God will not be mocked

While the political spat between President Duterte and Senator Trillanes may have caught so much media attention, it does not distract many Filipinos from their day to day reality where things under the new administration has started to go on a downward spiral, where economic dreams of good fortune have turned into nightmares. Unfortunately, the public is not buying any of the reasons and justifications of the government’s economists and tax-hungry people at the DOF. In response, the Duterte administration has adapted the strategy of the cartoon character Garfield the Cat; “If you can’t convince them – confuse them” or curse like hell!

While Duterte, Calida, Trillanes engage in the most bizarre political and legal standoff, many Netizen have actively exerted efforts to remind everyone that Filipinos should ignore them and pay attention to economic survival rather than watch monkeys screeching and waving fists at each other. People are no longer amused with the mad antics that are clearly meant to cover up the runaway inflation, disastrous tax strategies, undelivered campaign promises and an utter collapse in terms of maturity and common decency.

President Duterte has once again resorted to blaming others and hating on others but continues to do nothing to deal with the negative impact of TRAIN 1, their mishandling of the NFA and rice supplies and the fact that killing so many drug pushers has not plugged the supply chain. It is no surprise that we now hear how the president’s popularity rating has once again gone down. Things are apparently not going the President’s way and even if he wanted to take it out on his minions who’ve made things worse, he can’t because being a traditional politician, he is incapable of cutting ties in order to do what is right or politically correct. He is simply so old school that he cannot fire people or distance himself from the stupidity of others. He can fire schoolmates but he can’t fire ultra-loyalists like Mocha Uson and I’m sure he can’t tell Solicitor General Calida to take a walk on a very short pier because like Uson, Calida is willing to take fire and draw flak especially when it is to his advantage or self-preservation.

If things continue the way they have with the economy, legal blunders and political burning of bridges, the President may find himself isolated from man and God. Before starting this column today, I sought guidance or a word from the Lord on how to treat last week’s “Duterte-Calida-Trillanes controversy.” I regularly turn to the Bible for guidance on what to write and I was a bit startled with the message that comes from the book of Romans chapter 1 which reflects on “God’s wrath (or anger) towards sinful humanity.

Chapter 1 verse 18 begins with this statement: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Then in verse 21 it says: For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools. In the succeeding verses, St Paul who wrote “Romans” tells us how men turned to idolatry worshipping man-made Gods instead of God himself and in his anger God allowed the sinful desires of men to turn them over to perversion even sexual depravity. But it does not end there.

In chapter 28 onwards we read: “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 2 is even scarier because it is where God holds people accountable: “You, therefore have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

“5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God will repay each person according to what they have done. 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil.

I won’t apologize for sparking spiritual today because all of us will be held accountable for what we do and we chose not to do either in this lifetime. Many Filipinos because of politics have been dragged or lured into taking sides in the war of colors of Philippine politics. The tragedy is that many have made it personal to the point of compromising their spiritual walk and value system.  Now look around and see; the once fair haired best performing economy in Asia has started to rip apart dragged down by men’s best laid plans for the Golden Age of Infrastructure. A new tax system that became the poisoned fruit. Global events conspiring to ruin and spoil every claim and promise of a President who cursed God. Now God laughs at him. We either repent and turn to prayer or it’s going to be: Every Man for himself.

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