Danger of Overfamiliarity with the Bible

"Tungkol saan ang message sermon mamaya? Ah, alam ko na pala 'yon."

"Exhortation na naman tungkol sa Giving? Alam ko na 'to e."

"Ito ba yung lesson sa Sunday School class? Alam ko na yan."

"Eto pala yung lesson sa devotion ko bukas. Alam ko na 'to."

Sometimes, we become too familiar with the Bible and its teachings that we tend to say, "Alam ko na 'yan" (I know that already).  The danger of overfamiliarity with the Bible is that it causes Christians to be less observant, less analytic, and less evaluative of the Scriptures that they read, missing out on the more important lessons of the Word. People often think that what they know of a certain verse or passage is the entirety of the message that is there for the taking. What we sometimes fail to realize is that the Word of God is so rich that a single verse may take on several different meanings depending on your circumstance, the working of the Holy Spirit, and the revelation of God. (Now, before we look at an example, let me clarify that the "several meanings" mentioned is not the interpretation or hermeneutics of Scriptures, but the practical application of Scriptures to one's life). Take for example:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

*In the hands of a soul winner, it is the Evangelistic Message - God's plan of Salvation.

*In the hands of an offering/giving exhorter, it is a Challenge for Giving - we give because God gave.

*In the hands of a lost soul, it is Hope - there is God's gift of life.

*In the hands of a discouraged fellow, it is God's Perfect Love - God so loved the world.

*In the hands of doubters, it is Assurance - God made a promise.

The point is, when we read the Scriptures, we should always be eager and enthusiastic to always learn more of what God is trying to say to us. The treasures of God's Word are very profound and precious (Psalms 19:7-10), that we ought to learn how to study the Scriptures diligently (2 Timothy 2:15).

Beware of the dangers of overfamiliarity with the Bible.

God bless!

- MSVMatienzo (2015)

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Remember God's Grace

"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also

that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."

- 2 Corinthians 6:1

Paul's words recorded in 2 Corinthians 6:1 was a reminder to the Corinthian believers. During Paul's time, many Christians were tossing aside the clear message of God's good grace. Many false teachers were proclaiming different messages that twist and pervert the assuring substance of the grace of God. It is because of this that Paul had to make a statement that the Corinthian believers should "receive not the grace of God in vain."

Regarding this issue, Christians of today are not an exception. At times, we also become guilty of this crime of neglecting / forgetting / receiving in vain the grace of God. We sometimes become overwhelmed with the pressures of this life, the problems of necessities, and the worries of tomorrow, that we tend to focus on our difficulties rather than the God of our deliverance. In essence, Paul's reminders are also relevant to us. In this article, we will examine three things about God's grace that would remind us of how the grace of our God is and will always be sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

1. Remember God's Saving Grace - Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:24

Since our God has the immutable power of saving us from eternal damnation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, then why, oh Christian, are you worrying about the troubles of your present circumstance? If God is able to save us from unquenchable hellfire, then He would definitely be able to deliver us from our momentary problems in this life.

God's saving grace has given us: 

     - a unique POSITION of being SONS OF GOD (John 1:12, 1 Peter 2:9), 
     - a renewed PURPOSE of being SERVANTS OF GOD (Romans 12:1, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14),
     - and a guided PRACTICE of having the STANDARDS OF GOD (1 Peter 1:15-16).

When faced with overwhelming stumbling blocks, remember God's saving grace.

2. Remember God's Supplying Grace

Once we put our whole faith and trust in God, it goes without saying that we are also putting our faith in the miraculous and awe-inspiring ways of God's provisions. According to the gospels, God continually provides for the needs of the birds of the air (Matthew 6:25-27). So why should any Christian worry about his/her needs, when the God of all sufficiency provides from His storehouse of grace and blessings? God only wants us to do two things: 1.) First things first, trust God and walk according to His will (Matthew 6:33), and 2.) Pray in faith unto God and ask, seek, and knock (Luke 11:9-10).

God provides for us three things (in order of least important to most important):

     - Our MATERIAL needs - these are bodily, physical, and tangible needs.
     - Our CIRCUMSTANTIAL needs - these are the basic necessities of man.
     - Our SPIRITUAL needs - these are virtues, doctrines, and values we need from the Word of God.

In times of pressing needs, remember that one of the names of our God is Jehovah-Jireh - "the Lord will provide".

3. Remember God's Sustaining Grace - Psalms 55:22

There is a slight difference between the words SUPPLYING and SUSTAINING. By definition, the word SUPPLYING means to give, to provide, to satisfy and urgent necessity (Dictionary). On the other hand, the word SUSTAINING means to keep alive, to keep going, to provide for to continue (Dictionary). In a much clearer illustration, consider the following:

- SUPPLYING is God giving you your needs for ONE WEEK.
- SUSTAINING is God giving you your needs WEEKLY.

It is God's grace that keeps us going every day of our lives. You might say that you are the one who works hard for everything that you have in your life, and that it is only through your efforts that you have achieved and gained much. Then, my friend, let me remind you of the free air and oxygen that you consume every so often. Oh, how unfortunate it would be when you wake up one morning with a note on your head stating that from that point onwards, you are going to be paying for your own oxygen, a dollar for every intake.

God's sustaining grace teaches us of three very promising truths:

     - God's EVERYDAY SUPPLY - Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 4:16
     - God's EVERLASTING SUFFICIENCY - 2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 3:5
     - God's ENDURING STEADFASTNESS (Faithfulness) - Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Hebrews 10:23, 1 Peter 4:19

In conclusion to this article, in times of troubles, difficulties, and doubts, we should always remember God's grace: His saving grace, His supplying grace, and His sustaining grace.

God bless!

-MSVMatienzo (2014)

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Forever?

Reflection Paper on Chapter 3 of John Haughey’s

Should Anyone Say Forever?

            In this paper, I would like to address the notion of permanence as conceived in the present times and how it is being overused, to the point that it is already losing its meaning.

 According to the chapter, people often measure the superior quality and quantity of their commitment through the use of the word “forever.” This poses a problematic as “the promise of forever is becoming obsolete.” In the present days, most people have a sweeping overfamiliarity of the word “forever.” This overfamiliarity tends to lead towards the watering down of the meaning of the word. Instead of focusing primarily on the permanence of a commitment, the word “forever” no longer means an immeasurable span of time, but a word that may or may not be permanent. “Forever,” nowadays, is used too much. Some use it to sugarcoat words of endearment. Some use the word to refer to a very long span of time. However, in the literal sense, “forever” does not only denote a “long span of time,” but an eternally immeasurable span of time. It is arguably a heavy word that is often misused in a very light context. Thus, there arises different misconceptions and skepticism nowadays when people describe their commitments as one that would last “forever.”

The real trouble here is not that the word “forever” should not be used. It is that people should consider what the permanence of commitment really means. Otherwise, there would be misconceptions, miscommunications, and even shattering of commitments merely because of the lack of understanding of the word. It is not and will never be wrong for anyone to quantify and qualify their commitments in terms of spans of time, or range of vitality. But it is always of utmost importance for people to realize the real meaning and implication of a commitment sealed by the word “forever.”

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PH 103 - Pilosopiya ng Relihiyon

Long test namin noong isang gabi sa Philosophy of Religion. Ito ang tanong:

"Kung sakaling magising ka isang umaga at nalaman mong wala naman pala talagang Diyos, magbabago ba ang iyong buhay?"

Ito ang sagot (conclusion part lang. Masyadong mahaba yung sagot ko e):

         "Malaking pagbabago ang mangyayari sa aking buhay kung sakaling magising ako isang umaga, at malaman kong wala naman pala talagang Diyos. Mag-iiba ang aking mga ideolohiya. Magbabago ang lahat ng aking mga pananaw sa mga bagay sa aking kapaligiran, may buhay man o wala. Maglalaho sa aking isipan ang imahe ng isang Ama na sa aki'y nagmamahal at kumakalinga. At sa aking paggising sa umagang iyon, kung wala naman pala talagang Diyos, ako'y magmimistulang isang batang ampon na namulat sa katotohanang wala talaga akong ama. Maihahalintulad sa isang gusali na nabuwal ang haligi at mga pundasyon. Marahil hindi iyon ang maging katapusan ng aking pag-iral, subalit panigurado na ang lahat ng aking mga kaisipan, paniniwala, at ideolohiya ay guguho at lalatag sa pinong pinong pagkadurog.

          Kung ang kahulugan ng aking pag-iral ay "Mula sa Diyos, Para sa Diyos," ano na lamang ang magiging saysay ng aking paghinga sa umagang wala naman pala talagang Diyos? Marahil ay bumalik ako sa kawalan, magbubuo ng panibagong pundasyon sa mga gumuhong kaisipan, magpapa-ampon sa panibagong ama na paniniwalaan, at maghahanap ng panibagong dahilan ng aking paggising sa susunod pang mga umaga." (Matienzo, 2014)

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PAYATAS (Part 1) - Humans of Payatas

BRGY. PAYATAS, QUEZON CITY. No. The mountain on the background is not the mountain we know. It's garbage.

          So our 3-day stay-out immersion in Payatas just concluded. For three days, we aimed to experience how people from Payatas go about their everyday lives. We observed, mingled, went around, and even conducted interviews to dig even deeper. For the first part of my 2-part blog article, these are the Humans of Payatas (Based on the Photoblog - Humans of New York).

"Saan ka galing kanina?"

"Nagbenta po. Kalakal."

"Magkano binayad sayo? Ano bibilhin mo?"

"Limang piso po. Pambili po ng pagkain."

--

"Na-demolish yung dati namin na tinitirahan. Binayaran nila kami.

Nung pinapili kami kung pera o tirahan, tirahan na lang pinili namin.

Kesa naman mangupahan kami sa iba. Isusubo mo na lang,

ipambabayad mo pa ng renta."

--

"Bakit d'yan ka sa kanal naglalaro? Hindi ka ba narurumihan?"

"Hindi po. Sanay na po e."

--

"Taga-Isabela talaga ako. Nagtrabaho ako dito sa Maynila.

Sa trabaho kami nagkakilala ng Mister ko.

Nagpalipat-lipatkami ng tirahan na inuupahan.

Nung dumami na ang mga anak namin, di na namin kinaya mangupahan.

May nakilala kami na nagbebenta ng lupa na mura lang.

P1000, pwesto na yun. Kaso, sa tambakan naman ng basura yung mapapabigay samin.

Kinuha na rin namin."

--

"Wala po kaming manika e.

Bakit? Lalaki lang po ba ang pwedeng maglaro ng holen?"

--

"Ganito lang ang buhay namin dito. Simple.

Walang makukuhanan ng kabuhayan kundi sa basura ng iba.

Pero nakakaraos naman. P120 sa isang araw.

Minsan, nagkakasya na rin."

NEXT PART: PAYATAS (Part 2) - Reflection

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Top 2 Best Names

          When I was a High School Freshman, during the first day of formal lectures, my GenSci (General Science) teacher asked a question addressed to the whole class. We anticipated a very scientific, whatever-logy related question. But to our surprise, her 2-part question went like this:

"What is the greatest, most beautiful, and most wonderful name ever given to someone?"

          After overcoming the astonishment the question brought to us, people started answering the most widely known, appropriate answer to the question: JESUS.

Yes. Everyone of us in the class knew what the answer was. But no one knew WHY.

And this is the WHY:

Philippians 2:9-11

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

          After explaining to us briefly the answer to her first question, my teacher proceeded to the second part of her 2-part query:

"What then is the Second Best?"

          The question got us all thinking. Silence ensued. Everyone in the class was thinking of the best, most beautiful, most good-sounding name one could think of. Then I bursted out loudly: "MIL." Jokingly, of course. Then everyone shouted their own names out loud, giving their answers, teasing each other. Our teacher was just there, smiling. After we had our fun, our teacher finally gave us the answer:

"You are all correct in a sense. The second best name is your own name."

---

          What's the point of this story?

          Pondering on the essence of the anecdote, two things can be stressed out:

1. In this life, there should be nothing more important than our reverence and admiration to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

          He loves you (John 15:9, 1 John 4).

          He gave His life for you (1 Timothy 2:5-6, Romans 5:8, John 3:16).

          He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

2. You, my dear reader, are very, very special.

          You are wonderfully made by God (Psalms 139:14).

          God has very special plans for your life (Jeremiah 29:11).

          God knows you very well, even from the very beginning of your existence (Jeremiah 1:5).

          You have been crowned with glory and honor (Psalms 8).

          I wrote this not to encourage you to boast, but to make you realize that, despite all your limitations and shortcomings, you are special in the eyes of the Lord. If you would ever feel down, useless, and hopeless, remember these things.

Oo nga. Tao ka lang. 'Yan ka lang.

Pero sa tingin ng Diyos, hindi ka "lang."

- m. matienzo

- Hello, Ma'am Glenda Tabo. May natutunan po pala ako sa inyo noong High School kahit papaano. HAHA. :)

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What Drives You?

They call this the Golden Circle.

I'm not in the mood to explain this theory in my own words so I'll just copy and paste from another source:

SOURCE: http://www.mondaysunday.eu/sinekstartwithwhy

     "The theory of the Golden Circle is simple but powerful and very inspiring. Every company knows WHAT they sell, or what they do. Most of them know HOW they do it. But very few companies and entrepreneurs know WHY they do what they do: what’s the purpose, cause or belief that inspires them. In order for a company or leader to be successful, they must communicate the WHY behind the WHAT and HOW. Only if this WHY, this deeper cause or purpose, appeals to other people they will sympathize with and support the company or leader. People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

To help you understand better, here's another illustration:

There. This Golden Circle thing might be a Business Management concept, but I realized something worth mentioning - something that you might find useful in trying times. Outside of the business context, I think we can apply this on a more practical-moral level.

In times of frustrations, discouragements, and downfalls. When you feel like giving up on something you really value, remember these few things:

- Do not let the "what" be your motivation, lest you fall into materialism, boredom, and overfamiliarity.

- Do not let the "how" be your motivation, lest you become mechanical and apathetic in your deeds.

- But let your "why" drive you. If you make the reason behind your action be the essence of your passion, the promise will not only be success, but more importantly, true satisfaction.

What keeps me going? My "why."

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

- Phil. 1:21 KJV

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