My Life as a Living Sacrifice

by Albert B. Gran
(6/54 Thanon Chidwana Maesod Tak Thailand)

Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ from Maesod,Tak border.

My life’s story was a pure dedication to our Almighty God whose name was greatly to be praised. In view of trust in godly ways I was therefore glad to relate for your knowledge about my conversion with my ministerial experiences for the Lord’s service.

Enclosed also were the fundamental beliefs commensurate for practical living and Christian service. These are my guiding principles in accordance to God's perfect plan and purpose.

MY SPIRITUAL BIRTH and BELIEF:

I was born in a Christian family where Christian characteristics and godly life was the upbringing patterned after my parents. My father was a Pastor while my mother was a public school teacher yet every individual must came to realize why each person needed to be saved, must know the real sinful nature of our being and convinced that we're all eternally lost.

Unconsciously before faith came I thought Christian way of life was just a traditional and a kind of social orientation without significance and motivation. Occasionally, I've been with my father during church member's visitation witnessing what's about ministering people and sharing beliefs for edification.

I remembered there's a district youth fellowship in Overland province of Bohol where my spiritual birth begun. On the night before day's departure there was an evangelistic crusade attended with a huge crowd of invited people. The preacher took the occasion by proclaiming the efficacy of Jesus Christ's cross-work emphasizing how it's done on my behalf in perfect motivation of His great love.

It made me realized how essential to respond by faith about His offering for my salvation and how His plan shall direct my wonderful destiny in life. During the altar call I came forward without doubt and hesitation with tears of joy and acknowledgment for the precious gift of salvation He gave me.

At that time I perfectly understood that Jesus is our life and we got to magnify Him in everything we do and in every place we are. That event was my rebirth and that falls when I was twelve years old.

After secondary education it made me decide to choose what's the best career I must achieve hoping to have a good future in this world so that when I grow up and raise up my generation at least I could share to them good legacy worthy of emulation.

Though I have passion to pursue my secular education, I decided to take up Theology course at the International Grace Bible Institute, Ozamis City, Phils. There I learned fundamental doctrines such as the:

1. Preservation of the Bible which for me it's verbal-plenary inspiration and therefore inerrant. An inspired Word of God preserved from generation forever which truths are authoritative for faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16).

2. The Trinity which I believed that God co-exist in a tripartite being as the eternal Father, Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one (1 John 5:7).

3. Virgin Birth of Christ - Jesus' birth shows an extraordinary, unique and the most special one. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and was born of a virgin (Matt.1:23). This incarnation account was supernaturally influenced to show the dual-nature of Jesus as a God-man. It's a perfect replica for someone who was sent to be our Savior and Redeemer.

4. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the God-head. He has a personal characteristics to be grieved, touched and has the role for sealing, identifying the members of the Body of Christ into the family of God, baptized (1 Cor.12:13),and strengthen the believers life with its fruits. It comforts, heals the broken-hearted and anoints anyone for the service destined unto.

5. Salvation - The perfect demonstration of God's love was carried out by His beloved Son Jesus Christ in His incarnation until the culmination point which is the cross-work. Such account was intended to be the sole basis for our justification which was to be responded by faith. It's the grace of God that could give us assurance when we believe apart from the merits of our personal good works and abilities (Eph. 2:8-9).

6. Christian Walk - Every believer was bought with a costly price thus it made significant to glorify God through our body. Our body was also a temple of the Holy Spirit. The characteristics of our new life in Jesus shall be made manifest in our daily walk as someone who was raised with Him in glory. In this reason we have to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God which is our reasonable service until He comes. (Rom.12.1, 1 Thes.4:13-18).

7. Rapture of the Church - The hope of every believer was therefore aimed at the appearing of our Lord and Jesus Christ. At this event the dead in Christ shall rise first from the grave then we who are alive which bodies shall be changed into the glorified one. We shall all meet the Lord Jesus Christ and we'll be with Him eternally in the heavens. (1 Thes. 4:13-18).

So far these are for me the fundamental structures aside from the eschatological issues. Maybe I'll discuss these theological issues in a separate form however what most significant so far in the relay of my personal faith suffice to show you my personal conviction which I believed relevant to our standard of faith.

MINISTRY EXPERIENCE:

After my graduation in the Bible School, I was ordained and worked as a full time Pastor in Gov. Village, Estaka, Dipolog City, Philippines for two years. It's nice to inform that prior to my full time assignments I was already destined to several city assignments thus it didn't make me a problem as I was accustomed to the lifestyle and living with of course views for life's city ministry. As life in the city went through, I was challenged also to pursue a secular degree while some of my members encouraged me to take the opportunity to harness my knowledge skills and abilities aside from the spiritual insights embodied my personal make up.

While serving the Lord I also took the opportunity to avail a degree course by taking up Bachelor of Elementary Education and by God's grace I finished it in October, 2000 in my other service assignment at Iligan City, Philippines. Our Christian organization in the Philippines was not so established like the other organization that's why I promised to myself not to be burdensome of my members thus I did a self-supporting and voluntary ministerial service. It came that my father died then year after I got a job in the teaching public service, got married and have kids.

I served in the Department of Education, Philippines for almost 8 years while I also became a Pastor in an independent church at Union, Ubay, Bohol. There I found good life with children but the opportunity led me to Thailand first for employment since I found economically unstable in the employment service in the Philippines.

However my desire for a mission work inspired me to decide gaining the adventure in the land of Thais. I believed that the Lord shall find us ways. I got a job in teaching then was assigned in the far flung area of Maesod, Thailand where majority of residents were refugees from Myanmar.

I believed the Lord sent me and my family here for a Christian mission. Last August, 2009 I founded a Home of Life Ministries, Inc. a Burmese children's organization designed to develop the holistic life of every child in the aspects of moral, spiritual, physical and educational development with the core objective to disciple them for Christ.

Our ministry started with only 4 children until we came up with 40 children. Their parents are not Christians and some of them were traditional Buddhists. But we thank the Lord because some of these parents show Jesus' testimony in their lives and they started to join and have fellowship with us. As an organizer which was touched by their infirmities my heart was sometimes hurt seeing their needs especially Burmese family visitation occur.

The striking point in my life is my present condition after I lost my job. Before I can do a self-supporting service for the ministry because my family was financially secured through my income but when it was gone our future here was doomed humanly speaking. But my great trust and confidence to the Lord inspired me to continue the testimony and the ministry which I’ve started.

I didn't lose my great hope even in spite of this real scenario in my life my unfeigned faith always holds on to His promises. I just lay everything to the Lord. I don't know what comes next but right now I acclaimed that there is joy in serving Jesus.

This is the recollection in so far as my life with Jesus in the border of Maesod, Tak, Thailand was used.

I would be very glad to share with you my testimony that still awakes me from midnight until dawn.

Thank you very much for the opportunity. God bless us all.......



In Jesus name,

Pastor Albert B. Gran

HOME OF LIFE MINISTRIES, INC.
Thanon Chidwana, Maesod 63110 Thailand
e-mail:betcherjay@yahoo.com/Skype ID: betcherjay.gran
Contact No. +66 836300893