Missions
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE As A Member OR Visitor
Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article
This is the third book in a series of books about my journey as a missionary planting churches in the remote villages of the Philippines.
I am sharing chapters to see if there is interest for people to read the book. I am currently looking for an agent to help me get my book published. I am NOT looking to be self-published.
Here is the Preface of the book.
Why did I call this book ACTS of the PHILIPPINES?
I am a missionary to the Philippines. I went to the Philippines with a calling from the Lord. My local church commissioned me by the laying on of hands from the Eldership and sent my family and me out to start new churches in the Philippines. Even before we left to go to the Philippines the Lord was doing a work in my life that was obviously from Him and preparing me for the ministry that He would have me do. This work of God was driving me – pushing me closer and closer to the Philippines’ ministry.
So many times, I saw parallels between what God was doing through me in the Philippines to what He did through the men and women in the Book of Acts. People I shared stories with about what was going on in the Philippines would also comment that those stories remind them of the Book of Acts in the Bible.
This book is the story of God working in my life to accomplish His will of starting new Christian churches in the Philippines. We currently have 35 churches in remote, isolated communities. These communities have no other churches, and many are hearing the Gospel for the first time.
I am not writing this book to give attention to myself but to God. I am amazed, that God would use someone like me. And secondly, I want to share the story of my privilege to walk with God starting new churches, changing communities, lives, and saving souls.
Why am I writing this account?
In this journey of planting churches in the mission field, God has taught me so many things about Himself and my relationship with Him. I want to share the God I have come to know.
I fell from the ministry many years ago. I was for thirteen years wandering in sin and thirteen years of God restoring my life. You can read more about that in my book GET UP! GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!
My point is I had fallen from ministry because of drug and alcohol addiction which led to divorce. To my amazement, God restored my life to an awesome ministry that I could never have imagined. The ministry God gave me was against all odds and against many church doctrines that would never have allowed me into ministry again. And yet, God’s hand in my restoration was undeniable and almost irresistible. Throughout the whole process, I felt like I was in rhythmic labor pains - rebirth. Towards the end, the rhythmic pushes to the Philippines became stronger and closer together. Then in a quite surreal experience, I found myself and my family on a plane with one-way tickets to the Philippines.
I have often said if the Apostle Paul was the greatest of all sinners, I was the second greatest. And like Paul, God forgave even me. And not only did God forgive me, but He also appointed me to an awesome ministry of planting churches.
The Apostle Paul’s Forgiveness
Paul says he is the foremost of sinners. Indeed, his sins were grievous. He persecuted God’s church to the point of putting people in prison, torturing them, and even gave his approval for the stoning to death of Stephen. Paul says God forgave him and had mercy on him so we would have hope that our sins, no matter how terrible, can be forgiven as well.
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:12-16).
Paul’s Commission
Paul’s commission came just days later after he met the resurrected Jesus. In fact, Paul was on his way to continue persecuting the church in Damascus when he met Jesus. Yet, Jesus forgave him and commissioned him to start new churches in His name.
Here is Paul’s account, in part, of the event.
“Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:3-5).
This experience converted Paul and he fasted for three days not knowing what to do. I am sure Paul now knowing he had persecuted God’s Church was thinking he was finished. Maybe he was thinking God could never forgive or use such a person like him. But God was about to do something against all religious wisdom and doctrine. The Lord sent Ananias to instruct Paul and give him one of the greatest commissions of all time.
Paul did not know God. He was a great religious teacher and yet did not understand God and His purpose. Paul was about to come to know a vastly different God than he understood. In the same way, when God reestablished me into ministry and commissioned me to a powerful ministry. Like Paul, I came to know God more fully.
Paul’s commission was in part “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18).
Paul was indeed in darkness about the truth about God when he persecuted His church. I too was walking in darkness as I turned to substance abuse and the so-called pleasures of the world. Like Paul, I came to see the light. Who better to send to people who are walking in darkness, than one who has experienced the hell of darkness? When God said to Paul “open their eyes from darkness” it was what Paul experienced. Paul experienced the darkness of ignorance and its result of persecuting God’s Church. Therefore, his message was all the more powerful coming from one who was freed from darkness to walk in the light of truth. It is so for me also. I know grace, mercy, and forgiveness better than most. I have drunk deeply from their wells. They are from God Himself – they are Him. God is love. Grace, mercy, and forgiveness are the full expressions of God’s love.
Drug and alcohol addiction and divorce in this modern day are sins almost unforgivable – at least in the restoration to ministry unforgivable. And yet, God did forgive me and in a similar way since my ministry was also “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
The Philippines is full of darkness, witchcraft, superstitions, corrupt local governments, and false religions. As you will read further in this book, the persecution from these forces is real, intense, and at times life-threatening.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the light of the truth of God. It is the Good News about Jesus Christ. It is proclaimed in the darkness of the Philippines. The darkness does not like it. But God’s light, His truth, cannot be extinguished. By the power of the Gospel, people are saved. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13, 14).
Through my experience of establishing churches, I found God was more spectacular than what I had once understood Him to be. By that I mean, what I now understand about God is a God greater than the One I once knew. For many believers, our modern-day God is no longer able to reveal Himself with the spectacular power He did in the Old Testament and first-century Church. Quite to the contrary, I found out that God has not restricted Himself, either in His character or nature. The Holy Spirit is still as active in the church today through the spreading of the Gospel as He was before.
I found myself confronted by a powerful loving God who carries out His will. My Biblical interpretation was redefined more completely. God opened my eyes to see Him better. I do not know Him fully. I do not think anyone can. But I have tried my best to see the God of the Bible without religious bias. Many times, I had to look again at the scriptures to see if the God I was experiencing is the same one the Bible reveals. He is! With curious eyes, I have experienced a powerful, magnificent God who has but one purpose. Today, God’s purpose is to seek and save the lost through the proclamation of His Gospel. Sometimes it is just a simple and clear proclamation, and through it the Holy Spirit moves people’s hearts. Sometimes God reveals Himself powerfully through miracles and healings to attest to the Gospel being proclaimed. Sometimes God comes against the enemies of His Gospel and church powerfully without mercy. Sometimes God uses persecution to better proclaim His Gospel. However, whenever God empowers His message and His messengers it always brings glory to Him and Him alone. God seeks the lost and He adds them to His church. God is never confined by anyone or any religious doctrine. God is always God. He is Almighty, The Lord of Host, the Savior of His people. God does whatever it takes to seek and save the lost even if it means dying for them on the cross.
I pray this account of my missionary journey will help you come to know God better. I pray you will be inspired and encouraged as you see God unleashing and establishing His church in a dark world. May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR
This article has been read 153 times < Previous | Next >
Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.