Daily Verse: Isaiah 55:6

ESV
“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;

itong verse na ito gives us a sense of urgency when it comes to seeking God. Di natin napapansin pero ang usual na mindset natin is, andyan lang naman si God. Pwede tayo lumapit anytime. Pero this verse gives us the realization na merong time limit yung opportunity para mapalapit kay God. Di natin alam kung kailan darating si Lord.

Revelation 16:15 ESV: (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

Di natin kung anong mangyayari sa atin 5 minutes from now. Yung times natin sa lupa ang only time na pwede natin iseek si God. And ang times natin sa lupa is limited.

So this verse reminds us na we are actually missing a golden opportunity na lumapit kay Lord if di sya natin gawin right now. Kaya dapat: "call upon him while he is near;"

Daily Verse: 1 Peter 5:8

ESV
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Andito sa 1 Peter 5 yung mga habilin ni Peter bago nya i-end yung letter. Sa mga verses before nito, ang daming na-touch na mga concepts. Like itong verse right before:

1 Peter 5:7 ESV: casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Ito yung pag-surrender natin ng mga worries natin kay Lord. Pero ito takes it further. Mostly, at least sa akin, i try to surrender my worries kay Lord because I want to be obedient and dahil sa pagmamahal kay Lord. Pero ito sabi: "because he cares for you." ito yung pagsurrender na may kasamang pag-acknowledge, pag-praise, and grace na nasa presence tayo ng love ni Lord. So aside from obedience and love kay Lord, acknowledging din and appreciating yung greatness ng love sa atin ni Lord.

Parang similar sa na-feel ko minsan kapag nagooffer ng help yung mga parents ko. It's an appreciation sa love when I allow yung parents ko na magproprovide din sa akin paminsan-minsan. Kasi sanay ako na ako na since nagkawork ako nagproprovide sa most of the things. (Though yung provisions na ito is lahat naman din galing kay Lord). Similar concept din sya, It's a sign of love kapag nagpatake tayo kay Lord ng mga anxieties natin. It's like acknowledging and appreciating yung greatness ng love sa atin ni God.

And dun sa actual verse, concept naman of always protecting ourselves, laban sa ating mga enemies. Mga things na ilalayo tayo sa tamang path. Dun sa cell meeting namin laging nasasabi ng cell leader namin na kung saan yung kahinaan natin, dun tayo iaattack ng enemy para malayo tayo kay Lord. Kaya dapat: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. "

Daily Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:21

ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Itong verse is explanation ni Apostle Paul sa mga taga-Corinthians about ka core belief ng Christians. before yung verse na ito:

2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Kapag tinanggap na natin si Lord Jesus as our savior, mababago na tayo towards a lifestyle na Christ-like. Sa lifestyle na better na nagsasalamin sa teachings ni Lord Jesus. And this is all possible dahil:

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin"

Si God the Father made si Lord Jesus to be "sin". Kahit si Lord Jesus never sinned. And by dying in the cross, Lord Jesus paid the price for our sin. And dahil dun we can be together na uli with God

"so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

This implies na to be with God, the only way is through Jesus:

John 14:6 ESV: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Daily Verse: Mark 13:33

ESV
Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.

ito yung buong passage na kasama yung verse na ito:

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

nung 1999, mag yeyear 2000 na nun, mga 14 years old ako nun. Andami ng mga end of the world prediction. Marami rin kasi war nun, mga natural calamities, yung y2k bug na ifre-freeze daw yung mga computer all over the world. So andami ng buzz around it. Anxious talaga ako nung time na yun. Pero after year 2000 wala naman nangyari. Then from news din na merong similar nung 1987 ata na religious figure din na nagpredict ng date ng end of the world. Then naisip ko yung ongoing war ngayon and yung buzz around it na ito na yung war to end the world. Napagusapan din namin ito sa cell meeting eh. Ang lagi kong reply dito is itong passage na ito. Especially itong part:

But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.

Kaya no need to concern na about the exact date or time. Just be ready everyday. Para anytime na dumating na si Lord, ready and prepared tayo. Ang mas gusto ko ngang approach dito is from angle ng love. Love mo lang si God everyday, everything follows. Sa career, sa family, sa relationships, and even sa preparedness sa second coming ni Lord Jesus.

Daily Verse: Isaiah 53:6

ESV
All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

Itong buong Isaiah 53 is prophecy tungkol sa Messiah, tungkol kay Lord Jesus. Sa mga pagdadaan nya and ano yung gagawin ni Lord Jesus para sa atin. Sa first part:

All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
    
Kino-compare tayo sa sheep. Ang sheep ay needed ng guidance. Sa atin naman is needed natin ng guidance para malayo sa sins. Needed natin ng guidance para mapalapit kay God. Needed natin ng isang shepherd. Needed natin si Lord Jesus.

Dun naman sa second line:

and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

Ito ay working in tandem between kay God the Father and the Son. Si God the Father will lay lahat ng masamang gawain and sins natin kay Lord Jesus para matubos tayo and magkaroon ng salvation.

Daily Verse: John 3:16

ESV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Isa ito sa mga well referenced and well known na verse. And isa sa mga nagsusummarize sa core concept ng Christianity.

First and i think pinaka-important is love ni God. Sobrang mahal tayo ni God na hinayaan nya na magsuffer dito sa lupa yung kanyang only begotthen Son (ginamit yung greek word na _monogenēs_ dito), para matubos yung mga sins natin.

Second is salvation comes from believing and pagtanggap kay Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. Salvation comes through Him. So kita dito sa verse yung: Why ng Salvation, and How ng Salvation.

Daily Verse: Matthews 5:16

ESV
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven

before yung verse na ito is:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

Ang light is meant to lighten up dark places. At dahil dun dapat nilalagay yung lights source sa open na lugar na maooptimize yung pagshed nya ng lights sa paligid. Ito yung context ng verse.

So tayo para ding light source. Need natin i-put out there into open yung worship and life natin with Lord Jesus. So that openness will also help people to see the light from Lord Jesus.

Ang magandang example nito sa akin is yung pagging open ng mga tao sa paligid about their faith nung times na namimili ako ng religion. Just by reflecting Lord Jesus in their life (Christ-like life), nakakapagshare na rin sila ng light ni Lord Jesus sa akin.

Daily Verse: 1 Corinthians 3:16

ESV
Do you not know that you are God 's temple and that God 's Spirit dwells in you?

ito yung fourth metaphor sa 1 Corinthians 3 na nagdedescribe sa church sa Corinthians.

Yung first is kinocompare sila sa infant. Na di pa nila kaya ng solid food, kaya milk lang muna. This refers to their spiritual nourishment.

Yung second is them as a field. Na tinataniman at dinidiligan ni Paul at Apollos. Yung third is them as a building na kino-construct. Tinatayo sila sa foundation ni Lord Jesus.

Tapos itong verse yung pangfourth. Na sila ay temple ni God. At dahil temple sila ni God, nagsstay dun ang Holy Spirit. Most likely walang permanent building talaga ang mga taga-Corinthians noon. Dito makukuha yung concept ng Ang church ay ang tao ng church rather than the building itself. Though naka-address itong letter sa mga taga Corinthians, itong concept can be easily apply to us. Andun ang church at ang Holy Spirit sa any group of believers na nagwoworship at nagaaral ng mga words ni God, kahit nasaan pa man sila.

Daily Verse: Psalm 145:18

ESV
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.

Itong Psalm 145 is isang acrostic. yung kada first letter ng line nagfoform ng word. Dito naman sa Psalm 45, yung first letter ng line forms yung Hebrew alphabet. So merong art side din itong pagkasulat ni King David. It's a form of worship. And dito sa verse is prino-proclaim ni King David na malapit si God sa sino mang tumatawag sa Kanya. Similar ito sa:

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Daily Verse: Acts 4:12

ESV
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Itong Acts is sulat ni Luke. Isa syang doctor and sya lang ang kaisa-isang gentile author sa bible. Hindi rin sya direct witness. Di nya na naabutan si Lord Jesus. Yung mga accounts na sinulat nya is based sa interview sa mga actual witnesses.

before yung verse na ito is kinuwento yung prosecution ni Peter and John by the high priests. Di naniniwala yung mga Jews na si Lord Jesus na yung Messiah na sinasabi sa prophecy. Hanggang today may mga di pa rin naniniwala. May napanood akong video about sa perspective ng mga Jews kung bakit di sila naniniwala:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j6jZzBsL0w

Guided by the Holy Spirit, itong verse na ito is reply ni Peter sa mga nagproprosecute sa kanya. Ito ay isang proclamation ng authority ni Lord Jesus as our savior. Further emphasizing:

John 14:6 ESV: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.