Vibrant, Biblical Church

Our church, Salitran Covenant Bible Church, has celebrated its eighth anniversary. Indeed, it’s a celebration of God’s faithfulness for His people. Any milestone of the church should redound to the glory of God alone. The Scripture says in Psalm 115:1,

Not to us, Lord, not to us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.

The celebration started with a podcast to review God’s work through and to the church in 2020. It was theocentric and Christ-centered.

It talked about how the ministry and the work of reformation started here in Salitran. Truly, the church’s history testifies to God’s amazing grace.

The podcast also highlighted the threefold direction of the church: look up, look within and look without. To look up is to worship. Worship is the life of the church. We were redeemed that we may worship God. That is our primary duty. To look within is for edification. As a church, we are accountable to each other, so we need to exercise mutual care and responsibility. Lastly, to look without is to evangelize. We are not called by God just to gather together for worship and to edify each other. We are called to bring the good news of the gospel to the fallen world. We must call men to repentance unto God and faith in the LORD Jesus Christ.

It is consistent with the following vision of the church,

A healthy church where love to the Triune God is evidenced by the members' obedience to His word, love and mutual care to the brethren, and genuine worship and devotion to His Name;

where the pride of man is humbled by constantly exalting God's glorious attributes and grace in salvation;

where holiness is lived by fleeing sinful passions and pursuing Christ-like graces;

where compassion for the lost is shown by faithfully proclaiming the undiluted gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit; and

where the expansion of God's Kingdom is carried out by equipping men for the ministry.

That’s why the church faithfully, by God’s grace, equips men for the ministry, that there may be more men in the church who will be proclaiming the gospel to the lost for the glory of God. This is in response to God’s command in 2 Timothy 2:2 that says, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 

It is a long-time prayer of Salitran Covenant Bible Church to be an agent of Reformation in Cavite and beyond; that our broadcasts will have a far-reaching effect: the Herald of Grace Radio broadcast, which is now aired in Cebuano language in Calamba, Mabinay and Dapitan. We were already proactive in posting our sermons on YouTube and Facebook even prior to the lockdown. And it was yielding fruit.

The pandemic that caused lockdown and distress all over the world proved to be an embodiment of Romans 8:28, that all things work together for good for those who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose. Though the world thinks that the pandemic is a disgrace, for the church of God it provides an opportunity to preach the gospel all the more. Truly, the spread of gospel can never be hindered!

Hence, the online ministries of the church started to grow more. We took the opportunity to use the internet to publish God’s word. First, through the Christian Worldview Project. We never expected that this ministry will have a wide reach that God even used international speakers to discuss important topics concerning our faith which gave birth to OFW Community Worship that gathers people from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Ukraine, etc. every Sunday at 10:30PM MNL to worship the LORD even through online. It impacted so many people and have reached people that are hungry to listen to hear the truth. Second is the Theology Check which has become the literature ministry of the church. It’s used by God to produce tracts and Christ-centered writings that have already reached far.

Then comes the local ministries in Bella Vista Mission Outreach and an opportunity to reach kids and teens through our Kids and Youth Bible study online.

What shall we say now? All of these ministries are Soli Deo gloria, that is to the glory of God alone! It is His own doing, we cannot own the glory for even our strength comes from the omnipotent One, our lives came from the Ancient of days and our perseverance comes from the Father’s preserving grace.

Our guest speaker on the celebration of anniversary, Pastor Cris Miranda, preached a sermon on Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.

In line with our theme this year, he began the message by saying that “Only those who truly know God can live a vibrant, biblical church life.“

He taught us that Vibrant and biblical church life is marked by hunger and thirst for worship, and reading and preaching the word of God.

Genuine worship must be objective and orderly. Praise is worship as a response to His greatness and thanksgiving is worship as a response to His goodness. Worship is not about asking but giving praise and thanksgiving in response to God’s greatness and goodness. We must worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

The sermon was a fitting reminder that the life of the church is dependent upon the fountain of life. Since we are worshipping the Living God, it follows that the church is vibrant and alive.

The challenge is to worship and praise God all the more! To be more thirsty of worship and the word for the glory of God! This is our only boast, that we know Him!

Oh, May we say that we want more of Him, more of His Word, more time and strength to worship His holy Name. This is the heartbeat of the church: true worship and the word. There is no life without it.

The LORD did not only bless the church with the faithful proclamation of His word on His special day, the LORD’s day, but also by adding souls to the church. The fountain of God’s grace overflowed in that two sinners saved by grace were accepted as new covenant members, and one of them was baptized.

Oh, what a joy to witness this miraculous work of God of adding to the church those who are being saved! All the brethren who were present at church extended their right hand of fellowship and gladly received and embraced the new members of Salitran Covenant Bible church, followed by a sweet fellowship that overflows from hearts united by God’s love in Christ.

This is a true joy and true fellowship. We are united not because of who we are in ourselves but who we are in Christ who purchased us with His blood and covered us with His righteousness.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!