Binabato
ng mga mangmang
ang mga maaalam at may kaliwanagan.
NGUNIT KAHIT NGAYON, MAY MGA
- PILOSOPONG TASYO.
- GISING AT MULAT.
Hindi lahat ay mangmang; hindi lahat ay tulog.
Dangan ay "nagsusulat sa heroglipiko"; inia-adya ang sarili sa karahasan ng mga madilim ang isip.
PUEDE BANG BAGUHIN ANG LAHAT SA TAO?
What is learned could be unlearned.
Learned / Acquired behavior and personality could be changed.
But what is in-born nature cannot be changed.
Jeremiah 13:23 (NIV)
Can an Ethiopian[a] change his skin
or a leopard its spots?
-------
Human personality, when
- learned could be unlearned.
- programmed could be deprogrammed.
- acquired could be changed.
- chosen could be UNchosen/discarded.
But human personality, when
- inborn /born that way
- genetic
- natural
cannot be changed.
Jesus says:
Matthew 19:12 (NIV)
For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
------
There are people who are like what they are because they
- were made that way by ONLY by their environment; they could be UNmade / REmade.
- chose it; they can make other choices.
- were born that way; they did not choose it. They cannot change what they did not choose/ is in-born.
JESUS SAID IT.
BELIEVE IT.
SETTLE IT.
Kung ikaw ay
- "binago"
- "nabago" na
"ng Diyos", pasalamat ka.
Pero hwag mong gawing modelo at standard ang sarili
para piliting mabago din ang lahat tulad mo, sa speed mo, sa direction mo.
Iba-iba ang dealings ng Panginoon sa bawat individual.
At malay mo, iba sa iyo ang nature and nurture ng ibang tao.
Those who mock teachings on LOVE show their true doctrine: Hatred.
Those who scoff at and mock teachings on LOVE (as if love was only for "hippies and junkies") scoff at and mock God because God is love.
1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
*
Psalm 1:1(NIV)
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
Jesus says:
"... love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.." - Matthew 5:44
"...bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you..." Luke 6:28
--------
Hindi sinabi na Jesus na
- kuyugin
- sugurin
- sugatan
ang
- kaaway sa pananalig o
- itinuturing na makasalanan
God is love.
Jesus loved people, even --- especially ---those unloved /hated /rejected by the Religious System.
Jesus was called a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
Christians are to do the work of Jesus,
not of the Pharisees who oppress and judge and reject people.
Unite and work with those who love,
not with those who hate.
----------
John 14:12 (NIV)
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing...
It is disturbing when people use Scripture to
- hurt
- wound and
- hate
others in the name of God.
Q - When is it good to apologize for our speech/words?
A -
1. It is NOT necessary to apologize for the CONTENT of what we say,
especially if that is a statement of personal faith or belief or opinion.
No one needs to apologize for his/her personal opinion.
2.
It is necessary to apologize when what we say,
intentionally or unintentionally,
- is
- proves to be
WRONG and DAMAGES those who hear and believe us.
3.
Even if what we say is factual or a matter of personal belief/opinion, It is proper to apologize for the MANNER in which we speak; if the delivery
is needlessly offensive, hurting, insulting, demeaning or disrespectful to the hearers or the objects of our speech.
Kahit tama ang sinabi, kung hindi tama ang pananalita,
marapat mag-apologize. Not for WHAT was said but for HOW it was said.
Colossians 4:6-8 (NIV)
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace,
seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Q - Bakit po may mga Bible teachers / preachers na mahilig manakot?
Puro pananakot ang lessons nila?
A -
Tulad din ng may mga taong mahilig sa horror movies?
Puedeng nananakot sila kasi
1. sincerely convinced o na-convinced sila na yun ang dapat na basa sa verses?
2. takot din sila?
Q - Yun daw pong mga prophesied events sa Revelation, NANGYARI NA NOONG First Century at hindi na in the future?
A -
Puedeng yes, puedeng no, puedeng partial and progressive ang pangyayari, depending on how one INTERPRETS the verses
3. controversial and interesting ang mga nakatatakot na bagay so mapapansin ang lesson nila?
4. may ready and willing audience ang mga ganyang topics?
5. madaling ma-manipulate ang takot na tao?
