“Preach the gospel to all...” Issue No. 196
March 15th, 2009
Proverbs 24:11&12 Deliver those who are drawn towards death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” does not He who weights the heart consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
Matthew 4:16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region of and shadow of death light has dawned.”
Revelation 7:9&10 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”Dear Friends,
Once again, Emie and I send you our warm greetings from the Philippines. We continue to pray for God’s unique and special blessings upon you, your families, and ministries (in all areas of your lives and callings) ---as you faithfully serve Him. Dt. 28:2
We also would like to express our thanks and appreciation to each of you who are praying for us and the ministry, encouraging us, and investing financially in God’s work through the ministry outreaches here and other parts of the world. We trust the Lord to reward and bless you for your partnership in helping us to lead people to Jesus, encourage and exhort Christians in their faith and service to the Lord, and help the poor in a variety of ways as led by the holy Spirit.
Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.”
At various time in our lives, all of us are able to give words of encouragement to people. When our words and advice are based on Biblical wisdom and truth---these words have power and can have a very positive effect upon some people’s lives. Yesterday as Emie and I were going downtown to take care of some things in preparation for my missions trip to Africa---we discovered the lasting results of an encouraging word Emie gave in 1993 to a small congregation which we spoke to in a remote village on the island of Leyte.
Please allow me some time to share the background. In 1993 we had been driving for about one hour Emie’s 50cc Yamaha motorcycle (the only transportation we had for the first 3 years of ministry). We were looking for a church we had never been to in the farmland areas close to San Miguel, Leyte. As we did not know exactly where the church was (it was one from Emie’s previous church organization that we had an open invitation to go and preach any time we were available--just show up) and as we asked people on the rough gravel road for directions we ended up at a different church. It was not the church we had planned on going to but the elders there we really happy that we had shown up and invited us to preach as their Senior Pastor was out of the area that day. As it was late and there was no more time to find the Faith Tabernacle Church we were first looking for we agreed to preach there. (Incidentally, we went to the church we were originally looking for a few weeks later and I got my dress shoes totally submerged in mud & water on the remote trail to that church which was located back on the edge of the jungle. We did have a wonderful service there.)
Now back to the church God brought us to. As Emie shared in the Sunday School service she gave an encouraging message which impacted a young man who was the associate pastor in a special way. He got up and gave a testimony of how he had been very discouraged in the ministry and had planned to abandon the ministry and announce his resignation that very day, and go to Manila to look for work because of hardship and economic difficulties in the ministry. He then shared with the congregation how the Lord re-ignited his commitment and compassion to serve that day. We saw him over the next couple of years and knew he was still serving the Lord. Since then we had not seen him for over 13 years—but yesterday when I was getting one of the van’s tires filled with air, a man walks close to our van, and with a smile on his face asked: “Hi, do you remember me?” It was Edwin, the man who had been encouraged about 16 years earlier when we showed up at a church that we were not looking for but that God had guided us to. We gave him a ride downtown and talked with him on the way. Edwin is still actively serving the Lord today. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Prov. 25:11
I share that testimony simply because sometimes we may think we have not had much positive impact even though we have tried to share the gospel, encourage people, and pray for them. I think the Lord would like to remind us all that there are probably several “Edwins” in all of our lives and though we have not heard back from some of them for years---one day you may well be pleasantly surprised when someone walks up to you and says “thanks”---“you were a great help and encouragement to me many years ago”.
Our friends from British Columbia, Carol & Beckie Van Dooren have been ministering in the Philippines for several weeks and will be returning to Canada this week. We have had nice fellowship with them and they have been a blessing to the Filipino people. We pray the Lord blesses them back in their home and helps them to come back to the Philippines in 2010.
I will be flying to Manila tomorrow morning and am scheduled to leave Wednesday to fly to Africa where I will be ministering in the nations of Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am scheduled to arrive on March 19th and will stay until April 21st and then fly back to the Philippines. Some of you may have noticed on the news in 2008, that in that year out of the 3 nations in Africa which had the most violence, the 2 nations I am going to were within that top 3. They seem to be much safer this year. I am going there because I have been invited to minister there and feel the leading of the Lord to go. I believe people will be saved, healed, strengthened and encouraged in their faith, and that people will be blessed by the ministry outreaches the Lord allows me to minister in.
I will be working with Pastor Felicilda in the Congo and Pastors James Mabaw, and Alphus Andega in Kenya. They are scheduling a variety of meetings to different ages and groups of people for me to minister to and I believe by the grace and leading of the Lord---we will see many lives touched and transformed in wonderful ways.
Please pray for my wife Emie, our kids: Nonoy, Gracia, Hugh, Faith, Hope, and Joy, and also for all the churches we have pioneered and are helping in the Philippines and for all areas of ministry here and overseas. In regards to my missions journey to Africa please pray for a special anointing of God, for His wisdom, love, and grace to abide in my life and ministry, for God’s powerful protection, for very sufficient financial provision for all areas of the travel here and the ministry outreaches, for good health, and that God will do special miracles during this missions outreach. Emie and I and all the ministry workers over here really appreciate your faithful intercessory prayers.
As I write this newsletter it is about 7:00 P.M. Sunday night and we are still preparing and packing for the trip tomorrow where I will fly to Manila at 6:05 Am. We have a lot to do yet in getting things ready and packed. So I will sign off for now.
Thanks again for your prayers, encouragement, and financial contribution/investments in the ministry outreaches that are helping us lead people to Jesus. Even this morning in the church service 10 people gave their lives to Jesus. God bless you always.
In Christ’s love,
Gordon & Emie
P.S. Please pray for the Lord to raise up 70+ more faithful prayer partners and to touch the hearts of new people to help in investing financially to help us in the ministry outreaches through which we are reaching people for Jesus. Also, we could use some extra help on the African missions trip and please pray for the Lord to touch the hearts of a few people to donate specifically for that outreach. Any of you who the Lord leads to help for Africa, please note on the bottom of the check: “For Africa Missions”. Thanks (2CO 9:6-8)
