FAIR SUNSHINE

A minister of the Lord is made by faith and prayer. Never by enthusiasm, which is what much of our ministry is in our age. We want to do more, and wait less. Though we will not admit it, it is all through us and a little bit through the Lord. After all, we want him to bless every endeavor we have that has the word ministry behind it.  Giving away tracts, handing out bibles, preaching under the heat of the sun: all vain practices among the heathen who has no eyes to see, no ears to hear, and no heart to understand. I can do all I can ever do and still end up with nothing but empty hope; but faith, patience, and most specially prayer are never disappointed. I can preach with all my might and learn all I can learn, and give all I can give for the Lord, yet end up void of the Spirit and the holiness of God that ought to manifest mightily, had I prayed as much as I ought to pray. God only gets into the work through prayer. Much prayer. It is after the people prayed that the place i...

I was sitting on a bench at the market waiting to hand out bibles for what seemed to be the right people, unaware that somebody already sat beside me. I noticed at the corner of my eye that she started eating her lunch from a plastic sack, surrounded by large plastic bags that had clothes in it. She was a street dweller by the looks of it. I thanked the Lord. The patient wait yielded fruit. The fish was brought to me. Conversing with strangers isn't really my thing. I will probably never get used to the massive apprehensions that overwhelm me in waves every time. But once you get the first word out, it always plays itself out, like water pouring into a bottle. Marie lives on the street. She has relatives in Tarlac but she doesn't know where and how to travel home, let alone raise the expenses to do so. She worked in Hong Kong as a domestic helper years ago, and upon arriving home landed a job at the local mall as a cashier. After some issues with the management re...

I have these past weeks asked the Lord for renewed passion for the edification of the bride and body of Christ. Along with this came a realization that the gospel is ordained to go forth by no other means than through the beloved bride of Christ. All my gifts are to be used for the edification of the saints. All efforts done outside the church and that which bypasses the church is borne out of stubborn pride, ignorance, and foolishness. Oh how I long to see the church living the resurrection power of the risen Christ, where the lost should find rest. But while troubles beset thee from all sides, I will offer thee comfort. Look to the Lord. Why are you downcast, O soul? Why the unease within? Put your hope in God, for you shall yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence. The Spirit and the bride say, Come. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

This documentary is worth the share. It vividly presents the very center of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and exposes the mask of the false god of prosperity masquerading as the gospel. This is the 40 minute version of a 2 hour movie, complete with testimonies at the end. After much searching I found the site where the movie is available for the Philippines and immediately bought it to have the brethren watch it as well. May the Lord alone be glorified.

It has become increasingly difficult for Christians who work in the corporate world not to be affected in one way or another, as society embraces the very things the Lord has condemned. I have been formally unemployed since September of last year for refusing to work on a sodomite movie, yet the Lord has honored me, faithfully providing for my family while giving us the means to provide for our personal ministry's needs as well. I believe in the gift of work. I am thankful for work. But it comes far behind my desire to obey my God, however imperfectly. Needless to say, in my situation, I cannot in good conscience live off the ministry. I thank the Lord I am not a pastor, that I am not constrained to recieve compensation for service. Two brothers have sent me money on occasion, but it all went to the purchase of Bibles and tracts. Like Paul, I prefer to work well with the hands I have been given, and with the Lord blessing me with several skills, I can enjoy a wider selection o...

Last February 2nd, the Lord granted us as a church to meet together for prayer behind a field  before sunrise. We have been exhorting the brethren for the urgency and need for prayer these past months, and the desire slowly approximated to its culmination this day. There are many burdens that the church universal cry out for and these are petitioned, followed by the breaking of bread. This is observed every first Saturday of the month, and by the Lord's grace we are on our third month now. Truly, we will accomplish more on our knees than all our possible labors combined, and the moment we depend upon our own strength to carry on with the work is the day we cease to pray. We indeed sow, but tis God who sends, who owns the seed, who makes the faith grow, who gives the increase, and who receives all the glory. The sower may indeed sow the seed of the word, but he afterwards sleeps and knows not how the leaves break forth, or how nature takes it course. God's work may cont...

The church body led by their pastor, brother Jordan, went out this morning to minister around their area of Bocaue, Bulacan. I am elated to learn the youth also stood to proclaim the gospel. May the Lord be pleased to prune them more to be fruitful: both in the fear of Him, and love for the lost. Photo credits: Jordan Idos

Our weekly date nights as a couple include becoming fools for the Lord's sake. The biggest problem every time we go out to minister is the question 'where". But today it was a brief answer impressed upon my wife: Novaliches. And so we drove out twenty-four kilometres late in the afternoon to my old hometown. Bayan, Novaliches, has dramatically changed since I last saw it, howbeit for the better. The crowd is much more organized and although business has grown, order is now imposed and maintained. We walked for about a kilometre from where we found parking, going from street to street and back. Till in our search for where the Lord wanted us to stand we passed by the police precinct, which I remembered being a basketball court some twenty years ago. The Lord impressed upon us to give the bibles away to the officers instead, who were in formation at this time. After we asked permission from the desk, we handed out our stash to this group of thankful individuals. I ha...