Saturday, July 6, 2013

Matthew 9: 14-17

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,
for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.
Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Friday, July 5, 2013

Matthew 9: 9-13

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Thursday, July 4, 2013

What Matters Most?

I have a confession to make. I find it hard creating an article. To make it more specific, creating an English article. I'm having difficulty constructing sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement. Until now, I still get lost and confused in dealing with tenses - past, present, and future. I find it hard also to finish an article that possesses coherence.  And actually, right now, in this article, I doubt you'll finish reading without spotting errors at least one.

I have another confession. It takes me 3-7 hours to compose an article. That's true. The thought and idea of each article is actually formulated for a maximum of 1 hour. The remaining hours are for backspacing, rewriting, analyzing, choosing the right words, deleting excess "s" (for verb, you know what I mean) and all of the editing stuffs while I am still in my composing phase yet. That's why it's a big WOW for me whenever I heard someone that he can compose an article in an hour - fully edited, fully polished, ready for publication.

Yet, here I am, trying hard and giving my best to just create an article. And you might wonder why? It's pretty obvious that I am not good in English, BUT WHY IN THE WORLD I STILL CHOSE TO COMPOSE AND CREATE ARTICLES FOR GOD? Am I that ambitious trying to dream hopelessly that someday I will be someone who can write and author a novel, or whose name is in the newspapers, magazines, and in other publications?

My answer is just a partial "yes". Because my main reason is more than the reasons I have just mentioned. And what is it?

I'll answer that in a moment. But first, let me share to you a bible story..

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

The Unbeliever

JOHN 20: 24-29

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But Thomas said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” 


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

It is a Sure Thing!

Gospel: Matthew 8: 23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”


Monday, July 1, 2013

He is Everywhere

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 8: 18-22

When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”