An exhortation to undertake the impossible task of understanding the love of God for us, His redemption, and the power that His life gives.    May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward for His suffering.  

This very afternoon, I was mercifully and powerfully enabled by the Holy Spirit to stand and plead with the poor souls confined within the bleak recesses of the great market in Santa Maria, Bulacan. As the message progressed, my voice naturally turned from simple preaching to earnest pleading, for my heart was utterly overwhelmed with anguish for these precious mortals, who dwell in manifest hopelessness and darkness, alienated from their God and tragically without a Saviour. It is painful also to comprehend that other base cults—whose primary business is merely to solicit funds from the unwary—do frequent this very area. This cruel, mercenary practice hath caused the common folk to disdain the true Gospel all the more, creating a wretched impression that all who stand to preach are only agents seeking money. Therefore, we make it an absolute point of sober principle to remind the people never to give money to anyone preaching in the public streets. This simple, honest declaration doth...

The Doctrine of the Covenant and Testament of God by Johannes Cocceius Johannes Cocceius (1603-1669) was prominent Bible scholar who taught at the universities of Bremen, Franeker, and Leiden. As a gifted linguist, he produced a Hebrew lexicon, commentary related to every book of the Bible, and several theological treatises. Cocceius's contributions to covenant theology simultaneously sparked theological controversies and further fruitful dialogue for understanding the progressive nature of salvation history. The Doctrine of the Covenant and Testament of God describes the entire biblical history as a series of events by which an original covenant of works is gradually annulled, bringing new phases in the history of the covenant of grace. He shows that God's standard way of relating to mankind is through covenant, which, at its heart, is friendship with God. Casey Carmichael's translation of Cocceius's book is monumental, providing the first English edition of...

I have scarcely the time to write in my journal now, much less blog at a regular pace. It seems 24 hours is not enough to do all the things that have been laid on my plate this past weeks. Yet I will make an effort to squeeze everything I can into this one post. Work Work is still ongoing. I have been asked to consider extending my services for another 3 months to a prestigious visual effects company working on a much anticipated program showing I believe early this year should all go well. The schedule is quite flexible as I work at home and was provided for by the company with my own machine, which I will return upon completion of the project. The tension starts when other projects come in simultaneously. Presently I am back again to handling one. Which means I can sleep normal again. Languages Study My study in the Greek and Hebrew languages is proceeding quite nicely. I can comfortably ready Koine, and am able to translate small portions of scripture. The focus is on particular cha...

The LORD continues to provide resources to the ministry.Thank you Pastor Ryan Denton for recommending these - and the 16 volume Owen set that will come this March, Lord willing. These books may be expensive, but ignorance costs more. I have always wanted a library but have never imagined it would be of this subject and substance. Puritanism. As Dr ML Jones puts it, the Puritans are the guarding soldiers of God's garrison on earth. Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck Herman Bavinck's four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the twentieth century. The recently completed English translation has received wide acclaim. Now John Bolt, one of the world's leading experts on Bavinck and editor of Bavinck's four-volume set, has abridged the work in one volume, offering students, pastors, and lay readers an accessible summary of Bavinck's masterwork. This volume presents the core of Bavinck's thought and offers explanatory m...

Any time to go out, in this instance, to see the doctor, is an opportunity to bring the gospel to the people.

As we establish our stand as a covenant church we therefore stand upon each point of the Westminster Confession of Faith , and deem the Presbyterian form of church government to be what is biblical, correct, and proper for us.  One of the areas wherein we have been graciously set aright is the inclusion of the Heidelberg Catechism every Lord's day. The catechism has 129 questions and answers divided into 52 sections: one for each week of the year. This grounds us firmly in the application of the truths of God's word. Our gathering is also in the process of compiling our very own handbook, comprised of the English/Tagalog version of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechism , so that each member is adequately aware and fully conscious of his or her accountability in the Lord, something that is severely absent in the previous congregations we have been with. The book graciously provided below is a great aid to us as we are coming to t...

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:34-39 The words of our dear Lord declare His absolute preeminence above our most intimate relations. Separation of our will from the world's will, and a willingness in the partaking of Christ's humiliation. So it is with those of the elect sovereignly selected by God from eternity past to be sanctified by His word through persecution from their own families, who in my nation...

Oh, what a blessed and humbling thing it is for me to declare that, though I have not read a single page of Calvin's venerable tomes these many years, yet my theology doth, by God's own wondrous grace, align with his. And now, a new volume, a fresh supply of heavenly wisdom, is mercifully added to the already growing list of those sacred books I must prayerfully ingest for the nourishment of my soul. God indeed perpetually amazes me in the slow, sweet, and sure unfolding of my own doctrine! I look back and see how it began in the thin soil of mere personal opinion, then was sadly swayed by the fleeting, worldly whims of humanistic influence. Yet, in His perfect time, by reading Scripture alone, His gracious Providence led me to the firmer, tried ground of Reformed study, and now, finally, to the deep and boundless ocean of Covenantal Thought. What a monumental change! God has sovereignly guided what was once so pitifully man-centered in its focus, to become altogether theocentr...

I have commenced my studies in the languages and it has opened deeper insight into the meaning of the texts. English is such a poor language it is almost ridiculous to argue about context using it. The practice is to read a whole chapter each day in both Hebrew and Greek. I give this about 3 to 6 years of consistent practice before achieving proficiency. Here is a list of the applications I use: Ginoskos (paid Php989) Hebrew Bible Reader (free) Daily Greek (free) Blue Letter Bible (free) Tanakh (Fluent) (free) Greek New Testament (free) DuoLingo - (for Hebrew letters) (free)  

Since I cannot remember the last time I won something (my memory fails me), I am indescribably grateful to the LORD for the program of Paulo's Library for considering the work here in Bocaue, Bulacan worthy of consideration in awarding us this most precious set on The Whole Counsel of God by Richard Gamble. My books are mostly of authors of the Puritan era, all provided for by Father Himself, save for some contemporary but none the less valuable titles, so this set is a most welcome addition to the programs and lessons already in line for the sheepfold's spiritual consumption. God has graciously magnified in us the excitement of learning and sharing, of feeding the Lord's flock, as He provides us the means to come to know Him more intimately, so that we may live for Him experientially. God has blessed and enabled His people with a kind heart to sponsor such programs that aim to assist remote shepherds who possess little to no means for much needed theological resource - n...

"Are you all about book reading now? What about your ministry?" It is the very spirit of sound piety to confess that the Christian walk is, most assuredly, not about ministry—not as the world defines that labor, nor even as the Church often vainly boasts! No! Our walk is entirely and eternally about our covenantal God! The majestic foundation of our faith is His finished work in the Lord Jesus Christ , a work which now manifests in the powerful, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, whose divine purpose is to gather and perfect a people unto Himself through the bonds of that eternal covenant of grace. And what, then, is this thing called ministry —this ceaseless striving and earthly labor? It is, merely the earthly, dot-sized fruit of that deep and foundational truth! It is the faint echo of the Covenant's reality, not the reality itself. We must cling to the very words of our Blessed Redeemer, who reminds us of the true object of our existence: "I have come that they...

A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life  This book offers a groundbreaking treatment of the Puritans’ teaching on most major Reformed doctrines, particularly those doctrines in which the Puritans made significant contributions. Since the late 1950s, nearly 150 Puritan authors and 700 Puritan titles have been reprinted and catalogued by Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson in their 2006 collection of mini-biographies and book reviews, titled, Meet the Puritans. However, no work until now has gathered together the threads of their teaching into a unified tapestry of systematic theology.  A Puritan Theology, by Joel Beeke and Mark Jones, attempts to do that. The book addresses Puritan teachings on all six loci of theology, covering fifty areas of doctrine. The book explores Puritan teachings on biblical interpretation, God, predestination, providence, angels, sin, the covenants, the gospel, Christ, preparation for conversion, r...

In the waiting upon Father, I find a twofold grace and an abundant assurance! The first sweet fruit is this: my own wretched, wavering heart finds its feeble strength give way entirely, and thus my dependency upon His sure faithfulness grows stronger and more constant with every passing day! The second, a glorious, visible reward: I am granted the profound privilege to see His mighty Hand move in the world and in the Church, an arresting sight which doth wonderfully and rightly magnify His matchless and eternal Glory! And lo, this very morning, a tender and clear answer to a prayer offered up for mature brethren did shine forth. It arrived by way of a blessed and timely invitation to join in a solemn meeting for prayer—a gathering to be held with dear brethren from a trusted church in the distant plains of Texas, and with others from a hopeful church plant struggling forth in the stony ground of New Mexico! See how the Lord doth knit together the hearts of His people from the four corn...