"The Talk"

i recently "re-connected" with my former classmate from my antipolo high school. we never really clicked back then because i found him mayabang, mahangin etc... (at ako daw masungit. haha) it was only last year when we both found out we're christians and so it made it easier for us to talk. i'm just amazed at what God has been doing in him for the past years. he's part of an organization called the180degrees which is a group of young people from different evangelical churches formed to do missions through music. check out http://www.the180degrees.org/ for more info.

they've done uber cool stuff like mission trips to Japan and other countries. and this year, he invited me to the launching of their band to be held at gcf marikina. all these, he was juggling with bible school and a course on i.t. how on earth could anyone do that?! i'm sure God makes these all possible for Him.

but something in the conversation struck me the most. he asked me what my course was and if i had any plans of entering the ministry. so, i told him it was entrepreneurship and that my course was a far cry from what i'd be doing if ever i go into ministry. and he replied...

HINDI.

and then he went on talking about Moses and his staff. he said Moses was a shepherd for 40 years before God called him (that staff sure came in handy within those years). When Moses questioned God on how will he be able to lead them out of Egypt, God asked him: "what is in your hands" and to it Moses replied, "a staff".

he continued by saying that the staff symbolizes Moses' work as a shepherd. same thing with our lives. God can use us as is--who we are and what we are. whether we're doctors, businessmen, students etc. God can make use of our jobs, positions and circumstance to make Him known. we just have to pray for ways to stretch out our influence for Him.

i was dumbfounded because i never really thought of it that way. i have this notion that entering the ministry means giving up everything. maybe God has other plans. i still don't know. i'm still waiting. but i know it wasn't a coincidence that led us to that talk. i'm just happy i found another brother in Christ who inspires me to step out of my comfort zone and pursue greater and Godly things in life. *so thank you, mr. quevedo :)*

Jericho March

it's amazing to see God's plan unfold right before our eyes. my youth mates and i spent the entire afternoon roaming the streets of Camachile (near Ciudad Grande) in groups of two to pray for God's revival in that area. we're no bigshot evangelists nor missionaries but we believe we can conquer that place for Him through our secret weapon -- prayer.

the original plan was just to dedicate the place for Him but, through His grace, we were able to have our first breakthrough. God opened one of our youth's relative's house for the group to share the word. five teens joined the gathering and sharie led the group in studying life's most meaningful relationship. we then broke up into pairs to pray for the newcomers.

i had the wonderful opportunity to talk to one of the newcomers about her relationship with Christ. she told me she had accepted Christ long before but has become sidetracked with all of life's busyness that she seldom had time for Him. deep in my heart i felt a certain kind of sadness that she was not able to grow in her faith deeper. but i believe God has set that time for her to recommit her life to Him--and that is all that matters.

i'm blown away by how He has worked during that entire afternoon. surely, our bodies were tired but our spirits were more than refreshed. it was our group's first taste at the harvest field and i pray that He'd continue to bless His work in us (and all of His workers). To God be ALL the glory!

P.S. They all promised to attend church with us this Sunday. :)

Help us pray for the harvest field...

an inquisition of faith

i went to school for a mock job interview this morning. i was feeling quite tense in a way because i don't like interviews of any kind. i entered room 207 and sat on the empty seat across the interviewer. he greeted me with a warm smile and then began the "interrogation."

i thought the interview would be purely about career stuff but it turned out to be more like a discourse on faith. i was bombarded with questions like: do you believe in hell?, do atheists who perform good things still go to hell?, if i meet a Buddhist, will i try to convert him?. i didn't want to sound as if i was lecturing on the topic but i did tell him about the great commission and how people no matter how good they are are still condemned if they don't receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

here was a man of his late twenties asking a young girl about faith. i felt compassion for his soul and i wanted very badly to make him understand how it is like to have Christ in his life but his wall of defense was up. he said there are many bad things brought about by religion today. i felt unsatisfied about how our conversation ended but i believe it is up to God to talk to Him. i really wished we were in a different situation. there is nothing i can do but to pray for that special time when salvation will be upon his life.

i remember praying hours before the inteview for Him to use me in any way He sees fit. and when i think about the events of this morning, i can't help but be astounded by the way He answered my prayer. i know i haven't done much for Him by the way things turned out but i hope i have sown a seed in the heart of that man for him to seek God.

help me pray for him, please...

Romans 8:37

sometimes, i find it hard to hear from God. i feel as though i am not worthy for Him to even speak to me. i feel a certain distance from Him eventhough i talk to Him all day long. but i have realized that it is my feeling of inadequacy that is creating the gap between us. he wants to talk to me, but my heart is not prepared to listen. he has proven this point consistently through this past week.

--flashback--

we were asked by our youth president, sharie, to think of our youth group's theme for this year during our personal devotion time. every night i would read sections from Joyce Meyer's book, "In Pursuit of Peace" for my devotion. i came upon this verse, Romans 8:37 which says, "Amid all these things, we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us." i immediately typed it on my fone for reference.

again, my feeling of inadequacy and unworthiness was taking its effect on me. at the back of my mind, i was having doubts whether He wants that verse for our youth's theme. so i just continued to pray for it.

i really had no plans of telling sharie about the verse. come saturday, i found myself blurting out the verse to her. and it was amazing how God confirmed to her that it was to be our youth's theme for this year.

when i meditate on that verse, i begin to trust God more deeply. the world says that 2009 will be a hard year for all of us but God says in His word that we are victorious conquerors through Him who loved us. i gain a sense of peace that whatever this world throws at me, i have a God who will cover me by His hands and will save me. the world creates fear in our hearts but God's word banishes all the fear away.

i know it's not that easy to surrender everything to Him but i believe His grace is sufficient in every area of our life. trusting God requires a bold step in our part. only when we take this step of faith will we see God's ultimate work unfold in our lives.

Good night!