Mid-Point of Classes

We made it through the night without any after shocks of which I am aware. From what I understand, we are still under a warning about the likelihood of those shocks. I am not sure whether I hope we do not get any after shocks or we have one and get it over with. Right now, it is kind of like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Jonathan and Nanette Carino were delayed in getting me this morning as Jonathan was not feeling well. He managed to make it through the day, but I could tell he was not at full strength. His work with Lordy in explaining the material in the dialect did not seem to suffer in any way.

We began by dealing with 1^st Corinthians 7 for the vast majority of the morning. We noted that the chapter begins a section of the book where Paul is answering questions asked to him by those in the church at Corinth. We had a number of good questions and discussion in our study. We noted the focus on the permanence of marriage that is seen in the first part of the chapter and the focus on the “present distress” in the latter part of the chapter. After a short break, we then began the study the subject introduced in chapter eight: “Now concerning things offered to idols.” At the end of chapter eight, Lordy and Jonathan again took over to clarify any questions from the students in their dialects.

After lunch, we covered 1^st Corinthians 9-10. We noted that Paul’s example of forgoing his liberty as an apostle and a free man was used to show how those in Corinth, thinking themselves to be strong, should also be willing to forgo their liberties for the good of others and the cause of Christ. We had some excellent discussion about how to apply this teaching in their culture and how the principles can be applied in various situations. Since this was a shorter amount of material, I ended my part of the class early and left Jonathan and Lordy to do their part.

We are now past the halfway point with these classes. The Lord willing, tomorrow will be our longest day of classes given the subject matter of 1^st Corinthians 11-14. Friday is planned as a half day of study so the students can travel back to their homes and be ready for Sunday. Please keep us in your prayers that we may finish this effort in a way that glorifies our Lord.

Classes and Shake-up

Jonathan and Nanette Carino picked me up at the hotel this morning at 7:30. We made the trip to the building in less than ten minutes, so we were able to start on time at 8am. We started by reviewing the things learned yesterday. The students are asked to share things they learned yesterday that they had not known before. It is always interesting to hear the things learned in the previous day’s study. It helps them to review and me to get feedback on what was or was not clearly conveyed.

Our material today started with 1^st Corinthians 3:1 and ended with 6:20. In the morning study, we covered chapters three and four dealing with the problem of factionalism and conflict in the Corinthian church. I finished that section a little before 11am, so Jonathan and Lordy took over at that point to clarify any matter needing to be clarified in their native dialects. Just after they began their part of the work, we had a blackout with all electrical power being lost. After a little less than an hour, it was restored. It did not stop the classes as they are accustomed to such. [Note the difference in lighting between this photo and the one below.]

After lunch, we began at 1pm to deal with chapters five and six. We were in the midst of dealing with the case of church discipline raised in chapter five when a 6.4 earthquake hit. It was centered on Samar, an island within sight of Cebu across the water to the east. Since we were on the 14^th floor, we felt it very clearly as the whole building swayed as well as feeling some up and down motion. We stopped our study until the swaying ceased which seemed to take a good while. It was the second most intense earthquake I have felt here, but the longest lasting by far. We have not yet had an aftershock, but are expecting them soon. Since I am now on the 16^th floor in my hotel, I am not looking forward to that experience.

After the quake, we continued our study of chapter five and continued on to chapter six since we were all wide-awake and wanting to finish before any further shaking took place. We spent an extended period discussing the problem of fornication and its consequences. I ended my part about 3:30pm, so Jonathan and Lordy took over at that point.

Thanks for your continued prayers for this effort. Please give supplication that the effects of the earthquake or any aftershock may not alter these studies. God bless!    

CEBU: Lord's Day & Start of Classes

4/21/19

On the Lord’s Day, Jonathan and his family came to pick me up from the hotel and we went to the LUYM building in downtown Cebu City where the church in the center of the city meets. In the first hour, they have the assembly worship. Kristoffer Carino led the singing in a very capable way while other men also led in other aspects of worship. I was asked to preach for that hour and delivered a lesson of the “Qualities of the Gospel” from 1 Peter 1:22-25. That is, the gospel will always endure, will always live (or be relevant) and will always be the message of salvation. In the class hour, we took our text from Matthew 25:1-12 and considered the need to be prepared “Before the Door Is Shut.”

In the afternoon, I intended to do some work on charts for Monday before returning for the evening worship. However, I became very ill and was unable to work that afternoon or return for worship that evening. It was very upsetting for me to be unable to attend that night because I was looking forward to hearing Kristoffer Carino give the sermon at that time. They did record it, so I will be able to listen later, the Lord willing.

4/22/19

I awoke Monday feeling some better and was able to drink a cup of coffee and eat some granola. Jonathan and Nanette, the driver, came to pick me up about 11:30am so we could get to the LUYM building that is to serve as our venue for the classes this week. Those traveling from various places had made it there for us to start by about 12:30pm. We covered introductory material as well as the first two chapters of 1^st Corinthian. I stopped at about 4:30pm so Jonathan Carino and Lordy Salunga could take questions on the material covered and explain in their dialects things that the students may not have comprehended from my teaching in English. I returned back to the hotel where I will rest tonight and, hopefully, get back to full strength by the start of classes tomorrow morning at 8am. Please excuse me for not remembering to take pictures of the classes today. I will try to do so tomorrow.

The great advantage to the hotel where I am staying this week is that travel time has been cut from at least an hour and a half to just 10-15 minutes! I think I have found the place I will use until another hotel is built even closer.

Gospel Meetings in San Fernando and Carcar

4/19/19

On Friday morning, Lordy met me at the hotel about 8am and we proceeded south to San Fernando for a day of preaching there. Brother Archie Alarcon is laboring with a group of God’s people in that city who had invited friends and neighbor to come hear the gospel message. They had secured a function room at a McDonald’s in the middle of town as a place for the meeting.

Several brethren had also come up from Manila to take part in the effort, including some dear friends, Jerry and Teresa Toreja. Teresa is the daughter of the late Ben Cruz who preached for many years in the Manila area of Kapitbahayan.

We started the studies with a lesson from 2^nd Timothy 3:1-5 on “Godliness Without God.” The lesson dealt with the problem of man making his claim to godliness, but changing the power seen by God’s will and replacing it with their own will. Next, we considered the question: “Who Is A Christian?” We let the Bible answer that question for us by considering the contexts of the three places the term “Christian” is used in the New Testament (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16).

After lunch, we examined more closely a point raised in Acts 26:27-29 about Agrippa being “Almost Persuaded” to become a Christian. We examined parallel similarities in the lives of Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:15-26), the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-23) and Felix (Acts 24:24-27) who were also “almost” saved, but ultimately lost. After that study, we had an open forum for questions showing a great deal of interest on numerous subjects covered. There were no visible responses at the invitation.

Lordy and I had some time to talk together on the way back to Angeles City until he took me to Clark airport for the flight to Cebu that evening. It was great to catch up on what has happened lately and his work as well as discussing other aspects of the Lord's work. My plane departed at about 8:30pm and arrived about 10pm in Cebu. Since the flight was to arrive late, I had rejected Jonathan Carino’s offer to meet me at the airport and drive me to the hotel. I said I would just take a taxi and that would be easier at that hour. However, much to my surprise, there was a long line at the taxi stand and it took much longer than expected to get my ride to the hotel. By the time I had arrived and settled in, it was after 1am before I ever got to bed and much later before I got to sleep.

4/20/19

Jonathan, Nanette, Kristine, Kristofer and Karen Carino met me at the hotel at 9am for the hour and a half drive south to Carcar. The congregation in Carcar was begun several years ago by Cherlito Lauglaug and his family. (I had preached for them near the beginning of that congregation.) Cherlito was formerly a member of the congregation meeting in central Cebu City and still lives in that area, but he drives that one and a half to two hour every week to work with the Carcar church. I have always appreciated Cherlito’s hard work as he supports himself in a secular job, but labors diligently in the Lord’s cause as well. Cherlito has also begun a work in the Pagadian City area of Mindanao, which is his ancestral home, converting many of his relatives to the Lord.

There were 14 visitors at the meeting who had not obeyed the gospel, almost all of whom were Catholics. Given the season, I brought a lesson on “The Message of the Cross” from 1^st Corinthians 1:18-24 showing the emphasis on the message and means of salvation that came from the death of Jesus, not the physical cross itself. Jonathan gave an extended summary of the lesson in the local dialect of Cebuano. After that, I gave another lesson on “Baptism in the New Testament” examining first the baptism of John which prepared the way for Jesus, then baptism as taught in the book of Acts, and finally baptism as discussed in the Epistles. After the lunch, Jonathan gave an extended summary of that lesson as well in the Cebuano dialect.

After the lessons, we had an open forum with only one question regarding the identity of the true church, but it showed very clearly that the point of the lessons had been understood and pricked the hearts of several in the audience. It was the first time that most had heard the simple gospel message. There was an invitation offered, but none were ready to be baptized at this point.

After an hour and a half drive back to the hotel, I am planning to get a good night’s rest after posting and sending out this report. God willing, I will worship with the church meeting in central Cebu City tomorrow! Again, please keep us in your prayers and accept my thanks to all who have help make this work possible. God bless!

Gospel Meeting in Angeles City

After a very restful night of sleep, Lordy Salunga picked me up from the hotel this morning and had his brother Ronnie with him. Ronnie and his wife, Nina, as well as their son, Ron, are visiting their native home in Philippines, though they are now citizens of New Zealand living in Auckland. Ronnie and Nina started a faithful work in Auckland several years ago and it has grown and thrived. Lordy and I went there to preach in a gospel meeting in September of 2012. They repeatedly asked and urged us to come again and we agreed to arrange that as soon as possible.

The gospel meeting with the congregation in Angeles City began about 9:00am and continued until after 4:00pm. Though I thought another brother would preach with me, alternating our lessons, I found out that I would be the only speaker for the day. We started with a study on “The Foundation of Faith.” We noted that the gospel is God’s power to save all because all have sinned (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:23). Man is not lost because he has not heard the gospel, but because he has sinned. Thus, the gospel is preached to all as the remedy to be saved from their sins. The lesson considered the step-by-step process whereby God has lead men to search for His truth. The foundational fact that “God Is” has been revealed to all in the nature of His creation that evidences His power and wisdom of God as we note that everything has purpose and order. When one reaches the inescapable conclusion that “God Is,” that person has the responsibility to search what purpose that one was given by the God that made this world. That causes us to search for the will of God and find the evidence that the Bible is the source for the revelation of God and His purpose for us. When we yield to that message of the gospel to answer our purpose and responsibility, we are led to His plan for our salvation. The second lesson was much shorter as we studied “By What Authority” examining the religious practices present in many churches of men that lack the authority of God.

At noon, we took a lunch break of about one hour. We were then led in singing for about 30 minutes. At the conclusion of the singing, the third sermon of the day was delivered on “Breaking the Hold of Temptation.” It was a very practical look at why we sometimes find ourselves captivity to various sins, rather than truly putting them to death in our lives. We gave some practical ways we can overcome those temptations and sins by truly changing our minds to see temptation and sin as God sees them. We then took a short break and began our last study for the day on “Before the Door Is Shut” from Matthew 25:1-12. We examined the principle that preparation must be made before we are ready to meet the Lord in the Judgment, before we give an answer for our hope, before we can be ready to lead in spiritual service and before we are truly ready to worship God. We concluded the full day meeting with no visible responses to the invitation.

The Lord willing, we go south to the city of San Fernando for another gospel meeting tomorrow. Please keep us in your prayers. Also, please accept my great thanks to all who have help make this work possible. God bless!