When It's All Been Said And Done (Part One)

It’s over. I overcame it.

Last May 15-20, 2006, Cornerstone Christian Church, our church, had its first Medical and Dental Mission Trip. It was held in Caticlan, Aklan with the coordination of the Assembly of God Church. The whole mission trip was great and successful through God’s grace, mercy and guidance.

Remember my article “Hating Ships, Loving Water and Loving God More”? Yes. I know I appeared to be a coward in raising such an issue of having a phobia in riding ships. But thank God I overcame it gradually. Thank God! At first, I was hesitant of joining the Mission Trip for many reasonable and unreasonable causes. But I met God on my devotion time the day before I need to decide if I’m joining or not. I gave it a try. I cannot say that I made it on my own. God was there. He was with me. I felt the comfort that only He can assure.

THE JOURNEY TO CATICLAN

We left the church at 11:00pm (May 14, 2006). The whole bus was jam-packed with different things----with bags and suitcases of all sizes, with ministers from different ministries, and mixed with various emotions of excitement to meet new friends, eagerness to serve, enthusiasm for the whole experience, and a bit of apprehensions along the way. (Take note: Typhoon “Caloy” hasn’t completely left the area of responsibility. Hehehe…) We waited for approximately five to seven hours at Batangas Port. The waiting part for me was a bit frightening because I know in a few minutes I would be facing one of my greatest fears----riding in a ship. At first, I had to deal with it through a simple prayer of trust and obedience. I did not tell anybody about it. I just prayed silently. Though I know it will be corny and funny to some, I believe that time it was the only way out available for me. (Now they know. Hehehe…) Then, we arrived at Mindoro to ride another ship going to Caticlan. The whole trip was exhilarating and startling for me. Here are some the pictures that I took while everybody was sleeping:

Tulog ang lahat. Ang mahiwagang hita at paa ni Tatay

Malapit nang umalis. Isakay na ang lahat, pati yung buong Mindoro. Hehehe..

Ang paglalayag.

Habang tulog ang lahat at may nag-iisa at walang kupas na videoke singer.

I had many realizations about this whole Mission Trip. And I’m excited to share some (if not all) of them as I have a series for this Mission Trip. But for now, I want to share the realizations I had while we were on our journey to Caticlan.

1. PRAYER is an inevitable thing. No need for an explanation. It’s proven to be effective. It’s actually a life-long explanation.
2. God has His own way of doing things in our lives; never put Him into a box. Anyway, He’s too big to fit in any box available physically or virtually.
3. There are really some “gifted” individuals who will be a source of strength and encouragement in times of need. You will never notice who they are because they come in different shapes, colors, and even sizes.
4. Now, I understand why Jesus slept while He was with His disciples in a boat amidst the raging storm. It’s more than calming the storm. It’s more than making His disciples’ realize about the importance of having faith in Him. It’s about how you know Him. Kung gaano mo Siya kakilala. Kung gaano Siya ka-lapit sa puso mo. It’s about how you trust Him.
5. Philippians 4:19 works well with Malachi 3:10. It enables Acts 1:8 to become a reality. It makes John 3:16 worth believing. It gives John 10:10 a meaning even though there will be John 16:33. Gets?!
6. God is the ultimate “Maestro”. He made a “paradise” here on earth.
7. Obedience is better than sacrifice. It is better than a compromise.
8. If it’s your time, it’s your time. Anyways, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Don’t waste it. Remember, time is gold. Enjoy. Breathe. Live.
9. Waiting is a journey by itself. (Kaya pala may waiting shed. Hehehe..)
10. To see the vastness of the ocean, you must lose sight of the shore.
    
    Wait for more…. Catch the Part Two of this article… God bless..

Are You Ready For Success?

Preaching No.: 01

Key Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9
Other Verses: Deuteronomy 6:3-5; Psalm 1:1-3; Luke 10:25-28
Date Created: 01-01-06

SUCCESS

1. fortunate accomplishment; attainment of desired object, or result; triumph (Pocket Dictionary)
2. an event that accomplishes its intended purpose; "let's call heads a success and tails a failure"; an attainment that is successful; "his new play was a great success"; a state of prosperity or fame; "he is enjoying great success"; "he does not consider wealth synonymous with success"; achiever: a person with a record of successes; "his son would never be the achiever that his father was"; "only winners need apply"; "if you want to be a success you have to dress like a success" (Google Dictionary)
3. Success to me is having ten honeydew melons, and eating only the top half of each one. (Barbra Streisand)
4. Success goes thus invariably with a certain plus or positive power: an ounce of power must balance an ounce of weight. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
5. The more defects a man may have, the older he is, the less lovable, the more resounding his success. (Marquis de Sade)
6. Your success story is a bigger story than whatever you're trying to say on stage.... Success makes life easier. It doesn't make living easier. (Bruce Springsteen)

All of us want to be successful in all that we do. We do things with careful consideration that it could lead us to the path we desire. In a secular distinction, success is perceived as an end towards which all men wants; and should attain before death comes. But what is the real meaning of “success”? Can success cover up all the failures that one had in his past? How much success can God give/allow to His children? Are there any secrets to attain success? Is success really a relative matter? All these and more questions would somehow clear our concept of success. However, amidst these entire enigmas, the big question remains----ARE YOU READY FOR SUCCESS?

God in His ultimate capacity can give us the answers to all our questions about success. Hence, it is also important to really assess ourselves if we are really ready for success. More than how we define success, or how we could be successful in life, God wants to see our heart attitudes concerning this matter. We could have achieved most of the things that we want, or we could be praying to achieve at least some of those. Yet, getting ready for success is not an ordinary way of preparation. We should take into consideration that inasmuch as we live, we continue to achieve and desire more in life. Success is a never-ending issue as long as you live. Death could only measure it through the things that you left. Whether they may be a legendary memoriam or leaving skeletons in your closets----all of these will be taken into account. Moreover, how do we handle the standards that men put up to measure success? Are we giving in, or have given up, or haven’t been prepared for such things?

God revealed the secrets of success through the life of Joshua. When Moses died, Joshua took over to lead the Israelites into the land which God promised to give them. It was a tough job for Joshua, as Moses’ successor, considering all the achievements that Moses did before. Though faced with such difficulty, Joshua showed and acted upon God expectation and instruction. It was really a challenge for someone like Joshua to continue in leading the Israelites at the peak of their journey. But Joshua was prepared for it, for he had the right heart attitude in facing challenges, failures and successes. God’s instructions made Joshua, the man ripe enough for success.

In Joshua 1:1-9, the Bible tells us how God instructed, prepared and revealed the secrets of success to Joshua, being the new leader of the Israelites. During this time, Israelites were left with Joshua, being the chosen successor of Moses. Their journey through different places such as the wilderness made the Israelites become desperate and apathetic to achieve the land that God promised them. Joshua was left for a quest to lead and prepare these people for success. But through God’s grace, Joshua handled this matter very well. Joshua showed what he’s really made of.

In verse 1-5, it tells us about the turnover of leadership from Moses to Joshua. It also tells about how God entrusted the Israelites into Joshua’s leadership (v.2). God also made a recap of the itinerary that they took since the time of Moses until the leadership of the Israelites was transferred to Joshua (v. 3-4). God gave Joshua the same promise of success that He gave to Moses before; it was also the promise that worked for Joshua and the Israelites (v.5).

But how did Joshua manage to succeed despite the challenge of leading the stubborn Israelites? It is because God prepared, instructed and revealed the secrets of success to Joshua; and these made Joshua ready for success. In verse 6-9, we can see how God made Joshua ready for success and why God prepared Joshua for success.

HOW GOD MADE JOSHUA READY FOR SUCCESS:

1. God boosted Joshua’s confidence; and he was encouraged. (v.6-7a)
2. God instructed Joshua to obey and keep the laws He gave to Moses. (v.7-8)
3. God reminded Joshua of His faithfulness to the Israelites in the past. (v.9)

WHAT MADE JOSHUA READY FOR SUCCESS:

1. Assurance of the fulfillment of God’s promise. (v.6b; 9b)
2. Full trust and obedience to God’s instructions. (v.7b-8a)
3. Submission in the will of God (v.8b)

WHY GOD PREPARED JOSHUA FOR SUCCESS:

1. God saw the right attitude of Joshua’s heart. (v.5)
2. God’s will for him was his will and he did not hesitate.
3. To go “all out” for God was already habitual with (Joshua); it is unfailing prerequisite of eternal success.

**This is just an outline of my first preaching experience at DAR Christian Fellowship. Aside from being a worship leader, I also preach there if there are no pastors available. At first, it was so hard. But through God's grace, I was able to make it through. Thank God!! It's very different from my other preachings because of the crowd/congregation that it caters to. I'm used to preach for the youth and young professionals before. And now, God let me experience to preach for the adults and professionals. Thank God for the wisdom, strength, confidence and grace. Enjoy! More of these soon! God bless!

What Life Is About?

Life isn’t about keeping score, it’s not about how many friends you have
Or how accepted you are, not about if you have plans this weekend
Or if you’re alone, it isn’t about whom you are dating
Whom you used to date, how many people you’ve dated
Or if you haven’t been with anyone at all.
It isn’t about whom you have kissed. It’s not about sex.
It isn’t about who your family is
Or how much money they have
Or what kind of car you drive
Or where you are sent to school
It’s not about how beautiful or ugly you are.
Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on,
Or what kind of music you listen to.
It’s not about if your hair is blonde, red, black or brown.
Or if your skin is too light or too dark.
Not about what grades you get, how smart you are,
How smart everybody else thinks you are,
Or how smart standardized tests say you are.
It’s not about what clubs or organizations you are in
Or how good you are at a sport.
It’s not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper
And seeing who will accept you. Life just isn’t about that.
But, life is about who you love and who you hurt.
It’s about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully.
It’s about keeping or betraying trust. It’s about friendship,
Used as a sanctity or a weapon. It’s about what you say and mean,
Maybe hurtful, maybe heartening.
About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip.
It’s about what judgments you pass and why.
It’s about whom you’ve ignored with full control and intention.
It’s about jealousy, fear, ignorance and revenge.
It’s about carrying inner hate. It’s about having inner love.
Letting it grow, and spreading it.
It’s about how live within God’s wills
And holding in hands with or without trials.
But most of all, it’s about using your life
To touch or poison other people’s hearts
In such a way could have never occurred with you.
Only you choose the way
Those hearts are affected
And those choices are WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT!

**This is a forwarded poem from my long lost friend. I just want to share it. I seldom appreciate poems, that's why I rarely post them here. Anyway, enjoy this one!

Is There A Universal Truth?

I strong believe that there is a “universal truth”. Truth matters. In logic, truth is a conclusion, a condition opposed to false, and the conclusion about the state of something in comparison. The human mind developed into a comparative engine able to draw logical conclusion about the state of something in question. The execution of logic in the human mind is not governed and so is subjective. In the digital world, logic is pure and executed the same each time, in the human mind or is the platform or “human mind logic” has no consistent rules so all kinds of conclusions exist. So can truth really exist in the human mind? The platform we have to work with is not sufficient to reach such definite conclusions as absolute truth.

I believe truth can exist in the human mind only when the comparative engine becomes still. This seems to me the point of meditation and religious symbolism. The human thought process is a field of concepts and forms in conflict. To think about if truth matters is to be in conflict with the idea or concept that truth may not matter. Whether or not something matters is a question of its purpose, so then we ask ourselves if truth has a purpose. Purpose is only attached to something in the human mind when an explanation is necessary to justify an action or existence of something. To think truth has purpose the same way that a car has purpose is a natural tendency, but wrong. Truth is independent of the human mind and does not need to be justified in its relationship to the human mind; likewise the universal truth stands at this position.

Moreover, the universal track of truth serves its own purpose independently. I believe that one of the universal truths is the equipping of the inevitable search for what is right and wrong, deepening the conceptualization of morality. Another would be the acceptance or rejection of a cyclic change. Then, the existence of a Supreme Divine character, which controls the events happening with those who believe and also to those who doesn’t believe.

The inevitable search for what is right and wrong or the deep conceptualization of morality is one of the universal truths. Why? Mainly because regardless of any concept of relativism, man, as a rational being is naturally in search of what is right or wrong which traces the concept of morality that aims to protect and maintain the common good. Cyclic change likewise is also universal or considered as a universal truth because of inevitable factors contributing to it like time, space, and the environment. The cycle of change occurs unceasingly regardless of any difference. In connection with the above stated universal truths, would be another universal truth----the existence of a Supreme Divine character, which for a fact binds the universality of the truths stated above. Although some believe and some do not; and some may have characterized it similarly and some may not, the fact that there must be the “Someone” responsible for these things, regardless of different news, highlights the truth that the “One” responsible must have been “Supreme” and “Divine” in character.

Universal truth should be recognized as independent from the conceptual world that we spend so much time operating within. To search for truth is to say that you do not have truth, it exists outside your mind, but your mind will attempt to find it. It seems to me that to search for truth is to look for the definition of truth, what it is in relation to you and your thoughts, because thoughts do not seem to inherent contain truth and knowledge is bound by purpose that is outside of truth.

Cultural relativism is merely a theory which gives us, the audience, the chance to subject it to reality. Some concepts would be tested and proven as true and some will have to be in constant observation before accepting. Likewise, it reveals to us the concept of universal truth as it opposes the idea of having one. Coherently, I am under the impression that those in search of relative truth are also drawn likewise to a deeper consciousness where the concepts and ideas that are debated on the surface ceased and the experience of existence takes on a sublime and tranquil quality where nothing is negated, only accepted as what it is. This does not seem to me to happen while thinking, only while in pure observation of the world (environment) and how each life, mind, and body relate to it and the rest of all as one.

**This is a re-post. I took it from my old, dead, ‘nilulumot’ and inept blogsite. And now, I’m sharing it again. I wrote this article for my subject in college, Dynamics of Philippine Politics.