A Narrative Testimony of Ptr. Melchor Pitas

I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ through the help of my brother Reynante. I asked him how can I be saved from my sins and he gave me a piece of paper with a prayer of salvation written on it and said to me to pray it with a sincere heart. So on that day, I went to the kitchen of my grandfather (Lolo Caroy), while no one’s inside. There I closed the door, sit down and prayed the prayer of Salvation. After praying, a miracle happened to me. I felt something, like my life became lighter and my surroundings became brighter. There I came to realize that the gospel has the power to save me from my sins.

After my conversion, my life has changed. I feel joy in my life and there is hope in my life. I am so excited of my new found life! I started to read my Bible and pray. I too started to attend Bible study at our Aunt Helen’s house, when Pastor Dawal was still alive. Pastor Dawal held Bible study at our aunt’s house twice a week, where my brothers attended as well. I am the last who got converted amongst my siblings. I was in High School then when I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Personal Lord and Savior.

But as the years go by, after my High School life, I started to work. In my work, I came to a low point of my Christian life. My friends and relatives laugh at me, trying their best to convince me to go with them. Since I am not yet matured in my Spiritual life and because of being busy at work, I neglected to read my Bible and pray. I was persuaded to go with my barkadas and wasn’t able to control myself anymore. It continued for many years to the point that I am already ashamed to go to church. My life became worse and problems came, until my life became miserable. Pain, anguish and regret came to my life until I came to realize that I am guilty before God. So I started to find another job where I can run away from my barkadas and start a revival for my spiritual life. I cried and prayed to God and ask for forgiveness and direction.

When I recovered from my weaknesses, I now prayed for God’s leading in my life. But every time I go to church, it seems something is lacking in my life. There is a burden that God has given in my heart. So again, I prayed to God and committed my life to Him. When I committed my life to God, I started to read my Bible morning and evening. I now had a burden to go to Bible School. I asked my brothers for prayers and support, and other Pastor’s advice for this matter.

After 2 years of praying, the Lord has answered my prayer. I resigned from my job and went to Bible School for training. I enjoyed my life in Bible School and grew in my spiritual life. There I discovered that God wants me to be His servant, His worker. And because of that, I now have peace in my heart.

Things are so different now! God has given me the passion and burden to teach His Word; the strength to stand in the midst of trials and temptation; the joy of doing the ministry; the hope of His calling; and, the desire to live a Christ-like Character. As a servant of God, I experience His blessings in my life that I can’t explain. The Lord has strengthened my faith and I am now happy for revealing His will to me. He has also developed in me the concern towards spiritual matters. Thank God for preserving my life and calling me in the ministry. I believe with all my heart that this is His plan in my life. May the Name of the Lord be praised!

Discipleship

Discipleship is part of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Other than evangelism, discipleship is vital in order for the gospel of Christ spread throughout every nation. Without discipleship, the gospel of Christ “may” stop on the last person who’ve heard and received the gospel of Christ. But do not be misled; evangelism is also as important as discipleship. For without it, discipleship is worthless and will never be accomplished, because before one could be discipled, it requires the power of the Holy Spirit to change a man’s heart or to mold an old creature into a new creature. Or in other words, without the Holy Spirit man can never receive or understand the things of God (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 14:26). I Corinthians 2:14 plainly explains that no man can understand spiritual matters of God unless they have the Holy Spirit indwelling them.

1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Now, discipleship, as we Christians know, is a process of which one is trained, taught and shaped towards a goal, Who is Christ. As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we ought to fix our eyes on Him no matter what (Hebrews 12:2), and whoever we teach and train ought to do the same. And the things that we have learned of Him, we pass it to other young believers of Christ: the knowledge and character of Christ (2 Timothy 2:2) by the teaching of the mouth and especially by exemplifying with our lives.

I may have previously discussed and shared this topic before; But on my current situation? This issue has been bugging me for quite a while. Perhaps I could share a little background as to why I’m bugged with this topic.

As far as I know, discipleship takes time and even for a lifetime; as I have observed and noticed the young people before me; And of course, as I see discipleship make an impact onto myself and towards the new generation of young people. Character building doesn’t happen overnight. And, that’s what I’ve been putting in my mind concerning the young people I’m teaching or discipling, especially towards the young people of Loakan Baptist Church. But as I handle new young people of Apalan & Guesset (a mission point of Loakan Baptist Church, where my father is a missionary), discipling them seem to be an urgent task that must be fulfilled in just a few period of time. Why? Because of the urgency to preach the gospel to other places as well.

My father has a vision of reaching to more places and planting churches or the body of Christ on other places, like Beckel or Cubabeng; Whereas, I’m at a slow pace teaching and training the young people of Apalan and Guesset due to the fact that the place is almost an hour far away from home and more other factors which contribute to it. Other than that, I still handle Young Professionals (or Young Profs to be or still young people actually) of Loakan. So a question has been bugging me for quite some time: “How does one teach, train, lead, and shape young people or anyone in just a few period of time? One of which can stand firm in the battles of the Christian life?”

Perhaps, I’m worrying too much or too blinded to see what is more important or valuable when it comes to discipling or training new believers of Christ. But by this cause, makes me to seek God’s Wisdom over the matter. With much prayer, I do believe God has pointed me in the life of Apostle Paul and in relation to the one whom he disciples, Timothy. I do believe Apostle Paul, even with his missionary work, he was still able to teach and encourage the young Timothy, mostly with letters, and (if I’m right) Apostle Paul didn’t spent most of the time of his life with young Timothy. But, Apostle Paul still became one of Timothy’s discipler. In fact, Timothy’s grandmother and mother, Lois and Eunice, also has a big part discipling young Timothy (2 Tim. 1:5). In other words, God has a way by which His child would grow in accordance to His will. And, as on our part as Christians, is the willingness and availability to reach out and help others to keep our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

Further than these truths, is that of which I have been discussing earlier. The Holy Spirit’s part in teaching Christians of whatever Christ has taught His people.

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

We have the Holy Spirit and of course God’s Word, the testimony of Christ, to teach us and instruct us as we daily live as Christians. These are all gifts God has provided to enable us to continue growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, as for us who teach and preach the Word of God, let us do so continue to lead people to know Christ as their Master or Lord and Savior; Continue to teach them whatsoever Christ has commanded us and Lo His presence will never leave us even those that believe on Christ Jesus.

The Loakan Airport Map!

Just want to try this Map for the Loakan Airport... I hope it works! =)


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The start of a church

Having been asked by my father to write a covenant-like or a commitment form for the Apalan-Guesset believers, I sought to search and look for examples of such in the internet. And lo, I found some great examples. But more than a church covenant, included were churches’ bylaws or constitution. And it hit me; mostly we are not reminded of our church’s bylaws or constitution. I remember too, my father spoke of this thing before which is one of the important matters especially within a local church. For bylaws and church constitution is one of which a local church could be guided accordingly or to set things in order within the local church. I believe, for so many years the Baptist denomination has been practicing this kind of procedures for the sake of order and direction (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). Whereas some denomination, simply depend on God’s Word. True that God’s Word contains God’s laws and precepts, but there are certain gray area that needs to be attended (e.g. drinking of wine or eating of meat with blood) or when believers does not agree on certain actions or circumstances, as well as the procedures of what we call “Church Discipline”. And these and more other reasons are why Church bylaws or constitution is needed within a local church. Anyway even inside a family such understandable, explicit and clear rules should be set to make things in order or else chaos will rule over it. But of course such constitution should still be based and founded in the Word of God.

Other than the church’s bylaws and constitution, I have been able to have some additional researches too on the church through the net. I tried to know more and as it may be good or bad, the internet is a risky place to acquire knowledge about the church. Why did I say that? Because every others or even scholar’s perspective, opinions, interpretaions and teachings about the church can be viewed / read just typing in the “church” word in the internet browser, which makes me very confused on understanding more of the church. I’m not a bible scholar but I’m a Christian who needs to learn more about the foundations of the Christian faith. But since I was more confused reading from internet websites and their definitions and everything, I think it would be best to stick to the Word of God, the Bible.

But perhaps I ought to explain further on why I’m a bit confused. I remember my father spoke about the church in Apalan & Guesset. The Church he explained was taken from the Greek word “Kuriakos”, which means, “The Lord’s” whereas others would define church from the Greek word “ecclesia” (or actually originated from Latin), which means “called out ones.” Whereas, others say the word “ecclesia” cannot be interpreted as “church” but should be interpreted as “assembly” or “congregation.” Totally confusing indeed for one has to go back to the original languages from which the Bible or the Word of God was written, to really know which is which. But nevertheless I do not desire to confuse you. For whether the church, assembly or congregation word is used, I think how it is defined or what does the Word of God really says about it is much more important.

So many years have passed already, and I don’t think I could have an easy access on the original manuscript of the Bible, the Scripture, or the Word of God and even if I had an access, interpreting it would be very difficult. But having Faith on the Lord Jesus Christ and with faith on the teaching of the Holy Spirit and holding unto Christ’ promise in Matthew 24:35 that His word shall not pass away, we know, Christ is the Head of the church, and the church is the body of Christ (I Cor. 12). The church is not the building but the people who have the same Faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, and of whom the Holy Spirit indwells. We assemble ourselves and fellowship amongst ourselves to edify (build) and exhort one another (Heb. 10:25). And fulfill two ordinances taught by Christ, which is Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper or Communion. But far more than these is the Great Commission given to us, which is to preach and teach the gospel of Christ, that men may repent and know Christ as the Only Way of Salvation (Matthew28:19-20).

The Book of Acts is a great book where we could find a great picture of what the church or assembly or congregation of Christians were before and what they were doing in the Name of Jesus Christ. And in those days were the days of the Roman Empire. Christians were oppressed, tried, ridiculed and mocked. The disciples put to death or hanged whereas believers were also tortured, burned and fed to lions for the sake of Christ. But these days? We rarely see that. In the Philippines, we are free to gather ourselves and worship our God and sing praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. The only problem though is that we are confused with so many tactics the enemy throws at us. Many teachings or philosophies of man have infiltrated the Christian Faith and beliefs that many are so deceived and confused to which is true. Even Christ Himself declared such things could happen, that even professing Christians could actually be false Christians (Matthew 7:21-23). And how do we know who are the true Christians? You know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:20)!

Christ declared Himself as Truth, as Life, and as the Way (John 14:6)! He is to be our Goal, our Price, therefore we ought to set our focus only on Him (Phil. 3:14). He is to be our Lord, our Master and Our Savior. Christ gives a definite answer, that those who does the will of the Father is an evidence of the true and genuine Christian (Matthew 7). Which even James explains further that “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). But take note, these verses doesn’t imply that in order to get saved means to do good works. It simply implies that a true Christian, who is saved by grace through faith, has a life which gives an evidence or proof of his faith. Your changed life is the evidence! And this is how you test and know who are truly Christians and even know the true Servants and Laborers of the Lord.

All these pictures what a church or congregation of Christ should be. The problem is “Are we doing what we are supposed to do as a church? Or, as a body of Christ?” I believe or most often, we Christians tend to forget our goal as a church. And so contented on the kind of church we are. The trend of professing Christians today is that they come to church, hoping to be blessed and receive God’s bountiful grace, mercy and love. Then, go home and do the usual life we live. Nay, that’s not the real reason why Christ died. He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) and gave to the church the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Christ did not save Christians just to be blessed but also to be made to be by His side, against the enemy within a spiritual battle (Eph. 6:12). We are saved to make war against the kingdom of Satan (Matthew 16:18) and to bring people to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These are the reasons why the church exists and Christ’s promises and blessings will follow.

As the Day of the Lord draweth nigh, genuine Christians ought to wake up! As God’s Word and the Book of Revelations, little by little being fulfilled, Christians ought to watch, pray and do the will of the Father. There are so many groaning individuals out there, crying and desiring to know the Only Way, Jesus Christ and we are His messengers sent by Christ (John 20:21). And, the question remains, “What are we doing?"

Wow! Something New to me =)

Here is a sample of a Church covenant Fundamental Baptist have. check out this link and read it's by laws: http://www.intercity.org/pdf/bylaws.pdf

Most often we are not educated nor have been reminded always of these things as part of the Church....