FAIR SUNSHINE

I have had this place near where I work in my mind for more than a month now and this afternoon while the machine was rendering I went out to commute and visit this busy intersection. It was a perfect spot to minister to as people from four major directions converge here. I read off several selected passages specifically targeting man's deliberate attempt to shun God away from their daily considerations, God's reaction to such abandonment of his statutes, its consequences, and the only God-ordained remedy: the cross of Christ. People, hardened sinners they may be, are equipped with reason. I am not trying to drive them away in anger as much as I am also not sparing them from the pointed truths of scripture, but there is always a better way of saying even the most offensive of truths. It is pointless to preach without the desire to appeal to somebody, that is not to say, to gain results immediately, but I will liken it to the compassion of a loving brother correcting hi

Divine providence would have a hand with our washing machine of 10 years dying just months ago. We employed a wash lady from where we previously lived, Sally, to fill in the labor. A woman of honest hands, she has had episodes of finding cash in our pockets without our knowledge and faithfully returning them. We have recommended her service to several households in the village, one of which is a Christian. My wife told me she has began ministering to Sally in small ways. Yesterday, while I was preparing to leave for work, I was bothered at the table during meal; the thought that this woman  being under our house without receiving the Gospel, was a rebuke against me. A disheartening thought then came, of seeing her awakened and converted, and asking me why I didn't care enough to tell her anything of her soul's destined end despite being with us for months now, having heard it from someone else instead. I asked forgiveness of the Lord, and took heed to the impression that I

My stomach was churning throughout the whole 2 and a half hour drive to the place. Enough time for the Lord to remind me why we are going there in the first place: for HIM. No other reason. Not for preaching. Not for converts. Not for tracts. Not for anything we have no control or authority over. I am more than pleased and praise God's wisdom in employing me where I am weakest in three points related: 1. Public speaking. 2. Illiterate (in the seminary and pastoral degree sense) and number 3, public speaking. (Sorry, I just had to emphasize.) I may stand there for over an hour without speaking. I wait on the Lord for his words, because the last thing I would want is to give the people a piece of my mind. God knows the people. I don't. And so I throw myself at his mercy and silently say to myself, "Have mercy on me o God.. let me lift up Christ.. I believe in the Holy Spirit," over and over. Once the first words come out, I can hardly stop at all. A gusher breaks o

In the heat of the battle, zeal may prompt us to shake the dust off our heels against the resistance. It is vital to understand and remind ourselves that these people are not the enemy, but the spirit behind them is. The Apostle Paul emphasized this when he wrote to the Ephesians, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." With this warning it is necessary for certain things to be in proper order. First, God does not send his watchmen for the sake of the people; he sends them for HIM. No preacher preaches for the people's sake; he preaches to declare the glory of God for the glory of God, as the results can come only from God. Second, the preacher cannot condemn anyone, he can only warn them. Condemnation is reserved only for God. It would be a great folly to presumptuously condemn a man who later on God in his sovereig

This morning's 4AM meeting with the Lord I found to be one of worship instead, having spent the previous night in anticipation of His leading for tomorrow's event. I chose to set my mind only in adoration of his majesty and goodness, knowing full well that the Lord has me in the palms of his hands already, and there was no need for Elijah to remind the Lord for provisions in facing King Ahab and his minions. The command to go was all reason I need. This year's march of the sodomites marks its 23rd celebration of sin, debauchery, rebellion, perverseness and most grievous of all, PRIDE. Pride is that very same offense that cast out Satan from the very presence of God in the first place, and its diabolic child sodomy, which its celebrants view as a harmless, modern lifestyle, is the one and only sin that carries with it a curse on the flesh. No other sin bears this stigma. There is absolutely nothing gay about being a sodomite, for God has written damnation all over this

I believe I do not have to wait till Sunday or any special day to communicate the gospel to those in need of it. As the wife and children were doing the groceries I went out to scatter seeds. God has much people in this city and he will not wait for me. If I don't go he will send someone else, and it will end up being my loss. I must be ready to preach in season and out of season, anywhere, anytime, all the time. Such is the growing fire inside me that is daily becoming more stubborn and insistent. But such also, is my weakness, as I usually find out, when standing to finally minister: fear always gets the better of me, and I am reduced to powder. I do not want to get used to this. I do not want to find myself comfortable to stand and simply open my mouth. It is a blessed thing to fear and tremble in delivering the counsels of this terrible God. I find myself always broken before him with nothing to bring except my obedience, all the words and courage swept out of me. His

Dr. Steve Lawson is in town for four days as guest speaker in a conference held by a local church at the UP Film Institute. The attendees were mostly pastors and leaders from different churches all over the metro, with some coming from far up north and down south. It was an exhaustive talk about expository preaching, with the good doctor drawing from years of experience, and listing down very good points on how to preach better and with more precision. I have restricted my insights regarding the conference to my journal for now, unless I find it necessary to publicize my commentary. Needless to say it lacked the one essential thing I was waiting to hear. The importance of prayer. Come noon time for the meal break, when everyone was getting acquainted with everybody else and most of the people were going out to get their meals, food was the last thing on my mind. Instead I wanted to go somewhere quiet to properly meditate over everything I have heard from the morning part's

From my journal entry. Morning of June 11, 2017. It seems at the most, with the mounting heaviness and grieving which I so find myself occupied with almost all the time now, and the continued decline of worldly care, worry, and public opinion, in my heart, that God Almighty is indeed preparing me for something far greater than I dare think: the final destruction of my putrid self, and the proclamation of God's glorious kingdom to come in Christ Jesus. Along with this honor looms the inevitable prospect of isolation and persecution, which I so welcome and embrace, if only to show my Lord how thankful this unworthy wretch is for his saving grace. To reign with him is also to suffer with him, bearing reproach, that we should enter the kingdom of our God through much suffering and persecution, and to be carried through it only in the strength of God's mercy; for he knows the limit of my person, and where I would fail him. He knows my frame, and remembers that I am but dust

Preached tonight at Muzon, Bulacan, together with my wife, daughters, and son. We gave away at the most all of the tracts we brought for the work, which numbered at a hundred and threescore (160) or so. Was assisted with power in my voice such as never before since I first started witnessing in the open air. People walked past and went back again just to read the inscription on the cross. Those who engaged in enforcing traffic idly, gathered and sat where they were, to listen, people stopped and stood on the sidewalk to look this way and hear the message. Commuters were not spared as well. Only the Lord knows how this work tonight went as I helplessly threw myself at the mercy of Christ, standing there for almost an hour, not knowing what to say, much less how to say it. Until at last his grace came and gave me strength to open my mouth and lift him up, the peace and joy that followed after bearing witness.

This afternoon's silence, after a gentle downpour, is humbling. I can almost hear my thoughts, to which a great part of has more questions than meditations, God alone knows how much a concern my walk with him is, and I would dare not bring myself to be comfortable at the end of the day, even if that is such the case at work, when all the cares of business and family matters rob me of my personal time with him. I also dare not rest on the work at hand, which is currently street witnessing and preaching, and call it a work unto the Lord - because the first commandment is not to preach the gospel, but it is "to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, soul, mind and strength," I am well aware that I can obey dutifully without loving the Lord. I can lay claim that what I do is for his glory - but what does the Lord think of me? As a worshiper? There have been a number of times that I have withdrawn from social media, going as far as to deem them a loss of time

My wife and I were waiting at our table as our dinner was about to be served when I noticed a young lad of about 19 years approach the table beside us and asked the gentleman sitting if he could spare a few minutes to talk to him. It didn't come as a surprise when he was waved away, this rejection coming across as something all too familiar already as I myself have learned since endeavouring to talk with people of differing personalities. I've had numerous instances also in the past where people such as this youth would approach me specially when I am at a meal, either to ask for money, sell me small items, or even delicacies, to raise funds for one reason or another. I also have always consistently declined them, aware of such schemes, but more often than not I simply did not want to give money, but this time thoughts suddenly ran through my mind that clearly told me, "talk to him." I knew then that he would approach us next. He went as if he would have skip