FAIR SUNSHINE

It is noted with both sorrow and a certain holy triumph that the adherents of the Muslim faith grew restless toward the conclusion of the message, when all they heard proclaimed was the singular fact of Jesus dying upon the Cross. Their hearts recoiled, for they desired not to hear the secret sins of their own souls drawn out into the light of the open day; nor, indeed, could they abide the offense of hearing a mere prophet declared to be the very Saviour of perishing sinners. We recall the words of that mighty evangelist, Whitefield, who testified: "I was honored to have rotten eggs and pieces of a dead cat thrown at me as I preached Christ." Though I have suffered some measure of resistance and the sharp word of threat before, alas, I have not yet been granted such a glorious distinction. The Lord God Almighty hath, in His boundless and mysterious grace, often brought me to the very brink of that bitter cup, yet hath He not commanded me to drink it down. But the soul res...

We will be joining the churches of Lubbock Reformed Church, Grace Covenant Reformed Church, and some from Vanguard Presbytery, for a thanksgiving fast this coming 29th of December to worship the God of heaven and earth for His bountiful blessings, His exceedingly gracious answers to prayer this past year, for taking us to deeper waters, and to petition His mighty hand for the coming year.  May we see greater manifestations of His grace in our daily family worship, our personal devotions, our deepening of the faith, our desire to know Him daily through His Word, and to remain in constant awe at His majesty and mercy.

God is clearly directing my steps, from diving into a study of the Covenants and now into Biblical theology. The importance of learning this subject cannot be overemphasized enough. As I progress into it I realize the utter illiteracy of modern Christians who are desperately unable to translate the truths of Scripture to everyday troubles and therefore have absolutely no desire to go into serious Bible study since they cannot see the hope there is at the end. This is partly because the pulpit leaves out the uniformity of God's counsel in redemptive history as a progressive revelation in an unfolding fashion in their study. The beauty of God's Word is turned into something merely academic when Scripture is understood to be a collection of disconnected stories and not part of a whole, and thus it falls outside the interest of the layman. He cannot make anything of it. An understanding of B iblical theology addresses these and more. Typology - Understanding the Bible's Promise...

Father led me to Brother Ryan Denton , and in turn, led me to the praying brothers and sisters of Grace Covenant Reformed Church. It is clear as day. This is not to deprecate or look down upon the faith and conviction of brethren in Christ who were "raised" to believe differently. I thank the LORD for His Sovereign hand in my affairs. The enemy meant it for evil, but God meant it for good (Genesis 15:20) . My motive is never to divide but to emphasize the distinctions in church government and polity.  The absence of accountability in churches run by a single pastor is severely open to error and abuse, whether by overzealousness or lack thereof. It has led to unnecessary hurt and even hostilities between people who are supposed to love one another. Despite the command, the "gang" mentality still holds sway as personality overshadows Christ-like love. Coming from two downcast but God-sent experiences that opened my eyes to this crucial issue, Presbyterianism embodied ...

The Powerlessness of the Assembly   Let this truth be settled upon every man's conscience without equivocation: The Church, that visible gathering of men, possesses no inherent power to save a single soul. Nay, the Church, in its simplest and purest definition, is merely the blessed assembly of those already saved by the effectual grace of God. By itself, the assembly is but a powerless vessel, a candle left unused and unlit. The awe-inspiring power to rescue a soul from eternal death was never, at any time, granted to the assemblies or hierarchies of men. That divine authority and efficacious might come solely and exclusively from the Holy Spirit, who moves to empower the one and only means of salvation that God Himself has eternally ordained: the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a blessed, unassailable truth that God alone saves through the Gospel alone. To God be all the glory, for He requires no human assistance in the mystery of redemption! Let us bow our hearts ...

The great thoroughfare was not merely crowded, but a veritable ocean of souls, pressing in upon us with a boisterous and dense throng. Yet, praise be to God, though they were neither openly antagonistic to the sacred message nor swiftly accommodating to its truth, their very presence bespoke a spiritual hunger, even if unacknowledged. To pierce this hardened shell of the world's indifference, I employed a humble but effective strategy. Observing a sturdy fishmonger—a man of the common folk, toiling honestly for his bread—I used his own likeness to paint the divine scene. I thus transposed the ancient parable of the haughty Pharisee and the penitent Tax Collector into a language that spoke directly to their daily lives and simple understanding. Our limited stock of Gospel tracts were all disbursed precisely as the final word left my lips. Forty-five long minutes it took, a testament to the sheer volume of the multitude! Yet, let us not gloss over the shadow that ever accompanies the...

Biblical Theology is a fascinating study for me. This will be helpful before I start on my systematic study early next year Lord willing. I prefer an actual book than digital versions. There is just something missing when reading using the phone. I for one love the smell of fresh pages. The canonical, thematic and ethical book is  beautiful, while the New Dictionary is what I am currently using this semester.

Behold, the Lord hath performed a marvel before our very eyes! She received the glad tidings without the least hesitation, embracing the Gospel immediately and without apprehension of the cost or consequence. The contrast between her former state and the spiritual beauty of her person now is as striking and undeniable as the difference betwixt night and the full clarity of day. I am filled with a profound sense of awe before the majesty of the Sovereign LORD! Whenever I am privileged to hear the very utterances of her heart ascend in prayer, I am instantly reminded, with fresh and unburdened certainty, of how truly wonderful and efficacious is the heart-changing, sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. This is a living testament to the efficacy of Divine grace!

It is with indwelling sin as with a river. Whilst the springs and fountains of it are open, and waters are continually supplied unto its streams, set a dam before it, and it causeth it to rise and swell until it bear down all or overflow the banks about it. Let these waters be abated, dried up in some good measure in the springs of them, and the remainder may be coerced and restrained. But still, as long as there is any running water, it will constantly press upon what stands before it, according to its weight and strength, because it is its nature so to do; and if by any means it make a passage, it will proceed.   So is it with indwelling sin; whilst the springs and fountains of it are open, in vain is it for men to set a dam before it by their convictions, resolutions, vows, and promises. They may check it for a while, but it will increase, rise high, and rage, at one time or another, until it bears down all those convictions and resolutions, or makes itself an under-ground passa...

"I am afraid," I confessed to my devoted wife as we prepared to commence the solemn work. The truth must be told: I have always been afraid. There has never been a single season when this natural man was not thus afflicted. I carry the endless, tempting voice of excuses running through my head, a train thundering but three inches from my spirit. Her steady words were a staff of strength to my trembling soul: "I would simply tell the people that salvation is found only in Christ." Immediately, I could almost hear the quiet, searching voice of the Lord Master asking me: "Since you first began this appointed labour, have you ever lacked anything?" And the answer is borne out by all my experience: Nothing, O Lord! You have always, always been faithful to supply the necessary grace for the present hour. I must confess and pray: Forgive this miserable servant. Glorify Your Holy Name through my weakness. The journey to the Angat Public Market is a distance of ...

After the first location, taking the familiar route that leads toward the Saint Joseph burial ground in San Jose del Monte, passing near the bounds of San Nicolas, my attention was arrested by a sight most unexpected: a great throng of souls gathered at the entrance of a cemetery hitherto unnoticed and hidden from my sight, despite my frequent passing. Truly, the hand of divine providence was unmistakably at work on that ground, for this quiet, obscure corner—hitherto deserted—was now animated by a continuous and steady stream of souls, moving both in and out. Having fulfilled my small duty within the sacred enclosure, distributing my meager handful of tracts to those remembering their dead, I felt a sudden, holy stirring of the spirit. I made my humble approach to the constabulary officers stationed at the portal. With a bowed heart, I requested their  permission to proclaim the eternal Word to the assembled multitude. To my profound astonishment and gratitude, these men of earthl...

Even as the afternoon waned, and the heavens wept with a heavy, persistent drizzle, the people did flock with an unceasing devotion to the graves of the departed. What a providential, solemn moment to stand amidst the monuments of the dead and remind the living that our sovereign God owes no man the assurance of another earthly day! The purpose of this gathering, therefore, is truly not about the state of those who sleep, but rather about the unsettled condition of the living—those who, in a space of time all too swift, shall themselves take their turn at that final resting place, to be visited by their own mourning kin. The truth is stark and urgent: Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation, for the tolling bell of eternity waits for no man's convenience! Indeed, the Good LORD, in direct answer to humble petition, had prepared a most favourable station for my voice, positioning me directly alongside the long table where the Barangay officials were seated. Though my H...

Journal Entry. Evening. 30th of October. 2023 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? Proverbs 24:11 In the pitch of night, a great ship upon the ocean did begin to sink. With an innumerable number of souls on board, and in less time than it takes to tell it, all manner of people—from strongest man to smallest child—were cast into the darkness, flailing helplessly in the freezing waters.  Amidst the fearful screaming, the ship's crew did launch their boats. One sailor, taking charge of a single lifeboat, spent a full thirty minutes pulling the drowning from the waves, one by one, with all the strength he possessed. As this poor sailor strained every muscle for the lives still in peril, those who were already safe in the boat did simply...

The children's Genesis book study comes to a close ( by the Lord's grace), and anticipation is high as we announced the start of our Exodus study next week Lord willing.  This is our second major review of the events taken up from creation all the way to Joseph. The study of Genesis was a great opportunity to thoroughly explain that God created only male and female, to talk about the perversion that is homosexuality, and its modern day attempt to corrupt children's minds and destroy the family.  Today's reviews were about the experiential application of Scripture. To teach them how to react biblically regarding scenarios with their family, friends, about forgiveness, telling the truth, the evils of lying and cursing, and Christ's finished work on the cross being the only way back to God apart from works.That salvation is through Christ alone. It was very humbling to hear them answering advanced trivia about Genesis and about our catechism studies. Here the children ...

It is observed that certain parents of the children in our charge also permit them to attend neighboring assemblies, which are often governed more by the practice of distributing earthly gifts to the attendees. Yet, it hath been the source of great and humble encouragement to us that the teachers within those very congregations are often struck with surprise and awe. They find that our children know the books of the Sacred Scriptures far more thoroughly than their instructors, and moreover, can explain their way through the intricate Genesis narrative with a clarity that testifies to true spiritual apprehension. This is a gratuitous sign of blessing upon our humble efforts. It confirms the eternal truth that the giving of mere gifts fades away, but the faithful implanting of sound, biblical doctrine doth yield a fruit that cannot be denied or easily suppressed by the world's passing novelties. It hath also come to our grateful attention how the students, even when engaged in play o...

The LORD, in His great and enduring faithfulness, doth continue to prosper His own labour in our midst! We mark with deep gratitude the growth of our young assembly this very week, recalling that this work began with but a handful of children in our class. I declare with unwavering certainty that my heart shall never grow weary of emphasizing this marvelous truth: We did but humbly petition our Heavenly Father to commence a work amongst the families residing within this compound; and yet, the Father hath answered us abundantly, exceeding even the bounds of our own asking, by powerfully drawing the little children unto Himself! It is becoming clear, by the gracious unfolding of His design, that the true and lasting change in these households will first affect the younger generation, and that the work of regeneration shall originate within the quiet sanctuary of their own domestic life, rather than being forced upon them from the external world. Let the soul be humbled, and let the heart...