Author: Angelo Saludo

John 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me… If anyone loves me he will keep my word…’ Jesus is telling us that there should be no difference between what we believe in and what we say from what we do. If we believe in love and say that we do love, we have to practice it.

We cannot say, “I love you” to someone and yet do unloving acts, like brothers who are courting someone and saying words of affirmation and yet is fishing on someone else or sisters who are playing with emotions of others. Real disciples are the one who can put their words into actions. The challenge of Christianity is not so much on preaching but practicing what we preach. Jesus was very clear; we can never live a double life.

It cannot be that we are good at words and yet do otherwise. We are to be word keepers, like Jesus whose words can be trusted.

Mark 12:28-34

God’s greatest commandments take us away from self-centeredness into selflessness. Only in this kind of mindset can we truly look at ourselves as someone meant for others.

When we start having the mindset that God dwells in us, we will start to understand that we are to live like Christ. Living like Christ is living for others. Living for others means all things we do, we do to make a difference in the lives of other people. It has never been only about us, it is about God in us. It has never been just about our emotions and feelings, that when we are hurt or in pain because of others we surrender. We go beyond it and ask, what can I do to lead the other to Christ? In doing so, we in fact gain more because by giving ourselves we received back a thousand fold.

For God it is all about us and for us it is all about Him. When this exchange of selflessness ripples through humanity, there will be no one in need because everyone thinks of the other first before themselves.

I was having a mission in another area and I was struck by the simplicity of my fellow youth who were serving. It was a parish youth camp and almost everyone were first time to serve in a camp. The camp was simple, a guitar for music ministry but with a beautiful and spirited voice of the singers. We had a Tongues Workshop (an empowerment worship) and I was a bit worried at first since most of them were young and sometimes a bit hesitant to give it all to worship. We even had a hard time choosing for songs to use because we don’t want to have songs that they don’t know or else we will end up looking at the lyrics instead of asking for the Spirit to descend upon us. However during the worship everyone was giving there all and I could really feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. This was affirmed during the sharing when everyone shared how they experienced the Spirit. Someone had a vision of lights descending upon each and everyone of us with varying degree. Then another one affirmed that it was God hovering around us pouring on His Spirit that shows itself in the colors. It was an awesome experience indeed!

God’s presence was strongly felt. And I would say it was because there were no pretensions among the team, they had real joy and were innocent. Without knowing it, they were already used by the Lord. I said to a YFC, “That’s why God loves children, because they have no pretensions.”

Sometimes we have the tendency to complicate things when we only need simple things. God reminded me that I don’t need to complicate things to share His message. The simpler the message the better it can reach and be understood. The better too He can reach our hearts and souls.

I joined community in Southern Leyte, though I became an active member in Cebu since I was studying there. Starting from a being a member up to the time I became a Fulltime Worker, I was there, molded and fashioned by God through my brothers and sisters and Titos and Titas. Community indeed has a big impact on me.

Years after I was blessed to be back there, it was like full circle for me. Back then I look forward with excitement any FTWs coming from other places or any YFC members with interesting stories from other places that comes and visits us. I hungered for every bit of Godly teachings and sharings. It was a source of inspiration and passion for me. God seems to be more real than ever with their stories. Now I was the one in front sharing stories of mission.

I was very passionate as a Campus President to the point that I even have all the class schedule of my Officers and some members. Everytime I have free time I walk around the campus and look for them with the schedule in my hand.

Eventually after graduating university I decided to become a Mission Volunteer for a year and after that join the Fulltime Work of the community. I was blessed to witness the blossoming missions of Cebu, Campus and Mall Tours, conferences here and there and the growing numbers of passionate members. There we started also the first ever-formal training for Mission Volunteers that eventually became the template for other provinces as well. I looked back with a heart filled with thanksgiving. I never could have imagined that I would become a missionary. It was very far from my mind.

Weeks ago I was invited to give a recollection to the new Mission Volunteers numbering around 20 and right after that another recollection for all officers of Campus Base of the province. Not being able to know the MVs and officers was such an affirmation for me, I told a fellow FTW, “This is a great affirmation that we are dispensable in the mission, we come and go and yet the mission continues because this mission in YFC is anointed by the Lord.”

Thank you Lord for the gift of mission and the privilege of serving You. Amen.

YFC is a living classroom of real life lessons. Here we learn and get inspired from one another, listen and be encouraged by the word of God. We don’t preach, we witness. We strive to live out Christ in the spirit of fun, friendship, freedom and faith.

Thank you Lord for the gift of community such us CFC Youth For Christ. Amen.

To live a life of mission is to live a life for others. A missionary lives a life not of his own but of Christ in his life. To be a missionary then is to live and share Christ who is personally present in his life. In so doing, his is witnessing the teachings of Jesus. His is not just words beautifully spoken but words anchored on a life lived in Christ. In short, to be a missionary is to be Christ to others.

A quote from Robert C. Shannon rings true even today, “Never pity missionaries; envy them. They are where the real action is — where life and death, sin and grace, Heaven and Hell converge.”

When we choose our path, be it a businessman, an employee or a missionary, sacrifice is always part of it. So when we choose mission, it is no different from answering other path in life, only that we follow the specific call of the Lord for us. When we find our mission, joy follows. So never pity missionaries, they are living out there lives to the full. There can never be more exciting and exhilarating journey than a journey with God!