Developing A Wholesome Relationship

Just few hours ago, I attended a meeting with the worship team and we had a simple activity that promoted transparency within the group. Each one prepared a sheet of paper with his/her name on the top portion of the paper. We folded the paper once and wrote on the left side - “strengths” as the heading then “weaknesses” on the other side. Each one in the circle fills out the 2 boxes. One paper filled, then passed counter-clockwise to the other members of the team. When the paper reached me after revolving around the circle, I started reading out what they had to say about me. In the “weaknesses” box, many of them have the same things to say about me. “Serious and too busy to miss fellowship with us”. I thank God for their honesty. I have realized then that as the head of the team, I need to establish good relationship with them. I need to spend time with them and love them even more.

How can I lead them if I can’t truly love them. That is what I have realized. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 says we have lives to share not just knowledge to pass. God has reminded me that leading them is more than guiding them. Jesus Christ sets the finest example to share life by being our good shepherd – John 10:11.

The Shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects the sheep. He has a good relationship with the sheep that’s why the flock remains following him. The sheep recognizes his voice and eat/drink what he provides, that’s because everyone in the flock trusts him. Building trust is a hard thing to do but in establishing a wholesome relationship with our disciples, it is not an intricate subject at all.

Apostle Paul said: Follow me as I follow Christ – 1 Corinthians 11:1. Truly, a Christian leader follows Christ and inspires others to follow Him as well. Jesus never fails to spend quality time with His disciples so why won’t I follow His example. Thanks to my brothers and sisters who have rebuked me about it. If Jesus is in my place, He will make it a point to spend more time with the team, to empower them and show them that I love them. I will do it as well.

Statistics point out that 68% of people leave a group/organization because of attitude of indifference. God reminded me that to keep the flock from getting scattered, I need to know their indifferences and do something about what I will discover. No matter how different is one member from another, as long as we have the same Christ, we will remain intact with the body. I need to respect them for what or who they are because I actually don’t have the right to reject them. Relationship by God’s grace is the key for me to understand this.
John 10:14, Jesus said: “I know my sheep and they know me. I am willing to die for them.” God called us to join Him in His work, not to govern people. We are tasked to be humble slaves, not slick celebrities. God wants laboring servants who will love His people by having a heart that is willing to die for them. I need to have a clear understanding of the needs of people I am leading to God. I can do this by reaching out to them and care to know their necessities. The sacrificial love that Jesus has set for His disciples is well illustrated when He washed His disciples’ feet – John 13. Jesus did it to show them what they need to learn when Jesus leaves. God wants His disciples to understand the real meaning of servant leadership through that example. Jesus knew exactly how to set it and so the fact that we are here today, believing in our God, Jesus has definitely done an awesome job!

Love is not an emotion, it is an action. God reminded me that it is not enough to tell them I love them. I have to put my words into action. For me to show them I love them, I have to develop a wholesome relationship with them. To attain such ideal relationship, I need to have a more intimate relationship with God first.

Christian leadership is a position of humble, long service. This means I have ample time to develop the relationship God wants me to build up with people. Along the process, God reminds me of these 4 building blocks of relationships: love, trust, respect, understanding. (during the module 2 lesson in ‘Maintaining wholesome relationship.”)

From the lessons, I’ve got to learn that servant leadership is ‘ministry’ and not ‘management’. I should seek vision not objectives. I should appeal to my heart not to my head. My energy should be pulled through passion not control. My concern should be on what is right and not on being right. My focus are on leading people not on managing work. I have faith that all of these will be attained through Jesus. I stand helpless without Jesus.

Today, I have many plans to work out my relationship with the team, fellow believers and even the unbelievers. However, I know God’s plans will always be better than mine. For now, I am praying that God will guide me as I desire to set more time for knowing the team/believers. I am interested to establish relationship with them just like how Jesus shared life with His disciples. Jesus is my guide and so I’ll follow Him. Along this, I will continuously study, pray, obey, and testify to God’s word. As always, I will be putting Jesus first in all things – Matthew 8:34-38.
The next time we will have the same activity, I know God will allow me to never accept the same comments again. God is powerful to change me.

Lanilane Ocbina
JDC
module 2 exam part 2

HOW SWEET THE SOUND

Grace from God is infinite. Limitless. Vast and never-ending. In whichever circumstance in our lives, the truth remains – our eternal God gives everlasting grace. This is what God taught me in the first chapter of the book - “What’s so amazing about grace” by Philip Yancey.

God gives abundantly even though we don’t deserve it. The story of Babette caused a huge impact in my life. It is hard to imagine a person who is willing to give up a large amount for people who don’t even care. Along with this movie, “Babette’s feast”, I also remember the movie “MOST”, which entails the sacrificial love of a father to his son while getting trapped in the wildest dilemma in his life. He is as a bridgemaster and he was once brought to a point where had to choose whom to save between the people in the train or his son. Later on, he opted the salvation of multiple lives in the train over his son’s life. The train crashed his beloved son under it while the people inside the train didn’t know that a father outside is grieving for his son’s death. They are saved but his son died.

If people knew what Babette did, they will laugh at her and apparently, some will call her fool for giving out her money in just a snap. However, in the end, people were transformed. It was a victorious sacrifice. I remember how God sacrificed His son Jesus Christ to let us, His people, know that He is a victorious God who loves us. Some people question His ways: “Why should a loving God let His Son die?” Nonetheless, God has laid down the best plan ever designed – through Jesus Christ.

After Babette’s sacrifice, many people were able to show up their true self. They were renewed at the expense of Babette. Like the story of the bridgemaster and his son, people inside the train were given the chance to change. Most of them decided to live under God’s provisions. Indeed, grace is about chance. It is the chance that we need but we don’t ask for. We receive it and we don’t care. God gives it to us because he knows we need it, and we don’t realize we should have it.

The point brought out in Mark Twain’s way of gathering different animals in a cage and different church leaders in a place is really and interesting fact that made me laugh. Indeed, churches communicate ungrace through lack of unity. Some people just don’t see how much grace they received that’s why they fail to let the infinite grace to flow through them as well.
In the section “A new math of Grace”, I have learned many things about calculating. Grace is immeasurable. It was said that if statistics matters to God, then we are saved by Moses not Jesus, because of Moses’ gauges in the book of numbers. God never counts how much sin we did and He never counts how much He has forgiven us. We are receiving more than enough from Him, yet most of us don’t realize how abusive we become each day.

As I went through the last pages of the chapter, I realize a lot of things about how many times God did this and that out of grace. From the 1:99 lost and saved sheep to the seventy times seven (or seventy seven – in some manuscripts) forgiveness gauge, God’s provisions are always there. He has the most accurate calculator ever, and that calculator surely has no significant numbers, only repeating decimals and infinite numbers.

God’s grace is immesurable. Noone can calculate it. Everyone is unable to see how much more He can give. Philip Yancey did a great job in the book. The first four chapters contain amazing revelations about God, who gives lavishly and unconditionally. I will continue reading and go on discovering how great the God who brings immeasurable forgiveness, understanding, and love is.

Lanilane Ocbina
JDC
module 2 - final exam part 1

When was the last time you’ve heard from God about specific assignment? How did you know it was Him?

One day when I was getting a hold of the bible, I was led to the book of Ecclesiastes. I’ve never realized that this book is containing 12 chapters in 4 leaves. Too short but the messages were really amazing. Full of wisdom, to the extent that anyone who will read it will surely have a change of heart and mind, from worldly to Godly perspectives.

It was a big revelation to me by God, I believe. He led me to this book in perfect timing. Why? Few hours before I have started browsing Ecclesiastes, I was thinking about the task given to me by our pastor, which is to formulate plans for the ministry in Guinobatan. I was actually pressured and something seems to pull me away from the right position. It’s a big task. I am partly excited because that is a big privilege to serve God. But something is telling me I am not worthy (I definitely know who’s telling me that).

Knowing myself, I don’t think I can accomplish such a big mission. I am broke and I was thinking that I cannot finance another youth camp that will be attended by 3 participants and 10 facilitators (like our 1^st super outnumbered youth camp!). But God is faithful, you know what He did? In BCCL, I got a lot of answers. I didn’t realize how selfish I have been. I realize that it is really not about me but about God. It is not me who’s going to work for I am just going to be used by God, who is actually the one working already. God is using mam mayeth to show me the things I need to get rid of. Like a pot, a lot of imperfections are eliminated so I will be molded to a more useful container. It’s painful, but I appreciate the corrections. God wants me to be well. I never thought I was so sick and unwell. But praise God, He has given me the capacity to take the challenge and become moldable in His hands.

The same day, before I was led to Ecclesiastes, I was praying to God, how will I start. It was really surprising that right then, my cousin (in Toronto) sent me an IM. Out of nowhere, he asked me about our “old-rotten” organization that was actually rejected by our highschool principal. He asked me about how we are going to revive the group. I didn’t really expect he will still have such a great support for the group. (guess what? Right at this moment, my cousin signed in!)

It was a great encouragement. The exciting thing about it is that, before my cousin sent his first message that day, I was browsing our picture during the servant-leadership seminar. While browsing the pictures, I was praying to God, “Lord, how will I start”. And that’s it, my cousin came in.

Now the next thing that happened? That day was actually a great surprise to me, because one of our former BS attendees texted me and asked about the possibility of us, being convened again for a BS. Imagine, it was about 3 months since we had our last BS and out of nowhere, he texted. Long ago, it was me and sis ems, my ministry partner, who were texting them about the schedule of our BS, but the opposite happened this time.

A month ago, I resigned from one client, because I had to unload tasks from secular work. Perfect for the circumstance, I have ample time to prepare, plan, and work out the youth ministry. I am so glad that thru the learning that God has given me in BCCL, I am able to comprehend His real purpose and timing. I have understood my real role and His role. It is not me who’s going to work. It is Him. I am just invited to join Him.

Glory to God!

(2nd assignment, CLF- Experiencing God)

Oxygen

Q- If you will be asked to describe who God is to you, what will you say? Reflect on God's dealings with you and give Him a name.
_______________________________


Oftentimes, I imagine a person in a hospital bed, half dead. Having all the life-supporting apparatuses connected to his body. He’s weak but still struggling. Almost hopeless, yet trying not to give in. When he almost loses his breath, the doctors and nurses try to revive him, and they surely know how to do it. They do everything to let him breath again.

This scenario helps me realize how important breathing is, and how I should be thankful about it. Many times before, I struggled alone. Keeping myself believe that I can do a lot of things by myself. But when I find out that I am just human, and I am weak, I decided to turn to God. I learned that no matter what I have and what I do, when there is no God living in me, I’m just a corpse. Having no life at all.

God is the air that keeps me breathing. And this air that keeps me alive is containing the most abundant element in the earth’s crust – oxygen. Thus, I would say that God is my oxygen. Without Him, I can’t live day. He’s there, I just can’t see Him but I can feel Him, and I know, He’s the one who sustains my breathing.

Any element that combines with Oxygen seems to “enjoy” the resulting compound. One example is water, where two atoms of Hydrogen combine with Oxygen. No doubt, water is the most important compound that we can get hold of. This makes up a large percentage of the blood flowing inside us. We cannot live without it.

Oxygen combines with most elements to form thousands of organic compounds. Hence, God has infinite ways to make great combinations, that’s why I am unique, so are you. Not so long ago, I can still remember my life, having a god called “me”. I do things alone and when I succeed, the credits are earned by me. However by God’s grace, He searched for me and called me. He invited me to carry the yoke with Him. And everything seemed simple and easy. Sometimes, I laugh about the old ‘me’, dealing with my own stuffs while carrying the yoke I’ve designed myself. But God has let me learned from these and He led me to the right yoke. Indeed, combining with God makes everything useful and perfect. So I will make sure, I remain in Him.






Oxygen supports combustion. Without it, there’s no fire. The reason why I am living right now is the fire the God has set within me. I would’ve ended it all but He cared to know me and my needs. How humble He is to look down and carry me out of the cold, dark, and lonely hours of my life. It is great to know that there is a God living in me. He makes me strong and He enables me to produce a contagious fire, so that I will not be the only one who would enjoy the fire He has set.

Ozone (O3), a highly active compound is formed by the action of an electrical discharge or ultraviolet light on oxygen. This is the compound that keeps everyone of us from being burned by the sun’s rays. It serves as our protection.

God is my protector. I know how vulnerable my body is. Anything can happen. I may lose my life today because I don’t have the power to sustain it. But God has. I owe my protection to Him. This life belongs to Him.


Plants and animals need oxygen for respiration. Hospitals prescribe oxygen for patients. About two thirds of the human body and nine tenths of the mass of water is oxygen. God is the oxygen of every man but He seems to be unimportant to some. It’s hurting to know that God is just the “invisible somebody” for most people. Some even say He is the “fictitious one” in the “history book” called bible. However, I know He has a plan. And no one could ever come up with such surprising plan but Him.

This invisible but awesome somebody is watching over me. He is living in me. He is burning inside me. He is protecting me. He is with me. This is how He is not just to me but for everybody.

With all the attributes I have mentioned, I know that countless aspects are yet to be revealed. Oxygen is important. God is. He is invisible but it is great to know that He is just around, working for me (and you too).
I love Him. He is the oxygen that I will forever grasp for.