Wednesday 30 September 2009

We Can Be Heroes

With more than 200 confirmed dead, if not missing and more than a million people affected, typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) is one of the worst typhoons to have hit the Philippines.Ondoy dumped more than a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours, causing the government to declare a "state of calamity" in Metro Manila and 25 typhoon-ravaged provinces.
There is an outpouring of goodwill among people wanting to help the victims, but one story needs to be told: Army Private First Class Venancio Ancheta saved 20 people from raging floodwaters during rescue operations but lost his own life when he drowned while trying to rescue more in Famy town, Laguna. Six other rescuers suffered the same fate as Ancheta.
Heroes emerge in times of difficulties and disasters. The true strength of the spirit and of faith is revealed in a person when put to the test. Natural calamities, that cause damage to properties, loss of lives and immeasurable suffering, require courage and selflessness on those able to help.
Yet there are other storms that need heroes as well.  There are people who are persecuted for their beliefs; there are individuals who wallow in poverty and starvation; there are those who succumb to vice and sin. They need to be saved, by whom? Not just by nuns who follow the footsteps of Mother Teresa; not just by volunteers who work in charitable institutions; not just by campaigners in pro-life organisations. They need to be saved by you.
You could rescue that wayward youth, or that maltreated wife next door, or that fellow made redundant.  You could lend a hand to that inmate in the local prison, or that lass addicted to substance, or that missionary in need of support. So many are in need; yet so few are the workers.
We are our brother’s keepers. “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:13) We are made to champion God’s causes.“Feed and shepherd God’s flock – his church, purchased with his own blood – over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.” (Acts 20:28)  But if you retreat from God’s calling for help to others, the message is: “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion – how can God’s love be in that person?” (1 John 3:17)
As we pray for those who died in typhoons and other disasters in the Philippines and other countries of the world, let’s do our share of rescuing, of helping, of caring for those who live, yet suffer. We can be heroes to them; we can be heroes for God.

by Mel Libre

Monday 21 September 2009

Immortality In The Truest Sense


“If we make the right breakthroughs in the next 25 years, then there is a 50:50 chance that people alive today could live to be 1000 years old,” says Dr Audrey de Grey, editor-in-chief of the journal Rejuvenation Research and co-founder of the SENS Foundation. SENS stands for Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence that works on diverse disciplines such as tissues engineering, artificial intelligence, law, demographics and politics.

The statement was made by Dr de Grey during the 2009 SENS Conference participated in by 200 scientists who have been described as “the immortalists”. Among other things, they look at body parts like those of machines that can be replaced once these wear out thereby prolonging life, if not attaining immortality. The claim has statistics to support it with more than 300,000 people receiving tissue-engineered parts since 12 years ago when the technique was developed in a laboratory that made a human ear grow on the back of a mouse.

There is no argument that science has allowed people to live longer through advance techniques in medicine, better understanding of diseases, knowledge in prevention and modern approaches on wellness. But going into the realm of immortality is but a continuation of the search for the legendary fountain of youth. Richard Faragher, chairman of the British Society for Research on Ageing, is urging caution: “There are many ways that public health can be improved through simple measures such as managing hip fractures more effectively. We should be focusing on these things rather than dreaming about immortality.”

The health and wellness industry has grown steadily though the years with health gurus and miracles diets cashing in on promises of longevity and physical youthfulness. Nothing wrong really in seeking longer physical life, but then that is not how God will measure our worthiness in His kingdom. King Solomon wrote that God has planted eternity in the human heart. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) The concern of God is what is in our heart, what is in our soul. Jesus Christ shared: “I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) And how can we live life abundantly? The answer: “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Christ could have lived amongst us in person on earth forever, if He so willed. But He lived for only 33 years to assure us that there is life beyond life, there is life after death. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying’.” (John 11:25) God the Father sent Jesus to lead us to a blissful life for all eternity, immortality in the truest sense.  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

by Mel Libre

Monday 14 September 2009

The Most Important Book


A news item in Sydney reported in September 2009 that police officers in New South Wales are to receive their own specially designed Bible - offering spiritual guidance to a force with an unhappy history of misconduct and corruption. The new Bible, compact enough to be carried on the job, contains the Old and New Testaments, the police prayer and readings on ethics, service, integrity, leadership, grief, sin and forgiveness. Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said: "I believe the police Bible will impact on generations of police officers to come."

I work in the Auckland High Court and at times, I carry out the job of a court taker whose primary task in to assist the judge in managing the proceedings inside the courtroom. I have observed that each courtroom has a Bible in the witness stand, while in the bigger courtrooms Bibles are a-plenty where the members of the jury sit. To ascertain that the truth prevails, witnesses swear by the Bible, while jurors commit by the Bible to render judgment fairly.

The world today is bound by so many treaties, laws and ordinances all meant to make society more humane and peaceful. Despite all these, there is so much violence, hatred and suffering. John Wycliffe once wrote: “The Gospel alone is sufficient to rule the lives of Christians everywhere...any additional rules made to govern men’s conduct added nothing to the perfection already found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” We must realise that the Bible contains the sacred words of God who speaks to all His people. He even sent His Only Son to bring His message of salvation. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Bible is the most important book for every human being, not just for cops, witnesses or jurors. It openly tells on how to live a meaningful life and where we are destined thereafter.  “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The Bible is specially designed for you by God to lead you towards the pearly Gates of Heaven.

by Mel Libre

Monday 7 September 2009

Come Holy Spirit, Heal Me


It was in the middle of the night when I suddenly woke up and felt the pain in my throat. I have had several far worse attacks of laryngitis or tonsillitis in the past that at times lasted months to heal. But this time around, I had a task ahead the next morning in a forum among migrants and next week an engagement to sing in two events.  Can there be instant healing? I raised myself up, gargled warm water with salt, and pressed acupuncture points in my body so I could be relieved of pain.  But the pain persisted into the morning; that I had to tell my wife to send my apologies to the forum organisers.

The entire Saturday I rested, popped a few vitamin pills, and I prayed.  Repeatedly I prayed, “Come Holy Spirit, heal me” until I fell asleep.  As the day continued, I did light household chores and kept on praying not just for myself, but also for the success of the forum; for my family, for the TawagAwit ministry and for many others.  By afternoon, my wife came back from the forum which she said was well-attended. The pain had reduced and by evening, I was healed.  Praise God!

How often to do we say thank you to the Lord for the miracles, monumental or little, in our lives? How often do we acknowledge God’s healing hands in our lives? How often do we testify of the Almighty’s work in our lives? In times of suffering, we seek refuge in the Lord. He takes care of us in His time. But some who are healed or are freed from burden take God’s intercession lightly by giving in to reason (“it was the medicine”, “it was the advice of the expert”, etc) or simply ignoring God for the positive outcome.

Pope Benedict XVI said: "Even today, not a few people remain scandalized by the paradox of the Christian faith. The teaching of Jesus seems hard, too difficult to welcome and put into practice, as a result, some refuse this teaching and abandon Christ. Some try to 'adapt' his words to the fashions of the time, distorting their meaning and value." Our task as Christians is to spread God’s Word so many can be saved. We can do so by being thankful to Him, by acknowledging Him in our lives and by testifying of His works. Let us be reminded by Christ’s powerful message: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man beashamed, when He cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38)

by Mel Libre