Neil Corpuz

Dear family, relatives, brethren, friends, and everyone! From our family to yours, have a New Year 2026 filled with God's love, blessings, favor, and protection! May God be glorified in our lives. Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of life!

Let me share with you a short message about the ABC of welcoming the New Year right!

A - Always be thankful to God!
(Psalm 106:1;
Ephesians 5:20;
1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Being thankful to God always does not mean we cannot be bummed out or experience disappointment. Thankfulness is a deeply rooted trust that God is good, we have more than we deserve, and that God is at work in all things, even disappointments.
Thanksgiving during difficult times is the assurance of promises that were given to us by God, primarily the trust of His sovereignty, His goodness, and His timing. That it is all working together for our good and His glory. (Romans 8:28)

B - Be joyful in the Lord!
(Nehemiah 8:10;
Psalm 118:24;
Philippians 4:4)

Genuine Christian joy isn't circumstantial happiness but an inner attitude of hope in God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, even in the midst of trials, achieved through constant prayer, as it's God's will for believers to live a life reflecting His joy and peace.
Be joyful in the Lord always! That means right now, today, in this moment, in this situation, with what we have, the family we have, the job we have, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. This type of joy doesn’t come because of any of these material things, but to God, where everything comes from. (Romans 11:36)

C - Compare not yourself with others!

(2 Corinthians 10:12;
Galatians 6:4;
Philippians 2:2-4)

Comparison is a silent killer. It is the thief of peace and joy. When we compare ourselves to those better than us, we become discouraged. When we compare ourselves to those who are inferior to us, we become prideful.
Instead of comparing ourselves with others, we are to esteem others better than us, strive harder to be of help to others, and praise God for everything He entrusted to us! (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

God bless us all and to Him be all the Glory and Honor forever and ever. Amen!

Making Better Choices

“Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

XVII - Better is a Nearby Neighbor than a Far Away Brother!

The point of Solomon here is not that we should ignore family. Taken as a whole, the lesson is that we should not depend on blood relatives simply because they are blood relatives. Friends and neighbors can be just as helpful in a crisis. In fact, it's possible for friendships to become closer than family ties.

“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Rather than look to relatives who are physically distant or emotionally distant, we should first rely on those around us. The second half of this proverb seems to be an expression in and of itself. That makes this verse almost a "proverb within a proverb," where Solomon cites a known turn of phrase to emphasize his point.

Blood relationships have obvious meaning, but the real measure of a relationship is in love, not simply birth. Scripture includes several examples and lessons emphasizing this.

“Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”
‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.” But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. In our busy lives we may not take time to cultivate the kind of friendship that is loving, but everyone needs to be a good neighbor and to have a good neighbor.

Unfortunately, in crowded cities many people cannot even name their next-door neighbor. Second Kings 4:1–7 relates the story of the desperate plight of the widow of one of the sons of the prophets.

She was deeply in debt and had nothing but a jar of oil. At Elisha's directive, she borrowed containers from her neighbors. She poured oil from her jar into these and they filled with oil, which she could sell to pay off her debts. Apparently, the widow enjoyed a good relationship with her close neighbors.

“A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.””
‭‭II Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Better is a near neighbor than a distant brother. The words “near” and “far off” govern our interpretation of this statement. These terms may be geographical. If so, near is close to where you live and far off is a great distance from where you live.

However, these terms may be emotional. If so, near is one with whom you freely share your heart, and far off is one with whom you seldom confide and share your heart. While either of these interpretations may fit, the second seems to fit the context better.

Nearness is better during a calamity, a near neighbor or friend is far better than a relative who is far off. During a calamity, an intimate friend is far better than a relative with whom you share a little closeness.

Proverbs 27:10 urge us to develop close friendships with worthy people who will share a sweet soul counsel with us in times of calamity. God wants us to develop wise friendships with those who will give us counsel that is godly. Also, as friends, we must seek to live godly so that we can also give counsel that is good to our friends.

Making Better Choices

“Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

XVI - It is Better to be Poor than Dishonest!

It is better to be poor than dishonest; it resembles other comments which put personal integrity above other concerns.

“Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Loyalty is another translation of the Hebrew term which the ESV renders here as steadfast love. To remain loyal to a friend in trouble is risky; choosing to retain that relationship can be costly but shows great integrity.

The contrasting reputation to "loyalty" or "steadfast love" would be the person who uses deceit for their own gain: a liar. To deceive to get ahead demonstrates the opposite of personal integrity, which holds to truth even when it's inconvenient.

The Word of God rarely presents legitimate love in purely emotional terms: real love always inspires action. A loving man is kind to others. There is more honor in being a poor man who shows kindness and help for others than to be rich and pretend to be unable to help others.

1 Corinthians 13 teaches that love is the greatest characteristic defining a life influenced by Christ. Without love, everything else, including rhetoric, the ability to understand prophecy, great faith, charity, and even martyrdom amounts to nothing. Love is patient, kind, humble, enduring, and lasting. Pretending to be loving is hypocritical.

According to the book of Proverbs 6:16-17, "a lying tongue" and "a false witness who breathes out lies" are things God explicitly hates.

“There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Love and honesty receive the favor of God, but unkindness and deceit receive His judgment. It is far better to live poorly or in poverty than to enjoy wealth or gain riches through deceit, dishonesty, or lies.

“Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is nothing wrong in getting rich or being rich. But being poor and living with honesty, integrity, and loyalty is far better than riches gained through evil deeds.

“Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬