Endure Now, Enjoy Later

There was a story of a man who went to  Heaven and got bored. He asked permission to  try Hell. St. Peter reluctantly agreed.

The man rode the elevator and went down. The lower it went, the more beautiful the music sounded. The door opened and formal-dressed people welcomed him. He said. "Hell is good after all" Then, the most handsome and sharply-suited man approached him and said.  I'm Lucifer, welcome to your party place!"

He left quickly and decided to ask if he could transfer to Hell. When granted, he excitedly rode the elevator. The lower it went, the scarier the music sounded. When the door opened,black dressed snickering people welcomed him. The scariest devil approached and said. "I'm Satan, welcome to the jungle!"

The man asked. "Why is Hell different now?" Satan answered. "Because at first you were a visitor, but now you are a resident! Har Har Har!"

Choose.
mani
Enjoy now and endure later?

Listen to today's talk and prepare your Real Eternal Plan.

Bringing out the best in you,

Obet Cabrillas
Feast Daddy

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To Good People

What is common among the following:
 - Peck of Sand
 - Ore
 - Coal

At first, there seems to be none.

Yet the more we think and research (or Google), the more we realize that they are of low value, common and insignificant.

Now, what is common among these:
 - Pearl
 - Gold
 - Diamond

Immediately, we realize that all of them are valuable, rare and significant.

But wait, there's more!!!

There are impeccable relationships between the two lists.
- Pearl is produced when a peck of irritating sand is surrounded by a clam with glowing sunstances.

- Gold is produced when ore goes throught fire and hammer blows.
- Diamond is produced when coal goes through extreme pressure and chiseling.

If bad things can bring out the true worth of insignificant things, bad things can bring out the best in good people.

Good people of God, listen to the talk today and be strengthened unto victory!-

Bringing out the best in you,

Obet Cabrillas

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The Journey Of Truth

It's September already!

The "ber-beri" months are on.

We can hear Christmas carols being played. We feel warm inside. Deep within we ask, "why?"

One psychologist friend of mine tagged this seasonas S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), the season of the year when people become overly sentimental. But then we ask, "wher did this come from?"

Question are always there.

Even as people move on ...

From one season to another ...

From one concern to another ...

From one question to another ...

From one learning to another ...

Ultimately we arrive at an answer.

Life must go on.

It's a journey of tough questions ...

That the almighty will answer and unveil throught the thivk or thin, the hustle and bustle; the daily grind. His infinite wisdom, will always be revealed.

Somebody said. "Life is a strict Teacher. He gives the test first then the lessons after."

In our new series. "?" we'll attempt to answer life's toughest questions, using Godly wisdom.

Because God wants you to go..

He wants you to glow ...

He wants you to grow ...

Listen with your heart! Who knows, your very own deepest questions might be answered along the way.

Bringing out the best in you,

Obet Cabrillas
Feast Daddy

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Flow In Abundance!

What are my wishes that came true?

•    Recovery from long years of poverty in my family

•    A scholarship in High School and College

•    Freedom from vices (smoking, drinking, drugs and violence)

•    My reconciliation with my Father

•    Reconciliation and solidarity of my entire family (which used to have daily squabbles became one of Kalookan City’s Ulirang Pamilya Awardee)

•    The Cabrillas Family Prayer Meeting (my family of origin)

•    Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, UP Diliman

•    Master’s Degree in Public Administration in the National College of Public Administration and Governance, UP Diliman

•    A strong Preaching Ministry and Motivational Speaking Profession

•    Marry my beautiful and loving wife – Joie, and live happily ever after (yey!)

•    Handsome, intelligent and obedient son (Robbie!)

•    A beautiful, adorable and sweet baby girl (Reese!)

•    Own new house, new car, businesses and investments

•    Reconciliation, transformation and spiritual revolution of YMPACT (former name of the LOJ Youth

Missions)

•    The Formation and Brotherhood of the Radical Training Course 

•    Optimum health and wellness in body, mind and spirit at 37

•    The phenomenon of Feast Manila (big weekly spiritual event for the youth and youth-at-heart)

•    The momentum of the Feast (Valle Verde) Pasig Youth and Family-Oriented Session

•    The Campus Missions Feasts (now 7 Campus Missions Feast)

Hallelujah!  Only upon writing this list did I fully realize that all these wishes are the very wishes of

God!  Truly: In order to flow in abundance, you need to wish God’s wishes.

Start wishing Godly dreams and let Godly abundance flow!

Bro. Obet Cabrillas

Manila Feast Builder

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Be Great-full!

BeToday I shall reveal to you one of the secrets to my seemingly limitless energies!

Ready?  One, two, three… My secret?  A grateful heart! Many people fill their hearts with very bad stuff!

I fill mine with great stuff!

Not that I don’t experience bad stuff, I do, and in plentiful ways.

But I don’t let them linger.  Ancient Chinese Philosophers would say that you cannot prevent the birds from flying over your thoughts but you can prevent them from building their nest.

What I ONLY allow to “nest” in my thought and my heart are the good stuffs.

Oh they’re not just good stuff, because when I embrace them and savor them,  and praise and thank

God because of them, they become great stuff.

That is why my heart is Great-Full!

It is overwhelmingly full of great things I’m so thankful about.

I’ve 3 reflections to share with you my beloveds:

•    1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ

Jesus.”

•    Luke 6:45, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil

man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his

mouth speaks.” 

•    Rabbi Harold Kushner, “If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will

discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.

Therefore I give thanks to the Lord in ALL circumstances and obey God’s will.  I fill my heart with

great things and from the overflow, I worship and praise God. 

I concentrate on the good things in every situation and nurture my soul! Then from that vantage point I praise the Lord! From that vantage point I serve Him and His people!  With seemingly unlimited potential.

Then I can rock on till Kingdom come!

Maranatha Lord Jesus!

Bro.Obet Cabrillas

Manila Feast Builder

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Big Returns!

It would take me months before I get a haircut.

I always wait for heavenly “manna” to meet my needs.

St. Francis was my model.

I feel light and free that I have no money in my pockets.

I seldom shave.

I brush my teeth occasionally.

I take a bath only when I remember to.

If saints would have odor of sanctity, I have the odor of calamity.

The only time that people would be convinced that I was human is when I was giving talks.

Weird?  Wait till you hear my belief.

I believe that the real servant of God must be poor!

That being a poor missionary deprived of all material wealth and convenience is the Holiness and a

mark of a Big Time Servant of God.

I was a Poverty Gospel Preacher.

I love God but I was very poor.

Then God radicalized and revolutionized my belief system! 

(And Repentance means change of mind)

Now I regularly visit the Barbershop (Bruno’s, every now and then)

St. Francis is still my model of internal simplicity.

Now I have money to raise up my family and to help many people.

Now I shave regularly and brush my teeth three times a day.

Now I take a bath everyday and have the odor of reality.

Now people would believe in God more when I give talks

Now I believe that it is no longer a time of OR;

Now is the time of AND!

Now a person can be both a missionary and a millionaire.

Now I am both a steward and a servant.

Now I am a Practical Gospel Preacher!

Now I worship and I work.

Now I earn and I share.

Now I give painfully and generously.

Now big returns regularly come.

Now it’s all happening to me!

Now make it happen to you!

Bro.Obet Cabrillas

Manila Feast Builder

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Time

Deadlines.  We’re all familiar with this word and its demand.

And we’ll be beating deadlines for the rest of our lives.

Projects, reports and endless requirements need to be submitted in classes, offices and businesses, on an on-going basis.

This article is not exempted.

As I write this, it’s already night time and our layout artists are just waiting for this message for inclusion to this Feast Bulletin.

Could have finished and passed it this morning yet. I wasn’t able to. I was preoccupied. Yet it was a beautiful preoccupation.

My preoccupation’s name is Reese. My one year old daughter.  My adorable princess.  My beautiful one.  My smile and laughter.  My heartbeat and heart-tickler.  My stress-vanisher. (Great timing: As I write about her she rushed towards me and gave me a hug that soothed my spirit.  I love you my baby girl! Muahugs!!!!)

Yes she is a “pre-occupation” alright. My occupation is important because it is my bread and butter.

But my loved ones are my “pre-occupations”. Before my occupation, they need to and MUST come first.

Everything else could wait. 

Because love is work in progress beautifully growing through time. It’s so easy to detect what’s important to you. Know what preoccupies your time. Because what’s consumes your time is what’s important to you.

I chose mine.  I chose my love.  I love my choice. Give quality time to anything in life and you’ll reap life’s

greatest benefits.

Don’t be slaves of deadlines.

Don’t let your lines die.

Most specially your life-line.

Give quality time to your life’s pulsating line.

So that at the end of your time called “flat-line.”

The Author of Life would solemnly say,

“Well done, you are Mine.”

Bro.Obet Cabrillas

Manila Feast Builder

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TOTAL (Fight to the Finish!)

I’m a warrior! When I fight, I give my all – totally! And the warrior’s spirit flows through my bloodstream!

In college, during a frat-rumble encounter, what we thought were five rival frat men turned out to be fifteen! In scenes like this, fighters would gang up on the smallest rival frat man! You guessed it right, it was me.

I was down on my back, yet I parried what seemingly endless hitting of lead pipes, chains and baseball bats from numerous foes. In split seconds, I disarmed one opponent and hit my way out of the frenzy. Blood spilled. Both mine and theirs (in hindsight, had they succeeded in hitting me hardon the head several times, there would never have been a Bro. Obet to write this to you today.)

I’m a renewed person now (praise be to God!)

Yet, I still carry the same warrior’s spirit! I still fight hard! I still fight strong! No, not against anybody.

I’m God’s warrior now! Through God’s grace work through the following weapons of war: my preaching break hardened hearts for the Spirit of God to enter; my godly friendships drag the youth from the quagmire of temptations and sins back to God’s embrace; my counseling and coaching regroup His servants back into the service when they once wallowed in spiritual dryness, burn out or resentment; my loving kindness, raise up a Godly family and friendships!

My secret? Feel the fall! Know its pain, ugliness and bitterness. Then let that feeling fuel your fire within! This is called falling forward. Then, stand up again, fight fiercely, fight to the finish! I give my all because at the end of my “mission tour,” people will say, “here is a man who lived to the fullest who loved to the end”. That’s my dream: to shed light and endure burning till the last embers of my breath…of my spirit!

Bro.Obet Cabrillas

Manila Feast Builder

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