When Crisis Hits You

This book by William B. Girao talks about tasting God's goodness in bitter times.

His journey with his wife in the midst of pain is truly inspiring! From the time they had found out that his wife got breast cancer up to the time when she was healed, you can see and feel God's presence that He's completely in control of the whole situation!

William also discussed on dealing with depression, facing painful situations and trusting the goodness of God all at the same time. He had presented great explanation as well on euthanasia and suicide on why it is not an option backed up with arguments from the Scriptures.

The reasons he had mentioned on why does God allow crisis into our lives have made me understood more the pain and struggles in my Christian journey and appreciate more Psalms 42, 43, 44 and 34.

The ingenuous and precise approach of the author made it easier to understand and read. Personally, I can relate to and feel blessed by this book.

God's Favor And Grace

This week is truly an awesome week for me! Once again I have proven that God is faithful and good all the time.

First and foremost, I believe the Lord had just opened a door for me when He allowed me to share a bit of my life through 700 Club. Even it did not turn out the way I expected it, I am convinced that it's just how God exactly planned it. Mari Kaimo interviewed me and then Peter Kairuz, together with the other guests and staff prayed for me after the show. It will be shown on Monday via QTV at 11PM.


Secondly, God revealed to me how powerful the "Our Father" prayer is and why the Lord Jesus Christ taught that prayer to us. Darrell W. Johnson's "Fifty-Seven Words That Change The World" is a book, a journey through the Lord's Prayer. Only if we will utter it before His throne with a pure heart, it covers everything and could really change this world we are living in! So now I have decided to end my conversation with God with these words.

And lastly but the best thing that ever happened to me, God the Father had opened surprisingly an opportunity for me to share my faith in Jesus to my family especially to my earthly Father! Finally, I was able to tell almost everything I have always wanted to say to my "Tatay" and I strongly believed that my relationship with him just started to be restored! He gave me the fatherly embrace and kiss I've never had! We we're able to forgive each other and say I love you at last!

The life with my family will never be the same again. The Lord pulled down the biggest stronghold which kept our emotions for quite some time. Now that my father just turned 60, he sworn to us that He'll try his best to change and be good. I suggested him to yield that decision to Jesus and allow Him to take control.

I know that the ultimate salvation of my whole family is coming very soon! God's favor and grace is obviously upon me these days and all I can say is PRAISE GOD! YOU are absolutely in control.

The Battleground of Mind

According to the book written by Francis Frangipane entitled "The Three Battlegrounds" there are three arenas of spiritual warfare; the mind, the church and the heavenly places. Let me share what God taught me with the battleground of mind.

My friend counselor asked me to read this book when I confessed to him the recent sins I have committed which happened early last month. Well I'm quite over it for more than three weeks now, thank God for His grace and mercy! He said that everything starts in the mind so he lent me this book and I have learned a lot!

Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips. It is consummated by the nature of Jesus in our hearts.

I have learned that as a Christian, the goal is Christ-likeness and not warfare. We are called to be transformed into Christ's likeness and not for anything else. It will start with an honest heart before God and maintaining it which is the greatest defense we can have against the devil. Therefore it's being humble at all times. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, James 4:6. Then in verse 7 it continues, "Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Humility is the first step for it is the stronghold of the godly.

When the enemy (Satan) accuses us of some sin or flaw, agree with thine adversary then turn to God in humility. Satan fears virtue so he is terrified of humility for it is submission to the Lord.

Pulling down all the strongholds is the demolition and removal of these old ways of thinking so that the actual Presence of Jesus Christ can be manifested through us. In doing this we need to take every thought captive to Christ to the obedience of Him, 2 Cor. 10:5. Arrest the thought "I am just a sinner!" by replacing it with the confession of our faith that now we are a beloved child of God and though we occasionally still sin, Christ's blood cleanses us of all unrighteousness through confession, 1 John 1:9. We are a new creation for the old has gone and the new has come, 2 Cor. 5:17.

Focusing on God's highest purpose will bring us peace during the warfare for God is a God of peace and it will soon crush Satan under our feet, Rom. 16:20; only then we can rule in the midst our enemies!

Let us pray: "Lord Jesus, I submit to You. I declare, according to the Word of God, that because of Your power to subject all things unto Yourself, the weapons of my warfare are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Cor. 10:3-4). I repent for using the lie, "I will never be like Jesus," as an excuse to sin and compromise my convictions. In Jesus' name I renounced my flawed, sinful old nature and, by the grace of God and the power of Your Spirit, I pull down the stronghold of unbelief that exists in my mind. Because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, I am a new creation. And I believe that I will go from glory to glory, being continually transformed into Christ's image as I walk with God in Jesus name I pray. Amen."

I copied this prayer from the book and have decided to apply what I have learned; praying not to fall on the same sin over and over again and that the victory in me will be consummated by Jesus' nature in my heart.

Remember, victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips. It is consummated by the nature of Jesus in our hearts.

I Am 33 Today!

Yes my dear readers and followers, I just turned 33 years old today and I am happy so you can simply greet me "Happy Birthday!"

All I can say is God has been so good and faithful to me and He will stay that way forever. Last time I talked about the blessings I have received from Him in spite of my iniquities. Today, the Lord simply showed me how blessed I am with the people He sent to love me.

My mother had prepared and ordered some food to share for celebration. My cousins and my older brother's family were my only home visitors. A lot of my friends from church, office and former work and classmates greeted me either through phone text messages, email, face book or my other personal website. It feels good to be remembered and feel loved on this special day.

I thank God for all the blessings and for the 33 years gift of life. Although the birthday requests and prayers I have been praying for remains unanswered, I strongly believed that I will received them in His perfect timing. Actually I asked for a Mac book pro laptop and the full scholarship grant for the AIDS conference in Vienna among others from God so let's wait and see.

But imperatively, God has reminded me today about my real purpose in this life; that I might come into Christ likeness. This is the goal of my faith in Him to be victorious for victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips and will be consummated by the nature of Jesus in our hearts!

Today also marked the second year anniversary of this blog, the online personal journal of mine. I am so glad that it has been reached by many and feel so blessed to have followers who are praying for or with me and became my online friends. Thank you guys!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose, Romans 8:28.

God bless you all and shalom!

Shower of Blessings

"When it rains it pours." That's very true whether you would like to use it on something good or bad and I am referring it to the blessings God has been pouring out upon me.

The memories I have in Bangkok are still fresh. The things I need to pay were all paid; this is the area where I have proved that God truly knows the exact timing. I am only a few weeks away to be on board on the job I have been prayed for and still praying about.

God has given me another opportunity to bless more people when I get to share my testimony through this TV program, I don't know when it will be aired but I was set for an interview this Friday.

But the most important gift I have received from the Lord.......the result of my VL or viral load test is now UNDETECTED! I got this news from my doctor friend last week. God is truly healing me, He's my real doctor!

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart", Psalm 37:4. My heartfelt thanks go to our Heavenly Father for answering my prayers and for all these blessings. In spite of my shortcomings and iniquities, He remains faithful and will always be.

Praise be to God!

Bangkok Trip

I was out of the country for the past ten days because God had sent me to Bangkok, Thailand to be a part of the training team for Channels of Hope or COH Training of Facilitators.

This is my second time to be a trainer for this program and we are five in the team plus our mentor Rev. Christo Greyling. We have 21 participants who have attended and were certified to be facilitators and new "channels of hope". They came from Thailand, Mongolia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. It was great to have a Filipino participant who is serving the people of Laos. Meeting and making new friends are just two of the great things that happen with this event.

People were blessed and inspired with what God has been done and still doing in my life when I told them my testimony. Their learning experience has become more real and heart striking according to them.

It was my first time in Bangkok and the second country I have visited. My good friend and I were able to see the Grand Palace before we left the country and able to see some shopping malls like Siam Center and MBK and did some a little shopping. Thai food was really good especially the Tom Yum!

God poured out many blessings to me during my 9 days stay in this place. I believed He opened a door for me which I thought was closed regarding this certain job I have applied for more than a couple of months ago though I need to confirm this first in the coming weeks. I have received an invitation from this youth church leader through email to speak about my life and minister to their group of young people. She's a follower of this blog and this is where she got to know me. Also God answered all my simple prayers while in Bangkok!

These are few of the good things happened to me while in Thailand though I must admit that not all the whole time I stayed there were all victory. Honestly I have made a mistake which I think I do not have to elaborate here anymore. God has forgiven me and taught me something new out of that blunder. It was not enough to stop me from loving God and surrendering to Jesus all of me.

All in all, it was a wonderful, blessed and great trip! I praise God and grateful to Him for this remarkable experience.

Man of Hope

"Depressed people love to gather around you because you radiate hope. You are able to put a boundary that you do not get into their despair and that is a gift. God has given you that gift because He has faith in you and you have faith in people! When they say that they want to give up, you will simply say that 'you can do it'! You give hope to people."

These may not be the exact words but this is what it sounds like when our guest preacher last Sunday looked at me and asked me to stand up, stared deeply into my eyes when she released these prophetic words to me. Her ministry partner now called me the "man of hope". Everyone now in our church calls me the "man of hope".

I was so blessed that Sunday and somehow I have expected it because I have prayed for it. Boldly I asked God to speak to me that day and He did! He never fails every time I implore Him to talk to me, He's so faithful and truly an awesome God!

I surmise this has something to do with the ministry I have been doing for almost two years now which is the "Channels of Hope". What exactly I will be doing in the next several months or few years, that I have no idea. As long as God will continue to use me in the HIV and AIDS ministry to give hope to the hopeless and be a light, forever I will be grateful and blessed.

Man of hope, that's me and will always be being me.

Praise the Lord for another successful COH workshop early this week held at the Samaritana. Nineteen God's men and women have been trained to be equipped on the HOPE initiative for churches on HIV and AIDS.