GRABE SIYA OH!

a personal reflection on Matthew 11:16-19

• God warned them not to eat it. But maybe the temptation was too much that "she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6).
• Moses told them there was only One God. Pero ng mawala si Moses ng saglit, inipon nila ang mga ginto at gumawa sila agad ng mga diyos nila. Then they said "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4).
• John the Baptist preached "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2). The people were supposed to rejoice & follow what he proclaimed. Sadly, eleven chapters after, we read that he was "beheaded in the prison.” (Matthew 14:10).
• Jesus became man, healed the sick, fed the hungry & forgave sins. He loved everyone & "they could charge him with nothing deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have him killed.” (Acts 13:28).

Grabe noh! This creature called man looks like a totally hopeless case. I refer to all of us when I say "man". Wala na yata tayong pag-asa. Ginawa na ng Diyos ang lahat pero ganun pa din tayo. Man has done bad things in the past. We continue to do bad things throughout the generations.

"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates,” - Matthew 11:16

Grabe talaga! Di tayo nakikinig sa Diyos. Nowadays, we still prefer to do evil over good. We love to call out the mistakes of others but we don’t see our faults. We judged others but we don't know the full picture. We asked for God's pardon yet we cannot forgive our family or friend.

May pag-asa pa ba tayo?

Yes! But we need Jesus in our lives. Because despite our brokenness HE comes to save us. Matthew 11:19 says that "the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”.

That’s us. The glutton, the drunkard, the tax collectors and the sinner! But do not focus on what's wrong with us. Focus on what's right with God.

Because that is who God is. We are REJECTS but HE REPAIRS US. We are BROKEN yet HE BUILDS US UP. We do EVIL but for God we are EVERYTHING to HIM.

So, if you want to give up already think about this truth first - GOD WILL PURSUE YOU NO MATTER HOW MUCH DIRT YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE! Kaya huwag ka muna sumuko. Remember, God has not given up on you.

Take time to listen to God this Season. Prepare your hearts for HIM & have a blessed #Advent2018! - @alvinfabella alvinfabella@yahoo.com