WE ALL LEARN FROM ANOTHER ~ Whether Christian or secular, most often we learn from a role model or a figure of authority. That can be a biological father or a father figure, i.e., step-father, close friend, etc. ~ or for a Christian believer, most often that role model is our pastor. From our pastor (earthly father figure) we learn about theology, Christian relationships, and methods of doing church.
At the age of fifty, when I became a Christian believer in 1987, I found that I soon had two Christian role models in my life. There was Pastor Sam Lacanienta who led me to the Lord, who taught me in my early Bible study endeavors, and who was always there as my pastor on Sundays and whenever my family needed him.
Very shortly after becoming a believer, I discovered KWVE (KWave) Christian Radio (107.9 FM), the radio ministry of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa - and found that the theology I heard on KWVE aligned well with what I was hearing in our church, the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (CA), or FACI.
Since I began my spiritual walk with the Lord under the tutelage and guidance of Pastor Sam Lacanienta - it is natural that I would be drawn to the theology he shared and his way of doing church. Even though all Baptist churches are autonomous, the Fil-Am Church of Irvine basically got its theology and church leadership model from two sources:
First, Pastor Sam, who was a graduate of FEBIAS (Far Eastern Bible Institute and Seminary, later changed to FEBIAS College of Bible) - had worked in the Philippines with Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) in its music and teaching ministries - and had pastored a church in the Philippines before coming to America.
Second, our Fil-Am Church of Irvine was and is an affiliate of the Baptist General Conference.
The Baptist General Conference (renamed Converge in 2015) is a national association of autonomous evangelical churches that began in the Midwest in 1879. The BGC (Converge) Baptists hold to inerrancy of the Bible, salvation by grace through faith, the necessity of the new birth, the autonomy of the local church, and believer’s baptism by immersion.
Its Bethel Seminary was founded in 1871, is an accredited seminary with approximately 1,100 students from more than 70 denominations enrolled on campuses in St. Paul, Minnesota, San Diego, California, and its online InMinistry Distance Learning program, a blend of online and face-to-face coursework.
The BGC has remained true to its original doctrines of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, water immersion as the only acceptable form of believer’s baptism, the inspiration and inerrancy of the Word of God, the reality of heaven and hell, and it continues to remain true to being evangelical, multi-ethnic, and committed to fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20).
Over the past 30+ years that I have been a believer, I have mostly been involved in BGC affiliated Baptist churches. On two occasions Dory and I have been involved in early start-up churches which were affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conference. But I lean more toward the Baptist General Conference and their teachings. Although the Southern Baptist churches are autonomous like the BGC churches, I personally find two major problems with their theology.
First, over the past few decades, the Calvinist Movement has infiltrated the teachings of a large percentage of Southern Baptist churches - and is taught in a large number of their affiliated Seminaries. Regardless of whether it is called "TULIP Calvinism" or "Doctrines of Grace Calvinism" - it is the same, only wearing a different euphemism hat. And, basically I cannot find their definition of a Pre-Creation Predestination in my Bible.
And, second, many Southern Baptist churches hold to a "closed communion" where only members of that local church may receive the Lord's Supper - and I am firmly convinced that Jesus Christ meant for our symbolic remembrance of His sacrifice (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25) to be done on a regular basis (most Baptist churches have communion monthly) and that it include ALL believers in the body of Christ. I believe He would invite all His believers to join Him in the Lord's Supper - regardless of the name over the door of your church. We are ALL told to take the Lord's Supper, together, in remembrance of Him.
We have to keep in mind that the church which was begun in the Upper Room by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD - had no denominational name. It was the Holy Spirit indwelled body of believers, period. First were the 120 disciples in the Upper Room. And within the following week it grew to over 5000 believers in Jerusalem.
They were not Baptist, Lutheran, Methodists, Roman Catholic, etc.. They were just indwelled believers who made a decision to believe and follow Christ. Initially, many antagonists began to call them followers of the Way. And later, in Antioch, believers were given a derogatory name, Christians, meaning Christ followers. Those who had rejected Him meant this as a derogatory and slanderous name - but we believers wear that name as a Crown of Glory.
At that time, if you could have asked any of those believers if they were Baptist, Lutheran, Methodists, Roman Catholic, etc. - they would have thought you to be deranged - for such "names" did not exist then. And I agree with those early believers. Don't call me by some man-created name. Call me what I am - a Holy Spirit indwelled and sealed believer in and follower of Jesus Christ, aka, a Christian.
That is why when I am asked, I will tell folks I am a Baptist-flavored Christian believer. Why do I describe myself that way? Because 30+ years ago I became a believer and began studying the Bible. And over the next few years I began to put my own personal Statement of Faith in writing, based upon my knowledge of the Bible. Today, praise God, when I look at my personal Statement of Faith, I find that it aligns well with the General Baptist Statement of Faith. Therefore I am a Baptist-flavored Christian believer - because I am in agreement with the Baptist Statement of Faith.
During the years I was under the spiritual guidance of Pastor Sam Lacanienta in the Fil-Am Church of Irvine, I learned to admire him for reasons other than his theological teachings. First, I admired the way he separated himself from the financial side of our church fellowship. He considered himself the spiritual leader of our church - and not the financial officer. He never got involved in the financial aspect of our church, leaving that completely to our Financial Elder, Fred Almeda.
Pastor Sam felt strongly that he did not want to know who gave what in offerings or gifts to the church. Why? Well, first he considered the spiritual health of our fellowship to be more important and his main responsibility. And, second, knowing that he has human frailties like all of us - he did not want to put himself in the position, either on purpose or inadvertently, of being more attentive to the people who gave larger offerings, than to those who gave less. The only people in our church who knew how much, or when, a person gave - was our very discrete Financial Elder.
Pastor Sam has two rules that I believe are necessary to be a spiritual leader: He stayed away from the financial function of our local church. And, he would never counsel a female member without his wife, Ida, being in the same room. He adhered firmly to these two rules - and because of that, no one could ever accuse him of any improprieties, financial or personal.
Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel had a similar philosophy, not wanting to view people for what they gave financially - but instead relating to them spiritually.
At the Fil-Am Church of Irvine, offerings were taken by ushers quietly and somewhat discretely passing the offering plate across each row as we dropped our offering into the plate. Then the offering plates were placed at the alter and later turned over to our Financial Elder. A person gave as God had provided - and without fanfare or public display.
For many years, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa did not take pass the offering plate - preferring instead to have an offering box at the rear of the sanctuary where folks, upon entering or leaving the sanctuary, could discretely drop in their offering as the Holy Spirit led them.
Possibly the method of the offering plate and the offering box in the sanctuary comes from considering this Scripture passage. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught regarding the giving of alms:
I don't recall the source, but I remember reading an article written by Pastor Chuck Smith where he shared about the early days when Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa was a new and fast growing fellowship and needed to expand into a larger facility. Pastor Chuck had found a property in Costa Mesa but did not know how they would pay for it. He tells of how he would drive to the property in the evening, sit in his car, and pray for God to provide a way for them to buy this property to build a larger church. History shows that God surely answered his prayers.
About that same time, he also tells of a wealthy man who offered to give the church one million dollars. Pastor Chuck made a decision to not accept his gift. Why? Because one person giving a million dollars to the church - might come later seeking special favors. He did not want Calvary Chapel under such an obligation to any person - preferring instead to allow God to bring in many smaller gifts from His people.
And we know that God honored that prayer - for we see how Calvary Chapel, under the hand of God and with the earthly tutelage of Pastor Chuck Smith, grew from the initial sixteen member Calvary Chapel in 1965 - to the Calvary Chapel Movement of thousands of Calvary Chapel churches and Christian schools we see worldwide today.
In the book written by Pastor Chuck Smith and Tal Brooke titled "Harvest" - which is the story of the growth of Calvary Chapel Ministries I have taken these excerpts:
And,
On a different but very important subject, both Calvary Chapel and our Fil-Am Church of Irvine had an informal way of doing Bible Studies, Prayer Meetings, and Evening Services. What developed at Calvary Chapel began in a Corona church where Chuck Smith was the pastor, before leaving to join Calvary Chapel which at that time was only sixteen members. He tells of how that change came about:
Pastor Chuck explains the evolution of the Bible studies and teachings methods at Calvary Chapel:
Our Bible studies at FACI were very similar, a more informal lesson taught in an interactive mode. Pastor Sam taught, but we were not allowed to just sit and listen. He asked questions, encouraged comments, and made sure we were participants in the study - not just quiet observers.
Later Pastor Sam, who was burdened with pastoring two churches at that time (in Irvine and in Long Beach) as well as leading four Bible studies each week - decided to assign the burden of leading our Bible studies to four of our more spiritually mature men, Elders, at FACI. Doing that, it became obvious that the best method was to have a fully interactive Bible study where we took turns reading Scripture, verse by verse, in a passage or book, and discussing each verse or passage, as appropriate. That same style of Bible study was adopted in each of our daughter churches which Pastor Sam planted.
In the late 1990s, Dory and I were in the hospital with the flu and being husband and wife, we were in the same room, where we had a male nurse the first few days. When he saw me studying my Bible he asked if I was a pastor - and I assured him that was not my calling from God. Even though he was Caucasian he was interested when I told him about our Filipino-American Baptist churches. When he told me he lived in Long Beach and wanted to know how to find our Fil-Am Church of Long Beach - I could not give him the information he needed to find our church - and, by the next day, when I had gathered that info to give to him - he was no longer working on our floor. I felt bad, as though I had let him and God down.
Disappointed in myself for not having that information readily available, when I got home from the hospital I made a church tract which listed all of our Fil-Am churches in Southern California. The collage below shows the back of that tract listing full info on each of our churches. Never again was I going to be caught being negligent, not being able to share about our churches or His Word.
Pastor Sam and Ida Lacanienta left some 12+ years ago to follow their hearts in full time ministry in their Philippine homeland. And since then Ida has been promoted to glory - while Pastor Sam, at 82, is still very active in ministry as pastor of the Talakag Church on the Solid Rock, Talakag, Bukidnon, Philippines, and running a Christian camp at Cagayan de Oro in Northern Mindanao, Philippines.
I recall a story I read in Our Daily Bread, Fall 1991 issue. It was written by Henry Bosch and tells of a missionary to the Kiowa Indians.
I am eternally grateful that God has given me these very special role models as I continue in my Christian walk. I pray that in some small way, I, too, may be able to help others find the Eternal Way.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
At the age of fifty, when I became a Christian believer in 1987, I found that I soon had two Christian role models in my life. There was Pastor Sam Lacanienta who led me to the Lord, who taught me in my early Bible study endeavors, and who was always there as my pastor on Sundays and whenever my family needed him.
Very shortly after becoming a believer, I discovered KWVE (KWave) Christian Radio (107.9 FM), the radio ministry of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa - and found that the theology I heard on KWVE aligned well with what I was hearing in our church, the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (CA), or FACI.
Since I began my spiritual walk with the Lord under the tutelage and guidance of Pastor Sam Lacanienta - it is natural that I would be drawn to the theology he shared and his way of doing church. Even though all Baptist churches are autonomous, the Fil-Am Church of Irvine basically got its theology and church leadership model from two sources:
First, Pastor Sam, who was a graduate of FEBIAS (Far Eastern Bible Institute and Seminary, later changed to FEBIAS College of Bible) - had worked in the Philippines with Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) in its music and teaching ministries - and had pastored a church in the Philippines before coming to America.
Second, our Fil-Am Church of Irvine was and is an affiliate of the Baptist General Conference.
The Baptist General Conference (renamed Converge in 2015) is a national association of autonomous evangelical churches that began in the Midwest in 1879. The BGC (Converge) Baptists hold to inerrancy of the Bible, salvation by grace through faith, the necessity of the new birth, the autonomy of the local church, and believer’s baptism by immersion.
Its Bethel Seminary was founded in 1871, is an accredited seminary with approximately 1,100 students from more than 70 denominations enrolled on campuses in St. Paul, Minnesota, San Diego, California, and its online InMinistry Distance Learning program, a blend of online and face-to-face coursework.
The BGC has remained true to its original doctrines of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, water immersion as the only acceptable form of believer’s baptism, the inspiration and inerrancy of the Word of God, the reality of heaven and hell, and it continues to remain true to being evangelical, multi-ethnic, and committed to fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20).
Over the past 30+ years that I have been a believer, I have mostly been involved in BGC affiliated Baptist churches. On two occasions Dory and I have been involved in early start-up churches which were affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conference. But I lean more toward the Baptist General Conference and their teachings. Although the Southern Baptist churches are autonomous like the BGC churches, I personally find two major problems with their theology.
First, over the past few decades, the Calvinist Movement has infiltrated the teachings of a large percentage of Southern Baptist churches - and is taught in a large number of their affiliated Seminaries. Regardless of whether it is called "TULIP Calvinism" or "Doctrines of Grace Calvinism" - it is the same, only wearing a different euphemism hat. And, basically I cannot find their definition of a Pre-Creation Predestination in my Bible.
And, second, many Southern Baptist churches hold to a "closed communion" where only members of that local church may receive the Lord's Supper - and I am firmly convinced that Jesus Christ meant for our symbolic remembrance of His sacrifice (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25) to be done on a regular basis (most Baptist churches have communion monthly) and that it include ALL believers in the body of Christ. I believe He would invite all His believers to join Him in the Lord's Supper - regardless of the name over the door of your church. We are ALL told to take the Lord's Supper, together, in remembrance of Him.
We have to keep in mind that the church which was begun in the Upper Room by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD - had no denominational name. It was the Holy Spirit indwelled body of believers, period. First were the 120 disciples in the Upper Room. And within the following week it grew to over 5000 believers in Jerusalem.
They were not Baptist, Lutheran, Methodists, Roman Catholic, etc.. They were just indwelled believers who made a decision to believe and follow Christ. Initially, many antagonists began to call them followers of the Way. And later, in Antioch, believers were given a derogatory name, Christians, meaning Christ followers. Those who had rejected Him meant this as a derogatory and slanderous name - but we believers wear that name as a Crown of Glory.
At that time, if you could have asked any of those believers if they were Baptist, Lutheran, Methodists, Roman Catholic, etc. - they would have thought you to be deranged - for such "names" did not exist then. And I agree with those early believers. Don't call me by some man-created name. Call me what I am - a Holy Spirit indwelled and sealed believer in and follower of Jesus Christ, aka, a Christian.
That is why when I am asked, I will tell folks I am a Baptist-flavored Christian believer. Why do I describe myself that way? Because 30+ years ago I became a believer and began studying the Bible. And over the next few years I began to put my own personal Statement of Faith in writing, based upon my knowledge of the Bible. Today, praise God, when I look at my personal Statement of Faith, I find that it aligns well with the General Baptist Statement of Faith. Therefore I am a Baptist-flavored Christian believer - because I am in agreement with the Baptist Statement of Faith.
During the years I was under the spiritual guidance of Pastor Sam Lacanienta in the Fil-Am Church of Irvine, I learned to admire him for reasons other than his theological teachings. First, I admired the way he separated himself from the financial side of our church fellowship. He considered himself the spiritual leader of our church - and not the financial officer. He never got involved in the financial aspect of our church, leaving that completely to our Financial Elder, Fred Almeda.
Pastor Sam felt strongly that he did not want to know who gave what in offerings or gifts to the church. Why? Well, first he considered the spiritual health of our fellowship to be more important and his main responsibility. And, second, knowing that he has human frailties like all of us - he did not want to put himself in the position, either on purpose or inadvertently, of being more attentive to the people who gave larger offerings, than to those who gave less. The only people in our church who knew how much, or when, a person gave - was our very discrete Financial Elder.
Pastor Sam has two rules that I believe are necessary to be a spiritual leader: He stayed away from the financial function of our local church. And, he would never counsel a female member without his wife, Ida, being in the same room. He adhered firmly to these two rules - and because of that, no one could ever accuse him of any improprieties, financial or personal.
Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel had a similar philosophy, not wanting to view people for what they gave financially - but instead relating to them spiritually.
At the Fil-Am Church of Irvine, offerings were taken by ushers quietly and somewhat discretely passing the offering plate across each row as we dropped our offering into the plate. Then the offering plates were placed at the alter and later turned over to our Financial Elder. A person gave as God had provided - and without fanfare or public display.
2 Corinthians 9:7-8, "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
Tithing is given as an example in the Scriptures as how individuals should respond to God's blessings. Many individuals question whether the tithe is still applicable for believers today since we are not "under the law." Despite that distinction, many believers consider it their privilege to give proportionately to the work of the Lord using the tithe as a pattern.
Although churches are not given percentages in the New Testament, the principle of proportionate giving is given (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8). The New Testament also records that the believers in the church were collecting to give to other ministries. (Should A Church Tithe 10% Of The Offerings It Receives? - https://www.gotquestions.org/church-tithe.html)
For many years, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa did not take pass the offering plate - preferring instead to have an offering box at the rear of the sanctuary where folks, upon entering or leaving the sanctuary, could discretely drop in their offering as the Holy Spirit led them.
Possibly the method of the offering plate and the offering box in the sanctuary comes from considering this Scripture passage. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught regarding the giving of alms:
Matthew 6:1-4, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."
The context suggests that the injunction to “not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” refers to giving alms in secret and stands in contrast with drawing attention to our giving. Those who give in order to receive accolades from others have already received their reward (Matthew 6:2). God will reward those who give in secret. ("What Does It Mean That We Should Not Let Our Left Hand Know What Our Right Hand Is Doing (Matthew 6:3–4)?" - https://www.gotquestions.org/left-hand-know-right-hand-doing.html)
I don't recall the source, but I remember reading an article written by Pastor Chuck Smith where he shared about the early days when Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa was a new and fast growing fellowship and needed to expand into a larger facility. Pastor Chuck had found a property in Costa Mesa but did not know how they would pay for it. He tells of how he would drive to the property in the evening, sit in his car, and pray for God to provide a way for them to buy this property to build a larger church. History shows that God surely answered his prayers.
About that same time, he also tells of a wealthy man who offered to give the church one million dollars. Pastor Chuck made a decision to not accept his gift. Why? Because one person giving a million dollars to the church - might come later seeking special favors. He did not want Calvary Chapel under such an obligation to any person - preferring instead to allow God to bring in many smaller gifts from His people.
And we know that God honored that prayer - for we see how Calvary Chapel, under the hand of God and with the earthly tutelage of Pastor Chuck Smith, grew from the initial sixteen member Calvary Chapel in 1965 - to the Calvary Chapel Movement of thousands of Calvary Chapel churches and Christian schools we see worldwide today.
In the book written by Pastor Chuck Smith and Tal Brooke titled "Harvest" - which is the story of the growth of Calvary Chapel Ministries I have taken these excerpts:
Calvary Chapel never asks for money. We avoid pressuring our members for "faith pledges" - and no appeal for funds is ever made over our radio or television outreaches. Our feeling is that begging for money brings discredit to God. Financial integrity is central to this ministry. So much so that all of the staff salaries are considered low by usual standards. I limit myself and my family to a simple lifestyle, while my ministry has enabled me to oversee millions of dollars. I want to be responsible to God for this money, for it is His money, not mine. I am merely a steward. This is important to me because I know that nonbelievers will be watching, and we are responsible for the way we witness to them. (Harvest, pages 14-15)
And,
At Calvary Chapel we have confidence that when God guides, God provides - so there is never an emphasis on money or giving. Many of our churches do not even pass the plate, but place a box at the entrance where the people who desire may contribute. God is never represented as being broke or facing imminent bankruptcy. The pastors have been taught that God is perfectly capable of supplying the needs for the things He desires to see accomplished. God does not need the support of His people to stay in business, the people need the support of God.
It is sad to see people driven away from the church by the appeals and gimmicks that have been used to solicit funds. Some have dropped out of church because they had nothing to give and felt embarrassed. We do not let this happen to them at Calvary Chapel because they are never asked to give or to pledge. As the apostle Paul said, never let your giving be by pressure or constraint, but let every man give as he has purposed in his own heart, for God loves a cheerful giver. (Harvest, page 175)
On a different but very important subject, both Calvary Chapel and our Fil-Am Church of Irvine had an informal way of doing Bible Studies, Prayer Meetings, and Evening Services. What developed at Calvary Chapel began in a Corona church where Chuck Smith was the pastor, before leaving to join Calvary Chapel which at that time was only sixteen members. He tells of how that change came about:
That very night the Sunday evening church service had been unusually joyous and positive. (Because) I stepped out and took a chance. I departed from traditional procedure and tried something that involved everyone. We decided to change the format from the traditional song service, announcements, prayer, and sermon to a more informal kind of a gathering. . . .
So having arrived early, my wife and I arranged the chairs in a circle rather than in a row. Rather than using the hymnal, we worshiped the Lord in singing choruses. Then we went into a time of prayer. And many people who had been bound (in their prayer life) were able to open up and pray. It was a very special experience for them. And then, of course, I shared in a more informal way from the Word of God, sitting there and teaching, more as I would within an intimate home fellowship rather than the traditional church setting. (Harvest, pages 17-18)
Pastor Chuck explains the evolution of the Bible studies and teachings methods at Calvary Chapel:
The importance of having home Bible studies was an invaluable lesson. In these home Bible studies I developed a whole new style of teaching. Rather than the Sunday oratory style, I would just sit and talk in a very natural way. They (the Bible study group) would feel the freedom to interrupt when they did not understand a particular passage or interpretation of the passage, and it would turn into animated discussions.
I found that their attention span was increased. In church after thirty minutes of preaching people were restless. But we could sit for an hour-and-a-half to two hours in the home and then the people would actually be disappointed that I stopped.
Later on when we started Calvary Chapel, we started several home Bible studies. The one on Monday night was geared for the young people and I would more or less "rap" (chat) with them as we sat in the living room of a home in Costa Mesa. The group soon became so large that we no longer fit in the home. Kids were sitting in the dining room, kitchen, up the stairway, in the entry hall, and there would be more outside who couldn't get in.
Bill Gray Note: In late 1998, when Dory and I moved to Riverside County and became members of the Fil-Am Church of Corona - they had no Bible study. I suggested to our pastor that a church without Sunday School and Bible study is like a three-legged stool with two legs missing. Dory and I started a Bible study in our apartment and for the first couple of months the only consistent participants were Myra, Cory (pastor's wife), and pastor's two young boys. When he could, pastor joined us.
After a few months, others began to come - and pretty soon the Bible study outgrew our apartment and moved into Tony and Myra Alagao's home. Over the years, that Bible study became large enough that it was split into four home Bible studies. So, I can relate to what Pastor Chuck is telling us.
We were, at that time, building our first chapel. The slab had been poured, so at night we would set up lights and the kids would sit on the slab and I would sit there with them. We just built the chapel walls up around them as time went on. It was during this time that we began to reach hundreds of the young people who had been involved in the hippie culture. They loved the informality of sitting outside and having the teacher just sit there and talk with them rather than preach at them.
From these informal talks I developed the style of teaching in a natural, almost conversational way. (In worship services) I just talk with the congregation about the things of God, of the glories of His nature, of His Kingdom. I found that if I'm talking - rather than preaching - the attention span holds for an hour as they sit with open Bibles learning God's Word. A half-hour of preaching can wear people out, but an hour of teaching, if it's done in an easy conversational way, does not. (Harvest, pages 173-174)
Our Bible studies at FACI were very similar, a more informal lesson taught in an interactive mode. Pastor Sam taught, but we were not allowed to just sit and listen. He asked questions, encouraged comments, and made sure we were participants in the study - not just quiet observers.
Later Pastor Sam, who was burdened with pastoring two churches at that time (in Irvine and in Long Beach) as well as leading four Bible studies each week - decided to assign the burden of leading our Bible studies to four of our more spiritually mature men, Elders, at FACI. Doing that, it became obvious that the best method was to have a fully interactive Bible study where we took turns reading Scripture, verse by verse, in a passage or book, and discussing each verse or passage, as appropriate. That same style of Bible study was adopted in each of our daughter churches which Pastor Sam planted.
In the late 1990s, Dory and I were in the hospital with the flu and being husband and wife, we were in the same room, where we had a male nurse the first few days. When he saw me studying my Bible he asked if I was a pastor - and I assured him that was not my calling from God. Even though he was Caucasian he was interested when I told him about our Filipino-American Baptist churches. When he told me he lived in Long Beach and wanted to know how to find our Fil-Am Church of Long Beach - I could not give him the information he needed to find our church - and, by the next day, when I had gathered that info to give to him - he was no longer working on our floor. I felt bad, as though I had let him and God down.
Disappointed in myself for not having that information readily available, when I got home from the hospital I made a church tract which listed all of our Fil-Am churches in Southern California. The collage below shows the back of that tract listing full info on each of our churches. Never again was I going to be caught being negligent, not being able to share about our churches or His Word.
Pastor Sam and Ida Lacanienta left some 12+ years ago to follow their hearts in full time ministry in their Philippine homeland. And since then Ida has been promoted to glory - while Pastor Sam, at 82, is still very active in ministry as pastor of the Talakag Church on the Solid Rock, Talakag, Bukidnon, Philippines, and running a Christian camp at Cagayan de Oro in Northern Mindanao, Philippines.
I recall a story I read in Our Daily Bread, Fall 1991 issue. It was written by Henry Bosch and tells of a missionary to the Kiowa Indians.
The first missionary to the Kiowa Indians was a woman named Miss Reside. After living with the Indians long enough for them to know what it meant to be a Christian, they began calling her "Aim Day Co."
Explaining the significance of this name, Chief Bigtree said, "When we Kiowas see anyone on the wrong trail, we call out, 'Aim day co,' which means 'Turn this way.' Our sister came to us from a far land and found us on the wrong path and in great danger. She stood and called to us and said, 'Turn this way.' Then she showed us the Jesus road. God bless Miss Aim Day Co."
The Lord Jesus declared that there are only two paths to take in life. One is the narrow way that ascends to life eternal; the other is the broad way that descends to the pit of destruction (Matthew 7:13,14). And He said that He is "the Way."
Jesus has not promised an easy life, the world's praise, or great material riches for following Him. But, He richly rewards those who take the narrow road. He forgives their sin, gives them eternal life, and assures them that they will go to heaven.
Miss "Aim Day Co" did not stay in her comfort zone; she went to where the Indians lived, she went to their comfort zone. I'm quite sure she did not start beating them over the head with non-stop Scripture or demand that they learn her "Christianese" language. No, I'm sure that she first learned how to tell them, in their own language, "Turn this way! Aim day co!"
Everyone is an evangelist, a witness, an ambassador for the Lord. With all earnestness, let's point others to Jesus. Like Miss Aim Day Co, let's urge people, "Turn this way!"
I am eternally grateful that God has given me these very special role models as I continue in my Christian walk. I pray that in some small way, I, too, may be able to help others find the Eternal Way.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Click on the image to enlarge:
No comments:
Post a Comment