Generosity

I appreciate so much the way Pastor Joey Bonifacio unpacks a single Bible verse to the congregation.  I am grateful that VCF Fort started saving live streams.

This is my first attempt to copy Pastor Joey's notes from the big screen and some of what he said at the pulpit (verbatim) and mix it with what God's revealing to me.

This topic is about Generosity.

The mindset that God broke for me is that Generosity is not about the money that I have, skills, availability, genuine desire to help.  I never connect generosity to faith. In this message, God showed me that generosity is only BY FAITH.

:)

PS. When before I always felt big inside and happy that I am fulfilling my obligations and I always felt confident that I am pleasing God for giving my whole tithe to His church and doing something for Him, at the end of this Sunday service, I remember feeling puny and worthless when I placed my tithe in the tithe bag. I was immediately emptied of the "good" things I've done and was filled with the good things God did for me.

Resources:

Victory Christian Fellowship Series "Abraham's School of Finance"

Nov 27, 2011, VCF Fort

Live Stream Video: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18771934

Bible Verse: Genesis 22:1-15

bday sleepover

I celebrated my birthday a month late with my best friends whom I get to be with during our birthdays only. It's fun nonetheless. Availability always does its magic: strengthens the bond.

Arrived at our place at 9ish in the evening

Birthday gift

I have a special guest at our threshold

midnight snacks

We hailed a cab and hung out at the nearest Starbucks late, late at night.

girl talk and latte

Went back to my place and we literally stayed up until 8am!

oooh somebody cheated and stole some sleep!

No time to cook breakfast. We had Mcdo brekky delivered instead.
Yes, we do it in Manila. :)

I love these girls!

Humility that belittles

I texted sorry to papa because I feel that my tone is masungit while we're clarifying some details earlier today. 

I usually just pretend nothing happened whenever I become rude to my parents and would vow to do something nice for them to assuage the guilt but today something nagged at me that I might have hurt his feelings when he was just trying to help. So I txtd him.

I was walking briskly inside MOA with the walk of a person who knows where she's headed and was nervously expecting a reply that would reprimand my rudeness.  Instead I received this message. 


"Don't mind it."


In that brief moment, I felt a strong mixture of belonging to someone who doesn't demand I explain my behavior, someone who doesn't want me to carry the burden of offending him...someone who's quick to forgive me.

I couldn't help but remember (and be ashamed) why there are many moments in my prayer life when I feel worried that I'm too, too despicable that God wouldn't be able to stand me.  Don't you experience those FALSE ideas playing in our heads while praying?

I pray crying myself to death asking sorry but it feels like God is stone-cold watching me impassively because He's not that big enough to forgive my biggest sin. 

It sometimes makes me feel I am conversing with a parent who refuses to talk so I'm gonna quietly leave the room and do something nice to make up for my being a meanie.

Yes, I do get that feeling. 

In those moments, I am maybe praying intensely and poring over the bible solemnly BUT without realizing I am actually belittling God-- especially what He did on the cross!

And I feel worse than an active notorious murderer!

At least, that notorious murderer is likely ignorant of Jesus or else he would have quit. But me, I hear Jesus every sunday, I read blogs of pastors regularly but still I am strongly inclined to belittle this God I claim to be the greatest in all universe!

I'm glad that He knows we tend to pattern His motives with our nature that He encourages us with this:


"If you then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven..."Luke 11:13


 And Eliphaz would have rebuked me with,


"Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?"Job 4:17


I pray that God would never stop giving me realizations like this and would rebuke me even right in the middle of praying to remind me that not all prayers are good however heartfelt. 


I should stay away from prayers that do nothing but insult the heart of my Father in heaven. 

"The fastest way to kill your prayer life is to combine small thoughts about God with big thoughts about self." 

- Ptr. Rich blaylock

Nate and Izan Day Out

So after shift today I went home to get Nate and met Ate Mitch, Kuya Larry and Izan at MOA.

Ate Mitch loves building relationships and bonding time. Just like me. That's why I like her. :)

So even if they were busy in their quick visit in Manila, she made it a point that Izan and Nate would get to bond with each other.

Today is the day. 

And I am more than happy to babysit these two rowdy boys!

They were so excited to enter and hated the registration part.

They especially hate it when adults insist on taking a picture first.

I found them doing this and briefly wondered why they would take time to build boring towers with these  blocks when there are huge slides, swim balls, toy guns all around.

Nate gladly showed me where the FUN was 

Later on, I couldn't help but dove in too. 

Nate and Izan...they will never run out of energy

Bold Request

"How does your heart burn? Show me your strength. The angels fear and adore you - why?"

Said a friend of mine in her Tumblr.

The first thing that came into my mind is how spoiled I am. I have the human privileges: I have salvation, I have grace. And I'm so spoiled. I am not complaining about that, I would cringe at the thought of having otherwise.  It's just that I feel I'm so spoiled there's something about God that I'm missing out on.

What my friend blogged about the dangerous side of God got me into thinking exactly what she said:

How does your heart burn, God? The angels fear and adore you - why?

The four living creatures NEVER stop saying "holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty" day in, day out and the twenty-four elders follow suit.

Why?

Yes, the bible speaks about your glory and majesty and splendor and might.  That enough trembles me already.

But there's this side of You that I am not seeing because I'm still that puny, baby christian.


Lord, I want to see it.

Dance away!

So liberating! So refreshing!

And what's joyful above everything else?

JESUS!

We're dancing because and for Him!

I couldn't get over the getaway. Really struck me how God just wants us to dance and celebrate Him!

Faithful...even when we're faithless

Today I saw another display of God's faithfulness and mercy.

JD or Stephen Jacob

Yanyan's birthday

On a hot day of All Saints' Day.

Singles Getaway 2011

Already complete in Christ!

Balai Isabel, Tagaytay City

Bus Dash

goofing around while waiting for the event to start

can't contain His awesomeness

I had a relapse of fever on day 1 and went to sleep in an empty Kubo outside the hall

my small group and Jen visited me in my room after Day 1's activities

dawn worship by the lake

amazing encounter!

mighty women of God praying as one

broke into small groups for reflection and prayer

with Jen

beautiful...taal lake :)

Team building

Team Multiply

Team Multiply

the huge jump rope

Assessment by the lake
Cool breeze and deep, fun discussions about God with fellow singles

setting up for the white party after team building activities

fabulous set-up!

White party

dinner time

pastors' kids having white party too, cute cute cute!

just relaxing listening to the music team singing ballads and jazz and pop

A picture of quietly relaxing and having fun...even when you're alone

Ladies dance showdown against the guys

...and the guys bringing it on

Now everybody dancing funny dances hahaha

while other people dance intoxicated with alcohol and all other club stuff,
we know how to dougie intoxicated with God

Jen

with Minori, the japanese girl we met there

bonfire late late at night

so tired but happy

one last pic before we go

matching m&m's :D

Dancing and celebrating God

Jump for JOY you singles!!!

For the peals of wisdom gained at this Getaway? I refer to a blog of a fellow participant:

http://varshadaswani.blogspot.com/2011/11/take-home-from-singles-getaway.html