Dr. Linus Pauling's Healing & Longevity Secret

Dr. Linus Pauling was the only man in the world to have won two unshared Nobel prizes. He devoted himself to the struggle against diseases and to the benefits of vitamin C. According to him, "People who take vitamins in optimum amounts can live 25 or 35 years longer than otherwise. More than that, they will be free of disease. This optimum nutrition cuts down the probability of developing cancer, or heart disease or diabetes, or infectious diseases." He wrote the book "How to Live Longer and Feel Better" championing the role of Vitamin C in fighting cancer and other diseases in the human body. Dr. Pauling himself took megadoses of Vitamin C. He led a very fruitful and healthy life until August 19, 1994, when he died at the ripe age of 93.

Have Your Reservoir of Strength

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31).

I'm blessed to work as a part time pastoral preacher, counselor, and chaplain at a wonderful government-funded hospital. There, the miraculous can be commonplace as patients come dejected and leave hopeful in the Lord. In a number of cases, cured of their cancer and other illnesses as well!

In this life blog, I believe the words I write here, my viewpoint, shaped by biblical witness, will provide significant help to you in your battle with any type of wound, sickness, trauma, hurts or habits -- physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. While I share my spiritual worldview, I sincerely believe that those who do not call themselves as Christians can also immensely benefit from the blog pages.

My goal is for us to find our reservoir of strength even in the midst of pain ... to be an advocate for life, as well as for the One who has given us life.

Is 2012 The End of The World?

Last night, after church, my daughter Christine asked us to watch "2012," one of this year's most popular movies. The movie predicts end of the world or holocaust on December 12 or 21, 2012 based on astrology and the mayan calendar. Major movie studios, websites, Newsweek, books, and numerous media channels are now fanning the "2012 end of human history" craze. There goes again, like the Y2K, the end-of-the-world prediction!

It is true that the Bible is filled with prophetic statements, which includes "end of the world." You and I only have to read and understand the books of Revelation, Ezekiel, Daniel, among others, to confirm this truth. Revelation 6: 1-17, for instance, mentions judgments released upon the earth in the form of 7 trumpets, two witnesses, a dragon (the devil), a beast (the anti-Christ) and false prophet, and 7 golden bowls. The judgments passed on to the earth and its inhabitants shall be in the form of earthquakes, plague, hailstorms, fire, famine, meteor storm, lack of drinking water, and many more!

Bottomline, the biblical "end of the world" prophecy has to do with the battle between good and evil. Following the catastrophes, the bible prophecy leads us to the emergence of the anti-Christ in partnership with the devil and false prophet (unholy trinity) to rule the world for a period of time until the Battle of Armageddon. At this point, Scriptures states that Jesus Christ returns to earth and destroys the forces of the anti-Christ. Then the false prophet and the anti-Christ along with the devil are thrown down into the lake of fire.

Now regarding what the movie (or astrology or mayan calendar or even Nostradamus) predicts to be the date (December 12 or 21 of year 2012) these will begin to take place, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself made a clear statement. In the Gospels, Jesus taught His disciples and confirmed the signs of His coming and the end of the present age. While giving His disciples signs to watch for, Jesus stated clearly that no one knows the exact date except His Father.

"But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32).

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour, in which the Son of Man is coming" (Matthew 25:13).

What are we then to do amid all these 2012 predictions?

Friends, whether or not the end of the world is in 2012 or near, the question we all need to ask ourselves is, "Am I ready?" Following evil in this life leads to separation from God and His judgment. Accepting Christ as Savior and Lord and living for Him gains entry into eternal life with God. The purpose of bible prophecy is the reminder of our need to be closer to God and preparing for Christ's return and end of the world, in 2012 and in every year of our lives.

"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24: 44).

Preaching at Living Word

Of all the riches one can possess, nothing compares with spiritual riches and doing things that last. I praise God for a high-water mark of my Sunday worship yesterday (November 8, 2009) when He gave me opportunity to serve, preach and minister in 4 services (9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 7:00 pm) in a large Filipino church (The Living Word Fellowship) here in Singapore. Pastors Jerry Madarang and his wife Gloria were so kind and brotherly during my brief journey, they graciously hosted me in their church. Lord, I pray that You'd bless and use TLWF and pastors Jerry and Gloria a lot as well as the Filipino diaspora to reach Singapore and other nations for Christ!

The Man Named Lincoln

At 31, this man failed in business. At 32, he was defeated in a legislative race. At 34, he failed again in business. At 35, his girlfriend died. At 35, he had a nervous breakdown. At 38, he lost another election. At 43, 46, and 48, he lost congregational races. At 55, he lost a senatorial race. But at 60, he was elected president of the United States. He did not just become president. He became one of the most famous and well-beloved American presidents.

The Secret of Blessing (Source/Channel)

Over the years, I'm continually reminded that God alone is my source and supplier. Even in times of global economic downturn such as what we're going through, it's exciting to look back and see how He has provided for all my needs through His channels of blessing.

Living and serving in a Third World country where poverty and calamities are widespread, countless people are very anxious about their needs, their jobs, and the future of their families. Oftentimes, many of us can identify with them and their never-ending struggles . But God clearly tells us not to worry and simply look up to Him as the only source (Matthew 6).

"Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness" (2 Corinthians 9: 10).

In past experiences, I confess that I found my self disturbed sometimes when I started to confuse the "channel" with the "source." When I began looking at my work or people as the source, instead of the channel, there's the obvious sign of worry or even panic! I'd to go back and look to God alone to provide. Whew!

True, some of your "channels" may close. But remember that the "Source" remains alive and active ready to bless us. God may use your paycheck or the job of your spouse as a channel to supply your children's needs. But it's just a channel for God's provision and blessing. And God can shift to another channel anytime, anywhere, He desires.

When God our true "source" turns off one "channel," He can turn on another one. A pastor-writer explains it well: "Once you know what you're lacking, you need to give God the right to choose whatever channel He decides to fulfill the need. It may be a channel different from the one you would choose; in fact, God may allow a totally different channel than you would expect, just so that you will keep looking to Him for all your needs."

That, my friend, is the secret of blessing during these trying, challenging times.

Are All Open Doors from God?

"Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, but a man of understanding walks uprightly" (Proverbs 15:21).

Mario was a faithful follower of God. But one day he found himself alienated from God after walking through open doors of opportunity. He went overseas to work with a large salary and travel perks, leaving behind a family who loves him. He allowed himself to believe that God was blessing him and his family because He had opened all doors. He had an affair and lost his family along the way. Most importantly, although he got what he wanted, he lost what he needed the most -- a close, saving relationship with God.

We all need true discernment to determine which opportunities are from God. It is because evil often wears a mask. When a door of opportunity opens, we should not automatically assume that it's God's will for us to go through it. Just because He doesn't stop us doesn't mean He wants us to pursue it.

To discern which "open doors" are from the Lord, we have to seek to "approve the things that are excellent" and "to be filled with the fruits of righteousness ... to the glory and praise of God" (Scripture: Philippians 1: 10, 11).

Faces, Trees, and Seasons of Life

It has been raining some days when I stopped to look closely into faces and trees along my way. Things may look fine. But still nature echoes with the rest of us in acknowledging that we have no power to resist the seasons of life. May we all learn to "plant" seeds of forgiveness, grace, love, and faith that would bring hope and healing to this broken world during the inevitable seasons of life ....