When The Light Flickers Out

WHEN THE LIGHT FLICKERS OUT
There's so much darkness in this world. Darkness, because men refuse to see the true light of the world. They prefer the bogus lights that dazzled their eyes to sensual pleasures and the pursuit of the so called happiness in this world. Jesus Christ warned men about this counterfeit light when He said, "If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness." (Matthew 6:23b)

Jesus further adds, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Every one who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:19-21)

People who lives in darkness hate people who has the light. They call them "holier than thou." Why? Because men love darkness and they shun the light lest their evil deeds will be so exposed.

It is really sad to note that many people say they believe in God, but they maintain their own home grown philosophies in life to explain their bizarre behaviors. They say they know that there is a God and stop there. Why? Because they want to enjoy life to the fullest. God is seen as a killjoy out to sabotage man's pursuit of happiness and pleasures in life. They want to have their cake and eat it too.

To stifle the heavy feeling of guilt in their hearts, they will do good deeds to offset the sinful deeds they have done. They believe that their good karma will offset the evil deeds that they had done. But could they?

Many think that God is the perfect accountant that will weigh the good deeds of men as against their evil deeds. Whatever balance there will be, will determine where a person goes in the afterlife. But that is farthest from the truth. If man can really save himself through his own good deeds, why then did the Father have to send His only begotten Son to suffer an excruciating death on the cross just to save mankind?
He could have given men prescriptions on how to save themselves.

And who or what is the light of the world? Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) Let us turn to Jesus Christ, the true light of the world, before our own light flickers out and we plunged into total darkness.


Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational

When The Lord Comes, Will He Find Us Faithful?

WHEN THE LORD COMES, WILL HE FIND US FAITHFUL?
We may be in the dark, so cold and lonely, unable to see any light in our darkened existence. We may be already at the edge of a precipitous cliff ready to jump into the deep chasm of nothingness. We started out so well in our lives. We were nurtured in the best values, the best education, the best love and care that our parents could muster for us. Where did we go wrong?

It all started when we chose the wrong path for our lives. It all started when we asserted our own independence from God. So we lived by the principles of this world. So we lived by the norm of "dog eats dog." And in the process, somehow we changed. We lost all the principles and values that were ingrained in our hearts and minds by the molders of our soul. We knew that there was a God but He seemed so far away and somehow, we found it harder and harder to relate to Him. And so we wallowed more and more in our worldly existence, drowning ourselves in the inebriating wine of wanton living. But all of these things have left us with emptiness in our hearts. We felt the gnawing pain of loneliness and the virtual isolation of our soul. Somehow our soul yearns for a different existence, one that exudes true joy and peace in our hearts.

It is never too late to turn our backs to worldly living and to retrace our steps back to the pathway to God's kingdom. All it takes is to humble ourselves before the Lord, repent our sins, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then His most precious blood will wash immaculately clean all the stains of sins and guilt in our hearts as we become born again in Spirit and truth.

It is never too late. WHEN THE LORD COMES, WILL HE FIND US FAITHFUL?


Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational

Revenge - The Way Of The Unspiritual

REVENGE- THE WAY OF THE UNSPIRITUAL
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." This has been the maxim of old and is still being used today to justify one's cravings for revenge. But where did it lead the world? It led the world to a brutal state of existence.

We are witnesses to the never ending saga of brutal killings that go back and forth like the proverbial swing of the pendulum. One group of people, whose member was killed by another group, would exact vengeance and kill more than one member of the other group. Group two would retaliate against group one and would kill more of its kind until the conflict becomes an ethnic one.

Before we know it, it's one country against another country. And then it becomes religious in nature. Followers of one religion declare a holy war against the followers of another religion.

Do we please God by this? No, we only please our brutish nature and the master of this world- Satan. As innocent children and the elderlies die by the wayside, the laughter of Satan reverberates around the world as he feeds from the passion of people crazed for more revenge, violence and killings.

Such is the sad affairs of the world today. But this is not the will of God. God said, "vengeance is mine." He who persists in treading the road of revenge is putting himself under the law of the sword. God said, "he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword."

And what is the admonition of God? God said, "love your enemy, do good to those who oppress you." Why would God admonish man to do this? Because by doing so, we put ourselves under the mantle of God's protection and love, and He will surely annihilate our oppressors before our very eyes.

Do you want to see genuine peace in this world? If we do, let us immediately stop the cycle of revenge, killings, oppressions and hatred in our world. Let us learn to love our enemies and pray for them. If they still persist in continuing their insatiable quest for more violence, hatred and killings, let us then witness the unfolding of God's wonderful and amazing ways as He destroy and annihilate our enemies before our very eyes. THINK ABOUT THAT.

Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Spiritual/Inspirational