The LUKE RAMOS Story _ REFRAMED by God's HELP

Good afternoon church, I'm Luke Ramos, currently under the witness team/ministry here @ His Life Ayala. I will share a portion of my life where I re-framed my mindset in relation to the series, Bounce Back, and our topic, Re-frame Your Mindset. 

I was raised in a Christian family, however, that doesn't guarantee you that you will not fail in life, in faith, or your walk with God in general. Growing up, I'm always exposed to church activities and even involved in a ministry. A Church Kid as some of you may call.  Then came highschool where I was a bit exposed to the so called "Un-Godly things". Then became worst when I got to college where I became addicted to drugs. I entered Hislife months before I graduated, because of my parents. They encouraged me to join Crossover or "Encounter" as we call it way back 2012. On January 21 2012, that's when my life changed, I genuinely received Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Saviour. I overcame my drug addiction and I was a new person. But my journey of failing doesn't end there. 

I started my career at a big company and began working months after I graduated. I was still on fire when I got that job. As time passed, little by little, I began to realize I am slowly having a relapse. As if there's something pulling me in darkness, I was hooked to drugs again. My career was affected. My mental, physical, and spiritual health was at its worst state. My Life as a whole seemed to be useless and hopeless. I did not know what else to do. But a little voice inside me pushed me to ask help from my Dad. I know it was a wisdom from God. So I told my dad about my relapse and what is really happening in my life. He was unaware because I was not staying at home mostly during that time, and I had a semi-live in partner. To sum it up, my parents helped me in ways they could just for me to get rid of that addiction and problem. Most importantly they included God to intervene in my healing & recovery and now I am sober for almost 6 years.

I may have failed a lot, but our God is a God of second chances. God helped me by His grace to learn from my failures and not to commit the same mistake over and over again. I am now a 30 year old and haven't figured it all out. At this age I am still young to discover and experience what life has to offer. Young to start all over again with God and mature enough not to repeat and dwell on my past failures. 

I now involve myself in a ministry and Lifegroup. I did not and will not stop myself from joining in the advancement of God’s kingdom knowing my past was really a filthy one. Remember that God calls the unqualified, the most imperfect, the most broken ones to do His works. He does not require you to be perfect. All He wants is your willingness. Your willingness to be broken and be made-whole by Him. Your willingness to be used by Him. Your willingness to be sharpened by Him. Your willingness to trust Him. Your willingness to put your Faith in Him. Although we’re still facing this pandemic, and our situation seems to be hopeless, I always remind myself that our unknown future is secure in the hands of our all-knowing God.

This mindset kept me going even if my life doesn't seem to fall into place, and even made me realize that I am blessed given the circumstances. This mindset helped me find love, joy, and peace in God alone. 

Lastly, I re-framed my mindset with what God sees in me, from useless to usefull, from fruitless to fruitful, hopeless to hopefull, failure to victorious

So I encourage you to continue your walk with God, never let go of Him. For He is our only hope, our rock and our fortress, the one who will never leave us nor forsake us.

As we Filipinos would say, PADAYON! 

Hallelujah! To God be the glory!

The JIMMER MONSERATE Story _ Made Again Anew and HEALED

My life testimony 

(Jimmer Monserate)

Good morning everyone. God has altered my life and allow me to humbly share the highlights with you:

I was a very shy boy - too shy to do no anything much more - sing. In my elem days, believe it or not, I, the musical director of Northwinds, has flunked in my music subjects. 😀 So my father pushed me hard and had me enrolled in voice and piano lessons. 

And my path changed from there. In high school, the once shy boy had now been winning one singing contests after the other bringing fame and honor to our school. It was in 1992 that I became a Christian. Our church was Tuburan sg Kasabag in Hinigaran and we had our mid week services at Tita Lulu Montfort Montinola’s house. Having been a new Christian I was so faithful and I pledged to dutifully serve in my church. 

Then my musical journey went on in college at UNO-R. It was there that I came to know of Kulay Pikata. Back in the early 90s we were like the Backstreet Boys! We were so famous and highly in demand that we had performances and guestings left and right. Until we became regular talents of ABS-CBN. Artists moving from one station to its rival station is nothing new like Bea Alonzo from ABS-CBN moving to GMA! We had the same experience too - from being a kapamilya to a kapuso. 😀 More exciting offers came through! I was hired by the RGMA 6 to be a DJ at their station- my air name was Papa Franco Gutierez. Eventually I became the station’s program director and I was really at the peak of my career. Kulay Pikata continued to thrive with me as the group’s Musical Director and we’ve been all over performing across the region. 

Being famous truly had its own perks and downsides too. The fame and glory blinded me. I lost the appetite to serve and I have forgotten the Lord. I succumbed to vices, women & all sorts of temptation which sadly wrecked my marriage and family. I was a different person. I turned my back on the Lord.

That didn’t stop there. My life has even gone worse - I got sick. One day - all of a sudden my muscles were failing, I couldn’t walk, I experienced unbearable back pain, I can’t sleep and we went to see a number of doctors but no single physician can come up with any diagnosis. They can’t seem to understand what’s wrong with me! I was confined to my sick bed, I was weak and helpless.I was given medicines that didn’t seem to help at all. I was angry and gripped with extreme self-pity and severe depression. It felt like I was in a cave of total darkness with no possible way out!

One day, after feeling totally hopeless, in pain and left with no other option - in bended knees, I cried my heart out to the Lord. I sobbed like no other and fully surrendered my life to the Lord. I asked  God for a 2nd chance. I asked to be forgiven. I asked to be made anew. That was a humbling experience that I will never forget. 

Our Lord is indeed beyond faithful! You know what happened next? True to God’s promise in 

Jeremiah 30:17, “ I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal declares the Lord.” 

Weeks passed, the pain slowly went away. Out of nowhere, I recovered with no medical intervention. Pain and illness completely vanished! 

What happened to me, my recovery, my healing, was beyond human wisdom but I believe that no situation is beyond the Lord. Indeed, there’s nothing impossible with our Lord Jesus Christ, where medical science and human understanding fail, His power starts. 

Dear brothers and sisters, today I am a living witness of God’s existence, power, love and compassion. My life is changed forever by God’s miraculous healing. And I am deeply humbled to receive such a blessing- and such a great gift will forever be an eternal opportunity to glorify God and grow my heart in trust and surrender to my Abba.

Let me close my testimony with an utmost and sincerest gratitude and promise to commit my life to the Lord. If ever there is a time to believe God, to cling to Him, to dig into scriptures, and sing my favorite worship music, it is now. Yes, I fervently pray that there’ll be no turning back Lord! This is the path you have set out for me.

Let’s take these two verses to heart: “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be my light.” (Micah 7:8 NIV)

Yes, though I have fallen, I will rise. I certainly rose and  was made anew. From the deep darkness, the Lord pulled me out and has brought me to the light- a path that I will bravely walk through and journey on with confidence and God’s strength. 

That’s my life, my story. I pray that you’ll be blessed and remember let’s all trust God to help us bounce back and grow in our faith from strength to strength. Thank you and God bless.

Stephanie Esgana STORY _ RELEASE YOUR REGRETS

Release your Regrets

A pleasant good morning to each and everyone. 

As I come to testify the goodness of God in my life, allow me to introduce myself. 

Hi! I am Stephanie Esgana, 21 years of age, a servant leader in YX and a volunteer here in Ayala. 

This is the very first time that I am going to share my personal past experiences in a crowded place and the courage that I carry in standing here for it was finished and surrendered at the cross. 

The story that I am going to share is how LOVE came down and set me free from my regrets. While in the midst of preparation in this very day, me and God trailback to the days and years that I “regretted” and it was the time “if I was only honest enough to speak up on what I am going through, especially for my family  instead of keeping it up and letting myself down for over the years maybe I would not experienced it of being a victim for years or maybe they would help me”.

When I was in my childhood days I was physically and sexually abused by the person(s) that is dear to my heart. It tainted a scar even to the point of seeing myself through the situation, it instilled fear, haunting nights leading to depression, and anxiety attacks towards trust in people. Those were the days that I shut myself off from telling them for I didn't even know at that time where to and how to, since knowing that I came from a broken family. And I felt that if I speak up maybe it was too insignificant for them and they can’t understand me. Then, instilled a mindset that “just leave it be '' for I don't want to break my family again. 

But, I didn't know that over the years I carried that REGRET and it grew conclusions and questions to my heart, like “My family don’t care about me, they dont love me or even ask if I am okay”, “Do they know that I’m living like I was not that important”, and those conclusions turn into hurts and blaming the situation for why it happened and a series of what if’s to ask to my family. And  I even ask God, “God why are you not doing something?” “Are you really there holding me?” “Why am I not getting out of this for so long”. 

When the year 2016 came, it was the year of releasing, first there was a day that I literally burst up of my emotions and I even tried to hurt myself in front of my mom and even yell at her in telling the truth before, but such a turn of events how my mom responded and  I heard the calming words from her and told me “I understand you, but more of it if you don’t release it you will not see the more of life and move forward”, and it just sounded comfort and love. And later on in summer 2016, it was CROSSOVER weekend, God stripped me off every weight that hinders me in going before Him and one of which was my regrets that I have been holding for so long, while God is longing for me to surrender it for in releasing there resurrection happened through His son Christ Jesus. With that, as I come to fall in the ground I’ve come to encounter the Father’s love and how God wants every root of my regret and still sees the good of it. More than all about myself, He compels me to release love, trust, and forgiveness to those people of what I have received from Him, not by my own but because of Jesus. 

There are things in the past that I cannot change, but knowing that I have a God who holds me in the palm of His hands, all things work together for good. Yes, it was one of the dark experiences that I thought should be rid of, but now it is one of my testimony I will bring forth for His glory. In that regret I’ve come to see the perspective of God on how He is sovereign. It was grace that carried me here through Jesus where I am now living a life that is free from the chains of regret. 

As I end, last Sunday as Ptr Jr preached in two services, there was a series of questions that he spoke forth, like “God when I was 8 years old, were you really there when I was abused”, “Are you crying over me?”, and as I come to ponder it was not anymore hurts but joy because of the cross, and to answer those questions, Yes He is there for He is our father and He takes no pleasure seeing His child like that, but even when we experience it He is able to lift us up and put a joy into our hearts as we keep on. 

In Romans 8:18

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Once again, I am Stephanie Esgana, a living testament from death to life. 

Thank you Lord and a blessed sunday to each and everyone.