I'm Back (Spreading the Gospel Through Blogging)

 "For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword"  (Hebrews 4:12)

I'm back! Really back and can't believe my blogspot is still alive after 12 years! It is indeed the Holy Spirit's work. God will never allow his children forsaken even my blogspot.

Way back 2010,  I owe a lot of this blogging to my late brother Bar Famero. He is a wonderful man. He inspired me to do blogging.  God guided me in this undertaking because he gave me the idea of using his word to save people from eternal damnation...in a form of digital preaching. 

Prior to Covid-19 pandemic, internet gadgets and internet speed was quite scarce and few people realized the tremendous benefit digitization may bring to mankind including sermons in the pulpit. But with the advent of pandemic, the digital world was drastically  changed and was considered to be one of the most potent instrument of spreading information and learning not to exclude soul-winning and preaching sermons from the word of God!!!

From 2010 until 2012 I was able to post and publish  many devotional blogs, sermons, mostly general spiritual words of God that suits many Christian beliefs including Catholics, protestants, born again christians, baptists, adventists, and other denominations because most of the sermons were general daily life devotions that does not focus much on diverse doctrines...in other words "general patronage" spiritual life sermons through digital blogging were my focus and not to attack other doctrines.

Most of the sermons were taken and credits to the owner was accorded to my father-in-law a pastor of Odiongan Baptist Church Incorporated who according to many people and many christian believers in our locality was gifted in preaching for more than 40 years! His name is Rev. Teofilito Arevalo Rufon our Church Minister. All of his sermons were collected and I turned it into a devotional daily bread style book after painstakingly editing it getting the best among the best punchline sermon outlines, illustrations and memory verses that suits to every one. In short it was a "sermon recycling process" but tedious enough that it consumes 2-3 hours of blogging and editing.  Pastor Rufon's sermons were indeed sharper than any two edged sword!  It was a blessing to many because many have read it and were blessed and also because from digital posting in the internet I was able to convert them all to print!   Like a book and in fact I was able to print to large copies and I was able to sell it for 125.00 pesos each book print.  It was a bestseller during those years because many used it in devotions, catechism, bible study and sunday school selling out more than 50 copies. Unluckily,  my soft copy of it was deleted and I can't find it anymore!  I'm planning to reprint it and make a book to be available again in arevised edition and to be registered in the National Library at least to earn a point for my promotion in the school where I work.

But what is important is I'm back in the arena of serving God through "dropping an ink" that ripples in the social media. After 12 years of facing many challenges, now I'm trying my best to serve God through blogging. I have done my best shot in the previous years still for the glory of God though I have left this mission but at the back of my head, I promised that I will continue to my first love of serving Jesus. May God help me in this undertaking. 

I Surrender All (The Story of Lt. Hiroo Onoda, The Last Japanese Soldier)

“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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

(Romans 12:1-2)

On March 10, 1974, almost 30 years after the end of World War II, Lt. Hiroo Onoda finally handedover his rusty sword and become the last Japanese soldier to surrender.
Onoda had been sent to Lubang Island in Mindoro in 1944, with orders to conduct guerilla warfare and prevent enemy attack in the island. For 29 years, long after all his fellow soldiers had either surrendered or been killed off, Onoda continued defending the island territory for the defeated Japanese army. He hid in the jungle, living off the land, stealing food and supplies from local citizens, evading one search party after another and killing at least 30 nationals in the process.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent trying to locate the lone hold out and convince him that the war is over. Leaflets, newspapers, photographs, and letters from friends were dropped in the jungle, announcements were made over loudspeakers, begging Onoda to surrender.
Still he refused to give up his fight. Some 1,300 men had been deployed in the effort before Onoda finally received a personal command from his former commander and was persuaded to give up the futile, solitary war he had waged for so many years. In his autobiography entitled: “NO SURRENDER: My Thirty Year War” Onoda describes the moment that the reality of what had transpired began to sink in: “I felt like a fool…what had I been doing for all these years? For the first time I really understood…this was the end. I pulled back the bolt of my rifle and unloaded the bullets…I eased off the pack that I always carried with me and laid the gun on top of it. THE WAR WAS FINALLY OVER.”
Lesson:
1. Onoda’s story, is our story as well. We are fighting our own personal war against the sovereign King of the universe. Some express their resistance overtly, perhaps through a lifestyle of unbridled lust and perversion. Others are more subtle – they are active in church work – but beneath the surface, running his own life and unwilling to be mastered by Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
2. In Onoda’s case, he had become accustomed to living as lone guerilla soldier, moving from one jungle hideout to another. By the time he was 52 years old he scarcely knew any other way to live. Resisting, running, and hiding had become the norm – the way of life with which he was most familiar and comfortable.
You may have made a profession of faith; you may have long considered yourself a Christian and others may assume that you are a Christian but you have never waved the white flag of surrender to Christ; you have never relinquished the right to run your own life. In short, YOU HAVE NEVER TRULY BEEN BORN AGAIN.
3. If you claim to be a follower of Christ while living in denial about certain areas of your life that are not pleasing to him, my desire is to help you see the truth – YOU ARE NOT LIVING FULLY SURRENDERED LIFE, no matter how many people may think of you as a “GOOD CHRISTIAN”.
4. It is an IRREFUTABLE TRUTH with which every human being must come to terms, sooner of later. THOSE WHO RESIST his sovereign lordship set themselves up to be TYRANIZED by other lords.

(From Rev. Teofilito A. Rufon’s Sunday Worship Messages)

Losing And Finding

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.”

(Matthew 16:25-26)

A true Christian is one that does follow Jesus Christ. He denies himself. He follows the saying “no cross, no crown.”

I – Saving is Losing and Losing Is Finding– “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:25). It is hard for us to follow God if we will not leave our old sinful ways, if we love our vices, money and possessions more than God. We lose our soul if we save on temporal things. We find our soul if we let go and sell our possessions and seek for eternal things. Temporary things in the world deceives us. These things blind us with eternal benefits of God.

In Mark 10:17, 21 and 22, a rich young ruler lost his soul when he asked God, “Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Jesus said: “go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and come take up the cross, and follow me.” But the rich young ruler upon hearing this was sad and went away grieved for he had great possessions (Mark 10:22).

Jesus said it twice clearly in the Bible that it is hard for a man to enter the kingdom of heaven if he stays in sinful ways. Matthew 19:24 tells us that “it is better for a camel to go through the eye of the needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25 also tells us the same way.

II – Profit Is Loss - For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul”(Matthew 16:26). The world is so alluring. The world looks so inviting that Christians wish they could trade places. Earthly goals keep us away from Christ. “We always see the world but cannot see the soul.” The nails, the thorns, the pain, the blood...these were all for our souls.

The rich and the poor has one in common when they die. They leave all they own on earth. Reality speaks that our days are dangerous because earthquakes strike at unexpected time. The heavens shall pass away with great noise, the elements will melt with fervent heat. The earth will be burned up. Earthquakes will dissolve us. The question is..how shall we live then?

(From Rev. Pastor Teofilito A. Rufon’s Sunday Messages)

How To Thank God

“Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”

(Psalm 100:1-5)

THANKSGIVING, to be TRULY thanksgiving, is FIRST THANKS, then GIVING. How?

I – THANK HIM BY SERVING – “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing”(Psalm 100:2). Serve the Lord with gladness at the peak of your life. Being young is exciting, but the excitement of youth can become a barrier to closeness with God because those things that most young people live for (sports, sex, popularity) become increasingly unimportant with old age.

Make your strength available to God when it is still yours – during your youthful years. Don’t waste it on evil or meaningless activities that become bad habits and make you callous. Serve God NOW!

Many people work hard to prolong life and improve their physical condition (better diet, proper exercise, excellent health care). Yet people don’t spend nearly as much time or effort on their SPIRITUAL HEALTH. How short-sighted it is to work hard to extend this life and not work equally hard to secure ETERNAL LIFE. Serve the Lord with gladness NOW!

II – THANK HIM BY SINGING – “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing”(Psalm 100:2). Singing is expressing back to God our appreciation and understanding of his worth. It is saying “THANK YOU” for each aspect of His divine nature. Our INWARD ATTITUDE becomes OUTWARD EXPRESSION. Develop the practice of singing to God, and you will experience greater joy and strength to face any task. We sing because WE SEE HIS GOODNESS.

“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5) “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.”(Romans 8:28). “All things work together for GOOD.”

God can bring good out of any situation. No problem in your life is too complicated for God if you are willing to allow Him to help you.

It is very simple to speak “all things work together for good” when things are going well. If my health is excellent. My income is flourishing. My friends are fond of me. It is not hard to say “all things work together for good” when everything is doing good; but what about when one’s body breaks down?

When I stand by helpless? When my partner is under pain? Despite all of our doubts, misgivings and mismanagement of our affairs, HE PICKED US UP and BORNE US back again in great tenderness.

Sometimes things happen to you that you may seem, horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart. “EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.” Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck.

(From Rev. Teofilito A. Rufon’s Sunday Messages)

Pillars Of Support In Times Of Crisis

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, maketh intercessions for us.”

(Romans 8:26)

I – The Importance Of PRAYER -“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, maketh intercessions for us.”(Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit translates our groans and sighs and wordless prayers. In times of pain, the attacks of Satan are real. The enemy could cause us to doubt God’s love and power. Such attacks maybe battled with spiritual weapons which is Prayer.

II – Encouragement from GOD’S WORD – Use the book of Psalms as your Prayer like Psalm 23. When sleep is not possible, sing Hymns like “What A Friend We have In Jesus,” “His Eye On The Sparrow,”

“Great is Thy Faithfulness,” “It Is Well With My Soul,” and “The Haven Of Rest.”

III - Support of FAMILY - Our parents, brothers, and sisters should be supported in all stages and crisis of life. When parents are getting old and diseases sets in, we must take good care of them until death because when we were still young, they took good care of us all. Remember, when we were still learning to walk, learning to take a bath, and to take solid foods, mommy and daddy patienly helped us learn to walk and take foods. Now when they are old, it is but proper to help them walk , and return to them what is due for them in the same way they did for us. Remember there is a saying that “we only miss someone when he is already gone.”

IV – The Warmth of Christian FELLOWSHIP – Through fellowship, we become instruments of strength and hope to our brothers. Our fellowship will result to an inspiration for others to fight trials in life. Our experiences may be the same with them to be advised and to continue go on with life. “ Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all , that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.” (Acts 11:23).

Here are some Secret Weapons to overcome crisis:

1. Trust God For Financial Needs - “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines...Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

(Habakkuk 3:17-18).

2. Taking Things One Concern At A Time – “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:34).

3. Try To Live as Normally as Possible.

4. Temporarily Lowering Our Personal Standards – By cleaning the house, doing the laundry, being a care giver.

5. Accepting the Crisis As Part Of God’s Sovereign Plan For Your Life.

6. Take Care Of Yourself – Eat properly. Have enough sleep. Take vitamins.

(From Rev. Pastor Teofilito A. Rufon’s Messages)

Telescopic Faith

"Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me."

(Micah 7:7-8)

Problems, trials, difficulties, burdens, diseases, death, and sin are often associated with the dark. The period in European history after the fall of Rome is known as the “DARK AGES.” Darkness prevents us from using the most complex of the senses – SEEING. And for seeing to take place, LIGHT IS NEEDED.

The EYE has a built-in LIGHT-ADJUSTING mechanism called PUPIL which opens wide under low condition, and contracts in bright daylight. This explains why if we suddenly go from sunlit outdoors into a dark room, we at first cannot see anything, but things gradually become visible within a few minutes.

Science calls this process “DARK ADAPTATION.” As PUPIL is to the EYE, FAITH is to the SOUL. Like the pupil of the eye, faith opens wide in times of dark crisis to absorb whatever light of hope is available. Faith allows us go through “DARK ADAPTATION” so that we can eventually see in the dark. Faith gives us the power to see beyond darkness. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). “We live by FAITH, not by SIGHT.” The eye can deceive us. Faith protects us from this deception.

“FAITH and SIGHT”
Sight – sees the OBSTACLES, Faith – sees the WAY
Sight – sees the NIGHT, Faith – sees the DAY.
Sight – dreads to take a step, Faith – soars on HIGH
Sight – questions, “WHO BELIEVES?”Faith – answers “I”

In a cellar (basement used for prisoners) in Cologne, Germany after World War II were found these words on the wall:
I BELIEVE...
I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining;
I believe in love, even when I feel it not;
I believe in GOD, even when HE is silent.

Never put a QUESTION MARK [?] where GOD has put a period.
In other words, “When God SAID it and I BELIEVE it, that SETTLES it for me.”
Looking at JESUS will increase our FAITH. Looking at CRISIS will increase our DOUBTS.

FAITH provides the LIGHT for us to see beyond DARKNESS. “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”( 1 Thessalonians 5:5). - We should be like SUNFLOWERS. - It always faces the direction of the sun. We should always look at the light of the world, JESUS, in times of crisis.

Faith is like a TELESCOPE. It allows us to see objects too far to be seen clearly by the naked eye. “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” (Micah 7:7-8).

Let us take a look at Micah’s TELESCOPIC FAITH. He said, “I will watch in hope for the LORD.”He was full of hope despite the presence of crisis, because he trained his sight ON THE LORD and not on PROBLEMS. We must look at JESUS and not at CRISIS, otherwise, FEAR will overcome us.
“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”(Matthew 14:30). When Peter tried to walk on the water TOWARD JESUS, he made it. But when he SAW the wind, he became afraid and started to SINK.
What was the matter with Lot in Sodom? He lived a sinking life. What was the matter with Jonah in the fish belly? He lived a sinking life. What was the matter with Judas? He lived a sinking life. “Though I have fallen, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8).

Here is the determination of a man sure of his God, sure of himself. He was sure he was in crisis, but he was determined not to let crisis put him down. Yes, we may fall along the way. But let us not give up. Let us keep on fighting. One author says, “Greatness does not depend on never failing, but in RISING whenever you fall”. God can always turn our FAILURES into LEARNING, our FRUSTRATIONS into OPPORTUNITIES, our TRIALS into TRIUMPHS.

“LIFE of ABRAHAM LINCOLN”
1831 – Failed in Business,
1832 – Defeated for Legislature
1833 – Again failed in Business
1834 – Elected to Congress
1835 – Sweetheart died
1836 – Had nervous Breakdown
1838 – Defeated for Speaker
1840 – Defeated for Elector
1843 – Defeated for Congress
1846 – Elected for Congress
1848 – Defeated for Congress
1855 – Defeated for Senate
1856 – Defeated for Vice President
1858 – Defeated for Senate
1860 – Elected President of the United States of America.

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.

(By Rev. Teofilito A. Rufon)

Money, Possessions and Eternity

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

(1 Timothy 6:9-10)

People talk about money. People think about money. People act according to how much money they have. Here are lessons to be learned suggested by the Bible.
Illustration “MONEY SPEAKS”
You hold me in your hand and call me yours. Yet may I not as well call you mine. See how easily I rule you? I go nowhere unless you send me. I keep strange company. For me, men mock, love, and scorn character. Yet I am appointed to the service of saints, to give education to the growing mind and food to the starving bodies of the poor. My power is terrific. Handle me carefully and wisely, lest you became my servant rather than yours.”

All of us have OPPORTUNITIES to earn money. All of us have TEMPTATIONS concerning money. Warning!
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”(Matthew 6:21).
We will spend much of our time and energy on whatever we put value to. This materialistic world has made man SUBSERVIENT (submissive, subordinate, compliant, obedient) to money. We should not be fascinated with our posessions, lest they posses us. To a great extent, people who get rich, become proud, arrogant and rude. People steal and kill for love of money.

There are two (2) basic principles we need to know:
(1) GOD OWNS EVERYTHING
(2) MAN IS A MERE STEWARD OF ALL GOD GIVEN RESOURCES

I – GOD OWNS EVERYTHING -“ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”(1 Timothyb 6:7)
Nobody owns anything (even a single thing) in the world.
A) Over 70 percent of the body weight is water which would be free.
B) No scientific instrument is as sensitive to the light as person’s eye.
Automatically, the muscles of the eye relax so that the lens is small and thick for distant viewing or they stretch the lens to bring into focus. No wonder the eye was the original model for cameras.
God gave it for FREE!
C) The ear is as much an acoustic marvel as the eye is an optic one. The inner ear is like a keyboard with 15,000 keys because that is the number of different tones that can be detected.
Not only does the ear perform the function of hearing, it acts to control equilibrium as well. Who but God could have originated such a dual purpose instrument?
God gave it for FREE!.
D) The Brain – even though your brain will forget more than 90% of what you learn during your lifetime, it may still store up as much as 10 times more information than there is in the library of Congress (U.S.A) with its 17 million volumes.
God gave it for FREE!
The Bible is true: “We didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world and we can’t carry away a single thing when we die.”
“The earth [is] the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”(Psalm 24:1).
If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world [is] mine, and the fulness thereof. "(Psalm 50:12)
Lesson:
We should acknowledge God’s sovereign authority over everything God has given us.
God has supreme unlimited power over the entire universe. He creates, He preserves, He governs.
As we understand God’s power, we realize that HE is Sufficient to handle our lives.

II – THE MAN IS A MERE STEWARD OF ALL GOD – GIVEN RESOURCES
“Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all [things] under his feet:”(Psalm 8:6).
God gave mankind tremendous authority – to be in charge of the whole earth. But with great authority comes great responsibility. Use your resources wisely because God holds you accountable for your stewardship.

The following are some suggestions on how we can become better stewards:
1. Prepare a Budget – Every single centavo gets accounted for. “When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost."(John 6:12). “Gather up the fragments (centavo) that remain, that nothing can be lost. You are able to compare earnings with expenses, and know before hand whether expenses will be greater than earnings. This gives you the opportunity to adjust expenses accordingly and determine spending priorities. More importantly, budgeting makes you the master of your own money instead of money mastering you. You don’t ask where your money went, but you tell your money where to go.
2. Set Aside money for Emergencies – “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.”(Proverbs 30:25). There’s wisdom in saving for rainy days. Scrimping on the little vices like softdrinks, junkfoods and big vices like smoking, gambling and drinking can increase savings.
3. Avoid IMPULSIVE BUYING - Avoid the rush a store sale. Control the urge to go on buying sprees than to stay away from the malls! Disengage from the window shopping pastime. Observe the “DELAYED ACTION FORMULA” before making a purchase. God, our FINANCIAL ADVISER is best consulted, so pray about it first, when tempted, FLEE!
4. Distinguish between NEEDS and WANTS – “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:19).
Note the words: “ALL your need”A need is basic to DAILY Survival. A want is something that we can live without because it leans on the side of CAPRICE.
5. Live on what God Provides – “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." (Philippians 4:11-12). “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” (1Timothy 6:8).
The key to contentment is to live within your means. Not coveting what other people have should protect us from chasing after things that we cannot afford.
6. Avoid increasing Debt - “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower [is] servant to the lender. “ (Proverbs 22:7). The credit card syndrome has put a lot of people deep into debt.
“He who borrows sells his freedom”. Longer instalment payment plans may appear light on the pocket, but when you compute compounded monthly interest rates, the amount can be ASTRONOMICAL (inconceivably large).
7. PAY YOUR TITHES - “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].” (Malachi 3:10).
God will prove Himself faithful to those who faithfully abide His command to Tithe. He promises blessings beyond our imagination, for no one can ever outgive God. We can choose the path of destruction by serving money and possessions, or we can choose the path of eternal rewards. Giving to the Lord is but transporting our goods to a higher floor.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”(Matthew 6:19-20).

(From Rev. Teofilito A. Rufon’s Sunday Worship Messages)