Why Do We Do What We Do: Marriage

We're going through a series where in we try to redeem the biblical implication of the stuff that we usually practice and see a bigger picture of what they are. One of the very things that we're going to look at right now is the very meaning of marriage. What is so important about it that we have to redeem the biblical meaning of it in hopes that we truly see the serious thing that marriage is, that it's even bigger than what we have thought it is.

This is one of the very things that I have always held up high and respected and waited for. I'm very blessed to have parents that are enjoying marriage and ever since I was a kid I've always wanted that kind of thing. Of course with the help of various media and just me being my plain ol' cheesy self, I've always held marriage in high esteem. The gift that it is to a couple of people who loves each other and the rewards that comes along with it. 

Has it been this way to many? This has also been one of the things that have constantly broken my heart. Being a witness of a marriage that wasn't even given a chance to materialize, hearing of people cheating with their husbands and wives left and right, marriage has consistently degraded from something held serious to a glorified "relationship".

I hold myself as someone who shouldn't even be talking about this since I am in no way near this season but I will speak to it in a stand point of someone looking at it, walking towards it with someone hand in hand and wanting to understand what it means more biblically and hopefully get to share that season with the one I am in love with.

Our goal for this session is to see what it is, and hopefully have a bigger picture on what it is biblically, and let our minds as people who are in a season of singleness looking for someone to share this with. I am not stopping you to chase relationships or going for this, I just want to mold your minds on what the texts that we're going to look at say about this and we could start from there.

Don't Waste Your Sorrows (Book of Ruth)

This is a blog entry that would summarize the message that was preached on our church this Sunday by Pastor Dave Darwin. We looked into the story of Naomi and Ruth in the book of Ruth and from there we tried to answer the question most people ask when they're in the gutter.

"Why me?"

Why Do We Do What We Do: Communion

We started a series a couple of weeks back that where we try and put biblical meaning on what we do with regards to our faith. There are alot of things that we practice, but somehow we ask and wonder why. Through the following weeks we'll try to answer why we do what we do.

Last week we discussed on why do we take communion.

End All, Be All (Psalms 51:12)

What has been the primary motivator or the hook that fished you out of the waters? Provision? Promise for a posh life? No worries? Peace of mind? Comfort? Assurance that everything will be ok? or something else?

Many, including me, has succumbed to these things that would draw me into loving Christ, or have thought of loving Christ. I have always been dreaming of a posh life somewhere on my high rise condo, with my shiny white car that would get me around the metro. That was what I've always been thinking of since I've been fed with things that would make me think of these, never have I considered myself as someone who was hooked because of salvation, until now.

One prayer, one cry of a king, one particular verse in Psalms 51 claims that very conviction that I have now. That particular verse in Psalms 51 has become my rock and brings me comfort that it is because of that, that I love Jesus above all.

Restore me to the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalms 51:12 ESV)

All Things: By Him, Through Him, For Him (Col 1:15-17)

Let’s start with questions before we dwell into the verse and how I got to understand this and also with regards to my life. So let’s go into the questions…

why do bad things happen to good people? why do bad things happen at all? if God exists then why does sin abound? why does things like murder and others happen? Where is God when family members pass away prematurely, jobs gets cut… 

These are the things that makes us raise questions about His reality to begin with. As to my life, why, in all my life being a Christian, succumb to depression to the point of complete darkness. 

more after the jump

Man, Choices, Freedom, Slaves

I have always found myself wondering what Paul meant in Romans 7:18 "... having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness". I kept on wondering about this paradox of being free from sin yet still slaves. I have always thought that freedom from sin would be freedom.

So bear with me as I try to dissect this particular verse and reach to a conclusion on what this could probably mean. I guess, by trying to look at this particular verse, we'd also get to understand if we really do have a choice in our lives and how these choices are operated. I'll probably go to another verse in Proverbs to see where plans and decisions lay.

To Die is Gain: Bol's Radical Faith

About a week ago, the NBA world was on a spotlight as the Celtics and the Lakers duked it out for the championship for the nth time. 7 epic games that added more story to the illustrious rivalry this two teams already have. But behind the curtains, little did we know about the sufferings of the man who's mostly known as the tallest player who graced the arena. Little did we know about the greatness of the man behind the circus attraction that we know of him. Little did we know of Manute Bol.

What About the Prosperity Gospel?

Prosperity Gospel basically is the kind of gospel that is being preached all over the world that tells you that whatever you ask... you receive. Taking away your sight towards the cross and makes you focus on God's magical talent. No longer will you be called to repent of the sins you have committed but being invited to gain the life that you want, instead of losing it for His sake.
In this video, John Piper offers a little perspective on what he thinks about this kind of gospel. Check it out.

Diary of a LifeGroup Leader: The Battle for Staying Right in a Left-Leaning World

Humility versus Standing Firm.

For centuries possibly something more epic than what it is. Christianity, in my own observation through history and different perspective of denominations, have struggled to present what is outright right and where they stand. It varies from different doctrines from the bible to what you should wear during Sundays. And I found myself caught in the middle.

In a world right now, where relativity is the norm, It's hard to present what I believe is outright right and present what is outright wrong. I can't seem to get past the complex explanation as how the scholars have done it through their books and messages to how simple it should just be. This is where I find myself in between two contradicting essentials that believers should stand on. It's Orthodoxy and Context Simplicity. The struggle of being true, pure, right and staying that way while connecting to someone who doesn't know a single thing or have known a different kind of thing. It's my personal wrestling on Theology itself.

The Battle for staying right in a left-leaning world.

Amazing Grace

After going through another season of me staying away from those that has to do anything with God, God still found me and took me back into arms. Like the shepherd who went out and looked for that lost sheep who couldn't seem to find his way back. Like a lifeguard who picked up a drowning man who couldn't will himself into safety. Like a fireman who saves a man inside a burning house. Like a Savior who draws a sinner who couldn't even think about Jesus into changing his heart to love Him back.

This hymn remains as one of the songs that doesn't fail to bring me into tears for remembering those things. Amazing grace indeed, something I did not deserve, but was still given.

This hymn was written by John Newton back in the 17th century after he found mercy while his ship was being battered by a storm. John Newton was actively participating in the slave trade back then.

Grounded Session 2: What Kind of Bread are we Seeking?

Every Friday night. Me and a bunch of friends meet up in one place to talk about Jesus and what He has and continually doing in our lives. For the following weeks, we have been going through the Bible and knowing Jesus as how the Bible portrays Him.

This is currently the 2nd message of the Grounded series we're on. And the purpose of the series would be going to the Bible and knowing the things on where we should be rooted on.

What kind of bread are we going after? Who is it all about? Am I the center of the Universe? Is it all about me? or is it about Jesus? Why do we run to him?

Walkway: Reflections on the Stations of the Cross

Hey guys, I uploaded my shots already on Multiply! Only my selected few. It won't give justice to the whole thing experience though. So if you guys didn't catch the walkway exhibit, sayang.

The easter concert to end the whole event was awesome too! Imagine all those artists on one stage singing praise songs! Truly a celebration of our Lords triumph over death!!!

I actually regret going once lang. Anyway, hopefully... most likely there'll be another one like this next year? So guys... Don't miss out on that one.

Anyway Flippish featured Walkway and maybe you can experience the Stations through the video they posted.



[ChurchSimplified]

WALKWAY Easter Concert - FREE

Howdy!!

If you've been following my Plurks or Tweets, or have been active and in my friends list in Facebook then you've probably heard of Walkway, CS's take on our traditional stations of the cross. If you haven't then you can still check it out today! It's the last day for the exhibit and CS would also host a concert to celebrate Easter too, which is the body of this post.

They'll feature awesome artists like:

Barbie Almalbis
Julianne
Radha
Salamin
Gabriel Valenciano
Amber Davis
Marcus Davis, Jr.

So stop being like me who's basically waiting to fill out my social life online and stand up, and bring your asses to Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City (Beside Nike) and jam with us there! If you can come early then visit the Walkway Exhibit as well.

Get off your lazy Sunday couches and bring friends this evening. That's 7:00pm at the High Street mall grounds. We hope you can celebrate Easter with us!

*Photo courtesy of Samantha Godinez

[via churchSimplified]

www.ChurchSimplified.com ::: Facebook

The Michael Guglielmucci Issue

Michael Guglielmucci news clip

this is the news clip about Pastor Michael Guglielmucci coming out and bringing his lie into the light.

weeks? months? ago, the said pastor told everyone including his wife, mother and father that he was suffering from terminal cancer. created a song, that became an anthem to those who knew the song.

The song healer was said to top the charts and was downloaded alot on the itunes store during this time.

the news clip will explain it all...

basically the issue is a pastor created a lie and somehow reaped benefit with it. disappointing? yes... devious... it truly is... but what do we do with it now? what do we do with the song (Healer) now that it is tainted with lie?

for me? i'd still sing it as if nothing happened. people were moved by his "lie"... i was moved by his repentance. watching that clip i couldnt help but feel glad and happy that he did the right thing. i know what repentace can feel and i can just feel what he is feeling now... true freedom from the web of lies he was entangled in. Michael even admitted of his addiction to porn and that i applaud.

We had this wrist band before that has WWJD written all over it... and in this situation.. What would Jesus do? be disappointed? condemn? or display love and embrace this guy... man if i knew this guy, i'd give him a hug.

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

This is the song that he wrote and sang with Hillsong, you can catch it on their album This is Our God

Hillsong - Healer

On being like little children

I have asked the Lord a dozen times what He meant regarding this passage…

Matthew 18: 1-4

“ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

And as a grown up I have forgotten how it felt like being one, being like that of a child. And buried among the worries of work life, social life, heck even love life, it is somehow impossible to feel like one… well impossible to me, but we all know that nothing is impossible to God and so here’s how He brought me back to 1993.

Being drowned by everything and not having control is not what a child feels like. As children all we cared about was watching Voltes V every Saturday afternoon, get sweaty as we play outside with our friends, heck we never even cared if we broke some bones but we still climb trees… no worries, no attachments, carefree children. And at 23, I can’t do that anymore, I have the whole future to think about, to dream about, I’ve got work, tons of work to do, colleagues who depends on me somehow, and a household to pay some bills. Now… tell me how in the world can we go back and free ourselves from these things, and be like children… And so the Lord gave me an opportunity to go out of the country for a week-long vacation, and experience Disneyland, and go bananas shopping in Hong Kong… little did I know the Lord was answering the very prayer I prayed weeks back…

Before I get to my point here’s a little background of my trip. I was with my brother, sister-in-law, and their son- my nephew, together with us were the family of my sister-in-law, together with them are 3 children with an average age of 9 below. So under my wing of responsibilities were three kids, and a toddler… and boy oh boy they we’re a handful. We stayed at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel within the Disneyland island and stayed there for 4 nights and 5 days. Their food was expensive, but awesome and they have these Mickey Mouse waffles… they’re waffles that has the face of Mickey Mouse.

During the trip I’ve seen these children run around, get preoccupied with toys, and fight amongst each other because of one not letting the other one borrow. Of course as an adult I tried being a mediator, and try some reasoning with a 3 year old and a 7 year old… of course it didn’t work. And of course I couldn’t help but feel some anger, frustrations, and annoyed when these circumstances happen, but even if they’ve done you wrong like accidentally poke a lady in the butt with their toy, or spill a drink on you, or throw up on the pillow you’re going to sleep in, or even slapping you silly because they can’t get what they want… but once they look at you and understand what they did, and tell you “Sorry Tito Marc...” oh my goodness my heart just melts and I completely forget everything they did there. And after saying their sorry they’ll go about their things, and you can just see how confident children are under adults love. Sometimes they don’t even know what they do, but even after they write on the wall of your room, mess up some of your collectibles, even without saying sorry they’ll just run towards you and make hug you where they can, every emotion will just flitter away. And so I understood what the passage meant.

We, as children of God should be confident of the forgiveness that’s there even if we have wronged Him. Even if we have lived unholy lives in front of a Holy God, we know that there’s an underlying fact that He loves us very much that He’ll just look at you with a messed up heart as you ask for forgiveness. If there’s something I’ve learned about that trip regarding this passage is that we can be confident under the wing of God’s love. We see a couple of parables regarding this (Lost sheep, and Prodigal Son) but this experience just made it real.

And on top of that, He reminded me how it felt like being a kid as I roam around the grounds of Disneyland seeing characters come alive right in front of you and the fireworks to end the night was just the perfect coup-de-grace of the whole experience…

I hope I made sense and I hope that like me we gain an inch closer in understanding the love God has for us.

I Am Legend

Topic: The inner struggle and how we’ve won.

Conflict: we we’re once sick, as sick as the zombies we’re in the movie. We’re sick of boredom, and that’s our cancer. We inject ourselves with cures that we find in the end that will consume us over time.

2Co 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The first problem presented here is our ignorance of our demise. We do not know that we’re dying and causing death to happen among others, because at first we do not have any clue whatsoever that sin would lead us to death. Second we don’t have any clue of who Jesus is, what the cross truly meant. We’re completely ignorant of everything that is happening around us.

We’re sinking deep, and we don’t even know it.

How do we know that we’re sick?

It is when our idea of happiness is shattered by a person that has a different pursuit of happiness, this is how we see how sick, and how blinded we are from the truth. We’re in too deep the waters and we don’t even know it, we’ll realize it when we see someone walk on water. And right there and then we’ll wonder how is that possible?

I can never forget that day that I finally gave Jesus a chance to reveal himself to me, when one of my friends, a close one, who was maybe a notch higher in worseness of deeds turn 180 degrees and suddenly find happiness in Christ. My mind was totally blown away, I was swept off my feet, and basically my idea of happiness was shattered. Then I concluded right there and then how screwed I was.

When these two idea’s clash, right there and then you see your heart awaken, and you can only tell if your heart is awakened by the amount of internal struggle you deal with. It is a process, one by one we take away what is being revealed to our hearts. We say no to each and everything that comes in our way, we may lose some of them but always remember that it is a process. This is where our confidence in His grace and faithfulness are put to test. (Phil 1:6)

It is important that we simply put everything behind. Because my friends, we cannot truly say that we’re enjoying Christ if we still look at our past and see it as the ‘glory days’ or the good old days… (Phil past, prize)

Resolution: The solution is not of our hands, in this scenario, if you don’t know you’re sick you cannot cure yourself. It takes someone to notice your disease to get you better. Our boredom and our sufferings has a cure. And that’s what we saw in the movie clip that we watched. There is light amidst the darkness that we live in. and the bible describes it in John 15:13 that states "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." And it continues to passing a legacy to us. What he did, on the cross, the sacrifice, the life that He has given to us is what He desires among other people as well. We can see it in the end of that chapter as Jesus states that we’re appointed to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last, then the Father will give us what we ask in His name, and love one another.

There’s a deeper parable that’s very dear in my heart in John 10:11-18 where Jesus describes and reveals Himself as the good shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. He continues saying that the hired hand will run away when animosity arrives. And in the movie, the hero, Robert Neville, explained why he remained in NY. He saw it as ground zero, and he saw it as his primary responsibility not to leave the area until He finds the cure for the virus. And that’s what the good shepherd does, he lays down His life for His sheep. And again he left a legacy for us to follow. To bring other sheep that are not within His present pen towards Him.

This is what I’m saying, our lives will be the very proof of Christ’s very existence towards our families and friends. I know it’s hard to talk to them and explain every preaching, every message, every revelation that we have attained through out the years.

Like Robert, we can scream “I know how to cure you” all we want, but the thing is, they wont listen… they’ll only listen if they see someone who was like them gets it. Someone who’s so passionate about their pursuit that will encourage and inspire others that this is how it’s supposed to be. We don’t even have to speak, we just have to be in ground zero where everybody is.

Jesus wants us to have life, and live life to the fullest. And the only way we can enjoy it, is through Him.

Prayer

What is prayer? For me it’s really a way to tap into God’s heart, this is a mean of feeling how The Great One truly feels about us. This is how I feel comfort, calmness in the midst of troubles. This is the time where I can hear what the Holy Spirit tells me to do, and trust me, sometimes The Spirit can also tell me what’s about to happen to me, but this is a different story. Prayer can be silence for a long period of time, and still it feels like you’re screaming for more silence as the inner man tries to commune with God. Before I always admire how the psalmist assemble words of passion about God, but when you come within that place where God’s feelings and yours meet, silence can truly mean a lot of words. No words can be uttered, and sometimes I feel that He’s just hushing me, placing His finger on my lips and just telling me to enjoy Him, and after experiencing these, I wanted more, I’m ruined and changing slowly. My passion for prayer goes hand in hand with my Christian day-to-day walk. Before I was compelled to do these things, but more of my own will and strength, everything has to be done to satisfy the “Christian” title. Little did I know that the root of all the actions points to the time you spend with the one we choose to mirror, our own secret time with Jesus. I have always admired preachers, and worship leaders, I have always admired their knowledge and their passion for such things, and I wanted that joy, I wanted that satisfaction that they get when they do what the spirit tells them. I see it in the people we always see on TV, I read them on books and articles over the net. I admire the words that the singers sing, and I wanted that as well, thinking that these things would please God, ministry. I never gave prayer a chance seeing that I’m already doing these stuff, and sometimes asking for the Lord to give me some slack because I’m already doing these stuff, the stuff that makes my teeth grind when I do it, or think about doing it. And I wonder, how do these guys do it? How could the preachers speak with so much confidence and ease, how could singers arrange songs as if they read lyrics carved out from God’s heart, and little did I know that a lot can be birthed from the quiet time that I despised back then. This is where I started to ask for encounter in prayer. At first it was the wordy prayer, everything that came into my mind was the words that came out of my heart, and I started to notice, these are the same words that I speak night in and night out. I got bored, I got bummed with prayer that I just went from 5 minutes tops, to “Thank you for this day, thank you for bringing me home safe, Amen”. Then I started to let my heart do the talking. There was a night when I felt the Holy Spirit tell me of what’s going to happen. I really saw it flash on my head before I made the decision to surf the net, and I brushed it aside feeling that I’m not that weak to fall into lust again. But then I did, and I did exactly what was warned beforehand. Right there and then, my heart screamed and asked for forgiveness. No words but sorry and long moments of silence and through those moments of silence are where I really felt forgiveness and love. No words were uttered but still it was like the Lord was answering everything that my heart was asking. It felt like I’m hearing my heart and the Lord having a sweet and deep conversation about me. And so I asked is this how prayer should be done? Am I really reaching out to you and having a conversation in the heart level? No words were spoken that night, but something changed within me. A burning passion of tapping into that place again, a hunger for God’s heart beat a hunger for that comfort even on times of guilt, there truly is no condemnation in Christ, there is truly delight in his presence, and that is where my passion for prayer ignited. Knowing God in a heart level and feel his kindness for a sinner like me, strengthened me and made me see the cross for what it truly is, a way back to God’s arms, and deeper, his heart. I never really knew God for who he really is. Now the words that are written in the Bible lives compared to the literature that I saw before. And I believe that you can only have that satisfaction that we see in a preachers face as he/she delivers the word of God, and how the song writers arrange such beautiful and inspired words that they sing is when God is REAL within us. And the reality of God can only be attained if we believe that He is, and that belief can be sparked by an encounter through prayer.

Are You Having Fun?

A friend made a conclusion about her experiences about guys. What about them, well most of all why relationships are only fun when its just beginning, since guys only put their best foot forward during those stages of courtships and relationships, then everything just crashes and burns as time passes by. Who has she been dating?

Then I thought, well im not like that... how can i be sure of that, ive never been in one... literally... Sad life eh? I deem not. Im still happy... but when it comes to love and relationships, why do one look for one? I mean when you come and look at it... is it really that important to have a really strong connection with the opposite sex on this age? what for? I asked myself the same question and until now i dont have the answers that will enlighten myself. It seems that everything that I need is already here within me, and im talking about Jesus here.

Happiness... Are you having fun? Am I? With life as it is, yes, im seldom seen down and really emotionally burnt... Or again another misconception of myself... I've always been at miserable park all my life... Strolling around pretending to hold someones hand while feeding the doves or staring at the pale moon light. What have i been doing wrong? This is starting to just become serious. And im still wondering why jerks always end up with them?

Again... Am I having fun?
Hell Yeah...
21 Years old... still kicking... im not going down without a fight... I'll press on...