Straight From Pastor Ey

Thank you for the privilege of serving you for more than six years. I will not wait for my last Sunday in Makati Gospel Church as one of your associate pastors to express my deep appreciation for all your loving support. I apologize that the news of my resignation shocked you. It was not an easy decision to make. But rest assured that I decided after much thought and prayer. As I sat here behind my desk, I once again read all the “love notes” you gave me through the years. I posted them on my desk underneath its glass top. I felt so affirmed as your pastor. Whenever I felt there’s so much work to be done, whenever I saw that it was so challenging, those notes encouraged me a lot. You were and still are God’s channel of comfort to me and my family. We really felt so loved. Because of your encouragement, I became not just a better pastor but also a better believer. With you, I saw that it really matters who we walk with. We’ve been through a lot. We shared births and deaths, weddin...

Part of the "Poleteismo" exhibi t Was it an expression or a desecration? That’s the fiery debate about “Poleteismo” by artist Mideo Cruz, “an art exhibit that combines religious symbols with phallic objects” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), where “[a] sculpture showed a penis hanging from a wooden cross while another portrayed Christ as Mickey Mouse.” (Source: www.inquirer.net) As expected, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines condemned the exhibit and the CCP recently withdrew it. Now, I understand the hurt “Poleteismo” inflicted to people who venerate religious images. But, interestingly, it is actually a part of an “exhibit of images and figurines of saints and Jesus Christ titled ‘Kulo’ by a group of 30 artists from the University of Sto. Tomas” (ibid), which all of us know is a Roman Catholic university. Also, it appears that since 2002 the controversial exhibit was already displayed in venues such as the Vargas Museum in the Unive...

That’s how the late John Stott described an evangelical. (He died at the age of 90 last July 27, 2011 due to old age complications.) He would have labeled himself as such. But, for us, John Stott was no plain, ordinary Christian. Time Magazine honored him as one of the 100 world’s most influential leaders in 2005. When I heard him preach in person during the Philippine Congress on World Evangelization (in connection with Laussane II Congress) back in 1989, I was awed at his simple, practical and powerful way preaching of the Word of God. Based on Romans 1:1-5, he taught that there are six truths about the Gospel: “The Good News is the Gospel of God, about Christ, according to Scripture, for the nations, unto the obedience of faith, for the sake of Christ’s name.” (Source: www.lausane.org ) One of his best-selling, must-read books, “Basic Christianity,” which he wrote in 1958 can be read in 25 languages and already sold more than million copies. His writings impacted most of the influe...