My Blog/jyojyo

Did Jesus have the choice whether he would die or not in
the hands of those dear to his heart? Perhaps, he has this struggle whether to
obey or not the Father who wants to offer him as a ransom for the sins of the
humanity. He said, “Lord if possible, let this cup pass by me.” Likewise
he somehow later agreed, “Not my will Lord, but Thy will be done!”

The Father too understands the struggle of Jesus. The
former may have somehow said, “You know Son, it is hard for me too to offer you
to die on the cross that the sins of the humanity may be forgiven, but I have
no choice. Being my only Son, who is all I have, it is conceived ever since the
beginning that I would give you, my only begotten Son, to the world to die on
the cross and that you are compelled to follow me or to do what destiny has
been carved in your palm.

Somehow, Jesus in his nearing death said, “Lord, Lord, why
have you forsaken me?” Though the Father is in grief holding to Himself his emotions
for His heart might break any moment then, he was in pain to see the Son saying
these words. Imagine, from the lips of his only begotten Son, that it seems
with the suffering of Christ, walls of heaven are falling; even the gates of
hell are smashed broken. The walls of heaven in sympathy to the sentiment of
Jesus, and the gates of hell destroyed overcoming deceit because Satan has lost
in the fight, as he has not succeeded tempting Jesus.

Jesus was like Isaac submissive to his Father when Abraham
in obedience to God was compelled to offer Isaac to die while somehow bounded
to be burned in the firewood as an offering to God. Though it was painful for
Abraham to offer his only Son to die on fire, he has no choice but to obey the
Master who freed him from the worship of idols and brought him in the
wilderness to journey that from that expedition, he may be a father to the
children counted as many as the stars in heaven.

Though this promise was at stake because his only son is
bound to die on the fire, Abraham was impelled to follow and it is an
obligation for him not to say “no” because he being freed from the worship of
idols is now a child of God, he being lucky to hear the voice of God in the
wilderness calling his name after a rush of waters that drifted him along.
Imagine there is abundance of water in the desert? I don’t know. Maybe the
place was not of the desert.

Likewise, though Isaac on the other hand was silent and
was obedient to his father Abraham, thoughts maybe were cropping in his mind
how come that there is firewood yet there is no offering. He even asked his
father, “Father, where is our offering?” And Abraham may have said, that the
Lord will provide. Isaac was like Jesus silent before the nearing death meaning
he was tranquil and composed while preparing his heart to obey his father’s
will. Thus, Isaac was submissive to Abraham who began to tie his hands with a
rope and was about to lit the firewood with fire after that he may have stabbed
Isaac with a dagger.

Nevertheless, an angel manifested stopping the occurrence
and providing a sheep as an offering, telling Abraham that God perceived the
purity of his heart and that this God was able to distinguish between Abraham’s
mere obedience and the purity of his participation in the work of God. Though
these may not much differ from each other, it brought Abraham a reward that by
participating to the work of conceiving the destiny of the Christ to die on the
cross, Abraham became a father of many nations springing out from him children
both Isaac and Ishmael. Of course many more descendants came from these
children who thereof were counted as many as the stars in heaven.

Accordingly, if you would permit me I’ll convey that on
the start of my journey as I was drawing myself farther deep in the
waters of Boracay somehow with the thought that my life was useless and that it
has met its destiny having preached to the monks and that I forgot that I still
have my family, relatives and friends that love me, I’ve already decided that I
would kill myself and end my life like Isaac being offered by Abraham and Jesus
being offered by the Father in heaven both bound to die.

The waters were already deep that my feet won’t touch the
sand in the bottom as I began sinking and then surging up again, and to think
that I don’t know how to swim except for paddling like a dog. As my face looked
up in heaven, I was overwhelmed with the vision. In place of stars were the
neon lights colored yellow forming the faces of different saints. I could
identify St. Therese and St. Francis. As I was focused in the vision, a thought
came into my mind with me saying to myself, “Maybe I still have a role to play
on this earth and a mission to fulfill.”

As a result, I faced the shore and to my surprise, I was
already so far from the shoreline. That realization troubled me much that I
began shouting at the top of my voice in Tagalog, “Saklolo, nalulunod ako!
Tulong!” meaning, “Help I’m drowning! Somebody rescue me!” Then as if in
movies, lights were unsealed in the shore spreading its luster of brightness,
and the motorboats as if in magic, which excited me though I began to panic,
draw fast to me, which many of them on board were fishermen or other residents
of Boracay.

One among them was fast to rescue me as he began swimming
towards, and as somehow in a bit we collided though gently, and I said to him,
“You are the Jesus in my life! Then he said, “Don’t struggle further, and just
allow me to hold your neck and I will draw you to the boat.” As I reached the
shore, I was as if in triumph that I began dancing chanting and singing, “Jesus
Christ, Jesus Christ, I love you Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ!”

Then my mind was blocked, and I already know not what I’m
doing as I shoved off my new white short pants and jostled my new white t-shirt
both with the imprints of Boracay which I’ve bought from asking alms while
saying, “Peace be with you! We arrived via Philippine Airlines to Kalibo, and
we’re going back to Tagaytay immediately tomorrow. We’re from Franciscan
Conventuals and we’re here to bid you peace, any amount please?”

I found myself sitting in the bar counter of the immediate
restaurant plain and exposed saying, “You have fooled Christ two thousand years
ago, now you can never fool him anymore.” That was already December of year 1991.
Then they gave to me my white long pants with the cloth like that of which are
used in aprons which I’ve placed in the mount of rocks and the pants were
already dusty unlike my short that is new, which I have just newly bought. I
can’t already remember well if I have worn a dusty white polo. And you know
what happened? They grabbed each to them my new white t-shirt and new white
short pants with imprints of Boracay owning these to them.

Likewise in the scriptures, they also cast lots for who
would obtain the robe of Jesus. I have no debt from them for they have
retrieved my new Boracay t-shirt and short pants which I have bought out of
their money that I have begged from them.

Here I pause again for a prayer.

-Jyotisman Nearu Upendra

The
Bible says that daily we need to search the scriptures. We need not debate or
have a discussion, but just simply to have in our own modest way an exchange of
views and of light about the word of God that we may be wise ourselves with
this wisdom coming from God as the Father teaches us through the enlightenment
coming from the Holy Spirit as we read the words of the Son in the Bible and
other explanations coming from the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and others.

These
that we discover do not necessarily make us proud or conceited but that we may
have the knowledge to help others understand too the Bible. There are also a
lot of people concerned about the Godhead, especially about the Holy Spirit and
the miracles happening in our lives today. By the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
though it seem it does, yet a statement in the Bible does not actually
contradict another statement we find, and we need not be confused. It is only
in our mind that we seem to see contradictions.

We
read in the Bible that, “We also know that the Son of God has come and has
given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in one who is
true, that is in his Son Jesus Christ! He is the true God and eternal
life (1 John 5:20).” So we hear from the scripture itself, that it is the Son
himself who has given us the light on who is true. Of course we know that truth
comes from the Father and he is true being the Creator. But there is this Son
that comes from the Father and that he is not only true but he himself is the
true God and eternal life making him a Deity and not just the man that is in
one accord with the Father. It is the Father himself who has given us the
knowledge that truth comes from his Son Jesus Christ.

To
add that every knowledge is an inspiration from the Holy Spirit speaking not of
himself but that from which he hears, the Spirit also is another one who is
true, that makes the triune all true forming the Trinity. But the question is
where does this three dwell or how are they manifested?

Saul
in his journey was enveloped with a light from heaven. Likewise he fell on
earth and heard a voice saying unto him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
me?” Thus, Saul who was later named Paul said, “Who are you, Sir?” Hence the
reply came, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! Now get up and go to the city
and you will be told what you must do.” So it appears here that the God who
speaks though nowhere can Paul see this God, for he finds no one but the light
except for the voice, is Jesus! The three persons of the Godhead is Jesus!
Furthermore, it is quite a wonder that these three are distinct from each other
but function well as one God, who is Jesus! He is not just the Son, but also
the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Likewise,
here we pause for a prayer.

We
then need to repent of our being unreasonable and pray to the Lord, that if
possible our intention may be forgiven. So why should we argue with each other
when in tranquility we can commune as friends for as we see that the Bible’s
statements do not actually contradict each other? Accordingly, no matter how
others may twist the light they derive from the scriptures it is clear that the
Deity of God is an absolute mystery explainable by our God himself.

Though
we can derive some truth as we may place the word in the discourse and pray
that the Spirit speak to the churches that we may find truth, we are not even
halfway to the truth for the true God and eternal life is Jesus himself and it
is he through the light from the Spirit and the permission and blessing of the
Father can best explain about his nature. However, we cannot capsulate this
truth about the nature of God or of Jesus for if we do so, we make our God
smaller. But our God is big! Thus His power extends all throughout everything.
He is present in all bounds being omnipresent. Also, neither can any duality
fathom this mystery that is revealed only in God’s will.

So
we are here as Christians standing before the door. If we are permitted to
enter, it is not only the door that will be opened for us to enter but also
even windows where we can find the Virgin Mary, our Mother waiting for us to
climb through the rope, which she extends for us to grip upon. But when the
master says, “I know you not!” no matter how we cry and grind our teeth if his
decision is firm, we having not filled our oil containers in preparation for
the wedding or the feast, we can no longer be permitted to enter being left
after the caughting up.

The
word is clear, “In the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:
for the trumpet will sound, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall all be changed (I Corinthians 15:52). For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words (I Thessalonians 4:16-18).”

We
are one big family, and all deserve salvation for we all have a claim in this!
Thus, we need to be guarded, and likewise in our body we need to wear the
breastplate of righteousness, and on our head the helmet of salvation, and be
ready for the sound of the trumpet. For in the time destined, one shall be
taken and the other left; one shall be grinding in the mill and her companion
shall be caught up in the air; the foolish virgin shall not find oil and shall lose
track of time, but the wise virgin shall with her lamp filled with oil which is
the Holy Spirit be there to meet the Lord in the air and shall be ever be with
the Lord. Repent, or else the Lord will come to us quickly! And he will knock
on doors and he will sup with us.

Furthermore,
one shall say unto him, “What are these wounds on your chest? What are these
wounds in your hands?” He shall answer, “ With these I was wounded in the house
of my dear ones (Zechariah 13:6).” Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega; he is the
beginning and the ending! If anyone thirsts, let him come to Him and drink for
out of his belly shall then flow rivers of living water.

The
Lord said, “ I will strengthen you in the Lord; and you shall
walk up and down in my name (Zechariah 10:12)!” May we friends then find
our comfort in the Lord?

-Jyotisman
Nearu Upendra