Dear family, brethren, and friends,

From the time James Paet picked me up Friday in Angeles City to go to the airport in Manila until I arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia was about 20 hours.  It was good to see Nick Rowe and his wife upon arrival late at night.  Getting to the hotel about midnight, I took 30 minutes of exercise, caught up on a few emails, and got to bed at 2:00 A.M.

We started the classes at the Padi Mas Point 2 church of Christ in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia on Saturday morning with 15 souls in attendance.  The theme for the first two days is “The Authority of Christ.”  Today we studied his authority in his word, as our Savior, as head of his church, departures from his authority resulting in the gradual formation of the Roman Catholic Church, and the reaction from within the Catholic Church because of its many false doctrines and its corruption in the 1400’s-1500’s resulting in the Protestant Reformation.  

Today’s audience was both attentive and appreciative for the lessons.  It was good to be back with these saints who love the truth and serve the Lord under isolated conditions in a Muslim country.  We are not allowed to publicly announce our meetings and invite people, but individual members do their best to find people who might be interested in hearing the gospel of Christ.

On the Lord’s Day 23 souls gathered to honor and worship our great God and Savior as we continued to study “The Authority of Christ.”  In two lessons we covered Scripture and history pertaining to the restoration of New Testament Christianity.  

I pointed out that starting in Acts 2 and continuing until now, God has been harvesting souls for salvation and heaven by sending the gospel throughout the world.  The restoration plea “back to the Bible” resonates with humble and honest hearts who are searching for God and truth.  The harvest moves from one field to another under God’s providence.  The harvest is slower in Malaysia because it is controlled by Muslims, but we must save those who can be saved and labor in hope of a wider harvest in the future.

A number of brethren gathered at the Rowe’s home for lunch.  Ronnie lingered and Nick and I did our best to encourage him.  He has three young children and his wife is a fanatical Catholic who refuses to attend our services and tries to prevent him from teaching them the truth.  Ronnie is a talented song leader and is learning to preach.  Those of you who came from divided homes can appreciate how greatly he needs our prayers.

Starting with Monday, the theme is “Moral Truth in an Amoral Age.”  Ten of us shared in the studies, but the number fluctuated above and below ten as people came in or went out because of work and school.  The first sermon was entitled “Legalizing Sin Does Not Change It,” followed by “Modest Dress Through the Ages.”  In the afternoon we studied “The Truth about Abortion” and “The Truth about Homosexuality.”  

There were several good questions today.  For instance, is sin involved in a miscarriage?  No, the infant is aborted by natural causes in such cases, not by the mother choosing to put the baby to death.  

The series continued Tuesday with studies on “The Truth about Transgender” and “The Truth about Social Media” in the morning and two sermons on “The Threat of Pornography: Making Sex an Idol” in the afternoon.  About 15 people rotated in and out according to work and school schedules again today and it was obvious the interest level was high.  There is a good mix of age groups in this congregation and the young people are very attentive and receptive.  

The theme for Wednesday was “Living the Christian Life” which included “Who Is a Christian?” and “I Must be a Christian in My Home” in the morning session and then after lunch “Christians: Servant Leaders” and “Forgiving One Another.”  We started with 11 souls but again had people rotating in and out as their schedules permitted.  

Several interesting questions were submitted again today.  Why did God allow Satan to tempt Adam and Eve, and even people today?  God made us in His image with the power of free will.  The tree of life and the true of the knowledge of good and evil allowed man to choose to love and obey God or to rebel.  Satan’s ongoing activities tempting man to sin give all men the same choice.

If a person sins against us and repents, do they also need to seek God’s forgiveness when we forgive them?  Yes, in this case their sin violates the duty to love God as well as to love our fellowman.  

A lady asked how does she forgive her former husband who committed fornication, abused her, and destroyed their marriage?  If the man truly repented, she can and must forgive him, but that does not mean she is obligated to remarry and live with him.  Forgiveness and certain consequences of sin are separate issues.  Forgiveness does not remove all temporal consequences of sin. The murderer in prison who obeys the gospel can be forgiven of his sins, but that does not provide a “get out of jail free” card.

Last year, Nick and I had a good home Bible study with his friend Ben, but his Catholic wife was so enraged after we left that he is afraid to study with us again.  Immediately when we dismissed this afternoon, Nick and I rushed to the residence of Mr. Wong, of Chinese extraction, Nick’s former co-worker at the hospital.  We took him to supper and discussed the Bible.  He is a member of a denomination named Basel Christian Church of Malaysia that branched off from the Lutheran Church.  He listened and participated in the discussion courteously, but time will tell whether the seed has entered good ground or not.

I cannot believe how quickly these five days flew by, but it has been inspiring and uplifting to see the interest of these saints in studying God’s Word.  A few were able to attend all five days and many others rotated in and out whenever possible. Living in a Muslim culture presents unique challenges, but these saints are steadfast and persistent in their efforts to uphold the truth of the gospel.  God has a purpose for their being planted in this land!

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook