text: Does God have the right to judge this world? Well, of course he has, if it’s his world. And the Bible says it is. It tells us that God is our maker and our judge. And it encourages us to think of evidence for things having been designed as being in support of its claims (Romans 1:20) And throughout history, as recorded in the Bible, God has at certain times used plagues as his chosen instrument of judgement.
text: #000002
text: So, what about Covid-19? I suggest we need to be careful, because Jesus himself made it quite clear that not all tragedy or disease can be viewed as God targeting one group of people as being worse than others. Once, when he was in the Temple Mount area of Jerusalem City, as described in Luke 13, he referred to what must have been a contentious news item of that time – how a nearby tower had collapsed and killed 18 persons. Surely, a shocking and distressing happening for all living in that locality. Speculation must have been rife then as to whether this had been God’s judgement – whether those killed were worse than everyone else living in Jerusalem at that time. Jesus told them not to think that way. We’re all sinners, and in a sense we might think of Jesus’ answer reminding them, that it might be more useful to think: why wasn’t that me?
text: #000003
text: We just mentioned that to make it clear that we can’t just take any event and say definitely ‘that’s a judgment from God’ – not unless God tells us, in his book. Instead, it may be safer and better to view COVID-19 as a wake-up call. Why? Because it reminds us – all of us – of our vulnerability and of our mortality. After all, the Bible says: “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27)
text: #000004
text: A neighbour’s car sticker says: ‘Only one life, live it!’ The Bible says: ‘One death, get ready for it!’ But how can we be sure that judgement lies beyond? Not only does our sense of moral justice demand this, but “[God] has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. [And] He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). But there’s also hope through that same resurrection of Jesus Christ, because: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25) – that is, for our right standing before God.
text: #000005
text: man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon, saving the boy’s life. That boy grew up to become a lawless man, and was arrested for murder and brought before the judge. As he looked up at the judge in the courtroom, he recognized his face as that of the man who’d saved him many years before. He mentioned this, hoping for further help. The judge said, “Young man, I came to you before as your savior, ... today, I come before you as your judge....”
text: #000007
text: When you meet Jesus, will it be as saviour or as judge? The same person, but in one or other capacity. “Now is the acceptable time ... believe on the Lord Jesus and ... be saved” (once and for all) from the condemnation your sins deserve before a holy and just God (2 Corinthians 6:2; Acts 16:31).
text: #000008
text: Busa, unsa kaha ang mahitungod sa COVID-19? Mosugyot ko nga kinahanglan kitang mag-amping, kay gipatin-aw mismo ni Jesus nga dili tanang trahedya o sakit ang isipon nga dunay giigo ang Dios nga usa ka grupo sa mga tawo nga mas dautan kaysa uban. Dihay kausa, nga didto siya sa Templo sa Bungtod nga lugar sa siyudad sa Jerusalem, ingon sa paghulagway sa Lukas 13, nagtumong siya bahin sa gikalalisan nga balita nianang higayona – kon paunsa nalumpag ang tore sa haduol ug gikamatay sa 18 ka mga tawo. Sigurado gayud, nga makapakurat ug makapaguol kini sa tanang lumulopyo nianang dapita. Mikaylap dayon ang pangaghap kon paghukom ba kini sa Dios – kon mas dautan kadtong mga nangamatay kay sa tanang nagpuyo sa Jerusalem nianang higayona. Gisultihan sila ni Jesus nga dili maghunahuna ug sama niana. Makasasala kitang tanan, ug makahunahuna kita nga nagkahulogan ang tubag ni Jesus sa pagpahinumdom kanila, nga mas mapuslanon tingali nga mao ni ang hunahunaon: nganong dili man ako?
text: #000012
text: Gihisgutan lamang namo kana aron ipatin-aw nga dili dayon nato isipon ang bisan unsang panghitabo ug makasiguro’g ingon nga usa kana ka paghukom gikan sa Dios – gawas lang kon ang Dios maoy mosulti kanato – diha sa iyang basahon. Sa baylo, mas luwas ug mas maayo lantawon ang COVID-19 ingon nga usa ka tawag sa pagmata. Ngano man? Tungod kay nagapahinumdom kini kanato – kanatong tanan – sa atong kahuyang ug sa atong pagkalumalabay. Human niining tanan,
text: #000013
text: ang Biblia nag-ingon, ‘Ang tanan kinahanglan mamatay sa makausa ug tapos niana hukman siya sa Dios’ (Hebreohanon 9:27).
text: #000014
text: Matud pa sa sticker sa kotse sa silingan: ‘Usa ra ang kinabuhi, pagkinabuhi niini!’ Matud pa sa Biblia: ‘Kausa ra ang kamatayon, pangandami kini!’ Apan unsaon man nato pagsiguro nga anaa sa unahan ang paghukom? Dili lamang ang atong pamatyag sa matarung nga hustisya ang nagkinahanglan niini, apan “[ang Dios] nagtagal siyag adlaw nga hukman niya ang tibuok kalibutan pinasubay sa hustisya pinaagi sa tawo nga iyang gipili. Ug gimatuod niya kini ngadto sa tanang katawhan pinaagi sa pagbanhaw kaniya” (Buhat 17:31). Apan adunay usab paglaum pinaagi sa samang pagkabanhaw ni Jesu Cristo, tungod kay: “Gitugyan siya aron patyon tungod sa atong mga sala ug gibanhaw aron himoon kitang matarong” (Roma 4:25) – mao kana, ang husto sa atong pagbarug sa atubangan sa Dios.
text: #000015
text: Nakabati kog usa ka sugilanon gikan sa usa ka kasadpan sa lungsod sa US niadtong 1800 mahitungod sa usa ka kabayo nga kalit midagan ug dili na mapugngan, karga niini ang usa ka gamayng batang lalake nga anaa sa kanggahan o karomata, pagtan-aw sa usa ka batan-on nga namiligro pag-ayo ang bata, gitahan niya ang iyang kinabuhi sa pagdakop sa kabayo ug pagpahunong sa karomata. Midako ang bata ug nahimong masinupakon sa balaod, ug gidakop tungod kay nakapatay ug gidala sa atubangan sa maghuhukom. Samtang mihangad siya sa pagtan-aw sa maghuhukom sulod sa korte, nakaila siya sa iyang panagway nga mao ang tawo nga nagluwas kaniya kaniadto daghang katuigan na ang milabay. Iya kining gihisgutan, uban ang paglaum nga matabangan pa. Miingon ang
text: #000016
text: maghuhukom, “Dong, giduol ka naku kaniadto ingon nga imong manluluwas,.. karung adlawa, miatubang ko nemu ingon nga imong maghuhukom...”
text: #000017
text: Inig-atubang nemu kang Jesus, mahimo ba kining manluluwas o maghuhukom? Mao gihapong tawhana, apan diha sa usa o laing kapasidad. “Mao na kini ang takna sa pagdawat... tumoo ka kang Ginoong Jesus ug... mamaluwas ka” (kausa ug alang sa tanan) gikan sa silot sa imong mga sala nga angay sa atubangan sa usa ka balaan ug matarung nga Dios (2 Corinto 6:2; Buhat 16:31).
text: #000018
text: What’s God’s View on Racism?
text: #000020
text: The Secret of Answered Prayer
text: #000021
text: What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
text: #000025