Dear family, brethren, and friends,

On Monday, the 18^th, I reluctantly said goodbye to Alvin Miguel and his sweet wife when they dropped me at the airport in Zamboanga City.  I flew to Cebu City where I had a very productive four-hour layover, which gave me time to work vigorously to catch up on some emails (although many still remain unanswered).  The next plane brought me to Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental where 19-year-old Stephen Carpentero met me and brought me to the hotel.  He is the son of Jhun (Cipriano, Jr.) and grandson of Cipriano Carpentero, both of whom were dear friends and co-laborers in the gospel for many years.  They would be proud of Stephen for continuing to hold high the torch of truth.

The Box 1 church of Christ here in Cagayan de Oro City is having a two-day lectureship on “Moral Truth in an Amoral Age,” beginning today, Tuesday.  This is where Stephen Carpentero has been preaching, and we had a good attendance with 41 present today.  I preached “Legalizing Sin Does Not Change It,” “The Truth about Abortion,” “Modest Dress through the Ages,” and “The Truth about Homosexuality.”  

In the open forum someone asked if it is right for a single lady to marry a divorced man.  It depends on the reason for the man’s divorce.  If he divorced a wife who committed fornication, Christ gave him the freedom to divorce her and to marry someone else, and God will join them together (Matt. 19:9).  If he divorced for any other reason, the single lady will commit adultery by marrying him because God will not join them.  

Another question was about the sin which cannot be forgiven.  This is based on the account in Matthew 12:22-37 when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man and the Pharisees said he did it by the power of the devil.  Jesus exposed this nonsense by pointing out Satan does not destroy the work of his own domain, and he also warned that blaspheming the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come.  Men who spoke against Christ would received a fuller revelation of the gospel after Jesus went back to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to guide the Apostles into all truth.  But, if they rejected the Holy Spirit who worked with Jesus as if he were Satan, there would be no additional revelation giving them another opportunity to learn and repent after the New Testament was completed.  When men harden their hearts in sin, closing their eyes to the truth fully revealed by the Spirit, they cannot be forgiven.  The point is not that there is one unique sin which God will not forgive, but God will not forgive any sin when men refuse to repent of their sins.

What should be done about a preacher among us who has been seen by saints and sinners buying lottery tickets for years?  This is gambling and someone must love his soul enough to rebuke him and lead him to repent of his sins in order to be forgiven (Ja. 5:19-20).  If he rejects the discipline of God’s Word, faithful brethren should not work with him any longer – we cannot be yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14).

The lectureship continued Wednesday with 70 in attendance as we studied “The Truth about Transgender” and “The Truth about Social Media” in the morning sessions, and then two sessions in the afternoon preaching on “The Threat of Pornography: Making Sex an Idol.”  Again today, the audience was very interested and attentive to the lessons.  When we opened the Q & A, everyone said the presentations were very clear and they had no questions, so we dismissed early at 4:00.

I enjoy looking in the front cover of the used songbooks serving Filipino brethren to see what churches donated them.  Today I saw songbooks donated by the Beech Creek church near Matewan, West Virginia, by the Spruce Pine church in North Carolina, and by the Rock church in Charlotte, Tennessee.  I know all of these good brethren and thank God for the blessings they have shared with Filipino saints.  I am always searching for used songbooks no longer in use in U.S. churches which can be shipped to the Philippines!

I had a curve ball come my way when Cebu Pacific Airlines cancelled my flight for tomorrow morning and substituted one that will leave about 8:30 P.M., arriving in Manila about 10:30 P.M., where I will spend the night waiting to catch an early morning flight to General Santos City in southern Mindanao.  This will not be first time I have spent the night in an airport, but I will appreciate your prayers.  Fortunately, Friday was scheduled for a day of study and rest, so no appointments will have to be cancelled.  What time I can stay awake Friday in the hotel in General Santos City, I will squeeze in a little study and try to be ready to go again on Saturday, God willing.

I can see lightening in the distance but cannot see the moon tonight, but I know someone of you sees it and I thank you for keeping an eye out for it for me until I can catch up with it!

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook