Such is the kingdom of God, as if a man put seed in the earth. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. Mark 4:26-28  S piritual growth follows the quiet, unchanging law of the harvest. It works exactly like a seed cast into the furrow of a field—a steady process that brings forth remarkable results silently. Just as the seed, buried deep in the earth, eventually forces its way upward to the light, so the message of faith will inevitably manifest itself in a person’s life once it has taken root in the heart. The transformation is as undeniable as it is profound. One may look upon a field that was once brown and barren, appearing to the eye as dead; yet, in the fullness of time, it is suddenly covered in a bright and pleasant carpet of green sprouts. So it is with the soul: what was once a desert of indiffe...

It was but yesterday morning, whilst engaged in my most needful devotional exercise, that the Lord met me with such tender power. As I turned the sacred pages to the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, and my eye fell upon the twentieth verse, I could not restrain the rising tide of emotion—and I broke down entirely before Him. For weeks, the only sorrow that truly burdened my spirit, since parting ways with the congregation where we sought fellowship, was not the fear of any man’s opinion, nor any worldly concern, but this single, earnest petition: "Am I still in the center of your will, Father?" In that very moment of distress, my God came near and greatly, yet oh, so gently, comforted my soul. The Lord’s own voice seemed to leap right out from the very pages, wrapping me in a perfect peace that brushed away all anxiety. The Master of the wind and waves had spoken directly to the tempest in my heart, gently whispering eternal, assuring words: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” ...

God bless this young man.  When he wrote to me last year, he expressed his strong desire to preach the gospel. But I urged him instead to set his eyes on an even greater pursuit than that of preaching, and that is to know Christ. A thorough and systematic study of the word grounded him deeper into the truths of God and the great relevance of His word in the Christian walk. There he fell in love with the Savior who died for him. Now his heart is in the right place. And he goes out willingly on his own without any prodding, with a greater understanding of these last days' urgency and gravity. The importance you give to the kingdom's cause is measured by how much of your life you give to it. It is all or nothing. In deed and in the mind, our service in this world is worth nothing. It is all Christ's work. But in return, God honors us by pruning us to make us more fruitful. And we are only thankful that He has given us crowns to give back to Him. I have learned that the best wa...

It's an old ploy for people here, (usually they have children with them,) to come up to you asking for money. Their reasons range from having dropped their wallet, needing fare to go home to the province, being lost in the city and having nowhere to go. I can't possibly tell if the person is in real need or just scamming me. But I use the open opportunity to ask them for a few minutes to talk before I give them help.    This lady was asking us for money. She says she needs 40 pesos to buy rice. I asked her if she knew who Christ was and she enthusiastically said yes. I glanced at her closed hand and saw the familiar purple color of a hundred peso bill and a few more. She had more money than I did. When she noticed my eyes she shyly hid her hand behind her. She claimed to be very religious, and believed herself to be a good person by virtue of religion.   A minute into the conversation, I bluntly asked her if she ever lied in asking people. Without thinking her quick an...

Muzon, that thriving and populous marketplace within the very heart of Bulacan, Philippines. Consider the souls who throng this place: the populace, as in most of this fallen world, is made up largely of devoted Roman Catholics, followers of Islam, and a sorrowful mixture of everything in between! But behold the state of the public square! The only voices that dare to speak up in the throng are those of the pernicious cults and the numerous misled Christian groups, who shame the good name of the Lord by mixing their corrupt preaching with the people while handing out envelopes asking for money. Where are the true Christians? Where are those who hold the pure, uncompromised message of the Cross? They are nowhere to be found! They are tragically hiding their light under a bushel, choosing to live a soft life of peaceful silence and spiritual cowardice while the immortal souls around them die every day and slip unheeded into a Christ-less eternity! The sin of the false teacher is grea...