Bro. Eddie Villanueva

Message to Fellow Servants in the Vineyard of our LIVING GOD

Exceedingly Lasting Blessed Days, Weeks, Months and Years to all our beloved JIL Genuine Disciples of CHRIST JESUS!!! My beloved fellow servants in the vineyard of our LIVING GOD – as we are waiting upon the Rapture of CHRIST’s Church In this “Last Day” of the Last Days of our journey here on earth, our Great Faithful LORD strongly prodded me to give “periodic Sacred Reminders” to all children of GOD especially to all JIL People scattered in Four Corners of the World. The Universal Church of the Living GOD–of which the JESUS IS LORD CHURCH WORLDWIDE, a ministry born in the heart of GOD, is a part of–is divinely mandated to gloriously Execute/Implement the GREAT COMMISSION handed down to us by our LORD JESUS CHRIST to all NATIONS of the Earth! GOD is expecting us NOT to leave a single stone unturned in expanding the Kingdom of GOD here on Earth through the massive EVANGELIZATION AND TRANSFORMATION OF ALL NATIONS OF THE EARTH! “And this GOSPEL of the Kingdom will be preached in the Whole World as a testimony to all Nations and then the end will come!” (Matthew 24:14). Beloved, Apostle Paul reminded us- Not to look unto the right nor to the left but just LOOK UNTO JESUS, The Author and Finisher of our FAITH! (Hebrews 12:2); “The Spirit clearly says in the LATER TIMES some will abandon the FAITH and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons!” (1 Timothy 4:1); “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, Lovers of Money, Boastful, Proud, Abusive, Disobedient to their parents, Ungrateful, Unholy, without Love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, Treacherous, rash, conceited, LOVERS OF PLEASURES RATHER THAN LOVERS OF GOD—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them!” (2 Timothy 1:1-5). Last but not the least in this initial set of periodic Reminders put by our precious marvelous LORD HOLY SPIRIT in my heart- “A Good Name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold!” (Proverbs 22:1); “He/She who overcomes, will like them, be dressed in WHITE, I will never blot out (or erase) his/her name from the BOOK OF LIFE, but will acknowledge his/her name before My FATHER and His Angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES!” (Revelation 3:5-6). Praying and believing and expecting that in this Last Chapter of the Last Days of our Earthly Journey, all of you my beloved fellow JIL Disciples of Christ will overcome all possible obstacles and temptations and deceptions schemed by the devil who was already destroyed by the HOLY BLOOD of our LORD JESUS CHRIST shed on the Cross of Calvary (Hebrews 2:14) AND eventually emerge as MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS WHO LOVES US! (Romans 8:37). Congratulations Victorious Servant-Leaders!! “Well done Good and Faithful servants of the Most High GOD! You have been faithful with few things, I will make you InCharge of many things! Come now and enter into the Presence of your Master!” (Matthew 25:21,23). Take care and the BLOOD-COVERING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE UPON YOU ALL AND UPON ALL YOUR LOVED ONES! GOD’s BEST BLESSINGS ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN BE UPON YOU ALL IN JESUS’ HOLY MIGHTY MARVELOUS WONDERFUL NAME!!! SHALOM! SHALOM!! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

Love & Prayers,

Bro. Eddie & Sis. Dory

Be Still

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Tough times had hit us in the past week.

Super typhoon Rolly whipped the nation last October 31st leaving blown-off roofs, causing flash floods, power outages, damage to infrastructure, blocked roads, almost 400 thousand evacuees, and even some dead people due to catastrophic winds and rains. Rolly hit the main Luzon Island particularly Catanduanes, Albay and Manila. And while the storm was still wreaking havoc the next day, a fire at night razed the 400 homes in a fisherfolk community in Bacoor, Cavite reclamation zone. It took four hours before the fire was put out.

These ordeals are indeed heartbreaking and we are sending our heartfelt empathy to our affected brothers and sisters. We pray for their immediate recovery from the losses they suffered and wish to offer uplifting words from the One we can trust in times like this.

Psalmist David sang to the Lord, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.” (Psalm 57:1).

We can always count on the mercy of God. Peter encourages us to “Give all our worries and cares to God, for He cares about us.” (1 Peter 5:7)

We must not think twice in coming to God for He will attend to our cries. As written in Psalm 107:28-30, “Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble. And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.”

To all my countrymen, let the current challenges lead us to heed Psalm 46:10, for the Lord is saying, “Be still, and know that I am God!” Deep and true knowledge of the real God will let us pass through different calamities in life and still be able to come out triumphant.

Shalom! Shalom! God bless the Philippines!!!

Pray for Davao

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Yesterday night, a blast killed 14 people and left 60 wounded, at the very least.

My fellow Filipinos, that blast was surely heard by God. But I believe that more than the booming sound, His ears are pierced by the cries of the casualties and the wails of the bereaved.

Therefore, I am calling out to every nation-loving, God-fearing Filipino, during these trying times, let us all believe that there is a God who hears, who sees, who feels. Let us come to Him, with our hearts joined in prayer–that there may be justice for the dead, healing for the wounded, comfort for the bereaved, and peace for Davao and the whole nation.

Then, for us who are unharmed by the bomb, after joining our hearts, let us now join our hands and stand for them who were harmed. Once again, as we have done countless of times before, let the spirit of bayanihan arise. Let the Filipinos rise again, together.

Shalom! Shalom!

BRO. EDDIE C. VILLANUEVA

Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide

President and Spiritual Director

DECLARING HIS ABOUNDING PROVISIONS, EXALTING JESUS

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Greetings of joy—especially to every father there is!

This month, we are celebrating the strength of a father—a strength that is determined not by the tenacity of his muscles, but by the great love he has for his family. Reality dictates that sheer power will be exhausted, but not love. In the words of St. Paul, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13, emphasis added)

As I myself am a father of four, love is the reason why I have endured countless back-breaking tasks and many strength-draining jobs. Love is also the reason why I did not mind, even after a whole day’s work, carrying and running after my children when they were young. And love is still the reason why I stay up late or, even, travel countless miles, just to give my children advice, now that they are already facing problems of their own.

Because that is just how it is for us, fathers. In the name of giving our family the best life that they could have, we would do anything and everything.

Now, if we, fathers, love this way, how much more our Father in heaven? Matthew 7:11 says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (NKJV)

In the same way that our children depend on us, we, too, can depend on the Father—and most trustingly! Because while we would do anything and everything for them, we could not do everything.

But our Father in heaven CAN. For His love never fails, even His strength never fails. Because He Himself never fails: He whose very hands formed us into being; He who not only parted the Red Sea, but also made the seabed dry; He who could make food and fire fall down from heaven; and He who would just say,“Be healed,” and people would get healed from all kinds of diseases.

But the ultimate proof lies in Romans 8:32, which states: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

In our direst condition, the Father came to our rescue—no, He even went below the verge of any human and logical comprehension by giving His one and only Son, that we might be lifted from the dark pit of death and eternal damnation! With this, what could the Father not do for us? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Therefore, whether you be a father who feels tired and stressed; or a fatherless who feels all alone and all forsaken, do not forget that there in heaven, watching over us, is a Father who never sleeps, never tires, never leaves, never fails.

God bless us all and God bless the Philippines!

Statement of Bro. Eddie Villanueva

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Statement of Bro. Eddie Villanueva on reports linking son Joel Villanueva to the PDAF scam.

“As father to Joel, I am in grief over the persecution my son is suffering because of reports linking him to the Priority Development Assistance Development Fund (PDAF) scam.

Joel has fought battles in the past against what he saw were ills of the political system and the misdeeds of some officials during the Arroyo administration. But never before he has been accused of committing any crime or linked to any anomaly or wrongdoing.

It is frustrating that he had to defend himself now against attempts to besmirch his person.

He is not a saint, but i can fully attest that he will never steal people’s money.

All his life, he is guided by the Christian values inculcated in our family. Integrity is our greatest wealth.

As Proverbs 22:1 says “a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches”.

THERE IS HOPE

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Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva’s Message on Super Typhoon Yolanda

My heart aches with grief as news of the Super Typhoon Yolanda overwhelm us with shocking images of devastation – towns with nothing but rubbles and ruins… infrastructures wrecked beyond repair… dead bodies lying cold in the streets… fathers, mothers, and siblings mourning the loss of one or all of their loved ones… survivors of the storm now clueless on surviving the next couple of days.

With this great damage that has beset our country by the “strongest storm ever known to make landfall and the fourth strongest storm ever recorded in the world” according to Weather Underground co-founder Dr. Jeff Masters, this is not the time to blame anybody. This is the time to CONNECT –

To one’s self. My beloved Filipinos who were gravely affected by this storm, this might have been your toughest battle yet. But I urge you, get back up again. Fight on. Despite the seeming helplessness and hopelessness surrounding you, this battle can be won. For we are a people in whose veins run the blood of heroes. We are fighters. We are victors. And as we have done so many times before, I know that you WILL win this fight. Just don’t give up.

To others. Now to us who were unscathed by Super Typhoon Yolanda, let us not only link our hearts in sympathizing with them. Let us link our hands in service to them. Yes, Filipinos are fighters. Our kababayans in Visayas will surely come out of this storm strong. But they need help… our help. Let us not fail them. Let us join them in this fight. Let us win this fight together.

To God. Brothers and sisters, may we not forget that while staying strong and helping one another are important, these could only do so much. This storm is far beyond sheer human strength. WE NEED GOD. With one voice, as a nation, let us cry out to Him. For He is the God who hears AND answers. He will surely come to our aid and lift us out of this situation.

The whole Philippines – even the world – is in great mourning. We have barely escaped an earthquake. We are not even recovering. And then this storm hit us. We are broken, even crushed. But one thing we know: More than any of us, the God of love – the God who IS love – cries the loudest. Seeing us in such a devastated situation as this, His heart bleeds for us. He could never delight seeing us in shambles. Because two thousand years ago, that same God bled on the Cross for each of us. To save us. Will He not save us now?

My beloved countrymen, God is for us. THIS IS OUR HOPE.

BE SAFE, IN HIS PRESENCE

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Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva: Personal message on the tragic earthquake in Visayas

We share in the sorrow of our fellow citizens – our fellow men, women and children – who now grieve for the loss of their mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, children and loved ones. We share in the horrors that the tragic earthquake has brought in its wake: children buried alive inside buildings, historic landscapes and cherished places of worship razed to the ground, homes and workplaces shattered… everywhere chaos as people run in fear and panic and deaths continue to toll with every aftershock. A trauma meant for a dozen lifetimes condensed in a few minutes of unforgettable terror.

The earthquake that hit Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor and its neighboring islands recently has hit our country hard, once again. Many local and international experts are describing the strength of the earthquake as being ‘like 32 Hiroshima atom bombs.’ As of the most recent count by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the death toll has already surpassed 150 and is still counting, with more than 3 million people in more than 1,000 villages affected by the initial tremor and its equally deadly aftershocks.

Needless to say, cost-wise, damages are in the millions. Heritage-wise, priceless. Security and relationship-wise, devastatingly irreplaceable.

Now, more than ever, is when we need God.

Today, more than ever, is when we should set our differences aside – of whatever nature they may be – and come together as a united people before His throne of grace.

This is the moment, more than ever, when our prayers should be heard, when our hands should be linked in solidarity and our hearts should be beating as one, for the sake of our suffering countrymen.

This is the time when the Body of Christ and all genuine lovers of our God and nation should labor side-by-side that our beloved country may rise again from the depths that this earthquake has dragged us.

For this is the truth of the matter: there is no specific place in this world that is truly safe. We will all be ultimately hurt. And we will all, in at least one point in our lives, hit our rock bottom in complete helplessness.

Be safe, in God’s Presence. It is only in His arms that we can find true refuge.

It is only in the arms of Him who looked at man’s sinfulness and, instead of wiping them out and creating a new race, He left His majesty, was born flesh and blood and suffered among His creation that He may die for them and save them.

It is only in the arms of Him who sees injustice where the law is blind, who sees oppression where society has grown numb and who sees worth in the lowliest castoffs of civilized man.

It is only in the arms of Him who knows us better than ourselves – our secret hurts, our most shameful thoughts and most disgraceful deeds, our little hopes, forgotten acts of kindness and fondest dreams – that we can entrust the full weight of our souls, knowing that He is both able and willing to hold us, regardless.

Of course, there is no harm in taking safety precautions; it is the smart thing to do. It is what any sane person would do. But even as we enforce precautionary measures upon precautionary measures, we must remember that they are just that – calculated actions for caution. They are never really guarantees. We can as easily get hurt by an enemy as by a friend that we trust with our lives; or devastated by an illness caused by existing vices like smoking or drinking, as by cancer that came out of nowhere despite a lifetime of healthy living; or even wounded by standing in a corner as by daring death in extreme sports.

Thus, instead of searching for what, let us search for Who. Let us search for the Loving God who is knocking at our doors as He calls out––

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Stop holding tight to the burdens that life has thrown your way, He is inviting us to come to Him and––

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

There is no one – no matter how greatly burdened – that He will turn away!

To all who come to Him in complete surrender, His loving arms are ever open, for the Lord our God declares––

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.” (1 John 4:9)

As a people, let us all work together to rise above the horrors of the past few days.

As men and women and children who yearn to run to a safe refuge, let us all run to Him, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let us all BE SAFE, IN HIS PRESENCE.

Bro. Eddie’s Principles in Ministry

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The Jesus Is Lord Church is born from the very heart of GOD.
The LORD JESUS CHRIST is the sole Owner of the JIL Ministry. Brother Eddie and all JIL pastors and leaders are mere stewards of the LORD. Thus, nobody can ever destroy or abolish the JIL Ministry from the surface of the earth without first contending against the Living GOD.
No one is indispensable in the Ministry except JESUS CHRIST.
All pastors and leaders may be removed from the Ministry if they choose to become traitors to GOD and to the VISION entrusted to the Ministry.
No one is being forced to serve in the Ministry.
If a pastor no longer believes and trusts the JIL Leadership, he/she should leave in peace, for GOD’s exit door is widely open for him/her. JIL Church only welcomes those who are CALLED, CHOSEN AND FAITHFUL.
All JIL pastors and leaders must be seekers and living testimonies of GOD’S Visions and Biblical Principles.
All JIL pastors and leaders must know and learn by heart the glorious Visions that GOD has entrusted to the JIL Ministry as well as the Biblical Principles which Brother Eddie has imbibed from his daily devotion of GOD’s Word. Careful study of these Visions and Principles will assure their glorious prophetic destiny.
All JIL pastors and leaders must be visionary people of GOD.
The JIL people must be people who renew, review and internalize in their hearts and minds, write, declare and speak, and most of all, live by the GOD-given visions of JIL as they serve in the Ministry. They must do their best to help fulfill the Mission, Vision and Core Values (MVV) GOD has given to the JIL Ministry. They must also keep in mind that even if their bones and bodies be pulverized, these are not enough to pay for the supreme sacrifice that CHRIST has done for them on the Cross.
Every JIL pastor and leader must make it his/her mission to constantly be GOD’s faithful servant.
A JIL pastor must constantly remind himself/herself that GOD can always raise up the right people to fulfill His Glorious Mission and Vision for the Glorious ministry of the JIL. Therefore, he/she must endeavor to be faithful to GOD and His mandate in order to avoid disqualification in the ministry. He/She must not in anyway hinder the fulfillment of the JIL Mission and Vision.
No one should seek money, fame or power in the Ministry.
If a pastor or leader just wants to gain money, he/she should not look for money in the ministry and must rather go to business; if he/she wants popularity, earthly honor or applause of men, he/she should enter show business or the entertainment world; if he/she wants power per se and authority over men, he/she should enter politics. However, Christians should not abandon GOD’S will for His people to do great exploits in business, politics and in all sectors of the entire society as part of GOD’S Kingdom Dominion mandate to the Church.
All JIL pastors and leaders must have integrity in money and all possessions.
No pastor or leader should have undue interest over GOD’s money, resources, assets and properties in the JIL Ministry, not even Brother Eddie, who is the principal protector and trustee of GOD with regard to these resources.
Every JIL pastor and leader must stand firm against all forms of temptation.
No JIL pastor or leader, who has allowed himself/herself to be trapped by the devil in the lust of the flesh and greed for money and power, can remain a worker of the JIL Ministry.
Any form of discrimination without God’s justification is injustice and must therefore be rejected.
No JIL pastor or leader must initiate even tolerate any form of partiality in the Church, family and society. He/she must always be a zealous proponent of equality and justice, following the perfect example of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
The quality of our life in eternity depends on the quality of our obedience and faithfulness in serving GOD here on earth.
No JIL pastor or leader must sell his/her eternal rewards in exchange for any amount of money and even the entire wealth of this world. He/she must always remember and live out the words of Bro. Eddie: “This world is too poor to buy my convictions and principles.”

Measured by Motive

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Friends Magazine Hong Kong
By Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva
April 2013 Edition

Author of the classic book, Imitation Of Christ, Thomas à Kempis worded it rightly, “Man sees your actions, but God your motives.”

If there is a measurement against which our actions ought to be judged, it has to be the touchstone of our motive. Because motive, by definition, is “a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious.”

This validates why, even in criminal investigations, authorities often primarily seek to establish the motive for the commission of a crime. On a lighter note, yet by the same token, we tend to become circumspect too toward people who suddenly do out-of-the-ordinary things for us. Ask a mom whose teenage son, totally uncharacteristic of him, suddenly offers to do the laundry just because!

* * * * *

In the Old Testament, there are two occasions in Prophet Samuel’s life wherein God exposed the power of human motive. And in these two occasions, God showed how, like a two-faced coin, motive has the power to ruin or restore – not only individuals, but also even nations.

When the time came for the LORD to avenge the Israelites against the Amalekites who blocked Israel’s way after the Israelites came from their Egypt exodus, He sent Samuel to King Saul with the following order: Attack Amalek. Claim everything they have for God by destroying it. Spare no one and nothing – even the cows and sheep, camels and donkeys (1 Samuel 15:3).

King Saul did as instructed. Well, almost.

“Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality” (1 Samuel 15:7-9, NLT).

Confronted by Prophet Samuel on why he didn’t carry out fully the command of the LORD, King Saul reasoned with Prophet Samuel that he spared Agag and the best of the spoil because they will be sacrificed to the LORD.

To King Saul’s army, his outward action may seem justified, even commendable, but to the LORD who weighs the motives of the heart (Proverbs 21:2), it was a detestable act of disobedience, even rebellion (1 Samuel 15:22).

“Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So BECAUSE YOU HAVE REJECTED THE COMMAND OF THE LORD, HE HAS REJECTED YOU AS KING” (1 Samuel 15:23, NLT, emphasis mine).

This should serve as a serious warning to us. “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit” (Proverbs 16:2, ESV).

Meanwhile, when it was time for Prophet Samuel to anoint the successor of King Saul, he went to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to pour oil on the head of God’s chosen one.

When Jesse’s muscular firstborn stood before Prophet Samuel, he immediately thought: “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”(1 Samuel 16:6, NLT)

Yet just as soon as the thought came to his mind, God’s Word came to his heart: “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, NLT).

One by one, Jesse’s sons were called out to stand before Prophet Samuel until the verdict was made: “The Lord has not chosen any of these. Are these all the sons you have?” (1 Samuel 16:10-11, GWT, emphasis mine).

Alas! The forgetful father was put in remembrance! “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats” (1 Samuel 16:11-12, NLT).

By our standards, it can be said that it was not the best beginning for a would-be-king! But God does not see as humans see. He is not impressed by what usually catches our fancy. He weighs the motives of the heart.

* * * * *

It is not for us to say whether an endeavor is a success or a failure, based on our limited and warped definition of success and failure. The story of King Saul and the Israelites tells us that success is not simply winning a war; it is winning the LORD’s approval by doing everything He commands. On the same note, King David’s election story tells us that being disqualified by one’s own father as a potential future king is not an outright failure or rejection. David was blessed that, while others saw him as a mere shepherd boy, God found him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22) and worthy of the throne.

We should never be afraid to “walk on water” if the LORD tells us so. We should never be afraid to “let down our nets for a catch” even though we have only been through a night of unproductive fishing. We should never be afraid to wholeheartedly obey God in all things, and at all times, even when the results of our obedience do not match our expectations.

After all, “God will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every secret thing, whether it is good or bad” (Ecclesiastes 12:14, GWT).

BESMI Graduation

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THE “PASSIONATE BATCH” MARCHES

It all started last May 2011 after successfully passing through a screening comparable to the “eye of the needle.” And it ended with a march last March 17 at the Prayer Garden in Bunlo, Bocaue, Bulacan. Finally, after 10 months of academic and on-the-job training, the first batch of the Bro. Eddie School of Ministries International (BESMI) had their graduation rites.

BESMI’s pioneer 82 students are now known in the Jesus is Lord (JIL) Church Worldwide’s history as the “Passionate Batch.” For these students, passion means to love and serve the Almighty God faithfully and without reservations. Regardless of the cost.

The road travelled

The graduation rites marked the end of BESMI Stage 1 or the Training Stage. During this stage, BESMI students defied distances and circumstances and literally travelled miles, crossed the seas and braved the weather. They left their families for a while. Many also took a leave from work and a number opted to resign from their jobs! All these to heed God’s call.

Being BESMI students had sacrifices, yet they did not falter.

Their BESMI journey began in the classrooms with teachers who had extensive Ministry experiences. These teachers were led by no less than the JIL Spiritual Director and International President, Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva. Other teachers were JIL International Vice-President Dr. Dory Villanueva and members of the JIL Executive Management Board (EMB): Ms. Joni Villanueva-Tugna, Rev. Joey Crisostomo, Rev. Bobot Bernardo, Rev. Domeng Rivera, Rev. Alex Garcia, Rev. Virgie Hernandez, Ms. Soc Garcia and Sis Edith Mendoza. JIL pioneer pastors, Ptr. Dino Tobias and Dr. Amor Adela also joined the roll of teachers.

Through classroom lectures, BESMI students were equipped with fundamental Biblical and theological knowledge. They learned more about God and the Church and they grew in their understanding of service and ministry. These classroom discussions motivated them to serve God more passionately and in many instances, these discussions turned to be sessions for intimate encounters with God!

After the equipping in the classrooms, they were commissioned to on-the-job trainings in JIL Churches where they exhorted, preached and ministered. This experience made them understand what it means to be pastors and ministers of God.

Actual field work for evangelism then followed. They ministered outside the confines of the church. They planted trees, fed children and ministered to poor communities in Bulacan. They also ministered to our brothers and sisters in the Correctional Institution for Women and in Marikina City Jail. And they prayed for the cancer patients of the Philippine General Hospital.

To wrap everything up, the Training Stage held a two-day Culmination Camp/Holy Spirit rally last February 24 and 25, 2012 where the students underwent a spiritual confinement. Challenged to a higher level of service, they recommitted and rededicated their lives in service to God and to the JIL Church.

The road ahead

But their BESMI journey does not end here. This June, selected graduates will be progressing to Stage 2 or the Categorization Stage where they will be trained and honed according to their gifts and calling: Bible teachers, pulpit ministers, evangelists, missionaries, church planters, or pastors.

For the Passionate Batch, the finish line is still a long way off. But, passionate as they are, they will carry on regardless of the cost. Their battle cry, after all, is “to finish the race and complete the task” God has given them (Acts 20:24).

This is BESMI Batch 1. Faithful and unreserved in their love and service to the Almighty God. PASSIONATE.

The 82 graduates, with guest speaker Bishop Leo Alconga and his wife, Sis. Elsie Alconga, BESMI Director, Rev. Joey Crisostomo, and EDD Director, Rev. Bobot Bernardo.

The Passionate Batch, with Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Dr. Dory Villanueva, together with guest speaker Bishop Leo Alconga and his wife, Sis. Elsie Alconga, BESMI Director, Rev. Joey Crisostomo, and EDD Director, Rev. Bobot Bernardo