NO CHURCH, NO EAT!

NO CHURCH, NO EAT!

 

Psalm 122:1-2

 

1)      I WAS glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 2) Our feet shall stand into the house of Jerusalem.

 

      THREE years later after the death of my father, my second to the last sibling arrived from Bukidnon. He was trying to escape from the crime he got involved with. My mother at first was willing to surrender him to the authority, but when the victim told her that he didn’t really believe that my brother was guilty, she decided to send him away. I was already in practicum when he came. I did not get any financial support from my family, something that made me bitter towards them in those days. It’s because at that time two of my older siblings were enjoying a good life with their own family: with nice jobs, good houses, and good income from farming, so I wondered why they didn’t help me. But by God’s grace, I already understand why God allowed it to happen. He was teaching me to rely on Him completely.

 At that time, I was already active in the youth ministry as one of the youth leaders in Bible Baptist Church. I was alone every time I go to church. But when my younger brother came, I really tried my best to bring him to church with my autocratic way. As an older sister, I used my power to control him, NO CHURCH, NO EAT! But it did not help, so I gave up. I surrendered everything to God. I let him eat without saying anything. I stopped asking him where he came from and who was with him, and instead of waking him up and nagging him to go to church, I knelt down and pray to God to be the one to speak to his heart, until one Sunday morning while I was still kneeling and praying to God to speak to him in my room, before I finished, I heard a knock on the door, when I opened it, it was him telling me that he wanted to go with me in church that day. That’s how it started! So I introduced him to our main leader in the youth ministry, and the main leader really did a great job. He went extra mile in reaching out my brother. In a regular basis, they played basketball together, which my brother really enjoyed and loved, until he surrendered to God for Bible School. By the grace and mercy of God, he is now serving the LORD faithfully as a Pastor in General Luna, Siargao.

This experience taught me how powerful prayer is. It made me realized that bringing others to Christ is not about me, everything is about God, as the lyrics of the song say, “Not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of God.” Ours is to humble ourselves and pray. Pray sincerely, reach out intentionally, and to serve faithfully though none go with us. Glory to God great things he has done!