Notes to My 18-year Old Self, Part 1

October, the Pastors’ Appreciation Month, is winding down. Thanks for all the expressions of love and appreciation. What an honor and privilege it has been to be of service to you. Thirty-five years ago, Dahl and I decided to commit to the pastoral ministry. They say that hindsight is 20/20. Reflecting on my experiences so …

“Pakikisama” and “Pakikialam” among Israel’s Prophets

Pakikisama is the Filipino trait of getting along with others. Smooth interpersonal relationships (SIR) is an important Filipino value, and pakikisama plays a large part in ensuring that. For example, we do not see the need to express our disagreement with others because this may disrupt our SIR with them. Instead, we simply try to put ourselves in …

Hard Reset Required?

A hard reset is a process of reverting a device back to its factory settings. All data you have stored including the apps you downloaded will be erased. You must do a hard reset before selling or giving away your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. That way, you restore the device to the state it was …

Does Your Truth Endure?

I recently had a conversation with a loved one who felt that it is arrogant for Christians to insist that there is only one way to heaven. He said that every person is entitled to his own truth. Indeed, there are many people who resist the idea of absolute truth.  In the words of Victoria Aveyard, …

Is God Stupid?

Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson is correct. When President Rodrigo Duterte called God “stupid” because of the concept of original sin and remained unapologetic despite the outrage, Sen. Lacson said: “When he talks, Filipinos listen for different reasons—some are waiting for his mistakes so they can have a field day criticizing him; others want to be …

Bible Engagement in the Philippines

National Bible Month in the Philippines is drawing to a close. I think it is timely to share some Bible Engagement-related results from the Spiritual Needs survey that the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches commissioned a few months ago. What is Bible Engagement? The term might be new to you, so let me define it. …

Connected but Disconnected

 I saw this poster at Craft Coffee Revolution, a coffee shop at the new Estancia Mall in Pasig City. Imagine that! These days, we need to be reminded to “talk to each other.” Why? Because wherever we go, we see people buried in their mobile devices! It doesn’t matter whether you are in a cozy …

Are We a Christian Nation?

Several months ago, the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, in partnership with the World Evangelical Alliance and Back to the Bible International, commissioned a national Spiritual Needs survey with the goal of determining the spiritual needs and Bible engagement levels of the Philippines. So, in the coming weeks, my posts will be concise analyses of …

“Sana hindi mangyari iyan sa inyo ni Dahl.”

We listened to a very touching sermon in our church's worship celebration yesterday. The speaker and his wife had been regarded as pioneer "musicianaries" who share the love and truth of Jesus Christ with the people of Japan through the black gospel music genre. Thousands of people hear and sing the gospel every year. However, …