MY WORKING STYLE...

THE MESSAGE OF ILIGAN AND CAGAYAN DE ORO FLASH FLOODS

 I started hearing news about flash floods on Sunday, December 18th, 2011. It was our Thanksgiving so I couldn't focus on the "outside world".

As a member of the Church of Christ (Romans 16:16, Acts 20:28),  I have additional responsibilities as a member of the English choir. Whenever I need to perform my church duties, I avoid watching TV programmes and movies. I also eschew  listening to everything about the "outside world". "Outside world" here refers to the things, places, people, and events that are not related to my church obligations. In other words, my "outside world" stops when I am in my "Holy world".


I admit, I always hear the news late. But whenever I am not into my "Holy world", I spend almost 4 hours on researching, reading, blogging, and looking for things that are newly discovered, trendy, and beautiful on the internet every day. That's excluding the hours I spend on teaching my students online.


Honestly, during classes in the past few days, I shunned discussing these topics: Typhoon Sendong, Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro City, flash floods, and other things that are related to the recent disastrous event which is described as the world's deadliest storm in 2011. I didn't want to discuss them during my classes with my students. I am hurt whenever I start thinking about what's been going on in those affected areas.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/12/19/11/sendong-worlds-deadliest-storm-2011

 But tonight, I felt some force that urged me to write this. It seems like this catastrophic event has a message, a ''spiritual'' message.

Let's analyze some things that have happened through the accounts of events I patiently searched on the net.

The Presidential Adviser for Environmental Protection described the flash floods created by Sendong on Tuesday, December 20th, 2011.
"Flash floods brought by tropical storm Sendong created a "reverse tsunami" that swept away entire communities in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro before washing out to sea.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/12/20/11/sendong-flood-reverse-tsunami-acosta


Barangay Councilor Prisco Zapanta of Barangay 13 in Burgos, Cagayan De Oro City said,
 “Nobody suspected that the huge flood was coming because early on that fateful day (Friday), the rains and winds of typhoon Sendong were considerably slow. It was only at about 10 p.m. when I observed the water at the Cagayan River surrounding Isla de Oro rising quite slowly.” 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/113577/%E2%80%98i-saw-killer-sendong-floods-coming%E2%80%99-says-village-councilor

No one expected the coming of the rushing flash floods. According to a Christian perspective  Like a flood - a Christian perspective
The promised Messiah is prophesied to arrive "like a flood," catching people off guard with the power of his message. That certainly describes the rapid spread of Christ's gospel during the years following his resurrection. 

If men were able to exactly detect and foresee future events, tragedies like this could have been dodged. But man doesn't see everything. Man cannot see the future. Man doesn't completely know what will precisely happen.

NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite produced the image above late on December 15, 2011. In this image, it shows the tallest thunderstorms in the storm that reached around 15 kilometers or approximately 9.3 miles. The TRMM estimated only heavy rainfall located in the southwest quadrant of the storm early on December 15. By that evening, the storm had intensified and was showing rainfall estimates of at least two inches (50 mm) per hour in the east, north, and western quadrants. Some areas across the region, including Mindanao, saw rainfall totals you would typically see in a month in just one day. Everyone pays attention to the winds of a tropical system, but the biggest threat from any tropical cyclone is heavy rain, flooding, and storm surge.
http://earthsky.org/earth/tropical-storm-washi-kills-hundreds-in-the-philippines

And no one had paid attention to the heavy rains and flooding as well as storm surges to be brought by Sendong.

The Bible tells something about the story of the great flood wherein Noah was given precautions and safety measures.
"Flood" in the Bible: Genesis 6-7
The story of the great Flood, which God sent to wipe clean a world that persisted in acting wickedly. Noah, his family, and the animals he brought on board the ark were spared by God from the destruction.

 Noah was given an advisory that time, BUT THIS TIME, THERE WASN'T ANY ADVISORY. Even if PAGASA warned or gave warning of the coming catastrophe, still, PAGASA's warning wasn't enough to survive the cataclysmic floods that killed more than 1,000 people.

ILIGAN, Philippines (AP) — A southern Philippine area devastated by flash floods that killed more than 1,000 people looks like it was hit by a tsunami, a U.N. official said Thursday as he appealed for $28 million in aid for the region.
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/un-philippine-flood-destruction-tsunami-064851973.html

Let's all be reminded that the Almighty GOD promised to destroy all life under the heavens.
 Genesis 6:17
I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.

But the Creator also established a covenant with Noah, NOT to send flood to destroy the earth.
Genesis 9:11

I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 

Therefore, the flash floods created by Sendong weren't brought by the Almighty GOD. They were not caused naturally. They were caused by MAN which brought a conclusion to me that MAN HAS GROWN TO BE WILDER AND MORE BARBAROUS.
As the Holy Bible states, "love of most will grow cold in these last days".

Matthew 24:12

New International Version (NIV)

¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

 The Holy Bible also mentions about a "DAY" which will NOT COME UNTIL THE REBELLION OCCURS AND THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS IS REVEALED. The Bible continues saying, "THE MAN DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION".

2 Thessalonians 2:3

New International Version (NIV)

³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness^[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

 The online dictionary defines ''doom (v.)'' as 

1. To condemn to ruination or death. See Synonyms at condemn.

2. To destine to an unhappy end.

Look at our surroundings now. Look what happened to Iligan and Cagayan De Oro Cities. Everything is ruined. Everything resulted to death which made every one unhappy.
Let's all be reminded that THE END OF THE WORLD IS NEAR. DOOM'S DAY IS COMING SO FAST. IT IS COMPARED TO A THIEF. IT WILL COME LIKE FLASH FLOODS. NO ONE KNOWS. NO ONE WILL BE WARNED. DOOM'S DAY WILL JUST COME UNEXPECTEDLY. 

A HYMN OF PRAISES IN MY DREAM

December 17th, 2011
Every one was very busy preparing for our Thanksgiving.
I was still sleeping around 5A.M. My performance would be at 10AM. All officers were required to be in at 8A.M.

THE DREAM

Images in my dream are so vivid that up to this moment, I can't forget them.

I was talking to my sister, Marivic.
We were inside the nipa hut in her place. This is also the same place where our mother died alone. The nipa hut was bought by our brother Bernard when he came back in December, 2009 from Qatar, that was less than a year before he passed away. This nipa hut is also the place where my sister, my nieces and nephew eat their meals and entertain visitors. This is also their entertainment area where one can watch TV programmes and sing with the karaoke system. These TV set and karaoke system were given by my brother Bernard before he expired on August 11th, 2010.

I could see in my dream that my nieces, especially Hunny, were working and doing something while my sister Marivic was preparing food and drinks for me, and maybe for us. But for sure, she was preparing food and drinks. The drinks were probably coffee. Hunny was working on my left outside the nipa hut where my sister Vicky and I were talking. I was facing the other nipa hut beside our Mt. Heights Montessori and English School. She was working on land, maybe, planting something. But I saw she was pulling something. 

Marivic, my sister, was on my right if I would be facing that nipa hut where they cook their food and store their food as well. The same nipa hut that is beside our Mt. Heights Montessori and English School. She was also placed in front of me when I faced their house which is still under construction inside that compound with less than 1,000sq m lot in Caloocan City.

As usual, I was just sitting while conversing with them. This gesture has been my action in the family circle whenever we meet. Similar to my childhood when I would just talk and would tell them what to do, as if I was just a commander. The only difference in this dream is that I was talking in a friendly manner with everybody and I was humming our hymns particularly the 100 which is entitled "My Heart Resounds With Praise".


I told my sister Vicky that it really feels good to sing praises to our Father. Hymns give us a feeling of relief. She butted in by saying these..." especially that hymn, 100. It will be sang in the Thanksgiving later". As she uttered these words, I woke up. I saw the clock. The clock said it was 5:30A.M.


I stopped for a while. Thought for a while. Then  got up to prepare for the Thanksgiving on that day, Saturday, December 17th, 2011.


THE HYMN
100  " M y Heart Resounds with Praise"
All Your blessings, Lord, I ponder
Graces flowing endlessly.
Oh, my life, I humbly offer
For the love You give to me.


Chorus:
Lord my heart resounds with praise.
As I give my thanks today.
Though Your love can't be repaid.
I will serve You all my days.


Lord, my GOD, You lead me safely
From the hands of misery.
And Your words of truth shine brightly,
Guiding me to victory.


Thank You, Father, for I'm chosen
To receive Your sacred grace,
Oh, the promise of salvation,
Blessed peace in Your embrace.
 
Chorus:
Lord my heart resounds with praise.
As I give my thanks today.
Though Your love can't be repaid.
I will serve You all my days.

 

The most emphatic line in my dream was ''I WILL SERVE YOU ALL MY DAYS''.