word at the center

The past few Sundays, I've been attending church services at the J Centre Mall.

Thus far, I like what I hear every time I'm there and fill one of the many empty seats there. The guy in blue, whose back is seen in the picture (yeah, I don't have the latest smartphone and still a proud owner of a dumbphone. but trust me - it's blue) is the pastor who delivers the message every Sunday. While I continue to struggle waking up early and making it to the Sunday services over at the Marriott Hotel through CCF, I also do not regret missing the church there as I like hearing the pastor's message every Sunday at the J. Center. Apart from my laziness to wake up early so as not to miss CCF's 11 AM service, one of the reason's I'm drawn to the church at J Center is the passion of the pastor when delivering God's message. Imagine being on stage and talking to an almost empty (maybe less than 30 people) venue. For most of us, speaking in public with only a few audience might probably discourage us. We might not even have the energy to wake up and go to the mall and do 3 services with only a few people in attendance Sunday in and Sunday out. Yet, the pastor and the volunteers there untiringly and religiously set up the stage for the Sunday service and let the Word of God be known to people. I call this dedication a true devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm drawn to this kind of dedication because it's something that I do not have. I know now that I do not want to go back to being a non-practicing Catholic. By that I mean, someone who is born to the Catholic faith, but who never truly understood what it means to be truly Catholic. Sure, I'm not fully a born again either. I haven't gotten myself baptized yet. Well, be that as it may - I like hearing about and slowly learning about who Jesus is. I continue to struggle having a relationship with the big jokester. So, attending Sunday services is a big help to my fearful commitment-phobe self. Yeah, I call myself commitment-phobe in this regard, because a voice and my mind knows that I should commit by now to the Lord Jesus, and yet I remain 'unfocused' - and to put it bluntly, a coward - for not making the move. Lastly, one of the big reasons I continue to attend services at the J Center is because there was this particular Sunday that I actually didn't want to leave Mactan and go to church. Thankfully, the inner self-talk to get up and go to church prevailed. In that Sunday's service, the pastor repeatedly said something about being lost and encouraged the people there to 'stay on track'. I believe he said something about "staying the course and fixing one's eyes to Jesus. It truly felt that the message was meant for my ears only for at that time, a big part of me keeps insisting that all these Jesus talks are nothing but crap. That Sunday, was this year's Easter Sunday and that time couldn't have been more appropriate for me to hear Jesus' message of love - truly powerful.
So, if you ever might find yourself at a lost and want to hear and know more about our Living God, you might want to drop in at the 3rd Level of J. Center Mall on Sundays. Word at the Center holds an interfaith service every Sunday at 10 A.M., 2 P.M., and 5 P.M. They're near the office of the bpo Stream and the computer store, Octagon.

UPDATE as of July 17, 2016: WAC has moved to a new location at the 3rd Floor of J. Centre Mall. I haven't been to the new location just yet. But on the very last Sunday that I went there, it was announced that they'll be moving one floor up from the current location. If I'm not mistaken, it's that space above Octagon. I think somewhere near the new SSS Mandaue office (formerly Trick Art Museum)/ERSAO Restaurant. I'll take some pictures when I can attend service there again.

superbook reimagined

YES! Superbook is back! Haha, do you even know what Superbook is? Well, let's just say that most of the things I know about the bible I learned through watching Superbook and Flying House. These two animated stories were produced by CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network). If i'm not mistaken, Superbook features the stories found in the Bible's Old Testament, while Flying House features the story of Jesus of the New Testament. As a kid growing up, I remembered watching each of the episodes of Superbook and Flying House. In fact, I was even a member of the Super Kids Club. Imagine THAT!! Like I said, all I know about the bible is because of these two animation series back in the 80s. Haha, i'm so giving away my age. But yeah, SUPERBOOK IS BACK. CBN Asia is bringing back Superbook for today's young generation. Superbook Reimagined is produced to suit today's children's love for digital animation. The well-loved stories of Superbook can now be watched in 3D animation! Too bad, I missed today's episode as I only learned about it today, drat!

my dear parent friends, i encourage you to let your kids watch this show. Superbook Reimagined and Superbook Classic. they're shown over at GMA 7 at 7:30 AM on Saturdays and Sundays.

7:30, too early? well, you can actually get a copy of the DVD episodes by partnering with superbook with your gift of PhP 500. click video to know how you can partner with Superbook and get a copy of your DVD.
or visit www.batangsuperbook.com for videos and games.

a blessing

something great happened today. AND, it can only be sum up by this;

THANK YOU!!! To GOD Be The Glory!!!

Photo Source: Christian Wallpapers

how do you see yourself?

i subscribe to cbn asia's daily devotional. while i still haven't grasp what it is truly be a follower, i try to push myself not to give up. lately, i've been remiss in a lot of things, and sometimes i can't help but think that i may not be cut out for this. when these thoughts come in, i try to tell myself to believe in only one thing: the truth in the name of Jesus.
early today, i felt some heaviness in my heart that i just couldn't put my finger on. for someone who hasn't fully spent her time in reading the Word, holding on to the truth can be quite difficult. anyway, i just read today's devotional and i'd like to share it here. i just hope that someone out there may chance upon this, and may have a change of heart, especially on how they see themselves, and in a way be uplifted by its message. the article somehow made me recall that Dove commercial on real beauty. in that commercial, a lot of women were harsh on how they describe their physical beauty, which were quite contrary to what other people look at them. that commercial somehow made me think of the Great One - the Father who created US in His image. we people have the tendency to be harsh on ourselves when our Father sees only the best and amazing in us.
OK. Here's the article before I digress and babble on the inconsequential. The article is written by Jenny the Jewel.

"What God Says About Me" I was born with Down syndrome 30 years ago. This makes some things very difficult for me. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time asking God, Why did you make me with Down Syndrome? Why can't I be normal like other people?
I told Him all the time that I didn't like having Down syndrome. I kept thinking that if only I didn't have Down syndrome I would be happy. I thought that somehow God made a mistake when He made me. My Mom and Dad always told me they loved me so deeply, and that they could not love me any more, but somehow down deep in my heart I always wondered if they would love me more if I didn't have Down Syndrome.
When I was in high school, the kids on the school bus were very mean to me. They laughed at me, and mocked me and they called me all kinds of bad names, and told me that even my parents couldn't love me. That hurt me so deeply!
When I got off the school bus in the afternoon, I would be crying. My Mom met me at the door, and we would talk and pray every day. She told me that people used to say bad things about Jesus and call Him names too, so He understood exactly how I felt.
She told me that real truth is only found in God's Word, and not in what other people say about you. She told me that if I could find anywhere in the Bible where God calls me bad names, or said I was a mistake; she would pay me $5,000. I spent a lot of time reading in the Bible to find out what God said about me. All the Scriptures I found said just the opposite, so I never did get the $5,000!
Some of my favorite Scriptures are:
Psalm 139:14 where God says, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
God tells me in Psalm 17, "I am the apple of His eye."
In Deuteronomy 7:6, God tells me that I am "His treasured possession."
In Philippians 4:8,God tells me to think about whatever is "true, noble, right, pure, and lovely."
I like to think about the truth that God tells me and spend my time thinking about what God says is true. The last Scripture I want to share is
Psalm 119:114, "You are my refuge and my shield. I have put my hope in your Word."
My confidence and hope is in God. I know now that instead of being a mistake, I am the Lord's treasured possession.
I like to memorize Scripture and fill my mind with the truth of who God says I am. This understanding has made all the difference in my life. Now I recognize that God has a plan for my life, and He created me just the way I am for His special purpose. I may still have Down syndrome, but now instead of saying "if only" I didn't have Down syndrome, I say, "So what, I will glorify God just the way He made me." I know He loves me and cares for me with His whole heart.
The Lord showed me that I am not a mistake, but I am a precious gift...His treasured possession. We have a choice to believe and fill our minds with God's truth, which will change our hearts, or listen to what other people say and be sad. It is a choice we must each make. In Exodus 4:10, Moses tells God that he can't do what God told him to do because he was slow of speech and tongue. In verse 11, the Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go. I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." He made me just the way He made me for just the special purpose I was created for. There is special work He has for me to do that can only be done by me, just the way He created me.
If I spend my time wishing I was different, I will never get around to doing those things God wants me to do. Sometimes Satan tries to put thoughts into my head and tell me that I am no good and stuff like that. That's when I remember the Scripture in John 10:10 that says, "The thief comes only to steal, and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the fullest."
When Satan tries to put lies into my head, I beat him over the head with the truth of God. I do it over and over again as long as I have to. I know God has given me special gifts and talents, and my desire is to use them for His glory. I say it often and I mean it...I love my life!
God does not make any mistakes, and that's the truth... no matter what we sometime may think. As Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding." Jesus is my best friend, and I love Him with all my heart, and I am fully His.There is nothing more important in my life than pleasing Him, spending time loving Him and reading His Word, talking to Him, and sharing His love with other people. His joy fills my heart!
If your heart is sad because you wish God had made you different, read in His Word the truth of what He says about you, believe it, and let Him change your heart. Nothing is impossible with God. He certainly did change my heart.
Lord, I pray for each person, that you will fill their heart with Your truth of who they really are and how much you love them. AMEN!

By Jenny the Jewel

Source: May 14, 2013 The CBN Asia Devotionals: God Speaks Today

why go to church?

in the post before this i stated that i truly wanted to write for Him. it occurred to me that i haven't actually defined the extent of my commitment. should i do it daily, every other day, weekly, or monthly? i honestly don't know the answer to that. i'm no writer and words don't easily come to me. while this maybe taken as me going back on my word, it actually isn't. since i started the walk to learn about jesus, i often come by the message that nothing is an accident. everything happens for a reason, and that we are where we are needed to be.

so.the past few sundays, i've been struggling against laziness and impure thoughts. the mactan heat and sinful thoughts kept me from attending ccf services. i failed to go to church last sunday and 4 sundays ago. the three sundays in between, i went to a service by victory and and that of the interfaith service held at j center mall. in those past sundays, i kept telling myself that i'll miss a lot of things should i decide to skip church. tomorrow or technically a few hours from now, i can't help but think that i will have the same struggle again. i say that because it's 2:13 A.M. and i'm still wide awake, often the precedence of my inability to wake up in the morning. ergo, skip ccf and debate whether to brave the outside heat to go to j center mall in the afternoon.

where was i going with this? hmmm. well, i initially planned to post my ONLY picture when i was 2 years old over at my other blog. but before i could do so, a thought came to me, "humor yourself, vet and check the oldest e-mail you've received." well, the thought came out of nowhere and i just said to myself, "what the heck, why not?" so i did, and this was what i found, a forwarded e-mail dated august 13, 2003 sent by my sister: creepy and then i'm reminded of the message that nothing is an accident. perhaps this is a reminder from the Father. Well, HE knows everything. So, He probably sent me this message beforehand because HE knows that I will have the debate again of whether it's worth the time to go to church or not. now you understand why i fondly called the Father the jokester. i don't mean this as the Father playing a 'literal' joke on me. i just have the notion that HE knows you so much enough to present you little reminders. what do you think?

"Why Go To Church?"

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible > > > and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our > > > spiritual nourishment! > > >

writing for Him

i was reading an article over at boundless website when some thoughts occurred to me. from time to time the thought of writing about God comes to me. to use "there's a great longing to write about HIM" is overly pretentious, and yet it's true. i truly want to write about the lord of lords. but just as when the thought comes, an equal force of doubt seeps through my mind. how can i even write about the king of kings when i don't have a personal relationship with Him, at least - not at the level of what a personal relationship with Him entails as described by many believers? what could i write about when i haven't even read the entire bible yet? from whose authority would i have license to write about Him? a deafening 'you're a sinner, and have no right to even attempt. sure, you read the bible, but your recent actions watching movies with violent and sexual contents, harboring anger at someone for unpaid debts, to name just a few, were far from righteous and that alone disqualifies you." so said the thoughts in my head.
from the very few articles written in this blog, it sure is an evidence that i clearly have not acted on the desire to write more of Him. up until now, i still doubt my capacity to write. i'm not as gifted as the writers i admire and the thought of even dreaming that i could be a writer is just ambitious to say the least. then i am reminded about the 'enemy'. the enemy is cunning, devious, and highly clever. it will use all its energy to question your beliefs and to keep you separated from God. i'm ashamed at the thought that the quantity of the posts here signifies how i'm allowing to be led away from the TRUTH.

darn.

today, as i was reading the boundless article and the daily devotion from cbn asia i am reminded of the following TRUTH:
galatians 5:22

but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forebearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (NIV)

clearly, 'doubt, hatred, unforgiveness etc., aren't the fruits of the spirit. thus, they should not reign in our hearts and mind. yes, "it's easier "written" than done", but if i'm not mistaken (drat, i just can't remember the verse), there is that verse that mentions about God giving us all the armor that we need. or that within each one of us, there is the ability to do what God has meant us to do - writing, serving, or whatever way we can to bring glory to His name.
oh, regarding the issue on authority - brothers and sisters, God is not expecting perfection from us. He welcomes everyone - all of us sinners alike. so yeah, in my capacity even as a sinner, i will try to Make Him Known - through this little blog.
that said, i'll leave you with this beautiful reminder in dealing with the struggles in this world from Ephesians 6:12-17

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NIV)

happy weekend!!!

stay on course

it's probably the greatest reminder i received last sunday. over the past few months i've struggled whether the decision to walk on this path is the wisest or the dumbest. prior to this decision, it didn't matter to me whether i go or skip church. but since june of last year, going to church has been a matter that demands front row seats. i feel guilty every time i skip it, especially knowing that i don't have a valid reason not to go. most often than not, it's usually a case of staying too late at night to devour on tv series or just plain avoidance of the heat outside. i'm generally an afternoon or an evening person. i'm at my most active during those times. there's also the doubt that shouts, 'there's really nothing to gain in going to church. forget eternity. all those eternal life talks are full of crap. you'd be dead. what do you care about the after life? who cares? you're DEAD.'
yeah, it's tempting to believe in this BIG LIE. but truth of the matter is, there nothing that a BIG God named Jesus cannot overcome. yes, we may be fallen, but the king of kings welcomes us anytime. He's actually just waiting for us to come. of course, the enemy is cunning and wise - he attacks us at our weakest, that sometimes we tend to believe. well friends, whatever wrong we may have done in the past - be assured that there is such a thing as forgiveness. there is No SIN so big that our Lord Jesus cannot forgive. like i said, when we fall - it's sometimes easier to just continue falling, and just be damn with it. hear some truth; yes, you may feel convicted, but do stay on course. continue to listen and hear the Word, especially when you feel the weakest.

pause and pay attention

last sunday, i let laziness get the better of me. i rationalized that i was too tired to go to church because i rendered overtime that saturday. but truth be told i got distracted by a movie. if you follow my other blog or you're a friend, you know that i very much admire abraham lincoln. steven spielberg directed a movie called "lincoln". when i heard of it, i couldn't wait for the movie to be shown here in the country (roughly a year or more). after working OT that saturday, i hitched a ride to go to SM, and then my co-worker don chose to park at the cinema level. naturally, i passed by the theater, and saw movie posters of titles currently being shown. one of the titles was lincoln. what happened next was obvious. instead of going home to my parent's house as i initially planned, i ended up buying a movie ticket and went home past 12 midnight.

OK. why this introduction?

how do you view God?

i'm not officially a member of ccf. i haven't been baptized as a christian yet. but i've been attending their sunday services since june of last year. i have to say that discovering ccf is among the best things that happened in my 2012. while i continue to struggle with everyday life and being intimate with the jokester, i have to admit that through ccf i have met and came to know the most amazing people. i haven't met people with so much passion for the Lord before. sure, i've seen them on TV - but the experience is kinda different when you actually see them in person. oops, lest i send the wrong impression, let me point out that i have not met these people in person - at least NOT the "was-introduced-to-me-kind." what i mean here is through ccf, i got to hear the likes of pastor peter tan-chi and francis kong speak in person. on the occasions that i've heard them speak, i'm just floored. i'm envious of the kind of faith they have with the Lord Jesus Christ. more than objects of envy, these people inspire me to aspire more and attempt to build a strong relationship with the Lord.
last jan. 13's sunday service featured a video stream of pastor peter. damn, every time i hear the man speak - i'm like, if only so many people were like him - a true follower of Jesus, then the world would be a much better place. or if only i have at least half the faith he has, man - that would be more than awesome. on the other past services where he served as the main speaker, a recurring message he often leaves attendees is the statement, "how do you see God, affects your entire being". the words are not verbatim, but it was kind of like it. every time he speaks of those words, i'm left wondering if pastor peter is a student of psychology. the statement has a 'psych' vibe to it. [ok, disclaimer, the parallelism that follows isn't quite close, but it's what actually comes to my mind] hmmm, anyway, i could be wrong - but the message somehow reminds me of the few lessons i had when i was a psychology undergrad; something about the power of the mind and what it can conjure. my favorite class in college is psych 135, or perception. in that class, we discuss the brain and the body's darn beautiful and fascinating neural network. it's in perception class that i've come to admire the wondrous work of our brian. haha, i can't get enough reading materials on the brain back in the day, and some years after it (but don't ask me now as i've forgotten most of them, hehe). in my readings, i've come to the conclusion that our brain is the "most amazingest" thing ever created. the brain has abilities that border on the incomprehensible. it is able to do things that leaves one perplexed, at least in my mind. with this line of thinking, pastor peter's statement on what we think about God, and it affecting our entire being, kind of jolts me to my sad reality: drat - i don't see God the way i adore the brain - at least for now.
how else can i justify being an adenomyosis-afflicted me until now even after several prayers? yes, it's probably not the time yet for my ultimate healing, but let's not get "in HIS TIME" factor come into the picture, or at least NOT in this post. SO. i've read several accounts in the bible on how big a miracle worker God truly is, and yet - i remain doubtful, ergo 'unhealed'. in fact, there's that story about a bleeding woman who suffered for several years. (FYI one major symptom of adenomyosis is profuse bleeding that could last several days, even weeks - not your typical menstruation) when she saw Jesus, she strained to be near Him and succeeded only in touching a tip of His robe. a mere touch of His robe made Jesus turn back to ask the crowd about who touched Him. because then, He felt power flowing through Him and into someone. the woman revealed herself and so Jesus spoke shortly with her and proclaimed that by mere faith alone, she (the woman) is healed.
in that same service, pastor peter dwelt deeply on the passage that is Ephesians 3:20
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (NKJV)
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,"(TNIV)
the passage gives a very vivid picture of how great and a big "overcomer" of things our Lord is. it paints a picture of a GOD who has limitless power. with this TRUTH that nothing is impossible to someone who can do things way, way beyond what our human imagination can conjure, boy - the world would be like a place where hope, indeed, springs eternal. yes, problems may continue to distract people - but what could problems do to people full of hope? nothing, right?
realizations like this make me thankful of the events that led me to seek the Lord. while i'm not quite "there" yet, i'm grateful that these doubts and questions further lead me into knowing more about the jokester. hopefully, the jokester won't get tired of my doubts and someday soon will shower me with grace and mercy to believe in Him 100%. no questions asked, especially even if things don't make sense to my mind. (remember the pharaoh-moses story?) as it turned out, GOD hardened the pharaoh's heart in releasing the israelites, and it's the same GOD who ultimately made the pharaoh let those people go. of course, in between these two courses of events - miracles after miracles (or if you're the egyptians, plague after plague) happened that showed the power of the Lord.