So, an engineer, a store clerk and a pastor are in a church at midnight. But this is no joke.
After Wednesday night prayer meeting, our friends at Punta, Dipolog City, met to talk about some needs for the church. There are some longterm needs (such as new property and a new building as well as some parts for their truck they use to bring guests to the church).
But there is an urgent need. In May, the church will celebrate its anniversary (incidentally, I will be visiting the Philippines at the time of the anniversary celebration), but instead of doing it on a Sunday, the celebration will be on a Tuesday. That means more people can visit, especially other pastors from among the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family.
The extra people, though, means the church will need to have some extra space, adding a wing to their building. So, the pastor, the engineer and the store clerk measured the building at midnight (it's not safe to travel home after midweek prayer meeting, so most people spend the night at the church; there, it's OK to sleep in church). They woke up the carpenter to get an estimate.
The total need comes to 25,000 pesos. According to http://themoneyconverter.com/usd/php.aspx, those 25,000 pesos come to less than 600 USD.
So, folks, let us pray for this need. The anniversary services are much like our American revival services, it seems, so there will be opportunities for the lost to come to Christ.
Again, we can't ask you for money for this need, because we don't have tax-exempt status. However, we do ask your prayers. This money needs to be raised soon, because May is less than three months away.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Happy Monday
While most of us in the U.S. are still celebrating the Lord's Day, it is already Monday in the Philippines. The Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City, has a regular outreach scheduled for today. A women's group travels around to various places and conducts Bible studies.
Some recent testimonies:
Some recent testimonies:
- One day, heavy rains trapped two saleswomen in a house where the Bible study was to be held. These saleswomen could not leave the house before the Bible study, so they stayed to avoid the rain. They responded to the Bible study and were converted.
- On one particularly fruitful day, 20 people prayed to receive Christ in one day.
- A few weeks ago, these ladies saw a man pray to receive Christ after hearing their presentation.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A prayer request
Throughout the short life of Homegrown Harvesters, we have seen the hand of God often.We have seen the sovereignty of God as we have made contact with various people. It happened to us again this week.
One of our sources in the Philippines suggested we contact a certain pastor. His name is Bro. Clemente Gamupit, and he is the pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte. Bro. Clemente responded to our contact by telling us two things. First, the church has been praying for prayer partners in the United States. Second, the church had "a lot" of prayer requests. But one request in particular is urgent.
For the last seven years in the ministry, the church has met at one spot, renting a lot and house. However, the owner of the lot gave the church one year to buy the lot or else find a new place to worship.
The cost of the lot is 120,000 Philippine Pesos (roughly $2,800 in U.S. money). That sum is too much for the church to raise by itself in the amount of time given. But Pastor Clemente shared his faith with us, saying, "We know their is no impossible with God. Luke 1:37.We know that in the right time He give us that lot." Since the church was praying for Western prayer partners, you can be a part of the answer to that prayer. Let's join with these fellow heirs of salvation and see how God will also answer their prayers for the money to raise the funds, or provide a new place for them if that is His will.
Bro. Clemente also asked us to pray for their eight-year anniversary church service scheduled for March 30. For this anniversary celebration, he asked us to pray for the following:
One of our sources in the Philippines suggested we contact a certain pastor. His name is Bro. Clemente Gamupit, and he is the pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte. Bro. Clemente responded to our contact by telling us two things. First, the church has been praying for prayer partners in the United States. Second, the church had "a lot" of prayer requests. But one request in particular is urgent.
For the last seven years in the ministry, the church has met at one spot, renting a lot and house. However, the owner of the lot gave the church one year to buy the lot or else find a new place to worship.
The cost of the lot is 120,000 Philippine Pesos (roughly $2,800 in U.S. money). That sum is too much for the church to raise by itself in the amount of time given. But Pastor Clemente shared his faith with us, saying, "We know their is no impossible with God. Luke 1:37.We know that in the right time He give us that lot." Since the church was praying for Western prayer partners, you can be a part of the answer to that prayer. Let's join with these fellow heirs of salvation and see how God will also answer their prayers for the money to raise the funds, or provide a new place for them if that is His will.
Bro. Clemente also asked us to pray for their eight-year anniversary church service scheduled for March 30. For this anniversary celebration, he asked us to pray for the following:
- 100 souls to be saved and follow the Lord in water baptism. He also added, "We are in [the] last days, and many souls not hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. So please help us pray for this coming big event."
- 15,000.00 Pesos for the food and pastors' accommodations. (That figure converts to roughly $345. These events tend to have visiting pastors speak, so they need funds to provide for the out of town pastors.)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Mourning with joy
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." -- Psalm 116:15
What a wonderful reality is expressed in this verse. The moment we fear the most is the most precious thing to God, if we know Him. The saddest time for us on earth is the happiest time for God, if we are believers saved through Jesus Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection.
One of our Homegrown Harvesters received his eternal reward this weekend. Pastor Gaga Egos, of Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, died around 6 a.m. Saturday. (If you're in the U.S., that was sometime Friday afternoon, depending on where you live). We don't know any details of his passing, except what was relayed to us by a dear sister in Christ. She said in her email to us, "Do mention his immediate family as well as the church in prayer to be comforted." Certainly, we can lift our prayers for the family and church family of this man. Our source told us she believed the church has been ministering for more than 15 years. Another sister told us Pastor Egos was a kind man who preached with the power of the Holy Spirit.
We at Homegrown Harvesters know nothing of his age or his family. We don't know if he has young children or adult children, or what their needs might be. But we trust the word of God, that when we don't know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26). So let us join with our brothers and sisters in Liloy and mourn with them, even as their pastor weeps no more.
What a wonderful reality is expressed in this verse. The moment we fear the most is the most precious thing to God, if we know Him. The saddest time for us on earth is the happiest time for God, if we are believers saved through Jesus Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection.
One of our Homegrown Harvesters received his eternal reward this weekend. Pastor Gaga Egos, of Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, died around 6 a.m. Saturday. (If you're in the U.S., that was sometime Friday afternoon, depending on where you live). We don't know any details of his passing, except what was relayed to us by a dear sister in Christ. She said in her email to us, "Do mention his immediate family as well as the church in prayer to be comforted." Certainly, we can lift our prayers for the family and church family of this man. Our source told us she believed the church has been ministering for more than 15 years. Another sister told us Pastor Egos was a kind man who preached with the power of the Holy Spirit.
We at Homegrown Harvesters know nothing of his age or his family. We don't know if he has young children or adult children, or what their needs might be. But we trust the word of God, that when we don't know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26). So let us join with our brothers and sisters in Liloy and mourn with them, even as their pastor weeps no more.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
How shall we pray?
"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." -- Colossians 4:12
How should we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world, whether in the Philippines or in Africa or South America or other parts of our own nation? What is the best way to pray for them? This verse gives us a good model to follow.
I'm always struck by this particular book, because we see the apostle Paul's love for all believers, even ones he never met. Indeed, the church at Colosse was not founded by Paul (2:1). In fact, these people had never seen the apostle. Yet, when Paul was in prison, Epaphras came to him to let him know about some struggles the church was having, and the apostle wrote this short but powerful letter.
Let us pause a minute. As we are engaged in our ministries, it is easy and natural to love those to whom we minister. We rejoice in their salvation, in their victories and in their progress. Also, we are saddened by their trials and failures. But what about those we never met and may never see? Are we passionate about the lives and spiritual battles of our fellow believers in places we have never been and may never see? Well, Paul was passionate about the Colossian Christians' spiritual growth, and he wrote this short but powerful letter to guard against some false teaching that had crept into the fellowship.
As he draws his letter to a close, Paul reveals to us the heart of Epaphras. Epaphras appears to be the pastor of the church (1:7), and is perhaps even its founder. But look at what the quoted scripture tells us about Epaphras' prayer life for his church, and let us follow that model as we lift up these churches in the Philippines.
Passionate prayer
Epaphras' prayer is described as "laboring fervently" in prayer for the church. It is not passionless, mindless prayer. He is passionately praying for the church. He is laboring, working in his prayers. And he is not laboring the way we sometimes labor at a job we hate; he is burning up in his labors in prayer for these people. Even so, let us labor fervently for those in the church, whether our local church or churches we do not know about.
Pointed prayer
Notice, his prayer has a point. He is praying for the church that the members "may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." How interesting. How amazing. What a prayer that is indeed. That should be our prayer, too, for us and for others.
Let us pray that prayer, with passionate urgency, for our fellow believers, where ever they may be. Let us pray that specifically for our brothers and sisters in the Philippines. May they stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
How should we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world, whether in the Philippines or in Africa or South America or other parts of our own nation? What is the best way to pray for them? This verse gives us a good model to follow.
I'm always struck by this particular book, because we see the apostle Paul's love for all believers, even ones he never met. Indeed, the church at Colosse was not founded by Paul (2:1). In fact, these people had never seen the apostle. Yet, when Paul was in prison, Epaphras came to him to let him know about some struggles the church was having, and the apostle wrote this short but powerful letter.
Let us pause a minute. As we are engaged in our ministries, it is easy and natural to love those to whom we minister. We rejoice in their salvation, in their victories and in their progress. Also, we are saddened by their trials and failures. But what about those we never met and may never see? Are we passionate about the lives and spiritual battles of our fellow believers in places we have never been and may never see? Well, Paul was passionate about the Colossian Christians' spiritual growth, and he wrote this short but powerful letter to guard against some false teaching that had crept into the fellowship.
As he draws his letter to a close, Paul reveals to us the heart of Epaphras. Epaphras appears to be the pastor of the church (1:7), and is perhaps even its founder. But look at what the quoted scripture tells us about Epaphras' prayer life for his church, and let us follow that model as we lift up these churches in the Philippines.
Passionate prayer
Epaphras' prayer is described as "laboring fervently" in prayer for the church. It is not passionless, mindless prayer. He is passionately praying for the church. He is laboring, working in his prayers. And he is not laboring the way we sometimes labor at a job we hate; he is burning up in his labors in prayer for these people. Even so, let us labor fervently for those in the church, whether our local church or churches we do not know about.
Pointed prayer
Notice, his prayer has a point. He is praying for the church that the members "may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." How interesting. How amazing. What a prayer that is indeed. That should be our prayer, too, for us and for others.
Let us pray that prayer, with passionate urgency, for our fellow believers, where ever they may be. Let us pray that specifically for our brothers and sisters in the Philippines. May they stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Relying on God
Welcome back! It is exciting to be at the beginning stage of this ministry, and we will get to see where God leads us.
As we shared yesterday, our hope is eventually to be blessed by God to provide financial aid to this family of churches and their missionaries. Think about it, we in the U.S. train our citizens to travel to foreign lands, learn a new language and a new culture and try to bear fruit among the native peoples. How much does that cost us? Would it not make more sense to support local pastors and missionaries who already know the culture and language, or at least know enough about it to adapt if they are in cross cultural missions within their greater geographical group? Indigenous missionaries cost far less, and they bear more fruit.
But that discussion is for another day. Right now, we want to focus on the beginning of this calling of God in our lives. My ministry partner in the Philippines has been praying about this kind of ministry for years. I, (Micah speaking), was drafted into it. I'm like Saul on the Damascus road or John MacArthur sliding down the freeway on his back. (If you're not familiar with that story, check out http://www.gty.org/; he shares his testimony in various resources. If you don't find the testimony, there are plenty of other resources there that will enrich your spiritual life.) I never prayed for this ministry, but through many providences, I discovered both the need for and wisdom of this type of ministry. An enlisted soldier and a drafted soldier have the same duty, and I pray God may make me faithful to this, His calling.
I am like every man in this regard: I love to be the solution to every problem (unfortunately, I often tend to be the problem to every solution instead). With the financial needs of these churches, I would love nothing more than to give them money or immediately start fundraising. But two problems with that arise: First, I cannot supply all the needs, and second, we have a long way to go before we can start fundraising (we need a minister of red tape to help us out).
I am indebted greatly to K.P. Yohannan and his ministry Gospel for Asia for my understanding about this type of ministry. (If you are not familiar with GFA, please go to the website and order your free copy of Revolution in World Missions.) GFA raises funds for indigenous missionaries in India and other parts of Asia, but Yohannan makes a point of saying that the missionaries need more than our funds, they also need our prayers.
So, that's where we will start. We cannot ask you for money now. But we can ask for your prayers. We are just starting out. We need prayer warriors who will join us in praying for the ministry. We also need people who will promise to pray for the churches and missionaries.
I have had to face my limited resources, so that God could remind me of His unlimited resources. This ministry will never succeed if it is up to my abilities and wisdom and resourcefulness. But if we rely on God and His promises, and if we seek Him in prayer, then we can see Him do great things. Will you join us in praying? Will you join us in seeing God provide? Will you add your prayers for the work God is already doing in this nation?
I pray that you will.
As we shared yesterday, our hope is eventually to be blessed by God to provide financial aid to this family of churches and their missionaries. Think about it, we in the U.S. train our citizens to travel to foreign lands, learn a new language and a new culture and try to bear fruit among the native peoples. How much does that cost us? Would it not make more sense to support local pastors and missionaries who already know the culture and language, or at least know enough about it to adapt if they are in cross cultural missions within their greater geographical group? Indigenous missionaries cost far less, and they bear more fruit.
But that discussion is for another day. Right now, we want to focus on the beginning of this calling of God in our lives. My ministry partner in the Philippines has been praying about this kind of ministry for years. I, (Micah speaking), was drafted into it. I'm like Saul on the Damascus road or John MacArthur sliding down the freeway on his back. (If you're not familiar with that story, check out http://www.gty.org/; he shares his testimony in various resources. If you don't find the testimony, there are plenty of other resources there that will enrich your spiritual life.) I never prayed for this ministry, but through many providences, I discovered both the need for and wisdom of this type of ministry. An enlisted soldier and a drafted soldier have the same duty, and I pray God may make me faithful to this, His calling.
I am like every man in this regard: I love to be the solution to every problem (unfortunately, I often tend to be the problem to every solution instead). With the financial needs of these churches, I would love nothing more than to give them money or immediately start fundraising. But two problems with that arise: First, I cannot supply all the needs, and second, we have a long way to go before we can start fundraising (we need a minister of red tape to help us out).
I am indebted greatly to K.P. Yohannan and his ministry Gospel for Asia for my understanding about this type of ministry. (If you are not familiar with GFA, please go to the website and order your free copy of Revolution in World Missions.) GFA raises funds for indigenous missionaries in India and other parts of Asia, but Yohannan makes a point of saying that the missionaries need more than our funds, they also need our prayers.
So, that's where we will start. We cannot ask you for money now. But we can ask for your prayers. We are just starting out. We need prayer warriors who will join us in praying for the ministry. We also need people who will promise to pray for the churches and missionaries.
I have had to face my limited resources, so that God could remind me of His unlimited resources. This ministry will never succeed if it is up to my abilities and wisdom and resourcefulness. But if we rely on God and His promises, and if we seek Him in prayer, then we can see Him do great things. Will you join us in praying? Will you join us in seeing God provide? Will you add your prayers for the work God is already doing in this nation?
I pray that you will.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Welcome!
Welcome to Homegrown Harvesters! We are dedicated to supporting through prayer the indigenous missionary movement of the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family of churches in the Philippines.
We are praying God will use us to help support these churches. The mother church in Ozamiz City, on the southern island of Mindanao, has sent out 23 missionaries in the Philippines, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. In the future, we hope to be used by God to bring financial support to these brothers and sisters in Christ. But for now, we offer our prayer support.
We plan to bring you prayer requests from the churches, as well as testimonies from the various ministries. To give you a sample, look at some of the prayer requests we have so far.
Ozamis City
In this church, God has produced amazing results. Yet the church meets on the pastor's property in a building that is too small. When the storms come, it can be a bit of trouble. The church has its eye on a piece of property, which is being sold for about 500,000 Philippine Pesos. That is only about $12,000 U.S., but the church is a long way from being able to raise the funds itself. How many of our churches in America spent $12,000 on the parking lot? Let us join with them in prayer, as they buy the property meter by meter, trusting God the whole way.
Look at those prayer requests and consider how we pray. When is the last time we prayed for souls to be saved in every service? How often do we pray for the Holy Spirit to be in every meeting? How minor is $12,000 to most of our churches, perhaps even to some of us who read this?
Right now, we're only asking for prayers. But as you go through your day, consider our fellow believers in this nation, where God is at work. Will you lift your prayers to God on their behalf? Will you pray for the 23 missionaries? Will you pray for souls to be saved in ever service, both in their church and in yours? Will you pray for the Holy Spirit to be in every service, at their church and yours?
Let us pray. Let us pray.
We are praying God will use us to help support these churches. The mother church in Ozamiz City, on the southern island of Mindanao, has sent out 23 missionaries in the Philippines, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. In the future, we hope to be used by God to bring financial support to these brothers and sisters in Christ. But for now, we offer our prayer support.
We plan to bring you prayer requests from the churches, as well as testimonies from the various ministries. To give you a sample, look at some of the prayer requests we have so far.
Ozamis City
- Souls to be saved in every service
- Power of the Holy Spirit in every service
- Church members
- Prayer life
- Spiritual maturity
- Fruitful life
- Responsive heart and dependable attitude
In this church, God has produced amazing results. Yet the church meets on the pastor's property in a building that is too small. When the storms come, it can be a bit of trouble. The church has its eye on a piece of property, which is being sold for about 500,000 Philippine Pesos. That is only about $12,000 U.S., but the church is a long way from being able to raise the funds itself. How many of our churches in America spent $12,000 on the parking lot? Let us join with them in prayer, as they buy the property meter by meter, trusting God the whole way.
Look at those prayer requests and consider how we pray. When is the last time we prayed for souls to be saved in every service? How often do we pray for the Holy Spirit to be in every meeting? How minor is $12,000 to most of our churches, perhaps even to some of us who read this?
Right now, we're only asking for prayers. But as you go through your day, consider our fellow believers in this nation, where God is at work. Will you lift your prayers to God on their behalf? Will you pray for the 23 missionaries? Will you pray for souls to be saved in ever service, both in their church and in yours? Will you pray for the Holy Spirit to be in every service, at their church and yours?
Let us pray. Let us pray.
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