the reluctant leader

Imagine Losting Everything You Own: Sad But True Manila Flood Stories

Imagine LOSING EVERYTHING YOU OWN - clothes, furniture, photos, electronics... EVERYTHING. That's what happened to thousands of Filipinos this weekend, including some of my friends and some of our Victory pastors.

Rather than trying to write my own thoughts, I'm re-posting Marie Bonifacio's account of the flood. I fly to Manila tomorrow. Will post my own thoughts after I get there and see for my self.

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Sometimes, some sadness is so sad it has to be shared. So I hope you don't mind if I give you an update of what's been happening. We've gone through coups, trials both national and personal but this typhoon so far, takes the cake.I guess it's also the spread of the damage and the number of people we personally know that's been affected...

1) Nelle Nguyen:  we had no contact since Saturday but a team with Joseph B., Chrysso and others were able to reach her home this afternoon Sept 28 Mon.  Hugh is in the US as well as Timmy so it was Nelle here and the younger ones with the helper/s.  Floodwaters had entered the house. Waters have receded so she's in the process of cleaning her belongings. Team came just in time to bring her some food packs. Will find out tomorrow what else can be done (ex. help with house cleaning, cell phone etc.)

2) Victory-Fort Pastors  Jeff Eliscupidez and Junjin Gepilano families:
Both Pastor were at the Fort Saturday when rains came. They were unable to reach their families til the ff day( Sun am). The Gepilanos live in Moonwalk.  Wendy (Junjin's wife) said the waters INSIDE the house reached waist level.  It rose so suddenly, so her dilemma was how to get her 3 kids out (2 young girls and 1 young son who's a special child).  By the time they got out the gate, the muddy waters had reached chest level (adult!). She and 2 helpers grabbed one child each and inched their way grasping from one gate to the side of the walls. Wendy was holding on to her son.  Unfortunately, because of his condition, he thought the flood was one big swimming pool and broke free and dove! He sank down and was carried by the current. (Believe it or not flood waters are strong!)  Thank God, a Barangay tanod guy grabbed him downstream!  Junjin said when he heard his son almost drowned, his heart turned.  Never mind if he lost everything, house appliances, car, clothes, furniture, pics, etc...he was just so grateful to have his family all safe.  All they had were the wet clothes on their back.  The flood water was so strong, it actually detached the cabinets that were built in to the walls!
Right now they are camping out in a sister's house (Junjin's sister). Up to now, Wendy cannot bear to even visit her home despite offers to help clean it.  Junjin still goes to the Fort as he still helps to deploy people out.

Jeff's family also had water fill their home.  His wife called to say they had waded out to a school that had been used as an evacuation center.  It was so difficult for him to hear all this via cellphone while he was stuck at the fort helpless because SLEX road was IMPASSABLE that Saturday.  People actually whose cars were on top of the SLEX even ahd to climb up out of the cars since the waters were so high. Some were plucked out by trucks that were also stuck in traffic. It became more frustrating when his wife cell phone died and hence no more communication from evening til morning.  As of today, Monday, we're still waiting to hear word from him and his family of how they are.

There are also stories from Cleve & Joan de la Calzada, Jun & Maru Besana, (Victory-Pasig church, water went past stage level),  etc. etc.  We are also still trying to find out how Arnie & Janet are.  To think these are just the pastors.

Then there are the countless church members and staff...
Edwin Navarro's mom (same story, Edwin picked her up today but had to walk to her house as road was too muddy). He relocate them to Novaliches.  Edwin was so grateful for the clean clothes and packs he was able to bring cause everything his mom and sister owned was so muddy even the lavandera they got to help surrendered!  All coated with mud even underwear.

There's also Culbert * Geraldine (house and office affected), Carol & Vince ( waters entered house, van, factory). I'm even trying to find some of my Poveda friends still incommunicado til today.

On a personal note, do also pray for our safety. David's been able to finnagle a Fire Truck so they've been going out distributing food packs day & night.  Last nite someone threw a rock in their window.  Joseph too has been out on the field. Joshua's been helping Joey with his website and Josh will be heading out tomorrow.  Oh pray for my hubby.

But when morning comes and we see the volunteers and their cheery faces, oh how our burdens lift!!! (Even tho at times having so many people asking what to do is (as someone described it) like your kids asking Mom can I help you cook dinner?  You love it but it sure takes a lot of supervision too) ; >

I know God has a reason for doing this.  Maybe He soaked and ruined every shabu or drug den that's been hiding.  Maybe He's putting the fear of the Lord on the wealthy who do not seek Him (one story of a car dealer, lost MILLIONs cause all his luxury cars for sale all underwater in Balintawak avenue Quezon City.  (Cars not covered in insurance policies unless specified). I just know He has a reason.  Its just the day to day living where we need his grace.
Well, thanks for reading this far.  I hope I never have to write you another note like this again.

Much much thanks,
Marie
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vids & pix of the devastation & our relief work here.

If You Could Shrink our World to 100...

Got the following from my friend, Mark Conner:

If we could shrink the earth’s population to a village of exactly 100 people it would look like this:

- 1 of the villagers would have a college/university education

- 1 of the villagers would own a computer

- 70 villagers would be unable to read

- 20 of the villagers would earn more than 12,000 AUD a year

- 80 villagers would live in sub-standard housing

- 9 of the villagers would possess 50 percent of the wealth

- 50 of the villagers would suffer from malnutrition

- 60 villagers would live where torture & ill-treatment by the authorities is common

- 30 of the villagers would be Christian

- 28 of the villagers would not have a Christian friend

What are you doing about it?

What Does It Mean to Be Apostolic?

Had a good discussion with a room full of leaders in Nashville last week, talking about what it means to be an “apostolic” church movement.

 

Here are some of our thoughts:

 

1. Unfortunately apostolic is usually defined in governmental terms of “who is in charge” rather than in missional terms of what are we called to do.

 

2. The starting point of any apostolic discussion should be the mission, not the authority structure.

 

3. Authority structures exist to serve and protect mission. The mission dies not exist to prop up the authority structure.

 

 

Biblical apostolic teams should:

 

1. Provide visionary leadership for health, growth and expansion

 

2. Equip people to be more effective in ministry

 

3. Provide governmental leadership in times of crisis and emergency

3 Big Parenting Decisions

Parenting is a tough job, with lots of tough decisions. Here are 3 big decisions that will affect our kids for the rest of their lives – for better or for worse.

1. Names & nicknames. Remember that kid with the weird name, that everyone laughed at when the teacher called roll? Do you want that to be your kid? If not, then you better name your children for them, not for you. It may sound cute now, but what about 15 or 30 years from now? (And, please don't give a boy a girl's name. There's already enough gender confusion out there.)

2. Church. Attend a church your children will love, even if you don’t like the music, or the pastor. Too many parents drag their kids to churches they like, but their kids hate. Bad move.    

3. Education. Forget the “educating kids God’s way” seminar; there is not just one “Christian” choice. Public, private or home school - I have seen all three succeed and fail – depends on the child and the parents and the school district. You have to figure out what is best for your family. Make this choice prayerfully. Failure here is huge.

What are some other big parenting decisions?

 

 

Doing Church vs. Making Disciples

I put on my consultant hat and met with some Bethel World Outreach Center leaders last week to talk about discipleship.  

When the Sunday attendance and offering numbers are up, most pastors call it a “win” and take a day off. But, not the Bethel team - because to them, doing church is not about counting people and counting money - it’s about making disciples.

If you are serious about making disciples, then having a full auditorium and a full offering plate just doesn’t cut it.

So, how do we make sure we are really making disciples, and not just filling a building, doing church or running a religious business?

To answer that question, I wrote the word “EVERYTHING” on the Bethel whiteboard. Then I emphatically said…

EVERYTHING we do must be about making disciples, EVERYTHING…

-      -the sermons we preach 

-      -the topics we choose to preach about

-      -the way we write our sermons (team work)\

-      -the way we do altar ministry

-      -the way we do children’s ministry

-      -if/how we do membership

-      -how we do foundations

-      -the announcements we make

-      -how we take the offering

-      -how we schedule our time

-      -what we count

Everything listed above either underlines or undermines the discipleship process. 

Jesus said he would build his church. He told us to make disciples. Too many pastors and church planters are confused about this. They are trying to do Jesus’ job and neglecting theirs. They get so busy building a church, that they have no time for discipleship.

If we make disciples, Jesus will take those disciples and build His church.

Are you doing church, or are you making disciples?

The Death of Civility

Every day our culture seems to become more arrogant, mean-spirited and self-absorbed.

Is there no civility left in America?

Consider the past 4 days...
- Congressman Joe Wilson interrupted President Obama's speech, shouting "You Lie!"
- Serena Williams threaten to kill a line judge at the US Open for calling a foot fault on her serve.
- And last night, Kanye West took the stage hostage during the MTV awards, grabbed the mic from Taylor Swift as she was giving her acceptance speech, and disrespected Taylor and the whole event. (An event that was not worthy of much respect anyway.)

When civility dies, so does the culture.

But, on the rare occasions when civility is resurrected, people embrace it.

Consider the last election. I think civility contributed to President Obama's victory. People who didn't like the policies, liked the person. And people who liked McCain's policies, often disliked the crusty mean warrior persona. Americans were sick of the arrogant blood-fest of politics, so when a man who was gracious and civil stepped on the stage, the nation ignored the policies and elected the man. Civility won.

Wouldn't it be nice to occasionally see civility in sports, entertainment, politics, business, homes and church? 

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***related topic -  "Lost Art of Respect and Honor"

Reflections on September 11: Crashing Planes & Crushing Myths

Here's my traditional Sept 11 blog...

September 11, 2001.  As always, I phoned my dad to wish him a happy birthday. I was getting ready for bed in Manila. He was getting ready for work in Mississippi. After a brief discussion about the US stock market, I handed the phone to my sons so they could speak to their grandfather. As soon as we hung up, I heard my wife calling, "Quick, you have to see this. A plane just crashed into a building in New York!"

Like thousands of others around the globe, I was glued to CNN for the next few hours, watching in disbelief as three more planes crashed, killing thousands, wounding a nation, and terrorizing the world. Over the next few days the news moved me to tears, to anger, and to prayer.

I was amazed that the same news producers who usually mock and vilify preachers, were now putting them on prime time asking their perspective on the attack. The line-up included Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, TD Jakes, Dr. James Dobson, and others. Courtesy of CNN, these men probably preached the gospel to more people that week than at any other time in their lives.

Of course, the newscasters interviewed plenty of "experts" who had nothing to say, but kept talking anyway. I did not know whether to laugh or cry when they interviewed novelist, Tom Clancy. I suppose he qualified as an expert on terrorism because he once wrote a novel about a hijacked plane that crashed into a building. It's a sad commentary on contemporary culture when all it takes to be an expert is the ability to make up a good story. Here's what Mr. Clancy had to say about the situation: "We need to be careful not to overreact to this. We must realize that WE ALL SERVE THE SAME GOD OF LOVE."

Do we all serve the same God? Do all religions present a God of love?

Tom's comments about the tragedy are typical of most post-modern pseudo-intellectuals. Unfortunately even Christians get sucked into this pagan way of thinking. It is my hope that the events of September 11 will forever expose and crush the following myths that corrode the foundations of the Faith.

THE MYTH OF RELIGIOUS SINCERITY
Anyone who was ever attempted to be a witness has heard some variation of this statement: "As long as you are sincere, it doesn't really matter what you believe or which religion you follow." It seems that sincerity has replaced truth as the ultimate religious issue of our day. Unfortunately, many today are sincerely wrong.

Suppose we are both on a sinking ship and neither of us can swim. We are told to put on the inflatable life jackets and we will be safe. We both sincerely believe what we are told and act accordingly. You get one life jacket and I get the other. One problem: my life jacket has a hole in it. It does not matter how sincerely I believe the life jacket will save me, if it has a hole then my sincerity is useless. Unfortunately many people sincerely believe in religions and philosophies that are filled with holes, destined to sink.

Don't ever forget that the pilots who crashed into the World Trade Center towers, killing thousands of innocent people, were very sincere in their service to their god. This is the result of elevating human sincerity above divine truth. Let September 11 be a reminder that truth, not sincerity is the ultimate issue.

THE MYTH OF RELIGIOUS EQUALITY
Another common myth everyone engaged in evangelism has heard goes something like this: "All religions lead to the same God."

If one person studies and practices the teachings of the Bible, another the Koran, another the Veda, another the Book of Mormon, will their values, beliefs, and lifestyles be the same? Of course not, because all religions are not basically the same, they are fundamentally different.

For example, Jesus taught his followers to love and serve pagans in hope that they will voluntarily turn to the true God. Even if this has not been obeyed in history, this is what Jesus taught. And it is a far cry form declaring holy war on infidels and unbelievers.

So, do all religions ultimately lead to the same God? Do all roads really end up at the same place? Does it matter which road you take if you are trying to go home? Of course it matters because all roads do not lead to the same house. If you take the wrong road, you will not reach your destination, no matter how sincere you may be.

When Thomas said to Jesus: "Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" (John 14:5) Jesus did not answer: "Thomas, my son, it does not matter which way you go because all paths ultimately lead to God."

No! Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Jesus was very narrow. He said there was only one way, not several options.

May the same acts of violence that took the lives of thousands of innocent people also destroy the myths that blind the minds of millions around the world.

God Judges the Heart

The condition, direction and focus of our hearts determines our actions - both good and evil actions.

Speaking of King Rehoboam, 2 Chronicles 12:14 says, "He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord."

Everything Rehoboam DID was because of the CONDITION, DIRECTION and FOCUS of his heart. And, what you and I do today is because of the condition, direction and focus of our hearts.

God told David that he "did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my name." God was pleased with David's desire, even though David never built that temple. (2CHR6:8) God judged the intention of his heart.

What is your heart focused on today?

Justice, Mercy and Mass Murderers

I had an interesting conversation recently about whether or not it is right for civil authorities to show mercy and kindness to dangerous/violent criminals. That conversation inspired a blog. That blog got a response that I responded to. 

Here's the controversial part of last week's blog:

3 - Lybian A-list terrorist, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi who was responsible for the Lockerbie bombing that killed 170 innocent people was recently released from a Scottish prison "for humanitarian" reasons. (Of course, it had nothing to do with the deal British Petrolium was negotiating with Lybian strongman, Muammar Gadaffi.) Scottland's leaders must define justice differently than the rest of us.

So, was the Scottish judge (and the British prime minister) right to release a dangerous unrepentant mass murderer from prison?

Here's my opinion:

- The fact that the legal authorities in a nation supposedly ruled by law would extend mercy to a terrorist with the blood of at least 170 people on his hands is deeply troubling to me. It shows how confused the Scottish judge and the British prime minister are about their God-given roles.

- It is the job of the individual, the family and the church to show humanitarian mercy. It is NOT the role of civil government to show mercy to violent criminals.

- The government's role is to "bear the sword" to PROTECT the innocent and PUNISH the guilty. The use of the sword is supposed to strike terror/fear in the hearts of the wicked/lawless. Releasing a man who brutally murdered 170 innocent people does not strike fear in the hearts of anyone thinking about blowing up a plane. It says that we don't take violent crime as seriously as we once did.

- Here's what God's Word says about the role of civil government - a role our friends across the pond have traded for their own idea of humanitarian kindness. 

"For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. If you do wrong, BE AFRAID, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, AGENTS OF WRATH to BRING PUNISHMENT ON THE WRONGDOER" (Romans 13:3,4)

- If the government refuses to bear the sword, punish the guilty and protect the innocent - do the citizens have a right and an obligation to pick up the sword to protect themselves? That's a scary thought. Better if the government simply does what it is supposed to do.

- Summary:
Christian's are supposed to be forgiving, kind, merciful.
Governments are supposed to protect the innocent & "punish the wrongdoers."

What do you think? Do you want your government to be "humanitarian" and release violent criminals because they are sick? Was justice served? How do you think the families of the victims fell about this type of justice? Is he still dangerous?

For more on this, read Rabbi Abraham Cooper's blog on "Debased Justice & Misplaced Mercy"

Justice and Judgment Day

In our strange world, justice seems to be a constantly moving target. Consider the following recent failed attempts at  justice:

1 - While drinking in a NYC bar, Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg and got two years in jail. While driving drunk, Dante Stallworth accidentally killed a construction worker and got 30 days in jail. Is this justice?

2 - Philip Garrido was sentenced to 50 years for kidnapping and rape. The US justice system let him out after serving only 11 years. Upon release, Garrido kidnapped and raped Jaycee Lee Dugard, then kept her locked up in his back yard for 18 years. How does a vicious criminal like that get out of jail after only 11 years? Is this justice?

3 - Lybian A-list terrorist, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi who was responsible for the Lockerbie bombing that killed 170 innocent people was recently released from a Scottish prison "for humanitarian" reasons. (Of course, it had nothing to do with the deal British Petrolium was negotiating with Lybian strongman, Muammar Gadaffi.) Scottland's leaders must define justice differently than the rest of us.

None of the above seem just to me.

But, God is just and He is the ultimate Judge. Here's what the Bible says about eternal judgment and our righteous Judge.

When we face our judge, there will be...

NO EXCUSE ACCEPTED - Rom 2:1

NO ESCAPE POSSIBLE - Rom 2:3

NO FAVORS EXTENDED - Rom 2:11

NO SECRETS HIDDEN - Rom 2:16

How can anyone survive this kind of judgment?

Only because, "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who wait for him." (HB9:28)