Kuya Caloy on Worship and Fellowship

Kuya Caloy preaches on true worship and the importance of fellowship at DCF's Summer Meetings.

Philippines Beach Missions 2012

Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the islands. (Isaiah 42:12)

Every year, a group of college students and graduates come together to proclaim Jesus in one of the many beaches of the archipelago. For two years now, the Philippines Beach Missions team has been sharing Jesus in the shores of Zambales with the help of a local church partner from the area.

I've joined the BM Trip from year one in 2011 and with the coming of the summer heat, I once more cleared my schedule for the second year of the mission.Two groups make up the BM Team, each spending one week at a time in the chosen mission field. Previously, I was with group two; I chose to join group one this year.

The Beach Missions takes to heart Jesus' words to Peter and Andrew, "I will make you fishers of men." Throughout the trip, we manned the coastline talking to beach-goers and locals alike. We went to where the "fish" were and spoke to them about the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.

Like the first-century apostles, our schedule and program were very fluid and truly Spirit-led. Depending on the number of people, we would do either one-on-one Gospel-sharing, or hold simple beach games for a large group before grabbing the opportunity to talk about Jesus.

Armed with a rope for a game of tug-of-war and a colorful ball for a round of beach basketball, we would gather the people swimming around and build rapport with them. Until now, I thank God for making Filipinos inquisitive and fun-loving. Who would have thought that these simple games would allow us to connect with the people in a very non-threatening way?

The games lasted around 10 to 15 minutes, after which we would call the children and teens to the shore to help us bury several of the team members in the sand. Kuya Dave gets this role often because he's larger than any of us and  burying him gives the precious minutes needed to share the Gospel.

We accomplished this using the soccer ball which was painted by Jeremy with the colors of the Wordless Book -- gold or yellow, black, red, white and green. While the children and teens buried Kuya Dave in the sand, one team member explained the colors, climaxing with the death of Jesus with the color red.

This year, Kuya Raf, one of the InterVarsity staff members, shared Noah's story with the children before presenting the colorful ball.

Often after the large-group presentation, we broke into smaller groups to further explain the message of the Gospel. I noticed that it was good to repeat the meaning of the colors and to engage the listeners by encouraging them to memorize the key words for each color. We then left them with a woven bracelet which also bore the five colors of the ball. This is a reminder of the Gospel and a constant challenge for them to consider the message and to respond to the call of faith in Jesus.

There were times when we were privileged to pray for the people we spoke to. In my case, there was one particular lady who was resistant to the Good News. We tried to explain what the Bible says about salvation in Jesus, but she would not yield to it. Even if she refused to believe, however, we still asked for prayer requests. Praise God because her face lightened with the offer. We prayed for her concerns, but more importantly Queen and I prayed for her salvation when we were already discussing the encounter.

The incident reminded me again that salvation of people is not in our hands. We may be able to share passionately, creatively, charismatically or dramatically but without the power of the Holy Spirit touching people's hearts, transformation will not happen. Our duty is to share faithfully, God gives the increase.

God dealt with one of my biggest fears in evangelism during the trip-- approaching a large group alone. He allowed me to share to at least two large groups even if I was so terrified of doing so. Incidentally, most of those in the groups were students so I felt very comfortable because my ministry is campus-based and I regularly worked with students of all ages.

Even if I wasn't very well during the trip because of flu and a back ache, I really felt God giving me the energy to keep on sharing. I preferred staying dry because of my condition, but even on the shore and the cottages the Lord gave me several opportunities to share His Son.

The people were very receptive. Several even said they remembered us from last year's missions trip. But even so, they still wanted to hear the Gospel. I sometimes wonder how many times should we share the message before they understand it, or more importantly before they put their faith in Christ. This is clearly out of our hands. It is simply a joy for me to be used to scatter seeds of Truth or water seedlings while trusting God's perfect timing.

Sadly for this trip I had to leave halfway-through because my flu worsened. I joined Kuya Dave on his way back to Manila. I wanted to finish the trip but my body was telling me to rest. Even if I left earlier, however, I continued ministering to the people of Pundaquit in prayer, supporting my teammates through intercession.

It was another tiring trip but spiritually fulfilling! To God be all the glory!

Sharing through Tracts

It is with much joy that I joined our local church in proclaiming Jesus on Maundy Thursday. We went out as a congregation-- around 30 or so-- and gave out evangelistic tracts in several areas of the UP Diliman Campus.

Evangelism remains an exciting experience for me. I just came back from the Beach Missions in Pundaquit, Zambales for a week-long beach evangelism. But my heart is really for the campus. I always pray that God would move us as a church to do more for our Jerusalem. Thus, when Kuya Jess, one of our elders, pushed for  a tract-giving activity, I immediately signed up.

 

We met early in the morning a the Bonsai Garden for a short devotion and spiritual preparation. The text was in Romans 10:13-15-- that beautiful passage about evangelism. Pastor Wilson lead us in a short exhortation, reminding everyone that God is sovereign in all things, even in the salvation of people. Thus, we should not be discouraged nor should we fear persecution. Our duty is to faithfully share the Gospel. God gives the increase.

Pastor Bel, our senior pastor, sent us off with a prayer after the short fellowship.We first went to Hardin ng Rosas and Bougainvillea where we gave out tracts to both faculty and common residents on campus. As usual, people with higher social class and learning refuse the Gospel more often. There is pride in their hearts that causes them to close to the Good News.

After giving away several tracts with my group, I realized what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." Unless we understand who we are before God-- that we are sinners condemned to eternal death apart from God, orphans in need of a Father, and hostages of sin in need of an all-sufficient Savior-- we will never realize our need for Jesus.

Sadly, those who are high up in the social, financial and academic ladder are the ones blinded by pride brought by their achievements, riches and intellect. When sharing Jesus to these people, we must all the more  depend on the Holy Spirit for only God can open their eyes to their real need.

We went to RIPADA, Area 1 and Area 2 next. Because we had sufficient numbers, we decided to split into three groups with roughly nine people each to give away tracts. My group was assigned to Dagohoy, the community behind the Ilang-ilang Dormitory.

This is one of the depressed areas on campus which is home to several urban poor families. Despite their being nobody's from the world's standard, I saw from these people the "poor spirit" Jesus was talking about. Yes, they are poor and lacking, but their poverty actually draws them closer to God.

Most people-- myself included-- are afraid to venture out and share Jesus in these areas on campus. We tend to think that the people here are dangerous, there are drunkards who might hurt us and a dozen other excuses. But once more, God humbled me when He reminded me that we should never judge people by their physical appearances.

The people at Dagohoy are actually very receptive to the Gospel. I even shared to a youth, Raymond, who was just standing near the entrance, waiting for a friend. I thought he would not listen to my explanation of the Gospel, but he stayed until I finished.

His friend actually came in the middle of my explanation and he was already asking Raymond to leave, but he said he'd let me finish first. This is one of the rare moments when I know a person is listening to the Gospel. I gave him a tract after sharing, and though I may never see him again, I know that the seed of the Gospel had been planted. May God lead him to someone who would water the seed until it grows.

After the tract-giving activity, I was exhausted because of the heat but joyful. I pray that as a church, we would really own up our Jerusalem. I was glad that several church members came, but I pray that more would join next time.

Christianity has never been comfortable. If we don't want to be inconvenienced or to be tired, then Christianity is not for us. But as is, we are now sons and daughters of God. We are called to spread the Good News and to make disciples.

Our Jerusalem is very ripe. We only need willing hearts to work in harvesting God's people from the urban poor, the students and even the faculty in the UP Campus. May the Lord honor the desires of our heart.

Nails

This is a poem by John Dhaeyvid Laserna that speaks much about the struggles of humanity. It reminded me of my own struggles and my God who stood by me throughout. :)

I opened my eyes for the first time

And there I see a nail on my flesh.

It pierces my body,

And also my heart, and also my soul.

My day is accompanied with Pain

From this nail lodged on my flesh.

Six times I tried to remove it,

But seven times I failed.

Pain mocks me, and strikes his weight to my wound.

The nail goes deeper, as Pain grows stronger,

Until my screams fade away,

As the hammering sound deafens my echoing hurt.

So I pleaded to my Father to remove the nail

But He said it is with my flesh.

Nevertheless, I felt comfort

For His words salve the wound.

But I know at the end of my day,

Pain I will no longer feel

Because the night will come, and sleep will come.

And my Father will remove the nail from my flesh.

-JD Laserna

The Gospel is for Everyone

The Gospel is for everyone. This is a lesson I learned and continue to learn the hard way. We do not choose who to share it to; but our attitude should be like that of the apostles Peter and John who said “we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20).”

During the Missions Exposure Trip in Catanauan, God taught me to face this reality through the most unexpected people. I was sharing the Gospel to a friendly-looking teen on the shore when an old man who was evidently drunk called my attention.

“Totoy,” he barked,“Why don’t you come here and share what you’re teaching about God to us? We also want to listen.”

I turned my head and felt that I would rather not. I figured from my past Missions Trip experiences that drunken men weren’t the best people to share the Gospel to. I paused for what felt like eternity until finally, I wheeled reluctantly to where they were.

I sat and talked with them—around five if I remember right—for two whole hours. There were moments I felt giving up because our conversation was going in circles. But I held on and shared what I could of the Gospel because I sensed that they were really asking genuine questions.

I couldn’t forget the realization of one of the men when I started talking about the sinfulness of humanity. I shared that the Bible teaches that all have sinned and there is no way a person can cleanse himself of sin. Furthermore, unless this sin is removed, no one can enter God’s kingdom.

The man who called was jolted back to his senses and exclaimed, “You mean if I can’t cleanse my sin, when I die, I will go to hell? But there’s no way to cleanse sin!”

At that moment I tried my best to emphasize Jesus’ death on the cross as God’s means of cleansing sin, and faith and repentance as a person’s proper response to this gift. I don’t know if they understood it or if they believed it, but my joy is in the fact that they grasped the concept of sin and its punishment. I know that God will meet them where they are now.

I said my goodbye after praying for them when God gave me another surprise. One of the men approached me and asked, “Could you pray for me? I have a sin which I couldn’t lift up to God.” I was moved with compassion. Explaining that God alone forgives sins and I was only His instrument, I prayed for him, asking that God would help him know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

After the experience, I paused and asked God to forgive me for being choosy in sharing His Gospel. Had the man not called me, there would have been no way for me to share the Gospel to them. Now I know firsthand what it means to share the Gospel to all creation. And my prayer is that God would enable me to do so.

DCF's Alumni Homecoming

I find it fitting to start my DCF Alumni Homecoming post with Steve Greene's "Find Us Faithful." The song's chorus goes:

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

This is my prayer as a DCF alumnus, that the ministry God entrusted to us will continue to inspire the younger generation. At the same time, I encourage those who are currently serving in DCF to never waste this God-given opportunity to work for the Lord. We pass through this route but once, so let us make the most out of it all for God's glory.

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Last Saturday's alumni homecoming forged stronger bonds between the Ates and Kuyas, and the younger members of the fellowship as they shared stories of their experiences in DCF.

The event was simple and personal, and the stories shared encouraged everyone to continue speaking about Jesus on campus and beyond. This is very timely especially with the upcoming Missions Exposure Trip to Catanauan. The members of the team who attended were blessed by the testimonies. And God's faithfulness was made evident especially in the stories of His provision and leading.

Alumni Sharing

From Left to Right: Kuya Jed, Kuya Luther, Kuya Rex, Ate Joan

Ate Joan, who belonged to the first batch of DCFers, emphasized the need to be FAT spiritually. That is, to be Faithful, Available and Teachable in doing God's ministry.

Kuya Rex, on the other hand, said he gained lifelong friends from the Narra Christian Fellowship (NCF). He described them as "the best set of friends" he ever had because of their genuine concern for him as a brother in Christ.

Another NCF alumnus and now a pastor of a local church noted that DCF lasted for 22 years only through God's enabling. Kuya Jed added that the fellowship has served as an avenue for Christian students to fulfill their calling as Christ's ambassadors in UP Diliman.

The youngest of the group, Kuya Luther urged his fellow alumni to continue supporting DCF's programs, especially the Missions Trip. He said he learned a lot and grew spiritually through his exposure to short-term missions. And he desires the same for the next generation of DCFers.

Learning from Barnabas

Kuya Marrick preaches at the alumni
homecoming

After the short testimonies,  Kuya Marrick, now a pastor in Batangas and a UP professor, proceeded to share God's Message for the gathering.

Using Barnabas' zeal as example, he encouraged the attendees to continue serving the DCF ministry which was once their training ground as young Christians. He said gone were the days when a person needed formal training before he or she can serve in God's work.

Instead, what people are witnessing today is the growth of the church through the service of ordinary people, much like in the time of Barnabas. "I never attended Bible School. And I always considered CCC and DCF as my training grounds for ministry," he said.

Willingness to serve is not enough, however, if the Holy Spirit is not working in a person's life, he added. Barnabas was a believer first and foremost, and his zeal for the ministry came from his personal relationship with the Lord.

He was also a giver as evidenced by his offerings to the poor members of the early church. Yet Kuya Marrick emphasized that Barnabas' giving was not limited to finances or goods, but also included time, energy and an abundance of encouragement.

"No man can commit to follow Christ, until he gives first...Becoming a part of missions requires surrendering of self..." he said.

He added, no man will desire to be in the ministry unless he has a heart for people. "It is this heart that compels him to serve the brethren," Kuya Marrick said.

Capping the message, he encouraged the DCFers to look not on their abilities or intellect but on their relationship with God as they consider serving in the ministry. After all, those whom God calls, He also equips, he said.

My reflections

I started with Steve Greene's "Find Us Faithful," now I'll end with his other song, "I Answered the Call." The song goes:

The spirit of God is calling

Calling to men

Stirring within our hearts a call

To faithfulness again

First to our God

Then in our homes

Faithful in all we are

And with all that we own

I answer the call

I take my stand

I choose to live my days on earth

A faithful man

And to that end

I give my all

And in the strength and grace of God

I answer the call

Each of us has answered God's call when we turned to Him for salvation. But a greater calling is ever before us-- to live our Christianity and shine as salt and light wherever God plants us. May our lives be open Bibles to people that they may know God through our testimonies. And may God give us the strength to share Him in every opportunity He provides.

God bless us all. :)

Sem-ender at CCM with YCF and ICF

God has been faithful to the Centennial Christian Movement. It was a tough start for us, but I'm convinced that the time we gave to the ministry was a worthy investment.

As I look back to our first semester, I'm led to read 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 once more:

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

We were able to start CCM only by God's mercy. He brought it to life and sustained it. So, if He blesses the fellowship and it grows, we have nothing to boast except in Jesus Christ. Or if God decides to close the fellowship, we should not be discouraged because we know that He is up to something greater for His Name.

After all, even in the absence of formal gatherings, a fellowship lives on so long as the people who compose it nurture their relationship with one another. I do not look at numbers as a basis of CCM's success or failure. Instead, I look at the people God brought together and I am concerned more with their spiritual standing before God.

I know that our ministry in the Centennial Dormitory is successful if every person God brings to the fellowship is walking the path towards Christlikeness. I'd rather see a fellowship with only a few, faithful believers walking together in the highway of holiness towards God, than have a large group where not a single one is truly regenerated.

We are starting out small in CCM as I pray that the few people we have will truly dedicate their lives to Christ, fearing no persecution as they share Him, having no reservations as they serve Him, and offering everything as they worship Him.

This is my prayer for CCM and for all other dorm fellowships in DCF: that we invest on our relationship with God as we slowly expand our circles and build genuine relationships with people, especially those who have not known Christ yet.

This can be a very slow process, but I believe it will result to more genuine relationships with Christ compared to the many "fast-food" and "pyramiding" techniques modern day churches have invented. And because the process is slow, we learn all the more to depend on other Christian groups to reach as many as possible.

Another semester is about to begin. I enjoin you all to continue lifting our ministry in prayer as we share Christ in the dorms and build up one another towards Christlikeness.

Rummage Sale for the Missions Trip

It took a while for me to blog again because I was busy with other things. I'm starting off with this post about last Saturday's rummage sale for the month of October.

First of all, our heart-felt thanks goes to all who gave items for the sale. We had a good supply of blouses and rubber shoes as well as long-sleeved polo from various alumni. During our sale, however, several tricycle drivers were asking for maong pants and men's T-shirts. We are still welcoming donations for our second round of sale.

Second, we want to thank everyone who gave their precious time to man the store last weekend. We are also encouraged by those who helped in the pricing and the transport of the items from our house to Ate Flor's at 41 Malinis. We also thank Ate Flor who generously opened her home for us and Dang, as well, for cooking great food for the volunteers.

Finally, we want to express our gratitude to everyone who spent a minute or two in prayer for the entire rummage sale. We acknowledge that your spiritual support made a lot of difference for us, volunteers. Though the day was wet, cold and exhausting, nothing energized us more than the thought of brothers and sisters lifting us all in prayer to the Lord.

Jim and Diana are busy cleaning the slippers and shoes for rummage. I am blessed by Jim's presence. He did not plan to help in the pricing but he joined us in the last minute from the pricing until our rummage shop's closing.

Marvee and Kuya Arnold joined Diana in pricing the dresses and shirts. We consulted Kuya Arn for the prices because he is a self-confessed ukay-ukay expert.

We sold mostly shirts, skirts and dresses  for women. Here is a snap shot of our merchandise carefully folded by Diana and Marvee.

The Yakal and Ipil boys joined us the following day. They helped in carrying the merchandise from our house to Ate Flor's. It's amusing to realize that most of those present were boys but the items we were selling were for ladies. Here, we see Marko, Diana and Jayvee deciding on the price of a coat donated by Ate Flor.

Jim looks tired and grumpy here but he actually enjoyed the sale. 

Finally, here's a photo of our shop. It's a bit messy because we had to cram the items in one corner of Ate Flor's garage to shade them from the drizzle. We usually spread the items all over the place but this time, we were constrained by the rain. 

Here's another view of our rummage sale. The cloudy sky doesn't show in the photo but the entire Saturday was actually rainy. It's still amazing though because we were able to sell some items and raise P1,300 for the day. It isn't much but it's God's provision so we praise Him. Ate Shii and Kuya Butch also donated additional rummage items in the afternoon so we have new ones to sell next Wednesday. :)

Fund raising for the Missions Exposure Trip is truly a testing of faith. But I have peace because throughout the years, God has never failed in providing for our needs. I am actually excited to see Him work wonders and miracles one more time as we put together Php 82,000 for the Missions Exposure Trip.

Just an update, we have now raised around Php 23,000 and counting. Praise God! :D

Urgency of sharing the Gospel: My reflection and summary

The urgency to share the Gospel is a reality in light of life’s unpredictability. God’s Word is clear; anyone who does not turn from sin to God through repentance and faith has no chance of ever being in His presence at the appointed time.

But because we do not know each person’s lifespan or the exact day of Jesus’ Second Coming, complacency has no room in the Great Commission.

These truths are behind DCF’s decision to hold a series on Evangelism in its General Assemblies throughout the semester. There is a longing for each member to actively share the Gospel to their friends and dormmates. This means living out one’s Christianity, being sensitive to Gospel openings brought by the Holy Spirit and boldly proclaiming the Good News to all creation.

This August, Kuya Caloy Novisteros kicked off the series with his challenge to evaluate one’s evangelism in light of Scripture. There is a need today to ensure that the message we preach and the methods we use adhere to the examples and teachings of the Bible.

The danger of the fast food culture is the unhealthy emphasis on increasing the number of “believers” in as short a time as possible. Using numbers as a measure for ministry success unwittingly attracts evangelists to “easy believism,” “decisionism” in evangelism, prosperity and man-centered gospels.

To safeguard our message and motives, Kuya Caloy gave six points which can guide us young ambassadors of the Good News.

1. We must have the right passion

If we are not truly concerned for the lost, we will never be effective evangelists. Paul has set the example. He went from town to town preaching salvation in Jesus because he loved his fellow Jews and even the Gentiles. Paul is so dedicated in his mission that he even wrote, “woe is me if I do not preach the gospel (1 Cor 9:16).”

The founder of the Overseas Missionaries Fellowship, Hudson Taylor, also exhibited this passion. His heart cried out for China and her people that he started the China Inland Mission despite the persecutions and challenges he had faced.

Both of these men’s passion for the lost comes from knowing and discovering God more and more. And if we lack such, pray that the Lord will give us the burden for the lost. Kuya Caloy said this is one prayer God truly answers.

2. We must have the right priority

In Acts 15:36, we read about Paul expressing his desire to go back and visit the churches that they have planted. He wanted to ensure that the young Christians there receive proper nourishment from the Word. His priority was to build up the believers that they may mature in faith by the Word of God.

3. Right Personnel

God doesn’t call the equipped. Instead, HE equips those whom He calls. One can never be prepared enough for ministry apart from the grace of God. And the key characteristics that one should possess include obedience, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and dependence on God.

Take Jesus’ Apostles for example. They were in various stages of unpreparedness from the most unqualified backgrounds, but God molded them to become His Gospel Messengers throughout the known world of their time.

4. Right precaution

We are not just preaching the Gospel in thin air but to people with different cultures and background. We need to be aware of these things to effectively convey the Message, preventing unpleasant incidents for the evangelists.

When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra, for example, they healed a man lame from birth as a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, something they usually do with the Jews.

Sadly, however, their audience that time was mostly Gentiles who believed in Greek mythology. The healing and preaching sent the wrong message to the people that the two apostles were Hermes and Zeus who have come to visit them.

When we preach the Gospel, we have to be sensitive to our audience’s needs and backgrounds for us to know the best ways of presenting the Gospel.

5. We need the right presentation

Needless to say, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. We do not smuggle in foreign teachings like health, wealth and prosperity promises just to entice people. We preach Jesus and not our churches or organizations.

We also do not put our faith in any method or strategy except on the power of God’s Word to convict people of sin, and the Holy Spirit in drawing them to God.

We can browse through the book of Acts to find examples of Gospel preaching by the Apostles. Most notable perhaps are Acts 2:14-41 and Acts 17:22-31. Learn from them.

6. They were in the right place

In Acts 16:7, we discover Paul’s overall director in his missionary journeys—the Holy Spirit. God was leading him to places where He wanted him to be, and he was sensitive enough to realize this.

God opens doors and closes windows. He prevents and allows. We just have to be discerning enough so that we can always keep step with the Spirit’s pace. Let us also pray for obedience that we may always yield to His desires.

These are but some principles to remember in evangelism. Ultimately, however, we rely on God who transforms people by the power of the Holy Spirit.

After Three Fellowships (Reflections on CCM)

I want to summarize the first three meetings of the Centennial Christian Movement with the word humbling. We do not deny the challenges and difficulties of starting a fellowship from nothing, but we also know that God is at work in this ministry.

CCM is humbling in many ways because God shows Himself worthy despite our unworthiness as the managers of the ministry. Many times we fail to guard our hearts from sin and wrong motives, and so cause our Lord dishonor. But He is always faithful. He lifts us up in from our fall and teaches us to once more walk the road which He has set before us.

It is also humbling because through CCM we have learned to depend on God more and more. In the first three meetings, we are unsure if anyone will show up, and there were times when we were so few, but this experience taught us to trust in Jesus.

Afterall, when we started CCM, we agreed among ourselves that number is not our measure of success. We look at changed lives through the Gospel.

And so we pray that God’s Name may be honored in the Centennial Dormitory. We also pray that we will be able to build genuine relationships with the people living there, especially those whom God has brought to our weekly gatherings.

In our second meeting, I reminded Kazel and Jim that their fellowship is not the weekly event but the community of people living in the dorm. And so, the challenge is to truly live out our Christianity in our daily activities.

It is now more difficult to invite people in Bible Studies. They eye every faith-related activity with suspicion.  Thus, I encouraged them to bring Christ in their rooms, to season their conversations with salt, to pray always for sensitivity to Gospel openings and to ask God to put genuine desire in the hearts of their dormmates to know Him.

Our fellowship begins in the weekly gatherings and we are sent out after to be fishers of men and sowers of the Good News. I believe that more and more will know Christ through simple and honest conversations between friends. We have to cultivate what relationships we have now and pray that God will use these for us to share the Gospel.

Chloe brings her friends to the fellowship. (From Left to Right) Michael, RD and Kiel.

Our third fellowship is truly amazing. Chloe, our artist in DCF, invited three of her friends living in the Centennial Dorm. She had known them from her Kalayaan days. She said they usually meet as a barkada and so she used the opportunity to invite them in the fellowship.

Just later did I find out that she did not tell them where they’re going. It’s still a blessing, however, because her three friends were very open during the small group discussions. Please pray for Michael, RD and Kiel that they may know Christ and also have a relationship with Him.

Our friends whom we have been inviting for many weeks also came to the fellowship, Praise God! Patrick and JJ had free time so we were able to fellowship with them last week. Pray that we'll be able to minister to them and to our friends who still cannot come because of busy schedule.

We helped ourselves to a healthy serving of rice and
grilled food at Grill Queen.

After the fellowship, we even ate dinner together at Grill Queen. The restaurant is known for its delicious barbecue, but its serving of rice is rather small. So Kiel taught us a trick that they usually do when eating there—they buy rice from a nearby carinderia which has bigger servings at a cheaper price.

We enjoyed the extended fellowship getting to know one another more. Pray also that that this will be the start of a deeper friendship, one that’s ruled by Christ.

We will be having our fourth fellowship on Tuesday. Again, we are unsure of what will happen. But though we know not what to do, we fix our eyes on Jesus. We trust that in His own time, He will give us a harvest.

May He be glorified!

It was also JD's first time to lead praise and worship. In this photo we see
him and Jet practicing for the CCM's fellowship.

The Offender: man and his sin (CCM Series)

Here is our poster teaser for next week's fellowship at Centennial. Continue to pray for us that we may be able to follow up everyone who attended this week. May God be glorified! 

Praying for the Missions Exposure Trip

After travelling for eight straight hours from La Union, I arrived at UP to catch the last part of DCF's Missions Prayer Meeting. I was just in time to take photos of the praying people.

In lieu of the normal gathering for the dorms, DCF allotted the whole months of September and October to specifically pray for the Missions Trip. Weekly gatherings were set to update members of the preparations, plans, activities and other details of the event. All these are lifted up in prayer to the Lord.

Here are photos of the prayer meeting this evening:

Jayvee and Del are in fervent prayer when I took this photo.

Here are Yen, Kit and Marvee in their prayer triad. 

Ate Rashel joined us despite her very busy schedule in law school.

After the prayer meeting, we headed to one of our favorite food stalls in UP-- Kusina ni Mamang. They are famous for their home-made pork, beef, chicken and shrimp Siomai. I usually order one assorted Siomai meal. This is made up of six pieces of siomai and one cup of rice. I find the meal very affordable at Php 35.00 and satisfying as well.

Here is a photo of us eating:

   

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I enjoin you all to pray with us for the 2011 Missions Exposure Trip

Praise God for:

1. the planning with Pastor Nilo and Ate Lily in Catanauan

       a. safe trip going there with Kuya Caloy, Kuya Mayn, Kryss Ann and Marvi

       b. activities in the Missions Trip

       c. place to stay during the trip

2. Planning with Kuya Caloy, Kuya Pau, Dianne and Marvi (budget: Php 82,400.00)

3. Kuya Pao Gonzales agreed to use his vehicle for transportation from UP to the bus terminal

Pray for:

1. burden and right motives for the team members (15 from DCF; 15 from LWCF-Lucban)

2. preparations

      a. interview of team members

      b. permission for the campus evangelism

      c. TLW materials

3. People in Catanauan

      a. Partner church (Christian Parish Church), as they invite people for the evan training and TLW

      b. people in the community that they will be open to the Gospel

4. Fund-raising activities

      a. rummage sale on Oct. 1-2

      b. alumni support

5. shirt design, printing, production and sales

Thank you so much for praying with us! May the Good Lord be glorified in this Missions Trip! 

For those who want to join, we hold the Missions Prayer Meeting every Monday, 6-8 p.m. at the Church of the Risen Lord.

Planning for the Missions Exposure Trip 2011

From Right to Left: Marvee (Missions and Prayer Head), Diana (DCF Chairperson), Kuya Caloy, Pau (DCF Staff Worker)

Every year, DCF's Missions Exposure Trip is a challenge and a blessing. It is a challenge because so many things need to be done in so little time. But it is a blessing as well because the trip is an opportunity to be used by God for His glory.

Yesterday, I joined Marvee, Diana and Kuya Caloy in the preliminary planning for the 2011 Missions Trip. DCF continues its outreach to Southern Luzon this year, ministering to Catanauan, Quezon and its neighboring towns for a week on October 21 to 27.

Catanauan is a "first class municipality"  in the Province of Quezon, six hours away from Metro Manila. It is a town of almost 70,000 people steeped in the Roman Catholic religion. Founded in 1713, the town was originally called  Nabatasan.

In the late 18th through 19th centuries, however, frequent raids by "moros" ravaged the town. This "prompted the people to construct two small stone forts or watch towers (magkatanawan) mounted with artillery" for protection. Thus, the name Catanauan.

DCF will again partner with the Living Word Christian Fellowship from Lucban, Quezon in ministering to the people of Catanauan. A team of 30 people will be formed to help the local churches in the area. Three days will be dedicated to evangelistic activities like house-to-house Gospel sharing, tract giving and campus evangelism in the Southern Luzon State University-Catanauan.

The team will also offer evangelism training to the youth to inspire them to actively participate in winning souls for Christ. At the same time, the True Love Waits Seminar will be offered to counter "erotic relationships" of teens in the area.

This year's Mission's Theme Verse is Colossians 4:3, "And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."

There are still so much to be done. We ask that you consider partnering with us through prayer above all. Ask the Lord to prepare the hearts of the people of Catanauan, that they may be open and receptive to the Gospel. Pray also for the team that God will prepare their hearts in the rigorous spiritual work ahead. May they have pure motives in joining and depend only on the Holy Spirit throughout the trip.

Pray also that God will provide for the needed funding for the whole Missions Exposure Trip. Initial costings peg the budget at Php 81,000 for the week-long Missions Trip of 30 students. God has been faithful throughout the years and I have no doubt in His rich provision for this year. May all glory, honor and praise be unto Him alone!

DCF Joins Oplan UPCAT: A preparation for harvest

Members of the Dormitories Christian Fellowship (UPDCF) partnered with over 20 Bible-believing churches and Christian organizations to share the Gospel during this year's UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) on August 6.

Stationed in the Public Administration and Labor and Industrial Relations testing centers, DCFers gave out Gospel tracts and packed snacks to both parents and UPCAT takers. They also offered prayers for those taking the exams.

These kind gestures opened the opportunity for spiritual conversations and full Gospel presentations. Parents who were waiting for their children were mostly the ones who entertained the volunteers.

"Because of the occasion, parents and guardians were very receptive to Gospel presentations. I personally found it easier to share the Gospel," said Maynard Pastoril, an alumnus of Ipil Christian Fellowship.
to strangers.

The team also set up several "service tents" complete with monoblock chairs which they opened to waiting guardians. The tents gave them shade from the sun around noon and a drizzle late in the day. They also distributed free Christian magazines and devotionals to the people in the tents.

"It's a great honor and privilege to serve the Lord of lords and King of kings and joy to offer saved souls to Him," said Gay Arabit, the current corehead of the Kamia Christian Fellowship.


Kazel Duran, another DCFer who joined added, "The sight of Christians in the campus and in different churches working together is empowering. Their differences did not hinder the Holy Spirit to guide them to minister to their neighbors. I had joy serving God together with my brothers and sisters in Christ."

Two batches manned the testing centers-- one early in the morning and the second in the afternoon. Several lay people from the Greenhills Christian Fellowship Marikina helped out in the area."

The UP Christian Community initiated Oplan UPCAT the previous year. This year, however, the movement was spearheaded by the Church of the Risen Lord (CRL) after seeing the potential gospel reach of the project. Through the church network, several local congregations in and around UP were tapped to help. Eight Christian Organizations and 13 churches worked together in the event.

Ministry recap for the day

I spent most of the day at home. I was busy blogging and  improving my blog's look. Actually, I'm not sure if my blog is DCF's or my personal diary. My life's just too intertwined with the ministry that most of the things I'm writing about have something to do with the Christian organization.


Journalese's new look is up and running, though there are still some links that I left blank. I still don't know what to do with them. But they'll be filled eventually. I specifically like the rolling photos in my blog. Lour Marc commented in my FB that the photos made him miss the fellowship. I assured him that we missed him as well.

I'll be changing the photos once a month, at least.

Today's full of praise item. I was beginning to worry that this week will go down in my history as another wasted week. It did't start well because of some misunderstanding with people, but God taught me a lot in these circumstances.

I suddenly remembered Del's sharing in our reunion last week She thanked God for lessons on humility. There were no additional details but suffice it to say that God was working to teach her to be low and her feet on the ground through her many experiences.

She said the lessons are painful but rewarding. Many times, God will really break us so that we'll recognize that life is not about us but all about Him.

I remembered this because I know God is continuously pruning me as well in this area of my life. I could not remember a time when He specifically dealt with my pride in an unusually extended period. This has been a semester-long pruning. It is really painful and challenging, but at the end of it, character is built.

We had the freshmen fellowship tonight with Dado as the speaker. Kalayaan Christian Fellowship is truly encouraging. Five freshmen attended and we tackled Luke 9:57-62, "Jesus and Three Would-be Disciples."

As I write this blog post, I'm sifting through Dado's manuscript, picking out the most striking statements from his message.


What can we learn from the first person? Dado dealt with a very controversial topic-- prosperity gospel. Many churches today that it is always God's will for the Christian to become rich or prosperous, thus, following Jesus becomes a ticket for a life of comfort and luxury.

This thinking, however, stands in stark contrast with Jesus' own words in verse 58, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Jesus never promised prosperity. He even warned of the truth that following Him may mean letting go of all worldly comforts.

As for the second person, God emphasized the urgency of following Christ. Jesus called out to the man but he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." He was actually saying, "Lord, I will follow you after my father dies and I get all the inheritance from him."


He is so much like us. Many times we choose to follow our set plans first before submitting to God's master plan. We want to achieve our dreams first and do all that we desire, and when we're old, we'll give God the remainder of our lives.

In his talk, Dado explained, "Following Christ can require us to go out of our conveniences. As we submit to God, He should govern our schedules; we should not be close-fisted when giving our time to be with Him, searching His Word and doing His will."

This is a very strong statement especially to the busy urban people of Metro Manila. Dado is right, however, that God isn't requiring all of us to go full time in ministry. Instead, He is telling us that we need to offer to God everything that we do. He must be our all-consuming passion and reason for doing all the things that we do.

Finally we turn to the last person. We see that his issue is closely related with the second person, but there is emphasis in commitment and priorities. But again, because God demands the heart condition not the outward service, the challenge for us is to search our hearts and make sure that He is at the center.

Just listen to the first part of the Greatest Commandment, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." May this be true to us by God's grace.

Before wrapping up his talk, Dado gave a very important reminder. He said following Jesus can result to ministry, but ministry is not hundred percent assurance of following Jesus. He said we have ask ourselves, "For whose glory am I doing what I'm doing?"

Here's the most striking part-- Dado said "Following Jesus is living for His truth, losing your citizenship in this world, losing all your worldly securities, losing all your worldly concerns and finding your life in Him."

To God be the glory!

Prayer for KalCF

Ministry is both a challenge and a blessing. We as the Kalayaan Brigade, continue to praise God for His unfailing love and faithfulness in this ministry. Pray with us that we will continue to depend on Him in the face of all challenges. May God be praised!

Prayer for the Centennial Christian Movement

I ask you to lift us up in prayer. May the Lord be glorified in our fellowship tonight.

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;

   the whole earth is full of his glory.”

(Isaiah 6:3)

Another reflection

Sometimes I wonder if I'm just too hard on myself and on people. I have very high expectations, but most of the time I end up being frustrated by them.

Last night, I cried out my anxieties to God on what I felt was apathy of people. I told Him, "Why are people so short-sighted? They spend their energies and time on things that do not last, while neglecting what the Scripture says has eternal value."

I'm really frustrated. I can't remember the last time I cried myself to sleep.

Oftentimes I share my sentiments to a friend, and our conversations will end up with a heart-felt plea to God. "Just one person, Lord," I will pray. "If You can only raise up one more person with passion for the lost and unwavering commitment to You."

As I write this, I try to remember how I used to act during college. I admit that I wasn't so serious about faith then because I was really bent on achieving my dream of becoming the world's most famous writer. I viewed fellowships and Bible studies as "wasted time," and if I had a choice, I'd rather stay in my dorm room and study.

This attitude went on for sometime. And during that period, if you can see my heart, you'll notice that the self, the proud I, was sitting on my heart's throne. Even if I refused to acknowledge this fact, my attitude towards God unmasked me. He wasn't really the center of my life... I was.

I said I studied hard and did everything for His glory, but deep inside me I knew I was lying. The problem with me was I never really believed the things I said I believe.

Then, the inevitable happened. God met me, and He struck me with the force of His character. He confronted me head on, making me rethink my "Christianity." He showed me where I was at fault-- my relationship with Him wasn't real.

If I was on the throne of my life, then, I have not really  submitted my all to God. This means my faith is hollow and I have not yet turned from a life of sin to become a slave of God. It was sheer grace that made me see this truth. I wasn't saved. But praise God He saved me. Praise God He transformed me.

Why am I retelling this? I believe every professing Christian has to continuously reexamine their standing before God. It's one thing to claim you're a Christian and another thing to truly live as a saved person. There are many times I still pause and ask God, "Lord, am I truly saved? If I am, why do I keep on falling to sin? Why don't I have the power to overcome sin?"

I had to ask these questions because I wanted to see the fruit of my salvation. Matthew said a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. If I am saved, I must bear good fruit. I must desire to know God more. I must enjoy the fellowship of fellow believers. I must be able to say no to sin and temptation. I must long for Christ's Second Coming. I must have the eagerness to share His Gospel to people. I must CHANGE!

I had to ask God because there were times I could not see change in me. Two years ago, during one reflection time with Kuya Dave in a missions trip in Baguio, one question struck me. He said to our group, "Where are you in your spiritual walk right now? Are you moving with leaps forward? With baby steps forward? Or have you stopped moving? Or worse, are you moving backwards?"

I pray that all of us will have the time to reflect on these things. As I do, I still struggle with my frustrations, anxieties and disappointments. May the Lord strengthen me in the face of all my troubles.