by Ptr. Miziel Zonio
Reading of the day: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Great Pyramid of Giza.
Taj Mahal in India.
Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
What comes to mind when you hear these places? Iconic buildings. Impressive structures. Architectural marvels. Great Builders.
Many individuals throughout history have made significant contributions to the field of building and architecture, leaving behind lasting legacies.
With mankind’s long history of building, I can say that deep within each of us lies a builder.
Whether it’s the physical act of constructing buildings or the invisible work of building relationships, or personal growth, we are all builders. And this desire to build reflects the God who created us.
God is the ultimate builder. In fact, He is the builder of all things (Hebrews 3:4).
He is not simply a God who just lounges in heaven, just watching us and commanding us what to do. Far from it! Since the beginning, He has been building.
Christ is also a builder. When he was here on the earth, He did not only teach; He also built. He built relationships. He built our salvation. And He built His Church. And when He built His Church, He made sure it was sturdy, withstanding even the forces of hell. (Matthew 16:18)
And in building the church, God doesn’t intend to build it on His own.
The building God has called us to build and to work with Him (1 Corinthians 3:9).
We are called to be Kingdom Builders! (Matthew 6:33)
And just like any other projects, it takes consistent effort, hard work, and sacrifice in order for it to progress and expand. We do not see a building rise overnight. And that is the same with the growth and expansion of the work of God.
This is especially true if what you are building is of great importance. Be it a structure, or something intangible, it’s imperative that you consider every aspect of the project. Consider the costs, effort, and potential challenges.
Consider the materials with which you build. Will the friendship be built on lies, a skyscraper built with hay and straw? Or will you build with trust, or with strong materials like steel and concrete?
The materials you choose to build with matters.
Building the work of God requires layers of hard work, bricks of righteous sufferings, prayers as your foundation, and the grace of God as the cement that holds everything together and fills the gaps– those are top-notch materials in building the work of God.
Yet, despite it all, there will be setbacks, delays, and challenges.
This reminds me of our RRB here in Victoria. I arrived in Vancouver in the year 2018, and way back before I arrived, the pastors before me and the brethren already had their initiatives in opening up this extension. It’s been almost a decade of visitation, evangelism, and prayer for this RRB to be inaugurated. We’ve had a lot of setbacks, including some members relocating for work, some members going back home for good in the Philippines due to immigration matters, and the brethren’s work schedule. Yet, despite the many years of hard work, patience, together with countless BC Ferry journeys across the sea, the faith of the brethren in Victoria were continuously being built up.
By the grace of God, last Triple Treat event, almost all of our brethren in Victoria were able to attend.They were able to listen to the Word of God, join the choir, and partake in various ministries– which I believe is a big milestone and a testament of their growth in the faith.
This progress is coupled with great excitement upon knowing that in a few months, there will be a permanent worker set to be sent in Victoria! And soon, we are expecting for this RRB to be inaugurated. Praise the Lord!
Yes, it was almost 10 long years! But when it comes to building the work of God, no effort is wasted. No sacrifice is insignificant because God honours our sacrifices. Every prayer, every act of generosity, every moment of service, every act of kindness to the brethren – God sees it and it contributes to the expansion of the work of God.
To build the work of God is a matter of choice; a decision we need to make every single day.
We must choose to build intentionally, to participate in this great work of God. As Edmund Burke famously said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” We cannot stand idly and hope that good things will happen on their own.
And such is the spirit of our leaders – firstly our late Apostle, Apostle Arsenio Ferriol. We always hear his famous quote, “Palalakihin ko ito!” “I will make this big!” (referring to what God has entrusted to Him).
And by the grace of God, because of His intentionality to build the work of God, fast forward to 50 years, the PMCC (4th Watch) indeed became BIG! Our ministry has reached more than 80 countries! That in itself is a great feat– it was not a walk in the park. It took 50 years of blood, sweat, and tears from the Apostle and those who sought to build the work of God with him.
I remember our Pastors and workers in the church who laid their lives for the sake of building the church.
In 1985, Ptr. Dading Zonio, our first martyr of the PMCC (4th Watch), was persecuted and killed during his missionary journey in Aklan. He was killed by a rebel group in the Philippines– the New People’s Army or NPA. While the NPA conversion was in full swing, it was the same for the preaching of the gospel in the PMCC (4th Watch) Alfonso XII. Pastor Dading went missing for three days. After that, his lifeless body was found just behind a rock by the river, mutilated and brutalized.
On February 11, 1999, Brother Ellee Borcena, our first martyr in the global mission, left home to do his missionary work in Papua New Guinea, but went missing for 9 days. On February 20th, his body was found in a place 3 hours away from where he lived– once again, beaten and tortured.
One of the early church theologians said that, “the blood of the Christian martyrs is the seed of the church.”
He said that, during the height of the persecution of Christians. The blood that these Christians shed, while they were burned alive, fed to the lions, sawed in half, beaten, and thrown into prisons, soaked up the earth, watering and nourishing the faith of the faithful.
Our faithful martyrs in the 4th Watch laid down their lives as the very brick and mortar that built up God’s work in the End-Time.
And as a result, growth and expansion came for the work of God.
Ptr. Dading’s pioneering breakthroughs opened up local churches of Mali-ao, Libacao, and Ganzon. Brother Ellee’s bravery and heroism resulted in the ongoing and flourishing work of God in Papua New Guinea.
The late Apostle said once, that if he could change the last lines of the Philippine national anthem, he would. He said that instead of, “ang mamatay nang dahil sa’yo.” (which means, to die for you), he would change it to, “ang mabuhay nang dahil sa’yo” (which means, to live for you).
Because to live for your faith, is as heroic as dying for your faith.
Some live for their children. Some live for their ambitions. Others for fame, wealth, and power. But to others– they live for something greater than themselves– they live for Christ. Just like Apostle Paul,
Philippians 1:21 AMP
“For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].”
Apostle Jonathan Ferriol lives for the faith. Despite being a family man, he chose to live thousands of miles away from his family, all for the sake of His calling.
His dedication to God’s purpose surpasses even the deepest personal desires. And so, he made the CHOICE to follow the path God has set before him.
The choice to build, to invest in something greater than ourselves, is a great responsibility. It’s a call to dedicate our talents, resources, and time to build something eternal for the Kingdom of God.
Building the Kingdom of God comes in many forms. It might look like personal evangelism after a long day’s work, or losing hours of sleep to attend prayer devotion. It could be your sacrificial giving to the KBP or Home Free Pledge. It may look like a young person setting aside their personal ambitions to enter the AMP or full-time ministry. It might also mean carving out precious time to serve in your ministry, or even humbling yourself, denying your pride and ego, to reconcile with a brother or sister in Christ.
No sacrifice, no matter how small it may seem, goes unnoticed. Every brick you choose to lay in the Kingdom matters. Even when progress feels slow or unseen, when life’s challenges weigh heavy, know that God is using those moments to shape and build us for His greater purpose.
Building God’s work may feel like a long, tiring, and endless process, but we are reminded in His Word that, “our labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Every act, every step, every sacrifice contributes to something eternal–something lasting.
Choose to show up even when it hurts. Choose to build, even if it will cost you a lot. And even when our bodies grow tired and weak, God–the Ultimate Builder has something built for those who also built his Kingdom,
“…the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
(Hebrews 11:10)
“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”
(2 Corinthians 5:1)
Reflection: Will you live for Christ? Will you live for the body of Christ – the Church? Will you build the work of God? What can you do in this Season of Expansion so you can build more?
Leave a Reply