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Shalem Collective, Cagayan de Oro (2026)

22/08/2026

He Suffers With Us

For a long time, I've been asking God:

What does it really mean when we say, “God suffers with us”?

If He can deliver us, why doesn't He simply rescue us from suffering? Why doesn't He give us what we ask for? And when so many Christians throughout history and even today experience suffering, where does grace find its place in all of this?

I may not have all the answers. Maybe some of them we'll only understand on the other side of this life.

But perhaps sometimes, what we need isn't simply to be given what we ask for.

Sometimes, what we really need is Someone to be there with us.

In twenty-four hours, there will be hours when we're completely alone. Alone with our thoughts. Alone with our fears. Alone with the things we don't know how to explain to anyone else. There are moments when we can feel like nobody understands what we're going through.

And yet, He is there.

Psalm 23 doesn't say that the Shepherd will keep us from every valley. It says:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Through the valley.

Not always around it.

Not always immediately out of it.

But through it.

There are circumstances God may allow that shape our faith, teach us perseverance, and draw us into knowing Him more deeply. There are also things we may never understand on this side of life.

And that's okay.

We don't have to force an explanation for every suffering we experience.

Because even when we don't understand why, we can still hold on to who He is.

He is still good.

The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to experience peace in circumstances that were anything but peaceful. His faith wasn't built on the promise that suffering would never come. His hope was found in Christ even while suffering was present.

And that's what makes Christ's suffering with us so beautiful.

He didn't simply stand outside our suffering and tell us to endure it.

He entered it.

He became acquainted with grief. He wept. He experienced rejection, betrayal, loneliness, anguish and death.

And Hebrews tells us that we have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses.

So perhaps when we're awake late at night, crying, wondering where God is, we can remember:

We are not alone.

The Shepherd is with us.

Immanuel. God with us.

13/07/2026

What If God Says "No"?

One of the hardest things a Christian can experience is hearing God say, "No."

As people, we naturally love control. We make plans, pursue opportunities, and ask God to bless them. Sometimes we even compare our lives with others especially in this age of social media, We see them prosper while we continue to struggle, and if we're not careful, envy quietly takes root in our hearts.

But what if God's answer is "No"?

A "no" can be heartbreaking. It could be the job you prayed for, the opportunity you longed for, a relationship you hoped would work, or a dream you believed was finally within reach. It could also be something much deeper , the breakthrough you have been waiting for, or the restoration you have been asking God to bring.

When those prayers seem unanswered, it's easy to question whether God is still good.

Scripture never hides that struggle. From the Psalms, Lamentations, and Habakkuk, we see people who wrestled honestly with God. They questioned Him, lamented before Him, and waited through seasons they did not understand. Yet they kept returning to the same truth: God's character remained trustworthy even when His ways did not make sense.

"Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3)

The Bible is filled with stories of people who experienced seasons where God's answer did not come according to their timeline.

- Job lost what he loved and struggled to understand God's purposes.
- David spent years waiting for deliverance while crying out to God.
- Joseph endured betrayal, slavery, and years of silence before seeing how God was working through his pain.

Their stories remind us that a season we do not understand does not mean God has abandoned us. Sometimes, in ways we cannot see yet, God is shaping our hearts, strengthening our faith, and preparing us for something beyond what we could imagine.

So perhaps the question isn't only, "Why did God say no?"

Perhaps the deeper question is:

Will I still trust His nature when He does? Will you trust His heart?

The promise of Scripture isn't that every prayer will receive the answer we want. God's promises are indeed "Yes" in Christ, but that does not mean every request will be answered the way we desire. Sometimes God lovingly says "no," "wait," or "not yet."

The cross reminds us that God's love is not measured by how often He says "yes" to our plans, but by the Son He did not withhold for us.

"He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all..." (Romans 8:32)

If God was willing to give us Christ, we can trust that His heart is good even when His answer is difficult to understand.

So if today you are struggling with God's "no," remember this:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

because the God who gave us Christ will never waste our pain.

- alfie

19/06/2026

The book of Habakkuk is a short one, but it carries a profound message.

Unlike many of the prophets, much of Habakkuk is a conversation with God. It's filled with lament, much like many of the Psalms. Habakkuk doesn't hide his frustration or confusion—he brings it all before God with complete honesty.

"How long, LORD, must I call for help, but You do not listen?" (Habakkuk 1:2)

If we're honest, many of us have asked that same question. Maybe not out loud, but deep in our hearts.

As the story unfolds, Habakkuk doesn't like God's answer. Isn't that often true for us as well? We naturally want God to bless the plans we've already made. But what if His way is different? What if His answer isn't the one we were hoping for?

Then God reminds Habakkuk:

"Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3)

And a verse later:

"The righteous shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4)

It's a truth later echoed by the Apostle Paul in his letters not because faith ignores reality, but because faith trusts God's character even when we don't understand His timing.

By chapter 3, Habakkuk's circumstances hadn't changed, but his heart had. Instead of clinging to fear, he remembered God's faithfulness and chose to rejoice.

"Though the fig tree does not bud... yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will be joyful in God my Savior." (Habakkuk 3:17–18)

That doesn't mean waiting is easy. It isn't. But Habakkuk reminds us that God's promises are never forgotten. They may seem delayed from our perspective, but they always arrive in His perfect time.

To me, the book of Habakkuk is an invitation. An invitation to come to God honestly when life feels unfair. To wrestle with Him instead of running from Him. To remember that He welcomes our questions, remains with us in our darkest moments, and never abandons His children.

The darkness may last for a season, but it will not last forever.

- alfie

25/05/2026

Kind of late for Pentecost Sunday, I honestly forgot about it. But reflecting on it now, I realize that Pentecost wasn't just a moment in history. It was the beginning of God's ongoing presence with His people.

Before Pentecost, God's presence was often associated with places: the tabernacle, the temple, the Holy of Holies. But after Christ's death, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God chose to dwell in His people.

That's why Jesus could say:
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." — Matthew 28:20

And why Paul could write:
"Christ in you, the hope of glory." — Colossians 1:27

So when life feels uncertain, when prayers seem unanswered, when you're struggling with doubt, grief, failure, or fear, Pentecost reminds us that God is not merely watching from a distance.

Through the Holy Spirit, He is present with us guiding, comforting, strengthening, and reminding us that we belong to Him.

Not every season will feel spiritual. Not every day will feel like fire from heaven. But Pentecost teaches us that God's presence is based on His promise, not our feelings.

And that's good news for every ordinary day in between.

-alfie

13/05/2026

I’ve been sitting with this name for a while El Roi, a Hebrew name for God meaning, “The God who sees me.”
In Genesis 16:13, after being mistreated, abandoned, and left in the wilderness, Hagar says:

“You are the God who sees me.”

What moves me is that God met her not in a sacred place, but in the middle of her pain.

And it made me think of the woman at the well in John 4.

At first, she talked with Jesus about worship, traditions, and where people should meet God. But then Jesus spoke into the deepest parts of her life
the parts she probably thought no one truly saw.

Yet instead of running away, she ran back to her town saying in John 4:29:
“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did...”

Why?

Because maybe for the first time, she realized she wasn’t just being exposed.

She was being seen.

And maybe that’s true for us too.

No matter how little we know about God, how far we feel, or how messy life gets God still meets us where we are.

-alfie

13/05/2026

I’ve been sitting with this name for a while—El Roi, a Hebrew name for God meaning, “The God who sees me.”

In Genesis 16:13, after being mistreated, abandoned, and left in the wilderness, Hagar says:
“You are the God who sees me.”

What moves me is that God met her not in a sacred place, but in the middle of her pain.
And it made me think of the woman at the well in John 4.

At first, she talked with Jesus about worship, traditions, and where people should meet God. But then Jesus spoke into the deepest parts of her life the parts she probably thought no one truly saw.

Yet instead of running away, she ran back to her town saying in John 4:29:

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did...”

Why?

Because maybe for the first time, she realized she wasn’t just being exposed.

She was being seen.

And maybe that’s true for us too.

No matter how little we know about God, how far we feel, or how messy life gets,

God still meets us where we are

- alfie

10/05/2026

As we celebrate Mother's Day, we sat down with people from our church to hear their cherished memories with their moms and the messages they want to share this Mother's Day.

To every mom, biological, spiritual, adoptive, or those who stepped into a mother's role thank you for your love, sacrifice, and strenth. To the mothers who are no longer with us, your love and memories continue to live in our hearts.

'Her children arise and call her blessed..." - Proverbs 31:28

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
Ikaw, unsa imong mensahe para sa imong mama karong Mother's Day?

11/04/2026

“After the resurrection… what now?”

A week after Holy Week,
you can still see the remnants of it
candles, palm crosses, tarp greetings around the streets.I even kind of miss eating tabirak already, haha.

But it makes me wonder…

What does all of that mean for me now?

Because yeah,we hear that it’s about forgiveness,
about eternity,about heaven one day.

But life is still happening today.
There’s still grief. Still questions.
Still days that don’t feel victorious at all.

So where does the resurrection meet us in all of this?

Because if Jesus only rose to secure the afterlife,
then it kind of feels like we’re just… waiting.
Waiting for the end.
Waiting for things to finally make sense.

But He didn’t stay in the grave.
And that means something now.
Because the same Jesus who rose
is the same One who said:
the broken are blessed.
those who grieve will be comforred and are not forgotten. the ones trying to make peace in a messy world, God sees them. He is with us

That’s not just for someday.
That’s for here.
The resurrection tells us
God is not distant from our real lives.

He meets us in the middle of it,
in the joy, in the mess,
in the quiet, in the in-between.

Yes, there’s a beautiful reunion at the end.
But until then,
we’re not alone.

- alfie

04/04/2026

From our Holy Week Special, “Love Remains,”
Pastor Ching Alkuino of Firstborn Team shares that God’s love is not something we can earn.

The more we realize our own unworthiness, the more we see how deep His love truly is, and it leads our hearts to gratitude.

Watch the whole message here:
https://www.facebook.com/obmlivestream/videos/955539420202850

Shalem Collective

22/08/2026

13/07/2026

19/06/2026

25/05/2026

13/05/2026

13/05/2026

10/05/2026

11/04/2026

04/04/2026

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