2009 MINISTRY TRIP TO HONGKONG

2009 MINISTRY TRIP TO HONGKONG – PART I

It had been more than a week, exactly ten days, since I returned from Hongkong March 25th. I had planned to write about the ministry and post it in my blog. But my physical condition did not allow me to write sooner. I came back coughing much since my wife Dell & I came from Macau March 19th. My voice was quite hoarse and to top it all, my right elbow was inflamed and quite painful because of arthritic attack . I basically stayed home for the next six days praying that I would be able to somehow attend & observe The Philippine Wesleyan Church in the Philippines, Inc. 6th General Conference even for a day. Praise God, I was able to do so April 1st.

From The time I got back from the US last December 2008, my heart’s desire and prayer was to return to Hongkong. The first time I was in HK for ministry was from September 26 to October 3, 2007. I was the anniversary speaker of the HK Wesleyan Fellowship. I came upon the invitation of Rev. Josiah Gagarin, Pulpit Minister also Supervisor of the HK World Hope Int’l Shelter. Pastor Gagarin & his wife Lydia are the Missionaries to Hongkong of The Wesleyan Church in the Philippines, Inc.

Early this year, I emailed Pastor Gagarin of my desire to return to Hongkong and that I will let him know when the LORD shall have made the way. First week of March, I texted him that I was indeed to come and that “he can use and abuse me for the sake of the Kingdom” during my stay in Hongkong.

The LORD was very gracious in providing ahead of time money for the plane fare. My youngest daughter Divine Love helped me booked through the internet a Cebu Pacific Air flight for March 13th (Friday) with a return flight March 25th (Wednesday).

My three daughters Mynes, Aissa & Love wanted so much for me to go to Hongkong at this time for the reason that my wife Dell has been in HK since March 3rd for business, and especially because Dell & I are to celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary on March 24th . The girls made sure that their Mom & Dad were together at this time. Praise the LORD for such daughters (My Chicks).

And so everything came into place like a puzzle. Even my hotel accommodations had been provided ahead of time considering that I stayed with my wife the whole time. What was so special was that I and my wife were together for 12 days. We even were able to go to Macau for 2 nights and 2 days (March 17-19). The LORD once again made sure that we were taken cared of even in our going to Macau through the hospitality and generosity of our nephew John Paul Salvador and his best friend Engineer PJ Tiatco, Jr.

At this juncture, let me pause, in writing about the ministry trip. I will continue after the things that has been in my heart shall have been laid bare.

Since the start of the year, my heart had been impressed & led by the Holy Spirit to the following scriptures in:

Matthew 28:18-20 (King James Version)
18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

in relation to Acts 1:8 (King James Version)
8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Now, these scriptures are well known to God’s people much more to those in the pastoral & teaching ministry.

The teachings in these two scriptures are basic to obeying the commands of our God and Saviour the LORD Jesus Christ.

In John 14:21 & 23(King James Version)
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The LORD tells His disciples (and by implication Believers/Christians this present time) that the one who truly loves Him keeps/obeys His commands.

The call then of our Master is the Call to Obedience. And in the light of Acts 1:8, the call is very clear, must be crystal clear to every authentic, genuine, truly born again christian saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-10; John 3:1-7).

The call is to be a “witness” to all (rich or poor, educated or uneducated, whatever color of skin the person has), at all times, in whatever situation we find ourselves in. We are to witness and tell those who are within our concentric circle of influence who Jesus Christ is to us, wherever we may be.

Let the very words of Christ our LORD be a warning to us today:

Matthew 10:32-33 (King James Version)
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Let us rather be like the Apostle Paul who declared in:
Romans 1:14-16 (King James Version)
14I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

his unabashed love and devotion to the one who saved him to the uttermost
Hebrews 7:25 (King James Version)
25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

In is in this context that I will resume writing about the ministry that the LORD has allowed me in Hongkong for 12 days.