Loud Thinking

May mga Kristiyano na di maitatanggi na nai-in love din naman sila at
gusto rin naman manligaw ng mga lalaki at maligawan ang mga babae. Pero bakit
parang ambivalent ang mga Kristiyanong lalaki at babae sa ideya ng courtship?

 

Natotorpe nga ba talaga si guy… iniisip niya ba na si girl ay “out of
my league” kasi mayaman siya o mas malaki ang suweldo… kasi masyado maganda ang
girl… baka naman mas mature si girl spiritually at tila holier-than-thou…
sosyal kaya siya at tila di mayaya ni guy sa simpleng karinderya o sa Jollibee
man lang… dahil walang car si guy o naiilang siya na sa jeep niya lang pwede
mailibre ng pamasahe si girl?

 

Nakakatawa talaga pero tanong ko rin yan mismo sa sarili ko. I was
browsing my Multiply site once when I stumbled upon this poem by Celeste V.
Lumasac. Quite Biblical naman ang tenor kaya I got her permission na hiramin
itong poem niya, (thanks, Celeste!). Initially I thought this poem are
applicable sa mga guy lang pero girls should also consider the words.

 

are you man enough?

 

unless you are
equipped to comprehend why you will always be only next to God, yet the only
one to be that in my life

 

unless you have the
sensibility to recognize that in the context of home and family, one can only
love unconditionally and sacrificially

 

unless you are
prepared to take on the responsibility of loving and being loved

 

unless you are
downright definite that you have never known someone like me and that you never
will

 

unless you are
resolved that though i am not perfect, i am the right and only girl for you

 

unless you learn the
language of my soul and understand the declarations of my eyes

 

unless you see for
yourself that my heart, though eternally turbulent, can only hold good
intentions

 

unless you fully
grasp the complexity of my being yet choose to believe that you will never run
out of understanding

 

unless you are
willing to fight each battle with me until we emerge victorious and joyfully
exhausted

 

unless you can assure
me that you will rise up for me when i am not able to defend myself anymore but
let me be otherwise

 

unless you can walk
beside me even when you know that i am taking the rough road

 

unless you can
accept that there are times when my best may still fall short

 

unless your presence
brings peace and security and you can calm me down during tumultuous situations

 

unless you
acknowledge that i may not always have the same opinion with you but i will
always understand you

 

unless you have the
courage to correct me when i’m wrong but accept the blame when you are

 

unless you are able
to accept my honesty ‘til it hurts

 

unless silences
between us bring comfort

 

unless you realize
that, if it is necessary, you are willing to look silly and perform ridiculous acts
just to make me laugh

 

unless you can come
crying to me when the going gets real tough yet know that i will not think you
are less of a man than before

 

unless you recognize
that holding my hands has become one of your needs

 

unless you too
believe that the best things in life have nothing to do with money

 

unless you are worth
comparing to my father

 

unless you can
describe my face in detail even when i’m not around

 

unless you can
endure my eccentricities and habits and see them as charming instead of
annoying

 

unless i am able to
comfortably sing an entire song in your presence

 

unless you are
definite that you can only offer good old, plain old, concrete, everlasting
love

 

unless you were
destined to make me smile every morning for the rest of my life

 

unless you are
convinced that i can be and am all these to you too

 

then you’re not…

 

so

 

please,

 

don’t!

 

For the girls naman… ayaw nga ba talaga magpaligaw… mas mahalaga nga
ba sa kanila ang career at graduate degree… nawawalan na ba sila ng pag-asa sa
mga Kristiyanong lalaki na ayaw mag-take ng initiative at mag-step up…
tumitingin lamang ba sila sa mga kamukha ni Hugh Grant o Josh Harnett… masyado
bang takot si girl na umasa at masaktan kaya umiiwas siya sa mga gusto manligaw
sa kanya… o baka tulad ng iba kong kilala na nalunod na yata sa mga love song
at romantic movie na di naman nagtuturo ng Biblical perspective about
relationship?

 

 

I would quote another female friend, si Rae, who wrote me a month ago.
Her words encouraged me. I told myself na may pag-asa pa pala kami sa mga
Christian girls. She said…

 

…in behalf of most
Christian females, I would like to apologize that many of us have not responded
well to many men’s proposals. We have been deluded by our own unrealistic
fantasies of who our prince charming should be, how the proposal should have
been carried out and how it should all end. We have buried ourselves in books
and drowned ourselves in music and movies that feed into these romantic dreams.
Often times, when men from the real world, like you, burst our bubbles of
fantasies, we become disappointed that we didn’t have what we always hoped for.
Thus, when caught off guard, our flesh makes us naturally react sinfully and
obviously it is you, men, who get the brunt of it. Any reaction that is not in
line with this is simply by the grace of God in that woman.

 

Iniisip ko minsan ang mga bagay patungkol sa pag-ibig at patuloy pa
rin akong nahihiwagaan. Iilan pa lang ang nababasa kong libro patungkol sa
Biblical manhood at womanhood. Wala rin ako masyado alam sa theology patungkol
dito. Ang napagtatanto ko lamang ngayon ay tila masyadong malaki ang epekto ng
kasalanan sa puso’t isipan ng lalaki at babae.

 

Madalas o minsan ay pasaway talaga at ayaw magpasakop sa kalooban at
grasya ng Diyos. Yung iba nga malalaman mong nabasa na nila halos lahat ng
libro tungkol sa love, courtship at marriage pero puno ng takot at pangamba na
para bang wala silang Diyos na bibigyan sila ng sapat na grasya. Parang ako.

 

Patuloy ang panawagan sa mga lalaki at babae na maging Biblical at
maging masunurin sa Diyos. Naniniwala naman ako na binigyan tayo ng laya ng Diyos
para umibig at magpa-ibig. Ang Kristiyanong takot umibig at magpa-ibig ay
walang tiwala sa Diyos, sa Bibliya at sa komunidad ng mananampalataya na
tutulong sa paggabay na maluwalhati ang Diyos sa bahagi ng buhay nilang ito.
Siya rin ang Kristiyano na madaling matisod at masadlak sa kasalanan.

 

I long for the day

When I will bleed

For immortal words

 

I desire for my Muse to return

To embrace me once again

To rouse the metaphors

That slumbered

And stayed quiescent

 

I yearn for glorious thoughts

Incandescent

Fueling passion

 

I’m famished for

Verses and rhymes

 

Come, my Muse

I plead

Come and return

Let me live again

I’m thankful to the Lord for last night. Venus treated us in Don
Henrico’s. God gave her the burden to gather us. =D Besides the sumptuous Italian
dinner, I’m more blessed with the time we spent to ask for forgiveness and to
encourage one another.

 

It’s a night of breaking and building.

 

I’m just so thankful for my sisters in the office who are so gracious
towards me. They pointed out to me areas I need to grow. I think I need to be
more desperate in pleading to the Lord to change me. I acknowledge the fact
that I can’t change myself apart from the enabling of Jesus.

 

I have been a perfectionist. I have high expectations with people. And
then I get frustrated when people fail. Sometimes I fail to recognize that I’m
a failure too. My sinfulness often triumphs. Instead of being Christ-like, I’m
more of a foolish braggart.

 

I’m just humbled on how my officemates see me as a part of the team. They
appreciate me. And I’m thankful for their kind
words. I just realized that they don’t look down on me. It is just encouraging because
I tend to feel worthless. They value not just the things I do but they value me
as a friend, brother, child – as a person.

 

I need to grow in my attitudes. This is not just for the sake of those
in the office but also for my family who often gets the brunt of my ill attitudes.
I need a heart transformation.

 

Lord, help me to change. Show me the way so that I will no longer
bring shame to Your Name. Help me to communicate grace and love each day.
Enable me, God. If I will be a minister of Your Word and I will remain in this
sad state, then what sort of witness will I become? I will just be a blatant
hypocrite.

I think this is the third year that I’m left alone in the house. I’m
not totally happy with being alone because I would have to care of many things.
I have to cook my own food. There are animals to take care. I have to clean the
house. And the list goes on.

 

I’m used to being taken cared by my family. It’s like I’m a “prince”
in the house. It’s additional stress. I’m already tired from work and I would
still have to prepare the ingredients of my dinner and then cook it. After
eating dinner, I would have to wash the dishes.

 

I wasn’t able to attend church service today because of low back pain
that goes all the way to my right buttock. I’m really physically tired.

 

Another thing I don’t like with being alone is that my Mom would leave
a considerable stock of food in the ref. And I would have to cook more than
what I could consume because some of the stocks would be spoiled even if it’s
inside the ref. So there are times that I would have to eat the same meal twice
or thrice. Sana huwag masira yung dinaing na bangus kasi last year dinaing na
bangus din iniwan sa akin at nasira yung iba.

 

The chickens are fine. I haven’t got a fight with the roosters. I’m
just worried with the cage because the flooring is already destroyed by rust. I
have no time and strength to repair it.

 

Hay, I got to rest and hopefully I could do some ironing.

A few days ago, I
was struggling with so many things to do and so many things to think
through. I have my office job to do and I consider it as a ministry. I
also have my ministry in the church that also requires time and energy.

Then
I remembered my college days when I was deeply involved with Campus
Crusade. I have my discipleship in the organization and I have various
ministry opportunities within the organization too. I just go to church
on Sundays for better doctrinal and theological feeding and
nourishment. But I was not committed with its program of discipleship
and ministry.

Now
that I know the importance of the church, I seek to serve it by God’s
grace. Higher Rock emphasizes the importance of male leadership and it
highly encourages men to serve the church in any manner.

Since
there are so many things to do in the office this month, I find myself
arguing (again) against serving in church’s garage sale. I would say,
“Ministry rin naman ang ginagawa ko ngayon. Siguro naman may pupuntang
iba.” What if a number of us are thinking that way?

Last
Sunday, only few of us guys were around. I observed that half of the
guys were members of the Steering Committee. There are times that I
could see them taking a few minutes to rest or sleep. It just proves
that they too are tired with their work, personal and church ministry
and perhaps family responsibilities. But still they were there to help.

These
men are my leaders. They provide me good example of leadership. Ah
yeah, I think it would be better to say that they are role models of
servant leadership. Thus I am again encouraged to prioritize the church
and its program.

Two
weeks ago, I was surprised to be asked to be the Overall Admin for the
FamilyLife and Home Builders Summit. It appears that Kuya Teody has a big
confidence in me.

There
are so many things to be done in the office and I just wondered how I will be
of help in the conference. I was experiencing some low back pains during that
week. I have some things to do for the Fulfilling the Scriptures class in
church. And the list goes on.

I
tried to manage my schedule prior to the conference. Tried to finish the
Fulfilling the Scriptures class project with my group. Helped in the church’s
garage sale. Tried to finish some tasks in the office and delegated some to
those who stay there. Finished my chores. And sent prayer requests to my church
brethren.

I
took the responsibility as a challenge. An opportunity to grow and to trust
God. I think it is a preparation for a bigger responsibility.

But
I still think that it is a funny thing to be there. This is a conference for married
couple. And I’m single. Ate Zilllah joked that it is a prophetic event because
they prayed that I’ll find a suitable partner in life on my birthday
celebration. I just thought that I will feel awkward and out of place.

I
really don’t know what to expect and do. I’m new to being “in-charge.”

Good
thing I sent e-mails to my friends in the church to pray for me. I could just
feel the God is moving. I haven’t experienced back pain. There were some lapses
but God saw me through. The accommodation and food was not that satisfactory
but our guests went home with smiles on their face… perhaps even smiles on
their hearts. I am encouraged to have Mabel who is so helpful and easy to work with.

I also
earned additional Asian friends and developed friendship with old ones.

The
conference gave me a greater vision for the gospel. There is so much to do in
terms of sharing the truth of the gospel to others and there are so many ways
to reach others for Christ.

Thus
I was compelled to share Jesus to six hotel waiters and ministered to one of
the receptionists by way of prayer before we left. I shared the gospel with
Mabel.

God’s
grace was very evident during the FamilyLife and Home Builders Summit. I’m just
amazed how He worked in and through me.

It’s funny how affluent or socialite people call their food.
Bouillabaisse - a stew of mixed Mediterranean fish, tomatoes, and herbs - when
you could simply call it chowder or broth. Crepe for thin pancakes. Turkey
a la King. Cassoulet
- a dish made with beans,
sausages and preserved duck or goose. Brandade de morue - puréed salt cod.
Salade Niçoise - varied ingredients, but always black olives, tuna. And so on
and so forth. Actually, I’m not familiar to most of them. Most of these
cuisines came from France.

We refer to the manner of eating French food as fine dining. One of
the Ka-Toque chefs referred to it as eating high end food. And so it is. The
ingredients are expensive. Most of which are not found here in the Philippines.

The preparation is complicated (but not all the time). Some preparations
require the expertise of skilled chefs. Of course, the presentation or plating
is another thing. It has to be presented in an artistic way.

Of course not all fine dining came from France.
I think as long the cuisine came from a certain place outside the country, it
is difficult to pronounce and it is expensive that food is reckoned as fine
dining. Some came from India, Japan, China or United States.

How about elevating our local food to the level of fine dining?
Tinola. Binarutak. Dinak-dakan. Dinengdeng. Inabraw. Pinangat. Dinuguan. Kare-kare.
Kaldereta. Papaitan.

I was just thinking, will a date turn out to be a success when I bring
someone to a fine dining restaurant? What if I just bring her to an unfamiliar
restaurant and share bulalo and sinugbang tilapia? Would it be more fun? Is romance
scraped from the date if I will do it? Will I turn out to be unromantic if we
go out on a date in riverside dampa? I’m just thinking.

Not that I don’t plan to treat my beloved in a fancy restaurant. It’s
just that I can’t easily justify eating an expensive cut of steak or have a
creamy dessert melt in my mouth and be aware of a neighbor dying because of
hunger and malnutrition. Sometimes I can’t even eat a burger in McDo because I
know that some members of my family rarely have the chance to eat even McDo’s
regular fries. It’s not that we can’t afford to treat ourselves but it seems to
be unwise. The amount to buy a piece of burger could coupled with soda and
fries would mean two meals for the poor family living on a shabby shanty in the
cemetery near us.

I learned that the daughter-in-law of the old balut vendor in our
neighborhood just died because of health complication. She left her husband
with a four-month old twin. Mom said that the twin is just surviving with lugaw
or they suck sugar. The remains of their mother is sheltered in a shanty built
over tombs. The husband is trying to solicit some money for his family, and
perhaps for burial expenses. He already went to some local government officials
to ask for financial help but they only gave him referrals. These politicians
were elected because of their lofty promises to help the poor. But here is an
example of their failure to give even a hundred peso bill for a pack of formula
milk for the twin.

When I think of such, it’s no longer fun to think of fine dining. It’s
like injustice to the poor. It’s like pouring acid to an open wound.

But more than the material food, some Christians munch on lofty
doctrines and theology. They enjoy spiritual discussions and even debate on
issues. They buy volumes of Christian books and populate their bookshelves with
it, like refrigerators filled cakes and all sort of goodies, most of which for
their own consumption. Some Christians become spiritually fat and doesn’t even
care to burn some calories by offering or sharing real hope to the spiritually
poor and lost.

I don’t say that it is wrong to buy expensive Christian books,
especially if they are really Biblically correct. I do aspire to buy some for
my own. Or it is wrong to even attend seminars or conferences. What I’m saying
is if such pursuit is like consuming an expensive rib eye steak or drinking an
espresso coffee in Starbucks, wherein it is only oneself is satisfied, then it
becomes skewed. Such endeavor to feed oneself with good Biblical meat should result
to sharing of one’s faith to others and bring real hope to others.

For myself, more than feeling guilty for eating burger in McDo because
our neighbor is too poor to buy himself a kilo of NFA rice for a whole day’s
meal, I should feel guiltier for lack of zeal to share the gospel.

In a few days time, I’ll be a year older. Got to reflect on the things I’ve been through and what I’m going through right now. I also have to think of the things I want to expect from myself. There are so many issues I have to face. Issues that confront me as a male Christian.

Last Monday, our Bible study on prayer was diverted shortly on Biblical manhood. Bro. Oscar told us the importance of prayer if we consider the possibility of leading a family in the future. I was confronted again by the fact that I have to straighten up my spiritual life. Prayer is just one of the areas wherein I have to be a model to my future wife and kids. I have to exemplify dependence upon the Lord and demonstrate that prayer is a need. Failure to provide such spiritual leadership would cause harm to their soul.

Actually, I’m always confronted by my spiritual complacency whenever I think of pursuing someone or whenever I dream of having my own family. Spiritual leadership is hard work. I think it is more difficult to labor to provide spiritual leadership than to toil to earn money for the family.

1 Tim. 5:8 says, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” This verse could be a pretext for greed. I would often fall to the temptation of thinking that I have to be rich so that my wife and kids could live comfortably. I even think that I must be financially well-off to be successful in courtship and to earn the favor of the family of the one I will court.

There is a greater need for sanctification and to live a holy life that is pleasing before God. It is deeper need than delicious food prepared on the dining table. It is higher necessity than a mansion and a car. It is more glorious than fine clothes and jewelries.

I am a sinner. I need grace and the Spirit to be able to live the Christian life. And to lead a woman, who is also a sinner, would require grace and the Spirit even more. What sort of leadership would I offer to the woman I love if I will be flippant in my devotions to the Lord? What sort of guidance shall I offer to my children if I neglect the study of His Word? What sort of headship could I give to my family if I can’t pray consistently?

There are moments of loneliness and I would think of “awakening my love.” But I would arrest my heart. I would pray then I would comprehend that my greatest need is not a girl but to be satisfied and joyful with God. And my heart is consoled.

I ought to be a man happy with my God and who seriously follow His discipleship.

Gal. 4:12-20:

12 I beg of you, brethren, become as I {am,} for I
also {have become} as you {are.} You have done me no wrong; 13 but you know
that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the
first time; 14 and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did
not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus
{Himself.} 15 Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you
witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them
to me. 16 So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they
wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18 But it is good always to be
eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with
you. 19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in
you–20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for
I am perplexed about you.

Study:
In
this passage, the apostle shifts from his theological defense of the truth of
the gospel to a deep and emotional expression of his concern for the Galatians.
He is not Paul the apologist. He is now the Paul the pastor.

He began by begging the Galatians. He implored his
readers to be like him. He tried to speak with no superior tone by identifying
with them. He called them his brethren. He is trying to say that he was also a
sinner like them and he needed salvation. Paul pleads from this similarity of
position. By laying this as a foundation to his argument, he entreats them to
be like him. Paul exhorts them to follow his example.

He wanted them to understand that as Christians they
were justified by faith. They were justified by God’s grace. It is also by
grace that they could live the Christian life and not by observing the Law. He
wanted them to live a life free from the influence of the Judaizers that wish
to enslave them to the Law. He desired for them to live in freedom and joy
because of their salvation in Jesus Christ.

Paul goes on to say that they had done him no wrong.
They treated him well. He had no complaints toward them.

 The Galatians knew that it was because of a bodily
ailment that Paul preached the gospel to them. The apostle was not in a good
physical condition when he first preached the gospel to them. This is the
reason why Paul said that they didn’t do anything to harm him or treat him
unlikely.

However, the nature of his physical ailment is not
clear. Some commentators, like Barclay, suggest that he acquired malaria in the
coastal Pamphylia. The next verse suggests that he had an eye problem. Gal.
6:11 suggests the same thing because he said that he wrote to them in big
letters. It is also implied in Acts 23:1-5, wherein the apostle had difficulty
recognizing the high priest. Stott says that it is probably a case of
ophthalmitia or conjunctivitis.

Morris notes it appears that it was not Paul’s
intention to preach the gospel to the Galatians but his infirmity detained him
in Galatia. Paul did not waste the opportunity to preach the gospel even though
he was having physical problem. Preaching the gospel was his primary concern
and not his ailment. Commenting on Eph. 6:19-20 about Paul’s single-mindedness
to preach the gospel, John F. MacArthur, Jr. said, “As great as his physical
and emotional needs were, he requested prayer that he might possess the message
of God and then have the courage to give it out… he asked that his ministry
might continue unimpeded.”

Though his physical condition was a trial to them, he
was not despised or loathed. The original language suggests that he may have
looked repulsive but the Galatians did not despised him or did not yielded to
the temptation to despise him. Realize that despise or ekptuō means to spit out. The Galatians did not
despise Paul. He was not treated with hostility or dislike.

He was instead received as an angel of God. They
welcomed him as if he was an angel. Paul goes on to say that they even received
him as Jesus Christ Himself. It appears that Paul had a high estimation of
himself. Remember that he presented himself as a fellow sinner. With that in
mind, I don’t think that he intended to put himself on the level of the Son of
God, although he didn’t wrote here that he rebuked the Galatians for treating
him as such, like what he did in Lystra (Acts 14:8-18).

Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ. His authority came
from Jesus and he was given a message to preach by Jesus. When Paul came to
Galatia, he came with the authority and message of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
was Christ’s ambassador. Jesus said in Matt. 10:40 that whosoever receives his
commissioned disciples receives Him. It is in this context that Paul speaks of
the Galatians receiving him as Jesus Christ.

This caused a sense of blessedness among the Galatians
because they received a messenger of God and they received a message that
brought them salvation. But they are in the brink of rejecting Paul and the
message he preached to them. So he asked them, “Where then is that sense of
blessing you had?” The NIV puts it, “What has happened to all your joy?”

He probably expected them to continue in the joy of
their salvation because he can bear witness to them that they would have
plucked out their eyes and given them to him, if it were possible. Since Paul’s
ailment is not clear, this verse would not prove that he had eye ailment.
Plucking one’s eyes to be offered to another is an extreme statement of love
that means that one is willing to do anything for another. Paul meant that the
Galatians were willing to give up their eyesight to show their love and
devotion to him.

So Paul asked, “So have I become your enemy by telling
you the truth?” He was received as an angel, even as Jesus Christ Himself, but
he is now considered an enemy because he stood firm to the truth of the gospel.
He called them foolish by turning away from the truth of the gospel. He scolded
and rebuked them by resorting to enslavement. Though the Galatians did not
endured sound doctrine and had their ears tickled, Paul maintained the purity
of the gospel (2 Tim. 4:3).

Paul turned his
pastoral appeal by providing the Galatians a contrast between the false
teachers intent and his own intent. First, he dealt with the false teachers. He
said that these false teachers eagerly seek them. They were zealous to win the
Galatians to their distorted gospel. The false teachers were definitely zealous
but not in a commendable manner. Their zeal is meant to bring harm to the
Galatians. The false teachers do not seek their well-being.

Paul turned his
pastoral appeal by providing the Galatians a contrast between the false
teachers intent and his own intent. First, he dealt with the false teachers. He
said that these false teachers eagerly seek them. They were zealous to win the
Galatians to their distorted gospel. The false teachers were definitely zealous
but not in a commendable manner. Their zeal is meant to bring harm to the
Galatians. The false teachers do not seek their well-being.

The false teachers
intended to shut them out. It is not clear what the apostle meant here. There
are several interpretations that say that these teachers purposed to isolate
the Galatians from other Christian churches and teachers who are faithful to
the purity of the gospel. Another interpretation is that the false teachers
wish to shut the Galatian saints from Paul and from Christ. It is more
reasonable to accept these because Paul wrote that the objective of the false
teachers is that the Galatians would seek them.

If the false teachers will be able to persuade the
Galatians to believe them, the Galatians would be alienated to Paul. The
apostle would become an enemy. The Galatians would not listen to someone they
consider an enemy. As a result, the true gospel will not be preached to them.
Christ, whom Paul faithfully preaches, will not be taught to them. Hence the
ultimate aim of the false teachers is to shut the Galatians out from Christ.
The Judaizers intend to lead them away from the freedom that is Jesus Christ
and bring them to bondage to the Law.

But Paul didn’t tell them that it is wrong to be
eagerly sought. Actually, it is always good to be sought by others. It is good
also that they are sought even while Paul is away from them. However, the
apostle made a qualification. He said that it is good to be sought by others if
the purpose is good. Paul doesn’t have a problem if other preachers will
minister to or teach the Galatians. He just want to make sure that these
teachers are not counterfeit or these teachers are not teaching counterfeit
Christianity.

Verse 19 presents the escalation of Paul’s emotional
pleading. He opens this section by calling the Galatians his children. The
Galatians were not just his brethren but his children. This is one way of
calling his converts (1 Cor. 4:14). Paul called Timothy, for example, as his
beloved and faithful child in the Lord (1 Cor. 4:17). The apostle John also
addressed the churches in Asia Minor as little children in his first epistle.
In 1 Cor. 4:15, Paul likens himself to a father to his converts. This
expression shows the apostle’s love for the Galatians.

He said that he is again in labor to see Christ formed
in them. The ESV says that he is in “anguish of childbirth until Christ is
formed” in them. Paul now deals with his intent in contrast to the false
teachers. He used the metaphor of childbirth to illustrate the process he went
through in preaching the gospel to the Galatians. He gave himself over to
preach the gospel to bring the Galatians from being dead to sin to a new
spiritual life. When he said that that he will do it again it means that he
already done this before and he will do it once again because his converts
embraced ideas incongruent to genuine Christianity.

This does not mean that Paul meant that they would
experience another spiritual rebirth. He wanted to see that the Galatians
doesn’t just profess Christ. He wants to see Christ formed in them and this
would mean undergoing pain to preach the truth of the gospel until this intent
is realized. He wants them to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. “Paul
is not looking for a few minor alterations in the Galatians but for such a
transformation that to see them would be to see Christ” (Morris).

Paul wished to be with the Galatians so that he could
change his tone. His desire was to speak to the Galatians in a different way.
It appears that he wanted to talk with them face-to-face rather than discussing
his thoughts in a letter. In this manner, he might be able to address the
questions or concerns of the Galatians readily and answer their queries more
deeply. Another reason is that he could actually show to them that he really
intends their spiritual well-being and he is not an enemy.

The apostle expressed his perplexity about the
Galatians. He could not understand why his Galatian converts turn from the
truth of the gospel into some from of legalism.

Realizations/Applications:
I was a Campus
Crusade student mover back in college. I was quite active then and there was a
time that doing ministry was only thing that matters. My grades suffered and
even my relationships with my friends were affected. I remember that I even got
into an argument with someone because I didn’t care about my studies. Okay na
kami ngayon. =D

I sought to
evangelize and disciple as much student that I could handle. I was quite
persistent in running after them. There was a time that I got so tired and felt
so ineffective to do ministry. There was also a remark from one of my disciples
that I considered a sharp rebuke from the Lord. He said, “Kuya, magaling ka
kaso di mo naman pinagpi-pray mga anak (referring to disciples) mo.” Then I
stopped doing active ministry.

A friend from my
church gave me an audio record of the Workers’ Retreat of my former church up
in Baguio, Guiding Light. The messages gave me encouragement and at the same
time made me think through my ministry years in college with Campus Crusade. I
wonder how many of my gospel sharing and Bible study appointments were done in
the power of the Spirit and how many were done in the flesh. What was my
purpose for doing ministry then?

We were trained to
build spiritual movement through spiritual multiplication. Materials are
available. Trainings and camps are frequent. There is so much time as a student.
But I realized that my heart wasn’t right.

Much of my
introspection dwells on the latter portion of my study of the passage and with
my past personal experience of doing ministry. Being a multiplier in Campus
Crusade is a commendable thing. It means that your disciples are also
discipling others that would disciple others. To be a multiplier was my goal. I
dreamt of seeing multipliers after. In effect, I want to produce multipliers. I
don’t see anything wrong with that. However, the strength and ability to do
that came from me and not from God.

I was trying to
persuade people from my presentation of the gospel. I did Bible studies based
on capabilities. I tried to be a multiplier and I want to produce multipliers
like me from my disciples. Much of which was done in the flesh. Quite odd for a
member of Campus Crusade because the organization promotes being filled by the
Spirit.

Probably, in my proud
heart, I was thinking of making a stamp of my name in the organization or in
the church that I’m a great worker. This is true of my attitude when I was in
Worldwide Church of God. With my involvement with CCC and with my exposure to
other Christian churches, I became indifferent towards our church leaders.
Sabihin na nating nawalan ng bilib. I feel bored when they teach. “Alam ko na
yan,” I would tell myself. Even their outward behaviors and appearance became
an issue.

But how did the
Galatians treat Paul when he first preached the gospel to them while having a
physical ailment? He was not despised! He was not rejected and scorned by the
Galatians. Lessons that I seek to apply
as someone who is at the receiving end, especially in my church now:
1. My attitude to my pastor, our church workers or any
Christian servant should not be determined by their outward appearance.
2. I should neither flatter nor reject workers of the
Lord by their appearance.
3. I should not assess servants of the Master by my
subjective theological persuasions.
4. I
ought to receive the messages preached by our church workers on the authority
of Jesus.

Another subject to consider is the intent of doing
ministry. Did I seek to form Christ in the life of those I sought to disciple?
Did I labor to really see Christ-likeness in my disciples? Did I disciple
others so that other people could see them exhibiting Christ-like characters?
My answers are “No.” I think if probing questions would be asked the answers
would still be “No.” Lessons that I seek to do when God will give me an
opportunity again to disciple or teach others:
1. As I seek to minister to others, I should not be
selfish by seeking to form myself in them. The Judaizers sought the Galatians
so that they would be formed in the mind of the Galatians.
2. Like Paul, I should be selfless by ministering to
others until Christ is formed in them.

The implication of this is that people will be drawn
to the person of Jesus Christ and not to the person who is ministering. That
even if the minister goes away, the people in the ministry will still continue
because it is Christ that they follow. I remember a particular minister back in
college. The minister is good in preaching and he also looks good. There came a
point that the ministry was affected because of his personal problem, actually
the minister sinned. He was removed from the ministry. It caused a great drop
in the attendance of the people who goes to his ministry gatherings. Reason for
this is that the people were attached to him and not to Christ. In fairness to
him, I believe that he did not intend that the people would seek him.

In Col. 1:28, Paul
said, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all
wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Forming Christ in
the life of others is not just limited in having people to disciple. “I’m not a
pastor.” “I’m not handling a cell/discipleship group in the church.” “I don’t
have a Bible study group in the office or in the school.” “I’m just a
housewife.” Alibis could go on and on but there is a lot of reasons and
opportunities for Christians to form Christ in the life of others and be able
to present them complete before the Lord.

To say that there is
no opportunity to serve God is a sloppy excuse. I could see idleness and
selfishness as reasons for a Christian who doesn’t want to serve God. There
could still be more. The grace of God in us should be enough motivation to make
us serve God in any capacity. I’m now serving God in the Technical Committee of
my church. As far as I’m concerned, my skills and knowledge is far from those
of my teammates. But realizing the immensity of God’s grace in my life and
learning the intent of Paul’s ministry to the Galatians encouraged me to get
going. Sabi nga ng mga kasama ko, “The congregation will appreciate the message
of our pastor kung di maganda ang sound system.” I realized that I’m part of
making the members of my church becoming more like Christ, kahit hindi ako
nagtuturo ng Word.

Parents are given the
responsibility to raise their children according to Word of God. Biblical child
rearing espouses the same principles of making someone become like Christ. When
counseling someone, what words or principles are given? Counseling must be
based on what the Scriptures say and not what popular psychology say. When you
counsel someone with the Truth inspired by God it will bring life. That person
who receives counsel is pointed to God and that person becomes more of a person
that He wants him to be.

I like what John Piper said in one of his sermons. He
wants to see more of his church members in Bethlehem Baptist Church to become
more like Christ. Piper is one of the preachers I admire. Siguro, given the
opportunity to meet him personally, I would say to him, “I want to be like
you.” But I also think that he would say in response, “I would want you to be
like Christ.”

How about you my friend, what is the intent of your
ministry? As a teacher, what do you want to see in your students while teaching
them? What ministry are you trying to create, a ministry of Christ-like people
or strategy-driven people? As a parent, how do you want your kids to grow up?
As the boss in your office, are you influencing people under you to exhibit
Christ-like attitudes in the workplace?

I pray that by God’s grace we will become more like
the Lord Jesus Christ and that we will help others who are given to us by God
to become more like Jesus.

Dreams are often deceiving. It cannot be trusted. It’s
unreliable even if the people, the emotions, the places and the circumstances
appear to be true. But I often enjoy my dreams, especially if I would meet her
in this illusory world. Thrice ko pa lang naman siya napapanaginipan.

Too much enjoyment in dreams causes a mixture of
feelings. I would either feel frustrated or happy. There’s a certain kilig,
especially if the dream revolve around her. Sa awitin nga ng M.Y.M.P., “Talaga
naman, nakakabighani/Talaga naman, nakakagulat/Nakakapagtaka, ba’t ka nasa
isip/Nakakapanghinayang, sana’y maulit.” But I have to wake up to the reality
that I’m not holding her hand and the possibility of spending time with her is
remote to my dream. Southborder sang it right, “Sinungaling na panaginip.”

Anyway, natatawa lang
ako sa sarili ko sa tuwing naririnig ko ang mga kantang nagpapahiwatig ng
pagiging hopeless romantic ng tao. Nakaka-relate kasi.

Her countenance is
sweet and kind. You could just imagine the gentleness of her spirit. Just to
see her really blows my heart away. Makita ko lang buhok niya buo na araw ko.
Madalas even the trivial things in the person would be the most important thing
for the infatuated person. May kakilala nga ako, makita niya lang bubong ng
bahay ng mahal niya buo na araw niya.

Hay! Sa palagay ko
patuloy ko pa rin akong makikikanta sa Southborder, “Sa tulog ko lang ba kita
maaaring makamtan/’Di ba puwedeng makasama ka sa ibang paraan/O Diyos ko,
tulungan mong maging totoo/Ang panaginip kong ito…”