Sins and Punishments

No one is free of sin. Not even the great men of the Bible. Everybody is not free from the the snare of the devil. See their stories below:

MOSES

He was chosen to be the leader of the Israel people to flee from Egypt to the land of Canaan. Remember that he killed an Egyptian to save the slave Jew. One day, when he saw both Jews were fighting, he tried to stop them.However, one of the Jew who saw what he did to the Egyptian whom he killed, said to him that would he also kill him.He could rather passed it unnoticed, since he was living in the protection of the Egyptian pharaoh. However, knowing that he was a Jew himself and so he escaped to Midian. Moses gave his life for others.

That might be the reason why he was chosen by God to lead the Jewish people.

The Sin of Moses and the Punishment of God to him

While travelling on the desert the Jews were complaining and keep on rebelling, because they have no water. Therefore, Moses talked to God on what to do. So, he did as God told him to struck the stuff so that the bitter water of Meribah  become sweet so water will be able to drink by the Jews. However, instead of striking the staff only once , he struck it twice with anger and God get angry of what he did. In Numbers 20:12

12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

So, the punishment, Moses will die before he could enter the promised land -Canaan.

DAVID

He was favored by God because of his trust in Him. So, he was given power to kill the gigantic Goliath of Philistine. He was anointed king by God and made him a great ruler. However, David , too committed a great sin which made God angry.

The sin of David and his Punishment

In 2 Samuel 12:9-12

9 Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’”

The son from that fateful union with Bathsheba died. His daughter Tamar was raped by her half brother Amnon, who himself was later killed by a full brother toTamar ,Absalom in revenge. Eventually Absalom was killed following his attempted rebellion against his father’s kingdom.

SOLOMON

Solomon was the son of David to Bathseba. He was made great king of God because when God asked him what he wants, Solomon(12 years old that time) asked for wisdom rather than material things and power. God was delighted from his request. The wisdom endowed to him by God made him great and known to many neighboring countries. However, Solomon, too committed sins. In 1King 11

11 Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides the daughter of the king of Egypt he married Hittite women and women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon. 2 He married them even though the Lord had commanded the Israelites not to intermarry with these people, because they would cause the Israelites to give their loyalty to other gods. 3 Solomon married seven hundred princesses and also had three hundred concubines. They made him turn away from God, 4 and by the time he was old they had led him into the worship of foreign gods. He was not faithful to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. 5 He worshiped Astarte, the goddess of Sidon, and Molech, the disgusting god of Ammon. 6 He sinned against the Lord and was not true to him as his father David had been. 7 On the mountain east of Jerusalem he built a place to worship Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, and a place to worship Molech, the disgusting god of Ammon. 8 He also built places of worship where all his foreign wives could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their own gods.

Solomon, disobeyed God when he married several foreign (foreign if not considered from Israel clan)women. He turned away from God and worshipped the idols of these foreign women. So , God brought him so many enemies that took away his kingdom from him until  he died.

ABRAM – ABRAHAM-iba ang kay Abrahm. WHY?

Why was Abraham chosen by God? Abram was the son of Terah who was the chief officer of mighty king of Babylon,Nimrod who was an astrologer(reading future through star gazing) and a pagan believer. One day, he read that the son of Terah would be a threat to his kingdom. So, he ordered Terah to bring him his son to be put to death by the king. However, Terah took the son of a slave, gave it to King Nimrod and saved his son and wife into the cave and stayed there for 10 years.

As Abrahm sees the outside world, he was thinking that there was a great God who created the universe and everything, and that it’s foolish to worship the sun, moon or everything that was created by a great God.

        Buti pa si Abraham , narealized niya na hindi dapat sumamba sa mga nilikha ng Dios, pero ngayon ang napakaraming tao sa mundo ay nabulag sa pagsamba sa mga nilikha ng Dios na tao na ginawan ng rebulto.

The sin of Abraham

However, even Abraham, the great father of Israel did not escape the snare of the devil. When he and Sarah went to Egypt , they disguised to be brother and sister for fear of their life. so, they lied to the king of Egypt, Abimelech. However, this time God keep Abraham and did not do any punishment.

Remember, God had a covenant with Abrahm-that he will be the father of many time nations. Instead, God  punished the Pharoh for  Moses to realize his mistakes. Sometimes God has to intervene to fulfill his promise and plans.

CONCLUSIONS:

We have learned that in every sin we committed there is an equal punishment. Remember that God is a Just God. Therefore, whether be it big or very small, all sin has an equal punishment. This is the way of God for us to be polished, until we learned from our mistakes and strainghtened our path to righteousness. But, some people specially those who do not know God yet, do not realize this. Some people accused God for their sufferings.

When we suffer setbacks in our life, let’s contemplate and think deeply why these things are happening. What have you done to deserve such punishment? Did we not committed a sin against God? Remember that any sin we do is committed against God, not to the person , but to God.

Galatians 6:7 

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

FORGIVENESS

FORGIVE US OUR SINS AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SINNED AGAINST US. That’s how Jesus taught us in our prayer. How can we be forgiven, if we do not know how to give forgiveness to others.

I know how these victims of human violations of the Martial Law felt.  Wallowing in the past would make them chained to it and will not be able to move on with peace and joy. God said, “Vengeance is Mine”.Haven’t the Marcoses felt  the most humiliating and embarrasing  eviction from the Malacañang Palace which was a news worldwide?

I remember the Martial Law under Marcos regime. He made people believed of a drama (bombing of Plaza Miranda is one)in the politics and declared the Martial law.  People said he won the second time because of fraud and there was alleged used of government funds to support his candidacy. From then on he ruled the country under martial law for almost 10 years. Even he lifted up martial law he still  retained some of his powers.

I recalled student activists marching in different areas of Metro Manila with  band on their head  or on their wrist. Most of the time if the marchers was along their  way to school, there will be no classes. They would gathered and marched near university belt, open places where there were many people  like the Avenida Rizal, Mendiola, Liwasang Bonifacio and the Commonwealth or the Circle in Quezon City.  I recalled one time while the jeepney I was on  passed by the Liwasang Bonifacio(my school was at Lyceum Manila), there were firetrucks throwing tear gas on the rallyists. I also experienced having witnessed the student activists rallied along Avenida Rizal and they were shouting and making noise barrage. It was indeed true that these student activists or rallyists were joined and spearheaded by KMU-Kilusang Mayo Uno and other NPAs group.

That’s how chaotic and horrifying  Manila was. There were news blackout and you can only watched and heard good news of the government programs.People voices were mummed. You’re only response was to follow the law of the Martial law regime. Death of government antagonists were not featured in newspaper or in television. You will hear news about famous people, students  detained for  subversion which you will learned through hearsay. There were news of torture and mass killing . It was so appalling, if that was the right term.

I hope and pray that these people can move forward with their life without bitterness by forgiveness. Breaking the chains of the past will make a joyful peaceful life , have they only realized.

We will only serve the Lord-Joshua 25:14-15

We should always serve the Lord
And Him alone, we should fear.
For the throne of our hearts,
He does not want to share.
We should never allow another,
The place reserved for Him,
But to give Him that place of Lordship
That will keep our hearts from sin.
For we must choose whom we serve
And whom our allegiance is for.
But as for me and my household,

We shall only serve the Lord

The verse for a new beginning-2017

Philippians 3:13-14

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

That was the message of Paul to the Philippians. Paul used to be part of Sanhedrin-The Great Sanhedrin dealt with religious and ritualistic Temple matters, criminal matters appertaining to the secular court, proceedings in connection with the discovery of a corpse, trials of adulterous wives, tithes, preparation of Torah Scrolls for the king and the Temple, drawing up the calendar and the solving of difficulties relating to ritual law.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/…daism/Sanhedrin

They were the persecutor of the followers of Christ, until Christ used him for his purpose. When he followed Jesus, he said that he may not have all that he desires, however, this did not take hold of him to do what was he set out to do for the sake of  Christ. Paul in following Christ had gone through  a lot of sufferings and persecution from his own country. However, was so determined to still pursue those plans even to have the same sufferings as Jesus Christ, so he can also partake in His resurrection-the ultimate prize.

Tayo din sa ating mga sarili ay nagpaplano, but we do not tend to focus on what is ahead. We tend to be anxious on what lies ahead, specially if we failed in the past. Sabi nga ni Paul, forget about the past and strain towards what is ahead. The past should be a training ground for what we are looking forward to, but should not dwell on it. There is always a bright tomorrow. Above all, He wants us to seek Him and His will for our lives and careers, and to work wholeheartedly as He leads us (see 2 Chronicles 31:21).

The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence; the past is a place of learning, not a place of living. – Dr. Ed Delph

We all pray for our desires. This time, why not let God intervenes in your wishes. His wish for you might be the best to come. So, our prayer should be, “Your  will be done”.

Have a blessed 2017!

Who is Satan in our Life

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(John 10:10-11)

All people should know that when Satan came to earth it started doomsday for all mankind. Should have Adam and Eve did not sin, we could have not suffered from the sin they made. This started everything that made us suffer including the generational curse. But, when Jesus came to earth, He came to save us from this creation(Satan) who wants to kill, steal and destroy every human being. Satan posed as good shepherd so we can be induced to his kingdom. Lahat ng mga pagdurusang ating dinaranas was coming from the Devil. We may look at face value of something that will lured us into it , and later suffered from it. However, if we accept Jesus, the good Shepherd who saved us, we will no longer suffer this. No longer Satan can deceive us, because God will give us discernment  to look things through.Ngunit hindi dahil tinanggap mo lamang si Jesus ay okay na. You have to follow as He said. The sheeps know their master at ito ay kanilang sinusunod kahit saan magpunta. Kaya may dalang kahoy ang sheep’s  attendant upang walang mahiwalay at ito ang sinusundan ng mga sheeps. Likewise, with the sheep’s master, alam din niya at kilala niya  ang kanyang mga alaga.

If you choose Jesus as your master, you will be safe in His haven. You need to accept Him as your Savior by declaring it and doing as He said, because He gave himself to the devil to suffer , but was victorious. Through His victory, we will have the same victory-victory over fear, sickness, poverty, addiction and all things that makes  us suffer. I hope you feel the peace that I’m experiencing with Him. If problems arise, you know that there’s something good out of it. Si Jesus lamang ang nakagawa ng pagdurusang yun sa calvary, walang iba. Hindi ba natin maintindihan ito? Why do we come to Mary and other saints to request something or to pray? Every year we watch on television the suffering of our Christ and still we do the thing God hated so much. It’s not that we do good deeds , we are saved. No, it’s also a lie from the Devil. IT’S ONLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST THAT WE WILL BE SAVED. At dahil Siya lamang ang nakagawa nito(cross in calvary) para sa atin, hindi ba dapat lamang na magtiwala tayo sa Kanya at sa Kanya lang tayo lumapit sa kung ano mang pangangailangan natin?Nakakalungkot lang that still a lot of people are blinded by the Satan’s belief of how to live a happy, peaceful life. Satan is a liar, a great deceptor/deceiver of mankind. Ex. Of the lies of Satan-you are poor and have no chance na makapagaral or guminhawa, or disabled and no chance to change their situation in life, or you’ll be happy in a forbidden relationship, etc. We have reproof of these lies from Satan. We can watched on television reproof of those people who were successful and victorious over their seemingly hopeless situation.

There’s so much things to say, pero pag mahaba nakakatamad basahin. Bakit hindi nating simulan na manalangin sa pangalan lamang ni Jesus. Yun naman ang sinabi Niya( sa mga nauna kong pahayag )Pray anything you want to say to Our Father and always thanks God and always offer the prayer in Jesus name.Ganun lang kasimple and you will see the changes in the long run of doing it. For everything you received, thank Jesus, to cry over a situation, thank Jesus. Pray unceasingly, sabi nga ni God.

Spread the good news of salvation to every nation, as mandated by our Lord Jesus Christ. .

Jeremiah 29:

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Song of Praise and Worship

Singing is honoring , praising and showing gratitude to our God revealing His good deeds in our life.

David sang songs unto the Lord to  show how he  honors  and praises God as gratitude to what he has done to his life. David was made great by God because of his humbleness and  faith in our Lord. He might have committed sin when he made Urias fronted the battle to take Bathseba (wife of Urias from him). Of course, kahit mahal siya ni God he had to be punished, so nagkaroon ng kaguluhan sa pamilya niya at namatay ang unang anak nila ni Bathseba. But, all those did not prevent David to be loved by God because of his faith in the Lord.

During the time of Moses , God told him to create a song and that should be sang by the Israel people. So, God love songs. It is one way of praising and honoring the Lord, and God is delighted in offering Him songs of praises. Below is an excerp of one of the songs of Moses to God.

 In Exodus 15:1-27 15 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,

1 “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become jmy salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and lI will exalt him.3  The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.

Excerpt from the Bible about how to sing songs unto the Lord. 

Psalm 98 :

1 Sing to the LORD a new song.
4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 
5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King. 
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 
8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 

Do you ever imagine how does it feel with those instrument together joined with dancing in honor of our Almighty God. We do this and I felt a different joy when I sing before the Lord.

Some unbelievers do not believe in using instrument to sing praise songs to the Lord. However, in Psalms it shows how the Jews sing and dance before the Lord to praise and worship Him. They used as many musical instruments. Ibig sabihin magingay ka sa pagpuri sa Dios, isigaw mo ang pagpupuri sa Kanya.

Music of praise, honor and gratitude and revealing the good deeds of the Lord should be in a worship song.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

 Ephesians 5:18-20- 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalms 5:11: “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”

Psalms 9:2: “I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”

Psalms 51:14: “Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

Psalms 59:16: “I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”

Psalms 63:7: “For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.”

Singing of praise is an act of  praying with melody

 In Acts 16:25 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

And they were freed from chains  that hold them and was able to walk away from prison cell.

WHY NOT TRY TO SING PRAISE SONGS INSTEAD OF THE WORLDLY SONGS. SEE THE DIFFERENCE AS YOU CONTINUE TO DO IT EVERYDAY!

The Birth of Christ

Luke 2:8-15 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Why did God chose the shepherds and not to anybody else. The shepherds is symbolical in this passage. Remember that the shepherds are the masters or the leaders of the  sheeps. They tend the sheep and guide them to the right direction. The sheeps in return knows their shepherd, so they follow their master (shepherd). Sheeps are known to be docile and less aggressive animals and would only listen to their master.In Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd , I shall lack nothing. In this passage, it means that we are the sheeps and Jesus is our Shepherd.

In today’s world the anybody who leads people to be reconciled to God are the shepherds whose master is Jesus Christ.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Why did the angel said that a Savior is born, the Messiah, the Lord that will bring great joy to the people.

Remember that the Israel people had been waiting for the Messiah as prophesied by many prophets. When the angel said that it will bring joy  and salvation, it just shows that the people were full of sufferings and hardships. It had been 4000 years from the time of Abraham to the coming of Jesus. There were so much chaos and confusions and sorrows among people. Remember that Satan came to destroy, to deceive, to steal, and kill.

History repeats itself. In our present day, the world is full of chaos ,confusions,sufferings. Some people of today who has not found Jesus maybe successful, maybe happy, but are they joyful? Joyful is tantamount to pleasure with peace.

12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace on whom His favor rests.People who found Jesus has the favor from God and so will find the true joy and peace, a man is longing for.

Anong halaga ng yaman at tagumpay kungdi ka mapayapa at tunay na masaya. Brothers and sisters, true joy and peace can only be experienced with Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Not savior only, because there are some professing Christians who makes Jesus as Savior, but not Lord of their life.

My Testimony: Since I came to know Jesus and makes Him my Lord and Savior, I know the meaning of true joy and peace despite challenges I faced in life. I can tell a lot of stories of my victories. Kaya nga ayoko ng mawala pa sa piling ni Jesus. He is the Lord of my life.

28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,you may now dismiss your servant in peace.30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

Simeon who was just an ordinary person took hold in his arm the baby Jesus when Mary and Joseph went to the temple. It seems that the spirit of God was in Simeon when he said it. Hindi ba malinaw na si Jesus ang ating salvation?

Luke 16 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

In this passage Mary acknowledged Jesus as God and her Savior. Therefore, she also acknowledged that she was a sinner.Pero bakit natin sinasamba si Mother Mary. Bakit tayo nanalangin ng nakaluhod at paulit ulit na pinupuri si Maria sa isang rosaryo?

Christmas celebrations means Christ celebration. Celebrating the coming of Christ-our Messiah, Savior and Lord. However the true meaning of Christmas is lost because it is centered on material things. Our celebration of Christmas is mostly of pagan traditions and was originally taken from Saturnalia of the Romans who used to be pagans. When it’s centered on material things, then it’s wordly and therefore it is of Satans celebration.

However, for us who really knows the true meaning of Christmas celebrated it with much joy. I wish you too, who has not accepted Christ in life as Lord and Savior, would really feel what does Christmas brings to man that brings much joy.

By josephine72015January 9, 2017802 WordsLeave a comment