April 4-6 in the Philippines
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
Exactly two years ago a preachers’ training class was supposed to be held here at Tuguegarao, but covid struck, foreigners were forbidden to enter, and the nation was soon put on lockdown. Finally, by God’s good grace the month-long classes are underway as of Monday, April 4. Thirty men are enrolled with 3 sit-in students and fluctuating numbers of visitors because anyone is welcome to hear lessons of their choice.
Classes are in session from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM with a lunch break, and after supper additional sessions give the men experience in presenting short sermons and in leading songs and prayers. Our oldest member is 54 and the youngest 12 – everyone was very attentive and cooperative on our first day.
Subjects include the New Testament church, how to study the Bible, surveys of the Old and New Testaments, basic Bible doctrines, and issues that divided brethren in past years, as well as sessions on how to use a reference Bible, a Bible concordance and a Bible dictionary. Rody, Craig, and I share the teaching duties.
As the classes continued on Tuesday, Tuguegarao enjoyed light rain off and on with temperatures ranging from the mid-70’s to low 80’s – humidity reading 89%. This is the most comfortable weather I can remember for this time of year when Tuguegarao has been known to hit record highs for the whole nation. The downside is that I cannot see the moon to send you my love when I take my hour long walk each night.
My four sessions with the students went quite well today with good attention and participation. I started today calling on students to read passages used in the lessons and many of them are very good readers. Rody and Craig are likewise pleased with the level of participation and evidence of progress.
Rody works with the men to have them recite a memory verse before each meal – the rule is, “No verse, no eat” (in reality, they work with anyone who is struggling until he can recite his verse). A time is also set aside for them in the morning to engage in private prayer.
Wednesday, April 6, found teachers and students alike focusing on the topics at hand. Yesterday I started having the students read the passages as we study them and today most all of them volunteered to read. They not only pay attention but also openly express appreciation for what they are learning.
One young man asked if having both morning and afternoon services on Sunday constitutes sinful division in the church. No, this is just as expedient way to give all members the opportunity to worship on the Lord’s Day. There is no difference in faith, doctrine, or practice between the two sessions, but the members are united. An example of sinful division can be found among some liberal institutional churches when they conduct two services – “traditional” and “contemporary.” The first service follows the Bible pattern by not using instrumental music or women teaching mixed audiences, while the self-styled “progressive” group utilizes such sinful practices. This is rebellion against the truth and constitutes sinful division.
The students conducted the Wednesday evening service including songs, prayers, and a short sermon. The youngest student led two songs and the oldest one led a prayer. I preached a lesson entitled “Slaves No More: We Sing!” based on passages in Colossians 2-3. That was my fifth presentation of the day, but God blessed me with strength and energy to complete the day’s work – a reminder of how thankful I am for your prayers.
When I walked tonight, this is the first time the clouds were braking up, revealing the stars and giving me a chance to look for the moon. It is in its Waxing Crescent phase, but I could not find it. I will keep looking and you can let me know if you find it.
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
To see good Bible study material, go to:
https://www.
https://biblework.
https://truthbooks.com
https://www.truthmagazine.com