Saturday, January 18, 2014

I WILL TESTIFY

"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV

5:00 pm last Monday, while waiting for a cab going home, Mrs. Mary Porte, the principal of Shekinah Educational Center of Benguet Inc. approached me and asked me if I could give my personal testimony at Trinidad Baptist Church this Sunday. I am a little bit nervous but I said - "yes". I was surprised with the invitation but I took this as an oppurtunity to share the things that God has blessed me.



I devoted the entire week to pray and worship God, asking Him to guide me in the words and things I will say. I asked prayers from my friends and  family. Throughout the week, God has inspired a lot of things to me. From my experiences as a son to my parents, as a student and also as a worker in the different ministries God has called me to lead. Last night, before we slept, I asked my family to lay hands on me and again pray for me. I believe in the power of prayer.

The actual day of giving my testimony came, I was very thankful to God that He calmed and provided all the things that I have said. Many were blessed and touched from my testimony. I thank Shekinah Educational Center of Benguet Inc. and to Trinidad Baptist Church for giving me the oppurtunity to testify the greatness of God in my life.

Thanks to all those who prayed and encouraged me including those who were blessed from my testimony! To Abba,Jesus and Holy spirit be all the gloy,honor,praise and adoration!


Monday, December 30, 2013

REFLECTIONS

Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV)

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

It is the sunset here in Island Bolita,San Juan, La Union. My family decided to have a yearend getaway. Away from the traffic and the new year rush. I have decided to write my blog for this week, since it is almost new year. I just want to reflect and thank Abba, Jesus and Holy Spirit for all the things He has blessed me through this year 2013. The goodtimes,badtimes,trials,blessings and all...God has been so faithful in my journey. God provided everything that my family and I needed. He will remain Yahweh Jireh, our Provider!


I look forward for this coming year 2014! God is continuously giving me a lot of visions and dreams for next year! I am overwhelmed and excited! I prophesy and declare to all those people who are reading this blog to receive the overflow of blessings in Jesus' name! 

As we all leave 2013, let us take time to worship and offer thanksgiving to our God for all He has done. We serve a God who is faithful. We welcome 2014 with anticipation of the things God has prepared.

Let Jesus be the center of our family,studies,church,workplace and activities this coming year and the years to come. 

Hallelu Yah!!!

Monday, December 16, 2013

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." - John 1:14 NIV



Our church - Grace Communion International ( Baguio City/La Trinidad) recently celebrated Its annual Christmas celebration. Our church decided to celebrate it earlier (December 15,2013) for everyone to be able to attend. We started our celebration with worship service, where in we sung Christmas songs like "O Come All Ye Faithful" that speaks of Christ's incarnation . We are very privileged to have Dr. Rey Taniajura as the one who gave us the message/sermon. Then as always, we as a church partook of the bread and wine  (Our church celebrates communion weekly). This celebration is also special because the new member of our church named Kaiden Ziv Yap A. Yap was dedicated and blessed. The service was concluded with the hymn entitled, "Fairest Lord Jesus" and the prayer of benediction/blessing.

The second part of the Christmas celebration was the short stage presentation of our church's youth and kids ministry (Young Emerging Servants of the Lord). The presentation was entitled - "The Birth of the Savior" which depicted the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. All performers wore beautiful costumes that added to the mood of the presentation. Right after the short stage presentation the presenters sung the song "Silent Night" in preparation for the exchange gift activity.

The celebration won't be complete with the delicious dinner (prepared by my family). Hot special coffee and batirol with mallows were served. After all were satisfied with the sumptuous dinner, all went to the dance floor for the evening's dance for all! Everyone enjoyed the dancing,no doubt that Abba, Jesus and the Holy Spirit's love relationship is described as a great dance wherein all are included,loved and accepted to join the dance.

The Christmas Celebration 2013 gloriously ended with a prayer for each other,singing of "Silent Night" and a photo op. All gave their hugs, and goodnights to end the celebration. I look forward to our future church christmas parties! I am so excited! God is amazing!

I thank God for planting me to this church family. God is the source of the love,fellowship,peace and harmony that the church enjoys. This is church is all about. 

As we celebrate Christmas, let us continue to share this goodnews of God's coming to flesh- incarnation through His Son Jesus Christ to redeem,reconcile, save, have relationship and make his dwelling among us all. Yes, this is the Christmas message! This is love! This love is meant to be shared and testified! 

Gloria In Excelsis Deo!


Saturday, December 7, 2013

ADVENT SEASON

This is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. Advent is a christian holiday celebrated annually by most of the christian churches including our church. The word "advent" comes from the latin word "adventus" meaning 'coming'. Advent is celebrated 4 consecutive sundays leading to christmas. This year, advent is dated on December 1,8,15 and 22. Our church (Grace Communion International - Baguio City/La Trinidad Church) started to celebrate the 1st Sunday of Advent last week. We started singing christmas hymns and lit the first candle in our wreath which is the candle of HOPE.

6 "For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this." - Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

(The Lord's table arrangement is conceptualized and arranged by my auntie Auey).

We are blessed to listen to our Pastor General Joseph W. Tkach Jr. to talk about the topic on Jesus as our ultimate source of HOPE. This Sunday and the Sundays to come he continues to share the meaning of the 2nd,3rd and 4th candle/sunday which are,Jesus as our PEACE,JOY and LOVE.

I am blessed this 2nd Sunday of Advent because my family and I had the opportunity to have a breakfast fellowship and prayer with Ancherry (our dear sister in Christ from Manila). We took time to share and give our testimonies of how great God is in our lives. We met Ancherry in Manila 2 years ago in the concert of Hillsong United. We are blessed to have connections with christian brothers and sisters especially with Ancherry.

May I ask you all to pray for Ancherry, she is waiting for God's leading where God calls her to a particular place to do missions. Like tita Cecilia Bangay and other missionaries, it is good to be partners with them in missions through prayer. I also have a passion for missions and doing missionary works. I offer this passion to God.

Let us take time to pray for GOD's MISSIONARIES!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

STUDENT LIFE

I've been busy with school requirements lately. Researches,reports and projects. Yeah, this is the life of a 3rd year college student. They say that 3rd year is the highlight of a student's life because of the paper works. I have proven that! Hehe! I always thank God for giving me his strength to finish all these 'things-to-do'. As Apostle Paul writes:

"I can do all this to through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13 NIV



I say 'Amen' to that! His strength is always available everytime I needed it. I just dedicate this semester to Abba,Jesus and Holy Spirit! May God be the one in charge of my schooling. Even in this busy-ness with school works, My prayer group in school (KSEEDS GROUP) still meets every friday to pray,encourage one another and study the bible. As for me, I am excited of the coming activities for December!

Thank you and may God richly bless you! :)


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

 I have a lot of unforgettable early childhood experiences. I forgot some of those but I asked my mother to retell my life as a young kid. According to my mother, I was a child who don't usually play toys. I have a crib full of stuff toys but, I don't touch them at all. I am always carried in the arms of my parents and seldom being left in the bed sleeping alone. I think that is why my connection with my parents until now is so close. Good in the sense that I can be open with them with my problems and other matters.

I usually cry whenever they bring me to the barber for a haircut. My parents thought of a strategy so they can cut my hair. Since i love playing with water during bath time, they thought it best to let me play with water while my aunt is cutting my hair. I think my childhood will not be complete without playing with water. I will never forget the activity prepared by my teacher in my kinder days, where we played with bubbles the whole one hour. I hope to also apply this activity to my future pupils.



My daycare days were very traumatic. Traumatic because it retained a feeling of fear in me until I graduated from kindergarten. There were unforgettable experiences that happened to me which resulted to a kind of fear whenever i attend school. My teacher that time shouts,puts scotch tape onto the mouths of those noisy and locks the pupils inside the classroom. Although I was not the one who is being punished, the impact is so great to me that is why my parents decided not to let me continue my daycare schooling. These are the things that I will never ever do to my future pupils. I will maintain a non-threatening environment. One where pupils will experience peace and love and not  fear.

I was immediately enrolled to kindergarten 1 at Easter College Inc. This was also the school where my mama is teaching highschool. Because of the fear that I got from the daycare. I had a separation anxiety with my parents leaving me alone. I cry everytime they leave me in school. I have come to realize now that experiences in the early years of the children is very crucial. Being a teacher of Preschool  is not a joke. Teachers need to have a great   passion to teach.

Everything settled a bit when I finished kindergarten 2. Our school organized a graduation for us. I wore the white toga with a tassel from my graduation cap. That day was filled with joy as we marched in the aisle to receive our diplomas. The ceremony ended...then my mama and my papa hugged and kissed me. I felt love, the love that I continue to cherish until now. I love my parents now and forever.

My transition to the elementary school was not hard because I was enrolled at the same school. My parents trained me to sleep early and wake up early, a training which Icarried until now, I have never been late to school. I love playing games that a usual kid would play, like "patintero", "hide and seek", "washington", "bangsack" and a lot more. Friendships were developed and enjoyed during this time. I was grade 5 when my mother decided to transfer me to Shekinah Educational Center Inc. in La Trinidad. The transition is easy for me because of the "inclusive" environment of the school, the fact that the school is a christian school.

In my early childhood experiences, I was exposed to different places like, restaurants,hotels,schools,churches,houses and other places. Not only that but I was also exposed to people and different situations. My training in the church, through Sunday schools , was also a very good foundation for the kind of person that i am now. All of these exposures helped me in developing my interpersonal skills and my confidence as a child.

I thank Abba,Jesus and Holy Spirit for letting me experience these things for me to learn,be exposed and be developed through all these years. God is continuously  writing my beautiful life story. I believe there are still a lot of beautiful things to happen in my life that is why every day is a blessing from Him and I always acknowledge this.

All praises, glory, honor to the Triune God! Amen.

Monday, November 11, 2013

LOOK UP

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." - Galatians 6:9-10 NIV


My heart cries for the victims of the super typhoon Yolanda. The typhoon hit the Philippines especially the Visayas area. This typhoon is labeled as one of the strongest typhoons in the world for this year. The news showed how much the super typhoon devastated the areas. A picture of towns of dead people, houses destroyed, businesses lost, shortage of food and water, no transportation and no means of communication. 



For me, this is a wake-up call for everybody to go back to God. Sometimes, the things of this world try to destruct and lead us to forget God. But at the same time, God allows these disasters to teach us lessons. Lessons to remind us to take care of the environment and on taking the opportunity to help people through prayers, encouragement and donations.

In these tough times of trials and testings it is good to always "look up" to the Creator and Sustainer of the world - God. He alone is the answer to our "whys,whats and hows" of this life. I encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to continue to pray and help the victims of the typhoon through financial and material donations.

God bless the Philippines!