Filed under: Community, Faith, Friends, Joy, Reflection, Victory, elim, worship | Tags: Community, elim, Faith, fisher, God, Good News, Jesus, Prayer, salt, worship
My wife recently had old friends over to the house to celebrate the birthday of an old classmate of theirs. Back in the day, they were a close knit band of rowdy friends hanging out not just in campus but around town as well… They’d go to bars, restaurants, regular hang-outs just to chit-chat the night away while drinking alcohol coupled with a handful (to put it mildly) of cigarettes on the side.
This was their old life. Mine didn’t differ too much from theirs… sans the smoking and drinking of course. I never was the drinking type… nor was I hooked on nicotine and tobacco. But that doesn’t mean my old life was more righteous in any sense… it was just as regretful.
Though I didn’t participate in booze sessions within the confines of smoke filled bars and restaurants with friends, I did engage in conversations with them which promoted distasteful humor and gossip and reveled in others misfortunes just to name a few. Who hasn’t at one time or another?
But now that my wife and I have entered community and renewed our personal relationship with the Lord, it has totally transformed us and completely overhauled our way of life. It has changed the way we act, the way we speak, even the way we think.
But just as we get more and more comfortable being around folks who share the same zeal and faith in God, more and more also do we get uncomfortable with individuals who engage in immoral and ungodly activities which we once considered to be “okay”.
I remember when, a few months back, I was invited to go to an event out of community wherein it would expose me to the old crowd that I used to hang out with… I was, at first, eager to touch base with them and catch up on old times… but as soon as I was in the same room with them, everything seemed so different… it felt really weird… in front of me were people whom I used to be very very close with and yet it was as if the way we were conversing was that of one stranger talking to another… shooting the breeze, so to speak, took so much effort on my part… in fact, the usual gossiping and worldly humor that could be seen (and heard) in every corner of the room made me want to bolt out and go home.
It was apparent that I have significantly detached myself from these worldly and unnecessary practices.
But I realized soon after that it wasn’t enough for me to just be satisfied with being in and around community and to simply keep off the “outside” world and its false promises which I have so quickly grown out of. In as much as I’d like to avoid being away from the company of people in community, so too must I be immersed in situations wherein I am put in the midst of individuals who are caught up in worldly matters.
It is our mission to bring the word of God to people who have not fully realized the impact it has in their lives. The Word is not something to be kept only within yourself… The Word was meant to be shared in order to save everyone from eternal damnation. We have the Word within us… and by being in the presence of those who have yet to encounter Christ in a more personal manner, it is through us and our witnessing that they may be able to gain knowledge and ultimately salvation.
The salt has to be in the soup, in a manner of speaking.
“You are the salt of the Earth…”, says Matthew 5:13… “salt”, the ingredient which effects preservation and prevents corruption…
Salt are we who have heard the Good News and incorporate it in our daily life. Salt are those who have learned of Christ and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
Not the apostles, not ministers only; but all of us who are thus holy, are the salt of the earth - are to season others.
Now, whenever I find myself in situations wherein I am in the company of those who aren’t part of community, I rejoice and give thanks. I do so knowing for a fact that the Lord has given me another opportunity to spread the Good News… a new opportunity to testify and to witness to others…
…to truly live the life of one who is called a disciple of Christ…
…one who is a “fisher of men”.
Filed under: Community, Faith, Kids, Prayer, Victory, elim, worship | Tags: elim, Faith, God, Jesus, Kids, Love, praise, religion, rosario, worship
Last Wednesday… we headed back to Rosario, Cavite to resume our regular weekly Team Revival Nights. We didn’t hold one the previous Wednesday since it was Holy Week.
Well, I’m glad (and relieved) to see that a good amount of kids have started coming back to attend service. Seems like the “body organ snatching syndicate” (for lack of a better name) have died down a bit. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t around… they just probably wanted to lay low for the moment.
The syndicate have not been caught yet… but how could they if the authorities themselves are the ones who are first to ignore the cries of the helpless victims? The police and government agencies have quickly dismissed the issue as rumors and make believe.
I have already delved on that issue “in depth” on one of my previous posts so I won’t go another round at it for now… my story is about the kids who have come back.
It was like a breath of fresh air… seeing the little children playing all around the Marian Hall before the start of service. The noise that we were used to… the laughter and tiny happy shrieks of boys and girls all around the venue gave renewed hope to the dwellers of our community that love ever abounds and that the Lord always triumphs over evil.
We pray that the horrible incidents of the past weeks are now over and behind us. And though some people may say that since our authorities have discounted these reports as nonsense… there is nothing we can do, I would be quick to disagree.
There is something we can do. Pray. True and effective prayer. In fact, it is the only effective means of battling and overcoming every form of affliction and adversity. It is something most people have taken for granted… a way of life that has now been degraded to some sort of ritual… a personal relationship with our Almighty God that has been traded for a life of uncertainty.
This is our wake up call. God is our first resort… not our last. If he isn’t first in your lives… then a reevaluation is in order.
Be like the kids in Rosario… learn from them… See their faith. Feel their faith.
It is what brings them back to service… back to the Lord… again and again. No matter what the cost…
…even their lives.
“The best place any Christian can ever be in is to be totally destitute and totally dependent upon God, and know it.” - Alan Redpath
Filed under: Community, Faith, Family, Joy, Love, Reflection, Victory, marriage | Tags: anniversary, Faith, God, husband, Jesus, Love, marriage, wife
Can’t imagine that another year has passed… it seemed just like yesterday when my wife and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary.
All of a sudden it’s March 24 again and we’re chalking up another year of togetherness with all the ups and downs that come with it. But this particular anniversary is extra special for us, because we are not just simply celebrating our life together as husband and wife as we always do every year… this is the first anniversary we are observing with the Lord at the center of our relationship!
Though it’s been 7 years now, our marriage seems to have been jump-started anew ever since we entered community… because only now have we really engaged in a relationship with God taking the driver’s seat.
Happy Anniversary, honey! This day is more meaningful to me because our Lord takes the lead and we simply follow in faith. Our marriage is not in our hands anymore, but in His. Tests and trials are to be expected as usual but I know that this time each hurdle brings us closer to God and further strengthens our bond with one another.
Praise God for you… for us… and for the anniversaries that are yet to come. I love you very much. Hamwah!
Filed under: Faith, Joy, Victory, worship | Tags: God, Jesus, Easter, Ressurection, Glorious, tomb, empty
Hallelujah! The Lord is Risen!!!
The tomb is empty… go and spread the news!
HAPPY EASTER!!!
Filed under: Faith, Ramblings, Random Thoughts, Reflection, Sorrow, worship | Tags: God, Jesus, Faith, Love, passion
I came from a recollection earlier today held at our Catholic community’s headquarters… and coming out of it was just refreshing! What better way to spend Good Friday than to spend it on a short retreat.
So, likewise I share this to you… something to think about for the rest of the Holy Week…
We can only fully comprehend how much God loved us when we learn of His passion.
May we all reflect on Christ’s sufferings… as he was mocked, scourged, crowned with thorns, beaten and bloodied and ultimately crucified. May we realize that Jesus not only took on our sins and infirmities but also all our sufferings.
Glory to the Lord… Creator of the Universe… the Alpha and Omega… Ruler of everything seen and unseen.
Filed under: Faith, Prayer, Random Thoughts, stories | Tags: God, Jesus, Faith, Lord, blind, give, blessing, grace, provision, beggar
I was used!!! Yes… indeed, I was. But this particular phrase is more commonly associated with deception and opportunistic agendas conjured by conniving individuals, right? You hear it time and time again… on television, in the movies, all over… ” I was used!”. In fact, it’s even so common that the phrase sounds so cliche!
Okay, let me elaborate on how I was actually “used”…
We Christians (Catholics and otherwise) believe that God constantly presents opportunities for us to be a blessing to others… we just have to be conscious about these chances.
When you ask something of God, provisions or blessings, the Lord will ask of us to be all the more giving. This is totally opposite from what a worldly person would say. Material thinking would tell your better judgement to hold on to what you have and tighten up the pocket.
Just read the bible… Jesus teaches us all throughout the Gospels to do the opposite… “give in order to receive”… “love your enemies”… “when you’re hit on the left cheek, give your right cheek”… it goes on and on… yet the lot of us still refuse to follow.
Why am I talking about this? What has this got to do with me being used?
Well… on our way home late last night, as I was driving, my wife started speaking to the Lord… I just heard her saying, “I love you, Lord…” like a little girl being sweet to a daddy. I asked her why… she said she was asking for provisions since our wallets were almost running on empty. So, I myself engaged in an informal prayer… more like a simple conversation with God. Remember, this was all happening as I was driving home looking for a place to stop by to have a quick dinner.
We passed by a lot of pretty decent fast food restaurants but somehow weren’t attracted to any of them. We were led to a simple open-air restaurant for no reason… so we parked and went in.
As we were eating… we noticed a couple by the corner of the counter near where we were seated. They were blind and drinking sodas. I realized… “Hey, these are the blind beggars that I always encounter on the same street I pass by whenever I head to my community’s headquarters.
My wife and I were so crushed as we saw them obviously hungry and settling for a soda and water. It was all they could afford. We decided to order food for them… it didn’t matter that they didn’t know who it came from as long as they understood that it was a blessing from the Lord and NOT from us. Then we ordered a plate of beef and rice for them… and it touched us all the more when we saw the beggar give thanks to the Lord and prayed before eating. It dawned on me immediately that we were led to that particular place by the Lord to become channels of blessing from God to these needy individuals. We were used by God to bless others.
Truly, the Lord is great! He blesses those in need and at the same time opens our hearts to Him. We ask for blessings so He asks us to be giving to others… and in that way the Lord blesses us back as well.
By ministering to them, we are ministered back by realizing that whatever little we considered to have is still a whole lot when compared to others who have practically nothing… not even their sights.
“Whatever you did for the least of My brothers and sisters, you did for Me.” - Matthew 25:40
It feels great to be used. Praise be to God forever!
Filed under: Faith, Family, Prayer, Reflection, Sorrow | Tags: care, Faith, forgive, God, grandfather, Holy Spirit, intensive, Jesus, Love
Earlier this evening, I came from the hospital where my grandfather was admitted. He was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and was pretty much in bad shape when I came to see him. Most of his immediate family were there to get word on his condition… some offered prayers and made sure the doctors were tending to him competently.
You see, my grandfather has been suffering from Cancer for quite some time now… Cancer… the Big “C” (as some would call it). What’s interesting to note, however, was that my grandfather was still talkative and in high spirits just last week when he was also admitted to the hospital but for a different reason… (hernia surgery).
Now he’s back in the same hospital… but this time, doctors say he might not be able to leave that place anymore. His entire body just isn’t responding to any of the medications that are being given to him anymore. He was given a plasma treatment which he so desperately needs to recover but was ordered by doctors to immediately suspend treatment since his body couldn’t take it any longer and was just damaging his heart all the more. His kidneys have already shut down just yesterday and has completely deteriorated. His dialysis costs roughly P50,000.00 (equivalent to about $1,250.00) per session.
As I entered his ICU room, I could see my grandmother and my mother crying… I touched my grandfather and spoke to him. He heard my voice… nodded… murmured something I couldn’t understand (because of the tubes inserted into his mouth)… and tried to open his eyes to see me.
It crushed me.
I didn’t know what to do. All of a sudden, I heard a voice whisper to me… “Pray now. Pray for your grandfather.” I knew it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me… compelling me to engage in prayer and to lift up to the Lord my grandfather’s well-being.
And so I did. I prayed over him… I asked the Lord to send forth the Spirit… to give my grandfather the inspiration to pray and seek forgiveness from God for everything that he believes should still be confessed. I prayed for healing… not just for physical healing… but for the healing of hearts and of relationships between him and family members… healing of emotions.
Though I trust that the Lord can heal my grandfather if He so wills it, I trust God all the more with the plan that He has for his life. I have so much faith in my Lord… regardless of the outcome. I praise and glorify His name for His will is divine.
The Big “C” has no power over my Big “G” (God). Though it seems that Cancer has taken its toll on my grandpa’s body… it has no effect over his spirit. His body may be broken, but his soul is made whole by the Lord…
…and that’s all that really matters. Hah! Take THAT, Cancer!
My God wins.
Filed under: Community, Faith, Prayer, Random Thoughts, worship | Tags: ceremony, exodus, Faith, jew, moses, passover, pesach, ritual
Yesterday was truly an experience worth treasuring. Our community, Elim, has a string of events scheduled for the entire Holy Week and last night was the celebration of “Pesach”…
A ceremonial dinner was held at the auditorium and family members were provided their own respective tables. My family was requested to be on stage where a table was set for us as well. We were assigned to be the “model family” so that those in the other tables can watch how the ritual was to be done.
I am so thankful to the Lord that my wife and two kids were given the opportunity to serve as well.
Now, just what is “Pesach”, you ask?
Pesach is the Biblical holiday that commemorates the Hebrews’ rapid departure from ancient Egypt. The Jews had just endured over 200 years of exile, including several decades of torturous slave labor, and now God was going to fulfill His promise to Abraham—the promise to redeem the Jews and do justice to their slave-masters. Right before the Exodus, God commands the Jews to sacrifice one lamb per family and mark the Jewish doorposts with its blood. This would be a sign for God to “pass over” the Jewish homes as He slew the Egyptian firstborn—the last of ten supernatural attacks on the Egyptians. This is the origin of the name “Passover.”
We observe Passover much the same way the Jews did on the original Passover during the exodus from Egypt. Ever since its inception the Passover mandate was to purge the home of any grain-based leavened item before Passover, to eat Matzah and bitter herbs on Passover, and (when we have a Holy Temple in Jerusalem) to bring a lamb as a Passover offering. The lamb is not done today due to the Temple’s absence - may it be rebuilt speedily in our days, but everything else is: the mad, meticulous scrubbing and cleaning of every nook and cranny, the Seders with the Matzah and bitter herbs, as well as four cups of wine, and the Shabbat-like services on the first and last days.
The lesson of Pesach is that you have unlimited potential. In Hebrew, Egypt is Mitzrayim—etymologically related to meitzarim, or borders. The moral of the Exodus story is that we all can escape our personal Egypts. And the “seek-and-destroy-any-leavened-particle” part of Passover teaches us to eradicate our puffed-up, inflated, doughy egos and be simple, flat, unleavened Matzot. The holiday of Pesach contains innumerable lessons, laws and customs.
Filed under: Community, Faith, Kids, Prayer, Random Thoughts, Reflection, Sorrow, Struggle, worship | Tags: abduction, cavite, children, Kids, money, organs, Philippines, rosario
I recently came from my regular Elim missions work over at Rosario, Cavite…
For those who don’t know… I am part of a team that goes to that particular province every week to serve and participate in praise and worship service for Elim dwellers in that area. I have met a lot of good friends over there… young and old… people who are simply just happy to serve the Lord and serve others as well.
I have posted a good number of pictures here in my blog of my recent visits to Rosario and for those who have probably seen those images, you’d notice that there is a significant amount of kids which come over during our services… mostly from “Dreamland” (a neighborhood built entirely on top of mountains and piles of garbage). These folks exist in the worst and dire of circumstances. Flimsy shanties erected on stench-filled waste and plastic and no electricity.
Last Wednesday’s service was particularly different from all the other Wednesday services we’ve held. There were no kids to be found anywhere near the hall (and church) where our events are staged. At first, we thought it was just coincidence… little did we know that as soon as we inquired as to why there were no children present, we would learn of tragic and very disturbing news that have been circulating in the entire city.
There is a syndicate that has been making the rounds within the Southern Tagalog region since the past week abducting kids between the ages of 5 to 20. It wasn’t so much the abduction part that surprised us but what these people have been doing to those helpless kids once they’ve been nabbed…
These kids are then found a few days later in the same location where they were last seen… their bodies inserted in a sack… lifeless… their eyes and internal organs missing. Sometimes, these bodies are discovered with money ranging between Php 7,000.00 - Php 10,000.00 plugged into their slashed tummies… the syndicate’s wicked and twisted way of justifying their heinous acts and compensating the grieving parents of these children.
These stolen organs are sold to the black market. Sometimes, the child is found with a note on him that says things like, “Pagpasensyahan niyo na po… napagutusan lang” (in English, “Our apologies, we are just following orders.”).
What kind of person can do such a thing…?! To a child no less! How can they look into the innocent eyes of these helpless kids and commit the crimes that they do?!
Have we reached an all-time low? Has poverty pushed society over the edge?
Just because these young ones aren’t cared for and are regarded to have no bright future ahead of them, doesn’t give these individuals the right to take their lives… nor does it rationalize their evil deeds.
As we started our worship service yesterday… a regular dweller of ours was in tears learning that her classmate met the same fate. Her classmate was about 14 years old.
Some of the kids who were abducted were not alone walking the streets… some were nabbed right under their mother’s noses… and should the parent/guardian fight back or hold on to their children, they were either killed on the spot or their hands were immediately cut-off to release the kids. Some of the abductors were even reported to wear nun outfits (yes, some of the perpetrators are female).
It’s equally painful to read something like this and realize that some people who actually CAN help simply brush away the issue and regard it as urban legend, nonsense and hearsay.
As we did our opening song entitled, “Purihin Ang Ngalan Ni Yahweh” (in English, “Praise the Name of Yahweh”), a song we’ve performed countless times in Rosario, the lyrics of the refrain had more meaning, strength and resolve as people who attended the gathering sang in unity with the words as follows:
“Sa kabila ng paghihirap, (in spite of hardships)
Sa kabila ng kadiliman, (in spite of darkness)
Di magsisisi kahit minsan, (never shall I regret)
Papuri pa rin sa Iyong ngalan…” (Your name I shall always praise)
May the Lord comfort the grieving families and friends of those whose lives have been so mercilessly taken… may He bring swift justice to those who have been behind these wicked acts… and may we all find the shelter and protection we so desperately need that only God can provide.
I urge everyone to please say a prayer for these children. May God bless us all.
