CBN Asia Newsletter – FRONTLINES (April to June 2021)

Question: Are prayers really powerful?

Answer: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. We can see it in the life of the prophet Elijah in the Bible.

Elijah was a human being just like us. Yet when he prayed for rain, God heard him and answered his prayer!

What’s more fascinating about the story was Elijah’s attitude toward praying: God had already told Elijah that He will make it rain, but that did not stop Elijah from praying. He climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. He bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42). He prayed fervently seven times until a mighty rain poured down from the heavens!

What can we learn from the story of Elijah?

First, pray, because prayer is powerful. When you pray, you are laying out your requests to God but at the same time, you are also listening to Him. When God answers your prayer, you would know it! Elijah kept on praying until he saw the answer right in front of his eyes. So when we pray and ask God for healing, we do not stop praying until we are healed. We do not stop praying until we get the answer.

Second, when you pray, pray in faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. As Hebrews 11:6 says, anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. Jesus is always willing to give His answer to us right now, we just need to come to Him in faith.

So, I encourage you to pray continually. Talk to God all the time! Because every time we pray, we trust that our all-powerful God intervenes on our behalf. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. In other words, keep on praying and the answers will be revealed to you. Keep on trusting God!

Blessings beyond measure,

PETER M. KAIRUZ President and CEO

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Still Doubting

if God Can Heal Your Loved One from COVID-19?

Evangeline Luciño did not know what to do when she first found out that her husband Emmanuel tested positive for COVID-19.

Fear overwhelmed Evangeline at that time. It caused her to momentarily forget that God could take care of her and her family, just like He had done back in 2012.

Evangeline’s family faced a huge financial setback back then.

She and her husband thought that they were well off. Money was not a great concern for them since Evangeline worked as an office assistant while her husband worked overseas as a registered nurse in the United States. Unfortunately, one bad investment wiped out their hard-earned savings in one fell swoop.

It was during that distressing season that Evangeline stumbled upon The 700 Club Asia one evening while she was watching TV. She called the Prayer Center to ask if they could pray for her family’s situation. She was amazed by how a simple prayer rescued her from grief. “Their prayer struck me. I felt so inspired that time,” said Evangeline, who became an avid viewer since then.

Years passed and she never forgot the hope that was instilled in her heart through the show — until the pandemic. Evangeline’s greatest fear came to life when Emmanuel tested positive for COVID-19. Extremely worried and distressed about her beloved husband’s condition, Evangeline remembered The 700 Club Asia. She called the Prayer Center and, once again, was reminded of God’s loving comfort.

Miles away from her husband, all Evangeline could do was to fully depend on God. Their whole family tuned in to The 700 Club Asia for daily encouragement. They sought God relentlessly, and trusted that healing would come.

God heard their prayers and healed Emmanuel! With renewed strength, he has now returned to work to serve in the frontlines — a great reminder that there’s no need to doubt because God does and can heal!

“I am very thankful to The 700 Club Asia for your prayers!

Thank you for inspiring stories and encouraging prayers, you helped relieve my worries. I was assured that Jesus would never leave me!” Evangeline said.

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You Helped

Rekindle a Mother’s Love for God The pandemic has taken a devastating toll on Christine Quilala when she lost her job due to the community lockdowns. Just when she thought it was the worst thing that could happen to their family during the crisis, life delivered another blow: Her husband got kidney failure and had to undergo a major operation.

“It was so difficult. I felt like a boxer who had to endure life’s unending punches,” the mother of two shared. “It was so stressful — I experienced anxiety and depression.” With her kids to take care of, a husband who needs continuous medication, and a hospital bill that amounted to more than two hundred thousand pesos, Christine struggled to make ends meet.

Christine found God’s encouragement on CBN Asia’s flagship program, The 700 Club Asia, and called the Prayer Center. “I felt God’s love that time! It’s really a wonderful feeling when someone prays for you,” she recalled. Christine was moved to open her Bible and recommit her life to Jesus.

And though it took some time before they recovered from all their financial hurdles, Christine’s rekindled love for God gave her the courage to move forward in life. He surrounded Christine with people who helped her settle the hospital bills and her children’s tuition fees! When her husband came home from the hospital, she ventured into online selling and her ube cheese pandesal became a hit!

Christine knows deep in her heart that, among all the blessing that has come her way, the greatest blessing is encountering God again. “It felt like I was born again,” she said. “Thank you, God. Thank you so much, Prayer Center! I thank God for using you as an instrument so people would know Him and would be reminded of His love.”

God met Christine even while she was at the lowest point in her life, and He will do it for you too!

Thank you for supporting CBN Asia. More people like Christine have found help and prayer support through our ministry. If you’re going through something difficult, allow us to encourage you through prayers. Call us at 8-737-0700.

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3 Practical Tips

to Disciple Your Kids Help your children discover the saving love of God and their purpose in life!

Here are three ways to start discipling kids to help them grow in their faith: 1. Focus on Jesus

3. Pray for them and with them

Take every opportunity to point your children to God in everyday moments. Remember how God has been loving, patient, and kind to you. Reflect that love to your kids as you guide, discipline, and lead them to Jesus.

Start small by teaching them how to pray every morning and evening. Set up opportunities to worship God together then slowly add them to your everyday routine. But as you pray in faith, know that it is God’s work to save them. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts and for the gospel to transform their lives.

2. Teach by example Discipling your children is not a one-time thing.

It is a daily and life-long process of growing in God so you can show your children how to walk with Him. Teach them how to pray, give, love, forgive, and help those who are in need through your example. Take the time to explain how and why learning these qualities are important.

If you are looking for a great way to spend time with your kids and point them to Jesus, Superbook is here to help you! You can now watch Superbook Classic and all Superbook Season 1 episodes for FREE on Batang Superbook’s YouTube Channel. For more Bible stories, download the Superbook Bible App on Google Play, AppStore, or Amazon.

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Transforming the World

through God’s Love Your love continues to reach out to the most vulnerable, even as the pandemic continues to disrupt the lives of many Filipino families. Here are some of the ways you lift your kababayans out of their hardship, through your partnership with Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines.

Love for tribal communities There are no mountains too high, no rivers too rough when it comes to sharing God’s love to our indigenous kababayans!

The Operation Blessing and Superbook teams, with the support from Philippine Army, off-road volunteers, and church partners, brought relief to the Aeta community in Tarlac.

The residents of Sitio Baag and Sitio Manibukyut received much-needed relief such as food items, blankets, hygiene kits. The teams also brought the Aetas solar lamps and devotional materials to spark hope and light to their homes.

The kids were in for a treat, too! They went home with heartwarming smiles after receiving Superbook coloring books, art materials, clothes, and snacks. But more than the material relief, all the beneficiaries received words of encouragement and prayers from the team.

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They experienced God’s love through your faithful giving!

Love for Taal Volcano eruption survivors One year after the Taal Volcano eruption, the effects of the disaster still linger on survivor Janet Orlanes and her community. It has been a rough 2020 for them, with more crises following the life-changing disaster that uprooted them from their homes..

“First, we faced the volcanic eruption. After that, the pandemic. Then, Typhoon Quinta.

How can we recover if tragedies keep on happening?” cried Janet, lamenting the seemingly unending challenges they experience since last year.

That’s why it is a huge relief for them that Operation Blessing continues to provide recovery efforts that help affected families get back on their feet. Janet and other residents in Batangas received construction materials so they can repair their homes. Hundreds of fishermen got screen wires to rebuild fish cages while others received livelihood assistance to repair their boats.

“God used Operation Blessing to help us. You are indeed a blessing to many!” Janet shared.

Love for jeepney drivers Some jeepney drivers in Caloocan and their families had to endure hunger during the pandemic because they couldn’t go out to work. They struggled to pay for necessities like food, housing, and medical care. Those couldn’t pay rent were even forced to leave their homes and live inside their jeepneys.

Thanks to your commitment to alleviate their suffering, Operation Blessing provided muchneeded food packs to jeepney drivers in Maypajo, Caloocan City. The team also offered prayers and words of encouragement to help uplift their spirits during this very challenging time.

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Trusting God

Against All Odds Where do you find hope during hard times? Lea Anyayahan’s hope lies in God. Lea was hopeful, even when she had to leave home to work in faraway Norway so she could give her children a better future. She spent her vacations back in the Philippines so she could be with her children. However, on one trip home, she started suffering from lower back pain and an excruciating pain in her lower abdomen.

Then one night, Lea’s pain got so bad that it overwhelmed her. She could not move nor sit comfortably. Worry crept in as Lea remembered that it was the same pain she endured when she was diagnosed with urinary tract infection years ago, “I was in so much pain. I was worried that my infection recurred and worsened,” she said. “I could not take the pain any longer.”

Thankfully, watching The 700 Club Asia became her daily habit since 2010. She would also send her prayer requests to its Facebook page whenever she needed comfort. And to her surprise, the hosts prayed for viewers who might be suffering from lower back pain. Lea knew that that very specific prayer was for her. “I claimed that prayer and when I tried to move, the pain was gone!

God healed me!” she shared.

In awe of the instant and total healing she received, Lea decided to support God’s ministry. But giving became extra challenging because their family lot will soon be foreclosed. Though they need a huge amount of money to get it back, Lea trusted that as she gave, God would take care of her needs.

True enough, God surpassed Lea’s expectations. Her friends and relatives helped her take back their land. If you are going through hard times, Lea has an encouragement for you, “I always say that God is so good! It is wonderful to live for Him because He is so kind and faithful.”

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Will You

Pass the Blessing?

Inspired by the stories of missionaries, Joy Go responded to God’s call to support them. She sent her support by giving generously through the Asian Center for Missions (ACM), CBN Asia’s missionary arm. Her budding love for God’s ministry continued to flourish when she enrolled in the Kairos training course of ACM and she eventually pledged to give to ACM every year.

But like many givers, her faithful giving was tested when the pandemic razed the country.

She is a businesswoman, and the crisis made it difficult for Joy to lead her garments and supplies shop in Dumaguete City. “It’s so hard to transact with our suppliers. I am worried because time passes by and we are having a hard time meeting our due dates,” Joy shared, anxious about the situation of her business and employees.

Despite financial setbacks, Joy realized that missionaries also needed financial support now more than ever. She continued to care for them by donating to ACM. God also enabled her to pass the blessing and relief items to her staff. She also helped house helpers, tailors of rugs, and street vendors who are reeling from the pandemic’s impact.

“I really want to connect to the work of the Lord. In crises or abundance, giving is my kind of worship,” Joy said, emphasizing the joy she found in giving to God’s work.

If you want to pass the blessing to God’s missionaries, visit www.cbnasia.net/acmgive/.

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From Silent Grief

to Unspeakable Joy Derly Panganiban and her husband experienced one of the worst tragedies any parent could ever go through – the loss of their unborn child due to ectopic pregnancy.

It happened so fast that it left the couple reeling from their loss. Derly could not bear losing their second baby and the tragedy left her traumatized. She quietly grieved for her baby. The pain consumed her and she could not see the light at the end of this season filled with regrets and fear.

“It was so painful. I loved my child and I thought I took care of us very well.” Derly lamented, “But now, my baby is gone.” She blamed herself for the tragedy and wondered if their marriage could even survive. “What would my husband think?” She worried, “What if his love for me changed?”

Even in these dark times, Derly still believed that God saw her brokenness and somehow, she knew that He could heal her shattered heart. Her relationship with God became her strength during this very difficult time. She didn’t know when or how but she knew that in the midst of her tears, she would find hope and peace.

Thankfully, Derly came across The 700 Club Asia the exact moment the host prayed for a woman who just underwent a medical operation and doubted if she could still bear a child. Encouraged by the prayer, Derly believed that if it was God’s will for her to get pregnant again, it would happen. “I had new hope,” she shared. “I entrusted everything to God.” A few months later, Derly found out she was pregnant again! She successfully gave birth to a healthy baby girl and named her Shekinah, because she is a symbol of God’s presence in their lives.

“I want to thank The 700 Club Asia for allowing God to use your program in giving me hope,” Derly said. “God healed my heart through your show. Our baby gives us immense joy! She is a huge blessing from God.”

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Looking for Something

to Binge-Watch on YouTube?

Here are some great films to see for FREE! As the pandemic continues, many Filipinos are spending more time at home. And if you are looking for something to binge-watch as you spend time with your loved ones, CBN Asia brings you Tanikala Rewind – a YouTube marathon of its previous Tanikala offerings.

Tanikala is CBN Asia’s made-for-TV films that bring real-life stories of transformed lives every Holy Week. You and your family can catch these inspiring, heart-tugging, and truly extraordinary films that starred top-caliber artists!

Take a trip down memory lane and have an inspiring movie night! Tell your friends to catch Tanikala Rewind so they, too, will be encouraged. Subscribe to CBN Asia’s YouTube Channel (youtube.com/cbnasia) and click the bell button to never miss any update.

See you on YouTube!

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