Hello again. may time ulit ako para magsulat kaya ito, online na naman ako. Well, lagi naman.

‘Di lang naman siguro ako ang may sentimyento na mabuti na lang talaga may Internet na ngayong panahon natin, especially ngayong habang may community quarantine. Napakadaming benefits… And well, madami ding bad effects. I would even argue na for every benefit na pwede nating malista, may katapat itong negative.

Dahil sa Internet, ang dali lang para sa atin ang magspread ng news; sa sobrang dali nga pati fake news eh ang daling kumalat (hello there, Mocha Uson 👋). Dahil sa Internet, ang daling malaman ang kasagutan sa mga tanong na matagal na nating gustong malaman like ‘ano nga bang spelling at meaning ng salitang pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis’, ‘talaga bang nakaka-cause ng autism ang vaccines’, ‘ano ba talaga ang nauna, manok o itlog’ or ‘gaano na ba katagal ang series ng Ang Probinsyano’—huwag ka nga lang umasa na palaging tama attotoo ang mababasa mo. Dahil sa Internet, napadali para sa mga tao ang pakikipag-usap. In fact, hindi mo na kailangang magsalita ngayon para lang makipag-usap. Type-type ka na lang, paganahin mo lang ang kadaldalan ng utak mo, konting ‘hahaha’ and emoji, nakakapag-usap na tayo. ‘Yun nga lang, parang hindi na tayo marunong makipag-usap sa personal ng tama. Dahil sa Internet, madali na lang mag-labas ng saloobin; minsan nga, pati mga nagkakautang sa atin, pinaparinggan natin sa Internet. Magbayad kasi kayo! HAHAHA. At of course, madami pang iba. Paki-Google nyo na lang. 😉

Man, being the creature na binigyan ng high capacity to be creative, created the Internet for good reasons. Actually, lahat naman ng bagay na in-invent ng tao eh originally were intended for good use: like guns, knives, medicines, etc. Pero yung sinful nature ng man causes him to use these things with malice. Yung baril na sana pang-protect sa life, ginagamit to end life by murderers. Knives, pang-hiwa sana ng kung anu-anong bagay, kaso ginagamit to inflict harm sa iba. Medicines, instead na gamitin to prolong life, ina-abuse ng iba for recreation and yung iba, even abortion. You know what I mean. Ang Internet, being one of the products of human creativity na may madaming positibong gamit, because of man’s sinful flesh eh ginagamit din ng iba as justification sa katamaran kaka-games, sex trafficking, pornography, illegal trading, theft, and even murder via character assasination and false witnessing. Man’s autonomy driven by his weak, sinful flesh and fueled by Satan’s deception has never caused any good but evil.

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
Titus 1:15 (ESV)

I once had an issue sa work where I tried installing a torrent client sa work laptop. A torrent client para sa mga hindi nakaka-alam is a peer-to-peer file transfer application sa computer which is commonly (but not always) used for piracy ng applications, music, files, archives and all sorts of digital files. (And no, hindi po ako advocate ng piracy.) I was curious kung magwowork, so I tried installing it. I did not download anything illegaly through the client, I just checked if it will install and if it will be usable para makapag-upload ako ng personal files. The company policy states na bawal ang pagi-install ng mga non-related sa work na tools, and yet I did. And guess what, nahuli ako and I went through long scrutiny because of it. I deserved it. Matigas ulo ko. Kung yung kumpanya nga nagagalit for my misuse of their asset, how much more pa kaya si Lord na nagkaloob ng lahat ng meron tayo and yet we use them for all the wrong purposes.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
Proverbs 21:2 (ESV)

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
James 4:17 (ESV)

Bilang isang Kristyano, naniniwala ako sa sinasabi ng Bibliya na noong ginawa ng Diyos ang mundo, He saw that the earth and everything that He created in it was good—including man. With man were his tools: his health, his speech, his creativity, his mind, his strength, his abilities. And the Lord has given these tools to man para i-govern godly ang entire creation. Nagbago na lamang ang ihip ng hangin noong in-entertain ng man ang sin sa mundong ito. And that caused everything to turn ugly. Man was separated to God because of sin, and ever since mankind has been enslaved to sin. Now he desires to be autonomous—denying the rule of God over man. Man denied God’s law, His authority, His existence, and His goodness. So death, evil, birth pains, suffering and pain, hostility ng creation sa man, etcetera became our reality as God’s judgment to sin. It was so bad that the totality of man has been subject into depravity because of sin; now his work, his tools, his motives, his desire, his plans, his thoughts, his heart—lahat about man naging tainted by sin. Only God could ever save man. Man is hopeless. He cannot come to God. And the only way for man to be saved is if God would initiate and work on man’s salvation. And by His grace through His Son, Jesus Christ, He saved all that would repent and believe in Christ. Praise God!

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.
Ecclesiastes 7:29 (ESV)

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:16-19 (ESV)

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
Psalm 14:1 (ESV)

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
Romans 5:12 (ESV)

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
Romans 7:14-19 (ESV)

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:22 (ESV)

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:44 (ESV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (ESV)

Ang tools ng man ay considered na wealth ng man. Yes—it is on the same level as money, and yes, hindi lang money ang pasok sa category ng wealth. And ang bawat wealth ng man ay subject sa responsibility ng man at sa authority ng Diyos. And no, we are not entitled to these wealths, bagkus, they are privileges that the Lord has given us out of His mercy and grace. And what does the Lord want us to do with our wealth? He wants us to use it for His glory and for His purposes. He wants man to exercise his godly responsibility over his possessions, utilizing them in honoring ways sa Diyos na nagbigay sa kanya; for none of these things will even be his in the first place if God did not give them to him. Sadly, it’s through these possessions that the pride of life in man commonly manifests—all because we choose to use them for our own purposes thinking na hindi tayo accountable sa Diyos for how we have used them.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
1 Chronicles 29:14 (ESV)

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
1 John 2:16 (ESV)

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
John 8:42-47

Walang ibang call ang Gospel but our repentance and belief sa Panginoon. And by belief, hindi lang basta paniniwala sa existence nya, but also sa power nya to give life or destroy souls, sa truth and authority ng law-Word nya, sa sovereignty nya over the universe. And yes—it may come as a surprise, pero saklaw ng government ng Panginoon ang Internet. Let us humble ourselves before God and repent from our wickedness. Let us not become fools by following our hearts in searching for pleasure ng flesh natin. Instead, let us follow God sa kanyang good and perfect law by practicing holiness—hanggang sa paggamit ng Internet.

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
Psalm 103:19 (ESV)

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19:7 (ESV)

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV)

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah 1:3 (ESV)

Internet may be a petty subject to consider for a long discussion like this; pero I hope it reminds us that no matter how petty a thing may be, it is subject to God’s authority. Let’s submit to the King, lest we perish eternally.

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Luke 11:28 (ESV)

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Galatians 6:7-8 (ESV)

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28 (ESV)

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 2:12 (ESV)

Have you glorified God sa pag-gamit mo ng Internet today?