The Misadventures of O and J: MRT Street-Preachers

J (with matching kalabit) : Kuya, medyo kulang kasi… baka kelangan mo idagdag ung Romans 6:23…

O : Hindi parang ung sa showtime na lang… Hmmm… Nakita ko naman ung passion kaso parang nakulangan ako sa message. Kulang ung Romans 6:23. At dahil dyan, ito ang score mo (with matching pindot sa invisible score board)

THIS is O and I’s conversation during a supposedly mundane, sleep-fulfilling MRT turn back ride became a preach-filled ride from Taft all the way to Boni (or was it Shaw?).

On our way home yesterday, O and I encountered street preachers in the train. No, they’re not the ones that would give an envelope in the end just to ask for money. These street preachers are the hard core, hard after GodHISHSdgs, shame-shattering ones that just strike anywhere in the hope that people will listen and think and ask and finally, come. With their loud voices filling the coach, naturally, they got my attention so much so that O and I ended up having a discussion about what they actually preached and how we think they could improve our teaching. (Oo… critic ang peg namin :P)

At one point in our discussion, we actually dared each other to tell one of the preachers about our feedback. I thought of giving the preacher a letter or discreetly telling him about what we think but, as we were both shy, we opted not to. And thus, my entry here... I decided, I would tell them in a letter that I would write here:

Dear MRT Street-preachers,

First off, allow me to say I was blessed by your presence yesterday while I was going home. It’s my first time to encounter people sharing God in a public place with no money involved. It somehow reveals to me a level of purity in your heart.

I can’t imagine just how much you must overcome to talk about God to a coach full of commuters who may or may not give a damn. I respect you for doing what you do given that it’s actually hard for me to randomly share it even to the closest people I know. We’re opposites you and I but your boldness has given me both a challenge and an inspiration. But no, I still can’t do what you do.

Anyway, I actually wanted to write because I wanted to be of help (if this is any help at all… ). I don’t know how to break this in any manner so I guess I’ll just tell it to you straight. I think you have missed out the most important verse of all. Romans 6:23 will help you greatly. It’s the verse to note for evangelistic purposes.

It was a great speech, the one you gave yesterday. But, I think, you have missed out the greatest thing of all: salvation. Yes, you talked about the greatness of God’s love and yes, you talked about the days to come. But, you forgot to talk about WHY Jesus is the way and WHY people need Him. My husband and I believe you should have started with Romans 6:23 and from there branched out to your speech.

I hope you don’t get offended by this. We really, really just want to help. After all, it’s the lost we’re all after.

I hope you continue on what you do. And we will send a prayer your way.

May God bless you in your ministry.

Regards,

J

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For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord – Romans 6:23   

Of Dreaming and Making Them Come True

When a dream…

 

 

 

becomes a reality…

 

 

I can’t help but be amazed at the ONE who truly made it all come true.

 

Yes, O and I are now living in our very own house. But it is not the fact that we are living in our own house that amazes me but how He has turned everything into reality. Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined that at this point in time, O and I will be owners of something that we actually can’t afford (basing on the state of our finances) but then again, His thoughts are higher than my thoughts so perhaps, His dreams (for us) are wilder than my dreams… :)

 

If you ask me right now how we were able to find and afford such a house, I actually wouldn’t know how. But God made it possible so maybe you should ask Him… in other words… pray ;) One thing I’m sure of, it worked for us.

 

On Loving

I guess it will always be a point of misunderstanding for a lot of people but this is what I know: I, as a Christian, was called to love. I was called to love with an active kind of love. Jesus did not die for me that I might lounge around everyday seeking every comfort life has to offer. NO. I was blessed with so much love and grace and mercy that I might stand up and do the same to others.

The truth is loving, with a Christian perspective, is tricky and at times, hurtful. Why? Because God did not call me to love with a passive acceptance of people for who they are and what they believe in. God challenges me (and everyday for that matter) to love actively, beckoning people to the truth, one that would set them free and enable them to live life to the full. God calls me to love people with the same kind of love that He gave me: the transforming kind of love.

Perfect Kind of Love

“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” – Romans 5:8

I thank God that He loved me with so much love that while I was still this wretched human being undeserving of anyone’s love, He already died for me. As a selfish being by nature, I admit it is hard for me to understand why He would choose to do such a thing. But this much I can grasp, it is not for me to try and understand every bit of God’s love, rather it is for me to follow it.

This is what I know: God, in all his holiness and mightiness, gambled His life for me in the hopes that one day I will come to hear of what He did and ultimately, change me from the inside out. He walked on this earth sharing His teachings to everyone who would listen but did not force it on anyone’s throat. He loved everyone alike: he loved the fishermen and tax collector enough to call them as His disciples; he loved the prostitute enough not to condemn her; he loved the criminals on the cross enough to forgive one and accept the decision of the other to mock Him; he even loved the Pharisees enough to answer their questions [even if answering them is futile].

Love according to God’s actions is complicated and hard but it is the perfect example of love. His love is a love that is based not on the character of the beloved but rather on the character of the lover. God’s love emanates from Him because He is hopeful that the people He chose to die for will turn back to Him and lead a victorious life. His actions are not based on their current situations but on His dreams for them, on what He sees they can possibly be. And, this kind of love is the love that produced a lasting change in me.

I thank God that He loved me with so much love that while I was still this wretched human being undeserving of anyone’s love, He already died for me. I thank Him because He did not give up on me then and is not giving up on me now. I may be far from who God wants me to be but I know, His love will sustain me until I meet the person God sees in me. I thank God that His love is the hopeful, optimistic kind that doesn’t stop on who I am right now [physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally] and I believe, this same kind of love is the love that can change anything: a person, a situation or even, a nation.

And in His love, I will remain hopeful…  

A Modern Psalm

I am giddy. I am restless.

Unable to keep myself still

Thoughts of You consume me

Your revelation truly astounds

 

More than the physical things

Mere thoughts of You weaken me

Thank You for Your heart

That loves me just because

 

For all things past

You took me to a higher ground

I am in love with You

And I long to be all the more

 

You are the God who knows my heart

And I will sing Your songs of praise

You deserve no other thing

But a heart that desires You

 

Thank You my Lord for Your love

Your ways draw me closer

I am amazed by how You bless

I want to live my life for You

J-E-S-U-S

My last entry here was one joyful moment for O and I. And since then, a major thing happened that didn’t exactly shook my faith but somehow reminded me of my ever growing dependence on God. Isang MALAKING PASASALAMAT talaga kay Lord and how He changed my forever nega attitude. Siguro kung nangyari ito sa akin ng hindi pa ako Christian, mukmok to the highest level ang drama ko at mega-iyak sa tabi thinking na AKO NA ang pinagkaitan ng langit at lupa. To which I say to my old self, “O sige… ikaw na!”

I’m sure everyone had his/her fair share of nega moments. And, might I say, those moments are really just the worst. We live the moment THINKING of all the ‘bad’ things that happened, FORMING this belief that the world is out to get you, CHOOSING to be sad because (of your so-called truth that…) the world is indeed out to get you and BELIEVING that you’ll only be happy when the world undoes what it has done to you. Eventually, yes, you will get better but by that time you have missed so much that it feels like you’re starting point involves a lot more things to do than you originally expected which sets you back a time or two.

THIS, friends, is the long road to recovery and you know what, I know of a shortcut. It’s spelled… J-E-S-U-S.

The fact is we all need time to recover. It’s not called a process for nothing, you know. The only difference with all of us, however, is the length of time it takes to be okay and the actions we choose to do while we are not okay. This is where Jesus changed me. He gave me a renewed point of view on things.

Bad stuff happens but the world is not out to get me so there is NEVER a reason to despair. I may cry for a while but there is no reason for me to frown the succeeding days. My story does not end on my failures. Because God never promised that He will leave me to fail. God’s promise (as my life verse states…) is:

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” – Jeremiah 29:11

So how can I allow myself to spend time in such a tragic season of self-pity and negativity? If this is God’s promise, then I want to be there. THERE where prosperity, hope and my future awaits. THERE where He will turn my mourning into dancing and my sadness into joy. THERE where the purpose of everything will be revealed. THERE where His glory is proclaimed.

With all this revealed, I cannot imagine how to live life apart from Him? Jesus is the complete therapy. He is my strength during the times I’m not okay. He brings me hope while I am still down. He brings me joy, confident that His plans for me will prevail and are the best. ;)   

Changes

Times really are a-changing.

It used to be that I rarely get up to fix my own breakfast and now, I'm making it for the both of us.

It used to be that I hated the heat from the stove and now, it's been my sign I'm serving someone I really love.

It used to be that I never iron my own clothes and now, I'm making time to iron ours.

It used to be that I only cared for how clean and orderly my room is and now, my mind is full of mental notes about our house.

It used to be that I could cross the street by looking left then looking right but now, I need his hand as well.

It used to be my responsibilities were all about me but now, it's about his welfare, too.

Times are indeed a-changing and it's changing evermore.

Now, we're learning how it is to live together and soon, we'll know how to be a family.

Now, we're discovering so much about each other and soon, we'll be getting used to it.

Now, we're trying out different routines and soon, we'll be deciding which routine is best.

Now, we seem to be two innocent kids living an adult's life and soon, we'll be taking on all the responsibilities.

Now, we're weaving our dreams together and soon, we're going to make them come true.

Now, we're learning how to be husband and wife and soon... very soon... we'll be learning how to be a daddy and a mommy.

:)