Biblical Management of Worship Ministry

The seminar tonight was attended by more than a hundred church member which was only half of the number I was praying for.  But the good side of it, the participants representing our three worship services got the opportunity to talk and mingle in small groups.  I hope this will help boost our worship ministry.

The seminar by Rev. Robert Casas was a big bang for many of us as the emphasis of people who are not right with God has not business in leading worship.  The role of the pastors in the worship ministry was also one of the highlight.  I think some got it and some still has not.

The seminar is some sort of cracking the whip and strong emphasis on discipleship and discipline that goes hand in hand in our church ministry.

Pastor Casas was credible enough as he shared his experiences in cracking the whip in his own church; a whip that is full of love and compassion that restores the leaders to the position that is Biblical and God glorifying.

Sayang, so many people missed it.  But still, God works in mysterious ways.

Lost Shepherd

Have you ever heard of a lost shepherd?  I was thinking of this concept lately.  All of us have heard of lost sheep but not  lost shepherd.  So what is a lost shepherd?  A lost shepherd is a pastor who have done all to love and care for his sheep for a decade and still the sheep fails to recognize his voice.  Sounds weird but it is very very possible.

The lost shepherd is a person who is a voice in the wilderness.  Maybe some people will say that the shepherd has not done enough to earn his right to lead.  For some, I think this is true but only in some cases?  Especially if the shepherd is already too frustrated with his sheep.  But to many, I do not think so.

Since being called to fulltime ministry, it is already a great sacrifice on our part to leave everything to follow Christ.  This is because of our desire to serve God.  And to serve God is to serve His sheep to know Him more and to worship Him; to disciple them.  It is our role to guide the sheep towards righteousness.  Or else, we have no business to be a pastor, we should just go back to our secular work and life.

So, when the sheep does not listen to the shepherd's instruction on Biblical righteousness, he is indeed lost.  Sheep needs to listen to the shepherd's voice.  If the sheep does not want to listen, it is either they are not sheep but goats.  Or the shepherd might be serving in a wrong sheep pen.  Hehehe...

So what's your conclusion?  Baaahh... baaahh... baaahh... or meehh... meehh... meehh…

Personal Thoughts of Bangkok

The place was nice very like the Philippines.  They have their own version of jeep or pedicab called "Toktok" or taxi for them.  It is open air driven by a motorbike in front.  The people are friendly and accommodating.

I was impressed by their deep religiosity as the picture of the king and queen are place in every corner of the street.  They revere him as the son of God.  They would hold their hands together and give a bow as a sign of greetings.  It is very similar to our country when Roman Catholic drivers who happen to pass by a church while driving will make a sign of the cross.

The power really lies on the king, though he is not a political figure nor involves in politics.  But he has the power to stop the squabble among politicians and put the country at peace.  Many people were concern about the political crisis in Thailand when I was about to go there.  But actually there is nothing to be afraid of because when problems escalates to a certain degree, the king steps in and remove the prime minister in office and all is done.  Peace is restored.

The things in Bangkok are really cheap.  Even branded clothing are less expensive.  My friend who went with us bought so many branded clothing that I thought we were in Divisoria as he would really grab anything that passes by his hand.

They also give tax refunds with items bought by foreigners.

The Kau Kheow Open Zoo is nice so far among the zoo I visited in many countries.  It can be compared to Tarongga Zoo in Sydney.  The animals here has more freedom to roam around.

Pattaya has a nice beach though we did not have any opportunity to have a swim due to lack of time.

Tiffany was also an interesting place where we were brought by the host country for free.  These performers were all "she-male" as the Thai people call them were really much beautiful that actual women.  You cannot distinguish them except that they are more taller and has still maintained a rough voice. hehehe...

I also got to visit the Grand Palace.  It was nice, the building were made of pure gold according to the tour guide, but was in a hurry since we arrive there late.  One hour is not enough if you like to take pictures.  There were ten palace but only one or two are open for public viewing.

I was hoping to buy in their night market but rain poured during our last night in Bangkok.  Sorry na lang talaga walang pasalubong.

The airport is big and pattern like in Hong Kong.  They have no hassle security checkpoints.  Our bags did not even undergo security scanner.  We just went and checked-in smoothly. Without any hassle of removing our belts and shoes.

Bangkok is a nice place to visit.  For my personal opinion, good for one time visit is enough.

Original Beads

For Scouters like me, it has been a lifetime curiosity what the original beads Baden-Powell got from Chief Dinizulu.  This necklace was the surrender token of Chief Dinizulu when Baden-Powell conquered his tribe during the war.

After the conduct of the first Woodbadge course (Training Course for Scoutmasters), Baden-Powell did not know what to give to these leaders as a token of accomplishment.  And he came across the necklace of Chief Dinizulu who have worn this necklace as a sign of authority, leadership and the priceless possession of their tribe.  Baden-Powell took a bootlace and made it into a necklace with a bead from Dinizulu necklace in each end of the thongs that becomes the symbol of Woodbadge.  This becomes the first badge that is a necklace and not a patch.

I happen to come across an original bead being worn by the National Training Commissioner of Australia Paul Parkinson.  According to Paul, the four beads he is wearing is being passed on from one National Training Commissioner to the next and it includes one of the original beads from the Dinizulu necklace.  And there are still four pieces of such original beads in Australia.

Surprisingly, the original beads were much much smaller than expected.

Vajirabudh Scout Camp

Vajirabudh Scout Camp here in Thailand is the counterpart of our known Mt. Makiling Boy Scout campsite in the Philippines.  I am here for the World Scout Bureau, Asia-Pacific Region on the Latest Innovations in Teaching Methods and Techniques.  We have delegates coming from various countries in Asia-Pacific.  We are 6 Scouters representing the Philippines.

My first impression of the Vajirabudh Scout Camp was excellent.  The campsite was named after their king who introduced the Scouting movement to Thailand.  The whole place was like a very clean park. You are close to outdoors at the same time a clean park mixed together.

The sleeping quarters were in octagonal shape that accommodates eight persons.  Each having a place to hang their clothes both wet and dry, very very clean bathrooms and toilet, each have reading table and most important of all, it is fully air-conditioned.  Each room has two 5 tons air-conditioning unit.

The session hall was well carpeted at the same time we have Wi-fi in the campsite with very good reception.  The session rooms are also air-conditioned and fully equipped with motored giant screens and high end LCD projectors.

I also notice around the camp site has several structures for prayer, there was a mosque, a Christian church, a temple; accommodating different religious needs of the people.  Their menu can also accommodate vegetarians etc... It was really well thought, simple, practical and a balance between modernity and outdoors.

Very nice place.

Is It Really About the Money?

As a pastor for eight long years, I have concerns how people gave harsh comments against pastors especially funeral related activities.  Some people would say how come more people go to a church member's funeral as compared to others?  The always reason is that because the person where more people go is RICH!  The poor nobody cares because they have no money at all.  Is this really true?  How come some people look at us so lowly?  I think this is unfair for us who serves the LORD fulltime.  We have dedicated all our life to the ministry and this is the payback we return.

In our church, since we have lots of pastors, we agree to set ourselves into four groups in order not to overburden anyone from funeral ministry which oftentimes we have once a week and sometimes twice a week.  But in some instances you would really see a full force of pastors attend and a full force of church leaders in a person's wake or a wake of a church member.

In my grandmother's wake more than a month ago, it was filled with church members and pastors though all my relatives are Buddhist.  So what does this tell me?

More people attend a person's wake or a relative of church member's wake is based on what the person has done for the Lord.  How can you expect people to attend your wake when you only come to church once in a blue moon?  Who knows you?  What have you done for the Lord?  How can you be recognized?  Another is what do you expect from your church if you only come on Sunday to worship and always in a hurry to leave as if you do not exist.  How can you have connection with people?  And yet, you accuse the church is not loving, while you have not really loved anyone or shown compassion to anyone inside the church.

It is not that they are rich, but they have touch lives and contributed to the formation of the church.  I think it is so immature to never come to church and expect everyone to know you and should attend your funeral wake.  We should ask ourselves instead, what have we done for the Lord?  How have we serve the Lord in the church?  Have we really expressed our concern and love for our churchmates?

If a person dies and you know he or she has touched your life, I believe you will definitely go to his or her funeral wake.  The same if this person who has helped you experience life transformation and he or she is in grief, I believe you will be there to comfort.

So if you have never touch anyone's life, lead anyone to Christ, or discipled anyone to grow in the Lord, don't expect anyone will mourn for you because you are insignificant.  Insignificant even in the eyes of God.  Yes, God loves you, but our fruit can only be the evidence of His existence in our life.

I think every believer needs to think how they serve and love the Lord.  The legacy we are leaving behind.  If you have never serve the Lord and love God's people please do expect people to return the same favor to you.  The Scripture says, "Do unto others what you want others do unto you."

What are They Drinking?

I am quite curious and a little bit concern especially I am now more health conscious in many aspects of my life.  But I can't think of any other reason for the past months I have been hearing people having kidney failure.

I think kidney failure is normal as we grow old and as our body gets weaker and used up.  But these recent news of friends, they were athletes, active jolly and they were only teenagers.  I think this is a little bit surprising.  Teenagers having kidney malfunctions and have to go dialysis since both kidneys has been ruined.

Is this have something to do with intentional viruses?  Some people say that some group intentionally launch this kind of sickness so that their medicine will sell.  Whether this is true or not, we do not really know - gossips lang ito.  I do not think people in their right mind would do such a thing.  But of course, this world has too many people who are not in their right mind, so to speak.  Anyway, my only conclusion was asking the question, "What are they driinking?"  Maybe the juice or softdrinks or other liquid stuffs may have too much chemicals that are not good for our body.

The best is still water... I have started my water therapy, whether this is realy or not, well, water is still the main component of our body, flushing our body with clear and new water, I believe refreshes the body.

Check this out... I think it is worth a try.

http://www.knowledgebase-script.com/demo/article-113.html

 http://www.lifespy.com/2007/the-good-and-bad-of-water-therapy/

Influenced By Conservative Style of Worship

Preaching in St. Stephen's Parish for the last three months has allowed me to experience a different kind of worship service.  It seems too box and conservative and yet I observe that participation of worship is more evident than conservative attitude in a modern, hi-tech and innovative worship in the Filipino-Chinese community.

I was able to remember how we use to worship in the old sanctuary in my church.  And there has quite many resemblances and flashback on their worship with ours.  I think our church was trying to cope up with the changes of time but was not able to do so due to many areas we failed to educate our congregation as well as we have too many senior citizens in our third service that has confused the whole worship ministry.  We were not able to create a clear picture on how our worship and liturgy needs to be done.  This is beside the lack of pastoral leadership.  What I mean in pastoral leadership is its lack of pastor's idea, concept and identity on the liturgy for such particular worship service that can effectively minister to our congregational age and needs.  Even the pastors are confused how to do about the worship.

I have observed that whenever we have big celebrations and going back to our conservative style of worship service like what happened yesterday during Sacred Music Sunday.  Many people commented that they were so much blessed with the whole worship service.  This can only mean, that the main congregation would really love the conservative style of worship but this worship is being managed by contemporary people.

The solution I think is that the leadership needs to take another look on their personal theology and philosophy of worship. If it does match with the present needs of the congregation in order to effectively minister to our people, then they are in the wrong worship service but if they do match, then we have to enhance our learning on the so called conservative worship and be able to bring our people to worship God in spirit and in truth.

You Can Choose Your Friends But Not Your Families

I was in my cousin's wedding, and his best man quoted, "You can choose your friends but you cannot choose your relatives."  Everyone broke out laughing.  It is very true, you can choose your friends but you are stuck with your family forever.  Whether they are good or not, you don't have a choice and needs to live with it.  Whatever... hahaha

Thinking about this seriously, it all the more boils down learning to accept people they way they are and continue to show kindness in order to maintain the peace, harmony and balance within the family.  I guess, I am stuck with my family hahaha... no choice but to accept them and thank God for them, no matter what... hahaha.  So, let's move on and stop complaining about our families.  hehehe

The same way how Jesus has shown grace and kindness to each one of us, should be the way how we should do it especially to our own family.  It is easier to accept people who are not members of our family because we are different with them.  But with family, we are each other's images, which means we have difficulty accepting each other because they are very much like us.  hehehe... Notice siblings non-stop bickering, you would notice they have the same behavior.  The same is true with parents complaining about their children and vice versa.  They are carbon copies, which is difficult to live with.

Such realization should enable us to accept and adjust with each other especially through the love of God in us.

Buti na lang meron tayong Jesus to mediate for us and transform us towards righteousness.

A New Hope for Our Family

I praise the Lord, after a long wait, he has arrived - Nigel.  After too many deaths in our clan and now we have a new generation adding to the vacuum.  This gave us hope and now a new generation especially for our family line at long last.

Celebrate for the Lord is good.  Nigel means the champion... my brother has dedicated him as the champion of God.  He is born today  2 pm at Manila Doctors Hospital, 5 pounds something... hehehe... Both Nancy and Nigel are safe.  According to my mom, he looks smart and very cute.  I have not visited them, too many stuffs and loads of work, I think, even tomorrow, I cannot dropby... haay, but still at least I am now officially - A-peh. hehehe

Immediate Charge for Asking the Price is 500 Pesos

I accompanied my father to another referred doctor with regards to a possible angioplasty.  So we made the appointment and waiting so long to meet the doctor.  After meeting the doctor, he did not even listen to my dad's heartbeat or something, but started to talk about the angiogram procedure and cost is around 60 thousand pesos.  Then, the list goes on, if it will include immediate angioplasty procedure, a stent for the first which includes hospital and professional fee was 350,000.  Additional stent is 120,000 pesos. Then after that, we were asked when we wanted the procedure to take place.  We shake hands then charged with 500 pesos for asking those prices.

Grabe noh... pati asking the price lang 500 na… hahaha

How to be a Pastor and Effectively Serve God?

How can I be a good pastor that effectively serves God?  This has been a question that I have been trying to answer for the last 8 years as a fulltime pastor.  It seems so difficult to really serve God and be a pastor of a church at the same time; there seems too many aspects to cover and it can't be covered in a lifetime.

I still remember my prayer during graduation in seminary that God would indeed bless the work of my hands.  I would definitely testify that He has blessed me with so much these 8 eights serving Him as a fulltime pastor.  I saw all things went well, everything done according to His will.  Actually, I am quite fulfilled with what I have contributed to His ministry through this years of ministry.  But still, it seems God is calling me to do more.  I am fulfilled and at the same time dissatisfied with what I have done for the Lord.  I have used my gifts fully for His glory, but I still know that I can do more and He demands more from me because of the blessings I have been receiving.  These are evidences of His presence in my life and so I am blessed.

So what next?  As time flies, I just wanted to serve God but it seems many opportunities are lost because of red tapes and uncooperative co-workers.  The question on the needed awakening is at the door?  How do we really awaken a sleeping giant like my church?  Eight long years of service and still the giant remains asleep.  Many things has been done, but she continue to sleep.  It seems it is so difficult to balance things to be a pastor of a church and effectively serve God.  It seems both are always in conflict.

Flattered...

This afternoon, I received a text message from John but it was blank.  It was weird, I thought maybe it was just a forwarded message or a graphic message which my good Motorola phone can't accept.  But it was very late tonight that I actually received the update and the text appeared.

It read, "Hi Leo-hia, I'm in a two day workshop about developing a leader of John Maxwell.  We are discussing about mentor-mentoring, and I thought of you, how your poured values and wisdom to me.  Let me take this opportunity to thank you and I really appreciate it. God bless."

As I read this message, I was so flattered and encouraged.  I praise God for using me to touch people's lives.  I think this is the greatest legacy I can and wanted to leave behind.  Equipping God's People for Every Good Work has been my life mission.  Being able to fulfill this with one person at a time is worth the effort.

I praise and thank God that I was able to make a difference in a person's life.  To God be all the Glory!

A Necessity in Church Discipleship

Discipleship is all about learning, personalizing and passing on the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The vibrancy of the church often boils down to the issue whether the believer is really growing in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.  The problem is many Christians today are too lazy and often have tons of excuses when they are asked to attend growth opportunities.

Christians are lazy to find opportunity to further their knowledge with Christ.  Even if you get good speakers to preach the Word of God, it will be useless because the Holy Spirit can't work in a heart that is numb and closed for the gospel.  So, no matter what you do, they cannot be awakened.  I think it is so difficult to help people who does not want to help themselves.  At the end, they often blame God for their personal issues because at the first place they do not want to listen to God.

Education is one important in the ministry of the church and this is what discipleship is all about.  If we are not learning new things about God by the day, sooner or later we became stagnant and mediocre.  No wonder the church of Christ is not growing today.  If we do not have the desire to seek God; learn His ways, we cannot grow; the whole church cannot grow.  And so the church suffers.  Unless the spirit of God fills the church, the whole church remains lukewarm.

Let us learn and nurture our faith in Christ - the only way to we can grow and for our church to grow.