Unforgotten!

User's Manual

2019-08-28T00:37:00.000-07:00

Sometime back, my son asked me to fix his lego, I fixed it so many times that I thought I could do it without the manual. After going through the motions, I thought I did perfectly until I saw one part was still rolling on the floor when I "finished" fixing it. For reference this is what I was trying to fix:

Source

Fortunately for me, my son was already happy with what I have done, so he did not mind the "extra" piece. As I thought about what happened, I realised that if I only used the manual I could have done it better. So when everyone was asleep I went ahead and fixed that water strider lego properly.

As Christians, it is no secret that we also come with a users manual for life, it called the Bible, however, we have been doing life so long that we have forgotten to check the users manual. Just like lego we get used to doing it without the manual. For little things it is not an issue.

Source

I can fix that airport ground tug without looking at the manual. Some harder stuff, we can still do it by winging it.

Source

I can still do that frog without the manual, but more likely than not it will take me at least 3 times the time it would have had I taken the time to read the manual. Now for really complicated stuff...

Source

If you want to see how complicated the Millennium Falcom lego is to build you can check out the .PDF manual here.

Just by looking at the picture of the Falcon in the box, I already know I cannot "wing" it. This is a lego I need to spend time on the manual to complete.

It's just like life, we have been going through life for so long we think we can wing it. We do not go back to the manuals, we try to do it our way. As Christians, we should not try to wing it with life. We have a user's manual prepared by our creator. Some Christians think reading the Bible is a waste of time and concentrate on their ministries and rely only on the Word spoken during fellowships and preachings of their pastors or on TV. You can find the frequency and demographic of of how much people read the bible here. Unfortunately this is not enough.

Reading the Bible regularly will help us to understand how to love life as God planned it for us. It is our user's manual. It is never a waste of time. In fact it will save us a lot of time and allow us not to waste time trying to correct mistakes we have done in life, more importantly, some mistakes cannot be corrected anymore. You can live through it and grow through the mistakes but it would have been better not to have made the mistakes because you knew what you should have done in the first place. Imagine the relationships we can save?

It was just like me fixing my son's strider. I went through it once and found that I made a mistake. In rushing to fix, I wasted time fixing it again. Time, I could have spent resting or enjoying a movie before sleep. I could have not minded it, but it would have broken down more easily the next time my son played with it. Which would mean I wasted more time, in the worst case, it could even lead to me getting angry at my son for not taking care of his toys and not playing with it properly.

That would have put an additional strain in my relationship wit my son. No I am not the perfect father, or spouse. In fact I make a lot of mistakes. That actually helped me to realise that I need more patience and I really have to get back to the Word.

I realised I need help to live this life, I realise it more and more every day. I cannot do it alone. I need God's help in every area of my life and the only way to do that it by reading the Bible. In Joshua 1:8 in the Amplified states:

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful."

Read the Bible, make your way prosperous and be successful. Let us not waste our time groping in the dark on how to live our life. We have a user's manual prepared for us, all we have to do is take the time to read.

God Answered Your Prayer, You were NOT Listening

2019-08-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a situation when you have been praying so hard and so long about something but somehow despite doing everything humanly possible, you still fall short and the doors appear to be closing on your face at the last minute, every time?

Ye-ea-ah... been there. It is a crappy experience. These are the times when we tend to ask God why? What did we do wrong? When did we make a wrong turn? What should I have doe better?

Over the years I have realised that when this happens, there are only 2 reasons, the first one is it is not the right time and the second, and this is going to hurt a little more, it is not for you.

The first one, is a little easier to accept. It is because we are not ready. It is either we lack the necessary preparation, the skills have not been developed enough, we are not mentally prepared or the people around us are not ready for what we are praying for, and receiving what we are asking for at this time will most likely do more harm than good.

The second, is more painful because it is difficult to accept that what we want the most, what we have worked so hard to achieve is NOT FOR US, and most of the time this the case when God has been telling us a long time ago to stop thinking about it, but we refuse to listen. It is not that God was not listening to us, but that he was listening intently and he already gave an answer days, weeks, months, years some even decades ago, but we refused to listen to the Answer

Psalm 44:21 says "Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." God know more than we do and he knows what's best for us. When this realisation finally dawns on you, then you can move on, and guess what? What he has prepared for yours better than the one you have been asking for and it is specially made for you, tailor made for you and will fit no one else but you!

Ephesians 3:20 days "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

When God Answers your prayer with "you are not ready" go ahead and pray some where and do everything you can to get ready. But when he answers your prayer with a resounding "NO." Acknowledge it. Move on. Listen to what follows the "no" because it always has a "but I have something better for you." And guess what? That something better? It is something that we never thought we always wanted and needed in our lives.

Take heart for God's love will never fail us.

No Interruptions

2019-08-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you have gone through this blog, you would realise quickly how important praise and worship is for me. I believe it is the most important part of Sunday Service because it is the time when we give back to God with all that we have. We pour our hearts out to god and let our spirit speak and for with the Holy Spirit in worship. That is why when an amazing worship session is interrupted it really bothers be and it makes me think what the church leaders are doing. if we can go with the flow for the entire service, there would be no need for preaching!!!

I have visited different churches in the area where I am and I find that there is always a Pastor or church leader that disrupt the flow of worship and frankly I can not understand it. It is either a Pastor or leader who wants to exhort the church in worship, asking the community to pray for the needs of the community, collecting tithes and offerings in the middle, or having people speak testimonies. The problem with these is that they are all programmed interruptions, and these interruptions are actually destroying the flow of worship.

I understand the idea behind these interruptions, tithes and offerings are also a form of worship, it allows us to show our obediences through our finances. Testimonies are a way to acknowledge the work that God has done in our lives. Exhortation is supposed to allow flow of Spirit to be smoother during praise and worship. Praying in the midst of worship is, I believe the most effective way to pray, but not in communal worship UNLESS the flow of the Spirit calls you to pray.

Some even take this time to train speakers, which I believe is the worst idea. The purpose is admirable, but the negative impact to the greater whole is tremendous.

The ideas are all meant to help the church, but it ends up disrupting worship. While it should not be so easy to disrupt the flow of the spirit, human focus however is easily disrupted and honestly when the flow of worship is disrupted it is very easy for minds to drift somewhere else making it difficult for most of the community to get back into the flow.

This has even gone to the point where Praise and Prayer night is interrupted regularly DESPITE the fact that the flow of the Spirit is amazing. And it just kills the flow.

There are times to exhort the community when the flow of the Spirit is somehow stifled or blocked, bu when the flow of the spirit is smooth and worship is flowing like the stream, doing nothing is the best the church leaders can do. Go with the flow. NO Interruptions.

Indivisible

2019-08-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

This may come a little late, but I was just able to watch the movie Indivisible which was released last year. The movie is based on the life of Darren Turner a Chaplain in the US Army. The movie is basically what happens to Christians when the daunting realities of life smash apart our comfort zone, when the new found passion we have for Christ settles down into everyday life, how do we handle life?

As Christians, it is important to have a deep foundation before we go too deep in our ministry. Don't get me wrong, I am impressed with Christians who immerse themselves in ministry immediately upon receiving salvation. It is, however, the Pastor's duty to ensure that these newborn Christian's don't bite off more than they can chew. Build in them a strong foundation. The more passionate they are, the deeper their foundations must be built.

Why do I say this? Christian churches have recently been shaken by the "deconversion" and lost of faith of popular Christian personalities. While I do not know how deep the foundations of these guys were, I only know in hindsight that it was not deep enough. Don't get me wrong this is not to criticise them in any way, this is just a point of reference. They have helped more Christians grow in faith than I ever had, and I appreciate their contributions to the faith, it is just unfortunate that they reached the point where they had to renounce their faith.

I do not know what they went through to reach the point where they are in now, but I know it must have not been so trivial. It could have been one big issue or a series of small issues or a combination of small and big ones. I do know that as an ordinary Christian, the challenges they face and the attacks they suffer daily is more than what I am going through and somewhere along the way they lost their point of reference, which should have been Christ.

In the movie, Darren Turner was suffering from a lost of faith, when the people he led to the Lord were taken in the war or suffered disability. He began to question God, he began to lose himself and the people around him. He was like Job, who lost everything he had, but unlike Job, he was also losing his faith. He concentrated on the circumstances surrounding him, he became the centre of his world, not God and he lost it, almost permanently.

But through the efforts of the people around him, he realised that how he was looking at the circumstances around him with the focus on him. He realised that his focus should have been Christ. And with this realisation, he was able to regain what he lost. He regained his faith, his family and his idealism.

After saying all this my only point is that as Christians we will suffer tribulation (John 16:33) but take heart that we have Christ and we will have peace. Being a Christian does not mean we will not suffer in life, it means we have the means to overcome the sufferings that life throws at us.

There will always be those who walk astray or backslide. When we see these people, we should not judge, criticise or spite them, on the contrary, we should reach out to them, and pray for them because they are going through things we do not want to go through in life. Let us be a good example, so when it us going through life's bumps and blockades there will be people who would reach out and pray for us and with us as well.

2019-08-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

In writing this post, I first began with a working title "Why me?" But as I started writing what I wanted to communicate, I began to ask myself, why is my outlook in life so pessimistic recently? And it just made a mess out of everything out of what I have already written and with that, the train of thought just vanished. I realised that every time I asked myself the question "Why me?" were the times were I felt so stressed and felt like I was facing unsurmountable mountains. It felt like giants are blocking my way. Most times, I was just making mountains out of mole hills.

Then I realised, that in those times, I got through it because I believed my God is bigger than the mountain and the giants. I always remember the verse:

"Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them"

That is Mark 11:23. The Bible is full of guidance. I remember my mom say in the past, read the Bible, though you can't memorize everything, you will remember what you need to when the time comes.

So read your Bible. You don't have to memorize. Just understand it and you will know how much God loves you and what he has planned for you!

Moving Forward

2019-07-31T23:10:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I've touched the keyboard. I though that life caught up to me, it took me a while to realise that I just had to live my life with God as my north star and the Bible as my map. I am moving forward again after so many missteps. I seem to have a lot of free time coming backs I have time for at least a little of this. At this stage I am reminded of an old song Moving Forward by Ricardo Sanchez which is really what I aim to do. Look forward, MOVE FORWARD. Its time to stop looking at the past and letting the past weigh me down.

The lyrics really hit home:

"Not going back, I'm moving ahead

I'm here to declare to You my past is over
In You all things are made new
Surrendered my life to Christ, I'm moving, moving forward"

The guitar chords for the musicians can be found here. You can also google it, everything is at the tips of your fingers nowadays.

PS. I'm breaking myself in slowly. Trying to recall the shortcuts and right buttons for this. Feeling like a relic right now 😅!

Am I Ashamed to Pray in Public?

2012-06-28T01:44:00.001-07:00

I remember a very good statement made by a Pastor in one of the Bible study groups I participate in. He said "Public prayers should be short, if you want to pray a long prayer you can do it in your quiet time with God." He explained further that people, especially adults have very short attention spans, in order to keep them in the spirit of the prayer, we should try to keep our prayers made in public as short as possible.

This was a confirmation of what I always believed in, and also what other in our group believed in. When we say short prayers before affairs, there have been instances when people have asked me whether I was ashamed of praying in public. The answer is a resounding NO. I am not ashamed to pray, whether in public or in private. I just don't get the point of praying long prayers before affairs and meals.

Praying Hands

First, when I am asked to pray before or for an event or meals, I believe I am asked to ask for God's blessing for the event, affair or meal. I am not asked to impress other people with the way I pray and my vocabulary.

Second, people are not there to hear me pray, they are there to eat the food or to participate in the event and eat thereafter.

Third, people's concentration tend to drift away from prayer after a minute or two. Yes studies show that the attention span of an average adult lasts a maximum of 20 minutes but that sustained attention does not last on prayers, trust me I know! And I know you know it too.

I have to admit that when someone leads a very long period of time, my attention tend to drift away and before long I would be daydreaming. Has that ever happened to you? Never? I guess I am alone in this then... But really it does tend to end that way right?

And lastly, when we pray too long we tend to turn people off, we give of a holier than thou aura that other people shun. Instead of people opening up to us, they tend to shut us out.

This is the reason why I would recommend that if you have to pray in a public event or gathering, keep your prayer brief. Reach out to people by mingling with them during the event not during your prayer. Your long (or very long) prayer won't do it for you. On the contrary, your long prayer may be the reason why they won't be there to mingle with during the event.

Of course there are instances when you could pray a long prayer in public, but these are exceptions, the general rule is you should keep them short. At least it is from my point of view. If you disagree, let me knoe and we could discuss your points.

There is None Like You - Hillsong and Michael W. Smith

2012-06-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

As I searched the internet for familiar songs that used to be sung in Christian and Charismatic gatherings in the past, I came across this familiar refrain by Michael W. Smith.

Michael W. Smith - There is None Like You

And as I also found a version by Hillsong, which had an additional verse to the familiar refrain. I do really know whether the Hillsong verse is an addition or part of the original, I just know that it makes a lot of sense and flows easily into the song.

Hillsong - There is None Like You

There is None Like You
by: Hillsong
Chords by: Ultimate Guitar
Aternative Chords by: Shane Bernard via E-Chords

Em C G D7sus4 D

G D C G

There is none like You

C G Am7 Dsus4 D

No one else can touch my heart like You do

G D G C

I could search for all eternity long and find

G D G

There is none like You

(repeat at your own choice)

Cmaj7 C G Em7

Your mercy flows like a river wide

Am7 D G

And healing comes from Your hands

Cmaj7 C G Em7

Suffering children are safe in Your arms

Am7 C D

There is none like You

The refrain is just amazing. Indeed there is no one like our God, the way he loves us and touches our hearts is just incomparable. Men have been searching for an alternative to God since time immemorial, unfortunately there is no alternative. Fortunately for Christians, we know that that whole in hearts can never be filled by earthly things, it can only be filled by God.

That hole in our beings that constantly need to be filled is shaped like Jesus, when he died on the cross and resurrected, after the third day he provided the exact matching piece to patch up the hole in our heart, all we needed to do was believe and receive him as our personal Lord and Savior.

Knowing about him, about Christ and God is not enough. For it is written in Roman 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Without Jesus Christ, we all fall and sink into the holes in our being, but by the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ he has brought us Salvation. However, we must believe! For there is none like Christ, no one else can touch us the way he does, and there is no alternative or replacement for his presence in our lives.

There is a big and wide difference between knowing Jesus Christ, and knowing something about Him.

For instance, you know your father, mother, brother or sister. You could also know your best friend more than your family. But do you know LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh, Russel Westbrook or James Harden? I picked them in random (?) because they are all over the news this week and I am an NBA fan. And despite being a fan and reading all the articles written by so-called NBA and ESPN insiders, I could honestly say that I do not know any of these guys.

Sure I know about them, I've read almost every article written about them these past 2 years and more. But I don't know them in an intimate way, in a personal way. There is a difference.

And if you are reading this post and per chance you know any of these guys personally, please send out by congratulations for a well played NBA finals, and Congratulations to the Miami Heat for winning the 2012 NBA Championship. (If you could also send me a signed game jersey or pair of sneakers, that would be awesome! *SMILE*).

So getting back to the point, if you know of these guys personally, think of celebrity you know of but don't know personally, it is easy to do so, think of Elvis Presley for instance, you know he was a great musician and performer, but do you know what he does before he sleeps? What he does when he sleeps and how e goes about his personal routine?

I hope you now see the difference, and I also pray that you continue to seek the Lord for it is written in James 4:8 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

If you you have any comments you want to discuss or suggestions, don't hesitate to drop one below.

PS: While posting the two videos, I also saw one by Don Moen and Lenny LeBlanc so I'm posting it below.

Don Moen and Lenny LeBlanc - There is None Like You

Only A God Like You - Tommy Walker

2012-06-22T00:31:00.000-07:00

I have not heard this song for quite some time even though it is on my praise and worship play list. One of Tommy Walker's first songs, which was actually what led me to know more of his songs. So when I saw a rendition of this song on my FaceBook Newsfeed by Wale Adenuga and Kunle Fadahunsi, it brought me back to my first days as a Christian and remembered the thirst I had for the presence of the Lord. It was, in a word, nostalgic.

For those that have not heard this version, I included it in this post as well, you may want to give it a try.

Only A God Like You
By: Tommy Walker
Chords by: Ultimate Guitar
Alternative Chord by: Higher Praise

Intro

G D Em C

VERSE 1

G D Em C

For the praises of man, I will never ever stand

G D C2

For the kingdoms of this world I'll never give my heart away

Dsus4 D

Or shout my praise

G D Em C

My allegiance and devotion, my heart's desire and all emotion

G D C2 Dsus4 D

Go to serve the Man Who died upon that tree

CHORUS

G D Bm7 Em7

Only a God like you could be worthy of my praise

And all my hope and faith

G D Bm7 Em7

To only a King of all Kings do I bow my knee and sing

Give my everything

Am7 G/B C Em7

To only my maker my Father my Savior

Am7 G/B C Em7

Redeemer Restorer Rebuilder Rewarder

Am7 Dsus4 D G D Em C

To only a God like You, do I give my praise

VERSE 2

G D

Only the God Who left His throne above

Em C

He came to live with us, came to be one of us

G D

To only the One Who stopped to heal that blind man

Em7 C

Took the time to save that one lost lamb

G D

To only the King Who wore that crown of thorns

B7(b9) Em C

So I could wear the crown of life

G D

And to only the One Who conquered sin and death

Em C2

So we could be set free, so we could stand here and sing

BRIDGE

Only a God like You. Only a God Like You

Only a God Like you

(Repeat 3 times)

Am7 G/B C Em7

To only my maker my Father my Savior

Am7 G/B C Em7

Redeemer Restorer Rebuilder Rewarder

Am7 Dsus4 D G D Em C

To only a God like You, do I give my praise

This song helps to keep me firm in my belief and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For indeed there is no other God like our God.

God the Father gave everything for us, even the begotten Son, which is Christ, to save us from our sins. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but through we are made perfect through Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28) when Christ died on the cross he conquered sin and death and gave us life.

This was the perfect song for me then, and I can still relate to it fully now. Such a great song to sing to our God!

Oh Manny!

2012-06-13T20:11:00.004-07:00

Last Saturday evening in Nevada (Saturday morning here in the Philippines), Manny Pacquiao lost via a controversial split decision against Timothy Bradley. A decision that was so shocking that the judges were immediately labeled the Three Blind Mice (Well, I do feel sorry for the judge that scored in favor of Manny!).

Fans and Celebrities around the world wen to Twitter and Facebook to air their outrage.

Via Facebook Credit to the creator.

Like most people, we were shocked by the decision. ESPN Boxing Headline that day read "What Were THEY Watching!" Arum was quoted saying that Bradley admitted to him after the fight that he cannot beat Manny, yet he still won the fight.

Fans were not content with just making their opinions known through their words, some were very creative and funny.

Pinoy Laugh Page

Others were just down right nasty which we will not include in this post.

While the controversial decision was stunning, what really stuck in our mind was the way Manny responded to the decision. He praised Bradley's skill and while he believed he won the fight, he took the high road and congratulated Bradley even posing with Bradley for a friendly pose after the fight.

Manny Pacquiao take the High Road

Later we read from Productive Pinoy about the Two Things That Manny Won and Cito Beltran's article in the Philippine Star When Losing is More Like Winning. And we realize that Manny Pacquiao has indeed matured as individual.

As Filipinos and as as Christians, we were afraid that Manny would lose his faith, indeed Cito Beltran was right when he wrote "why do bad things happen to good people?" We were afraid that Manny Pacquiao would have backslidden and lost his new found relationship with Christ.

However, our fears were misplaced, he is a more mature individual than we thought he would be. AND more importantly, he has made us believe, as well as some other skeptics, that his new found faith is real and not just for show.

Never have we felt that a boxer who lost a fight, won so much Respect for a loss as when Manny Pacquiao lost to Timothy Bradley on June 9, 2012, and deservedly so.

We pray that you continue to grow in your relationship with Christ, and that you continue to give glory to his name in your words and in your actions. May God's grace and mercy follow you all the days of your life!

The Voice of Truth

2012-06-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in a while, I guess since not many people read this blog it doesn't really matter (*smile*

). Then again, I started this blog to release my faith and not necessarily for site traffic, so I thought it would be better for me to do so again, just in case people would come across it, I would like to have helped even a little.

My song for the past few months that I have been going through over and over is the Voice of truth by Casting Crowns. Somehow it feels like until this day, this song is something that pulls me in. If you have not hear the song before, play the video and I hope you will like it. If you like it and want to play it the chords follow shortly.

The Voice of Truth
Casting Crowns
Lyrics and Chords from Ultimate Guitar
Alternative Chords from Higher Praise (with Capo 3)

3fret

Fsus4 Dm7 Bbsus Bb Eb C2

xx--00 xx--00 xx--00 xx---0 xx-0-0 ----0-

xx---- xx-0-- xx---- xx---- xx--0- ------

xx0--- xx---- xx00-- xx000- xx0--- -0----

xx---- xx---- xx---- xx---- xx---- ------

Verse 1:

Fsus4 F Dm Dm7

Oh what i would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this

Bb Eb Bb Fsus4 F Dm

boat i'm in onto the crashing waves to step out of my comfort zone into the

Dm7 Bb Eb Bb

realm of the unknown where Jesus is and he's holding out his hand but the

C Bb Fsus4 F C Bb

waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me reminding me of all the

Fsus4 F C Bb Bb

times i've tried before and failed the waves they keep on telling me time

C Dm Bbsus C2 F

and time again "boy you never win, you never win"

Chorus:

F C Dm Bbsus

But the voice of truth tells me a different story the voice of truth

F C Dm

says "Do not be afraid" and the voice of truth says "This is for my glory"

Bbsus Dm Bbsus

out of all the voices calling out to me i will choose to listen and believe

Fsus4 F

the voice of truth

Verse 2:

Fsus4 F Dm Dm7

oh what i would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a

Bb Eb Bb Fsus4 F

giant with just a sling and a stone surrounded by the sound of a thousand

Dm Dm7 Bb Eb

warriors shaking in their armor wishing they'd have had the strength to

Bb C Bb Fsus4 F C

stand but the giants calling out my name and he laughs at me reminding me

Bb Fsus4 F C Bb

of all times i've tried before and failed the giant keeps on telling me

Bb C Dm Bbsus C2 F

time and time again "Boy, you never win, you never win"

What I really like about the song is truth behind what we are told by the world (the giant and the waves) that we've tried before and fail or simply that we can't succeed. As Christians, we do not answer to the world, we answer to a our God and our God says "Do not be afraid".

Roman 8:31 suddenly come to mind "If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" We must remember, however, that we must walk the right path, if we are in the right path we should not fear and believe, for the Lord will guide us and work for us.

I remember one of the pastors from a long time ago told us that "if you are walking in the will of the Lord you do not have to pray for God to bless your way, your way will be blessed because God has ordained it to be.

What do you think of the song?

What If I Stumble? - DC Talk

2011-09-13T00:18:00.000-07:00

DC Talk was one of the best Christian Contemporary Bands we've ever had! At least one of the best that I've ever heard. The song What If I Stumble by the band is a question I believe every Christian would ask at least once in his life. Peter stumbled (in water to boot!), we should be prepared to stumble once in a while right? If you don't know the song here is the video.

What If I Stumble

By: Dc Talk

Source: tabs.ultimate-guitar.com

Submitted by Lawnboy885@yahoo.com

Intro:

Dm-C-G

Dm C-G

What if I stumble? What if I fall?

Is this one for the people?

C G

Is this one for the Lord?

Dm C G

Or do I simply serenade for things I must afford?

Dm C G

You can jumble them together, my conflict still remains

Dm C G

For holiness is calling, in the midst of courting fame.

{Bridge}

Bb F C

Cause I see the trust in their eyes

(Though the sky is falling)

Bb F C

They need your love in their lives

(Compromise is calling)

{Chorus}

C G E

What if I stumble? What if I fall?

Am F

What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?

C G E

Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?

Am F Dm

What if I stumble, and what if I fall?

What if I stumble? What if I fall?

C G

You never turn in the heat of it all.

Dm C-G

What if I stumble? What if I fall?

Dm C G

Father please forgive me for I can not compose

Dm C G

The fear that lives within me, or the rate at which it grows.

Dm C G

If struggle has a purpose on the narrow road you've carved

Dm C G

Why do I dread my trespasses will leave a deadly scar?

Bb F C

Do they see the fear in my eyes?

(Are they so revealing?)

Bb F C

This time I can not disguise

(All the doubt I'm feeling)

{Chorus}

C-G-E-Am-F (x4)

Dm C G

Everyone's got to crawl when you know that your up against the wall

(It's about to fall)

Dm C G

Everyone's got to crawl when you know that . . .

Dm C G

Everyone's got to crawl when you know that your up against the wall

(It's about to fall)

Dm C G

Everyone's got to crawl when you know that . . .

Bb F C

I hear you whispering my name, you say

Bb F C

My love for you will never change, never change

{Chorus} x 2

What if I stumble? What if I fall?

C G

You never turn in the heat of it all.

What if I stumble? What if I fall?

C G

You are my comfort, and my God!

Is this one for the people?

C G

Is this one for the Lord?

Dm-C-G

I believe we all have a fear of falling short when it counts, and that is a legitimate concern, but it should not be a fear. After all, Peter stumbled not only once, remember the denials? Yes, we will all stumble, but what's important is that we try our best not to. And in the times that we do fall, lets not forget to standup and repent. Remember peter? He was a great apostle even after all the stumbles!

Don't be concerned about stumbling, what's important is that you ask God for help always. We are not perfect, I am not, my wife could attest to that! Remember that fear is not of the Lord. We should be concerned, but we should not be hindered by that concern to do great things for God.

I am praying that we would not stumble in our walk with God, and in the off chance that we do, I pray that we will have the strength to standup, repent, and move forward!

For more materials on DC Talk you may want to check these out from Amazon.com

Open the Eyes of My Heart - Sonicflood

2011-08-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

Sonicflood Live at TBN

It has been a while since I've heard this song in church. After listening to Tommy Walker's Lord I Believe in You, I found myself remembering the songs from the past and one of the first worship/contemporary Christian bands was Sonicflood. It was just really nostalgic reminiscing about the song we sang in the past.

While it is true that we have so many good song nowadays, there are many songs in the past that still make sense even in this day and age of Christian music.

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Sonicflood

Source: Worship Archive

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see you

E G A

I want to see you

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see you

E E E/D E

I want to see you

B C#m

To see You high and lifted up

A B

Shining in the light of Your glory

B C#m

Pour out Your power and love

A B

As we sing holy, holy, holy

A B

Holy, holy, holy

I want to see you

Honestly, I still ask this of the Lord. I still pray for the Lord to open the eyes of my heart in order for me to see His plans and purposes for my life. I continually seek the Lord believing that as I draw closer to Him, He draws closer to me. I long to hear His voice and worship in His presence.

If you want more Sonicflood material you might want to check these out from Amazon.com

Lord I Believe In You - Tommy Walker and C.A. Worship Band

2011-08-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Lord I Believe in You - Tommy Walker

Talking about Kim Walker reminded me of Tommy Walker and the praise and worship songs he made popular. The one that comes to mind immediately is Lord I Believe in You. When I was looking for it on the internet, it appeared that Crystal Lewis' version was more prominent and popular. That may be because Crystal Lewis' version is more contemporary as compared to Tommy Walker's version which was really more praise and worship.

Lord I Believe in You - Crystal Lewis

Lord, I Believe in You

Tommy Walker and C.A. Worship Band

Source: worshipmusic.eileenjahna.com

Am E Am

Though I can’t see Your Holy Face

F C G

And Your throne in Heaven above, it seems so far away

F E E7 Am

Though I can’t touch, can’t touch Your nail scarred hands

F C G

I have a deep unspeakable joy, that makes my faith to stand.

(Chorus)

G C F C F

Lord, I believe in You, I’ll always believe in You

F Fm

Though I can’t see You with my eyes

C F

Deep in my heart, Your presence I find

C F C F

Lord, I believe in You, and I’ll keep my trust in You

F Fm

Let this whole world say what they may

C G Am F Am

No one can take this joy away. Lord I believe in You.

Am E Am

Born from above, You are God’s only chosen one

F C G

You’re the one and only true way, way to the Father’s heart

F E E7 Am

You died for all sin, then You rose and now live again

F C G

Conquering death and the grave, so that I might live.

No matter whose version you like better, it does not change the fact that this is a great praise and worship song. One that magnifies what Jesus Christ has done for us and why we believe.

It serves to remind us that though that we had good songs in the past which brought about this renaissance in Christian Music through Hillsong, Israel Houghton, Kim Walker and others.

If you like these songs, you may also want to check these from Amazon.com

Jesus Be The Center - Israel Houghton

2011-08-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

This a fairly new song which, from what I gather, was debuted by Israel Houghton in Hillsong Conference 2011. Apparently this was the 25th Hillsong conference and a far cry from the small gathering of believers that started it all more than 2 decades ago. The Hillsong Conference 2001 saw thousands of participant from all over the world congregate at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Darling Harbour.

The conference was said to be amazing and it makes me look forward to going to the 2012 conference if and when I get the budget and time for it. I will be praying and believing for this to happen.

Jesus Be The Center

Israel Houghton - Hillsong Conference 2011

Source: iunspoken.com

F Gm F/A 

Jesus at the center of it all 

Bb F/A C 

Jesus at the center of it all 

Bb Dm

 From beginning to the end

 It will always be 

F/A

 It’s always been You

 Bb Bb/C 

Jesus, Jesus

Jesus be the center of my life

 From beginning to the end

 It will always be It’s always been You

Jesus, Jesus

Nothing else matters 

Dm F 

Nothing in this world will do

 F Gm7 F/A Bb 

Jesus you’re the center 

Gm7 Dm7

 Everything revolves around You 

 Jesus You

Bridge: 

From my heart to the heavens 

Dm F 

Jesus be the center 

 It’s all about You 

Jesus be the center of my church 

From beginning to the end 
It will always be

 It’s always been You

 Jesus, Jesus

It is a spirit-filled song and brings us back to the meaning of being Christians. It is a reminder that at the center of it all is Jesus. Churches should remember that always. It is not about the pastor, though you may have a good pastor, but pastors are only human. The reason why you go to a specific church is because you can feel the presence and the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ permeating the church and its believers, not only because the pastor speaks well.

This is really an inspiring song. The chords provided by iunspoken.com is a good touch. I might be adding the chords of the songs I am posting for those interested.

Hope you guys love this song as much as I do.

For more Israel Houghton you may want to check out this other resources from Amazon.com

I Asked You For Life - Kim Walker

2011-08-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

This song is great. It speaks of the kind of love god has for us. With Kim Walker's Collaboration with Jesus Culture in Rooftops a lot of the songs being sung in Christian churches nowadays have somehow come from her or with her participation!

I Asked You For Life
Kim Walker
Source: 6lyrics.com

Verse 1:
I asked You for life, and You sent your son to die for me.
I asked You for hope, You came in the night and gave me a dream.
I asked You for freedom, You broke every chain and gave me the keys.
I asked You for love never-ending and every day You surround me!

Pre-Chorus:
And now my faith in You is a mountain that can't be shaken,
Now my strength is found in You, it is joy that can't be taken!

Chorus:
Praise spills from my lips, flowing onto the feet of You, my King.
You deserve all the love and all the honor that I can bring!

Bridge:
Here is my song, here is my heart, here is my love, all for You, Jesus!

Chorus 2:
Holy, Holy, only You are worthy!

(CD: V1, Pre, C1, V1, Pre, C1 x2, Bridge x4, C2 x4, C1, C2 x4)
From the first line of the song, it already tugs at your heart's strings. The reminder that Jesus Christ died for us to give us hope and freedom, by loving us is well captured in the first verse.
I wouldn't really say that my faith is like a mountain that cannot be shaken, I'd like to think that it is God's faithfulness and love that is stronger than a mountain that cannot be shaken! And that is the reason why I my faith looks so strong, because God makes it so.
That is also the reason why praise just spills out of my mouth because my heat and soul is just overflowing with honor, love and worship for the Lord! It just flows out, it is not forced. The description is very accurate. Couldn't have thought of a more apt description for it!

A Psalm of David (Psalm 25)

2011-08-11T01:23:00.000-07:00

Often I am left with no words to pray, I read the Psalms for inspiration. One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 25. This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Psalm 25

New International Version (NIV)

A Psalm Of David.

1 In you, LORD my God, I put my trust.

2 I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.  

3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame,  but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

4 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.

 5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

 6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth   and my rebellious ways;  according to your love remember me,   for you, LORD, are good.

8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

 10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

 11 For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12 Who, then, are those who fear the LORD?   He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.

 13 They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.

 14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

 15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

 17 Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.

 18 Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

 19 See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!

20 Guard my life and rescue me;   do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

 21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,   because my hope, LORD, is in you.

22 Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles!

What an amazing praying right? Not only a prayer for one's self but a prayer for one's country. This is really an encouraging Psalm. And gives an assurance as to the faithfulness of the Lord to his people. It serves as a reminder of the Kingdom principle that God is our Lord and King and He will deliver us from all our troubles.

It is a Psalm I often use to worship God in times of struggle and also in times when I just want to feel the presence of the Lord.

Jesus Culture: Rooftops

2011-08-08T03:47:00.000-07:00

Most of the worship songs in churches nowadays come from Hillsong or Lakewood Church. When I first heard this song I thought for sure this is a new Hillsong worship song. To my surprise and delight, the song was from a new group (well at least new to me), called Jesus Culture. The song is called Rooftops.

Rooftops
Jesus Culture feat. Kim Walker Smith
Source: lyricsmode.com

Here I am before you
Falling in love and seeking your truth
Knowing that your perfect grace
Has brought me to this place
Because of you I freely live
My life to you, oh God, I give

So I stand before You God
I lift my voice because you set me free

So I shout out your name from the rooftops I proclaim
That I am Yours, I am yours

All the good You've done for me
I lift up my hand up hand for all to see
You're the only one
Who brings me to my knees
To share this love across the earth
The beauty of Your Holy Word

So I stand before You God
I lift my voice because you set me free

So I shout out your name from the rooftops I proclaim
That I am Yours, I am Yours
All that I am I place into Your loving hands
And I am Yours, I am Yours

Here I am, I stand with arms wide open
To the one, the Son, the everlasting God (2x)

It is a great song to sing in the rooftops and belting out until your hearts content. I do believe that the love of God has brought me to this place. It is amazing how I can relate to this song.

It is indeed great to sing a new song to the Lord everyday. I hope you guys enjoy this song as much as I did and let us never forget to put all that we are into the hands of God. This does not mean off course that we could just slack off. Truly believing in God does not lead to laziness. We all know that there is much work to be done right?

I Am a Friend of God

2011-08-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

I Am a Friend of God is an old song popularized by Israel Houghton and New Breed of Lakewood Church pastored by Joel Osteen. If you haven't heard this song, you may want to check out this video.

I Am a Friend of God

Israel Houghton and New Breed (Lakewood Church)

Source: lyricsmode.com

VERSE: 

Who am I that you are mindful of me 

That you hear me, when I call 

Is it true that you are thinking of me

 How you love me, it's amazing (Who am I Lord)

CHORUS:

 I am a friend of God

 He calls me friend  

Repeat Verse  

BRIDGE: 

God Almighty

 Lord of Glory 

You have called me friend  

Repeat Chorus 

I believe this was taken from the Book of James 2:23 (KJV): And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

I have some misgivings with the song. Well, misgivings may be too strong a word, maybe I have some opinions on how to refine it. Of course, it would be too late now given its popularity and the time interval! (Haha!)

While it is indeed amazing to be compared to Abraham! But then again we must remember that Abraham was born (and died) before the time of Christ. We are indeed friends of God, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in Calvary, we have become more than friends, we have become family!

The verses are amazing and they pierce the soul! But when you really think about it, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ (commonly referred to as Easter, and no there were no bunnies then, well at least I think there were no bunnies in Calvary or the rolling tomb!), we should expect God to be mindful of us! After all we are his children! And yes it does not take away the fact that it is still amazing and awesome to think that the God of all creation cares for us. Oh but he does! And we are dishonoring Him if we think otherwise!

Instead of repeating the phrase "I am friend of God" over and over, it should have also included the fact that we have become more than friends with God when we became the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. But this is an afterthought and does not take away the fact that the song is amazing!

Desert Song (Hillsong)

2011-08-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

When I first heard the title of the song Desert Song by Hillsong I remember thinking about Sting's Desert Rose. But when I heard the song I was amazed. It was a very good song. If you haven't heard it before, here is the song on youtube.

The song is just awesome and inspiring.

Desert Song
by: Hillsong
from: lyricsmode.com

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've recieved I will sow

The part that I like the most is the bridge. In every season of our lives, no matter what we are going through, the bad, the good, especially the best and even in the worst we always have a reason to sing and worship the Lord.

Hillsong just makes beautiful worship song and this one in particular has become my anthem.

Questions?

2011-07-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

Who am I?

Well I am just an ordinary Christian with questions and opinions just like most Christians. No, I am not a pastor, well at least not yet, who knows I may be called one of these days right?

What is the purpose of this Blog?

Like I said earlier, I have questions and I have opinions, but before today, I did not have a medium to air my points of view. This blog is what that is for.

I do not presume that I am always right, in some (or maybe more...) cases my interpretation and opinions maybe wrong and I will accept correction when I am mistaken.

Why is the title of the Blog Unforgotten?

Lets admit it, after Sunday, we normally get back to our "normal lives," meaning we spend one day a week to act Holy and live like Christians should but from Monday to Saturday? Most of the time, we tend to "forget" who we are and what being Christians mean.

An in this age of social networking we have popularized the prefix "UN" such as UNfollow and UNlike, as Christians, maybe we should include UNforgotten with these word. In other words, maybe its time we start remembering who we are and what we are for, right?

Why now?

Actually, I intended to these ages ago, but for some reason or another, I always found an excuse not to... go figure! The most common excuse? Well, I just don't know how to start the blog! And so I start out with this self-interview, not because I am egocentric nor narcissistic (well at least I don't think I am!) I just don't know how start the blog and give those that stumble across this blog a better understanding of what I intend to do.

I will know soon whether I succeed or not in this endeavor but I will never know unless I try right? And so we move forward.