Case Close: I Quit!

Grabe si God, when I’ve given up on helping out others, when I’ve losed my will to encourage others.. here comes another soul who needs help… who need a friend… who wants to know God…

It’s been a rough and a bumpy ride for me during the past 3 weeks… I’m helping a friend, helping a friend, and helping a friend hehehe… in short madami binigay na responsibility sa akin si God… it even came to a point na I might lose a friendship dahil di kami nagkaintindihan nung isang friend ko… coz na-burnout na talaga ako.. and i’m losing my patience then.. I even cried for my friend… kasi I know na hes’ worthy to be a friend talaga… one of my trusted friends sa church… just last week lang… medyo nabatrip ulit ako dun hehehe… kaya sabi ko.. i’m gonna stop helping other people na… i don’t wanna be involved na din and encourage them as well…

But after 10 mins (i think?) I got a text message from another friend, and this time yung dinidisciple ko na… after 2 weeks of no communication bigla sya nagparamdam… telling na may problem sya lately… and it affects daw yung walk nya with God… hmmmm.. Grabe, i got so convicted then.. kasi when I decided to stop na here comes another one that who needs help… it’s like God is telling to me ‘John Paul, be more patient, I’m giving you another responsibility, another task… never stop believing and don’t you ever neglect your duty’ at syempre mismo sa akin yun… tama talaga sa akin yun…

Kuya Jam told me to share this story sa small group later that day… and surprisingly he pulled out something sa shinare ko… he told us na we have no right to give, we have no right to stop advancing God’s kingdom through helping others… coz Jesus didn’t… Jesus died for us… Jesus fulfilled His duty…

From which I definitely agree with… I mean if God give up on us what do you think na mangyayari today? Same as sa atin… if we give up on those people who needs help… those people whom we loved… those people who doesn’t know God yet… useless lang yung ginawang sacrifice ni Jesus for us…

Now, I’m making a bold decision na I’ll just continue on fulfilling my duty, my responsibility, as a God’s servant… I know he wanted me to be like this… and all I have to do is to obey and follow his will for me… after all, it’s all about God, it’s all about His will for me….

Cased Closed: I Quit!

Now, I’m gonna continue this race…  zoooommmmmmmm……

(posted April 15, 2008)

Dealing With Conviction

Dealing with people to have Convictions… and being convicted by God? (based on my experiences)

As for me, is very hard… i mean its either you follow or obey your conviction or just do the thing your ego wants you to do… its simply saying would you rather do the wrong way or the right way, when conviction comes in.

When you felt like you’re being convicted syempre there’s guilt and worries… coz you’re in the dilemma of making a decision. Mahirap sya talaga… i mean alam mo na tama pero the question would be… gagawin mo ba yung tama?

I’ve heard and seen many stories na ganito, convicted sila but still di pa rin nila ginagawa yung tama… at syempre kasama din ako sa kanila… and a brother told me and we jsut to seek God for wisdom and his spirit to fill us so we can make a right decision… and that’s my prayer din sa mga under in this situation…

And I agree na mahirap talaga… like for example sa relationship (based sa story ko)… mahirap magdecide kasi you know na both you eh masasaktan… especially na una palang alam mo na mali… kasi emotions lang nag nandun at you don’t know kugn will ba ni God.
Another example would be, when you’re convicted dahil someone talked to you (based sa story ko)… your Small group leader or a friend.. sabi nga di ba…“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” Proverbs 19:11 (NIV).. we get offended maybe kasi tinamaan tayo.. but basically after being offended… are we gonna do the right thing? o maiilang tayo sa tao na nagsabi ng ganun… and still do the thing na gusto natin… on my part, minsan na-ooffend ako sa mga ganyan but I’ve learned that.. para sa akin din naman un eh…
Again I’m saying this kasi I’ve experienced na itong mga situations na ito… ilang beses na din ako na-offend sa mga tao.. and still I’m learning, I’m in the process of it…

Battling out with conviction, again as for me, is when we just simply pray to Godm and ask for his guidance, plus reading the word of course… nandun lahat eh… all the answers are found in that book… the BIBLE.

(posted March 26, 2008)

I Thank God For The Music

I can’t imagine my life now if I had decided not to audition for the music team 1 1/2 years ago, simple because, I really don’t have any background in singing then, and if you would ask me on what age did I started singing (formally), man! it was only the time when I passed on the audition.

Though I’ve been singing already prior to the audtion. but that’s only either my teacher/ professor would require it or when i’m with my friends and most  of the time, I’m singing together with a group… coz I don’t even have a guts to say that ‘Hey! I could sing’ then…

But God changes everything… He gave confidence to sing, thus He called me into this ministry.

I never though that I would be singing in front of a crowd…

I’ve been singing in the ministry for almost a year now, and honestly I enjoyed it… I get a chance to meet new friends, musicians, mentors, and I got to serve God of course…

And I thank God for that…
I thank god for this gift…
I thank god for the music…

For me, music is a gift, music is one way of expressing our feelings towards to anything. Its another way of expressing ourselves and our emotions, and I’m a testimony to that. Another thing is, music is something that all the people can relate with, it may differ from genres but all of which have the same purpose, and that is for the listeners, as well as the musicians, singers, and composers can be able to tell others on what they really feel, thus, on what they really want  to say.

As for me, through music, I get to expressed my inner most thoughts from which I’m having a hard time on showing it to others then.

I also met my best buddies… my brothers that I’m really thankful for, not just for their company… but for everything that we have been sharing,

and also through music, I know i have changed… for the better of course… i mean, i usually have this feeling of being inferior then, that some people don’t see it and that’s a big deal for me… but now, as I’ve said.. I’ve changed…

Lastly, I thank God for the music simply because through this, I am humbled before him, I am alwyas being reminded of how great He is and how awesome He is, and I’m grateful for what He had done to me, that’s why I wrote this blod, coz I just want to share how music changed my life and that I’m blessed to have this gift.

Now, I just want to encourage those people who have given this kind of gift to use and take care of it… because God gave it and I believe that there is a purpose for that gift… just like what God’s purpose did to me…

Again, I thank god for the music….

(posted March 11, 2008)

When God Closes The Door

I was browsing my old notes on last year’s preaching series’, then suddenly this phrase caught my attention ‘God removes some things in your life because He knows what’s best for you’

The last quarter of 2007 wasn’t the best quarter for me, there’s so many failures, disappointments, and trials that I’ve gone through… basically, my life was a mess!!!

I quit my job, broken pacts with some of my friends, people talking negative things about me and my friends, issues, etc… whoa!!!

It’s hard coping up to these things/predicaments especially when they all come like it was a same day package..

To be honest, I didn’t care much of the issues but it gets worse as the year ends. God had close many doors in my life during the last quarter of 2007.

Well there are some great things that happened to me during those times, i mean, I finally had my victory weekend, the christmas convergence, and the victory weekend for kids where I was part of the music team, but you know what, its hard coz on the other hand my problems only just get bigger and bigger… that even up to the start of my 2008, my problems had gone crazy!!!.

During the prayer and fasting, I’ve included my problems and issues that I’m into, praying for a breakthrough, I mean I really wanted them to stop, to put an end into it.

Little did I know that God wanted to teach and show me much more meaningful things. Its true that when god closes a door, He opens the windows in your life, He really knows what’s best for you and never He will let you go on hanging on to those problems.

God gave me true brothers, friend, and leaders that really helped me in my Christian walk… these people are real blessings in my life, the silver lining behind the dark clouds that entraps me… and I thank God for them, in the midts of all the predicaments and issues, they are there to help me…

Right now, I’m holding on to God’s promise
“ So do not fear, for I am with you;
       do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
       I will strengthen you and help you;
       I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ” Isaih 41:10 (NIV)
As I look forward for more greater things to happen in my life this year, rather than focus my attention to those who casts their stones at me.

For when God closes the door, I know there’s something bigger, better, and brighter that’s in store for me.

(posted January 30, 2008)

A Kids Church Experience

Last Sunday I was given a chance to lead worship at the Kids Church Pioneer 11am and 5pm, as well as help Lhorris at the 6pm Kids Church in Galleria. It wasn’t my first time to sing in the Kids church, it was my fourth already, but this is the first time that I’m leading a worship hehehe… well, i was nervous then and don’t know what to do, but the experience was GREAT!!!…

A day after I dreamed about the Kids Church and having a conversation to one of the Kids.

Here is our conversation:

Me: Hi! Have you read a bible?

Kid: Yes

(I doubted the kid, so I challenge him)

Me: Can you read this part?

Kid: Sure!

(He read it, I can’t remember the passage but its about following Christ and discipleship)

Me: Wow! That’s great!… Who’s your favorite character in the bible?

Kid: The Director

Me: Who’s the Director?

Kid: God, because He have done all this things

Me: Wow! ahmm.. What grade are you?

Kid: Grade 6

(Then I took him inside the KC room

Me: Now that you’re an incoming 1st year, you should remember to find and mingle with good people but don’t forget to reach out those who doesn’t know JESUS yet.

(I was crying then, because I was touched by our conversation)
(Then I woke up)

It’s amazing that I dreamt of this one… Well it HIT me, because its like God telling to me about discipleship, it’s like an advice given to me through my dreams.

and a KID in my dream taught me about discipleship….

Thank you KIDS MINISTRY!

(posted January 22, 2008)

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"

A  month ago, i wrote a blog about how blessed I am with a conversation at the VCF-Fort… And who would have thought that I would be in that situation again, but this time its about me, my flaws, my indifference, and this time in my hometown.. VCF-Galleria…

It was a wednesday afternoon, singers’ training were cancelled but I still I was in Galleria that time, I accompanied my friends from metro east since they will be auditioning for the ortigas worship team. LIttle did I know, as always, God had a planned for me, God wants to give me a revelation and a wake-up call through James Sace (De ja vu??? hehehe… history repeating itself but this time, I was the main subject and not James).

James and I had talked that afternoon, it triggered when I started my usual “pang-aasar to James”, then later that night, when I was about to go out the center, James called me and asked me if I could stay, and so I did… He said that he wants to have a talked about something, with no clue at all, I responded to his invitation. Tadaaaa!!! Bingo!!!! It wasn’t about the worship team nor our small group bonding, but it’s all about me… then, our so-called “the talk part deux” had started.

You know what, I was so blessed to have my brother (James) along with our brothers backing me up all the time. Just like what had happened to us that day, I have no idea that James was already offended by my so-called pang-aasar, and there he goes, showing me my flaws and giving me advices regarding that. I was quiet during that moment, I was thinking about my identity with my peers in the church, its a good thing though, that James always reminds me during the course of our conversation that, above all, it is our identity in Christ that matters. I don’t need to change for them but rather guard my actions towards them.

James reminded me of this scripture:

“As iron sharpens iron,
       so one man sharpens another”
Proverbs 27:17

It simply says, that we are all accountable with each other and we are here to support each other.

God is Great!!! Always!!!

(posted August 17, 2007)

Saturday Blessing

Akology

The first time I heard the word “Akology” was during a youth service last year, when Ptr Joe used it as an example / joke on his preaching.

I decided to blog down my personal insight about “AKOLOGY”

AKO-logy, it means “it is I, whom you should be taking about, coz’ it’s all about me, and it should be me…” (well, i may have exxagerated it… hehehe) but you get my point right?

We all have the mentality of using “Ako-logy”, or being self-centered… in a way, there are two sides of it… the good one and the bad one (hehehe it’s classic) basically, it depends on how you handle it and how people sees it. Truly it is our nature to have this weird mentality.The Bad akology is when you talked about yourself bigtime! as in you’re insinuating that you are good in this field, you have achieve more than what they have expected, and boasting on your achievements. The worst thing that can happen is when no one cares to listen but still you kept on talking about yourself. Another example is when you either exalt yourself to the

level of what the other party have achieved or even more. Through this kind of attitude, pride is just there waiting for you… pulling you back… and not moving forward.

The Good akology… is there such thing? Well, as for me, I think there is… talking about yourself, your past experience, your achievements, etc… but with a goal of you wanted to set an example to others… being a role model… and the most important thing is when he/she acknoledges God as the source of his/her strength, achievements, etc… Instead of insinuating that all of which were done by himself/herself, he/she gives glory to God for He is the giver of all things.

To wrap it up, we should always remember, not only during our Akology moments, that it’s not about us, but it’s all about GOD.

Glory to God always!

(posted July 28, 2007)

My First Anniversary

Who Are You?

Last Saturday @ the Youth Service in Metro East, Ptr. Patrick (our youth pastor in

VCF - Ortigas), in line with our series break, preached about every person’s identity and it was entitled “Who Am I?” I won’t be blogging much of the whole sermon and might as well give out some of the key points of Ptr. Patrick.

Here’s Ptr. Patrick’s key points;

*Identity = Action

*Pretensions, you’re allowing other people to affect/dictate your identity

*Sometimes we based our identity on our past failure or success

*It’s wrong if we based our identity on our insecurities

*It takes an encounter with God to be able to know who you are

*One of our responsibilities here on earth is to lead

But one of the statements that struck me the most is that even before when God created man, He already gave us the responsibility to rule or on the other hand to be a leader…

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created man in his own image,

       in the image of God he created him;

       male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV)

…which brings us back on what Jesus had commissioned his apostles and on to the future generations…

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

We are all born leaders and born to disciple thus we are born to spread the good news onto the future generation so that they may know who really God is.

Now, let me ask you this question, WHO ARE YOU?

(posted July 16, 2007)