Reflection 1

                We cannot go to our destination without knowing how to start the engine. Knowing the history of the church is like learning how to write when we were young. Many errors we have, a lot of learning we acquire, and then we grow from our mistakes. To know the mistake of the church is very important, for it is a discipline from God on how to act righteously wherein Christ is the head of the church. A church who doesn’t recognize its mistake is worthy to be thrown and destroy its foundation. When Christ gave the authority, its body should submit.

                It’s disappointed side is that when other church people were already devoted to their church, they tend to defend their faith and would not listen to others’ opinion. There, selfishness would rise. Some people would look rather to the mistakes of some churches in history and would consider it as an error who was not corrected. Knowing that there are differences in beliefs, some people would discriminate the other churches and become so proud because of their church. Other pride would see when the building itself erected upward considering it as the true church. Church history focuses on what is the right teaching in the Bible.

Reflection 2

                We know already that those who believed in Christ will someday undergo persecution. It is a challenge of faith for every believers that when they suffer they will hold on to their faith until their death. Through persecution, a person can be seen better if he is in the midst of it. A true character will show if trouble grows. Persecution does not bring hopelessness to a person, but it is a highest testing stage of what our faith in Christ really is. Persecution of Christians in history is another way of God’s plan that His gospel would spread throughout the area. Persecution strengthens more every believer and it makes them comfortable enough knowing that their names were written in heaven.

                There could be a negative side if believers in Christ were not so true enough in their faith. A neglection of faith is not worthy to be called a believer at all, rather it is better to say he’s just a feeler. Even in the present day there is still persecution among the Christians, and some of them were silent persecution. Some will be threatened to death and some will be denied. Even though that’s what a Christian would face, it is part of the mission of God that His fame will be heard among the nations.

Reflection 3

                God’s work cannot be judged. He uses people treating them equally for the ministry. When God has a plan to use the righteous, He will do it willingly. When he has a plan to use the wicked, He can do it according to His will. God doesn’t choose anyone on whom He will choose. In history, He uses people who doesn’t have the faith in Him. When God is actively working, He will use everything just to make it succeed. Just like in our lives, He uses our past experiences both good and bad that we will grow into it and we would grow into His knowledge. What we might think of wrong is maybe right to Him, so it’s better that we would bring all the request to Him for He knows what to do.

                The success of a task to bring the gospel to everyone is a work of God. There could be some people who were just forced to believe, but some of them will soon truly believe, just like Thomas, a disciple of Jesus. Constantine is a great warrior and depends on his strength, we are not sure if his conversion were really true but for sure it is a remarkable work of God.

Reflection 4

                When our life was surrounded with wickedness and we are the only one who stays righteous, can we stand still in our faith? When Justin Martyr was persecuted, he remains faithful as he was converted and starting of the work. To live a life worthy of the calling is even to live a legacy after death. Even at the end of life wherein I will choose between life and death, whereas to choose life  is neglecting of faith, I’d rather choose death wherein I kept my faith and that the reward is with me in heaven and that the Master of the field says to me, “Good and faithful servant!” Sometimes it’s the legacy that people would remember us and wonder what makes us, us who were so firm in the faith. It’s about the legacy that would inspire other people and could contribute to their life. As what Justin Martyr did at the end of his life, a faith worthy of the calling.

Reflection 5

                When crusaders came to change the history, its fame even reaches to the ends of the earth. At the beginning of Muslim, it’s easy to think that they were supposed to vanish if the Christians had just a unity with each other. Even the unity of Christians to restore Jerusalem is a hard one. The crusaders that traveled from miles lost their victory because of lack of unity with each other. Same as with the church for today, it will not remain as forever but there will be a time that the members inside will grow cold and were not interested to go to church anymore. When the church turns to wickedness, evil will follow as well.

Reflection 6

                To bring the Gospel to everyone, God will use a lot of people of different tongue, and nation to fulfill His will. There were saints whom Catholics claimed as their own but actually belongs to church history. An equipped church cannot grow if it doesn’t have to accept correction. Sometimes when pride reigns in a person’s heart, it affects the whole church and the essence of a Christ-centered church will lose its meaning. In order to grow in faith, I don’t have to be defensive and stand that I am right in what I am doing. I have to accept correction for sometimes it is the voice of God to make me corrected.

Reflection 7

                What makes a person saint in the past is because of their work and contribution in the church. The main goal of what the Catholics called “Saints” is to spread the Gospel, not to become famous through their works. Sad to say, a lot of Catholics believed that to pray for them is to receive an answer. It’s disgusting to pray in front of a deaf, breathless, speechless, paralyzed statue when there is a God whom even though He cannot be seen but can hear our prayers, can talk to us through His word, gives us life that we might live, and helps us move through His Holy Spirit. The saints of the Catholics indeed are worthy to praise because of their effort to bring the Gospel to other people, but it is wrong when it will be turned out that they were treated as gods.

Reflection 8

                When Martin Luther gave a stand on what he believes, he stand on it confidently knowing that the truth he believes is based on the Bible and not on traditions. Now there is a conflict between traditions and the Bible principle. This is what the other people had not noticed in their life. They tend to make merry for themselves not knowingly that they are sinning already. Just like the church of 16^th century, when we would go into traditions, we might forget the principle on the Scripture by which our church foundation stands. We must always go back to the Bible as our priority and as a Christ-centered person who always look on to Christ in life. Martin Luther may not be able to notice every ministry as right, there were also a part in our life that needs to be checked if it honors God.

Reflection 9

                God uses even the ugliest portion of history. When history of the church will be reviewed, an ordinary person would not believe that that was going on in the past that resulted to today’s churches. There were wars of blood among religions as to which religion is the true one. As the war continues, there rises new beliefs and make it as religion. When the unity among Christians would not stay long, there came another destroyer and finally brought it into end. In life we must have an accountable partner to which we can run to and share our problem, and it is most advisable to have a lifegroup. It is encouraging and carrying one another’s burden that the person may be encouraged and has a companion in life. A destroyer cannot come if there is a strong bond relationship between a person and his companions.

Reflection 10

                At the age of reason, new ideas came up and were evaluated if it is true. Pietism brought changes to churches and minds were opened up. It allows more people to become aware of what they are doing and it gives them the freedom to study of what is right. During the time of Pietism, no one should be put into prison for everyone holds a belief. Philosophy could not stand for spiritual matter is on fire. It widens the idea of every person and it contributed a lot to the church. The knowledge of what should be a church is a helpful one that it develops the person’s intellectual. To thirst for knowledge is a must for it develops not just a person but the whole community. I will not stop asking question why and will not stop doing trials that I may know what is the right thing to do. Learning better comes from experiences through working. How will I know if I will not move?

Reflection 11

                This week I realized that in behalf of our business in school, we must learn on how to spare time for rest. It is indeed more wonderful to go in a place wherein your soul can have personal encounter with God. There is a time for everything, and I believe that a time to rest for a moment is needed. When the world would turn into chaos, run into the mountains and talk to God and you can find peace in Him. Finding peace in the world is a choice, it’s not instant, just like we can choose to smile. A human body can easily gave in to bombarded activities, that’s why it needs rest. Resting is not necessarily to go into mountains but it can be done at home, like sleeping and massage. So it is a choice to have rest and just a concern for the cells of the body. Even the smartest person in the world needs rest.

Reflection 12

                I may not know myself better if I had not been into Bible College. The Americans that brought the Protestantism in the Philippines was a remarkable one for it brought a lot of changes in the lives of Filipinos. When the Catholicism came first into the Philippines, it brought only authority and does not allow the Filipinos to have their own Bible. Unlike the Catholics, when Protestantism came into our nation, it gives the Filipino the right to have their own Bible and read it to meditate in their home, school, or work. It even changes the life of a person and brought him nearer to Christ. The result of Protestantism is that more churches were built and more believers came to know Christ. It opened the doors of missionaries to Philippines and built more buildings for training Christians. Through their effort, frontiers of BTC were able to make it to success and passed on to generations the training of Christians. As a result, I was one of the fruit, and I want to be more fruitful in the ministry the way they trained me.