After some discussion, for Em’s 5th birthday, Perze and I bought her a crown pendant.  I explained to her that no matter what or how she feels, she can hold that pendent on her necklace and know that she is the child of the King, that she will always be loved and forgiven.

Today, my five year old, Emma did a little naughty act of biting her crown pendant, thus deforming an innocent prong on her beloved Tiffany’s charm.  Having caught her in the act, I calmly took it from her and told her she lost her privilege of wearing it.  Then you could see in her face, the swelling of emotion floodgates trying to hold in the tears, until they spewed out, down to her chin, as she mumbled sincere apologies.  I explained that this wasn’t an isolated instance, but that it was to be added to the perpetual acts when she had not taken care of it.  That led to a very difficult task of closing the watery floodgates of her tears.

Determined to be immovable with my decision, I walked with her and Zienne as we window shopped.  Emma remained very unusually quiet, seemingly surrendered to my conditions.  Minutes passed as we finally made a stop in some store, and as I was sliding hangers one by one, she raised her voice from mute mode and asked,“Mamam, am I still a child of the King?”

It surprised me.

It humbled me.

So I said, “Emma, you will ALWAYS be a child of the King.”

Ambivalently, with both remorse and relief, she held back her tears, and almost stumbled on her response, “thank you, mamam.”  After that, she felt so more at ease, as if the assurance was also forgiveness.

Romans 8:14-17 explains, “14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Thinking back at such a simple question, I’m wracked with how enormous that reality can be, to be a child of the King.  No matter the precious a gift has been given to us, tangible blessings from the Father, treasures of great worth that we end up toying with, whether with indifference or irresponsibility, we can hand it to Him, deformed or destroyed, and He still will call us His.  The relationship of child and Father, yes, is a great deal of messiness, because we, as sinners, are messy; we can take the beautiful and the sacred, and profane them.  But the same relationship offers us an openness with our Father, one that allows us the freedom to cry out to Him.

And yes, God has given His ultimate precious gift to the world, His Son, Jesus, because the sin of man needed a blameless sacrifice.  He was deformed and even suffered and died, but never destroyed.  And with His resurrection, to all who believe Him as their savior and Lord, living a life that reflects our spoken devotion, we enter into that familial relationship with Him. And despite our perpetual acts of disobedience, bouts of pride, innumerable shameful perverseness, possessive habits of sin, grace abounds and forgiveness is intertwined, without lines, within His love.  We can give Him the beauty He has given us, deformed by our careless hearts and hands, and He will still call us His.  This does not give us authority to abuse His grace, because He pierces through each heart for the truth in the relationship.  But once a child of the King, what can truly sever that exceptional bond?  For it says, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38:39).

Sometimes, we hold on to those deformities for so long, wrapped tightly in our guilt, feeling as if it weighs down our worth to walk with the Lord again.  But if you are led by the Spirit of God, you are a child of God. And you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom you can cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ (Rom.8:14-15).  We have the freedom to cry out to God and call Him Father. Renew your relationship with Him.  You will always be a child of the King!

Thank You Lord!

We’ve all done it before, flipped through a Macy’s catalog or our favorite consumer publication and determinately categorized favorited items into proverbial buckets under wants & needs.  Usually, the satisfaction after acquiring the wants is in greater proportion than when the needs are quenched, although in the long run, it’s fulfilling the needs that provides more sense of security and purpose.

As you’re reading this article, our synapses are making similar connections, categorizing information into proverbial buckets under wants and needs. Some of us may ‘want’ to plug in and join a free ZUMBA class or attend the Father/Child Bowling activity, or even have a strong interest to join the arduous choir practices (PLUG: every Sunday 1pm @sanctuary). Some even ‘want’ the community, the acceptance of a church family, friends within the same ethnicity, age, or gender.  All these have legitimate merits. 

But dear friends, these wants are not the source to life’s inherent need for completeness. You can plug in to these outlets, but none will result in the full life that God offers through His Son, Jesus.  You see, in John 14:6, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  No amount of one’s own merit (or demerit) affects our salvation, but only through grace, through faith, can we receive that blissful and extremely ‘needed’ salvation promised in John 3:16. 

It becomes easier to dump everything in the ‘wants’ bucket when we consider the immense ‘need’ for Jesus in our lives. He is the TRUE source, And assuredly, unlike material wants, when we fill that need to genuinely believe and know God, our satisfaction is in direct proportion, and we come to find that our real wants are completed by fulfilling that ‘need’.  John Piper writes “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” The greatest pleasure is the pleasure in Him.In John 10:10, Jesus says, "I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

So what’s the verdict?

Do you want that eternal life offered to you today, because believe it friend, you need it.  We invite you to ‘PLUG IN’ to the source, JESUS.  We also extend the invitation for you to come fellowship with us, plug into any of our activities, services, Bible studies, ministries that serve as outlets to know God more, to be blessed and be a blessing.

    It is funny how when you are young, you look forward to growing up and being an adult.  But once you grow up and become an adult, you wish you could be young again. I do not think I can say I am fully an adult, but the majority of people refer and talk to me as one. I believe at the age of 20, I should be focusing on school. Rather, I hold many responsibilities; I am a student, a youth leader, a church secretary, a leader of my family, an ate, a Christian, etc. I gladly accept these roles, but when I was a child, I was simply a child. I was a child in a red wagon being pulled by my parents.

    As I get older, it is my turn to pull this wagon, and as I stroll along, different things get put into it. You see, this wagon contains everything with which God has entrusted me. Despite the overwhelming expectations, I know I am able to handle everything that He gives me, because He has this plan for me. And I know that it is normal to feel overwhelmed and stressed with such responsibilities that I get to have in my wagon. Despite the pressures, as I continue to grow up, I learn to cherish and take care of this wagon, because if I do not, everything may fall over while hitting an uneven pavement. I am sure no matter what I do, I will still stumble and may even get too weak to pull. When I do, my prayer is that I’ll turn to Jesus. As I get older, I have been learning to seek God, even learning that I am still God’s child in this wagon that He is pulling to one day be with Him.

    I came across this song the other day, and it is like God spoke to me because my life has been a constant struggle lately, that I tend to turn to my own solutions.

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace"

-Hel­en H. Lem­mel, 1922

by Sarah Sabado

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to see the YouTube video of this hymn. Click HERE
for more information of the history of “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”

As a father of a 9 year old, it amazes me how quickly they have matured from the days of when they just think about what is for their benefit to now being sensitive of hurting me or my wife’s feelings. My son has been using this phrase in times of correction or for attention and clarification. He utters this to avoid hurting our feelings. Subsequently, I ask myself am I that sensitive? Perhaps it’s just a precaution in his part, which I find a step further to emotional maturity.

In reflection of our Christian walk, the words offense, offended, offending often come about in our dealings with our Christian and non-Christian peers. As a stick to a heart, especially those harboring sensitivity, offense through words or actions could cause tension, especially in God’s work. Haughty or proud eyes, a lying tongue, murmurs behind other people’s back, clearly are things we may deal with. Sadly, at times, we may see this among our brothers and sisters. Even apostle Paul experienced this in the early church, having written that he too had disputes and faced many trials in the Lord’s work. Ecclesiastes 1:9 say, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done,  and there is nothing new under the sun.” It is nothing new, but having been present in the work of the Apostle Paul amidst the offense, he wrote:

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (Corinthians 6:3-10)

Clearly, Paul is only one of the many examples who never took offense and just folded in rant. If Joseph took offense in prison after being a morally righteous man, what would have happened? If Esther took offense to the plot and just ran out of town what would have happened? If Nehemiah took offense to the discouragement he heard with rebuilding the temple and attack while doing the work, what would have resulted?

We come to the point wherein we ask ourselves if we hear these voices behind us, terms of rejection, disapproval of men. I believe, sometimes, we would rather live with men’s disapproval than God’s, out of some inherent mechanism to please. But do not be hindered; a lot of people were hindered, but by God’s grace, they still carried on. Look back at your past victories and realize how far God has taken you. Surely, now is not the time for us to abandon the work after all he has done.

Clearly, my brothers and sisters, do not let the sleepers dictate how we should praise and work for God’s service. Like in 2 Kings 3, just focus on God and take no offense to what we hear or what we see amidst the dirt and barren land. Let’s continue to praise Him, for the spring will come forth in God’s time, and then this valley, which has been a barren desert, will be full of ditches to refresh and renew. Keep playing that harp of praise, and dig for God’s work and glory.

-Cliff Carino

Drifting away can become very unnoticeable. Every summer, I usually go to the shore with family and friends. Once we get into the ocean and become occupied with the water, we later look up and notice that we have drifted away from where we first entered. We never intended to move along with the water and move away from where we came. Similarly, I get carried away with everything I do and float away from God; everything can be anything from school, family, work, and even ministry.

Try and remember the first time you fell in love with God. Right away, I remember having the passion to do anything for the Lord, looking for what I can do to get so close to Him daily. It was the start of my daily devotions, becoming a prayer warrior, giving offerings and service; all those things I wanted to do because I had changed. Then over time, things happen; life happens. School comes along, family problems occur, ministry is calling your name, a new job offer…etc. With disregard, you learn that you might have drifted away.

You begin to feel guilty at the realization that you might have drifted away. I start to feel heartless and notice that I am faking certain actions. In Isaiah 29:13, the Lord says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” I know how to act like a Christian, and I do, but I am faking. I say I will pray for someone, but then later, I don’t. I begin ministries, and later notice, I am not beside God.

I recently took up the responsibility and position as the youth leader. I think “great, I believe I am well equipped for another ministry in which to get involved.” As I begin meeting with the youth weekly, I notice that as I lead Bible study, I am missing something- that love I first had when I first started to be on fire for Christ. I am not walking beside God, but I have drifted away, still living a Christian life, but with no real love and heart.

To know that you have drifted is one thing, but to know that you have drifted yet still fake a holy life is another. Revelation 2:4-5 “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” God is always there loving you unconditionally. Yet we forget He is there, and seasonally, we aimlessly wander somewhere tangent from God. To get back to where we first entered the water, remember the firsts you had when you fell in love with God. I started to pray and read my bible every day. I am not saying I return to those first days, but I began to do the things I first did when I began to love God.

Instead of listening to what we have already been taught once, we should remember it daily. “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” (Hebrews 2:1). In that way, we can continue living beside the Lord and not get lost in life. And we do not become the seed that fell along the path or the seed that fell beside the rocky places, or among the thorns (the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13:1-23). We can become the seed that fell in good soil to produce thirty, sixty, or hundred times of what was sown, because we not only listened once, but understand and live it daily.

by Sarah Grace Sabado

Complaining about how difficult and stressful our jobs are can become a daily discourse. Sometimes, we go to lengths with comparing and wishing we had other people’s seemingly easy life. Other times, we complain about how some people have it so easy and how lucky they are that they have “this” instead of “that.” Remember that complacency and contentment is unattainable in this world. You just keep wanting more and more once you acquire your present desires. The Word says on James 5:3 “Your gold and silver have become worthless. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of the judgment.” There’s no reward for being the richest, nor is there a crown for the best complainer. So what’s the cure? What needs to be done in order for this disease of indulging and whining to stop?

First, realize that your God will provide in your time of need. No matter the depth of your proverbial destructive hole you’ve dug, God will always pull you out, provided you put your trust in Him. Whatever sins you’ve committed or how much you have disappointed God, He will always love you and be there for you. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Second, complaining about what you have (or don’t have), your tasks, how arduous it is, or how complicated things are, is unnecessary. Be happy with what God has given you and with what He has blessed you. If anything, we should thank Him every single second we get because He owns everything. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Recently, I’ve been reading the book of Daniel, and I am astounded by how much this guy trusts his Lord. Despite all the disastrous and traumatizing dreams that he envisioned, he still continued to serve the Lord. Also, after being thrown in a lion’s den because he never ceased to pray to God three times a day, despite the decree of praying for thirty days only to the king, not once did he grumble and whine about the problematic intricacies of his life. Not once did he turn away from God when things got “too hot” or “too wild.” Not once did he complain or desire to live a life full of luxury or glamour, but God set all those things in his path because Daniel refused to stop serving the true King. Complaining won’t be an issue if you serve God faithfully because His rewards will provide for your needs.

God truly is our provider, protector, foundation, and our help when trouble stumbles in our life. I can testify to complaining and grumbling about how difficult life is, especially as a Christian in college; I can list plenty of things that I can complain about. However, I know that I can always rely on my God, no matter how far I’ve swayed off the path. I know that God already accepts me for who I am and not what I do. As long as I love Him and serve Him with all my heart, God will continue to be faithful. 2 Chronicles 31:21 “In all that he did in the service of God’s temple and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he prospered.”

by Jaspher Cosico

Our God inhabits praise.

The problem with subjectivity is that everything can be justified, and truth isn’t absolute. Seemingly, there are more than two sides to a coin, and what is right is based on how something is defined, and typically, the one who can define their version vocally has the upper hand.

Somehow, the same is true inversely with the benefits of subjectivity; there are more than two sides of a coin. The problem is when we can fail to seek what is truly the truth of the matter. An even worse consequence is if we fail to conclude the matter with anything other than praise.

Being a wife of only five years and a mother of four years, I still feel I’m a novice to many of life’s experiences compared to successful veterans. When faced with personal difficulty in life’s matter, even in my familial relationships, I’m posed with a choice at the end of each day, “am I acting in praise?” The challenge is triggered by an aching conscience that demands an honest answer that cannot be denied, and despite my subjectivity, it demands the objective truth from me. At the core of my justifications, I’m brought to humility and asked “am I praising the Lord?” When the question is answered no, I ultimately swallow my pride and even find myself asking forgiveness from my four year old.

When answering the question, yes, when you can honestly face the brashness of life’s pointing arrows or even subtle scorn and still say yes to living in praise, then nothing has the power to crush you because our Lord inhabits the praise of His people. Never have I read of Biblical promises that our lives are spared by hurt, pain, nor trials, but the Bible is saturated with stories of people who have been delivered through praise.

One example is found in Acts 16:19-34 when Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in jail for commanding a demon to leave a slave girl who profited schemers. Though persecuted by misinformed city officials, although doing God’s work, Paul and Silas audibly prayed and sang hymns while imprisoned (v.25).   I doubt Paul’s singing prowess was the proponent factor for their release and cause for the "massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations" (v.26).  Chains literally fell because despite being bound, their faith in God’s deliverance manifested in their act of praise.  Why would they be praying and praising had they not believed God is bigger than their circumstance?  The importance is that they did not run away in fear, cower in intimidation, or react in annoyed vengeance.  They chose to praise God.

Paul and Silas’ obedience to act in praise continued even after they chose not to encourage the jailer’s suicide.  He drew his sword in fear that their release would result in horrific consequence. Instead, Paul intervened to help his oppressor rather than destroy him.  Typically, human nature has the propensity to act to the latter.  But acting in a way that praises God, I believe, though the more difficult road travelled, leads to victory and freedom.  In the case of Paul and Silas, their merciful act resulted in that jailer’s salvation, with the added bonus of the salvation of his entire family.  "Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God" (v.33). 

The story doesn’t even conclude with Paul and Silas’ deliverance and the jailer’s salvation;  more truth is revealed because they chose to praise the Lord instead of react abrasively.  Ultimately, the city officials learned of the misinformation given to them.  And having been falsely accused, they were even asked for forgiveness (v.39).  

We all go through struggles and we all have our own stories, our own versions, but how we deal with the circumstances, we’re asked to make a choice to either act in praise or submit to reacting outside of praise.  At the end of the day, we’re all addressed by our aching conscience, demanding an honest answer on how we’re handling that given circumstance.  "Am I praising the Lord?"  How we answer it is between us and God.  But there is assurance that we cannot go wrong giving praise and living praise, for our God inhabits praise.  And imagine it, in our praise, God can cause the earth to shake.

Psalm 16:7
"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me."

If I do not love God, it is because I do not believe I am loved.

“Believe the gospel,” easier said than done, I know.  However, I must say, as a Christian for about 4 years, that is the one thing I have found most lacking amongst the people I have met inside and outside of churches.  This is what I mean.  We are infinitely more sinful and conspiring than we would ever dare admit, and transversely, we are infinitely more loved and accepted than we ever dreamed because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

It isn’t complicated, but the truth is our hearts must be soaked in the gospel every morning, every afternoon, and every night.  It’s out of the fact that we are already accepted that we preach, serve, and sing, not in attempts to be validated by our performance.  Granted, as a performer, this is something that I struggle with when I take the stage.  Every day I am assaulted by the pride of doing well or the sorrows of being insufficient.  Every day, I am profoundly aware that I need the gospel.

Religion says, “I obey, so I am accepted by God.”  But the gospel says this, “I am accepted by God based upon what Jesus has done for me, therefore I obey.”  So when we preach this, when we believe this, two things will happen.  One, we are humbled.  Being sinners, we realize it is not our services, our accomplishments, or youth programs that justify us before God.  It is Christ’s work ALONE that makes us right.  And it is His grace in us that enables us to do anything for Him.  Isaiah 26:12 – “all that we have accomplished, He has done for us.”  Secondly, we are given great confidence to approach the throne of grace in our time of need, since it is not our performance that we rely upon to do so. 

So here are the two things: great humility, great confidence.  This is what the church needs.  At the highest of human achievement and purity, Christ has gone HIGHER.  Under the depths of our failures and wickedness, Christ has gone lower.  To the successful and accomplished, recognize that you are still in need.  To the fallen and broken hearted, know that salvation is right where you fell.  This is His gospel.

It is not His need for what we can do, but simply, our need for what He has done.  

Great humility. Great confidence.  May the God of grace give us both.

-Wendell Jiao

Love is here. Love is now.

This is the song I picked as an introduction for our upcoming family camp (retreat). After several times having thoroughly listened to this song, I couldn’t help but wonder about the chorus, “love is here, love is now.“ I hear this phrase all the time from others, “Hey man, I would know God loved me if He would just do…” That’s the problem. What does God need to do to convince you of His love? Does He need to give you the man/woman of your dreams? Give you the easiest job in the world with a high paying rate? Give you straight A’s? I don’t know about you, but this is a dangerous game when we demand that God prove something that He’s already proven.

Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His love in this; that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” So if I’m feeling unloved or dissatisfied, then I MUST look to the Cross. “This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” (1 John 3:16a). No games, no tricks, just JESUS, and just His blood. Now take a step back. This means the duty of the Christian is no longer to work in order to earn God’s merit; Christ has already done that. And the new responsibility for those who are in Christ is to put all their effort, all their desire, and all of the work into simply RESTING in what Jesus has done for us. He demonstrates and proves his love one way; by suffering the wrath of God in our place. Over and over, it pains me when I meditate on this; my hands start to shake. Day in and day out, there was one sacrifice for all eternity.

What other proof do we need?

What act of love could go beyond that of the Son of God dying under the weight of our shame? The love we’re looking for is HERE. It’s now. It’s at the CROSS. 1^st John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we love God, but that He loved us and gave His Son as a propitiation for our sins.” We already have what we seek, my brothers and sisters. And this is what we will fight our whole lives to BELIEVE.

I pray that by the end of the camp, people can walk away not just loving God, also believe that they themselves are LOVED.

Love is Here. Love is Now. Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.

God Bless,
Wendell J.

East to West
by Casting Crowns

Here I am, Lord, and I’m drowning in your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don’t want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight

I know You’ve cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
And I stand before You now as though I’ve never sinned
But today I feel like I’m just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
’cause I can’t bear to see the man I’ve been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
’cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I’m in
Today I feel like I’m just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

I know You’ve washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night
I can’t live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I’m not holding on to You, but You’re holding on to me
You’re holding on to me

Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west
I don’t have to see the man I’ve been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
’cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other

One scarred hand to the other
From one scarred hand to the other

(Lyrics/Song “East to West” Copyright by Casting Crowns)

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Even though this song basically repeats, it has such a strong meaning to it. It definitely has a strong meaning for me. In life, you should never base how you should live your life on your own understandings. I pretty much had to learn that the hard way many times, until recently I really learned that I shouldn’t. Everyone has their own problems whether it be small or little. Regardless, they’re problems which eventually build up. You can’t hide your feelings by being tough or showing a happy face all the time. No, it doesn’t work like that, because God knows your burdens. He knows everything you go through and who you really are. Your eternal happiness is through Him and nobody else. Maybe He’ll show his love through your friends, family, things He has blessed you with in life. However, no one can ever make you more happy and pleased than He will.

Jesus died for us and we need to live for Him. What He has gone through is more painful then any of has gone or will ever go through. We need to understand that this life is temporary; we will not live here forever, but have eternal life with him in heaven- but only if you can accept him in your heart.

I’m never satisfied with my life but I need to appreciate the things God has blessed me with. This is my ultimate favorite song just because of how it spoke to me. Everything happens for a reason. When Ate Marchesa told Wendell and I that we were going to sing this song for the Easter Concert this April, I just said yes because I love this song without even really listening to it.  However, one day, I was practicing and I just kept listening to it, and then realized how true this song was. It summed up how I should be living my life not just how I want to.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge, and he wil make your paths straight.