Anabaptist

It’s always good to be flexible as a human being. When you are flexible and willing to adapt others’ ideas and stands you will know that many will benefit. Two things that I learned from this week which are very new to me is that the stand of Radical Biblicists which said they are the true Anabaptists requiring faith in Christ before an individual is baptized. It is true that one needs to have a personal relationship with the Lord first before undergoing any rituals or sacraments. He needs to strengthen his relationship with God first. Baptism cannot save an individual life. Another new thing I learned and really made me think is the leaderdship of Mathy's sucessor who is John Leyden who practiced polygamy. I wonder the way he managed people basing on the tree choices that he gave to everyone in his city: choose to be baptized, flee from the city or be killed. How can a Christian create warfare in the name of God?

I remembered my experience in my home church; this is not my personal experience though but is truly happening in our church today. The leader of the church immediately baptized every person who come to church for the sake of membership but not really assuring the status of their personal relationship and experience with God. Isn’t this thing so unfair especially to that person who is being baptized without knowing the whole truth? Of course not all leaders or pastors are doing this in the church. Another thing is that making leadership too important to the point that you’re already using that position to manipulate other people’s lives. It is very unfair.

Our faith in God is of greater importance than baptism because baptism cannot save us. The most important thing is that we’re making sure that our relationship to God is deep and we know Him very well. Our hearts and motives are what matters most to the Lord not our position in the church. Another point is that we should always aim big things for the good of everybody not only for ourselves. We should always base our life on the Scripture not on our own rules and standards.

True Living GOd

 As I read and watched the news about the papal visit in the Philippines I felt sad knowing how prepared the Catholic people for his coming. I even watched in the TV news once when the newscaster discussed about how to properly conduct if ever they encountered the pope. Men and women need to present themselves in front of the pope decently and appropriately. They really give a higher regard to the pope. “Your holiness or holy father” they said, are words that should be used to address the pope. Its is Only God, the true living God, deserves to be called Holy Father and deserves the highest regard of worship and honor of many people. I believe that Filipinos are very hospitable and generous in dealing visitors, but the way they are preparing themselves for the coming of pope is beyond with the honor and respect that he deserved. For me their honor and respect intended for the pope is a blasphemy before God. It seemed to me that the pope is more for them than the true God, Jesus the Emmanuel. People’s minds and hearts are totally inclined and corrupted to what they thought are right. The coming of the pope to the Philippines brings me negative feelings. They are maybe discussing important issues in the country or their belief his presence is not the key for the change of the country. It is God alone who can do that and no one else. God will be praised in spite of the things that are happening now. 

Love History

When I heard the word “history” I always felt like kind of unusual, afraid, kind of like that. During my elementary and high school years I always got low grades with my history subjects. I cannot hardly memorize names of persons and places and it seemed that I was really very poor with remembering dates. That is why I really how relevant it is for me today. I'm starting to open up my heart to learn more historical information. The discussion for the week is really a big help for me.. As I read many ideas from my classmates God is slowly opening my heart and mind to the idea that I need to learn history because it is very important. Yes! 'cause even the Bible has a lot of histories of many people before where we can get lessons and leanings that we can use for our daily lives.

didn’t like history. But now I realized that I need to love this subject because it is very important for me to know what happened in the past and

I'm glad that I also learned about the contributions of early churches to preserve what Jesus had started and even before He came. I believe that somebody is doing something for mankind already even before Jesus time. It is interesting for me to learn about the beginning of Christianity and the factors influencing its early development. Like the Jewish Culture which started with God's calling to Abraham until their dispersion. Even when they were scattered around they're still very strict with their teaching that there is only One God ( Monotheism). The Greek culture which is the time of Jesus and the apostles up to the time of Roman culture has contributed a lot also. I learned that serving Jesus is really not that easy because there's a lot of oppositions and persecutions. There are many challenges how to stand for the truth ( Bible) against pagan beliefs and abusive authority. But those people really persevered hardships to preserve God's plan and protect their faith in God.

I'm very thankful to God that before I was born here on earth Christianity is already existing. And we have the Bible already as my basis of all true histories (truth) about what God did for the people. As I ponder and connect the past ( in my own understanding as I read the book) I realized that God is very creative in preserving His creation. He even sent Jesus Christ to continue and fulfill His plan for the humanity. A very powerful God who dearly love us unconditionally and His plan for us is perfect no one can stop Him.

Read More

“Caesaropapacy” this is a strange word for me. I haven’t encountered this before. Even the idea of the word itself didn’t even come to my mind before. I always thought that when it is called“church” only pastors, deacons, bishops and all other connected to church are the only people who control it. Never thought that there is also a political control in the church which is this that controlled by the emperor. Only when having this subject and encountered the word “Caesaropapacy” I got a chance to know it. Another thing is this idea of “strong hatred characterizing Islam from its beginning”. This is new and odd for me to think that Islam started in this way. I asked myself if there would still be peace and love in the heart of those people if they believe and stand for something that which even from the beginning there is hatred already? They need the One who is the Prince of Peace and the God of Love.

This made me realize of something, something that I must always do! I should have to love reading. I should have to take everything very seriously especially acquiring important in formations about things that are not familiar to me . As a student I have this in my mind that not everything the I’ve learned in the class is applicable in the real ministry. That some of them will remain theory and will not really happen. But when I read the book and learned more about the Muslim beliefs and ethics I realized that I have taken for granted a lot of opportunities and chances given for me to learn. I should have learned lot of things about them before. I asked myself how can I minister and help these people if I know less about them. I was rebuked.

Everything happens for a purpose and all for the glory of God. If everything happens for one purpose then none of them are less essential. They are all given very important. I should have to take everything seriously and be excited to learn more. Read books and be sensitive of things that surround me because before I can effectively reach out to those people I need to understand them first. Primary thing that I will do is to ask God’s help to completely change my attitude.

Servant Leader

The crusade begun in 1096 with 500,000 soldiers marching towards Jerusalem. This is very new to me and what made me think about this is the “evilness” of this Crusade which is evident in the way the army treated Christian and non-Christian alike in their own lands just as if they were enemies. But they are committing this “evilness” in the name of Christ. It is very clear that their motive is bad.

Another thing that really made me think is the idea that this Crusade brought much money to the Church. This caused people to give valuable gifts to the Roman Church. The pope used the crusades as an excuse to place a new church tax on the people. This is very sad, even though it seems right but it really isn't.

Abuse of positions, wrong motives and selfish desires can really cause us to mistreat and hurt others. I remember when I was still working before going to college. I saw the way my boss treated us unfairly and lied to those people in authority because of their desire to get what they wanted and make themselves satisfied. They have a lot of hidden agendas and under-the-table transactions just to get their personal desires ahead. They are using their position as a boss and use other people to meet their selfish desire. I know the truth then but I was afraid because I did not have the right to confront them because I knew I didn't have the power then. I just kept my mouth close and that time I didn't even remember to pray to God and ask Him to help them do the right thing. One thing that I regretted so much when I remember them perhaps they are still doing the same right now.

I have to be prayerful to God always. Ask wisdom and courage from the Holy Spirit to be able to deal with this kind of people. Just like what other servants of God did, even if it takes a lot from them they rebuke those who do wrong. I have to learn to take courage of doing this because I am a minister of God who needs to stand for what is right and do the things that please God.

Mighty Fortress is our God

My own strength cannot stand alone without God's help because I am weak. My abilities and capacities is not a guarantee for me to survive in this chaotic world but by the grace and power of God I live. I should put my trust only to God because His plan for me is great and all best. If I place my trust in God and remain in Him even admits of all troubles and “pasakit” from the world I live I should not be afraid because my Helper is Great and powerful. I am aware that as a simple creature of my Maker I am incapable of so many things but because my is my father too I can always call on to His name as ask for help. I should guard myself against the schemes of the enemy and stand firm because my Father is greater than them, He can sweep them away in just a blink of their eye. My Lord secures everything in me even my fears and insecurities in life. I should have to hold on to Him Whom the God that remains the same for eternity.

Charlemagne

t’s great to know that people like Charlemagne contributed a lot to the preservation of the Roman Church, and especially for the expansion of the gospel to the invading German tribes. I'm glad to know that God has used even this kind of people to fulfill His ecclesiastical plan. “Iconoclastic Controversy” which means “image- destroying” is another new thing to me and it is really good if this continued to the life of all people before. If there’s just nothing that changed within the churches which corrupted the mind of those people then probably there would be no worship of images nowadays.

I remember when I was still very young my whole family planned for an out of town trip for some special ceremony they said. We went then to a place and a certain church where known to have different kind and names of images which they believed are divine. This made me remember of my Lola and other relatives. Should I just wait and do nothing for them to hear about the true Living God? I felt guilty just to think and believe that God has His perfect time to change my family and relatives but I’m actually doing nothing. I’m so blessed that I already have Jesus Christ in my life as my Lord and Savior but I need to share this blessing to the rest of my family, relatives and other people too. Not sharing this blessing is an act of selfishness and I feel sorry to the Lord for not doing this to them. I should do this before everything is too late for them to hear and know Jesus especially for my Lola who’s getting older and weaker now.-----:’( Please help me Lord to reach and patiently share to them the Gospel like how You patiently love me. I know You have a very special plan for them.

Praying for them is the best thing that I can do as of this time. I should always think that God loves them so much and they also have the right to encounter Jesus and experience His love. I must find ways to communicate with them and stay connected so I can have a chance to share Jesus to them anytime. I must not give up instead I must patiently do this because this is what God wants me to do. I must sacrifice myself because I already have experienced God’s sacrificial love for me. Though its hard I know but I must endure through the help of the Lord, by His mercy and grace things will happen. Nothings is impossible to God I truly believe that.