Challenge #1 - Be a Soul Winner

Passage of Scripture (KJV): Matthew 4:18, 19

Matthew 4:18: And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

Matthew 4:19: And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Challenge:

I was saved by the blood of Christ in 1996 because a friend of mine (named Francisco) took the time to pray with me, introduce me to Christ, and planted in my heart the seed of Salvation. If it wasn't for him, I would not have the joy in my heart that I enjoy now. Francisco was my soul-winner.

As we see in the Bible, Jesus commanded His disciples to follow Him, and assures them that He will make them fishers of men—meaning “soul-winners.” Notice that the first thing Jesus asked was “to follow Him.”

Have you ever made up your mind to follow Jesus, or are you still sitting in the pew hearing the Word of God, but not listening to His command? If you have made up your mind to follow Jesus, then you’re on the right track. If not, perhaps you want to ask yourself the question: “How long am I going to sit and wait?”

Keep in mind that following Jesus starts by accepting His free gift of Salvation—you need to be born again by confessing your sin to Jesus and accepting Him as your Saviour and Lord. If you have not accepted Christ as your Saviour and Lord yet, then I urge you to read my postings under Salvation 101 and accept Jesus with sincerity in your heart NOW. After Salvation, then you must be baptized if you truly want to follow Him; then others. Only if you can follow His every command, that you will be able to become fisher of men. It’s either you follow Him or you don’t; it’s either you believe Him or you don’t; it’s either you believe the Bible or you don’t. You should not follow Him on some things but not on some, because if you do—you only deceive yourself like a fool. The Bible says in Matthew 7:26: “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:“

A Short Testimony

As a youth, I knew Christ by name but didn’t have personal relationship with Him. It took me 40 years before I actually heard the word “Salvation” as it was not introduced to me by the Roman Catholic Church. I didn’t even read the Bible until I was saved. The old religion has always taught me that believing in Christ as God, and obeying the Sacraments were good enough for me to go to Heaven when I die. It was absolutely wrong. The Bible says in John 3:3, that “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I used to go to Catholic Church on Sundays, but living worldly as soon as I got out especially when I became adult. I looked Holy inside the church on Sundays, but living carnally as a drunk, adulterous, and materialistic man with a filthy mouth. I thought I was a Christian—just because I was baptized as an infant—but the truth of the matter was that I was not. I was far from being a Christian. Infant baptism was not even in the Bible. Roman Catholicism taught me more on ritualistic and tradition-oriented religion, not relationship. The word “Salvation” and the phrase “born again” were both never heard. The Bible was never taught in our Catechism class. I’m glad I met someone who introduced me to Christ and His free gift of Salvation, but it was only after I sentenced myself of self-inflicted death. I attempted to kill myself (using my old Colt King Cobra – a Magnum .357 revolver) in July, 1996. Praise God! Jesus loves a sinner like me as He loves all sinners. God used a Christian friend not only to save me from killing myself, but also introduced me to Christ. That friend prayed that I may live, and that I may be saved. Lo and behold, I was saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ on August 25, 1996 as I confessed my sin by mouth and followed the Doctrine of Romans 10:9, which says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.“. I was also baptized in water and Spirit on October, 2002, which nullified and voided my Catholic baptism as an infant.

I am proud to be born again, and to be a true Christian. I could have died and gone to Hell without knowing that I could be saved. Now I have personal relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and a personal access to His WORD, the Holy Bible. Now, I am not ashamed to reach out to the world and spread the Gospel of Christ—to help others see what I didn’t see for the first 40 years of my life. Now I’m certain that I am going to Heaven when I die. No doubt in my mind whatsoever.

If Christ could save a wretch like me, He could save you too if you would only call upon His name. The Bible says in Roman 10:13 that, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Sometimes we think that the end of our rope should be the end of our life too, but what we don’t realize is that Christ is always here not to condemn but to save us. John 3:17 says, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

You can be saved, right now, if you will pray sincerely in your heart something like the Simple Prayer of Surrender (from previous posting). After praying and accepting Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you can consider yourself as a Saved/Born-Again Christian. Remember the date you get saved, and start attending a healthy Bible-based Church…I recommend an Independent Baptist Church.

If my short testimony could be a blessing to you, I would ask that you please email me at mmoe@ec.rr.com and let me know, so I can pray for you.

God bless you.

Bro. Manny

Salvation 101 - Simple Prayer of Surrender

Simple Prayer of Surrender

Lord Jesus Christ, I completely surrender myself to Your perfect will—body, soul and spirit—for now and all eternity for You to do whatever you choose with my life. I am no longer my own property, but Jesus Christ’s. I now choose to make only those decisions that will fully glorify God Almighty and that will bring people to Christ, and will teach Your Word. I yield myself to daily prayer and to serious study of Your Word, and to the winning of souls to Christ, and to planting churches here and anywhere in the world that You may choose. Equip me and prepare me now for Your perfect plan for my life. Make me a hard worker for You. Fill me with your Holy Spirit daily. Give me a hatred for sin and a love for Jesus Christ and true holiness. Make me a bold servant of yours. Help me to hear and obey Your voice always. I totally renounce the Devil and all his works. Give me a great love for God, the Bible, and people, and to have eternal values, now and always. A-men!

Salvation 101 - The Five Steps to Heaven

The Five Steps to HEAVEN

Step 1 – Acknowledge that you have sinned. (Romans 3:10, 23)
Step 2 – Realize that there is a penalty for your sin. (Romans 6:23a)
Step 3 – Know that Christ paid the penalty for you. (Romans 5:8)
Step 4 – Accept that Christ wants to give you the free gift of eternal life in HEAVEN. (Romans 6:23b)
Step 5 – Believe in Christ and ask Him to be your Saviour, (Romans 10:9-10, 10:13)

Origin of The Young Pigeons Ministry

The Young Pigeons Ministry started on April 15, 2007 as a Youth Ministry of the Filipino-American Mission Church (FAMC) in Sanford, NC, where I used to serve as a Youth Ministry Director. Upon the leading of the Holy Spirit, we decided to follow Mark 10:45 as our theme verse, which says, "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

As our theme verse indicates, Jesus Christ gave His life as a ransom for many. Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb for us. We can all be like Jesus in a way that we can all be like the sacrificial pigeons (mentioned in Leviticus 1:14, 5:7; and Luke 2:24) to sacrifice our young hearts to minister to the world.

Leviticus 1:14: And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.

Leviticus 5:7: And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.

Luke 2:24: And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Jesus, also, came not to be ministered unto but to minister. We can all do the same.This is why I thought about naming our Youth Ministry—The Young Pigeons.

In Christ,
Bro. Manny