Preaching activities from October 9 to November 3, 2019

October 9 (Midweek service at Tuguegarao)

As we continue to study the book of Genesis, things are getting better and better. I love studying the bible and this will help me learn more not just because I am one of the preachers to teach it but also when I listen to brother Jay as he share what he researched. I was again tasked by the brethren to teach and now we are on the 35^th chapter of the book of Genesis. I talked about the revival of Jacob’s life from being in a foreign ungodly country, they are now back to Bethel to start over again. We also talked about the death of Deborah, Rachel and Isaac.

October 10 (Bible study at Palca)

The brethren at Palca again contacted me to have a bible study in their house. This time, we are in the house of sister Paulina Ramos. She is a faithful sister for the fact that she was working in a drugstore a year ago and she cannot attend in our worship because her boss wanted her to work even on Sundays, she decided to quit the job. She knows her priorities and that is to put God first in her life. Her marriage is also broken. Her husband committed adultery and left her. Her two children are already married and are living in Nueva Vizcaya meaning she is alone in their house. In our bible study, she invited her neighbor. Two of them are Catholics and one is a born again Christian. Some of the brethren also joined us. I invited brother Jimmy Duque, Efren Respicio, Jerome Forelo and Robert Pader. I started the activity by some encouraging words from the bible then Jimmy and Efren led the singing. Jerome then led us in our prayer and Robert preached about “This is your life”. After his preaching. I gave some additional facts on the lesson he preached.

October 13 (Sunday worship at Tuguegarao and Palca)

In our bible study, Jerome preached to us “No excuses” and brother Rody preached in the sermon about “Qualification of Elders in the book of 1Timothy”. We are preparing the congregation to appoint our elders. There are already qualified brothers but we want to have the series of this study so that everyone will know what we are going to do.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them the lesson “Who will really be saved?” and I gave to them the standard of man on how one can be saved and differentiate it with the standard of God. The standard of man cannot save anyone as we all know. God is the only one who can save us.

October 16 (Midweek service at Tuguegarao)

In our bible study, brother Jay shared to us Genesis 36, about Esaus’ descendants.

October 17 (Bible study at Palca)

I am again invited by the brethren in their house to have a bible study. This time, in the house of sister Linda Uton. She and her daughter Lorna Llanes are faithful Christians. They invited their family members, Loida Uton (Methodist), Girlie Domingo (Methodist), Mildred Domingo (Methodist) and Luvinia Uton (Iglesia ni Christ 1914). With me are Jerome Forelo, Efren Respicio, Edgar Corpuz, and Jerry Soliva. I started again the activity by giving some facts about the church and Edgar led us in singing. Jerry led our opening prayer and Efren preached about faith. After the preaching, questions were raised about “If I were baptized in the Methodist/Iglesia ni Cristo before, can I be baptized again?”. Brother Jerome answered all their questions and I am sure they understand it well. After the study, we continued with our conversations, all about spiritual matters.

October 18 (Bible Lectureship at Tuguegarao)

We have a visitor from Texas, USA; brother Jim Mcdonald and brother Jonathan Glaesemann. Brother Jim is one of the first preachers from the US to come here in the Philippines and have helped many preachers and congregations. Most of the congregations he helped have grown in numbers. One of those is the church here in Tuguegarao. When brother Rody started to preached the truth, brother Jim was the one who helped him to defend the truth. Now, the church here in Tuguegarao where I am a member have a good number of 120+ attendance every Sunday. If we look at the record, more than 500 have already been baptized in this congregation, but most of them are now living and working abroad. Some opened other congregations and started their own work. Brother Jim and brother Jonathan both shared two great lessons each for the whole day. Two souls are the fruits of the preaching. They were baptized in our baptistery.

October 19 (Burial service at Catarauan and Bible Lectures at Liwan Church)

We have two schedules on this day. We are first invited to have a service in the burial of our brother Kenneth Caleda. He have been battling Kidney disease for almost 3 years and many of the brethren have helped him in his dialysis, but God has already taken his life. It is sad at the same time happy for me. Sad because he is a very faithful brother. Giving more time in his service to God than those who are strong and healthy. He even wanted to become a preacher one day that’s why he always have his bible wherever he go. Happy because I know that he is now in Paradise and all of the pain he had when he was alive are now gone. He is with those faithful brethren who went before us and waiting for the day the Jesus will return. Brother Jun Antonio is the local preacher in their congregation and he have helped Kenneth for many things. His mother and his twin are also faithful in the service for the Lord.

In the service, brother Jun and brother Edgar Corpuz led the singing, brother Denis Yuson led us in prayer, brother Jerome Forelo preached about Death and I led our closing prayer. Kenneth’s aunt and cousin spoke in front for the last messages and many good things are said about Kenneth. He left a good name as what Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes.

After the service, we went immediately to Liwan Church to attend the bible lectures. Brothers Jim Mcdonald and Jonathan Glaesemann are again the speakers. One soul was baptized as a fruit of the preaching in the activity.

October 20 (Sunday worship at Tuguegarao and Palca)

Brother Jonathan taught in our bible study about “Walls and Doors - Song of Solomon 8:8-10”. The focus of the lesson is for the young people, especially for those who are thinking of having a relationship/family. In the sermon, brother Jim preached about “A little leaven, leaveneth the whole lamp”. I have heard this from him before, but I still learned many things from the same lesson.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them about “What do I still lack?”. The question of the rich young men on how to obtain eternal life. This is the same question we must take seriously, and if God tells us to sell what we have (forsake the things that hinder us to give our 100% to Him), we must sell it.

October 21 (Thanksgiving at Palca)

Sister Jing Doran asked us to have a thanksgiving service for the birthday of their one year old daughter, Aeiouna Xyril Doran. I also invited my fellow preachers as the family asked me. Brother Jerome Forelo shared a lesson “With gratitude in our heart”. Many non-christians are in attendance and one of them is an American who is from Wisconsin and married a filipina who is from Palca. I invited him to the church on Sunday and thankfully, he and his wife attended the worship.

October 23 (Tracts distribution and bible study at Pagasa, Ilagan and Midweek service at Tuguegarao)

In the morning, we went to Pagasa, Ilagan as invited by brother Efren Respicio and Edgar Licodini. We distributed bible tracts in the whole village and also had a bible study to one of the parents of sister Aileens friend who is working abroad. 

In the evening at Tuguegarao, I shared to the brethren in our bible study Genesis 37 about the dreams of Joseph and him sold to slavery in Egypt.

October 27 (Sunday worship at Tuguegarao and Palca)

Our regular preachers on Sundays at Tuguegarao are all away. Jerome is in Manila preparing for his trip to the USA and Rody is also in Manila with Jim and Jonthan. Brother Jay and I are the only preachers left in the congregation and so we divided the work. Jay taught in our bible study about “How shall we escape?” and I preached in the sermon the same lesson I preached the last Sunday at Palca which is “What do I still lack?”.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them a lesson regarding the things we can learn from the 12 disciples in Acts 19:1-7. Mr. Richard, the American, attended our worship and so I am forced to preached in English. This is my first time to preached a sermon in English language just for him to understand. I needed also to translate it for our brethren at Palca because not all of them can understand straight English.

For this year, I translated a preaching by brother Keith Greer and Steve Lee word by word and that is my first time. This year, I also preached a sermon in English language for the first time. It is challenging for me but for the sake of preaching the word of God, I am always ready to do what I can.

October 30 (Midweek service at Tuguegarao)

It is again the last Wednesday of the month and as scheduled, we had our singing service. Brother Rody led us in our singing spiritual songs and finally gave some bible passages about singing.

November 3 (Sunday worship at Tuguegarao)

I prepared a lesson for our bible study because brother Jerome is already in USA as of the moment but brother Rody asked me that he will do it for the time. He taught in our bible study the qualifications if elders according to the book of Titus. And in the sermon, he preached about “Where are the dead?”. After the worship, Particia came to us and told us she wanted to be baptized. And so I was tasked to explain to her the reason why we should be baptized and asked the question in confession. Brother Rody then immersed her in water. Please pray for our new sister. 

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them about “God’s guidelines for living” according to King Solomon on the book of Ecclesiastes. I prepared for this sermon because I know that Mr. Richard will attend again, but he didn’t because he is in vacation with his family. But still, I gave my full effort to edify the brethren on the lesson I prepared.

After the service, the brethren told me about our main concern on our church building. Our government is working nationwide in the widening of roads and according to brother Juriel who is working in DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), from the center of the road, there should be 7 meters on both sides, that means, our church building will be affected by the road widening. If that happens, the chapel cannot accommodate us all and so we need to extend at the back. But, we cannot do that, the lot is now owned by the church. We tried to talk to the owner of the land, and thankfully, they are selling it in a bargain price. I am praying that brethren will help us by locating funds to buy the lot. They are selling it $2000, way more cheaper than other lots near it. Please help us locate funds for this so that when the time comes that the government will start with the road widening, we will still have room to extend our chapel. We are also growing in number and if we have Gospel Meetings, the chapel cannot even accommodate all.