August 12-15 UK-France-Philippines #5
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
Our flight from Zamboanga City to Cebu City on Monday was delayed several times so that we missed our connection to Pagadian City. Cebu Pacific Airlines put us in a hotel in Cebu City and rescheduled us to get our connecting flight the next day. Meanwhile, this made it possible for Jack, Adel, and me to visit Jonathan Carino in the hospital where he had surgery Saturday to remove a bone in his big toe because of serious infection complicated by diabetes. His recovery is going well and he can return home tomorrow but cannot travel for a month. He must use a wheelchair to get around.
To catch our Tuesday plane to Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur on Mindanao required getting up at 6:00 A.M. Arriving in Pagadian City mid-morning, we checked into our hotel, took a short rest, ate a light lunch, then started the lectures at the Bogo church on the theme “God’s Truth Defeats Satan’s Lies” at 2:00 P.M. Without the morning session, all 4 of today’s sermons had to be preached this afternoon.
Starting with 2 lessons on “God’s Truth VS Satan’s Lies,” I then followed with another 2 sermons on “Overcoming Sin,” finishing just before 7:00 P.M. Because of the late start, there was no open forum. After getting to my room after supper, I worked some, exercised, reviewed tomorrow’s sermons, and fell into bed at 12:30 A.M.
Among the 62 attendees are many preachers I have known through the years, but we miss others who have gone on ahead of us to be with the Lord such as Ramon Carino and his good wife. Several brethren drove great distances to join our studies.
The half-moon has been parading its glory and thus proclaiming God’s glory, and reminding us of our love for each other as we serve our Creator and Sustainer!
Our meeting with the Bogo church continued Wednesday with another large crowd. The 2 morning sermons were “The Prison of Sin” and “True Worship VS False Worship” as we continued our study of “God’s Truth Defeats Satan’s Lies.” In the afternoon, the topics were “Finish the Race” and “Death, What Then?”
Next came the open forum with a wide variety of questions, several involving clarifications about how to conduct Bible class periods and worship services including the Lord’s Supper. One question was whether Acts 2:46 (“breaking bread from house to house”) teaches the early Christians ate the Lord’s Supper every day in their homes. No, Acts 2:42 uses “breaking bread” to refer to the Lord’s Supper in a context listing acts of worship, but verse 46 refers to sharing meals as personal hospitality in their homes.
Another question came from 1 Corinthians 7:13-14: how is the unbelieving husband “sanctified” by the believing wife? It does not refer to salvation but to the validity of their marriage. When people take their marriage vows, whether as believers or unbelievers, God joins them in marriage. Therefore, the believer should not leave the unbelieving mate.
What was already a very good day became even better when a man and a woman responded to the call of Christ and received salvation by submitting to him in baptism!
Again tonight, that half-moon is boasting its beauty for our enjoyment at the hands of our loving God!
Our driver in the van we rented gong to Oroquieta City in the Province of Osamis Occidental on Wednesday was careful but blistered the road, reducing our 3-hour trip to 2 ½ hours by the grace of God. Along the way the remains of an accident were being removed where a bus and a trailer truck hit head-on. Such scenes always remind me of the many family members and dear brethren constantly praying for us over here – much needed prayers!
When this appointment was made, I was expecting to work with my longtime friend Nelson Flores, but he passed away at the age of 70 on July 8. His widow was with us. Ramon Villiman and his son Ronnie continue the work as the church is constructing a new meeting place. Though it is unfinished, we met in it with 68 souls not including children.
Because of the distance, there was time for only 2 sermons, both involving issues which have divided brethren: instrumental music, and the social gospel. The open forum was short because the only question asked for more clarification on Galatians 6:10. This passage is often used by liberal preachers to claim the church can distribute benevolence to sinners in the world. Reading verses 1-10 makes it very clear the passage is addressing individual duties and not the work of the local church.
It is definitely summertime here. Sweat rolled off me in buckets so that my clothes were soaking wet, and I was continually grabbing towels to mop it off my face and head. I grew up in that environment in south Florida before the days of air conditioning, so I can adjust and keep going. The audience could not have been more attentive and many of them expressed their appreciation for the studies.
This was another good day. In spite of our driver’s best efforts, the return to Pagadian City took the full 3 hours because schools were dismissing in every town and students were crowding the roads, but our travel was safe, thank God.
Please continue to pray because we will travel 6 hours to another province to begin work there tomorrow morning, God willing.
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
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