By Jade Angelo Gascon
Executive Assistant, On Eagle’s Wings Foundation
I don’t know which is harder to believe: that icebergs are now heading to New Zealand according to glaciologists or that there’s still hope for the Philippines according to our politicians.
Iceberg heading to New Zealand
To remain hopeful for a nation dominated by a dynasty of surnames under which leadership it has become the most corrupt in Asia is not worth the imagination. It’s a waste of our precious Filipino intelligence.
And then 2010 is coming. Elections. What is supposed to be a chance for us to hope once more is also a chance for the ambitious to propel themselves to the pinnacle of political power. Now this isn’t hard to believe: There will be bloodshed. In the Philippines, the quest for public office is a violent, self-centered, animalistic adventure.
Even animals hope, though. So why shouldn’t we give it a try? I remember 2004. I was 17 and it was the first time I exercised my democratic faculties in support of a candidate. I was full of hope. But hope proved powerless in the face of evil. History would now testify to us that the 2004 elections is a big joke.
Even animals hope. Elephant seal hopes the iceberg wouldn't hit NZ.
I don’t want the joke to be on me again this 2010. So when I attended the National Prayer Gathering (NPG) of the Intercessors For the Philippines (IFP) on Nov. 17-19 in Cebu, I was, again, hopeful. Hopeful that the National Prayer Gathering would achieve more than babbling the usual prayers for my beloved Republic.
Since its founding in 1989, IFP has been rallying Filipino Christians to pray so that the Philippines would be free from various forms of national evils. Since then, nothing has seemed to happen. And by “nothing” I refer to the “Hello Garci” scandal, the “Ondoy” tragedy, the extrajudicial killings, the coup attempts, the online sex dens in Las Piñas and Pampanga, the Transparency International reports, and the species of senators we breed today.
I must admit that I have somehow developed a skeptical mindset toward prayers for the nation. And I know I’m not alone here. Many Christians have certainly been weary of the Philippines.
A promotional poster of NPG held on Nov. 17-19 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu
Praying—much less hoping—for the Philippines has become tiresome.
But at the NPG, nobody seemed tired. IFP Director Dan Balais kicked off the sessions with a fitting Scripture quotation from Ecclesiastes 3:1, reminding us of the truth that God ordains the times and seasons that govern nations. This idea is supported by Psalm 102:13 and Acts 17:26’s reference to God as “appointing” and “determining” times not just for individuals but even for nations.
The Philippines has long been under a season of judgment for its unfaithfulness to its claim as Asia’s Christian nation. We say we’re Christian but the way we practice business and government would make Jesus regret that His other name is Christ! Show me a fixer-free LTO agency and I’ll stop writing now. Unrighteousness teems richly in our society. This is why we’re under judgment. I must be quick to add, though, that judgment isn’t so bad, as many might think, for when God executes His judgments, people learn righteousness (Isa 26:9). Thus, a season of judgment is followed by blessing if the people would give in to its spiritual consequence of learning righteousness.
God changes times and seasons by changing the rulers of nations. Take note that Israel’s Biblical history was shaped and defined by the incumbent king. God’s delight on Israel depended on the righteousness or wickedness of its ruling sovereign. Following this principle, the Philippine 2010 elections is a ripe season for God to change the course of Philippine history.
Bishop Dan Balais is a leading figure in Philippine biblical Christianity. He inspires us to intercede for our nation.
Our history is not on auto-pilot. The NPG made it clear that God’s purpose for the Philippines would only head toward fulfillment if the body of Christ shall unite behind righteous leadership.
Knowing these Biblical principles energized me to hope and pray for the Philippines again. Though national renewal is hard to believe, it is not impossible. Besides, what Christian teaching exists that is easy to believe in the first place? The virgin birth? One God in three persons? Undeserved grace? The resurrection?
The difficult idea of a resurrected Philippines can only be realized by hearts and minds that have faith so strong they can resolve to believe in any other out-of-this-world Christian doctrine. This leaves all of us to no other choice but to submit to God in humble acceptance of our helplessness as a nation without His righteous counsel.
This Filipinos must believe.
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite
the harder it is for us to believe that there’s hope for the Philippines, the more it should bring us to greater faith. step up Filipinos.
good job Jade! God bless the Philippines!!!
“And without faith, it is impossible to please God…” Hebrews 11:6
God is a covenant-keeping God. His Word is His work. It is really a big challenge to believe that God can do wonders in our country where hopelessness is creeping in the hearts of many Filipinos. Faith pleases Him. I would like to exercise my faith that God could turn things around so the Philippines will be a blessed nation whose God is the Lord!
You said,
“Take note that Israel’s Biblical history was shaped and defined by the incumbent king. God’s delight on Israel depended on the righteousness or wickedness of its ruling sovereign. Following this principle, the Philippine 2010 elections is a ripe season for God to change the course of Philippine history.”
The governance of the OT is different from ours today — one is democratic, the other is theo-monarchial. While I agree on the admonition to intercede, it is these ideas (that of a nation shaped and defined by an incumbent king) that perpetuate the idea of a now-defunct political system. Yes God delights in a just ruler, but that is neither the beginning and the absolute means for a good nation.
@John Pesebre: God’s methods change. His principles don’t.
Jade, what are these principles and how are they different from methods?
Method:
“The governance of the OT is different from ours today — one is democratic, the other is theo-monarchial.”
Principle:
“Yes God delights in a just ruler…”
OT political system may have been defunct (Method). But God’s principle of blessing a nation ruled by righteous leadership is never defunct (Principle).
Righteous leadership carries with it political will to straighten out crooked practices and mindsets in government and society.
How can it not possess the slightest potential to be the “beginning… of a good nation”?
By the way, the article never claimed that it is the absolute means. Certainly, it’s not.
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What do you think about the heat that has swept across Europe? This is just an anomaly, so the heat was 30 years old.
Even if there is no deterrence, just keeping them away from others for a while will certainly cut down on the problems.I tend to place a lot of blame on socioeconomic circumstances (and culture) too, but until we have a better science of psychology, some sort of punishment (or the threat of it) is still neccessary.
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Interesting thoughts on religion. Just curious, have you examine “Letter to some Christian Nation” by Sam Harris?
.I am curious what % of your readers are muslims……
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In the mornings you should definitely hunt in after them as they will be heading to a day time bedding area. Hopefully it’s not so thick that you have to crawl. A red deer will take the easiest route so stay on the deer trails. Wind in your face, take a few paces, stop look listen, then a few more paces, stop look listen. Don’t bother tippy toeing through rubbish bush, but do sneak through the good stuff. Relax; I reckon deer can almost hear tension! Once you get comfortable in the scrub you will start to notice things of interest, like the deer that is standing still watching you long before you’ve seen it. Fresh wind falls are hot spots but they also mean hard travel so skirt around them with your eyes peeled. Humans naturally head towards the light, in most bush this is a bad move as most of the time the open canopy will most probably mean thick regeneration and old wind fall, not a nice grassy clearing. It is easier travel under the big tree canopy. When climbing or descending bush covered hills stay on the spurs/ridges and poke off either edge for a look here and there especially if there is a nice deer trail and fresh sign. The little creek heads on the sides of the hill are day timehot spots, so are scrubby fringes of slips. Deer don’t often seem to bed down right next to grassy creek flats where they might feed at night, possibly because that is where most hunters look for them? They tend to move about 3/4 up the hill for the day. Here are some wind tips…. walk along any stream and watch the water, when water flows out of a narrow channel and into a wider pool the edges of the top end of the pool have the water flowing upstream and cycling back into the main current (eddy). Wind does the same thing in the hills; the leeward side of a hill will have a wind eddy. You can avoid the eddy by moving back to the main wind current; towards the centre of the valley or up the side of the hill. In calm weather wind will flow down in the early mornings and up after the sun hits the valley floor (late morning). Warm air rises (anabatic wind). The wind will turn down again after the sun leaves the hills, sometimes not until the last hour of the day when it cools off (katabatic). So don’t go for an evening hunt too early or the wind change will catch you out. You can use the anabatic/katabatic winds to plan your whole day of hunting by circling through different country after the wind change.