The Gospel Beyond our Borders

In my recent ministry trip to another ASEAN country, I had the privilege of interacting with the university students and see where they are at in their spiritual journey. Despite language barrier and cultural differences, by the grace of God, it's a joy to share His message of love and forgiveness to 23 of them whom, 16 prayed to receive Jesus in their lives as personal Lord and Savior, by faith. Before I go back to Philippines, I met 3 of them for follow up, and transitioned them to the local staff who will continue to journey with them as they multiply in the lives of others. 

Last Monday (Sept 9), I shared the gospel with Junior together with the 5 other students. Last Thurs (12th), he came back for our follow up bible study and he also told me that he shared the gospel (through the Four Spiritual Laws booklet) to 6 of his friends that night of Monday after we met. Please pray that he will be able to follow them up with Lesson 1: Beginning Your New Life in Christ, as he made a commitment to do so. 

              (Jacob: 3rd from left)

Jacob, one of the student leaders in their organization, was assured of his salvation after we met. He also shared the gospel to two of his friends and plan to share to the whole org. Pray that he will have the boldness to share the message of Christ to the whole group. 

What an awesome God we have! Regardless of family religious background, the gospel of Christ is for everyone. 

With my team, in 6 days...

554 were exposed to the gospel. 

88 are being followed up (FU). 

5 have completed FU #3. 

Also exciting are those who prayed to receive Christ last week's stats:

102 personal evangelism

4 have completed FU #1.

Praise the Lord! 

This passages are great reminders of why we are doing what we are called to be doing:

Rom. 10:12-17

For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news." 16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" 17 Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ. 

Hebrews  4:12

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) will be fulfilled if everyone has been given a chance to hear the gospel. 

We simply share the gospel by faith. It's the goal of the Holy Spirit to convict their hearts of sin. 

Raising up Multiplying Disciples for the Great Commission

Metro Manila Campus students leaders and staff work together in helping fulfill Christ's Great Commission by helping raise multiplying disciples among and through the college students. A campaign to rally fellow students to take active participation in this cause was started a few weeks ago. Please read through what it is all about and join by praying and or going with them. 

How can our #soWINbroadly campaign help us see multiplying disciples? (Compiled insights from our student leaders of Metro

Manila Campuses)

Spiritual multiplication is inevitable when God is working in the hearts of his disciples. That is why the #soWINbroadly campaign is a campaign to encourage everyone to trust in God’s power to perform miracles through them and to the people around them. This campaign is under the principle from John 4:35 where we are all encouraged to look past familiarity and embrace the urgency of sharing the gospel, for the harvest has already been ripe and prepared by the Lord. With the heart to see the lost get found, it is also our vision to see changed lives start to share and declare the Word of the Lord.

By encouraging Key Volunteers to step outside their comfort zones to sow God’s word to the hearts of fellow students, it will not just stretch their faith and allow them to experience the joy of sharing God’s word but it will also give salvation to those people who will listen to them. The seed, which is the Word of God, will be planted. These newly saved people then will also have the vision to go and make disciples of all nations. If we’ll be able to pass on our vision to these reliable men we are going to send, then we trust that they could share this to other reliable men, too. Thus causing spiritual multiplication for God’s glory. The campaign also helps us know that we’re not alone in this. That there are really a team of like-hearted disciples who are willing to ignite spiritual movements within their own respective battle fields, and beyond.

 

(More details about the campaign)

#soWINbroadly is a campaign that initially started with the vision of the Metro Manila Catalytic staff coaches to observe the principle of sowing broadly in the target area. Now, students are joining forces to initiate and adopt the vision shared to us, since it is also our heart to see multiplying disciples by making evangelism as our lifestyle.

We are praying for:

-(at least) 100 students to participate in this year-long campaign

-Each student will commit and trust in the Lord to share/witness to at least 10 students per month.

When the goal is reached, there will be 10,000 who will hear the Gospel. And from this number, we are praying to generate new generation of KVs. 

Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ n the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. 

 

 

Seems Yesterday

Since the opening of her class, I would bring Dana to school as early as 7am.  

It seems yesterday when we dedicated her to the Lord. Now, she is in Kinder 2. It seems yesterday when we also heeded God's call for the Great Commission through the ministry of Campus Crusade. Now, God is enabling us to cross boarders and be part of His business of changing lives across the globe. We have been blessed by GOD through the faithful ministry partners he raised up for us. What a privilege! 

We are ETERNALLY GRATEFUL. Our hearts sing for joy. No matter how hard our circumstances at times are, His word in James 1 holds so true.

It says: 2 My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials,

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.

5 But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.

6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind.

7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,

8 since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways.

9 Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position.

10 But the rich person's pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow.

11 For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away.

12 Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

14 But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.

15 Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.

16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.

17 All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.

18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Digging into God's Word

Digging into God's word this morning on Jeremiah 9, led me to some insightful thoughts.

The prophet, Jeremiah mourned for the nation of Israel because the Babylonian army had to come and attack to destroy the city. Very soon. God chose to punish the people of Jerusalem by sending the Babylonian army against them so that they will come to repentance. These people were deceitful and always lied to one another.

Jeremiah 9: 23 The Lord says, "Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich.

24 If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things," says the Lord.

We are living in this world that is full of lies. We glorify ourselves by telling lies. We boast to exalt ourselves while putting down the others. We fight with each other. God hates these attitudes & actions like what the people of Jerusalem had experienced. And they were punished.

As Christians (God's children through a personal relationship with Jesus), we can help influence our nation for good, giving glory to our God. We need to:

1. Pursue a growing relationship with God in our lives through a daily reading of His word like what the Bereans did in Acts 17: "10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

11 These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so."

2. Humble ourselves before God and men. Let's think others better than ourselves. "Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself." -Philippians 2:3

3. Encourage one another as Hebrews 10:24-25 stated, "24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works,

25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near."

4. Pray continually for our leaders, and our countrymen. "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and  supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making  supplication for all the saints...."-Ephesians 6:18

5. Go out and share the gospel, make disciples. He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. -Mark 16:15

But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness  will be like the stars forever and ever. -Daniel 12:3

Have a blessed day, everyone! 

Like a Tree

In one of my ministry-related travels, specifically in Victoria Falls, South Africa, I saw this huge tree. My memory can't recall anymore of its name and its age. But I remember my african friends saying that this is the oldest tree in their country. 

So huge. So beautiful to behold. I was reminded of this verse in the bible:

The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise. -Proverbs 11:30

This is my prayer as I walk with God daily. This is my prayer for you who may happen to read this too :)

Are you open to His invitation?

How are you in your walk with God? Do you agree with me that many times we stumble and fall? We desire to be near to our God yet we keep on idolizing things in our life? Our career. Our possessions. Our fame. Our position. Our power. Ourselves. We ask for forgiveness and commit the same abhorrent sins, aren't we? 

The Israelites had sinned against God and had experienced exile into Babylon for their sin. It was painful, but God came to them through the prophet Isaiah, and offered the exiles life and a relationship with Him. God is working in us in our greatest pain and darkness even when its ultimately our fault. He begins to redeem us from our sin and draw us to Himself. That's how He genuinely and unconditionally loves us. 

We need to open our hearts to His invitation and repent. 

Isaiah 55 is just such a beautiful picture of God repeatedly calling us His people to go back to Him and enjoy life and relationship!

Isaiah 55

1 "Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost! 2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food! 3 Pay attention and come to me! Listen, so you can live! Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. 4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, a ruler and commander of nations." 5 Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know; nations that did not previously know you will run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he bestows honor on you. 6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; call to him while he is nearby! 7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle and sinful people their plans. They should return to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 8 "Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds, 9 for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans. 10 The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat. 11 In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend." 12 Indeed you will go out with joy; you will be led along in peace; the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you, and all the trees in the field will clap their hands. 13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes, firs will grow in place of nettles; they will be a monument to the Lord, a permanent reminder that will remain.

What to do on holiday?

For a change? Well, instead of going outside and visiting places, try to stay at home and do the following:

1. Give your kids something to do that will enhance their learning power.

My son, Ardi, wrote these letters and numbers, waiting for my "very good!" affirmation.

Look! My daughter, Dana, painstakingly drew and colored this artwork. You could see here a house with family members representing us.

2. Cook something you haven't been eating the last few weeks.

For us, its the yummy, boiled corn. Good for this rainy holiday! 

3. Pray together as a family.

Praying together is a good bonding time with one another and with God. Besides the usual prayer time before going to bed, meal times or family devotion, it's good to teach our young ones to thank God for His daily provision, protection, peace and power evident in our lives in a different setting. They will learn that God is present everywhere. This is teaching by modeling and doing together. Nothing is learned until it is applied by our kids.

4. Play inside your house.

This is about creating good memories in our home. Most of the time we go out and spend for a vacation in the beaches, hotels, waterfalls or anywhere away from home. But realize that it's also good to have a vacation in our home. We should not bring our office in our home. Simply rest and be with one another. 

5. Play your favorite instrument and sing a couple of songs.

What a restful vacation at home. No worries what to prepare and bring outside. No need to spend much. No need to travel. For a change!