Remembering

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Published: Monday, 11 November 2019 10:22
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Remembering

by Augusto A. Kho

Rosales, Pangasinan

November 10, 2019 (Sunday); 9:00 a.m.

 

How would you like to be remembered?

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The four encounters

I had four encounters of life this week and a week before this week. They are real people. They are real lives. The WORD of the Gospel is real otherwise nothing at all.

 

Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life,” (John 6:63). The Scriptures reveals us something valuable each day on everything that we encounter.

 

These real people whom I personally encountered the past few days are as follows:

  • The nerd teenager

  • The businessman

  • The contractor

  • The woman

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Reminiscing

Yesterday was Saturday, November 9, 2019, we had a meeting with my batchmates from high school. My batchmates from Rosales National High School Alumni Batch 1974 held a meeting in Carmay East, Rosales, Pangasinan in connection with the January 2020 Reunion.

 

One female batchmate started reminiscing and said, “as if we are still kids, enjoying our high school days …” And in fact, we are all senior citizens by now.

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When we’re still growing up, we eagerly wanting to become adults. Now that we are in the twilight year why we are still reminiscing our younger years?

 

 

“Remembering” : A picture

How this title “Remembering” came into a picture? It is because that word is inspired from my Daily Devotion yesterday that reads:

 

Mark 14:9, “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world ,this woman deed will be remembered and discussed.”

 

 

The nerd teenager

During an employment interview we had Friday last week, this dazzling and beautiful 29-year lady shared how she met a nerd, teenage boy with a backpack who kept sharing them his ideas that she found it absurd and out-of-this world. Out from the sales-managers where she is in the circle with, only one man believes to this teenage nerd. And now she said, “Wow !!” She added, “I didn’t know that wacky and weirdo ideas became real in just a few months. Unbelievable !”

 

This is what being spoken about him, to this cranky and eccentric teenage boy.

She is being offered the position of a sales-manager to join other Sales Team and possibly to lead Tours and Travel should kairos time permits it.

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The businessman

“Tito, what should I decide?” this middle-age businessman asked me while sitting besides him the last Tuesday of October. I gasped for my breath saying, “At the end of the day, it is your choice that will matters…” yet I did not continue what I had in mind to say. Should I continue the flow of my thoughts I could have said, “It is your choice – be right or wrong that will matter and you will have to face the consequences.” But he did what he had to do and barely three (3) days after that ….

 

… this businessman incurred P4.3 Million payables after he asked me what my counsel should be. In another two days, his payables or debt-payment fetched to around P6.1-Million. And to this very day, it is still counting and he might lose his company unless God will intervene. To add more injury, news is circulating that he will be soon facing court litigation.

 

Will this businessman on the process of brink of bankruptcy? Only God knows!

 

This is what have been spoken about him?

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The contractor

“I never seen you these years, where have you been?” I asked to this contractor who have been awarded with many juicy government projects for the past many years.

 

I’ve learned that he was diagnosed with cancer but he pleaded with God with repentant heart. He shared how he pleaded to God, “Lord, give me another chance to live.” This well-known millionaire contractor has been overshadowed with shady controversies which perhaps politically -motivated due from professional jealousies.

 

How true some whether those haunting stories about him that he is involved in the shooting of a judge or keeping a bulk of illegal “items” needs more verification which he politely denied to me that time . I said to him that as long his intention is pure, God will vindicate him. Besides anyone should be deemed innocent unless he is proven guilty (by the court).

 

Those are the things that are being spoken about him.

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This woman

I never met this woman. Not yet at this time but I have read much about her many, many times. She is an epitome of selfless follower of Christ who finds her Savior incomparable to what this world offers.

 

She was a former prostitute that could possibly paved way for her great passion for expensive perfume. It has been said that her most precious perfume that she kept worth P83,772.00.

 

Wow! What an expensive perfume. And I remember buying myself a costly one which is Gucci perfume in Gucci House in Rome, Italy when I visited that country many years back which is only worth $120.00 or P6,000.00.

 

According to the report this woman’s perfume is worth 6-month wages salary. And according to Philippine Daily Minimum Wages ours is around P537.00 per day.

 

In other words, the current worth of that perfume in our current time if it is worth six (6) months of salary. is P537 per day x 26 days without Sunday is equals to P13,962 per month x 6 months equals P83,772.00 in total sum. P83,772.00 for a bottle of fragrance! Incredible price indeed.

 

The woman and her spice that I am talking about is Mary, the sister of Martha in Mark 14:9 that Jesus have spoken about that should the Gospel be preached, her name and her good deeds must be spoken in memory of her.

 

Just imagine Jesus Christ’s mandate that your deeds must be recorded and spoken to commend or praise your own life.

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\Reading: Mark 14-3-9

 

“ 3 And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head. 4 But there were some that had indignation among themselves, saying, To what purpose hath this waste of the ointment been made? 5 For this ointment might have been sold for above three hundred shillings, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.  6 But Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye can do them good: but me ye have not always.  8 She hath done what she could; she hath anointed my body beforehand for the burying. 9 And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. “

 

So I underlined what have been spoken about her by Christ.

 

Her manner of generous giving stirred up controversies even among Jesus’ disciples. Instead of commending her good deed, she is being questioned. And I’ve found out in the 30-years of pastoral ministry, it is often the stingy who severely criticizes the average-income givers and tithers in the church. Why! It is because of jealousies and competitive-spirit. They can let their money go for Christ’s sake. They are more entangled with greed and insatiable passion for material things. So when someone gives generously, they are displeased and become overcritical to the generous giver.

 

 

“Remembering” explained

How did this story crop up for an additional information?

 

While I was on the shower room of past 1:00 A.M. today, the word “remembering” came many times to me. Perhaps because of that woman named Mary (Marl 14:9) whom I just read from the scriptures and the rest of the people whom I have heard about what have had happened in their lives

 

 

Biblical Definition

What is the biblical definition of “remembering” ?

 

Remembered or Memorial in Greek “mnemosunon” (may-mos-oo-non) means “a remembrance

memorandum; a record; to remember a thing.”

 

When someone tells you to do something, it may just be told on personal basis alone. But when someone tells you to do something on a written form it is already ministerial and it is for the sake of public record.

 

Remembering is memorandum, an official act. Webster define memorandum as an informal written record of an agreement that has not yet become official. But since the Bible has been written already, that makes the story of the woman’s giving a sort of an official memo from God as a reminder, principle or law.

 

Christ said that her deed must be “spoken” for her in King James Version (KJV). The word “spoken” is “discussed” in New Living Translation (NLT).

 

“Spoken” or “discussed” from Greek “laleo” means “to tell or to talk.” In other words, we must talk about this woman concerning her attitude in giving, an outward manifestation of her faith to her Lord. It is also derived from the Greek root word, “lego” meaning “to speak out.” Strong Bible Dictionary said that spoken or discussed means “ a set discourse” or “systematic discourse.”

 

Discourse is derived from Latin word “discursus” meaning “to talk or to write something especially for a long time.” Discourse is larger than a sentence or subject matter. In other words, what this prostitute-turned alabaster woman is worthy of debate or notable for discussion.

 

Once you are systematically talked about then you become a public discourse, a form of science. Whew! That is mind-blowing. And great learning comes from there.

 

That is what spoken about Mary. This is what is spoken about her. That once a prostitute-turned faithful follower of Christ is worth talking about.

 

 

Bethany

This is strange that Christ went not to a rich, notable man, not to a congressman but to the “ house of leper” named Simon who lived in “ Bethany” And who would ever say that there is something good in Bethany? And someone out will ever give such expensive gift to Jesus? Well, it should not be from Bethany because Bethany means “house of misery.”


Nobody would ever expect that from the “miserable house” there is something good and beautiful that will happen. Nobody knew that from the house of misery there is a very costly spice that is worth to be talked about for the sake of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Her incredible story is centered on her alabaster vase of perfume.

 

 

Alabaster

Alabaster in Greek “alabastron” means “preserved perfume vase.” This expensive perfume was not been given just to anybody. In fact, it must be preserved, and it must be given only to someone to whom it is due for. And that is the Lord Jesus Chrirt.

 

 

About us

What about us?

 

What will be “spoken about us?” Will it be good or bad or commendation, citation or praise or condemnation or damnation?

 

It is what we do that makes who we are. And from there we will be spoken at and be remembered.

 

 

Why remembering?
Why remembering, anyone who could make a good guess?

 

Oftenly I saved even a single penny. Oftenly I would travel to Manila with refilled mineral bottle and I will refill it again on my way back to Pangasinan. Often I would eat at Mc Donald’s and order my favorite dish, “Mc Donald’s Chicken Ala King!” Why would I order that? Because it is cheap. Before it cost only P48.00 with Senior Citizen Discount the payment would only cost me around P32.00 with a cola drink. That’s a lot of savings!

 

Sometimes I eat expensive dish but often I would tighten my belt because nobody knows when I would dry up (financially). Afterall, I have no one whom I can turn to should I badly needed provision. One young man aged 26 asked me inside MRT train, “Why you’re still working when you supposed to be at home as a retiree and enjoy life?” I answered back, “Where will I get my provision so I could survive?” So from there he got mummed.

 

So on that Thursday noon, November 7, 2019 while eating lunch beside the glass window, at Mc Donalds’ MRT Taft Avenue along EDSA, one little girl motioned me begging for food. I pretended not seeing her. Then another street kid, a boy came and did the same. Still I posed as if he didn’t exist. Then another young girl begging for food. Again, I made my heart callous like the previous kids.

 

Until I dawned on me, “Why only in Rosales?”

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For the past 18 years, our local church in Rosales have been sponsoring 120-200 indigent children for free meals at Mc Donald’s Carmen dubbed as “Christmas Treat at Mc Donald’s”. Why not do that as well in Pasay City for street children.


So after I have eaten my cheap meal, I called the service crew to call and give me the MC Donald’s Store Party Manager, Danica Ashby to reserved me 50 to 100 seats for street kids this coming season on December 6, 2019 from 5pm t0 7pm.


It is not that I wanted to be spoken about. This prostitute-turned-faithful woman Mary just persuaded me to do something good for Jesus this Christmas.

 

What about you? What would you like to be spoken about you? Your shopping spree for Christmas or something you made good for Christ this coming Season.

 

And this is all about you on how would you like to be remembered? Will you be like a scented perfume out from the house of miseries of these children?

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