1 Corinthians 9:15-18 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,&nbs ..read more

Proverbs 12:11-12 11 Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense. 12 The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures. 10 Years The Ilokano term for “Kadyos” or “Pigeon Peas” is “Kardis.” In the first 10-years of our stay in Canada, I was craving for “Kardis.” I came to know that “Pigeon Peas” is the English term of “Kardis” after 10-years of stay in Canada. Whenever my family asks, “What’s food for dinner?” and I say, “10-years.” They know that “Kardis,” “Kadyos” or “Pigeon Peas” is our food for d ..read more

1 Corinthians 9:11-14 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel sh ..read more

Proverbs 12:9-10 9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food. 10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Sedan or Sport Car There are numerous videos circulated online where somebody pretending to be nobody. In one online video of a rich young woman wears ordinary outfit; she was presented taking selfie of herself in front of a sedan. Then an owner of the sedan approached the young woman and handed her the key and told her, “Here is the key; get inside the car so that your selfie ..read more

1 Corinthians 9:6-10  6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,&nb ..read more

Proverbs 12:7-8 7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm. 8 A person is praised according to their prudence, and one with a warped mind is despised. Muscles There was an article about old age and struggle of losing muscle. Muscles of older people shrink. And it’s advisable to have regular exercise to maintain or slowdown losing muscles. Exercise is necessary to maintain physical strength. The stronger muscles you’ve got, the better you appreciate physical work. Activities like sport, even travels demand strength. Travelling requires ..read more

1 Corinthians 9:1-5 1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?  Anxious Do you still remember the fir ..read more

Proverbs 12:5-6 5 The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful. 6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. Choices There are different choices in life. You apply for employment at different institutions, and you may get multiple offers. You have to choose which company gives you the better benefits. You go to a restaurant; you decide which food you wish to eat. You go shopping and buy the best things you prefer for yourself. Yet not everyone may prefer for betterment. There are individuals who just se ..read more

Proverbs 12:3-4 3No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted. 4A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. Buy or Rent Which one do you prefer: To buy a house or just rent one? According to experts, to buy a house or just rent has pros and cons. If you settle for extended time in one place, it is more favorable to buy a house, and then you sell your house when you decide to relocate somewhere else. But if you are transient and stay for few months or less in particular place, you may prefer to r ..read more

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister t ..read more