What are the true riches

•Why do people want to be rich?

•Pro_14:20 

•

•The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. 

Having many friends. What a delight. When you go to any place, they know you, they wave at you, they want to take a picture with you, they want your autograph, they listen intently to your words, they buy your books, they read your articles in the magazines, they shut up when you speak, they allow you to talk harshly to them and they are okay with that, they write to you, seeking your advice.

THAT IS THE LIFE OF A RICH MAN

But a poor man, oh, no one wants to be the friend of a loser. When you go to your neighbour, he closes his door because he assumes that you will ask for something. When you speak, he assumes it is just one of your excuses for being poor, so he prepares a contrary word even before you finish.  He is offended at your presence near his area, so he is seeking that you should transfer somewhere else or your neighbor is planning to transfer so he won't see you anymore.

THAT IS THE LIFE OF A POOR MAN

But glory to God, I was poor, but now I am rich.

Rich in grace, all spiritual blessings, an heir of a vast Kingdom, property that will not lose its value for all eternity, but most of all, many things that money can't buy.  Forgiveness of sins, return to life - after I die, and never ending JOY with the most beautiful Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Oh Glory.

The abuse of FACEBOOK

What is the abuse of FB?

When you are there all the time, trying to promote yourself, take pictures of yourself, let all your friends see how great you are, engage in vanity things, like your fingernails colored, your tattoo, your new gadgets

But when you use FB to invite friends to listen to preaching, to inform of Christian knowledge, to recommend, to help, to engage the misled, to oppose vanity, to post what is good and acceptable like THE WORD OF GOD, and the good commentaries of men about the WORD OF GOD, to invite friends to come to church, to witness, to exalt Christ. To reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering in a PRIVATE MESSAGE.

That is not abuse.

It is the same as talking to a large group of people all at once. It is one of the mediums WE are conscious that private things should not be shared in FB, silly things and display of bitterness is immature.

 We don't condemn those who don't use FB

But those who don't use FB must not also condemn those who use it for God's glory.

PUTTING YOUR NAME ON THE OFFERING ENVELOPE

WHERE IN THE BIBLE DOES IT SAY WE SHOULD PUT OUR NAMES IN THE OFFERING ENVELOPE?

We can not find word for word every practice that we have today in the Lord's churches. Neither should we require it of every pastor or deacon or church, that before we vote or implement certain matters, we should first find the exact word for word in a book, chapter and verse.

There are many things that we can do, that we can say it is BIBLICAL, even without finding the exact "word".  The definitions, the meanings, the principles, the implications, the analogy, the exegesis are there and very plain.

Take for example the use of Musical Instruments.  Where do we see that the New Testament Apostles used a guitar, a piano, or a drum?  Well, we would never use live drums in our congregational worship, but we have used the Piano, and we still use the guitar.  So have we violated Scripture?  Have we become an unscriptural church?

NO!

You can take water direct to your mouth from a flowing stream, you can also use your hand to scoop water and bring it to your mouth, or you can use the modern cup.  What is important is the water, the hand, the cup, are just means to take the water to your mouth.

So also the Musical Instruments are just means to let our mouths Praise our God.

Let's go to our main topic now:

WHERE IN THE BIBLE DOES IT SAY WE SHOULD PUT OUR NAMES IN THE OFFERING ENVELOPE?  Or where do we find that the Apostles ever put their names or decreed that the members should put their names?

Let me answer by saying this:
It is not sinful, it doesn't reduce your humility, it is not pride, if the brethren knows how much you gave.
In fact, it is even endorsed somewhat by the Holy Spirit, when He caused to be written these verses:


And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
(Act 4:35-37)

The whole church knew, who was poor, who lacked, who does not have any land or possessions, (net worth), and who are those who having land or property sold it.  The giving was not in secret, keeping it anonymously in an unmarked envelope. But it was very public, because those who had the large sums of money, came forward where the Apostle's where, and put the sum in front of them.

So although, we can not find chapter and verse, that they used offering envelopes, and put their names there, we have an example that the identity of someone who gave was published to the whole church.

Deceitful Work

Pro 11:18  The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

There are workers who work deceitfully in order to finish the job quickly; to earn more money than what is the real value of their work; or to hide their unprofessional skill.

That is why there are buildings and bridges that fall.  There are students who graduate yet do not know anything.  There are licensees who pass but do not have the skills.

This is all part of deceitful work.

It is sad to know that there are people who name Christ, and yet engage in the same deceitful work as the unregenerate.

Sadder still is to know that there are atheists who are more ethical than Christians.

God wants righteousness.

Even if a Christian earn a smaller income, the important thing is to sow righteousness in his work

Even if he fail in the exams, don't cheat, sow righteousness.

Even if others seem better than us at work, do what is right.  Instead of working deceitfully and pretending that you know everything.  Sow righteousness, sow truth, sow honest work.

AMEN

For BIBLE STUDY

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED BY THIS BIBLE STUDY

1. Ano ang pinaka importanteng dapat malaman ng tao?
2. Paano ba makaka-siguro na ako ay patungo sa piling ng Diyos at hindi sa kapahamakan?
3. Sabi nila, sumampalataya lang, maliligtas na, tama ba yon na kahit masamang tao, kahit hindi nagpakabait, sumampalataya lang, LIGTAS NA?
4. Bakit ang daming relihiyon, alin bas a kanila ang tamang relihiyon?
5. Di ba ang gusto ng Diyos ay igalang ang magulang at di dapat talikuran ang mga pinamulat nilang aral? Kaya hindi ko tatalikuran ang relihiyon na aking kinamulatan.

1.     Ano ang pinaka importanteng dapat malaman ng tao?

Importanteng malaman ng tao na ang mundo ay patungo sa kapahamakan. (Rom. 3:10-16). Ang normal at natural na tao ay patungo na sa matinding kahihiyan at masakit na parusa.  (Daniel 12:2; John 3:18).  Wala na siyang dapat pang gawaing Krimen o kawalanghiyaan para maging patungo sa impierno.  Ang lahat ng tao ay likas na makasalanan mula sa kapanganakan. (Psalm 58:3; Eph 2:3)

Dapat malaman ng tao na ang lahat ng kanyang ipinupundar sa ngayon, maliit man ito o malaki, pati na ang kanyang magandang pangalan  ay maglalaho, mababalewala, magiging abo lamang.  (2 Pet 3:10)

Dapat malaman ng bawa’t isa na pati ang mga gawang kabaitan, pagka-relihiyoso, paglilingkod, katapatan, pagiging masigasig para sa Diyos, pagsisisi, pag-iyak sa harap ng altar, pagbibigay ng salapi, pagpapatayo ng sariling bahay o bahay-sambahan, o pagbabagong-buhay man, ay walang maitutulong upang makaiwas sa kapahamakang darating sa mga tao. (Matt. 7:21-23)

Lahat ay sisirain, lahat ay mawawasak, lahat ay gugunawin.

Dapat malaman ng tao na ang kamatayan ng katawan ay hindi nangangahulugan na tapos na ang lahat ng responsibilidad.

1.      Ang pagka-agnas ng katawan ay hindi nangangahulugan nang pagkawala ng kamalayan (Luke 16:23)

2.      Pagkatapos ng buhay sa mundo, magpapatuloy ang lahat ng tao sa susunod na buhay  (John 5:28-29)  na walang katapusan. 

Ang mga tungo sa kapahamakan ay magdurusa, una sa kaluluwa, at pangalawa’t pangwakas, ang kaluluwang hindi nawawalan ng malay ay isisilid sa isang katawan na di nalulusaw ng matinding apoy.  Walang katapusang init, nagbabagang asupre, masakit sa balat, walang patid na hirap.  Umuusok ngunit di nauubos.  Walang pag-asa na may mahahabag. (Rev. 14:11)

Kabayan, ito ang iyong hahantungan, Ito ang iyong kahihinatnan,  Ito ang iyong bukas kung walang sasagip sa iyo.

Dahil ang tao ay nagkasala sa harap ng isang Napakabanal na Diyos, obligasyon ng Diyos na parusahan ang mga sumuway sa Kanyang mga makatwirang kautusan.  Samakatwid baga’y kalakip sa kalikasan ng Diyos ang magparusa sa mga suwail.  Ang pagpapakawala o pagbabalewala sa kasamaan ay gawain ng diyablo (Gen. 3:4) at hindi ito gagawain ng ating matuwid na Diyos. (Ex. 23:7, 34:7, Ps. 11:5, Nahum 1:3, Rom 2:9)

Pag-usapan natin ang iyong mga gawa.  Sa tingin mo sa iyong sarili, Ikaw ay mabait.

Subalit, tingni, ang bawa’t isa sa iyong mga ginawang kasinungalingan, maliit man o malaki, puti man o itim, para sa ikabubuti o ikasasama, biro man o totoo; ay may katampatang parusa at iyan ay huhukuman (Matt. 12:36).   Kilala ka ng Diyos, alam nya ang bawa’t salita na namutawi sa iyong bibig.  Pagbabayaran mo lahat ang ginawa mong kalapastanganan sa iyong mga magulang.  Pagbabayaran mo ang bawa’t malaswang isip, may malisyang pagtingin, pagnanasa sa gamit ng iba, pagluhod sa ibang diyos, paglilingkod sa sarili sa halip na pag gugol ng oras para sa Kataas-taasang Diyos.  Walang makakalusot sa Kanyang mapanuring mata sa Oras ng Pagtutuos. (Heb. 2:2,3)

Ano kamo?  Sinasabi mo ba na di ka naman masyadong masama?  Tinututulan ba nang iyong puso ang mga paliwanag ko sa iyo?  Ganyan nga ang puso ng tao.  Kung ang mga pangugusap na naririnig mo ay galing sa akin lamang, sa aba ko, at sa aba mo (I Thes. 2:13).  Nawa ay ang Diyos mismo ang kumausap sa iyo, sapagkat kung sa ganang akin lamang, ay balewala nga ang mga salitang ito (I Cor. 2:9,10).

Mas marami ba kamo na mas masama pa kaysa sa iyo (Luke 13:3, Rom.  3:9, 2 Cor. 10:12)?  Hindi mo ba alam na habang ipinagmamalaki mo ang iyong pagiging matuwid, ay lalo kang nababaon sa pagiging baluktot sa harap ng Banal na Diyos (Rom. 10:3)?

Subalit may mas malala pang problema ang tao...... (cont'd)

Damnable Ignorance

QUESTION:  What is the difference between the first and second commandments?

The command to have only one God and no other god appeals to the heart and mind, while the command prohibiting image making, bowing and serving appeals to the eyes and the senses.

God is not naturally observed by human senses.  That is part of God’s decree. He is a wonder, a mystery, an exalted being, unique in all things.  He is by nature glorious above all His creation.  He wants to stay that way. And the first commandment announces to all men that such is His will.  We already know what God does to whole nations of men who have other gods.  Even their ignorance of the One True God is not an excuse.  And God's displeasure and wrath unto all those who make the mistake of having other gods will soon be evident in the Lake of Fire.



nilo1960220@gmail.com

No other gods

We ought not to seek independence and freedom
Instead of seeking independence -- seek God dependence
Instead of seeking freedom -  seek slavery to Christ
Adam and Satan were autonomous
They sought to rule self but God set himself as the ruler of our life
So autonomy is a form of having a god before the Only True God
Self determination is having yourself as your god

"If you are not happy with God, you are making him look bad. Because you are not satisfied with Him. - PIPER"

Listen to this sermon on NO OTHER GODS by CAIRNS