I have promised to our guru readers last year that I am working on a new book release apart from the first one which you have already read, “Awaking the church into her glorious destiny.” Writing has not been my craft in High School and college though I wrote a lot of letters to my love ones and especially to my wife. To prove that, I have been part of the TNHS Newsette since my second year in High School but for my three years of stay, I had never been given the chance to go to the National for a contest.

Our fast changing world had changed all that, beginning with the invention of blog technology, open source wares and journals as well as broadcast yourself channels like youtube and the web. Since then, I fell in love again and again and turned to writing to express those love notes. I have no position, company and title except that I am a firm believer in Jesus and simply a lover of my Lord. In fact, the first time I started writing books, I turned to my dilapidated yellow paper and my panda ballpen back then in Manila while looking for a job; I had been laid off by UP Baguio because I have no voice so to speak and a less than excellent record in teaching Zoology and Anatomy. That did not deter me to seek my fortune among the stars above.

My teacher in college always had this to say, when in doubt seek where you are firm, and where you are firm or strong, seek to strengthen where you are weak. I was made strong by my faith in college and most of my colleagues and class 2003 BS Biology at the Institute of Biological Science at UP Los Banos knew me. They knew where I stand and understood where I am grounded. But we all walked together as one, because Biology too is our passion. Since then many among us had become doctors, some sought to be scientists, others as businessmen and employees of multinational companies while others opted to stay in UPLB. In every batch, those who have disciplined themselves well enough and knew where they must go, these were the excellent professionals. But as I continue to delve further about the meaning of success, I find it quite irrelevant these days to simply label someone as successful because he had attained a degree or a medal of honor.

Some defines success as money, the accumulation of properties and material things; others seek fame and honor, while still others more seek to be nobodies, consumers but not producers. During the time that I lost my job, I contemplated deeply about the meaning of life and success. Until one time the Lord spoke to me and said that I have been thinking like the Greeks, whose significance in this life is branded on their achievements and fortune.

The highest motive of a disciple is not money, nor is it achieving a name for yourself, it is simply being a lover and follower of Jesus. To which many of my pragmatic aunts and uncles won’t even agree for one thing, they have never heard the audible voice of Jesus nor seen Him in visions. As a result, they struggle a lot, work here and there until they had a house and lot and car and children. Until one day, their lives had ended, following the common life cycle and pattern of this world. This is what Jesus came to change, to show us that life is not true life by itself unless it is like the grain of wheat that is fallen to the ground. When your life is ruled by you, you have your own insecure kingdom and properties, whose influence and ruling is ultimately limited to the dimension where you are found moving in a community. For example, if you are a worldly contractor because you finished engineering, your life is often tied to doing unscrupulous business deals, then you gain money and riches, you have your families, you worked hard for the money but in the end, did it really fulfilled your life?

Many can justify this by comparing themselves to other people just like them. But once we begin to compare ourselves to Jesus, then we sense where we are really standing; Jesus is the measuring rod of God. He is the gate by which every man will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Unless He has branded His image on you, then you are not His own. You are a bastard, an illegitimate whose end is cursing. This is the reason why those who work for money will end up sadder than when they have begun.

What is the point? To work in your job whether you are an engineer, politician, scientist or businessman is not wrong, but to not carry the heavenly perspective in it will cause you to do wrong one day and justify your act as simply the act of others too in your town. Nevertheless, those who profess to be Christians must stand as true disciples of God. Otherwise, cast away the title and simply tell yourself as an ambivalent believer or an atheist. That way we are sure who we are and what we do. The previous articles which I have written containing admonitions on how we should wake up as believers will later be released as “Awaking the church into her glorious destiny.” The coming series will be titled “A heart ablazed for God.” This is the story of John the Baptist, a forerunner of Jesus and there are many John the Baptists right now sent by God to forewarn His Church to wake up and return to her first Love.

The life of John the Baptist will be our main topic until April this year

I have written this in the first person because most of it was gained by visions and internal meditation from His Word. If you want more of this kind of writing I recommend reading Thomas aKempis, “The Imitation of Christ” and Rick Joyner’s “Final Quest.” Depending on your favorites, we all have biases, and we gravitate towards where we are called at. This is the law of attraction; Paul was primarily called to be a teacher, and it was for this reason that he studied under one of the foremost teachers of the Law during that time, Gamaliel. Elisha was called to walk as a prophet and that is why God connected him to Elijah so that he could learn from his elder. Benny Hinn was called to be an healing evangelist and that is the main reason why God connected him eventually to the ministry of Kathryn Khulman.

To make it short, God connects people where eventually they will walk in their calling; if you are called to be a pastor and teacher, do not despise serving your pastor even if you find him un-anointed and without the gift. Certainly, had God wanted Jesus to preach when He was eleven, then He could have led Him to do so, but He kept it for the appointed time. My beloved do not be stoked by the fiery trials and service that you have because you are serving Christ, not men whether you have a titled position or none, keep your eyes on Jesus.

The appointed time will come just as when Jesus first appeared, so He will also let you know when it is time. Enjoy the years of your preparation and you will never regret that you have studied more than a Harvard student would do. In my travels and talk with men of big minds and lesser minds, the only difference between the two is the diligence of the former compared to the latter. Those who seem to be gifted often neglect to develop their God given gifts, while those who are not gifted develop their skills and passion to the point that they too could not be distinguished from the gifted ones. Often, when we know that we are gifted in one area, we stop developing it. This is the main lesson of comparing the developed countries from those that are not, the developed countries had to be forced to develop because they have scarcities in raw materials. Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and even Germany had none of the rich natural resources that the developing world had at their disposal when these nations were trying to develop. It was solely because of pure will power and the human resolve to escape poverty and gain the promises of a developed world. I did not pick up the US or even South Africa or Australia because these countries are both rich in natural resources and at the same time people to kick the goads and run the engines of their factories.

Come up here

There is a clarion call these days that Heaven has called everyone to “come up here” (see Rev. 4:1). Those who have heard this voice will begin walking in their calling and take dominion of the land that the Lord has prepared them to cultivate. These will shake the fallow ground to such an extent that the serpent and the curse of sin will be broken in the land and bring great revivals.

In order for revivals to come, there is the necessity of repentance and desperate call of the Bride of Christ for the Bridegroom to come into His chambers and not simply watch but take hold of His Bride. This is the time that Jesus will abide in His temple and draw close to His people. So close that in fact He will arise as a light and glory among His people as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah.

Part of the last days is to not only witness these events to pass by and to happen to others but that we ourselves will also walk in this measure because as prophesied, He will be among His people not just among individuals who are gifted. This may not sound good to the proud idealist but I do not write for such one except to them who has ears to hear and eyes to see and who wants to be encouraged in the ways of the Lord. Peter has prophesied in Acts 2 that the last days will be charged with unprecedented power and release of spiritual gifts to the church,

‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My spirit and they shall prophesy. ‘And I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. Acts 2:17-19

Dreams, visions, and prophetic proclamations will abound as the verses state above during these days. The great promise these verses hold is that this will not only happen to few gifted people but to everyone, “I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind” says the Lord, and when He does, they shall prophesy, see visions, dream dreams and there will be the unfolding of unprecedented wonders in the sky above, that is in the heavenlies, on the earth below, that is in nature. Just as the Spirit of the Lord worked about to bring order during the creation, He will move mightily among His people and bring about the New Creation in our midst.

The magnitude of this tall order can only be matched by the wonders that happened in the early days of the creation. In order to be counted we need to discern the blood, fire and smoke that is upon us in these days. This could mean destruction, but the blood, fire and smoke also symbolizes the Lord working among His people closely. So close in fact that He gave His life and purchased us by His blood by drawing near and donning a human flesh (see Romans 3:25; 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:20) and during the Pentecost, He also came in the form of tongues of fire (see Acts 2:1). Billows of smoke and cloud cover have been observed such as when Solomon dedicated the temple he built to the Lord (1 Kings 8:10) and when Abraham made a covenant to the Lord (Genesis 15:17) showing that God’s glory can appear in this form.

The greatest man born of woman

This work is based on the life of John the Baptist, “the greatest man born of woman” and the greatest example of a modern ministry. He became not only an intimate friend of the Bridegroom but also a bondslave who confessed his self-doubts that he is not even worthy to untie the latchet of His sandals, and his self-deprecating motto that He must increase but he must decrease. Probably he is the greatest example of what a New Covenant ministry should be, it is at best awakening the people to their need of a personal Savior and a relationship that can only be provided by the One who loves them most.

There could be none to help, save, heal, deliver and comfort but the Beloved who has accepted and forgiven us. The goal of this work is instruction and examination of the Baptist, his ministry and works and how we too can be that harbinger of peace, justice, righteousness and truth. Truth is the greatest treasure we can have on earth; it may seem of low value to those who are superficial, whose outlook is earthly, sensual and demonic but the value of a single word from the Lord is more than the whole weight of the universe. If there is a denser matter in the universe, it is the Word of God, whose true value few ever gets to notice passed its leather cover.

But the instruction thereof could only be for the goals of setting a pure heart, sincere faith and love unfeigned. Any man who is sincerely looking for truth and the voice of the Bridegroom will not be disappointed to find that His words are sweet as honey, powerful as the quake and violent as the winds of the east.