Preaching activities from May 8 to May 22, 2016

May 4, in our midweek bible study, brother Jay discussed to us “Romans 15” about not trying to please ourselves but others and the services of Paul as an apostle of Christ.

May 8, in our Sunday worship here at Metro Tuguegarao, brother Jay taught in our bible study. Because it was a day for the mother’s, he shared to us a lesson about “Obligations of women Christians”. In the sermon, I preached to them “Ingredients for a guaranteed failure”. Failure often happened when we are procrastinate that we do not do the work on hand immediately. We can also be a failure if we always blame others of our sins, always having excuses and refusing to change of our wicked ways. Finally, we will really fail if we do not pray.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them “Be transformed, not conformed”. We should not be conform to the world, doing what others do but be transformed, change our character and do what the Lord’s will is. Romans 12:2

May 11, in our midweek bible study here at Tuguegarao, I taught the last chapter of the book of Romans (Romans 16). There are a lot of names that the Apostle Paul included in this chapter. Many of the names where known and are in his other letters. They are good examples for us and so I included their contributions in the church and shown their faith to the brethren so that we can imitate how they live their lives as a faithful servant even in very hard times.

 

brother Jay leading the songs

I am teaching Romans 16

May 12, we went to the wake of sister Macaria Pader, the mother of brother Robert Pader. We held a service in the evening. Brother Jun led the singing, and he asked me to lead the opening prayer. Brother Jerome preached to the audience the lesson “Things to remember about death”.

May 14, we held the last service in the wake of sister Macaria at Maguirig chapel. Brother Jun preached about “2^nd coming”. After the sermon, we continued to follow them until reaching the cemetery. Brother Robert asked me to lead the last prayer before bring the body back to where it belong. Of course as a Christian, we do not pray like the Catholics do when we bury someone. I prayed not for sister Macaria but for her sons and grandkids whom she left behind that they will continue to be faithful to God and praying that someday, we will all see each other in the wonderful place called “Heaven”.

May 15, in our Sunday worship here in Tuguegarao. I taught in our bible study about “Tator Family”. I forgot which website I got this lesson, but I am sure we belong to the same church. The lesson is about Christian as a body of Christ who have different roles in the church, and also different attitudes. There are those who are just “Spectators”, “Commentators”, “Imitators”, “Dictators”, “Agitators”, and “Hesitators”. This are the attitudes of Christians we should not follow. In the sermon, brother Jerome preached “The Lord’s goodness to the faithful”.

In the afternoon at Palca, I preached the same lesson “The Tator Family”. After the lesson, brother Enzo asked me to include in our closing prayer their daughter who is under observation of a possible Cysts on her throat. She is one of the kids that my wife is teaching in their children class.

May 18, in our midweek bible study here at Tuguegarao, brother Jay started on the book of 1 Corinthians. We studied “Chapter 1” on which the Apostle Paul is telling the brethren at Corinth not to have divisions among them instead to unite for the growth of the church.

May 20, we went to Alibago, Enrile for three thanksgivings in the houses of our brethren.

May 22, in our Sunday worship here at Tuguegarao, I again taught in our bible study about “You are not your own (1 Cor. 6:19-20)”. Our body no longer belong to ourselves, but to God who bought at with the price of His blood on the Cross. Our body no longer belong to ourselves but to others. Like Jesus who have His life in service for others. And finally, our body no longer belong to ourselves, but to our spouses. In the sermon, brother Jerome preached “What it takes to be interested in the Lord’s work”. We needed to have the knowledge to know the will of God and also to work in His vineyard.

In the afternoon, I again preached the same lesson at Palca “You are not your own”. Again, we included Charisse, the daughter of brother Enzo in our prayers because she was brought to the hospital to have a CT scan before going to the next procedure. We are praying that no surgery will be needed and medicines will do the work.

Preaching Activities from April 9 to May 1

April 9, we were invited by brother Jayson and Mario in Illuru, Rizal for a thanksgiving but asking us to help them in proclaiming the words of God to all the relatives of the family who are inviting for the said work (Gundan Family). I was asked to lead the opening prayer then brother Jay was the first to speak. He preached about “The story of Naaman” and brother Jerome preached “Our true Savior”. They have visitors who are non-christians and even some came from other villages.

April 10, in our Lord’s day service here at Tuguegarao, brother Jerome taught “Difficulty in the last days” and in the sermon, brother Rody preached “Jesus of Nazareth”.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them about “The righteous are scarcely saved” from 1 Peter 4:14-19.

April 13, we went to Bauan West to distribute bible tracts. We went from house to house to give and share God’s word. We had a bible study in one of the family that we handed out tracts. Brother Jay preached to them about “The True Church of Christ”. When we went further the village, we had a short prayer/devotion in the house of Arcilla Family where I led the prayer. On the next house (Palatan family), we again had the chance to preach. Brother Jerome also preached about the “The true Church of Christ”. It is the tarpaulin that we brought and it is good that they can see in whole the lesson we wanted to share.

In the evening, I taught in our bible study “Romans 12”. A chapter of the book where the apostle Paul is advising the Roman Christians to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord and more exhortations later in the chapter.

April 14, we went to the Gospel Meeting at Lapogan, Gattaran where brother Joeben Jacobo is preaching. Brother Jay, Fernando and I was asked to lead the opening songs. Brother Jimmy Duque was the first speaker and he preached about “Things that we should consider on the life of a Christian”. Then followed by brother Jerome “According to the scriptures” and finally brother Virgilio Bocarile “Building godly character in an ungodly world”. We extended the invitation but no response. There are brethren who came from Pussian, Alcala and Tupang just to attend the activity. After the preaching, we had the chance to talk to the brethren and giving them more encouraging words to stay strong in the faith.

April 17, in our Lord’s day service here at Metro Tuguegarao, I taught in our bible study about “False Jesus the world loves”. In the white board, it was in our Tagalog language. We didn’t use the projector because the whole town is out of electricity. Here in the Philippines, many Catholics worship a Jesus whom they call the “Black Nazarene”, “Christ the King” and many more idols. This are some examples of Jesus whom they love and not the true Jesus that we can read in the bible. I also the kind of attitude whom they thought as Jesus. In the sermon, brother Jerome preached about “My ways in Christ” as he use Philippians 4 as our basis on how to follow Christ.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I invited brother Jay to come with me in. He preached about “Searching in all wrong places”. Because we change the way in which I preach in Palca, using projector, we made a remedy because there is still no electricity. We let brother Jay use a small white board where we usually put our announcements. It helps us cope up with the lesson.

April 19, my family grieve with the loss of our grandfather (Orlando Valera). He is the brother of my father’s mother. From their siblings, he is the only one who was left, but because of what happened, they are all gone. He died because of the heat we are experiencing. They are lot of Filipinos who are dying right now because of heat stroke and he is one of them. It is very hot in the Philippines right now. In his wake, they asked me to lead a prayer for the family. Before leading the prayer, I shared to them short message in the bible about death. They (cousins, aunts, uncles and friends) are thankful for what I did, and even asked me to include in my prayers their family, their kids. One of my aunt who is known as one of the riches here in Tuguegarao approached me and asked me that we will include her daughter in our prayers in the church because of health problems. According to her, they are spending almost 100 thousand pesos every single shot of medicine just to ease the pain. I do not know the name of the sickness but it is in the head. She is thankful enough when she told me to pray for her daughter.

April 20, in our midweek service here at Tuguegarao, Brother Jay taught “Romans 13” about our duties to the government.

April 23, we stared to travel at around six in the morning and arrived with the Lord's help at around 8:30 at Guinamgaman, Conner. We waited for about 30 minutes before we started because many of them are just trying to finish their work in the field. While waiting, we had conversations with them regarding the churches they became a member of. According to them, they were once a member of Roman Catholic, Temple of God and Pentecostal that's why they already have a lot of knowledge regarding the bible. And also according to them, because of continuous hearing of preaching of brother Rody and brother Joeben on the radio, their conscience is bothering them if they are in the truth with the religion they are now. They are seeking the truth with care because many are coming to them and cannot convince them of their doctrines.

Brother Jerome and brother Virgilio stand to preached while I was asked to lead the prayer. After the bible study, brother Edgar answered their questions through an open forum. An old man in the audience asked a lot of questions like "what should we do in order to serve God?", "About Collection" (because they are from the Pentecostal group who still give tithes), about "Matthew 16:18" that many religion claim this verse belongs to their group, and many more question. They are still undecided whether to obey the gospel that's why they wanted us to return. They kept telling us to "return" to them when we are going home. Not only did they told us that word five times, but many more times because from their own words, this is the preaching that they only heard from us. We didn't use any other sources but only the bible. We explained to them that this words are not from us, but it is the words of God that we are using. Please include them in your prayers that by next time we go and preach to them, they will already obey the gospel and be baptized into Christ. They promised us that next time we go there, they will invite their relatives to listen also. They just couldn't come today because of their work in the field.

April 24, in our Lord’s day service here at Tuguegarao, I taught in our bible study about “Which of these three do you think was the neighbor?” from the story of the good samaritan. Who among the Levite, Priest and Samaritan are we to choose from if we are to be a neighbor to others. In the sermon, brother Jerome preached about “Famine in the word”. There is a great famine in the word of God as he use the example in the book of Amos.

In the afternoon, I preached the same lesson at Palca (“Which of these three do you think was the neighbor?”).

April 27,  in our midweek bible study, I taught “Romans 14”. A chapter in which Paul is admonishing the strong and weak brethren.

May 1, in our Lord’s day service here at Metro Tuguegarao, I taught in our bible study about “Finding joy in the vanity of life.” I use the book of Ecclesiastes as basis of our lesson where we can read about Solomon’s wisdom on the vanity of life and how to find joy in it. In the sermon, brother Jerome preached about “The Godly wife” as the bible tells us. Because it is mother’s day next Sunday, he choose to preach this lesson, and it is really good that you will love your wife more when she is as godly as what we can read in the bible. I thank God that He gave me a wonderful wife that is helping me in the Lord’s work. Many wives right now, even wife of preachers cannot support their husband in their preaching, and it is very sad.

I preached the same lesson “Finding joy in the vanity of life” in the afternoon at Palca.