A Cry For Revival In My Homeland

've been reading about the Philippines lately but instead of the blissful feeling I was expecting, all I got was torment. I couldn't even get myself to finish one news article. So much has happened to my country. But it’s all the same. Nothing has changed. We are still far behind. To be honest, things have gotten worse and I am just sick of it!

I am sick of the power play going on with the government! I am sick of the endless protests! I am sick of the endless corruption, gambling and other embarrassing issues about our once glorious nation. Unless God's sovereign grace works in our land, there will be no hope for us, Filipinos.

Many would boldly shout that our problem is leadership. Some would point fingers on the Catholic Church that is constantly interfering with government affairs. Others would say that the entire government and political arena is corrupt, from the president, cabinet members down to the "baranggay" captains.

I do not pretend to be an expert in national issues but I do know that our problem is a lot bigger than corruption or economical disparity. The reality of our predicament is a lot bigger than leadership or politics. Let me explain in simple terms. We say that our problem is leadership. But even if we get a perfect leader (which is impossible to find), it will not solve the entire problem. A leader's reign, no matter how good he or she is, will pass. We say our problem is corruption. But how can you solve corruption if the perpetrators and jury are alike? Think about it. When a Filipino driver violates the law and is caught by a traffic enforcer, what is his first instinct? He will bribe the traffic enforcer. And the traffic enforcer, who is actually looking forward to it, will gladly take the bribe. If the enforcer is caught, he will make excuses like “Well, everybody does it anyway” or “I’m poor; I need this money to feed my kids”. What a faulty and godless logic! What a pitiful and worldly mentality!

If we have such corruption issues in minor situations how much more in major ones? Before I left the Philippines, I went through a lot of governmental departments. Corruption is everywhere! Under the table bribery, and I mean it literally. Whispering people on the sidelines offering forged documentations, selling of identities; and you know what the good part is? All of these things are happening right before the eyes of the authorities themselves! Why are the authorities not going after them? It’s because they also get a share of the money or maybe they just didn’t want to have to do with any of them. Regardless of the reasons, they, just like the perpetrators, have fallen in the vile cycle of corruption and lawlessness.

Our problem is deeper than corruption, poverty, oppression or leadership. What then is our problem? How do we break free in this vicious cycle of lawlessness? The answer is Jesus Christ. Now you might be thinking, “Wait a minute, the Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia, right?” My friend, we do not even know how far Christianity has fallen. Christianity today is more based on a godless culture than it is on the Word of God.

In the Philippines, Christian churches are packed every Sunday, quite the opposite for other third world countries. Everybody claims to know Jesus and everybody professes their faith openly in public. Everyone believes that they love God. They have even been led to believe that God is a tolerant God.

If the Philippines is really Christian a nation, a country that lives by the standards of God, then there must be an evident change and work of the Holy Spirit. Perfection is impossible but there must at least be a proof of renaissance in our land. There must be advancement of the Kingdom. I am not talking about physical gain. I am talking about spiritual maturity. There must be joy amidst the suffering and oppression. There must be a visible reliance on the eternal life, despite the cruelty and wickedness of the world, as promised by the Saviour to His elect. There must be a genuine and radical change in the heart of every believer. In other words, there must be proof of God’s reign in the land.

There are two types of believers. The first kind of believer prays, goes to Church and reads the Word of God and there is an evident transformation in his/her life. The second type does everything the first believer does but there is no evident change in his life. There is no transformation and no fruits of the Spirit in his personal life.

We need to pray for revival. We need to stop putting our faith in the government and, instead put our faith and hope in Christ. We must stop thinking or acting like the world. We must stop storing riches for ourselves and begin storing riches for God. If it will cost you your life to follow God and obey His standards, then so be it! If you truly believe in the resurrection of the body, why do you hold on to your dear life? If we can willingly risk our lives for our children, is risking our lives for God so hard to do? What is God compared to our children? Have we become so earthly that we cannot stand for what is right, just and holy for our God? The Lord bled for us on the cross. Can we not bleed for Him, even in small matters?

Genuine Christians are the light and the salt of this world. There is no hope for the present generation of leaders. They are all a joke. Every candidate wants to win. Everyone wants that throne of power, not for the common good, but for the good of their mansions and mistresses. And if they lose in the bid for power, they set up plots that will only prolong and complicate the situation. What has happened to us? Drop-outs are now becoming presidents. Education is no longer a pre-requisite. And as long as you’re a famous actor or actress, you are eligible to run for government positions?! How far have we fallen?

If we really know God, we would live separately from the world. If we truly belong to Him, we would resist the Vanity Fair. We would live, looking forward to a future with the Lord, with a grateful and worshiping heart. We would continually repent and immerse ourselves in holiness. Our Lord despises the world; that’s why He calls for change. He calls for a complete renewal of our hearts and minds. We are called to be newborn creatures; neither seeking wealth, power nor fame.

Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” –This is the solution to our beloved homeland’s ordeal.

May our Lord Jesus constantly sustain us with His grace in our quest for revival!