Experiencing God Musical

I've been blessed to see this year's Christmas Cantata of ICS. The Cantata's theme is Experiencing God from the book of the same title by Blackaby. I've enjoyed it so much having read the book and it just brought the reading experience in a new dimension. By parents-in-law were part of the choir so last few weeks they've been practicing their parts in the mornings, and it became an LSS to me.  So I'm sharing this opening theme song.

Christmas parties I've been to so far

Here are the some of the great people and friends I've celebrated Christmas with in the past weeks. Stuffed and satisfied.

Office staff Christmas party of Asia Pacific Media Ministries

Spent our Christmas party at Buffet 101 in Robinsons Magnolia

This place is a win!

Before lunch we had a fun Amazing Race around Robinsons Magnolia. Early in the game we were ahead, but we lost.

Answering a Word Search game after lunch. I finished first.

Christmas party at Chi Alpha Campus Ministries in University Belt

Thanking God for a fruitful year in campus ministry. Everyone sure had fun!!

Was really impressed by the decorations that the creative team did.

Fun games have been a staple at our Life Gatherings.

Loving these photo booth frames that our creative team made.

Photo with the girls and students from Nette's DGroup.

Get together with Chi Alpha Luzon Team

This was our gathering after October's campus conference. Everyone got really busy so this gathering was a much awaited one. We're missing Shiela and Nette though.

Another shot with Isau, who ate and run haha.. We had dinner at Pepper Lunch in Trinoma.

Stroll around the mall to let the food go down. We were fortunate to see the light show. Lights really lighten things up even our spirits.

Catch up and sharing time over frappe and swirls at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. 

Poses like this are meant to hide the bulging tummy stuffed during Christmas.

Christmas Rant

Today's Christmastime is a season of get togethers and fellowships. This year's Christmas as I have observed seemed too fast paced, going from one event to another. Love the gatherings, meeting friends though I wish there could be more time to spend with each one. I wish we could just spread out the Christmas parties throughout the year so we don't have to run from one to the other. 

Lately exchange gift giving is becoming less appealing to me. It's like being forced to give because you have to, not because you want to. It would be more meaningful if we really got to know the recipient of our gift and put on time to really think about the gift they would like. That way our monies would be spent more wisely I think. I'm already ranting.

Christmas should be about celebrating family and friendships. Less of the things, but more of thanksgiving. Stopping (really stopping and stop multitasking) to say "Thank you" and reflecting on the goodness and faithfulness that God shown in the past months and years. Christmastime is the time when we look with wonderment and remember that night when the Savior of the world was born, found on a quiet, humble stable. Christmastime is when we savor the Savior. Christmas can never be complete without thanking and worshipping Immanuel.

The Lord is my portion

When the Lord divided Canaan among the tribes of Israel Levi received no share of the land. God said to him simply, "I am thy part and thine inheritance," and by those words made him richer than all his brethren, richer than all the kings and rajas who have ever lived in the world. And there is a spiritual principle here, a principle still valid for every priest of the Most High God.

The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.

O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

- Excerpt from Tozer's Pursuit of God

Chi Alpha UBelt Christmas Party

Campus Ministry Rocks this Christmas! Thank you Lord for these precious ones.

Hongkong and Malaysia

Got a double whammy even as 2012 draws to a close. I am reminded that where God has brought me is a direct result of my prayer and my heart's desire to see and serve the nations. Forever grateful.

MALAYSIA - December 4-7, 2012

Went to Petaling Jaya for the Asia Pacific Youth Alive Conference.

Visited the Petronas Towers as a side trip.

I was able to share to 2000+ delegates of APYAC about the Philippines and the youth and campus ministries in the Philippines.

Group photo with Philippine delegates. 22 delegates come from the Phils. This was taken right after the evening revival service where Ptr. Warren Aragona delivered a powerful message on missions.

FLASHBACK!!

APYAC 2007

I stumbled upon my APYAC 2007 experience and reminded me of the fun moments we spent in Jakarta.

Post: Terima Kasih Jakarta!

Post: A Tribe Finds Jesus

This photo includes Brian (left most) and Welfert (right most), to good friends and colleague in the ministry until now.

HONGKONG - November 15-19

Went to HK as part of the OneHope digital think tank.

Photo at the harbor with the famous HK cityscape on the background.

With the members of the think tank meeting.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. - Ephesians 3:20-21

APYAC Reflections

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. - Rev 1:17-18

I thank God for reminding me not to be afraid. That He is the First and the Last. For me it meant that He has seen my future, therefore I will be secure. It also means that from start to finish He is the main thing and should be my top priority. Everything I do should end up for His glory and nothing else.

My time spent in APYAC (Asia Pacific Youth Alive Conference) has showed me that the Philippines is a blessed nation in that we have a relatively larger percentage of believers in the general population. Our nation enjoys religious freedom and everyone generally has knowledge of Jesus. I am reminded of God's promise to Abraham:

 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” - Genesis 12:2-3

God blessing us with spiritual blessing is not just for our benefit, but so that "all peoples on earth will be blessed through" us. For me this means that as a nation we should be looking on how we can be a blessing to the nations. It challenges me as a leader on the way I am utilizing my influence to make our youth aware of the need and the cries of the nations, and to mobilize them to reach them. And in this I feel that I am wanting. There is more to be done for the Philippines. Lord, may You give me the strength to do what needs to be done. I know You shall see me through. You are the first and the last. I will not be afraid.

APYAC has also reminded me of my personal calling. I have come to this point where once again I am juggling too many things. The question is if each of these commitments is helping me realize God's call in my life. With too much on my plate, I can't be excellent in all of them, and I've become mediocre and even bad in some. I am called to serve the youth of the nations. And I have to clean up my act. God will make all things beautiful in His time. 

I'm also confronted with my personal relationship with God. My busyness has affected my relationship with God. It can be better. God has since been putting me in places of influence, where I sometimes half-hearted to take upon. Feelings of guilt, unworthiness and apathy. The result is I'm not fully the person that I can be when these kairos moments come. But once again, I am reminded of who I am in Christ, that I am a minister of the gospel. That I have been called and that I've been called to sacrifice and give up the desires of the world. I am reminded of the one of the messages during the conference. Actually it's the first session given by the General Superintendent of AoG Malaysia:

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. - Hebrews 11:24-26

I still remember his outline. (1) Faith sometimes changes things. (2) Faith sometimes do not change things, it changes you. (3) Faith demands a quality decision. I pray that God will be patient with me and continue to change the condition of my heart. The more I'm thrust into places of influence, my heart is confronted to its wicked tendencies: to pride, envy and insecurity. I cannot afford to delay and be found unfit for service. Yet I shall fall into His amazing grace. May God in the end find me faithful to Him alone. May my heart's longing be only the pleasure of its Master.