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Who's next?



Yesterday, Victory held its annual Leader's convergence: Discipleship 2014. It's a once a year gathering of all the Victory group leaders (and potential leaders, too!) to update everyone of the church's overall growth. But most importantly, this once a year event is being held to encourage the leaders to continue to strive for our ultimate goal and mission: to honor God and make disciples.


Last year's convergence was a great experience, but this one's even better! It was held in 15 different locations simultaneously all over Metro Manila (how awesome is that?!). Thank God for technology! Pastor Steve Murell (the founding pastor of Victory in Manila, Philippines) gave us a talk about what we are to do for the next years to come: to continue to honor God and make disciples. Basically, it's what Pastor Steve and her wife Deborah has been doing since they came to the Philippines 30 years ago, and they've cultivated this church with the culture of raising leaders that'll raise another leader to lead the next leaders. It's what's discipleship is: a never-ending chain of leadership with the goal of spreading the Gospel to more and more people. And we'll continue to do that for all the glorious days, months, years, and decades our Lord will bless us with.

I've come up with my own quote from last year's event, 'What wisdom do you have if you do not share it?' For this year, as we continue to live that passing on of the baton virtue, we're now asking, "Who's next?" Who's next that I'll engage with? Who's next that I'll establish the Word on? Who's next that I'll equip to be be the next discipler, just like how God has equipped me? And who's next that I'll empower to go forth and repeat this cycle with the next one, just like how God has empowered me to do to him?

My prayer now is to be able to meet the next person that I'll introduce to the greatest Lover, Teacher, and Friend... soon! :] I actually bought something from the event's special merchandise for my next disciple: this keychain! Ah, yes! I am this much excited for the next one, praying for her, buying her gifts, and all! *giggles*

[ Oh, and that book? It's Pastor Steve's latest one: 100 YEARS FROM NOW. It's not yet available here in the Philippines. Only the ones who attended Discipleship 2014 has a copy. And we got it for free! Can't wait to indulge this book! ]
Visit Victory's recap article about Discipleship 2014 here!

You may also go to discipleship.ph to get awesome Victory group materials for free!
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FIGHT!



This year, I've participated again in our church's prayer and fasting week. Our main topic for 2014 is to fight the good fight of faith. It focuses on the verses that chronicled the components of the armor and weapon that every Christian must wear--the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of spirit.


As we concluded the prayer and fasting, I've got a new-found appreciation for the Word. I find the last piece of our battle suit to be the most powerful above all: the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. I justify that conclusion with this simple thought that I had during the prayer and fasting: all the other pieces are from the Word!

I've already encountered these verses (Ephesians 6:10-17) on one of my personal bible reading sessions. I can't recall exactly when that was, but I remember being in awe of the Word--of how specific it can actually get and how beautifully written it actually is. I was just new with my faith then, and almost everything in the Bible either leaves me with a smile on my face or tears in my eyes. Up to this day, the Word still does that to me.

It's almost next to impossible not to be moved and be struck by God's word. If you aren't, then you haven't fully understood what you've just read. You haven't dug your Bible so deep that you got lost in the midst of God's glorious wonders. You haven't appreciated your Lord and Savior yet.

Without knowing the Word, we won't even know what we'll need to protect, how to be ready for the battle, and why we have to put this armor on all the time. Ultimately, it is only through seeking God can we equip ourselves to fight the enemy. And that is to be done through studying the Word. The Bible is our ultimate guide and most reliable resource in order to have a deeper understanding of God's true nature, His power above all, and His beautiful promises to us.

The word of God are so many things to us: it is our foundation, our daily bread, our life map, our virtue manual, our life coach, our companion, our weapon. It is our friend and companion. It is God Himself (John 1:1). By that alone, you can not not feel closer to our greatest Lover while reading His word. You are reading Him.

But you can't just read Him--you need to understand Him! Plant the Word deep into your heart as you read it and meditate on its message. Seek help if you're having difficulties interpreting it. It is a true delight to one's heart once he got to decipher God's messages of love for him, I tell you. It's one of the most intimate 'bonding time' that you could ever have with our Father. With praying, we let Him hear our hearts... but with reading His word, we let Him speak to our hearts.

Truly knowing the Word means truly knowing God. And truly knowing God means being truly ready to face and crush the enemy. Anytime, anywhere.

Let's get it on!

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Did you pray and fast for this year, too? Share with me your experiences and reflections! You may also share your faith goals to me and I'd gladly pray for you and with you.


Special thanks to Victory for organizing our prayer and fasting week very well!
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It's been a while...

...since I posted something up in here. My drafts have piled up, and I couldn't seem to come up with a satisfying entry even though God has showered and blessed me throughout this year. Maybe I've been too drawn into savoring and enjoying God's grace and surprises. And I've been frustrated on how I cannot encompass God's greatness moving within me through my works. I cannot do justice capturing His beauty and grandness!

And then I realized, of course, I can never do that. It's just that God is the greatest and the most wonderful Artist--the Master of all! He is UNCONTAINABLE! I can only try--and I've been embracing His greatness ever since--but I just won't amass the right words to fully express what can only be felt and experienced.

And so, I must learn to do away with these frustrations of mine. Now, I shall come back to glorifying Him through my humble writings.
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