In John 5:1-17, we read: "Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man  who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.’ But he replied, ‘The man who made me well said to me, "Pick up your mat and walk." ’ So they asked him, ‘Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?’ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.’ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, Am working.’ "

I have often been asked questions such as: "What is El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI all about?" "Why are thousands of people flocking to your prayer rallies, happily dancing and singing praises to the Lord despite the scorching heat of the sun or heavy rains?" "What moves them to attend the numerous El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI prayer rallies being held, even in the provinces and at odd hours?"

As I came across our Gospel today, I found the answer in verse 17, which reads, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, Am working." I realized that this El Shaddai movement is a manifestation of God’s work, which shows that the Lord is really busy! He is always at work with everybody—24 hours a day!

I would like to share with you some of the things that the Lord is doing:

First, the Lord is busy knocking at the door of our hearts. In Revelation 3:20, the Lord says: "Here I Am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me." When we are faced with family problems, diseases, afflictions, financial crises and hopeless situations, Jesus is actually knocking at the door of our hearts.

Once, a lady came to me for some advice. With tears in her eyes, she told me, "A few months ago, I had debts amounting to P1-million. So I could pay for it, I asked the Lord to help me sell my house and lot for P3-million. In return, I promised to give Him 10% of the sale as my love offering. Praise the Lord, I was able to sell my house and lot for P3-million and settle all my debts! Then I realized that the 10% (P300,000) that I had promised the Lord was such a big amount, so I told myself that I would just give P30,000 instead. But still I did not give the P30,000. Soon after, I began to notice that my children, who had been so good all these years, became disobedient and disrespectful towards me. Now, I am deeply troubled with all my problems. And, worst, all that’s left of my money is P30,000. What shall I do, Bro. Mike?"

This is not the kind of life God intended for us! He states this clearly when He says, "...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

In times of trouble and trial in our lives, just like this lady’s experience, the Lord knocks at the door of our hearts, inviting us, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Second, the Lord is busy watching over us. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we read, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him...." The eyes of the Lord see everything from Manila to Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Norway, Australia, UAE, USA, Canada, and throughout the whole world. But, "...the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer... but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (1 Peter 3:12). If we do what is right and trust in the Lord, He shall always be upon us, watching over us—because He cares (1 Peter 5:7).

In San Francisco, there was a lady afflicted with cancer. She came to know about this ministry through the voice tapes of our Mass and Healing Rallies sent by her 

relatives in the Philippines. She kept writing me to ask for prayer. But with the thousands of letters from prayer-partners all over the world being sent to my office in Manila, I confess, I can not read them all. But with unwavering faith the woman prayed, "Lord, if only I could meet this servant of Yours in person, I believe my health will be restored!"

On July 12, 1995, we went to San Francisco to attend the fourth anniversary of our Los Angeles chapter. After the rally, I and my wife, together with some of our co-workers, went to a mall. As we were entering a department store, this lady saw me from a distance. She tried to catch up with us, but ended up talking with one of our co-workers from New York who had stayed behind to wait for us. The lady asked her if the man who just passed by was Bro. Mike. "Yes, he is Bro. Mike," our co-worker replied. Then, the lady started crying. When we returned after an hour, she was still crying. Upon hearing her story, I told her, "Sister, according to your faith, your prayer has been answered!" Indeed, the eyes of God was upon that woman all the time and He heard her prayer. I believe our meeting was not an accident. God works for the good of all of us, wherever we are. When we are down and lonely, we must not forget that the Lord is busy watching over us, willing to help us in our troubles and to supply all our needs. He wants to show us that He is strong, powerful and faithful!

Third, the Lord is busy answering our call. According to Jeremiah 33:2-3, "...he who made the earth, the Lord Who formed it and established it—the Lord is His Name: ‘Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ " These verses show that we have a ‘hot line’ to God, especially when we are in trouble. A fervent prayer said in total surrender, with the firm belief in the miraculous power of God, touches the heart of God.

It is written in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20, "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’ but in Him it has always been ‘Yes.’ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God".

Here is a testimony by one of our sisters whose prayer has been answered because she firmly believed that with God nothing is impossible.

Sister Lina de Guzman, a Filipina OCW and a prayer-partner in Taiwan, had been hired by a Buddhist employer, Chi Cheng Pi, who was suffering from several ailments––brain tumor, ulcer, liver disease, kidney trouble, and hyper-tension. The doctors had given up hope, saying that her employer barely had a few days to live. But Sis. Lina, calling upon the Name of the Lord with all her heart and holding on to God’s promise that nothing is impossible to those who believe in Him, prayed over her employer. Then, she anointed her head with oil and laid her handkerchief, with Psalm 91 printed on it, over her body. After a short while, Chi Cheng Pi was healed of all her afflictions.

Fourth, the Lord is busy sending out His disciples to proclaim the Good News of Salvation, and confirms it with signs, wonders and miracles. 

In Luke 9:1-2, 6, we read: "When Jesus called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick... The disciples left and travelled through the villages preaching the Gospel and healing people everywhere." Until now, He is continuously sending the people He has chosen to Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, USA, Canada and everywhere, to proclaim, mightily and boldly, the Word of God. And wherever the Gospel of the Lord is proclaimed, Jesus confirms it with signs, wonders and miracles!

I would like to share with you the manifestation of God’s power through the miraculous healing of Blaine de la Cruz, a month-old baby from Macaspac, Gerona, Tarlac, Philippines. She had a cancerous lump which appeared on the right side of her head when she was only four days old. The attending physician told her mother that the disease was incurable. But her mother, who is a prayer-partner, did not lose hope. She brought the child to the Amorsolo office and a disciple prayed for the child. After a month, the cancerous lump disappeared! The baby was completely healed!

Another outstanding testimony of God’s miracles is the healing of Sis. Odeli of Australia, who was sick of bone cancer. She attended an El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI prayer-meeting. While a disciple was preaching the Good News of Salvation, the lady groaned in terrible pain. Sensing her agony, the disciple 

prayed for her healing, and she was instantly relieved. She started singing and dancing for joy! When she had her scheduled medical check-up, the doctor was surprised to find that all her examination results were negative!

This is what God has been doing during the eleven years of this ministry. People from all walks of life—drug addicts, alcoholics, gamblers, the broken-hearted, those afflicted with diseases or burdened with trials in life—come to attend the El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI Mass and Healing Rallies to listen to the Word of God. Because of the life-changing power of the Gospel, they have received healing of all their afflictions and deliverance from the bondage of sin and vices! And these same people, who have experienced the goodness and love of God, have offered their lives to the Lord by proclaiming the Good News to bring back souls to His Kingdom. And, thus, it is written, "Then the disciples went out and preached [the Good News] everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it" (Mark 16:20).Fifth, the Lord is busy opposing the proud and giving grace to the humble. We must always remember that our knowledge, wisdom, health, wealth, strength, and everything we have came from God. And so we have nothing to boast about. In Luke 18:14, Jesus tells us that "...everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Furthermore, in Daniel 4:37, we read, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of Heaven, because everything He does is right and all His Ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble." If we want to be of service to the Lord Jesus Christ, we must allow the Word of God to enter our hearts. Whatever position we have, whether in the government, church, school, office or community, let us do our tasks faithfully, wholeheartedly and with humility. For humility brings wisdom, honor, and wealth to every man.

It is written in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him." Let us remind ourselves that we are nothing before God, but if Christ is in us, we will have everything we need in life!

Sixth, the Lord is busy pouring out His Spirit on His people. " ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people...’ " (Acts 2:17). Do you want to know who are the people of God? In Romans 8:13-17, it is written, "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him, we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory."

We are the people of the resurrected Christ—the Living God Who knows what’s on our mind, what we need, and what is best for us! We need the Spirit of the Living God for us to understand His plan in our lives. He will give us strength to overcome evil and make us truly God’s children. No matter how much we try, we can never be righteous in the eyes of the Lord, unless the Spirit is with us! By the power of the Spirit, we can love even the unlovable, our enemies, and those who have done wrong against us. Those who do not have the Spirit of the Living God with them believe that there is God, but they simply cannot believe that God answers, hears, loves, provides and heals us.

Seventh, the Lord is busy protecting us and providing us a way out of our troubles. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we read, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." This is my story of how I was first called to serve through this ministry. In February l978, I was confined at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City for surgery of an enlarged and blocked heart. Before I lost all my strength and hope, God Almighty intervened and sent an angel to my hospital room. An hour past midnight, she came to me and said: "Mike Velarde, I’ve been watching you for the past three weeks. You are down and worried, for fear of a heart attack. But if you will allow me I will open the Bible beside you, and I will show you a way out of your predicament. Just read it over and over, and I assure you, it will help." And with that, the angel opened the Bible to 1 Corinthians 10:13.

As I was meditating on this verse, my fear completely disappeared! Courage and joy were resurrected in me, and a new life began! The following day, my doctors were surprised to find the sudden positive change in me. I checked out of the hospital a week later, with a new and healthy heart! This God I am sharing with you is the One Who gave up His only begotten Son on the cross in His love for us. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! He is the One who helped me in all my troubles, and He is ready to help you today! If you believe, He can change your life—now!

I’d like to share with you three things you must do in order to experience the power, love and goodness of God.

1. Submit yourself to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you. How do we recognize the works of the evil one? His works are exposed in Galatians 5:19-21, which says, "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God." If the sinful nature is still with you, you’re under the power of the devil. So, don’t ever allow the devil to enslave you!

2. Open the door of your heart and let Jesus Christ of Nazareth come in. We open the doors of our hearts through admission, confession and repentance of our sins. Let us tell Him: "Lord, I’m sorry for my sinfulness all these years. I am casting out the spirit of fear, anxiety, envy and hatred from my heart. Today, I will forget all my ill-feelings, forgive my enemies, and start to fall in love with them." In Acts 2:38, it is written, "...Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." If we allow God to come into our hearts, He will always be with us wherever we go. If we truly have Christ in our hearts, we shall be filled with His joy, peace, gentleness, patience and self-control.

3. Do whatever the Word of God is telling you to do. James 1:22-25 says, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does." If you want to be blessed, healed, promoted in your job, or have your prayers answered, listen to His Word and do what He tells you. God will bless you in whatever you are doing, according to His Word. You will experience the joy of loving and serving God. Whoever you are, no matter how sinful you are, He is ready to forgive and forget all your sins, answer your prayers and provide everything you need! He will heal you, save you, and give you a new life! He will nourish you spiritually and lead you along the way.

"Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Let us pray together:

Lord, forgive me for having sinned against You and my fellowmen. Cleanse me of all my unrighteousness with Your Most Precious Bood! I open my heart to You. Fill me with the Spirit that I may live according to Your ways and experience the joy of my salvation. Lord, I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ, stretch forth Your hand and touch my heart. Grant healing to my mind, spirit and body and deliver me from the bondage of sin and vices. And I claim, in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the answer to all my prayers. Yahweh, I praise and thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness, for the new life and strength. Above all, thank You for my salvation—in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.