CYPA's Still Alive!

A SPECIAL EDITION CYPA ARTICLE

by Bro. Elijah E. Abanto

Let's have a break. For one Sunday let's not discuss any other topic. Let's talk about this ministry. The paper ministry. The CYPA Ministries Paper. I have something to tell you about it.

The idea of a paper ministry started in June 2007, when I happen to publish a paper for the YP-the title of the publication was Milestone. I remember that it was printed at P5, just one copy, then the xerox was 50 ¢ per piece-obviously not a good copy. And taking out from my pocket, it stopped eventually because I do not have money. I had not talked to the Lord about it. Printing was forgotten by me then.

Not until August 2007, when I thought to make simple paper activity for students in my Good News class, and later for my Sunday School class, when I took over the Children's Ministry from my brother Israel that the idea of printing became alive again in my mind. I was already a Bible student at that time. This time I decided that by hook or by crook there would be a paper for children. I first printed the original in the Seminary, paying P2 per copy to Sis. Abigail, my sister, when she was still the Bookkeeper of the Bible School. I had some money then because the Eberts provided work. So it continued for months, but the idea of CYPA Paper Ministries has gradually been generated only in my mind little by little.

Then came November. Many concerns, I think, were brought to me by God: Can they remember all what was said in the preaching? Do they have something to hold on for the rest of the week that they have learned? How about the different issues in life that they do not know how to answer, and not yet preached? How can I share what I know to these people? All these questions were rotating in my mind during the first week of the month.

By the second week of November, Saturday probably, I talked to my father (pastor) and Mommy about the burden in my heart. They agreed about it, then we prayed for it, and by next week, I made preparations for the commencement of the ministry. First of all I went to my fellows at the Bible school (classmates and teachers) if they could help me to start this ministry. They agreed to give some money every month (people that I haven't forgotten until now), to whom I give thanks, really. That evening (Tuesday maybe), I went to the office of the Seminary, and asked for the Eberts' help, and guess what--they promised to help with the printing! They have also given me advice that led to my severals decisions about the Paper Ministry. By November 18, 2007, the paper ministry was born.

The ministry published many papers at first, but gradually because it lost its supporters (except the Eberts) by March 2008, they decreased rapidly, except the Good News papers, Sunday School papers, and the paper which had a similar format as the BDJ. Besides, no CBBC members had supported the paper ministry back then--all were outside help. Maybe by April, I became desperate to seek support from the church. Thankfully, there were some who responded to the plea, and coupled with the Seminary's help, the ministry of paper went on. The supports even got better when we began an online ministry for the paper. The ministry published by e-mail to our different brothers abroad, and the notable following gave considerable amounts in the ministry paper enough to carry on the ministry for months: the Ping family, Christian Vicuña, the Manalo family, and Sarah Cortez. The support from members did not stop, although it was relatively small. The most regular supporters were Sis. Lota Cabading and the Prado family. Support also came for some time from the Biago family, and also from the members' children became my fruits to the Lord like Jhon, Jisilyn, Lovely, and Clifford. I saw the potential of members to support with large amounts on the 1st anniversary of the paper, where the ministry received P666.00 (quite a number!) just from them! Along with those who gave were Sis. Merielen Cubol (a new member at that time), Bro. Jerome Pagiwan (my fruit to the Lord), and Sis. Ella May Calderon (she has always assisted me with this ministry). On the 3rd anniversary of the church, the guest speaker also gave to the paper ministry: Pastor Ruben Belmonte, when he received a BD that Sunday. I was encouraged to continue. Then I was also planning to become independent of the Eberts' printing support. On Thanksgiving Thursday, Pastor Charlie Ravago, one of the supporters of Capitol, commended the Paper Ministry.

But 2009 did not make a happy welcome for it. By March, we were already struggling to continue the ministry, but thank God my parents took the burden of some costs. Also by April, CYPA stopped the print assistance of the Eberts, several weeks before the resignation of my sister from the Seminary. By the beginning of July, Pastor Charlie Ravago provided assistance with his church that will supply the Paper Ministry up until the end of this month, I think.

The BDJ online ministry also blessed the increasing number of receivers via e-mail (and also sparking controversies among BBF pastors in the Philippines), notably those missionaries who now for the third time are receiving BDJ. Blessings of God to the ministry and its appointed young man who is not worthy and adequate for the job (it's me). And up until now, despite hardships and discouragements, CYPA is still going, and the paper you are reading now is just one of the thousands of publications that it has published for almost 2 years. To think that the papers were not paid for and to think that it only depends on the offerings coming from those who are blessed by it. There was only one commitment for raising the paper ministry, and this is for an important program, Operation Go, and it only costed P100+. Perhaps it was really God's will that CYPA Paper Ministries started.

By the way, the CYPA story doesn't end here. Next week BDJ is back-to-work as usual--articles that will challenge, inspire, motivate, inform also; plus, children's papers such as the CSA/YCSA, CBT/YCBT, CSS/YCSS and CSP; Operation Go Trainee's Guide and Jerusalem Factor, Discipleship Lessons will also continue--besides, CYPA has always done it, right?

We hope that you will also become a part of this ministry.

Sincerely Yours, Job (Series Part 3)

by Bro. Elijah E. Abanto
Based on Charles R. Swindoll's message, What Job Teaches Us About Ourselves

Last time we stopped on the principle that it takes great discernment to detect wrong advice from well-meaning people. With all their reasonableness, these people still don't have a divine viewpoint always--only the Bible has. And we also learned that sound theology or doctrine keeps you sound and stable on trying times. Yes, and what theology did Job knew at that time to be stable? He knew and believed this doctrine: We are not here to be happy; we are here for God to be glorified. He believed that we are here to praise and worship God in spite of what happens, knowing that they are all for His glory.

Now here is the fifth principle: Caring and sensitive friends know when to come, how to stay quiet, and what to say (if anything at all!). From this point on we see Job's friends. Consider the following passages:

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. (2:11-13)

People who may know Job's story would raise a brow against these three, but, let's face it, they were really friends of Job! Because in the first place, they visited him. They knew when Job needed them. And without words, they understood his grief, lifted up their voices, wept, and sprinkled dust upon their heads as a sign of sorrow for him. They were friends indeed, and this must have been one of the factors why Job endured the trial at this time.

Remember David and Jonathan? How Jonathan's friendship made David strong to continue in life in spite of opposition? If you read the psalms of David, many are composed in his sorrowful and depressed state, and you could he might be even suicidal. Remembering Jonathan's unwavering friendship must have been one of the factors that helped him till he became the king of Israel.

The next one must be a hard truth, but, unless we firmly cling to God, this principle will truly apply to us. Consider the following passage:

After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. (3:1)

Now, there you go: It is easy to be Monday-morning quarterbacks, but then we encounter suffering, and we become weak. See the shift of words? The story didn't end with Job worshiping and praising God for the testing, nor did it end with his words about God's sovereignty--instead, it continues, and we see that Job's strong front was beginning to fade. He "cursed his day"! He cursed the day of his birth! And that frequently happens to us. If we did like Job at first, we must have been saying, The Lord saw my faithfulness to him even in this situation. Maybe He will remove this now. But if that is Job's expectation, it wasn't immediately realized, furthering his grief and peeling off this strong armor against negative thoughts. If our grip in God is not strong enough, we are sure to expect this kind of feeling. Let me show you the next verses:

And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. (vv. 2-6)

This principle might have caused his three friends and Jehu to comment on Job's suffering--and formed chapters 4-41 of the book! At first they are the best of friends to have, but then, they could not keep themselves, so they began to say things--which we know are wrong! We need God to stay strong in these situations of prolonged grief and suffering.

But this is the good thing: Job never cursed God. Job might have cursed "his day," but never do you hear him curse God. He knew that God had a purpose for that. He knew that God had a better plan for his life than what he thought of. So he endured all the loss, the pain, and the accusations of his friends until the final day of his suffering. Last principle: The cultivation of obedient endurance is the crowning mark of maturity. There are two ways man can look at suffering: first he can see it as an intrusion of God in his life, that causes him to outrage and point his accusing finger on God; the second is he can see it as an opportunity given by God to let him show his faithfulness, causing him to endure all the hard things. Let's jump to the last chapter of Job to see where the principle lies:

Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (42:1-6)

This is true maturity: you won't deny your mistake; instead you admit them (though we may think, I've endured all this!) and repent. And Job never expected that God would change his circumstances for the good, but what was important was that he understood that he do not need to understand everything--what's important is that God is there, and all that happens never passes without His permission.