Our lectures in Bacolod started this morning with about 100 in attendance at the same venue used last November. Though the number in attendance is down from our last lectures, the interest seemed to be very high. The composition of the crowd seemed to be about 25% of Christians and 75% denominational members, mostly preachers.Jack Jaco led the audience in several songs to begin the morning session. I then preached on “The Principles of Restoration” from the time of Josiah (2 Kings 22-23). We saw that Judah had fallen into disobedience because of their ignorance of God’s word and that restoration could only take place by returning to God’s law and obeying all of it. We made applications about the need to do the same thing today. Jonathan Carino followed with a short lesson on “The Sum of Thy Word Is Truth” showing the need to hear all that God says on any subject, not just part of it. Afterwards, I began the series of lessons on “The Work of the Holy Spirit” by preaching the first of three parts. That lesson
examined background principles learned about the work of the Holy Spirit as shown in the Old Testament.After lunch, we again started with a period of singing hymns. My second part on “The Work of the Holy Spirit” dealt with the purpose and duration of miraculous action. The attention during the lesson was very good, but shown in varying ways. During most of the lesson the crowd studied the points and compared them to the Scripture very carefully. The vast majority of the crowd continued to do the same throughout the lesson. However, a few Pentecostal preachers became very agitated as the lesson made application by contrasting the so-called “miracles” of the Pentecostal world with the true miracles of the Bible. They were also very upset as we spent some time on 1 Corinthians 13
showing the intended cessation of miraculous action with the completed and confirmed revelation of the gospel. After some rather rude displays, a few of those Pentecostals left, but the rest continued to study with great interest. John gave the last lesson of the afternoon on “The Identity, Nature, Work & Worship of the Church.” It was a very full and extensive lesson that was excellent in its clarity and simplicity.We ended our time with an hour long question and answer session. The questions mostly centered on the church. Several questioned why Jesus would purchase the church with His blood if that church did not yet exist. Some tried to suggest the church was merely a re-purchased church that existed in the Old Testament. A number of other questions dealt with whether one needed to be “baptized again” if already “baptized” into a denomination. Each
one was given a Bible answer and allowed follow-up until the questioner was either satisfied or unable to refute the passages given. The session ended with one man (evidently a city official of some kind) who gladly expressed his thanks for finally finding the truth for which he had been searching over 25 years. All in all – a great day!When I checked my e-mail at lunch, Ron Halbrook had sent a post saying his problems with getting his visa are continuing and now he is unable to arrive in the Philippines until Monday night. Ron had intended to be teaching on Calvinism during this lectureship, but had to delay his departure because his passport with the visa was still at the Philippine consulate. If that were not enough of a problem, our State Department stepped in to further complicate and delay the process. We thought he could join us on Saturday and help preach in the afternoon of our Saturday schedule. Now, he will be unable to join us for the entire schedule in Bacolod, which lasts through Sunday, and also prevented from taking part in the lectures at Iloilo. So, we have had to change our plans for
the remaining schedule here in Bacolod and Iloilo. Today, I preached or answered questions for a total of about 5 hours. The schedule tomorrow may require that I preach for over 6 hours since we will start earlier. Please pray that my voice will hold up for this schedule followed immediately by the preacher training program in Tuguegarao with its grueling schedule.Another problem is raised by Ron’s inability to come to Bacolod or Iloilo. My original cost estimate for the trip was based on splitting the costs of our scheduled lectures and other work at these places. Now, those costs have doubled. Ron has expressed his desire to help with some of it, but I know he is out a great deal of expense in having to change travel reservations twice and other unexpected cost. I was short by about $300 of receiving the amount I initially requested. It will be necessary to put some of my unanticipated expenses on a credit card, as those expenses must be paid at time or service, and hope for some help to meet them on my return.
Thank you again for your help and interest in this work. I wish each of you could be present and see for yourself the work being done. You are giving these people the opportunity to do (some for the first time and others only a few more times) what many of us take for granted. As the gospel is proclaimed and these people’s questions are answered with simple Bible references, they are being faced with the question of what they will do. I do not know what their answer will be or if any will obey the word. What I do know is that we are fulfilling our responsibility to spread the seed. That is our duty regardless of whether all or none respond in obedience. I trust God will give increase in His time. From the bottom of my heart, I want each of you to know how much I appreciate your help in making it possible for the truth to be taught in this place. In the words of the song, you have taken part in mentioning Him to those in this far place. Though they are far away with many different customs, they have souls as valuable and precious as any other. May God bless and keep you all as you serve Him.
Brotherly, Harry O.
