GOD BLESS THE MARCOSES
“God is blessing the Marcoses and punishing the Aquinos. They’re back in power while the Aquinos are dead or dying,” shared my friend to me. “He said it at our bible study.”
That got my full attention. It’s one thing to say such things in social media or among friends over coffee but it’s another in the context of a Bible study as some might think it’s gospel truth so let me cut to the chase.
Let us not presume to know why God allowed the restoration of the Marcoses to power while the Aquino family is down by three, with a fourth in a health crisis. I doubt that God is micromanaging the lives of both families in the context of each other like a chess game. Besides, the 2022 presidential election didn’t involve any Aquino---at all. So why make comparisons?
I am glad that the man who made the statement is in a bible study. I hope he continues to attend to study the lives of Joseph, Job, Isaiah, Peter, John, Stephen, Paul, and James. Except for Joseph and Job who had an earthly happy ending, these men suffered greatly for the sake of the gospel. Did God “punish” them in return?
The man’s statement suggests believing that power is everything and God’s blessings are in the form of earthly power. God’s value system is different from the world’s which is why we are commanded not to conform to the latter (Rom. 12:2) as it is run by Satan (1 John 2:15).
God does not punish people with illnesses and death as our corrupt bodies make them inevitable. Our circumstances are not the measurement of God’s pat or slap on our back. It would be nice if only bad people will experience bad things and good people, good things but God “makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong” (Matthew 5:45, CEV).
The greatest blessing there is, is not found on earth but it’s something that we must do while we are still here. It is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and receive the greatest blessing of being assured of an eternity with God (John 3:16). How we get from here to there is a journey of decreasing ourselves and increasing Christ in our lives, which might involve sickness, financial problems, death of a loved one, etc. But they can also be blessings in disguise when they strengthen our testimony that people around us would marvel at the God we serve, and want to serve Him as well.
“God is blessing the Marcoses and punishing the Aquinos. They’re back in power while the Aquinos are dead or dying,” shared my friend to me. “He said it at our bible study.”
That got my full attention. It’s one thing to say such things in social media or among friends over coffee but it’s another in the context of a Bible study as some might think it’s gospel truth so let me cut to the chase.
Let us not presume to know why God allowed the restoration of the Marcoses to power while the Aquino family is down by three, with a fourth in a health crisis. I doubt that God is micromanaging the lives of both families in the context of each other like a chess game. Besides, the 2022 presidential election didn’t involve any Aquino---at all. So why make comparisons?
I am glad that the man who made the statement is in a bible study. I hope he continues to attend to study the lives of Joseph, Job, Isaiah, Peter, John, Stephen, Paul, and James. Except for Joseph and Job who had an earthly happy ending, these men suffered greatly for the sake of the gospel. Did God “punish” them in return?
The man’s statement suggests believing that power is everything and God’s blessings are in the form of earthly power. God’s value system is different from the world’s which is why we are commanded not to conform to the latter (Rom. 12:2) as it is run by Satan (1 John 2:15).
God does not punish people with illnesses and death as our corrupt bodies make them inevitable. Our circumstances are not the measurement of God’s pat or slap on our back. It would be nice if only bad people will experience bad things and good people, good things but God “makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong” (Matthew 5:45, CEV).
The greatest blessing there is, is not found on earth but it’s something that we must do while we are still here. It is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and receive the greatest blessing of being assured of an eternity with God (John 3:16). How we get from here to there is a journey of decreasing ourselves and increasing Christ in our lives, which might involve sickness, financial problems, death of a loved one, etc. But they can also be blessings in disguise when they strengthen our testimony that people around us would marvel at the God we serve, and want to serve Him as well.