As I have frequently for a
number of years, I met with the congregation meeting in the central, business
district part of Cebu City. This is the church with which Jonathan Carino and
his family labor. His son, Kristofer, led the singing this morning. I spoke in
the first hour on “Today, If You Hear His Voice” from the text in Hebrews
3:7-15. It was a lesson to encourage the brethren to continue to grow in the
work of the Lord as they are directed by God’s word and encourage one another
to do so. Lordy Salunga spoke in the last hour on “The Nature of Man” showing
the distinction given in Scripture between the outward, physical, temporal man
and the inward, spiritual, eternal man. He showed how the Scripture
distinguishes between “body,” “soul” and “spirit” as well as how “soul” and “spirit”
are sometimes used in different way, thus, the need to observe the context in
which the words appear. It was an excellent study. I told Lordy that I intend
to steal it and preach it back home!
I am always impressed with
the Central Cebu City congregation. Their worship is always reverent and
edifying. They have an evident love for the Lord, His truth and one another. I
have known them since our first time together in 2002 and have seen them grow
stronger through the years. Almost all of them have worked very hard over the
last two months to remodel and make ready the place where we met today. (They
have also agreed to let us use the space for the classes this week.) They had
to leave their old meeting place because the landlord rented it to someone else
at a higher rate. However, they have made the new place more functional and
attractive than the previous one. Many hours of hard labor and personal
sacrifices were necessary to do it, but they have done so because they love the
work of the Lord. May God bless them for their great efforts!
Two of my very dearest
friends here in the Philippines are Jonathan Carino and Lordy Salunga. It was
such a pleasure to work with both of them today! Jonathan exhibited one of the
things I like best about him when he thanks all of the members and acknowledged
their hard work in getting the building ready as well as volunteering to do
tasks needed in preparations for the classes. Yet, John never took credit for
the intensely hard work he has done to make this effort possible as well as his
tireless work in helping churches that are beginning or struggling throughout
the Visayas and Mindanao. He and his father, Ramon, are two of the most humble
men that I know.
As for Lordy Salunga, as he spoke on a subject with much depth, he did so in a way to make the difficult things more easily understood, not the other way around. He is a true scholar in academic achievements and as a former professor in a top university here. But he does not use his great intellect to show-off or overwhelm, but to make the Scriptures clear and more easily applied. I look forward to working with both of them as well as Rody Gumpad when he comes later today to join them in helping me teach these classes.
As for Lordy Salunga, as he spoke on a subject with much depth, he did so in a way to make the difficult things more easily understood, not the other way around. He is a true scholar in academic achievements and as a former professor in a top university here. But he does not use his great intellect to show-off or overwhelm, but to make the Scriptures clear and more easily applied. I look forward to working with both of them as well as Rody Gumpad when he comes later today to join them in helping me teach these classes.
Thanks again to all of you
who have helped make this effort possible and who prayer for the success of the
Lord’s work here. God bless!
