Straight From Pastor Ey

There was a time when the way the US government would respond to a security scenario depended on whether there was a high or low probability that it would happen. If the odds appeared to be high, they would act preemptively to prevent the scenario from ever happening. If the odds seemed low, however, they would just take note of it. Then 9/11 happened. Now I hear that even if there appears to be only a 1% probability of a terrorist attack happening, they treat it seriously and act accordingly. There is now no room for error. Lives are at stake. Security policies are now marked with urgency. They are not taking any chances now. When it comes to the judgment day, there is 100% certainty that we will face God. If this is so, how come we live as if it will never ever occur? Hebrews 9:27 tell us “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (ESV). Our beliefs will determine where we will spend eternity. If we put our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we will have ete...

Finally, after around 20 hours, I made it home yesterday. When Dr. Ramesh Richard asked us to write a resolution, an area in our lives that we would deal with, I wrote in the 3x5 card that I would deal with my tendency to be impatient. Heavy traffic. Late people. Delays. Those and a host of other things make me impatient. I made a resolve to deal with that. I have this nagging suspicion that that has something to do with my saga in my flight back home. [Note: If you missed that "saga," you may read about it here in my blog: http://straightfrompastor.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-missed-my-flight.html] While waiting for my American Airlines plane to be repaired in the DFW airport, it already crossed my mind. Then, I missed my flight to the Philippines by a few minutes in SFO airport. Hmmm. Then, during my long trip aboard Singapore Airlines from San Francisco to Hong Kong then Hong Kong to Singapore, I was in the middle seat. In my desire to get on a flight as soon as possible, I fo...

Sigh. I missed my flight. I checked in at the DFW airport early. As in, two hours before the flight. While waiting, I listened to the MP3s of our just-concluded GPA. I did not hear the announcement that there was a gate change. 15 minutes before boarding time, I glanced at the flight monitors. I was shocked to see that the gate for my American Airlines flightto San Francisco, CA has been relocated to another about halfway across the airport. I ran and took the train to reach it, just in time for the boarding. I sat in my assigned seat and waited. ...and waited. It appears that the gate confusion was just a foretaste. The lady pilot announced that there was a technical problem in a very important navigational device. So, we had to get off the plane and wait outside while it is being repaired. I asked the agent at the desk and he told me that that's the only flight I could get on to catch my Philippine Airlines flight to my country (with a short stopover at Guam). He assured me that...

By the time you are reading this, I am preparing to fly back home. Please pray for a safe trip. I will be boarding the plane at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport around 4PM this Sunday afternoon in Texas (5AM, Monday, in our country). Then change planes at San Francisco, California. After a short stopover at Guam, on Tuesday early morning, I will set foot on the Philippines once again. I praise God for the privilege of representing our country in the Global Proclamation Academy (GPA) here in Dallas Theological Seminary. Other than listening to our dear master coaches, I enjoyed the friendship of 24 other pastors all over the world. I experienced the loving hospitality of my host families, who opened not only their houses but also their hearts to me. Couples and churches also hosted dinners for us, brought us to a rodeo and a country concert. I admit there are times that I felt I don’t deserve to be in the GPA. A delegate teaches in a university. Another one is pursuing his doctoral degre...

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” That’s an African proverb I learned from Pastor Sammy Gumbe from Mozambique, one of the delegates here in the Global Proclamation Academy (GPA). Here in the GPA, I got a chance to see the world. With delegates from 25 countries, I finally matched a face with a country. We listen to each one’s life story and ministry updates. I already shared my life story yesterday. Next week, I will share what God is doing in our country. What a tremendous joy to see the hand of the Lord all over the world! In the Philippines, we are deluged with all sorts of teachings (mostly from the West). We are pulled from every direction with different patterns touted to be the key to church growth. That is, they claim that when we follow the way they do things in church, they guarantee that our ABCs (attendance, building and cash) will grow fast. Not so true. Models are just that. Models. Some may work. Others may not. I learned that first...

We often hear it. Everything is big in Texas. From food servings to shopping malls, truly everything is big here. The gym we visit every morning is humungous. (Yes, with all the food they give us, I really have to exercise!) Other than the Olympic-size swimming pool, there’s the 8,000 square foot weight and cardiovascular area. And that’s only the second floor! Add to that the cushioned indoor track or the outdoor jogging trails in their almost 3-hectare park. But, Rajiv Richard, our resident facilitator, told me that his son’s school gym is much, much bigger than that! Truly, everything is big in Texas. Dr. Robert Coleman and me. I also met giants… of the faith. In the first few days of the Global Proclamation Academy, we had the privilege of listening to them. One of them is Dr. Robert Coleman, author of “The Master Plan for Evangelism.” For forty years, this classic, biblical book on discipleship has challenged and instructed over 5 million people worldwide. He is already 80 years...

Praise God! For the third time (second this year), Sermon Central (http://serm oncentral.com/) featured me as a contributor. What a privil ege! I post there the manuscripts of the messages I preach in our English Worship Service at the Makati Gospel Church. Other than Sermon Central, I also share these messages in the radio broadcast of "Tanglaw sa Landas ng Buhay" ("Light in the Path o f Life") of Back to the Bible Philippines. I praise Him for enlarging my borders. People from as far as Africa, Saudi Arabia, England and Italy have e-mailed me, thanking me for the sermons I posted in Sermon Central. Only eternity will reveal its fruit! This, I believe, is an affirmation of my personal mission statement. My purpose in life is to glorify God through being a catalyst that brings out the best in my spheres of influence; specifically my family and the segment of the Body of Christ that God opened a door of ministry to me. In view of this, one of my guiding values in ...