GOD's Next

Image from Stock Fresh. I just finished reading Costi Hinn's testimony about discovering the real Gospel of Jesus Christ and how he shunned the prosperity gospel afterward. He found something wrong about his uncle's excessive lifestyle (which he also enjoyed for a time) as a minister of the gospel and repented of it, embracing in turn the cross of Jesus. I call this the "crossic" life. I have long questioned the prosperity gospel (how religious ministers define it), although the bible teaches prosperity without a doubt. God wants us all to prosper. But the prosperity God has in mind is very different from the one they worship in church today. God's prosperity has nothing to do with the money value system. I also do not believe in mega churches though they seem so effective today. Effective does not always equal God's will. A lot of things in the world today are effective---like GMO and illicit drugs and corruption and sex outside marriage---but they aren't...

Image from 123RF Stock Photos. I did it twice. I stopped the rain from falling---big droplets were already starting, with a strong cold wind that surely signaled heavy rains about to pour any second, but then it all stopped at my word. First was during a crusade in Novaliches and the other in Batangas during a worship service under a spreading mango tree out in the rice fields. Amazing isn't it, what God's power in you can do to control nature. That is, if you believe. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [Matt.17.20] Here's something more radical and will blow your mind off if you seriously meditate it: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive wha...

Image from 123RF Stock Photos. "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." - Jesus Christ When Peter declared that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus told him such revelation came straight from the Father, not from men. And on this rock of revelation---or the rock of the revealed Christ direct from the Father---Jesus will build his church. Jesus' true church is a church of supernatural revelation of who Jesus is straight from the Father, not from men. Peter declared: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood (by men), but by my Father in heaven." [Matt.16] Real church, then, is about revealing Christ through revelations that come straight from the Father. We have to go back to this. Senseless (and earthly) church traditions and human theologies over the centuries have taken us fa...

Image from Ethics of Care. Is there a thing as "perfect love"? We know God is perfect, but how much do we know of his perfect love? And how should his perfect love affect us? I often see posted by some friends on Facebook how love is never perfect and forever is a myth. They say ups and downs and hurts and pains in relationships are what true love's all about. No such thing as perfect love. But the Word insists there is. God is love and God is perfect. This truth makes possible perfect love. First, God's love is surely perfect. Even if he sends unrepentant souls to hell---some millions of them since time immemorial---it's still an act of his perfect love. Perfect love always involves perfect judgment, and vice versa. Why is there hell? Because of God's perfect love, believe it or not. God's will is never founded on hatred. Judgment, yes, but not hatred. God loved Jacob but hated Esau, before any of them were born. Yes, God can hate. But his punishment is n...

Image from Must Be This Tall to Ride. First Part Here There's nothing that isn't from God. He alone is the Creator. He alone owns all things. The devil owns nothing. He didn't create anything. He comes only to steal, kill and destroy. Thus, when Satan tried to tempt Jesus with all the kingdoms of this world, it was true---because he stole the kingdoms from God---but God just let him, for the moment. God intends to give us back all the kingdoms of this world when he said, "Ask of me and I will give you the nations, even the ends of the earth as your possessions." The more I know about this, the more I see that everything comes from God. He alone is responsible. And to many who suffer, he alone is to "blame." Even temptations, trials and difficulties the devil gives us are possible only with God's permission. HE tempts no one but he allows it. So, who are we to seek in times of troubles? It's God. Don't go to the devil to rebuke him. It's n...

Image above from Creative Market. It's what we often do when we're confused about the wrong things that happen---blame God. But I think, most times it really isn't blaming but aghast ---a result of shock. We don't know how to react when we see bad things happening at the same time that we know God will never leave us nor forsake us. Never leave or forsake us? Then how come this bad thing happened? Second, we are confident that nothing happens in this world without his permission. So when tragedy happens, we wonder, "How can God let that happen?"  It's the first thing that crosses our minds, wondering how a loving God can allow it. Why did God actually permit it? There's a thin line separating blaming God and aghast or wondering about his strange acts. God's permissive will can seem crazy and blow our minds off. In my case, the more I delve on Scriptures and know God, the more I'm prone to ask why God permits what I think he shouldn't be p...

Image from iStockPhoto Humans are prone to greed, selfishness and cruelty even toward their kindred. Sadly, you see this even in the modern church---among church people and ministers, even the born again. Being born again, they can show some mercy or pity---they have some inkling of kindness and some capacity for pity if they see you marginalized and in dire need or want---they may even think of passing the offering plate around for you---but that is as far as it goes. What most of them have is pity for a subordinate or servant. Not concern or heart for an equal. And if they do help, it often means indebtedness on your part. The help they offer may mean your enslavement to them for life, a trap they have set for you. Well, sometimes they don't see it that way at first, but later they realize how they can use it as a leverage to control and use you. They will hold you hostage for it and make you feel guilty all your life. You have no choice but to grant  their every "request...

It's a good thing to be able to do push-ups again after bouts of ailments that forced me to stop working out for months. Due to the ailments I was forced to eliminate pork, beef, chicken and most fish types from my diet and limited myself to vegetables, herbs, fruits and deep sea fish with scales. Due to the change in diet my body reacted a bit and I lost weight fast. Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash . I terribly missed my favorite meat and pork dishes and was excited about eating for the first time a large burger at Burger King. My son highly recommended it, knowing I loved beefs and steaks. But before that could happen, the ailments forced me drastically to a life of semi-vegetarian. I also suffered bouts of dizziness and weakness due to the sudden change of diet, especially when all I ate were tasteless boiled vegetables for weeks. Gradually, I used some salt again and some vegetable spices and natural seasoning like peppers. But then I had to get rid of peppers again and othe...

Image above from Inklings. It is "all spiritual," says Paul to the Colossians. Knowing God's will and being filled with it is all about wisdom and understanding that is all spiritual,  or wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives , says another version. Anything from the Holy Spirit is supernatural, something out of this world. The world can never give you what the Holy Spirit gives. Thus, since I was among young people in our church, I have always believed that Jesus followers should live a supernatural lifestyle. Everyday, every moment---which, however, was not I was seeing in church then. Everyone lived, connected and related in the physical realms only, just like non-Christians did. However, as long as we're seeking God's will, we have to do it the Spirit's way---and we need to know God's will for us daily and each moment. Right? So there's no other option but to live supernaturally---because Paul says the only way to please God is to live a s...

Image above from Pondering Principles. Often, I doubt prayer---I mean, prayer as the modern church describes it to be. Prayer's meaning has been adulterated (or abused) for ages so that people lose sense of what it really is. Prayer is often thought of as a means of rubbing Aladdin's lamp so the genie can be released and fulfill our wishes. So, it often seems useless. You get nothing at all. Or else, you get what you never asked for. And smart pastors explain this away by saying it probably isn't God's will, or, if God closes a window he opens a huge door or gate. It's like a kid asking for candy but the dentist says it's bad for his teeth. Well, isn't that what dentists are for, so tooth decay can be prevented (or treated once toothache sets in) even while kids enjoy some candies? The solution is not to get rid of sweets altogether. Forfeit kids of candies? That's cruel. It should be balanced eating of sweets and knowing how to clean the teeth properly ...