FAIR SUNSHINE

 

God has graciously directed us to this part of Bulacan to minister to the people flocking into the cemeteries. We planned to assist the church in today's public ministry in another proposed part of the city but I had the impression that the motive was not for the benefit of the gospel. I have never viewed public proclamation to be a picnic outing, in the sense that those who are expected to bring the good news to the public will not do so unless they go in a group, or with a companion. This I believe is one of the main hindrances of the gospel's furtherance. I am always fearful when I go out alone but I will do so in spite of that fear. Yes, a brother or a group is much preferred, but that is not always the case. Regardless if I go alone or a friend goes with me, I still will go. Praise be to the Lord of heaven and earth, I have a faithful companion with me in this war. The gospel was proclaimed before a passive crowd of passers-by, but the real audience were the ...

After three days of continuous work at home my spirit was screaming for release. What better way to drive away the restlessness than to joyfully labor for the kingdom? My wife and I drove out to Tunko, Bulacan, to minister and give away tracts, to make this day count for the three that I lost. One particular man who parked on the side of the busy street received a tract. He read it thoroughly it seems, taking his time, and after which stared blankly into space for the twice the time he spent reading the tract. Was God dealing with him? I will probably never know. May the Lord give the increase, for his great name's sake.

Every month is nothing special to me. For a long time now I have not observed or celebrated my birthday, nor my wife's or children's. Not even Christmas. From the day I realized what the Lord has done for me every day has been thanksgiving day. I have begun to question my motives regarding public ministry lately, choosing at times to go out without the camera, to see for myself if I can wholeheartedly minister even without an audience.    It seems that nowadays, even preachers want everybody else to know what they do. Do some go out for the sake of posting content? I wouldn't know and I do not think anyone would admit to doing so. I was reminded to continue recording simply for documentation and safety purposes. So I have slowly stepped away from publicizing the ministry's movements since last month. Save for sharing an occasional insight or two on Facebook, I've resorted to other networking apps where I don't have many followers, therefore I am still able to d...

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...

My stomach was churning throughout the whole 2 and a half hour drive to the place. Enough time for the Lord to remind me why we are going there in the first place: for HIM. No other reason. Not for preaching. Not for converts. Not for tracts. Not for anything we have no control or authority over. I am more than pleased and praise God's wisdom in employing me where I am weakest in three points related: 1. Public speaking. 2. Illiterate (in the seminary and pastoral degree sense) and number 3, public speaking. (Sorry, I just had to emphasize.) I may stand there for over an hour without speaking. I wait on the Lord for his words, because the last thing I would want is to give the people a piece of my mind. God knows the people. I don't. And so I throw myself at his mercy and silently say to myself, "Have mercy on me o God.. let me lift up Christ.. I believe in the Holy Spirit," over and over. Once the first words come out, I can hardly stop at all. A gusher breaks o...

After holding House Church we drove out to a local mall a few kilometers from where we lived. I have always imagined myself standing here before, but now it has come to pass. The family team went to their designated positions and handed out tracts while I stood in the middle of the road with the cross - praying repeatedly in silence for the Lord to send just one that evening. After a while he gently told me to change location and walk further up the road. So I did. It didn't take long for this fellow to cross the street towards me and ask what the cross was about. He asked, "Kuya, para saan yan? Handa saan?" (Brother, what is that for? Ready for what?) I answered, "para sa araw na tatayo ka sa harap ni Lord para managot sa lahat sa buhay mo." (For the day that you will stand before God and give an account for everything in your life.) That was a good 30 minutes of us talking intently and seriously about salvation and judgement, and what God was ...

We headed out to Tunko, near the boundary of Caloocan, not far from a famous Catholic landmark called Grotto. This is another busy intersection that has people coming in and out from four directions. The first time as well, for this place and us, that the cross was lifted high above the people for all to see. My whole family assisted in handing out our home-made tracts and stationed themselves on both corners of the intersection. This is a good starting point in the lives of the children that I pray will take root later on within themselves. That they will take a stand on their own. At the end of the night 149 tracts were delivered into the hands of whom they were meant for. We do not preach to convert anybody, and regardless of result, we covet nothing but only the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the salvation of God granted solely through his Son be proclaimed to the people. It is up to Lord to draw people to himself. We were allowed to preach there for m...