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.

Gospel Meeting at Toran, Aparri - March 23

A great invitation from brother Jun Miranda to have a gospel meeting in his congregation was a great opportunity again to share the gospel. It is about 2 hours travel from here in Tuguegarao. We arrived in the area about nine in the morning.

The first speaker was brother Jerome Forelo who preached to us about "Why I need to be saved now?". We are just a man, and we all have sinned according to the bible, and so we are destined to go to hell. But we are very thankful that God gave His only begotten son. If we want to go to heaven, we need to follow what Jesus said and be obedient to the gospel, and it should be now. We do not know what might happen tomorrow, we need to be ready always.

The Second speaker was brother Jay Gumpad and he preached about "Masters". He showed the relationship between the master and the servant from both our life here on earth and with God.

I(Mark) preached as the third speaker and I am encouraged to share to them a lesson from brother Steven Deaton's sermon on their website. It is entitled "3rd option". I read these before and I made additions that would properly fit our nature here in the Philippines. There is a good place which is called Heaven and a very bad place which is Hell. We are going to hell because of our sins, and we are the one's who are choosing to go there. We are not saying that we want to be there, but if we live in darkness, it is like forcing our self to go to hell, and it is a place where there is severe pain that cannot be cured, it will be day and night and until eternity. But we can go to heaven by the blood of Christ. As christians, we already choose the path that leads to heaven because it is a place where there is real joy. In these world, we might find good pleasures, but it is only temporary, but in heaven, their will be no more pain, nor death, nor sorrow and crying because there will be joy, comfort and health. for all eternity. I choose to go to heaven and I want to be there on the last day, and I pray that all of us will be there. 

The fourth speaker was brother Rody Gumpad who preached about "Why Many will not be saved?". Many are serving God but according to Matthew 7:21-23, God never knew them because they are not doing what the will of the Father is. There is only one church, but they are trying to established churches of their own, Jesus said He is the head of the church, but many are trying to take His place, and so on. Many are called but few will be chosen.

In the afternoon, the first speaker was brother Jun Gumpad who shared about "Satan's Plan". There are many devices Satan is planning for him to destroy our relationship to God and it is working with those who are going back to the world like Demas.

The second speaker was brother Gerald Ganela, who also showed an encouraging lesson like the others. It is about "God wants you to be happy". God wants us to be happy in every ways we can imagine . But with the joys we are experiencing, all should be offered unto Him.

Then finally, the last speaker was brother Rody again. He preached about "The so great salvation". He showed the destination of man. Will it be in heaven of will it be in hell?

We sung the invitation song after the preaching and we are happy to see five(5) precious souls ready to confess their faith. We baptized them after the confession and it might be the first time you see how we did it. We used a large amount of water as the bible says but the tank we use might bother you. The converts were in the tank and was immersed from head to toe and that should not be a problem because it does not contradict to what the bible is saying.

More images in the Gospel Meeting: Pictures in the Gospel Meeting

Activities from March 19-25

March 19, we are invited by the newly baptized sister, Celia Lim, to have a bible study in her house. Brother Jimmy Battung and Elijah Sikat, as their cousins, help them understand the truth and they decided to be baptized last March 16. She and her daughter is now attending the services here at Metro Tuguegarao and we are happy to be with them in worship. Her family was known in the whole city because of how materially bless they are. Her husband already died and was a friend of bro. Rody before. Sister Celia invited many of her friends in her house to listen also to the studies. Brother Rody shared  two topics, first was  "Get Ready for the judgment" and "The original Members of the Church of Christ". The reaction from the listeners are very good because of good reactions when they hear something they know and also to the things they thought is right but in the bible it is not like the denomination where they are member of. Some questions where raise after the study and that only shows they listen very well and is interested in the topics discussed. Hope and pray that all of them will one day be our brethren also.

March 20, in our preachers bible study, we now moved to the next part of our lesson in Revelation which is "The Seven Personages" in Rev. 12:1-14:20. We focus on the Radiant Woman in 12:1-6, the War in heaven in 12:7-12, The Sea and Land Beasts in 13:1-8, The Lamb in Zion in 12:1-5 and The Proclamations of Judgment in 14:6-20.

March 21, in our midweek service, a wonderful and encouraging lesson from Psalm 138 was taught by brother Jerome. The main focus of the lesson is on how thankful and how God hears the prayers of all the faithful.

March 22, I preached in the radio program in the morning and it is entitled "You are not the judge". I choose to preached this because man choose to find their own ways of salvation and are not listening to what Jesus is telling us. 

In the afternoon, brother Jay invited me to go to Minagbag and visit the brethren. We first met bro. John and sister Janice. John was fixing his hand tractor that he is using in the field. We talk to him about those brethren whom we might visit. He is the trusted brother whom you can count when in comes to the church growth just like brother Lino whom I am with in Palca. I am very thankful that we have those kinds of brethren in the church. We tried to visit brother Sonny in his house but unluckily, he is not their and we just heard from the neighbor that he is in the field. The bad thing is, even on Sunday, he is working in the field and really scheduled a whole day work there but not on other days. Hope and pray that he will realized what he is doing is all a mistake and will come back to the church. The next place we visit was in brother Rene's house, but again, we failed to see him, we have no idea why he is no longer attending the worship because no one is around even in the neighborhood. We went home with prayers on our head and hope someday they will realized that without Christ, we are nothing even when we gain every material things in these world.

March 23, Gospel Meeting at Toran, Aparri. Please click on the link for the information: Toran Gospel Meeting

March 25, in our Lord's day here in Tuguegarao, bro. Jun taught in our bible study with the topic " Sin of Man Playing God", we are not like God but we are only a man that have a lot of limitations while God is all powerful. In the sermon, brother Rody preached to us about "Remember Lord Jesus", that we gave everything, even His life, for us all to have salvation from our sins.

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached to them about "What should we choose?" because today, many choose to live in darkness than in the light. We need to choose whom we want to serve, how we live, and where we want to go for eternity.

Activities from March 8-18

March 8, I preached in the radio program about "Right Gospel and Right Church". It is a continuation of the lesson I also preached in the radio before about "The Right Savior and the Right God". I first heard of this topic that was preached by brother Ron Halbrook during our lectureships the last time he was here. It is a good topic because it will really awaken those who are following the things they thought they knew the truth.

March 10, I should be going to Palca for home visitation again but friday night, brother Lino Quines, a brother at Palca calls on the phone and told me that many of them are working in the field right now because it is already time of harvest and if we will go to houses, we will not see anyone home. It is the only work of the people on that village that's why they will take the opportunity to do it before rain comes again.

March 11, in our service here at Metro Tuguegarao, I taught in the young peoples class that brother Jerome is doing when he is with us. Brother Rody, Jun and Jerome are in Mindoro at that time so I take his position in teaching them. I shared to them about "Marriage as a Big step". A good lesson that talks about what to look for a partner in life and the problems that may occur in marriage. Brother Jay taught in the bible study but it is the same time as the young peoples class so I didn't attend that part. In the sermon, brother Robert Rances, one of our elder, preached about "Blessings behind every condition". The lessons shows that in every conditions that God asked us to do, there is always a reward behind it.

In the afternoon at Palca, I preached to them about "Time to love and a time to hate". We should love God will everything and hate every false way.

March 13, we are still in the part of the "Seven Trumphets". It is really hard to study everything in the book of Revelation but with the unity of all of us, slowly, we are getting the point and the things we need to use to answer the doctrines of denominations.

March 14, in our midweek service, brother Reneboy taught to us about "Search the Truth". He started from the creation of man in God's image, followed by the devil's work in the world and the church that Jesus built.

March 13-17, I am working with all the videos that bro. Rody and his group recorded when they are in there preaching trip in Mindoro and Bulacan. It is about six videos and I need to edit everything that we could use in our TV program. It took me lot of working hours just to finished it and I am happy that when they played it in TV, it really looks nice and hopefully help many viewers understand the lessons.

March 18, in our service, brother Jun taught in our bible study about "The Rock and the Sand" on Matthew 7:21-27. A lesson showing that we need to build our foundation upon the rock which is Christ and not on the sand as the foolish man did with building his house. In the sermon, bro. Rody preached about "The Mosaical Period". He is showing that we are no longer living in that period and we are in the Christian age. In the audience was the presence also of the newly baptized brethren, they are Sister Celia Lim who is very well known here in Tuguegarao because of how wealthy they are together with her family and friends. Thanks to the effort of bro. Jimmy Battung who shared the gospel to them. Hopefully they will be worshiping with us every Sunday and please pray also for them.

In the afternoon, I preached the last part of the series of lesson on Different Seasons in Palca. The last was "Time of war and a time of peace". We, as christians are always at war with the invisible enemy which is the devil and we need to take the whole armor of God to have a good defense against his attacks. And we have peace after the battle in the nest life that God will give to all those who successfully fought the good fight of faith.

February 29 to March 7 activities

February 29, in our midweek service, we continued on studying the book of Psalm wherein we are now on the 135th. We have no electricity for the whole day and even when we started the Bible Study there are no lights. We started early while the sun is still there and we stayed in front of the house of bro. Rody. We arranged some chairs and continued on the midweek service. The focus of the psalm where bro. Florendo Respicio taught is all about the gods of man and made good points on focusing on the right God.

March 1 & 2, I worked on the videos that will be played in our TV program here in Tuguegarao. I thanked God that He gave me the ability to work with these things. I finished Information Technology and I am using it for the glory of God.

March 3, I went again to Palca to visit the brethren who are seldom attending the worships. I first encounter Melvin Lamigo when I arrived. We had a little talk, and he told me that he wanted to go back to the church but he is ashamed. I read to him passages that would help him realized that their is nothing to be ashamed of if you want to return to God. If we will be ashamed, Jesus will do the same for us. He admitted that he have many vices and that is a good thing, showing repentance. The next was the family of sister Fermina and her daughter Hazel with bro. Junior(they are all very faithful brethren). We have a good sharing of God's word and also offered prayers for those brethren who are lukewarm and are sick at the moment.

March 4, in our Lord's day here at Tuguegarao, bro. Jun taught in our Bible Study about "What are you worth?" that we all have a value and especially to God, that He gave His only begotten Son to pay our debts on the cross and we have the remission of sins. In the sermon, bro. Rody preached "God has spoken" speaking to us about the dispensations in the Bible, where we are and what we need to follow.

In the afternoon, I invited bro. Denis Yuson to come with me in Palca. He preached to us about "Children of God" sharing the first three verses of the book of Jude. After his preaching, I also shared some good thoughts in the bible explaining to all of christians that we can do all things with Christ with us.

March 6, we continued on studying the book of Revelation. We again examined the Seven trumpets that can be read in Revelation 8:6-11:19. We didn't finish it the last time so we continued with it. The trumpets means warning and many things pertaining the provision of God to His people.

March 7, in our midweek service, we studied "Psalm 136" that bro. Efren Respicio shared. The main theme of the psalm is "The Lord's mercy endures forever" that we can read over and over in the whole part of the psalm. The love of God cannot me measured because of its greatness.

Calendar of Activities for February 2012