Thursday, December 31, 2009

Even some meat processors use “double dead” meat?

LIFE-CHANGING BOOK FOR NEW YEAR 2010: “20 Bible-Proofs WHY YOU ARE SAVED FOREVER, The True Believer’s Assurance of Salvation”, written in 1993 by Rodolfo C. Torres, is a life-changing book I will recommend to be read as we start 2010.

I do not know how this book found its way in my garage when I was starting to write this column at 7 a.m., December 31, 2009, as I don’t remember having bought it or it having been given to me, but, having read its introduction and its first chapter entitled “God Is Holding Us, Not We Holding God”, I found it to be a good way to start the new year.

The other 23 chapters of the book are given by Torres these titles: “God Forgives and Remembers Not Our Sins”; “God Saved Us Forever”; “The Lord Is Our Shepherd”; “We Are Sealed By The Holy Spirit”; “We Are Saved Because God Loves Us”; “God’s Love For Us Will Not Change”.

“Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God”; “God Will Not Forget or Forsake Us”; “God Will Finish the Work He Has Begun in Us”; “Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of Our Faith”; “We Are Kept by the Power of God”; “God Will Protect and Preserve Us”; “”God Bought Us and Owns Us”.

“”God Is Not Willing to Lose Us”; “God Will Sanctify Us and Make Us Perfect”; “All Things Work for Our Good”; “God Has Predestined Us”; “Our Names Are Written in Heaven”; “Now We Are Under Grace Not Under the Law”; “Two Things Will Happen to a True Believer”; “You Will Not Completely Fall Away”; “How to Really Know If You Are Saved”; “How to Work Out, Not Work For, Your Salvation”.

-ooo-

EVEN FOOD PROCESSORS USE DOUBLE DEAD MEAT: The story of “double dead meat” being sold for New Year 2010 is not new (“double dead meat” means meat from pigs and other animals which should have been thrown away because they are no longer fit for consumption since the animals died from sickness before they could be butchered).

If I am to believe the information being passed on to me by people seeking free legal help from BATAS (or the Buklod ng mga Abogadong Tagapagtaguyod ng Adhikaing Sambayanan, a free legal aid group I organized in 1994), even some food processing businessmen use “double dead meat”.

That is the reason why, I am told, some processed meat products sold at very low prices have been found to contain live worms and other defects which, in many instances, made people sick, but which authorities turn a blind eye to, for one reason or another.

We must therefore be very wary, not only of meat being sold as fresh in the markets, but even of meat converted as processed meat (such as ham, bacon, sausage, corned beef, liver spread).

-ooo-

RP FERRY AND BOAT TRAGEDIES TO CONTINUE, UNLESS...: The ferry and boat tragedies the nation has been witnessing during the 2009 Christmas and New Year Holidays should be telling us something about sea transportation in the Philippines, and the impending bigger loss of lives, limbs and property if we do not do something about it.

Anyone who has used ferries, boats or any other sea craft anywhere in the country will tell us that tragedies are bound to happen principally because of the system of using those vessels: once the ships or boats are started to be used in the morning, they continue to be used all throughout the day, without stopping for any inspection in between.

I have seen this in the Batangas City-Calapan City ports, in the Cebu City-Tagbilaran City ports, in the different ports in Mindanao, and even in the Dumaguete City-Cebu City ports.

If the boats are used back and forth in ferrying goods and passengers without being inspected and “refurbished”, as it were, in between, something’s got to give somehow, and woe unto the passengers whose only fault would be their desire to go home for the holidays to be with their families.

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CROWNING OF JESUS WITH THORNS: The Third Sorrowful Mystery of the Holy Rosary of Roman Catholic Christians talks about the crowning of Jesus with thorns, and the account of this event is found in Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2 of the Bible. There is no account of it in the Gospel of Luke

According to these passages, Pilate had tried to release Jesus who, by then, was presented to Him after He was arrested, but the crowd instead asked for the release of another man, Barabbas, the convicted murderer, and insisted that Jesus be crucified.

Jesus was subsequently flogged, on orders of Pilate, and later was brought to the Praetorium in the company of many soldiers. The soldiers stripped Jesus of His clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him.

Then they twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head. Putting a staff in His hand, the soldiers then knelt in front of Him and mocked Him, saying “Hail, king of the Jews.”

After they mocked Him, they took off His robe and put on His own clothes on Him. The soldiers then led away to crucify Him, thus fulfilling His prophecies about His suffering in the hands of the Jews before His crucifixion.

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

PGMA granddaughter’s wish, a prophecy of things to come?

PGMA’S GRANDDAUGHTER’S WISH MAYBE GRANTED: Five-year old Marie Angelique Montenegro Macapagal Arroyo, a favorite presidential granddaughter, may yet see the realization, even if only partially, of her expressed Christmas wish for her grandmother, President Arroyo, to remain President of the Philippines forever.

While the youthful and innocent wish of Marie immediately received a torrent of objections, especially from media and political entities and personalities who have become rabid Arroyo critics, I am of the perception that, as I have already written here before, Mrs. Arroyo may really remain president even after May 2010.

This is, I am convinced, not a simple wishful thinking. When I first wrote that Arroyo does have a chance to be president longer than May 2010, I was basing it on certain Biblical passages that I read before (yes, you read it correctly---Biblical passages).

I cannot explain just what these passages are in this article at this point, but I am positive they all point to Arroyo continuing to lead the Philippines after her supposed term. My thinking is that Arroyo’s being president after May 2010 is written in the stars, as it were, for a very important reason.

-ooo-

GRANDDAUGHTER’S CHRISTMAS WISH A PROPHECY OF THINGS TO COME? Now, that possibility has loomed larger and its probability of becoming a reality much bigger, the desire to the contrary of so many, including the declared May 2010 presidentiables, notwithstanding.

For one, the spectre of martial law being declared just before, or particularly during the May 2010 elections, due to violence, chaos and disorder creeping throughout the four corners of the archipelago because of the elections, is very real. Martial law means no elections.

Then, assuming that the elections will push through, the possibility of a failure of elections as a result of a computer glitz is also very, very real, especially if we consider the publicly-conceded “technical difficulties” being experienced by the Commission on Elections on the computers and the systems to be used in the electoral exercise.

This is the reason why I am viewing Marie Angelique’s Christmas wish as, in reality, some kind of a heavenly divination, a prophecy of things to come, having been uttered and verbalized by a mere five-year old baby who really did not know what she was talking about in the first place.

At this point, I am now willing to take a bet that Mrs. Arroyo will remain as Philippine president after May 2010. Any takers?

-ooo-

GOD ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS: “Anyone with flesh and blood like us who prays to, and honors, God, will be heard and also honoured,” says the final part of the Emma Okorie article entitled “If Ye Ask Anything In My Name”, a copy of which was emailed to me by Pastor Paul Waldmiller of New York, USA on Christmas day 2009. Here is that final part:

“James 5:17-18 say, `Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.’

“Elijah, flesh and blood like us, prayed and God honoured him. He will also honour you! In the Old Testament as in the new, we are permitted to ask and receive. Do you have faith in prayer? Do you have faith in the word of God?

“Then why do the problems persist? God answers the prayers of the righteous. Jesus has made you righteous. Christ in you is the hope of glory. If you shall ask anything in the name of Jesus, he will do it.

“Son of man, what will thou have God do for you? Don’t be distracted. Be focused, but ask. The Lord Jesus is standing by your side. The king of glory is by your side. What is the burden of your heart?

“The effective fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much. Whatsoever you shall ask, believing, you shall receive. You have not received because you have not asked. Your answer is a prayer away. He that asketh, recieveth. God bless you...”

-ooo-

SCOURGING OF JESUS AT THE PILLAR: The “Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar” is the second mystery in the “Sorrowful Mysteries” of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians. Unlike all the other mysteries of the Holy Rosary, however, this second Sorrowful Mystery is the only mystery which is very tersely depicted.

In the Gospels of Matthew (27:26), Mark (15:15), and John (19:1), the scourging of Jesus at the pillar is described in just one sentence: Pilate had Jesus flogged. In the Gospel of Luke, there is even no direct reference to it whatsoever.

This makes one wonder: what then is the importance of the scourging of Jesus, so that it merited to be included as one of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians?

To me, the significance of this event is to show the wickedness which man could descend to, if he has become totally separated from God, unwilling to comply with His commands, laws and decrees.

While man is a dearly loved creation by God, he could become a beastly creation, rejecting even God and His Son the moment he stops believing and hardening his heart against God’s teachings and direction.

This situation is of course to be avoided, for it leads us to nowhere but hell.

-ooo-

BATAS INTERNET RADIO, BATAS INTERNET TV: Please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click BatasRadio.com). We go on the air 24 hours a day, Mondays to Fridays. Also, watch BATAS INTERNET TV, also at www.batasradio.com (click BatasITV).

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Great faith in Jesus brings healing

GREAT FAITH IN JESUS BRINGS HEALING: This is the continuation of the article entitled “If Ye Shall Ask Anything in My Name”, written by Emma Okorie and forwarded to me by Pastor Paul Waldmiller of New York, USA on Christmas day, December 25, 2009. The article contains a very powerful message. Read on:

“The father of a lunatic came to Jesus and pleaded: `Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sorely vexed: for oft times he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.’ (Matthew 17:15). Jesus rebuked the devil and the child was cured the same hour.

“A woman of Canaan also came to Jesus on account of her daughter who was demon-possessed. She cried unto Him saying `…Have mercy on me, O lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil’ (Matthew 15: 23-28 reports.

“ `But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying; Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

“ `And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

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NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD: “This Canaanite woman’s persistence touched the Master and fetched healing. Even now, you can receive your own healing. Jesus is in the church because of your own case. Mark the time and date and remember that we serve a God of constant character.

“He that did it for all ten lepers and even to a Canaanite woman, outside the commonwealth of Israel, He will do it for you! He is the same yesterday, the same today and the same forever. Nothing is impossible for him.

“Jesus said, `If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ More than any other, Jesus’ encounter with blind Bartimeus is an affirmation of this prayer-answering provision.

“Mark 10:46-52 reports: `And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried all the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

-ooo-

“ASKING MUST RECEIVE AN ANSWER”: “ `And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

“And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”

“Defying detractors who wanted him to keep quiet, and remain in his blind state, he cried out all the more. Jesus was stopped by the resounding voice of faith. When Jesus asked what he wanted, his reply was unequivocal. He that asketh receiveth.

“Asking must receive an answer. Moses went to the extent of asking: `Show me thy glory’. God did not let him see his face but showed him a glimpse of his back. Be assured of answered prayers....”

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AGONY OF JESUS, AS THE FIRST SORROWFUL MYSTERY: After the Joyful Mysteries and the Mysteries of Light, the Holy Rosary of Roman Catholic Christians deal with the so-called “Sorrowful Mysteries”, which depict the parts of the life of Jesus that culminate in His death on the cross.

The first of these “Sorrowful Mysteries” is the “Agony of Jesus”, which is the story of Jesus agonizing at his impending crucifixion and death on the cross, and which is found in Matthew 26:36-45, Mark 14:32-42 and Luke 22:39-46 of the Bible.

In this story, Jesus is portrayed as being sorrowful and troubled, knowing as He did what was going to happen to him in just a few hours, even prompting Him to say “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”

Certainly, this is a powerful picture of Jesus in his human attributes, especially when this is viewed in the light of His subsequent statement, which shows Him placing completely His trust and confidence in the Father with the words “My Father, if it is possible, may this cub be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.

The question is, if Jesus is the Son of God, why would he be troubled, and why would he say that, if possible, “this cup be taken from me”?

The answer, I believe, is that, it is necessary to show that in his human attributes, Jesus could agonize just like ordinary men, so that humans will not really despair when problems come to them, no matter how great those problems maybe.

There is a solution to the agony that everyone feels, and the solution is precisely what Jesus did: placing complete trust and confidence in the will of God.

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BATAS INTERNET RADIO, BATAS INTERNET TV: Please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click BatasRadio.com). We go on the air 24 hours a day, Mondays to Fridays. Also, watch BATAS INTERNET TV, also at www.batasradio.com (click BatasITV).

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Faith brings out miracles from God

FAITH BRINGS OUT MIRACLES FROM GOD: “Faith brings out miracles from God”, says the continuation of the article entitled “If Ye Shall Ask Anything in My Name”, written by Emma Okorie, and sent to me via email by Pastor Paul Waldmiller of New York, USA on Christmas day, December 25, 2009. Let us read some more of this:

“When Martha believed Jesus after the death of Lazarus, she said, `Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.’ (John 11:21-22).

“This was an informed statement. She knew Jesus personally and was aware that nothing was impossible for Him. When you say you know Jesus and have received Him as your Lord and personal savior, do you know Him to this level?

“ `Even now, whatsoever thou will ask of God, God will give it to thee.’ Do you know Him as a Messiah, a healer, a mediator, redeemer and an intercessor who speaks for you before God daily?

“Martha was saying `Even though I know that Lazarus is already decaying in the grave, but even now, you can raise him again.’ The same Jesus loves you. Whatever you ask Him, He will do. He raises the dead, heals the blind and reverses impossible circumstances. There is just nothing too hard for him. Jesus answered Martha, `Thy brother shall rise again.’

-ooo-

THE WORD OF GOD IS FOREVER TRUE: “Faith brings out miracles from the Lord. The word of God is forever true. Let us get lost in the word of God. Let us live by the pure and living word of God. Our faith is not different from Martha’s.

“We have the same kind of faith and spirit. Even now, whatsoever we ask the Father in Jesus name, He will give to us.

“When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison after casting out a fortune-telling demon, Acts 16:25-26 say, `And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's hands were loosed.’

“Your deliverance will come suddenly when you ask. The foundation of every captivity will shake and be broken. If the son of man shall set you free, you shall be free indeed. Doors of slavery, captivity, business failures, demonic operation, will not only be shaken, they will come apart!

“Your hands shall be loosened. As a result of praying, singing and worshipping, God sent an earthquake to liberate Paul and Silas.

-ooo-

JESUS, GREATEST ASKING POWER ANYWHERE: “Ten lepers asked and received. Luke 17:11-14 report: `And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off...

“ `...And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.’

“ Together they pleaded: `Master, have mercy on us.’ Jesus asked them to go show themselves to the priest. They took a step of faith and were all healed. Jesus said, `If ye shall ask anything in my name…’

“The greatest asking power anywhere is the name of Jesus. It goes to where we can go and where we cannot. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow. A power of attorney has been given to all believers over this name and all we need to do is use it. Let your heart not shake. Have faith in God. Have faith in the name of Jesus.

More of this in our next issue...

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LAST SUPPER AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST: The fifth and last mystery in the Mysteries of Light (or the Luminous Mysteries) of the Holy Rosary of Roman Catholic Christians is the “Institution of the Holy Eucharist through the Last Supper”, an event which is now being used as basis for the Catholics’ claim that Jesus Christ is present in all Catholic masses around the world.

Found in Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25 and Luke 22:7-20, the story about the Last Supper contains an order from Jesus, which is significant as it is unique: “do this in remembrance of me”.

The question of course is: why would Jesus tell his disciples, who were having the Last Supper with Him, to break bread and drink wine “in remembrance of me” or “in memory of me”?

There could only be one answer and here lies the significance and the uniqueness of the Last Supper: Jesus wanted all those who believe in Him to remember Him every time they partook of food and drinks, to remember that all the grace and blessings that come to them who eat and drink actually come from the benevolence of God.

And since everything comes from the benevolence of God, we should always be thankful to Him, and recognize that without Him, we are nothing and we have nothing, and that whatever we are eating and drinking represents Jesus, so that Jesus actually is with us all the time.

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BATAS INTERNET RADIO, BATAS INTERNET TV: Please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click BatasRadio.com). We go on the air 24 hours a day, Mondays to Fridays. Also, watch BATAS INTERNET TV, also at www.batasradio.com (click BatasITV).

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Sunday, December 27, 2009

The power of asking, in Jesus’ name!

“IF YE SHALL ASK ANYTHING IN MY NAME...”: Pastor Paul Waldmiller of New York, USA, is a blessing of magnificent proportions to me and to BATAS INTERNET RADIO and BATAS INTERNET TV, not only because he diligently broadcasts daily in his 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. program “The Gospel Hour with Pastor Paul Waldmiller” even if he is not paid anything, but also because of the many inspiring thoughts he showers me and his listeners with.

On December 25, 2009, Christmas day, he sent me an email written by his friend, Emma Okorie, entitled “If Ye Shall Ask Anything in My Name.” It contains a simple yet very powerful message and I would like to share it with my readers in full, even if I have to publish it in several instalments once again.

Here is the first part of the email, partially edited, by Emma Okorie: “Lying on my bed in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, a few weeks ago and pondering over mountainous challenges standing before us as a ministry, God stuck this one scripture in my heart.

“ `Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14).

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BELIEVERS OF JESUS HAVE DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO DO MIRACLES: “As a habit, I do not walk by sight; I walk by faith. This is easier said than done when the mountains are extraordinary; when sickness, poverty and obstacles are overwhelming. Instructively, Jesus Christ, son of the living God, speaking to his disciples, said, `He that believeth in me, the work that I do shall he do also…’

“Faith and belief in Jesus have the unfailing potential to increase miracle level and transform entire lives. We shall do greater works because Jesus has given us delegated authority while going to his Father.

“As we do the works that Jesus did, whatsoever we ask in His name shall be done. In childlike belief, whatsoever we ask in the name of Jesus we shall receive.

“John 15:7-8 says `If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

“A child of God, abiding in the Lord and His works abiding in Him, shall ask what he will and it shall be done unto him. Tell me, when you come to the presence of God in prayer, what is your real thinking? What actuates you?

-ooo-

ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO YOU: “Money is a legal tender but the name of Jesus is a greater legal tender. Your faith in Christ is the most effective legal tender, more powerful than all currencies in the world put together. As long as you bear fruit and multiply the kingdom of our dear Father, you will ask and receive.

“Matthew 21:22 says, `And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ Never be despondent, never lose hope. Ask and it shall be given to you. Deep down your heart, you may think that you are not worthy to ask but God does not exclude you for whosoever asks receives.

“If man is not so wicked as to feed his hungry child with stones and snakes, is it God that will not give freely of all things to His children? How much more will Jesus answer your petitions and hear your cries.

“ Friends, let faith arise and let the enemies be scattered. There are several examples in scripture where people asked and received. They all asked in faith, not doubting in the least.

“We need to develop this kind of faith and confidence by a growing closeness with God. This is what makes the difference. When we find this key there is nothing we cannot receive from God...”

More of Emma Okorie’s emailed article coming up, so stay tuned, folks!

-ooo-

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS: In the life of Jesus, there are two incidents which are recounted in the Bible where God Himself confirms, directly and in no uncertain terms, that Jesus is, indeed, the Son of God.

The first incident is the baptism of Jesus at the River Jordan, and the second incident is the so-called “Transfiguration” on top of the mountain. In these two incidents, God announces, in the full view and hearing of many people: “This is my son, whom I am well pleased, whom I have chosen, listen to him.”

The “Transfiguration” now forms part of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians as its fourth mystery in its Mysteries of Light (or Luminous Mysteries), and is found in the Gospels of Matthew (17:1 to 13), Mark (9:2 to 13) and Luke (9:28 to 36).

Why is the Transfiguration an important part of Jesus’ life, aside from the fact that it is an event that, like other parts of the Bible pertaining to Him, confirms His divine status as the Son of God?

It is important because the narrations of the event by Matthew, Mark and Luke indicate, with precise uniformity, that there is a “connection”, as it were, between Jesus and the prophets of old, especially the important ones like Moses and Elijah, which connection on the other hand shows the continuity of God’s directions for the salvation of man.

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BATAS INTERNET RADIO, BATAS INTERNET TV: Please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click BatasRadio.com). We go on the air 24 hours a day, Mondays to Fridays. Also, watch BATAS INTERNET TV, also at www.batasradio.com (click BatasITV).

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Friday, December 25, 2009

The poor must not be stopped from running for president

PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: “Proclamation of the Kingdom of God” is the third mystery in the Mysteries of Light, or Luminous Mysteries, of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians, and an account of it is found in Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14 and Luke 4:15 of the Bible.

In Matthew 4:17, the story is told that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He returned to Galilee, and then lived in Capernaum, by the lake in Zebulun and Naphtali, to fulfil what the prophet Isaiah said.

“From that on, Jesus began to preach,” the same Biblical verse says, and what Jesus started to preach was this: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

In Mark 1:14, an almost identical account is found, thus: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. `The time has come’, he said. `The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.’”

In Luke 4:15, on the other hand, this is what is written: “He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.” Luke however says that Jesus began to preach after he was tempted for forty days in the desert.

What is the lesson that we can derive from the third mystery of the Mysteries of Light?
It is that, there is a need for man, who has become wicked and mired in sin, to repent, stop sinning, and make the good news of God---the Bible nowadays---a necessary part of his life.

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DUQUE MUST EXPLAIN LACK OF FACILITIES IN GOV’T HOSPITALS: Health Secretary Francisco Duque III may have to answer why nine or so government hospitals refused to admit and assist a 30-year old woman-resident of Las Pinas City whose life and the lives of her twin babies were in grave danger as the twins waited to be born before Christmas eve 2009.

The reason given by the hospitals---that they did not have the facilities to help the mother and the twin babies---smacks of gross incompetence and terrible neglect of duty on the part of Duque, as chief health dispenser of the Arroyo government.

How come, despite the billions of pesos in the Department of Health’s annual budget, there are no instruments for a very basic medical situation which could spell the difference between life and death for millions of Filipinos?

Was Duque contented to treat loss of lives and limb for patients who will be deprived of medical help as mere collateral damage and unfortunate casualties worthy of nothing else but consignment to the dustbin of the department’s statistics?

-ooo-

POOR FILIPINOS MUST NOT BE PREVENTED FROM RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT: If I were to have my say with the Commission on Elections about the issue of allowing people to run for president in the May 2010 elections whether or not they appear to have the capacity to mount a nationwide campaign, I will allow everyone who wants to run to simply run.

It is not enough that, as the poll body announced on Christmas day, December 25, 2009, it would allow two more candidates to proceed with their candidacies, but continue to disqualify all the other 90 or so candidates.

The reason is that, imposing a requirement or a qualification so that one could become a presidential candidate in the Philippines which is not found in the 1987 Constitution, constitutes a culpable violation of the basic charter of the land and is in fact discriminatory against poor Filipinos.

I totally agree with the observations of Born Again Bishop Noberto Lacierna Mercado of San Manuel, Tarlac, a presidential candidate who is being disqualified by the Comelec, that everyone but everyone who wants to run for the presidency, whether rich or poor, should be allowed to run.

Who knows, these “alternative candidates” may even have ideas which may ultimately prove beneficial to the country and the people.

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LAPUS MUST RE-ASSERT SPIRITUAL DIMENSION IN PHILIPPINE EDUCATION: While the 2010 budget allocated for the Department of Education is not even 10 percent of the total governmental budget for next year, Secretary Jesli Lapus should already be thankful that his department is one of the agencies that got a bigger slice for its operations.

But then, if Lapus wants to leave a lasting legacy as secretary of education for which he will be remembered for generations to come long after he is gone, he must now endeavour, in the closing months of his stewardship of the department that takes charge of the education of elementary and high school students, to introduce a spiritual dimension in what is being taught to the young.

The Bible says, in its Proverbs 22: 6, “train the child in the way that he should go, and when he grows old, he will not depart from it.”

Now is the time, for Lapus and everyone one else involved in educating the Filipino youth, to reintroduce them once again to God and to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit through a curriculum that will require the reading of the Holy Bible as part of the educational process.

For the Muslims and those from other faith, a curriculum that will require the reading of the Koran and the other Holy Books can be laid out for them, too.

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CPP endorsement increases Villar’s 2010 chances

WEDDING AT CANA, AND MARY’S ROLE AS MEDIATOR BETWEEN MAN AND JESUS: The Bible’s account of the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned the water into wine as narrated in John 2:1-11, now forms part of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians as its Second Luminous Mystery (or Second Mystery of Light).

Among many Christian believers, this part of Jesus’s life is often unknown or is little heard of, although it should occupy a place of importance because, as the Bible itself in John 2:11says: “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana, in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

Being the very first miracle of Jesus, it is significant to note that the Bible appears to have portrayed Him as a little hesitant in performing it, considering His refusal to do anything when Mary, His mother, first approached Him when wine had run out during the wedding banquet. Jesus told Mary: “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.”

But it was only because of Mary’s persistence---she told the servants, “do as He says” even when she was already rebuffed by her Son---that Jesus relented and, as the Bible itself emphasizes, this became His first ever recorded miracle, the very first revelation of His glory.

If anything at all, therefore, this wedding totally justifies the Roman Catholic Christians’ giving of importance to Mary and calling her, among others, as the “mediatrix of all grace”.

Indeed, it is conceded that the only mediator between God and man is Jesus Christ. But, as shown by the wedding at Cana and the turning of the water into wine, Mary is the most effective mediator between Jesus and man.

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GET WELL SOON, JUSTICE SABIO: If you just read the December 25, 2009 Inquirer headline on Court of Appeals’ Justice Jose L. Sabio and did not read the story that followed it, you would think it was the justice who was being pursued for bribery.

The headline read: “DOJ to pursue bribe rap vs Sabio in Meralco-GSIS case”. This was of course unfair, for in the body of the story, it appeared that it was not Sabio who was sued for bribery, but businessman Francis De Borja who claimed Sabio asked Php50 million from him for a favorable ruling in the Meralco-GSIS row.

This must have caused quite a stir among the Sabio Family members, especially since the justice, as per reports of his own lawyer Vicente Chuidian, is still in a coma fighting for his life after he collapsed on November 21, 2009.

We wish the Inquirer will rectify its headline. We wish Justice Sabio well, too, but it is certainly sobering to think that despite one’s lofty positions in life, there is going to be an end to everything and that we will be called to account for everything we did, everything we said, and everything we thought of while we were alive.

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CPP ENDORSEMENT INCREASES VILLAR’S CHANCES IN 2010: The statement by the Communist Party of the Philippines saying that presidential candidate Sen. Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party appears to be the most patriotic presidentiable running in the May 2010 elections is a virtual endorsement of his candidacy.

This could further sway the tide in his favor in the days to come and increase his chances of winning, especially considering the admitted fact that in many far-flung areas of the archipelago, it is the communist rebels who dictate on who the people should vote for.

What is more, the statement which was distributed to media to mark the party’s 41st anniversary on December 26, 2009, took the opportunity to lambast Villar’s opponents by claiming that these other presidentiables have “bloodstained records of opposing the demands of workers and peasants...”

The statement is a virtual repudiation of the other candidates, at it read in part: “... (Sen. Benigno) Aquino of Hacienda Luisita notoriety, (Gilbert) Teodoro of being the mad dog defense secretary of Arroyo and (former President Joseph) Estrada of having a bellicose record during his failed presidency.”

So, at the rate things are going, is it President Manny Villar already?

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MESSAGES FOR CHRISTMAS 2009: I wish to thank everyone who sent me their Christmas messages for 2009. Indeed, while there are many who wish us ill because they think of me as their enemy, there are more people who consider us as their friend in view of our work in helping the poor and the less fortunate fight for their rights, and preach the Word of God.

Here are some of the messages: Sonia Roco, Liberal Party senatorial candidate (message erased).

Quezon City Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo: “Rita and I, together with our children EDRIX, ONYX, CHIP and ALEX, would like to wish you and your loved ones a MERRY CHRISTMAS and A MORE BLESSED NEW YEAR. Thank you for the blessing of your friendship. May the birth of our Lord Jesus as our Savior continue to be a reality in all areas of our lives this coming new year and the years to come....”

Jeff Canoy, ABS CBN: “Mga sir, ma’am, kuyang at ateng...isang masayang masayang Christmas sa inyo at sa pamilya ninyo. Hinay-hinay lang sa noche buena...”

Rotary International District 3810 Governor-Nominee: “Wishing you the gentle joys of daily life; the warm contentment of home, the loving presence of family and friends, and GOD’S unfailing love. Merry Christmas...”

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BATAS INTERNET RADIO, BATAS INTERNET TV: Please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click BatasRadio.com). We go on the air 24 hours a day, Mondays to Fridays. Also, watch BATAS INTERNET TV, also at www.batasradio.com (click BatasITV).

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

X’mas message: allow God to control our lives

GOD MUST BE GIVEN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES: In a column I wrote on December 23, 1995 in time for Christmas Eve that year, I said we must allow God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, to direct, lead and guide us. Twelve years later, that Christmas message still rings true.

Here is that 1995 column I wrote for an English tabloid called “Metro Sun” once again:

“Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve. May I take this opportunity to wish all our readers here... and everyone else who believes in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, Merry Christmas.

“May all of us be blessed with the realization that Christmas is not only a season to be merry, a time to be kind to one and all, as the song goes, a season to shower gifts to those we love, but a time to renew our faith and belief in God.

“At this point that our country seems to be racked with killings, kidnappings, robberies, hold-ups, hostage takings, endless in-fightings among our politicians, poverty among our people, moral deprivation in all levels of society, the only reachable salvation and reprieve is God.

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GOD IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO MAN’S WORLDLY PROBLEMS: “God is the only One now who can deliver us from all these worldly problems. In fact, the reason why He sent His only Son to us during the very first Christmas some 2,000 years ago was to save us from these problems and to free us from sin by dying in the Cross later.

“It is therefore but fitting that, at this point where no one---not even the government and its puny officials---appears to be in control, we allow God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, to direct, lead and guide us, to bring us to wherever He may want to bring us.

“For once, let us put our complete faith, trust and confidence in God, asking Him to do whatever He pleases, in accordance with the Lord’s Prayer which says `x x x Your will be done x x x

“Whether you believe it or not, putting complete faith in God is the very first step towards self-sufficiency and economic prosperity. It is in pursuance of the Biblical injunction to ` x x x seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all of these things shall be added unto you x x x

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PROSPERITY AWAITS THOSE WHO SUBMIT TO GOD: “Take note that the Bible, in making this promise of prosperity, used the mandatory word `shall’. Which means that it will be followed and would surely come to pass. So what are you waiting for?

“There is of course no reason to doubt that prosperity would come to anyone who would follow this injunction of seeking God and His Kingdom. Many sought God, and subsequently got economically better and financially comfortable.

“I do not know how to explain this phenomenon but, certainly, it is God’s way of showing us that He cares for His people, particularly those who unfaililingly believe in Him.

“Wala naman sigurong mawawala sa atin kung susubukan nating lubusang magtiwala sa Diyos kahit ngayon man lamang Paskong ito.”

So I greet everyone “Merry Christmas”, and here is a prayer for everyone: that God in His great love and mercy for all of us give us unending blessings, guidance and protection all the days of our lives, amen!

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LUMINOUS MYSTERIES START WITH BAPTISM OF JESUS: After the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians, the Mysteries of Light, or the so-called Luminous Mysteries, come next, to narrate another aspect of the life of Jesus Christ starting from His baptism to the Institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper.

Significantly, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all contain an account of the baptism of Jesus Christ. In Matthew, we find the story in its Chapter 3, verses 13 to 17. In Mark, we find it in its Chapter 1, verses 9 to 13, while in Luke, the event is narrated in its Chapter 3, verses 21 to 22.

In John, the story is found in its Chapter 1, verses 29 to 34, although this account is not as specific about baptism as was written in Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Be that as it may, the baptism of Jesus, performed by His cousin, John the Baptist at the Jordan River, continues to be a confirmation of Jesus’ divinity, and of His status as the Son of God.

In all the Gospels, the story is told that after He was baptized, the heavens parted and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove and lightning, with a voice from heaven saying “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Surely, in all history, there is no other person or being in this world whom God called as His Son, whom He loves and with whom He is well pleased except Jesus.

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BATAS INTERNET RADIO, BATAS INTERNET TV: Please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click BatasRadio.com). We go on the air 24 hours a day, Mondays to Fridays. Also, watch BATAS INTERNET TV, also at www.batasradio.com (click BatasITV).

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

www.batasradio.com, carrier of BATAS RADIO and BATAS TV

www.batasradio.com, OFFICIALCARRIER OF BATAS RADIO AND BATAS TV: Officially, BATAS INTERNET RADIO and BATAS INTERNET TV can now both be accessed (and listened to, and watched) through www.batasradio.com.

Once www.batasradio.com has been accessed, a choice can be made whether to simply listen (in which event, the icon BatasRadio.com must be clicked), or watch (in which case, the icon BatasITV must be clicked).

Either way, relevant and important programs await everyone---from free legal counselling, counselling on life’s ordinary problems, expositions on the Holy Bible, and up-to-date news from the Philippines and around the world.

In fact, we are highly interactive: anyone can call us anytime (through 496-80-82, a Metro Manila, Philippines telephone line), or send SMS or text messages to us through 0922 833 43 96, or email us via batasradio@yahoo.com.

So log on at www.batasradio.com now, and see what we have to offer. Also, tell everyone (from the Philippines and around the world) about BATAS INTERNET RADIO and BATAS INTERNET TV.

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CHRISTMAS, GREATEST EVENT IN CHRISTENDOM: As I was thinking about what to write for this column just one day before Christmas 2009, I browsed over the articles I wrote in December 1995 for an English tabloid called “Metro Sun”, and got surprised that whatever I wrote then still have complete relevance 12 years later. May I share one of these articles for Christmas 2009:

“ It is just three days away from Christmas. Are we ready to celebrate this once-a-year event which, in all Christendom, is the greatest event of all, barring of course the Resurrection? There are of course a lot of ways to celebrate Christmas but, I think, celebrating it as simply as you can would be the best way.

“When I was still a young boy, I remember quite clearly that, in my town in Ramos, Tarlac, my parents, particularly my mother (Salvacion Lazo Mauricio of Vigan, Ilocos Sur), insisted on remembering Christmas with a least one new suit for each of us in the family, and with a gathering of all of us during the noche Buena, even if meant getting a salary loan from the GSIS drawn against three months of her salary as a teacher.

"She also insisted on me and my brothers hanging our Christmas socks by the window on Christmas eve, saying that Santa Claus would surely drop by and give us presents.

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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS MEANS KEEPING HOPE ALIVE: “It was of course a practise generally frowned upon by many of our boyhood friends then, and, many a time, I too felt it was down right silly.

“But my mother insisted on it, and so year in and year out hang our socks me and my brothers (our lone sister was not born yet at that time) did, until we got to enjoy doing it many years later.

“Looking back at this point, I think I now know why my mother insisted on this practise. Somehow, this kept our hopes alive---hopes for a better life and better future, hopes for a better relationship with our relatives and all others, hopes that every good deed we would do would be rewarded at the proper time.

“Admittedly, this hoping pulled us through even during the darkest and most trying moments in our lives then. For me I realized that I had to continue hoping if I were to be able to break free from the poverty gripping me and my family then...

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FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS AT THE TEMPLE: The fifth and the last Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary, called “finding of the Child Jesus at the Temple”, depicts the joy of the greatly-bothered Joseph and Mary upon finding the boy Jesus, then aged 12 years old, at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Basically, Jesus was left behind by his parents who, not knowing that Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, proceeded to return home after their family attended the Feast of the Passover (an annual Jewish holiday that seeks to remind the Jews of how God freed them from their slavery in Egypt).

Realizing that Jesus was not with them while they were returning home, Joseph and Mary spent three days going back to Jerusalem and searching for Him.

Found in Luke 2:41 to 51 of the Bible, the account of this event in Jesus’ life shows once more the divinity of Jesus, and His having been in possession of a great amount of learning over and beyond what a boy of His age would normally have.

“Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers,” the Bible says, in effect confirming Jesus was not an ordinary man.

And when He told Joseph and Mary that they should not be searching for Him because He had to be in His Father’s house, it was a reaffirmation of His status as the Son of God, something that was already announced earlier by Gabriel, the angel who walks in the presence of God (Luke 1:35).

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BATAS INTERNET RADIO, BATAS INTERNET TV: Please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click BatasRadio.com). We go on the air 24 hours a day, Mondays to Fridays. Also, watch BATAS INTERNET TV, also at www.batasradio.com (click BatasITV).

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