QT10027: 1 Peter 2: 9-10 Precious in the Sight of God

9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Looking for a job these days is no walk in the park, especially with the restrictions on foreign workers in certain industries. The IT industry, in particular, has become a fierce battleground for career seekers. We're up against a horde of fresh-faced graduates, armed to the teeth with their newly acquired skills and ready to take on the world. For those of us with more experience under our belts, the challenge is even greater, as employers often prefer the cost-effective option of hiring theoretically trained individuals over those with practical know-how. It's frustrating, but let's not dwell on that. Let's get back to the topic at hand. The struggle is real, my friends. It seems like the only option is to consider jobs outside of our field. But here's the thing: if I do apply and get chosen, I'll cherish that opportunity like no other. It's moments like these that remind me of my faith as a Christian.

Peter's letter (1 Peter 1) was a saddening reminder of the challenges faced by Christians, whom he referred to as "aliens" - individuals who are foreign residents or strangers. These scattered believers endured hardships and experienced rejection, yet Peter reassured them of their chosen status and their preciousness to God (1 Peter 2:4). As flawed human beings, it is natural for us to sometimes feel lost and lose hope. However, let us not dwell on these feelings too much. Instead, let us focus on the empowering words of Scripture: "He who believes in Him will not be disappointed." How reassuring it is to have a Father who cares for us deeply! And it is more humbling to be chosen by God. Embrace this confidence and let it guide our actions.

Let us embrace God's words! We are a chosen race after all, a royal priesthood. He has called us from darkness into His marvellous light. We were once not His people, but now we are! We have received mercy. Those words are really a great comfort. Another word of God came to mind. 

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Matthew 6:26

Don't forget, birds don't work, yet God still feeds them. We're more precious than birds, right? 

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QT10025: Matt 5:16 - The Light that Shines

Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5: 16 (NASB)

Good day to each and every one again. I just woke up, but I want to start the day with a daily devotion or what I always call quiet time verses. It's nice to start our day talking to the Lord or to meditate so invite you to open your Bible and read our verse for today. You might want to read the previous verses to grasp the very reason Jesus uttered these words for the beatitudes. Beatitudes in Orthodox pertains to patriarchs of the church which in the Bible, you will find it in the previous verses starting with the word "blessed" from verse 3 up to 11. If one of the "blessed" feels like it is for you then you are blessed, and you are one of the beatitudes.

My dearly beloved brethren. Celebrating Christmas 2022

Going back to our verse, the verse is like Jesus is talking to you. Well, if you are one of the beatitudes then Jesus is most likely talking to you. In KJV translation it goes like this:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven

The verse teaches us beatitudes to serve as the light to others. The word "light" or "phos" in greek means to shine or make manifest. Most of the time phos mean heavenly light which can only mean the light that came from God. 

Light is the opposite of darkness and darkness pertains to confusion or ignorance and chaos. So, when God says we should be light to people in darkness that means for us to be their guide. There is a word that we must not ignore here, and it is with great importance that we do not overlook it. The word "must" in "Your light must shine before men....." is very important. "Must" means it is unavoidable or it is required. Like what I always say before, it is easy to be a Christian but Christianity is not easy specially when people persecute you or abuse your "goodness" to them - sometimes your old self wants to kick in and get even. But as a Christian, we all know that Christ lives in us: 

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. - Galatians 2: 20

Which means we are the mirror of Christianity or your Christian living. What others see in our life reflects not just us but Christianity. Just like when other nations see Filipinos, what do they always say about us? It may be negative or positive, but it reflects what most Filipinos do. So as Christians, we must be careful in what we do.

The reason I am saying this is, the verse teaches us that we must let our light shine to the world to the point they will see your good works which is supposedly the product of being in Christ. So, if they don't see Christ in your life that would be a problem. But if they see Christ in you, your life will be a living testimony to them, and you glorify our Father by this.

So that's it for now. Hope you are all blessed for today. God bless each of our beatitudes. If you have been blessed by this verse, please like and share to others as well. You are also welcomed to make a comment. God bless.

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QT10015: 1 John 2: 5-6 (Dad, You're Jesus!)

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. - 1 John 2: 5-6 

Yesterday while I was mopping the floor, I asked Ize to stay on the sofa. He was quite bored so I decided to put the chairs in front of him and told him to pretend that he is on a boat. His boredom quickly subsided and got quite excited. He was watching me while I mop the front area of his "boat" and then he said "Dad, that's the water. Your stepping on the water." He was talking about the wet area that I've mopped. "Oh! You're walking on the water like Jesus!" I laughed and was happy that he remembers the stories shared to him on their Sunday School and the Christian cartoons he was watching on TBN - Smile of a Child.

The new Superman outfit. Ize pretending to be Superman.

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Following My Followers

Natapos ko yung presentation ko kahapon with two-thumbs up. Hay salamat! It is really something when your work is really appreciated. And it means bigger if the one appreciating your work is in the same line of work - of course it means that he knows the hard work I did and how difficult my situation is as a lone programmer/analyst in a project. Team leader ako at ako lang ang member hehe!. Ngayong naka-quota ako, I'll try to rest my mind muna kaya heto ako blogging muna.

Yap! You read it right, nag-tagalog ako sa post na ito hehe! Not because I am tired of english, it's because TRIP ko eh! hehe! And I'd like to dedicate this post to all people who have followed my Baul - THANK YOU PO! I know kahit na medyo boring (actually, hindi nga medyo eh - ubod ng boring! hehe) ay nagpapasalamat ako ng lubusan dahil sa pag-click niyo ng Follow! Dahil diyan, follow ko rin kayo.

Okay, change topic muna tayo. This is about my Blog's transformation. Sabihin ko muna yung dahilan kung bakit nagbago ang Baul ni Noel. Sige, maghalo ako ng kaunting english. I first started this blog so that I can share my piece of mind through literature. Yes! I am a frustrated writer. Kahit na bako-bako ang english ko at maging ang tagalog ko ay improper pa hehe! Ewan ko vah! Medyo nagsisi ako nung ma-realize ko na I like literature pala kasi noon I get bored of this subject. Pero during my highschool days, when it comes to poetries, short stories (like Indarapatra and Sulayman, Biag ti Lam-ang) ay talagang medyo attentive ako, even during my college days. The rest of the topics in my English and Filipino subject ay tinulugan ko lang talaga - gaya ng pambalana, pantangi, verb, adjectives, predicate, panggalan, etc... Di ko akalaing kritikal yun sa paggawa ng mga literaturang kinahuhumalingan ko ngayon hehe!

Well, it's really hard to break habits specially in writing. Recently, I made an article for KaBlogs Journal about Education and a lot of things were edited, di naman ako nagalit or nagtampo - it is necessary and I am thankful kay Nebz (of Isla De Nebz) for doing the editing. Mas nagkaroon nga ng buhay hehe! "Don't worry, if ever I have another chance to write, sulat ulit ako Nebz. Thanks ulit sa edit".

I changed my Baul from tagalog to english because it is a requirement in some network affiliates that I have joined (they are traffic and money earning network affiliates like Adgitize, CMF Ads). By the way, if you are interested, sali kayo through my link ah hehe!. I happen to read a topic kasi, about how you can earn money from what you love to do in the internet and it happen to be blogging. Pero di yun ang main reason kung bakit ko ito binago. Of course, in order for me to learn I have to PRACTICE di ba? And most of my studies, specially Bible stuffs are in english.

Another transformation is from tagalog literatures to english essays - religious articles mostly. Ever since kasi na ma-assign ako to lead our church's young people (kasi nga young pa po ako at cute and cuddly - ano kaya kinalaman nun eh? Ang kafal daw!) ay na-realize ko na yung blog ko ay maaari ding mabasa ng mga kabataan, higit lalo ng mga taong hindi lubos na nakakakilala sa Panginoon. I try to teach those young students of mine that sharing your faith or sharing the word of God doesn't necessarily require you to be good in speaking. Pwede rin ito through your hobbies, like drawing coz I have this one student who loves drawing Anime stuffs like Naruto. Pwede rin through music, like Hillsongs, Casting Crowns, Noel, etc... (teka bakit ako nandoon eh hehe! - siyempre ako bida eh, akin itong blog na ito kaya walang papalag). Frustration ko rin kasing kumanta kaya lang yung music nafu-frustrate sa akin twing ako ay kakanta haha! I just remembered a comment long time ago, I was singing while playing the guitar - "Mag-gitara ka na lang pre! hehe!" - hanggang ngayon nasa hospital pa rin yung nag-comment, lantang-gulay na sa bugbog ko haha! (Just kidding!). So to summarize yung subject na ito, I used my blog to share the word of God - O di ba! I am hoping and praying that the gains I made from studying the word of God will also be a gain to all those who read my articles.

"I wish to be heard" - this is one of my reason before but now that people are listening, I try to make a sense of it. Even if people try to ignore or people can't accept (yet, maybe not this time) what I post here, with honesty and prayers I will continue to share God's word through this blog, faithfully. I am not saying na porke hindi word of God ang blog ng iba ay wala ng sense, it just happens na this is where I am making sense and I admit na I suck at some articles I did before lalo na yung mga literature. Again to shorten it, I blog where I can make sense so my followers can better undestand me.

Ang haba na, paano ko ba ito tatapusin? Siguro mag-part 2 na lang ako para madaling basahin. Bye! Oo nga pala before I go, here is something funny to look at before I go. Galing ito kay Roanne ng The Prodigal Daughter. 3D Farmville:

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The Pride

Sometimes we deny the thought that God can help us or we can make it without Him. PRIDE - it can define you but it won't make you whole. It is not a goal instead it is a limit. It limits us to achieve something great and limits us to be a better person. Do not stop and say "I will not do this and put myself below others." With God on your side, He will lift you up and NO ONE can oppose you.

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Just a simple thought I want to share to everyone about PRIDE.

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