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The Wind Blows Wherever It Pleases(Philippines UBF)

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

Like I had never left Chicago. After living in Manila for over 2 months (minus 1 week in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur), I returned to Chicago on Oct 3. When I got home, I said to my wife, "It feels as though I had not left at all." She echoed the exact same sentiment and added, "We are so close that we can even dance together in 2 different countries." Even an unromantic person like myself was quite touched by her spontaneous comment. I am so glad to be back, and I also look forward to going back to the Philippines again.

Previous Reports on Philippines UBF. I had previously blogged about Philippines UBF as a fruitful and exemplary indigenous ministry, and why I am going to the Philippines to live for an extended time. I had planned to stay for 3 months, but I had to return 3 weeks earlier due to issues in my medical clinic.

The Wind and the Spirit Blowing in Philippines UBF. John 3:8 always comes to mind when I am in Manila: I feel the wind of the Spirit blowing wherever the Spirit pleases and working tenderly in the hearts of people in various campuses through out Manila. Over the past year, we have began 3 church plants:

1. At Antipolo (2 hours from the main Philippines UBF center), led by Dr. John Talavera and his wife Hannah. Their 2 weekly Bible study fellowship meetings on Wed and Fri (called Ignite UBF) has up to 30 students from Fatima University attending and participating. I met them each week on Fri to lead a Bible study. On the last Fri before I left the students made me a picture with a collage of each of the students faces. (See picture) This ministry is lively and vibrant because students like Andrew, Jimmon, Rem, Kaiser, Marjenel, Monique, Pie, Camille, Moja, Kevyn, etc, take stewardship, leadership and responsibility over the ministry and they are constantly inviting their friends and class mates to join in Bible study and fellowship.
2. At Caloocan City (half hour from the center), led by Jonathan and Grace Reytos. I led their group Bible study on Tue. The first time I went there were about a dozen students. The last time I went about 25 students came, all from UCC (University of Caloocan City). Grace is a warm, gracious and friendly lady who has the gift of inviting many students to come, while being a busy mother of 4.
3. At the University Belt (an hour from the center), led by Timothy and Esther Ipapo. I've served their Sun service with a sermon/Bible study on Sun 4 pm, after giving the sermon at the main center at 10 am. About a half dozen students attend. Suzette, a nurse, is in the process of going to work in Singapore as a nurse. We are praying that through her, God may enable us to begin to pray about planting a church in Singapore. Esther is expecting her 4th child, which is a girl.
4. Once a week on Thu, I also lead a group Bible with students at UP (University of the Philippines), which is the top school in the country, perhaps like SNU in Seoul, or Harvard in the US. Students who graduate from UP have their bright futures set in stone, and they can virtually get jobs anywhere else in the world. Each Thu, up to a dozen students, mostly women, come for Bible study, not as skeptics but as open-hearted seekers. Arlene, who recently married Andrew Jaegers of U of C, is the faithful steward of this ministry, together with Ayra, Kyra and Bebs. Aivy, who just recently joined Bible study and fellowship, gave me a plaque signed by her, which states "Outstanding Servant of the Lord Award." I am quite touched and humbled by her gift, and trembling to live up to it!
5. William and Sarah Altobar, who live in the main center near Fatima University in Valenzuela City, are truly the backbone, pillar and foundation of the ministry. They are literally and functionally the mom and dad of everyone in the ministry. They live together with about a half dozen single boys and half dozen single girls, who are all either students or recent graduates. William is like a Barnabas who loves, embraces, encourages, and welcomes everyone, while I am socially awkward and might be more of a heady cerebral sort of person, like a super mini version of Paul. So William loves and serves and embraces everyone, while I seem to spend most of my day reading and studying and then meeting everyone for Bible study. The women who live in the Bible house served me in every possible way while I lived there: Sarah Altobar, Gemma, Minda, Rachel, Luz. Without them taking care of me, I could not have lived there. Thanks!

Preaching Christ from Genesis. During my stay there, I gave 9 sermons on Genesis on Sun, by showing how each text and each narrative points to Jesus, since Jesus said that Moses wrote about Jesus (John 5:46), and that the Old Testament Scriptures are not primarily instructions for living, or examples to follow, but that they are all pointing to Christ (John 5:39; Luke 24:27,44; Acts 10:43). I had previously explained what the point of Genesis is. For instance, I shared how Jesus is the true Joseph (who suffered more than Joseph), or Jesus is the true Abraham (who made the ultimate sacrifice), or Jesus is our true Rebekah (who took our curse in our place), etc. Then I sensed that the hearts of our audience were being touched by the grace of Jesus, who loves us at great cost in spite of all our sins. Several confessed to me that their hearts were moved to tears because of the grace of Jesus through our Christ centered and gospel driven approach to studying Genesis.

Some final general encouragements from me.

1. The Bible is about Jesus, Grace and the Gospel, not about Law, Legalism and Religion. Religion says, "I obey, therefore God will bless me." The Gospel says the exact opposite, "God already blessed me through Christ's sacrifice, therefore I obey." I pray that we may live with gospel driven obedience, rather than obedience driven by desire for some other reward.

·  Read, read, read. I left about 50 Christian books and encouraged them to read, so that we may learn to love God, not just with our hearts, souls and strengths, but also with all our minds. Francis Bacon said, Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.

·  Never feel inferior to anyone. Because of poverty, Filipinos tend to act deferential toward rich people or toward Americans who are richer. So, I encouraged them to repent if they, as a Christian, ever feels inferior to anyone because of their financial status or standing. Because of Christ in us, by his grace alone, and by faith alone, God has enabled and empowered us as his children to be the kings and stewards of the whole world.

·  A man must be a man (1 Kings 2:2). The symbol of a man is courage without any hint of fear. Only fear God, not man (Prov 29:25). One who fears man insults God. One who causes others to fear man plays God. When we fear God, we fear no one, while we live a life of repentance (Ps 51:4), and we work hard because of the marvelous grace of Jesus (1 Cor 15:10). Thank God for our MEN who meet for 6 am Daily Bread: Lyndon, Archie, Sam, Jim, Christian, Jayson, Marlon. 

·  A woman must be unavailable. (1 Pet 3:3-4). This does not mean that she has to fast from boys, or be rude to them. Rather, while single, her heart must be unavailable to any boy, because her heart is available only and primarily to Christ, her true husband (Isa 54:5). Unavailability and mystery makes a woman truly beautiful. I wrote about this in A Woman's Beauty (1 Pet 3:1-6).

Thank God for the gracious work of the Spirit and the "blowing wind" in Philippines UBF (John 3:8). Thank God who helped me to not miss my wife (or my 3 cats!) while I was away for over 2 months. It helped that I could call and speak to my wife from Skype almost daily to find out the goings on in Chicago. From this trip, I realize that I can go and live anywhere as long as someone feeds me, does my laundry, and there is a good and fast internet connection! Oh my gosh, what a sacrifice!