I Will Make You A Disciple

“I will make you a disciple.”

These are the very words I spoke with Albert one morning while having coffee together at my house. He is the first person that I journey with to follow Jesus in a daily-life-together.

“What is that?” he replied with curiosity.

“I’ll help you how to follow Jesus, that is to be His disciple.”

As he listens intently I continued, “God has already saved you. He died on the cross to pay for your sin. When God created man he was fallen short of His plan by being independent of himself instead of being dependent on God. Man choose to follow himself. That sin of independence has penalty which is death. That’s why Jesus have to die on the cross.”

“So what should I do then?” Albert inquired.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, that’s all. There is nothing you can do ,” I said and paused for a moment. “The work of the cross is done, Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished” not “To be continued. God loves you that He gave His life on the cross. There is absolutely nothing you can do to change what had happened. All you have to do is believe and accept that fact.”

“And what should I need to do next?” he insisted.

“Nothing,” again I sternly replied. “Sorry, you can’t help yourself to get saved. It was already done 2,000 years ago, that is while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

Albert can’t seemed to believe what he heard. He knows that Jesus came and died on the cross to save mankind, including him, yet it is quite a bit hard to accept that he can’t do anything at all. He somehow believe that at least we got to do something to help ourselves. As these words sunk deep within it is time to continue to make him a disciple.

“There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. There is nothing you can do to make God love you less. Absolutely nothing. However, there is something that you need to respond to what He has done for you.” Albert’s mind again was triggered to hear what comes out of my mouth.

“Oh? What’s that?” he asked eagerly while staring at my eye.

“Repent of your sin. Since Jesus paid the penalty of your sin which is death on the cross, you are not on your own now but you are bought with a price, so sin does not own you now but Christ. What sin did for you – making you a slave of it – Jesus puts an end to it by you believing on what He has done on the cross.

Repentance is being aware of your sin and that you become enslave to it and remorse from it. It is leaving your old way of life of sinning and turn towards God’s Kingdom rule in your life. It is to fear God and turn away from evil.

“Are you willing to live this new way of life? Are you willing to get rid of independence and live dependence with God?”

Albert nods his head while eagerly listening to me.

“Other response that you need to show your willingness Albert is to go through baptism.”

This is your own funeral service, a dying to self. Jesus said that “if anyone wants to be His disciple he must deny himself and take up his cross daily.” The goal of the cross is crucifixion, a death to self. The life of independence has come to an end. And now a new life, that is dependent on God, has now come. Just as Jesus died, that is He overcome sin and death, so also we must die to ourselves, bury the sin in us under the water. And just as He rose from the dead, that is He becomes the author of life, you also rise out of the water and live a new life.

“Baptism is only a symbol of your death Albert, daily death to self happens when you follow Jesus leading everyday. Are you ready to go through baptism? Do you want to be one of His disciples?

“Yes, I want to but,” he replied, “I was already baptize when I was a baby?” [Albert is a Roman Catholic by birth, majority Filipino‘s are]

“The Bible says that, “He who believes will be baptized.” Do you know how to believe then when your parents decided that you be baptized? To believe is to know something what to believe. It is to hear something what has been done. God knows you even before you were born but you don’t know Him and what He has done for you until someone told you so, just as what I have done now to you. Now you believe.” Albert nods his head.

How I wished I’d baptizes him directly right at that moment. But he was baptized after a week along with his friend Jomy whom he makes disciple that same week. They were baptized together, but I only baptized Albert since I am the one who makes him a disciple. Who baptizes Jomy? It’s Albert because he is the one who makes him a disciple.

Whoever can make a person a disciple of Jesus Christ have the privilege to baptize him. No need to wait for a ‘Baptism Sunday,’ which is another holy day to observe. The early church baptizes anyone directly who becomes Jesus disciple and the ‘Lord added to their number daily.’

Since then, whenever anyone in my extended family makes disciples through their friends they baptizes him or her directly, that same day and time that they shared the Gospel.

In our experience, the fastest we can make disciples is 15 minutes.
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For a span of one year since we first re-structuring our 8 years time of starting and maintaining house churches from once a week meeting-based church to family-based gathering around the meal and everywhere, a daily life together, 39 extended individual person that is around my Jesus Family, my extended family – that’s a real house church in the New Testament times – being family together, doing things together, extending the Kingdom of God through making disciples of Jesus. And these 39 individuals have their own extended families as well since they make disciples also through their friends.

I have no idea how many are we now since each one has different capacities to make friends. And how expert you are to make more friends the better you are to have people around you who you can make disciples of Jesus. That’s the secret of making disciples.

I don’t worry much of the quantity, all I care is if you r-e-a-l-l-y know how to make disciples, that is the quality of each believers, the germs that you know you are spreading, don’t worry about where its going!

But know one thing for sure, know those people well who you make friends and ultimately make them Jesus disciples for they will become your extended families everywhere. And since you are the one who makes them Jesus disciples you know them by name. You have become their ‘parents in the Lord’ and they become your ‘children in the Lord.’ Why? Simple, because church is a family, nothing more, nothing less.
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“Yes, I am a disciple of Jesus now!”

These are the words that came out of Albert’s mouth when he rises up from the water during his baptism. Right there and then, Albert baptizes his friend Jomy.

Albert is my ‘extended’ family, or better say have become my family. He is a part of us and we become a part of him. Jomy has become Albert’s extended family as well, and to us. The most normal of what a family does together is eating. We call it, ‘The Lord’s Supper’ or we say it plainly, ‘eating with God.’ It is a way of accepting new disciples in Jesus family.
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“Should I get out of my religion?”

This is mostly a new disciples concern after conversion.

“Nope, not at all. You don’t remain as you are for you are a change person, but you remain where you are co’z it is where God uses you to make other people His disciples. You have become a light and salt now. Let them see your new life, let them tell the difference and influence them.

Jesus said to us as His disciples to ‘go’ around everywhere and meet people and make them His disciples. We are ’sent already’ to this world, so the ’going’ is not hard to understand. It is making friends everywhere and right time comes you can make them disciples.

This is the command.
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Who Am I?

Your identity is a disciple of Jesus Christ, a follower. If you are a Catholic then you are a follower of Jesus in a Catholic Church. If you are a Mormons, then you are now a follower of Jesus in a Mormon Church. Don’t get out of your religion but influence them to follow Jesus. If you are a Muslim then be a follower of Isa in the Muslim community.

The world is the field and in the field there are different weeds [religions]. Don’t worry about them, let them worry about you for you have the One greater than that is in the world, in you!
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“What Church should I go?”

A question every religious people asked, “What Church I belong to?” We don’t go to church nor do church to maintain our Christian life. It is being church because we are the church. Christ died for you and you believe in Him and then He lives in you. This is enough for you to be the church: Christ in you. We trust Christ alone, not a lot. You may go to a church building, be it a Mosque or a Catholic Church, it doesn’t matter. What matters is your relationship with God and your purpose to ‘go’ anywhere or ‘get in’ any place is to make disciples. Somehow people have their own belief of religion and to get them is to get in to where they are sitting either that’s a ‘smoking’ area or ‘non-smoking’ ‘religious’ or non-religious’ sect. Either in or out of the jail, we search the lost in every corner of hell.

We are not told to ‘go to church’ but to ‘go to the world!’
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Making Disciples Spontaneous Discussions and Learnings

“Hmnnn…teaching someone on how to make disciples of Jesus,” she blurted these words out while I’m wondering what she thinks about. “Are you ready to have your own funeral?” She puts exactly the words of Jesus, “Take up your cross and follow Me,” in a personal way.

Sure a person who wants to follow Christ must recognize his old self. After believing the work of Jesus on the cross for him, repenting of his sin, surely he is aware of the new life that God is offering through His Son. His old self must be condemned to death at once through baptism.

The Five[fold] Signs of Making Disciples

The early church has a way of discipling people. Let’s look at five visible facts or prerequisites.

1. Believing

Jesus says that ‘whoever believes in Me’ has life. The is the first prerequisite of following Christ. This includes trust on Jesus on believing what He did on the cross was for him and he ought to give his life also to the one who willingly gives Himself to him. Believe is in the statement, trust is in the person. This equates to FAITH.

2. Repenting

Repentance is a sign that a person admits his fault. “If we say we have no sin we make God a liar,” the Bible says. Repentance is a remorse of your sin. And I say this again and again that it is not something that you do to get saved, but something that you respond to what has done already in order to be saved. There’s a big difference on that, see my previous article down below entitled, “How To Make Disciples.” Repentance is a ‘godly sorrow’ not ‘worldly sorrow.’ It is His kindness that leads us to repentance rather than its something that we should do. No, salvation is done already 100% on the cross, nothing you can do to add what is finished already. Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished,” not “To be continued.” So here, we see repentance is necessary to follow Jesus.

3. Baptizing

This is where your own funeral will take place. It is a symbol of your own death to self just as Christ was buried with our sin and just as He rose up from the grave we also shall rise up from the water symbolizing our new man in Christ. There’s a lot of discussions going on on how to baptize. Well, as I first baptize Albert I began to think how in the world am I going to do it? Should I let him wear a white dress? Shall we sing some songs first? Shall I have a sermon on baptism in front of everybody in the beach? What in the world am I going to do. One thing struck me though, at that time he is taking with him Jomy to be baptize also. But should I be baptizing them both? I don’t feel it is right. But I wanted Albert to baptize his friend Jomy because he is the one who makes him a disciple, not me. Jomy doesn’t know me at all except in that first meeting. And so I have in my thinking, “What is the easiest, the fastest, the quickest way to baptize Albert that he can instantly do it right away after I baptize him for him to baptize Jomy right there and then?” We did it with no formula, sorry that I cannot even tell you how except for one thing, we uses the Name of the Trinity after thanking God in a very short prayer and dump him in! But as I go over on how the NT baptizes anyone, mine is still even complicated! Let’s start with John baptizing Jesus, did John pray some prayers? He just dump him in! The Antioch guy when he believed he was dump in by Stephen without a word while doing it. Paul has no mention on the how while he baptizes 4 people, as far as he remembers. Poor old guy can’t even remember who are the people he baptizes, guess he has some flue called ‘Baptisomia.’ However, Jesus said to baptize them in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost – but these words are titles, not names. Jesus is a Name. Well, please don’t get me wrong. But my point is, is how you baptize easy enough for others to follow? We must do it the fastest way or else we can make a doctrine out of it and fight over terms forever. And forever is such a long time!

Some even believes that baptism is not necessary at all, if it is only a symbol then what matters is the heart right? Well, carry on to that. Mostly also in my country are Roman Catholics in which they are baptize already when they are young, no need to re-baptize again. Well, carry on to that too.

One thing that we in a sort of ‘house church,’ ’simple church’ whatever church you wanna call it – hope these names be disappeared quickly as they arrive quickly -I wanna call it ‘Jesus Family’ as Biblical as that, well get to the point Molong, is that in doing baptism we still have a ‘holy day’ mindset. We still make schedules of it like “Baptism Sunday,” Have you recognize this or is it me alone? Molong? NT baptisms happen right away!

4. Receiving

Receiving what? The Holy Spirit on the sign of speaking in tongues. How I wish that one of these days as I continue making disciples suddenly the Holy Spirit will just drop from heaven to the person and he will speak in new tongues! Just as Peter when he preach the word the spirit came and they all speak in new tongues. Wow! Isn’t that amazing? I have been through some spirit movements like the preacher preach about ‘Speaking in Tongues’ and then have some altar calling and pray over and kind of like force something in it. Well I have done that several times though, but if it is done through what you can do you are not really satisfied with it. Do you know what I mean? I am firm to wait on the Lord, even if it takes forever, on the same happenings. Not to even try myself to do it co’z I have been through it and tired of it. Receiving the Holy Spirit happens right after or before the person’s decision to be baptize. I see it as, baptism is the person’s decision but baptism by the Holy Spirit is God’s. I feel sad that I was baptize by the spirit after one year of my conversion. But I was baptize the next day after I repent. But was glad through it all. Whew!

5. Accepting

After baptism, having a meal together is always the best thing to do to let the person feel that he is welcomed. And some affirmation words would be very helpful, I suggest you will say to the person, “Welcome to Jesus Family. We are His family. You have been a part of my family and we have been a part of you.” Then praying the Lord’s Supper should take place here. This maybe a time to shoot some words of comments to every household of God, why not make the Lord’s Supper prayer be the prayer for every meal we have? Instead of just praying for the food, thanking it and then done without recognizing the Lord’s body ‘do this as remembrance of Me,’ and ‘do this as often as you can,’ right? Thanking for the food seems too religious. Jesus didn’t pray always for the food. He just ate, but is He thankful? Of course, He is not just religious. Praying for the food is a tradition. But whenever we have meals together with Jesus Family we pray the Lord’s Prayer, that is remembering what Jesus has done on the cross for us and that by His body being broken, our lives also being broken, selfless to accept one another, empty to be used by Him.

Well, that’s all for tonight folks. Oh not tonight, but this morning, early morning! It’s 3:03 now! Bye.

A Serious Conversation Tonight

Hours of talk tonight with a close friend of ours named Cathy. All has to do about on how to start a house church. Though I have been sharing to you about this on my past articles but as we get into specific details there are some important points that we came up with. This will be only a short one though.

In the middle of our discussions, “How to make disciples of Jesus” by starting to write down your friends that surrounds you and pick the people who has these 3 qualities on you – believe in you, trust you and loyal to you. Then talk to each of them for a meal or coffee and invite them to become Jesus followers. We started from sharing God’s love and let him repent of his sin as a response to what Christ has done for him. She was stuck realizing that I didn’t include in the sharing of the Gospel to the person about his sin, “For all have sinned and….” It’s quite awhile that I  didn’t get what she mean, actually she was referring on how we share the Gospel traditionally like you start from Romans 3:23 6:23 or somewhere pinpoint to him his sin.

I told him that man’s awareness of his sin is undeniable and irrefutable. He knows that he sinned against God. We only need to share the Good News that Christ died for him of his sin, no need to pinpoint, or make him guilty about it for he knows it. Actually we often use guilt to a person because we want him to repent of his sin. And that will look like ‘repentance’ is something that he do to GET saved rather than a response to what Christ has done for him to BE saved. Repentance then would be a bit harder for him to do it since his salvation was dependent on that. She understood when I first said to a person who you make disciple, “God has already saved you.”

THREE QUALITIES

Why find within your friends people who believe you, trust you and loyal to you. Here are some important points.

1. They are the workers of the fields.

2 Timothy 2:2 – “…find faithful people who can be able to teach others also.” You only know them by the three qualities that you look for. They are the easiest to make them Jesus disciples. They are the one’s who can carry the baton of disciple making.  Making Disciples up to your fourth generation can only be possible by these kinds people, even without you!

2. They are your genuine fruits.

Imagine having people who believe in what you say, trust you as a person and follow your leading, just what kind of a person you are? Trustworthy, honestly, integrity, character what else do you have then? So, what does it take for people to believe in you? What does it take for people to trust you? And be loyal to you?

3. They are committed.

These people simply would read their Bibles, pray and obey the leading of the Lord in their loves. These people will do what you ask them to do, go where you want them to go. Why? They have your trust!

LEAD FOR AWHILE

In these stage, you lead for awhile, disciple for while, then draw them to Christ. Do not draw disciples for yourself. We have been doing that for many years and ain’t no good at all – the become dependent on me and not the Lord. However, don’t cut off your relationship with them – they be your ‘children int he Lord’ and you be their ‘parents in the Lord.’ Ephesians 6:1

THE JOURNEY

Following Christ is a journey. The mistake in traditional church is that they want their members to become perfect, and so whenever someone is in error they can easily find it out who, what had happened and what should need to be done for it not to happen again. They became an expert of fault finding and problem solving in spite of broken relationships that may result. They value more on the church legislation’s than building healthy relationships. Their relationships is a church-based relationship, not family-based.

In this journey of making disciples, you treat a person as if your own son or daughter. How will you raise a son? Simple, you allow him to make decisions on his own and though he commits mistakes you still have the patience to teach him. No short cutting in building healthy relationships, there are risk to enter into such reality.

Have a nice day.

DISCIPLE MAKERS

How to Make Disciples

“Go and make disciples to all nations…”

Jesus, the Christ, Matthew 28:19

THE TASK

Wherever you are right now God strategically places you in the nations to make disciples for Himself. You cannot say, “I am now in California working but my heart for the ministry is in the Philippines. How can I be useful for His kingdom?” Jesus said, “Go” and though at times He will guide your feet in specific places but generally He already sent us to the world. Jesus in prayer for His disciples is not to take them out of the world. The world is ‘your’ field when Jesus spoke, “Look at the fields.”

John 17:16-18. Luke 10:2-3.

THE WORKER

You, A Disciple Maker

Jesus chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. A disciple is not only one who follows Jesus but also one who makes others disciple of Jesus. Through his life became ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world’ others are affected by him and ultimately be affected by the One whom he follows. His life then must be one who can be trusted so that when he asks others to be Jesus disciples; they will gladly follow Him without hesitation. For they see the life that is change of following Him. What does it take then for others to believe what you are going to say, to become a trustworthy person and to be loyal to your leading?

John 15:16, Matthew 5:13-14

Finding Faithful Men Who are Disciple Makers

The job of making disciples are entrusted to those who can be trusted, that is they have people around who believe in them, trust in them and loyal to them. Paul, who is fathering young Timothy in the Lord wrote to him saying, “the things that you have heard from me…commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

I believe that the job of making disciples is for everyone who faithfully follows Christ. They know how to follow Jesus and so can be able to teach others how to follow Him. Everyone can be a faithful follower of Jesus that is obeying His commands, live and walk in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit.

2 Timothy 2:2, John 14:15, Galatians 5:25, Romans 8:14

Finding Faithful Friends Who You Can Make Disciples

“We know a lot of people,” as my dad would say, “but we only have few friends.” Jesus have called His disciples ‘friends’ because He revealed to them everything He knew what His Father had said. They have become His family on earth. The same holds true to our friends, they have become our second family on earth.

So, to start your journey of making disciples you have to start with those people believe in you, trust you and loyal to you, namely, your friends! Everybody has friends, it’s normal that everybody also has people who are loyal to them. Take a minute now and try to call someone up and see who comes! These are the kind of people then who you can easily make disciples of Jesus.

How to make disciples is easy. Jesus commanded you to go and make one so there are gonna be people out there who you can make disciples.  And the closest place to find them is through your family circle and friends who are close to you. Remember, they have already your belief, your trust and loyalty. These qualities make them easier to follow Jesus through you.

Jesus, A Disciple Maker

Ilocos Sur Trip

“Tell me how, how to make disciples,” All day these words became our topic during our table conversations.

I could not say more about my trip to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, it was one of my favorite. Not only everyone is excited about my coming but also challenging that dropping at Clark airbase from Cebu I didn’t know anyone nor have been to the place before. It was 10 in the evening; it could take $10 to fetch a taxi just to get to the city. Well, from this time on I find a better way to minimize cost, I approach a white man with a beautiful Filipina wife who is renting a van and I get even to sit in the front seat with no cost at all. “Hmnn…I could do that then whenever I travel.” My cash is only $12 when I arrive at Clark, taking a taxi, bus fare and my dinner could have make me broke then. I find my way to have my dinner for $2 and a bus fare for $9 and that left me $1 to reach my place which is a 5-hour trip.

My host there which I met for the first time, Edwin, a 30 year old man married to his wife Norma who is 33, they have 3 wonderful kids, 2 boys and 1 girl, pick me up at 3 in the morning. From then on we talk ‘til the morning. A day later, I knew then that he didn’t have sleep that night, he is excited waiting for my coming.

House Church Talks

Edwin hosted some families and young people at his house for a house church meetings every week, along with that he has some Friday night prayer meetings. But my purpose in coming is not about telling him what to do and what not to do. I simply was coaching him by asking some questions that he can find answers through what he has been doing.
When the church does meet? For how long are we going to meet, until Jesus Christ comes?

Not only that most house churches are like having a little Sunday Morning Church Services in their homes but also they’re having endless meetings week-after-week ‘til forever, and forever is such a long time. Until we become family we will still continue to meet. Nothing wrong with meetings but until we stop calling them ‘meetings’ we will not become a family. A ‘meeting’ is not the church but the church meets. Nobody ask me as a member of my family, “When is your meeting?” But we certainly do meet during meals together, walking together, sit together, just doing things together. Have we called it a ‘meeting?’ Do we have to call it a ‘meeting?’ What kind of meetings? A ‘Sunday’ meeting? A ‘Wednesday’ meeting? A ‘Prayer’ meetings? A ‘Bible Study’ meetings? For how long again?

“Now we will not have any more prayer meetings,” as his wife Norma announced after hearing enough of my explanations one night of fellowship, “but we do pray.” Another night also while discussing a topic on ‘how to convert a Christian into a disciple of Jesus’ we ended up at 2 in the morning and then when I woke up the next day Edwin and his wife have a good talk in their Ilocano language which I could not understand and then they paused and said in English, ‘Good Morning’ to me and continued, “Indeed you’re coming is a blessing to us. Thank you.” Norma then continued, “After pondering on how to make disciples, God reminded of my friends who believe in me, trust in me and loyal to me. It is time to meet them with a meal and make them Jesus disciples.” Here is a part of Edwin’s email to me after days that I left:

“My wife started also making disciples to the young ladies. We are in the process of learning about making disciples and being a church. Thank you.”

Summit ‘09

[The thoughts here are based more on my personal experience and learning during the event and not as corporate one.]

On August 26-29, leaders of house church networks from different provinces in the Philippines met once again for the fourth time in Cagayan de Oro City. Compared to the past summit, this one rises as among the best. Here are some thoughts that we have shared for 3 days.

Around 20 of us representing different networks from different ministries and expertise. Some have focused on having simple church gatherings among Muslim communities especially the ladies among us are so compassionate on reaching the unreached people groups in the Philippines. The stories are so wonderful to hear but I am so sorry to keep my mouth shut as they are confidential. Simple church meetings work so easily yet powerfully because it is simple enough that you don’t have to name your church organization nor even call it a ‘church’ as we know it. But clearly enough to see that Jesus, Isa is in their midst.

A team is working together among high school and college students. Reaching them out through simple church movement. One particular guy, 28, has been working so closely with these young people that he is even registered at DepEd to train on how to play ‘communal’ soccer game. That is what anyone can play anywhere as long as their is a basketball court. Well, every community here has one! I dumped him some “Back to the Basics’ books and a box of book of John, the Gospel as they are free to be given away as requested HERE. They are so good to win friends and in the long run make them Jesus disciples.

Simple ‘house’ churches are in a sense a community based since their meetings is easy enough to communicate simple people in the community. Where there are two or three or more people gathered together with you as a follower of Jesus then the spirit of God works among everyone. Church is not where we meet basically, but it is where Jesus Spirit can move, reveal and express Himself to us, the church. Church is people, not buildings nor homes, and there is a Kingdom of God, so who are the ‘members’ of this Kingdom? The church, people! That is why if church is buildings then it is a counterfeit of the Kingdom. The word denomination comes from the word denominate, meaning to dominate. Church today became little tribes celebrating their own human founders. It should not be so among us who pledge our allegiance to only one King, and that is Jesus!

A Father in the Lord

Our corresponding emails today reminded me of him of how he is a father to me though we meet only for a week but the feeling that he left to me as a son remains forever. And what’s better is what I learned from those 7 days I am doing the same then. And the ‘not that good’ is why I just met this man that time. I wish I met him when I started my Christian walk.

I have been a Christian for 9 years and become a follower of Jesus for another 9 years. To have said that, becoming a Christian is easy – just go to any church you want out there and be faithful with its rules to maintain your Christian life. It’s easy, coming to church once or twice every week, either be a full-time worker or minister, part-time or even just a simple Christian on Sunday’s – a ‘Sunday-goer’ as we call it. I have no idea where did we got these themes. I wonder if Christianity is going to church Sunday-after-Sunday, week-after-week, month-after-month, year-after-year both now and forever, amen…makes you like Jesus. Does Jesus ever went to a ‘church building’ on holy days? We see Him more on the streets raising the dead!

On the other hand, following Jesus happens outside your four corners of the church. I once bump into a site about an atheist named Casper who was paid to work with a ‘resigned’ pastor of a church. Their ‘mission’ is to roam around 3 churches per week and the job of Casper is just to tell the pastor what he’d think about the church whom they visited. One time after the service he told the pastor, “Is this what your God tells you to do? I have read your Bible and I can’t find these liturgies in there.” To get rid of your religious routine you must get out of that religious edifices. Though getting out of the box is easier than getting the box out of your  brain, but it’s a good start. Following Jesus is all about ‘in everything you do….you do it for God’s glory. ‘Everything’ can’t be happening in your church eh? ‘Husbands loved your own wives..’ ‘Wives submit to your own husbands’ ‘Father do not provoke your children into anger’ ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord…,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ These commands can’t be happening inside the church building. They must be somewhere in your home and in marketplaces!

Louie Dan’s Baptism

The day is the 23rd of May, ‘09.

Louie Dan, classmate of Albert, Jomy and Jilian was baptized in my
baby’s swimming pool. He came with them at the house, and we gave them
time together to make him a disciple of Jesus. After about 30 minutes,
we ‘interrogate’ him to check if he understood the gospel and is ready
to follow Jesus, and he did.

At that day, a feast was made again in heaven!

Baptizing Arlene and Analyn

The day is the 16th of May, ‘09.

Arlene and Analyn are the younger sisters of Albert. He has been sharing his faith to them whenever he visited them at my house. [The sisters stayed with us].

Finally, we call it ’spirit-led’ or ’spontaneous’ meetings here, he and his classmate Jomy who he makes disciple of Jesus came one early morning and we had breakfast together. Topics are about anything including discussing ‘making disciples’ of how Jomy and Albert did it to Mark his classmates too. The sisters listen and interact and ask questions until they decided to follow Jesus. Immediately, we invited a neighbor, friends to come along and celebrate with us and to witness the event. We went to a nearby seanear us and baptize them.

Albert is the one baptizing them, my wife backs him up. At the back is Jomy celebrating. Me? the photographer

 

 

Baptizing Albert and Jomy

The day is the 3rd of April, ‘09. Albert and Jomy was baptize.

A short summary of how Albert became Jesus disciple was when he came one night at the house and we have coffee together at our lawn. I already planned to make him a disciple. After we talk for about 30 minutes, I handed him a New Testament Bible and headed home. The next time he visit me again was after 3 weeks where he informed me that he keeps reading the Bible and in our conversations he has full of stories to tell which I am awe of how easy it is to disciple someone who believes in you, trust you and  loyal to you.

And during that day, I encourages him to find those friends who believe in him, trust him and loyal to him. And he did find Jomy and Jilian and make them a disciple. So one day, on the 3rd of April. Him and Jomy came at the house and decided to be baptize, we’ve invited my whole family to celebrate with us.

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples…” and we did.

What a memorable day for us.