Done But Not Finished

Four years one month and four days passed since that night I received Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I have just completed reading the Bible. Congratulations to my self. But, hey, wait a minute. On second thoughts, I should not boast of this feat as this could not even be considered a feat for that matter.

I was even ashamed as I could have read a magazine and other books, espeially those involving my hobby, photography in a few minutes or hours. As I reflect back as to my attitude in reading the Bible, I noticed that on my first year as a believer, I read the word everyday. There were even times where I find time to read as I woke up from bed and before sleeping. As the days and months passed by, I slowed down the habit of reading the word of God.

Work schedule, taking care of the family, and well my other activities with my hobby took some of my time with the Word of God. Thank God for every time I sensed that I am giving more time to the cares of the world rather than the Word of God, I felt some force from within convicting me as if saying "hey, you have been spending too much with worldly cares...your spirit has become week." I believe that was the Holy Spirit convicting my heart of doing things right.

Anyway, howsoever long the period of time I spent to finished reading the Bible, I still felt a sense of accomplishment. I have done something right. However, it is still far from over.

If you are going to ask me what have I learned in reading the whole Bible, all I can say is not much. There is still a need to read and reread every section.

Now, I kept a promise to my self to start reading over with the aim of digging deeper the true meaning of the Word of God. This time around, I would keep notes and try to make use the full potential of the e-sword software (www.e-sword.com) plus my knowledge gained during the Apollos Project seminar. I would even blog some articles taken out from these notes that I may have prepared.

Having read the Bible cover to cover is not the end of it. I may have done reading the whole Bible, but I am not finished learning the Word of God. Even my lifetime is not enough to dig all the treasures hidden in the Bible. At least this time, I may now have the chance of digging more treasures in less time as I may have gained some familiarity as a result of having gone through all its pages.

Laborers’ Day

On May 3, 2008, Word International Ministries – Al Ain (WIN-Al Ain), our local church in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates, organized the first ever Laborers’ Day. The event started at 8:30 AM and ended at 6:00 PM.

All Ministry heads, small group leaders were invited. It was well attended that almost all the Ministry Heads are present, save those that were on duty for work at that date and not having any chance of arranging their work schedules.

The event, as I perceived it to be, is aimed at giving 1) recognition to all laborer’s of God’s vineyard in Al Ain by treating them with a free sumptuous lunch at a posh place, the newly opened Palm Spring Sports Resort, 2) a chance to all leaders to share, testimonies, plans, and problems of their respective ministries with the end in mind of addressing all issues identified, and 3) nourishment to the spiritual appetite of all laborers with an inspirational preaching of Dr. Roy Verzosa.

The spiritual feeding was so great. Even though most of the participants to this event were also attending the four-day seminar on the Apollos Project, conducted by Dr. Roy, still they continue to delight on the spiritual food being fed. It even paved the way for a very healthy forum the rest of the day.

Overeating spiritual food, as compared to eating physical food, would not constitute gluttony. But, like eating physical food, for every intake a corresponding amount of energy must be released out of our body, lest one will suffer obesity.

At the end of the full week ending May 3, 2008, I felt a sense of getting heavier spiritually. I have been eating spiritual food for five straight days. There is now an urgent need for me to release some energy by practicing what I have learned and even sharing it to others. I am now starting to apply Hermeneutics I have learned from the Apollos Project as well as the inspirational preaching during the Laborers’ day.

It is my prayer that all brethren who have been overeating spiritual food would do the same thing. I hope and pray that every ministry will rise up and become more active in the coming days that by next year’s Laborer’s day, everyone attending is spiritually fit bringing great and wonderful testimonies.

To Pastor Edward and the rest of the council members who are instrumental in initiating this type of an event, congratulations.

But still all glory will still be given to our God who made all these things possible.


P.S. Photos taken during the laborers’ Day will be uploaded in the next few days at www.malloy.multiply.com/photos

The Apollos Project

The ministry name is taken from Acts 18:24-26,

“Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.”

The project or ministry's main objective is the equipping of saints in expounding the scriptures. For more information you may visit their website: http://www.theapollosproject.org/.

The Man whom the Holy Spirit has clothed Himself with is Dr. Roy Verzosa. I am privileged enough to be one of those hungry saints who participated in the seminar he conducted in Al Ain city, UAE on April 29, 2008 to May 2, 2008.

Here is an evidence of my successful participation of the four-day seminar:

Information I gathered was that he was invited by the FIN (Filipino International Network)--I suppose that this is an organization of all Filipino Christian Churches overseas--to conduct a seminar to all hungry saints willing to learn how to study the Word of God with the end of mind in sharing them to the world. But, lo and behold, other nationalities, especially from the English Evangelical Church learned of this, but on short notice, only Pastor Stan was able to participate the full four-day seminar. On the final day, however, I saw some other personalities from the English Church.

All I can say on the seminar is WOW. From the first day to the last, there was no dull moment I have experienced. I am sure that most of the participants felt the same way too. He was such a brilliant civil engineer commissioned by God to erect in our hearts and minds the necessary foundations to discover the Bible accurately and sharing this to others adequately.

If I compare my attendance to the four-day seminar conducted by Dr. Roy to getting inside a car showroom, I may have thought to have gone to the showroom expecting to drive a Honda Civic full option, but only to realize that going out of the showroom I was now driving a Lambourghini. That was how imbalance my expectations about the seminar and my real experience in completing it.

It is my prayer and hope that God would someday build up so many Dr. Roy in order to do the same ministry.

May the sovereign Lord bless your family and ministry.