FAIR SUNSHINE

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.  Psalm 34:11 One of the great stewardship entrusted to us is the care of bringing up these young ones, who for most have been with us for the past three years, in Scriptural instruction. Our first and foremost calling is to introduce to them the blessed person of Jesus Christ, as the very shining image of the Father's glory. They have been led through the Decalogue, studied the attributes of God, been through a primer on covenant theology, and rehearsed, in children's language, the fundamentals of the Westminster shorter catechism.  It is noteworthy, that the crucial matters concerning the inborn corruption dwelling within the heart of fallen man, and the dreadful, eternal consequences of a life of sin and transgression against the perfect holiness of the Almighty God, have been essentially laid bare and addressed in the instructions, and that the Gospel, according to the whole of redemptive history, i...

It was surely by divine providence that the L ORD 's message to the public this Sabbath fell upon the fourteenth chapter of the book of Luke—that blessed account of the Great Supper. ( Luke 14:15-24 ) "Come, for everything is now ready." This should strike at the very core of our conscience, and serve as a solemn trumpet blast to every servant of God, reminding us of our high duty to bid the weary and the heavy-laden to come to that Glorious Feast, which is none other than Christ Jesus Himself. Nowhere do we find in the text the Master commanding His servants to bolt the doors, that they might feast selfishly amongst themselves while the world perishes without. There is no warrant in Holy Scripture for such a closed circle. Rather, it is a summons ringing out to all creation—a pleading cry for every soul to bow before the Word of the Lord and partake of true life that only He can give. Those who have found bread, should in gratitude tell others where to find bread also....

Thoughts. 12th of July. 2022 Journal Entry. In the 2nd century, Tertullian wrote, the pagans of that time were so amazed at the kindness exhibited by the followers of a character called Christ that they were called Chrestiani, the kind people. Not Christiani, the sect. Often in our ministering of truth, through our corrupted character and personality, we tend to lean only to the side of truth and truth alone, neglecting that Christ is not only all truth, He is also all kindness, all gentleness, all meekness, and all lowliness. To administer truth without kindness is to take the parts of scripture designed to heal and use it to wound instead. It takes a proud heart to be all true. It takes a lowly heart to be both true and kind. There is one great truth: the LORD God is one. And there are two great commandments: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There...

The L ORD Opens A Door A blessed development came about: the LORD hath opened a new door for us to procure the Old and New Testament scriptures at exceedingly low and affordable prices. While we have always considered it a privilege to purchase them at the ordinary price ( direct from supplier is 130 Php, outside it is 240 Php ) to honor and support the labor of the faithful printing houses, this new arrangement will prove an immense relief. The funds we use for the ministry's expenses, from the buying of materials for the children, the bibles given away, to the tracts printed and shipped from overseas—we gather from the humble, earnest collections of the saints. But God hath raised up kind-hearted people who willingly subsidize this portion of the labor, ensuring the necessary materials reach many ministries. Since we freely give these Bibles away—though with much greater care and discretion than our distribution of tracts—the prospect of obtaining them at a significantly reduced...

The close of the week saw a proper bout of illness amongst our group. It seemed the Lord's better judgment to afflict our bodies, and my voice was taken away for a few days. Thus, the street meetings—which we had hoped would bear such good fruit—had to be moved once more. It is peculiar how simple things were when we kept to our indoor meetings; we hardly missed a gathering for simple interference. But now, taking the Word to the public, it is constant. If our health does not fail us, the rain pours. The path to public duty seems ever paved with resistance, be it from the body or the weather. These petty ailments and sudden showers, are but pebbles in the path, mere obstacles we simply step over in the grand march of faith. Why should we fret over a missed meeting or a change in our schedule? It is true that our L ORD is seated on the throne, ruling over all the earth and all its concerns. Our salvation does not rest upon the success of our earthly itinerary, whether we meet or wh...

A curious though not unusual matter, unfolded this day. Light rain began to fall by midday. I must confess that in my small, limited understanding, I had supplicated the Lord for a clear and pleasant afternoon for our assembly. Yet, He chose to send the very showers! And what a familiar lesson that was for my soul, for in sending rain, He nevertheless, by His sovereign and unsearchable providence, did gather the people together in their appointed place. I have learned time and again, that rain is the Gospel herald's best friend. I am very grateful that His ways are not our ways. I shall not therefore, spend time recounting a narrative of this afternoon's gathering which was visited by blessed showers. It is far more meet and proper to speak less of the gathering and more of the Gatherer ! The sheer greatness of the L ORD ! That is the proper subject for meditation. And so, we turned to that familiar passage in the fourteenth chapter of the book of Luke, verses seven to fourt...

Last November 9th Sabbath, our hearts were truly anxious, knowing that one of the mightiest tempests of the year would pass near our location. How could we forget the recent, grievous suffering in the Visayas, where the floods drove poor souls to the very roofs of their houses to save their families and few earthly goods? The destruction was widespread, and many lives were lost. Until today, many regions are still without electricity. This new storm was much larger, covering the entire archipelago. To prepare my own dwelling, I did cut down some trees lest they fall and crush our roof. My chief concern, however, was for the little children of the Sabbath school and our devoted brethren who will be commuting to our place for fellowship. I could not bear to have them travel through a storm. Despite the situation, I sent word that our gathering will still continue, but we petitioned our Father for a brief, precious window of calm that we might gather and render Him the worship due His Nam...

The word having been faithfully sown at San Jose del Monte thus, I made my swift journey back to the hallowed ground of our fellowship, desiring nothing so much as to humble myself among those of like precious faith, and enjoy the true, deep solace found only in the gathering of the Lord's redeemed flock. The Lord did grant a blessed sight to welcome me, as I beheld my beloved brethren seated upon the grass communing with each other in fellowship, a scene of humble, blessed repose. My gaze was drawn instantly to the small, precious child, a mere babe, contentedly taking sustenance among the saints. Seeing this little one, so near to the heart of Christian fellowship like that child who was called by the Lord before His disciples, was a clear token of God’s abiding grace. Though I had been detained by my duty in my previous location, I felt no weariness, for my sole, continuous prayer had been this: that the LORD would prepare the hearts of those He had summoned before Him today—th...

Alas, this morning I felt the heavy drag of my own corrupted nature: timidity and the ease of excuses, cried out for anything but repose and sleep. I honestly wrestled against sloth, compelled by the holy urge to honor my Redeemer before the very souls who, on this day, are tragically immersed in the second day of their solemn observance for the departed.   In this season, the people flock in such sorrowful droves, seeking to honor the deceased with vain oblations of light and prayer. But oh, the terrible blindness! To offer inanimate candles and dead prayers for the dead—a profound vanity that wounds the very heart! Therefore, I have resolved in my spirit to seek out three places of earthly rest along my destined route: the grave sites at Santa Maria, the cemetery of Tumana, and the sacred ground of Saint Joseph, where the mortal remains of my dear wife’s father and grandmother repose. My journey led me past the first two resting places, where, perhaps by the kind arrangemen...

The appointed passage for this Lord's Day, is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke, verses fifty-four through fifty-nine of the twelfth chapter. The night before found my mind in great distress, my thoughts so plagued by numbing distractions that I was sure to end empty in preparing a worthy exposition by daylight. Yet, through the Lord's great mercy, I continued to plead on my knees, and was at last enabled to begin the essential task of putting pen to paper. It was slow going, for the effort was multiplied by a crippled and painful finger that seemed to protest with each sentence.  By nine in the morning the message was completed, and the children's class had already started. I was granted a further pleasure by listening to the instructions given by the beloved teachers to the young ones. I must confess I was greatly warmed in my heart by the devotion and care shown in the lessons prepared by the teachers. And to observe the bright enthusiasm with which the little ones engag...