Off to Famy…

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.

Beyond the Worldly Norm…

Having a personal relationship with God is great… it’s probably the best feeling there is… but you shouldn’t think that your life serving God stops there.  Praying to the Lord and cultivating a productive and effective prayer time IS NOT enough… remember, it isn’t ever about YOU… it never should be.  It’s all about HIM.  What does He desire for all of us?  It is for us to strive hard to become disciples… followers… to become instruments of blessing and to be fishers of men.

Our mission here on Earth is not just to know God… not just to understand His word… not just to connect with our Creator… it is to be a part of something far far greater than ourselves… to be able to spread the Good News to every corner of the world.  To let Christ be known everywhere.  In our own little way, we can minister and share God’s love to others… be it your neighbor, your classmate, your friend, officemates, even your enemy.

Has God touched you in a special way?  Has he performed miracles in your life?  Perhaps, a blessing or provisions that he has showered upon you?  If so, don’t keep it to yourself… share your story, chronicle it and testify as to how the Lord has changed your life… let every event in your life serve as a means to glorify God… every event… everything.  Yes, everything… including your struggles.

How you may ask?

By overcoming these difficulties through God’s grace and power, people can see how the Lord works in your life… ultimately, it is the Lord who is lifted up and glorified.  Through every achievement, every recognition… praise Him.  Praise God for everything that comes your way… fade into the shadows and let Him be the one to take center stage.

Serve Him with all your heart.  Put Him ahead of everything else… regardless of how important other matters may be to you… nothing but nothing comes first BUT the Lord.  Especially when he calls upon you to serve… or to act upon something.  You’ll never know when He’ll seek to use you but when He does… we should all be ready to drop everything and respond faithfully.  This is where we are tested.  Can you actually do it?  Really?  What if you’re supposed to work on something that client requires which is supposed to merit you a substantial financial gain in return?  Can you forego something like that to heed God’s call?

Worldly thinking would consider this to be stupid.  What if I desperately need the cash?  What if client gets mad?  What if my boss doesn’t understand?  What if…?  What if…?

Don’t expect them to understand… just simply follow the Lord.  Blind faith.  Total surrender.  Godly surrender.  Respond.

As the Good News says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all else shall be given you besides”.  Nothing… nothing else comes first.  Do not allow anyone to tell you otherwise.  Individuals inclined to worldly thinking would be quick to disagree… naturally.  Worldly ideals… matters and crooked morals that have been embedded into our culture and materialistic way of life would be quick to question how one can sustain a life of true discipleship.

But it IS more than possible.  It is life’s best reality.  And it is only ultimately comprehended once you actually engage in the practice of this kind of surrender.

The first step is always the hardest… but the Lord asks this of us all.

To blindly surrender all worldly norms… and live under the norms of true Godly spirituality.

The norm under which the Lord intended for all of us to live by.

Ama

Ama… a tagalog word meaning “Father” in English.  This was the title of the song I wrote just a few days ago for the Lord and which I performed for my community (Elim) just this evening.

It was a Valentine’s celebration for the Lord and the theme of the entire show was “Love for God”.  So I composed a song just a few days ago which spoke of my awe and devotion to my Heavenly Father.

I prayed that through my song, God would bless each and everyone seated and listening… that they would feel the lyrics and relate to the emotions conveyed by the music.

The musical work talks about surrender… it speaks of overwhelming love… of following God’s will and his divine plan… of trusting the Father at all times.

I praise the Lord for he has blessed me with the gift of song… that he has entrusted to me a voice that can sing out loud to Him… to glorify, praise and worship Him.

My achievements are not for me… they are a testament to how the Lord works through people and individuals in order to bless others.  May the Lord be glorified all the more through my music.  For I am merely a willing instrument to be used by my Saviour anytime he so chooses.

Praise be to God forever.

Blessed Christmas!

Christmas eve is tonight… we are spending our Christmas with our community which is actually probably the BEST way to celebrate the coming of the Savior.

My prayers for everyone is that they may reflect and remember (and for some, ultimately realize) the true and ONLY meaning of Christmas Day.

It’s isn’t about the shopping, the revelry, the parties, the vacation… none of that really matters.  May we all come to know that the greatest gift we could ever continuously receive during this special day is to be constantly reminded that Jesus Christ came down to Earth to save us from sin and to reconcile us with the Lord.

So, rejoice and be glad… Christ has come for you and me.  May He be at the center of our lives and the true reason of our celebration during this glorious occasion!

To everyone… A Blessed CHRISTmas and a Christ-filled New Year!

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.

– John 3:16

Pathways

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”.

Fasting and Feasting

The other day I went on a whole day fast… no food or water whatsoever.  I started my fast at around 7:00AM and ended it exactly at 12:00 Midnight.  During this day, I started out with intimate prayer which lasted around 30 minutes… just me and my Lord and a small candle lit right beside me providing me with just enough visibility to maneuver inside the prayer room.

After prayer, I went about  my chores and commitments for the day.  Though hectic, I never faltered to pray… constantly recharging my spirit and replenishing my strength through prayer and meditation… regularly feeding my spirit with words from the Bible.

The Lord spoke to me all throughout the day… I was so filled with the Holy Spirit and I could feel the Lord guiding me the entire day.  What a wonderful feeling it is to know and feel God around you, within you, loving you, touching you…

I went into deep prayer again just before I took my first my meal after fasting.  I also had friends who asked me to pray for them and their immediate concerns, so I did.  I lifted everything to the Lord… I thanked Him for all the blessings and for making me feel His presence every second.

The next day, I went straight into prayer as soon as I awoke.  I asked for the Lord’s guidance and constant anointing.  I asked for a message and opened my Bible.  As soon as I opened my book, my eyes led me to Psalms 91:9-16, which reads:

You have the LORD for your refuge; you have made the Most High your stronghold.

No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.

For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.

With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.

Whoever clings to me I will deliver; whoever knows my name I will set on high.

All who call upon me I will answer;I will be with them in distress; I will deliver them and give them honor.

With length of days I will satisfy them and show them my saving power.

– Psalms 91:9-16

This has been the Lord’s message to me as soon as I got up the morning after my fast.  Praise God!

I have now made a decision to fast regularly.  To commit 2 days every week to fasting and sacrifice.  Because through fasting… I am actually feasting on the Lord’s words and though my stomach is empty, my spirit is filled.

Sing a New Song Unto the Lord

Yesterday, I had the most pleasant surprise from my little boy, Ralph.  It wasn’t so much what he did, but what he said.

During one of our usual simple family conversations in the living room, he excused himself and announced that he was about to commence his private prayer with the Lord and asked that we don’t disturb him for the time being…

Then he continued on to say that the day before that, he already offered 2 songs to God.  I asked him, “2 songs?”… “Yes”, he replied.  I inquired again, “What do you mean you offered 2 songs to the Lord?”… “I sung 2 songs by myself during my private prayer time yesterday and offered it to Him.”, he smartly answered.

Wow!  That was all I could say during that moment.  Imagine that… a little boy offering 2 songs to the Lord, which I never taught him to do.  I never thought he’d actually think of doing something like that… but I’m very pleased with how he has seriously engaged on his prayer time.

The Lord delights in worship… in song and dance… very much, in fact.

My little kid has made me very proud of what he has done… imagine how much more the Lord in heaven listening to every tune that his breath lets out which comes from his pure heart.  This is a child who knows nothing about quietly singing to God and yet he thought of offering 2 songs to Him.

My wife actually snuck up on him during his prayer time to actually see how he does it… Ralph sits on the bed and prays intently, eyes closed, starts with thanksgiving and talks to the Lord about his concerns and shortcomings and asks for forgiveness… then he starts singing… it has been a regular thing for him already.  He offers songs everyday during his time with God.

I’m so proud of my boy!  Praise God for Ralph… May God bless him forever…

A psalm of thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; worship the LORD with cries of gladness; come before him with joyful song. Know that the LORD is God, our maker to whom we belong, whosepeople we are, God’s well-tended flock. Enter the temple gates with praise, its courts with thanksgiving. Give thanks to God, bless his name; good indeed is the LORD, Whose love endures forever, whose faithfulness lasts through every age.

– Psalms 100 : 1 – 5

When Two or More are Gathered in My Name…

Yesterday, during my private time with the Lord in the prayer room, I distinctly heard Him instruct me to bring my wife inside and ask her to join me…

So that’s just what I did.  As soon as I finished, I called her in and asked her to pray with me.  It was one of those times when you hear God and you just follow without asking any questions… I’m sure the Lord knew that my wife needed prayer during that particular moment.

I guided her all throughout… we started with praise and worship, then proceeded in thanksgiving and supplication.

I led the prayer aloud and a few short minutes later, as I was talking to the Lord, she started crying… and crying… I could hear her sniffles again and again…

Something struck her.  The Holy Spirit must’ve overwhelmed her… tears were just flowing out non-stop.  So I started praying in tongues and laid my hand on her.  It just felt so surreal.

God knows.  He just does.  Isn’t it great?!

Praise God for opening my heart and allowing me to hear him clearly now more than ever.

Effective Prayer

Just a short post… I’m still experiencing a “spiritual high”, so to speak… Why you ask?  Well, because my prayer time has considerably improved… in terms of quantity and quality.

When I first started out before, I used to spend some 5 minutes in prayer when I wake up and a few short prayers here and there throughout the day whenever possible.

Now, I still have some prayers spread out through the day… some are more intimate than others… there are moments when I also go into simple silent public prayers…

But what has really improved the most is my private time with the Lord.  Whenever I wake up… I make sure that I’m totally up and about so as to be confident that I won’t accidentally doze off during prayer.  Then I spend quality time praying and meditating in a specially designated room…

Surprisingly, I noticed that the duration of my prayers recently have lasted a good 30 minutes per session.  At times, I pray out loud… on other occasions, it’s a mix of prayer and silently listening for the Lord to speak to my heart.

It’s such a wonderful feeling.  Refreshing and overwhelming.  I pray for daily anointment.  This is very important, indeed.  It’s one thing to live and speak the Good News to others and share your personal spiritual victories… but it’s another thing to speak it with the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit within you.  It makes all the difference.

(Hmmm… this turned out to be a longer post than I thought…!  Hehe!)

Team Revival

It’s Team Rev night tonight at Elim… 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.