"THE WORST IS YET TO COME, THE BEST IS ALREADY OURS" - Luis Pantoja, Jr.

It's thirty minutes into the New Year. I just returned home from a New Year's Eve Service leading an exciting and meaningful time of worship followed by a hearty dinner with a loving family willing to host the worship pastor!

I planned on going home after the service but couldn't get a cab, so I called my dad that I needed to postpone my "homecoming" to the morning. It is never safe to travel on New Year's even around the Philippines-- despite the continued drizzle, there's just too much firecrackers and fireworks blowing off at every street corner which by the way is braved by a goodly number of people. Small group mate Joel and Tagalog worship team member Erwin all didn't have a place to go for New Year's so out of the kindness of siblings Mark and Luan, we got invited to a hearty dinner. Joel opted to go home and sleep the New Year's celebrations away.

Following the sumptuous dinner and a great dessert of a tub of fresh strawberries and chocolate fondue, Mark, Luan and Erwin decided to go to Eastwood just a quarter before the clock struck 12 and since I live just five blocks away I made it to my apartment just minutes before midnight.

The fireworks were an amazing sight! With the ridiculous amount of money "burned" tonight, it's hard to believe that I am living in a third world/developing country. But tradition (to ward off bad luck) calls for it, so thank goodness for the collective effort of people who spent millions and millions of pesos on fireworks so a lonely (but not sad) pastor who's spending New Year's all by himself in his condo would have something to enjoy watching. I had trouble which one to focus on since there were just too many of them happening at the same time even as my cellphone kept vibrating for hundreds of text greetings. But because of an unusually bad weather, the smoke from fireworks now blanket the entire country adding to our already serious air pollution problem. At any rate, they were all beautiful!

Now that the fireworks shows are over, people are inside their homes, and here I am typing this blog entry, I couldn't help but remember the bleak forecasts of economists concerning 2009! They say we better be prepared because "the worst is yet to come." But then, my wise Senior Pastor in his Benediction tonight said, "They say the worst is yet to come but we say the BEST is already ours." No matter how bleak the forecasts may be, no matter how big the storms are about to hit us, no matter how deep the rut we find oursleves in, we already have the BEST with us.- God is with us, and all the purposes, promises, and privileges that come along with His presence with us! And so I say, God is in control.

Tonight's New Year's Eve Communion Service was the Bomb! To begin with, the 2100-seat auditorium was packed and had to go on standing room only mode. I keep wondering whether we have been violating the city's fire code by overstuffing our auditorium with folks. GCF special holiday services such as Easter, Good Friday, Christmas and tonight's attract hundreds of people from other churches. But more than just the sheer volume of people who stood infront of me tonight as I led worship was the attitude - the mindset and heartset - of the congregation in worship.

The songs tonight have been prepared just a couple of days ago mainly due to the fact that beginning the 24th of December 'til January 4th, were declared non-working holidays. I did much of the work at home or while our of town, or conceptualizing the worship set sequence while taking my morning jog and prayer walk the last few days. In short, the preachers, musicians, the tech folks, the worship planning team and myself did not have time to meet about tonight's service, but by God's grace, He made me see again (like He always does) that He can work through, with and in people so that His purposes will be accomplished whether these people coordinated well or not. From song number one to the final one, all were beautifully stitched to the messages, statements, stories and experiences proclaimed in the service by the hand of God! I go back to the reality I stated earlier, God is in control. They say the worst is yet to come but we say the BEST is already ours.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

"GOOD BYE, LORD" - a new convert

Reading the news about Barrack Obama's choice of the Rev. Rick Warren to pray in his inaugural and all the controversies that go with it, particularly ending the prayer "in the name of Jesus," I couldn't help but be reminded of the man from my dad's old church- a fresh convert to Christianity, zealous in his new-found faith, he volunteered to say "grace" at a potluck/bless fellowship.

He began his prayer by addressing God as "Our Father," I thought, "Okay, cool start!" He went on and on, until his supposed "grace before meal" began to cover the entire world. The reason for his lengthy prayer was that he was so new in the faith that he didn't know how to end a "Christian" prayer. And so, in that rather fidgety moment he ended his prayer by saying, "and uh...ah...um.....Good bye, Lord."

I choose no other way to end my prayer except in the name of Jesus Christ or in certain cases, the Holy Trinity. I was born in a Christian home, to Christian parents (a pastor for a dad and a Sunday school teacher/realtor for a mom, who both have garduate degrees in theology and Bible), I literally started going to church even before I was born. I am a certified "son of the manse." My parents, older siblings and people from church all taught me, by example, to pray in the name of Jesus. That's basically my background.

In a 10x8' classroom together with the entire Children's Sunday School class I came to personal faith in Christ one Easter Sunday at age six. And as a gradeschool kid, I learned that more than just following mere tradition, praying "in the name of Jesus" came as direct command from the Lord Jesus Himself.

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:13-14

Now I don't pray in Jesus' name because I don't know any other way to end a prayer, but that I am following His explicit desire that His followers pray in His name, and because He delights to hear me pray to the Father in His name. In addition, there's so much theological implications to this two-sentence command- Christ's deity, Christ's advocacy, His righteousness imputed on us, He tore the veil giving us access to God's holy presence, etc.

Rick Warren wrote, "I'm a Christian pastor so I will pray the only kind of prayer I know how to pray....Prayers are not to be sermons, speeches, position statements nor political posturing. They are humble, personal appeals to God."

The whole of a Christian's life should be one of asking (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Nothing is too small to ask from the God who created tiny atoms, or too big to ask from the God who created the universe. We must not postpone prayer till we feel more worthy to do so because we will never be worthy enough to ask from God. We ask, not because we are worthy but because Jesus has invited us to ask and ask in His name.

Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, who was a presence at presidential inaugurations for several decades, said it's wrong to expect members of any faith to change how they pray in public.

"For a Christian, especially for an evangelical pastor, the Bible teaches us that we are to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. How can a minister pray any other way?" Franklin Graham said. "If you don't want someone to pray in Jesus' name, don't invite an evangelical minister."

Billy Graham, now 90, didn't say Jesus' name during presidential inaugurations, but made obvious references to Christ.

At Richard Nixon's 1969 swearing-in, Graham prayed "in the Name of the Prince of Peace who shed His blood on the Cross that men might have eternal life." In 1997, for Bill Clinton's inaugural, Graham prayed "in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

We are privileged to have the Spirit who prompts and teaches us to pray, Jesus Christ who mediates for us, and the Father who loves us. Therefore, we should pray in Christ's name and expect great things according to God's will. Let us use our privileged position to ask freely and boldly in His name. A Christian is only as strong as his prayer life (1 Corinthians 3:7).

A KID WITNESS

One Christmas Sunday evening service 1993 at my dad's old little church, I slipped at the dark brown upright piano ready to play for the singing. It was "testimony night"- anyone with a thanksgiving item, an experience, a song, an insight may stand and "testify." I always thought then as a high school kid that "testimony nights" were not the best times to invite any of my non-Christian friends because some of our church members get to be too emotional on testimony nights and my friends may find my crowd a little too weird.

There were perhaps 50 to 60 people present that night.

From the corner of my eye I saw a couple walk in. I've never seen them before 'til that night and I thought, "Oh no, we have guests!"

My brother stood and led the singing with me accompanying (not my "top" gift). After a hymn, a Christmas carol and a contemporary chorus, my dad opened the floor for testimonies. As expected, Deacon Sid Soliguen stood asked me if I could accompany him while he sang, "His Eye is on the Sparrow." After Deacon Sid, his daughter Joy testified about her grades. My mom stood and thanked God for financial provisions then she sang "My Tribute."

After several more testimonies and songs, the male guest stood! He opened his Bible and read Matthew21:16- "And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" and shared his story

Then he started sharing his story, the way I remember he said it:

"You see, it was a 'babe' who told me about Christ. One Good Friday afternoon, I stood puffing my cigarette in front of a Baptist chapel. I looked through the open the door and saw pews, books and a pulpit at the end of the chapel. I was killing time, waiting for the Good Friday procession when I saw a six-year-old kid come out of a chapel holding a Starwars action figure. The boy politely asked if I'd please stop smoking in front of the church. Just to tease the kid, I asked, 'What church? I don't see no church!' The boy pointed to the little chapel with open doors and said, 'That's a church right there.' I told the kid, 'That's not a church, I don't see God in it. In the church I go to we have God in it (referring to the images).' The smart little kid said, 'You may not see God in my church, but God sees you, and He knows when you do bad things.' I was dumbfounded by the kid's statement. There I was waiting for the Good Friday procession to come by so I could check out the girls!

The kid once again spoke- and by this time, his wisdom scared me- he went and said, 'But God is good. He forgives us even we do do bad things, if we say sorry to Him and ask Jesus to come into our heart and He will come and forgive us.'

I walked away from the kid and the chapel. As I walked down the street, I kept looking back at the kid peacefully and happily playing on the sidewalk in front of that tiny Baptist chapel. For some reason I felt as though the eyes of God were on me, boring a hole in my head and piercing my heart. I was deeply overladen by the kid's comment on the 'bad things' I do, and how God wants to forgive. I did not wait for the procession, went home, entered my room, got down on my knees and asked Jesus to forgive me and come into my life.

A week later I flew out of Manila to work in the Middle East. It was there when I craved for fellowship with God, and attend Christian worship. I badly wanted a Bible but didn't have access to it. Providentially, I met Christians who helped me in my walk. Now, I'm one of the leaders of that secret church in the Middle East, sort of like a pastor. All because one kids was brave enough to speak to me."

He walked to the piano. I thought maybe he was going to sing and will ask me if I knew the song he was singing. But he didn't sing, instead, he embraced me. He looked me in the eye and said, "You were that kid."

His name was "Neggie" and that was the last time I ever saw him and his wife.

Sometimes, all someone needs is a courageous word from us that God by His grace will use to reveal Himself to that someone. I get goosebumps whenever I talk about this story- the humbling experience of having been used by God to lead someone to Christ, unknowingly!

GETTING A BIG DOSE OF PROSPERITY GOSPEL

Last night, coming home from a weekend away, as soon as I dropped bag in my condo unit I decided to worship with a congregation that meets in a theater two blocks away from my condo. Now, before I continue, I'd like to say, this is not an attack on the church, but more of an introspection on my part and a reminder to my fellow Christians to be sensitive to what you hear, say, do pertaining to our faith in the risen Lord.

I made my way up and was greeted by a horde of ushers at the door, one handing an offering envelope, one holding out a dish of menthol candies to ensure a "sweet-smelling sacrifice of praise," and one greeting me a heart "Happy New Year!" I arrived just in time for the "prelude" which had a bad start with the drummer not giving the right timing, and it also ended abruptly at the signal of the stage director.

The Worship Team came out with the female lead singer shouting at the top of her husky voice- "Hallelujah!" We sang and sang. Following the fourth song, a short Chinese man in his early forties came up and said, "It is time to have Communion." So, my immediate reaction was to bow, and quietly ask God to prepare my heart for the ordinance while he read the preface found in 1 Corinthians 11.

The man started exhorting the congregation with these words: "Brothers and sisters...if there is a New Covenant that means there was an Old Covenant where people were required to offer animal sacrifices for their forgiveness." I thought, "OK, theologically correct." And then he continued, "If a person were rich he would sacrifice a bull, if a person were middle-class he would offer a lamb or a goat, if person were poor, he will offer a dove." I thought, "OK, still on track." He went on to say, "If there is no New Covenant, you and I will have to bring animals for worship- if you're rich, a carabao, if you're middle-class bring a pig, if you're poor, bring a chicken." And I thought, "Hmm...not quite, pig is unclean." He then said, "We need to sanctify our sin." And I thought, "How in the world can we 'sanctify' our sin? Does he mean 'sanctified (separated) from sin'"? But even "sanctified from sin" doesn't sound quite right. I hoped he just made a mistake until he said it again, "sanctify our sin," and again, and again. "Sanctified unto God" is more like it. I wanted to raise my hand and correct his statement. But I was a first-timer, and thought. "Let it go, Jon..let it go." And behind me, a man in his twenties said, "Yes, Lord. Sanctify my sins." And I was like, "Bummer, there goes a convert to heresy." I cannot question the sincerity, but a little grammatical mistake in a statement makes a whole lot of difference in its meaning. We had communion.

We sang some more-- a lot of "me" centered songs. The worship leader kept exhorting the congregation that we must worship the God who has done everything he can because he wants to bless us immeasurably- financially, relationally, physically and spiritually. Christ came one Christmas and died one Good Friday in order that we may be prosperous! He wants us to be rich in every way. That's one big dose of Prosperity Gospel right there.

Then the offertory came together a "shot" of Prosperity Gospel with a twist. The Children's Pastor came up with a 7-year-old girl who gave a testimony. The testimony goes, "Two Sundays ago, I gave twenty pesos in the offering. When I came home I got an angpao (red envelope) containing P200!" The pastor goes, "Guys, God will return what you give a hundred, even a thousand fold. So Let's pray: God we give our tithes today...help us to give sparingly because we know when we do, we will soon reap sparingly!" And from my bowed posture I looked at the pastor and felt a discernible tone of sincerity, he probably didn't know that he said a really bad prayer! That's the twist. There was a special number by a group of college-age women who danced to a song by American Idol, Fantasia!

Then the sermon came- a BIG shot of Prosperity Gospel based on selected passages from the book of Psalms that talk about security in the Lord. The pastor talked about the economists' forecasts for 2009 and said, "Those are facts, but they are not truth...Facts are just information, truth is truth." I thought, "Hmm...Should I even buy that explanation?" He went on to say, "We should not even believe those forecasts any more, we must stand on God's Word, He said he will bless us then he will bless us. The Bible says, the blessings of God maketh rich! Who wants to be rich?" There were exhuberant shouts from the crowd. Everyone seem to want to get rich! Who doesn't? The preacher goes on to say, "You're a child of God, you are destined for greatness...You have to speak blessings on your finances, relationships, health and spirituality...Don't say 'sales are bad' because it will be bad if you keep saying it. Instead say, 'God is blessing my sales'! so your business will prosper. If you want to be rich, pay your workers higher than minimum wage so they too will get richer...God is out to make you rich! And when He blesses us, He doesn't add troubles to it. You will have no more obligations- no debts anymore. Christ already paid your debts." The sermon pretty much ran that same course for 35 minutes then he asked the congregation to line up on the four aisles, each aisle is designated for a particular area one might want to be rich in- finances, relationships, health and spirituality. I stayed on to see which line would be the longest, and I wasn't not surprised at all with the result. Everyone seems to want to get rich!

I came out of the service empty. I'm a pastor, I'm supposed to be mature enough to handle such mistakes in theology and worship to receive something at least, but I didn't. I felt sincerity in their worship, but there are things that need to be corrected. Was I too critical or was I just a little too "educated" and "equipped" by the church to which I belong and serve that anything I hear that is contrary to what I have been taught from Scripture get flushed down the drain or perhaps my recycle bin hoping to glean something from it somehow?

My prayer is that pastors, church leaders, and "ordinary" Christians would stop looking at God as Santa Claus, or as some grand dad who spoils kids. We have a great responsibility in making God known to others as the Bible says He is, and not what we think He may be or what He can give us.

INCONVENIENT BLESSINGS...?

Christmas Day is over! Boxing Day aka the New Black Friday is just about to end.

This morning, I ate breakfast at a coffee shop after a good early morning jog. I ordered my food, paid, said "God bless you" to the barista, went and found a table, sat, changed the song in my MP3 player, and waited. While waiting, I found a window of time to relax and think-- think about blessings! Especially now that we are days away from the close of this year and the beginning of the next. I thought of how God graciously blessed me and family, my friends and my church with His favor.

“God bless you!” we say when someone sneezes. "God's blessings" I often sign at the end of an email, card, or letter. “What a blessing!” we say when hear something good. A child is taught to pray a simple prayer: "God bless Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Felix the Cat." We think we want God’s good favor, God’s approval, or at least we want good things for ourselves and for those whom we love that's why we say "God bless you." Even the modern "Good Bye" comes from that root phrase.

“Merry Christmas, Happy New Year,” we say at this time of year. And, beneath the sentiment lies a blessing of fulfillment and prosperity, however weakly felt or intended.

“The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

On the surface, we ask for good things to come our way: protection, comfort, healing, and material prosperity. God is the dispenser of good things, we believe, and so we ask for his blessing. But, I wonder if we really know what we’re doing when we invoke God’s presence in our lives. Some choose religion to be happy, blessed and have God's attention and favor!

Just what does it mean to have God’s attention focused our direction, anyway?

C. S. Lewis, the same author who brought the Chronicles of Narnia to life, wrote, “I haven’t always been a Christian. I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that. If you want a religion to make you really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” And, I wonder if, when he wrote those words, he hadn’t been pondering the Christmas story in which God took initiative to bless humanity that initially resulted to the inconvenience of many- an honorable man finding out his fiancee is pregnant our of wedlock; a teen-aged woman who got pregnant in the strangest of ways, a king who suddenly became insecure when he learned a new king was born, shepherds disturbed by the noise some angels made, etc., all because God took action with the intention of blessing us!

We have the glorious freedom to accept God’s intention. But then, that isn’t the equivalent of winning the lottery. The Christian message does not so much pave the way to easy money as it proclaims that God will have God’s way; come join the parade! You will be astounded by life unimaginable!

The Magnificat is Mary’s acceptance speech of God’s blessing, she discovers her own deep purpose and, in that discovery, sees God’s blessing for the world. God intends to have God’s way. God intends to turn things upside down so that we might see the folly of our own pride and vanity, and then willingly, even joyfully, join the holy parade of the blessed.

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iN OTHER NEWS" Nephews and Nieces this Christmas!

Ruth and Josh infront of the family home in Tampa

Jacob and Jared uber happy with the gifts they got

Hannah and Raymond in their party get-ups

Me and my grandnephew, Daniel! (whose mom is my niece, the only one without a photo)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men!

TWAS THE NIGHT BEOFRE CHRISTMAS

I love Christmas Eve. People are extra nice and polite- from security guards to convenience store clerks; restaurant managers to baggage counter personnel.

As I write this, I see dozens of fireworks all over Metro Manila illuminating the night sky from my 7th floor apartment window. I just returned home from a meaningful dinner with family following an equally meaningful and beautiful Christmas Eve Candlelight worship service with a couple thousand people. It was an amazing feeling to have lead worship tonight. I stood infront of thousands of people holding candles with flickering flames singing well-loved Christmas carols in honor of the Christ-child. It was a blessing to hear four sermonettes on Christmas.

My family drove to Eastwood for Christmas Eve dinner and took my nephews Jared and Jacob shopping for toys--my gifts to them. As I was paying for the items we bought, my nephew Jared tugged my shirt and asked, "Is 'Pastor' a job too?" I winked at him and said, "Yeah." A few seconds later he tugged my shirt again and said, "I know who your boss is!" I asked, "Who?" wondering if he would say Pastor Luis. Then with a smile he said, "JESUS."

GCF's Candlelight service (balcony level)

After the festivities, I entered an empty apartment wondering whatever happened to my family which together with growth and maturity lost a sense of tradition that began years and years back when the entire family stays together on Christmas eve, help each other prepare the Noche Buena dinner, exchange gifts in the living room after dinner, and going to bed at 3AM knowing that there will be a throng of relatives and friends who will come by our house on Christmas morning. When my siblings married and my mom passed away, we retained the tradition, until a couple of years back when it became inconvenient for us to gather at home and opted for restaurant dinners. And so I am here in my apartment, alone, but not lonely. The good thing about tradition though, is that we can always make new ones. When it is time for me to have my own family, we can have our own tradition.

And yet, a greater thought kept racing in my head; still marveling at the thought that JESUS is my BOSS!

No matter what happens to us, to this world, to human goverments and powers, my Boss remains in power. Which reminds me of a Christmas letter date 1943 by German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer to his parents at Christmastime. He wrote from prison having been sent there as a conspirator against the Nazi regime. A year and a half later, after passing through several prisons and concentration camps, he would be hanged for his active opposition against Hitler. Fortunately, many of his words have not been dispersed. To his mother and father he wrote,

“Of course you can’t help thinking of my being in prison over Christmas...In times like these we learn as never before what it means to possess a past and a spiritual heritage untrammeled by the changes and chances of the present. A spiritual heritage reaching back for centuries is a wonderful support and comfort in face of all temporary stresses and strains. I believe that the man who is aware of such reserves of power need not be ashamed of the tender feelings evoked by the memory of a rich and noble past, for such feelings belong in my opinion to the better and nobler part of humankind….

“For the Christian, there is nothing peculiarly difficult about Christmas in a prison cell. I daresay it will have more meaning and will be observed with greater sincerity here in this prison than in places where all that survives of the feast is its name. That misery, suffering, poverty, loneliness, helplessness and guilt look very different to the eyes of God from what they do to man; that God should come down to the very place which men usually abhor; that Christ was born in a stable because there was no room for him in the inn – these are things which a prisoner can understand better than anyone else. For the prisoner the Christmas story is glad tidings in a very real sense. And that faith gives the prisoner a part in the communion of saints, a fellowship transcending the bound of time and space and reducing the months of confinement here to insignificance.

“On Christmas Eve I shall be thinking of you all very much, and I want you to believe that I too shall have a few hours of real joy and that I am not allowing my troubles to get the better of me…It will certainly be a quiet Christmas for everybody, and the children will look back on it for long afterwards. But for the first time, perhaps, many will learn the true meaning of Christmas.”

I recalled the words we just heard read: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and lived among us.” Under a warm embrace there was hard content in that Word we named Jesus Christ. Filled with grace and truth, he taught us what really mattered. God wrote us a letter, a Christmas letter, as it were.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

CHRISTMAS EVE

Getting ready for the Christmas Eve service, my nephew greeted me on YM and told me how much they enjoyed last Saturday's Christmas concert at their new home church in Brandon, Bell Shoals Baptist Church.

Christmas concert at Bell Shoals, my family's church in Brandon FL

They went to buy a tree last week at the Tree Farm just off the city. I remember my family went shopping for gifts in Binondo and Divisoria when I was eight. We stopped by a little roadside Chinese restaurant to have lunch. Close to the restaurant's glass window stood a five-foot plastic Christmas tree with lights. I told my dad that we should get a new tree too. The Chinese lady who owned the restaurant heard the father-son conversation, and decided to butt in, "Ako benta akin keh-lis-mas tuh-lee, ikaw gusto bili?" (I'm selling my Christmas Tree, you want to buy it?)! What an enterprising lady- willing to sell even the tree that decorated her store!

Christmas Tree farm

Josh and Ruth beside the tree

I found this inside the box of my Greek Bible sitting on my desk just now and decided to scan it. For some reason, the Lord allowed me to find this photo again- Christmas 1993 was alot of fun!

Christmas Eve 1993 at the old house on Ifugao Road with my sister and bro-in-law

and my Vanilla Ice-inspired hair!

After the service later, I'm joining my family-- what's left in the Philippines-- for Christmas Eve dinner aka Noche Buena! I'll be home for Christmas!

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

"T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..." so the poem Clement Clarke Moore wrote goes, speaking of the visit of Santa Claus.

The night before Christmas is reserved for merry-making and family dinners. We go to bed with a great sense of anticipation for Christmas morning- looking forward to finding gifts, goodies and stuff under the Christmas tree. For the fun of it, my parents used to hang red stocking for my older brother and me each Christmas eve telling us that Santa might pass by and drop an angpao (red envelope) on his way to North America! We would wake up Christmas morning and find angpaos with one-hundred peso bills in our stockings! It was a tradition that remained even through high school--but no longer with the childish notion that Santa comes and drops money into my stocking! I always looked forward to the angpaos on Christmas morning.

But what was Jesus Christ doing on the night of the first Christmas- before His birth in human form?

What was He doing? Well, He was quoting Scripture on the night before Christmas! I love this passage in the book of Hebrews (Chapter 10) that goes:

5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.' "

Jesus was stepping out of eternity and timelessness into time and space quoting Scripture. derived from another passage His human forefather, David spoke in Psalm 40.

8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

When Jesus was coming into the world He was saying, "I have come to do Your will, O God."

To be the final sacrifice for the sin of everyone because we cannot be forgiven unless a perfect sacrifice is offered in our stead- once for all- for the forgiveness of sin and the salvation of humanity.

It's hard to talk about the Christ's cradle and not talk about the cross. It's hard to talk about His birth and not mention His death because He came for that specific purpose- to die on the cross.

When Christ came as a baby in the manger he fulfilled the prophet Isaiah's declaration 700 years before. Matthew 1:23 is a direct quote from Isaiah 7:14, ”Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).” God with us. That little phrase is loaded with meaning as it points us to the ultimate reason why Christ came. It shows us that the incarnation of Christ was intended to bring us into community with God.

This truth becomes more clear in Christ’s death on the cross. Ephesians 2:13 says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” That’s amazing. We were brought near (to God!) by the blood of Christ. The cross brought into community with God. Perhaps the clearest statement in the Bible regarding this truth is found in 1 Peter 3:18 which says, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.”

So, what is the ultimate reason why Christ came? John Piper says,

This is the greatest thing Christ died for. This is the greatest good in the good news. Why is that? Because the gospel is the good news that at the cost of his Son’s life, God has done everything necessary to enthrall us with what will make us eternally and ever-increasingly happy–namely, himself.

THOUGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

It's the 23rd of December.

Some Advent Thoughts. As I was preparing for the Christmas Eve service and reviewing some of the videos meant to be played in it, and as I looked at the scripture upon which these videos are based, I couldn't help but be struck by the responses of Joseph and Mary to the news the angel brough to each of them and how it will eventually affect their lives.

When Joseph initially learned that his fiancee was pregnant, he wanted to divorce her secretly (Matt 1:19). He was an honorable man and didn't want to go against the traditions of his fathers, his religion and his integrity. But an angel appeared to stop Joseph from doing it. When Mary received the announcement of the angel she had nothing to say but "May it be done unto me..." (Luke 2:38).

What does it mean for each of us to grow into our integrity, into wholeness in response to God’s call on our lives? That’s a question worth taking home. Actually, it could very well be the most important question there is. Mostly we won’t give it the time of day, of course, even when on an occasion such as this we’re specifically invited to do so.

Maybe it’s too weird and abstract. Or maybe the Christmas story has been so filled with sentimentality that we simply cannot see beyond the gooey sweetness and cannot imagine how it could possibly be relevant to what I’m going to find when after all the parties, when I go home or visit my family for the holiday.

But sometimes, sometimes, something happens, some startling new thing interrupts our previously devised plan or expectation and choices are set before us that are really quite clear once we allow ourselves the opportunity to truly look and to listen. We’re invited to grow into a larger version of ourselves, to do the better, if seemingly more difficult thing. In effect, to say yes to God.

That Gabriel spoke to a nobody from nowhere should let us in on the secret that no one is outside the bounds of God’s attention and care. That everyone is within the range of God’s voice, that no prior or current condition prevents God from breaking into anyone’s life anywhere, even those who have migrated to modern day Rome, the city of great expectations, a locus of both astonishing human accomplishment and corruption. Even here God works. Right here. In each of us Christ desires to be born anew.

Each of us in some form or manner confronts a similar predicament as Mary and Joseph. That’s our existential situation and our spiritual work. How shall we grow into our integrity, into wholeness, into God’s intention for our lives? Will we ever say yes to God, really? This question agitates until we let go of our very last breath. And even then, I imagine, our response awaits....

An MP3 Player. After the Church Staff 70s-themed Christmas Party I went and had a late afternoon snack with a colleague who showed me the raffle prize he got at the party- a nice brand new blue 1G iPOD shuffle! Sometime last week-- Sunday, I guess, I was with Lennie and Chris at the mall checking out some Apple® stuff. I started drooling over- like an 80s kid would over He-Man action figures- the new MacBook Pro! I particularly like the Garage Band system for my music ministry use!

But I've always had my eye on the tiny iPOD shuffle which I've been wanting to purchase one for myself since I started jogging again- there's nothing like good music to go with a good morning jog! So, I after the late afternoon snack, my colleague and I walked back to that Apple store to buy that MP3 player. We asked the lady how much it costs and she said, "We are out of stock...some rich guy bought every iPOD shuffle from all our store branches to give away for Christmas!" I figured maybe it wasn't God's time and will for me to get myself an MP3 player.

Early this evening as I was walking back to Emerald Avenue to get grab a bite before going home, I bumped into someone who said he was on his way to church to drop off a gift he has for me! He handed me a box. I asked if had time to have coffee but he said he didn't. As I waited for my pasta to be served I opened the gift box and found a Philips MP3 player! God prevented me from buying an iPOD shuffle because he was going to give me a Philips player! Thank you, Lord for the new gadget!

What was Jesus doing or thinking on the night before Christmas? I figured, it is best to answer this tomorrow- Christmas Eve, the night before Christmas.

WORSHIP AT THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST

An invitation to lead worship at a gathering of national and international leaders don't happen very often for a lot of worship leaders but I praise God for the opportunity to do so together with the entire GCF Worship Team, Chancel Choir and 4Word.

Our Senior Pastor was asked to give an inspirational address at the National Prayer Breakfast and our Worship Ministry was requested to lead the time of worship and praise.

I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling talking to God the whole night before the event- I was nervous! I have led worship on many occasions, the largest crowd I led apart from my church is at a Hanry Blackaby conference held at one of the large astrodomes and that was the last time I felt that nervous to lead worship. The evening before the National Prayer Breakfast, a GCF member hosted the pastors to a sumptuous dinner at a restaurant she owns. After dessert, our senior pastor asked for prayer jokingly saying that he might end up in jail for the prophetic sermon he will deliver. He too was nervous! So we huddled over our tables and prayed.

National leaders and international guests and dignitaries started pouring into the 1500-seat Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel. My heart began to pound when the former president of the Republic walked in and sat two tables from mine. Big names in politics, business and religion, dignitaries from the diplomatic corps were among those in the crowd.

Worship at the National Prayer Breakfast was amazing! Many said it there should have been a longer time of praise and worship, but we were just given little time. But the Lord is good. It was a meaningful time for me as well as the entire worship team and choir. It was humbling and exciting to see big leaders acknowledge that there is someone even GREATER than them-- GOD alone!

"He that would come to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," {Heb 11:6}. You say that you do not find God? Then, draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. That is always the offer of Scripture. The greatness of God is found only by those who respond to God's invitation, who step out to draw near to him. When they do they discover that God is a God of wonder and redemptive love.

The Menu

Singing "You Are God Alone"

The Worship Team- 4Word and Deacon Ross Tan

People worshipping

Former President Fidel Ramos with his hands "raised" singing "How Great is our God"

Worshipping

The Mayor of Manila, Alfredo Lim's welcome remarks

The Vice President, Noli de Castro and Former President Ramos

Chunky Chris, myself and Joy

The VP addressing the gathered

Dr. Luis Pantoja, our senior pastor delivering a prophetic sermon

our little choir- those who woke up at 3AM and rehearse at 6

chubs....it's Christmas, what else can we do?

Fidel Ramos offering a prayer for the nation

chubs...again

GCF team with the former President

the band and worship team

younger pastors and musicians

TEN DAYS TO CHRISTMAS

It's 10 days to Christmas!

I just returned home from one of those parties thrown by church members for pastors-- with "the sole purpose of overstuffing their servant leaders with special food!" to quote one of my colleagues. I walked into an elevator on the ground floor already full of people carrying gifts of every kind. I was carrying a fruit box, two boxes of brownies (which I gave to the security guards at the lobby), chocolates and a new BVLGARI™ leather wallet!

It's 10 days to Christmas!

I have a somewhat different take on Christmas this year. It is sort of surreal in a way. I am in the midst of it but it's as if I am on the outside looking on. Standing in the middle of the mall while waiting for the servers to fix our table for lunch I observed how rushed every one seemed. I got to thinking about all the busy-ness of the season and all that we put into it.

It's 10 days to Christmas.

And I concluded that Christmas busy-ness is a part of the intricate web of anticipation inspired by a time when everything can potentially go well. The wonder and waiting and yearning for Christ to come again into the world and into our lives.

It's 10 days to Christmas.

Sort of begs the question: where do we go on from here? It seems difficult to think about going back to business as usual. Having been stirred with hope and the confidence of God’s presence, how do we get back into the real world and keep the Spirit of Christmas alive?

It's 10 days to Christmas!

Within the comforts of my home I stood drinking a cup of hot green tea admiring the twinkling Christmas lights decorating the palatial homes around Greenhills and the beauty of the clear night sky! And I began to think reflectively- WHAT COULD CHRIST HAVE BEEN THINKING, SAYING OR DOING ON THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS? Was He as busy as we all are with things we probably shouldn't be? What could be happening in heaven before Christ stepped down on earth? I'll blog about it tomorrow!

BEYOND COMFORTABILITY

Sunday for me began with the words from Isaiah 40:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

It came as an exhortation because for the first time in my several years as worship pastor, I felt uneasy/uncomfortable with the songs I chose for Sunday's worship! Three of the five songs are pieces I have never ever used until Sunday! The problem with that is a worship leader has to be so familiar with the songs he leads the congregation to sing, and that wasn't my case. I've studied the pieces over the last five days, but there's a huge difference between studying the pieces and listening to recordings from having actually sung them in public. The worship team and I had an hour-and-a-half rehearsal time on Saturday, and yet I was still uncomfortable with those three songs. It was a weird yet familiar feeling.

When I am comfortable with a song, I have no problem leading people to sing it without having the urgent feeling rehearsing it beforehand. My pianist knows this, she and I can grab a couple of music pieces and lead worship impromptu-- without having to run a rehearsal.

And so, on Sunday morning, with the horizon still very dark--the night is darkest just before the dawn- I sat on the edge of my bed with my Bible in hand wondering how to lead the worship songs without messing them up. I read the very word of the Lord spoken by Isaiah:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

I asked God that He would help me be comfortable with the uncomfortable songs. But I realized, God will comfort us and not allow us to be comfortable. We are comforted but not comfortable. The first 39 chapters of the book of Isaiah, the Prophet, we find the distresses and the desolation of the nation of Judah under attack by the Assyrians. Then chapter 40 comes with a Good News. Isaiah tells his people that they can find comfort in God--though they may not be comfortable at the moment--they can find comfort in the sovereign God.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

9 You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"

10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?

13 Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
or instructed him as his counselor?

14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?

15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

17 Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.

18 To whom, then, will you compare God?
What image will you compare him to?

God does not call us to comfortability, if He did, none of us would have to support missionaries, we would not have to give our offerings, we would not have to be busy on Sunday mornings, we would not have to visit the poor, the sick the down and out, we would not have to share the Gospel and fear rejection, we would not have to lisetn to long sermons. He doesn't call us to comfortability but wants us to find comfort in Him.

Yesterday, as I led worship all day, I was still uncomfortable with the songs but I found comfort in God. And I must admit, at every worship service, there was always a glitch particularly during the singing of the uncomfortable songs.

God wants us to step out of our comfortable zones and explore the uncomfortability of faith and discipleship. When Christ himself took on flesh and born on earth that first Christmas morning, He was laid on a feeding trough! That isn't comfortable. All through his life on earth, He was not comfortable, so were His followers. But in Him we find comfort. Someone has said, "Christ doesn't want to merely make us happy, but He wants to make us holy." Holiness is uncomfortable, but we find comfort in the HOLY!

GIVING AWAY STARBUCK STICKERS

It's starbucks-giving-away-new-planners-provided-you-spend-way-too-much-money-on-their-overpriced-imported-coffee time of the year again.

Starbucks wasn't as full as I expected it would be on a Friday night. Maybe folks were still out in their parties! So, I was standing at the customers' the side of the counter admiring the 2009 Starbucks Planner displayed atop the dessert display fridge when the barista called my attention, "Sir...this counter is open."

I walked towards her side and gave my orders: a grande Dark Cherry Mocha and one grande Toffee Nut Latte- both hot, and a cup of brewed coffee! The barista and I went through the normal routine-- I order, she repeats my order, she asks for my name and writes it on the cups, she punches in my orders, tells me how much my bill is, I hand her money, she gives me back my change. Then she asked me if I have a sticker card. I didn't (I still don't). She asked if I would want one, I said no. Then I noticed a girl beside me holidng a sticker card. "She could have my stickers" I told the barista, and turned to the 20-ish-looking girl and asked, "Would you like to have my stickers?" She smiled and said, "Wow! Yes! Thanks!" She handed the sticker card to the barista. With my three stickers, she completed the entire sticker collection! Within minutes she got her new planner! She kept thanking me for the stickers. I said, "You're welcome" and walked towards the claim section to wait for the drinks I ordered.

She ordered her drink and got a new sticker card.

She walked towards me holding up her phone and asked if she can take a picture with the guy who made her "complete" this season! A quick photo opp followed! "Merry Christmas!" I said, invited her to church and walked away! I hope she comes to church on Sunday.

MAUISMS (copied form Lennie's site)

(Note: This entry was created with permission from the main man himself, P.Mau! Hihi..)

There was once the ERAP jokes, then came the Alma-isms and Melanie-isms... Over the past year, we have been witnessing and hearing our good friend, PMau, share his quirks about people, places and anything that tickled his fancy.. So we thought maybe it's time that we come up with our very own PMau-ism list - the wackiest, craziest and unforgettable lines and names that has PMau stamped all over them...

1. JAY MOLINA - the actor recently arrested for joking that has a bomb while he was inside an airplane. He was Joyce Jimenez's ex-bf and starred with Kris Aquino in Mano Po and Feng Shui.

2. MISTER FRIES - McDonald's curly fries.

3. ACE - Barbie/Noodles' son (Barbie/Noodles by the way is Bubbles, and she actually named her son Ice)

4. The new restaurant chains series:
- GO DONUTS- aka Go Nuts Donuts
- GO LOOPS - a combination of HOT LOOPS and GO NUTS Donuts
- YIN-YANG - isn't this Chinese restaurant supposed to be San-Yang?
- CITY WAFFLES - a Heaven and Eggs competitor once owned by Bert Nievera
- TOKYO BOY - did Tokyo Tokyo and Teriyaki Boy merge recently?
- MAMAs AND TINAs - the bakery cafe along C5 which serves the best sausage rolls, wait... or is this some sort of Mamas and Papas breakaway group?

5. The Bible was written by CHUCK SWINDOLL

6. JOLINA JONES - starred in TOMB RAIDER; the daughter of Jon Voight; the cool momma of Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh and Pax

7. Calling a man, a fellow GCFer and lomographer, named MILKO, MILKY! Bakit nga naman kasi pinangalanan sya ng ganun? Very dairy.

8. UMA TAYLOR - Hollywood Actress who starred in Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction

9. FARPUCCINO - Starbucks' signature drinks!

10. COFFEE LEAF - Starbucks' competitor and I must say they serve the best chai latte (who knows, they might even make their own concoction of coffee leaf farpuccino... you'll never know!)

11. BEYONEE - a member of Destiny's Child and coined the term 'bootylicious'; also starred in Austin Powers, Dreamgirls and Pink Panther

12. KABUTI - a traditional form of Japanese theater where the actors are heavily made up with pale to almost-white makeup (though wikipedia listed this as Kabuki)

13. Former PBB Housemates:
- SAM MELVIN - the hunk housemate from Pinoy Big Brother Season 1
- BLANCA GONZALES - from the PBB Celebrity Edition

14. ANIK FLUX - a movie starring Charlize Theron based on the popular MTV animation series.

15. 23 - a hit TV series starring Kiefer Sutherland

16. SAVIORville - the subdivision in Loyola Heights near Ateneo and Miriam College

17. SHELLFOOD - crabs, clams, oysters, lobsters....

18. MODESTA - the subdivision near Cinco Hermanos in Marikina. All along I thought it was Monte Vista. Hmmmm...

19. YEAR of the SCORPION - if you're born in November 1980, you must've been born under this sign(?)

20. TONTON FISH - not-so-bright fish served at Soms Noodle House

21. VERANDRA - yung parang terrace, yung parang balcony :)

22. EIGHT WAVES - kung nasaan ang Starbucks Coffee sa Marikina.. wait, isn't it Blue Wave?

23. ONE MILLION BABY - award-winning movie directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Hillary Swank, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood.

24. MAYA-MAYA - mga ibong nakatayo sa electric wire sa Zambo...hmmm...sounds fishy to me...

25. SABIT-PUSA - ang tawag sa taong hindi pa "official" na kasali sa isang laro or grupo.

26. CLAUDIO - ang apelyido ng isa sa mga hosts ng Unang Hirit at newscaster ng Saksi

27. I WANNA BE A MACHO DANCER (to the tune of Another One Bites The Dust) - isang kantang pinasikat ni Freddie Mercury at ng bandang Queen na isinalin ni Bitoy sa tagalog (May Isa Na Namang Kumagat sa Alikabok)...

28. BECHA - ang kapareha ni Popoy sa pelikulang One More Chance

29. TRUST IN GOD Bldg - ang gusali sa tapat ng GCF Ortigas na balita ko ay City & Land Megaplaza ang tunay na pangalan.

Feel free to leave your PMau-isms thru the comments thingy below and I'll be glad to add them to the list.

KEEPING CHRISTMAS

Coming home from Midweek service last night, I passed by the Podium to grab a take-out turkey sandwich for dinner at Subway's. The Podium is a mall that is relatively more expensive fashionable than the rest of the other malls around the area; and yet, at 8:45PM, there were still a great number of people shopping! The Christmas air has been blowing over Metro Manila since around September, but shopping, merry-making among other stuff related to the season had just begun happening around late November!

At Faith Bible College today, while having banana split with the students during fellowship time, we found ourselves complaining about how some of us not receiving gifts from our kris kringle or Secret Santas. In another conversation with a girl from church, I told her that I have been invited to 11 more Christmas parties within the next 15 days, and how I am so sure that I won't be able to attend every one of them. There's no escaping, the Christmas fever is here. Everybody seems to be extra nicer; people smile more than they did over the last eleven months; people are generous. But in most cases, the fever breaks a day or so after New Year's.

YACIES Growth Group Christmas Bash last Tuesday

At about the turn of the last century, a well-known clergyman of the day, Henry van Dyke, wrote a short Christmas message he entitled, “Keeping Christmas”. Like all wisdom that weathers well over the years, his was obvious as well as poignant. He made the simple observation that “there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas.”

I just returned from a Christmas Party for 500 people, most of whom are ministry volunteers at church- ranging from Choir members to ladies who stamp letters to first time guests. All of them bothered to come to celebrate the birth of the Savior. In so doing they have symbolically come to the stable, and knelt on dry straw beside a feeding trough with others who they have mostly never met, peering into the face of a small child.

These are people willing to recognize that their generation is not the last one; that they have received an astonishing inheritance given by the hand of God; that their very next breath of life is pure gift; that all their abilities and capacities were knit together in their mother’s womb and had nothing to do with that yet willing to use it for God's work; that the bounty this planet offers – its beauty and majesty – are both a wondrous blessing and an awesome responsibility; that they have duties to perform as citizens of a nation in a dangerous world; they have experienced grace and are willing to share that experience with others so others too may know God the way they do?

If we have any of this experience or willingness, we will keep Christmas and not simply observe it. Keep it for God’s sake, and your own, and for the sake of the world.

---------------------------------------

In other news: (this is with Ely's permission)

It's funny how the Lord sometimes teaches us about discipleship and priority.

Last Sunday was the great match between Oscar dela Hoya and Manny Pacquiao so Ely, our worship band guitarist planned his day in a way that would allow him to watch the bout at the Galleria Cinema live via satellite!

At 7AM, he played during worship and went straight to the mall a block away to buy his ticket. And since there was a movie playing, he sat in and watched a part of the movie. He returned to church at 8:40 and played guitar at the 9AM service. He went back to the theater to wait for the fight. Discovering that the match won't be out 'til around 11:30, he went back to the cinema after he played for our 11AM service.

As he walked back to church after the fight, he realized that his wallet was gone. It contained 9000Pesos which included his tithe, some cash his friend asked him to deposit in the bank the next day, and his cards-- all gone!

He prayed- "Lord, I'm sorry I prioritized something so mundane over YOU. Forgive me. Now, my wallet is gone. But I pray God that You will replace it in some way according to Your will. God, I'm sorry too that I lost my tithe. I should have given it back to You earlier..."

His face downcast, he took one of his two cell phones and dialled the credit card company and had his Visa blocked. After a few minutes, he took his other phone and called his bank to cancel his ATM card. Just as he was speaking to a lady who was about to cancel his Card, his other phone rang. He picked up.

"Is this Norwille Damasin?"

"Yes."

"You lost you wallet."

"Yes, I did. How did you know my number?"

"I found it in your wallet- a Smart money receipt! Do you want to meet up so I can return it to you?"

"I hope I don't sound rude or anything, but I will be busy because I play in a worship band at church so I won't be available til after that."

"Fine with me. I too have to go to church."

"You're a Christian too?"

"Yes, GCF- Greenhills Christian Fellowship."

"So am I!"

Ely got his wallet back--not a dime short! Gave his tithe, deposited his friend's money the next day, and armed with stronger faith in the Lord.