Bible Reading: from Law to Joy

Back in 2011, I was struggling about bible reading and Im not reaching my chapters per day. I asked a friend about it and was enlightened from his answer.

He answered:”Ian, maturity speaks that you let God love you whether you read your bible every day or never read it again. You’re making reading your bible into a law that you have to try very hard to keep. Jesus came that we might be dead to laws.”

He said “Reading your bible is a way of getting to know God better. What would you think if a friend said you, “Ian, I feel I should spend 10 minutes every day with you, and if I don’t, I’ll feel really bad about the situation.” Would you be happy for the friend to feel this way…? Neither does God.”

“Allow me to release you from your requirement to read your bible every day. You’re a born again believer who has been made new and has his word written on your heart. How do I know? Scripture tells me so. Feel free to come to God and read word as the Spirit leads you. Remember, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” So walk in freedom & in the Spirit and not in the rules & laws the we find ourselves living under.”

“God bless you Ian as you walk this revelation out. Cheers, stay in touch.”

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How the Spirit Realm looked like during Jesus Death and Resurection

How the life of Jesus looked in the Spirit Realm

Everyone talks about it. We have different expectations on how it should be. Sometimes we have disappointments because what we thought it should look like doesn’t feel that way. I feel you.

Coming from a very analytical background really closed my mind. I am also a perfectionist (I learned it is actually pride to never admit mistakes, make it a habit and there you go, perfectionism, even for areas you want to be “normal”) But nothing is too great for God to break through. He gave me friends who were open enough to see the goodness of God in my life and spoke enough to convince me I was prophetic.

Waiting with Purpose

As I sit in the airport, the voice box notify me that my flight is 1 hour delayed. Four years ago, I would easily have made a fuss. As I adjust to the new schedule, I reflect on the many things going well in my life. The friends I have, my work and my experience with God.

Sometimes chosing to be thankful feels like a distraction. It feels cowardly, running away from asserting how reality should be. It feels like tolerating incompetence and other people’s failure.

How Buddha Can Help You Stop Sin in your Life

Born from a Christian family has its advantages and disadvantages. For one, there are many non-evangelical thinking I don’t have to worry about. On the other hand, there are also many things I take for granted. I was talking to a friend once who see Jesus in visions and constantly sees angels and demons with her own physical eyes open. (I haven’t seen any with eyes open and am extremely envious, only see them with eyes closed but can sense them) I asked her why she still chose to stay out of church. Her answer? “You kind of get used to it and and everyone else of my friends experience the same. But I haven’t been out of the church before and I felt stuck and need to get out.”

This shows that difference people experience life differently. I am blind to what I experience eveeyday. In my case every sunday. I think its ussually the common good things we take for granted that keeps us feeling stuck.

Before I share how Buddha can help you stop Sin, I would like to answer a question that is a little closer to home: Why do we even need Buddha to solve Sin issues that

Happy Valentines! 2009 MTV One and Only You

Happy Valentines! 10 Years Since

It’s Valentine’s Day!

After much thought and anticipation, I would like to post a video I made back in 2009. The video might look amateur but its my best effort back then.

One and Only You by Ian Jay Bantilan

10 Years Ago
Imagine yourself 10 years ago. Could you think back on your understanding of love? Ten years ago, I didn’t know a lot about love, but I thought I did. At this time I believed:

1. Being right was more important than loving other people.
2. I did not know how to receive love.
3. Romance was transactional and more about getting.
4. I have polarized black and white/ good or bad thinking
5. Caring (in hindsight) looked like for others to see.

But because I was an ok, working in one of the richest cities in the world in an architect job, not only did these not matter. I wasn’t aware I had them.

The Super Villains of Ourselves

Imagine yourself as Superman, unstoppable, a son of Jor-el. Your dad, the brightest scientist in Krypton encased you in an alien ship and in part 1 you grew up to be powerful.

Then in part 2, 3 Kryptonians broke free from their prison and come to planet earth. They decide that their goal is to find the most painful ways to torture you and give you a hard time.

For many of us this is a real story except that in real life, the 3 super villains are invisible.

Superman Man of Steel

Enter the Game of Life
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6

I thought this passage was really for slave owners and cruel bosses. It still is but after 200 years of human rights and labor laws, there are very few slaves, count with them child abuse, battered women and abused helpers in the middle east. The abuses today are minute compared to the slaves eaten by lions and burn alive in the old days.

The Deluge of Kindness

The Deluge of God’s Kindness

I saw myself with a small pail, the one we typically use in bath here in the Philippines. This morning as I listen to worship, I see so many failings in my life. As I approached the Thrown with my pail, I only desired “a little water, Lord”. As a calmed and waited, the sky ripped open. Floods or rains washed over my world. I never saw so much water in my life.

So I threw my pail as the formerly dry ground around my valley soaked up the rain. As the ground became so wet, spontaneous shouts of joy and celebration fill in with people from all over earth. They were dacing and partying like crazy. Some playing in the presence of the Father. I saw some blacks and caucasians running around. It felt like an infinitely huge swimming pool.

The water speaks of the love of God – mercy goodness and kindness flowing from the heart of God. Head knowledge of God’s goodness never did me good. I never knew that deep in my heart I still believed good is just nice. He can’t be this loving awesome.

Soon the whole wide region flooded with God’s goodness. As I looked farther away, some patches of dry ground remain. And there was this huge dam that stops the flow to many areas. This dam is legalism and religion. It deprives the land and community of God’s love. Jesus said that “The Kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21. Jesus opened the doorway to that dimension. Jesus is our key.

Then as I saw this huge dam, it got filled in and started to overflow. The love of God got through and those who felt far away were touched and transformed by the Love of God.