It is our obedience and commitment to follow what God is telling us to do that matters most. We need not be at a loss for it was already agreed upon since the time of Moses in the Old Testament when the 10 commandments were written in the stone tablets and even up to the time when Jesus came in the New Testament since it tells of the same story and are parallel to each other. Our instructions were very clear, precise and consistent from that time on until the time of Jesus. Now is the time for us to do everything the Lord has told us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Exodus 24:3-8
3 When Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all answered with one voice, “We will do everything that the LORD has told us.”...Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.”
Definitely God is not asking us to resort to some extreme or out of this world act. We need not wait any longer and see any further for God wants us to start paying attention to His commandments and apply it in our very own lives in order to make a return for all the good He has done. The emphasis is on the importance of following the commandments of God and doing what we've got to do. There are times when we just have to ignore what other people may say or think and continue in the belief that we are God's people and have to be obedient in what He has asked us to do and stay loyal to Him no matter what the cost is. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 50(49),1-2.5-6.14-15.
....."Gather my faithful ones before me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
The heavens proclaim divine justice, for God alone is the judge.
Offer praise as your sacrifice to God; fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Then call on me in time of distress; I will rescue you, and you shall honor me
Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are. The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and stronger or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. Virtuous acts build in us strength. The word virtue comes from the word manly which is strength and power. Virtue is a habit that makes it easy and pleasurable to do the right thing. Golden virtue isn’t always easy. It is hard. But what is vice, it is a habit that makes it easy to do the wrong and evil thing. Let’s take exercise as an example. People make it their New Year’s resolution and people who go to the gym noticed that it’s packed on January but they’re gone by the 3rd week. If we’ve ever engaged in an exercise program for the first time, we know that we feel bad, tired, exhausted and wake up sore. This is because we do not have the habit of exercise. We have not trained and our bodies are not used to it. It hurts and it’s hard the first time we work out. If we persevere past the first few weeks and developed a habit of regular exercise then we end up getting used to it and become easy that when we don’t exercise we feel bad. What happens is that we build up the power or the virtue. We’ve conditioned ourselves so that it becomes second nature to us. If we want a progressive course we need to do something hard. No pain no gain. The next time we work out we add up a little bit more since we are stronger. We can move forward and grow in our ability to lift weights. This is the deal. The actions we do have an impact on what we are. It’s like when we start lifting weights we start to change and look different. We look like someone who has strength, power and endurance. This is the point, God is about building champions. The goal of the Christian life is to build champions. Well, not necessarily athletic champions but spiritually. A real champion in every aspect of life. God wants us to be strong, loving, wise and to have the power to live. It’s not so much what we do that counts but it’s who we become. That’s what the commandments, teachings and God is all about. Heaven is the realization of being a champion. In heaven we will be glorified magnificently. We will live forever with strength, power and beauty sharing a new humanity with Jesus. What about hell? Let’s look what vice is about. A habit that instead of building up, deteriorates us. It starts small just like exercise. There was a guy named Ted Bundy, who was executed in the State of Florida for horrible sexual crimes, murder and all sorts of perversion. He was sorry for what he did. He didn’t ask for mercy but he warned people before he died. He was interviewed and narrated how this road began. It all started with looking at pornographic books which incited in him the wrong kind of attitude towards other human beings and the opposite sex. It became in his mind, instruments and play things. One thing led to another and just gradually led him to murder, rape and all sorts of horrible things. That’s the way it is with every sin. Sins that we commit are traps and tricks that will lead us to habits and patterns of behavior that will change us. When we tell the first lie we may not be a liar yet but it makes a lot more prone to lie again. We start with kids maybe stealing a pack of candies from the store. If we don’t stop that, the next time it will be bigger. Maybe for teens it may be something like breaking in to a house and steal things. It just keeps on going and it becomes easier and easier to do more horrible things. Then we become a thief, an unjust person with just one little act. There’s a little thing that illustrates all these. Sow a thought, reap an act, sow an act, reap a habit, sow a habit, reap a lifestyle, sow a lifestyle, reap a destiny. It all begins with a decision or thought, an act and then it becomes a pattern. It has dared us to become who we are and where we will eventually end up. The gospel for today is reminding us of this vital truth of the reality of heaven and hell. The gates of heaven has been opened and made accessible for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not tread the path going to the gate of hell rather journey our way to the gate of heaven. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mt 13:24-30
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. "The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?'
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
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