Straight From Pastor Ey

People accuse us Christians of having no earthly good because we are so heavenly minded. But that should not be the case for we are the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16). The salt won’t do any good if it stays in the saltshaker “and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house.” (v. 15, Contemporary English Version) Last week, we talked about obeying traffic rules and throwing our trash properly. Today we will continue our series on things we can do to help our country. We are to pay our taxes. God commanded us to pay our taxes and pay it right. God is honored when we keep only one accounting book. We must also pay it on time for delayed obedience is disobedience. “You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, ‘How are we robbing you?’ You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. That's why your whole nation is under a curse.

Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:7, NIV) When God exiled the Jews to Babylon, He commanded them to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city”. In other words, they must pray and work hard for the good of that country even if it conquered and enslaved them. For, as the Contemporary English Version has translated it: “The more successful that nation is, the better off you will be.” Now we are foreigners in this world because “our citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20a, NIV) That’s why I believe we have the same mandate just like that of the Jews in Babylon. Thus, let me share and comment on what I heard over a radio commentary about a booklet entitled “Things You Can Do To Help Our Country.” Remember that good Christians ought to be good citizens. First, obey traffic rules. We Filipinos are famous for our driving. We even joke that we pr

“Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ.” (1 Peter 3:15-16, Contemporary English Version) As we conclude our discussion on The Da Vinci Code, now what? Let us always remember that The Da Vinci Code is neither the first nor the last attack against Christianity. So, what do we do next? First, we need to develop the right aptitude. We need to be competent. “Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.” We have to know what and why we believe. Learn how to study the Bible on your own. Don’t be content with what others say about what the Bible says. Dig into the Word yourself. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the

“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4, NIV) No matter how believable a claim may sound, you can dismiss it if it does not have a factual basis. That’s exactly the problem with The Da Vinci Code. It is a novel, that is, a work of fiction. But it presents itself as factual. In the opening page of the book, you would find this claim: “ All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate. ” For example, the book claims that, in the 4th century, Emperor Constantine outlawed altered and destroyed the Word of God. But, allegedly, “some of the gospels that Constantine attempted to eradicate managed to survive.” (The Da Vinci Code) He particularly mentioned the Nag Hammadi scrolls. Bedouins

“When we told you about the power and the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling clever stories that someone had made up.” (2 Peter 1:16, Contemporary English Version) However, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code accuses us of believing a lie. The controversial bestseller claims that “almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.” Allegedly, the early church believed Jesus was not God but only “a mortal prophet... a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless.” Supposedly, the doctrine that Christ is God was only “officially proposed and voted on in the Council of Nicea” in 325 A.D. And, the book emphasized, it was “a relatively close vote”. But that is not historically accurate! The Da Vinci Code did not get the facts straight. The Council of Nicea merely affirmed that Jesus is God. It did not invent the doctrine. It only recognized what the apostles really taught. And, when the Council adopted a creed in favor of the truth that Christ is divine, it was