LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him… For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: `He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts’…” (John 12:37-41, the Holy Bible).
-ooo-
WHY ARE PEOPLE “BLIND” ABOUT JESUS? In John 12:37-41 of the Bible, a reference was made to Isaiah’s declaration (written in Isaiah 6:9-10) that God has blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of many, to prevent them from seeing and understanding the truth about Jesus. To me, this explains why many fail to realize the truth that Jesus is God and Savior, and is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Why did God do this? Read on!
-ooo-
INQUIRY INTO “COLLATERAL VICTIMS” STYMIES DRUG CAMPAIGN: This call for compensating the so-called collateral victims in the Duterte government’s campaign against illegal drugs made by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, and the formation of a task force to investigate the cases of collateral victims made by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), will only stymie President Duterte’s efforts to rid our country of the scourge of drugs.
Yes, there is a need to find out if some or all of those who have been killed in the past several months after Duterte was installed president were erroneously murdered, or were rubbed out to silence and prevent them from disclosing who their cohorts were in pushing drugs among our people, to make those responsible for these killings accountable for their misdeeds.
Yet, this will surely slow down sincere and genuine police efforts to track down addicts, pushers, and drug syndicates. The thought of being held answerable somehow, some time, will freeze many a policeman’s heart, so to speak, who will now be compelled to think what will happen to them once Duterte’s support for them is removed, either because his term has expired, or he has been ousted earlier, as some are hoping.
-ooo-
LET US JUST PUT OUR TRUST IN DUTERTE: So what must we do? It is clear this problem is like the case of a man who is made to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea, as a popular song intones. Many Filipinos would not want the fierce illegal drugs campaign being waged by the Duterte government to slacken or slow down now.
Indeed, one shudders to think where would the Philippines be at this point of its history if Duterte did not win the presidency, or was prevented, by one subterfuge or another, from assuming the highest position in the country. The drugs menace is simply too overwhelming and has become so pervasive with the collaboration of many high officials in government.
My suggestion is that, let us take Duterte on his word that he himself will personally answer for any collateral death or damage in his campaign against drugs. He has repeatedly announced he will hold himself personally liable for any such collateral death or damage, if only to save the future generations of Filipinos from drugs. It wouldn’t be foolishness to take him on his word, would it?
-ooo-
PUNISHMENT PREVENTS KNOWING WHO JESUS REALLY IS: In John 16:25, we see the clarification from Jesus, our God and Savior, that He had been using figures of speech—or words that hide what He really intended to mean—when He was giving messages to people during His time. Why did He do that? He did not want His messages understood by those whose eyes were “blind” and whose hearts were “hardened” by sinfulness.
It is therefore a punishment for a person not to see and not to understand who Jesus really is. In Isaiah 6:9-10, God directed Isaiah to tell the sinners, “… ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving’. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed’…”
-ooo-
PLEASE LISTEN: “Ang Tanging Daan” (The Sole Way): a Bible study and prayer session online could now be heard, 24 HOURS a day, in the Philippines and the world at www.facebook.com/angtangingdaan or www.facebook.com/ANDKNK (and look for “Ang Tanging Daan” broadcasts). Phone: 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0977 805 9058. Email:batasmauricio@yahoo.com.#
