Sunday, 15 November 2009

“Faith like Potatoes” – a testimony of God’s working

This is the title of the movie that has made a huge impact in my heart just recently. It talks about the faith of Angus, a farmer who just got saved and is stirred of the reality of a powerful God. He has witnessed many answers to his prayers and thus persuaded him to believe that God is a God who can do wonders. They were suffering from El Nino at that time and he challenged the people to look up to God and trust Him to save them from devastating effect of El Nino. He showed his faith by purchasing tons of potatoes and planting them in his field under the scathing heat of the sun. And lo, and behold, after 4 months, he harvested tons of healthy potatoes to the amazement of many.
Potatoes do grow unseen and unknown in the outside. Unnoticed, unapplauded but the result is there – the crop is growing underneath the barren field. Harvest is certain!
I then told myself, “Jonah, in your service for the Lord, how much applause have you received? How much works have you done that is seen and known and observed by others? How willing are you to work faithfully unnoticed and unapplauded until the fruits reveal the depth of God’s power in and through your life?”
As the work of the Lord here in Cebu Province is progressing, by His grace, those questions ring in my heart and mind louder than ever. I became more and more desirous to honestly say with John de Baptist, “I must decrease and He must increase.”
Oh! My dear friends, I confess, it is not that quick and easy process of actually living the life of total yieldedness and surrender to God and until now I am yet away to the utmost reality. But I praise the God of all grace for the patience and long-suffering to work in me. He is nailing that everyday in my heart.
As the team Cebu is keeping on for the harvest for this semester, qualitatively and quantitatively, that reveals the work of the Mighty One, we painfully desire to have a changing touch from Him that will bring us to the point of nothingness and dependence on Him alone.
We are seeing you in prayers and desiring that through all of us, God would do wonders that He alone can do. Amen.
Please pray with us as we do some arrangements and changes in our local organizational set up.
Please pray for wisdom and discernments, leading and guidance and preservation of lives and testimonies.
Please pray for provision of needs financially.

A God so Amazing

Brethren, it has been more than a year since the Lord has visited me and eventually made me know of His long-time-ago-wrapped-gift, eternal life. He has done so much in my life from that time on. He has been working so greatly and mightily and has put me in the ministry.
Just recently, God has proved to me that indeed He has heard all my prayers and is very willing to answer them but not the way I expect them to be, rather, His own perfect way.
After begging Him for a year or more to save my family members too, God is now starting His work of saving them. Last October 14, 2009, He saved my third earthly parents. I considered them third parents because they are the parents of the one who took me from my real parents and called me their own :) (Quite confusing huh? But that’s the way God led my life.)
God is so amazing! He works in ways we cannot fathom and comprehend. Often His ways are very, very far greater than our ways and expectations. Even in His ministry here in Southern Cebu, Philippines. He has been working deeply in the hearts of the few core group members. They are just few but God showed us that these few are really the ones whose passion and burden for Him and His work are kindled so mightily.
Presently, these few students are doing evangelism and follow-up inside their campuses where we are not allowed to get inside to facilitate the bible studies. God is indeed STILL on the Throne! He deserves all the glory and honor. Praise be to His name forever.

Monday, 9 November 2009

Netcasters Training Seminar - Negros Chapter

Last October 26-30, we have conducted a Netcasters Training Seminar here at Negros Island and was held at Grow Point Tanjay City..The Lord has given us 34 trainees, young in faith and in age..we have highschools and college trainees this year..During the training, there were 102 professions made..To God be the Glory..We are blessed to hear that the trainees shared the gosple to their loveones as they go back to their places..May the Lord continue to put that fire burning to reach more lost souls for God...


Testimonies:

I am Omar Estrabela, one of the trainee from SMCI- Guihulngan-Negros chapter. It’s my privileged to attend the seminar together with the other SMCI members. I'm so blessed with first night preaching of Pastor Joven on how to catch fish. The passage in Matt.28:18-20, reminds me of the great commission. It encouraged me to share the gospel to others. Netcasters seminar taught me on how to present the gospel well. And with the following nights, the Lord used Kuya Mark to reminds me of my relationship to God and trust in the Spirit in us.

I am thankful to God for the fellowship I experienced and for motivating me to pursue the purpose of my life according to His plan and Vision. I am so thankful to God for the lessons He have revealed to me. Three personal lessons to my life. First, I should be on what God designed me to be. Second who am I? I am according to the word of God: I am a sinner saved by grace., And the third , I must be filled with the Holy Spirit, moment by moment, specially in winning the lost souls.TO GOD BE THE GORY (Ariel-Guihulngan Chapter)

Friday, 6 November 2009

Soldiers They Are!

Last week we had our yearly Netcasters training seminar. Although it's a yearly event, it's never boring and never the same! This year we had trainees from all over Bohol and even from the Island of Leyte. Throughout the week the trainees faced a huge list of verses and a detailed outline to memorize. For many of them, it was their first time to tackle a challenge like this.
It's such an exciting and yet sobering feeling to look around the room and see it filled with young people, young in age and young in faith giving themselves to be trained as soldiers of the cross - and soldiers they are! They get up early, stay up late, sleep on the floor, bathe in cold water, brave the hot sun and labour all day, just to complete the course...not to receive a certificate, but to please their newfound Saviour and share their newfound hope. Please remember to pray for them. The training is over, but the real battle has just begun. Some have already visited their parents and relatives in far off barangays (small villages) to share the truth and have been met with persecution, but some have returned from times of sowing 'bringing in their sheaves'!

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

Netcasters in Bohol

1st day - 13 Divine appointments, 11 Professions of faith
2nd day - 12 Divine appointments, 11 Professions of faith
3rd day - 21 Divine appointments, 22 Professions of faith


Praise God! Keep praying!

Saturday, 24 October 2009

The Question of Truth

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Netcasters

Please pray for the Bohol Chapter Netcasters Seminar this October 26-30.
Please pray for:
The Lecturers
The Preachers
That students will have the heart to attend and that they will have permission from their parents
Many souls to be saved and added to the GrowPoint
All details will be worked out and that things will run smoothly

Monday, 19 October 2009

Tagum City ECamp '09 Photos

A New Pastor, A New Church Name, and A New Baby On the Way!

On October 11, 2009, Pastor Rainy Leih "Renz" Degillo, together with his wife, was installed as Pastor of the SMC-born church in Davao City. Pastor Mike Redick, Pastor Ven Anthony Tabunda, and Pastor Mechelle Peregrino went to officiate the installation. It was a grand and momentous day for everyone. After the installation service was a lunch fellowship to bring the people together in celebration of this new and fresh beginning. Along with this is a new name for this existing church- The GrowPoint Christian Ministries.

Please do pray for Pastor Renz as he shepherds this church. Do pray for wisdom, discernment, and God's double portion of grace upon him as he takes this challenge and this new phase in his life as God's servant. And also pray for his wife who is on the family way! Wow... so we have a new pastor, a new church name, and a new baby on the way! Praise God for the new blessings!

Prayer Requests for Tagum City Expansion

Dear Christian brethren,

Please pray for Emely Grace "Melai" Rago (together with Ate Yen Serra) to be sent to start the SMCI work (evangelism, follow-up, and discipleship) in Tagum Trade School next semester of school year 2009-2010. (But we are open for more open doors and opportunities as the Lord leads.)

Also, the Lord has just opened a door for us to evangelize the Tagum National High School. The Administration allowed us to evangelize all 80 classrooms, scheduled every Wednesday, 10-11 AM, and will be started early next semester. Please pray with us that the Lord's hand will pull many souls out of the fire and will grant power and boldness to His workmen for this cause.

Moreover, please pray for fruits that will remain, that the Lord will raise a core group out of the ECamp, and that He will raise more laborers to the harvest fields.

Thank you so much.