TO ALL EMO's, THIS IS FOR YOU

[See graphic arts below]

I have ministered to many EMO's in various community, schools and churches. Oftentimes, they have been looked at with disdain and prejudice just because of how they look. Good thing, God don't judge us based on outward appearance. I have experienced that people who look rebellious are just actually people who are needing love.

I have encountered group of young people in one campus who were kick-out by the school because they started to make cuts in their arms using a cutter. When I counseled them, each one of them shared their frustrations and pains in life. One has a broken family, another has been physically abused. And goes the story of each one trailing stories of frustrations, self-pity, self-condemnation and guilt.

Oftentimes, these young people have been misjudged just because of their looks, their hair-style and their music. Even churches has the wrong goal to change their culture and their looks without addressing the pain and the reasons why they are doing Emo. Instead of receiving love, what they received is prejudice and rejection. All they need is to be listened at, to be cared for, to be accepted, and to be helped.

One Emo asked me, "Does Jesus loves an Emo like me?"
I told him the stories of the "emo's" in the BIble - the lunatic whom Jesus healed, the demonized boy, and Mary Magdalene. And I showed her my own scars in my left and right arms, "Even before this emo culture has emerged, people has been already struggling with self-hate, depression, frustrations and guilt. It's as old as the world. But there is hope. I experienced this freedom and I want to share it to you."

I told the 13-year-old girl who has the worst cuts in her arms, "You don't have to do this anymore, because Someone has already been wounded for you. Jesus has already been punished, cut and wounded for you. It means you are loved, accepted, and forgiven."

"So then it could mean Jesus is also an Emo in this regard?", the girl asked me.
"Well, if we take Jesus becoming "human" to die on the cross, and "emo's" are humans, then it is right, Jesus is an "emo" in this context. He became "emo" for you and died for you to have freedom. If you were called today as "Emo," He was called in his time as "Man of Sorrows." You don't have to do this because Jesus is hurt looking at you doing this because He loves you so much. He already shouldered all the pains and the sins."

This emo girl together with her friends cried as they received Jesus in their lives.

Emo culture, is just one of the many cultures of the new generation has. Instead of looking at them with disdain and prejudice. I think we can only reach them not through condemnation, but through the love of Jesus.

To all EMO's out there - Jesus loves you.
I dedicate the work of arts below for you.

A RADICAL AND REVOLUTIONARY LOVE. [LOVE .. BY JAESON MA WITH LYRICS]

Now Hollywood wants to make you think they know what love is. 

But I'll tell you what true love is. 

Love is not what you see in the movies. 

Its not the ecstasy its not what you see in that scene you know what I mean? 

I´m telling you right now true love is sacrifice. 

Love is thinking about others before you think about yourself.

 Love is selfless not selfish. 

Love is God and God is love. 

Love is when you lay down your life for another 

whether for your brother your mother your father or your sister 

Its even laying down your life for your enemies. 

That´s unthinkable but think about that. 

Love is true. Think.

I´ll put you in front of me

So everybody can see

My love, this is my love

I know that I´ll be alright

As long as you are my guide

My love this is my love

Love is patient love is kind. 

It does not envy it does not boast it is not proud. 

It is not rude. it is not self-seeking it is not easily angered 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes 

it always perseveres.

Love never fails. 

Love is everlasting its eternal it goes on and on it goes beyond time 

love is the only thing that will last when you die 

but ask the question why? Do you have love?

There is no greater love than this than he who lays down his life for his friends. 

Now are you willing to lay down your life for your friends? 

You´re probably willing to lay down your life for your mother your father or your best friends but are you willing to lay down your life for even those that hate you? 

I´m going to tell you who did 

that the definition of love is Jesus Christ. 

He is love. 

The nails in his hands the thorns in his brow 

hanging on a cross for your sin my sins that is LOVE he died for you and me 

while we still hated him that is love. 

God is true love and if you don´t know this love 

now is the time to know perfect love.

- Jaeson Ma

Indeed this is now the generation of artist-preachers, radical preachers who are passionate for Jesus, freed from sin and the law by God's grace, preachers who are for relationship with the Lord and not for organized religion, preachers who are not proud of their goodness, but of the love of God, revolutionary preachers who are creative though despised by religion, preachers who are full of love for all, preachers who exalts JESUS in their own culture. This is my generation. - Art Roy Remy

A TWO-THOUSAND-CENTURY-OLD ADVICE TO THE RADICAL CHRISTIANS OF TODAY

Galatians Chapter 2

Adviser and Writer: Paul 

[THE MESSAGE]

 [Concerning our process in sharing our new ideas]

1-5 Fourteen years after that first visit, Barnabas and I went up to Jerusalem and took Titus with us. I went to clarify with them what had been revealed to me. At that time I placed before them exactly what I was preaching to the non-Jews. I did this in private with the leaders, those held in esteem by the church, so that our concern would not become a controversial public issue, marred by ethnic tensions, exposing my years of work to denigration and endangering my present ministry.

           My notes:

 Leaders must follow revelation, not imitation.  

People tend to criticize what they do not understand. So, explain.

 Explain controversial issues in private. Simply, use inbox not shout-outs.

The reason why issues become full-blown controversial issues is because we always use the pulpit or the stage to address them.

If after explaining they oppose, take your stand, but disagree agreeably.

No issue should get in the way of the spirit of Love.

 [Concerning the prejudice and opposition of traditional and legalistic people against us]

Significantly, Titus, non-Jewish though he was, was not required to be circumcised. While we were in conference we were infiltrated by spies pretending to be Christians, who slipped in to find out just how free true Christians are. Their ulterior motive was to reduce us to their brand of servitude. We didn't give them the time of day. We were determined to preserve the truth of the Message for you.


          My notes:

I rather light a candle than curse the darkness.

We cannot fight an issue with the same spirit which made them. 

The issue of people who criticizes you is not about you, but about them. They cannot just take how happy and free you are, while they are imprisoned by their own rules and laws.

The response? Paul said, "Don't give them the time of the day." Being affected by them means to be reduced in their level. You are far, far from their level - you are free, happy, positive, loving, forgiving, open-minded, passionate for Jesus, and radical.

 [Concerning our process in dealing with the people who are so enamored with positions in the churches]

 6-10 As for those who were considered important in the church, their reputation doesn't concern me. God isn't impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I. And of course these leaders were able to add nothing to the message I had been preaching. It was soon evident that God had entrusted me with the same message to the non-Jews as Peter had been preaching to the Jews. Recognizing that my calling had been given by God, James, Peter, and John—the pillars of the church—shook hands with me and Barnabas, assigning us to a ministry to the non-Jews, while they continued to be responsible for reaching out to the Jews. The only additional thing they asked was that we remember the poor, and I was already eager to do that.


           My notes:

Let us not reduce Christianity to mere appearances. 

Be very sure that the standards which you are fighting for is really the standard of the word of God, and not your group preference or one country's culture. Check it out. 

No one has the monopoly of the power of God. It is available to anyone who believes.

We serve God not because of position, but because of compassion.

The only one position we need to have is - serving others. 

Of all the things the church ought not to forget is not if they have a big conference, or a big event, or a big building, or a big party, but if they remember and helped the poor. 

[Concerning our process in dealing/responding with those who really go out of the line of disrespecting and opposing us thinking that they are standing for their faith]

 11-13 Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here's the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That's how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that's been pushing the old system of circumcision. Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade.

 14But when I saw that they were not maintaining a steady, straight course according to the Message, I spoke up to Peter in front of them all: "If you, a Jew, live like a non-Jew when you're not being observed by the watchdogs from Jerusalem, what right do you have to require non-Jews to conform to Jewish customs just to make a favorable impression on your old Jerusalem cronies?"

        My notes:

Jesus came near to sinners, while we separate ourselves from them. 

The thing that drives people who opposes us is not conviction, but - fear. If they fully believe that God is in charge and He can take care of the present and the future, why fear change? 

Many will not understand your radical stand, and some will be swept along in the charade, but still in the spirit of love and humility, keep loving people.

You cannot win over hate with a response of hate, or over angst with angst. You can only win with the radical love of Jesus.

No one has the right to impose a rule to us just for them or their organization to look good. You cannot impose anything to John the Baptist, right?

[Concerning legalism in our churches]

 15-16 We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over "non-Jewish sinners." We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.

 17-18Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren't perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was "trying to be good," I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.

          My notes:

I can relate to the above verses. I've been there.

The love of God is not based on our performances. Whether you perform well or not, God loves you.

Our love for God must not be performance-based, but relationship-based.

We are not set right by our own goodness but only through faith in Jesus Christ. This is not just salvation, but also after salvation. 

Don't be surprised that even the seemingly-so-good-Christians are not perfect. They can never be.

People will always mis-interpret and misjudge you because of your radical love. They will think you are carnal, apostate and crazy. Never mind. Stay positive, loving and caring. You are not alone. Jesus was accused the same thing by the pharisees.

 [Concerning our response with grace. I can speak these words as if I am Paul. Speak these words too as your declaration to the world.]

 19-21 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

   Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

[That says it all.]

CHANGING OUR "JESUS-LOVES-YOU-FAMILIARITY"

"Jesus loves you."
"God loves you."

Words we are so familiar with. It became so familiar that to many it is just an expression or a quotation. The worst thing is that these words have been used by religion and churches in their own context and perspectives. Oftentimes, the comfort "God loves you" is just given to the lovable but not to the unloveable. We can say outright to good people these words, but to the worst of sinners who are annoyance to our society, we are taciturn to say this. We have seen religious people with a "cause" rallying in the streets condemning some "evil" people declaring that there is hell, and somehow they can never use these words, "God loves you." Somehow, we can just say "God loves you" to religious people but we think twice if we can say these to the fallen, to the unchurched or to people who sinned. To the "worst of sinners" whom we branded - the prostitutes, the "gays", the criminals, the corrupt, and others - we cannot declare these words to them. The religious people became so familiar with "Jesus loves you" that we cannot share it to those who are not familiar with it.

Somehow, these words are but for the sweet and for the lovable. We never realized that these words, "Jesus loves you," is not an expression nor a sweet quotation. These words were written in blood. This is not a sweet word but a "dirty" word so to speak. Jesus became "dirty" as he carried that cross, as he was spit upon by people, and as he hung on that cross. Jesus did all of these declaring that Jesus loves everybody!

Saying "Jesus loves you" is not based on our own context and perception who qualifies to be covered with God's love and who is only worthy to hear these words. Jesus loves everybody - the most sinful and even the religious people.

Maybe it's time to be enlightened and move from what is familiar.
How?
Get out to the street, look for someone who is branded as worst of sinners by our society, and start by whispering as if you are speaking to that person and say, "Jesus loves you."
This is the start and you will discover that the used-to-be familiar words "Jesus loves you" to you will come alive and will have a deeper meaning. Your prejudice will be gone, your legalistic mindset will be gone, and your selfishness will be gone.

Now, then let us change the spotlight from those "worst of sinners" to -

   you.

How many times you can easily declare the words "Jesus loves me" just because you are faithful in the church? or just because you have done good things in your life? or maybe you have been performing nicely in your religious activities? But why you can't declare these words, "Jesus loves me" when we fall into sin? when we became inactive in the church? when we made a shameful sin?

Now, let us get out of the familiar and let us make these words real in your life. Think for a moment the worst sin which you have done in your life and the sin for which you have been ashamed of, and declare verbally with boldness -

"Jesus... loves me."

God loves you not based on your performance. Remember, God loves you already even in your worst.

"Jesus loves you." The "you" here represents all kinds of people. Change the "you" with any kind of sinner you can think of, and the words will still fit because it is Jesus who loves, not us. And when we see these people how Jesus loves them, then we can move out from the familiar, and love them with authenticity.

A BOY WHO DOESN'T KNOW HIS BIRTHDAY

It was already 7:00PM. 

I was waiting for our evening community hope session to start and I was preparing my message, when a boy approached us selling dried fish to our group. I got curious when I overheard that he is not a resident of Santolan community but resides in Cogeo. I was moved with compassion to know that this little boy was still selling dried fish at this very hour, and he still got to travel back to his home. I called the boy and invited him to sit beside me. I told him that I will buy his remaining goods and I will pay him ten times the prize if he will just sit a moment with me. When I asked him who is with him, he told me that his older brother is with him. I told the boy to call his brother to join us. 

Now this time, both of them were sitting beside me listening to me as I encouraged them not to let poverty kill their dream, but rather to take poverty as a fuel for their dreams. I affirmed them that God loves them and He wants to change their lives. As I speak, I can see tears in the eyes of the older brother. I know how it felt, I've been there. I shared to them the love of Jesus to them, and how Jesus wants not just to bring them to heaven but to change their lives as well. The names of two boys are Olwin and Gary Parahito.

When I asked about their birthdays, Olwin answered that he doesn't know his birthday. I told him that it is okay if he cannot give a date. I told him, "It's okay Olwin, anyway Jesus knows your birthday. He knows you full well, and today is more than your birthday, because this is the day that the Lord has made you His child because you placed your faith in Jesus." He got what I meant and he softly replied, "S-S-September 7." He said this with a grin in his face as if today is really his physical birthday, and now he knew what is his "birthday."

With the blessings they received today- eternal and financial- they left with a different aura of happiness and joy in their lives. I don't know when and where I will meet those boys again, but one thing I know- two boys are celebrating their "birthdays" today.

The children of God are the only people on earth that has two birthdays.

God desires that people in this world will have two birthdays.

WANTED: FIRST AID CHRISTIANITY

We have been reared in a Christianity that is always in a Fighting Stance. We have raised in a culture that we must always "defend" the truth to the point that we lost some fruits of the Spirit which are kindness, love and patience. We have seen bickering here and there, even in the name of "theology." And while we do this, we see how many people are going to perdition because we have lost our focus. All those times, we have a mindset of always fighting. We find glory when we thought we have defended the truth while we lost some precious souls. Some, because they don't believe anymore in present-day healing, have included that to heal people from their brokenness and spiritual wounds have also believed that these too are obsolete. 

There are lots of wounded people in this world- 

Inside and outside the Church, rich and poor, leaders and followers, young and old.

I also believe that those people who always hate other people, who are always judgmental to others, are actually results of their wounded and hurting souls.

Everybody needs healing. Everybody needs the Balm from Gilead.

I think it is time for us to really live what really is the identity of Christianity.

The church is not a museum, nor it is a war room; it is a hospital for all sick, wounded people.

Thus, when we are in our workplaces or wherever we are, what we bring with us are not guns and swords, but rather - a first aid kit.

Yes, this is a time for us to live the First Aid Christianity.

A kind of attitude which always finding the lost, the weak, the sick and the wounded. A kind of attitude which we always go for healing instead of hurting. A kind of attitude which we help those who are broken, heal the wounded and deliver the dying. A kind of attitude which we always foster peace and love, instead of polarization, legalism and indifference.

Wherever we go, we are carrying love, hope and the Gospel to heal wounded souls. Wherever we go, our mindset is not to hurt but to heal, not to bicker but to assist, not to war but to love. Jesus' mission is to  be the Great Physician healing the sick and the brokenhearted. Jesus commissioned us to go to the world not as armies to wage war, but as loving people who will help and heal those who are lost in their sins, and who are struggling in life.  

Many people are wounded today because we have left our First Aid kit in our church buildings, in our houses, in our prayer rooms, and in our study rooms. We go out with this mindset to always fight because we thought we are the army on a mission. But even you are an army, an army is not complete without the medical team. What will you do if you were hit by temptation, discouragement and criticism? You need a first aid kit.

Jesus cleared this when He said, "my people is not of this world, lest my servant will fight." "The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to heal the brokenhearted." 

No wonder it is not coincidence that the symbol of First Aid is not a sword or a gun, but - 

... a cross.

Carry love, hope and kindness wherever you go.

There are lots of wounded people in our midst.

What we need today is not  a Fighting Christianity but a

- First Aid Christianity.

- A r t  R o y  R e m y

“Unless you have never been tempted,

don't pass judgment

on someone who has yielded.”

- A r t  R o y  R e m y

LOVE LEADERSHIP

LOVE LEADERSHIP

II JOHN 1:6-7- which have witnessed your love before the church,

which if you will bring forward to their journey, you will do will well."

Love is the one that must be brought forward in our journey in life.

Love Should Lead our VISIONS

When love is not leading our visions,

it is but an illusion.

Love Should Lead our ACTIONS

When love is not leading our actions,

it will be but a frustration.

Love Should Lead our ASSOCIATIONS

When love is not leading our associations,

it will end in division.

Love should be the supreme motivation of all we do.

Love for God and love for the people.

When you let love leads,

God leads.

-       O u t l I n e d  I n s p I r a t I o n

                                                                             By ArtRoyRemy  

For more ArtRoyRemy's Outlined Inspirations, click here  

The Wrong Thanksgiving

I always teach and preach about being thankful to God. Thankfulness makes you a better person, unleashes the blessings, and pleases God. However, I discovered today in the Word of God that there is such thing as - a wrong thanksgiving.


Check this out.


A Pharisee prayed to God this prayer recorded in Luke 18: 10-11 - 


   "O God, I THANK YOU I am not like other people-
   extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publican beside me.
    I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess."


This is the wrong thanksgiving you can say in your life.

A wrong thanksgiving is - 


   - thanking God by exalting yourself.
   - thanking God by bragging yourself compared to others.
   - thanking God by belittling others.
   - thanking God by showcasing your self-righteousness.
   - thanking God by boasting how good you are.


When we thank God how good our church is compared to others,
when we thank God how good we are compared to others,
when we thank God how how "deep" we are compared to others.
when we thank God how "different" we are compared to others.


- these are the thanksgivings which God don't want to hear from us.
There is a big difference between "Praise-Thanksgiving" from "Pharisee-Thanksgiving."


Compared to the Publican who is also praying beside the Pharisee, he smote his chest knowing how sinful he was and prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus said, "I tell you, this man went justified rather than the other." The prayer of the Publican is the right and authentic thanksgiving.


A thanksgiving that is not exalting self but God.
A thanksgiving that is not bragging one's self.
A thanksgiving that is not belittling others.
A thanksgiving that is not exalting one's self-righteousness.
A thanksgiving that is not showcasing how good you are.


 - A r t  R o y  R e m y

radical truths:

"Don't change the praise, "God is good" to "I am good."

We are called to thank God of how blessed we are but not how good we are. Jesus said in the sermon of the mount, "Blessed is the man" and not "Good is the man," because being blessed is recognizing that there is a Blessor and we are all but recipients of that blessing.

"Blessed man" is based in relationship with God. "Good man" is based in religion. Jesus changed this thinking when he taught, "there is no one good but God." The famous verse said it all, "there is none that do good, no not one." So, be thankful of how blessed you are and not how good you are.