Seven Guiding Convictions This National Election

MY 7 GUIDING CONVICTIONS THIS 2016 NATIONAL ELECTION 

Rev. Greg B. Fernandez Jr. 

April 25, 2016

1. I seek the Lord’s wisdom in choosing the best one for the presidential post.
Seeking wisdom from God is needed; only God knows the future and only He can guide us to make the best choice that honors Him.

2. I am and will be a good citizen no matter who is the president.

I don't wait for strong with an iron fist president before I will become a good citizen. Genuine change begins in me. Before there can be a change in the country, there has to be change within. Why don't we start disposing our trash properly? 

3. I don’t believe everything the media is feeding me. 
The media is not neutral and they don't observe the principle of impartiality. Not only that, people are creating black propaganda to malign and damage other candidates. 

4. I will not bash and slander other presidential candidates; I campaign for my bet. 

We don't have to destroy others to lift up the candidates we support. Bashing people who have different opinion from you is not a good example, Rather than destroying other aspirants, why don't you just focus campaigning for your bet? Thinking you can convince those who are already convinced others to join you is pointless. Destroying their bet makes you their enemies. I advice people to focus on campaigning for their candidates. The problem is, may of of my friends FB wall contains post on the candidates they are against with.  

I have not really campaign for anybody.  The video I uploaded few days ago concerning the Candidacy of Mayor Duterte is not for campaign perse. I found the movie funny and I am sure my friends would enjoy it so I shortened the movie and uploaded on Facebook. I didn't expect, it would become viral. Although, the movie's content is really to campaign for Duterte, the reason I uploaded was not to campaign but to share what the Igorot friends made. If you scroll down on my wall, there are no other post I've made introducing or campaigning for anybody. I admit I have my own preference, but I have not publicly endorse nor campaign for my bet because I know how divisive politics is. We don't have to agree who among the presidential candidates is the best for our country, but we don't have to become enemies. 

5. I will support and vote, not who I think is the best for me, but I will vote for the one I believe is the best for my country.

Some people are voting for a certain candidate for the benefit they can get before or after election. Some sell their vote. They are simply voting for what they can get now or later. I will vote for the future. I believe the person I am voting for is the best candidates to fix the rotten system of the Philippine government. 

6. I will vote based on my conviction not on popular opinion.

I am not voting based on the majority of opinion but based on my conviction. It is easy just to jump into bandwagon without a personal stand and conviction. Don't vote for someone just because everyone else is, but vote for the one you believe who can make a difference.

7. I will respect and support the result of the may 9 election.

I will respect and support whoever is honestly elected and voted by the majority of the Filipino people, with the hope that no cheating on the election is carried out.

Viral Video: LAMPITOK Endorses Duterte, Rocks the Igorot World

A short Igorot movie for Rodrigo Duterte has gone viral on Facebook within 24 hours after it was uploaded on April 22, 2016. The movie was first uploaded on YouTube on April 17 by Boyong Daguiness, the editor of the film and then shared on Facebook, but it has not gone viral until Greg Fernandez Jr uploaded a shortened version of the movie directly on his Facebook account yesterday. Within 24 hours after it's been uploaded on Facebook, the video has garnered  20,000 views and was shared 1,300 times.

Short version (28 minutes)

Although the clips of Duterte speeches are in Tagalog, the movie is in the Kankanaey dialect, one of the major regional dialects in the Cordillera region.

Igorot Films, the creator of Lampitok movie, has produced a 52-minute movie, Pabuyan Di Igorot Para Ken Duterte (Igorot Movie for Duterte), as endorsement and support for the presidential candidacy of Mayor Duterte.

The shortened version begins with scenes as Lampitok convinces his friend, Balatnek, to vote for Duterte by showing video clips of Duterte's viral speeches, including the famous song made by Freddie Aguilar for Duterte. After watching the Aguilar's song, Balatnek was convinced to vote and campaign for Duterte. 

Long version (52 minutes)

Due to some request, here is the movie in Ilocano (Cordilleran accent) with Tagalog subtitle. 

How Powerful is Your Tongue

A photo pass on my Facebook wall today with this words on it: "The tongue has no bones, but it is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words." This is so true. How may hearts have been broken because of careless hearts. Words are powerful. The words we tell children remains a lifetime. Words can break or build the life of someone. But, not only the tongue is strong to break hearts but the tongue is also powerful to destroy relationships. Let us not only let us be careful with our words as to not break others, but let us also weigh in words we hear from others. Once we believe a gossip, it can damage and destroy relationships.

Burnham Minstries International Cambodia

Dr Jonathan Burnham, the President of  Burnham Ministries International

Yesterday, inside a beautiful conference room at the Intercontinental Hotel in Phnom Penh, I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Jonathan Burham as he shared with me personally the vision and ministry of Burnham Ministries International (BMI). BMI has trained thousands of leaders in 25 countries worldwide. It was a rare privilege for me to sit for over two hours and be inspired by the president of BMI. Theologically, Dr Burnham is a scholar with a masters and PhD from Oxford University. Ministerially, he is an expert. A third generation pastor with over 20 years in pastoral experience. He started a church in his mid-20s that grew to 3,000 members in 10 years. He left pastoral ministry to focus on mentoring top Christian leaders around the world and Cambodian leaders have been privileged to go through the training program called The 7 Steps of the Christian life and Encountering Christ. 

Dr. Jonathan Burnham, BMI President and Greg at Intercontinental Hotel, Phnom Penh

My one-one-one meeting with Dr. Burnham challenged me to take more responsibilities in mentoring next generation leaders. I love his passion to train and mentor top Christian leaders worldwide. Rather than training hundred of local pastors, his focus is to the top leaders. It was unfortunate that I have not really been mentored in the past by someone personally. My mentors has been authors of books whom I have never met personally. At age 43, I wonder if someone is still interested to mentor me. 

Dr. Jonathan Burnham speaking during a Pastors'Marriage Seminar in Phnom Penh, April 10, 2016

During the marriage conference with 14 couples in attendance, Burnham reminded us that our marriage is the most powerful testimony we can showcase to non-believers. He also re-enforced that the goal of marriage is to become one (leaving parents emotionally and be glued to our spouse) and that the purpose of marriage is not for our own personal happiness but to grow together into holiness-to be more like Christ. 

Are You an Expert on Somebody Else's Life Except Your Own?

Have you notice that everybody is an expert on somebody else life except their own? They know what advice to give to others. In their minds, they know the solution on how to fix the world's problem. They even know how to run a country better than Obama or Putin. The trouble about this people is that they can fix someone else except theirs. If the truth were known, they have personal issues they not overcome. Their life is a mess one way or another. 

Don't get me wrong. There are people who have credibility, integrity and authority to talk. They are masters of their own trade and have experiences to back their words. They are tested in the fire of experience. Do our words have credibility? Words and promises are nothing without previous action. You can't simply talk about the future or promise the moon without talking about previous or recent accomplishment. 

What if we stop talking and start doing? What if we live by example first before trying to lead others? What if we fix our life first before attempting to fix others?