"GINUSTO MO YAN E"

Did you ever get a prayer answered only to end up blaming yourself for asking for it?

Check out what happened to the evil spirits in today's Gospel.

They asked Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.” (Matthew 28:31)

So Jesus grants their request. He commanded them to "Go". Then "they came out & entered the swine, & the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned". (Matthew 28:32)

Will God do the same to you? Will He grant your prayers only to punish you?

Nope.

First, there's a very big difference between you & the evil spirits. You were wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:14) in His own image (Genesis 1:26). God loves you unconditionally. God wants to be with you all the time. On the other hand, God won't tolerate the presence of evil. That's why He drove out the evil spirits that possessed the two men of Gadarenes. I believe that Jesus would still send the spirits away even if they didn't asked for it. You're special! The evil spirits aren't.

Secondly, God is your Father who knows what's best for you. God won't do anything to harm you. God won't answer your prayers to punish us. If God seems to ignore your prayers it is because you're asking for things. James 4:3 says, "You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."

But God will always respect your decision. That's love!

God will honor what you want.

And our decision are not always right.

So we suffer the consequences of your actions.

My friend, are you praying for something?

Choose to make the right choice every time.

Don't pray for your wants. "Gusto ko yan, gusto ko iyon."

Pray for what God wants for you.

Ginusto ng Diyos na mamatay sa krus dahil ang gusto Niya ay kasama ka niya.

Have a blessed day! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

#shareaboutJesus

“STAY AWAY FROM ME”

“Don’t touch me!”

“Keep your distance.”

“Stay at least 6 feet away. But if it's windy make that 150 feet.”

This post is not about Covid-19 protocols. Those words are what someone would say to a leper during the time of Jesus.

In today's Gospel, a leper defied all the rules.

Maybe he was desperate. Maybe he was tired of being isolated from society.

He knew that he would violate the law if he approach Jesus. The crowd might even beat him up to death.

Also, if Jesus touch him then Jesus too would defy the law. The people at that time, believed that if you came into contact with a leper you would be 'unclean'.

Will the crowd allow him to approach Jesus? Will Jesus touch him?

The odds were totally against him.

Yet, he did what he had to do. Then he was healed!

"..a leper came to him & knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.'" - Matthew 8:2

He said one line & he was healed! “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

Nine simple words & he experienced a miracle.

But if you look closer, his words were more than a mere request.

“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

You can divide that line into 3 powerful phrases.

• “Lord” - A lot of those in the crowd were still in doubt who Jesus was. Some of them wanted more proof. Several didn’t believe that this carpenter’s son was God. That was not the case for the leper. For him, Jesus was his Lord. The leper had no problem declaring that in front of the crowd. He knew who Jesus was.
• “if you will” - The leper wanted to be healed but he was willing to accept God’s will. “If you will” was the leper's way of saying “I need healing but you’re my God & I will accept what you want for me”. He was desperate but he knew that God’s will is always superior than his own desires.
• “you can make me clean" - Faith. That’s what the leper had. Leprosy was considered a lifetime curse during those times. It was an incurable disease. But the leper believed that Jesus can heal him. This was easy peasy for Jesus. He knew that nothing was impossible with God. That's faith!

The words of the leper were more than just words. Because of this, “immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:3)

Is there something unclean in your life now?

Is it making your feel worse each day? Is it keeping you away from others?

That's SIN.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!" That's what you should say to sin.

Because sin makes you feel isolated. Sin makes you feel worse.

Sin makes you feel like you're garbage that has to be kept away from others.

Sin kills you slowly each passing day.

Get rid of sin in your life.

Go to Jesus & be healed! Be cleansed by the Holy Spirit.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME, sin!"

Declare to others who Jesus is for you. Accept God’s will. Have faith in Him.

Have a blessed & awesome weekend! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com 

#shareaboutJesus

WILL YOU GIVE A STRANGER YOUR ATM CARD & PIN?

Or maybe the login credentials of your online banking?

Well, that depends. It that stranger has a gun pointed to my head then I'd give it

But what if the stranger asked you nicely? No pressure. No threat. No blackmail. Will you give it?

In today's Gospel, Jesus says that "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:8)

If God knows it already why do I need to say it to Him? It's all about ACCESS.

It's like the PIN for your ATM. It's like your login ID & password.

One who has your PIN or credentials has ACCESS to your money.

That's what you're giving God when you tell Him your concerns. You're giving Him ACCESS.

But here's the big difference. The stranger who has ACCESS to your cash may do something bad about it. That stranger may take away all your money. You might end up with nothing.

God having ACCESS to your life does not take away anything.

You don't lose anything when you give it to God.

Because nothing given to God is ever wasted.

Anything given to God flourishes.

In John 6:9, a boy gave Jesus “five barley loaves & two fish". That's all the young boy had.

But after handing them over to our Lord, Jesus multiplies them.

They fed 5,000 men & had more than enough. They "filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves".

A similar story happened in the Old Testament when the prophet Elijah asked a widow for a cup of water.

The widow was on her way to get it when Elijah had a follow up request. “Please bring along a crust of bread.” (1 Kings 17:11)

The widow & her son had almost nothing. She declared this to the prophet by saying, “As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar & a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a few sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die.” (1 Kings 17:11)

Yet, she gave in to Elijah's request.

"She left & did as Elijah had said. She had enough to eat for a long time—he & she and her household. 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 17:15-16)

She followed & got her reward. Not only for her but for her whole household.

That's what happens when you surrender it to God.

You're giving God ACCESS to make something awesome in your life.

God does not take anything away. He receives what you can give & multiplies it so that it blesses not only you but more people.

That's happens when you tell Him everything in prayer even if He "knows what you need before you ask." (Matthew 6:8)

So talk to God about it. Tell Him about it.

Open up your life to Him. Surrender.

Pray because your Daddy in heaven is always ready to listen.

May God bless your week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

BE FAITHFUL

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover - Luke 2:41

Every year. Consistent. Regular. Joseph & Mary went every year.

That’s what you call FAITHFUL. They were FAITHFUL because God was a faithful god. They celebrated Passover to remember & appreciate how God was faithful to keep His promise. God saved them from 400 years of slavery leading them to the promised land. That’s FREEDOM!

Jesus died to free you also from being a slave to sin. Appreciate that. Love God. Follow Him. Be FAITHFUL!