Missions to Asia 2015

        It’s been a while since I’ve been blogging or just writing anything actually and I think it would be a good idea to start writing again, it keeps the mind sharp and allows us to express our point of view on certain issues that may pertain particular importance in this day and age…hehehe [I actually believe that people read what I write?!LOL]

        Anyhow, I had a blast with my “close to” a months’ vacation, though getting sick after is not something I’d fancy, but it goes with the territory of having been to more than 3 countries, enduring extreme climate changes, 15 flights not including land and sea within a span of 3 weeks?!hehe… it was by far, one of the most outrageous things I’ve ever done in my life…LOL, and I don’t regret doing it.

        I greatly enjoyed the short time spent with my family and friends both in Australia and the Philippines, and I praise God for placing people I love all over the world, so that I too would be able to experience the beauty of God’s creation, His goodness and see God’s provisional hands working in the lives of the people that mean much to me. During those 3 weeks, the 2 weeks spent on the church Missions’ trip to the Phil and Japan really resonated much to me, and my call as a servant and messenger of God’s goodness and grace, through the person of Jesus Christ. I thank God for just keeping my team and I safe, as we went on the trips that we planned to go, we surely saw the mighty hand of GOD prepare the way of each task we embarked on, it was like seeing the red sea part with our Spiritual Eyes. Isaiah 14:27 says and I quote, “For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”...Truly God is awesome in all His ways! We were in awe to proclaim God’s goodness and grace at kuya Edgar’s small church near scandy village, Casa Esperanza shelter, Mantuyop Elementary School, as well as in the nearby Science High School and with an evening of praise and worship despite pouring rains of “Typhoon Hanna”..haha. We witnessed the power of the gospel as thousands received the saving grace of Jesus during the altar call at the Hope for You Concert held in Surigao and God’s mighty hand in allowing believing churches to flourish and persevere in Okinawa. As much as we wanted to bless others with our presence and support, we were the ones that were truly blessed in return…we grew as a team and we grew in faith for this was the very first missions trip that CC Echo Park has been on.

      During my devotions, as I was reading in the book of Kings, it pointed out something to me in everything we were doing on the trip. As I read the chapters of 1 Kings and pondered on the life of Elijah, the prophet, there was a passage that caught my attention and I pondered on it during the time. The first was 1 Kings 18: 36-37 and I quote, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel [Jacob], let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Elijah spoke these words as he stood on Mt. Carmel challenging the 450 prophets of Baal and God showed His awesome power as He consumed with fire the sacrifice prepared by Elijah despite the trench filled with jars of water over the offering and the wood. And when all the people saw this they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord- He is GOD! The Lord- He is GOD.” What happened on Mt. Carmel was a miracle and an awesome proclamation to all Israel that the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Israel is the true and living GOD, He was making sure that they all knew that His mighty hand can do the impossible…you see, “miracles” challenges man’s pride, wisdom and knowledge because it is a supernatural act that can be done only in a supernatural way! Then I came upon this quote on my journal by Charles Morgan, “There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It is God’s finger on man’s shoulder”. After coming upon these passages and quote, I asked myself, does it really take the supernatural for the hearts of man to turn to GOD?! To see his mighty hand work wonders in impossible ways?? Or does it just need a person humbled by the grace of GOD to go out into the world and show the LOVE of CHRIST as the greatest miracle anyone can ever receive?! Ephesians 3:18 says and I quote, “May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.” LOVE, in its fullness is truly GOD’s finger on man’s shoulder and the greatest way for anyone to be able to experience that love is to go out there and share it to the people who don’t know who He is. We, who have been called as heirs to the kingdom of GOD and who have the love of Christ poured out in our hearts through His Holy Spirit, should have the passion and desire to share what we have received from GOD to others. It was truly amazing and a blessing to participate as part of the team of 14 in this mission, for we were just average people who didn’t have much to give but our time, our obedience and our love for Christ to be shown to other people, to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to a generation that needed to hear the message of forgiveness, mercy and grace.

        During this trip, I realized that being a missionary really takes a lot of dedication, sacrifice, patience, and at times just to be “still” before GOD and wait on where He leads and to be flexible, just relying on His strength {lol}. It was such a great experience to be in Japan, to experience the culture of the people and to see GOD working in the churches of Okinawa. Though language barrier may have been a challenge, it really didn’t stop us from sharing the goodness of Christ to the children and their parents in Nago, we spoke the language of LOVE – we gave our time, effort and resources for something we knew would leave a lasting impression on this trip and maybe for the years to come.

Christmas Underfire

We celebrate Christmas every year, yet every year that passes, it seems as if the TRUE meaning of “why” we celebrate Christmas is fading away and is being masked by other non-essential things which may seem very attractive but isn’t really the real essence of the whole celebration. It’s wonderful to see beautiful houses with decorations and wonderfully-colored lights, Christmas trees with a lot of presents underneath that every kid looks forward to open and a bunch of food that we can’t wait to devour with the whole family, but then in celebrating this occasion, if we forget to put emphasis on the baby that was born in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago, then we’ve truly missed out on the whole point of the celebration.

If I were to survey a number of kids on the street and ask them to tell me what Christmas is about, what would most of their responses be? Between the name of Jesus Christ and Santa Clause, which name would most likely ring-a-bell to their ears? Though, I won’t deny that St. Nicholas of Myra aka “Santa Claus” ever existed, even if his image has been fabricated in a totally different way over the years, which of the two do you think should take precedence?

I’ve entitled this article “Christmas under fire” because for me, I believe the true meaning of Christmas has truly been sabotaged throughout the ages. The gifts we receive on Christmas are nothing compared to the gift that God has given to humanity 2000 years ago. If the greatest representation of LOVE could be wrapped in a box and given to each one of us then it has already been given, but even better…this gift wasn’t an inanimate object, this gift of LOVE was ALIVE.

God, creator of ALL things, is LOVE. As the bible declares in 1 John 4:8 and I quote, “but whoever does not love does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE.”, and if God wanted to give us the greatest gift of His love, He would give nothing else but Himself. 1 John 3:16 says and I quote, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.” Jesus Christ, the 2nd person of the triune GOD, became flesh (John 1:14), born of a virgin, vulnerable and humbled as a baby, walked among those whom He created (John 1:3) to feel their pain, to carry their burden, to restore their lives and to let us know that we are loved more than we could ever imagine.

As we celebrate Christmas with our families, may we be constantly reminded of that baby in a manger in that small town of Bethlehem. Isaiah 9:6 says and I quote, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Though not all of us will be with our families for Christmas, nor even have any presents to open, may we be blessed to know that GOD didn’t hold back the greatest present He could give each and everyone one of us during this time. JESUS (He shall save people from their sins) CHRIST (Anointed), is IMMANUEL (GOD with us), who came that we may receive His GIFT of Salvation. Blessed CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Sovereign Are You

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

            That when I was born, I need not know how you would form me in my mother’s womb and how You would craft these hands and feet that would soon serve you.

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

            That when I was a child and when I feared the world around me, Your presence would be my courage and my strength to face the giants before me.

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

            That when I thought I was older and smarter and knew what to do, You would humble me down and made me realize that I am NOTHING without you.

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

That the perfect family I so longingly desired, You would allow to fall apart to make me understand that this life isn’t perfect and the life spent with You, would be worth so much more.       

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

            That when I only thought of myself and the plans I would make, You would capture my life and chain me in love.

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

            That when I thought I knew how to love, You would sweetly break my heart and allow me to get hurt to truly understand what loving is all about.

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

That when trials and external/internal barriers poison my mind to think that there is no escape for the circumstance that I’m in, You would come to my rescue, renew my mind and be the lamp to my feet and the light to my path.

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…             

That when I thought I measured up to what was “good”, You would reveal the deceitfulness of my heart that I may know my standard would never compare to Your Righteousness.

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

            That when I thought all the weight of my sin would separate me from You, You would come down from Heaven, pay for my guilt, and crown me with the glory of Your riches.

SOVEREIGN ARE YOU…

            That though once then You, JESUS, would never cross my mind, You would now own my every breath until my very last cry.

So, as I continue in this journey of mine, with uncertainties ahead, I am full of assurance thatSOVEREIGN ARE YOU in preparing my way and getting me through to the finish line.

By,

HLMLG

WORSHIP

WORSHIP

I raise my voice in songs of praise,
Not to draw attention to myself,
But to allow Your presence to fill and inhabit this place.

I bow my head, Not to show the world of my humility,
But in reverence and Godly fearfulness of You,
I come completely surrendered to Your will.

I bend my knees,
Not to show the world how religious I am,
But with a contrite heart I come to let you know how grateful I am that You looked upon me with love
despite the pain and sorrow I caused You.

I close my eyes,
Not to show the world of my obedience,
But because of Your grace and the Truth of Your Word, I chose to live by faith and not by sight.

I lift up my hands,
Not to show the world of my devotion for You,
But because You deserve to be exalted with the very hands that nailed You to the cross.

And I seek your face,
For You are My GOD,
the purpose of my life,
the song that I sing and every reason for MY Worship…

 by HLMLG

The Little Boy

On a cold winter’s day, a little boy with no home was walking along the streets of the city wishing he had a warm place to stay and had a nice warm meal to eat. As he walked along those streets, he passed by a home beautifully decorated with lights and as he gazed intently into the window of that home, saw a nice fireplace burning with wood as the children where gathered around the Christmas tree opening their gifts while their mother and father where laughing and rejoicing as they saw the joy in their children’s faces. Tears fell from the little boy’s eyes as he saw the happiness within that beautifully decorated home and how he wished he had parents to give him even a little gift for a season such as this. His eyes fell downcast as sadness filled his heart. The wind and snow began to pick up as he started to walk away from the home he just passed by, his hands turned numb as he started to shiver vigorously in the pouring snow. He saw a large tattered cargo box in a nearby alley that looked large enough to fit him and he hid there as the wind and snow began to get heavier and heavier by the second. His heart pounded as his pulse and breathing decreased significantly, he felt cold, he felt pain, and he felt exhausted…

 As he closed his eyes, he saw a light shining brightly like the sun with a Man dressed in white stained with blood whose pierced hands extended out to him calling him by his name and said, “child, no longer will you suffer or feel pain, no longer will you hunger and thirst, no longer will you be an orphan with no Father…For I left my house that you may have a home, for I chose to be beaten that you may be protected, for I gave my life that you may have yours, for I rose from the dead that you may have hope…I love you and I have watched over you since you were born, your pain is my pain and your burden is my burden, and forever you will be with me….” heat filled the boy’s body as he stretched his arms to reach those pierced hands, he felt joy and the sadness went away…

 By HLMLG

You are my Love, You are my Life

My life is Yours and Yours alone,
Every breath and every bone.

Light my path and guide my way,
For I will follow night and day.

Though trials may come and wear me down,
May you keep my eyes fixed on reaching the crown.

Strengthen my body and renew my mind,
Help me to change and to leave my mistakes behind.

Help me to know Your plan, Your will
Give me patience, Keep me still

Instruct me through Your Word,
And encourage me in the righteous things I’ve heard.

Give me discernment to know the truth,
Despite my age, despite my youth.

May you remove my worries and my doubt,
May you hear my whisper, my cry, my shout.

May you dry my tears and sooth my pain,
Heal my wounds and cleanse my stain.

Mold me and shape me and take away my pride,
For only you can make me Your rightful bride.

I love You and You know I do,
My heart is Yours, and my words are true.

So please come quickly, like a thief in the night,
And take my chains and take my strife,
JESUS, I LOVE YOU
For You are my love, You are my life.

FERVENTLY ABIDING

It’s been a month since the New Year started, and to be quit honest, nothing much has really changed. I’ve made resolutions for the year, but I guess I’ve already failed on some of them. (hahaha!!) Sometimes, I think, “why do I even make these silly resolutions when in fact, I know, I’d end up breaking them?!” Then again, maybe it’s just part of the zest of the New Year so we’d have something to look forward to.

Anyway, the last couple of weeks during the month of January, we’ve been going through the book of Ephesians and as always, God never fails to deliver the message through His Word. May we continue to praise the LORD for good pastors who give themselves fully to the direction of the LORD to be able to preach out the Truth of His Word. And as part of the congregation, or in other words as part of the “CHURCH” itself, with CHRIST as our CORNERSTONE, I ask myself, “have I’ve been a good representative of JESUS CHRIST?! Or have I just been hearing the Word, without it making any impact in my life?? During my devotions, I do constantly ask the LORD what he has called me to do. Though I know, He has made each of us unique with a special purpose, until now, I still continue to ask Him what it is He has instored for my life.

In fact, 389 days ago from today, I didn’t even have a job. And a wonderful thing that I can remember as I look back at all those free time I had, just being at home, I realized I had a lot more time spent with the LORD then I did now. It breaks my heart sometimes when this conviction comes, it always reminds me that the only reason of why I’m where I am now, is because of the LORD, and I shouldn’t allow His blessing to rob me of my time with Him.

I actually entitled this blog FERVENTLY ABIDING because I wanted to embed a challenge to all of us professing and practicing Christians out there. As different parts of the whole, with JESUS as the head, have we been putting our abilities and potentials to the maximum for God’s glory? Or have we been slacking around, selfishly thinking of our own salvation. You know, I remind myself constantly that if I love the LORD; shouldn’t I extend this love to those around me and allow them to experience His goodness as well?? Fervently abiding in Christ for me is like an eagerness to uphold Jesus Christ in all circumstances. Whether we don’t have a job or be so caught up in our job; whether we are alone or engrossed with our own families; whether we are at our strongest or at are weakest. I know, it’s not easy putting up with all the different burdens we are going through in our lives, but we also have to remind ourselves this isn’t the end of the line, our circumstances are temporary and we have to fix our hearts and minds on what is eternal.

Though I know most of you are seeking for God’s unique purpose in your life just as I am, may we also be reminded constantly of what we all are commissioned to do. John 17:26 says and I quote, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” May our lives be good representatives of the GOD who loves us and may we be able to extend the gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope that we have in Him with boldness and confidence, fervently abiding in Him despite all circumstances.