Philippine Asian News Today Vol 20 No 23 | Page 24

RELIGIOUS 24 Wisdom from the Word Ben Berto “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3: 8-10, NKJV The dream of any Filipino, married or single, at home or abroad, is to have financial security. This is why there are so many applications for immigration to Canada, United States, Australia, and to many other places. Failing that, they apply as Off Shore Workers (OFWs), in order to be able to finance their way of life, educate their children, and have a better house. These are all dreams and many have achieved some of those goals. Sometimes, we think that by our own strength and willpower we have achieved our highest goals but sometimes we forget God in the equation. Who gives us the breath of PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY December 1 - 15, 2018 FINANCIAL SECURITY-GOD’S WAY life, the health and strength and the brain power (wisdom) to gain what we strived for? Who owns all the gold and silver in the world, and the cattle upon a thousand hills? Who gives all the rain and sunshine, and who makes our plants and crops to grow, to bear abundant fruit and grain? None other than God. Satan can destroy but cannot make anything grow or bear flowers, fruit, and grain. But Jesus said to Satan, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” This shows that even if everything, like food, clothing or shelter, is around us if we don’t have the breath of life, we are nothing. It is God that sustains life, and this we have to be .thankful. When King Solomon requested God to give him the wisdom to rule Israel, God was pleased with his answer. So, God said, “Since you requested wisdom, not riches or long life, I will not only give wisdom so that there will never be anyone, before or after you. Tell you what, I will also give you riches and glory and long life. In the Chronicles, we are informed that Solomon received at least 25 tons of gold each year, and silver counted as nothing. He had so much of it. We may not be as rich as King Solomon, but God can provide everything we need. When He Moments told the other tribes to give 10% of their income to support them. That was why the tribe of Levi did not have any inheritance in Canaan because they were the clergy. In the New Testament, Jesus reproved the religious leaders of Israel because of their hard-heartedness. He said, 3 ““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” Matthew 23: 23, 24 NKJV. So, we find that our financial security is in God alone. It is supported by the Bible. “Let God be true and every man a liar.” Many people have taken God’s promises and proved Him and God came true every time. He will not disappoint those who trust in HIS WORD. AMEN. For questions and Bible Studies, call, Ben at 604 581 1278, Junjun at 778-927- 8040, and Pastor Leomar Macaraig at 604 928 3579. The Abundant Life Fil-Can Seventh-day Adventist Church meets at the City Center Church on 13062 104th Avenue, Surrey on Saturdays. All are welcome to attend. Don’t forget! Fr. Jerry M. Orbos, SVD that He sent His only Son… The story is told about a forgetful man who went to his doctor for consultation. “Doc, my forgetfulness is getting worse. I forget things easily now. What should I do?” he asks. The doctor thinks for a while, and says: “The first thing you do is to pay me first before we go on.” In today’s Gospel (Lk. 3:16), we hear how John the Baptist appeared in the desert with his message of repentance, to a people who have forgotten God. God does not forget us. Let us not forget Him! Advent is the time for us to remember and be grateful for God’s great love for us, has given us jobs, and we get our salaries, there is one thing that He want s us to do. We find that in the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament if the Bible. In chapter 3 verses eight to ten, God commanded, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it”. This is the security that God wants us to have. When we go to church, we should not forget our tithes (10 % of our salary, and our offerings). Remember, God loves a cheerful giver. Whether our Pastor is a priest, imam, or rabbi, we are still obligated to give, because he lives by our tithes and offerings. Our churches have lots of projects and out offerings are the ones that keep them going. Years before Malachi wrote his book, In Genesis 14:20, Abraham gave his tenth to King Melchizedek, God’s High Priest in Salem. When the tribe of Levi was chosen to be the priests and caretakers of the tabernacle or place of worship, God Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Today, we light the second candle of the Advent wreath, the candle of peace. Amid so much stress and suffering, let us not forget to hold on to our God, the source of true peace which this world cannot give or take away. Happy holidays! For some, Christmas is just about the external decorations, trimmings and happenings. Christmas is not something that happens outside us, but must happen in our humble, contrite, grateful and loving hearts. Don’t forget—happiness depends on “happenings” around us, but joy comes from a heart that is truly at peace with the Lord and with the world around us. Wishing you not just happiness, but joy. Please don’t forget to make Christmas happen not just in your heart, but also in the lives of people around you. Christmas is not just a memory or a cozy feeling, but a reality that must be made present again in our here and now. The names of the big political and even church leaders during Jesus’ time were mentioned in today’s Gospel, like Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, Annas, Caiaphas. But they were just mentioned in passing and incidentally. Such is the fate of powerful and vain people who forget God and His people in their times of power and fame. Think about this: “Humility is not so much thinking less of ourselves, as thinking of our selves less.” My vehicular accident last Feb. 7 this year, and the subsequent medical findings, and the journey with cancer, are reminders of God’s goodness, love and mercy. Yes, to be still around, and to be at the doorstep of Christmas 2018, is a beautiful gift from God. Let us always be grateful for every single day we are still alive. And let us all live meaningful lives, the rest of our lives. Our Mama would have been 96 yesterday, Feast of the Immaculate Conception. She was, and still is, a heartwarming reminder of God’s gentleness, kindness and generosity. Specialize in kindness and humility. WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM People will forget how intelligent, famous, beautiful or how rich you are, but they will never forget the kindness of your heart. Don’t forget: “Money can be earned; stupid quarrels can be resolved; the life of a loved one is irreplaceable; the loss of your soul is your greatest failure.” A moment with the Lord: Lord, help us to remember, and not to forget to specialize in kindness, goodness and love. Amen. ([email protected])