Deworming the Church

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Published: Tuesday, 20 August 2019 04:41
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Deworming the Church

By August A. Kho

August 18, 2019 (Sunday)

 

 

Symptoms

Do you have these symptoms – are you dull, apathetic, your brain is slow to process, sloppy, malamlam ang mga mata mo, skinny but having a bulging stomach then , kailangan kang purgahin.

 

More than 868 - Million people are at risk of parasitic worm infections worldwide.

Worm infestation

Worm infestation is a common health hazard that has disrupted many a life.

 

On the surface, deworming looks like a non-threatening affair, but a lack of it can actually be fatal for you. Worm infestation can also lead to death.

 

It is mostly our daily, unhygienic habits that lead to worm infestation. Walking barefoot on the lawn, eating with unclean hands, drinking untreated water or milk, cooking unwashed vegetables, swimming in a pool with untreated water, or a small lick from a pet--all of these can lead to worm infection.

 

According to Life-Med, worms in humans may be marked by constipation, ,anemia immune system malfunction, nervousness, fatigue, itchiness, bloody cough and excessive coughing ; nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, breathlessness, bloody stools, stomach pain caused due to excess gas, bloating of the abdomen/stomach, pain and spams of the muscles and urinary tract pain.

 

Medical News Today said that intestinal worms, or parasitic worms, are simple organisms that feed off the human body. Many people recognize the more common varieties, such as tapeworms and hookworms, but may be less aware of the others.

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Above photo are intestinal parasites from Medical News Today

Given all these data, can the Church be infected as well as well the human body can be infested with parasites? Do we need spiritual deworming since the Church is being called a Body of Christ as well?

 

 

Salutatory greetings

Jude’s salutatory greetings start this way:

 

New Living Translation (NLT), “Greetings from Jude 1 This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. 2 May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love.”

 

 

Reaction but no action

If I may repeat, given all the data before, can the Church be infected as well? Do we need spiritual deworming?

 

Then why the Church including bishops, leaders and pastors are apathetic, unconcern, indifferent, misprocessed or misinterpreted, dull to name a few on socially relevant issues likes BOL (Bangsamoro Basic Law); SOGIE Bill, Civil Partnership (same-sex marriage) to name a few?

 

Perhaps some have reaction but no action.

 

When a Christian reacted but didn’t act on it, James said his faith is dead. So his spirit is dead as well (James 2:26).

 

God needs someone to act on a certain issue. When the Lord spoke to Isaiah in a vision and told them of Israel’s indifference because of dull of hearing saying “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me,” (Isaiah 6:8).

 

See! Isaiah reacted but he also acted saying, “Here am I’; send me.” Then God told him this, “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not,” (Isaiah 6:9).

 

 

Deworming the Church

Then may I repeat it again, do we need deworming in the church today? Listen if not read what Jude said:

 

verse 3, “But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches …. .” What, “wormed into our churches?” That is loud and clear. “Wormed” is past tense.

 

What is a worm?

 

Worm any of a number of creeping or burrowing invertebrate animals with long, slender soft bodies and no limbs; or informal a weak or despicable person (used as a general term of contempt).

 

 

“Worms” in the Bible

There are several instances that the word “worm” are mentioned in the Scriptures. What follows are just a few of them:

 

  • Deut.28:39, “You will plant vineyards and care for them, but you will not drink the wine or eat the grapes, for worms will destroy the vines.”

  • Job 25:6, “.. We mortals are mere worms.”

  • Psalm 22:6, “But I am worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!”

  • Isaiah 66:24, “And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out…” Also Jesus Christ mentioned these “worms that never die” in Mark 9:44.

  • Acts 12:23, “Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.”

 

 

 

Worms inside the Church

The following are “worms” spoken in Jude 1:4, “…some ungodly people have wormed their way” to our churches:

 

  1. False Teachers

verse 4, “ I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches …. saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives.”

 

 

  1. The Unfaithful

verse 5 “So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus[b] first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. “

 

Some pastors that I knew before have lost their zeal and have gone to other fields of interest if not in a secular job now.

 

 

  1. The double-crossers

I call it first, “crossing boundary lines.”

 

verse 6 “And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. ”

 

These double crossers who are those who commits rebellion, usurps authority of another, insubordination, trespassing, and similar manifestation. No less than Lucifer is the author of this when he have gone beyond the authority that God has given him. Isaiah 14:12,

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer?”

 

Do you have any friend or ally who crosses your borders? See the following photos please. Is it often these “special race” is being defended by no less than our public officials???

 

They double-cross on the sea, land and air:

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Is it these sayings are true?

Actions speaks louder than voice? And A picture paints a thousand words?

 

“Lacson chides Panelo: Are you China's spokesman?” as reported by Rosette Adel (Philstar.com) - August 18, 2019 - 4:59pm. Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday took to Twitter to criticize presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo for voicing out the text message of Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua.

 

In his tweet, Lacson questioned Panelo’s Saturday statement wherein he quoted Zhao’s text message. “Ambassador Zhao sent me a text. He said, ‘What if we also think that your overseas workers are also spying on us. What can you say about that?’...PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON OR CHINESE EMBASSY SPOKESMAN?”

 

As Eddie Villanueva quoted often, “Where the Church goes, the nation goes.” Perhaps the Church have a “lifestyle check” as well. Christian leaders and bishops also encroaching to another church’s territory. Proselyting is a common practice today even among the so-called, “holy people.”

 

 

 

  1. Immorality

Immorality is demon-inspired. How did I say that? No! It is not me but the Bible. When God created the angelic beings, they were made as sexless. But they left their original state and had sex with humans. Genesis 6:34 writes, “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” That is how started. From then on, sexual perversion and immorality have evolved more till the days of Sodom.

 

“7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.”


When we heard SOGIE Bill and Civil Partnership in the lower Congress i.e. House of Representatives, did we react or did we act. These are two different things. Other can only react and react yet doing nothing that makes us spiritual hypocrites or blind guides as it says, “” 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain (sting) at a gnat (fly), and swallow a camel, “ (Matthew 23:23-24). Besides James is clear when he said, “Faith without works is dead.” A mere preaching of a preacher from the pulpit on God’s judgment or righteousness speaks nothing without manifestation of action. Action is greater than talk rather than a preacher never walks his talk.

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Certify SOGIE bill as urgent, Duterte told

Standard; August 17, 2019 at 01:10 am by MJ Blancaflor and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Transgender woman Gretchen Diez urged President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday to certify as urgent the anti-discrimination bill aimed at protecting the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community.

 

Even LGBTQ reads as ++++ then the provision of this bill will be perpetual. Since SOGIE Bill in one of the provisions talk on gender as expression or impression or perception then seeing myself as fly in my own perception and preference can be law as well.

 

“Biology-based.:”

The comedian turned Senator said, “Sotto urges reality check: Restrooms biology-based” by Edu Punay (The Philippine Star) - August 17, 2019 - 12:00am. Then The Mandaluyong City Hall has gender-neutral restrooms as seen on the photo of Phil Star by.-Michael Varcas.

 

Reading between the lines “reality check” means are some people as proponents of the SOGIE Bill are suffering from the following – imagination, illusion or hallucinations? Which of these three? So how about the lawmakers like the Congress who already approved the SOGIE Bill, have they applied “reality-check” like have they have studied their biological or natural gender physical indicator to check what real gender is? Natural Law (Biology) and Constitutional Law supports only two genders – male and female.

 

Philippine Star writes, “Senate President Vicente Sotto III is warning against calls for sweeping reforms on restroom use, pointing out that restrooms are “biology-based” and any departure from the norm may affect the sensitivities of heterosexuals.”

 

Senator Sotto is using Natural Science in defense against the bill. Hmmm. That sound very intellectual. The comedian-senator really makes sense now. How about the lower house, the lower Congress who approved the Bill, are they on their hallucinatory-state when they voted “YES” with zero “NO?”

 

Webster define “hallucination” such as an image, a sound, a smell that seems real but does not really exist and that is usually caused by mental illness or the effect of a drug?

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If Sen. Sotto talks on “reality-check” and “biology-based” are the lawmakers who did not apply reality or natural science is in effect under the influence of drug when they approved the Bill? I thought that the present administration has “War on Drugs?”

 

But how about this, even President Duterte is pro-SOGIE as well? I thought “reality-check?” Is this whole nation is lunatic, mentally insane or drugged?

 

“Panelo: Duterte supports SOGIE bill,” as reported by Darryl John Esguerra of INQUIRER on August 15, 2019.MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte is supporting the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill, Malacañang said Thursday.

 

 

 

 

  1. Defiance and scoffing

Even Christ is reviled. They said when Christ entered Jerusalem, “Hosannah’s” then later they chorused with a loud voice, “Crucify Him!”. If the Lord has been persecuted, so are the faithful men and women of God as well.

 

Sadhu Selvaraj is not spared as well. So with Kuya Dan Balais. Both are being branded and scoffed as “false prophets.”

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Angelic beings are the fallen angels. They are spirit beings. They exist supernatural so with God as Supreme Being. If we cannot believe and understanding the things of the spirit then how can we believe God? Those who demean prophets or even prophetic movement, can they be called “animals” or “beasts” as Jude claim?

 

verse 10 “But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, “

 

Scoff “ is ”speak evil”( KJV)

  • Reproach, revile

  • Blaspheme

  • Defame

  • vilify

 

 

  1. Greed and materialism

Have you heard the Prosperity Doctrine or some Churches who talks about much on money like “the wealth of the wicked shall be given to the hands of the righteous?” While it is not sin to be rich, God looks for the motives of the hearts. Esau has been branded as “pornos” or “male prostitute” by a bowl of lentils, much more to those who deceive believers with money.

 

Jude 11, it says, “What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.”

 

What causes the common splits of churches today?

  • Church collection

  • Church properties

  • others

 

One foreign evangelist accused me of pocketing over P380,000.00 local offerings when it

is being handed over to a local treasurer of one big ministerial fellowship. The chairman

of that ministerial fellowship made no action to the “missing money.”

 

 

  1. Dangerous Reefs and Shipwrecked

Do you know what the largest sea vessel and where it originated from when it had her maiden voyage from United Kingdom going to New York?

 

Southampton, England, that is where gigantic ship Titanic originated from. Before it sailed to the seas, they said, “Not even God can sink it.” Well true enough. God did not sink it. Reefs or to be specific iceberg did it!

 

verse 12, “ When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the

Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you.”

 

Jude said these people who have wormed inside the church are the same people we

share with the Lord’s Table. They are called dangerous reefs and shipwrecked.

 

Sometimes we claimed that we believe in the Bible yet we vehemently denied what the

Scripture tells us? Are we the same worms that Jude is talking about?

 

 

  1. Grumblers and Complainers

verse 16 says, “These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.”

 

I am wondering that most of the non-tithers are the common complainers in the church?

 

When the Lord provided me a new car at my own expense, a businesswoman from our church who just recently bought a second-hand car and never gives her tithe started maligning my person both to our church members and also to non-church members and private individuals.

 

Grumblers and complainers are often not committed in the church but they always watch anyone’s mistake and shortcoming.

 

 

  1. Divisive spirits

19 “These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.””

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Often the over-critical members of the Church are our great tormentors. They never run out of unsolicited advices, criticism and complaints. They are like tares sown among the wheat looking for the leader’s slightest mistake. If you extend them for DA or disciplinary action, other churches will even condone them and even give them more juicy church positions. And their divisiveness spirit

 

 

  1. Others

 

 

How’s of deworming?
Word of caution. The LGBTQ are not enemies, they are humans and they too are equally protected by the Bill of Rights in Article III of the Philippine Constitution of 1986. Under these rights, “each one” is regarded with rights that due to him/her.


Even God did not condemned sinners from the start. He did condemn sins (John 3:16). The reason why Christ came in the form of humans is to save mankind. In other words, loves the sinner but hates the sin.

 

verse 20 , “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,[g] 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.”

  • build each other (most holy faith)

  • pray in the power of the Spirit

  • await for the mercy of Christ

  • keep yourself safe in God’s love.

 

verse 22 , “And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”



  • show mercy

  • rescue others from the flame of judgment

  • show mercy to still others

  • hate the sins that contaminate lives (not the sinners)

  • Give Him all the glory (and not to men nor to your religious affiliation)





Any hope for the worm?

Is there any hope for a worm like you and me? Jacob have been called as a worm in Isaiah 41:14. This worm called Jacob have been renamed as Israel. Even a champ in the likes of King David called himself a worm in Psalm 22:6, “But I am worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!” yet God called him “a man after God’s own heart.” Would you like to be called the same thing?





The photo below that I have taken a snapshot personally myself is the City of David, Jerusalem, whose patriarch is Jacob turned Israel, both are called “worms.” But I presumed God dewormed their lives to bring them purity in them just like you and me who needs spiritual deworming so the Church as a Bride may be presented to Him as pure and as white as snow.

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