FAIR SUNSHINE

"Ace" was dozing off on a ledge when I tried nudging him. He didn't budge at the first few tries. But when I asked him, "want to eat?" he sheepishly opened his eyes and sat up.  "Have you eaten yet?" "Later I hope, sir." "When did you last eat?" "Last night. " "If I give you something to buy food with, where will you get some?" He pointed to a fish ball stall across the street. "How about you going there to get what you want? Buy me a jelly drink as well, then come back here so we can eat together and talk." As Ace was over at the stall, I asked the LORD, "how do I do this, what do I say? Have mercy , LORD.. please. For your name."   I tried looking for him, thinking maybe he ran off. But after a short while he came back with a small meal in his hand, and a drink for him and me. He ate his snack, I drank my "gulaman" (jelly) , and asked how his parents were. His father was incarcer...

On his way to our outreach in Susano Market Novaliches last week, Jhet took this route to Zabarte and passed by this perfect place. This long street was full of people from end to end, having two supermarkets alongside one another and a main intersection at the head. And so it pleased the LORD to enable us to travel back to minister here. We met up to fetch Moureen early at Muzon and took the longer route via SM Tunko, making a turn at Malaria to arrive at this exciting place. Another brother who joined us last week was again on his way here to join us. We wasted no time in asking a nearby enforcer if we can stand by the sidewalk to preach. Neil finally made it halfway through the pleading, commuting 5 long rides from Pasig City just to join us. Bless his heart. Both these precious souls are fruits of the LORD's work with this ministry. We have been marvelously gifted with young people who have a burning passion to bring the gospel to the people. Another dau...

We returned to Novaliches to finally fulfill my burden for this particular place. A good 56 kilometer trip under the blazing summer heat. The original plan was to meet up Jet in Muzon, Bulacan by 7 AM and travel together to our target. But after waiting for 30 minutes as providence would have it, we proceeded without our brother. In spite of having apprehensions that my and daughter and I would have to labor alone today, I left the matter to the LORD. We arrived around 9:30 AM and received a message from home that the brothers were already on their way. I thanked Father. But being unfamiliar with all the changes the place had undergone, I realized there was no familiar spot where we can meet. I also had no communication with them. So I asked Father to lead the brothers to where we were. Surely enough, after some time waiting He did. Making our way inside the wet market we were guided to this particular street behind the main road. The crowd had already started thinning out by this time...

Journal entry. Early morning 2.37AM. 8th of April. Book study.   The providence of God is highly irregular to the world, and oftentimes even to His church. But what we conceive as self-centered creatures to be a disadvantage, God uses for His glory. There is nothing that happens that is not for that very purpose.  Men will readily nod in agreement to this, but their prayer concerns speak differently of a God who is not aware of what happens to His children. We half believe in God's providence only to the point that it is beneficial to us. We believe His providence when it blesses us, but then ask to remove all and every instance of it, when it weighs us down. We bless God for common grace, and rightfully so, but question His hand when common life is disturbed. We question His hand when good people are brought low, and evil people are exalted. It seems to be out of order when the very people of God languish in sickness, afflictions, and poverty - yet we acknowledge at the same...

Caloocan border. This is a heavily congested place. The authorities were very stern in turning away everyone who was not scheduled to do their market today. There was a military presence on every corner. I noticed all the people had their large tags visibly dangling for ready inspection. So I asked the fellow beside me if the quarantine pass was needed. "Of course. They take anyone who has no pass immediately to the precinct." Upon hearing this I realized I may have been the only one there who had no pass. I felt special. Having walked around the place as I gave away tracts even to the military and the authorities, I came back to where I parked close by. It doesn't look like distancing was enforced, you just need to have the face props. I approached the enforcers and politely asked the team leader if it was possible for me to read the bible on the corner without having a pass. Mumbling something incoherent about having no quarantine pass as illegal, he then p...

There are men, of whom God has sent to procure unto himself the end, unto which He hath said, My Word shall not come again unto me void, but shall accomplish the very purpose to which I sent it. These be them who obey, like this man in 1 Kings 13, in delivering the word of the LORD, in burning zeal from the beginning, and eventually come after having done so, to a halt, finding himself under an oak nearly faint from lack of food and water, from all nourishment, which one would assume in himself that after accomplishing that which was bidden him, would treat an offer by a complete stranger, whom he took at his word to be a prophet as he is, to be of God. Just because the offer had in it that which he now needs, did he not bother to confirm with the source of his own revelation, and accepted instead another's, to which he paid dearly with his own life, though he be a mighty man of God. In every instance, God's people are more in danger of being drawn from their duty by the p...

It's been more than a decade since I took the train from this point of the Light Rail Transit, which nis now hooked up to its EDSA line. The way I remembered it when I was still taking the commute, it was more chaotic, and the crowd numbering by the thousands every morning, which makes this a perfect place to fish, as was directed to us last night by the Lord when brother Roland asked me where we can meet to minister on his day-off. This line extends longer than the SM North line, with two separate queues coming from opposite directions. Slower moving as well, giving us ample time to present the Gospel in its entirety. The tracts we brought flew off our hands easily. I reckon even a thousand would still be short as the people steadily asked for a tract even before the previous one left my hand. We were assisted with power today in delivering the law, the Lord's redemption, the judgement to come, and Christ Jesus crucified who was raised from the dead. The crowd was visi...