When We Least Expect It - Even On Christmas

"When they call on me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them." - Psalms 91:15

We thought Ondoy was a big blunder and the last of such scale. Then we saw all fingers directed toward government inefficiency. Those affected thought they had not been properly warned. The president in his rage sacked the Pag-asa chief for incompetence. Ondoy had claimed many lives though it poured out its wrath in daylight. But who can escape such a fury unleashed in the middle of the night the way Sendong did?

People of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities did get warned. They knew they were at the storm's path. As to the extent of the damage it had to leave, they could only predict, it was to be another storm meant to be forgotten, as oblivious as history should put it to be. Older folks had no recollection of a storm that ravaged their cities in the past, and the young were told so, as history validates, then people flirted with complacency. After Sendong had left, the lives of those lucky to make it will never be the same again.

The figures are staggering: over a thousand dead bodies piled up with debris strewn across the city, hundreds more are missing. Funeral parlors have no capacity for such a deluge of cadavers streaming their gates, not even a chance to identify the victims. The pictures are horribly graphic. Jessica Soho of GMA likened the onslaught to be that of a 'thief in the night', albeit the culprit took no accountability.

Take note of this: survivors frantically looking for their missing loved ones were advised to go to the city's dumpsite to search for their mothers, fathers, sisters,  brothers, babies and relatives. You don't believe this is happening. The sheer number of bodies recovered rendered the city incapable to bury them that they are left with no choice but  to dig a mass grave to contain the stench and a likely epidemic.

What's even incomprehensible is how human hands had actually played a role in the fate of those who had perished. Whether people still remain clueless and  have the temerity to point a finger at nature when thousands of logs and tree trunks swamped the city, is totally beyond me. Now people realize that they are paying dearly for the endless rape of our forests due to unabated illegal logging. Now, no one wants to take responsibility. How many times entire communities get wiped out and thousands of lives taken as a result of illegal logging? Even if someone gets crucified for the wrongs of many, I bet lessons will serve no purpose, as long as human greed comes in abundance.

Life always remains a mystery. When we think all is well, suddenly destruction hits. At times when we think we have security and things are going alright in our lives, tragedy comes our way. Then most of us don't know what to do when we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere. We don't know where and who to turn to and how we are going to get by. But if we were offered a way to live without ever having to worry about anything ever again and it won't cost us a cent, would we jump on it? Judging by the world trend, things are  not going to get easier, they are going to get worse, especially that materialism and greed by some come before the good of many.

In facing repercussions, there will always be more at the losing end. In life, there are countless possibilities that we may face but only one thing is certain - death is forthcoming - in whatever manner, we are left clueless. It will come still, yes, even at a time when we least expect it. But no matter how much people weep for those they've lost, their lives will never be the same again, because indeed very few find the real reason for living. He is in fact the reason for Christmas.

I still wish my kababayans in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities a happy Christmas! We from Saudi Arabia may not be able to hand you a bottled water or a noodle, yet our prayers at your time of distress abound for you. Life is short but as long as we are blessed with air to breathe, there is hope, and that hope is just within your reach. In fact, He is the reason why we celebrate this season. His name is Jesus. Have a blessed Christmas!

Please click HERE if you wish to make a difference in the lives of those who survived.

Perry Stone: The Spear - The Mystery Weapon in Ephesians 6 (The Full Armor Of God)

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. ~ Ephesians 6: 18

The End Times In The Words Of Jesus (7 Part Documentary)

John 14: 28-31 (The Prince Of This World Is Coming)

“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

James 1: 22-25 (Don't Just Listen To The Word, Do What It Says)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

A Tale Of Two Beauties

"None is righteous, no, not one." - Romans 3:10

Finding Facebook and other social media steaming hot over the past few days with the Piolo-KC and Mo-Rhian sagas that almost killed off the laughable  "putting a tiny tot to sleep forever"  sort-of-plot buzz did not only amaze me; yes, I even see myself now tapping my thoughts together into a post. Would you believe that? Anyway, I can only imagine which obvious pair from the duos gets the sympathy, and the obvious half passed off for evil. I have read substantially enough to know the pulse and not be so surprised at the reactions. Guess what, the immoral label is readily tagged to a villain aka fetus murderer, and  what more to an unforgiving homophobic society's wrath on a celebrity's hunky image that turned out (allegedly) to be the biggest hoax ever - next to the vomit-induced assertion of a purported Ampatuan innocence?

On KC - Piolo saga:
Why a flurry of criticisms on Piolo as though the man owes every Filipino an apology  for ditching such a desirable woman? Why every gossip-mongering citizen especially feels entitled to force him to parade his skeleton in public? Just because he ruined the libidinal fantasy of the third kind from this confirmation? On people hell-bent to hammer him against the wall till he declares to the world that he willfully swallowed the stone or Ding forcefully shoved it down his throat, is totally beyond me, and that's not just right. If early in his career Piolo did a Bebe Gandanghari, would the public actually adore him for everything that he is made of? Sort of unthinkable for Piolo to shed his macho image, get rid of the muscles till he pass for a worthy torchbearer for anorexic community and strutting around in red stilettos and thick lipstick and go around telling the world that the old persona is dead.

Whether there is truth to it, most people would be so frustrated not to see him come out of his closet and duplicate Bebe's exploits. Not even in this lifetime, I bet. But still the question remains:  is the frenzied public which has successfully nailed him on the cross ready to forgive him for his  'transgression'? And who are these 'righteous' to demand he satisfies their whims at the expense of him getting flogged so that they gloat over in victory? God knows people don't care about his predicament. But still he is left with no choice but to shrug off taunting eyes that feast on his agony. Sadly, what's all the more telling is that people seem to live off on the misery of others. To them, they play the role on how society works, how to shape the norm - to be yourself, that is, and that you cheat them when you're acting out what you are not. But wait till  tabloids banner news of  philandering celebrities if it appeals to them. Not even a snout even if one sired three quarters of a hundred progeny. It is a requirement though when your estrogen level outweighs your testosterone: the public expects a revelation party anytime soon or else you're rewarded public flogging if the delay takes forever.

On the other hand, I have only sympathy for KC for her heartbreak, but cashing in on her vulnerabilities on national television did not help her cause either. She wins outright sympathy for her 'underdog' narratives: a prize accorded to the oppressed helped by compassion-induced tears and occasional daffy demeanor. She could be easily perceived as a classy intelligent woman who could have risen above her circumstances. But  what I see in the interview is a desperate woman, who unconsciously falls into a trap of a cunning and manipulative interviewer by urging her on to wash her dirty laundry in public, albeit the subtle way. People have different opinions on the matter, though  Piolo  obviously is at a disadvantage. My take on this is, when a woman announces that a man is incapable of giving the very basic needs of a woman, what comes to mind of every forthright sane individual is only one thing - sex. As though she wants to keep a little decency for herself, the public was made to make a wild guess that even kindergartens have staked their claims to the prize. 

The public loves this kind of drama: a macho hunk outed from his closet by his woman - the culprit being his inability to satisfy her. Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming public sympathy for her is not due to her being sex-deprived but because he cheated her for another man. This is the kind of drama most people would love not to ignore. With time, the moral landscape of any given society has greatly evolved,  and this contributes to people readily accepting premarital sex as a norm that is widely acceptable. Ordinary people look up to showbiz personalities as their models and this is what society gets: premarital sex that sometimes leads to abortion, nursing mothers barely out of puberty, and poor illiterate kids doomed to fail in life even before they reach their life's potential.

The Mo - Rhian predicament:

This is a classic sad tale involving the butcher of a fetus. It is horrible that an innocent child gets a death sentence for being a threat to its mother's blossoming career.  She is on top of her game and getting pregnant is never an option. Then she did the unthinkable. The father of the child seems genuinely disturbed by his conscience for playing the role of reluctant accomplice, and so the confession video surfaces. In here, there's no dearth of moral vanguards who are quick to label the culprit as evil and permanent inhabitant of a place that overflows with sulfur and brimstone. Unfortunately for the culprits, the stench of their deeds will not be  contained for eternity just as they would have wished it to be, until truth finds its own way out.

Putting up a brave face and singing her heart out on a Sunday show while consciously aware of the world bashing her in unison, elicited applause for her brand of bravery; either way people did cringe at the sheer lack of compunction. Sometimes people  tend to be irrational and unforgiving yet living off on another's predicament for a fodder. They always crave for gossips that tickle their ears, often feasting on other people's predicament. Indeed there's no free ride to fame, for you pay what you owe and reap what you sow - and that's part of the deal.

Still people wonder how does she cope with her new-found fame after the turmoil. In showbiz, everything revolves around money and fame, yes even for a wrong reason, so she has not much to weep for, as long as she has what it takes. Of course, people close to her and those who are cashing in on her image have plenty of encouraging words to offer. She's a total package and a face to die for, so seeing her career fade anytime soon is not what seers have predicted. But would that be enough to appease her conscience?


Personal Thoughts:
It's a pity that very few people find the solution to their agony because money, pleasure and reputation are what they value the most. They forgot that there is something of greater value that lasts for eternity compared to the temporal things that only last for a time and then vanish quickly. People are so blinded by fame and fortune that they believe these are the only things that matter. It's sad to know how people can be so clueless that we have a just and righteous God whom we will give account of ourselves for everything that we have done. He is such a loving God that despite all our filthiness and stench of our deeds reaching Him, still He loves us and is able to forgive us. The Bible clearly says that we all have sinned and come short of His glory and there is none righteous, not even one. That is such a sad state of every human being that we ought not to condemn others for the speck in their eyes for there is only one righteous God who judges us. He only wants us to humble ourselves and repent and turn back from our sins and accept His offer of salvation  through His son Jesus.

All man's possessions such as money, fame, power and good reputation will not last forever. Jesus clearly warns us that, "for what profit is it for a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?" People need Jesus because what He can offer is much more of greater value than all the riches of this world combined. But what makes people reject Him is the life of sin that they cannot repudiate. Yet His grace is abundant and people find it if they seek it, but not until when it's too late. If only people experience the peace that surpasses all understanding, and that can only be found through Jesus who readily gives it to those who will call out to Him.

Psalms 73 (The Prosperity Of The Wicked/ Do Not Envy The Rich)

Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;

I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;

their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from the burdens common to man;

they are not plagued by human ills.

Therefore pride is their necklace;

they clothe themselves with violence.

From their callous hearts comes iniquity

the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

They scoff, and speak with malice;

in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

Their mouths lay claim to heaven,

and their tongues take possession of the earth.

Therefore their people turn to them

and drink up waters in abundance.

They say, “How can God know?

Does the Most High have knowledge?”

This is what the wicked are like—

always carefree, they increase in wealth.

Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;

in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

All day long I have been plagued;

I have been punished every morning.

If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

I would have betrayed your children.

When I tried to understand all this,

it was oppressive to me

till I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I understood their final destiny.

Surely you place them on slippery ground;

you cast them down to ruin.

How suddenly are they destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors!

As a dream when one awakes,

so when you arise, O Lord,

you will despise them as fantasies.

When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;

you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign Lordmy refuge;

I will tell of all your deeds.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (Listening To What Their Itching Ears Want To Hear)

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 

False Christs in the End Times

So many false christs have arrived in these end times! Learn how to discern false teachers with Dr. David Reagan and Don Perkins on the show Christ in Prophecy.

1 Corinthian 9:24-27 (Run The Race)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (The Message Of The Cross Is Foolish To Others)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Matthew 7: 15-23 (The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing/ False Prophets)

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 

James 4: 1-12 (Submit Yourselves To God)

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.”

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Getting Yourself Prepared for the Lord's Return (Rapture)

The Rapture will separate those who knew the Lord in spirit and truth, from those who knew the Lord in tradition and form.

How to prepare yourself for the Lord's Return? What is needed, and what will happen? Read: Divine Revelations

Even Here He Thrives

"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men." - John 1:4.

Stories of people beheaded because they carry Bibles or caught keeping one already caused a little hysteria in my psyche even before I ventured to Saudi Arabia. Fiction or otherwise, I was in no mood to put myself at risk and the thought of my family wailing over a sewn reattached head to a familiar body scares me to the hilt.

For a first-timer in a country where other religions are not encouraged except theirs, I had a hard time deciding whether to toss off my old and new NIV Bible from my bag or simply let others pick it up from the airport lounge to be a forgotten article by some disoriented traveler. The agency people were keen to warn us that no offensive articles be found in our luggage, or we risk imprisonment upon arrival. Thankfully, there was an inconspicuously small mail station in  the vicinity where I dropped off my Bible to the surprise of my family when it reached them.

Being an expatriate in Saudi Arabia, you don't necessarily fear going about with your normal life as long as you obey the rules and laws of the country. Of course, there are bad elements on the loose preying on unsuspecting expatriates who most often than not, are too terrified to call the police and end up hapless victims because they do not know their rights, or in most cases choose not to bother asserting it.

Speaking of obedience to rules and laws however, is a struggle to a bunch of people who cannot be perfectly law-abiding , but nonetheless are peaceful-loving (practice of other religions apart from Islam is not allowed here). These are the Bible-believing Christians who find ways to keep their faith burning, even amidst persecution and arrests of believers, who are only gathered albeit secretly, to worship God. The biggest irony of them all, the one tasked to arrest Christians worshiping in secret is a state-sanctioned moral police aptly called the Commission for the Promotion of Virtues and Prevention of Vice ( still I'm less than halfway through an agonizing journey of equating gambling or prostitution to worshiping your Creator).

Since the inception of globalization and mainly due to the king's open-mindedness, efforts to clamp down on Christian worshipers have dramatically subsided. ( Of course, Christian gatherings are kept painfully discreet that no one suspects from outside that some living beings do exist inside and too scared to sneeze. If that's what the government decrees, it is being complied dutifully and fearfully with so much trembling). Or I must admit we are a little blessed because in this part of the kingdom, the mutawwas  are less passionate in their mandate to punish  disbelievers, unlike in Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom where they are relentless in their bid to cut off those who they term as enemies of Islam.

It sounds ridiculous, but owing to the threat of getting incarcerated, or perhaps it is best that you choose people whom to trust, in my long years of stay in Saudi Arabia no one has dared invite me to a Bible study. Funny, I don't see it strange if people find my countenance as someone who tends to run to the mutawwas for a tip off. While there are a hosts of issues or concerns to talk about related to life as an expatriate, getting comfortable to talk about one's faith even with a colleague, is a struggle.

Who would have thought that a former colleague whom I only get to see  occasionally could be an instrument for this new journey I take? Okay, this time I give some credit to the advent of social media, Facebook in particular, where people feel free to express anything under the sun, and yes even their faith sans the glare and threat from the claws of another kind. It's been three months now since I responded to a Facebook invite and I'm enjoying every bit of it -- the fellowship of the believers and the worship of the living God, even in uncharted territory. By the way, Romans 8:31 assures us that "if God is for us who can be against us?"

Twenty four years ago, a young OFW started a small Bible study group consisting of only two attendees including himself, acting as jack of all trade being the  pastor, worship leader and all. Armed with a well-concealed Bible and a bike to get to homes of other members, and of course with the bravado of a Spirit-filled person, the once tiny group became a big congregation that multiplied into several sectors spread out in different parts of the city. Twenty four years of God's faithfulness and souls are being harvested for His kingdom.

The great commission is being fulfilled in the four corners of the earth, for God's plan of salvation for all does not change. No authorities, powers and dominions will prosper against God's divine plan, for it is written, "Whoever listens to Me will have security, he will be saved and no reason to be afraid." - (Proverbs 1:33)

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (The Wisdom Of This World)

‎"Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”;and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 

Rabbi Reveals Name of Messiah

Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri reveals the name of the Messiah before he died! He was a renowned Mizrahi Haredi rabbi and Kabbalist who devoted his life to Torah study. 

Luke 13:34-35 (Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem)

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

MAY 21ST IS SAID TO BE THE END OF THE WORLD (Philadelphia Inquirer 1-17-2011). HAROLD CAMPING PREDICTS END OF THE WORLD, AGAIN "THIS TIME, HE SAYS THE REAL DAY OCT. 21ST 2011." (ABC News 10-11-2011. MATHEMATICS PROFESSOR SPEAKS ABOUT THE MAYANS AND THE 2012 APOCALYPSE (Pittsburg Morning Sun 9-16-2011). WILL THE WORLD END ON DEC. 21ST 2012? (Bangor Daily News 10-12-2011). All wrong!

Outline of events between now and the second coming of Jesus Christ.

According to the Bible:

• 6th Trumpet War -- Revelation 9:13-16
• Confirmation of The Covenant (Peace Treaty in the Middle East) Daniel 9:27, 11:22... This event starts the final seven year period before the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ.

*First 3 ½ years:
• Third Jewish Temple will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount. Revelation 11:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2:4
• Jews will resume sacrifices Daniel 9:27

*Middle of 7 years:
• Abomination of Desolation Daniel 9:27, 11:31 and Matthew 24:15

*Final 3 ½ years:
• War in Heaven -- Revelation 12:7-10 and Daniel 12:1
• Antichrist is revealed - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
• Reign of the antichrist begins -- Revelation 13:5 and Daniel 12:1
• Great Tribulation begins -- Matthew 24:15-21 and Daniel 12:1
• 5th Seal is opened -- Revelation 6:9-11
• Two Witnesses begin their ministries -- Revelation 11:3
• Mark of the Beast is implemented -- Revelation 13:15-18, 14:9-11 and 15:2
• End of 7 years...
• Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Rapture -- Acts 1:10-12, Zechariah 14:3-4 and Matthew 24:30-31

James 5:7-12 (Patience In Suffering)

7Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

12Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.

Howard Storm Testimony

A former Atheist and former professor Howard Storm testimony on the "Heaven & Hell Night" with hosts Matt & Laurie Crouch in Costa Mesa, CA.

How Could One Be Saved?

The ABCs of Salvation

The following simple outline consists of God's plan of salvation. You can receive Jesus Christ into your life and know that your sins are forgiven and that you are His child. The promise of peace with God and eternal life is for those who enter into a relationship with Him through faith. Consider these ABCs of salvation:

A. Admit that you are a sinner and that you need God. The Bible says. " All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). God is serious about your sin because He is holy. We need to be serious about how we have broken God's laws by sinning against Him and others.

B. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (see Acts 16:31). To believe in God means more than simply acknowledging that He exists. The Bible shows us that true belief means to entrust yourself and give your life over to God. Jesus gave His all for us by dying on the cross for our sins. If we really believe, we will accept His forgiveness by giving our whole life to Him. The Bible says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

C. Call upon the Lord. The Bible says, "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord  will be saved (Romans 10:13). To call upon the Lord means to cry out to Him in sincerity. If you truly see your need of God and believe that He can help you, you will call to Him. For example, if you were drowning in the middle of the ocean, and a boat came near you, you would cry out with all your remaining strength to be saved. That's exactly how we come to God...as those who desperately need His saving mercy.

Ask Jesus right now to forgive you and save you. Ask Him to come into your life -- and He will.

How Can I know If I Am Saved? SELF TEST!

Its Value Greater Than Apple's: Steve Jobs Should Have Known It By Now

"No one wants to die; even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there." - Steve Jobs

He was a true icon of this generation. A creative genius, a visionary. A Cinderella man whose legacy will be remembered forever.  A real pop star in every sense of the word. When Steve Jobs died, Apple's website announced that the world has lost an amazing human being. He had touched lives and essentially changed the world. A tsunami of praises heaped on him after his death doesn't seem to fade just yet. But if in his deathbed he still could not overcome his fear, then one can say, he was a scared man till he breathed his last.

Make no mistake, 'though I do not own an Ipad or an Iphone (I chose not to), I am a big fan of Jobs. I have read a lot about him - how his genius and innovation simply made life for people on this planet easier. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, given his monumental success was once a pundits' object of ridicule when he could not pull off a Job's charisma and spontaneity at a product launch. Even for brilliant techies and contemporaries, Jobs is someone who's being looked up to.

"What a waste to have lost such a genius at still a young age," others rationalize in deep resentment. Many fans just can't come to terms with the loss. Some complain that how in the world his billions could not save him from death. Others resent why a pancreas could not just be rendered redundant in this genetic age. It is unbelievable how people get so caught up with the things of temporal value that they forget there is one thing that lasts for eternity. Death for some is a hard fact to swallow,  but sadly the tentacles of death taunting us is a terrifying reality one cannot just look over.

Even atheists at some point entertain the thoughts that what if indeed God exists. Certainly, we cannot lie to ourselves that death is a big hoax because at some point in our lives we have witnessed death happening - in the family, our closest friends, or even our beloved pets. We even hear those who have lost their loved ones saying, "we will soon be together in the after-life". Why so? One thing we can conclude though - they believe that there is life after death, and that they believe there is a place where people who died will see and join their loved ones.

Most of us feel doubtful about the things beyond us such as death, but the Bible is straightforward in its truth  saying "For it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) Death is certain as we all agree, but where do we go after we die? Maybe we take the form of mist-like Casper and hang around in creeps yet with good intention? Or is it the perfect time to turn the tables on those vain fellows who had once made our lives miserable? Even our imaginations would sometimes take us to where we would choose to be - to some fairy tale realm, or us going through the process of reincarnating into a bird, a penguin or a dinosaur - yet none of this sort of things will ever come true. 

The Bible is very clear about death and judgment. But how one can avoid judgment? Let us remember that God is a loving god and that He loves the world so much that He gave His one and only  Son Jesus so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16). Therefore if one does not believe in Jesus there is a possibility that he will not have eternal life. And God speaks of those who do not believe that they are perishing into eternal damnation which is the lake of fire. But still God desires that everyone  could get saved, and come to the knowledge of truth. (1Tim. 2:3,4)

Why is it important for humans to obtain salvation? God is holy and no sinner could get to heaven. But the Bible says we are all sinners, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3;23). "For there is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10) And if we all have sinned, what then do we deserve? The Bible answers, " For the wages of sin is death but God's gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:23)

But what about our good works? Don't they count as much? What about giving alms to the poor, giving money to the church, sponsoring a poor child's education, or giving a piece of hamburger to a beggar while your friend takes a photo of your generosity? Of course they are commendable. But God says, "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous acts are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). "For it is by grace that you have been saved, not by your works so that no man should boast (Ephesians 2: 8,9).

No matter how we many different roads we prefer to take for us to get to heaven, the Bible says there is only one way and that is through Jesus (John 14:6). But sadly, a lot of people prefer to take their own way only to fail when they get to the end. Not even Oprah, with all her wealth and influence could accept that there is only one Way and that is Jesus. The Bible says, it is Jesus who paid for our sins through His death on the cross. He took the punishment for our sins. Instead of us getting  nailed on the cross for our sins, he took our place and made himself a sacrifice for us, so that anyone who believes in him will be saved.

God is love. That's true. That's why people refuse to come to terms that a loving God could put His creatures in hell, and that creates a heck of an argument. Yes, God is love that's why he sent Jesus His son to die for our sins, but let's not forget that God is also a righteous God. He cannot accept us sinners because He is holy that's why we are eternally separated from Him because of our sinful nature. But there is good news here. Jesus had bridged that gap between a holy God and a sinful man, so that all can get to heaven. And not only that, God himself calls us His own children if we accept Jesus into our lives because He is the one who sent Him (John 1:12), (John 12:44-50).

Yes, it is difficult to talk about death because it follows that you talk heaven and hell as well. Most people prefer to talk about the good things that a dead man had done when he was still alive. However, it is very sad to note that the tributes, the praises heaped on the dead cannot be appreciated by him because he had no awareness of what's happening on earth after he dies. A believer in Jesus after his last breath is taken to heaven while a person who dies without Jesus in his life goes to hell immediately, and this is the plain truth. (Matthew 25:46), (Matthew 13:41,50) The Bible is precise about the two destinations of man after he dies. The bad news is, there is no such thing as purgatory for those who have 'slightly' sinned. Clearly, salvation is by choice and not by destiny. Man has been given free will and intellect to decide. It's only two things. Whether we accept Jesus who died for our sins, or we reject Him and continue with our sinful deeds.

For us Steve Jobs' fans, I have here a thing to get excited about. If he had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ before he died, then we have something to rejoice for. He must be rejoicing in heaven now and have met the One who gifted him with enormous talent that impacted the world. But there's another to get sad about - if he died without Jesus in his life, he must be in a place of terrible torment now. To a rich and powerful person, it takes a great deal of humility before one recognizes that he is a sinner and that he needs Jesus. I hope Steve Jobs did just like that.  For you wouldn't wish for anyone to go to hell, not even Hitler or Bin Laden, for it is a really really terrible place of torment. For a person who has been blessed to have known the truth, I wish that everybody should come to the knowledge of truth, and accept that Jesus is the only way for us to get to the place where everybody dreams to belong, for it is what God desires for us all. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

I am not a fan of this guy posting his thoughts on Steve Jobs' death, but what he had to say is something worth  pondering about.  You may also check out this blog by Daniel St. Pierre.

What Happens When We Die?

1 Corinthians 13 (Love Chapter)

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Is Steve Jobs In Hell?

Read: Is Steve Jobs In Hell? on Daniel St. Pierre Blog.

James 5:1-6 (Warning To The Rich)

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourself in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murder innocent men, who were not opposing you.

Philippians 2: 1-11 NIV (Imitating Christ’s Humility)

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Somalia: Hell On Earth As The Rest Of The World Forgets

"Is it because Somalia does not equate with Japan's status as being too glamorous to suffer a catastrophe? That the people of the Horn do not matter as much as people from traditionally 'important' nations?"

Djokovic had won his third slam in a year. "Mad Men" dominated the Emmys in the nth year running. The pop world goes gaga over Lady Gaga, until when, I have no idea.. And Sarkozy came to Tripoli and treated like a rock star. Yet there is no dearth of sobering news as the world economy is in tatters, at least in the West, for now. More and more Americans are getting poorer. Greece is likely to be tossed off of the EU for its irreparable economy that further sends the bloc into economic doldrums. The world has plenty to talk about - mostly those that titillate our senses, and sending others of importance to oblivion.

Had it not been for Gadhafi, the world would have completely lost account  of what is happening in Africa. News that centered around the tyrant's demise albeit virtually had all media outlets around the world screaming in unison. For all its oil's worth and  bisexual innuendos pertaining to one of Gadhafi's sons, even the resignation of Steve Jobs from Apple's top echelon, was poised to upstage even the more hellish scenario further east at the Horn of Africa. Still few would choose to read or google about the famine in Africa.

These are not scenes told with exaggeration. It will break your heart. Somali families trek through the desert for weeks to get to the nearest UN refugee camp on Kenyan border some 50 miles away. Babies born along the way had their baptism of life's cruelty the moment they emerge from their mothers' wombs. Lucky if they make it through arduous journey and if their mothers are strong enough without having to eat anything to continue the journey. And my eyes welled up on this one - a mother had told of her little boy she left on the desert road because he was too weak to walk and she knew then he wouldn't survive. She had to be strong for her other children whom she thought stood a chance to survive in a long journey that took them forever.

Carcasses of dead animals along every single patch is a sight in ubiquity. As both humans and animals struggle to stay alive, there is nowhere near a tiny hint of vegetation that can bring them little hope. People fight off one another for a scant supply of drinking water. Given the situation, children and weaker ones do not stand a chance to survive longer. Even when herdsmen wish to sell off at knock-down prices what is left of their livestock, nobody would buy them for chances are they would soon be dead. A man who along with his family survived the trek to the refugee camp would swear he used to be rich in their community but has given up little hope, looking at the loosed skin hanging from his emaciated son.

Some survivors who made it to the camp  have brought with them harrowing tales to tell.  Other families according to them were being stopped by Al Shabab militia  on their way to Kenya, telling them to go back and pray to Allah for rain. "For there is dignity dying in your own country than in another land", the militia's leader preaching at them. For all its notoriety, it is hideous to think that this terrorist group is preaching dignity to its people when for all other reasons, this group has created famine for not allowing aid agencies to function in its own country so that thousands of lives could be saved in the process.

It's been two years running that drought has gobbled up the livelihood of people in Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia and parts of Kenya and Djibouti. Save for Somalia, the aforementioned countries have tackled their problems without so much chaos because there exist a functioning government in those states. By contrast, Somalia has had no functioning government since 1991 that paved the way for anarchy to rule, compounded by the Al Qaeda- linked militia Al Shabab's presence that has virtually taken over the control of most of the country. 

The drought at the Horn of Africa is said to be the worst in over 60 years. Its natural arid land somehow has taught the people how to cope with scarcities from rain, but a prolonged dry spell unprecedented in the region has caused international aid agencies to sound an alarm of a looming humanitarian catastrophe. It's been three or four months that various aid agencies had unanimously asked world donors especially rich countries, to take seriously if not prioritize the widespread humanitarian catastrophe besetting the region. Indeed,  bulks of aids came trickling albeit haphazardly, but not in a manner tangible enough to cope with the needs of the refugees. Given the scale of this humanitarian disaster, sadly some rich countries do not seem to see it as emergency.

For God's sake, thousands are dying and will surely be dead if the UN fails to respond appropriately. How many rich countries have so far pledged to make a difference in the lives of those still living that refuse to die just yet? Okay, even rich nations have their own share of problems ranging from inflation to unemployment, or perhaps a regular movie ticket that has gotten more expensive, but seeing a tent city supposedly for the living  juxtaposed in an equally crowded burial ground for the unlucky, does that not bother them? Is it because Somalia does not equate with Japan's status as being too glamorous to suffer a catastrophe? That the people of the Horn do not matter as much as people from traditionally "important" nations?

Why all this time only one famous celebrity in Yossou N'Dour, himself an African has come forward to rally  support from his continent out of compassion for the needy? Has George Clooney ultimately grown weary of rallying support from Hollywood, that none from among the megastars seems to be aware of what is happening to another class of human beings down there at the Horn? 

Don't get me wrong, famous celebrities are not bound by any contract to use their fame and power to be able to raise awareness on any world problem. And if anything, that is the least they could dispense from their wealth to save others from perishing. They have the power to effect change and be a catalyst for the world to act. But judging on a slow and disappointing response, it is very discouraging that very few people actually know the real situation, with which to some extent they describe it as "hell on earth".

Obviously, the miseries of others easily get swept under the rug,  for we are not in any way affected by their plight. That is the coldest and most irresponsible reaction any sane human being could demonstrate towards a fellow human being. And if  the scenes of  untold of miseries unfolding on television  do not rend our hearts, and instead we opt to hop on another feel-good channel for us to escape reality, and still we unhesitatingly parade our left-overs in a fast-food chain for all to see, so that we escape being branded as glutton in public, then shame on us, because we heap scorn on ourselves.

How many people around us have the temerity to flaunt their wealth and excesses, yet their next door neighbor hardly had a meal on their table? How many people we know that easily forget their humble beginnings when luck comes by, so that they readily had a bout with amnesia? Yes, life is truly unfair. Some have the gall to show off their fortune, others their so-called fruits of their labor, but just the same there is no dignity gained from a lavish display of ostentation when most people around us die of deprivation. 

Jesus in his teaching has warned, "For what profit is it for a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?" (Mark 8:36) And in Luke 12:15 he warned his disciples, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And for the least of our brothers, he declares, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me." Then they will go to eternal punishment. - Matthew 25:45,46.

Each one of us is human enough not to be moved by the conditions of our fellow human beings in Somalia. It is a feeling that we all should embrace and not turn a blind eye to. So, if your conscience dictates to bless others and be blest, you may click Unicef USA to donate a little of what you can share, or you can choose other aid agencies to donate at the side bar of this blog.