A Farewell Letter To My Single Life!

Dear Single Life,
     You may have noticed that exactly 31 days ago, I have started a count down. I was counting down to the day that I have to give you up. But it wasn't up until early morning yesterday (October 20, 2011) that the total realization of this fact sunk in. I am really going to lose you.
     Do you remember when we were young, I told you that some day I will get married. It was just a dream back then, a daydream if you may. All I did was dream of the woman that I will spend the rest of my life with.  And that dream is turning into a beautiful reality. I am going to spend the rest of my life with the woman of my dreams.
     I have to be honest with you though, I may lose you after 5 pm tomorrow (October 21, 2011) but I will have gained even more. Don't get me wrong I really appreciate all the things that we had and did together. All the good and bad experiences we went through. All the troubles that you brought us when we in kindergarten. Oh and don't get me started with our elementary days! Our four year tenure as high school students was aruguaby the best life we had together. We were rock stars back then. Jocks, you and I. Man, the memories are just flooding in. Oh do you remember when we stepped into college? When we played infront of those cheering crowds? I do not even know where to begin but I'm know for sure that you remember every single one of them.
     You remember, as I, the tears that were shed because I broke someone's heart. The laughters that were shared through jokes and fun. The awards that were received for whatever reason. The pains, emotional and physical, that I suffered. The disciplinary actions that were handed down to me. The anger that I wanted to unleash to my enemies and to them that I despised. The crushes I had, and those "mutual understanding" scenarios. And don't forget them **cough-cough**. The very very late night or should I say the early, early morning parties and after parties. There are just simply too many memories to list them here one by one. But I guarantee you, I remember every single one of them and I know that you were with me the whole time.
     And because of that I want to thank you. Thank you for those wonderful 31 years that we spent together. Thank you for the lessons in and about life that you have taught me. Thank you for sticking by me (though I know you had no choice). Thank you for not letting go. And lastly I thank you for giving in so I can be with the woman of my dreams.
     So here's to you Single Life, I raise this cup to salute you and to show you that I really do appreciate everything that we did together. I will never, ever forget them. But I do need to say this my friend, farewell, for not only do I have to give you up, I also know that I will never see you again!

Godspeed!

Your Friend,
Ireneo "Jhimboe" Galera Suson II

JIGS2 with the KKB PowerZone Music Team

The Message of Christmas

   When Christmas season comes everyone seems to be in a happy mood. For those who are able, it is a busy time to shop. Some people are getting stressed out trying to finish their last minute shopping. Christmas carols are all over the radio and the TV. Family members coming home to spend time with their families. Friends meet up to celebrate and have fun. And everyone is just in the festive mood. But now that Christmas Day is over, let us look at the other side of the coin so to speak. There is also the other side of Christmas, as John Macarthur calls it the "Ugliness of Christmas". With every laughter, there is crying. With every singing, there is wailing. With every happiness, there is sadness. And it is the same with Christmas and that other side of Christmas or the "Ugliness of Christmas" is - sin. For if there was no sin, we have no need of redemption and since we have no need of redemption then Jesus the Christ would have not been born. And if Jesus wasn't born, there will be no Christmas.
   But it is not my intention to have you be discouraged of Christmas but for you to look at it in a different perspective. I am being called out always to what the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:23, to preach Christ crucified and that crucifixion of Christ actuated with the birth of Christ.
   What is the message of Christmas? I pray that as we delve deeper into the word of God, we can really appreciate Christmas not because of the gifts or our friends or out time spent with our families. I pray that as we answer this question w can leave this sanctuary with the full knowledge of what is behind Christmas.
   Matt 1:20-23
   20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
NIV
    We all know the story of Christmas and what the nativity is all about but what I want us to do here is to cut through the icing and pick out the inside of the cake. Sure there was a baby. But why was He born? Because He will save His people from their sins. Why was He called Jesus? Just a bit of trivia: The name Jesus is the Greek variant of Joshua which is Hebrew. And it means "saviour". Why is a saviour needed? Because He will save His people from their sins. But mind you back in those days, there were so many Jewish boys called Joshua. Every mother during that time was hoping for their son to be the prophesied saviour as written in Genesis 3:15, Genesis 22:18, Genesis 49:10 and 2 Sam 7:12-13. But what differentiated Jesus was His title. He was called the Christ. And Christ in Greek means anointed. Jesus the Anointed and what was He anointed for? He was anointed to save His people from their sins. And anointed is the equivalent of Messiah in Hebrew. Jesus is also the Messiah or Jesus the Messiah. Which also means the anointed one. That title "The Christ" separated Jesus from the rest of the boys back in His days.
   Luke 4:18
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
NIV
   There is a reason why Jesus Christ read this specific passage. Basically the good news is that God has made a plan for his people to be redeemed. That Is the good news. And I want to point out to you a fascinating insight here. In Biblical survey, the book of Isaiah shows not only God's judgement but also His salvation. It declares a needed repentance from sin and a hopeful assurance that God will saved His people in the future. So when Jesus Christ that book, He was telling His listeners that this was being fulfilled right before your very eyes. He said it so in verse 20, "Today this scripture is being fulfilled in your hearing". So we have Jesus anointed to preach that good news; that God will send an atoning sacrifice, a messiah, as prophesied in Isaiah. And Jesus Christ in this passage is telling them, "I am that Messiah." God has sent Jesus to proclaim freedom for the prisoners. Freedom from what? SIN! God has sent Jesus to have the sight of the blind recovered for they have been blinded by SIN. God has sent Jesus to release His people from the oppression of SIN! That is the very message of Christmas. That God in His infinite glory has given us hope. And this is our hope that Jesus was born, He was crucified and He arose three days later to save us from our sins. And in that hope we should rejoice and take full joy in this knowledge. That God who transcends time and space yet so immanent, from the very start detailed His plan to redeem His people from their sins. And that redemption actuated in the birth of Christ.
    So my dear friends, let us look at Christmas in a different way. Instead of looking down towards a manger, let us look up towards the cross where the ultimate gift has been given to us. Jesus Christ was the greatest gift of all. He was born on that night sop that 33 years later He can fulfill God's ultimate plan.

Total Depravity of Man

    I once had a job interview with one of the big corporations here in Vancouver. They gave me a sheet with about 20 behavioural questions and left me alone to answer the questions. Out of all the questions on that sheet, there was this one question that I really had a hard time answering. The question was "Do you believe that men is naturally good?" This was a basic yes or no question but I just could not get myself to write down my answer. Maybe it was because the struggle between my secular perspective and my spiritual vantage point was intense, that I was able to draw near to the real answer. But now I have come to a conclusion. Let me just point something out. A secular answer to this question would be relative to many criterias. It can either be yes if say the one who answers get mostly good things out of people or a no say when a person is in the bad parts of the world. But a spiritual answer to this question is absolute. Meaning it will still be the same no matter where one is located or what ever one's circumstances and opinions are. And this is where I stand. I believe that MAN IS NATURALLY...


Post Script:
Thanks to Karen Santiago of KKB Cam for taking the video...
Pastor Emil and the KKB leadership for the hospitality...
Sam and Jovee Binalla for making this opportunity...

Patriotism... A different vantage point...

    It was I guess circa 93-94 when I first heard this song. I thought it was a love song for another person. Little did I know that it was something more. Since, I am planning on educating our young Filipinoes here in Vancouver, BC about Philippine History by posting an article or articles about our Philippine National Heroes: Heroes who laid down their lives so that the generation after may enjoy the peace and democracy that they are experiencing now, I searched the web and stumbled upon this song. Flashbacks and memories came rushing in. I googled the lyrics and I was shocked to realized that this song is not about a puppy love for someone but it's a about a young person's patriotic love for her country, The glorious Philippines. Two things. 1. I wish I paid more attention back then as I did now. I could have done something more for my country 2. Well, it's better late that never. So, in my excitement, I decided that I will start with this.

Sabi Nila
by Agaw Agimat


Sabihin man nilang ako ay bata pa
'Di ko pa raw alam kung paanong umibig sa kanya
Sa karanasan daw ako ay hilaw pa
"Mag-aral ka pa," iyan ang sabi nila


Maaring sa isang punto, sila ay tama
Maaring sa karanasan, ako ay hilaw pa nga
Dahil 'di ko pa naranasan buhay ko'y itaya
'Di ko pa naranasang sumagupa sa tingga

Maaring kulang din ang aking pagkaunawa
Sa mga suliranin ng ating bansa
Maaring kulang din ang aking kaalaman
Sa iba't ibang daing ng ating sambayanan

Ngunit dahil ba kulang pa'ng aking karanasan
At marami pa 'kong dapat pag-aralan
Ang pag-ibig ba nila'y 'di ko kayang pantayan
Para sa 'kin ito'y isang maling kaisipan

Ang pag-ibig sa bayang kinagisnan
Ay sa puso at hindi sa isip lang
Ito'y nararamdaman at hindi napag-aaralan
Ito'y walang kinikilalang edad kailanman

I Remember!

I Remember
Music and Lyrics by: Jhimboe Suson

I looked up at the sky today
And all the clouds they formed your face
As if they were trying to tell me that you are watching over me
The wind blew gently on my face
It whispered to me "He can't be replaced"
As if I'll ever forget that you are watching over me

And I remember everything so clearly
Those words of wisdom you've shared with me
When I was down, you took my hand
Pulled me back on my feet
Gave me encouragements

And I will never forget that faithful day
When the world was against me
They booed me away
Through thick and thin I survived 'cause you were there by my side
You looked at me and said "Everything's gonna be alright"

You were taken from me abrubtly but I will be alright
Our ties will never be severed completely and that would be alright
Only time will tell when I'll see you (again) and should be alright

Now that you're gone and I look back
You've been a blessing to those who lacked
I'm sure they'll never forget the goodness of your heart!


I wrote this song in loving memory of my brother...
Rest In Peace Kuya Bong Suson: Brother, Cousin and Manager of Penzil Puzhers!

Prayer: Is there power in it?

   Don't get me wrong, I believe in prayer. I support prayer meetings and I encourage people to pray. But I question the phrase "there is power in prayer". Is there really power in prayer? if so, where did this power came from?
   At the least, a prayer can be defined as a form of communication (to a deity). And communication by definition involves a sender (of the prayer) and a receiver (of the prayer). If that is the case, then either the sender of the prayer or the receiver of the prayer has the power to uphold the prayer.
   Here is my first point, prayer in itself has no power. Either the sender holds the power to make the receiver affirm the prayer positively or the receiver holds the power to positively affirm the prayer.
   Case #1. I was once diagnosed with Cholecystitis or an inflamed gallbladder. The severity of this inflamed gallbladder was as such that I needed an operation called cholecystectomy. They have to remove my gallbladder because it had lost its functionality and that it had already affected some of my internal organs (e.i. liver). Now being part of a church that hold prayer meetings and pray for prayer requests, I was enveloped with constant prayers from all over Canada (I do not know on the onset of the prayer request was sent worldwide). I was informed that the prayer items were 1.for my gall bladder to return to its normal state and 2. that no operation was needed. Weeks after, my doctor called me and said that my gall bladder showed some kind of recovery according to the test results that was done a few days earlier. I remember that day clearly, I was so happy that I drove around Fraser street area yelling and screaming "Thank you God". A testimony was in order and I gave one. But a few days later, I fell ill again and I went to my family doctor and he sent me to a clinic for some tests and found out, days later, that my gall bladder had shut down. My family doctor tried contacting the doctor that was in charge of my case and of course the doctor was on vacation. I guess it was urgent because my family doctor tapped into his "connections" and booked me for an operation at Mount St. Joseph in Kingsway. A few days later my gall bladder was removed.
   Case #2. A baby was born to a couple that I have strong ties with. The baby suffered major complications and had to be placed in a baby incubator in neo-natal intensive care unit. It was that bad. Once again, the whole church across Canada prayed for this baby. And to make the long story short, the baby is very active as of this moment and if you just look at the baby you won't even realized what she went through.
   Case #3. The church was praying hard for a church member that was diagnosed with cancer to have a complete recovery. This person showed signs of recuperation but in the end the cancer was too strong for her and she passed away.
   Three different cases but all three had one thing in common: prayer. If prayer has power, then all of the prayer requests in all of these cases should have been positively affirmed. That also erases the possibility that the sender has the power to make the receiver uphold the prayer. Which leaves us with this: the receiver alone has the power to make the prayers come to pass.
   Who is this receiver? In John 6:6, Jesus tells us to pray to the Father - God the Father. But we pray through the name of Jesus as commanded in John 14:13. But do realize that Jesus acknowledges that it is not His will that matters but the will of God. The Lord's prayer states that "Let your will be done..." and his prayer in Gethsemane adds "Not my will but your will be done." Additionally, I John 5:14 says that if we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL(author emphasis), then He hears us.
   Which leads me to my second point, our prayers are dependent solely on God. We have no power to dictate to God to answer our prayers according to our wishes. We may have all the faith in the world but if it is not His will then it will not happen or at least not yet. Take for instance the recent loss in the family of a very good friend and confidant of mine, the whole church prayed, both in Canada and the world, but in the end God's will still prevailed. Our assurance is not that our prayers will be met but that the will of God will come to pass for His glory in our prayers.
   And my third point is this, as we stand on the promises of God in the Bible, do make sure that we always acknowledge that God's will be done by making sure that our prayers are align with his thoughts. After all a communication can only happen if there is a "meeting of the minds". And since we DO NOT have the power to make God meet our minds, we have to meet His mind. Meaning His will is what we need to aim for in our prayers and not that our prayers are postively affirmed.
   ***As some of you may have known, I am in a journey to find truth. With this entry let me begin by declaring publicly that (I seriously believe) God is sovereign in all things***