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Whoa! What better place to celebrate Pentecost Revival than in Baguio City, an area known for its wonderful ambience and refreshing atmosphere… ! The overwhelming success of bringing revival to the Summer Capital of the Philippines last May 10, 2008, and how it was embraced by the crowd there is something that we can only credit to the Holy Spirit and the power He has poured forth to the droves and droves who came to the venue to open-heartedly receive.
Praise God…! Revival has arrived to Baguio City!
We could already feel the Spirit during rehearsals in the venue… it was unmistakable! Praise and worship run-throughs were already powerful and the entire production crew could already feel the intense atmosphere during setup and preparations.
Though we only had the chance to stay for about 3 days… the climb up was well worth it. May revival spread all over northern Luzon because of this empowerment by the Lord.
But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” -Acts 1:8
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There are times when the Lord leads you to do things which you just have to obediently follow and obey…
He pulls you away from one direction and leads you to another… and you just have to trust that He has your best interest at heart.
Earlier this afternoon, things have unraveled so fast that I kind of got lost in the flurry of how my life was turned upside down and inside out by the Lord… and only this evening have things started to sink in…
It kind of popped up in my mind already much earlier today but I kind of brushed it off during that moment… but it was once again triggered as I was talking with my wife over dinner.
I hurriedly sought advice and guidance which I badly needed to help me get over the depression that was building up inside of me… and the answer was clear: To rejoice and delight in God’s will… no matter what.
So now, though extremely saddened to part with people whom I have grown to love and care for, I faithfully submit to my Lord’s divine will as he opens a new chapter in my life.
I just praise and thank Him for the wonderful opportunity He has given me to serve in an area which has opened my eyes, my heart and soul… a place which will always be close to my heart… and for giving me the chance to meet people and kids whose strength and resilience through faith have greatly ministered back to me.
I look forward to the day when I shall once again be reunited with them.
To my Rosario family… I already miss all of you. You guys will always be in my heart and in my prayers.
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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 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”.
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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 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
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Yesterday (Saturday), I left around 8:30AM from the Elim Global Headquarters and headed off to Famy, Quezon with some of my Elim friends. We headed there to do an ocular and at the same time shoot a testimonial by a couple who are regular Elim dwellers that live there.
The trip was fun… being that I enjoyed long trips, the travel to our destination was something I was eagerly looking forward to even the day before our departure. On our way there, it was just me, Jayp, Maricar and Sis. Lory Lina (wife of Joey Lina).
We took the Antipolo route… the roads were paved… the path was winding… and the view was just wonderful. Lots of green fields and open space… mountains and vast plains of grass and trees.
We finished the shoot, exchanged pleasantries with other Elimites and had some really tasting “ginataan” (I had 3 servings!) and chicharon before heading to Siniloan.
Lunch was spent eating at a Jollibee branch in the same province with Elim friends as well. We headed back at around 2PM and arrived in Manila at roughly 4:30PM.
It was a pretty long trip but spent fruitfully as everything we did was for the Lord and for His glory.
And though the travel back and forth was pretty tiring… I wouldn’t have traded it for any of my favorite pastimes.
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It’s true that you can’t realize how fortunate you are in spite of all the hardships and trials you go through… UNTIL you see others who are in worse situations than what you’re in.
You think the world has conspired against you… that the walls around you are crumbling… that you cannot bear any more problems than what you are already trying to endure.
I have been recently serving at “Elim Missions”… and Rosario, Cavite has been the location assigned to me. This has been a total eye-opener and an awakening experience.
Let me just tell you… things are pretty bad over there. The conditions that most of our dwellers are living in is just terrible! Each child over there has his/her own story to tell… mostly sad and tragic ones. Elim Rosario dwellers mostly come from “Dreamland”… a huge dumpsite area that also doubles as a home for poverty-stricken families and individuals. As if that wasn’t enough, their area is completely devoid of electricity and clean water.
Over at the church where we hold our services, these kids would usually gather around us and play with us. Try carrying them once and hold them in your arms… you’d soon notice that they literally don’t want to let go. You can tell that they lack a great amount of love and attention from their parents and relatives.
I met this one kid, 13 years old, in the care of the parish priest of that town… he saw his father shot to death in front of him… his mother soon after joined another man… and he’s been maltreated and frequently thrown out the window by his stepfather… totally abandoned and forgotten by his mother.
Seems like a scene right out of a tragic drama movie, right?
Funny how we complain about so many things… petty things most of the time, in fact… no soda, no time for a coffee break, bad airconditioning, a low-end cellphone, soiled clothes, a banged-up car… things like that. And we think that life has conspired against us to put us in the situation we’re in.
We are so caught up with ourselves that we become oblivious to what happens around us. It’s all a matter of perspective…
Look around you… the reason you’re probably able to read this blog entry is because you either have your own computer and Internet connection, surfing in the comforts of your own home… or you’re seated in an Internet cafe and can afford to pay the hourly surfing fee to check your mail. Either way, you’re better off than most of the kids I’ve been meeting during our mission service… way better.
So, if you’re one who loves to sulk in your own private corner, feeling pity on yourself… thinking of how you can’t seem to comprehend life’s “so called” injustices on you… try reevaluating your situation through the eyes of those kids who would do anything just to have a little taste of the life YOU ARE IN.
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I’m looking forward to attending Elim’s “Pathways: An Encounter With God renewal seminar” this Saturday at Balanga, Bataan. The Pathways is a weekend renewal seminar for all who want to come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
This seminar includes talks, sessions and spiritual exercises that are all geared towards making you come to know and love Our Lord.
My wife and I will be spending the weekend together and at the same time spending it with the Lord. Praise God for this special “time out”.
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It’s Team Rev night tonight at … can’t wait. Our car isn’t available this evening so my wife and I are taking the cab. I’m very thankful that despite my wife’s evening schedule, she has actually showed her desire to join worship with me by not attending the first hour of her shift so that she can be able to accompany me during Tuesday’s gatherings…
She won’t be able to finish the entire event but it will be enough to start and finish worship and the teachings.
Then she’ll be taking the cab to work from there. I really happy for that. I know the Lord will bless her with so much because she is slowly becoming the kind of follower and disciple I have always hoped she’d become.
I never thought back then that she’d make these kinds of sacrifices in order to be able to attend praise and worship… but our God is a mighty and powerful God… able to change the hearts and minds of individuals.
My prayers have been heard and my Lord responds faithfully just as He has always promised His obedient children.
Praise God for everything.
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My friends over at recently introduced me to a video clip which featured a speaker named, Rob Bell… and ever since I got to watch my very first video of a series of his talks, I was immediately hooked.
Rob Bell produces these short 10-11 minute videos (18 clips to be exact) that talk about God and faith in a manner that isn’t boring and completely cuts through the heart. It is presented in a way that doesn’t intimidate non-practicing Christians/Catholics using a “story-telling” approach.
I encourage you to watch this short video clip entitled, “Rain”. Give it a chance to speak to you… all you need to do is offer a little of your time to watch and listen… it’ll only take up 10 minutes of your day… and it might just be one of the most meaningful 10 minutes you’ve ever spent watching something.
This video is as wonderful as it is powerful in its simplicity.
Here is how this particular clip (”Rain”) is introduced:
Things don’t always work out the way we want them to, or the way we think they will. Sometimes we don’t even see it coming. We get hit with some form of pain out of nowhere leaving us feeling desperate and helpless. That’s the way life is. Still, it makes us wonder how God can let these things happen to us. How God can just stand by and watch us suffer. Where is God when it really hurts? Maybe God is actually closer to us than we think. Maybe it’s when we’re in these situations, where everything seems to be falling apart, that God gets an opportunity to remind us of how much he really loves us.
Enjoy the clip…
You can also visit for more about Rob Bell and his other clips.
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Fellowship and Community, to me, can be likened to an intense blazing fire… while it’s people are the flame’s embers. It is vital that we, the members of community, stay within that fire… it is what keeps our hearts burning for God.
No one can maintain such an intense zeal all by his/her lonesome… a person needs to belong to a fellowship… a group of individuals gathered for the same purpose.
You feed off of one another… you share experiences… you lift each other up.
Take away an ember from the fire and the ember’s glow diminishes slowly… similar to a person taken away from community and fellowship for long stretches of time.
In order to maintain that zeal and enthusiasm, one needs to be part of active community worship and service.
I thank the Lord that I found my family at . My KG (Koinonia Group) buddies in “Disciple 1″ have always been there for me as we all have for one another. I always look forward to our gatherings and actively participate in sharing and discussions. It brings me great great joy to praise and worship the Lord every day!
I enjoy prayer time… I love talking about God… I look forward to Sunday Mass every week. It’s the most wonderful feeling I have ever experienced.
Looking back now, I seem to wonder how I survived not belonging and actively participating in any community in the past.
All I know now is that, I am never going back to my old life…
I found God… in a very personal way… and boy, does it feel great!
