Encouragement Means a Lot

I read this from the compilation of G12 readings that we have... Read on...

Cell leadership can be a wearisome journey. It’s not for the faint-hearted. The fact is that members often don’t show up, evangelism fails, babies get sick, events fill the calendar, and bosses require extra hours. Cell leadership involves making phone calls, developing new leaders, evangelism, and administration. In the face of so many tasks and problems, how are you supposed to keep the cell leader alive, well, and ready to follow God?

The answer is encouragement. A coach who encourages can make the difference between success and failure, between the leader continuing—and eventually multiplying the cell—and throwing in the towel. This ministry of encouragement takes on additional importance because it has the potential to have long-term, widespread impact on many people, not just on an individual cell group leader.

"Find the one thing that you believe is the potential leader’s greatest asset, and then give 100 percent encouragement in that area" (John Maxwell).

Take time to encourage someone today... Its impact is more than what you imagine.

Swimming with my kids...

I felt really cold... but the kids? They don't care at all.. They just enjoy the cold water with the cool breeze.

I call it cold... They call it fun... Hahaha...

We enjoy our times together!

Discovering the Real Thing

Last Monday, July 17, 2006, I got the opportunity to visit the pioneer in the spa industry here in the Philippines. The owner, who happens to be Carlo's friend, of The Palm Garden Spa in Ortigas gave us complimentary Premium Massage package. They are the ones who dared to change the image of massage and sauna parlor in the Philippines way back in 1992. They are the ones who introduced the concept of having separate male and female quarters. They are the first to offer private rooms for premium packages. They are also the first to have a jacuzzi (or whirlpool) aside from the sauna or steam bath.

They provide an excellent service... superb! I was given a private room. I had my own shower and jacuzzi which I can enjoy for as long as I want. My therapist came and gave me drinks to enjoy while in the jacuzzi reading my BIble (yeah, my BIble got wet!), with some relaxing background music. Then, she came back after I took a shower and got ready for my massage. The massage is excellent! It is very relaxing and rejuvenating. Then, my therapist left me and allowed me to sleep... for as long as I want. Then, she came back when I woke up and gave me some stretching which is really, really good! Then, she gave me another drink as I dress up after my massage. I felt so rested and so relaxed... what we exactly expect when we go to the spa.

It is my first time to experience such treatment. What I like the most is having a room of my own with no one to see me and bother me... My introversion side is very happy and satisfied! I really liked it... and for that, I'm definitely going back there. Try it yourself!

Faith Without Boundaries

I just browsed through the updates of our model church, MCI in Bogotha, Colombia. It's amazing, mind-blowing and faith-rising to know that at present they have a total of 55,000 cells for Men's Net, Women's Net and Youth Net. WOW!!! When I read that, it's like there's an explosion that happened in my heart... an explosion that broke down the walls and boundaries that my faith had.

God brought me back to the time when in my devotions, He gave me a simple but very powerful verse in Luke 1:47 "For nothing is impossible with God." That morning when I received that word, I felt the Father feeding my faith in Him. The Father broke open the prison of impossibilities that held my faith. It was a time when He started to show me that there is going to be healing, breakthrough in finances, opening of new cells, homes, offices, schools, outreaches, a big venue for Sunday Service, new full-time support staff and many others. He showed me a lot of things to believe for... as He keeps whispering to me, "nothing will be impossible, My child." And I saw them coming to pass one by one... AMAZING!!

I realized that before God unfolds His miracles and wonders, He will begin by stirring up our faith, fanning its flames, breaking its limits, destroying its boundaries and giving it a new picture of what to believe for... Before He can show us His mighty deeds, He will first prepare our faith. Because it is our faith that receives the powerful deeds of our Mighty God.

Healing... We experienced miraculous healings during our Women's Encounter. And I believe that this will keep on going. We will not stop laying our hands on the sick, for they shall recover.

Financial breakthroughs... Both the Women's and Men's Encounter have excess money ready for the next Encounter. Take note, there was an EXCESS in the finances. God did not just provide what we needed, He gave us more!!! Plus, we are able to purchase the equipment that we need for our transfer to our new home for the Sunday Service. Our family is not poor!! Because our Father is not poor!! Rich Dad!!!

Openings... Several people are now opening new cells in the homes, schools, dorms and offices. We stopped counting how many people are being won, we're just trying to keep track of the number of cells. (Please don't ask me yet, we do not have the final official count of the cells we have right now.) A few weeks ago, Ptr Carlo also started a weekly Bible study in an office in Taft Avenue. We are surrounded by a lot of open doors for the Kingdom... Good thing, we have a pool of people in the School of Leaders ready to open their own cells. We're living in exciting times! The nation inside each of us is now being born!

Big home for the Sunday Service... We are coming out of our small coccoon in Kamias. We are now going to have our Sunday Service in SM North EDSA Cinema 5. It is really big! Big enough to accomodate all of us... and much, much more. We have a huge room for growth and multiplication. Ready for the multitudes!

New support staff... Praise God! There are more hands to support us in taking care of our growing DMI-Manila Family. Three beautiful ladies took on the challenge to be part of our dream team. Our two new full-time support staff are Herlene Cawagdan and Mafel Esperida. We also have a new part-time support staff, Shiela Austero.

There are a lot more to unfold before us. Our Father will continue to show His mighty power in our midst, in our nation and the nations around us. The Father is stirring up our faith to believe Him for more... believe Him for ALL! Because with our Father, nothing is impossible. What our mind cannot conceive, His hand can give. What our faith can believe, He will cause us to receive.

It all starts when He begins to fuel the flames of our faith...

"We all need intimate moments with the Father so that we can enter into that dimension of faith where we can change our circumstances and see the Father working in power." Cesar Castellanos

We're Moving... Again!

After the victorious and awesome Women's and Men's Encounters, we're now moving to our new Worship place. Starting this Sunday, July 16, 2006, our Worship Service will be at SM North EDSA Cinema 5, at 10:00AM. Please spread the news to all your cellmates, friends, family, relatives, loved ones... yes, even strangers!

We are just being true to our battlecry this year, "Ready for the Multitudes!" Our home in Kamias is not that "ready" for the multitudes in the sense that it cannot accomodate our crowd in the Worship Service. But it will still be our home for our expanding and growing Support Staff, as well as our training, schools and Nyt Life. But it won't be long that we'll need to transfer to a much bigger home... when God tells us to move...again!

The Ladies Get Ready for God's Move

Every event in our lives is a page in history that is being written. Last weekend (June 30 to July2) is one memorable event written in the pages of the history of the Women's Net. It was out first ever Women's Encounter. We used to have our Encounters having a mixed crowd of men and women. But taking heed to our pastor's advice of having homogenous encounters for a more powerful ministering, we decided to do it this time. The preparation time is really memorable for me personally.

During our preparation, I sought God on who will be the Encounter team for the Women's Encounter. I had the first meeting with my disciples only. But the week after that, the Lord showed me that all my disciples as well as their annex people are all to be brought in to the team. So, for the next two Encounter team meetings, I called for all the women in the School of Leaders (these ladies make the annex cells). We had a great time of worshipping and seeking God. We allowed our Father to minister to us individually. There are several whom the Father brought into the rest of His arms. They experienced peace and calmness in the body, soul and spirit. There are others whom the Lord has restored the joy and laughter of a child. There were several who were laughing in the spirit as their childlike faith is being restored.

Then I released the word that God has been placing in my heart... "that He is breaking the yoke of slavery upon us and that He is releasing us into sonship." The Lord reminded us that we do not work in the ministry as slaves, rather as sons who are loved by the Father so much. And that we need to deepen our love-relationship and our faith in our Father. The Lord ministered powerfully among us that we will never forget for the rest of our lives. The love of the Father is so real, His embrace is an experience and not just a thought.

Finally, we had our anointing service in June 29 (the night before the Encounter). The spirit of the women were so hungry and so ripe to receive much from the Father. We had a time of intercession for all who are coming to experience God. We sensed open heavens... It's really wide open! The floodgates of heaven are open wide and ready to pour out a fresh river of living water.

We received the word in 1 Samuel 10:6-7 (I published a separate blog on this word). I just felt that the ladies are ready for something deeper and stronger than what they've been having. Then, I released the word about the Father's eagerness to anoint His sons that they may be released into their full identity as prophets of God, a mighty echo of the Father's voice. And as I laid my hands upon each of them, the Father released powerfully His Spirit upon each of them. Bodies are being thrown in every direction as the very presence of God comes to invade each temple. We felt fire has come upon us, sanctifying our lives some more, purifying us and making us ready for the Father's use. Fresh fire has come upon our hearts that we cannot deny. We are all ablazed and excited for what God is up to for the Encounter the next day. We knew then that the Father has something amazing in store for the coming weekend.

During the whole preparation time for the Women's Encounter, I saw a different sense of seriousness among the ladies in our church. They were so desperate for something new, something deeper, something out of the ordinary. I felt how they seek God even in their personal times that when we come together, the deep wells are powerfully springing up like nothing can hold it! They grow wild when they are in the presence of God! They just won't let go of the Father!!! And the Father generously pour out His love like bathing us with showers of His unconditional love.

Feels so fresh, clean and free... The ladies are ready for God's move...even beyond the Women's Encounter. We're ready to bring in and receive the multitudes!

For you did not get the spirit of servants again to put you in fear, but the spirit of sons was given to you, by which we say, Abba, Father. Romans 8:15.

When God Tells You To Move...Again

The people of God is a holy, portable people. God wants His people to be portable because He promises them to be ever multiplying and spreading. He promises us to be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5, 22:17, 26:4). And He also promises us to be like the dust of the earth, a widely spreading substance (Genesis 13:16, 28:14). This is a promise of multiplication. He does not want to keep us few, He wants us always adding in numbers and constantly spreading.

Everytime He would lead us to make a decision and take a step of faith, it is always consistent with this promise of multiplication.

Our church has been moving from one place to another eversince we started eight years ago. We experienced how it really is to be a portable people, bringing all the sound equipment and instruments wherever we would go. It was not always easy, but it has always been exciting because every transfer we made caused significant growth among us. We've experienced worshipping God in different venues like corporate building, garage, restaurant and hotels. We proved to be true what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, that time will come that it will not matter where we worship because what will matter is how we worship because the Father seeks worshippers who will worship Him in the true way of the Spirit. Yeah, it did not really matter where we were, we just worship God with all our heart, soul and might.

It is so exciting to look back and remember the goodness of the Lord that we have tasted and seen. From the constant move from one place to another, until the Lord allowed us to settle in our Life Center in Kamias, Quezon City. At last, we found a home...

Now, we're in a new chapter in this story that God is writing about us. After almost three years of being planted and settled in our Life Center in Kamias, God is reminding us once again that we are to be a portable people who keep on multiplying and spreading. We've already outgrown our worship place. There is no more room for multiplication. Our two services are really full-packed week after week, even during the semestral break when most of the students were out for vacation in their provinces. God has indeed shown His favor and love among us. He has been saving and transforming many lives right before our eyes.

We're now in our half-time for 2006...It's a time to evaluate and assess how the first half has been. It's time to identify what we need to continue, what we need to re-strengthen and what we need to give up or stop doing...

The schools including the Post Encounter and the School of Leaders ran really well. We have an increasing number of enrolees in each class. We have teachers who have dedicated their lives and time to really build up good quality training of our members through the Ladder of Success. However, we could not fit in our church anymore, so we have decided to rent the school facilities of our friend-partner church People of Grace in Kamuning. It's amazing how the Father would open doors at the right time. His favor is lavishly on us!

The Encounters are running smoothly as well. We have scheduled our Encounters for the whole year. We have learned how to run it effectively and powerfully, Bogotha way. Our present Life Center can still be our Encounter Center.

The Nyt Life is making waves also in winning the yuppies as well as college students who are the outgoing and gimik-oriented type. The Destiny Cafe (a.ka. Life Center) is also filled up every Friday. The Lord keeps on adding those who are being saved week after week. Talents are being unleashed as well. Glory to God!

The Life Meetings (evangelistic fellowship of the youth arm) had to move also, from UP Bahay ng Alumni with a capacity of 70 to the Church of the Risen Lord with a capacity of 200. After only a few weeks of being there, the place is filled up as well! We will be needing to move to a bigger place or have two fellowships each week to accomodate the number of people going to the weekly Life Meetings. Yeah right, God promises to multiply us as numerous as the stars in the sky and the dust of the earth. We could not find a place that can contain us!

How about the Sunday Services? We cannot definitely stay in our Life Center anymore... We cannot fit in there anymore. God is definitely reminding us again, "you are a portable people." God is telling us to move again, definitely to a bigger place where His promise of multiplication can be fulfilled.

---to be continued...

What Does He Think Of Me?

We are so used to hearing people say negative things about us. It's good (actually, not that good...) if you directly hear it, but it's really disappointing if you hear it from someone else. That means you are not just thought of negatively, you are talked about negatively! This usually bring about paranoia, especially among women. It makes us think that someone is thinking negatively about us. It makes us constantly ask, "what does he/she think of me?" And it damages our self-image. This is really hard. I've experienced this for so many years... until I met the Lord and He restores my security.

In John 5:45, the Lord says "Put out of your minds the thought that I will say things against you to the Father..." This verse really ministered to me. It's like God is telling me (rather convincing me) to stop thinking that He has anything against me. When I meditated on this word, all the negative thoughts about myself are gone. I should not think negatively about myself.

Come to think about it... Why think negatively about yourself when even God Himself does not have anything against you?!! And why think negatively about other people when God does not think negatively of them also? Hmmm, makes a lot of sense!

God will never think and speak negatively about anybody. Our God is a positive God. He has positive thoughts about us. And He talks positively about us.

So, the next time you would ask yourself "what does He think of me?" you know the answer... Whatever it is that He is thinking about you, it is definitely something positive!

Paralyzed Woman Healed!!!

God is so good and He is all-powerful!!! Last weekend, we had our first Women's Encounter in Destiny Ministries International in Manila. One of our participants suffered recently from stroke. She cannot move half of her body, and she needed someone to assist her walk, stand and sit. But during the session on Deliverance, the Lord healed her. She was able to raise her arm for the first time! Then, a little later, she was able to move her leg as well. And she testified later that she was able to dance during the Praise & Worship for the first time. Now, she can walk fast and without assistance. Praise God!!!

When God's presence invades us, His power starts to work among us!

Jesus healed many in the past. But He is not just the God of the past, He is the God of the present and the God of forevermore. He will never fail us. He will always be with us. Glory to God!!!