The Bible has the Highest Morality Code

11/26/2016 , 53 Comments


I do not just say that the Bible is a book of the highest standards of moral. It is what the book says and the book itself can prove it. There are so many books regarding moral that now exist in the world. But the Bible is above them all. And it can be proven by the teachings of the Bible.

We do not refute that there are other books that teach morality and there are other religious books regarded as sacred by those people who believe in them who teach also morality. But why do I say that the Bible is a book of the highest form of morality there is that exists on earth? First of all, the Bible is a book wherein the words of God are written. Of course not all the words in the Bible are the words of God, but there are specific words of God in the Bible, and those are very much discernable because the Bible says so. Whenever there is a quotation coming from God, you will be familiarized with the introductions of all the Bible writers before they write the sacred words of God: “And God said,” “Thus God said,” “God said,” “The Lord spake unto,” etc. So if we read closely, the Bible is a book that contains pronouncements from God Himself. This is proven by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 1:1-2, which reads –

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

The verses clearly state that God has spoken unto the fathers in diverse manners and times and places and has spoken unto us in these last days by sending His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, during His ministry on earth, said in the book of John 12:49 –

“For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”

So, the pronouncements of the Lord Jesus Christ are words of God. Now, how do we discern, how do we know that the word came from God? There is a very distinct quality of the word of God in the Bible. In the book of Proverbs 8:8-9 we read –

“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.”

So there is nothing perverse, there is nothing wrong, no contradiction whatsoever with the words coming from the mouth of God. Another distinct quality of the word of God was preached by the Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 2:3-4 –

“For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

We must, at this juncture, notice what the Apostle Paul said, that as they were trusted by God to speak, they speak. And what they speak is not of uncleanness, deceit or guile. Meaning, the words of the Lord are without deceit, without uncleanness or guile. They are simple, straightforward truth containing no contradictions whatsoever. Another quality of the word of God is in the book of Hebrews 4:12 –

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

On verse 13 it says –

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Meaning, the word of God in the Bible is quick or alive; it is powerful, it is sharper than any two-edged sword, and it pierces to the hearts and thoughts. It knows the thoughts and hearts of men. And no human secret cannot be made manifest by the power of the word of God. By these qualities we will know if what we are reading in the Bible, or in any other book that was written on this earth, are the true words of God or not. The word of God works. In the book of I Thessalonians 2:13, the Apostle Paul said –

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

It is clear in the verse that the word of God is not just like the word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works unto you that believe. So the power of the word of God is manifest unto the believers. It works among the believers. It does things to those that believe. And what the word of God can do is manifest among the believers. And what does it do? In the book of James 1:21 –

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

The word of God is powerful to blot out all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness in a man. It renews a creature. The word of God has a power to renew; it regenerates and it is proven among those who believe. Let us read in the book of I Peter 1:23 –

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

The word of God is able to make a man a new being. It is an agent by which a man can be born again. It is likened in the Bible to a seed which is not corruptible. Nobody can corrupt it. Nothing can corrupt the word of God. After knowing all these things, let us analyze from the written word of God in the Bible the morality that is being taught by God’s words. In the Bible it says, in Matthew 19:5-6 –

“And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

I want you to please notice the word twain, or two. A man shall cleave to his wife, not wives [twain, only one partner]. And this is the highest standard of morality among married people. Let us read. Hebrews 13:4 says –

Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

So marriage is confined to only two contracting parties: the man and the woman, or the husband and the wife. There is no such thing in the Bible as marriage to more than one. It is not allowed. But there are religious books that say that you can get more than one wife. It’s directly contradicting the pure words of God in the Bible. And the very good example is the Book of Mormons. In their Doctrine and Covenants they have this to say:


According to Joseph Smith, which I will call a false prophet, this is a revelation that he received from God. I know that Joseph Smith has his god and his god is not the God of the Bible. I do not even want to call this group The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. With the standards of morality in the Bible the Mormons cannot be considered saints. Pardon me for saying these words.

Saints in the Bible are those who obey the rules of sainthood. And one of those rules is to have only one wife. Having two wives will not make marriage honorable and the bed undefiled as Hebrew 13:4 says. Marrying more than one woman defiles the bed. Let us read in the book of Romans 7:2-3, it says –

“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”

So it is clear in the verse that if a woman, or in the case of the man also, marries another while the husband or the wife is living, the woman will be called an adulteress, likewise the man. It is clear in the book of Matthew 19:9 –

“And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”

Marrying another when one of the parties is still living will fall into adultery. Of course there may be millions who believe in the Book of Mormons and nobody can question the integrity of these people. There are judges, there are lawyers and there are statesmen who belong to this group of people who believe that plurality of marriage, as taught in the Book of Mormons, is a true revelation from God. But it is not. It contradicts the word of God in the Bible. In the Bible, especially for bishops, or those that preach the gospel of Christ, only one wife is allowed. I Timothy 3:2 says –

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

So if you get two wives then you are not blameless. Just like what happened to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, the first two leaders of the Mormon Church that exists now in so many parts of the world. Brigham Young had 25 wives; 48 for Joseph Smith. They did not even abide by the revelation that they claim to have received from God. The revelation alleges that you can have only ten wives. But because of their greed for women and their lust, Joseph Smith had 48 and Brigham Young 25. Why do I say that the standard of morality in the Bible is far more excellent than any other book of religion, especially if we are going to compare it with the Book of Mormons? First, you have to know my intention. I’m not trying to destroy anybody’s reputation. But I have read that there was an apostle of the Mormon Church who claimed that their Book of Mormons is more correct and excellent than the Bible. This is what they have to say:


Although it was said before my time, before I was born, I’m concerned about this for my fellowmen. Why? This is a blasphemous statement because it places the words of Joseph Smith far more superior than the word of God, and that is blasphemy. God tells us the highest standard of morality in the life of a married person – to have only one wife. Joseph Smith tells us that it can be ten, especially if they are virgins. But Joseph Smith himself did not follow such revelation. He accumulated 48 wives and most of them were not virgins. They were wives of his co-ministers in their church. Imagine, is there morality in there? Let us ask a former Mormon member. What is the first problem they encounter when they abide by the wrong teachings of the Book of Mormons? Number one is jealousy.

We are informed by the Bible and it was mentioned earlier that the word of God is a discerner of truth. It pierces to the thoughts and to the heart of a man. What is jealousy according to the Bible? The Bible defines jealousy as wisdom from demons. It is satanic. Let us read in the book of Proverbs 6:34

“For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.”

Jealousy is a form of anger or rage that will spare not when it finds time for vengeance. History bears evidences and proofs of this powerful word of God. There are those who kill their husband or their wife because of jealousy. No Mormon member will say that they do not feel this human emotion, jealousy. And this is something that Mormons cannot hide. It was a confession from a former member of the Mormons. If you are under one roof and there are ten wives, you are wives of only one man, you will see the unfairness and the inequitableness of the treatment because no man can treat ten wives equitably and exactly fair. Jacob or Israel had only four wives but his love is more on Rachel than the other three. And there was jealousy also among the children of Israel. It’s the reason why Joseph the Dreamer was sold or maltreated by his eleven brothers, because of jealousy. Jealousy in polygamy is very rampant not only among the wives but also among the children. If you are one of the ten wives of your husband and each of you has five children then you will be a family of more than fifty. How can jealousy be prevented among those fifty coming from different wombs? So polygamy and the plurality of marriage give way for satan because jealousy came from satan. James 3:16, 15 (Revised Standard Version) says –

“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.”

If you must believe, it is better to believe in James the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ than to believe in the false prophets of the Mormons. Jealousy is devilish. It’s satanic and it is the product of the plurality of marriage or polygamy. Proving once again that what God have said is the utmost truth about human passions and human emotions. And if you have only one wife and living by the standards of God’s word, a loving husband to your wife, and a wife that subjects herself to her husband, Ephesians 5:23-28:

“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”

Then the family ties and values are intact and there is no place like home if the home is where the word of God and its morality dwell. Coming home to a home with women competing to be a desirable wife for only one man and with children competing to be heirs of the riches of only one man is just like coming home to hell.

You may comment and suggest and add to what has been laid in this article.

May God bless you.

53 Comments:

To My Fellow Compatriots, Let's Forgive!

11/19/2016 , 97 Comments


I remember a part of the Gettysburg Address.

"Four scores and seven years ago our fathers brought forth to this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

A part of a poetic literature of Shakespeare, and I quote -

"Drink to me only with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss but in the cup,
And I’ll not look for wine."

And a part of a famous Spanish poem of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal -

"Cada nota que el viento murmura,
cada rayo de luz en el sol,
cada flor en la verde llanura
es un himno a la gloria de Dios."
"Es un mundo una lira sublime
que modula en eterna canción, si suspira,
si canta o si gime, siempre,
siempre la gloria de Dios."

And a poetic farewell dedicated to a beloved country, a family and a presumed wife -

"¡Adiós, Patria adorada, región del sol querida,
Perla del mar de oriente, nuestro perdido Edén!
A darte voy alegre la triste mustia vida,
Y fuera más brillante, más fresca, más Florida,
También por ti la diera, la diera por tu bien...

Adiós, padres y hermanos, trozos del alma mía,
Amigos de la infancia en el perdido hogar,
Dad gracias que descanso del fatigoso día;
Adiós, dulce extranjera, mi amiga, mi alegría,
Adiós, queridos seres, morir es descansar.

I am a witness - a living witness - to what is happening now to my beloved country. Political chaos, discontent in almost all regimes of government, decisions of the highest court being questioned by no less than members of the legislative branch of government, a seamlessly never ending dispute between supporters of former President Ferdinand Marcos and the Yellow Army of the EDSA Revolution, and so on.

I remember an essay as a young man in a declamation contest wherein I won the highest award goes like this. That was several decades ago and yet how very much relevant today. It can only mean there had been no changes in the heart of man, in the heart of the Filipino.

Twenty years ago,
After I have shed the last drop of my blood 
In the gory battlefields of Bataan and Corregidor 
I faced my Creator, 
With an overwhelming pride in my heart.

“God,” I said, 
“I have done my share,” “
I have sacrificed my life so that my people 
may live in lasting peace.”

Now I stood once more at the presence of God, 
“Go back,” He said, 
“Look at your people in your country today,” 
“See how they have made a mockery of what you have died for,” 
“See how they have destroyed the very essence of democracy.”

And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, 
I have to come back, 
Not as a Living mass, but as a Ghost, 
and this is my Story.

My Father, my Mother and I 
Were living peacefully in a small mountain farm, 
Suddenly, a group of Japanese soldiers swooped down on us,

My Father and I, were hog-tied, 
And before our shocked eyes, 
My mother was abused, and was raped…

After their sadistic thirst was quenched, 
They killed her in cold impunity, 
And abandoned her mangled, bloody and lifeless body in the dust.

The next thing I knew, 
I was lifted up by a group of kind Filipino Soldiers, 
They brought me back to their camp alone, Yes alone, 
For my father had already died.

The next thing I did when I felt strong enough, 
Was to ask for a gun, 
And began fighting the enemy, 
Not only to avenge the death of my Father and Mother,

But also to die, if need be for, 
A free, and a democratic way of life.

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, 
There in Bataan I fought, 
And there in Bataan, I died.

That was 20 long years ago, 
Now, as I look around me 
I see my people fighting and killing one another,

I see them raping our own women, 
Butchering our own children, 
And destroying our own homes,

What possible power, 
Could have deprived them of this decency, 
That they would now violate 
The sanctity of our own women

What possible power, 
Could have twisted the hearts and the minds of our people, 
That they will now fight and kill each other.

In sheer desperation, 
I tried to blackout all of these things from my mind, 
But they all come back to me in all its painful 
And brutal vividness,

I hastened them to my Creator and cried out, 
“God, forgive them, for they know not, what they do.”

Let me get some excerpts of this essay and relate them to what is happening now. I may sound monotonous to my readers, but as it is, I'm asking myself some questions.

Can we not appreciate what is good? Can we not forgive? Can we not cease from the notion of always blaming others for the failures and guilt of our society?

Our heroes fought in Bataan against our oppressors and colonizers. What bothers me most is, nowadays, Filipinos are the very oppressors of their own compatriots. Can’t we love each other?

And while some have the tendency to join the camp of the enemies of our beloved nation, may God enlighten the lamp of patriotism within us and the love He had imparted to us as a people.

God bless the Philippines.

97 Comments:

What is the True Meaning of Life?

11/12/2016 101 Comments


I just have one question for now, and I’m hoping for a well-explained answer, either biblically or logically founded.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?

From: Aleihs Tazzy

Dear Aleihs,

If we are to take the meaning supplied by most dictionaries, we will utterly be misled.

life [līf]

(plural lives [līvz])

noun

1. existence in physical world: the quality that makes living animals and plants different from dead organisms and inorganic matter.

The dictionary defines life as the physical existence of humans and other living organisms. This is not the truth (the whole truth)!

There are now more than six billion living people on earth. If we go back to the early 19th century, there were only about six hundred million; earlier, few hundred millions; further, few millions, and if we continue to travel back in time, we will end up finding only two human lives on earth. The inevitable conclusion is that before human beings and other forms of life came into existence, life did exist. It came from the original source of life — God.

ACTS 17:26-28
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also His offspring.

In the 19th century global population grew by only 600 million, but in the 20th century it grew by 4.4 billion. There are twice as many people today as there were in 1960. Even with a continued decline in fertility rates, the United Nations projects a population of 8.9 billion in 2050. With current trends, world population isn’t expected to stabilize until after 2080. UNFPA ’99

http://www.overpopulation.org/faq.html

So, life existed even before the physical world and human life came into existence. The Bible calls it the life of God.

JOHN 1:4
In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

EPHESIANS 4:18
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

The question being asked to me is “What is the meaning of life?” The biblical answer is: life is the cause of existence of everything there is; and the purpose by which it was made to exist.

The life we have now on earth is both temporal and eternal. Our physical being will cease to exist when the spirit that sustains physical life leaves the body.

JAMES 2:26
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The spirit, after leaving the body, returns to the origin of life.

ECCLESIASTES 12:7
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

We cannot understand the true meaning of life without understanding its purpose. A life lived not with its purpose was lived in vain and wasted.

ECCLESIASTES 6:12
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

A life spent for the purpose by which it was meant for is a meaningful life.

ACTS 20:24
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

A life must be lived and be given willingly by somebody who understands its purpose.

MARK 8:35
For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

God gave us life for us to spend in service to Him, with our entire being and faculties.

LUKE 10:27
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

The end of our earthly life and existence is the beginning of the next phase of life, which is life eternal, after the resurrection.

I CORINTHIANS 15:36, 42-43, 51-54
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Therefore, the true meaning of life is existence and awareness without end, without death, misery, and troubles.

REVELATION 21:4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Life is existence without end or death being lived with its eternal purpose just like the life of God, the source of temporary life on earth.

EPHESIANS 3:11
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Sincerely in Christ,

Bro. Eli Soriano

101 Comments:

Shutting the Mouth: Let us Pray for Peace

11/05/2016 , 63 Comments


The series of events and killings happening in the Philippines awakened my concern, the latest of which is the killing of surrenderee Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. inside the Baybay, Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail.

Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa killed in ‘firefight’ inside jail

Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed in a “firefight” after allegedly resisting arrest at the Baybay, Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail, early Saturday morning.

A firefight between Espinosa and Raul Yap and the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Northern Leyte (CIDG8) resulted in the deaths of the two detainees, a police incident report said. 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/841271/rolando-espinosa-killed-in-jail

Citizens had been warned of the extent and depth of the corruption networks involved in illegal drugs in our country. Some believe that a prime witness like Espinosa ought to have been put under SAF custody in Camp Sto. Domingo, or even under the Marines in a Marine camp.

Considering the time 4AM, not so many are awake to lend a helping hand. The report of what happened is incredible!

It is expected that the culprits will work as hard as possible to cover up the murder of these two helpless men in prison! I say "helpless" because they were behind bars, without any weapon.

But there are inevitable possibilities. They may have been silenced by whoever had interest in their testimonies about the things they know of the drug trade wherein they were involved.

To judge that it is the government that planned the "extra judicial killing," doesn't merit logical reasoning. Again, EJK is normally attributed against operatives of the government under a blanket command to purge.

Who will benefit if Espinosa’s mouth is shut forever? The people in his blue book? Among the two groups of Police Force, who are to take the blame? The CIDG serving the search warrant? The Warden and his guards?

Some policemen who according to the President are also in the long list of drug personalities can be used as instruments of some unseen power. These are possibilities. But let us wait for evidence to come in.

What has happened has happened. No human can bring back the lives of these people who cannot be called victims; nor can they be called innocents. We have to wait and see. (Can this be called crime? Can this be called justice?)

Christians may be dwellers in a country of injustice, and corrupt government like in Rome, but there is a way to live in peace. Let us pray!

I TIMOTHY 2:1-2 
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

In Rome, it was emphasized by Paul to Christians living there to be subject to authorities.

THE ROMANS 13:1-3 
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

With corruption in the Romans' system of government, what is normal is that authorities are not "terrors to good works, but to the evil." So we have to pray for authorities to be more leaning on the side of what is good and not evil.

Let us pray unceasingly.

I THESSALONIANS 5:17 
Pray without ceasing.

With us, we are facing difficult situations in our country. May the love of country and patriotism rise up in us. We need to pray for the Philippines as we need the Lord's wisdom and blessing. In the past, we have faced many difficult times. It is prayer that will see us through. Let us invite the intervention of the Almighty for our beloved country.

Let us pray.

63 Comments: