The Greatest LOVE: The Unchanging and Everlasting Love

A single father takes his eight year-old son to work with him at the railroad drawbridge where he is the bridge tender. A day before, the boy meets a woman boarding a train, a drug abuser. At the bridge, the father goes into the engine room, and tells his son to stay at the edge of the nearby lake. A ship comes, and the bridge is lifted. Though it is supposed to arrive an hour later, the train happens to arrive. The son sees this, and tries to warn his father, who is currently not paying attention and is unaware of the oncoming train. Just as the oncoming train approaches, his son falls into the drawbridge gear works while attempting to lower the bridge, leaving the father with a horrific choice. The father then lowers the bridge, the gears crushing the boy. The people in the train are completely oblivious to the fact a boy died trying to save them, other than the drug addict woman, who happened to look out her train window. 

This is a portrayal of How God Loved us, Loves us, and will Love us. His Love NEVER CHANGED.

His LOVE that lead to the creation of the Universe is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE towards Adam and Eve is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that lead to the salvation of Noah, his Friends and Family, and to all animals from the Great Flood is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE towards Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that lead to the calling of Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today. 

His LOVE that the Three Wise Men experienced when they were Guided by the Star towards the Manger where the King of Kings was born is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that was experienced by the people whom God healed and brought back to life is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that was experienced by the 5000 people that was fed with 5 Loaves of Bread and 2 Fish is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that was expressed by the exhausted, wounded, and pierced Jesus Christ while crucified and crowned with thorns is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that was experienced by the people whom have seen the resurrected Jesus Christ is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that was experienced by Mary, mother of God and the Apostles when the Holy Spirit descended upon them is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that was experienced by the persecuted Christians and Martyrs is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that was experienced by Saints is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today. 

His LOVE that was experienced by modern day saints is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

His LOVE that was experienced by those who rejected God before and now surrendered to His will is the very same LOVE we experience in our lives today.

Friends, we may be experiencing a lot of pain and difficulties in life but remember the Love of God, though how may sins we have committed, is the very same Love that was experienced by His people before our time, the people during our time, and the people in the future. A Love that never ever have failed. A Love that is not conditional. A Love that is everlasting.

Many people may have rejected our love for them but remember that there is always This Guy who will never ever reject us and who is even willing to die and let go of all things that He has just to gain our love to Him. 

LIFE is not about my story. LIFE is about me serving Him and other people

Have you ever done something good towards other people while personally, you are in great pain? (Something like serving other people while your heart is broken and shattered)

I would like to admit that, personally, I was in great pain this whole summer. 

I had encountered a lot of painful stuffs.

I had done a lot of unbearable things towards other people.

I had made wrong and foolish decisions.

But God did not end with that. He made something amazing in my life…

PART ONE: “Focus not on the PAIN but on the PRIZE”

Have you ever felt that your life is like a race that never ends? 

A race that made you weary and eventually made you hopeless.

A race that made you say “I GIVE UP”

Personally, this summer, I almost gave up. I felt that pain was like the air, it was all around me. It was unbearable. I felt that I was running without stop. I may have endured the pain at first but now, I gave up. 

One day, out of nowhere, I saw my friend. He was a cyclist. I saw him remove his cycling shirt and I was astounded because I saw his original color. He was fair skinned. I was about to ask him why does he continue cycling when it will just burn his skin when a voice within me said “…because he focuses on the prize and not on the pain. He focuses himself on the feeling on getting into the finish line and not on the scourging heat of sun”. This made me realize that even though I have a lot of problems, I should always focus on the prize.

I must not give up but I must give all

PART TWO: “No is not a REJECTION but a REDIRECTION in life”

I was filled with doubt.

I remembered that it came to a point that I doubted God because my prayers seemed to be rejected. 

It seemed that God’s answering machine of prayers was broken. 

It seemed that God’s cellular phone of hope was in silent mode.

Because I was filled with pain and I want to change, I went into a confession. The priest told me that I was looking at my problems as if it were the biggest thing in life. He told me that these problems are actually minute in size. He told me that I could take charge of it and I just have to prioritize which problem should I focus first. This thing gave me direction in life. 

I thought that the unanswered prayers are God’s way of rejecting me but I realized that God wanted me to be redirected towards Him. I realized that I have done many things that made me lost He just wanted me to be on track again. 

My doubt towards Him turned into trust.

ONE FINAL SHARING

This summer, just like what I've said, I was in great pain.

My relationship with two special person to me are not that good compared before.

I have done a lot of wrong things to other people.

I took the trust of other people for granted.

I doubted God.

My life was a mess. I served God but I didn't found any direction in life. Some people told me that I made my service as my comfort zone. They told me that I served God because I find comfort in service. They told me that I serve God not because I want to serve Him but because I want to make myself comfortable. I almost agreed to them because somehow they are telling the truth but I believe God told me another thing…

During one camp, the speaker held a glass full of clear water. He then compared that glass to our life with God in our heart. Clear. Fresh. Perfect. But then sin came. He compared sin to chocolate powder. When poured on the glass of water, the water becomes dirty. But because God loves us, He poured and filled us with love and this was compared with water. God did not poured His love to us once. He poured His love to us again and again and again. He never get tired of pouring His love to us. And whenever you pour clean water into a container filled with dirty water, have you noticed that the dirt gradually decreases. The glass is not changed or thrown. It is still the same glass as before but gradually, the water in it becomes cleaner.

That is how God works in our lives. He made us perfect in the beginning but whenever we commit sin, we become dirtier but God wants us to be changed and not thrown away because we are useless. He sees something great in our lives a midst all the dirt in our heart. He don’t count the sins we have in our lives. He changes our lives through LOVE and not CONDEMNATION. 

I believe, this is the message of God to us. We may have done a lot of mess in life. We may have served Him selfishly but I believe service is where we feel His love to us. And through love, our lives are changed for the better.

HE WILL DO EVERYTHING JUST TO SAVE US. That HE WOULD GAVE UP EVERYTHING HE HAVE AND LOVE IN ORDER TO GAIN OUR LOVE. And when we realized this, He knew that we would change our lives and this change is our response to His UNFAILING LOVE TO US. 

Now, I know that I may have a lot of flaws. Sometimes I serve for my own gratitude and glory but I know that someday, I will fully serve for His gratitude and glory.

We cannot give what we don't have. We cannot love if we cannot experience love. That is why God fill our lives with Unconditional Love. So that we could love other people unconditionally and through this love, we could experience true happiness and hope in life.

7 Dreams I Claim in Jesus' Name

"Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full."- John 16:24

All of us have dreams in life and these dreams reflect God's plans and desires for and in our life.

Dream 1:
To bring and lead 1000 people closer to God's love before I die by loving them and inspiring them to love other people especially the "vampires" of their lives.

"I Will Worship You" (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=432253890189204&set=a.432252400189353.1073741828.329681450446449&type=1&theater)

Dream 2:

To encourage my family to join me at the Feast or Couples for Christ and let their lives be changed by 2014.

Bo Sanchez giving a talk (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=437975786283681&set=a.437974239617169.1073741832.329681450446449&type=3&theater)

Dream 3:
To graduate and be CUM LAUDE by March 2015.

(http://edwinrhodes.groupfusion.net/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/26479/Image/Cum%20Laude%20Robe%20pictures/Cum-Laude---Bronze.jpg)

Dream 4:
To be an animator, game designer, or software engineer at United States or Singapore by 2020.

Walt Disney (http://hrtlsangel.deviantart.com/art/Walt-Disney-Pop-Art-214055933)

Dream 5:
To be an effective leader that would inspire many people especially the youth.

Obet Cabrillas leading a prayer (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=482274208458195&set=a.375826502436300.92793.245659595452992&type=1&theater)

Dream 6:

To meet the princess that would love me unconditionally and wholeheartedly accept me for who I am and make her my one and only, most loved queen of my life. The girl that I would marry and would be with me until the end of our lives.

Dream 7:
To be able to speak fluently and be a powerful speaker that would inspire many people. This shall happen by 2017.

"Speaking God's Word"

I may not yet fully achieved all of my dreams. I may have flaws. I may fall down and fail along the way but I claim that one day, all of these dreams will come true because I believe that God's desires and plans for my life are implanted on the core of every single dream I have in my life.

The Bow and Arrow

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

Our life is like the bow-arrow-archer-target relationship. How? 

Imagine that our life is like the bow, we are the arrow, the archer is God, and the target is our dreams. 

Sometimes, we are pulled back by our problems, pain, worries, and shame in life and it seems that we are farther from our dreams unlike during those times when we do not feel pain in life. But have you ever noticed that whenever we have problems, pain, worries, and shame in life, we are much closer to God? Yes, the ARROW may have been farther from the TARGET but have you ever noticed that the ARROW is closer to the ARCHER when the BOW is pulled back? My Friends, THIS IS HOW LIFE WORKS. We may have been farther from our dreams when we have problems compared to those times when we felt happiness but remember that GOD is just preparing us to LAUNCH US TOWARDS OUR DREAMS and it is also the JOY and FULFILLMENT of the ARCHER when the ARROW HIT THE TARGET. It is God's Desire and Joy when we reach our dreams.

Friends, are down and desperate in life? Remember that we have an Amazing God that will never ever leave us alone. Just trust in His ways and we will reach our dreams in life.

(I have written this message and was inspired from one of the talks of Bro. Bo Sanchez at The Feast at The Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City)

Songs and Lyrics that changed my Life: Part Sixteen

Mighty To Save

Hillsong United

Everyone needs compassion, 

Love that's never failing; 

Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness, 

The kindness of a Saviour; 

The Hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains, 

My God is Mighty to save, 

He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation, 

He rose and conquered the grave, 

Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me, 

All my fears and failures, 

Fill my life again.

I give my life to follow

Everything I believe in, 

Now I surrender.

My Saviour, He can move the mountains, 

My God is Mighty to save, 

He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation, 

He rose and conquered the grave, 

Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see, 

We're singing for the glory of the risen King... Jesus (x2)

My Saviour, He can move the mountains, 

My God is Mighty to save, 

He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation, 

He rose and conquered the grave, 

Jesus conquered the grave.

My Saviour, you can move the mountains, 

You are mighty to save, 

You are mighty to save.

Forever, Author of Salvation, 

You rose and conquered the grave, 

Yes you conquered the grave