Touched by Jesus

“I am healed! I am healed!!”

This scene could have been by the pool of Bethesda during the time of Jesus, but not quite so. I am the one shouting, and this happened just last Sunday after church. Even now as I type, I am in tears from the awesome thought that my Lord and Savior touched me.

This is not the first time that I have been miraculously healed. The first episode – 7 years ago, was for a nagging peptic ulcer that bled occasionally and kept me miserable for more than 20 years. Jesus used brother Yun – the Chinese “Heavenly Man” to heal me just before we migrated to Thailand where the food is hot and spicy.

Let me first give you a background of who I am in relation to these miracles that have happened to me.

I am a third generation Seventh-day Adventist, a physician without any firsthand experience in miraculous healings. I used to view miracles (healing crusades on TV and miracles at places like Lourdes, France where crippled people walk home) with disdain and unbelief. The reason is because the guys involved in these miracles belong to “Sunday-churches,” and I was brought up in my church doctrines stating that those who worship on Sunday have the “mark of the beast” and belong to Satan.

Now back to last Sunday’s miracle. After the church service, as usual, I was at the juice station for my cup of juice when a white guy greeted me and asked me if I had pain in my legs while pointing at my left thigh. I’m not surprised if someone asks me that question because I know that I walk with a slight limp and so I answered, yes. He then asked if I wanted healing and that he could pray for me.

This stranger is casually dressed, had a bible in a worn case and he looks like he’s in his early twenties. I had to suppress my initial reaction to ask more questions about who he is, and instead I nod my head and he proceeds to bend over and places his hand on lateral aspect of my left thigh and he starts praying. This is happening while a lot of people are milling around and filling their cups with juice.

He finished his short prayer and I thank him. I gulp down my juice and was about to leave when he tapped me on my shoulder and asked if I had pain in my right leg. He explained that he suddenly felt pain in his right leg and he knew someone near him had it. I laughed and told him that I was also hurting perennially in that side. After the second prayer I knew I had to ask some questions.

His name is Jeremy and he was from California. He happened to be at ECB – my church, while he was making preparations to deploy to Southern China in a week. He was volunteering to serve the underground church there.

Similar to my experience with Brother Yun, I didn’t immediately feel the effect of my healing. About 2 hours from that encounter at the juice station, I was walking in the mall when suddenly my left lower extremity from the hip down to the toes became numb and felt detached.  I tried slapping my thighs but I couldn’t feel anything. This happened for about 5 minutes before the numbness spontaneously disappeared.

Today – one day after the episode with Jeremy, and I’m still waiting for the usual pain to reappear. I can climb the stairs now without pain and even if I sat for 3 hours last night in a cramp position by my computer, I don’t feel the pain anymore. I got out of bed this morning like I didn’t have a previous tiring day.

Hallelujah! I am healed, and my heart cannot stop singing praises to my Savior – Jesus.

Bangkok Ultra Trail Festival 2014

Non-competitive trail running has been with me since i was a kid in the back hills of Bukidnon (bukid = mountain) - where i grew up. street running took over when i moved to the city and i didnt think about the mountain trails until the recent years when trail running became a sport that my family embraced.

this particular event had Nok - my daughter-in-law, my son JP and his aging dad - me. the photos will tell the rest of the story.

the venue was a korean international school at nong chok by the border of chachongsao province east of bangkok

21K getting ready to go

the weather was perfect and a drone (above jp's head) was on hand to monitor the run

  the view of this beautiful lake made the run easier

 it rained the night before the race so what would you expect?

 one of the uphill segments - that's nok and jp

 downhill

 into the muck

 you can add up to half a pound of mud to your shoes

 at the far end of the lake

 puddle obstacles

 another sticky uphill trudge this time

 the beautiful countryside

 grassland

 through a clump of trees...

 ... with the trail opening into this rice field

 this stretch was really beautiful...

 ...except that it was quite difficult to pass someone because you might fall into the rice field.

 navigating through mud

 finally back to the school grounds and the finish line and Nok is running like the 21 kilometers was just a stroll in the park.

for jp it was a different story. some cramps in his left thigh and an ankle sprained from accidentally hitting a rock. he still makes it in good time.

 finishers medal

  you forget the long and tiring run when you see the medal(?)

 breakfast

 and yeah... beer!

a selfie...

... and one done by the organizers

now it's time to do the laundry.

Persecution and the Seventh-day Adventists – Part 1

The greatest thorn in the foot of Christendom since the Dark Ages is happening today in the ancient land of the Middle East. However, amidst the suffering and death inflicted on the Christians by the ISIS Muslim fanatics, there is no eschatologic concern in one corner of Christendom – the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church.

The woes of the Christians under the Muslim jihadists today do not jive with the SDA teachings and doctrines about persecution, and therefore this is not yet the fulfillment of their prophetess’ predictions about the time of the end.

Every Adventist knows that the persecution in the Middle East is not the true persecution, because they were taught that the real biblical persecution of the saints will have the following details:

1. The persecutors – Christians who worship on Sunday. They will be led by the Pope and the Catholic Church through national laws enacted to force the people who worship on Saturday to worship on Sunday instead.

2. The persecuted – Christians who keep Saturday holy particularly the Seventh-day Adventists.

3. The reason for persecution – obedience to one of the 10 commandments - the 4th commandment [sabbath].

“A terrible condition of the religious world is here described. With every rejection of truth, the minds of the people will become darker, their hearts more stubborn, until they are entrenched in an infidel hardihood. In defiance of the warnings which God has given, they will continue to trample upon one of the precepts of the decalogue [10 commandments], until they are led to persecute those who hold it sacred.” GC 603. 

The persecution mentality of the Seventh-day Adventist is simply stated this way: Sunday Christians will persecute the Saturday Christians to force them to worship on Sunday. Their doctrine goes on to say that after this persecution happens, God will declare the “close of probation,” the “seven last plagues” will be poured on the Sunday-keepers and then Jesus will come.

This church teaches that the Pope is the “Beast” mentioned in the book of Revelation and all churches that have their church services on Sunday are the “image of the beast.” These “Sunday Christians” will persecute the Seventh-day Adventists because of one specific reason – the “Sabbath.” To them the Sabbath is the seal that identifies them as God’s property.

To be continued…

Persecution and the Seventh-day Adventists – Part 2

Jesus was very explicit with regards to the persecution. In his teachings he warned his followers that they too, like him, will be persecuted and put to death.

 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” Matt 24:9

 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.” Luke 21:12

“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” John 15:20

All three declarations by Jesus point to the following details.

1.   The persecutors – non-Christians

2.   The persecuted – Christians

3.   The reason for persecution – because of Jesus... his name.

Persecution according to Jesus is simply stated this way: Anyone who becomes a “believer” of Jesus will get the ire of the non-believers. The name of Jesus on the believers places them in line for persecution.

Ever since Saul of Tarsus ordered the stoning of the Christian martyr Stephen, the Christians have come under persecution and death. In the death of Stephen and his group of believers the sole reason for their persecution was not the Sabbath. Saul – the Sabbath-keeper was the persecutor and the reason for his heinous act was the believers’ faith in Jesus.

Nero and the other pagan rulers down through the ages have persecuted the Christians, and like Stephen the reason for the Christians plight was their faith and love for Jesus. The Sabbath was never an issue in the persecution of Christians down through the history of Christendom. (the SDA church was not around until the late 1800s and therefore their doctrine was not around as well)

History points to the following details with regards to persecution:

1.   The persecutors – non-Christians

2.   The persecuted – Christians

3.   The reason for persecution – because of Jesus... his name.

The Christians in Iraq are now experiencing the greatest persecution in recent history. Their churches are bombed, their members – including children, are beheaded and shot at point-blank range and all these recorded in videos and displayed in the internet.

About 100,000 Christians have fled to the hills where there is no food and water and photos have surfaced showing the young children dying of thirst and starvation.

What is the reason for all the suffering and death in this group of people? It is the word “CHRISTIAN” - a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. What is happening to them is exactly the direct consequence of believing and following Jesus.

The tragic plight of the Christians in Iraq today is consistent with Jesus’ warning to all his followers. It is also consistent with the details in the persecution of the believers since the time of Stephen.

Who are the persecuted Christians in Iraq? Are they Seventh-day Adventists? Do they keep Saturday sacred?

Who are the persecutors of these Christians? Are they Catholics? Is the Sabbath the reason for persecution?

The SDA church’s doctrine about the persecution actually originated from a woman who is the author of the church’s non-biblical doctrines. Doctrines that she claimed were given to her by an angel in a vision.

There is no doubt that her doctrines contradict Jesus, the bible and history.