Straight From Pastor Ey

Yes I got the e-mail, too. I believe you got it also. I am talking about the warning circulated through the Internet about “ The Golden Compass ” movie based on the first of a bestselling, multi-awarded trilogy of books by Philip Pullman , an avowed atheist. Allegedly, this movie is about kids, the lead characters in the movie, who killed God. Other than having Nicole Kidman as one of the stars in the movie, this religious controversy is a surefire way of turning it into a runaway box-office hit. Is this true? Or is this just part of a slick ad campaign? [My conspiracy ‘spider-sense’ is tingling] According to BreakPoint (a commentary on issues based on Biblical worldview), “the girl and the boy at the center of the story do not kill God, though they are present when a being calling himself God is killed.” (Nov. 26, 2007) That being turns out to be an angel who claimed to be God. However, BreakPoint warns, “ the part about Pullman hating the idea of God is completely accurate...

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV) There’s no doubt about it. Our Christian faith is under attack. In just a short span of time, we have faced bestsellers from Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code (who wrote that “almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false” ) to Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion (who wrote that “when one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion” ). What do we do? Ignore it and wait for it to blow over like the proverbial ostrich’s head in the sand? But there is no sign of waning. Instead the attacks are intensifying. What we can do is make the most of the opportunity. “ Opportunity ?” you may be asking incredulously. Well, thanks to Brown, Dawkins and other skeptics who are churning out these att...

Official Statement of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC) On the surface, granting former President Joseph Estrada executive clemency may seem like an act of compassion. In reality, it is cheap grace. A pardon is an act of grace. It is a concept borrowed by jurisprudence from the biblical idea of ‘unmerited favor,’ meaning that the offender is spared the penalty for ‘sin’ or breaking the law, not because of any merit in him nor of any circumstance that might lighten his case, but because the punishment has been paid for in his behalf by someone else – the Son of God himself. For God to forgive, his own son had to be sent to the cross. The demands of justice had to be met before God could pardon our sins. Because he is just, he did not seek reconciliation by simply sweeping things under the rug. He did not issue a general amnesty and bury our guilt and grievances under a show of bonhomie. Instead, in his mercy he stripped himself of immunity, to...

Blessings! Please pray for my 10-year-old son, Jessey Cortez, who will be competing in the World Youth Scrabble Championship on December 3-6, 2007 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia (See under " Philippines ": http://www.youthscrabble.org/wysc2007/entry.html ). He will also compete Causeway Scrabble Challenge on November 30-December 2, 2007 (which will take place in the same venue). Last Sunday, I personally witnessed a scrabble competition in SM North (Jessey was the youngest player in that tournament). Just imagine they played 8 games! On a single day! In Malaysia , they will be playing 22 games in three days. The mental and physical demands must be that great! " Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings ; he will not serve before obscure men." Proverbs 22:29, NIV Please pray for the preparation and provision for these tournaments. Thank you for your prayers. May God be glorified!