Pinoy 'Occupy' movement presents manifesto

PATERNO ESMAQUEL II, GMA News November 30, 2011 2:00am

 

The local, Catholic Church-initiated “Occupy" movement has urged the Aquino administration to widen its vision beyond its anti-corruption campaign and instead also prioritize the so-called 99 percent of ordinary citizens.

“Anti-corruption drives are important – but worthless when unjust structures and policies are not dismantled," said the Church-initiated movement called Kilusang 99% in its statement that its convenor, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, sent via e-mail to GMA News Online on Tuesday

“The promise to take us to a ‘daang matuwid’ is not enough," the group said. “Even a straight path, when it leads us to a dead end, can be dangerous and counter-productive."

Kilusang 99% explained, “What we need is a new path to development; a path that puts people first, not profit; a path that restores power to the people, not concentrates power to just a few; a path that is sustainable, not short-sighted that looks at only economic gains; a path that promotes peace, not war."

“What we need is ‘bagong landas,’ not just ‘daang matuwid,’" the movement said. (Read the PDF of the group’s manifesto below).

 

GMA News Online is still trying to reach the Office of the President for comment as of this posting.

Last Saturday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte refused to comment on the Church-iniated movement, but said the Aquino administration is also working against greed by encouraging corporate social responsibility.

Inspired by the global “Occupy" movement against corporate greed, Kilusang 99% describes itself as a multi-sectoral, non-partisan movement seeking “to present a social agenda to replace the existing economic paradigms that are bereft of social justice and have spawned social inequalities and much suffering."

Starting point

In its manifesto, the group made 14 recommendations that include the following:

• Full implementation of asset reform laws such as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, the Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997, and the Fisheries Code of 1998
• Institution of a labor-first policy that protects labor rights, fair income, security of tenure, and employment guarantees
• Strengthening regulation of corporations and the financial sector to avoid “excesses"
• Priority to delivering basic services instead of debt servicing
• Safeguard basic goods and services against private control, “commodification", and overuse; to serve as a “steward of public commons, not an agent of privatization"

Tighter government regulation

Pabillo, who heads the social arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, also explained that the government should more closely regulate what he called a “heartless" market.

“Sinasabi nila, ‘Let the market decide.’ But the market is cruel, the market has no heart, the market has only the logic of profit. It should be part of the government, as a political entity, to look after the common good… Kailangang manindigan ang pulitika," the bishop said.

Last month, the Vatican itself issued a statement that, according to observers, resonated well with Occupy protesters as it denounced the “idolatry of the market" and called for a global economic authority.

The Catholic Church espouses a rich tradition of Catholic social teachings that advance laborers’ rights and wealth distribution, among other things.

For a number of Catholics, however, the actions of some of its leaders seem contrary to the Church’s teachings on wealth and poverty.

A few bishops, for example, were at the center of controversy earlier this year after the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office said they received luxury vehicles from the Arroyo administration. The CBCP has apologized for this. — ELR, GMA News

 

http://bit.ly/vzfkjG 

Palace mum on Church-led 'Occupy’ movement, for now

November 26, 2011 4:38pm

At least for now, a Malacañang spokesperson is not giving any comment on a Catholic Church-led equivalent of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement to bewail corporate greed and the dark side of capitalism.

But this early, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Benigno Aquino III is also working against greed by encouraging “corporate social responsibility.”

“I don’t want to comment on it for now. We have seen similar movements in other countries, I don’t know how they [members of the local 'Occupy movement] plan to execute that here,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio.

However, she also noted it is the right of people to assemble peaceably and seek redress for their grievances.

Earlier, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said a Church-led equivalent of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement will launch its formal manifest this coming week.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo is the convenor of “Kilusang 99%,” a social reform movement making government accountable for the majority’s welfare.

The movement aims to make the poor “the center of development” and government “accountable for the welfare of the majority.”

Pabillo clarified the Philippine version of the “Occupy” movement is not directed at the Aquino administration or any particular leader.

Instead, he said it is mainly addressed at the well-entrenched financial system that has bred social injustice, economic imbalance, corporate greed and the darkest side of capitalism.

On the other hand, Valte said Aquino has been doing his part to address the issue of corporate greed.

“In one speech before the business community, Aquino encouraged businesses to strengthen corporate social responsibility to avoid something similar like Occupy Wall Street from happening in the Philippines,” she said. — LBG, GMA News

http://bit.ly/rTWSsL 

Church-led 'occupy movement' to launch manifest in Manila

November 26, 2011 10:12am

A Church-led equivalent of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement will launch its formal manifest this coming week, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said Saturday.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo is the convenor of "Kilusang 99%," a social reform movement making government accountable for the majority's welfare.

“In the Philippines, we find similar restlessness brewing among our sectoral group… this rising tide of discontent, coupled by the indifference of the general public, is substance for insurgency which the Church hopes to stem,” Pabillo said.

The movement aims to make the poor "the center of development" and government "accountable for the welfare of the majority.”

Pabillo chairs the CBCP's National Secretariat for Social Action -Justice and Peace.

However, Pabillo clarified the Philippine version of the "Occupy" movement is not directed at the Aquino administration or any particular leader.

Instead, he said it is mainly addressed at the well-entrenched financial system that has bred social injustice, economic imbalance, corporate greed and the darkest side of capitalism.

“What is happening now is that the government is just at the backseat and they just let the market, which seeks profit and not the common good, dictate,” he said.

“We really need to talk before it’s too late. We don’t want violence and rebellion but we just want the people who are mostly affected by these problems to be heard,” he added.

Sectors covered by the K99% include labor groups, farmers and fisherfolk organizations, the indigenous peoples and the urban poor.

The Occupy Wall Street movement, inspired by the Arab Spring, started last September 17 at the financial district of New York City.

It has so far spread to around 1,500 cities globally to expose how the richest one percent of people are writing the rules of an “unfair” global economy.

“This is really a wakeup call for the government and the business sector to do something for the common good,” Pabillo said. — LBG, GMA News

http://bit.ly/veCD6O

Catholic Church-led ‘Occupy’ movement targets the ‘heartless’ market

PATERNO ESMAQUEL II November 28, 2011 3:10pm

Echoing the global “Occupy” protests worldwide against corporate greed, the Catholic Church in the Philippines is leading a similar revolution — the Kilusang 99% Movement — as it calls on the government to regulate more closely what it calls a “heartless” market.

Weeks earlier, the Vatican released a document on the global financial system, which, according to observers, supports the “Occupy” movement as it condemns the “idolatry of the market” and pushes for a global economic authority.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the Kilusang 99% movement – which refers to the so-called 99 percent of citizens excluded from the elite – would make the government accountable for the majority’s welfare.

The group will soon launch a manifesto, initiate dialogues with various sectors, and stage protests if necessary, he said.

Catholic Church's 'best-kept secret'

The Catholic Church, often criticized for its supposedly conservative stance on issues such as the reproductive health bill, espouses a rich tradition that advances workers’ rights and wealth distribution.

The Catholic Church’s collection of social teachings, often called its “best-kept secret,” aims to teach persons “the demands of justice and peace in conformity with divine wisdom,” according to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo told GMA News Online that the Philippine government also has to address the issue of wealth distribution “so that there will be peace in society and there will be justice.”

Continue reading here

Pabillo chairs the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) National Secretariat for Social Action - Justice and Peace (NASSA), the local counterpart of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace which crafted the Vatican’s recent economic statement.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Pabillo criticized the government for privatizing even basic services, and allowing market forces to dictate the fees for water and electricity, among other things.

This trend, he said, has led to skyrocketing utility rates.

“Sinasabi nila, ‘Let the market decide.’ But the market is cruel, the market has no heart, the market has only the logic of profit. It should be part of the government, as a political entity, to look after the common good… Kailangang manindigan ang pulitika,” the bishop said.

Pabillo said the common justification for privatizing basic services is that government is losing money by running these. However, this is not always valid, he said.

“Kung talagang service ‘yan, malulugi ka. Magseserbisyo ka sa tao eh,” he said.

“Walang pananagutan ang market sa tao,” Pabillo explained. “Pero ang gobyerno, may pananagutan sa tao.”

Aquino's role in PAL dispute

Pabillo said the spirit of the Vatican pronouncement, shaped by Catholic social teachings, could have been applied in a number of current events, such as the recent massive layoffs of Philippine Airline (PAL) employees due to outsourcing.

The bishop said the President, who earlier adopted a hands-off stand on the issue, should have put his foot down on the controversial layoffs.

“Dapat hindi niya pinayagan ‘yung sinabi na ‘it’s a management prerogative’ ang pag-outsource. Kasi kung gano’n, the management can always, babaratin ang manggagawa,” Pabillo said.

Even PAL’s status as a private business entity should not have deterred the President from intervening, according to him.

“Kahit negosyo ng PAL ‘yan, ang PAL nga, ang kanyang negosyo eh affecting the common good,” the bishop explained. “Kailangang ikontrol ng gobyerno, kasi may mga manggagawa sila, mga citizens ‘yan.”

“In a way, talo rin ang gobyerno diyan,” Pabillo added. “Mga manggagawa ‘yan, magbibigay ng tax. Ngayon, kapag hindi nila ‘yan ni-regular, wala nang tax na ibibigay ‘yan .”

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, however, earlier invoked the good of the majority in acknowledging the flag carrier’s need to reformat their operations “to survive.”

“What is the national interest? And if we define the national interest, there are 10 million Filipinos overseas. With what has been happening in the Middle East, one would want their airlines to be capable of going to the Middle East to fetch our citizens,” the President said.

The President’s position on the PAL issue demonstrates the government’s supposedly “elitist” approach in running the country, Pabillo noted.

“Ang sinasabi nga tungkol sa leadership, hindi concerned sa taumbayan. Ang mas concern niya ay mga business people,” he explained.

The bishop also disputed the so-called “trickle down” system that says the effects of good business will eventually trickle down to ordinary citizens.

“Malaki ‘yung profit, malaking business, hindi naman bumabababa sa tao… Kinukuha lang nila. Kaya lumalaki ang gap ng mayayaman at saka mahihirap,” Pabillo said.

Economic justice

Another Church official shares Pabillo’s views on economic issues.

Caritas Manila executive director Fr. Anton Pascual said the present economic system, which the Vatican document critiques, is “unethical, unsustainable, and bound to collapse.”

“The global financial reform to radically transform the economic system as it is today is very timely to establish economic justice in behalf of the 2/3 poor victims of the world,” Pascual said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Like Pabillo, Pascual believes the government should give priority to its citizens over the market.

“Kailangang maging malinaw kung kaninong pag-unlad nga ba ang nais itaguyod ng ating gobyerno,” Pascual said in an editorial aired on Radyo Veritas.

The priest, who also heads the Church-run radio station, cited the prevailing poverty despite the entry of a number of foreign businesses and mining firms to the Philippines.

“Sino nga ba ang tunay na nakikinabang sa mga negosyong pinapatakbo ng malalaking kumpanya sa bansa? Kung may pakinabang man, gaano kalaki o gaano kaliit nga ba ang napupunta sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan?” Pascual said.

Late last week, a writer for Jakarta Globe expressed agreement with Occupy protesters in denouncing the “excesses of neoliberalism.”

In his opinion piece, however, John Riady said the anti-Wall Street activists “are wrong beyond this point.

“This is because it is not the free trade order per se that is at fault, but its surreptitious transformation into a malignant system in which real people and their productive work are subordinated to the fickle passions of speculative capital,” Riady wrote.

‘Serious’ implementation

Pabillo said the challenge for the government is to seriously implement the asset reform laws that aim to improve income distribution, such as legislation on land reform, fisheries, indigenous people, and the urban poor.

“May batas na, hindi pa ipinapatupad… Eh ‘yan nga ang problema natin, kasi wala ang puso nila diyan,” he said.

Pabillo added that big businesses, for their part, should take corporate social responsibility seriously and not use it only as “propaganda.” “They should be conscious about this because if the society is running well, everybody is contented, it’s good for business,” Pabillo explained.

The bishop also challenged the middle class, including the youth, to oppose the prevailing mindset of putting businesses first.

Otherwise, he said, they themselves could end up becoming the system’s victims.

Pabillo said, “Sila na ang magiging mahirap ngayon.” - VVP, GMA News

http://bit.ly/txJ6I5

 

Faith and the Church

Public Lives
By Randy David
Cebu Daily News
8:56 am | Monday, November 7th, 2011

Faith is so intertwined with nearly every aspect of the daily lives of Filipinos that it is hard to say precisely where religion ends and the rest of society begins. A quick look at our mass media and the way we conduct politics and business will show how blurred the boundaries are. As a sociologist, I often find myself wondering if the strict differentiation of faith matters that is supposed to come with secular modernity will ever happen in our society.

An example from my own personal encounter with religion might illustrate this. Sometime last year, my brother, Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who is also the parish priest of the Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City, spoke to each one of us, his 12 siblings, asking for voluntary donations to a fund he had started. It was the first time he ever asked for anything from us.  The money, he explained, would be used to buy from the banks small pieces of land on which a chapel stands. Although I am not a churchgoer, I do not hesitate to contribute to the Church’s charities and social action projects. But giving money to buy land for a Church, that, as far as I know, already owns a lot of real estate, was a little difficult to justify.

I would gladly give money anytime to my brother, a deeply spiritual person I admire. But what he was seeking was not a personal favor but a contribution to a religious cause he thought important. I had many questions in my mind, and, in full respect for my modernist leanings, he answered them all even before I could articulate them. It is a fascinating story of popular faith, he began, and its complex relation to institutional religion, politics, family, social class and business. “By this project,” he said, “I mean to affirm the strong faith of the simple folk who have found solace and comfort in the image of the ‘Apung Mamacalulu’ (Lord of Mercy) that is kept in the shrine.”

To my surprise, our tiny donation to this project was soon dwarfed a million times over by the contributions that poured in from everywhere after the fund was launched. A wealthy person at one point offered to provide the entire amount needed to pay the banks to which the land had been mortgaged, but his gesture was politely turned down. For it didn’t take long for the parish to realize that more important than actually redeeming the property on which the shrine squatted was the strong current of faith and solidarity that the shared effort to raise funds had awakened.

For a long time, the Church had refused to authorize the celebration of the Mass in this chapel on the ground that it was being denied full authority over the administration of the shrine. So long as one family was claiming it as private property, with prerogative to decide what kind of activities to permit inside it, the Church authorities refused to have anything to do with it. However, this did not deter the devotees of the “Apu” from flocking to the shrine. In time, the whole place acquired the potent imagery of a church that belonged to the poor and the marginalized. Ironically, in trying to prevent the use of the icon as a magnet for the commercialization of folk devotion, the Church had risked being perceived as an institution that stood aloof from the spiritual needs of humble folk.

All this changed when Archbishop Paciano Aniceto authorized the return of the Mass to the shrine of “Apung Mamacalulu” last year, after the owners agreed to donate to the Church a portion of the land on which the shrine stood. The rest of the property has long been foreclosed by the banks, and it has now fallen on the parish to buy it back from the banks. These events, previously narrated only as oral history, are now recounted in a recently published book, “Apung Mamacalulu (The Sto. Entierro of Angeles City).” This beautiful book documents the intriguing saga of the religious icon that became a central figure in the religious, political and social life of a town, and spawned one of the most fervent devotional cultures of our time.

I was totally unaware of the charisma surrounding the icon of the dead Christ until I went on an ethnographic visit to the shrine that houses the “Apu.” The place is in Barangay Lourdes Sur, in the old section of Angeles, just a stone’s throw away from the imposing Cathedral of the Holy Rosary. One would not see it from the main street where once upon a time the town’s important families built their houses, but every pedicab driver knows where it is. One walks into an ordinary-looking neighborhood that becomes, especially on Fridays, a crowded corridor of peddlers’ tents leading to the door of a modern chapel. I have never seen a more incongruous mingling of the sacred and the profane.

A priest is delivering a homily as I walk in. His voice is amplified by a powerful sound system that barely succeeds in drowning out the noise from the market outside. A long queue quietly snakes along the pews on the right side of the chapel, leading to the back of the altar where the image of the “Apu” lies. I fall in line and find myself following a trail suffused with symbolisms of suffering and hope.

One approaches the large glass case that contains the “Apu” by stepping up to a narrow platform that supports it. A hole in the glass allows one to touch or rub a handkerchief on the feet of the image, say a quick prayer or wish, and leave some money or flowers.
Many devotees linger around the “Apu,” seeking out the area by the head. There, between fits of sobbing, they pour out their problems and pleas for relief in whispered confession. Then they fall silent, as if in unmediated communication with a physically present God. So strong is their faith.

http://bit.ly/rByvok

Tough Love

The Almighty

Take God's love for example . Most love is a two way street . God's is.

God's love is definitely tough love , it's long range , big picture love . If God loves you , you had better pay attention - he has his way of getting to the point ! God's love - biblically speaking is about ( blessings , warnings and curses ) sort of the carrot and stick approach .

Look ...Jericho wanted more time ( who doesn' t ) they were warned. Nope , no answer.

Ka-Boom , was God's response . No Jericho no problemo . By the way , airbags do not really seem to help with God , as Churchill said " it's the kind of mistake you only make once " .

I think the hard thing for me about this story is , I wonder how God feels after the wipe-out .

Me , I'd kinda feel bad actually for the people , but then , I'd think well maybe the next group will have a bit more sense . Hey , who am I to question the big guy. My puny mind against the Creators mind , I may get it wrong then you know , Ka-boom .

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http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/Love/Love017.html

Love & Discipline

Hebrews 12:4-13

One of the most powerful verses in the Bible is listed in Hebrews chapter 12.

"FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." (Hebrews 12:6).

We have a very difficult time connecting love and discipline. We have a more difficult time with the way it is asserted that every son must be scourged. There are lots of lessons to be learned here as parents and pastors but also for each individual Christian. Let's cover several of these points.

• "My son" (Hebrews 12:5)
  God deals with His own children different than those who are not His children. A parent only has jurisdiction over his own children. This is true partly because of his intimate concern and understanding of that child. Genuine Christians are His sons. Each of them are brought through a time of discipline.
  
  
• "Those whom the Lord loves." (Hebrews 12:6)
  The Lord loves His children in a different way than He loves those who do not know Him. From this teaching we gather there are two kinds of love: a general love in which His general goodness is displayed and a specific love for His children. God's actions are different toward His children. If they are unconscious of the way God deals with them, then they will not understand God's actions with them.
  
  
• "He disciplines." (Hebrews 12:6)
  We might wonder why it is the Christian He disciplines rather than the non-Christian. "Is not the Christian better?" The question is wrongly asked. We are better because we are disciplined but still have a long way to go! Discipline is the means that we are better able to do His will. We are deceived to think that His children do not need discipline. Have we found a child among us who needs not discipline? Is your child naturally bent to do good? Doing good is something that we are trained to do.
  
  
• "He scourges." (Hebrews 12:6)
  The Lord gets rough with His discipline. He does not just let us sit idly in a corner. Scourging has the idea of an actual beating with some object. There is no question that no one likes getting a scourging, but it is this actual fact that makes it useful in keeping us from doing foolish things again. If we had not done it in the first place, we would not have received a scourging. In actual fact, a quick and patient spanking can change a child's attitude from haughty to humble in just moments. We will not find this true of 'non-aggressive' means. The purpose is to keep the child from greater foolishness in the future.
  
  
• "Every son whom He receives." (Hebrews 12:6)
  We like to think that not every Christian faces these reproving scourgings. We think they are only necessary once in a great while. Only the most naughty need the scourging. Surely not the refined and learned ones. However, we are totally wrong. If we are God's child, He would scourge us. God in the end is in charge of each of His children's discipline. I have numerous times asked God to discipline His child because I couldn't appropriately deal with a certain offending brother.

Here are a few summary statements:

• Each Christian is enlisted in God's training program. Non-Christians are excluded.
  
  
• God uses discipline and scourging as part of His training process.
  
  
• Love is God's reason for disciplining each of His children.
  
  
• Scourgings are purposeful and not mean or violent.
  ... "That we may share His holiness."
  
  
• A Christian on his own will not do His best. He needs training.
  
  
• The Lord pays close attention to our needs and knows best how to handle us.

The Lord is asking us not to lose sight of God's purpose through our times of discipline. It will hurt. We will be tempted to get bitter against God. We will be given plenty of tinder to start a fire of doubt that will last our lifetime. But we are admonished,

"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;

God has his purpose in chastising us. We will be tempted to respond in two wrong ways:

1) Regard lightly.
In other words, we do not profit from the discipline. We don't get the point of it. This means that we will need to go through more rigorous discipline in the future.

2) Faint.
The other response is to give up. We are overwhelmed by God's hand against us. This is another way to avoid the lesson of discipline. Instead of getting more serious about improving a certain area of our life, we just give up. Often we disguise this with a veil of criticism against God.

Love will always bring us into numerous encounters with God who is training us. We should not be surprised. Instead, we should be more expectant of what God is bringing. Love is tough because the stakes are high. Give up and the child has no respect for your own ways and habits. Give up and the child will barely tolerate you. But discipline him, and you will find great training from Him.

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http://www.christianindex.org/988.article

God's Tough Love: If God Really Loves Me ...

By Larry S. McDonald, Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, Truett-McConnell College

Published January 20, 2005

Hosea 1:2-11; 3:1-5
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, Feb. 6

When individuals are asked to describe God, often they describe a "Santa Claus" type of figure or a grandfatherly individual. Usually these descriptions highlight the qualities of God's kindness and gentleness, which surely do exist. But while God is kind and gentle, He is also much more. His personality and character go far deeper than these qualities alone.

Too often we describe God as we would like for Him to be, and we do not allow the Bible to fully define for us who God really is. The Bible clearly identifies God as loving. And we generally think of this love as soft and cuddly, like a teddy bear. Yet the Bible also portrays God's love as powerful and dynamic. His love is often evidenced by strength and toughness.

As we study the book of Hosea over these next few weeks, we will especially see God's tough love. Although Hosea offers passages which are difficult to interpret, we must not let these challenges sidetrack us from the obviously clear message of God's tough love.

Love's Discipline (Hosea 1:2-9)

"On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel" (Hosea 1:5 NAS).

God's tough love is first seen as He disciplines His people. Hosea's wife, Gomer, represents the unfaithfulness of Israel to God. Just as Gomer committed adultery against her husband, Israel was committing spiritual adultery against God.

Using the names of his children, Hosea pronounces judgment upon the nation of Israel. The names of the three children communicate the strong correction of God: Jezreel (God scatters), Lo-ruhamah (not loved), and Lo-ammi (not my people).

Just as God disciplined the nation of Israel, He disciplines His children today. When we stray from walking with Him, He works to get our attention and to bring us back to Himself. At times God's discipline may seem severe, but in reality it stems from His deep love for us (Hebrews 12:6). God's discipline is as gentle as it can be, but as harsh as it needs to be.

Think About It ... What would be more loving: For a parent to allow a child to continue in behavior the parent knows to be dangerous, or to discipline that child as necessary in order to teach and protect the child?

Love's Promise, (Hosea 1:10-11)

"Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered . . . You are the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10 NAS).

Even in the midst of announcing God's discipline, the promise of Israel's future was declared. The discipline would only be temporary, and then the promise of God's blessings would be realized. These blessings included the multiplying of Israel's population and the reuniting of Israel's divided kingdoms.

It goes without saying that discipline is never enjoyable. In fact, often we doubt God's love for us when He corrects us. Besides the assurance in Hebrews 12 that He disciplines us because He loves us, we must also realize that God's love is not based upon our "feeling loved." Instead it is based upon God's unwavering character and His never-ending promises: He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23)! He has loved us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Think About It ... In your relationship with God, would you describe yourself as having responded faithfully to His love for you? Or, like Gomer, are you still chasing after things with greater passion and desire than your love for Him?

Love's Redemption, (Hosea 3:1-5)

"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods'" (Hosea 3:1).

God directs Hosea to faithfully love his wife even when she is not deserving of his love. In so doing, Hosea illustrated God's love for His undeserving people, Israel.

Redemption is beautifully portrayed by Hosea's anomalous marriage. We stand aghast at a woman so openly unfaithful to a man so fully committed to loving her. Yet we see in Gomer a picture of Israel and, indeed, of ourselves.

Mankind has never been deserving of God's love. But God does not love us because we are good: God loves us while we are still sinners, and He demonstrates that love through Christ dying for our sins (Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ redeemed us by paying the penalty for our sins. And by receiving the gift of eternal life through Christ's work on the cross, we truly realize love's redemption.

Think About It ... Can you recall the moment when you accepted Jesus' death as the payment for your sins? If so, would you rate your love and zeal for Him now as great or greater than it was then?

Biblical Truth: Because God loves His people, He responds to their unfaithfulness with disciplinary actions.

For God so loved the world (John 3:16)

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (WEB)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. (ASV)

For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life. (BBE)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal. (DBY)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. (WBS)

For so greatly did God love the world that He gave His only Son, that every one who trusts in Him may not perish but may have the Life of Ages. (WEY)

for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. (YLT)

For when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Corinthians 12:10)

2 Corinthians 12:10

Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. (WEB)

Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (ASV)

So I take pleasure in being feeble, in unkind words, in needs, in cruel attacks, in troubles, on account of Christ: for when I am feeble, then am I strong. (BBE)

Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in straits, for Christ: for when I am weak, then I am powerful. (DBY)

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (KJV)

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (WBS)

In fact I take pleasure in infirmities, in the bearing of insults, in distress, in persecutions, in grievous difficulties--for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (WEY)

wherefore I am well pleased in infirmities, in damages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses -- for Christ; for whenever I am infirm, then I am powerful; (YLT)