KS Teachers Sing "Sa Araw Ng Pasko"

 Kajonkiet teachers choir 3rd presentation during “Carols from the Heart 2009″ event held on December 17, 2009 at Phuket Villa 2 & 5 Club House garden. Members of the choir (from left to right): Charo Fernandez, Judith Zabat Sampat, Joseph Sampat, Jhingle Malaygay, Lady Ernesto Isalmo, Fan Rivera, Chynkee Ornido, May-ann Cambonga and conducted by Madelyn Vivar.

Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqRzDcH5lU

KS Teachers Sing "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

 Kajonkiet teachers choir 2nd presentation during “Carols from the Heart 2009″ event held on December 17, 2009 at Phuket Villa 2 & 5 Club House garden. Members of the choir (from left to right): Charo Fernandez, Judith Zabat Sampat, Joseph Sampat, Jhingle Malaygay, Lady Ernesto Isalmo, Fan Rivera, Chynkee Ornido, May-ann Cambonga and conducted by Madelyn Vivar.

YouTube direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRQYCsvZE6I

KS Teachers Sing "Papuri sa Diyos" (Praise Be To God)

Kajonkiet teachers choir presentation during “Carols from the Heart 2009″ event held on December 17, 2009 at Phuket Villa 2 & 5 Club House garden. Members of the choir (from left to right): Charo Fernandez, Judith Zabat Sampat, Joseph Sampat, Jhingle Malaygay, Lady Ernesto Isalmo, Fan Rivera, Chynkee Ornido, May-ann Cambonga and conducted by Madelyn Vivar.

YouTube direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcQ4bH1jAC8

Where is God?

Few months ago I stumbled on one blog article wherein the writer asked so many questions including one asking “Where is God?”. 

The writer were asking where is God in the midst of crisis and he pointed out specifically during the chaotic flood in the Philippines few months ago brought by typhoon Ondoy.  I remember reading according to this writer, why doesn’t God destroy those progressive countries instead, who are capable of rebuiding their nation.  This led me to thinking that this blogger were trying to say that God do protect some and let others suffer.  Well he wasn’t so negative at all.  He was able to encourage his fellow Filipinos to stay in faith.

It is good to know that there are individuals who were very positive in a not so positive world.  God promised we are never alone and he is always with us.  But let me point where in the scripture we’re gonna  find God’s promises. In Heb 13:5 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” In Matt 28:20 ” And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God’s love is unconditional, therefore it is fair to say that God loves both the developed countries and the third world countries. We’ll find this also in the scripture: In 1 Peter 4:8, 1 Corinthians 13:1.

Below are some of his questions:

1. “Why are all these things happening?”
We cannot remove any foundation without destroying its building. Now we can renovate a building but that means the foundation is the same. It does apply also in families, groups, cities, organizations and nations.  These calamities are happening because God wanted to bless us.  For God to be able to bless and transform us (a nation), he needs to break us first for Him to be able to remove the foundation and put a new foundation which is based on righteousness. How can we expect that people will truly help and care each other if they are not broken, destroyed or ruined as you said. God’s standard cannot be compromised, that is why He break us so that we will have a genuine repentance and love.  God’s standard cannot be compromised that is why He requires a GENUINE change of heart.

2. “Why Philippines?”
Because God wanted to bless and to teach the (us) Philippines. Because God is righteous, He wanted to bless not only the Philippines, but also other countries.  Just look at what’s happening around the world, at the same period calamities struck also in other countries, and for sure tons of calamities happened which are not published on the news.  Why Philippines? just like you said, “But if there’s something apocalyptic going on, the Church is flooded with Church goers.” God is using these calamities as a tool for us to be able to see and truly care and love our neighbors (Mark 12:31 “Love your neighbor as yourself.”).  I don’t think God’s motive is not only for us to flood the churches, but also for us to have a righteous heart, to have a God fearing heart, to have a heart that will accept, acknowledge and honor Him as a personal God literally every single day and ultimately to have a heart like His.

3. “Why not ruin those developed countries that can afford to survive ravaging calamities?”
This is the truth, according to one economist, (which is logically true if we observe) if calamity strikes, the country that will have a high probability of survival, are those in third world countries bracket like Philippines.  Third world countries’ economy still depends on its people’s skills on acquiring basic needs. Literally, we Filipinos can plant almost anything and anywhere as a source of our food.  In contrary, because the developed countries’ economy is custom-based, they will have a hard time to go back into basics when calamity strikes.  I mean a machine can’t repair its own and its own kind if the machine itself is destroyed, unless a human will repair the first machine. Therefore, economic wise, everyone needs to go back to the basic.

4. “Where is God? Does God exist???”
The answer to the first question “Where is God?”, you already read in #1.  The second question “Does God exist???”, I think this is your biggest question because you just put three question marks after it. Well, my answer is yes God exists, there are lot of passages in the scriptures that answers this question, and I’ll give you some passages for you to read and think of: a.)Psalms 19:1  b.)Romans 1:20 c.)Psalm 139:14 d.) Book of Genesis.  Obviously we see that in book of Genesis ho God created everything, and it’s a strong proof that God exists.  If there is a design, there should be a designer.  Something cannot be created out of nothing, therefore it is logical to say that we (the whole human race) are the design and God is the designer.  We don’t exist out of nothing, we exist because there is a designer.

Let us just get into a more practical sense on proving whether God exist. Our ecosystem proves that God exists, because it is so well balanced and therefore there must be a designer.  Our universe proves that God exists, because every single detail and parameter were precisely and accurately calculated, therefore there must be a designer.  If let’s say the distance of the earth from the sun moved backward by just 0.1% the earth will freeze.  If we move the earth toward the sun by just a tiny bit, the earth will melt.  Everything in our universe were accurately placed and calculated, the gravity of each planet and moon, number of moon per planet, the precise temperature of the earth for human survival.  Let us look at the gravitational force of each planet and moon, if we move the gravitation force in either direction for just an inch, we will not be here. It is so precise that collision is impossible.  We can also look at the human body composition, it is so complicated and every part of the body has its precise function whereas if we remove just only one part, our body will not function correctly.  

There are lots of arguments which proves that God exists.  If our planet, our universe and our body were precisely designed and calculated, therefore it is logical to say that there is an intelligent designer behind the precise creation.

Every good and perfect gift comes from God! (James 1:17)  This is true saying that every good thing that happen after the events of calamity or recessions comes from God.  Just imagine the impact, what if there are no good things that will follow after every calamity and recessions?  It will be a total chaos.  So after all these not so good things, God exist and He shows His mercy upon us by allowing His good plan and good things to happen.  GOD DO EXIST.  

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John 20:29
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Turek vs. Hitchens Debate: Does God Exist?