What's So Amazing About Grace?

Philip Yancey is the author of this book and I must say that its one of the best I've ever read. In fact it made me want to read the first book I read from him "The Jesus I Never Knew", which I have finished reading a couple of years ago.

We speak of God's grace often but when somebody ask us what is it, we usually have difficulty in defining and explaining what is it all about. When I became true Christian, I once asked about grace and the person I was speaking with told me that it is an "undeserved gift." It is a gift from our Heavenly father that we, as Christians must know and always ready to dispense.

This book gave me a deeper understanding of what grace is and with the examples given by Yancey such as the holocaust, his homosexual Pastor friend and the EDSA People Power to name a few, I cried a few times. That's how amazing this grace is!

It helped me to comprehend more of God's unconditional love and forgiveness. Two things that all people must experience to become a dispenser of this amazing gift in this world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy.

I really like Dostoevsky's words that he quoted which is "to love a person means to see him as God intended him to be". According to Yancey, true grace is scandalous and shocking for it forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, the child abuser. It loves today's AIDS-ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus' day.

This book has been out there for quite a long time but I only read it last month thanks to my friend for lending it to me. I highly recommend this one because it is a must-read kind of book!

"There is nothing we can do to make God love us more.
There is nothing we can do to make God love us less."

God loves us already no matter what.....that's how amazing God's grace is!

COH Iloilo and My Struggle

It was my first time to visit Iloilo City last week and I got impressed with the place from the time I arrived at their new airport up to the point when I reached the hotel where I stayed for three nights.

The airport is small but nice then the road from there going to the city is well engineered, the same thing with the few infrastructures on its side. Although the city proper is a little congested but somehow I like it. The La Paz Batchoy tastes really great as well as the barquillos.

As for the COH workshop, it went very smoothly even though one of our facilitator was not able to join us due to her vertigo. God was totally in control. Thirty eight (38) new "channels of hope" were so blessed how God worked in my life. I am truly grateful to Him for allowing me to serve His kingdom in this ministry.

I just pray that God will continue to capture my heart with His love and give me a heart overflowing with love for Jesus! Also I pray that God will renew the burning passion in me that I used to have when I was still a new Christian so that this love and passion will be more than enough for me to say no to these temptations and ungodly desires. I must admit that I am still struggling with SSA and honestly I had a few (three I guess) occasional sexual fall for the past 3 months. It all happened when I was very really tired physically and mentally from work which I think hauled my guards down then against temptations, not to mention that there's still a part of me that wants to satisfy these sinful desires.

God has forgiven me already I know when I confessed and admitted it to Him not only once but many times. I cannot continue serving Him and sinning even occasionally at the same time. All I want is to love Him, honor and please Him, serve Him and live this God-given life truly worthy of His unconditional love.

Please pray for me my dear brothers and sisters in Christ as I continue to walk this journey with Him. Thank you and God bless us all.

Me In India

Yes, India is the third country I have visited and I must say that it's one of my best trips so far ministry-wise!

God sent me there not only to serve Him in the "Channels of Hope" ministry. He had shown me the end result of what I am doing for the churches and the beginning of a new journey for His people whom He had destined to change forever!

Once I questioned the Lord if this is the only thing I will do for His kingdom which is educating the church community on HIV and AIDS through COH and testifying to His amazing grace. And telling these people how He took me out of darkness, gradually healing and changing me. I got so excited when visiting a community where HOPE is being implemented was included on this trip.

This Pastor I've met was immediately woke up by God from a deep slumber and made him realize the role of the church after he have gone through the three day COH workshop. He called him to act and transform the lives of this certain group of people who are living in darkness for centuries! He took the children of this community in a child care center as the beginning of that transformation in partnership with our NGO counterpart there and introduced them who Jesus is by educating them in His words.

This community in Jaipur City celebrates when a baby girl is born because it is an assurance for them of monetary benefits by turning her into a commercial sex worker when puberty has reached. The women in that village, most of them are infected with HIV, are in prostitution and that's the only way they knew how to make ends meet.

I was deeply moved and can't help but to get too emotional while hearing this sad and heart breaking story from this Pastor that it pushed me to pray for him and his church afterward. Also I made a commitment to pray for them and for these people day and night as my initial contribution for the realization of this Pastor's vision. It was absolutely the highlight of this trip!

Indian people are really nice but this group of participants whom we have trained to be COH facilitators is really struggling on how to deal with the homosexuals! The discussions were intense that I took it as a sign from God to tell them how I am dealing with my struggle with same sex attraction or SSA with God and with my church as well, which I do not usually do for it is totally embarrassing on my part. But when God asked me to do so, who am I to say no? So I did and I'm glad that somehow I have shed some light on this matter to them.

They were so grateful to have met me and were so blessed at the same time and so did I. God and I have done a great job there and He's obviously doing wonderful things there!

I am so grateful to the Lord not only because of these moments, He also allowed us to see the city palaces and the beauty of their culture when we went to visit a few tourist destinations of Jaipur. Also I was able to ride on a camel for the first time! It was truly a remarkable and indeed a super blessed trip! Praise God!

After my virtually half month of stay in India, I took part on the two day workshop for my colleagues at the office when I got home. It has been really a fruitful month.

COH Davao and Samal Island

One of the largest groups we handled was the more than forty participants of the COH workshop last week held in Davao City.

The Lord allowed 34 of them to complete the two days orientation of "Channels of Hope". Once again, God brought together His people from Evangelical groups, Catholic and Muslim brothers to show them how to become the salt and light of this world for those who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.

For me it was one of the best testimonies I have delivered for the past two years I've been doing this. Not because virtually everyone in the room cried but mainly for the reason that God has truly touched their hearts either through conviction of their stigmatizing attitudes or simply blessed with how God's grace worked in my life! Only God, and them knows.

It was really an honor to testify to the gospel of God's grace and I am grateful to Almighty God for allowing me to be a witness in the HIV ministry!

God was so good to let us see and enjoy the beauty of Samal Island. We were able to relax at the beach after the workshop before going home.

I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace, Acts 20:24.

Strength in Weakness

This book by Andrew Comiskey is about healing sexual and relational brokenness.

I did not understand most part of the book the first time I read it more than a year ago so I read it again and I have understood it all this time thank God. What really amazing was when I am reading the last part of the author's afterword, I felt like its God who's really speaking to me. Before I knew it, my eyes were filled tears and my heart was full of joy and peace.

Allow me to share these words spoken by God to Andrew first prior to me.

"When you were young, you thought you could leap over every boundary line and get away with it. Even when the pain of your rebellion became apparent to you, you denied it. Only when the effects of sin showed themselves did you slow down long enough to listen?

I led you to my Son, Jesus Christ, who from His cross released a flood of healing - blood for the forgiveness of sin and water for cleansing. When you called on His name, I loosed that cleansing flood over you. I sent faithful Christians to abide with you as that healing stream permeated every source of sin and shame. You, your old man, your old vision of yourself, died in the waters, and I raised you up in new life.

Not only were your sins washed away, but I also cleansed your wounds. I gently bound up the brokenness inflicted on you. I washed away the shame you carried through others' rejection and abuse.

And I freed you to be weak before me and others, not hard and defensive nor brash and foolish. I freed you to enter my pool of mercy again and again to receive grace to help you in your weakness. You learned to walk free from the shame and to receive mercy from fellow Christians as from my hand. And you grew and gained a vision of how my strength is available to you in your weakness.

Every step of the way I am with you. I know you are still weak. You still walk with a limp, a reminder of what I have saved you from and what I have saved you for - to call to others into the river so that they too can arise as members of my healing army. But I have trained and still training you to rely upon me and I have strengthened you at every step.

Give freely to others the grace in which I have immersed you. Raise high the cross for all to see, for from my cross I release the cleansing, healing flood that is the hope for humanity. Only here can sin and shame and wounding be dissolved. Only here can my people be strengthened in their weakness and become fruitful agents of my kingdom. Only here can my sons and daughters learn how to love well, even as I have loved them."

Honestly I feel like crying again as I type these words. This book is a must read for those who want to have a comprehension of true healing from sexual and relational brokenness.

Men, women, all of our struggles such as homosexuality or any addictions, and the church when laid at the cross will surely give us strength to love well, strength to leave shame behind, strength to overcome sin and strength in weakness.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor. 12:9

Skywalk Extreme Cebu & COH

Two weeks ago I was in Cebu for the second time with my team mates at work. We attended this trainer's training on Gender.

It was great for we all have learned a lot and had a great fellowship at the same time. The team went to Casa Verde and had our dinner! The food and the strawberry kiss drink taste really delicious at a low price.

My friend and I decided to take the Skywalk Extreme at Crown Regency Hotel. As expected, it was nerve-wracking but a wonderful experience to see the beauty of the city from the top at night!

Then last Thursday and Friday, the fourth (if I am not mistaken) "Channels of Hope" or COH, the workshop on HIV and AIDS for churches and faith based organization or FBOs, for the staff and church partners took place. Eighteen new "channels of hope" went home blessed and inspired with new hearts and attitudes for the infected and affected by the pandemic!

Once again, God have shown His faithfulness for taking control of everything and His goodness for all these blessings! Praise God and thank you so much for the opportunity to serve and glorify your grace through this ministry!

Underground River Palawan

It was my second time to visit the province of Palawan last week. The purpose of my trip there was to learn about breast feeding and HIV and behavioral change communication as part of my capacity building for my work.

The Lord was so good to bless us by allowing the group to see and experience the infamous subterranean river of Palawan or most commonly known as the "underground river".

You will wonder how those conical hanging pillar in a limestone cave has gradually built up or formed called stalactites. The forms and shapes amazed me. You will see a figure like that of the holy family, giant mushroom, a bacon liked shape, an onion liked form and many other shapes and figures depending on how you will apparently view it.

The trip alone on the river trekking inside the cave took us less than hour. From Puerto Princessa City, approximately it will take 90 minutes to 2 hours to go to Sabang and then you will take a 10-15 minutes boat ride to that side of the mountain where the underground river is situated.

With so much learning and information I have acquired from the training which will be truly helpful on my work, I feel so knowledgeable with the topic. And at the same I was blessed to see the beauty of this God's wonderful creation, it's an answered prayer and a dream come true.

I thank God for allowing me to serve Him through this ministry that comes with the opportunity to visit and see various parts of this country and later on outside the Philippines. Lord you're simply amazing!