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Showing posts from August, 2023

Peace With The Children

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This was the first major review of all the past lessons in the Old Testament, Catechism and the Decalogue we've covered since the children's church began several months ago. The sheer enthusiasm they bring every week is just so humbling and encouraging. These children belong to a large clan of conflicting families. They practically despise each other, but now by God's grace their children enjoy fellowship with one another. This is something that was not here when we arrived three years ago. Originally we thought of accepting only those above 9 years of age, reasoning that those below 9 might only distract the older ones. But the Lord in His word said not to hinder the children from coming to Him. So now we are thankful even for our little ones. God has blessed our concern by touching their hearts with exemplary behavior: they are very attentive, love participating, and are well behaved. We can only pray the LORD would use these little ones to minister in their own homes and

New Grounds

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An open door presented itself last week, sovereignly I might add, when Pastor Leonardo Galanza of Center for Biblical Studies Institute and Seminary in Rizal sent me an invite asking if I would be interested to join their classes for this year. But of course, I would love to study! If only to know more of Christ! The one thing that stood in the way was the absence of funds. I appreciated the kind Pastor's invite and thanked him, replying, "I will have to pray about this first," and asked the LORD for provision should it be His will I study. After asking in prayer that Saturday night I submitted my application. The following morning, while I was thinking about items I could sell for the cost of the class, an email greeted me - money unsolicited came in from the US that covers what I need. I did not tell anyone of my need but the LORD, and in the usual way He sent an instant answer to prayer. This does not surprise me, for the LORD has always answered according to our

Revisiting Grace Plant Santa Maria

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Last Lord's day after finishing with our worship service we headed out again to Grace Plant Santa Maria Reformed Baptist Church, after brother Reuben graciously invited us to their in-house service prior to their flight back to the UK. Lord permitting he will be back next month to continue with the work. It is always precious to be around people who love to talk about Christ. Brother Reuben is such a man. With regards to the general state of Christendom here in Bulacan, the city itself being huge, it is also an open door that is perfect for the planting of the gospel. Sadly public preaching here locally is a trivial church activity. A tedious chore no average professing church-goer will undertake - unless either the church is going, or they are asked to. It is not something the nominal attendee will have a burning passion for. The darkness prevails because the gospel is mostly kept within closed walls. The gospel is not preached to the people because the pastors do not believe it t

Heritage From The Lord

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Yes, children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Children born during one’s youth are like arrows in a warrior’s hand. How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! They will not be put to shame when they confront enemies at the city gate. Psalms 127:3-5

The Kingdom Of God Belong To Such As These

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We have been waiting on the LORD since being sovereignly placed in this location the very first month of year 2000. Wondering yet as to how we can lift up Christ with no resources or support, save for God's faithfulness. Since starting with our nightly bible study series He has been pleased to bless His work not only with souls but more importantly with the right direction as to how to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. For us it is of no importance to start a work for Christ, if it be not according to His prescription. From the lesson of Nadab and Nabihu, God has clearly revealed how He is to be worshipped.  We would not have learned about the beautiful practice of elevated reverence for scripture and its proper place in sacred worship if Father had not sovereignly taken us from our previous denominations. Furthermore, it is evident from His placing us on the route of scriptural worship that He takes great care to ensure that we have a lamp at our feet and a light at our path. Ev

Be Thou My Vision

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As the daily worship of God has become the primary point of our small gathering, more than the weekly gathering, so the need to properly align ourselves with scriptural truths becomes primary. God has given us His very own prescriptions on how to worship Him and enjoy ourselves in rendering it; this book aims to compile portions of them. "Every Christian knows the importance of a daily quiet time with the Lord. But anyone who’s been a believer long enough has likely experienced seasons that feel more mundane or routine, leading to aimlessly skimming a couple of Bible verses or praying the same prayer over and over." "In Be Thou My Vision, Jonathan Gibson has created a 31-day liturgical guide designed to provide structure to the daily worship of individuals and families. Each daily reading includes a call to worship, adoration, confession, assurance, creed and catechism, the Gloria Patri, a prayer of illumination, Bible reading, intercessory prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer.

Brethren Praying For Us

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We have been graciously gifted by the LORD with interceding brethren from Lubbock Reformed Church in Texas and Grace Covenant Reformed Church in New Mexico who are partakers of our labors in this part of Father's vineyard. His hand is greatly manifest both in the work and in our spiritual preservation. I do not say this loosely, for I have never been under greater spiritual oppression than presently, and my dependency upon God's grace made more clear. It is one thing to read "praying" in the comments section of posts asking for prayer, it is quite a different thing to listen to brethren actually intercede on your behalf, much more when they plead for you in their secret closet. I find it shallow and superficial to actually tell the brother for the sake of letting him know that I am praying for him. Let him see the LORD's hand moving himself and glorify Him, as God answers me in my secret closet in behalf of him. I believe with all my heart that as sure as God has