Again this morning, brother James Paet picked me up from the hotel about 8:30am. He drove us to the meeting place of the Trece Martires church in Cabuco, Trece Martires City. Those familiar with Spanish may recognize similar words in the Spanish language for the origin of the name. It harks back to a time under the Spanish rule of the Philippines when 13 “priests” were “martyred” in that place. The period of Spanish rule over the Philippines was a time of great violence and oppression brought upon the Filipinos.
We started the morning study with a lesson on “Recognizing Good and Evil” from Matthew 7:15-21. We noted that the Scriptures teach us that distinguishing between good and evil is not done by mere appearance, lineage, claim or the personal thoughts of man. Rather, good and evil are recognized by the fruits borne (Matthew 7:16, 20).
Next, we examined the subject of “Baptism” as it is presented in the New Testament. We looked first at the baptism of John which teaches us about principles that were preparing the way for Christ’s teaching. We then noted the teaching about baptism in the name of Christ as first commanded in the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-16) and its practice in the cases of conversion we find in the book of Acts. Lastly, we looked at the teaching about baptism in the Epistles which confirms its purpose, action and effect. After that lesson, we had a break of a little less than an hour for lunch.
In the afternoon session, we concluded the teaching with a lesson of encouragement from Philippians 3:12-14 dealing with “A Life to Lay Hold of Hope.” After that lesson, we had a question and answer period. We had only one non-Christian visitor, the aunt of a young man who is a member of that congregation. It was this lady’s first time to hear the truth of the gospel. She wanted to follow-up with some questions about baptism regarding what one must know before being baptized, the responsibility of growth after baptism, and the difference between the “baptism” practiced in the denominational world versus that taught in the gospel. From what I saw of her demeanor and her questions, I do not think she is very far from the kingdom. My hope is that she will soon be obedient the gospel call.
The Lord willing, I will fly to Tuguegarao in northern Luzon tomorrow. I will plan to make my next report on Sunday after our day’s work. God bless!
