Pastor Ed Lapiz Timeline Question and Answer

A pamangkin's message to HSBC CREDIT CARD:

"STOP calling our residence about collection even before payment date!
If you would not stop this intrusive and annoying practice,
WE WILL CLOSE OUR ACCOUNTS WITH YOUR BANK!"

During worship singing, 
it would be nice if,
instead of the song leader praying aloud between songs
and thus controlling even the prayer of the worshipers,
there would be just plain instrumental portion
so the people could pray personally
then join again in congregational singing.


Public prayer could so easily degenerate into public performance.
I love private, personal, quiet, even non-verbal prayer.


Q - Nakaka disrespect po ba Kung I-aadd mo Sa friendlist mo Sa Facebook ang ex-wife ng yung kapatid? Pano Kung naging Ninang Sa binyag ng anak mo yung ex-wife ng kapatid mo at May bago Na po pamilya kapatid mo at legally separated Naman po sila.
A -
medyo complicated. Kung mature / professional ang mga sangkot and they can handle it well, puede. Pero kung may mga baggages pa sila, better meet/ celabrate with them SEPARATELY. Awkward pagsama-samahin sila sa iisang lugar/event



Q - Hi Pastor, do you have special Mother's Day and Father's Day celebration in your church? Sometimes I feel that the church is being a little insensitive to those childless married couples for having a full-blown Mothers/Father's Day celebration. Maybe just incorporating the event in the message and praying for them is enough.
A -
wala. we do not fully subscribe to hallmark greeting cards-invented holidays to improve sales of cards :-)
Tapos sumali ang department stores and restaurants sa circus / bonanza ng invented holidays na ganyan hahaha
Everyday should be Mother's/Father's day; no need for artificial and melodramatic "celebrations" hahahah.



Q - Given that God is infallible and omniscient, He knows what will happen.
In that case, do we still have free will? Kasi po whatever we decide, future is already known to Him.
A -
Known. Foreknown, but not imposed.



Q - Sir ed prang bihira n po kau mag post ng status po sa fb ? Miss ko n po mga post mo po.
A
may ginawang book :-)
.



Q - panu pa po ba maibabalik ang samahan ng mag asawa na sinira ng isang pagkakamali?
A -
Time. Make up. Manuyo. Magpasuyo. Bigyan ng panahong maghilom ang sugat. Time heals all wounds, they say.




Q - Hi Tito what to do if depressed and insomniac
A -
Pag grave depression, advisable to get professional, clinical treatment / therapy.
See a psychiatrist or clinical counselor.





Q - Ano po ba ang matatawag na kulto at sino ang matatawag na bulaang mangangaral? Sino po ang may karapatang magbigay ng ganung label sa mga religious teachers at workers?

A - "'Bulaan' according to whom?" ang dapat itanong.
Everyone, especially religious critics, has beliefs, standards and opinions.
So sino ang may karapatang tumawag ng "bulaan" kanino man? WALA.
Kasi, faith is that: Faith!

People tend to call faiths outside of their own as FAKE of FALSE.
Pero sila rin, tinatawag na fake or false by others.
Some would claim to base their judgment on some "authoritative" document or verses, but even those who "believe" in the same source never agree with one another on how to interpret and apply those same verses. They also call each other fake or false.
Sino sila para malaman ang true from false faith, eh faith nga yun?
Matters of faith cannot be verified nor proven by objective, empirical or intellectual standards. Otherwise that would be "knowledge", not faith.
So sino ang may karapatang tumawag sa iba ng kulto o fake o false: Only GOD and God alone





Q - Pag po may tampuhan kami ng BF ko, ang hirap-hirap sa dibdib.
Feel ko naman po sya rin nahihirapan. Hindi naman po maiwasan ang tampuhan tapos walang usapan, walng text, walang calls. But I think both of us suffer in an extended way. What to do pls???
A -
Imbes
- magpatagalan sa pag communicate, mag-unahan!
- magpataasan ng pride, magpababaan!
- maghintay na mauna yung other person na bumati, uanhan na sya.
Wakasan ang suffering.
Huwag magtikisan kundi magmahalan!
Magbabati rin lang naman talaga kayo if you really love each other,
bilisan na.
Be happy na ulit.
Mag-text na.
Now na!




Q - Bakit po kaya pag may love/partner ako, lagi na lang ako ang parang naghahabol, naghahanap, demanding at kandarapa?
A-
Siguro
1. sobra kang serious?
2. wala kang ng masyadong ibang ginagawa o pinagtutuunan ng pansin?
3. talaga lang mas interesado ka sa kanya/kanila kesa sila sa yo?
Relax.
Wag masyadong maghabol o magpahalata.




Q - Pano po kaya mararamdaman ng todo-todo ang buhay?
A -
Fall in love.
Mararamdaman mo ang lahat ng uri, lawak, lalim at babaw ng emosyon!




In love, walang bata at walang matanda: lahat isip-bata!




Q - Bakit po kaya ang ilap-ilap ng kapalaran sa akin. Nawala po halos ng magagandang projects na hanap-buhay ko. Dahil po kaya matagal na kong tumigil mag-church kasi naman ay wala akong matagpuang church na hiyang sa aking panlasa. ( Aaminin ko po na ma-pride ako at maselan pero hindi po ako lumayo sa Diyos, naging private na lang nga po ang prayer and Bible study ko.)
Bakit po hirap na hirap ako ngayon sa buhay samantalang dati ay masagana ako at maraming projects?
A -
Kung kahit na lang saang larangan ay parang mailap ang kasiyahan at kasaganaan, be it material, emotional or spiritual, malamang na ang bara ay wala sa labas kundi nasa loob.
Take an inward journey. Siyasatin mo ang kalooban mo at hanapin ang bara sa pagdaloy ng buhay at pagpapala.
Everything is spiritual and our battles are fought in spiritual realms.
To be more specific --- battles are in the mind. In thought .
Suriin mo ang paraaan at takbo ng iyong pag-iisip at malamang ay naroon ang bara.
Puedeng negative ka mag-isip madalas: puedeng tulad ng sabi mo, ma-pride, o kaya magagalitin.
Puede ring may paraan ka na mapanakit o nakasasakit sa kapwa. Bawat sakit ng loob ng kapwa na tayo ang may gawa ay bumabalik sa atin bilang sakit din. What we give is what we get.
Siyasatin mo what you give to the world because it is what the world will give back to you. So what you are getting now could be what you have been giving to the world.
In life, we keep what we give away and lose what we selfishly try to keep.
We are not victims of life: we make life. So give what you like to receive.
Bless instead of curse. What comes out of our mouths flies into the sky and boomerangs back to us.
Change your life by changing the way you think, talk and live.
Romans 12.2 Be changed by the renewing of your mind.
Our mind is a factory. Thoughts produce the things that surround us.
So make your thoughts/mind produce what you like to harvest in life.
Ang kailangan para baguhin ang kapalaran ay PAGBABAGONG-LOOB / Paghuhunus-dili ---na magaganap matapos ang pagninilay-nilay at pagbubulay-bulay.
AT HINDI laging KAILANGAN ANG CHURCH para maganap ang pagliliwanag ng isip. May pagkakataong yung church pa nga at ang mga elemento doon ang nagiging hadlang para magkaron ng tunay na panunuri ng espiritu.
Kaya huwag mong isiping lumalayo ang Diyos sa yo dahil lang malayo ka sa church. Hindi lang sa church nakakaniig ang Maylikha. Pero kung may tama, tugma at hiyang na church, makatutulong ito ng malaki.
Dalangin ko na maiba ang ihip ng hangin sa paligid mo.
Pero mangyayari yun kung maiba muna ang ihip ng hangin sa kaibuturan ng puso mo. Ang pagbabago sa labas at tugon lang sa pagbabago sa loob.
Bunutin, alisin, puksain ang anumang hinananakit, sama ng loob, galit, poot at pagkasuklam na nananahan sa puso. Ang mga ito ay mga batubalaning umaakit ng hinagpis.






Q - LUGI po ako twing di kami nagkikita ng BF ko. Sad ako, miss na miss sya at nagwo-worry na baka he is seeing someone.
Tapos sya naman po napaka-relaxed.
Nagagalit pa pag tinatanong ko.
Sa tingin ko po lugi ako at neglected.
Ano po ang gagawin ko, sobra at ang tagal ko syang missed.
A -
Lugi ka pala eh di isara mo ang tindahan!
Kung missed mo sya first day, second day, third day at neglected ka pa rin,
dapat sa 4th day, adjusted at sanay ka na.
Manhid na. Wala nang drama.
Learn from every lonely day, pamangkin.
Wag kang mag-martir.



Q - Ano po ang magandang isagot sa mga relihiyoso na may ibang interpretation at paniniwala tapos ipinipilit nila sa yo ang beliefs nila?
A -
Sagutin ng:
'THAT'S YOUR OPINION AND BELIEF; KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.
I HAVE MINE.



Church could so sweetly
- accept
- affirm
- support
- celebrate
"NORMAL" and ideal individuals and families
but could
- be gravely insensitive
- rejecting
- hurting
- demonizing
to
- "ABNORMAL" /Different
- broken
- less-than-ideal inividuals, households and families.
The
- "different"
- unwed mother / single parent
- person born out of wedlock
- separated / divorced / abandoned
- repartnered / re-seeker of the significant other
and all others
could so easily
- be driven to hide in the shadows.
- fall in the cracks.
Church could so easily become another oppressor of minorities.
Ang masaya lang sa church ay yung "normal" and ideal ang sitwasyon.
All others are forced to hide and/or be hypocritical.




Q - Tito ano po ang "heresy"?
A -
Yan pamangkin ang tawag ng self-righteous Religion/Religious Group/Person #! sa beliefs and teachings ni Religio/nReligious Group/Person #2 na iba sa teachings ni #1 at ayaw na ayaw ni #1 big time!
Yan ang ginagamit na word ni #1 to demonize #2.
Mas malaki at powerful si #1, mas nagmumukha syang tama sa tingin ng mga hindi marunong manuri.
Also consult the dictionary for formal meaning




Q - Tito bakit po may mga husbands na willing to pay prostitutes for sex while they do not give anything to their wives for the same act?
A -
Prostitutes are paid not only for the sex service; they are also paid to leave / go away pronto! after the act.





Labels are oversimplifications.
When people are labeled, called pro- or anti- anything or anyone,
they get reduced to simplistic classifications or brands.

People are complex and not one could be perfectly
- republican or liberal,
- conservative or progressive
- sinner or saint
etc.

Do not oversimplify people.
Do not call them red just because they have some streaks of red.
Even aspects of people's thoughts, beliefs and philosophies could be ambivalent.

Do not freeze people in one fleeting, ephemeral frame or snapshot of their multifaceted lives.





atthew 7:1-2 (NRSV)
7 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2 For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

DID YOU JUDGE SOMEONE YESTERDAY?
WILL YOU JUDGE SOMEONE TODAY?

Did you call anyone names?
Did you carelessly label a person and even influence others to do the same?

Go ahead and condemn people, especially unfairly and unjustly.
Spread bad words about someone, especially without careful study and verification.
GO AHEAD ANG DESTROY YOURSELF WITH JUDGMENTALISM




Be careful with gossip; it is delicious but poisonous.

Proverbs 26:22 (CEV)
22 There is nothing so delicious
as the taste of gossip!
It melts in your mouth





Signs my daughter is a lesbian:
Q - Tito please help how will I talk to my daughter..I have confirmed that she is in a romantic relationship with another girl...Help me I'm afraid na malaman ko yung totoo na may meron nga siyang identity crisis...And if there's a biblical verse na pwede ko iexplain s kanya na nagsasabi ng hind tama yung ganun?
A -
Maraming parents ang dumaan at dumadaan sa ganyang crisis. (Actually mukhang mas may crisis yung parents tulad mo na hindi matanggap ang reality ng anak nila .) Puede mong tambakan ng verses (usually misunderstood, misinterpreted and misused verses) ang ganyang mga anak, ipa-exorcise, pagalitan, ipa-psychiatric treatment, bugbugin, itakwil, etc pero ang general ending according to experience is the same: they remain as they are. Ang well-meaning parents pa ang nagdadagdag sa crisis nila. At madalas, nahihiwalay at nalalayo lang sila sa family that rejects them.
Yes you may try many approaches. And as a loving, concerned parent, you should. Do what you could; perhaps she's just confused or "mildly" oriented and could be "re-oriented". But most cases like that seems to be in-born. (Many people in that situation will strongly tell you that it is not choice: that they were born that way. That they have sensed, known then confirmed it themselves. That they did not want and still do not really want to be like that because of the attendant rejection and judgment. That they did everything they could to "change" but utterly failed. Afterall, "can a leopard change its spots or an Ethipian his skin?" -Jeremiah 13.23)

If that happens, shift your focus and be more concerned about the hardship she could experience because of her reality, not about your family image or your dreams for her that might have to be rewritten. Be concerned that many people won't be abe to accept her reality and that she would suffer much because of it. And realize that your family would be her first and last resort for comfort, protection and love. If you won't accept and love your own child, who else would? Afterall, her genes and even personality traits came from her mother and father. Sa inyo rin naman nanggaling ang kanyang dugo at laman.

At the end of the day, whether you are able or not to change her, just be a parent: loving, understanding, accepting. Especially in her case, most of the world is still hostile to such gravely misuderstood and demonized "abnormality". She will need all the love you can give. Just be a mother, not a therapist, not a moralist, not a judge. Afterall, there is not one law against, not even a mention of, lesbianism in the Old Testament, the Law that Jesus superceded/voided by his teaching and new command: LOVE people unconditionally.
Be strong and caring; this daugher needs your parental love more than your other "normal" children.




Q - Bakit po hindi matapus-tapos ang bangayan ng theologians at mga secta?

A - Theologians and religious sects quarrel because they tread on holy ground where no mortal should walk. They try to understand and explain God!

God cannot be fully understood, much less fully explained!

God is better perceived and not known to the letter. Knowing God, if that was possible at all, only takes away the mystery and hence, the power of faith.

The problem with theology is that it is just a form of philosophy. Philosophy is rooted in logic. Logic is rooted in thinking, in reason ---in the brain. The Divine cannot be known through thought. Human thought cannot contain the Divine. Thought could only grasp snapshots of the Divine. BUt to KNOW God? That is over ambitious, if not outright presumptuous. To understand is to be above the object. To understand God is to be above God. That, exactly, was the thrust of Lucifer: to set his throne above God.
It cannot be done; it should not be done. Scrutinising God could only utterly fail --- and backfire.

As such, all rational approaches to God would fail. God is beyond thought. Theologies only make God in man's image because mortal thought cannot understand, much less create, what is immortal. Thus, theology only minimises, trivialises, even vulgarises the Divine to the limits of human understanding. Theology drags the Divine from Olympus down to the agora only to be abused by mortals who think they know better.

That is why theologians only quarrel and theologies raise questions without answers.




Q - Bakit ang mga born-again ang daming versions ng Bible? Ang gulo. Buti pa ang Catholics, isa lang ang Bible.

A - Isa lang ang Bible, whether "Catholic" or "Protestant".

"Version" does not mean magkakaiba ang content; it only means magkakaiba any style ng pay-translate from Hebrew and Greek.

Basing it on sources, all versions are generally the same Bible. Iba-iba lang ng time of translation from the Greek and Hebrew base materials kaya may old fashioned language at may contemporary.

The so-called Catholic Bible is also a version. Kaya lang, Catholics are taught to read only one version.
May "protestants" din na one version lang ang gusto, like the King James Version.

Catholics may read any version, and also non-Catholics. Essentially, pareho lang ang laman.

The more versions one reads, the more he expands his scholarship/knowledge.




Pag matagal mong hindi nakita ang isang tao tapos nagkita kayo, think:
1. Hindi mo alam ang mga pinagdaanan nyang hirap at pagsubok.
2. Wala kang ideya kung ano ang dinaramdam o ipinag-aalala nya ngayon.
3. Maaaring kalingang-kailngan nya ng pansin, appreication, encouragement o tulong.
Try not to
1. Focus on yourself but on her/him.
2. Parade your latest victories or acquisitions.
3. Belittle her/him.

Be sensitive.
Be kind.




Q - Christian po kmi pero ang kapatid q may dinaramdam sa kayawan nya, ngpray na, nagpa pray, nag pa doctor na, uminom n ng mga halamang gamot pero hindi parin naging ok. Nagaun po pumunta sa isang mangagamot ang sabi ang kaluluwa daw po ng mama nmin humihingi ng isang mesa sa simbahan at ang lolo nmin n pumanaw n rin gusto daw sindi ng kandila sa cmenteryo. Pagkatapos non naging ok pakiramdam ng ate ko. Anu po ibig sabihin non?
A -
Palagay ko nagkataon lang yung timing. Parang walang logic o koneksyon yung panaginip at yung paggaling. Baka oras nang tumalab yung mga gamot?




Wealth and prosperity is not all about how much one HAS but also how much one ENJOYS and SHARES what one has. We are made rich not only by what we get or have but also by what we give away.



Organized religion could misrepresent God.



Before religion, there had always been God.




Q - Sa dami po ng interpretations at teachings from/on/about the Bible and many doctrines, nakakalito na po kung ano ang UUNAHIN at bibigyan ng PRIORITY.
Pls advice?

A - Unahin mo ang
1. teachings ni Jesus, especially his teachings on eternal/spiritual life and the reign of God in people's hearts; how to make God rule in your heart;
2. teachings that make you a good, caring and loving person;
3. teachings that give you practical guidance in godly, fruitful and peaceful living.


Hwag kang pagulo at sumali sa mga labanan ng teachings na malayo sa bituka, malayo sa pang-araw-araw na kagandahang loob at pakikipagmabutihan sa kapwa,
lalu na yung mga controversial topics na noon, ngayon at bukas na pumuti man ang uwak ay di na malulutas.

Iwasan ang mga topics na divisive, nakakagalit at nakapagpapa-away sa mga believers.




May mga pagkakamali na kahit pagsisihan at kapulutan ng aral ay meron at meron pa ring mapait at masaklap na bungang hindi maiiwasan.
Makabubuti talagang mag-isip nang mainam bago sumuong sa pagkakamali.




 - Ano po ang bagay gawin sa isang taong huling-huli at cornered na cornered, caught in the act sa paggawa ng kasalanan?
Q -
Kung private, personal kasalanan at hindi naman directly damaged or affected ang buhay ng iba, at kung hindi naman violent or threatening or arrogant yung tao, tingnan ang ginawa ni Jesus sa woman caught committing adultery: he did not judge nor condemn her.
Because of Jesus' treatment of her, no one stoned her.




Q - Mahal na mahal daw po ako ng BF ko pero laging halos mamalimos ako ng time, attention and actual presence nya samantalang may time and capacity naman sya to be with me kung talagang gugustuhin nya?
A -
Kung talagang mahal, di ka nya gagawing pulubi, namamalimos ng attention?!
1. Baka hindi ka talaga mahal?
2. Baka mahal ka nga pero merong ibang mahal / mas mahal?
Action speaks louder than words, pamangkin.




Q - Tito, hanggang saan po ang responsiblity ang ninong at ninang sa kasal? Ok lang ba na makialam kahit hindi hinihingi?
A -
Okay lang sa simula. Baka naman kasi nalilimutan lang na sumangguni sa kanila.
Pero matapos na makilahok at maramdamang unwelcome ang kanilang panghihimasok, dapat back off sila ninong at ninang.
Pray na lang muna on their own.
MInsan sa kaayawan sa nagpapayo o sa style ng pagpapayo ay inaayawan na rin tuloy yung payo mismo.




Q - Tito yun pong friend ko sobrang laki ng boobs, halos masubsob na po pag naglalakad?
A -
Eh bakit mo pinoproblema?
Kung talagang concerned ka, payuhan mo na lang ma medyo tumingala o lumiyad pag naglalakad para may balance?




Q - Ano po ang dapat gawin sa preachers na panay ang parinig na imbitahan silang mag-speak sa church namin? Bakit po ba may mga preachers na ipinag-aalukan ang sarili nila na mag-speak kung saan-saang churches?
A -
Invite them kung makabubuti, makatutulong at makae-edify sa inyo.
Kung hindi naman kayo nabe-blessed o kung di nyo talaga gusto eh di wag nyo invite?




Q - Pano po makarecover ang isang namatayan ng mahal sa buhay
A -
God. Seek God's comfort.Pray.
Time. Panahon ang nagbibigay ng recovery.
Makatutulong na maging busy, find another focus, other objects of love. Maglibang. Strive to be happy.





Q - Tito paano po malalaman na talagang mahal ako ng BF ko.? Sobra pong malambing sa texts at panay ang " I love you". Kakilig po talaga.
Sobra pong nahuhulog ang loob ko ...at parang malapit na rin pong mahulog ang panty ko!
A -
Watch his body language.
Madaling magsinungaling sa salita;
mas matapat ang kilos at gawa.
Let time pass.
Mahirap magsinungaling consistently sa mahabang panahon.
Lalabas at lalabas din ang tunay na ugali at niloloob.
Yung kilos at gawa ang bantayan mo.
Dun ka mas maniwala.
At yang panty mo, huwag mong ilaglag.
Talian mo.
Iperdible.
Higpitan.
Do not join the swelling ranks of girls na nabola sa dami ng sweetipiepie texts at inilaglag na lang basta-basta ang lahat-lahat.





Q - Bakit po kaya ayaw nang pumatol at makilahok ng isa kong kilalang pastor-theologian sa maraming mga usapan or debates on the faith? Sayang kasi very educated, well read and intelligent sya, not to mention very very spiritually anointed. Madalas din po kasi na di sya maintindihan ng marami at inaakusahan sya ng heresy?
A -
Baka very highly debeloped at nasa iba nang dimension ang consciousness nya: malayu na, evolved na ang korte ng isip at pag-iisip nya?
Baka sobra na syang nabababawan sa mga ganyang usapin?
O naiisip nyang useless (for now) to keep discoursing with people whose minds and thoughts are still so "primitive" and "underdeveloped" and whose spiritual vocabulary is still so very limited as to be able to engage in an enlightened discourse?
Ganyang-ganyan ang case ni Jesus: di sya maintindihan kaya inaakusahan syang prince of demons, etc.
Alam ni Jesus ang ganyang sitwasyon kaya sabi nya:
Matthew 7:6 (CEV)
Don’t give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you. Don’t throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.
In other words: Hwag makipag-usap sa mga ganyan.
Hwag / Useless makipag-usap / makipagtalo sa walang muang.



Q - Lagi po akong lugi sa love.
I always end up giving so much and getting so little.
Sobra-sobra po ang naibibigay ko compared sa natatanggap?
How can I avoid being lagi at sobrang lugi?
A -
Make your love a prize at the finish line of the race,
not a give-away incentive at the starting point;
Make your love a fruit at the end of people's labor,
not some fertilizer in the beginning?
Let people earn your love.
Huwag mong ipamigay agad-agad at bigla-bigla.



Q - gusto ko ng mag-exit sa group chat ng spiritual community namin kasi madalas akong ma-hurt sa mga topics ng group. Very judgmental of others.
A -
The Arabs have a saying: "Close the door that brings in the draft."




1. Pastor hanggang kelan po ba dapat magpatawad? Pag niloko ka po ba ng boyfriend dapat po ba magbigay ng chance? May nangyari po sa kanila nung isang girl habang kami po. Dapat pa po bang magbigay pa ng chance?
2. Pastor pag po ba alam mo at ramdam mo na ayaw sayo nung parents ng bf mo at may iba silang gusto para sa kanya dapat po bang mag giveway na?
A -
1. Mas malaki ang loss pag hindi nagpatawad.
2. NO. Hindi naman yung parents nya ang pakakasalan mo.



Q - Bakit po kaya ang bilis maging galit ang romantic love?
A -
There is a very thin line between love and hatred
that it could be easy to hate the one you used to love.
We usually put down all defenses against a loved one,
so it becomes so easy to be hurt.
Mabuting labanan ang ganitong tendency
and try hard remember an ex for all the good things?




Q - What is the quickest way to forget a lost love?
A -
A new /Another love?