Philippines Mission Letter: March 2020
Dear Brethren, It is my prayer that you and your family and the church family there are in good health and that you are all safe in the hands of the Lord. We were able to study with our new brethren for their spiritual growth during the first two weeks of March and also visited those who were sick and in need of edification because of some struggles and hardships in life. We were also able to gather for church…
God and You
Your attitude and behavior in any and all circumstances ought to be governed by your relationship to God. Paul had been in a ferocious storm on the sea for nearly two weeks (Acts 27:27). His relationship to God, however, enabled him not only to endure the stress, but to comfort and encourage the others on board: “And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For…
Meditation
Psalm 1 shows the blessed (happy) man is one who, among other things, meditates on God’s law (2). Later, the ungodly are shown to be the opposite of the godly (4). One of the differences would be their failure to ponder over God’s great truths. Is meditation really important? Are thoughts? Remember that the material things that surround us, our houses, cars, clothes, etc., were first a thought before they became a reality. God has blessed humans with a great…
A Great Persecution Arose
Things were going great at first. In the first chapters of Acts, the church was growing by leaps and bounds, there were great open-doors for the people of God, and the future was bright in sharing the message about Jesus. However, beginning in Acts 4, the problems started for the church in Jerusalem. By the end of chapter 7, there is the death of Stephen and by chapter 8:1, the church scatters. Note this, up until the church scattered, there…
On COVID-19, Toilet Paper, and Worry
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke to people’s concerns and worries in a way that we would do well to heed. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus had just affirmed the fact that we cannot be about serving God, and also serving the things of this life because “no man can serve two masters.” As He then draws His conclusion for His audience, the refrain becomes clear, “do not worry” (Matthew 6:25, 27, 31, 34). What things does Jesus tell…
Philippines Mission Letter: February 2020
Dear Brethren, We give God all the glory and honor for the baptism of four precious souls added by the Lord to our congregation last month. Their names are Felicidad Javier, Annaliza Gutierrez, Abijah Noshka Ricario, and Juvilyn Javier. Felicidad and Anna are the mother-in-law and sister-in-law of Clemente Lazaga, a brother in Christ who works with me. We have been teaching them for several years. Whenever they had to go to the doctor or hospital and need a ride,…
Good Advice for Choosing Friends
Friends are a wonderful blessing from God – a gift given to help us become better people (Prov. 27:17). Yet they are only a blessing when we have chosen the right ones. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20). “Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). Therefore, we should try to surround ourselves with companions who are wise enough “to turn [you] away from the snares of…
Who May Abide
David asked two questions in Psalm 15:1. “Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill?” Important questions, to be sure. And, the way they are answered says a lot about those who are answering. You could think about them in their original setting, David’s day, but they ought to be considered in a broader way in order to get the full benefit of them. The words “abide” and “dwell” suggest an atmosphere of fellowship…
Fortress of Solitude or Fortress of Folly
We like to believe we’ve got everything under control. “I’ve got this.” “I don’t need anyone’s help at all.” “When I need your help, I’ll ask for your help.” It is a form of pride to say that when it comes to needs of togetherness and reliance on others, we need nothing. What a mistake was made that spring day of so long ago! What began as one king staying home alone in his own “fortress of solitude” ended with…
Philippines Mission Letter: January 2020
Dear Brethren, With the Lord’s guidance and blessings, we continue to plant and water the seed of the kingdom into the hearts of the people. We keep on studying with the friends, neighbors, relatives, and acquaintances of our brethren whom they have referred to us for Bible studies. Almost all of these prospects were raised in Catholicism. We are glad and thankful that they are open minded to hear and study the Scriptures with us. As we invite and encourage…
Snake Biting
“Khandai Tripura, 35, of Chinchharipara village in Ramgararh district, Bangladesh, caught a cobra on 20 July and started playing with it. The snake bit him on the hand, and in his anger, he bit the snake’s head. He died in the hospital the next day. The snake also died. No word on whether they were buried together.” – Independant [sic] 22 July 1998 Why do people make the choices that they do? There are people we will invariably run across…
Keep Your Heart
The word “heart” appears more than 800 times in the Bible. A few of the references actually relate to the physical heart. I Sam. 25:37 tells us Nabal’s “…heart died within him…” But, the majority of references in the Bible deal with the spiritual heart. Prov. 4:23 admonishes us, “Keep your heart with all diligence.” The spiritual heart is what motivates us to do what we do. Think for a few moments about keeping your heart. It has to be…