I have seen God's work as He constantly use people in Praise Cathedral. No matter what the age are or the gender or status in life, God equally open the chance to all His children to be used in the different ministries. I have seen the men and women offered their songs, the youth their dances and the kids with their amusing presentations. Each time I see them perform, these children of God never fail to amaze me. They have always been an instrument of God's plan not only in my life but for the lives of others as well. 

Today is not an ordinary day. Not because my whole family came over to celebrate the holiday with me but because I have learned something important. Something that touches my life and rekindled my spirit. The Kings Kids of Praise Cathedral presented a musical special entitled "Little Drummer Boy". It is a story of young kids and their drummer whose view about music was changed by their teacher. From a complicated note they have transformed music into a simple melody of God's plan.

The story taught me that our talent won't be meaningful if not used to please God. There was a point in my life where I worked hard and yet I failed several times. I asked God why? but I never got an answer, that question lingered into mind until today. Now, I have realized that I have worked hard and used my God given talent only to satisfy my earthly dreams, to please people and be popular. I have worked so much in vain because I have never learned to offer my talent in order to serve my creator. 

Like Shaun the young drummer in the story, I experienced being broke not only once but over and over again.   I have been complaining why... but now I understand. I have to be broken so that God can work in my life. Only when I am weak that I see Him working for me... strengthening me each day. Only when I am broken that I see a new hope and that should have been a signal for me to start over in God's will. But I have been blind, not until today that I fully seen the entire image of His grace. 

Mathew chapter 11 verse 15 says "He who has ears, Let him hear" . Now I understand that not all can hear the music that God plays in our heart. Only those who understand His plan will be able to hear it. I am most glad because I have heard a new song, a music I have never heard before. A song of my love, my romance with the one who molded me from clay and breathe me with a breathe of life. 

I know, it is not only me who have realized these things. I believe that God have also revealed this message to the rest of the congregation. Thank you Kings kids, you have made my Christmas meaningful and blessed.

by Jayson

Photos credited to Ryan Cardone

Life can be compared to swimming in the ocean. Even if I know how to swim and I am confident that I can jump to the waves at the right time – sometimes when I least it expect it, I find my self drowning, spinning under the waves with my mouth full of sands. If I fight against the waves, it would be difficult for me to surface, but if I float with the current, I come right to the top. However, floating while afraid is difficult. It requires trust and faith in order to survive. Dealing with death of a love one is similar. In order to cope, I need to stregnthen my faith and put my trust to the one who gave us life.

Last Saturday my mom phoned me and told me that my grandfather had died already. The man who took care of me when I was young; the man who gave me my first name; the man who showered me with so much love when my parents failed to give it to me. At that moment, I asked myself “why?” I want answers. “Why is this happening? why me? What did I do to deserve this?”. As soon as I remember to trust His plan in my life – I found it easier to discover the answer to my questions. Death is the only thing in life that comes with a 100% guarantee. I should have realized that though our bodies are mortal, all human beings are eternal. Our soul will not die. Our spirit – the essence of who we are will live forever. The bible said in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verses  11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

It is not easy when you see someone dear to you drawing near into that good night. In the poem written by Dylan Thomas to his dying father he said “Rage Rage against the dying of the light! Do not go gentle into that good night.” As much as possible we would want them to stay, we would want to hold them in our arms. But we all know that there is time for everything under the heaven (Eccleasiastes 3:1). We have no control over life and death and no one can fathom God’s plan in our lives. We might feel all the sorrows and pains of the present but we should always remember that in life, what matters the most are the things that happens in between. The most important are the things that we do, on how we spend our time between our birth and death. The people whom we touched with our simple actions. The friends we made and the families we built.

As I am about to bring him into his resting place, I know that he had served his purpose already. He had molded me to what I am today. He left memories that I would treasure for the rest of my life.

Good bye Tatay….thank you for the love you gave and for taking me as your own when my parents abandoned me.

Author: Jayson

Note: When I saw my pains in the mirror, God spoke to me through the life of David...

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Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me

                                                            Psalms 51:10

I was looking at myself at the mirror and noticed that I am no longer the same person I was before. My life became too complicated and everything seems too heavy. Problem came after another and I am no longer sure until when I can carry them on my back. My temper became so limited and I got angry at simple things. The smile that was usualy outlined on my cheeks is no longer there. The heart that before longed for Him is now filled with too much pain and sorrow. I have commited too much sin that I am already lying down in the muddy field with a bloody heart.

I took my tablet and open my soft bible in the book of II Samuel chapter 11. There I was reminded of the life of David, the man before the heart of God. He was a great king and the Lord loved him so dear. He feared the Lord, obeyed the Lord and worshiped the Lord. But this chapter did not tell me how great David was, but it told me how wicked he was. The whole chapter spoke of His wickedness, on how he slept with Batshebah the wife of Uriah. It spoke of his trickery in asking Uriah to go home and sleep with his wife in order to cover the truth that he impregnated Batshebah, but when Uriah did not go home because of his loyalty to Israel, David asked Joab to send Uriah in the frontline of the deadliest battle so he may be smitten and die. After Uriah’s death, David fetched Batshebah to her house and she became his wife. What David did displease the Lord. The Lord spoke to him through the prophet Nathan and he was punished. The Lord killed his son. What strikes me in this story was David’s reaction to the Lord’s punishment. He acknowledged his wickedness and asked for forgiveness. He fasted for 7 days and worshipped the Lord. In one of his psalms he said “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10) God heared his prayer and forgave him. He blessed David and Batshebah another son and called him Solomon.

After reading this, I was reminded that everybody has its wicked side. Everybody is suceptable to sin, even the greatest men of Israel. I was reminded that God is a loving God and He is always at our side reminding us of His great mercy. He is like a father to us, punishing us in order to correct our mistakes. In the book of Ezekiel chapter 18 verses 21 God said to the people of Israel “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.”. His mercy is indeed everlasting and he reminded me through his words.

Now I am praying that He too would renew a right spirit within me, that I may find my self again in His presence. Once more, I want to feel the great joy of my first love. I want to dance in his presence with overflowing joy in my heart. Lord, right now I am claiming your Living Promise. I know that like David, He is reminding me and is punishing me to correct my mistakes. Like David, He wants me to repent and come back in His presence. He knows what I did and He is willing forgive me because I am His son, He has chosen me and He gave me a promise.

By: Arjay Amaneo

Mamuhay kayong may buong kapakumbabaan at kaamuan na may pagtitiis. Magbatahan kayo sa isa't isa sa pag-ibig. Pagsikapan ninyong panatilihin ang pagkakaisa ng Espiritu sa buklod na kapayapaan.

Mga Taga-Efeso 4:2-3 (Ang Salita ng Diyos)

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Matagal na silang mag asawa, matagal ng nagsasama at marami na silang pinagdaanan. Gaya ng ordinaryong magkatipan dumanas din sila ng matinding pagsubok, mga ups and downs ng buhay kumbaga. Isang araw, nagkaroon sila ng alitan. Isang bangayan na sabihin na nating mauuwi na yata sa hiwalayan. Masyadong na dismaya si Andy, habang si Netty ay galit na galit.

Isang linggo din silang hindi nag uusap pagkatapos ng away na iyon. Nagbabaka sakali si Andy na huhupa din ang galit ng kanyang asawa. Pagsapit ng ikapitong araw, nilapitan ni Andy ang asawa at binigyan ito na papel at bolpen. Iminungkahi niya sa asawa na sabay nilang isulat sa papel ang kanilang mga saloobin, pagkatapos ay magpapalitan sila ng papel at pag-usapan kung ano man ang ugat ng kanilang di pagkaka intindihan.

Pagkatapos ng dalawampung minuto, nagtinginan ang mag asawa at nang magpalit na sila ng papel, binasa ni Andy ang sulat ng asawa. Ang nilalaman ng papel na iyon ay ang mga hinanakit ni Netty kay Andy, puno ng poot ang kanyang puso at sinabi pa niya sa sulat na sana ay mamatay na ito.

Nang si Netty na ang bumasa sa sulat ni Andy para sa kanya, nahiya siya sa sarili, umiyak, pinunit ang papel at tinapon ito. Sa papel ni Andy isinulat niya sa dalawang pahina ng bond paper:

“Mahal na Mahal kita Netty”

I stumbled on one of the video's posted in the Cutting Edge Facebook page and I was blessed. I thought, it would be best to share this to you as well. Let us learn and be blessed on Richard St. John's 8 to be Great.

Disclaimer: This blog does not take ownership on this video. If you are the owner of this video and does not wish to post this in our site, please send us an email at king_sky92@yahoo.com and we will delete this video right away. 
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jufn7QoP9VU

Author: Jayson Patalinghug
Sources: Holy Bible, http://en.wikipedia.org,http://www.heartlight.org
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I have read the articles about the thermometer and the thermostat before, but today God spoke to me and I began to see my Christian life through these scientific instruments.

A thermometer is an instrument coined from the greek word thermo which means “warm” and meter which means “to measure” thus a thermometer is an instrument used to measure temperature using a variety of principles. This instrument has a sensor which detects the temperature of a certain room, so when you place a thermometer in a room that has a temperature of 180 degrees, the thermometer will change its temperature into 180 degrees as well, based on the room temperature.

A thermostat is also an instrument that can detect temperature. The word thermostat was coined from the word thermos which means “hot” and statos which means “standing”. The only difference between a thermometer and a thermostat is that the thermostat does  not change temperature when placed into a room, instead it controls the temperature of the room. When the thermostat is set to 100 degrees and it is placed in a room that has a temperature of 190 degrees, the room will then change its temperature to 100 degrees based on the setpoint temperature of the thermostat.

In our Christian life, we have to identify ourselves. Are we a thermometer? Or are we a thermostat? One tells the conditions sourounding it while the other makes a difference in those conditions in the environment which it is located. I personally said to myself, it is hard to become a thermostat and influence the people aroound you but it is easy to tell what kind of people are there in your soroundings and conform to their norm. A young Christian might try to smoke or drink liqours in order to become a part of a group. Others might gossip and back bite because it is a normal thing that his/her friends do. It is easier to conform just to be accepted in the society rather than to do what is what right and influence them. Christians like us are not meant to conform to the world because God called us to make a difference in the world. The Holy Bible says in the book of Matthew chapter 5 verses 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."  Salt gives flavor to what it touches, it preserves many things from decay. We are meant to become like a salt that preserves the world from decaying, we are meant to change the world. We are called to become like a thermostat and not just a thermometer.

In the book of Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 to 23 Apostle Paul remided us  that we have the fruit of the holy Spirit flowing through us so we can demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. He is reminding us that we are thermostat and not just a thermometer.

In the book of 1^st Timothy chapter 4 verses 12, Paul said to Timothy “Let no one look down at you because you are young, but set example for the believers in your speech, love, faithfullness and purity” It was a reminder to Timothy that he can be a difference-maker in the lives of others even in his young age. Again, we are called to become a thermostat and not a thermometer.

With God’s help we can be the a salt of the world; we can make a difference and be an example to both believers and non-believers; we can demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives; we can change the atmosphere where we find ourselves. It is not hard to be like thermometer. However as Christians we are called to become like a themostat and make a positive difference in community where we are.