My name's WILLING, what's yours?

"Now, of course, if you want to leave.. that is your right. And if you feel in your heart that you cannot work with your new government, then it is better that you do leave. Right away. But if you are packing up because you fear that your language or the color of your skin or who you worked for before disqualifies you from working here.. I am here to tell you, have no such fear. What is verby is verby. The past is the past. We look to the future now. We need your help. We want your help. If you would like to stay, you would be doing your country a great service. All I ask is that you do your work to the best of your abilities and with good heart. I promise to do the same. If we can manage that, our country will be a shining light in the world." –President Nelson Mandela, INVICTUS[ movie]

Allow me to make some modification..

"Now, of course, if you want to leave.. that is your right. And if you feel in your heart that you cannot work with your new government [IN THIS NEW, UNTRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENT], then it is better that you do leave. Right away. But if you are packing up because you fear that your language [YOUR COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS]or the color of your skin [YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE] or who you worked for before [YOUR PAST LIFE] disqualifies you from working here [IN THIS MINISTRY].. I am here to tell you [AND GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW], have no such fear. What is verby is verby. The past is the past. We look to the future now. We [A LOT OF PEOPLE]need your help. We [A LOT OF PEOPLE] want your help. If you would like to stay, you would be doing your country [THE PHILIPPINES AND EVEN THE WORLD] a great service. All I ask [THE LORD ASKS FROM YOU] is that you do your work to the best of your abilities and with good heart. I promise to do the same [GOD ALWAYS DO THAT]. If we [YOU AND ME] can manage that, our country [THE PHILIPPINES OR WHEREVER YOU ARE RIGHT NOW] will be a shining light in the world."

In serving the Lord, there would come a time in which we feel less valuable compared to the people we see around us. We have this tendency to compare ourselves to other people that when we notice them excelling, instead of getting encouraged, we get disheartened. We then lose the spirit of conquest and feel condemned. But hey! Cheer up! There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! After all, we're created to excel.. We all have potential. Great, actually. But before we could see it, we need to believe it first.

AND..

In order to have these potentials unleashed, we need to be willing. TO BE REALLY WILLING. Familiar? Hmmm. Actually, I also wonder why I keep on hearing this word lately. For several Sunday services, this has been the topic of Pastor Ruffy's sermon. It took me quite long to realize, that's how IMPORTANT willingness is and how DIFFICULT it is to grasp. As a matter of fact, it takes tooooooooo much willingness to understand the word WILLINGNESS.

So now, let's have a common goal. That is.. to make ourselves WILLING. For, as what Pastor Ruffy said this morning, "the willing will always find a way to win."Let's be serious in being the SALT and the LIGHT of the world. Let our light shine before men that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven. Daghan pa sila sa gawas.. Pasudlon na nato!

Say 'YES' to the restoration of our IDENTITY! Say 'YES' to a higher self-esteem! Say 'YES' to a WILLING SPIRIT! And say 'NO' to QUITTING! Wuhoo! Let's all become CONQUERORS! (sorry medyo bias. haha) :]

P.S. Gusto nako ni kwaon nga line ni Mommy Emma as a reminder, "Naa gani tay panahon mag-crush2x nak, kana pa bang mulihok para sa Ginoo?"

TRUE CIRCUMCISION

"Just because you live like a Jew [A CHRISTIAN] and are circumcised [HAVE JOINED THE ENCOUNTER] doesn't make you a real Jew [A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST]. To be a real Jew [A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST] you must obey the Law [GOD'S COMMANDS]. True circumcision [ENCOUNTER] is something that happens deep in your heart, not something done to your body. And besides, you should want praise from God and not from humans." -Romans 2:28-29

The question is, "HAVE YOU [really] EXPERIENCED TRUE CIRCUMCISION [encounter with JESUS]?

Hmm. Kay remember:

"Being circumcised [HAVING JOINED THE ENCOUNTER] is worthwhile, if you obey the Law [GOD'S COMMANDS]. But if you don't obey the Law [GOD'S COMMANDS], you are no better off than people who are not circumcised [HAVE NOT JOINED THE ENCOUNTER." -Romans 2:25

Unya.. Amen? or Oh men?

P.S.

I don't intend to solicit AMENs here. I just want to remind everyone [including myself] na wala nagstop ang tanan sa encounter. Dili porke't naka-encounter nata, OKAY na! That's a big NO NO. Everyday is an opportunity given by God to grow more in His love and mercy. Daghan pa kaaug buhatonon, usabonon ug tun-ananan. Say no to quitting! Let's remember the silversmith's line [tito Ohmbeng mentioned this kanina], "IT IS FINISHED WHEN I SEE MY FACE REFLECTED ON IT." Human na sa atua ang Ginoo kung nakita na Niya iyang sarili sa atua. So habang wala pa, padayon lang ta sa pagpapolish sa atuang Silversmith, si Jesus!

INCREASE! CLIMB UP!

Back to Your arms again..

Dear God,

Sorry if I have been rebelling against You these past few days. Sorry for being so hypocrite, so pretentious. I've been telling myself and everybody that I am okay, I'm doing great when the truth is.. I AM NOT!

I submit because I have to. I do things because I have no choice. My motives are wrong and my heart's not right. I am broken inside.. probably, that is why my disciples are also struggling. I've been so tired that I stopped working because I had wrong expectations to meet. I grew weary because I did not trust You fully. I've been very busy building a bold front to cover up the mess inside of me but no matter how hard I try, I couldn't hide from you Oh Lord!

Now, all I want is to be fixed. I want to be freed from the lies of the enemy which trapped me. I may not be deserving of the promises You have given me today, I don't care! Because I never was! This is all because of Your grace.. Restore my identity Lord..

Father, teach me how to faithfully obey You.. Hold me more tightly this time, I'm afraid I'm losing my grip again.. Set my heart right Oh, Lord.. I want to work for Your glory, again.. I want my compassion for the lost to be back. Fan my fire into flame Oh, Jesus..

Lastly, give me a heart that is always hungry to follow up Your people, Father.. Make me a good consolidator Lord. Teach me how to be firm and not to easily give up on your flock. Remind me all the time Oh, Lord that I was once like them. Show me Your ways Father for I want to follow You.. Make me the Yanny that You want me to be.. I am willing, Lord.. I submit myself to You again.. Be the Lord of my life. I love You, Dad.. and I missed you.. :((

Desperately seeking You,

Yanny

MESSAGE: "No matter what you have done, I am still the LORD your God, and I will never completely reject you or become absolutely disgusted with you there in the land of your enemies." -Leviticus 26:44 [CEV]

PROMISES: "4and I will send rain to make your crops grow and your trees produce fruit. 5Your harvest of grain and grapes will be so abundant, that you won't know what to do with it all. You will eat and be satisfied, and you will live in safety. 6I will bless your country with peace, and you will rest without fear. I will wipe out the dangerous animals and protect you from enemy attacks. 7You will chase and destroy your enemies, 8even if there are only five of you and a hundred of them, or only a hundred of you and ten thousand of them. 9I will treat you with such kindness that your nation will grow strong, and I will also keep my promises to you.10Your barns will overflow with grain each year. 11I will live among you and never again look on you with disgust. 12I will walk with you--I will be your God, and you will be my people." -Leviticus 26:4-12 [CEV]

♥ A promise of multiplication:

Naknaks, we will grow more in Christ and we will bear fruits! Fruits that will last. Sorry pud diay nak for my shortcomings.. I'd like to make it up to you.. But nak, please believe in yourself, too.. Tabangay ta ani nak. Lab kaau ta mo! :]

♥♥ More souls will be blessed and become desirous of being consolidated, discipled and sent.

♥♥♥ For the network:

Restoration of broken relationships. Fixation of wounded hearts. Protection from the attacks of the enemy [persecutions, intimidation and temptations]. Despite our present number, the enemy couldn't stop us for God will be our strength! He will make us stronger, He'll live among us and walk with us! We will increase! Hoo! Tira tira CONQUerrORS! Confettiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! :]

*** My, I'm looking forward to talk to you. I have so much more to say.. But this time, I just want to say THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU for everything. I'm so sorry for the bad.. :(

*** Guys, sorry if I've hurt you intentionally or unintentionally. Sorry if I have not been a good example to you in any way. Please help me put everything back to its proper place. Please be honest with me for I want to learn from you, too. I love you hurot!

I POSTED THIS ON FACEBOOK LAST AUGUST 9, 2010.

Have you found BEST?

Have you found BEST? Nawala man gud xa ba.. Unta makit-an na xa..

"Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!" -John 2:10 [The Message]

I want to talk about SERVANTHOOD.

Hmm. EVERYBODY. Apil ta ana. We're very good starters for we usually give our finest at the start. The moment we have understood that we need to help find and take care of the lost, we start giving what we think is the best thing we could give. We do things we don't usually do. We invest. We sacrifice. We put so much effort unto our service.

But, often times, this attitude couldn't be carried out all throughout the race. In the middle, we tend to give substandard service. Pag tan-aw nato murag puno2x na atong gina-conso, bawas bawasan napud nato atong effort. Baratuhon nga serbisyo na atong ihatag. Yes, they will be filled with the cheap stuff you have given but, I tell you, there will be no satisfaction. They will end up JUST being pressured, not encouraged or inspired. And when they start doing things we don't want them to do, we begin questioning them. We get tired. We get discouraged. Worst, we begin to consider QUITING. But, hey child of God! Aren't you going to assess your self? Maybe you have missed an important point. Or maybe you just really don't know yourself.

Hey, you! Yes, you! YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT! You are made for greater things. Intentionally made to excel in every area. Designed to do BEST. And.. you have saved the best up to now! The question is, "When are you going to give that?"

Hmmm. Save the best for last?! Sa pagkaon nalang na i-apply gang.. Kay paano kung muabot na si Jesus unya? Unsa paman atong mabuhat?

And oh! I don't intend to JUST solicit 'amen' or stuff like that from you to increase the comment count in this post. What I want you to realize is that YOU HAVE THE POTENTIALS! PLUS YOU HAVE A BIG GOD AND NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR HIM. Jeremiah 32:27 says, ""I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"

So, again.. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FIND 'BEST'?

P.S. I'm talking to myself, too..

P comes after O.

30"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' "

32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.

The Lord doesn't know how to lie nor to break His promises. For God is a faithful God, He is faithful to His promises. Whatever He says to me and you is and will always be true. But before we could witness the fulfillment of His promises, there is something we should do which, I firmly believe, is very essential and that is.. to OBEY.

Kay diba: Kung makakita kag piso, dili na maimuha kung dili nimo puniton.. :]

Note: In English alphabet, P comes after O. Hmm. Obedience before Promises. Wee!

Reach out! Do something! *wink*

Extend your arms..

Luke 10: 26-28

26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27 He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

It's not enough that we know what to do. It's not even enough that we know we are right. For the Lord doesn't want us to stop right there and settle on it. He's not after of the blueprint; He wants to see the building. He's more into the taste of the chicken, not on what breed that chicken is.

Ang lisud man gud sa atua, kabalo nata unsa ang ginapabuhat sa atua pero dili gyapon nato ginabuhat. We have the tendency to look for other things to do when we have a job waiting in front. We choose to be contented when we, actually, can do better [by the grace of God].WE ARE TOO PRACTICAL. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with being practical.. but hey child of God! Do not limit the power of our Father! Believe that He has entrusted us with bigger things, GREAT ones. Learn to dream big! Do not settle for less! Reach for that goal.. After all, God has already paved the way for you.. for us. :]

POWER versus NUMBER

Genesis 18:26-32 (New International Version)

26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." 29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

Why would the Lord spare the whole place if majority of the people are wicked and only few are righteous? Why would He care for those few if they are outnumbered by the opposite forces?

REJECTING MAJORITY WINS. In this world, the principle 'majority wins' is habitually applied. But this principle has not been carried out in the texts for in this passage, God was giving Abraham the assurance that he would not destroy the whole city of Sodom if He could find a few righteous in it. The first time I've read this story I understood it as God's one way of telling Abraham that He is certain that no one is righteous in the city. Just now, I have understood that what I thought it was is not the sole reason. GOD WILL SPARE THE WHOLE CITY FOR THE SAKE OF THE FEW BECAUSE GOD KNOWS THAT IF THESE FEW PEOPLE WILL WORK FOR HIS GLORY, EVEN IF THEY'RE OUTNUMBERED, THEY COULD OVERPOWER THE MAJORITY.

UPY2DN: We know how gahi UP students are but if we would stand firm and work for the glory of God, we could make a difference. Afterall, God has put us into UP because He has given us the power to influence people and to leave a mark. By the grace of God, we could help turn gahi to humok. Kay kita man pud niagi ana. Gahi man pud ta sauna pero unsaon taman na nga WALA MAN JUY GAHI SA GINOO kaya na-win pud ta! Todo na ni! :]

P.S. This passage coincides with God's promise for me today. Take time to read Genesis 17:2-8. Let's go against the flow. God bless us all! :]

Crossing the thin line..

The world has so much to give. Friends. Fame. Fortune. Fleasure (para F pud! hahaha). When we have all of these, we experience an emotion usually directly correlated to circumstances that happen at present and is, actually, just temporary—HAPPINESS. And this is the same old reason why people could not easily turn down the world’s offer; the very exact motivation of people enjoying their venture in this world full of lies and deception.

HAPPINESS. It could give us brief periods of emotional high. Whenever we get a pair of new clothes from our parents, we experience this. When we go to a pizza house with our friends, we will eventually be overwhelmed with this. But this is something we could get even in the shortest possible time; something that requires too little effort. Easy.

We used to think that serving God isn’t fun but..boring. We have this common belief— getting connected to Jesus forbids us from enjoying life to its fullest. That getting involved in a Godly ministry gives us so much burden and pressures. We firmly stand on this outlook that we reach the point of missing the chance to feel something that is bigger than us and our circumstances, something that lasts— JOY. And this attitude of the heart can only be fully-experienced when we have JESUS in us. This is something that He deposits in us through the Holy Spirit.

JOY. It sticks with us even in our most miserable times. During our discomforts, we could still have this. We could still wake up with joy in our hearts even after we have lost important people in our lives or we’ve put so much effort unto something yet we have not achieved our original goal, like in discipleship. Many times we have failed yet, we still continue. Despite the distance, we travel because we want to be reloaded or because somebody needs a hand. Amidst the difficulties and challenges we encounter, we could be joyful. But this is something we couldn’t have in an instant; something that requires much effort and..grace. Hard.

Hmmm.. Now, we might still be thinking that joy and happiness are just two interchangeable words in the English dictionary. But no, we’re wrong. If we are joyful, we are happy but when we are happy, that does not always imply we’re joyful. Happiness and joy may have practically the same definition but there’s a thin line separating these two— DOUBT; doubt that we will not be able to feel as much as what we feel right now.

CROSSOVER. The power to cross that thin line lies in us. It’s in our control whether to choose to cross that line and move up to a much higher level or to be contented with that mere feeling we experience instantaneously but temporary. But this does not mean that happiness is bad; actually, it is also a good thing because it can inspire us to set goals and to work on it. It’s just that joy is something that God wants us to have in our short stay on Earth— a gift. With joy, we will always see the beauty of what we are doing in accordance to the commandments of God. And this happens when we decide to receive Jesus Christ in our lives and begin to believe that He has the power to turn our happiness into joy. Then, welcome the Holy Spirit in our midst always.

To finish, we may have struggles now that seemingly give us the thought of going back to our old lives— where we used to be happy. We might even be a little jealous of some people who are still soaked in the wrong practices of the world but are successful in many ways that we tend to allow ourselves to be influenced by them. Hmm. Worry no more! Jesus said in John 16:20 [NIV], “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” If happiness is just temporary, so will be our sufferings! So together let’s cross that thin line and be joyful! J

SHOP wisely..

"The timing of many dating relationships is equivalent to going shopping for an outfit when you don't have any money; even if you find the "perfect fit," what can you do about it?

When we shop, we have this common goal: To buy the best in the display. But this goal is not always achieved. Why? Hmm. I'll mention some points here (these are based on what I have observed from the people around me whenever they go shopping and also based on my personal experience)..

(a) First, we're on a hurry. Whenever I go shopping and my time's limited, I end up grabbing the first thing I'll see or the one which is familiar or somewhat familiar to me. In some cases, I tend to pick the one that catches my attention, which is not necessarily the best. Come what may.

And this is what usually happens to relationships nowadays. People who are in a kind of rush to get married fall in the hands of the wrong people. In turn, their married life is also a'come what may'.

(b) Second, our budget is not enough. In malls, especially in the clothing section, I always have a hard time in deciding what to buy. Sometimes, the reason behind is that I'm torn among a number of choices. But usually, the reason is that I have seen the thing I want to bring into the counter but I have no enough money in the pocket. So I end up buying the second, third, fourth or the nth best. The one that fits my budget. Tsk3. So saaaad. If only I have waited longer, I could have saved money and bought what I really wanted.

This is often the case of many couples today. Because they have not waited for the right time, even if they would not admit it (for some reasons), they knew it in their hearts that they've settled for less. The result? Either they regret or they're forced to accept their fate because they're left with no choice.

(c) Third, we are overwhelmed by the word 'SALE' hanging around every corner. Sometimes, when we go shopping and we see these signs-- "SALE", "up to 50% discount", "BUY 1 TAKE 1", etc-- we have the tendency to ignore the things excluded in the promo. We then start to look for the one that fits us well among the 'rejects' of the original display items.

This also happens in most of relationships. I, for one, have done the same thing way back in high school. 'USO' as what they call it. Because you can see it anywhere, you are also encouraged to try it-- 'uyab2x'. Tsk. And you know what I have observed? The ones that you bought on sale are usually, if not always, the ones you could easily give up. And this is also true in relationships.

(d) The last (as of now) and the worst, we don't have money. We call it 'window shopping'. For some, an avenue for 'shop-lifting'. Hmm. We see something appealing, say blouse. We go to the fitting room, try it and find that it looks good on us. Whoa! That's good. But there's a problem, we don't have money. So how's that?? hahaha!

So this is what Joshua meant when he wrote the line, "You don't need to shop for what you can't afford." If you're not yet ready for commitment which is to get into marriage, then stop bothering yourself to look for someone to 'complete you' (how cheesy). It's God's job. Let's not deprive Him of His right. After all, it's for our benefit.

So, as you can see.. I have a big check on my forehead again. Haha! I'm loving IKDG even more. We must not settle for less if there is best. Let's do our future spouses a favor and stop shopping around prematurely. What we need? It's TRUST. And patience, too! Because, you know.. It's good to shop when you have all the time you need and you're provided with more than enough money by your Father. Now, that's a wise shopping! :)

You slapped me BIG TIME!

"But you don't have to go out on a date to become inappropriately intimate. You can do that over the phone, via e-mail, or on a group dates."

It took me a few minutes to take my eyes off from these. I couldn't help but feel convicted. I made a vow to God that the next guy I'd be intimate with will be my husband but reading these lines, I am slapped in my face with the fact that I already violated my covenant to Him. Little did I know that even during the time I broke up with my recent ex-boyfriend, I was already starting to violate the covenant I made with God because I was already enjoying the relationship we branded as "FRIENDSHIP" outside its real scope. Tsk.

I even reached the point of saying "yes" to the invitations of the people close to him just because I thought it would be okay since we're in group. I forgot that what really matters is the motive behind my every decision or action. And oh.. Talking over the phone for more or less 6 hours was just normal. Haaayyy..

Actually, I'm starting to miss those times. But I'd rather miss it than to remain soaked in that wrong form of dating. As what Joshua Harris said in the 2nd chapter of his book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, "Intimacy without commitment, like icing without cake, can be sweet, but it ends up making us sick."

Hmm. I am glad he first read the book and thought of recommending it to me. And I'm thankful to God, He rescued us before it's too late. At least, we didn't hurt each other that much. It's still a long way to go but I'm praying we will both endure. The halt is surely a struggle, missing the closeness we once shared, but we know that someday-- whether we are for each other or for someone else-- we've made the right decision for both of us.

Holdin' on..

March 27, 2010

Hold me closely.. I’m afraid I’m losing my grip..

Self-condemnation. I have been fighting this battle for so long. I won several times. And so I thought “winning” would be enough. But I was wrong. Indeed, I was. I came to a point of realizing that wounding my opponent and ignoring it afterward could never make me a champion for it would keep coming back every time it recovers. Worse, I’m giving it’s boss an opportunity to think of a better strategy.

Problems. If problems could buy a car, then you might see me driving different cars everyday. Though I know they always exist, I have lot of this lately. Last sunday, I preached about PAIN. I entitled it “UNLEASHING THE BEAUTY BEHIND THE PAIN” and I didn’t know why the topic seems so familiar that time. Little did I know that I’m on the track. I failed to notice that God is unleashing the beauty of the pain to me, not to the people listening to me. And maybe that’s why I felt so burdened.

And the result? Hmm. Simple. I started losing my grip. *sigh*

I kept on telling myself to be calm and increase my faith but I couldn’t help but doubt. In all areas, I did everything for the sake of compliance. And again, I was about to quit. But just when I thought I couldn’t stand.. He picked me up and made me walk.. again..

Lamentation 4:22 - “O Daughter of Zion, your punishment will end; he will not prolong your exile. But, O Daughter of Edom, he will punish your sin and expose your wickedness.”

I have sinned so I deserve punishment but His grace is abounding so He promised it would be temporary.

*After going through.. there will be..

PERSECUTIONS PROGRESS

*After having.. I will experience..

ARGUMENTS ACCEPTANCE

*After conquering.. I will be an

IDLENESS INFLUENCE

*And after the feeling of being.. I will be

NEGLECTED NURTURED

Just when I thought I couldn’t stand..

..you picked me up and now, I’m walking again..