ACMI gears up with 1^st National Conference

657 brethren from 55 ministry areas and outreaches attend gathering

By: Gervacio C. Dauz, Jr.

 

Brethren numbering to 657 and coming from as far as the frenetic asphalt jungle of Metro Manila to as near as the rural and laid back plains of Cotabato packed the camp site of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur this 28^th day of April up to 1^st day of May 2012 and attended the 1^st ever National Conference with the theme “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” as quoted from Philippians 1:6.

A battery of homegrown speakers in leadership positions riveted the brethren with diverse but interlinked messages during the four-day retreat.  First to provide the opening salvo was Engr. David Tauli, President of the Arise Foundation, who shared about the importance of knowing one’s identity – “Who Am I”.  He premised his message by saying that “We were made in the image and likeness of God” (Gen. 1:26).  Having partaken of said image, he argued that “We are responsible to reflect the image of God.” 

He reasoned further that “We are obligated to do our best in whatever station we are assigned.”  To illustrate through example, he used his life’s testimony as one who walks his talk.  Working actively as a Vice President of the Cagayan de Oro Electric Power and Light Cooperative (CEPALCO), he could not help but resign effective 1^st day of May 2012 if only to uncompromisingly stand and push for renewable energy as an option to the Mindanao power crisis and as a countervailing measure against the high and mighty who wanted to have a kill of the lucrative power generation business.  He could have stayed at his post and feel contented with an astronomical salary, but the call to conduct relentless advocacy unsettled him, sensing that “for evil to prosper, it is sufficient that good men remain silent.” 

In the end, he capped his message by claiming that we ought to be competent as friends of Jesus (John 15:15), that we should relate to people as friends of Jesus, and that we should preach the gospel to dispel the darkness. 

Dr. Felina Mendoza followed suit by elucidating about “The Great I Am”.  She explained that God desires to relate to his children in a very special and meaningful way.  But the clarion call of the world and its desires put a dividing wall, she asserted, that negates or frustrates for such fellowship between God and man to prosper and take root.

Quoting from Jeremiah 9:23-24, she counseled the brethren: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,” but let him who boasts boast in the Lord.  She claimed too that God opposes the proud, because he knew that the finite human being is simply a product of the dust. 

As a reminder, she explained that our God, who gives grace to the humble, is an unchanging God, and that he is from eternity (Ps. 93:2), his faithfulness continues through all generations (Ps. 119:90), he is truthful in all his ways (Num. 23:19), he is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. . . .

The message “God’s Work in Your Life” delivered by Josephine Evasco continued to build on Dr. Mendoza’s foundational message.  Using Philippians 1:6 as the main reference, she caught the brethren’s attention by asserting that “To be fully convinced and assured or confident of God’s working in our lives, we need to have the right concept of God” first and foremost.  She followed up by explaining that God has had been at work since time immemorial and that in the present dispensation he is still individually working in each one of his children. 

As proof of God’s relentless work, she claimed that “The greatest company ever established is God’s Kingdom.  The greatest job ever accomplished is the salvation of man done by Jesus Christ.  And the most delicate and challenging work is engineering man’s character.”  

As a jarring reality, she posited that “We will not grow in Christ-likeness without struggle.  We can’t come to spiritual maturity apart from being put through fire – the fires of disappointment, of heartaches, of trials.”

During Dr. Franco Teves’ turn, he presented the importance of “Getting Ready for the End Times” in order for Christians not to be caught with their pants down.  Drawing from the first hand perspectives of prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel and John and even from several well-documented sources, he narrated that God’s timetable is almost at the finish line already and that the present time is now at the “last of the last days” before the 2^nd coming of Christ.     

But, inserting a message of hope, he claimed that God will cut short the days of persecution and will usher in the millennial reign of Christ here on earth.

Pastor Bernardo Mendoza explained the Vision, Mission and other distinctive features of the Arise Christian Ministries, Inc. as a refresher to old timers and as an illumination to those who are new in the fold. 

In order to achieve the ministry’s distinctive perspective and thrusts, he lined up several commitment statements, part of which states: “We are committed to obey the Great Commission by evangelizing and making disciples.”  Furthermore, “We are committed to address not only the spiritual needs of our contacts, but their emotional, physical and material needs as well, as the Lord provides resources.  In this way we envision a community of believers loving and caring for each other so that the world will know we are truly His disciples.” 

He likewise explained that the organizational set up and approach of the ministry is two-pronged and are respectively dubbed as the Umbrella (ACMI) and the Arise Foundation, Inc.  The former serves as the governing body of the ministry by providing general directions, guidelines and policies for the organization.  The latter, on the other hand, caters to the social implications of the Gospel, which is primarily but not limited to the socio-economic needs of the members. 

The final challenge was delivered on the last day of the conference by Engr. Santiago Evasco, who stands as the current ACMI President.  Dwelling on the theme “Arise and Shine: Let God’s Glory be Manifested,” he started with harping on the intermittent brownouts plaguing Mindanao and then seamlessly connecting it to the spiritual brownout afflicting even believers.  On top of it, he declared that far more dangerous would be the time when “we reach spiritual black out.”

Echoing the message of II Timothy 3:2-5, he pointed out what people will be in the last days: “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”  And that was our previous condition or way of life before we surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, he averred. 

The greatest miracle, he claimed, was when we were transferred from the dominion of darkness to the realm of light under the kingship of Christ.  Thus, “we need to prepare for spiritual brownouts in order not to revert to our old ways of doing things,” this he petitioned. 

He argued that the essence of having a new life is not one’s membership with a certain group, but rather if he is born again in the Spirit of God.  After settling such issue, he urged the body to move up to a new level and that is to be a reflection of God’s image and be a light to the lost world.  

Quoting from an oldie but goodie song, he implored: “It is better to light just one little candle than to stumble in the dark.  Better far that you light just one little candle, all you need’s a tiny spark.”  He pressed that “we have a potential to shed light, but we need a spark.  And that spark is Jesus,” he claimed. 

In a nutshell, he belabored the importance of being a light to the world that is wallowing in darkness.  “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,” this he appealed with emphasis on giving back all the glory and praises to God to whom we became partakers of the light of life.