Internet: A new world to proclaim HIS Greatness!

I love to surf the net. Most of my idle times I spend sitting in front of my laptop reading some stuff,
visiting new sites or updating my own. I have lots of accounts in the web, some I actively updating
but most are often forgotten. I like the idea of an on line journal, might it be personal stuff or
a travel blog.

That's why the moment I saw M6: Faith on Line in the list of the workshops for MEC, I know this is
the one for me. I know this could help me turn this hobby of mine into something else. Something
more useful. Something that would serve my purpose. And that is to proclaim God's Words.

And I was not wrong. The workshop turned out the way I expected it to be. It really is to
encourage everyone to blog and use the net to Proclaim His words. And not only that. It showed
how the social networking, videos and online games can be use to spread the Gospel.

Big thanks to Tito Edmund Fajut who facilitated the workshop. It was awesome! I had never been
so interested in a talk the way I had been on this one. It's so obvious I'm into it! There was no
"Antok Moments" for me during the workshop. And I feel like, the time alloted is not enough for
a wonderful workshop like that.

                                          Photo from SFC Middle East Official Fan Page

Pope John Paul II once mentioned in his 36th Communication Day message,
"The Internet causes billions of images to appear on millions of computer monitors around the 
planet. From this galaxy of sight and sound will the face of Christ emerge and the voice of Christ 
be heard? For it is only when his face is seen and his voice heard that the world will know the glad 
tidings of our redemption. This is the purpose of evangelization. And this is what will make the 
Internet a genuinely human space, for if there is no room for Christ, there is no room for man. 
Therefore, on this World Communications Day, I dare to summon the whole Church bravely to 
cross this new threshold, to put out into the deep of the Net, so that now as in the past the great 
engagement of the Gospel and culture may show to the world "the glory of God on the face of 
Christ”(2 Cor 4:6). May the Lord bless all those who work for this aim."

The Lord ask us in Luke 5:4, "Put out into the deep and let down for a catch". Internet is like a 

deep ocean. Where you can get all the catch you want. And we all do know our SFC Mission: 

Every Single man and woman ALL OVER THE WORLD experiencing CHRIST. 

Instead of discouraging our fellows in using the internet because of all the temptations and bad

influence they can get in there, let us encourage them to use the Internet to fulfill our mission.

But let this be a reminder. Internet can only give information but not wisdom. The Pope also said, 

It is just a means, not an end. We can't allow our solo surfing to replace the true solitude that 

nourishes the soul. Let us just use the internet to help those who are in contact with the internet

to have their way to build a more personal contact with our God through the church. And we 

can do this if we start sharing our own experiences of Christ through the Net.

To my co-M6: Faith On Line attendees, don't be afraid, Go for it! Spread God's Love. Blog!

                                          Photo from SFC Middle East Official Fan Page

MEC in me...

photo from SFC Middle East FB fan page

 

I am really thankful to God for giving me the chance to attend the SFC Middle East Conference held in Sharjah, UAE last Nov. 9-10,2012. It was such a wonderful experience being with my fellow SFCs all over Middle East.

The venue was great! Hosts were so generous. The atmosphere was so vibrant!
The mood was perfect!

Everytime I sing, every moments I lifted up my hands in praises and worships, every instances I closed my eyes and bowed my head in prayers, it brought me a wonderful feeling nobody can explain.

But more than anything else, It's the conference's message for this year that I am really thankful for.

Be Joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16

It's not as simple as it seems.
It's easy to be joyful, to pray and to be thankful.. but always, at all times and in all circumstances? It's another story.

Be Joyful always. This doesn't mean being happy always. Joy is deeper than happiness.

It's the feeling when we surrender to God everything believing that in God alone we can experience the real Joy.We often miss Joy because we always put our confidence to our own abilites. We always try to work harder to find it while in fact the harder we work the further we drift from God and the Joy that we are looking for.
Joy comes from trusting our God. Letting Him do His job.
Do your best, take a rest! And let God do the rest!

Pray at all times. This doesn't mean us to be in our knees always and do nothing but a formal prayer. Instead, the Lord wants us to be in constant communication with him.It's not only through words we do communicate. We also communicate through our actions and even our silence.
Praying at all times means living and thinking with God always in our minds.

Give Thanks in all circumstances. "In all circumstances" is very different from "For all circumstances". Here God wants us to be thankful even if we are experiencing hard times knowing that He is working in every circumstances and that no matter what happened, nothing can separate us from God's love and mercy.

Nevertheless, we should not forget also to be grateful during good times. Often times, we think that we earned somethning great because we work for it.We forgot to give thanks. We need to remember that every thing in this world is God's gift to us. Even the air that we breathe... the food that we eat... the life that we live.
And God deserves our thanks for all of these always.

I can honestly confess, the verse is so difficult to follow. After the MEC, I find myself delving into the verse and trying to evaluate my own life and found out that I struggle with it. Too many factors around me keep me from leaving my comfort zone and start living the way that God wants us all to live.

Difficult as it seems, but it's not impossible.

I just need to focus. Focus on God alone and try to develop a more intimate relationship with Him. With prayers, I know I can achieve the Joy that I need.
The Joy that comes with the Lord. And with the joy in my heart, I know I can be grateful at all times.

God has blessed me with the time and treasures to be able to attend the MEC. I will not be contented on just receiving it.

I know the main reason for which God has blessed me... So I could be a blessing to others.

Being a blessing is sharing the gifts that God gave us.

God gave me this message through MEC. And I am sharing it to all of you through

this blog.