Showing posts with label Open Your Mind. Show all posts
The Woman's Redemption
I was just one of the Christian women who were once blinded by world's temptations. Before, I often caught my self "falling-infatuated" with non-Christian men. (With God's grace, He didn't allowed be to get into a relationship with one). Whenever this happen I really felt impure before Him. It was really miserable to be away from the One who really loved me because of being infatuated.
A chapter in a book of Bible got my attention. It was in Hosea Chapter 2. It was when God sees Israel's unfaithfulness. Verses 2 to 13 states how He felt for her that He wanted to punish her for what she has done.
"I will make her like a desert,
turn her into a parched land,
and slay her with thirst."
...
"I will punish her for the days
she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but me she forgot,”
declares the LORD."
Yes, He was mad. Reading this verses really showed how bad the woman was. She neglected His love and turned into chasing her lovers. Yet, the Lord still pursed her on verse 14 onwards:she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but me she forgot,”
declares the LORD."
“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her."
..
"There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt."
...
I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her."
..
"There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt."
...
I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.
The Lord wants to pursue you. Yes, He wants to allure You. He wants to fulfill your innermost desires because He wired you that way. He loves you and He values you. He wants you to feel, know and experience it. He thinks that you're priceless and worth fighting for even if you think you're not and you see yourself dirty. Yes He was mad because of the things you've done but He wants to give you a chance and He wants to forgive you. He wants to give you a new hope, not a dying false hope from this world. He wants you to remember the great things He has done for you - how He moved the heavens and earth for you. He wants to lead you to a place where there is no where to go and there He will tell you the things He wanted to say to you. His promises - they're still real. He'll fulfill it after all the failures and mistakes that you've done. He wants to love you and be with Him forever. He wants to clothe you with His love, His righteousness, with His righteousness and even faithfulness.
His love. It's so deep.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Lupang Hinirang
Hindi ko sinulat ang pamagat na yan para kantahin ang ating pamansang awit. Matagal ko nang gustong magblog tungkol sa bagay na ito. Kachat ko ang bestfriend ko at pinaguusapan namin ang mga isyu tungkol sa election nang bigla kong naaalala nuong una akong ininterbyu para makpasok sa colehiyo. Tinanong ako ng isang Guidance Councilor kung anong dahilan ko kung bakit ako mag-aaral sa colehiyo, ang sabi ko, dahil gusto kong makatulong sa bansa...
Kagagaling ko lang sa camp (Developing Young Leaders in Rebuilding the Nation) no'n at maalab na maalab pa sa puso ko ang pagmamahal sa bayan. Pinagalab pa ito lalo na ng mga seminar(Pinakamamahal kong Bayang Pilipinas), concerts at praying and fasting - at maging itong huling camp na dinaluhan ko.
Nais ko lang ibahagi sa inyo ang ilang mga punto ko..
Ang bayan natin ang Lupang Hinirang. Maniwala ka man sa hindi pero totoo ito. Makikita mo sa ugali ng mga Pilipino, sa abilidad at mga kakayanan. Hindi ka basta basta pag Pilipino ka. "PILI" ka na "PINO" ka pa. Napakasarap pakinggan dba? Pero, parang nagiging Pilipino ka "lang" pag wala kang pakialam sa bansa mo. Kapag nakasarado lang isip mo sa sarili mo - kapag wala ka nang pakialam sa paligid mo, lalu na sa bansa mo. Kapag hingi ka lang nang hingi sa gobyerno. Kapag nagtuturo ka lang nang nagtuturo sa kasalanan ng ibang tao. At kapag nagiging corrupt ka na -sa sarili mo pa mismo.
Marahil, sampal sa ilang mga kabataan ang bagay na ito. Masyado kasing nagiging "BUSY sa sarili" ang marami sa atin. Iniisip lang ang sariling kapakanan. Sariliing pagunlad. Pero kung kapanan mo talaga ang gusto mong isipin, isipin mo ang bansa mo - para sa kapakanan mo un.:)
Hindi na tayo 2nd corrupt nation sa Asia- 1st na tayo. Alam mo ba yon? Siguro, naiisip natin ang mga ginawa ng mga political leaders natin. Pero hindi lang pala yon. Saan nga ba nagsisimula ang corruption - sa sarili. Sa pagiging makasarili, sa pagiging ganid para lang sa pagunlad ng sarili at ang corruption ay hindi lang pagnanakaw ng yaman. Naalala ko nang minsang nagalit samin ang isa sa mga paburito kong guro sa physics nang walang umamin sa amin ng isang kasalanang wag na nating banggitin, sabi niya.. "Ang babata niyo pa, Corrupt na kayo".
Marahil, ang isa rin sa mga marami nating problema ay ang kawalan ng disiplina. Tapon dito - tapon diyan. Kasama na pagdudura kung saan saan. Nagmukha na ngang basurahan ang buong bayan. Hindi pagsunod sa batas trapiko - kahit ang simpleng pagtawid.. "Dito na ako tatawid.. para mapadali ang lakad KO" (kitam - puro sarili). Ayoko nang banggitin yung iba. Ayoko nang makasakit.
At ang pinakaproblema - ang kawalan ng pagmamahal sa bayan. Dahil kung mahal ng mamamayan ang bayan niya - hindi ito mangungurakot at handa itong magpa-disiplina. Ilagay mo ang sarili mo nung panahon ng mga Kastila - wala kang makikitang kalat. Tama? Bakit kaya?
Tayo pa naman ang only Christian Nation sa Asia. Pero hindi natin nai-rerepresent si Lord ng maayos. Baka sabihin ng ibang bansa sa atin.. "Pano ko paniniwalaan ang sinasabi mong Christ, eh kayo nga, mga corrupt nga kayo, eh wala nga kayong disiplina?" Aray ko po.
At sa dami ng pagkukulang natin sa sarili nating bayan. Naniniwala pa rin ako na tayo ang pag-asa nito. Lalu na tayong mga kabataan. Kahit anong mangyari - nagkulang ka man noon. Maari mong umpisahan ngayon - kung ano bang magagawa mo para sa bansa mo. Kung panu mo maipapakita, sa maliliit o sa malaking paraan na mahal mo ang bayan mo. Kung ang corruption nga - naguupisa sarili. Ang pagbabago rin, naguumpisa sa sarili. At ang pagmamahal sa bayan - evident man yan o hindi. Alam ko, andyan yan sayo.
Naniniwala pa rin ako sa pangako ni Lord.
"...and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Could you humble yourself before God? and pray for our country? and turn from our evil doings?
He said, He will hear us, and He will forgive and totally heal us..
It's the word of God.. It's His promise.
He said, He will hear us, and He will forgive and totally heal us..
It's the word of God.. It's His promise.
We'll not stop praying until something happens and make change. Si Lord lang ang makakatulong sa'tin. Ang hirap hirap magbago - sa totoo lang.
(Remember: Praying is the ability to trust God, and having faith in Him)
Mahal ni God ang Pilipinas. No doubt, ang yaman yaman natin sa resources. Ang ganda ganda ng bansa natin. Iniiwas niya tayo sa mga sakit in ways na hindi natin alam..
Hindi naman tayo losers na mga Pilipino eh. Laging may pag-asa. Kung maniniwala tayo at kung uumpisahan natin ito. Mag register ka man sa AKO MISMO or hindi. Patunayan mo sa sarili mo.
Kabataan, mas marami ka pang magagawa kaysa sa presidente ng bayang ito. Hindi mo kailangang mag-rally o ipagsigawan ninanais mong pagbabago. Hawaan natin ang ibang mga kabataan ah!
At eventually, itong Lupang Hinirang na ating kinatitirikan - ay gagamitin ni Lord for His glory. Nasa prophesy yan. :)
and lastly, I would like you to ponder this song:
God of This City
Chris Tomlin
You’re the God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are
You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless
You’re the peace to the restless
You are
For there is no-one like our God
There is no-one like our God
Chorus
Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things have still to be done here
Chris Tomlin
You’re the God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are
You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless
You’re the peace to the restless
You are
For there is no-one like our God
There is no-one like our God
Chorus
Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things have still to be done here
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tag :
Open Your Mind
