Preaching in Baybay

Our schedule for today’s preaching took us out of Baybay to work with a small church in a rural area. By “rural,” I do not mean that was just separated by physical distance from the city, but also by style and practices. The dwellings in the area were almost all made of bamboo and thatch. The fragrant scent wafting over the area left no doubt that the crops had been very recently and heavily fertilized. It was also obvious that having a white American to visit was an oddity for those of the area, especially the children. (I know how a goldfish in a bowl feels.) The little ones especially wanted to touch my arms, evidently to see if the white rubbed off.

After checking out of our hotel, we loaded up in the van at 8:30am to head south of Ormoc. To get around in areas where no brethren have reliable transportation, we rent a van and driver to take us to the venues. Jonathan makes those arrangements as he can communicate in the dialect and can get a better price as a Filipino than I could possibly get as an American. (When the average Filipino sees an American, the price of whatever is being sold goes up four-fold or more.) For today’s journey to Baybay and on to Tacloban, he was able to find a new van and its owner to drive.

It is usually a drive of about one hour to drive from Ormoc to Baybay. This morning, it took about half of that time. It seems our driver mistook me for a NASCAR owner and was auditioning to be a race car driver. Only two things need to work for this guy’s vehicle – the accelerator and the horn. Both received liberal use today. On the way to Baybay, our driver moved to pass another van which must have been driven by his twin. On roads that are safe up to 45mph at most, we were stuck in the left lane of the two lane highway with traffic oncoming quickly as these guys had a drag race at about 70-80mph. It was a long day of riding with this guy, though that may be good since I was convinced at several points that it might be over rather quickly.

Once we arrived at the building of the small congregation with whom Juanito Escuadra labors, we immediately started with the preaching. The first lesson was again “Salvation and the Seed, the Gospel of Christ” with some fundamental points on authority. About 95% of the audience understood little or no English and the vast majority were Catholics. We changed our lessons significantly to meet those needs. I abbreviated my presentation of the sermon and Jonathan then used my charts to go over the lesson in some detail in the local dialect, Cebuano. In an effort to get as much material as possible before the audience, Jonathan then presented a lesson on the church before we broke for lunch.

During the lunch break, brother Juanito’s wife informed me that their daughter had given birth yesterday. The little girl was lying on the bed all wrapped up in a blanket and knit cap. I was informed that the child was being named “Hara” since I had come to visit. I gave my deepest apologies to the child and headed back to the building.

In the afternoon session, I taught a lesson on “New Testament Baptism” that dealt with the subject in detail as Juanito had requested. Jonathan then took my charts and presented it in detail using the dialect. Brother Juanito extended the invitation and Jack Jaco led “I Surrender All.” One man responded to the invitation and was baptized into Christ.

Since we had a two hour drive to Tacloban, we took off immediately on the road in an effort to get there before dark. Amidst the constant panic punctuate by moments of sheer terror from the driving, I caught quick glimpses of scenery in the countryside that were remarkably beautiful. The lush green mountains and beautiful valleys as we crossed through the middle of Leyte wer sights I had never seen before. As we got closer to what they call “the Pacific side” of the island, there were also stunning views of the sea. In the midst of all the splendor of the natural display, there were the striking examples of deep poverty so prevalent in this country.

Despite the best efforts of our driver, we arrived safely in Tacloban without hitting a single motorcycle, tricycle, car or truck – though we closely examined a large number. What a day!

Preaching on Leyte - Ormoc City

After about 3 hours of rest, we began the lectures held at a function room here at the hotel where we are staying in Ormoc City. I would estimate the attendance at about 75 or a little over. The crowd was about half made up of non-Christians while the other half were member of different congregations on the island of Leyte. Again, several denominational preachers were among the number as well as a preacher from an institutional church here in Ormoc. Though I do not believe this audience was as attentive and perceptive as yesterday’s gathering in Bacolod (the liberal preacher was the most discourteous and disrespectful of the group), they listened to the teaching and showed some favorable signs.

The morning session began with the lesson on “Salvation and the Seed, God’s Word” with an added section on how to establish authority in religious matters. The next lesson was What I Written in the Law? How Do Your Read It?” from Luke 10:25-29. Jonathan gave the last lesson on “Are We Saved by Faith Only without Works?” This was a more in depth form of the lesson than he gave the previous day.

After the lunch break, I presented a lesson on “The Church” showing several characteristics of the church built by Christ and seen in the New Testament. Jonathan then gave a lesson on the nature of baptism. Since this is an area where Cebuano is the main dialect, Jonathan preached mainly in that dialect because it is his native tongue. I gave the last lesson on Salvation, Saul and the Thief on the Cross.” The audience showed signs of understanding the main points of when Saul was saved, how that conversion serves as an example to us and why the thief on the cross does NOT serve as an example of our salvation. After the lesson, a question/answer period was offered, but no one had questions.

Willie, the local preacher here in Ormoc, extended an invitation after the lessons, but there were no visible responses.

The Lord willing, tomorrow we go south to Baybay and work with the congregation in that place. It has been small and struggling for some time and we hope to reach new prospects with the meeting this time.

Monday Lectures in Bacolod City

Today, our venue was on the third floor of a building directly across a side street from our hotel. We had 104 registered in attendance. We had expected and prepared for 60, so we had an additional expense with the venue and printing for handout, but we were happy for the added hearers. More than 30 in attendance were denominational preachers. There was one Muslim in attendance – a man that Jack had debated 2 years ago. There was also a medical doctor who had heard about the lecture and was very attentive to the teaching throughout the day. In fact, the crowd for today’s lectures was almost entirely a new crowd from what we have had in previous visits. In my estimation, this is the best quality of a crowd I have seen here in Bacolod.

I opened with an introductory section on the word of God being the seed that produces the new birth and salvation in Christ. We then went immediately into a lesson on “Feeling versus Knowing” from 1 John 2:1-5. The purpose of both lessons was to get to the point of how we can know what is acceptable to God in religious teachings and practices. Without a basic foundation of what constitutes authority in religious matters, it is impossible to determine what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. John closed out the morning session with a lesson on “Are We Saved by Faith Only without Works?” It was an excellent lesson getting to the point of the need for obedience to please God.

After a very rushed break for lunch, during which we had to get our bags and check out of the hotel, we resumed with the afternoon session. I took the entire time for the afternoon beginning with a lesson on “Confusing the Issue” based on Jesus’ exchange with the lawyer in Luke 10:25-29. The point was to show that we can easily understand what is necessary for our salvation today just as the lawyer could in his time. So, the differing doctrines taught today are not due to the impossibility of understanding God’s word, but due to those “seeking to justify” themselves just like that lawyer. We noted in brief form several doctrines popularly taught in the religious world that are clearly denied by Scripture. After that, we went immediately into the lesson on “Salvation & Saul” showing that Saul was saved at the point of water baptism. The remaining time was taken up by a question/answer period that gave more opportunity to emphasize the teaching already done.

Jack gave some closing words of exhortation and extended the invitation. Four came to be baptized – 3 women and one man. The man, Chris, was a Baptist preacher who graduated from the same Baptist Bible College that was attended by Jack Jaco and Shem Tapagan before their conversion. Chris had been at two previous lectures I have had here in Bacolod. That Baptist College has repeatedly warned their students not to attend our lectures, making many of them more curious to hear what we have to say. We appreciate their help, albeit unwitting in nature. The medical doctor also asked Jack to talk with him further because he was very interest in the things he heard. It seems that he may be very near obedience of the gospel as well. In all, it was a very good day!

As a follow-up to yesterday’s report, the pain has left Jack Jaco at this time and he has insisted on continuing in the work. He skipped to appointment for an ultrasound today and says he will get it upon his return one week from today. Please keep him in your prayers.

We also got word from James Berden in Escalante City that 8 were baptized on Sunday! All had been present to hear the gospel at the lectures we held there last Thursday. James was excited by the response and we were thrilled to hear about it!

I rushed to get this report off from the airport in Bacolod, but the wifi internet connection had no internet access. As I write this, we are scheduled to leave here in 30 minutes, flying to Cebu, where we will catch a ferry 2 hours later for Ormoc City on the island of Leyte. Our ferry will arrive at 3am tomorrow morning so that we can begin all day lectures there at 9am. Please keep our travels and work in your prayers.

P.S. We are now at Ormoc City on our Tuesday morning and checked in to our hotel where I finally got internet access.

A Great Lord's Day

It has been a joy to start this trip with the stay in Bacolod, having Jonathan Carino and his son, Christopher John (most call him “John-John,” but I fondly call him “Chris”), as my neighbors in the hotel and my morning associates at breakfast. As many of you know, my love and respect for Jonathan is great because of his selfless work in the Lord’s service. Jonathan is the one upon whom I depend to plan out my trips over here and to work out the logistics that must be arranged. It is a joy to start each day with a time to enjoy his company. This has been the first time Chris has joined us on a trip and it has been a special pleasure to have him with us. He is on break from college at this time and is showing great interest in the work of preaching the gospel. It had always been a dream of mine to have a son that became active in this work of evangelism, so I am glad for Jonathan and the cause to see Chris preparing to step into that place for the next generation.

The first schedule for this Lord’s Day was in Victorias City with the congregation where Jack Jaco and his family labor. I preached on the “Life of Joseph: Lessons from an Example of Faithfulness.” Jack summarized the lesson into the dialect. We then had some singing, prayer and Scripture reading before Jonathan preached on “Are We Saved by Faith Alone?” After the study, we commemorated the death of Christ in the Lord’s Supper and had the collection. 

Jack then gave some words of exhortation and extended the invitation. Four young people responded to obey the Lord and confessed their faith. After the services, they were baptized at a pool nearby. I later found out that the three girls and one boy were now living with one of the families in the congregation after the father of the children, a Philippine Intelligence officer, vanished leaving them orphaned. (It is presumed that the man was killed by drug lords or other enemies of the state.) The lady of the adoptive family has been teaching the gospel to the children and they all made the decision to obey today. After their baptism, they all showed the true joy that comes with salvation.

After the worship, I had the opportunity to be with Jack’s family for a little while. Adel is always so welcoming and hospitable that everyone is immediately at ease in her presence. It is always a joy to see her infectious smile! The girls, Shammah and Shalom, are now grown young women, who are both working as nurses. We made an agreement years ago that they are my “nieces” and they call me “uncle.” They have a special place in my heart as I have watched them grow up through the years. Jack and Adel’s son, Jireh, was also there having come home for the day from Ilo-Ilo on the island of Panay where he works at a call center. Jireh led the singing in the service and did an excellent job. While I am separated from my own family, it is a true joy to be with some of my adopted family over here in the Philippines. Whether I am over here or back in the U.S., I am present with and enjoying some of my family, but absent from and missing others.

One large problem became apparent during the lunch. We had found out that Jack had gone to the hospital last night after being very sick and experiencing great pain. So, we raised the subject and finally got the full story. Jack’s symptoms sound like stones in the gallbladder. He was admitted to the hospital last night to get an ultrasound and possible surgery. However, Jack did not have funds and was determined to continue in our work of preaching, so he checked himself out, against the advice of the doctors. He even had to sign a waiver releasing the hospital from responsibility in order to leave. As we talked, I saw him clutching his side and low back repeatedly while trying to visit. When he was asked directly whether he was in pain, he admitted that he was and said he would wait for treatment until his part of the work was finished in a little over a week. I told him that was not going to happen and he was going to the hospital in Bacolod this afternoon. The fact that his pain was increasing was apparent in that he did not protest further. When we took him to the hospital on the way to the next schedule, the doctors advised him to return for tests and pre-op procedures tomorrow at 8am, having nothing to eat or drink after 6pm tonight. I do not know what this will cost, but I suspect that I may need to ask for some help as I think my funds will be stretched beyond the limit to cover those medical expenses and the remaining work for this trip.

Our final schedule was with one of the congregations with whom Shem Tapagan labors. When we arrived, Shem was having a study with the brethren and continued in it while we set up. I then preached on “Defeating the Devil” from 1 Peter 5:8-9. Jonathan Carino followed with a sermon on “Responsibilities within a Local Church.” The lessons were very well received and it was a joy to be with the congregation. Following the lessons, they observed the Lord’s Supper, had the collection and sang several songs. One of Shem’s sons, Lewill John, led the singing and did a great job. It is obvious that Shem has exceptional ability and is working diligently in teaching the word. Each time that I am with them, the building has been widened some from the previous time as it continues to grow in number – and I believe also in spiritual strength. At the end of the service, Shem offered an invitation, but there was no visible response.

The Lord willing, we end our time in Bacolod tomorrow with lectures designed for outsiders – mostly denominational preachers. Please keep our efforts in your prayers. Thank you again to all who have made this effort possible. I could not do it alone, but I am honored to have a part in it with you all.

Brotherly, Harry

Saturday in Dulao

We drove south about one hour to our venue for today which was in Dulao, a part of Bago City, at the Good Shepherd Baptist Church. The preacher at this Baptist Church was a man named Leo who seemed very open to hearing and considering the truth. These are the kind of opportunities we get repeatedly in the Philippines, but are rarely available in the U.S. There were about 60 present to hear the lessons for the day.

The first lesson was on “God’s Inspiration of His Word.” I use that lesson both to establish common ground with people who believe in the verbal inspiration of the Scripture and to emphasize that we cannot change the teaching of God’s word on any matter. At the very end, we made application to the fact that we have no more right to change (by addition or subtraction) the teaching on the plan of salvation, the one true church or the authorized worship of the church than we do to change God’s teaching on morality. Jack Jaco then summarized the lesson into the Ilongo dialect and we broke for lunch until 12:30pm.

The afternoon session started with a lesson on “Salvation and Saul” – a sermon designed to deal directly with the Baptist doctrine of salvation by faith only. We noted that Saul believed in Christ while on the road to Damascus, but was still in his sins three days later according to Acts 22:16. The reactions of the audience to the lesson was both revealing and encouraging. At first, there was a skeptical look on almost every face. As the lesson went on, many began to give a slight nod of agreement. By the time we reached the end of the study, many were clearly showing agreement as the focus centered on the purpose and necessity of baptism. The preacher and his co-worker were among the ones showing signs of agreement.

We had only been given until 3pm, so our time was running short by the time that lesson was completed and Jack summarized into the dialect. So, we had no time to get into another subject like the church and give it sufficient consideration. The reaction of the audience also told me that we had made a major step forward and it was best to leave the focus on baptism and the plan of salvation. In order to emphasize the importance of obeying the Lord, no matter the cost, we closed with a short lesson on “Counting the Cost” and Jack gave a final summary.

After the lessons, Leo got back in the pulpit and stated his appreciation for the time of study and urged us to come again and continue further study. There was no attempt to ignore the fact that I had taught different from their traditional Baptist doctrine, but neither was there the slightest hint of anger or resentment about the open examination of the issue. From my perspective, it seems that a number of the group is not far from the kingdom. Please keep them in your prayers!

Friday in Manapla

Our schedule for today was in Manapla, a town just north of Victorias City at the northwest end of Negros Island. It was about an hour and a half of a drive from our hotel in Bacolod along the same rough roads traveled yesterday. However, the roads were nothing compared to the dirt and rock path we drove after leaving the road in order to get to the building of the Guicay congregation where Jordan Cabras preaches. The road met the bottom of our vehicle several times as we traversed a path through the sugar cane fields to the thatch and bamboo building. As is the case with most buildings over here made of that material, it was much cooler than the concrete block and metal roof structures.

The first lesson was on “The Church in the New Testament.” It discussed the nature and characteristics of the church we read about in the New Testament. We overviewed its doctrine, mission, worship, organization and name. After I finished, Jack summarized the lesson in the Ilongo dialect. After that summary, I preached another lesson on “Choosing the Right Master” which Jack also summarized. During the lessons, one man was always ready to read the passages that I requested to be read from the Ilongo Bible. At the lunch break, I found out that the man was a Baptist preacher with whom Jordan Cabras had been studying.

After the lunch break, we went to another venue in Manapla at a room on the second floor of the barangay hall for the Purisima community. The Baptist preacher came to hear the afternoon lessons as well. The first lesson was “Who Is a Christian?” – a lesson analyzing the three texts in the NT that use the term “Christian” to examine what is said about them. As we went through the things said by the texts about these people, it is very easy to let the gospel itself define who is a Christian. After that lesson, Jack again summarized in the dialect. My last lesson was on “Problems with Seeing What Comes First.” At the conclusion of that short sermon, Jack gave a very brief summary and then offered the invitation. The Baptist preacher responded and confessed his faith in Christ.

Before driving back to Bacolod, we stopped at the pool of a local resort and immersed Arnold, the former Baptist preacher. Please remember him in your prayers as he faces the hardships which will surely come his way due to his obedience of the gospel and renunciation of Baptist doctrine. We again drove back to the hotel very tired, but also very happy for the results of the day’s work!

Thank you, again, for your help in providing the support needed to make this effort possible as well as for your prayer concerning the work. The power of the gospel is still present and it is exciting to see that power in the lives of people changed by it.

Preaching Trip Begins

After several days spent in travel, our work in preaching the gospel started today. This has been one of those trips where travel has been delayed more than what I would wish. The flight out of Oklahoma City was delayed in landing at Atlanta due to heavy air traffic. Leaving Atlanta, we were delayed due to several mechanical problems with the airplane. Even though this took about an hour as we waited on board at the gate, I was glad that they took the time necessary to fix them before we left. When one spends hours flying over open ocean, a fully functional airplane is greatly preferred.

The delayed departure plus another delay in a holding pattern at Tokyp due to weather and heavy traffic put us very late into Tokyo. When I got off of the plane, it was about 30 minutes until departure time for the Manila flight. A very young, thin and nimble Japanese man led several of us American of a far lesser state of fitness on a run through back areas of Tokyo Narita to a lesser used security clearance. Though quite tired, sore and breathing heavily, I made it to the gate as they were pre-boarding the elderly and families with young children. At that point, there was another long delay before others were loaded as well as another long delay when we got on board – both for unexplained reasons. The result was a very delayed arrival into Manila after midnight.

The late arrival in Manila led to another big problem. I got the last room in the hotel – a room with a major mildew problem. By Wednesday morning, I had a sinus problem that grew worse as my travel continued to Bacolod yesterday. Today, it had developed into a general cold with sore throat, a cough and the other usual symptoms. I had problems with my voice in the preaching, but we were able to go the full day.

The day began with a 2 hour trip over Philippine roads guaranteed to jar the teeth of anyone who still has them. Once at Escalante City, the venue was an open building with a large metal roof and a simple concrete floor – no walls. It rained on and off all day and it was still hot. I took the full time for the morning session by preaching over 2 hours on an introductory message about the word of God as the seed and then moved to a lesson on “Identifying the New Testament Church.”

After lunch, I used the same basic point of the gospel being the seed that produces salvation and contrasted that with the “seed” of denominational groups found in their teaching of error. The point was that you cannot plant the wrong seed and end up with the right fruit spiritually any more than you can physically. With my voice gone for a while, Jonathan Carino then preached “Saved by the Blood, Saved by Baptism,” a lesson pointing out that the Bible shows several factors to be involved in our salvation, none of which would save us without the presence of the other factors involved. I followed that with the final lesson on “Let Us Not Grow Weary.”

Jack Jaco made a summary in the local dialect (Ilongo) and extended the invitation. Three people, one man and two women, responded to be baptized into Christ. It was a very good start to the teaching efforts!

The journey back was longer with more traffic and in the midst of more rain. Any holes, bumps and rough spots we missed on the way there, we hit on the return trip along with a repeat of the ones experienced earlier in the day. Driving on Philippine roads is enough to make me very thankful for the blessing of our roads at home!

The Lord willing, we preach at two congregations meeting at Manapla tomorrow. Please keep us in your prayers.