Reflection: Freedom Writers

Reflection: Freedom Writers

Carl Angelo Mateo Caluag

1.

a.

In Ms. Gruwell’s school, there is a lot of tension undergoing. There is a reign of discrimination and segregation of classes, especially among the blacks, the Asians, and the Latinos. The students form and join gangs to protect their own class and fight the others. In response to this, the school (Woodrow Wilson High School) adopted an integration program for its curriculum, which in turn lowered the academic competitiveness of the school. Ms. Gruwell’s school, in general, does not care if the students learn advanced lessons, rather, they are satisfied if a student learn basic lessons, such as literacy and discipline. They defy the usefulness of books, because they believe their students were despondent enough to learn to love reading. Even some professors say little words of discrimination without understanding the experiences of their students.

b.

In Ms. Gruwell’s class, there is always disorderliness and aversion to one another. The students cling more to the outside world instead of education. For them, the teacher’s lessons are dull, prosaic, and uninteresting. They each have their own story, which at first they were hesitant to tell. Every one of them has seen a dead person, because of riots and secret murders, and somehow they are used to seeing these. Some of them have lost a friend or more because of gang conflicts. The students think that Ms. Gruwell doesn’t really understand them, so they hate her and disrespect her. They even caused Ms. Gruwell’s white complexion to arouse dislike at her.

c.

In Eva’s community, the events are really bad and frightening. Murder has become a common sight to most people. The gangs are to be feared. If they saw an enemy class, they would run after him and hurt him. It’s not safe to go outside and roam. No one is free. The police can take a convicted person without habeas corpus. They can take anyone for granted. People have guns and they use them if they needed to.

2.

Ms. Gruwell understands her students very much, and she believes that special education must be given to them. Ms. Campbell, the department head, won’t allow Ms. Gruwell to give her students books. She thought that book lessons won’t have any effect on the students. But Ms. Gruwell knows what needs to be done for her desperate students, so she worked three jobs to buy them special notebooks for them to write their feelings on it. These notebooks served as their diary, like the one of Anne Frank. She also taught against the syllabus, having extraordinary activities for her students, like playing games with lessons to be learned at the end. She took her students on a field trip, which is not school-based, so the students can know more about the Jewish discrimination of the Nazis. The climax of all of these is when she made her students write letters for Miep Gies – the one who hid Anne Frank from the Nazis – inviting her all the way from abroad so that she can give inspiration to the students.

3.

Eva was needed to speak as a witness in the court because she was at the place when Sindy’s boyfriend was accidentally shot by his own boyfriend. She was part of a gang, so she had to express loyalty to her boyfriend which means she must lie. But she knew that she must do what is right, thanks to Miep Gies’ influence. Eva told the truth, and it was not easy for her to do it. It means wrecking her fidelity with her same-class friends. It means breaking her relationship with her boyfriend. But it also means turning back on his past and moving on the present. It liberated her long-tormented spirit.

4.

We each have different culture, traditions, and classes. Each one of us may belong to various social groups. Even the color of our skin may define who we are, culturally. But that does not mean that we should not respect one another. We are all human beings, eyes and ears alike. Everyone has a heart that produces emotion. Everyone knows how to love, how to hate, how to laugh, and how to fear. No one is an exemption. There is no such thing as a special class, nor an inferior one. In the eyes of our Creator, we are all the same. That is why we must respect one another, and humble ourselves before others. No one should have a principle of ethnocentrism or chauvinism, even if in some aspects they are more blessed than others. Social, economic, and physical backgrounds may define us, but we must understand that we are only separated by continents. We must all treat one another as brothers and sisters, for each one must come from the same ancestors.

When things get rough and culture is abused, counter-culturing is good to be done. We must all stand up for what is morally right, not just on what is culturally correct. But we must always keep in consideration the lives of others, because they might have their own life stories, stories that must be heard and understood before doing counter-culture.

All in all, respect of one another’s physical and cultural differences must be emphasized.

Reflection: Three Idiots

Reflection: Three Idiots

Carl Angelo Mateo Caluag

            I had an initial reaction when I first heard about the movie Three Idiots. I thought it was a story of three Indian guys just being wild and having fun in their college life. But I was wrong when I watched it. Three Idiots is a story of three Indian guys being wild, having fun, and learning things in their college life. I have learned three new ideas in life from of this film.

            First, life is a constant struggle. I mean to say that life is composed of everyday choices that would affect everything either in a beneficial or adverse way. Some people take it as a challenge, and therefore, they do every means to succeed. Professor Viru is such the man. He believes and practices a strong principle that one should fight for resources to win every day struggles, a mirror of Charles Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest principle. Regardless of what happens to anyone around him, he will just leave them if they don’t keep on going forward. On the other hand, Rancho is the opposite of Professor Viru. He helps not just himself, but others also. He wants others to share his success in life, like when he used his foster brother’s name to get the College title for him, because he needs the education more than the degree. The good thing about his principle is that it puts consideration on the lives of others.

            Since life is a constant struggle, hardships may come every once in a while. It’s the second idea. Farhan’s dilemma of either to acquiesce to his father’s insistence to make him study engineering or to go on his favored path of being a professional wildlife photographer is the struggle that brought hardship. Raju’s challenge of working hard to get an engineering title and a job to earn money for his wretched family is another struggle that also brought hardship. It’s either they go with flow or divert from what is customary. Like them, we each have our own struggles that may bring suffering if not solved wisely.

            Because hardships may come since life is a struggle, we should always think that “all is well”, not “all was well” nor “all will be well.” It’s the third and the most important idea.  It is not of itself the solution to all life’s problems; rather, it serves as a motivator and a catalyst. Farhan made a decision to follow his heart because he believed that all is well. Raju did his best to become a good engineer because he believed the same. Rancho overcame his struggles in college because he also believed the same.  It is rest assured that a positive outlook in life can lift us up when we are down. The hardest “multiple choice” can be answered by it.

            In the end, Three Idiots doesn’t just made me laugh; it also inspired me to simplify the meaning of everything when people complicates it. It inspired me to keep moving forward when sometimes the end can hardly be seen. It taught me that under pleasurable or unwanted circumstances, hope can always solve anything. Hope goes beyond the limits of practicality, but only when we take action; it won’t do its work alone. The rest is up to us. Since struggles can make or break us, the choice is up to us. The kicking of the baby’s foot is the signal of success, and that success only happened because Rancho and his friends believed that all is well. For ‘when life goes out of control,’ 

Sanaysay: The Importance of Education

        Bakit Napakahalaga ng Edukasyon?

               Carl Angelo Mateo Caluag

Araw-araw ay nakakakita tayo ng mga kabataang maagang pumapasok sa paaralan. Ang ilan ay may dala-dalang aklat, notbuk, at panulat; ang iba nama’y simpleng kuwaderno na pinaglumaan na ang tanging dala. Ang ilan ay naglalakbay ng napakalalayong distansya, sumasakay sa iba’t ibang uri ng sasakyan; ang iba’y naglalakad lamang dahil malapit ang eskwela o dili kaya’y walang pambayad. Malalaki ang baong salapi ng ilan; ang iba’y piso o dalawa ay ayos na. Iba man ang mga paraan at gawi ng mga estudyanteng Pilipino sa bayan at sa lalawigan, mayaman man o mahirap, nabibigkis sila ng parehong pinagkakaabalahan: ang pag-aaral.

Gaano ba ka-espesyal ang edukasyon? Bakit libu-libong salapi ang nagagastos para rito? Bakit halos lahat ng mga magulang ay nagsusumikap na mapag-aral ang kanilang mga anak? Halos naging pangunahing pangangailangan na rin ang edukasyon. Maraming mga pampubliko at pampribadong paaralan ang matatagpuan kahit saanmang dako ng bansa. At tila may mga nadaragdag pa.

Edukasyon, ayon sa kasabihan, ay ang natatanging kayamanang maipapamana ng isang magulang sa kanyang anak, isang bagay na hindi kailanman mananakaw. Totoo naman. Walang magpapatakbo ng lipunan kung walang mga edukado. Propesyunal man o simpleng gradweyt ng hayskul, basta’t nagkaroon ng pormal na pag-aaral, ay maibibilang sa mga mamamayang may malaking abilidad na makatutulong sa pamayanan. Mabibigyang karangalan din ng mga edukado ang kanilang pamilya, angkan, at bayan. Nagiging disiplinado at maayos ang takbo ng buhay ng isang tao kung siya’y edukado.

Ang ating mga lider ng pamahalaan ay hindi magiging mahusay kung hindi rin naman sila nakapag-aral, lalo’t sila’y nakapag-kolehiyo sa mga matataas na antas na unibersidad. Ang mga desisyon na kanilang naipapasya para sa ikauunlad ng bayan ay nag-ugat sa mga naituro ng kanilang mga guro’t propesor at nabasang impormasyon sa mga teksbuk. Hinubog ng edukasyon mula kindergarten hanggang kolehiyo ang malaking bahagi ng kanilang pagkatao. Marapat lamang na pagtuunan ng napakalaking pansin ang pagbibigay ng edukasyon sa kahit anong antas ng tao upang sumulong din ang bayang kanilang pinagsisilbihan.

Maaari na ba nating masagot kung bakit napakahalaga ng edukasyon?

Sanaysay: Mga Epekto at Aral ng Yolanda

Mga Epekto at Aral ng Yolanda

Carl Angelo Mateo Caluag

Sa pagbuhos ng isang di-pangkaraniwang unos, marami ang nagtanong, “Ito na ba ang katapusan ng mundo?” Kahit sa isang bahagi lamang ng Pilipinas bumagsak ang bagyong ito, tila buong mundo ay nawasak ng napakalakas na hangin at ulan nito. Halos sanay na ang Pilipinas sa tuwing may pag-aanunsyo ng panibagong bagyo. Ngunit sa kabila ng paghahanda ng mga taong bayan, hindi naiwasan ang pagkawala ng milyun-milyong buhay at pagkasira ng milyun-milyong pag-aari ng mga taga-Bisaya. Ito ang bagyong Yolanda, isa sa mga pinakamatitinding bagyo sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas.

Katatapos pa lang ng lindol sa Cebu nang dumating ang bagyong Yolanda. Naging sunud-sunod ang mga kalamidad lalo na sa may bandang Kabisayaan. Marami ang nagulantang, nalungkot, at naawa sa mga nasalanta ng delubyong ito. Sa paligid lamang ng mga nagugutom at nauuhaw na mga taong-bayan ay nakahandusay ang mga labi ng mga taong namatay. Kalunus-lunos ang kalagayan ng mga nasalanta sa tuwing mapapanuod sa telebisyon o mapapakinggan sa radyo.

Kasunod nito, dumating ang tulong ng pamahalaan na lubhang nakabibigo dahil sa bagal nito. Hindi kasya ang naibibigay na mga donasyon ng gobyerno, kaya nagsidatingan ang mga tulong mula sa iba’t ibang bansa. Sa lahat ng mga network sa telebisyon, sa internet, at sa radyo ay may naibibigay na mga paraan kung paano makatutulong ang mga nais makatulong. Sa mga paaralan, ospital, at opisina ay nagkakaroon ng mga pagkolekta ng mga “relief goods.” Sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, isang aral ang itinuturo sa atin ng unos na ito: huwag mapalagay sa araw-araw na pangyayari sa buhay; bagkus ay matutunan ng bawat isa na maging mapagpasalamat sa mga pagpapalang patuloy na ibinibigay ng Panginoon.

Sanaysay: Bonifacio

Bonifacio: Sagisag ng Katatagan ng Isang Pilipino

Carl Angelo Mateo Caluag

“Kung sa pagtatanggol, buhay ay mapatid, ito'y kapalaran at tunay na langit!” ang kataga ni Gat Andres Bonifacio mula sa kanyang akdang “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa.” Isang huwaran ng pagiging magiting at mapagmahal sa bayan, si Andres Bonifacio ay di maikakailang isang bayani ng bayang Pilipinas. Sa kanyang naipamalas na katapangan ay naipahayag niya na kalugud-lugod ang mamatay para sa bayang sinilangan. Napatunayan din niyang hindi makahahadlang ang anumang kahirapan sa buhay upang makapagsilbi sa bayan. Walang takot niyang hinarap ang kumalaban sa kanyang mga kababayan.

Hindi man kinikilalang pambansang bayani ang marangal na taong ito, nananatili pa rin ang kanyang mabuting halimbawa ukol sa pag-ibig sa bayan. Tiniis ang paghihirap at pag-aalipusta ng mga kaaway, nanindigan siya para sa pagtatanggol sa kanyang mga kababayan. Hindi man siya perpekto upang mapagtagumpayan ang lahat ng kanyang mga pinagsikapan, naitaas niya ang pangalang “Pilipinas” sa abot ng kanyang makakaya. Mahusay din niyang napamunuan ang organisasyong Katipunan na naging ugat ng kagitingang panlipunan. Dugo at pawis ay kaniyang binuwis upang ang kanyang minamahal na bayan ay maging sagisag ng pambansang kabutihan.

Ang mga di-mabilang na ambag ni Andres Bonifacio sa mga mamamayan ng Pilipinas ay napakalaking pagpapala. Ang mga naipamana niyang ito ay hindi nabubulok ni nananakaw ng sinuman. Sa nagdaang araw ng kapanganakan ni Andres Bonifacio ay huwag nawang maisantabi ang kahalagahan ng araw na ito. Nawa’y kaakibat ng pagsaludo ng sambayanang Pilipino ay ang pagtulad sa marangal na taong ito. Gaya ni Bonifacio, nawa’y mapatunayan ng bawa’t isa ang kagalingan, karunungan, at katatagan ng isang tunay na Pilipino.

Sanaysay: 150th Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Philippines

Ang Kasaysayan ng Araw ng Kalayaan ng Pilipinas

Carl Angelo Mateo Caluag

                Maraming mga okasyon ang natatangi sa buhay ng mga Pilipino. Isa na rito ay ang Araw ng Kalayaan. Ito ay ginaganap tuwing ika-labindalawa ng Hunyo kada taon. Ito ang panahon kung saan inaalaala at ginugunita ng bawat Pilipino ang pagtatamo ng pagka-independente ng bansa. Ang orihinal na petsa ng paggunita nito ay sa ikaapat ng Hulyo, na siyang tunay na araw ng paglaya ng mga Pilipino sa kamay ng tatlong pangunahing mananakop ng bayan, hanggang sa pagbabago nito noong 1962. Noong ika-labindalawa ng Mayo, 1962 at ikaapat ng Agosto, 1964, pormal na nilagdaan sa katauhan ni Pangulong Diosdado Macapagal ang Proklamasyon ng Pangulo bilang 28, na nagtatakda ng paglilipat ng petsa ng Araw ng Kalayaan mula ikaapat ng Hulyo hanggang ikalabindalawa ng Hunyo, sa dahilang ito ay ang ganap na panahon ng pagkilala ng mga Pilipino sa kanilang karapatang makapagtatag ng isang bayang may soberenya at sariling pamamahala.

                Ano nga ba ang kasaysayan tungo sa kalayaan ng ating bansa? Nagsimula ang lahat sa pag-aalsa ng mga rebolusyonaryong Katipunero noong 1896, na nagdulot sa kasunduan sa pagitan ni gobernador-heneral Primo de Rivera at ng mga Pilipino. Dahil dito, ipinatapon si Emilio Aguinaldo, dating alkalde ng Cavite at lider ng rebolusyon doon, papuntang Hong Kong. Samantalang patuloy ang paghahangad ng mga Pilipino sa kanilang paglaya, lihim na gumagawa ang magiting na lider sa ibayong dagat upang makapagplano ng mga istratehiya. Kaniyang kinausap sina Rounceville Wildman, konsul ng Amerika sa Hong Kong, at E. Spencer Pratt, konsul ng Amerika sa Singapore, na kapwa nakipagkasundo na tutulungan ng bansang Estados Unidos ang Pilipinas upang makamit ang emansipasyon ng bansa laban sa mga Espanyol, sa kondisyong papanig ito sa kanila. Bagaman walang isinulat na pormal na dokumento ang dalawang panig, pumayag pa rin si Aguinaldo sa paniniwalang maaaring ito na ang sagot sa kanilang matagal nang suliranin. Nilabanan ng pwersang Amerikano, sa pamumuno ni Komodoro George Dewey, ang mga plotang Espanyol, na pinamumunuan ni Almirante Patricio Montojo, kung saan ang una ay nagwagi sa kabila ng mas kaunting bilang. Dahil dito, nagsimulang humina ang lakas ng mga Kastila sa mga bayan at lalawigan, at unti-unting naitaboy ang mga ito.

                Sa pagbalik ni Emilio Aguinaldo sakay ng barkong McCulloch papuntang Cavite, dala-dala niya ang mga susi sa pagtataguyod ng kalayaan ng bansa. Habang nasa Hong Kong pa lamang, itinahi na nina Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo, at Delfina Herbosa de Natividad ang watawat ng Pilipinas. Sa balkonahe ng bahay ni Aguinaldo sa Cavite El Viejo (kasalukuyang Kawit) ginanap ang pagwawagayway ng pambansang sagisag ng bansa habang pinatutugtog ang Marcha Nacional Filipina (dating kilala bilang Marcha Filipina Magdalo, at ngayon bilang Lupang Hinirang), na ginawa ni Julian Felipe, isinulat ni Jose Palma, at ginanap ng bandang San Francisco de Malabon. Si Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, isang abugado at awtor, ang lumikha at bumasa ng Kasulatan ng Deklarasyon ng Kalayaan, na nilagdaan ng siyamnapu’t walong katao. Sa totoo lang ay hindi tinanggap ng kapwa Espanyol at Amerikano ang pangyayaring ito, ngunit sa kabila ng lahat, ito ang nag-ugat sa isipan ng mga Pilipino sa kagustuhang magkaroon ng sariling pamamahala ang Pilipinas, kung saan naging unang pangulo ng unang republika si Aguinaldo. Ngayong ika-sandaan at limampu’t limang anibersaryo ng Araw ng Kalayaan ng Pilipinas, na may temang, “Ambagan Tungo sa Malawakang Kaunlaran,” muling ginugunita ng sambayanang Pilipino ang pangyayaring nagsimula sa kagitingan ng ating mga unang ama na magkamit ng kasarinlan, na ngayo’y tinatamo ng bawat isa. Sa patuloy na pag-unlad ng mga Pilipino sa iba’t ibang larangan, nawa’y matanim at huwag mahugot sa puso ng lahat ang mithiing maipaglaban ang kalayaan at kapangyarihan ng ating minamahal na bansa, na siyang “lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati’t pagsinta.”

Reflection: The Real Meaning of All Saint's Day

Hiyaa! I'm gonna be posting some of the reflection papers and essays I made during my high school life. Enjoy! (:

--

A written report about

The Real Meaning of All Saint’s Day

By Pastor Eduardo Lapiz

Carl Angelo Mateo Caluag

Introduction:

            Our country, the Philippines, is full of traditions. Culture is manifested on every island. There is the Christmas or Pasko, the Holy Week or Mahal na Araw, and the one many people commemorate every first day of November, the All Saint’s Day. But if we profess that we are Christians, our beliefs must be based on the Foundation of our Faith, the Bible. We must be warned that not every tradition and lifestyle is in harmony with God’s Word. There are misconceptions many people don’t understand, and so, they are blinded by what their family and relatives believe and practice. Customs and social behavior are mixed with colorful superstitions, pleasing to the eye, but piercing to the Spirit. Deep inside, these traditions have their true meaning in the Bible, which when we discover, will cause such a great impact on why and how we believe these things.

            The All Saint’s Day, popularly called Undas, Todos Los Santos, and even All Soul’s Day or Halloween, is very important to Filipinos, as it dates back to the Spanish Era, the time Roman Catholicism is inherited by thousands of our ancestors. It is one of the main Catholic traditions concerning the “veneration of the saints,” the “honoring of the dead.” As we all know, they have a lot of saints, perhaps thousands of them, all over the world. But what do we really know about them? Who are the so-called “saints”? How are they different to us? And how are they described according to God’s Word?

I.                   Who are the Saints?

A.    “Saints” according to the Bible, God’s Holy Word

1.      They are not made by man. They cannot be confirmed as one by a human being, because they too are fallible.

2.      They are not made by ceremonies or processes.

3.      A man is made saint only through Jesus Christ, which is above human. Only He can give Sainthood. Apart from Him, no one can be a “saint.”

4.      Sainthood is given by God’s decision. It is a gift.

5.      They must believe in the Lordship of Jesus. Before they can be called “saints,” they first must be saved. According to the Bible, a person can be saved only by grace through faith. By believing in His sanctifying grace, they can have the title, “Children of God.” They are born again not by flesh, but of Jesus Christ. Salvation is personal, not just by being a member of the church.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Acts 16:31 – “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.”

John 1:12-13 – “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

John 3:3 – “In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

6.      They are made clean by Christ’s blood. They have received the Spirit of God, and so are walking in the ways of Jesus. They live according to the truth presented in the Word.

1 John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”

7.      People should pray FOR the saints, not TO the saints.

Ephesians 6:18 – “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

B.     “Saints” According to Man, or “Man-made Saints”

1.      People should not be against them, but against human error. It is not their fault that they are made and called “saints” by canonization (in the Roman Catholic Church, declaring a person, especially a dead one, to be a saint); hence, they should not be blamed accordingly.

2.      They are qualified as a “saint,” because they have done a good work, a majestic act, or a miraculous thing, which is contrary to what the Bible teaches about righteousness by faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

3.      They do not possess God-like qualities, such as Omnipresence (presence everywhere at the same time), Omniscience (knowing all things), and Omnipotence (having unlimited or very great power), contrary to what men believe. Worship is intended only to God and God alone, and “saints” are not to be made idols, according to the first and second of Ten Commandments. They are not to be revered, given adoration and praise, and prayed to, because they too are lower beings, having finite mind, and not immortals.

First Commandment:

Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Second Commandment:

Exodus 20:4-5 – “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God...”

Þ    The Roman Catholic Church teaches what they call the three kinds of worship, namely:

a.       Latria – Supreme worship which can be lawfully given to God only

b.      Dulia – Secondary kind of worship, used in veneration of the saints and angels

c.       Hyperdulia – Worship given to the Virgin Mary as the most sacred of mortal creatures (superior to dulia)

This teaching contradicts the first and second commandment, which says that we should have no other gods (or even goddesses) and not to worship them.

4.      They are not mediators. We do not need them to come to God, for we can directly approach God by prayer in Jesus’ name, and not by any other name. We only have one mediator, and that is Jesus Christ, not the Blessed Mary, nor St. Paul, nor St. John, nor anyone else. Communicating with them or through them is necromancy, which is not accepted by the Word’s teachings. Sometimes, curses are afflicted upon those who practice it, e.g. people who are possessed by evil spirits.

1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 8:19 – “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead in behalf of the living?”

2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers...will inherit the kingdom of God.”

II.                What is the Real All Saint’s Day?

The Real All Saint’s Day is the day where the saints will be glorified by God’s will. The Real All Saint’s Day is the day where the saints will be caught up together with Jesus in the air. The Real All Saint’s Day is the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 – “According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”

We are called by the Lord to walk in the light, as He is in the light. Darkness is all around us, here in this world full of sin. The devil is at work, at work against us. Through our customs and traditions, He had managed to spread the destructive lie to many people around the world.

Mark 7:8 – “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

Because of this, we are called to share the truth to the people as early as now.

Being a matter of life and death, we should invite not just a few, but everybody, to come to Christ for the Real All Saint’s Day. Knowing these things, we are somehow obliged for the lives of these men, for if we are aware of their false activities, and don’t do anything about it, we are consciously sinning. We are like watchmen of Ancient Israel, who warn the people when the enemies are approaching by sounding the trumpet. They are holding accountability for the lives of the Israelites. The safety of the city is dependent upon them.

Ezekiel 33:6-7 – “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes  and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.”

            Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back for His beloved children. That would be the greatest day on the life of the true saints. They shall be filled with everlasting joy, as they are being changed in the twinkling of an eye, from a wretched, desperate sinner to a glorified child of God. They shall behold Him with praise and adoration, with a resounding “At last!” cry. These saints, not necessarily those who are called as one, or those with a title “Saint” prior to their names, but these saints who endured the trials, who kept their faith in Jesus, who are saved by His grace through faith, will receive the culmination of God’s blessing on that great and marvelous day: the Real All Saint’s Day.

**Scripture quotations credited to NIV from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.

Overall Insights:

I am so impressed at what the Bible has to say about All Saint’s Day. First of all, the thought that everyone can be a saint without so much long processes, that all it takes for us to be a saint is to be saved by having faith in the Lord’s saving grace and to be purified by Christ’s blood, is so wonderful and awe-inspiring. I thank God so much for showing me the truth directly from His Word. I thank God because He is giving me a gift I would be a fool to resist. Such precious gift of salvation, so freely and generously offered to each and every one of us. It is not my good works, not even my obedience, which saved me. It is His effort, His gift, His power, His grace. As it is in the song: “Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done; Not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are.”

Second, I realized the significance of God’s Holy Law, the Ten Commandments. I should strive to obey God, not because there is a curse on those who disobey it. For if my obedience is powered by fear, what is the meaning of my submission? I should strive to obey God, because I love Him, because He is the greatest of all the great, and who am I to go on my own way? The Creator is superior to the creature. The Law is a reflection of the Creator’s character: pure, just, and holy. I praise God for this truth!

And lastly, being a Seventh-Day Adventist, I am once again inspired to focus my life on the Second Coming of Jesus. The message preached brightened the light of a blessed future. It also gave me more eagerness to share Jesus’ love to everyone. Although at times there may be  barriers, at times the enemy is seeking to prevent our Mission, at times the people may have hardened and unrepentant hearts, the message gives me the urge to continue, and to double my effort. After all, it’s not for me. It is for God, and His people. The truth given to me must be shared. The people living in the midst of falsehood must be warned.

My deepest resolution after I heard the message is to “walk in the light, as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). I believe that Jesus should be the ultimate paragon of every saints. I will give devotion to God. I will pray to Him continually, for I believe that prayer is the breath of the soul, and a prayerless saint is hardly a saint at all. In the end, I know that there is a Heaven waiting for me. I am filled with so much anticipation, when I think of Jesus coming back, to take me to where He is, at that glorious day. ~