Dear Saints,
Our church life here in Cebu City has changed abruptly – from physical meetings of the saints in the big meeting halls or in some saints’ homes into the individual home meetings with their own families or virtual meetings with some other saints via Facebook Messenger or Zoom Cloud Meetings. Many saints, who were passively attending the meetings before have now become active in participating in the virtual meetings.
We could see that in the midst of our pandemic situation, the Lord is ushering us into a new realm of church life – a virtual meeting life without boundaries, that although we are constricted to stay only in our own homes, we have now a broader way of meetings with saints, even with those from the uttermost part of the world. Through the internet, can now have the opportunity to preach the gospel to our friends and relatives, and shepherding the saints, even outside of our localities. Truly, we could declare Romans 8:28 which says that all things worked together for good to those who loved God, to those who are called according to His purpose. And according to 1 Peter 5:10, in our short-while sufferings, God is perfecting us, establishing us, strengthening us, and perfecting unto His glory. May we all come out of this situation, having gained more of Christ, and Christ gaining more of us for His ultimate purpose – the building up of His Body, the maturity of the New Man, and the manifestation of the Adorned Bride.
The Enhanced Community Quarantine in our city is about one month long, and might be extended, if the situation of infections worsens. Being members in one Body, we felt that we should take care of those other members who are in need (1Cor. 12:26). We have prepared some sacks of rice, cartons of instant noodles, and cartons of canned goods to be distributed to them.
Let us all pray for one another for the Lord to preserve us in our spirit, and in our soul and in our body (1Thes. 5:23), and that He may heal His own children for His testimony and for the furtherance of the gospel of His kingdom (Mat. 9:35). Amen.
In Christ,
The Elders in the Church in Cebu City
Source：https://www.facebook.com/churchnews/posts/3017048521650375
