“IF YOU HAVE FAITH THEN TAKE THE FIRST STEP” (Part 1)
Often, we want to have the whole plan in place before we are willing to take the first step. The problem is that we usually can’t see the entire path until we set out on the journey. You can’t see what’s around the corner until you get to the corner and take a peek.
One of the IT missionaries, Pastor Jeffthy Bacierto had a change of heart when he was only 13 and he started serving God. As he comes of age, the Lord has a greater plan for him. His journey of faith was about to be taken to the next level as his relationship with God deepens.
One day Pastor Jeffthy heard from Bishop “Ding” Brimbuela, who is leading the church he is serving, that there is a seminar in IT Philippines, a mission-sending organization. Pastor Jeffthy had no idea what International Teams Philippines is about, and he had no money to join because he didn’t have a full-time job. But because it is God’s will, Pastor Jeffthy was able to attend the Access 1 Training for two days. He was so inspired by the things he heard. Unfortunately, it took him years before he could join the Access 2 Training which is the exposure trip to other countries.
Subsequently, through Bishop Ding, Pastor Jeffthy had the opportunity to go to Brunei. It seemed impossible for him to go because he wasn’t prepared financially, and he had never been to any other place than the Philippines. But he remembered what Pastor Gani had said during the training “If you have faith then take the first step”. Even though he wasn’t one hundred percent certain, he rather took the first step and decided to go.
It was his first time traveling and he had an unlikely experience at the airport before his flight. He was held off at the immigration office and he was told that he wasn’t qualified to go. The immigration officer kept saying that he couldn’t leave the country. He was interrogated for hours, and Bishop Ding was also brought into the immigration office since he was under his care. Bishop Ding was bombarded with questions as well by the immigration officer. As Pastor Jeffthy sat there, he uttered in his heart with peace “Whatever your plan is, so be it, Lord.” He entrusted that moment to God, and he got through the immigration, and he was allowed to travel after hours of endless questions and dissuasion. “It was indeed God’s will for me to go” Pastor Jeffthy praised the Lord greatly and his heart was full of excitement after that nerve-racking experience at the immigration office.
Pastor Jeffthy was traveling low on cash, but he had faith that God will provide for Him because it was His will for him to go. God let him pass through immigration so he’s confident that God will take care of him while he is in a foreign land. True enough, Pastor Jeffthy had an amazing time in Brunei. He was able to learn about the culture and he met different kinds of people to whom he was able to pray and minister. Then as he was about to go home, he found himself with over baggage. He didn’t have any extra money to pay for his excess baggage, but he had nothing to worry about since the Lord came to his aid. One woman came up to him and handed him money which was worth 1,000 pesos. She told him that God told her to give it to him and she left after giving it to him. Pastor Jeffthy had enough money to pay for his excess luggage and he was so grateful to God and thanked him with all his heart. “Thank you, Lord, for fulfilling your promises to me” Pastor Jeffthy added. He returned to the Philippines with a great testimony to share and a grateful heart.
As you can see, God is in every heart of those who trust in Him. He is not limited by time and place because He is eternal. He encompasses both time and place because He is eternal, and He is omnipresent. Praise God, whose might is like no other, and whose faithfulness surrounds Him!
To be continued…
Philippians 1:21
For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
(Written by: Venus Jablo)