Philippians 4:6 (KJV)
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Let me just share that before my baptism, I encountered a lot of (what I seemingly thought were) “major” problems. These would, later on, become a significant turning point in my life.
I failed a subject in college for the first time. That was a prerequisite for most of my major subjects, and failing that would mean delaying my expected graduation. Even though my father was abroad for work, my family was financially unstable. My sister got pregnant and married at a very young age. My eldest sister went through a difficult phase in her life and decided to move out of our house. And my younger brother did not want to take college entrance exams.
All the problems we had at that time made me anxious and worried. When you grow up in a happy and “almost” ideal family setting, and such things happen to you for the first time — I think it is inevitable to get overwhelmed. So, I decided to take a leave for one semester to breathe in. I need to sort things out, give my parents a break from paying my tuition fee, and in the process, pick up the broken pieces of my jaded heart.
During my leave, I only stayed at home and helped my sister with babysitting my niece. Then, one day, when I entered my mother’s room, I saw her reading the Bible with a pair of broken eyeglasses. She did not notice me, but I was perplexed because her face lit up. She looked so peaceful, as if we had no problems.
I asked myself, “Why? Despite all our problems, why didn’t she look so bothered?” Then it hit me. I realized something was missing in my life. I did not have peace of mind.
Suddenly, I remembered what I had promised a year ago when I was still studying at UP Los Baños and was attending a born-again church. I asked for two signs — if I get a chance to transfer to the UP Diliman campus, and if my sister successfully bore a healthy child, I will try to attend the Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path) indoctrination sessions of the Members Church of God International (MCGI) where my parents, my older sister, and my closest cousin are already members of. Both of the things I asked for happened earlier that year. However, the challenges in school and at home began afterward.
When I finally came to my senses, I thought to myself that in return, I should still keep my word even if I am doing it only a year later. So, I made up my mind and asked my mother about the schedule of the indoctrination sessions. “I will be attending,” I said when she asked why.
I was skeptical at the first sessions because I knew of the defamations against Bro. Eli Soriano. I was aware of the religious wars between him and the other groups, but I still gave it a try and tested what he was preaching. To be honest, I have learned a lot of things written in the Bible — something I have not heard from any other churches.
During the sessions, I took down notes and every verse he mentioned so I could find them in my own Bible. To my surprise, all are indeed written there. I was left in awe of Bro Eli’s clear and logical explanations. Everything has a biblical and scientific basis. “He’s like a walking Bible,” I said to myself.
Every session, I asked the assigned church worker in our locale about all the questions I had in mind, even atheistic ones, to test if he could answer them. And surprisingly, I am satisfied with all the answers I heard, which he mentioned he had only learned from Bro. Eli.
Since August is a rainy season, we walked on muddy roads every night. Getting out of my comfort zone just to attend was a challenge. I often asked myself, “Is this worth it? I wish it is.”
When I had already run out of questions, I finally asked, “Why would the true church be coming from the Philippines?” I was not a proud Pinoy in the past. But when I heard that our small and humble country is the one prophesied in Isaiah 24:15, I realized I am lucky to be born a Filipino.
Every day I became more excited to learn more about God’s wisdom and mysteries. I even had regrets in mind, “Why am I only hearing this now? I wish I had learned all this before and joined the KNC instead of some bible studies of born-again churches when I was young.”
Nonetheless, I realized that everything indeed happens in God’s perfect time. Gratefully, I did not have any vices, pride, peer pressure, or anything that would have hindered me and made it hard to leave my past behind. It was all up to me.
The day of our baptism came. I was crying the whole time when Bro. Eli Soriano and Bro. Daniel Razon delivered the topic of baptism up to the moment I got immersed in the water. I had never felt so happy knowing that heaven rejoiced because of a sinner like me who was repenting (Luke 15:7). More so when almost a thousand souls were baptized on the same day.
Now that I am finally in the true church and have found the path toward God, I am more than convinced that it is all worth it. Thank God I have made the right choice to heed His call because the life I have now in the church is beyond compare.
Philippians 4:7 (KJV)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
A million thanks to God!
