THE DIRTY WINDOW

The reading today starts with these words, "Seek good & not evil” (Amos 5:14).

Seeking GOOD means that we seek the One who is All Good. That is God Himself. We need to seek Jesus.

If we seek Jesus & let Him fill up our lives then it follows that we will “hate evil, love good & let justice prevail” (Amos 5:15). It follows that we will DO GOOD.

However, we need to guard ourselves when we seek & do GOOD. Because our MOTIVATION is more important than our ACTION.

Imagine seeing a stained window glass.
You get hold of the best glass cleaning solution & a clean rug. Then you spend a lot of time & energy to make it sparkly clean.
But you’re shocked when you go inside & you look through the same window. The window is still smeared! It’s still dirty.

Why?
Because the dirt is on the inside!

Doing GOOD is an "INSIDE JOB”, not just an external one. This is why God declares in today’s reading:

"I hate, I despise your feasts, I take no pleasure in your solemnities. Even though you bring me your burnt offerings & grain offerings I will not accept them; Your stall-fed communion offerings, I will not look upon them. Take away from me your noisy songs; The melodies of your harps, I will not listen to them” - Amos 5:21-23

God looks at your INSIDE INTENTION first before your OUTSIDE ACTION. Seeking God means removing the filth of sin inside us so that our external acts become pure.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:24, "leave your gift there at the altar, go first & be reconciled with your brother, & then come and offer your gift.”

Fix the inside before doing anything outside. Jesus tells the Pharisees & the Teachers of the law to help the poor first before calling out those who don’t follow the law. He says that to them that "as to what is within, give alms, & behold, everything will be clean for you” (Luke 11:41)

As we start the second half of 2020 today, always asked yourself this question - “WHY AM I DOING THIS?”

If we want to be better, then we need to change ourselves inside out.

Lord, guide my thoughts before I act. Cleanse my soul that I may do GOOD that is motivated by LOVE for You & LOVE for others only. Amen!

Have a blessed week friends! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

#ShareAboutJesus

OBEDIENCE OVERCOMES OBSTACLES

She was desperate. Maybe she gave up already.

Widowhood was extra difficult during ancient times because a widow is not allowed to work. She cannot provide for her family’s needs. That was her OBSTACLE.

Maybe that’s why the widow in today’s reading was disheartened. She told the prophet Elijah that she & her son will eat their “last meal” & then they "shall die.” (1 Kings 17:12).

But Elijah was determined. He told her, “Do not be afraid. Go & do as you have said. But first make me a little cake & bring it to me. Afterwards you can prepare something for yourself & your son” ((1 Kings 17:13)

Maybe she was surprised with what Elijah said.

Maybe she thought, “what audacity this man has! He just met me today & he orders me to make him a cake! I don’t even have enough for me & my son."

On the other hand, maybe she also thought that she had nothing to lose. She was desperate. She was ready to die anyway. Why not just follow this crazy prophet?

So she decided to obey. Then the miracle happened!

"She left & did as Elijah had said. She had enough to eat for a long time—he & she & her household” - 1 Kings 17:15

She had enough for a long time. She had enough for her son. She had enough for her household!

Her OBEDIENCE was rewarded with ABUNDANCE.

"The jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD spoken through Elijah” - 1 Kings 17:16

That’s what happens when you OBEY God. 

Because OBEDIENCE OVERCOMES OBSTACLES.

HUWAG KANG MAG-ALALA PAG WALANG WALA KA NA. 

Because when God is all you got then you have more than enough.

What is God asking you to do? Are you afraid to follow because you don’t think you have enough?

Don’t worry. Because your GOD always has more than enough.

Just TRUST & OBEY Him. That’s how MIRACLES start!

Have a blessed day! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

IF YOU'RE TIRED OF WAITING THIS POST IS FOR YOU

Waiting can be hard. Preparing makes it easier, less stressful & even fun.

1.  It’s like the excited parents buying baby clothes while waiting for the due date of the baby.
2.  Or the anxious applicant reviewing his resume while waiting for his turn to be interviewed
3. Or the loving mother preparing the table for her family as she waits for the cake to be done

Preparation makes the waiting a blessing.

Christians are also called to wait for "the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12). We are called to PREPARE. How?

By remaining PURE. That’s what St. Peter says in verse 14. That we need to "be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him” (2 Peter 3:14).

Me? Remain PURE? That’s gonna be a struggle. Agree. Aren’t we all are weak? There are times when I go to confession but in a few hours I commit the same sin again. But that’s not a valid reason for me to quit. That’s not a valid reason for you to say “I’m doomed”. We cannot quit because we are weak.

Because God is patient with us. Verse 15 says that we should "consider the PATIENCE of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3:15)

Don’t let your weakness bring you down. Don’t underestimate God’s PATIENCE with you.

Remember, Peter was impulsive. He denied Jesus 3 times. Yet God appoints him to lead His Church. Paul persecuted His Church but Jesus appoints him to preach His Word to everyone. The bible is filled with “weaklings” but God used them. Because God’s patience never ends. It’s key to our salvation. It should move us to repentance.

St. Paul confirms what St. Peter says about God’s PATIENCE

"Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and PATIENCE in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead you to repentance?” - Romans 2:4

Peter proclaims this, Paul predicates it.

So be eager while waiting. Be joyful for his coming. God will replace all the bad things in this world with new, better things. The day is coming when “the heavens will be dissolved in flames & the elements melted by fire. But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:12-13)

Be PREPARED, be PURE & hold on to God’s PATIENCE.

Have a blessed Tuesday! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

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LOVE CONQUERS ALL

“Take courage, I have conquered the world.” – John 16:33

He was intently listening to my talk. I noticed that he was even taking down notes using his phone. But there was something wrong. He avoided eye contact every time I looked at him. As I was about to step out of the venue, I heard someone call out my name. It was him.

“Sir, thank you!” He shook my hand with his head bowed down. “Your message moved me to enjoy life again.”

“Praise God! Is there anything that you want me to pray for you?” I asked. His reply shocked me.

“I wanted to commit suicide this morning. But today, I heard that my worries are nothing compared to God’s love!”

He continued with his story. His father was an overseas worker. His mother passed away when he was a young boy, so he grew up with his grandmother. He hung out with the wrong friends who were there when it was fun but went missing when he was down. This made him feel lonely most of the time. He felt that the world could move on without him. He changed his perspective about life after he heard about Jesus. He realized that if God was willing to die for him, then it wasn’t right for him to end his own life.

The worries of this world may affect us but remember: He has “conquered the world” (John 16:33) - alvinfabella@yahoo.com, Didache, May 25, 2020

THE JOY IN SORROW

There’s never a right time to say goodbye. Because goodbyes are always difficult.

It’s extra difficult if you spent a lot of time together. That’s 3 years for Jesus & His apostles. They went to various towns preaching the Word. They walked around, went fishing, ate meals together & hung around.

But today it was time to say farewell, sayonara, adios, that’s all folks!

Jesus said goodbye in today’s Gospel when he said that in, “a little while & you will no longer see me” (John 16:16).

That must have been a sad moment for the apostles. Jesus also told them that "again a little while later & you will see me” (John 16:16). That meant He would be gone only temporarily.

But the apostles were still worried. Because “a little while” may be longer than shorter. Maybe the apostles knew that "with the Lord one day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8). They were deeply concern how long would Jesus be gone. They were fearful. They were perplexed. Their minds were filled with “WHYs" & "HOW LONG"

Di ba ganyan din tayo ngayon? (Aren’t we like that too?)

Bakit nangyari itong Covid? (Why did Covid happened?)

Matagal pa ba ito? (How long will this last?)

Jesus notices this so He tells them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep & mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy” - John 16:20

Jesus does not reply to their "WHYs" & “HOW LONG”. Instead, Jesus tells them that there will really be times when we will weep. Sorrow is un-avoidable. Jesus says that His true disciples "must deny himself, take up his cross, & follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The good news is that Jesus says that "your grief will become joy” (John 16:20). The WHYs & HOW LONG isn’t important. The ending is what we should look forward to.

Because our SORROW will NOT BE REPLACED by JOY. GOD’S PROMISE is that our SORROWS WILL BE THE CAUSE OF OUR JOY.

Jesus even compares this to childbirth.

"When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world" - John 16:21

That’s what Christianity is all about! That every Good Friday ends with the JOYFUL Easter Sunday.

How about you? Do you also focus too much on HOW LONG the SORROW will last?

Focus on what Jesus said, "your grief will become joy” (John 16:20). Paste those words in every door of your house. Post it in your FB wall. Share that to all your friends.

Have a blessed Thursday! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

#shareaboutJesus

SINO IDOL MO?

There was a man from the ancient city of Lystra who was "lame from birth” & "had never walked” (Acts 14:8).

Today's reading tells us how this day became a new start for him. St. Paul saw his faith & said to him, “stand up straight on your feet” (Acts 14:10). Immediately, he "jumped up & began to walk about” (Acts 14:10).
The crowd was amazed with the instant miracle. Sadly, they gave credit to the wrong “gods" when “they called Barnabas “Zeus” & Paul “Hermes” (Acts 14:12). The priest of Zeus even brought oxen & garlands to offer sacrifice their “gods".
How about you? Who do you thank when you receive blessings?

• When you get a job promotion, "that’s because of my hard work."
• When a person gets healed, “he’s lucky to have a good doctor”.
• When a salesman closed a multi-million deal, "he's got super selling skills"

Yes, all these are possible with man’s hard work. But remember that everything comes from God. God may use man to give a blessing in the same way that He used Paul to heal the lame man from Lystra. Unfortunately, we give more credit to “idols” sometimes. This is not because we really believe them. More often than not we just forget.

What does St. Paul say to the crowd who may have forgotten?

He points them back to Jesus. St. Paul said to them "We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, ‘who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them” (Acts 14:15)

That's your primary role too. You should point people to Jesus & not to anyone or anything else.

Always remember that everything starts & ends with Him.

Jesus is "the Alpha & the Omega, the first & the last, the beginning & the end” (Revelations 22:13)

IT’S ALWAYS JESUS FIRST. EVERYTHING ELSE takes SECOND PLACE

So when you get a job promotion, "thank you Jesus for this blessing!”

When a person gets healed, “thank God for leading that person to a great doctor”.

When a salesman closed a big deal, "God really gave him super selling skills"

I pray that when scientists finally develops a vaccine for Covid-19 that we give thanks to God first before anyone else.

As you start this week, thank God first. Because giving credit to anything else before God is a lame excuse :)

May you have a blessed week ahead! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com