Chronicles of a Staff Worker Dec. 2

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Today is a very tiring day.

It started very early in the morning and ended a few minutes before midnight. But I continue to praise God because though physically I'm exhausted, I'm spiritually high for the Lord.

It was my first time to joined DCBC's workers' prayer meeting today. Ate Jak reminded me of this two days ago but I didn't read her text message thoroughly. I didn't understand that the meeting was set on a Thursday (today) and so I actually went to our meeting place yesterday.

I was a day early for the prayer meeting!

With this blunder, however, God gave me the opportunity to pray for people while I walked back to U.P. from Philcoa. I'm determined to digest text messages next time.

Chronicles of a Staff Worker Dec. 1

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I started my December with a reminder during my devotions to give God's Name the honor and glory it deserves. To honor God's name is actually synonymous to honoring God Himself because in Jewish culture, the name is the exact representation of the person. This is the reason behind God's revelation to Moses regarding His name, "I am who I am."

There is no single name on earth that can fully represent our perfect God that is why He said His name is what He does, says, thinks and reveals-- His entirety.

God also reminded me to be always on the side of truth, my "yes" a "yes" and my "no" a "no." It is not good to prove the truthfulness of my claims through oaths that use God's Name. Instead of relying on God's credentials-- with the risk of disrespecting Him-- I must live a life of honesty, truth and righteousness. This very lifestyle will be the proof of my words and claims.

Missions Exposure Trip to Marinduque Part 2

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The 2010 Missions Exposure Trip team

It’s now a month since the 2010 Missions Exposure Trip to Marinduque. I struggled finding time to write the second part of my post because of the many transition activities I went through these past weeks. I am now working full time for a campus ministry in the University of the Philippines so I had to fix my schedule and work description. Though it’s difficult to explain what I’m actually doing, I figured that people understood my job when I told them I’m a “Church Worker” or a “Campus Missionary.”

But this post is not about my work yet; I’ll write a separate article on that. This is the second installment of our Missions Trip to Marinduque.

We spent roughly three days in Boac, the province’s capital. On our third day, several members from UP bid us farewell. They had to cut their trip short for various reasons. Many of them were working alumni so they had to go back lest they be absent from their jobs. Others were students who still had final or removal exams waiting for them in UP. Still others had flight schedules to catch.

All in all, five members from UP sailed back to Manila on our last night in Boac. Though we’re less in number for our next missions stop, we remained just as enthusiastic. The absence of four UPians gave our brothers and sisters from the Southern Luzon State University a chance to step up in leadership.

My first fellowship for the sem

Maynard leads the devotions in Ipil-Yakal's very first fellowship this semester.
 From his exhortation,we  were reminded to store up treasures in heaven,
treasures that have eternal value.

There is trust in a fellowship. It is fueled not by familiarity nor confidence but by the blood of Christ.

Everyone can open up in a fellowship because in the company of the condemned, there is no condemnation. We are all fallen beings and judgment is not ours to give.

I praise God for allowing me to be part of Dormitories' Christian Fellowship. I have learned a lot from the many experiences I had in this organization. But I praise Him more for allowing me to offer my life in His service through this group. 

I attended my very first fellowship this semester with Yakal and Ipil. It is always refreshing to be with brothers and sisters in the faith, especially the ones you missed dearly. We shared our experiences and also assessed the previous sem's meetings.

I am blessed by all the reflections and suggestions given by the group. It really helps to hear the insights of everyone because they make the discussion more meaningful and fruitful. We have committed to help improve our fellowship this semester, and by God's grace I know we can.

But to connect my introduction with the body of this blog, I am blessed by the openness of a brother. I am humbled by the trust he has given me in sharing something so painful and difficult. I had an extended fellowship with him and I don't regret sitting by his side, listening to his stories. He said he was blessed; I am blessed more.

I pray that I may be able to minister to him as best as I can. May God help me and strengthen me in this task.

To Him be all the glory and praise!

Missions Exposure Trip to Marinduque Part 1

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The people of Marinduque like to think of their island as the "heart" of the Philippine archipelago because of its shape and location. Found in Southern Luzon, between the provinces of Mindoro and Quezon, the island-province boasts of pristine beaches, waterfalls, caves and other natural wonders that can truly make the heart skip a beat.

It is a place I can easily love. But I went to Marinduque not as a tourist but as a missionary. Together with a team of almost 30 individuals, I spent a week in the island helping in seminars and small group discussions on Sunday School, evangelism, holiness and purity, sexuality and relationships. We also shared the Gospel to a number of people in a community, and I acted as a counselor for my teammates during that long week.

Editing what I posted on my Facebook the day I arrived home after the trip, I will summarize the Missions Exposure Trip of 2010 as "tiring but satisfying."

Mark's Turn

Of all the genres in the Bible, I enjoy reading Jesus' parables. The secret, like what I told my Bible Study Group, is to start with the events immediately preceding the parable as well as the events following it.

Usually, people begin with the parable itself without understanding why Jesus told the story in the first place. They miss the point that the parable is an answer to a question or an attitude of the people interacting with Christ.

A parable is an extended metaphor, but it contains only one spiritual truth. The beauty of parables also lie in their simplicity. Jesus uses everyday events and daily experiences in putting forward a spiritual truth. But because of their ordinariness, people miss the grand point and the message altogether.

Here we witness how people become blinded. They fail to grasp Christ's message because they cannot understand the Savior's chosen medium-- the parable. In their minds they are thinking, "What is the connection of the story to what we're talking about?" The answer? Everything. It is the answer to the question. It deals with the wrong attitude or the problem at hand.

Why did Jesus chose parables? We find the answer in Mark 4:11-12

"...But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,

'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’"

Only those whose eyes and ears are opened by the Spirit can understand the message. We must praise God because we are among them. I may be able to give techniques and guidelines to my Bible Study group but it is ultimately God who opens the mind to understand His message.

Last Monday, it was Mark's turn to lead our Bible Study's devotion. He spoke on the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30 and Luke 19:12-28). From his discussion, we were able to understand that Jesus was teaching about the day of accounting. There will come a time when God will ask us to give a report on how we have used the abilities He has given us.

This is actually a controversial passage because if misread, it can be used to argue that good works are God's basis in allowing people into His Kingdom. But Mark is keen in pointing out that the reward for the servants' faithfulness is increased responsibility from the Master.

Listening to this, I remembered Matthew 13:12 that says-

"Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

It is clear that at the moment of judgment, Christians together with non-Christians are to give an account to God on how they've used the blessings He has given them. But this is not the ticket to salvation. The unfaithful servant, by virtue of the missing relationship with God is already condemned to eternal separation. In fact, it is because of the absence of such relationship that he failed to understand why he had to cultivate the talents given by the Master. He did not know the Master and so he did not place value on the way he used the talent or minas.

It was actually a fairly difficult passage to handle. There were questions raised by Bencio and Marko and even me but were not answered that night. That's okay because our goal was not to exhaust all the theological debate surrounding the parable. We were more concerned with the practice and the opportunity of leading the small group.

I am still at awe for God is growing Mark and my other disciples. Given more time, I know that God can use them for His mighty works. My heart's prayer is for them to really get to know God more and, thus, draw strength and motivation from Him. I pray that God will meet them in their individual quiet times so that He may show Himself and change them forever.

Thank you still Lord for the opportunity of ministering to these young men. Continue to teach me also that I may be able to teach others Your ways and your Word. Amen.

Reaping the Fruits

Two weeks ago, I started asking students in our Bible Study Group  to lead devotions during our meetings. This is my way of helping them apply our lessons on interpretation. At the same time, I believe that the exercise will give them the opportunity to practice speaking in a small group. Afterall, they will soon be the kuyas of DCF so I'm giving them all the help I can give while my time and work still permit.

JD was the first one to lead the devotions. He spoke on Psalm 23, a very beautiful Psalm on assurance and peace. When he began speaking, I can't help but smile because I witnessed tremendous growth in him. It was just my second time to hear JD speak, the first was during a core meeting of the Ipil Christian Fellowship. Comparing the way he spoke then and now leads me to but one conclusion-- the Lord is preparing and molding him for greater things.

On that night, I remembered the words of Kuya Caloy. He told me one time, "The greatest joy I have in this ministry is not the financial gain or the fame. I don't have any of these. My greatest joy is when I witness change in the lives of the people God gave me to disciple."

This, to me, is my first time to experience the "joy" Kuya Caloy was talking about. It feels very fulfilling, a kind of joy that lasts. Somehow you know deep inside that you've given God glory because of the accomplished work.

Of course, I am only His instrument. It is because I obeyed the Lord and allowed Him to use me that such change came to be.

I am excited to hear Bible-study fellows speak. I am also excited to see them grow in their walk with the Lord. I know that I may not be able to disciple them forever, but while I can, I will treasure the moment.

My prayer request for these young men? Pray with me that they will really grow up living Christian and Godly lives. May they walk with the Lord in everything they do, always remembering the cross and the life that was sacrificed for their salvation.

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)

Thank you Lord for using me and for giving me this Bible Study group. Help me walk in Your ways day after day until Jesus Christ comes again.