God Has the Final Say

First, I have learned how God used Emperor Constantine mightily to propagate Christianity. God used Him to extend his kingdom in this temporal world. Even though we could not certainly tell if he became a Christian or not but what really matters most was that God worked through his life. He became somehow submissive to the will of God despite our ignorance whether he was saved or not. The essential thing I have learned in his life is that God can use evil people to bring out something good from them. God is in control over human affairs, both to believers and unbelievers.
Secondly, I have now an idea how the church progresses  by using the lives of Clement and Irenaeus. I have encountered their names before but this week I have learned an ample knowledge about themselves on how they became instruments of God to make Christianity not only to survive but to flourish as well. They contributed well enough to attack false teachings and to verify the books that must be included in the Bible. Before, I really thought that Clement and Irenaeus were just patrons of Roman Catholicism and they had not really contributed in church history but then I had found it wrong.
As I looked back to my life before, I could consider myself as a really judgmental person. I was very narrow-minded. As I look at myself now, I can say that there's a transformation happening in me. I am already more aware of myself  and try to stop my thoughts and mouth in judging people even though there are still times that I fail in this area. But this time, I want to be serious about this and I know that I can do it with God's help (Phil. 4:13). I want to be more willing and disciplined to think and speak what God wants me to. I will now be more considerate and understanding to others. Most of all, I must learn to have self-control and to ask God's help to attain this.
To put these things into practice, I will first pray to God for this and ask Him to look the people around me by using His lenses. Instead of judging them, better thank them for who they are and what they have. Another thing is that I have to include them in my prayers without grudges in my heart and if they need help from me then I will try my best to help them instead of retaliating them. Lastly, I will keep trying to myself that "God has the final say no matter what people say". The fact is that I can't please everybody and I should not get hurt if other people cannot able to understand myself but rather choose to accept them. There's a saying that really inspires me and it goes this way, 'It's better to understand than to be understood'. I will also live up this principle that says, "Think before you speak and act" and I am praying that I can truly apply this personally to my whole life with God's sovereign help.

An Athlete of Faith

         

The first thing that I have learned for this week's discussion is about the life of Ignatius of Antioch. He was called as the 'true athlete of faith'. He became an apostle bishop and martyr. He selflessly devoted his life to God. In fact, his body was fed to the beast because of his tremendous faith and it became the cause of his death. He really had a passionate love of sacrifice and a devotion to his duty to glorify God no matter what it takes. The second thing that added to my stock of knowledge is about the fact that church history can make us humble and grateful. Church history is a record of frailty and failures. It showed to us that God has been patient with us and faithful to His promises. Church history, as well, can disclose the things God has done for His people regardless of its incompleteness yet we can still somehow be filled with gratitude for God's faithfulness to get us here in this present time despite the wrath of the past. God has been always with us and would never ever leave us behind. He is always both the Good Man and Great God of all time.

What I need to change in the way I think is that with or without anyone besides me, I have nothing to fear when circumstance comes because God is with me. I remembered a statement from the book entitled 'When Women Walk Alone' that says, "A true test to find a woman's strength is when she is alone". It simply means that marriage is not everything but God is. People may judge a single lady yet they don't know that she has a Great Invisible Partner and that is no other than God. The book does not encourage singleness yet it motivates every woman to stay focus to God and not to be distracted by anything or anybody else here on this temporal earth. Marriage is okay but then if it makes you stay away from God then it is good for nothing. A woman should stay in love with Jesus regardless of her relationship status in life. Personally speaking, I really had a bad intention before why I wanted to marry and that was I don't like to be alone and to be bored to death in the future because I am a spinster and childless. That was a really selfish motivation but then I have realized that marriage is not about me. It's about God. It's not about my joy but His. It's not about my welfare but for God alone.

My first step to put this into practice is to pray unceasingly. I will pray specifically to God everyday that my love for Him will grow as the days, months, or years pass by. Secondly, I will make a commitment to God that whether I am single or not, I will always be loyal to make Him as the apple of my eye now and forever. The third step to take is to wait for the man God wants for me to be my lifetime partner (if He is willing) for a full-time service to the ministry He wants to entrust to both of us. But then if God wills that I will be single I will still wait that God will give me a woman, a friend or a sister in Christ or a group of people with whom I can serve God more effectively until the last day of my breath. Lastly, I will always pray to God that He will give me a submissive and willing heart to follow His will and trust His heart even though I may not understand. It's because I believe that it's all part of God's greater plan.

Later On I’ll Know..

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you

In every prayer of mine, with joy making request for you

Even until now and since the day I knew you

I’m confident that God will faithfully finish what He’s started in you.

I have you in my heart right from the start

When a friend told me your story that cut my heart

My feelings at that time cannot be described

Later on, compassion grows and love exalts.

How greatly I love you with the love of the Lord

God is my witness, how I was greatly troubled

Knowing that heart is deceitful, I kept trying to avoid

Later on, I realized my feelings for you should not be ignored.

The more I suppressed, the more my love for you increases

Seeing your pain physically and emotionally makes me distress

The only great help I could offer is to include you in my prayers

May God will extend more years to you if He wills.



Praying that your love for God will grow in knowledge and discernment

Even though your days here on earth run very swift

Never lose hope, fix your eyes on Jesus and don’t ever quit

Live your whole life fully committed to Christ and keep the faith.



Until this time I am confused if what kind of love I have for you,

Is this just an ordinary feeling or an extravagant longing?

To a simple man I knew and later on becomes a special man for me.

Only God knows if we are meant to be



Later on I’ll know if you are God’s will for me ...

-S.M.T.A.

(09/05/15)

Mahalin ang Diyos sa Salita at Kilos

  Sa aking mga kababata, mga kaibigan at mga kapatid kay Kristo, ako ay nasa inyong harapan upang ibahagi sa inyo ang isang gintong aral na aking natagpuan. Ito ay mula sa libro ni Juan 14:15 na ang sabi ay, “Kung iniibig ninyo ako, tutuparin ninyo ang aking mga itinuturo.” Galing sa bersikulong ito ay nakakuha ako ng isang mahalagang ideya na “Kung mahal natin ang Diyos, sundin natin ang Kanyang utos.” Ito ang pangunahing ideya na gusto kong ilahad at ipaliwanag sa inyo ngayong hapon. Ako’y umaasa din na sana’y ito’y itanim sa ating puso’t isipan.

May kasabihan tayong, “Action speaks louder than words” na kung ating isalin pa sa Tagalog ay “Ang gawa ay mas higit pa sa salita.” Ngunit, subalit, datapwat, bakit tayong mga tao ay halos puro na lamang mga salita, wala naman sa gawa, puro lamang tayo pangako ngunit palagi namang pinapako. Dito sa mundong ibabaw ay marami ang nasirang kinabukasan at pangako ang may kagagawan. Pangako nga ba talaga’y ginawa upang paasahin ang tao sa wala?

Ngunit sa kabilang banda, ating makikita sa Bibliya ang isang Magandang Balita na may Diyos tayo na hindi nakakalimot sa Kanyang pangako. Inalay Niya ang Kanyang anak upang maging kabayaran sa ating mga kasalanan. Siya nga ay Diyos sa salita man at sa kilos. Si Hesus na ating Diyos ay isang pinakamagandang ihemplo upang tayo’y maging isang Kristyano na maisasabuhay ang kaisipan na, “Kung mahal natin ang Diyos, sundin natin ang Kanyang utos.”

                                                                                                                   -S.M.T.A.