5:57  SIX MONTHS INTO THE QUARANTINE, HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?

DAVE: 

People are crying out for healing in relationships. This season has been making people isolate from society and this will surely have an effect in the way that we socialize. We also observed that routines are helpful. We are reaping the benefits of starting a good routine ever since this started.

JELLO:

Since I am an introvert, I am used to working alone. But I miss the students and the outside. There are things that I am personally enjoying now during quarantine, but there are also things that I can’t do as well. 

10:45 WHAT IS YOUR MOST RECENT DISCOVERY ABOUT YOURSELF?

DAVE:

I learned na kaya ko pala mag-multitask. Though I consider myself as an introvert, I miss the outside. I do workout, which I don’t usually do. Nag-aaral din ako ng economy and stocks, and I’m grateful to have the church community to help me with this. 

JELLO:

I discovered my weaknesses during the first three months of quarantine. I begin to notice how I react from my anxiety. I also learned the importance of discipline and self-governance. One manifestation of anxiety in me is that I tend to overwork. I learned to set boundaries for myself in that area.

DAVE:

There are things that I cannot do, but it’s an opportunity for God to teach me how to rest.

15:15 HOW ABOUT THE STUDENTS? HOW ARE THEY THIS QUARANTINE?

JELLO:

Malaking bagay ang community for them. We are helping them as much as possible to deal with their loneliness and anxiety, pero lagi ko rin nireremind sa kanila yung nearness ni God sa buhay natin since we can’t be with them 24/7. Whenever they feel alone, we remind them that we are not really alone. 

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 3:16

1 Corinthians 16:19 says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It’s an assurance that the Holy Spirit is within us.

God’s nearness is a reminder that we can be intimate with God and He is with us.

DAVE:

Online classes have already started and it’s actually challenging for them externally and internally.

I always share Jeremiah 29:11 to them: 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The context during the time of Jeremiah is that they are in the middle of an exile. Even though it doesn’t make sense, God is telling them to continue on with their lives, to contribute and make the most of the situation that they have, while trusting that God is on the move. With this, it takes faith to hope.

20:28 What is one promise from God that you are holding on to?

JELLO:

I’m holding on to the promise in this verse: 

 “And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” – Revelation 21:5

He will make all things new. This is the kingdom promise. We are in the position of adapting to the new normal, pero naglo-look forward parin ako sa promise ni God na hindi ito ang set-up natin forever–that the story doesn’t end here. 

DAVE:

Helpful sa akin ang story ni Ezekiel at Elijah. When they preach, people don’t listen. Even though it looks like they are not successful to turn people’s hearts, they are faithful and obedient to God. God is the one who defined their success. 

I’ve also been reading on Luke 15 and observed  that Jesus has different responses to three parables.

1. Seeking – Leaving the 99 for the one.
2. The older brother – Imploring and reminding them of who they are.
3. The prodigal son- Though many people may not grow deeper in their faith in this season, I trust God that their hearts will come back to the Father. 

24:02 – ON PRODUCTIVITY

• Added revelation from the book of Jeremiah:

In the world’s measure of success, He was the most unfruitful because people did not listen and the nation spiraled down. But in God’s eyes, he was a successful prophet since He was able to obey God despite the difficult tasks ahead of him.  

• As ministers, we may be discouraged that some of the people we are ministering to are not responding the way we expect them to. But we can hold on to the promise of the calling that God has set for us.

God measures productivity differently:

• The world’s economy values how much we produce, but productivity in the eyes of God is not how much we produce, but the fruit that He produces in us in the process of obedience.

• In the world,there’s a pressure na kailangan may nagawa ka na to be productive. It gets me thinking that the world wants productivity, but I realized that we can be productive but not faithful. 

• The reality of our lives is in the mundane, the ordinary, and the simple. Not in the glamour, the IG stories, and the highlights. God sees all of these little things and He sees our faithfulness. 

• Productivity has been a buzzword this quarantine. This is not a bad thing. God wants us to be productive, that’s our stewardship.

However, the question to ask ourselves is: is it a purpose-driven productivity or a performance-driven one?

Performance-driven productivity is trying to measure oneself, or wanting to be productive for the sake of productivity. It’s measuring ourselves based on what we produce. 

Purpose-driven productivity is driven by what God wants us to do. God will ask us to do several things or just one thing. No matter how little or how big you produce, your faithfulness gives glory to God and will give you passion to keep going. 

• In this life, we have to nurture the purpose that God has given to us.

• We will never go wrong in investing in the Lord. 

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” – Psalm 19:7

• When we allow the Word of God to sink in our hearts, we will grow in wisdom and understanding of who He is. By default, our God is a giving God, so time spent with Him is well-spent time. 

36:13 – ENCOURAGEMENT FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD

JELLO: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16

• The things of this world are causing us anxiety and fear, but take heart, He loves the world! 

• If meron man mas nagmamahal sa mundo, si God yun. In fact, He gave His one and only Son for the world.

DAVE:

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” -1 Peter 5:10

• God is able to restore, confirm, and strengthen. In things that we are not sure about, God is able to establish. 

• Though the context of this verse is for the end times, we can find comfort in these words in our current reality.

• The God of all grace is the one who has called us to Him.

Dynamite by BTS © 2020, BigHit Entertainment, Written by David Stewart and Jessica Agombar. Produced by David Stewart. All rights reserved.

Christmas in Our Hearts by Jose Mari Chan © 1990, Universal Records, Written by Jose Mari Chan and Rina Cañiza.