FOUR DOCTORS AND A SQUATTER IN THE PALACE

(with gratitude to http://oppositeofapathy.wordpress.com/ for the excellent photo above).

Four successful doctors of medicine were attending a medical conference and were together in the same table. And so goes this discussion over dinner:

The world-renowned Japanese doctor said, "Medicine in my country so advanced, we take kidney out from man, put into anoder man, and he out looking for wok in six weeks!"

The ultra-famous German doctor said, "Zas eez notzing! Ve can take a lung out of zis one person, put it into anozer, und have him out looking for vork in four veeks!"

The highly-acclaimed British doctor said, "In my country, medicine is so bloody advanced that we can take half the heart out of one person, put it into another, and have both of them looking for work in two weeks!"

The multi-awarded botica sa barangay Filipino doctor, as usual, not to be outdone, interjected, "You pipols are so way behind na talaga! We Pinoys allowed a woman with NO HEART to illegally occupy Malacanang Palace since 2001, and she's still alive! And because of that, to this day, HALF THE COUNTRY ARE STILL OUT LOOKING FOR WORK!"

(Image from http://oppositeofapathy.wordpress.com/)

THREE THINGS YOU PROBABLY FORGOT YOUR CELLPHONE COULD DO

There are things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life-saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

First - The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself "out of the coverage area" of your cellphone network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and your unit will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it.

Second - Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have a remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cellphone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cellphone from your cellphone. Hold your phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the cellphone on their end. Your car will unlock! Saves someone having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of kilometers away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk). Try it. It works.

Third - Hidden Battery Power - Imagine your cellphone battery is very low (lowbatt). To activate, press the keys *3370# Your cellphone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery life. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cellphone next time.

So, who said cellphones are only for texting? For carnappers too!

(Image from http://ec.europa.eu/)

NO WONDER

So, this explains why I didn't get any presents from Santa this Christmas. I was beginning to think that maybe I had made more enemies than friends this year - and then I get this photograph sent by his one and only evil elf Gloria. Which reminds me, are Santa's helpers called Subordinate Clauses? Just asking.

PROSPERITY WITH A DARK PURPOSE - PART XII
"You teach others -- why don't you teach yourself? ... You say, "Do not commit adultery" -- but do you commit adultery? ... You boast about having God's law -- but do you bring shame on God by breaking His law?" - Romans 2:21, 22 & 23

"Big men and big personalities make mistakes and admit them. It is the little man who is afraid to admit he has been wrong." - Dr. Maxwell Maltz

In reaction to Dr. Maltz's wise words, allow me to add this: "... It is the little man who is bold to declare he has been wronged." - LCB


Really now. What a gooey defense. Well, in continuation, how does one recognize false teachers and teachings from Biblical teachers and teachings? While some may fall under the category of false teachers, others may teach certain doctrines which are false or that are not in accordance with the Word of God, while most of what they teach is in line with Scriptures. Subtle but wrong! Some teachers whose teachings are analyzed in respect to what the Bible teaches when all related Scriptures line up perfectly, may prove to be fine teachers and gifted speakers, even acting like frustrated clowns in the pulpit, but where they depart from Scripture, it is only prudent and wise that we as believers recognize these discrepancies and expose them, and affirm only the truth that is in full agreement with God's inspired Word. There is no doubt that discernment itself is a very controversial issue. Many of those whose teachings or behaviors are "judged" even according to Scriptures condemn their accusers and despise their criticisms. They would rather choose a safe and comfortable word like "tolerance." To them, I give them a better word - "ignorance." Some criticisms are indeed divisive and unnecessary, but let's put it this way: If you tend to think that those who would dare judge or criticize apparently unscriptural teachings would be much better-off just preaching the Gospel and minding their own business, consider this: What if manufacturers had no quality control departments, how would their products come out? What if the National Police Commission (Napolcom) had no internal affairs division, how much more would the PNP's corruption increase? (on that note, I don't think they have one). What if the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) never audited anyone, how many people would pay their taxes? If we know that the false teaching will lead to hell-fire beyond all doubt, do we just sit back and do nothing like zombie-fanatics? Within the body of Christ, it seems very reasonable to believe that God has intentionally called certain ones in His Body to focus on keeping His message pure and toxic-free (alcohol-free?).

Many false teachers and teachings unfortunately do arise from those who would just rather see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear - those who are motivated by money and power. But there are those who are simply too trusting to their teachers. Wala na silang makitang mali sa kanya. His style is simple and I know this all too well: He hears a particular doctrine taught by another false teacher, adapts that teaching to suit his audience and tailor-fits it to their taste and liking, and then another teacher comes along, listens to him and adapts it too. Thus, the teaching is perpetuated. it's a never-ending cycle of deception. This is not really hard to believe because history will show that many false doctrines have been spread by this method. Let's zero-in again on one of his favorite if not his only merchandise: Prosperity. FALSE: Prosperity teachings which claim (erroneously) that not only was Jesus wealthy on Earth, but that God desires all believers to be wealthy and that prosperity, in health and in wealth, is guaranteed in the covenant of salvation. TRUE: God desires from us all to have an "abundant life" in Christ, living in the power of the Holy Spirit and experiencing the fruits of the Spirit. But oftentimes, God's will allows such things as suffering, infirmities, sickness, trials, tribulation, persecution, or even martyrdom as Scripture and history clearly would show. Jesus lived on Earth without even "a place to lay His head," and Scripture teaches that His lifestyle was far from the wealthy lifestyle that some, just like this erroneous-egghead taught Christ to have lived. This fib originates in an effort by such teachers to not only justify their own indulgent lifestyles, but also to promote their popular prosperity teachings and increase giving to their ministries from those who are seeking the promised health and wealth, especially since the two are often tied together in a not-so-subtle method of deception to their "clients." As a reminder to him who has reminded me to treat church leaders as "clients," if this were a business entity (you sure are treating it like one), then by all means call them "clients." But it is a church, so stick to calling them "elders," or if you want to be "religiously correct," call them "deacons." But to call them "clients" gives one the impression of "mukhang pera." Fair enough? Christ calls us not to seek after wordly riches, but instead to "store up treasures in Heaven," and to give our lives as "living sacrifices." And as we seek first to serve His Kingdom, and of course, work as God's Word commands, we can be assured that He will provide for all our needs. Doesn't he know that? He's the gifted teacher. We're just his dumb sheep, remember? Oh, did I hear someone utter, "gifted poacher?"

It is therefore our hope that those who hunger for truth should find balance in how they evaluate which teachers they listen to and learn from. Some teachers need to be carefully filtered while others should be avoided in the same manner he avoids the poor and needy church-goer! But others can of course be trusted implicitly by grounding ourselves in the unchanging Word of God and considering it our final authority in all matters of faith and practice, we will have a greater ability to distinguish between true and false teachings and avoid deception. In the meantime, we can be like the Bereans who searched the Scriptures daily to see if what they heared was true - or not! Look to the Author of the Word, and not to the preacher of the Word. Especially not this one. He has been unmasked. "Buking na ang style niyang bulok!" So, what are you his "clients" doing about this? Are you going to act decisively or are you going to sweep this under the rug just like he has done so in the past, and then empower him to repeat his sin? Where now is the wisdom he has so repeatedly boasted of? Can't afford to lose him, huh? Remember, he ain't gold. If that is so, please change your church name for obvious reasons, and because he has no exclusivity on it and thereby misrepresenting himself, and I doubt very much if he has the legal papers as well. Of course you know very well that the legal papers to that church name he uses are not with him. Must you tolerate this error too? The papers are with a legitimate church elsewhere. He should just tell every member of his congregation the real story. Lying can be oh so tiring and taxing. He knows the consequences to that, and I hope he's prepared to face them. Here's hoping he sees the light in 2009. And by the way, he shoudn't just stop at seeing it - he should walk towards it. Don't worry, it won't burn him. Or ... will it?

(Images from http://www.zianet.com/ & http://www.aryannationsrevival.org/)

GLORIA'S BLACK MOLES

Take a good look at the image above and help me count Gloria's elusive black moles found on the corners of the little squares. Let me know how many you've counted. No cheating now, unless of course you work for her!

HOW TO KEEP A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY IN 2009

With gratitude to "Mr. President" Eddie Gil for the visual aid above.

At the rate our government shows proof that it is indeed like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other, it's good to know that we can keep up with their childish insanities, with Secretary Raul Gonzalez now just a sigh away from second childhood. By doing so, I list some of the crazy things we can possibly do in the coming new year.

1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses and a hat on and point a hair-dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
3. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
4. Put decaf in the coffee maker for three weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
5. Finish all your sentences with "in accordance with the prophecy."

6. Don't use any punctuation marks when writing.
7. Inside an elevator, call the 'Psychic Hotline' from your cellphone and ask if they know what floor you're on.
8. When driving-thru Jollibee or McDonald's, specificy that your order is "to-go."
9. Enter a road-side public karaoke joint and sing-along with the singer and then leave him/her some change and run away.
10. When riding a public jeep, tell the farthest passenger from the tsuper (the one sitting at the end near the jeep's entrance), "paki suyo po bayad," and then give him/her your fare. Observe his/her reaction.
11. Put a mosquito net or kulambo around your work area. Play a CD of jungle sounds all day.
12. Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.
13. When the cash comes out from your bank's ATM, scream "I Won!", I Won!", "Third time this week!"

14. When leaving the Manila Zoo, start running towards the parking lot, yelling, "Takbo! Takbo! NAKAWALA SILAA!!
15. Tell your children over dinner, "Due to the economy, we are going to let one of you go..."

16. When inside an elevator (again), face everybody instead and establish eye-to-eye contact with them one at a time.

17. When riding the MRT or the LRT, do this: just a few meters before the next stop, shout, "PARA!! ... PARA PO!!

18. Next time your spouse leaves for work, do something different this time: shake his/her hand instead.

19. Drop a pen and wait until someone goes to pick it up, then scream, "THAT'S MINE!!!"

20. Still inside an elevator -- stare at a specific passenger for a while, then announce in horror, "You're one of them!" and back away slowly.

Any other suggestions?

Okay, here's #21, a gem from Jasper Greek Lao Golangco who blogs at http://golangco.blogspot.com/ ...

21. After withdrawing from an ATM, flip the sign on the door to say "off-line," then watch the frustrated people who come to the door.

FM

In the days of President Ferdinand Marcos' higher prestige and power, it is said that he was once stranded in a small town somewhere way up north of Manila due to the breaking down of his private aircraft which would take a few hours to repair. He then put on a disguise and headed to the town's one and only cinema. When his picture appeared on the screen, everyone stood up but he remained seated. The manager of the theatre came forward, tapped him on the shoulder, whispering (in the local Ilocano dialect) in his ear, "I feel the same way, but you'd better stand up. It's safer."

(Image from http://www.pbs.org/)

PROSPERITY WITH A DARK PURPOSE - PART XI
"Those who continue in their sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that others may take warning." - 1 Timothy 5:20

"Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced ... more true than truth itself." - Irenaeus of Lyons


Since these series of posts have come into existence taking somewhat a life of its own, some in hard copies, finding its way in the hands of many, some of those many have since labeled me as a 'Pastor Buster.' Whether meant to be a compliment or otherwise is just the same to me, and sometimes, it really gets tiring when people tell you that "pastors are human too," and my simple answer to them is "neither are they God that you should not question their motives." Well, fair enough, because I didn't think my former one was made of pure gold. I only expected him to be sincere. He simply turned out to be made of pure rust. And he remains part of the problem, not the solution. Shepherds should always set the example for the flock to emulate. For how can one act as medicine if internal contamination in one's body has already taken place? For rust, in time, will creep even into the strongest of steel and corrosion will be inevitable. Take a closer look at some of his closest followers. They already reason out like him, tolerant towards his sin, even sacrificing originality by quoting the same Bible passages over and over again. If labeling is the order of the day for me, so be it. For if that be I, then shall I gladly live the tag well, if only to expose the false teachers amongst us. Whether he be a 'Prophet of Prosperity,' an 'Architect of Abundance,' or an 'Instructor of Increase,' in my book, he still is a 'Pastor of Pretense.'

Where does he get all the momentum and guts to persevere in his falsehood? Well, a juggernaut consisting of a great multitude of wolves in "decked out" sheep's clothing has cleverly infiltrated today's Christian churches for the sole purpose of preying, rather than praying, on their unsuspecting victims. Some of these pastors even moonlight now as networkers selling wares that totally defy Scriptures. There will always be strength in numbers. How did this happen? In consequence of indifference, emotionalism, and ministerial idolization, most Christians today are not paying attention to Jesus' warning that there will be many false teachers in the church during these last days (Matthew 24:4-5). Learning how to detect heretical doctrines (1 Timothy 4:16, 2 Timothy 4:3) hasn't really been a priority for many believers. In fact, doctrinal discernment is almost completely void. To a certain extent, this predicament thas been kindled from the false teachers' inappropriate and antagonistic use of "Judge not" and "Touch not the Lord's anointed." This is simply a 'terror strategy' designed to keep congregations in their place. As a result, we now have well-meaning believers who are simply unequipped to discern the true from the false. The light from darkness. The wolf from the shepherd.

When speaking of false teachers, it has become the practice of many believers to conceive that the implication is in reference to those outside the Christian community. On the contrary, believers are repeatedly warned to be on guard against falsehood within the church. It is those who allege to come in Christ's name, seemingly confessing the Lord as their Savior. It is this type of pretense coupled with seductive entertainment from the pulpit and self-empowerment and prosperity sermons that has contributed to the acceptance of false leaders in church.

With that, I encourage and challenge you to study and draw a comparison between Scriptures and the pastor of your church. The Berean Christians who were of noble character, "searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things (which Paul taught) were so" (Acts 17:11). In the same way, it should be our responsibility to diligently search and test the teachings of the leadership in our respective churches without partiality. It is my belief that any pastor who cannot stand the test of investigation and challenge should be approached with circumspection. As a result of these posts, I anticipate receiving inflamed responses from their pastor's zealous supporters. While some readers of these posts may be offended, we must understand that Godly love never rules out correction. Godly love for people never signifies disregard for truth as not to "rock the boat." Proverbs 27:5 says it clearly, "Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed." Godly love for people does not signify that we engage in self-imposed blindness, tolerating false doctrine in order to maintain unity. Sad, as many now have been "optically challenged" by his pulpit antics and shallow showmanship. At the end of the day, it all sums up to essence and substance. A failing mark for him in this aspect. Psalm 119:104 says, "Through Your precepts I get understanding, therefore, I hate every false way." Thus, failing to expose and separate (Ephesians 5:8-11) from the wolves in sheepskin simply permits them to have a "field day" on unsuspecting, naive, and idolatrous sheep. The wolves who quote and attempt to hide under Psalms 105:15, Matthew 7:1, and Romans 14:4 are so filled with greed that they don't want to see errors of their ways and the inconsistencies in judging others who have an obligation to investigate what is taught from the pulpit (Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16, 4:2-5, 1 John 4:1).

As a clear and concise refutation to this misleading prosperity doctrine, let's take note of the following crucial points regarding those false teachers who claim that Godliness is a means to financial gain, as well as the true definition of biblical prosperity:

1. They are conceited (have you noticed their arrogance? They call it confidence).
2. They know nothing. (The blind leading the blind) Matthew 15:14, Mark 7:7-9, 2 Cor. 11:13-15
3. They are men of corrupt minds who lack the truth (They distort the truth and reject correction - sounds familiar?) 2 Timothy 4:3-4
4. They are greedy and believe that Godliness is a source of financial gain. 2 Cor. 2:17
5. We should not have fellowship with them.
6. True riches are Godliness (spiritual richness in Christ) coupled with contentment. Heb. 13:5
7. The Bible says that we should be content with food and clothing (basic living essentials). To these false teachers, that means large bank accounts, large houses, luxury cars etc.
8. The strong temptation of greed will cause them to fall into a snare, in a manner similar to drug addiction, they will defend and hold on to their false doctrine despite clear evidence that refutes their shady position.

In summary, (1 Timothy 6:3-10): From God's point of view, true gain (prosperity) is attained when one lives a Godly life and becomes content with their material possessions. Granted there are a number of Christians who have been blessed with much wealth and other material things, however, this is never the state or criteria one must reach to be recognized as prosperous by Biblical terms. He says, "you need to be prosperous and moneyed to be able to help the poor, otherwise, how can you help them?" That's the height of bull if you ask me. As expected from a fly's favorite landing area. There are many other ways to help the poor. Money is only one among many ways. God's word alludes to believers who were materially poor, as well as those who were materially rich. Thus, we cannot offer poverty nor wealth as an absolute prescriptive pertaining to Godliness. To do otherwise would lead to an out of context and unbalanced view of Scriptures. In their greed , they use the Bible to focus on men who are wealthy while concurrently ignoring Scriptures that clearly illustrate that some believers are poor. Observe his uncomfortable behavior when a poor man attends his church or trainings. He will immediately have this mindset that we must first reach out to the wealthy to be able to reach out later on to the poor. Another bull if you ask me, for when does one stop reaching out to the wealthy and begin reaching out to the poor? Thus, they "cherry-pick" other portions of Scripture and mold them in a manner that suits their self-indulgent agenda - and that is to fleece the flock. It is thus very clear that his so-called prosperity gospel is a doctrine that Christ would strongly reject. And while it is true that some believers have been conditioned to accept poverty, this shouldn't mean that we must readily embrace the crooked justification to develop a doctrine that is not biblically sound. Lastly, teachers like him do not take kindly to being challenged. They demand everyone submit to their authoritarian rule by simply saying "OBEY ME!" in a Gestapo-like fashion. This really makes him a "German Shepherd," don't you agree? Believe me, I should know, for those were his very words to me when I politely questioned one of his decisions without even giving me any explanation whatsoever. Their corrupt agenda entails taking advantage of those who are unskilled in biblical interpretation. When confronted by one who is proficient in proper biblical truth, they use evasive tactics and resort to threats rather than offer constructive dialogue, as if almost saying: "Do not touch My anointed one, and do My prophets no harm." (Psalm 105:15), "Judge not, that you be not judged." (Matthew 7:1), "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4). And so, not only do these false teachers deprive proper Scriptural discernment through fear tactics. They have also mentally conditioned their devoted followers to parrot these verses to anyone who criticizes their pastor. To question their "man of God" would mean to them as questioning God Himself. This is an apparent defense among cult leaders and their wayward sheep. Sad, but true. I end with this reminder:

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." - Luke 6:24-26

(Image from http://www.myteespot.com/)

NO SHOES AND NAUSEOUS

I just received this official advisory by e-mail from the Office of the Press Secretary, signed by no less than Press Secretary Jesus Dureza himself.

ATTN: MALACANANG PRESS CORPS AND OTHER MEDIA ENTITIES
DATE: 17 DECEMBER 2008
FROM: THE PRESS SECRETARY

SUBJECT: PROPER ATTIRE


All members of the Malacanang Press Corps, palace beat reporters, print, TV and radio, and all other members of the press covering the President are hereby advised that starting today December 17, 2008, you shall NOT be permitted to cover the President with your SHOES ON.

As such, you are likewise requested to surrender your shoes (LEFT and RIGHT) to the PSG on duty before entering the press briefing area. The PSG will be providing slippers in lieu of shoes. As always, your bags shall be subject to thorough inspection by palace guards stationed in the controlled area and by newly-trained shoe-sniffing K-9s (just in case you brought an extra pair or two).

Failure to comply will mean your immediate suspension or expulsion from affiliation/membership with the Malacanang Press Corps and from the regular accredited pool of reporters/media covering the President on a regular basis.

Please be guided accordingly.

For strict compliance.

(Signed)

JESUS DUREZA
Secretary

(Images from http://www.ops.gov.ph/ & http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/4024/)

FRANKLIN DRILON'S ZERO CREDIBILITY / ANG DAKILANG BALIMBING

After seeing Senator Franklin Drilon on newspapers and on TV at a most recent anti-Gloria rally, I was immediately reminded of his reaction in 2004 when I was on the streets in Ayala protesting electoral fraud and Gloria's 'manufactured mandate.' This, just right after the May 2004 elections were held, and the "Hello Garci" scandal was still a thing of the future. I was then looking at my old clutter of files and saw a folder with the label "May 2004 Elections." In it was a photo-copy of an old post of cousin Dean Jorge Bocobo from his blog Philippine Commentary. It was a reaction of his from then Senate President Franklin Drilon's interview with former ABS-CBN/ANC cable station anchor Gene Orejana. It was Drilon's reaction to my interview/statement. Funny how the tables have now turned, and I have since taken my battles from the streets to the blogosphere. And funny how Drilon now has taken his battles from his Senate office to the streets. The post begins with the title, "Conversation With Senate President Franklin Drilon."

Dean Jorge Bocobo writes (in 2004), "The Office of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon sent me this full transcript of an interview he granted to Mr. Gene Orejana of ANC cable TV station yesterday. I didn't catch the show myself the other night, but I gladly oblige on its republication here at Philippine Commentary, since Senator Drilon also takes to task an unidentified "Mr. Bocobo."

"Here was the exchange between Gene Orejana (the longest winded question-monger this side of stemwindervillage) and Senator Frank Drilon:"

OREJANA: "But we have yet to count the votes, this early some candidates are already crying fraud. Logically, there is no basis to cry fraud at this time because we have yet to count the votes. We haven't even reached 3% based on the quick-count. . ."

DRILON: "But I am even willing to concede that unless we cry now, it can never be addressed and it may be too late. But last night, I was floored when I heard a certain Mr. Bocobo, he was asked, "Are you going to submit this case of alleged fraud before the Comelec?" He said, "As soon as we gather the evidence." So there was even no evidence, and yet they were already crying fraud. This is not good, it creates tension in the atmosphere."

Philippine Commentary graciously defends me by writing: "Sen. Drilon must have been smiling benignly at Gene Orejana at this maladroitly put question. For if there is a time and a reason to cry fraud, it's probably best done now rather than when you would e accusing an elected President of the Republic, (assuming that there is cheating now going on). The premise of Gene's question escapes me, however, since surely, if you see someone stealing a ballot box from one of the over 200,000 voter precincts, you don't have to wait for the tally of the other 199,999 ballot boxes to have a reliable indication of fraud, do you? Gene seems to think that you should wait until you have been declared the loser before crying fraud. That does not compute. But I must say, Sen. Drilon is speaking more lika a lawyer (or a public defender?) Here, more than a senator, since "Mr. Bocobo" surely is not expected to go to Comelec before he has gathered the evidence, is he? If cheating is involved in the 2004 elections, it probably did not occur during the polling, but is happening right now, during the counting. By the way, the official count has not actually begun and the Namfrel Quick Count, after a maddening initial delay, has only scratched 10% of the returns. Everybody knows that, even Sen. Drilon. Since this interview was conducted on the second day after the elections, it would seem to me that people on the ground like "Mr. Bocobo" may be observing the signs of fraudulent activity (from long familiarity in previous elections) yet not have the "evidence" that would stand up to scrutiny before a Commission on Elections that has shown ineptness and laxity, aa attested to by the 100-member US observer team. . ."

After Sen. Drilon's assistant Ms. Mary Grace Tipones sent Philippine Commentary the transcript of the full interview perhaps with a question mark, Dean Jorge Bocobo replied by saying: "I know who Mr. Bocobo is, as does Mr. Orejana's station since they conducted the interview - but I ain't saying. . ."

Okay, so that's it. It was actually Ricky Carandang who interviewed this writer on the street in May 2004 (Paseo de Roxas to be exact). And then Senator Drilon was quick on the draw to react and dismiss our statement. Fair enough. But again, funny how now the very man who scoffed and laughed at the words and actions of Gloria's 'original critics' is the very same man who now joins them (GMA's latter-day critics and balimbings) on the streets today. The very same man who kissed Gloria's steps in Iloilo. Let Franklin Drilon now eat humble pie. But as for his credibility in our books - zilch.

(Image from http://www.newsflash.org/)

KAWATANG NASA TRONO

Pasko ng pagpatawad sa makasalana't huwad,
pero kung ang sala'y sagad,
pababaing pakaladkad!

Bayang 'di mapalagay sa botong walang saysay,
kapag 'di pa nagkamalay,
pasko'y magiging pasaway.

Magigising ngayong pasko itong bayang inabuso,
at 'di na muli paloloko sa kawatang nasa trono.

(Image from http://inquirer.net/)

GIVE THEM MERCURY (NOT THE DRUGSTORE)

Among the Romans, the deity who presided over commerce and banking was Mercury, who, by a strange association, was also the god of thieves and orators. The Romans, who looked upon merchants with contempt, fancied there was a resemblance between theft and merchandising and they easily found a figurative connection between theft and eloquence; hence, thieves, merchants and orators were placed under the superintendence of the same deity. On the seventeenth of May, in each year, the merchants held a public festival, and walked in procession to the temple of Mercury, for the purpose of begging pardon of that deity for all the lying and cheating they had found it to practice, in the way of business, during the preceding year. Lying, Cheating, Thievery and Eloquence? Hmm ... perfect. The very elements which best describes this administration. Experts in cheating and stealing. Eloquent in lying. Perhaps, Executive Secretary Ed Ermita and Speaker Boy Nograles would now care to start the new year with statues of the Roman god Mercury to be given as Christmas gifts to cabinet members and congressmen respectively. And then have GMA sign an Executive Order (E.O.) making Mercury the patron god of cabinet secretaries and congressmen. While at it, let it also be the official icon to be prominently displayed all over the Office of the President.

(Image from http://thealchemicalegg.com/)

PROMISE THE NATION, BUT PLEASE DON'T BREAK IT THIS TIME

Senator Ernesto Maceda couldn't have said it better in his recent column, pointing out "What GMA can do" to appease the nation. Manong Ernie wrote, "Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Presidential Adviser Gabriel Claudio and Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez insist that GMA will step down in 2010. No one believes them because GMA has very little credibility left and her body language says otherwise."

Remember Press Secretary Jess Dureza's 'trial balloon prayer' and Gloria's fake reaction? If GMA steps down in 2010, and then presidential elections were to be held, she can still be elected as Prime Minister if and when the tularemic troika of Speaker Boy Nograles, Rep. Mikey Arroyo and Rep. Louie Villafuerte have it their sinister way to form a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).

If President Gloria Arroyo wants to be believed, then let us all echo Senator Maceda's challenge to Gloria and her allies in her roguish regime. Let us all compel GMA to promise the nation (and not to break it this time) that she will not seek ANY public office be it the Presidency or the Prime Ministership - and let her now put this in writing, as such:

"I pledge to God and to the Filipino people and to my family that I will step down in 2010. If a Constituent Assembly is approved by Congress and an extension of my term is approved, I will not serve. If a change to a parliamentary form of government is approved, I will not accept the position of Prime Minister. In addition, I will not also run as member of a new Philippine Parliament. So help me God."

(Signed)
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

(Signed - Witnesses)
Jose Miguel 'FG' Arroyo
Evangeline 'Luli' Arroyo (Bernas)
Juan Miguel 'Mikey' Arroyo
Diosdado 'Dato' Arroyo
Chief Justice Reynato Puno
Speaker Prospero Nograles
Comelec Chairman Jose Melo
Archbishop Paciano Aniceto
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales
AFP Chief General Alexander Yano
US Ambassador Kristie Kenney

After all signatures have been duly affixed, copies should then be sent out by mail to all registered voters. A joint effort may be forged by Chairman Jose Melo/Comelec and Postmaster-General Hector Villanueva/PhilPost. Let the money from this project be drawn from the Intelligence Fund of the Office of the President. What do you think?

(Image from http://bbc.co.uk/)

LITO ATIENZA: PAMBANSANG BULAKBULERO O PAMBANSANG LINTA?

For a change, I'd like to see Manny Pacquiao knock all of Lito Atienza's teeth off. Imagine, this is one public servant who would rather watch Manny's fight live in Las Vegas than to attend to a very important Senate budget hearing of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Atienza went on to say that his critics "have weak family values and do not understand the need to support" the country's national treasure. Vintage verbal diarrhea once again from a man who has more wrong-doings in his public career than the total number of flowers on his Polynesian shirt. No wonder, a department like the DENR can't seem to get its programs on high gear, that's because it now has a secretary who would rather miss an important budget hearing and watch his idol Pacquiao box. Talk about priorities Mr. Secretary. I think you're better off being Manny's towel-boy. But you would surely undignify all the towel-boys of the boxing world. What a shame, bulakbol again, huh? For once, we'd like Manny to knock the Polynesian shirt out of your body too! Teeth included.

(Image from http://philonline.com/)

PROSPERITY WITH A DARK PURPOSE - PART X
Therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel to the pastors that feed My people: "You have scattered My flock, and have driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit upon you for the evil of your doings," saith the Lord. - Jeremiah 23:2 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Kaya't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoon, ng Dios ng Israel, laban sa mga pastor na nangagpastol ng Aking bayan. "Inyong pinangalat ang Aking kawan, at inyong iniligaw sila, at hindi ninyo sila dinalaw. Narito, dadalawin Ko sa inyo ang kasamaan ng inyong mga gawa," sabi ng Panginoon. - Heremias 23:2 (Ang Dating Biblia, 1905)


Kung 'di ka pa matauhan sa mensaheng 'yan, wala ka na talagang pag-asang magbago pa. I heard you're moving to a theatre nearby. Good for you, for a theatre is just the place one would be in to play a role. To act out a lie. To pretend while wearing an invisible mask. Perfect for you. Marami ka na naman malolokong tao. Ang saya-saya mo siguro. You must be so excited and tickled pink. Ingat ka, baka pagkamalan kang pink fence ng MMDA pag nakatayo ka sa EDSA. Well, at least that was the original purpose of a theatre in the olden days. Today, it's entirely different. But, the celluloid world still presents us with actors who act out roles obviously not their own, usually the exact opposite of their true character. Matutupad na rin ang pangarap mong maging isang artista, kasi isa ka namang tunay na artista. You're a natural. Why not play the role of a 'Drunken Pastor?' Sounds like a Kung-Fu movie - Drunken Master. You could be Bruce Lee's reincarnation and assume the Nom-de-Theatre 'Bruise Lie,' since you'll be performing in a theatre soon. People say I'm bitter with these posts. Siguro bisaya ang nagsabi nun. On the contrary, I'm better. I have true prosperity unlike your shallow financial and material prosperity. I know the truth, I speak the truth, and I expose the truth. As for you, you know the plan, you believe the plan, you speak the plan, but you don't live the plan. Natuklasan din ng langaw na ito that you were just too rotten to land on. For even a fly must have his own dignity in life. I wouldn't have seen it had I kept a blind eye wide open at your so-called ministry. Or shall I say, an open eye kept blind at your so-called ministry? And teachings you yourself could not even live out. You are like a pin, but without either its head or its point. Whatever. Of course I didn't forget your birthday recently. I bet you were drunk again, as usual. In fact, I wrote a special birthday greeting just for you, but I just realized I don't have your number any more so I just e-mailed it to Alcoholics Anonymous and Cheaters.Com, hoping that they would forward it to you, but just the same here goes: "Happy birthday to you! May Joy and Charity be with you today, your special day! ... May is 19, Joy is 18, and Charity 17. Oh, are they too old for you? Oh yeah, I know you like 16 year olds. One of your ever-loyal-blind-accomplice-associate pastors gave some information. Nadulas siya. Marami nang kumakanta. Pretty soon, a full choir will be singing about who you really are and who you really are not, but they're not going to be singing hymns. Neither will they be singing your favorite Hallelujahs. Instead, they'll be singing your dreaded Hala-lagot-kas. In the meantime, continue with your trainings. There's one born unto you every session. Funny how you now believe your very own lies. But you know what, you should congratulate yourself. As I write this, I'm looking at a copy of a report by a religious institution where it names some pastors and religious leaders in their watch list (past and present), and you should be proud because now you have made it in the company of Eli Soriano, Apollo Quiboloy and Father Tropa et al. Imagine, little old you in the company of big old them. I wonder, are you that snake coiled around Father Tropa's neck? There are times when sheep are better off without a shepherd. I'm speaking about one who pretends to love doing the work of shepherding. A bantay-salakay shepherd. That's why some sheep get wiser, especially if their shepherd betrays them. And most times, sheep would go far away to find a new shepherd. Remember, sheep are supposed to be dumb. But on some occasions, their IQs grow higher than their shepherd. I wonder, do you count your sheep whenever you can't sleep? I bet they don't reach a hundred, that's because they're beginning to wake up now from your hypnotic heresy, and are now starting their exodus. If counting sheep doesn't take you to slumber, try counting your empty beer bottles. I bet they're much more than a hundred. Better yet, reach right away for the bottles that still have beer in them. That would surely put you to sleep. And when you wake up the next morning, your sheep shall all be gone, and all you'll be is in the company of wolves like yourself.

(Images from http://mihaelsecen.wordpress.com/ & http://www.quizilla.com/)

LOLO PEPE DECENTECEO, 97; ALFONSO DE VERA, 51; LIA ALLANA DE VERA, 7

I am writing this piece with a heavy heart. I just got back from the Funeraria Paz/Manila Memorial Park on Sucat to pay my respects to one of the dearest and sweetest persons I have ever met in my life - Felicisimo Decenteceo, who passed on peacefully the other day to be with our Lord who has most certainly prepared a wonderful place for him in heaven. He was a friend to all, stranger and acquaintance alike. A towering figure at the Silliman University, his second home. Lolo Pepe was a complete man and a compleat man, as well as a gentleman and a gentle man. He loved life, and life loved him back. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lived to reach a big number like 97. He was a faithful member of the International Evangelical Church of Alabang (IECA) and a prayerful man who knew his mission in life and lived it until the afternoon of December 4, 2008 when the Lord finally called him to eternal life. I salute Lolo Pepe knowing that I shall be seeing him again someday. But he is not the reason for my heavy-heartedness. It was another funeral on the ground floor, right below Lolo Pepe's room. A heart-breaking father and daughter funeral, innocent victims of brainless, trigger-happy Paranaque City PNP who killed them yesterday evening December 5 in a subdivision near Sucat just close by the old rotunda. Alfonso De Vera was 51, while Lia Allana De Vera was only 7. Now why do I say "murdered?" Because the PNP as usual, didn't do their homework on the rules of engagement. Imagine, a case of mistaken identity (again), this time an innocent man and an innocent and helpless child whose vehicle was peppered by murderous cops unschooled on proper procedure when conducting manhunt operations subsequently leading to a one-way target-practice. Did they really think that a 7-year old girl would be engaging them in a gun-battle? Bobo-cops, aren't they? And what were they thinking? These trigger-happy devils in uniforms must all be locked-up in jail for the rest of their lives. We prayed for Lilian De Vera, now a stunned and grief-stricken widow and mother whose husband and daughter were objects of a carelessly planned operations by the Paranaque Special PNP Team. Shame on you people. For a change, us citizens would like you all to be at the receiving end. As I was seated face-to-face with Lilian, holding her hand, my only prayer was for God to embrace her tight and never let go of her. It could have been anyone of us who have to face each day with the incompetence and stupidity and amateurish ways of our PNP. To catch a handful of Waray-Waray gang members, was it normal procedure for the PNP leadership to deploy a battalion of policemen? Shame on the PNP and shame on PNP Chief PGen Jesus Verzosa who had nothing better to say to the poor widow but "Sorry po, pasensiya na po, this is part of the risk during PNP operations..." Are these the same men who on oath swore to uphold the law and protect the citizenry? The same men who will now murder us on mere suspicion? What will the PNP spokesman say next? "Our policemen's lives were in danger as they were being shot at by the seven year-old girl who was indiscriminately firing her M-16 rifle at them..." We are not asking for justice for Lilian, her husband and their sweet daughter, General Verzosa. We demand it! Be a responsible true officer and gentleman, and not just some apologetic old boy scout. Give the De Vera family proper compensation for loss of income too. Well, next time when vigilante citizens hit on the police because of a simple case of mistaken identity, that's when they will feel how it's like to be innocent by-standers who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Where now does the PNP's code of Service, Honor and Justice fit in? Paranaque's Finest has now become Paranaque's Murderest.

(Image from ( http://wikipilipinas.org/)

HALIK NI HUDAS

Secretary Butch Pichay, Speaker Boy Nograles, President Gloria Arroyo and Secretary Raul Gonzalez were sitting in a train in one of their junket trips abroad. The train goes through a tunnel and it gets completely dark for the next 10 seconds. Suddenly, there is a loud kissing sound and then a slap! The train comes out of the tunnel.

Gloria and Pichay are seated across each other, both looking perplexed. Nograles, seated across Gonzalez is bent over holding his face, which is now red from an apparent big slap.

All of them remain diplomatic and nobody says anything. Pichay is thinking: These DOMs all have bad taste and are crazy after Arroyo. Nograles must have tried to kiss her in the tunnel. Very proper that she slapped him!

Arroyo is thinking: Nograles must have moved to kiss me, but kissed Pichay instead and got slapped.

Nograles is thinking: Lintek! Pichay must have tried to kiss Arroyo, thought it was me, and so slapped me instead! Buang gyud!

Gonzalez is thinking: If this train goes through one more tunnel again, I could make another kissing sound and slap this Nograles again.

(Image from http://gmanews.tv/)

PROSPERITY WITH A DARK PURPOSE - PART IX
"Ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value." - Job 13:4

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke, Irish orator, philosopher and politician, 1729-1797


The Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases defines the French term 'Faux-Bonhomme' as "a false good-natured man," and "a malicious or devious person who pretends to be open-hearted and good-natured." Do these descriptions remind you of someone you know? It sure does. Popular televangelist preacher Joel Osteen was named the "Most Influential Christian in America" by the Church Report, was one of Barbara Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People of 2007," and operates an extraordinarily profitable religious program that could end one day in a scandal, if he doesn't walk the straight path. Joel Osteen has not yet had major sex scandals, drug scandals or molestation scandals like someone I know, but if he's not careful, he sure could be in the list someday among Pat Robertson, Al Sharpton, Ted Haggard, Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, William Dodd, Paul Barnes, and several others too many to mention. Joel Osteen has an extremely profitable TV ministry, a massive church, $43 million a year in tithes and another $36 million a year in mailed-in donations. Now I know why Osteen is the favorite if not one of the favorite preachers of my ex-favorite preacher. Like Pastor Kevin Gerald, Osteen likes to talk more about topics such as prosperity in your life and positive thinking. Yes, somewhat like someone I know oh so well. Osteen has written two books, the second of which sold 3 million copies. His books are a top-seller at your local bookstore. It's just his regular advice on how to live a happy life that has been thought of already by other people first, "Think Positive About Yourself" and other such drivel. Somewhat like someone's prosperity message which was really plagiarized from other prosperity preachers who are really just after their own prosperity. If you're going to operate a religious scam like many scam artists we know in our community selling God and new-age garbage, at least make it look religious, like invoking the Scriptures while selling trinkets and silly items to help your body heal faster, and make your self-inflicted wounds heal even much faster. Are you a pastor or a salesman? Please don't bring dishonor to all the hardworking salesmen of the world. You cannot serve both God and money. Shouldn't you be the one who should know better? Or do you find it hard to walk your talk, right? Right. For how pitiful is the man whose prosperity starts and ends only in financial and material gain. More pitiful are his hypnotized sheep who are misled in his false teachings. In his regular trainings, a sucker is born every time this happens. He always shows off his big house. End of story. Because in other aspects of his life, he is totally bankrupt. Is that the kind of man you'd be willing to trust with your life and with the lives of your family members? It's like giving the keys of your house to an akyat-bahay gang member. That is his choice. But then again, would a pastor who was willing to leave his wife and children showcase a lie? Talk about preaching one fine day and then stepping down from the pulpit to punch your wife in the face, witnessed by your audience just because she was making faces at you. Why don't you pick someone your size, like Gloria Arroyo? In my book, a man who lays a hand at a woman to beat her up black and blue is a coward. A spineless hypocrite hiding behind a fragile wall, soon to crumble because of fear and guilt. It won't be long now until your sin catches up on you. Do you honestly think you can fool everyone all the time? Think again. You could find yourself selling fruits again, but this time only the Durian fruits whose pricks are simply at home with you, or the chico which smells like something close to your heart. Which reminds me, you do have this thing about names of people, places and objects beginning with the letter "J," don't you? Joel (Osteen), Joseph (Prince), Jeremiah (29:11), Jewry, Jigger, Judas, Japayuki, Juvenile, Jollibee, Judgment (Day), Jalosjos ... Jail? Much more than any of those names, you forgot to honor the most important "J" of all time with your behavior. How could you have forgotten HIM? Was it all worth it? Where was your so-called pastoral spirit when you were taking off your clothes with that woman in that motel room? It probably is just fine and dandy to you because some people close to you are tolerating this, and you're not going to stop until you fall flat on your face again, and this time it won't be pretty enough to talk about it in your next training sessions. But it's not a surprise that there are now much more people who agree that you should just step down from the pulpit. But clean up the filth you made first. Grow up, not literally, but morally. You owe it to all the people whose lives you have touched with your sweet-talking hypocrisy. Because, when God says, "It's payback time pastor!," all that so-called prosperity teaching you have mastered may only have the value of a Zimbabwean Dollar. By the way, the exchange rate is 1 US Dollar = 25 billion Zimbabwean Dollars. Get the message?

(Image from http://www.charlieknox.blogspot.com/)

ANTHONY GOLEZ' ENGLISH BIBLE WILL ALWAYS BE GREEK TO HIM

A specially hand-made lightning bolt from heaven will soon be on a bull-seeking mission on Earth. it will be hovering first right above the vicinity of the Pasig River until it locks-in on its target. Just the other day, Presidential UnderSecretary and (Deputy) Spokesman (PUS) Dr. Anthony Golez, perhaps reading his dusty Bible upside-down, was bloviating as he quoted Scriptures (in the same way the Devil would) specifically Romans 13:1-2 (King James version or Queen Gloria's?) which states, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." What Dr. Golez doesn't know, as expected of him, is that the basic principle that God established in the Bible is found in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy. Here, God enumerates the blessings He will bestow upon Israel if they keep His promises to obey Him. If they do not keep their part of the covenant and go into idolatry or corruption and violate His laws and statutes, then God is no longer bound by the covenant to fulfill His promises and instead will punish them. God has ordained the institution of government and has decreed that it should be Godly and lawful in obedience to His instructions. God's instructions for a civil ruler or president are found in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. A nation under God is to choose a leader from "among the brethren." When a nation begins to choose (or tolerate) ungodly leaders, they remove God from His position of guidance and violate His order and instructions of maintaining a Godly form of government. God does not choose evil or ungodly tyrants like Gloria to lead her people. He has, however, allowed the people to either obey or disobey His instructions, and that is to contront evil at every given corner. God is not the author of evil and He cannot, nor will not deliberately choose evil rulers, but will allow these kinds of rulers to gain power in order to punish those nations that rebel against Him. The US Declaration of Independence clearly states, "When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object allows a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."

There are many instances in the Bible of Godly men and women who disobeyed their kings and rulers. The prophet Elijah would not obey King Ahab. He also destroyed 100 of King Ahaziah's soldiers and their two captains.

The King of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives to kill all the male babies. They refused and disobeyed the king's order. When the midwives would not murder the male Hebrew babies, he ordered the mothers to murder their own children. They disobeyed him and God blessed them and multiplied them and from that disobedience the world was blessed with the great lawgiver Moses. You see, it's perfectly alright to go against an evil regime. God will be on your side.

And perhaps, the clearest example of the failure of a nation to exercise their duty of civil disobedience is the rise of Adolf Hitler to power. After Hitler had destroyed many nations and killed millions of people, his own military, realizing the war was lost, tried to assassinate him. But it was too late, Germany was in ruins. What was the defense the Nazi's used at the Nuremberg trials? Well, it was none other than Friar Golez' Romans 13! "I was just obeying orders. I was just obeying my government." Will Gloria's storm troopers be carrying out a similar defense and excuse when Filipinos start dying because of her corrupt and tyrannical governance? Yes, Dr. Golez, we are always to obey those in authority over us as long as they obey the Constitution and the laws it has established, who gave them the right to rule. Blind, blanket obedience to a government that is in violation of its covenant with God and its Constitution is a sure road to tyranny, dictatorship and downfall. We are to obey a Godly government, but clearly go against an ungodly government such as Gloria's regime, and she who claims to talk to God, and does so while facing a mirror. Lastly, it was Thomas Jefferson who said it clearly, "Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God." And surely, the whole Filipino nation is now saying, "Resistance to Gloria Arroyo's government is obedience to God!" If this is still not clear to Dr. Golez, then I suggest he enrols in Sunday School. I doubt if he ever attended one. Clearly, his artificial intelligence succumbs to his natural stupidity.

(Image from http://www.pia.gov.ph/)

A FILIPINIZED PSALM 23

A Filipino a la David living in Manila today would probably write Psalm 23 this way:

"Gloria is my shepherd, I shall be in want. She leadeth me beside still factories. She maketh me to lie down on park benches. She restoreth my doubts about her 'Strong Republic.' She guideth me onto the paths of unemployment for her cronies' sake. I do fear the evil-doers, for she talks with them constantly. The privileges for the rich and her deficit spending, they discomfort me. She anointeth me with never-ending debt, and my savings and assets shall soon be gone. Surely, poverty and hard-living shall follow me, and my jobless children shall dwell in my basement forever."

(Image from http://zamboangajournal.blogspot.com/)

"QUE BARBARIDAD!"

FG Mike Arroyo wakes up one morning, looks out from the Malacanang Palace window and sees "MIKE ARROYO SUCKS" written in urine on a huge pile of sand. Furious, he calls the PSG and demands the perpetrators be found. Later that same day, several PSG guards return.

"Sir," says the first guard, "Na-analyze na po ng intelligence ang urine, at galing daw po kay VP De Castro." FG Mike goes purple with rage and shouts, "Que barbaridad! Is that all?!"

"Well, no sir," says the agent, "It's.. aah.. ma'am President's handwriting!"

(Image from http://www.philstar.com/)

GLORIA PLAYS GOD

A little boy wanted PhP500 badly and prayed for two weeks, but nothing happened. Then he decided to write God a letter requesting the PhP500. When PhilPost authorities received the letter addressed to "GOD, PHILIPPINES," they decided to send it to President Arroyo. The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that she instructed her private secretary to send the little boy a PhP50 bill. President Arroyo thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. The little boy was delighted with the PhP50 and sat down to write a thank you note to God, which read:

Dear God,

Thank you very much for sending the money, however, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Malacanang and, as usual, those crooks deducted PhP450.

(Image from http://www.pcij.org/)

PROSPERITY WITH A DARK PURPOSE - PART VIII
"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." - Proverbs 22:1

Forbidden fruits create many jams. A persistently covetous man cannot hold a position of responsibilty in the church. It is important, and often looked by many of us, that covetousness is a sin that cries out for disciplinary action (1 Corinthians 6:9,10). In God's assessment, covetousness is just as grievous in His sight as immorality and idolatry. While the latter two are obvious whenever a man indulges himself in them, covetousness is hidden in one's heart most of the time, but once in a while, it surfaces to expose the guilty man. If this happens, he should be disqualified for leadership position in church such as being a pastor. If he is pugnacious, or fails to take care of his own household, or is a drunkard, everybody in church, leaders in particular must agree to the point that he must be forfeited of his rights and privileges (and even honor) to minister. By the same token, covetousness disqualifies him, for he is meant to be generous, hospitable and loving - not lusting, and not always craving for more material things such as a big house, a new car, and perhaps to be more physical - a new mistress. And so, the church should not be lenient nor should act in haste. When a pastor shows by his lifestyle that covetousness is a characteristic of his own personality, then the church would be in a position, on the basis of 1 Corinthians 6:9,10, to take disciplinary measures against him. Sad to say, other churches would do the opposite. God has entrusted the church to judge with righteous judgement and not allow blatant and recurring sin. How many times has this happened? Count the fingers of your hand. It is of primary importance then that a minister of the church be unaccusable and irreproachable. If a blameworthy man is placed into the ministry, being in the lead, the whole church and the testimony of the gospel suffers and is brought to a poor level to that of pagans and infidels. The doctrine he preaches, prosperity and all, even though they may be sound, will be discredited. Even his self-will, being carnal, is a sign of pride and arrogance. To be steadfast in your mission is commendable, but to be stubborn in your error will lead to over-confidence, which is a denial of the very grace of God a pastor should instead be proclaiming. The arrogant man, if placed in ministry, will not think twice of making a shipwreck out of his faith and other people's faith because he is not willing to confess his faults and make amends. Also, a pastor who views some female sheep in his flock as slabs of steak or even mere morsels of meat, and indulges often in beer and wine will soon be a victim of his own vice. His mind will not be clear and lucid, as is the requirement for shepherds who are meant to watch over the health of the flock (not the wealth or vital statistics of the flock). His intellectual capacity must be clear and sharp, and a lover of wine shall never be so. A preacher whose teachings circumnavigate only on financial gain and prosperity can in no sense be a representative of Him who said, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay His head." (Luke 9:58, Matthew 8:20). Sad to say, throughout church history, we hear of cases where promising ministries were destroyed because the preacher was given to base gain. We still hear of them to this day. Check out your neighborhood fastfood joints. They're there, short of advertising to the crowd, "Only the rich are welcome in my church. If you're poor, try the fastfood outlet next-door." A man who is fond of money is not necessarily an embezzler. But a man may join a good cause and seek the pastoral office for the sake of material advantage. Likewise, Peter warns against such: "Feed the flock of God which is among you." (1 Peter 5:2). God excludes men from the ministry who have a mercenary spirit going out in search of riches, anxious to add to his possessions regardless of whether legitimate or not, whether fair or foul. A greedy person lays his own snare, into which he will ultimately fall. Judas betrayed Christ for a paltry sum of money. It is a mystery why greedy pastors seek the ministry to enrich themselves, when there are other venues available for them like the networking business of selling new-age garbage. In conclusion, the over-all impression is the Godly and mature character of the man, all-rounded, as James says, "Perfect, lacking in nothing." He is grown-up in all aspects of life. The term "covetous" is similar to "given to filthy lucre." This concentrates more on the intent and purpose of the man to enrich himself with earthly goods. Such a person in ministry will prove dishonest and will not be able to handle the financial aspect of his calling, thus bringing disrepute upon himself and his associates. A church having annointed teachers and pastors may not be the most popular church in town. On the other hand, a popular church may also have pastors of ill-repute, whose heart is planted on earthly treasures alone. Such churches will only have the numbers. But it all ends there. Again, our Lord said, "Feed my sheep." He didn't say, "Count them." In fact, He didn't even say, "Eat them." Indeed, Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.

(Image from http://www.kinnon.tv/)

HE'S IN THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING

Even if your Bible may be covered with dust by now, you may want read these awesome facts.

- What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Answer - Psalm 117
- What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Answer - Psalm 119
- Which chapter is in the center of the Bible? Answer - Psalm 118
- Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118
- Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalm 118
- Add these numbers up and you get 1188
- What is the center verse in the Bible? Answer - Psalm 118:8
- Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for our lives?

The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the center of His will, just send them to the center of His Word.

- Psalm 118:8 (NKJV) "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."

Now, isn't it odd how this worked out? (or was God in the center of it?) Awesome, huh?

(Image from http://revivalministry.wordpress.com/)

SEOUL TRAIN: MANILA OR BUST?

The influx of Korean nationals in the country have shown how important it is for them to learn the English language. Interestingly, many of them learn it with a strong Filipino flavor. English is a funny language, especially in pronunciation, stress and syllabication. Here, you'll see a few peculiar examples why. Try it.

- The bandage was wound around the wound.
- The farm was used to produce produce.
- The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
- We must polish the Polish furniture.
- He could lead if he would get the lead out.
- The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
- A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
- When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
- I did not object to the object.
- The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
- There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
- The buck does strange things when the does are present.
- A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
- To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
- The wind was too strong for us to wind the sail.
- After a number of injections, my jaw got number.
- Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.
- I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
- How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

So, many of us take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly. Confusion, thy name is English!

And to our visiting Korean friends in the Philippines, learn on - but please behave while here.

(Image from http://www.pcij.org/)

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PRESIDENT GETS ELECTED IN A YEAR WITH A "0" AT

THE END?

Well, this may apply only to US Presidents, so these facts shouldn't scare our presidentiable wannabes, or should it?
Also notice that it goes in increments of 20 years.

1840: William Henry Harrison (Died in Office)

1860: Abraham Lincoln: (Assassinated)

1880: James A. Garfield (Assassinated)

1900: William McKinley (Assassinated)

1920: Warren G. Harding (Died in Office)

1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Died in Office)

1960: John F. Kennedy (Assassinated)

1980: Ronald Reagan (Survived Assassination Attempt)

What am I saying? It doesn't necessarily mean that the next Philippine President to be elected in 2010 (if elections happen), will meet the same fate as his/her American counterparts. But then again, if an evil president he/she must be, so be it?




(Image from http://www.whitmanbooks.com/)