Thanksgiving Dinner Testimony

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”


This passage in Philippians 3 has spoken to me that started my journey to enter graduate school.  This passage confirmed my desire to serve our Lord in the fulltime ministry.  It has been eleven long years of studying and I praise God for sustaining me every single moment in this hard labor.  I am not joking, it was really hard labor.  In our family, I am the laziest person when it comes to studying.  My sister and my brother are both top of their class, only me, a very unique person who often receive birthday candles in my report card.  Though receiving birthday candles from first to third grading, I would make sure that I will pass all subjects by the end of the school year.  I praise God, I have never experience going to summer class or repeating a year level.  God works miraculously and many times funny; I am the first one among our siblings to enter graduate school and now, I have finished my PhD degree.


I took my Master of Divinity in Biblical Studies in Biblical Seminary of the Philippines in 1997 and finished it in 2000.  Afterwards, I went to UECP to work as a youth pastor at the same time enrolled in De La Salle University – Manila taking up Master of Arts in Education major in Educational Management from 2000 – 2006 and my PhD in Education major in Educational Leadership and Management also in De La Salle University – Manila from 2006 to 2008. Officially, I graduated this morning.


I believe God has caused me to enter to these different programs in order to better prepare me for the ministry ahead that will eventually glorify Him.  I praise God for His patience in molding me to become the person who I am today.  It is not really easy chipping off those sharp horns and claws and here I am trimmed by God and as good as new.  There are too many things I wanted to thank God for in these eleven years of learning experience.  And I would like to highlight three things that God has caused me to learn and I believe has contribute greatly to my ministry.


First, was the importance of being a lifelong learner.  We were created to learn.  After eleven years of studying, my only conclusion was that there are still too many things to learn in this world.  The degree is not something to feel superior but the formation in becoming a humble learner.  Every single moment of our life should be a learning experience.  Reading books are yulk!  Even after graduating seminary, I was not able to develop my habit of reading books. And God was patient with me, allowing me to realize its importance and helped me developed to become a reader.  I praise God that I am now averaging three books a month beside the different articles I read to update myself.  Reading is really a blessing of learning because it humbles us to know that we do not know; we thought we know but in reality we know nothing.  


Second, was the expansion of my worldview.  God has allowed me to be sensitive with the different people around me, which further develop my observation skills.  Part of learning is being observant with things and people around you, which I believe is good for the ministry.  It has also prepared me to accept different cultures, lifestyles and preferences which allowed me to easily look for common ground and effectively share the gospel both to fellow Christians and new friends.  This is really getting outside the box; picturing things at a more macro level that ever before.  It is really seeing the ministry outside the four wall of maybe YWC, or even UECP. The ministry is not limited to our church but so many people out of the fours wall of the church are in need of Jesus.


And lastly, was the strengthening my mission in equipping God’s people for every good work. Rev. Caleb Tong some years back said, “Sheep produces sheep; and shepherd produces shepherds.”  This quote has been impressed in me for the last few years.  The main role of the pastor is to equip the saints.  My job is really to equip every believer for every good work in order for them to effectively evangelize to people.  My learning experience in this past eleven years has better prepared me in leading and managing - myself and my ministry in equipping God’s people for every good work.


 God is great and I wanted to honor Him today for His continues mold me to be the person He always wanted me to be.  To God be all the glory.