Pastor Lapiz's Teachings

Any simple, inexpensive thoughtful thing na nagagamit nya. Kahit naman people seem to have everything, gusto at kailangan pa rin nila ng attention/affirmation/kindness/thoughtfulness ng iba.

Is it right to destroy one person dahil may isa siyang mali kahit na marami siyang tama? Yung Sodom nga hindi wawasakin kung mayroon lang na kaunting matuwid. Alang-alang sa tamang ginagawa, hindi dapat was akin ang kapwa dahil sa isang mali—at dapat suriin kung mali nga ba o akala lang ng iba ay mali. At pag winasak ang isang tao dahil sa isa nyang mali, walang matitirang tao; dapat wasakin lahat.

Maganda: People are stretched to maximize their potentials. Pangit: Perfection is unattainable. The leader becomes oppressive, the followers get exhausted. Nobody is satisfied and everyone gets frustrated because perfect goals are unmet. Hindi masaya. Laging may stress.

No. Your presence could be your gift. Close naman kayo eh. Mas mabuting dumalo kaysa absent.

She is blessed and all generations should call her blessed. Sadly, many born-again Christians think that they act like good Christians when they ignore/dishonor Mary, the mother of the Lord. Yung mga enlightened ones honor her simply by NOT dishonoring her and by giving her the credit she deserves.

Madalas, a sense of entitlement. People usually envy those who have/enjoy what they (the envious) think they themselves deserve! Naiinggit ka dun sa taong iniisip mo ay kapantay   o kasing-kalibre mo tapos mas marami siyang nae-enjoy kaysa sa iyo. So, you resent it dahil iniisip mo, bakit siya mas mayaman o mas sikat o mas masaya kaysa sa iyo?

The Bible says that when one person accepts Jesus as his Healer, Savior and Lord, the angels in heaven rejoice. If you prayed to receive Jesus and believe it in your heart, remember this day. Because Today, according to the Bible, your name is written in heaven. And if you commit sin, you will still be saved. The question is about the security of salvation. Is salvation lost when you commit a sin? Now, in fairness to scholarship, let me tell you that the Christian community has two ideas abou this. Several Bible scholars and theologians say yes, but there are also those who say no, it is not lost. I think that we have to look at the two types on holiness, the legal and the actual holiness. When I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord I don’t become actually holy; I become legally holy. Meaning, what He did for me make me holy, what He did for me I cannot undo. I am given a legal status called clean. The Bible calls me clean. I’m now called a child of God. So, if I accept Jesus as my...

First, you should identify the gifts as listed in the Bible (1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and Ephesians 4:11-13). Huwag kayong mag-iimbento ng gift na hindi nakalista. To know the gifts that you have, you should go first to the Bible and to try to see kung anong mga nakalista doon. Maraming mga tao nagke-claim ng mga gifts pero hindi naman nakalista sa Bible. So haka-haka lang nila yun. Second, tingnan ninyo kung saan kayo naka-incline. Sa gift of teaching ba, counseling, loving, giving, hospitality, healing or some other gift? Kung saan kayo hiyang at likas, try to serve along that area. Tingnan kung meron kayong joy at kung yung iba ay nagkakaroon din ng joy pag ginagawa nyo yun. Kasi, kung minsang, meron akong joy na nakapag-preach ako, pero ang buong church pala nag-suffer. So hindi ko siguro gift yun, baka haka-haka ko lang. Kaya kailangan, alamin ang nakalista sa Bible, ikumpara ang sarili at subukan.

Stop thinking about the future. Today is visible, tangible and manageable, so I don’t think you worry about today. Lalo namang hindi ka na siguro worried sa past kasi tapos nay un. So, siguradong it is about the future that you worry. Hindi mo kasi makontrol ngayon yung wala pa. And that is exactly why you should stop thinking about it; kasi hindi mo rin naman nakokontrol kahit mag-worry ka. Cross the bridge when you get there. Attend to the future when it is already in the present tense. God’s blessing is only for today. It should be enough. Kinukulang lang kung hinahati mo ang blessings for today at ipinadadala mo sa future yung kalahati. Tomorrow’s needs will be met by tomorrow’s provisions. Let the day’s own concerns be sufficient for the day.

Siyempre, ang love ni Lord ay yung victim. Kaya nga turo Niya ay magpatawad, kahit na—o lalo na kung—hindi humihingi ng tawad yung may kasalanan. Pag nagpatawad ka, you are set free from your anger or stress without the help or cooperation of the wrongdoer. That’s power, not weakness. The victim does not need the help or cooperation of the offender. On her/his own, pwede nyang tapusin yung cycle of anger and suffering pag nagpatawad siya. In other words, you forgive not because the offender deserves it, but because you need peace. By the way, love din ni Lord ang offender, but not the offense. Buti na lang hindi nya hate ang offenders kasi, sa buhay natin, nagiging offenders din tayo.

Eh gusto mo ba naman talagang lagi kang maalala ng mga molestyador na yun? Buti nga at nawawala sila sa radar, at least, pag nakuha na ang gusto. Mahirap namang nakuha na ang ibig ay NANDYAN PA RIN LAGI, di ba?

I cannot give an answer to this unless I know the context. Malay nyo na biglang nawalan ng pastor yung isang church, so inaalagaan nya pansamantala, habang naghihintay ng bagong worker kaysa naman mapabayaan. Kahit dalawa o tatlo yung inaalagaan niya kung organized ang kanyang sistema at supportive ang kanyang mga deacons at mga elders, magagawa yun. Si Paul nga katakot-takot ang churches na inalagaan pero hindi nagkulang dahil talagang masipag siya at supportive.

Lahat iyan ay sin, big or small and it destroys our relationship with God. Pare-pareho na wala dapat sa ating buhay. Pero ang lahat nay an, kayang bayaran ng dugo ni Kristo. Kapag kayo na nag-accept kay Christ ay nagkasala, confess agad sa Lord directly and ask for forgiveness para hindi nagtatagal yung sin in your life. Charge it to Christ. Charge it to the cross.

Pwedeng makaabala sa inyo yung mawala ang focus nyo doon sa mahalaga. Ang problema doon sa mga goals na narrating na, nakakalimutan na, gumagawa na naman ng ibang goal. Pero yung goal of holiness, wala namang nakakarating doon to the point na tapos na; perfect na. Sa buhay na ito, walang nakakarating sa fullest potentials of righteousness. Palapit lang nang palapit, pero wala talagang nakakarating. That alone should keep us busy. Huwag tayong ma-sidetrack. Our goal is to be holier and holier and holier, to be more and more like Christ.

Ang anak nyo ba pag nagkamali, anak nyo pa rin o hindi na? Anak nyo pa rin! Anak pa rin tayo ng Diyos kahit tayo ay magkamali. Kung nagkamali, we confess, we seek forgiveness. Sabihin nyo, ganun lang ba yun? Hindi. Pag anak tayo ng Diyos at tayo ay nagkakamali, pinapatawad Niya tayo, saved pa rin tayo, pupunta pa rin tayo sa paradise pag namatay tayo. Pero tulad din ng mga anak na nagkakamali sa lupa, kung minsan nababawasan ng allowance, grounded, hindi nabibigyan ng mga blessings. Ganun din tayo. Mga anak ng Diyos na patuloy na nagkakasala, matigas ang ulo, nawawalan ng proteksyon, nawawalan ng blessing, nawawalan ng abundance, nawawalan ng peace of mind pero pag namatay, saved pa rin. Once saved, always saved. Dahil ang relasyon natin sa Diyos is permanent and forever.

Unang-una, itanong nyo sa sarili nyo—“Meron akong gustong itamang tao pero mahal ko ba siya? O baka gusto ko lang itama dahil ako ay naggagaling-galingan o nagdudunung-dunungan? O dahil naiinis lang ako sa kanya? Kung meron bang malapit sa puso ko na gagawin yung ganung kasalanan, magagalit din ba ako?” kundi doon sa may sala. We must hate the deed, not the doer. Tiyakin ninyo na when you want to correct somenone, yun ay dahil mahal nyo. Kasi pag hindi nyo mahal tapos kinokorek nyo, judgmentalism yun. Tayo man kinokorek ng Diyos dahil mahal Niya tayo.

Although administratively, there is a separation of church and state, it does not mean that the church should not be involved with the state. And it also doesn’t mean that the state should not be involved with the church. Ibig sabihin lang, administratively, magkaiba ang kanilang hierarchy, ang kanilang function, ang kanilang governance. Pero hindi ibig sabihin that as a good citizen, I should not be involved with the church. Or that as a good church member, I should not be involved with the state or governance or electoral issues. I should be involved. But I am not comfortable with a public endorsement of any candidate kasi our prophecy is imperfect and our knowledge is imperfect so hindi ko yata kayang idikta iyan sa mga tao. Pero kung meron akong conviction, probably on a personal level, habang nagkakape at nag-uusap tayo, pwede kong sabihin. Since this is a free country, siyempre palitan ng ideas. Pero hindi ko gagamitin ang pulpit para i-endorse ang aking political opinions sa...

According to stories ng mga nag-succeed to stop smoking, they really decided in their minds to stop. Siguro, hindi pa fully decided ang mind mo, pinipilit mo lang, kaya maya-maya yung mind, mate-tempt na naman. Makakita lang ng naninigarilyong iba o makaamoy lang ng usok, kahit usok ng jeep, nate-tempt na namang manigarilyo. Kailangang magkaroon kayo ng full decision. Alam nyo, mayroon ding spirit yung vices. Rebuke the spirit of that vice in the name of the Lord para mawalan siya ng hold sa inyo and then be prayerful and really stop. Hindi nyo kailangan ng kung anu-anong gimmick o gadgets para tumigil mag-smoke. In your mind you can really decide. And what can make you decide to stop smoking? First as Christian, nakalagay sa Bible that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 3:16,17. The Bible says, whoever destroys God’s temple, him also God will destroy. And you know that smoking is destructive to the body, so that it becomes sinful for a Christian to do anyt...

Pray for him or her, lagi mong imbitahin sa mga Christian events. Huwag siya laging i-nag, i-judge o pataatamaan. Hindi yung pag kasama mo at may preaching tungkol sa kanyang bisyo, siniku-siko mo na, ‘O, narinig mo, narinig mo, narinig mo? Lalo kasing nakakainis yun. In other words, simple lang kayo. Minsan may lalapit, ‘Pastor, meron ho ba kayong tape tungkol ho sa masamang ugali ni mother-in-law?, O, bakit aanuhin nyo? ‘Ibibigay ko ho’. Samahan nyo naman ng sampung ibang tapw para disimulado kayo. Huwag naman yun lang ang ibibigay ninyo dahil kalinisan talaga kayo. Maganda naman yung layunin natin pero kadalasan ang style natin bulok. Huwag tayong maging judgmental. Yun bang lahat ng makasalubong nyo, ‘Hoy, it’s a sin. Hoy, what you’re doing is sin.’ Pag nakita nyong may grotto, ‘Hoy idolatry yan, ha!’ Huwag naman ganun. Ipakita nyo muna sa tao na may malasakit kayo at naaalala nyo siya, minamahla nyo siya, tinutulungan nyo siya. Earn your right to be heard. Hindi yung bigla n...

Depende sa biro. Yung mga green jokes, mga malalaswa, dapat hindi. O kaya yung mga tuksuhan ng physical defects ng tao. Tatawagin ka, Hoy! Halika rito, Nognog. Halika ka rito, Rimpampanita. Kung hindi loving yung pagbibiro, hindi yun dapat gawin. In other words, if we are using it to deride and belittle people, hindi magandang biruan. At lalo na yung mga biruan na pang-kalye. Yun bang pagalingan, yung repartee na laging pinapalabas mong mas matalino ka kesa kausap mo. Hindi bagay yun sa mga Kristiyano. We should speak in a way that is edifying. Yung kausap mo nabi-bless, pati nakikinig sa inyo, nabi-bless din. Ngayon, kung yung mga tuksu-tuksuhan ng mga binata’t dalaga is done in good taste at hindi nakaka-violate ng dignity ng babae at ng lalaki, okey lang. Hindi magaspang at hindi masama. May mga tao who are conservative and we should be very sensitive to people na hindi handang nabibiro sila nang ganun.

The truth is, there is only one Church. Mapa-Linggo, Lunes o Martes, kung si Hesus ang inyong sinasamba at ang Biblia an gating basehan, hindi naman kayo talaga lumipat ng ibang church dahil pareho lang yan! Administratively lang, siguro magkaiba. It’s alright as long as hindi nyo napapabayaan ang duties nyo sa inyong local church. Huwag na huwag kayong magco-compare. Pambira naman dito, buti pa sa church namin. At pagdating naman doon sa church nyo,   Pambihira naman dito, buti pa sa kabila. Baka magkakaselosan at magkakaintrigahan pa dahil sa inyo. Magkakaiba yan. So don’t compare. Don’t neglect your local church. At kung nagtatanong kayo at ang aking mga sagot ay contradictory sa stand ng pastor nyo—maliban na lang kung talagang hindi siya biblical—malaya kayong mamili. Kailangan meron kayong loyalty sa inyong local church. But don’t let that loyalty become your disloyalty to the universal body of Christ. Kasi minsan sobra tayong parochial. Itong local church ko lang ang t...