Tunko, Bulacan

Our next consecrated march led us out to Tunko, a bustling thoroughfare near the very boundary of Caloocan, not far from that famous Roman Catholic landmark known by the people as the Grotto. This intersection is yet another great vortex of humanity, drawing souls in and spewing them forth from four directions, signifying a critical post for the sounding of the Gospel trumpet.

This day marked a significant and glorious first for both the place and for us: The Cross was lifted high above the multitude for all eyes to see! The simple timber, standing as a silent, formidable witness, proclaimed its truth to every passerby. My entire family, praise God, assisted me heartily in the great work, distributing our home-made tracts and stationing themselves faithfully upon both corners of the great intersection. This humble service, I trust, is a good and sure starting point in the lives of the children, a seed of public faith that I pray will take deep root within their souls in the years to come. It is my fervent hope that, having been thus trained, they shall one day take up their own stand for the truth without fear or hesitation. When the labor was done and the hour of retreat was upon us, we recorded with gratitude that one hundred and forty-nine tracts were faithfully delivered into the hands of those perishing souls for whom they were surely intended. The Lord makes no mistake in the destination of His saving message!

Let us be perfectly clear regarding the ultimate object of our toil: We do not preach to convert anybody by the power of our own weak will or persuasion! Regardless of what the outward result may yield, we covet nothing but this single, glorious truth: that the Testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the salvation of God, which is granted solely through His beloved Son, might be faithfully proclaimed to the people! The burden of the fruit rests not upon our shoulders. It is entirely up to the Lord to draw people to Himself; we are merely the humble vessels for the message. We are grateful that in that crowded place, we were permitted to preach the everlasting Gospel for more than a full hour.

Now, mark the tenderness of the Almighty! Earlier in our private time of fervent prayer, I asked the Lord if it would not be too much presumption to ask Him to send just one soul to encourage our weary spirits this night. Although I knew well that He was not truly obliged to grant such a comfort, for I would never measure the worth of this night by whatever earthly yield it produced, I simply asked—and the Lord truly never lets down.

As I stepped down from my post, resting after the proclamation, a dear man in a baseball cap, who had been quietly standing toward the rear, immediately approached me. I had noticed him, even in the corner of my eye, as I was speaking. He extended his hand, and introducing himself to be a pastor, declared that he was merely passing by when he saw our stand and felt compelled by the Spirit to remain until the final word was spoken!

He greatly encouraged our hearts, testifying that he himself was deeply blessed by the very sight of the Lord's work being done in that open field. He then, with genuine Christian fellowship, invited us to join him the following Sunday at a small gathering in Gumaoc, North, where he himself would be speaking the Word. When I heard the word "small," I was already glad, for where two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, there is a warmth and sincerity often lost in the great cathedrals of the world. I thank the Lord for such a profound and encouraging witness, for He never allows His servants to stand alone, nor does He leave them without a visible sign of His faithful attention to their prayers!

May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward for his suffering.