FAIR SUNSHINE

I honestly know little of the ministry of this blessed missionary couple, but I know the gospel enough to recognize it preached biblically. Last Sunday was their 2nd official service since starting as bible studies. And we are well pleased to ride out and support them in fellowship. I bless the LORD for brother Warren's Facebook post. Bulacan is a place ripe for the gospel. Praise God for sending more laborers here who have a heart for Christ and people. Perhaps I would be writing more about them in the days to come. May the LORD prosper His Word in Bulacan through their lives and the church. Grace Plant Santa Maria is a reformed baptist church, led by brother Reuben Saywell and his lovely wife Cathy.

New additions to the puritan collection: Keil and Delitzsch on Isaiah, and Calvin on the Psalms. I am not keeping books for the purpose of collecting them. I read them and use them. There are some books in my library I am reading simultaneously from cover to cover for research, and there are some that I use mainly when I prepare a message. K&D is a huge collection, and so is Calvin's commentary. But the LORD gives to me only according to the necessity at hand. Right now these find their new home on my shelf.

Revisiting the message that provoked much prejudice and contradiction against us, and my stand on the reformed faith questioned. And just as it says in the message, God crowns our graces with suffering (trials). Sovereignly it was the cause of which I eventually was to praise God for, in bringing me into the correct and biblical form of church government, creed, and confession, under which I am now, and wholeheartedly adhere to.  Listen to the whole of the message. It is about patience being the fruit of faith tried, not the cause or means of salvation. But alas, there are those who, for lack of grace and discernment, are Pharisaic in their strictness to the letter, who when misunderstanding a linguistic inch sentences it equal to the length of total heresy.  We do hard work, toiling with our own hands. When we are verbally abused, we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure, when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world’s dirt and scum, even now

I have been graciously enabled to finish 3 books this last month, and have begun anew with John Owen's volume 6. Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics Volume 3 is a slow read and I am currently at page 346 of its 595 pages. I am still getting accustomed to its deep takes on some subjects that I previously thought to be simple. I am here sharing some of the notes I gleaned from one of the more helpful titles I have in my library. The Christian Pastor's Manual: on the chapter The Qualifications Necessary: Spiritual instructors need wisdom for rightly man aging their public discourses. They should adapt the choice of their subjects to the particular circumstances and necessities of their hearers as wise householders, giving to everyone his portion of meat in due season; they should compose their sermons so that the lowest may understand and the most judicious have no cause to despise them, and so as neither unnecessarily to offend the weak nor give advantage to the maliciously criticiz

Last year, I was told indirectly by a pastor, "I am an ordained elder. You are not." Thereafter the poor congregation was threatened unnecessarily with carefully chosen excerpts from Calvin's Institutes to refrain from corresponding with me from that day forward, and if I were to take just one, I would be a wolf.  This is the kind of darkened pride that would rather watch sheep drown, than praise God for leading them to greener pastures. Father has always led me through the narrow path right from the very beginning, and He is not about to let go of me now.   Contrary to what most believe, that numbers and success dictates the health of a church, I have absolutely no desire to add another soul to my accountability on judgement day. I am terrified and joyful at the same time, for the small sheep entrusted to me. Small in number yes, but in awe of God's majesty and gracious election. I would rather be Smyrna, than Ephesus. It was by God's good graces that I responded

Today marks the 9th month this set has been asked of from Father. And now He has graciously provided. John Owen is now a guest in our home. I will enjoy learning from him. The Works of John Owen Doctrinal (volumes 1-5). Of particular value in this section are: On the Person and Glory of Christ (vol. 1); Communion with God (vol. 2); Discourse on the Holy Spirit (vol. 3): Justification by Faith (vol. 5). To master such works as these, Spurgeon wrote, is to be a profound theologian."  Practical (volumes 6-9). Especially worthy here are Mortification of Sin, Temptation, Exposition of Psalm 130 (vol. 6): and Spiritual Mindedness (vol. 7). Volumes 8 and 9 are comprised of sermons. These volumes are suited for the average layperson and have immense practical benefit.  Controversial (volumes 10-16). Noteworthy are The Death of Death in the Death of Christ and Divine justice (vol. 10); The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance (vol. 11); True Nature of a Gospel Church and The

Part 11 of our study into the Counsel of Peace.  The Intra-Trinitarian pact that was founded in eternity past by the three persons of the Godhead.  The Father purposed to bring a people to Himself.  The Son redeemed them by His death, and by it imputed His own righteousness to them. The Spirit empowering, sanctifying and preserving them unto glory.  The study of the covenants from Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to David, up to the consummation of Christ, opens wide the magnificent grandeur of God's marvelous design for His own glory from eternity past to eternity future, and empowers His own elect to hope in the God who is forever faithful and unfailing in all His promises and counsel.      April 2 Order of Worship • Call to worship: Habakkuk 2: 20 - 3:17-19 • Confession of Sins: Isaiah 58 • Corporate Prayer • Assurance of Pardon Micah 7 : 18-19 • Affirmation of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism Day 10 Question 27 - 28 • Old Testament reading: Deuteronomy 17 : 14-20 • New Tes

Part 10 of our study into the Counsel of Peace.  The Intra-Trinitarian pact that was founded in eternity past by the three persons of the Godhead.  The Father purposed to bring a people to Himself.  The Son redeemed them by His death, and by it imputed His own righteousness to them. The Spirit empowering, sanctifying and preserving them unto glory.  The study of the covenants from Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to David, up to the consummation of Christ, opens wide the magnificent grandeur of God's marvelous design for His own glory from eternity past to eternity future, and empowers His own elect to hope in the God who is forever faithful and unfailing in all His promises and counsel. March 26 Order of Worship • Call to worship : Ezekiel 36 : 16-32 • Confession of Sins : Deuteronomy 5 : 2-21 • Corporate Prayer • Assurance of Pardon : Colossians 1 : 10-14 • Affirmation of Faith : Heidelberg Catechism Day 9 : Question 26  • Old Testament reading : Deuteronomy 17 : 1-7  • New

The Preeminent Christ by Paul Washer Much of the precious saints struggle daily in the realities of this life. But that is only because they looking at nothing else at the moment but their problems. Looking unto Jesus as the immovable rock shifts our gaze from the unstable to the stable. From despair to hope. From turmoil to comfort and rest. From wishes to the reality of Christ in God. "This short but substantial read of 98 pages declares the unmatched significance of the good news of Jesus Christ. Compelled by a desire for men to know God’s love, Washer draws from the church’s greatest theologians to herald Christ’s centrality in revelation, salvation, sanctification, study, proclamation, and glory. The Preeminent Christ will stimulate readers to forsake their tendency to view worldly “needs” as central by zealously seeking this Christ in the gospel." Barnes and Noble Contents: Prolegomenon An Apology The Essential Content of the Gospel The Same Gosp