8:51 AM 02.28.02

To the Praying Brethren,

Greetings!

Moses said to God's people under the Old Covenant, "For what great nation is there that has a god so near as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?"(Deu 4:7) If that was true of God's people under the Old Covenant, how much truer is it to God's people under the New Covenant? Our God is a prayer-answering God, and therefore, what a fuel to continually pray for one another.

Annual Meeting

The annual meeting held last January was a great blessing. The elders' gave the report to review the year that has passed. Indeed, we could say that the Lord has been our ever-present help. Also the elders outlined the plans for this year in the spirit of Pro 19:21 and Pro 21:5a. ("Many are the plans in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand." "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage…"). Please pray that, again, the Lord will be our ever-present help and that He will even do greater things for and through us this year, to glory and praise of His name.

Church's Leadership

I was up for a vote of confidence (which we do every three years) and was unanimously confirmed in the pastoral office. So we continue to enjoy the blessings of having three elders - two are fully supported and one has a full time secular job. Our need is that God would soon raise deacons in the church.

Church's Membership

The membership is generally in a healthy condition. We are encouraged to see much spiritual growth. We had, however, to discipline one member for unequal yoking. Please pray that God would give her true heart repentance.

Last year, the Lord added to the church only one member. However, this year, three (two by baptism) are already applying for membership. May the Lord bring many to faith in Christ this year! Some regular visitors have also been considering for membership but are rather fearful to join. Please pray that they will see the need for total commitment to Christ.

Church's Gatherings

The Lord continues to richly bless our church gatherings for worship and the teaching and preaching of God's word. The Bible Class has been focusing on the life of David, the AM Worship on 1Corinthians. In the PM worship, we just finished a series on duties of church's members and now have returned to our studies on the Major Teachings of the Bible. We bless the Lord for continually pouring upon us the Spirit of truth to illumine our minds and nourish our souls with the unsearchable richness of His Word. Please pray that the ministry of God's word will have a sanctifying and enduring effect. Please pray also that God would use it to save a number of unbelieving visitors.

The corporate prayers are also well attended but we desire to see more earnestness in them. Oh that God would pour out to us the Spirit of grace and supplication is ever increasing measure!

Other Regular Ministries

Although we received many encouragement in our broadcast "Truth, Unchanged, and Unchanging", we almost had to drop it because of a very tight budget this year. A Christian, however, who wants to remain anonymous, has asked us to continue the ministry and he/she will pick up the tab. It was something we did not expect and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue this ministry because of its many encouragements. One fruit of this ministry is a young man who is now regularly attending all the services. He is one of those who want to join the church.

A new Bible Study has been started every Sunday afternoon. About 12-14 are regularly attending. Please pray for conversions.

Another ministry is an everyday-thirty-minute Bible Study with students at a school with about 100 students from different church backgrounds. Two from the church are leading these studies - one for the older ones and another for the younger ones. We value your prayers that God would work in the hearts of these young ones.

The one-a-month singles' fellowship continues to be very well attended with about 30-40 singles regularly attending. A modest meal is served. The Word is expounded and applied. And then there are group discussions after. We are very encourage of how the singles' eagerly enter into the discussions. Please plead with us that God would bring these to true repentance and faith and that they will be kept from the destructive temptations round about them.

We will be starting one-a-month couples' fellowship on March. We will go through the book "Shepherding Your Child's Heart". Please pray that this will help the efforts of parents to bring up their children God's way.

We will be busy on the summer months for the open-air evangelistic ministry. We hope to make contacts for more extended Bible Studies through this. We need your prayers for wisdom, zeal, and deep compassion for the lost.

Some Unusual Opportunities

We distributed tracts last January during the "Sinolug" Festival, which is done in honor of an idol. The reveling crowd was so vast we felt so few. But we did see a number carefully reading the tracts that compared the Festival to what the Israelites did in worshipping the golden calf. May the Lord deliver many from the bondage of sin and idolatry!

A three-year old grandson of a church member had a "freak accident". A television fell on him and broke his skull. He has been in the Intensive Care Unit for about ten days now has been pronounced clinically dead. This has really shocked the extended family members and has provided very good opportunities to share God's word to them. Last Saturday night they asked me to answer many of their questions about death, religion, baptism, prayers for the death, etc. I was able to speak so freely and plainly about the horrible errors of Rome and the glorious truth of the gospel of Christ. They were so eager to hear and I never sense a resistance to what I was saying. Oh that God would bring them out from the bondage of Rome and into the glorious liberty in Christ.

The father of my wife has been diagnosed with lever cancer and the doctors say that he has only a few months to live. He is a good father and husband but is lost and without Christ. My wife has shared to him the gospel many times and even recently but he remains agnostic. For the few months that he will live, please pray that God would open his eyes. We will visit him sometime on March. Please pray also for opportunities to share God's word to Ophelia's brothers and sister-in-laws.

There are other concerns but these should suffice. We thank you for your fellowship in prayers.

Yours in the bond's of Christ's love,


Pastor Jose Francis "Nene" Martinez
on behalf of the elders & members of SGBC-Cebu