This year's Valentines Day fell on Friday, so we grabbed the opportunity to do a Valentines-themed event called "Agree or Disagree." It was sort of a panel discussion wherein a group of young adult couples would weigh in on some popular love statements. Everyone had a great time, especially when young people talk about love. But I'm also happy that we've got some great insights about love, God and relationships from our visitors
The Mind of the Melancholeric Man: Musings on Life and Ministry by Patrick Tan
"I'm in-love with a non-believer."
A student asked me this week: What are your thoughts about a born-again Christian having a relationship with a partner who is [of a different religious preference]? (I placed brackets because that was supposed to be a specific religion, but for the sake of discussion, let's apply it in any kind of "religious preference.")
If you wish to read my Taglish version (trip lang). Click here.
"In-love ako sa isang unbeliever"
May isang estudyante na nag-ask sa akin this week: Ano ang pananaw ko sa pakikipagrelasyon ng isang born-again Christian sa isang [hindi mananampalataya]? (Nilagyan ko ng brackets yung word dahil specific yung religion na binanggit niya. Pero for the sake of discussion ito na lang ang itawag natin.)
(Alam mo bang may English version ako nito. Click mo dito.)
Bago ko nakilala ang future-wife ko, dumaan din ako sa panahon ng crushes at panliligaw. Lumaki ako sa church, at pagdating sa romantic relationships, tinuro nito sa akin ang isa sa pinaka-popular na verse patungkol sa dito: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Siguro lahat ng dumaan sa youth group sa church ay alam na itong verse na ito. Minsan nao-over-use pa nga ito kaya kapag naririnig na ito ng mga kabataan, ang iniisip nila kaagad e “ang killjoy naman”.Nung bata ako, nagka-crush din naman ako. Pero hindi ko masyadong pinapansin kung sila ba ay may personal relationship sa Panginoon, kasi parang discriminating ka naman ‘pag ganun. Naisip ko, grabe sobrang higpit naman nag utos na yon, at nag-iisip ako ng mga scenario kung papaano maja-justify na suwayin ang utos na iyon. Pero kung babalikan ko ang naging decision ko, nagpapasalamat ako sa grace ng Lord dahil pinakilala Niya sa akin at napangasawa ko ang asawa ko na may takot din sa Diyos. Kaya naniniwala ako sa payo ng 2 Co 6:14.
Infographic: Real Love
Devotion: God's Messenger
Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’” Jeremiah 28:15-16
Prophets in the Old Testament are people who are called by God to serve as messengers of Him to the people (particularly Judah and Israel).
If you are tasked to be a prophet for the Lord , the task is not something to be taken lightly. After all you are bearing the message of the King. (I remember seeing a funny clip of Rowan Atkinson demonstrating the different kinds of messengers, one who bears good news and bad news).
In the New Testament, the role of the prophet has been bestowed to individuals in the church, that serves the body of Christ (Eph 4:11). In relation to the world, God calls His people to become proclaimers in behalf of God (1 Peter 2:9). Moses even prophesied this (Nu 11:29).
In Jer 28, we see a "showdown" between Jeremiah, the Lord's true prophet, and Hananaiah, a prophet who prophesied a lie, tricking the people that it came from the Lord. A few thoughts come into mind.
Week in the Life: Never in vain
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| National Youth Leaders Summit 2014, January 28-29 |
It was a fun week this week. I attended the National Youth Leaders Summit held at ICS from Tuesday to Wednesday. It started after lunch but was able to arrive after my work at ICI. The summit gathered regional/district youth and Chi Alpha leaders from our movement. I always love these gatherings because I get to catch up with friends and co-laborers in the youth ministry. I was told that during the first session where each gave updates and testimonies about what God is doing in their place, that most of them shared about how they are reaching students through Chi Alpha. Too bad I missed it, but it's touching to know that the work we invested a few years back are now yielding harvest. And we will not stop, the work continues until more campuses are reached with the gospel through Chi Alpha.
Learnings about movement-making in Chi Alpha
This year is my 10th year serving in youth ministry as a youth minister. And I still remember in April 2004, fresh from graduating in UST architecture that I was struggling about my calling. I was 22 years old at that time. I found myself going up to Baguio to go to AIYS (Asian Institute for Youth Studies, 2nd batch). I took up Institute of Campus Ministry, not knowing what I was in for, because I always wanted to try something new (I’ve been serving in the youth leadership for some years now, but not as youth pastor). There I met Kuya Sur, Ate Merla, Ate Afel, and Brian Lopez. And as they say, the rest was history. I received confirmation from God to be minister of the gospel. Never did I know that was the beginning of my journey in serving in Chi Alpha.
God gives each person a window of opportunity to fulfill what he was made for, not to bring glory to himself, but to God. We often call it now as a “kairos moment” or a time of opportunity. In the Bible, God invites ordinary people to take part in doing something extraordinary for God. I remember when Esther found herself in her make or break situation, God spoke through her uncle Mordecai saying, “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) And like Esther, you are here because God raised you up to do something special for Him in this season. The question would you be bold enough to take that window of opportunity to be used by God for His greater glory. Would you be faithful to take the movement to the next generation?
Here are five things I’ve learned about movement-making as I served in Chi Alpha. This is not an exhaustive list, it may also be incomplete, but these are some principles that could help someone who are serving in movements.
Your Blueprint for Success
Last Friday Life Gathering, I shared about the importance of setting goals and creating action plans to achieve them. It’s still the first month of 2014, and you don’t just want to breeze through this year then realize it’s the end of 2014 and nothing much has happened. God has prepared breakthroughs for us this year, but we must understand that each of us have a part to play in order to experience God’s breakthrough in our lives.
Growing up, I am fond of playing legos. I didn’t own legos as a kid, but we have a neighbor who did. And every afternoon, my friend and I would play together with this bricks. All lego sets all have a "finished product", like a house or a car. In order to build the “finished product” you must not miss that “blueprint” that goes with the lego box, giving clear instruction on how to build what you’re trying to build. Same is true with your goals for 2014. You need to have a plan of action steps in order to make this goal into a reality. Anoine de Saint-Exupéry (Author of the Little Prince) was right to observe that “a goal without a plan is just a wish.”
God Himself had a plan. He said, “For I know the plans I have for you …” (Je 29:11). God had a clear set of action steps in reconciling man back to Him. And believe it or not, God wants you to succeed. He goes on to say that these plans are “… plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” God has set in us the ability to dream and set the courses of actions to reach that dream.
For this article, I surveyed the book of Proverbs (whose writings came mostly from none other than the wisest king who ever lived) about the topic of setting goals and plans. And from these verses I found four prescriptions for wise planning.
Embracing who you are in Christ
While growing up have you ever doubted your effectiveness as a witness for Christ because your conversion story is not "spectacular"? Or have you felt insecure because it seems that God has gifted other people more than you? This is one of the concerns I addressed in one of my DGroups this week.
Jean Grey Complex
In one of the X-men movies, Jean Grey felt that she didn't much have to offer to the team because she considered telepathy and telekinesis as passive superpower compared to the superpowers of her teammates. This led to insecurity and depression, which ultimately led to her demise (She would become the bad Phoenix in the next sequel). I've felt the same way too growing up. I questioned God about my testimony and my gifts. It seems that other people's story of how they met God were more spectacular than my story. They would share, "I was a drug addict then ..." or "I went from one relationship to another ..." or "I killed someone ..." And the young me thought, "God, I wish my story was like that." I thought that if I started off as a bad person, far away from God, my conversion story could be more convincing, more vivid, and can be much appreciated by the hearer. Instead, I was just normal, a good and unassuming guy.
Jean Grey Complex
Celebrating Our Fourth
Last Wednesday, Netty and I celebrated our fourth year anniversary. Someone said, "the days are long, the years are short." That's how it feels. I can still remember our wedding like it's yesterday. I'm so thankful to God for giving me such a lovely and loving wife. Today, I can't imagine my life without her, for reals. She knows which buttons to push, when I'm happy, when I'm sad, or when she needs me to do something for her (insert Billy Joel's She's Always A Woman to Me). I have to remind myself more often of what I heard Ptr. Chris Long say--"Happy Wife, Happy Life"--because this is so true!
Anyway, we sort of had a pattern going on now. The first and third year, we celebrated our anniversary out of town (Singapore & Hong Kong). The years in between we just celebrated at home base. So to celebrate, we had a wonderful lunch date at Yabu, the Japanese tonkatsu place in Glorietta 5. Both of us were looking forward to try it because it's been a buzz last few months about how good the food here is. So everything's tonkatsu--pork, chicken, seafood etc. You get into some ritual of making your own tonkatsu sauce. The tonkatsu was so soft, it was so good. Overall the resto was okay, something you would reserve for a special occasion.
After lunch, we walked around the mall, did some grocery shopping and finally went home to watch some movies. I'm excited for what God has in store for us this year ... a baby perhaps? :) In God's faithful time.
"An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels." (Proverbs 31:10)
Anyway, we sort of had a pattern going on now. The first and third year, we celebrated our anniversary out of town (Singapore & Hong Kong). The years in between we just celebrated at home base. So to celebrate, we had a wonderful lunch date at Yabu, the Japanese tonkatsu place in Glorietta 5. Both of us were looking forward to try it because it's been a buzz last few months about how good the food here is. So everything's tonkatsu--pork, chicken, seafood etc. You get into some ritual of making your own tonkatsu sauce. The tonkatsu was so soft, it was so good. Overall the resto was okay, something you would reserve for a special occasion.
After lunch, we walked around the mall, did some grocery shopping and finally went home to watch some movies. I'm excited for what God has in store for us this year ... a baby perhaps? :) In God's faithful time.
"An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels." (Proverbs 31:10)
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