LNP-CDE & Pentecost TNP Celebrates Advent!

By: Rina R. Manuel

CDE & Pentecost TNP Joint Advent Celebration at
the barangay covered court of Varsity Hills, Loyola Heights, QC

Last December 5, 2010, our District held a Joint Advent Celebration with the Pentecost Tahanan ng Panginoon (TNP), a ministry of Ligaya that seeks to share with the poor the Good News of God’s love and hope.  The Our Lady of Pentecost Parish in Loyola Heights, Quezon City is one of TNP’s areas, which consists of members from 4 areas of informal settlers - Daan Tubo, Marytown, Park 7, and Rona's Garden.  Pentecost TNP is supported by the Central Sector’s Ministry of Compassion which is led by the inspiring service of CDE members, Rudy and Marilou de Ocampo, whom we fondly call “Papa Ru” and “Mama Lou.”  

Praise and Worship led by
brother Rino Emano of Pentecost TNP

The Joint Advent Celebration was held at the barangay covered courts of Varsity Hills in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.  It started with a spirit-filled praise and worship, which was led by Rino Emano, a leader from Park 7, and one could hear the singing of praise songs strongly reverberating from the covered court!  It was such a sight to behold 600 Pentecost TNP brothers and sisters, together with their children, joyfully praising and worshipping the Lord, together with our LNP-CDE brothers and sisters.

Our brother Ben Aganon opened the program and introduced Papa Ru for the opening remarks.  

 


Ben Aganon welcomed everybody
at the start of the program.

 

Brother Rudy de Ocampo, fondly called 'Papa Ru',
gave the opening remarks.

Meanwhile, the funny action songs led by TNP Music Ministry at the start of the program broke the ice between the two groups and made everyone giddy and at ease with each other. 

Pentecost TNP youth members
entertained everybody with the funny action songs.

CDE brothers and sisters, led by Theo and Abbie,
tried to copy the funny actions to the hilt!

CDE women enjoyed imitating the very funny actions.

Fr. Bong Tupino, parish priest, welcomed everybody to the celebration and thanked the District for its support of the Pentecost TNP. He turned out to be a classmate of our brother Joem Endaya way back in the seminary!

Fr. Bong Tupino gave the welcome remarks
and thanked CDE for its support.

We had great entertainment through the lively presentation of various Pentecost TNP area groups with their dance and song numbers, complete with costumes. 

Pentecost TNP members dancing creatively to a
Christmas tune with Muslim-inspired steps and costume!

Pentecost TNP members rocked the dance floor,
complete with their Santa hats and outfit!

After eating special palabok prepared by Pentecost TNP members, we all had fun with the two special games prepared by our District – the “Christmas family action story” led by Boots Endaya and Joey Teotico, and the ala-“Pera o Bayong” game for Pentecost TNP children led by Nonot Paler and Monching dela Cruz. 



Sister Boots Endaya and brother Joey Teotico
calling on the different "casts" of the
Christmas family action story!

Everybody in the covered courts listened attentively
for their cue as sister Boots narrated the story.



Brothers Nonot Paler and Monching dela Cruz
dished out trivia questions to the Pentecost TNP kids,
ala-Pera or Bayong style!

In-between, there was gift-giving through the funds raised by the District  for raffle prizes consisting of school supplies for the children, media noche packs for adults, bags of rice for unit leaders and household heads, and bags of goodies for all the children. 

CDE-FOJ Kimi Manuel giving away
a raffle prize to a Pentecost TNP child.

Pentecost TNP kids lined up for the candy give-aways.

Central Sector Coordinator and CDE brother Melmarx Marcojos
handing out some Christmas bags to the children. 

Through this special celebration with Pentecost TNP, we hope to have concretely expressed our solidarity and shown the face of Christ to our brothers and sisters in Pentecost TNP this Advent Season. 

Our brothers and sisters from Pentecost TNP,
together with their youth members

 * * *

More pictures of CDE brothers and sisters

at the Joint Advent Celebration with Pentecost TNP!

A Path to a Renewed Life

By: Cor Marcojos





The Author's parents with Marcojos & Agoo families - all from CDE!
From L-R: Melmarx, Cor, River, Rain & Rock Marcojos;
Noli (+) & Josie Barredo; Onet & Cathy Agoo 

 It has been almost three years since my father passed away.  We felt the loss but it was my mother, Josie, who suffered the most.  We know that losing dad made her lose part of herself, or perhaps, completely.  Most of our loved ones and friends would know that my dad and mom practically did everything together.  During my dad’s wake, my mom tearfully shared how much she will miss doing things with him - going through all family traditions together, attending Marriage Encounter together, writing and giving talks together, eating and watching T.V. together and even doing household chores together.  Yes, the redundancy of the word will tell how much they have spent time TOGETHER.  As mom tried to pick up the pieces, we were aware that we can no longer put them back the way they were (Or, as mom held on to her good memories, we were aware that she can no longer relive them.)  Having been converted to the Lord for years, we, her children, know that there is more to her life than days without purpose and nights without sleep.  With our deep trust and love for God, we knew He still has so much more in store for her.

Lo and behold, there was Pathways. 

Part of me was saying, I am called to bring someone to Pathways but a greater part of me was saying I need to bring my mom to Pathways.  I found it an awkward task to invite her as I was not too sure if she was ready to open herself to practically anything new.  I also didn’t know how I will receive rejection (especially) from her who I knew needed the touch of God the most.  But, her bouts of depression and series of memory lapses made me decide that it was time.  Her grief was so deep that she cried to us all the time and she couldn’t even remember recent significant experiences with us, like a family vacation we had a few months back.  With grace and confidence in the Lord, I invited her to join the very first Pathways meeting of the Central Sector.  Initially, she was hesitant and almost said no.  But, with a little of my prodding and explaining, she finally agreed to attend.  I’m sure she didn’t realize what her saying “yes” meant but, I knew that she did it out of compliance and obedience.

Week after week, my mom faithfully joined the Pathways meetings.  She first attended and finished the ECLS, then, she continued on with the regular meetings.  As expected, she grew in her love for the Lord and even in her love for the brothers and sisters who have been constantly caring for her and her co-members.  From the groping meetings in Lay Force to the more established site in Poveda, my mom never missed a meeting (except for one where she had to attend an important family affair.)  She additionally attends our sector gatherings too.  More than the attendance, I saw how she more and more accepted her circumstance and how much she rediscovered her love for the Lord, solely and purely, but this time WITHOUT dad.  I could see that my mom has become more joyful, her days grace-filled and her life more purposeful.  It’s also funny to note that more and more brothers and sisters come-up to her first to greet her while I wait in line.

Recently, I received several feedbacks about my mom’s inspiring sharing during the last prayer meeting of Pathways for the year.  I was told that she talked about her life after dad passed away, how she came to know Ligaya, and the blessings she received after joining Pathways.  I am so grateful to the Lord!  After attending for more than a year, she is again opening herself and freely sharing her blessings with other people.

The Author's mom, Josie,
in a Pathways meeting. 

I do not claim for myself the work the Lord has done in my mom.  Since she stays in her own home, I and my siblings had to set-up special sleeping and transportation arrangements for her so that she would be able to attend each meeting.  Without the practical help and moral support of my sisters and their husbands, Christine and Patrick, and most of all, Cathy and Onet and my brother Olin, who bring her painstakingly to and from the site every Friday, mom would have not experienced her new life in Christ.  My great gratitude also goes to all Pathways servants who have always been there from the beginning, not only for my mom, but for all the participants.  They may not be aware of it but, they impact the lives of many by the practical and personal service they bring to those they meet. I also honour them for pressing on, especially when Pathways was experiencing its growing pains.

We, who have been in community for years and who may sometimes look at community inwardly, probably see Pathways as a mere venue for recruitment, or, at most, a means of bringing faceless people to the Lord.  With mom’s transformation, God once again reminds us that evangelization is not simply bringing them to Him.  It is actually offering wandering, thirsty and even suffering people a new life – a fullness of life in Christ.  We may never know the magnitude that their conversion brings but, God definitely has a lot in store for them, much more than we can ever imagine!

About the Author:

Cor was renewed through Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon in 1994.  She joined Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon in 1997 and became a covenanted member in 2001. She is  married to Melmarx for 13 years and their children are Rock and Rain (JYA) and River (FOJ).  Cor is currently working part time for the Asian Regional Office of the Sword of the Spirit.  She is now serving as a Senior Woman Leader.  Her siblings, Tin (CDB), Cathy (CDE), Olin (CDD), and her brother-in-laws, Patrick (CDB) and Onet (CDE), are also members of the Community.

An Open Home, An Open Heart

By: Boots Endaya

Every time that Joem and I answer forms that ask, "Are you willing to open your home and host brothers and sisters from the SOS?," we always answer “Yes.” At the back of our minds, we are willing but, we find it to be quite impossible because our house is small.

During the last Asian Regional Youth Workers’ Training Conference in October, Cor Marcojos, my former PL, asked me if our family could do just that -- host a youth worker, and I told her that we just have a small house.  I was so convicted when she said that she is not looking for a family with a big house but, for a family with a big heart.

My worry about not having a big house was converted into a realization about the kind of generosity that the Lord is asking from me and my family.  It was the same conviction that made even our YA children, Gerard and Theresa, realize that the Lord is asking us, not only to share our home, but more importantly, to respond to God’s call with whatever we have. 

We were guided by Ephesians 3:20:

“Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.” 

Opening our home was such a small task that would give glory to our community and to God, not only now but to all generations -- a way to go, especially for Gerard who gave up his room. Only by God’s grace, we were able to stretch, not our house, but moreso our hearts in accommodating two (2) of our SOS brothers. 




At the LNP Center, first row: 
Rommel Abas and Joel Nery
of People of God Community



In the end, it was our  family who was so  blessed by the presence of our brothers - Rommel Abas and Joel Nery from the People of God Community of Cagayan de Oro.  The brothers brought with them so much wisdom and “holiness”, not to mention the joy and fun that we experienced with their presence. 

  



  

“Are we willing to open our home and host brothers and sisters from the SOS?”



Our family will always answer “Yes!” Even if our house is small, the Lord’s grace made our hearts big enough to share with them a place they could call home while they were with Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon.

  

At the LNP Center parking lot, Joem welcomes

the ARYW Training Conference Participants. 

Joel Nery is in blue shirt (second from left).











Tithing: Give More to Receive More

By: Bong Manuel

My wife, Rina, and I came to know about the concept of tithing when we attended our ECLS way back in 2003. We had two kids at that time and Rina was on her way with our third child.  Giving 10% of our gross income versus the rising of cost of raising a family, we were not really sure how we were going to start to tithe.  Our PL told us to just start tithing regularly regardless of the amount. Thus, we started tithing with a nominal amount and just promised to increase our tithe every year.

During the visit of Jean Barbara in November 2009, his message of giving more of our time, talent and resources to the Lord impressed a lot me. In January 2010, we received a tithe pledge form for the first time wherein it suggested three common approaches in tithing:

1. Biblical Tithing - Pledge 10% or more of your gross annual income
2. Proportionate Giving -Start with your expected income next year and pick a percentage that feels right
3. “Radical” Giving - “Shock yourself with your generosity!” Consider a pledge that stretches your resources, demands sacrifices, or pushes beyond what is comfortable and into reassessment of your priorities and your commitments

As we discerned our tithe pledge, we came to realize that, despite the annual increase that we made in our tithe, it was still way off the 10%.  We were just giving proportionately our income for the past 9 years. We felt convicted that we had been scrimping on our tithe despite all the blessings that the Lord had given us. Strike one!

However, when we made our tithe pledge, we still opted for proportionate-giving, justifying that it was now closer to 10% of our gross annual income.

In February 2010, the Lord again reminded us to give more when Jake Yap gave a course on tithing through FC3.  Tithing is giving one-tenth of the best harvest to the Lord.  It is an expression of how much we love the Lord and a manifestation of our complete trust that God will provide for our need.  Again, we felt convicted. Strike two!  After this powerful reminder from the Lord, we finally decided to give the 10% that was due to the Lord.

In May 2010, a significant financial blessing was given by the Lord.  We immediately thought of getting a 7-seater SUV because of the growing needs of the family.  We already had three children and Rina was due to deliver our fourth child that month. We searched around for various vehicle models without even consulting the Lord about the planned purchase. We fell into the trap of self-entitlement. We felt that, with that financial blessing, we actually deserve to have a real nice SUV.  Our wants came in first before our needs. We were close to buying our dream car when God called our attention again. Strike Three!

God simply told us to put Him first in everything that we do or decide on.  From there, we discerned the type of vehicle that God wanted us to buy.  Our only basic requirements for the vehicle purchase would be for it to be a 7-seater and with aircon. In the end, we finally decided to buy a 7-seater basic AUV.  It did not have power windows, power locks, fancy instrumentations, mags and ABS.  We also decided to give the remaining balance of original budget for the SUV purchase to the Lord as our tithe, which, believe it or not, corresponded to a tenth of the financial blessing He gave us!

With that, we learned through tithing that God blesses us more by freeing us from the grips and shackles of the material world.  We now worry less about our finances and trust more His divine providence. We are now more open to sharing our time, talents and resources to others without fear of exhaustion and depletion because we know that God will sustain and replenish us if we just put Him first above all things. 

Tithing is really more like opening the palm of our hands to receive the Lord’s blessings.  If we choose to close and tighten our fists, it would not be possible for us to receive all the good things that He wanted give us.

Had we known the many blessings that accompany tithing, we would have started doing it a long time ago!

A Year Less Ordinary: A West Tower Resident's Reflection

By: Monching dela Cruz





I would like to glorify God who is eternally great and marvelous. He is faithful in His promises. He is mighty in His deeds.
 
At the start of the year, I declared that I wanted to have a regular daily prayer time. Vi’s uncle gifted me with a Prayer Journal, and a community brother gave me a “Prayer Guide” to make the prayer time more structured. I really wanted to have a deeper relationship with the Lord, as I’m jealous of people who can sense and discern God’s messages for them and for others. I have decided that my prayer will no longer be a one-way conversation (with me doing all the talking and pleading). This time, I wanted to hear God more clearly and experience His presence more deeply.
 
It’s not everyday that I can sense Lord’s leading in my life. I still get distracted with the day-to-day worries and preoccupations, and sometimes, sleepiness. But the hopeful expectation of hearing from Him that day is enough to get me to sit up and settle into my daily prayer time. If I don’t hear from Him that day, at least I get to have my daily dose of positive and grateful disposition after reading the Scriptures.
 
There are times when I really felt that the Lord was telling me something – sometimes in the Bible verses that I just read, sometimes during meditation, sometimes during the mass, and even in a retreat. Sometimes the message may not pertain directly to something that I was contemplating about at that particular time. But as I keep it in my heart, the meaning would eventually become clearer in other days and in some other ways. But sometimes, His message would be direct to the point.  
 
At the start of the year, the word “SURRENDER” suddenly popped up from the text that I was reading – just like in the Da Vinci Code movie. I was flabbergasted. I re-read the passage but couldn’t find the word “surrender” in it. I really felt that it was a message from God. And I decided to make that as my “theme” for this year. I was not disheartened. I did not take it as a negative message of “giving up” or “conceding ” as I was not in any kind of battle. I felt good and even excited that I somehow knew that I was going to go through something different this year, something that I need to “surrender” to His plan, His will. Ano kaya eto? As a response, my prayer was John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
 
Looking back, the first part of the year passed without any major twist and turn in my life. Vi and I were enjoying each other’s company. We were doing okay with our career. We have begun our service in the Ligaya ng Panginoon Community in the registration team for our Friday prayer meetings (We have been looking for an evangelization service for some time now). We did not have any major concern. Our wanting to have a baby is still there, but we have decided to take it easy at this time and let God grant us our heart’s desire in His own perfect timing. (Our fervent prayer for my sister to get pregnant has been granted though! Hallelujah!)
 
Then July came, the oil spill in our condominium building shook our life from its ordinary-ness. We were forced to evacuate our building on the night of July 21 (Tuesday night). Vi was alone in Manila (I was still enroute from Singapore ) when she packed up our things as the gas fumes had become very strong. (We knew about the gasoline intrusion into our building for two weeks already, but the smell was contained in our basement. And we thought that it could easily be fixed). It was a blessing that one of our choirmates sent her household help to help Vi pack our clothes, and our pastoral leaders came and picked Vi up and moved her to their place. I went straight from the airport to their house and stayed there for one night.
 
The next day, we asked our cousins if we could stay at their vacant condo for two weeks while the oil leak in our building was being fixed. It has been more than five months, and we’re still staying in my cousins’ condo.
 
At that time, I thanked God that nothing untoward happened to Vi while I was away. I was also thankful that the building did not blow up (as some imaginative minds were speculating), and we were still able to get some essential things out of the condo over the next few days, even if we had to climb 14 floors, up and down, in pitch dark and with very strong noxious smell of gasoline fumes getting into our lungs. I thought that it’s better this way than doing this while the building was on fire. Vi and I are grateful that we still have each other, and we experienced the love and concern of family and friends in this time of crisis. We see this as God’s redirecting us to another direction in our lives. Where will He lead us? We don’t know yet. But we are willing and excited to find out.
 
While these things were happening, I was telling myself that this was just an “oppression” from the Evil One, as we were busy preparing for our Choices Seminar (Life in the Spirit Seminar) Friday that same week. We were really preparing for the harvest that God was planning for our Choices seminar. On that Friday, we had nearly 200 participants who attended the Choices seminar.
 
Worries and anxieties would still creep in once in a while. As the head of my family, it’s my responsibility to make sure that I provide a home for my family.
 
Three days after the incident, this Psalm put my mind at peace: “As the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest to settle her young, My home is by your altars, Lord of host, my king and my God!...Happy are those who find refuge in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrim roads.” After reading that, I shed all my anxiety at that time. I knew that God is on our case. My journal entry read: “My physical home may be in danger, but my spiritual home is firm”.  
 
At that time, I was totally convinced that we would return to our building in two weeks’ time. But the water and the oil continued to flood our basement (with wastewater submerging two levels of the basement at one point!). We were barred from entering our building. The lights and water were cut off. There even was the threat from the City Hall that it would declare our building as “condemned”.
 
A few days before the City Hall’s deadline for us to take water out of our basement (without flushing them into the sewerage system) or risk being declared “condemned”, some of the unit owners decided to hold a prayer outside the abandoned building. We were all anxious at that time (as nobody was helping us out. We still couldn’t find a hauler that could take the water out of our building and the deadline was looming). We prayed hard and loud! We did it outside the building, and we couldn’t care less if people were watching us. We cried to the Lord for help. And He helped us. A day later, we were able to convince the City Hall to extend the deadline for another week. We finally found a DENR-accredited hauler by chance (or should I say, by God’s grace) who was willing to charge us with a lower rate. During that time, I had a vision of angels surrounding West Tower in one of my prayer times. It was yet another reminder the He is taking care of us and the building.
 
But as days went by, doubts and anxieties came back, as the water and oil kept intruding our building. As the hauler was taking water out, the intrusion became much stronger. The unit owners were getting desperate. We were having regular meetings, but only few would attend, and the mood was usually very gloomy. There would be disagreements within the group.
 
But I would be reminded by the Lord in my Scripture readings (Don’t be anxious. Be patient. He is my refuge. Have faith. Don’t cling on to material things. Having nothing, yet possessing everything. He is my God, are just some of the readings). There’s one that stood out in my prayer time, Jeremiah 30:18 – 19: “See! I will restore the tents of Jacob, his dwellings I will pity: City shall be rebuilt upon hill, and palace restored as it was. From them will resound songs of praise, the laughter of happy men. I will make them not few, but many; they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.”
 
After a month had passed and there’s still no sign that West Tower would be restored, Vi would tell me that we should have a plan B. I would always tell her there’s no need to worry.  But deep inside I was worried. We were looking for a condo to buy, even if it would mean that we would incur more bank debts. I needed to find a permanent place for us soon. We were looking at condos for almost three weekends straight. We were contemplating on some of the units that we saw even if we knew that the place was not quite right for us.
 
But one Sunday, while we were praying inside the church, I suddenly felt that God spoke to me. My heart heard these words (not verbatim though): “Why are you anxious? Why don’t you just enjoy what I’m giving you right now”. I was caught by surprise, and at the same time, felt some tingling inside (I always have this sensation when I’m sure that I got some sensing from God). Right there and then, I decided to stop our house hunting. I even began to enjoy the perks of living in The Fort – like brisk walking in Serendra early in the morning or sometimes, at night.    
 
In early September, I attended a men’s retreat conducted by our community. One of our speakers challenged us to “pick a holy fight”. My curiosity was piqued by that exhortation. I’m not a violent man. But it struck a chord in me. I thought that it may be another message for me - I should have a cause that I should be passionate about. I should not only think of myself and my family. I need to be fruitful for the community.
 
The first thing that came to my mind is our building. At that time, we, the unit owners, already knew that the FPIC pipeline was the culprit of the gasoline leak (even if FPIC was still vehemently denying it). And for the leak to have happened, the ground of Bangkal should already be soaked with gasoline. We vaguely knew that there’s an environmental mess under our community. But I didn’t want to get involved in the situation. I was just happy to stay on the sideline and “support” our leaders in leading the fight. I thought to myself: “I’m already busy with other things in life.” But the retreat jolted me out of my complacency.
 
If you say “yes” to the Lord, He will open the door for you. After the retreat, in one of our regular unit owners’ meetings, the leaders decided to set up a “media team” as our situation was dragging on without any progress, and the government was not interested in our situation, much more help us. FPIC was still denying that the leak came from them, and we had no technical expertise to refute its statements.
 
We needed to raise our profile in the press. So I raised my hand to volunteer. I became more involved in our fight. I realized that this is no longer about West Tower alone. This is about the environment being desecrated by the oil spill. We had night meetings which I didn’t really relish. I started calling up reporters to set up interviews, proactively writing press releases, and sending them to the editors. It was not easy, as there was hardly any news to speak about. The leak has not yet been found. The UP-NIGS was not yet involved. But after some days, the Makati City government decided to establish a Task Force with UP-NIGS as the lead to look into our situation.
 
Days before the declaration by UP-NIGS that the spill was coming from the FPIC leak, this passage came out very clear in my Scripture reading: “Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.” I got a strong sense that our West Tower situation is going to turn for the better. I wrote in my journal that day: “Be prepared for His abundant blessings and His unexpected gifts!”
 
And the tide did turn. The source was pinpointed. The leak was found. The press was now on our case. We found a lawyer who finally decided to take our case. We had a Senate hearing. We filed a case for the environment, and got the temporary restraining order against the pipeline. FPIC was forced to apologize. It is now talking to us. I have also set up a Facebook page called “Save Bangkal” to rally the people of Bangkal and Filipinos in general to be aware of the situation in Bangkal and help push the case of Bangkal in the national arena.
 
But the battle is not yet over. In our fight for justice, there have been some obstacles that are thrown our way. FPIC had decided to divide and conquer. It approached some of the unit owners to offer them money. Some took the money, without care for the environment clean up. There were some dissensions even in our group on whether we should still take the cudgel of the environment, or we should just focus on our compensation. Vi and I are of the belief that we are stewards of God’s creation and we are men for others. We should take the cudgel of the environment and even fight for the right of the people in the community. Should we settle for less, as we don’t know if FPIC has enough money to give all of us. Are we ready for a long battle? Maybe we should be “realistic” and accept whatever will be given us. Are we being greedy for not accepting the initial offers?
 
But we got this verse from one of the readings to remain steadfast: “Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense” (2 John 1:8).   The next day came this verse: “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.” (Luke 18:7 -8).
 
Two weeks have passed since those readings, and I was getting anxious again. FPIC has signed up a clean up firm to do the remediation of the soil in Bangkal. Well and good. But what about us? Some of us (who did not care about the environment) have received some sort of compensation. Why is FPIC dragging its feet in making us a good offer? Two offers were made. And we rejected them both. What now?
 
Last Sunday, during the Advent mass and during our District Gathering, the priest and the speaker talked about “the joy of waiting for the Best”. It was a soothing reminder from God that we should just wait for the best is yet to come.
 
We are holding on to these promises. He never failed us before, He will not fail us now.
 
Many trials have happened in my life this year. They are all good trials, as they made my faith stronger and my personal relationship with God deeper. During the retreat, we were told:  “Suffering and hardships can be good for men. Hardships give us understanding, patience, kindness, faith, hope, love and the power of God in our lives.”

Amid all these, I’ve been getting this prodding from the Lord: “All your works give you thanks, O Lord and your faithful bless you. They speak of the glory of your reign and tell of your great works. Making known to all your power, the glorious splendor of your rule. Your reign is a reign for all ages, your dominion for all generations (Psalm 145: 10 – 13).”

 

That’s why I’m writing this so that you may know of the great things He has been doing in my life.

 

Sectoral Assembly Prophecies - November 14, 2010

Prayer Meeting Leader:  Melmarx Marcojos

Prophesies by:

Jeng Quitain

Brothers & sisters, this is the message of the Lord.  My sons & my daughters, how much do you want me in your life?  Do you really desire my presence?  Because I can match your desire, I can match your desire with my presence.  Do you want me to be present in your life so that others will see?  Or do you want to be present so that your sins will be burned away. 

Do you want me to be present so people see that you are changed, that you are changing right before their very eyes?  Are you able to handle the march that I will lead in your life?  Are you able to take the drastic changes that I can do?  How much do you want me in your life?  Do you want me to be so present that your heart will burn and yearn for heaven? 

Do you want me to be so present that you will stop at nothing to bring your family, your children, your fellowmen closer to me?  Do you want to be present so that the world will look to you and say “what a foolish man” “what a foolish woman”?

How much do you want me in your life? Because I can match your desire, I can match it and overcome that desire.  Because my desire for your presence is greater.  My desire to have you near me is greater.  My desire for you to be with me in eternity is greatest.

Beth Anievas

My sons & daughters, I have heard your song.  You sing of your desire to be holy.  You sing of your desire to be holy and I confirm that yes that is my call to each one of you.  My call for each one of you is to be holy. 

And what does it meant to be holy?    

There are amongst you, people who think that to be holy is to be right. But no, my sons & daughters, to be holy is not to be right.  To be holy is to be kind, to be holy is to be patient.  Love is patient, love is kind.  Never mind it if your brother or sister is wrong, that is not the point.  The point is to be holy is to be patient and kind with your   brother and sister.

What does it mean to be holy?  Does it mean t be successful?  To do, to be number one, in your work, in your school, in whatever you do?  No, to be holy is not to be number one in your work and in your school.   To be holy means to be that you are willing to give up your work, to give up your material things, if only to save a soul.  That is what it is to be holy.  That you are willing to give up whatever you find valuable.  You’re willing to give up your work, your time schedules, all your plans, just so that you can save a soul.  One soul is more precious that all the work and all the achievements you have.

Even your children, I ask you, not to cling to them.  To be holy is to give me your children.  Let me do with them as I please and have faith that I only have the best for them.  Allow them to come to me.  Remove all these worldly ambitions, that for them to be successful is to be number one.  No, for your children to be truly successful is for them to know me.  So my brothers & sisters, my sons & daughters, your song is truly inspired by the Spirit.  Yes I call you to be holy, but to be holy, I remind you this morning, is to be kind & patient with one another.  To be holy is to be detached from your work & put on my eyes & see that only saving souls is worth losing sleep over.   Do not lose sleep over work. You lose sleep over in prayer that your brothers & sisters will be saved, that your children will come to me.   My sons & daughters, be holy & do not fear.  Do not fear that if you give up your priorities, you will go hungry.   Have I not died for you?  You think that I will let any harm come to you if you come to me & let your children come to me?  Have faith, have faith, that I will take care of all your concerns & empty yourselves that I may come in.

Matess Concepcion

Intro to Psalm 1:  God, the creator of human nature, only wishes happiness for people.  It is very significant to note that this first psalm speaks on the theme of happiness just as Jesus’ first discourse will begin with “happy”.

1 Blessed is the man who never follows the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits where the scoffers sit;

2 Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on his commandments.

3 He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering.  Everything he does is a success.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.