There Is Hope For Drug Addicts

7/28/2016 Christianity 107 Comments

Read the first part of this blog here.

The proverb in Tagalog, “Habang may buhay, may pagasa" (While there is life, there is hope) is biblical.

I am a witness to this fact that in the Members Church of God International (MCGI), the powerful hand of God has been recreating people through the power of faith.

It is through faith that God works his works, transforming one. This transformation through faith is achieved by the mercy of God.

God’s power and mercy may regenerate or recreate us through faith.

Living examples
There are some ministers of the MCGI and many members who are former drug addicts. Particularly those that were converted through our Prison Ministry, they have become God-fearing and responsible persons and family men. Take note that they were not members before they were imprisoned but only converted when in prison. 

I have seen how these men– former drug addicts-struggle hard through faith to let go their vices and addiction to obey God's call. Now, with God’s help and mercy, some of them have become able ministers of the gospel and are living examples for others who want to change. There is really hope for drug addicts!

How does this happen?
The word of God is quick and powerful that works within a person of faith.

The word of God is received – if received - and it is what works within one that believes.

What is drug addiction

Can’t we just leave working on drug addiction to science?
Science is helping end addiction and is using new research. But scientific efforts are not enough to renew drug addicts. It is plain to see literature on drug addiction admit limitations of science.

There is this quote from Blaise Pascal that says, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator.” Pascal is a 1600’s mathematician and philosopher.

But what does science say? Deep within our being is a vacuum to be filled with the most powerful influence in our lives and that is faith in God! It was discovered by modern scientists that in a particular area of our brains exists this vacuum!

In a report by Arthur Martin, it appears that humans are programmed to believe in God. And this is so because it gives them a better chance of survival. The report said -

Believing in the supernatural is not "something stupid" as claimed by atheists. It was proven scientifically that the supernatural links to a spot in the depth of our being. It is in this vacuum that the truth about God and His teachings must occupy. Otherwise would spell disaster. Filling this vacuum with man-invented teachings and fairytales is the main cause of perversion.

The cause of it all
Refusal to submit to God's will is the cause of all evil and perversion in man including drug addiction because the mind has been squatted upon with perverse things. The spot reserved for The Almighty has been dedicated to false pleasure.

The real cause and root of all evil in human society are man-invented teachings and false religions! They have influenced terrorism, extremism, fanaticism, and atheism, leading men to reject the truth in the Holy Scriptures!

Such rejection has had its heavy consequences: the belief in a lie.And it is heavy because the owner of those words one must acknowledge, punishes those who disregard Him and his will. These verses are not lying -

In a drug abuser or addict, the abuse becomes abuse and the addiction becomes addiction due to repeated behavior. But the cycle can be broken when that vacuum in man responds to the call of God for change. The lies placed in the mind must be cleaned out and the configuration corrected with the words of God, so that the vacuum reserved for His Maker can be rightly activated and connect with the man. Then the love for drugs can be rooted out.

Drug Addiction: the Mystery Begins with Proving

7/23/2016 Christianity , Philippines 141 Comments

One sensible, prudent, logical, and wise counsel of the Bible is to "prove all things." The intention as stated on the succeeding verse is to hold fast to that which is good and abstain from all appearance of evil.

The accumulated knowledge of humanity since time immemorial reflects knowledge of things proven to be good that we have to hold fast to, and evil that we must abstain from. Let us look into an example of a supposedly enlightened one but really is not.

Buddha, the god of the Buddhists and authority of the faith of some one billion people on the planet, died of eating a kind of poisonous mushroom according to the encyclopedia. Buddha, from his name, Siddhārtha Gautama, is simply named "Buddha," that implies he is "enlightened." Buddha means "the enlightened one."


Perhaps because of his utter refusal to believe in the God of the Bible, or of his ignorance of the Bible, he portrayed something that is the direct opposite of his famous name "Buddha." If he really was enlightened, he should have been cautious in eating mushrooms – the cause of his death – because not all mushrooms are the same.


While many species of mushrooms are good for humans and may contribute to our well being, it is a known fact in human history that there are poisonous mushrooms. Colors and shapes of mushrooms indicate the edible and warn us of the poisonous ones.

Here are common traits of these poisonous mushrooms:

Buddha, I am sorry to say, was not enlightened and is not a god by any standard of the Bible. The God of the Bible, for example, had provided clues on mushrooms, and generations of men have established which are poisonous.

An enlightened person is cautious about things that he eats like the Apostle Peter and like the Prophet Ezekiel.


Note that Peter remembered a principle taught to him earlier, and that was why he refused.

And here’s another principle:

A thing that poses danger to health and life, and was proven by the generations, must not be proved anymore by anyone using his intelligence and understanding. There is already a universal standard about it.

Drugs (the prohibited ones) are proven to be harmful to the human body. Drugs should be used in exact amount and doses, if the intention is to alleviate or cure humans' sufferings. Although there are drugs that can be bought over the counter, it doesn't mean that drugs that are not prohibited are always safe.

Statin drugs, for example, according to experts' studies, instead of preventing a heart attack may lead to a heart attack. My point is, if drugs not prohibited can cause harm, more so the dangerously harmful drugs tagged as "prohibited drugs."

Statin drugs which intent is to control the production of cholesterol by the liver, also hamper the production of other enzymes like CoQ10 that is necessary in the prevention of a heart attack. Therefore, the supposed intention is not fulfilled.

Trying to prove prohibited drugs is being reckless and insane. Wikipedia says, two of the most used and valuable illegal drugs in the Philippines are methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and marijuana. Between these two, shabu is considered the more dangerous.

Shabu is mixed with substances such as battery acid, cough syrup, and many more.

What does it do?


No wonder it is prohibited. According to research, shabu is powerfully and mysteriously attractive and is rampantly peddled in the streets all over the globe. But the incredibly intense high experienced by the addict from the drug is enough to blot out logic.

As I wrote in a previous blog, there is hope for drug addicts. Now that there are about a hundred of thousands of self-confessed addicts and pushers that surrendered to President Rody Duterte's administration, I want to share biblical wisdom that may give hope and total renovation in the being of a drug addict. Life is precious. There is hope for drug addicts.

 More to follow.

Read the second part of this blog here.

Greed and Shamelessness in the South China Sea Issue

7/16/2016 China , Christianity , Philippines 149 Comments

I am writing this blog not as a Filipino but as a Christian and as a member of the world community of people. I believe that the Chinese people I know will agree with me when I say that the Chinese government is wrong in their boastful assertion that they are ready for trouble if the decision reached at The Hague will be implemented!

I am addressing the Chinese Christians – those who are not communist like those who are in government of the People's Republic of China.

Three years ago, the Philippines filed for compulsory arbitration, under Article 287, Annex VII of the United Nations on the Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), against China. The Philippines just scored a historic legal victory against China in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China that boycotted the whole proceedings has refused to acknowledge its jurisdiction. China, which ratified UNCLOS in 1996, has said it will neither accept nor honor the upcoming ruling by the tribunal. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-javad-heydarian/philippines-landmark-vict_b_11005170.html)

Why is China wrong? It is wrong in principle, in moral, and in every aspect of justice! In principle, because it is signatory to the UNCLOS.

China technically consented to undergo arbitration by signing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), said Lawrence Martin, one of the Philippines's legal counsels. Martin noted that China signed the UNCLOS in 1982 and ratified it in 1996. (http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/07/15/1603138/phl-legal-counsel-china-consented-arbitration-signing-unclos)


Once a person or a group has agreed on a covenant and the covenant was ratified nobody may add or subtract to the conditions set forth.

It is utter shamelessness to disregard something you have agreed upon with others!

Under the principle of Estoppel, you must not disagree later with things you have previously agreed and signed!


Therefore, biblically and morally, China is wrong!

I have known Chinese people since my childhood. I remember my grandmother calling them "intsik." Most of them, with very little in their pockets, came to the Philippines, which was then considered as the richest country in Asia.

I remember when they humbly knocked on doors to buy empty bottles, cans, and stuffs that for ordinary Filipinos were meant to be thrown into the waste basket. These Chinese are humble. They are friendly. They are industrious and they do not waste money. Maybe this is the reason why they became successful as business entrepreneurs in the Philippines.

I am not, as I said, speaking as a Filipino, but as a Christian. My grandmother is of Chinese descent - a very industrious woman from Shanghai. Hard-working and diligent, she has passed on her virtues to us in the family.

I remember the now considered richest Filipino, the owner of the largest chain of malls and supermarkets in the Philippines, as a resourceful and frugal person! My father being a construction superintendent knew him personally. When his first store was being built in Escolta, Manila, this Chinese picked up every piece of nail lying idle within the construction site. He did not want a single centavo wasted. Now, after almost five decades, he is the richest Filipino and one of the richest men in the world. Mind you, he is Chinese by blood! These are the kind of Chinese people I know.

A considerable part of the Philippine population is Chinese by blood. They have learned to be religious also like Filipinos. Some, if not majority of them, have become Christians.

If the Chinese government did not consider the Philippines as home to most of its people seeking for greener pastures, which then are not available in China, how can the government of China be as inconsiderate to Filipinos now to the extent of harassing our fishermen in the South China Sea? This sea is by international law and agreement, part of our heritage! We have laws for that.

I would say that the Chinese occupation and construction activities in some of the islands, which by law belongs lawfully to the Philippines, is a premeditated act of greed, which is immoral by any standards!

Reports said that despite China’s complaints, the Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague stood its ground.

I am not against the Chinese people but I am against the rudeness of their leaders. It could be because they are not Christians!

Let us not remove the landmarks set at the sea because they are set by international laws!

MCGI and Duterte's Fight Against Illegal Drugs

7/09/2016 Philippines , Rodrigo Duterte 164 Comments

Recent news and developments prove that the drug menace have had infested considerable sections of the Philippine society. The surrender of thousands of drug users and pushers, the death of around 103 suspected criminals with drug related activities, and the involvement of 5 high ranking police officers in the illegal drug trade, are clear indications that President Rody Duterte was right when he declared to wage war against illicit drug trade. Duterte was inaugurated as the Philippines’ 16th president at noontime, June 30 of this year, promising, “change is coming.”

According to a report in Asian Journal by Eric Anthony Licas (“The Pres. Duterte effect: Thousands of drug pushers, users surrender,” July 6, 2016) –

In a related development, close to 4,000 suspects as drug pushers and users packed an auditorium on Saturday, July 9, in Tagum City around 80 kilometers from Davao, where Duterte served as mayor for two decades, police said. (http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/09/16/thousands-of-drug-pushers-users-in-biggest-surrender-under-duterte)

Now that people are voluntarily presenting themselves to authorities to evade prosecution and to avail of the rehabilitation program of the government, what should every conscientious Filipino do? To heal the wounds created by the greedy and their accomplices, by the willing and unwilling victims of prohibited drugs, this gargantuan task needs the support of the entire society.

The addiction that colonizes the mind and the body is not as easy as urinating to expel the poisons processed by the liver and the kidneys. Addiction dominates the mind, the perception, even the feelings and the sentiments of the victim. What then will be our society's solution to these complicated problems?

Scientifically, rehabilitation to bring back the normal physiological condition of a human being cannot be done overnight! There must be a firm and continuing process to normalize the mind, the perception, the fears, and feelings of a drug addict. To be addicted to prohibited drugs is just like putting everything into disarray and disorder.

Is there hope? The human body is an adaptable organism. Its capability to adapt to any given situation is a natural process of survival, but it is prone to act and do the opposite. It is much like when the body's immune system turns out to be doing the opposite, causing autoimmune diseases of the body like psoriasis, rheumatism, and such like.

What I am saying is, rehabilitation, if not impossible, is very difficult without the serious concern of the victim and the people around him! Caring for a drug addict is just like and at times much difficult than caring for a baby where you must go back to where "zero" begins! In caring for a baby, you can start at zero!

I believe we need these intangible and tangible tools for the work of rehabilitation: Compassion, concern, love, patience, understanding, and faith in the Creator of life.

One rehabilitated person is just like two lives saved if he is married, or three or five lives saved if he is with children, or a big family, or just like an entire nation or society saved, and in our case the entire Philippines saved.

For this, we, the Members Church of God International (MCGI) are one with our President and the entire police establishment in the country for this great task of rebuilding our beloved nation. We are willing to help with our prayers, with our pockets (though we have little), with our programs in television and in radio, to disseminate information and counseling in areas where they are needed.

Our hearts are moved by these words of Christ and his examples mentioned in the Bible -

The Bible clarifies that there are indeed children of disobedience, given to the desires of the flesh.

That there is spiritual wickedness in high places that one must struggle against.

The Creator of life clearly abhors the works of the flesh mentioned in these verses -

“And such like” would easily accommodate drug-dealing, pushing, using – the first, the second, and the third, because they destroy lives. The Bible summarizes lusts of men as sin and gives an injunction to cease.

Focusing on what we can do, I was saying, rehabilitation, if not impossible, is very difficult without the serious concern of the victim and the people around him. And this is where spiritual help can come in.

Living in Christ is a renewed life – a great part of change that the Duterte administration promised.

If we pay attention to these drug addicts and help in their rehabilitation, it is doing the work for Christ.

All these afore-cited verses are words of God. We can draw strength and hope from them to help the victims of drug addiction!

President Rodrigo Duterte and Power that God Allows

7/02/2016 Philippines , Rodrigo Duterte 217 Comments

After everything has been said and done, after all criticisms and praises, and flattering from the public, whether they be genuinely felt or said just to impress and catch the attention of the now popular President, may I add something which I believe is the most important ingredient of peace, justice, and order. This is the fear of God and the help of God Almighty.

A respectful fear of the Lord comes as a natural consequence of knowing him. When one becomes aware he is accountable to someone greater than himself, he develops a kind of fear toward him whom he is accountable.

God said in the Bible that leaders rule under Him!

There is no power that did not come from God or God did not allow.

It is not easy to judge and say that a particular government is God-inspired or God-allowed or tolerated. The government of Pilate, according to our Lord Jesus Christ, even though a corrupt government emanating from the Roman Empire, was allowed by God. It was tolerated by God to achieve His divine purpose of sacrificing His Son to redeem the sins of humanity. Christ died under Roman laws through the instigation of the people that have misunderstood the Law of Moses. In the Law of Moses, only criminals - the offenders of the law - must die.

Christ did not transgress any law in Israel but He was put to death because of envy and power struggle. His death came from the sentence of a corrupt leader of the Roman Empire. But in spite of the fact that, that government was not God-inspired, it was permitted by God to exist to make way for His divine purpose.

In the Philippines
I cannot say that the government of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was God-inspired nor was the government of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III because there were alleged corruptions that happened in those administrations - much like almost all regimes that ruled the Philippines for the last one hundred years.

I am thinking that under the government of Gloria Arroyo, I suffered the most persecution and injustice in all my life, not only because of her but also because of the most bitter of my religious enemies. I then hoped such injustice would be corrected in the government of then President Benigno Aquino III.

Though we cannot say that these two previous regimes were not God-inspired, I believe they were allowed by God to bring me to where I am now. Through the persecutions done in the time of Gloria Arroyo, I was forced to leave the country, go on exile and finally found myself preaching to thirsty souls of other nations, embracing the faith I have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Truth to tell, I have not imagined of this – in their proportions – even in my wildest dreams.

I fervently believe that what happened in the reigns of President Arroyo and President Noynoy Aquino concerning my person is God's way of telling me that salvation is not only meant for Filipinos as recorded in the prophecy of Zechariah.

The prophecy definitely is coming into reality. After having established His people in the east, now the establishment of His people in the west is definitely taking place.

The New Government
What is in store and what can I say about the new government of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte? I felt the sincerity of him as I listened very attentively to the inaugural speech of the President. This is the first time in my life that the speech of a president touched my heart. While listening to him, I was asking God to help him. "God, please help this man," was my prayer with tears in my eyes and with joy in my heart.

As he, himself, said it, President Duterte will not succeed without the help of the entire country. I believe so.

But there’s something very important that I would like to add: No leader will succeed without the help of God. In the Bible, there are some examples. Forsaken by his friends, deserted by most trusted aids, disowned even by his biological sons, David succeeded in leading Israel by the help of God.

The President has said it was destiny that placed him where he is now and he has acknowledged God. Fear of Him and His help will see the President through.

May God bless you and help you, President Duterte! The entire membership of the Church of God International is rooting for you and ready to help in your quest for renewal. For the betterment of the entire Philippines, we will contribute our share in your call for change, with God's help. With just a call or mere mention, let us know if there's anything we can help you with.

Thank you. Our prayers are with you.

Sincerely yours,

Brother Eli