YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT – THE TRUTH TO BUILD YOUR LIFE ON: “I am your Creator: You were in my care even before you were born” (Isaiah 44:2). Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. You parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, He expected it. Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of you first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this very moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you! The Bible says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.” God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every feature. He custom-made your body just the way He wanted it. He also determined the natural talents you would posses and the uniqueness of your personality. The Bible says, “You know me inside out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, I was sculpted from nothing into something.” Because God made you for a reason, He also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. He planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible says, “You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Everyday was recorded in your Book!” God also planned where you’d be born and where you’d live for His purpose. Your race and nationality are no accident. God left no detail to chance. He planned it all for His purpose. The Bible says, “From one man he made every nation, . . . and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they would live.” Nothing in your life is arbitrary. It’s all for a purpose. Most amazing, God decided how you would be born. Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents were good, bad, or indifferent. God knew that those two individuals possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the “custom you” He had in mind. They had the DNA God wanted to make you. While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. God’s purpose took into account human error, and even sin. God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything He creates. Every plant and every animal was planned by God, and every person was designed with a purpose in mind. God’s motive for creating you was His love. The Bible says, “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love.” God was thinking of you even before He made the world. In fact, that’s why He created it. God designed this planet’s environment just so we could live in it. We are the focus of His love and the most valuable of all His creation. The Bible says, “God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made.” This is how much God loves and values you! God is not haphazard; He planned it all with great precision. The more physicists, biologists, and other scientists learn about the universe, the better we understand how it is uniquely suited for our existence, custom-made with the exact specifications that make human life possible. Dr Michael Denton, senior research fellow in human molecular genetics at the University of Otago in New Zealand, has concluded, “All the evidence available in the biological sciences supports the core proposition. . . that the cosmos is a specifically designed whole with life and mankind as its fundamental goal and purpose, a whole in which all facets of reality have their meaning and explanation in this central fact.” The Bible said the same thing thousands of years earlier: “God formed the earth. . . He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited.” Why did God do all this? Why did He bother to go all the trouble of creating a universe for us? Because He is a God of love. This kind of love is difficult to fathom, but it’s fundamentally reliable. You were created as a special subject of God’s love. God made you so He could love you. This is a truth to build your life on. The Bible tells us, “God is love.” It doesn’t say God has love. He is love. Love is the essence of God’s character. There is perfect love in the fellowship of the Holy Trinity SO God didn’t need to create you. He wasn’t lonely. But He wanted to make you in order to express His love. God says, “I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you.” If there was no God, we would all be “accidents,” the result of astronomical random chance in the universe. You could stop reading this, because life would have no purpose, or meaning, or significance. There would be no right or wrong and no hope beyond your brief years here on earth. But, there is a God who made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning. We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives. The message paraphrase of Romans 12:3 says, “The only Accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us. This poem by Russell Kelfer sums it up: You are who you are for a reason, You’re part of an intricate plan. You’re a precious and perfect unique design, Called God’s special woman or man. You look like you look for a reason. Our God made no mistake. He knit you together within the womb, You’re just what He wanted to make. The parents you had were the ones he chose, And no matter how you feel, They were custom-designed with God’s plan in mind, And they bear the Master’s seal. No, that trauma you faced was not easy. And God wept that it hurt you so; But it was allowed to shape your heart So that into His likeness you’d grow. You are who you are for a reason, You’ve been formed by the Master’s rod. You are who you are beloved, Because there is God.” -The Purpose-Driven Life, Rick Warren/The Night Stalker FALLING SHORT: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). One of the fads of 1970s America, which spread around the globe including the Philippines, was the motorcycle jump. This trend reached the high (and low) point on September 8, 1974. Thousands of spectators gathered around the Snake River Canyon in Idaho to see if Evel Knievel could jump across the chasm in a specially designed “sky cycle”. In the end, however, it was unsuccessful. Knievel made it only part of the way across the gulf before his parachute deployed and he dropped to the canyon floor below. Some spectators asked, “How far across the canyon did he get?” But that wasn’t the point. He didn’t make it all the way across, so he fell short of his goal. This scene is a good illustration of sin. The Bible talks about sin in Romans 3:23. Paul declared, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No one is capable of bridging the gap between God and ourselves by our own efforts, but the Savior came to do just that for our behalf. Christ perfectly fulfilled God’s standard, then gave His life on the cross to pay four failure and wrongdoing. Where we could only fall short, Christ’s work, offered in love, accomplished all that was needed. Our response is to trust Him and receive this matchless salvation. THE CROSS OF CHRIST BRIDGES THE GAP WE COULD NEVER CROSS ON OUR OWN. – Bill Crowder, odb.org/The Night Stalker BIBLIARASAL –“BETHEL” (19 November 2014Wednesday) ”NO EXCUSE NOT TO LIVE RIGHTEOUS LIVES” PRAY for guidance from the Holy Spirit. Prayer: Father, speak to me. I wish to receive your Word into my heart. Send forth your spirit to me. Reveal your face to me today. Amen. Alleluia, alleluia! The Word of God is living and effective; discerning reflections and thoughts of the heart. Alleluia, alleluia! BIBLIARASAL –“BETHEL” (19 November 2014Wednesday) ”YET I AND MY KINSMEN WILL KEEP THE COVENANTS OF OUR FATHERS.” 1ST READING: 1 MACABEES 2:15-29 “The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices. Many of the people of Israel joined them, but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias “You are a leader, an honorable and great man of this city, supported by sons and kinsmen. Come now, be the first to obey the king’s command, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the king’s Friends and shall be enriched with gold and silver and many gifts. But Mattathias answered in a loud voice. Although all the Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him, so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers and consents to the king’s orders. Yet I and my sons and kinsmen will keep the covenants of our fathers. God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments. We will not obey the words of the king nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.” As he finished saying these words, a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar inModein according to the king’s order. When Mattahias saw him, he was filled with zeal, his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused; he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar. At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king who was forcing them to sacrifice and he tore down the altar. Thus he showed his zeal for the law, just as Pinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu. Then Mattathias went through the city shouting, “Let everyone who is zealous for the law and who follows the covenant, follow after me!” Thereupon, he fled to the mountains with his sons leaving behind in the city all their possessions. Many who sought to live according to righteousness and religious customs went out into the desert to settle there.” REFLECTIONS- “Sometimes, persecution causes people to band together to create a counter culture where they can live their beliefs in relative harmony and with the support of others. This can be very difficult if the persecution is coming from a greater power, however, if this is the case all the more we need the support of one another, albeit of an underground nature. Today, the challenge is simply to be faithful to the teachings of the Church. With little or no physical persecution. Therefore, we have no excuse not to live righteous lives! .” BIBLIARASAL –“BETHEL” (19 November 2014Wednesday) ”OFFER TO GOD PRAISE AS YOUR SACRIFICE AND FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE MOST HIGH THEN CALL UPON ME IN TIME OF DISTRESS, I WILL RESCUE YOU AND YOU WILL GLORIFY ME.” PSALM 50:1b2, 5-6,14-15 To the upright, I will show the saving power of God “God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth, from the rising of the sun to the setting. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. “Gather my faithful ones before me, those who have made a covenant with me to sacrifice.” And the heavens proclaims his justice; for God himself is the judge. “Offer to God praise as your sacrifice and fulfill your vows to the Most High; then call upon me in time of distress; I will rescue you and you will glorify me.” BIBLIARASAL –“BETHEL” (19 November 2014Wednesday) ”THEY WILL SMASH YOU TO THE GROUND AND YOUR CHILDREN WITHIN YOU, AND THEY WILL NOT LEAVE ONE STONE UPON ANOTHER WITHIN YOU BECAUSE YOU DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE TIME OF YOUR SALVATION.” GOSPEL LUKE 19:41-44 “As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, ”If this day you only knew what makes for peace – but now, it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your salvation. ” REFLECTIONS- “Jesus predicts the fall of the Temple that occurred 40 years later, it was a disastrous day for the Jews and signaled also a time of persecution. This signaled a decisive break with Judaism (around 70 AD) and set the Christian faith on an independent course. It very quickly became the predominant faith in the Middle East, and two and a half centuries later, the official religion of the Roman Empire.” READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: God’s special verse/thought for me today- BARUCH 4-6 REFLECTIONS- THINK: “Today, the challenge is simply to be faithful to the teachings of the Church.” PRAY AGAIN-Thank the Lord for His message to you and pray that you may be able to live it out in your daily life. PRAYER: Father, I thank you. Your word is manna to my spirit. May your Word that I received today transform my soul. Make me more like you. Amen. COMPANION – A Catholic Scripture Diary/Bro. Bo Sanchez/ Fr. Steve Tynan/BIBRIARASAL PINOY (“BETHEL”)“ “IT IS IN CHRIST THAT WE FIND OUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE LIVING FOR. LONG BEFORE WE FIRST HEARD OF CHRIST. . . HE HAD HIS EYE ON US, HAD DESIGNS ON US FOR GLORIOUS LIVING, PART OF THE OVERALL PURPOSE HE IS WORKING OUT FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE: (Ephesians 1:11). BIBLIARASAL –“BETHEL” (19 November 2014Wednesday) ”LIFE ON EARTH IS A TRUST” This is the second biblical metaphor of life. Our time on earth, our energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships and resources are all gifts from God that he has entrusted to our care and management. We are servants of whatever God gives us. This concept of stewardship begins with a recognition that God is the owner of everything and everyone on earth. The Bible says, “The world and all that is in it belong to the LORD, the earth and all w2ho live in it are his.” We never really own anything during our brief stay on earth God just loans the earth to us while we’re here. It was God’s property before you arrived, and God will loan it to someone else when you die. You just got to enjoy it for a while. When God created Adam and Eve, he entrusted the care of his creation to them and appointed them trustees of his property. The Bible says, [God] blessed them and said, “Have many children so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge.” The first job God gave to humans was to manage and take care of God’s “stuff” on earth. This role has never been rescinded. It is a part of our purpose today. Everything that we enjoy is to be treated as a trust that God put in our hands. The Bible says, “What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, and boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” A year ago, a couple let my wife and me use their beautiful resort type condominium unit in Ortigas, Pasig for a vacation. It was an experience we never could have afforded and we enjoyed it immensely. We were told, “Use it just like it is yours.” So we did! We swam in the pool, ate the food in the refrigerator, used the bath towels and dishes and even jumped on the beds in fun! But we knew all along it wasn’t really ours so we took special care of everything. We enjoyed the benefits of using the home without owning it. Our culture says, “If you don’t own it, you won’t take care of it.” But Christians live by a higher standard. Because God owns it, I must take the best care of it that I can. The Bible says, Those who are trusted with something valuable, must show they are worthy of that trust.” Jesus often referred to life as a trust and told many stories to illustrate this responsibility toward God. In the story of the talents, a businessman entrusts his wealth to the care of his servants while he’s away. When he returns, he evaluates each servant’s responsibility and rewards them accordingly. The owner says, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things, Iwill put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.” At the end of your life on earth, you will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you. That means everything that you do, even simple daily chores has eternal implications. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity. First, you will be given affirmation, He will say, “Good job, well done!” Next, you will receive a promotion and be given greater responsibility in eternity. “I will put you in charge of many things.” Then you will be honored with a celebration: “Come and share your Master’s happiness.” Many people fail to realize that money is both a test and trust from God. God uses finances to teach us to trust him, and for many people, money is the greatest test of all . God watches how we use moneyto test how trustworthy we are. The Bible says, “If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with trust riches in heaven.” This is a very important truth. God says there is a direct relationship between how we use our money and the quality of our spiritual life. How we manage our money (“worldly wealth”) determines how much God can trust us with spiritual blessings (“true riches”). We may then ask ourselves: Is the way we manage our money preventing God from doing more in our lives? Can we be trusted with spiritual riches? Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Life is a test and a trust, and the more God gives us, the more responsible God expects us to be. .– The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren ”ALL FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD! FOR EVERYTHING COMES FROM HIM, HAS BEEN MADE BY HIM, AND HAS TO RETURN TO HIM.”(Romans 12:36)” – RBC Miinistries/odb.org/BIBLIARASAL PINOY (“BETHEL”) – Mission: To worship and accept the invitation to us of friendship and fellowship with the Holy Trinity. “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you. – St. Paul) Motto: Less than the least of God’s mercies.” (Gen. 32:10); Slogan:Deus Meus et Omnia (My God My All – St. Francis of Assisi); BIBLIARASAL PINOY, THE NIGHT STALKER: In servitude and worship of and thanksgiving to God , friendship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 22:16:26 +0000
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