"All About You"

Listening to "ALL ABOUT YOU" and having fun by myself praising my God, jukno me~ ;)

i find myself to be a retreat junky at times because i really do cherish and savor those moments where such variety of believers from ethnic diversity to spiritual walks of life.... are gathered to worship a God bigger than ourselves~YEAYUH!

and also the fact that im away from all the distractions back at home..na mean?

DISCIPLESHIP '09....
what can i say?

short & sweet?........ humble & honoring?....... straightforward & informative?........secretive yet revealing?......i kno!

David Crowder sums it up nicely,

a place where our depravity met his divinity.....yea...

something i've come to realize I need to do more of this upcoming year.... to just say "YES LORD!" and really discipline myself to the discipline of discipleship...yakno? ;)

i really recommend this book for those of you guys having a hard time disciplining yourselves in areas such as:

BIBLE INTAKE
PRAYER
WORSHIP
EVANGELISM
SERVING
STEWARDSHIP
FASTING
SILENCE & SOLITUDE
JOURNALING
LEARNING
PERSEVERANCE IN THE DISCIPLINES

in chp. order...

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE by Donald S. Whitney

life-changing book really.... something applicable till we die!..only 10 bux, indeed a good investment.

with the year winding down, this retreat helped me put things into perspective for the year coming up... and i realize i'm not the only one. =)

i still need to devote one of my "devotions" to reflection upon 2008, it really sorta kinda didn't hit me yet.... that's why i can't wait for New Year's service with my beloved D.E.M.... i shall keep my 1 or 2 readers posted, just let me know you care enough to stay tuned...it is nonetheless, an encouragement  ;)

i've been really focused on reaching different people for Christ this year such that of friends and strangers....whereas my family is a 24/7 mission field.......

Pastor Stephen and i along with Esther, went into the NYC subways this afternoon and spread the true joy and cheer of Christmas, preaching the gospel of Christ demonstrated in Romans 5:8...... just letting the people know that there is hope and someone bigger than ourselves ya kno?

"many of them may not hear this lost msg ever again"

this hope that the children of God have is not to be our best kept secret... or a faith of personal fulfillment...... that's called being selfish really..... 

but a love that compels to put our own lives at risk and join in the sufferings of Christ...

"Dear friends,

do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murder or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."

                                  -Peter

                               (1 Peter 4:12-16)

p.s. "for this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; brotherly kindess; and to brotherly kindness, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)

worship...

prayer...

team Jason.

midnight snacks =)

sisters...

brothers...

dancing =)

(GO JON!)

meanwhile......

Merry Christmas Everyone =)

(i realize we did it to the wrong edit of the song, so there were some...iffy parts)

good job team ;D*

Photos from Rockefeller coming soon =)

the Holidays Are Upon Us & God's Already Here

as i sit here preparing my Christmas gifts for the year i realize wow~ i am so giving.

for some reason~ i have such a long list this year.

usually i wouldn't be so generous~ only when it came to my family because of my sisters and there sentimentality for the holiday season.

despite the peril of our economy and my wallet -__-;;  .... i feel a sort of blessing to get these ppl gifts.... perhaps because they aren't comprised of coffeemakers, sweaters, or electronic shavers.

i'm not saying those things can't be great gifts or even tools for evangelism...

just not something i'd want to get these ppl on my list this year.

i've only began some relationships this year, but there's a type of urgency or burden to in some way help equip them with spiritual food or artillery, if u will. (ephesians 6:10-)

from non-believers to believers, i feel a kind of honor and privilege to use this time to reach out and exemplify the heart of Christ through secularized holidays such as Christmas.

eternal investment? i hope.

i pray they receive it without a heart of debt feeling as if they need to get me something now, being that i havent told most of them.... but nonetheless i've told people like Pastor Stephen what i'd like...lol (even if it's nothing i'm blessed to have him as my brother in the Lord =)

and although Christmas is around the corner and yes, the holidays are upon us, i have to remind myself to not get caught up in consumerism.... but evangelism~ I SAID CAN I GET AN AMEN TO THAT?!

during the weekend i was on my way up to Harlem, and felt the urge to do a bit of open-air preaching or what i like to call, spreading the real Christmas cheer (YAHHNAMSAYING) ;)

even though i got some stares, i did appreciate the pounds and amens that came along heh

the way i c it, God is already working in the people ESP the holiday season...and we are His laborers sent to harvest, cmon y'all.....let's not make Christ our best kept secret!

last Christmas some of the DEM leaders and friends went subway preaching with Pastor Stephen.... man was i nervous but Phillipians 4:13!~!

but the experience helped me understand and encouraged me to reach the lost and how God really does care for more than u and i.

this year we plan on doing it again around Christmas eve~ with prayer and supplication we ask for God's will and words and also for your prayers as well.

let's celebrate Christs birth and not the idols of earth!

werd.

HIGHLIGHT OF WEEK, ironically.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men"

-Colossians 3:23

this past week has been crazy~ too many things to record really.

Sunday morning, a few of my praise team members along with our EM President Jonathon, had a chance to do devotions and have prayer time together..... it's been a while since i've been able to join them on Sunday mornings... i cherished it much =)

a bit disappointed to see that it doesn't thrive as it used to, but glad i took the opportunity to go... it's been too long.

woke up at 7 AM got to church by 8... and had devotion time in Colossians.

and as we shared, we all had some kind of application with v.23, indirect or not.... we all were in places where we needed to realize we have to approach things with a different mindset.

after devotions, the DEM praise team were to lead worship for the Methodist church in which we share facilities with.

made up of mostly of an older crowd and a bit more conservative, atleast when it comes to contemporary worship.

it was definitely an experience for me, havent felt that nervous leading worship for a while lol

and even though our drummer was unable to play with us, God had it all worked out. 

i recall looking around and seeing about 2 people raise their hands, including the Pastor!

sheesh, talk about a tough crowd. =)

At the end tho... we had a very encouraging reaction from the congregation.... from, "man you guys are seasoned, you have a calling" to "we needed to experience that kind of worship" and "can u guys come back?"... i was like "huh?"

lol, God really does work for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28)

PRAISE GOD =)

to be honest i was a bit skeptical at first and even had a bad dream about it!

basically the dream was about that moment and how by the time we finished the first song everyone left the sanctuary~ my goodness... all i gotta say...is that i woke up in prayer! lol -___-;;

i told my guitarist, Geon, and he said it was a sign (guess i wasn't the only one feeling nervous?!) lol

i told him it was the enemy trying to bring us down... and to not worry cause God has our back...... and when God is for us!... (you finish the rest)  exactly! who then can be against us y'all!

ne way, i am indeed proud of each and every one of my members.

although my bassist suggest we never do this again (guess it was too weird for him)... I'm glad we had the chance to present the gospel through song and given the opportunity to minister and edify the church.

but yea.... this was a highlight of the week kinda thing for me.... so i guess the point of this blog, is basically no matter how farfetched the task or tiring or demanding etc... do it in the name of the Lord and it will become like George Herbert poetically said, divine.

and of course a bigger reward then we may think =)

there's been alot of things going on regarding future plans for DEM and direction for my own life, and i plan on posting another blog pretty soon, i hope........so stay tuned! ;D*

and if any of my 1 or 2 readers would like to hear life changing sermons.... holla at http://justifiedone.blogspot.com/

stay blessed y'all,

food for thought.....

the unbeliever says it's what he does that determines who he is, but it's the Christian that says it's who he is that determines what he does.

where do u fall?

JP out.

just being silly :)