Eight Reasons Why I Don't Share My Faith

Stop and Think: Online Video Evangelism

Check out The Rebelution for more information

God's Perfect Choice (Author Unknown)

A very good friend gave me this poem several years ago.

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Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone
To have a deep soul relationship with another
To be loved thoroughly, and exclusively
But God to the Christian says, No…
Not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and contented with being loved
By Me alone, with giving yourself totally unreserved to Me
Discovering that only Me is your satisfaction to be found
Then you will be capable of the perfect human relationship
That I have planned for you.

You will never be united with another until you are united with Me
Exclusive of anyone or anything else
Exclusive of any desires and longing
I want you to stop planning, stop wishing,
And allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing
One that you cannot imagine
I want you to have the best, please allow Me to give it to you
Just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am
Keep listening and learning the things I tell you
You just wait…that’s all!

Don’t be anxious, don’t worry
Don’t look around at the things other have gotten or I have given them
Don’t look at the things you think you have
You just keep looking off and away up to Me…
Or you’ll miss what I want to show you…

And then, when you are ready, I’ll surprise you with a love
Far more wonderful than any of you dream of
You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready
(I’m working to have you both ready at the same time),
Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I prepare for you
You won’t be able to experience the love that exemplifies
Your relationship with Me and is thus the perfect time.

I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me
And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty
Perfection and love that I offer you myself
Know that I love you utterly,
Believe and be satisfied.

"Everyone's Doing It"

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a friend who said she enjoyed peer pressure. When I asked her why, her response was "Well, at least you get to do what everyone else is doing."

Needless to say, I was horrified. Although some peer pressure may be good - like teaching you to have more self-confidence, helping you grow, et cetera - most of it will lead you the wrong way.

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Everyday, teenagers face struggles brought on by media, peer pressure, and other factors. Everyday, culture tries to influence us by presenting something that looks "good."Almost all teenagers will accept anything, try anything, and do anything that will put them in the "cool crowd." Ask them why, and you'll get the same answer - "everyone's doing it."
Often, we Christians blend in with the rest of the crowd, going with the flow, and allowing ourselves to be influenced by our friends and by our culture. Often, we make excuses and say "everyone else is doing it, so it can't be wrong", yet deep down inside, we know that what we're doing is not right.

Romans 12:2 says:"And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

It means that we shouldn't adapt to the low standards of our culture, but rather, we should live as we had been transformed when we received Christ.Ephesians 4:23, 24 says that we need to put on the "new us" created to be like God.
I admit that I find it easier to do what everyone else is doing and go where everyone else is going. Nevertheless, I am constantly reminded that I need to live like Jesus; that I need to take a stand and be different; and that I need to go the opposite - but right - direction.
It's so easy to go with the flow. It's so easy to follow the crowd. That's not what God wants us to do, however. He wants us to do what is right in His eyes, even if that means turning your back to the crowd.
Before I end, there's a true story I'd like to share:
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A college freshman at the University of Arkansas banded together with another Christian friend or two and pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon (a social fraternity). This particular fraternity was notorious for its wild and crazy reputation. But these young Christian men were on a mission. They began praying for their "brothers." They modeled the Christian life and shared their faith. Four years later, when these two men graduated, there were some 50-60 Christians in the chapter!

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See what a difference those Christian men made!If we tried to be different, if we went against the flow, if we did things not because "everyone's doing it" but because God want us to, then we'd make a difference.
Don't blend with the background. Stand out. Be different. Go against the flow.

Don't Quit

Author Unknown

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit!

Essay: Finding the Rebelution

This is a school essay I wrote about finding the Rebelution.

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""Changes ain't totally pleasant but they're excellent things," said Mr. James Harrison to Anne Shirley from L.M. Montgomery's fascinating Anne of the Green Gables Series.

I did not think so before. I disliked changes or anything else that would make my life - or even me - different. I wanted things to remain just the way they were. Apparently, it wasn't to be always that way.
Last February, I came across something that changed my life.

A "Rebelution"
I was browsing through one of the forums where I am a member, when I came across a strange name in a topic title that immediately caught my attention. I opened the topic thread and read its contents. There was a link to another webpage, and out of curiosity, I decided to click on it, and found myself in The Rebelution.

What is The Rebelution? It is "a widespread teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture". Its battle cry is to "Do Hard Things."
The Rebelution was started by Alex and Brett Harris, godly, young men devoted to serving the Lord in His ministry through the internet and beyond.

A Change
Simply clicking on that link changed my life. I learned to look within myself, and I saw the person whom I really was. I had never done that before. I had never looked at my life and my actions or ever wondered about myself before.
I saw the things I needed to change to become a better person. Within myself, I saw the selfish desires that had kept me from serving God wholly. I saw the faults that had hindered me from serving others. I saw the pride that had kept me from admitting that I was wrong and the impatience that had kept me from trusting God concerning my future. Within myself, I saw the "weight" that was keeping me from running my race freely, and I saw that I had to change.

How can we correct our mistakes if we refuse to change our opinions? How can we push back the obstacles in our paths if we will just turn back, discouraged? How can we strive for excellence if we will not correct our faults and look for a way to strengthen out weaknesses? How can we make any difference in this world if we will not change our lives?

It wasn't altogether pleasant, and the change was not immediate. It took long hours - days of thinking, and meditating on God's word. I had to pass through the fires of purging and refining where I was rebuked of my past thoughts, actions, and judgments. There, I confessed to God of my wrong ways and asked Him to change my heart and my life. It wasn't pleasant, but it changed me and made me a better person.

A Challenge
Until I came across The Rebelution, I had never ventured out of my "comfort zone" where I had grown used to serving God. I had never accepted the challenges that looked too difficult. I enjoyed things just the way they were. Until then, I had never fully surrendered my life to God.
My comfort zone was a 'place' where everything was just the way I wanted it to be; a condition where I didn't have to make extra effort to do something difficult. A state where I could sit back, relax, and enjoy myself.
Before, I did not want to step out because I was afraid of failing the challenge and failing in my service to God. It was some time before I realized that no matter how many times I fail the people around me, God will never consider me a "failure", and I can always trust Him to give me the strength and courage to get up and go on.
Coming across The Rebelution brought about a challenge to look deep within myself and see the person whom I really was, and what was in my heart. It also brought about the challenge of stepping outside of my comfort zone. It wasn't easy, but looking to God for help, I stepped forward, away from the easy, relaxed life that I was used to living.
Outside my comfort zone, I found that I could serve God more wholly, and use all my talents unreservedly for Him. Outside my comfort zone, I learned to lean on God for strength, instead of leaning on the small pleasures of this world for comfort. Outside of my comfort zone, I learned to "Do Hard Things."
"Why bother to do hard things?" people always ask. "Why can't you just do the things that you enjoy the most?"
For me, doing hard things meant doing the things I had never done before, the things I considered "too difficult", such as serving with a glad heart, looking for a way to learn from my mistakes, obeying wholeheartedly the voice of God. For me, it meant taking action and living more like Jesus.

Without doing hard things, there would be nothing to challenge us to become better people. Without doing hard things, there would be nothing to exert our efforts on to mold our character for the better.

A Call
After visiting The Rebelution, I thought, "Now what?" I felt that I couldn't just sit still after that. I felt as if God was calling me to do something.
My friend and I created Godly Ladies in Training as an answer to God's Call. Ablaze with the Fire of The Rebelution, we decided to create a joint Blog where we could write all about our spiritual journey and the lessons God taught us as we went through life, such as modesty concerning dress.

Why do I want to be a "Rebelutionary"? It is because I want to take a stand in what I believe is right in the sight of God.

A Purpose
I had wandered unconsciously into the website of The Rebelution, and the next thing I knew it had changed my life. It was an experience that I never regretted because it made me a better person. It was a stepping stone that helped me see the things I never saw before. It was a journey that taught me an important lesson that I shall never forget.
I've learned a lot, and I'm still learning, through God's grace.

I don't believe that it was "by chance" that I came upon the thread and decided to click on the link out of boredom. No, I believe that God led me there for a purpose.
I've made a commitment to spread The Rebelution in the East, starting with my country, the Philippines. It's not that easy - teenagers these days would rather "go with the flow" than go against it. That way, they would blend with the crowd and not be labeled as "odd" or "weird." Teenagers aren't that open to changes that would make them different.
Progress is slow. Culture is demanding. Teenagers don't really care. I won't give up though. I'll stand firm on what I believe, and with God's help, we'll start a Rebelution.

Handmade by God

Have you ever stopped to think about whom you are and what God made you to be? And have you ever really thanked God for making you just the way He did?

Most of us don't like who we are right now. Most of us would rather be someone different. We wish we could step into someone's shoes and be another person who is totally different from whom we are right now.

There are some people who consider themselves as "failures." They think that they haven't got any talent or special ability. They think that they are a "mistake."
But that's not true.

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"

Psalms 139:13, 14 says: "You knit me together in my mother's womb; I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Isn't that a wonderful verse!
Whenever I see a baby, I always feel a breathless awe of how the baby looks. Every little finger and toe...and the tiny heart beat! Only God could have done that! Only God can "knit" each piece into place.
God created you; He formed you, and knew everything about you even before you were born. He knew what you were going to look like and He designed you with special gifts and talents that He wants us to use for Him (Romans 12: 6, 1Peter 4:10).

"Accepted - Failures and All"
God knows your strengths and weaknesses. He accepts you as you are, despite your failures, your mistakes, and the times you give up. He forgives you if you sin against Him (1 John 1:9).
Everyone fails, one way or another. But in spite of that, God will never give up on you. He will never reject you or turn His back on you. He is always there to help you up when you fall; He is always there to give you the strength you need. Isaiah 41:10 says: "...I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee..."

"Shaped to Serve God"
Up to now, God is still shaping you to be more like Him. The Potter lovingly molds you into the shape He had in mind (Isaiah 64:8). All the trials and difficulties that you are experiencing now are molding you into the person God wants you to be.
You weren't "just made"; you were made for a purpose - a special purpose - and shaped to serve God with your talents.

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I don't deny the fact that there are still times when I wish that God had made me someone else - someone who was more patient and didn't lose her temper so easily.

It is hard to accept who you are sometimes. We're imperfect. We make mistakes. We fail and come short of everyone's expectations. Yet God made us just as we are and in spite of all our terrible faults, He sees us as beautiful.

God made you who you are. He formed you to be who you are, and He is still forming you to be more like Him.
So, the next time you wish you were someone else, remember Psalms 139:13, 14. And remember that you were handmade by God.

Beyond Your Comfort Zone

Every person has a "comfort zone" - a 'place' where everything is just the way they want it: snug, cozy, and peaceful. It's a condition where they don't have to make an extra effort to do something difficult, something new, if they don't want to. It's a state where they can sit back, relax, and enjoy themselves.
Many people don't venture out of their comfort zones. Why should they? After all, it's where they know they can handle everything in their own way. It's where they feel comfortable enough to do the things they like doing.

Often, we Christians are used to serving God inside our comfort zone. If challenges arise that would mean stepping out of where we enjoy life the most, we refuse. If we know it might change the way people view us, we refuse. If we know it might mean exerting a little more effort to do something we've never done before, we refuse.
Ask yourself: Why am I afraid to venture outside of my comfort zone? Why am I afraid to accept the challenges outside them?

Perhaps it's because you're afraid of what people might think of you. If that is the reason, then you need to ask yourself "Who am I doing it for?" Are you doing it for yourself - to gain fame - or are you doing it for the glory of the Lord?
Perhaps you think it is too hard and you can't do it. Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." There is nothing too hard that you can't do with God's help. Ask Him for the strength you need; He will give it to you (Psalms 29:11).
Perhaps you are afraid of failing the challenge and failing in your service to God. We aren't perfect; there are times when we feel we've failed God and everybody else. However, even though you feel that way, God doesn't think you are a "failure". We may fail the challenges in life, but God will never think less of us. We can always rely on Him to give us the strength we need to get up and go on.

Gideon was a man who God called out of his comfort zone (Judges 6:11-7:25). He was the man God chose to deliver Israel from the Midianites. At first, Gideon was hesitant and unwilling to leave the safety of his comfort zone. But by and by, he learned to look to God for strength, and he leaned to trust God to help him defeat the Midianites.

Before I leaned about The Rebelution, I never ventured out of my comfort zone. I never accepted the challenges outside of it. I enjoyed things the way they were - quiet and peaceful, an average life. If someone asked me to do something which would mean putting a foot out of my comfort zone, I would refuse and say "It's too hard."
And then I came across The Rebelution. "Do Hard Things" was the first thing that caught my eye. Days after, I re-committed my life to God, caught the Fire of the Rebelution, and stepped out of my comfort zone. Since then, my life has never been the same. True, there are times when I have second thoughts about doing something new, but I've learned to rely on God to lead my through all the challenges.

Like Gideon, we need to step out of our comfort zones, to where we can serve the Lord wholly and use all our talents unreservedly for Him. Keep in mind that you are doing this for the Lord - not for anyone else, not for yourself, but for the Lord.

I am writing this and challenging you to step forward, away from your comfort zone. It won't be easy, especially after you've gotten used to living life relaxedly. There are times of struggles and of failures, yet always remember that you can rely on the Lord for strength and courage to face them all.

So, from what you are used to doing, do something new. Do something difficult. Something hard.
Go beyond your comfort zone.

Run Your Race

Ever since I was small, I've loved races. I guess it is because I love running. My favorite "Patch the Pirate Adventure" was (and still is) Mount Zion Marathon, which is all about running life's race. And just a few weeks ago, we watched Chariots of Fire, a great film that is now one of my favorites. It is about Eric Liddell*, an athlete who ran - not only his life's race, but even his sport races - with God.

Picture it this way: your life as a racetrack, you are the runner, and God is your Coach.

Running a mere race isn't easy. You have to discipline yourself. You have to undergo a lot of training and exercise. You have to be physically fit, and strong enough.
Running life's race is not easy either. You need to know how to run.

Hebrews 12:1-2 explains how we are to run our life's race.
Let us lay aside every weight. When you run a race, you can't carry anything along with you; it would only slow you down. In running life's race, you must put down all "weight." "Weight" there is the things that hinder you from running: doubt, fear, pride, earthly possessions...lay them aside, and run freely.
And the sin which so easily besets us. Not only must you lay aside every weight, you need to lay aside the sin that enslaves you. Running with sin is like running with a great big pack on your back. It weighs so heavily on you, pushing you lower and lower until you stumble and fall. We need to lay aside the weight and the sin and run our race free from both.
And let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Running life's race is not easy. Yet, we are commanded to run with perseverance, run with all the strength we've got, and finish the race.


Earlier, I mentioned that Eric Liddell ran his life's race AND his sport races with God. How did he do that? Simple. He trusted God to be his wings to fly. He trusted God to be his strength. He trusted God to lead him to victory.


Fellow Brethren in-training, how are you running your life's race? Are you running patiently, faithfully enduring every hardship and trial that comes your way?
Running life's race is more than just and easy sprint. It's a long-distance run.
There are times when you stumble and fall; there are times when you're so tired and it's just so hard. There are times when you are so discouraged, that you just want to give up.
Don't.

"Be faithful, Christian and run the race. Keep looking upward, and seek My face. Keep pressing on, endure the trials down. And I will give to you the victor's crown."

That is my favorite song from Mount Zion Marathon. It inspires me to move on, to push for the goal. I find running easier when I run with my eyes on Jesus.

Keep pressing on, runners. Don't look at the track; don't think of the obstacles that lie ahead. Don't give up, and don't slow down. Look to Jesus. Fight a good fight. Finish your course. Run your race.

(*If you want to find out more about Eric Liddell read Men of Faith: Eric Liddell by Catherine Swift, Christian Heroes: Then and Now - Something Greater than Gold by Janette and Geoff Benge.)

Jewel[s] in the Palace

I am not a couch potato - but I do watch TV - but not a 24-hour cable TV. Everyday, I watch an average of an hour to an hour and a half. Thirty minutes of this I spend my time watching my favorite Korean TV series - Jewel in the Palace. And I would say that the main character of the story would have qualified as a Rebelutionary and at the same time, a good example of what a Lady-in-Training should be, if she lived now.

The story of the series is based on the history of the first lady doctor of Korea (South), Jang Geum Sho (jang gyum shò). At eight, she began to be trained in the king's cuisine, together with other girls who aspired to be faithful and prominent servants in the cuisine someday. Most of the girls had come from the elite class and some came from clans who had served the kings from generation to generation. Each of them had a clear purpose and it was to serve the king faithfully their entire life. Each had secret desire to become the chief maidservant of the king's cuisine - and that was Jang Geum's desire.
Her mother, Lady Miung Yi Park was once a servant but because of the selfish ambitions of one of her friends, she was accused to have a relationship with a soldier whom she had only helped out of a kind heart. Maidservants in the king's cuisine are forbidden to have a romantic relationship with anybody. Lady Park escaped her death sentence by hiding in the mountains. There she met Jang Geum's father, Captain Sho. She married the captain since she was no longer a maidservant in the cuisine. Both of them served in the Palace but because of their will to expose corrupt ministers and servants who desired wealth and power, they were hunted down.

In such a predicament, Jang Geum should have desired revenge, but she did not: she only desired that the truth be made known. All her years in the kitchen, she served and cooked her best for the kings. If she became the chief maidservant, she would write in the servants' book of annals about her mother, as Miung Yi Park had admonished her. But when Lady Cho - the friend who betrayed Lady Park - found out whose daughter Jang Geum was, she feared that Jang Geum would ruin the future of her clan. Lady Choi devised a plan and history repeated itself. Jang Geum was accused, proven guilty, and exiled to a remote island with Lady Han (the chief maidservant and bosom friend of Miung Yi Park) by the same corrupt officials.
Lady Han died in the journey of exile and it ignited a fire in Jang Geum's heart for revenge. In Jeju Island, as a slave she studied for many years to become a nurse - the only way to return to the palace. She succeeded, but not in her revenge. Jang Geum realized that revenge was a wrong motive in becoming a nurse. She had compassion on Lady Choi and did not sue her skills for revenge. Like Joseph in the Bible, she loved her.
After decades of lies, justice was brought to Jang Geum's parents. She became the chief maidservant and carried out her mother's last request - to write in the book of annals. She carried out everything her mother had requested and afterwards returned to being a nurse.
After 600 years of tradition, Jang Geum marked a turning point in the history of Korea. King JungJong asked her to become his doctor, which terrorized everybody's principle in the government. Nurses were slaves during those times and were of no importance as much as beggars were; even if their deeds were greatly to be praised. The doctors would be shamed for the rest of their lives if Jang Geum accepted the request. Everybody around her told her the same thing "Do not accept it, if you have any decency left. Be content of where you are now." Only three of her friends encouraged her to accept it, and last night - in the TV series - she accepted it. I held my breath as she accepted the king's offer and what everybody's reaction will be I shall know tonight when I watch it. ^_^

All her life, Jang Geum took the hard way to live her life even if an easier way was offered. She could have forgotten and kept quiet about her mother's request and lived a quiet life as a maidservant. She could have chosen not to bother the demoralized ways the prime ministers ran the government and remained in the higher class of society rather than be exiled as a slave and bear the shame of being degraded.
Or perhaps she could have chosen to be content and went with the flow of the 600 years of tradition her country has exercised and remained unscorned by her peers. All these she could have chosen but she did not.

Gentlemen and (especially) ladies, are you a jewel rare and worthy of value to be placed in the palace of the King?
Often the hard way is the right way. To show Truth in this world is hard but it is the path of righteousness that we should tread that fulfills the purpose of the life God has given us.
For more than 2000 years of traditional low expectations that the society offers us every generation, when are we going to mark a point in history? Should we remain content of where we are now? No! If you were a better person the day before and even a better one after, then all days should follow you as a better person. Everyday we should strive to become better than we are. A saying goes, "When we love, we strive to become better than we are." How true it is for genuine Christians!
If you love your Lord Jesus Christ, wouldn't you strive to be holy as He is? Hate what He hates, do what He does! Remember, Jesus took the hard way but it was the right way God prepared for Him.
Do not be clouded by the world's method of thinking. They tell us "This is the easy way. Take it." And oft times we take it but did they ever bother to tell us that that instant way is the right way? Open your heart to hear what He's saying, "I am the [right] way, the truth, and the life, are you willing to take your cross and follow Me? If you are, then come along." Jesus did not fail to remind us that the way He took is the hard one.
And finally, wouldn't it be great to be written in history books someday? But our names need not be known, but our faithful deeds should continue the Rebelution we have marked in history.