Category Archives: Advocacy

A Letter To My Father

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This is my biological Dad. Happy Father’s Day, Daddy! 🙂

This post may be a tad late for the Father’s Day celebration, but I was led by the Spirit to write this now. And I believe this will testify to yet another living testimony of God’s grace and love that run throughout all the generations of this world and the generations to come.

I am confident that downloading the movie The Shawshank Redemption (1994) from my brother’s hard drive two days ago where I got this inspiring quote from is not a choice by chance.

“I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice.” – Red, The Shawshank Redemption

This was followed by a leading to one article I read while browsing in my Facebook news feed entries yesterday entitled 10 Songs To Strengthen Your Marriage which was a breather after going through quite some rough challenges lately when it comes to relational issues. It then finally led me to reading about the author of the article and her favorite Christian movies, one of them is Letters To God (2010).

I was prodded to watch it as I haven’t seen it and after crying buckets of tears and silently praying to God in my heart since I totally can relate to every scene in the movie, I was prompted to write this article. This will be my first and most important Father’s Day greeting I have written in my 30 years of existence to our one and only beloved and Greatest Father of all, GOD.

They are all not a coincidence. God has a plan for everything and for each and every one of us. That, I am sure of. So here goes my simple letter.

Dear Father God,

You have seen my struggles and yet you have opened my eyes to see the struggles of others too. It is hard to love others through their imperfections while dealing with my own and yet You teach me how to love like how You loved us every single day. I can only express my utmost gratitude in this short letter of mine because despite of the pain, the tears and the heartbreaks, You made me see the beauty behind it all.

You have made me see the truth, the “whys” and the “hows” of the existence of this and that from the tangible to the not so tangible. Most importantly, You have showed me that living life without You is empty, pointless and meaningless. Through it all, it is only the Cross that You have taught me to see, to look up to and then have a different perspective of this world and the things around me. 

As much as I pray for the salvation of those around me, I actually pray for the salvation of everyone in this world. The world needs Your healing, Father. It needs more of Your love which never falters day in and day out for as long as there is a single form of life in this world. The Heavens and the Earth are all Yours. You have showered us with this magnificence to reveal to us that indeed, no other person could ever bridge those two together except through Your Son Jesus Christ whom You have risen from the dead who then became our way towards eternity. 

You can see each and every heart in this Earth, Father, and I pray that You would continue to open them hearts and shine Your light upon them. There is nothing I could pray far too deeply right now than to let it be known to Your people how much they are loved by You for we are your precious children. I will continue to sing praises and worship You, my Father, as Your daughter. And I will love you as my Father who is always there for me and always will be until the end of time.

All these I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus,

Amen.

2 Corinthians 3:3

 “Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.”

10 Songs To Strengthen Your Marriage

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I stumbled across this article in my Facebook news feed and I thought it best to share it here as it is a compilation of some of the uplifting videos I have watched regarding Christian marriages. May it also uplift you one way or the other, married or not. 🙂

Here is the link to the article: http://www.hearitfirst.com/news/10-songs-to-strengthen-your-marriage

English? Me? No More

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(This is a post Independence Day tribute.)

May isang beses na ako’y tinanong: “Tin, para saan pa nga ba ang English?”

Marahil ito ay dala ng maling paniniwala na ang wikang Ingles ay lenggwahe ng mga nasa alta sosyedad or the elite of the society and mga scholars and professionals.

Nagtapos ako ng kursong BA English Studies sa Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura at napabilang sa isang academic organization na UP Lingua Franca. Base sa mga pagtuturo sa amin bilang English Studies majors, ang ibig sabihin ng “lingua franca” ay common language.

At ‘yun ang pakay ng pagkakaroon ng wikang Ingles – it bridges cultural barriers across the world. Kung ako ay tatanungin bakit kailangan pa natin maki-ayon sa kultura ng ibang tao at magkaroon ng interaksyon sa ibang parte ng mundo, para na rin akong tinanong ng “Alin ba ang gusto mo, bumalik sa makalumang primitive ages o sariwain ang makabagong panahon sa pamamagitan ng malinaw na pakikipag-komunikasyon?”

A common language means hindi lamang ito para sa mga mayayaman. On the contrary, it actually seeks to unify and never to diversify. It is for everybody’s use and advantage at kailanman hindi sukatan ang galing sa paggamit ng wikang Ingles sa katalinuhan ng isang tao sa pangkahalatan. That is, if IQ is concerned. May ibang aspeto ng pagaaral kung saan hindi lang ang galing sa tatas ng pagbigkas ng wikang Ingles at sa lawak ng mga salitang Ingles na alam ang magpapatunay sa isang tao na sya ay matalino.

Sa usapang “conyo,” kami noon ay binalaan ng mga propesor namin sa paggamit ng ganitong uri ng lenggwahe. Para sa kanila, combining two languages in a manner that does not sound correct in terms of syntax and sentence structure only becomes an abuse on both the English and the Filipino languages.

Nawawala ang katas ng bawat wika and its identity as two separate languages carrying in it its own beauty. Ideas are also thwarted when English and Tagalog are used in a “conyo” way. And once again, it is tagged as the language of the elite.

Which, I believe, is a misconception nowadays. Ginagamit sya na pagkakataon ngayon para mapabilang sa elite society. Hindi maaaring maging pamantayan ng alinmang wika ang pagiging matatas sa lenggwaheng “conyo.” ‘Yun lamang at akala ng karamihan speaking the language is “cool” thus mas accepted ka sa social circle that you want to fit in. And came the modern label for this language as “lenggwahe ng mga maaarte” – lahat ng mga ito ay hasty generalizations lamang at nangangailangan pa rin ng masinsinang pagaaral para mapatunayan kung ito nga ay totoo o hindi.

Ngunit may mga paraan gaya na lamang nitong sentence na ito wherein I was able to combine both the English and the Tagalog languages in a way that is not offensive ang dating at hindi masakit sa pandinig.

Ang pagkakaroon ng kalayaan sa pagpapahayag ay walang kinalaman sa uri ng wika na iyong ginamit o ginagamit. Halimbawa na lamang itong akda na ito, produkto ito ng pagpapahayag ng aking sariling mga saloobin na hindi man masasabing ito ang tama ngunit may layon namang magbigay ng ibang perspektibo at pananaw pagdating sa lenggwahe ng Ingles.

Practice using English at all times for it will connect you to the world. And yet speak in Filipino if you want your culture to be preserved. Once it is learned, it cannot be unlearned. For that is how a language develops throughout the years – one language being born after the other, a fusion of all types of languages and yet the basics will remain the same.

P.S.

Ang layunin ko talaga sa artikulong ito ay ang hindi ako mabansagang tumalikod sa pagmamahal sa aking sariling wika at ang mailahad ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag o freedom of expression. 🙂

Project Memories

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Something to spearhead my next project. I guess you already guessed what it is. Stay tuned my beloved readers! 😉

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Dried flowers from my brother’s wedding last April 25, 2015.

Living Without Fear

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Everyday we are constantly bombarded with worries that already became natural of us – a bad habit actually.

I grew up with a lot of fears. I was brought up shielded in the comforts of our own home as a child knowing so little of the world outside. When I grew older, I brought it with me and it reflected in the decisions I make and have made.

So for now, allow me to categorize my fears according to my past, present and future:

Past

1. How will I be able to relinquish from it?
2. How can I keep it from affecting my present and future?
3. What if my past mistakes will be made known?
4. What if they continue to haunt me?

Present

1. What if one of these days I found out my partner cheated on me for the last couple of years that we were together?
2. What if I didn’t accomplish much before I get old?
3. What if I don’t bear children?
4. Am I credible enough to share the Gospel knowing that I am not perfect?

Future

1. What if I could not protect my children from the evil forces of this world and the negative influences?
2. What if I lose everything I have?
3. Will I be admitted in heaven when I die?

Those questions posit an image of me cowering in fear. If I am to illustrate it, it would look like this:

It is a bubble thought that is too huge it makes you feel smaller and smaller every minute that you think of it. And then when the weight becomes too unbearable, you now ask this:

“What can I do?”

Honestly, there is so little that we can do when it comes to our fears. For rereading those questions, you will realize that they don’t and cannot give us certain answers. That is, if what you mean by acting on it is finding a practical solution for it that you could apply.

As a born again Christian now, I still feel those nagging fears creeping inside me every now and then. I have mentioned before that worrying is a bad habit to break. And yet the only difference before and now when it comes to handling my fears is that I have a more grounded source of hope every time they start to get the best part of me by connecting with God through a prayer and the Scripture.

Allowing your fears to take control of you will only get you that far in life. It limits you, it takes the life out of you. Thus, in my social media accounts and even in my phone, this photo will sum up how it feels to live without fear and what you need to live that way. When I see it everyday, it assures me, it secures me and it gives me hope.

Nothing in this world is ever in our control – not even our own life. And it will stay that way for as long as we live. We are the ship, God is the captain who will steer us across waves of doubt and storms of fear and bring us to a place of peace. 🙂

And this verse will sum this all up:

John 1:5 NLT

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

She Let Go

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SHE LET GO by Rev. Safire Rose

She let go.

Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of the fear. 

She let go of the judgments. 

She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. 

She let go of the committee of indecision within her. 

She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.

Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice.

She didn’t read a book on how to let go. 

She didn’t search the scriptures.

She just let go. 

She let go of all of the memories that held her back. 

She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. 

She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go.

She didn’t journal about it.

She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.

She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.

She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.

She just let go.

She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.

She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.

She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.

She didn’t call the prayer line.

She didn’t utter one word.

She just let go.

No one was around when it happened.

There was no applause or congratulations.

No one thanked her or praised her.

No one noticed a thing.

Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort.

There was no struggle.

It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.

It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be.

A small smile came over her face.

A light breeze blew through her.

And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.

(A beautiful poem this is. I can only wish I write as beautifully and as striking as this.)

Free and Forgiven

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“God breaks us apart so we can be whole in Him.”

Far too often read and said in any faith-motivating speech or article. And yet I only got to take in the gist of it all now in this season.

God breaks our hearts open so we could become vulnerable. It is through our vulnerability that we become aware of our weaknesses. In our weaknesses we then become aware that we need a God who will help us overcome them weaknesses.

In this moment of vulnerability we are put in a crucial spot of choosing whether to let the enemy deceive us and win or choose God and be guided.

Oftentimes the enemy’s powerful weapon is deception and his perfect tool to accomplish it is your past. Sometimes your past will come again just before your eyes. And you have two things in your hand:

1. You let it destroy your present by feeling guilty and shameful once again.

OR.

2. You can choose to dismiss it because you are now free and forgiven – if you have been saved already.

I must say I was bordering number 1 to the point that my faith began to slacken. Fear overtook and then it just dawned on me that I haven’t attended church for a while now due to commitments, a busy schedule and  a lot of intervening factors that I didn’t see them coming including the conflicts in my personal relationships that aggravated the disconnect in faith.

But God is faithful. He doesn’t give you something wherein that something will be of no good use to you. He sometimes uses them in circumstances that you least likely expect. I shared to my fiance the feeling of disconnection I have lately and that I feel I am not entitled to be in church anymore because my old self is coming back and he was also a witness of that. He has seen the kind of rage I used to have and the old bad habits overtaking me for the most part.

Yet it was him that I least expect to say that “the more that we have to go to church.” And I was shocked to hear it coming from him. Definitely not him whom I am urging to join a bible study group and a one to one discipleship so he would be born again but he declined saying it is not yet the perfect time. Not him whom I consider as not yet a devoted believer based on my own standards.

And yet again, God made me realize at that moment that my fiance is also my brother in Christ because he is His precious child too. It is not for me to judge why he has been given to me or whether he is the 1 or from the 99.

We went to church and once again I felt refreshed and renewed. But came more pressing issues, the wedding. Ideally, the engagement period should last for 6 months utmost according to the Marriage Preparation Seminar we attended in church. And this month is our 6th month as a couple. The temptation is getting strong but we cannot pull off a church wedding this year. Came another option – have a civil wedding.

But my constant question came out of fear – “Will I forever be unequally yoked?” There is no more turning back after the wedding – it is the real deal. They say that a husband/wife can make or break you. He wasn’t able to join a group in church whom he can consider as his spiritual family through his fellow brothers in Christ before we get married.

I was beginning to lose hope in connecting him with a spiritual family who would help him foster a deeper relationship with the Lord. Because I know I can never change Him and all God can through a spiritual family. It will never be enough that we attend church.

And while I was brooding over the options we have, asking God, praying to God, came a thought that never ever crossed my mind until now. When we get married, I will no longer be attending my bible study group with fellow single sisters in Christ but will be joining a couples’ bible study group. Chances are high that he will be attending it with me. Because he knows how vital it is for me to attend a bible study group and I plan to have it before our usual church service. And that answers my question.

There is still hope that he will be saved. 

And having this in mind, I can only shout praises of honor and glory to Him. Indeed, my little, human mind will never ever grasp God’s bigger plans and what is to come. I can only wait when He instructs and reveals all in His perfect time. I asked him a couple days ago if he is interested to join a couple’s bible study group and he said, “yes.” And for now, what I can only do is continue praying that God will keep His beautiful promises for us both as a couple and that we may grow spiritually together along and through other fellow couples in Christ. 🙂

Indeed, the way that every person is saved is very different from the other. I was so clueless before and so focused on the problem that I never noticed God is showing me there is ALWAYS hope through Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the light. And now I understand too why when I had my bible study group for fellow single sisters in Christ, I have a co leader. She will be taking in charge of the group when the right time comes for me to leave the group. It will be heartbreaking but I am also praying I get to keep my fellowship with them even if I’m in a new season already.

I was in utmost humility as I suddenly remembered this verse all through this:

Matthew 8:26

” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.”

Indeed, I have so little faith and yet I am always and forever will be grateful God is faithful, He gives me PEACE, He provides me EVERYTHING and never fails in keeping His promises. His LOVE endures forever though I do not deserve it. It is time I grow my faith bigger in this season. I have read in Rick Warren’s book that we have to set aside our own personal agenda and focus on loving other people more not looking on who they were and who they are now but rather on who they can be.

I cannot tell for certain what I know is what will happen. For I cannot see the plans of God. And yet it is just comforting to know that God is and will be with me along the way. He just not give me signs and verses from the Scripture but importantly, I can feel that the Spirit is leading the way. I know that like how Jesus completed His mission, so too are we going to carry our own “cross.” And what I have shared may be what I have to carry for now. The following verses reminded me that:

Matthew 16:24 NLT

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”

Matthew 7:14 NLT

“But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

And an even GREATER reminder – OBEDIENCE:

1 Samuel 15:22 NLT

“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord : your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice?

Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

I believe this is what God meant to be really free and forgiven. And I can only pray that I’d be successful in completing the mission of glorifying Him, making Him known until the time comes I can also say that “it is finished.” 🙂

The Seed

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Calamansi Seed

A commitment is like a seed.

When a gardener plants a seed, he waters and cares for it so it’ll grow. And then when it becomes a plant, the gardener still tends for it.

But like any plant, it will go through certain seasons of storm and drought. And just like a commitment, you will do everything to protect that plant. You will not allow a storm to uproot it. Nor you let the drought take away its life.

The gardener protects it – lovingly, carefully and joyfully. Regardless if a storm or a drought passes by.

The gardener wants only one thing – that when he plants the seed in the soil, it’ll grow steady and strong that even if the mightiest of storms and the longest of droughts come, it’ll survive. He wants it to lay grounded, both striving and thriving.

A commitment is like a relationship. God is like the gardener. The seed is like a husband and the soil is like a wife. God knows what kind of seed thrives in what kind of soil and vice versa.

And just like a seed planted in the ground that cannot survive well for a long period of time without a gardener, so is a relationship without God. 🙂

Basic GMRC

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I was inspired to write this blog post after reading Pastor Joey’s article entitled “Hardwired for Values.” And I am staying in tune for his next article explaining more about the importance of values.

For now I’d like to share how reading the article made me do a self check with the kind of values I uphold to – my basic GMRC (good moral values and right conduct) so to speak. I can say that 80% of them will be coming from the set of values that me and my siblings were brought up with – family background and upbringing. But I should say more of the latter which, I believe, would zero in on my parents’ values as well and their character traits.

I grew up in a family wherein God is acknowledged by praying together before every meal but we do not go to church as a family. It was my parents’ choice and yet I was grateful we were given the chance to exhibit our own free will – my siblings and I can attend services in our mother Protestant church with our grandma and grandpa. We grew up with that setting and I wondered why other kids go to church with the rest of their families.

I was too young to understand back then and when I was born again and got saved now in my late 20s, I still cannot find the answers but I already have a very different regard towards it. Thus, it became one of my constant prayers to the Lord.

When I did my self evaluation of the current values I have and compared them to what was written in the Scripture, I can only be grateful to God and my parents that majority of what I was taught when I was a kid are all in accordance to what the Scripture says to be right, correct and true. Although there are some that the bible says to be inappropriate which is what I have to unlearn.

We were taught that God exists and though I grew up spiritually in an unusual setup, I know now that He was there all along guiding me and my family. It was all part of His bigger plans essential in our spiritual growth and understanding now. The “why” questions are the trap questions that put us in a moment of uncertainty making way for doubts. But sometimes God uses them in a way that it makes us delve deeper towards the Truth – a way for us to be enlightened.

If there is one thing I have realized in my almost 30 years of human existence, it is the fact that we need to accept things the way that they really are. To seek God should be our only objective and the rest is up to Him.

If we were given people that do not have the same values that we do, we cannot change them but God can. We were given these people so God can use us as an instrument, a vessel, in making that change. We have to know too that all of us are being transformed and renewed by God every single day.

Let’s say for example that not being able to put the toothpaste cover back annoys you and you let the person who does that be aware of that. Now that person now knows that the toothpaste cover has to be placed back to how it is before you opened it. If usually you get irritated by it and it easily makes you flare up, now you know that nagging won’t do both of you good either. For this is where God will come in. He will make the other person realize what is right through you – that there is a reason why a toothpaste was designed to have a cover. And God will make you realize too that being gentle and patient always is a game changer and always calls for a positive outcome.

And as the Scripture says:

“Colossians 4:5-6 NLT

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

Now if the change didn’t happen then consider it still a moment of gratitude for either your future children or the other people around you, that may even not be closely related to you, are the ones who will benefit from the good influence and the change. And these people, in turn, will also be pivotal in making others follow the same way.

I guess it is not a matter of who it is in particular that the lives have been changed but how many are being influenced to make that change through the people God has given each of us.

Values are laws unwritten but embedded in our very being. It is only right that we know which values are the good ones to retain and uphold to and which ones are bad and we should dismiss.

The Scripture is the number one source to develop good values and an upright, moral character. I know of no other law that covers all laws by our current judicial system and the non written rules other than those found in the bible. Read the bible everyday and values wise, you can never go wrong. 😉

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.

It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”

In Season: What Is An Altar Call

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Apple Mangoes

In season. Tropical fruits are all in season ready for harvest during the month of May. As a month-ender, I decided to write this article for they reminded me of only one thing: the altar call. What is an altar call? Contrary to popular belief, it is not just reserved for pastors or priests. Oftentimes it is referred in the most common term which is “a calling.”

As I was reading my devotion, came the idea that not all are called to do certain missions based on our spiritual gifts but all were called to bring God glory by sharing the Gospel. Sharing the Gospel always follows after a public declaration of your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Savior and a commitment to obey the Word. Sharing your testimony, so to speak.

For it was written:

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

This happens after being born again through the water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit. But this only follows after the altar call. I do not really consider myself as part of any religious organization or fellowship but just to give honor to the spiritual family who made my salvation possible, I’d be discussing my own experience how I got saved in our church. I have already shared in my previous articles how I got saved but not in particular the first step I did towards that salvation.

Speaking from my own experience, one reason why an unbeliever goes to church is because you are seeking for answers. Probably you are in a very low situation in your life and problems simply just took its toll and gained full control of your life – a state of chaos and confusion. Emotionally you are hopeless, helpless, depressed and in a lot of pain. That was what I am before the altar call.

The altar call is yes, a calling. It is that time during church service and everyone is worshipping that you will feel the tugging in your heart of the Spirit. It is something that is unexplainable for it can only be felt. During the worship while everyone was singing, I had this strong urge to let all my sorrows out and pass on the burden to someone. Later did I realize that that someone was the Spirit who lifted them for me, made me walk towards the altar when asked who wanted to surrender their life to Christ, crying my heart out and feeling every single word in the worship song that we were singing at that time along with fellow believers.

The worship song that we were singing was Unending Love and it was the right song at the right moment. A swarm of fellow believers followed suit and only a few remained in their tables. We were all there crying and it was not because we were all emotionally unstable but because the Spirit led us there and all of us were feeling burdened at that time and at the point of losing all hope – a state of sincere repentance and absolute surrender. We were blessed at that moment right in front of the altar and the church leaders prayed for us.

Bit by bit, the load begun to get lighter and lighter until almost after the praying was done, I felt as if my heart was already whole, complete, light and burden-free – complete freedom, a renewed self. I was having my One to One Discipleship with my bible study group leader at that time which is a more focused approach in preparing you for your water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit. The last two will culminate your salvation and your transformation. It is more like counseling and therapy. Except that you are discussing everything spiritually and the transformation comes from the person’s own free will to change guided by the Spirit’s leading.

Salvation is always an act of surrender. Repentance is the key followed by acceptance of a Savior in your life. No one else can lift your burden for you; otherwise, you wouldn’t be in church in the first place if you have found the solution to your problems and the answers to your questions someplace else. But then, God will not give you right away the answers you have been needing nor the solution to your problems but He will give you PEACE.

It is only through peace that you will be able to hear His instructions well which contain the answers you are looking for and the solution to your problems. Sometimes it comes through trust, patience, discipline and a whole lot of values and character traits that He wanted us to acquire first. One thing that an altar call makes possible is opening a door to establishing a firm and personal relationship with our God, the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ. Achieving peace during the altar call though you felt you have been burdened to death will give you the peace in every burden that you will carry in the future.

Because you now know that there is a God who hears, who loves and who saves. With Him, nothing is impossible. That is the assurance that an altar call, that God and what Jesus did for us on the Cross represent – HOPE.

And only when you are in season will you know the real essence of an altar call. For it is only then that the Lord will call you to make a lasting commitment with Him by accepting the gift of salvation – this is a personal encounter with the Lord.

The right time will come to make the harvest – when it is in season, ripe and ready to be caught when it falls. 🙂

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Tropical Fruits