FAIR SUNSHINE

As part of our work, we buy bibles to give away for free. Yes, free. No charge. We believe that we are wasting such a great opportunity in taking our freedom to feast on God's Word for granted, whereas there are parts on this earth where owning a bible meant death. There are persecuted Christian's who go to great lengths to hide and keep torn-off fragments of scripture in their mouths to pass on to other Christians. While they fight for their lives in taking hold of just one piece of paper with a bible verse, we comfortable ingrates need to be reminded to even glance at the cover of our bibles, much less bring them to fellowship because we have fancy phones with bibles in them already. The modern landscape is overflowing with digital bibles yet we are still as dead as a door nail. Such is the dross and lukewarmness of our day. It is in this spirit of urgency and thankfulness for lenient mercy towards our country that we want to take every opportunity to get God's W...

Back in April, when the desire to publicly witness for the Lord was given to me, along with it came help in the form of brethren. It was clear then what the ministry would be founded on, and with what spirit should it proceed with. It was through the kindness of brother Paul Latour of The Word Street Journal that a template from which we were to model our tracts from was provided for us, as well as the inspiration for the Are You Ready cross. Since then the tract has gone through a number of iterations to be able to present the implications of the Law and the saving grace of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ more clearly to Filipinos. Each tract is a labor of love, taken out of our daily allowance and individually cut by hand, and printed on double sided 120 gsm gloss paper. Why mention all of this? That if somehow the Lord would begin a new work in someone soon, I may be of help to them, like the brethren were to us when we needed direction. Second, to remind us that we repr...

I used to massage my grandmother when I was fairly young. I remember crying suddenly one time  while I was massaging her and she turned to ask me why. I told her I just thought that someday she'll die and leave me, and I'll be looking back to that moment that I realized it. She just shrugged. Fast forward 10 years or so to her funeral. There I was staring down at her coffin being lowered in the ground, looking back to that moment that I realized this day back then. Now it's my turn to remind my children how fleeting life really is. When my father got deported here from Japan around 2004, the total time I got to spend with him till he died 2 years ago probably won't even add up to a month. I still have the text message I sent him on the day that he suffered the stroke that led to a three week stay at the hospital. That was the only time in my life that I held his hand as a son. God granted me that I should see him breathe his last. I always remind my children of this...

My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused. I see the things You do through me as great things I have done. And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me And hold me as my father and mold me as my maker. At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged, Knowing that someone, somewhere could do a better job. For who am I to serve You? I know I don't deserve You. And that's the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on. As I walk with You, I'm learning what Your grace really means. The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary. So, instead of trying to repay You, I'm learning to simply obey You By giving up my life to you For all that You've given to me. I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up, When I keep on letting you down? And each time I will fall short of Your glory, How far will forgiveness abound?" And You answer: "My child, I love you. And as long as you're seek...

There are men, of whom God has sent to procure unto himself the end, unto which He hath said, My Word shall not come again unto me void, but shall accomplish the very purpose to which I sent it. These be them who obey, like this man in 1 Kings 13, in delivering the word of the LORD, in burning zeal from the beginning, and eventually come after having done so, to a halt, finding himself under an oak nearly faint from lack of food and water, from all nourishment, which one would assume in himself that after accomplishing that which was bidden him, would treat an offer by a complete stranger, whom he took at his word to be a prophet as he is, to be of God. Just because the offer had in it that which he now needs, did he not bother to confirm with the source of his own revelation, and accepted instead another's, to which he paid dearly with his own life, though he be a mighty man of God. In every instance, God's people are more in danger of being drawn from their duty by the p...

I was both humbled and privileged to speak to the church at Batia, Bulacan, being invited by my brother and the pastor of the church, Jordan Idos. I thoroughly enjoyed encouraging the church to seek the Lord more in prayer and in self-denial. It was overwhelming to exhort the brethren whom I have to come to love so much in my thoughts and prayers. It is my heart's fervent desire, not so much as to see this congregation expand, but that they be, more and more, deeply rooted in the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through much prayer, in fear and reverence, and be on the offensive with regards to taking the good news beyond just the weekly gatherings; starting in their prayer lives, then to their families, then to the church, and finally to the world. We were also able to deliver four of our last stocks of Old and New Tagalog Testaments, and will be bringing more according to their needs in the coming days, God willing.

I have had this for two years now. I reckon that any preacher would know what a bullhorn looks like, i would assume though that only a few would recognize what this is, much less, what it is for. By no means does this earn me anything, it is rather an outward raiment of an oft disposition; a state of the soul at war with the flesh. My foreboding lack and total helplessness always driving me deeper into the soil of Calvary where the puddle of blood still is. That crimson pool fed by the blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. I would lay there on the cold floor and would wish to stay forever, afraid of the sin crouching just outside my door. Of a truth, the safest place on this earth is at the foot of the cross. There must be something about those penitent kings of old who would spend long nights and weeks in this. I would lay there till I fall asleep. Never has it been said anywhere that God keeps our preachings inside a bottle, but He keeps our tears. Neither does it say that th...

It has been over a month since my invitation to connect with the pastor of this small body of believers was sent. I can understand the apprehension and care he exercised in his judgement to accept. It took  pastor Derek's recommendation to finally make the connection. After a short exchange of messages with the pastor we were invited to attend this weekend's worship services at a location 16 kilometers from where we lived. I have been working straight since Saturday morning, the whole week actually, and have just driven home by 6 AM this Sunday, the service was set at 9:15 AM barely giving me time to get some shuteye. Being my age, I cannot do as I seldom did when I still had the life in me, staying up for three days at the most. But now, if I do not get to sleep right I have heavy pains in my chest. But for this day, I would not make excuses not to fellowship with these brethren. Upon arriving, we were fetched at a location by pastor Jordan, whom I deemed to be a kind...

There are times in my 4AM devotions that I sit silently with my eyes closed just to experience how it would be if I were blind. It is a very humbling thought. Of all the senses whose absence is debilitating, none parallels the sight. I have, occasionally, seen blind people traveling alone on the train, with nothing but a stick to move about. It always makes me praise the Creator for endowing such people with resilience many common folk do not have. Perhaps, I would like to believe, if the Lord would grant me my plea of focusing only on him as I move along in life, he would graciously take from me my sight. Glen Thomas was among the five missionary friends who left all and everything to be able to travel the length and breadth of England on foot just to preach the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were to spend three years sleeping under a tent by the side of the road while they preached. On some occasions, in churches, benches, and deserted buildings. They would spend three...

The Lord sent an answer to prayer through an unselfish person, and we were finally able to acquire this much needed tool for our street ministry two months ago. I have always had to detach our dashboard camera from the vehicle to use in our previous outreaches. Body cameras are now an invaluable tool whenever we engage people. First, as a witness to whatever incident should arise out of possible confrontations. Second, as a means to create a video archive for use in our short clips.