Activities from April 17-29

April 17, we continued on the study of the book of Revelation but instead of starting chapter fifteen, we went back and review from the start of the book so that we will always remember everything and maybe add some information from the previous chapters that we didn't tackle before.

April 18, in our midweek service, bro. Jun Gumpad taught to us on Psalm 140, wherein it is a prayer that David is asking for the judgment of his enemies.

April 19, I preached in the radio program about the topic "What will happen after death?", that we must know that there is hell waiting to those disobedient and that death is permanent, that means there is no second chance if we die. As long as we are still living, we need to fear God and keep His commandments.

April 20, we are invited by brother Macky Miguel for a thanksgiving at Dagupan, Tuao. Brother John and sister Ellaine wants to have a thanksgiving to the Lord for the baby He gave them named "Jhee-van". We studied about what thanksgiving means and brother Rody specified the works of the denominations regarding babies being baptized and being offered that we are not allowed to do that. Babies do not have any sin and no need for baptism, and babies being offered right now is not the same as what they are doing in the Old Testament time. They should leave the child in the temple, but what denominations are doing right now, they are offering the baby just to receive money from the parents. 

April 22, in our Lord's day here at Tuguegarao, brother Jerome taught in our bible study about "When Christians begin to sink". He uses the example of Peter when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and Peter asked Him to come near to Jesus. He also walked in the water but when he doubt and saw the mighty wind, he began to sink, just like the christians, when we begin to doubt or if we have little faith, we will also begin to sink even in the slightest problem we have. In the sermon, brother Rody preached to us about "What is the one?". He uses Ephesians chapter 4 wherein we can see the seven one's.  One by one he explains teaching us to stick only into one and nothing more nothing less. At Palca, I preached to them about "Calm After the Storm". Like Jesus when He was tempted by the devil three times in Matthew chapter Four, there was a calm because the storm(tempter) flee away from Him. We need just to remain faithful to God no matter what happens so that the Devil will also go away from us.

April 24, in our preachers bible study, we again reviewed Revelation chapter 12 and 13. But after the lesson, we all decided that on the next week, we will have different lesson in the morning and continue on the book of Revelation in the afternoon. We are more than 60 who are attending so we scheduled ourselves on when we will also preached. I am scheduled on July 19 and hopefully find a good lesson to share to them.

April 25, in our midweek service, I should be the one teaching that day but because brother Flor Respicio attended, he was the one who taught, we jump to Psalm 143 instead of Psalm 141. We gave him the chance because most of the time he is not with us due to health problems. On the next wednesday, if the Lord's will, I will be teaching Psalm 141.

April 29, in our Lord's day here at Tuguegarao, brother Jerome taught in our bible study about "Comparing Christians with the Israelites, Part 1", from 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. In the sermon, brother Rody preached to us about "Who are the people of God?". I admired him on what he did because instead of going to the hospital due to extreme back pain, that he can't stand well and needed help to walk, he still preached to us. After the service, we took him to the hospital. He have several tests to take to find out the problem. 

In the afternoon, I preached at Palca about "Do not Compromise, Part 1". I didn't finished the lesson because of the lack of time and hopefully continue it next week. It is all about not compromising with the world and the works of the devil. If we are living without compromise, we will always run to the Lord if we need guidance.

Activities from April 2 to 16

April 2, the start of the long awaited Preachers Training Program here at Tuguegarao finally started and we help the 25 students to get their long sleeves, pants and shoes that they can use for the whole duration of the training. We need to work as early as 5:30 in the morning for the preparation of daily activities. 6AM is their breakfast and as we done before, they need to give any verse in the bible before they can take their meal, that is, for the 3 times meal every day(breakfast, lunch and dinner), just a way to teach them to memorize verses that they can use when they preach. 7AM will be the singing and at 7:30, they need to kneel in prayer for 30 minutes, this is to teach them that we cannot be successful as a preacher when prayer in not in our lives.

On the first week, brother Ferdie Ong, from Kapitbahayan Church of Christ is with us to teach the students on how to read the musical notes in our hymnbook and how to lead songs during worships with the exact beating that all brethren can follow. This is the first time that we have a music class in training and hopefully they can use it when the students go home. The teachers of the training includes bro. Rody Gumpad, Jerome Forelo, Lordy Salonga and brother Ron Halbrook. They all teach from the four books bro. Ron gave the students about "Basic Bible Doctrine" and also Bible Hermenuetics, How to make an outline and preacher's work. While me, Jay and Jun help the students with some other things especially at night when all the classes are done. We are going to there rooms and helping them the things they didn't understand in their study. We are also helping them make their outlines because every night before their break, 2 of them are preaching to the whole class and a way to help them is to give comments and suggestions on the things they needed to improve. At first, some of them are afraid and shaky to stand in front, but after a couple of days, a lot show improvements from leading songs, prayer leading and preaching. During the night before they take their rest, we are checking everything they are doing, making sure they are studying  and praying after going to bed. The time for them to finally take a rest is 10:30PM, but we are staying their until 11:00 or upward to make sure they are resting. It might sound difficult for us but we feel happy when seeing them understand how we, as preachers do our job just to share God's word to the world.

The training ended last Saturday (April 14, 2012) wherein the graduation was held. We gave their certificates as to show they attended the training and not for other reasons. Hopefully they will continue to preach as they go in their places. On November, another PTP will be help here at Tuguegarao but it will be longer and is for three weeks. By the way, just to remind everyone, the training is not a work of the church and we cannot read that we need to have a preachers training, that's why all the funds that was used came from individuals who willingly shared some amounts to help those who wanted to preach. Paul said to Timothy that he needed to teach also those who are willing to preach.

More Images: Preachers training Program

April 8, brother Ron both teach in our Bible Study and Sermon in the Lord's day here at Metro Tuguegarao. He preached about "The great commission" and it is a lesson that everyone needs to know that God is asking everyone to share the gospel to all the world and baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. In the afternoon, four students from the training came with me in Palca (Elpidio Lumboy, Randy Tiene, Ronuel Apalla and Marvin Fabros). They all came from different places and are happy to see also the brethren at Palca. Ronuel lead all the songs while Marvin on prayer. Randy taught about "Remaining in Christ" and Elpidio, the oldest from the students(71 years old), preached about "What prayer does God hears?". There are some words uttered in their preaching that needed to be corrected so I stand before closing to summarized all the lessons they shared.

More Images: Tuguegarao and Palca

April 15, in our Lord's day here at Tuguegarao, brother Jerome taught in our bible study about "To whom do we bow down" and brother Jun preached about "The safest place". We have no safe place here in the world so we need to desire to go to heaven because that is the only place that we are safe. In the afternoon at Palca, I preached to them about "What we need to learn before death?". We need to know that there is a hell waiting for those unfaithful christians and sinners, that death is permanent and we cannot come back to life again in this world when we die and we also need to know that the bible is sufficient to save the lost souls. After the service, we went to the funeral of our sister Mauricia "Maring" Fernandez. She is a very faithful sister who is always in the services, but on the last two weeks, she was absent. Her brother told us that she feels dizzy all the time and throwing up that's why she is only in their house. We tried to visit her a couple of times but a news came to me Thursday morning (April 12) saying sister Maring died because of high blood pressure. It is a sad news because another faithful brethren passed away but I know, she is with Abraham right now, in his bosom with all the faithful christians who once lived here in on earth. Her husband is not a christian, but every time I go to their house, I kept on inviting him on the church, he is always saying yes. I am always waiting every Sunday of his appearance but only sister Maring is attending. Her grandchildren are all christians and are faithfully attending the services also.


April 16, together with brother Denis Yuson and his two sons who attended the PTP(Abraham and Malchisedek) and Jayson Tanguilan help me in the burial service at Palca. I first lead songs together with Abraham and Melchi while Jayson led us in our opening prayer. Brother Denis preached to us about "Where are the dead?". There is one of the audience who is drunk with wine and is a relative of sister Maring and not a christians who kept on talking while the study is going on. But the destruction didn't stop us to serve the Lord. We offer a prayer for the family after the preaching that they will continue with their life and to follow sister Maring on how she lives faithfully. After the burial, I am very happy to hear that her husband approached me and said, he wanted to study with us and will set a date for us to visit him again in their house. Hope and pray that we can help him spiritually and someday join his wife in heaven. I gave them a small amount from my pocket which is all I have to help them pay the funeral services because they are only living poorly, the church at Palca also help them. Hope and pray they can find a way to pay everything.

More images: Burial of sister Mauricia "Maring" Fernandez

Activities from March 27- April 2

Mark in motorcycle

March 27, in our preachers bible study, we all planned that we will all meet at Callao, Penablanca. I use my motorcycle to go to the place together with bro. Jerome, Jimmy Duque, Sherwin Miranda and Jun Miranda, while the others ride with those who have cars. We are all exactly 50 in attendance. It took us about 30 minutes drive to the meeting place.

In the morning, we continued to study the book of Revelation and we are now on the "Seven Vials of Wrath" in Rev. 15:1-16:21. Brother Edgar Licodini lead us in the study and we came to the point in Rev. 15:3-4 about the harps that changes our attention to the instrument if worship. These verse is use by the denominations to say that we can use musical instruments in worship, but as we know it, it is not a literal harp that was said but only symbolical. It just means that it is a praise and adoration to God. In the afternoon, we continued on the topic about instrumental music with the help of bro. Rody. We have great discussions about the topic and interesting ideas on how we can battle the passages that denominations are using.
More images: Preachers Bible Study at Callao

March 28, in our midweek service, we studied on "Psalm 139" that brother Jay Gumpad shared. He showed in the lesson how God's power is, and that God knows everything and always there to answer our prayers.

March 29-31- I have been helping brother Rody with the needed materials for the coming preachers training here in Tuguegarao. We need to prepare the copies of lessons, the books, schedules and more before it starts. Brother Jerome, Jay and Jun are also there for the preparation.

April 1, in our Lord's day here at Tuguegarao, brother Jerome taught in our bible study about "Mind to work or obstacle to excuse". A good lesson showing us that if we focus on our work we can do it at ease but if not, we might not finish it in time or nothing done at all, like serving our Lord and our faith in Him. In the sermon, brother Rody preached to us about "Jesus Christ:Our Savior". It is according to the Catholic faith, easter season right now, that if you can see in the TV or internet, people trying to be nailed to the cross as what Jesus suffered thinking that there sins can be forgiven if they will do that, but in reality, they are just fooling themselves. God did not command us to do that, the scriptures tells us that Jesus crucifixion is once delivered for all and we only need to obey Him to be saved from our sins and the hell fire.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them about "Attitudes in worship". We need to have the joy when we are doing it because it is useless if we are always attending services not thinking the real meaning of why we are there. And I also shared to them some excuses christians make when they are absent in any worship services that really is not an excuse at all. We have a saying here in the Philippines that "If you want it, there is a solution, but if you do not want it, there is always an excuse". We, as christians, should always want to be in any services of the church.

April 2, it is the start of the Preachers training and the students are already here. They came from different places and of different ages. I am happy to see them and their interest to learn more from the words of God. This evening, two of the already shared in the pulpit with the lesson about "Sin" and the other one about "Glorious church". I am not yet familiar with their names because it is my first time to see them. Hope in the coming days, I will already be familiar in their backgrounds. This training will only last for two weeks and hope and pray that it will be fruitful and many more laborers will go out in the field to seek and save lost souls.