The Gospel

Today I am reminded of the reason why I have come to "believe" in the Gospel as written in the bible and preached by people who really aren't that much different than you and me. And this can be summed up in these two verses from the New Testament.

Matthew who wrote one of the gospels recorded that Jesus of Nazareth said in one of his teachings:

"By their fruit you will recognize them." as he recorded the first public teachings of Jesus (Matthew Chapter 7).

Back in 1999, for one reason or another, I went to a Mid-week worship service in a small Christian (Non-denominational) church where a young pastor was teaching God's Word from the bible.

Back then, I didn't even know what a Midweek Service is, much less a Worship Service. Until that time, all I know or is well familiar with is the Liturgical Service or the Liturgical Mass.

But in that one service, everything I know about the bible, or the God of the bible all came together. Before that I had so many questions about God, and faith and everything spiritual or the unseen.

Today I still have a lot of questions but that night, some of them have been given answers. It was as if I finally saw a glimpse of the picture in a puzzle that I have been putting together which until today I am still putting together.

The second verse was written by Paul in his letter recorded in Galatians Chapter 5:

"... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

So I guess it is obvious to many that we have seen, we have heard many teachers of the Word of God before. But have you ever noticed their "fruits"? I mean have we

contemplated on how they go about their daily living?

Do they have love for other ? Do they have inner peace? Do they have patience?

Do they have kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness?

And more importantly, do they have self-control?

When I saw all that on people, not much different than me, that year back in 1999, many many years ago, withnessing it since I came back to that little church almost daily for a few years since that faithful night... I guess Matthew 7:16 (by their fruit you will know them) just came totally alive, tangible and all too real to me.

If sinners (like you and me) can be changed by this Gospel or this man we call Jesus, then  maybe, just maybe the God as written in the bible is real too.

And who is to say that that same God is not merely waiting for us to find out for ourselves.

Will you?

Listen to the Gospel according to John here.

Photo credit: Jesus Sits by the Seashore and Preaches, Brooklyn Musuem. Wikimedia Commons

Run Back To God? No, He Will Run Towards You...

Luke 15:11-24


Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ 
So they began to celebrate.

To me, there is no other story in the bible that underscores the reason why God needed to send His Son (His Own Son) down from heaven to us mere mortals than this story told by Jesus and recorded by Luke.

Most people know this story as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. If you haven't heard of this story, I suggest that you can reread it again above and then continue reading back down here.

If you are asking why did God have to send His Son (Jesus) to us? Then, I believe because we as humans are so dense, we need something tangible and practical to help us to put two and two together. And yes, 2+2 is 4.

But what I really mean is that at some point in time we will be like the young son in the story. There will be a time when we will go out and start to run our lives on our own. There will come a time when we will enjoy ourselves with whatever we believe will bring us much joy. But then there will come a time when we will realize that there should be something much more than this or that all these things will come to pass and we'd soon find ourselves with nothing but debt, hunger, poor health, pain, suffering or other bad things. 


We would realize that friends that I have when I was on top of the world are all nowhere to be found when I've lost everything. Or worse, now that I'm top of the world, I am pretty sure all my so-called friends are with me now just because I have all these things and are nothing more than psuedo-friends or bandwagoners. They'd soon be gone if I'd be of no good to them, and I'm afraid to even test this knowing this would be true.

I know, and that is why it is always good to keep in mind that there is something more than all of these that we have or experiencing right now. And that we should come to a realization that our real dad is waiting for us to come back to him.

And all we really need to do is do turn and go back home. 


Home? Home is where the heart is. Home is where you came from. Home is where you are safe. Home is where everything you need should be. If you have no real home to go back to, and if you have home that's not really worth remembering; realize that there is a real heavenly father who sent his real son to us and whose stories we can read in a book which we now call as the bible.

Turn back to him and he will run towards you, hug you and welcome you back! 


Come on, he has been waiting long enough.

Watch a video skit of this story right here.

And if you ready to turn back to God, I found this little viewed video (audio) from a little known (unnamed) uploader. If you aren't ready, then feel free to bookmark or save the link above so the next time you are hungry and would eat even hog food comes around you know where yo go to.

Have a great day!

Photo Credit: James Tissot, The Return of the Prodigal Son (Le retour de l'enfant prodigue) Brooklyn Museum (Source: Wikimedia Commons)