Doing The Hard Work

Henry Sy, the owner of a chain of SM Mega Malls in all major cities in the Philippines and the number one taxpayer according to BIR records, in an interview, said: “Success does not come overnight and it is the result of hard work”.

There are no short-cuts to success. Of course, there can be an exception by marrying a rich man or woman. However, more often this ends in divorce, because the primary reason is not LOVE. Or one can be a drug lord or gambling lord or engage in graft and corruption, if a government official, and by other dishonest means for any businessman, but these do not last long. It oftentimes end in tragedy and extreme embarrassment, if not incarceration, or even self-inflicted death or suicide to render any investigation moot or no longer possible.

Likewise, Christlikeness is not attained overnight and it requires hard work. This is what the Apostle Paul was trying to tell his disciple, the young Pastor Timothy, when he told him how he should behave by example so he could effectively teach believers how they should live. Specifically, he said: “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and gentleness”. These are all virtues of Jesus Christ, and the attributes of God himself. Then, he added: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life…” (1 Tim. 6:11-12 KJV). This is the ultimate goal of every believer, and this is hard work! This is the reason why no Bishop or any official of the Church of God who is a novice (or new Christian) qualifies to be appointed as such because that one will be “lifted up with pride” and fall into the condemnation of the devil (1 Tim. 3:6 KJV). This is the basis of the tradition or rule of churches, fellowships and other religious organizations that only matured Christians are qualified to be appointed or elected as leaders.

How will we know that someone is a matured Christian? The scripture says that “By their fruit, you will recognize them” (Matt. 7:20 NIV).

A young tree will not bear fruit. Only the matured ones do bear fruit. There are some trees that do not bear fruit. These are to be cut down. Likewise, only mature Christians, not necessarily in physical age, will bear fruit. In the Scripture, a fruit may be souls brought to the Kingdom of God. Also it refers to the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance [self-control] (Gal. 5:22-23 KJV). Like some trees, some Christians don’t bear fruit of souls, or show the fruit of the Holy Spirit. They need to mature some more. How? Read the Bible everyday, attend Sunday school, Bible studies, fellowships, and other Christian gatherings, and by then, have an spiritual relationship with God. This is hard work. Notably, there is absolutely no spiritual short-cut. And this spiritual struggle is for a lifetime.

In life, notice that every man successful or abundant in material wealth, except a few who are fortunate to be born with silver platter or with rich parents, had worked hard—very hard. There is no easy road to material success.

The richer a person, the more humble he becomes in action and in words.

The son of Henry Ford, the manufacturer of Ford vehicles, was asked why he drives a Ford sports car while his rich father drives only the original T-Ford car. He answered, “Because my father is rich”.

I had a very rich client, a doctor of medicine but chose to manage their own family business consisting mostly of prime real estate in Davao City Poblacion. Their family owns, among other vast properties in Davao City, a 40-hectare golf club where the new SM Mega Mall and the Toyota car complex are located, and a new hospital is being built. Their family donated the 10-hectare City Hall Complex at Panabo City. There is a kilometer avenue named after their father, the donation documents to the City of Davao I had the privilege to make and notarize. All the sand and gravel used in constructing my office building was supplied by their Sand and Gravel business. His favorite office attire is a white T-shirt without collar. If one does not know him and he is not seated in his office desk, he would be mistaken for a janitor. His car was an old Volkswagen. In his conversations, he was humble and amiable, and he was very generous. To my recollection, he was never interviewed in TV or radio.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the richest of all rich, but he was very humble. The Bible says: “Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:5-10 NLT).

Thanks God for his love for man, like the Good father that he is, he provided an easy way for His faithful children (Christians) to travel along the rough road toward the narrow gate of heaven, by sending His only begotten Son to be the believer’s substitute and savior. He provided an easy way for believers to enter heaven by simply believing in his only begotten Son. Apostle Paul elaborated: “For it is by grace (unmerited favor) you have been saved, through faith – (believing) and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9 NIV). Only believe till our last breath. Such “believing” must be supported by action, not in words only. We have a Father in heaven rich in mercy and loving beyond compare, awaiting our arrival. (FGBMFI Davao City Bulletin March 17, 2012)

Lover or Persecutor or Prosecutor?

If there is one thing believers in Jesus Christ should be known for, it is LOVE. Someone was able to count that the word love appears in Scripture more than 500 times. The essence or theme or heart of the gospel is love. We read this in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world…”. The epistle of John further elaborates: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16 NIV). This is the ultimate expression of real, true and sacrificial love. Only Jesus Christ has this kind of love. He voluntarily gave up and offered his life in the cross of calvary so we shall live and be with him in heaven eternally in fellowship. He is the greatest lover of all. And all Christians are to be Christlike. We can’t be exactly like Christ, but we can imitate his virtue of love and his character.

Christians or followers of Jesus Christ are to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13); “for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Galatians 5:14 KJV); live a life of love as the Scripture says: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear Children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:2 KJV). John further said: “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18 KJV).

So, if Jesus and His followers are all about love, why do some people who profess to be Christians hate us? Why are there persecuted believers or believer-persecutors in the world today? Are the persecutors lacking in love for their fellow believers? Yes, of course.

What awaits the persecuted? “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:11 KJV); “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV). Jesus further sermonized, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile (or insult) you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12 KJV). So the promised blessing or reward will be ours to receive, we must be persecuted for righteousness sake and the evil things alluded to us must be false.

On the other hand, what is the appropriate sermon to the persecutors?

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matt. 7:1-5 NIV).

Who do we want to be, lovers or persecutors or simply prosecutors?

There is a distinction between persecutor and prosecutor. The persecutor is the subject of this article; while the prosecutor is doing something as an assigned task or duty. In Tagalog, “TRABAHO lamang”. In this latter instance, the prosecutor does not hate the prosecuted. There is nothing wrong in working as Prosecutor.

The Chief Justice Renato Corona impeachment proceedings is the best example. Someone is being persecuted or only being prosecuted. Someone is persecuting or prosecuting only, that is to say, “trabaho lamang”. The true Christian who has the discerning of the Holy Spirit can identify these participants. He can even discern the power behind the prosecution or persecution, and the reason behind the whole proceedings. “Actions speak louder than words”, so men say. The Lord Jesus puts it more accurately: “for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45 KJV). Try to observe how the Senator-Judges act and speak. However, the material and relevant ISSUE is: Is the persecution for righteousness sake and is the evil or thing being charged false? Or are there other agenda of the Prosecutors? Or is there only a prosecution? The answers are found in the aforecited words of Jesus Christ. “Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan huwag magagalit.”

Jesus said to his disciples, and true Christians are his disciples, “Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). Jesus is the Light. When He walked this earth, people hated Him because He exposed the darkness of their sin. True Christians are now His light in this world (Matthew 5:14); therefore, the world will also hate the true Christians (John 15:19) because they are the ones who expose the sins of the worldly people - - those who pretend they are sinless and righteous.

Our task as true followers of Jesus Christ is to be channels of God’s love and light, even if we are hated in return. It is written: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (Jesus Christ, John 15:18 KJV).

Love in return for love is natural, but love in return for hate or persecution is supernatural and Christlike. For those prosecuted, if found guilty, there is a prescribed penalty; if innocent, they are entitled to acquittal. As true Christians, let us pray: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven …”

In this valley of tears and joy, some will hate us, some will love and appreciate us; some will flatter us. Beware of and pray for wisdom to discern the “flatterer”. Let us look above, trust God and let us do the right. Better be a lover than a persecutor or prosecutor for selfish reason and be rewarded a place in heaven with Jesus Christ.

(FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin March 10, 2012)

Give Love and You Will Receive ...

Love is the most important virtue in life. This is the attribute of God.

We who have been found by God because of his love for us have found the greatest virtue in life. When you have God in your heart, you have love, because God is love (1 John 4:8).

The greatest thing we can give others is love - - to show them love. This love is shown in our prayers, care, help and giving whether big or small, to the one in need - - to our neighbor. It is a truism that “you can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving”. The Apostle John expressed this more accurately and vividly this way: “We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us. And so we ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters. But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help - - how can God’s love be in that person? … “let us really show it by our actions.” (1 John 3:16-18 NLT).

Real love is an action, not only a feeling. It produces selfless sacrificial giving. The greatest act of love is giving oneself for others. How? By serving others with no thought of receiving anything in return.

In John 15, our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. And this is how to measure it - - the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends” (vs. 12-13 NLT). Then, the Lord Jesus added: “You are my friends if you obey me” (vs. 14).

It is a command that we are to love each other as Jesus loved us, and he loved us enough to give his life for us. Of course, to show our love for our neighbor, we do not have to really die for them. This is too great and too big a “ministry” reserved only for Jesus Christ. But there are other ways to practice sacrificial love like: listening and then helping, encouraging and giving to our neighbor.

The story of the Good Samaritan related by our Lord Jesus Christ is the best example of a love in action. Upon seeing the Jewish man robbed and left half-dead as he passed by, he felt deep pity. In Jewish tradition, because of racial reason, Jews and Samaritans refrain from dealing with each other. However, in this particular instance, the Samaritan traveler “soothed his (Jewish victim) wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. When he left the inn, he gave the innkeeper two pieces of silver and told him to take care of the man.” “If you spend more, I’ll pay you back the next time I come here again” said the Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).

Here, the Good Samaritan disregarded tradition and racial differences. He became no respecter of persons, like the Lord Jesus Christ. And he spent his own money and was willing to spend some more, if need be. Notice the connection of love for neighbor and money.

The year before last, our Chairman in the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-XI) led the Board members to a tour of Region XI to determine first hand whether the minimum wage the Board had fixed in Region XI was enough. In Kapalong, Davao del Norte, which happens to be my home town, he interviewed a housewife whose husband was accidentally shot in the banana plantation where he was working. He did not die but could no longer perform his usual work temporarily, so she had to make “puto” for their family’s support and livelihood. As she related her sacrifices to earn for her family’s support, she was crying because the kitchenware she was using was allegedly already unserviceable. Our Chairman asked her how much was the cost of the utensil. She said P1,500.00 and added, “but I have no money to buy”. Whereupon, the Chairman took off his hat, dropped a P500.00 bill and passed the hat to the other six members of the Board. Everyone dropped a P100 bill until at last the hat reached me, as I was the last to give. I had no other money in my wallet except a P500.00 bill but I did not like to pick up P400.00 bills from the hat so I could give only P100.00. So, somewhat grudgingly, I dropped the P500.00 bill. When the hat was handed to the housewife, she counted the money and it was exactly P1,500.00! She cried some more and louder this time, but she forgot to thank us and God, at least at that very moment. She was just like the nine lepers out of ten who were healed by the Lord Jesus Christ and forgot to thank Jesus.

Our Regional Director not long after was recalled to Manila and promoted as Labor Attaché in Australia up to this day. All the other members of the Board remain in status quo. The moral lesson is when you give voluntarily without expecting the recipient to reciprocate, you will receive even more and in good measure. Praise God for our Regional Director who was promoted. His pay and allowances are in Australian dollar which is even more than the US dollar in value. Do you notice again the connection of love for neighbor and money?

Next, we visited the 140-hectare Mercado banana farm in Luna, Kapalong, Davao. The board members requested me to tell our Chairman not to make any interview personally anymore, inasmuch as if someone cries again, we no longer have money to give. The Chairman laughed and he complied. As there were plenty of durian fruits, we helped ourselves to our complete over-satisfaction. To my observation and recollection, no one of us ever thanked the farm in-charge. We are also like the nine unthankful lepers, because of too much durian served upon us. Too much excitement will make us forget to be thankful. Notice again that seven durian fruits cost money!

God voluntarily gave his only begotten Son without our asking because of his love for man. The result is that God will have plenty of sons – all those who will accept and believe Jesus Christ as his Son (John 3:16). Notice here that the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed (purchased) mankind with his precious blood - - beyond the value of money! This is the kind of giving in love of our God. No one can outgive God!

The Lord Jesus Christ said: “If you give, you will receive, your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving – large or small – it will be used to measure what is given back to you” (Luke 6:38 NLT). So, let us keep on giving in love … and we shall receive in return in full measure, not only material and physical but more importantly, spiritual blessings. (FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin, March 3, 2012)

The Highest Goal

A lawyer tested the Lord Jesus Christ saying, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus quoting from the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5) said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:35-40 KJV).

But what is love?

Love is an emotion that defies description in words, something that causes us to move into action to do something good.

God (Jesus Christ) commands us to love God first and, second, to love our neighbor as ourselves.

In the end, this really means that we should love everybody, even our enemies. Indeed, Jesus Christ said, “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Luke 6:27-28 KJV).

Why did Jesus say, “love your enemies?” Because in those days, the Jewish people hate the Romans - - their conqueror. However, with the passage of time, some Romans, one of significant influence and power being Emperor Constantine, was Christianized. He decreed that the official religion of the Roman Empire was Christianity. Hence, was born the Roman Catholic Church or what we call Catolico Romano. These Romans learned to love the Christians and vice versa.

Jewish and non-Jewish (or Gentiles) are all God’s children through Faith in Jesus Christ. “So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians - - you are one in Christ Jesus and now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you” (Galatians 3:26-29 NLT). When the Old Testament was written, the Roman Empire was not yet in power. So, there were no Roman Catholics, no protestants and the numerous religions denominations that exist today. It was only during New Testament times that believers of God and His Son Jesus Christ designated themselves by their denominational names. But their common denomination is CHRIST. Meaning, all believe in Christ as the only begotten Son of God. Those religions who have other beliefs are called, Anti-Christ. But whether, Jewish or Greeks or Gentiles, Romans or not, whatever be their nationality, what is important is they believe in Christ as the Son of God. These are all Christians, the heirs of Abraham.

We have also our enemies. The prophet Micah said, “a man’s enemy are the men of his own house” (Micah 7:6). That is why some married couple end up in divorce. They simply can’t love their closest neighbor. When it should be the other way around. The wife should be the best friend of the husband. The trouble with some husbands is that they have other or many best friends which converts their spouse into their worst enemy, thus ending in divorce, or it is the other way around: the wife has other best friends also. For as long as we live, we will have enemies. Plenty of them. Let us learn from David when in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of King Saul. He said: “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies” (Ps. 18:1-3 KJV). David continued: “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me…; he delivered me, because he delighted in me (vs. 17, 19) he delivered me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man” (vs. 48 KJV). In one sentence, LOVE the LORD as he commands, then He will deliver us from all our enemies. He is stronger than our strongest enemy. If we love the LORD as he commanded, and our neighbor as ourselves, we can overcome all our enemies, including our enemies in our own house! David said, “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at the right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11 KJV).

A command has to be followed whether we like it or not. Failure or refusal to do so is disobedience with consequential penalty.

Micha’s prophetic statement “a man’s enemy are the men of his own house has been paraphrased by our Lord Jesus during New Testament times in this manner: “And a man’s foes shall be them of his own household” (Matt. 10:36 KJV). In our modern way of saying things, this is how Micah conveyed his prophetic message: “Don’t trust anyone - - not your best friend or even your wife! For the son despises his father. The daughter defies her mother. The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household” (Micah 7:5-6 NLT). I personally believe that the word “household” is to be understood in its generic meaning, not only literal. So, it may mean in your own group or organization. Because who else knows your secret but the one who knows you very well? Who knows us very well? Our best friend, of course.

In government or politics, Gov. Chavit Singson testified against Pres. Erap Estrada, his close friend. Speaker De Venecia a close friend for a while of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during her Administration, offered to testify against the latter, and this goes on in our government today!

Kinds of Love	Its Characteristics
1. EROS – sexual love 2. FELEO – family love 3. ASTERGO – responsive love 4. NARCISUS – self-centered love 5.PHILOS – brotherly love	a) Love described in 1 to 5 says: “I love you if” (kung) b) “I love you because” (sapagkat)
6. AGAPE – Divine or God's love (eternal love)	c) This kind of love says “I love you in spite of” (kahit na). Agape love is the highest and ultimate form of love. It is Christlike – expecting nothing in return

Agape is a kind of love that is willing to die, so the love one will live and be saved. No one has this kind of love, only God (Jesus Christ) has it and he voluntarily (without being asked) gave it by shedding his precious blood. This blood covers the sin of all believers.

John the beloved, the Apostle of Love, defines Love demonstratively. He assumes this feeling or emotion by saying, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV). And John continues by saying: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). How did God manifest his love for man? John continued: “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (complete payment) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11 KJV).

The Apostle Paul uses the word “charity” in his attempt to define love in 1 Cor. 13, the love chapter of the New Testament. Why charity? Because charity is giving something “without expecting anything in return”. That is why we have charitable institutions who extend help to the needy. These institutions don’t expect anything in return. Their giving is an ultimate act of love. This is where we got the expression “labor of love”, meaning we do something good for someone without expecting to be rewarded or repaid. However, the Lord Jesus decreed a reciprocal law that when we “give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom” (Luke 6:38 KJV).

Paul, a lawyer, prolific writer of thirteen books of the New Testament, almost half of the total 27 books of the NT, and a pharisee in his time, in defining LOVE used ACTION words, like: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up (or surrenders no matter what happens), never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever… (1 Cor. 13:4-8 NLT). “And now abideth faith, hope charity (Love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (Love)”. (vs. 13 KJV).

Paul continues in Chapter 14 “Let love be your highest goal” (vs. 1, NLT). In the KJV, “Follow after charity (Love)”. In the NIV, “Follow the way of love . . .”. In the New King James version (NKJ), it says, “pursue love” which is a command for every believer. Those who experienced pursuing love in their dealings have felt unspeakable joy in their heart.

Yes, we can respond obediently to what our Saviour directs us to do. He knows, though, that we are not capable of doing this on our own. That’s why He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to a life of loving obedience. With His help, we can learn to love those we don’t like.

Love is the greatest of all human virtues and qualities, and it is an attribute of God himself (1 John 4:8). Give love, receive love, give it away. If we give love, we shall receive love and something more “in good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over” from God through men like us. The ultimate reward from God, if we truly love God and our neighbor as ourselves is the experience of unspeakable joy in our heart, and most important of all, eternal life and abode with God in heaven. (FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin Feb 18, 2012)