Morality and Me

Here is the lyrics to a Shane and Shane song that really just reminds me of the ignorant lifestyle that the Lord saved me from. Growing up in the church made me assume that I was saved when I was just following a set of morals that gave me a false sense of comfort and a false sense of salvation. The verses in this song just reminded me how God delivered me from that mindset of legalism and brought me into the light of His marvelous grace. Thank God we weren't left alone to try to earn a good standing because on our own we wouldn't be able reach it.

God Did (Emphasis mine)

Growin’ up I overheard
All the grown ups sayin’
You better be prayin’
And sayin’
All the right little things
At the right little times
And I had it down
At least on the outside
I’d put my best side forward
I could smile with the best
And dress like the rest
Of the messed up church folk singin’ a song

Are you sitting down
With all your sin and shame all stored up
Are you ready to live
For what the law could not do
God did

Could it be that morality
Got the best of you and me
Got us thinking
That we’re on the brink
Of a drink of the cup that’s all filled up
With the cross havin’ even a little to do with us
It was His day
It was His way
To the glory of His grace
Took our disease
Enough to please
The Father of lights
To bruise Jesus

Maybe do’s and don’ts
Were made to show
How much we do
And don’t ever make it

Resting in Grace,

Micah

What Does God Look At?

"It is an abomination to God to keep an external law without a heart relationship." (Macarthur.)

Christianity isn't about abiding by a set of rules but it is about a heart relationship with the Savior. Morality alone may seem salvation worthy in the eyes of human perception, but God looks only at the heart and not our outward deeds (Luke 16:14-15). Love the Lord by embracing His Gospel, and then you will have communion with Him now and forevermore.

It's hard to be patient sometimes. And It's really hard to wait... Well, one things for sure. Lord, I trust You.

Balikbayan (Part 4)

After being with the family, I met back up with Fred and Bong at another house where Fred's relatives lived. Pastor Felix and Jeremy went back to Greenhills Christian Fellowship because the elders had asked Pastor if he could do a study for them. Our rendezvous point was the Mall of Asia. Fred found a weird food stand that sold "Pizza in a Cone." It was basically pizza wrapped as a cone (nothing too special). I guess there is something special about the geometric shape of a cone that changes the taste of pizza. Interesting..

Once we were finished at the mall, we were headed to Caloocan.


CALOOCAN

Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe Caloocan is in Manila. I'll have to look that up, so forgive me if that is incorrect. But this place is another poor part of the P.I. This was a sharp contrast from where we were in Ortigas. I mean, GCF was right next to a mall and was in an area that was thriving, but we were in a place that did not have any of that.


This was such a humbling experience. We went to Pastor Virly's church (Mt. Zion Evangelical Church) and he was extremely kind to us. His entire family and congregation were very hospitable. Pastor Virly attended the Purpose and Passion Conference so we had already met him prior to our arrival. But in those couple days, we were able to get to know him a lot better.

That Saturday we were able to spend time with their youth. There was a good size of them there, and it really reminded us of our fellowship at MCC. We were able to share songs, take part in their icebreaker games, and preach the Word. Playing praise songs was interesting because they were using an overhead projector to project their praise lyrics. After doing Powerpoints for so long, it was difficult to go back to transparencies. But we were able to write the lyrics to all three praise songs on three different transparencies (It was a flash back to middle school for me).

Highlight alert! I was given the opportunity to preach to these people after we sang and did the icebreakers. And O what a humbling experience that was. Preaching is hard enough for me. I had to preach in a language I had little experience in and with teenage kids too. My comfort was in the fact that I had always taught high school kids at my church and that is what I assured them with. I let them know that I taught teenagers exactly like them in the States. Yet, getting the message from my heart to theirs was still a difficult task. There was a girl sitting near me who I constantly referred to for translating key words. If I ran out of Tagalog, I would go to my left and say "Ano [RANDOM ENGLISH WORD] sa Tagalog?" and then I would relay take that word and run with it. She could have gave me blasphemous things to say, but I don't think she did because no chairs or tomatoes were thrown at me. You know, when you are in a position like that, you kind of wish that you were a charismatic that spoke in tongues. LOL... I mean seriously, you just want to get yourself out of the way and give them the pure, unadulterated Word of God. Because really, I had nothing else to give them. These people who have so much less than me would have appreciated money but I knew that the money I gave them couldn't give them eternal security. What did I have to I offer them but the Word? What did I have to offer but the true Gospel that leads to eternal life? At that moment, I could only just preach my heart which stem from the truth of Jesus Christ and I just wanted them to be saved. I knew of no other no other message to give them except Christ Jesus and Him crucified.

I poured my heart out to those kids in Caloocan and I hope that they understood that I loved and cared for their souls. I believe it was Edwards who said that preaching isn't about how much information people retain but about the impression that you leave on them in the moment of it. It was such an experience for me to worship with them in their context and at their home. We were able to show compassion and encouragement to our brothers and sisters who desperately needed.

Loved ones, I live for ministry. This is what keeps me going. Nothing gives me more joy than to proclaim the way of salvation to the lost and to encourage the spirits of my brethren in times of difficulty. I am at my highest point of worship when I am proclaiming the whole counsel of God to the ears of those who ear. My happiness is founded in training bringing up men who are willing to sacrifice it all for the sake of being a disciple of Christ. Yes it sounds strange to many of you. But I don't want to do anything else. I don't want to coast into heaven. Time is short, the days are evil, and every minute of my life will be held accountable to God. I want to make this vapor of a life count for all of eternity.

Lord, you know how much my heart longs to be with you. As long as I have breath, I will do what I can to bring that Gospel to the friends, to the families, to the neighbors, to the cities, to the nations, and to the very ends of the earth. Nothing else will ever satisfy me except this mission. Lord, help me. It is going to be so hard. I know. But this is the only thing I want to do.

"Theres a Voice of Sovereign Grace..."

Been looking for some sound music. These guys redo old hymns but they drastically change the melody. I really enjoy keeping as close to the old melody as possible (probably because I grew up with them), but their catchy notes aren't too shabby. Apparently, my sister gave me some of their songs and I just never knew who they were. Now I do! Go check 'em out!

"Lord, Send 'em to Glory"

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21)

It is not wrong to ask the Lord if it is His will to heal our infirmities. But when sickness strikes, we quickly focus on the temporal fixes and we just want to get "better." When you put it back into the true perspective, what is "better" in the eyes of the believer? During the courses of our lifetimes, we see that tribulation can cloud our judgment and we forget to realize that eternal glory is much more satisfying than life here on earth. Don't get me wrong. This place has many good things and great people, but when you compare it to the immensity that is heaven, it does not even come close.

What you gain when you die is immeasurable. You gain the God of this universe. The Savior that loved you. The Savior that died for you. The Savior that took the wrath in your stead. This God paid the price in full by charging it all to His account. Our enemies have no ground for accusations because our advocate is the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, dying is gain. No more sin, no more sorrow, only eternal jubilation.

Beloved, let us not fear death as the Gentiles who do not know God. But let us embrace the fact that death is dead. Sin has lost its sting. Hell is no longer our end. Instead, we are safe in the arms of our Lord forever for He has conquered death once and for all through the blood of His Son. Beloved, do you not realize that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever? Do you not know that we shall worship and serve Almighty God for eternity? O how we must be people who wake up every-single-day longing for heaven. Time is short, the days are evil. May this longing to be with Christ cause us to live our lives with a great urgency to expand the kingdom through the sanctification of His church and through the proclamation of the Gospel. Lord, we CANNOT wait for heaven! We cannot wait because it is where unceasing, unfathomable pleasure awaits us. And this everlasting enjoyment comes to us through the presence of God Himself. Lord, we just want to be with You.

So, with this realization, I ask one last question:


Now, with your very soul, do you believe that "to die is gain?"


We should.

Explain Yourself Luther!

The Reformation had changed everything. Everyone wanted to know how this change came about. So when asked to explain the movement that shook the world, the Reformer Martin Luther said this,

"I simply taught, preached, wrote God's Word: otherwise I did nothing. And then, while I slept ... the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or emperor did such damage to it. I did nothing: the Word did it all. Had I wanted to start trouble.... I could have started such a little game at Worms that even the emperor wouldn't have been safe. But what would it have been? A mug's game. I did nothing: I left it to the Word."

That's Offensive, Stop that!

"If one desires to not have a controversial ministry then don't preach the Bible." (Steve Lawson)

You know... our tendency is to skip over the topics and issues that make us uncomfortable. Here is the funny thing, you will be offended by what I have to say and the content is about "controversy." Haha! No one likes confrontation because it doesn't make people "feel good" or it "hurts their feelings." Now I agree, we must use sanctified discretion and discernment at all times and there is a time and place for everything. And we should not seek controversy just because we get a kick out of stirring the hornets nest. But if you call yourself a believer, understand that you will eventually upset the world with what you proclaim. Unless you have befriended the world, then you should analyze how you are living your life (James 4:4). It is one thing to "enjoy" making people upset, but it is another thing to stir up controversy with the truth.

The Gospel of Christ is controversial in itself. No one wants to hear they are sinners headed straight for eternal damnation. But you cannot be ignorant to the fact that your closest friend could be lost for eternity or that your brother/sister in Christ could be in sin. The doors of mercy are open to those who will repent and believe. That is the truth that we proclaim but it this the truth that the world (even the so-called "church") doesn't want to hear.

Isn't the life of someone you love worth more than a few moments of awkwardness? Think about it. Loving someone is telling them that their wrong (then showing them how to live rightly). Of course, there are extremes and dangers you must look out for. You do this without any hypocrisy (Matt. 7:1-5) and with the utmost humility and respect (2 Tim. 2:4-6). But I think, we as believers, have gone to the extreme of complacency and not caring about others enough to get involved with their lives. And we have to, if we love them. Ask yourself this, if you have embraced the Gospel/scriptures as the truth of God, why would you shy away from telling them that truth? As the Lord said, will not the truth "set us free?" Then why?

Why shy away? Are we afraid? Are we too self conscious? Are we idolizing our self-image? Loved ones, that type of selfishness is a something that the Lord does not want us to have. To correct others and to proclaim the truth of God is to love them as the Lord calls you to love. J.K Edwards got it right when he said, "God doesn't care about the reputation of His preacher any more than the sensitivities of the congregation. All God cares about is the effective communication of His message." It is about changing lives and making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. The great commission isn't "Go and make socially and politically correct disciples of all nations, baptize them if it is okay with everyone else, and teach them only to observe the things that I have taught you which don't hurt people's feelings."

Beloved, if you proclaim the truth, you will offend the masses. In fact, you will "upset the world" (Acts 17:6). The Lord cares about getting His message to the people and not about who He offends in the process.

We must proclaim all of it! The Lord does not care about human perception or being politically correct, He cares about holiness. Do we sometimes sacrifice liberties to win others to Christ? Yes, this is true. But understand that culture never ever supersedes the authority of the Word of God. Never! We teach nonbelievers that they must believe in Christ and we teach Christians that they must be holy. Not as a way to salvation, but as a response to GRACE. The Lord wants people to be saved and He wants His people to be sanctified.

So beloved, before you think of folding, bending, or even compromising, remember that the words of the Apostle Paul and how he did not stop from declaring the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).

As you walk through work, school, church, and life in general, always think about this: God wants us to declare all of the truth, even if it means offending the person next to you.

Lord, Just Take it Away

Today I started a tiny book that contains some of Spurgeon's prayers. For those of you who know me, you know that I cannot read without a pencil. I just love to annotate and underline (because I have the retention capacity of a 2-year-old). But the weight and power of the first prayer I read almost made me underline the entire prayer. Such conviction could only come from the wonderful Charles H. Spurgeon that God had blessed tremendously. Here is an excerpt from the first prayer entitled "Help from on High."

Lord Jesus, take from us now everything that would hinder the closest communion with God. Any wish or desire that might hamper us in prayer remove, we pray thee. Any memory of either sorrow or care that might hinder the fixing of our affection wholly on our God, take it away now. What have we to do with idols any more? Thou hast seen and observed us. Thou knowest where the difficulty lies. Help us against it, and may we now come boldly, not into the holy place alone, but into the holiest of all, where we should not dare come if our great Lord had not rent the veil, sprinkled the mercy seat with his own blood, and bidden us enter (emphasis mine).

Man... this helps put our lives back into perspective. We, along with Spurgeon, pray "Lord, take away everything that takes me away from you." I think that later in this prayer Spurgeon realizes that his own flesh even gets in the way of his communion with the Lord. He says, "We confess that sometimes in prayer when we are nearest to thee at that very time some evil thought comes in, some wicked desire. Oh! what poor simpletons we are. Lord, help us..." There is a realization of the sinfulness of man especially in the presence of God the righteous. Every member of our body is corrupted by sin and it is disgusting. I think of how often I sin and it makes me yearn for heaven where glorious eternal worship will take place without this corrupted mortal flesh. Anyway, I don't want to ramble on so I'll just end it with a final quote from this prayer. May this be our anthem for the rest of our lives:

"Lord, sanctify us. Oh! that thy Spirit might come and saturate every faculty, subdue every passion, and use every power of our nature for obedience to God."

Father, I'm sorry that I am such a failure. I know that you will judge me perfectly and You are righteous to give me all that I deserve. Yet, O Lord, do not not forget what Christ has done for me, the poor sinner. He has pleaded on my behalf, he has cleansed me from all unrighteousness, and He has saved me forever when my foolish mind thought that I could save myself.

Remember, You're a Sinner too

I don't know if this guy is genuine in his profession but I can't help but think about how the Lord has saved me, a terrible sinner like Gardner.

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/11/reflections-on-gospel-repentance-and.html

The Gospel saves even the "chiefest" of sinners. The degree of sin is not what matters but it is the heart of repentance. God's grace can extend to homosexuals, rapists, and murderers and the blood of Christ can wash them clean of their transgressions.

Going back to what I said earlier, if you are so quick to say that this would be an "injustice" if God were to save Him yet not save "morally" good people who have not committed crimes like these, then you have a skewed view of what really saves a person. You have also, in your mind, diminished the power of the Gospel and have created a "god" that suits your presupposition. God, if He so pleases, is very much capable of regenerating a heart that dwells in the deepest and most vile of sinners that walk the face of this earth.

So remember, if you think that people like John Gardner are beyond saving and that they've sinned beyond repair, then you do not understand the saving power of Christ and His Gospel. People like Gardner can be saved from the hell that they deserve if they genuinely put their hope and trust in the Savior.

But people, you so quickly forget that you too are no better than Mr. Gardner. Yes, sin is sin, it does not matter how much or how "little" you think you have sinned. The truth is, you have wronged a holy God who is righteous and just to condemn you forever in the fiery furnaces of hell. Yet, for whatever reason, God was gracious to save a worthless sinner like yourself.

So don't ever forget that. I never will.


"Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
Full atonement can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

No More Lazy Theologians

DeYoung, Duncan, Mohler: What's New About the New Calvinism from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

The Gospel that Spurgeon Embraced

Today I was listening to a biography of Spurgeon that really encouraged me. Below is an excerpt from the "Prince of Preacher's" personal testimony that brought me to tears today. O how I never ever get sick of hearing about what Christ did in on my behalf! I pray that it too will break your spirit.

Simply by looking to Jesus, I had been delivered from despair, and I was brought into such a joyous state of mind that, when they saw me at home, they said to me, ''Something wonderful has happened to you;'' and I was eager to tell them all about it….I have always considered, with Luther and Calvin, that the sum and substance of the gospel lies in that word Substitution, --Christ standing in the stead of man. If I understand the gospel, it is this: I deserve to be lost for ever; the only reason why I should not be damned is, that Christ was punished in my stead, and there is no need to execute a sentence twice for sin. On the other hand, I know I cannot enter Heaven unless I have a perfect righteousness; I am absolutely certain I shall never have one of my own, for I find I sin every day; but then Christ had a perfect righteousness, and He said, ''There, poor sinner, take My garment, and put it on; you shall stand before God as if you were Christ, and I will stand before God as if I had been the sinner; I will suffer in the sinner's stead, and you shall be rewarded for works which you did not do, but which I did for you.'' I find it very convenient every day to come to Christ as a sinner, as I came as the first. ''You are no saint,'' says the devil. Well, if I am not, I am a sinner, and Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Sink or swim, I go to Him; other hope I have none. By looking to Him, I received all the faith which inspired me with confidence in His grace; and the word that first drew my soul--''Look unto Me,''--still rings its clarion note in my ears. There I once found conversion, and there I shall ever find refreshing and renewal.

-Charles H. Spurgeon

What breaks my heart...

Beloved,

Do you want to know what truly breaks my heart? The thing that hurts the most is to know that the people I love are being influenced and deceived in so many ways.

Have mercy O Lord...

Balikbayan (Part 3)

(Day 7) Friday, June 4, 2009

It was a little sad to say farewell to our brothers from MCC. They were men whom we had seen everyday since we arrived at the Philippines; you could only imagine how difficult it was to part ways. After we had said our goodbyes, we hopped onto the "Transporter's" jeep and were finally Cavite bound.


CAVITE

It was a long drive to Cavite but we made the most of it. Each car ride was a highlight in itself due to the passengers that filled the Pajero. Bong usually sat shotgun, three of us sat in the middle, and one would be stuck in the back. But there was one problem. The person who was sitting in the back had to always slouch due to the seats being raised too high. We had one instance where Jeremy just put the seats away and, straight up, slept on the floor (I took a picture). Aside from those hilarious occurrences, the ride would mainly consist of eating, sleeping, joking, and laughing. We would occasionally listen to the radio too even though Fred, Jeremy, and I couldn't understand anything (I actually could understand a bit... much much more than them). And of course, we would get into our typical theological discussions which would always end with someone saying "Pastor Felix, what do you think?" Just kidding.

Okay, enough of the car rides. We finally arrived at Fred's relative's place in Cavite City for lunch. There we met Fred's lolo and lola who were very hospitable, very nice, and very catholic. Though we differed in our beliefs, I still praised the Lord for them because they were very accepting to us and were even open to listening to Pastor Felix.

It was at this house where I finally got to see my uncle whom I had not seen in about 12 years. He was my mother's oldest brother (who use to babysit me by the way) came to see me. I didn't even think I would even see him, but when he came through the door, I was really glad I did. Here is where it gets funny. The last time I saw my uncle, he was much taller than me. So to his amazement, the kid he use to feed cereal to was now a Filipino skyscraper.

After the greeting, we would sit down and catch on old times and talk about family. Eventually, the team would be gracious enough to allow me to go visit my family for a bit in a different part of Cavite. We agreed that we would meet up again the following morning.

I was really to finally meet/see family who I heard so much about. We did a lot of eating and talking and it was great to know I had relatives who were so kind. Oh yah, I was able to see Amy too! Funny thing, when we saw each other, it had only been a week since we last saw one another but we acted as if we hadn't seen each other in forever. We both agreed that seeing each other in that part of the world was just very different. It was very encouraging to have her there as we got to reminisce about family with family.

Going around and meeting relatives was a really something. It was bitter-sweet to finally meet my lola's sister who was younger than my lola but still very sick. Coming home from the PI, I would hear the news that she had passed away during my flight home. My only prayer is that she held to Christ as her greatest treasure.

Family was refreshing, but I failed to share the Gospel. It was easy to get caught up in the hype of seeing new faces yet so quickly forget the reason why I came to the PI which was to share the good news of Christ. Yes, my family will claim Christianity, but what I want is for them to worship Christ not out of compulsion or culture but out of genuine love. Time with family was great, but why did I have to separate my mission time and my family time? Why couldn't my family be the mission field? Guys, don't do what I did. Utilize every opportunity for the Gospel. Because when you are doing that, you are loving them.

Father, forgive me for not loving my family enough to give them the truth of your Son Jesus Christ. If given the opportunity, I pray that you give me the boldness to share the next time. I can only ask that my testimony, conduct, and character reflected Christ in every way.

Until next time loved ones..

-Micah
The chiefest of sinners...

Lord, I'll gladly embrace it...

just please confirm me to the end like You said You would.

Where I stand

"STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD"

"Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God." (Emphasis mine)

Though I am surrounded by the shifting shadows of the earth, I stand firm on the promises of God.

Balikbayan (Part 2)

Antipolo/Ortigas

After Nueva Ecija, we headed back to the Ransom's house in Antipolo. That would be our home base for the next three days as we would attend the 2010 Purpose and Passion Conference

http://www.purpose-passion.org/Conference_Details.html

The day before the conference we were invited to a dinner/meeting with all the leaders. The church that was hosting the event was Greenhills Christian Fellowship (GCF). It was exciting to meet everyone and hear about their plans and goals for the conference. TMC (The Master's College) had students there in Ortigas who dropped by the P.I. after going around to different countries in the area (I forget which ones). But they came to the conference to help out too. It was wonderful to see Elder Dan Cura from Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) again. He spoke at CPC (my home church) a few times but we had never met prior to this. The last time I saw him, he was on such a tight schedule that we weren't able to talk. I was glad that we had time to converse before the conference and I hope to see him again in the future.

We also got to meet Dr. Rick Holland from Grace Community Church because he was the keynote speaker for the conference. It was very encouraging when we talked to Dr. Holland. I think the exciting part was knowing that we would be "co-laboring" (if you can call it that) with him at this conference. Since he was someone so familiar and so trustworthy to us, we were so happy to be there with him (Well, atleast I was). As we introduced ourselves, there was a sense of "familiarity" as the conversation went on and on. I noticed that a man's character is almost identical with their style/method of preaching (as it should). And since we've all heard him preach before, it was like conversing with an old buddy from back home. Dr. Holland was very excited to be there, and getting to meet him definitely lifted my spirit. On top of that, knowing that he just came from Singapore and still needed to plan for the Resolved Conference made us appreciate his presence even more. We knew he was tired but still he was encouraged to proclaim the Gospel. I praise Christ for his life and for the work that he is doing for the Kingdom.

Purpose and Passion Conference

This conference was very wonderful. It is evident that the Spirit is at work in the hearts of these people to give them a desire for Jesus Christ and to preach His Word with the utmost purity. Men and women gathered around from all over the P.I. to attend this wonderful conference. They would sit under a Plenary Session (for the most part Rick Holland) and then breakout sessions throughout the day. Rick's sessions were good, but I believe that if he preached more, the "art of the sermon" would have been modeled better. That is why I was glad he preached during the last session. But he did hit a lot of good and crucial points for the local church (Which was the goal). I also appreciated the fact that he did not shy away from the tough questions and pointed them back to scripture. He rocked the boat a little (with love if I may add), and that was definitely a good thing because it stirred up the hearts of the believers. Those people that skimmed over doctrines and had a shallow understanding were being convicted. Those who were unaware of what scripture said about these topics, were now having their eyes opened to the truth of God by the help of the Spirit. I came to greatly appreciate the training that we have here at home. Not to be arrogant or give myself pedastol praises, but to be thankful for what God has blessed me--a sinner who deserves none of this. I could take what I have learned and happily pass it on to those who would be able to teach others also.

Anyways, we were happy to help out with whatever they needed us to do. Pastor Felix and Pastor Sean both did breakout sessions during the conference and it was so great to see them in action. Pastor Felix's breakouts were amazing. I didn't get to see the modules that he did the week before we arrived so this was a real treat for me to witness this first-hand. His sessions were "Biblical Philosophy of Ministry" and "Building a Biblical Leadership Team" (You can already sense the theme). The response was wonderful. Looking at everyone and their faces were just a joy to me. It was almost as if people were thinking, "Wow, so there ARE Filipino Expositors!" Haha! You could see there excitement right on their faces. It was so encouraging for them to see a Filipino teaching in this manner (Not a different message remember? But the same one!). Of course, I mean no offense to our Anglo brothers (I'm one of them), but having someone of Pinoy blood that absolutely loved the scriptures was such an encouragment to them. And when that love for scriptures and love for THEM was evident in his sessions, you couldn't help but praise God for that. People were eating it up not because of Pastor Felix's eloquence or power of speech, but because the Spirit of God was with the message he was conveying. Eloquence does not convert the sinner, the Holy Spirit does. The only reason why there was conviction and encouragement was because it wasn't man's message, it was God's. And that is why we stressed "pointing it back" to a biblical philosophy of ministry, because any other idea, system, or philosphy only stems from the opinion of a fallen man. And that opinion is a foundation we as Christians must refuse to rest on. Our life must be built on nothing less than the solid Rock of Jesus Christ. And it is through the scriptures where we find out how to do that.

On another note, it was also fun trying to find Jeremy's future wife. Just kidding. (By the way, for those of you who thought we were serious, we apologize. We were just joking! You guys know that wasn't our original intent!) But any who, the conference was a great inspiration and you could definitely see the Spirit moving the hearts of the people. But I can see that it is still in its beginning stages. Though they look as though they are headed in the correct direction, my prayer is that they would keep there eyes on Christ and always strive for that biblical philosphy of ministry.

We couldn't have asked for better fellowship opportunities. We had dinners every night with many different people. Pastors Abel, Allan, and Darwin were basically with us all the time. And we got to know them very well and they have become very special to us. Pastor Joy of MCC was also there with his family. We got to meet Pastor Virly (who knows Ate Cat and J.R. very well, like EVERYONE else did hahahha!) for the first time, and I took a picture with him just so that we could show J.R. We also fellowshipped with Pastor Dennis and Pastor Lito who both asked Pastor Felix if he could disciple them. Just more affirmation that Christ is working in the hearts of these people. With all these Pastors and church leaders that we met, I was so honored be given this opportunity to build new relationships. It was great to just listen to their ministries and struggles and just reflect upon what God has placed before them. Even discussing theology overseas still gave me the same joy as it does here in the States. But I love and appreciate these people so much. I hope that they will not be easily influenced by the filthy philosophies and different gospels that are coming out of America and other places, but I pray that they hold fast to Christ Jesus and the pure Gospel of Grace that we have set our hope upon. My deepest desire for these beloved leaders is that they may be rooted in the rich Word Christ, so that, when trials come their way, they will have their feet planted firmly in hallowed ground.

I pray that more and more godly men, who are equipped to do the work of the Lord, are able to help guide this conference to the place that it should be at. There is so much potential there with those people, they just need the correct encouragement. I have taken for granted the training that we have here at home. Sound biblical preaching is just a mouse-click away for us, yet it is so rare to find in the P.I. There is spiritual starvation in the Philippines, people are hungry; they just need the correct nutrition. Giving them what they want may satiate temporarily, but like the one that relies on candy for sustenance the rest of his days, it shall only bring death. But giving these people the truth that they need will help them to bear fruit for eternity. My prayer is that more men of God will endeavor to do that for our brethren there.

People have been asking me if I would be willing to move to the Pinas for ministry. And to be honest, the thought has definitely crossed my mind. You see the opportunities and the hunger for the Word is great, that is undeniable. And in every circumstance, you kind of ask yourself, "Okay, if the Lord were to move me here, I wonder where he would place me." So for different places and people, you play out different scenarios in your mind. Yet aside from all the "potential ministry opportunities," the Lord has placed a burden in my heart for the local church here in LA. For some strange reason my heart has always been here with these people. So as of now, my desire to minister is here in Cali. And though I will submit myself to the will of the Lord and whatever He decrees, I can't help but have this burning passion for the people here in my hometown. Grace and peace to all of you in LA in the name of our Lord Jesus. I love you all, and yes, there is more to come.

- Brother MJ



P.S. - go lakeshow! :D

Balikbayan (Part 1)

Since I wasn't able to share with you guys on Sunday at SBCAC, I thought it'd be nice to do it on here.

Honestly guys, if I were to tell you everything that I learned and experienced there in the P.I., it would be too much data for this little window to handle. So let me give you the highlights... (Photos Courtesy of Fred)

Arrival

Everyone said that the first thing that I would notice once I left the plane was the smell. And yes, the smell was the first thing that I noticed. It wasn't as strong as people described, but it was unique. If the Philippines had a distinct smell, that smell that I smelt would definitely be it. (And it was everywhere we went!) Even the heat wasn't as bad as people made it out to be. This could've been due to the fact that it was rainy season when we got there so I can imagine it being much worse. Nevertheless, we still did plenty of perspiring once we got there so any air conditioned cars, cool breeze, or even an oscillating fan felt like salvation to us.

It just felt so good to finally be in the Pinas given the fact that I had never been there prior to that trip. Walking out of the sliding doors of the airport and driving around the streets of Manila just seemed so familiar to me. I hope I'm not getting mystical here, but I didn't really feel like a stranger. Maybe it was the environment I grew up in or something else, but the only thing I could say to Fred once we landed was "Man, I feel like I'm home."

Nueva Ecija

Before heading to Munoz in Nueva Ecija, we had to pick up Pastor Felix who went 1 week ahead of us. We got to meet Sean Ransom and his wife Jessica. A wonderful caucasian brother in Christ that married a Filipina in the States and moved to the P.I. after they were called by the Lord. They now live as missionaries in the Pinas with their They hosted us when we were in Antipolo for the Purpose and Passion Conference in Ortigas. Sean is a graduate of The Master's Seminary and he is affilliated with The Master's Academy International. He teaches at The Expositor's Academy where they train people in ministry to accurately divide the Word of God so that they can be faithul to minister, disciple, train, and teach others also as God intended. The Lord is using Sean and his family in an awesome way and it is clear that my brothers in the P.I. are being provoked by the Spirit to have an unquenchable thirst for the scriptures. When Sean had told us of what the Lord has been doing, I couldn't help but get all giddy inside (Almost like hearing about Disneyland for the first time, I had to see it for myself). Whenever I hear the testimony of lives being transformed by the scriptures, my spirit gets lifted and I can hardly contain my joy. I still can't get over it...

Though the Ransoms minister in a different location as us, their goal was the same as ours. We were so blessed by them. God has granted them a wonderful opportunity to feed these people with the all-satisfying Word of Christ, my prayer is that they may press on towards the end and never lose sight of the goal.

After picking up Pastor, we made our way to Nueva Ecija. Once we arrived, we got to see Ate Rona's old house (where we stayed) and we met her father and brother. Tatay Roy (Ate Rona's father) thought I looked Japanese, so the entire time we stayed with them he called me "Japon" (which you can obviously translate for yourself). So that was one of the many on-going jokes on the trip. I was given the opportunity to lead a devotion with the family and members from Munoz Christian Church where Pastor Felix would eventually preach at the following Sunday. Ate Rona's desire was for her family to hear the Gospel and I pray that we displayed that in not only our words, but also our deeds. It was such a blessing to teach the Word in an environment where it needs to be heard. I was so happy to be given the opportunity to encourage my brothers and sisters there. We reminded them that though we may be an entire ocean apart, we are still running the same exact race together.

On Sunday, Pastor Felix was invited to preach at MCC. How refreshing it was to hear his exposition in Tagalog. I couldn't stop smiling. Even though Pastor Felix's tagalog isn't as good as theirs(since he left the P.I. at age 13) it seemed like the message couldn't have been any more clearer. Hearts were definitely burning after, almost as if they have never "heard the Word" before. (And it was like that everywhere we went!) He stressed to MCC (as to everyone on our trip) that our "message isn't a different message, it is the same one, were just here to remind you." Exposition is not a new concept, we are just exposing what the scripture says. Pastor reminded everyone (and us) that the message has never changed, it has always been about the scriptures, which He left us, that are sufficient for our entire lives. It is only through the scriptures where we hear that the salvation of man is only through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is through the scriptures where we find the call to please our Father in heaven by seeking holiness that doesn't earn salvation but is a response to the great Gospel of Christ, and it is through the scriptures where we find our everything. That was the message that we wanted the P.I. to hear. Our love for them drove us to point them to the scriptures where God Almighty speaks to us and where truth superabounds.

We were invited to fellowship with their youth group and we gladly accepted. By God's grace, we were able to teach them or favorite praise songs here in CA and it was a joy to minister in that way. Jeremy shared his testimony and Fred preached on Matt. 7. It was a great thing to be with people that I'm familiar with-- "high schoolers." I am surrounded by high schoolers back at home, so it was awesome to see the young people hear on the other side of the world.

The funny thing was is that these were tagalog-speaking high schoolers. Jeremy and Fred knew ZERO tagalog and I have the tagalog of an filipino infant. But despite our concern, the youth was blessed by our fellowship and they knew enough english to understand us. I endeavored to use Tagl-ish (English and Tagalog) and it actually worked. My sentence composition was terrible. I only know what I picked up from my parents. Since I knew very little, I would screwed up from time to time, and boy would it get some laughs. (I hope that my terrible pronunciation didn't produce a swear word. I can only hope! lol.) Anyways, I do believe that the Spirit made up for our lack of Tagalog. Praise the Lord that the Word of Christ isn't bound by culture!

Overall, the people at MCC were very welcoming and hospitable. My hope for my brothers and sisters there is that they stay faithful to Christ in every aspect of their lives. I'll constantly be praying and thinking about them. The brethren at MCC were just so wonderful. I already miss them.

There was a great need over in Nueva Ecija, but it may not be the need that people first think of. Yes, it was evident that the physical needs in Nueva Ecija (and all of the PI) are great. But if you look at it from the correct perspective, the physical needs were not the problem. It was the spritiual needs which needed to be tended to. The Lord was gracious enough to allow us to encourage the brethren in a way that cannot be destroyed by moths and rust, but will be treasured in heaven forever. Though we still ministered in a tangible way to their physical needs, we had to remember that neither money, bread, nor water could ever save a man's soul from eternal damnation. John Piper once said that "Good works without the Gospel only makes people comfortable on their way to hell." (Paraphrased) Strong words, but so true. Our ministry had to go beyond that of the physical because that is what was everlasting. Food and water would have only given them temporary sustenance, but giving them Christ would grant them eternal life. That was our goal. We wanted the lost to hear the hope of the Gospel and for the saved brothers and sisters to be encouraged by our presence.

It puts a smile to my face knowing that the relationships I made at Nueva Ecija will not be bound by location and time. I have finally met my brothers and sisters in this province and they will be my brethren for eternity. Imagine, this was only the beginning of a 2 week journey on cloud 9. I thank God for so graciously granting this opportunity to me---an undeserving sinner saved by grace. Glory to God for his grace upon grace. Thanks for listening.

-Micah

P.S. - This was more detailed than I thought it'd be... but anyways, stay tuned, theres more to come.

Pinas

After all the hoopla, my sister's wedding seemed like to be the last of the excitement... Not!

Thursday is here and I cannot sleep, so it's time to blog!

There is so much going on right before I leave, it seems that I can't even get my head on straight. Packing, preparing, and praying has been the cycle of these past few days. And did I mention sneezing too? Yes, I came down with something and my nose has been running faster than Usain Bolt. But I do believe that I am getting better. This is an interesting time to get sick, isn't it?

We are leaving tonight at 10 PM and by God's grace we will land in the PI on the 29th, then we will go on from there. The plan is to build relationships, spread the Gospel, make disciples, preach the word, and everything else that must be done in order to fulfill the Great Commission. We are fallible men preaching from an infallible Word, and I pray that our shortcomings and our sin will not get in the way of truth spreading to the uttermost parts of the world. May the Lord guard us from sin as we share the good news of Christ Jesus and build up the fellow believers in the Philippines.

My feelings are mixed about this whole trip and I really don't know what to expect because this will be my first time to the Pinas. It's funny how some people look down on you because you haven't been to the PI, almost as if you haven't lived a complete life or experienced true "humility" at all until you have been there (that is a topic for another blog). But yes, I do know the Lord will humble on this trip and I pray that it does some good. Bong says that seeing everything and experiencing this culture, I will either come back a very humble person or very bitter towards everyone who is ignorant, and really, I am hoping for the former to be true about me. My prayer is that this trip will sanctify me instead of me causing others to stumble with my arrogance. I know that your true colors show in the midst of trials so I guess we'll really see how I react to adversity and affliction in the form of bug bites.

I think everything is basically planned out for us. We are leaving some room for spontaneity in our schedule but our itinerary has a general skeleton. It gives us areas to be flexible to where the Lord may want us to go day-to-day. I just hope we are able to maximize our time because two weeks will fly by so quickly.

People ask me if I'm scared or if I'm excited, but really, it's a combination of both. When it comes to the uncertainty, the peace of God is guarding my heart and my mind. But in regards to the excitement, I cannot stop smiling. When I hear that so many people (in the country in which my family originated) are having a dying thirst for the quenching Word of God, I cannot help but leap for joy. So many people have this longing to be taught how to use the scriptures rightly in order to be truly effective for the ministry of the people in the PI. After seeing what the Spirit has done in the life of my friends, family, and even myself, I can't help but be so EXCITED and anxious to meet other like-minded brothers and sisters who have this desire to sanctify Christ in their own hearts. I can't wait to encourage these people by reminding them that though we are an entire ocean apart, we are still running the same race, and we can even run it together. "Bearing one another's burdens" was never intended to be bound by location or distance. I pray that I can cultivate a relationship with someone who needs the encouragement of a brother through prayer, accountability, and maybe even physical support.

The Lord has been gracious to us so far. Thank you to everyone who has been financially supporting us throughout the beginning. We know that we could only get this help from fellow brothers and sisters, such as yourselves, who understand the need for the local church to commission and support its fellow believers for the furtherance of the kingdom. Continue to petition to the Lord on our behalf as we endeavor to feed not the physically hungry, but to nurture the spiritually weak and the down casted souls with the pure milk of the Word of God. This sanctified sustenance will last much longer than any bread or temporal morsel could ever last, and it is a food which gives hope to the individual. This word will remind him that when we are reunited with our Lord, and we see him face to face, we will never want, or thirst, or hunger ever again. May we remind them that in our deepest affliction, we glory not in the present circumstance, but in the hope that is in eternity. I pray that will be our anthem here in America as well...

Even though it has already beaten us there, it is time for the Gospel to hit the Pinas. May we start this trip by loving each other first so that others may know we are disciples of Christ--through our love for one another. And let us hope and pray that He sees us till the very end. Please look after one another while were gone.

Grace and peace be with you all in the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will be thinking and praying for you constantly.

- Your brother Micah

Sis (Part 1)

It is going to be a hectic two weeks...

I will be leaving for the Philippines on the 27th and this Saturday my sister will be getting married... that's right, married.

People are always asking me, "Hey Micah! How does it feel knowing your sister is getting married?" I always look at them with a tiny smirk and my response has always been the same, "It hasn't hit me yet."

Which is true, it just hasn't hit me yet that my sister is getting married. I know that eventually I'll realize it, but as of now, things just feel as normal as usual.

Whenever I'm asked this question, it makes me ponder about what exactly my response should be to my sister getting married. So if you care to take the time, let us figure it out together...

What would you say if the person that you talked the most to, spent the most time with, the most games with, fought the most with, looked up to (as kids this was literal) and were most concerned about were finally about to leave you?

Yah, you would be at a loss for words too I suppose.

Yes, I've heard the whole, "You're-not-losing-a-sister-but-gaining-a-brother" speech, but the reality is my sister is leaving and cleaving, and that is what she should be doing. So people are always asking me what I think about this whole ordeal, and every time they pose the question, I stop and think about two things: I remember our past and think about the future. As we dissect this, lets discuss the past and I'll probably blog about the future later...

I grew up in the same house with this person for 22 years. It is funny to think about how the person you shared a bathroom with is finally getting one of her own. (Actually, she'll still be sharing one).

Anyways, when you look back at old pictures in albums and old videos, you are just hit with so many memories that come flooding back into your mind almost without ceasing. You are greeted by old friends, people, toys, parties, and places that have turned you into the person that you are today. It is amazing how everyone has changed SO much in just a single decade. Friends and family have come and gone, people who you thought would never turn their back on the Lord, have now embrace a life of worldliness, and even the most unlikely people from your past have now become your closest of brothers. Despite all the change that has happened, there has always been one person that has always been there. She is the one that always stuck close. I have lost many friends and so-called "brothers," but the one person that has endured it all with me was her.

Looking back, you can't help but talk about the things that stick out the most...

Recreation was frequent with us. Since both our imaginations were crazy, the sky was the limit on the games that we would come up with. This ranged from playing with cut out paper bunnies, to talking beanie babies, from funny little Legos, and to regular Nintendo (That last one didn't need much imagination). Even though we didn't have a big family, as a kid, I was content with just hangin' out and chilling with my sister.

We didn't have deep meaningful conversations back then, but arguing was like our religion. In our anger, we used TV remotes and small (sometimes sharp) objects as projectiles in order to settle our many disputes. And even after hurting each others feelings, we never ever ever apologized. Haha! Elementary kids have so much pride (How foolish were we!). I wasn't even allowed to call her "Ate" as our culture demands, so I resorted to the American vernacular of "Sis" which is short for "Sister" for those of you a little slow in understanding slang. It was such an exciting time...

As teenagers, life was changing fast. We both couldn't wait for her to get her license. We needed transportation, and we needed it now! Like typical teenagers, each of us had our own problems and issues in middle school and high school and having a brother and sister seemed to be both a blessing and a curse. We loved having a sibling to talk to but for most of the time we just got in each other's way and on each other's nerves.

Serving in church and CPYF was probably the time of our lives. Great fellowship with family in Christ was the highlight of our weeks. We served in the same ministries at church, we hung out with our humungo family, and we ate a lot of food, we couldn't have asked for anything sweeter! (Life was so chill as a kid in ignorance.) My sister would be my number one clothes consultant (and still is) all because of my fashion handicap in my high school years. The high school years (her early college years) were great, and it was good to have someone who made all the mistakes before me so that I wouldn't have to. And this definitely wouldn't help our arguments. Having an older sibling had its downs but it also had its ups.

Though we have had our differences, we had (still have) a deep understanding between the two us. And I can't really explain it in words but we kind of always knew how each other felt. Especially when our parents or other people didn't understand how we felt, we always sympathized with each other. When I'd get upset, my frustration would affect my grammar, and I wouldn't be able to express in words how I felt at that moment. My speech didn't even sound like English anymore! Yet through all the jumbled words, she always understood exactly what I meant no matter how crazy it sounded. If we couldn't express how we felt in words to the people that didn't understand us, all we would have to do was look in each others eyes and we would completely understand each other. It was almost as if once we made eye contact we nonverbally communicated the phrase, "It's okay, I know how you feel." To this day, we still have this understanding with each other that I just cannot explain.

These recent past years have probably been the most dear to me. This is probably because I became a TRUE believer in the Lord Jesus Christ during my college years. The Gospel has shed light upon my dark and sinful eyes and I have learned so much in the recent years than I have my entire life. The best part of it all is that I wasn't alone in this. The same person that I physically grew up with was also someone who was growing up with me spiritually. The relationship that we had back then is nothing compared to what we have now. I have the privilege of calling my blood-sister a sister in Christ and I praise God for that gracious gift knowing that many others do not have this same blessing.

What drives me to write this blog is that I love my sister more than I did before. Having gone through so many trials and difficulties, it is so good to have a sister who has ran the race with you for so long without quitting. I cannot explain how encouraging it is to see someone transformed by the grace of God right before your very eyes. My prayer is that God will see us both to the end.

Since my regeneration, I truly understand how I am suppose to love her as a brother. I respect my sister so much because of her desire to seek and please the Lord in every aspect of her life. Though she may not speak as sternly as many other women do, she is much much stronger than them, and that is because of her love for Christ. A woman's strength isn't measured by charm or outward beauty, but in her submission to the Lord. I praise God for my sister who is seeking holiness when many others are not. In these last days, she is indeed a rare breed. Though she be an imperfect person, she is the Godliest woman that I know, and knowing this only makes me thank the Lord every day for her life and for her great influence on me. May she do wonderful things for the Kingdom.

Father, thank you for your grace in the form of my sister. I cannot praise you enough for your lovingkindess in her life. May You always help her and keep her to the very end so that she may finish the race without regret. My petition is that all would know that she is a disciple of yours through her love for others and her love for You. Guard her from sin, and may her ambition be to deny her flesh and cherish You above all things.

-Micah

The Pursuit of Holiness? (Why we must have a Purpose Driven Holy Life )

Can someone pursue too much holiness?

It is interesting how some actually think so. I'm saddened when I hear others throw out words and terms without making sure that they are defining them correctly. (Been there) Legalism is one of those words that is a favorite for people to use. To the surprise of many, the definition of legalism is not someone who desires holiness. Because if that were the case, then every follower of Christ would be a legalist. The bible definitely does not call Christians to be legalist. Instead, we are called to be holy people. But this seems to raise a lot of confusion in our minds.

We begin to ask questions like: What are someones motives for pursuing holiness? Why be holy in the first place? Is it to Lord it over other people? To flaunt it? Is it about attaining perfection, a type of "works righteousness?"

We have lots of questions to answer, but let us define what holiness is not by understanding the term legalism. Robert Spinney gives a clear definition. Legalism is defined as:

"...an attitude (or motive) that leads people to try to establish, maintain, or improve a righteous standing before God by their own activities.

He goes on to say that

Legalism is founded upon the belief that the Lord Jesus Christ's justifying and saving work must be supplemented by one's own works. It results in an unbiblical emphasis upon works in one's relationship with God, especially by injecting works into the matter of justification.

This is quite clear if you think about it. In order to spot a legalist, you look at his inner motives for why he does what he does. Its all about the heart's intentions! When you look at a person's reasons for why they do what they do, it tells you a lot about them. If someone lives a life of strict obedience for the purpose of self-accolades, pedestal praises, or even perfectionism, then by all means, call it what it is: LEGALISM. But as you can see, legalism has no place in the life of a Christian. On the contrary, our Lord condemned the hypocritical legalistic lifestyle of the Pharisees who thought their external good deeds and recognition from men could place them into a good standing before God. That is not what we as Christians are to model our lives after. Believers in Christ have motives for holiness but those motives are not about self-glory.

"For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification."
1 Thessalonians 4:7

This verse is in the context of God's will for a believers life in the area of sanctification, specifically, it is in reference sexual immorality. What Paul reminds the church in Thessalonica in this verse is that they are defined as people of holiness. The word "call" is a word that has connections to the naming of an individual. For example: "That girl was called Susie." Thats simple enough, right? In the same way, believers in the Gospel, are named or called by God as "saints." This word means "holy one" or "set apart ones" to God. It can also mean "sanctified ones." It is amazing how the very definition of our name has implications of holiness that pop directly out of it.

What we pull from this verse is that our ambition and goal as believers is to live holy and blameless lives that are pleasing to our Lord. You guys remember how we talked about motives right? Well our motive for holiness is to please our God. That is what fuels our engines! That is what drives us to learning more about God, sharing the Gospel, and living a life of purity. We don't seek to be pure because we want to Lord it over anyone (2 Cor. 1:24) or earn our salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). But why we as Christian strive so hard for holiness is because that is what God calls us to be. (1 Pet. 1:16) We are to be holy because that's what He is.

Our purpose in life is sanctification and that is what people should think of when they think about us. The name of Christ has been drug through the dirt because so many profess to know Him yet do not reflect His Grace in their lives. If we are saved by the grace of our Lord, so we must live like we are saved by that grace. (Rom. 6:1-2)

My prayer for you is that when people think of you and you're name, that they wouldn't see you as a legalist or a holiness freak. Though we cannot help it when people accuse us of sins we did not commit, we must continue on to "excel still more" and strive for purity. Others must see us as people who have been with Christ, and say to themselves "that man/woman must be a saint of God." Again, not to glorify the flesh, but to magnify the Father!

You shouldn't define yourself as what the world wants you to be, but you should define yourself by who you are in Christ. Since we are called saints we must live like saints and never sully the name of God and our affiliation with Christ Jesus. So let us pursue holiness okay guys? Because that is what were suppose to do. Love you guys so much.

- Hacim

P.S. By the way, love for Jesus = Holiness too (John 14:15)

In Good Company.

When you are around other brothers and sisters who love Christ, you cannot help but be overjoyed and encouraged by them.

It is almost as if, by nature, they are a great encouragement to you. By conversing with them, saying hi to them, and having a natural conversation seems to lift your spirits. And they don't even have to say anything specific. It is almost as if there is this "unspoken" word of encouragement through a believers tone that sympathetically tells you "Yes brother, I really understand, you're not in this race alone." And this happens just by telling someone how your day was!

How wonderful it is to be surrounded by such people as these, especially in times of DIScouragement! It doesn't get any better than that! God, in His Sovereignty, has placed these people in my life to help with heavy load by bearing my burdens (Gal. 6:2) and point me back to the truth when I go off course. And if you have not experienced a fellowship like this, then you NEED to. This is a must!

In the business of life, it's so easy for us to forget about the many others who are there to help and pray for us. These people care because you are a fellow believer in Christ. Not only are you a believer, but you are God's adopted child, and we are a part of the same family. And family looks out for each other.

Thanks guys for the help, I will do the same for you, because you are my family.

Much love.

Humbled, AGAIN.

(1 Corinthians 10:12)

Don't ever think you are too holy to sin. We as Christians aren't immune to stumbling and falling flat on our faces.

People people,

PRIDE comes before the FALL. I should know. I have (once again) learned this first-hand through my experiences.

Brothers, how quick we are to preach truths to others yet so slow to live it out in our own lives? May we always live a holy and blameless life for the glory of the Lord.

Lord, you reprove the proud and show grace to those who are humble. I have made (and will make) so many mistakes, may I never be ignorant to the fact that I have disappointed You. Forgive me of my folly and please guard my heart for the future so that I may not cause others to stumble. Thank you for Your GRACE.

I seek to please You above all.

Which way is RIGHT?

Proverbs 16:9 - "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."

I am deeply grateful for the simple truths that the book of Proverbs has. Timeless in its nature, it definitely speaks to the heart with reflections that you can't help but listen to.

When it comes to the life "route" that we want to take, isn't it funny how these life-changing decisions seems to be the the most difficult ones to make? I wish it were as simple as flipping a coin, but it isn't. Our experiences have taught us that decisions aren't easy because life-is-not-easy.

Some of us are regretting past decisions and have pondered the potential "Could haves" or the aching "What ifs." And because of the past, we are hesitant to make any future choices because of the drastic impact that even the most minute decisions have on our lives.

We want assurance! We demand certainty! We just want to be "OK." How many times have we caught ourselves replaying scenario after scenario trying to see how our lives would turn out if we were to make this decision or that decision? Our minds turn into VCR's, rewinding, fast forwarding, playing out every situation in life, and analyzing it in order make sure that this choice that I made was, in fact, the correct decision to make.

How often are we faced with different options in regards to the future? We worry about our "BIG PLAN" so much that the stress from indecision suffocates our soul and we can barely function as a normal person through our everyday routines.

So we pose these huge questions to ourselves: "What is God's will for my life?" Or "Is God calling me to do this? Is He calling me to do that?"

And these are legitimate questions!

But I want to let you know, brothers and sisters, that the issue isn't about making the correct decision. The issue is this: Do I really understand that my God is Sovereign?

By nature we are man-centered people. Even in our speech and how we approach things all come from a fleshly perspective. But our theology and how we perceive life must revolve around the fact that GOD IS SOVEREIGN. Sometimes we unknowingly speak in a tone in which we are in ultimate control and we can do whatever we want when this is not true.

And this is a heavy issue for all of us. May our love for independence and "free will" never be a legitimate case for placing LIMITS on our great Sovereign God. Please, don't let personal opinions, preconceived ideas, and preference dictate how you understand this marvelous nature of God Almighty. Because our theology affects the way we live our lives. And with a skewed view of the nature of God, we are in danger of creating a "god made in our own image" as many theologians in the past have warned us about.

The truth is, it is God who orchestrates all things, and it is God who does whatever He pleases. (Psalm 115:3) And if we as believers claim that our God is in control of everything, then how could that not be so with OUR life?

We must take this to heart:

"for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

Philippians 2:13

Sometimes the choices in life can get really confusing, I understand that. And it may get to the point where making "the right choice" isn't as clear as we thought. But having a great, big, Sovereign God makes it possible for us to find peace in any big decision. So in one sense, it really doesn't matter what decision you make.

Now, before you jump me, listen up. Please don't misunderstand, we are never to have a "fatalistic" type of approach to our lives. Human responsibility takes a part in planning our futures, but God is the one who will guide is in the direction which brings him maximum glory.

Danger! There are many that tend to choose other routes because of failure. And there is nothing wrong with failing. But some fail because they did not do their very best. Please guard yourselves brethren. Examine your hearts and minds. May we never be so quick to jump from one decision to another because we did not do our best. If, in fact, we are to change life-routes, may it be because God is truly calling us that way and not because we lacked the discipline to do our very best. Again, though God may be Sovereign in every part of our lives, this in no way nullifies our human responsibilities.

Beloved, be comforted by the fact that God will be exalted through whatever path you choose to take. We must remember that God weaves everything in life together for our good and His good pleasure. Which means that, in the ultimate sense, NOTHING works out for the bad. However hopeless and terrible the situation may look on the outside, our Father knows where He is taking us so we can follow Him wherever He leads.

Is it so wrong to want to make the correct decision?

Absolutely not. We are responsible for making decisions that echo the will of God for our lives. And I do believe that with much prayer, Word meditation, counsel from brothers, and sanctified discernment, we will try our best to choose the will of God for our lives.

Our Father may take us one way and then open doors to another. But it is all-one-big-plan. We have been placed on the exact path that we should be going. How can we say that our Lord took us in a direction we were not suppose to go? May we never have that mindset! He ordained that you would experience all these things, no matter how long or how difficult it was. Our Lord uses trials to shape and mold us to be the child of God that we are today. (1 Pet. 1:6-9) So you cannot call it a "wrong decision" or "wasted time." Persevere and endure brothers, for God decrees such things so that you may "be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

Stay encouraged beloved! Find rest in knowing that your life is in the hands of a God, who is not weak, but who's strength and might is beyond all comprehension. This post is very dear to my heart because I too am struggling with this very issue. Though I exhort you with this loved-ones, I am also preaching this message to my own heart. So I pray that God may help us both through the times of uncertainty and difficulty in regards to which way we are to go.

There are many routes my friends, and some look better than others. But when we finally make a decision may we always consult our righteous road map, the Word of the Lord. Because when we seek God's counsel, we are given Divine direction, and how can we go wrong with that?

Just remember, we can plan as hard as we want, and map out every minute detail, but our joy and comfort is rooted in knowing that God is the one who "guides our steps." So take care everyone, remember you are not running this race alone.

Grace and peace to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Micah

Dissapointed...

I look around and I see the lack of discernment that my brothers and sisters have when it comes to what they decide to take in as truth. Hopefully next week I can discuss with you guys why it is a necessity for Christians to be really discerning in a world without discernment. As for now, I pray and ask that my Father will guard the hearts of those of you that I love so dearly.

Foolishness can be so appealing sometimes...

Its for the Good

Hey self, it's now time to live out what you've been preaching to everyone else...


Hope in God O my soul, for you will be glad once again...

Check this marvelous cartoon by E.J Pace, and note, this was made in 1924 ...

How could darkness be so bright?

When I look at the fallen world around me, I see earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, and other calamities. I can't help but be reminded of the great corruption that sin so violently brought into this world. And it brings me deep joy to know that fellow workers of the Lord are bringing great compassion and love to these people, but most of all, they are bringing the Gospel. It is true that food, water, and clothes, may bring temporary comfort to the body, and can even sustain it for a short while. But these necessities of life will never sustain the soul of a man. It is only by consuming the living water of the Lord Jesus Christ where one will find the ultimate unending satisfaction of God and will receive the sustenance for his soul which abounds eternally.

Because it is life eternal for the one who embraces the Lord and sees that He is good.

So I am thankful for these workers of the Gospel. Though they are few, they truly understand what it means to show the love of Christ which is a love that goes beyond that of the physical and ministers to the spiritual.

So we see that pain itself goes beyond the physical.

Many of us here in the states have not yet experienced any deep disasters in our lifetime. Some of us cannot even imagine going through an event such as these. Interestingly enough, though our lives may not be physically afflicted, it seems as though trouble can come from sources outside of weather storms or natural disasters. Our lives are filled with many difficulties and our spirits are getting squashed by the thousand-pound anvils that life always tends to want to drop on us.

Outwardly, we are healthy and strong. Inwardly, the soul is being eaten alive. We feel plagued with seemingly never-ending sickness of sorrow. Were hurt, were in pain, we can't take it.

Yes, we all have different lives and we all go through our different circumstances. But one thing is for sure...

When pain hits us, it hits us hard.

A bad grade in a class makes someone want to blame God for unfairness. A marriage separation may cause one to lose faith in the providence of God. A pink slip gives grounds for one to question the great sovereignty of God. A struggle with a lifetime temptation may allow a person to deny the very nearness of God. A broken relationship could push one lose hope the infinite goodness of God. And the loss of a loved one may even cause someone to doubt the very existence of God.

So we declare an "Injustice!" because our expectation of justice has not been met.

To make things worse, our life issues seem mediocre or even minute to our friends and family. But we know they will never fully understand the war that wages within our very hearts. Our hurts and pains are our hurts and pains, and they aren't anyone elses. It seems as if no one can sympathize.

"How can anyone understand what I'm going through?"

We are broken, we long to be healed, and we hate this.
We are plagued by panic and worry and we frantically begin to look for a way out.

Wheres does one find refuge in the midst of disaster?

Where is his shelter from the storm?

The answer is simple.

In regards to the believer, his hope is in God.

For there is no stronger hope than the one who holds all things by the power of His Word.


In Psalm 143, David expresses the truth of His dark circumstance.

v.11-12
"If I say, 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,

And the light around me will be night,'

Even the darkness is not dark to You,

And the night is as bright as the day

Darkness and light are alike to You."

Almighty God does not see our situation as darkness, nor does he see it as hopeless. Our great trials and tribulations are but a part of an even larger decree where the Providence of God is weaving all things together for His ultimate good and His perfect splendor. Even in the evilest of circumstance is worked out to His good pleasure because all is light in the mind of God. Though we walk in the percived darkness of our reality, the truth is that God is not leading us to a place that which will ultimately hurt us. Instead, it is for our eventual good.

When it is dark to us, it is light to God. Take note, this does not mean that our Lord has no conception of evil. Of course not, He despises it. But the fact is that God's dealings are always BIG picture dealings and never does He dwell in minute present circumstances because that is not the ultimate end. The ultimate end is His glorification even when there are bad things in the world.

And this is where we find hope brethren. When our judgment is cloudy, His is perfectly clear. When we are unsure, He is sure. The light has revealed every obstacle and impurity, darkness cannot flee nor can it hide from the light, it will be exposed. Take heed, for the truth has been revealed to us, and the light is now shining brightly.

Have faith brothers and sisters, please do. Because having faith is not about believing in times of prosperity, but it is believing in Sovereign God in the middle of confusion. So this is faith, it is declaring to the Lord, "God, I will take Your hand and follow You through the darkness though I know not where we go. Though uncertainty plagues me, my trust is found in You for you have always been faithful. So lead on my King."

The omnipotence of God can be a stumbling block to many. Even brethren will declare that God is not "totally" Sovereign due to His reverence of man's "free will." I shutter to think that I am even the least bit in control of my own destiny. O' wretched man that I am! For I know not what is good, even for my own life. Because I am in this flesh, and I still see the light as darkness. I am corrupt. May I never once be in control!

Peace must rest on the shoulders of the believer because he is not in control of His destiny. But the Lord is. Our childhood dependence on God must overcome the pride of desiring control.

We are not God.

Only He is the one who knows what brings maximum good to the universe. If that means temporary evil, then so be it.

Yes our situations are difficult, I will not deny that. But the hope for the future is in God brethren. This hope is unchanging and unshakable. Everything that we go through is for His and our ultimate good, we must see the bigger picture. He has glorified Himself through the existence of these really bad things! Do not forget, temporary affliction is nothing compared to eternity with the Father. And though tested by fire, we shall rise from the furnace and be cleansed from the impurities. The Lord truly does test us, but it is not beyond what we can handle. And He is always there...

So have faith.

The child of God will be delivered.

Though we be blind during the difficulties of life, we trust in the Lord for He is our guide. Faithful and true.

Psalm 23:4
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil for You are with me..."