A Musicianary to JIL Seattle!

About a week's time ago, I was blessed enough to be chosen to be a musiciannary to JIL Seattle. The whole day event was simply inspiring. On the offset I did realized that JIL Seattle is a Multicultural Church/Outreach much like the JIL MC here in BC. Although JIL Seattle is a young church/outreach they are getting stronger as the Lord allows them to be. Strong leadership and supporting workers made this outreach one of the most stable outreaches I recently went to and the fondest (I guess that's because of the outlets).The people are extremely friendly and of course Filipinoes where ever they maybe will always be hospitable (check out the video of Bro John Pucci below). The Holy Spirit manifested Himself on the get-go. A comment was made that there was a strong worshipping spirit with in the people. The worship was led by Brother Andy. The preaching of Bro John Pucci was another ace. His general topic was on Spiritual Warfare and he focused on the Good Fight benig the warriors of Jesus Christ. Bro John left us with three charges based on I Timothy 1:8-18 and those are 1. Join the battle 2. Have confidence 3. Be a strong witness.
After the service, we had lunch at Bro Tim's house and boy was I in for a treat. I tasted the juiciest, sweetest and crunchies peices of fried chicken ever. (Sorry church's chicken and KFC, you have been dethroned). Unfortuantely we don't have that kind of chicken here in Canada. (1 more reason to go back to Seattle... I don't even know the name of the restaurant). Anyway, after lunch we headed out to a park (of which the name escapes my mind) and prepared a place for the Acquaintance and Fellowship service which will be held on that same afternoon. During the service a powerful testimony was given by one of the brothers, Terry, how God saved him and his daughter from the salmonella virus and how God transformed him from a drunkard to a placard of God. Another testimony was given by one of the sisters, Mildred (the wife of Bro Tim), on how God fulfilled His promises to them financially. Pastora Malou shared about God's love in John 3:16 and reitirated the importance of having Jesus Christ as the only saviour who can lead them to heaven. The children also did a special number. The best part about all of these is the fact that out of the 40 who attended that service, 19 people were first timers. Woot Woot. Glory to God. I fellowshipped with the JIL Seattle after the service and learned some pretty interesting things about the outreach and how God manifested hinself to the church as a whole. (The spaghetti by the way is fantastic...) But as with everything else, all good things must come to an end here on this earth so at around 6 pm we left JIL Seattle blessed and encouraged by what God did and what God can do. God bless JIL Seattle!


I requested Bro John Pucci (JIL Seattle's Admin Head) to share a simple message to the JIL BC Brethrens... and in turned out to be a message not just for JIL BC but to all (Born-again) Filipino and Filipino-loving nations.

Why Apologetics is important!

I found a video of R.C. Sproul that answers the question "Why Apologetics?" He pretty much nailed the reason as to why Apologetics is important (and why I am adamant on becoming an apologist).

GPS Update!

Last Saturday, together with JAGS, we went to our GPS appointment and here are there v-log updates!


After 1 hour and 30 mins (also the pansit was fantastic)

Why Learn the Gospel Presentation Seminar (GPS-Evangelism Explosion)

"I don't know how to start. "I don't know what to say." "I'm scared of rejection." or "I don't know how to evangelize."
    These are just but some of the many reasons I have heard as to why a born-again believer will not share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Admittedly, even I myself gave out many of these said reasons. But after learning and (on the process of) mastering the GPS-EE, some of these apparently valid reasons are now deemed invalid or at the least calculated ignorance. Ok, before I go any further, let me make a caveat first. I will always and always will rely on the Holy Spirit for it is not I nor the GPS-EE that can save but God alone through His Son Jesus Christ! Ok now that I have that corralled, let's go ahead and proceed.
The GPS-EE is by far the most logical and the most articulate tool of evangelism I have ever learned. I may have not learned every evangelism tool out there but do concur with me when I say that I have learned a few of them.
    It is logical because it follows a logical order. And since it follows a logical order, it does imply comprehension. It also has illustrations (both physical and verbal) that accentuates logic. (Who says that logic (reason) and faith cannot co-exist?) The two diagnostic questions may appear blunt at first but when conveyed with a sincere heart, it does create a moment of reflection for the listener. The viability of these two diagnostic questions bridges the gap of "no care zone" or " i don't know isle" to "I care zone" or "I must know Isle". If one can read through the outline, one can come to a conclusion that the categories and the subgroups are logically placed in their most deserved orders. This will in turn make the presentation of the gospel as smooth and as easy as it could get. Given that the presenter had to memorize the outline, the outcome of the presentation satisfies the work that had to be done. I do admit that learning the GPS-EE takes time and effort but that is only at the beginning. And after memorizing, you can take the GPS-EE and add your own flavour to it. I guarantee you that.
    Now since the whole goal of the GPS-EE is to present the gospel to believers and non-believers alike, the articulative aspect of the GPS-EE relies on the fact that it is in unity with the Bible. Every subgroups and categories with the exception of the introduction has related Bible verses attached to it. And this fact, to me is very important, since I hold the Bible as the ONLY authoritative Word of God. And since the JIL Church is a Bible-based church, this too is one very important aspect of the GPS-EE. But don't get me wrong, it is not that the Bible that supports GPS-EE, it is the other way around. The GPS-EE supports the Bible. The GPS-EE statements are expressed in a manner that are very concise and expressive yet not outlandish. But the statements the presenter of the Gospel make are statements that were already written in the Bible. Once again let me make another caveat, I believe that the Scripture interprets the Scripture (Sola Scriptura). But the GPS-EE has articulated with the Bible to form a presentation that any person who is willing to hear can easily comprehend.
    By learning the GPS-EE, the reason for us not to evangelize has just been cut down to slim. There is no way that after learning one can still say that "I don't know what to say", or "I don't know how to begin", or "I don't want to be rejected" (just remember always, Don't make it personal.) Because the GPS-EE tackles and it tackles hard, all of these seemingly valid reasons.
    I chose to learn the GPS-EE not because that it is mandatory but because it is a necessity. It is not because I am capable it is because I'm unlearned. It is not because I have to but it because I am willing. I chose to learn and master GPS because I believe that this is the best tool that the Holy Spirit is guiding me to learn so I can obey the commission of Jesus Christ before He ascended to the right hand of the Father.

P.S. Click here to download the GPS outline in word.

He is still God...

A few weeks ago, the CYN BC held their quarterly youth gathering at the JIL Burnaby Worship Hall. The youth were all ecstatic about the event (although I did notice one peculiar thing). Anyway, I was struck by what the preacher, Jayson Pingol, said... "Whether you proclaim that He is great or not, He is still great."
This is to promote that God is sovereign and will not cease to exist even if we think that He is not real (I spit at relativism concept of God). When Moses asked God "Who do we say you are when people ask us about you?" God replied with a thunderous voice... I AM WHO I AM! How magisterial is that! God is God whether you agree or not!!!

Hands down...

    A few weeks ago, JAGS, GenisM and myself were privileged enough to listen to one of the top apologist and one of the most prolific speakers in theology around, Mr. Ravi Zacharias. The theme for the night was aptly called "Capture the wonder of Christmas" and the topic revolved around the question "Who is Jesus?"
    Well, who is Jesus, anyway? Sure I have received Him as my Lord and personal Saviour. I've been reading about Him in the Bible. Sure He is God but what makes Him different from all the other gods out there? What makes Jesus, well Jesus?
    Personally, this is a riveting question. I can't come up with any other question that comes close to the voluminous appeal of this question. Many a times agnostics, skeptics or straight out atheists tried answering this question by proving that Jesus was either a 1. myth or a 2. hoax; that Jesus never died on the cross or for that matter never ressurected. And every single one of them except for some, who for what ever reason found the Truth but neglected the Truth none the less, came out believing that Jesus Christ is indeed who He claimed He was and that all the miracles He did had at the very least happened.
    I will try to share with you some transciptions of Ravi Zacharias' lecture during his visit in Abbotsford in the next coming days, Deo volente.
    But before that, I pray that each and everyone of us will come to the realization of the true meaning of Christmas... That Christmas is not about giving gifts and being nice. (Although those are good thoughts). It's not even about being with families and friends, no matter how warm that makes us feel inside. Christmas is not much about the virgin birth rather it is about God who became Man so He may suffer and die on the cross for all mankind. Hallelujah!!!

Not responding to evidences is futile...

Simon Greenleaf, one of the principle founders of Harvard School of Law, sought out to prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that the whole Bible in general is a complete hoax. Relying on his expertise, he famously thought that given a good amount of thorough investigation and research, resurrection can be once and for all proven as a myth. But at the end of his research and careful examinations of the Bible, especially the Gospels, he concluded that without a shadow of a doubt, the Holy Bible is infact true to the core, the witnesses during those times were indeed reliable and that the resurrection in truth happened. What was his first intention of disproving the accounts of the Gospel turned out otherwise. He came out supporting the authenticity of the Gospels based on concrete evidences. On his book, AN EXAMINATION OF THE TESTIMONY FOUR EVANGELISTS, BY THE RULES OF EVIDENCE ADMINISTERED IN COURTS OF JUSTICE, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE TRIAL OF JESUS (boy what a mouthful) he stated, "To refuse to acquaint ourselves with the evidences of the Christian religion, or act as though, having fully examined, we lightly esteemed them, is to assume an appaling amount of responsibility."Greenleaf, AEOTTFE, v)

Christianity is not just mere feelings or religious ideologies or even spiritual experience. Christianity is based on factual faith. Clark Pinnock defines these types of facts: "The facts backing the Christian claim are not a special kind of religious facts. They are the cognitive information facts upon which all historical, legal and ordinary decisions are based." (Pinnock, SFYC, 6,7). (Pinnock is Canadian by the way).

I always ask a believer 2 questions, "Do you belive in God?" and if the answer is "yes"(hopefully since that person is a believer) I would charge again with the question "Why?". And most of the time if not all, their answers would either be emotional, experiential or of religious background. Which is all fine and dandy. No problem. But what I'm more concern is the fact that they don't want to dig deeper and find out who God really is based on factual evidences. They just won't go any further. The Bible alone has tons and tons and tons of concrete evidences that supports what the followers of Jesus Christ believes in; that Jesus Christ came to earth, was crucified and burried and on the third day He rose again. This fact is the heart of Christian faith of which the Apostle Paul agreed by stating in 1 Cor 15:14
"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."
NIV.

I challenge them to find out thetruth about the Truth because the Truth will set them free. (Oi that's very biblical.)
Christ has indeed risen and the Bible is indeed true and that faith in Christ Jesus in truth is not a blind leap of faith into the dark but a clear vision leap of faith into the Light because He is the light of the world and those who follow Him will never not walk in darkness(John 8:12 NIV).

An Idea!

**Mainly written for JIL people but may benefit others as well**

I have an idea. Instead of telling God about the lost, why don't we tell the lost about God! There is absolutely nothing wrong in telling (the better word is remind) God about the lost. But if you think about it, God knows about the lost already. He is God for heaven's sake. But the lost, they no nothing (or perhaps a granule) about God. God cares more if we talk to them about God than we talk to God about them. Instead ask God for the Holy Spirit to give you the right words at the right time!!!
I want to elaborate further but it seems like the point has been pointed out already!