FAIR SUNSHINE

I am running a tight deadline for a short work that the LORD sent my way, but be that as it may priorities should dictate choices. It is now Saturday evening, and sleep has been kept from me since Wednesday night. May the LORD who gives to His beloved even in his sleep, abundantly pardon for His name's sake.   Nanay Dita came near to us with a tract already in her hand while Jordan was pleading with the crowd, I went to the lady and asked her if she knew the LORD, and from there a lengthy conversation started. People generally have a wishful thought that although they are not quite sure if they will end up in heaven, hell is never an option. It is always somewhere in between the earth and the sky, and always dependent upon their good works. Sadly I thought this way in my previous life, if I cared at all. This is the typical response of the common folk: they are not sure, or they hope to find themselves in heaven somehow. This is why the gospel is the greatest need of any hour. The ...

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? Matthew 5:46 I believe we do the context of the command to go forth and make disciples a terrible wrong when we begin to chose the people we bring the gospel to. These few weeks of opportunity wherein the good LORD has opened unto us the hearts of the people in this Islamic portion of the town proper has humbled us for the great privilege He has granted us in enabling us to bring the light of the gospel here, and added a new burden for these souls. The people that we have been blessed to share the gospel with one on one both cause us joy and grief. Joy that we are beyond honored to bring the great news of reconciliation to them, and grief that we are speaking unto dead men, that unless the Father quickens their dead hearts in his mercy they can never understand. May the LORD send more laborers into His vineyard.

We do not always have crowds, but we always have people. We do not always have sun, but rains keep the people still long enough to hear the gospel. There was a time when the usual line at our regular fishing hole was not there. The shops were about to close early, and we were walking down each street eager to find a decent number of people but it was near empty. So we decided to walk back and proclaim anyway, regardless. And soon enough God sent people to stop and talk with us. I have learned a new and valuable lesson: Not to see the situation as I perceive it, in vain because there were no people around, but to be faithful in the proclamation. God will see to it that there will be a sure ear to catch every pure and faithful preaching of His precious gospel. I have seen foreign street preachers stand on corners where there is hardly a soul nearby, but they take a stand anyway. We are blessed to have streets that, compared to foreign lands, are never ever empty of people. There is alway...

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  

We have been enabled to consistently minister in the same spot for some weeks now, but this day, there was no line when we arrived. A few people were out in the street as we walked to find a suitable place to stand. Our search took us around the proper and into the market, which was closed early today. So we walked back to out place and decided to faithfully preach the gospel regardless of any crowd. Almost instantly, as we were preparing ourselves to step up, God sent us the first fish, and soon after was followed by souls whom we were able to minister to directly. There were some who stood far off listening towards our direction. Other than the item stand across us, a few passers by. But as we were talking with a group the enforcer on duty tried dispersing us, citing social distancing. R***** also came by and was already listening to the message while I was preaching. He was able to talk with the brothers and I encouraged him after to continue seeking the LORD. Full of blinding se...

Today's errand took me back to Santa Maria. To the drugstore first, and to pay for a near deadline electric bill after. Before leaving I laid face down before God, asking Him for the opportunity to talk with a soul today for His name's sake. God delivered more than what I have asked. I greeted J***** and returned his vibrant smile when he saw me. His enthusiasm was obvious as he only excused himself once in a while when someone came to park or leave. The LORD enabled me to explain in simple words, using stories he can relate to as examples, the whole of his offenses against the law, to which later he admitted: everyone has indeed sinned and is incapable of meriting God's favor, much less His forgiveness. The more he saw the gravity of the law, the more he understood the grace it took for God to give His Son. In Islam, Allah has no son. So, telling him how Jesus was God's Son and Christ was a gentle lesson on compassion and sensitivity. It was a blessed hour-long convers...

I had an errand earlier than we were supposed to go out this afternoon so I went ahead to Sta. Maria and did what I needed to do, after which I went straight to my fishing hole and this small lady was there begging alms. I welcomed this perfect opportunity to have a conversation with a soul. There is a love in me for speaking with these gentle folk that I find it more refreshing to talk patiently with them and listen to their stories. Nanay Yolly is a professing Roman Catholic slash Buddhist who is not quite sure why she believes what she believes. She claims to have studied most religions, yet could not tell who Christ is for her, other than He is God's Son. Presenting the law to her was not easy as she tried justifying her "sinning less than others" until God's wisdom found its way with one sin that she admitted to. Finally towards the end she listened intently as realization set in. The gravity of the law was laid upon her, and found her out for the rebel that she ...

This is the first time we went out after it was declared last weekend that Bulacan will again be under extended quarantine. But today our route was clear, having two checkpoints along the way but neither stopped us the way they did before. At out location, I approached an officer to ask permission if we can stand on the sidewalk to share the gospel and he simply shrugged his shoulder (this same officer stood listening to the whole preaching.) After a short while another officer parked in front of us seemingly intending to question us. Using amplification is not allowed, and in this instance we did use our speaker. But before he can say a word I handed him a tract. He read it for a while. Looked back at us, probably thinking what to do, and just drove away. We are not supposed to be here, because under the applied quarantine, we are not allowed to leave and cross over to the next town, but we took a chance and left it all to the LORD. We did exercise prudence, and did not push to preac...

Two mothers in the church took it upon themselves to travel 36 miles weekly on public commute to bring the good news of Christ to their former neighbors. Our church is poor, I thank the LORD for that, and these mothers support their own fares out of their own pockets. May the LORD be their exceeding reward. Two of our youths also accompanied them on this particular day, one of which was not allowed by her father to go because of the imposed quarantine, but she went anyway. It is worth noting that the commute home in the evening takes four to five hours. Especially under quarantine. The public transport refused to take them further than where he intended to go, and even charged them unfairly. So they were forced to go down under the rain to be stranded in an inconvenient part of the road where getting a ride is next to impossible because of the sizeable number of people who were also stranded. The church prayed and tried getting a cab for them online without success, but...