For such a time as this

Today is the day the vision will come to pass. Our campus ministry will simultaneously lunch eight youth fellowship in our university--one for each college. It has been our prayer to reach more students and saturate the campus so that Christ's message will be made known to all. We are taking the Great Commission to another level through this ministry--to go intentional in our strategies in making disciples for Jesus. And we're excited about the greater things God is about to do as we move to "enlarge the place of our tents" as mentioned in Isaiah 54. We've decided to never hold back and aim for more! And praise God because He is answering our prayers and desire to raise up a generation of youth that is passionate for Jesus; and to raise up CLSU as a Christ-Led State University.

What we are about to experience is a greater season of revival, a greater season of expansion and taking possession of God's promise, a greater season of harvest and making Christ known. This is our season, our time. We are grateful because we are living in such a time as this!

I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the way God responds to prayers. For so long in my journey with the Lord, prayer and seeking God in His word seemed more like routine than affection expressing itself into craving for His presence. There are countless times when my prayer life and devotion appear powerless just because there was still that part of me that wanted to exert control over things in my life, not really embracing the reality that God is supreme and He knows best. In the process of being so naive and reserved, I have limited God in what He can accomplish to me and through me.

But thankfully, it wasn't the end of my story. God had met me in the middle of my delusions and offered me clarity. If it wasn't for His abounding grace, I might have been a person with no cause to fight for other than to exist and just be gone. It's still mind-blowing--the fact that this God of the universe have left His place in the high heavens not only to pacify the tensions in my heart but to give me an entirely new one.

Since then, I have learned to depend on His grace alone and trust in His love so that even if things appear irrational and utterly absurd, I will be comforted by the truth that this exceeding love will never lead me to a place where I shouldn't be.

And here I am on this place, talking about the goodness of God and looking back at how He revealed Himself through people I have met and will yet meet. Here I am thinking about His wonderful plan for my life, being assured of the promise that faithfulness and obedience have blessings.

I have thus decided that the overarching purpose of my life is to declare Jesus Christ. Nothing more, nothing less.

It will happen!

It was exactly this time last year when we came together as "partners for the gospel" to pray fervently for more breakthroughs in our campus ministry; when we asked the Lord of the heavens to pour out anointing on His people; when we tarried with eager expectation for the Kingdom to come here on earth; and just humble before His mighty presence.

One year ago--and we are beholders of what the Lord has done and about to do in our campus. Truly, God is not only a Promise-giver but a faithful Promise-keeper!

Looking back, it was one of our most exciting year yet! Our weekly Youth Fellowship at the university has been sustained with an average attendance of 500-600 students. Last year, we peaked at 1200 in attendance at our fellowship at the University Oval. And just last February this year, LAYF was awarded the Best Student Activity of a student organization, and our youth group, LASO was declared as the Best Student Organization under Non-college based/campus ministry category. We've seen more cell groups being formed, and more lives being led to Christ. But the best is yet to come. God is truly unstoppable!

This week, we will simultaneously launch eight college youth fellowships inside the CLSU campus. After a year of prayer, planning, and preparation, we are now ready to conquer the land with and for the Lord. Realizing that it's about time to expand and to reach and to saturate, these eight college fellowships will serve as a platform to intentionally make Christ known and His name glorified. We're just excited to see our prayers coming to pass. We're excited to see a passionate generation coming up!

A good friend have asked me one time when I finally decided to leave my work to serve full time in the ministry, "why do you do what you do?" I replied: because it's the only thing I know that's worth doing. I never thought about the magnitude of my answer the moment I said it. It was for me an impulsive and romanticized reply back then. But I clearly see now. I have answered correctly and reasonably. And there's no taking it back.

I have found something that's worth giving my life to.

That grand story of us

Dear Warrior Princess,

It feels rather odd, you know. This idea of you and me finding its way to prose and poetry and all the beautiful words I should be saying to you right now but couldn't because it seemed that the Grand Author has yet to finish this wonderful prologue of our story. He's not in a bit of a rush. And He won't budge in my persistent insistence to just bring us here now and just figure it all out later. He's teaching me a lot about patience in between the waiting and the working. And I'm learning why.

I believe each story has a reason. They were written to inspire, to incite positive emotions (though some don't), to reveal to us something important about our self, to tell us that our life is not just a passing point in history but it contributes to a larger story and impacts other lives. And these stories, when pieced together will make us realize that every plot, every character, every incident, every line leads to a wonderful conclusion. That every detail was there for a reason.

In the stories of our lives, the same is true. The Master story-teller carefully situates every plot and character to bring about a story like no other. He writes our life story with uttermost love and loyalty to us, making sure that we would be experiencing the best possible story there is. And when you know that this Writer does not make mistakes, you can't help but respond with devotion and longing for more of Him.

And the romantic story of US? Well, the prologue is getting better I guess. Let's just both enjoy it for a while. Though sometimes I wish I could take just a glimpse of the table of contents of our love story, but I know it would defeat the purpose of waiting and believing for it. Besides, if we can already figure out the story, the anticipation would dissipate and the excitement would not be there as it should be.

I'm waiting on God, my beloved Warrior Princess. And I just know that when God begins the first chapter of our story together, it's gonna be an exciting and fulfilling journey ahead. We will realize that all the plot twists and rising and falling actions and the detours were meant for us to find each other.

Isn't that a great story? :)

Waiting with great delight,
Your Warrior Prince

Not just another fighting Christian

(Photo from the web)

As a practicing Christian, one of my personal convictions is that I try to be as neutral, to be as non-partisan, and to be as non-combative as possible when it comes to social and political discourses, especially that there's now a growing ill-feeling and aggression towards Christians who maintain a rather "conservative" outlook on current issues. In the process of going "in-between" and playing safe, I found that I am actually doing a great disservice to my faith by diluting (or hiding) its liberating and radical nature. It should not be this way. Not anymore.

With this post, I am taking the great risk of being labeled as a cold, self-righteous Christian apologist and troll. But before you say as such, let me just say a few things.

It's true that people have different lenses in looking at issues; a worldview that allows them to interpret and judge their social realities, such as feminism, liberalism, rationalism, pragmatism, anarchism, atheism etc. These worldviews--or ideologies-- often define and prescribe their attitudes and their actions. In this case, Christianity is not only a faith-based idea but a defining worldview. And I guess it's time for Christians to embrace this nature of Christianity, because truly, it is not only a religious label but a lifestyle that defines attitude and action. It's been a long time coming, but it's now time to live out loud. No more playing safe, no more staying silent. Mag-ingay!

Yes I am a Christian and it doesn't mean that I do not think. I am a Christian and it doesn't mean that I am dogmatic or legalistic. I am a Christian and it doesn't mean that I am cold and self-righteous, and condemning and bigoted.

I am a Christian because I believe in the economy of love, in the language of compassion, in the possibility of understanding, in the all-encompassing idea of grace and justice.

There's a danger today in coming out in the public as a Christian with biblical perspectives and convictions when talking about current issues. But as a Christian, I am not called to be politically correct at all times, or to intolerantly impose my beliefs, but I am called to offer and to demonstrate not just another way of life--but a better one. 

Questions

Could it be that the reason why we give so little of our life to the One Who gave so much of His is that we have seen so little, heard so little, learned so little, and experienced so little?

Have we experienced so little grace and so little love and so little forgiveness that we still remain cold and stagnant and just hiding behind religious routines and labels, not really embracing this relationship with a Savior with honest commitment and devotion?

What if His love becomes so real in our lives that we can see Him, hear Him, feel Him, and experience Him and He demands that we abandon our all just to follow Him? Will we take the risk and be reckless for Him?

Will we?

Semper Fidelis

Woke up today with the noise buzzing in our apartment as my roommates prepare to go to their 7 AM classes. Conversation were unrestrained and animated and the music got too loud from one of my roommate's device. All of this while I was sleeping. For a moment, I wanted to get mad and just go ballistic.

And I have many reasons to. Got home by half past 1AM this morning from my masters class. Did a report last night in my research subject and the professor declared a two-hour extension just so we can make up for what we missed last Monday's holiday and what we will miss on next Monday's holiday. Endured the heavy traffic from UP Diliman to North Edsa and endured the long travel en route to CLSU. Was literally drained mentally and physically. Plus, I missed my dinner. I just wanted to sleep and rest and recover from last night's debacle.

But then, my irritation quickly dissipated as I figure that what they're talking about was ministry and their plans for their training. And the music that got too loud became a cure and a song for my anxious soul. And when they sang the chorus together while getting ready for class, I just wanted to cry. It was one of my favorite songs, that one called "Through it all" by Hillsong. For a moment, I didn't know what to say--it ministered to me deeply. It was like God telling me "I know you're tired and that you're drained and that you didn't have dinner and that you wanted to rest. But today's another day, and I AM still God and I AM still in-charge and I AM still holding you up."

Was speechless. I realized there are so many reasons to wake up with gladness. When you see your disciples growing in their faith, and you just know that you've made a difference in them through Christ, and you've proven that there's true power in the Gospel, it brings immense joy that it makes you forget the burdens of living. Indeed, I have an awesome God to worship, a wonderful life to live and a great love to share. These are more than enough to break forth in praise:

"I'll sing to You, Lord, a hymn of love
For Your Faithfulness to me
And I'm carried in everlasting arms
You'll never let me go through it all."

God's faithfulness woke me up today. HALLELUJAH!!!