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.

To win the world

"Ultimately, why do we share the Gospel? Why do disciples of Jesus make disciples of Jesus? Certainly the answer is not because we are forced to, nor is it because we are guilted into doing so. 

The clear and simple motivation is a disciple's passionate longing to see more and more people know Jesus. For when our thirst has been eternally quenched by the infinite goodness, greatness, grace, mercy, majesty, strength, and sufficiency of God in Christ, we will excitedly and eagerly tell all who are thirsty where they can be satisfied.

MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS IS THE OVERFLOW OF OUR DELIGHT IN BEING DISCIPLES OF JESUS."

                                                                                -David Platt, "Follow Me"

It's time for an Outbreak

We are believing God to bring an expansion on this new season in our Youth Fellowship. We are praying that an outbreak of God's glory and love will saturate all corners of our university as we endeavor to make His name great. We are crying out as one Body of Christ that indeed there will be a deeper hunger in our hearts to reach and to saturate this place which the Lord has given as our inheritance.That there will be more people who will respond to the message of God's grace; that there will truly be an encounter experience every time we gather together to pray and to praise.

For this unique season, the Lord has put in our hearts to expand our reach and our influence in the campus. Claiming that the time is already ripe and that the harvest is plenty and is ready, we've decided to intentionally saturate the university by bringing LAYF to the eight colleges of the Central Luzon State University.

We are claiming this command and promise of the LORD in Isaiah 54:2-5,

"Enlarge the place of your tent,

stretch your tent curtains wide,

do not hold back;

lengthen your cords,

strengthen your stakes.

For you will spread out to the right and to the left;

your descendants will dispossess nations

and settle in their desolate cities.

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.

Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.

You will forget the shame of your youth

and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

For your Maker is your husband—

the Lord Almighty is his name—

the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;

he is called the God of all the earth."

In God's Kingdom, there's no holding back! We are called to literally break out from the comfort of our place to bring God's glory to desolate places; we are called to be radical Christians by claiming communities and nations under the authority of Jesus Christ! We are called to saturate the world and make His name known in all the earth. And with God, this can be done.

Through our youth fellowship, we are praying to:

         a. To reach: get out to a more massive and intentional campus evangelism, classroom witnessing, soul-winning. The first step is to get out and share the Word. If we want God's will to be done on earth, then Christians must not get so comfortable with just watching from the sidelines. It's time that we intentionally fire up the Gospel in our respective places and make the name of Jesus known wherever we go. It's time to share the best thing that we have: a relationship with a living Savior.

         b. To saturate: get into a more intentional consolidation through established college LAYF; respective college LAYF will serve as training grounds for leaders and committed attendees. This should be done by mobilizing current leaders to internalize the importance of consolidation, or preserving the harvest. We must not content ourselves by just proclaiming the Word. We need to water it, nurture it, and make it grow and bear fruit eventually. The need to nurture the seed of faith planted in the souls of those we have witnessed is a hard labor, but it is not without a promise. It's time to intentionally impact lives that will impact other's.

I believe that the campus is a great place to impact the nations and change the world. If we want to see a greater collective transformation in our community, there must first be a tangible individual transformation. And If we are to create a movement that will again turn the world upside down, we have to do it in the campus, and we have to do it now. 

We have to begin changing the nation one campus at a time; the campus, one college at a time; and each college, one student at a time. This comes with an assurance that there's no campus which is beyond the reach of God's grace; and there is no student who is beyond the reach of God's love.

God is now ready for an outbreak. And we better be.

Love Revolution now!

Today, the terms LOVE and RELATIONSHIP are two of the most commonly misunderstood concepts in human interactions. Popular culture exerts pressure on what should relationship look like, and how should love be interpreted or demonstrated. And due to heavy influences of the mass media and social media in our society today, sometimes even the negative interpretations of love get in the mindset of people, especially the youth.

So how should love be demonstrated? What should relationship be about? In this world of many conflicting narratives about love and relationship, where can we find a common ground? Does true and unconditional love still exist?

This four-week series titled “Love Revolution” will give students and youth a deeper understanding and appreciation of human relationships, in view of God’s truth. It will focus on other more important dimensions of love that we often take for granted: sacrifice, honor and dignity. 

We believe that today, the Christian and biblical version of love has a lot to offer to the seemingly distorted concepts that our culture has perpetrated in young minds. But we have to know it in order to appreciate it—and eventually, to demonstrate it to the world. 

Let the revolution begin.

My battle-cry

Set me on fire. Let me burn for YOU.

LAYF to the fullest!

This is a picture I took from the upper deck of the CLSU auditorium right after our first youth fellowship this semester last August 19. The sight of hundreds upon hundreds of students and youth waving excitedly at the camera's direction is truly heartwarming, knowing that earlier, these students were passionately praising and worshiping the Most High King.

It was only the first LAYF meet up this new semester, and youth hungry for God came in troves--500 plus of them. I was hyped to know that this is now happening in our generation. And God is not finished yet.

I can't keep but burst with gladness. 

Alright, I cried. But I managed to snap a shot before tears came and my heart break gloriously one more time.

Born for Adversity

The KING's Men (from L-R) Jhonder Padua, Alfin Boy Diego, Ventura Chinaman, Me,
Anjo Dayson:  we've been together since college days serving the King in the youth ministry.
Years have passed yet the delight in doing God's work grows stronger.

I just want to honor these gentlemen and fellow warriors in the KING's army for being such a great help in the fields of battle. Their dedication and service and loyalty to our Great Cause are truly encouraging.

When times are tough and the battle is long and dreary, they are there willing to fight side by side and are always ready to carry the banner for His Majesty. They've charged courageously in every war-zone, without ever counting the cost.

Every mission becomes easier to carry out because of their selflessness and humility. For that, I'm always blessed to run the race and to fight the good fight of faith with them.

We will finish strong together! All to the KING!

Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity."

By the thousands

This photo was taken during our first LAYF (Lakas-Angkan Youth Fellowship), at the CLSU Auditorium. We've decided in December last year to relocate to a larger place because the church facility at the NIA-CLSU can not anymore contain the growing number of regular attendees. God is really multiplying this generation by the hundreds!

And indeed, that first LAYF in auditorium, God showed up, and He didn't disappoint. We can not contain the overwhelming joy we felt when we saw huge numbers of youth who came to seek Jesus. We almost filled the main hall of the 2,500-seater CLSU auditorium. God is able to give us the campus by the thousands! 

I remember that night, I was at the back together with some of the youth leaders, our ates and kuyas, and we just fell silent, watching God's spectacle. Our eyes were swelling with tears, and when we can't anymore contain the joy, raised our hands and jumped and danced in celebration. Is this what God meant when He said He is able to win this generation? 

When you can see before your eyes what great things God is doing in this generation of young people, you can really be assured that He is capable of doing more. And I am convinced even more that this is where God is calling us--this stewardship of future leaders and prime movers of the community. If we are going to impact the future of our nation, we have to do it now and we have to do it in the campus.

The Christian minister Frederick Buechner said in that famous quotation: "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." I now appreciate that even more, now that the trajectory of my life has been altered by the grace of Him who promised that He can finish whatever He has started in me. I can see myself in no other calling than the one before me. I believe that God will be there to affirm and to deliver!

Unstoppable!

Last Saturday (Nov. 15), I had the opportunity to co-host a youth event organized by the Christian Leaders Association in Munoz (CLAIM) in partnership with our church youth ministry, the Lakas-Angkan Student Organization (LASO). We have invited two special guests for the event. One is Pastor Pabs Dionisio, a prominent pastor/preacher in the Philippines, and the other is Paula Jamie Salvosa, the one behind that viral video of a girl berating a security personnel in an LRT station; the girl everyone knows as “Amalayer”.

And for this post, I would just like to highlight some of the lessons I got from their message and testimonies. As I have been blessed by their messages, it is my prayer that you’ll also be blessed and be refreshed as you continue to seek what our Unstoppable God has in store for you and for your generation.

The Unstoppable Team: a combination of undergrad and young professionals.

Unstoppable Destiny 

Pastor Pabs Dionisio focused on the message that all of us have a destiny waiting for us to seize and hold on to. He highlighted the importance and the urgency of discerning that destiny because our time is limited, and we have a responsibility with the time given to us. He said and I quote, “Your destiny is in the hands of the Lord, but time is in your hands.” Indeed, God has already prepared something for us, and it is up to us if we’re going to seize that by following Him, or we’re going to miss that destiny by following second-rate plans we have for ourselves. 

I learned that it is truly our choice how we may end up in our limited stay here in our physical existence. God will not even impose His choices to us because He has given us free will, an opportunity to decide for ourselves. He is not an authoritarian God who forces us to follow Him when in fact even accepting Him as Lord and Savior is a matter of personal decision. That’s why every time the gospel is preached, people have to come up with a decision. It is OUR choice whether to surrender to Him or not, whether we choose to live for Him or for ourselves. God will not make the choice for us, but He is assuring us and promising us that once we choose Him, He will prove Himself true to the promises He has for us. If we decide to daily choose God in every areas of our life, He will prove to us that it will be the best decision we’ll ever make. 

But there are “stoppers” along the way as we try to seize our destiny. As Pastor Pabs illustrated, there will be things in our lives that will try to block our way to our Promised Land. And just like the Israelites in the Bible who contented themselves in staying long at Mt. Horeb, not moving forward anymore, our journey today towards our personal Promised Land never promise to be an easy trek. The call of convenience and comfort can be appealing to us so that we don’t want to take risks anymore. There will be the call of discouragement that may dampen our spirits and may pull us away from trusting God. Or perhaps our greatest stopper and dead-end are our own, personal goals and ambitions that we chase, perhaps thinking that these are better than what God has planned for us. I’m speaking out of experience here because just like the Israelites, I also had been so contended with just me and my personal comfort, me and my ambitions in that I became so stagnant in my spiritual journey, always afraid of attempting risks for God. But I’m just glad that God made me realized that truly, He has greater plans for my life than I have for myself. I have realized that God knows better than me the terrain on the way to my destiny. And now that my chase around Mt. Horeb is over, I am now in pursuit with all that’s waiting for me in my promised land. 

There are two things that Pastor Pabs shared from the story of the Israelites at Mount Horeb found in the first chapter of the book of Deuteronomy that I want to reflect upon. If we are to possess our promised land, we should: 

a) “Break Camp”. To break camp means we let go of whatever situations that are holding us off from journeying towards our destiny. We must learn to surrender everything that keeps us from our potentials. We must have the willingness to destroy “tents” that keep us from seeing and following God. If something is drawing us away from God, then by all means, break camp! If our comfort prevents us from attempting great things for God, then by all means, break camp! 

b) “Advance”. Or simply, move forward. It means going forward not to the direction we think is better, not to the road we think is more comfortable, not to the terrain we feel is safer BUT to the direction where God Himself is leading us. We should learn from the Israelites themselves in their journey for forty years in the wilderness. They almost missed God’s destiny for them just because they refuse to follow God’s leading. We must at all times obey by faith, allowing God to direct our every step. 

Although on different levels, I believe that we all have different experiences in the wilderness. My personal journey with the Lord was also marked by periods in the wilderness, some even almost derailing my destiny in the Lord. I was in a constant chase between what I believe in and what I feel at the moment. I almost missed what God has prepared for me. I almost went all the way within the wilderness and traded my destiny for a second-rate existence. 

But you know what I learned? God is faithful. God is relentless in His promises. God is unstoppable. I may have ran away, but God didn’t give up. I may have chased wrong directions, but in every detour that I took, I’m glad He was there, too. He was and still is my greatest pursuer! Nothing can prevent Him from fulfilling His purposes for my life. And as I continue in my personal journey with the Lord and as I keep on seeking His will for my life, I realized that the God who created me has also imparted a distinct destiny for me. And for all of us. A distinct place in the world. A distinct purpose. A distinct calling that a person must pursue daily if one’s life should have meaning and significance. Let’s now stop the meaningless chase for ourselves and instead pursue God. 

With Pastor Pabs Dionisio

Unstoppable Grace 

She was just like the rest of us: was broken but was restored by God’s grace. Once a sinner, but now redeemed. Once living a life without meaning, but now living a life with a purpose. She is Paula Jamie Salvosa, the person behind the viral video “Amalayer”. 

Paula’s testimony best illustrated what the bible said: “what the devil intended for bad, God intended it for good”. I have to admit that when the video came out, I was among those who took pity on the lady guard and condemned the tongue-lashing “Amalayer” girl. But thankfully, God can see good in every situation, no matter how humiliating. He sees not as people do. He judge not that way people do. I was just amazed at how God really transformed her life from hatred and bitterness, to forgiveness and love. I was amazed at how God’s grace truly restores, truly heals, and truly makes a person a new creation. Now she is being used by God to proclaim His love. She’s now very passionate in her faith, only because when all else around her failed to show grace, God showed up and lifted her in His embrace. God did not fail. 

She quoted Rick Warren and said, “Our greatest testimony can come from our deepest hurt.” And it is true. God will not waste our pain, our tears, our hurts and brokenness because He is capable of making them into a powerful story that can convict the world. With God, our greatest failures are His greatest opportunities to show His power and glory. With God our greatest limitations and weaknesses are His opportunities to show how strong and mighty He is. And with God our greatest humiliations are His opportunity to show the world His unrestricted love and saving grace. 

She went on to describing her past life without God: how she felt useless, how she was lost, how she was confused by a lot of things, how she saw life as meaningless and without purpose. Seems very familiar, right? Yes, because we’re like her. I can’t help but see myself in her story. All in all, God did not waste any of her past experiences. God came through and He’s still about to do greater things! One of the things she said that I like is this: “the key to a powerful ministry is purity and intimacy with God.” And I couldn’t agree more. If we want to be a powerful vessel of God’s message, we should pursue God intimately and live a life of purity. 

It is so humbling to know that God is always giving us a fresh start. I am still in awe of God’s grace that can also be exemplified in my own life. There’s no way of describing what God’s grace has done in me. All I know is that grace is so amazing, indeed. His grace is unstoppable. And I am soaking in His great love for me and I am overwhelmed and I am grateful! To echo the song, “grace, what have you done?” Yes, I can only ask the same thing, too: God what have you done? What have you done that I now have the liberty to worship you, that I now enjoy the freedom of living a life in your presence, that I am now blessed beyond what I can imagine. What have you done to forgive a sinner like me and gave me a new life in Christ? 

Dear God, I can only ask: what have you done? I can only imagine, but I am forever grateful.

Young people crying and pouring their hearts out to God

Post Unstoppable photo: Note the joy on their faces.

Paula praying for the young people who responded during the altar call.

The Team with Paula Jamie.

Jamie and I. Syempre naman! Haha.