The Indefatigable Man

The Indefatigable Man

Just about dusk, one day in April 1973, a sprightly young man in a fitted polo shirt and faded khaki pants approached an elderly farmer in the field atop the rolling hills.

“Where is Bulan-bulan, San Remigio?” He asked between gasps.

“Approximately 30 minutes by foot, just after the sitio over the horizon,” the man replied.

The fair-skinned lean young man kept walking until past dinnertime when there were but few houses in sight. It was dark all around with some faint light emanating from the gaseras of the nipa huts that dot the sleepy villages he had walked past.

Until finally, at 10 o’clock in the evening, when he was about to collapse due to exhaustion, it was Bulan-bulan at last! Removing his satchel from his shoulder, the young man, still catching his breath, laid down on the side of the hill just beside a giant tree.

“Welcome to Bulan-bulan, Brother Apollo,” a young comrade greeted, his kind face illuminated by the moonlight. Would you mind if we tie your body to the tree while you rest? You might fall off the ravine.”

The weary young man did not answer. He was already fast asleep. He had no chance to have dinner or drink water. He was too bogged down to do other things than the much-needed shuteye. His frail body was sprawled all over the grass until the early morning light of the beautiful village named after the moon, in the town of San Remigio in Antique.

It was just an ordinary day in the life of the young man they call the “Preaching Machine.” He is Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, and since he was a young evangelist, he’s always been an Indefatigable Man of God.

Stories like this filled my countless nights of fellowships with our Beloved Pastor through the years. How he, as a young evangelist, would travel by foot from town to town and city to city to preach the Word of God. He would reach even the most far-flung barangays with no fare, no food, nor cash on him. He would just walk by faith, and go where he is being called without minding his own comfort or security. He is that committed to bringing salvation to the lost.

And the man that we see preaching 24/7 on TV today, still young, vibrant, and full of life, is the same man who would go on for days without enough sleep just so he could preach the Gospel to the poor. He is the same young evangelist who’d put newspapers in his belly underneath his shirt because he was too skeletal, his pants would no longer hold his body.

The eloquent and dynamic world-renowned preacher we know of today is the same young evangelist who’d travel by horse to the highest mountains and the farthest hamlets just so, he could reach the unreached with the message of salvation.

You might scan your TV channels and, at some point, stop by and listen to what he has to say. The zeal, the passion, and fervor go beyond the TV screen. It reaches out to you, catches you, captivates you, and penetrates your heart and soul.

He did not see what we see today – the glitter, the glamor, the fame, and the popularity. All that he saw was nothing but the complete and perfect Will of the Almighty Father.

Had He willed that he remained an unknown preacher dwelling with the indigenous peoples, he’d accept that as the Father’s perfect will. His drink and his bread is doing nothing but His Will. But even when the world did
not see, even when you and I did not know him yet as the Appointed Son of God, our Beloved Pastor, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, has remained steadfast in his calling.

“It’s been mostly walking through long weary days…” as one song penned by Joan Ewing says. But now, “the walking’s about over…” we can now listen to the Message of the Appointed Son of God in real-time.

When he speaks, the world listens. But his passion, absolute commitment, loyalty, and dedication remain just the same. Night and day, he would check the Kingdom estates and see the nitty-gritty of the Father’s colossal works all over the world.

From the building of every edifice to the landscaping to forming values in the hearts and minds of every young Kingdom citizen, our Beloved Pastor is hands-on.

He doesn’t just tell you what to do, he teaches you how to do it. He has time for everything, yes even fellowshipping and talking with the youngest of all workers, comforting the troubled youths, bringing enlightenment to the confused, strengthening and edifying the weak in the spirit, producing more of his likeness.

Sometimes, my heart expands with overwhelming gratitude for having the highest honor of living every single day with the Appointed Son of God.

In close proximity and in his breathing space, I get to absorb from him the timeless words of wisdom and precious Manna of Revelations he delivers to God’s people in due time.

What everyone sees on screen and whenever he is preaching on live TV is not even the half of everything our Beloved Pastor is doing in working non-stop for the advancement of the Kingdom Nation.

The training that he has had in his years of tireless walking and preaching was the solid foundation of the love for souls embedded in his heart. It is the same unfading love and compassion that he had when he trudged the slopes of Bulan-Bulan and reached its summit where thirsty souls had been waiting to listen to what he had to preach.

How does he love souls? He would leave the 99 in order to save that one lost sheep. He would lay down his life for our salvation.

How far will you go to save a dying soul?

Let us ask ourselves this question while we traverse our own paths every single day, as we walk the Kingdom highway and follow in the footsteps of the Appointed Son of God.