Dare to be

June 6, 2014 was indeed a day of affirmation as SFC Abu Dhabi Cluster A gathered and listened to the very engaging Tito Nolan Dalapo talk about what it means to be 100% PURE. 

From a very young age our values and morals were instilled in us by our parents, our school and the church – as tito Nolan said “we are all basically good” but society has that nasty habit of corrupting us under the pretense of ‘keeping up with modernization’ which affects our decisions and actions. 

What was once righteous, ethical and taboo became the norm – chivalry died; promiscuity became an indication of the modern woman; smoking, drinking and drugs became cool. 

As society progressed our sense of godliness regressed.

Dare to be

What does it mean to be 100% PURE? Being pure inside and out means living Christ-like lives. By being the face of Christ to others we are another step closer to the realization of this particular SFC assembly’s vision of being the difference in society by setting the standards that the world will live by and emulate. 

We as children of God are challenged to put into heart and action the following principles:

Drunk free. Drinking destroys not only our body but our good judgement as well, in being intoxicated we loose our sensibilities that lead to rash decisions and actions. Our bodies are the temple of our soul, we should take care of it and not desecrate it.

Smoke free. Like drinking, smoking destroys our bodies and adversely affects the (health of the) people around us.

Zero Drugs. Drug abuse ravages the mind and body resulting in bizarre, out of character behavior that separates the abuser from their loved ones.

Say no to pornography. Pornographic materials poisons the mind by planting impure thoughts that lead to impure actions. Pornography perverts the act of intimacy between spouses by turning it into a commodity to be bought and sold.

No to masturbation. Bro. Kiko Manese could not have put it any clearly by posing the thought provoking question: “can we stomach using the hands we accept the Eucharist with in fueling our impure fantasies and satisfying our guilty pleasures?”

No to gay lifestyle. Gay lifestyle constitutes acts that are immoral and are contrary to God’s natural design.

True love waits. Intimacy should not be treated as a way to demonstrate or prove love but a pure and wholesome act between man and wife in which the two express their love for and commitment to each other after they have made their wedding vows.

Virgin and proud. Virginity is a virtue that has become a social stigma, women are branded prudish and old fashioned if they don’t exercise the so called “sexual freedom”, but the true identifying quality of a woman is one who conducts herself as pleasing in the eyes of God rather than in the eyes of men.

Pro-life. Life begins at conception.

Pure inside and out. To be pure in our actions, our thoughts and our words.

When conformity is the norm, do we dare to stand up for our morals and hold on to our conviction of embodying Christ? 

We Dare

In the second half of the assembly, sharers Sis. Joan Rico, Sis. Goldie Maybuena, Bro. Ellwin Jose and Bro. Cris Madarcos shared their personal struggles with the dictates and temptations presented by society.

By making the conscious choice, they have resolved to break free of the sins that have kept them in bondage.

The path is not easy with all the temptations that the world presents but by seeking God’s Grace to help them in their dedication and commitment, working towards it and reaffirming their conviction that they are closer to their goal of becoming 100% PURE.

Growing up sheltered with parents who were strict – I identified with sharer Sis Joan Rico. My routine throughout high school and college was home-school-home, if I came home late it would be like facing a grand jury with all the questions and reprimands.  

There were times that I felt resentful. I felt stifled and deprived of opportunities as I missed out on things I wanted to do like joining clubs, going on immersion programs or World Youth Day camps. But God is truly great to have given me parents who protected me and taught me integrity and honor which I held onto despite the freedom that working abroad afforded and for all the things I missed during my formative years God gave me the opportunity to fulfill all those dreams thru the SFC community which is a thousand times better because not only am I doing it for myself but I am doing it for his greater glory.

After hearing admirable testimonies from our brothers and sisters, we are led to prayer by tito Nolan as we solemnly and most graciously asked for God’s mercy and guidance as we signed our 100% PURE Covenant cards and determinedly choose to be Pure in Mind, Body and Heart.

Concluding the day was a simple activity wherein we are asked to concretely proclaim our conviction of renouncing our ungodly habits. Writing our names on those sign-up sheets  seemed like an effortless act but was it was powerfully significant in all its simplicity because signing those sheets meant stepping up to the challenge and daring to be 100% PURE.

All for all of this may God be Praised