Baul ni Noel

QT10027: 1 Peter 2: 9-10 Precious in the Sight of God

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 21:25:00 +0000

9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Looking for a job these days is no walk in the park, especially with the restrictions on foreign workers in certain industries. The IT industry, in particular, has become a fierce battleground for career seekers. We're up against a horde of fresh-faced graduates, armed to the teeth with their newly acquired skills and ready to take on the world. For those of us with more experience under our belts, the challenge is even greater, as employers often prefer the cost-effective option of hiring theoretically trained individuals over those with practical know-how. It's frustrating, but let's not dwell on that. Let's get back to the topic at hand. The struggle is real, my friends. It seems like the only option is to consider jobs outside of our field. But here's the thing: if I do apply and get chosen, I'll cherish that opportunity like no other. It's moments like these that remind me of my faith as a Christian.

Peter's letter (1 Peter 1) was a saddening reminder of the challenges faced by Christians, whom he referred to as "aliens" - individuals who are foreign residents or strangers. These scattered believers endured hardships and experienced rejection, yet Peter reassured them of their chosen status and their preciousness to God (1 Peter 2:4). As flawed human beings, it is natural for us to sometimes feel lost and lose hope. However, let us not dwell on these feelings too much. Instead, let us focus on the empowering words of Scripture: "He who believes in Him will not be disappointed." How reassuring it is to have a Father who cares for us deeply! And it is more humbling to be chosen by God. Embrace this confidence and let it guide our actions.

Let us embrace God's words! We are a chosen race after all, a royal priesthood. He has called us from darkness into His marvellous light. We were once not His people, but now we are! We have received mercy. Those words are really a great comfort. Another word of God came to mind.

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Matthew 6:26

Don't forget, birds don't work, yet God still feeds them. We're more precious than birds, right?

QT10026: Prov 22:6 - Funny and Cute Praying Noah

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 01:37:00 +0000

Most of us parents neglect the value of teaching children to be grateful, especially to our great provider. One of the things we taught our children is to pray to God before having our meal. It's very important to pray, that is the message we tell them. And even at a young age, they should know the value of praying.

I can't tell you how proud and at the same time happy to see this video. It even made me laugh a lot of times because of how cute he prays. Well, of course he doesn't pray this way anymore but that is just normal. But as a parent, I am so happy and proud of him.

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he grows older, he will not abandon it - Prov. 22:6

Just like what the verse says, at a young age, we should already teach them. The Jews have a tradition during the festivity of Passover. The youngest of the family has to ask "Why do we celebrate the Passover?". And the elders explain to them what happened during the 1st Passover. And this was passed on to every generation. And they even passed on to the next generation of children how they should pray. If they can do it, why can't we?

It is about discipline. Teach them at a young age to be grateful and they will be grateful even for the small things they receive from God onwards. And as Christian parents, we can only hope that they pass this tradition to their children as well.

By the way, I am still preparing things for the upcoming BNN Inspiring Videos Channel which is all about inspiring people and giving good vibes. Mostly will be about short exhortation - or exSHORTation (lol). For the meantime, enjoy the verse and meditate it. And that's a wrap for another BNN quiet-time verses.

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You can watch this same video on that channel. Please leave a comment where you are from. God bless again.

QT10025: Matt 5:16 - The Light that Shines

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:07:00 +0000

Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5: 16 (NASB)

Good day to each and every one again. I just woke up, but I want to start the day with a daily devotion or what I always call quiet time verses. It's nice to start our day talking to the Lord or to meditate so invite you to open your Bible and read our verse for today. You might want to read the previous verses to grasp the very reason Jesus uttered these words for the beatitudes. Beatitudes in Orthodox pertains to patriarchs of the church which in the Bible, you will find it in the previous verses starting with the word "blessed" from verse 3 up to 11. If one of the "blessed" feels like it is for you then you are blessed, and you are one of the beatitudes.

My dearly beloved brethren. Celebrating Christmas 2022

Going back to our verse, the verse is like Jesus is talking to you. Well, if you are one of the beatitudes then Jesus is most likely talking to you. In KJV translation it goes like this:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven

The verse teaches us beatitudes to serve as the light to others. The word "light" or "phos" in greek means to shine or make manifest. Most of the time phos mean heavenly light which can only mean the light that came from God.

Light is the opposite of darkness and darkness pertains to confusion or ignorance and chaos. So, when God says we should be light to people in darkness that means for us to be their guide. There is a word that we must not ignore here, and it is with great importance that we do not overlook it. The word "must" in "Your light must shine before men....." is very important. "Must" means it is unavoidable or it is required. Like what I always say before, it is easy to be a Christian but Christianity is not easy specially when people persecute you or abuse your "goodness" to them - sometimes your old self wants to kick in and get even. But as a Christian, we all know that Christ lives in us:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. - Galatians 2: 20

Which means we are the mirror of Christianity or your Christian living. What others see in our life reflects not just us but Christianity. Just like when other nations see Filipinos, what do they always say about us? It may be negative or positive, but it reflects what most Filipinos do. So as Christians, we must be careful in what we do.

The reason I am saying this is, the verse teaches us that we must let our light shine to the world to the point they will see your good works which is supposedly the product of being in Christ. So, if they don't see Christ in your life that would be a problem. But if they see Christ in you, your life will be a living testimony to them, and you glorify our Father by this.

So that's it for now. Hope you are all blessed for today. God bless each of our beatitudes. If you have been blessed by this verse, please like and share to others as well. You are also welcomed to make a comment. God bless.

QT10024: Mark 14: 72 (When You Realize You're Wrong)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 16:44:00 +0000

Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep. - Mark 14: 72

How often do we make mistakes in our lives? And when we do realize our mistake, have we ever recalled someone's voice in our head saying "I told you so"? Now I don't mean literally someone's voice saying in our head but a thought comes out or a memory of something we read in the Bible or a memory of our loved one reminding us what happens if we do this or that. Then we say to ourself, "I should have done that or this".

When Peter denied Jesus the third time, he remembered what Jesus told him after the cock crowed twice and then he wept. Jesus told him that he (Peter) will deny Him thrice and on the third the cock will crow (Matthew 26: 34). Nothing was said after that, he just wept after that and the chapter starts with a different topic. When you say wept, there is a deep sorrow or regret. We just assumed that Peter just did something to make up to God for what he did.

Our travel in Paris and Italy was epic. It was like we are time traveling on some of their tourist spots. We made mistakes but you can't truly enjoy your travel when you are traveling with a heavy baggage - leave it in the hotel and take what is important (lol). It was fun, family enjoyed it - can't wait for part 2.

So the question for us then is what happens or what do we do when we realize our mistake? and realize that God already warned us before or somebody close to us told us that something bad could happen. Let's just hope that it is not too late when we realize our mistake. It is a good thing God is a forgiving God because most people have difficulties in forgiving. Who could blame them, they got hurt. Trusting would even be harder for them. Some will try to be forgiving and loving as well aside from the fact that their trust was violated. What do we do with that forgiveness? What do we do with that second chance?

Peter was only mentioned again right after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most of the apostles came to hiding after Jesus' was captured and paid for the sins of many. And when Jesus met the apostles again, He prepared their food and asked them to bring some of the fishes they caught. You remember when Jesus told asked them if they made a catch already and the disciples said they did not? Jesus told them where they should throw their nets and they caught a lot of fish to the point they can't lift the net already - Yes, that was after that time.

After that, Peter became more dedicated in his ministry. But did you know what happened to Judas after the incident? Judas also regret what he did to Jesus Christ (Matt 27: 3). He went to the chief priest and elders and returned the 30 pieces of silver they paid him and in verse 5 he hanged himself to death. Both Peter and Judas deeply regret their actions when they both realize their mistake but it was clear who made the right decision in order to make up for their mistake and it was also clear who was forgiven.

When we make mistake, seek God for His forgiveness. Seek the person you hurt most and if you are forgiven, nourish that moment and the blessing of forgiveness.

Believe me when I say, it's harder to forgive than to ask forgiveness. So if someone forgives you, think of the pain you gave that person and think of what that person has gone through to forgive you. Just imagine, you try to accept someone back in your home (heart), and that someone stabbed your heart already and you will now entrust that same heart to that person.

Hope you all have a good day ahead of you. Please don't forget to subscribe to my blog. I know it has been a long time since I've blogged again. Let's hope I can make more written blogs soon also make more quiet-time verses for you. God bless everyone.

Psalms 32:1 NASB2020

How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!

QT10023: Psalm 23: 6 (Keep Dwelling on Him)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 01:11:00 +0000

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Last Sunday, I was on my way to our old house to fetch some of our remaining stuffs when I had an accident. I always made sure to pray before I go on my way to wherever I go. I was on the highway that time and almost passing a branching road when a taxi starts swerving left and right. A pick-up truck was in front of me and in front of him was the swerving taxi. I immediately turned my hazard lights on and started slowing down while still paying attention to the pick-up truck in front of me. When the pick-up truck stopped, I just stopped nonchalantly. Suddenly, I heard a thud and the car shook, I knew I was hit by a vehicle behind me. I checked my side-mirror and saw a taxi. Well, if you are not aware, taxis here in Saudi Arabia has a habit of tailgating and it really is annoying and quite alarming when you are the one in front of them and you are in a highway.

Me, my youngest son Noah and our Chevy Cruze.

I thank God that nothing serious happened to me that time. If I wasn't alert that time, I would probably be in a serious accident since it's a highway. I know in my heart God was protecting me that time and that is how good God is to me because I keep dwelling on Him.

Nobody knows the future and nobody can tell what happens next but surely God knows. So why not entrust Him are life and keep dwelling on Him. God bless you all and thanks for visiting my site. Don't forget to subscribe on our Quiet Time verses for some inspirational thoughts just like this.

QT10022: James 1:12 (Blessing on a Sleepless Night)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 03:08:00 +0000

Can't believe it's 5am already and I still can't sleep. It must be the Ramadan season that's giving me sleeping disorder. I remember having the same problem two years ago (last year I was in the Philippines during Ramadan). I tried to count sheep but whenever I think of it, I remember their lamb chops and it makes me hungry (lol!).

I logged-in on my Facebook account and all I see are travel trips of fellow bloggers in the Philippines and it makes me feel homesick - waaah! Went to GMANews but I don't see any good news or even interesting topics I can read. I want to watch a movie but I know when it's a good movie, I won't feel sleepy at all.

As long as you can see a smile on each of your family member and as long as you are together while you keep your faith in God - you will find victory in the end.

I figured, maybe I should make a blog entry to my Xleontips blog but I can't think of a topic, I checked the last unfinished topic I did and tried to read it but I can't think of anything to add on it since my mind is pretty messed up because of lack of sleep. So here I am making an entry to this Baul of mine and just tell you the story behind my sleepless night. Just now, I decided to make another entry to my Quiet-Time verses so here is the verse for this day.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. - James 1: 12 (NIV)

This is a random verse I took from Crosswalk website and I just can't believe the verse I got - I believe it is a good verse for anyone to read and meditate.

During the past months, my great burden is to find a way for me to find a job and also to find a person who would take care of my children while both me and my wife are working. I can't believe the pressure of not having a job - I should be relaxed since I am only at home but the fact that I should be the one working instead of my wife keeps haunting me most of the time. I know I should be at peace knowing that God has never neglected me and my family. I know this is just one of the trials that I have to overcome.

In my past problems, I've seen how God works in me and the people around me, God's great power, specially God's perfect timing. Should I be worried? Thank you Lord for showing me your way once again and thank you for reminding me all the good works you've done for me during those times.

I've persevered on my past trials and I thank God for helping me past them and I know you too can pass every trials you will face, just believe in God. You may sometimes find yourself on a losing streak but believe me - once you've seen God's power and His perfect timing, you will never ever doubt again - you will feel worried sometimes but whenever you realize the past victories, you will regain your faith. God bless you all.

QT10021 Ecclesiastes 8: 6 (God's Perfect Timing)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 21:18:00 +0000

For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him.

Have you ever experienced in your life the perfect timing of each event? It's like when something bad happens, something good will happen afterwards to make-up for your loss - like a door closing yet another door opens - you know, those stuffs?

Anyway, the beauty of being on the family of God is that there is always confidence that He will never leave your side - sometimes even when you are not faithful to Him. Of course, great confidence means great trust as well. It's a human nature to doubt when you're in trouble but what God teaches us on this verse is to trust is His perfect timing. I've seen it happen to our life and it's our life's testimony.

Now, you're plans may not always go as you've planned but if you keep praying and have faith in God, you'll always end up on His side.

God's timing is just like a perfect shot of two angels smiling at you.

QT10020: Proverbs 15: 1 (Calm Your Storm)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:18:00 +0000

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

It is okay to get angry but instead of arguing with harsh words, it's best to have a calm and soft voice when dealing with people. One of our pastor once preached that even if you throw food to chickens, they'll turn away from it and that applies to us too. Even if you are saying something right, if you are harsh in delivering your words, people will back-out or ignore you at all.

Confronting people with anger or hatred always end up fighting but being calm can resolve a lot of things. It goes without saying this is also applicable, specially applicable to couples. One tip to couples, if your half is already angry, let him/her get angry and do not confront them with anger. They'll eventually calm as they realize your calmness if not you can always ask nicely - "Am I shouting at you? We can better resolve matters if we think calmly."

That's all for now. God bless from me and the rest of the gang (my family).

Just another wacky family outtake!

QT10019: Psalms 116: 1-2 (How I Love God)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:09:00 +0000

I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. - Psalms 116: 1-2

It has been a long time since I've written a quiet time article once again, so here we go. Once again let me remind you that these articles I've written were for learning purposes and my own enlightenment and I just want to share what I have learned from the verse.

As a Christian, when asked by someone "Do we love God?" of course we'll answer "Yes!" but do we really mean that? What I've realized in this verse is that sometimes I really take it lightly when I'm saying or expressing how I love God. If you were asked to answer a question within in a second and the question goes "Why do you love God?" how or what are you going to say?

Do you know the feeling when you call your son's name and he smiles back at you? That is how God felt when you smiled back at Him after He called you.

I asked my son the same question and somehow he felt the need to say "Yes!" because of what we always teach him, but when asked why, he said "Because he gives me lots of toys". As a child, they are mostly inclined to return love when someone rewards them or pays attention to their needs. Sadly, that perception in some people remains in them. Are we only to love God because he blessed us? Does that mean when we don't receive rewards we won't worship Him or love Him anymore?

In the book - Spirit Filled Life written by Jack Hayford, he mentioned about how can a man make a difference when so much pain and suffering exists. It is true and it is probably the very reason why most people don't believe on God and thus making it difficult to share the word of God to others. More and more ways were developed in order to reach those people who don't want to believe on God anymore. But what others do not know is that those ways were developed not just to reach other people, it is also for those ministers, preachers, pastors or even church members to show God how they love God.

In all my years I have never ever opened a conversation to anyone specially a stranger. I am what others say the shy-type person. I was never good in opening a conversation, I've tried but it was always cut short because I'm probably too boring to talk with. This is one of the reason I've made this Quiet-Time verses articles. Blogging became my hobby a few years ago and the time I wrote my very first Quiet-time verse was the time I realize that I can use blogging to share the word of God.

I love God and I know that there are ways I lack that I can compensate with some other things. I lack the skill of conversing but have a hobby I can use to reach others and share the word of God. And I do this not just to reach you my dear reader but also to show God how I love Him. And I do this because He is not just my greatest provider but because He gave me a gift of salvation and I want you to have a part of it too.

There are ways to show how you love God and these are:

SHARE his words, and by sharing you are being obedient to Him or being a good
FOLLOWer of Christ, as His command (2 Tim 4: 2 - Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.).
The last one is to LISTEN to His words.

So how do you love God? You can share this to other friends if you like and let them find their own way of showing how they love God. Thank you once again for your time and hope you had a very nice quiet-time with God. God bless you all.

QT10018: Eph 4: 26 (Be Angry BUT Do Not SIN)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:18:00 +0000

Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: - Eph 4: 26

This may be the hardest thing for a person to do; that is to get angry and not sin at the same time. The incident at the NAIA3 with Raymart Santiago and party vs Mon Tulfo has been a trend topic for almost a week now. After the said incident, an exchange of angered words were express by both sides. We do not know whose side is telling the truth but we all know that the fight started with anger.

Have you ever said something regretful to someone while you were angry at that person? It is not your fault if ever you have said it, the reason it came out is because it was in your heart. You mean to say things more when you are angry because you pour every thought and feelings whenever you are angry - most of the time it is hard to control.

But God actually allowed us to get angry but gave us a warning at the same time. In Ephesians 4: 26, it was said there "Be angry" but the warning said "and sin NOT". If both parties were able to get angry and talked things out with calmness then the fight never happened. Now after the video has gone viral, I've read a lot of rude comments against both parties which reflected negative to all of them. That's why in a war or battle, there is no winner - you are a winner if you can avoid it.

Now, the reason we tend to say regretful things whenever we are angry is because during our anger our heart gets weak. Physically and scientifically, anger can even kill you according to studies and that is because the heart couldn't take it. Spiritually, when we get angry our heart gets weak to temptations. We are tempted to say bad things or could even hurt people.

Lastly, the verse also tells us that we should not let the sun go down while anger is still in our hearts and is still unsettled. Forgiveness is the key. Remember if you take care of things, it grows be it love or anger so the more anger you keep in you heart, the more it grows just like what is currently happening with Raymart/Claudine vs Mon Tulfo now. If they were normal people, I believe it did not come to this resolution where they have to sue each other.

QT10017: Psalm 56: 3-4 (God is Our Protector)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:23:00 +0000

When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

-- Psalm 56: 3-4

Reading 2 Kings chapter 18 and 19, I was really amazed of God's power of protection to his children. That time, Assyria took over some fortified cities of Judah. Hezekiah told them they did nothing wrong and asked what do they want. After giving tribute to Assyria, they kept on challenging Judah, mocked their king-Hezekiah and his faith to God to persuade the people to join them.

If you were on Hezekiah's situation would you continue to pay tribute because you are afraid or condemn God as your protector? If you are afraid where or who do you turn to? Who would you trust?

Instead of hiding and doing more favors to the king of Assyria, Hezekiah prayed to God and continued to trust in Him. In the end of chapter 19, God answered Hezekiah's prayer. It was a success for Judah and they did not even lay a finger on them.

God told Hezekiah to continue trusting Him and he did and God did as He promised. The great thing about being on God's family is that you are always included in His promises. So if He promised to guide you, protect you and continue to provide for you - you better believe it. Remain faithful to God and He will remain faithful to His promises. He's like our father that protects their children.

God bless to all.

QT10016: Hebrews 13: 5 (Reflections)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. - Hebrews 13: 5

It's been a long time since I've blogged here at my Baul again. I've missed you guys. I've been busy lately and I have to let go of blogging for the mean time in order to finish my projects. Most of them are finished so here I am again. Now let me share you something about a reality that surrounds me right now - a reflection, my reflection.

Thanks to Dorisjoa for the image.

Having an inspirational themed blog doesn't mean that I am always inspired or even mean that I am a strong person. It is true that when in difficulties, it is hard to thank God for the things happening around us. Difficulties come to everyone and Christians are not excempted. I've been through a lot lately but I am confident even when I struggle. I am confident that all things will still work together for good (Rom 8: 29).

The good thing about having an inspirational themed blog is that I don't have to go anywhere else to be inspired. Sometimes, I find myself reading back some of my articles to remind me how blessed I am. I am my own audience and sometimes I laugh at myself when I realize how I tremble on things or find myself troubled when I am having problems. I tend to loose sight of what I have while chasing a glimpse of what I wanted and missed.

I am weak and I am not afraid to admit that. And these past months have been a struggle for me and my family. Sometimes I think too much of how I'll be able to deal with all the problems that surround me. I forgot that there are other people whom I can rely on and whom I can put my trust.

YOU

I was watching the news awhile ago and watched as people struggle, tremble and cry as they try to reflect on the things they have lost after the typhoon. You'll really feel pity for them. The question is what can YOU do?

What can you do when you yourself have a problem? or your family?

It is a very good deed when you help other people but you are worst when you can help others while you deny help to your own family. So go help your family first. I am sure that nobody will ever hate you for doing that - other people may even love you for that and more so your own family.

Difficulties come and go and more will come. It is not how many problems we have accomplished. It is how we approached it and how we solved it. We should always be responsible on our actions even when things get rough in our lives and not compromise others for our own benefits.

I've said awhile ago that I am not afraid to admit that I am weak, it is true. My weakness is my greatest strength for my strength comes from God. I am God dependent and He proved that in so many ways. I am thankful that even during the times of my troubles I can still see how God moves in my life.

WE should stop and reflect on things before we loose our sight on God. He maybe offering us the answers already and we keep on looking on to other things. Our own selfishness tends to find a reason to compromise and look the other way. Remember, even sinful people like us can give rewards to our children, how much more our Father in heaven (Luke 11: 13 / Matt 7: 11).

GOD

Like what our quiet-time verse says - He will not leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13: 5).

God is so pleased to have us as His children (John 1:12) and for that He will not forsake us (1 Samuel 12: 22)

And this is our great confidence in Him, if we ask anything He will hear us (1 John 5: 14)

God bless to all and never cease in praying guys. Thanks for having time reading my reflections.

QT10015: 1 John 2: 5-6 (Dad, You're Jesus!)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:14:00 +0000

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. - 1 John 2: 5-6

Yesterday while I was mopping the floor, I asked Ize to stay on the sofa. He was quite bored so I decided to put the chairs in front of him and told him to pretend that he is on a boat. His boredom quickly subsided and got quite excited. He was watching me while I mop the front area of his "boat" and then he said "Dad, that's the water. Your stepping on the water." He was talking about the wet area that I've mopped. "Oh! You're walking on the water like Jesus!" I laughed and was happy that he remembers the stories shared to him on their Sunday School and the Christian cartoons he was watching on TBN - Smile of a Child.

The new Superman outfit. Ize pretending to be Superman.

"Really?" I asked him. "Yes! You are like Jesus. Dad, you're Jesus." he replied shouting. I laughed again and said "No, I am walking in water like Jesus and like?" I asked him if he knows who is the other person who walked in the water and when I got no answer I told him it was Peter - "I am like Peter, because Peter walked in the water too. I am Peter!"

Then I remembered these verses and asked myself, am I following Jesus?

It is true that following Jesus is hard because of our sinful-nature. Christian terms like sinful-nature, flesh, body of sin, and old man all pertains to us able to do sins easily even without learning how to do it. One example of this is a child learning to lie. Even if you don't teach a child to lie, they'll eventually do it and that is because of our sinful-nature.

The Bible teaches us that when we follow Jesus, God's love is perfected in us. How? Simply put, Jesus didn't have a simple life when he walked among us. He was stoned, mocked, and persecuted. So following Him means to have the same hardship as He did. Others literally followed Jesus even in hardship by whipping their backs or even nailing themselves at the cross but it is not what Jesus wanted. He already did it for us so we won't have to, we just have to follow His instructions.

And his instructions were to accept Jesus as our saviour (John 3: 16) and spread God's words (Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: - Matt 28: 19).

Most people may not have the courage or knowledge to share God's words but you can share God's words by being a good example to others and showing them how God changed you or how God WORKS IN YOU. (Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matt 5: 16)

God bless and take care everyone.

QT-10014: Romans 12: 4-5 (Division of Labor)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:48:00 +0000

For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

It's been a long time since I've made an addition to the series of Quiet Time. Once again, I ask your forgiveness. I think it is great and timely that I discuss something about division of labor.

So what is Division of Labor?

Whereever you look, there is always a division, there is always a group. At work, we are designated on a group called department (eg. Information Technology, Human Resource, etc..). Our task at work depends on our skill or the job description we are hired for. Like in a restaurant, there is the cook, cook's helpers, the waiter or food servers and cashiers and they all share the same group but different tasks. They all depend on each other's performance and if one is not performing properly the whole group's performance maybe affected.

In a church, the pastor/priest/rabi or the leader is the one who is leading it but they also have members with different tasks. Members like for example their music ministry, catering or food ministry, ushers, elders, etc... All of these contribute to one goal and that is to spread the word of God, enlighten and to inspire each other. All are working for the work of God.

In this society, we belong to a group called family. And whereever you go, family will always be with you, it may be physically, mentally or spiritually. If one does not perform well, it could also affect the whole family. Unlike our jobs at work, the labor we do in a family don't depend on our skills, it depends on our capacity and our reliability. As a husband, it doesn't mean that he'll only do man's tasks and as a wife it doesn't also mean she'll only do woman's tasks. If one can do something, they do it regardless of whose task is it -if the situation demands it.

In our current situation, me and my wife are trying our best to make all things work even if the two of us have different jobs. We used to have a helper at home to take care of Ize and do some chores but now most of the Pinay maids went home to our beloved country. It was due to the petition of Saudi Arabia and their demand to lessen their salaries and make their maximum monthly salary of $200 ceased/halted our government in sending domestic helpers here. And now that help is hard to find, we must both depend on each other.

I work in the morning from 9-5pm while my lovely and pregnant wife works at 2-10pm. And since there is nobody to look after our son, I go home for lunch at home and bring my son with me at the office. It is a good thing Ize is a good boy and is not a hassle in the office. My wife does the laundry, ironing of clothes and cleaning the house while I cook at night for me and my son's dinner and lunch for the next day and I also do the dishes and some cleaning. It may not be a man's job but it is a parent's job. It is not an agreement between the two of us, we just do what we must do and that is Division of Labor.

Sinigang na Bangus that I cooked awhile ago. Kain tayo!

It is not sharing the burden but it is sharing responsibilities. Above all these things, we work to make this household better with love and understanding. After all, we are a household of faith and God is the head of our family.

God bless you all.

QT-10013: Matthew 24:6-8 (What is Happening to the World?)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:47:00 +0000

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matt 24: 6-8

This morning as I opened my PC to check what is currently happening to Jeddah via internet. I checked but to avail there was no internet. I checked the laptop and the other machine but no internet. I reset everything but still there is no internet. Then I realized about the news that has been spreading this past few days about another demonstration, not in other country but here in Saudi Arabia -specifically Jeddah. We have all witnessed what is currently happening in most arab nations -demonstrations for a change in their country's leaders for all those country who are tied-up or has a good relations with United States of America.

They said when a country has an alliance with USA they are also supporting Israel. Egypt eventually has totally oust their former leader and now Libya is still at war with their own people. I don't know but I think Libya is not even in good terms with USA. Their is also the case in Qatar. It would be sad, to think Qatar is currently booming and their economy continues to rise yet this rumors of demonstrations.

This past few weeks, rumors were also spread here in Jeddah that this Friday, a demonstration is going to take place. That is why this morning I thought their government is blocking all means of communications for the demonstrations. But when I called a friend and he told me that he has internet, I just turned off my modem and let it rest for a while.

So what is happening?

For all I know, we are currently witnessing a prophecy in motion. In v6, we shall hear rumors of wars - Omigosh! it is happenning. No don't be alarmed at the end of that sentence it says -it is not the end yet.

If you read the whole verse you will notice that it is Jesus himself that was talking to His disciples and explaining these words to them.

Awhile ago, my wife told me that their was an earthquake awhile ago in Japan and there was also a big tsunami. When I logged-in on Facebook, I saw a lot of images of Japan in turmoil. You can relate to v7 as it states that there will also be famine (in Africa and in some other places), pestilences (eg. AIDS) and earthquakes.

I am not trying to scare you people but this is just the beginning (in v8). This is just the beginning of all prophecies in motion. lol! Yes maybe I am trying to scare you a bit. I actually felt chills while reading these verses coz I know that the time is near. If you are asking me, what to do then you should read my previous article first and it is about asking wisdom from God. After you have read it, you come back and read some of my Quiet Time verses. I'll be uploading a gift for everyone next time, I just have to package it carefully.

God bless you all.

QT-10012: Romans 8:28-30 (Happiness and Sadness is Not Always)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:04:00 +0000

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Are we the type of person that goes where happiness is? There is a saying "Life is too short to be anything but happy." But did we ask ourselves, is life all about happiness only?

The past year has been very hard for me and my family, it started Nov-2009 I think. The crisis that hit US before eventually caught-up on our company. 2010 was a year of financial instability for our company and us too. We tried everything in order to survive and thankfully God provided an advance blessing to us, a blessing that suffice us during drought.

To me, it wasn't just a financial crisis - it was a test. A test of faith and patience. It was during that time that I've learned to appreciate what is in front of me and to continually depend on Him - our only source of everything.

Because of our company's crisis, I have to really depend on my salary and since they give the salary almost every three months it is hard to make things meet. The gravity of my situation was complicated by my project location assignment. I was asked to work far from my home and since I don't have a car, I have to commute. It is easy to commute if you have money to pay for it. And since our salary don't come on time, I ran out of money before I can receive the next salary.

My burden didn't end there. My manager don't seem to understand the gravity of my situation. I try to explain to him that I can't go to work if I don't have money and since I was assigned in Obhor which is quite far from home, my usual transportation allowance is not enough plus the fact that we don't receive our salaries on time. My only choice was to go to our main office which is very near my home (walking distance only. .When I talked to him before about my situation, he just shrugged his shoulders and told me "I don't care. For me you are absent because you are not there.". I just nod my head with disappointment. And this didn't happen once but a few times already.

But it is not always sadness. My happiness is being with my family and seeing my family when I go back from work is happiness already. I know in a day full of tiring and frustrating moments, there is a kid who looks up on me with great big smile and full of hope when I go home. There is also my wife who continues to support me and love me and understand me. I know I am still blessed among the thousands of OFWs that is working abroad without their families with them.

Our Blessing - Ize.

A blessing came this morning as we check our son-Ize's result of examination. It was all perfect - even Arabic. The teacher said Ize is OUTSTANDING in his class. I saw my wife as she went out the gate with Ize with full smile and excitement. "Ize is Outstanding, he perfected all his exams!" - it was like a beautiful song to hear. A blessing God can only give.

We can never ask for more. Thank you God for all the patience and love you gave us and thank you for the knowledge he has given Ize.

So to conclude things, we have survived a year full of trials and we manage to gain from our loss. It is not always happiness God has promised us. In fact, He said that we would perish just as He did.

I am glad God knew me before these things happened and I knew Him too. I know all things will work together to all those who love Him and all this things shall pass while we smile together in the future. God bless you all.

QT-10011: Proverbs 22:6 (Let Them Be Children!)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:06:00 +0000

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Prov. 22:6

Since I am assigned to teach in our church's youth ministry and shared a room with children of ages 4 and above, I have observed some of their behaviors. Whenever I hear something from their mouth, they always try to mouth words from the TV shows they have seen. Most of the words I've heard were from Pinoy tele-novelas. It was fun watching them play dead, play doctor, play like their idols, play like "lobos" or werewolves and vampires from ABS-CBN 's tv show Immortal. But have we ever listened closely to what they were saying?

"Kakaiba na talaga ang mga kabataan ngayon." (Children these days are so naive) - this are the famous words by people these days, specially by adults. But have we asked ourselves, are they truly naive?I don't know how many times have I shared this word of God but for the sake of our children, let us always be reminded the value of training our child the way they should be.

"As parents, have you ever wondered when and how they've learned those stuffs? What have you done about it?"

People these days start talking about sex, marriages and violence at a very young age. And as a parent, you maybe laughing when you hear some other children talk about it but when you hear it from your own child, it is a different matter. You'll most likely be furious at the person who taught them some of their words. Or we'll probably blame other children and start telling your child not to play with those BI (bad influence) child or children. Should we really blame those other children? Or should we blame ourselves for not trying to correct them?

Without our knowledge, these children learn by themselves just by watching TV. My son Ize surprises us sometimes when he says new things to us and we wonder when and how he learned about it. But it was a great surprise for us since we make sure to monitor all the tv shows that he is watching - we have even instructed his yaya of what tv shows Ize should and should NOT watch. It is a very tedious job as a parent to filter what they are watching but it is a very important investment of your time.

"Their minds are like sponges, they'll absorb every interesting information they find."

I remember one time, me and my wife were talking about our vacation in front of Ize when he suddenly asked me "Dad, what's vacation?". After explaining it to him, he said a few sentences trying to use the new word he has learned and at the end he was asking to have our next vacation at Disneyland - we just laughed and said "sure! if we have money." I also recall the time he learned the word "snore" and I used it like "Mommy also snores at night." and Leah laughed at that but we laughed harder when we heard him trying to snore and said "Hahaha! I'm snorsing! Look at me Dad. I'm snorsing!". He was very particular about how I used the word "snores" and made it a verb by adding an "ing" at the end and making it "snorsing".

Ize in front of a random shop in Stars Avenue.

Most common mistakes done by parents is the negligence in monitoring their child's tv shows. Most of the time, parents allow their children to watch tv shows that are not appropriate to their child's age without their guidance because they don't have time. Parents, it is the very reason why networks warn us before a new tv show is shown that some scenes may not be appropriate for children - yet we allowed them to watch it even without our guidance. And we say "they" are "naive". That is because we taught them to be naive.

It should be "Kakaiba na talaga mga magulang ngayon." (Parents these days are so naive) and not our children. Do you want your child to be branded "Naive"? thus making you naive too. All I can say is "Let them be chidren" and let them watch what they are supposed to watch. Let them watch cartoons or any children's tv show and let them enjoy being a child. Of course we still have to monitor if the tv show is showing violence or whatever is not appropriate for them. I recall my Dad saying "takpan mo mga mata mo" (cover your eyes) whenever there is an inappropriate scene on a tv show that we are watching. Those were the days when a lot of parents were still NOT naive (lol!).

These days, Ize asked a lot of new things to us and we discover a lot of new things he has learned from the TV as well. But since we only allow Christian Channel and Disney Channel, we are confident that whatever he's learning - it is good.

So train your children dear parents. Make time to filter what show they are watching and train them that way. Someday they'll learn the value of what you are doing and they'll pass it on to their children as well.

QT-10010: Proverbs 3:5

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:58:00 +0000

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

To all who are heavy hearted and who is currently in trouble and almost lost their hopes. Specially, to all the OFWs that will be spending their holidays far from their family.

Whenever I feel troubled, I read this verse and try to remind myself that in my years of stay here in Saudi Arabia, He was my only hope and the very foundation of all my strength and knowledge. He made sure that even at times of trouble (financially), He always delivered and meet all my needs. Even when I was weak and almost lost my hope, He kept on meeting my needs. My blessings may not be overwhelming but He made sure it was sufficient for my family. Enough to realize He was there when we need Him, enough for us to continue depending on Him and enough for us not to forget Him.

Trust in the Lord always is difficult if you keep depending on yourself. Depending only in your own understanding will probably help you build self-confidence but it won't help you get through all the future problems we may face. We all know that our knowledge and strength is limited and all those came from God as well.

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass. [Psalm 37:5]

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. [Proverbs 16:3] - NIV

If we continue to trust in the Lord, He'll make sure you will pass your trials. I testify to this statement and as far as trusting Him - I shall continue trusting God. It is because I know, in my heart - He will not leave His children. And I know, whenever I find failure it is God's will that is revealed to me.
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. [Deuteronomy 31:8]
Say this prayer with me:

Dear Lord,

I thank you Lord for your continued support and for keeping me safe from harm. Thank you for the strength and knowledge you have bestowed upon me. And if ever I have overlooked at your blessings, please forgive me. Help me realize your presence in my life, oh Lord. Help me accept whatever your will is for me. Help me accept my failures and help me realize your will. But most of all give me courage to move on and follow your will. My faith is in you Lord and I trust you.

Thank you Lord. In Jesus' mighty name we pray.

Amen.

God bless us all.

QT-10009: Isaiah 9:6 (The Birth of a Savior)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:19:00 +0000

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

It's been a long time since I've written a Quiet Time passage, please forgive me for that. I am still busy but I think this would be a great reminder for everyone of the coming season.

In coming days, people will merry and people will rejoice as they celebrate Christmas Season. Back in the Philippines, you'll hear joyous Christmas carols all over the radio night and day while at night you'll hear children singing Christmas carols in exchange for a few bucks. People conduct Christmas parties and exchange gifts, and other events -all pertaining to Christmas. But do we really know what Christmas is?

In your heart, what is Christmas?

it is a time of giving.
it is a time for forgiving.
it is the birth of our Savior.

These are just a few answers that you'll hear if you ask people what or why they celebrate Christmas. I just want to share my Christmas or what it means to me.

One day, a child was born and his name is Jesus Christ. He offered a gift of salvation to everyone but not everyone accepted that gift. I accepted Him as my personal savior and he gave me a great gift. I am very grateful of His gift. I will rejoice and be glad in it! For He is my savior, my counselor, my everlasting Father and my mighty God.

Although God did not allow us to know the exact date of Jesus Christ's birth, I will celebrate the birth of the one who has given me a great gift, the one who gave us all great hope. I can celebrate it anytime and anywhere, but this time I will celebrate it with great joy in my heart because I know this time, I am not alone celebrating such a wonderful day.

How about you? What is the meaning of Christmas to you?

God bless us all. "Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat."

QT-10008: Matt 21:22 (Need Your Prayers Guys)

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:36:00 +0000

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Whenever we are weary or sad, we like to hear encouraging words. And one of those days is when we are sick. It is a good thing that me and my wife are together coz right now she is currently sick and I could take care of her. It has been more than a week since she was sick but still she's under medication. Although it is not some serious matter, it is quite a burden for her since it is continuous pain that she has to endure everyday. The only thing we could do is to follow what the doctor says and drink her medication like she's instructed. Believing in prayer that she'll be healed, we continue to pray for her.

Now, I only ask all the Bible believing readers of this Baul to please make a little prayer for my wife. We know in our hearts that God will not forsake His children specially this faithful and diligent servant of His.

Basically, that is what this verse means so it doesn't need more explanation. We believe and we know a few more days we'll be saying "Thanks" and we'll have another testimony for you all. God bless us all.

QT-10007 - John 16:33

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 18:59:00 +0000

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

These very words were the words used by Jesus to comfort His disciples. Are you not comforted to hear these words? We may not be of peace today but God has promised us something great - PEACE. We all know that peace starts in our home. Now, the peace that God offers is different from what the world offers as it says in the Bible (Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. - John 14:27). I have already taught this to our young people group (John 14:27) or about the peace that God offers. Think of this situation:

As a child, you accidentally broke your Mom's favorite glass jar. Using your earned money from school allowances, you try to hide what you did and buy a new glass jar of the same kind and color while hiding the evidence of the accident. You managed to fool your Mom but still you are afraid if your mom ever finds out about the accident. The fact that you were able to fool everyone by replacing the broken jar with a new one never really gave you peace.

Here is a true example of God's peace. You accept your mistake and went to your mom and ask for forgiveness. Your mom who truly loves you forgives whatever is done. Without even spending a dime or replacing the glass jar and fooling everyone specially your mom, you achieved peace. There may be guilt in your heart but the feeling of having been forgiven is something really great.

We may also notice that this verse also proves that Jesus did not promise us good things all the time, He said we shall have tribulation in this world but we should not worry. So, what Jesus wants us to know is, let us rejoice for He has overcome the world. Have a peace of mind - God loves you.

QT-10006 - Romans 12:1

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:55:00 +0000

It has been a very busy month for me. So sorry about the delays, I promise to make it more often that I update my Quiet Time after my project is done. So here it is:

Romans 12

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Now this is another reason for us to stop smoking, drinking alcohol, drug abusing, etc... The Bible teaches us that if we love God and we want to serve God, let's present our bodies a living sacrifice to him - ACCEPTABLE unto God. Will God accept our body if we continue to destroy it by smoking, drinking alcohol or anything that abuse our health.

It's logical, God loves you and He doesn't want you to neglect your body. It's for our own good yet people are having a hard time doing this. My next QT will be a verse much related to this one.

God bless us always.

QT-10005 - Philippians 4:19

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Philippians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I said this Quiet Time verses should be daily but I was unable to post for 2 straight days, so to all those who silently follow Baul's Quiet Time - I am sorry. This past few days have been very difficult for me. I am still trying to finish the latest project that was given to me. Okay enough of this. Let us go to our Quiet Time verse for today.

While in prison, this letter from Paul encouraged a lot of Christians during those times. I can hardly imagine myself being in prison and trying to encourage other people especially outside prison. It is those people in prison who truly needs encouragement yet Paul does the opposite.

My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus - Noel. Yes, I said it and not Paul and that is the beauty of the Bible - you can claim God's words (probably not all hehe!). It is timely that this verse was given to me because our company is in crisis right now. Three (3) months of unpaid salary - (what else can you think of?) and this made me think of leaving the company already or find a new one. I admit that I am not at peace lately but whenever I think of Him, I know in my heart He will provide. I'm still looking for new job offers but while I'm here, I'll continue to trust in Him that He will provide our needs coz He really does provide - and this is my testimony.

To summarize, the Bible is teaching us to trust God like how Paul trusted God during his jail time. So this is me being Paul. Trust God. He will supply your needs.

God bless us all.

Quiet Time 10004 - Luke 18:27

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:52:00 +0000

Luke 18:27
²⁷And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

A simple yet a powerful message that Jesus himself said to His disciples. Indeed there are no impossible things to God. This very word is challenged by many people from Jesus' time up to now. People kept asking if God was truly powerful, why am I poor? or why do I have to suffer like this? why can't He help me?

Romans 8:28 says - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I may not know why God let things happen even to good people but I know God let it happen for a reason. And I know one of them is for us Christians to have a chance to demonstrate God's existence - to show God's love through us. It is a chance for us Christians to show those people in despair that there is someone that cares up there and that is God.

So if there is nothing impossible to God, isn't it a better reason for us to trust Him?

God bless us all.

Quiet Time 10003 - Ephesians 3:17-19

noreply@blogger.com (Noel Ablon) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 11:52:00 +0000

Ephesians 3:17-19

¹⁷That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
¹⁸May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
¹⁹And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Okay, I may have said only one verse but I think it is essential for me to include the whole passage.

Clearly, Paul after being converted from persecutor to persecuted made it a point to share his feelings toward God to every nation he had preached. He has been so verbal in what he really feel about God to the point that many felt he had exceeded his predecessors or much older disciples of God. Some thought that he's only doing these things for the redemption of his pass sins. We are not certain of how one feels but we can see it through their actions. How would you feel if you turned out to be the person you used to hate?

God is truly powerful and very wise in choosing Paul. Why? Paul is a wise person himself. He belongs to a family who watches over the Jewish tradition. He himself is a Pharisee like his father and believed in their old traditions. Remember Pharisees are the ones responsible for Jesus' death. He is an intelligent person and is a rich tent-maker. For short, he has everything any person could ever wish for - power and money. A great example of denying oneself and following Christ (Luke 9:23 - And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.)

The moment he realized that Jesus is God, he closed his eyes, opened his heart to God. and turned his ways to the Lord instead of his past comfortable life. You can almost feel how his heart is filled with love, joy and passion in every message he delivers to the people. He is the perfect example of what he is teaching to God's people.

You can see Christ in him. And He dwells in his heart by faith and is established with the knowledge of God's amazing love. We can see that God's love and mercy towards him have surpassed even his past knowledge of being a Pharisee. He chose an uncomfortable life with God rather than living in comfort and sin.

The question for us now is - Can we turn our backs on the things (knowledge, career, power, wealth) that we have achieved and what we are about to achieve and turn to God? Can they see Christ in you now?

God bless you all.