Ask for Anything

Does God hear and answer every prayer? You may already know of the oft-quoted divine responses as YES, NO, and WAIT. But sometimes, when we pray, we tend to oversimplify things. We even cite Scripture to back up our prayers.

¹³ You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴ Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! - John 14:13-14, NLT

John 14:13-14 is one especially-misunderstood text. I, for one, interpreted it as most people do--that God will do ANYTHING I ask. But does He?

 

Context of the Verse

The Gospel of John was written during a time when false prophets were becoming mainstream, and many of the Christians at the time were leaving the faith. The author intended this Gospel to persuade his audience, who is primarily Jewish, that Jesus is indeed the Messiah they are hoping for.

In Chapter 14, John is narrating the scenes in the Last Supper. Verses 13-14 are part of Jesus' charge to the disciples as he turns over his earthly ministry to them. In the context of this atmosphere, we see Jesus teaching the disciples—as well as us modern-day followers—a different meaning to “ask for anything” than that we are more familiar with.

Ask for anything--in His name.

Oftentimes we make the mistake of stopping at the word "anything." To ask in Jesus’ name is to seek the things that honor Him. It's not like the padrino system we are so familiar with, where Filipinos tend to name-drop so they can get things done their way. To ask in Jesus’ name is to recognize His sovereignty and authority over everything, and that our requests are subject to His power.

Ask for Jesus to do it--in His terms

As the Last Supper unfolded and stretched into the upcoming events of Good Friday, Jesus here is challenging the disciples not to fear as he turns over the ministry to them. He is telling them that they can do things He did, or even greater, because He is sending the Holy Spirit. What did Jesus do? He healed the sick, loved the unlovable, encouraged the weary, preached freedom to the oppressed. Just as Jesus did these, if we ask Him, he will enable us to do as well.

 

Ask--that God may be glorified

When we recognize that Jesus is sovereign and that everything He does is towards God's glory, we realize that He is not obligated at all to obey our every request. Rather, what matters most is that Jesus honors the Father more than getting what we ask. In this view, we must also consider verse 15: If we love Jesus, we must obey His commands. When we do His ministry, we must be willing to obey—not so that we can get His favor, but for God to be glorified.

We need to stop interpreting Jesus’ words as a license to ask for anything we want, especially the material desires that so often creep up on us. To “ask for anything in My name” was an encouragement meant primarily for the disciples who were finally confronted with the impending reality of Christ’s inevitable death. To look at it any other way is contrary to what Jesus really intended for His disciples and for us modern-day followers who may need encouragement as we fight through life’s battles.

This used to be my playground

Luzon Baptist Camp from the air. Courtesy of Google Maps

Every December 26, hundreds of youth from all across Luzon come together for the annual iDISCIPLE Youth Camp at the Luzon Baptist Camp in Barrio Lucanin in Mariveles, Bataan province. It is a four-day affair that highlights the Good News of Jesus Christ and its centrality in the lives of those professing to be His followers.

I have been privileged to be part of this annual rite for the last seven years in various capacities, from a doe-eyed camper to a staffer burning with the desire to teach others. If not for a seven-year hiatus from 1999 to 2006, I would have been part of the Youth Camp since 1991, when I was a young boy raring to take on the world.

Having said thus, it should come as no surprise to you, dear reader, that I have seen significant changes to our beloved camp venue throughout the years. This year, especially, I have decided on taking the task of chronicling what's left of the Luzon Baptist Camp, as it has fallen into a sorry state of disrepair that is further highlighted by the threat of changing times.

The Camp is located on Km.146 along the Roman Superhighway, the main road towards Mariveles in Bataan Province. One can reach it in three to four hours via bus, or an hour if one takes the intermittent ferry service from across Manila Bay. It is a well-known fixture among bus drivers and conductors, you can practically sleep the whole trip from Manila and wake up at the gates of the Camp. It is also recognized as a tourist landmark by a local tourism website.

The first sign of trouble I saw coming to the Camp this year was the majestic sight of gas flaring off the primary stack of the Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR), about five kilometers north of the Camp. I was quite enthralled I forgot to take a picture. When one passes the PBR every year, one immediately gets ready because the Luzon Baptist Camp is less than 10 minutes away, and it's time to get off in no time at all. In all my trips to Camp, however, this was the first time I actually saw the Refinery flare gas--and only later on would I be able to decode its significance.

As this year's iDISCIPLE camp ran its schedule, it was only a matter of time till we noticed the shortage of benches at the Camp's main worship hall. This shortage was especially pronounced on the first worship night, when around a quarter of the 400-plus participants were left without seats. Given the rate of termite activity, wear-and-tear, and the wrath of typhoon "Glenda" upon the Camp a few months ago, losing a few more of these benches was quite a small concern to the hardworking staff compared to the challenge of getting everyone proper accommodations.

This photo was taken a year ago, and the shortage of the iconic wooden Camp benches has become more pronounced this year, with more being lost to rotting, wear and tear, the passage of typhoons, and termites. Photo by Mark Betalero

With more campers coming every year, accommodations are always a challenge, and a good number of campers being relegated to tents in the open field fronting Central Dorm. Photo by Mark Betalero.

On the morning of December 27, however, just as the morning services were about to start, a loud racket of hammering, welding, and pile-driving came from the once-vacant land south of the Camp. To my surprise, I saw holding tanks similar to the ones at the PBR already in place, with several more being erected. It was only then that I realized the gravity of the Supreme Court decision ordering the immediate decommissioning of the Pandacan Oil Depot in Manila.

A holding tank being erected south of the Camp. Image by and property of the author.

 

Other holding tanks are already in place, and it won't be long when events at the nearby Worship Hall will be filled with the smell of petroleum products being transferred into or out of these tanks. Image by and property of author.

It can be remembered that starting 2001, after the US terror attacks, the Supreme Court had ordered the transfer of the Pandacan terminal in the interest of public safety. It was only last April 2014 when the City of Manila enforced the order, with the Supreme Court deciding in November on the order's legality with finality.

The noise and the sight of the nearby depot were not the only reminders of impending change. During afternoons, one can detect the faint odor of gasoline in the air, as the Camp is downwind of the PBR and "Refinery Row," the adjacent holding facilities of the major oil companies in the country. In the evenings, one can see an ominous red glow in the sky towards the north, which I first took for the glow of city lights, but then I realized--this hit me in the heart and mind quite hard--it was caused by the gas flaring at the Refinery.

This discovery burdened me, but not so much as the realization that Luzon Baptist Camp might be gone soon.

Luzon Baptist Camp and its changing environs. Image from Google Maps; graphic by author.

While the Camp has deteriorated steadily in the last few years due to an apparent lack of funding (and with the Luzon Convention, which manages the Camp, transferring its annual November conference from the Bataan Camp to the Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary [PBTS] in Baguio), the impending closure of the Pandacan Oil Depot and the appearance of petroleum-processing facilities closer to the Camp appear to have somehow accelerated its decay.

Shower rooms in disrepair. Photo by and property of the author.

Shower stall near the swimming pool. Photo by and property of the author.

Footwash near swimming pool sprouting weeds. Photo by and property of the author.

The iconic "Stairway to Heaven" leading to the beach is a silent witness to generations of campers who found God as well as love and heartbreak during Youth Camp. It is now broken in several sections due to erosion and wear, and is considered by the camp staff as a high safety risk. Campers are no longer allowed to pass here. Photo by Mark Betalero.

A fence now cordons the beachfront. There used to be a time when one can commune with God and nature right at the shoreline, preferably during sunrise. Image by and property of the author.

Team-building activities (such as the ever-popular tug-of-war) were held right in the sand and surf--but that was back then. Image by and property of the author.

 

At low tide, campers could take a stroll during their free time all the way to the rocks at the point to the left. Image by and property of the author.

This seaport services the oil depot south of the Camp, and has rapidly expanded in the last year. Image by and property of the author.

A map of the Luzon Baptist Camp and its facilities. The Sawali Dorm, huts made of wood and dried nipa leaves, have been long gone due to ravaging termites. The view deck to the southeast has been overrun with growth and is used as a de facto dumping site for trash. The lazy swing adjacent to the mess hall and the stairway to the beach have both decayed significantly as well. Image from Google Maps, graphic by the author.

The Luzon Convention has yet to come up with a decision regarding the situation the Camp is in. It can hold on to the property and co-exist with the petroleum-handling facilities in the area, at risk to its residents. Or it can let go of the Camp and lose a significant heritage in spiritual, ecological, or tourism terms.

The one thing that the Convention should consider, however, is the potential for transformation that Youth Camp has contributed in the lives of countless generations of young men and women who have entered and left its premises. Should the Convention decide to let this property go, it should at least find a suitable alternative to the Luzon Baptist Camp. This should allow iDISCIPLE to continue its ministry of leading people to God and training Gospel-centered disciples who are being equipped to change the communities they are in.

Manila is a mess

One can easily see how much time is wasted--both for truckers and commuters--with this Manila Truck-mageddon. Photo by author

In all my years of commuting to and from Manila, I have never encountered traffic jams as irritating and tiresome as what we're having now. The line of trucks queued along Roxas Boulevard, originating from the Port Area and stretching as far back as Baclaran, is a sight to behold--and a total annoyance for most people.

It now takes up to three hours to travel from the suburbs of Paranaque to the country's capital; one can actually reach Hong Kong faster by plane. As a result, commuters are more irritable, employees and students are crankier, and drivers are more "tired-er" than ever.

Most people say it's due to the truck ban being enforced by the city government, while Mayor Erap and Vice Isko will have none of it. Economic experts, on the other hand, say it's due to the congestion of containers at the port, while truckers say they can't move out the empty containers because of the ban.

Whatever the reasons, those with authority ought to stop yammering, stop pointing fingers at each other, and start working together to fix the problem.

Anyone with enough common sense ought to see that working together is the best solution to untangle this mess.

According to Mayor Erap, the ban has "benefited many others" while Vice Isko says that truckers ought to "behave." Yeah right. Anyone can see that more people are affected by the ban and it's not long until ordinary folk will go crazy with traffic this bad. Photo by author

posted from Bloggeroid

Waiting Room

When life stops, and all you can do is wait.

posted from Bloggeroid

Date a book that reads

Photo by the author

It's been said that one ought to date a man or woman who reads (or even better, writes), but yes, date a book that reads. Books minister to us in a myriad of ways, and they "read" our deepest desires by providing us the fulfillment we look for (or disappointing us spectacularly) by the time we finish reading the last page.

This is the premise for the post-Valentine event sponsored by OMF Literature for all its branches last February 15, called Blind Date With a Book. The event gave participants the opportunity to "meet" a book that they think will help them fill their longings in one way or another.

Considering the wealth of titles that OMF Lit has to offer, choosing The One Book was, especially for book lovers, quite a challenge.

Meeting the "blind dates." Photo by author

Robert Magnuson's Run Kuting Run! is a treat for all ages. Photo by author

Mike Salazar of OMF Pergola explains the event to the participants. Photo by author

One of the participants renders a song for the "Bring Me" game. Photo by author

And yes, free chocolate! Photo by author

A participant receives a free book. Photo by author

Ma'am Malou meets her "blind date." Photo by author

A participant meets his "blind date," because Real Men are POGI. Photo by author

Meeting up and having fun with other book lovers at OMF Pergola. Photo by author

Some people may be put off by the idea of a blind date, but choosing a book is also about choosing the essentials which make us better individuals. We choose books that read our heart and soul, filling us up with wisdom and joy so we can relate better to the world around us.

Kind of like choosing a lifetime partner.

The awesome OMF Pergola team, from left: Andy, Mike, Kim. Photo by author

You can learn more about OMF Literature and their wealth of excellent titles by visiting their website or their Facebook page.

Photo by author

Love in Action

 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ - Matthew 25:40


It's hard to put in words what we've been through the last few days. Although Manila was largely spared from the wrath of the combined effects of tropical storm "Maring (Trami)" and the southwest monsoon, the effects of almost three days of nonstop rain is evident in the outlying provinces of Laguna and Cavite.

Sto.Tomas Road in Binan, Laguna.

Those who lived through the disaster recounted how water rose at a rapid rate of several feet per minute, bringing panic and havoc to homes, businesses, and properties. As the floodwaters receded, tons of muck and garbage were left behind, as well as the seeds of despair as the survivors struggled to make sense of what they had just lived through.

The high water mark reached up to the fence of the house in the background and to the left. One can see there's still garbage clinging to the fence and the plants look waterlogged. That's about six or seven feet of water from the level of the roadway.

That's the river in its normal state. The homes in the background at the banks of the river are a good two stories high from the river. Water overflowed the river banks and flooded homes up to waist level.

That's an awful lot of water.

The last few Sundays, our pastors had been talking about love and how it applies to our lives. The horrible events of Habagat 2013 gave us an opportunity to put hands and feet to the love in our hearts.

Volunteers hard at work repacking supplies for 110 families affected by the floods in Binan, Laguna.

 

Kali and John share an intimate moment in the middle of preparations for the relief effort.

A marathon pledge program saw us raising more than the projected target of Php33,000 (our estimated amount needed to support 110 families for about a week with basic supplies) in two days. Church members and non-church friends pledged their financial support and pitched in the heavy work of shopping, sorting, and preparing the relief kits.

Six days after the flood in Binan, Laguna, we were able to put our sandals and shoes on the muddy ground and minister to people whose lives had been changed by the Habagat of 2013.

Robyn (center) and Kyko (second from left) get ready to hand out the relief kits.

It especially touched me to see our kids helping out. They were probably more excited than I was.

Our effort was a drop in the bucket. There's still more to be done to ensure this kid--and thousands of others like him--have a better future ahead of him.

The task of rebuilding is obviously a tedious one. At this moment I am also hit with the realization that there are sure to be more storms to come, with more horrible sequels to the Habagat of 2012 and 2013. I pray that God may have mercy and spare us the heartbreak, but should he allow it, may he also give us the strength to help those in need.

May we never tire of putting God's love in our hearts into actions that tell people of cities, campuses, communities--and even in our families--that there is a God who loves us so.

Love in action. Photo by Randy Olasiman

Photo by John Hofilena

God is good and great, indeed. :)

Molten: On a football field

Ronaldo vs Messi. Photo courtesy of sportnomics.com

you lay on the grass
A hush fills the stadium
Ninety-nine thousand, three hundred seventy
six eyes, all on you
Anticipating
your gentle rolling
as the foot of the world‟s best
player kicks you.
You glide away from him,
and he chases you,
The man they call Leo,
with stuttering steps.
With a flick of his foot—oh! oh!
he sends you flying—hey! hey!
catching you with a hug that is ne‟er a real embrace,
cradled close to his chest.

But a man in white
the one called Ronaldo
pokes with his foot, picks you from him
and runs for the finish
He is a gazelle,
movements all graceful
He stomps on you, spins round and sends
the girls in the stands swooning.
The grass is cold with dew
and the ground is rough
The crowd is screaming, loud
enough for a heart to flutter
Suddenly Leo appears—oh! oh!
Sliding on the grass—hey! hey!
to take you away.

Like a lover scorned, Ronaldo
chases Leo madly
who spins around the last defender,
catching everyone‟s breath away.
Leo kicks you hard, tracing an arc
across the night sky,
away from the clutches of the goalkeeper.
The net catches you.
The crowd goes wild.
Leo smiles.
You lay on the grass, again.


*as a tribute to tonight's El Clasico encounter between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, i am posting this poem i wrote for creative writing class last semester. Bear with my feeble attempts at poetry.