Balikbayan (Part 2)

Antipolo/Ortigas

After Nueva Ecija, we headed back to the Ransom's house in Antipolo. That would be our home base for the next three days as we would attend the 2010 Purpose and Passion Conference

http://www.purpose-passion.org/Conference_Details.html

The day before the conference we were invited to a dinner/meeting with all the leaders. The church that was hosting the event was Greenhills Christian Fellowship (GCF). It was exciting to meet everyone and hear about their plans and goals for the conference. TMC (The Master's College) had students there in Ortigas who dropped by the P.I. after going around to different countries in the area (I forget which ones). But they came to the conference to help out too. It was wonderful to see Elder Dan Cura from Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) again. He spoke at CPC (my home church) a few times but we had never met prior to this. The last time I saw him, he was on such a tight schedule that we weren't able to talk. I was glad that we had time to converse before the conference and I hope to see him again in the future.

We also got to meet Dr. Rick Holland from Grace Community Church because he was the keynote speaker for the conference. It was very encouraging when we talked to Dr. Holland. I think the exciting part was knowing that we would be "co-laboring" (if you can call it that) with him at this conference. Since he was someone so familiar and so trustworthy to us, we were so happy to be there with him (Well, atleast I was). As we introduced ourselves, there was a sense of "familiarity" as the conversation went on and on. I noticed that a man's character is almost identical with their style/method of preaching (as it should). And since we've all heard him preach before, it was like conversing with an old buddy from back home. Dr. Holland was very excited to be there, and getting to meet him definitely lifted my spirit. On top of that, knowing that he just came from Singapore and still needed to plan for the Resolved Conference made us appreciate his presence even more. We knew he was tired but still he was encouraged to proclaim the Gospel. I praise Christ for his life and for the work that he is doing for the Kingdom.

Purpose and Passion Conference

This conference was very wonderful. It is evident that the Spirit is at work in the hearts of these people to give them a desire for Jesus Christ and to preach His Word with the utmost purity. Men and women gathered around from all over the P.I. to attend this wonderful conference. They would sit under a Plenary Session (for the most part Rick Holland) and then breakout sessions throughout the day. Rick's sessions were good, but I believe that if he preached more, the "art of the sermon" would have been modeled better. That is why I was glad he preached during the last session. But he did hit a lot of good and crucial points for the local church (Which was the goal). I also appreciated the fact that he did not shy away from the tough questions and pointed them back to scripture. He rocked the boat a little (with love if I may add), and that was definitely a good thing because it stirred up the hearts of the believers. Those people that skimmed over doctrines and had a shallow understanding were being convicted. Those who were unaware of what scripture said about these topics, were now having their eyes opened to the truth of God by the help of the Spirit. I came to greatly appreciate the training that we have here at home. Not to be arrogant or give myself pedastol praises, but to be thankful for what God has blessed me--a sinner who deserves none of this. I could take what I have learned and happily pass it on to those who would be able to teach others also.

Anyways, we were happy to help out with whatever they needed us to do. Pastor Felix and Pastor Sean both did breakout sessions during the conference and it was so great to see them in action. Pastor Felix's breakouts were amazing. I didn't get to see the modules that he did the week before we arrived so this was a real treat for me to witness this first-hand. His sessions were "Biblical Philosophy of Ministry" and "Building a Biblical Leadership Team" (You can already sense the theme). The response was wonderful. Looking at everyone and their faces were just a joy to me. It was almost as if people were thinking, "Wow, so there ARE Filipino Expositors!" Haha! You could see there excitement right on their faces. It was so encouraging for them to see a Filipino teaching in this manner (Not a different message remember? But the same one!). Of course, I mean no offense to our Anglo brothers (I'm one of them), but having someone of Pinoy blood that absolutely loved the scriptures was such an encouragment to them. And when that love for scriptures and love for THEM was evident in his sessions, you couldn't help but praise God for that. People were eating it up not because of Pastor Felix's eloquence or power of speech, but because the Spirit of God was with the message he was conveying. Eloquence does not convert the sinner, the Holy Spirit does. The only reason why there was conviction and encouragement was because it wasn't man's message, it was God's. And that is why we stressed "pointing it back" to a biblical philosophy of ministry, because any other idea, system, or philosphy only stems from the opinion of a fallen man. And that opinion is a foundation we as Christians must refuse to rest on. Our life must be built on nothing less than the solid Rock of Jesus Christ. And it is through the scriptures where we find out how to do that.

On another note, it was also fun trying to find Jeremy's future wife. Just kidding. (By the way, for those of you who thought we were serious, we apologize. We were just joking! You guys know that wasn't our original intent!) But any who, the conference was a great inspiration and you could definitely see the Spirit moving the hearts of the people. But I can see that it is still in its beginning stages. Though they look as though they are headed in the correct direction, my prayer is that they would keep there eyes on Christ and always strive for that biblical philosphy of ministry.

We couldn't have asked for better fellowship opportunities. We had dinners every night with many different people. Pastors Abel, Allan, and Darwin were basically with us all the time. And we got to know them very well and they have become very special to us. Pastor Joy of MCC was also there with his family. We got to meet Pastor Virly (who knows Ate Cat and J.R. very well, like EVERYONE else did hahahha!) for the first time, and I took a picture with him just so that we could show J.R. We also fellowshipped with Pastor Dennis and Pastor Lito who both asked Pastor Felix if he could disciple them. Just more affirmation that Christ is working in the hearts of these people. With all these Pastors and church leaders that we met, I was so honored be given this opportunity to build new relationships. It was great to just listen to their ministries and struggles and just reflect upon what God has placed before them. Even discussing theology overseas still gave me the same joy as it does here in the States. But I love and appreciate these people so much. I hope that they will not be easily influenced by the filthy philosophies and different gospels that are coming out of America and other places, but I pray that they hold fast to Christ Jesus and the pure Gospel of Grace that we have set our hope upon. My deepest desire for these beloved leaders is that they may be rooted in the rich Word Christ, so that, when trials come their way, they will have their feet planted firmly in hallowed ground.

I pray that more and more godly men, who are equipped to do the work of the Lord, are able to help guide this conference to the place that it should be at. There is so much potential there with those people, they just need the correct encouragement. I have taken for granted the training that we have here at home. Sound biblical preaching is just a mouse-click away for us, yet it is so rare to find in the P.I. There is spiritual starvation in the Philippines, people are hungry; they just need the correct nutrition. Giving them what they want may satiate temporarily, but like the one that relies on candy for sustenance the rest of his days, it shall only bring death. But giving these people the truth that they need will help them to bear fruit for eternity. My prayer is that more men of God will endeavor to do that for our brethren there.

People have been asking me if I would be willing to move to the Pinas for ministry. And to be honest, the thought has definitely crossed my mind. You see the opportunities and the hunger for the Word is great, that is undeniable. And in every circumstance, you kind of ask yourself, "Okay, if the Lord were to move me here, I wonder where he would place me." So for different places and people, you play out different scenarios in your mind. Yet aside from all the "potential ministry opportunities," the Lord has placed a burden in my heart for the local church here in LA. For some strange reason my heart has always been here with these people. So as of now, my desire to minister is here in Cali. And though I will submit myself to the will of the Lord and whatever He decrees, I can't help but have this burning passion for the people here in my hometown. Grace and peace to all of you in LA in the name of our Lord Jesus. I love you all, and yes, there is more to come.

- Brother MJ



P.S. - go lakeshow! :D

Balikbayan (Part 1)

Since I wasn't able to share with you guys on Sunday at SBCAC, I thought it'd be nice to do it on here.

Honestly guys, if I were to tell you everything that I learned and experienced there in the P.I., it would be too much data for this little window to handle. So let me give you the highlights... (Photos Courtesy of Fred)

Arrival

Everyone said that the first thing that I would notice once I left the plane was the smell. And yes, the smell was the first thing that I noticed. It wasn't as strong as people described, but it was unique. If the Philippines had a distinct smell, that smell that I smelt would definitely be it. (And it was everywhere we went!) Even the heat wasn't as bad as people made it out to be. This could've been due to the fact that it was rainy season when we got there so I can imagine it being much worse. Nevertheless, we still did plenty of perspiring once we got there so any air conditioned cars, cool breeze, or even an oscillating fan felt like salvation to us.

It just felt so good to finally be in the Pinas given the fact that I had never been there prior to that trip. Walking out of the sliding doors of the airport and driving around the streets of Manila just seemed so familiar to me. I hope I'm not getting mystical here, but I didn't really feel like a stranger. Maybe it was the environment I grew up in or something else, but the only thing I could say to Fred once we landed was "Man, I feel like I'm home."

Nueva Ecija

Before heading to Munoz in Nueva Ecija, we had to pick up Pastor Felix who went 1 week ahead of us. We got to meet Sean Ransom and his wife Jessica. A wonderful caucasian brother in Christ that married a Filipina in the States and moved to the P.I. after they were called by the Lord. They now live as missionaries in the Pinas with their They hosted us when we were in Antipolo for the Purpose and Passion Conference in Ortigas. Sean is a graduate of The Master's Seminary and he is affilliated with The Master's Academy International. He teaches at The Expositor's Academy where they train people in ministry to accurately divide the Word of God so that they can be faithul to minister, disciple, train, and teach others also as God intended. The Lord is using Sean and his family in an awesome way and it is clear that my brothers in the P.I. are being provoked by the Spirit to have an unquenchable thirst for the scriptures. When Sean had told us of what the Lord has been doing, I couldn't help but get all giddy inside (Almost like hearing about Disneyland for the first time, I had to see it for myself). Whenever I hear the testimony of lives being transformed by the scriptures, my spirit gets lifted and I can hardly contain my joy. I still can't get over it...

Though the Ransoms minister in a different location as us, their goal was the same as ours. We were so blessed by them. God has granted them a wonderful opportunity to feed these people with the all-satisfying Word of Christ, my prayer is that they may press on towards the end and never lose sight of the goal.

After picking up Pastor, we made our way to Nueva Ecija. Once we arrived, we got to see Ate Rona's old house (where we stayed) and we met her father and brother. Tatay Roy (Ate Rona's father) thought I looked Japanese, so the entire time we stayed with them he called me "Japon" (which you can obviously translate for yourself). So that was one of the many on-going jokes on the trip. I was given the opportunity to lead a devotion with the family and members from Munoz Christian Church where Pastor Felix would eventually preach at the following Sunday. Ate Rona's desire was for her family to hear the Gospel and I pray that we displayed that in not only our words, but also our deeds. It was such a blessing to teach the Word in an environment where it needs to be heard. I was so happy to be given the opportunity to encourage my brothers and sisters there. We reminded them that though we may be an entire ocean apart, we are still running the same exact race together.

On Sunday, Pastor Felix was invited to preach at MCC. How refreshing it was to hear his exposition in Tagalog. I couldn't stop smiling. Even though Pastor Felix's tagalog isn't as good as theirs(since he left the P.I. at age 13) it seemed like the message couldn't have been any more clearer. Hearts were definitely burning after, almost as if they have never "heard the Word" before. (And it was like that everywhere we went!) He stressed to MCC (as to everyone on our trip) that our "message isn't a different message, it is the same one, were just here to remind you." Exposition is not a new concept, we are just exposing what the scripture says. Pastor reminded everyone (and us) that the message has never changed, it has always been about the scriptures, which He left us, that are sufficient for our entire lives. It is only through the scriptures where we hear that the salvation of man is only through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is through the scriptures where we find the call to please our Father in heaven by seeking holiness that doesn't earn salvation but is a response to the great Gospel of Christ, and it is through the scriptures where we find our everything. That was the message that we wanted the P.I. to hear. Our love for them drove us to point them to the scriptures where God Almighty speaks to us and where truth superabounds.

We were invited to fellowship with their youth group and we gladly accepted. By God's grace, we were able to teach them or favorite praise songs here in CA and it was a joy to minister in that way. Jeremy shared his testimony and Fred preached on Matt. 7. It was a great thing to be with people that I'm familiar with-- "high schoolers." I am surrounded by high schoolers back at home, so it was awesome to see the young people hear on the other side of the world.

The funny thing was is that these were tagalog-speaking high schoolers. Jeremy and Fred knew ZERO tagalog and I have the tagalog of an filipino infant. But despite our concern, the youth was blessed by our fellowship and they knew enough english to understand us. I endeavored to use Tagl-ish (English and Tagalog) and it actually worked. My sentence composition was terrible. I only know what I picked up from my parents. Since I knew very little, I would screwed up from time to time, and boy would it get some laughs. (I hope that my terrible pronunciation didn't produce a swear word. I can only hope! lol.) Anyways, I do believe that the Spirit made up for our lack of Tagalog. Praise the Lord that the Word of Christ isn't bound by culture!

Overall, the people at MCC were very welcoming and hospitable. My hope for my brothers and sisters there is that they stay faithful to Christ in every aspect of their lives. I'll constantly be praying and thinking about them. The brethren at MCC were just so wonderful. I already miss them.

There was a great need over in Nueva Ecija, but it may not be the need that people first think of. Yes, it was evident that the physical needs in Nueva Ecija (and all of the PI) are great. But if you look at it from the correct perspective, the physical needs were not the problem. It was the spritiual needs which needed to be tended to. The Lord was gracious enough to allow us to encourage the brethren in a way that cannot be destroyed by moths and rust, but will be treasured in heaven forever. Though we still ministered in a tangible way to their physical needs, we had to remember that neither money, bread, nor water could ever save a man's soul from eternal damnation. John Piper once said that "Good works without the Gospel only makes people comfortable on their way to hell." (Paraphrased) Strong words, but so true. Our ministry had to go beyond that of the physical because that is what was everlasting. Food and water would have only given them temporary sustenance, but giving them Christ would grant them eternal life. That was our goal. We wanted the lost to hear the hope of the Gospel and for the saved brothers and sisters to be encouraged by our presence.

It puts a smile to my face knowing that the relationships I made at Nueva Ecija will not be bound by location and time. I have finally met my brothers and sisters in this province and they will be my brethren for eternity. Imagine, this was only the beginning of a 2 week journey on cloud 9. I thank God for so graciously granting this opportunity to me---an undeserving sinner saved by grace. Glory to God for his grace upon grace. Thanks for listening.

-Micah

P.S. - This was more detailed than I thought it'd be... but anyways, stay tuned, theres more to come.