roman guevara

ROMAN GUEVARA
Daily Devotional Reading

"Have you composed a song lately?"

Scripture:

Psalm 40:1-3
¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
       he turned to me and heard my cry.

    ² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
       out of the mud and mire;
       he set my feet on a rock
       and gave me a firm place to stand.

    ³ He put a new song in my mouth,
       a hymn of praise to our God.
       Many will see and fear
       and put their trust in the LORD.

Filipinos love to sing.  Masyado na tong paulit ulit na nababanggit.

And when Filipinos become Christians, it is inevitable, that Filipinos love to worship God by singing.

Kaya
nga bentang benta sa atin, hindi lamang ang mga kilalang foreign
entertainers and their albums, pero pati narin ang mga worship leaders
mula sa ibang mga bansa.

Just recently, nakailang concerts din sa Araneta Coliseum ang ilan sa kanila.

And as i am a "fan" of many of them since my youth, ako may nagagalak pag sila ay naririto.

However,
as much as nakakabless ang maraming songs composed by well-known
foreign groups, we should not forget and neglect the compositions that
God has given to our local composers and worship leaders.

And let
me add, na, we should not forget and neglect the compositions that God
has given to us personally.  Who knows, me composition ka pala.  Kaso
nga lang ikaw lang at ang Diyos ang nakakaalam!

I recorded my
"first" worship album, "RISE UP with Roman Guevara", in 1999. Limited
lang ang production at distribution kaya di naman masyado kumalat.  But
there were many beautiful songs written for that album.  Aside from my
compositions, ilan sa mga friends ko contributed.  Tulad ng songs "Be
My Guide", written by Allan Silonga and Joshua Desiderio (now of
Freestyle Band), and the song "Ikaw Lang", written by Cesar Castaneda.

Mejo
napagod ako sa recording na ito, kaya i vowed na, parang ayaw ko na ata
magrecord uli. Atsaka isa pa, my brother, ROMMEL GUEVARA, records naman
a new album almost every year, kaya, suportahan ko nalang ang ministry
niya in that department.

Kaso nga lang, since last year, God has
been dealing with me concerning this. I began to sing again during my
ministries, concerts, and conferences, yung mga songs na nacompose ko.
I shared them with my new musicians, and they began to arrange them for
me.

By February this year, habang nasa Hongkong kami ng brother
ko, si Kuya Rommel, he encouraged me na magrecord ulit. Sabi niya it’s
about time na magrecord nako ulit.  I thought hard about it and made a
deal with God. Sabi ko ke Lord, kung will niya na magrecord ako ulit ng
bagong worship album, kailangan magbigay siya ng mga "fresh" at
"catchy" compositions, and of course, the financial provision to make
everything a reality.

You know what? Ang bilis din ng sagot ni Lord.

Pagbalik
ko ng Pinas,  a good friend of ours, na wala naman kamalay malay sa
"deal" ko with God, came up to me and said, "Pastor magrecord kana,
sagot ko na, just start as soon as you are ready." Edi, ok na ang
financial provision! Totoo nga, that when there is a mission, God gives
the provision.  At bagamat me nakaready na akong mga songs for the
album, along the recording, nagpadala pa ulit si Lord ng mga "fresh"
and what i believe to be more "catchier" compositions.

For
example, nung isang beses na papunta ako sa recording studio, ang tagal
naming nagaantay ng taxi. I said to one of my musicians na kasama ko
nun, siya muna kumuha ng taxi kasi mukhang me nacocompose ata akong
kanta while we were waiting.  By the time na nakakuha ng taxi, nabuo ko
na ang first verse. Buti nalang, nauso na ang cellfones with voice
recorders, kaya, ayun narecord ang first verse agad. But God just kept
going. Binigay din niya ang the rest nung kanta during the trip. Kaya
by the time na nakababa kami sa taxi na ito, at nakarating sa recording
studio, nakumpleto na ang kanta, with chorus and bridge pa.  Eto yung
kantang "YOU ARE AMAZING", na bahagi ngayon ng bago kong worship album
"RISE UP".

And the songs just kept on coming. 

Me
nacomposed sa taxi, me nacompose nung paggising ko sa kama, me
nacompose nung naglalakad ako papuntang mall, me nacocompose sa MRT at
LRT ride, at kung san san pa.

Kailangan nga lang, pagme
nacocompose ka, isulat mo agad. Kahit labolabo pa ang lyrics. Yung tono
naman, kung me voice recorder ka, bitbitin mo lagi, kasi anytime nga
baka me macompose ka. Kung musician kanaman, wag munang katamaran,
kunin mo agad ang basic chord progression.

Furthermore, kung me
worship composition ka, kantahin niyo agad.  Kahit among yourselves sa
band, o dinaman kaya, kung maayos ayos na, e, kantahin na rin sa
church. Later made develop pa yung song, but it doesnt really hurt kung
i try narin agad.

Sabi nga ng verse na binasa natin today "He put
a new song in my mouth", tapos sabi pa "many will see and fear and put
their trust in the Lord".  Marami na tayong nacocompose. Kaso nga lang,
yung "many will see" e sad to say, bihira mangyari.

Why not?

Kasi we dont believe in ourselves. We don’t believe in our compositions.

Wala namang masama na tangkilikin ang mga kanta mula sa ibang bansa.

Ako may "fan" parin nila.

Pero ang masama, e, yung nabuburo naman sa bodega ng ating alaala, ang mga sarili nating gawa.

Kung composer ka, share munaman ang compositions mo to the rest of the world.

Don’t be shy. Be thankful that God gave you a new song.

Kung
di kanaman composer, pero, me kilala kang mga Filipino composers, e,
una sa lahat, bilin mo naman ang CD nila. Wag munaman i burn lang basta
basta at wala ng makaka pagrecord sa mga mangilan ngilang nag aatempt
to come up with descent Filipino worship recordings.

And furthermore, use them sa inyong churches.

E
pagpumunta ka sa kahit anong church, maliit man o malaki, halos 100-90%
ng line up of songs, galing sa mga recordings mula sa Australia, US,
Europe, at pati Singapore. Bihira makalusot ang compositions ng mga
kapatid nating Pinoy.

Balansihin naman natin.

Let us encourage our composers by buying their CD’s and by singing their songs.

Ikaw, have you composed a song lately?

MAKE THIS YOUR PRAYER FOR TODAY

Dear
heavenly father, i thank you for this wonderful day that you have
created for me. I honor you Lord with all of my heart, soul, mind, and
strength. I come to you Lord seeking forgiveness for my sins. Asking
you to humbly wash me with your precious blood, and to make me holy and
pleasing before your sight.  Thank you Lord for the gift of music. For
the gift of song. Enable your servant to appreciate and value the
ministry of praise and worship. Help us Lord to cultivate and develop
Filipino Worship Ministries.  Anoint our composers. Finance our
recordings. And enable our worship albums and compositions to reach not
only our Filipino brothers here in the Philippines, but allow our
worship albums and compositions to reach the nations of this world.  We
offer to you our talents and giftings. We offer to you this day. Stir
up in our hearts the desire to love and serve you more. Be glorified.
Be magnified. In Jesus name, amen.

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