Bible doctrines or teachings
Jun P. Espina         4 min read Updated on September 17th, 2022If I were to preach on “Faith Promise Giving,” my first question would be: What’s God’s precise instruction concerning Faith Promise giving? Well, Faith Promise giving is without a supporting verse, for God does not “preach” it. Yesterday, I heard someone using the book of Esther … Read more
The real problem in this life is our great love for ourselves. As such, we tend to attribute all our laurels to no one but ourselves. God, in our natural experience, seems to be just another Grandpa in our trying times. We don’t see some big deal with Him. We don’t give God the honor and glory due Him as our Heavenly Father and Creator. Our mind and heart are all focused on ourselves, on our money, job, or our relationships. Even in our deathbed, we tend to call God only as an Emergency Assistant. We all have the great love for ourselves and less love for our God.
How is one piece of wood, the so-called Black Narazene, making both news and history every January of each year in the Philippines since Catholic “devotees” worshiped it as a miraculous idol for hundreds of years? The Black Nazarene symbolizes the ordinary Filipinos’ Catholicism and devotion to a god made of wood. “Not at all,” protested the learned academicians and intellectuals who were into the Black Nazarene worship, too. It is how deep the Black Nazarene cult has permeated into the matrix of the Filipino faith system for over 200 years.
When Christ cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus come forth!,” the other dead Lazaruses didn’t rise–only the brother of Mary and Martha. There’s a big difference if you’re KNOWN of the Lord. People claim they know Jesus; but does Christ KNOW them? Are we experiencing Christ’s ownership of our soul?
In politics, the followers of Christ are instructed not to be rebels of the duly instituted authority but rather to pray for their leaders. Some leaders of pseudo-Christian groups went to the mountains during the period of Dictator Marcos in the Philippines and became rebels and combatants. Such wasn’t fundamental Christianity. Here is Christ’s teaching: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17).
What is the greatest form of poverty in this life? Poor pocket? Poor health? Poor relationship? NO! When cancer or accident comes to kill, Christ would say: “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…[but] you are not rich toward God.” In Luke 12:20-21, Christ taught about poverty toward God.