Compassion Wanted

Jonah 4:11, "Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?"

This was God's answer to Jonah, after he proclaimed God's judgment to the wicked Assyrian capital city of Niniveh. But because the whole city repented, God relented its destruction. And this made Jonah really, really disappointed.

"Was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity." (Jonah 4:2)

Many times we let the comforts of religiosity make our faith stale and stagnant rather than letting it flow, expressed to ripple off. We forget the compassion rendered upon us by the Lord "while we were yet sinners". We readily label the supposed less closer to God to a point of disgusting self-righteousness. But our lack of compassion and genuine concern just reveals that we are no more enlightened and transformed than them. We fail to see that more than statistics they are victims in need of a Savior like we were once.

John 3:17, "For God did not send the Son to judge the world, but the world might be saved through Him."

Lord, may I reflect your compassion for the hurting, the blind, and the weary. Fan the flame of compassion and the burden for the lost, the students and the young people. Let it grow stronger. Search me and mold me.

Nasugbu Visit

Finally after a week's hustle and bustle, I'm nailed to the house. Finishing my message for tomorrow. This week's been surprisingly hectic. I thought finally I will have rest after last weeks nightly seminars at church. But projects have been queueing, thank God, on the downside I'm still adjusting to the abnormal sleeping habits of sleeping late. I feel the work stress has been affecting my body, I'm experiencing problems with my stomach and my eyes. I want to get myself checked up next week.

Tuesday was a break from work when I and Welfert went to Nasugbu to coordinate the cooking team for the camp. We figured it would be easier to get the help of a local church to do the cooking for us instead of bringing a team from Manila. But anyways, it was a rainy-cold trip to Nasugbu. And we're welcomed like VIPs. A taste of local Batangas hospitality. It was such a blessing and a breather for me to witness such dedicated and inspiring ministers of the Lord. Especially Ptra. Carumba who was our contact. She has already grandchildren, but her raw passion for the Lord is evident by her age. It was a blessing listening to her stories back in BBC and Manila Faith, also her ministry stories during Martial Law. It's like saying to me, ministry doesn't start and end with me, we're just all part of God's story in His effort to reconcile men to God through Jesus. Ministry wasn't born yesterday. God has been using people even before I was born and it wouldn't stop when I die (So it's like okay to get some break sometimes! :) Indeed it is not about us. We also met Ptr. Mike Anciado, a young Nth generation pastor of Nasugbu First AG. We visited their newly renovated church. They have this wall of old and new pictures showing the growth of the church. Indeed the trip was a slice of history lesson.

Yesterday's Crazy Schedule and Bombing

Satuday. We just concluded a 15 hour (5 nights) seminar on Carecells. A group of Singaporeans from Trinity Christian Center came down for ministry exposure. They were here last May through Chi Alpha and we also got to know them and build friendship with them. I wrote before the one word that I would describe them is DRIVEN, they are still now. They've never lost their passion, it was a LIFESTYLE. I have learned so much from them.

Looong day yesterday, slept at 3AM because of a project (Subpix posters). 10AM I was already in Robinsons Place Manila for cellgroup consultation with Ptr. Edwin & Ptr. Carmelo. At 12, went to Alva to print the posters I made. This wasn't supposed to be my job (to print my design for the client) but the client is so busy that he cannot do it, so he just paid me for the effort & the gas. While waiting to print, I was in KFC taking my lunch. Then I got a text that Glorietta 2 was bombed. At first I was skeptic, but another text came confirming the incident. And I was going to Makati. 3PM I picked up the posters and head for Makati. Turned on the AM Radio and listened as the tragedy unfold.

It's devastating what fear can do to you. If there's one thing I learned about the incident yesterday is that these people who did this sowed fear to the people. Fear immobilizes you. Nails you that you keep yourself from moving forward. It creates paranoia. Just listening to the reports as it came in, it gave a sense of fear for your safety. I heard someone say that fear is the number one weapon of the devil. He'll keep you frozen to move on. He'll sow thoughs of "what if's" so you won't pursue God's plan altogether. But God didn't give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of boldness, love and a sound mind. Love drives away fear. It's like light vs. darkness. Ptr. Edwin says that light NEVER wrestles with darkness, darkness just flees whenever light comes. That's what love does.

There's a point where you could choose to continue listening and continue to be fearful or just leave it. I mean I already got the facts, and the news just keeps on repeating. So at one point even if it was difficult to switch from the news, I turned on the CD player and played and listened to some God-songs. 4PM I delivered the posters in Makati Avenue. 5PM I picked up Ptr. Edwin and Ptr. Carmelo from Hospicio de San Jose (they visited an orphanage the whole afternoon) and when went to church. After the seminar, I treat them for a Chinese dinner in Ongpin (they've been treating me for a couple of nights). I dropped them in their hotel by 11PM and got home and talked to Netty by Netty tells me I am not Superman. True. Earlier Ptr. Edwin shared that Singaporeans are crazy planners, they do things by the second. I am also like that at times. And I'm trying to start working on my inhumane schedule. After a few hours finally I got a well-deserved sleep.

Day in the Life

Today I was able to finally able to get some good rest after last week's rush of work, ministry and in-betweens. I dozed by 9PM and woke up around 10AM--a gud 13 hours of sleep. But I still feel a bit weak (no energy) I figured this was because I stopped lifting weights. My tummy's getting bigger (again). So I need to get back on a regular routine exercise. Over the weekend I was able to finish a project. But there's more to do for this week. The Singaporeans from Trinity Christian Center are back again and this time they are doing trainings for five evenings (6-9PM) at our church that started tonight. Nice to see Ptr. Edwin and Ptr. Carmelo again. And tonight's seminar about Spiritual Parenting was very meaty and helpful. I need to get back on blogging. But for now, gotta sleep.

If you will not tell them, how will they know?

"If you listen you'll hear it
A call to the nations
to show forth your praises
to every tongue, tribe and nation
If you will not tell them
How will they know
That there's joy in my presence
Like they've never known
Bring them into My presence
Let them worship before My throne"

Woke up to this song by Don Moen entitled "This is My Holy Place" (it's a very old song). Does anyone else know this song?

Breakfast

Woke up today quite late already. Before last night, I only had 7 hours of sleep for two days. It's busy days at work. Today I woke up and mom prepared breakfast for me. I thank God for my mom. Like I said before, the family and my friends are manifestations of God's grace and love in my life.

Birthday Prayer

26 years. I may have come a long way, age-wise and some, but not to the point of contentment. In fact I consider myself yet far from the goal I've been pursuing, the goal of perfect peace and intimacy with my Father.

Lord, my prayer for my birthday is another 26 years of hot pursuit for You. Again, Lord, I want to follow hard after You. Forgive me if there are still lapses in my walk with You, I am alone at fault. In these unfaithful moments may Your precious grace abound. Lord preserve me, make me holy in the truest sense of Your Word.

Indeed Father You don't owe me anything, but in Your perfect love You chose to pursue me, even sometimes I think as if I deserve to be blessed. Who are you to think that your service outshine and outweigh His selfless outpouring of life and blood on the cross? Lord let Thou increase and I decrease. I am but a servant. Lord, give me opportunities to live out Your image one day at a time.

Thank You, Lord, for people who constantly love and care for me--one of Your truest and most practical manifestations of blessing and grace in my life. Remind me to always cherish them always and not to take them for granted. I ask Father that You preserve my family in Your grace and blessing and my future wife, preserve us both until that blessed day.

I Started A Joke ...

A very funny and interesting thing happened this afternoon during my Carecell. We ordered a large 18" yellow cab NY pizza cris-cut for Carecell. It was big and really good, it was done in less than an hour except for the last small piece. A partially "bald" slice with much of the surface is the edge of the crust.

It has been a way for us to refrain from eating the last piece of morsel on the table out of modesty. It's like when you eat the last piece the implications are a bit foolish but harsh. One would think he would be perceived by the people with him as a glutton and self-centered, by not giving way for others to have the last piece. So it becomes an endless finger-pointing telling the other person "you take the last piece."

So in order for this to end, I proposed a game that we would play kompyang or maalis-alis (black versus white). And the last one who remains finishes the slice. As we begin, it came into my mind that there was a donut that has been sitting on the fridge for over the week now from last week's worship team practice, also fell victim of the last-piece-curse. It was glazed with chocolate, frozen cold. I raised the bar of the game higher: The last two who will remain should play rock-paper-scissors and whoever wins gets to choose what the loser will eat between the last pizza and the cold donut.

So we began to play, with each turn the number of players got fewer until guess who were the last two to remain: Zarah Grace and me. The youth pastor and the youth president. And so there it was, me and Zarah Grace head to head for the power to choose who will eat what. And both of us knew that we don't wanna eat the cold donut. The game was race to three. Zarah got the first score, I got the next two, Zarah got the next. It was a tie. My rock lost to Zarah's paper. It was very funny, We were laughing our hearts out because my plan backfired. So I ended up eating the cold donut to the cheer of my members. I said to myself, "Humor talaga ni Lord o!" He knows I'm bad at losing games.

An Early Surprise

This afternoon my Friday Carecell group in City College of Manila gave me a surprise birthday celebration planned by Netty and Annie. I was really surprised because they hid it well, although I was kinda feeling 'something's not right'. Netty bought a Red Ribbon black forest cake, and Annie gave me a large collage of birthday wishes from their group. I was really, really blessed by the love received. I realize that ultimately it is God who is touching me through them. I remember my recent meditation on scripture saying not to give up in doing good even sometimes you lose heart and feel like giving up because in due time we will reap a reward. If my God could give me something like what we had this afternoon (more than the gifts and cakes), how much more when finaly I will be rewarded with His fellowship in His kingdom. "No eye has seen and no ear has heard what God has in store for those who love Him."

Not Giving Up Just Yet

"The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. [So] let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary" (Galatians 6:8-9)

Life is not in pursuit of the future without looking into the past. As we live our lives every day, every hour, every second, we sow the seeds of which in due time we will reap--they will catch up on us. And it's simple math. Sow to one's flesh and reap your own corruption. Sow to the Spirit--invest your life to Him, walk by Him (Gal 5:16)--and we will reap our long-fought-for reward. It's a lonesome waste giving up so soon for something we have fought for, bled for, got up again for (after the enemy's blow to keep us from pursuing deep in our hearts is the real deal.) The good that we do, no matter what the situation tells us at face value, will never return barren. The good we have sown will soon grow and flourish and benefit life. Never lose heart. It doesn't hurt to gather up one's strength and push some more, because it is worth fighting for. He awaits that day, when finally He welcomes us and say, "Son, you've finally made it through and I am well-pleased (or I am proud of you.)"