Christmas 2010

"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." Isaiah 9:6

Last December 13 marked my third year as a real Christian, the time when the Lord Jesus was born into my heart. A lot of amazing things happened in the past three years, a lot of prophecies have turned already into reality.

One of the prophetic words I have received back then was that I will speak before different nations and share God's goodness and faithfulness. It started to happen back in 2008 and God has put me in a position this year where I will constantly do that for two years.

Another prophetic word I received was the restoration of my relationship to my father, it actually happened early this year when I got my first embrace from him after our heart to heart talk with the whole family.

One of those prophecies I am still waiting to happen is the time when I will become a father either physically or spiritually. I still remember that I can't believe upon hearing those words from one of our elders in the church. God knows when I will be ready for that so I am not in a hurry.

Christmas is actually a prophecy by Isaiah which was anticipated and waited by the people in the Old Testament for hundred years. Then it happened more than two thousand years ago, the birth of the blessed child Jesus, the Lord and Saviour of mankind.

God definitely has a plan for each and every one of us. All we have to do is to surrender everything to Him and fully trust Him with all our hearts, then all His plans (Jeremiah 29:11) including those prophetic words we have received and will be receiving surely will turn into reality.

Have a blessed and a Christ-centered Christmas celebration everyone! Merry Christmas!

CoH Laguna

Yesterday we had the last CoH workshop of the year for this NGO together with their partners.

Once again eighteen new channels of God's hope were blessed with God's faithfulness and goodness in my life as I shared it to them. One pastor got even teary eyed and emotional during the closing ceremony!

This time God has shown me that every group is really unique that each of them has their own personalities and characters. I have never encountered very highly intellectual people who would never show their soft side because for them everything is cognitive! Honestly, somehow they got me into my nerves but God was in control then that I was still able to manage it. For me they are unbelievable!

Since I have plans of going to a doctorate degree which only God knows when because I have not started taking up Masters yet, God I think allowed me to meet these two people as a warning as to not to be like them (not that I am acting like the Pharisees, it's just that I have the propensity) but remain humble, very grounded and always putting God first no matter how far I have come. Everything can be done only through Him.

Definitely, it will take time before I forgot these people or probably I will never. Anyway, I had also good memories to remember with this particular group of people. I still thank God for all the blessings and the privilege of serving Him through this ministry.

World AIDS Day & The Church

As people who believe in God, today is an important time to reflect on HIV and our belief that all people are created in God's image whether you are living with HIV, living with someone who is / are HIV positive, are not infected nor affected by it.

We must remain grounded in the spiritual foundation as the Lord Jesus Christ has shown that calls all of us to work for justice and treat all people as our brothers and sisters as we work to promote and protect the rights of PLWH or affected by HIV as well as those who are vulnerable to infection.

First we need to remember we are all broken people and sinners saved by grace. (Romans 7:15-25, Ephesians 2:8-9)

Second, Christ sets the example in Luke 15. Like the father in the parable of prodigal son, we are all asked to bestow the same courtesy to our brother and sisters no matter how bad they have been were. God has full of compassion and slow to anger. (Psalm 145:8-9)

Lastly, God is calling us to function as one body. (1 Cor.12:12-13). We are called to respond as a church but our response should be more than only a spiritual response of evangelism and prayer. We should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience especially to those who are outcast and oppressed by the society. (Col. 3:12-14)

Our spiritual should be balanced by bringing HOPE in a very practical way to people living with HIV or directly affected by it. Let's remember this day by being channels of God's HOPE to everyone.