Wow. I wanna be a FRUITCAKE. I am!

So it’s been officially 9 days since my 3-year-old blog was removed/lost/deleted/evicted from cyberspace. Just please don’t ask me why and how because I don’t know the answer. All I know is that I HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF DELETING THAT BLOG but kismet it is, it was, it happened. As you can see I’m still using my old layout. Thankfully, I was able to save a copy of it in notepad. I’m planning to change my layout late August or September, I don’t know. I’m using this layout just to remind myself of my precious blog – like “in loving memory thing”. Lols. I have so many things to blog about. And this would be my first official entry. And I know the entry I would be posting would just like ‘spam’ cyberspace because it’s about something recent and something that’s about to happen. Let me now start blabbing.

PASSION MANILA 2008

WOW. INDESCRIBABLE. AMAZING. GREAT. Words won’t just suffice what happened last night inside PhilSports Arena where almost 7000++ or almost 8000 youths gathered in HIS MIGHTY presence. Again just WOW. There were 8000 insane-for-Christ youths last night. Crazy students jumping and shouting and singing praises to the One who deserves them all. You know the feeling that you just can’t describe or find the right words of an event? I’m absolutely feeling it right now. But I just wanna blog about it. It was WOW CRAZY. WOW AMAZING. WOW GREAT. WOW-ness. Only those who attended Passion Manila could totally understand what I’m trying to describe in here. Ok, so just imagine a concert of your favourite band (but last night WASN’T a concert) and the audience were crazy. But last night, we’re not screaming and singing for a band but for CHRIST. HE is in the midst of us all last night. I’m just having a hangover. I. WAS. CHANGED. I. WAS. MOVED. I. WAS. BLESSED.

So there, I WAS in PASSION MANILA last night! My sister and I struggled on the way to PhilSports Arena. Imagine paying Php150.00 for a taxi ride from SM Megamall to the arena (abusong taxi driver). But I really didn’t mind the price after what greatness had happened. Plus, it was raining. Nonetheless, NO REGRETS. After all the planning, I finally was there. And I know it was HIM who brought my/our feet there. The Php150 ticket price was actually underpriced, really. I was also with Candy. And thanks so much to her and to her church that we have availed of the tix.

Now you’re maybe asking, what is this Passion Manila this blogger is blabbing about. Well, it’s this:

PASSION MANILA is a gathering for UNIVERSITY-AGED young people throughout Philippines and South-east Asia. Believing in the university moment, and what God longs to do in this strategic window of time, the entire event will focus on the bigness of God, calling students to PRAYER, WORSHIP and ACTION, and a Story so much bigger than their own.

The heartbeat of PASSION MANILA is to:

ENCOURAGE the CHURCH

Foster UNITY among those who love JESUS

Spark VISION for the UNIVERSITIES of Manila and the nation

Tell the STORY of REDEMPTION in compelling ways

INSPIRE students to EMBRACE their part in God's global plan for the NATIONS

Click here and herefor more info.

Now, you have the idea. I wish you were there. It was really WOW.

Ok so, Chris Tomlin was there and he headed the praise and worship. His songs are really “good-lyric-ed.” They just contain words I would always love to sing for HIM. Songs that are lovely, for HIM. And he was there in front of me, in front of us, leading the praise and worship and I can feel that he was really anointed. The praise and worship event was GREAT, was WOW. As I have always been saying, the youth are mindless of everyone else around. They just praised and worshiped HIM and aiming nothing but to HONOR HIM. I’m thinking that the place were surrounded by angels and that God was smiling above seeing His people doing crazy stuff just for him.

Kristian Stanfill was also there. It was my first time last night to hear his songs and I love the song JESUS PAID IT ALL and LORD OF ALL:

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

There is none so high and holy
King of kings
The one and only
You are adored
You are the lord of all

I’m currently downloading all the songs I have heard last night. Yey!

And of course Louie Giglio was there too. He inspired me. He awakened me up. The verse that he shared with us that I have always been hearing about just took effect last night. I must not be who I am yesterday, yestermonth, yesteryear, whatever is the past of me. I must be someone who was created only for HIM. I must act insane for HIM. I must not act to please people but only to please him. But I must act normal so that I can get along people who are normal and eventually make them insane, and we will together insanely act for Him. Why do things for Him? Is He not being selfish? NO. Not at all. For He died for us, and if not because of Him we are all dead, but he carried the cross for us, and we owe him EVERYTHING – yes, everything. Now, doesn’t that make sense at all? He died for you and you’ll not give up your life for him? We must live for him.

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
-2 Corinthians 5: 13-15

And the most wow-ing verses for the night:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
-2 Corinthians 5:21

How GREAT is our God!

I was moved by Ashley’s story. Louie shared her life to us through her written journal. Though she lived a short Christian life, it didn’t really matter. All that mattered, she was lost and was found, that she accepted Christ. I was crying on that part when the next pages of her diary were already blank because she already died. She had a roommate named Krista who is already a Christian and had attended Passion Conference. Ashley was so dead-curious on who’s the God that Krista’s been talking about. By the way, Ashley at first wasn’t convinced that God exist. So through Krista, Ashley was reunited to God. Because of the ‘weird’ thing Krista had been doing, Ashley nicknamed Krista as FRUITCAKE in her diary. (And that’s where my fruitcake-blabbers came about.) One day, they both attended a Bible study and this is my favourite part. You know the song Mighty to Save by Hillsong United? They sang it in that bible study. And Ashley loved that particular song. I think it’s because it suits her. Ashley believed that she’s a mess, that she’s all screwed up and that she’s not deserving of God, but she felt God’s grace. That is how great God’s love is. Our GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE.

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
A kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus

After the preaching and the life-changing story of Ashley, Chris Tomlin and the band sang that particular song. And I was all in tears. The crowd was insanely worshiping Him. Wow, He is MIGHTY TO SAVE.

No one is so dirty, is so sinful in front of Christ. He will always love you. Just call on Him and He will embrace you. It doesn’t matter that you are a sex-whore, you are an alcoholic, a smoker, a drug addict. Just come to Him, ask for forgiveness, know what He has done for you on the cross and receive Him. He will love you and he will change you for entirety. No matter how wrecked, how wretched or how bad you are, he will love you – that’s grace, God’s unfathomable grace.

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forget to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine

You are forever mine

God of this city – this song is so powerful. With all the problems and the chaos abounding Manila, abounding our beloved country, we must believe that there is only one GOD OF THIS CITY. And yes, as the song proclaims – greater things have yet to come and great things are still to be done in this city. Amen to this. Amen. While I was singing this for the second time last night I was crying and I’m praying at the same time for this Promised Land.

A while ago I was listening to the Podcast that was recorded last night in iTunes (I was part of that Podcast, yey!) and I felt goose bumps. Last night was incredibly good. And I’m thankful and blessed that God allowed me to be part of that event. And there is a purpose why. I will be used and I already committed myself – YES, LORD. I will do things with all my might and through him FOR HIS RENOWN. I will be like FRUITCAKE FOR HIS RENOWN.

visit their blog: http://268blog.com
(and I commented something that goes like a blog entry:)

First off, WOW..
Second, AMAZING..
Third, GREAT...
hahaha.. i can't seem to find enough words..YOU GUYZ just CAUSED OUR INSANITY LAST NIGHT!!!

The alphabet isn't enough to describe how overwhelming, how changing, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!! DAKILA ANG DIYOS. Last night was a changing night. A night that changed my whole life. As I entered the arena, I felt like crying because after all the odds I have to face just to get in that arena, and yes, i was able to make it. NO REGRETS because I know it was HIM who brought my feet there. I doubt if you'll ever had the chance to read this after this heaps of comments (just proves what Christ have done last night)... I'm a living testimony and product of this Passion. I'm not someone like Ashley nor someone like fruitcake Krista, I'm somewhere the 2 meets. You see, I'm a youth ministry leader but not functional. I've been lagging, i've been doing things i should not. But last night, I again affirmed - YES LORD - let His will be done, no more BUTS no more excuses, hey HOW CAN I REFUSE TO SOMEONE LIKE WHAT? LORD OF LORDS!!! So there, tomorrow (Sunday) when you guyz are preparing for PASSION KL, i will be with YU2G (Youth Unlimited to GOD) and gonna share what GOD through Passion had done to me,. I was supposed to come with our youth ministry but unfortunately they have night classes and not to mention the exams they have. So I ended up coming with 2 companions only, but again NO REGRETS.

GOD OF THE CITY - if there's someone who's not losing hope that Philippines would get out of the pit where it is in,, it is me and the song GOD OF THE CITY made me cry because I KNOW GOD WILL DO GREATER THINGS in THIS CITY. I have been always praying for my beloved country and thanks to Passion now, not only Filipinos are praying but the whole world. Philippines is a promised land and He will surely do GREATER THINGS... I just love the song...

CHRIS TOMLIN - wow, I worshiped and praised with HIM woooow... It's just that I love his songs and how his songs contain the greatness of GOD...

Ptr. Louie thank you. Thank you so much for sharing that verse in Corinthians. My mentor had always been mentioning this to us but it was your preaching through Ashley and Fruitcake that I got struck by it. Thank you...

and God bless your Church (soon) please tell Chris if he wants my contact nos. any time soon so he can already pay for my air fare.. :D

and yes continue serving him and traveling across the globe FOR HIS RENOWN!

thank you London for praying for Passion Manila. You really prayed well and KL get ready to rock for Christ. I'm/we're praying for you... I still have the wrist strap on my right hand. If this could only be a plane ticket and the pass to Passion KL I would love to go... :D

MY GOD IS MIGHT TO SAVE!!!

ooops looks like i've posted a blog entry in here.. Sorry. I got carried away.

p.s. The Filipinos were termed by the Passion team as the 'most beautifully-spirited people'. How cool is that?? Thanks to London for praying for Passion Manila. You, guyz prayed well, huh. And for KL, you're next, you're in our prayers. I'm still wearing this Passion Manila wrist-strap on my right wrist.

p.p.s. I want PASSION MANILA SHIRT!!!

Whew.. pretty looong entry huh?? I told you, it was amazing!
Credits to the ff for some pics:
268blog
manilacoke