A Slice of BFGFC History

Check out this paper by Dr. Eli Javier about Pentecostalism in the Philippines. Apparently BFGFC was also an outgrowth of Manila Bethel Temple (which is now COP)?? I didn't know this ah. Another story added to my BFGFC history files in my head. "It needs to be said that when Lester Sumrall started Bethel Temple, a Chinese class was started which later evolved into the Chinese church.Regular church services later were held in rented facilities at the corner of Recto (then Azcarraga) and Reina Regente Streets in Manila. Today, we have two AG Chinese congregations in Manila (Binondo Full Gospeland United Bethel Church)"

Oh Lord, You're Beautiful

Oh Lord, You're beautiful

Your face is all I see

And when Your eyes are on this child

Your grace abounds to me

Oh Lord, please light my fire

That once burned bright and clear

Replace the lamp of my first love

That burns with holy fear

Note to Self: On Integrity

"[One's] leadership must be of the highest moral standard in all aspects of life; to expect less is to place the church's reputation and ministry in jeopardy."

~ Commentary of Titus 1:6-9

Note to Myself: On Integrty

"What men build with their gifts they can just as quickly destroy by their character." ~ Frank Viola

From Frank Viola's message: http://www.ptmin.org/Dallas2007.mp3

Day in the Life: Of A Bummed-Out Hard Preacher in a New Do

Just woke up at 2AM in the morning after sleeping in the afternoon. I was so tired. And my body still is a bit sore even now. I haven't feel such weariness like this one. By the time I finished speaking in Malabon yesterday afternoon I was already sinking from my chair. I got to speak twice yesterday. Yesterday morning at the morning service, I did a bit of hard preaching about how everyone should be involved in ministry. I mean, it's not enough just to feed people with soft teaching like God's love and prosperity and blessings and forgiveness. There's should be a balance of messages that will move them forward. I thought I did good, but you know sometimes people don't know any better.

Last Saturday's youth carecells were awesome. We got to stay 'til 9PM because of the dice game. I am happy to see that we are growing as a group, once you joined all the cells together.

Now that the sembreak's in I feel bummed out. Though there were a lot of things to do--most of them work, I don't find the drive to do them. Perhaps because I got used to doing and going to school. I also thought how my life would turn out after I graduate when a portion of my week's sched at school will be gone. This week I felt a sense of bumness and I thought I needed to do more youth ministry work. But I thought 2nd sem will just be around the corner so better get the max of this sembreak.

By the way, also last Saturday, I got a new haircut--semi-kal. It's a funny experience because even when I was already on the barber's chair I was undecided until I asked the barber if I would look good on semi-kal. And he said as long as I don't have peklat on my head it's cool. So I finally did. You know the feeling of that adrenaline rush--similar to that but quite different. It's a good feeling, a feeling of something new, something fresh in my life. When you feel afraid, worried how the world will think about you then it suddenly vanishes because despite the mind's objections I go ahead anyway. It's liberating. So after that quick shave I proceeded to church for youth. And it's funny that people needed to get used to my new do. Others point blank say it didn't look good (whatever). But most of them asking why did I do it. Others were concerned if I was depressed or had a big problem (only women get their hair done when depressed I think). I sometimes explain that my hair got all unhealthy from the hair gels I put in it that everytime I take a haircut the barber would offer hot oil treatment because my hair is unhealthy already, so I thought just cut off everything and grow a new set of hair. Good explanation? But really, I can't find a good explanation why I did it other than I was really bummed out. And it felt good, doing something crazy once in a while. I need to do more of this.

Hopelessly Romantic

As I read Isaiah, I can’t help but be frustrated and hopeful. Frustrated because its warnings and how it describes a “rebellious people” much reflects a familiar bunch.

“For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord; Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right, Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 30:9-11). 

I am in a place wherein you think you know what to do, you know because you have already proven that you could. But your advise fall into deaf ears, your helping hand unwelcomed. This comes after your hope gets rekindled by a picture of a brighter future for your community. It’s like when you’re trapped in a confined space and you wanted to get out—get everybody out. Then you discover a small opening—a gleam of hope. Then you started working your way, sincerely, to find the way out, a tunnel. But at the end of that tunnel, a dead end, nothing more, nothing less.

So I thought, what’s the use? What’s the use of hoping? Better not rally for a spark of hope that will soon disappoint after a few battles for it.

Last night in our leaders carecell we were faced again with the question: Why do you do what you do? Why in spite of lack of perceived “return of investments” by the world’s standards, you pour out yourself for a cause—pour out ourselves in serving and taking care of the youth God has entrusted to us, pour out ourselves in serving this local body of Christ? Why do we serve at the expense of the world’s ridicule? Because I believe. Though I am in a constant battle to live out a child-like faith, I believe. I want to believe. Because there is something better than this kind of apathetic acceptance of a mediocre lifestyle.

“Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him” (Isaiah 30:18).

Lord, draw us near to you, that we may draw near to you. Because I believe it is by your doing that we could draw near into your presence. May you find in us, imperfect people as we are, a pure longing for your visitation.

Lord, in my waking and lying down, may I not pursue to please anyone but only You. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.

(You might be wondering why the title. Besides that I can't think of any title that would sum up this post, in a sense this post is a stubborn allegience to the positive future of our community when God would visit each of us again.)

Reimagining Church, Holy Discontent

I've been reading this book called Reimaging Church by Frank Viola. He explains and convinces me how today's image of the church has strayed too far away from the original image of the New Testament church. The picture of the New Testament church is that of community and relationships. They met at homes, shared meal or the real Lord's Supper which is composed of a hearty banquet eaten with reverence to the Lord's work. Each house church is small enough to do the Bible's one-another commands. One-anothering as he calls it. And when time comes that the group becomes too large, they just simply divide into groups and meet in different homes thus making the movement larger and more influential. This is the picture of the NT church. Today's church owes its image to the West--as a business enterprise, where the pastor is the CEO, volunteers are the employees, the congregation are its customers and evangelism is a marketing strategy to make the enterprise bigger.

The church needs a desperate make-over. How can we do church without putting premium on relationship building? How long can I endure the pain of seeing people come in and go out of the church unfazed, barely impacted by church life when the church are made up of living stones--a living organism that thrives with life? A body that does not foremost blesses itself but pursues the pleasure of the head which is Christ. 

Viola likens church today as to the temple of Chronicles and Kings in contrast to the Exodus' tabernacle. When the Spirit of the Lord is on the move, Moses just unpitch the tabernacle and follows where the Lord takes them. This is the picture of early church--humble, lowly... temporal in a sense that they see themselves as aliens of this world. But as the temple was built, it was as good as the presence of the Lord that dwelt in it. But when the presence moves out because of their sin it's as worthless as an empty shell. Moreover, they didn't notice that the Spirit was already gone, the truth is that, the Spirit was a non-essential to their hollow rituals and traditions. Have we become an empty shell and have become calloused, insensitive now to the leadership of the Holy Spirit just like the temple of a disobedient nation?

This realization hurts when it affects people closest to you. When you bleed for your old people because they are in search of life, for someone to reach out and to reach out to, for real friendships and not just church acquaintances. Someone to share their life with, their struggles, their pain and their dreams. Who is willing to listen to them? It ignites in me a holy anger--holy discontent.. a passion. I don't want them to just fade away into shadows but let their lives a living testimony and a legacy. 

I have this idea in holy frustration that for sometime perhaps a month or two we should just stop "church" and just begin to meet in small groups and do one-anothering. After all, if we strip it all to the basic essentials, these things are important--Christ's headship, relationships/one-anothering, impacting one's oikos and community-- a journey of broken pilgrims enroute towards the image of the bride destined for the Bridegroom. 

Lord, may I see it with my own eyes.

Me @ 27

In a nutshell ...

• Had dinner with my parents, Netty, bro Lawrence & Zarah at Gumbo in MOA. By the end of the dinner, at the signal of Netty, the Gumbo crew presented me with a birthday sundae and a birthday song and dance number to my embarassment because of too much attention.
• Most of the gifts I received were chocolates. I love it!
• Received lots of birthday greetings from family and friends. Thank God for all of them. I am loved and valued.
• On Saturday the three Firebrands Carecells made a suprise and gift of encouraging messages for me. We celebrated with overflowing pizzas.
• Netty bought me a shirt a new shirt and pair of skinny jeans that I thought makes me look thinner and I love it!
• Next Saturday the celebration continues as we celebrate the September celebrants in YA in a local pasta place.
• At 27, I have come to a realization that I am already a (young) adult. Unlike 26 when I felt I'm still youth. Though of course I will be forever for the youth.
• At 27, I feel that I am so blessed--for everything that I have gone through, my experiences and the people who I met in my journey and continues to walk behind, alongside and before me. Blessed that He started a good work in me and excited that He has more things in store, He is faithful to finish what He has started in me.
• At 27, I am waiting for the next chapter in my life to unfold ...

Day in the Life - The Day I Wade in the Flood

This morning I thought it will be pain going home tonight and it did because of the storm's after effects. An hour and a half through my last class, the admin has announced that classes are suspended according to CHED. It was like 6:30PM, and CHED decides to dismiss the class--way too late I thought. So hurrying out to school, I went to the usual bus stop along Ayala Buendia--no sign of any bus. I looked to Buendia and the traffic IS NOT moving. So I decided to WALK to LRT station. I thought I might arrive earlier than those who were on the traffic. So I started walking, and it was raining. When I reached Chino Roces-Buendia, the flood water was higher--ankel deep. But I was able to manage to skip here and there with my shoe still relatively dry. But when I arrived at Osmena Highway, the floodwater was worse. Worse that there are already pedicab drivers making most of the situation, taking stranded people from one side to the other on their padjaks for a special fee. So from Osmena I started to walk on the middle of the road along with other people because the middle road was still walkable. Past Osmena, and a few more blocks, flood water again, it was a deadend. People were like huddled into this little islands where we can't get off except to wade through the water. I wanted to go home NOW. So moving aside, I took of my shoe and socks which is by now soaked wet (Ack!), pulled up my jeans and started wading into the water. Last time I remembered walking through the flood was when I was just a kid when we use to play and shower in the rain. But things are different now, for one, the water is dirtier. I just tried to keep my mind of the things that could be in the water. All the while I was singing songs to myself. A few more minutes I could see the LRT lights on the horizon and the flood is receding. So I put wore my wet shoes again, put the socks in my jacket pocket and walked the last leg. At last I have arrived, first thing I had to have was rubbing alcohol. Went in Mini-stop, the alcohols are all gone. Second attempt I got one. Washed my hands and headed to the LRT station which was a nicer travelling experience. After tonight I have set a new record to myself, I have finally walked from Buendia Taft to Buendia Ayala.

I remember a witty remark by stand-up performer Demetri Martin that said, "When on water, you can know if you're in trouble by what you are wearing: If trunks, you're good ... if pants uh-oh!"

There is Life in The Word

I am always amazed with the power of God's Word to lift up, to encourage, to breathe life to a weary soul. How the power of God's presence, how singing praises in worship of the King breathe in God-life into me. Lord, thank You for upholding my spirit.