By Ptr. Jesse Dedel

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear the life testimony of former motel-mogul-turned-Christian-businessman Wyden King.

He told us the powerful story of his journey from infamy to righteousness – how he got started in business as a young man, full of the world and full of himself. As such, he had no qualms about starting his motel business, which soon boomed into a highly lucrative cash cow from which he milked an average of P2M/day! Of course, such an immoral venture was not without its price – he lost interest in his wife and began a years-long relationship with a mistress, which, in turn, cost him the love and respect of his children. Then, He came to know the Lord.

Not long after, the Holy Spirit began to convict him about the conflict between his newfound faith in Christ and his multi-million peso empire of carnality. Needless to say, the path of obedience and Kingdom-righteousness proved very costly for Mr. King. With great reluctance, plenty of financial sacrifices and much bargaining with God, he began the systematic dismantling of his powerful but immoral empire, a process that lasted quite a few years. Eventually, he and his mistress separated and he began to work on his marriage anew. Ultimately, he was rewarded by the LORD with the salvation of his children and the rekindling of his love for his wife. And now, he has the joy of sharing his powerful testimony and the Gospel of Christ to all who will hear!

Now, that was a great story, wasn’t it? Full of drama and conflict. We all love a great story, especially if it involves great cost, great sacrifice and great triumphs.

But what about us? How do we handle our story? When the Author of our Faith writes in a new plot twist, say, an illness or a job loss or (God forbid!) the death of a loved one, how do we respond? Are we quick to declare our confidence and hope in Him, Whom, we say, has been faithful to us through the years? Or are we quick to wither away beneath the weight of our new adversity? Do we praise Him in spite of our circumstances, or are we more prone to complain… or curse?

Sadly, I must confess that I tend to fall in the company of the latter responses. And this, in spite of God’s perfect track record of faithfulness and unfailing kindness that is never too early nor too late. I hang my head in shame.

How do we overcome this fallen tendency towards spiritual amnesia? How do we learn to finally man up and face our challenges with a more steadfast faith and a tougher resolve to trust in Him?

I believe we can begin by embracing this one simple truth: “Adversity is a necessary component in our Journey towards Christ-likeness.”

In Job 23:10, it says:
“But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

It has been said time and again that God is not as interested in our comfort as He is in our character. Like the goldsmith, He isn’t happy with simply unearthing us from our previous darkness; He wants to make us into a glorious, gleaming treasure – a thing of beauty that is a sight to behold – for all to see! In doing so, people will not only celebrate what we have then become but they will glorify and worship Him Who made us that way!

But how does the goldsmith – and God – do this? Through fire.

Bottom line, God is at work in us and His apparent instruments of choice are the flames of adversity. Such flames are not meant to destroy us but, rather, to undo us. For it is only when we are undone in the flesh that God can begin to do His deep work in our spirit. God is the skillful Craftsman Who, even now, is refining us through the fires of Adversity to fashion for Himself a People purified as gold, useful and fit for His Divine Purpose!

The sooner we embrace this truth, the sooner we accept this process and yield to Him Who holds the carefully measure shaping-flames in His mighty hands, the sooner we shall be fashioned into His image and likeness. From our tests will come our testimony; from our mess, our message.

And God alone shall receive all the glory.

By Rev. Jeremiah P. Balbuena

The style of worship and ministry have taken a considerable restructuring these past twenty years. “Seeker sensitive” services have really become big since their introduction. Thousands of churches have been planted in recent years with this label, thousands more established churches have restructured their mission statements to follow this ideology, and tens of thousands have added a “seeker service” (or “contemporary service”) on Sunday morning.

The idea is to design a service in which the non-church people will feel comfortable—or, at the very least, not feel alienated. For me, it is not just an excellent idea but something that we need to do. “Modifying those non-absolute areas that have more to do with culture than theology,” as Pastor Steve May puts it.* Why would we insist on the use (or non-use) of particular worship instruments or a particular order of service or a particular schedule of services if these are not biblical absolutes? If we will discover that more people will be available to come on Saturday afternoon for worship, why would we insist on doing church exclusively on Sundays when a particular day of the week is not a biblical absolute for a church service?

However, inasmuch as we desire to be effective as a church we have to go beyond considering what kind of church people are looking for. We need to be asking, “What kind of church does God want us to be?”

I agree with Pastor Steve May when he asserted that “…the Bible makes it clear that God wants us to be sensitive to the needs of seekers, the unchurched, and the lost. Nothing will ever change the Great Commission.” *

But is there something more expected from us as the Church of Jesus Christ? What does God want us to be? Asked another way: If Jesus were to visit our church, would he join?

Consider what we have been looking at in the past few Sundays. We saw that Peter kicked off his first “Pentecostal evangelistic crusade” with these words from Joel in Acts 2: 17-21 –

“In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below —blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon will turn blood red, before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

From this perspective, it is clear that God is looking for a church that is immersed in the Holy Spirit. Verses 17 to 19 proclaim loudly that God wants to move among his people; He wants to do great things. He wants to perform wonders beyond what we can think or imagine. He wants to equip and empower us to perform greater works than those Jesus performed while on earth. He wants to fill His church with His presence so that we can live in His power.

When the Spirit of God is present in a church, people are made new. Marriages are mended. Relationships are restored. Shattered dreams are put back together. Broken hearts are healed. Lives are changed. This is what happens when a church becomes immersed in the Spirit of God. This is the most amazing part!

Somebody said that you can get a group of people together to work for a common cause. You can find a couple of hundred people (or even a couple of thousand people) who like each other enough that they’ll come together once or twice a week. You can design an entertaining service that will divert people’s attention from their troubles and cares for a couple of hours and provide them an oasis from their hectic lives. You can do this, but only God can change a life. The preaching, the worship, the fellowship are all crucial areas of our ministry, but we don’t change lives here—God does.

These changed lives then become the spectacle to the world that causes the church to be very attractive. The world is captivated by the difference they witness. There’s a saying that “People may doubt what you say, but they’ll always believe what you do.”

The reason most people come to Christ today is not because we have satisfied their intellectual curiosity. The reason most people come to Christ today is because they see the difference Jesus has made in the life of someone they know—and they want to experience that same difference. People can tell when we’re being real and when we’re going through the motions. When we’re real, we’re contagious. When we’re immersed in the Spirit of God, people are drawn to Jesus.

Going back to Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, he closed it with a thought that emanates from the very heart of God:

“And anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (v. 21)

God is looking for a church that is committed to calling upon his name so that he can continue to move among his people. Peter captured it. He followed this up in his epistle when he said, “God doesn’t want anyone to perish.” ( 2 Peter 3:9) He is not only speaking about receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. He was saying that calling on the name of the Lord is a way of life. Calling on the name of Lord is how we experience his healing, his presence, his protection, his comfort, his power. Calling on the Lord is how we begin the process of telling others about him—making his deeds known—and serving him “shoulder to shoulder” with one another. We want to invite God to be among us. Every time we come together as his people, we want to call upon his name.

Would Jesus join this church? That’s the question we have to ask ourselves. Are we a church immersed in the Spirit of God? Are we a church that seeks to include everyone? Are we a church that invites God to move among us? To the extent that we are, we will reflect His glory. And to the extent that we are, we will make a difference in this community. We want there to be a big “Welcome” sign on this church—not only one that can be seen in this community, but one that can be seen from Heaven, as well. This is what God is looking for in us. Let’s be this kind of church.

—–

* Quotations from Steve May are from a daily devotional provided by the Bible Explorer 4.

By Jeffrey Castillo

In1999, God touched the heart of one of our faithful members, our dear sister Dra. Resy Torres, to donate more than 2 hectares of land to ICS. Under the watch of Ptr. Abe Visca, the title of her property was transferred to ICS with the help of Sis. Sonia Sumcad , together with the Board of Trustees. In 2001, the processing of transfer of the Title to ICS was completed. This property is located at Subic in Zambales, more or less 3 hours’ travel from Manila and about 30 minutes from Subic City.

From 1999 to 2004 the only access to the property was by boat from Subic fish port. In 2005, there was a massive infrastructure development in the vicinity that paved the way for a beautiful concrete road to be laid from Subic to Zambales’ national highway. This four-way concrete road directly passes through our property, leading to the Korean Shipyard now known as Hanjin- one of the biggest shipyards in Asia. In this development we can see how God is moving, and that God has a purpose as to why He allowed this place where the property of the church is now strategically located to be so developed.

As shown in the audio-visual report presented in one of the Sunday morning services last month, there is already a growing squatters’ population with their own neighborhood association squatting in the property adjacent to ours. The leadership of the church, led by Pastor Jerry Balbuena and our chairman Bro. Ardie Balderama, together with other members of the Board, visited the property earlier this year to talk to these squatters near, as well as to see what we can do to secure our property. Recently, one of the leaders of the neighbourhood association informed us that there are some groups that are already planning to squat on our property.

Consequently, the leadership of the church decided that our first action is to secure the property by putting up a barbwired concrete fence surrounding the whole area of our property. It was estimated that we need at least PhP 500,000 for this project. This investment that we need to secure the property that God has given to the church is very small compared to the value of the property. However, it is not the monetary value of the property but, more importantly, the purpose of God for the property, to be used for the expansion of His Kingdom in this place, that we need to bear in mind. And we are the people, the church that God will use for the realization of this purpose.

Ptr. Jerry and the leadership are praying and envisioning that a training and worship center will rise in this place, where everyone can come and receive eternal salvation through knowing and accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. In addition, the leadership of the church is planning to reach out to the neighbourhood through medical and dental outreaches, and, eventually, to start a church there.

With this in mind, we are challenging every member of the church to be a part of the realization of this vision by giving towards the laying down of at least one concrete post or more, as God enables each one to give. By faith Dra. Recy donated this land to ICS, and now, it is also by faith that we, collectively, will be a good steward of this property.

I believe through faith that every one of us will be a part of this project as a church. May we all take part in this project of God for the expansion of His Kingdom. Together, let us take up this rallying cry as we see to the stewardship and development of this great blessing from God: “One post, one soul!”

To God be all the Glory!

By Jevy Baga

I’m a Medical Technology graduate of San Pedro College of Davao, and have been constantly amazed at how much God has been faithful to me. I thank Him so much for enabling me to finish four years of college. Throughout those years I have been holding on to this promise, “Delight in the Lord and He will grant the desires of your heart.” Indeed, God has been true to His Word.

Indecisive of what course to take, I ended up choosing a particularly difficult medical course, Medical Technology. Some people close to me advised me not to pursue the course, concerned that I might fail. However, I didn’t heed their advice. I ended up praying instead. All I desired was to do what God wanted me to do; and He wanted me to depend on Him. So I took the course and offered to God the rest of my college life. I believed in my heart that if I will just delight in Him, I will be victorious.

I never really liked studying but I decided to give it my best effort, knowing that if I would, I will be able to pass by God’s grace. There were times when I had doubts and thoughts of failure. But God reminded me of His love and grace, and that I am indeed His child. He continually encouraged me that I didn’t have any reason to be afraid because I am in Him. I then felt this peace and claimed my victory in Christ.

From 82 students, only 24 of us survived and made it to the internship program. Ultimately, only 24 of us graduated last March 30, 2010.

And now I write this article to thank the Lord and to thank all of the people God has touched to be used as a channel of blessing. Through your prayers and faithful giving, God met my school needs just in time. I believe that the amount you have given is not what counts; what matters most is your heart to give because God loves a cheerful giver. Certainly, your willingness to give is truly an investment in which God alone is glorified. I am always grateful and proud to have your support. I thank the Lord for making me part of a big family that is not only contained in the four walls of our home. Indeed, I cherish all of you as my family. I know that I am just one of the privileged students you have supported and I pray that you will continue the good work you have started.

I am currently reviewing for the upcoming Medical Technology Board Examination on September 4-5, 2010. Please continue to pray for me. Also, a PRC memo states that examinees in Davao should reach 50 in order for an exam to possibly take place here. Otherwise, we would take the exam in either Manila or Cebu. Please pray that the examinees here will reach 50 so that we will take the exam here.

God has been so faithful to me in my entire college life. How much more after school? I’m sure He will be giving me more and more reasons to praise and glorify Him!

Thank you, Lord! To all who prayed for me, thank you for your prayers. I wouldn’t be able to reach this far without you all.

To God be the glory!

- Jevy Baga

It was another happy Sunday for the children of ICS. They got up to their classroom and were welcomed by their teachers like any other Sunday. However, last July 25, they entered their BGMC (Boys & Girls Missionary Challenge) Corner gathering hall with wider smiles and happier hearts that morning. Something was definitely new in their classroom.

As the Children’s Praise & Worship Team lead the kids in singing God Is Good, Kasama Natin Ang Diyos, Mahal Na Mahal, and Shout to Lord, the children were happily moving their hands and feet and openly giving thanks to God through music. As the P&W ended, Teacher Sweety introduced the featured country for the BGMC Sunday which was Papua New Guinea (PNG). Missionary and guest speaker Pastor Abe Visca along with Teacher Sweety first introduced the common cultural differences of the people living in PNG and with us, Filipinos. Varied reactions could be heard and seen from the kids as Pastor Abe showed pictures & books of the PNG tribes, and real objects & costumes used by the people there. With the help of the diorama made by the teachers, the kids also understood the common food process wherein the people would bury their root crops underground when cooking. It was another discovery-filled Sunday for the kids and the best part of it all was that the kids were able to realize how faithful God is to the people in PNG, to the missionaries like the Viscas, and to each one of them as they found out how hard life is and how blessed they are to be able to have full clothing, concrete houses, and proper education. The kids experienced more of their BGMC Sunday while eating an alternative to the common food in PNG which was boiled root crops like sweet potatoes.

As their BGMC Sunday was about to end, the teachers reminded them about the little things that they could do to help missionaries all over the world: BGMC Collection Barrels and prayers! The call to mission is truly present in each and every one of them. They are, after all, the Church of Today and Tomorrow. Truly, it was another blessing-filled Sunday at ICS Children’s Church indeed! We are all looking forward to another successful BGMC Sunday with the kids and hopefully, with you.

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”

Matthew 6:26

WHEN YOU TRAVEL ON planes you encounter a lot of strange and wonderful people who travel with you. You get to hear a lot of different stories from different kinds of people – some jolly, some sophisticated, and some simply difficult people.
I would always ask for an aisle seat whenever I would be in the air for more than 2 hours. The reason being I do not want to disturb anybody in the same row if I need to go the restroom or just need to stand up and stretch my legs. And, oh, what a pleasure it is when you get an exit row aisle seat! You actually are the envy of everyone on the plane who has to suffer being uncomfortably squeezed into a 20” x 40” area, which will be their cramped territorial space for the duration of their flight.
There ought to be a special room in hell, where the flames are extra hot and one must sleep sitting straight up, reserved for the People Who Recline Their Seats The Entire Flight. Most of us travelers understand the discomfort we are inflicting on the poor fellow behind us and try to limit our reclining for the lights-out portion of the flight. Now, if only everyone leaned back together, in the manner of an unattractively upholstered synchronized swim team, then no one would be unfairly crowded.
I had a Seatback Diva in front of me last week. We were barely airborne, and there she was in my lap, with her seat already reclined. Using my laptop (should I so desire) would now entail making a slit in my belly flab and inserting the front half of the keyboard inside it, so that the bottom row of letters would be rendered inaccessible and I would have to make do without words like banana, lasagna, baclacava and many other choice terms that would need those letters I now could not reach.
Defeated, I tried to watch the little TV mounted in the seatback in front of me. Alas, the screen was so close to my face that my eyes were crossing. Zeus and Hades, from the movie “Clash of the Titans”, had become two tiny sets of perfectly choreographed twins.
In desperation, I turned to my complimentary copy of the Sky Mall catalog and began to read. A mail-order company was selling “the Most Compact Washing Machine in the World,” enabling, I don’t know, the Hobbits to do laundry in their tree house. “A Universal Adaptor that gets you connected without using electricity!” another ad reported excitedly.
“Who would buy this?” I said to the man in the middle seat, but he was busy waving down a flight attendant. “Miss?” He was holding up his knees. “Is there room for these in the overhead bin?”
We hit a pocket of turbulence and Bloody Mary mix slopped onto the shirt of the man next to me. I pointed to the Most Compact Washing Machine in the World in my magazine. “You need this,” I said. The man did not smile.
More and more, you must board a plane like a general going to war. You must constantly be prepared to defend your turf – your way of life, your airborne kingdom. The occupant of the next seat will make his move upon your armrest the moment your vigilance flags. You will return from the bathroom to find an elbow planted in the tiny, vinyl peninsula where your appendage once roamed free.
The battle for armrest dominance has grown ever more intense in the era of the laptop computer. The airplane seat – originally designed to be a chair, and not a very good one at that – is now expected to perform double duty as airborne office space. Soon people will be bringing fitness equipment and hobby craft on board, and the company that makes the World’s Most Compact Washing Machine will surely find their new marketing niche – the carry-on landromat.
Complex rules apply to the space beneath your seat for it belongs, technically, to the person behind you. Not long ago, I was on a transcontinental flight when I was awakened by the woman behind me.

Now, I don’t think I need to convince you that the “in-between” is the hardest part of any journey for the simple reason that it is neither an adventure nor home. This is where we are asked to wait and listen—not to act or even react. It demands a courageous patience and a capacity to endure the unknown. While there is nothing that has to be done or needs accomplishing when we are in between, it is certainly not a place of rest. If it were, we would want to stay “in between.” Instead, it is a place of restless anticipation. It’s like taking your family on a vacation that requires a long car drive that, not long after you hit the road, you will begin hearing the universal questions every kid asks on a long car ride: “Are we there yet? How much longer? Are we there yet?”
In our Christian lives we experience the in-between, or times of transition. We long, we groan, we revisit this near-universal childhood frustration and are compelled to ask God the questions, “Are we there yet? How much longer?” I had already spent years in serving the Lord, between leaving my career and accepting this call, asking God the questions, “How much longer? Are we there yet?” I am well-acquainted with the “in-between”. It isn’t fun, but it is a normal part of a life of faith. It is a normal part of the maturing process.
I know that many of you are in the “in-between” time in your own lives and, as a congregation, we are certainly in transition. We are aware that a previous era has closed and we are waiting for what is to come. We are now all invited to wait and listen.
I believe Deuteronomy, a book about the in-between—provides us some helpful guidance and suggestions for living in transition. I want us to live alongside the Hebrew people between two places. Let us stand on the banks of the Jordan River and listen to the wisdom of an old man as we wait and hope for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
And while we are in between, whether in our personal lives or in our congregational life, I invite you to ask God, “Are we there yet?” It is a simple but honest prayer that opens our hearts to God and offers our deepest desires, which God longs to hear.
Afterall, it is not wrong to honestly ask God, “Are we there yet? How much longer still?”

“Excuse me?” She was holding a plastic juice cup. “Excuse me? This is coming in my section.” I had put my empty cup under my seat and it had slid backward, crossing an imaginary line on the carpeting. She was peeved. Her eyes were squinty and her nostrils were flaring, as though she were about to spew smoke from her nose. People were staring, so I took the cup.
Later that night, a stockinged foot made a stealth assault on the back of my right armrest. It was her: The Juice Cup Border Patrol Woman.
“Excuse me?” I nudged her foot ungently. “This is coming in my section.”
Several hours went by without incident. I was beginning to drift off, when I heard a driving, tinny noise: ch-ch, ch-ch, ch-ch, ch-ch … The woman behind me had mobilized the most annoying weapon in today’s modern airborne arsenal: The Overly Loud Headphones.
I waved my hot towel in surrender.
But more than these raging battles going on inside the plane and inside you when you travel, there is a lot more things that make travels enjoyable. Traveling takes you places. When you travel everything changes…the landscape, the weather, the time zones, and, most especially, your attitude. You find yourself looking at things differently, feeling things more deeply, and seeing the world in a whole new light. And in those amplified moments when you realize that the one thing that’s most different is you.
Travel is more than just going from point A to point B. It is more than just leaving home. Travel changes your perspective, presents new possibilities, inspires new challenges and feeds your soul in such a way that the few days you are away from All Things Routine and Familiar can become some of the precious few days that will stay in your mind forever.
Travelling—seeing new sights, hearing new music, and meeting new people—is exciting and exhilarating. But when we have no home to return to where someone will ask us, “How was your trip?” we might be less eager to go. Travelling is even more joyful when we travel with the eyes and ears of those who love us, who want to see our slides and hear our stories when we return.
In a way, this is what life is about. It is being sent on a trip by a loving God, who is waiting at home for our return and is eager to watch the slides we’ve taken and hear about the friends we’ve made. When we travel with the eyes and ears of the God who sent us, we will see wonderful sights, hear wonderful sounds, meet wonderful people … and be happy to return home.

I don’t know about you but I really don’t have any good memories of July. It’s kind of the lull moments in the year. It’s the kind of feeling that everything has normalized, school has just started and rainy days are here and there is nothing to be excited about it as well. The next major thing is Christmas. It’s the feeling that you are caught in between and that it is some sort of transition that everybody just has to endure.

In the Old Testament, there is a book that is not read too often – Deuteronomy. Even the name sounds boring. You can read straight through to the end of Numbers from Genesis and skip Deuteronomy entirely, and you’d be at the same place in the narrative. The Book of Numbers ends with these wandering ex-slaves gathered on the banks of the Jordan River, waiting to enter the Promised Land. Arrive at the end of Deuteronomy, and you’ll see they haven’t moved from this spot. In other words, you could remove this book altogether and not miss a beat in the story.

Deuteronomy comes from two words — deutero, which means “second” and nomos, which means “law.” Thus, as the “second law”, it’s mostly repetition. If you read this book at a surface level, you might observe that it really has nothing new to say. So I think it’s reasonable to wonder why this book is in the Bible to begin with!

But surprisingly Deuteronomy is considered by some scholars as “the first New Testament”. The reason is because it presents an innovation in Israel’s theology. It presents a new approach to the old Law. In addition, most scholars consider Deuteronomy to be the theological center of the Old Testament, because the author, or authors, of this book also wrote all the other books that follow it, from Joshua to 2 Kings. In this sense, Deuteronomy is the hidden hand that works the puppet. By understanding Deuteronomy, we pull back the curtain and reveal the intention and direction of this hand. In doing so, we can better understand the books that follow it and even the words of Jesus in the NT, who quoted quite frequently from this book.

Given Deuteronomy’s importance and how its subtle power shapes the rest of Scripture, we should take a closer look to discover why Jesus liked to quote a lot from this book.

In Deuteronomy1:1 we read, “These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness … Beyond the Jordan in the land ofMoab, Moses undertook to expound this law as follows … .” This verse sets the framework, the context for Moses’ preaching. There are two things that stand out.

First, it says, “Moses undertook to expound the law”, that is, to explain, interpret, and expand—not simply to speak or introduce the Law. In other words, Moses is not simply setting out to repeat the Law and the stories in the wilderness—he is setting out to explain and give meaning to the Law.

Second, Moses doesn’t simply offer a verbatim repetition of the stories and laws. Instead, he offers a creative elaboration and revision of older laws and stories. He is expounding, not simply describing. It is clear that he’s doing this because many of the people of Israel weren’t around for the first giving of the law. But more importantly, this explanation is tailor-made for the completely new situation that these people now find themselves in.

It says twice that Moses spoke to them beyond the Jordan in the wilderness. If you missed it the first time, he says it again. They are now on the banks of the Jordan River, no longer wandering in the wilderness, and they have yet to enter the Promised Land now visible to them. They are forced to wait in between. They are at the heart of a transition. They were actually forced to wait before entering the Promised Land. This was Israel’s transition zone. Just like July in every year.

Now, I don’t think I need to convince you that the “in-between” is the hardest part of any journey for the simple reason that it is neither an adventure nor home. This is where we are asked to wait and listen—not to act or even react. It demands a courageous patience and a capacity to endure the unknown. While there is nothing that has to be done or needs accomplishing when we are in between, it is certainly not a place of rest. If it were, we would want to stay “in between.” Instead, it is a place of restless anticipation. It’s like taking your family on a vacation that requires a long car drive that, not long after you hit the road, you will begin hearing the universal questions every kid asks on a long car ride: “Are we there yet? How much longer? Are we there yet?”

In our Christian lives we experience the in-between, or times of transition. We long, we groan, we revisit this near-universal childhood frustration and are compelled to ask God the questions, “Are we there yet? How much longer?” I had already spent years in serving the Lord, between leaving my career and accepting this call, asking God the questions, “How much longer? Are we there yet?” I am well-acquainted with the “in-between”. It isn’t fun, but it is a normal part of a life of faith. It is a normal part of the maturing process.

I know that many of you are in the “in-between” time in your own lives and, as a congregation, we are certainly in transition. We are aware that a previous era has closed and we are waiting for what is to come. We are now all invited to wait and listen.

I believe Deuteronomy, a book about the in-between—provides us some helpful guidance and suggestions for living in transition. I want us to live alongside the Hebrew people between two places. Let us stand on the banks of the Jordan River and listen to the wisdom of an old man as we wait and hope for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

And while we are in between, whether in our personal lives or in our congregational life, I invite you to ask God, “Are we there yet?” It is a simple but honest prayer that opens our hearts to God and offers our deepest desires, which God longs to hear.

Afterall, it is not wrong to honestly ask God, “Are we there yet? How much longer still?”

Our church’s youth ministry is known as CROSSLinC, which stands for Christians Reaching Out, Sharing Salvation and Life in Christ. It has long been our vision that the youth will take an active part in missions, not only by giving funds or through prayer but also by reaching out in their respective mission fields. To this end, CROSSLinC held a seminar entitled “iGo 2 U” last May 31 2009.

As young students, our world mostly revolves around school. As we got closer to the start of the new school year, we wanted to emphasize the need for campus ministry and to equip the students of CROSSLinC.

We started the seminar by asking the students to draw their hands on colorful pieces of paper and to write down the names of their schools and friends. They cut these out and placed them on the wall of the room, as a symbol of their commitment to minister to these people, and to encourage them that each of them can touch these lives. We invited Pastora Joanne Fe Salares, a national youth ministry network missionary from Chi Alpha PUP and she discussed for us why campus ministry is important, giving us examples of how to share the Word. She made us realize that all of our fears and reasons for not reaching out are, in fact, only excuses.

After lunch we role-played by partners to practice how we would approach a stranger and share the Word. The room was filled with laughter and joking around, but everyone was a bit nervous because we knew that later that day we would all have to do it for real. By 2pm we were divided into groups and sent on our way to PUP. Two by two, we went around the campus and talked, shared, and prayed with the students. We met some who were receptive, some with lots of questions, some who were already Christians. It was the first time for most of us, and we all had stories to share afterwards. We left with a buzz, the excitement of being able to have shared our faith lingering in our hearts, even as we went back to church. We all had a new experience we would never forget.

But the story doesn’t end there. Up to now, the colorful hands remain on the wall of the APTS Room where CROSSLinC gathers weekly, serving as reminders every Sunday during our regular youth fellowships. iGo 2 U is more than just a seminar, it is a commitment. I will go to the universities; I will share God in my university. God is moving in today’s youth. He will use us mightily for His purpose!

Even now, some of the youth, together with Pastora Dayang Hindoy, are working to have Chi Alpha accredited in Rizal Technical University, where a few CROSSLinC members are currently studying. We ask you to be our partners in prayer as we embark on this venture. Come and join us in Going to the U!

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

By Joshua Aaron V. Padla

My friends always ask me what it’s like to be a father. And I have but one response – “ANG SAYA!”

But to be honest, I will never be able to explain in words how I feel whenever I go home and see my son after a gruelling day at work. For some reason which I can only attribute to Divine Intervention, the exhaustion and stress of working for 10 to 15 hours a day just magically disappear when Noah looks up at me and gives me his trademark smile.The the best part of my work day is actually going home to see my wife, Reah and my son, Noah. Indeed, home is where my heart is.

There is a song that goes, “In Your (the Lord’s) presence, there is fullness of joy.” My belief is that when I am with Noah, God is right next to us because I experience first-hand this “fullness of joy.” In almost all the things we do together as father and son – be it playing with his Baby Einstein toys, pressing away at his little electronic piano and guitar or reading his Noah’s Ark book, I feel lost in a dreamworld where the hardship and painful realities of every day life seem to be non-existent, at least for a few hours a day. Reah can affirm this even more.

When people say that Noah seems to be a very mild-mannered, peace-loving and over-all “cool” baby, I smile and say “thank you”. But deep inside my heart overflows with pride and utmost happiness because I know that this precious gift can only come from God.

Noah is now able to stand up on his own and although he needs to hold on to things to walk like a drunken old man, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day I go home and see him running towards me shouting at the top of his lungs, “DADDY!” Now that is something I look forward to.

He seems to be growing up too fast. I can still remember like it were yesterday when we brought him home from the hospital and he could barely move. Now, he crawls about like an all-too excited pup and can drool all over me with the cold and plentiful saliva from his cute little mouth. It’s funny how eager he is to get hold of anything he sets his eyes on and once he has it in his tiny but unusually powerful hands, pounds it profusely up and down like a hammer. He does this first with one hand then does it again with the other. It makes me wonder if he wants to be a carpenter someday. I’m not worried. Jesus was one.

I’ve read in books and magazines that fatherhood isn’t so easy. Now I can confirm this myself. However, waking up at 3 in the morning to the hungry and angry sound of Noah’s developing voice does not feel like a burdensome chore. I have mastered the art of fixing him up a bottle of milk in less than 20 seconds. (Yes, I am the one who wakes up every time to feed Noah because Reah sleeps like a baby, but I don’t mind at all). And the reason I don’t find this hard to do despite working long hours is simply this: I love my son. This labor of love permits me to do ordinary things extraordonarily well. Thank God for the strength.

I know that as Noah grows older, the challenges will pile up. Pretty soon I will be running after him in church and in the malls and paying for his ever-increasing and outrageously expensive tuition fees. Before I know it, girls will be running after him and calling him up. But I will teach him to be like me, a gentleman and not a playboy. These are just some of the limitless challenges that Reah and I will face but we know that because God has placed in our hearts the wonderful desire to be Godly parents, we shall be prepared.

It’s been said that anyone can be a father, but not everyone can be a dad. I think about all the fathers who will be commemorated this Father’s Day and I still find it surreal sometimes to know that I am now one of them. I think about my own father, Noah’s Lolo Tem, and how he is not just a “father” but a “dad.” As I work hard to provide for my family and be the man God wants me to be, it is my prayer that Noah will grow up having not just a father but a dad.