Gate 3: Old Gate - Learning from the past

A Mirror with 2 Faces?

I’ve watched and read a lot of stories about warriors who were crowned as kings because of how strong they were in battles. But when already sitting on the throne, fame and power swallowed them. But just a month ago, I met a young man, a crowned king who was very different from those I met in stories and movies.

                Like most heroes, he is strong and he loves to sing. His music style can even calm a tired-hearted king. But sadly, this sweet music also puts him at the edge of death in the hands of that jealous, furrowed-forehead king. This king who once was a good king was destroyed by his jealousy that led him to grab a spear and throw it to the young innocent man. To my surprise, the young man dodged and never threw a spear back despite the fact that he indeed could and many chances came for him to do that. He would not kill the king. He would not kill God’s anointed.

                How are you going to respond if the king you had served got jealous of you, ordered his men to hunt and kill you? Would you fight and kill him if you got the chance or you would run like what this young man did? For what he did, I admired him a lot.

                He ran and hid and with that he glorified the Lord more. He retreated to a cave alone to hide. Is he being coward? Would he allow injustice just like that? But has he not been anointed by Nathan to be the next king?  To our own measure, he maybe is a defeated, shattered man, the cave being his castle and darkness as his friend. But to the heavens, he is a broken man - the perfect condition for a mighty work. By running from the earthly king he ran toward the Heavenly King.

                The king continues to spear. The young man had another chance to throw spear back. But he did not. He would not. God has transformed him in the cave. He never used a sword but people around him loved and submitted to him as one with authority. He is not a weakling. He just didn’t want to be a mirror-image of the king trying to kill him. He is the true king. But he 

would not rebel to gain the kingdom. All he wants is to be the king that God made him to be.

                I looked at the mirror. I saw two different faces of kings – the growing tired proud, jealous king with his spear on his right hand,  and a young king trying to dodge and controlling himself not to hold the spear. I took a closer look of me.  The mirror showed the pride that is pulling me down and slowly destroying the crown of the present king residing in my heart. The growing proud king in me cannot stop himself from throwing a spear. The young innocent king in me tries to dodge, but his right hand got the spear and in an instant, he throws the spear back. Dismayed I closed my eyes. When I again took a glance, right there was the face of the proud king. He has successfully pulled me down and the young innocent king David is nowhere in sight.

                This fight is not how great one is in throwing spears nor in dodging them. This fight is about how we respond – what we do after we’ve dodged. In the mirror, I may have tried hard to dodge and control myself to still be good despite of every bad but though keeping low, I hold a spear in my hand.

                These two kings – King Saul and King David – are both in us. Yes. You and me both struggle with this. King Saul will always emerge and will try to kill the little David.  But it is up to us to let the King Saul in us corrupt our minds and hearts so that the little David would be a new Saul and throw the spear back.  Are we gonna dodge and will never throw the spear back despite of all the chances have and will have? When someone throws a spear straight to us, will we rebel and fight back? Or will we dodge and use the shield of love?

Mich in Grey, Annie in Blue
this 2 met here at camp and has since become Twins.
 Eli calls them "sepatu" which means a pair of shoes. :) 

Look at the mirror! Who is winning? And who will you allow to win? It’s up to you…

Will you be a Saul or will you be a David?

-          - Mich, 25

Batangas



* Pray for Mich as she goes and serve in Zamboanga this summer, facilitating orientation and leading a team to an island... and then to do whatever the Lord has put in her heart starting with the challenging "first step". 

Gate 2: Fish Gate- Soul Winning

“Walking Towards Fish Gate”

As I entered the fish gate, I found myself overwhelmed with the Master Plan of God for the Nations. I already knew the Great Commission of God for all believers but this time I seem to have grasped it all. God is truly great, where he made everything in order for us to live our lives worth glorifying for Him. Jesus showed a good living example in the Scriptures on how we proclaim and preach the Gospel. The plan and main purpose why Jesus came down to earth to live is to live a perfect life, die on the cross for us so we could be saved from the penalty of sin.  After three days, he rose from the dead, appeared to his disciples and commissioned them before he went back to heaven. Having known this truth for a long time, I had been encouraged to go and share the Gospel to others who are still living in darkness.

The Master’s plan of the Lord for the world is very clear and needs to be done. Jesus selected only few to disciple, trained and taught them all that they need to know to be able to accomplish the task.  Those who follow Jesus are to be like Him – a servant, willing to adapt to culture and language. We are selected by God to bring His love and truth to all men. Jesus associated himself with his disciples. He spent time with them and share life with them. That He still do today through the Holy Spirit. God is very   personal and desires a deep and personal relationship with us. Jesus gave his disciples freedom to choose if they would trust and obey him and his teachings. He told and showed them the costs of obeying him and told them to consider them. Jesus expected obedience from them. This is consecration. God expects our obedience, and obedience is a decision that we will or will not make. will we choose to obey and commit our whole lives to him? It can be very costly but he has given us all we need to persevere and finish the race well. He, himself is our example to follow.

Jesus delegated tasks to his disciples. He gave them assignments that need to be done, and they did. But even then, He did not just leave his followers to themselves. He empowers, coaches, encourages and does not miss any teaching moment with them even when they can already do the task he has given them – supervision.  This also we should do as we train and equip others. We need to follow up, encourage and continue to teach life lessons to God’s people so they won’t lose heart and be side tracked. What Jesus did to his disciples, they also did to teachable men (and women) who are able to teach others. Through this, the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus reached us and this we ought to teach and do to others who will also teach and do to others. This is the process of reproduction where the people who knows the Gospel multiply and spread it to others. Then, He had ascended to heaven. God then sent His Holy Spirit  to give them power and authority to be his witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the Earth.

We cannot do anything without the working and leading of God the Holy Spirit. From the Holy Spirit comes the power and only through Him can we do what Jesus has commanded us to do.  The Holy Spirit fills us with love; grace and peace that helps us overcome and finish the task. This is where our hope and confidence and doing his work comes from. Let us finish the race with perseverance and determination to give God all the glory. Romans 10:14 says” How then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? This verse states a great challenge to me to have the passion of spreading the gospel to the unreached and hard to reach people. Take the step of faith now and don’t wait ‘till it becomes too late to them all. GO! PREACH! TEACH!

-  Gwen, 22

South Cotabato

* be Gwen's partner in prayer as she partners with Amik in facilitating NT iloilo orientation and lead a team there. Gwen looks at serving long term in the mission field. 

TESTIMONY: Quiet Time

A QUALITY TIME WITH GOD

Hello! My name is Eliezer. I am a seminary student in Indonesia. I went to the seminary because I have a calling to become a Pastor.                                 

I want to know about God better. I did a lot of assignments, papers, reading books, etc., just to be a better person who does ministries of God. But I have a problem, my knowledge grows but my faith does not. To gain more knowledge is not leading my faith to grow. At one point I got frustrated and felt emptiness in my ministry.

And then I was sent to the Philippines. Nehemiah Teams gave invitation to send youth leaders to one of their training and I committed to go though I don’t really have any idea what kind of training that will be.

But because of this training, I found the answer to why my faith does not grow: I lack quality time with God alone in His Word. In this training, I learned to have my quality time with God. Every morning, we go off on our own to be alone in the presence of God in His Word. We are also encouraged to find some solitary place during our free time and off day to find some solitary place and be in His Word.

The days became weeks, the weeks became a month and over, and it really changes me. The training helped me to have e better personal relationship with God and that grows my faith. Through my Quality times with God, I found the purpose of my relationship with Him.  That is to know Him better.

I don’t know if any of you could relate or go through the similar problem which I have shared. What I know, though is God used this training grew my faith and lead me to know Him better.

So I challenge you all to not hold yourself back from attending this training. Maybe God can also use this training to answer your question or fill your emptiness. For me, I really believe he will use this training to also lead you like he did to me. God bless you!

-         --- Eli, 25

 Indonesia

*Pray with Eli as he participates in Nehemiah Teams this summer and help with training, and as he sees the possibility of making the NT opportunity where he is from. 

Gate 1: Sheep Gate - Salvation

 iT’s all aBout HIS Love

i praise and thank the Lord so much for what He has done, not just in my life but for everybody’s life for He has given us the greatest gift we could ever have. It is His unconditional and unfailing eternal love.

Gate 1: Sheep Gate – Salvation, helps me understand more about the life that I have now in Christ, what he has done on the cross in his grace.

I received Christ 2 years ago and my life has never been the same. I’ve heard a lot about God’s love before but I still used to doubt each time I failed or sinned. Honestly, I have had a hard time understanding His love.

This gate also teaches about the full package of his gift of salvation: Justification - deliverance from the penalty of sin, Sanctification – being saved from the power of sin, and Glorification - will be saved from the presence of sin(Philippians 1:6). When I learned the process of sanctification, I am also being set free from doubting the love of God when I sinned. But it doesn’t mean that I can now continue sin because of this process. He drew me closer to him. The Christ life: your life is one of the illustrations for sanctification. Repentance is also in this gate and its example was the Prodigal Son. Because of sin we often misjudge the love of our Father in heaven. Sin will take you farther than you are willing to go, keep you longer than you are willing to stay and cost me more than I am willing to pay. Repentance requires action. If the lost son did not choose to go back to his father, he will not know the love of his father and how the father have always waited on the road for his return.

 

He fist loved us and no one can separate us from the love of God. His unconditional and eternal love gives assurance. If there is a condition – even one, his love is no longer unconditional. Our salvation is as eternal as he is in his love. And since I received grace, I ought to give and show grace to others.

God loves us just like we are but He will not leave us just like we are.

-     Nonoy, 26

Bicol

* Pray for Nonoy as he goes back to Bicol and leads a team this summer... and from there where the LORD would have him next. 

He is Love Displayed

Advance Operations Training Batch 4

Ptr. Harry, AOT 4 (in black) and me 

2015, a new year, a new season of Advance Operations Training participants. Young people, young leaders coming from different people groups and culture within the country, and this time one from Indonesia – Eli, Gigi, Mich, Ecoy, Gwen, Glad, Nonoy, Annie, Lee Ann. These 9 gave up 9 weeks of their life to be in this training to know God more and be prepared to take the Gospel to all nations.

As the training opens with a bible study on Joshua and the Angel with a drawn sword reminding the team that we are preparing for a Spiritual War and that more than the skills, God’s instruction and holiness are of utmost importance, the team was blown away by just such a clearer and solid understanding and experience of God’s love – CHRIST – the only place and person where both the grace and justice of God could meet. His justice demands that we suffer for our sin, His grace decides to pay for that sin and redeem us through the sacrifice of Christ’s life that we do not deserve. And He rose again for He is God. And this is meant to be the root of it all – the giving of one’s life for the sake of His name and the Gospel  - because He deserves it and even this life and a million lifetimes of serving him will not be enough to show the gratitude for what He chose to do for us and for all nations.

He is love displayed. And his love meant to be displayed for all the world to see and know and receive and love him back.

Each of these 9 leaders will share their hearts to us through some short articles, testimonies and journal entries. May you be blessed, inspired and ministered to by the sharing of their hearts. J

- cecil

Philippians 1:20-21

How far can those little tracts go?

This piece of 5 truths tracts got to the remote islands of Northeast Palawan. And through one man putting his faith in Christ and seeing the value of the Good News, his people and islands are being reached. Other peoples living in their islands also get the chance to put their faith in Christ.

October 2014 on a ferry ride to a distant island, we met Tatay Fidel. ( if you have been reading the blogs here, you already know the story, if not just check the older posts about this man). This man put his faith in Christ and shared to his entire family. Some he called on cellphone just to  share to them the story of Creation to Christ and had this 5 truths with him with our contact number on the back. His wife, Nanay Teresita  called us after three days asking if we could come to explain to them the story. That year, that season, we could not.

Now, 2 years after a team of 6 guys are in their island and living with their family. just a few days after we  arrived, met with some people and shared the Gospel. We got in a conversation with our host about “bibles”. Nanay Teresita wanted to know if they have the right bible, not just some book that they think is a bible but really not.

She got her bibles out. I looked though one New testament. I found this 5 Truths Tracts inside. I recognized it. It was it. The exact tracts we handed Tatay Fidel on the 27 hour ferry ride! Nanay Teresita saw me holding it and said that she has kept that. Tatay had her read that. “This brought us here” exclaimed Hagen (one of the guys on the team).

with Nanay Gising (in blue) and Nanay Tereista (middle)

I always desire and hope that those that i, we share the Gospel to would come to faith. I always desire and hope that when cast to them the vision to pass the Gospel message on, that they would. That when I hand a piece of tracts that they would read it. That when I write my number on it, they would contact us so we could help them grow. That they would follow through. Some do. I know some did not. but my heart was never prepared for something like this. My faith was not big enough to expect this to happen. That may sound bad, but that’s good for me for because of that I am  even more amazed, not with the tracts, not with the vision casting, or that we got to share to him, but amazes me is God’s faithfulness even if my faith was so little. I am in awe of Him, how his love is just that big, his power is just that great, his plan just so true and not anything can stop it and he can use anything, any situation, any long or short time to do great great things.

in Seaweed Island:
Austin and Bryan with Nanay's daughter and grandson 

Tatay Fidel is already in heaven . we only saw him gain last year when we visited their island to ask if teams could come. God took him home, January 3 2014.

 We never got a picture with him. We got a picture of this 5 truths only and so many pictures and memories and stories of how his faith in Christ lead to all this.

Look what God can do!

- Cecil :D

NT 2014 stories from the field

Tres na lang

Last three pesos

“I travelled to a really far island to share the gospel and back with just 3 pesos in my pocket.”

This is Josh’s story. Josh has long committed to go on Nehemiah Teams again this summer. He had actually also committed to join AOT last January but many “things” blocked his way. But this summer, no matter what, he would not be stopped. Josh, came from a real humble family. I know how many they were but it seemed to me that he is the bread winner of the family. He worked different part time jobs while faithfully serving his church the entire time that he was waiting for summer. Because of urgent family needs nothing was really left from all whatever humble amount he earns. 

I remember coming to their house, Josh washing clothes to use for the summer, admitting he had nothing and have not had any meal that day, his mom came in telling Josh that don’t have any rice to cook for the coming meal. And here he is preparing to go not sure if his church would permit and even a slimmer chance that they would support him financially. 

He was allowed to go. With his last 13 pesos he picked up a co-participant at the airport. 10 pesos for fare now he only had 3 pesos left. A month to go in a very remote island, how will that be Lord?

He packed his stuff and went with the participants to the terminal. "Tres na lang". he thought in his heart, "if I can get on this van, indeed I am going."

 Without asking the other participants for help, they covered his fare. God touched different people to contribute to his registration fee. Some help with toiletries. 

Off to the island they went. He saw people come to faith. He saw how those people who are very devout to their religion yet without assurance of forgiveness and rest finally come to faith, served the community, made good friends, invested in the lives of kids and was loved by the island.

He only had 3pesos. But he had faith and saw what God did.  

How much do you have? or WHO do you have?

- cecil