by Pastor Felizardo Abanto
And after many prayers, fasting, expenditures, and blessings I'm now her in America. Not to stay here for good but to ask for additional blessings from the Lord for the work and family.
Again, I'm on a grand vacation because I do nothing here but sleep, eat and tour around. Sometimes I could preach and witness. I already led one to accept Christ, he is Rudolph Gloria, bro. Tony's friend. I f he is really saved, imagine, I even need to go here to America for him to be saved by the Lord. Amen! That alone is enough blessing, right? There are three of them whom I have already witnessed to: pastor Charlie's mother-in-law, ang a friend of Ghia, bro. Tony's daughter.That's why even a child of God is in another country or anywhere, the Lord can still use him!
That's why I told Sis. Gemma, bro. Tony's wife, that I thank them because of their true kindness and that she must go soul-winning with bro. Tony every Saturday. The problem is no one took care of Gem to disciple her since she came here to U.S. more than ten years ago. The same with Sis. Tess [Garcia], our former member in project 7, and bro. Rey Garia.They attend and are members at First Baptist Church which was enlarged by pastor Jack Hyles, he's now in heaven. Now the pastor is Jack Schaap, Dr. Hyles son-in-law. I attended there whole Sunday. In the morning, the attendance is 6000 in the auditorium and in the evening is more than 3000. The church is very active in soul-winning , but sadly sis. Tess is not going with the weekly soul-winning. I t seems that their concentration switched to the pursuit of the American dream. That's why I said that they should involve every week so that the time will not be wasted. Redeeming the time because the time because the days are evil.
That's why brethren, if we we're to think well enough, we are better in the Philippines because we have more time to serve. We are not pressued to own a house like the others, but is credit-bought, own a car, but is credit-bought, home appliances, but is credit-bought.And in order to pay all debts, it is necessary to work a true work. But even though in that situation, serving God is still possible. But the problem is that many chueches are having shortcomings in training christians because of material needs.
And another great thing that I have seen both on Northwest Bible Baptist Church, whose attendance is 600+ every morning service, and in First Baptist Church, whose attendance, like what I've said, is 6000+, they include the children in Sunday morning and Sunday Evening services. They sat beside their parents. In my estimation, their age ranges from 4-5 years old. THAT'S WHY BRETHREN, OUR PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE ABOUT TRAINING OUR CHILDREN IN THE LORD'S WORK IS RIGHT. IT'S NOT ON WHETHER THE CHILDREN ARE MANY OR FEW, BUT IF THE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS ARE THERE TO TRAIN THEM. The same with training all our members in soul-winning. AGAIN, BRETHREN, OUR PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE ARE RIGHT ABOUT SERVING THE LORD.
Another thing I saw to be a big thing is having vehicles to fetch people. The priority only in these two churches are the children. The Northwest have more than 20 buses while the First Baptist Have 200 buses to fetch everyweek.
Kumusta po, pastor, ako iyong kausap mo sa telepono, na makikipagkita sa inyo ngayong Huwebes, Lord willing.
ReplyDeleteI am on lunch break and I thought I would browse the web. For some reason I decided to google you, just as I have googled, in the past, Benny Abante, Ralph Baladjay, and other preachers I have come to be under and to have known personally.
I enjoyed reading this blog.
I just have a few comments.
You stated "you had to come to America for the Lord to save (name)".
I do not mean to antagonize you, and I mean no disrespect, but, doesn't this sound unscriptural ? The Bible says "is the Lord's hand shortened, that it cannot save" ?
Secondly, who, then, did Christ hang for on that cross ? Nobody until a preacher gets to the person ? That blood was shed as a sacrifice for whoever happens to be under the preaching of the gospel ?
Thirdly, if the work of eternal salvation and redemption is unfinished, and needs such as us to be effective and finish, shouldn't Christ NOT be seating at the right hand of God ?
In my years with the Bible Baptists, and in my short sojourn with the Reformed Baptists, no one has been satisfactorily able to answer my questions except the Primitive Baptists, which is why I joined them, and had myself baptized by them.
Again, no disrespect intended, but, like Jeremiah, there is fire in my lips when I see something which when shed by the light of the Bible, and the finished work of Redemption by our Savior, to me, is erroneous.