Update of activities from February 21-28

February 21, we continued on our study on the book of Revelation and we discuss about the Seven Seals in chapter 6:1-8:5. It is all about the Four Horseman in the first four seals then the fifth which is the souls under the altar and the sixth seal which depicts judgments for the Roman Empire. And on the seventh chapter was an interlude on which purpose is to permit the sealing of the saints in order that they will be able to endure the trials and tribulations set for in chapter six. And finally the seventh seal which serves as a transition of things to follow in the next vision. We got a lot of discussions about this seals because of the different use of denominations and good thing that we have a study like this for us to be ready whenever someone ask us about this.

February 22, in our midweek service, we studied two chapters of psalms. The first one was taught by brother Rody and he entitled Psalm 133 as "Blessings in Unity" and bro. Robert taught Psalm 134 which he entitled "The Will of God".

February 23, I preached in the radio program about "Right God and Right Savior". This lesson discusses about the need to follow the true God and not the idols that man created and we have the right Savior and that is not Buddha or Allah or anyone who claims to be the savior like we have here in the Philippines who is saying that he is the appointed Son of God and he is the savior name Apollo Quiboloy. You can find his name in the internet and you can see how foolish of him to take the position of Jesus.


February 25, I went to Palca to visit the brethren. The purpose of the visitation is to go to the brethren who are no longer attending the worships and studies. Together with me is a faithful brother at Palca which is bro. Lino. We first visited the house of bro. Mac and Milton Lamigo. They are still young aging 22 and 18 respectively. We tried to encourage them to continue on serving the Lord. The reason of bro. Mac that he is not attending the services is because he was very discourage that he even went to Manila to find a job, but unluckily haven't found anything and went back home empty handed. We shared to him God's word as source of encouragement. Next is the house of sister Pacing Quines, who is a faithful sister but his grandsons who are also baptized in the Lord's church is her problem. They went back to the works of the world and really hard for our dear sister to discipline them. We talk to her grandsons to give them the effects of what they are doing, not just physically but also spiritually.

The third house we went to was the house of bro. Mark and Vincent Quines who were both baptized in 2007. They are brothers and really sincere in serving the Lord when they first started to be christians but after few months, never saw them again. They told me that for the last 3 months, Mark was working in Manila and Vincent was at Palca but busy in the field. I reminded them about the teaching of Christ that we need to seek first His kingdom and also that we might gain that whole world but lost our own soul, it is all useless.

And finally, we went to the house of sister Krizzele who was once a student of my wife Joy in the children class. She was baptized last 2009, but also not as faithful as her mother and sister. Together with his family, we tried to encourage her to come to the church and read to her passages about staying faithful.

February 26, in our Lord's day here at Tuguegarao, bro. Jun taught in our bible study about "Satan's plan for you" and bro. Rody preached about "When Calamity and Disaster Strikes". Two good lessons and very encouraging that whatever happens we need to hold on to our faith and never surrender to the works of the tempter.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them about "Bad things". I focus on sharing to them why bad things happen to good people like Job, the sick man in John 5, the blind man at John 9 and Lazarus at John 11.

From those brethren whom we visited, only one of them came and that was sister Krizzele. It is really hard to invite young people especially when are are man. Next Saturday, I will again visit other brethren who are often attending services. Hope and pray that my labor will be helpful to them and someday they will realized what is more important in this world.

February 28, in our bible study, we discuss about Revelation 8:6-11:19 which are the "Seven Trumpets". We didn't finish it all because we got many discussion about to what it really means. And we all concluded that the trumpets symbolize warning. Lord willing, next Tuesday, we will continue on it.

Bible Lectureships and other Activities

Those who attended the ladies class

February 14, we held a Bible Lectureship here at Tuguegarao together with bro. Ron and sister Donna Halbrook and bro. David and Starla Halbrook. The ladies have their own class in the second floor of the church building led by sister Donna and Starla. My wife attended their class and I am happy to hear from her that they enjoyed and learned a lot from them. This is the first time that they have a Bible Studies as group of ladies. In the first floor of the church building, we also held our Bible Lectureship and all are man. Bro. Ron was the first one who preached and he shared about "The Rapture: Is it Now?Near? or Never?". He discusses about the Theory of the Premillenialist about this so called Rapture that Christ will return to reign for 1,000 years on earth.And this theory have many consequences if it is true like "Kingdom prophecies in the Bible made void" Daniel 2:31-45, "God's power is limited" Mark 9:1, "Christ Dethroned" Acts 2:30, 36, "Seek Earthly Kingdom" John 18:36, "The church reduced to temporary substitute status" Ephesians 3:10-11, " "Denies present reality of the kingdom" Colossians 1:13-14, and "Ignore God's plan for Christ's death" Acts 2:23.  This only shows that the bible is true and not the Theory of Premillenialism. He also add the lesson about "Will Israel be restored to its land?". In Galatians 3:26-29, the blessings promised to Abraham is fulfilled in Christ and not in the Land. 

Followed by bro. David, he shared to us about the topic on "A lesson from a Tassel".  Among the many statutes of Moses' law, we find somewhat obscure instruction in Numbers 15:37-41. He shows the purpose of these tassels that we may remember and do all the commandments and be holy for God. Another lesson was followed by bro. Ron and he speak about "Does Christ now reign as King?". According to the prophecy, His rule begins in the Roman Empire and it was fulfilled on the gospel age. He completed all His work and now seating on His throne.

In the afternoon, bro. David spoke to us concerning "What will I preached about?". He gave us ideas on how we can easily make outlines and bible lessons that we can use to preach every Sunday. Then the last lesson was discussed by bro. Ron and it was entitled "When is the 1,000 years reign of Christ?". To summarized the lesson he shared, the 1,000 years reign of Christ shows His perfect victory over the Roman Empire.

More pictures: Tuguegarao Bible Lectureship

February 15, we went to Manaring, Ilagan to attend also their Bible Lectureship together with the American brethren. Upon arriving, we saw 10 souls already confessing their faith. The lectureship started Feb. 14 and maybe they attended the class before this day, but we never saw them baptized in water because after the confession they went their own ways. The attendance is very good because we are more than 200 coming from different places. Many of the audience are brethren from the whole Ilagan province.

The lectureship I attended started with bro. David preaching about "Continue in the things which you have learned". We need to continue what we started as Christians and share the good news to everyone. Bro. Ron preached next and he shared about "Walk in spirit, not the flesh!". This is how people live today: Walking in the flesh(Selfish, Sinful Conduct) and Walking in Spirit(Follow God's word).

In the afternoon, the number of audience went down because they need to travel back home. They will have none to ride when they will be there until we finished the studies. But we still have more than 100 attendance left. Bro. David again preached to us about "Ephesians 4:1-3" which is walking worthy of the calling with which we are called in all lowliness, gentleness, long suffering, bearing one another in live, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And the last lesson was preached by bro. Ron about "Resurrection of Christ" discussing to us the whole chapter of Mark 16.

After the lesson, we extended again the invitation and 12 precious souls went in front to confess their faith. We baptized them in the near river but the first 10 who confess in the morning was not there. Hope and pray that they will be baptized soon.

More pictures: Manaring Bible Lectureship

In the evening, we have our midweek service here at Tuguegarao. Bro. Ron spoke to us regarding the song in our hymnbook which is "Holy, holy, holy" on Isaiah 6:1-8.

My family and the Halbrook's

February 16, it was the time when the Halbrook's left Tuguegarao and fly going to Manila and directly to Cebu. They will be here in the Philippines until the last week of February. Please continue to pray for their safe travels and on their way back to their homes.

February 18, we went to a Thanksgiving at bro. Florencio Constantino, one of the elders here at Tuguegarao who is having his birthday. We sing together with them with spiritual songs, read a part of 3 John and prayed together to the Lord to thank Him for another year of many blessings for bro. Flor and his family.

February 19, in our Sunday Service here at Tuguegarao, we studied about "Know your Enemy" that was taught by bro. Jun. We need to recognize Satan and his tactics and resist him everyday. In the sermon, bro. Rody shared to us about "Burial or Cremation". We looked into the points about whether cremation is scriptural and whether cremation is sinful. I have many questions to ask about this lesson because we cannot read anything about cremating bodies in the bible and we cannot also say that it is sinful because the one's who are cremated are the dead and not those who are alive. 

In the afternoon, my wife continues to teach the children at Palca while I preached in the church about "Time to speak and Time to be silent". We always say that "Speak where the bible speak and be silent if the bible is silent". We need to speak about the good news and we need to be silent before God because He must be the only one who is commanding us what to do.

More pictures: Palca Lord's Day

Tabuk Bible Lectureship

We have another Bible Lectureship at Tabuk, Kalinga that we also did last month together with bro. Harry Osborne and Chip Foster. Right now, we have bro. Ron, David, Donna and Starla, the Halbrook family. The location is the same as we have before. It is only rented and not the place of worship in Tabuk because it can accommodate more people compared to having it in church buildings at the area. According to bro. Ben Vistro, who find these place to have the lectureship, there are about 120 who attended but some may not be included in the count so maybe higher.

We started the lectureship by singing spiritual songs led by fellow preachers. The first to speak was bro. David and he shared to us about "What do I need to know about Jesus?". The main purpose of the lesson is that we need to know that He is God(deity), He lived on earth in physical body, He uniquely left the earth, and He will return. Bro. Ron followed him with another great lesson about "The Gospel Makes us right with God" from Romans 1:16-17. In order to be right with God, we need to know the Right God, we need to know the Right Savior and it is not Buddha or Mohammed but it is Jesus Christ, the one who died on the cross and was risen from the dead, we also need to know the Right Gospel, Right Baptism, Right Church and the Right Life. After the lessons were discussed, bro. Rody summarized it all in our dialect so that those who cannot understand well english will understand everything that was preached.

In the afternoon, we continued with the lectureship and bro. David was the first one to stand to us and preached. He shared about "The New Creation", that in order to become a new creation, we need to be in Christ, in His body, in His army, in His kingdom, in His priesthood, in His house, and in His church. The Old things have passed away so all things become new. The old covenant is removed, now we have the new covenant; the old man has passed away, now we are a new man; Old sins are removed, now we need to have new fruits; and the old burden has passed away, now we have the new burden which is in Matthew 11:28-30.

The final lesson was preached by bro. Ron which is "New Beginnings in Christ". In Psalm 118:22-24, God gave us a new day, a gift that He has given to His people and a day of the new beginning.  A New Covenant, New Kingdom and A New Birth; We need to rejoice on these blessings because God is the one who gave it to us. After the lesson, bro. Rody again shared a short summary on both lessons.

We extended the invitation after the summary, and we are happy to see eight(8) precious souls who went in front to confess their faith. They are from different areas of Tabuk and are attending services from the different churches in the same locality.





If you want to see more images on this activity please follow the link: http://battlefortruth.multiply.com/photos/album/83/Tabuk_Bible_Lectureship_-_February_13_2012

Activites from February 7-12, 2012

February 7, We continued to study on the book of Revelation and we are in the fifth chapter where we entitled it as "Worthy is the Lamb" wherein it it specifies more about the one who is worthy to open the book in verses 5-7. It is the Lion of Judah that took the book and assuring John that God's purposes will be unfolded. In the afternoon, we studied on the next chapter which is sixth until the first part of chapter 8 which is "The Seven Seals". We didn't finish to study the whole of it so we will again continue on the next bible study.

February 8, in our midweek service here at Metro Tuguegarao I shared to them about the lessons we can get in "Psalm 132" which we can all be joyful as travelers to reach our worship destination. It tells about the vow of David to find a suitable place for worship to God and also the vow that God gave to David in the latter verses. It is also true for us today that we need to find a place in our heart to worship the Lord and to have hope in all His promises to us, the faithful.

February 9, I preached in the radio program "How God remember us" like he did in the time of Noah when God saved them from the flood; in the time of Abraham, when Sodom and Gomorrah are growing in sin, God save Lot and his family; in the time of Rachel and Hannah, God remembered them and gave them a children; in time of the Israelite, where God delivered them from bondage in Egypt; and in our time that God remembered us and gave us John 3:16, His son who died for all of us just to give us the forgiveness of sin and have the hope of Eternal Life.

February 11, in the afternoon, we went to the airport to pick up bro. Ron Halbrook and his wife Donna, and Bro. David Halbrook and his wife Starla. In is so nice to see a family joining together is this kind of trip with the desire to share God's word to far places like our country. After meeting them, bro. Jerome, Jun, Robert and I went to a thanksgiving at Maddarulug, Enrile in the Mabbatan Residence. The purpose of the thanksgiving is for their sons birthday and they want us to give them encouragement and pray with them for another year that good health may come to their son. 

February 12, in our service here at Tuguegarao, bro. David taught to us in our Bible Study. He shared a lesson about "Continuing in the things we have learned". Before becoming a christian, we must hear the word, believe in it, repent of our sins, confess Christ and be baptized into His name, but it is not the end, we must continue in it. We need to continue on hearing the gospel, believing in all that is written, repent of our sins if we commit anything, confess Christ as our one and only Savior and to always share the words that Jesus told us before He went back to heaven which is Mark 16:15-16.

In the sermon, bro. Ron preached to us about "The Resurrection of Christ. The text was found in Mark 16. From verses 1-8: He is risen, now we have hope; 9-14: He is risen, we have evidence which is the bible; 15-20: He is risen, now we have the great commission. We all need to know that because of His resurrection we now have the salvation of our souls. We must have an obedient faith in Him. We all have sinned - our Savior came - He died and arose for us - He will come again for us.

In the afternoon, bro. Ron and sister Donna, bro. Rody and sister Tessie, sister Lilia Domingo joined me and my wife in going to Palca. While my wife is teaching in the childrens class, they are with me in the service. Bro. Ron preached to us the same lesson which is the "Resurrection of Christ". After the lesson, bro. Rody summarize it in our dialect.

If you want to see more images on these recent activities please follow the links:
battlefortruth.multiply.com/photos/album/82/February_12_2012-_Tuguegarao
http://battlefortruth.multiply.com/photos/album/81/February_12_2012-Palca

Activities from February 1-5,2012

February 1, we had a great midweek service to continue in studying the book of Psalm. We are on the 131st chapter already and brother Jun Gumpad shared the thoughts on that Psalm. He entitled it "Three essentials of life that glorifies God". Wherein he included "True Honesty: accepting what we are", "True Humility: accepting God's will" and "True Hope: anticipating God's providence".

February 2, I preached in the radio program about "Believers who will not go to heaven" that includes the devil, those who hold the traditions of man, those faith only believers, lukewarm Christians, and believers of truth but never obedient to the word.

February 3, together with 25 fellow preachers(Mark Daquioag, Jerome Forelo, Robert Rances, Jun Antonio, Jimmy Duque, Mario Garma, Jerry Soliva, Robert Pader, Jay Gumpad, Jun Gumpad, Rogelio Esperanza, David Malupeng, Cornelio Abig, Gerald Ganela, Andy Dappas, Sagmayao Arfiab, Alex Ginilva, Edwin Soriano, Manny Pader, Jason Tanguilan, Ronald Valdez, Boni Morales, July Aguinaldo, Edgar Licodini, and Louie Mangulab), we went to a preaching trip for two days that includes going to Pacac and Cataratan in Allacapan and Quirino, Luna. We left Tuguegarao around seven in the morning and arrived in our first destination at Pacac, Allacapan around ten already. When we arrived some more preachers are there to join us(Sherwin Miranda, Jun Miranda, Joeben Jacobo, Johnson Ramil, Larry Guillermo, Mario Ramiscal, Daniel Pasaraba and Rodolfo Tabisaura). The local preached at Pacac, Allacapan is brother Jesus "Denis" Adolfo. 

We are glad to see him again because it is almost half a year that we haven't seen nor heard about him. He arranged the Bible Study in a open stadium of the village.Sad to say that many of the brethren there are not around because according to brother Jesus, they are in another town trying to work in the field just to have something for their needs. The preachers who came are around 33, but besides us there were only 5 of them including their preacher. The other four are officials of that village who are willing to listen to the word of God. We started with singing spiritual songs than a prayer. It continues with brother Jerome sharing some encouraging words from the bible. He started by sharing to them on "1 Cor. 15:58". The second speaker was brother Robert Pader that preached another good lesson about "Who cares for my soul?". Third and last speaker was bro. Larry Guillermo who shared to us on "Our need for God".

More pictures can be found in this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43623396@N05/sets/72157629167908691/

After the studies in Pacac, we went to Cataratan, Allacapan which took us 30 minutes drive going to the area. This is the place where brother Marion Ramiscal is preaching. It is good to see that when we arrived, many of the brethren are still coming walking coming down from the mountain just to attend the studies. The place where we stayed is not the place where they worship, they just planned to be there so that it can accommodate all of us, in short, they prepared and prayed for this great event.

We started by singing spiritual songs that lifted up our hearts to the Lord. The first speaker was bro. Jun Gumpad that preached to us about "Preaching the Gospel", then followed by brother Gerald Ganela where he preached about "John 3:16:The love of God" and finally brother Edgar Licodini who preached about "What is a man?" according to Psalm 8:4. After the lessons discussed, we all sung an invitation song and we are very happy to see four willing souls to follow the footsteps of Christ. 

More pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43623396@N05/sets/72157629167912491/

After the studies at Cataratan, we travel going to Ballesteros, Cagayan wherein we stayed in the house of brother Sherwin and Jun Miranda(brothers who are faithful preachers in this area). They are just near the seashore so together with the other preachers we all went to the sea and watch the beautiful scenery which reminds us of God's wonderful creation.

February 4, we went to Quirino, Luna, Apayao for a Gospel Meeting. This is the place where brother Sherwin Miranda is preaching. It is good to see the brethren again there; good attendance and growing faith of all. We are late in arriving but it is good to see the patience of all of them and patiently waited for us for about an hour.

We started again the activity by singing and praying. The first speaker was brother Jerome Forelo wherein he shared to us about "Devices Satan use to destroy Christians", that he sowed seed of destruction within us and after doing that he will leave the damage behind. The second speaker was brother Jay Gumpad who shared to us on Psalm 130. the third was brother Gerald Ganela wherein he preached about "Galatians 6:7-9". The Fourth was brother Edgar Licodini that shared an inspiring lesson about "Setting  thine house in order" that includes everything in our lives to be right with God. And last was brother Robert Rances who shared about "Preparing your things" that includes preparing ourselves for the coming judgment of Christ.

After the lessons discussed, we extended the invitation and two man went in front to confess their faith. The old man was a father of a pentecostal preacher according to brother Sherwin but he followed not his son but the Lord that will give the blessings and reward for those who are willing to risk everything to serve Him.

More pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43623396@N05/sets/72157629167915149/

February 5, in our service here at Metro Tuguegarao, we studied about Running from God that brother Jun shared to us. Jonah run away from his duty that God gave him so we are, we have our duties to follow as God commanded us. We cannot outrun God, He will still be followed whatever we do. In the sermon, brother Rody shared to us about "To Whom the Gospel be preached?" that includes the sinners, religious people, christians, lukewarm brethren, and the backsliders.

In the afternoon, I preached in Palca about "Time to tear and a time to sew" that can be read in Ecclesiastes 3:7. Some tear up the word of God but like Ezra we need to tear up the robes of our heart from sinful things.  We need to sew also together our friendship and brotherhood and be together in the battle to fight for the works of the devil.

More pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43623396@N05/sets/72157629180884161/