Whenever I Forget Google Exists!

If I ever have a problem with my computer I can usually find a solution through Google. I just have to type my problem into the search engine and there is bound to be a website that explains what I need to do. The only problem I have is that I always forget to go to Google when the problem first arises. I seem to do everything else possible before searching the internet. To begin with I'll try to fix the problem myself by searching through the menus for guidance; I might ask a friend if they've had the same problem and see if they know what to do; or I'll restart the computer in the hope that it will just correct itself in the process. It's not until I told my friend Toni(a gadget geek) that I have a problem that he will say to me, 'Just Google it.' It's then that I remember that that's where I've found answers before and so I quickly start searching the internet. When I find the solution I need I kick myself for not going to the search engine at the very beginning.

Forgetting to go to Google as soon as the problem arises is like when I forget to go to God when I have struggles in my life. Whenever an issue comes up I will always try to deal with it on my own. I'll rely on my own strength to get me through or I'll seek the assistance of friends to boost me up. But sometimes the issue is too big and seeking help from others doesn't seem to be enough. It's not until I have struggled through for an extended period of time that I am reminded that God is always there for me and I can always take my worries and burdens to Him. In fact, He loves us so much that He will comfort us in ways we never imagined. When Jesus met the invalid man by the healing pool he asked him if he wanted to be healed. This man had been looking for a solution in the only way he knew how - by getting to the water as soon as it began to stir. Jesus could have acted like a crutch for the man and moved him closer to the water at the right time, but instead Jesus goes beyond the man's expectations. Jesus heals the man immediately, even without the healing pool, and the invalid man is able to walk away. It's good to ask other people for help but let's not forget to go to the Saviour first, and lay all our burdens at His feet. How about you? What struggle have you not brought to Jesus yet?

The Ultimate Gift

Imagine I have a present in my hands. It’s a nice big red box and it’s got a beautifully crafted ribbon on the top. This present is for you! If you could choose anything at all, what would you wish was in this present box? I know I’d have a few dream gifts: a plane ticket to the US, a set of keys for a car; an apple iPad, an iPhone 4. All of those would certainly be appreciated if I opened up my present. But imagine that you’re holding your present and you undo the ribbon on the top, you lift up the lid of the box, only to find that inside the box… it’s empty! There is absolutely nothing inside and all you’ve been given is an empty box. Pretty lousy present, right?
When Mary was going to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body, a couple of days after he had been crucified, she was not happy with what she found. The tomb was empty. Jesus’ body was nowhere to be found and she became very distressed as to where it could have been. With everything that had happened to her much loved friend, now they couldn’t even find his body and the tomb was empty. Could live get any worse for her? And yet the empty tomb was the best present she could ever receive. The empty tomb meant that Jesus had risen from the dead and that even death could not overpower the strength of God. Sometimes we look at our lives and it all feels like empty boxes – disappointment, pain, grief. And yet we worship a God who is stronger than anything we have to go through. When we have faith in God He can turn the devastation of an empty tomb into the best gift anyone could ever desire.
Do you feel grief, disappointment, stress or pain? Ask God to reveal to you His glory in this difficult time.

Acquainted with God

It's always interesting going to someone's house for the very first time. You ring the door bell and wait for someone to invite you in, you offer to take your shoes off at the door, you use your best manners and you are often seated in the nice lounge room with a comfortable sofa. Even though your new friend might say, "Make yourself at home", you still stay on your best behaviour. On the other hand, when you go to a long-time friend's house it is a totally different situation. You'll enter via the back door, just walk straight in after knocking on the door, help yourself to a glass of juice and sit around in the family room. While it's great to make new friends it's always nice to be totally comfortable in someone else's home.
This comparison is almost like the differences between worshipping God before Jesus came to earth and then afterwards. Before Jesus walked amongst us worship was structured, symbolic and ritualistic. Now however we are encouraged to worship God anytime, anywhere. We don't need a specific building or certain elements; we could be worshipping God in our laundry, in our office or even on the train! Our relationship with God can have aspects in it like going to the home of a long-time friend. We don't have to hold to any rituals we can just make ourselves at home and be open and honest with our Creator. How fortunate we are to have a God that loves us so much that we can come to Him at any time, in any way and He will welcome us in. When was the last time you had an open and honest chat with God?

A Slice of a Humble Pie

It is hard to find the correct balance to be humble. There are some people who go beyond being humble and just think of themselves as dirt. They constantly put other people first but to the detriment of their own well being. They think of themselves as nothing and lower than all others and people don't feel grateful for their humility but guilty that someone would think so lowly of themselves. On the otherhand I'm sure we can all think of people who are quite the opposite of humble. They are so confident in their own abilities that they think of themselves as God's gift to the earth. They look down on others, they name-drop to promote their own self worth and they are willing to make someone else look bad if it will raise their profile a little more.
God made each person in his image, therefore we are much more than dirt. He loves us and cares for us and so we must respect ourselves as part of our worship to Him. But just as we must respect ourselves, we must remember that God didn't just knit us together but every single human is a child of God. Therefore we must treat others as we treat ourselves. If we viewed each person as a child of God then the world would certainly be a more pleasant place. We don't need to ridicule ourselves to raise up others and neither should we see ourselves as superior to others. If we treat all as equals then we create a piece of Heaven right here on earth.

Too Tight!

It's great going out for a meal with other people, but it's always interesting to see what happens when the bill comes around. There are some people who will immediately get their cellphone calculator out and start to add up the exact amount they owe, even down to the cents. On the other hand, there are some who make a general estimate and, after rounding up, just throw in a couple of notes to make sure that everything is covered. This does not mean that the latter person has more money that the first, it's just that they don't hold so tightly to what they have.
I recently heard a sermon about this John 6 passage of Jesus feeding the 5000 people. It was interesting to note that just because there was only one boy who came forward with some food, it didn't mean that there was no other food present. If a young boy is carrying food then there was bound to be some others who had come prepared or had not eaten all they had brought. It's hard to believe that out of a crowd of 5000 people that only a young boy had food - they're usually the ones who eat all their food first. If we look at this story it does not mean that the boy was the only one who had food, it's just that he didn't hold so tightly to what he had. This is a great challenge for us too. I can sometimes be the person who holds so tightly to what I have. And yet Jesus made an example out of the boy who was willing to give what he had away. What about you? What are you holding tightly to?

When We Say, "NOW", He Says "WAIT"

As I was going through some old belongings, I found a paper where I had recorded my prayers and requests during my stay in Olongapo. I read it with great curiosity. Many of the requests have been granted, but some have not. Of the people I prayed for, some are now dead. Some names I do not even recognize. One of the requests that caught my attention was about a sister who wanted to join her family overseas. God answered that prayer 2 years to the day after I started to intercede for her family to be reunited and wrote it in my notebook. I was amazed and thankful for God's way of working.
Sometimes when we pray, we want God to intervene instantly. But sometimes-immediate answers don't come. The difficult circumstances in our lives and the times of waiting for God to act can refine our faith, teach us, and prepare us for future responsibilities God has for us.

Time:Cherished!

I just arrived from the birthday party of one of the brethren in my pastorate. It was the birthday of an old man who has been blessed with 80 years of existence, 50 of which - he spent as a diabetic. I'm amazed at how the Lord has guided him throughout his life despite of his illness. But what really caught my attention was the manifestation of God's blessings in his life through his children. He has 7 children, 6 of them live abroad, but despite of the distance and the big expense, they came to celebrate the birthday of their dad. I was also touched when all of his children started to greet and pay tribute to their father. I was teary eyed, and wished that I could give thanks to my dad right at that moment.This experience reminded me again of how important it is to cherish the time we can be with our parents. I hope we all get to realize that we can only "spend" time, we can never "reclaim" it.

Answer For All Seasons

As I was going through some old belongings, I found a paper where I had recorded my prayers and requests during my stay in Olongapo. I read it with great curiosity. Many of the requests have been granted, but some have not. Of the people I prayed for, some are now dead. Some names I do not even recognize.
One of the requests that caught my attention was about a sister who wanted to join her family overseas. God answered that prayer 2 years to the day after I started to intercede for her family to be reunited and wrote it in my notebook. I was amazed and thankful for God's way of working.
Sometimes when we pray, we want God to intervene instantly. But sometimes-immediate answers don't come. The difficult circumstances in our lives and the times of waiting for God to act can refine our faith, teach us, and prepare us for future responsibilities God has for us.

May this verse serves us, as an inspiration, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.-Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)

Don't Put God in a Box

As a young pastor, I see God a bit differently than some see Him, and although many would disagree,this is how God has presented Himself to me time and time again. He is so much bigger than any of our notions about Him allow us to perceive. What we see, comprehend and experience is only a tiny fraction of who He is. God is merciful. We say this, but don't always really think about how merciful God is. He is so merciful that He sees into the deepest parts of who we are. He sees the darkest parts of who we are, and He understands why those parts are there. He sees our greatest weaknesses, and remains with us as we try to get the courage to trust Him to give us the strength to overcome.

Whatever we have suffered, whether it be abuse, trauma, ridicule, molestation, loss, pain, God understands. He does not sit on His throne and pass judgment on us when we act out as a result of the deep wounds that we have experienced. He is a patient God. He loves us through our pain. He loves us through our mistakes. He loves us even when we try to push Him far away.God, if He chooses so, could instantly take away our pain, but that isn't usually the case. God comes into our pain and shows us how He can bring light into the darkness.

There have been so many instances in my life where God has actually entered into my darkest places to remind me that He is still there, watching over me. Some may wonder how I know it was God. All I can say is that there was no other explanation.I have ventured into some scary places in my lifetime, places that could have been very dangerous. Even in those situations, God brought people to me to help me when they could have easily hurt me.God has spoken to me through people who most Christians would pay little attention to, due to their lifestyle.God has opened doors when I have been ready to just give up. God has brought people into my life who I have needed at just the right time.

May you widen your ideas about God and who He is. We often try and put Him in a box, wrapped with a narrow vision of who He really is.Just remember that you can never fall too low for God. His arms can reach into the lowest, darkest places and lovingly pull you back up.You can never be too broken for God. He can heal whatever is causing you pain.

Trust and believe in His mercy. It is always there.

Be Still...

One morning while trying to print an important document, I became angry at my computer for freezing up. I shut it down and restarted it, but still the document would not print. I was furious, angrily praying to God for help. Why does this always happen, I thought, when I need to print something important? This document would help others, and I expected the process to go right because I was doing something for God. I became angrier when all efforts to remedy the problem failed.
At lunchtime, I came home and again tried to print the file--but to no avail. Again I became angry. As I was fuming, I realized that the computer and the printer were not the main concern in this situation; the real issue was with my spiritual health. If I were spiritually healthy, I would not have let this situation bother me so much. I began to see what was lacking in my life--prayer, Bible study, and quiet time with God. I decided to renew my daily 10-minute quiet time with God--just sitting down and being still, as Psalm 46:10 says to do. This practice helps me to be calm in the midst of a chaotic world and my fast-paced part in it. Now during a day when everything goes wrong, I know that if I pause to be still, God can and will quiet me.

Baesa Adventist Academy: The Experience

It's Monday morning. By this time, we are already finished with our week of prayer morning session. I'm just missing the experience. I spent a week at the Baesa Adventist Academy and served as their week of prayer speaker. It was my 2nd time to hold a week long series in an academy. The experience was awesome. I never expected that they would respond greatly.
First, I wanna thank God for giving me good ideas on what to share during that week. I knew the students needed something that they could relate to, and so I thought of sharing something about technology and relate it with the people of the Bible. I came up with "Old Testament Profiles". It was a series that I've been wanting to formulate, and providentially, God paved a way for me to finally assemble everything that was on my mind and turn it into a relevant tool to reach out to the younger generation.I also knew that it wouldn't be easy to keep their attention, and so again, I thank God that He reminded me of my high school and college life experiences which I was able to share to them.
Until now, I'm still receiving a lot of thanksgiving messages, appreciation, comments in facebook and feed back from the students who were blessed with my ministry. That week was intended for my vacation leave, but I decided to spend it with the students. I was not disappointed, i didn't even feel that it was a waste of time. I was totally overwhelmed.
The feeling is just great when you know you have touched somebody's life and you became a blessing to them. I could not forget when one of the bullies in the academy came to me and confided that he felt guilty for the things he had done in the past. He said he would like to ask God's forgiveness for everything. I could not help but cry when I heard him saying those words probably because I could see myself in him when I was at his age. Or probably, because I was overwhelmed by the joy that I felt. Nevertheless, a few days after our conversation, changes in the life of that young man began to appear. Even his classmates wondered why all of a sudden he changed. These are only some of the great experiences I had in my stay at the Academy.

This experience of mine will again mark my ministry and will always remind me that God is so great and that He is willing to use us in all possible ways to be a blessing to the people around us! Soli deo gloria!

The Hero is Within You

I was watching a game show this morning,and they featured Efren Penaflorida, the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.. He started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership. I was also able to watch the CNN awarding and got a chance to hear part of his speech. His words were inspiring. He said "Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry,each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need."

We live in a time that is hungry for heroes. Our world's need for extraordinary women and men is clear from the headlines in every newspaper: The advance of technology has multiplied our ability to destroy each other with weapons of war; we are facing an environmental crisis with the potential to threaten life as we know it; each day brings new clashes between people of different cultures and beliefs; and there are many places in the world where poverty and misery are getting worse, not better. In times such as these, we long for leaders with a hero's combination of extraordinary abilities and exemplary moral courage.

Unfortunately, such people are hard to find. The idols of popular culture offer little in the way of inspiration, and our era's self-proclaimed Christian leaders have proven as violent, greedy, intolerant and hypocritical as anyone from outside the church. It has reached the point where many who are loudly and visibly associated with Christianity seem disconnected from the teachings of Christ in both what they preach and what they practice. Yet we find inspiration when we focus less on those who misuse Christ's teachings, and more on the people who do simple things to change the lives of those around them.

Ministry Under Siege

More than a year has passed,again I'm facing the same odds in my ministry. You do something for the welfare of your church,and yet some brethren still find faults on you. The hardest part of this kind of experience is not to deal with the opposing brethren, but to know who really are those against you. It's been a hard time for me just hearing negative comments relayed to other concerned brethren, and not knowing who are really behind the opposition. I don't know when these things will be resolved neither do I know what's gonna happen next, but one thing I am sure of, I need to see God's hands at work and marvel on how He could make things happen for my best.

The Beggar and I

I went to Hidalgo Street at Quiapo, Manila and I happened to passed by Quiapo Cathedral. A beggar in front of the Church caught my attention. Quiapo Church is famous not only for its structure, but also for its role in the history of the Philippines. In front of the church is a large plaza where vendors sell refreshments and people talk and laugh. Two or three steps off the plaza will take you to a wide sidewalk that faces a major roadway of Manila. This is where I saw the beggar.
The beggar was a small man; made smaller by the fact that his legs were only stumps. Then, as if to emphasize his lack of stature, he sat on a small wooden platform with wheels. The man, with his worn face and pleading voice, moved around by pushing his hands against the ground as if he were rowing a boat. I remember wanting to get away from him. I escaped by walking through the streets to Recto but he was still with me.
Manila, where the Quiapo Church is located is probably the most developed city in the Philippines yet, despite its amazing growth and development, the city displays much poverty. Scenes like these are not only seen in the Metro, but in the whole country as well.
Even throughout much of the world, poverty survives as the norm and not the exception. Why are they poor and why are we not? It is not the lack of a work ethic. If anything, they put us to shame by their industry. And the ingenious ways in which they survive testify to their intelligence. Perhaps it is culture, corruption, government, heritage, or lack of opportunity. But it makes me think. Why them and not me? Some say our wealth comes from our Christian heritage. But Japan shares the wealth of the western world without sharing her God. The answers do not come easy.
Jesus told us that we have the poor with us always. But why are they here? Certainly, they give us an opportunity to minister. But there must be more. What are we to learn from them? David, though king of Israel, testified that he was “poor and needy” (Psalm 40:17). God promised to look to him “that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). The first beatitude is reserved for those who are “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). What can I learn from the poor? How am I to be poor?
This takes me back to the beggar in front of Quiapo Church. Please consider him. He is of small stature. If I would please God, I must be small in my own eyes. He cannot walk where he would please. I am helpless to live the holy life my God demands or to accomplish anything of lasting value on my own. The beggar depends on the generosity of others for his very existence. I must rely entirely upon the grace of God for my spiritual life and well-being.
God wants to find us poor and needy. We seek our own importance. He seeks those who deny themselves. We desire the comforts and pleasures of this world. God desires to have us wholly and without reservation. Am I willing to become poor for the sake of my Saviour? Would I become the beggar on the sidewalk in order to please God? This is exactly what Christ did for me. Paul told us that, “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). He left all the riches of heaven so that He could be born as a babe in a manger and give His life a ransom for all. Lord, You became poor for me. Help me, that I may become poor for Thee.

Life Like A Cake

I was at the house of one of the brethren a couple of hours ago.They offered me a slice of cake. While I was eating it, a simple thought, an object lesson to be specific, came across my mind. How many of you like to eat cake? Why? (it's sweet, tastes good, etc.)Do any of you know what things go into a cake? Then all these things must be good - right? Would you ever consider eating the ingredients of a cake separately? A spoon of flour? A raw egg? A little oil? How would that taste?
It's a lot like life. Separately there are some bitter times, some raw, hurtful times, and some dry, bland times. But there are also the good times! Together God is able to blend them all together to create a life that is meaningful, useful, and tasty! Romans 8:28 is a beautiful promise: "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His good purpose." No - all things are not good, but in God's hands they can be mixed and blended along with the good into a beautiful creation. It's during the bad times that we see how BIG our God is. He loves each of us and He is in control; we can trust Him!

The Birthplace!

Tatay and I went to visit our 1,000 square meters lot at Bacolor, Pampanga yesterday. It's been a while since the last time we rode a motorcycle together. If I remember right, the last time we rode a motorcycle together was when I was in the 6th grade. It is a great experience to go back to the place where you were born and be with the first man who saw you as you were going out of your mother's womb. This made me realized how blessed I am because my tatay (father) is still with me even after 24 years. A big part of my ministry's success is because of my father's inspiration. I can't help but be proud of him. He, who taught me how to be independent, made my life better. He, who gave me a sense of importance, made my life fulfilled. He, who showed me how blessed I am, made me contented for what I have. And he, who never stops inspiring me, makes my life so complete.

I've Been There!

My experiences today and yesterday have been so fulfilling. I've been visiting the brethren from my pastorate in their homes. As their pastor, it is but usual for them to share their burdens with me and ask advice from me.Yesterday,one of the brethren that I visited shared her burden about her son's relationship. The other one told me about her problem with her co-teacher. And just today, when I visited one of the newly baptized member, he shared his problem of keeping the sabbath because of his work. I don't know if those were coincidences, but I've experienced the same problems they all have. God has been so good to me that I was able to overcome those trials, which made me more effective in giving advice to them. This part of my life made me realized that probably the reason why doesn't God allow everyone to experience all the problems in life is because He has given us our brethren, our neighbors, our family, our pastors, who once in their lives have been in the same situations we are in right now. They can testify how God has led them in the past and can give us the advice that we need for us not to be in the same scenario they were in. May God bring you the people who can help you in your present situation and may He use you to be of help to other people as well.

They Call it A House

I am fond of watching documentaries and just tonight I was able to watch "Kalye". This is a documetary on what is happening in the streets of the Philippines. Airing once a week, this show gives me a lot of insights. Tonight they featured the life of those who are living under a bridge somewhere in Paco, Manila and a family living in a small junked van. My heart was crushed when I saw their situation. I wondered how they are able to sleep and eat under a dirty, noisy and crowded place. I've slept inside a car so many times before but living in it is a different story. This made me amazed on how this family living in a junked van could find comfort despite of their situation. After watching the documentary, I began to ask myself why so many people still complain about their situation even if they live in a decent place, when many people live with cockroaches and still call it a house? When will we ever be contented with what we have and be grateful in whatever we receive from God?

Almost Dead!

Last night was probably the worst night of my life. I usually have nightmares, but last night's was so terrible. My body was asleep and yet my mind was awake. In my nightmare, I experienced a terrible earthquake, that's why I wanted to move my whole body, but only my left foot was moving. I was aware that it was a nightmare and thought of the possiblity of dying at that point. In my mind, I started praying and asking God to spare my life because I already had a traumatic situation like this before. I had an uncle who died because of this, and my dad frequently experiences this too. God is so good, here I am sharing my near-death story. David in the book of Psalms said, "Even though I walk
through the valley of
the shadow of death
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me."
I know that It was God's rod that awakened me from that nightmare, when I was in the shadow of death.

A Great Prayer!

It was already 7:15 pm and the scheduled speaker for the prayer meeting had not yet arrived. I had the feeling before I left my house that I would speak that night. And true enough, the scheduled speaker was not aware that he would be speaking. Being the church pastor, I took his place and spoke before my pastorate. Stored in my usb drive was the first powerpoint sermon I ever made in my entire ministry, the "Prayer of Jabez". After reading 1 Chronicles 4:9,10 where the prayer of Jabez is recorded, I shared the essence of that prayer and how it became meaningful in my life.
The Prayer of Jabez reminds us that everybody struggles with choosing to rely on himself or God. Whether you are a focused Christian or just searching to find out more about God, life is a growing process. However, it is very clear in reviewing the Prayer of Jabez, as well as the rest of the Bible, that God is faithful in caring for those who seek Him. Jabez sets a great example of how God wants everyone to come to Him through constant and passionate prayer. If you are looking to start a relationship with God or improve your existing relationship with Him, start with prayer. God answers prayers when you trust Him. Prayers to God also please Him. We can all learn from Jabez and faithfully pray to God always in everything that we do.