[24] Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. [26] For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? [27] For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:24-27 KJV) We were often told that the measure of one's success in life is when you are able to fulfill the will of God in your life. With this, we know that there will be sacrifices to be made in order to follow the Master's plan. But what does it really mean to let God lead your life?
Dennis Ebert came from a simple family in St. Joseph Missouri and lived most of his teenage life in Wichita Kansas where he studied elementary and high school. In 1961, he joined the US Marines and got the chance to explore some parts of the world such as Japan, Philippines, and California in 1963. It was after he returned from the Marines where his life began to change. In the same year, Dennis Ebert met Gloria Winkle. Not long after, by the grace of God, they got married in 1964. In the year 1965, Dennis Ebert surrendered his life to God to work full-time in the ministry. In 1966, he entered the Bible Baptist Church and became a Bible Student while raising his growing family. Several years later, the Eberts decided to leave Kansas and head to Austin. There, they became a family of seven, having five boys. It was not an easy start in the ministry, but it is written in the bible that all things work together for good to them that love God. It was by the grace of God that they were sustained and given strength to face the trials of life, especially being servants of God. In September 9, 1979 the Eberts first set their foot as missionaries in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Fred Null, who established Bible Baptist Church of Mandaluyong and co-founded Bible Baptist Seminary, was physically unable to continue his mission in the Philippines. In 1981, Missionary Null retired and returned home to the US. This was now the start of the Eberts' leadership of the school following the request of Missionary Null. In the year 1982, they moved to Manila where Dennis Ebert officially took over as President of what was now called the Bible Baptist Seminary Inc in 1983, fulfilling his first responsibility to legally identify the organization of the school, while Pastor Primo Tabanda was the Vice President. It was the beginning of their many wonderful works for the Lord. By God's grace, Bible Baptist Seminary has been used tremendously by the Lord to produce great people of God who have been trained and helped build many churches that continues to spread the gospel. It sure took a lot of sacrifices having to leave their homeland and settle somewhere else in order to continue the work of the Lord. Celebrating 43 years of their missionary life in the Philippines also means celebrating God's calling in their lives and being able to fulfill them by His grace. To Missionaries Dennis and Gloria Ebert, we, your brethren from Gospel Bible Baptist Church, would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being an example and an inspiration to many believers. Thank you for allowing God to use you as a channel of blessing to all the lives that you have touched. May God keep you in His protection and guidance as you come back home to your motherland. You are a blessing to us and the many generations of Bible Baptists in the future. Thank you for your faithfulness in serving God and obeying His highest calling. Special thanks to Bro. Jolo Aguinaldo for helping the writer gather the information needed for this article. /written by: Em Gacad
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