Ephesians 3:8

Pursuit of Holiness

What does Holy means? According to merriam webster Holy is defined as exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect goodness and righteousness. Growing up we all have different views and beliefs about Holiness. Personally being raised in a conservative environment this one is being valued so much but I never heard any from the family discussed this topic because we all know that this is a sensitive one. Let me share things that I know about Holiness and how I understand it. I hope in this blog post I can impart to you what is the my conviction to pursuit holiness.

“Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:16

Everyone of us is called to be holy. Holiness is something we can never earn, we inherited holiness and righteousness through Jesus Christ. We all fall short to the glory of God and that means we cannot nor can earn goodness even in our works. Being Holy is consecrating yourselves to God (Leviticus 11:14a) – this is just not include physical holiness but also your emotions and how you think.

I am not sharing this to brag that I am holy nor reached the holiness of God but this is a testimony of how His grace transform us. I stumble in this area, there were times and moments that I felt so dirty and not worthy of God’s love anymore. I run away from God’s presence because I am guilty of sin. I tried pursuing holiness on my own and driven by my own desires instead of turning to God and repent of my sins. In this moments, God still embraced me and showed me how His love works. His grace is overflowing and cannot be measured. The time that I accepted His grace it works in my life and started transforming me.

When you love God you pursue His holiness

God changed my perspective about Holiness and He is now directing me to His Holiness. My life is a work in progress and it’s very that this journey will be painful because He will remove anchors in my life that are not helpful in this pursuit of Holiness. I hope that all of us will pursue God personally. Having Him and knowing that you have personal relationship with God is the best thing that happen in your life. He is more than enough in our lives.

The question is, are you ready to pursuit God’s Holiness?

Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Finally!

Yes! Finally I will open up and share about my weight journey. Ever since I was a child I am more than my ideal weight. Growing up like that have ups and downs. My parents told me that I was cute but my brothers and sisters will say that I am chubby. More than that some relatives and classmates will tease me. Sometimes I get affected but I always shrugged it off. Until highschool, I am still more than my ideal weight though not up to the point of being obese. On my second year, I tried to go to a fitness gym then loose some pounds but eventually gave it up and almost back to my being chubby on my 4th year.

I am the one on the left ☺

I didn’t mind if people will tease me but I will not lie that my feelings were hurt whenever they call me “taba” or “baboy” or “biik”. In those moments, feeling ko nga positive na yung Chubby rather than Baboy. Haha. But those didn’t motivate me to loose weight until I was in college. Depression and somehow insecurities arise when I enter college. This time mas matindi na the asaran and being compared were always happening. And someone told me na never na daw ako papayat those words struck me so hard! I tried loads of diet meaning starving myself. Haha. This time naging sakitin narin ako lalo and my lungs and heart got weak.

Here are some of my pictures,

Year 2010

Year 2010

Year 2011

Year 2011

Year 2012

My weight from these pictures range from 52-56kg.. After college I worked as an IT Recruiter (still connected with the same company ☺) first months were the worst month of my weight. It shoot up! I almost weighed 65kg.

December 2012

It didn’t matter that much to me, I always say that I am secured and what’s important is the beauty inside. Well, this is 100% true BUT my health suffered. Had problems with my joints and back. And of course this isn’t good for my asthma. My turning point came in on September 2013, if I want to honor the Lord I should also honor Him in my health and also I am accountable what’s happening in my body. I have been praying for complete healing but I am not disciplined enough. From there I started to change my lifestyle ☺ Changing my eating habits, getting more active. Since then I started loosing some pounds from 143.3 lbs now I weigh 129 lbs ☺

This isn’t an easy thing.. I needed self discipline, motivation and support. Of course I stumble dapat nga 125lbs nalang ako kaso napabayaan ko rin but I made sure to get back on track. Praise God for people who reminded me why I am doing this in times that I wanted to give, people reminding me in times that I am forgetting what’s my goal and people who appreciate it. There’s still 29 lbs to loose. Yay!!! I won’t take any shortcut. Hard work kung hard work ☺

Paula Salvosa Testimony

From a Mess to a Message. Her life is one of the best testimony about forgiveness that I’ve heard.

Jesus Loves us so much! He died on the Cross to redeem us, to forgive us and reconcile us to God.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24

Hope that you will be blessed by her story.

Paula, I also did easily judge you the first time I saw that video but God corrected me. And that time, deep in my heart I know God has planned something better in your life. This is it my dear, you’re life is being a testimony. Stand still! Not an easy life but we are victorious through Jesus Christ.

But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you – Psalm 130:4

Top 10 of 2012

These are OUR top 10 breakthroughs of this year.. (in no particular order)

He..

1.  Winning one soul (first soul)
2. Spiritual Maturity
3. Development in my relationship with God, family, She and her family
4. Growth in my tithe
5. Outreach program
6. Divine health for me and my family
7. Divine healing for She and Papa
8. God’s provision in all my needs throughout the year
9. Go back in my Devotion
10. Job (GABC)

She..

1. Travels (Baguio, Batangas and Hong Kong)
2. Bible 🙂
3. Complete healing
4. Maturity in terms of relationship
5. Provision (work, placement)
6. New ministry, new VG 🙂
7. Graduate on time
8. Learned PERSEVERANCE
9. Openness to God
10. New relationship built

Let’s be in FAITH and EXPECTANT as we start the year with prayer and fasting!

. . . I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting . . .

Psalm 35:13

Merry Christmas!

A season greetings to everyone.. I know everyone are busy doing their last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, cooking foods, general cleaning and all the other preparations for Christmas. I am always excited when Ber Months are here, it only means that Christmas is coming. There will be Christmas carols, gifts, money (from Ninong and Ninang. Hahaha!), new clothes, food and a lot of party/reunions. Sometimes it gets exhausting due to a lot  of people are down in the metro, malls are full of people, fully booked restaurants and it’s kinda magastos narin (Hahahaha. Aminin nyo! Totoo naman minsan). But what is the true meaning of this season? Mentioned above were the center of my Christmas 2 years ago before I met my Lord Jesus Christ. Since 2010, our first Christmas together He made me realized that this season is not about new clothes, gifts and parties.

Matthew 1:23

²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

We celebrate Christmas to reminisce the time that Jesus Christ was born. It was the time that light and hope came into the earth. The birth of Christ symbolizes that the Savior has come and He will redeem us from all our sin.

Christmas are not about gifts, carols, foods, kids, new clothes and etc.. It is all about Jesus! Other things are just additional for us to enjoy more the season. I hope and pray that all of us will welcome Jesus in our hearts and will accept Him as our Savior.

Let’s celebrate love. Victory is in Jesus Christ.

A heart breaking news!

I wasn’t able to watch news or television for quite some time. We always went home late and don’t have the energy to watch any television show. And just this week my friend told me the news of what happened to America. A heart breaking news specially kids were involved. Children that were just starting to build themselves, starting to dream and starting to learn things of this world. Children that we call innocent at that age. How sad that this is happening to our world but despite of everything that’s happening God is still present and in control. I know many people question this and will tell me that if God is in control why these things are happening and why let those kids die? Well, I do not know the answer to that question but one thing is for sure.. He is Sovereign!

Isaiah 55:8-9

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

There are times that we do not understand what is happening maybe because it is not yet the time to know or we might need to trust Him. I hope in this time we continue to hold on to Him. Let’s pray for our brothers and sister whose grieving for their loss. Let’s pray for every nation.

Controversy on Pacquiao’s defeat

We went to Hong Kong (Yeah, I went there for the 1st time. Will share about this soon :D) last Dec 7 to 9 and watch Manny’s fight on a sport bar with different races. We were all excited! Shouting! Cheering! Sharing thoughts of the much awaited fight. By the start of the fight we all knew that we are one team as we all hopes for Manny to won the fight. But we we’re all sad after what happened. Yes, Manny was Knocked Down by Marquez. That’s the truth!

Getting back to Manila was a bit hard knowing there were bad news. As of now, speculations on why he lost the fight are still going around television, social networking site, newspaper, radio and people around. But what most struck me and probably broke my heart is the religious debate that’s happening. On how Mommy Dionisia persecuted her own son. I know how it felt to be persecuted by my own Mother; a painful and heart brokening experience but this strengthen my faith. What I know for sure is God is in control. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. Maybe we don’t understand yet but soon after all the storm and even during the period of learning He will surely reveal Himself.

Manny! Be steadfast! Hold on to your new found faith.

1 Peter 5:9

Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Breaking News this morning

This morning Benj shared with me a news from yahoo regarding legalization of prostitution that the UN is urging the government of the Philippines to do. This news really breaks my heart and when I started to read it my tears wanted to fall from my eyes. How could these people think that this will benefit the people especially who are being abused or forced to be sex workers? There are other ways how will people can avoid HIV or STI’s. If people would just be aware of what the Bible is saying about this and how God wanted us to honor our body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Our bodies is a temple of God, in us the Holy Spirit lives and if that is the case how come that we are doing anything that is not pleasing to Him. We are not the owners of our body it is He who created us and not because He gave us free will we can do anything that we want.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ let’s be one in mourning because this surely breaks the heart of God. Let’s seek and plead to Him that this will not happen to our nation.

Link: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/legalize-prostitution–un-urges-ph.html

Satan’s Limitations

It is explained in the Bible that the devil is a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. There a different ways how the enemy works but there are also limitations on what it can do. Still God is the most powerful as describe He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. He is the only on who have all this characteristics. And most of all He is faithful in all the works He is doing in our lives.

According to the scripture this is what we have to do when the enemy is around and ready to attack,

1Peter 5 8:11

• Be alert and of sober mind (1Peter 5:8)

Always be alert in what the enemy can do. In different accounts in the Bible there are ways and stories on how the enemy works and also how can us resist it. Make sure to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit always so that He can remind you of the promises of God in your lives. The Spirit will protect your heart and mind from the enemy. Don’t let your heart be penetrated or influence by the devil.

• Resist him, standing firm in the faith (1Peter 5:9)

All Christians in different part of this world experience everything that we are experiencing not because they are different race they can’t be attack by enemy nor struggle. We all are one in God’s family and we are the target of the evil. They are also persecuted as we are that’s why we need to resist the enemy; we need perseverance and stand firm in faith. We can only resist them when we have the faith in Jesus Christ who defeated Satan and was raised from the dead. Also our faith on all God’s promises in us.

• We have a God of all grace (1Peter 5:10)

Most important is that we are always reminded that we have God that is merciful, faithful and will finish the work that He started in us. He called us to be His servant and calls us His children that is why He restore us and make us strong. We may suffer as of this moment and feel pain but He is in control of everything and have promise us eternal life. No tears, no pain, no heartaches only JOY when we are with Him in heaven. Let’s not forget that after this long run in this world we have to keep the faith in Him and wait until He came back.