God Through the Years

In place where Satan has his throne were captives.
Light shown upon those who sought the Lord in darkness.
For they knew the Lord will reward him who believes,
So they stood their ground amidst the rage and madness.

Waters splashed. Seas churned. Rivers dried as blue turned to red.
They did not love their lives much as to shrink from death.
Rushing wind blew by and gave life to all the dead.
They stood up at the sound of the Almighty's breath.

Then the Lord brought back the captives to Mount Zion.
He made us taste the first-fruits which we ourselves are.
On the holy mountain stands the Lord's foundation:
Israel of God, the Lord's beloved nation.

The Lord redeemed us while we were in deep slumber.
Now we are those who dreamed, believed on things unseen.
Our hearts are filled with laughter as we remember
The great deeds of our Lord. So many have they been!

We got into the boat and caught nothing all night.
Day came and the Lord God threw our nets to the right.
Then the Bride will say in her heart 'Who bore me these?'
'Come all of you who weep! Come to my wedding feast'

And the nations look upon then who sow in tears.
And they see the image of the One they have pierced.
Gone are the sadness, worries and the needless fears.
They shall say 'The Lord has been with them through the years'

Now open the gates for the captives are coming.
Let all the watchmen shout to them who were lost:
'The Lord is merciful from the beginning'
'Give praise to Him--to the Lamb who conquered the cross'

Never Again

Never again will I close my eyes,
Or pretend to be blind, to sleep and die.
Never again will I find one reason
For me not to give myself hope.
Even though a thousand may rise against me
I will not fret, I will not bow down.
For they can never harm someone like I;
Who is already a wind passing by.
Look at me and see, take away your envy.
What am I compared to you?
What am I to those around the corner?
Empty are these words
To those who themselves are empty.
While the world goes forth,
I find myself going against its flow.
There's no meaning nor rhyme
In this world where all things may die.
Spend money there and spend time.
But everything will cease.
Until the last empty space is revealed.
And the last of it will be filled.
And the strong will stand up and die.
In the end, never again...
Never again will I hear good bye.

I Came For the Trash

I have had a fair share of parables in my life—most of them were from my Teacher. One day, I never thought I would be a part of a great one.

One day, my mother told me that someone has called my father to deliver hardware goods to some faraway place I knew nothing about. Unfortunately, my father was in USP Mabini gathering unused cartons for extra cash. Because I don't have anything to contact him, I was sent there with sore knees, still wearing my pajamas, riding a small bicycle under the heat of the sun.

When I arrived at the school, I told my father about the new delivery so I went home with him riding his multi-cab. Just after we arrived home, he sent me out again to USP to continue what he had started. That meant I had to bike my way up again.

Then I arrived in the school still wearing my pajamas. I saw the students in uniform staring at me as if I'm a trash collector. Others didn't notice me at all. Then I thought to myself, they didn't know I was valedictorian in elementary, rank thirteen in the graduate class of the most prestigious high school in Cebu and a civil engineering student in USC.

That time, it was different. I didn't go there to study. I went there to continue what my father had started. I went there as a trash collector. I came not for the students but for the trash.

I remembered my Teacher that time. He had also been a trash collector as I was. Maybe when He came down, He may have somewhat similar thoughts as I had when I arrived in the school. He was and is the Prince of Heaven after all.

After I finished doing my task, I remembered His very words: For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

What More Could You Ask For?

When you ask for a friend,
His hand is always raised;
Ready to care and defend,
And wipe that tear off your face.

When you walk along the road,
With danger in every corner.
You are safe in his sight.
He's a friend like no other.

What more can you ask for?
What more can you seek?
A friend as precious as the gems
No one else can compare
What more can you ask for?
Don't ask for any less
I wish you could know him
A friend you can depend.

When you want to be heard
He's always there to listen.
When you want to be understood,
He knows how you're feeling.

If you're searching for answers,
He already had them all
For he knows all of them
All you need is to listen.

What more can you ask for?
What more can you seek?
A friend who always listens
While others only hear
What more can you ask for?
Don't ask for any less
I wish you would seek him
For in him you shall live.

Break in a Song

Sure-footed as a deer
Nothing can hold me back
For Your word I hold dear
No matter how my enemies attack
Even if the mighty falls below.
Your mercy is my heart's only cry.
But my strength will surely fail.
Without yours I would die.
You took me from the depths.
Held me up with your hands,
Tucked me closed in
Your tender loving chest.
What I want you may withold.
What I need is what you've told
My life is in your hands,
Though my heart goes cold.
I love the way you call.
I want to walk that place
That Beautiful Land of grace
To see you face to face
I want to be free!
Free from this cursed world.
Cursed!
Cursed is this world!
Flee from its shackles all you people.
Don't turn back.
For this place is going in ruins.
Run to the Rock.
The City of Refuge.
The Truth will set us free.
Oh Mother of the brave, Zion.
Break in a song.
"Holy is the Lord."

A Message

Dear child,

I know your struggles and your hardships. You have been searching for a place of your own. Happiness was something you desperately look for but you are looking for it in the wrong places. You long for love but you are doing more of the asking than with the doing. And you do not know where you are heading and what your sins can do to you.

Child, though you barely know me, I know you very well. I knit you together in your mother’s womb. I have heard your prayers before you have uttered them. I have written your life in the palm of my hands. And I have kept your tears in my heart.

I came down to you to take the punishment that is meant to be yours. I endured the cross so I may have you for eternity.

See, I have done everything for you. My grace is sufficient. Come; let me guide you to the path of righteousness. I have not left you any pictures of myself but I left you my words of eternal life.

May you find your way back to me dear child. Though you have been unfaithful, I am faithful and my arms are wide open to accept you in my dwelling.

Love,
Jesus Christ

My Culture Shock Experience

All my life, though I have never been to other places but Leyte, Samar and Cebu, it still seems that I have never had left the very place I once was born. Every place in this world is the same for me. That is why I thought I would be immune to what they call a 'culture shock'.

It remained true until I left the world to die and raised up again.

It all started when my life went crazy. Though I was used to extreme struggles, my efforts were no more than futile. Then I figured out to call a timeout.

I decided to inquire of the Maker my purpose in life. I read His words which now currently compiled into the worldwide best-selling book. It's the only information I needed.

I left home. I left everything—my family, my studies, my life—everything just to know where I really belong.

For almost three months, I spent my life in a place where God is the most important treasure. And in that period of time, I greatly changed.

The culture in that place was very different that any other culture. Contrary to the idea of cultural relativism, I finally found the culture that is above any other—the culture of being holy.

Who wouldn't be culture shocked? Everything in that place is just so brand new. The air we breathed was the presence of the Lord. The clothes we wore were the righteousness of Christ. The food we ate was the Word of God. The language we spoke were the language of angels. Our religion was taking care of the orphans and widows in their suffering and preserving ourselves from being corrupted by the world. The water we drank was the Spirit of God. There was no night in that place. There was no sun because the light in that place was Jesus Christ. We went to school were the Teacher was Jesus and we were graded according to our humility. No other wisdom can equal the wisdom that was taught to us. Everything in that place was the opposite of all the cultures of the world combined.

In a span of almost four months, I became a different person, a different creation, a different being.

When I went back to my previous home where everything was not how it was before, it seemed that I was away for centuries—longer than the eighteen years of my existence. The reverse culture shock was greater than the previous. It felt like I was in another world when I came back.

Then I was sent again to school—where everything taught has already become useless in my eyes--having given the wisdom it takes for man to live. My eagerness to learn in a worldly school suddenly faded as though it had never sprang up.

In the world I had returned to, those who were smart were given high grades; those who want to be great make others inferior to themselves; beauty is only skin deep and people are living by sight and not by faith. Everything in this world is corrupted.

My desire to return to the place I belong burned in me like fire in the furnace. I wanted to escape the world once again. I don't live in this place.

As the song goes: Comparisons are easily done once you've had a taste of perfection, and perfection is found only in the Lord Jesus who is forever to be praised. Amen.

And that was my culture shock experience.