Influencers

Just thought about the people who have influenced me one way or the other ...

Bossa Nova music - Gina Morata

She was my music teacher back in high school Chiang Kai Shek College. I remember everytime I have recital she would choose for me bossa nova pieces to play. First piece I played was "So Nice/Summer Samba". Also played "The Wave" & "Masquerade".

Acid Jazz music - Duke Shih

Duke was our bassist in my band that spanned from 3rd year high school to college. He had a lot of acid jazz selection CDs which played in his car.

Playing instruments - Dad

My dad calls himself a "frustrated combo". Perhaps I come from a musical lineage. My dad taught me to play the guitar on his Stratocaster.

Web design - JP Tantiansu

JP introduced to me the world of web design back in college. He introduced me to Flash, Photoshop, Dreamweaver & HTML. Became part of his design company Eggshell Media.

Youth Ministry - Jess Tomagan

Met Kuya Jess way, way back when I was still a teen. His attitude towards ministry has really inspired me to pursue ministry myself. Am very grateful that he has taught me a lot of things in ministry, family & life. Our relationship had grown from a mentoring relationship to colleages in ministry.

Aquarium hobbying & animals - Dad

My dad loves animals. He would have dogs and cats in our house when I was a kid. I remember as an elementary student he bought me my first 5-gallon green stripped aquarium. It had a hallow blue castle where fish could explore. My favorite fishes then were red swordtails, tiger barbs & red tail black sharks. In high school I ventured into salt-water aquariums. Today I am not keeping any pets because of my lifestyle, but I still enjoy watching them.

Diving - Criz Ah

Criz introduced me to scuba diving in the early 2000s. Together with his siblings we took 9 classes on basic diving. I have a diving license but I have only dove on two occasions: Anilao (Batangas) and Balicasag (Bohol). This is because they would often schedule their trips on weekends.

Handwriting - Mom

My mom is to be credited for my creepily lovely and legible penmanship. I didn't learn it, it was already in the genes. I remember becoming the class secretary one time during high school because of my hand writing and teachers would often task me to write notes on the board for the class to copy.

Bible school - Sur del Rosario

Kuya Sur was the one who encouraged me to enter bible school. The first time I met him was on our district convention in Caliraya in 2003. He challenged me to come to Asian Institute of Youth Studies in APTS Baguio that summer where I received my calling as a minister. I remember later in the program we had this talk in the chapel where he challenged me to pursue ministry and equip myself. So October 2004 I enrolled in ASCM. And by March 2010 I will be graduating.

Still thinking of more influencers ...

Acts 7: Loving in the Fullness

Acts 7:60, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Often times when someone offends us, we hold them accountable before the Lord. I may not take revenge but the desire of his destruction is eating it's way into my heart. First, sin is done to us, then second, we choose if we let sin spring out of our own hearts, unleashing our monsters within. Stephen knew that such indulgence to what seem to be a just thought of retribution will only disqualify him from the race. "Sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it." "Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment."

Lord, may I be wise enough not to indulge myself with hate, resentment and bitterness disguising themselves as self-dignifying resolves. My soul, be the one who gives away generously. My you be taken advantage more than you take advantage of others. Follow Stephen, who would not have endured if not for the fullness of God's love and strength. Love not out of your lack in personal capacity to give but out of the fullness of the Love that has been richly lavished upon you. 

Acts 7: Discerning God's Timing

Acts 7:25, "And [Moses] supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand."

Many times we disguise our personal agendas as the will of God. Moses knew why he was who he was, where he was--the position and influence: to deliver his brothers from the slavery of Egypt. He knew God had plans for him. Often times we know we are called, yet we are not patient enough as God would want you to be. So we create fleshly means to meet divine goals. We settle for our Hagars than waiting for the son of promise. We go ahead of God. 

Lord, may I be in faithful anticipation of the great unfolding of Your plans in my life. Grant me that I discern Your will--to the smallest detail of what I ought to do and not do. Holy Spirit speak to me. Move through me that I may fulfill my lot.

Acts 7: Lovely in the Sight of God

Acts 7:20, "It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God ..."

This passage is a wonderful assurance that I am loved by God. The Psalmist went on to say that even before I was conceived in my mother's womb, God has already ordained the days of my story. There are times when our search for human love and acceptance seem to be in vain. Be reminded that I am lovely in the sight of God. I am the apple of His eye. Such love that can unconditionally love someone as once evil as Saul. His love is not a product or a reaction. It's immovable yet moving.

Qualities of Table-servants: Acts 6

Acts 6:3, "Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task."

The demand focus on prayer and the ministry of the word because of the increasing number of converts led to the rise of Stephen in God's vineyard. Verse three reflects the qualities of a servant leader that one ought to pursue and excel in:

1. Connected - "from among you" - One must be in faithful fellowship in one's community. By "walking slowly through the crowd" as Maxwell puts it, I may be able to not only see, but experience and identify the needs of the people.

2. Team player - "seven men" - One is has to understand that he is not called to rise into rockstardom, but he enlists himself as one of the many. One must be able to get along well with those who pursue the same objective as you are--to serve tables. Much is accomplished when the many is united. Disaster is expected when the many is divided.

3. Integrity & Credibility - "of good reputation" - The virtue of unity of one's character at all times. Integrity surpasses all qualities a servant leader must pursue with priority. Integrity is vital not only as a leader, but as a human being. By walking in integrity, I honor my people and I honor myself. By walking in integrity, I earn the respect of all people, including myself. By walking in integrity, I honor and worship the God who is righteous and holy.

4. Empowered - "full of the Holy Spirit" - What I cannot do and achieve as a natural born leader I can with the anointing and leading of the Holy Spirit. Thus the glory is not mine to revel upon but God's.

5. Wise & Discerning - "of wisdom" - With a leader who is wise in judgment, a nation rejoices and is blessed (Proverbs). Such gift of wisdom and discernment must be sought from the Lord. "He who lacks wisdom must ask ..." (James).

6. Responsible & Dependable - "put in charge" - A responsible and dependable servant is a joy and blessing to his master. A leader ought not to be a talker but one who speaks well of himself by acting upon his God-given task of servanthood. 

My soul, may you be found exceling in such qualities. Follow the example of Stephen, a young man "full of faith and of the Holy Spirit." He who served beyond what was required of him--to serve widows--now being used by God to proclaim the gospel of peace and reconciliation with such boldness and passion for the risen Christ. May the world find you as one bearing the image of God "like the face of an angel" amidst its tribulations and persecutions. Indeed such is the quality of the servant Christ whom all of us ought to pattern our service on.

Independence vs. Dependence

Everyday my sinful nature asserts its superiority by struggling to be independent from God's rule. It entices to once more meet our flesh's cravings and pleasures more than our spirit's. But just as yesterday, today I have to once more put on the armor and battle this unholy desire back to the coffin where it belongs. Such is our total contradiction to the world. The world salutes independence, we strive to kill it. The world looks down on dependence as weak and frail, our weakness makes perfect His power. We strive to devotedly be dependent to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Dependence is a virtue not often pursued but with Christ a daily commitment to renew ourselves of such virtue.

Leviticus 20

Leviticus 20:24 & 26, "I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples ... Thus you are to be holy to me, for I the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the people to be Mine."

In every law God sets up for the people of Israel, he concludes with "I am the Lord" or "I am the Lord your God." "Do not ... for I am the Lord." "You shall ... I am the Lord your God." Every law rests on the foundation that it is worthy of allegience because:

1. "I am the Lord your God." I have made myself a slave under the authority of Christ. Once my loyalty was to sin and therefore under its rule and judgment. But now the Lord has brought me out of Egypt to be free from it. I shall not be mastered by sin anymore because I am now under the service of the Lord's house.

2. "I have set you apart." One of God's defining character that makes Him worthy of worship and loyal allegience is His holiness. I live now in God-country--a land flowing with milk and honey. My identity is now with Christ. Therefore my identity must be shown in broad daylight through the things I do and do not do, by the words I say and do not say. I am now apart from the world and a-part of His holy army. I am to be an example to the world, a model to follow. "Follow me as I follow Christ." I am set apart so that God may dwell in my camp. That I may become a channel of His blessing and righteousness to the world. 

This is the moment

Just woke up from a very shallow sleep. I'm preparing to go out now to pick up my fiancee at the airport. It's gonna be a long day today: District ministers meeting at nine. Badminton fellowship at two. And carecell at five.

Leviticus 16 & 17

Leviticus 17:11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement."

The Old Testament's law of atonement is so detailed in it's ceremonial process (in Tagalog, mabusisi). Blood and life shed. The offer-er must make atonement for himself before he could make atonement for the people and their objects and places of worship. Three of four animals are slaughtered, one is spared and banished--a lot cast upon it but divinely appointed.

How often times we take for granted the atonement Christ that replaced this ancient process of cleansing oneself to enter God's presence. Today when I sin, I don't come before Him with a bull and a ram to slaughter. I would confess my sins to him and believe that I have once more been forgiven through the blood of Jesus and then go my own way. When I come before the Lord to minister to His people, I don't come to church with a second set of clothes made from a single kind of cloth for His holy ministry. I don't come before Him with a pair of goats, one to slaughter and the other to confess our sins onto it and let it wander off the streets of Chinatown. I come and speak blessings and declare how loving and good our God is and His passionate desire to bless us. Then after we socialize in fellowship. In the process are we losing reverence for His holiness? Indeed today is in an age of grace. 

What Christ has done cannot be justified by these simple words. Bearly. But let this be a reminder to you my soul not to take lightly this freedom that has caused the shedding of a Life. Do not live in careless abandon to sin. But in every thought, word and action examine them in the revealing light of the mind of Christ.

Be holy, steadfast and one-minded

Lord, fill me with Your Spirit, Your wisdom and strength. My soul, struggle and fight for the purity that God has bestowed upon you. Do not anymore lay aside the treasures of His presence. Strengthen your defenses. Die daily like the apostle Paul. Everyday you are engaged in battle for who is the real lord of your body. You cannot escape this battle. Do not let the flesh win and rob you of the joy--that times of refreshing in the presence of God. You know that the unclean will stand between you and Him. Be holy as the Lord is holy. Be steadfast. Be one-minded. You are called to be is son, a man of God He has called you.