This was the article I wrote for The New Man March-April 2008, a bimonthly magazine of the The Full Time Training in Malabon, Philippines. which can be found at:
http://www.churchesofthephilippines.org/nmfront.htm
A Double Portion of Enjoyment |
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| As a second year trainee, who recently completed three terms in the Full-Time Training in Taipei, I thank the Lord for giving me a blessed opportunity to attend the Full-Time Training in Malabon and be blended with the trainees here for three weeks. The training was everything I thought it would be and even more. Ever since college, I have heard of so many exciting stories and heart-touching testimonies of training graduates. It was so good to be able to experience the same rich and glorious living they had experienced. One of the things I really enjoyed was the fact that I was surrounded by so many crazy lovers of Jesus! I realized that these brothers and sisters are the top enjoyers of Christ who came from all over the Philippines, as well as from other neighboring countries. They did not come to the training to waste their time. They were serious to exercise their spirit and gain more of God in every class and in every activity. Because of this, the spiritual atmosphere of every meeting was so high that it would be impossible for me not to touch the prevailing presence of the Lord. I enjoyed living together with the trainees. I had the opportunity to know them more, not just outwardly in the meetings, but also their true condition and personal history. Although they are good in exercising their spirit and love the Lord in a crazy way, yet they were not superhuman beings. They are real people who also experience problems and go through deep dealings with the Lord. My heart would just skip a beat when they shared their testimonies of how the Lord brought them to the training. Some of them really paid a great price to come here. I also found out that so many of them have the heart to serve the Lord full-time for life. I was really exposed when I asked the trainees what they would do after the training. Most of them would tell me, “Why, I would go back to my locality and serve the Lord full-time.” They would say it so easily without even having any second thoughts. This showed me how simple these trainees have become in contrast with most Christians who become so complicated when the matter of serving the Lord is brought up. Finally, I would like to answer some questions most people would ask: What is the difference between the training in the Philippines and in Taiwan? Praise the Lord that after experiencing the training in two different places, I now have the position and the boldness to say that there is no difference between any of the training centers around the world. Of course, I would also not say that they are entirely the same, but the degree of enjoyment and perfecting we receive and experience is the same. The things I experienced here in Malabon was just about the same as what I experienced there in Taipei. Only, in Taipei we enjoy the Lord corporately in Chinese, and here in Malabon we enjoy Him in English. Before, I had this silly concept that the training in Taipei was better because of the strict rules and regulations, or that the training in Anaheim had richer enjoyment because most of the blending brothers are there. Praise the Lord that He showed me this concept is wrong! Because there is only one unique ministry and all the training centers are under the leading of this ministry; they are all the same! Furthermore, although the training centers may have some differences outwardly, inwardly it is the same grace of God training us (Titus 2:11-12). As long as we are open to His grace, we will reap out all the benefits of the training that the Lord has designed for us. Lemuel Cantos
Church in Cebu City |
