Something Gone Wrong?

The most peculiar day is arriving, December 25. Where people start to come together and eat together; where people give gifts, and kids carols with hymns. The day when we celebrate a peculiar person's birth who "saved" the world by dying on the cross. The weirdest holiday is arriving and I really want to talk about how it became the weirdest and yet the most celebrated.

First of all, Christmas is actually a pagan festival (I forgot the main details but you can try to search it for validity) and this pagan festival was getting bigger and being engaged even by the Christians. So the Council did was to transform this pagan festival into a day of celebration, the question was what celebration? Jesus Christ Birth! And it became a great success and now we have Christmas! Then this "Savior" comes through a virgin birth (Yes, a baby was formed without any sexual intercourse), I guess the Savior should have an honorable birth and with a great herd of people and a great birth place. WRONG! The "Savior" was given birth in manger! Full of animals! There's no thing to place the baby into so they wrapped the baby with cloth and put Him into a feeding through. Then some of this shepherd guys came and said God send them to praise the baby. Well that wasn't even into my mind about praising something, a baby as a God! I don't think so. Then when Jesus is about 2 to 3 years old there's this wise men who gave gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. There's another peculiar thing I'm disturbed at. Jesus knowing He lived for Him to die. Yes, you read it right He lived to die. Not He lived for him to live. Throughout the 33+ years He lived that mindset "He lived for Him to die". And I tell you that isn't an easy thing for you not to commit suicide. "Well that's all the weirdness of Jesus right?" WRONG! When He lived, He lived full of strange things. He broke the Sabbath the thing He made, He touched so many unclean things, talked to a Samaritan, scrubbed the disciples feet, and telling people that He and the Father (What the Jews knew who was Yahweh) are one. The prophets prophesied that Jesus will be a King! As what we know a king when he comes we are to serve him right? For Jesus He came for Him to serve! Normally we serve a king, but here the King (The Kings of Kings actually) serves us. 

The greatest and the most peculiar of them all is Him (a King, sinless) on a cross (punishment for the greatest of sinners). Yet this wasn't a sign of defeat but an accomplishment of a mission. For Him to be defeated for us to accomplish, for Him to be cursed for us to be blessed, for Him to be full of unrighteousness for us to be full of righteousness, for Him to be punished and for us to be spared from it,for Him to be disowned and for us to be owned as children of God, and lastly for Him to be unloved for us to be loved. He did this for us, the greatest and wretched of sinners (who actually put Him on a cross). 

"We're all oddballs, but God loves us anyway" -Philip Yancey

"God love was revealed among us in this way: 

God sent His One and Only Son into the world 

so that we might live through Him. 

Love consist in this: not that we loved God, but 

that He loved us and sent His Son to be the 

propitation of our sins." -1st John 4:9-10

A Little Bit High

Insanity has manifest in me; it corrupted every single cell in my body.  I hallucinate every second, and every day. Many days of torture and delight, I tried to stop yet it came back. Should I really stop this corrupted delight or this sinful delicacy? People thought that I am normal, a regular person, yet they don’t know that I am a statute of insanity. How this insanity began? I don’t know. Should I end it? I don’t know. Can I tell you? I don’t really know if I can.

Dead flowers and streams of cuddly stuffed-toy bear; kiss the morning light by looking at her eyes. I can’t believe this feeling I have towards her, why is this? I haven’t experience this dreadful delight in my lifetime. It’s so miserable to experience this magical feeling, every time I see her it’s like the world stops and her pathways are full of stars and her face brightens up like the morning day. I always imagine looking at her eyes, holding her hands, and seeing her smile. I just want to be with her forever somewhat that is the downside. I can’t have her, I can’t see her always, and she had her choice. I have displayed all of my love to her. Now I really understand the song “Now” by MYMP. “Loving is not owning, you can let me go…” Love is a choice between the two parties, it’s my choice to love her it’s her choice to love me back. She didn’t choose to love me back, and I respect that. Love can exist even it is one sided, yet that perhaps the hardest love we can experience but it may be the most delightful too. You can’t force someone to love you, for love is something that is decision with the mind and the heart.

“Love consists in this: not that we loved God but that he loved us
and sent His One and Only Son into the world to be the
propitiation for our sins.” -1^st John 4:10

The best example of a one-sided love is God’s love for us. If you have read the bible cover to cover, you will just see a picture of a guy deeply in love with a prostitute (like Hosea’s story). God portrayed His love by letting Hosea (His prophet to the people) marry Gomer (a prostitute). We can see in the consecutive verses that Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea but you will see how God’s one-sided love been shown to Gomer (allegorically Israel) through Hosea and spoke to their children (the next generation of Israelites).

“I will take you to be My wife forever, I will take you to be My wife
in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to
be my wife in faithfulness, and you will know Yahweh… I will sow
her in the land for Myself, and I will have compassion on
No Compassion (or Lo-ruhamah); I will say to Not My People
(or Lo-ammi): You are my people, and he will say,
’You are My God.’” –Hosea 2:19-20,23

I can describe this love as quite insane, because if you know that you will marry a prostitute and love her with all of your life and still you know she will be unfaithful to you. It will just be a tiring process and an endless cycle of hurt in the lover’s part not to the prostitute; but that’s how God loves us! Even He knows that after seconds I will sin, He still loves me and still want me to be his wife. This is how amazing God’s love can be.

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us!” –Romans 5:8

One word from this verse made a huge impact in how I view God’s love for me. The word “While” While I was still doing drugs, while I was killing people, while I was sexually harassing people, while I was cursing Him, while I was proving that He didn’t exist, while I was lying, while I was peaking for answer on my seatmate’s test paper, while I was eating people, and I don’t know your “While…”’s one thing I can assure you Christ died for you while you did those things. While we were unfaithful to Him still He was faithful to us, while we were cursing Him; He blessed us. I just remember how God’s compassion with those who are lost. Jesus actually told a parable that blows my mind; the parable of the lost sheep. Its mind blowing because of its illogical math, 1 is greater than 99. The Shepherd left the 99 just to find the sheep that wondered off on the flock. What if the Shepherd came back with that sheep and saw that 54 were left, yet He didn’t thought about that. He just thought about searching that one lost sheep.

I’m so thankful serving a God that isn't always or will evaluate my performance if I meet His standards (If that happen I won’t even score a thing). He is a God of compassion; joy, peace, justice, grace, and love. He doesn’t require me of anything; I don’t need to do anything to gain his satisfaction or His happiness. He is already pleased and happy with me. I’m just here to proclaim this Gospel (I’m actually not required to do it but I do it because I just want to it was my choice and He respected me with it). God has made me righteous not even my sins can remove me from my righteousness because it’s not my works that I was made righteous.

Insanity is not too bad after all; perhaps we actually should have a little dose of it once in a while. Radical love isn’t our love for Him but His love for us, a love that we can choose to respond or not. I’m still hoping she will choose me… <3

What should I write?

I just had a great and heavy lunch at a restaurant.

It was a great lunch! So great that I'll blog about it! It was a 1/3 CheeseBurger in Kenny Rogers! Being in the Philippines, commercials are deceiving. You'll see in the commercials that the burgers are big and delicious. As you buy the product, well suprise surprise smaller than a mustard seed and the taste is like bricks that you can throw to your enemy. Not in Kenny Rogers' Cheeseburger! It was enormous! Juicy in the inside! Not flabby! The burger's juice has lovely taste to it! Imagine a burger that will let you eat the vegies that is in your burger! I love the burger so muuuch! The burger was really good that we reached out the comments and suggestions paper and we wrote how awesome the burger was (and a refinement with their roast chicken sandwich). So much with burgers, let's look what we can get out from this. People can really deceive you and show you things that at first looks delicious and lovely, but at the end it leads you with a disappointed heart. We always experience this on our society that leads us to just tolerate such things, but we should understand that there is something far better than what you are receiving. Something so many people seek and couldn't find.

Matthew 11:27 NIV

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

The thing we seek is with Jesus, but the question is to whom did Jesus revealed it? It actually found in the same chapter!

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Let us rejoice! For what is true, eternal, and from God is revealed to those who come to Him! To those who seeks rest!

Wait! What are we looking for?

An essay that changed the way I think

I've been thinking of a topic for me to write on my essay.

I was thinking to write about what I observed with reality, because I was really inspired with my realization after my darkest months in life. I guess I'm regaining my ownself this past few days, reopening my mind to what is really important and essential. I started to read my bible without distractions and I awaken a sleeping spirit inside of me. I started to reprioritize and oppotunities came to me. Drumming, writing, studying, debating, thinking (a lot!), and speaking. It was a grateful moment for me to realize God's goodness in my life even if I stumbled.

While writing this, I was planning to say that "The reality is WE can't have what really what we want. Contenment, pleasure, or even satisfaction we can't have." I was inspired to tell you this yet I won't tell you what made write you this, yet when I was walking outside going to buy onions and garlic. I realized it's true that we can't really have everything we want, yet we have everything we need. Love.

"I realized that love doesn't need to be a fantasy, nor it be a romantic movies. Love doesn't need symbols, or cupids. Love doesn't need letters or written words (I just accidentally removed THIS and forgot to save it) Love doesn't need emphasis for it to be over the top and for people notice it. Love doesn't need philosophical description nor man's definition. Love is not just a feeling. Love is simply perfect. It doesn't need a definition for it is already been defined. If our reality today is we can't have everything we want, God gave us what er really need. Love."

A Rollercoaster Ride

Lights are gleaming, praises and shouting, the bump of the bass drum, a tap from a bestfriend, an unseen friend, shouting crowd, and a spark of jealousy?

The open sea, the open soors, the lovely bees, and the unfading colors. I'm seeing a crowd full of praises and worship, but an ekklesia full of drought and dryness. Perhaps the heart is the problem, yet of whom? The ekklesia or iglesia? I am in the midst of harvest yet the harvest is not ripe. How is this? What shall we do? Have Paul planted the seed? That Apollo watered? Where only God can make it grow? Why is this treachery in our midst? Our job is not to make them grow but plant them excellently while we water them sufficiently.

Are we in a hurry? Are we in a movie? No, we're in reality. Reality cannot be hurried nor be it a fantasy, it is something unconcieveable that makes every coco loco; but reality promises one thing, it keeps us wanting for something greater than reality. A paradise for us to be in. A dominion where in there is nothing to hurry about, nor it be just a fantasy but more than we could imagine but better for it is tangible and real. We live in a world where the are two realities. Reality of this world and of what is to come. Be ready for we're going to experience something rough as a rollercoaster ride.

"...Surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." -Matthew 28:20b

Words that we should hold before the big rollercoaster ride.

The night when you say "Ugh"

The swings of the tree, the rays of the sun, the rhythm of the music, and "The Mood" has begun;

Where you think of the people around you, the position you are in, your life generally, the confusions all around you, and the mistakes you made. Look around you no one is against you but you feel the whole world is on your opposition, joy is filled within you yet you feel depression that leads you to mourning, love has been displayed to you yet you feel unloved, and you know you did your best and it was the best but you think of yourself as a failure. I hate this feeling yet it opens a new way for you to be better. We're pruned plants, sculptured clay, moulded metal, and ready to face another level. God uses situations to let his sons and daughters be ready for them not to be surprised with the battles they will face. In the end of the day we have the assurance that we have won. Corruption, disease, death, darkness, and even sin has no power against us. Look ahead and our possession is in our midst. It's not gold or silver, nor pearls or gems. It's our Lord Jesus Christ. For with Him we can attain the ultimate satisfaction. Bonus features? HE got it all, prosperity, sense of humor, romance, genuine, and eternal.

BossaLove

I was saved from the pit! I rose from the dead, for your voice I heard.

How wonderful for I have already met you, the from the songs I listen to. How I longed for me to see you, and now you're just inches away. This is the first time I have experienced this, blushing red as a tomato. Your personality is a charm, it sets a light from my eyes. How lovely, words cannot explain. She knows my name, called me, and she was so glad to me. I hugged her, and it was a moment to treasure. It wasn't romance I felt, it was a sense of adornment on how she sings her songs with loveliness, gentleness, and with care like how you treat other people. Thank you Sitti Navarro. I'm glad that I had a chance to see you, but I'm looking forward to see you again. Somewhat a time where we're not in a hurry, and a cup of tea for you and me is on the table (if you don't like tea then coffee for you). Sharing stories, sharing diferrent songs, singing, and having a great time knowing each other. Too much for me to ask, but it's my heart speaking.

Come back

Perhaps this months were the most crazy months I ever had.

I've stop blogging for 8 months already. Within those months I have experienced the craziest, weirdest, and the most depressing days I have encountered in my life. Having another baby in the family, entering to my college life, having a friend who drank dishwashing liquid and ate a sponge, met a girl who had a 70 to 80 checks on my list, and encountering the "Truth"

Before anything else I will be really honest, bold, and transparent yet I won't tell names. Skipping the baby part going to the after youth camp. May 23, I met her. Doing my normal thing talking to people and welcoming them to the service. I saw this girl who was texting and waiting for someone. I introduced myself and open some topics. O, I forgot for those past few months I was watching HIMYM some tv series. I asked her if she watches it and she did and boom instant blast she became my bestfriend. So we texted like all day and night. Skipping ahead to the first month of my college life. I met a classmate who had a mental breakdown on our second week of classes, and beginning to chat the girl I met 2 years ago. Now July, the most depressing days I ever encountered. I was in the midst of suicide. I came back to the dark but there was a difference, I was a light yet hidden. Somewhat I hate to live, it was tiring after encountering "The Truth". To summarize it all I was lost, and seeking for answers. Now after a walk around and listening 3 albums of Mindy Gledhill (Big fan here!) I came to realize that we all experience low times and experience that moment after all you did in life, after doing vg, doing 121, talking and welcoming to people, after the joy and fun, the refreshing, the babysitting, the hating, loving, crying, depression, promotion, studies, and family you'll go to your be, look at the ceilling and remember what you did and there's this feeling that you don't understand and makes you quite sad. I always feel that, and I know you do. People avoid this moment. Through parties, drinking, relationships, sex, and so much more just to avoid that. I got the desire to know that feeling, because it moulded me to be better (and with God's grace of course). After this people will ask me what happened and judge me or condemn me. I say only one thing. "You will surely encounter this."

Servant, Boss, and Friend

John 15:15 NIV

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

A boss and employee relationship is the most unintimate relationship. Why? Everything must be professional, no emotions, and no attachment. Yet, in this verse there is a big change.

Reverence
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's buisness..."

A boss and employee relationship is the most unintimate relationship. Your boss doesn't care about your family, or how you commute everyday, and how you eat your tuna sandwich. Morely in a servant and master relationship. That is why servants have great reverence to their master.

Grace
"Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Imagine your boss going to your office and began asking about your family and the stuff. It's quite awkward right? That is the same situation that the disciples experienced with Jesus. Jesus washes their feet, visit their homes, and healed a disciple's mom. Imagine that close to a God?

"God has called us as His friends yet we were His servants. This orchestrates God's grace (by calling us friends) and our reverence (because we were still His servant but now called as friends) because you are faced with the most powerful God."

Why Love?

Love

This was the most hardest topic that I came across to. It made me wonder so much, it gave me little headaches, and made me sleep at 1 am in the morning. Yet, it's worth it. That's love. And as I write this blog at 11:50pm December 28 2013, I would just tackle three things about love.

Truth

We all wondered how true love became so magical and made us believe that it only happens in fairy tales. That's not the love I know. 

Choice

We all made a choice. Choosing from selfish love or selfless love. I did choose.

Sacrifice

We all made sacrifices for love. Is it worth it? I know it was.

And to tackle these is quite hard but so easy that it led me to a statement that I will keep for the rest of my life.

"I knew about true love, and it led me to choose. I chose, and it led me to sacrifice many things. It was worth it."

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. -Acts 20:24

A dangerous path

Acts 20:24 NIV
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace

This was Paul's statement to the leaders in ephesus concerning his journey to Jerusalem. Paul was urged by the Holy Spirit to go and preach the good news of God's grace there. He knew he will face hardships and severe trials. So he spoke that statement. Let's take the verse  piece by piece for us to understand the statement he made.

"... I consider my life worth nothing to me..."
SELF-DENIAL
This is quite common to Christians, because Jesus spoke this statement to His disciples "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

The statement is a perfect example of self-denial. Why? Are you willing to go to a place that you know rejection, persecution, or even death will be a consequence of you preaching of that good news? That needs alot of self-denial.

"... my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-..."
LORDSHIP
A key essential to the christian faith. Yet, sometimes this the most ignored and the most hated. Lordship requires 100% submission to Jesus, not 99.99999% but 100%. Lordship is hard because again it needs death to self and giving our desires, dreams, and plans to Him.

Giving Him our desires, dreams, and plans is quite hard but He knows what is best for us. So He will give us much more on what we expect if give Him our desires, dreams, and plans.

"... the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
PURPOSE
Now our purpose here is to submit to God's authority (that requires self-denial) through making disciples.

Are you making disciples?

A Tree in a Play

"I was chosen to be a tree,

I expected a greater role. I wanted to act and express everything that I feel, but they gave me a tree costume. I was asked to stay behind and stretch out my hands/arms as wide as I can. I did but I was not contended. I wanted to act and be the star.

On the rehearsals we always finish late because I was always interrupting everything. I go out of my place and act but no one noticed and they as me to go back to my position. They didn't appreciate me or even noticed me. I asked the director for another role but the only role remaining is to be a tree. I was disappointed.

The day of the play, I didn't 'act' but watched at the back. Then I heard people panicking and saying "Where is the tree?!" they were looking for me! As I was going to show myself at the backstage, suddenly another guy took my place of being a Tree. He was applauded! And was took of notice, I just realized I had the most vital role. Like the Tree of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. I was frustrated and got angry at myself, I regret everything I did. I had a vital role but blew it. I didn't notice how important every role was."

"The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,  so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." -1st Corinthians 12:21-26

The Heart of Correction

Correction!

What is really important with correction? Why do we need correction? WHAT IS CORRECTION?!

Why is correction important? Correction is offered to someone who made a mistake, not because the corrector is perfect but because the corrector has concern and DESIRE to implant his knowledge to give a greater outcome with the things you deeply desire to excel in.

"So what?!" you may say, but give me an eye here (eye me up a sec.) Imagine a world without correction, a world without any transfer of one's knowledge to another a world without correction. What world might that be! We might be stuck in using lamps or we might not have any great things to enjoy today like your iPhone or iPad's.

Why? Because people corrected it, people input an knowledge and gave some idea's to make those things come to reality! So how do we accept correction? It's upon you (in how you understand and how you deeply desire the thing you want to excel in)! So what is correction?
...
..
.
Correction is a inmost desire or what you call Love.

"Better is open rebuke than hidden love" -Proverbs 27:5

Without the right purpose

"Without the right purpose, you will always be unsatisfied."

What is the purpose of people in life?
-Here are some friends' answers-

"To have many GF's for the rest of my life" -Richard

"To achieve more in candy crush" -Angel

"To have good grades" -Jake

"... to be successful" -Daniel

"Honor God and Make disciples!!!" -Catrina

"My  purpose is to be a blessing to others..." -Collins

"To glorify God!" -Patricia

"To share God's word!! Make disciples!!! Win souls!!" -Danica

"Live for God....." -Arnel

"To live for Christ who died for me." Elaine 

"To honor and glorify God." -Camille

The real meaning of purpose is in the Greek word Telos (purpose) meaning "an object to aim."

Purpose is something that makes a person or any being strive! But what if you have fulfill your purpose? What now? You'll sit there and wait for your lifetime to pass? A real purpose is ongoing  and it can be passed to the next generation. A purpose must be given, not made. Well-made by the Maker of all things and passed throughout the generations.

How about you what's your purpose? Is that purpose genuine enough to stand and make a change? Can it be passed to the next generation?

"A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance." -Jesus

"Free" Will

Free will comes with responsibility.

I had a discussion with an atheist about free will. His statement was, "Free will is the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion," and I totally agree with it but having no responsibility for the DECISION one made is where I disagree. When I heard him out, he was pointing that people have choices and they have no commitment or responsibility about it. "I have free will, God MUST NOT punish me because of my free will."

Through Jesus Christ you can be free from those bad choices... "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." -John 8:36 

"Though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not" -C.S. Lewis 

Ignite 2013

Three days of none stop glorification like on Mt.Sinai...
His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. (Mark 9:3, 15 NIV)
Days of showing off God's reflection is coming. Are we showing His glory or we just want to share ours? The days of His harvest are approaching. Are we devoted to harvest or are we on our sheds sleeping?

"Christians needs to radically live out the Christian ethnic, which can't help but challenge ethnical systems." -Charles Colson

Weird

After a great and tiring night from Youth service, connecting people... And a farewell party of a friend of mine... I feel strange and weird... I feel that people won't talk to me... Even they're making an effort to talk to me...
So strange...

"Even in the situation of weirdness, God is still hugging you and saying 'I love you' no matter how weird you are."

Fiat ex Nihilo

Think for a moment... Make a paper airplane and try to challenge it with a game of chess or anything you like... Who do you think will dominate the game? Surely YOU will. The same is true with Us and God. On how He is holy, able and strong. Can you compete with your Creator?

"He is not just Holy,
Not holy hoy,
He is holy holy holy." -Max Lucado

Here we can be part of His purpose! To be an airplane to be send for His glory! Let us do what we are designed to do! To proclaim His glory!

I forgot!!!

It was great at first then I gradually forget. Why did I forgot the most important thing or I meant being in my life... As I have a great relationship with God the world introduced me a new god....
Then at first I ignore and start to draw closer to that new god then I start to enjoy and realize that I forgot something.... Hmmmm.. What did I forget... Wait!
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My bestfriend!

A move that I took...

It was all or nothing... It's like .7 Sec shot.... It was a determiner move on chess.... It was the free kick to win.... It was a soul to win for Him.... What to do....

Wait.....! Is it His will?! Oh my! I forgot His agenda.... His will and purpose.... The thing that I live for. I need to go back! A move that I should take....

"You might have a way, but it's always God's way will prevail."

Sola Gratia