The Appointment

A police captain was fired in the Philippines for the crime of extortion, and he got so mad, that he hijacked a tourist bus with several tourists on board, and demanded his job back. During the siege, he lost control, and some tourists were killed. The police stormed the bus, and eventually hijacker was shot dead. Here is some news footage:

It is important to remember that God is always in control of events. It is written:

Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord GOD! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee”

Everyone has a personal appointment with God, the appointment of death:

Hebrews 9:27 ” And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

We spend a lot of time preparing for life, but we should prepare for death also. How? Let us read further:

Hebrews 9:28-29  ”And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Have you met Jesus the Christ yet? I made a video on how to prepare for death a few years ago. It was my first YouTube video, which is why it is a bit fuzzy.

I pray you are blessed!

Was Bro. Eddie elected to lose?

Bro. Eddie Villanueva lost the election, and Noynoy Aquino won with a clear majority. So I wonder why God would prompt me to vote for someone whom He chose to lose. Here is a video of me providing some guidelines on how to select a candidate to vote for (it was so noisy but I liked the message to be fresh – I took it at one take without editing):

It is God who selects people in authority. As Jesus the Christ said to Pilate: “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above…” (John 19:11).

I believe that this was God’s plan all along, since God is always in control. I hope that the Noynoy presidency is a blessing and not a form of chastisement. After all, Jesus the Christ said: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev 3:19 ).

Whatever may happen, a believer is always assured that God will look after our best interests, from His perspective. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28)

Here is a video of Bro. Eddie thanking his supporters after he conceded the Presidential elections to Noynoy Aquino:

Soli Deo Gloria!

It was the first ever automated elections in the Philippines. The count was very fast! Most votes were counted by the second day after voting! It is a happy day for the Philippines. Thanks be to God for blessing us with peaceful elections! Thanks to all who prayed for the Philippines! Let us continue to pray, this time for the successful Presidency of Noynoy Aquino! Meet the winner:

Voting was quite a tiring task though. You really needed to be patient. I was at the polling station early. It opened at 6:00 AM and I was there at 7:00 AM. It was already getting crowded and it was about 90 minutes before I could vote. It was also hot and humid. I was found it hard to mark the circle within the lines, but my ballot was accepted when it was scanned by the computer! Cool!

Here is a video of how a polling station looks like in the Philippines. It was already crowded so early. I wonder how it was for those who arrived later in the day! This was not the one I went to but the ambience is the same…

Here is an instructional video on how to vote in the automated elections, Philippine style! It was nice to see the Sexbomb Girls wearing more clothes!

God bless,

George

A Date with God

I thought it would be a good idea to go on a 5 day retreat in a Tagaytay retreat house or hotel. Just me and God. I would only bring a pocket Bible, clothes, and toiletries. No cellphone, internet, radio, TV, books, or even Study Bibles. Just God and me. God found something much better: Touch of Glory Prayer Mountain, just 2 nights though, in the mountains of Antipolo, and much cheaper. Nicer still, the place was designed for prayer (prayer cells, prayer tents in a forest, nature walks, fish ponds with loads of carp, fresh air, sounds of running water, views, and silence). The rooms and bathrooms were also very clean. God always knows best.

It was not that God rang the place and made the reservation, of course! It was just that all my attempts to find a place in Tagaytay failed. The hotels were too expensive. There was a convent who would not let me in as the Mother Superior preferred I visit with a group. I was uneasy about how commercialized Tagaytay has become, with a casino, luxury hotels, and fine dining. My pastor mentioned to me that there was a prayer mountain in Antipolo but could not tell me where it was. So I used Google to find their website, made a booking, and 2 weeks later I was in another world.

You will not find a place like this anywhere. As you drive up you will see signs counting down the kilometers to the place, and the view on the way up is breathtaking. There are no maps in the facility itself, so you can discover the place on your own and be surprised. There are no mealtimes published, so you just ask when meals are or you just wander in to the cafeteria and check if there is food there. There are some souvenirs without labels and price tags, so just ask what it is and how much. They sell Banana Vinegar! Filipinos can adjust to this ambiguity but people brought up in Western culture may be somewhat disoriented. If you feel disoriented, pray for guidance from God.

Nature was very friendly. A dog was on retreat too (with no collar and leash), and it just sniffed its way around the clearing where I was meditating on the Word (John 15:1) and we pretended to ignore each other. The ants were more forthcoming. One large one was particularly friendly as it climbed rapidly up my sleeve! It may be God’s way of saying: “time for a walk”. It is also best to remember that the ants were probably there first. The mosquitoes seem to be not in the mood to bite. The birds and trees sing. Butterflies land on your leg, rest a while, and move on.  Dragonflies are more cautious.

The prayer cells were 3 feet x 5 feet x 8 feet (I am just guessing, as I did not bring a ruler) with a cushion for your knees, wooden floor, small side table, tiny electric fan, small wall lamp, and something like a small lectern that I assumed is where you put your hands. Once the door is closed it is so peaceful and it is like you are in a place removed from everything else, and only praying is allowed. No eating , sleeping, or socializing is allowed in the prayer cell.

It was my first time in a prayer cell. I noticed that God was very quiet at first. Just waiting. I thought of the temple and how the priests had to purify themselves before approaching God. So I began with confession of sin, and that broke the ice. Believers in the Gospel of Jesus the Christ have access to God who is their Father through adoption, made possible because Jesus, who is God,  died on the cross and rose from the dead, thereby satisfying God’s justice, and allowing reconciliation between God and the believer, who receives the Holy Spirit that teaches and guides the believer about Truth and Holiness. It is written:

1Peter 2:7-10  “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

We are a royal priesthood. A priest is someone who has direct access to God, our Father. It is because we were chosen – called out of darkness – that we have the privilege to bring our cares and concerns to God, our Heavenly Father. If only we took full advantage of this great privilege!

God speaks in a way that is hard to explain. Something will occur to you that gives you peace which is consistent with the Bible, and after some experience, you recognize this as the “silent voice of God”. He brought to my attention that prayer is required for a disciple, among other things, and that our entire lives are to be a living sacrifice.  I should be more disciplined in my walk, and organize my time to be able to read, memorize, meditate, and apply the Bible, as well as pray, give, manage my time and resources (stewardship), worship, serve, evangelize, fast, and set aside times of silence and solitude. He led me to a book before my retreat, called Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald S. Whitney, to help me in this area of spiritual growth.  He also said that I worry too much, and should trust Him more, and stop being so judgmental. He suggested that I start reading the book Respectable Sins, by Jerry Bridges, which I bought recently.

I wish I brought a camera or video camera along but I really wanted to focus only on meeting God during this trip. I plan another trip where I will ask permission to take a video and post this on my Youtube channel. If you are in Metro-Manila, Philippines, I highly recommend that you visit this place in the mountains of Antipolo. If you cannot afford a room there are dormitories at a fraction of the cost, and you can also visit the place during the day for a nominal fee. If you want to know their rates you can inquire via text message to the cellphone number published on their website.

I really recommend that you disconnect from the world for a few days and spend time alone with God. There is joy and peace to be found, as well as guidance and wisdom. The perfect date with our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

God bless,

George Marcelo

Update on Oct 22, 2011:  I was able to take a video on my cellphone (Nokia 6120) of some of the things I did. I ended up going to this place at least once a year. Enjoy!

The Silent Voice of God

The world is going down the tube. Sin has become politically correct. People flock to religions which offer imaginary false gods, who will tolerate their sin, and deaden their conscience. No-one is immune, even me. There was a time when I would welcome all of this as a good thing, but I now have a problem. My spirit was brought to life by the living and true God, and the world now gives me a feeling of nausea, overlaid by a feeling of concern about inevitable doom of those not spiritually alive. Last rounds, ladies and gentlemen. it’s closing time.

All this time God screams at the world that it is fallen, and offers salvation in the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. The world is  not listening. Now many “acts of God” are needed to wake people up. How many floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, epidemics, famines, and wars must happen to make people see? Or maybe these things are just warnings to be recognized only by the elect of God?

What should I do? I share the Gospel but no-one believes it. Some say they believe it but it is obvious that they do not. Is it possible to be born again and have no desire to read the Bible, worship God, fellowship with the brothers and sisters in Christ?

There are two options to take. Stop caring about the result and just minister to the lost in obedience but without really knowing what will happen. The other is better but harder to find. I need to know what God is doing, and join in His work. I need to join Him in His work, and not improve on mine. I need to listen to the silent voice of God.

I am going on a retreat sometime in December, in Tagaytay, a tranquil place near Metro-Manila, Philippines, next to Taal volcano. I need to discern God’s will. That means being disconnected from the internet, TV, radio, books, entertainment, and even Study Bibles. Just God, the Bible, and me, for 5 days, alone. I really do not know what will happen. I am scared that nothing will happen. I am also scared that something might happen. Since this scary feeling can only come from Satan I am resolved to proceed with this plan. I leave it all to God. I really do not know what to do. I really am unable to commit the stupid mistake of recommending a solution to God. Please pray for me that I hear the silent voice of God, and obey what He says.

I took a walk in the woods with my son and his friend. I talk about my plans for a retreat and other random stuff. Here it is. Enjoy! Be strong in the Lord, who is coming soon! After all, it is written…

Was that the silent voice of God just then? I wish I knew for sure…

God bless,

George

Swine Flu

This is a heads up to all my readers that the best way to protect yourself from swine flu is by ensuring that you are not Vitamin D deficient. The best way of obtaining Vitamin D is moderate exposure to sunlight. Early morning sun is best. Vitamin D is made by your body when it is exposed to sunlight. It is also advisable to avoid taking the swine flu vaccine as there are anecdotal reports on the web of side effects. Please verify all this information for yourself to assure yourselves that this is correct. The video below shows me getting some Vitamin D at the SM Mall of Asia (the third largest shopping mall in the world as of the time of writing), which can also be fun!

Vitamin D is good for your body but does not do anything for your soul. If you have not received Jesus the Christ as your Lord and Saviour, it means that you are spiritually dead. Please view the short video below for a concise presentation of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ.

Finally, here is a video clip of the doctor explaining in more detail what he has discovered about Vitamin D.

I pray you are blessed!

George

Silent Night

In the Philippines, we start celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus the Christ during the “-ber” months (September, October, etc), and end in early January.  However, I think we should celebrate the birthday of our Lord Jesus the Christ everyday!

When was our Lord born? The Bible does not give us a clear date. I doubt very much it is Dec 25, because our Lord was Jewish, and His birthday would have a date on the Jewish calendar, which is lunar, and so the date on the world’s calendar, which is solar, would vary from year to year. For example, this is the reason why the date of Passover (or Resurrection Day; and called Easter by those who do not know that this is a pagan name) varies from year to year. Also, I do not think it was during winter, as it would be too cold for the sheep to be out in the field. Maybe our Lord wanted the date of His birth to be uncertain so that we would celebrate it everyday!

As for nativity scenes, it is somewhat misleading. The wise men from the east would have had to travel many months from “the east”  to Israel. By the time they met our Lord, He would have been a toddler.  Of course, you can still have nativity scenes (called “Belen” in the Philippines), but you would need to locate the wise men a few miles away. We do not know how many wise men there were. We only know there were more than one, and that they brought three gifts.

Tradition is very unreliable. If you want the truth, read the Bible, prayerfully asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Here is my first ever video about the birth of our Lord, Jesus the Christ, who saved us from our sins! Enjoy!

Updated Dec 29, 2009: There is Biblical support for the date of the birth of Jesus the Christ on Sukkot 1 (Jewish Calendar), which falls on  September 23 in 2010 (Gregorian Calendar). The attached video presents the information to make the connection.

Memory Verse: Isaiah 55:11-12

This is a nice memory verse for people who share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost. It speaks about the power of the Word of God:

Isa 55:11-12 “So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. “

To help you memorize the verse, it helps to sing it. You can get sung verses from the King James Version at www.scripturesongs.com. Here is a YouTube video I made for this verse:

The pictures are from various scenic spots in the Philippines which I found using Google. I hope you liked it! I pray that you are blessed by this verse. Keep it in your heart, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not eloquence, technology, and marketing that furthers the Gospel, but the power of God, so we need to pray to God for the unsaved before we communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rom 1:16a “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;”

Overcoming fear

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are born again, and have a desire to obey God. This can put Christians in fearful situations. For example, you may have to share your faith at work, where you may be ridiculed, looked down on, and even lose your job because of your faith. We are told by God that we should expect persecution. There are many places in the world, especially in countries that are mostly Muslim, where being a Christian means death! It is written:

John 15:19-21 “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me.”

We are to trust and obey God nevertheless. Let us look at Psalm 23:

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

It sounds pleasant, but the Psalm is really talking about trusting God in fearful situations, and by doing so, we are able to overcome fear.

My niece took a video of my son negotiating the confidence course during our church’s weekend retreat. This was held at the Word of Life Camp, in Laguna, Philippines. I had tried the confidence course earlier, and after some others had tried it, I asked my son, Kenzo, if he would like to try it too, and he said yes. As he was negotiating the course he had a crisis, and it is in times like this that the LORD pours out His blessing on us, His children, and gives us the courage to overcome our fear. Have a look:

I hope you were as inspired as I was! For me, the rope was a metaphor for our faith. If we hang on to our faith in Jesus Christ, and His promise to provide for our needs, we will overcome fear. It is written:

Rom 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

The most important thing we should have faith in is in what Jesus Christ did for us: He paid for our sins on the cross, so that those that would believe in Him would have eternal life. It is written:

John 3:14-18 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “

God bless,
George

My testimony: Atheist/Agnostic to Christian

I am making this testimony to explain to people how I became a Christian. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour in Apr 2002. I have been sharing my faith on YouTube since Oct 2007. I have been asked by non-Christians, mostly atheists, on how I know the Bible is true. I hope this testimony will help atheists and agnostics understand my experience better. This testimony will focus on historical facts in my life, and as much as possible will not be emotional.

I lived my childhood years in the Philippines. In Grade School I was very interested in Science. I have a memory of me and my babysitter when I was still in Grade 1. I told my babysitter that I did not think that there was a God, because I could not see God. We were learning about God in school, which was a Catholic school. As I grew older, I went through the motions of being a Catholic. There were times when I became agnostic, as I had a sense that there was a God. By the time I reached High School though, my opinion was that this sense may be a mental illusion needed for the survival of intelligent life, but not something real.

My home life deteriorated during my childhood. My Dad left my Mom when I was in Grade 1, and they started fighting in court. My sister eventually ran away from home to our grandfather, who sent her to boarding school in the UK. I ran away from home when I was 12, and spent the night on the roof of a shopping mall, but returned a day later. The following year, my grandfather arranged to have me sent to boarding school in the UK. I omitted the reasons I left home from my testimony. However, I can testify that I hated my parents, and considered boarding school a convenient escape.

I hated boarding school. I was bullied a lot, and I found comfort and peace in my studies. I was a very shy person and was a loner during this time, but I had some friends with whom I studied with. I was a very angry person too, and difficult to approach. I decided to become a doctor. I studied hard, got excellent grades, and was able to enter Kings College Hospital Medical School, which is part of the University of London. In the UK, medicine is a 5 year undergraduate course.

At Kings, my first year went well, and although I was a difficult person to relate to, as I was very quiet, I had a small group of friends, which included some Christians. These were the first Christians I knew. One of them, George Malcolm, clearly presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ to me. He told me that because of sin, we will go to hell, but Jesus Christ, by dying on the cross, paid the price for our sins, so we could go to heaven. We discussed the Bible a lot. I explained that I did not believe in God, but if for the sake of argument there was a God, I did not think that God would do this. It sounded “like too good a deal”. I remember using those exact words. There ought to be something we would need to do too, because nothing is free. I also did not think that God would use a book to communicate, but would do so directly.

In my second year at medical school, the workload was higher. I could not study anymore, and I think that I was finally burning out after studying extremely hard for nearly 10 years, and since the only pleasure I had from life was my studies, I tried to kill myself. I was found and hospitalized. I was allowed a year off from medical school to undergo psychotherapy and social skills training full time at a therapeutic community. During this time, I learned social skills, such as how to make friends and talk to people, domestic skills, such as cooking and cleaning, and stress management. I had a lot of free time, and I read a lot. Naturally, I read the books of Sigmund Freud, who developed Psychoanalysis. As a result of this study, I decided that the physical model of the universe was insufficient to account for all phenomena, in particular, the conscious and unconscious mind. My worldview therefore changed from atheist to agnostic. I thought that a newer model of the universe, that included mental phenomena, might allow the existence of God within the mental space. During this time I also became familiar with Marxist Political Theory, and Philosophy.

I re-entered medical school, and completed my medical science training. In my first year at clinical training, I became suicidal again, but was able to get help from my local doctor, and after a few months of counseling, I decided to switch to Computer Studies, which was a much easier course, and so I transferred to Bristol Polytechnic. I was also politically active during this time, first as a member, and then later a speaker, of the Socialist Party of Great Britain, which is a small political party, which still exists today. I wanted to improve the world, and since I could no longer become a doctor, I turned to politics. Membership is given only if you pass a test. I remember that they asked me what my religious beliefs were, because you could not join if you believed in God. I told them that I was agnostic, and after some discussion, as they preferred that I be an atheist, they allowed me to join, and I was active in evangelizing the “socialist utopia”. I completed my studies after 2 years, and returned to the Philippines to find work.

I found work as a computer programmer. I advanced in my career, and I am now an Information Technology Project Manager. I married, and now have 2 children. During the boom years of the ’90s I worked all over South-East Asia, Australia, and the US. I stopped being active politically, as I was disillusioned by the lack of interest by the workers of the world, and I also thought that Marxist theory, being based on a purely materialist philosophy, probably was incomplete. However, I continued to pursue my interests in Science and Philosophy, and my researches eventually led me to examine the Occult.

I once saw my Grade 6 Science teacher play with a deck of Tarot Cards and tell fortunes with it. I did not take it seriously then, as I was an atheist at that time. However, when I became agnostic, I began to wonder if occult knowledge contained information that could provide an integrated model of mental and physical space. I experimented primarily with candle magic and tarot cards, and started researching witchcraft.

Oscar, my brother-in-law, is a Baptist pastor, and was conducting Bible studies at my father-in-laws house, where my family was staying while we saved for a place of our own. I attended when I was based in the Philippines, but was not interested and my mind typically wandered. One day, Oscar did a Bible study on the Ten Commandments. During this study, a thought occurred to me that “if the Bible was true then I should follow the Ten Commandments”. At the end of the Bible study, Oscar asked us if we would like to “go to Church tomorrow”, in obedience to the Fourth Commandment. I said “OK”, and asked my father-in-law to join me for company, as I did not want to go there alone. When I told my wife that I was going with Oscar to his Church tomorrow and asked her if she would like to join me so that I will have some company, she looked at me a bit strangely and asked me “Why”? I do not remember my reply to her. My wife is Catholic and she knew that I did not believe in God, so she was surprised. Afterwards, I began to wonder why too, and then I realized that I knew that the Bible was true, that is, the Word of God. That is the sequence of events that I remember. I also recall being very surprised.

I attended Church the next day, but I do not recall anything from that day, but I started going every Sunday. A few weeks later I decided to study the Bible in more detail, and searched in Amazon for a Study Bible. I found a Bible called the Companion Bible, with study notes from Bullinger. I recalled that this was the Bible used by George Malcolm’s father (he invited me to his house once to stay over the holidays), and after reviewing the reader comments, I decided to purchase this Bible. The Bible arrived via courier, and I wrote the following on the dedication page:

Presented to GEORGE A. MARCELO JR., on 23rd April, 2002, by the HOLY SPIRIT.

On the following page is a lined page, and I wrote the verse John 16:8 “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”.

I remember thinking that it would look silly if I wrote Presented to George Marcelo by George Marcelo, although I did buy the Bible for myself. So I decided to credit the Holy Spirit for leading me to this Bible. I started to study the Bible. I eventually decided that I believed in God, as well as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I agreed to be baptized by immersion as a public declaration of my belief.

Shortly before being baptized, I lost my job, as the company I was working for downsized. This gave me a lot of free time, and I used it to start a personal project to read the entire Bible. Eventually my family stopped going to church with me and I was going alone. This was very difficult for me and finally I stopped going to church too. After a few months, I found a job which involved a lot of work in Canada. I started attending a Baptist Church there and also attended Bible studies, but stopped again after a few months. After several years in Canada, I eventually returned to the Philippines. My son was going with my parents-in-law to church, and after a year, in 2006, I joined them. I completed reading the Bible in 2007. I started sharing my faith in Oct 2007.

There have been some changes in my character from 2002 to 2007. I am less angry now, but still occasionally lose my temper. I used to hate my parents so much I could not talk to them, but now I am able to visit them. My wife and daughter still do not go to church with me, but I pray for them instead of despairing. I get nauseous whenever I think about the occult, so God has protected me from that sin, maybe because He knows I cannot handle that temptation. I am definitely still a “work in progress”.

I would like to thank George Malcolm, wherever you are, for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to me. It took almost 20 years for that sowed seed to come to life! I would like to thank Oscar and other Christians for faithfully sharing the Gospel. I want to thank all Christians who prayed to God for the unsaved. Most importantly, I would like to thank my Heavenly Father for giving me my new spiritual life, born from above, and for His Son, Jesus Christ, Whose death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, paid the penalty of my sins, so that I could be reconciled to God, and welcomed into His family, and for the Holy Spirit, for showing me, who was an enemy of God, the Truth.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I wish this testimony encourages you to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people who hate God.

Rom 1:20a “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”

This testimony was given on Jan 13, 2008. Thank you for reading.

May God bless you all,

George

Reaching the Youth of the Philippines

I want to write to you about the ministry of Pastor Abel Bernardo, who looks after the Open Air Evangelism Ministry of Word of Life (Philippines).

The Philippines has a huge need for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With a population of 91 million, the Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world. Only 3% of these are Evangelical Christians, with the vast majority being Roman Catholic with a Muslim minority located mainly in the south of the country.

The Philippine people are highly educated, with a literacy rate of 93%. In recent years an increasing number of us work graveyard shifts in call centers. Others leave for overseas in order to provide for their families back home.

The Philippines has been blessed by God with many children. Children, make up over a third of the population.

Please pray that God calls more workers to the Philippines to reach the lost and bring them to Christ.

In the attached video above contains video clips of some of the things Pastor Abel organizes to reach the lost. Basically he organizes teams of volunteers that go out armed with bible tracts to neighborhoods, parks, malls, and other public places. We use the tracts from Living Waters, which are very well designed, and are compatible with the “Way of the Master” technique of sharing the gospel. In the “Way of the Master” which is named as such because this is the way Jesus Christ taught about salvation, we use the Ten Commandments to reach the heart of the seeker to point that person to Christ. Many people we meet believe they are going to heaven, and we point out to them that because of sin, when we die we are going to be judged and found guilty, and will go to hell. But Jesus Christ, by dying on the cross and rising from the dead, paid for our sins, and made a way for us to be reconciled to God. Therefore, repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Pastor Abel also visits many churches in the Philippines, in order to encourage them to share the gospel. Less than 1% of Christians share the gospel, which is sad considering the many tools and techniques available. This video shows one such session with the Fundamental Baptist Church in San Fernando, in the province of Pampanga, which is about 2 hours drive from Metro-Manila. After the evangelism orientation, which included training on how to use bible tracts, training on how to perform an evangelistic puppet show was conducted. In the afternoon, the church members spread out in teams to witness to people and then they met later in a public park. There, they witnessed to many people and told them about the puppet show at 5PM. There were some children in the park and somehow word got around and many more children showed up. This was followed by open air evangelism, where the Gospel of Jesus Christ was presented clearly to the audience. Almost 100 professions of faith occurred on that day, mostly from children.

The Word of Life Training Camp is where Word of Life teaches young people how to do open air evangelism. Pastor Abel looks after this ministry.

Towards the end of the video are shown some pictures of other activities by Pastor Abel and his team at Word of Life (Philippines). The really get around, presenting the gospel all over the Philippines!

Of course, the work is large but the workers are few. Please pray for those called by God to this ministry, and for the activities planned by Word of Life in 2008.

May God bless you all,
George

Click here to check out
The Manila Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group!