How do you treat God? Listen to this message (Youtube video) to learn from Pastor Ed Lapiz. click here to watch the video


You can buy Pastor Ed Lapiz Message CD and mp3 at Kaloob Bookstore, Folk Arts Theater CCP Complex Pasay City. His books are also available there and all National Book Stores nationwide.

What are the things that make you a prisoner even though physically you are free to move? What freedom we do have if we are in Christ? Listen to this sermon and evaluate whether you are experiencing freedom on the following aspects:

• Free from Sin
• Free from Satanic Control and Influence
• Free from Spiritual Blindness
• Free from Ourselves
• Free from Narrow-mindedness
• Free from Spiritual Weakness
  

This is a must-hear message. May the Lord bless you!





You can buy Pastor Ed Lapiz Message CD and mp3 at Kaloob Bookstore, Folk Arts Theater CCP Complex Pasay City. His books are also available there and all National Book Stores nationwide.

A Great Way To Peace (Matthew 10:28-31)

As discussed in this sermon, there are two great enemies of peace - fear and little trust in God. These two enemies prevent us from living a serene life. A lot of people, even Christians are still struggling on having a peace of mind. What could be the reasons for such? Shall wealth, power, health, or the people around give you the peace of mind that you’ve been looking for?

Let’s listen to Pastor Ed as he enlighten us on this subject. Be blessed.

Psalm 62:8
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.

By Song Wilson

So many times in life we get down and discouraged and it seems that we have no where to turn and no one to turn to. They say when it rains it pours and before you know it all the bills are due, your car is in repossession status, your kids find any and every reason to be defiant, and your relationship is going down the drain. We can't forget that J.O.B "Journey of the Broke" that you go to everyday just to listen to your boss tell you that you need to do more while they pay you less. By this time, I know that I have hit some nerves and probably have gotten a few Amen's!

The key is not to focus on the negatives, but focus on the positives. Some people have a problem with finding out the positives in their lives, but in order to get through what is negatively affecting your life you must get to the root. I have a saying," In order to appreciate the fruit you have to appreciate the root ". Yes, the root is dirty and sometimes if you're lucky your root gets planted with poop, but realizing this is the fertilization process of producing the best fruit. Once you have realized that greater is He who is in you than anything that is in the world, you have made the first step to a positive outlook. We have to begin to speak things into existence that aren't as if they really are.

The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy and what better way to destroy you in the physical than by starting with your mental. So often when we get down and we allow ourselves to stay down not realizing that we don't have to waddle in our misery. Mentally, we have convinced ourselves that we are weak and we can not be over comers when in reality that's when our natural instincts to defend ourselves should come out. Take a stand, be in control of your life, and fight for your right to live in peace. Pray that if you have to endure trials let them be with no sorrows. What I mean by this is sometimes we have to go through but praying to God that whatever comes our way we endure with a victorious spirit. Wake up daily and say to yourself I am more than a conqueror and I will not fail. Tell yourself that you have overcome all obstacles and you already have the victory!

When it seems that life is coming at you in every direction, literally stop in the middle of whatever is going on and regroup by declaring that you are walking in perfect peace. Sometimes the enemy doesn't have to steal our joy, but we give it to him. Take back your joy, reclaim your victory, and let the enemy know that you have been broken but you are strong enough to know that you are not defeated. Take control of that very thing that was given to you by God and that is your life. You may have been broken but you are not weak!

Author:Song Wilson is a life coach and also the founder of Empower365 an organization that promotes economic self sufficiency in low income communities. If you would like to obtain more information about the organization please email Empower365@gmail.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Song_Wilson

Pastor Ed Lapiz Message - 10 Tanong Bago Tumalon sa Ilog.

You may need to login to your imeem account to hear the entire message.

You can buy Pastor Ed Lapiz Message CD and mp3 at Kaloob Bookstore. His books are also available there and all National Book Stores nationwide.

I know you've been looking for more of Pastor Ed's message but there are issues that I need to consider this time. From this post, I will temporarily cancel the free download of Pastor's preaching in mp3 format. I've been asking Pastor Ed's approval for the free download but there's no answer from him. For now, you'll be able to hear mp3 streaming through imeem.com and you may need to login/create an account to hear the whole sermon.

For today, I'll be sharing this message recorded more than a year ago. This is one of my best collection of Pastor Ed's preaching. Be built up with this message.

You can buy Pastor Ed Lapiz Message CD and mp3 at Kaloob Bookstore, Folk Arts Theater CCP Complex Pasay City. His books are also available there and all National Book Stores nationwide.

Free Pastor Ed Lapiz Message mp3 download
Kung Mabigat Ang Loob

Download mp3

I would appreciate comments and suggestions from you, you can send a private message at webmaster@inspiringentries.com God bless you.

What are the qualities of an excellent family member? Let us take a closer look on Proverbs 31. This chapter states the traits of an excellent woman but could be applied to all family members. Let's listen to Pastor Ed Lapiz's insights on this.

Download Ang Mahusay na Kapamilya (mp3 format)

I would appreciate comments and suggestions from you, you can send a private message at webmaster@inspiringentries.com God bless you.

Starting from this post, I'll be offering free download of Pastor Ed Lapiz's Messages. Please do alert me if you have any trouble with the download. I'm still troubleshooting some problems with my host. In the mean time, the mp3s will be hosted on a free third party host.

This message was delivered December 09, 2007 entitled "Pagsusuri ng Isang Depression".

download this message (mp3 format)

Jesus chose the nails because He loves you. Now, will you choose Him?

According to Wikipedia, Pabasa (Spanish: pasión) is a narrative description of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ woven into a poem with stanzas of five lines and each line having eight syllables. Pasion is very popular in the Philippines during the season of Lent which is usually read (actually sung) at home or any other place where people gather. The article also said it is a form of religious expression, meditation and reflection.

The indigenization of the pasyon was begun by Gaspar Aquino de Belén in Ang Mahal na Passion ni JesuCristong Panginoon Natin na Tola (The poem of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ), published in 1703 or 1704.

The more popular version of the pasyon is the Casaysayan nang Pasiong Mahal ni Jesucristong Panginoon Natin na Sucat Ipag-alab nang Puso nang Sinomang Babasa (The History of the Passion of Jesus Christ our Lord that will set afire the heart of whosoever reads it).

An 1852 erudition by Aniceto de Merced, El libro de la vida (The Book of Life), did not, however become popular with the masses.

Today, we can hear Pabasa being sung into modern tunes. Some are even playing musical accompaniment like guitar or rondalla.

Our church, Day by Day Christian Ministries' flagship ministry is cultural redemption. Briefly, this means cultures must be filtered, consecrated, and offered back at the feet of Jesus Christ, to be used only for His glory. I'll be writing a post on cultural redemption soon. Anyways, pasyon or pabasa is one of many Filipino tradition that needs to be redeemed. And we have redeemed it for the glory of God!

Pabasang Kristiano as we call it is being conducted yearly at different Day by Day daughter and satellite churches. Last Saturday was my first time to witness how Pabasa is being done. I had a hard time singing the verses. haha. We used the book that Pastor Ed Lapiz wrote, which is being used for years now. FYI, the content was based on the Bible.

As I hear them singing, the words I heard were painting on my mind the picture of what Jesus did during His time. By just listening, I was able to reflect on the sufferings that my Savior experienced for me to have an everlasting life. Many people find it so "badoy". But for me, the time spent listening to the chants made me realized the great things about my Redeemer. In between chapters of the Pabasa were exhortations by assigned members. The messages were great. They even challenged me to preach the Gospel that was shared to me. I'm talking Matthew 28 which was the last part of the Pabasa. It was time that Jesus ordered us to go and make disciples of all nations.

This season, take time to reflect. Go back to the Bible and remember the work that Jesus did on the cross.

Yesterday, my traffic increased to about 200 unique visitors(Thanks malinesky for approving my ad). 40-50 is my normal figure for unique visits in a day. My Adsense Income also increased! All because of Entrecard. I joined Entrecard late November last year. This program has been helping my blog gain more exposure on blogosphere. How does entrecard work?

1. JOIN. register. select ur blog's category and description. create a 125 x 125 image. Then, copy and paste the code to your blog to display the the widget.

2. EARN CREDITS. Drop on other member's card located somewhere on their blogs. You have to click "Drop" and wait for the message that says "Thanks". Presto you've earned 1 entrecard credit! You will also earn credit by other member's drops on your entrecard widget. Once members advertise on your blog, you also earn certain number of credits. More drops mean more credits.

3. PROMOTE. You can gain exposure by placing ads on other members. The lowest cost of advertising is 2ec. Make friends (not enemies). hehe.. At Entrecard, you will meet fellow bloggers with same interest.

Keep on dropping. It will greatly help in your promotion.


That's the basic. For my final tip, to make your dropping easier, please visit the suggested sites below:

• Pinoy Entrecard Links
• Pinoy entrecard members
• Entrecard Hacks
• Sitehoppin
  

That's all. happy droppin.

Last year, I had the opportunity to be part of Jesus Festival - the 24-hour Praise and Worship. It was the first time that I was awake for 36 hours! That was a great experience to serve God as production assistant and as a singer. This year, it will be held in Tagaytay. If you're able, please do come to give God the excellent worship that He deserves!

I miss the Pinoy Rock Music that woke me up each morning

I miss my mother's fried rice that brought energy to my body

I even miss her scrambled egg - a very good partner of fried rice

I miss my father's observations in life

I even miss his good counsel

I miss the sea breeze even though it smelled fishy

I even miss swimming with my siblings


I miss a lot of things and

I want to go home

Saturday, March 01, 2008

It was such a long day - a day worth remembering. It seldom happens that I go to work before eight in the morning. I had my breakfast on time and signed in on time. I planned to finish all tasks within four hours but I was loaded with jobs. I logged out at 1 in the afternoon. I had to rush to Folk Arts Theater to attend Day by Day's Multimedia Ministry's seminar on handling video camera. New learnings were added on my mind. I learned different "magic" that can be done with the video camera. We were taught how to correctly shoot different scenes. The best thing is, I became an actor for few minutes. Haha. We applied what we learned from the seminar. I acted as a student viewing photographs in an exhibit. We've watch each others videos, made some reactions and recommendations. At the same time Praise and Worship rehearsal was ongoing. I immediately went to the main stage to join the recording for Praise and Worship.

This afternoon, we also scheduled a gathering of Joshua Movement Alumni. It was scheduled 2pm but I had lots of appointments during the day. It was expected that I'll be late. We met at KFC in SM Megamall. I was blessed when I heard their testimonies. Seeing those people brought me great joy. I shared to them an answered prayer. The doctor who checked me up did not find anything (to worry about) on my X-ray result. The pain on my back and muscles were gone. Medications also did a great work here. I currently take two brands of pain relievers. Praise God for the healing!

I was also challenged to give portions of my income to Joshua. Their situation cut my heart. i don't know the picture but i feel they're in need of Financial support. upon hearing their stories, I decided that the 10% of my Adsense income last February will be given to Joshua. The amount is small but I know it could help.

We ended up a little bit late but that was worth. I even missed my favorite magazine show that night. I was not interested to watch Imbestigador , so I turned off the TV and faced a laptop and read an e-book about Adsense. That was 199-page e-book. I only finished reading 50 pages. By one in the morning, I stopped reading. I had to prepare myself for the Sunday worship service.

That was it - My Saturday. time is gold and we have to make most of every opportunity. I was happy for the new learnings, meeting old friends, grateful that I maximized my time. David once prayed, " Teach us to number our days so we may gain a heart of wisdom. " Let us pray that we may be wise in spending our time. Spend it on things that could build up our spirit and others. Continue to encourage one another (daily).

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Thanks for reading. God bless..

It's kinda late.. but let me invite you to a night of music and inspiration. Tomorrow, February 28 7pm at Kasiyahan Garden Folk Arts Theater, CCP Complex Pasay City (Philippines). Be in the mood of love as the voices of Day by Day Christian Ministries ' Young Adults Worship Team sing love songs for you.

It's gonna be an exciting and romantic evening overlooking the Manila bay. Free admission. Hope to see you.

Do you miss Filipino Worship Songs? Here are some videos for you to sing with. Be blessed.

Best Friend



Sa Ngalan ng Ama



Tagalog Medley



Ako ay Lalapit



Purihin Ka Panginoong Hesus



All The Heaven

Few photos from Ian Constantino

a view from the top

Dulce



Pastor Ed Lapiz speaks

These are some amateur videos i found in YouTube showing scenes during the Homecoming last February 17.

This one is from Caloocan Satellite




It was a great worship celebration.. the first time that I saw a great crowd at Folk Arts Theater. I was happy seeing people from different parts of the country (and the world). if I have the re4sources, I'll post some pics soon.

The Professional Regulation Commission on Wednesday announced that 28,924 out of 67,728 passed the Nurse (first timers, repeaters, removals and voluntary retakers of all subjects) Licensure Examination given by the Board of Nursing in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga last December 2007.

The number of passers represents 43.42 percent of the total examinees. It is lower than the 48 percent passing rate in the June 2007 licensure test.

Click here for the complete result

Download Microsoft Word Format

Download pdf format

Congratulations to our new RNs!

DATING is more than what meets the eye…

Let's find our way back into the real thing!

Let's hear as Donita Rose talks about Dating and Love in Christian setting..

Date talk will inspire all singles out there who would want to build godly and lasting relationships. Take heart and be captivated for Romance is not only about love songs and candle-lit dinner. There is more into that..Be amazed as we hear a true to life love story from our very own speakers… Ms. Donita Rose and Mr. Eric Villarama, someday, you might want to have a love story you'll be proud to tell! For further information and inquiries email: malate@victory.org.ph This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it attention email to Jaq or call Victory Malate: 5221212

Saturday February 16, 9AM to 12NN Php 100.00 w/ light snacks.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

- Genesis 2:15 NIV

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.
- Psalm 90:17

There's a group of young professionals in Makati (Philippines) called Thy Marketplace. They have a slogan "work is a calling". What does it mean?

Most people separates spirituality with the secular work. Some are Christians on Sunday and "another person" on office days. Some have to be reminded that work is a sacred calling. Our God is a working God.We too should work like Him and just as what He intended for us.

Our ultimate goal is to glorify our Creator. One way to glorify Him is accomplishing His purpose for us. We are created to serve God. Serving Him is not only done on a Sunday Service but all of the seven days!

Your boss is an agent of the Lord's good purposes. You may not agree with me. Consider yourself a travel agent. As an agent, how do you see your worth in the travel agency that you're working? Expand your imagination. As an agent, you face different kinds of customers. Can you see yourself being used by God in reuniting families from different parts of the world? Parents coming from another country put their trust in you to arrange their flight going to a place to see their kids.What a noble work! Can you see yourself being a channel of foreigners for them to enjoy great sites of your country?

Whether you are a travel or a call center agent, God has a purpose why He put you in that area. You minister to people by meeting their needs. You minister to the company by giving them profits. You minister to yourself. You are paid because of your labor. You minister to God. You are accomplishing His good purposes!

As long as the task is not unethical or will not lead us to sin, we are serving God. Do you know someone (or you mismo) is discouraged with his or her job? Your encouragement may help the person's struggle with work. Help that person know his or her worth in the organization where she belongs.

Hope you realized something. By the way, Thy Marketplace meets every Thursday 7:30pm at 1415 Cityland Hererra Tower Rufino st., Makati City. You may visit their website at www.ThyMarketplace.com

In fairness with Day by Day YAMAN K-O-N-E-K, we also meet every Thursday 7pm at 2F Jollibee Jupiter st., Makati.=)


Work is a ministry and should reflect the beauty of the LORD.

God bless us.

DOON PO SA ATIN - The first ever special joint worship and fellowship of Day by Day Christian Ministries. Join us on February 17, Sunday at Bulwagan ng Panginoon, Folk Arts Theater CCP Complex, Pasay City. Pastor Ed Lapiz will lead us. It will start at 10 in the morning.

If you can't come, watch us live via Yahoo! Messenger. Just add up "dbdcmws" on your list and request to join the conference.


See you.

I'd like to share this nice presentation of "Who Am I" by Casting Crowns from Youtube..




Journal Entries


Debit: God's Love
Credit: Self

http://inspiringentries.blogspot.com/

I live for Jesus, no matter what!



Teen Challenge of Bonifay Boys Ranch performs the skit "Worth It All" by Rita Springer at Family Life Church in Pensacola, FL. West Florida Teen Challenge


Here's the lyrics:

I don't understand Your ways
Oh but I will give
You my songGive
You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
With it You are pulling me closer
And pulling me into Your ways

Now around every corner
And up every mountain
I'm not looking for crowns
Or the water from fountains
I'm desperate in seeking, frantic believing
That the sight of Your face
Is all that I needI will say to You

It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe this
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe this

You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it allI believe this
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it allI believe this



JE #38

Debit: Love of Jesus
Credit: Everything!

I would like to thank everyone who are reading my posts here. I do hope that you are really inspired by my personal reflections, videos, stories and poems that I'm sharing here. It is my desire that each of us will be changed each day for the greater glory of God. This is the very reason that I write.

Today, I received my First Payment from Google Adsense. I got $133.The first 10% of the amount will be given to Lugaw Patrol - a ministry of Day by Day Christian Ministries that feeds the street children of Manila every Sunday afternoon. Some amount will be saved for the expenses of my blogs. A small amount will be shared to other Christian bloggers of our church. I'll be treatin them with a lunch. hehe. Hope you'll be here tomorrow. =)

Again, thank you. Continue to be inspired and be an inspiration to others. God bless us more.

This message was shared by Pastor Ed Lapiz last January 20. I added some of my insights based on my personal realizations.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

-Genesis 2:2

All of us are familiar with the Creation account of Genesis 1. As we open the bible, we can see a working God. God worked for six days. On the seventh day, He rested. Why? Was he tired?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

- Isaiah 40:28

God rested because He was done with the work. Everything was complete. From the light, which is the source of energy, to the sky or space, to the land and seas, to the heavenly bodies, to every living creature (including man), He created them all. On the seventh day, there was a reasonable source of energy and life. There were order and governance. There were two human beings who would manage, promote and maintain order in creation.

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

-Genesis 1:28

God was able to rest because He created the two managers to whom He gave the first commandment, "Rule!". It means to govern. Governance! In Tagalog language, it's equivalent is "Pamamahala" which came from the word "Bahala". Bahala implies responsibility and trust. One would say, "Ako na ang bahala." (I'll take charge). We are confident when we hear these words because we know that the person will o what he promised. Not, "Bahala na."(Come what may). BAHALA can be traced to the word BATHALA (lord). To rule is to govern with responsibility. It is to lord over the creation which God entrusted to humans.

RULE-MAMAHALA-BAHALA-BATHALA-MAMATHALA

The Filipino language has a nice word for government - PAMAHALAAN. I hope this word reflects how the government should act according to the meaning of this word. =)

God rested because humans would and could manage. God governs through delegation and rules through a chain of command. He now works through us! He rested because He is God, not a servant, a maintenance crew or a genie who would obey all our wishes. God rested so He could enjoy His creation! God rested so we could follow His example and we too would rest.

As humans, how can we rest? Like God, we should put everything in order. Let's start in our own room, then to our home, to our our workplace, to the community then to our country (if we are able). I could sleep well on my bed if everything in my room is arranged accordingly. I can write my thoughts if the environment is orderly. I can easily look for things if they are in their proper place. We have peace of mind if everything is in order. If we have peace of mind, we can rest. Like God, we can also rest if we delegate some work to others.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work

- Ecclesiastes 4:9

Have a buddy, a companion to help you in your tasks. A manager can do his work through and with other people. Parents should train their children while they are young. They should be taught household chores as well as paying utility bills. Leaders should train their subordinates who will later replace them.

How to let God rest? First, let us do our part as manager of creation. God has given us all the powers to govern the Earth where we live in. God gave us the authority to manage our home and the environment that surrounds us. Second, let us do everything that is humanly possible. as God has given us the power to do the possible. We should use and develop the talents and strength that we have. Do not over-depend on prayer. Find and move God's power that is WITHIN YOU!

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

-James 2:15-16

If our abilities are not enough, then it's time to ask for miracles. Miracle is asking God to break or intervene with the laws of nature which He seldom do.

LET GOD REST. LET OTHERS REST. LET US ALSO GIVE THE GIFT THE GIFT OF REST TO OURSELVES.

But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." - Habakkuk 2:20

January 18, 2008

What a beautiful morning! I woke up early this day - afraid to be late in our scheduled Young Adults ' Planning Session in Farview. hehe.. I went out to our unit's balcony and witnessed the foggy (was it really fog or smog?) Makati. i never seen that before. i felt i was in Mindanao State University (Marawi City) where each morning is greeted by fog and a bright sunshine. It was amazing, I felt peace from within whenever scenes like this display before my eyes.

I went to the nearest Internet cafe to have my report done for the planning. 7:30 - i hurried off to MRT guadalupe Station to meet my Bro. Ferdie to accompany me on our way to Fairview. We arrived on time at Samaritana - a very solemn place in the heart of East Fairview. Hope you guys could visit the place one of these days. If you want some solitary place in the city, you can go to this place. Enough for that. Samaritana did not pay me for endorsement. Haha..

We were there on time(kanina ko pa nga sinasabi) but the formal session did not start right away. My stomach was struggling for not having my breakfast. I decided to have one delivered by McDonalds. Due to stress (from last night's blogging) and hunger, I experienced headache and pains on my bones. FYI, I'm suffering from a condition called Scoliosis. The pain usually lasts for hours.

Anyways, the session was good.We discussed the past accomplishments and future plans.

After the whole day's activity, the group part waysbringing an inspiration to move on with the ministry that the LORD has entrusted us.

This Sunday is very unusual to my regular Sunday routine where I usually wake up early, rush for the First Service, sing with co-choir members, listen to Pastor Ed Lapiz' sermon, meet some friends and share insights with other Young Adults in the Church.

This time, I decided to worship at Victory Christian Fellowship in Robinsons Galleria even though I felt the pain all over my body.

Thank you for reading my Inroduction. Hehe.. Here we go. My post starts here. The following are my personal reflections from the Pastor's sermon that night.

It was about knowing God's will through our bodies.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1

It is God's will that we offer our bodies to Him. our bodies belong to the Lord. It should not be used for sexual immorality

Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will
destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the
Lord, and the Lord for the body.

1 Corinthians 6:13

Our bodies are not meant for pre-marital sex, for homosexual acts, for masturbation, etc. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should aim day by day to honor this Spirit that lives in us by striving to be pure in all our ways. Honor God with our bodies. Offer ourselves to God. Let us keep our standards of purity high because the body that we have can be used to honor God. And how do we honor God more? - by taking care of this body through balanced diet, regular exercies, etc.

When we are healthy, God can use us for His greater glory. It's hard to reach out to others when we are sick (physically and spiritually). To be healthy (and godly), one must sacrifice some things. What does sacrifice means? Sacrifice is giving up something valuable or important for somebody for something else considered to be of more value.

Jesus, the greatest sacrifice demands the best offering from us. And what could be our best offering for Him? - It is our own life! There is no greater offering than this one. So, let us present our bodies as living sacrifices before God.

To end this post, let me share some lines from a Tagalog worship song:

Ano pa ba ang maihahandog ko,

liban sa buhay kong nanggaling sa Inyo

kung anuman sa sandaling ito'y tangan

at mga bagay na tinuri kong yaman

ito'y hindi pa rin sapat sa alay na nararapat sa Inyo

LIVE LIFE. LIVE FOR GOD!

http://inspiringentries.blogspot.com/ How many times did you make choices today? There are situations where you can easily decide on what to do because that is the right thing to do. Sometimes there is a confusion in making choices. One may decide between the better and the best options. But, Should we confuse ourselves if the options are between good and evil? Robert Frost, an American poet wrote a poem about life's choices.

Two roads diverged in a wood,

and I - i took the one less traveled by

and that has made all the difference

Most people travel on a broad road. People just like the "easy" way - a way that is convenient. Just because everybody is doing it (an evil practice), you will now go with the flow. Jesus is telling us in Matthew to choose the narrow road which leads to life.

You will pass by the narrow road if you stand up against corruption while everybody is involve in it. You will pass by the narrow road if you say "No" to drugs while your friends are consuming it. You will pass by the narrow road if you say, "No" to immoral act while your colleagues say "it's OK".

Life is a matter of choices.

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

-Joshua 24:15

Now, you choose, the god of this world , which could bring you to destruction in afterlife or the LORD who promised to give us an abundant life both now and for eternity.

CHOOSE LIFE TODAY!

This is Bianca's last entry. Be Inspired.

I was drowning because of bright light, as every part of my body and being was suddenly glowing all the same.. I was walking briskly towards the source of the light.. but it seemed that the light came from every corner of the room i was in.. A speck of cold mist dropped on my face.. then I was awake.. my mother was praying in tears beside me in my hospital bed..

I honestly didn't know what to think.. I wanted to continue the dream, and pray it is true, but at the same time I want to continue living and stay with the people dear to me.. My mom exclaimed in praises to God because i just awoke.. little have i known that i have been sleeping for 2 consecutive days.. i said i just had a glimpse of paradise.. more tears fell from my mother's eyes.. i tried my best to cry.. but no tears fell from me.. i know why..

Join me as i recount the best dream of my life..

I was lying in bed, as always, beneath a bright light overhead my hospital bed.. Figures of a woman, which I think was my mom, and a big man that i guess is Dr. Santos, were the last silhouette i saw before i went to deep sleep.. I knew that my eyes were close, yet i'm seeing white light.. something's wrong.. i rubbed my eyes.. yet it is still bright.. i finally accepted it.. i'm dead..

i tried to make up something to what seemed like a bright smoke or cloud (i really can't distinguish).. i was surprised that a being, that i suppose is an angel, made himself out from the thick fog surrounding the place i was in.. his face gleamed like nothing i've ever seen.. he seemed so harmless.. a feeling of comfort and peace stirred right inside me.. he was white.. white as the cloud surrounding him.. with a feeling of security i followed him to somewhere i really don't know where.. heaven i guess.. i tried my best to catch up with him because he's moving fast.. i only realized that i wasn't walking all along.. i don't know how it happened but after a sudden we were in front of a gigantic gate. I reckon the gate was made of diamond.. jewelried by precious stones i've never seen in my entire life.. the gate opens as we arrive, something like an automatic door.. little by little the whole thing reveals itself to me.. the floor was shimmering with light, i knew it was made of gold.. i looked around.. the place was boundless.. the measurement is endless.. what i see on my right can be also seen on my left.. i dont see a ceiling.. nor the gate that was supposedly behind me.. i knew at once that i can't go back..

i was crying.. but no tears drop.. i never felt so much at peace in my entire life.. i've never been so much filled with joy.. the pain that i had because of my disease all vanished in an instant.. the comfort of being free from any pain that i so much missed, i felt again at that time.. right there and then i made a decision.. i said to myself, "Lord I want to stay.."

i was walking (or floating, i really can't tell..) through the golden road.. i was looking at myself through my reflection on the road.. i felt so beautiful as ever.. i then realized that inspite of all the light that surrounds the place, i cast no shadow.. i realized in an instant that darkness has no place in heaven.. no more pain.. no more regrets.. no more remorse..

suddenly a still voice whispered to me.. "You've never seen enough!".. in an instant my heart lept with joy.. i knew what or who is beyond this what seemed to be an endless road i was walking through.. "at last," i said to myself, "i'll see the love of my life.." then all my earthly memories rushed through my mind.. all the pain.. all the regrets.. all the loneliness.. all the sacrifices and hardships.. "IT'S WORTH IT!", i finally declared..

i walked past the golden steps.. my heart trembling in anticipation to meet Jesus.. i never been so excited like this.. the nearer i get, the more brighter the light becomes.. I was drowning because of bright light, as every part of my body and being was suddenly glowing all the same.. I was walking briskly towards the source of the light.. but it seemed that the light came from every corner of the room i was in.. A speck of cold mist dropped on my face.. then I was awake..


Bianca 12/21/07

I'm sorry for this delayed post. Was so busy with work last weekend. As promised here are the last two post of Bianca on Christianster.

God Is Just 100 Yards Away..

John 21:7-8

7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.


Have you ever felt so far from God?

Have you ever felt that God is no longer listening?

Well, I did.


At the first month from the day i discovered my disease, i felt as if God had forgotten me.. I never felt so far from the Lord in my entire life.. Little have I known that God is just 100 yards away..

The apostles at that time also felt the same thing. They felt that Jesus had left them, so they decided to go "on their own" and catch fish, since there's no "Jesus" anymore who'll feed them.. It is surprising that the best fisherman of his days-- Peter, caught no fish that night. Then it is dawn, just when the disciples have given all hopes to catch a bounty, Jesus at last made his presence known. He asked the disciples to drop their nets to their right. And they followed straight away. They didn't argue with Jesus and said, "well Jesus, we've just been through every corner if this lake and there's no fish! Then you're telling us now that there is fish in "here"?

Friends, how many times have we done "our" thing and not God's, because we "felt" that God is away.. but like what happened to the disciples, our actions away from God are all futile.. Friend I want you to realize this TRUTH.. the farthest that God can be away from us is just 100 yards.. Jesus didn't leave his disciples when they went into the lake wanting fish.. He's just on the shore watching them.. the same as us, he'll never leave us even on the most trying times of our lives.. he's always on watch.. then after realizing that we can't do anything apart from Him, he'll make his presence known.. but it is saddening how long it takes christians to realize this truth.. Jesus is asking the same thing, cast your net on your right.. Even though it felt as if it will not bring any good since you already tried all to resolve your problem, still Jesus asks you to cast your nets.. You've done your thing, now let him do his.. Just follow Jesus' lead and you'll never be lost..

Knowing that God is always on the watch like a caring father to his son must bring comfort to your troubling hearts.. it must bring peace to your broken homes.. it must bring healing to your weakend bodies.. 'till then.. God bless!

P.S.
I really appreciate those encouraging words and prayers from you guys.. I'll keep on fighting but promise me you'll keep on fighting too.. Thanks!


Bianca - 12/17/07

Soon we'll be able to watch clips from Pastor Ed's sermons on Youtube!

Visit this URL : http://www.youtube.com/edlapiz

Update: The team has not uploaded additional videos yet. In the mean time, you may want to watch our Praise and Worship Videos here.

Some of Pastor Ed's sermons in mp3 format are here .

Thanks. God bless you.

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Pitu-pito, Seven Big Steps to Happiness and Well-being

Yesterday, two shocking news reached my ears. Tears streamed down from my eyes as those stories came flashing again and again on my head. I was sad but happy. Why?

The first news: Bianca Morales died last Sunday. Remember her? I posted her message here last month. You can read it here. I read a post on Christianster.com about what happened. She was an inspiration to me. She's the one who encouraged me to continue writing on this blog. Bianca's friend, Olivia Sayo posted a message on Christianster which is reproduced below. If you want to leave a comment, you may click this link for the original post on Christianster.

Second, my sister informed me yesterday that she's pregnant. And i don't want to talk about that here.

Whatever the situation, I am convinced that everything works together for good to those who love God.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Bianca taught me a lesson that life is so short. I should make the most in every opportunity. I will not waste my time, money and effort for things that are not important. Life should be lived for the greater glory of God alone. And never will I take part of the glory that belongs to Him alone.

My sister's situation taught me to be understanding. All of us have our own weaknesses. There are times that we are strong in one area and weak in another. Judgment has no place in here. I think that's all for now. I dont want to talk about this topic.

I'm happy because Bianca has joined our Creator and I still praise God for His goodness in my life. Day by day, new lessons are being taught by Him. And im so grateful for that.

Tomorrow, God willing, I will post Bianca's last two posts before she died. As promised above, here is the post of Ms. Olivia Sayo:

In Memoriam Of Bianca Morales [Bianca_fella] (Oct 30, 1984 - Jan 6, 2008)

It is with great regret but also of great joy to inform you that Bianca already joined her creator on January 6, 2008 at the Asian Hospital at excatly 3:56am. She died of multiple organ failures brought about by cancer that tortured her body day in day out.

I am Olivia Sayo, a friend of Bianca. She gave me her password to her christianster account and allowed me to view her profile. Within the past few days, I was the one accessing the account. Bianca would like to extend her apologies for not replying to her friends here since she was no longer able to type with her fingers and eventually lost her vision.

Bianca's death came earlier than expected. All of us were in despair but also joyful that she now have come to experience her dream. No more tears and no more pain.

I would like to thank, on behalf of the late Bianca Morales, those people who never stopped praying and encouraging her through the most trying times of her life.

As our token of thanks to Bianca, may I request those people whom Bianca's life have touched to leave your euology or last words on comments of this sharing. Please share how Bianca's life have moved and changed you in any way. I believe that Bianca would love to hear that.

Thank you Bianca, my friend.

Olivia Sayo

Leave your comments here.

Faith without work is dead..

- James 2:20

While writing this, I witnessed on the TV a report in Review Philippines about a woman who has compassion on the less fortunate people. She usually gives grocery items every New Year's Eve where everyone is busy preparing for their Media Noche. This is an example of FAITH that is working. This is the faith that God desires for all of us. god doesn't want us to stop at level 1 wherein we only prayed the sinner's prayer. We should work out our salvation.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12

The faith that we have in Jesus should bear fruit. This faith should manifest in us. Jesus said, " Let your light shine before men.. "If our faith is genuine, it will manifest through our good works. Faith leads to action and faith in God leads to obedience. To have a working faith, we have to refer to the Bible and test whether we are obedient or not.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

- Matthew 5:3

Many are confused by the term "poor in spirit". The truth is, most of us are familiar with this phrase. To be poor in spirit is to be humble before God, to surrender to him, to accept God's standard and follow them. It is to put God's will first - not our will. We should let God lead us in all we think or do 24/7.

God is the Real Boss. He's the one that we should aim to please in every task that we are assigned. The verse above simply says, we should give our best regardless of the pay we receive. We're giving our best even though nobody is praising the job we've done.

For a supermarket cashier on a Christmas eve, it means smiling at the customers and treat them with great respect. For the internet surfer, it is the courage to resist the temptation to visit the web's red district. For the manager, it is to put people above profits. For the call center agent, it is to answer the 999th call with great enthusiasm just like the first call.

Why? Because when we are poor in spirit, we no longer work for some company, for the pay or the promotion. It is working for the One who created our ability to work. We can experience the kingdom of heaven while here on earth. Being poor in spirit enables us to experience this kingdom within.

Jesus said in Luke 17:20-22

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

We need to change our mindset towards work. We work because we want to glorify God. Let's ask God to give us a sense of purpose for everything that we do. ;)

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
- 1 Corinthians 10:31

"Create in me a pure heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me"

-Psalm 51:10

The whole Psalm chapter 51 is a cry of David after he committed his sin with Bathseba. When we come to God, he desires the truth from us. He wants us to be open to Him. What good or evil thing can we hide from Him? Nothing!

Psalm 139:3 says


You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

I know of a certain man who would review his whole day before going to sleep. He thinks of everything that he did - in action, words that he uttered and even the thoughts that conceived on his mnd. Then, he would ask for forgiveness for all the things that offended God and others.

Nothing is hidden from God. Before worshipping the Lord, we should be clean before His eyes. The Lord does not delight in evil (even evil thoughts0. We can't have fellowship with Him if we cherish a sin in our hearts.

David was a great man of God. Each time he commits sin, he humbly go back to God. God wants reconciliation each time a sin is committed. Many are ashamed if they commit a sin against God. But God said in Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

God can accept us with open-arms each time we ask for forgiveness. In application, at the end of the day, we should review what we did for the whole day and search our heart for any sin that might have offended God and other people. ;)