FAIR SUNSHINE

Pat, as he is simply called, is a servant of the Lord with a passion for the proclamation of Christ. I had the honor of meeting him and his beloved wife Sarah during the rebellion march at University of the Philippines last Saturday. This meeting has been long overdue. God is gracious indeed.  I have been with a handful of  men in the past who for a time preached Christ in public but went back to comfort and silence. They did not continue or persevere in it. It was just a phase. Perhaps the reason they did it was because it was a "Christian" thing to do and there were others to do it with. However, true calling is demonstrated when men follow through even when others have abandoned you. I have lost count the number of messages I've received along the lines of, 'I want to preach with you.' or 'do you have Facebook so I can follow because I want to preach?' Even, 'I have a burden to preach. Do you give instructions?'  The question is not, do I h...

Two weeks upon learning there would be a sodomite rally on the 28th at Quezon City, we held overnight prayer meetings between the hours of 2AM to 4AM. We believe all battles in behalf of the kingdom of Christ is won on our knees, and that our Lord's victory on the cross was made possible by that pivotal moment He spent in Gethsemane the night before. Everyone wanted to participate, but our small car can only accommodate five people. Everyone else would have to endure the laborious effort of traveling from Makati and Bulacan. Some sacrificed the day off from work, while others traveled directly from a 5 a.m. shift. We weren't there to see the event or the people, but to witness for our Savior. The public proclamation of the word is grossly misunderstood by most, especially by religionists who think the practice is outmoded, impractical, and ineffective. I've read comments arguing that it drives people away, and it belittles their faith. In reality, they have never been cl...

John 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.   

This is a video from a year ago. Congressional Avenue going to Project 8 was my old high school route. This has always been a very busy intersection ever since and I have wanted to stand here with the gospel for the longest time. We drove all the way from Bulacan that night and crossed the highway walking to this spot. The LORD blessed our plea by stranding the waiting commuters for the whole of the preaching. No public utility vehicles came inside the terminal. And as if that wasn't awesome enough, right after we were done, the cabs came in droves, and cleared the line of people fast. The owners tried time and again to make us leave by sending their security. The sound was resonating all around inside the establishment and they thought it was bothering the folks who having dinner inside. It was not really a problem for us, we wouldn't want to get these gentlemen in a bind with their agency and take the heat for us. Although we stood our ground and finished our delivery. May F...

For a long time, this spot has been on our mind. A great place to proclaim the good news of Christ. This was my midway point when I was in High School going home. It is where four major points of Quezon City and Caloocan City meet. From Congressional Avenue, Monumento, Roosevelt Avenue, and going south onwards. The four quarters of this intersection is packed with commuters and vendors, from early morning till late at night. We have often passed by EDSA heading north and looked with deep yearning at the thousands of people on this stretch starting from the far end of the Iglesia Ni Cristo church  (a huge local cult)  all the way to the turn. Thursday is our date night. After grabbing a meal, and a short errand we headed to Roosevelt Avenue, Quezon City and parked at Waltermart on the opposite side and crossed to the other side. After asking permission from the traffic police, the person who oversaw the vehicle lines, and the guards at the establishment, we proceeded ...

My family and I were once again privileged to proclaim the gospel in public, this time at the place where we frequented but really weren't able to preach to the people. The bibles being free helped bring the tracts which contained the gospel to the passers-by. We stayed till it got dark before proceeding to buy our needs, our audience being the vendors who were selling there. The rides weren't coming in as much and people spent a while waiting for jeeps and buses. This gave us ample time to present the cross to those who waited for their rides in front of us. There were odd people who stood where they weren't supposed to stand, and listened. Quite a few raised eyebrows, some visibly reacted, but most pretended not to hear. I can't imagine how many of these entertain divine notions of God's existence yet their hearts are devoid of any real affection for him? Such was I. Practical atheists in the heart. Those who deny God's existence are fools, but an even ...

For the last two months I have been both staying in and up working on our December projects, barely clocking in 25 hours of sleep a week. I wasn't able to work in the streets as I would like to during this time, occasionally managing to sneak some time out in the morning to distribute tracts at my nearby haunts. But what I lost in external ministry I gained in much needed time for the inner man, as prayer became my main occupation on a lot of silent and lonely mornings. There is something in these 4 AM meetings that refreshes me as time and time again I am brought into severe and constant self examination. "Search me O, Lord.." was my constant cry. Worship became my yearning. I am oftentimes reduced to being silent before the Lord, unable to speak. In my utter helplessness to impress the Lord with words, He was so much magnified before me.  On our last week before submission I was finally able to go out again to minister to a place that has been on my mind of late. I...

I am the least likely candidate for public speaking. Having suffered much from low self-esteem since my childhood days and bullying from high-school, I am horrified at the thought of approaching somebody with regards to my thoughts. But I understand that that in itself makes me the perfect candidate for the Lord. Not because of anything in myself, but because I have no one else to lean on or turn to other than Christ himself. Hudson Taylor once replied, to a person who asked how he was the only one who succeeded in doing missionary work in inland China, "God was looking for somebody small and weak enough to use, and at last he found me." So while I was on my last few spoonfuls having quiet dinner with my wife, I distinctly heard the Lord tell me, "Sit beside these children and tell them about me." My first reaction was , "but Lord..", and I stammered. I miserably could not follow up with a good enough excuse. Having learned a lesson yesterday, I s...

How much of what is required of us do we really accomplish? We go out, we minister, we raise our voices, but have we wept? Have we really wept? No man can stand before God with his head held high; as our knees will bow so will we. How do we lift up our lamentations then? Do we say 'Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?' Must we be satisfied going out with all faith and strength, catching one or two fishes? Do we trust our nets more? Do we trust our office? Is it not the Lord who brings the fishes to the fisherman's nets? Did he not say to us, 'I will make you fishers of men'? Do we make excuses 'I am merely planting seeds for now,' when those who have marched before us have had reports of sweeping revivals and thousands of conversions in one day? Are we sentenced merely to be caught in a dearth of discernment in these last days? Have we wept? Have we really wept? Jesus wept. Are we better than he? Condem...

It was too much of a blessing to have been invited to stand side by side with these warriors. One that I wasn't willing to pass up the opportunity, hence I took the commute once again, braving an hour and a half standing crooked inside the provincial bus headed to the city at 5:30 AM in the morning. Our first stop would be an old haunt, the infamous SM North Metro Rail Transit Station where throngs of people line up to catch the train to work. Brother Roland was already sowing the Word when I arrived, joined shortly by brothers Michael and Manny, a kind soul whom I have met just this day but have closely knit myself to instantly. We took turns speaking to the people, who many as expected just went past as if we weren't there, but with the few who took our tracts, I blessed the Lord within myself in thanksgiving. I have learned so much already after just an hour with them, my spirit in me rejoicing at the sound of their voices talking about no other subject bu...