Keys To Spirit Filled Living

I'm pretty sure that my message notes last Sunday is worth posting here, though this can't contain everything that blessed the congregation, I made sure that I jotted down the highlights of the message.

Title: Keys To Spirit Filled Living
Scriptures: Acts 1: 1-11, 20-26
Speaker: Ptr Manric Tan Pascual

Six Keys to Spirit Filled Life:

1. Proper Message

¹ In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ² until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

-The spirit-filled life is not devorced, detached, seperated from God's word - the bible. We can't
have such if we don't give time to read the bible.
-If we teach our people to love God's word, that's half of the battle already.
-Merely hearing God's word thru our Pastor, our LG Leaders can't really sustain us. We need to
dive in ourselves into reading and meditating His word regularly.

2. Proper Manifestation

³ After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Many Christians claim to be alive, but where's the proof? In times as this, the question is not anymore like this "Is it Real?" instead this "Does it show?" "Does it make any difference?"
The gospel need not only be heard but should also be seen in our lives.

3. Proper Might

⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with^[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.”

In the old testament, Genesis 22 told us the story about Abraham who was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac, he brought with him the wood, the fire and the sacrifice - Isaac who was later on substituted by a ram provided by God. Today, we still have the sacrifice - Jesus Christ, we still have the wood - the Cross but where's the fire (power)?

In spiritual sense, Christians should not be a fireman who cause other people's fire to die down, instead, we should be an arsonist who sets ourselves and other people on fire.

5. Proper Mission

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

-Ministry is good but discipleship is what we are called to do.
-Live for something that will outlast you and that's DISCIPLESHIP.
-In any other ministry, we always can fake it. Letting people see that we're ok, we're annointed,
but in discipleship, we never can fake it.

6. Proper Motivation

¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

7. Proper Men (People)

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us...

Men will always look for better methods, but God will always look for better men whom he can use.

Faith and Fun Escapades

Just got home from a one day escapade to Pampanga with Jay to give his dad an advance party for his 55th birthday. What a tiring yet fulfilling Saturday for me, for us.

On my way home, I was able to watch Manny Pacquiao regular show in GMA and I was really blessed seeing him being bold in his faith. He keeps on talking about God, trusting God, and seeking for God's will and even features a word of the day from the bible. It is indeed amazing to see how God works in and through each of us and along this, I would like to believe that God has prepared unique miracles for each one of us because He is personal. I guess it wasn't co-incidence that Riza - one of the few blogger I'm stalking with, also featured Manny in her blog. I guess, this is more on God's reminder that He's really working in us and no matter how we feel it, it doesn't make it less real.

I would like to share to you a photo on our vacation at Negros last Jan 14 to 16. See? He's really in the mood of enjoying his freedom from a toxic living in the city.

This is what we dreamed of. That someday, work can't limit us on what we wanted to do, especially if it's family and minitry related.

He Finally came and accepted Him

Last Sunday, my bestfriend came to me almost in tears and shared to me that her father finally accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior. I find myself rejoicing with her and even almost crying with her as she broke to me the good news and I understand myself reacting that way. I was one of the people who closely witnessed how she cried for her family. How she welcomed persecution and even condemnation believing and holding on to her faith that someday will be a season of reaping for her. After seven years of faithful and honest prayers, the Lord finally granted the deepest prayer of her heart - that he will acknowledge and accept Him as his personal Savior.
I like what our Senior pastor once mentioned, that the problem with us people, most of the time is we don't give God the benefit of time to fulfill his will for us. I'm very proud to say however that my bestfriend was one of the exceptions. She waited patiently and faithfully.

On a personal note, part of me was also saddened because I can never do that to my dad anymore. Before papa died, I know He has God in her heart and I'm confident with that. But it's a different thing sharing to him personally your faith, admitting to him your weaknesses and emphasizing the grace of God towards you. Being used by God especially for people close to you is one of the biggest achievement if not the greatest achievement.

This year, I'll do my best to intentionally impact and pray for the people close to my heart that they too will come and share with me my faith in Jesus Christ.

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

(Acts 16:31 NIV)

Here I Go Again

Here I go again, grasping for words.. finding my way to be in the blog world again. I'd like to hope that blogging will really be "part of me" starting this year. I always find myself being inspired with young people, even with the olds sharing their lives in the world, inspiring, encouraging, impacting people like me. And so i think, I could also do it - just maybe.
To my "will be readers", please pardon my writings as I admit I'm not really a good one, but I always believe that as long as there's desire, move towards it and everything will follow.

I give you a warm and sincere welcome to my world as you welcome me into yours.