Speak Life

Hello from Davao!

I’m spending the weekend here directing the local Kerygma Conference.
I’ll be missing all of you today, but I know you’ll be inspired by our guest preacher.
He’s a passionate brother who has been serving the Lord since his youth.
I know you’ll be blessed by God’s message through Him.

Today you’ll hear about the different kinds of words that we use and the different effects they have on our lives and in the lives of others.
My simple question to you is this: What kind of life do you want to have?
Last week we learned that the quality of our life is greatly dependent on the thoughts we think.
Today you’ll learn that it also has a lot to do with the words we speak.
You know the old saying, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all?”
I often wonder if it has Biblical origin.
Because there are over 3,000 promises found in God’s Word — all if them
declaring that you would have a wonderful life. Isn’t that great to hear?
Come to think of it, do you ever get excited for bad news? I doubt it.
Today I have good news for you: You can live a fabulous life. You can reach your
dreams. You can be an inspiration and a blessing to others.
It begins with our thoughts, then with our words.

Speak blessing.
Speak His promises.
Speak praise to others and declare the goodness God has placed in them.
God’s Word is powerful — and even more powerful when we confess it.

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A Champion’s Mind

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  - Romans 12:2

Our mind is one of the best gifts that have been entrusted to us. Once we change our thought patterns, our lives will follow, evolve, and bring changes. Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that as man thinks in his heart, so is he. We unconsciously design life from how we think about ourselves. Sometimes we even conform to the lies of this world that we eventually define ourselves with how others see us.

Bro. Jan Silan cited The Apostles Creed, as one belief that our minds should hold on to.  It emphasized God not just as Creator, but also as Almighty Father. If only we fully embrace our privilege as sons and daughters, He can be a loving father to us. We only have to renew our mind and align it with the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). As such, even the way we look at problems can change and be an enriching reminder that our secret to success is not so much about self-confidence alone, but also confidence in Christ (Phil. 4:13). Bro. Bo, who had surpassed a lot of challenges at times, allowed the love and power of God to work in his life.

As one of the sharers from KCon Singles stream explained it, when we open our heart and mind, God ministers to us. This was echoed by another brother who said that we must let go of conditions or subconscious self-limiting beliefs. A sister also said that once you inspire people, you become a leader because what we think also affects others as well.

As children of a loving Father, God thinks and He thinks of us as champions. You are a champion! Your championship race starts in the mind. What is in your mind can take you from glory after glory. Because in your thoughts are the thoughts of God, the God of champions.

Source by Jo Zerrudo

Makati Feast

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Advent…Be transformed!

Advent marks the start of a new liturgical year.  Fr. Ting, in his homily, discussed that Advent is time to reflect on the coming of Christ and the events toward his birth.  He exhorts us to welcome Christ in our home and told us two ways on how to meet the Lord in this season.

First, we have to long for Christ and have a strong desire to meet him just like the Jews in the first reading [Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7] when they were exiled in Babylon.  Second, do something while waiting.  We have duties to our family, community, and the church and God has given us gifts to be able to accomplish tasks in our daily lives. We are encouraged to be active, good and charitable.

We also started a new series – Transformed – with the first talk, “Think God’s Thoughts.”

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:2

Transform your thoughts, transform your life.  When we think of God’s thoughts, three things change: how we think about ourselves, how we think about our problems, and how we think about our future.

Bro. Jan shared his first irate call when he used to work in a call center. He was sworn at and called names.  Sometimes, labels mark us and we believe them. He quoted John Maxwell saying, “Your life tomorrow will be determined by what you think today.” Jesus sees our future and not our past performances. Be fueled by expectation, not by experiences,

Embrace the meaning of the Apostle’s Creed, when you recite, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth…” God is our Father first before He is the Almighty Creator. We are His children.

Our problems are reminders that we need God’s help.  Bro. Jan then quotes Anthony Pangilinan in the KCON Leadership Stream when he said “Life will be filled with problems, sometimes we win, sometimes we learn.”

by Karl Andrew Cruz
Makati Feast

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Transformed

Hallelujah!

It was such a fantastic Kerygma Conference 2011. I had lots of fun as I learned new things and gained new insights from our preachers. Also, this was my first time to serve in a KCon and I truly enjoyed being part of the Singles Stream as a worship leader and as a Spinner, the one who is in-charge of the audio effects (Naks! My new found career). I’m looking forward for next year’s conference. Lord, You are the best!

We are starting a brand new series: Transformed.

The Greek word of Transformation is metamorphoo meaning “to change into another form”. Whenever I hear the word transform, one movie comes into mind – Transformers. In this movie, cars turn into big robots (which is very cool), then fight bigger robots to save the world.

We may share the same idea when you hear the word “Transform” but, in the coming weeks, we will be discussing and experiencing together different kinds of transformation.

We will talk about three topics: (1) Think God’s Thoughts, (2) Speak God’s Words, and (3) Do God’s Deeds.

I believe that we are all God’s work in progress and transformation starts with renewing our mind. God has a great plan for our life and He wants to shower all of His love to us. However, it will only happen if we truly believe that God is working in and with us.

I pray that after tonight we will learn to think God’s thoughts.

God bless us all. Smile!

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OUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED

We only have 30 more days before Christmas! It seems only yesterday when I spent my first Christmas in the new company I work in, met my boyfriend, spent the holidays with my family and when I was invited to attend the Makati Feast. How time flies!

The talk last Thursday, Living with a Purpose, focused on numbering our days. It reminded us of the following points:
We should be aware and reflect on how we have spent our lives and how we should live it in the future. Do we just wake-up, only to go to work, play Angry Birds, and sleep, then repeat the cycle all over again? Or do we do something significant in our lives? Reflect on God’s purpose for your life, and work on it.

Everything has a beginning and an end, and that includes troubles, trials, and hardships. Let us continue praying even if we have yet to receive the answer to our prayer. Remember that every day counted is another day closer to our breakthrough.

Age is just a number, but it gives us a wake-up call that the longer we live, the little we have left. Our physical bodies are not as active as it used to be when we were younger. We do not have time to waste, so let us recover lost time.
Life is short. Be truly happy. Discover more about yourself now. Make the most of every opportunity. Make your time holy. As cliché as it may seem, live your life to the fullest!

By Charm Dogma
Makati Feaster

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Peace Pays Off

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series as much as I have.
This last happytude, “Be Peaceful,” has ministered to me so much.
God has revealed so many things to me over the past few weeks that we’ve beendiscussing it.

I realized that for many, many years of my life, I wasn’t a peacemaker.
I was a peacebreaker.
I sweat the small stuff.
I fought over petty matters.
I judged people harshly.
I insisted I always knew best and forced others do things my way.
I tried to control people.
And because of this, I didn’t have peace inside of me.
So I couldn’t give that peace away.

The main thing I’ve discovered: People are more important than anything.
When you focus on people — seeing God in them, understanding them, accepting them, loving them — you become happier.
It’s just the way it is.
But just like the thrill you get from a roller coaster ride, you only discover how
great it makes you feel when you actually do it.
And believe me, it really pays off to be peaceful.
I’m so, so, so much happier than I used to be.

So, I pray that God would give all of us the grace to apply what we’ve learned in
the past few weeks.
Because He wants us to be happy.
Don’t you?

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You Will Be Blessed…Again!

When you go through your day, are you looking for God’s favor? Do you expect an overflow of His goodness? Many people wake up and expect to receive minimal blessings through the day, but God has so much more in store for you. What He has prepared for your future is more than you can imagine! What He’s got arranged for your family is more than you’ve ever even dreamed of. I believe that if you will take hold of this truth by faith, you will see wonderful things and doors of blessings will begin to open. You’ll see an increase in all areas of your life. Something you haven’t seen before!

No matter what you are going through, no matter what’s happening in  your life, start looking for more of God’s favor. Don’t settle for where you are now. Don’t just survive, live. Believe that God is good, and He wants the best for you and bless people through you. Remember, whatever you seek, you will find. The universe adjusts to your expectation. So seek Him first, and He will pour out His blessings upon you and your life.

Today, we will conclude the series on Happytudes. Bro George Gabriel will bless you tonight. Just sit back relax and expect to be blessed…again!

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Love Lifers Run with Perseverance

Love Life Batches 1, 2, and 3 said “Thank-God-it’s-Friday,” in a reunion last November 4. They started off in a highly-spirited game about their Love Life experience called, “I Can Remember.” Then, they got to know Feasters from other batches and also listened to a talk on running with perseverance by bestselling author, and Mr. Love Life himself, Bro. George Gabriel.

He began by sharing how he persevered through a weight-loss routine to land his dream role in the musical, “The Little Mermaid.” Bro. George wanted the role Prince Eric but was – then – too hefty for the role. With this dream in mind, he ran everyday until he successfully shed 10 pounds in time for the play.
He got the role, performed, and realized the value of perseverance.

He gave five steps to maintain the momentum of running with perseverance:
1. Focus on the prize.
2. Find a healthy distraction
3. Plot short -term goals
4. Get a running mate
5. Run the right race

Bro. George emphasized the importance of focusing on the prize and finding a healthy distraction. By prize, he did not mean lottery winnings or getting an LED TV. What he meant was fixing your eyes on goals and dreams, and not getting distracted by small things that hinder their attainment. He said, “Do not look at how far you still need to go. Instead, look at how far you’ve gone.” Not looking back, walking with purpose, and declaring the dream are among his important reminders.

Bro. George also banked on the importance of having a running mate. He cited members of Caring Groups with whom you can share your victories and struggles, and cope with problems. As St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Gal. 6:2) succinctly put it, “Help carry each other’s burdens.”
Following your dreams and running the right race are among the most significant points of the talk. Most importantly, Bro. George underscored the value of running the race with love. We are all reminded to do it for Love and be among those who finish THE race.

written by Jam Catapusan

Makati Feaster

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Peace be with you!

We all have expectations from the people around us. We expect loved ones to say the right things, we expect colleagues to deliver excellent results, we expect Christians to act a certain way, etc. But people are imperfect and they’ll sometimes not meet our expectations. When this happens, we get disappointed and end up in disagreements. And here lies the root cause of all conflicts: we do not get what we want.

We will have conflicts for as long as we have breath. But as Bros. Randy and Jan have pointed out, knowing the three types of conflicts will lessen its frequency in our lives and help us choose our “battles”.

1. Conflicts that we shouldn’t avoid. When a CG member gets addicted to alcohol or when a sibling is disrespectful to our parents, we have to lovingly tell them about their mistakes. Conflicts that correct the people we love are conflicts that we should face.

2. Conflicts that we can’t avoid. For certain, there’ll be people who will not understand our faith and will mock us for being Christians or attack us with no reason.  Conflicts with these people can’t be avoided and there’s only one thing we can do about it – be still and know that God will fight for you (Ex 14:14).

3. Conflicts that we should avoid. Conflicts that don’t fall under the first two categories are conflicts that will just rob us of our joy and energy. It is not easy to avoid such conflicts, so our Feast builders gave us two of four strategies to be a peacemaker (the last two strategies will be discussed next week so watch out for it!) – Be Faithful and Be Forbearing. Being faithful in the small things will help us to be faithful in the big things, while being forbearing allows us to be patient with one another. Being forbearing means understanding that we are all wired differently and that there are deeper reasons why people do the things they do, therefore, we should never be judgmental and make allowance for each others’ faults (Col 3:13).

By Megann Plaza
Source Bulletin

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Hold Hands

Something I learned from my good friend Randy Borromeo.Whenever you and your spouse are arguing and feel like you’re on the brink of fighting, hold each other’s hand.Very, very good advice. Sometimes I forget to do it, though.And yes, we end up fighting. But the times we do remember, it works like a charm. But even if we forget and end up fighting, a few minutes later one of us will reach over and hold the other’s hand. And like magic, without words, everything becomes alright. I’m not saying we don’t need to talk. Oh, we talk. We talk out throats dry.And I make it a point to understand her and to make myself known to her as much as I can so that she understands me, too.

Point is, we try to do everything to keep the relationship peaceful.

We’re still learning and we’re growing every day.

But the gesture of dialoguing and reaching out one’s hand actually have the same meaning. 

It’s an effort to say, “You’re more important than our differences.”

Today we’re going to learn about making peace.

No, not keeping the peace. That’s different. We Filipinos are good at that.

“Di na ako nagsalita… para wala nang away.”

This isn’t always healthy.

I believe in speaking the truth in love no matter how painful.

It’s hard, yes. But necessary. However, in some cases, keeping quiet is also the way to go. The trick is to discern when we to do what.

I pray you’ll walk out of this tent with that wisdom.

Let’s receive it from God together, yeah?

source The Feast BGC bulletin

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Be Pure

The first and greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. The second commandment is “Love your neighbor as yourself”. These simple words can change our lives and the world He created for everyone. We should live our lives full of faith and love and from there, we can experience the real meaning of happiness with God’s hand. Trials may come but it’s important to surrender them all to Him. We cannot escape from His plans. He wants us to live life and be with Him 100%, to purify our hearts and honor Him.

Don’t quit and fight for good to make a difference. Be a model, blessing, inspiration to your family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and people you meet along the way. Your simple smile, listening to a friend, fixing broken relationships, giving time to God and service mean a lot to others – these already show how to let someone feel loved. Be pure in spirit and heart and we’ll see God in our lives. Always have a grateful heart, love God above all and be 100% pure for God.

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See God

Do you remember those stereograms where you need to stare at something for several seconds (or minutes… or hours!) in order to see the hidden object?
Slowly a dinosaur or a man or an iceberg.
You know what? I could never get those.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find it.
Others could, but me, I couldn’t.

Do you ever get like that with life?
When others see a blessing, you don’t. Instead, you see the problem.
Even when there’s so much to rejoice about, you still see what’s not going right. I have a question. Are you happier that way?

When you think of a happy thought, doesn’t it bring a smile to your face?
When you think of a sad thought, what happens?
Naturally, you tend to frown. It’s quite simple, really.

When all you see is sad, negative stuff, you tend to be sad and negative as well. But when you choose to see the good in every situation, it results in a happier life.

Today we’re talking about seeing God in every moment, area and person in our lives. Some of us carry pictures of the people we love in our wallets or as wallpapers on our cell phones or laptops. If those make us smile, what more if you see God’s face before you every second of the day?

I encourage you today to open your eyes and see the love of God that is right in front of you. In the air you’re breathing… in the words you’re reading… in the person sitting next to you. Enjoy His presence today!

Source BGC Feast

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CAVITE FEAST CELEBRATES FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE

The trumpets sounded and the angels sang when Feast Cavite began the celebration of its 1st Year Anniversary last October 23, 2011. Almost 800 exuberant people of God graced the event. Our three in-house worship leaders, Ariel de Leon, Poch Castaneda & Lito Saura intensified the momentum of the celebration as they led us into God’s throneroom together with the launching of the inimitable theme song of Feast Cavite entitled “Pinakamasayang Pyesta sa Cavite”. Lyrics and music are by the endowed Bro. Joselle Balonzo. Then our hearts continued to jump with joy when our Cavite Feast Builder, Bro. Rex Robillos, together with his twins, the youngest worship leaders, RS and RJ Robillos defined our theme through more worship songs.

God spoke through our South District Feast Builder, Bro.Hermie Morelos who talked about our theme Faith, Hope and Love through various Bible verses and through the testimonies of Froilan Plaza, Didith Aguilar and Helen Sangalang as they shared how they held on to God in the midst of their adversities.  The prayers and intensions lifted by Bro. Rex captured the faith that gave power to the existing hope and love in each one’s heart. Then, LOJ Family’s Mr. Energy, the Director of the Radical Training, Consultant of our Youth Mission and Feast Builder of Pasig and Manila, Bro. Obet Cabrillas eloquently motivated everybody to bring to God their daily burdens and never carry them alone. Then he discussed the 3 Soul Disorders: Fear, Despair and Apathy. Thank God for all our inspiring speakers!

To abreast ourselves with the times, our Media Ministry launched our very own website www.cavitefeast.tk where the Feast Cavite can be watched livestream every Sunday.

Various video presentations, including of course the message of our founder, Bro. Bo Sanchez, our ever-lively and dedicated Music Ministry, great dance numbers from our Awesome Kids and Dance Ministry, amusing presentation of our Youth, special song numbers from Singles for Christ, the creative stage design, props, food, prizes – all these gave life and color to our celebration!

And last but not the least is the FHL Souvenir magazine that features everything that transpired during Feast Cavite’s first year and everyone who tirelessly and selflessly continue to serve and support Feast Cavite. Hats off to all our elders, leaders, servants, members, sponsors and friends from other Feasts and communities! Your support will always linger in our hearts that would give reason for us to continue our mission of sharing the light of Jesus to others and making disciples. God bless us even more.

We indeed witnessed in this celebration God’s glory at Cavite Feast, Ang Pinakamasayang Pyesta sa Cavite! And this shall remain tagged in everyone’s minds and hearts.

Source: Cavite Feast Bulletin
By. Ma. Crisca P. Manuel

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ARE YOU GIVING 100% TO GOD?

(October 23, 2011 PICC Bulletin)

Today, I’ll talk about having a pure heart for God.

It’s really very simple: It’s about giving 100% of yourself to God. It’s actually the greatest commandment of life – Love the Lord your God with all your heart.

Jesus said that if you have a pure heart, you’ll see God. (Matthew 5:8) Not just when you do religious stuff.

I’ll be wary if I see a religious person is grim when he’s not praying. Because a person who has a pure heart will see God everywhere – even when he’s not doing his religious duties.

Aside from seeing God in church, you’ve got to see Him in the majestic sunrise, in the chirping birds, in the lovely flowers, and in the hearty breakfast on your table. But you’ve also got to see Him in the monstrous traffic, in the monstrous smog, in the monstrous taxes, and in your monstrous boss.

You’ve got to see Him when your wife is happy and your kids are little angels. But you’ve also got to see Him when your wife has her monthly period and your kids seem to have tails, horns, and pitchforks.

Everything becomes a window whereby you can see God.

Have a fantastic Feast today!

Source PICC Bulletin

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A Message Of Hope

Do you have a tiny booklet called the Novena to God’s Love? In it, you are asked to write down seven dreams, your heart’s fondest wishes, and are encouraged to pray for it daily.

Last Thursday’s speaker, Bro. Jan Silan, requested everyone to bring out their novenas. He asked if the Feast attendees believed that their novena prayers would be fulfilled. The “yeses” were not too loud at first. He asked again. By his repeated question, everyone was reminded that God does not forget His promises. The answer was a louder “yes” the second time around.

He shared about his parents’ dreams. His dad’s dream was obvious – every time a Toyota Altis passes by, he will lift his hand toward the car’s direction with an audible “Ahh.” But it didn’t seem likely they would be able to own an Altis soon because they couldn’t afford it. Of his mom’s seven dreams, the one that seems the most attainable is for her younger son to be able to graduate from college. The dream of a car and of being able to pay off debts seemed to be impossible dreams.

One day, her son confessed he wouldn’t be able to graduate as scheduled. She cried and railed against the Lord. Fresh from her crying bout, she met her husband at the door, to see that he drove home on a new Toyota Altis.

The Novena to God’s Love is a reminder that it is okay to hope. In fact, we should maintain a hopeful attitude if we believe that we have a big God. Hope is knowing God is with us. God has a plan. He promises to guide us, to remain beside us.

Happy people find treasure in their trials. In times of trials, we find comfort in our community, in our caring group. When it seems that nothing is happening, our character is being molded. Having undergone trials, we feel compassion for others and are moved to help them. Comfort, character and compassion are the treasures we find in our trials.

written by Gail Franco

Makati Feaster

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A Test of Hope

I have failed a zillion times. It can be from the simplest failure up to the hardest one. It still boils down to one thing… I experience failures. But who doesn’t, anyway? We all have our share of trials and mistakes but these are all part of our growing up. These hardships are one of the main ingredients that spice up our life.

I would like to make a confession. Way back from my college days, I had this major subject which got me so irritably disappointed. During that semester, I was so confident that I’ll get high grades because I knew deep inside that I did pretty well in that subject. With a face that radiated glows and smiles, I received my class card full of high hopes. As I flipped my precious little class card, I saw ….. (Well, let me not brag about this one). Let’s just say that it was REALLY disappointing. Because of this, I lost my scholarship. Losing a scholarship meant shouldering the full tuition fee. Even if our school’s tuition fee was very cheap compared to other schools, I still felt a huge loss. At that time, our family experienced financial struggles and that’s what I contributed - a popped scholarship.

College life for me was mostly made up of trials concerning money and travel matters. It was so hard commuting back and forth from our house to school because that was like 20++ km away. I lost hope for having a year-end award; I lost hope for my health (I was really like a zombie back then); and I lost hope if I could graduate, financially speaking. But you know what? God didn’t lose His hope for me. He is really a God of surprises. Treasures I received from these trials? I graduated with a Latin award. (Ahem!J)

God will never fail us. We may experience trials now but hey, the best is always yet to come. Let us just be hopeful and always put an undeniably 100% trust on Him. Everything will surely go well. And where will it lead? A happy life! J


Source Cavite Feast Bulletin
by Sis. Elai Fariscal

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My Knight in Shining Armor

"I don't want you to get hurt again."

I clicked on the red X on the top-right corner of my computer screen and closed the email he had sent. With tears flowing on my cheeks, I thanked God for him. I had just gone through a devastating experience and needed every amount of support I can get. Along with family and friends, he provided that support.

At times, when he drives me to work, he'd suddenly hear me opening up a problem or a burden I am keeping. In an instant, he'd see my eyes well up. I know it pains him seeing me like that, but he remains composed. He then shares his thoughts and advises me what to do. He isn't really the touchy-feely guy, but his words always give me comfort and assurance that he will always be there for me.

I remember  .. >>  view complete article

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HAPPYTUDE

Happytude: a cute term for “happy attitude.” As said during last week’s Feast, “Happiness is an attitude.” And yes, it is!

It has been more than a year since I decided to live a happy life every single day.  It is not that I will not allow myself to feel sad or I will deprive myself the comfort of crying. Living a happy life everyday is a choice that we can make even during times of trials, during times of darkness.

For two weeks now, I have been having a personal dilemma. There are nights when I can no longer control my feelings that I just burst into crying. I cry aloud as I pray to God and ask for comfort, for Him to ease the pain in my heart and lead me on what to do. But the moment I wake up, I decide to be happy the whole .. >>  view complete article

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Be Open

The happy mood of Cavite Feast’s attendees truly matched the topic of last Sunday’s Feast. Everyone was full of energy as we started the new series on HAPPYTUDES, an attitude that will make us happy and blessed. As Bro. Ralph Sioson led the worship, he shared his own experience on how typhoon Pedring affected their house.  But because of Bro. Ralph’s happytude, he could still serve God without a trace of any unpleasant things around him.

Likewise, full of happiness and grace, Bro. Rex’s started his talk on how we should be open for God’s blessing.  As children of God, we need not do anything to please our Heavenly Father. We should remember that we worship a God of Happiness. Things around us may be temporary but the overflowing love of God will remain permanent.

Bro. Rex shared three postures of the heart: proud, pitiful and prepared.  Two feast actors and an actress were called on stage to illustrate these postures.  We saw Mr. Proud who doesn’t seem to care about anyone and doesn’t need anybody. Therefore he could not get whatever blessings thrown at him. Mr. Pitiful always looks down and feel bad about himself.  When the blessings of God were thrown at him, he tends to just ignore them because he is desperate. Ms. Prepared on the other hand was the opposite. She doesn’t miss any opportunity of God’s blessings. There are times she missed to get some blessings but never failed to get up and prepare again and again.

 Bro. Rex further narrates that happiness is an attitude and should not depend on what is happening outside of a person. It should rather depend on what is happening inside a person. If we want true happiness, we must be desperate for God just like our desperation for gasping the air we breathe. When we are desperate for God, we must also be ready all the time. There are no shortages of blessings, only shortage of being ready to receive God’s blessing.

Let us stay blessed and be ready at all times!

Source Cavite Feast Bulletin
by George Evangelip

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The Light of Jesus ENCOUNTER

It was a beautiful sunny day that Saturday morning. My husband-Joel and I were up early and had our family breakfast with our two girls. We had to leave the house by 6am in order to be at De La Salle by 7:30am.

When we arrived at the venue, Bro.Jomar and Sis.Lynn Mondejar were warmly greeting all early birds. Cavite Feast Builder Bro.Rex, together with servants from Cavite and Pasig Feasts were so busy in the preparations-while the Music Ministry from Pasig Feast tried to warm-up with worship songs.

I have been to De La Salle-Dasma several times, but it was my first time to be in that area of the university. The place was so serene, surrounded by trees and cheerful birds. The quietness was a welcome respite for city people like us. It was such a perfect venue for the 1^st Jesus Encounter for Feast Cavite Servants.

By 8:30am, Bro.Jay Yogawin of Feast Alabang started the lively Praise and Worship, together with the Pasig Music Ministry. It was followed by the warm welcome and introduction to “God’s Love” by our very own Feast Builder-Bro.Rex Robillos. His short, but very enriching talk reminded all of us that despite all our sins and shortcomings, still God loves us more than we can imagine!

Talk No.1 “ Who We Are”

given by Bro.Jay Yogawin – enlightened us on the humble beginnings of Light of Jesus Community founded by Bro.Bo Sanchez on September 1980. LOJ started with only 20 dedicated attendees at its original home at 56 Chicago,Cubao,QC. Its Mission then was to share the Light of Jesus to others as widely and effectively as possible through Evangelization, Discipleship, Community, Ministry and Worship.

At present, LOJ has become The Light of Jesus Family (LOJF) representing its wide membership growth from all-over the different parts of the country and even abroad. It is now structured by Feast Area, headed by its respective Feast Builders. Talk No.1 can be summarized by the following:

What : Light of Jesus Family

Mission : Make Disciples

Vision : 1,000 Feasts around the world

Strategy : Friendship

Tools : Caring Groups

Talk No.2 “Our Beliefs” 

was discussed by Bro. Boggs Burbos – Feast Builder of Feast Cabanatuan. It focused on the LOJF’s 21 core beliefs that reminded all participants that our life has different areas that should be nourished regularly. As Catholics, it is not enough that we attend Sunday Mass, rather, we should also look for a community that would allow us to share our love, our time, our talent and our blessings to those who need them most. As a servant of LOJF, it is good to be reminded of these core beliefs so that we may be able to serve God and the community to the best that we can. To sum it all up, LOJF believed that every human being is a child of God-no matter what race or religion. It believes in working for unity among Christians and non-Christians.

Talk No.3 “Baptism/Day of Anointing” 

was conducted by our South District Feast Builder-Bro.Hermie Morelos. He shared with us about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, particularly, the Gift of Tongues, and how we can open our hearts and minds in order to receive them.  However, not everybody can receive all these gifts unless they are able to overcome the following obstacles: Sin, Pride, Doubt and an Unrepentant heart. We can only receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit through the ff:

1.       We must desire it

2.       We must earnestly ask God for it

3.       We must believe God will give it to us

Bro.Hermie led the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, followed by the Anointing with Oil by all community leaders. This was followed by a short, but very inspiring “sharing” by some of our brothers and sisters – who, in one way or the other, have experienced God’s love in their lives at a time when they are most vulnerable. Their stories are living testimonies of God’s unconditional love and mercy.

For the last part of the Jesus Encounter, a candle lighting ritual was led by Bro.Boggs – to symbolize the LOJF and Feast Cavite’s commitment to serve God and the community with all their hearts and minds.  The Commitment to LOJ  Community was led by Bro.Jomar Mondejar, followed by the closing prayer by Sis.Lynn Mondejar.

Indeed, the Jesus Encounter by the Light of Jesus Family was one experience my husband and I would always cherish in our lives. Not only did it strengthen our Catholic faith and love for Jesus as our only Savior—but above all, I believe that by the grace of God – our marriage and relationship as a couple was even more strengthened and inspired to do our share to help make the MISSION of LOJF a realization.

That beautiful day of October 15, we did not only meet wonderful people and servants of the Light of Jesus Family, but above all – we Encountered Jesus!

October 15, 2011

De La Salle University, Dasmarinas, Cavite

written by Sis.Pam Constantino

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