Friday, April 15, 2016

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Fives days of study were scheduled to begin on Monday, April 10, concentrating on the book of Revelation verse by verse using as guides Dan King’s workbook on Revelation and Mike Willis’ Then Comes the End.  Plans were made for 50 students at the Bogo church of Christ in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur on the island of Mindanao, where Ramon Carino preaches, but 70 showed up.  Though there were not enough workbooks for everyone, some came to participate on a sit-in basis including several ladies.

I started by teaching three introductory lessons and two additional lessons covering Revelation 1-3 on a textual basis.  Jonathan Carino then taught Revelation 4-7.  Everyone was very attentive as they learned more about how the faith of Christians was tested in the early history of the church because of Rome’s immorality, idolatry, and cruelty.

Jack Jaco started Tuesday’s classes by teaching Revelation 8-11 for two hours and I followed with two hours on chapters 12-14.  Next, Jonathan continued with chapters 15-16 and I concluded the day with three hours on chapter 17-20.  We had a thorough discussion of chapter 20 showing that Christ overcame death and Satan so that his reign was proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.  The saints martyred at the hands of the Roman Empire also reigned with Christ when their faith was vindicated by the fall of the empire.  Their perfect and complete victory is pictured as a 1,000 year reign with Christ.

Riding to the hotel tonight I finally got a glimpse of the moon behind the clouds – it was smiling while relaying your messages of love and also mine in return!

Wednesday got off to a good start with Jack and Jonathan giving lessons to complete Revelation 21-22.  Next, the study of Then Comes the End began when I covered the themes of death, the soul, hades, reincarnation, the resurrection, and the destruction of the earth at the end of time.  Jonathan taught on purgatory and Jack on Christ’s second coming.  After supper each evening, a gospel meeting is held using men who are here for the classes and visitors attend who hear gospel preaching in their own dialect.  They finish the service about 9:30 P.M.

It is encouraging to all of us to have Ramon Carino and his wife sitting right at the front listening and taking notes.  He is 91 and still is blessed with a sharp mind.

There was an earthquake Thursday morning about 3:00 which made the hotel sway but no one was injured.  This is not unusual in the Philippines.  Meanwhile the news is reporting a 6.2 earthquake in Japan that destroyed homes and lives.

Jack taught lessons on the judgment and on hell this morning and I followed with studies on heaven and on realized eschatology (the doctrine that the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was the second coming of Christ, the resurrection, and the final judgment).  An American named Allen Daves has circulated the doctrine far and wide via the internet and he spends a lot of time in the General Santos City area on the southern side of Mindanao.

After lunch Jack made presentations on perversions of Matthew 24-25 and on various millennial theories, and then I focused on false doctrines about the so-called rapture and the battle of Armageddon.  During the open forum, there were only a few questions requiring clarification such as what are the sure mercies of David mentioned in Acts 13:34 (from Isa. 55:2).  The reign of David was characterized by the mercies and blessings of God just as the reign of Christ.

Many of these men are studying Revelation for the first time without the denominational distortions propagated in various premillennial theories, and they are expressing great appreciation.  Our prayers have included thanksgiving for the saints who have donated funds making these classes possible.

We began Friday with Jack Jaco’s study of the false doctrine of the 1,000 year reign of Christ in an earthly kingdom.  Then I presented a summary and overview of the week’s studies entitled “Premillennialism Undermines the One Hope” (Eph. 4:4-6).  This is a two part presentation.  Afterward we distributed Bibles, commentaries, books, workbooks, tracts, and CD’s so that the men will have resource materials to continue their studies at home on a range of Bible themes.  Such materials are not generally available here.

Ramon Carino is 91 years old but commented that many things were now clarified in his mind as a result of our week’s studies.  Gospel preachers never stop learning – or if they do, they fail the sacred charge of 2 Timothy 2:15.  Definitely, every time I teach this material, I learn things I had not understood clearly in the past years.

In the late afternoon Jonathan, his son Kris, Jack, and I boarded a plane for Cebu City to begin the next segment of our itinerary on Cebu Island.  My supper was on unusual occasion.  At home we pack huge boxes with Bibles, song books, food, clothing, and other supplies to ship to the Philippines via Forex Cargo.  A Filipino in our area has a small grocery store stocked with items Filipinos and Asians enjoy and he is the Forex agent in our area.  When the boxes are ready to ship, he brings a large van to the house and loads them up to deliver them to Chicago, and from there they travel to the west coast to be loaded onto ships bound for the Philippines.  About 200 boxes have been shipped in recent years.  The Filipino from our area is visiting in the Philippines and we arranged to meet for supper.  It was good to visit with a friend from Louisville in the Philippines for the first time!

I have finally been able to see the moon in its half phase and all of your moon beams of love were joyfully received – and reciprocated!

I thank God again and again for every saint who makes these trips possible by your prayers and funds.  The work can be challenging and tiring but so very fruitful – and the fruit abounds to your account, as Paul said (Phil. 4:17).

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
http://www.HebronChurchOfChrist.com
http://www.biblework.com
http://www.truthmagazine.com
http://www.CEIbooks.com