MORNING WATCH MESSAGES
“The Birth of John the Baptist”
Dec 22 AM * Mr. Albert Kalaskas * Luke 1: 57-80
OUR SCRIPTURE READING STARTED WITH ELIZABETH GIVING BIRTH. IN PALESTINE THE BIRTH OF A BOY WAS AN OCCASION OF GREAT JOY. WHEN THE time of the BIRTH was NEAR AT HAND, FRIENDS AND local MUSICIANS GATHERED NEAR THE HOUSE. WHEN THE BIRTH WAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS A BOY, THE MUSICIANS BROKE INTO MUSIC AND SONG, AND THERE WAS UNIVERSAL CONGRATULATION AND REJOICING. IF IT WAS A GIRL THE MUSICIANS WENT SILENTLY AND REGRETFULLY AWAY! THERE WAS A SAYING, "THE BIRTH OF A MALE CHILD CAUSES UNIVERSAL JOY, BUT THE BIRTH OF A FEMALE CHILD CAUSES UNIVERSAL SORROW." IN ELIZABETH'S HOUSE THERE WAS DOUBLE JOY. YES, DOUBLE JOY AND WHY? AT LAST ELIZABETH HAD A CHILD AND THAT CHILD WAS A SON. REMEMBER, ELIZABETH WAS BARREN AND FAR ADVANCED IN YEARS. IBIG SABIHIN MATANDANG MATANDA NA SILA NA KAPARES NAMIN MAG-ASAWA. HONEY, TUMAYO KA NGA PLEASE PARA MAKITA NILA ANG BLONDE NA BUHOK MO. MAGKAKA-ANAK PA BA YAN--- KAPUTIPUTI ANG BUHOK? PAGMAGKA-ANAK PA YAN, AY SANKATUTAK NA LECHON NA BAKA ANG HANDA SA BINYAG---BAKANG NASA LATA.
ON THE 8TH DAY AFTER THE BIRTH OF HER SON,THEIR FRIENDS WENT TO THEIR HOUSE TO CIRCUMCISE THE BABY. THE CIRCUMCISION WAS AN IMPORTANT EVENT TO THE FAMILY OF THE JEWISH BABY BOY. REMEMBER, GOD HAS COMMANDED CIRCUMCISION WHEN HE WAS BEGINNING TO FORM HIS NATION. THIS CEREMONY WAS A TIME OF JOY WHEN FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS CELEBRATED THE BABY'S BECOMING PART OF GOD'S COVENANT NATION. IYAN ANG DAHILAN KONG BAKIT TINUTULI ANG BATANG LALAKI. WHY IS CIRCUMCISION DONE ON THE 8TH DAY AND NOT ON THE 6TH OR 7TH DAY? ASIDE FROM THE LAW OF MOSES FOR BEING THE REASON, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS ALSO A MEDICAL REASON. VITAMIN K WHICH AIDS IN CLOTTING OF BLOOD IS MORE EFFECTIVE ON THE 8TH DAY.
AFTER THE CIRCUMCISION, THEY HAVE TO NAME THE BABY. THE FRIENDS OF ELIZABETH AND ZACHARIAS WERE GOING TO NAME THE BOY "ZACHARIAS" AFTER HIS FATHER BUT ELIZABETH SAID "NO! THE BOY WILL BE CALLED JOHN." THEIR FRIENDS WERE SURPRISED SINCE NO ONE AMONG THEIR FAMILY HAS THAT NAME. SO THEY ASKED ZACHARIAS IN SIGN LANGUAGE AND HE WROTE ON THE TABLET "HIS NAME IS JOHN." IMMEDIATELY HIS TONGUE WAS LOOSED AND ABLE TO SPEAK, PRAISING GOD. JOHN IS A SHORTER FORM OF THE NAME "JOHOHANAN" MEANING GOD,S GIFT OR GOD IS GRACIOUS.
ZACHARIAS BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT MADE THIS PROPHECY, "AND YOU MY CHILD, PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST WILL GO AHEAD OF THE MASTER TO PREPARE HIS WAYS, PRESENT THE OFFER OF SALVATION TO HIS PEOPLE AND THE FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS". ZECHARIAHS WAS SAYING THAT HIS SON, JOHN WILL BE THE FORERUNNER OF THE SAVIOUR. MEANING, HE WILL BE THE ADVANCE PARTY. BILANG ISANG ADVANCE PARTY, SIYA ANG MAGHAHANDA NG DAAN PARA PAGDATING NG PANGINOON AY MALINIS AT SAKA PLANTSADO NA ANG LAHAT. KUNG ANG TRABAHO NI JOHN AY MAGHANDA NG DAAN NI JESUS, ANO NAMAN KAYA ANG IHAHANDA NATIN? KAILANGAN MABANGO TAYO SA HARAP NG PANGINOON.MAALAALA KO NOONG FIRST DATE NAMIN. TALAGANG PINAGHANDAAN KO. NAGPAGUPIT AKO, MAGARA ANG SUOT KO, NAG-AHIT AKO PAGKATAPOS NAG SHAVING LOTION NG ENGLISH LEATHER. HMMM! ANG BANGO KO AT DINAGDAGAN KO PA. KAYA HINDI NALIMUTAN NG ASAWA KO.
NOW REMEMBER WHAT WAS PROPHESIED ABOUT JOHN. WE, TOO, HAVE TO PREPARE OURSELVES TO ACCEPT JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR. AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? THIS ADVENT SEASON, WE SHOULD MAKE PREPARATION TO LET JESUS ENTER OUR HEARTS. IN ORDER FOR JESUS TO ENTER OUR HEARTS, WE HAVE TO DO SOME CLEANING UP. THIS CLEANING DOES NoT MEAN PHYSICAL CLEANING USING BLEACH OR DETERGENTS BUT RATHER TO STOP SINNING SUCH AS IDOLATRY - MAKING SPORTS COME FIRST BEFORE WORSHIPPING THE LORD,PORNOGRAPHY, CHILD ABUSE, HUSBAND ABUSE, WIFE ABUSE, AND OH THE SWEET ONE "GOSSIP" AND MANY MORE JUST TO MENTION A FEW. IN OTHER WORDS, LET US REMOVE THE SKELETONS IN OUR CLOSET BY CONFESSING OUR SINS TO THE LORD, REPENTING AND MAKING AMENDS. WHEN OTHER PEOPLE SIN AGAINST US, WE MUST FORGIVE THEM NOT ONLY ONCE BUT SEVEN TIMES SEVENTY MEANING NO LIMIT IN FORGIVENESS. THE LORD WILL NOT FORGIVE US NEITHER IF WE DON'T DO SO.
LET US NOT WAIT FOR THE LAST HOUR FOR WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE LORD IS COMING OR WHEN THE LORD WILL TAKE BACK OUR LIFE. THEREFORE, AVOID MANANA HABIT AND NOW IS THE TIME TO CONFESS, FORGIVE AND REPENT.THE READING ON THE DAILY BREAD DEVOTION ON DEC. 14, 2009 TALKS ABOUT WARNING LIGHTS. THE AUTHOR TELLS US ABOUT A MAN THAT IGNORED THE HESITATION IN HIS CAR ENGINE AND THE LITTLE YELLOW LIGHT ON HIS DASHBOARD. ANG MGA KOTSE NGAYON AY MATATALINO SAPAGKAT MGA HI-TECH NA ITONG PANAHON. SA HARAP NG DRIVER'S SEAT AY MAYROON INSTRUMENT PANEL AT DITO NAKIKITA KUNG ILAN PA ANG GASOLINA NG KOTSE, KUNG ANO ANG TEMPERATURA NG MAKINA O TRANSMISSION, KUNG BUKAS ANG PINTO, KUNG MAY DEPERENCIA ANG MAKINA AT MARAMI PANG WARNING LIGHTS NA NAGPAPA-ALAHAANAN. YONG IBA BANG KOTSE AY NAKAKAPAGSALITA. SASABIHIN SA DRIVER, "HOY YONG PINTO MO NAKABUKAS."
ITONG MAMA PINABAYAAN NIYA YONG WARNING YELLOW LIGHTS AT HINDI NIYA PINACHECK SA MECHANICO.ANG SABI NIYA BUKAS KO NA LANG PAGAGAWA. SA KINABUKASAN HINDI NA NIYA MAPAANDAR DAHIL SA HINDI NIYA PINAPANSIN YONG WARNING YELLOW LIGHTS. NOONG DEC. 12 PUMUNTA KAMI SA BOKLAOAN NILA PTR. GROVER AT DUMAAN KAMI SA ALNO. ANG DAAN DOON AY NAPAKATIRIK AT MALAYO. ANG WARNING YELLOW LIGHT NG TRANSMISSION KO AY UMILAO DAHIL SA UMINIT. HININTO KO KAAGAD AT PINALAMIG NG SAMPONG MINUTO. PAGKATAPOS AY UMABANTE AT MAAYOS NA ANG TAKBO NG SASAKYAN NAMIN.
IN JOEL 2:12-17 GOD USED THE PROPHET JOEL TO ENCOURAGE HIS PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WARNING LIGHT ON THEIR SPIRITUAL dashboard.PLEASE ALLOW ME TO READ JOEL 2:12-17.PROSPERITY HAD CAUSE THEM TO BECOME COMPLACENT AND NEGLIGENT IN THEIR COMMITEMENT TO THE LORD. THEIR FAITH HAD DEGENERATED INTO EMPTY FORMALISM AND THEIR LIVES INTO MORAL BUNKCRUPTCY. BUT THE PEOPLE DIDN'T LISTEN SO GOD SENT LOCUST PLAGUE TO RUIN THEIR CROPS. KUNG MINSAN MASMABUTI YONG MAHIRAP AT MALAPIT TAYO TAYO SA PANGINOON.
AGAIN, THE DAILY BREAD READING ON NOV. 23, 2009 TALKS ABOUT PREVENTING REGRETS. IN 1980'S, THE BRITISH BAND MIKE AND THE MECHANICS RECORDED A POWERFUL SONG ENTITLED "THE LIVING YEARS." THE SONG WRITER MOURNS HIS FATHER'S DEATH BECAUSE THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAD BEEN STRAINED AND MARKED BY SILENCE RATHER THAN SHARING. THE SINGER REMORSEFULLY SAYS "I DIDNT GET TO TELL HIM ALL THE THINGS I HAD TO SAY", STRUGGLING WITH REGRETS OVER WORDS UNSAID AND LOVE UNEXPRESSED, HE LAMENTS "I JUST WISH I COULD HAVE TOLD HIM IN THE LIVING YEARS. GAYA DIN NG ISANG ANAK NA NAMATAYAN NG INA, BAGO IBINABA YAONG KABAONG SA LUPA, UMIYAK AT HUMINGI NG PATAWAD SA INA. PERO KAHIT ANONG LAKAS NG IYAK NIYA, HINDI NA MARIRINIG NG INA. KAYA MGA KAPATID KUNG TAYO NAGKASALA AY HUMINGI TAYO NG PAUMANHIN SA PANGINOON KAAGAD.
LAST SEPTEMBER, I KNOW SOMEONE WHO WAS BADLY ILL OF COLON CANCER. THIS MAN'S SON KNEW THAT I HAVE BEEN BRINGING HIS FATHER TO ATTEND BIBLE STUDY. ON ONE OCCASION, WHEN I VISITED HIS FATHER AT THEIR HOUSE, HIS SON ASKED ME IF HIS FATHER ACCEPTED JESUS AS HIS SAVIOR. DURING THAT TIME while his FATHER was ATTENDING BIBLE CLASS WITH US, I TOLD HIS SON THAT HIS FATHER HAS NOT YET ACCEPTED JESUS AS HIS LORD AND SAVIOUR. UPON HIS SON'S REQUEST, PTR. JOE, ROWLAND AND I WENT TO VISIT HIS FATHER AT THE HOSPITAL; WE PRAYED FOR HIM AND INVITED HIM TO ACCEPT JESUS AS HIS SAVIOR. PTR. JOE'S COMMENT AFTER WE LEFT HIM WAS, " GOD WAS HAPPY FOR ONE MAN IS SAVED." A FEW DAYS LATER, I HEARD THAT THIS MAN PASSED AWAY.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, LET US DO OUR PREPARATION NOW. AS FOR ME, I CONFESS THAT SOMETIMES PACQUIAO COMES FIRST. MGA KAIBIGAN, KONG MAY GALIT TAYO SA IBA, PATAWARIN NATIN SILA. HUWAG NATIN HINTAYIN ANG TAGA SA BATO NA MAWALA PARA PATAWARIN NA RIN TAYO NG PANGINOON AT MASASABI NATIN NA HANDANG-HANDA NA TAYONG HUMARAP SA PANGINOON.PERO LORD KUNG MAARI AY HUWAG MUNA NGAYON.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
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