Halbrook Philippine Report August 21-27, 2014
August 27, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
This report is being written as I begin the last seven days of this trip. Rosalito Nardo helped invite a number of his contacts among liberal institutional preachers for two days of study on these issues August 21-22. Plans were made to gather 50 men in a hotel function room in General Santos City, but over 120 people showed up the first day. Forty are from the liberals. Newly baptized denominational “pastors” as well as prospects heard about it and wanted to hear the lessons, including an American from St. Louis, MO who works over here and does some preaching among denominations and independent groups. He has been in the Philippines for seven years and was befriended by Filipino brethren who invited him to attend.
Jonathan Carino has been busy with other activities in Cebu City but arrived today to join our meeting. His timing was perfect. Jack Jaco and Jonathan presented today’s studies because I lost my voice after returning from Lake Sebu exhausted last night. I studied some today but mostly rested and took naps, and my voice is gradually recovering.
After today’s lectures brother and sister Jolly Julom took sister Normalita Mag-abo from the government hospital to her home in a remote place where she lives with her family. She is slowly progressing. God knows how many saints both here and abroad have prayed for the family and helped with their financial needs. As a result the immediate medical bills have been paid. Let us continue to pray for her full recovery.
By God’s grace, on Friday my voice recovered and I was able to teach again. Jonathan started the day and then I addressed the authority of Christ. My next lesson studied a worksheet on “Two Attitudes Toward God’s Word: Conservative & Liberal.” As we read passages relating to the work and organization of the New Testament church, we answered questions together which applied to various aspects of institutionalism.
Julie Notarte brought a group of denominational preachers he had been teaching. Thinking they were near the kingdom, he asked us to extend the invitation before breaking for lunch. When we did, four of those men came forward and confessed their faith.
After lunch, Jonathan had the first lesson, then I studied the distinction between individual action and local church action followed by “Let the Church Be the Church.” Jonathan had a final sermon on how the church fulfills it mission by following God’s pattern without donating funds to human institutions. Our open forum continued for over an hour with questions reflecting the diverse nature of our audience: baptism, Calvinism, the work and organization of the church, our relationship to the government, the preacher’s work, etc.
When Rosalito offered the Lord’s invitation, it appeared there were no responses. Just as he closed the invitation and was about to make some closing announcements, a man literally ran down the isle like he was afraid of missing a bus leaving its station – he was convinced and was ready to confess Christ and be baptized! When he got to the water, his wife also obeyed!
The American visitor attended both days. His background is Baptist and then various other groups. While his view of the church has been the typical interdenominational concept (Christians in all denominations), he has been disillusioned by the errors he has seen among them all. He said he greatly enjoyed the lessons and learned a lot. He sees the church of Christ which existed in Bible times can really exist today. Jonathan had to return home the next day, but having him here was a lifesaver because of the temporary problem I had with my voice.
Saturday, August 23, we drove for over an hour to the church meeting at Magsaysay, South Cotabato Province where Carlito Abella preaches for an all-day gospel meeting. It is located off a narrow dirt road some distance from the highway. There was a planned brownout 7:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M., so no electricity was available. I outlined the material presented on a whiteboard. The attendance was 57 not counting children and everyone was very attentive in spite of the heat.
My first sermon was “God Created All Things” followed by “The Purpose of Our Lives.” In the afternoon the lessons were “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God” and “Marriage: God’s Gift to Man & Woman.” The open forum led into a discussion of the painful consequences of adultery. For instance, when the guilty party repents and the sin is forgiven, there are lingering consequences resulting from broken trust which can be restored only by a long process in some cases and not at all in other cases. It was a sobering discussion and it reinforced warnings against adultery given in the lessons.
Six precious souls submitted to Christ in baptism and arose to walk in newness of life.
On the Lord’s Day we traveled out to the countryside and followed a road which turned into a path. Nestor Francisco planted a church at Alegria, Alabel in the Sarangani Province. They are constructing a small building by combining their labor and resources with help from U.S. saints. Excluding children our attendance was about 30. My new American friend agreed to go with us.
Jack translated in the dialect as I presented the basic study “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God.” Preaching and translating took over two hours and everyone paid attention closely. During the open forum, the typical question was asked about a man who believes and is on his way to be baptized but dies before baptism – is he saved? I pointed out Jesus said preach to the living not the dead because dead people are in God’s hands not in ours. He said preach, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” not, “He that believeth and dies without baptism will be saved.” Though the American visitor is from a denominational background, he saw the point on this question. He pointed out a lady might love a man very much, but she is not married to him until the marriage vows are complete – if he dies before the vows are finished, they are not married. I did something I rarely ever do: I decided to extend my stay here in General Santos City to give this man personal attention in private study because of his open mind – he is not offended by learning something new or correcting something which needs correction.
A congregation meets at Kitakal, Malungon, Sarangani Province about 40 kilometers from General Santos City along the highway. Rene Sandoval was preaching here when he died in a vehicle accident about three years ago. His wife Sel is still very active in the Lord’s work and some younger preachers are sharing the duties of preaching. We went to Kitakal today (Monday, August 25) for a gospel meeting. Julie Notarte began preaching at 8:00 A.M. When I arrived shortly after 9:00, he became my translator since many of the 327 people gathered do not understand English well. My first study was “The Purpose of Our Lives.”
A large arbor or shelter was put up with poles and covered with sheets of plastic to shield the large audience from the sun. When my lesson was almost finished about 11:15, a hard rain began to fall so that we could hardly be heard even with our microphones. Very soon water gathered in pools on the plastic sheets above us and the weight caused the sheets to yield and dump water on the people. The interruption lasted about 30 minutes, then the lesson was completed.
During lunch the rain started again and continued through the afternoon, so some of the people left and we abandoned the arbor, but nearly 100 gathered in and around the church building to listen as we continued teaching. My next lesson was “The Great Commission” (Matt. 28:18-20). Among other things, I grave attention to the expression “into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” A brother in the area has caused confusion by circulating the Oneness Pentecostal view that this is the wrong baptismal formula and that this text was corrupted from its original formula “in the name of Jesus” or “in his name.”
First, no baptismal formula is given in any verse of the New Testament, so the very premise is wrong. Second, no Greek manuscript has “in the name of Jesus” or “in his name” in Matthew 28:19 – this is pure supposition, speculation, and wishful thinking. When certain passages contradict the teaching of Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, and other false religions, they will try to escape by charging the biblical text has been corrupted, and they amend the text to conform to their error. That is exactly what is being done in this case. This reveals an attitude which is willing to go beyond what is written and which both subtracts from and adds to the Word of God (1 Cor. 4:6; Rev. 22:18-19).
We had a good open forum on a wide range of topics. A large group of teenagers attended because their schools were out for some special occasion, and they were very attentive. When the Lord’s invitation was extended, 12 people stepped forward to confess Christ and be baptized. I think everyone got wet at one time or another today, including me, but no complaints were heard and we all agreed God blessed us with a wonderful day, rain and all!
Jack Jaco will return to his home tomorrow. He is truly a Jack-of-all-trades in helping to preach and helping with all sorts of tasks behind the scenes on trips like this one. It is always a joy and a privilege to work with him. I should proceed to Manila to prepare for my return to the U.S., but I will stay here a couple of extra days to study with my new American friend.
All day Tuesday from 9:30 A.M. to 8:15 P.M. was spent with my friend from the U.S. We took lunch and supper breaks but otherwise studied non-stop covering the unfolding of the plan of redemption, the conditions of pardon, the New Testament church and departures from it, the purpose and duration of miracles, and what the Bible teaches about the end of time (vs. various theories about rapture, tribulation, and a premillennial kingdom on earth). He became a Baptist as a young man but was baptized by a Christian Church preacher for the remission of sins at age 30. Since that time he has participated in missionary programs and ministries with various religious groups from time to time. His knowledge of the Bible is good and he understands the importance of context when examining Scripture. We had a good day together.
Wednesday my U.S. friend and I studied again, briefly revisiting a couple of things from the previous day but adding passages showing our duty to become a member of a local church which follows the Bible pattern of worship. We discussed the work of the Holy Spirit again. After lunch, I had a 40 minute study with a business man who is a Methodist. He had some very perceptive questions, but he is also a fast learner when he can see the passages which address his questions. Filipino brethren will continue working with him and we pray for his conversion.
Jolly Julom took me to the airport in his small multicab truck, but torrents of rain flooded the highway so that we crept along. When we emerged from the flooded road, the multicab kept choking down because the spark plugs got wet. We finally made it to the airport with 45 minutes to spare and I had a safe trip to Manila.
What a great privilege it has been to serve the Lord along side our Filipino brethren during the past month! How thankful I am to God for the love of saints back home who made this 55th trip possible! But it is time to go home and I look forward to seeing my family and brethren for whom I have prayed each day. I regret to report I have not been able to see the moon the last several nights, so I will just have to go home to verify that you are all still there.
In Christian love, Ron Halbrook
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