Straight from the heart of the Founder
SHALOM My Friend!
Thank you for taking time to browse this page. You will get glimpses of my learning in this friendship journey. Of course this page is not enough to contain all that is in my heart. Isa pa dyan I have a hard time putting into writing all that is in my heart and mind. But anyway, at least this page would serve as a little window for you to know where am I and where am I going in our journey as friends and in our advocacy of sharing the Jesus' Friendship worldwide. May you enjoy, learn and grow closer with our REAL-TRUE FRIEND in every entry on this page. Praying for all of you my friends.
Mizpah!
Kuya Alan
Friends-In-Disguise
March 6, 2009
Palagi nating naririnig ang katagang “blessing in disguise”. When bad thing that happened to us and turns out to be for our good, that's a blessing in disguise. Like naiwan ka sa byahe you were so frustrated and disappointed because of what had happened. You start saying words that you need not to say and behaving in a way that irritates those around you. You are saying to yourself this is “horrible, terrible, no good very bad day”. And in the midst of your tantrums someone told you that you are “swerte”, you are lucky and blessed because the bus that left you met an accident. Ngayon itutuloy mo pa ba ang pag tatantrums? I don't think so, seguro sasabihin mo thank you Lord, hay salamat na lang at akoy naiwan. What will you say now? Being left by that bus is “a blessing in disguise”. It's bad, disappointing and frustrating experience yet later when you saw what's the end you start thanking for that very event you are hating.
Let us change the event to a person. There is someone who is causing a lot of trouble in your existence (sya ang “horoscope” ng buhay mo as Lito Comita would say). That someone is critical in your opinion, plans and actions. He always questions your motive and doubts your ability. He always sees the negatives in your life and more than that he is insinuating and influencing others to do the same against you. Do you consider that person a “friend”? Wow! You might say “Kuya Alan, okay ka lang? How in the world can I consider someone who is very negative and critical to me as my friend? He is against me, he is my accuser therefore, he is an enemy.”
We have all the reasons to justify our negative attitude to those who are against us. Calling them as “enemy of the state” (the peaceful state of your mind) is reasonable. But have you not considered what good things they have contributed in your life for you to become a better persons? I've heard a
pastor saying “people (including us in ministry) are destroyed by praise but saved by criticism. Praise is destroying while criticism is saving. Teka nga muna Kuya Alan am I hearing it right? Praise is destroying me while criticism is saving me? Yes! Consider those whom you knew in the ministry who fall. Most of them if not all (but for me all of them) were highly appreciated and admired, recipient of many recognitions and honors. They were ministers whose words are accepted by hearers as truth without processing it. Where are they now? Others became a cult leader, some end up suspended and expelled from the ministry and sadly some end up in prison.
When you hear me say that person is my friend, what comes in your mind? Ah, he must be good to me, when I need help he is always there “winter, spring, summer and fall”. When I need money he will lend me. When I am down he is there to comfort me. He laughs and cries with me. He believes in me. He is there on my highest and lowest times. He is there in good and in bad times. The list will not end of all your ideas and definition of what a friend is. But wait is that all our picture who is a friend and what a friend can do? How about these, someone who is training me to be patient. He is the one who keeps me checking my motives and intentions. Someone who is teaching me self-control. Someone who confronts me with my pride. Someone who keeps reminding me that i am human with all the evil tendencies. Someone who polishes me and pushing me to confront my real sinful self. He is the one that will lead me to my inner closet, makes me cry and humble myself before God accepting my wretchedness. This person shaped my character to be more like Jesus.
That first person is the one i called “obvious friend” the second is “friend/s-in-disguise” I made this realization few years back when I started the Campus Light Friendship Club a campus ministry that is now all over the Philippines. I was encouraged by the obvious friends to go on with my dreams and obey my calling. Not only that they even sacrificed their time, resources and talent just to joined me in fulfilling the vision that God has given me. On the other hand, another group of people (sad to say my fellow ministers) not only discouraging me to pursue but they are criticizing what I am doing and always questioning my motive in starting the campus ministry. I hear lines like; “Alan Bacus is building his own kingdom.” “Alan want to be the boss for he does not want to submit to authority.” Alan intimidated and manipulated those who work with him without compensations”. When I heard those comments my immediate response was defending myself, justify all my moves and attacks also their flaws in the ministry. I also accused and criticized them of their being without vision and passion that makes them ineffective in the ministry. I never realized that time that instead of fighting the devil (the only enemy of our soul) I started dancing with him.
Then God convicted to stop defending myself instead to start opening myself to Him. Little by little I started to see that i am acting in pride (spiritual pride). The Lord is showing me that with the influence I have i am becoming the person I don't want to be. Those criticisms and accusations that I received serves as a reminder that I need God daily to guide me and keep me on the right path. Those whom i considered enemies are now becoming my friends-in-disguise for with all the evils they are saying to me God uses it as an instrument to make me aware of my nothingness thus, making me dependent on Him. When you are drawing me closer to God intentionally or unintentionally how will I perceived? A friend.
Are you in a situation today where there are people that truly irritates you? People you perceived as enemies for they are very negative towards you and hurt badly? In facing these difficult people are you running to yourself or to God? Are you trying to protect yourself and retaliate or allowing their words be used by God to check your self? Once we put God First we will realize that events and people are second either good or bad. When that happens you will start to see all people as friends for regardless of their actions it will always draw you closer to God. Do you have enemies? Or Friends-in-disguise?
Dear Friends
Dear Friends,
Shalom!
Welcome to the world-wide friendship connection. You just do not know how you have encourage me in our friendship journey.Your act of joining in CLFC confirms so many things in my life and calling in the Kingdom of God.
I am more convinced that it was really the Lord who initiated this group. I am just privileged to be invited by God to join Him in what He is doing. If this work is not of the Lord you would have not joined this for this will not survived. How can an organization survived without clear and enough finances? To make the ministry keeps moving is more than hard, it's impossible without finances. So I would say that God really moves in us for if not because of His sustaining grace our 16 years of existing is impossible.
Another issue that I would like you to see is concerning our personnel. Since the beginning of CLFC all the workers are volunteer. There are those before who serve as full time volunteers. No salary just allowances upon the availability of funds. Up to the present situation no one is fully paid to serve as leader in different chapters. But, observe our club is moving. I am now more convinced that we do not need money in order to succeed in ministry and money will not make us effective in the ministry.
I also see the hand of God in calling people into our group. We do not hire people to serve. We do not force or manipulate anyone to serve. We just thank God it is He who called people to himself and some He assigned to serve in CLFC. Do you think we can force people to serve without financial support? That is impossible so when people serve in CLFC it must be the Lord work.
The spread of CLFC all over the Philippines and some parts of the world is another miracle that we saw happening in us. Right now we have chapter in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. There is also a chapter in Hong Kong and Jerusalem, Israel. We do not spend a single centavo for this. Who made all these things possible? Absolutely, God!
In all of these, who deserves all the glory and praise? It is the Lord Jesus Christ alone. If you are serving today thank God He entrusted you with a task. If you are an active member today thank God He invited you and if you are down, discouraged and inactive member praise God he will not abandoned you. If in CLFC once a member always a member in God's eyes ONCE A CHILD ALWAYS A CHILD. You might be good or bad God remains your father who loves you.
My fellow CLFCians with the assurance that its God who initiated this and invited us to join, provides and sustains, let us therefore seek to know HIM who is our source. STOP thinking how to spread CLFC all over the world instead START enjoying the PRESENCE of Lord. Remember it is all about GOD so He must be first. Our advocacy about sharing the Jesus friendship is useless if we are not enjoying friendship with Jesus. We cannot share what we do not have, we cannot have what we do not desire, we will not desire what we do not know, we never know what we do not hear. So, daily seek God's Presence in His Word and Prayer.
Your friend,
Kuya Alan