This site is designed to express my random thoughts on church issues and to give a sneak preview of the weekend messages that the pastors preach in our multiple worship gatherings in VICTORY -Ortigas.
I first came to know the Lord Jesus Christ during my college days in June of 1984. I now lead one of our congregations in Metro Manila, Philippines.
I am married to Judy with two children; Elizabeth Anne and John Philip.
Though I'm the pastor, the ideas and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not necessarily reflect Victory's.
“What is your fave war movie and why?” I didn’t expect exciting answers from the leaders I meet with every Friday morning. Depending on what era these men came from, whether it’s black and white, like the Bridge of the River Kwai, or the recent ones, like Nacho Libre…(Oops, did I say “war movie”?), each one shared his heart out.
But if one will examine the Old Testament deeply, he would come to a conclusion that truly “God is a Warrior”. Take a look at the life of Gideon in Judges chapters six and seven.
Judges 6:12f "An angel said to him, 'The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.' "
In God’s eyes he was a war hero, but in his own heart he was just a zero. In this Old Testament war story, we could see the hand of God in every turn of event.
THE FEARFUL After recruiting thousands of men from every tribe of Israel to fight against the Midianites, the Lord instructed Gideon to send home those who are afraid to go off to war. God knows that fear is contagious. Ten thousand remained after twenty-two rhousand fearful men left.
THE FOOLISH The Lord promised Gideon that He would do the sifting, after expressing to him that the army was still too many. By sending these men to the river, Gideon was instructed by God to send home the men, around nine thousand seven hundred of them, who came down to the river lapping the water like dogs. And the ones who drank from their own hands while looking around, were asked to stay.
THE FAITHFUL Here was the original “300”. The only difference was this outnumbered army came home in victory. Why? Because God Himself brought the result; the faithful experienced watching the Midianites flee.
Judges 7:21 "While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled."
I can’t help but say,
“Faith, Despite Our Weaknesses, Brings About Victories That Glorify God.”
I don't even know sometimes how I would respond to my own crisis and battles. Fearfully? Foolishly? Or faithfully?
Faithfully, I hope.
What about you?
PS. I am wondering about YOUR favorite war movie. Please do reply and tell us why.
Warm up Question: Tell us about an instance when you were asked to do a task for the first time, say in the ministry. What happened?
Word: I think if there was a culture that was established in our church; because of the safe environment that was maintained by our founding leaders, we felt empowered. No, it’s not just the training or equipping part; it’s the trust that they gave us, which inspired us to accept the challenges. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, because it’s His church anyway, we're propelled and empowered to do ministry.
Matthew 10:1 “He called his twelve disciples to him (equip) and gave them authority (empower) to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”
In our present situation, why do I do ‘leadership group’ ministry in Victory Ortigas? Because of this goal in mind: for every ‘leader of a small (outreach) group’ to become ‘leader of leaders’. I am not content by just maintaining a group of following members. I am compelled, since I believe in the power of multiplication, to trust and empower others to move to the next level - ‘leader of leaders’.
I know what you are thinking, “But Pastor Ferdie, it’s MESSY. Why don’t you just do it yourself for them, since you’re an expert (‘ex’ means has been. ‘pert’ means just a spurt at this time), a full time pastor… it’s your job!” Yes I know I am a pastor, but I know also that I cannot single-handedly change the world. It is the people of God empowered by the Holy Ghost.
“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy…”
Acts 2:17-18
“all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”
Acts 8.1
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”
Acts 8.4
How do I do it with the team of pastors with me in Ortigas? The answer is found in the frequency of the gathering of leaders. In order to build strong 'leadership foundations' in them, we’ve designed a curriculum (divided into 2 sets of ten months, hoping this will be revised, 2.5-3 hrs, once a week), that we call ENLI-Every Nation Leadership Institute.
On the other hand, in order to maintain their spiritual health as leaders ('leadership fitness'), we have this what we call Leadership Groups. Depending on the need and the occasion, we sometimes have outside or foreign guests invited to speak in our Leader Lectures, almost once every quarter (thru the courtesy of Dr. Jun Escosar); every other month of Leaders’ Convergences, just like tonight designed for single/young urban professionals; once a month according to the demographical groupings; another time where leaders from different set of weekend gatherings; and in between that, every leader of leaders is given the chance to meet and touch base with his/her group of small group leaders. Phew...
Are you confused? I am.
Is it a bit messy? You bet.
Is it worth it? YEESSS!
Notice: To all our single and/or young urban professional small group leaders in Victory Ortigas, tonight is our turn. Our 4th Leaders’ Convergence for the year. See you there.
“The world needs a hero, but not just any ordinary hero, no; a special hero, a super hero.”
(Larryboy, Veggietales)
What would it take to be a hero? Or a special hero or super hero according to Larryboy’s standard?
We may have many excuses why we are not qualified to be one.
“Too young, too old, too short, too tall, too fat, too thin, too busy, too lazy, too ugly, too handsome, too dark, too white…No talent, no resources, no connections, no contacts, no money, no honey…I’m always last, I have no experience, I don’t sfeak English froperly, I’m only a girl, I can’t get a girl, I want to be a girl… My parents are separated, I’m adopted, I’m not like my Kuya and Ate, I’ve messed up, I’ve blown it, It's too late, I’m hopeless.”
But whatever it may be, it’s still not enough to un-qualify someone to be one. If we try to look at our simple definition of a hero, it is…“an ordinary person with an extraordinary God.”
With this in mind, then our ‘last woman standing’- Rahab, is qualified.
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab because she welcomed the spies was not killed with those who were disobedient.”
Hebrews 11:30-31
It was such a testimony that, not only were they able to conquer the land of Jericho… Rahab ended up being married to one of the people of God, Salmon. And therefore became part of Jesus’ genealogy that was mentioned in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse…and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
Matthew 1:5,16
Wow. I am glad to know that…
“God can make hero out of us despite our background.”
As what the Psalms said,
“You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME you had a situation that’s beyond your capability to face? To some of you, I know what you are thinking, “How will you face your problem, if your problem is your face?” A famous quote from the legendary, Luther Mancao. Impossible scenarios. Insurmountable circumstances. Overwhelming problems.
If you remember, Moses made a series of choices in Hebrews 11.24-26. He chose the imperishable. After that, he saw the invisible in Hebrews 11.27. Then lastly, he did the impossible…
“By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.”
Hebrews 11:28-29
Just imagine this with me… Moses was leading the entire assembly out of Egypt. With high hopes and expectations, they all followed him… Well, dapat lang nu? Sangkatutak ba naman na himala ng Panginoon…mga sampu, to be exact. Eh, talaga lang na susunod silang lahat. Translation? Miracles, miracles, miracles. :)
While on their way though, the Pharaoh’s army started pursuing them, because he had an unexpected change of mind despite the plagues. As the people of God pressed forward, the Red Sea was right in front of them. While on both sides were deserted ugly mountains. They were surrounded literally with an impossible dilemma…
But they were left with only one option: LOOK UP TO GOD!
Well...would you care to tell us what happened next?
Matthew 10:1 “He called his twelve disciples to him (equip) and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness (empower).”
Nothing’s more frustrating than being equipped for a task and never be allowed to actually do it.
The road to empowerment is difficult because it’ll take more time and it's a bit messy - but it's the way to go. Trusting the disciples to make disciples themselves, and probably make a mess in the process, is a bit unnerving. Doing the job yourself is the quickest, sure shot, sure ball, shortcut way. And it’s very easy. Doing the ‘event’ by the professionals is swift and smooth; but taking people to a ‘process’ would cost more time and it would be a bit risky.
D.L. Moody once said, “It is better to train a hundred men than to do the work of a hundred men… but it is harder.”
Looking at these verses, I realize that our students can be…
Empowered To Minister: That's what you can be.
Ephesians 4:12 "to prepare God’s people (equip) for works of service (empower)…"
Empowered To Lead: You can set the pace.
1Timothy 4:12 "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
Empowered To Team-Up: This is what small group is all about.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
It was promised. It was given. It can be done.
Acts 2:17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions…'"
Allow me to say that our movement is actually called to…
Empower The High School and University Students Who Are Disciples To Make Disciples.
C’mon…you can do it!
I personally believe you can.
NOTICE: Victory Ortigas' 4th (Small Group) Leaders' Convergence is spread out to four Thursdays of July. Youth -1st Thursday, Singles/Young Urban Professionals -2nd Thursday, Married Couples -3rd Thursday, Specialized Groups -4th Thursday. 7pm onwards. Right after the prayer meetings. See you.
Hebrews 11:27 "By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible."
Obstacles are inevitable. That's why FAITH is irreplaceable. Look at Moses.
ENORMOUS PROBLEMS
"fearing the king’s anger..."
There are enormous problems in trying to fulfill God’s purpose. Its fulfillment is not just handed over to a person on a golden platter. He has to face it like a man. Moses knew that he was meant to be some sort of a deliverer. It created a problem though when he tried to do it on his own.
Exodus 2:14-15 ‘The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh…’
Facing enormous problems is possible without breaking down if we don’t take our eyes off the goal. Moses faced these in his own life. Imagine transporting three million people to the Promised Land across a desolate country with no food and water? What about convincing a hardheaded Pharaoh to release the Israelites?
TREMENDOUS DELAYS
"he persevered..."
It took Moses eighty years of waiting before seeing the apex of what God called him to do. Imagine everyday, Moses, would come to God in prayer, for 14,600 days in the wilderness, like the donkey asking Shrek, “Are we there yet?” While God would respond, “No, not yet.” This is obviously better than God saying, “Shut up!!!” I am glad God could be patient with us.
But I believe, what will definitely take us to the finish line, despite of enormous problems and tremendous delays in fulfilling His purpose, is no other than the ability to have a vision. A vision.
“because he(Moses) saw him(God) who is invisible...”
The lesson of faith that we can glean from this then is:
Have Your Eyes Focus On The Goal Despite Varied Obstacles.
“BY FAITH MOSES, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26
We’ve been going through ‘the hall of faith’ HEROES Series ever since 2006. As I have promised, we will try to take a season each year. This year of 2008 is our final season. I like to at least bring closure to this beloved series of ours.
FAITH has been defined before us in verse one of Hebrews eleven.
“Now FAITH is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
But to emphasize it’s meaning in a deeper way, the author provided multiple personalities in the Scriptures who have exemplified real spirit of faith to help the readers grasp it’s importance.
REFUSING –Status Vs. Identity
Moses, by faith turned down his present status as the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter and opted to hold on to who he really was; his ‘identity’.
He truly “had grown up”. He had formulated for himself a disposition that I believe he has acquired growing up with his designated “Yaya”; by the providence of God , his own biological mother.
CHOOSING –Pleasure of Sin Vs. People of God
A ‘refusal’ is not complete without a replacement. As much as it takes faith to refuse, it takes faith as well to choose. The Scriptures tells us that Moses “chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasure of sin…” This is FAITH in capital letters!
LOOKING –Treasures of Egypt Vs. Rewards of Heaven
I have a hard time swallowing the idea of choosing disgrace over the treasures of Egypt. But if 'disgrace' is connected with “for the sake of Christ as of greater value”, then it makes sense. It is FAITH indeed! To summarize all of the above in a sentence; it might sound like Jim Elliot’s famous quote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose…" though. But it is worth it:
FAITH is…
“Losing what you can not keep, to gain which you can not lose.”
A father who passed by his son's bedroom and was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the center of the bed. It was addressed, "Dad". With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter.
Dear Dad,
It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with mom and you. I've been finding real passion with Joan and she is so nice -- even with all her piercing and her tattoos. But it's not only the passion dad, she's pregnant and Joan said that we will be very happy. I know you don't care for her as she is so much older than I. But, she already owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. She wants to have many more children with me and that's now one of my dreams too. Joan taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and we'll be growing it for us and trading it with her friends for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Joan can get better; she sure deserves it!!
Don't worry Dad, I'm 16 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your grandchildren.
Your son, John
PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbor's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my report card that's in my desk center drawer. I love you! Call when it is safe for me to come home.
LOVE LETTER # 2
Bill Havens decided to stay home with his expecting wife rather than win the gold in the canoe event in the 1924 Olympics. August 1, 1924, Frank, his son was born. Yes, he always wondered what might have been, but he never regretted his decision… Twenty-four years later, the Olympic Games were held in Helsinki, Finland. This time Frank Havens, Bill’s son, was chosen to compete in the canoeing event. The day after the competition, Bill received a telegram from his son that read:
Dear Dad,
Thanks for waiting around for me to be born in 1924. I'm coming home with the gold medal that you should have won.
Your loving son, Frank
LOVE LETTER # 3
Elizabeth gave me a Father’s Day Card right after the nine o’clock gathering yesterday Sunday. I decided to go to a coffee shop and read the letter over and over again…
June 15, 2008
Dear Dad, HAPPY Father’s Day! Thank you for being the best dad ever. I love you! I know how much you sacrifice each day for me, mom, & Philip. No one can replace you in my heart. I am grateful to God for giving me a dad like you. Thank you for being overprotective at times. I appreciate the fact that you care a lot for your ONLY DAUGHTER :)
Here’s a little poem I wrote :) :) Do you know what day it is? A time when all fathers are full of bliss. As their children acknowledge their dads, Thanking them for their 'goods' and even the 'bads'. Now I will do the same For someone who goes by the name: “Dad”; which is oh so true. ---but enough of this toodoolidoo. You already know that I love you. So without any further delay, I would just like to say: HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!!
Any man can be a FATHER. It takes someone special to be a DAD. The greatest gift I ever had came from God; I call him DAD!
PSALM 127 SPEAKS OF laboring in vain apart from God building the house Himself.
“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Psalms 127:1
But in Psalm 128, it’s amazing to see a God-centered home…
“Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.”Psalms 128:1
"Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD." Psalms 128:4
…where a man’s labor will not be in vain, instead it will be richly rewarded.
For those of us who have struggled in the area of the past, in this passage, we were given the opportunity to look forward to what’s ahead of us. We may not be able to do something about our ancestors, but at least we can do something about our descendants.
A quote from the classic ‘KungFu Panda’ movie says…
“The Past is history; the Future’s a mystery, but Today is a Gift, that’s why it is called the Present.”
Well, as we live in the present, here are the promised effects in the life of a father or a husband who have made a choice to ‘fear the Lord’ and ‘walk in His ways’ today:
PHYSICAL PROVISION
God is blessing the works of the man’s hands. There is contentment in the midst of hard work. Men, husbands, and fathers…we are called to WORK. Work is not part of the curse. Man was assigned to work (Genesis 2.15), even before the curse came (Genesis 3). Guess what? He has promised satisfaction and assured return…
“You will eat the fruit of your labor…” (Psalm 128 2a)
SPIRITUAL PROGRESS
The ultimate area of our responsibility as husbands and fathers: to establish a progressive spiritual atmosphere in our homes.
“...happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” (Psalm 128.2b KJv)
Wellness and prosperity can’t just be relegated to material aspects but, overall, to the spiritual condition in a person’s life.
DOMESTIC (Home front) PRIORITY
The man of God being described here as the head and leader of the homes…
“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.” Psalms 128:3
The “fruitful vine” speaks of an ‘enjoyment’, while the “olive shoots” speaks of ‘enrichment’.
An olive plant, if properly taken cared of, could possibly live for 150 years! Blessing generation after generations with its fruits.
“…and may you live to see your children’s children...” Psalms 128:6
When we try to combine the two terms (enjoyment and enrichment), they actually depict ‘an abundant life’. Wow… ‘a wife like a fruitful vine, and sons like olive shoots’ for me is the ultimate picture of what a domestic life is all about.
So what does a home that has the taste of 'heaven on earth' look like?
Imagine this…
“A Home That Puts God First Can Experience An Abundant Life, In The Highest Sense.”
NOTE: Just in case you want to catch up on last year's Father's Day blog entry, click THIS.
I can say that because I am a Filipino. A pure blooded Filipino. Some might disagree. They say I am not really a Filipino, but an Ilocano! Hey, it’s one and the same, you know. I am actually a son of a Visayan (Cebuano) father and an Ilocano mother. I am proud to be a ‘tall, dark, and darker’ Pinoy.
Hey, have you heard that Rey Corpuz is actually an ‘Italiano’. Yup, you heard me right. He has an ‘Ita’ and an ‘Ilocano’ set of parents!
Regardless of whatever political leanings a person might have, I can’t help but agree with Ninoy Aquino, “The Filipino is worth dying for.” I know, I know. Some of you were not expecting me to quote that ‘coz my name is ‘Ferdinand’ and my sister after me is ‘Imelda’, but hey; it’s a principle we are after here. Truly, “We all are worth dying for.”
By the way, do you know that of the producer of the movie “Ploning” is our very own, Jourdan Sebastian? Dante Garcia, also a member of our Victory Ortigas congregation, is the director. This is a type of movie that features one of the islands in Palawan –Cuyo. A must see movie!
I read an article that Sonny Oaman (Wow-man) posted the other day, which a high school classmate e-mailed to him. I believe this is very appropriate for the occasion of the Independence Day. It’s entitled: “Juan dela Cruz”
As I end this, I can’t help but reminisce my childhood days after listening to this chart topper song last Friday in one of the Philippine Fm stations by the band group called, Sandwich: "Betamax".
I GUESS WE KNOW BY NOW why we have entitled this series, ‘Finding Jonah’. Different reactions might have come out after careful evaluation of the attitude of our fave prophet. Dumbfounded. ‘I couldn’t-believe-it’ shock. Unexpected. Unusual. Unbecoming of a prophet. As much as we would want the story to be a mushy, ‘feel-good’ narrative; it seems like it was too far off.
How can a man of God act the way he did? If it were the other contemporary prophets, they could have rejoiced with the thought of the entire city of Nineveh getting saved!
With all the characters involved in the story - the sailors, the great storm, the huge fish, the people of Nineveh, the vine, the worm, and the scorching wind - only Jonah stuck out like a SORE THUMB! Every character obeyed, but him. A big "WOW! How can this be?" There are some contrasting issues I have noticed here.
JONAH OF CHAP ONE vs. JONAH OF CHAP FOUR Look at the contrast of attitudes in these two verses:
“But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.” (2.6b)
“Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (4.3)
Here he was thanking God and acknowledging him for saving his life, “Salvation comes from the LORD” (2.9f); in the next breath, asking God to kill him (4.3,8).
PSALMIST OF PSALM 86 vs. PROPHET OF JONAH 4 The ‘character of God’ is the psalmist’s point of PRAISE.
“You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.” (86.5)
“But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (86.15)
The ‘character of God’ is the prophet’s ground for PROTEST rather than praise.
“He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” (4.2)
NO SURPRISE TO THE READERS vs. GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE PROPHET Forty days had passed. The city was spared. Wow. It was not an empty threat, but the people of Nineveh turned from their evil and violent ways. Praise be to the God of Mercy. But, our dear friend and prophet Jonah, out there by himself, angry…and greatly disappointed all the more.
“When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” (4.8f)
GOD’S COMPASSION FOR THE PEOPLE vs. JONAH’S COMPASSION FOR THE VINE Look again with me. Our friend was so concerned for the vine that he did not plant, in which he had no investment. While our Mighty God, strong on our behalf but steeped with compassion and grace, created all peoples.
As I end this entry, let us try to give our honest response to this hanging divine inquiry:
“Should I (God) not be concerned about that great city?”
Oh Lord, may I not be too far off that I might not get ‘it’. I am fully aware of man’s propensity to be selfish; devoid of the mind of Christ, even of people who are close to you. Apostle Peter missed it (Matthew 16.22-23). Even our beloved prophet Jonah was off tangent. Lord, give me the courage to say that...
IF GOD COULD COMMAND a big fish to be at the right place at the right time to save Jonah’s life, He could surely tell that same fish to spit him up on a beach (2.10)! But since the Scriptures used the word “vomit”, I tend to believe that the big fish could not ‘stomach’ the prodigal prophet that it has to spew him out. If I could only just interview the whale…
It’s only by the graciousness of God that we have a story here. Or else it won’t be news worthy at all.
JONAH PROCLAIMING God has no problem repeating Himself to the prophet the second time around. Jonah 3:1 "Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time..."
I look at these more as a form of re-instating Jonah back to the divine direction. Sort of like re-instating Peter back to ministry in the Gospel of John in the New Testament. God’s graciousness to Jonah was obviously extended.
NINEVEH REPENTING Whether this prominent Assyrian city experienced two major calamities or not prior to Jonah’s visit (according to history), it doesn’t really matter. What matters to me is that they repented and believed God after they’ve heard the warning of an impending judgment. The grace of God was evident to a repentant city of Nineveh. Jonah 3:5 “The Ninevites believed God…”
GOD RELENTING This is one of the amazing revelations to me growing up as a Christian. That time and time again, God would literally ‘change His mind’ in sending a divine judgment on a certain group of people; only if they would stand in the gap in prayer and repentance. Jonah 3:9-10 ""Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened."
While at the same time, God’s promise is in consonant with people’s obedience to His command. This is consistent with what the prophet Jeremiah prophesied. Jeremiah 18:5-11 “Then the word of the LORD came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’
I can summarize the entire chapter three of Jonah with these words:
“God's Grace Gives Us Second Chances To Fulfill His Purpose.”
NOTICE: In conjunction to our World Partners weekend (designed to help support our Filipino missionaries), we would like to include in our prayers the people of the nation of Myanmar. They were recently hit by a strong cyclone that brought devastation to the country. As members of Victory, I would like for us to participate in this endeavor of sending relief goods.Read this to continue.
ONE OF THE MOST controversial narratives in the Bible, according to the skeptics, besides the ‘Crossing of the Red Sea’, is the story of ‘Jonah in the belly of a whale’, in Jonah chapter two. But the veracity and the historicity of the story were cemented by a verse in O.T. in 2 Kings 14.25 and by a passage in the N.T. as quoted by Jesus:
Matthew 12:39-41 ‘He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth…’
There are key action concepts in the second chapter of the book that I would like us to see:
REPENT The entire chapter two centered on ‘turning around’ of Jonah. It might have taken him three days to do that but he came to his senses anyway. The O.T. expression of ‘repentance’ is that idea of ‘looking toward the holy temple’. v. 4 “I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’”
v. 7 “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
He realized ultimately ‘the hand of God’ was responsible for all these, not the hands of the sailors. v. 3 “You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas…”
Jonah was deceived by the devil’s lies. v. 8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
The promise of God to genuinely repentant saint is immeasurable. 1John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
REJOICE As he has turned to God, he couldn’t help but burst in a song! I believe that the inevitable result of His grace is the undeniable joy flowing from a person’s heart. v. 9a “But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you…”
RECOMMIT The real result of repentance is the idea of starting where you’ve left off. The grace of God inspires us for service. v. 9b “What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD.”
Jonah has reached the rock bottom of things. He has nowhere to go but up.
When God calls you to go to do something or, to be more specific, to go and be His representative and ambassador to a group of people, then you better respond accordingly. Should you decide otherwise, you’ll get into trouble. Imagine running from a God who is Omni-present?
People can get caught up with their own emotions and inner struggles that they neglect to understand who they are dealing with. The God who is everywhere…Can anyone run away from a God like that?
Jonah could have known God better! He was a popular prophet… 2Kings 14:25 “He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.”
But what happened here? He resisted the assignment God gave him. He resigned from God’s calling as a prophet and tried to hide! This does not make sense to me. Any twelve-year-old kid can give glaring advise to this out-of-whack prophet. An advice anyone can learn from. A lesson I can adopt. A principle I can hold on to. Though a concept that is beyond grasp to people who are like Jonah.
“You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide.”
Btw, if you can find a pattern in these series of verses in Jonah chapter one...share it with us.
v. 3 "He went down to Joppa..." v. 5 "But Jonah had gone below deck..." v. 15 "and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm." v. 17 "and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
Go...
Note: As we start in this new series, I encourage everyone to read the book of Jonah, so we can be in the same page. At least before coming to one of our weekend gatherings this week, read Jonah chapter one.
Most of you are wondering about the picture I featured the other day. Well, here it is! This picture was taken when Judy was barely a year old. Yup. That cute little baby. And that's her Mom. The three women in this picture are (left-right) Ruth, sis-in-law; Zeny, mom-in-law; and Judy, my ever-dearest wife.
Thank you, Judy for being a wife to me, and a mother to my two children, Elle and John Philip. I love you. Happy Mother's Day!
As we celebrate Mothers’ Day, let’s remember what these people have to say:
“I have lived over sixty years and I have learned one thing if I have lived nothing else. No man or woman who dishonors father or mother ever prospers.” -Dwight L. Moody.
“How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child.” -Shakespeare (Idem-1.4.)
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be… disobedient to their parents, ungrateful…” -Apostle Paul (2Timothy 3:1-2)
To be able to live out this idea of honoring our parents, we have to find ways to do it! You may say, ”Are you serious? You don’t even know my parents! They may not be worth honoring.” Oh, really? Let me ask you? “Have you been a perfect child?” If you were, then you deserve a perfect set of parents!
Well, Apostle Paul has this commentary on the fifth commandment:
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise — “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” -Apostle Paul (Ephesians 6.1-3)
So lets take heed of this notice then.
WARNING: 'Dishonoring your parents maybe harmful to your health!'
Look. If you want things to go well with you, and live longer... show that love, do it… and do it NOW.
'Dead noses smell no roses.'
So, if your parents are still alive… then show that love, HONOR.
___ Would you mind help share with me some more practical ways to honor our parents, especially our mothers? Feel free...
Oh, btw, who do you think that baby is in the picture above? Take a guess...
AS WE CONCLUDE OUR ‘The HEaler Series’, let’s look at this event when an anonymous woman who have been subject to bleeding for twelve years, immediately received healing. How did she experience the miraculous? By a controversial TOUCH. What made this touch remarkable?
To better appreciate that, lets look at the status of the woman prior to encounter.
Mark 5:25 “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.”
*You could imagine her very frail and weak body frame due to the twelve years constant hemorrhaging. *This could have deprived her of motherhood. *She was a social outcast as she has become ceremonially unclean. *Faced with humanly incurable disease as she has suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors. *Poverty stricken; she depleted her financial resource due to the prolonged search for cure. *A ‘nobody’ as compared with ‘somebody’ like Jairus.
There is only one thing going for her; I could imagine her saying, “I’m not going to die without a fight!” She decided to give it a try.
A TOUCH OF FAITH
Mark 5:27-28 "When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
Faith…the key to tapping to the power source. There something about that touch that made it interesting. This made me think real hard…and realized that, ‘despite of the multitudes thronged, pushed and touched Jesus, there was only one who touched Him in faith.’
A TOUCH OF POWER
Mark 5:30 “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”"
There was a collision! The flow of plague is in collision course with the flow of God’s power. Something’s got to give in. God’s power prevailed. I realized all the more that, ‘it is possible to touch Jesus like the rest of the crowd, and come out of the place unchanged.’ I imagine throngs of people going to church every Sunday all over the world, but how many are able to tap into the ‘virtue’ of God?
A TOUCH OF FREEDOM
Mark 5:29 “Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”
Mark 5:34 “He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.””
Let the verses speak for itself. If you try to analyze the story, the woman’s predicament reflects our spiritual condition. Just as the woman’s hemorrhaging sapped the life out of her, sin seemed to work the same way. Sin never gives. It always takes away. It never adds to life. We all then need a touch of freedom!
Psalms 50:15 “and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
YOU ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS ONE of the unusual healings in the Bible.
Here are different categories that I would like us to be aware of to better appreciate this miraculous event.
It’s not the CAUSE, it’s the PURPOSE:
John 9:2 “His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?””
Even the disciples are not spared from the prevailing mindset in the Jewish culture regarding congenital diseases. It is supposed to be either the parents’ fault, or the baby could have possibly committed a sin in the womb.?!? Does this sound absurd to you? This is so weird, I don’t to even want talk about it.
John 9:3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
I hope you know by now the purpose of the miracle...
“To bring glory back to God.”
It’s not the MANNER, it’s the MESSAGE:
John 9:6-7 "Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."
Imagine Jesus using a manner of healing that was almost similar to pagan way of healing (the use of saliva)? Why did He not just instantaneously bring the miracle just like what He did in other occasions? Why ask a guy to go wash himself in the pool of Siloam? Questions. Questions. Questions.
One thing I realized is that, the issue is not about the manner; it’s this one big idea of a message that I got from this story:
“Obeying God’s Word Validates Our Faith.”
It’s not the ‘HOW’, it’s the ‘WHO’:
The inquiry on ‘how’ was asked four to five times!
John 9:10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded.”
John 9:15 “Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
John 9:16 “Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?”
John 9:19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
John 9:21 “But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
The blind man doesn’t even have a pre-knowledge about Jesus Christ. No religious background. He simply followed the instruction. His faith was rewarded. And only thing going for him…his undeniable miraculous experience of healing.
John 9:25b “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
He was unknowingly introducing the Messiah! Though he finally discovered Him…
John 9:35-38 “Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.”
I believe this is not just a showcase of a physical healing, but also a mirror of healing and deliverance of those who live in the realm of darkness. So therefore it puts us all in the same plain. We need Jesus who Himself declared…
OUR MISSIONS DIRECTOR gave a report the other day that probably some of the Metro Manila staffs missed: "I noticed that most of this overseas workers who help started these works in these restricted nations are 'Rectites' (a word of endearment used to describe those who came from Ubelt!)".
Find out how a culture of leadership equipping and development in our movement started. Read more...
To give way to a busy summer time, we are calling our small group leaders to converge with us on April 17, 6pm onwards this Thursday. (Our next VIP 4/6 would be on July). Besides the recognition of the ENLI 2008 graduates, we will also simultaneously train potential small group leaders in our Kid's Church rooms. Wear your colored tops and jeans if you can. See you all there!
hi pastor ferdie! yesterday at VCF pio was the first time i heard you preach. it was Ah-mahy-zing!! :D i was super blessed and moved! and now i know, real men don't cry...they only sweat their eyes!!
Hey Pastor!!! how have u been!!??Memphis and nashville's still a blast! kelan ba magkakaruon ng bagong EN07 para makpagenroll ako for ENLI hehehehehhe=)Godblessu and ur family!!!!
Thanks Pastor Ferdie for the invitation. The Provincial Board's Session is scheduled every Monday. But I'll be attending the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions of Leader Lectures. See you! ^_^
Beautiful insight (re: blogging) Ferds. After Paolo (my son) finally convinced me (after ignoring invitations for over a year now by numerous people to Multiply) last June 1, 2008 to start a Multiply account, I began reconnecting with old friends. Towards the latter part of June 2008, Jay (while on a visit to Las Vegas where I have lived since 2005) shared with me the value and importance of blogging. Today, your blog (about blogging) totally encouraged me to share through blogging. Great to see you're doing great bro. Take good care of yourself.
It's a shame there's no church last sunday. It's handy to go to your site and have church though, almost the same. Thank you for feeding us a good feed (myself and my wife).
