Journey to God in Small Steps

I went to a Singles Camp-Retreat last August 25-27 with 100+ people from the Singles community in Victory U-Belt. Here is a photo during the last day of the retreat. Anchors Aweigh: Singles Camptreat at Canyon Cove Batangas, August 25-27, 2012 (Photo credit: Bethoven M. Filomeno) We received a lot of impartation that day about going back to our foundations and knowing our direction. The invited speaker, one of our beloved pastors at Victory Malate, was Pastor Nixon Ng. We understood that after the Singles Camp-Retreat, we are not just supposed to be on board in this amazing Christian Life (All Aboard), set sail (Anchors Aweigh), but actually be moving forward to our destination. So now, where am I a month after that message? I feel like I actually dared to move forward. Yesterday was my auditions day for the Victory Makati Music Team. The thing is God reminded me of how giftings are also given to set direction in your life during the Camptreat and here I was by faith applyi...

Normally, people would want us to mind our business. And that's the norm. Frankly, I'm one with you on that. So now, why am I blogging on a sensitive topic about religious persecution? Recent events have caused Muslim groups to protest angrily at US embassies around the Middle East - Tunisia, Egypt, etc. People point to a video of the Prophet Muhammad being portrayed as a lustful man. Frankly again, I have watched the beginning of it and yes, I believe in getting all the facts first before making a serious judgment. Okay, so I watched the video. I would see why our Muslim brothers were so offended. One, the video is not based on facts but as an entertaining sarcastic way of portraying a historical figure such as Muhammad in a bad light. The wrong - it is false, a lie; a slander; disrespectful; promotes lust; and maybe a little mixed with hatred for the race. I would have no complete idea. I did not watch the video completely either. Just a few seconds to see what the commot...

I assume you know what you look like because you have a mirror. I heard that some people in Africa don't know what they look like because they have no mirror. But you. You do know what you look like.  Even the plastic wrapping on the bus seat in front of me on my way to work gives me an idea how I look with no make-up. And I see I have to put make-up because my face looks pale without it. In today's technology-enabled world, we have digicams, video cams, photography, lenses, a make-up mirror. I once had an experience of going into a bathroom with all four sides from the ceiling to the floor covered in mirrors. Talk about seeing yourself take a dump in all four complete angles! How about something more natural? Like a water pool. No one is ignorant of how they look nowadays, again except for some in Africa that have yet to know what they look like, not having what people in the West and most parts of Asia do.  And I stop to think about God making man in Hi...

Anything bothering you this week? Load too tough and burdensome? Financial problems that won't just go away? Problems that just don't get solved? Life out of control? Hard to picture. But some may be in that situation now. And that one person could be me. Earlier. Sort of. Frustrations, tiredness and weariness. All I want to do is go home. I sit in my work chair and quietly breathe. I feel the hand of God in the presence of a cloud invite me to step into the cloud. He began to sit me in a chair in this horizontal table. And He would sit in his chair. Without me saying a word, I felt like I already talked to Him about it and gave it all to Jesus.  As the load of my frustrations suddenly dissipate in the presence and friendship of Jesus, I felt much lighter and better. The problem is not yet solved but I felt peaceful and calm.  Jesus now guides me by hand and sits me back in my work chair and I feel lighter. The cloud moves and I'm back to my work cubicle. Sometimes...

Before Jesus left and went on to heaven, He said to his disciples in Acts 1:18 " But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. " God is impressing upon my heart new believers who have yet to walk in the ways of the SPIRIT. God wants to extend the same blessing to you.  " If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! " (Luke 11:13) In my spiritual family, normally and biblically so, the elders and other Christians lay their hands on us to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That was how Peter and the disciples would bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit to new believers. " When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,   because the Holy Spirit had not yet co...