Standards?? May 31, 2009
Posted by jonas in composition, insights.add a comment
Standards.
We have them for everything we do, we’re just not consistent with them. In one area we say we want to be the best, because God deserves our best. Then in the next breath, we’re claiming it’s okay to be mediocre in some areas, because we can only focus on a few things.
Both perspectives are actually right, that’s not my issue. My issue is how we back into any excuse we can get our hands on to retrofit our beliefs to our actions.
Example. We decide we’re going to start killing our inner-fatty with regular exercise…great idea. We commit to doing it, because we remind ourselves that God wants us to be healthy in every area of life. That includes being fit physically. Then we fall off the wagon a couple weeks later and somehow convince ourselves of 1 of 3 things:
1. God’s okay with me just the way I am. Which is true, but c’mon…
2. I probably bit off a lil’ more than I could chew. Might be true, but walking with God means doing things again and again you don’t feel equipped to do. Get used to it.
3. I don’t really think I need to do all this…at least not right now. 2 words…lame-o.
Let me sum up this whole post in a few sentences.
Be consistent. In everything, if God told you to do it, just do it with everything you’ve got. When you do, it opens the door for God to do more in you. After all, God loves to go where he knows his reputation is safe. I don’t know about you, but I want to say that’s right here with me.
Trust God and Be Joyful May 26, 2009
Posted by jonas in insights, random.Tags: insights
add a comment
“those who trust the Lord will be joyful.” – Proverbs 16:20
Life is full of ups and downs. One day life is perfect and the next the bottom falls out and you feel completely lost. I see so many times, and even in myself, I let my attitude and joy be determined by the ups and downs. Whatever is currently happening to us or around us drives our attitude.
There is a problem with that and it’s that we don’t trust God! I know that may seem harsh but think about it. If you trust that God is who he says he is and that he’s sovereign, why would you ever worry or have a bad attitude about your circumstances? You wouldn’t! No matter how big or bad your situation is, TRUST GOD AND BE JOYFUL!
J
Worship Myths #1 – Our worship expression is not about unbelievers May 4, 2009
Posted by jonas in insights, worship.Tags: insights, jonas esguerra, worship, worship leading
1 comment so far
Worship Myths is a series on my blog that is designed to dispel myths we Christians have about our worship expression in our churches each weekend. The conversation sometimes is a bit controversial, but it would not be worthy if it wasn’t.
MYTH: “Our worship expression is not about unbelievers”
It seems very clear that the purpose of a worship service is for the gathering of believers and the scripture warns us about not regularly gathering as believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 exhort us that meeting together is what stirs us to live how we should as Christians. But, what about the unbeliever?
I think the unbeliever is included in some very important ways in scripture in public worship both in the Old Testament and New Testament. We miss the heart of God when we come to a worship gathering and do not think outward as well as upward.
Here are three examples:
BUILDINGS: Worship services should provide, plan and invite a space for those on the “outside” of our faith.
Even with God’s chosen people, the idea of following after God to those not even born into being a Jew was that you could join. The Old Testament temple had a Gentile court where “foreigners” (1 Kings 8:41-43 OT) “God-fearers” (Acts 13:26 NT) could be near the worship of God.
PROGRAMMING: Worship services need to recognize that there is a process to following Jesus–not all are at the same point on their journey.
Jesus had people following Him as He taught that were at all levels of engagement–from the very committed twelve to the entertained masses. The Sermon on The Mount included a wide-spread audience. So, our church services to some degree are “public” and speak to both the believers and those on their way just like Jesus did in his public ministry.
LANGUAGE: Worship services planned for the believer need to be intelligible to the unbeliever.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:23 mentions clearly the fact that “unbelievers” are present or may be in worship gatherings. So, the word there instructs us to order or plan worship with the unbeliever in mind. At my church we often mention the use of “insider language” being a bad thing. Nothing is watered down, we simply packaged things to be “intelligible” to the person new to Christianity or the unbeliever investigating Christianity.
Ultimately, we are evangelize by inviting people to worship or follow Jesus. So, it makes sense that in our public expressions, we would not just allow them to come but design buildings, programming and language with the unchurched and unbeliever in mind.
3-1-09 Worship Set (One Life to Live Series) February 26, 2009
Posted by jonas in worship.add a comment
One life to live Series (Legacy)
1. Let God Arise – Passion: God of this City
2. My Savior Lives – New Life Worship
3. Let the Praises Ring – Lincoln Brewster
4. Where the Love last Forever – Hillsong London
5. Fire Burns – Arize Live (Jon Owens)
Offering Number:
1. One Life to Love – 33 Mile (Fireproof OST)
“Growing” Intentionally February 25, 2009
Posted by jonas in insights.Tags: jonas esguerra, mind dump, study
add a comment
Have you noticed that after the basic plan of education (i.e., high school, college, and graduate school) that the majority of people do not continue to read, grow, and learn new things?
In many cases we find ourselves doing the same things we’ve always done believing that everything we hoped and dreamed for in life will just magically appear. Sadly, most of us live in this giant gap between the dreams we have for our lives and these dreams actually coming true.
So, how do you attain the things you’ve dreamed about? How do we overcome living in middle?
The best way I know to overcome this gap is to submit yourself willingly and intentionally to a plan of growth. How to develop a plan of growth? Seek God to make sure the dream you have is from Him (biblical). Write down your dream in a clear concise statement. Find someone who is doing it already and ask him or her to help you break it down into practical step.
Take the first step!
Remember dreams rarely come true in one step so don’t get discouraged God is working on your behalf. And “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith”(2 Thessalonians 1:11).
J
Habakkuk 1:when God seems unfair August 18, 2008
Posted by jonas in insights.Tags: insights, mind dump, study
add a comment
“2How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.”
–Habakkuk 1:2-3
Lets do another version of this verse:
“Why is it that evil people, they prosper but the good people plenty of bad things happen to them? We try not cheat but our valedictorian is one of the greatest cheater at school! How come I tithe but there are some people not even giving and they are prospered. What’s up with that? How come someone else prays, when they pray you seemed like you answer it right away? WHY?”
As we study the book of Habakkuk you may say that maybe he is not a deep believer or something. Actually he is incredibly in love with God. He is very faithful. But like other people he crashed into a faith wall, the things that he saw didn’t make sense on what he believes.
Overview: Habakkuk was a prophet of God during the reign of Jehoiakim, a wicked king, around 607 B.C. The Babylonian empire was rising in strength and the southern two tribes of Israel, called Judah were surrounded by this powerful and wicked empire. The nation of Judah, under Johoiakim’s reign was following the ways of the world and was drifting from serving God.
He was troubled by what he saw and asked God to judge the nation of Judah for their sin. God’s response utterly shocked him as he couldn’t understand why God would respond in the way that God was planning.
“3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.”
There are times that questioning God could become a significant part of your faith journey.
“Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
I got saved 4 years ago,my cousin shared me the gospel and I received Christ as my Lord and savior. I’m “high” for God. I am very active in the ministry,going to to Rizal High School for campus ministry after class, very passionate in teaching them the good news. Sharing the Gospel to my classmates and they received,prayed for my former choir mates at “church” and all them got saved and now serving in the different victory churches in the Philippines. Two years ago my parents told me that they cannot support me anymore and felt like devastated because my dream of becoming a chemical engineer started to disappear,helping my family with the finances. I ask God “Why is this happening to me?” I am faithful to you! why?! But I remained faithful, and indeed he answered my prayer after praying and believing for the provision for my school. I got a job at the missions department as an administrative assistant and it helped me finance my everyday needs. Real Life Foundation had given me scholarship for my school! September 2007, our department head told us that they will dissolved our degree because of lack of funds and students. Sad. If we are going to transfer university, they will admit us but we will be back to 2nd year! (I’m 5th year irregular). Lord you remained faithful. So i wait and researched for school and Yeah! after months of waiting and prayer a got in a school! God is really faithful! God has strengthen my beliefs and the power of His word. He has made my foundation stronger because of the shaking he has done.
A Deeply Committed believer can express simultaneous questions in Faith.
You embraced Him! You hold On! Never let go. He will never let go of you.
Sing August 18, 2008
Posted by jonas in composition.Tags: composition, poem, worship
add a comment
In my darkest times, you are my light.
In my hard circumstance, Lord help me
To press on and don’t give up.
Sing, Sing with gladness
Impressed in my heart that forever,
You reign in my Life
© Jonas Esguerra
081808
Passion Conference Manila 08 August 2, 2008
Posted by jonas in insights, worship.Tags: jonas esguerra, passion conferece manila 08
3 comments

Passion Conference Manila 08
Passion Conference in Manila is indeed a success! More than 7,000 students and ministers sing out their all to our Lord most High. As i went home soaking wet God had impressed in my heart the late Helen Keller’s quote:
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something. Because I cannot do everything I wont refuse to do the something I can do”
As we continue to press on and believe that God has given us an extraordinary life: No circumstances will hinder us to spread the fire. We will continue to spread the fire for others to see and join us as we make this nation Live the Glory of God.
Someone once said, “I dreamed of things impossible.” I too dream of impossible things. Things I hide within my chest and think over only within the comfort and safety of the dome of my head. Things that people would scoff at if they knew. But I believe that my dreams have a chance to bloom someday and with tender cultivation and belief in God, these impossible things can finally be made possible.
Don’t Settle on the normal life; You have an extraordinary Life! You were made for more than this world sells. All that this world has to offer is temporary. It leaves us still hungry, wanting more, because you were made for something greater. We were created to shine the spotlight on God – to spread His fame everywhere we Go.
Imparting the Vision July 15, 2008
Posted by jonas in insights.Tags: vision
add a comment
“Vision inspires, it allows you to see the unseen. It gets you doing things you never dreamed of accomplishing. Vision creates an environment in which a team operates at its very best. Vision pushes you to look past the obvious and look to the supernatural.” –Anonymous
To watch a vision comes to past only requires good eyesight. To actually birth a vision and then watch over its development to completion requires great faith, great strength, and great wisdom! Its one thing to have a vision, but it is another thing to communicate that vision and make it real for others so that they may run with it and make it their aspiration too.
King David was impassioned with a God-given vision to build the Jerusalem Temple. He was determined to see it come to pass. He dreamed about it, talked about it, and spent months poring over designs and resource materials. The dream was his. Then the day came when the Lord himself told David to pass on the task of the building of the temple to his son Solomon. David had to hand over the vision well, with enthusiasm, without regret, not holding anything back. David gave his son all the plans God had revealed to him (1 Chronicles 22:1-21)
David had reached a level of maturity in God. He had learned to obey with wholehearted energy. The lesson for us is great, for David imparted his passion, faith, and courage to solomon, who represents the next generation to praise the Lord.
When imparting the vision to those looking to you for direction, pour yourself into them, letting them know and see the things in life that are truly valuable. We have to be willing to do whatever it takes to see them increase and develop. We need to be willing to put the ball back in their hand when they drop it, and be ready for them to do things differently than we do. Don’t give up if it takes them a little while to find their feet either. Learn to cover them when immaturity shows, when they make decisions or proceeding with actions that are lacking in wisdom. Remember your own colorful journey to leadership.
For years I tried to juggle all the elements of life. I knew there was a God call on my life to be in ministry, and yet I also knew that i could never be at the expense of my family. When I tried to juggle all the boxes, I learned the hard way that it is difficult to keep them from all crashing down. God showed me that I am to break out of the box of mentality and instead seek Him for divine order for my day. Each day differs from the day before. The dynamics change, but the call on my life doesn’t.
The Parallel Paths July 15, 2008
Posted by jonas in insights.Tags: dreams, paths
add a comment
Some time ago we set out on two diverging roads. One road sent us exploring the infinite, while the other started out looking at discrete patterns, and how they may be abstracted. As we moved along the roads, however, we found the first hints of cross fertilization: our results about the infinite allowed us to propose pattern algebras for infinite patterns — the result being that the algebra was precisely that of numbers. From here on in the two separate paths begin to align, running quite separate but parallel courses. The cross fertilization of ideas will continue, and we will begin to see increasing similarities between these two very separate worlds of abstraction. The paths ahead will soon become interesting indeed.
