off the Beaten Path page 8

Word on the Street

What is

WOTS? WOTS is our fond acronym for Word on the Street. Ang magazine available kada quarter sa inyong mga unibersidad ug sa mga duol nga tindahan sa Sugbu. WOTS is written, laid out and printed by members of Street Level Ministries in Wisconsin and Minnesota, USA, and Cebu, Philippines. We are in partnership with one of the Campus Ministries in the country, Lifebox. We’re Christians who love Jesus and want to write about life, God and college. We’ve been printing the magazine for 14 years. Naglaum mi nga ang magazine kataw-anan, challenging ug kontrobersyal. We’d like your feedback!

wotsmagazine@gmail.com

ReadWOTS.com

JESUS SET MY LIFE IN

MOTION

An interview with Motion, a band based in Dumaguete GANAHAN RA KO

MAKIGKUYOG NIMO

Unsaon pakigduol sa Ginoo OFF THE BEATEN PATH

compare five religions: not all paths lead to God

FICTION: FOUND

ITEMS

how a lost checkbook changed Sam’s life

WHO SAYS HEAVEN

IS REAL?

dig into recent claims of visions of Heaven.

SUMMER NA!

Unsay trip nimong buhaton karong summer?

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Cover Feature

Summer Must

Do’s Pic. Here

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THE APOSTLE PAUL:

GOD CHOSE A

MURDERER

can God use a bad man for good? TINUOD NGA

SUGILANON

Istorya sa kinabuhi sa usa ka staff sa WOTS

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Word on the Street: Why did you name your band Motion? COLE: Constantly opposed to rest, always wanting to move ba nga not settling for stagnancy, dili apathetic. At the same time we want to be able to come up with songs not necessarily self-serving or people-pleasing pero something nga matandog and ubang tawo. Nga in a way God uses to move other people in whatever way we can in a humble way. WOTS: Can you introduce yourselves and the instruments you play? COLE: Basically, kami rang duha. Almost every gig, lahi-lahi ang bassist. Ako, my name is Cole, I play the guitar and sing. NIKO: Niko, drums. COLE: We recorded some songs over the past. Basically, kami lang duha, and then ako lang say mag-bass sa recording. Pero katong na-release namo nga kanta, katong “In My

COLE: One of the things that I really don’t like is the need for people to label. They feel like they can’t understand it unless it’s labelled. For me, it’s like restricting yourselves man gud. If we say that we really are a rock band, which might be true, mura ba ug we’re confined to it na if ever the need comes nga mu-R&B mi with one song, though we have never felt the need pa, and I hope we never will (laughs). we don’t want to be confined with just one sound. The question there is, “do we have a genre?” Yes we do, every type of music needs to have one. Whatever genre it is nga pinaka-wide ug coverage, we will have to stick to that. WOTS: Who are your major influences? NIKO: We have certain bands that we agree on and there are bands that we individually listen to. But we arrive to the same songs when it comes to songwriting. I listen to Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars and Mutemath. COLE: My major influence when it comes to songwriting, I will have to say Switchfoot,

Dreams” ug “The Letter”, I wrote it then kami nag-arrange sa music. We had a bassist back then, then Niko left for the States for… NIKO: Almost a year. COLE: We had to replace him with David. Siya nag-drums for roughly a year. Then pagsugod niya ug internship, si Niko ang nag-drums kay dili na man niya makaya, busy na man sad. Kada gig namo, mangita jud mi ug bahista. WOTS: Asa man mo makapangita ug bahista? COLE: Mga kaila ra pud. Mga taga lain nga banda, we ask them to play with us. Very soon, we are going to try something very different, we might ask someone to play cello for us. WOTS: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? NIKO: We are not really sure. We have different songs, we do not really stick to a certain one.

Motion, a band from Dumaguete, has performed for different causes such as the fight against human trafficking, a benefit of the Bagyong Sendong victims and more. They have fronted for Click Five’s Kyle Patrick, Sandwich and Itchyworms. We found their page on Facebook and we wanted to know their story. From the WOTS headquarters in Camp 8, Cabanbanan, Toledo City, Cebu, we arranged an interview with them through Skype. Meet the guys that make up Motion:

Cole Geconcillo: guitar and vocals Niko Fuentes: drums

Relient K and Future of Forestry. Future of Forestry is not a praise & worship band but you can really tell there are references to Jesus and salvation sa ilang mga kanta which I really like. They say Switchfoot is going undercover, pero I don’t really believe that especially with their latest album karon. If you just really take the time to read the lyrics, you will know that it’s all about Christ and Relient K, I never doubted that one, klaro man. And their songs, grabe jud kayo nga mura bag “How did you come up with that line?” and I have battled through these years, listened to their songs, ga-decode ko sa iyang style. And one thing ra jud akong masulti, I know that that kind of talent can only come from God. I also listen to One Republic, Paper Route, Mutemath and a lot more nga dili kaayo ilado diri sa Pinas. WOTS: How did you guys meet? COLE: A friend of mine, si Jericho Cadiz, nagkita mi sa usa ka Acoustic Competition sa Rob [Robinsons] which is for Valentines. Unya, we decided to get another friend to play the beat box for us. So, tulo ra mi, I have always fancied bands nga tulo lang. it was a one-time stint, nangwarta ra mi. We garnered first runner-up and me and my friend we were like, “Bai, what if ato ning padayunon ug banda gyud? Kanang mutira ug mga ganahan nato nga mga trip.” Si Niko among first choice. Duha si sila kabuok sa Dumaguete nga nadungog nga drummer gyud ba. When we contacted him, okay sad diay kaayo. WOTS: What are the themes and main topics of the songs that you write? Do you think it’s going to change over time? COLE: Ang main topics of the songs are

basically our relationship with God and with everyone else and yes, I think a good artist is one who adapts through time and ang topics should have relevance otherwise, how can you move people if you are not going to be relevant di ba? But we would like our songs to be centered and they are centered pud sa among pagtuo sa Ginoo. WOTS: Where have you performed and do you have a favourite venue? COLE: Favorite venue namo is Niko’s house. We perform in many places, we do not have a favourite really. Favorite gig hinuon. NIKO: Favorite nako was, there was this guy from The Click Five, Kyle Patrick. And we were one of the bands who performed at Freedom Park. WOTS: Why was that your favourite? NIKO: Because it was Kyle Patrick! We played for a cause. It was Rock against Human trafficking. It’s not only because daghan kaayo ug tawo or the songs were really good but it was because we didn’t just do it for nothing, we played against Human Trafficking. COLE: My favourite was katong sa Silliman, when we were fronting for Ebe and Itchyworms. WOTS: Do you guys wanna share a funny experience? NIKO: There is one that stands out. We have one song, it’s called “The Letter” and in one portion sa song, we break and count in our minds , dapat timing mi pagsulod ug balik. I counted by four and Cole counted by eight. Kami sa bassist, nagdungan mi ug sulod.

COLE: So, ako ang sayop. NIKO: Siya ang sayop. COLE: Na-notice na nila nga perfectionist ko. I don’t like it when ang song is mediocre, kanang wala gibutangan sa full potential. So kato, “dapat dungan jud ta ha, ang mental count nato ha”. Ang ending, I don’t know what happened. Ulaw pa jud kaayo kay emote pa kaayo ko then sayop diay kaayo. NIKO: Everything happened so fast, karon magtan-aw mi sa video, magkataw-anay nalang mi. WOTS: What has been the biggest challenge that the group had to face? NIKO: I think it’s looking for the third permanent member. We’ve had 3-4 bassist na and sayang ang momentum. COLE: For me, it’s coming up with a song nga worthy i-present sa Motion. WOTS: What is the ultimate direction of your band? COLE: That will be the direction that God is pointing to for us. If this is really God’s plan for us, then He will be the One to take us to places. Always following God’s glory, otherwise we’ll just be striving on our own and that’s one thing we do not want to happen. WOTS: To those who want to download your songs, what should they do? COLE: We are on www.soundcloud.com/wearemotion. And our songs are downloadable there. And you can add us on www.facebook.com/wearemotion. wearemotion on twitter.

Nagbasa ug libro ang usa ka amahan sa iyang opisina sa dihang

niduol iyang kwatro anyos nga anak ug milingkod atbang kaniya nga nagbitbit sa iyang drawing book ug mga crayons. Gibutang sa bata iyang mga gamit babaw sa lamisa, naglingkod ra gyud siya, wala naglangas, nagtan-aw sa iyang papa. Nangutana ang papa “Anak, naa kay kinahanglan?” “Wala man.” Nitubag ang bata. “Naa bay nahitabo?” “Wala man.” “Naa kay sakit nga gibati?” “Wala man.” “Okay, unsa man diay?” “Papa, anhi lang ko diri please.. Ganahan ra ko makigkuyog nimo.” Labaw sa tanan, ganahan ta masabtan sa uban. Kitang tanan naay mga gilauman, gikahadlukan, mga damgo ug mga kapakyasan. Dili ni nato ma-istorya sa bisan kinsa lang nga muagi sa karsada. Kining mga lawm nga butang, ato rang hisgutan ngadto sa mga tawo nga atong gipangga ug gisaligan. Kung sila atong kuyog, matinud-anon atong pakig-istorya. Atong pakigrelasyon sa Ginoo, sa ingon ani nga paagi, pareho sa suod nato nga relasyon sa atong mga gipangga.

Ang giladmon sa kada relasyon nagdepende sa kung unsa kalawm ang pagkaila sa duha ka tawo sa usag usa. Gibuhat na sa Dios ang unang lihok. Ang kristyanismo usa ka relasyon sa Dios ug kanimo, ug sama sa relasyon nato sa atong mga higala ug pamilya, importante ang komunikasyon. Gipaila sa Dios ang Iyang kaugalingon pinaagi sa Biblia. Ang kanabuhi nga kristohanon dili listahan sa unsa ang pwede buhaton ug unsa ang dili. Ang pag gahin ug oras pakigkuyog sa Dios dili katungdanan o obligasyon. Usa ka pribilihiyo ang pakig-istorya ug pagpaminaw sa Magbubuhat sa tibuok kalibutan nga nahigugma kanato. Para mapakita atong paghigugma Kaniya, angayan nato nga pirmi tinguhaon nga mahiduol sa Dios.

GANAHAN

MAKIGKUYOG

NIMO Ang pakigkuyog sa usa ka hinigugma dili lisod.

Kat-una unsaon pakig-uban sa Ginoo.

R A K O N G A

MATUD-ANON NGA PAKIG- ISTORYA

Hinumdumi ang pakig-istorya nimo sa imong pinakasuod nga higala. Nakig-istorya ba ka tungod kay kinahanglan jud, o tungod kay ganahan ka? Kinahanglan ba nga sakto ka pirmi o okay ra ba nga masayop ka? Kinahanglan ba nga kusgan ka pirmi o okay ra nga ipakita nimo nga nasakitan ka? Matud-anon ang atong pakig-istorya sa atong mga hinigugma – walay pagpakaharun ingon, walay kahadlok kay kabalo ta nga bisan unsa man ang mahitabo, unsa man atong isulti, pinangga gihapon ta nila.

Ang pag-ampo, sa sama nga paagi, suod nga pakig-istorya sa Dios. Ug sama nga pwede nato iduol ang tinuod natong mga kaugalingon sa atong mga hinigugma, makaduol pud ta sa Dios atong pagka kita. Ang Salmo 139:1 nag-ingon, “Oh Jehova, ikaw nakasusi kanako, ug nahibalo kanako.” Walay kahadlok nga atong malimod ug kasakit nga atong matago kay kabalo and Dios sa tanan. Dili nato kinahanglan himuon nga mas seryoso atong tingog kung mag-ampo ta, o i-memorize ang atong pag-ampo. Pakig-istorya sa Ginoo sama sa pakig-istorya nimo sa usa ka suod nga higala. Bisan sa atong kapakyasan, dili mausab ang Iyang gugma. Ang Roma 8:38 nag-ingon, “Kay nasayud ako, nga bisan ang kamatayon, bisan ang kinabuhi, bisan ang mga manolonda, bisan ang mga kagamhanan, bisan ang mga butang karon, bisan

ang mga butang nga palaabuton, bisan ang mga gahum, bisan ang kahitas-an, bisan ang kahiladman, bisan kinsa sa uban nga mga binuhat, sila dili arang makapahamulag kanato gikan sa gugma sa Dios, nga anaa kang Kristo Jesus nga atong Ginoo.”

Pakig- ilaila Kanimo Naay uban nga mga

suod nato karon nga wala ta nakauyon sa una. Naay uban nila nga makalagot pag una, maulawon o saba kaayo. Dayon nagkadugay, nakaila ta nila ug nadiskubre nato ilang mga batasan ug mga istorya sa ilang kinabuhi. Karon nga nakaila na gyud ta tinuod nila, dili diay sila pareho atong atong gihunahuna sa una.

Ang pagbasa sa atong Biblia dili lang kada Dominggo nga buhat. Ang biblia nag-ingon, “Ang tawo dili mabuhi sa pan lamang kundili sa

pulong sa Dios (Lukas 4:4)”. Ang biblia rebelasyon sa Dios sa Iyang kaugalingon. Atong pagtan-aw Kaniya mahimong mas klaro sa matag panahon nga mubasa ta mahitungod Kaniya. Ang pagpaniid kung unsa ang gibuhat sa Dios sa mga tawo sa Biblia maghatah kanato ug mas lawm ug mas sakto nga pagsabot sa Iyang kinaiya ug personalidad. Pinaagi niini, mas makaila ta sa Dios. Kung unsa ang makalipay Kaniya, unsa ang makapasakit sa Iyang kasing-kasing. Ang pulong sa Dios maoy kalan-on sa kalag. Dili nato pasmuhon ang atong lawas, dili pud nato angay nga pasmuhon ang kalag.

Pag Gahin ug Oras Kasuway ka nga

nakig-istorya sa usa ka tawo samtang nagkaon, nagtext o nagshopping? Daku ang posibilidad nga dili klaro inyong istorya kay daghan mang samok. Ang uban nga mga tawo ingon ani ang buhaton sa ilang pakigkauban sa Dios. Daghan silag gibuhat samtang magbasa sa ilang Biblia. Dili mahimong lawm ilang pakigkuyog sa Dios kay katag ang utok. Ang atong tinguha mao nga makahatag ta ug kalidad nga panahon uban ang Ginoo. Ipalayo ang mga butang nga makadistorbo: i-silent ang cellphone o pawnga, pangita ug lugar nga maka-focus ka, pag-inom ug kape para ka makamata. Paglain ug panahon nga para ra jud sa Ginoo ug ayaw pagsugot nga makuhaan na nga panahon sa uban nga butang sa kinabuhi. Ang uban ganahan magbasa sa Biblia sa buntag inig mata, ang uban sa gabii bag-o matulog. Kung kanus-a ug kung unsa katas-a sa panahon, depende na na nimo.

Sa imong pag gahin ug oras para makigkuyog sa Dios, pagsugod ug pag-ampo. Pasalamati ang Ginoo sa bag-ong adlaw ug pangayo sa giya sa Espiritu Santo sa pagsabot sa Biblia ug sa kusog ug dispilina sa pakigkuyog Kaniya kada adlaw. Naay online materials nga makatabang. Among gibutang sa ubos ang link. Pwede ka musubscribe ani nga mga resources ug ipadala nila ang tun-anan kada adlaw sa imong email. Pero kining mga resources mga giya lamang, dili puli sa Biblia. Pagbasa ug libro sa Biblia. Maayo sugdan ang Juan o Mateo. Makit-an nato didto ang kinabuhi ni Hesus ug makat-on ta sa mga butang nga Iyang gibuhat samtang diri Siya sa yuta. Mas maayo pud kung dili lukso-lukso imong pagbasa para makakuha ka ug konteksto. Mura kag nagbasa ug nobela. Sa imong pagpadayon, mas masabtan nimo ang mga tawo sa istorya ug ang ilang mga personalidad. Mas masabtan nimo nganong ilang gipangbuhat ang mga butang nga ilang gibuhat. Ang nakanindot lang sa Biblia, tinuod ang mga tawo ug panghitabo nga naa ngadto.

Inspirasyon Ang mas pagkaila sa Ginoo pinaagi sa

Iyang pulong ug pakigkuyog Kaniya sa pag-ampo maghimo sa atong relasyon Kaniya nga kusgan ug puno sa gugma. Kini makahatag ug seguridad kung kinsa ka diha kang Kristo --- ikaw Iyang hinigugma. Si Hesus anak sa Dios, pero Iyang malipayon nga gihalad Iyang kinabuhi, namatay Siya sa krus para nimo. Pinangga ka sa Dios labaw sa Iyang kaugalingong kinabuhi. Pinangga kaayo ka sa Dios ug walay makapahimulag kanimo sa Iyang gugma (Roma 8:38-39)

Ang kalipay sa pagkakaplag sa katagbawan sa imong kalag diha kang Hesus mulanog ug mulanog kini nga kusog sa imong kinabuhi. Gikan sa ehemplo ni Hesus, nakat-unan nato nga angayan ta mualagad sa uban diha sa gugma, dili mamakak ug paghigugma sa atong mga kaaway. Sa mas pagkaila nato sa Dios ug sa pakigrelasyon Kaniya, hatagan ta ug gahum sa Espiritu Santo nga makahimo nato sa paghigugma nga tinuod. Atong kinabuhi

Ang Biblia naay mga pagtudlo ug pagbadlong. Sa Joshua 1:8 nag-ingon, “Ayaw pag-ibulag kining basahon sa Kasuguan sa imong baba; hinonoa magpalandung ka niana sa adlaw ug sa gabii, aron himatngonan mo sa pagbuhat sumala sa tanan nga gisulat dinha: kay sa ingon niana makab-ut mo ang kauswagan.”gihatag ni nga sugo kang Joshua sa katong siya na ang bag-ong leader human namatay si Moses. Nakit-an ni Joshua nga dili siya perpektp pero nahimo siyang madaugon kay nituman siya sa Dios. Ang James 1:22 nag-ingon “Apan himoa nga magtutuman kamo sa pulong, ug dili lamang magpapanimati, nga nagalimbong kamo sa inyong kaugalingon.” Ang pagkabalo pero dili pagtuman walay pulos. Kini usik sa oras, usik sa kinabuhi.

Sakto nga Tambag Kung dili ta kabalo

unsa ang angayan nga buhaton, muduol dayon ta sa atong mga suod nga higala nga kabalo ta nga sultihan ta nila sa tinuod, badlungon ta kung sayop ta ug hatagan maayo nga tambag. Kabalo ta pinangga ta nila ug tungod kay nisalig ta nila, maminaw ta sa ilang tambag. Mabasa nato sa Salmo 119:105 “Ang imong pulong maoy lamparahan sa akong mga tiil, Ug kahayag sa akong agianan.” Ang Biblia mao ang suwat sa Dios para sa matag usa kanato. Maoy atong mapa. Gihatagan ta sa Dios sa tanang importante nga impormasyon nga kinahanglan nato dili lang para mabuhi niining kalibutan pero para magkinabuhi ta nga puno sa kalipay.

mahimong pamatuod sa Iyang gugma ug makit-an na sa tanan nga mutan-aw. Ang pagkasinati sa Dios gamhanan kaayo nga makausab sa atong kinabuhi. Naay mga buhat nato sa una nga dili na nato ganahan buhaton karon. Mahimo ta nga mas maayo muhimo ug mga desisyon kay kahibalo na ta unsay gusto sa Ginoo. Kabalo na ta unsay mas importante sa kinabuhi. Sa usa ka mahigugmaong pakigrelasyon sa Dios, makigkuyog ta Niya dili tungod ka gisugo ra ta pero kay tungod ang atong kalag magmalipayon nga duol Kaniya.

Online Daily Devotional Resources: Truth for Life Daily - truthforlife.org/resources/daily-devotionals Harvest Devotionals - harvest.org/devotional Our Daily Bread - odb.org My Utmost for His Highest - utmost.org Blue Letter Bible – blueletterbible.org

m o r a l i t y

k a r m a

p e a c e

G o d

h a p p i n e s s

Nobody looks at the world today without coming to the conclusion that humanity seems lost, and it’s not from lack of trying to follow a path. Humans have an internal moral compass, something in us that recognizes good and evil. C.S. Lewis made an interesting point: “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”

Who placed this sense of right and wrong within us? Various religions have sought to answer this question for centuries, and the prescribed directions for following this moral compass are endless. In classrooms across the world, the cry that all religions are “basically the same” rings out. Countless professors explain how man seems to have fallen to the base of a mountain and is trying to get to God at the top by means of multiple paths. They explain that the problem of which path one takes to God at the summit is simply a matter of preference. After all, they claim, the real goal is to be a good person and climb to the top with all the might morality, karma and good deeds can muster.

the Beaten Path

off

But to a careful observer a different truth emerges. All paths are NOT the same, and, surprisingly,

no amount of climbing can ever result in a relationship with God. Could it be that our moral compass is there primarily to show how lost we really are and drive us to understand our need for a rescuer?

The simple study of major world religions that follows reveals imperfect humanity’s futile attempts to reach a perfect God. But there is hope. God has not asked us to trudge a trail to the top, but to reach our hands up for rescue.

Continued on next page…

Humanity’s default position is at the bottom of the mountain. We’re all in the same predicament as we look at the summit, wondering how to reach the top. Religion in

any form is essentially an attempt to explain the route to reach the top—a mountain climber’s map. Below are brief overviews of the origins of five major world religions.

ORIGINS:

Buddhism The origins of Buddhism trace back to an Indian prince, Siddharta Gautama, around 500 BC. He led a sheltered life until one day he saw an old man, a sick man, a poor man, and a corpse. Shocked and distressed by the suffering of the world, the young prince left his wife and child in order to seek enlightenment and escape the pain that was so prevalent around him. Through a minimalist lifestyle and meditation (emptying the mind of thoughts for long periods of time), Siddharta became the Buddha, meaning “enlightened one”. He then went on to teach this way of life to others who were looking to escape the pain of being human. 1

Hinduism Hinduism has no singular founder or teacher, but sprung up in the ancient tribes of India and developed with the culture from then on. By the end of the 19th century, "Hinduism" was adopted by the British colonial administration in India to describe the various religious beliefs and practices of the majority of India's population.2 Today 85-95% of the world’s Hindus live in India.3 There are many gods in this pantheistic religion, but the three main ones are Brahma (god of creation), Vishnu (god who preserves the universe), and Shiva (god of destruction).4

Islam Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all “Abrahamic”, meaning they all recognize the historical figure Abraham as an integral part of their belief system and recognize the Old Testament (the first part of the Bible) to be true.5 In Islam, he is the father of Ishmael and the lineage of Ishmael leads to Muhammad, the founder of Islam.6 Muhammad was a camel driver who was believed to have been visited by the angel Gabriel. This angel went on to inform

Christianity The origin of Christianity is rooted in the Judaism. Christians also worship one God, Jehovah, but believe that His promised Messiah is Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin in 3 BC,9 was put to death and raised from the dead in 33 AD. Christianity pivots on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Old Testament, there were over 300 prophesies made about the Messiah: what heritage He would come from, where He would be born, how He would live, how He would die, and that He would rise again from the dead.10 Jesus claimed to be God in flesh, who had come from Heaven—fully man and fully God. While He was on Earth, he closely traveled with 12 men, taught great multitudes, performed miracles, healed the sick, raised dead people and proclaimed to be the Messiah the scriptures pointed to. When He was about 30 years old, the Jewish people brought Jesus before the Roman government in Jerusalem asking them to kill Him because He claimed He was God. The Romans killed Jesus by means of crucifixion in an attempt to appease the Jews. Three days later, Jesus’ resurrection occurred. This was authenticated by more than 500 people who physically saw Him, the eyewitnesses that wrote it down in the New Testament, and in secular Jewish historical records, i.e. the writings of Josephus.11 Eyewitness testimony states that He was then taken up into Heaven by God where He currently lives to act as a mediator between sinful humanity and a holy God.

The Paths, the Rescue Every beginning has an end. The way a religion is formed dictates the path its followers travel. Of these five origins, all but one are rooted in humanity’s efforts—our mountain climbing capabilities. Only Christianity offers an alternative to the well-worn path of self-effort: the hand of God reaching down.

Muhammad that he was the final prophet from God to humanity, and dictated the Qur’an (the Islamic scriptures) to him bit by bit over a 23 year period.7 Muhammad went on to spread what he had been told, but it was met with great opposition from the culture he was living in. In 622 AD, Muhammed fled from Mecca to Medina where he established the first Islamic community. He returned to Mecca in 628 AD with 10,000 men. They entered the city unchallenged and forced the Quarish (the leading tribe of Mecca) to convert to Islam.7

Judaism The history of the Jewish nation is recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Jews believe in only one God, Jehovah. God chose the Jewish people as the nation He would relate specifically to in order to show the whole world His love and character. The first Jew was Abraham, whom God called out of Ur8 and into the land of Canaan, which today we know of as Israel. The history of Abraham’s life can be found in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. The Old Testament then records Moses, who gave God’s laws to the people and led the Jewish nation out of Egyptian slavery. After Moses died, God led Joshua to conquer the land that He had promised them. It is there in Jerusalem, Israel where God instructed the people to build a temple for Him where they would worship Him and offer sacrifices to God for their sins. However, the hope of the Jewish faith always rested in the promise of a Messiah or Savior, whom they believe has not yet arrived.9 The rest of the Old Testament documents the kings of Israel and Judah, the Jews’ exile into Babylon and the words of God’s prophets warning the people to repent of their sins.

The reason we all try to climb is because we believe there is something more than us to climb toward. We climb because, in actuality, there is one true God. He knows everything, is always present and is all-powerful. He is holy, which means He can’t be in the presence of sin. This means that no efforts to reach God by our “good deeds” or devotion can bring us into His presence due to the fact that we can’t remove our own sin. In fact, He says our attempts to reach Him with our sin-filled efforts are disgusting to Him. What He wants is not our deeds, but a complete surrender of our lives and our hearts to Him grounded in love.12 God is personal—He desires an intimate relationship with each person He created, not a merit system.

Sin is the impassable divide between all humanity and the God that loves us and created us. Sin is the default nature of all humans everywhere. It is falling short of the perfection of God that is required to be in His presence. It ranges in scope from lying, murdering, gossiping, cheating, to being perverted or angry and so many more. God is just, and He can’t brush away or wink at our sin like it doesn’t matter. The penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God. Humans prefer to try to put a dent in the sin debt we’ve racked up by jumping through a score of religious hoops. The truth remains that our religious deeds are incapable of bridging the divide between man and God. We can’t deal with sin on our own; we can only hide it or try to repress it. There is only One person who can kill it.

GOD SIN

Buddhism: The Path Buddha’s method begins with the Four Noble Truths. Then, a person must follow the Noble Eightfold Path to further escape misery.15 If you can’t eliminate all your pain in this way, the solution is to try harder. Buddhism doesn’t really focus on a deity (one God or many gods) that can aid in the escape of human agony. The Buddha isn’t seen or worshiped as a god, and his teachings are non-theistic because they mainly focus on the reality of suffering and how to escape.16 Buddhist scriptures include the Pali Canon (or Tripitaka) which was not written by Buddha. According to legend, the texts were transferred through the years by memorization and chanted by generations of monks. They were finally written down in the first century B.C.17 Through refusing to think about all of one’s suffering, and maintaining a lifestyle that lives up to the Noble Eightfold Path, it is believed that one can escape the constant cycle of reincarnation. One may also reach nirvana, which some believe to be a heavenly paradise or the complete cessation of being.18

Islam: The Path According to the Qur’an, there are five guiding principles called the Five Pillars of Islam. These include acknowledging one God (Allah) and his messenger Muhammad, praying five times a day facing Mecca, giving to charity, fasting during Ramadan, and traveling to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.13 Muslims believe that their purpose in life is to live in a way that is pleasing to Allah so that he may allow them into eternal paradise. Salvation—admittance into paradise—is never guaranteed in Islam unless you die as a martyr. It is based entirely on a person’s works. Everyone will have to “pass through hell” for a time before their works are judged, and it is only after that when it is determined whether they will be allowed to enter into paradise.14

Hinduism: The Path The main goal of Hinduism is to store up good karma (this word translates to “act” or “deed”)19 by following the Vedas, the main scripture for the Hindu religion.20 Other scriptures include the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Ramayana. The origin of the Vedas is a bit murky, as they were handed down throughout the years by spoken word, but they were finally compiled by Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana around 1500 BC.21 It is believed that after a spirit travels through 8,400,000 species it then is born as a human.22 This would mean one being would need to live 8,400,000 lives in which their good karma outweighed their bad karma. Once a spirit has lived a perfect life and done enough good deeds, they die and completely cease to be, i.e. nirvana.20 Basic Hindu practices that are said to build karma include, but are not limited to, yoga, meditation, worship (puja), vegetarianism, devotion to a god or goddess, pilgrimage to holy cities, and living according to one's dharma (purpose/ role).23

Christianity: Rescue Christianity is God reaching out to people through Jesus Christ instead of people trying to attain acceptance by God. Jesus, who was fully God and fully human, died for humanity’s sin, paying once and for all the penalty we deserve. He rose from the dead and is alive today and forever. In this, He created the only possible bridge across the sin divide that separates us from God.

From the beginning of His ministry on Earth, Jesus was clear that He was not just another

prophet or sage. His actions, miraculous power and words set Him apart, as did the very witness of God the Father that Jesus was His promised Savior. Jesus never told people to

follow rules to get to heaven. Instead, He offered the option of coming to Him with our sin to be forgiven as the only means of having a relationship with God. Jesus said in

John 14:6, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.” (emphasis added)

He was clear that all paths do not lead to God. The only way to God is through Jesus Himself.

Sources cited on page 21

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and

the prophets long ago.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we

are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.

People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice

shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he

was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to

demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be

right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have

done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not

based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.”

-Romans 3:20-27

Judaism: The Path A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism.24 The Jews hold to the Torah—the first five books of the Bible—which is God’s law revealed to them. Among these laws are the Ten Commandments,25 which outline God’s requirements for right living. Another important book is the Talmud,26 which serves as a guide to the civil and religious laws of Judaism. Jewish law, called halakhah, literally "the path one walks," includes rituals and religious observances grounded in an elaborate framework of divine commandments, combined with rabbinic laws and traditions. Traditional Judaism includes a belief in heaven and hell, which are both described in the Old Testament scriptures. One’s eternal destination as a Jew can be pursued by means of good deeds toward others and God. However, an uncertainty remains regarding eternal placement in either heaven or hell.

found items Sam put down his remote and scraped himself off the floor. He set out for the grocery store on his weekly journey to stock up on some much needed food. For 40 days he had been unemployed and had since picked up the shopping and cleaning duties while his wife took extra hours down at the diner. Sam’s fuel-sucking pickup was out of gas again, and the bicycle his in-laws got him was on the garage floor in pieces, so he set off walking down the crack-stricken sidewalk. Sam reflected on days past: his extraordinary hunting trips, his 24-foot boat, and taking his wife out for elegant dinners.

As he passed by all the high class houses in his neighborhood, Sam was overcome with feelings of failure, guilt, and discontentment. Twenty minutes later, he found himself passing through the rotating doors of the grocery store. That day the store looked different: expensive. For the first time in his life he found himself shopping for a bargain. He began saying things like, “I did not go to college to shop like this,” and, “How is my family going to survive on this kind of food?” He recalled his mom bargain shopping when he was a kid. He had made a promise to himself that he would never make his

kids eat generic Oreos. After cresting the pride mountain, he snapped back to reality after he noticed his cart full of goods. It was about half a cart more than he could afford. Standing at the checkout, embarrassed and lowly, he placed his goods on the conveyer hoping to scrape up the change to pay his full bill. His three twenties, three fives and a single dollar were a far cry from the $146 charge up on the screen. With confidence, he handed the cashier his platinum card. “DECLINED” popped up on the screen twice, so in desperation he pleaded with the clerk to wipe down the black strip and try again. After being declined for a third time, Sam chuckled nervously and said, “Well, I guess it’s just not going to work today. I’ve got some cash, so we we’ll just have to start putting some stuff back until I can pay for the rest.” The guy behind Sam caught his eye with his unusual head bobble, probably due to some crazy music. Sam grinned, trying to not express outwardly what he was thinking inwardly. He usually did not give anyone who did not seem normal to him the time of day. Then the punk kid, twenty five if he was lucky, piped up and said, “Don’t worry bro, I got it.” Sam directed the kid to keep his money, but by that time the cashier had already ran the card. Insisting he could have paid for it if his card worked, Sam squeaked out a quiet thanks and walked out of the store. Conflicted, Sam sat on one of the store’s pine benches and lit up a smoke. He did not want to feel bad for himself like this all the time, but it seemed like there was no escape. Sam glanced to the left, and then locked his eyes to the right when he saw the punk kid who paid for his groceries earlier exit the store and hop into his 80s BMW. A natural cynic, Sam grinned and contemplated how and why this twenty-something would pay for his groceries when he drove a beater. Humbled by the actions of a younger generation, Sam picked himself up along with his six bags of goods and, with his face to the ground, started the journey home. As he trudged past the empty parking space the kid had just pulled out of, his eyes fell on a brown leather checkbook case. Usually, Sam would look past a missing item like this, but today was different – today he bent down to investigate. He figured it would be an easy fix. He figured he’d just mail the checkbook to the address on one of the checks until he opened it up to find there was nothing there except the register and a twenty tucked behind. No address. No checks. He flipped through the register looking for a pattern. If he could find a place the person visited regularly, maybe he could drop it off there. It was a long shot, but due to his recent unemployment, Sam wasn’t really in a hurry to go anywhere else. Much money was spent on utilities. Some was spent at the very grocery store he had just left. On each page, scores of various people were paid sums, and there were regular recordings of payments to a coffeehouse Sam had heard

of in the area. Still marveling at the kindness this stranger showed toward him minutes earlier, Sam started to consider his own spending habits. He pulled out his own recording of receipts. He noticed countless dollars spent on recreational gear. A high number was paid toward two mortgages and his student loans. There was a hefty check for a high buck business lunch as well as the five dollars he had given the Salvation Army at Christmas. Unable to shake off the curiosity about this stranger who didn’t think twice about helping someone in need, Sam made up his mind to return the checkbook.

Sam walked to the local coffee shop. After slipping down the stairs and sneaking through the door, he saw the fellow who paid for his groceries sitting on a couch, gazing at his laptop. Sam approached the stranger and handed him the leather checkbook cover. The guy, thankful, introduced himself has Max. He told Sam about how he saw him fixing his “For Sale” sign as he had walked to the grocery store that morning. He had also noticed it was a foreclosure. Max said that when he was behind Sam at the store, he could not help but pay for his groceries. Embarrassed, Sam went on to tell Max about how things had gone south, how nothing seemed to be in his favor anymore and how, quite frankly, he really did not believe he deserved to be in this situation. He felt that for as hard he had worked in his life, he deserved only the best. Max listened intently to what Sam had to say, and Max was struck by his sincerity. Not many people in Sam’s circles really listened, especially now that he was rapidly losing clout in his community. To his current friends and neighbors, he was becoming a second class citizen. Sam could almost feel the foundations of the life he’d been building for the past 20 years being physically shaken with Max’s reply. He learned from Max that nobody deserves what they have. Now Sam was the one listening intently. According to Max, there was only one man who lived on earth who deserved the best, and that man was killed so that people like Sam would have a chance for something eternally better than just climbing the corporate ladder. Sam would never forget the day his job loss, a grocery bill, and a missing checkbook would lead to the radical transformation that was his salvation.

Usually, Sam would look past a missing item like this, but today

was different – today he bent down to investigate.

popularity of books exploring the nature of life after death points heavily to a world fascinated by Heaven. Are We Skeptical of Heaven? When Colton’s father first heard his son unabashedly announce that angels had sung to him while he was in emergency surgery, he greeted the news with shock and disbelief as well as intrigue. Although he was a pastor, it was still revelatory to be told of heavenly things by a boy still too young for kindergarten. Heaven is given the expected mention at every funeral because it offers comfort to the awful void that death leaves behind. But outside of that, the existence of a place we go to after we die is often put into the same mythical category as Bigfoot, UFOs, and Area 51 because it is simply unbelievable. “There’s no proof!” is the battle cry of the masses. What can be tempting about these accounts is to either disregard them altogether as laughable, like the National Enquirer, or to stake our perception of eternity on them and leave it at that. But the truth of Heaven can only come from the Word of God, and upon that we can stake our trust.

C rumpled within the confines of a mangled car, the head of a boy

named Alex hangs at an unnatural angle as his father shouts his name in total disbelief. Halfway across the United States, another boy, Colton, screams wildly as he is wheeled off for emergency surgery while his parents succumb to numb grief. Around that same time, a renowned neurosurgeon with bacterial meningitis lies in a coma for weeks with no brain activity. Fifteen years prior, Pastor Piper was pronounced dead at the scene of a disturbing car accident because his body was crushed beyond recognition. Surprisingly, each of these four seemingly hopeless cases, occurring years apart and with different individuals, had a fairytale ending. They each survived when it should have been impossible, and afterwards they each gave detailed descriptions of their visits to Heaven. Their accounts of what Heaven looks like, who and what they saw, and their return back to Earth have been inked in the following best seller accounts: The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, Heaven is For Real, Proof of Heaven, and 90 Minutes in Heaven. The

Are Any Claims of Heavenly Visions True? Consider this vision of Heaven de s cr ibe d by a r e now ne d neurosurgeon, Dr. Eben Alexander, who contracted bacterial meningitis: “Higher than the c louds—immeasurably higher—flocks of transparent, shimmering beings arced across the sky, leaving long, streamerlike lines behind them. A sound, huge and booming like a glorious chant, came down from above, and I wondered if the winged beings were producing it.” Sounds like the proverbial description of Heaven, right? And coming from the fact that it was written by a brilliant scientist who specializes in brain functions, it carries more weight. However, his new resolve following his visit to Heaven was, “To spend the rest of my life investigating the true nature of consciousness and making the fact that we are more, much more, than our physical brains as clear as I can both to my fellow scientists and to people at large.” It sounds noble, but if you contrast his concluding purpose with that of Alex, the boy whose skull was wrenched from his spine but

Who says

HEAVEN is real?

How should we interpret the recent claims of

heavenly visions? Has truth been revealed regarding a

place called Heaven?

survived to tell of his time in Heaven, a completely different response emerges. After the recovery of Alex’s speech, he was constantly asking people if they had a relationship with God and if they knew what Jesus had done. Before, he was a very shy boy, but after the accident he possessed a new boldness and passion to talk to people about the reality of God. These two conclusions are strikingly different. While the former speaks of the impersonal nature of consciousness, the latter took this vision as an opportunity to worship the personal God of Heaven and invite others to do so as well. Although it is impossible for us to know what exactly happened in each of these cases of a living individual claiming they visited Heaven, it is possible to see what they are doing with it now. Dr. Alexander is using it as inspiration for study, Pastor Don Piper has developed a large ministry around his story, Alex is devoted to telling others about Jesus, and Colton has brought some hope to those in his family and church who had previously never given much thought to Heaven at all.

What does the Bible say about Heaven? Yes, to deny the validity of an individual’s claim of their visit to a heavenly realm is presumptuous since each testimony is intensely personal and circumstantial. But, when considering anything that strays into the supernatural, it is necessary to look at its overall message and not only hold fast to anything that merely sounds true. Colton’s father, the pastor, did not merely accept what his son told him about Heaven. He looked solely to the Bible for the truths found there regarding Heaven, and he compared what his son had told him with what was written. As we’re caught up daily in a great onslaught of media, feel-good theology, and wonky evidence, it’s crucial and just plain smart to check anything you read against the proven truth of the Bible. All those who read the Bible are called to be students of the Word and to study it prayerfully and carefully with faith.

In our depths, we know that God exists, so naturally the question of who He is and what happens to us when we die is a very real and

pressing concern.

An early example of this intentional study are the Bereans, described by the Apostle Paul: “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11 ESV) Paul was an incredibly esteemed, highly respected Jew, but anything he said was of no consequence to the Bereans unless it was in line with the truth of Scripture. If what he said couldn’t be found there, then it was not the truth – end of discussion. That same model must remain as our standard today. Can Heaven and Earth Interact? It is no accident that we are created to want something beyond ourselves. In our depths, we know that God exists, so naturally the question of who He is and what happens to us when we die is a very real and pressing concern (see Romans 1:20). We want a happy ending to what nobody has ever seemed to escape: death. The Bible reveals that Heaven is where God lives (Matthew 6:9, 1 Kings 8:49) and that Earth is where humans live (Genesis 1). His Word reveals that, although these are two distinct spaces, God is the Creator of both, which means He easily moves between them as He chooses. For example, Matthew 17 speaks of the prophet Elijah and Moses appearing to Jesus and speaking with Him during His three-year ministry on Earth. This meeting is made extraordinary considering that the contents of that chapter take place 1,400 and 900 years after the lives of each of those men. Then in the final chapter of Luke, Jesus Himself is “carried up into Heaven” after having spoken to His disciples for a final time. Besides evidence that God can effortlessly be wherever He decides, His followers can also go where He wants them.

We do not have to wait until we die, contract a

terminal illness, or Get in a serious accident to find

out if Heaven is valid.

Who Goes to Heaven? It has been often said that good people go to Heaven and bad people go to Hell. According to the Bible, that is untrue. The Bible says everyone is separated from God by sin, no matter what form that sin takes. We cannot be with God in Heaven in our default condition because God is perfect and can’t be around sin at all. God did, however, take care of that problem, because He wants us there with Him; enter Jesus. God’s way for anyone to go to Heaven is to believe the truth: Jesus is God who came to Earth. Jesus died to pay for all our default sin. Jesus came back to life, appeared to many people, and was taken back into Heaven to be with God, His Father. Heaven is a real, physical place (see Revelation 7:9, 10) where those who love and follow Jesus will spend eternity worshipping Him. We do not have to wait until we die, contract a terminal illness, or are in a serious accident to find out if Heaven is valid. An eternal quality of life is given graciously to us the moment we accept the saving power of Jesus Christ as we are ushered into intimacy with the God of Heaven. This quality of life is joyful, lasting, and able to carry us through life’s darkest moments. More than anything, God wants you to have a personal, real, breathing, moment-by-moment relationship with Him. Don’t let Heaven be reduced to a vision of fat baby angels playing harps or rainbows and clouds of cotton candy. Heaven is a real place. The Bible tells us how to spend forever there by first living our lives here for God.

SUMMER na! Bakasyon nga dili malimtan. Unsay trip nimo

1 Bag-uha ang imong kwarto. Pintali ug usab ang bungbong sa imong kwarto o butangi ug wallpaper nga

haom sa imong personalidad. Pangitaa ang sakto nga arrangement nga makahatag nimo ug mas daku nga nga lugar. Ilabay na ang mga dili na kinahanglan, o paghimo ug garage sale., ang imong halin pwede ipalit ug bag-ong lamisa. O cabinet.

2 Apil ug Summer Camp. Mao ni ang panahon nga makaila ug bag-ong mga amigo

ug makakat-on ug mga bag-ong butang mahitungod sa kinabuhi. Girekomenda sa WOTS ang Shofar Youth Camp 2013. Hisgutan sa camp ang mga kapildihan, kadaugan ug grasya sa Dios sa kinabuhi ni Haring David, kung gi-unsa paggamit sa Dios ang ordinayo nga bata para sa daku nga katuyuan. Ang mga detalye naa sa kinaluyuhan aning nga isyu.

3 Apil ug Summer Camp. Mahimo kini nga panahon nga makaila ug bag-ong mga amigo.

Girekomenda sa WOTS anf Shofar Youth Camp 2013. Hisgutan sa camp ang mga kapildihan, kadaugan ug grasya sa Dios sa kinabuhi ni David, gi-unsa paggamit sa Dios ang ordinayo nga bata para sa daku nga tumong. Ang mga detalye naa sa kinaluyuhan aning nga isyu.

4 Paghimo ug freeze mob. Kung naa kay cool kaayo ug bugoy nga barkada, para ni

ninyo nga trip. Adto mo sa lugar nga daghang tawo kanang agianan sa mga normal nga adlaw. Dayon, hunong mo ug lihok nga murag estatuwa. Para sa mga nangagi, murag nihunong ug tuyok ang kalibutan, matingala sila o malingaw. Dayon human sa pila ka minuto, lakaw ra ug balik nga mura rag walay nahitabo. Kung kaya ni ninyo buhaton nga dili magkatawa, chuy kaayo ning bisyuha.

5 Pangita ug tabanganan. Tan-awa imong palibot. Naa ba kay nakit-an nga kinahanglan ug tabang? Unsa man imong pwede

buhaton para ka makatabang? Pwede ka mubantay sa mga anak sa inyong silingan para makalakaw sila sa merkado, mu-tutor ug usa ka bata sa tibuok bakasyon, pwede ka mukuyog ug feeding program o medical mission. Makat-on ka pinaagi sa mga kinabuhi sa mga tawo ug maayo kaayo ang pagkagamit sa imong panahon.

6 Imbitaha imong barkada ug water balloon fight. Paghimo ug daghan nga water balloons, pwede nimo butangan ug pintal nga water-based para mas lingaw.

Pagdala mo ug mga water guns pud. Lingaw nga makatira ka sa uban ug makadepensa sa imong kaugalingon. Nindot ni nga panahon para bonding sa barkada. Para dili malimtan ang kalingawan, pagkuha ug lingaw nga pictures. Malingaw mog tan-aw sa inyong mga dagway nga daghang color tungod sa pintal. Timan-i: Bawal ang pikon.

7 Paghimo ug bugnaw nga dessert. Para sa usa ka taas nga baso (mga 700 mL), butangi ug 8 ka Oreos sa sulod sa Ziploc nga bag. Sirad-i ang

Ziploc ug dugmoka ang cookies. Gamit ang blender, butangi ug 2 ka tasa nga pino nga ice ug 1/2 nga tasa sa gatas. Ipuno ang dugmok nga cookies ug i-blend ug maayo. Naa na kay lami nga Cookies & Cream Shake.

8 Paghimo ug pajama party ug movie night. Imbitara imong barkada sa pag-

adto sa inyuha nga nakapangtulog nga suot. Ipadala ilang mga habol ug unlan, dayon pag-andam ug lingaw nga parlor games. Lingaw jud ang pillow fight ug importante kaayo ang midnight snacks. Inig human sa games, pwede mo mutan-aw ug mga salida. Pwede nga puros Kung Fu ra nga mga salida, o comedy ra tanan, o musicals ra.

9 Paghimo ug regalo para mother's day. Ayaw palita, himua.

Mahimo nga mas mahinungdanon kung ikaw mismo ang nibuhat sa regalo. Kung naa kay mga igsuon, pagtinabangay mo. Kung maayo mo sa art, pwede ninyo i-sketch inyong mama, o i-drawing ang iyang dreamhouse. Pwede pud mo musuway ug himo ug cookies o cupcake. Pwede pud maghimo mo ug scrapbook nga naay mga pictures nga makapakatawa niya.

10 Sulong sa dagat! Dili kumpleto ang tag-init kung dili mabati sa imong

mga tiil ang balas sa baybayon. Ilubong sa balas imong amigo, maghimo ug sandcastles, o maglakaw nga magtiniil lang. Pwede kauban imong pamilya o imong batch pag high school. Sinugba nga isda ug babeque ang lami tirahon. Kung ganahan ka mag-inusara, pwede ra pud nga ikaw, ang balud ug ang adlaw lang ug nindot nga libro. Suwayi pagbasa ang istorya sa kinabuhi ni Jeremy Camp sa iyang "I Still Believe." Sa mga lalaki, suwayi ang God's Gift to Women: Discovering the Lost Greatness of Masculinity (Eric Ludy). Ladies, suwayi ang Authentic Beauty: The Shaping of a Set-Apart Young Woman (Leslie Ludy).

the apostle Paul:

GOD CHOSE A MURDERER

H ow could someone with a bad past be used by God? Imagine that you are a murdering, lying, robbing, prideful, unthankful

person who deserves death as punishment. Would God take you? Would God use a man or woman like that? The answer lies in the life of the apostle Paul, a man with a horrible past. Saul (Paul’s name before he was called Paul) began as a passionate Jew who was well-studied in all the Jewish scriptures. When Jesus came on the scene, Saul thought he was an imposter and a shame upon the Jewish nation. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Saul began a persecution campaign against the followers of Jesus who were called Christians. He arrested them, beat them, and killed them. The Bible first mentions Saul in Acts 6, where he oversees the stoning—a brutal act of throwing stones at someone until they die—of Stephen, an upright and loving follower of Jesus. Stephen is just one example of the kind of men Saul would persecute. Little did Saul know that as he was pursuing Christians to kill them, God was pursuing Saul. In chapter 9 of Acts, he was on a mission to speak with the Jewish high priest to request permission to arrest Christians. That is when God knocked him off his horse and he was made blind. At that point, Saul heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” Saul knew it was Jesus Himself speaking to him. It was from that point that Saul’s transformation began. God restored his sight three days later, and he became a new man with a new name: Paul. No person, apart from Jesus himself, shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul. He’s recorded as being a short, bow-legged man with a scruffy kind of character, who was proud of his Jewish heritage. However, Saul knew that the news of Jesus needed to be told not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles (anyone who was not a Jew). Paul boldly traveled on three long missionary journeys that took him throughout the Roman Empire.

On these journeys he planted churches, preached the gospel, and gave strength and encouragement to the Christians—the same people he once persecuted! Paul was imprisoned for his faith, shipwrecked, beaten, ridiculed, and chased out of many towns for proclaiming the truth about Jesus. History records that he was beheaded for this same reason near Rome between 62 and 67A.D.1

However, before Paul died, he wrote many letters to the churches he planted. You can still read them today as part of the New Testament. If you ever feel that God could not love you because of your rocky past, be encouraged. Saul was a murderer but God chose him, loved him and used him to spread the truth of Jesus to the world. God can use even our bad pasts as a catalyst so that we may serve him with our future. The life of Paul is a great example that Jesus’ love and forgiveness can change anyone.

1 http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/apostolic-beheading-the-death-of-paul-11629583.html

“ I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” -Paul’s words in Philippians 3:12-14 (The Message translation)

Article Sources: Off the Beaten Path: 1: www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/fastfacts/overview.htm 2: www.patheos.com/Library/Hinduism/Origins/Beginnings.html 3: hinduismfacts.org/ 4: www.religionfacts.com/big_religion_chart.htm 5: Surah 10, Yunus, verse 94, “people of the book” refer to Christians and Jews, “the book” refers to the Bible; www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm 6: www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-abrahamic-religions.htm 7: http://carm.org/muhammad 8: Genesis 11:31 9: Isaiah 7:14 10: “Old Testament Prophecy Fulfilled in History” by Josh McDowell 11: From the works of Flavius Josephus, Book 18, Chapter 3, 3 12: Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13 13: Qur’an 2:43, 2:185, 2:187, 2:196, 9:60

14: Sura 19, verses 67-68 and 71-72 15: www.sasana.org/sangha_noble.shtml 16: www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs/basic_points.htm 17: buddhism.about.com/od/thetripitaka/a/tripitakahistor.htm 18: www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs/afterlife.htm 19: www.definitions.net/definition/KARMA 20: www.ehow.com/info_8651420_fast-hindu-beliefs.html 21: hinduism.about.com/cs/vedasvedanta/a/aa120103a.htm 22: hinduismfacts.org/reincarnation-rebirth/ 23: www.religionfacts.com/big_religion_chart.htm 24: http://www.jewfaq.org/whoisjew.htm 25: Exodus 20 26: www. beingjewish.com

Picture Sources: I Just Want to be with You: www.eurweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/bible-reading.jpeg The Apostle Paul: Painting by Rem-brandt ound Items: leantophilosopher.blog Summer Must Do’s Photo by Becca Galon

Nitubo ko sa usa ka kristohanon nga pamilya. Kada dominggo naa ko sa Sunday School, magmemorize ug Bible stories ug Bible characters. Nagsugod kog hum ug worship songs sa dili pa nako malitok akong pangalan ug nakamemorize ko sa tibuok kapitulo sa Salmo 23 sa dili pa ko kabalo mubasa. Kristohanon akong mga ginikanan maong abi nako nga automatic nga kristohanon na pud ko. Pag 14 nako, naay magtiayon nga nipadala nako sa usa ka youth camp. Samtang naa ngadto, nakasugat ko ug mga tawo nga nahigugma sa Ginoo. Abi nakog nahigugma ko ni Hesus, pero kabalo ko nga wala nako nabati ang parehas nga kalipay nga akong nakit-an sa ilang mga mata. Nakig-istorya ang Ginoo nako, ug sa ulahi nga gabii sa camp, nakaamgo ko nga daghan kog nahibaw-an mahitungod kang Hesus pero wala jud ko tinuod nga nakaila Kaniya. Wala diay nako namana ang pagkakristohanon sa akong ginikanan kay dili ma diay na ingon ana. Sayop diay akong pagtuo. Kung kaya ra diay nako trabahuan ang akong eternidad sa langit, mahimong walay kahulugan ang pagkamatay ni Hesus. Ang rason nganung namatay si Hesus ug sakit kaayo nga kamatayon sa krus mao kay tungod wala koy bisan unsa nga mabuhat para maluwas nako ang akong kaugalingon. Gipiyong nako akong mga mata, nag-ampo ko. Nakit-an nako akong mga sala ug akong pagka dili hingpit, ug ang akong tinuod nga panginahanglan sa Iyang pagluwas. Ngadto nako gidawat si Hesu Kristo ug mao to ang sugod sa akong tinuod nga relationship Kaniya. Nagpadayon ko sa pagkaila ni Hesus sa akong pagkabatan-on pero wala nahimong sayun. Parehas sa daghan nga mga batan-on nga akong kaila, nitubo ko uban sa mga istrikto kaayo nga mga tawo nga hatagan ka ug

listahan kung unsa ra ang pwede buhaton ug kung unsa ang mga dili pwede. Naningkamot ko ug tagbo sa ilang mga ekspektastyon. Pirti nakong paningkamot nga mahimong maayo nga anak ug igsuon pero mapakyas ko. Naningkamot ko sa akong pag-eskwela ug daghan kog buluhaton sa simbahan. Usahay kapuyon na ko sa tanan nga panghitabo sa akong kinabuhi pero hunahuna nako, kinahanglan ni nako buhaton para malipay ang Ginoo, para dili Siya masuko ug para mahimaya Siya. Grabe ko na-pressure hangtud nga nagdesisyon ko nga dili na ko. Dili na ko mu-lead, dili na ko mualagad. Pirmi ko mangita ug lusot bastag naay ipabuhat nako. Pirmi lang sakit akong ulo, pagaw ko, o kaha busy ko sa eskwelahan. Ganahan ko nga naay mapamatud-an. Gikapoy na ko ug paningkamot nga mahimong perpekto para nila. Nagrebelde ko. Usa ka tuig to nako gibuhat pero wala ko nagmalipayon. Abi nako nga kung akong mapalaw silang tanan, malipay ko. Pero kabalo ko nga naa ko sa usa ka lugar sa akong kinabuhi nga wala gikahimut-an sa Ginoo. Hapit na kaayo nako ilunang akong kaugalingon sa mga butang nga kabalo ko makapasakit Kaniya. Gigukod so Ginoo sa pagbalik Kaniya, pero hunahuna nako, basin dili na ko dawaton ug balik sa Ginoo. Usa ka adlaw, nakasab-an ko sa akong nanay tungod sa akong batasan. NagFM ko ug naghilak hangtud ko nakatulog. Pagmata nako, ang music kay “First Love”sa Avalon. Usa ka awit mahitungod sa usa ka tawo nga gibyaan iyang paghigugma sa Ginoo ang nakamatngon nga layo na kaayo siya sa Ginoo, ug nangayo siya ug pasaylo. Nadugmok akong kasing-kasing. Ang Ginoo nakig-istorya nako sa usa ka pinulungan nga akong masabtan – music. Nidagan ko palayo sa Ginoo imbis mudagan unta ko padulong Niya. Sa dugay nga panahon nga wala na ko nag-ampo, nipiyong ko ug nisumbong ko sa Ginoo kung unsa ko ka gimingaw Kaniya. Kung unsa ko ka nasakitan sa mga nahitabo sa akong kinabuhi. Nakit-an nako nga walay kahulugan akong kinabuhi u gang kahaw-ang sa akong kasing-kasing. Pakyasun ko sa mga tawo, mapakyas nako akong kaugalingon pero si Hesus dili mupakyas kanako. Dili ko proud sa kato nga bahin sa akong kinabuhi pero mao to ang mapaubsanon nga experience nga nidala nako sa pinaka simple pero pinakadaku nako nga nakat-unan: Gihigugma ko sa Ginoo. Usa kini ka kamatuoran nga dili nako maikyasan. Kanunay Siya nga andam nga mudawat kanako kay pinangga ko

Niya. Ngadto nako gisalig ug gihalad akong kinabuhi sa pagsunod kang Hesu Kristo. Naa gihapon ang mga ekpektasyon sa mga tawo ug taas gihapon ilang standard pero dili na ko mabalaka ana. Ang akong tumong usa ra – ang mahimaya Siya nga

nahigugma kanako labaw sa tanan. Dili importante kung unsa ang makit-an sa ubang tawo, ang importante kay kung unsa ang makit-an sa Ginoo sa akong kinabuhi. Siya ang akong gialagaran. Maayo unta kung makaingon ko nga sayon ra, pero dili. Ang pagsunod kang Hesus usa ka desisyon nga akong ginabuhat kada adlaw. Mas sayon nga unahon ang akong kaugalingon kaysa mag-alagad sa uban, pero ang Espiritu Santo naghatag ug gahum para atong mabuhat ang mga butang nga abi natog dili nato mabuhat. Dili na ako ang talawan nga mu-surrender sa akong relationship sa Ginoo kung lisod na kaayo. Karon usa na ko ka manggugubat nga nagbarog sa grasya nga kanunay nagtutok kang Hesus. Ang akong Ginoo ang nag-control sa tanan ug bisan pag dili nako makit-an ang umaabot, musalig ko Kaniya nga nahigugma kanako labaw pa sa kinabuhi. Karon, naningkamot ko nga maperpekto, pero dili para matagbo ang ekspektasyon sa uban nga tawo pero tungod kay ganahan ko mahisama sa akong Manluluwas. Ganahan ko nga makadasig sa uban nga nakasuway sa akong nasuwayan. Ganahan ko nga mahimong maayo nga example sa mga nagsunod ug nagtan-aw kanako dili tungod kay kinahanglan pero kay tungod nakit-an na nako ang kahulugan sa akong kinabuhi ug tungod kay nindot kaayo, dili nako mapugngan, ako jud nga masulti sa uban. Rebelde ko sauna, peron dili na. Rebolusyonaryo na ko karon.

Sources & references

TINUOD NGA SUGILANON

Kristohanon akong mga ginikanan maong

abi nako nga