GOD EXCLUSIVE TO ONE RELIGION???
BEFORE the
- families
- tribes
- nations
- sects
- congregations
- religions
- idols in stone and/or in doctrine
WAS GOD.
Who would dare to
- create God in their own human image, then
- own God and
- lay exclusive claim to the door to eternity?
HOW COULD GOD WHO FILLS HEAVEN AND EARTH WITH HIS GLORY
FIT INSIDE ANY SPECIFIC.LIMITED, OFTEN EXCLUSIVE MAN-MADE RELIGION?
Acts 7:49-50 (CEV)
49 “Heaven is my throne,
and the earth
is my footstool.
What kind of house
will you build for me?
In what place will I rest?
50 I have made everything.”
Q - Maganda po ba ang provision ng 1987 Cory Constitution na ipinoprotect ang Filipino capital from foreign capital? Na may limitasyon ang puedeng pamumuhunan ng foreigners sa Pilipinas?
A -
Maganda kung
1. Marami / Sapat ang capital ng Filipino citizens para paunalarin ang bansa at makapagbigay ng trabaho sa lahat/ mas maraming tao.
2. Makabayan ang local Filipino elite kasi magagamit nila yung exclusive privilege sa pamumuhunan para sa ikabubuti ng bansa.
PERO
Ano ang napala ng taumbayan sa constitutional cap on capital?
Foreign capitalists are excluded from /limited in participating in our economy tapos nasosolo ng local elite ang negosyo sa Pilipinas.
Pero dahil limited ang capital ng local citizens, at mayron pa sa kanila ay sa ibang bansa namumuhunan imbes na sa Pilipinas, marami tuloy na undeveloped sectors ang economy. hence the OFW scourge.
Sino ba talaga ang nakikinabang sa constitutional limit on foreign capital?
Eh di ang local elite.
Tanong: Nationalistic ba ang elite?
O naging exclusive franchise nila ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas dahil sa 1987 Constituiton?
Q - Pabor po ba kayo sa home education; yung sa bahay na lang tinuturuan ang bata para hindi mahawa sa maruming mundong ito?
A -
People who do this to their children must have very personal reasons for doing so. Certainly mayrong advantages.
But generally, I am uncomfortable with this antiseptic upbringing.
Maikukulong mo ba ang bata sa bahay nyo buong buhay nya?
Kasi kung hindi, how will the child cope later in life when he/she must live in the world among all other earthlings?
Para ba hindi magkasakit ang bata ay ititira /ikukulong mo sa antiseptic environment?
Eh di hindi sya makaka-develop ng antibodies para sa totoong buhay?
Jesus
was raised just like all other children, and his exposure to the world was balanced. He grew up as a balanced person.
Luke 2:52 (CEV)
Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people.
Kung may choice ang family, mas pabor ako sa usual, normal education with lots of solid godly instruction and training at home.
Q - Bakit po kaya laging nilalait ng preacher namin ang mga very educated members ng church? Panay po ang patama nya?
A -
Baka
1. Kulang sa humility yung mga educated members na tinutukoy mo?
2. Hindi educated / kulang sa education yung preacher kaya in self-defense ay inaatake nya ang mga educated para magmukha syang above them in spite of?
Q - Gusto ko pong mag Bible School. Kelan po mas magandang gawin ito: 1. right after high school graduation (na gusto ko), or
2. after makatapos ng isang secular, regular college course (na gusto ng Tatay ko) ?
A -
The Bible is a very broad book.
But seminaries are not always known for broadmindedness;
some of them tend to have a very narrow sectarian/congregational reading and interpretation of Scripture.
Habang nakapagpapalawak ng isip ang Bible,
puedeng ang seminary education ay magpakitid ng isip!
(Kaya nga ang graduates ng iba-ibang seminaries ay madalas may bangayan at paligsahan kung sino ang MAS tama ---- at magkakalaban pa sila sa mission field!)
SO,
mas mainam na kumuha at tumapos ka muna ng isang regular, "secular" course para lumawak ang pag-iisip mo bago ka mahubog na maging sectarian.
Pagkatapos, dun ka mag-seminaryo para mas malaki ang chance na maging mas objective, broadminded at academically trained ka to think more objectively.
ALSO,
magandang may konti ka nang edad at maturity bago sumuong sa religious education para may kakayahan kang manuri kung ito ay education nga ba o nagiging miseducation.
IIsa ang Bible pero iba-iba at laban-laban ang mga nagseminaryo.
Sa palagay mo, alin ang may gawa nyan, ang Bible o ang seminary?
Q - Yun pong pastor namin ay very very educated, with a long and fruitful experience in ministry.Over the years, para pong yung mga interpretations nya sa Bible ay naiiba sa dati nyang interpretations at naiiba rin sa usual, traditional interpretations of most preachers. Di po ba the word does not change?
A -
The word does not change, but people's capacity to read, understand, interpret and contextualize is determined and shaped by knowledge, educaton, training, experience, maturity, intelligence and spiritual factors.
Kung patuloy syang nag-aaral at patuloy na lumalago ang kanyang isip, lalu na kung patuloy na hinuhubog sya ng Diyos, posible namang mag-grow ang reading and interpretation nya of the same, unchanging Word.
Suriin nyo ang pinupuntahan ng teaching nya: papalapit ba o papalayo kay Jesus?
Suriin kung ano ang mangyayari sa inyong lahat pag sumunod kayo sa mga aral nya. Magiging masama ba kayo o mabuti?
Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God.
Kung mas inilalapit nya kayo kay Jesus, eh di maganda!
Pero kung inilalayo kayo kay Jesus at pinasusunod sa kung sinu-sino at kung anu-ano, eh di mag-ingat kayo!?
Sa isang "debate"
Truth /Reason dapat ang manalo; hindi tao/debater.
Kung sino ang may hawak ng truth/reason, yun ang makakasama sa panalo.
Ang mataas na pakay ng pakiki-debate ay para
1. itanghal ang katwiran at
2. MATUTO;
hindi para lang manalo at all / any cost.
Pag may magkakaibang opinyon o paniniwala tungkol sa isang paksang relihiyoso:
1. Huwag mainit ang ulo; huwag galit. Walang napagkakasunduan ang mga taong galit.
2. Huwag sugod nang sugod na parang mauubusan ng gierra.
Relax, be calm.
3. Huwag gumamit ng masasakit na salita, don't label people of other beliefs / opinions with derogatory names and labels.
4. Do not always invoke, use and hide behind the name and righteousness of God.
Most people with strong religious convictions believe that their opinion /belief /stand is the actual and only truth of God.
But what if there was a mistake (fully or partially) in one's reading, understanding, interpretation and application of his/her perceived "truth"?
5. People may engage in respectful, calm and civilized discussion not only to
- air their opinions hoping to "enligheten" the other party
but also to
- hear the other party's point of view, with the willingness to be the one to be enlightened or changed.
"Win" the discussion with unassailable, objective truth, not with muscle flexing and brute force.
TRUE WOSHIP
Isaiah 58:6 (CEV)
6 I’ll tell you
what it really means
to worship the LORD.
Remove the chains of prisoners
who are chained unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
-------------
Make sure as "worshipers" the Lord,
shouting out praises
and wearing faith on our sleeves,
we do not
- promote
- condone
- commit
abuses against people of any
- creed
- color
- gender
or
social status
“BORN THAT WAY” - Jesus
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
- - Psalm 24:1(NIV)
1. All Creation is made by God and belongs to God.
----------
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
- - Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)
2. Every person is designed and created by God.
3. Every creation of God is wonderful.
4. According to design, God “predestines” the life and general character of every created being.
-----------------------------------
Can an Ethiopian[a] change his skin
or a leopard its spots?
- - Jeremiah 13:23 (NIV)
5. Created beings could only be their natural, in-born selves.
They cannot change their nature; neither can anybody else change them.
----------------------------
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.”
- - Jesus: Matthew 19:12-13 (NIV)
6. People are what they are because of
1) Personal Decision / Choice.
(This can be changed when people choose to change.)
2) Intervention / Influence of the environment.
(Nurture. This can be changed if/when the environment/nurture is changed. )
3) In-born nature. (No one can/ should change this, not even the person concerned.)
7. If desired, change what could be changed.
But DO NOT PLAY GOD by rejecting / trying to change what is created.
Accept, appreciate, love what is God-designed, God-created and thus cannot / should not be changed.
------------------------------
“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
those who are nothing but potsherds
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?
Woe to the one who says to a father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’
- - Isaiah 45:9-10 (NIV)
8. Accept natural, in-born, nature ---yours and other people’s.
Do not argue with the Creator.
Thank God for who/what you are and develop your self to the highest level within your natural self.
Celebrate God's creativity and the diversity in Creation.
= Peace on earth!
Q – Dapat po bang sumali sa religious wars and Christians o mag-support sa political wars ng mga kapanalig o kamag-anak sa relihiyon?
A –
Walang ganyang turo si Jesus.
Kabaligtaran ang turo nya: kapayapaan / pag-iwas sa away.
Matthew 5:38-39 (NIV)
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[a] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
-----------------------
Huwag daw maghihiganti.
Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…
Matthew 26:51-53 (NIV)
51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
-----------
Hindi kailangan ni Jesus ng violent human assistance.
Kung gusto nyang makidigma, legions of angels are at his disposal.
Hindi nya ibinubuyo o isinusuong ang Christians sa pakikidigma.
CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE MANIPULATED AND USED BY POLITICAL INTERESTS (PRETENDING TO BE RELIGIOUS) INTO BECOMING WARRIORS OR SUPPORTERS OF RELIGIOUS-POLITICAL WARS.
The way of Jesus is peace.
On Side A: The whole "feeling-sinless" town that wants to stone the "sinful" woman
On Side B: The shamed, judged, hurting "sinful" woman.
Be very honest with yourself.
Examine yourself very deeply.
1. Will you stand on Side A, though actually sinful too but feeling sinless and angry with and ready to stone a fellow sinner?
OR
2. Will you stand on Side B as the sinner who was unfortunate to have been found out, judged and maltreated by fellow sinners?
ON WHICH SIDE DID JESUS STAND?
ON WHICH SIDE WILL YOU STAND?
Pastor's Wife's Ministry
Q - tito ano po b ang role ng Pastor's wife???
s church kc namin halos lahat na yt ng miembro nakabangga ang aming pastors wife dahil s pakikialam at pagdomina sa lahat ng ministry s church.. maraming pamilya na din ang umalis sa church namin dahil nakabanggaan nya sa ugaling nyang BOSY pero ramdam mong walang amor sa miyembro..
A -
Eh di pastor's wife --- sa bahay ng pastor.
Maging supportive wife and good mother. Manahimik sa bahay to make a good home for the pastor to go home to and rest in.
It would be good for the pastor's wife to stay home most of the time para pag-uwi ng pastor, she could minister to him well. Pag kasama si wife sa lahat ng gawain, pareho silang pagod pag-uwi; she would be unable to give the best "home service".
The pastor's wife should be queen in her house, but not in the church,
It is best for her to minimize direct and actual involvement in church affairs, especially leadership because she would drag her pastor-husband in all gossips and quarrels and intrigues that many women usually get into among themselves.
The pastor's wife is the wife of the pastor, not the mistress of the church.
Her main ministry is in the pastor's home, not in church governance. smile emoticon
Malamang ganitong type of women ang pinatatahimik ni Paul (1 cor 14.34) smile emoticon
BUT
If the pastor's wife is
- very gifted
- "called" to serve in the church,
she should not be denied that privilege.
Only, she should minimize and focus on her special ministry and stay away from other areas of church work.
Preferably, she should not hold administrative or leadership roles.
Lie low lang baga para iwas-intriga:-)
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
- Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Kanino ba nahahabag si Jesus, sa
- llamado o sa dejado?
- powerful or the weak?
- majority o sa minority?
- nang-aapi o sa inaapi?
Kung Jesus
- believer
- follower
saan dapat tumayo?
Q - Di po ba dapat panindigan at ipaglaban and Word of God?
A -
May 2 big words sa question mo: "God" and "Word" (of God)
Let's tackle muna yung "God".
Kung and God
na tinutukoy mo ay the same God din na tinutukoy ko,
magugustuhan mo ang sagot na YES.
(Panindigan at ipaglaban NATIN ang "word" ng God NATIN.)
Pero kung magkaiba
tayo ng God na tinutukoy at pinaniniwalaan,
(and there are many religions with their own Gods)
magugustuhan mo pa ba ang YES answer ko?
Kasi magiging magkalaban tayo.
We will attack and destroy each other, using/obeying/fighting for the "word"
of our kanya-kanyang "Gods".
Q - Di po ba dapat panindigan at ipaglaban and Word of God?
A -
May 2 big words sa question mo: "God" and "Word" (of God)
Now let's tackle "Word" (of God).
(I assume that by "Word of God", you mean the formal literature /Scriptures /teachings of YOUR religion.)
YES dapat panindigan ang "word" of God --- kung:
SIGURADO kang
- Word OF GOD nga ito at hindi imbento / sinulat ng tao lamang.
- kung word of God man ito ay hindi ito
1. naglalaman ng mga dagdag,
2. nabawasan,
3. na- edit / na-manipulate ng vested religious interest,
4. naiba ng human error/ omission / limitation in TRANSCRIPTION and TRANSLATION.
5. Tama ang reading, interpretation and application mo o ng religion mo.
Mainam na makinig ka rin sa panunuri ng
a. independent, objective SCHOLARS sa religious texts na gusto mong panindigan, kesa sa mga turo lang ng
b. dogmatic believers ka makinig kasi siempre ang believers can be very biased and subjective.
MAKE SURE THAT THE "WORD" YOU "DIE OR KILL" FOR IS REALLY THE EXACT, CORRECT, UNADULTERATED WORD OF GOD.
(Who "God" is was discussed earlier/above.)
But then, if the text is really God's word, will God really want you to die or kill for it
or hurt and wound others with it?
KAILANGAN BY NG DIYOS NG GANUNG HUMAN ASSISTANCE IN PROMULGATING DIVINE WORDS?
Q - Ano po ang magandang test kung talaga nga bang nasa puso ko na si Jesus?
A -
You are full of love.
Hindi verses na pambato sa kapwa
Loving ka.
Hindi ka galit sa mga may ibang beliefs?
Concerned ka pero hindi angry, hateful and aggressive.
You don't condemn people you consider as "sinners"?
You pray for them -- and for yourself to be not judgmental.
You don't use hurting words to attack people of other faiths.
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.
Q - I decided po na lumipat ng ibang church dahil gusto ko pong isalba ang faith ko after a very hurting event in my life involving very close friends and leaders in my old church. Nagpaalam po akong maayos and with respect with the Pastor, pero hindi po siya nagrelease ng blessing dahil hindi raw po siya namimigay ng tupa at isa pa leader na raw po ako sa church na yun. Is this biblical pastor? The pastor is saying pananagutan daw po niya ako kasi sa church na yun ako nakakilala at dun ako dapat magstay. But then I have peace with the decision I have prayed for and have started my journey towards healing.
A -
Hindi naman talaga dapat lipat agad ang solution pag may conflict sa church, pero kung talagang yun na ang least painful, I believe puede namang gawin yon decently and in order.
After all, there is only one Lord and one Church, marami lang ngang local units/churches.
Kung hindi ka naman lilipat sa ibang Lord, hindi ka nagpapalit ng ibang God kundi lilipat ka sa ibang branches lang, eh di hindi ka naman talaga umalis/lumipat?
Love ka siguro ng pastor mo kaya ayaw kang payagan?
O very important ang ministry mo?
Pero dahil nga "pananagutan" ka nya sa Lord, mainam ding pahalagahan ang personal na damdamin, kalagayan at kagustuhan mo.
Talagang mahirap at masakit sa pastor ang ganyang sitwasyon.
Pray for him. Continue to be supportive of his ministry in many other ways
wherever you go.
---------------------
Amos 3:3 (NIV)
Do two walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?
Q - Tito ano po ang dapat ko munang basahin sa bible para po mas madali ko po maintindihan ito..
Q -
In this order:
1.mark,
2. luke,
3. matthew,
4. john,
5. romans,
5. galatians
BASAHIN MO SA
1. Ang Bagong Magandang Balita Biblia
and/or
2. Contemporary Engilsh Version
para madali-daling maintindihan.
Pag gusto mo pa ng additional perspective,
basahin mo pa sa ibang versions like
The New American Standard Version, or
The New Revised Standard Version, or
The New King James Version
Happy reading!
Q - Ano po ang dapat gawin sa old testament teachings na ang implementation ay kontra sa teachings ni Jesus on love and freeedom?
A -
Jesus is the measure of all things.
He is the complete revelation of God's truth and kindness.
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.
-----------
Lahat ng katuruan before and AFTER (created by Christianity) Jesus ay dapat salain sa personal distinctive teachings ni Jesus.
Yung hindi lalampas /papasa /loving,
cancelled ng NEW teachings ni Jesus.
Yung namang papasa /lalampas /loving pa rin ang application eh di tuloy and implementation.
Kasi kung implementaion as usual ang mga teachings na unJesus / unLoving /Oppressive, ano ang saysay ng ministry ni Jesus? Mababale-wala?
Galatians 5:1-6 (CEV)
5 Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the Law again.
2 I, Paul, promise you that Christ won’t do you any good if you get circumcised. 3 If you do, you must obey the whole Law. 4 And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his wonderful kindness. 5 But the Spirit makes us sure that God will accept us because of our faith in Christ. 6 If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, it makes no difference whether you are circumcised or not. All that matters is your faith that makes you love others.
Q - Dapat po bang ituloy ang kasalan kahit hindi dadalo ang parents of the bride? Hilung-hilo po kasi ang girl at talagang handang talikuran ang parents mapakasal lang kay BF?!
A -
Sa panunuri sa BF/GF ng anak nila, parents are not 100% right --- only 99%!
ANG GUSTO NG PARENTS
AY ANG IKABUBUTI NGA ANAK --- hindi ang ikasasama.
Kaya pag ayaw na ayaw na ayaw nila sa BF/GF ng anak, MALAMANG NA TAMA SILA.
Kahit willing ang babae na talikuran ang sariling magulang (grabeng anak!) --- ANG LALAKI NA ANG DAPAT MAGPASYA NA HUWAG MUNANG ITULOY ANG KASALAN.
Hindi sya ang dapat magpilit.
Kung marangal at gentleman sya,
IGAGALANG AT IKO-CONSIDER muna nya ang feelings ng parents of the girl.
Hindi sya ,magsisimula ng married life nila on the WRONG foot.
Hindi nya hahatiin ang pamilya ng bride.
Liligawan muna nya ng todo ang parents and seek their blessing.
And after a really reasonable time at ayaw pa rin ng parents, baka doon na lang sila talaga pakasal.
May malaking asiwa kung itutuloy nila ang kasalan kahit boycot ang parents of the bride.
IT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THE GUY.
Q - Ano po ba talaga ang purpose ng debut party ng 18-year old na girl?
A -
Noong unang panahon na ang mga dalagita at nakakulong sa bahay or sa convent at hindi pinapayagang mag-socialize outside of the family, nagde-debut pag 18 na para ipakilala sa society --- para payagan na ang dalagang makisalamuha sa lipunan at ---tumanggap ng manliligaw.
(Manliligaw pa lang, hindi BF agad.)
Kaya may first dance ---usually with the Father or brother or uncle. Basta family member ang guy.
PERO NGAYON na 9 years old pa lang ay laman na ng kalsada /mall at laging nasa parties /outings, etc ANO PA ANG NEED TO INTRODUCE THE young lady to society? Anong first dance-first dance ay pagud na kayuyugyog?! At mInsan nga 3 years old pa lang ay may BF na, bakit pa magde-debut?
ENTITLED BA ANG PRESENT-DAY JEW SA PROMISES NG GOD SA ANCIENT ISRAELITE?
Q - Nalilito po ako sa real meanings and applications ng words na
1. ISRAEL/Israelite. Israeli;
2. JUDAH / Judean, Jew.
Heeeeelp!
A -
The ancient nation was composed of 12 tribes.
10 belonged to the Northern Kingdom called ISRAEL. Capital: Samaria;
Holy Mountain: Gershim
2 belonged to the Southern Kingdom called JUDAH: Capital: Jerusalem;
Holy Mountain: Zion. (See John 4.19-21)
The ten tribes /ISRAEL vanished forever after Assyria conquered Israel in 722 BCE .
After that, only the Southern Kingdom of JUDAH, composed of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, was left in existence.
In 587 BCE JUDAH was conquered by Babylon and taken to captivity for almost 50 years (587-539 BCE).
[It was in the Babylonian exile of the Tribe of Judah that JUDAISM was developed into the formal religion that it would be known for long. It was most probably distinct in many ways from the religion practiced BEFORE captivity as most of the teachings of the Babylon-formalized religion was a REACTION to the Jews’ exposure in a metropolitan setting composed of many races and religions. The Jewism that developed was almost solely dedicated to avoiding interaction with the international community in Babylonia.]
In 539 BCE remnants of the tribe of Judah were allowed to return to Jerusalem.
By then already adhering to a “separatist, self-centered” religiosity that was developed as a defensive-offensive weapon against the ”internationalism” in Babylon, those JEWS rebuilt the temple and most of Judea.
By then, there were NO MORE of the original people called ISRAELITES to whom most of the promises were given by the God of Israel.
The JEW in Jesus’ time is NOT the same as the ISRAELITE that, by then, already vanished.
Then after the AD 70 revolt of the Jews against Rome, they were expelled from the land.
In 1948, upon the intervention of the United Nations, the modern-day nation of Israel was created.
Jews from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe claimed ISARELI citizenship and moved to settle in Palestine / the territory. Those present-day Jews were about two thousand years apart from the Jews that were driven out in AD 72.
You figure if you would have exactly the same “Jews”.
JUDEAN, when used in the Bible, refers to the peoples who lived in the Judean area, not necessarily to the Jews identified by blood and religion.
It is faulty to translate JUDEAN into JEW --- a “crime” many Bible translations are guilty of.
To summarize:
JUDAH is not automatically ISRAEL.
JEW is not ISRAELITE
Ancient ISRAELITE is not automatically the same as today’s ISRAELI
JUDEAN is not automatically JEW
The original ISRAEL/ISRAELITE before the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests
Is NOT the JEW that returned from the Babylonian captivity and comprised the Jewish nation in Jesus’ time.
The Law / Religion of pre-conquest ISRAEL is not automatically the same as the Law/Religion of the post-Babylonian Jew.
(Note that Jesus, in showing all the love of and truth about God, broke many of the current laws of the Jews and (RE)introduced a NEW COMMAND; LOVE.
So Jesus could be breaking the Jewish Law of his time in order to reintroduce the true, pre-captivity Law given to the original Israelites that was lost when the Isralites vanished and the Jews that remained became reactionary-defensive-offensive against international culture.
Needless to say, the modern-day Jew/Israeli is not automatically entitled to the PROMISES
given by the God of the ORIGINAL Israelites TO THE ORIGINAL ISRAELITES who received the promises but are no longer in existence today.
Q - Ano pong isang quality or vision ng national office candidate ang mahalaga sa Pilipinas ngayon?
A -
Yung malinaw na kontra sa ginagawa ng political, economic, social and religious ELITE na
- pagsasamatala at pagpapasasa sa yaman ng Bayan para lang sa kanilang sarili.
- pangtatanga at paggamit sa masa
- pagsasawalang-bahala sa pagkasira ng Filipino psyche, mentality and dignity basta lang sila ay yumaman nang yumaman at lumakas nang lumakas.
At mahalaga rin yung malinaw nyang programa o philosophy and method kung paano palalayain ang PIlipinas sa pandarambong ng ELITE ---- AT SA MOB RULE ng karamihan na binubulag ng VESTED POLITICAL INTEREST para rin pagsamantalahan at gamitin ng mga ideologues.
KONTING-KONTING TAO ANG KUMOKONTROL SA PILIPINAS
ito man ay sa loob ng mga kabayanan
0 sa labas --- sa mga kanayunan.
Mga parents
- na kandarapang umakyat ng stage to receive awards with their "super" kids,
- who rob their children of their childhood sa kapipilit sa kanilang maging honor students,
BAKIT DI NA LANG SILA ANG MAG-ENROLL ULIT
SA SCHOOL para sila ang mag-earn ng awards?!
Magandang maraming honors ang bata --kung natural, likas na mahusay at hindi pinipilit ng todo-todo-todo para lang magka-award.
--------------
Q - Ibig sabihin po ba hwag nang mag-ambisyon para sa mga anak?
A -
Basahin mo ngang mabuti pamangkin ang sinabi ng Tito para maintindihan mo. Ang point, hwag pilitin ang mga bata beyond their natural capacity. Many kids are destroyed by over ambitious and unrealistically expectant parents
Q - Tito kulang po ako sa height.
What can I do to improve my looks?
A -
There's not much you could do with your length.
So improve your width and overall appearance!
Strive to have good weight, shape and over-all health.
Enhance your looks with
- a good, bagay hair style. (It's worth the investment.)
- sensible and flattering wardrobe and personal accessories
(Sobrang konti ang bagay/magandang magdala ng BACKPACKS.
If you need to backpack, invest in a slim, non-bulky, presentable styles.
Huwag magmukhang Santa Claus or Kampanerang Kuba!)
- Choose your footwear very well.
Akala nang iba puedeng ignore ang shoes kasi nasa baba naman.
No, the choice of shoes make you look good or not good.
- Be clean, neat and hindi mabaho.
(HIndi ko sinabing maging mabango/magpabango. 90% of people who wear scents actually smell bad. Either hindi bagay sa body chemistry nila ang scent or OA maglagay. Para nang insecticide ang amoy nila.
- SMILE. Wear a smile; it could be your best accessory.
Q - Meron po bang dbd sa melbourne, australia?
A -
Yes, meron. Post natin contact details
Angels pls.....
DAY BY DAY MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
10 Onyx Crescent Officer,
3809, Australia
Pastor: Kuya Arnold C. Mendoza
Coordinator: Ate Masel Mendoza
Mobile: +61468642722
Undergraduate studies tell
you that you need to learn so much more of everything.
Graduate studies tell you
that you need to read more on specific things.
Post Graduate studies tell you
that the more you know about your specialized thing, the less you know about everything else.
Schooling is meant to teach us
that we know so little --- to make us realize we are naked,
and like the UP Oblation,
lift our arms toward Heaven and ask the Divine to clothe us with knowledge.
Only the gravely unschooled
or the grossly undereducated could be arrogant to presume they know anything and then be shamelessly proud.
KATANGAHAN ANG MAGYABANG NA MARUNONG!
Q - Hindi po lumalago and in fact umaatras pa nga ang ilang ministries sa church namin under the leadership of some not-very-effective-and-frutiful leaders. Kaya lang, parang ang tingin ng mga leaders na ito pati na ng ibang members ay exclusive domain na nila yung ministries? Ano po ang pwedeng gawin para naman magka-chance yung iba na mag-lead at maalagaan yung maraming taong hindi naman o ayaw namang sumali sa mga ministries led by those persons?
A -
Organize new ministries or groups with similar functions without dissolving the existing but not-so-fruitful (sabi mo nga) na ministries.
Damihan ang groups, ministries and opportunities for more people to lead or join or follow!
Then the uncovered areas will be covered;
the untouched and unserved people will be touched and served!
Q - Yun pong isang member ng church namin, panay ang kwento ng mga kasiraan ng husband and children nya, pati ng pastor namin na kapatid nya.
Ano po ang dapat treatment sa kanya?
A -
Bakit naman kayo nakikipag-kwentuhan sa ganyang mapanirang tao?
At kung sariling asawa, mga anak at kapatid ay sinisiraan, dapat ba kayong makinig / maniwala sa pagkatao nya?
Sa isang "debate"
Truth /Reason dapat ang manalo; hindi tao/debater.
Kung sino ang may hawak ng truth/reason, yun ang makakasama sa panalo.
Ang mataas na pakay ng pakiki-debate ay para
1. itanghal ang katwiran at
2. MATUTO;
hindi para lang manalo at all / any cost
Pag may magkakaibang opinyon o paniniwala tungkol sa isang paksang relihiyoso:
1. Huwag mainit ang ulo; huwag galit. Walang napagkakasunduan ang mga taong galit.
2. Huwag sugod nang sugod na parang mauubusan ng gierra.
Relax, be calm.
3. Huwag gumamit ng masasakit na salita, don't label people of other beliefs / opinions with derogatory names and labels.
4. Do not always invoke, use and hide behind the name and righteousness of God.
Most people with strong religious convictions believe that their opinion /belief /stand is the actual and only truth of God.
But what if there was a mistake (fully or partially) in one's reading, understanding, interpretation and application of his/her perceived "truth"?
5. People may engage in respectful, calm and civilized discussion not only to
- air their opinions hoping to "enligheten" the other party
but also to
- hear the other party's point of view, with the willingness to be the one to be enlightened or changed.
"Win" the discussion with unassailable, objective truth, not with muscle flexing and brute force.
Q - May alam po akong pastor na pag mayaman ang isang prospect ay one-on-one pa nya i-bible study pero wala po akong alam na winan-on-one nyang poor? Bakit po?
A -
May mga mayaman na hindi comportableng maki-aral kasabay ng maraming tao?
(Sabagay mayron ding ganyan na hindi naman mayaman.)
Mabuting sya ang tanungin mo pamangkin
Q - Di po ba we are to be fishers of men? At yung fishing ground ay ocean dapat ?
Bakit po may mga church leaders na nangingisda sa aquarium? Hinahatak po nila patungo sa church nila yung mga taong members na ng ibang churches?
Bakit po nila ginagawa ang ganyan?
Q -
1. They honestly believe na nasa maling church (sa iba) yung "isda" at gusto nilang dalhin sa tamang church (sa kanila) para mapabuti?
2 May mapapakinabang
sila dun sa "isda"; baka mapera o may talents or connections, etc at gusto nilang gamitin, i-ulam o papakin sa loob ng church nila?
3. Gusto nilang dumami sila
kaya kahit sa sa ibang aquarium mangisda ay gagawin?
A person we readily judge as wrong or foolish could possibly be a genius.
Q - Pag yumayaman po ba ang isang Christian na ang church ay hindi pangmayaman, dapat syang lumipat sa ibang sosyal na church?
A -
Ano ba ang hanap mo, church o social club?
Pag yumayaman ka, be a blessing to your local church.
Hindi kailangang mag-social climbing.
Baka nga malaki ang contribution ng local chuch mo sa pagyaman mo through their prayers and other forms of support?
O kaya you are being blessed by God to be a blessing to your local church?
Tapos iiwan mo?
Consider another fellowship / community only if your
spirituality and mentality cannot grow where you are currently rooted
Q - How can we raise accepting, loving, non-judgmental children?
A -
Accept, love and not be judgmental to them.
PEOPLE CANNOT GIVE WHAT THEY DO NOT RECEIVE.
(But children in their formative years should be carefully taught the difference between
- right and wrong / bad and good.
- good and better.
- better and best.)
Q - Yun daw pong kumukuha ng insurance, hindi sapat ang faith sa protection ng Diyos?
A -
Eh di kulang din ang faith nung
- nagla-lock ng pinto?
- nagsusuot ng seat belt and life vest?
- umiinom ng gamot?
- nag-iingat sa paglakad o pagbaba ng hagdan?
- nagpapa-reserve ng seat sa plane o room sa hotel?
- etc etc etc
Using one's God-given brain to maximize security / success does not mean lack of faith.
---------
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
- James 2:17 (NIV)
Buy local products for the welfare of our country.
But
"local" should not mean only BRANDS owned by local CITIZENS.
LOCAL should also mean
1. Made (at least mostly) of local MATERIALS
2. Made / Manufactured by local LABOR (very important!)
Kung imported ang materials
tapos ang factory ay sa labas ng bansa giving employment to other nationalities,
tapos ang LOCAL ay yung BUYERS lang,
ano ang "local" dun?
Q - paano po magiging forgiving or non-judgmental and condemning?
A -
Get healed of emotional /spiritual wounds.
Receive the forgiveness of God and of others.
The unforgiven are quick to judge
and the wounded are quick to hurt others.
Always give yourself a strong, beautiful and pleasant reason to wake up in the morning.
Schedule an exciting, enjoyable, meaningful activity everyday!
Q - Para pong nakakatamad magbasa ng anything na mahaba kahit mahalaga ang content?
A -
Babasahin mo na lang pamangkin.
Hindi mo na iri-research, susulatin, ie-edit at ipa-publish.
Ang laki ng pakinabang ng nagbabasa kasi parang inihahain na sa kanya ang libreng feast na ang tagal inihanda at niluto ng iba!
2 Kings 6:15-17 (CEV)
15 When Elisha’s servant got up the next morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we going to do?” he asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “Lord, please help him to see.” And the Lord let the servant see that the hill[a] was covered with fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha.
-----
Angels surrounded Elisha and his servant to protect them.
The servant did not see the angels, so he was afraid.
------
The Lord protects his servants (and his servant's servant).
Though invisible, they are there.
-----
Do not be afraid.
Serve God.
Serve God's servant.
And be at peace.
-----
SLEEP PEACEFULLY.
Psalm 91:9-11 (NIV)
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
Q - Ano po ang mainam gawin para maging maganda ang working relationship ko sa boss ko?
A -
1. Please her professionally
Give her the output that she needs/wants.
Work the way she wants you to;
bayad ang oras at trabaho mo, so gawin mo sa style na gusto nya.
Huwag mong ipilit ang style mo.
(Sa private life mo gawin ang gusto at style mo; not at work.)
Be efficient.
Exceed expectations.
Keep improving
2. Be personable and pleasant.
3. Lumagay ka sa lugar; never abuse.
4. Do not gossip.
5. Do not join the Employee Compaliners' Club
Mga biyenang babae:
Bigyan po ng privacy ang buhay ng anak nyo at ng asawa nya.
Sumama sa ibang lakad nila, PERO HINDI NAMAN SA LAHAT.
Dumalaw sa kanila, pero HWAG MANGHIMASOK sa pang-araw-araw na buhay nila.
Magbigay ng payo ---PAG HINIHINGAN o nalalgay lang sa tunay na panganib ang buhay ng anak at pamilya nya.
Sa mga bagay na base lang sa opinyon, taste, preference, at hindi naman isyu ng masama vs mabuti, HAYAE ang anak at manugang.
Mabuti yung natutuwa sa inyo ang manugang kesa nasasakal at naiinis.
PEACE ON EARTH!
Q - Bakit po kaya hindi nationalistic ang maraming Pilipino?
Ang hina tuloy ng ating bansa.
A -
1. Kulang sa pagtuturo ang school/ educational system
2. Hindi nagtuturo ang most religions, In fact, baligtad: hinuhumaling ang flocks sa mga foreign/imported religious cultures and leaders.
3. Kulang ang nationalism na nikikita sa
- political leaders
- pop culture stars
- social/economic elite.
Hindi nakakapag-promote ng nationalim ang
- school
- church
- media
- "high" society.
Q - Tito di po ba may Ph D or doctorate degree kayo from UP?
Ano pong kurso?
At ano po ang Master's at Bachelor's Degrees ninyo?
A -
PhD in Philippine Studies (Cognates: History and Creative Writing)
MA in Philippine Studies (Cognate: Anthropology)
BA in Philippine Arts (Cognate: Mass Communication)
Q - Bakit po kapag namatayan sya pa yung madalas naaabala pa, nagpupuyat pa, napapagod pa, gumagagatos at nag aaliw pa sa mga bumibisita??
Hindi kaya sya na sumunod na paglalamayan nyan?
Hindi ba dapat na yung bumibisita ang magdala, mkapagbigay ng pahinga sa namatayan?
A -
May point ka pamangkin.
Kaya naman naka develop ang mga matatanda ng mga "pamahiin" na sa totoo lang ay practical kindness and consideration ang bunga.
Halimabawa:
1. "Bawal maligo pag may patay."
Noong araw ay mahirap maligo; nasa labas ng kwarto o ng bahay ang paliguan.
So mahirap para sa namatayan ang laging maligo, lalu na kung puyat at walang water heater.
So, may excuse na ang namatayan na huwag laging maligo (na sobrang expectation ng mga Pilipino).
2. "Bawal ihatid sa pinto ang mga paalis na nakiramay."
This gives the namatayan an excuse para hindi sobrang mapagod ng katatayo at kahahatid sa nga dumating / dumalaw.
3. "Bawal matuluan ng luha ang kabaong."
This gives the namatayan
- a reason not be too stressed crying.
- an excuse not to have to cry all the time (which is somehow expected by the audience).
4. "Bawal maglinis ng bahay / magwalis pag may burol."
Pagod at puyat ang namatayan,
This excuses them from working too hard to keep the house clean while multitudes come and go, messing the place up.
MARAMI PANG IBANG MAGAGANDANG KAUGALIAN na minamasama at ninilbak ng mg hindi nakauunawa, lalu na ng mga clueless at culture-insensitive born again Christians smile emoticon
Q - Ano po ang dapat gawin when I cannot anymore stay in love with my spouse?
A -
Stay FAITHFUL.
Q - Tito kulang po ako sa height.
What can I do to improve my looks?
A -
There's not much you could do with your length.
So improve your width and overall appearance!
Strive to have good weight, shape and over-all health.
Enhance your looks with
- a good, bagay hair style. (It's worth the investment.)
- sensible and flattering wardrobe and personal accessories
(Sobrang konti ang bagay/magandang magdala ng BACKPACKS.
If you need to backpack, invest in a slim, non-bulky, presentable styles.
Huwag magmukhang Santa Claus or Kampanerang Kuba!)
- Choose your footwear very well.
Akala nang iba puedeng ignore ang shoes kasi nasa baba naman.
No, the choice of shoes make you look good or not good.
- Be clean, neat and hindi mabaho.
(HIndi ko sinabing maging mabango/magpabango. 90% of people who wear scents actually smell bad. Either hindi bagay sa body chemistry nila ang scent or OA maglagay. Para nang insecticide ang amoy nila.
- SMILE. Wear a smile; it could be your best accessory.
i-prioritize gawin habang bata pa?
A -
Unahin yung
1. Pakikinabangan mo ang fruits soon, especially pagtanda mo.
2. Hindi mo na kayang gawin pag matanda ka na.
Do not fast-forward over-maturity.
Do not behave like a pre-mature adult.
YOU HAVE ALL THE TIME TO BE OLD AND TO ACT OLD.
Habang bata ka pa, feel young, act young, be youthful.
Do not let youth be wasted on the young.]
Q – According to the New Testament, does God have any favorite race or nation?
A -
1. John the Baptizer: “None.”
Matthew 3:9 (CEV)
9 And don’t start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham’s family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham.
2. John: “None.”
John 3:16 (CEV)
16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.
3. Jesus: “None.”
Matthew 28:19 (CEV)
18 Jesus came to them and said:… 19 Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples
4. Paul: “None.”
Romans 2:9-11 (CEV)
9 All who are wicked will be punished with trouble and suffering. It doesn’t matter if they are Jews or Gentiles. 10 But all who do right will be rewarded with glory, honor, and peace, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 11 God doesn’t have any favorites!
Galatians 3:28 (CEV)
28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman.
Q - Israelite or Jew po ba sina Adam and Eve?
A -
Pamangkin, wala pang Israel or Judaism nung panahon nina Adam and Eve.
The concept of "nation" or "race" came much much much much later.
Sina Adam and Eve, according to Genesis, ay ninuno ng mga lahi, hindi lang ng Israel o ng Tonga.
Ang tanong mo ang katulad ng "ROMAN CATHOLIC or PROTESTANT ba si MAMA MARY?"
Ang sagot: NO! NONE OF THE ABOVE
kasi wala pang Catholicism nor Protestantism nung panahon ni Mama Mary.
Both religious identities came much much much much later din.
Inaangkin kasi ng religions ang mga ancient characters to boost their claim to solo uniqueness and correctness, which could translate to "authority" and power.
Q - Tito ano po ba ang "Humanism" as philosophy? Bakit po allergic sa humanism ang ilang religious teachers?
A -
Let's ask the Wiksionary / Wikipiedia:
"Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism, empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. The meaning of the term humanism has fluctuated according to the successive intellectual movements which have identified with it.[1] Generally, however, humanism refers to a perspective that affirms some notion of human freedom and progress. In modern times, humanist movements are typically aligned with secularism, and as of 2015 "Humanism" typically refers to a non-theistic life stance centred on human agency and looking to science rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world.[2][3]"
----------------------------------------------------
Hindi siguro comfortable ang ilang religious teachers because HUMANISM
GIVES IMPORTANCE to the human individual or group over excessive / total control of religious dogma / doctrine.
Hindi sang-ayon ang Humanism na masa-sacrifice ang kalagayan, kapakanan, ginhawa o karapatan ng human beings dahil sa enforced religious control.
Humanism also places great importance to Science over Tradition / Superstition / Religious Dogma as teacher of natural truth.
Q – Are present-day “Jews” exactly the same people as the Old Testament “Israelites”?
A –
NO, present-day Jews are NOT the same people as the OT “Israelites”.
Most of the people of modern-day Israel originated from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe. They crossed not the Jordan River but the River Volga.
The ancient “Israel” nation was composed of 12 tribes, and by 722 BCE , ten of those tribes (the Northern Kingdom known as Israel) disappeared forever when Assyria invaded Israel. Only the Southern Kingdom composed of Benjamin and Judah were left. (So, wala nang Israelites ngayon, only "Jews". Although mayrong modern country called Israel, it doesn't automatically mean na sila ay descendants ng sinaunang Israelites.)
In 587 BCE Judah was conquered and taken to captivity for almost 50 years (587-539 BCE) by Babylon.
It was in the Babylonian exile of the Tribe of Judah that Judaism was developed into the formal religion that it would be known for long.
That form of religion was most probably unknown to or at least not the same as the form of religion practiced by the 10 tribes of Israel that vanished. When Jesus says "I came to fulfil the Law, he very probably refers to THE law practiced by the original Israelites who vanished, and not exactly the same Law enforced during his time. That is why while he says he fulfils the Law (the old, original one), he actually breaks many of the Laws (the ones in force during his time) and teaches an altogether different Law: Love. It could be that even the Jews of Jesus' time were already very different from the original Israelites who vanished much earlier. In fact, the Herodian kings were not even Israelites but foreigners /Idumeans, and so were most of the rulers and upper classes.In much the same way today, many people we think to be Israelites are actually not of the original Israelite race (since those people vanished) but present-day Jews.
After the Babylonian captivity,
tt was only the remnants of the tribe of Judah that returned to Jerusalem in 539 BCE.
This group of people returned as Jews, not exactly the same people called Israelites much earlier.
Then consider the historical fact that immediately after AD 70, the Jews were expelled from the land. They dispersed and lived among many peoples until the nation of ‘Israel” was created with intervention of the United Nations in 1948
and many Jews from all over began living in the present-day Israel.
Were the people who came starting in the 1940’s the same as those who were expelled in AD 70?
Dr R. Arevalo, Bible scholar, linguist and translator, a theologian and Bible seminary professor says this about the terminologies “Israelite” and “Jew”.
"There is subtle manipulation of the biblical texts in order to suit the highly questionable use of proof texting in the translation of seemingly innocent words such as Israel, Judah and Jews in the English translations of the Bible. The article titled The Myth of Judeo-Christian Tradition published by New Dawn Magazine exposes this scheme, "
'Few Christians are aware that the translators of Scripture often mistranslated the word "Jew" from such words as "Ioudaioi" (meaning from, or being of: as a geographic area, Judean). The word Judean, mistranslated as "Jew" in the New Testament, never possessed a valid religious connotation, but was simply used to identify members of the native population of the geographic area known as Judea.
Also it is important to understand that in the Scriptures, the terms "Israel", "Judah" and "Jew" are not synonymous, nor is the “House of Israel” synonymous with the “House of Judah”. The course of history is widely divergent for the peoples properly classified under each of these titles. Accordingly, the authoritative 1980 Jewish Almanac says, "Strictly speaking it is incorrect to call an ancient Israelite a Jew or to call a contemporary Jew an Israelite or a Hebrew.'
"So, it could be incorrect to think that the present-day “Jew” is the same as the ancient 'Israelite'".
Adam, Eve and Steve?
Q – Sabi po nila, “God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve”?
Ito daw po ang proof na sa simula ay 2 lang ang taong nilalang ng Diyos, 1 lalake at 1 babae. Therefore, walang nilalang ang Diyos na iba pang individuals, especially gays and/or lesbians?
A –
That is a major oversimplification of the creation accounts.
(Maraming creation accounts sa Bible, hindi lang Genesis 1, mayron pang separate accounts sa Genesis 2 and Psalms 74.12-17, 89.5-11; Job 38.8-21; Isaiah 24.4-6; 51.9-11 and Proverbs 8.22-31.)
Kung talagang
sina Adam and Eve LANG ang unang nilikha, eh saan galing yung
1. Napangasawa ni Seth?
2. Mga taong kinatatakutan ni Cain na baka pumatay sa kanya?
3. Buong sibilisasyon na pinanggalingan ng napangasawa ni Cain?
4. Sino ang mga taga “East of Eden”?
Genesis 4.13-17 (CEV)
13 “This punishment is too hard!” Cain said. 14 “You’re making me leave my home and live far from you.[g] I will have to wander about without a home, and just anyone could kill me.”
15 “No!”[h] the LORD answered. “Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you.” So the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him. 16 But Cain had to go far from the LORD and live in the Land of Wandering,[i] which is east of Eden.
17 Later, Cain and his wife had a son named Enoch. At the time Cain was building a town, and so he named it Enoch after his son.
---------------
Psalm 24:1 (CEV)
The earth and everything on it
belong to the LORD.
The world and its people
belong to him.
Psalm 89:11 (CEV)
11 The heavens and the earth
belong to you.
And so does the world
with all its people
because you created them
-----------------------------------
Lahat ng tao ay likha at mahal ng Diyos.
Q - Bakit pa kaya may mga bansa na sobrang higpit against the practice of Christianity in their countries? Of the devil po ba sila?
A -
Malamang na ang primary reason nila sa paghihigpit, aside form religious, ay political / economic or nationalistic reasons.
Religions that come from outside the country tend to
1. Teach the citizens of that country to have loyalty to foreign persons /institutions.
2. Consequently collect money from the mission field to the sending country.
Hindi napapansin ng zealous religious people that their religion could undermine a mission-field country's
- culture.
- politics.
- identity and sovereignty.
Q – According to the New Testament, does God have any favorite race or nation?
A -
1. John the Baptizer: “None.”
Matthew 3:9 (CEV)
9 And don’t start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham’s family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham.
2. John: “None.”
John 3:16 (CEV)
16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.
3. Jesus: “None.”
Matthew 28:19 (CEV)
18 Jesus came to them and said:… 19 Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples
4. Paul: “None.”
Romans 2:9-11 (CEV)
9 All who are wicked will be punished with trouble and suffering. It doesn’t matter if they are Jews or Gentiles. 10 But all who do right will be rewarded with glory, honor, and peace, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 11 God doesn’t have any favorites!
Galatians 3:28 (CEV)
28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman.
Q - Bakit po kaya ang mga radio stations sa PIlipinas ay may initials na nagsisimula sa D like DZAS, DZRH, etc ?
A -
There is an international body that regulates radio broadcasts.
Bawat country ay may naka-assign na letra.
Ang pre-1946 na radio stations sa PIlipinas ay may letrang nagsisimula s K like KZAS.
K belonged to the USA but because the Philippines was an American colony, K din ang simula ng radio initials natin.
But after Independence in 1946, hindi na natin dapat/puedeng gamitina ng K.
Biglang wala tayong letra!
Meanwhile, pinarusahan ng World Body ang Germany dahil sa pag abuso nito sa paggamit sa radyo nung WW2 sa Europe. Radio was misused to misinform, terrrorize, promote fear, etc. Kaya inalisan ang Germany ng karapatang mag-radio broadcast. Inalis din sa kanila ang letra ng radio nila:
D for Deutschland or Germany.
Biglang walang may-ari ng letrang D.
Ibinigay ng World Body sa Pilipinas!
Kaya naging D ang unang letra ng radio natin.
Yung pangalawang letra ay Z for Luzon stations, X for Mindanao and Y for Visayas like DZAS, DYAM or DXYM.
When the ban on radio use for Germany was lifted ten years later,
the Philippines offered back the letter D to Germany but the World Body disapproved. Sobrang bait daw ng Pilipinas.
Sabi nila. the Letter D is owned permanently na by the Philippines.
PERO
BAKIT MO NAMAN NAITANONG ITO????
Yeshua" instead of "Jesus" ang tawag kay Lord. Yeshua is the Jewish name and Jesus is the Greek equivalent. Because the New Testament was written in Greek, "Jesus" ang ginamit ng NT writers at syang ginamit ng mga unang Christians. Using "Yeshua" does NOT have to lead to Judaizing EVERYTHING else, including our own names TODAY na kailangan ka na ring magkaron ng Jewish name at maghanap ng nawawalang Jewish ancestors. Do not let one Jewish terminology belatedly imposed on the NT text become a door into the Judaization of Christianity and yourself. Christianity was a clear DELINEATION / DEPARTURE from Judaism. Jesus originated that departure and Paul very clearly and powerfully delineated, believed in, supported, taught and exemplified it. Watch the movie for a fresh perspective on the resurrection to become a better Christian, not to strive to become Jewish!
ANO ANG TALAGANG KASALANAN NG SODOM?
Q – In the Bible, was Sodom really a city of gays? Wasn’t Sodom destroyed because of rampant homosexuality?
A-
Genesis 19.1-11 is often cited by many people as teaching against homosexuality.
In fact, the word sodomy was (mis)taken from this particular episode.
But is Genesis 19.1-11 really a condemnation of homosexuality?
Or is this story saying something else? What could have been the original intention of the authors and editors of the story?
The immediate context (the stories that come before) of Sodom and Gomorrah tells a different story other than the homosexual slant that it is traditionally given. The story of Abram and Lot begins in Genesis 12.4ff. This passage speaks about Abram’s journey from Haran to Canaan. The story connecting the two men is treated in detail in Genesis 13 which explains how Lot got separated from Abram. When they separated, Lot chose to live near the cities while Abram claimed the land in the mountains that would soon become the territory of ‘biblical’ Israel (Gen.13.14-17).
Genesis 14.1-16 tackles the harshness and violence of city life.
For example, Lot was kidnapped by the enemies of Sodom, his initiation and rude awakening to the horrors of city life.
Genesis 18 impresses that life outside the city is better than life inside it: Outside of the city, there is civility and hospitality towards strangers and Abraham is the poster boy of hospitality when he took good care of the strangers who happened to be Yahweh and his angels. In the conversation between Abraham and Yahweh (Genesis 18.16-32), Abraham pleads with God to spare Sodom from judgment. Of course Abraham was very conscious that his nephew Lot had now become a Sodomite (meaning resident of the city, not a sexual offender). The famous ‘Abrahamic bargain’ (Genesis 19.23-33) could have been made with Lot in mind. The “10 righteous people of Sodom” surely would cover Lot and his family. These stories form the background of Sodom and Gomorrah, critiquing city life. The lesson: Life in the city is harsh and violent. Life outside of the city is better.
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a story that concludes the message stated above. The story starts with the description of Lot as a model of hospitality (Genesis 18.1-5).
Lot, like Abraham, is hospitable to the two strangers who happened to be angels /messengers of Yahweh. The often misunderstood part of the story is found in Genesis 19.4-5. The perpetrators of this violence were singled out- -- the men of the city of Sodom, everyone from the youngest to the oldest (vs.4). The men of Sodom demanded for Lot to (1) bring the strangers out so (2) that they may have sex with them. But does verse 5 really say that the men of Sodom are homosexuals? The context of Genesis 19.1-11 shows that (mis)conclusion to be very unlikely. Homosexuality is not the subject of the author/editor of Genesis. If not, what then?
The Hebrew sentence translated as ‘Bring them to us that we may know them’ refers to the type of violence that the men of Sodom wanted to inflict against Lot’s guests. Yes, it is sexual violence. This is obvious. But what is not supported by the text is the charge that the Sodomites were homosexuals! This (mis)reading is not permitted by the text and it is not even suggested by the context of the text! Genesis 19.5 clearly shows that what is condemned is the attempt of the men of Sodom to violate the rights of the guests who were under the protection of their host.
There are several things that should be considered to properly understand the full meaning of “that we may have sex with them” of verse 5.
a. The type of sexual act being contemplated here is violent sex, a kind of gang rape that demeans and humiliates the victim.
b. This type of harm is considered by the Sodomites as a way to harm and eliminate outsiders (see also Judges 19.22; 20.5)
c. This type of violence proceeds not from “homosexual urges” but from the inhospitable intent to harm or eliminate the foreigners. The crime is hostility or grave lack of hospitality which was an ancient ideal.
(Would a loving, tender, gentle, private and discrete same-sex relations with mutual consent also qualify as grave crime to be judged as harshly ? Was the condemned crime the intended sexual act or the intended violence employing sexual assault?)
d. This type of sexual violence then is a means of treating men as though they were women and asserting dominance over a male (Brad E. Kelle, Judges, The CEB Study Bible, 2013, in his exposition of Judges 19.22. Kelle is Professor of Old Testament at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA). This sexual violence accomplishes two things to a man at a time when culture puts so much premium on honor and shame, namely, (1) to inflict harm (2) to humiliate.
One should be reminded that the sex act was never consummated. Thus, sodomy is a misnomer and its usage in everyday language must be reviewed thoroughly and even questioned.
To continue, Genesis 19.6-11 proves the point being raised above. Lot was considered an alien by the men of Sodom and so the sexual assault was suddenly trained on him. The frustrated attempted rape of Lot shows that he had not been accepted by the men of Sodom even though he successfully entered and blended with the city residents. Genesis 19.9 bears this point out,
“Get out of our way, you foreigner. Who are you to tell us what to do? Out of our way, or we will treat you worse than them.”
Often ignored but screaming for attention is the fact that Lot offered his daughters to the Sodomites in place of his guests. Lot knew his neigbors well. Why would Lot offer girls to the Sodomites if they were homosexuals just now raring to have sex with men?
Summing it up, the traditional reading of the Sodom and Gomorrah story as about and condemnation of homosexuality is not fair and, more worrisome, not very scholarly. Many Old Testament passages and a passage from the Gospel (with even Jesus giving a piece of his mind on the issue) like Judges 19.16-30, Ezekiel 16.49, Isaiah 1.10, Jeremiah 23.14 and Matthew 10.11-17 referred to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah but they did NOT see nor present homosexuality as the sin of these cities. (That reading was only imposed on the texts by latter-day expositors.) The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was more about the wilful disregard or neglect of one’s sacred and cherished duty to do good to strangers, the oppressed and the needy of every society.
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Ezekiel 16:49 (NIV)
“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
(No mention of homosexuality)
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The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah could not be homosexuality, after all.
* * * * * *
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The answer to this question is a collaborative work.
Basic research concept and minor editing by Pastor Ed Lapiz, PhD
In-depth research, development and writing by Pastor R. Arevalo, PhD
Dr Arevalo is a Bible scholar, linguist and translator,
theologian and Bible seminary professor.
Q - What lesson can be learned from the bloody death of the boys in 2 Kings 2:23-24?
A -
Let'e look at the story:
2 Kings 2:23-24 (CEV)
Elisha left and headed toward Bethel. Along the way some boys started making fun of him by shouting, “Go away, baldy! Get out of here!”
Elisha turned around and stared at the boys. Then he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Right away two bears ran out of the woods and ripped to pieces forty-two of the boys.
Lessons?
1. Never jeer at /mock someone ---anyone.
2. Never jeer at /mock someone ---especially if that person is an anointed servant of God.
Do not say/shout insulting words against God's anointed servant, especially if
- that person is doing you no harm and he/she is doing fruitful work in God's service.
- the motive for mocking is just to belittle, shame, insult, hurt and make fun of the person.
3. Never join people who mock others.
When they jeer,
- stop /caution /remind them to not do it. Or at least,
- do not encourage them with your silence or, worse, your cooperation.
Psalm 105:15 (NIV)
“Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
*
Be careful with words;
Use words to bless others, not to put curses on yourself.
Matthew 12:36 (CEV)
(Jesus:) I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken.
*
How to recognize hard core mockers?
They will hate you when you caution them.
The not-so-bad ones will thank you and change their ways.
Proverbs 9:8 (NIV)
Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
*
"Bears" or their modern-day equivalents, can still come out of "the woods" and rip mockers "to pieces" in many other ways.
IT IS SO EASY TO
- BE
- JOIN
MOCKERS IN THE antiSOCIAL MEDIA.
Mabuhay!
Good Morning mga pamangkin.
(Good evening sa nasa kabilang ibayo.)
Today, may you see with godly and spiritually transcendent eyes the
beauty of
- the world in its many hues, shapes and stages of birth, growth and rebirth.
- life and its details.
- others and yourself as God's wonderful creation.
Psalm 139:14-17 (CEV
.... I praise you
because of
the wonderful way
you created me.
Everything you do is marvelous!
Of this I have no doubt.
Nothing about me
is hidden from you!
I was secretly woven together
deep in the earth below,
but with your own eyes
you saw
my body being formed.
Even before I was born,
you had written in your book
everything I would do.
Your thoughts are far beyond
my understanding,
much more than I
could ever imagine.
Q - Ano po ang magandang attitude and treatment ng normal person sa isang abnormal person?
A -
"Normal" comes from the word "norm" meaning
- usual
- common
- "majority".
Normal does not always mean GOOD.
ABnormal does not always mean BAD.
IN fact, yung mga super intelligent, super beautiful, super strong, etc ay mga ABnormal: hindi ganun ang majority.
"Normal' ka dahil lang mas marami kayong katulad mo.
Kung yung tinatawag na abnormal / "different" ang mas dumami,
ikaw na at mga kauri mo ang ABnormal.
KUNG IKAW AY /ANG ABNORMAL, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE TREATED?
Madaling manlibak at mang-api ng ABnormal --- "TIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU".
Luke 6:31 (CEV)
(Jesus:) Treat others just as you want to be treated.
Q - Ano pong pointers ang ibibigay nyo sa mga gustong mag-aral talaga ng Bible?
A -
1. Know history, archaeology, literature, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, anthopology, politics, philosophy, languages
and all other learning TOOLS so you could plumb the text more deeply.
2. Read
a wide and big library of studies on the Bible, hindi lang yung
- cooked and ready to serve works ng mga commentaries, theologians and congregations. THEY CONTROL THE READING AND INTERPRETATION of the verses.
- mga naka-frame na "Statement of Faith". Sila na ang nag-isip para sa yo.
And usually, yung nagpasa sa yo ng "theology", hindi rin masyadong nag-isip dahil spoon-fed sya ng kanyang congregation.
3. Do not fear
getting out of the gasgas BOX.
Mag-isip kang mabuti, manuri at humingi ng guidance from God, not from "established" theologians na de-kahon na mag-isip o hindi na nag-iisip.
4. Do not be afraid
kung ang pinupuntahan ng pag-aaral mo ay labas sa mga established doctrines. Truth will always prevail.
5. Do not be daunted by "majority" opinion.
If 6 Billion opinions are wrong, they are still wrong.
Numbers don't always mean "CORRECT".
6. TEST
the effect of Bible study on you and others.
Ang tunay na bunga ng God-led study, ang nag-aaral ay bumabait, bumubuti, nagkakaron ng peace and love.
