Jezreel Faith Manugue Jez Manugue JRC Jesus Revival Church G12 St. John's Academy CLSU

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Fourth Time

My latest blog entry prior to this was about my third worship leading experience for the (main) Sunday service. To sudden to think about, but I had my fourth the Sunday after!

It was Thursday night when I dreamed about this..

It was Sunday, and the pastor (whom I think was dad) was on the stage – preaching. After he delivered the message for that morning, he called the “youth” to lead instead of those initially assigned. “Yung mga youth nga ang mag-lead”, he announced. I don’t know why, but it was Giovan, Grace, and I who went up to the stage. There were other young people who also went up the stage to lead, but I couldn’t remember their faces very well. I then lead the worship while Giovan played the guitar as Grace backed me up.

I then woke up.

I just thought maybe I would be given another chance to lead for the Sunday service. I got thrilled, yes, but my thoughts about my dream didn’t go any further.

I shared about my dream with Giovan, Julius, Vanj, and my buddy Jen while we were preparing for the Friday youth service.

Out of my expectations (and probably my worship team mates’), on Saturday, while we were preparing for the practice, I was suddenly assigned to lead! Total wow. The line-up was surprisingly outlined immediately not out of rush, but out of the songs and messages the Lord has placed in my heart for the previous days.

Came up with this set:

  • No Higher Calling // Hosanna (Blessed be the Rock)
  • Awesome in this Place
  • My Redeemer Lives
  • This is How We Overcome
  • Emmanuel
  • The Stand
  • I Stand in Awe of You


Some of His works may appeal surprising to me, but I know that as I live in and for Him, things will not be “nagkataon lang”.
Psalms 31:15 says “My times are in Your hand...".

Thank you, Lord. May you find me a faithful steward.

(photo on the right taken after the service. waley!)

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Third Time

After the service last Sunday, Giovan and I were told that we’ll be leading the P&W (praise and worship) for the main service the following week. We just went on with, “Talaga po?”, and agreed afterwards.

Whoa-oh-oh (sing with me… God be the solution).

It was my third time (remember my second?) to be assigned as the song worship leader for the Sunday service. Moreover, it was my first time to be leading with Giovan, who, on the other hand, is yet to have his first Sunday service worship leading experience.

We decided to first pray for the songs we’ll include in the line-up, and then just combine our sets afterwards.

The final line-up was brought up on the evening of June 11 (Wednesday), during the surprise birthday party the JRC people set for my mom’s 40+th birthday celebration. It was during the dinner when we showed each other the line-up we came up with. We sort of brainstormed on selecting the songs that’ll be included in the final set.


Giovan’s set

Jez’s Set

Draw Me Close

-none-

For All You’ve Done

Come, Now is the Time

Did You Feel the Mts Tremble?

Mercy is Falling

All Day

Friends in High Places

Consuming Fire

With All I Am

Always

You Stand Alone

How Great // Days of Elijah

For this Cause

Break Free

Break Free

We then came up with this arrangement:

Opening:
  • Draw Me Close to You (Giovan: Yung laging kasama sa line-up niyo, ate Jez. hehe)

Joyful songs:

  • Come, Now is the Time to Worship
  • For All You’ve Done
  • Mercy is Falling

Solemn songs:

  • Always
  • For this Cause
  • How Great is Our God (house favorites here! Haha)
  • Days of Elijah *bridge only (Who was, and Who is, and Who is to come..)

Acquaintance song:

  • Break Free

Communion song/s:

  • Hosanna (Blessed be the Rock) // No Higher Calling

June 15, Sunday

The stage setup was the usual, although the little difference was that there were two worship leaders, with one strumming a guitar while his microphone’s on a stand. And no, I don’t play the guitar.

We started off with a group prayer at the office, of course, and then hit the stage subsequently. When I say stage, I don’t mean we’re ready to merely perform, rather to lead a congregational worship.

After the opening song and prayer, the Lord asked me to share these messages with the people:

James 4:8

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Matthew 7:7

“…for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

My heart was overflowing during the p&w. Indeed, when we pray and commit ourselves to the Lord, He takes over. He answered my prayers --- to just flow and move through our (the worship team’s) united hearts and spirits, and that His glory be shown as we lift and extol His name.

I give back all the glory to Him for all the praises and very good responses we heard during and after the service. It is never about us, but is all about HIM.

There’s just this inner joy that I feel, that we feel. I believe God is about to do more magnificent things; we just have to let Him take complete control of our lives.

Trust me; you’ll be able to live life the way it’s supposed to be lived when you devote yourself not to religion alone, but to a relationship with Jesus Christ :-)

Whoah-oh-oh!

(photos were taken after the service. // click to enlarge)

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Blog Awards Finalist

/late post; for archiving purposes/

You probably have observed that violet sticker on the left part of my site that this blog is an official finalist for the 2008 Candy (magazine) Teen Blog Awards. Yes, I am very happy to say that this blog made it. We made it! This blog went through with the first screening (thanks, Ms. Macy) which started on March 19, then was considered a semi-finalist on May 9, but I knew about it on May 11, 2008, 09:54:13 PM (that’s TeenTalk time).

Last June 6 (Friday), I found out that my blog was approved for being an official finalist for the Blog Awards under the Best Special Interest and Best Overall categories.

I just feel so good about it. Imagine getting through such a process; add to that the enormous number of blogs that were nominated.

Well, I have no idea when the winners will be announced, but right now, y’all got the time to continue sending in your votes (multiple voting is allowed). Click here for more infos. SMS votes will be disregarded as I’m not a finalist under the People’s Choice category. Thanks in advance!

Anyway, I give God all the glory on making my blog reach the finals. Besides, this blog is all about Him and how He works in my life.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Hillsong United Live in Manila (ii)

click on the photos to see larger versions
**this is a continuation of my previous blog entry.
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The worship concert was set to start at 8, so [some of] my lady church mates and I decided to wander around first since we were inside already before 6.

Oh, here are photos from the Upperbox section we were at.

We went downstairs, at the lobby, and found out that they were selling shirts with I Heart prints. Hillsong Music CDs, DVDs, VCDs, stickers, and songbooks were also sold at the trade booths. After I purchased a shirt, we had the nerve to ask a guy from the United team to take a picture with us. Yay! He was really friendly as well as funny. He isn’t part of the band, but I was happy enough to have had taken a picture with a person from Hillsong Church, Australia! Haha. No, this isn’t an issue of colonial-mentality neither idolatry, but a sense of joy on finally dealing with a being who belongs to a group that has been inspiring me for sometime now.

We went back to our seats afterwards and proudly showed our colleagues the shirt and our pictures with the ‘Hillsong guy’. :D They were bugging me questions like “..si Marty [Sampson] ba ‘to?” :)) I totally had no idea what to tell them ‘cause I found myself overjoyed by a very shallow reason.

Anyway, as people were already filling out seats, Ptr. Phillip and I had a very significant talk. I’m not going to blab about the things and issues we’ve tackled ‘cause they’re very personal and are top secrets. Hehe. Basta, it was an enlightening moment. It was also nice because being the very private and reserved person that I am; I was able to tell another person of my innermost feelings and thoughts, though not all. (Hello pastor, if you’re reading this!).

It was around 8 PM when we ended our talk ‘cause someone stood on the stage to announce about the available I Heart Revolution shirts and CDs. I think that was Ptr. Ogie Cayabyab (I just got a clue from Ms.Maan’s album captions).

Anyway, it was funny ‘cause people kept on screaming every time the curtain would open and a person would get out from the backstage – be it a concierge, a photographer, a sound personnel, a light director, a street team member, basta may makita silang lalabas from the backstage, they would yell and clap hardly. Hahaha. Silly Filipino youth :-P

When the lights went off minutes past 8, we knew that that was the beginning of the night. People kept on screaming (include me in the people category) that we hardly heard the first few notes of United’s introduction (the same intro on their United We Stand album). Even the stage lights were off, but such darkness appeared beautiful to me. Add to that appreciative notion the blinking lights of some. On top of that, it was probably the intense feeling I had that made me delighted about the absence of light.

A tiny light on the center stage broke up and it was like magic that my eyes saw Joel Houston and the whole team covered by God’s glory.

Man! It’s not DVD this time. Live, bro., Live!

They kicked off the worship event with their classic song The Time has Come (“Today, Today” as ate Divz would dub it, hehe).

I could hardly remember their whole set/ line-up after the concert, but thank God for giving me a pal like kuya Jordan who posted a snapshot of United’s official set.

United We Stand Intro

Time Has Come

Take It All

My Future Decided - I shouted out "Youth Caaaamp!". Check our camp promo vid to get what I mean.

Mighty to Save – I didn’t know why, but tears spontaneously flowed from my eyes while singing this song.

Hosanna – we were all like “Vanjjjj!” ‘cause this is one of her trademark songs (if that’s what you call it).

You’ll Come (bridge only) – it was my first time to hear this song, but I totally loved the lyrics. Later on, I found out that it’s actually included in the I Heart: With Heart as One album. “Chains be broken.. Hearts be healed.. Eyes be opened.. Christ is revealed”

The Stand Vanj told me on our way home that she thought of me when they sang this recalling that I told them (on our way to Araneta) that I wish The Stand would be included in their concert line-up.

*Joel talked about his friend who’s a member of the Planetshakers band who’s suffering from cancer. With all faith, his friend composed a song calledHealer”. Joel didn’t actually mention the song title, but I found out about it on the internet the day after the concert.

Healer – another new song to my ears. Very powerful lyrics.

Shout Unto God

You Deserve – nice song! It was my first time to hear [and eventually sing] it.

Look To You

Lead Me to the Cross – Annie Garatt’s voice truly reflects God’s glory :)

All I Need Is You (chorus and bridge only) – the crowd sang most part of the song. I couldn’t help record it! Awesome. It’s like hearing the ‘crowd chorus’ parts of their albums.

*Joel lead an altar call. He asked those who haven’t received Jesus as their personal savior and Lord yet to commit their lives and live as sons of the King!

None But Jesus

Inside Out

Be Lifted High – I started singing “in my life…be lifted high” on my row. I was so unconscious that my voice was really loud! Hehe

Saviour King

Salvation is Here

What the World Will Never Take

Tell the World

*The United band abruptly went off the stage after Tell the World, but the crowd kept on shouting either “More! More!” or “One way! One way!”. AND, I believe their request wasn’t a twist of fate ‘cause they (United) were really supposed to sing One Way and Solution as their last songs. Hmm.. I just have no idea why they went at the backstage just yet.
People were really extreme as they sang along “One Way” and “Solution”.
Actually, I have been memorizing Solution ‘cause I was really thinking that it’d be included on their set! Yay!

One Way

Solution


The worship concert ended minutes before 11 PM.

These photos show how perspired we were after the event! Yaiks. I smell preschool. HAHA. JK.

KFC for dinner. Others opted for ChowK.


Tulog lahat on our way home :-P


I’ll tackle about worship at the concert on my next post about United ’08.