On Faith and Hard Work

It is almost nighttime, and we have to pack up and descend to the Glory Mountain’s base camp. Together with full-time miracle workers, I am finishing off the clearing of the grounds and the pruning of the evergreen pine trees in the higher portions of the Glory Mountain’s rolling hills.

It has been a whole day of serious, manual labor in continuation of what Pastor Apollo started half a month ago before proceeding to his King is Coming Tour.

The view going downhill is breathtaking. Acres of pine trees have become an endless canvas immaculately sputtered with shades of green. These newly pruned fragrant trees, years ago, were saplings lovingly planted by Kingdom citizens across the denuded slopes of Mt. Apo.

Now majestic and imposing, the trees have grown so tall, replenishing and refreshing – giving life and a breath of fresh air to everyone that comes up to the Glory Mountain. Hectare upon hectare has been and is being restored to a world of green, of life, and of hope.

The same scenario is taking place in the spiritual realm.

“A little one shall become a thousand, a small one a strong nation…” words taken from Isaiah 60:22 describes, in no better way, the journey of the Kingdom ministry.

Everything that we now see did not just appear out of nowhere. Blessings did not just come with us praying night and day and waiting for provision to fall down from heaven.

Our faith in the Almighty Father is always coupled with the element of hard work and sacrifice. This we learned firsthand from the Appointed Son of God, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.

Even when our Beloved Pastor is already the Appointed Son of God, he doesn’t just sit around, tell people what to do, and just sleep all day in his room. He rolls up his sleeves and works. And when he works, he works really hard that it has become the norm in the Kingdom Nation that we take after our Beloved Pastor when it comes to excellence and work ethics. He doesn’t sleep as long as there are things that need to get done.

One midnight, our Beloved Pastor was taking a stroll when he saw one broken chair. He called the concerned individuals to fix it. He explained how a single piece of Kingdom property is valuable, and that behind it is the sweat, blood, and tears of one soul that was enlightened by his preaching.

He calls every blessing, every property, and entrustment in the Kingdom Nation as coming from “blood money” that we must value and take care of.

Back in the day, when he had nothing but a hand-me-down Datsun from a missionary friend, our Beloved Pastor took care of his very first car as if it was given to him brand new.

The Appointed Son of God has proven himself worthy of all the blessings that he now has. If our Beloved Pastor were lazy and indolent, the Almighty Father would not bless the Kingdom Nation in such great proportions.

Perhaps, the Kingdom would have been taken away from him. But even in the construction of the Kingdom’s very first sanctuary in Tamayong, the very first nipa hut in Catitipan, and the very first edifice of the Kingdom Ministry, which is the KJC Cathedral, our Beloved Pastor has always been a hard laborer who leads the way.

Even at his exalted position, he rolls up his sleeves and dives into hard labor and menial jobs. He would personally lead the full-time workers in laying down every brick and hollow block on any construction site. He will never sleep until the day’s work is done. And when people wonder why the Kingdom Nation is blessed, it is not just because of faith, it is faith coupled with hard work.

There is not even an iota of laziness in the body of the Appointed Son of God. “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.” Proverbs 10:4-5 (KJV)

During his dinner with the President Rodrigo Duterte over the weekend, our Beloved Pastor asked his friend, “President, do you have a day off?” PRRD replied, “I don’t have, Pastor. My work is 24 hours a day. I need 27 hours every day to get everything done.”

This is the kind of leader our Beloved Pastor admires: a leader who eats and sleeps last, a leader with exemplary work ethics that others can emulate and be inspired with.

When asked what his secret is in producing quality leaders just like him, Pastor Apollo has but one answer – be an example yourself.

By the Appointed Son of God’s shining example, here we are today. A blessed Kingdom Nation of sons and daughters who are not afraid to get our hands dirty if we need to plow the field and leave our comfort zones for the Kingdom interest and advancement.

We are not ashamed to sacrifice. We are not ashamed to be scoffed at because we do honest and noble works embodying our love, commitment, and dedication to doing the Father’s Will, no matter what.

In closing, I would like to share a dream revelation our Beloved Pastor had on September 9, 2008.

In this dream, he saw a big plantation of coffee and bananas. He saw the roots of these crops so clearly. At the end of this plantation was a beach. It was so beautiful to look at.

The coffee beans and bananas signify the humble roots of the Kingdom Nation. These represent the sons and daughters of the Almighty Father. We are valuable in His sight.

“… That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 (KJV)

We are the planting of the Almighty Father. Our feet are firmly planted on the ground. We may reach the highest heights, but we remain meek and spiritual just like our model, the Appointed Son of God who is rooted in deep faith, humility, hard work, and sacrifice.