Faithful Endurance

Billy Graham is known to be an evangelist who has toured almost the entire globe to preach the gospel of Christ to those who are lost. His life has been a blessing to many. God has been using him greatly and mightily through his speech proposal in different events, books that were published, and he has become a great influence to his son and grandson to continue what he started as an evangelistic pastor. His life has touched a lot of souls and it is all by God's power that enables him to glorify God's name through evangelical ministry. I am blessed by his life. I remember when I was in fourth year High School I have read a few pages of his book entitled, "Peace with God." Its content were very practical and helpful in broadening my knowledge about God. Aside from the life of Billy Graham, I have been blessed as well with how Christianity came here in the Philippines in a very unique way. Spanish Catholicism came to Philippines hundreds of years ago carrying the type of government which was frailocracy. At this time every personnel in the government had to obey with the Spanish priest rulers which caused the government and the state to be merged together. As the years went by, brutality had been displayed. So America raged war against Spain. America won. I was blessed with the life of Manrique Alonzo Lallave, who was a Spanish priest in Pangasinan who was against the Spanish government. He met a Swedish missionary. He was converted to Protestantism and smuggled bibles from outside the Philippines to the inside Philippines together with Francisco de Castells. Since then, Protestantism spread rapidly among Filipinos. Soon, there was an establishment of Evangelical Union, Siliman University, and Nicolas Zamora became the first ordained Filipino preacher. Truly, as God's people develop a pure motive of serving Him, the ministry that has been started will flourish by God's tools and His molding. God honors and works in His ministry.

I have learned from these people to really have faith and endurance with the life and ministry God has been entrusting to me. I am still in the process of accomplishing these two ingredients of finishing the race that we all, Christians, are into. By God's grace, I have endured the challenges I faced last year and I know by faith and God's grace, He will enable me to endure the challenges that will be coming into my life. Though I do not know where I am going, Christ is the driver of my life who knows which path to choose. In order to faithfully endure, I have to fuel the my jeepney (My life) with God's word, hold on to the corner of hope (God's promises), pray diligently as I ride in the jeepney (As I go through life), and trust in Him, my driver (Christ) who knows the right way.

Eternal Goal: Die to my self and live for Christ

I have learned about the life of David Livingstone and Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I am so blessed with their lives. David Livingstone became a missionary doctor in Africa. While he was in Africa, he explored a lot, helped many Africans with their sicknesses and their ignorance about Christ. He proved in his time that faith and science are compatible. He studied medicine and theology. David Livingstone built a chapel there and a printing press. Aside from reaching out to the African in Botswana Africa and was able to meet their physical needs; he also met their spiritual need. Moreover, David fought for the rights of Africans and soon after his death the Africans were spared from the slave trade that was implemented by Arabians. Charles Haddon Spurgeon became the prince of preachers. He had no formal education but was able to be one of the contributors of Church History.

I have learned from the life of Livingstone to let God use my life for His glory alone from this day forward. Livingstone did not waste his time and never let fear  rule in his life. He used what he knew to serve God in a humbling way. He used his time wisely as he was still in the field of missions. I have learned from Charles Haddon Spurgeon that being uneducated is not a hindrance for him to be used by God. It reminds me of the sermon I have heard from somewhere about "God is the extraordinary God who uses ordinary people." Indeed he never had a formal education but he was greatly used by God. His tongue was gifted by God to speak of the truthfulness of His word  and became a great mouthpiece of God.

I am in the process of becoming the person that God wants me to be. I believe that studying in a Bible School is one way of glorifying God's name and is part of the training that I have to experience in order to reach my destination. Every day has become so significant day to me. Every day there is a lesson to be learned. If an opportunity comes which gives God pleasure, I ought to accept it. As these realizations pop up in my mind, I also pray in my heart that what I have (skills, talents, life) be all used for God's glory alone and not mine. David Livingstone and Charles Spurgeon knew the chief end of their lives and it is Christ. It is what I am praying for, that I may courageously serve God with His strength and focus on Him alone as my very goal until the time when He finally leads me back home.

The more I learn, the more I know less; the more I apply what I know, the more I grow

Dr. Manges had been with us from 6 pm until almost 8 pm on Wednesday, February 17, 2016. He came into our class and discussed about Church history, almost everything about Church History. He also entertained many questions from my classmates. I have learned a lot from him especially about the intriguing issue on why many of the Filipinos worship Mary. I have also learned about why Rome considered Peter as   their first pope. Mary, historically, was said to remain a virgin even after Jesus' birth, and so she was said to be immaculate. Filipinos were then influenced by the invading Spaniards in the Philippines and were taught about worship of images of variety. Peter was declared to be the first pope because of what Jesus told "on this rock I will build my church." It was suspected that Rome was the place where the church would be built not knowing that it was the people who will follow Christ.

Through learning more about Mary, I can reach out easily to people who are devoted in worshiping her. It is very difficult for me as I think about it but, because of Church History I can connect Mary's life in History and who she really is in the bible. In this modern generation, Mary is seemed to be highly much respected than Jesus, especially by the elders in the Philippines. Studying History can really help in gathering more information in the past and prove the bible to be a true historical book and at the same time the word of God. Interestingly, a lot of places, events, and people from the bible are proven to have existed in the historical accounts. Since, I was in High School I could remember that there was a person who shared to me about Peter being the first pope of Rome. Only when I have reached in my fourth year in College have I been corrected of my wrong stock knowledge.

In the teaching ministry or in any ministry that God will entrust to me in the near future I believe that I can teach what I have learned from Church History class especially to the people who are devoted to Mary and to those who are confused of whom to be worshiped. and who is the true Savior. If the Lord wills for me to teach children in the future I desire to talk to their parents and lead them to Christ in a way which will not offend them. I can also conduct counselling for the mothers who need to be listened to. I can not plan with permanent structure on how I can share Christ to them but I think I will do it in an informal way asking them how they are doing in life. If they have questions I will be open in answering them with the answers I have at the ssme time I will be honest whenever I do not know the right answers they are seeking.

Reaching out starts by listening to one's heart

This week I have learned about the movement of the Anabaptists and of other radical reformers. Before studying about this subject, I am already familiar with Anabaptists, in fact I thought of it as a "religion" but I was corrected by our lesson in Church History. Anabaptism is a movement in which the members, which are called Anabaptists, do not believe in infant baptism rather they believe that one must come to faith in Christ before being baptized. Anabaptists were reformation radicals. there are four groups of radicals. Firstly, the radical biblicists, who put aside all traditions and base their teachings only under the authority of Scriptures. Secondly, the radical kingdom builders who tried to claim and bring Christ's reign on earth by the sword and force. Thirdly, the radical mystics who believed that God's revelations are revealed to them. Fourthly, the radical free thinkers, who denied Christ's deity and the Trinity as well.

I have noticed now a days that some of the religious groups differ from each other in terms of beliefs, traditions, basis of beliefs and even how to be saved. Because of differences in doctrines, they tend to fight for what they think is right and ignore what the other groups claim. They tend to persecute and listen to others just to preserve what they stand for. All of these groups have some right and wrong doctrines circulating within their devotion. I notice that when people focus so much with their differences the tendency is that they want to argue with each other resulting to unpleasant behavior. Would not it be nice if all of the religious groups, particularly different denominations who claim to be Christians be gathered together and learn from each other's similarities and differences without persecution and arguments? Sad to say, before it never happened. They might be afraid of the loss they could get but would not it be a better gain if they have had a time when they focus even just one similarity that they had and laugh with each other about it? What I can comment about them is that, no one can ever judge or blame them for what had happened even though it cost hundreds of lives who lived back then because they might have been so zeal to preserve their faith. If no group ever stood bravely, I think this generation too, has become a time of confusion, killing and blindness of the truth that only God's grace through faith in Christ can one be saved.

Now that it has been clear to us all that there is no religion which can provide salvation to a person. Christ is the answer to all the questions of confused people. Christ is the basis for the true source of eternal life. Christ is the solution to the increasing wickedness in the world. If all Christians, regardless of their denominations, be gathered together in love and unity in the name of Christ, the real Savior will be manifested. The tendency why people get confused of what is the truth is because they tend to focus on the force of the world rather than the real source of the truth found in God's word. Who are to help them? it's us who know about it. We are to love, tell , and gather as one.

As a Christian, I have to be ready for all the possible happenings that I will encounter especially when I mingle with a person who has a different view of God. The way I can do to help that person is to listen to what she or he believes and slowly lead him or her not to my reason or knowledge but tell her or him my story from how I searched and became confused of the truth into how I have come to know Christ and be able to feel secured in His love and presence.