SERVE HIM!

Christians nowadays don’t participate
Because we think we’re already literate.
We have our fun day, our work day
We have our DVD day, our shopping day
But when is our serving day?
Are we going through the narrow way?
Or are we just here every Sunday?

We are called to serve Him with all
Not to play around and roll.
We do not answer His call,
And then we wonder why we fall

If not for Him we would be lost
Our death won’t even pay the cost
He died for our sake
His love is true! It isn’t fake
Would we rather have a picnic in a lake?
Or serve Him? Of all forsake

Do not ignore His bidding
The Lord owns everything
So He better receive something
And He better see you smiling
Because giving is just returning.

We are His followers, His worshipers
Not Church goers or mere attenders,
Stop being earthly and be a part of His ministry
Do it for His glory,
He must be your priority.
He is the God of eternity,
He deserves our entity.

Stop holding on to vanity
And start serving officially.
What is your job compared to Him?
Does your work remove your sin?

Join God’s way of handling money
Participate in this ministry.
Be a part of a Bible study
There are many here in CABC.
Stop making excuses,
Do not listen to other voices.

Serve Him and Him alone.
Give it all for His mighty throne.
Today is never too late.
Will you leave it all to fate?

He has given us the greatest gift
We were saved by His grace
Anything less is a slap in His face.
Serve today. That is all I will say.

PS: I made this poem for our Church during the mission's month promotion. Let us serve Him in every way!
By the way, CABC stands for Commonwealth Avenue Baptist Church -- this is the Church where God has placed me

Paul Washer: Evangelical hoops

Evangelical hoops.. half-truths.. neutral preaching.. What have we done to the Gospel?

WAKE UP!!!! Watch this video and be blessed!

An Expression Of Love And Rebuke Towards Believers

Its funny how most preachers act today with regards to the preaching of the Gospel. But make no mistake, this rebuke is for all of us believers. Allow me to demonstrate my points through the following scenarios.

SCENARIO 1:

(After sharing a gospel to Brother "So and So" and leading him in praying the sinner's prayer, Pastor makes an announcement to the congregation..)
Pastor: (Addresses to the crowd) May I have everyone's attention please! Brother "So and So" JUST GOT SAVED!!!! Let us rejoice and thank God for another of His lost sons was found
Congregation: AMEN!!!
Brother: I feel so good! Its like I finally found a second family!

(A week later, he preaches in another Church)
Pastor: You know I preach in many Churches. And in all those Churches I preach, many get saved! You see preachers are not doing their job very well nowadays.. but God has used me to bring glory to His Name! The last time I preach 100 people got saved!
Crowd: AMEN!!!! Praise God!

NOW COMPARE ABOVE SCENE TO THE ONE BELOW..

SCENARIO 2:

(After sharing the Gospel to Brother "So and So" and praying for him, Pastor makes an announcement to the congregation..)
Pastor: (Addresses to the crowd) May I have everyone's attention please! Brother "So and So" HAS PROFESSED HIS FAITH IN CHRIST! Let us rejoice! However! Because we love him, we will not declare him to be saved. We will continually counsel him until he has a Biblical assurance that not only does He know God but God knows him.
Brother: WHY???!!! I professed my faith! I'm supposed to be saved!
Pastor: Brother, we love you but the Bible teaches us that true faith brings about fruits. As what we had talked about, when a man is saved, God transforms him into a new creature. If repentance and separation from the world do not become a reality in your life, then you've got nothing from us here today!
Brother: You are a mean preacher! I professed Christ! I have faith in him. I know Christ already!
Pastor: Brother, we do care about you that is why we are telling you the truth. On that day of judgment, it doesn't matter if you know God, what truly matters is He knows and acknowledges you as His. May will say to Him on that day "Lord, Lord! Have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name drive out demons and performed miracles?" and Jesus will answer, "Away from me you lawless men! I never knew you!"
Brother: But..
Pastor: Let me explain. If I go to the gates of the white house and say "I know George Bush! I know George Bush! Let me in!" They're not going to let me in. They might even arrest me. However, if George Bush comes out and says "Hold it! I know him, let him in" you can be sure that I'll be allowed to enter. Its the same thing in heaven.
Brother: But didn't you just say that it is by faith that one is reconciled with God?
Pastor: True! However, genuine faith brings fruits. If you truly belong to Him, He will not share you with the world. You might sin or go back to your evil habits but if you truly have been transformed, whenever you go back to sin, you will vomit it. You will be sick of it and you will fear the Lord, cry out to Him and run back to Him in repentance and worship.
Brother: (in tears) I do believe. You are a real preacher because you preach the truth. And you really do love God and men for you do not hold back the truth just to conform with others. I surrender my life to God. Let Him decide for me.

(A week later, he preaches in another Church)
Pastor: You know I preach in many Churches. And in all those Churches I preach, many hate me! But let me tell you this, a real preacher is not someone who can bring everyone to God. A genuine preacher is someone who CAN NEVER BRING EVERYONE TO GOD! Because he preaches the Truth, people will hate him and even mock him! They will stand against him and kick him out of their Churches! They do not want to hear the true words of God. I had been preaching the Gospel and it has been always like this. Still it doesn't matter because this work is God's work and besides, I am servant and as my Lord has been persecuted so will I be. Yet, in face of persecution, I stand boldly not by my works but by my weaknesses and by my Lord. I know at some point, I will fail. BUT THE LORD WILL NEVER FAIL ME!!! I will preach the fullness of the truth! the fullness of the Gospel without holding back! My Lord hath loved me and He hath saved me.. what else can I ask for? Do be persecuted for His sake is a great honor that the Spirit in me rejoices in. And although my flesh is weak and evil, though I fail miserably and weep, my Lord will stand for me on that Day not because I have earned it but because He hath appointed it on His own free and sovereign choice!
Crowd: This is a real preacher.
Some from the crowd: This is not a real preacher! How can a real preacher be hated by men? A real preacher is loved and honored by men! Let us leave.. he is nothing but a tactless, mean-spirited and proud man.

As you compare both scenarios, what have you realized? There's so much that you will learn but I want you to focus on the preaching of the Gospel, the words of both pastors (from both scenarios), the response of both converts (first one versus the second one) and lastly the response of the crowd.

When people make a decision to pray the sinner's prayer, modern day preachers are so quick to rise from their chairs and declare them saved. You will never find this in Scripture. Praying the sinner's prayer is not a genuine act of conversion. Acts of conversion or regeneration that is brought about by the Spirit are in the form of repentance, holiness, godliness, hunger for God and a burning desire to share the Gospel with everyone. Of course there are many more, but these fruits are the most evident especially for new converts.

When a person is saved by God, God makes him a new creature. God takes out our evil hearts and gives us a new one. This is God's new covenant (Hebrews 8). He will be our God and we will be His people. To be regenerated is to live in union with Christ and to live in continual repentance and separation from the world. One cannot claim to be a part of the regenerated body of Christ if he is still attached to the world. Without fruits, your faith is dead. When the Holy Spirit comes into play, you are changed into a new being. You might sin here and then but you do not delight in it anymore. Before, the only time you would be bothered by your sins is when you are caught or someone points out your mistakes. But for a new creature, even the sins in his mind bother him so much that they can even give him sleepless nights! Even though no one sees his mind, the fear of the Lord that is mentioned is Ezekiel thrives in him and he cannot help himself but run straight to the foot of Christ begging for forgiveness, grace and mercy. Therefore, if a man continually denies his faith, he has not been on the faith on the first place. Likewise, if a person continually lives in the world and indulges in its pleasures, even though he goes to Church and prays, he is not really saved. What we have to understand is this: God is not mocked. God's work of salvation and regeneration is a supernatural work. It is not founded upon decisions of puny men. In other words, if there's no repentance in your life, no radical change in your heart, no turning away from the world, then you do not belong to God at all. If there's no work of the Spirit in you, it is not the Spirit's fault. Its is yours because in the first place, you did not have the Spirit at all. Stop declaring people to be saved and start preaching the doctrine of regeneration! It is one of the lost doctrines of this age. By not preaching it, you preach "a half-truth gospel". And half-truths mean nothing. This basically covers the preaching of the Gospel.

Now unto believers, I'd like to express my love, concern and rebuke in a form of a letter.

To the believers who preach like the pastor in the first scenario of this blog, I give this message:

God's work of salvation and regeneration is a supernatural work. Even though we do the preaching, we do so by the power of God's Spirit. If you indeed preach like the first one, hear my rebuke which I give on behalf of my Lord Jesus. I do not have the authority to do so but I do have the right to see that the voice of Scripture is heard.

You preachers from the first! All you really care about is the number of people who "get saved"! You do not even know what salvation truly is! If you knew, you would not speak to men in that kind of way. You will tell them the truth about the Lord! But because you want to skip through some hoops, make things easier and avoid conflict, you minimize the Gospel! The Gospel is not a weather forecast of the coming apocalypse! Neither is it the hottest news about a celebrity named jesus! You fools! If you truly love men you would preach the fullness of the truth! But because you had made God's work a business, you chose to conform with the world! Haven't you learned at all? It is by the Gospel that you were saved! And if you really are saved, the Spirit will be talking to you now! If you do not belong to Him, all you will feel is hatred toward me! Let me remind you of something: though they come from my lips, these words are not my own.

Generations of believers were killed for the sake of the Gospel of our Lord and this is what you do? Come back to Him if you truly belong to Him. I do not pretend to know His will but I do know that His Gospel is a living News of His great sacrifice and work! Until this date no one has erased it despite the serious modifications done to it! I do not speak as a man exempted from the judgment of the Father. I too am a preacher who loveth the Lord, by His grace, and hath learned to loveth men through His Spirit. And so I too am under strict condemnation if I preach "the half-true version" of His work. And whatever I throw to you, I throw unto myself. The Lord Jesus is watching.

What superstition has overcome our denominations?! Fancy and attractive illustrations had replaced Biblical theology. Quoting the day you prayed the sinner's prayer against Satan? How far have we fallen? Instead of saying, "My faith has fruits and God is evident in my life therefore I am saved", our converts say "Satan, I accepted Christ on this date so do not make me doubt my salvation!" What has become of us? Do we really think that the Gospel is this cheap? Are not our converts polluting the image of Christianity with their carnality because of our faulty preaching?

Let us come back to Him and drink from Him that we may be put into use for the glory of His Kingdom! He gave His life for us! Do you think He will hold back other things which are far less than His life? We have no reason to be discouraged by what men think. With these I give you my final words: come back to Christ, believe, repent and preach the fullness of His love without fear! If you still haven't known the fullness of the Gospel, be humble to admit it and cry out to the Father that He might save you, transform you and bring you at His foot where all His vindictive lectures are held.

-Michael, a fellow servant in Christ Jesus

And now.. unto the response of the convert and the crowds, I leave you these words for the reader to ponder:

The Truth will hurt but it will set you free. For wherever the Gospel is preached, there will be division among the land. Conflict and rejection may result, for the goats cannot agree with the ways of the sheep. Likewise, the sheep cannot agree with the ways of the goats. Still, goats can be turned into sheep if the goat repents, believes and puts himself at the expectant hands of the strong Shepherd. And this mighty Shepherd will break your heart, for His Words are just and sharp as swords; but He will set you free from that evil nature which you are enslaved in. And you can be sure that He will finish the work He had begun. To Him be the glory!

-Michael, a once fallen but regenerated creature in Christ Jesus

Lastly, I leave this message for the believers of the new covenant who preach like the pastor of the second scenario..

Dear brothers,

I know what it is to be hated for the sake of the Gospel. I know what it is like to be persecuted by fellow believers whom you had loved so much. They do not fully grasp the Lord's salvific work manifested in His Son. I know what its like to be referred to as a radical, volatile and insensitive preacher who proudly bullies other Christians for their "lack" of faith. I know what its like to wish that you haven't been called and to wish that everyone would just understand that true faith bringeth fruits. If no fruits become evident, a soul is still chained in sin, bound to eternal condemnation by God's righteous law. I know what its like to wish for these simple truths to be known. Still, know that this is not our work. This is not our show. This is His work and His show all for His glory and honor. I encourage you to set your eyes on God, Who is our means and end. We hath known what love is because He hath loved us on the first place. We hath known His Truth because He hath revealed it to us on the first place. I do not encourage you to be constant shakers of dust from your foot, but to be foot washers as Christ hath been so that His glory maybe known to man. Do not be discouraged and by your weaknesses rejoice for our Lord is a mighty Shepherd! He is ours to follow! What a great God do we have! We have no reason to be discouraged. Instead rejoice and pray earnestly that He may move among the nations, constantly spreading His fame through the Gospel.

How and why He hath loved us I do not know. But I believe that by His sovereign decision He hath made a choice to make His Name known to man. Men might spit on the Gospel, trample it or dodge it's mighty sword, but they will know that HE IS LORD! They can resist and submit to their worldly passions and think that God tolerates sin, but they will know HE IS GOD!

I encourage you then to seek the lost even more earnestly than before. There are a few of us in this world. Don't get me wrong, God does not need us. He needs no one. But we do not sit and watch our race fall to darkness. We preach with madness as this Gospel is a message of hope one cannot just bear inside. It must be preached all for the glory of His Name; that His greatness might be known to the elect and the wicked.

He is coming brothers! Endure and depend upon His grace! Drink from His cup! This is our true prosperity! Not that prosperity that is taught now in many churches... Live for Him alone and be assured that your scars will be rewarded. And even if they aren't, can we ask for anything else? The Lord hath laid and given the greatest gift to us, a sinful, fallen and totally unworthy race! Yet He did this out of mercy so that His Name might be acknowledged as the one Name that is above all other names! And all people will bow down and confess that He is Lord at that coming Day! So do not be troubled and bear the hope that we hold unto. Christ is coming! Our Lord is coming! Rejoice and be glad! Our time here is almost up and we shall soon see the fullness of His glory.

-Michael, a fellow prisoner of the Lord Jesus

Persecution In Open-Air Preaching

"I am sending you like sheep among ravenous wolves"
"Whoever wants to save his life will lose it and whoever loses His life for My sake will gain it"
"If anyone wants to follow Me, he must first deny Himself, take up his cross then follow me."
"If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you on that Day that the Son of Man comes back, with the angels, in the fullness of His glory"

How much has the preaching the Gospel cost you? Do you even preach at all? Are your hands scarred for preaching the Gospel? Or are you just sitting back and leaving everything to chance?

Let us not cheapen the Gospel. The Lord Jesus saved us from our sins and gave us a future to look forward to. If not for Him, we would be nothing but rotting corpses in hell. If not for Him, we would be nothing. It is only by drinking from Him that we can gain righteousness. We are not worthy, rather, we are made worthy by His sacrifice. The cross is a reminder of how depraved we really are that it took the death of God's only Son so that we may be reconciled with Him. By our own hands, we cannot be saved. Has the Gospel become a reality in your life? Are you living in the fullness of the truth? Have you suffered for the sake of Jesus? Watch this video and be blessed.

A Prayer Of An Exhausted Believer

ear Father who art in heaven,

Praise be to Your Holy Name! As usual, I am in awe with the mere fact that I can talk to you. I come before Your mighty Throne, that no angel can utter without reverence and fear. How wonderful is it that a depraved man, such as me, can speak to the Great Creator anytime and anywhere without any restrictions. How many people do not understand the value of prayer? The fact that I can seek You Lord and address you as my Father means so much for me that even I do not see Your Hand, I would still be in awe and worship.

Father, move among us. Let Your will be done. Let Your Kingdom come Lord. And if you please, let revival begin in our perishing world for the good of Your elect and most important of all, for the glory of Your Son Jesus, our merciful Lord who suffered and became a curse in our place. Father I ask you to step into our lives. We need You in our land. There is no other hope for us but You. May Your sustaining grace be with us if you please so that our hearts would in tune to Your voice all the time. Move among the nations: raise missionaries, evangelists, teachers, trainers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and anything else that will bring honor to Your Holy Name, all for Your glory.

I am so tired Father.. so tired.. My body is starting to give up. My mind feels like throwing up. My heart is starting to breed anger and bitterness over senseless things.. things not even worth mentioning to You, the Holy of Holies. My soul is crumbling and I am lost in my weakness. If it would please You and glorify You more to heal me then so be it! Heal Your servant and let Your Name be honored! But if my testimony and witnessing would be more powerful if I am deprived of Your healing words, if by encasing me in this room of impulsions and loss more people would be drawn to you, if by crushing my soul I would be prepared for heaven or if it would be Your pleasure to damn my remaining ounces of strength, then so be it! Crush me for the sake of Your glory. I am Your servant. I answer to no one but You. I do not respond even to my own command. What torment it would be to me but if that glorifies Your Name more, then I have no say, let Your will be done! You know what's best for me. Like I always say, this is Your show, its no longer mine.

Father, how good it is that by Your sovereign grace, I could breathe at this moment without any interruption. How great it is that I still have a sane mind after experiencing Your glory and love through Your Son Jesus. Thy grace sustains me forever. With that I am in total gratefulness. And if Thou choose to withdraw Thy grace from me, I do not know what will happen. I do not pretend, I am a mere sapling at Your good house. Still, being at Your mercy and being under Your mighty shade drives me to toil night and day. For if I was left alone in control, I would have nothing but loss and despair. All I will ever have is worldly success but how can I call it success if You're not in it? Oh that we men so depraved, after seeing Your holiness, crushes all our resolve. No man can see Your face for it would vaporize his soul. The greatness and power of Your Holy Essence was restrained by Your Son because You hath loved us even though we were not, after the fall, Yours. You freed us from that bondage, with that I am forever in awe. Thy sovereign grace, if it did not pull me out from the darkness, bounded my nature in chains and delivered me from the evil one, I do not know where I would be. A prisoner of grace am I! What a beautiful, everlasting love you have. If You left me on my own, I would have faced the judgment I so deserved and I would have suffered, as is Your justice and in that I have nothing to say against. But You hath called me from the darkness that I may share in Your wonderful glory! Or at least take a part of that righteousness that You had been keeping for man through Your Son Jesus.. With that I am content. I might moan and cry as a foolish being of little faith, here and then, but I am content of having known You and how much more in sharing Thy greatness! As if we men deserved anything from you.. still isn't it through this that the fullness of Your love is manifested? Angels watched in horror as You, in flesh and blood, was nailed to a a vile cross while You had done nothing wrong but sincere and perfect goodness. Through this great work, we had become the envy of angels and bearers of a righteousness that is not ours. We had become jars of clay, constantly molded by the Potter's Hand.. all for Thy glory.

You had loved the world and how many times did You want to cradle such civilizations but we would not let You. No one did. From the beginning, after the fall, apart from Your unconditional election that is based on no human merit, there can be nothing left for us but judgment. But Thy purest of pure! Pristine are Your deeds! You hath called men, shared to them freely the glory of Your Son and even if you have kept such righteousness on Your bidding would be no offense. The sovereign God is sovereign, with Him all things are possible. I am awe, grateful and madly seeking to lean at the pillars of Your Temple.

I pray Father for the advancement of Thy Kingdom and Your Holy Gospel that delivereth man from his own damnation. I pray for the continuity of the miraculous work of thy Spirit here on earth. Oh that sinners can become saints through Your Son! What words can man form but "PRAISE YOUR NAME!" I pray for the arising of Your disciples among the nations, that everyone would be kept safe until the Day of Your Coming in glory, power and majesty. I do not pray that You strike down the wicked, for how am I different from them? Have mercy on us Father. I pray for Your mercy and beg for Thy gift that no one deserveth. Apart from the grace, love and work of Your Son who lives, there can be no hope nor reconciliation for us. So move among us and shake the mountains with Your glory so that everyone will hear Your thundering voice that there is hope only through Him. Reveal Your magnificence under the protection of Thy shielding cloud, so that men and woman, slave or free, oppressed and poor, wicked or deceitful.. makes no difference, see Your mighty love, believe, worship yet still be sane. All these are my prayers but You have the final say, let Your will be done! That I can even request is more than a privilege to me, still let a prisoner's voice be heard in Your halls above.

Great Lord, I ask You to give me the strength I need to survive this short life of mine, till the day You want me to see the fullness of Thy glory in the essence of Your Truth. Until that day that all men's hearts would be bare before You, sustain me with Thy grace and sovereign power. And also all those who You have chosen to be a part of Your Kingdom, let Your hand be with us as You use us for your glory and praise. Reach out to those who haven't heard and grant them faith and repentance so that they can seek Thy glory in the mountains and worship, falling flat on the ground, speechless with no other words to utter but Your greatness.

In Jesus Name, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Amen and Amen!

The Fullness Of The Gospel Preached!

n this short video clip, Paul Washer preaches the fullness of the truth about the Gospel (See below after reading this article).

No wonder the Gospel has no power in our lives. We have distorted the Gospel and turned it into a gospel: a superstitious, series of steps and magical formulas of ways to get saved. A typical example would be:

STEP 1: Do you know you're a sinner? "Yes."
STEP 2: Do you want to get to heaven? "Yes."
STEP 3: Do you want to pray a prayer to ask Jesus to come into your life? "Yes."
STEP 4: If you prayed sincerely, you are saved now. Go to our Church, pray and read the Bible. "I'll do that."

Anyone would say "yes" to these questions. Believe me, everybody knows they're not perfect, they all want to get to heaven and they most certainly would want to pray a prayer that will get them there. These questions skip the essence of God's nature, man's depravity, the fullness of Jesus' sacrificial work and the regeneration brought about by the Holy Spirit. Try looking into the following steps (and also see the response for every question! The Truth is always in conflict with man's nature!) and compare them with the above gospel preaching and see what hath befallen Modern Christianity.

STEP 1: Do you know that the Bible says in Romans 3:10-20, 23 that we are sinners and therefore, are God's enemies? We are the farthest thing from God. Even Paul, himself, considers himself as God's enemy.
"What! That maybe but I also do good!"

Do you know what God's justice is?
"Of course. He will uplift the poor and punish the wicked."

True. Here's the problem, we are sinful and we must be punished.
"What! I know I'm not perfect but I'm not sinful! I also pray you know! God would not punish me! He loves me!"

I'm sure He loves you but lets read this passages: Isaiah 59, Romans 3-6. Based on what we've read, nothing is left for us but judgment. We all have sinned and we must all suffer the consequences of our sin. The issue is not that we have broken the law, the issue is that we have been continually breaking the law. Just think about how many times have we sinned in our thoughts? And how much more in our actions?
"True but I also do good to cover up my sin. I am a good person!!! I will not be punished!"

STEP 2: Do you know that good works cannot save you and apart from God's grace you cannot be saved? Let's read Galatians chapter 3-6 and Ephesians chapter 2 and let's pay attention to the last verses. So based on what we've read, what does it tell you? I know its hard to stomach but what does the Bible tells us?
"That we were only saved by grace so that no one can boast.. and that we cannot be saved by just keeping the law."

Do you understand now why we must be punished?
"No. I still don't! God loves me! Why in the world would he punish me??? It's you who must be punished for telling me this!"

I'll give you an example, lets say I robbed a bank. I was caught and all the evidence (including medical records and mental status history) that was gathered showed that I was 100% guilty and aware of what I was doing. There was no way I could deny what I did. I am 100% guilty. Now if I stand before the judge and the judge simply lets me go without any form of punishment, do you think the judge was just doing so?
"Of course not! That's actually what's happening today in this world! Criminals are not being punished accordingly!"

Now here's the problem. We are criminals so we must be punished. And we did not sinned once, we have been repeatedly sinning.
"Then no one can be saved if that's what you mean!!! No one will get to heaven!"

Exactly! No one can get to heaven.
"So what's next, are you gonna tell me that there's no heaven?! (laughs sarcastically)"

Its the opposite my friend. There is a heaven and there is a God who loves you. And He did something so you can be reconciled with Him.
"I see. Is this a joke or what?!!! So now God loves me again?!"

God has always loved you but He cannot just let you in at the expense of justice. Going back to the court example, how can the robber get away from the punishment. "Well, he can kill the judge."
Can you kill God?
"Uh-no."
How else?
"He could deny his sin."
Can we lie before God (reads Titus) and do you know that if we deny our sins we make God a liar? What else?
"I don't know."

Well. There's only one option left. Someone who is just and holy has to take his punishment in his place. If someone does that the law can be satisfied. Agree?
"Right! Someone must bear his punishment because the judge cannot just let him go! But who would do that? you?"
No my friend, that's not possible for me. But Someone, whom all things are possible, did it for you.

STEP 3: I'd like you to read these verses John 3:16-20 then let's also read Isaiah 53 and know for yourself Who saved you and took your punishment.
"For God so loved the world that He (breathes heavily).." (reads the verses) "He hath laid the inequities of us all.."

Who was it and what did He do?
"(Breathes heavily then starts to cry) He saved me! He saved me! I was going to hell but He saved me! He took my sins away! All my sins are gone!!! I'm saved! He loves me! You were trying to tell me this because you want me to realize that I NEEDED A SAVIOUR AND THAT I CANNOT BE RECONCILED WITH GOD ON MY OWN!!! Jesus saved me!!! I'm forgiven. I'm... OH!! PRAISE GOD!!! He suffered for my transgressions! I have been saved by His grace!"

You got ahead of me my friend and that is because the Spirit has worked in you. Yes, Jesus paid for your sins and suffered in your place so that you can be reconciled with Him! The Bible says that thousands of angels rejoice when one soul professes that Jesus is our only Lord and Saviour (not only in words but also in works). Now you know why right?
"I didn't know God loved me this much. God loves me! I've got to tell my neighbors about this! This is the true Gospel! I have heard the gospel before but it was never preached in this way! SO AM I SAVED NOW???"
Well, as we have read, if you put your faith in Him and trust Him with all your heart then you are indeed saved.

STEP 4:I want to lead you in a prayer. Let's praise and thank God for having loved us. If not for us, Jesus would not have to suffer and die. He was resurrected afterwards and because of this we can be sure that He is Lord and God in flesh! Do you want to pray on your own?
"I'm not used to it yet.. I usually pray memorize prayers.."
Alright. I'm gonna lead you okay? But I want to you to be sincere with every word, okay?
"Okay."
Father God, we come before you.. (finishes prayer)

STEP 5: So, what do you think should you do now?
"Praise God for the rest of my life? What else can I do?"
Wow! You got it right away.. I'll introduce you to the Church tomorrow and we'll discuss more about Christian living, okay? There's so much waiting for you.. HOWEVER before I go, I'll give you a very important warning. Let's read the book of First John. (finishes reading)

Now, as we have read, if these things don't happen in your life in the following days or months, then what you have a false fire. If there's no work of the Spirit in you, no desire and hunger for God's Word, no continual repentance, no separation from the world, then YOU'VE GOT NOTHING HERE TODAY. The Gospel calls for change, transformation and separation from the world as we, with all our hearts, worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. If there's no good works, no repentance or no Christ-like character manifesting in your life then you're not really saved. Genuine faith produces fruits. Let's read James chapter 2 (finishes reading). If you really are saved, you will change based on the Spirit's direction. If there's no change, you have to go back to Christ and we'll have to talk again. Sound good to you?
"Great.."

This is the true Gospel not because of its many steps but because of the the fullness of the Truth that is explored and preached. God's loving, holy and just nature was clearly and thoroughly presented. This is the way it must be preached. It will really create conflict but if you persevere through God's grace, we will succeed. But you also have to remember that not everyone will accept this teaching. The above scenario showed sarcastic and angry responses but it could get worse. Some would still hold on to their good works and they will deny their sinfulness. They will kick you out of their house or curse you for telling them the Truth! Still, I urge you to love them and do what you can to win their trust and respect without compromising the Gospel. This is the Gospel that the apostles had died for for preaching the Truth indeed has a cost. But considering what Jesus had done for us, is there anything else we would want? Isn't it a great honor to suffer or die in honor of Him? Isn't to be reconciled with the holy and loving God the greatest thing that can ever happen to us? What more can we ask?

Anyways, if things don't turn out fine like the above scenario, pray earnestly for God to open the way and grant us His grace to persevere in preaching the Truth. Not everyone will believe and not everyone will thread the narrow way-gate which is Jesus, the one true Lord and Saviour. The Gospel is open to all but, sadly, not all will be saved. But do not reduce the Gospel!!! Apply some techniques in presenting them but do not reduce the Truth in a series of silly steps/questions like the first one I showed you. Like I said, everyone will say "yes" to those questions and will think that they're saved. But they have not fully embraced the truth or placed their faith in Him, not living under the fullness of the grace of our Lord, therefore, they will face eternal condemnation on that day of judgment. They will cry "Lord, Lord! Have we not prophesied in Your Name?..." (Matthew 7:21-23)

We do not preach the Truth because we hate men. We are doing this because, first and foremost we want to glorify God, and secondly because we love men and that we want them to fall and bow down in awe and worship.

The first gospel that was presented is not the real one. It is a reduced form of the real Gospel, watered-down into a magical, saving formula that is not only dangerous but will also lead a depraved person to become "even more blind and depraved" to the fullness of God's love and justice. The first gospel produces no fruit. Instead, it produces lukewarm and carnal people who profess that they know the Lord Jesus but live like the rest of the world, still in bondage with sin.

Now do you understand what has happened to modern evangelism today?
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW BY PAUL WASHER AND BE BLESSED!

I Am A Missionary!

ear Satan,


I am writing this letter to inform you that your days are over.
You must have known this when Christ came and removed your cover
For when my Lord was crucified, your children were plundered
Praise His Name up high! His message across be thundered

When I first became Christian, I did not fully understand the great commission
Thanks to perspectives, I have been reminded of my omissions
That I have omitted the Gospel’s essence as I preached a potted plant
That I have omitted the Gospel’s power as I shared a foreign scant

The Lord, with His mercy and grace, has awakened me to the Truth
That all must hear, bow and praise to the fullness of the root
That people of every tongue and tribe will confess His lordship
As every nation lifts Him, sharing in His divine kinship

I am tired of your lies. You told me I could never be a missionary
You told me I was inadequate, that I will be a sad story
I’m through with you telling me that missions is not for me
Now I am fully reminded what makes the Lord happy

You told me that my family should become Christians first
And you used them to quench my thirst
But till this day I stood, thanks to His mercy and grace
Now I have a better view of the glory of His face

It is impossible to bear His message without preaching with madness
It is impossible to preach without reaching to the godless
For His Name must be glorified and lifted above all
His vision is my vision, His will is my goal

I no longer desire to expand my dreams or ambitions
His glory alone is the center of my fruition
I am forever in debt with His stunning work of salvation
And all then will hear as you turn deaf beyond redemption

Satan... My Lord is near, are you not in fear?
The world has almost no time
With His elect, I move across spheres of ages and rhyme
For His gospel slices through culture, freeing us from the bondage
Filling our cups with praise, He has loved the savage

Blessed be the Name of the Lord, Jesus is Lord!
Fall flat to the ground all ye hear, He will end our discord
He bought us with His blood, are you not overwhelmed?
Now we can share and dine in His majestic realm!

This message must be preached, this message must be proclaimed
I, the cheapest of all sinners, have been called with no shame
With a privilege and vision to be a part of His mission
What more can I ask from the Lord of Creation?

To sit with Him as I preach the Gospel to my friends
To walk with Him as I preach the Gospel to all trends
To worship as I proclaim with madness His love and glory
To be a devoted missionary for all eternity!
All hail to my Lord! This is my eternal philosophy!

To God be the glory!

Sincerely yours,
Michael Borja

PS I made this poem as a testimony during our graduation from the Perspectives Course (15 week seminar about missions). I thought missions was not for me and I was simply inadequate. How naive! The truth is, missions is God's work not ours! We really are inadequate but this is God's show, not ours. Looking at yourself is idolatry and blasphemy. Focusing on Him alone and depending on Him fully is worship. If we trust Him, believe and just act in accordance to His will, He, who is faithful, will create a space in the world for us to serve. He might even create a skill in us for the good of His glory. He doesn't need us, I assure you. But He, the one and only God of the universe, commands us to preach amongst the nations. And what can we do? If God calls us, can we really resist considering what He did for us? Nay. It is impossible to be a regenerated being and not be a missionary!

Loneliness?

used to succumb to fits of loneliness all the time. Melancholic was my middle name ever since I became a Christian, or so I ignorantly thought.

I used to dream that I could be normal just like everyone else. I used to wish I could interact like a normal guy without being overly concerned about deep things. But whenever I go out of my artificial shell, I couldn't help but think of God's magnificence. Then when I go back into hiding, depriving myself of His nurturing light, I fall flat on my face in agony. Pain was a knife at every door, or so I ignorantly thought.. again..

In the days of my infantile years, my friends would sometimes find me staring blankly or just sitting silently in a corner, deep in thought. I know they think its weird yet I simply couldn't help but indulge myself into stuff that men tend to ignore. I remember when I was in High School. I always walked in a certain part of our campus wherein the leaves where silently falling. No one understood why I would always pass through that area on my way to the cafeteria. All they see is a bunch of dirty, meaningless leaves falling on the ground. But, me? I see the turning of seasons. When one leaf falls, another one develops just like the cycle of life or the conversion of the human soul. I see man being born again as the bad leaves of our hearts are being plucked out by God.

There were also this times when I preferred to walk alone during cold nights. No one understood why I would rather walk than take the bus. As weird as it sounds, I'd love to listen to the crunching of snow beneath my shoes whenever I take a step. I'd like to feel the cold wind in my face as I thread my path home. Walking makes me aware of the things I ignore during my busy days: how trees would sway at the cold winter breeze, or the sound of rubber as it slides against the road. These things speak words in their own accord. For as trees are constantly pelted by the cold, they never give up. And as tires squeal in protest against the road, they never stop rotating unless instructed by their master. Even in this perishing world, God's awesome works never fail to shine.

Going through the narrow gate has never been easy but with a deep sense of comfort and joy, I could proudly say that I am happy beyond words. I am a fleeting shrub under the shade of God's hand. I know I will fail yet I can praise His Name with confidence in my weakness. I glory in my trials and suffering for it is sometimes through such that the fullness of God's love can be known.

If not for His grace, I would be an empty, rotten bark destined to hell. He purposed my creation, saved me then raised me to do His bidding on this world until my soul breaks free from my body and joins the "others" in worship. At first, I didn't appreciate this. I hated God for it. Persecution, suffering and loneliness were my morning soups. And "alone" and "fear" were vivid words that echoed in my heart. But as I grew up under His tutelage, I repented and realized how ignorant and idolatrous I was. I was selfish even though the Lord's decree has given me no reason to hold on to my life. I was a fool for not immersing myself to the simple truth.

Loneliness never existed! I have stubbornly refused to submit to the pristine tides of reality, which is why I used to constantly feel alone. If you consider the God of all creation purposing your salvation, purchasing you with His Son and transforming you with His Spirit, how can you consider yourself to be lonely? My future has been decided even before I was born. And by His sustaining grace, I wait and place my hope on the Firstborn, who took my damnation into His body. There's no such thing as loneliness. Grieve for the world's sinful state and depravity but never walk the path of loneliness. Our resurrected Lord is alive! The way maybe narrow but you are never alone!

A Letter To Satan

This is a letter I should have written a long time ago. Read till the end and be blessed!

ear Satan,


Do you still remember me? I know you do. We used to be like brothers. You were my closest friend. We went to Church together. We prayed together. We read the Bible together. We even lived in the same house!

I had always remembered your comforting words. Whenever I sinned against God you comforted me. You told me that everybody sins. You told me that holiness is a long process. You even challenged me give you at least one name of a man who did not sin. Nobody is perfect, you whispered and so I was comforted. I was happy. You cheered me up and told me that God doesn't want me to feel bad. God loves me so he wants me to be happy. I was happy with your words and so I always listened to you. You told me exactly what I wanted to hear and always took my feelings into consideration. You were really like a brother to me.

I also remembered when you first introduced me to your worldly music. It was just awesome! I just couldn't take it off my ears! Some Christian friend told me that it wasn't right but we got rid of him, didn't we? We were a great team. There was no dirty language with your music and the lyrics where even deep so how could it be bad? I know it doesn't talk about God's kingdom but it still appeals to man. And it even inspires me! how can that be bad? We were great together, right Satan? We got that radical Christian fanatic who thinks he knows everything about God, didn't we?

By the way, I also loved your tv shows, movies and series. The tv shows were full of fighting and violence and I just can't get enough of the action. It was fun to watch. I loved it when the main character does some stunning move and cracks the skull of his opponent in a moments time. I was thrilled as bones were broken and swords pierced the flesh. The movies too were great. Man was the main character and God was just in the sidelines. You told me that it was supposed to be that way. God watches as we do the work. So I too loved those movies. But the series where the best! Especially those Japanese Anime films that were a blend of romance and fighting. I so waited hungrily for every episode. Sometimes I even skip dinner just to watch it. And how could they be bad? They fought evil in those stories, didn't they? And there was love too. It was flooded with romance. Well, its doesn't directly talk about God's Kingdom but who cares? Like I said, its good. And besides, it makes me feel good about myself. After watching every episode, I felt like I was the main character. And I unintentionally was acting like the main character too, which was fun wasn't it? Some radical Christian again told us not to watch these kinds of stuff. But we got rid of him again. It was cool! You gave me the right words to say. I told him that I'm matured enough to filter everything and besides I know what I have to do. I always go to Church. I always pray. And I always read the Scriptures. And I even knew more about the Bible than he did right? It was funny him telling me what to do.

Anyways, there were so much stuff that we did together. So much Satan that I can't remember everything. I certainly want to make this letter short but we just did so much together. And I really had fun! But the best thing you ever did for me was when you comforted me and made me feel good about myself. You were there for me. You always told me that God cares about my happiness. So we spent 30 minutes asking God to bless my life in every way and spent about 3 minutes praying for His will and the advancement of His kingdom. Was it even 3 minutes? I think it was only a few sentences. But it was good. I felt like my needs were really addressed. And I felt really free and happy. You also comforted me whenever someone questioned my salvation. Actually no one did because my pastor was really fond of me. But in the back of my mind, something or someone was troubling me. The voice kept screaming: "Are you really saved? Are you really saved???" I went to my pastor and he told me exactly what you told me. It must be those demons trying to make me doubt my salvation. So my pastor taught me how to exorcise demons so that I can send them away whenever they bother me. And we did it! We used the Name of Jesus and we got the demons away! I am really saved. My pastor told me I was saved. And you, my best friend who always told me what I wanted to hear, told me I was saved. And I really believed I was saved and that God favors me. The god that we served would never put us down. He would always uplift us and make us feel good about ourselves right? The god that we served never really talked about holiness or repentance because there's no sense talking about our dirt. Everybody sins anyway and everybody knows they're a sinner. And like you said, no one is perfect so the god that we love so much, just requires us to do our best and leave the rest to him. Our god never talked about being separated from the world because it just makes no sense. We are living in the world so why separate yourself from it? "Just do your best and let God do the rest", this was our motto right? And besides, I prayed the sinner's prayer and asked Jesus to come into my life. Certainly, Jesus came. He wouldn't ignore my plea right?

BUT!!! NOW I HAVE LEARNED THE TRUTH!!! YOU!! SATAN!!! I WAS GOING TO HELL FOR ALL THE LIES AND THE EXCUSES YOU HAD PERFECTLY HIDDEN IN YOUR WORDS! I loved what you were saying because it made sense but it was never ever what the true God would have wanted for me! I have fashioned a Christianity based on my wants and needs. I have perverted the Gospel and even used it to get me out of my sin. I even transformed God's Holy Word into man's word. You knew about the Truth didn't you? You didn't say those words to comfort me. You just didn't want me to change. You didn't want me to see the Truth so you played along with my fleshly desires. When we were laughing, the Lord was crying!! And I praise Him that He even had the tears to cry for me, a pitiful creature of the darkness.

If it were not for God's love, I would never have come to know Him and the Truth of what He wants for me. And you know what? Remember the god that you have told me to serve? Remember the "all-loving" god that you talked to me about that loves me just the way I was? It looked exactly like you BECAUSE IT WAS YOU! It was you all along! You tricked me into believing that God didn't want me to change. I made a false god for myself that walks with no holiness. But the Truth is, the Lord wants me to change. He loves me and that's why He wants me to change and get rid of my sin! How many professing Christians, who believe themselves to be saved, have you deceived??!!!

BEFORE I LEFT I did not officially end our relationship. I completely forgot about you when I got to know the true God, so I wrote this letter to you to remind you that JESUS IS LORD and you, along with me, will fall to the ground and admit that. You will vomit the words that you so fear! And I will speak the words that the Lord so longs to hear!

I have sinned and I was going to hell yet by His grace, love and mercy, if I put my faith in Him, I will be saved. And don't start up with me again. For the faith that you must put in my Lord must be genuine. It must have fruits. There must be repentance! There must be a complete change of heart and a 180 degree turn from sin and worldliness! There must be transformation in my life and an evidence of the Spirit's work. And I'm not just talking about good works. I am talking about CHRIST-LIKE attitude, CHRIST-LIKE thinking and CHRIST-LIKE walking. Don't try to fool me again! For these are the words of the Lord, not mine. Our words and lies will perish, but His Words never will, for they are the Truth. No matter how hard you've worked to bring down God's Word, you will never succeed! God's Word is alive and so is HE!!!

The good Lord loves me and wants me to be with Him! He even wants me to call Him "Father"!!! I, the child of the dark, is now a child of the light! The great Lord has saved me from my evil and self-righteous acts! All I had was false fire when I was with you! Here is my Lord! Who can be like Him?!!! Praise be to God that He hath loved me, the worst of your breed!

Satan!!! You've lost another of children!!! And you will lose more, I tell you for my Lord says so. He shall liberate those who had been under your web of deception. You brilliantly masterminded a plot to take God away and confine Him in heaven. And you even fooled God's very own people! But you never succeeded and never will! His Spirit is here on earth, working and awakening lost souls!

Despite my evil, He has loved me! He took away my sin, my punishment, my shame and my guilt! And everything that is not of Him, He took away and is continually doing so till this very day! I am now a new creature, born again and revived by His mercy. He changed my heart and set me free! By His grace I live. By His grace I walk. And by His grace I breathe. If not for His grace, I'd be in hell and I'd probably suffer right next to you on that day of judgment.

The Lord is really good! I wish I can torment you more with His good Words but I do not have time to waste! I have to help my brothers and sisters who have fallen in your wicked and "flawless" trap.

I am now separated from you Satan! I belong to the One who is holy and just! He is my Lord and I serve Him and revere His holy Name! SO NOW! I'm giving back all your music! Your music took my ears away from God. Every artists motivation is the same. To take away God's name and put theirs instead! Your music gave nothing but false excitement!

I'm also giving back all your tv shows, all your movies and all your "slice of life" series! Take them with you to hell! I don't want any of those worldly and vile things in my heart! I thought it was okay but the truth is I really didn't want to give up your music or tv. I was holding unto them. Now the Lord tells me to cast them unto the fire and so I obey! And I will continually do it!!! Don't fool me again and tell me that repentance is a one-time act! You can't fool me like you did before and tell me that praying a one-time prayer can get me to heaven! And even if I fall in one of your nasty, cheap tricks again, my Lord will get me back! and the Spirit that He placed in me is miraculously transforming me into a child of light!

Satan! Can you hear the angels rejoicing? Now I know why thousands of angels rejoice for just one soul! I was really a fool. Praise and thanks be to God!!! Praise Him! Thank Him! For His love endureth forever and His Words are true! His works are miraculous and overwhelming! All hail! Praise Him!!!! Praise the mighty Lord who took the penalty of my sin and nailed it on the cross!!!

I am not ashamed of what I have become. For this what the Lord has called me to do and made me into. And I know, you'll get me to sin again in the future. But there's a difference now.. I am no longer who I was. I am no longer your instrument Satan. And like I always say, though I take a piece of your dark bread here and then, my future is secured! My salvation is assured! For the Lord has finally moved and I can do nothing but be overwhelmed, following His lead. Glory be to the Lord of lords and King of kings!

Sincerely yours,
Michael Borja, your ex-brother and ex-partner in sin

The Day The Lord Came

The lost and depraved was now found and saved. Read how the Lord awakened me from my cold and sinful stupor.

y mind has always been vulnerable to whispers of discouragement and despair. I am weak. I easily fall and lose heart. I do not have a stance nor a glance at the right thing. But I am happy and I can rejoice in my weakness for I know the Spirit is with me. I do not know or understand the meanings of my actions. I am sure they are of noble intentions. But my worldly feelings deceive me. True that human nature is the farthest thing from God. I had nothing to begin with. To be precise, I am nothing. But the Lord, with His mercy and grace, had called upon this child from the netherworld. From pools of lust, pride, wickedness and hatred, I came.

I am overwhelmed by His might and power. He defines my life and gives me an identity. With Him I am confident and determined that even if a boulder is placed in my path, I shall use it as a stepping stone with His guidance.

I lose myself to the calls of righteousness. I am a beaten fool, a sore loser and a man from a wicked age. But my God is not moved by my insolence and disobedience. Have He been affected He would have left me long ago, perhaps even forget my existence.

But when this God came, from the manger He was. He did not look at man's heart, He looked at His Father's heart. He did not cherish things of this world but hated anything that is born from childishness and arrogance. His food was His Father's will. He did not battle as men do but stood His ground on His own terms. He took away my sin, shame and guilt. He loved me as if I was the only son he ever had. He stopped during His busy days to give me all the time I ever needed. He has given me everything. And He had done it based on His judgment. His election had nothing to do with me. He simply called and made me answer. He made me kneel and taught me the basics of life. I rebelled in anguish and bitterness. But He remained constant, never-changing, an unmovable Rock He was.

Now, my life is under His grace and wisdom. I do not appeal to this world or its values. As my Father had given word, I trust and obey. I live in excellence not because of my abilities but because of my disabilities. What a fool I was to ever believe I was someone. It took me years before I truly understood His words. I am centuries late. Nevertheless, I survive by His sovereign grace.

I will not deceive myself and say that I do not fear the future. I believe, yes. But that hint of fear can never be hidden before His eyes. I am afraid of what I am about to do. Yet, before I even knew it, the work has begun. There's no turning back now and I do not believe my Lord would let me back down anyway. I am more than prepared to lose. For I lose to obtain victory in the Name of my Lord and Savior.

I refuse to submit to the calls of the crowd nor to the taunts of the foul-mouthed flesh. I had been renewed. My character being constantly repaired and restored by God. I am a regenerated body of the Lord, whom I share in glory and suffering. I do not defer for it would insult Him and His work.

I am the worst of all, the clown in the sights of angels and the garbage of this generation. But I stand proud for the Person who raised me and took me as His own. He bought me with His stunning sacrifice. And here I am, a newborn, hungry for milk and soon to take the meat He hath prepared.

This all-consuming flame inside of me will never wane, wax nor fade. For years it has been spontaneous and dormant. Now, it is fully awake.. ready to answer the call of the Almighty. Though this is not His kingdom, His heart is here.

I do not understand anything. I do not know anything. All my knowledge is futile anyways. But I know one thing: He loved me.. thats all I know and all I need to know. And with His love, I was purchased to be a living branch under His goodness and mercy. To Him alone be the glory!

The Secret of the Passover

he Passover has a secret. Well, its not really a secret because it is obvious. But the world is not aware of it so it has become a secret. Some would say, "Well, its no secret. The lamb is Jesus and the passover is a symbol of Jesus' work of salvation." This is true. But I tell you, this not just it. We have skipped something important about the Passover.

We have forgotten the just and holy wrath of God.

The blood of the slain lamb protects the Israelites from God's wrath. God is just and holy. If we've sinned against Him, He will direct His judgment on us. He loves us so much but He's love for us is not blind. It is a love founded on justice. So no matter how much He loves us, if we disobey, we get the punishment. If we sin, we get hell. Now you might be screaming, "God doesn't throw people to hell". Read the Old Testament. God does not tolerate sin. God cannot just forgive. Someone ought to take our punishment so that we can be forgiven. The Bible says, without the shedding of blood, there will be no forgiveness. Sacrifices in the past were not offered because it was part of their culture. They are offered as a symbolism that SOMEONE has to pay the penalty of our sins. Someone has to die in our place so that we can be reconciled with God. If saying sorry is enough to get us into heaven, then who needs Jesus Christ? If just repenting is enough to reconcile us with God, why did God repeatedly demanded sacrifices? Why did He have to sent His Son if the problem is solved with mere repentance?

Just look at this picture. If a person commits a crime, he must be punished. If the judge lets him go then that makes that judge not only corrupt but evil. Even if the criminal feels remorse, cries out, says sorry and makes a couple of promises, the judge still cannot let him go. The penalty of his crime must be satisfied. Its the same thing with us. God cannot simply let us go. We must be punished.

Now here's the thing: we all are sinners. The Bible says that all sinners will face the wrath of God. All those who take part with the world's fornication will face His righteous anger and be punished. Looking back at the previous illustration, it makes sense. God must punish sinners. God must throw sinners to hell. As Jesus always explains, God will separate the sheep from the goats, the good fish from the bad fish and the wheat from the weed. He will cut the branches that do not bear fruit and throw them into the fire. God will judge mankind. This is justice. Even history has showed God inflicting punishment to His people. If He lets the Israelites get away, that would make Him a corrupt judge right? The Lord loves us but not at the expense of justice.

So since all have sinned and all are going to hell, what do we do? There's no hope for us right? We cannot satisfy the law. No matter how much we obey it, we will disobey it. And obeying the law will not justify our disobedience. If an obedient person in his anger kills a man, he will not be justified with his obedience. So we are indeed hopeless and helpless. Now we begin to realize that WE NEED A SAVIOR. Without a Savior, there can be no salvation for us. Do you see now the significance of Passover? Its not just that Jesus is the Lamb and the Israelites are us. Its that WE ARE HELPLESS, HOPELESS and that WE CAN ONLY BE SAVED THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS. As sinners, we are under God's wrath. We are under eternal condemnation. But Jesus took up our punishment. Jesus, who had always been in the Father's bosom, took all of God's wrath and judgment into His body. The punishment that was suppose to go to us went to Him. So now if we believe and put our faith in Him, then we will be saved. Putting your faith in Jesus is like smearing your home with blood. As the blood of the lambs saved the Israelites from the angel of death, SO Jesus' blood save man from God's justice. By having genuine faith in Jesus (that is faith evidenced with repentance and continual transformation), we are spared from God's wrath.

Now let me tell you what's fooling Christians nowadays. They think that because Jesus had died, they can get away with sinning. Its true that God forgives but He does it not because you earned it. He does it because His Son has paid the penalty of your sin in full. When Jesus died, He did not lower the bar. We cannot take sin for granted. It is because of our sin that the Lord was crucified. How can we put our faith in Jesus then dwell in the world as if nothing has happened? It is impossible right? We cannot serve two masters. We will hate the other and love the other.

Going back to the Passover, the essence of Passover is actually the meaning of the Cross. Most Christians will say that the Cross is a sign of man's worth. That is not true. The Cross is a sign of how depraved, worthless and helpless we really are that it took the death of God's only begotten Son to save us. It reminds us of how pathetic and miserable we really are that God had to step down and take all our punishment. God sacrificed His own Son to save us from His wrath (which is the result of our inequities). This is the meaning of the Passover.

True Conversion

here is something really wrong with modern day, professing Christians. I've tried to deny it for the past years but the more I get involved with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, the more I realize that we really need a revival. I was happy to know that more and more people are coming to Christ. Statistics and history tells us that there are more people that profess to be followers of Jesus today than the last century. So many have become Christians. So many have been converted. So many have professed to follow Jesus. Christians are crowding the world! At least that's how I used to think.

Modern day Christianity has a serious problem.

The Bible tells us to examine ourselves in light of Scripture to see if we are in the faith. "Am I living in holiness? Am I continually repenting from my sins? Am I living in godliness? Am I separated from the world? Is there a radical transformation going on in my life? If I put myself beside unbelievers, will my light shine? Will they notice that I am different? Or will I just look like everyone else?" These are the questions we should be asking ourselves. Compare yourselves, not with the majority of professing Christians, but with Scripture.

I am tired of hearing excuses like, "Well holiness is a looong process", or "Everybody sins, no one is perfect". These are the excuses and lies fanned by Satan so we can put God away and play around with the world! You see Satan doesn't want us to change! He wants us to do away with God so he'll use every bit of Scripture against us. Its true that holiness is a long process but that doesn't give as an excuse to indulge in worldliness and earthly things. And if you genuinely believe that it is indeed a looong process then why not start now?! "Well, everybody sins", that's true but the thing is that's exactly the reason why you need to repent and come the the Lord Jesus Christ!

Conversion is not a flu shot. Its not a one-time activity where you cry and pray that the Lord will save you. It is a lifetime, miraculous event wherein the Spirit is continually transforming rotten rags into Christ-like saints. The Gospel calls for change. That's why if there's no change in your life, no work of the Spirit, no fire, no hunger for righteousness and no separation from the world, then there's a good chance that you're not really saved. What you have is a false fire; a false excitement created by the pleasure of being with your friends in Church or by the feeling of fulfillment whenever you do something "good".

Listen, I am not trying to be hard. Just think about it. Read the Scriptures and see for yourself what kind of life God wants us to live. If you're not a struggling Christian then you're not a Christian at all. If you're not battling with lust, pride or worldliness everyday then you are a slave to this world. A slave of this world will never have conflict. He is a friend of the world. He does what the world does. He talks like the world. He acts like the world. He loves the music of the world. He laughs at the things God hates. His heroes are worldly heroes who do not revere the Name of the One who created life. He dresses like the world and watches movies and TV shows that God despises. He loves so much of the world! And he just can't get enough! He's so arrogant that he thinks he's matured enough that he can play around with fire. He goes back to Church every Sunday and feels convicted for a moment then goes back to the world again! He goes back to start the vicious cycle all over again as if nothing has happened.

The work of the Spirit is no ordinary work. It is not like those Psychology books or self-help books that people read. Experiences and psychology books can change your life. They can even change your attitude towards things and influence the decisions that you make. But the moment persecution comes and everything fails, you throw away all that you've learned. But the work of the Spirit is different. It will Radically Change your heart, your life and your attitude. It will convict you and tear your heart apart whenever you sin. It will drive you to preach the Gospel like a madman screaming for the glory of the Lord. It will cause you to do things that is completely against your human nature. And even if you fail, the Spirit will keep you standing. God is not mocked. If He says that the Spirit will transform us and infuse us with Christ-like character then it really will.

So if there's no work of the Spirit in your life, if there's no evidence of transformation, if there's no change.. then you're not really saved. I'll bet that the moment your friends leave the Church you will leave too. I'll bet that the moment persecution comes in Church and your life becomes threatened, you'll run away.

Let me tell you something. If a logging truck running 120 miles per hours and hits you, you'll be blessed that you even survived. But your life will never be the same. It is absolutely impossible to be hit by something as big as a logging truck and not be changed. Now let me ask you: which is bigger? a logging truck or God?

You see it doesn't matter if you profess to know Jesus. What matters is that Jesus knows and acknowledges you as a part of His regenerate body. Let me give you an illustration. If I go to the white house and shout at the gates, "I know President Bush! I know President George Bush! Let me in!" Do you think the guards will let me in? The only way they would let me in is if President Bush comes out and says "I know Michael Borja. Let him in." Its the same thing with the Lord. You can keep shouting on the worship halls "I love Jesus!". You can keep professing that you're a Christian. You can keep attending or even leading Bible studies. But if there's no visible work of God in your life, then you are indeed a vacant body. You got nothing when you heard the Gospel.

But it's not too late. Come back to the Lord Jesus. Come back to God. It's never too late. Repent, believe and put all your faith in Jesus that He may save you. There is no other hope but Him. He loves you and that's why He needs to change you. If you really belong to Him, He will transform you and change your life. And your life will never be the same. If getting hit by a logging truck can change your life forever, how much more will God?

Note: Most illustrations are from Paul Washer's sermons

The Lost-Hidden Truth

A poem dedicated to the Lord of Truth.

hat man should be a leper before the Lord
True to the judgment with all fury and discord
The curse and abomination, man has brought
To his kind, race, sons who have not sought
Neither holiness pure nor things divine
For man, depraved, is far from Thine
Man has no hope, nothing but judgment in his path
A Saviour is needed to take all of God's wrath
But, oh so hidden, now rarely preached
The exact meaning of the Cross, seldom teach
Lost in the ocean, what meaning is there?
If Christ is mere medicine, and no one cares
Experience have replaced Biblical notions
Reducing theology to bits of illustrations
The truth exact is now but a whisper
Hidden in cloak none would uncover
Should anyone remove and the world will scowl
They want the radiance covered in bowl
And then they exclaim, why no fire?
They shout and blame, where is Sire?
They cry and pinch, why so dire?
You made a false one, you'll be in fire
Come back, you who do not know
Fall flat in worship, as the lowest of the low
So that God may lift and overwhelm
Thy black soul to Thine Spirit's realm
Speak boldly of the truth, His most holy grace!
Anything less is a slap in the face
Be driven by Him, His vision is yours
love of His loves, come to the Source
And all then will hear and confess one thing
That Jesus is Lord.. That Jesus is Lord!

The Lord Jesus Reigns!

Behind barred doors, the apostles met
Covered with fear, hiding from threat
For they will all suffer in prison
All of them are charged with treason.
And they will rot, die and decay
Nothing will be left, but ash and clay
There will be no more day or words to say
For the Lord was gone, in a tomb He lay

But at the midst of despair He emerged
Alive and well with a holy surge
His apostles were no longer lost
His glory reigns, He hath paid the cost
Our punishment He took
And in horror we look
Resurrected now, the world He shook

Now that He lives our hope is certain
No longer are we bounded by curtain
The life He gave He took back
The sacrifice was enough, nothing in lack
He sits on His throne, His rightful place
In awe and worship, in shock and daze
All Hail! The Lord Jesus reigns!

I'll Sit With The Lord

When my fire goes static and my prayers go robotic
I make an excuse to myself: "Right. God is testing me"
I throw cliches like: "God wants to know if I'm true."
But then I realized that I was doing things the wrong way
Even though I accomplished my tasks as His child
I wasn't praying or reading the Word with Him
He wanted to sit with me as I read and study His word

But all I cared about was the Sword
That would smite sinners and put others down.
He wanted to sit with me as I pray
But all I cared about was to finish my long list
of prayer requests that is
And then to sleep with a clear conscience
Uttering to myself: "I prayed for everyone, yeah!"
I wasn't really praying, I was just babbling
I was babbling about people who needed His help
Not actually praying to Him as if He were right beside me and listening
Oh the Good Lord has once again revealed my faults!
No wonder my witnessing was dead
Although I was talking about God's glory,
His mercy, grace and love
Inside me, there was no love
All I cared about is to finish a task
And to be a part of God's mission force
I was really far from the Lord although it felt like He was just inches away
What a fool! And I don't blame my deceptive emotions
I am at fault.. I am at fault..
Now I know what the Lord wants
And so from this day on,
I'll sit with the Lord
Whether reading His word
Or praying for the world
Or whatever else I'm doing
I'll sit with the Lord.

Of The Manger

A poem dedicated to the Lord of the Manger.

f the manger, One has come
To bear the will, sparing none
Colliding worlds of endless space
Glory leaking yet no trace

Of the manger, One has come
To shoulder the sins of man
Stunning kings of this land
Love of immeasurable sand

Of the manger, One has come
His harvest has just begun
Slaying flesh with His life
All bow down, He's alive!

Lukewarmness and Stagnation

s this as far as I can go?", is what I used to ask myself. I felt like I've hit the wall and could go no further. I was stuck in the malicious cycle of stagnation and lukewarmness. I was walking in the light yet my heart was far from God. By His Spirit, I realized that I myself was in the way. I denied it at first saying: "I do this and that. I endure persecution for Him and exhibit Christ-like character, how could I be in the way of His blessing?" I was fooled and deceived by my self righteousness that doesn't even qualify as one in His standard. It is even laughable to begin with. The Bible says that even our greatest works are filthy rags in the eyes of the Lord. Righteousness comes solely from Him, the holy and eternal One.

My heart was the wall in my way. My heart was the dam that strangled God's waters. No wonder it was so hard to break! It was me. I was ignorantly justifying myself with my actions. I confined God in heaven and worked based on my judgment. I was blinded by my "this is for Him" self talk. I kept God out of my life even though I prayed and studied His Word. I was in control, not God. No wonder I always fell short. I always failed. I thought it was God's testing so I kept going. But the truth is, He was screaming for a space in my life.

No matter how noble my actions may be, if God is not in it, then it is good for nothing. I then remembered that it is by His grace that we truly thrive. We can never survive a moment without His grace. How could I have forgotten this? If He withdraws His grace from the universe, everything will fall out of place. The sea would swallow us up and the stars would fall upon us. And these are but small events of what would happen the moment God withdraws. It is His grace that holds back the powers of the universe or the cries of destruction. If the universe, as big and endless as it may seem is under a drop of His grace, how much more would he demand man should be? Everything is by His grace so that no one would boast or claim that by himself he is right. No one can be right by his own means. We should not live as filled cups that give no space for grace. We must live and serve as empty cups, waiting and thirsting for the filling of our Master.

The moment God made me realize these things, I stepped out of the way. He faithfully destroyed the wall. I was crushed and renewed. With a new understanding, He took me to the summit and showed me all that has to be done. And my former question "Is this as far as I can go?" became "Whoa! How far can I go??"

An Insight on Beauty

eauty. Some say beauty is when you find pleasure just by looking at it. Its what your eyes and mind could not resist looking or admiring. But I say beauty is more than that. It is captivating though. Its as if every breath and every moment exists solely to witness one's beauty.. may it be beauty of the heart or of appearance. So enchanting it is that it can drive your mind to madness. But beauty is as it is. It needs no enhancement, because it will always be beautiful. No matter what season or what angle, beauty will always be beauty.

Beauty, just like almost everything else, is derived from perspective. What can be beautiful to me can be unacceptable to others. Beauty is constant. It has a pattern of consistency. Art can be beautiful even if its just a mesh of colors because beauty thrives in one's perception. God finds all his creations beautiful. Even the things that we hate the most can be beautiful, you just have to look at it from a different point of view. A normal day of work and school can be as beautiful as your birthday. An old woman can be beautiful. A bird who doesn't know how to fly can be beautiful. A dead tree bark can be as beautiful as a sappling of a Gondorian White Tree. History can be as dark as it can get but still be beautiful. For the secret of beauty is this: Everything has been made beautiful, you just have to know were to look or what to look for. Do not be fooled by your senses or emotions. Senses can be sharp but they may also dull your heart. Emotions may tell you whats wrong but it can also mislead you if you depend on it. Look at everything, every moment, every experience from God's point of view and you will see the difference. You'll find everything is beautiful. And you'll also find that the absence of beauty is not amusing at all.

Love: Surrendering to God's Will

ne thing I've learned in the past 5 years of my walk with the Lord is that love is based on His truth. One of the biggest lies of the world today is to "trust your feelings". It's true that God created emotions so we can define sadness or gladness. However, this does not mean that emotions can be a basis for decision. Even when I knew the Lord, a lot of the things I did were based on what I felt was right. There were triumphs and failures yet deep inside, I know that the Lord wanted something much different for me. The Lord doesn't want us to be devoid of emotions. But He does want us to have faith in Him, trusting Him completely in every decision that we make.

I believe that one of the reasons why a lot of relationships fail nowadays is because couples rely on their emotions instead of the truth. How many stories have we heard of sweet, happy couples ending in separation, divorce or worse, adultery? The problem is not really the lack of passion but the failure to recognize and direct love.

One of my most favorite love stories is the story of Mary and Joseph in the Bible. I know what you're thinking: "Hold on! Is that even a love story?". You might not feel the "goosebumps" while reading the story of how the Lord's earthly parents got together, but that doesn't make it less of a story. To tell you the truth, its one of the best love stories ever. You know why? Because their emotions did not get the best of them. Although The Nativity Story is not an accurate basis for analysis, watching it or just reading the passages of the evangelist Luke (or Matthew if you would prefer) will tell us that its really God that makes a love story a love story. Mary and Joseph willingly placed themselves in God's hands. They did as they were told to despite their doubts and the ambiguity of the Lord's will. Even though they were not "madly in love" as the world would put it, they just believed and did what they can to help each other throughout the journey. They served one another for the glory of the Lord. Joseph, a respectable man, took care of Mary and stood with her despite the shame and ridicule he faced. Mary, did the same thing, submitting to Joseph's care and bearing the Lord Jesus until the appointed time. They trusted the Lord completely and they ended up being one of the happiest couples on earth. Not to mention that they are the proponents of the Lord's physical family.

This is what happens when you place yourself in the hand of the Lord. Be patient, wait for His timing and trust in His will. There is a right time for everything, as said in the book of Ecclesiastes. The question is not whether you will fall in love with the right one. The real question is: will you place yourself willingly in the hands of our Lord?

Love: Beyond Feelings

ove. No one on earth would say that they aren't interested in love. Somehow or somewhere in their lives, they've fallen in love. It is in our nature to love and to put our love into something or someone... let it be an idea, a principle, an activity or a person... or anything else that could be the center of our attention and desire.

Still love is not what everyone thinks it is. I know what it feels to be madly in love and I also know the pain of an unfulfilled love. But that doesn't mean anything. Because love, like I said before, is not just a feeling.

Love, nowadays, has been tainted by human passion and ideas. Love is patient but we want to rush it because we crave for that blissful feeling. Love is prompt and proper but we can't wait to have a relationship because we can't take the social pressure of being single. Love is pure but we mix it with lust and ungodly passions. Love is simple but we complicate it with excuses and our personal versions of it. Love is powerful and life-changing but we make it appear weak because of the sad endings we give it. Love is as clear as the skies but it appears perplexing because we confuse it with infatuation. Love is challenging but we refuse to step up and so it emerges as a simple game of win-loss-draw. We say the three words of love and want to hear them in return, but the question is, how far are you willing to go for it?

Love is not what you think it is or what I think it is. It has its own definition and has its own Pioneer. So if you want to know about real love, ask the One who started it and He will give you the real meaning of love. To be precise, He is the definition of love. No day could have been better than the day I finally understood what love truly is.

God is the answer to all our questions. He alone knows what love is and if not for Him, we would have no idea of what it truly is.

Love: Reflected Love from the God of Scripture

ove. It is never a feeling nor a jolt of excitement. It isn't true that love is blind. Love can dull your senses but there's always a choice. Love manifests in goodness and purity. It does not rush and neither does it seek affection. It is unconditional.

To love is to give up anything for that someone. It is possible to be madly in love. Love is often confused with its opposite: infatuation. And often times, we define our feelings for someone as love. But the truth is only time and hardship can test love. Our hearts and minds can deceive us. And who are we but fools and weaklings who succumb to emotion. Love, though tampered by emotion, is more than a feeling. It is a deep understanding of how important someone is to you and the belief that you have to do what you can for that person. It is in our nature to love. And though most love stories are of pain, true love always ends up in happiness. Love is the foundation of virtue. And if you love something you will hate its opposite. If you love children, you will hate abortion. If you favor holiness, you will hate sin. And you know what's the ultimate secret of love? LOVE IS ONE-SIDED. I would not have known what love is if God hath not loved me first. Also, to love someone doesn't mean that the person has to love you back. The existence of unreciprocated love is the proof that love is truly one-sided. Although two persons could love each other, love flows from one direction. It may or may not be returned back, just like with God's love for His people. And even if it is returned back, it won't be exactly at the same magnitude. Still, love is perfect in a sense and does wonderful things: We were saved because of love. We were made because of love. We exist because of love. We were made whole because of love. Our God is a God of love. And no matter how much we deny it, we cannot live without love.

Man's state according to Scripture

We are sinful. We are sinners. We are God's enemies. We are the farthest thing from God. The Bible clearly says so. We have fallen. There is no one who is righteous. No one who seeks God on his own. We have been separated from God. We do not know what holiness is and neither can we acquire it by ourselves. How many more verses do we need to tell us the plain Truth?

hy is it that we can't believe? "Oh, I do this or I do that"--Why do we keep justifying ourselves? Why do we keep on saying that we are basically good? Don't we know that there is only One person who is good? Why do we hold on to our works? Apart from the grace of the Lord Jesus, there can be no salvation; no reconciliation with the holy and just God. No one else is righteous but Him! And the only way to acquire righteousness is through Him!

hen will we let go? We can never get to heaven on our own. We can never be reconciled with God on our own. We can never escape His wrath, which is the result of our inequities, on our own. We need Jesus Christ! Whenever we try to justify ourselves with our works or claim that we are good, not only do we make God a liar but we also mock the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus!

The cup of eternal suffering that we were supposed to take because of our sins, HE drank! The judgment and wrath of God that we were supposed to suffer, HE suffered! If you say that God will not judge us and that we are basically good, then what did Christ died for? He suffered and died to pay the penalty of our sins. He suffered and died in our place so we can be reconciled with the Father. He, the infinite God in flesh, satisfied His own infinite justice.

Jesus is not just a medicine that will remove your disease. Rather, He took your disease and put it upon His own body so that you may live. Jesus is not just a life jacket that will save you when you jumped. Rather, He jumped in your place so that you will never have to jump ever again! What happened to God's Word? Reduced into fancy illustrations that minimize God's work of salvation.

"Stop denying sin and repent! Put all your faith, hope and love unto the Saviour! Be separate from the world!" These are the things that the Apostles of Christ have been screaming about in the streets. No wonder the people hated them! No wonder their blood was spilled for the Gospel! No wonder the world despised them! The Gospel does not only show the sacrificial work of Jesus. It also shows us that we need to change. It calls for repentance and change. We need to change our hearts, our minds and our lives and conform them to the Truth. We need to let the Spirit work in us to renew and transform our lives.

When we hear these things, we so easily shout "Legalist! Critical! Mean! Radical!" But is this not the Word of the Lord? IS this not the Word of God? Tell me which is more mean: a person who loves you so much even more than himself and so will therefore tell you the Truth? Or a person who will tell you the exact words that you'd love to hear?

There is no good in us. We can try to do good, but it is not good enough to save us. Its like using dirty rags to clean your body. You're not really wiping out the dirt. You're just wiping and scrubbing, but nothing of this world can save you. None of our wiping and scrubbing can remove our evil because the very hands and rags that we use to scrub our bodies are tainted with sin. Don't you see? We need God in every way! Not only to save us but to transform us into creatures of holiness and mold us into His desires!

Human nature is the most stubborn substance in this world. And I tell you, it is a lot harder than diamonds. Human nature is against the Lord. It will try to minimize the work of the Lord. It will not admit that it is in bondage with sin. It will conceitedly try to justify itself.

Do you know what the Bible says about man's heart? The heart of man is wickedly deceitful. Stop trying to compare yourself with others! Stop trying to justify yourself by comparing yourself with lawless and ungodly people! Compare yourself with Scripture. Be justified by God's grace and work of Salvation through His Son, Jesus.

Its true that we had been created in the image and likeness of God but after the fall of man, that image has been tainted and corrupted. That is why He needs to restore that image. (Sigh). Enough of my ranting. Let the Spirit testify for Itself. Let God's grace be upon you, for it is only through Him that we can see the Truth and conform with it. I do not pretend to know the will of the Father, but one thing I do know is that we must first understand and accept the Truth about His nature and ours before we can live by it.

PS: I know I wrote horribly. I apologize for my ranting, barbaric and uncivilized style. But I will not take back anything I said. The truth about man has to be told in its fullness regardless of what you would think of the writer. In the same way, the Lord Jesus and His great work must be preached in its fullness.

We are wicked, depraved and lost and God is holy, righteous and love, all the things that we aren't. And the only way for man to be reconciled with God is through Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Lord.

If you cannot forgive a man's ranting then at least examine the Truth of the words I have written. These Words are not mine, for if it were, then there would be absolutely no reason to trust them.

God bless you!

Notes: For those who want to know more about sin, read Romans 3:10-20, 23; Isaiah 59:2; Isaiah 53

A Cry For Revival In My Homeland

've been reading about the Philippines lately but instead of the blissful feeling I was expecting, all I got was torment. I couldn't even get myself to finish one news article. So much has happened to my country. But it’s all the same. Nothing has changed. We are still far behind. To be honest, things have gotten worse and I am just sick of it!

I am sick of the power play going on with the government! I am sick of the endless protests! I am sick of the endless corruption, gambling and other embarrassing issues about our once glorious nation. Unless God's sovereign grace works in our land, there will be no hope for us, Filipinos.

Many would boldly shout that our problem is leadership. Some would point fingers on the Catholic Church that is constantly interfering with government affairs. Others would say that the entire government and political arena is corrupt, from the president, cabinet members down to the "baranggay" captains.

I do not pretend to be an expert in national issues but I do know that our problem is a lot bigger than corruption or economical disparity. The reality of our predicament is a lot bigger than leadership or politics. Let me explain in simple terms. We say that our problem is leadership. But even if we get a perfect leader (which is impossible to find), it will not solve the entire problem. A leader's reign, no matter how good he or she is, will pass. We say our problem is corruption. But how can you solve corruption if the perpetrators and jury are alike? Think about it. When a Filipino driver violates the law and is caught by a traffic enforcer, what is his first instinct? He will bribe the traffic enforcer. And the traffic enforcer, who is actually looking forward to it, will gladly take the bribe. If the enforcer is caught, he will make excuses like “Well, everybody does it anyway” or “I’m poor; I need this money to feed my kids”. What a faulty and godless logic! What a pitiful and worldly mentality!

If we have such corruption issues in minor situations how much more in major ones? Before I left the Philippines, I went through a lot of governmental departments. Corruption is everywhere! Under the table bribery, and I mean it literally. Whispering people on the sidelines offering forged documentations, selling of identities; and you know what the good part is? All of these things are happening right before the eyes of the authorities themselves! Why are the authorities not going after them? It’s because they also get a share of the money or maybe they just didn’t want to have to do with any of them. Regardless of the reasons, they, just like the perpetrators, have fallen in the vile cycle of corruption and lawlessness.

Our problem is deeper than corruption, poverty, oppression or leadership. What then is our problem? How do we break free in this vicious cycle of lawlessness? The answer is Jesus Christ. Now you might be thinking, “Wait a minute, the Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia, right?” My friend, we do not even know how far Christianity has fallen. Christianity today is more based on a godless culture than it is on the Word of God.

In the Philippines, Christian churches are packed every Sunday, quite the opposite for other third world countries. Everybody claims to know Jesus and everybody professes their faith openly in public. Everyone believes that they love God. They have even been led to believe that God is a tolerant God.

If the Philippines is really Christian a nation, a country that lives by the standards of God, then there must be an evident change and work of the Holy Spirit. Perfection is impossible but there must at least be a proof of renaissance in our land. There must be advancement of the Kingdom. I am not talking about physical gain. I am talking about spiritual maturity. There must be joy amidst the suffering and oppression. There must be a visible reliance on the eternal life, despite the cruelty and wickedness of the world, as promised by the Saviour to His elect. There must be a genuine and radical change in the heart of every believer. In other words, there must be proof of God’s reign in the land.

There are two types of believers. The first kind of believer prays, goes to Church and reads the Word of God and there is an evident transformation in his/her life. The second type does everything the first believer does but there is no evident change in his life. There is no transformation and no fruits of the Spirit in his personal life.

We need to pray for revival. We need to stop putting our faith in the government and, instead put our faith and hope in Christ. We must stop thinking or acting like the world. We must stop storing riches for ourselves and begin storing riches for God. If it will cost you your life to follow God and obey His standards, then so be it! If you truly believe in the resurrection of the body, why do you hold on to your dear life? If we can willingly risk our lives for our children, is risking our lives for God so hard to do? What is God compared to our children? Have we become so earthly that we cannot stand for what is right, just and holy for our God? The Lord bled for us on the cross. Can we not bleed for Him, even in small matters?

Genuine Christians are the light and the salt of this world. There is no hope for the present generation of leaders. They are all a joke. Every candidate wants to win. Everyone wants that throne of power, not for the common good, but for the good of their mansions and mistresses. And if they lose in the bid for power, they set up plots that will only prolong and complicate the situation. What has happened to us? Drop-outs are now becoming presidents. Education is no longer a pre-requisite. And as long as you’re a famous actor or actress, you are eligible to run for government positions?! How far have we fallen?

If we really know God, we would live separately from the world. If we truly belong to Him, we would resist the Vanity Fair. We would live, looking forward to a future with the Lord, with a grateful and worshiping heart. We would continually repent and immerse ourselves in holiness. Our Lord despises the world; that’s why He calls for change. He calls for a complete renewal of our hearts and minds. We are called to be newborn creatures; neither seeking wealth, power nor fame.

Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” –This is the solution to our beloved homeland’s ordeal.

May our Lord Jesus constantly sustain us with His grace in our quest for revival!