…and you’ll WIN it!

  Let me get this straight… God’s will is always perfect!

Have you ever wonder on how and why you feel that certain urge on aiming or becoming something a certain goal or person as you go through life? The dream you always want to achieve… Gifting that you want to share with… Talent that is something you can use to make a big difference.

Well guess what, here’s the big news!

News Flash: God planted those things!

God planted those dreams, gifts, and talents in your life. It is all God’s plan. As you can see, God is also in a business of planting those desires that we’ve been dreaming / wondrin’ about. He even gave us the gifts and the talents that is for us to use it and make it grow.

Do you know Bezalel? Let’s take a look at this verse
“1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts” Exodus 31:1-3 (NIV)

See how God said to Moses, that he already chose someone name “Bezalel” on whom he had given him the skill, the ability, and the knowledge in all kinds of crafts… (in relation to the tent of the meeting, ark of the covenant, and other articles) It simply says, that God is the mastermind of the desires we have in our hearts. He already planned it even before we were born.

And the good news is, God also being the perfecter of our faith, those dreams will definitely come to pass… as one of His promises, we will be able to achieve those dreams and use the gifting and talents He had given us.

But wait! You may be asking, if the desires that I have is God-given and also being the finisher of our faith, why am I still not receiving it? Well, here’s the thing… As God as the giver of those desires, talents, skills, etc… and also being the perfecter of our faith… there’s was something missing… do you know what it is? Here goes, take a look at this one;

God (giver) —-> ? —-> Perfecter —-> Receiving it!

What’s the “?” or rather who’s the “?”, it’s simple… that’s US doing our part! and you may ask “and what part are you taking about?”. Well I’ll give you at least few things about this;

First, Receiving it by faith, as God as the perfecter of our faith, we should also be claiming it by faith, being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (see Hebrews 11). It’s the faith that keeps us on believing.

Second, Preparing for it, as God had already planned it for us, we should also be preparing for it, As God being the god of orders, He can’t just easily give those things to us, we should also prepare ourselves and prepare our hearts before He would give it to us.

Third, According to His plan, God works according to his great plan for us, yes He gave us those desires, but it is all up to Him on when He would give it to us and where would He be putting us and using it.

Fourth, it is not the world that matters, as it says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-3  (NIV). It is God that matters, it is by knowing him and following him all the way and by then we should be able to test and approve His will for us and We will learn to be sensitive enough to listen and learn to trust more of God and less of us and the people around us. Let God take charge of your life.

Fifth, going back to Bezalel, I kinda’ skip one important thing on the said verse, check this one “…I have filled him with the Spirit of God”. Yes, we should ask and be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of God that enables us to do such things, to achieve those dreams, in that we may also know if it is really God’s will, and that if we are filled by His Spirit. If we are on fire on serving Him first rather than others.

Now here’s another thing, it is not the people around you who knows what’s best for you and it’s not for them to find it out either… If someones says, you’re not good enough, or maybe it is not for you well, I beg to disagree… Coz in the first place, God had already planted that dream, that gift, that talent, that calling in your heart and no matter how people and the situations tries to pull you down, disappoint you… fail you… As long as it is God’s will and you’re sensitive enough to hear that it is really His will, definitely it will come to pass and you’ll be able to achieve those dreams and use those skills and gifting he had given you. Just keep the faith, never let go, claim it and you’ll WIN it!

I’m in Love

Just had the weirdest night!

Here I go again, I think I’m falling for someone.
Love songs kept on bothering me.. I think?!? Smiling when there’s no reason for me to smile, singing love duets, goosebumps all over my skin.. oh cmon! this might be it… the question would be… Am Im ready to take this chance again…?

Ya! you heard it right! I’m asking myself if I’m ready… ready to fall for someone… to share my life with… to finally make the right move… to be her man for the rest of our lives.

Now, am I ready? Well, to be fair with, honestly I think I am… or not… there’s this kind of feeling… a weird kinda thing that kept me from finally pursuing it… I don’t know, I admit, I’d like to be financially, emotionally, and spiritually mature… to embrace more of growth and experiences into these 3 kinds of aspects that I would really need coz its part of it, definitely! But there’s one thing or maybe a few reasons that is keeping me on pursuing… on hitting the target! And that’s for me to find out… seriously… there’s this something… something I can’t even explained.

Falling in love requires many things…commitment, stability, integrity, etc… yet I know it can also surpass them all, but do you know that we just need to simplify things when it comes on loving a person… especially us living in a world of complexities… in a world of questions and doubts… And I don’t really know If I’m making a point here…

Nonetheless, Love is love…

Its a good feeling though… Falling in love… experiencing love… giving love… A feeling that for me, it would definitely a priceless one…

Falling in love!!! I don’t even why am I writing this blog! Mixed emotions I think… A strange feeling… yet fulfilling… now I don’t know what’s next…

At this point of my life, I think I should be ready… or I need to be ready… and there’s no turning back now… just need to be brave…

Randoms thoughts keep on coming… filling up my head… I’ve got more words, more point to say, but I can’t formulate it… I can’t even explain…

All I know is that the feeling is here again… 

Decision. New Start. Next.

I don’t really know how to start this blog, or what topic should I blog about.. Well, I just want to write the things that I’ve been thinking about these days…

Decision.

All of us have different decisions to make as we go through life on this earth, Some are easy, then some are not. Some are good, then some are not. But definitely decisions are generally the things that we need to deal with everyday.

I’ve been thinking a lot of things lately, a lot of decisions that I just feel I really have to deal with at this point. I’m having second thoughts.. I’m having regrets.. I’m having some things that leads me on asking myself “What’s next?”

But as the bible says
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

and as I go on making these decisions, this verse is a reminder that I need God to lead me on such decision making… Coz’ yes I may have my own plans, I may have my own decisions according to what I feel or what the needs are… but I just want to trust God for His guidance on leading me to the right path.

But one thing is that I’m sure about.. and that is, I just want a new start… A new journey… and I thank God for always giving us this chance.

New Start.

The good thing about having a personal relationship and encounter with God is that we always have a chance to start a new life… And as we go on with our journey, God’s plan is for us to move on to the next level and not just stay on our comfort zone.

Things happened for a reason and things happened for us to learn, thus for us to see the calling that God had planned for us.

Having a new start might be painful in some ways… or should I say.. comes from a painful ending… but isn’t it that’s the best things about life… We really learned from our past experiences… We learn from the past, we move on towards the future, and we start to make things right in the present.

I for one is thankful about having a chance to make a new start.. Well we always do…

What I’ve been praying right now is for God to give me strenght to face new things, wisdom to choose what is right this time around, and to be more in love with God… to be soaked in more of His words, to listen to His plans, and to follow His directions.

Next.

Well, I don’t know yet, but I look forward to it. I’m excited to see the things that God has planned for me. What’s in store for me… on my new Journey…

but definitely here’s one of the things I wanna do, as the song says, “I’m the man who can’t be moved” …

simply because I have a big God…

Cmon!!!

Faith. Trust. Love. /japes/

(posted April 28, 2009)

Life Is Meaningless

Uncertainty… Choices… Decision… What’s next?
As they say “either you make it or break it”

People have millions of choices to deal with everday… through their lifetime… from the
simple ones like; which clothes should I wear today?, where will I eat today?, to the tough
ones like, Is this the girl whom I’m gonna spend my life with?, would I choose to follow my
heart or choose whatever the situation tells me to do? (Woah! even in writing this blog..
I’m having a hard time choosing these questions…

Basically we all live in a world that is full of choices and decisions, even God gave us
this gift called FREEWILL, and it’s sad to say that most of us usually take this gift for
granted.

When pride overcomes our emotions, thus our decisions, we easily decide based on what we
think that’s seems right for us. When people rebuke or simply made a bad comment on us —
we usually say “Eh ito and tingin ko na tama eh” (This is what I think that is right for me), then eventually in the end the decisions we just made leads us to our own destruction.

A Wise king once had said

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death”
Proverbs 14:12,

saying that there are really tons of ways for us to choose… for us to decide… but if we
decide basically on what we just feel, based on our emotions, or what we think that is right
for us without asking God then it would end up into just nothing. Why? simply because,

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”
Proverbs 19:21

Yes, we can choose to have it our way, but it’s the matter of how God had planned it for us
If we don’t seek God on every decisions we have to make, then it would be just meaningless.

I for me have experiences on this, there are many decisions in the past that I became to proud of myself and basically don’t mind asking God if it is for me or not, and in the end I have become the victim of my own decisions.

I got to earn a lot, I got power, I got famous, yet I always felt incomplete, not until I got to know God and that not all my plan… not all that I have achieved is completely in accordance to His will, which brings me into conclusion;

WITHOUT GOD, OUR DECISIONS WOULD BE ALL MEANINGLESS
WITHOUT GOD, THE WAY TOWARDS A COMPLETE LIFE IS MEANINGLESS

(posted March 18, 2009)

Life Is A Messed!

I was browsing my old blogs in multiply and blogspot (Well they’re all the same hehehe) and     I was fascinated by my entries… It goes to show that everyday, all of us will experience hardships, failures, successes, triumphs, etc… everyday is truly a learning experience for us…

It’s been quite sometime since I wrote my last blog… and I got convicted by it… hehehe..  I miss blogging hehehe…

Anyway, here goes for my new blog…

I’ve been in a situation right now on where I’m really on the verge of giving up… so many things happened for the past few days… and I think this would be the result of a month long dilemma…

People changes… People have lots of differences… And if we would think of it negatively… Life is a messed!! Why on earth we have these kind of people? Why are we like this?

Basically, we all live in an imperfect world.. thus making us not really perfect… We have different views, opinions, likes, dislikes, attitude, name it.. anything… but I guess these things makes our world go round… these things makes us who we are today.. the question would be.. Should we contented by these things?

Right now I’m in a situation on where I really can’t decide.. a clouded mind… tired.. and confused about what’s happening in my life…

But everyday I’m being reminded that I should be secured.. I am skillful.. I am JOHN PAUL..
No matter what’s going on in my environment today… I have a big God that runs my life… I have God that shows me the way…

Going back.. yes we live on a imperfect world.. but we have a perfect God that guides the way… No matter how rude other people can be… how situations makes us down… We have given the authority to change things… to decide on either we should go and and continue a messed-up life OR finally get up and continue to strive more and be a better person… thus know who we are!!! know are security.. that our security is not on other people.. but on God…

our identity is in Christ and not on what other people think of us…

People will fail us.. people will disappoint us.. why? simply because we are not perfect.. that is why we should look on people… we shouldn’t based our life on them..

If we take a look on the positive areas of our indifference… changes.. and all.. well, Life is not really a messed!!! Situations happened for us… People changes for us to learn.. for us to be strong.. for us to open our eyes and see the reality… see our own mistakes.. see our own capacity…

People will fail us… but God won’t
People changes… but God won’t
People is not the way… but God is the way!

(posted March 15, 2009)

It’s A Different Kind Of Birthday

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who texted, leave a message on my guestbook, and personally greeted me on my birthday. I also would like to thank the Kids Church, t. irene, t. edit, kuya jules, and the gang for giving me a party… I really appreciate it… Honestly I’m honored and humbled with you guys… to kuya Armin, thank you, to kuya Jam, the worship ministry members, and to all the people na honestly di ko kilala but they greeted me..sobrang thank you talaga..

Dapat pala may gig ako today… grabe si God.. akala ko wala na talaga.. but right on my birthday… an old friend called me and wanted me to perform sa timog ave. well hindi ako nakapagcommit tonight.. but I’m just thankful kasi I got a confirmation kay God…

Dapat din uwi na ako pero I chose to stay… kaya ayun.. yun pala the Kids Church gave me a party hehehe…

I’m 25 years old na!!! whew!!! grabe.. marrying age na hehehe…

Now why is it unconventional?.. well its weird kasi at some point di ako naging masaya… mixed emotions… i can’t help but cry sa mga nangyari this day… honestly i didn’t like the fact na may mga tao na very insensitive… hehehe ako naman ata yung over sensitive hehehe.. but I just let God na lang..

I appreciated what kuya jules had said when he prayed for me…”God will give the desires of my heart, and what I need is to rely and trust God for everything and just ask…” another thing that struck me was “You are important and not insignificant.. you have a talent.. you have gift” grabe yung encouragement…

I’ve learned to let go and let God na lang talaga… yes I am offended this day.. but honestly, I let God na lang… and I’m more thankful sa mga blessings at sa mga tao who were there… who witness my ups and downs.. who were with me all the time…

I thank God for everything, for blessing me with much things that I need, for giving me friends who truly I can depend on, for giving me my family, for giving me another chance.. another year… to change and to live…

Choose LIFE!!!

(posted January 3, 2009)

An Eye Opener Situation

An eye-opener

Do you know who ‘John Paul’ is? A million dollar question hehehe.. well basically even I was asking this question to myself…  who really am I? for all the issues and question regarding my character, identity, by just being me.

Well for the past weeks, I’ve been caught into an enemy’s trap… I basically fall for it… I’ve harbored bitterness, unforgiveness, and created a wrong mindset to other people… Coz I was really fed up… I got burned-out by all the issues that’s been going on for the past weeks… 

Honestly it was painful and I got so paranoid with it… the worse part of it, well I’m not pleasing God for all the things that I’ve been doing… I was so full of ME! ME! ME!… I’m being self-righteous… 

But thank God for still loving me… for still wanting me to change… for still giving me a chance… I wondered why all the preachings, all the talks, and all the quiet times that I’ve been and done with were basically pointing towards to this realization… STOP FOCUSING ABOUT YOURSELF!!! 

It was an EYE-OPENER for me… and now I’m giving and throwing it up, all the bitterness and unforgiveness that’s within me… I’ll stop focusing about myself… and be a solution-finder rather than a faultfinder. I’d rather focus on the people who needs help and who are lost… I’d rather focus on pointing and helping my small group members towards their walk with God, I’d rather focus on the positive things and the blessings that God has giving me, I’d rather focus on glorifying and pleasing God rather than to other people. 

As for those who doesn’t like me, or who have issues with me… well the only thing that I could do for now is to pray for them… and continuously pray for myself that I won’t harbor any bitterness with them, and also pray for reconciliation. It is not I who can change them, but only God. It is not my job to please them… It is not my job to condemn them at all.

  1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6:1-5 (New International Version) 

Now I’d like to take this opportunity to apologized to all the people that I have hurt with.. to all the people who I have not given a second chance.. to the people whom I have made broken-pacts with.

But I’ll stick to my conviction to live an UNCOMMON life… to pray and try to live a life of honoring God, to stay away of any acts of sinful nature (impurity, immorality, hatred, selfish ambition, dissensions, greed, lustful talks) … and the only thing that I can do this is with Christ… cos apart from Him (Jesus) I am nothing… I know by the grace of God I can do this… 

Now I’m bound to have a change of mindset… change of heart… change of character… I won’t let the enemy to hold anything that will hinder me from seeing and hearing on what God would want me to do… I’d stop focusing on myself… I’d rather learn from my mistakes in the past… and change what is wrong with my character… learn to control my temper, learn to shut-up and think first before I speak, and to stop being over-sensitive… coz I’m not pleasing God by doing those kind of things… 

Last thing, I’ve learned to weigh things fairly, to be vigilant enough to secure what’s mine… to provide  boundary to all my conversation… to let God’s wisdom fill me up.

I want to be used by God than the gods of this world…

Now for the question; who am I? well let’s just wait and see… that’s for my next blog…

God bless you all and please do pray for me brothers and sisters!!!

(posted September 30, 2008)

I’m A Work In Progress

Hi there!!! it’s been weeks since i wrote my last blog hehehe.. oh well, i just wanna share something with you guys…

Truly that the enemy won’t let us win by default… i just had a humbling experience about this… well, basically i’m trap into a situation that I’d never expected… I’d never thought that it would happen to me.. it concerns me and my friends…

I won’t go into details anymore… but here’s a hint… it was a secret.. then I knew it… then a friend confesses it to me… a tension… a fight (somehow)… now partially it was resolved…. hehehehe

As I’ve said… I’ve loosen my pride.. i lost my dignity, and character just to save a relationship…

Now after all this had happen.. i just felt that no matter how big my problem was, no matter how people tries to break my spirit, I still have God to back me up.. a God who would restore me.. and He uses people to lift me up again… Honestly I dont know what to think right now… But I am more secured… I’M A WORK IN PROGRESS… I know I still have sablays but I’m in the process of  renewing myself.. syempre with God pa din.. and now I’m waiting for that moment… I’m faithful to what God had promised me… a full restoration of John Paul.

God bless you all!!!

(posted August 19, 2008)

When Things Aren’t Suppose To Be What We Wanted

We have our dreams, we have our vision, we have our goal..

But not all of them are suppose to stay forever… that’s the irony of life, when you finally have what you want.. when you finally have what you think that is best for you… in just a split second and twist of fate, it will be taken away from you…

The question would be.. how will you deal with it and what if there are things that aren’t really supposed to be with you forever?

It’s like having a piece of paper, then you wrote on it, then you simply throw it away or somehow lose it withoue even knowing how.

I’ve been into this dilemma like a million times hehehe… and back then, i usually get angry and irritated… I tend to think that I’m just not worthy to have it or for them to have me… but lately I’ve realized that its not those things that build my character, that says who I am.. I finally realized that God has something better… I mean great… that is in store for me… coz after all it’s all about trusting what God wants me to have, what God wants me to do…

When things aren’t suppose to be what we wanted, the best way is to think… not to specifically look for the answer (at least for now)… but look on what God is saying… what God wants us to do… after all, He is the answer.

It’s all about trusting His plans for us… coz God wouldn’t want us to suffer… He is our father… and a father would only want what’s best for us…

God bless you all!!!

(posted June 19, 2008)

When I Fully Let GOD Run MyLife…

Ok here’s the catch, i wonder why i’ am not getting the things that i’ve been praying for, plus the blessings… well simply because, I still put my trust and priorities to the people around me, to my friends, to my ministry, and not to God…

The time came when God tested me, he dealed me with this, I had an UBE with my small group leader (its like IHD na din hehehe) coz it was painful, I had to let go of all my insecurites, pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, and all… I even had to give up even my reputation as a strong person… in short talagang na-UBE ako.. (UBE = Ultimate Bonding Experience)

It was really painful, and devastating hehehe… but you know what, right after I did it… when I fully let God change me, when I made an oath that I will change for the better, that I will really made my focus to God, blessing upon blessing are coming my way… its true that SIN (pride, selfishness, bitterness, etc…) is a blessing blocker. When I let God na lang… right after that day, unexpected blessings are coming talaga…

Our first gig was a success
When I lead the SG last saturday, the sg were blessed with my topic
God gave me an anointing on leading the people
I finally knew who really my friends are
I’m much more peaceful now
Basta madami pa…

Truly, when we OBEY and TRUST God with His plans for us, everything will be perfect…
When we OBEY and treasure the TRUST that was given to us by our SGL, and friends, God is please..

Right now my whole mindset was completely changed talaga… I have changed din… plus its really beneficial talaga…  it gives me honor and respect from others and to myself plus it preserves every relationships.

Truly I am restored…

Thanks to all of your prayers.

God bless you all!!!

(posted June 2, 2008)