The Lords Day

Genesis 1:5 ... and the evening and the morning were the first day.
Take a closer look in this verse. Did you notice something? This verse was taken from the book of Genesis, Chapter One, which tells the story of Creation, the way the Lord made the universe. Try to look at this succeeding verses: Genesis 1:8, 13,19,23,31.
When does a day starts? Most of us commonly believes that a day starts in the morning, and ends in the evening. But the Bible clearly stated in these verses, THE EVENING AND THE MORNING - this is the Lords day, as clearly stated in the verses. And the Lord gave us this day.
I dont know actually if I can be able to express what I really want to express in this note. But I just wanna give it a try, hoping that at least I can be able to have the message clear.

1. Evening, and the morning = waiting and the reward
Consider this situation.
A Christian girl and a Christian guy likes each other. They only see each other during Sundays and midweek services. They can talk to each other casually, with the prescence of the church people. Everything is not enough for them. As if they want to be in each others arms every minute of the day. They ended up texting and calling each other without the knowlege of the authorized people in the church. (Well, just seeing the face of the one you like in just a second is already more than a morning, how much more hearing his or her voice over the phone?) Then they already cannot control theirselves, and they wanted that morning, they started meeting up each other for a date.
Now theyre together. They like each other. Its a morning for them, a bright sunny morning. All they want to do is to consume the morning, not thinking that the sun is going down and evening is coming..
To cut the long story short, something bad happened. Then comes regrets... Here comes evening...after that morning. The sad part there is, the evening part will not just be suffered by themselves, but their upcoming generations to come.

The feeling of missing somebody, together with sleepless nights and cannot eat moments, the feeling of discontentment during the times that they will say goodbye to each other every after service, the feeling of emptiness when they were not able to talk to each other every meeting, and the secret glancing, staring, etc. - the EVENING part of it. If they have been patient enough to go on to that evening, and had temperance and self control, morning will come later, in the Lord`s day.

2. Evening comes first before the morning.
Look at the verses again. Gen.1:5... and the evening and the morning were the first day.
Take a look at some of the people who are driving their own cars right now. Try to ask them what they did before they were able to drive a car. Some of them will say, they were just riding bicycles, walking, or running after the bus, before. Try to ask some of the parents we have in church. They will tell you that years ago, they`re just walking five kilometres barefooted in a muddy road going to school-yet look where are they now, they are in Canada, and able to give us the convenient life they never had before.
Those old people who are enjoying their retirement plans and benefits, ask them and you will find out how they worked hard before.
Those successful leaders we have, try to at least have a peek on their biographies, and you will find out, that before they became leaders, they were once followers.
Here`s the point. Imagine these people, if they hadnt been patient enough to go on despite of the circumstances (which is the evening), do you think they are in the place where they are right now? (the morning.) I believe that when theyre suffering that evening in their lives, they kept the faith, and went on.
They patiently worked, and waited for that morning to come.
And when that evening was done, the morning came. ..the evening, and the morning, were the first day.
I remember my Tito and Tita`s story from the time they first came here in Canada, until to this day. It has been really hard for them to start and go on with their lives in this strange, very cold country. I cannot actually describe how it is, but I can say that it hasnt been that easy for them. That time, it was their evening. Through faith, they faced that evening, and patiently waited for the morning. Here they are right now, in their morning, being happy in their service to the Lord, and were able to raise two kids that fears God. See, when the morning came, it worth a lot more than they suffered before. Thanks the Lord for them who kept the faith.
Things are enevitable to happen. There were trials that came their way. Imagine if Tito and Tita didnt stood up during the evenings in their lives, will they be still enjoying their morning together with their two sons right now?

3. Evening, and the morning, is irreversible. The outcome will result on how we consumed our day.
One churchmate, has been into drugs before he got saved. He preaches sometimes at church and he always site himself as an example to us young people. In his example, he has been on drugs during his younger years. He wanted morning (and is is more than morning, because people who use drugs says they found heaven). He has been saved, now serving the Lord, but still, he was not able to escape the other part of his day, -his evening. Why did I say that it`s evening, he has been saved, and got things straight, right? Well, in other aspect of his life, he is blessed with a Christian wife and children. Yet, he`s already in the evening part of his day because the long term effect of the drugs in his brain is irreversible. He cannot anymore go back to the brain he had when he didnt start using drugs yet. He himself admitted that in some way, it is still affecting some aspects of his life. .. the evening and the morning were the first day.

Young people, come on. Have the morning. Do what you want. Go where you want to go. Enjoy your youth. Go on parties, try on drugs. Drop out of school. Go join a fraternity out there and involve in sorority fights and initiation. Dont think of the future. Just think about yourself. Consume your morning according to your flesh. But dont blame anybody else when your morning is consumed already, and the evening comes. When the evening comes, that will be the only thing that is left, because the morning has been consumed. You cannot take it back anymore. Even youll cry more than a liter of tears, the morning will not be coming back. You maybe able to move on, you may be able to start another life, but then, you cannot escape the reality that you will suffer as a cost of what you did. There is no regret in the beginning, it always comes after.
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice , O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

4.The Reward of the Lord`s Day
I thank God for those parents who has been patient enough to wait on the Lord`s day long time ago. I can see a lot of young people who is enjoying the morning the Lord has brought into their parents lives. Yet, young people should be careful. What you have right now, is the morning of your parents. You will be having your own day too, and it will be always composed of an evening and a morning.
I cannot think anymore of other words on how to explain my point. I hope at least I was able to have the message clear. I just want to close this with a conclusion:
No matter where we are right now in our lives, whether we are in our evening or our morning, it actually doesnt matter. What matters most is how we consume it.


-Ladies may not have given the ability or the right to preach, but I guess, they have the right to share and speak up what they learned. The ideas in this note are from the preachings I heard before, tried to put together and I was able to come up with this.
Thanks a lot for reading.
-To the Lord all be the Glory.

The Intermarriage Between a Believer and Non Believer

(-ADAPTED FROM A PREACHING OF A BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH PASTOR..)

The Danger of Intermarriage between Believers and Unbelievers

Ezra 9:1-3
Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonished.

We Christians should not mingle with the world

1)Because intermarriage with the heathen was strictly forbidden

• Exodus 34:11-16

And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; Exo 34:16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

2)You could not be strong enough to stand firm against your spouse

• Ezra 9:12-14

Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?

3)Until you finally stop your belief and idolatry remains a constant problem

4)You will lose God's purpose in your life

5)The holy seed will be mingled with unholy seed

• Ezra 9:2

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

The Right Time For Marriage

The right time for marriage depends on each individual, and unique in each situation.
A strong foundation is needed for a successful marriage and should be established before one starts courting a potential life mate. Our spiritual life is the number one factor because in it comes everything. Our personal relationship with God that comes only through trusting and obeying the Lord Jesus Christ. It incllude more than just having to go to church every Sunday or having a Bible study.

We must have to fully understand in our heart what is God`s view of marriage before getting into it. We must have to know what the Bible says about love, commitment sexual relations, rule of the husband and wife, and His expectation of us.
A prospective married couple make sure that they know each other well. They should know each others view on things such as marriage, finances, in laws, child rearing, discipline, duties of each, and level of each spiritual maturity.
Marriage is not only a commitment, but a covenant. A covenant with God. A promise that in richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, you will be together. A promise not only for each, for the people who witness, but a promise with God. This means that every marriage should endure every circumstance. Wether your partner is boring, sick or what. Marriage should never be entered into with the idea that divorce is an option- not even as the last straw. Because when divorce entered the situation, this means that you`re doubting the ability of God to do everything possible. While in the Bible it said that in God, every thing is possible.

If Ever I Can Have That Freedom Again

Sometimes, even though you try your best to hide through your laughter and smiles the loneliness you`re experiencing, there will come a moment that you just let yourself show what`s really inside. And I think there is nothing wrong with that. Let yourself feel the pain, the loneliness, and the pressure. Let yourself cry for a little while. But afterwards, stand up, go on, and smile and laugh again. Then just accept wholeheartedly that things are enevitable to happen, especially those things that are essential part of growing. The Lord is there to help and guide us each and every step of the way.

When I was attending my college years in the city of Pines (Baguio City) everytime I encounter a difficult situation, I will just go home to Asin, the place where I grew up, stay for few days, and go on again. I made my home as a form of escape from the stress of the city, and from pressures for everyday life as a student.
There was once a time that I wished I could totally leave that place, because of sad memories I have as a child - my longing for my parents, the hardships we had in life, the loneliness in the dark of not having electricity, the moments when my cousins and aunts and uncle has to say goodbye and leave for their own lives, and the death of my grandma.
But I wasnt able to. I cant. I went to college, and stayed in the city. But every weekend I decided to go back home, or everytime I am in a difficult situation, to at least recharge my battery to go on.
Im really thankful that my place remained green. Everytime I see the green surroundings, for a moment I forget all the stress, pressure, and hardships I am going through while in the city. It was my form of escape. I ran to the forest and do everything I wanna do, cry, sing, dance, laugh, shout, etc. No one can see me. In that place no one will gonna say that I am crazy, no one will mind me, only the trees, the birds, and the river. But these things will can do nothing. Freedom. I once have that freedom, in the forest of my hometown. Freedom to explore. Freedom to express what I feel by shouting, crying, or laughing, then afterwards, I am me again.
I grew up with my grandparents. And the location of my home is faraway from neighbours. The main gate to our ``compound`` are trees. From outside that compound, no one can tell that there is a house inside.
In that little house, we lived happily the simple life God has given us. As long as we are eating three times a day, sheltered, and kept warm during the cold season, we are already happy. I remember the moments we have with my grandparents, when my lolo and lola tease each other regarding their ancestors (my lola is Benguet Ibaloi and my lolo is Kankanaey-Mountain Province and half Spanish, migrated in La Union Provinces, where he got some of his Ilocano beliefs). Theres a lot of happy memories we had, despite of the hardship in life.
I was a loner. I prefer to be alone most of the time. I prefer to be alone staying at home, watching the current of the river as it flows, alone walking along the ricefields while watching my grandpa plow the field. I prefer to be alone singing in the forest. I was a loner, but then I was free.
I am in Canada right now, the place where almost everybody is dreaming to live. They say that you are lucky if you can step your foot in this place. This is true, with all the convenience in life and greener pasture.
In Canada, I came to know more about my Lord, got saved, and will be heaven bound. I found a church that became my family, even for a short period of time, I found new friends, and a new family. I found people who really cares for me even though I just met them for a little while. I also learned to get out of my loner life and explore my surroundings - to laugh with my friends, to sing with them, to cry with them, and to be a happy person.
But sometimes, due to difficult situations, deep inside me, Im still longing for that place where I had that freedom. Everytime Im facing something I wanna escape for a while, the picture of that place is always on my mind. My heart is wishing to go home, for a while, to recharge, and go on again..But deep inside me Im still longing for that freedom. Freedom wherein you can express everything, the freedom to dance with the wind, the freedom to sing with the birds, the freedom to run with the river`s current, and the freedom to be yourself.
Yet I dont actually know when will that be. I dont actually know when will I be seeing every angle of that place again. And if ever that day will come, is that place will be still the same place I used to know? Will it be the same place wherein I used to be free??
Well, if ever I cannot go home, or if ever that place will not be the same place I used to know, there is one better place wherein I can be able to have the freedom far better from the freedom I had. There will be no suffering, no sorrow, and everything will be happiness. That place wherein I can sing again, I can dance again, and this time, not a form of escape from any pressures in life, but my price from something I was able to escape - HELL as the punishment of my sins. The place Im talking about?? That`s heaven.
Good night.