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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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What constitutes a Dynamic Minister or Preacher?

If you think Will Smith will start smooth-talking all the printed guidelines in their handbook of Dynamic Leadership, that’s where you are wrong my friend. Mr.Smith avoids such rhetorics. Instead he opts to describe what is actually happening in this colorful world of black and white. So then, how do you define a Dynamic Minister?

Would you believe that one Matthew Reichle (most probably a minister student or a wannabe) asked this question, of all places on quora.com? And would you believe he also got a very accurate answer!?

Quora, kudos, you hit the nail flat-center! Read on –

“How can I be a good minister of Iglesia Ni Cristo

Well, first of all. Maybe Quora is not the best place to have your question answered, but I do happen to have a few guidelines on what I think makes a good INC minister.

Don’t preach for too long

There are some ministers who would preach very long going 45 minutes + every service. Preaching for long periods of time makes it very hard for you to hold the attention of the brethren and it also frustrates a lot of people. My advice would just to keep it around 30 minutes. 35 minutes at the latest. Ministers make services too long by just over-explaining the verse. If you add commentary to a verse, don’t just repeat it in a different way. Add something new, like a personal anecdote or adding context. Don’t just summarize. Following that, I think it will make your lessons both shorter and more interesting.

Value everyone’s time and show gratitude

I understand that there are many things to discuss and that it is all part of service to God. However, the most unlikable ministers were the ones who would hold many hour+ long meetings and would drag the them on and on. They don’t even say anything like thank you for your time or thank you for attending. Instead they do things like threaten to suspend people for not attending which I thought was horrible and always lead to people stepping down from their duties. Keep meetings as brief as possible while still getting your message across. More importantly, if you don’t need to have a meeting, don’t have a meeting. Sending an email or a mass telegram message works just fine.

Humbleness

It is true that ministers are used by God to do his work, but I feel like some ministers let that go to their head. They would never listen to the input of the brethren and would just act very arrogant. The whole “I am holier than thou” type thing. Yes, you are a minister of the gospel, but no one is perfect and you will make mistakes. Listen to what the brethren have to say and take their opinions seriously. Self denial also goes a long way.

Last….make connections with the brethren

I have had some ministers who would shelter themselves in the pastoral house and would only talk to you when there was official business to be discussed. Otherwise, ignoring people. It was very hard to respect those type of ministers. My advice would be to take time to introduce yourself to as many of the brethren as you can and genuinely try to get to know them. Doing that goes a long way and is also a very good way to garner respect.

Those are just a few of my thoughts, hope it helped and I wish you all the best in the ministry.”

[https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-be-a-good-minister-of-Iglesia-ni-Cristo]

Now, if anyone is still interested in joining the INC ministry here are a few other things to keep in mind:

1. It is a four year course and a practicum on the fifth year. It is not a free course. You are expected to shoulder your own expenses while in school. After graduation you will take an oath and be considered one of the “Regulars“and be assigned to a locale. An allowance or tulong will also be provided for your personal needs at the locale shouldered by the Administration. Not much, just to get you by. You are not yet a full-pledged minister. You are not allowed to work or earn a living outside the church.

2. You are no longer expected to decide on church matters or personal matters on your own without consulting the church administration. For example, once you are assigned to a locale, there is a logbook of activities to monitor your movements. You are not allowed to leave the church compound without declaring your destination and purpose. Everything you do should first meet the approval of the Administration.

3. Dress code. Unless otherwise permitted, T-shirts and jeans are out. Barong, formal slacks, and leather shoes are the only attire you are allowed to wear. In short, you are now officially, the “Men In Black”.

4. You are expected to submit unconditionally to the superiority of the Executive Minister and all his minister subordinates. You do not and cannot question any directives flowing from them.

What’s the Upside if any?

1. Well, once you are ordained as a minister you will be receiving an allowance or tulong equivalent to a junior executive probably within the 20 to 30 thousand (Philippine pesos) range per month (you get this on a weekly basis during your weekly district meetings).

2. You will have a fully furnished house to live in for you and your family. Usually, it’s inside the church compound. Legally, it’s still owned by the church but you are allowed to live there as long as you are still in the good graces of the church. You shoulder your personal monthly bills such as electricity, water, etc.

3. When you die, the Administration takes care of everything from the funeral services to your very own burial lot. Some arrangment is there in case your wife goes first. Your children are not included.

4. When you retire due to old age or sickness, there is a village exclusively maintained for retired ministers and widows with half of the full allowance or tulong to get you by.

5. You have a week off every year with full pay and additional bonus called BT (Biglang Tulong) during Family Week scheduled from October to December. Added perk is the “Ministers Night” where you will have the chance to win a brand new car, gadget, or a trip abroad fully paid.

6. Birthday celebration headaches will be a thing of the past. The brethren of your locale will take care of it. From the food, preparation, and even the cleaning up afterwards. They love you, for heaven’s sake 🙂

As the great AE would ask, the “Red” or “Blue” pill? The choice is yours 🙂

And to call it a night, one last question –

“On Ministers and Preachers …” What constitutes a Dynamic Minister or Preacher? If you think Will Smith will start smooth-talking all the printed guidelines in their handbook of Dynamic Leadership, that's where you are wrong my friend.

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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Good evening dear friends and from the happy family of W. Smith, wishing you all Happy Holidays! Sure it’s still November but come on, seven days short of December can’t be that far off. And besides, it’s Thanksgiving – November 28 (fourth Thursday of every November). Looked it up of course 🙂 Oh by the way, you may have forgotten, our very own church thanksgiving is on the 14th and 15th of December. The man in in the pulpit made sure of that!

But before anything else, today’s a Sunday and the worship service everywhere was a “taped” sermon of the King rendering his homily held at the locale of Novaliches last Sunday. I was just wondering, so last week every member registered at Novaliches attended that service and come today it’s the same pagsamba but only this time you see it on television or web link whichever you prefer. So Novaliches will be having a re-run of the same “movie” or pagsamba. Does it mean since it’s a re-run will they be exempted from attending this week? Of course not, we will still need to attend because it’s a pagsamba and we still need to worship God. That’s what they say anyway. But here’s a gem of a valid question. Will the King be attending the worship service to listen to himself preach on TV? He has to attend you know. Pagsamba yan, walang exempted di ba? Something’s definitely wrong, right?

Not only that. After the homily, there is the benediction or pagbabasbas. So picture the scene, there is the King standing with his head bowed with his family attending the pagsamba and that same King on TV blesses him with the benediction and the King utters “Amen”. Court, Jury, and Executioner parang Rambo. The only difference here is that the rest of the “turkeys” don’t mind it at all. All dressed in Sunday attire attend that worship service unmindful of how they will be treated, sit and listen, drop an offering, make short talk with an acquaintance and leave the chapel. They find solace in that and THAT is how the church wants it.

We are not “turkeys”. We are human beings blessed with a mind that is far brilliant than the greatest computer ever built. It would be a waste to let it just sit on our shoulders and let others do the thinking for us. Why not think, analyze, and evaluate everything around us. We do this without thinking twice when handling our day to day affairs, at work, at home, and everywhere else. But, have you ever wondered why when it comes to religion and the salvation of our very souls, we depend on others to give it meaning. In short, are you not good enough? Can’t you make the wise decision on your own? Or could it be that that is what they want you to believe, that you are not “qualified” to make the right choice.

Yes, my friend, a learned stray dog will look to the left and right before crossing a busy street. We are far better than any stray dog and much better than any man in a black suit preaching damnation, fire and brimstone, and making you feel sorry for it. Tapos, sasabihiin, “Mahal ka ng Diyos kaya pinahihirapan tayo.”

We all need to wake up sometime and now would be a good time as any.

By the way, have you heard Santa is coming to Town?!

And to cap it all a beautiful rendition of “Let It Be” by the Beatles.

youtube

“Wonder why they call it the Idiot Box . . .” Good evening dear friends and from the happy family of W. Smith, wishing you all Happy Holidays!

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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Before anything else I’d like to comment on a recent post regarding “Corporation Sole“. One reader said –

“Guest –

It has been like that, (corporation sole, since the time of Ka Felix and Ka Erdy. Pero di ka naman nagreklamo dati.”

Well my friend, it’s something like this. Let’s say you are a member of a family of five – Mother, Father, and three siblings. All of you have is an understanding that each payday you give a portion of your earnings to your Father who in turn takes care of your sickly mother, pays the rent, the monthly bills, and put food on the table. You don’t think twice after you give your share because everything is being taken care of by your Father. Nothing is amiss. Your Mother though sick is happy, food is there, monthly bills are taken care of. And your Father never asks for anything more. He is content with the share being given by you and your siblings.

BUT, let’s say after giving your share, you start to notice something different, your Mother is quiet and sad, unpaid monthly bills are starting to pile up, and your Father is starting to ask for more and complaining that your share is not enough. When you get the courage to confront and ask him about the family finances, he says to you, “Get Out from my house!”

That is why my friend, hindi ako nagrereklamo dati.

Aside from the three offerings – Abuloy, Lagak Pasaamat, and Tanging Handugan (lokal), there were no such thing as Malaking Handugan, Tanging-Tanging Handugan, Handugan Donasyon, or even Linap Handugan. Sa bagay . . . wala rin tayo helicopter, private plane, o air bus noon.

Ngayon meron tayo Philippine Arena, the biggest Indoor Arena in the world! Well, anyway that is until 2022 when KJC inaugurates their own King Dome. It is said to be 70 percent completed –

“THE Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) King Dome, a multipurpose indoor arena adjacent to the Davao City airport, is 70 percent complete as its budget rose to P13 billion from the initial P10 billion.

It is expected to open its doors in 2022.

Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, executive pastor of The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, in an interview with the media Tuesday, November 12, during the soft launching of Christmas Village in Tamayong, Calinan, said they are now fast-tracking the construction of the coliseum.

“The Kingdome’s target for completion is 2022. Right now, we are putting on the roof. Yung roof niya is two and a half hectares yon (The roof is two and a half hectares). There are six layers of insulation and waterproofing kaya matagal kasi mega project (that is why it is taking awhile because it is a mega project),” Quiboloy said.

The mixed-use facility is said to be the biggest indoor arena with a seating capacity of 70,000, bigger than the Philippine Arena, which is currently the world’s largest indoor arena with a maximum seating capacity of 55,000.“

[https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1832191/Davao/Local-News/Worlds-biggest-arena-in-Davao-70-complete]

Another point of interest. In the same article, it is said that –

“The KJC believes that its founder, Apollo Quiboloy, is the Appointed Son of God. A self-described account of Quiboloy’s birth involves God coming to his mother as a cloud to declare him as his son. Members of the church, also called “Kingdom citizens”, believe that salvation is closed to non-members.”

The Latter Day Saints Mormons Messenger Joseph Smith (not related 🙂 )also share a common belief –

“Smith said he experienced a series of visions, including one in 1820 during which he saw “two personages” (presumably God the Father and Jesus Christ), and another in 1823 in which an angel directed him to a buried book of golden plates inscribed with a Judeo-Christian history of an ancient American civilization. In 1830, Smith published what he said was an English translation of these plates called the Book of Mormon. The same year he organized the Church of Christ, calling it a restoration of the early Christian church.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith

And there is also a popular religion in South Korea better known as the “Moonies” or Unification Church headed by founder Sun Myung Moon –

” Unification Church members believe that Jesus appeared to Mun Yong-myong (his birth name) on Easter Day in 1936, and asked him to accomplish the work left unfinished after his crucifixion. After a period of prayer and consideration, Moon accepted the mission, later changing his name to Mun Son-myong (Moon Sun-myung or Sun Myung Moon).”

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_movement]

Of course we also have our own. Three days without food or water, locked by choice inside a small room and afterwards, the chosen Messenger of God. This sequence of events was also shown in the Felix Manalo movie but it has never been officially confirmed by the Administration or the Church doctrines.

All of us want to believe on extra-ordinary, unexplainable things governing something we hold dear. Religion is one. The problem is no evidence to prove that such an occurrence did occur except of course from the mouth of the “prophet” himself. People will believe what they want to believe and discard it just the same. “Faith” is a very powerful word. It can go both ways.

And here’s a gem from my lovely wife regarding prophets. She contends that all prophets are “Messiahs”. “Mes-sayad”. 😀 😀 😀 [I just had to get that in]

So it appears that the Philippine Arena will be used only once for the 2019 SEA Games – the Opening Ceremony. All the other events will be held elsewhere with the New Clark City or Philippine Sports City taking center stage. Anyway here are the dates and venue of the events if you may be interested –

What is there to say about the 2019 SEA Games and the New Clark City?

“PHOTOS: The Philippines’ Newest Sports Complex Is Ready for SEA Games 2019 It was completed in just 15 months.

With less than three months before the much-awaited 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the Philippines’ newest sports facility—the New Clark City Sports Hub—has finally taken shape amid verdant land in Capas, Tarlac. By November 30, thousands of athletes from all over the world are set to occupy this 60-hectare development, which houses the Athletic Stadium, Aquatic Center, and Athletes’ Village. The venue has also been chosen to host the Southeast Asian Games’ (SEA Games) closing ceremonies on December 11.

A World-Class Sports Complex

All the facilities within the New Clark City Sports Hub, initially dubbed the Philippine Sports City or Philippine Olympic City, adhere to world-class standards. “Itong facilities na itinayo natin are in accordance to the latest technology for Olympics,” Engineer Isaac David, chairman of MTD Philippines, tells SPOT.ph in an interview.”

[https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/79012/new-clark-city-sports-hub-a833-20190907-lfrm]

So what is in store for the Philippine Arena this year aside from the SEA Opening Ceremony? On December 11, the world famous group U2 will be performing there.

Great news! And how much are the tickets for the show? Mura lang naman. From P2,499 to P20,499 per head. Kayang-kayang bayaran ng mga kapatid yan. Sanay na tayo jan di ba? Para sa kapurihan ng Ama! (that’s with an exclamation point)

(If you’ll scrutize the seating plan, you’ll notice that most of the slots near the stage are actually lower priced than others. It was explained that U2 wanted it that way.)

Now getting back, why the outrageous ticket prices? (Read the complete article on the link below, and we’ll understand the nature of such a business 🙂 )

“The Price Of A Concert: Breaking Down Where The Money Goes

We all have a tendency to balk when seeing the price of some concert tickets, especially for the larger tours. How on Earth can these performers justify their $100 – $250 ticket price? Don’t they realize that without the fans, they wouldn’t even have a job? And I will admit that I am the first one to scream about the cost of concert tickets, but I’ve recently given some thought to exactly where the money spent on concert tickets actually goes.

Below is a breakdown of who gets paid for putting on a concert. The band (or entertainer) takes a majority of the money, and rightfully so. They are the talent. They should be paid for entertaining us. However, there are many other people involved in producing a concert. They get paid as well. And that money all comes out of the sale of tickets.

Venue

Before anything happens on a tour, the venues have to be selected and confirmed. Doing that takes money. Most venues are paid up front, and they get paid whether the concert is successful or not. The average cost to rent an arena is around $20,000/night while the average cost to rent an amphitheater is around $10,000/night. Smaller clubs cost less, but their capacity is also less.”

[http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com/2011/03/price-of-concert-breaking-down-where.html?m=1]

(This article was written some 10 years ago, so presumably rates must be much higher now.)

On a more current time frame to rent the O2 Arena in London costs 80,000 pound sterling or roughly P5,000,000.00 per day! –

[https://www.headbox.com/en/spaces/4751-book-the-o2-arena-the-o2-london]

So to my ever-loyal minister friends and their ever-loyal member friends, ready yourself for a night of rock and roll and prepare yourself to live on lugaw for the next twenty days leading to New Year !

“Hey Ruff … (that’s my stray dog who Ms. Goofy and I picked up a few months ago. He keeps me company now ever since my wife found it weird seeing me always at the front garden where Goof lay in peace among the blooming flowers.) I was checking my wallet to see if I had spare for a ride to get some sandwiches for our snack. “You don’t happen to have some loose change there in your dog house do you?” He stared at me and his dog house trying to comprehend what I was asking.

“Oh forget it, come Ruff, let’s take a walk and get something to eat.” He jumped forward and both of us faded into the sunset while my wife looked on. She turned but looked back when I shouted, “Tell Goof that we’ll bring back some of her favorite grilled chickennn!”

I could faintly hear her as Ruff and I strolled along, “Ayan Goofy, hanggang ngayon nasa isip ka pa niya, tsk, tsk . . .”

I let out a short smile and picked up Ruff who tried desperately to lick my face 🙂

“The SEA Games, U2 Concert, Philippine Arena, and the KJC KingDome …” Before anything else I'd like to comment on a recent post regarding "Corporation Sole…

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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Ask the late tycoon John Gokonwei how he built his empire and this is what we’ll hear –

“John Gokongwei Jr was born wealthy, but he had to start from scratch after his family lost what they had. Here’s a look back on his journey to becoming one of the most beloved tycoons in the Philippines. Born of a wealthy Filipino-Chinese clan, one would think that John Gokongwei Jr had it easy growing up and effortlessly built one of the biggest conglomerates in the Philippines.

John was indeed born with a silver spoon, but it took great lengths to have it all back. Before dying at 93, he left the family with a multibillion-peso empire spanning food and real estate to banking and aviation.

The clan had all the wealth they could ask for, until the impact of the Great Depression in the 1920s hit the empire hard. Even before World War II reached Cebu, the family’s debt had already ballooned. Around this time Gokongwei Sr, unexpectedly died after receiving the wrong blood type during a blood transfusion. The impoverished John was split from his 5 other siblings and mother when they moved back to China. His father, known as the Cinema King of Cebu then, apparently left the family deep in debt. John’s family had all their properties taken away from them by banks.

From living in a stylish home, 15-year-old John became a market vendor. He sold peanuts and just whatever he could make money out of. Even with little cash, he allotted some to send to his family in China. He was eventually able to buy a bicycle which enabled him to sell goods in nearby towns. Hard work led to his capital growing. The end of the war and the subsequent rebuilding presented opportunities to Gokongwei and his once-rich relatives. John later went on to produce cornstarch, a basic raw material for beer, noodles, and paper. San Miguel Corporation, one of the oldest and largest corporations in the Philippines, was one of Gokongwei’s biggest customers. Over 3 decades, John and his siblings built Universal Robina Corporation (URC), named after his eldest daughter Robina.

URC would become the flagship company of the Gokongwei group. The company produces some of the most popular snacks today, like Chippy, Chiz Curls, Magic Flakes, and Taquitos.

To date, its total assets amount to a whopping P151.9 billion.”

[https://www.rappler.com/business/244577-how-john-gokongwei-jr-built-empire-selling-peanuts]

And how about the richest man in the Philippines Mr. Henry Sy?

“Henry Sy was born in the south-eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, in Fujian province. He immigrated to the Philippines at the age of 12 and started selling rice, sardines and soap at his father’s neighbourhood store in Manila in 1936.

The store was burned and looted during World War II so Sy was called on to sell goods to help the family survive, according to Sy-Coson, the eldest of his six children.

Following World War II, he sold shoes imported by US soldiers and set up a footwear store, providing him with the platform to later found ShoeMart, the nation’s largest chain and the first air-conditioned shop to sell shoes in the Philippines, in 1958.

After opening six shoe stores, he diversified the business into clothing and soft goods because shoe manufacturers couldn’t meet his demands for higher volumes.

In 1972, Sy opened his first department store, two months after President Ferdinand Marcos placed the country under martial law. Marcos was ousted by a military and civilian uprising in 1986.

Sy first expanded into real-estate development in 1974 with the founding of Multi-Realty Development Corp, formed to develop high-rise condominiums and townhouse units in prime parts of Makati, a city in metropolitan Manila.

In 1976, he bought Acme Savings Bank, which had originally been set up as a thrift bank, and renamed it Banco de Oro Savings & Mortgage Bank. Initially, it provided services mainly to suppliers of ShoeMart. It was renamed Banco de Oro Universal Bank in 1996 when the Philippine central bank gave it the authority to operate as a commercial lender.

Sy had a net worth of US$7.2 billion (S$9.78 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, making him the richest person in the Philippines.

[https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippines-richest-man-henry-sy-dies-at-94]

Now let’s see how their children were raised. On Gokonwei this is what we hear –

“Lance Gokongwei, president and chief operating officer of JG Summit Holdings Corp., the holding company of the vast Gokongwei group, was groomed from childhood to take over the family business, which is among the biggest in the country.

Dad started from the bottom and he made sure we all did, too. My eldest sister, Robina, started as a receiving clerk at the bodega of Robinsons Department Store. Dad told her, “How will you be able to do your job at the top later on if you don’t know what people down there are doing? Today, Robina runs our whole retail business.

Marcia, on the other hand, scooped ice cream and made waffle cones at a Tivoli kiosk when she was in high school. Today, she is one of the top executives in our food manufacturing business.

In my case, my first job was putting price tags on women’s bras. I guess that makes me an expert on women.

Stay humble. Dad always made sure that we did not think we were better than other people. He told us to hire people who are smarter than us, who are better than us, so that we can improve the business. There is a Chinese phrase that our parents use with us—“gong kia,” which is a term of endearment, but which literally means “stupid child.” It keeps us humble and makes us feel that we are the same as the people who work with us. It’s okay to make mistakes. Even if Dad gave me a lot of opportunities at an early age, he never hovered over my shoulder. He allowed me to make mistakes as long as I didn’t lose too much money. He knew I would learn a lot from them—and I did.”

[https://business.inquirer.net/223293/lance-y-gokongwei-talks-father-john-taught]

“MANILA — The late tycoon John Gokongwei’s eldest daughter recalled how her kidnappers complained that he was willing to give her away because he has 6 other children, one of many stories in a eulogy for her “mentor-father.”

Gokongwei, of course, was following the advice of then-police colonel Panfilo Lacson who led her rescue without a ransom payoff. Robina Gokongwei-Pe was a senior at the University of the Philippines in 1981 when she was kidnapped with her cousin, Celina Chua.

“Anim pala kayong magkakapatid! Akala ko nag-iisa ka. Sabi ng tatay mo, pwede ka na ipamigay kasi mayroon pa siyang limang anak. Ano ba ‘yan!” Gokongwei-Pe said.

(There’s 6 of you. I thought you are an only child. Your father said he can give you away because he has 5 other children. What’s up with that?)

The eulogy was published in full by Esquire Philippines’ website, part of the Gokongweis’ publishing arm, Summit Media.

Gokongwei, whose JG Summit Holdings controls Robinsons Retail, Universal Robina and Cebu Pacific, “was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll hear,” Gokongwei-Pe said.

Bedridden for 6 weeks and unable to speak due to a feeding tube, Gokongwei insisted on reading financial reports, Gokongwei-Pe said. He also told his 24-year-old grandson: “You have to play around!”

Gokongwei-Pe said her father made sure she started in the storage rooms of Robinsons Department Store, without air-condition and with no set time in and time out to teach her the value of hard work.

The same was true for her brother, Lance Gokongwei, she said.

“The thing is, when Lance was on summer vacation, he also put Lance in the Robinsons Department Store bodega, where he learned how to tag bras and where he learned how to read the alphabet in bra sizes, which came in handy later in life,” she said.

Frustrated that she was a bench-sitter or “bangko” of the UP swimming team, Gokongwei-Pe said her father told her to “never give up.”

“He said that I should be happy that I even qualified for the team. He also said that he lost his father when he was 13—what could be worse than that?” she said.

Gokongwei-Pe said her dad was so happy to give her away that during her wedding, the then 67-year-old patriarch walked too fast as she walked her down the aisle, angering her mother.

“Please wait for the bride!” Gokongwei-Pe recalled her mother as saying.

Her wedding was also one of the rare times Gokongwei got a tuxedo, a rented one, only because he heard that a wedding sponsor, Lopez family patriarch Eugenio “Geny” Lopez Jr., was going to wear one.

“My dad was always known to be a sloppy dresser and cheap when it comes to dressing up. His tie always had a stain from ice cream or coffee,” she said.

When he retired at 90, Gokongwei-Pe recalled fellow shopping mall tycoon Henry Sy telling her father: “John, you are going to face three problems when you retire. One is what you are going to do after working for 50 years. Two is who is going to succeed you. Three is the worst problem of all—how to deal with five sons-in-law.”

Gokongwei-Pe said her father congratulated her most recently for her work with the UP Fighting Maroons men’s basketball team, which made the final 4 for the second straight year.

“He knew what his daughter really loved the most. That’s why I loved him for that,” she said.

Ending her eulogy, Gokongwei-Pe said: “By the way, we did not rent his outfit for today. Somewhere along the way, he decided to buy himself an expensive suit, and we made sure that the tie did not have a stain.”

[https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/12/19/gokongwei-daughter-in-playful-eulogy-says-dad-taunted-her-kidnappers]

One thing you’ll notice, is that riches didn’t come overnight. It had to be worked out. It had to be planned. Perseverance and the right attitude. The children were never spoiled or pampered.

Why is EVM included? Well, he is now considered to be number one in the list of “Richest Pastor In Philippines:Top 10 Influencial Pastors/Priest Of 2019.”

“Philippines as one with the highest population in the world ranked at number #13 in the world. Philippines includes with the fastest growing population in asia with more than 107.5 million population in 2019 according to worldometers.info. And Philippines consist of different religions most Filipinos are Catholic with highest percentage 2nd are muslim and the rest are protestant and other denominations.

Here are the religious groups and denominations names of well known personality and most influencial religious leaders in the country with their respective churches and organizations. There names were included in the top 10 most wealthiest and richest churches or persons in the Philippines. [Let’s just jump into number one, you can read the whole article on the link provided 🙂 ]

1 – Eduardo “Eddieboy” Manalo

On top of the list as the richest pastor in philippines is Eduardo Manalo the third successor of I.N.C the most influencial religious personality in Philippines. That every electoral candidates want to get his endorsement. Because of the bloc voting doctrine of their church. Since from Felix Manalo the one founded the I.N.C in philippines then turn it over into his son Eranio Manalo the father of Eduardo Manalo. Eduardo Manalo Asset and net worth is around 1billion peso he owns New Era college and Philippine Arena in Bocaue Bulacan. [https://www.rank1one.com/top-10-richest-pastors-philippines-2019/]

The executive minister of the highly-politicized Iglesia Ni Cristo is arguably the wealthiest Filipino religious leader. Iglesia Ni Cristo is more than two times wealthier that the Roman Catholic Church because the former is centralized and the latter is not. Iglesia Ni Cristo is estimated to be worth nearly a trillion pesos including all of its properties, and Manalo as the CEO is surely worth billions of pesos.

[https://www.opinionstage.com/silveraden/ten-wealthiest-religious-leaders-in-the-philippines]

An argument may be raised (as was in the comments section of the above articles] that all properties are registered under the name of the Church and not under any individual or person. BUT and that’s a big BUT, the organization is registered as “corporation sole” and the Executive Minister as Administrator of all assets of the orgnization. In short, he “owns” the organization as “Chief Executive Officer“. We are discussing here hard undeniable facts, not spiritual such as Christ is the owner and so forth. We are pointing fingers as to who can mortgage, sell, and distribute any and all of the assets of the organization and this includes control of cold cash of the church. None other than EVM being the Executive Minister (and of course JS because he has a Power of Attorney to that effect).

Now there are many anecdotes of the late Felix Manalo and his successor Erano Manalo, but unfortunately I can’t think of even one that describes the current Executive Minister aside from the praises to high heavens by his so called sasardotes or whatever.

So instead, let us witness a discussion between a Minister and a lay member of the church on attainment of material wealth based on the “inspirational” teaching of the Executive Minister –

Miyembro: Ka Delfin (ministro), papaano natin matatamo ang pagpapala (riches) dito sa mundo?

Ministro: Kapatid, dapat maging masagana ka sa paghahandog (offerings). Tulad rin ng pagtatanim, kung marami kang itinanim, marami kayong aanihin. Nakalagay rin sa biblia na sinabi ng Diyos, subukan ninyo ako kung hindi ko kayo pagpalain na walang silid na paglalagyan sa mga pagpapalang ibibigay ko sa inyo.

Miyembro: Linggo-linggo, naghahandog ako, kasama na rito ang mga tanging-tanging handugan, bakit hanggang ngayon mahirap pa rin kalagayan ko?

Ministro: Huwag kang maiinip kapatid, walang matuwid na anak ng Diyos na nagpapalimos ng tinapay ayon sa biblia. Baka nag-aalinlangan ka pa sa magagawa ng Diyos?

Miyembro: Papaano ako mag-aalinlangan, 20 taon na ako sa Iglesia, 20 taon akong naghahandog, bakit hanggang ngayon, kubo-kubo pa rin bahay ko, wala pa rin akong matatag na hanap buhay?

Ministro: Kapatid, ang pagpapala ay hindi lamang sa material na bagay. Pasalamat ka at hanggang ngayon buhay ka pa at nasa kahalalan na matatamo mo ang kaligtasan pagdating ni Cristo.

Miyembro: Alam ko po yon. Ang tanong ko lang, bakit ang tagasanglibutan tila madaling umangat ang buhay pero ako parang hindi?

Ministro: Alam mo Kapatid, ang Diyos tunay kang mahal. Alam ng Diyos ang nakaraan, alam rin niya ang kasalukuyan, at higit sa lahat alam niya ang darating. Alam niya na baka kung payamanin ka makalimot ka sa kaniya!

Wow! And to think this line of thinking works among its members. But I’m having my doubts. Many are not that naive on giving so called offerings to “God”. The real give-away proof is – napaka bilis na ang pagbibilang ng mga Pananalapi sa lokal. 30 minuto lang tapos na! Mabilis na sila nakakauwi ngayo hindi tulad noon 😀 😀 😀

Hindi lang yon, every building from the Arena, to the Garden, and the Museum were built by the offerings of the members BUT UNLESS YOU PUT UP A HEFTY 500 PESOS (more or less), you’ll never gain entrance. Simply put, you are the owner of a house being refused entry by a mere Caretaker which you hired with your own money!

Ooops, forgot its almost midnight. Got carried away. Seniors have a way of doing that as if you didn’t know. Good night friends, and regards to the family. By the way Christmas is just around the corner. Let’s do the “pagan” and greet ourselves a very Merry, Merry Christmas and a Ho! Ho! Ho!

“Difference between the wealths of John Gokongwei, Henry Sy and EVM …” Ask the late tycoon John Gokonwei how he built his empire and this is what we'll hear -

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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riving back couldn’t help but notice an elderly woman putting up her tiny stall in one of the corners of the wet market near our place. It was just a spot for selling knick-knacks like plastic combs, hair pins, brushes, buttons, etc. Nothing much really. And there was also another person also walking around with a “bilao” of dried fish entertaining prospective customers. Ordinary peddlers not to be concerned with. But these two were actually officers of a church holding the deaconess position for quite some time. In fact, it’s safe to say maybe a decade or so. This church is not an organization of rich people but rather generally composed of ordinary Class C and D groups. The rationale the leadership gives on why it is composed of such impoverished people is simple. “God chose the poor to humiliate the affluent.”

How? Come election day, the church votes as a block. Who chooses which one to vote? The leader. So it is but expected for all of these influential candidates praise to high heavens said church come election season. What about the Guinness records? A few dozen has been claimed including the most number of, “hunger relief packages distributed in 8 hours.”

“The most hunger relief packages distributed in 8 hours (single venue) is 302,311 and was achieved by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ), in Barrio Maligaya, Nueva Ecija, Philippines on 22 February 2014. There were 20 entrances supervised by 151 audit personnel. All participants were given wristbands which were collected in boxes and counted at the end. Each package weighed 3 kilogram and contained rice, noodles amd sardines in cans. Adjudicated by Seyda Subasi -Gemici.” https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-hunger-relief-packages-distributed-in-eight-hours

If you’re curious to the other records, here it is –

1. Largest firework display ever;

2. Largest charity walk/run;

3. Most medical ultrasound examinations in 8 hours;

4. Largest human sentence;

5. Largest gospel choir;

6. Largest charity walk/run (multiple venues;

7. Most people baptised / christened;

8. Most hunger relief packages distributed in eight hours;

9. Premiere for Philippine film Felix Manalo breaks two attendance world records;

That’s about it, add or take a few.

Now, you may ask yourself, why despite all the accolades and world records, the majority of its members still live an impoverished life. Maybe its because we continue to give even to a fault, on the belief that what we are doing is God’s choice and will.

If you’ve taken note, all of the above requires human intervention and participation to conclude its success. And this is where the church is quite good at. Convincing its members to participate or, to put it subtly, submitting its members to participate. And with the majority of its members in the Class C and D group, it’s not really that difficult. People tend to gather themselves within their class group and when you do not have much, the promise of salvation and eternal life in the holy land of gold and pearls can do wonders to a man in want.

The route is where twice every week (for non-officers) and almost daily (for officers) you hear of the nearing apocalypse and the salvation reserved only for active members of the church. Complete submission to the programs of the church to claim redemption no questions asked.

Now, let us discuss Salvation and Heaven since this is what is offered in return for all the offerings and the sacrifices, “Bayang Banal” the more common term; where pain and suffering are things of the past, where everyone are treated equal and happiness reigns throughout.

My brother and I had a lite discussion about this. It went more or less like this –

“Alam mo Tol, ” my brother started, “mejo malabo itong Bayang Banal. Wala daw lungkot jan. Tatapakan daw natin ay ginto, at mga pinto doon ay gawang perlas. Wala daw tayo gagawin doon kungdi sasamba sa Diyos araw araw.”

“Ano naman problema don?,” I asked.

“Araw, araw!? Huwebes-Linggo lang eh hirap na hirap akong nakadilat, pasambahin mo ako araw-araw?! Anong mangyayari sa akin doon?! So, matapos sumamba, uuwi ako kung saan man yon, tapos kinabukasan sasamba nanaman ako. Ano ba yan, BORING! Ano naman kung ginto ang kalsada o perlas ang pinto ng Bayang Banal? Ano naman ang gagawin ko doon. Hindi ka naman makatravel dahil naka bakod daw ang Bayang Banal!”

“Hindi mo ba gusto yan? I asked,”wala ka ng hirap, lungkot, o luluha kelanman?”

“Paano mo sasabihin “wala ka ng hirap, lungkot, o luluha kelanman?” eh puro tayo zombie doon. May nakita ka bang zombie na naghihirap, malungkot, o umiiyak? WALA!”

Well, it was just that, usapang barbero o usapang gago but with some touch of logic 🙂

And if you’re still interested on the actual description of the Holy Land, try reading this. It is quite engaging –

B. SIZE “The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs” (Revelation 21:16). The city is perfectly square. Its perimeter is 12,000 furlongs—equivalent to 1,500 miles. It is 375 miles long on each side!

C. WALLS “The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper” (Revelation 21:17, 18 NIV). A wall standing at 144 cubits—that’s 216 feet high!—surrounds the city. The wall is made of solid jasper, with a radiance and beauty beyond description. Think of it: nearly 20 stories high and solid jasper!

D. GATES “It had a great, high wall with twelve gates. … There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. … The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl” (Revelation 21:12, 13, 21 NIV).

E. FOUNDATIONS “The wall of the city had twelve foundations … decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst” (Revelation 21:14, 19, 20 NIV). The city has 12 full, complete foundations—each one made of precious stone. Every color of the rainbow is represented, so at a distance the city will appear to be resting upon a rainbow. …

https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4981/t/a-colossal-city-in-space

The point is this. Why always paint a gloomy picture of this world and the acceptance of hardship as a normal way of life when in truth and fact, it isn’t. Why capitalize on the weakness to gain control? This world of ours may not be perfect with calamities creating havoc for many and difficulties surrounding people in their way of life but there is hope, and goodness still in this world. It is only when you cannot accept change that the reality becomes permanent.

Inspirational stories are common from the simple security guard to a teacher, or a penniless who shared “pagpag” (re-cooked garbaged left overs from fastfood restos) to a mayor of Manila or even a meager kid to a famous boxer and senator. All of them had one thing in common. Perseverance to change. Never accepting what is as an option.

The stumbling block is the teaching that all suffering and difficulties are God’s will and acceptance of eternal life after death as the only solution are the two notions that need rethinking. Why, is it not possible to have a good life here and enjoy the afterlife too? Is it wrong to have a glimpse of the good and magnificence in God’s creations than concentrating on all its apocalypses? And why exploit God’s words on people who are not yours to begin with?

God has always been perfect and so are His creations. More so His children.

Here’s an interesting article on Rappler published just recently titled ,“After the 2015 controversies: What’s been happening inside the Iglesia ni Cristo?”

“For the INC’s 105th anniversary on July 27, Rappler speaks with members, both active and inactive, who talk about changes – some of them painful – in their church.

MANILA, Philippines – For many years, Guia* embodied what is expected of a loyal member of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

She regularly attended services, moved in a circle full of INC members, aligned her activities with the teachings, and didn’t have any bit of doubt about what the church stands for.

“I was living in a bubble because my community was mainly centered around the church, the home, and the school,” Guia told Rappler. “I didn’t have other perspectives.”

But everything changed one fateful month in 2015. …”

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/236277-situation-iglesia-ni-cristo-post-2015-controversies?

“Forced Redemption?…” riving back couldn't help but notice an elderly woman putting up her tiny stall in one of the corners of the wet market near our place.

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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Now, before anyone gets the idea that this is a hacked site, may I remind my dear friends that it is not. You’ll notice though some changes in the layout of the site like the logo which formerly had an old man with his furry friends and now it is a branch with some leaves on it. Well, it gave me a sense of calm and peace so I decided to go with it. Some sadness went with the changes but that is life and what is permanent in life anyway? Probably only one … Change. Constantly permanent – Change. A good friend once advised me “Life goes on brother…”, and so it does.

To put many of our friends at ease, here are some facts no one else knows except for the great AE and one of the most recent critic of the church Bibliko. AE and I met twice once in Makati and the other along EDSA. In our initial meeting he was dressed in a T-shirt supporting a “Fohawk” hairdo (he said it was to avoid recognition, but frankly it looked better on him, more like Adam Levine).

Bibliko on the other hand likes Starbucks. By the way thanks for the Centrum Silver and Chivas Regale my friend. Bring along a second bottle on your way back – bottle of Centrum Silver that is 🙂 You can forego the Chivas. After a few sips with my wife, it still remains almost full 🙂

After having been trapped in a routine day to day existence for the past 60 years, it just had to be my retirement to open my eyes and to make me realize that all the things I used to believe in was just a blind distraction and the more important things that should have been, unrealized. The valuable time I now spend with family though short as it may be, the indescribable lessons learned from travels and meeting a bigger circle of friends with diverse backgrounds has taught me no one can claim superiority over the other. In fact, this new-found freedom of mine has shown me the importance of Life as it should be. Courage to change, Serenity to accept that cannot, and Wisdom to understanding the difference.

I’m sure all of you are aware of the havoc brought about by continuous earthquakes hitting Cotabato. But are you aware that only yesterday a tornado hit Marawi City bringing more destruction to a region already on its knees?

youtube

CNN had this to say –

“Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 4) — A tornado wreaked havoc in Marawi City Monday, destroying several homes and a government building.

Photos shared online showed the roof of a building was blown off by strong winds. Videos also showed debris flying through the air and landing on vehicles.

Portions of the Amai Pakpak Hospital and the Marawi City Hall were also destroyed.”

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/regional/2019/11/4/marawi-city-tornado.html

It was on October 31 that Cotabato was struck by the intensity 6.5 earthquake followed by more than 1000 aftershocks.

“Over 1,000 aftershocks recorded after powerful North Cotabato quakes

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Friday said it recorded a total of 1,349 aftershocks following the earthquakes that struck Cotabato (also called North Cotabato) twice in the span of three days.

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake with its epicenter northeast of Tulunan, North Cotabato occurred on Thursday, preceded by a nearby 6.6 magnitude quake on Tuesday.”

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/11/01/1965186/over-1000-aftershocks-recorded-after-powerful-north-cotabato-quakes

Ironically, it was the same time that a religion was holding an outreach program and a celebration in tune with the Church leader’s birthday celebration in Bulacan. A worldwide celebration it is claimed.

youtube

Now a simple question from your brethren and countrymen in Cotabato and Marawi, “Were were you when we needed you?” A Guinness record doesn’t mean much now does it?

“Distractions…” Now, before anyone gets the idea that this is a hacked site, may I remind my dear friends that it is not.

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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I had always thought that Ms. Goofy and I would never part ways. From the very start she had always kept me company. She had a very keen sense of how I felt – whether I was sad, happy, or even just disappointed. And when I would sit calmly down on a cloudy day on the front porch, she would slowly nudge herself on me. I would pick her up, her clear brown eyes staring back at me. We had fond memories of each other many of which were shared here…

A few days ago, she lost her appetite and slowly grew weaker. Her Doctor tried everything. She continued to sleep in her small bed breathing ever so shallow while I pulled over her blanket to give her some comfort. And then she was gone. I picked her small body and hugged her one more time. I had wanted her to outlast me not the other way around…

It was the deepest pain I had ever felt in my life. She was more than a daughter or son to me. No one understood me more. I built a grave for her in my front garden in the midst of beautiful flowers and green to keep her company. The small wooden bed which she loved so much is also there beside her grave.

The front porch seems so empty these days …

” Will be Missing you Dear Goofy …” I had always thought that Ms. Goofy and I would never part ways. From the very start she had always kept me company.

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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In today’s sermon or pay per view whichever suits you, we hear from the mouth of the tiger that throughout Church history every entity who ran against the administration never triumphed – expounding further with examples of people who questioned the authority of the Sugo, Ka Erdy, and now the present Executive, concluding with “where are they now?”

Sometimes I ask myself, how naive is this man? Can’t he get it? God was protecting the Church – you and I who continue to have faith in the Church which He established and promised to protect until the ends of time. He was never there to give reverence to a crooked leader much less his wayward administration. It is the Church and “members in particular” the reason why the Church of Christ continues to this day.

Magyayabang ka pa na walang lumaban sa pamamahala na nagtagumpay mula pa sa panahon ng Sugo, ang dating Pamamahala, at ng Kasalukuyan. Idudugtong pa na kung saan na sila ngayon. Ang problema kasi wala kang tinirang buhay sa mga kumuuestion sa pamamahala mo. Samapahan ng kaso, tatakutin, at kung hindi pa matinag, itumba na lang.

The brethren is a very quiet and submissive lot. They refrain from any form of violence or intimidation. They are sheep and vulnerable to the pastor who leads them which explains the continuous surrender of the majority. But to quote a recent popular movie, it is the “Endgame” which the current King should worry about which is in all accounts “Inevitable”. His fall from grace together with his minions who worshipped the Man rather than the Maker. I’m quite sure his thud will resonate throughout the country.

While doing some reading I came across a very interesting analogy on dogs and their behaviour compared with the church-going masses.

“Three Types of Dogs – Dr. A. T. Schofield used to point out that there were three sorts of dogs in his city of London: the wild, masterless dog that roamed the streets at will, stole his meals from garbage pails, and often came to an inglorious end in the lethal chamber of the humane society; the chained dog, which could not be trusted for more than a few feet; and the dog that knew and loved his master and responded obediently to his voice. The first of these had liberty but no law; the second had law but no liberty; whereas the last enjoyed the perfect law of liberty.

All men seem to be like one of these three dogs. The masses are utterly lawless when it comes to the authority of God. They are dominated by sin, and “sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). And then, there are many who are like the dog on the leash—they have law, but no liberty. These are legalists in the religious realm. The cheerless Pharisee is the representative of thousands who, “being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:3). But the Christian who knows the truth of New Testament deliverance is like the third dog. He needs no chain but is guided by his Master’s eye and his Master’s voice. (C. Ernest Tatham, from the book, “How May I.”, in Confident Living, January, 1988, p. 14)

[https://www.preceptaustin.org/james_126-27]”

Kahalalan: Ang katangian ng mga nilikha ng Diyos na hindi hahatulan o pahihirapan sa dagat-dagatan apoy.

That smells of exclusivity but are you aware that this is a mere classification of one of many religions in the world?

“One view is taken by exclusivists, who believe they are the chosen people or have exclusive access to absolute truth, generally through revelation or encounter with the Divine, which adherents of other religions do not. Another view is religious pluralism. A pluralist typically believes that his religion is the right one, but does not deny the partial truth of other religions. An example of a pluralist view in Christianity is supersessionism, i.e., the belief that one’s religion is the fulfillment of previous religions. A third approach is relativistic inclusivism, where everybody is seen as equally right; an example being universalism: the doctrine that salvation is eventually available for everyone. A fourth approach is syncretism, mixing different elements from different religions.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/God]”

That being the case, where do you stand? Do you consider yourself a religious man? By religious meaning attending worship service every week, giving monetary offerings (each time they ask for it), complying with daily church propagation, Lingap or worldwide humanitarian causes (except in the Philippines or ” members in particular”)

Merriam-Webster describes “religious” as –

“Definition of religious (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity a religious person religious attitudes 2 : of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances joined a religious order 3a : scrupulously and conscientiously faithful b : FERVENT, ZEALOUS”

[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religious]

Now, let us ask the same question again. Do you consider yourself to be religious?

Take your pick. It is quite easy really –

James 1:26-27 The Message (MSG)

26-27 Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

James 1:26-27 New International Version (NIV)

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:26-27 King James Version (KJV)

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

“Three Types of Dogs and the Doomsday Initiative …” In today's sermon or pay per view whichever suits you, we hear from the mouth of the tiger that throughout Church history every entity who ran against the administration never triumphed - expounding further with examples of people who questioned the authority of the Sugo, Ka Erdy, and now the present Executive, concluding with "where are they now?"

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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The last few days I’ve noticed that the Comments Section has become …should I say “uncomfortable” with all the in and out bashings not to mention allegations on comment deletions. This started when one Mon Ramirez commented with –

“Hoy bibliko, kung sino ka man. Puro ka salita…puro comment mo na lang na paulit ulit. Sumbat ka ng sumbat, katulad ng iniwanan mong Iglesia Ng Mga Magnanakaw. Bakit hindi mo muna pagbutihin ang sarili mo oh kaya gumawa ka ng mabuti bago ka magsalita. Nakakarinde na ang pagpuputak mo, eh wala ka naman ginagawang mabuti. Hindi ka naman propeta! At sa pagsasalita mo ay hindi ka rin naman banal! Ano karapatan mong magsasalita ng ganyan? Kung gusto mong makatulong sa mga tiniwalag na miembro ng kulto ninyo, hanapin mo sila at tulungan makasulong sa pananampalataya, pagkaisahin mo sila na palakasin ang kaluluwa. Hindi yun puro nakaraan ang sinasabi mo…walang nagmamaneho ng sasakyan na nakatingin sa likod dahil hindi mo makikita ang iyong patutunguhan. Move on, bro!!! Manifest God’s love and let God drive…kayong mga Iglesia ni Kulapo sobrang judgemental!”

Well, knowing my dear friend Bibliko he didn’t take this lightly and respond he did! And others started to join in the tirade. Then came questions on why this author did not post certain comments on the Comments Section.

Before I go any further, let me clarify that I do not have sole authority on posting of comments or deleting it for that matter. If it goes against WordPress policy, they have all the right to censor it (as has happened so many times in the silentnomore.com website) i.e. confidential info, libelous statements, etc.) And of course glitches do occur. Ever noticed why your top of the line cell phone or pc suddenly hangs or crashes? The technology is not perfect. In fact nothing is.

But likewise please bear in mind that I am the sole author of this blog and responsible for everything in it. If I deem necessary that a comment should not be included (and there are many, from irrelevant issues to those outright offensive in nature), you can be certain that it won’t be included in the Comments Section. In the same light, I also assure you that all relevant comments are approved for posting immediately after reading it.(Being quite busy lately, it takes me sometime before I can come back to this blog, which also explains the absence of new articles on a frequent basis and of course the posting of comments 🙂 . As my friend Ponce has said in numerous occasions “There is after all, life outside the ‘church’ “. In fact much merrier and peaceful if I may say so.

Now back to new-comer Mon Ramirez. No one is perfect. And he pointed this out very clearly in this latest comment of his. Kudos my friend.

“I believe brothers, not one of us is right. Only the Lord Jesus Christ is right. The method of my comments was for everyone to see that if you attack your brothers with animosity, rather than love and compassion, whether your message is right or wrong, it will get lost in the shuffle. I believe that there is only God, and He is indivisible, He is of no equal and does not share His Godhood to anybody or anything. He gave authority to Jesus, but it does not make Christ god. A kingdom can only have one King and a King can have a prince. A prince gets his power from the King and the prince will never be a king for the God that I believe in is eternal with no beginning and no end. If you guys believe in Jesus then why would i be against you? Why should I focus on the small things that we do not agree on? Does your faith makes you a better Christian? Does it bring kindness, compassion and love in your life? Do you believe in only one God? Do you believe in the Messiah Jesus Christ? There are really two commandments that you have to follow in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven…love God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as you love thy self. Everything else will fall inline…with those two commandments, you’ll never get lost. I want to focus on our similarities more than our differences. If you know how to love then I will not limit God. God is love and if love is in your life then God must be with you. I am not going to say that because you don’t belong in the fold, you will not be saved. Most of the miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible, the recipients were not Jews. The Father sends messenger that is true. If you believe that Felix is the messenger that is fine with me. Did he make you a better Christian? Then he has done his job. Is Felix better than Elijah or Moses? See, with me personally, the message is more important than the messenger. We can show respect to them, there is nothing wrong with that, but it’s a thin line between reverence and respect that I am afraid to cross. If want to respect them then it’s better to heed the message.”

Life goes on, let’s all maintain focus my dear friends. LOVE is prime and foremost after all.

William

“Afterthoughts …” The last few days I've noticed that the Comments Section has become ...should I say "uncomfortable" with all the in and out bashings not to mention allegations on comment deletions.

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increflections-blog · 5 years ago

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Oh oh, here we go again..another one bites the dust 🙂 At first I thought that Quiboloy’s grandstanding on their KJC King Dome was just hot air. Who wouldn’t after seeing him in front of an open ground and declaring that on that site would rise the biggest dome in the world. That was September, 2012. We all laughed at him didn’t we? And laughed more when the Philippine Arena was inaugurated on July 2014 with the King Dome nowhere in site.

Now, look what is happening _

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Hot air? Probably not. Wikipedia had this to say –

“The groundbreaking ceremony of the facility being built beside the Francisco Bangoy (Davao) International Airport complex was commenced on September 3, 2012.

Originally planned solely as a cathedral for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the KJC King Dome will be also used for other events such as concerts, boxing events and basketball games. The facility will host a cube scoreboard.

The King Dome will be part of a mixed-used development costing around ₱7.981 billion. The complex will house a condominium hotel, a hotel and museum, a hangar, a water park, a hotel and commercial center, and an administration complex.

The King Dome itself is estimated to cost ₱6.025 billion and will be bigger than the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena with the Davao facility having a capacity of 70,000, making it the largest indoor arena in the world. Initially it was planned that the seating capacity of the King Dome was to be 50,000.” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KJC_King_Dome]

Well, some might argue that it is not yet completed so in effect we still have the largest indoor arena correct? Maybe so. Watch the following video –

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And let’s all see how many are still undergoing construction at this time –

“While rarely the most prominent structures on a city’s skyline, stadiums and arenas hold an important cultural position for large urban centres while instilling a sense of civic pride in visitors and creating lucrative economic opportunities for owners. Today, we will take a look at the five largest sports stadiums currently under construction around the world.” [https://skyrisecities.com/news/2016/03/5-largest-stadiums-under-construction-around-globe]

Budapest, 2014. július 31. A Nemzeti Sportközpontok által közreadott látványterven az újjáépülő Puskás Ferenc Stadion madártávlati képe. MTI Fotó: Nemzeti Sportközpontok

Lest we be accused of bias, the Philippine Arena still holds the official world title for the largest indoor arena in the world. For how long, anyone’s guess.

“With a maximum capacity of 55,000, the Philippine Arena, a multipurpose indoor arena at Ciudad de Victoria, Philippines, is the biggest indoor arena in the world.

What Is An Indoor Arena? What Purpose Does It Serve?

An arena is an oval or circular-shaped design used to showcase musical performance, sporting events or a theater and it is often an enclosed area. The word arena is derived from the Latin word Harena. The arena has a large open space that is surrounded from all sides with tiered seats for spectators. One prominent feature of an arena is the large open space for the event is at the lowest point to allow maximum visibility by all the spectators. The Colosseum of Rome is one of the biggest and oldest arenas. Arenas are designed to accommodate a large number of spectators, and currently, the biggest arena in the world is the Philippine Arena that has a seating capacity of 55,000 spectators.” [https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-biggest-indoor-arenas-in-the-world.html

Ok, so currently we have the largest indoor arena in the world coupled with the Philippine Stadium and the Philippine Sports Center (hope I got that right). Now, the 64 dollar question –

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH IT? Aside from shouting. “Maraming Maraming Salamat Po Kapatid na E**V**M*!” and simultaneously declaring, “Sa Dios and Kapurihan!” (Thank one guy but praise the other, some contradiction if I may say so.)

Do you know what happens to abandoned Olympic sites? Read on –

“It won’t come as any surprise to Olympics viewers that hosting a Games is costly. The estimated cost of Pyeongchang has been $12.9 billion.

Often the investment from a Games is used to create an Olympic legacy for the host country, but sometimes sites end up as abandoned ghosts of former tournaments. Here are some of them.” [https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/de4004d3-97e8-467c-89a9-03290074e34a

We can’t let that happen can we?

By the way, no fake news here, “Malaking Handugan sa Distrito sa Setyembre at Oktubre mga kapatid, itala sa kalendario baka makalimutan (kaligtaan naman), ah ok, baka makaligtaan.”

But really, it’s not all bad news for Bulacan where Ciudad de Victoria is located. Though not the government’s initiative, there are plans for the construction of the most modern and one of the largest airports in Southeast Asia in Bulakan, Bulacan a stones throw from Bocaue.

“The New Manila International Airport (NMIA), also known as the Bulacan International Airport, is a proposed airport through an unsolicited proposal by the San Miguel Corporation to be built in the coastal areas of Bulakan, Bulacan, 35 kilometers north of the city of Manila. It aims to complement the increasing passenger traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Manila_International_Airport]

So until the airport plan pushes through (siguro ipagpanata na rin, uso naman ngayon yan) mga kapatid, habaan ang pisi, matutong bumaluktot sa maikling kumot at sumunod sa bilin na “mapalad ang mga naghihirap dahil sila ang magmamana ng kaharian ng Diyos!” (spoken by a guy who rides a private Mercedes Benz van, travels on a private jet, stays in 5 star hotels, and with an entourage of private security personnel)

Have you ever given it a thought, all preachers are rich and wealthy except for one. Who? Jesus Christ my friend. The only preacher who made good on his promise to give his life for his church. Unlike someone out there who likes to grandstand with, “Patayin nila ako bago kayo pinsalain!”

Update to New Clark City –

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“KJC King Dome vs the Philippine Arena” Oh oh, here we go again..another one bites the dust 🙂 At first I thought that Quiboloy's grandstanding on their KJC King Dome was just hot air.

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