My Spiritual Life Journey (Part 1)

There are times in life that happens unexpectedly. Like going to another place with a reasonable purpose. And you left people behind, and left the things you used to do before in exchange with another in the place that you go to.

My life eversince had been like this, from childhood, even when I get married. We moved from one place to another for different reasons & purpose lwhich are important and necessary.

Going back to these instances in my life, I realized, that it is how God intended it to be. For it had been the way that my spiritual life begun.

When my parents decided to leave our hometown province to settle in Caloocan City, they left our house in the care of the family of her nephew. I was 11 yrs. Old then. I continued with my elementary grade schooling and graduated in Bonifacio Elementary School.

The Beginning Of My Spiritual Journey

It was during my high school days , third year high school , that I get involved in Bible Study which is being held in school premises during our vacant period. A classmate of mine named Ligaya Pineda , invited me to join, which I did not resists. She is the one who presented to me the gospel of salvation , using the Bridge Gap Illustration , taught by the Bible Study leader, named Ate Flor. It was presented to me simple and clear and I understood it. In faith, accdg. to the word of God presented to me, she led me in a prayer of acceptance to Jesus Christ , as my personal Saviour and Lord of my life. I can't remember the exact date , but I was in third year high school then.

During my fourth year high school, Ligaya and I had not been classmates then. I was in section 1 but she was in a higher section. Though we are not classmates , I continued with the Bible Study and met new friends and classmates three of them who are attending the same Bible Studies, namely: Evelyn, Dorcas and Luisa. Our Bible Study teacher told us we should attend a church to continue be feeding with the word of God to help us grow spiritually. So I started to go to church. I joined my sisters whenever they go to the Catholic Church during Sunday.

One day, a classmate friend of mine named Evelyn invited me to the church where she is attending. The name of the church is BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH. It is very far in our place, it is in Sociego St. in Sta. Mesa, Manila. I accepted her invitation and joined her . They had their Sunday School first before the Morning Worship Service. The Sunday School were separately done accdg. to department : Elem. Dept. , High School Dept. , College Dept., then Adults. My classmate friend Evelyn & I attended the High School Dept. Our Sunday School Teacher name is Cynthia Lontoc. We were all girls in her class. The boys were separated from the girls and were being taught by men. After Sunday School there was a 15 minutes break before the Morning Worship Service, that is to have merienda if you want or to go to cr.

It was my first time to attend such kind of worship service. My friend & I sat down in a bench . The auditorium where they held their morning Worship Service was big, there were many benches to sit down. The service started with singing. There were songbooks in the benches to be able for people one to use in singing. The song leader then was a Young People who later I found out was one of the son of the Assistant Pastor named Pastor Abante Sr. and he was the Jr. The song leader was leading the crowd in a lively singing which make the atmosphere of starting the service in a lively and happy mood. I enjoyed such atmosphere in singing and tried to learn the song.

Following the lots of singing was the acknowledging the first time visitors in the congregation. Visitors were asked to raised their hands. And since I was , a first time visitor I raised my hand. Then after the first time, second time and even the third time visitors were acknowledged, they sing to us a Welcome Song and each one were shaking my hands which was seating near me, others came by to shake hands. It was such a different experience, a happy experienced that I said to myself I want to come back.

After such acknowledgement , the song leader lead us in another singing before the church choir sings. As we were singing the church choir comes in to the choir loft one after another. Before the choir sings , a special number was rendered by a trio, who later I learned were the sons of the Assistant Pastor Abante. After it the choir sings, and it was the song leader , who leads as the choir director. The choir did sing beautifully. And after it , there's another special number. After it the Speaker were called and introduced. He was an American Pastor named Rev. Pastor Boyd Lyons. Honestly, I find it hard to understand his English. Nevertheless , I still wanted to comeback, though it's far.

Since then I continue to attend their church services on Sundays: beginning from Sunday School , and Morning Worship Service. My classmate friend Evelyn & I even attended the Young People's meeting in the afternoon & the Evening Service. And it was in the evening service that I heard Pastor Abante Sr. preached. Of course I understood his preaching though it be English.

Usually after the preaching , there was an invitation being made for anyone who wants to accept Christ as personal Saviour. That night I came forward because I want to be sure that I will be going to heaven and not hell when I die. As I was standing in front somebody take me and lead me in a place to talk to me personally. It was my Sunday School teacher. She took her Bible and opened it and reading passages that tells what to do .

For the second time I was led in a prayer of acceptance of Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour . After that she again open the Bible and read passages from the Bible giving the assurance of salvation that I have, being by grace through faith accept & believe what Christ has done in the cross for my Salvation. What gives me the assurance of my salvation at that moment was the following verses in the Bible:

John 1:12 KJV-

But as many as received Him (Christ) to them gave He power to become the sons of God , even to them that believe in His name.

1 John 5:11,12,13 KJV

11 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 He that hath the Son (Christ) hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

These verses from the Bible means so much to me, from that time on. I hold on to what the Bible says, for I believe the Bible is the word of God written for me and to everyone to know Him personally, and to know the things we ought to know regarding how to live the spiritual life, which started at the time of acceptance to Christ as personal Saviour by faith in what He has done on the cross of Calvary paying the penalty of our sins by His death on the cross, shedding His precious blood for the remissions of our sins, and rose from the dead that our faith be not in vain, that eternal life is ours to claim, for we have a Living Saviour.

Now that my doubts disappeared , and being assured of the salvation I have in Christ , I continued in attending the church services in this Church the Bible Baptist Church.

I was then baptized after knowing that I needed to be baptized being one of the believer of Christ. I came forward again at the invitation after the preaching . The same person led me to understand from the Bible why I need to be baptized and many things related to it. I was then scheduled to be baptized. It was Rev. Pastor Abante Sr. who baptized me.

Baptism is a public confession of our faith in Christ. It is the first step of obedience to Christ. It pictures the death , burial and resurrection of Christ. And the way of baptism that pictures it , is by immersion. Baptism is also the way by which you become the member of a church. Not anyone is being baptized. To be a candidate for baptism a person should be one who have accepted Christ as personal Saviour and assured of it . And is willing to follow Christ in the water of Baptism, which is one of the ordinances Christ instituted in the church, the other one is Lord Supper. There is no infant baptism , infants are only dedicated to God by parents.

Being now then, a member of the church the more I get active in church activities.During Sundays I attended the services in the morning and evening. I joined the Young People's Meetings and even join the choir. Joining the choir , I discovered that I can sing the alto part , so I sing the part of alto in the choir.

The time came that this Church had a mission work in Quezon City, which is nearer in my place. It was during my college days. So I transferred my membership there together with my classmate friend , Evelyn Moreno. There our other classmates friend Dorcas and Luisa , our former high school classmates joined us. We became the pioneer members of Calvary Baptist Church , Pastored by Rev. Pastor Edwin Imperial. As I continued in my faith, and continued to be taught by the word of God I grew in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ , and eventually matured and strenghthened.

My Spiritual journey still continue on, and I will write about in in Part 2 if this article. This is just all for now.

15 Article for month of May 2022

My Spiritual Journey (Part 1)

Published: May 23, 2022 - Mon.6:10am